No matter how many times I read "Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge" by Julie Vivas, this book never fails to touch something deep inside my heart. It's about a little boy who lives next to a retirement home and his friendship with the people who live there. We get to see these elderly people in a little boy's eyes. And the thoughtful illustrations by Mem Fox show us quite clearly. (I love the illustrations) The touching and simple relationship between Wilfred Gordon and Miss Nancy is poignant to the core. Wilfred Gordon's desire to revive Miss Nancy's lost memory is sweet and absolutely delightful. It's a great story to share with children about memories and Alzheimer's disease. The world seems a much friendlier place through a child's eyes. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is a fantastic book for all ages!

Title: Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge
Author: Mem Fox
Favorite Characters: Mrs. Jordan, Mr. Hosking, Mr. Tippett, Miss. Mitchell, and Mr. Drysdale

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge was a curious little boy who loved the old people that lived right next to him, especially Miss. Nancy. In the story, Gordon finds out that Miss. Nancy has lost her memory. There is a slight problem, though, he doesn't know what a memory is! He asks everyone what a memory is and everyone gives him a different answer.
After everyone's different answers, Gordon goes out to look for Miss. Nancy's memory. Gordon ends up bring a box with a football, a puppet, a medal, a shell, and a warm egg to Miss. Nancy. What does this all have to do with her memory? Find out by reading the book...

I really like this book. I read it today for the second time, but I remember it from when I was younger. This story has siplicity for young children and a wonderful story line for any age. I am going to get this book for my children when I grow up and hopefully my little sister will read it some day.

A great read from a great author. i'm already ordering Gordan Kormans first series i liked this book so much.and i can't wait for the other two books from this series to come out. Young 13 year old domonic and his brother Chris both great climbers in a contest of 19 teens to get in the final team of 4 The expedition leader Cap cierco saw something in Dominic but he still thought he was just too young and small for the long trip up Everest in Nepal the alpanists dream climb. in the first cut the Dr. sees cap cut all the wild card finalists but the Dr. convinces cap to keep Dominic and the whole team grows suspicious of The 14 year old perry who isn't nearly as skilled as the other climbers that got cut the first time around all around a great book that i reccomend to anyone kids or adults

The short novel, Everest:The Contest is so unique and creative that everyone should read it to understand how you can express yourself. The novel keeps you reading until the last page, and when your done you want to rush out to buy the next book, even if it's midnight.
The main characters Sammi, Tilt, Chris, Dominic, Z-Man, Perry and Cap all have personalities that will remind you of Jar Jar Binks only in a good way. You won't forget in a million years. Just when you think you know whats going to happen, everything change for the worse or for the better. You make the decision.
The way that everyone in the novel helps each other is just unique. You can learn so much from this book while still have fun.

Everest, The Contest is a great book for both boys and girls to read. I think to bring sand from the lowest point in the world to the top is really cool. Dominic's brother is not going to Everest. Even though he wanted to, he was not picked. Chris, Dominic's brother wanted him to bring up the sand in his place. I like how Dominic just focuses on trying to save Bryn, from the icefall while Cap Cicero is yelling at him to get out of the icefall and get back down the mountain. I really like the fact that the author did not chose for Ethan Zaph to go with the expedition because he didn't even train with the team.
I also think that for Bryn's replacement they should have chose Chris. He was a better climber than Tilt and he had more experience. Tilt Crowley should not go because he is a bully and he gets mad when somebody beats him to the top of a hill or a rock. Tilt also is not a team player and Tilt annoys other members of the team like Cap Cicero. I would think if you had a person on the team who is not very honest and loyal with the team, then why should he be put on? Tilt just wants the record and will not help anybody else, when on the other hand Dominic helps his teammates like when they were climbing Lucifer's Claw, he helped Bryn. But, I am sure that Dominic would like to have the record of being the youngest to summit Everest, but not to get into fights about it.
This is one of my favorite books because of all of the extreme climbing and all of the risks that they take. It teaches you loyalty among friends and how to be a team player. You know you can really depend on someone if you can climb Everest with them.

This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I have to admit that I was at first reluctant to pick it up. But I do like to write, and I figured that there might be some helpful information in the book for me. I was SO SURPRISED to find that I was actually enjoying reading the book! Hale's writing is so fun, and the examples she uses are great. You can tell from the title--SIN AND SYNTAX: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose--that this is going to be more exciting than Strunk and White, which I suffered through in high school. Not only will it help you improve your writing--with real world application for careers and the like, not just for students--but you'll have fun reading. Believe it.

It's not often that a grammar book causes grins, giggles, even guffaws, but Constance Hale's Sin and Syntax is not an ordinary grammar book. The entertaining examples, from sources as diverse as Mark Twain, the Bible and wine bottle labels, illustrate the "bones," "flesh," "cardinal sins," and "carnal pleasures" of each grammatical point. After Sin and Syntax, I read children's books from a new perspective. Good preschool books are often peppered with action verbs, strong adjectives and elegant simplicity. Best of all, this grammar book inspired me to start writing again! Choosing the right word is now a puzzle to be solved, and creativity oozes from every email I send.

This book is a basic grammar guide for those of us who may have been out of school for a while, but it's as much about writing style as it is about grammar. The reason I like this book so much is because it is filled with a range of writing examples, from remarkable to awful. The examples of bad grammar, many taken from students papers, had me laughing out loud. The only thing this book is lacking is a reference section where you can easily look up grammatical terms, although the index is thorough. I personally didn't miss a reference section though. This is the sort of light, readable book I wanted.

Dr. Andrew Gordon's lengthy study will surely become the definitive account of the Battle of Jutland. Gordon provides an easy read with dispassionate analysis of the facts: a rational and sensible reassessment added to many revelations unearthed by the author's in-depth research. The book starts with an account of Jutland up to the delayed arrival of the 5th Battle Squadron (Evan-Thomas) to the Hipper-Beatty duel. Evan-Thomas and Beatty's handling of the advance guard (along differing tactical doctrines) provides the perfect point of departure and reference to the mid-nineteenth century Pax Brittanica, in which the Victorian Navy struggled to promote a workable combat doctrine from its opposing pool of 'authoritarian' and 'autorcratic' Admirals. The problems faced by the Grand Fleet at the onset of war, and highlighted by inadequacies at Jutland, can be traced to, and explained by, the wardroom battles of this era; particularly over the use of the cumbersome signal book and how best to adapt it to 'real' combat situations, governed by the ever-changing factors of the technological revolution. (Symbolised by the 'all big gun' Dreadnought.) Ultimately, the pioneering development in this field was arrested in its infancy by the sinking of HMS Victoria and the consequent loss of its foresighted Admiral, Tryon (inventor of TA; an initiative based battle signals procedure). The central discussion is followed by a return to the gunfire of Jutland where we witness how this 'arrested development' affected the course and outcome of the battle. The dispositions and handling of the Fleets by Jellicoe, Beatty, Scheer et al. are masterfully analysed; their respective shortcomings and doctrinal reasoning put across fairly. No encounter is left un-discussed, no surviving statement left without reappraisal. The post-Jutland analysis and Beatty-Jellicoe confrontation then come the focus of scrutiny from which we can deduce our own conclusions. Dr. Gordon's account if full of amusing anecdotes. I particularly liked the attention to individual experiences of the battle, and naval life, which are tied in to the relevant discussion: we are reminded of Tryon's last signal before the collision: "What are you waiting for?"... or that the spotter on Fisher's ill-fated battlecruiser Invincible was the German composer, Wagner's, godson. A later reference to the 'Jutland prize for creative writing' is typical of Gordon's lively prose. Furthermore, there is an interesting account of Freemasonry in the service, providing an explanation for many an admirals straight- jacket of 'dutifulness'. The book commendably puts the whole naval episode firmly into the context of the late 19th and early 20th century, with all its corresponding ideologies and imperialistic assumptions that disintegrated so painfully on the fields of Verdun and the Somme.

This is a quite epic narrative history, which reads with the facility and pace of a well-constructed thriller. It is at once a social history of the Royal Navy that spans the Ironclad, Dreadnought and Great War eras, a dissertation on naval signalling and fleet-handling in a period of unprecedented technical innovation, a reflection on the challenges and stresses of leadership and a thrilling account of the Battle of Jutland from a British perspective. The book opens with a quite thrilling account of the opening phase of the battle, in which technical and human complexities are treated with equal aplomb, then breaks off - leaving the reader all but white knuckled - at the moment the German High Seas Fleet appears on the scene and forces Beatty's Battle Cruiser Force and Fifth Battle Squadron to turn northwards. It might seem an anti-climax to be diverted from this drama to the controversies that dominated the Navy in the Late-Victorian and Edwardian periods but this part of the story, with its splendidly delineated cast of larger-than-life characters, is no less gripping, especially in view of its ultimate relevance to command and control decisions at the potentially climactic encounter at Jutland. The third part of the book returns to the battle itself, with the arrival of Jellicoe's Battle Fleet, the main clash and the subsequent night action and German escape. The complexities of naval manoeuvre have seldom been so clearly portrayed in print, with excellent use being made of simple diagrams for illustration, and colour and pace are lent to the narrative by many well-chosen extracts from survivor's accounts, ranging from the light-hearted to the outright ghastly. This was indeed a battle where there was no mid-point between unscathed survival and horrific injury. The story is told almost exclusively from the Royal Navy viewpoint - that indeed of a British participant - and, thought this adds great immediacy, readers will need to look elsewhere for a more detailed account of the German movements. The final part of the book is in many ways the saddest, detailing the recriminations, self-justifications and personal tragedies involving the main participants after the war. A postscript that deals with the problem of intelligence overload as a purely Naval concern will be found by many readers to have singular relevance to large modern organisations employing E-Mail! This is, in summary, a quite magnificent piece of work and a delight for enthusiasts of naval history. The only mild criticism that might be made is that the writer has omitted to discuss how experience from the Spanish-American and Russo-Japanese Wars might have influenced Royal Naval thinking on visual signalling and fleet control under battle conditions. Japanese experience might be assumed to have been of particular relevance in view of the strong Royal Navy influence on Japanese naval development - and of the presence on Togo's flagship at Tsu-Shima of Captain William Packenham, who later commanded the 2nd. Battle Cruiser Squadron at Jutland. This minor gripe aside one can but long for more from the pen of Mr.Gordon.

This book is not just about the battle of Jutland: it's a critical and outstanding representation of the birth and evolution of British Navy's tactical doctrine from the middle of the XIX century till 1916, with significative glimpses beyond that date. The widening gulf between the peace-time ethos and training of the officers' corps (strict repect of the authority and slavish attention to goose-step fleet manouvres) and the requirements of a war-time Navy (initiative and skill at gunnery) is well presented, with many stimulating references to the psychological, social and cultural context of the Victorian Navy. The examination of the battle reflects to some extent the more general aim of the book and, as a consequence, is not as detailed as it could be (see for that John Campbell's "Jutland, an analysis of the fighting"). But the many still-debated episodes of the clash of the two fleets are thouroughly discussed and illuminated by the vast knowledge of the author. A captivating narrative and a final chapter on how the example of pre-1914 British Navy can teach a modern military service to avoid committing the same errors complete a masterful historical work. I totally agree with the previous rewiers in regarding Andrew Gordon's book as a major contibution to the history of British Navy in the First World War.

This book is the best self-contained source for French grammar to come around in a long time. It is particularly good if you learned French through self-study from a variety of sources and want a single volume that encompasses all the essential grammar you need to know. There are lots of exercises (all with answers provided), culture notes, examples from newspaper advertisements, and a section on idiomatic usage. The only caveat is that you should already know French at least to the two-year level. The book is also a bit weak on composition, i.e. letters, essays, and the like. In a formal correspondence, for example, you may want to write using the conditional instead of the present indicative (e.g. je pourrais rather than je peux) and more of this sort of information would have been helpful in a review such as this one.

This is not introductory material so if you are just starting out and want a similar volume try Cassell's Contemporary French by Valerie Worth-Stylianou. Its out of print but frequently available through Amazon's Marketplace sellers. The Cassell's book is geared for beginner and intermediate French learners and is every bit as comprehensive as the Ultimate French Review. The Cassell's book is better at building a vocabulary, idioms, and writing in French, but if you've been there before and just want an in-depth review without the burden of too much "French 101" stuff the Ultimate French Review and Practice is definitely the way to go.

I bought this book to relearn all the grammar I used to know. Having had six years of French (last class was ten years ago), I needed something that would take me through grammar lessons fairly quickly. This book does that.

This is a handbook on grammar and conjugations. It follows a simple pattern for presenting material--it provides short lessons with examples, and then gives 8-12 practice exercises (with answers in the back of book), and so on.

This book emphasizes grammar over vocabulary, but translations are provided for the words that are used in examples and exercises. Translations also appear for idiomatic phrases.

I learned of this book by researching the materials used in upper level French composition classes at various universities. This one came up several times as a companion to the literature that students were required to obtain.

Here are the contents of Ultimate French Review and Practice:

Part I, Verbs--Basic Forms and Uses: 1. Present tense, 2. Present tense of irregular verbs, 3. Negative sentences, 4. Interrogative sentences, 5. Imperative, 6. Passe compose, 7. Imperfect; imperfect versus passe compose, 8. Reflexive verbs, 9. Future and conditional; conditional sentences, 10. Pluperperfect, future perfect, and past conditional; conditional sentences, 11. Passe simple, 12. Present participles; uses of the infinitive.

Part II, Nouns and Their Modifiers Pronouns: 13. Nouns: gender, number, and articles; uses of articles, 14. Stress pronouns; subject-verb agreement, 15. Possessive and demonstrative adjectives and pronouns, 16. Interrogative adjectives and pronouns, 17. Adjectives; comparative and superlative, 18. Object pronouns.

Part III, Other Elements of the Sentence: 19. Numbers; time; dates, 20. Adverbs, 21. Negative and indefinites, 22. Prepositions; prepositions with geographical names.

Part IV, Verbs in Two-Clause Sentences: 23. Relative clauses, 24. The present subjunctive, 25. The past subjunctive; literary subjunctives, 26. The subjunctive (continued).

Part V, Idiomatic Usage: 27. The passive voice and substitutes for the passive, 28. Important idioms and proverbs.

Don't be fooled by the price. This is a great resource.

And easy to follow--I've been away from the formal study of French for several years, and this book really has helped me to dust off my grammar. Great for someone who already knows some French, and refreshing not to have to start with level one, as in most books. The exercises have lots of repetition but don't get dull.

What a fascinating place India is and, as this novel makes clear, almost as fascinating are the westerners who go there and misread the way that the country seems to work. Farrell's Booker Prizewinning novel is based on events in what has been called by the British the 'Sepoy' or 'Indian Mutiny' and by Indians the 'National Uprising' or the 'First War of Independence' of 1857. In particular, as the title suggests, it deals with a siege in a small town called Krishnapur from the point of view of the besieged British colonials. While the reader feels an extraordinary amount of sympathy for the suffering that they obviously undergo, it is tempered somewhat by the attitudes that Farrell critiques, even among the more enlightened (from a modern perspective) characters.

Whether it be the topics of theology, science and pseudo-science, relationships between the sexes, colonialism, or the way that we respond to extreme circumstances, all are handled intelligently. To my delight Farrell didn't try to give characters modern attitudes or feelings (the bane of much historical fiction) in order to make them more 'appealing' to the reader. Instead, what is most fascinating about the story is to think about how the individual reacts to change, and especially change arising from terrible events. The changes that particular characters undergo are simultaneously humorous and absolutely believable. This is an excellent read if you already have an interest in India, or in the impact that westerners have had upon other cultures. If you haven't when you begin, you may well find that you have before you finish.

"The first sign of trouble at Krishnapur came with a mysterious distribution of chapatis, made of coarse flour and about the size and thickness of a biscuit; towards the end of February 1857, they swept the countryside like an epidemic." When I was a young teacher living in China in 1984, an English colleague traded me his well-worn copy of The Siege of Krishnapur for my stack of back issues of The New York Times. Set during the British Raj, Krishnapur is the story of a slow-brewing sepoy rebellion and yearlong siege at a remote hill station, loosely based on the Indian Mutiny of 1857. (The sepoys comprised the native Indian regiments of the British army.) The late novelist J. G. Farrell perfectly captures the beauty of the Indian landscape. With deft irony, he tweaks the complacent, insular attitudes of the British ex-patriots, who are bewildered by the rage directed at them by the native population. More suspenseful and less sentimental than other famous epics about the Raj, Krishnapur is a wry, funny book. Incidentally, Farrell wrote two other comic novels about hapless Englishmen caught up in the sweep of history: Troubles, set in Ireland, and The Singapore Grip, set in Malaya on the eve of the Japanese invasion.

I had never heard of J.G. Farrell or The Siege of Krishnapur until one day I was scanning a list of winner of England's Booker Prize and I noticed that Siege was out-of-print in America. I was so intrigued I sent off to England for it, but it is now also available in the U.S.

The novel narrates the story of the British community at Krishnapur during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, when the entire community holed up in the Residency (like a governor's palace) for months under siege. Farrell's style is highly cinematic, reminiscent of great movie epics about that era, such as "The Man Who Would Be King," - lots of scope, majesty, explosions, and bright-red uniforms, added to the day-to-day domestic squabbles of the community. Farrell's take is not a shallow war novel though; he is witty, ironic, inspired, and sad in turn.

The book features remarkable turns of fortune and engaging details on every page, all of which were dramatically motivated and apt. (Examples: When the besieged run out of ammunition, they create canister shot by stuffing ladies' stockings with silverware. There's a sudden infestation of flying bugs that will make you jump right out of your chair. Two doctors have an argument about the cause of cholera with dramatic consequences. A lucky shot by a Lieutenant....well I won't spoil it for you.)

The main character, the Collector, seems to stand in for all of Britain as he is transformed by his Indian experience: first arrogance and a passion for bringing British 'civilization' to the uncivilized, then bravado as he stands up to the initial assaults, then despair as he watches the failure of mere ingenuity to overcome the natives. In a wonderful little coda at the end of the book you can see how he has been utterly transformed by the experience.

A wonderful find, a 'must read'! I'm off to read the rest of Farrell's novels!

One scene captures the tone of this book for me: Upon finding a body in the trunk of his car in the company of his hot date, Vince responds to the situation with the first thing that pops into his head - "He's not dead. He's resting." This book was laugh-out-loud funny! As a librarian, I have recommended it to a number of colleages and would enthusiastically give it to anyone who is interested in intelligently written young adult fiction. Son of the Mob would appeal to a wide age range and continually holds interest, never losing pace. It is a story with likeable characters and will keep you laughing to the end.

Meet 17 year old Vince Luca. Son of one of New York City's top mob bosses, Anthony "Honest Abe" Luca. Although Vince wants nothing to do with his father's buisness, it still mixes into his life some way or another. Like when on one particular date a body was found in his trunk. Like when he finds out the Porshe he got for a birthday present turns out to be stolen. Or when in football he doesn't get tackled because word gets around his father is Anthony Luca. But through all of this Vince deals. That is until he meets Kendra Bightly, whose father happens to be the FBI agent who has been trying to put Vince's dad away for the past 5 years. Isn't that just peachy?

Oh My God! This book was hilarious! A definite must read!

Son of the Mob was an excellent book. I gave it a rating of five, because I felt it did a good job of progosticating what was going to happen next. Vince Luca is nothing like his family and doesn't want to be anything like them either. His father is part of the mob, which deals with tons of secertcy and crime. Vince Luca has a life most kids would love to have. A new mercedes for his birthday, an allowance like you wouldn't believe, and a certain kindness from all of his teachers. It all seems to good to be true and it is. Come to find out his mercedes is stolen, his allowance is a part of his Uncle's murder business, and his dad pays off his teachers so he gets good grades.Even though it's nice to have all these luxuries, it puts serious doubts on ever having a girlfriend. What is he to tell his girlfriend when she asks what his father does for a living? Still say he's part of the "vending machine" service like he was told when he was younger or the truth? Finally when he meets Kendra is she worth the trouble? Her family seems like the biggest problem of all to though, because her father is the FBI agent that wants Vince's father caught.

Battlestar Gallactica meets Independance Day! Well, sort of...but anyway, this is a fantastic book. If you read it, you'll get what I mean by the above comment. If anyone ever finds a copy of this paperback, please let me know!!! I'm sure I lost it on a family camping trip somewhere in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Read this book if you ever get a chance. It's one of those books you'll devote a whole weekend to and do little to nothing else.

I found this book in a little bookstore. I'm always open to find more like it. My only problem is that really great books like this one have no sequel or are really hard to find. (I have a really unique talent of finding one book in a series and then never finding any more!) Anyway, it was a fabulous book. If you can find it, READ IT!!

I can't find words expressive enough to convey how much I love this book. Its characters have stayed with me vividly in the 13 years since I first read it. Get this book, keep it, do not trust your friends to return it.

This is exciting stuff:

Alternative Medicine Magazine in the July 2001 issue calls Quantum-Touch, "... a significant breakthrough in hands-on healing." They go on to say that "...for professionals and lay people alike, Quantum-Touch is an essential and invaluable tool."

Dr. C. Norman Shealy, Founding President of the American Holistic Medical Association calls Quantum-Touch, "... the first technique that may truly allow us all to become healers." He also wrote the foreword to this book after he became impressed that Quantum-Touch provided dramatic and lasting pain relief to his patients with 20 to 30 years of chronic pain, who had not been helped by any traditional or alternative modality.

This is the only book I know of on hands-on healing that is praised by physicians, chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists, nurses, Reiki masters, chi gung instructors, and a host of other health care professionals.

Dr. Darla Parr, D.C. wrote, "You actually have to see this work to know how good it is. Bones move into alignment with just a light touch, and it speeds up the healing process."

Amazingly, you can actually learn to use Quantum-Touch from just reading the book, but if you get the chance, I highly recommend attending a Quantum-Touch workshop.

"Quantum-Touch" is a powerful book. I have used energy healing techniques for over 23 years, and after applying the easy and accessible techniques in this book I have increased my capacity dramatically in just the first few weeks. The book is written in easy to understand language that demystifies healing energy work. I cannot say enough good things about this book and the author. I was fortunate enough, after reading the book, to attend a workshop presented by Richard Gordon. I found him to be sincere and dedicated to the idea that we all possess the power to heal and if given the chance we will use it. I encourage anyone interested in life and health to read this book. It not only contains wonderful and simple techniques, it also contains invaluable information for general health and well-being all presented with humor and love. Buy it, read it, use it and spread the word, we are ALL healers.

Quantum-Touch really resonated with me - I have studied many healing modalities from Reiki to Lomi-Lomi and found Quantum-Touch to be the most powerful yet easiest way to understand and practice hands on healing. Quantum-Touch is fun to read, and de-mystifies hands on healing by describing pratical ways to work with life-force energy. The Quantum-Touch video is fantastic as well. I used the techniques on my Dad who had a lung infection for the past 8 years. After a few hours of Quantum-Touch, his infection was 95% clearer and is still clear a month later. I've seen lots of other awesome results as well : "healing" bruised ribs, eliminating sciatica pain, releiving all sorts of pain, bringing down bunions, etc. etc. The fun part about this work is that anyone can learn it; my friends who have learned QT have had great results as well.