I bought this book when I was a student of woodworking/cabinetmaking in college, after hearing and seeing and studing some of Mr.Maloof's work in class. I found his command and respect for his craft, and the material that he works with to be second to none. His work is a insperation in it's self but once you find out the story behind this unbeliveable man it is all the more fasanating. his simple thoughts and down to earth style are a insperation to all. after reading this book I was amazed and inspired by this man and will remember and re-read this book may times.he will always be a insperation to myself and all woodworkers for years to come

Sam Maloof is a world treasure. His book reflects his passion and skill as a master. Sam's book is not written in a pompous manor but in a matter of fact point of view. Sam shares his life with us and puts it on paper. I have had the opportunity to meet Mr. Maloof and his lovely and gracious wife, Alfreda before her passing. Sam's love and passion for his craft is second only to his devotion to God and his love for his beautiful wife. His book reflects that in a way that is educational, thought provoking and simple. His warm and friendly demeanor in person is very evident in this book! Sam beleives there are no secrets in woodworking. He shares his finish and techniques in this book, although this is NOT a "how to" book. Reading this book, you will learn something about philosophy, Spirituality and some woodworking along the way.

Keith Kidd Vice-President Cerritos Student's Woodworking Association (CSWA)

Sam is the finest woodworker that ever lived, and this is an outstanding work by and about him. I only wish he would do another one!

HLA has awarded The Soul Bearer, by Jonathan Cross, Book of the Month Award. The Soul Bearer is a wonderful read, a highly engaging and an exciting page-turner that never lets you put the book down. If your looking for a great book to read look no further.

I picked this up at the Honolulu Bookstore while on vacation last year. I had never heard of the Soul Bearer or Jonathan Cross and my experience with most books having to do with Native American mysticism and the environment made me whince with recurring memories of boredom. This, however, is NOT one of those books. It is anything but that in fact. Instead, I found myself heavily engrossed in this highly engaging and exciting page-turner that never lets up from start to finish. It's filled with political intrigue and conspiracy reminescent of Clancy or Grisham but with an intelligence and message that is rare. I really had trouble putting it down.

A taut exciting thriller that mixes spiritualism and political intrigue with an important environmental message. The issues raised here are highly indicative of current political trends and leave one to examine their ultimate place in the world.

I chose The Threee Billy Goats Gruff by Stephen Carpenter because it was my Mom's favorite story book growing up. The day I brought it home she sat down and read it to me and my sister. My favorite characters are the three billy goats because there funny and can play tricks on the troll. The troll was foolish to let the small and middle size billy goats go across the bridge, and then have to fight with the big billy goat. He ended up falling off the bridge and all three billy goats enjoyed the grass on the other side of the bridge. Now they will be able to come and go whenever they want. There is a lesson to be learned in this book. Don't let someone influence you by saying that something is bigger and better if you wait for awhile. Overall the book is alot of fun to read. I would definitely share this story with my children.

Many of the reviews listed here are for other versions of this story. I have checked out all seven versions of Three Billy Goats Grufff available from our library just to see which was best for a three year old. This one by Stephen Carpenter has large, clever, uncluttered pictures and tells the story in simple language. The troll is not too scary and, all in all, this one seems just right for little ones. Another version, the elaborately illustrated one by Janet Stevens, uses a colorful, imaginative vocabulary and would have more appeal to adults and older children (5 or 6 and up?).

This book has brought great joy to my daughters life. She is 2 1/2 years old and she just loves this story. I highly recomend this book to any parent who enjoys seeing their children envolved with a book.

This is a firm favourite of both my Godsons! The pictures are colourful & eye catching and keep them entertained. After we have read it together they always want to play a part of one of the animals!! Would recommend it!

There are many children's books on the market today and as a parent, I am always on the lookout for something special, a book that grabs the imagination of my son and delights him in a magical way. This book, and Ms. Gomez' illustrations in particular, create a wonderful world of colors and creatures that my son has responded to in the most wonderful way. Through the Heart of the Jungle has become a instant favorite and one that I enjoy reading to him time after time. Do yourself and your child the greatest favor and add this book to your collection. You will both delight in the experience.

I bought this book for my seven year old son, but I think I enjoy reading it and looking at the pictures just as much as he does. The artwork is wonderful and the words have a great rhythm that almost turns the pages for you. If you want a book that your children will love right now and a book that they will hold on to, to read to their own children some day, then this is a must have!

I just got this for my birthday and now I keep it in my gym bag and read it on the way to and from karate class. This is really outstanding.

I've been wrestling (teaching it) for twenty years and this is the first book that ever showed all the different styles around the world. I thought I knew pretty much everything about wrestling but I learned a lot of things I didn't know from Maberry's book. Also, there was some very informative stuff about martial arts, boxing, fencing...all sorts of stuff. And the First Aid section is the most complete I've seen in a sports book. I give this guy two thumbs up!

This is an amazing book! I got this just recently and I can't put it down. It has absolutely everything about sparring --from theory to techniques to styles. It's like an encyclopedia and then some. I love it!

It is suitable for both popular and fine taste. I'm sure you'll have a more-than-pleasant reading experience and a more-than-enough understanding of the hypotetical political leader's hypotetical idiotic behavior in a hypothetical political system of a real English-speaking country. Although it is seemingly a novelized British drama, the printed version of "Yes Prime Minister" makes excellent use of the edge of novel to tell the story. The expression of individual's opinion of a event surely presents how single-minded or even absent-minded the characters are. Even more interesting, there are handwritten notes of the subjects, newspaper cutting of their events, and script of media interview which fully demonstrates the moronic ideas and performances of James Hacker as well as the tactical handling of his boss by Sir Humphrey Appleby. And the intervention, most of the time in a literary perspective and untimely, by Benard Wooley further makes the team more a laughing stock.

If you ask my opinion, in the fullest of time, by means of thorough investigation of both the pros and cons, and not to put too fine a point, it is justifiable to a certain extent to consume a certain amount of time to literally, if not semanticaly to digest the information and mark the word by a person who is in this review using the perpendicular pronoun, I.

Were the "Yes Minister" and "Yes Prime Minister" series NOT part of television immortality, this book would STILL succeed, stand out in its own right as one of the classic political satires.

The authors' conceit is that we are in the year 2050 (or so), and Sir Humphrey's dithering protege, the ineffectual Bernard, is now an eminence grise who has taken it upon himself to compile the diaries of the legendary PM Jim Hacker. Hacker, whose populist, extreme-middle-of-the-road politics make him more a John McCain figure than a Tony Blair, does score the odd coup, as when he foils a nasty invasion of a former British colony. But by and large he is at the mercy of Humphrey Appleby and his bureacratic machine. As he tells he diary, Government has the engine of a Volkswagen and the brakes of a Rolls-Royce. This and other universal truths ensure "Yes Prime Minister" will endure for the ages, and it is a pity this work is out of print. My favorite moment is where Hacker, on the verge of ascending the "greasy pole" of parliamentary politics to become PM, campaigns against a European directive seeking to standardize the recipe for sausages. "I am up to my neck in this Euro-sausage business," he remarks. "Not literally, we hope - Ed" is the parenthetical aside.

Like many tie-ins with British television shows,_YPM Diaries_ is a print version of the show, written in the voice of the characters. And , as is also the apparent British custom, it includes material previously aired. In fact, its chapters are the televised episodes themselves.

But this book goes well beyond the scripts of the shows. It definitely recognizes the difference in the two media and comes up with a lot of new material unique to the book itself. One of the cleverest inclusions is that of handwritten notes between principle characters. For instance, there are whole dialogues in this correspondence format between Humphrey and the Prime Minister which haven't appeared in any other media. Also, the diaries themselves include a lot of original material which amplify points made in the televised versions.

Aside from being an absolutely smashing read, this is an excellent resource for the student of British politics. From this book I got a lot of ideas for term papers which impressed my British politics professor.

I think, though, that the most valuable thing this book will impart is a kind of lens through which to view British politics. I don't mean to oversell the utility of the work, but especially for the American viewer uninitiated in the ways of the parliamentary form of government, YM/YPM truly helps one see how things get done--or undone--in Her Majesty's Government.

I like how Jonathan Davis reads this book. It's a very good book to read. I listened to it the day I got it. It's a very good book. I highly recommend this book to future Star Wars fans.

For some odd reason, it seems that all the reviews for the various books in this series are posted under all of the books. For the record, this review is for Jedi Quest Volume 4, The Master of Disguise.
First of all, don't be deterred by this book's apparent kiddy exterior. In my opinion, they continue to outdue many of the adult novels by leaps and bounds. This one literally had me sitting on the edge of my seat, unable to put this book down until I came to the conclusion at three in the morning. I identify more with Anakin all the time, as his character continues to develop into the complicated, multi-faceted young man he is by Episode 2. Obi-Wan as well is enjoyable as ever, as are all of the supporting roles.
This book opens on a war ravaged planet where Obi-Wan and Anakin have been sent along with another Jedi team (old favorites Soara and Darra) to find and rescue a missing team of scientists caught in the crossfire. But when one of the two padawans is badly injured, the mission must be cut short, and when it becomes apparent that old enemy Granta Omega could also be involved, things become even more complicated...
All I can say is, this series truly is something special, good for Star Wars fans of any age.

The error may be corrected by the time this is posted, but these comments are on, "Jedi Quest #4, The Master Of Disguise". There appears to be confusion between the pages showing the book together with the description of the third book in this series. Jude Watson has contributed more books to the Star Wars Saga than any other author. This is not due to the scope of her work rather that she has been the sole author for these series that are targeted at younger readers. Although meant for persons decades my junior, I have enjoyed many of her books and I am not the only ancient reader who takes these books to the checkout and is rewarded with incredulous looks by cashiers. I joined the Star Wars Universe when the first film opened and have remained a fan, and chatting with youngsters in bookstores about these books have made the experience all the more enjoyable.

The most recent film, "Episode II", was a success by traditional standards and the envy of virtually every filmmaker. It is now in the IMAX theaters and will probably reach the all time top 10, not accounting for inflation. In terms of its box office performance as a Star Wars film it was anything but impressive, and this has nothing to due with other films that it competed with. Star Wars films do huge numbers because of repeat business, and the fans simply are not responding.

I think at least one reason was readily apparent for the recent film falling over $100 million shy in this ,and even showing more poorly worldwide. Jude Watson corrects the defect in this book, and she is to be commended.

These books are for kids, and PG films also are for kids, the messages they either share through words or images are important, and Star Wars has a huge influence and needs to create its products as though they are aware of this. "Charisma is a trait, not a virtue", explains one teacher in this book, accomplishing a goal via imperfect motivation is a failure, not a success as explained by the same instructor. We often hear, "the ends do not justify the means", as an indictment of questionable conduct. This is an issue with me for the statement is incomplete, and it has become accepted "wisdom" through repetition, not because there is substance to the statement.

The statement should read, is the end justified by any means? The word, "any" changes the entire meaning, and also makes the statement worth considering. Even at this point a person needs to know what end is being sought, and what means are being used to achieve it. When these are known, the discussion can begin, and answers offered.

These books and the three final films are showing Anakin making choices that lead him in to an abyss that will eventually cause the deaths of countless life forms, and finally will kill him. And these are his choices. Anakin is a very gifted young man who lacks the ability to control his feelings regardless of his age. This book does a wonderful job of demonstrating how easy it is to become evil, and it does so better than the most recent film.

Anger is a legitimate emotion; it is not one that generates good decisions. When Lucas made, "Episode II", he let anger take over the film, and several characters, not just Anakin. The decapitations that were routine in the film were all unnecessary, and most were cut from the IMAX version of the film. Mace Windu still executes a human in front of his son by this method, it was not needed, and I believe it cost the film 50 -100 million dollars. Windu executed the character in front of the man's son, I believe it turned people off, and parents kept some kids away.

The greatest Jedi of all, Yoda, was forced in to personal combat in the recent film. He did not instigate it, he did not harm much less kill his opponent. Like many martial arts, and the experts that teach them, they are for defense and not offense, the wise old master is the role model, a protector, never a seeker of vengeance.

There are times violence becomes unavoidable, killing is supposed to be the last possible, and most regrettable, option used by a Jedi, and that should follow in life as well. This book shows how a person can loose himself to violence through bad influences, easy alternatives, and lack of discipline.

This is a good book for young readers and Lucas should read it before he decides on the manner of violence he uses in his next film.

1st - a lot of these reviews appear to be reviewing the wrong book! this is NOT mitchell's book!
2nd - having read part but not all of this book so far - i like it. why? it has their up to date english rendition of the text. it has another translation with each word and their various definitions for each word. consequently, one can 'create' their own translation. there is more too. check the book description under editorial reviews for more information.
3rd - this is NOT mitchell's book people.

I reviewed the Feng/English translation of this work on 12-11-02. I think it important to point out that this review site has all of the Tao Te Ching reviews together. They are not separated by translators. In writting reviews it would be helpful to add the translator and in reading the review it would be useful to note the translation. As I said on 12-11-02 I have not found a translation I value more than the Feng/English translation. Jared

Many translators have taken great liberties with the text of the Tao Te Ching. I have studied and compared many versions, and at one point I got so fed up that I started compiling versions together in what was slowly becoming my own "best of" from among them. Then I ran across this book by Jonathan Star. Whether I ever continue that project or not, Star has made studying the Tao Te Ching a whole lot easier, and more accurate. Recommended for study, this well thought out translation also contains a second "verbatim" translation that consists of a list of various possible English meanings of the Chinese characters (useful for making ones own translation and/or gaining further insight into the text), extensive notes, a commentary, concordance, and Wade-Pinyin conversion. It's a very useful, valuable toolbox for studying the Tao Te Ching. As of yet, there does not appear to be any other source for detailed study as well put together and with as much useful material.

I found this book to be quite stirring. It has a powerful message about not giving up our minds today. I found it to be a treat, after realizing that the metaphorical fool was the man who dealt with the world without knowing himself. Great read, Mr. Deaugust!

Blacksun Rising is a story that anyone living in a large Metropolitan city can visualize. It can be any homeless man acting out the evils of what society has imposed upon the male population. Fool fits the description of many homeless mentally ill, yet highly educated persons who has fallen from the top to hit rock bottom, denying family and friends to escape reality. This book is interesting, and will hold the reader in suspense from one chapter to another. You wouldn't want to miss this enchanting story.

I don't usually do this but has to be one of the best I've read in a long time. This novel will captivate your interest and you will want to continue reading till the end. Each event happens will have you glued to you chair spellbound. I loved it and I strongly recommend this reading treat. "Never Surrender"

This book had some of the most novel ideas and though-provoking imagery I've seen in a while. Lots of really exciting ideas, ones that make you go, "that's what i'm talking about." Different stuff. Some were less well-written than others in this collection, but most were great. Wonder if this author has any other work.

Bought this book after seeing an article in our local newspaper. Can't believe how much fun it was to read. I read the other reviews and agree, it's really interesting, and very vivid. Great word combinations. It's a lot of fun to find an unknown author, and I think this kid has a unique take on things. Definitely give it a shot, you'll have a name to throw around at parties to make you feel like you know something no one else does.

I was just searching for a short stories collection. I'm glad I found this one. I was very excited to discover this one. It's full of great word choice and interesting ideas. Epstein looks young, but it's a book worth reading. And I look forward to reading a few favorites to my friends.