First off, this is a beautifully designed book, a wonderful art object in its own right. Most of the stories are set in the midwest, and feature troubled adolescent boys trying to figure out the world in the context of dysfunctional and poignant family settings. A great book for classroom use as well, due to the incredible imagination and storytelling skill-Lee Martin takes historical reality and asks "what if?"

The KJV of the Bible needs no endorsement from me. When selecting an audio book you need to evaluate the actor who does the reading, and Roscoe Lee Browne is one of the best actors alive. He also has one of the most beautiful voices in his profession, which makes all his books on tape treats worth seeking out. He isn't as widely known as he deserves to be, but you may recall some of his work. He narrated the film Babe and provided the voice of the Kingpin in the excellent animated Spiderman TV series which recently completed its run. Amazon also sells an audio Old Testament for which Browne recorded Exodus, Jeremiah, Lamentations and Jonah.

This is indispensible book for any studying self pychology and related fields - object relations

My fourth-grade students love these songs. The types of songs range from county and western to rap. The songs are fun, varied, and (most importantly) help students memorize the multiplication facts. I highly recommend this resource. (I hope a CD version will eventually be published.)

Have you ever read a Deb Ralston mystery? If you haven't, this is a good book to start with. Deb is an average police-mom trying to solve a murder case with almost no evidence. The suspect always cleans the house spic and span after each murder. It is almost impossible to guess who is doing the murders, but if you're good, you just might figure it out. The plot of the story is very deep and easy to understand. If you enjoy police procedurals, this is close to the TV series C.S.I. I hope this review will help you chose if you would like this book or not.

This is a great vocabulary book! It does not have too many words all at once. There are 4 words in each section, and a short activity to do with them. I am homeschooling my 10 year old and this is a great supplement to her English assignments!!Highly recommend!

This is a must read for any admirer of all those great television variety shows, as well as the many fans of Rat Packer Dean Martin. The ONLY book written by anyone who EVEN MET Dean Martin, author Lee Hale spent nearly two decades with him as musical director and later his producer. Aptly titled, "Backstage at the Dean Martin Show" is an exciting and loving inside look behind the scenes documenting this great top ten show and its star, with fascinating anecdotes of the biggest names in the business. I caught myself laughing out loud, then I would turn a page and be totally blown away by something that I didn't expect.

Mr. Hale divides his book into one chapter for each TV season, with extra ones going beyond to 'The Golddiggers', 'The Roasts' and 'The Specials', with over 200 color and b&w photos of great stars, most never before seen. The index itself lists hundreds of celebrities from Hank Aaron to Ed Wynn.

As chairman of the current 'Dean Martin Fan Center', and someone who was actually there at NBC during those golden years, I was lucky to have a firsthand look at the Dean Martin Show phenomenon, but Lee Hale uses a magnifying lens... and no one can get closer than this! It is truly a wonderful story from the bizaare beginnings to the touching end. I can't say enough!

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Lee Hale lived, breathed, and helped run the Dean Martin Show for its duration, even when the variety show was no more, replaced by the Dean Martin Roasts. Lee actually played Dino during rehearsals, so got to meet and know all of the stars that guested on his show. If you loved the show, as I did growing up, you will be fascinated by this inside look (Dino's wife Jeannie loved it, as she knew nothing about it either! )into one of the most successful variety shows of all history. A warning, however, is: don't expect to learn a lot about Dino; his manager didn't let Lee (or anyone else) get especially close to him, just small talk from time to time; the only extraordinary insight from Lee regarding Dino was that YES, that WAS scotch in his glass! Actually, Lee, an observant man, made several interesting observations of this legenday performer as he drifted away from his wife and pursued what can only be describecd as a mid-life crisis, "Rat Pack Style", which in the end, he seemed to highly regret. To wrap it up, the book was a lot of fun, its a good read; its chock full of photos of the likes of Duke Wayne, Orson Welles, etc, so you can't lose! Give it a try!

"Backstage at the Dean Martin Show" is a body of work with three bloodlines...

TV variety shows,talented stars, and Dean Martin. If you are a fan of any three, you will find how they mixed together through the 'heart' of the "Dean Martin Show", with the 'eyes and ears' of Lee Hale, musical director-turned-producer.

Starting his internship with the credit "Special Musical Material By...", Mr. Hale was responsible for every note that was heard on the series. He was also the one responsible for choosing every girl that provided the'skin' (Deanís Golddiggers and Dingaling Sisters), and later utilized his 'hands' at editing, which won Mr. Hale an Emmy nomination (one of many).

The 'guts' of the Dean Martin show had a lot of vital parts, and Mr. Hale tells us which ones were kept and which were operated on or replaced. Of course,the heart of the book is in the soul of Dean Martin, the body whom Lee Hale also stood in for six days a week, dancing, singing and joking with EVERY guest star that was admitted through those star crossed doors at NBC.

The whole operation was a phenomenal success and now you can see the itemized bill... from who was admitted, who paid their dues, to the life support and what led to everyone finally being discharged.

This book won't be in anyone's waiting room... it will always be in someone's hands reading it!

My mother and I purchased this book and were sorely disappointed.

This book is *not* recommended ... and especially not for vegetarians. Martin and Gerstung (the authors) believe that "substituting soy for milk, cheese, and meat can block the absorption of important nutrients." As though that is not already absurd, the authors go on to state that soy milk is "lacking in needed natural vitamins and cholesterol." Needed cholesterol??? That statement is simply outrageous. The truth is that not only do most people have enough (or even too much) cholesterol in their bodies already, but the human body *manufactures* all the cholesterol it needs. Cholesterol is found in nearly all animal-derived foods, and is absent from all plant-based foods. The consumption of cholesterol is neither necessary nor beneficial for good health.

My recommendation? Try out a book by Dr. Andrew Weil or Dr. Dean Ornish for more accurate information.

This book is one of my most shared title's to understanding your body and your hormone balance.

Martin included contributions by doctors, M.D. or PhD, who have done the research and clinical work to prove this book is on topic and more helpful than the majority of 'women's books' out there, including a popular female M.D. I get the feeling she doesn't know the difference between natural and synthetic progesterones...which don't have the same effects...and the synthetic has nasty side effects.

When your hormones are balanced you don't need meditation, and you discover your 'toxic' relationships that contribute to your hormone imbalance are easier to 'detoxify.' When you feel good, those around you feel better too.

A good starter book for someone who is now experiencing female 'problems' and wants a real answer instead of useless medicating and surgery. Don't miss checking out constributors, Dr. Peat and Dr. Lee's personal websites. In that order.

As more and more people become aware of the dangers of synthetic hormone replacement therapy, they turn to alternative health and natural remedies for solutions. Raquel Martin's revised and expanded edition of her book "The Estrogen Alternative" takes these concerns to heart and offers practical solutions for women whether it be for menstrual cramps and PMS, menopause, or just plain feeling "sick and tired".

The author speaks from experience and years of being immersed in the findings of natural hormone research. The information she presents is based on studies by MD's, as well other noted authorities. She also lists resources to assist women in correcting deficiencies that occur before, during, and after menopause, using natural means and botanical hormone replacement therapy.

The book takes a look at circumventing osteoporosis, the risk of cancer, progesterone deficiency, estrogen, hormones from food sources, anemia, cholesterol, miscarriages, and more.

It's a woman's "mini-bible" as it addresses most of the concerns for the health of our body as women -- synthetic vs. natural; breast cancer; menopause; and various other "female-related" physical challenges.

The appendix section offers addresses for sources of natural progesterone, a recommended reading list, resources for cancer patients, and ways (and comparisons) in applying hormones.

The Estrogen Alternative is a very informative book, helping to give women back the power to make their own decisions without having to depend on a medical doctor to impose decisions that may not be in keeping with the woman's way of life. It's a great book for you as a woman, and it's a great book to give to the women in your life. Power is in knowledge and this book presents a lot of both.

I note with amusement that one reviewer states that this book took "slight liberties". I don't think the liberties could have gotten any bigger. Brown does not write as an unbiased author stating facts, he clearly has an agenda and it is conspiracy. The book makes fun reading, but for facts, forget it. For a good book see Posners Case Closed.

This book was compellig. I once had Dr. Brown as a teacher in a American Histoy Class I attended and I was stunned on his great knowledge on the Kenedy Murders. It shows in this book in what I like to call, a "what if" situation.

Assumptions are made and some slight liberties are taken. However, Walt Brown examines the evidence and allows the reader to see how it was not only impossible to have convited Oswald, but also how it would have been impossible for virtually anyone to have committed the crime with that weapon. READ IT.

As a 4th grade teacher, I've been looking for a book with exercises that will help my students with their writing - something with short, easy to digest information, and something that will allow them to write just a paragraph (as opposed to 1-2 pages). I think the strength of this book is it provides writing opportunities and gives many ideas for writing prompts; however, I don't think it really gives lesson ideas that will help students correct bad writing habits. There's plenty of guidance for the teacher in the way of telling their students what to think about before they begin to write, and there are many clever and diverse writing prompts, but this book does not get into how to correct or avoid writing problems. The reproducible pages are graphic organizers, some of which leave much to be desired (such as those that are circular and curved that do not leave enough writing room). If you are looking for an IDEA book - this will do a great job, but if you're looking for writing lessons - try Scholastic's: Brighten Up Boring Beginnings.

Bought this book to try to help my son get interested in writing, which is something he struggles with a bit. Offers a lot of creative ideas which tie writing into real life (like phone messages) as well as fantasy exercises (describe your a fantasy hideout). It has "exercises" to get them started and break the process down into steps....I'm not a teacher but a former journalist and I know half the battle is getting started.

What a find! Definitely a valuable resource for any teacher teaching grades 3-6. "If they can read, they can write". This magical addition to my bookshelf covers every imaginable type of writing that a student could run across (from blurbs to phone messages). It then provides very friendly graphic organizers to help put this writing into play. Lots of extensions to carry young writers BEYOND in their writing development.