Almost all children wait and wait and wait until THEY are old enough to go to school. This is grown-up stuff, they think. Those feelings, though, can become overwhelmed by realizing that perhaps, just perhaps, they are not the most grown-up person at the school.

This story helps children and parents alike to understand the feelings, perceptions, and realities of the first day of school.

This is an excellent book for every actor, performer, singer, theme park actor, or anyone doing outdoor stock! The book easly explains all aspects of the voice, problems , fixes and fundimentals of english language. Also the book does an excellent job teaching Phonetics. Rocco is now currently teaching at Unversity of Cincinnati College Conservitory of Music. He is a valuable addition to the OMDA division , and his pro active thinking is changing the department to make a more educated and hirable actor. If you dont have the chance to work with rocco this book is the next best thing !

Vera Williams is probably the best popular author of books about American women's military service during World War II, and this title is up to her excellent standard. Her previous book on the WASPs (Women's Airforce Service Pilots), now sadly out of print, combines conventional history with songs, anecdotes, reminiscences, and interviews with the spunky, sassy women who played such an important role during the war. It is a great mix that conveys the mood of that distant moment, from the perspective of the special people who are the book's subject.

This new book on the Women's Army Corps is in the same charming mold. Unlike so many books on the role of women in military service, this one avoids the whining, petulant attitude so common in books of this genre - the books where the men are all the enemy and the women are all virtue personified.

Instead of complaining that the women weren't armed with rifles and bayonets and sent to the front to fight as equals with the men (a strong undercurrent in a lot of books about women in the military), WACS tells the story from the perspective of the women themselves, both then and now - in a friendly, generally positive tone. One of the best things about this book is its lack of "politically correct" agenda - it is the story of an interesting era, filled with interesting people doing important things, unfiltered (much) by the modern military battle of the sexes.

Like the WASP book, it includes lots of stories, charming anecdotes, some excellent archival photography from the National Archives, from scrapbooks, and from modern sources. The whole package is entirely delightful and provides an intimate portrait of some adventurous women who served their country in adventurous ways. This is a great book for anybody who was a WAC, knows somebody who was a WAC, or (as in my case) ever dated a WAC. It is also a great book for anybody who really wants to understand just where women fit in the history of the US Army during World War II and after, until the Women's Army Corps was finally disbanded.

Came across this great book in my local Historical society genealogy library. The title intrigued me and I was not disappointed. For the beginner it a a virtual "how to" in tracing your roots. For the seasoned veteran, it contains all sorts of suggestions that I am sure every could use reminders of. Written in the form of letters between the author and one of her family members, it chronicles the steps in researching their family history. Not dry and lifeless as some of this type of book tend to be, it treats the subject with humour and makes the idea of starting your family search sound like fun! I recommend this book for everyone's genealogy library.

This is the most cool book I ever read in my entire life, a biography with animals, at last, first I saw the wolves in the cover (the french book with a black and a grey wolf), I asked my mother if could buy itand she accepted, I read it, searching for the wolves, getting interested on the storie in the war, my father speeks of the war and he knows so much about it, I was so suprised to see than the germans in the army were called nazis, thats why I'm more interested to the world war two, I finished the book and now I'm reading it again, I laugh when Misha describes the wolfcups playing and glamblimb, I love playing like this but with who? I didn't cry but I had pity, I always knew the human tyrany, I lived betrayal with my friends and somehow I knew the adults were like this too, but not all, my parents are not bad against me, NO! I'm twelve and I know what a "child" can do, I am one myself (like says my mother). I all ready heard the little red riding hood but I never liked it, I liked White Fang, and I like it now to, I always collected animals figurines but I didn't really liked dolls. Misha's the best person (maybe almost) who understands me, we both prefer animals and forest than humans and cities, this book is recomended for everyone! I have a wolfcup figurine and for a memorial name I named her: Louvie Mischke Misha Defonseca, I nickname her: Misha Mischke or Louvie. Animals do not do mortal war for rocks, but humans do, at least I know not all the humans are like the nazis, Misha's one of my heroes (the rest are fiction or...?), at last someone who can understand wolves without a pencil and a paper. If Misha learned Tae Kwon Do or else, man she'll be a great martial artist.

I have read this book several times, and each time I was inspired by Misha's determination and resourcefulness. I am Jewish myself and was hidden in an orphange in Molenbeek, not far from Anderlecht were Misha stayed.

The ability of a young girl to take care of herself in the wild and to relate to wild animals is remarkable. What is also noteworthy is the fact that she was able to function alone. That this is not easy. I know this from experience since I had to learn how to be alone because I was often ostracised due to religious prejudice as a child.
Hopefully more people who read about Misha will see the futility of hating ones fellow human beings and animals and be inspired to respect all life.

This book is definitely a treasure worth reading. If it were to be made into a movie, it would surely be inspiring!

I couldn't put the book down once I started it. The account of this real life tragedy, as remembered by Misha after many years, brings vivid images to me. These images are probably very insignificant compared to what Misha as a child must have endured. I can only hope that Misha can write a follow-on of her experiences. Also I hope someone has the forsight to make a movie of this, with Misha authenticating the accounts as they happened. In these ways, her experiences can be communicated so that many understand the inhumanity that we're capable of, so that we can attempt to prevent this from happening in the present and the future.

I have had the opportunity to have met Misha and am convinced of her authenticity and convictions.

This is the book Nabokov fans have been waiting for, but suspected would never (COULD never) be written. From the opening sentences it's clear that Schiff has the stuff equal to her daunting task--to get behind the artfully constructed public face of two of the most brilliant, but most private, people ever to enter the public eye. Schiff does it with awesome research and a, by turns, witty, moving, penetrating, sometimes acerbic, but always admiring prose. The portrait of Vera, you feel, is definitive, but so, too, is the portrait of Vladimir--a portrait that points up the flaws and gaps in earlier depictions, like that of the dutifully plonking Boyd biographies with their laughable "interpretation" of Pale Fire. That Schiff is delineating the dynamic of a highly unique marriage (not just the two complex personalities that made up that marriage) makes her accomplishment seem all the more miraculous. Finally, Schiff's method is ultimately Nabovian in that she gives us a portrait of the master without peering at him directly: the book is Vladimir reflected in Vera's pale fire--which, as it turns out, is the best way to see him whole. Or, rather, to see them BOTH whole. After reading this book, it is impossible to speak of either Vladimir, or Vera, as a single entity, ever again.

In a vein not unsimilar to Brenda Maddox's biography of Nora Joyce a decade ago, Stacy Schiff compassionately and vividly weaves together the beautiful tapestry of Vladimir and Vera Nabokov. For those who thought the master's works can speak for themselves, they may want to think again. This lucid, brilliant book brings together the complex author's life, marriage, loves, ideals, frustrations, and, ultimately, genius as biographies rarely do. At the same time, Vera is no shrinking violet either and one wonders about what would have become of the author had she not been a tad forward about meeting him in the first place; certainly the history of 20th century literature would have suffered by it. My wish is that Ms Schiff continue in this vein...perhaps a different view of Frieda Lawrence or the long-suffering Mrs Dickens? Like this book, they will most likely be indispensable.

"Vera was a pale blonde when I met her, but it didn't take me long to turn her hair white."

The above was taken from one of Nabokov's own journal entries and, although it may seem humorous, it is no doubt true. Pulitzer-Prize winner, Stacy Schiff, suggests, even in the title of her book, that Véra Nabokov was a woman who was only capable of being known as Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov. Her relationship with her famed husband, no matter what its course, was the defining factor of her life. And Véra would have it no other way.

Véra Nabokov has been described as Vladimir Nabokov's "disciple, bodyguard, secretary-protector, handmaiden, buffer, quotation-finder, groupie, advance man, nursemaid and courtier." She is, not unjustly, celebrated as being the ultimate Woman Behind the Man.

Véra graduated from the Sorbonne as a master of modern languages, but, sadly, she did not keep copies of her own work as she did her husband's. In fact, she probably would have denied that her own work was worth keeping, although everything leads us to believe otherwise.

In addition to transcribing, typing and smoothing Valdimir's prose while it was still "warm and wet," Véra cut book pages, played chauffeur, translated, negotiated contracts and did the many practical things her famous husband disdained. This remarkable woman even made sure that the butterflies he collected died with the least amount of suffering.

A precocious child who read her first newspaper at the age of three, Véra was born into a middle-class Jewish family at the beginning of the twentieth-century in Czarist St. Petersburg. In 1921, with the advance of communism, her family settled in Berlin. It was there that she met the dapper and non-Jewish Vladimir. Their marriage would last fifty-two years and be described as an intensely symbiotic coupling.

Although Vladimir traveled and conducted several affairs, Véra supported him throughout, struggling to raise their son amidst the Nazism that was beginning to fester in Berlin. Blaming herself for her husband's infidelity, Véra managed to rejuvenate her marriage and the couple moved again--this time to New York City--where Véra typed Valdimir's manuscripts in bed while recovering from pneumonia. Forever believing in her husband's creative instincts, Véra stood by his art even when debt threatened to overtake them. It was she who intervened on the several occasions when Vladimir attempted to burn his manuscript of Lolita.

Véra Nabokov's tombstone bears the epithet, "Wife, Muse and Agent," and Nabokov knew the immensity of the debt he owed her. Late in life, he even refused to capture a rare butterfly he encountered in a mountain park for the sole reason that Véra was no longer at his side. Like her husband, Véra had highly developed aesthetic tastes and the two enjoyed a "tender telepathy." Often described as "synesthetes," the couple would have debates about "the color of Monday, the taste of E-flat." It is certainly without exaggeration that Nabokov wrote to Véra, "I need you, my fairy tale. For you are the only person I can talk to--about the hue of a cloud, about the singing of a thought, and about the fact that when I went out to work today and looked at each sunflower in the face, they all smiled back at me with their seeds."

Although many feel the Véra should have been encouraged to develop her own considerable talents, it can be argued that she did, and that her greatest talent was that of wife and helpmate. It is certainly one she choose freely and without rancor. The fact that her husband was fortunate, indeed, cannot be denied.

Véra is a book rich in detail, analysis and affection. Like all couples and all marriages, the Nabokovs were unique and they were special. To know one, was to glimpse the other, for with the passing of years, neither was wholly himself or herself. There are those who might not have understood Véra Nabokov's choices and might not have agreed with them, but they are the ones who have never known the ecstasy of a truly close relationship. Véra Nabokov was a most fascinating woman, one that made her own choices in life and lived them most happily. We can only admire her greatly.

Vera Wang on Weddings is as sumptuous and refined as the designer's dresses. From the sheer white vellum page overlays to the beautiful photographs of flower girls--including her own two adorable daughters--along with reception sites featuring shimmering pools filled with floating candles and flowers, majestic cathedrals, and of course dress after amazing dress, this a design lover's book.
Wang shares her lifelong love of fashion and her personal experience as a bride, but she is not self-indulgent. The focus is on the splendor of brides and weddings in general. Apart from the lush pictures of her clients' weddings, there is an illustrated glossary of dress terms, and Wang offers straightforward opinions on which silhouettes flatter which figure.
Although the book addresses everything from grooms' cakes to the cocktail hour to the morning after brunch, in terms of wedding planning it is mainly an inspiration book that provides a general overview with timeless advice. While it is an excellent fashion resource, some brides may find Martha Stewart's Best of Weddings highlights a wider range of reception ideas--especially for less formal weddings--with more detailed planning tips.

This book breathes Vera Wang. The team that assembled this clearly understood her design philosophy: deceptively simple, clean lines, creative craftsmanship and of course, finest quality. The book has a large format, about 10" x 14", that showcases the glorious photos wonderfully well. It has the feel of a chic, glossy, fashion catalogue with much more of an artistic edge. For example, throughout the book, there are a few translucent vellum sheets with images of jewels, crystal goblets, or lace veils printed upon them that are beautifully superimposed over images on the following page. Very nice effect that is done occasionally on wedding invitations or programs.

Vera Wang covers not only fashion, but all aspects of wedding planning in nicely formatted, concise text that does not compete with the collages and full-page spreads that are an elegant visual testimony to her own wedding celebration as well as those of celebrities, royals and socialites. There are several familiar photographs of her gowns which were used in ads, but the layout of the book makes them feel larger than life. You can almost feel the buttery satin of an ivory gown and almost see the changing glitter of a crystal beaded bodice in the light. Her appendix includes thumbnail sketches of necklines, sleeves, skirt shapes and veils. She also includes a very practical page on tipping!

In my own planning process, this was my favorite "inspiration" book. Even if you're not getting married, looking at this book is a pleasurable experience from the great cathedral aisles to the lusciously decorated cakes. Actually, this is probably the least expensive way to immerse yourself in Vera Wang style!

Fashion mavens know Vera Wang as the designer behind the wedding gowns of such famous folk as Karenna Gore, Sharon Stone, Kristi Yamaguchi, and more--and VOGUE readers throughout the 1980s and early 1990s remember that she served on the editorial staff there. But those who consider Wang to be little more than a dress designer--however talented a dress designer she may be--will be not only pleasantly surprised, but astonished at Wang's accomplishment in the form of this book. "Vera Wang on Weddings" just may be the only wedding book any bride will ever need. Clocking in at nearly 300 pages and a hefty 10" by 13.5", this is a substantive book not only in size and weight, but in information as well.

Expecting Wang to help you out on choosing a gown? She doesn't stop there. She gives you the benefit of her vast wedding experience on topics ranging from choosing engagement and wedding bands to coordinating flowers with other decorative elements at the wedding and reception to wedding cakes to music to the formality inherent in wedding ceremonies held at different times of day and in different types of venues. Her expertise is enormous and detailed, but she doesn't pelt you to death with bits of information--the lay-out is such that it's easy to pick and choose what you want to learn more about without being deluged with other information.

There is information here that I've never seen in another "bride guide." Sure, it's easy enough to find out all the different veil lengths if you want--ranging from fingertip to cathedral to royal and every length in between--but what other book shows you, in detail, the twenty-six (twenty-six!) different types of necklines? Or the twenty-three different types of sleeves? What other book takes into account different personal styles in such a clear-eyed manner (asking the reader if she is a modernist, a minimalist, a traditionalist, and so forth)? Wang covers second-time brides, pregnant brides, military weddings, and even gives every bride permission to relax no matter what her age or any other status: "White is always appropriate." And so it is.

The book couldn't be handsomer. Harper Collins did Wang proud by having art and design director Bridget de Socio in charge of the book. It's clear that an enormous amount of thought and effort went into making "Vera Wang on Weddings" not only useful--first and foremost--but a feast for the eyes as well. The paper is heavy and creamy--subtly echoing perhaps the duchesse satin of a bridal gown--interspersed with occasional sheer pages. The sheer pages feature lovely photographs of all kinds of different items, from slender kid leather gloves to sparkling rings to butterflies and rose petals. Through these photographs, you then see the next page of regular paper. The effect is transforming, and subtly echoes the manner in which a sheer bridal veil helps put into motion the age-old metamorphosis from woman to bride.

White Fang is a cross between a wolf & a dog, and the story begins near the beginning of his life, when he is still living in a cave and has yet to experience the out of doors. His father, the wolf, dies when WF is still cave-bound.
Much description is written about WF's feelings for his mother (intense devotion) and the world around him as he begins to explore it. Along the way, by trial and error, he becomes a wily hunter & survivor.

He and his mother Kiche are eventually taken in by a group of
Indians and Gray Beaver becomes his master/god. He trains
WF to be one of his sled dogs and a hunter. The way he trains
him is with ferocious beatings any time WF disobeys or slacks off
or does anything wrong. WF sees him as a god. Not one that he
loves, but one he must obey to avoid beatings and to receive
food.

Gray Beaver eventually sells him to another god, Beauty Smith,
who is truly evil. Beauty is training WF to be a fighter dog,
and his beatings are even more ferocious. WF is pitted against
other dogs on a daily basis, while his master takes bets. WF
never looses. Then one day, WF is pitted against a bull dog.
The fight is like none he had ever experienced before, and it
is one that almost cost him his life.

It is through the fight with the bull dog that WF comes to know
his newest and last master/god, Weedon Scott. And it is
through Weedon that WF learns how to love his god. And in the
end, love is rewarded on both sides.

It is a book that would be most appealing to the intermediate
reader and young adult, especially adventuring types, and animal
lovers. The edition I read was from the Whole Story Series
and their additions to each of the books they publish are very
noteworthy. Besides the complete text of the original book
they also include many photos, illustrations, and enlightening
notes about the history, culture, etc. of the place & era. Even if a person is not crazy about the story (& WF in not my "type" of story,) the information in the margin alone is worth the reading.

White Fang deserves two huge thumbs up. It is exciting, touching, and sometimes kind of silly. Jack London did a very good job writing this book. This book is about a wolf that had a part-wolf and part-dog mother and a wolf father. The book starts out telling about the mother's journey, but quickly turns to the son called White Fang. Eventually White Fang gets domesticated and the Native Americans turn him into a sled wolf.

The only thing I did not like about this book was in the very beginning. The author thrusts you into the story without any explanation. I wish the story was set up more. This book rates with my favorite books. Jack London does well at showing the feelings of non-human characters along with the differences between the old Native Americans and the new settlers. I think you should buy this book and enter the world of White Fang.

The book White Fang was well written by Jack London and its truly about survival. It starts out talking about two men, Bill and Henry, who are out in the wild with their pack of dogs. Some of their dogs disappear because they are lured in by a she-wolf of another pack and are killed. Bill tries to shoot one of the wolves to save their dogs. The only problem is he only has three bullets. He misses and gets eaten by the pack. Henry makes a fire to try to keep the wolves away and is almost eaten but is saved by some men that were traveling nearby. The pack of wolves keeps moving on with the she-wolf leading the pack and then they find food and there the pack starts to split up. The she-wolf splits up with another wolf and she has some little puppies. Only one survives and gets nourished by his mother in a cave. He wonders off one day to get a drink and sees his first humans and he bites one of them. The men know his mother, Kiche, and the pup meets his first owner. His name is Grey Beaver who sees the pups white fangs and gives him the name White Fang. White Fang becomes ferocious in camp and is hated by his kind and by manhood. He then becomes a fighter and runs away. He later finds Grey and he gets sold to Beauty Smith, a really cruel man, who beats him and enters him into fights. He switches owners again to Weedon Scott who actually takes care of him. This was the best book I have ever read and I suggest this book to anyone who enjoys books about the adventure in nature.

Even though this book focuses primarily on women, my girlfriend and I got it and read it together. This book helped us improve our sex lives. It shows how to give and receive fantastic orgasms and how to experience sexual pleasure on new levels. It also addresses the needs of men. It covers anatomy in detail, shows what to do about inhibitions and fears, recommends the best positions and why, and gives great advice on every technique covered. This book greatly enchanced both our sexual responses.

Also recommended: Five Minutes to Orgasm Every Time You Make Love shows women how to take charge of their orgasms. My girlfriend and I appreciated both books and plan on passing them along to other friends.

First a disclaimer: this book is about one thing and one thing only - manual genital stimulation, and primarily female at that. If that is not of interest to you don't buy it, you will be dissapointed. There are no new intercourse positions or secret oral sex methods contained in it. Not only that, but the techniques contained are actually quite simple and unadorned, almost obvious if so many of us hadn't received such misinformed socialization. BUT if you are interested in deeply pleasuring your (female) partner, if you are interested in the sexual concept of "doing", if you are open-minded to perhaps a new way of experiencing and expressing your sexuality and that of your partner, then , by all means, read this book. In it you will not only find a refreshingly simple approach to pleasuring your partner, but also a great deal of coherent thought (mostly) on why you might want to do that, and why, indeed, your partner might view that as a valid pursuit and herself a deserving recipient of such focused and sustained effort. We men I'm afraid often underestimate the significance of this latter concern for our female partners, partners who have been conditioned through a lifetime of disinformation and preventative avoidance to not recognize the joy they may bring to a relationship simply by embracing their own birthright pleasure, and encouraging and educating their male partners to actively help them attain it, as they actively relax into the sensations their own bodies are capable of providing them. As well, we men seldom recognize the deep satisfaction to be derived from feeling fully engaged and truly competent in the pleasuring of a partner, and more generally caring for and nurturing her, all decidedly unmodern (and unmanly?) ideas. This simple concept, so blindingly obvious, is the heart of "doing" - a silly term perhaps, but a worthwhile skill and endeavor for any couple seeking increased contentment. Pleasure is the gift and the glue that nature or the deity has provided us to cement our bond in shared moments of bliss. Not to suggest that sexual pleasure can solve all ills, but done well it certainly can't hurt now can it, to experience on a visceral level the wonderous sensations a generous and giving partner can offer, and too the deep sense of satisfaction a truly contented partner may evoke in the giver.

The techniques in this book are sparsely illustrated by not the greatest of drawings. The authors have a subsequent book that promises better illustrations. I haven't seen it but if you tend to be flummoxed by complicated geomtries you may find that helpful. I really see this book as almost providing more of the philosophy of "doing" than a great deal of detailed methodology; though, the basics are certainly here. In many ways once the concept is embraced the techniques may flow from practice, as feedback-guided learning is a key element in this method (ie - ya gotta talk before, during, and after). One addition I wouldn't hesitate to recommend is combining this practice with vibrator and g spot play which is completely complementary. For those women who may require a bit higher level of sensation to reach lift off, the results will be guarantee of success. And alternating the two may provide for an incredibly blissful sustained event, both for the recipient and the less fatigued giver. (See Betty Dodson's books or videos for guidance there). Once the orgasmic threshold has been reached many of these techniques (not to mention others) may show higher effectiveness in subsequent stimulation. So fasten your seatbelts dearies, it's going to be a bumpy ride!!! But one worth every sighing, moaning, writhing, and giggling minute.

Hi everyone, I've read this Book EMO, and I found out too many imporant information about couples. It teaches you about how to deal with daily things and non so daily too. It helped me understand my girlfriend in ways like the ones of the Mesntrual Cycle and the way you have to treat women. Now I can say that sex is not just something ordinary, it's a great thing to do!!!! If you mix this book with the love you have for your couple you'll get the best tool ever to suceed as such. It also helped me in being a best person.
Now I really know what women want, and that's not just jelwery or shoes, it's Attention, Care and, above all, Love. If you don't buy and read this book, you'll be wasting a lot of time trying to deal with her (him) with the knowledge people have about the opposite sex.
Try to buy it and read it, your partner will thank you a lot and you'll be glad because your performance in bed and out of it too (as a couple during daily life), will raise 100 points, and even more, if you two read this book together. Because it's not just for men to understand women, but for women too to understand a bit more about themselves and us, men. Loves You All, Your Friend From Far Away.

I am very sorry to say that I was dissapointed in this book. The title says "Boys Who Want to be Girls" This makes the buyer think that this will be a book giving suggestions and help for crossdressing. In fact, there are some helpful ideas, but not enough to justify buying this book. The chapter on speaking with a more feminine voice is not very informative. It mostly talks about students of Veronica Vera. And, that is my main complaint about this book. There are far more stories about Vera's students than is necessary. After awhile reading this book seems like one long ad for her school. I would have liked more insight on how to crossdress. Also, photos on how to apply makeup, etc. would be helpful. To many photos of Vera and her students. Interesting, but not helpful. If Veronica Vera writes another book it should either be a guide to crossdressing, or a book about her school and philosophical insights into the causes of crossdressing. This book did not give me any real help. And, I am sorry it wasn't more informative, and less a sales pitch.

I'd like to respectfully disagree with those reviewers who criticize Miss Vera's book as too much of an advertisement for her business. In the book's introductory material she says that what she set out to do was offer people who couldn't come to New York and experience her school some idea of what goes on there. She's going to provide a positive evaluation of it, don't you think? The book may read like a commercial to some I suppose, but I found the book interesting and helpful. I'm a transgendered person who would LOVE to experience Miss Vera's school, but as this will probably never occur, I'm quite satisfied with the book. Would that it were longer!

At the suggestion of a friend, I read MISS VERA'S FINISHING
SCHOOL FOR BOYS WHO WANT TO BE GIRLS by Veronica
Vera . . . I found it both amusing and enlightening . . . and while it isn't my typical reading fare, I found it fun to learn about cross-dressing and what exactly it entails. In addition, I also believe it gave me some insight into the female psyche.

Yet no need to fear. I don't see myself becoming a cross-dresser
any time in the near future, particularly since I like my

mustache. And Veronica notes that "no applicant is ready
for the freewheeling life an academy deb if he is not ready
to let go of a handlebar.

"Yet," she went on to say, "there are exceptions to every rule,
even this. I relaxed my rule once when a Hassidic Jewish man
applied for entrance. I knew that his long beard and side-curls
were part of his religious observance and thus not to be removed. Under all of that hair, his long-lashed eyes emanated sincerity and earnestness, so I took pity on him. We used a veil and turned him into an Arabian princess, not only accomplishing his transformation but doing our bit to heal Mideast relations.

There is a basic difference between the way women walk and
the way men walk. Men take control of the earth. Their feet are
planted firmly on the ground. Women go with the flow. We dance
through life. High heels are designed to complement that dancing,light-footed movement. In the days before sidewalks, the entire base of the shoe was often elevated. These early platform shoes made it possible to rise above the muck. Men wore them as well as ladies. But while men have toppled from their pedestals, we ladies remain there, usually being admired. High heels show off the calves and other parts of the anatomy to advantage. The higher the pump, the higher the rump. In high heels the buttocks are raised to provocative heights, inviting admiring glances. Just as some women choose not to wear high heels because they do not want to invite those glances, many men are starved for that attention. In high heels, our students' legs appear longer and, though our girl
may be concerned with her height, her legs can never be too long.

Even before the first official Voice class, new students at Miss Vera's Finishing School receive some instruction on girl talk. I don't know how many times I have asked a student to say "yes" instead of "yeah." There she is, all dressed up in the sheerest nylons and sexy pumps, seated in the makeup chair, wearing a lovely, soft negligee or perhaps a silk slip, bra, garter belt, and stockings while being transformed be the Dean of Cosmetology, who used the finest powders, lipstick, and blush. Inside she feels all relaxed and excited at the same time . . . all lush and juicy. Then I ask a question and she answers, "Yup," in a voice like John Wayne. This won't do. We start be refining speech in small, simple ways. Say, "Yes." The phrase "Yes, Miss Vera" is music to my ears. It is not so much how high she speaks her words that counts, but how deeply she feels what she says and how much of that feeling she
lets pass through her ruby lips.