This well-researched book brings life to the story of Nehemiah, cupbearer to Artexerxes, king of Persia. When his brother, Hanani, brings word that the walls of Jerusalem are broken down, Nehemiah leads a large group of Hebrews across the desert to rebuild them. Meanwhile, Adna, Nehemiah's servant, grieves the loss of his love, Lydia. Only days before, she leaped from the parapet of the palace, choosing death rather than joining the harem of the king. Can Nehemiah rebuild the walls of Jeruselem before the evil Sanballat stops him? Is love really as strong as death? Find out in "Within the Palace Gates."

i am looking for the author of this book? Is it the one by Anna Siviter? If so, the book is an excellent source of info on the Persian culture and very interesting reading. It is recommended for history buffs of all ages, especially teens because of the action. Is this the one?

Interesting to read firsthand about the work of these courageous activists from France - Jose Bove is certainly not the leader of a group of country bumpkins or Luddites as I had inferred from the popular media. This book covers personal backgrounds & histories of their involvement in various farmers unions , these guys are effective organizers who know their business and also working farmers with a feeling and respect for the land, quality of life and food are goals of paramount importance.

Divided into 3 parts:
1st - The McDonald's story and other planned protests told from the viewpoints of both Bove & Dufour. The McDonald's incident took place in response to import duties imposed on Roquefort cheese in retaliation for EU's refusal to import American hormone treated beef. Not a random or spontaneous incident but a well planned out protest carried out to attract public attention. Both Dufour & Bove have been involved more than 30 years in various movements for change in France.
2nd - History of intensive farming over the last 50 years in France, farming economics, factory farms. Covers topics here such as genetically modified crops, mad cow disease, environmental destruction caused by intensive pig farming
3rd - Farming as a global issue world trade organization and "free trade", protest in Seattle, growth of a movement, a new vision.

An inspiring read for those interested in food, farming and globalization.

Since August 12, 1999, Bové has been an icon of the movement against "free" trade and the WTO. It was then that he and nine other members of the French Farmers Union (Confédéracion Paysanne) dismantled a MacDonald's restaurant in their hometown of Millau, loaded the pieces on their tractors and carted them to the local police station. MacDonald's was targetted both as a symbol of corporate domination of public life and as a leading vendor of what the French call malbouffe, food that is not worthy of being eaten.
The actual target of this protest was a 100% duty imposed on Roquefort cheese by the United States. The WTO had ruled that the French were violating trade laws by refusing to import U.S. hormone-fed beef, allowing the U.S. to impose punitive tariffs on Roquefort and 78 other French products. Bové and his fellow defendants raise sheep that produce milk for Roquefort cheese.
The MacDonald's action by the Farmers Union lit the imagination of thousands of activists and was one of the major events leading to the protests against the WTO meeting in Seattle a few months later. Bové and Dufour were in Seattle as part of the official French agricultural delegation but their official status did not deter them from further political theater. They distributed 500 pounds of his Roquefort cheese at the Pike Place Market and they marched arm-in-arm with farmers and AFL leaders at the head of the big march of November 30. In their book Dufour says, "It was an important signal: that in the first mass demonstration of trade unionists and ecologists, farmers were at the front. It's a particularly powerful image for Third World countries, where the majority of the population are farmers or live in rural areas."
In stepping forward as spokesmen against corporate domination of trading rules in general and agriculture in particular, Bové and Dufour have exposed themselves to personal attacks by the major media outlets. They are usually portrayed as nationalistic bumpkins, Luddites or egotistical publicity hounds. Their book puts the lie to much of that. Philosophically they are in favor of policies supporting regional food self-sufficiency--as opposed to policies which promote agribusiness. Why, they ask, should WTO regulations be imposed on all food when less than 5% is actually exported? It is clear that they have spent decades working on agricultural policy; much of the book describes how shifting farm policies since World War II have driven the small farmers out while favoring industrial agriculture dependent on long-distance transportation, monoculture, massive inputs of chemicals and over-reliance on the major agricultural and food distribution companies. Bové and Dufour argue that this is destroying the rural ecology, throwing farmers out of work and putting the world's food supplies at risk of catastrophic diseases (e.g., mad cow disease and foot-and-mouth disease, which are currently threatening European herds) or of callous market manipulation. Even without such disasters, the quality of food is deteriorating and taking traditional culture with it. The WTO had not specifically addressed agriculture before the Seattle round, but its proposals for Seattle clearly favored agribusiness' interests over those of small farmers and of less developed countries. This conflict led to the internal failure of the WTO in Seattle.
Bové points optimistically to "[b]uilding on the international gains won in Seattle." What his critics saw as a hodgepodge of dissimilar interests without a clear agenda, he sees as a new nonideological politics that succeeded in stopping the WTO . He suggests that the different viewpoints within the opposition to the WTO are exactly the point: local interests should not be steamrollered by the one-size-fits-all approach of the free-traders. Further trade agreements will require openness to public scrutiny. Although The World Is Not For Sale emphasizes globalization's impact on farming and rural areas, it also touches on the dangers of genetic modifications of plants and animals and on globalization's erosion of human rights--including trade union rights--and cultural diversity. The Farmers Union is not opposed to foreign trade agreements like the WTO, but insist that they must incorporate protection for workers, culture and the environment. The book offers tentative proposals on achieving these protections.

Whether you are a Shakespeare fan, foe or student, THE WORLD OF SHAKESPEARE has something for you. As with most of the Usborne Publishing books, THE WORLD OF SHAKESPEARE features an all-encompassing look at many aspects of Shakespeare's life, works and world through wonderful pictures, photographs, and writings. For the Shakespeare foe or student, THE WORLD OF SHAKESPEARE lets you experience Shakespeare from a new perspective. Instead of deep, intellectual analyses, you will travel back to a different time and experience life in Elizabethan England: What was life like and what were the beliefs in Elizabethan England when Shakespeare lived and how did that affect his writings? What was life like in London at the time? What did the Globe Theatre look like, and what in the world was it, anyway? Was Shakespeare a feminist? For the Shakespeare fan, this book takes a look at areas you may not have considered: How has performance of Shakespeare plays changed through time? How does interpretation, acting and directing styles affect the performance? How does one begin to perform a Shakespeare play? It includes the expected short review of Shakespeare's life, but quickly goes on to more aspects of his works and culture than one would expect in such a short volume. Included at the end of the book are brief plots of all Shakespeare plays, a "Who's Who in the world of Shakespeare" guide, glossaries of terms & phrases, Shakespearean words, Shakespearean characters, Important dates, and even a Shakespeare quiz! When looking for a book for a high school Shakespeare Unit that would give a well-rounded look into Shakespeare's life, works and world , I found that this compact, sixty-four page THE WORLD OF SHAKESPEARE book won, hands down, as the best book to "experience" Shakespeare and hopefully dispel any negative attitudes already in the students' minds. The appealing layout, photographs and drawings on each of the pages, and the understandable (but not "dumbed-down") language causes the reader to not want to put the book down. With this book, even the Shakespeare foe would have to agree that Shakespeare is not so bad after all.

This book is an amazing resource for anyone interested in Shakespeare. It has fantastic pics and clear info on the man, his works, producing/acting/directing, and everything else a reader could ask for. It's terrific for young people ages 8 and above. A great reference for teachers, librarians, and theaters who have acotrs with limited knowledge of Shakespeare. Really beautifully done. Bravo!

I am a Leveridge in fact I am a great,great granddaughter to Anna.I grew up in Coe Hill Ont.I have spent a lot of time on the farm that Anna talks about.I am thrilled that this book is still available for purchase.

Our family has a cottage in the Coe Hill area, which is the setting for this book. I remember reading it as a child and being fascinated by the lives of the Leveridge family in the back woods of Ontario. Anna Leveridge's correspondence with various family members in England gives a unique look at her new life in 19th century Ontario. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a first hand account of pioneer life in Ontario. If you visit the Coe Hill Ontario area, you can still find remains of her old homestead. I visited it 10 years ago and it made the book even more special to me.

This book is full of fantastic little details -kids can spend hours searching for items in each scene, much like 'Where in the World is Wally', but with loads more to find. Many of the scenes have been very well researched, such as the villages in West Africa and Alaska. And at the end of the book, there are some souvenirs and travel photos that send the reader back to find things they didn't notice in the first reading! Endless fun.

Susan Wilde wanted me to post the title poem. Here it is.
--Robert Bixby

don't give up your kid
don't be mean to your ex-husband
get a dog
join a gym
mind your manners

be glad you're getting a little

when you get a chance to be one of the people, take it

remember him as a person, also struggling
but remember yourself more
enjoy him
but enjoy yourself more

pretty is as pretty does
stay back from the edge
get back on the horse

Excellent resources for graduate students and practicing ACNPs

Agnes Martin is one of the world's most respected abstract expressionist painters. Awarded the US National Medal for the Arts and many others, at 88 years young, she continues to paint daily in her Taos, New Mexico studio. This book highlights an extensive collection of her past and present work. The fascination of the work is that she is able to simplify and reduce the visual experience to very faint lines, grids, and bands of muted color on paper and canvas. The images in this book are not concrete, they are not bold, they are contemplative soft feminine brush strokes and fine graphite lines that can, if you allow them, produce a sense of calm, peace and joy. A true experience! If you are unable to go to Taos's Harwood Museum to see seven of her blue and white series all arranged in an octangal room constructed to house them, this book will introduce you to one great painter. Enjoy.

What a sweet, simple, appropriate story for little ones just starting to sleep through the night in underpants. If your little one is daytime potty trained and you are looking for a way to bridge the gap at nighttime, this book is it. Hines captures the essence of a three year old's world perfectly with the illustrations and straightforward text. A wonderful book for those who need it!

at first he tries really hard but does not do very well.one night a member from the allstar team comesto his house. he reconized the person but could not put a name to him. he finally puts faith in himself and performs better and he makes the all star team.