"'Twas the first night of Chanukah and on the fifth floor,/There was holiday hustling and bustling galore./Papa was shining the silver menorah,/Mama was wrapping a gift for Aunt Dora./Grandma was slicing up two chocolate babkas,/Grandpa was grating potatoes for latkes./Sister was stirring the soup with a ladle,/And I at her feet spun my shiny new dreidel..." And with that our young narrator's holiday top takes off, spinning, out of control, through the apartment, down the stairs and through the city streets, on out to the country, past farms and valleys, over the ocean and up to the sky, where it becomes a glittering star..... Leslea Newman's engaging, rollicking, chain of events text is filled with lilting rhyme, rhythm, energy, and joy. Kyrsten Brooker's clever, sparkling multi-media artwork is bold and busy, and rich in vibrant color, wonderful facial expressions, and humorous, eye-catching detail. Perfect for youngsters 3-7, Runaway Dreidel! is a captivating, fun-filled, celebratory romp. "Happy Chanukah to all, and to all a good night."

With nods to "Twas the night before" and the Runaway Ginderbread Man and Runaway Ricecake, etc, this is a rhyming story about the cultural celebration of Hanukkah, a celebration of grated potatoes, family and dreidels. A boy plays with a shiny new dreidel, that spins and spins out the door; spinning past challahs that are two for a dollah... Spins from city to country to ocean to sky, with fun illustrations along the way.

I've read dozens of WWII memoirs by American, British and German writers. This is the best! Lt Machorton, 19 years old, wounded and unable to walk, was left to die in the Burmese jungle, 300 miles behind Japanese lines. Despite his seemingly hopeles situation, he resolved to survive, and the story of how he did so is an epic. The horrors of close-quarters jungle combat against the Japanese are fully described, but ultimately, this is an uplifting and life-affirming story of courage and friendship.

Read this a long time back and its still fresh in my memory. To the Chindits in the jungles of Burma, all wounded were left behind in the need for the group to survive. Relentless pursued by the japanese, a young officer is wounded and faces the bitter rule. The ordeal now begins as he makes it back against all odds

In this world of Knowledge and the propensity to believe in things are reasoned by Sciences, this book prods us, that the ultimate is still GOD. I for one, has fallen out a number of times, with an ardent attempt at things secular, despite my inner cravings for a deeper faith in God. This book sets out reminding me of my corporal life and all that surrounds me is nothing, but temporal. It is a rare find, given my recent yearning to return as a prodigal son and my inner inclination to detach all materialism and let it take a back seat. Despite the classic prose as expected of an author who lived more than 100 years ago, I understood his writing thoroughly, although I am not an European nor an American. This, indeed is an oasis of a find for answers from the Word Made Flesh, and is dwelling amongst us. In short, "go get it, all you who wants rest, for His Yoke is light and easy."

The back cover notes that Vintage Spiritual Classics are "[f]illed with eloquence and fresh insight, encouragement and solace." Two out of four ain't bad (and the other two are here too, if harder to reach).

Newman is certainly eloquent, though I might have described his prose as "stately" instead; he is rarely so eloquent here as to be hard to follow. Fresh insights are here too, and 160 years have not made them stale.

But this book is not the "easy reading spirituality" one might expect from a book whose cover says it's filled with encouragement and solace. Newman is in the reader's face and at the conscience from the beginning.

His "Plain and Parochial" sermons are challenges to lead a truly Christian life. It's hard to believe people filled an Oxford Church to hear these--perhaps people were made of sterner stuff then.

Yet there is solace and encouragement to be found. Newman was no ogre, but a caring man. He said what should be said, caring about the souls of those who would hear (and read) it.

And as a bonus, the book closes with one of my favorite prayers.

Extremely funny, witty, informed, and highly recommended.

Leslea Newman writes up a storm - not only is she a queen of wit and humour, but she has also given us a look at the some of the more serious issues facing lesbians in today's society.

Newman skilfully infuses each character with their own unique viewpoint in a variety of interesting situations that have the ability to make you laugh and cry, and also stop and think for a moment about what _you_ would do in similar circumstances.

From a chance and sultry liaison on a plane, to falling in love with a stone butch while learning the ropes; from dealing with one's androgynous self to dealing with the loss of a loved one; and from coping with a cancer scare, to coming to realise just how far a butch will go for true love - Newman lets her characters speak with both humour, intelligence, and also a refreshing frankness that both warms and informs one from the very outset.

I always enjoy reading Newman's books, but this time, I really do think she's outdone herself - these are definitely an exquisite collection of stories that you would certainly be very sorry to miss.

-Superb.

These short stories are about romance, love, and daily life in the lives of lesbians. From "Keeping a Breast" (about a breast cancer scare) to the gender-bending "Girls Will Be Boys", the stories keep the reader glued to the pages, laughing and crying and getting hot & bothered with the characters. Newman has a wonderful talent for creating masterful stories that warm the readers' hearts. This is a collection not to be missed.

As a mother of two sons and remarried...going through the big time ups and downs of blending families, this book was the best so far in identifying the problems, concerns and conflicts in blending families and, also, for realistic suggestions on coping and living through these tough times and hopefully developing a comfortable living situation.

This book is a remarkable resource for me as I adjust to two teenage stepsons. The process of adjustment ~ for the entire family ~ can truly be a difficult one. Believe me, I know! "Realities" offers some common sense ways to refresh your perspective. Common sense that can sometimes be difficult to find on one's own in the midst of turmoil. The "Take Time" sections encourages stepparents to make an honest evaluation of specific issues.

"Stepparent Realities" has, in a very short time, improved the dynamics in my relationships with my stepkids and my husband.

Lesla My name is Lesla and I would be interested in any comments about the origins of this name Regards Lesla

Newman is a poet of great skill, heart and humor. The Buddy poems are emotionally powerful, but never sentimental. This is a book to be treasured by anyone who who has ever loved another person. It will also make you laugh out loud at the foibles of friendship.

My first job was as marketing director of a regional music theatre company. I was a journalism grad with little "arts" experience. This was a wonderful book. It really helped me understand our audience. It was at my right hand throughout the two years I held that job.

As the volunteer box office manager for a small theater company in the Midwest, I have found Mr. Newman's book the single most valuable arts marketing book I've ever read. It is filled with many wonderful, practical ideas to help a company bring in an audience. I've used many of his suggestions to build our subscription by 25% a year for the last three years. Newman provides clear directions to put his ideas into practice. His Keep It Simple Stupid style is easy and often amusing to read, and he provides a wealth of examples for the non-professional marketer (me). *Most* important, this book brims with optimism. When confronted with kindly but dim-witted audience members and tempermental artistic directors, Mr. Newman is the little voice that says "You can do this, and it will be great!" I love you, Danny.

I completely agree with the other review - this book covers an amazing scope of material related to voice dictation software and hardware. The author draws on a vast amount of real-world experience implementing voice recognition software. And the book provides accurate and insightful guidance on what path to take if you try to set up voice recognition software yourself. The range of advice runs from informed, candid and critical evaluation of the major software programs, to what kind of wear-and-tear to expect on your vocal chords as you begin to replace typing with voice dictation! Nobody should evaluate a move to voice recognition technology, or purchase software or hardware without this book. While the book has been in print a couple years, I found it quite timely - with still valid characterizations of the various software options available. A "must" for the bookshelf of every office and organization. And certainly a critical resource for those responsible for implementing voice recognition software.

I'm technologically experienced yet I have hesitated to try to set up voice recognition, even though a complimentary copy of VR software sits in my drawer. That's over. So far, this book has answered every question I have and has given me confidence that this technology can do what I want. I have three favorite "aspects" of the book --- 1) it is a stunningly clear presentation of the material. The language is jargon-free and brief, and best of all the book is laid out in in question-and-answer format, which works perfectly for this kind of material. 2) The book is populated with quotes from and descriptions of the experiences of real users, which make the advice come to life. 3) The breadth of the book is surprisingly broad, ranging from "should you / how to" topics (of course) to things I didn't expect, such as how to change the order of various tasks to take advantage of the technology, and how to continually improve the performance of the package (your system plus your own speech) over time. There's not much fluff.

So, I'm very impressed. This kind of book, executed this well, should be available for far more products than just VR.

I used this book throughout my degree which was in art and maths. It was superb and very easy to read or just scan through. I would recommend it to anybody interested in these subjects, especially people who are facinated with the links between maths and art. Well worth getting.

All drawings are clear and superbly illustrated. I use this to teach design and the students love it. It is a very stimulating piece of work which is worth every penny.

I manage a continence clinic and have use this reference many times in order to counsel women suffering from this disorder. I find that it is simply written and extremely factual. I am glad people have resources that they can turn to and get the reasons why they may have incontinence and what can be done regarding their treatment. Thank Diane!!

This book is the definitive reference souce if you have information on incontinence!