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Book reviews for "Novak,_Vjenceslav" sorted by average review score:

Posture, Get It Straight!
Published in Paperback by Berkley Pub Group (1999)
Authors: Janice Novak and Barbara A. Beshoar
Amazon base price: $11.95
Average review score:

Excellent
This book is great for any type of poor posture. I never realized all the different ways you hold your body that cause you to have poor posture. Janice not only tells you to "stand up straight," she gives you exact instructions, from head to toe, of how to hold your body properly. She then gives a lot of excercises that strengthen specific muscle areas, helping your correct posture become more natural and easy to attain. I found after reading this book, that when I previously attempted to "sit up" or "stand up" straight, I was doing it wrong and actually looked just as bad as in my "naturally" poor posture. Now I know exactly what to do to look great.

This Works!
After using the exercises in this book for about a week, I noticed that I no longer felt nagging upper back tension. Then, inspired, I purchased Janice Novak's video (rubber bands come with it), and started using it about five times a week. The video has the same information, but it's easier for me to follow along with a video rather than flip through pages. The neat thing is that several friends have asked me, "Have you lost weight?" I haven't, but I look thinner and feel terrific. I've had rounded shoulders for 56 years, but my posture has improved enormously. This book should be a bestseller.

Extremely useful information.
This book is filled with excellent information. The one minute to better posture produced very quick results. When I changed my workstation as specified in this book, my neck stopped hurting. The tips for adjusting car seat, a life saver. I thought my poor posture was hopeless but the info and exercises in this book really delivered. The best $12 bucks I've ever spent. I highly recommend this book. I saw the author on the Oprah Winfrey show and was very impressed.


Baby Business (Harlequin Superromance, 955)
Published in Paperback by Harlequin (1900)
Author: Brenda Novak
Amazon base price: $4.50
Average review score:

Excellent read!
Macy McKinney's young daughter, Haley, is in dire need of a bone marrow transplant. The cost is ..., to be paid before surgery. Desperate, she took a friend's advice to contact Thad Winters.

Thad had lost his wife and unborn child less than two years before. Unable to love another woman, he put out the word that he would pay the woman he chose from applicants to be artificially inseminated, have his child, and then walk away forever. He chose Macy McKinney. Then his family gets involved. To keep his parents or Macy's from discovering their "contract", he convinces Macy to temporarily marry him and act the loving wife (in name only). But things quickly fall apart as he begins to care for Macy and Haley.

***** AWESOME STORY, READERS! Here is one that you do not want to miss! Macy is in a catch twenty-two and the author wrote it all so well that I could not help but get deeply into the book and cheer for Macy! Excellent read!

Awesome!
Macy McKinney's young daughter, Haley, is in dire need of a bone marrow transplant. The cost is ..., to be paid before surgery. Desperate, she took a friend's advice to contact Thad Winters.

Thad had lost his wife and unborn child less than two years before. Unable to love another woman, he put out the word that he would pay the woman he chose from applicants to be artificially inseminated, have his child, and then walk away forever. He chose Macy McKinney. Then his family gets involved. To keep his parents or Macy's from discovering their "contract", he convinces Macy to temporarily marry him and act the loving wife (in name only). But things quickly fall apart as he begins to care for Macy and Haley.

***** AWESOME STORY, READERS! Here is one that you do not want to miss! Macy is in a catch twenty-two and the author wrote it all so well that I could not help but get deeply into the book and cheer for Macy! Excellent read!

Myshelf.Com Reviewer
Brenda Novak is a writer who writes with gut-wrenching emotion. The characters she creates will quickly become a part of your everyday life. Her latest, Baby Business, is set in Salt Lake City. The hero, Thad Winter, a widower of 18 months, still mourns the death of his beloved spouse and unborn child. His late wife and unborn child were tragically taken out of his life by a drunken driver. Thad decides to have the child he was denied and give him something to live for once again. He offers a hundred thousand dollars for a woman to accept artificial insemination, carry his baby to fruition, and to stay out of their lives after delivery. He is convinced he can never love anyone as much as his late wife.

Thad has many applications trying to collect the hundred thousand dollar prize. Most are very bold and eager to assure their place as the selected candidate. Tactics they use to entice Thad only turns him off until he meets Macy McKinley. Macy is a mystery to Thad. She is neither bold nor aggressive in her pursuit of the hundred thousand dollar check. She refuses to tell him why she is in need of such a large amount of money. However, during a background check, Thad learns that the divorced Macy needs the money so that her beloved five-year-old daughter Haley can receive a life saving bone marrow transplant. Thad and Macy reach an agreement that includes him safeguarding his investment by a temporary marriage. As Macy and Thad remain in close proximity, they fall in love. However, she mistrusts love after her former spouse deserted her, and he feels guilty for betraying his first wife by falling in love again. Love may not be enough to heal the deep wounds of either one of this deserving pair.

Baby Business is an emotional read that will keep the reader turning the pages until the end. Her characters are so well developed you will long remember them long after you finish one of her novels.


You Go Girl!: Winning the Woman's Way
Published in Audio Cassette by Books on Tape, Inc. (23 October, 2001)
Authors: Kim Doren, Charlie Jones, Matilda Novak, and TBA
Amazon base price: $20.97
List price: $29.95 (that's 30% off!)
Average review score:

Women of Texas
I just got my copy of You Go Girl in the mail. I am Mom who traveles in her van all over town to attend her kids sports activities, and this book has been with me all week. I liked the way Charlie and Kim told the personal stories along with professional truimphs. I think woman of all ages would enjoy reading this book. It has truly been a hit in our household.

Inspiring and Uplifting!
The book "You Go Girl" is a must have for female athletes of all ages. As you read through each chapter, the steps and obstacles of becoming a successful athlete are presented in the stories of women in the world of sports. The greatest part is you can pick up the book and begin reading any story! I am a teenager playing 3 sports in high school and can easily apply the lessons these women present into my daily routine. I have recommended this book to my friends and cannot wait to show my coaches!

EXTRAORDINARY BOOK!
These amazing women athletes all made the decision to set a goal, to have the right attitude, to have faith and determination, and to make sacrifices in order to reach their dreams/goals in life. This book is very uplifting and inspirational - full of wisdom, optimism, gratitude and joy. It is truly a gift that makes you feel so good after reading just a few pages. I had the opportunity to share some of the stories with my male friends and they enjoyed it as much as I did. My five star recommendation goes out to both Kim and Charlie. Thanks for being able to share all these inspirational stories with us!


Llewellyn's 2002 Herbal Almanac
Published in Paperback by Llewellyn Publications (2001)
Authors: Sam Llewellyn, Lisa Novak, and Michael James Fallon
Amazon base price: $7.95
Average review score:

Put a Smile on your Face...
This Calendar is Great...
The Witches Spells are at times, hilarious.
I'd heard most of them, as a child growing up in New Orleans, La.
A lot of the Spells, have probably been passed down to the reader as an 'old wives' tale'.
I read my daily Spell over Coffee, and always get a smile to take with me to my Workday.

How Does Your Herbal Garden Grow?
The 2002 Herbal Almanac is probably a must for any witch who grows an herbal garden. I received a copy of this book last year, and found myself referencing it many times, as I worked on my garden this year. While it has been an experimental year for me, this book does contain many solid articles. This year's book features articles from Elizabeth Barrette, Eileen Holland, Sara Greer and many others. The topics covered range from composting to herbal honeys and honey candied herbs (a sweet treat article), herbal care for expecting moms and kids and handling business stress with flower essences. There are many other good articles in here, too numerous to mention, as well as moon charts, eclectic herb plants and seed sources, zone charts, even potpourri recipes. A good source of information and ideas, and a great gift for that herbalist at Yule.

Essential reading
I was new to herbs when I bought this, but now I am hooked! There are soooo many things that you can use in here, this really is essential for anyone who has interest in anything to do with herbs.


Azure Bonds (Forgotten Realms Novel)
Published in Paperback by TSR Hobbies (1988)
Authors: Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak
Amazon base price: $5.99
Average review score:

An enjoyable start to a great trilogy
While I enjoyed the Finder's Stone Trilogy very much, Azure Bonds did not immeadiately grab my enthusiasm. But after a couple of chapters I was hooked. Novak and Grubb are a great team.

If you like fantasy stories, check this one out. At the very least you won't be disappointed you read the book.

Azure Bonds was my favorite book of all time.
This was one of the best novels I have ever read. Each character has their own distict personality and the plot is very original. It was the first fantasy novel I ever read, and got me totally hooked. I read Azure Bonds when I was in 6th grade and I still remember the story. Unlike some series where the sequels are disappointments, the other two books in the series are just as good, if not better. It's nice to read a book now and then where there is a woman as the hero, and Alias is a tough one at that. There were no annoying characters that one might find weren't important to the storyline. I'd definitely recommend this book to any fan of fantasy novels.

A fascinating storyline
This book is one of the best Sci-Fa I have ever read. The books lets you in to the head of the heroine - Alias and lets you share her travels and quest to descover her own history, one that apparntly many other people and creatures doesn't want her to find out ! A great storyline and Imagination makes you stretch your own mind as does Alias's and be suprised at the discoveries - just like her.

A MUST to any Sci-Fa reader.


The Wyvern's Spur (Finder's Stone Trilogy, Book 2)
Published in Paperback by TSR Hobbies (1990)
Authors: Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb, and Clyde Caldwell
Amazon base price: $4.95
Average review score:

If you can find this book, get it.
If you haven't read the Finder's Stone Trilogy, do so. This is excellent Fantasy writing. Novak and Grubb are able to suck the reader into the story.

It's hard to say whether Wyvern's Spur was the best of the three books, they were all so good. You will not be disappointed in reading this book.

Best Forgotten Realms book yet
I've read nearly every D&D-related book TSR has published, and this is still my favorite by a wide margin. It gives us an interesting glimpse into the private lives of a semi-dysfunctional wealthy family, and the secrets that they've swept under the rug. It's funny and charming, with just enough action to keep the story moving, but relaxed enough to let the reader enjoy the scenery. Let's face it - none of these books are exactly "deep" - but is good enough that I've reread it several times. Try it - I think you'll like it.

An excellent book in an excellent trilogy
What can I say? This book is a shining example of good fiction writing. Good plot, good characters, good pacing and a wonderful change of pace from the traditional trilogy formula of having the main characters in book #1 in dire trouble. I am disappointed however, that the only other novel that I have seen with Giogi and Cat in it has been Ed Greenwood's Cormyr (an excellent book in its own right). Highly recommended along with the two other books in this trilogy.


Big Book of Jewish Humor
Published in Paperback by HarperCollins (paper) (1981)
Author: William Novak
Amazon base price: $11.95
Average review score:

This is the one
They are all in here, and pretty well presented. A pity that is has not been updated in all these years, but if you are interested in the topic you have to have this one.

Still Unsurpassed
This book came out a while ago yet it remains the best collection available. The various Jewish joke and humor anthologies published recently don't even come close and some are quite shoddy. This definitive, well-illustrated and definitely very "big" volume covers all types of humor from literary to stand-up to historical and more, with jokes, literary excerpts, yiddish curses, and representative selections from famous humorists and comedians as well as from obscure ones. You will find all your favorites here and you will discover some new favorites too. Perhaps the time has come for these authors to do a sequel? No one since them seems to be up to the task.

Definitive Sampler
And that's what this book is! A definitive sampler of among the best of Jewish humor in all styles and eras. Loved it. Also a great reference work. I also recommend strongly A Little Joy, A Little Oy, as this small but mighty paperback, deals with humor plus, also in a sampler format, but goes further into literature, anecdotes, trivia etc. Loved both of these!!!!!!


On Two Wings: Humble Faith and Common Sense at the American Founding
Published in Hardcover by Encounter Books (2003)
Author: Michael Novak
Amazon base price: $16.77
List price: $23.95 (that's 30% off!)
Average review score:

Brilliant!
We seem to be surrounded today by people drum beaters who have wrongly interpreted the intentions of the nation's founders regarding religion. Novak decisively eradicates the false theories being pushed on our society, even by our own judicial system.

Novak superbly presents the case that the founders intent was not to eradicate religious belief, but rather to avoid divisions of religious sentiment and find common ground among the Hebrew and Christian faiths

When examining the founders, many fail to recognize what life was like under the Anglican Establishment, which the founders sought to end. While against the national establishment of a secular religion, the founder's even supported the state establishment of such.

While the first half of the book examines the intent of the founders, the second half takes a look at some of the founders often overlooked by historians for their religious views.

Overall, this book is clear and accurate. I was thoroughly impressed by the authors' research. The book reads extremely well. I only had two complaints about the book, I wished it were another thousand pages, as I absolutely did not want this book to end, and the font size was a little small, making it difficult for us old codgers.

This is a book I will keep on the bookshelf by my desk, as I am sure I will reference this magnificent work often. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone interested in learning the true intent behind the separation of church and state.

Brilliant
In a word, BRILLIANT!! We seem to be surrounded today by people drum beaters who have wrongly interpreted the intentions of the nation's founders regarding religion. Novak decisively eradicates the false theories being pushed on our society, even by our own judicial system. Novak superbly presents the case that the founders intent was not to eradicate religious belief, but rather to avoid divisions of religious sentiment and find common ground among the Hebrew and Christian faiths.

When examining the founders, many fail to recognize what life was like under the Anglican Establishment, which the founders sought to end. While against the national establishment of a secular religion, the founder's even supported the state establishment of such.

While the first half of the book examines the intent of the founders, the second half takes a look at some of the founders often overlooked by historians for their religious views.

Overall, this book is clear and accurate. I was thoroughly impressed by the authors' research. The book reads extremely well. I only had two complaints about the book, I wished it were another thousand pages, as I absolutely did not want this book to end, and the font size was a little small, making it difficult for us old codgers.

This is a book I will keep on the bookshelf by my desk, as I am sure I will reference this magnificent work often. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone interested in learning the true intent behind the separation of church and state.

One Winged Birds Can't Fly
One-winged birds can't fly. That's why Michael Novak, the author of "On Two Wings," asserts that the history of the United States has been taught incorrectly for the past 100 years. The American Republic took flight on two healthy wings, one called Faith and the other called Reason. American history, as taught now in our schools, would have students believe our Founders set flight with one wing only: Reason.

Novak, the George Frederick Jewett Scholar in Religion, Philosophy, and Public Policy and Director of Social and Political Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, makes a strong case for both wings working together. But today the wing of Faith is the one too severely clipped to work as it should.

For instance, most people today believe that the Enlightenment was more critical to the American Founders than the Old Testament. The historical record shows that it was the Old Testament that was far more important than the Enlightenment.

That's because the Founders held a "Hebrew metaphysic," which included the concepts of time having a beginning and an end, and of final judgment in the hereafter for human actions in this life. The Founders agreed with the Hebrews, that time is linear, not cyclical, as the ancient pagans believed. And the Declaration refers to God as "the Supreme Judge of the world."

This "metaphysic" - a mix of theology and philosophy - gave the Founders a wonderful nomenclature in which to express political ideas. The Founders wisely shunned specific theological terms, such as Savior, Trinity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and used instead the imagery of the Old Testament. In this way, they charted a course for common ground. This book should be required reading in college political science programs.


Basketball is My Game
Published in Hardcover by SportsKid (20 May, 2001)
Authors: Paul E. Zeltwanger and Bob Novak
Amazon base price: $15.95
Average review score:

A must-have for young athletes
What an entertaining book! I bought it for my 4-year-old nephew and thoroughly enjoyed reading it myself. (I have to confess that it was fun to find the "quirks" on each page!) Mr. Zeltwanger has skillfully written text appealing to kids but with a message to adults as well. He emphasizes more than simply building athletic skills, touching on the need for practice and perseverance. He even encourages both kids and adults to work on only the fundamentals the child is physically capable of and to hold off on others until the child grows. It certainly is refreshing to find a source that highlights the importance of having fun when playing a sport.

Great Book!!!!
Wow! Mr. Zeltwanger has really done an excellent job of communicating basic fundamentals in a very fun way. I read the book to my daughter once and she now brings it back to me time and time again. I have hopes for my daughter to play basketball, but I want it to be fun and not forced. This book gave me a great way to keep that balance. As a former Pete Maravich award winner (National Christian College Player of the year) I know that the book is teaching solid fundamentals, but it does this in such a fun way that any child will enjoy it. I highly recommend this book for any child wanting to learn how to play basketball.

Best Way to Learn Basketball
Great way to get kids started with basketball and good habits. Easy enough for a Mom to use, but detailed enough for a coach! It also makes a fun reading classroom project because it combines reading this book with sports practice.


Christianity in Jewish Terms
Published in Paperback by Westview Press (19 March, 2002)
Authors: Peter Ochs, David Novak, Michael Singer, Tikva Frymer-Kensky, David Fox Sandmel, and Michael A. Signer
Amazon base price: $12.60
List price: $18.00 (that's 30% off!)
Average review score:

Toward Understanding, Respect, and Reconciliation
In September 2000 at the time of the Jewish High Holidays, the editors of this book published a statement in the New York Times titled, "A Jewish Statement on Christians and Christianity." The statement recounted how, in the years following the Holocaust, Christian denominations had expressed sorrow over the Holocaust and over Christian anti-semitism over the ages. The editors believed these outreach and healing efforts by Christians merited "a thoughtful Jewish response" and an attempt by Jewish people to rethink and reconsider their own attitudes to Christianity. They offered eight statements in an attempt to show common grounds for understanding and respect between Jews and Christians.

This book is an outgrowth of the initial statement of September, 2000. The editiors are part of an organization known as the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies, an organization composed of both Christian and Jewish scholars, with the goal of promoting Jewish-Christian understanding.

The goals of the Statement, the Institute, and this Book are of great importance and worth. The effort which is undertaken in this book (which, as the editors indicate as hardly a new one)should continue to the benefit of both Jews and Christians.

This book is structured essentially as a conversation among Jewish and Christian scholars. Following the Statement and two introductory essays, the book is organized by topic. There is an initial essay on the topic by a Jewish writer followed by two essays, one by by a Jewish writer the other by a Christian writer. The topics chosen for discussion are serious and important for inter-faith understanding and include the Holocaust, concepts of God, Scripture, commandment, the place of Israel, the nature of prayer, the attitutes of Jews and Christians towards suffering, incarnation, redemption, and sin and repentance. There is also a discussion of the meanings each faith finds in the Biblical statement that man is created in the image of God.

These writers treat theses topics with respect, with humility and with depth. One can only be awed by the complexity of the teachings included in each tradition and by the learning shown by the participants in this venture. The essays will teach readers the complexity of the tradition of which they are a part as well as suggesting the overlaps with the sister tradition, the possible agreements, and the core of areas in which Judaism and Christianity simply differ.

As would be expected, the essays are not of uniform quality. In some instances, I thought the writers got sidetracked into discussions of matters such as political activism and feminism which, to me, detract and don't add from the questions Jews and Christians need to discuss one to another. Also, although there is some discussion of Kabbalistic themes in Judaism and attempts to relate these themes to Christianity, the book could have used much more. I think there is room for discussion of how the contemplative tradition in each faith can work to promote a sense of sharedness. As it is, the book is deep, thoughtful, but perhaps too (if this is possible) intellectualized.

I was particularly impressed with Irving Greenberg's essay "Judaism and Christianity: Covenants of Redemption" and the reponses. I liked the impression given to Philo's writings as a source of common ground between Jews and Christians in Hindy Naiman's essay. And I thought Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer's essay "Redemption:What I have Learned from Christians" showed me I had much to learn as well.

This is a book that promotes an attitute of understanding and shared respect that has antecendents but still is long overdue. It encourages one to pursue in one's life the tradition of "prayer and study" common to both these venerable religous traditions.

Read this if you don't read anything else!
This is one of the most important books available, not just for those already initiated into J/C relations. Every Christan Pastor in every denomination needs to use this book as a new source of balance as they attempt to nourish their congregations in an accurate understanding of God, scripture, and a host of other central faith topics, note the word "central."

The light that eminates from this collection of writings is profound. This balance is what you will not recieve in Seminary training, except from a very few knowledgable educators. The Christian world must listen, and this book is one of the most important collective "voices" to hear from.

A model for authentic Jewish-Christian dialogue
I wish I could give this book six stars. I can't remember the last time a work of Jewish-Christian dialogue seized my mind, challenged me, and opened up new avenues to understanding. It's a series of essays penned by Jewish scholars, each of which is followed by a pair of response-essays, one by another Jewish specialist, the other by a Christian. Topics include the law and ethics, salvation history and covenantal pluralism, liturgy and worship, suffering and martyrdom, incarnation theology, and redemption -- all explicated in Jewish and Christian terms, but with a focus on Jewish origins.

All contributors (thirty-two, by my count) steer clear of the common errors which poison religious dialogue: triumphalism, proselytization, syncretism, relativism. (1) Triumphalists believe that no commonalities can be found between the two religions, Jews claiming that Christianity is a deviant form of its parent faith, Christians that Judaism was only a precursor to (and is now superseded by) its successor faith. The authors affirm many commonalities between the two religions, and that denying them is as much a distortion of one as the other. (2) Proselytizers use Jewish-Christian dialogue as a venue by which to persuade the other side to "convert". The authors, while allowing that either side might naturally wish for the conversion of others, do not approve of using dialogue to realize this hope. (3) Syncretists attempt to construct a new religious reality out of various elements of Judaism and Christianity. The authors reject this as idolatrous and trivializing. (4) Relativists deny that some things are true everywhere for everyone. The authors, while recognizing commonalities between the two religions, also know that the ultimate truth claims of Judaism and Christianity are different and thus mutually exclusive.

The dynamic interactions throughout this book show that authentic Jewish-Christian dialogue can succeed without both sides offending the other and (equally important) without both sides becoming one. As an orthodox Jewish theologian puts it, "True dialogue is dialogue that respects difference and is animated by it." This is essential reading material for any who are actively involved in Jewish-Christian relations, or for any who have an abiding interest in the Jewish origins of Christianity.


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