From the beginning to the end, A Smile As Big As the Moon pulls you into the emotional triumphs and tragedies of a group of special needs kids who really just wanted to be like everyone else.Visiting Space Camp is a pretty straighforward thing for most kids, but for these special needs kids it was like reaching for the moon. You really feel like you are a part of the story. Mike Kersjes's book is very easy to read and well worth the time.

After reading "A Smile As Big As The Moon" by Micheal Kersjes, I can only say bravo! Mr. Kersjes has written a wonderful story about the power of the human spirit. I have found a new respect for all special education teachers. He shows in this book that faith and hard work can accomplish anything. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys stories of triumph over adversity.

I am a college senior at Michigan State University and soon to be a middle school science teacher. I thought this was a wonderful book for all ages. It is a great story that depicts a caring teacher and his students on an unforgettable trip to Space Camp. This book shows the trouble this teacher and his kids went through just for the opportunity to go to Space Camp. As well as the wonderful success they experience during their week at Space Camp. Growing up as a special ed student myself I can relate to many of these children and the struggles they went through just to be recognized for their gifts and talents. I would highly recommend this book to everyone I know. The book is easy to read and one you will have a hard time putting down (at least I did). One of the best books I have read in a long time. A wonderful book that I would give 5 stars.

How to Get the Job You Want in 30 Days has been instrumental in helping me advance my career and find new jobs. Mr Grappo's focus on the importance of developing and maintaining a positive attitude is something that separates his book from other job search books. By developing a positive sense of self, Mr. Grappo teaches us how to ride out the waiting game often associated with seeking employment. I recommend this book highly, not only to those seeking a new job, but also to those seeking satisfaction and fulfilment in their lives. How to Get the Job You Want in 30 Days helped me on two separate job searches: in the first, I got a new job in about 20 days; the second, in about 7 days. It's a must read!!

I just got through reading Mr. Grappo's book on how to get the job you want in thirty days and would like to send many thanks for helping me on the quest for new employment. The book was very concise and to the point. It is hard to believe that a book this small could contain so much useful information.

Having gone through numerous interviews in college and grad school, I was pretty sure I knew all there was to job searching, and certainly interviewing. Boy, was I wrong. The book is a fairly quick read with TONS of valuable information. It gives you step-by-step, very specific advice for organizing and implementing your job search strategy and the search itself--in LESS than 30 days, I've gotten 2 job offers

In 1996, an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Social Work co-founded the International Paruresis Association (IPA). That professor, Steve Soifer, is also a co-author of this book. It is the first monograph on Paruresis or Shy Bladder Syndrome: the inability to urinate in a public restroom or in the presence of others....Classified as a social phobia in DSM-IV-TR (300.23), it is associated with impairment in multiple functional domains: employment, education, and social relationships. This debilitating condition thrives in a climate of shame and secrecy (on the part of paruretics) and ignorance (by health and mental health care providers). This deceptively slim book may help you identify paruresis in yourself, a loved one, or a client/patient. One section helps the reader rule out other conditions (pp.16-18). The brain-body connection is clearly described in Chapter Two, and includes both a diagram of the human urinary system and a chart of the human nervous system. The authors present a ten-step approach for Graduated Exposure Therapy, the treatment of choice at present. Appendices include a literature review, a synopsis of "the evolution of the bathroom and its impact on paruresis", and resources. A seven page bibliography is included. There is no index, and it is hoped that future editions will remedy this. This thoughtful, sensitive book breaks the silence which has hitherto dominated the subject. For that, and for the prospect of relief it holds for over 17 million sufferers, we may all be grateful.

As social phobia is finally being recognized by the public and professionals alike as a serious condition, affecting nearly 20 million in the US alone, so is avoidant paruresis - one painful, disabling, and embarrassing manifestation of it. As one who suffered from both for years, I can tell you this book provides you with everything you need to know to overcome this form of performance anxiety.

Starting with what "bashful bladder syndrome" is, it takes the reader through its causes, different treatment approaches, what to expect from the medical community, and how to gain support from family, intimates, and friends. It has one chapter on the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act to mandatory drug testing and another on the evolution of the bathroom and its effect on avoidant paruresis which makes for fascinating reading.

This breakthrough book gives hope to people worldwide who live restricted lives because of this debilitating human affliction. It is essential reading for medical and mental health professionals, sufferers, and their family and friends!

Raise a gallon jug of Spring Water and toast the best (and only?) book on Shy Bladder Syndrome to ever hit the shelves!!!

If you ever thought that you were alone and that no one else in the world suffered from a shy bladder - or paruresis, this book is for you. After living with this problem since junior high, I was amazed at how much information this book book contained on how to finally get your life back to normal.

The nine chapters contained in this book are well written in easy to understand language that is a must read for anyone that suffers from paruresis. Starting with a brief overview of how the mind and bladder work (or don't work), this book leads you down a carefully laid path that shows how to regain control of your life.

Filled with true stories and first hand accounts from real life paruretic's, this book puts a very human face on something that is usually shrouded in secrecy and shame. If nothing else, simply reading this book will make anyone living with paruresis feel human again -- and not so alone. Thousands of people will read these stories only to be amazed at how similar their situation is to those in the book.

The best part, however, is that this book offers a successful plan to overcome paruresis that has been tested and successfully used in workshops around the world. After using the methods in this book, I've seen a dramatic improvement in my ability to use public restrooms with success.

If you're reading this review, you probably need this book or know someone that could benefit greatly from its priceless advice. Get this book...get it now...get on with life!

Looks like a plan !!!

"Lessons from the Pit" is a page-turner! It is an honest and easy-to-read account of life in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. What makes it so fascinating is the way Joe and Terry bring characters and scenes to life and use them to show how God worked in Joe's life. No matter what their career, all readers will come away with valuable insights and helpful suggestions. My only wish is that the book had been longer. I didn't want to put it down.

I grabbed this book online on a lark... and am I ever glad I did! I couldn't put it down! From the opening bell of the trading pit in the first paragraph, the author takes off at the speed of the markets, sidetracking only to share the lessons hard-learned along the way. For the first time ever I read about an "Everyday Joe" who buckled up for daily war and successfully fought to win in the greatest financial wars our society knows. He also lets us in on his REAL personal life, his fears, and the dichotomies and dilemnas of being a devout Christian operating ethically and morally in a world that most Christians neither understand nor condone. This is a work that stands for ANYONE trying to succeed in an arena that at first appears counter to their chosen values, regardless of religion or career. If you're reading these reviews to help you decide, STOP HERE! CLICK THE BUY BUTTON! It's the best trade you'll make today!

Lessons From the Pit opens with a strong narrative depicting a day in the life of a young trader unable to reconcile his behavior as a star trader with his father/husband role model. With this same type of introspection,the author shares in a candid, humorous, and at times, self-effacing, manner his foibles and strengths in his struggle for survival and meaning in the chaotic culture of the pit. As Dr. Clayton Yeuter aptly pointed out in the Forward, Joe Leininger, was a quick learner and garnered valuable lesson from his experiences trading that are applicable both to business and life. The metaphors used in this book are drawn from the contemporary sport scenes and news events which makes for both easy assimilation and enjoyable reading; so much so that I had difficulty putting the book down--also, the comments that I heard from other readers! In sum this is a well written volume giving an inside look at the bizarre culture of pit traders through the eyes of one who factored the spiritual dimension into the equation of his success.

Outstanding. This is my Bible. Unbelievable wealth of things to read and re-read for the rest of your life. His best work by far. Almost as good is his 5-tape series hosted by Susan Sarandon and much, much better than his 6-tape set with Bill Moyers which is an elementary introduction to Campbell. Moyers tried hard but couldn't seem to get his brain around Campbell's message. Anyone who wants to be fully engrossed in Campbell can do so with the Sarandon tape series and this book. A rare jewel.

I have read my copy three times now, and each time I have gained new insights, and uncovered more of my self. Joseph Campbell has said that the hero's journey always begins with a call. For many, this book may help you hear that call.

Light bulbs will go off when you read this book. For those of you familiar with Campbell's work, you know what I mean. For those of you who don't, find out!!

"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." -- Joseph Campbell

"The heroic life is living the individual adventure." -- Joseph Campbell

Unlike most of Joseph Campbell's other works, A JOSEPH CAMPBELL COMPANION can be used as a daily reader with each brief topic consumed separately. The text of the book draws its material from an intensive seminar led by Campbell at Esalen in 1983.

The seminar lasted for one month and was attended by the editor, Diane K. Osbon, and nine other fortunate people.

In one memorable segment Campbell discusses the woman's life and her journey. The traditional role of the woman is in relationship in one way or another to a family. This role can continue into old age as in the example of the grandmother. Campbell contrasts the traditional female role to that of the female professors who are more on the male hero's journey deriving fulfillment from worldly achievements. Campbell sees these women as being less fulfilled than women who are also in nontraditional roles but are totally involved in the arts. The latter receive their fulfillment mostly from doing what the artist does and not so much from their accomplishments.

If you begin to read A JOSEPH CAMPBELL COMPANION, it will be a difficult volume to put back in the book case. It is more likely to remain close at hand to be read again and again.

Les Misarables was the first Victor Hugo book I ever read. It imeadiately became my absolute favorite book, until I read The Hunchback. They are very different. The age of Victor Hugo when he wrote them gives each a particular flavor or feel. Dispite these differences, or rather because of them, I could never dicide which was my favorite. The man who laughs dicided this for me, for it is by far my favorite of any book I have ever read. (Though the Bible is pretty good.) The Man Who Laughs is the ultimate of all that makes Victor Hugo so good. (I have read all the novels he has written that I know of, except Legends of the Centuries, which I can't find in English). I am glad the world knows of the beauty of Les Misarables and Hunchback, but I wonder why very few people have even heard of his other masterpieces, like Toilers of the Sea or Ninety-Three. True, some of the books he wrote when he was about 18 lack some of the emotion that he obviously gained with experience, but why are not all his works celebrated as all of Shakespeares are. I honestly would rather read Victor Hugo than anything else. True his books are long, boring, and he often writes 100 or so pages on something off the subject, but every word is poetry. Nobody gets emotions deaper. The "long boringness" only enhances these emotions. Reading Victor Hugo has spoiled me for the rest of the world. Almost all other books seem lacking in emotion after having read Victor Hugo.

I first read this book ten years ago and marvelled at the powerful writing and timeless themes. This book was my first introduction to Hugo and I could not wait to read his masterpieces: "Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Les Miserables". Although I acknowledge that these books are wonderful, I still hold that "The Man Who Laughs" is just as good, if not better, and more emotionally gratifying than other Hugo's classics.

I first read this story in Russian and the English translation disappointed me. It was more choppy and rough than the Russian version and lacked the sofistication of the latter. However, it is still a great book nonetheless. The story is rich with complex characters that no one will soon forget. The human weakness of Gynplaine is very appropriate and his demise is almost poetic. Nobody should miss out on reading this incredible story and judge for themselves if it deserves to stay out of print when it is for sure one of the greatest novels ever written.

The only negative aspect of the book that, although it did not bother me, may bother some readers is the preacheness of Gynplaine and Ursus, albeit done very masterfully. The character of Dea is too saintly. Although she needs to be very pure for the story to work, she is virtually a saint which is unsettling and makes the reader treat her at an arm's length instead of getting her into their souls as they undoubtfully do with Gynplaine. The whole milieu is very dark and that may make some people uncomfortable. When I first read it, it took me a long time to want to re-read it although I found it to be one of the best books I have ever read.

These negative points are more than acquited by extremely well-told story with characters and situations that are unique and unforgettable. I though that this "old" story would not give me any new insight but it did. This story's major plus is my favorite character, Josianna: she is extremely complex although I got the feeling that Hugo wanted to make her more one-dementional. Still, her scene when she finds out that Gynplaine is a Lord and is going to be her husband is a brilliant testament to her wild and uncomformist nature.

I urge anyone who has not read it to read it. Even if they do not like it, they will find the experience worth-while. For those readers who love Hugo, this is a not-to-be-missed read. For those readers who do not like Hugo, this is a must.

The literary contents here deserve five stars, however, the Paper Tiger edition of this book was bound more like a $$$ paperback than a $$$hardcover. I'm gentle with books, yet the pages separated from the binding halfway through my reading.

Latest in the series of encyclopedic works by America's best known author of such books. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin takes us on a journey through the entire Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) to recount the best known and also some of the more obscure events and characters. In his successful brief essay format, Telushkin offers the essence of Biblical narrative in a style accessible to all.

I started to read this book out of sequence, searching for those characters and stories in which I was most interested, but I found the prose so readable, the insights so profound, that I went to page one and read it straight through. This is a magnificient book. Everybody should have it in their library. You'll be surprised how often you refer to it. Every time you do, you'll come away knowing a lot more about the Bible than you did before. Rabbi Telushkin has produced a great work.

Other than the Christian Bible (until I read this book, I only thought of THE Bible as exclusively Christian), this is the only book about scripture that I've read written by a Jew. I've read agnostics, atheists, and Christians views on the Bible, but never the Jewish perspective outside of scripture itself--this was a mistake. Understanding from this perspective has opened my eyes to so many things I found confusing about the Christianity. So many Christians believe that the Old Testament is negligible in its importance, yet Christ reaffirmed the Old Testament teachings again and again.

As for the reviewer that faulted the author in his interpretation of Christian theologies like the godhood of Christ or the Virgin Birth, Christians reading this book need to remember that Rabbi Telushkin is NOT A CHRISTIAN. He is Jewish. He would no more defend the truth of Christianity than Christians would Islam. Yes, we have some common beliefs, but each religion is unique and separated from theological unity by critical, fundamental differences. Understanding this, the rabbi is actually not as harsh about Christianity as he could have been--he simply does not share our beliefs about Christ's deity, and the book reflects this. Don't fault him because he's true to his faith.

I'm sure as with Christian authors, there are Jewish authors who disagree with Rabbi Telushkin. I don't know if his are the accepted interpretations of Jewish scripture or just personal opinion. Still, I found much of what he had to say so very enlightening that I would not hesitate to recommend this book to Christians and non-Christians. It clarified so many issues for me and did nothing but strengthen my faith in Jesus. I look forward to reading other Jewish authors so that my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ will be even stronger.

Shalom, Rabbi Teluskin, and thanks.

British General William Slim commanded English/Indian forces during most of the "forgotten" war in Burma from 1942 to 1945. Slim is now regarded as the finest English general of the Second World War (yes, better than "Monty"). In this book, written some time after the war ended, Slim tells the reader about the early mistakes which lead to the near total defeat of the English army in Burma in 1942. ----- Slim's efforts to rebuild his army and then take the offensive against the Japanese comprise the majority of the book and it makes for a very interesting story. Considering that the terrain over which most of the fighting occured was even worse than Vietnam, I learned a great deal. Contrasting his experiances in Burma with the U.S. war in Vietnam is a good thought experiment. ---- Of most interest to military historians and people interested in the Second World War. As to personal matters the book is almost completely devoid of details. Slim was very much the English Gentleman and all the interesting personal details of his life you will have to find elsewhere. ---- P.S. It contains an interesting side note about the father of the Burmese Nobel Peace Prize winner: Aung San Suu Kyi. Her father fought against the British in conjunction with the Japanese but later turned against the Japanese when he discovered that they were just going to be new imperial masters, even worse than the English. ---- Colin Glassey

Field-Marshal Slim's memoir of the Burma campaign is one of thefinest generals reports from the Second World War. He outlines thebitter and decisive British defeat by the Japanese in 1942, the slow, painful rebuilding of the British-Indian-African Army and its collaboration with the Chinese and Americans in a see-saw campaign against the Japanese in 1943, the decisive battle of Imphal in 1944 and the crushing victories of 1945. In the mountainous and jungle terrain of the Burma-India theater Slim pioneered in the use of airpower for logistical support and the development of airbridges built around air fields. In many ways this under-supported and often neglected theater fought the most modern campaign of the second world war. Slim is a revealing and deliberate author-teacher who intended this book both as a report on a great campaign and as a series of lessons for future students of the art of war. The opening hundred pages are a little slow and the place names are never easy but the book is well worth reading for anyone who would seek to understand leadership and victory in warfare.

Awhile ago, I read QUARTERED SAFE OUT HERE, the wartime memoir by George MacDonald Fraser detailing his experiences as an infantryman with the 17th Division of the 14th Indian Army as the latter pursued the retreating Japanese through Burma during the closing months of WWII. He had nothing but high praise for the army commander, Field-Marshal William Slim. This prompted me to purchase and read Slim's own account of the time and place, DEFEAT INTO VICTORY. The two books are a perfect pair for anyone interested in the India-Burma Theater of the war - perspectives from both the top and bottom of the British Army's command structure.

Slim's memoirs, first published in 1956 while he was serving as Governor General of Australia, begin with his assignment to command the 1st Burma Corps during it's desperate fighting retreat from Burma into India in 1942 after the Japanese captured Rangoon. Then later, as chief of the 14th Indian Army, he oversees the regrouping and rebuilding of the force that finally decimates the Japanese invaders at Imphal in northern India, and subsequently chases the fleeing enemy back south through Burma.

One of Slim's most notable characteristics is his evident lack of an overbearing ego. Several times in his book, he makes reference to his mistakes, errors in planning or judgement, and his deficiencies as a military commander. (Imagine that other famous British Field-Marshal of the war, the prima donna Montgomery, admitting such!) Much to his credit, Slim apparently learned hard lessons as he went along, and emerged as the better man and general for it. This, combined with his great concern for his men's morale, health, training and supply, justifies the high regard in which he was held by "rankers" such as Fraser. Churchill was wrong when he remarked, "I cannot believe that a man with a name like Slim can be much good."

The author's history of the Burma war is comprehensive - perhaps excessively so for the casual reader such as myself. His narrative includes the movement of troops as far down as battalion level, which is way more than I needed to know. Because of this, I might have awarded 4 stars instead of 5 had I been less mindful of the contribution Slim's memoir makes to the history of an almost forgotten theater of the global conflict. A keener student of the Burma campaigns is certain to appreciate these details more than I did.

Finally, there is the Field-Marshal's dry British wit, which shows all too infrequently. For example, when discussing his opposite number in the Japanese Army, Lieutenant General Kawabe, Slim writes:

"I did, however, manage to get a photograph alleged to be that of Kawabe. It showed what might have been a typical western caricature of a Japanese; the bullet head, the thick glasses, and prominent teeth were all there... When I needed cheering I looked at it and assured myself that, whichever of us was the cleverer general, even I was, at any rate, the better looking."

This is an excellent book to help the beginning writer improve his prose. Its strength is that it offers clear, explicit advice on how to improve your writing, rather than just generalities like "be concise." I've found it more helpful than Strunk & White's "The Elements of Style", although it too is a fine work. If you've already read "Style", other good books on writing include "The Elements of Style", mentioned above, and "Line by Line" by Claire Kehrwald Cook.

It's a shame that this excellent book is not better known. I stumbled upon it after I had learned, the hard way, many of the "secrets" of good writing that Williams lays out for you here. What he does, unlike all the other advice-givers, is explain and show how to make your writing easy to understand and a pleasure to read. His own writing is crystal clear, and he provides examples that he fully analyzes to show, without fuzziness, why he claims that one approach is better than another. If you *really* want to improve your writing, buy this book and work your way through it. By the end, your writing will be better than that of 99% of your classmates or co-workers.

I'm an economics professor who started teaching writing courses as a spare time activity when I discovered that our English faculty was doing such a poor job of it.

My writing class is directed at college undergrads and grad students. I tried a number of books, but settled on Williams and have been using it since the 2nd edition. I find that students can make an enormous improvement in their writing in just ten weeks.

If your goal is to learn the kind of writing that will help you explain a process, change someone's mind, or write the winning proposal, Williams is your man. Don't read it all in one session, and you must actually do the exercises.

Try a chapter a week. It works.

Charles Lave, University of California, Irvine

This is an excellent book of the fighting at Tarawa in WW2. The author has done a great job in presenting the story, it was so well told that I found it hard to put the book down. Ever since I was a kid I have had a fascination for the USMC and after reading this book I remember why. What guts! The author also presents the Japanese defenders as humans, rarely done in many books about combat in the Pacific during the war. The author has researched his story well and has used numerous maps and a number of sobering B&W photos to assist his narrative. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story, well done to the author!

Utilizing his prodigious research skills, Retired Colonel Joseph Alexander has written what has to be the best all around account of Tarawa. Incorporating new material gleaned from sources as diverse as Col. Shoup's personal papers, translation of the Japanese war history (Senshi Sosho) and recently declassified ULTRA radio intercepts, he presents a superbly crafted telling of the horror and victory at Tarawa.

On the morning of 11/20/43 men of the 2nd Marine Division stormed ashore to face the Imperial Japanese Marines who defended Betio Island in the Tarawa atoll. These rikusentai were considered the best light infantry the Japanese had. In addition to the almost impregnable defensive positions prepared by the Japanese, the island was surrounded by a reef, which, due to tide and fortune, prevented the Higgins boats from crossing to the beaches. The decision to utilize LVTs (tracked amphibious vehicles, or more correctly, landing vehicle tracked) for the first time as troop carriers forever changed the history of amphibious assaults against strongly held enemy positions. Lumbering over the forbidding reef, LVTs carried their cargo of men and supplies where the Higgins boats could not go. This gamble represented a landmark in ship-to-shore movements and to this day amphibious assault vehicles are an essential element of any surface assault.

Mistakes were made and men died because of them. The initial three-hour naval bombardment and bombing and strafing runs by carrier aircraft were far too little. Gaps between the naval and air force shelling allowed the enemy to move reinforcements to the beaches from the southern and eastern areas of the island. Following the bombardments many defensive positions and large guns remained fully functional and they blasted into the oncoming LVTs and the Higgins boats at the reef's edge. Men of later waves were forced to wade ashore as LVTs became destroyed or were unavailable. Hundreds of men died in that surf, wading ashore. One thousand Marines died on each of three days of battle before the island fell.

It's the attention to detail that separates Alexander's work from other, well written histories of Tarawa. From the planning stages, to his telling of the build up of Japanese troops, to the inclusion of brief personal histories of the key personnel, to the epilogue summarizing the lessons learned and the errors made, this is an exceptional book well worth reading. To the serious student, it is the book on Tarawa that must be read.

Tarawa is a relative footnote in most historical books on World War II. But Tarawa may have been the most brutal and turning-point battle of the entire war. This book details one of the most savage battles of all time. Three Days of Tarawa should be read by every high school and college student in America to appreciate what real sacrifice is.

It is the book form of "Victory at Sea".