This book is priceless. It is written by an 8 year old girl, Ying Ying Fry, who is adopted from China. It is her story of going back to her orphanage in ChangSha, China to see and talk to kids in the orphange and learn about their life. My daughter is also adopted from ChangSha so this story held even more meaning. The words are Ying Ying's and they are powerful in her observations. The pictures of the children and of life in general in China also fill in gaps of what her life may have been like. This is a perfect gift for your child from China. We will treasure it for its glimpse it gave us of life in China. Thank you Ying Ying!

I love--abosutely LOVE--Ying Ying Fry's book _Kids Like Me in China--because she addresses (actually quite sophisticated and complex) arguments of adoption research in a personal way, such as saying that sometimes she wondered what it would be like to grow up in an orphanage with the other children, and sometimes when she saw all the babies in the orphanage she had to leave the room. She didn't say (her mother, the editor/transcriber, and her publisher didn't force her to say) that she went back to China, saw the poor starving children, and now feels lucky to be an American-adopted kid. I love how her narrative opens up spaces for other adopted kids to say--yeah, so what if I DID grow up in an orphanage? The woman Ying Ying meets in the book is a part-time model. That's hardly the half-naked, groveling, uneducated street beggar I was told I'd be without the "fortune" of being adopted. When I read Ying Ying's book, I felt so proud of her as a little-sister-adoptee. The vow that I made last year, that I will dedicate my life to better the lives of other adoptees, is a little bit easier to keep knowing that others out there--even a young elementary-school child--are able to take steps in that direction. I lack Ying Ying's language proficiency and connections/background of adoptive parents, but so do many other adoptees. I don't want to speak for adoptees at large. I want to assert the right to tell my story, and in telling my story I want to simultaneously break down the white, male, non-adoptee gaze that assimilates and twists my story to further its own socio-political agenda, and I want to--as Ying Ying has done--set my story out there as an example for other kids. We adoptees have few models. When I read Ying Ying's story, I could both identify with her and say, "that was different for me." The process really helped me to clarify what I wanted to say, and it also encouraged me--that if Ying Ying could do it, so can I.

Kids Like Me In China is absolutely fabulous, beautifully presented, very basic story of one child's visit to her land of birth and the orphanage where she was cared for as an infant, complete with photos that will touch the hearts of all who have travelled to China to make their family complete. It is all at once enchanting, realistic, touching, and upbeat. Personally, I got the added delight of discovering that author Ying Ying Fry is from the same part of China as my own daughter!! I recommend this book to every parent who is contemplating talking to their child about origins and adoption. It will serve as a valuable keepsake and aide in assisting our children to learn/understand/appreciate their very special story!! Congratulations to Ying Ying, who has a wonderful future in whatever she chooses to do!!

I received my copy of On The Loose 24 years ago and it is still my favorite book. This moving account of two young borthers' love for the American West is inspirational. The breathtaking photographs paired with brief and almost religious text are extremely insightful, while at the same time sad. I enjoy reading parts of this book from week to week and always find new meaning when I reread its well worn pages. Like many others, I would love the opportunity to give this book to close friends, and I am looking forward to the time when the Sierra Club reprints it.

My biggest mistake was in buying and loaning out one too many copies of this incredibly moving and inspirational account of two brothers growing up wild and On The Loose. After giving this book as a gift over 20 times, I loaned out my own copy and never saw it again. What will it take Sierra Club to convince you to reprint this book? I have many freinds waiting for me to find a copy of what is my version of the bible. If there is anyone out there who knows how to get a copy, please let me know.

I have a well-worn copy of the original printing by Sierra Club Books, which inspired my own travels in the American West. To find "On the Loose" back in print, nearly 30 years later, and to give the book as a gift to my son, is to come "full circle."

... Or at least pretend to be! (NOTE: This is not a Harry Potter book, although it's certainly riding his "robe-tails.")

Not only does this book have some really neat and practical projects (container herb garden), but also has some pretty icky, kids-love-it projects like a terrarium for carnivorus plants and a mold garden. You can make your own wizard's robe, invisible ink (that you can use with your newly-made quill pen), and sew your own journal. The recipes include gumdrops, rock candy, and homemade slime (!). There's bits of history and folklore in it, too, just in case you get tired of making all this great stuff and want to read a while.

The illustrations are wonderful, the writing is engaging, and it has a ribbon bookmark (okay, it may be a silly thing to mention, but I love ribbon bookmarks). This is a very entertaining book. Many of the projects would lend themselves nicely to a theme party, and there are a few suggestions for that, too. Your Harry fan will have a *blast* with the ideas in this book. I can't wait to some of them with my own little HP fan...

I love this book! I've seen lots of craft ideas for kids, but these are new and fresh and unusal. The book ties in with Harry Potter-mania without being imitative or a rip off. The pages are beautiful and cleverly written -- a great buy!

Anything that encourages kids to put away the mouse, turn off the TV, get offline and open an old-fashioned adventure - a book - should be treasured. The Book of Wizard Craft does just that. In this visually brilliant book, an old wizard encourages kids to awaken their imaginations, get out the glue, glitter, string, and create! And in a slight-of-hand way he teaches them fascinating facts about alchemy, the runes, and some spooky-fun stuff, too! Lindy Burnett's illustrations are pure magic! The genius of this wonderful book, she has worked wizardry at her own cauldron - the painter's palette. Each beautiful page draws in the eye and the imagination as she spins straw into gold at every stroke of the brush! Ms. Burnett brings exceptional artistic delight to this fun, playful and educational journey through ancient teachings. It is a brilliantly crafted, colorful, alive work of art!

in this narrow corner, not one of the great sports books of all time yet still of much interest because it deals vividly with the late, lamented ABA. it seems the ABA was a league 30 years ahead of its time. if it came out today with such colorful stars as connie hawkins, dr. j and even colorful failures like fly williamson and desperadoes like warren jabali and john brisker, it would really catch on with the public. after you get used to the original dumbness of the red, white and blue ball, it seems really nifty, and with the wild, crazy styles of running, dunks and afros, not to mention a bunch of thugs willing to level anybody at anytime, the ABA would be sort of like pro wrestling. Unfortunately, it is never coming back, so you'd better read this book, sit back and imagine Dr. J flying through the air with his giant afro. basketball doesn't get any better.

An excellent book for the car or the bathroom, and I mean that as high praise. This is an oral history of the ABA, made up of short vignettes about teams, players, coaches and the league's background in general. Because of its structure -- it is written in short bursts -- it is easy to read over time, although (cliche warning) once you pick it up it isn't easy to put down. What I especially appreciated were the stories and information on some of the ABA's obscure yet notable players (Willie Wise and John Silas), its thugs (John Brisker, Warren Jabali), and its characters (Wendell Ladner, Bob Netolicky, Marvin Barnes). There's also a fair amount of information about league owners, executives and announcers, which isn't as boring as it sounds (Bob Costas worked games for the Spirits of St. Louis). I was afraid the book would be mostly about players like Julius Erving, George Gervin etc., whose exploits are fairly well chronicled elsewhere. That's not true. You will recognize much of the material in this book as the basis for the HBO documentary on the ABA, which also is excellent.

Sports Ilustrated recently selected its Top 100 Sports Books of All Time. 'Loose Balls,' Terry Pluto's history of the ABA, was listed in an eye-opening 13th place. That intrigued me.

Well, the book is as good as advertised. Pluto's master stroke is in his recognition that he was never going to be able to tell the ABA stories better that the people who participated first hand. So Pluto simply collected the stories, arranged them, made some brief editorial remarks here and there, and really lets the guys tell the story themselves.

It's the perfect approach, because the ABA is all about the you-had-to-be-there stories. There are many highlights, but two that stand out are the recounting of the many wild stories of Marvin Barnes with The Spirits of St. Louis (made more notable by the fact that Bob Costas was the Spirits 22-year-old rookie announcer & is an excellent source of ABA lore - in fact, he gets the book's last word), and the stories recounting the discovery of Julius Erving. Like stumbling on to El Dorado. I mean, it's spine-tingling, these guys telling you what it was like when they first saw Dr. J play.

I really urge you to buy this book.

This book was so good. All the other history books I've read are really boring, and usually I'm not interested in the Ancient Greeks. I've got this book and my favourite part was the seige of Troy! Terry Deary is one of my favourite authors and he and Martin Brown make the best history books ever! It's really funny and easy to understand. The Ancient Gods of Greece were really "gruesome gods"! This book made me want to learn more about the Groovy Greeks. So I was very happy when we were learning about it at school. I was pleased to say that I knew lots of this stuff because I had read it all in the Groovy Greeks. I lent my book to My teacher and she really liked it too. I don't know who wouldn't! Well, I would recommend it to anyone! I want to read more Horrible Histories now!

That book is one of the funniest and most interesting history books - not only for children - I have ever seen. The text is interesting and really hilarious as well as the illustrations! P.S.: I am sure that you'll learn more about the 'groovy' Greeks by reading this book than listening to any teacher in school! cj/at

The GROOVY GREEKS is one of my favorite HORRIBLE HISTORIES book . It's really funny and gory and (best of all ) Terry Deary words his books very much unlike textbooks , but still gives you the information . TO MR. DEARY :I AM YOUR MOST ADORING FAN! - Charlotte Alter

Terry spends many pages hyping his technique, but after about 6 months with the book and videos and doing the drills, I can justify the hype. I have never swum competitively, going to the water only for fitness, but it always irritated me that some pudgy guys could easily cruise through the water as I frenetically splashed to keep up, exhausted after only 15-20 minutes. I read the first book which only covered freestyle, but jumped when this book came out.

When I first got this book, I rushed through all the drills hoping to swim faster in less than a week, but accomplished very little. Not quite the results as the reviewer who dropped his 50 yd time by 7 seconds in his first session. Over the last 5 months, I have spent at least 70% of my pool time practicing the drills, learning balance, breathing on both sides, gliding and streamlining my body. Before the book/videos, I couldn't keep interested for 20 minutes in the water. Now, as I drill my way to each goal & concentrate on form, I still have energy after 45-60 minutes. I swim some laps and feel much faster, smoother and quieter. I used to swim a 50 freestyle in about 43 secs, but now can finish in about 34.5 (push start from the wall with flip turn)--a colleague says my hips wiggle too much, but drills may help me yet. The drills helped me by improving my form and increasing my level of fitness. By the measure of other swimmers here, I still move like a barge, but personal goals override all such comparisons.

The book definitely helped me and I think I underpaid when I compare the cost of the book/video package to the expense of going to one of Terry Laughlin's weekend clinics. I doubt I would get out of a weekend what it took 6 months to accomplish.

I've been teaching swimming for nearly 30 years. I thought I had a pretty good handle on what makes for better swimmers. Then I met Terry Laughlin and was introduced to the Total Immersion philosophy. My thinking about movement in the water and how to improve it changed dramatically. His methods have proven time and again to be enlightening and effective for swimmers of ANY ability level. With this book, Laughlin makes the effortless grace of elite swimmers accessible to 'average' swimmers with simple, logical, proven steps that make fluid, powerful swimming a HABIT rather than a chance encounter. Buy it, read it, apply it. You won't regret it.

I am so glad I bought this book. Learning to balance the body in water and reduce drag creates a new experience of swimming. The system really works. I also purchased the videos which demonstrate the drills very well. It is the kind of book which you read again and again.

An intimate telling of family and loss, courage and humor, honest confrontations with mortality, a deeply spiritual tone, and chapter titles introducing us to over thirty different birds, this beautifully descriptive and authentic tale leaves us with tears and a search for binoculars and a bird guidebook. Terry Tempest Williams weaves with great detail the heart breaking and life affirming events of the simultaneous devastation of her mother's body and the migratory bird sanctuary that has been her refuge. She skillfully keeps from dramatizing this innately powerful story. Williams had me deeply attached to pages I knew would be increasingly painful to read. Yet, as it became more painful, I would never describe it as depressing. I am struck by the powerful way she honors her mother, their family's reverent yet human journey through a particularly virulent cancer, and the ultimate power of nature, and equally important, humanity's thoughtless interference with nature, to turn one's life into a personal desert that used to be called home. She is a master storyteller and a poweful activist. This must read challenges the reader to enter a world where solutions are not simple, and life is exposed at its most vulnerable while courage and passion abound.

As the Great Salt Lake rose to submerge and destroy the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, grief rose and submerged Terry Tempest William's spirit with the destruction of her mother and grandmother by cancer. The gradual regeneration of the Refuge with the subsiding of the lake parallels the regeneration of her spirit and the subsiding of her grief. But the pain and the scars remain and transform. Terry is no longer an accepting trusting Mormon daughter but a searching questioning activist after her tumultuous emotional experience. One wonders if the gifts of awareness and sensitivity are worth the price of the pain endured. The Refuge becomes a sanctuary for the returning birds and Terry's returning spirit. No more moving piece has been written about the folly and ultimate tragedy of human intervention in the environment. From the nuclear testing of the 1950s to the manipulation of the level of the Great Salt Lake, there is much to learn about the long term consquences of our short sighted acts. Everyone should read and reread and pass on this book.

Now that I have read Terry Tempest Williams' excellent book on finding refuge in the areas around the Great Salt Lake, I find I want to visit, to see for myself the stunning landscape and myriad of birdlife. I also find myself drawn to this courageous woman who lets us into this difficult part of her life, as her mother passes into the shadow of cancer. Not for the first time, we learn, and not such a rare occurrence in her family, we discover; a discovery that, for me, evoked anger at the unfairness of exposing human beings to atomic bomb test fallout. There is so much in this book: the detailed descriptions of the birds and their habits, the extraordinary unfolding of the progression of cancer and its effect on the family, the interplay of three women -- grandmother, mother, daughter -- and through it all, the gentle and exquisite writing carried me nearly effortlessly, yet with great strength. I can find no fault with the writing, the evocative images, the revelation of relationships, and the treatment of this undoubtedly amazing place. Thank you, Terry, for writing this book.

Leading Out Loud provides powerful insights into the challenges of communicating and living authentically. Who would have thought it would be so hard to have our "own voice" resonate fully for ourselves and others?

Pearce poses the questions that help us do the thought provoking work necessary to develop and refine our personal perspectives, communications and actions. I approached this book as someone interested in leadership and finished it with insights into all aspects of myself - business person, spouse, child, and friend.

Throughout the book, Pearce offers rich examples (from world renowned public figures to students preparing themselves to enter adulthood) that illustrate the struggles we all face with being authentic. The messages in this book will help anyone who has a passion to make things happen.

Fittingly Pearce doesn't speak from stage left. He is unafraid to use his own life, both its successes and struggles to illustrate and affirm his perspective.

We can hear you fine Mr. Pearce.

As a professional communication consultant, and former White House speechwriter, I've read perhaps a baker's dozen books on executive communication. It's a faceted field, and some aspects are well-represented in the selection of books available.

But to my mind none has addressed the central need for (and subtle complexities of accessing) truth and heart in business rhetoric with simple clarity -- until this little volume appeared. It's been around awhile and is still a gem.

Terry Pearce teaches communication at UC Berkeley's business school (with side trips to the London School of Business and various corporate gigs), and he's spent time in the trenches at IBM. Perhaps he's best known for his work with Schwab CEO and co-chairman Dave Pottruck (see "Clicks & Mortar," a book they co-wrote). His graceful braiding of theory and practice, and clean style brimming with examples, make this a fluid read that sticks in the mind.

Pearce digs beyond style into substance, and even deeper, into conviction. As a writer who routinely interviews CEOs in hopes of helping them frame their thoughts, I daily encounter this core question: How do you coax and excavate substance from your client, and frame it with authenticity? Pearce spills the tools and techniques of how he does it. If you fret about making your speaker believable -- if you want to craft language that does more than disappear in the pool of rhetoric with scarce a ripple to show for it -- in other words, if you want to help folks communicate in a believable, sustainable way that makes a difference -- that's 'leadership communication.' And this book can help set you on the right road.

Sadly, most corporate speeches are forgettable. Maybe because most speakers are afraid to speak from the gut? If you intend to help raise the level of your own message, or your clients, this one's worth your time.

Thank you Terry Pearce for your wonderful book of wisdom. For me, Leading Out Loud is a framework for meaningful and authentic living. It is that simple and that profound.

Terry shares his wisdom, drawn from his own experience with executives and students, and his keen observations of the world in which we live to give us a framework for addressing the important and age-old questions: "Who am I?" "What do I fundamentally care about?" "How can I express what I profoundly care about to inspire and move other people to action?"

Terry shows us that Leading Out Loud is at the very least a two step process. The first step focuses on the Leader. Me. I need to have the courage to engage in the reflection and the introspection to come from a place of authenticity and conviction before I can ever hope or aspire to lead anyone else. I need to be solidly grounded in who I am, what I believe, what I care about and why I care. This is perhaps the most difficult part, but it is also the foundation for any and all future speak and action.

Terry then shapes a very practical and useable communications framework to help me understand how I can connect with others (this is the Out Loud piece) by speaking to both their minds and their hearts - to engage the whole person, not just a part of them - to seek to inspire the whole human being. I use Terry's communications framework in my everyday conversations, especially the tough conversations - both personal and professional. It helps me to reach a much more profound level of clarity and depth in the quality of my conversations. I use the framework in my work as a coach and consultant to senior managers and executive to help them build their skills to lead and engage the people whose efforts they rely on for success. It is the most effective material and set of tools I work with. I trust it will be for you as well.

Harlan Ellison is arguably one of, if not THE, best science fiction/fantasy authors in the world.
Even his detractors must agree that he is brilliant at story construction, and his characterization is beautiful; in short, he's damn good at what he does.
This book is only a small (yes, small--probably the only case in which 1,000 pages could be called that) example of his work, but it does an excellent job of showing that brilliance.
Tracing Ellison's developement from his earliest attempts at writing (age 15) to his latest and most powerfull works, including several articles and essays by the author, The Essential Ellison is an excellent guide to a stellar career.

It also has some nice stories in it. :)

How else can i say it? READ THIS BOOK!
Buy it, check it out, borrow it but READ it.
Thank you

... than you simply do not posses the ability to be moved. Harlan Ellison has written over 1700 stories encompassing over 60 books. His best stories and essays open you up to the man's heart. He is brutally honest and always has an opinion. It's hard to put his writing under science fiction because although he has written many SF stories; he has also written horror, dark fantasy, "mainstream" fiction and of course, non-fiction. In the end, these classifications are just to place the book somewhere to make the bookseller's life a bit easier. This is the book to get if you are new (what took you so damn long?) to Ellison. It will introduce to some of his best stories and burning critical essays. He is without a doubt one of the best living short story writers we have. Get it and prove me wrong! -E.L.

The Los AngelesTimes labeled him "the 20th Century Lewis Carroll." The Washington Post considers him "one of the greatest living American short story writers." He's written over 40 books and in excess of 1100 short stories, essays, reviews, articles and newspaper columns. He's received more awards for imaginative literature than any other living author. He is Harlan Ellison, and he is one of a kind.

This massive (over 1000 pages) retrospective brings you the best of Harlan Ellison, encompassing fiction, essays, reviews and more. Providing the reader with "a portrait of one artist as sublime Rebel" (from the introduction), The Essential Ellison is a work of pure genius which will remain a cherished part of your collection for years to come.

Terry Pratchett was recently awarded a well-deserved prize for "lifetime service to Booksellers". That's not surprising, although finding enough shelf space for two dozen Discworld books must be a challenge. Witches Abroad is one Discworld tome deserving a permanent niche on any shelf - especially yours. You'll return to it often.

The clash between established experience and youthful endeavor is caught here in Pratchett's matchless style. Granny Weatherwax, Lancre's predominate headologist, is severely challenged by the youngest member of the coven, Magrat Garlick. Magrat's heir to a powerful device and honour - a fairy godmother's wand. Magrat's life is further complicated by an identity crisis. She's not always comfortable in her role in life, and this new responsibility compounds the problem. Nevertheless, she's been given the wand and a charge to prevent a marriage. A formidable task, given that the marriage is to occur in "forn parts".

The witches' journey to Genua is one of the highlights of Pratchett's inventive mind. Esme's participation in a Cripple Mister Onion contest along the way would make the most ardent card player shudder in recognition. The innocent Granny exhibiting "beginner's luck" is priceless.

Pratchett introduces us to the power of the story in the universe. Stories "play themselves", shaping people's actions to their own ends. People who resist their roles in stories do so at their peril. This story, so classic and well established, should be irresistible, but then it hasn't dealt with Esme Weatherwax. The struggle is immense, with mighty powers brought to bear in seeking a resolution. Only time will tell which has the greater power.

Most of Pratchett's stories have the value of being timeless. Among the Discworld tales, this one has a particular ageless quality. It can be read at any time with many levels of pleasure and value. No other book in the witches' Discworld series quite matches this one for confirming the worth of Esme Weatherwax as one of Pratchett's finest character inventions. Yet, whatever you find on Discworld, you must remember its equivalent resides somewhere here on Roundworld. There's that lady just down the street . . .

This was another amazing Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. I have read several of his books now, and I continue to be surprised at how fresh and original each books is. This one is a continuation of the witches' series, and it is one of the funniest I have read to date. Granny, Nanny and Magrat are among the most comical of Pratchett's creations. The three witches travel to foreign lands to prevent an allegedly "good" fairy Godmother from forcing a "happy" ending to a "story" against the wishes of the story's unknowing participants.

Witches Abroad contains a collage of many well-known fairy tales. The novel is loaded with irony and the story happens to be poignant. I loved this one and highly recommend it. (I also recommend that you go back and read the excellent previous books, Equal Rites and Wyrd Sisters.)

I am pretty much a gung ho Terry Pratchett fan. I think I've been reading his Discworld books ever since he started writing them. What baffles me is that every time I think I have caught up, I find a couple more that were written 'back then.' I am becoming convinced that somehow Pratchett writes his books 'now,' and has them published 'then.' It is probably some weird way to garner more royalties.

'Witches Abroad' is a case in point. I was just feeling sorry that there haven't been any tales starring the team of Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick (apprentice witch and all around wet hen) when, miraculously, this appeared on the shelves. Is it new? Not hardly! First published in 1991 it has managed to escape my notice for all that time. Or rather, that is what Pratchett wants me to think. I know a plot when I see one.

There are two rules about godmothers in Discworld. First, they come in pairs, and second, when one dies, another has to come along and replace her. Desiderata Hollow was a good godmother, but an awful planner. When DEATH finally showed up, she had to pick a successor and skip the necessary training. So while the two elder witches head for Desiderata's cottage to search for the wand, Magrat gets a package at home (where she is practicing New Age self-defense) and finds that she is now the only wet hen who can turn absolutely anything into a pumpkin.

Worse, when Gytha Ogg and Esme Weatherwax recover from this shock they discover that Magrat has a pressing assignment. She must travel to Genua (a city far, far away in another place entirely) and keep a young woman from kissing a frog. And so, the three most unlikely (and irascible) travelers set off for foreign parts, victimizing vampires, werewolves and countless innkeepers along the way. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that Nanny brought along Greebo the (oversexed) cat along for company. Of course, that is exactly the kind of cat Nanny would keep.

Leaving the countryside in a shambles, the three ride their broomsticks into Genua and set about the arduous task of rescuing Ember Ella. You will like Genua; it is a combination of New Orleans, Port au Prince, and Hong Kong. The food is wonderful, Voodoo witches ride their huts through the swamp, stories always come true, and everyone is either happy or dying in the effort. And the other godmother lives there. Book a flight now on the Trans Witch Airlines and you will arrive for the Fat Lunchtime Festival.

Once again, Pratchett has written a tour de farce of slapstick, sarcasm, and pure vaudeville. 'Witches Abroad' is an opportunity to make fun of everything from world travelers to fairy tales, and no one escapes unscathed. Granny Weatherwax is one of my favorite Discworld characters, combining an acid tongue with Socratic wisdom - tough as nails and proud of it. She and Nanny Ogg simply shine. Margrat would too, if wet hens could shine. And even she has a grand moment or two. This is the best of the Discworld witch tales, if not one of Pratchett's best overall.