A wonderful series of essays by Unitarian Universalist religious educators from all over the continent. This book is a call for all churches to examine their own RE programs, and what emerges from the full set of essays is an exhilerating vision for what religious education can and should be - and is becoming!

This book is valuable for the religious educator, minister, committee member, lay leader, parent, and anyone who is interested in how we can make sure our children grow up with the ability to form and articulate their own beliefs, in the context of their religious faith.

As a professional religious educator, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Courtney E. Peckham is the curator of the Essex Shipbuilding Museum and is therefore uniquely qualified to write a text on Essex shipbuilding. The compilation of her research is based on recently donated rare photographs and manuscripts related to shipbuilding in the tiny town of Essex, Massachusetts. Sailors, woodworkers, boatbuilders, historians, and general readers will enjoy both the narrative style of the text and the beautifully reproduced rare photographs. There are several books about Essex shipbuilding, notably by Mr. Dana Story of Essex. Dr. Kenneth Lawson has written a unique history of Essex ships used in US military service. The books by Gordon Thomas also cover ships built in Essex, MA. Ms. Peckham's book brings new information and photos to her readers, updating the research on Essex built vessels. While most of the books on Essex ships are sold primarily in the museum bookstore, this new book by Ms. Peckham should reach a wider audience through Amazon.com. I recommed the book.

Wood drastically underestimates the impact of social distinction as predicated upon wealth, especially inherited wealth. Vickers, Work in Essex county page 98

This is an excellent book. I highly recommend it to all managers. The authors researched companies & individuals that are known for excellent leadership. They propose 7 outmoded leadership practices that need to be 'exchanged' for forward-looking innovative practices. I also heard Mitch speak last week on these 7 practices -- it was very insightful. One topic I found very helpful was the discussion of the 3 generations that are coexisting in the workplace. We have the Gen Xers, baby-boomers, & the traditionalists -- each group is motivated differently. The book even details interview questions for each group that are very helpful. This is MUST reading.

The Reverend Morant was an 18th century historian of Essex. It was an era of the pioneers of county history. Perhaps typically, Morant's book concentrates on estate ownership and geneaology, since those were the interests of the landed gentry who, in turn, were his primary market. Nonetheless, these two volumes are comprehensive, represent a massive exercise in collation, and were reprinted at least twice before 1850. Most important of all, however, is the fact that, two hundred years later, Morant is still the sole source for parish history in that large part of Essex that the Victoria County History has not yet reached.

My interest is the history of golf. I found the author's account of its early development in Massachusetts both informative and readable. The book also contains much of interest about the early history of tennis and especially its early social context in the United States. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in these topics.

The book remember was such a great book, coming from a first time writer, I thought that Mrs. Essex story about her fathers life was so strongly express, I could hardly put the book down, wanted to know what happened next. My hat is off to you Mrs. Essex, continue to write, I will be looking forward to reading more in the future. Mr. Halls struggle against racisum was in deed a trying time. Thanks so much for sharing such a great mans life with me.

Sincerely,

Emma Clark

Baby beluga in the deep blue sea,
Swim so wild and you swim so free.
Heaven above and the sea below,
And a little white whale on the go.--Raffi

REVENGE OF THE WHALE: THE TRUE STORY OF THE WHALESHIP ESSEX is Nathaniel Philbrick's adaptation for young people of his National Book Award-winning bestseller, IN THE HEART OF THE SEA. While I have not read the adult version, I can tell you that this edition of the author's compelling account of the real-life catastrophe of 1820-21, in which a whale attacks a whaleship in the middle of the Pacific, was detailed and gory enough to keep me horrified for hours, to the extent that it caused me to forget all about my initial delight that at least one whale had apparently gotten even with humankind for what our forefathers had done for the sake of lamp oil and ambergris.

Your mama told you never
to eat your friends
with your fingers and
hands, but I say you
ought to eat what
you will - shove it
in your mouth any way
that you can. --Silver Spoon by Grace Slick

Utilizing primary source material, including two accounts written by survivors of the wreck about their nightmarish journey across thousands of miles of the Pacific from the middle of nowhere to their rescue off the coast of Chile, the author has crafted a first-rate adventure story that is also a tale of unbearable tragedy.

"Like a giant bird of prey, the whaleship moved lazily up the western coast of South America, zigging and zagging across a living sea of oil. For that was the Pacific Ocean in 1821, a vast field of warm-blooded oil deposits known as sperm whales."

From the early portions of this saga, which take place before an obstinate, eighty-five foot long sperm whale decides that enough is enough, we learn a vast array of information about the port of Nantucket and the whaleships. The author clearly describes and provides illustrations of the ship's layout, including the names of the masts and individual sails, the crews makeup, including their respective duties and the system of remuneration, their navigational tools, and the graphic details of converting those floating oil deposits into big bucks for the shipowners. I was amazed to discover that the wind patterns dictate that in order to sail from New England around the 'Horn to the Pacific, the whalers would nearly scrape the west coast of Africa! And the fact that ambergris--literally worth more than its weight in gold to perfume manufacturers--was generated as the result of whale constipation.

But it's also fascinating to learn at the end about the later lives of those eight men who somehow survived for three months on the ocean in the worst of circumstances--and how the son of one of those survivors grew up to become a whaler, lent a shipmate his father's account of the Essex disaster, and thus became indirectly responsible for that shipmate, Herman Melville, being inspired to write MOBY DICK...

I'm the author of this book and I just wanted
to point out that the price quoted here is
a major misprint -- the UK edition just came
out at 21 pounds!

The author wrote this book in such a manner that a high school government student could understand the majority of the legal discussion and implications for school leaders.

Today's educator would be remiss not to read this down to earth text and not pay attention to its contents while working in today's educational environments where one is constantly exposed to being sued.

The author provides the reader with clear and understandable legal definitions, administrative summaries, landmark cases, and interesting legal situations that have occurred in public schools across the United States.

Classroom teachers, school principals, superintendents, school board members, and graduate students all come away with a sense of "I will not do that again" after reading this very practical school law guide.

While the book does not address school integration and school finance issues from a legal stance, it does an excellent job of addressing all other aspects of educational law.