Rarley does one come upon a book that just speaks to your children. This book has everything, Ryhmes, comedy, and lessons to be learned.

I guess that I'm not a scientist. I never quantified my distractibility etc... (although my old school records could probably show statistics). All I can say is that I was diagnosed ADD a couple years ago, but I didn't realized the cause and effect of ADD. For every action there is an equal and oppisite reaction. By being distracted, I was punished in my youth (or other problems). I guess I could add a chapter in the book myself. Because of being undiagnosed and uneducated regarding ADD, my life was not all that it will be. For those who don't have ADD they may not relate. How can you describe the taste of butter to someone if they have never tasted butter. It's kind of rich, and salty, creamy, I have no scientific proof, but it is describe that way by so many...(they would not understand). In reading this I felt like I was more like part of a club, rather then an outcast. I only got about half way through, and honestly I was a bit sad or scared. You see it was sort of a challange for me to figure out why I was the way I was. It was the additional "ball to juggle" which was manifested from this problem. I'm a bit afraid to finish the rest of the book. If the rest of the book answers the rest of any remaining questions that I have, then what would I do to fill the large gap of 'searching for answers' which has consumed such a large portion of my life. But I will finish the book. I imagine that I will always have some questions.
I don't know who said
"A moment of realization is worth a thousand prayers"
but it rings home for me.

Good luck

This is a great book. I think this is one of the only books that I have ever been able to read and pay attention to. Usually I zone out but because this topic hit so close to home I was able to pay attention. While reading the book I found myself laughing because it was so much like me. I finally realized why I do the things I do and why I have trouble in college. I know I am smart. This also explains why I am so hyper active. I kept telling myself that I don't have ADHD but the more I read, the more I realized that I did. (I was also clinically diagnosed at age 23). This book and a few other books helped to realize that having ADHD is not a disability but rather a character trait with its pluses and minuses. I think it kind of cool at times. I just find myself getting frustrated with the typical ADD downfalls. I think this is one of the best books out there for adult ADD. So good, that others refer to this book when they write theirs. I have read so many books on ADD that it seems like I read the same or similar things and it's like a circle.

My boyfriend and I met 12 years ago, but we started dating only two years ago. About two months into our relationship, I started experiencing some very exasperating moments with him and it dawned on me that he had ADD. I had only heard about ADD in the mid-80s, with all the big magazine cover stories. Ever since my observation, I have been begging him to get intervention, but he is in major denial. He has promised at times, forgotten at other times (typical) and been rebellious other times. He recently left me in my time of need (typical) for no good reason. With the loss of me, he is finally willing to get the inventory and listen to the doctor that will say that ADD causes relational dischord and treating it can save our relationship. WITHOUT THIS BOOK, I would feel a lot crazier and be a lot more depressed. This book is an easy read, with valuable charts and lists and covers just about EVERY thought I've had on the subject. My friend went out with someone who had ADD. She said she started thumbing through this book while her boyfriend was in the shower one day and she didn't stop reading until she finished it. So get this book, and see a counselor so the counselor can refer the ADDer to a good doctor for an inventory. Good luck.

When Terry Goodkind's "Soul of the Fire" - part of one of those multi-volume "epic" fantasy series so popular these days - was not yet released, Amazon readers had already posted a few hundred reviews of the book, almost all of which rated it at 5 stars. None of them had read a word of what they were reviewing, but that didn't stop them.

At the time of writing this, there are just a handful of reviews of Dunsany's "The King of Elfland's Daughter", which was first published in 1924 and which is one of the true classic fantasies of all time. And I doubt a great number will follow.

That's fashion for you.

Still, in about twenty or thirty years from now, I very much doubt if a lot of fantasy afficianados will be able to remember Terry Goodkind at all (let alone "Soul of the Fire"). But I do know that they'll remember Dunsany. As they will William Morris, E.R. Eddison, C.S. Lewis, and - of course - J.R.R. Tolkien.

You see, these are the original masters of fantasy. A lot of good - at times great - fantasy has been written since then (writers like Patricia McKillip, Stephen Donaldson, Ursula LeGuin, Guy Gavriel Kay come to mind), but these are the Old Ones. The ones, if you like, Who Knew What They Were Talking About.

To explain (in the case of Dunsany): a few years back, when in Ireland, I tried to visit the Dunsany ancestral home (yes, this is real aristocracy). I remember asking a local farmer for directions; then, after a little searching, I found a secluded gateway. I drove up the lane, crowded with trees, turned right - and there it was. One of the most beautiful and hospitable - and very real - castles you could imagine. And it suddenly dawned on me: if you lived in such a place - if your family had, for generations, lived in such a place, in such a troubled country, with so much pain and turmoil - you probably couldn't help but turn to some sort of fantasy. And that fantasy couldn't help but be more true than what all of us could come up with, munching our microwaved Internet dinners before flickering monitors and filing billion dollar law suits against any company that produces potentially harmful products.

Not knowing where it came from, it's easy for us to try to decide what good fantasy is - it seems we don't even need to read to book to review it - but we might do well do realise, every now and then, that some of it was written with a far greater perspective than we could aspire to.

In the end, "The King of Elfland's Daughter" is one of the masterpieces of early fantasy. It takes a little getting used to - like Henry James, for example - but if you like fantasy fiction at all, you must read this book. It is one of the very few fantasy books that if worth just about any price you pay for it.

One final remark: an absolutely excellent collection of Dunsany's shorter fiction was recently published by Victor Gollancz under the title "Time And The Gods" (Fantasy Masterworks Series). As far as I know, this has not been published in the US, but you should be able to get it from Amazon.co.uk. Buy it immediately; these stories will probably be out of print again very soon.

Lord Dunsany is acknowledged by many, including leading authors (from W.B. Yeats and Lovecraft to top writers of today) as one of the greatest contributors to the field of modern fantasy. Sadly, many of his works have been allowed by publishers to slip out of print and many readers today have never had the chance... This book is one of his best and anyone who enjoys fantastic fiction, myth or legend should try it. The story has such power, is written so lyrically, is woven so richly, that there can be few comparisons. You care about the people, you can see the realms before you. There is depth and complexity, joy and heartbreak, detail and sweeping vision, and a leavening of humour (some supplied by the people of the land but especially by the troll... and no, this is not some stereotypical "bad guy on a bridge"). For style and reach, few can touch Dunsany. Don't miss out - and when you've read this book, try "The Charwoman's Shadow", also reprinted. For something different, there's a whole alternate mythology in "The Complete Pegana" and some truly outstanding short stories in "The Hashish Man" - and keep an eye out for any other Dunsany works. Maybe even write or e-mail a publisher or two to look for more...

Arguably, the beginning of the end for fantastic writing came was the complex and detailed history of Middle Earth in the appendix to The Lord of the Rings; suddenly, books became encyclopediae with stories and any sort of imagination became redundant. This is an accusation that could never be levelled at The King of Elfland's Daughter. This beautiful, evocative book, written before the introduction of the sword-and-accountancy template, improvises its reality to produce something with more resemblance to Lewis Carrol than Tolkein. The feel is almost psychedelic, but the gently ornate prose glows with the sort of tender magic that would be entirely lost by wilder fantasies to follow. The story itself deals with the desire of the men of Erl to have a magic lord rule them, and progresses through thunderbolts picked up in cabbage patches and unicorn hunts, in and out of the fields we know, to the final enchantment, and a mesmerisingly gentle conclusion. Some readers find the underdeveloped characters and the slow moving story frustrating, but this is probably a symptom of the modern approach to fantasy; rather than define a background and then tell a heavily developed story within it, Dunsany moves the setting to the foreground, using the story almost as a device to reveal his beautifully imagined vision. In my view, this book is truly the essence of imaginative writing: it's genuinely creative rather than following a template and, rather than numb the reader with facts and details, uses broad brush strokes, allowing the mind to expand into the gaps. It is a true classic of the genre, and I would recommend it to anyone jaded by the mundane visions of modern fantasy.

Like many of my generation, I learned of the Scopes "Monkey" Trial through the Lawrence and Lee play, "Inherit the Wind." Edward J. Larson's Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion is a fine and lively historical account of the trial and its aftermath. Winner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize, Larson's book sets the battle between fundamentalist religion and the "modern" science of Darwinism in both an historical and cultural context. In the 1920s, several states attempted to pass anti-evolution laws, and Tennessee finally succeeded in 1925. Thereafter, the ACLU found a test plaintiff in teacher John Scopes, and a test venue in the sleepy town of Dayton, Tennessee, which hoped to use the trial to "get on the map" and increase tourism. Using newspaper accounts, memoirs, and other contemporaneous sources, Larson displays in vivid detail both the seriousness and naivete of the battle between religion and science, William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow. He also argues, convincingly for me, that the trial did not -- contrary to the Lawrence and Lee depiction -- leave Bryan a broken man (although he died within a week of the verdict). Going beyond the trial and its immediate aftermath, the final section of this book examines how later historians and writers -- including Lawrence and Lee -- have interpreted and often mis-interpreted the trial for later generations. In particular, Larson argues that "Inherit the Wind", like the Arthur Miller classic "The Crucible", must be viewed as both a product of and attack upon the McCarthy era of the 1950's. This is an insightful and enjoyable account.

It is incredibly ironic that the Scopes trial, promised by both the prosecution and the defense to be a battle for the truth, is represented in popular & religious culture and, most unfortunately, taught in classrooms in a largely false manner. This book won the Pulitzer Prize in History for good reason; it is the first (and best) attempt to accurately reflect not only the Scopes trial but also the events before it and the three-quarters worth of a century that followed.

As one who fell asleep while trying to watch "Inherit the Wind," I find the truth far more rivetting. The bredth of the defense team.. and the strong convictions and performances of Arthur Garfield Hays and Dudley Field Moore are entirely bypassed in popular history.

The only fault with the work is Larson's apparent effort to be so objective that no one is offended. This causes him to refrain from defending Darrow from years of attacks for his "cross-examination" (outside the presence of the jury and ultimately stricken from the record) of Bryan. The prosecution-- and Bryan in particular-- had promised/threatened/guaranteed a showdown.. to prove that evolution was false, especially if one accepts a literal reading of the bible. The reason Bryan was called to the stand and Darrow was able to question him as he did without the jury present is because the PROSECUTION changed strategies. Unable to find a single competent scientist to support its view, the prosecution was forced to argue against Malone's efforts to show that christianity and evolution were compatable. By keeping out the evidence of the defense's religious and scientific experts, the only defense left was to demostrate the absurdity of Bryan particular views. Though Darrow no doubt enjoyed it, his treatment of Bryan was the third line of defense, not the first.

The manipulation of the facts surrounding Scopes and a rise in the number of so-called scientists pushing creationism demonstrates that, in spite of our supposed rapid intellectual growth as a nation, there are more individuals than ever willing to say, do, or believe whatever will give them control, power, or money. It is a shame that after more than 75 years, Bryan would today have no trouble finding an "expert" witness.

Edward Larson has accomplished something wonderful with this book. In only 266 pages (318 including footnotes and index), he has captured the flow of cultural issues surrounding science, education, and religion in the early twentieth century, the political goals and maneuvering of the parties involved, the actual Scopes Trial in Dayton, Tennessee with the dénouement of the appeal, the falsifying of the events involved in the popular culture, and the ongoing cultural impact of the issues involved in this trial.

As I read I found myself marveling at how Larson so richly captures the cultural forces coming together like tectonic plates and crashing into the Scopes trial. I haven't seen as fair a treatment of the issues involved for all the varying parties (there were many more self-interested folks than Darrow and Bryan) on any other subject. To have that time before the trial captured in such a beautiful way is very valuable.

As others have noted, the notion of the trial started as a publicity stunt to promote the hard luck town of Dayton, TN. The ACLU wanted a narrowly defined test case to overturn the laws forbidding the teaching of evolution. Darrow and his crowd wanted to attack religion more than work out the civil liberties issues involved, Bryan cared more about the rights of the parents as taxpayers to control what their children were taught. Remember, universal public education was still a rather new thing in 1925 and parents then, as now, want to have the education support them in raising their children. The education establishment then, as now, feels a responsibility to teach what they think best.

Bryan and many others were also concerned about the political uses to which evolution had recently been put in the name of survival of the fittest. It isn't a simple issue and shouldn't be turned into a cartoon. Especially since we are in some ways still grappling with these issues.

Yes, Bryan was also a Fundamentalist (although some were more Fundamental than him because he didn't insist on the strict 6 days of 24 hours for the Creation), but imposing that belief wasn't his goal.

Clarifying the truth of the trial versus the popular perceptions in our culture provided by "Only Yesterday" and "Inherit the Wind" is a very valuable service provided by this book. However, the culture seems to want the oversimplification and distortions of "Inherit the Wind" more than the truth of Scopes being a willing participant in a test case more or less on a lark. Or that Scopes never really "taught" evolution. He had used the textbook provided to him by the school and it discussed evolution, but he may never have gotten to that section since he wasn't the regular biology teacher. He taught physics, math, and football and was substituting in the biology class.

The book has a number of very nice pictures that also help capture the period of the trial and the characters involved.

One especially small quibble is that the book does not address the difference between the anti-clerical activities in Great Britain and their political nature because of the state power of the Church and the anti-clerical activities in the United States that were really anti-religion. In fact, a great deal of the fundamentalist backlash against evolution came out of this anti-religion sentiment.

I think it a reasonable view to say that most of the reaction against evolution wasn't from a considered rejection of the theory, but a reaction against being attacked by those who wanted to free America of religion. We didn't have a state church, although most in power were also believers (or publicly posed as believers). The anti-clerical movement was transplanted but to somewhat different effect here than in Europe where evolution was not seen as necessarily inconsistent with Faith (as it has become to be viewed here). But this is a trivial point compared to many wonderful insights this book provides.

David McCullough's particular gift for writing history lies in his ability to get right inside the skin of the person he is writing about. People who knew Harry Truman, for example, claimed that "Truman" caught the man perfectly.

The Adams biography is another expression of that extraordinary gift - but it has a big drawback. If you look at the jacket of the Adams biography carefully, you can see that the title of the book is "John Adams." McCullough explains that Adams always signed his name with that period at the end. Trust him to notice all the details. He has done his Adams reading thoroughly. I would venture to guess that he hasn't missed a single letter written by either John or Abigail. But all he writes about is John Adams . . . period.

This is a real problem. McCullough got so far into the skin of his hero that he tells his life story entirely through Adams' own eyes. He even fell in love with Adams' wife. This is not all bad. By the time you are done with the book, you can be pretty confident that you see the American Revolution and the development of the American Republic exactly as Adams saw it.

But this is supposed to be a biography - not an autobiography - and McCullough's approach means that you don't get any other perspective. Adams had great strengths which were undermined by equally great weaknesses. He could and did pursue his goals with singleminded stubborn intelligence. There is no doubt that he meant to have only the best for the United States and that he would make considerable personal sacrifices to make sure that the his country had the best. The trouble was that he couldn't understand anyone else's point of view. He had his own vision of America - but he had no picture at all of anyone else's and could not accept a difference of opinion.

When his viewpoint was the right one for the particular situation, he was spectacularly successful. For example, his personality and political approach were perfect for approaching the Dutch during the Revolution and the financial loans that resulted were as important as any victory in battle or any other alliance in winning the Revolutionary War. It's even fair to say that no-one else could have gotten so far.

But . . . when he was wrong he was just as spectacularly wrong and got nowhere. His presidency is a perfect case in point. His personality had none of the qualities necessary for him to be able to balance conflicting interests during his administration - in the way, for example, that Washington did so well.

You don't get that from McCullough's biography. If this book is all you read, you can conclude that Adams was unjustly treated and sabotaged - which was certainly his own point of view. I found that unsatisfying. It means that you have to totally discount every other player at the time and shut your eyes to the wealth of complications and complicated personalities involved. That is where this book falls short.

On the other hand, if you read it in conjunction with other books about the Revolution, it is very worthwhile indeed. McCullough writes extremely well. You will KNOW John Adams from the inside out. It will enrich your understanding of the other books, even as they fill in the limitations of this one.

For a really comprehensive list, you can't do better than McCullough's bibliography (though I did wonder if he actually read some of those books considering his own final product). High points: Elkins, McKitrick: "The Age of Federalism"; Wood, "The Creation of the American Republic" and "The Radicalism of the American Revolution"; Bailyn, "Ideological Origins of the American Revolution"; Morris, "The Peacemakers"; Rakove, "Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the US Constitution."

I found it difficult to put this book down! If you are a fan of historical biography (or just history in general) this book is a MUST READ. I felt that Mr. McCullough painted a very thorough portrait of John Adams, covering in great detail his incorruptible spirit as well as his character flaws. I felt as if I personally knew John and Abigail Adams after reading this book, enough so that I actually felt a touch of sadness at the mention of their deaths toward the end.

I had no idea that John Adams contributed so much to the United States during his political service. Most history classes and books cover a lot of material about Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, etc., but little is mentioned of Adams. I learned so much about one of U. S. history's much-overlooked patriots.

A few words of caution: there are some situations in this book which paint some negative images of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, and I would suggest reading biographies of both of these men as well in order to get a different view (and opinion) of them, just so you can possibly get both sides of the story.

This book is a very worthy read!

If I were a high school or college teacher of history or social studies, I'd adopt David McCullough's "John Adams" as my classroom textbook. Part biography, part historical treatise, part memoir, the book is wholly wonderful. As a reasonably well-read forty-something product of the public school system, I was surprised to learn from reading this book more about Adams, the American Revolution, and the American ideal than from all my previous experiences combined. It's that good. McCullough relies heavily on the vast reserve of Adams' own writings to so thoroughly characterize a man who's been dead for nearly two hundred years, that you feel you know him as a best friend by book's end.

And what a man he was. Absolutely devoted to reading and education, and dedicated to the pursuit of freedom and liberty, Adams may be more responsible for the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the U.S. Navy, our "separation of powers" system of government, and the very set of American values that has sustained us for two centuries, than any other man who ever lived. His wisdom, foresight, and study of world history led him to predict in his early twenties that world domination by France and England could soon end, and that America's thirteen disparate colonies could unite and rise to a greatness rivaling that of ancient Greece or Rome. As an old man, more than forty years before the Civil War, he hypothesized that the issue of slavery could one day rend the nation apart. This was a man of vision.

It is hard to read McCullough's laudable prose and Adams' letters concerning the development of America without rethinking the whole question of America's worth--and patriotism in general. Virtually every country in the world observes some "independence day" or other celebration of nationalism. But so many of them are based on not-so-worthy events: coups, political intrigue, despotism, genocide, etc. McCullough's Adams helps us to see the American Revolution as a watershed event in human civilization, where a relatively small group of incredibly intelligent statesmen came together to pursue an ideal. They were--for the most part--motivated not by partisanship or personal gain, but by the simple desire to do good. John Adams epitomizes the stereotypical white-wigged Founding Father who dared to believe that the granting of rights flowed from people to government, not the reverse.

I was equally satisfied to learn Adams' position on slavery. He was against it, and never owned a slave, unlike his on-again-off-again political friend/foe, Thomas Jefferson. Although he lost this argument, he felt that all men were obviously NOT created equal. They come in different colors, sizes, abilities, and temperaments. But they all deserve EQUAL RIGHTS. This is a man all Americans can revere. Thank you, David McCullough, for bringing him alive once again. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

I purchased these tapes several months ago and have followed them very closely. Not only have I experienced greater relaxation, I have experienced more awareness of myself and my emotions. John's voice is easy to listen to which makes the relaxation techniques very pleasant to follow. It is great to actually to know what he looks like because when you are one on one on the tapes, it is very easy to visualize him walking you through the exercises. John is a gift to this earth and we should appreciate him for how precious his words really are. If you buy these tapes, you will not be disappointed, you'll be enriched for years to come.

After being completely engrossed in these tapes for a whole day, I've realised what a great medium and teacher John Edwards really is. His tapes are very simple and take you step by step through the whole process of meditating and also connecting with angels and guides. The meditation tape raised my spiritual awareness to a completely different level. His sedating voice takes you all the way through the meditation from lowering your breathing to start with, to visualising your own psychic room and then bringing you back again. The psychic defense tape shows you how affirmative thoughts can effect your life. John Edwards gives you some very good tips and excersises to help you do this. There are six tapes within this programme and i feel that each tapes helps to enlighten you in a different way. John Edward explains about different psychic tools you can use e.g. psychometry, crystal gazing and rune casting to name a few. The last tape in this pack is advice on how to conduct a psychic session. This was very helpful to me because he raises lots of issues concerning how you give the information you are receiving to the sitter These tapes are now invaluable to me as part of my continuous training to become more spiritual and also in my quest to be a psychic medium. I would highly recommend these to anyone who wants to enhance their level of spiritual awareness.

If you have ever had psychic experiences (I've had them constantly since I was a kid with no idea what was going on) and want to develop them further, look no further, these are the tapes for you. John does an excellent job of teaching you how to prepare your physical body to relax so that the inner workings of your mind or soul, can develop. I truly wish I would have gotten these tapes when he first made them available. How many other true mediums are willing to help others develop what we are starting to recognize? In educating us, John also answers numerous questions we all have, including things that religion teaches us is "taboo" simply because we don't understand what they really are, such as psychic tools. If it weren't for John, I wouldn't be inviting those back whom I turned away years ago (begging them to leave me alone, because I was scared) and didn't know what was happening to me. Now thanks to him and his tapes, I am educated on what's going on and what my choices are. Since you're probably wondering about the title of this rating, here's your answer: I get stressed alot, have a lot of responsibility with my job and my family and I know when I get really stressed out, instead of promising myself a rich dessert once I get through this or that, I look forward to rewarding myself with listening to one of my favorite tapes in this series, or if you will, my "dessert". I always fall asleep and when I wake up (hearing John count me back), I feel so good! I'm ready to go again. If you think you're going to purchase them then make yourself copies and put the originals on an auction site--think again, you won't want to let these tapes go, trust me! I highly recommend these tapes. Buy them, you will be glad you did. Take care everyone & be good to each other.

I very much enjoyed this book because it was full of pure fun reading. Some books drag from the very beginning, but this children's story didn't. There were surprises from the start. This book is an all original example of using your imagination. Lewis Carrol was gifted enough to let his imagination go wild, and to write it down on paper. This book inspires me to write any sort of crazy thing that is worth writing. This book is about Alices adventures from the time she saw the peculiar White Rabbit with a waistcoat and watch. She meets thrilling but very arguementive creatures and charectors such as the caterpiller who smokes, the Duchess and her baby which turns into a pig, a Mock Turtle, a gryphon, and the most famous the Chesire cat and the Queen of Hearts. This book is a bit different than the Disney movie. There are other charecters in the book that are not mentioned in the animated movie. and I think the book is more bizarre.

I read the book "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and I really enjoyed reading it. Lewis Carroll is a magnificant author and the story he writes is wonderful. Alice is a little girl who journeys to a magical land where everything is full of non-sense. She incounters many people and creatures along the way. She is told many stories and riddles while she travels through wonderland. My favorite thing throughout the story, was when Alice kept saying that she would have to write a book about this place when she got home. Even though it was a dream, Alice still loves her world of non-sense.

Let me put it this way: I have yet to meet someone who does NOT like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Some people have less affection for it than others, but it engages everyone, kids and adults alike.

While Carroll's work appears at first to be an eccentric and unfocused work of children's literature, closer study reveals a much more elaborate text, which is variously a satire on language, a political allegory, an attack on the flawed English educational standards of the time, a parody of children's literature, and much, much more. As Alice ventures into the world behind her mirror -- Wonderland -- she encounters some of the most remarkable figures in literary history: the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and the Queen of Hearts, to name a few. (I have no proof of this, but I would bet that these characters continue to rank among the most popular and memorable of all time.)

But while the story is thoroughly enjoyable, I find the writing style even more significant. Alice is delivered in such a simple, honest, stream-of-consciousness manner that it does indeed work as children's literature. The absolute freedom with which Carroll lets his events twist and turn has been beneficial to me, particularly in my creative and personal writing, teaching me how to loosen up when attempting stream-of-consciousness, and how to let my writing go where it will. In terms of pure writing style, I think Carroll ranks among the most influential and invigorating of the authors I've read.

And, as a postscript, the original illustrations by John Tenniell are fantastic, and rank among my favorite illustrations ever. I cannot recommend this one too highly.

John Edwards, along with George Anderson and others have brought comfort and solace to many a grieving person. So many people who have watched his show and read his book swear by Mr. Edwards. In the past few years, many books have come out on communication from beyond, NDE's and the like; many have become immensely popular.The problem is, however, for those who are grieving the loss of their beloved pet, about all they have been able to find to help assuage their grief are books that try to get you to deal with your loss, remember your companion fondly, etc etc. Some give you wonderful, touching stories about their own departed pets. Unfortunately, none of these kinds of books serve to mitigate the tearing grief of those of us who feel that we might never see our furry or feathered dear friends again. What makes matters even worse is when some go to their respective minister or priest for comfort, only to be told that animals cease to exist after death.Finally, however, a book came out dealing with the wonderful truth-- animals do, indeed, have an afterlife ( BTW, those ministers and priests need to study their Scriptures more effectively! Let them start with Romans 8: 19-23 and Revelations 5:13 where it tells us all! animals will praise God at the Throne at the time of the Resurrection).The book THE SOUL OF YOUR PET (Scott S Smith) has well-over 100 recountings of people who have had interactions with either their own departed pets or have seen other people's; sometimes there are multiple witnesses; sometimes living pets interact with the spirit one. This makes it pretty hard to suggest grief-induced hallucination, certainly.The book also contains a chapter on animal intelligence, among others.James Randi-- and any other skeptic-- I challenge you to suggest a viable alternative to this explanation of sightings and interactions; some people see and feel their respective pet, other hear it-- there is a broad range of experiences.I urge anyone who is grieving over the loss of his or her pet to read this book! I also would recommend a precious little book written for children but treasured probably more by adults. It was inspired by the author's seeing her beloved dog in the arms of an angel after it had passed. This book makes the heart smile. These two books complement each other beautifully.The book is FOR EVERY DOG AN ANGEL (she has since written one for cats, as well).In closing, I do want to give one caveat: when a person appears to someone of its own volition, that is one thing, but when one goes to seances, this is strictly forbidden by the Bible. Visits by spirits to the bereaved to say goodbye, or to coming when the departed feels it can give needed comfort is not forbidden. It is important to remember that just as good and evil exists on this side, it does on the other, as well. During the seance, your beloved aunt might be the one contacted, but it could also be an evil spirit posing as such. Why? People have a tendency to think that the Departed know everything. Often they tend to ask them questions,and rely upon their advice. An evil entity likes nothing better than to "take over" and run your life; no need for Scripture when you have your own "spirit guide", no? Please be careful!There are no cases in the PET SOULS book where any spirit animal acts other than as an animal. Theycarry no messages. These beloved friends are not "summoned", but, as I stated before, come of their own free will. What a wonderful gift from God! The Scriptures are there for our salvation, and don't mention much about man's symbiotic interaction with animals, so what a blessing,then, that God would give us this gift!One last point: I would have left this book unrated because of the above issue, but was not given the option. There certainly is no doubt it is most fascinating.

As a curious skeptic in psychic phenomena, I read this book with more and more curiosity.

HAVING SEEN JOHN EDWARD'S TV SHOW, I was interested on how one becomes a medium or realizes how a person has these abilities. This book does a nice job of answering those questions. From a young age, John Edward, had some different psychic experiences and was raised in a household where his mother was very much into mediums. However, this by far was not the norm for his Catholic upbringing. He does a really nice job describing how this happened and how he entered into this unusual profession.

THROUGH VARIOUS REPEATED READINGS AND EXPERIENCES John Edward has learned to improve his skill at communicating with those who have passed over. Despite his best efforts, this included his own mother. He describes how the spirits communicate with him through symbols and sometimes not at very convenient times.

THIS BOOK HAS MANY EXAMPLES AND SITUATIONS WHERE HIS SKILL WAS TESTED AND HE REPEATEDLY STRESSES THAT THE SPIRITS CONTROL WHAT IS HAPPENING. This is important to note, as when people go for a reading it can be very different than they expected. This was evident in a number of the examples in his book. Also the fact that spirits may have manipulated the circumstances around a reading, shows who really is in charge. He has some wonderfully involved situations that developed where people needed help and the spirits endeavored to provide this.

EXCELLENT READING: John Edward does a nice job of not only describing the path he has taken and why, as well as discussing several circumstances where spirits have guide his and other's paths. He also provides in the last part of the book how you can possibly make yourself open for these experiences. Excellent reading for those curious skeptics as I am and other believers. For those strict non-believers, this is not a book about proof. Michael Schmicker's Best Evidence would be better for you.

I was totally held hostage by this book when I purchased and started to read it. I literally couldn't put it down. The fact that John Edward comes across as an ordinary person makes the experiences and things mentioned in his book more believable. The book talks about how he first realized he had a special ability and the people in his life that have been the most helpful in guiding him along the path of being a psychic medium.

The experiences and happenings that John mention in this book has helped me to heal from the emotions I experienced after losing my Mother a year ago. Also, it has helped to open my eyes and realize that she has been leaving me signs along the way that she is still here with me, but on a different plain.

I have recommended this book to my friends who have lost loved ones in the hopes that they will find comfort in reading the book, as well as to help them to understand and believe that their loved ones are still in their lives.

I can't wait to read all the other books that John has written concerning this subject.

This meticulously researched and reasoned book by Edward Steers both tells the story of Lincoln's Assassination and builds the case against those involved.

Much of the book reads like a detective story. Since Lincoln's death, various publicity seekers, conspiracy buffs and doubters have disputed various aspects of the story. The issues Steers deals with -- and convincingly -- are ones that have plagued the assassination story for a long time. By assembling documentary evidence from a vast array of sources, Steers builds strong cases that: Dr. Mudd was a part of the conspiracy to capture Lincoln and was a confederate of Booth -- and was expecting to help Booth escape from Washington; Mary Surratt was also a part of the conspiracy and thus justly convicted; the harebrained conspiracy theories involving Vice President Johnson or Sec. of War Stanton in the assassination are just that; The Confederate Secret service was active in supporting a kidnapping of Lincoln, knew Booth and provided him with resources; the top levels of the Confederate government (including Jefferson Davis) were aware of kidnap schemes (though no claim is made that Davis or others in the Confederate high command knew of or supported the assassination plot).

The book deftly does several things. While telling the story of the assassination plot and Confederate secret service activities, it builds the case implicating individuals found guilty by the government but whose involvement has been questioned over the years. Steers also tells of and demolishes notions that Booth really escaped and that an imposter was buried in his tomb -- notions that had some currency in the early Twentieth Century. Steers provides a thorough examination of the case of Dr. Mudd -- proving his complicity in the Lincoln conspiracy and rebuking those family members who to this day try to exonerate Mudd as an innocent doctor who executed his Hippocratic Oath for the lame Booth when he came calling to his home after the murder. (Steers has also written a book solely on this topic "His Name Is Still Mudd")

This is an impressive work. Steers deftly melds both the story of Lincoln's assignation plot with the detective work proving the case against those who claim mistake or cover-up. It is well written and makes good use of primary sources. Although I have read and enjoyed "The Day Lincoln Was Shot," I'd have to rate this as the Lincoln assassination book to read.

Much like the Kennedy assassination, the Lincoln assassination has been the subject of more than its share of conspiracy theories. Mr. Steers does an excellent job of debunking most all of these theories by meticulously sifting through the evidence and proving, point by point, that these theories do not hold water. He is able to use the same method to prove most of his own hypothesis concerning Booth and his conspirators. As is mentioned in earlier reviews, Steers does seem to take particular delight in proving the guilt of Mary Surratt and Dr. Mudd. Mudd takes the brunt of Steers' assault, possibly because this is the area of Mr. Steers' greatest knowledge. It is also possible however that the vigor of the author's attacks can be traced to the fact that the Mudd family has done an excellent job convincing most Americans that the good doctor was as much of a victim as was Lincoln. Steers proves that Mudd was indeed involved, and then drives the point home. Make no mistake, he proves it, just as he proves most of his points by doing his research and doing it well.

Please don't be afraid of this book. The writing is clear and easy to follow. Most importantly, it's interesting. There are indeed a lot of names to keep up with but most of those names are going to be pretty familiar to anyone with any knowledge of the period. To make things even easier, Steers gives the reader a good concise history of the conspirators. As a bonus, there is also a chapter devoted to following Lincoln's body on its trip back to Illinois. It's a very interesting chapter at that.

I do have one serious problem with this book. To Steers' credit he does point out that if Jefferson Davis was in on the plot, he had good reason to be. It was the Federals that first broke the rule of not trying to knock off a head of state. The Confederate President had indeed been targeted for death by a group of Union raiders attempting to enter Richmond, and the southerners had the captured orders to prove it. Steers however makes no attempt to link Lincoln with this incident and in fact Lincoln may not have known anything about it. The problem is that Steers uses such flimsy evidence to connect Davis with Booth, that the same line of thought would have to connect Lincoln to the earlier plot. Over and over Steers makes statements such as, "Davis must have known," or, "Davis would have had to know." No evidence is presented to support these statements except that a plot to kidnap the President of the United States could not have been undertaken by the Confederate Secret Service without the approval of the President. If that were the case how could the U.S. Army undertake a plot to assassinate the Confederate President without Lincoln's knowledge. The answer is, it would appear to be very possible that Lincoln did not know what his army was up to just as it would be very possible that Davis had no idea what his spies were up to.

Despite this flaw, this is a fine book. New light is shed on an old subject and maybe a few old myths have been put out of their misery. I may just have to read Mr. Steers book on Dr. Mudd. If this book is any indication, it will be well worth the effort.

Kudos to Mr. Steers for writing a well-docmuented historical account that reads like a nightmarish novel. For anyone with an interest in the US Civil War era or President Lincoln, I would rate this book as a "must have." The book has a fascinating account of the assassination conspiracy; the length (over time) of the conspiracy and the direct involvement of the Confederate government in the conspiracy were surprises. Whenever Steers makes assumptions, he plainly states the bases for those assumptions; and, they make sense given the materials he cites. I did wind up wanting to know more about the Confederate Secret Service and its Union counterpart; and, more about their roles in the Civil War generally. Treatment of this subject in Steers' book was more than adequate for the topic of Steers' book, though. Very enjoyable (allowing for the overwhelming sadness of the topic) and informative reading!

John Edward's personality shines through in his new book "Crossing Over: The Stories Behind the Stories." Readers of his first book, "One Last Time" will notice a bit of a shift in content. "Crossing Over" is chock-full of information about John's path into the public eye as opposed to the consecutive chapters of readings "One Last Time" contained. More importantly, it is written in a fashion that allows the reader to understand "at what price fame" and enables them to see that no matter where you are in your spiritual growth, there is always something new to learn and experience.

If you have been watching "Crossing Over with John Edward" on the Sci-Fi Channel since the first episode aired, you will be familiar with many of the readings mentioned in the book and enjoy the extra background. They are distributed throughout the narrative of his journey from everyday psychic medium to his present status of world-wide acclaim which the show has brought to John and his message.

This book is a MUST PURCHASE for any fan of John Edward or his show. It is full of behind the scenes information and gives a history of how "Crossing Over with John Edward" came to be. In addition, John shares his invaluable spiritual insights and infectious humorous sarcasm. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and when you get to the end you'll be looking for the new release date of his next book.

If this is your first visit into the realm of John Edward's works, I recommend you purchase "One Last Time" as well and finish it before delving into his latest work. "Crossing Over" is a little heavier read due to the nature of material discussed, such as the Leon Jaroff incident and other negative media events John has been faced with. [Note from Reviewer: The March 5, 2001 issue of Time Magazine tried to pass off an article by Leon Jaroff which was an obvious plagiarism of an "Inside Edition" segment on John Edward almost word for word.]

In this book, John recounts his early struggles into show business. He talks about the incredible hurdles he had to go through to create the television show "Crossing Over."

As in his first book, John writes about the incredible series of coincidences and synchronicity he experienced. Things just fell into his lap in his quest to create the show. He also gives great insights into his experiences with the nay-sayers, and how they really pounced on him when he became famous.

The best thing about John's books are the stories of the people he meets. There were several touching stories; a tragic love story involving an unsolved murder, and how that love between the two people literally broke the barriers of heaven and earth.

Another story about a loveable old man named Carl Perkins, who wrote "Blue Suede Shoes" which launched Elvis' career. Carl was a very humble human being who was taken advantage of financially many times, but his passion for life and music lit up all those around him, including his close friend Paul McCartney.

There were several other stories, but I remember these two in particular. They are powerful, moving stories that touch upon the very essence of life itself, the reason why we even choose to live: LOVE! Friends and family are the factors that make life worth living, and that's the lesson John tries so earnestly to teach on his show and books.

A very moving book, just like "One Last Time." Highly, highly recommended!

Way to go John! Yeah for you!

I am anxiously waiting for my copy of "One Last Time" to arrive in the mail. However, the other day I was walking past the bookstore's window in town and saw "Crossing Over" in the display. I walked inside and asked for a copy. I didn't even inquire about price, reviews or what the cover said...I simply HAD TO HAVE the book.

I wasn't disappointed.

If you believe then this book is definitely for you. If you don't believe, then you should read it anyway because it will give you the opportunity to question what you are not familiar with. I applaud John and The Boys for everything they have done to help people who are missing their loved ones. John's talent is helping people to feel comfort in their loss and know their loved ones are safe. He is a giver.

The book tells about his struggles as a medium and how he got to where he is today. It talks about readings he has had and some leave you speechless. It is amazingly touching and will have you looking for the hankies in a number of places.

I can't wait to read the first book...