I honestly can't remember where I bought my first copy of this fabulous book, probably a thrift store or flea market, but I most definitely remember where I was when I read it. I was on the Blue Line in 1987, taking the train to high school. I started it on the bus and by the time I was on the train I was so entranced that I missed my stop. I missed it by 3 stops! I was laughing out loud. People were looking at me like I was insane. All I wanted to do was tell them what I had just read. I was actually crying from laughter! It was sooo invigorating! Such and extremely original story!! I couldn't wait to share with all my fellow readers. It was years before I was able to get another copy to actually give away. I now have my original copy with all its tape just barely holding the cover on and another copy that I loan out. If you are feeling down, or not, this is a book that will absolutely make you at least grin as you read. I highly recommend this book to everyone!! Young & Old, Bold & Shy!! You can't go wrong.

It's wonderful to read reviews of Kirkwood's books and know that other people felt about his stories the way that I did when I first read them. I too 'lost' my (much taped and taped and taped) copy of this book (the fourth or fifth copy I had purchased, I might add!). This incredible author and his offbeat, engaging characters pulled me through some of the most difficult moments of my life and helped me to come out laughing and or crying (sometimes, both). I would have loved to have had the pleasure of meeting him. I connected with him so much through his books and characters. Mr. Kirkwood really had insight into what makes people tick...or, in this case, get ticked off! If anyone knows where I can get a copy, please email me! If anyone knows anyone who has a copy, please do yourself a tremendous favor and borrow this hilarious book. You won't regret it!

If you can find this book, buy several copies, as they will disappear. People will borrow it, and you will never see it again; it is that good (I have lost three copies that way). When you read the cover description of the book ("It's New Year's Eve...") , you immediately realize that you have had bad days like that, and you want to know if his day was worse than yours (...it was). I have found this to be one of the funniest, most touching, " go for the gut" books I have ever read, and I recommend it to all! I just wish I could find another copy!

T.D. JAKES HAS A WAY OF MAKING YOU TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AT THE WAY YOU CARRY YOURSELF AS A WOMAN. THIS BOOK SPEAKS TO THE WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN ABUSED MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY OR SEXUALLY. IT FORCES WOMEN WHO USE MONEY, MEN AND THEIR BODIES AS A WAY TO GAIN SELF-ESTEEM, RESPECT, OR LOVE. THE BOOK POINTED OUT THAT SOME OF US WHO HAVE BEEN USED SEXUALLY AND DISCARDED,UNKNOWINGLY SEND OUT VIBES THAT SAY TO UNSAVED MEN "I'M DESPERATE, ABUSED AND LONELY. I'LL TOLERATE ANYTHING TO BE LOVED." THAT'S WHY SOME OF US KEEP MEETING THE SAME TYPE OF MEN. SO NO, ALL MEN ARE NOT DOGS. SOME OF US JUST HAVEN'T LEARNED TO LOVE OURSELVES ENOUGH AND TRUST GOD TO BLESS US WITH OUR HEARTS DESIRES. I RECOMMEND THIS TO ANY WOMAN WHO IS TIRED, READY TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH(E.G. BAGGAGE FROM THE PAST, UNSAVED MEN, ETC.), AND READY TO START HER NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.

I bought "Woman, Thou Art Loosed! Devotional" in 1999 at a book sale at my company and it sat on my bookcase for nearly a year unread and collecting dust until Thanksgiving 2000. At the time, I was in a spiritual valley, full of self-pity and doubt. I do believe God guided me to take Bishop Jakes' book out and read it. Sisters, I read it TWICE that weekend, and became renewed, refreshed, and redeemed. Chapter 16, "Dealing with Your Cains and Abels," was especially uplifting for me personally because Bishop Jakes showed how I was blocking my blessings by continuing to cling to the past and certain individuals in it.

Bishop Jakes' spiritual gift, to tap into those who are hurting and need encouragement, is evident throughout this book. Buy it!

I have read this book three times. The first time I read it, I had just come home from the a mental hospital following a suicide attempt. My husband left me for another woman following 17 years of marriage. I was at a complete loss. A friend of mine recommended Woman Thou Art Loosed and I read it in one day. I couldn't put it down. It was like this book had been written for me because Bishop Jakes knew me personally and could feel my pain. Once my mind was clear, I realized that Jesus knew me personally, knew my pain and wanted me to come back home. HE wanted to be the man in my life. I needed no other. To make a long story short, I read the book, renewed my faith, embraced My Lord and life, picked myself up, dusted myself and here I am three years later, loving My Lord, loving life and proud that I AM the Daughter of A King. Give God the Praise!!!

Julian Drew lives with his abusive father and stepmother. The physical and emotional abuse he receives separate him from everyone he meets. The only outlet for his pain is his NBs, or notebooks, where he writes his deepest thoughts and feelings. Afraid of the consequences for his honesty, he writes in a secret code, to some he calls "U." Although at first, the reader can not fully understand Julian's code, it creates sympathy for Julian and a need to understand him and with each page Julian reveals a little bit more of himself. Deem treats the topics of abuse and abandonment with sensitivity, and portrays them in a very real manner. The book is separated into three sections, each one a different NB. With each notebook the reader experiences the growth and progress made by Julian through each of his trials. Recommended for all YA collections.

Parts of 15 year-old Julian's life are so terrible, the only way he can write about them in his journal is in code.

"My hand is going 2 write U if it K1775 me," he writes in his NB, an 80 page green spiral notebook.

As his diary unfolds, we slowly see the horrible emotional and physical abuse he receives at the hands of his stepmother and the longing he feels for his dead mother.

This book is challenging to read, but well worth the effort: _Flowers for Algernon_ meets _I Am The Cheese_. Highly recommended.

I rate this book a ten star! Too high for a 5 star scale. The code in this book was exiting to figure out and it helped you unravel the story of Julian with him. I read this book in one day and loved it! One of my all-time favorite books! If you don't read this book, you are going to miss out on a wonderful experience!

I thought that this book was a great book and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read great fairy tale. A tale with Princes, Princess and an evil Duke. I couldn't put the book down. It was short and sweet. There is a simple plot and characters that are easy to relate to. There were many descriptive sentences that painted detailed pictures in your head. I also enjoyed the pictures in the book and found them very amusing. This book as some surprising twists in it that you would never guess. Again I would highly recommend this book for anyone of all ages that just want to read something that is good and it doesn't take him or her days to read. It is just an awesome book to read. I hope you enjoy it.

Thurber's "The Thirteen Clocks" is one of the best books ever written. The fairy-tale plot line appeals to both the young and the young at heart. No matter your age, after reading this book you will come away feeling like the world is not as rough of a place as it seemed about a half an hour ago. This book is also great to read to young children. While it doesn't have a poetic meter, the dialogue and narration progress in an almost sing-songy way that will hold the attention of even the most restless child.

I first heard this enchantingly wonderful book on cassette tape when i was at art lessons. I would wait impatiently till the next week so I could hear more~ more about the Golux (who resembles only half the things he says he doesn't) and about Princess Saralinda and the Prince whose name begins with X... and doesn't. This book is full of whimsical wonderful wordplay and contains almost all of my favorite quotations of all time. It isn't very long, but every sentence is filled with some little quips or verbal oddities that, quite literally, made me laugh aloud. This book is without question one of my favorites of all time, a truly wonderful tale that can be read over and over again without ever growing old. Really classique. I mean, the book that's given me my tagline HAS to be great: "We all have flaws and mine is being evil."

The kids in sweet Miss Nelson's class are rude and obnoxious, until a mean substitute replaces her. By the time Miss Nelson returns, they have learned to show their appreciation by behaving well. A great moral, certainly, but hardly sugar-coated: the children's misbehavior and the substitute's grouchiness are outrageous and delightful. This book is one of the most engaging I've ever read to my kids(ages 4-7)and a great success with my ADD child who normally has a hard time sitting through a story. It provides a great platform for inferencing and theory of mind work.

When I was in second grade my teacher read this book to the class. Everyone loved the story and the illustrations were pretty good. But the next day at class our teacher wasn't there! In her place was a strange woman. Now, if you know anything about kids you understand that they can run on a wolf pack mentality, especially when it comes to substitutes. Under normal circumstances we would have pushed this stranger, this substitute, to the brink of insanity. Sure, we'd have had some casualties headed for the principal's office, but a substitue was an opportunity not to be missed. That is, unless she looked like Miss Viola Swamp!

And boy did this woman ever fit the bill! I can't recall ever seeing a group of second graders so attentive to the day's lesson, so well behaved! Now, the substitute wasn't all that bad, just not as nice as the actual teacher. But we all had Miss Nelson is Missing on our minds and everyone of us kept thinking "What if...?"

I'm just guessing here, but I do believe my second grade teacher knew the affect this book would have on us. She knew we would pay attention in her absence and upon her return great her with enthusiasm and relief. She was right! Now anyone even thinking about becoming an early Elementary School teacher should think well on investing in this book. It may one day prove invaluable to your state of mind when leaving your class to a stranger!

As I mentioned in my review of "Stinky Cheeseman and Other Fairly Stupid Tales," I am taking a Children's Lit class in college, which requires me to read a lot of children's books. So, this is a great excuse for me to write more reviews. If you want to make fun of me for liking these books, so be it. I could care less.

"Miss Nelson is Missing" was always a childhood favorite for me. One of my first picture books I ever read, I think. I even remember that my copy came with a record that you could listen along to as you read. Wow, does that bring back memories. I picked this up a few days ago, and found myself enjoying it as much as I did when I was little, if not more.

This is a book about a sweet and nice teacher who has one of the most terrible classes ever. Everyone is mean and nobody ever listens to her. Miss Nelson knows that something has to be done.

One day, when she doesn't arrive to class, the children are so happy. They think they have driven her away forever. They are all smiles and grins.....until....

They meet Miss. Viola Swamp, an ugly and mean teacher dressed in black and white makeup. She puts them to work, yells at them, and makes them do tons and TONS of homework. Desperate and worried, the children turn to a detective in order to solve the whereabouts of Miss Nelson.

This book is incredible. Fun for all ages, especially the young ones. It's fun and gives a good moral lesson at the same time. It has great writing and very cool pictures. The reading level is pretty easy. Nothing too mind-bending behind it.

I recommend "Miss Nelson is Missing!" to ANYONE! Yes, I don't care how old you are. You're never too old to enjoy a good children's book, and I'm starting to re-discover that. Check this one out whenever you can. And if you have kids, I can almost promise you that this will be a favorite.

I was already quite an informed religious disbelievers before I read the quotes from this book so I knew that many famous people from history were disbelievers like myself. Nevertheless, some of the names and quotes I found in this book were startling. Practically every major intellectual figure over the past 2 milleniums represented themselves as a skeptic or disbeliever in this book. I think Robert Ingersoll summed the entire book very well when he said, "The history of intellectual progress is written in the lives of infidels."

It's such a shame that the majority of children are taught the sugarcoated history which leads them to believe that there heroes like Twain, Jefferson, Edison, and Lincoln were 'good Christians.'

This book is a powerful source of quotes from most of the greatest minds to ever cast their genius upon this earth.

Those who'd like to challenge the founding fathers as to religion, - maintaining that they were Christians , would do well to read this book. America was NOT founded upon Christianity, but upon Deism- the idea that there might have BEEN an original God , but that he was only the watchmaker who created the earth , but left it to it's own devices once it was wound up; not giving humans dominance nor establishing faiths. Thus the idea of revealed religion was false and open to skepticism. The true focus of this book however , is to expose the reader to a VAST number of humanity's greatest thinkers they might have not known were skeptics and doubters of their times and ours. Full of quotes -from ancient through modern times- this is an extremely well researched compilation .Truly a gold-mine for those who'd like to know what Aristotle ,Shakespeare, Decartes, Franklin , Twain , Voltaire , Jefferson, Edison , Einstein , Freud , Asimov , Roddenberry actually said- to mention only a few of at least forty other great minds that have shaped us into the humans and societies we are today. 2000 Years of Disbelief is a MUST-READ for any student of philosophy or religion . Progress has never been measured by blind adherence , but careful study of minority thinking , as that is the only true road to growth ;both personal and societal , and this book realizes it's goal - to expose the myths and introduce us to the even GREATER original thinking of the minds we hold dearest in our historical psyches.DO READ!!

Christians are going to go through the roof when they read of people like Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Adams and other founding fathers (and mothers) that had no use for organized religion.

The chapter on James Madison is especially interesting in its depiction of Madison and Jefferson's battle to pass Jefferson's Religious Freedom Act. This action was necessary since a tax bill was on hand (1784) to give sums of American tax dollars to Christian churches, thus establishing a federally funded religion. Had this occurred, the religious freedom so many people had died for would have evaporated. Jews, atheists or otherwise would have been out of luck. Fortunately, that bill was defeated and the tenets of Jefferson's Religious Freedom Act were sewn into our Bill of Rights in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

I find it important to illustrate the fact that one does not have to be an atheist to find value in this book. For those of us that are interested in human history, this text lends great insight into the minds of many people that have impacted our world's past, present and future. Its claims are exhaustively researched and documented on the pages. If the inclination to dispute or research is felt, all one has to do is have a pen and paper handy.

James Baldwin's novel The Fire Next Time is a narrative of Baldwin's thoughts and perceptions of society throughout his life. This book expresses the point of view of a man who grew up in poverty. Poverty for Baldwin was the streets of Harlem and all of the drug trafficking, prostitution, alcoholism, and crime that took place on a daily basis. The atmosphere in which Baldwin grew up in directly affected the man he became and his views on certain issues.

Baldwin was a young man during some of the most critical times in United States history and his outlook on the Civil Rights Movement is the focus this book. Growing up in Harlem, the inequalities of the black man become painfully apparent to Baldwin. He struggles with the black leaders of the time and their preaching. However, an invitation to meet with the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad, provides important insight to this group. Baldwin and Muhammad's perception of white people are clearly different but the two accept each other and continue on with their lives. Muhammad and his followers believe that the white mans reign over the earth is coming to a close and blacks will soon be superior. The relationship between these two men is complicated; Muhammad seems interested in recruiting Baldwin to his cause but Baldwin remains focused on equality.

W.E.B. DuBois once said, "The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line" (103). This issue of power and the color line is constant throughout the novel and it becomes apparent that the struggle for power seems to be drawn with racial lines. The key black figures in the novel struggle against the white culture to gain a foothold to launch themselves out of the wings and into the spotlight of the nation. Dialogue between Baldwin and a few characters question whether power is obtained from the number of followers, "it is now absolutely clear that white people are a minority in the world" (70), or the amount of money available, "He spoke to me...of the amount of money that is annually at the disposal of Negros-something like twenty billion dollars" (79).

Baldwin seems partially interested in joining the Nation of Islam but rethinks his decision and draws his own conclusion of how equality and justice will be obtained. His brilliant insight has the strength to change lives and lead to equality. This novel would be perfect for a reader who is looking to understand how people of different social and economic classes perceived the civil rights movement. As a college student interested in history, the historical changes presented in this book held my attention. This book requires the reader to think of their own society and how it evolved to its current standing. This book demands the reader to think and to understand the meaning of Baldwin's words. With thought and consideration, Baldwin's theories on equality and accepting others will become clear to the reader.

Of all of the great authors of the 20th century, James Baldwin was probably closest, both in style and moral authority, to some of the prophets of the Hebrew Bible. "The Fire Next Time," first published back in 1963, represents Baldwin at his most impassioned. This book consists of an open letter to Baldwin's nephew, along with an extended autobiographical essay. Throughout the book, Baldwin writes with insight and compassion about the complexities of race in the United States.

Baldwin writes of his spiritual crisis as a teenager--a crisis which led to his career as a youth minister in an African-American Christian church. He writes bitterly of his ultimate disillusionment with the emptiness and hypocrisy he found in the church. Baldwin also writes of his meeting with Elijah Muhammad, the fiery leader of the Nation of Islam sect and mentor to controversial Black leader Malcolm X.

Baldwin's testament is a harsh critique of 20th century Christendom. Reflecting upon the rise of the Nazis in one of the world's most "Christian" nations, Baldwin declares, "From my own point of view, the fact of the Third Reich alone makes obsolete forever any question of Christian superiority, except in technological terms."

"The Fire Next time" is both an illuminating historical document of a turbulent era, and a superb piece of literary craftsmanship. All those interested in the art of nonfiction prose should take time to experience Baldwin's mastery of the medium. But even more importantly, we should all take time to consider his ideas on race, on religion, on prejudice, and on hope.

Originally published in 1963, James Baldwin's, "The Fire Next Time", is an indicator of what society was like as many viewed it, and forces questions about the degree of change that has happened since he originally wrote the work. The position or the perspective of the reader, will greatly affect how each reader reacts. One issue that I do not believe can be doubted is that this is a powerful, and passionate book, written and published at a time the Author risked all manner of hatred and violence upon him. Published when Mr. Baldwin was 39, the book is not the rose colored view of youth, nor the writing with an entire lifetime to reflect upon. It does not suffer from the first, nor does it fall short do to the latter. It is writing that will elicit powerful emotions by all those who read it.

Great change for the better has taken place. Former Joint Chief Of Staff Colin Powell will soon occupy the most powerful post ever held by a person of color in this Country's History. This was probably unmanageable in 1963. However this example does not represent the state of change in our Society. As an argument for how much change has taken place for the better between the races, a person pointed out to me the march on the anniversary of the sick events in Selma Alabama, and the lack of any violence. My feeling was that if the President Of The United States had made the same march with the same people in 1965, as the President did recently, the violence would surely have been different. The participation of The President and all that surround him tend to minimize Civil Rights abuse in his presence.

There is no definitive measure of how much change has taken place, who is responsible, and who if anyone is to blame. The ease with which "The Race Card" is played by individuals of any color, at any level of our Country may not measure change, but it certainly does indicate that whatever change is needed is not yet completed.

A very powerful work about a conflict that still occupies too much time as an issue in our Nation. This book is one man's views, and his shared personal experiences. He writing is not the final word, but after 38 years, the fact that his work and his thoughts are still relevant, speaks for the work and the man who wrote it.

Tozer speaks as one who has been in the presence of the King and the aroma of heaven clings to the pages of his book. The Pursuit of God was one of the first really great books I read. One of my mentors loaned it to me when I was nineteen years old and facing a period of decisive surrender in important areas of my life. The second chapter, called "The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing," was especially meaningful to me. Everything Tozer wrote was good and I could give a blanket recommendation to his other works. His books are brief, but not shallow. I highly recommend The Pursuit of God. Follow it up with Man: The Dwelling Place of God, another of Tozer's great books.

The power of this book is its promise that all one could hope for in Christ is true and within reach. Those whose hearts have heard the call to "seek My face" are encouraged with the hope that they will find what they seek, and will know by personal experience the depth of the riches of the glory of God of which the apostles spoke. Prayer is the door to these spiritual riches. Nothing but prayer can bring God and man into this happy communion, E. M. Bounds said, and to this end Mr. Tozer closes each of the ten chapters with a prayer. It is one thing to read the book, something else to pray the prayers, and another still to keep on praying them until they are answered. For those who would press on to know the Lord the book is written. The preface ends with an invitation to kindred souls: "if my fire is not large it is yet real, and there may be those who can light their candle at its flame." By book's end Mr. Tozer has shown his fire is real, and the persevering reader may join with him in this closing plea: "And all this I confidently believe Thou wilt grant me through the merits of Jesus Christ Thy Son." Amen.

I can only concur with several of the other readers comments in that I'm drawn into the presence of God while reading this book. Tozer not only writes about the experiential nature of a relationship with the Lord, he (or rather the Spirit through him) actually leads the reader into God's presence. In this sense the book is utterly unique for me for any extra biblical writings that I've ever read, and I've read a LOT of them (e.g., Practicing the Presence, The Imitation of Christ, The Cloud of Unknowing, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ, etc.). And after all, it's about fellowship with the Lord, not reading about Him.

Good to take down from the shelf and read again if you're ever feeling "dry".

Completely God-centered.

Having read George and Martha as a child, I was happy to receive the complete version of Marshall's stories for Christmas this year. The stories are clearly for children, but are humorous for adult readers as well. The pea soup story is a classic. The illustrations are wonderful.

I did something I've never done before - bought a book based only on Amazon reviews and by the frequency that this book appeared on peoples' lists of favorite books. And I was not disappointed - this is a great book.

My 6 year old is a fast reader, but had viewed reading only as a task to get through - not to enjoy and savor. This book changed all that. At first I was disappointed to see that the stories in the chapters were so short, but I have come to see that the brevity is part of the attraction for new readers - they get to turn pages a lot! The lessons about friendship are wonderful, and very, very funny. You could buy the paperback books with these different stories, but my child LOVES having this huge hardcover collection of stories to read through - it's wonderful! We have only had it for a few months, but it gets read every night, and the use on the jacket cover already shows how much this book is treasured and loved. Mom & Dad love to listen to these stories, too.

I just recently came across the George and Martha stories, and I couldn't be happier that they're now released in a complete collection! Every child should be exposed to the witty, funny writing of James Marshall...he's a genius! His talent for capturing each character from simple drawings is uncanny, and the short stories make it easy for children to hear MORE! I haven't read these stories to a child yet who didn't love them. Don't let your children miss out on George and Martha - CLASSIC!

You will laugh, cry and be confused when you read this book. This book can teach you that what you think is good is not always good.

There is a boy named Peter Pan. He sprinkles fairy dust in Wendy and her two brothers. Then he shows them how to fly. He takes them to Neverland and shows them to the Lost Boys who live there. Wendy becomes their mother. She makes up rules, like any other mother would do. The boys have to follow these rules. Everything was fine until Captain Hook came with his crew to where the boys and Wendy were. While Wendy and the boys were at the lagoon, where they go every day after dinner, they see a girl named Tiger Lily, princess of her tribe. She was captured by Smee, one of Captain Hook's men. Then Peter saved her. A few days later Wendy and the boys were on their way to Wendy's house when they too were all captured by Captain Hook. Then Peter saves them. Then the lost boys, Wendy and her brothers go home. All except for Peter.

It is mostly about what the people in the book think is right with childhood. The kids in the book think that if you grow up it is bad, but in our case it is actually good.

Peter Pan is a violent book not really made for children under the age of 10 but people 10 and up can read it. It is violent because of the language that is spoken and the idea that killing could be fun. Also, the vocabulary is very difficult for children under 10 to understand. Even if you're older it is difficult to understand.

Overall, it is a good book but watch out for the violent ideas if you are reading it to little children.

This is an utterly charming work. It has been retold myriad times, but nobody else has done it as well as the original teller, J. M. Barrie.

It's difficult to know what to say about a book like this... everybody knows the story. But I guess that unless you've read this book (not just seen a movie or read a retelling), you don't really know the character Peter Pan, and without knowing the character, you don't really know the story. So read it.

By the way, if you enjoy this, you probably would also like "Sentimental Tommy" and its sequel "Tommy and Grizel", both by Barrie. There are differences (for one thing they're not fantasy), but there are also compelling similarities. Anybody who found Peter Pan a deep and slightly bittersweet book would be sure to enjoy them.

-Stephen

Driving with young children in the car quickly convinced me that it was unsafe to not give them something to listen to. After ten years I have collected a large (30+) bag of books-on-tape. I have also loaned them to others and asked for opinions. Peter Pan (read by Wendy Craig) is not only my favorite, but also the favorite of my wife and most of my friends. It is excellent for all ages (4 to 80) and even most hardened teenagers. Humour, presentation, ... a prefect 10.