I wasn't a 'new mom' when i read this book, but found it helpful when doing research for a birthing ritual for a friend...it reveals so many views of impending motherhood from many different cultures...very informative and very touching. I wish i'd had it when i first found out i was pregnant!

This book is a rare gem. It compiles many famous writers' comments concerning pregnancy and birth. It portrays pregnancy and birth as beautiful and spiritual.

It also includes different spiritual perscpectives on the different phases of pregnancy and birth. It incudes Native American, Celtic, Polynesian,...poems that describe pregancy and birth.

I used this book to find a poem for my sons birth announcement.

When I saw this book I knew that this was the perfect life-long gift for my daughter-in-law, Amy, who is well on her way to becoming a midwife. Along with her already inspirational and spiritual self, she will surely treasure this book, it is so Amy!! When I saw the Zuni prayers and poems I was even more excited as this is where she and my son are living!

Coyne Steven Sanders is, undeniably, _under_ the rainbow with this treatment of Ms. Judy Garland. In a good sense. First, one must respond to the treatment here of Micky Rooney, without whom we would still probably be responding to Ms. Garland in the same way. In the birth of the cliche, there is a moment when the idea itself is not a cliche but is instead an archetype. In this way cliches are to be honored as original ideas so fitting to such a large number of {events} that they become, through no fault of their own, a cliche. Sadly, this treatment of Micky Rooney in relation to Ms. Garland does not recognize the fact that Mr.Rooney was a cliche _from the beginning_. He personified the cliche by occupying one from the moment he embarked on his character--the same wide-eyed, over-eager, lifelessly hyperbolic grating dunce he dusted off every time the cameras were stupid enough to have him within their frame. If only Steven Sanders would have bitten into this none-too-tender tendril of the gas that was Micky Rooney! Instead, it is waived away like a bad odor that the reader imagined should have dissipated 5 minutes earlier. By failing to contextualize Ms. Garland within this necessary border, Coyne Steven Sanders renders a full quarter of this book into a wide pie of plums and pits; into a full line of outergarments best suited for intemperate climes. Three cheers for Coyne! Because, after all, this author is able to, in this book, show us why we should all, as I do, love Judy Garland with each breath we take. I love her. Yes. I love this book, and I love Judy Garland.

Over the years I have read every book about JUDY and excluding the 'book' written by Mel Torme' many have been decent. But, not until this book has the talent, the class, the POWER that was JUDY GARLAND been properly conveyed!The book is informative about what went on in front of and behind the scenes of THE JUDY GARLAND SHOW. But also, it shows how at certain points JUDY wanted certain things done a certain way for a specific reason!!! Case in point, her singing 'THE BATTLE HYMM OF THE REPUBLIC'. She knew why it had to be done, she knew how it had to be done, and she knew that it had to be done!!!! AND SHE DID IT!!!! And what 'we' see on video during that performance is what JUDY was, is, and always will be!!! A performer who should have been left to do what she did-SING!And reading this book, you'll see why she is what she is, and how she got what will always be hers! LEGEND!!!!

An incisive, detailed look at The Judy Garland Show. Blows away the myth that Ms. Garland was the psycho-tornado that destroyed the show. A wonderful book with many pictures, showing Ms. Garland at the peak of her performing abilities. A rare, realistic look at Judy Garland; the person and performer. A good buy!

I picked up this book through a used bookseller and am so glad I did!(as it's out-of-print currently) I was eager to read the Nick and Julia Lambros mysteries in order (anal as I am) and this is the first in the series.

I had expected something fairly interesting, but I was honestly hooked by the first page (and that doesn't happen to me frequently!)...

Nick and Julia are the owners of the Oracle Diner in Delphi, Georgia (get it?) but business is a bit slow and they're down on their luck. When murder stops by in the form of a loyal patron having a heart attack during breakfast, the Lambros' are suspect since the autopsy shows poison! Yes, you've all heard this one before, but the characters are so pleasant and the mystery so juicy, that I had long overlooked this overused setup.

Needless to say, it's up to Nick and Julia to figure out exactly which one of their patrons is the killer, and they end up getting involved in an illegal immigrant smuggling scheme along their way.

Nick and Julia are terrific protagonists and I can only imagine the authors are both very much in love as it shows quite evidently in the relationship between our two main characters.

Dealing with being shunned as a murderer, Greek emigrant Nick has his green card taken away by the local sheriff as more people in the town display their ethnocentricity for the 'outsider' since he's a murder suspect.It just gets better and better from there!

The mystery wraps up so well, I was surprised that this was really the first attempt from the authors to create a cogent and well thought-out mystery that was both so entertaining and so readable! (not to mention that you'll learn a word or 2 of Greek before you're done!).... Looking forward to the next in the series! (yes-I already bought it the day I finished this one!)...

I LOVED this book. (I ordered the second in the series, and can't wait for more to be published.) It was very fresh, witty (but definitely not cutesy), innovative, and entertaining. Highly recommended.

This book is not easy to summarize without revealing too much of the plot. I'll just say that the plot is original, the twists are clever, the characters entertaining and the book as a whole is smart. You'll enjoy reading this book from the first page to the last.

If I could give this book more stars, I would. It's one of my two favorite Judy Cuevas/Ivory books (along with Black Silk), and easily on my top ten list of the best books in the genre. I hope they reprint it so more people get a chance to appreciate it. Some people may not like her earlier stuff because it is too subtle, too intellectual, or some other such nonsense. If you find the average romance a little unoriginal (and who doesn't?), look to Cuevas/Ivory, Laura Kinsale, and Laura London/Sharon and Tom Curtis to discover that incredibly rich and rewarding books can be (and sometimes are!) written within the genre.

The complicated relationship between Adrian Hunt and Christina Bowers is one of the most interesting and passionate relationships in the Romance genre. It's not really a conventional romance novel. It breaks a lot of "rules". But both characters are amazingly drawn out and they are perfect for each other. She can hold up against him and never loses her dignity or her strength of character. He is just a dream come true. This book is written lovingly with a swift moving story, no dead spots, excellent love scenes, a nice element of mystery and a highly emotional fast-paced conclusion. In a year I will read it again. I love her writing, no matter what name she is operating under.

I agree with the first reviewer, this is an excellent book. Judy Cuevas went on to write more novels as Judith Ivory, I think I read all of them, if she does not have another third nom de plume. but I am very fond (maybe even prefer) her older books. Or to be totally honest, all her older novels, except Black Silk, which was somewhat confusing, not in terms of plot exactly, but the writing there somewhat overshadowed the characters and plot.

No such problems in this novel. The plot is big but believable, characters are fascinating and it's certainly not run of the mill. Plot and characters, in the late XVIII century the daughter of a commoner falls in love with an earl which falls in lust with her but who will not fall in love back. Really. I mean, really, he has serious issues which he has to come to terms with, involving a lot of his older history and external motivations. Loved this book, my favorite of all her novels.

This book helped me learn to knit in particular, although that's only a fraction of what it contains. But since that's my area of experience, just let me tell you that practically any sort of knitting I decide I want to tackle, there's something in this book to send me on my way, with a treasury of stitch patterns for textures, cables, and lace, advice for working in the round, working in color, everything I could ask for, and that's just the knitting section!

My one complaint is that in some ways, at least the edition I have is a bit out of date: it referred to fingering weight yarn as "4-ply." Still, a small price to pay for such a useful book.

This is one of the best of its kind. I have a very good Better Homes and Gardens Needlework book and of course the Reader's Digest Needlework Encyclopedia (I've forgotten their exact titles). I also have one by Anchor/Coats and Clark. This is as good as any of the above. It even has a small segment on frame knitting...something none of my other books has. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions clear. All diagrams are easy to follow and understand. This is a GREAT book for your needlework collection!

A must-have book for crafters ! Helpful pictures, too !

The story of the cute, spunky heroine Uriko-hime who was born from a melon will surely delight children of all ages. It is actually a retelling of the Japanese folktale Momotaro. Judy Sierra's narration is lovely. Tontoko-tontoko--I could hear Uriko-hime's wooden sandals. And Meilo So's illustrations are a real eye-candy.

As a Japanese language teacher in a Primary school, I have always shared the story of Momotaro with my students who are really fascinated with the oni (demons) and Momotaro's bravery and kindness. I was thrilled to find this new reworking of the traditional story with a female "hero" who was born from a large melon rather than a peach, and sets off to Onigashima to rescue the babies from the oni, accompanied by the dog, pheasant and the monkey, all sustained of course by the famous kibidango. A really enjoyable and fun read-aloud and a good teaching tool for comparing traditional stories with reworkings.

As a fourth grade teacher, I plan to use this book as an introduction to folklore. It is especially appealing to find a book with an Asian heroine.

I love cooking and have loads of cookbooks. This is by far my favorite book for cooking Thai food. I've had this cookbook for about 5 years, and despite the addition of 6 other Thai cookbooks to my library, this one is the most reliable. The dishes are all easy to prepare, and they taste delicious. Although I like my other books, but when I'm craving a Thai meal I always grab this gem with the hot pink cover first and know that I'll be delighted with my results.

I have always been intimidated at the thought of preparing Thai food. Not anymore! This book shows you just how easy it is to prepare delicious Thai dishes - some better than you can get in Thai restaurants! The beef salad is outstanding and the Thai Noodles are remarkably easy. I love this cookbook!!!

This book provides a person with all the basics needed for those popular Thai dishes such as Pad Thai and the curry based dishes. The book also provides pictures of the ingredients to be used for each recipe, which is extremely helpful when you're not sure if you're using the right ingredients. The directions are simple to follow. I'm Thai, and I found this book very helpful in learning how to prepare foods I miss from home.

...All of the kids in room 10 think that all of the teachers live in the school. Until one day, their teacher moves into to the same apartment building as one of the students. The student tries to prove to some of the students that the teachers don't really live at the school, and he does. I think this is a great book and I hope that you get to read it some day too...

Whenever my students see my outside of the school setting, they are always shocked. This book is about a boy was sure all the teachers lived at school, ate dinner in the cafeteria, slept in the lounge, etc., until his teacher moves in to his apartment building. Oh no!! He not only sees her carrying out garbage, but sees her wearing sandals that reveal she has TOES!! This is cute for kids (who still may persist in believing teachers live at school), and it would be an ideal gift for the soon-to-be-teacher. Funny text and pictures make this a winner for 6-8 year olds.

If you are a teacher, this book is a must have!! This book shows students that teachers have a life outside of school. How many of us can remember seeing our teacher in an outing in town, and wonder what they were doing outside of school? This book is an EXCELLENT book for the classroom teacher to have.

MOTHER NATURE'S HERBAL by Judy Griffin is a fascinating book. Like the wide Sargasso Sea, however, HERBAL contains an accumulation of a little of this and a little of that, but no complete anything. As a result, HERBAL falls into the limbo between the comprehensive text the advanced herbalist seeks and the overview the novice seeks. I suspect Griffin uses this book in her coursework (she teaches) as it is jampacked with the topics one would cover in a survey course. Undoubtedly, she provides additional information in the classroom and I suppose you could use some of the entries in her bibliography to fill out the details.

Other reviewers have described HERBAL as an "anthropological" approach to the study of herbs, but I would not. Griffin's approach is geographic--she covers the broad regions of the world. Anthropologists (ethnographers and ethnologists) focus in-depth on one "culture" not an amalgam of five or six groups at a time. An anthropologist would study the contextual use of plants as food, medicine, accessories for adornment, and commodities for exchange. Still, Griffins approach is interesting in a travel guide sort of way.

Griffin cites some very good primary sources (her bibliography is useful) including RODALE'S ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HERBS. I prefer Rodale's ENCYCLOPEDIA not only because it provides in-depth information about organic growing practices (whereas Griffin merely brushes over the topic), but it is a good U.S. source of current information on the side effects of herbs (as well as their purported uses). Rodale's book includes the latest medical research concerning specific herbs.

Europeans are light years ahead of Americans in herbal research and I have found two books written by European herbalists that are excellent. Penelope Ody's THE COMPLETE MEDICINAL HERBAL (Ody is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists in the U.K) and THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MEDICAL PLANTS by Andrew Chevallier (also a member of the NIMH) are quite good, though the latter is more inclusive (i.e. he includes more plants--herbs, spices, etc.). Lesley Bremness book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF HERBS is a good resource for medical and non-medical uses of herbs though I would be inclined to recommend it more for the latter. All three books are filled with glossy photographs of plants and cost more than Griffin's book.

Griffin's book is a good buy for the price if you are unfamiliar with herbs and herbal uses and want to know more. However, if you intend to have more than a cursory knowledge of herbs or use herbs medicinally you will need to invest in more in-depth books and/or study. I've studied, used, and grown herbs for years and I am still very careful, not only about how I use them but how I advise others to use them. Herbs have much to recommend them, but like any substance they can be abused.

Dr. Judy Griffin provides a comprehensive guide to the herb world in Mother Nature's Herbal, her latest book. A master gardener, herbalist, and certified horticulturist, Griffin explains everything from how to start seeds in properly amended soil to harvesting and using the leaves, flowers, and berries of each plant optimally.

Her book is part of Llewellyn's Whole Life Series, which focuses on holistic living.

Griffin describes each herb fully, using common and botanical names. Delving into folklore, she presents historical and contemporary uses of many plants. She also provides cultural information on the use of herbalism (plant medicine) through the centuries, including Ayurvedic (Indian), Chinese, medieval, Mediterranean, and Native and South American remedies. Griffin wrote Mother Nature's Herbal for "those who are ready to learn and experience the beauty, knowledge, and synergy of everything that grows." She adds that "I emphasize companion planting, kitchen gardens, and herbal repellents."

Her book includes more than 200 recipes, ranging from Mango Salsa to Ginger Zucchini Carrot Cake to Pesto Genovese to the Nobody Loves Me Tonic, for when "life has let you down and no one seems to care." Health recipes encompass an abundance of tonics, as well as recipes for skin and hair care, therapeutic baths, and simple medicinal remedies. Food recipes include butters, vinegars, marinades, oils, and seasoning blends. She devotes one chapter to the use of essential oils and flower remedies.

Pen and ink drawings of 102 herbs garnish the pages, along with 24 color photos. Bits of wisdom, such as "Believe in your innate right to celebrate life through good health" and "The garden is the poor man's apothecary" are sprinkled throughout the book.

Griffin offers planting arrangements and directions for theme gardens, including a bee garden (which will also attract hummingbirds), culinary garden, romantic garden, fragrant garden, survivor's garden (herbs that will "tolerate poor, rocky soil"), shade garden, Biblical garden, and evergreen garden. Appendices include a growing chart with the conditions under which each plant will do best; information about nutrients; and a purchasing guide, with suppliers' addresses and telephone numbers. She provides an extensive glossary and bibliography.

Readers unfamiliar with the world of herbs will find a wealth of information for beginners in Griffin's book. More experienced herbalists will appreciate the thoroughness of her research. Everyone will enjoy the dozens of tips Griffin offers, like this one: "flavor salad dressing by soaking herbs in it for 30 minutes to an hour before serving. Use one teaspoon of herbs to one cup of dressing."

Judy Griffin goes beyond "how-to" in her anthropological approach to the history, uses, and cultural significance of herbs in societies from West to East, yet her manner is still lighthearted and not overbearingly intellectual. This is a perfectly functional guide to herbalism, but it also engenders a respect and awareness of how important these plants have been to humankind. 

Plus points abound in this great story: Judy Baer's imagery is simply fantastic; I love how she describes Gardener and the librarian. The scene in the attic is warm humor done to just the right degree. The story of Grandma Bradshaw's decision is a poignant lesson that true love is often sacrificial, and it is commendably plausible. Also, I liked the departure from stereotypes in regard to "swindler bad guys." In fact, I can't think of any "minus" points! All in all, this is one of the best!

This is a really fantastic book, one that I think is the best out of the series. The story unfolds when a mysterious man turns up on the Bradshaw's farm claiming to be a lost uncle. Paige, enjoying a great mystery, plunges into it without her parents knowing but someone determines to stop her. Will Paige find out the truth about this mysterious man or will the sabotages scare her away? Find out in . . . PAIGE!

This is such an excellant book! I first got it when I was in 6th grade, which was four years ago, and I still feel the same about these books (all of the Springsong Books). They are so good and they have alot to teach us about God's plan for us and I love them all. So, if you are looking for a really good book, then I think that you should read this book.