After reading "A Smile As Big As The Moon" by Micheal Kersjes, I can only say bravo! Mr. Kersjes has written a wonderful story about the power of the human spirit. I have found a new respect for all special education teachers. He shows in this book that faith and hard work can accomplish anything. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys stories of triumph over adversity.

I am a college senior at Michigan State University and soon to be a middle school science teacher. I thought this was a wonderful book for all ages. It is a great story that depicts a caring teacher and his students on an unforgettable trip to Space Camp. This book shows the trouble this teacher and his kids went through just for the opportunity to go to Space Camp. As well as the wonderful success they experience during their week at Space Camp. Growing up as a special ed student myself I can relate to many of these children and the struggles they went through just to be recognized for their gifts and talents. I would highly recommend this book to everyone I know. The book is easy to read and one you will have a hard time putting down (at least I did). One of the best books I have read in a long time. A wonderful book that I would give 5 stars.

From the beginning to the end, A Smile As Big As the Moon pulls you into the emotional triumphs and tragedies of a group of special needs kids who really just wanted to be like everyone else.Visiting Space Camp is a pretty straighforward thing for most kids, but for these special needs kids it was like reaching for the moon. You really feel like you are a part of the story. Mike Kersjes's book is very easy to read and well worth the time.

I ran across this book before I started my job search. WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MADE! Combined with Mr. Grappo's book on resumes, I had more than 5 job offers before the 30 days ended! I'll be reading more of his stuff in the future.

When my former company was being replaced by a larger organization, many people were concerned about their future employment. Gary Grappo personally conducted workshops for our staff utilizing the book as text. Those participating in the workshops and following the plan successfully landed jobs in their locations and careers of choice. We've kept in contact and they unanimously give credit to following the plan outlined in "Get The Job You Want In Thirty Days". This experience created a positive attitude toward outplacement. The book is not a one-time resource, but provides continual reference for supporting successful goal setting and self-marketing. It is a permanent resource in my personal library.

Having gone through numerous interviews in college and grad school, I was pretty sure I knew all there was to job searching, and certainly interviewing. Boy, was I wrong. The book is a fairly quick read with TONS of valuable information. It gives you step-by-step, very specific advice for organizing and implementing your job search strategy and the search itself--in LESS than 30 days, I've gotten 2 job offers

As social phobia is finally being recognized by the public and professionals alike as a serious condition, affecting nearly 20 million in the US alone, so is avoidant paruresis - one painful, disabling, and embarrassing manifestation of it. As one who suffered from both for years, I can tell you this book provides you with everything you need to know to overcome this form of performance anxiety.

Starting with what "bashful bladder syndrome" is, it takes the reader through its causes, different treatment approaches, what to expect from the medical community, and how to gain support from family, intimates, and friends. It has one chapter on the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act to mandatory drug testing and another on the evolution of the bathroom and its effect on avoidant paruresis which makes for fascinating reading.

This breakthrough book gives hope to people worldwide who live restricted lives because of this debilitating human affliction. It is essential reading for medical and mental health professionals, sufferers, and their family and friends!

Raise a gallon jug of Spring Water and toast the best (and only?) book on Shy Bladder Syndrome to ever hit the shelves!!!

If you ever thought that you were alone and that no one else in the world suffered from a shy bladder - or paruresis, this book is for you. After living with this problem since junior high, I was amazed at how much information this book book contained on how to finally get your life back to normal.

The nine chapters contained in this book are well written in easy to understand language that is a must read for anyone that suffers from paruresis. Starting with a brief overview of how the mind and bladder work (or don't work), this book leads you down a carefully laid path that shows how to regain control of your life.

Filled with true stories and first hand accounts from real life paruretic's, this book puts a very human face on something that is usually shrouded in secrecy and shame. If nothing else, simply reading this book will make anyone living with paruresis feel human again -- and not so alone. Thousands of people will read these stories only to be amazed at how similar their situation is to those in the book.

The best part, however, is that this book offers a successful plan to overcome paruresis that has been tested and successfully used in workshops around the world. After using the methods in this book, I've seen a dramatic improvement in my ability to use public restrooms with success.

If you're reading this review, you probably need this book or know someone that could benefit greatly from its priceless advice. Get this book...get it now...get on with life!

Looks like a plan !!!

Wow! This is a groundbreaking book as it is the first comprehensive examination of Paruresis. Kudos to the authors for having the courage to bring Shy Bladder Syndrome out of the water closet! Dr. Soifer and his colleagues have taken a subject that has been taboo and largely ignored by medical professionals and have given it the serious treatment that it deserves.

This book excels in presenting Paruresis from both a clinical and very personal perspective. The book provides a keen insight into the embarrassment and suffering that this disorder can cause as well as the ultimate liberation that comes from following the treatment options discussed. For those who suffer from shy bladder syndrome, this book is an absolute must read. You life will be changed forever by implementing a few of the simple but effective options suggested in the book.

The book is well researched (with 7 pages of references) and clearly reflects the authors' interest and passion in explaining Paruresis and offering practical options which will help everyone who suffers from Shy Bladder Syndrome. You may be embarrassed about Paruresis but don't be embarrassed to buy this book!

I grabbed this book online on a lark... and am I ever glad I did! I couldn't put it down! From the opening bell of the trading pit in the first paragraph, the author takes off at the speed of the markets, sidetracking only to share the lessons hard-learned along the way. For the first time ever I read about an "Everyday Joe" who buckled up for daily war and successfully fought to win in the greatest financial wars our society knows. He also lets us in on his REAL personal life, his fears, and the dichotomies and dilemnas of being a devout Christian operating ethically and morally in a world that most Christians neither understand nor condone. This is a work that stands for ANYONE trying to succeed in an arena that at first appears counter to their chosen values, regardless of religion or career. If you're reading these reviews to help you decide, STOP HERE! CLICK THE BUY BUTTON! It's the best trade you'll make today!

Lessons From the Pit opens with a strong narrative depicting a day in the life of a young trader unable to reconcile his behavior as a star trader with his father/husband role model. With this same type of introspection,the author shares in a candid, humorous, and at times, self-effacing, manner his foibles and strengths in his struggle for survival and meaning in the chaotic culture of the pit. As Dr. Clayton Yeuter aptly pointed out in the Forward, Joe Leininger, was a quick learner and garnered valuable lesson from his experiences trading that are applicable both to business and life. The metaphors used in this book are drawn from the contemporary sport scenes and news events which makes for both easy assimilation and enjoyable reading; so much so that I had difficulty putting the book down--also, the comments that I heard from other readers! In sum this is a well written volume giving an inside look at the bizarre culture of pit traders through the eyes of one who factored the spiritual dimension into the equation of his success.

"Lessons from the Pit" is a page-turner! It is an honest and easy-to-read account of life in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. What makes it so fascinating is the way Joe and Terry bring characters and scenes to life and use them to show how God worked in Joe's life. No matter what their career, all readers will come away with valuable insights and helpful suggestions. My only wish is that the book had been longer. I didn't want to put it down.

This is a great introduction to, or summation of, Campbell's works. Most of his works are extreemly deep and can be difficult to reach but well worth the effort. If you really want to probe the deapths of Campbell's work but are intimidated by his other books, this will give you a great overview and fire your desire to dig deeper.

I have read all of Campbell's books. The amount and breadth of the information and thier implications is staggering. The most amazing thing about this book is that I would have chosen almost exactly the same summative material for this type of book as did Osborn. My background is steeped in science--Osborn's in poetry. Yet we found the same "song of the universe" within Campbell's works.

Why? Because the song is transparent to the transendent and there for the everyone.

Unlike most of Joseph Campbell's other works, A JOSEPH CAMPBELL COMPANION can be used as a daily reader with each brief topic consumed separately. The text of the book draws its material from an intensive seminar led by Campbell at Esalen in 1983.

The seminar lasted for one month and was attended by the editor, Diane K. Osbon, and nine other fortunate people.

In one memorable segment Campbell discusses the woman's life and her journey. The traditional role of the woman is in relationship in one way or another to a family. This role can continue into old age as in the example of the grandmother. Campbell contrasts the traditional female role to that of the female professors who are more on the male hero's journey deriving fulfillment from worldly achievements. Campbell sees these women as being less fulfilled than women who are also in nontraditional roles but are totally involved in the arts. The latter receive their fulfillment mostly from doing what the artist does and not so much from their accomplishments.

If you begin to read A JOSEPH CAMPBELL COMPANION, it will be a difficult volume to put back in the book case. It is more likely to remain close at hand to be read again and again.

Outstanding. This is my Bible. Unbelievable wealth of things to read and re-read for the rest of your life. His best work by far. Almost as good is his 5-tape series hosted by Susan Sarandon and much, much better than his 6-tape set with Bill Moyers which is an elementary introduction to Campbell. Moyers tried hard but couldn't seem to get his brain around Campbell's message. Anyone who wants to be fully engrossed in Campbell can do so with the Sarandon tape series and this book. A rare jewel.

Les Misarables was the first Victor Hugo book I ever read. It imeadiately became my absolute favorite book, until I read The Hunchback. They are very different. The age of Victor Hugo when he wrote them gives each a particular flavor or feel. Dispite these differences, or rather because of them, I could never dicide which was my favorite. The man who laughs dicided this for me, for it is by far my favorite of any book I have ever read. (Though the Bible is pretty good.) The Man Who Laughs is the ultimate of all that makes Victor Hugo so good. (I have read all the novels he has written that I know of, except Legends of the Centuries, which I can't find in English). I am glad the world knows of the beauty of Les Misarables and Hunchback, but I wonder why very few people have even heard of his other masterpieces, like Toilers of the Sea or Ninety-Three. True, some of the books he wrote when he was about 18 lack some of the emotion that he obviously gained with experience, but why are not all his works celebrated as all of Shakespeares are. I honestly would rather read Victor Hugo than anything else. True his books are long, boring, and he often writes 100 or so pages on something off the subject, but every word is poetry. Nobody gets emotions deaper. The "long boringness" only enhances these emotions. Reading Victor Hugo has spoiled me for the rest of the world. Almost all other books seem lacking in emotion after having read Victor Hugo.

I first read this book ten years ago and marvelled at the powerful writing and timeless themes. This book was my first introduction to Hugo and I could not wait to read his masterpieces: "Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Les Miserables". Although I acknowledge that these books are wonderful, I still hold that "The Man Who Laughs" is just as good, if not better, and more emotionally gratifying than other Hugo's classics.

I first read this story in Russian and the English translation disappointed me. It was more choppy and rough than the Russian version and lacked the sofistication of the latter. However, it is still a great book nonetheless. The story is rich with complex characters that no one will soon forget. The human weakness of Gynplaine is very appropriate and his demise is almost poetic. Nobody should miss out on reading this incredible story and judge for themselves if it deserves to stay out of print when it is for sure one of the greatest novels ever written.

The only negative aspect of the book that, although it did not bother me, may bother some readers is the preacheness of Gynplaine and Ursus, albeit done very masterfully. The character of Dea is too saintly. Although she needs to be very pure for the story to work, she is virtually a saint which is unsettling and makes the reader treat her at an arm's length instead of getting her into their souls as they undoubtfully do with Gynplaine. The whole milieu is very dark and that may make some people uncomfortable. When I first read it, it took me a long time to want to re-read it although I found it to be one of the best books I have ever read.

These negative points are more than acquited by extremely well-told story with characters and situations that are unique and unforgettable. I though that this "old" story would not give me any new insight but it did. This story's major plus is my favorite character, Josianna: she is extremely complex although I got the feeling that Hugo wanted to make her more one-dementional. Still, her scene when she finds out that Gynplaine is a Lord and is going to be her husband is a brilliant testament to her wild and uncomformist nature.

I urge anyone who has not read it to read it. Even if they do not like it, they will find the experience worth-while. For those readers who love Hugo, this is a not-to-be-missed read. For those readers who do not like Hugo, this is a must.

The literary contents here deserve five stars, however, the Paper Tiger edition of this book was bound more like a $$$ paperback than a $$$hardcover. I'm gentle with books, yet the pages separated from the binding halfway through my reading.

I am halfway through this book, and I must say, it is one of the greatest explorations of the characters and events in the Hebrew Bible I have ever had the pleasure to read. Mixing a summary of the basic story with traditional Rabbinical teachings on the significigance and reason for the events and characters, along with answers to questions readers may face about certain Biblical texts, Rabbi Telushkin provides an excellent guide to the Old Testament.

Latest in the series of encyclopedic works by America's best known author of such books. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin takes us on a journey through the entire Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) to recount the best known and also some of the more obscure events and characters. In his successful brief essay format, Telushkin offers the essence of Biblical narrative in a style accessible to all.

I started to read this book out of sequence, searching for those characters and stories in which I was most interested, but I found the prose so readable, the insights so profound, that I went to page one and read it straight through. This is a magnificient book. Everybody should have it in their library. You'll be surprised how often you refer to it. Every time you do, you'll come away knowing a lot more about the Bible than you did before. Rabbi Telushkin has produced a great work.

Field-Marshal Slim's memoir of the Burma campaign is one of thefinest generals reports from the Second World War. He outlines thebitter and decisive British defeat by the Japanese in 1942, the slow, painful rebuilding of the British-Indian-African Army and its collaboration with the Chinese and Americans in a see-saw campaign against the Japanese in 1943, the decisive battle of Imphal in 1944 and the crushing victories of 1945. In the mountainous and jungle terrain of the Burma-India theater Slim pioneered in the use of airpower for logistical support and the development of airbridges built around air fields. In many ways this under-supported and often neglected theater fought the most modern campaign of the second world war. Slim is a revealing and deliberate author-teacher who intended this book both as a report on a great campaign and as a series of lessons for future students of the art of war. The opening hundred pages are a little slow and the place names are never easy but the book is well worth reading for anyone who would seek to understand leadership and victory in warfare.

British General William Slim commanded English/Indian forces during most of the "forgotten" war in Burma from 1942 to 1945. Slim is now regarded as the finest English general of the Second World War (yes, better than "Monty"). In this book, written some time after the war ended, Slim tells the reader about the early mistakes which lead to the near total defeat of the English army in Burma in 1942. ----- Slim's efforts to rebuild his army and then take the offensive against the Japanese comprise the majority of the book and it makes for a very interesting story. Considering that the terrain over which most of the fighting occured was even worse than Vietnam, I learned a great deal. Contrasting his experiances in Burma with the U.S. war in Vietnam is a good thought experiment. ---- Of most interest to military historians and people interested in the Second World War. As to personal matters the book is almost completely devoid of details. Slim was very much the English Gentleman and all the interesting personal details of his life you will have to find elsewhere. ---- P.S. It contains an interesting side note about the father of the Burmese Nobel Peace Prize winner: Aung San Suu Kyi. Her father fought against the British in conjunction with the Japanese but later turned against the Japanese when he discovered that they were just going to be new imperial masters, even worse than the English. ---- Colin Glassey

Awhile ago, I read QUARTERED SAFE OUT HERE, the wartime memoir by George MacDonald Fraser detailing his experiences as an infantryman with the 17th Division of the 14th Indian Army as the latter pursued the retreating Japanese through Burma during the closing months of WWII. He had nothing but high praise for the army commander, Field-Marshal William Slim. This prompted me to purchase and read Slim's own account of the time and place, DEFEAT INTO VICTORY. The two books are a perfect pair for anyone interested in the India-Burma Theater of the war - perspectives from both the top and bottom of the British Army's command structure.

Slim's memoirs, first published in 1956 while he was serving as Governor General of Australia, begin with his assignment to command the 1st Burma Corps during it's desperate fighting retreat from Burma into India in 1942 after the Japanese captured Rangoon. Then later, as chief of the 14th Indian Army, he oversees the regrouping and rebuilding of the force that finally decimates the Japanese invaders at Imphal in northern India, and subsequently chases the fleeing enemy back south through Burma.

One of Slim's most notable characteristics is his evident lack of an overbearing ego. Several times in his book, he makes reference to his mistakes, errors in planning or judgement, and his deficiencies as a military commander. (Imagine that other famous British Field-Marshal of the war, the prima donna Montgomery, admitting such!) Much to his credit, Slim apparently learned hard lessons as he went along, and emerged as the better man and general for it. This, combined with his great concern for his men's morale, health, training and supply, justifies the high regard in which he was held by "rankers" such as Fraser. Churchill was wrong when he remarked, "I cannot believe that a man with a name like Slim can be much good."

The author's history of the Burma war is comprehensive - perhaps excessively so for the casual reader such as myself. His narrative includes the movement of troops as far down as battalion level, which is way more than I needed to know. Because of this, I might have awarded 4 stars instead of 5 had I been less mindful of the contribution Slim's memoir makes to the history of an almost forgotten theater of the global conflict. A keener student of the Burma campaigns is certain to appreciate these details more than I did.

Finally, there is the Field-Marshal's dry British wit, which shows all too infrequently. For example, when discussing his opposite number in the Japanese Army, Lieutenant General Kawabe, Slim writes:

"I did, however, manage to get a photograph alleged to be that of Kawabe. It showed what might have been a typical western caricature of a Japanese; the bullet head, the thick glasses, and prominent teeth were all there... When I needed cheering I looked at it and assured myself that, whichever of us was the cleverer general, even I was, at any rate, the better looking."

I'm an economics professor who started teaching writing courses as a spare time activity when I discovered that our English faculty was doing such a poor job of it.

My writing class is directed at college undergrads and grad students. I tried a number of books, but settled on Williams and have been using it since the 2nd edition. I find that students can make an enormous improvement in their writing in just ten weeks.

If your goal is to learn the kind of writing that will help you explain a process, change someone's mind, or write the winning proposal, Williams is your man. Don't read it all in one session, and you must actually do the exercises.

Try a chapter a week. It works.

Charles Lave, University of California, Irvine

For people who are serious about improving their writing skills, this is an excellent how-to book. Prof. Williams does not dispense facile advice ("use the active voice") or mindless rules of usage and grammar ("don't split infinitives"). Instead, he teaches you, step by step, how to construct sentences and paragraphs that are clear, concise, coherent, even elegant. He explains in great detail the principles and techniques involved in achieving clarity, grace, and other attributes of good writing. And he illustrates these principles and techniques with many specific, telling examples. "Style" is not a quick read, but it is definitely worth the effort.

Most books on how to write better English are pretty near to useless. Many of them scare you into worrying that you might use "which" when you should use "that" (never mind that an extra "which" never caused any reader the smallest bit of confusion). Others demand that you strive for "clarity" or "brevity" or "coherence"--but then somehow never provide any useful advice on just how, exactly, to do so.

Joseph Williams's Style: Toward Clarity and Grace is an exception. It is the only truly useful book on English prose style that I have ever found. Even Strunk and White cannot compete with the quality of the advice that Williams gives. Perhaps more important, the advice that Williams gives can be used. As Williams puts it, his aim is to go "beyond platitudes." Advice like "'Be clear' is like telling me to 'Hit the ball squarely.' I know that. What I don't know is how to do it." Williams tells us how to do it.

Williams's advice is particularly useful because it is reader based. Most books on style are rule-based: follow these rules and you will be a good writer. Williams recognizes that clear writing is writing that makes the reader feel clear about what he or she is reading. This difference in orientation makes Williams's advice much more profound: he has a theory of why the rules are what they are (and what to do when the rules conflict) that books that focus on rules alone lack.

His advice starts at the level of the sentence. Williams believes that readers find sentences easy to read and understand when the logic of the thought follows the logic of the sentence: the subjects of sentences should be the actors, and the verbs of the sentence should be the crucial actions. The beginning of a sentence should look back and connect the reader with the ideas that have been mentioned before. The end of the sentence should look forward, and is the place to put new ideas and new information.

His advice continues at the level of the paragraph. The sentences that make up a paragraph should have consistent topics. New topics and new themes should be found at the end of a paragraph's introductory sentence (or sentences). Readers will find a paragraph to be coherent if it has one single articulate summary sentence, which is almost always found either at the end of the paragraph or as the last of the paragraph's introductory sentences.

His advice concludes with four chapters on being concise, on figuring out the appropriate length, on being elegant, and on using constructions that do not jar the reader. I think that these last four chapters are less successful than the other chapters of the book. They contain much sound advice. But the argument of the book becomes more diffuse. The first six chapters present and illustrate overarching organizing principles for achieving clarity, coherence, and cohesion. The last four chapters present long lists of things to try to do. (However, the fangs-bared attack on "pop grammarians" found in the last chapter is fun to read.)

So, gentle reader, if you want to become a better writer of English, go buy and work through this book. I, at least, have never found a better.

I prefer war novels like "The Triumph and the Glory" to histories because fiction is capable of delivering such profound emotional effects on a reader. But the great history books, like "Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa" are so powerful that they transcend genre or category and proclaim the truth of our past in a truly unforgettable manner. This is one of the best books about men in battle I've ever read.

Tarawa is a relative footnote in most historical books on World War II. But Tarawa may have been the most brutal and turning-point battle of the entire war. This book details one of the most savage battles of all time. Three Days of Tarawa should be read by every high school and college student in America to appreciate what real sacrifice is.

It is the book form of "Victory at Sea".

This is an excellent book of the fighting at Tarawa in WW2. The author has done a great job in presenting the story, it was so well told that I found it hard to put the book down. Ever since I was a kid I have had a fascination for the USMC and after reading this book I remember why. What guts! The author also presents the Japanese defenders as humans, rarely done in many books about combat in the Pacific during the war. The author has researched his story well and has used numerous maps and a number of sobering B&W photos to assist his narrative. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story, well done to the author!