"Finding What You Didn't Lose: Expressing Your Truth and Creativity Through Poem-making" was my introduction to the field of poetry therapy. Although I have added many poetry therapy texts to my library since acquiring Mr. Fox's book, I still consider "Finding What You Didn't Lose" the premiere text. It is comprehensible; full of useful and thoughtful ideas; and beneficial for anyone seeking to cultivate healing in themselves or others. I am currently undergoing professional training in poetry therapy and find myself returning again and again to Mr. Fox's book. Also, when introducing people to the field of poetry therapy, I always recommend Finding What You Didn't Lose as a foundational text.

Like having a cup of steaming coffee with a dear friend, John Fox's words,rich and strong, wake you up and add a new flavor to your work whether you are a first time poet or have written for years. FINDING WHAT YOU DIDN'T LOSE is a must have book to share with your students, colleagues, and writing groups. As a teacher, I thoroughly enjoyed the hands on experience: examples, suggestions, quotations, and hints. Filled with truthtelling that connects like caffeine straight to the heart, John Fox helps you find your way home to the poet within.

For anyone who loves discovering the inner creativity of oneself, this is the book for you. I have had this book for a couple of years and I find it interesting everytime I sit down and realize another poem. Every teacher should own a copy. Children would benefit from its teachings.

I"m still working my way through this one, but I'm finding it overall to be helpful... It's a good read, as well, engagingly written and leads me to want to try...

As a literature student, I stayed as far away from poetry as I could. It wasn't just that I preferred fiction Poetry made me feel "less than". I didn't get it, and all the terms were confusing.

Now, as an English teacher in a community college, I get a similar response from my own students, most of whom haven't read much poetry, find it difficult or overwhelming, and don't really see the point.

Even sadder, neither of us have believed we can write poetry. Instead, we have believed that poetry is something only a chosen few can do, something that requires mastering a certain form or stanzaic structure or tapping into the Muse at some deeper level of creativity than most of us are capable of.

It's too bad that only recently have we had John Fox's book Poetic Medicine to show us what poetry really is or can be, a means not only of discovery or creative expression, but also of deep emotional and spiritual healing.

As Rachel Naomi Remen points out in the Preface, "Poetry is simply speaking the truth...and one of the best kept secrets in this technologically oriented culture is that simply speaking the truth heals."

Fox helps us get at our truth and thus heal, via a range of exercises that explore such territory as personal relationships, loss, illness, our connection to the earth, love and pain between parent and child, and the use of traditional poetic tools to merge the spiritual and creative.

These exercises are hugged on either side by text which combines Fox's personal insights and experience, both as a poet and poetry therapist, with concrete examples from his own life and those of former workshop participants. Poems from friends and students, as well as pertinent quotes from other writers, complement and enrich Fox's words.

But these words are not just for those of us who already fancy ourselves poets or writers. One of the great characteristics of this and Fox's other book, Finding What You Didn't Lose, is that Fox, like Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones and Susan Woolridge in Poemcrazy, give us permission to use writing to discover our own selves.

As in his workshops, Fox's kindness, spiritual depth, and true belief that poetry can help us express the inexpressible come through loud and clear in his tone. He is someone who listens deeply, pays attention to his inner world, and by example, helps us do the same.

John Fox's POETIC MEDICINE: The Healing Art of Poem-Making is a user friendly book. You will find yourself circling phrases, underlining sentences, writing in the margins, completing the expertly crafted exercises and drifting in thought and reflection over poetry that touches your soul. The format also includes a wonderful collection of side bars with poetry and quotes by a wide variety of poets, writers and philosophers.

John's choice of chapter titles are in themselves poetic: "The Fragile Bond" -- expressing poems of pain and love between parent and child, "Landscapes of Relationships -- reflecting on intimacy, marriage and longing, "When God Sighs" -- making poems about loss, illness and death.

As an instructor of a poetry course for seniors, I used many of the exercises in POETIC MEDICINE. Participants who often came hesitantly to the class, were delighted when they discovered they were able to express themselves in poetic form. We also worked with some of the tools and basic elements of poetry which are nicely presented in the book.

POETIC MEDICINE is a book one could choose to use individually too. Expressing personal sorrow and love, poem-making to heal societal wounds, or celebrating earth and nature are all avenues one can explore within its pages.

Rachel Naomi Remen, MD says in the Preface, "Poetry is simply speaking truth", and John's unique book helps us to find truth and to create poems from the heart. It is good medicine for, as Dr. Remen says, "simply speaking truth heals."

The recipes in this book are great, especially the tomato soup and chicken salad (Chinese). I really liked the simple way in which they were written and the use of readily available ingredients. My favorite part of the book was all the minutae about the restaurant itself. From starting a restaurant, to running it, to buying provisions, to personnel, the book was a fascinating inside look at the business of food. The authors never complained, but they made me realize what a tough business they are in. Hope I can visit Cafe Beaujolais sometime.

I spent a lovely weekend on the coast and happened upon CAFE BEAUJOLAIS. After a splended meal, I purchased an autographed copy of this book. The recipes are all easy to follow and each have a history or source. Her spicy buttermilk coffee cake is to die for! Ms. Fox speaks of her cookbook collection and how she "looks up" the same recipe in many different cookbooks. This is where I first understood the concept of recipe comparing. I also enjoyed reading about the goings-on in her resturant. This is a fabulous book!

This is my one book that i go to again, and again and again. Everything in it from Chinese Chicken Salad to Mom's Banana Cake is scrumptious. It's hard to say what is my favorite - I guess they all are. You are missing out if you don't have this book. You won't be sorry; not to mention that simple instructions, simple ingredients, wonderful for the novice cook and then some. ENJOY!

This is an adorable picture book. I was babysitting for a very restless four-year-old and was having difficulty getting him to sleep. I took out of stack of books to calm him down and he picked this one up right away. After reading this story, he insisted that I read it again! I ended up reading it to him three times, and he said he enjoyed it much more than the other books we had read that night. When he was leaving, he asked me, "Could you please order that book for me?!" Shutta Crum has a very special talent as an author, and does an excellent job writing for the young audience of 'Fox and Fluff'.

"One evening a little white egg bounced off a farm cart and cracked open. Out hatched a fluffy round chick, just as Fox was coming along the path. Fox thought, What's this? A snack! Chick thought, Who's this? Papa?" So begins Shutta Crum's heartwarming story of an unlikely duo. Fox can't eat someone who calls him Papa, so he tries to lose this little feathered pest, but Fluff is attached to his big, strong "Papa", and every time Fox turns around, there's Fluff tagging right along. All the animals in the forest find this situation hysterical. Poor Fox is losing his vicious reputation, the rabbit, mouse and frog aren't afraid of him anymore, and so he does the only thing he can think of to get out of this awkward Papa situation. He takes Fluff to the farm and leaves him at the henhouse. Fox thought life without Fluff would set everything right again. But he didn't count on missing the little fellow..... Ms Crum's gentle text begs to be read aloud and shared, and is rich in wit, humor, and energy. John Bendall-Brunello's captivating illustrations are bold, bright, and expressive, and each page is filled with endearing characters and playful details. With its clever happily-ever-after ending, Fox And Fluff is an engaging preschool crowd-pleaser that shouldn't be missed, and works well with Judy Hindley's Do Like A Duck Does.

Fox is the biggest, baddest guy on the block...until fiesty Fluff hatches, imprints on Fox, and starts emulating his reluctant father figure. Peep by peep, Fluff chirps his way into Fox's heart...and the reader's! It's hard to find books that support a vegetarian lifestyle without bopping you over the head with their message, but this is one vegetarian book you can sink your teeth into. WIth adorable art by John Bendall Brunello, this story is destined to become a favorite for meat and plant eaters, alike!

I have read many cookbooks that are bone dry and boring, like a chemistry textbook. This isn't the case with "Morning Food". Fox presents her recipes and anecdotes with warmth and humor. No matter the time of day this book puts you in the mood for breakfast. The coffee cakes are heavenly!

Written with wit and wisdom, MORNING FOOD helps cooks of all skill levels recreate some of the wonderful tastes of Margaret Fox's charming Mendocino restaurant, Cafe Beaujolais. The restaurant is one of the many wonderful reasons people from all over Northern California--and the world--brave slow and twisty roads that hug the cliffs and hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco.

The food detailed in Margaret Fox's book is both simple and complex. Freshness is the keynote here, but creating with what you have available is important, too.

If you enjoy reading cookbooks for pleasure or simply want a "how-to" list of recipes, you will be pleased with MORNING FOOD.

Having been a huge fan of the author for years, I couldn't wait to jump into this book. The recipes are consistently delicious and impressive. Her cinnamon rolls and bread are simply unparalleled! If you love to entertain in the morning or simply want incredibly tasty breakfast/brunch recipes you must read this book. I must also say that her writing style is so enjoyable...readable, witty and unpretentious. The book is full of little anecdotes about life in Mendocino and running a restaurant. Check it Out!!

I was delighted to discover this book while volunteering at my son's school library. After renewing Tale of a Tail from the library twice, I decided we needed to own it for our own home collection.

This story is new to those of us in the West, but it has all the elements of a classic (and is, in fact, an old Hungarian fable.) The story of Tale of a Tail has a wonderful and surprising twist that makes it an enjoyable read for parents as well as children. The artwork in the illustrations is gorgeous; I am surprised this book did not win a Caldecott award.

This book earns the highest recommendation of our family!!!

Judit Bodnar's rollicking tale of tables turned & turned again, in a funny & Aesopian tall tale, is wonderfully endowed by John Sandford's awesome artistry of life in an amazingly enchanted forest!

Fox is a quick witted creature & soon catches himself a basketful of trout. Just as he's about to dig in to his huge supper, he hears a knocking at his door. It's Bear, drawn to his friend's home by the lovely fishy smell.

Fox is not a polite neighbor & tells Bear to take a hike & when Bear persists, Fox thinks to give him a hard time by telling him how to fish for his own supper.

Bear, being a bit of a bumbler, takes Fox's lesson to heart & sits for one miserably cold winter night with his tale stuck in a lake.

In the morning, without catching one fish, Bear decides to go home. When he stands up he finds his tale frozen to the lake. With a mighty heave Bear pulls the whole lake out & staggers away, muttering at his Foxy friend.

Naturally, the lake melts & Bear gets his own feast, beyond Fox's imaginings!

A wonderful book to be read & re-read for the story & for the pictures!

My son was read this book in school and absolutely loved it! He's 7 years old and begged me for a copy of his own. He can't wait to receive it.

This is a very fine book. I'm enjoying the heck out of it. It gives you a real sense of how it was to be a northern bush pilot in the early days of flying. The author, Don Braun, is very personable, and his adventures keep me on the edge of my seat.

Don Braun volunteered to fly for the Canadians during WWII and stayed in Canada after the war as a bush pilot. Don flew the far North with Wardair from the begining and proved himself to be a talented pilot in an unforgiving land. I found the stories to be well written and usually fascinating. Don was a pro in a type of flying that did not tolerate fools or mistakes. He pioneered some of the early routes and bush airstrips.

Although a bit homespun at times the stories themselves overshadow any tendency for skimming. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to readers that enjoy Northern flying and adventure stories. There are not many books on Canadian bush flying, most are about Alaskan pilots. This one is one of the better accounts of post WWII Canadian flying.

This is a great kids' craft book. The projects are colorful and substantial. The instructions are meticulously presented. Adults will also enjoy doing these crafts! This is a good book...no lame, boring projects here! Nope! This is Muppet quality fun stuff!

Why did I not give this book 5 stars if I like it so much? Well, sometimes I felt the level of difficulty indicators were off a bit. Also, I simply wish there had been more of this book...a thicker book with more ideas. Most crafts would be appropriate only for older children. I wish there were more options for wee ones.

I recommend this book wholeheartedly to homeschooling parents, elementary school teachers, scout leaders, Bible school directors, and the like. Others may want to check it out at the library first to see if it would work with your children. Still, I bet if you bring home a stack of kids' craft books from the library, _The Muppet's Big Book of Crafts_ will be the most creative, colorful, ambitious one in the pile.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! As a more 'mature' muppets fan, I can highly recommend this book, both for it's practical craft suggestions and as a darn fine book to look at. The photos are superb and nearly all my favourite characters were featured. So far, we have only had one failure among our craft attempts. The 'wax paper butterflies' ended up being 'runny crayon blobs' but we still had fun making them! This book will definitely be a keeper long after my kids have outgrown the projects.

I never considered myself a "crafty" person before I got my hands on this book! My roommate got it over a year ago and I had to get my own copy because we soon won't be living together anymore. It is true what the other reviewers have said that there isn't a lot for little kids in this book (though there are at least 20 good things for children) but there are a zillion crafts-for-kids books out there. This book is for EVERYBODY! Really, these projects could be handled by children, but many of them take patience that some children don't have. The projects in this book may take longer than projects in other books, but the end result is probably much better, too. After all, these projects come from the Muppet Workshop, and we all know the Muppets they make are not like ordinary craft puppets. My favorite project in this book is the "Eggshell Mosaic" which involves selecting your favorite drawing/picture (I did Sailor Moon, my friend did Tigger... there is a stencil in the book of Fozzie Bear), making a tracing of this picture onto cardboard, dying eggs the colors you will need to color in your tracing, and gluing the broken colored eggshell pieces into place! It looks like a fancy tile design you might see in a subway station. Everyone who has seen our eggshell mosaics is impressed! All of the projects have easy-to-follow instructions and helpful hints on how you may want to do your project. It is loaded with color photos of examples, and step-by-step drawings. I must have at least ten bookmarks in my copy, all marking projects that I can't wait to do! I can't stress enough what a great book this is. These must be the things Muppet Workshop people do with their children on the weekends. I don't have kids yet, but when I do, I am sure we will wear this book out until it is ragged.

I enjoyed this book because of the great photos and details. As a toy lover and collector, I can appreciate the authors' memories of collecting and the interesting facts about Fisher-Price. It's a great portable reference to take with you to garage sales or flea markets! The colorful pages and concise information make the world of Fisher-Price toys come alive. It's been a wonderful edition to my library.

I collect toys. A friend gave me this book as a gift. It is an excellent resource for anyone starting to collect toys or someone that has been doing it for a long time. I applaud the authors for making this available. The history of the company was also quite good.

If you are at all interested in collecting Fisher-Price toys or simply want some interesting background about the toys you grew up with -- then you'll like this book.

It is by far the most thorough book I've found related to Fisher-Price. It has a complete company history, product catalog and price guide for all the toys made by Fisher-Price (and even some never released).

I am a novice toy collector and bought this book because I've always loved my FP toys. I found every toy I've ever had (or at least can remember) in the book along with some amazing facts about them. Unfortunately, I learned that my Jalopy prized #724 Jolly Jalopy is probably not worth more than...

The authors were obsessive in their attention to detail, pointing out all the nuances that make certain products more valuable than others and providing a detailed history of the company and how some of their favorite toys were born.

My only disappointment was that the book is not available in hard cover.

Have fun!