I read the book "And Then I wrote: the Songwriter speks because of the simple reason that I had seen Tom Russell life in my home town before and I was interested what this book was about when I saw it in the library. I had it for 6 weeks and read the whole book of quotes over and over again, and in the end I had the feeling that I could read it ten thousand times more. Yesterday I was at a show of his again, and I talked to him for a while and I got the feeling as if I had understood him much better because of this book.

Tyson and Russell, both accomplished song writers in their own right, have taken great care to compile stories from a diverse gathering of song writers, both known and unknown. The chapters, each prefaced by one of the editor's own tales, are divided up by subject, but within each chapter the reader is treated to a wide variety of tales about the birth of songs, the struggles of writing, and the thrill having a song "make it." The mix of writers, from rock to folk to classical, means that there is something for everyone. But the great part about reading through the quotations and stories is discovering a writer you didn't previously know about, and learning something new by reading about their writing process. This is a great book for anyone who has ever written a song, a poem, a book, or even just a report for school. Within the struggle to create music and lyrics are the struggles we all face when create anything of meaning in our lives.

A well written and informative book...of intrest to forensic specialists, amateurs and the merely intrested. Lets hear more from this author!

This book was an excellent source of information pertaining to forensic science. It got my interest up again and I am now entering university with the hopes of becoming a forensic pathologist. I liked how Barrett used real cases and real people to explain forensics. I could not put this book down and although it was disturbing in places I thought it was great. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in forensics and who has a strong stomach!

Called OUT: The Voices and Gifts of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Presbyterians, edited by Jane Adams Spahr (Chi Rho Pr; ISBN: 1888493003), can also be bought on Amazon.com. Called Out With, excellent as it is, is the companion to this first book.

This is a wonderful book from the straight-allied point of view to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered ordination rights in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Yet it is meant to be a companion piece to an earlier book published by Chi Rho Press entitled Called OUT: The Voices and Gifts of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Presbyterians, edited by Rev. Dr.Jane Adams Spahr. Shouldn't Amazon carry this book as well?

Sylvia Woods has produced an set of arrangements of the Pachelbel "Canon" for the folk or lever harp. There are arrangements for both an intermeditate-level and more difficult harp solo, harp duet (lucky you, if you have another harper nearby!), and an arrangement for harp and another instrument like flute or violin. There are two sections - one in the key of D (the Canon was written in D), and one in G. No lever changes. Fingerings are included.

The Canon is quite easy to play, since it's just a repetition of about 8 sets of chords. Once you learn the series of chords, you're 90% there!

This is a great favorite for weddings or other formal occasions (first nights, concerts, etc), so if you plan on playing in public at some point, this is a great piece to add to your repetoire!

As a harp student, I was very surprised to find such a selection of books on the topic at Amazon.

Sylvia Woods is a remarkable player (I recommend her recordings also), as well as being wonderful at composing and arranging music. Pachelbel's Cannon is a simple yet beautiful theme, and well-known. Anyone playing for gigs or just for fun should have it in their repertoire.

The book comes with many variations on the tune, including Easy and Advanced Harp Solos, and a Harp Duet either for two harps or one harp and another instrument. Also, you can play the song in either D or G.

These publishers are the greatest. They consistently top the competition. This book offers so many visual gifts to its readers, and since the quilts are small, the projects are producable within a reasonable amount of time. I just let my eyes meander through the book, and I am inspired to get back to the sewing machine. It is written in a friendly style, without the typical clinical and off putting language that we find in so many other quilt books.The quilts are photographed so clearly with such vibrant colors. I dare anyone to read this book, and not turn directly to her fabric stash and begin dreaming of the next project!

This is such a terrific book if you would like to fill your house with quilts in a short time! All of the quilts in the "Little Quilt" collection are a wonderful addition to any quilt library...

I am slightly biased in my review of Celebrating Life, as I am one of the survivors whose story is told in this book. Sylvia Dunnavant poignantly related each story mostly in the survivors' own words, allowing the reader to feel the pains, the fears, and the joys expressed. I've had the honor of meeting most of the subjects in the books, but I literally "know" them from their stories...I FELT what their words expressed. Even now, I continue to go back and read about many of the experiences in this book. As I look back on my own bouts with breast cancer, mine seem rather minor compared to some of the women's stories. (And there is one MAN's story as well)!

Sylvia did a beautiful job of photography. All the photos were taken by Ms. Dunnavant. The book is, of course, about SURVIVORS "celebrating life", and that celetration of life is reflected in all of the photographs. At the time my picture was taken, I was bald, but the eyes, the smile, and the expression Ms. Dunnavant captured express HOPE and JOY, and an appreciation for life! This is seen throughout the book in great color photos of each survivor. One other point: the age range of the survivors is from mid-twenties to late eighties, which should interest all age groups.

It's a book in which the reader has the freedom to skip around without missing anything. Start at the back, or in the middle and read the stories in whatever order you like! Each one is it's own personal saga, and each photo is there to put a FACE on the story.

Someone you know is bound to benefit from these encouraging readings. It's a wonderful gift for women who have been diagnosed, who are going through treatment, (AND for their relatives), or for those who are now looking forward to the years ahead as survivors. AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN NEED to read about life AFTER SURVIVING breast cancer - a life of fullness and hope - and focused on truly CELEBRATING LIFE! During this month of October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month), I urge you to give this book to someone you care about - I promise you, they'll be pleased to receive it.

I read this book when it first came out. It was given to me by a very dear friend who later died himself with cancer. Now I have 2 friends who have been diagnosied with cancer and knew that I had a copy of this book in the boxes somewhere, and wanted somehow to share it with them. Not sure how it will be received by one, but will make the gesture to send it anyway.

I have been very blessed to have read and remembered how the people noted in the book expressed hope and were able to convey how they felt, the anger, the saddeness, the hope, the pain and through it all came out willing to share with others. That is a true blessing.

I now think that somehow I might be able to help in some small way to look for ways that I might be a light for those while I am able. Not that right now I have the problem but sense there is a need to share.

This book is a great handbook for anyone who wants to turn their hobby/talent into a profitable business. Most helpful are the resource sections, that help the reader locate valuable contacts in the craft business. Published by Prima Publishing.

Ms. Landman explains all the aspects of selling your works in this book. Very detailed and simple to understand, she takes you through the process from beginning to growing that craft business. I don't know where my business would be without her invaluable time-saving techniques. The positive voice she gives each area inspires you to get to work!

This book is truly a work of art, not to mention dedication in its fine summary of the history of dressage from early Greek history on to modern times. The knowledge I gained from this book is immeasurable. It has improved my riding, my understanding of dressage, my appreciation of this fine art of horsemanship, and most of all the incredible athletic ability, generous nature, and humbleness of our equine partners.

As the nature of horseback riding has changed from the original, practical purposes to being a recreation and past-time, riding styles have changed from what is best for horse, to what is most expedient for the casual rider who wants to "enjoy" horses. An example of this phenonema from US-style western riding is the "sliding stop". When a horse is very responsive, it should be possible to stop quickly in order to change direction, and sometimes the horse is going so fast he slides to a stop. Unfortunately, "responsiveness" is difficult to judge, and sliding is dramatic, so an original practical ideal of being able to change a horse's direction has turned into a contest to see how far a horse can drag itself by the front hooves while letting the back hooves drag on the ground. A similar corruption of purpose and technique has played itself out in almost every riding discipline as those activies have become more removed from any practical purpose.

This is one of the only books that attempts to place riding in its proper context in history. Its points are illustrated with many rare color and black & white prints of historical paintings and photographs that are invaluable in learning how to ride. The major riding masters of history and what they discovered are all presented in a way that makes one want to learn more. Anyone wishing to increase their understanding of riding past past what is currently fashionable should own this book.

Imagine thinking that you were a normal twelve-year-old girl living in England with your parents, leading a very normal life. You know that you are somewhat different than your peers because you refuse to fight off the school bullies, nor will you tell on them. Suddenly, and without warning, your parents divulge the shocking news that, though you were born on earth, they actually come from a faraway planet. It will take three years to travel there in a golf ball-size spaceship and you must all leave in seven days!
Nesta, the protagonist, at first thinks her parents are playing a joke on her, then is shocked when it becomes obvious that what she's hearing and seeing is the truth. She quickly comes to the realization that she is earth-born and has absolutely no desire to leave her home to live in a strange new world. She devises a plan which will make her unavailable when the deadline arrives. She becomes worried that her parents, who have strong ties to their home planet, will leave without her, but this doesn't stop her from knowing that she can never make the journey with them.
This story contains the elements of secrets, suspense, the strong forces of love, and the meaning of true friendship. It is written in the style of English prose and uses the vernacular of that country. It may be difficult for young readers to discern the meaning of some words that are of distinctly British origin without help from an adult, but the story is worth the effort.
Earthborn, written by British author Sylvia Waugh, is a good read for adults and for children ages nine and up who are on the verge of wanting to be independent, yet are still young enough to need the ties that bind them to their parents.
I read this book without first having read the companion book Space Race. I did not get the feeling that I had missed anything, but I now find myself anxious to read that book as well as the Mennyms series. Sylvia Waugh has just landed another fan in me, and I will recommend this book to other avid readers of childrens' books.

I am told that the late Edward Gorey listed the British children's book author Sylvia Waugh as one of his favorite authors. Waugh's highly original books have received critical acclaim and numerous awards in Europe. There are translations in many languages, including Japanese. How her work has escaped best seller status in the United States, especially with our emphases on humor and spirituality, is a puzzle to me except that here book sales tend to depend so much on marketing. We on amazon.com should have word of mouth on this author, though.

Waugh has followed up her charming, mysterious, wise, and psychologically and spiritually resonant Mennyms series with an "aliens" series concerning beings from Ormingat who take human form to study Earth, not for invasion or any malevolent reason (Ormingat is a place of peaceful love and beauty) but simply out of curiosity, and perhaps to divine what ails us. Underlying themes, as in the Mennyms books, include the nature of identity, spirituality, and family relationships, but as allusive as in classic fairy tales, yet the books are real page turners that leave me reading too fast at times because I can't wait to see what happens.

"Earthborn" is the first follow-up to "Space Race," and while "Earthborn" could easily be read and understood on its own, the enjoyment would be enhanced by starting with "Space Race." The two books are cleverly interwoven, as in the Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket series. In "Earthborn," young teenager Nesta discovers that in fact her kindly, ordinary-seeming parents are not from Boston, as they always said, but from Ormingat, having arrived (like other Ormingatrig) in a spaceship the size and shape of a golf ball. Nesta's destiny may lie not in her quiet British home- and school-life, with her love of reading and her best friend Amy, but elsewhere . . .

Waugh is described on the book jacket as a retired teacher, and her books shine with her kindly understanding of children. Her immersion in the child's world and concerns is, like the characters, so vibrant. There are also points so laugh-out-loud funny that I had tears in my eyes (but I don't want to give anything away).

Thankfully, unlike in the Harry Potter books, no editor has "Americanized" Waugh's books, so that we have complete access in the U.S. editions to all the charm of British English.

I read these books as an adult and so treasure them. I just can't wait for the next installment in the current series! The children to whom I have given Waugh's books love as much as I do, and I highly, highly recommend "Earthborn" and Waugh's other books to children and adults alike. Like the best literature, it's entertainment PLUS.

My two year old discovered this at the library and we have been trying to get a personal copy ever since. Both my son (2) and his cousin (3) adore the book and are willing to sit in the dark scary closet for 10 to 15 minutes at a time having the book read and re-read and making the pictures appear with "their" flashlights. In fact because of this book each of the boys had to have his own personal flashlight!

All kids love to play with flashlights, which makes this book even more fun and interactive. We found that it is a great book for toddlers and preschoolers to take on camping trips! What better place than inside your tent to enjoy a flashlight book!