With all of those lessons in mind, I'm unequivocally saying, "Get your hands on Hummingbird Gardens as soon as possible." I don't think the co-authors, Nancy Newfield and Barbara Nielsen, have yet realized the true scope of what they have accomplished.

I knew Nancy was working on a book with somebody, but thought it was strictly for the southern Louisiana area. When Sam brought home my unexpected copy, it took only a few minutes of browsing for me to tell him something like, "Good lord, this thing is really, really good - and I mean good!" That's saying a lot for a person who is not easily impressed, and the more I read, the better it got.

Somehow, Nancy and Barbara truly did it all in Hummingbird Gardens by combining a wealth of well written, informative text with spectacular photographs of both the hummingbirds and the flowering plants so loved by these creatures. The beautiful birds and blossoming plants are well covered in their own separate chapters.

At the same time though, the content flows smoothly into pertinent regional information for those in: California, The Pacific Northwest, The Southwest, The Western Mountains, The Southeast and The East and Midwest. They so skillfully blend bird and bloom with helpful tips and enthusiasts' experiences that you will want to read on and on about other hummers in other gardens!

As far as I can determine, they left no stone unturned. All who open its covers will soon learn to appreciate the inclusion of subjects often left out of other publications. This one did not forget such things as: References and Further Reading (great bibliography), Resources (supermarkets for the hummers' favorite natural foods), and an excellent Index.

One last thing. Although Hummingbird Gardens was primarily done for the millions of us who simply love and enjoy these particular bounties of nature - I sincerely believe ornithology, as a whole, will gain as well. The professionals cannot be out in the field all of the time, thus what we see "our" hummers doing in our yards can contribute a great deal to the science. Meanwhile, we are very lucky, indeed, that Barbara and Nancy decided to share their knowledge and discoveries with the rest of us!

Reflecting on "the lonely business of marriage" (p. 93), Scot observes that "whatever else marriage is, it is long. People who give up after a year or two haven't been married. Marriage means much longer, means still in the same house when one has been seriously ill or the job has failed. Marriage means climbing mountains together, and even if you say nothing as you climb you have both seen the first light shift from blue to mauve. It means having no clue what is going on in the other's mind, and at times clenching one's fists" (p. 44). In her own marriage, she practices "not-talking" and "letting things fall into place" (p. 77). For Scot, marriage is "leaving alone. It is leaving alone when one does not understand. Marriage means giving each other time with no questions; times of saying, What you are going through is yours and yours alone, and you do not have to explain it to me" (p. 120).

There are also reflections of death, degeneration, and renewal in the depths of STILL CREEK. This is a book that quietly touched me.

G. Merritt

If you like Junie B. Jones books check out this one. It is by Barbara Parks. It is a cute book. It is about a girl named Junie. She has a duckling in her pocket and she tried to keep him quiet the whole day. I like this book because it was the best Junie B. Jones book I have ever read. I learned never to keep a duck in my pocket.
...

While I found a lot of meat in the 226 page hardcover I read, I was disappointed in the lack of flow I expected. I suspect that the book was assembled as a collection of some of the author's columns or that chapters were written separately and perhaps intended to stand alone. For this reason, I recommend readers move through the book from cover to cover, but also expect to use the book as a reference as they return to individual chapters for guidance.

"Good News" is organized into four parts. The first section deals with The New Workplace, emphasizing Living and Working in TempWorld. Interesting theme with a lot of validity, but I didn't find "Temp World" mentioned again until almost the end of the book. Her tips for living and thriving in TempWorld make a lot of sense, including "try to define yourself in terms that are independent of your job title." Moses asserts that "effective career management means making informed choices." I would have liked to see her continue the TempWorld theme throughout the book-it would have fit nicely.

Part 2 explores The New Worker. Early in this section, Moses addresses the blurring of work and personal boundaries, illustrating this challenge with one of her many vignettes. Asking "What kind of worker are you?, she describes six different career approaches and what motivates them. I felt she could have expanded this portion more to help readers use this insight more effectively. Again, I was frustrated with the lack of depth; many topics were treated more shallowly than I hoped for.

The New Manager Section begins talking with managers and supervisors, offering them strategies to address some of the common concerns of the new worker. She talks about the old worker vs. the new worker, the manager as career coach, mentoring, and how to give people a belief in the future. In this section, Moses is clearly talking to managers, so her "voice" is much more focused than I felt in other sections. A question in my mind was about who the book was written for.

The fourth section is entitled "A New Set of Skills" and begins with encouragement to become a career activist. Other chapters on selling yourself, networking, and communicating take us back to talking with the workers directly. As she moves toward the close of her book, Moses predicts that "only when people are empowered by a belief in their own employability can they develop a more equal, rather than fear-driven, relationship to their organization." She encourages people to assume control of their careers because work plays such a crucial role in who we are.

At four different places in the book, the author used language that I feel is totally out-of-place in a business book. She may argue that such expressions are in more common usage today, but she'd be stretching the point.

A great read for anyone who is wants to become "a career activist" or who has a role in supporting others' career development.

Small designs on every subject and for every occassion. The designs can be used well on household items, to decorate clothing, for ornaments, bookmarks and small gift bags and tags. Color charts. Chapters include:

Florals; For Little Ones (children); Symbols of Love; Christmas Fun; Santas and Snowmen; Borders and Patterns; Country Patterns; Americana; Year-Round Holidays; Nature Designs; Animals; Alphabets and Numbers; Sports, Professions and Pastimes; Cross-Stitch Basics; From Start to Finish (tips and techniques); Specialty Stitches; Patterns & Instructions; Extensive Index

This book is perfect for the stitcher that likes to take various motifs, and put them together in her own way rather than for the stitcher that likes to have a complete project to stitch and finish "just like the picture." I like the myriad of designs, but find that when I use the book, I need to make a working copy that I enlarge to make reading the charts easier. I've used some of the Borders and Patterns for creating bookmarks. There are lots of great idea starters here.

A great biography on one of the most beautiful women to ever grace the screen.

This is a book in which the gorgeous paragraphs reign. Don't miss them! The one downfall is that the book does not read well as the united whole its numbered chapters would suggest it is. We consistently and disruptively at the beginning of each chapter enter the swamp, again. And again. It would have been a welcome change of pace to stay in the swamp for two consecutive chapters once or twice. Without also having edited to further diminish repetition, better to have let them stand obviously as individual essays.

I suspect that Hurd must have been torn, the naturalist in her dared not leaver her beloved swamps only to the essayist but had to summon the poet also. No wonder this multiple talent struggled with form. She created a sort of hybrid that resists categorization. I hope her next work will emerge with a form even more unique.

I like this book because Junie B. is not a sore looser and she has fun. Also she does not cry!

I think the authors purpose in writing this book is to show people that you should not judge a person when you don't know what they can do. You should read this book to find out more!