This is an absolutely excellent book about what is truly going on in relationships! The author's will probably tell you what you don't want to hear about yourself, but if you are ready to face it, this book will take you to another life. This book makes us face how our own insecurities and inferiorities are having a destructive influence on our relationships. It forces us to change for the better. If you like this book, you will also like "Rhythm, Relationships, and Transcendence" by Toru Sato. It is a great book on a similar topic but explained from a different perspective. I recommend both of them highly!

My partner and I were stuck. After 2 years together we seemed to be at a crisis in our relationship, and we didn't know whether to get married or split up. Overall we had a GREAT relationship, but things had gotten weird lately. I'd been critical, he'd been withdrawn. What was going on? This book jumped out at me from the amazon.com web site, so I got it and read it in about a week. It was an eye-opener. So many times I recognized myself in these patterns of behavior (or, if I didn't see myself, I saw the behaviors told to me by friends who'd been in failed relationships.) I've read a lot of self-help books, and this is among the best. Clear, well-organized, concise ideas with just the right number of case studies & examples. If you're having trouble in your relationships, maybe not even "big" trouble, just nagging kinds of things.... you will be amazed by the TRUTH of these ideas & observations about relationships. (Same authors have also written "How to Make Your Second Marriage a First-Class Success" which I also recommend.)

What a timely book! It exposes the reality of human connection over the fantasy. And how long can the fantasy last? Powerful truth for those looking to last...as couples and as individuals in our rough and tumble world...

I read this book when I was 16 and I remember it still vividly in my mind in my 30's. For anyone who has ever dreamed of living in the mountains beyond civilization this is a must read. I will never for get the wolf and the bathroom scene. From the moment you pick it up you are entertained. You will not want to put it down!!!!

This book is hilarious. The things he puts his family through in this tale will have you holding your sides laughing. I remember Jack as a regular on the Mike Douglas and Merv Griffin shows. He was a comedy writer for all the biggies in the late 50s and early 60s. Another of his is "The Neighbors Are Scaring My Wolf," about life in suburban Connecticuit. I read all his books when I was a teenager in high school. I highly reccomend reading anything this man wrote, he's great.

I read it years ago when I was a teenager. I remember it to be the funniest book I've read then and is still in my top three funniest. I am buying it now at age 35 for a camping trip this May. I'll spend the evenings reading it again. If you like McManus, you will love this. Yeee-haaa

"Being someone who has been studying metaphysical principles for many years, I like the fact that the book gets right into the teaching. The pictures I find very soothing and relaxing so that the mind clears and allows me to connect easily with my higher self or soul body."

There are so many books and so little time. However, SOULIC JOURNEYS is a rare find that immediately grabs your attention. This book first attracts you with its beautiful and mesmerizing art but then it touches your very soul as you read through its insightful messages.

Thanks for your awe-inspiring "Soulic Journeys" art exibit and guide. I have been taking it in slowly and enjoying it immensely! Its truly a testimonial in all ways as to how spirituality and creative growth potential is available to anyone who is desirous. It's a treasure that I'm sure I'll read over and over. And the artwork transcends the soul!

As a fifth grader, one of my favorite teachers read this book aloud to our class once a week. Today, as a high school junior, I still remember every word and story from the Weighty Word Book. Recently I took the PSAT and SAT, and between the two tests words from this book showed up 4 or 5 times. It has been an extremely beneficial part of my education.

...Who never to the world has said
I love this book, this children's book...

Adults read children's books to children, but seldom pick one up for their own pleasure. They miss a lot by the omission. THE WEIGHTY WORD BOOK is an example of a book written for children that is delightful for adults, at least adults who love words.

It's written by three University of Colorado English professors and consists of a series of whimsical and enchanting stories about words -- selected words, useful and syllabic.

In the first story, for example, Benjamin Van Der Bellows, a bear "who did not know the things he was supposed to know" is moved each time he makes a mistake to an office on a lower floor. Predictably, he winds up in the basement. "So, whenever a person has been lowered in position or rank or office, we say that person has suffered an abasement."

There's an imaginative and articulate story about each letter of the alphabet. Don't miss this one -- it's for all ages and it's loads of fun.

I have used The Weighty Word Book for 10 years in my third and fifth grade classrooms. The vocabulary words are excellent and the stories that help show the meaning are entertaining and meaningful. The students ask for me to read the book to them and they often not only remember the words, but also the stories for years. This is a wonderful book to show kids that they can have fun learning new "hard" vocabulary words. Try it, you'll find that you'll improve your own vocabulary.

Having been the first paltoon to go through training at Nha Thrang with the Special Forces once 51st Infantry LRRP was formed. I can honestly say Gary speaks the truth. Many of the incidents recorded in the book were shared with some of my fellow employees where I work at. To my surprise one afternoon, a friend presented me with a copy of the book. Many things that I had related to him were in the book. I am very glad the book was written. I had no idea that the unit was awarded so many awards for valor.

This book is a must for those interested in what really happened in LRP units in Vietnam. The bond that existed among these men and the sacrifices they would make for each other was what the LRP's were all about. Mr. Ford is the only credible author to come out of F/51st LRP, and his book, like those of Kenn Miller, Rey Martinez,Kregg Jorgensen and a small handful of others are must reads if you are either a military history buff, or just want to know the truth.

I find this book very imformative. Having been with a LRRP/RANGER (Echo 50/75) I think that the writer lived it, and knew just what he was talking about. Roadrunner6 out

By Carolyn Purden, Toronto Star
Moral issues, ethical concerns and spiritual matters are themes in the work of many contemporary North American writers, singers, painters and sculptors. Religious imagery and symbolism abound.
Yet how much do these themes and literary devices reflect the artists' beliefs?
This is the question posed by Douglas Todd, author of The Soul-Searcher's Guide to the Galaxy.
In Brave Souls, he questions 28 artists about their work and the philosophy and beliefs central to their lives. The eclectic group includes film director Paul Verhoeven, sculptor Bill Reid, cartoonist Lynn Johnston, Inuk singer Susan Aglukark and writer Carol Shields.
Nearly all attended worship in their youth, and a few still attend occasionally. But all are troubled by religious orthodoxy and their spiritual search is taking place outside institutional religion.
Their responses provide a range of spiritual insights that Todd groups in four sections: the atheists; the doubters; the new ancients, whose faith is rooted in organized religion, and the emerging mystics.
Some common themes emerge. Johnston speaks for several artists when she says she cannot accept Christ's divinity. "I'm starting to see other people as divine, too -- such as saints and exceptional people," she says.
Many artists echo Shields' belief in the centrality of love.
"It's your basic molecule," she comments. "Why else would we make an effort to be sort of good in the world and with one another, if it weren't for this kind of mystical connection that holds us together?"
Robertson Davies, interviewed shortly before his death, talked of his lifetime interest in the Christian heresy of Gnosticism, which led him to a belief in God's feminine aspect. Singers Susan Aglukark and Bruce Cockburn reveal they have continuing conversations with God.
Timothy Findley has felt the presence of God in the vast Arctic barrens.
Writer Laurence Gough says he experienced the presence of God while keeping a deathbed vigil. Of his stepfather's death, Gough recalls "a real sense of rustling in the air -- a sense he had risen up out of himself, of something leaving him when he died. And not just life itself. but something far more powerful than that."
Todd has skilfully culled the essence of each artist's beliefs. It all makes fascinating, and, at times, thought-provoking reading.

Douglas Todd, the highly respected Vancouver Sun journalist, has examined the spirituality of Canadian writers and artists in his important book, Brave Souls.
Remarks by Reginald Bibby, Canada's leading religion pollster, in his 2002 book, Restless Gods: The Renaissance of Religion in Canada

This Book was soooooooooooooooo good. The religious doo daa really spoke to me. The fight scenes were buetiffully decribed with lots of detail. The bond betwen the author and Joe really stode out.

The nature of magic changes, this novel theorizes, as human beliefs change. First there was matriarchal paganism, then patriarchal paganism, then the coming of Christianity, then reason and science, and each of them affected people's assumptions about how the world works. In medieval Provence, where all of these belief systems co-exist, a worker of magic never knows for sure who or what she will call up when she casts a spell. For some spells don't work anymore, and others work in frightening new ways. And with the rise of Christianity, and the idea that everything is either absolutely good or absolutely evil, the old gods and spirits are in trouble. They meet one of two fates: They either become prim Christian saints, or are subsumed into the figure of Satan. Needless to say, the practice of magic is perilous these days, and a sorceress must always be on her toes.

Enter Pierrette, an intelligent young girl who sees an apocalyptic vision of the future. She can only save the world by training to become a sorceress, and _The Sacred Pool_ is the story of her education. Pierrette must experiment with long-forgotten spells and newfangled science in order to defeat a demon that plagues her sister, and in the long run, to save magic itself from being destroyed.

This book starts out slow, but gets interesting once Pierrette begins her studies. It is thought-provoking and intelligent, and one of the few novels dealing with paganism and Christianity that says anything more profound than that one is "good" and one is "bad" (take your pick which is which; there are plenty of books taking each side). If you like fantasy that makes you think, check out this tale of magic, belief, science, and philosophy.

I am a lover of fantasy and historical fiction. This has been my favorite book this year. It even prompted purchase of the second book in the series.

This trilogy examines the duality of good and evil in the context of the spread of Christianity. Historically accurate and very engaging, you will learn much and have cherished beliefs challenged in an intellectually refreshing story. Good stuff.

This book was a welcome break from the manual that comes with version 7.0. Very easy to understand the basics and it also contains alot of other stuff. I needed to create some reports quickly and this book really helped.

The best on the market you will find. The book is very easy to follow and chapters are very nicely arranged. Good work.

This book was an excellent start for Crystal. I can actually read the huge technical Crystal Report books and understand what they are reffering to. It helped open the door to a whole new world.

What Dads Can't Do is written from a preschooler's admiring perspective of a dad's helpful habits. Any father will be delighted to think that perhaps some of that self-sacrifice is perceived in positive ways by the tykester set. This book would make a wonderful gift from a preschooler to her or his father for Father's Day. The humorous, warm watercolors of Stegosaurus-type dinosaurs make the messages tickle your laughter button even more than would usually occur with these dry one-liners.

"There are lots of things/ that regular people can do/ but dads can't."

" . . . can't cross the street without holding hands."

"Dads can push, but they can't swing."

"Dads can't pitch a baseball very hard or hit one very far."

"When dads play hide-and-seek they always get found, but they have a hard time finding you."

"They aren't very good wrestlers."

"Dads lose at checkers/ and cards/ and almost every other game."

"Dads aren't good at sleeping late. They can't comb their hair or shave by themselves."

"Dads like to go camping but they need lots of help setting up the tent." "And cooking."

As you can see, the manly virtues being praised here are inclusiveness and helpfulness. When dad operates like mom, then he "can't" do something . . . but that's really all right.

My favorites in the book include:

"Dads seem to have trouble holding on to their money." This is combined with an illustration of a dad buying a child a toy in a store.

"Dads like to go fishing, but they don't like to go alone. And they need extra practice baiting the hook."

"Dads can't read a book by themselves."

"Sometimes they leave a night-light on because they're a little scared of the dark."

"And most of all, whatever happens, a dad never ever stops loving you."

The book is written in such a way that this book can be seen as being about a dad who's married to a wonderful mom, one who's divorced and whose children are visiting, or to a single dad who's raising children by himself. I liked that feature very much.

The book is also appealing because it will make a dad feel good whenever he does one of these things. He knows that his son or daughter will appreciate his consideration from having read this book. So having this book available in your house is a little bit like making every day Father's Day!

After you finish the book, dad, you can develop even more closeness by asking your wee ones what else dad can't do. I'm sure they'll come up with some dillies to amuse one and all.

Find more ways to help . . . because you never stand higher in the world's estimation than when you stoop to aid another.

Douglas Wood and Doug Cushman have gotten together and authored a terrific book about Dads. These poor creatures would be lost without their little ones to help them. Dads can't cross streets without holding hands, they're always found right away in a game of hide and seek, but they can never find you and they can't comb their hair or shave by themselves. Dads can't see you hiding your lima beans at dinner, can't read books by themselves and sometimes leave a night light on in your room because they're afraid of the dark...(they like to check under the bed and in the closet too). There are just so many things Dad can't do..... Mr Wood really captures the essence of a pre-schooler in this delightful picture book. His sweet and gentle text is complimented by Mr Cushman's expressive and detailed illustrations, as we watch father and son dinosaurs help each other through their day. What Dads Can't Do makes a wonderful father's day gift and many a Dad will be charmed as he shares this book with his little dinosaur. There is one thing Dads are really the best at...They never stop loving you!

Even though the recommended age range for this book is 4-6, my two-year-old son loves this. He goes to his bookshelf specifically for it, "Dads can't!" I think this book shows the value of patience and mutual appreciation between parents and children, and I love it, too! The dad in the story reminds me of my husband, who is REALLY a wonderful dad!

Simply the best reference for learning about the cruise experience and comparing ships. Should be required reading for anyone contemplating a holiday on a cruise ship.

I disagree with the reviewers who say Mr. Ward is too picky. I WANT someone who is a detail freak and VERY picky when describing cruises they have been on. The issues he chooses to criticize are important to me too - but I wouldn't even know these issues existed if he gave only bland perfunctory reviews. My first cruise was a TOTAL disaster because I didn't do my homework. This book helped me do my homework and find out what was important to me on a cruise. Lots of decisions: do you want to be around kids? Then travel during a peak holiday like Easter Break, Christmas, etc. Do you want to hear blaring PA announcements all day every 15 minutes in 3 languages? Certain ships do this, certain ones don't. Do you want to travel with 3,000 other people with frantic activity all day long, or would you be more comfortable around only 500 people in quieter more elegant surroundings? Mr. Ward can help you structure the questions to ask yourself so you can make an informed decision. His reviews are the ones used on a huge website travel agency - (It starts with an E.) I just booked a cruise with them based largely on Mr. Ward's reviews. Mr. Ward helped me quickly pick out the exact kind of cruise on the exact kind of ship that I wanted. I didn't realize I had so many choices and so much control over my environment and itinerary. The only criticism I would have about the book is that the typeface is a bit small. I can read it easily without glasses, but it is smaller than I would prefer. However, if the typeface were larger, the book would probably have to be 200 pages longer. I would recommend this book to anyone cruising for the first time who knows NOTHING. Plenty of info so you can make an informed decision - or at least start you in the right direction. The other cruise guide books I read gave the same general advice without the ship reviews. The general advice was so similar in each book it felt like plagiarism. I would recommend starting with Mr. Ward FIRST.

Detailed and descriptive, this reference is "tops" in the field. Doug Ward's high standards and detailed critique of ships will enable you to select a ship and itinerary so that, upon disembarkation, you'll be thinking of your NEXT cruise vacation. Bon Voyage!