This is with out a doubt the most important piece of literature ever written. It should be required reading for every Christian. Mde. Guyon deals with subjects such as abondonment, suffering, dry times. if you will consider her insights on these and other topics this book will bring you higher heights and deeper depths. You must read this book.

I first read Jeanne's autobiography about 2 years ago. I've never read any book other then the Bible itself that had such an effect on my understanding of each days circumstances and how God brings many pleasant as well as unpleasant people and events into our lives for the purpose of making us like His Son, Jesus. Jeanne, through God's Spirit, helped give me a new revelation on Romans 8:28, Proverbs 3:5,6 and Psalms 37:23, all speaking of Providence. God is at work in my life setting me apart for His purpose and making me Holy. I thank Him for this book. Madame Guyon could relate to the Apostle Paul when he says in 2 Corinthians 12:10, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distreses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." If you truly want to be God's and His only, you must read your Bible and this book will help bring you to agree, "Christ in us" can be a reality.

It is the most awsome book I've ever read, besides the bible. It will give you knowledge of the Christ that lives within us as Christians, it is very exciting, but very deep. It is profound!

I am not too proud to say that I needed advice when I had my baby. If it wasn't for the hospital and their parenting classes I would have made a lot of mistakes. They gave me a copy of this great parenting book, and it helped me understand my baby better. I try to give it to my friends who live in other towns (their hospital isn't giving parenting classes or this book). When they receive the book, they have all thanked me, and it has actually made us all closer friends. We discuss our concerns more and aren't afraid to ask for answers anymore. We realize we don't have all the answers and it's OK to be real. I've never done a review before and my friend is sitting here helping me, but we want to let others know how much help from this book we have had. Thank you. Is there anyone out there who can give books to other hospitals, so it can help other young Moms the way it has helped me?

I received this wonderful book over a year ago when I was in the hospital having my son. A few months later his father left us. I received several parenting books, but didn't feel like reading. I was busy finding a job and feeling sad and scared. One day I decided to finally clean up the books stacked up beside my bed, and I was drawn to this book. For me to take the time to find this site and to write this, means I am motivated (I have never done this before). I don't know who will ever read this, but I want to some way say "thank you"! I love the way the book is written, it is written from my baby son to me. I "see" him now... I understand his feelings better... and I even understand my feelings better. I realize he has been going through hard things because I have been struggling. I have grown up over night! I am the MOM, and my job is to understand and care for my child! I got so much from the house cleaning and cooking section- My gosh - I never thought that much about the house and how it affects us... Thank you, thank you! I wish more young Moms could have this great book so they could SEE what these little kids need from their parents!

I work with parents or teen and single Moms on a regular basis. I am always looking for parenting books that will help me be more teachable. DEAR MOMMY DEAR DADDY certainly filled the bill! How wonderful to finally find a parenting book that expresses needs, wants and concerns of young children. I see it as a special training program for the parent from their child. So easy to follow and to understand. When I use the common sense (basic) messages in the book, my class actually listens. When I ask them to read a section, they actually read it (and understand what it says)! I have overcome many obstacles because of this wonderful parenting book written as if by the baby & young child. "Thank you!"

Saint Louis de Monfort, in his masterwork dedicated to marian devotion, explains who is Mary, why the Mother of God must be glorified and why honouring Mary is also a form that the faithful has to honour Jesus.

This is an ideal book to improve the growth of spiritual life and, considering the truths that presents, should be known by all the catholics, very especially those ones blinded by post-conciliar confusion or, even, by protestant teachings about Mary.

Finally, the way Saint Louis de Monfort writes is a pleasant surprise: simple, clear, concise, direct and modern... without being modernist. Excellent!

This beautiful translation of True Devotion by Fr. Frederick Faber belongs in the library of every Catholic who hopes to attain to the blessedness of heaven. In this book, the great St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Monfort teaches us the way to Jesus through Mary. He shows us how to live perfect devotion to Jesus and Mary by giving everything we have to the Mother of God (i.e. consecrating ourselves to Jesus through Mary).

This book also has a supplement to guide anyone through the consecration to Mary, according to the saint's method. The supplement consists of prayers and spiritual practices that St. Louis de Montfort recommends to prepare for consecrating oneself entirely to Jesus, through Mary. The supplement also contains the Act of Consecration recommended by St. Louis de Montfort and the saint's method of praying the Rosary.

This is a new reprint of the much acclaimed Father Frederick Faber translation which has been out-of-print for several years. True Devotion To Mary by St. Louis Marie Grignion De Montfort (1673-1716) is considered to be the greatest single book on the Blessed Virgin Mary ever written. Seemingly divinely inspired, it is the classic statement on the spiritual way to Jesus Christ through Our Lady. Beloved by countless souls, this books sums up the entire Christian life, showing a way of holiness that is short, easy, secure and perfect - a way of life chosen by Our Lord Himself, as explained here in this book by the "Apostle of Mary." In this beautiful and sublimely inspiring book, St. Louis De Montfort explains the wonderful spiritual effects which True Devotion to Mary brings about in a person's life, leaving the reader with no doubt that this devotion provides the key both to sanctity and to salvation. No Catholic should reach age 20 without having read this book. 215pp. PB. Imprimatur.

In reading Seasons of Her (as well as seeing the Diva perform LIVE in Atlanta), Tonya Marie Evans' ability to touch my inner spirit through her God given GIFT eased many of my fears and doubts about my own gifts as a WOMAN and as a writer. Tonya relates to the woman, striver, achiever, nurturer and lover in all of us.

Although a complex species... (WOMAN) Tonya simplifies it all by proving through emotional and reverrant poety, that love of self, finding that place within YOU and creating that 'space' of love, peace and creativity in this world is what we are meant and were created to do.

Whether I wanted to Find My Own Shine or not, the fire that her poetry starts within, and her ability to paint pictures of her soul as well as the readers, will illuminate a light so brightly that even YOU won't be able to stop or stand it!!!

BUY this book, read it... and FIND YOUR OWN SHINE!

Seasons of Her deals with topics ranging from AIDS in the African-American community to love relationships (good and bad) in an intelligent, and most importantly, "real" and heartfelt manner. Any woman who reads Ms. Evans' poetry will know exactly what the author was feeling at the moment she birthed these exquisite lines of verse. And to think....this only the beginning.... =0)

The poetry of Tonya Marie Evans, collected in Seasons of Her, reflects the complexities of a woman who came of age in the 1990's. Sensual, spiritual, thoughtful, the work explores many of the "selves" that a woman encompasses. Tonya Marie is ferociously honest and fearlessly frank in her discussions -- the reader feels as though they have looked at the author's soul -- and found it is not so different from her own.

3)Many things happened in the book Stealing Freedom. The story is about Ann Maria Weems, a slave in Maryland who wants freedom. Ann's father is already free, but the rest of her family is not. Life started out good for her family, but took a turn for the worst when her brothers were sold away to slavery. Then, her entire remaining family, except her, is given freedom. Ann is stuck in the position of taking care of her Master's niece, Sarah. Ann soon realizes the hardships of slavery, and later of love. Alfred is the only man for her. Any hopes of having a life with Alfred are smothered when Mr. Bigelow, the man who bought her family's freedom tells her that they must flee. Ann is thrust into a life of deception when she is taken for a "ride" on the Underground Railroad. Ann must pretend that she is a boy servant for Mr. Bigelow while they are hiding from the police who are searching for Ann because there is a reward from her master. Ann, after a long time of hiding, finally makes it to Canada, but she can't see her family or Alfred. She is with her aunt and uncle who had already escaped to Canada, and starts a whole new life. Her mom had another baby and is expecting yet another one! Ann gets letters regularly from her family, but she misses Alfred. One day, she and her new friend Priscilla are wading in the water, when some men come near the water. Ann turns around and Alfred is there! Alfred and Ann then got married.

This book is wonderful! It is about a girl named Ann Maria Weems who lives as a slave during the Civil War. One day, the unthinkable happens. An abolitionist come to free her family is unable to take her. Will she ever see her family again? Be free? Reccomended to anyone who wants to learn about the Civil War, slavery, or just wants a good read.

P.S.- It's also a Mark Twain Award Nominee

Stealing Freedom is good for all ages. I stayed up extra hours reading it. I felt as though I were Ann and that I was inside the book instead of somebody reading about it. I loved how funny Uncle Abraham was. I like the Master Richard because the author pictured him as both good and bad. He's a character who picks a fight, who always has to win or he makes his older brother Master Charles whip the slaves, but then he will sneak out during the day and catch tadpoles with the Ann and her brothers.

This was my first venture into the art of soapmaking and I could not have had a better mentor than Marie Browning. Filled with lavish photographs and detailed information, MELT & POUR SOAPMAKING is my top pick for anyone who is interested in exploring this craft. There are many varied recipes featured throughout the book, beautiful photographs highlighting step-by-step what to do, and detailed information that adds more pleasure to an already fun experience. I was successful with every project I attempted (which is very rare indeed) and also utilized the author's suggestions on packaging my creations for gift giving. Needless to say, my creations were a big hit.

A sampling of the contents: Melt and Pour Recipes (which includes Molded soaps, Loaf-style soaps, Embedded soaps, Embossed soaps -- very easy and they look terrific -- and Double Molded soaps), Hand Milled Soaps, Bath Salts, Botanical Blends, Bubble Bath Recipes, Bath and Massage Oils recipes, Bath Powder recipes (email me for a delightful Rose Petal Milk Bath recipe I was inspired to create after working through this book), Fragrance Collections. A truly wonderful book and terrific resource.
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Great book for beginners and advanced soap makers alike. Simple instructions, great pictures and lots of neat packaging ideas. I have been making cold process soaps for several years and this is my first attempt with M&P. Lots of fun, ingredients are readily available and soap is ready to use the same day!

I just got mine today and I love it! I can't wait to start making some of her beautiful soaps. There are not very many great MP books out there but Marie Browning has 2! This along with my copy of Kaila Westerman's Melt and Mold book, are my two favorites so far! I absolutely recomend this book for soapers of all levels, even if yu just look at the pictures! This book also includes many recipes for other toiletry items- salts, oils, bombs, milk baths and more. She also has many gift baskey and packaging ideas. It is just a beautiful book, worth every penny!!!

When my Simplicity book was on order from Amazon[.com], I went to the library and checked out the "Readers Digest Complete Guide to Sewing." Since I only want one basic reference on sewing, I want it to be the most comprehensive one. The Reader's Digest guide is, in my estimation, much more inclusive. I am more or less a beginner, and Readers Digest covers more techniques in better detail. It includes a fabric dictionary, in case a pattern recommends dimity and you don't know what that is. "Simplicity" seems to assume that you want to knock garments out in the least possible time, whereas I want to sew garments that have the best possible finish inside and out.
"Simplicity" does have some information that Reader's Digest does not--such as patternless projects and directions for sergers. On the other hand, the hand sewing techniques and fabric dictionary in Reader's Digest are things "Simplicity" doesn't have, and which I need. "Simplicity" is well-liked for its chatty style, but some might find that style more condescending than chatty.
My "Simplicity" book came shrink-wrapped, but did not include anything to get a free pattern.

If you have ever taken sewing in high school, and you remember, "Hey I liked doing that!", but can't remember how to do it, this is the prefect sewing companion. It refreshes your memory, and teaches you things your teacher didn't. It has shortcuts, tips, and even a section on how to work with an overlock. It is clear, easy to understand, and fun to read. The first time you pick it up you want to sew something, anything, but you definitely want to sew! It has a FREE pattern offer, so you can start even sooner, color pictures, pattern-less patterns, and even neat little tricks! Simplicity's Simply the Best Sewing Book is, quite simply, "Simply the Best"!

Simplicity's Simply The Best Sewing Book is a great book for beginners and advanced sewers. You can read it chapter to chapter or use the extensive index in the back to look up techinques as you sew. The book is divided into 3 parts with an index and free coupon in the back:

Part One: Your Own Sewing Style Includes 4 chapters on sewing basics --sewing for today, pattern use, guide to fabrics and notions, and finding the perfect fit

Part Two: Simply The Best Sewing Resource Includes 2 chapters on using your sewing machine --universal basics and the best sewing techniques

Part Three: Simply The Best Patternless Sewing Projects Includes 3 sections that allow you to jumpstart your sewing experience without using storebought patterns. This is my favorite section of the book. It comes with COLOR photo inserts and has projects for your home,baby, and even a simple wardrobe. The procedures are very basic, but yield wonderful results!

Lastly, the finishing touch is that you get a mail-in coupon to get any one Simplicity pattern FREE. There is a catch, of course. You have to also send [postage] and wait 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. But it's still a good deal!

So, what are you waiting for? Buy THE BOOK!

Happy Sewing!

I had the privilege of attending a Body Blues workshop given by Brown and Robinson, the authors of this book. When I left the workshop, I felt better already. Having read "When Your Body Gets the Blues," several things stand out about this program:

1) It makes sense.
2) It's "do-able." (I haven't found anyone yet--no matter how busy they are--who can tell me with a straight face that they can't fit this program into their lives.)
3) It works. It's a joy to banish those bouts of "fuzzy thinking" that leave you wondering if you're losing it.

I'm fifty, and many of my friends and coworkers (some of them much younger!) have the symptoms of "the body blues." In fact, it seems that maybe 25% of my female friends DON'T have the body blues. I sent a copy of this book to one of them. She read the first chapter and said "I see why you thought I needed this. This is me!" This book is now #1 on my list of birthday presents for female friends (and the men who love them?)

I wanted to add a word about the previous reviewer's concern that the authors were hyping "their" miracle vitamin pill. One of the things that impressed me about the authors at their workshop was their integrity, and I feel obligated to set the record straight.

I think the confusion comes from the fact that Brown and Robinson's study was called the LEVITY (Light, Exercise and Vitamin Intervention TherapY) program. For their study they asked a company to produce a supplement that contained six specific vitamins and minerals in an easily swallowed tablet; these same tablets can now be purchased in stores and is called the LEVITY(TM) Mood-Elevating Formula. The authors, who understand how important it is that the program be easy to follow, recommend this product for its convenience. However, as they point out clearly to their readers, neither author benefits from the sale of these supplements. In fact, the six vitamins and minerals are all common substances and readily available, and Brown & Robinson provide readers with all the information they need to put this formula together on their own.

...After reading this book I know we can offer more choices and options for our needed patients. The material is sound and it falls into line with healthy eating, and positive exercise, using more light is the same concept we have been offering to patients for a some time now.
My only negative feedback about this book is they do not offer any assistance with light therapy products and devices, or locations to purchase them...
I think the authors did a great job with the book. I feel strongly enough about this book, I recommend it to the patients at our hospital for review to help in their recovery.

This book is a rarity - science-based,yet easy to read, and loaded with helpful examples. Dr. Brown, the author, writes with compassion, and enthusiasm, sharing some of her own experiences with the program she and Jo Robinson devised. It made me wonder how many women might have been misdiagnosed as clinically depressed, and medicated, when only their BODIES were "blue". This is a cheerful, inexpensive, and eminently do-able program that makes sense and works. I received a number of inquiries from friends who'd seen my copy of the book, so it's making the rounds now!

The Bountiful Container. Rose Marie Nichols McGee and Maggie Stuckey. Workman Publications New York 2002 0-7611-1623-0 432 pages

This most readable book was written for "everyone who aspires to have garden-fresh foodstuffs but has no yard in which to grow them". This is a detailed book about growing herbs and vegetables in containers - there is a chapter each on fruits and edible flowers too. Both writers are experienced growers and standard growing information is not only tailored to container growing, but is supplemented by the experience of two down to earth women who have been there and done that.

Sensibly organized, the book starts with planning a container garden and moves on to basic information such as the tools you'll need and the pros and cons of different types of containers. But most of the book tells you how to get the best crop from a great long list of vegetables and herbs There are chapters on growing fruit and edible flowers in containers and a decent list of mail order sources for seeds and plants.

I liked the direct, no-nonsense approach of the two writers. They have produced a thorough and thoughtful book, sensibly organized and both readable and knowledgeable.

I have an apartment with a small balcony, and this book has been very helpful for gardening ideas both inside and outside. It's been especially helpful for giving clear but detailed descriptions of different types of container plants, and giving advice on what types of plants work best in different conditions. It's well-organized, includes personal anecdotes, and makes you feel like you can try out anything in the book. I especially liked that they warn you if something has specific requirements for growing--it's much easier for me to cut down on my choices for buying seeds or plants when I know what will grow best.

What a find! I am a novice gardener; I started my gardening journey at the library, where I found this book. It is just about the most user-friendly book on gardening, specifically container gardening, that I have found! McGee and Stuckey's love of gardening is contagious; it makes you want to rush out and begin planting! There were two aspects of this book that I found particularly helpful. First, they present detailed write-ups on an extensive list of various vegetables, fruits, herbs, and edible flowers--how and when to plant, what size container is needed, etc. Second, and very interesting, they suggest numerous theme gardens; specifically, how to plant a variety of edibles in a single container or grouping of containers around a particular theme or color (i.e., a kid's garden, a lemonade garden, etc). A MUST have for any gardener!

This book achieves what every thoughtful instructor strives for: to teach without letting the student know they are being taught-to make learning a seemingly effortless pleasure. Winn teaches the reader about Red-Tailed Hawks, as well as a good deal of observation practices, behaviors and helpful tips for making wildlife notations; all in the context of a thoroughly enjoyable story. The world of Central Park opens up and becomes an inviting (and ironic) man-made natural habitat.

Best of all, Winn shows us how the wildlife in Central Park united a village of caring people in the heart of a vast city.

I recommend "Red-Tails In Love" to anyone who likes entertaining and informative reading, but especially to those who also love nature.

I've known Central Park all my life and yet I discovered a whole hidden life in the Park through this book.

"Red Tails in Love" is a complete delight!

This was one of the best books I have read this year. I'm not a bird watcher by any means, and, despite the drama that I'm obviously missing, do not intend to become one. Nevertheless, I was captivated and moved by the story of Pale Male, a red-tailed hawk who builds a nest in Central Park, and then builds another, and then builds yet another. I thought the writing and story-telling were superb. The way Winn intertwined the story of the hawks with the story of the people watching the hawks, complete with celebrity references (if you blink you'll miss Glenn Close), was excellent. (It did not occur to me until the acknowledgments that one of the reasons the story-telling was so good is that the author is married to a film-maker, who offered advice on how to keep the story moving.)

Perhaps because I'm just not into birds generally, I was less interested in those parts of the book that did not relate to the hawks. Of these sections, the more memorable birds were the saw-whet owls and the woodpeckers. But the prose about these birds is not as moving as the prose about the hawks. Or, perhaps the hawk story is just so well-done it makes the other birds seem, if I can resort to anthropomorphism, pedestrian.

The book is obviously a labor of love, and it was a pleasure to read.