Stephen Cosgrove's 'Serendipity' series teaches kids to deal with everyday situations in the world they live in. It provides them with positive solutions to difficult problems. all the charaters are whimsical and beautifully illustrated. There's lot more of these charming books. Collect all the Serendipity series books. Read them all. Start with this one. They're sure to entertain and teach children some valuable lessons they will remember.

In the first book of the series, 'Serendipity' is the story about a large pink sea monster who discovers she has important work to do as guardian of the seas. The moral is knowing who you really are will bring you happiness. Would I have ever known that a children's book could even teach me the meaning of true happiness. And I've been searching for a long time in lots of wordy adult books. The message is plain and simple. My favorites from the series are: 'Creole' (Don't judge people by the way they look.); 'Dragolin' (Believe in yourself-all things are possible.); 'Leo the Lop' (Being different makes you special because you're you.); Rhubarb (To have a friend you must ba a friend.); 'Wheedle on the Needle' (Cooperation can solve almost any problem.); 'Sooty Foot' (Friends don't take advantage of each other.); 'Jake O'Shawnasey' (If you believe in yourself you can do anything.); and 'Little Mouse on the Prairie' (Laughter makes work much easier.). All of these are guaranteed to give any child a good time in fun and learning. Like the name 'Serendipity' means "a fortunate discoveries by accident." And, these are quite the case.

I have about 38 "Serendipity Series" books from Cosgrove including about 15 printed in the 70's. I am now in my 20's and am adding to my collection. I understand that several of the books are out-of-print, and I am looking for those. I concur with others who want a complete set made available. I would also like to see a web site devoted to the books. I can't wait to read these to my children (when I have them).

Hello to all Serendipity lovers
I have almost completed my collection of I believe at least 77 books from this series. I grew up reading and falling in love with all of the animals from Rhubarb to Fanny to Ming Ling. I encourage any reader (parent or child) to indulge themselves in the gorgeous illustrations and wonderful morals at the end of each story. Cosgrove and James have inspried me to start writing children's books on my own. I might be a famous author someday!

This is a very well written book by a group of very experienced practitioners and teachers. Each chapter reflects their experience and the SANS Institute's no-nonsense approach to teaching highly technical security subjects, making the book a worthwile read for security administrators, analysts and engineers.

Every chapter starts with an introduction to the subject where general aspects are being highlighted in a way that they can be grasped by non-technical people too. From there the authors quickly jump to explaining the hard, technical details. Pros and cons of individual technologies are being discussed, giving expert opinion to those looking for help in deciding about technology choices. A summary, again readable by everybody and their manager closes each chapter.

This is the first book I've seen that groups together and relates all subjects relevant to network perimeter defense. Well chosen diagrams and "real world stories" make it an enjoyable and entertaining read. Highly recommended.

This book has great breadth and covers many different aspects of network security. Additionally, the authors provide a good level of detail on technical security matters, where appropriate. This is extremely rare in computer security books.

The most valuable aspect of this book is that the authors explore the thought process behind network security engineering. There are numerous books that cover the details of firewalls, VPNs, routers, intrusion detection, etc. However, there are few books that explore the thought process behind the deployment of these technologies on real networks.

A good percentage of the book is devoted to practical application of network security technologies. Common sections in each chapter are: "When to use ", "Deployment Locations", "Architecture Recommendation", "Performance and Reliability", and "Fault Tolerance". These sections are invaluable to every network security engineer.

Overall, this book is an excellent resource for anyone whose job involves network security. Managers will benefit from the practical discussion of the technologies. Engineers and administrators will benefit from the thorough technical detail. Both will benefit greatly from the case studies presented.

This book is an invaluable reference for Sysadmins, Network Design Engineers, and Security Engineers with most any networking focus. The authors offer real examples of configurations for multiple products to illustrate the points made in the discussions so the recommendations can be implemented wit h a minimum of trouble. The topics covered cross the range of issues associated with perimeter networks, Firewall, VPN, IDS. Each section offers it's own insights and solutions.

You want to have this book in your reference library !

The Last of the Just is one of the most moving,powerfully written and unforgettable books I have ever read. Why more people don't know about this book is a mystery to me. It tells the story of persecution of the Jews from the middle ages to the Holocaust and of the six men who are chosen to bring justice to the world. Read this book and you will never forget it. It is a masterpiece.

My Dad told me to read this book, and when I finally did, it was well worth it. It tells the story of a legend of a dynasty, so to speak, of just men. They are people who cannot abide by injustice, and often sacrifice their lives for the sake of justice. Young Ernie Levy is recognized as the just man of his generation at a very young age. He grapples with the mixed blessing and curse of being a just man, and feeling others pain, for the Nazi's have just come to power and have begun persecuting the Jews. The story tells how Ernie tries to come to terms with his lagacy at the same time as the Nazis release their unimaginable horror over Europe. The end, where the words of kaddish, the prayer for the dead, are interpsersed with the names of the death camps, the author shows us how great, and how terrible it is to be one of the 36 rightious people of the world.

OK, you've read many holocaust books, probably seen several movies, been there, done that.

This one is different, and different in so many ways that you'll never believe you've read one before.

Of course there are not many that start the story in 1105, that's different. There are not many that try to fix the story in a context that is greater than the ending. This one does that, and makes it so strong that you can not put it down.

First the context, the myth if you will. There are in the world 36 'just men' that take on the suffering of the world, that are the reasons God allows the world to continue. There are among these men, some number of 'unknown just' who see the world differently from most of us. That when one of these 'unknown just' dies his soul is so cold that God must hold him in his fingers for a thousand years so that he can open to paradise.

Ernie Levy is one of those men. A thousand years of history, two thousand years of suffering are all concentrated in the story of one boy, the movement of a family from Poland, to Germany, to France, to extermination. It's all so simple. It's all so wonderfully told. The story of a people, the story of a family, the story of a man, the story of the twentieth century, all in so few pages.

I hope you'll take the time to read it.

The Lost Language of Plants takes the reader on a journey from our innate and ancient connection with the living Earth to our disconnection from it and the ensuing wounds. Then in a coyote sort of way, Stephen Buhner brings us full circle and shows us a way to walk once again, within the circle of life;a part of it, not apart from it. He speaks to the heart of our separation not only from the plants who are our teachers and healers, but from ourselves and each other. Reading the Lost Language of Plants I sensed an ancient and wise place deep within my psyche, maybe even within my DNA, ache for the healing that renewing our relationship with the plants can bring. The truths revealed within the pages of this book are at once compelling and painful and hopeful. This is a must read for anyone who loves the Earth, loves the plants and is not afraid to think or to feel.

Fascinating, informative and eye-opening, "The Lost Language of Plants" by Stephen Buhner shows us the life of evolving plant chemistries, revealing the science in the 'magic' of plants used as medicine by 4 of 5 people on the planet. A merciless exposé following the path of medical effluence through our soil, water, and air clearly illustrates effects on molecules as they change to affect generations to come... generations of all life: bacteria, plants, wildlife, and humans, as we reproduce. We have been participants in a medical experiment of reductionist technology for a few hundred years and the results are not widely known or circulated. Buhner's well-researched and brilliantly conceived presentation refutes any denial one may have harbored before reading this book.

Western thinking has its own way of seeing things and we live in the cradle of all that it produces. We see ourselves as an advanced society and display little use or respect for our elders, or those who have gone before us. Buhner's language unveils the illusion embedded within our language and our thinking, embodies ancient understanding and functional relationships, and reveals the complex communication between all parts of the eco-system. Stephen Buhner, as scientist, intellectual, storyteller and shaman, teaches us a language so that we may see differently. This is a passionate call to reconnect to our biocentric origins, to nature, to save our planet and ourselves.

A Pharmaceutical Silent Spring
. . . is what the publisher calls Stephen Buhner's new book, and they're right: The Lost Language of Plants is a book that everyone needs to read. The USGS has just published a study about traceable quantities of commonly prescribed and over-the-counter drugs (not to mention bug sprays, soaps, lotions, and other personal care products) polluting the water. Researchers are still determining how these contaminants affect the environment, but it's clear that they are having a drastic impact on habitats and the health of humans and the planet alike. Stephen Buhner provides a more detailed synthesis of this data than I've been able to find in any other book. Our bodies do not absorb all the synthetic chemicals we pour into them, and we end up peeing drugs into our waterways. Buhner documents how hormones from birth control pills are altering the gender of fish; how chemotherapy drugs too toxic to be handled regularly get flushed into the regular sewage; how all kinds of bacteria are developing resistance faster than scientists can develop new antibiotics because of the loads of antibiotics fed to humans(and especially livestock) unnecessarily. This information is chilling, especially if, like me, you're moved to take a good look at your medicine cabinet. But medicine saves lives, right? We need it, don't we? Buhner questions this assumption. If we're going to solve America's legal drug problem, we're going to have to look at health and "cures" differently. Buhner suggests, with passionate conviction, that we start by trying to view ourselves as parts of our ecosystem, as equal partners in the health of the
planet with plants and animals. Earth evolved over millenia with plants serving as the chemical catalysts that kept ecosystems healthy and in balance. These same plants have served as medicines for people since the beginning of Homo sapiens as a species. It's only in the 20th century that Western science began to presume that humans could control, replicate, and synthesize the chemical properties of plants. It's time that we recognized that our knowledge is shallow and that to really learn how the earth works we need to listen to our elders--the plants--just as our ancestors once did, and as some surviving indigenous peoples do today. Buhner believes that it is possible for us to change our paradigm of how the world works, and
begins to point the way. The survival of the living world depends on our taking his advice.

Current Medicine is right up there among the top few reference books. It has excellent chapters in Cardiology, Infectious diseases and Respiratory medicine. One of the key features is the references of the latest articles at the end of every topic that is covered. This is book is worth every cent that is spent to buy it, a truly productive investment of time and money....a must buy for students who want to ace their exams.

This is a "must have" text for any student of medicine. It has all the information one needs for ward rounds, presentations, and exams. Medicine is an ever-evolving field and this book keeps up with all the latest developments. The references are conveniently given at the end of each section so the student can easily look up the most relevant articles. I especially like the "Essentials of Diagnosis" that precedes each disease entity and summarizes the key points. However this book is very much clinical/management-oriented. It does not have pictures/slides nor does it cover pathophysiology (for that, Harrison's is a better book).

Very concise, covering a large number of conditions with information about clinical features, diagnosis and treatment... just the best medical book for students, residents and general prationers.

Being a Sonheim fan, I expected to like the music, and did. You need to get the CD even if you don't like the script. It stands on its own merits. My favorite: The Gun Song, a delightful little ballad about how easy it is to shoot someone. "All you have to do is crook your little finger." The script is equally compelling, though I imagine the subject matter may make it too controversial for many community theaters. (I hope not, as I intend to suggest it for next season in our little theater here.) The play does not promote assassination, nor does it present assassins in a good light. Instead, it shows these historical figures as what they are: madmen, with all the weaknesses of other humans, but somehow flawed in their logic. Consider Charles Guiteau, who assassinated President Garfield, in part to promote the sales of his book. Superficially, as good a justification as any, but, let's face it, crazy as a bedbug. The writing is superb, and the action varies from the absolutely hilarious scene between "Squeaky" Frome and Sarah Jane Moore, to the powerful confrontation between John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald. EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT!!!

This is a fine example of 20th century writing which focuses on issues that most people would rather not think about. How many of us have sat through history class and learned that John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln and never even thought about why? What is most surprising about the play (and music) is that you really begin to understand why these people thought they should try to kill the President. Unfortunately this musical will go down as one of the most seldom performed because of it's subject matter and the fact that people will believe it promotes the assasins. Sondheim and Weidman seem to make quite a statement about gun possesion as well as the insanity of the perpetrators. Samuel Byck's monologue alone is enough reason to buy this book and I plan to use it in an audition if given the chance.

Unfortunately, too few people in mainstream America have ever heard of 'Assassins' the darkly-comic musical theatre masterpiece by Stephen Soundheim and John Weidman. While it is sad, the public's apathy toward this ingeniously-written musical actually came in useful to me this past year. A participant in high school Speech, my partner and I were searching for the 'perfect' piece that would give us success, something achieved in past years, but not to the highest levels. Veterans of the Speech circuit, and this being my final year in the program, we were looking for something that would really stand out from the competition. Almost by accident, I came across a copy of 'Assassins' and soon saw its potential. Scene 16 (a seemingly-impossible exchange between Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and Lincoln killer John Wilkes Booth) is one of the most creative scenes of any play I have ever seen, and after examination by both my partner and I, we knew we had a winner. In addition to its unusual setting (something judges love), it blended the right amount of humor, suspense, and irony to put all other speakers simply out of the race. Thanks to Soundheim and Weidman, Nick Cook and Brad Mariska (that's me!) took home first place trophies at a number of meets during the regular season and advanced through the sub-seciton, section, and state prelims, into the final round of the state speech tournament. While we didn't take home the title, we were crowned as the 5th best speech team in Minnesota, and all audience members there that day certainly agreed (despite the results) that 'Assassins' was the most unusual and interesting piece competing that day. And we couldn't be happier.

This is a must-read book for the entire family! It addresses attitudes, history lessons, and a wealth of information on why African-Americans MUST do better at managing and saving money in order to build wealth. It also includes the nuts and bolts on HOW to achieve building financial wealth.

Not many people can write about money and make it interesting but this is one of the easiest and most captivating personal finance/money managment books I've ever encountered. The history of little known African-American entrepreneurs who made it from nothing also makes this a valuable book for someone who wants to know about black success in America as well as how to understand investing, insurance and buying a house. I couldn't put it down!

I have purchased several financial advice books in the past year to get on the road to financial success, especially the books by author Suze Orman, who is an excellent author. But this book tackles the same issues with an African-American perspective that is very beneficial. Ms. Stephens really gets to the "real reasons" why collectively, African-Americans do not have the financial security and the clout that we should have in this country. My grandparents who have always been ardent investors always said the old saying "Black people put their money on their back, whereas other races put it in the bank." I am so glad that the author addressed this phenomena that is so prevalent in our community. We all know people in our community who have this problem..for example, when I attended Howard University, I knew numerous students that could barely get financial aid for school but they would work three jobs to pay for a leather coat and a Gucci bag, but the international students who were strapped for cash would work three jobs to pay for SCHOOL. This book should be required reading for all children and their parents!!!!!

I concur with most of the points addressed by earlier reviewers, and found this book to be one of the best about history that I've read. Many of the letters were eye-opening, detailing facets of America's history of which I was unaware. As an example, I found the letter detailing the My Lai Massacre both illuminating and horrifying. The letter from Roosevelt to 'The President of The United States in 1956' honoring the first American soldier to give his life in WWII is one of my favorites, along with the letter to the Warner Brothers from Groucho Marx that an earlier reviewer mentioned. A few additional thoughts:

1. The choices of letters from the 1990s were the weakest of any decade. I suppose that's to be expected in the days of e-mail, chatrooms, and the demise of the letter writer, but I'm sure there were better selections than one detailing the results of testing performed on the stained blue dress worn by Monica Lewinsky, or the letter to a Star Trek fan.

2. The majority of the letters related to negative aspects of the century, which while powerful to read made it a bit depressing to read more than 30-50 pages at a sitting. As the various forms of media have always realized, bad news makes for better stories than good news. I wish, however, that there would have been more letters evincing triumphs, humor, and/or optimism. Such letters were in evidence, but not in abundance.

3. I agree with an earlier reviewer that noted the liberal bias of the letters selected. There appeared to be an inordinate amount of 'coming out' selections and letters voicing disapproval of the System. They were important letters, however, that gave me a different view of the country's past.

4. One of my favorite history-related books is A People's History of The United States by Zinn. This book of letters reminded me of that text, required in a college history class.

Overall, I strongly recommend this collection to anyone interested in the history of 20th century America.

I originally purchased this book as a gift. I kept the book and then bought 2 more! What a wonderful history of everyday people and even very famous people. This book is not some historians own spin on what they consider important. Very personal revealing honest letters that expose you to human emotion unlike anything you have ever read. Reading this you will experience every feeling possible. The letter Jesse Helms wrote to a grieving mother will futher exposes him as the meanspirited clueless person that he really is. This book will not disappoint you. Do yourself a favor and buy it now.

Letters of the Century is an eclectic collection of letters written during the Twentieth Century. Some are from or to famous people and others are from and to more common folk, but all are pertinent for one reason or another. Each letter has an introductory paragraph, explaining why the letter is important. Further, the letters are organized into chronological order, and as a bonus each decade has an introduction, covering important events and statistics. Finally, the book contains an excellent index.

At first glance, I didn't take this book seriously. However, once I began reading it, I was enthralled. The letters run the gamut, from angering to touching. It's hard to say more than that you need to read this book to understand it, and it is a very good book indeed.

This is a very good help especially for those going through any kind of recovery. The 12 Step Devotionals are all linked to the Biblical truth they came from, and are explained for application right now today. It is awesome and lifechanging to discover that Jesus Christ is our "higher power", and that by His death He paid for our sins, and by His resurrection from the dead He gives us new life. In Him we can be forgiven, delivered from addictions, and harmful habits, and healed from longstanding life pains. The Life Recovery Bible is a great compliment to the Celebrate Recovery Program put out by Saddleback Church in California. My only criticism is that the New Living Translation is not always as accurate to the original languages as I would prefer, but it is very well done, and extremely easy to read and understand.

I am a regular listener to Steven Arterburn on the radio--and have read several of his books. He frequently gives this Bible outrecommends it to listeners, so I couldn't resist the urge to check it out for myself.

The primary reason I purchased it was to read the study helps, as I know that he has some tremendous insights into the recovery process from a biblical perspective. I was not disappointed. I received a bonus though when I began reading the text of the Bible. The New Living Translation is without a doubt one of the most readable (without sacrificing accuracy) translations that I have read. It is like reading one of those good novels that you cannot put down. Within a week of purchasing it, I had read the books of Acts, Romans, Ephesians, I and II Timothy, and am halfway through the book of Matthew. It is that good.

One of the problems with older translations (i.e. the KJV) is that you have to mentally translate what is being said into language that you are familiar with. Its like a person who's first language is Spanish, but speaks English fluently as a second language. Unconsciously, they have to filter an English conversation through their natural Spanish proclivity. When they communicate in Spanish, that process is not necessary. That's the way that I found reading the NLT. It freed my mind of a distraction so that I was more free to hear the Holy Spirit. Doing so gave me some insight into one passage in particular that I had never received reading other versions.

I would highly recommend this Bible to new believers. I would also recommend it (especially for devotional reading) to seasoned bible students.

As has been said in several other reviews, the study aids are helpful to ANY Christian. We are all in recovery. Some of our addictions are just more socially acceptable than others. I give this Bible 5 stars!

Shalom, "The Life Recovery Bible" has truly been a God-sent resource of revelation in my recovery. The insight, the answers, and the "ease-of-understanding" provided by this Bible is like a living and refreshing drink of water to a barren soul!

It is THE text book of our "Alcoholics Victorious" group, assisting souls to the Joy and Freedom available to anybody... especially those in recovery... through God's True and Living Word.

I have read many, many books and spiritual publications in my life-long "program" of healing; this is the Word of God- containing the essence of the required healing power- written in a language easy for the recovering person to accept and understand.

I thank the authors for their obedience to His guidance, I thank the publishers for their making this resource avalable to the population, and - most of all- I thank God for His Love, His Mercy, and His Son, Jesus, for taking our disease, and freeing us from our bondage.

If you are in recovery, you will be better off with this Bible. In Christ, Amen.

I am a VB developer with Powerbuilder knowledge, and have read over 100 Systems related books and manuals. Over 30 of them have related to programming languages or concepts. Let me reassure you. This is one of the finest how-to programming books on the market. I ALSO did my homework before purchasing a book on C++ and have perused many of the standard web sites which offer recommendations. Although there were several highly recommended books from which to select, I flipped through C++ Primer Plus (along with 4 others) several times before purchasing the book. Although I have not read all the other books, this one is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. BUY IT if you wish to learn C++ from the ground up. Best of Luck!

Prata's knowledge, style make program learning as easy and enjoyable as possible. This is by far the best programming (and perhaps the best technical) book I have used. A must buy for begginners to C++, with complete coverage that will satisfy intermediate-advanced developers.

I approached C++ programming from a BASIC and Fortran background. I really did not want to learn how to use the C Programming language before I could learn C++. I spent hours browsing various books (in the bookstore, of course) on the subject, and finally purchased this book. I have read the book from cover to cover three times! There is a lot of very useful information that can only all be learned over time. The reading is easy flowing, and the example programs are excellent. I have since learned how to program in C++ using MFC for Windows, and I only wish that I could find a book on MFC that is as concise and helpful as Prata's C++ book. I recommend this as a "must have" for any person wanting to do serious C++ programming