An undefeated season, a national championship, an astoundingly talented freshman class combined with the experience and ability of the veterans -- Tennessee's '98 season is one to remember. In this book, Summitt tells us what is was like to live the season. I saw the Lady Vols play in the NCAA Tournament at Vanderbilt University, as an Illinois fan. I thought that if I heard "Rocky Top" one more time I would scream. By the end of the game, I was singing along. The "Meeks," Kellie Jolly, Ace Clement, Geter -- they bring such excitement to the women's basketball game --- it's contagious! I am a high school girl's coach and have encouraged my team to read this book, and "Reach for The Summitt". Whether you are already a fan of collegiate women's basketball, or are simply looking for a motivational and inspiring book, you will be a fan after reading this book. Women's basketball has needed the Tennessee Lady Vols to elevate the game and bring it the attention it deserves. Of course, I'm still an Illini at heart.

I never really followed women's basketball until I saw a news interview on TV after Pat Summitt and the Lady Vols had lost to UConn. I decided to look up this coach on the internet and discovered that she was a legend in her on right. I was embarrassed because I knew absolutely nothing about her.

The book is easy reading and entertaining. It made me laugh, as somethings were just down right funny. I like the outline of the book as it gives short interviews of various players after most chapters. I enjoyed Pat's concise summary of her players character and her dealing with the various issues and problems they faced. She gives a vivid picture of the going on inside a basketball team. She shows an uncanny ability to mold and shape women into winners and all the while, she was willing to make adjustment in herself. Greatness may start with one person, but it can never remain great until it has a supporting cast. Pat her coaches and her players gave us a peek inside greatness and most of all a real life story that got them there.

In her "down-home" easy to understand way Pat Summitt writes an incredible book! If you get this one you should also get "Reach for the Summitt". These two books should be required reading for women in general! If I had girls that wanted to play B-ball, they would be going to Tennessee!

Transformational change addresses the problem of how to deal with change when moving from a mass production oriented business to a customer centered customized production business. One of the truly unique perspectives of this book is that it discusses and details the process of such a change. Many similar books effectively argue the need for change but then provide no direction on how to make the change. Thomas Wentz' book provides detailed discussion and processes for creating that complete transformation of your business

In the past most businesses were based on a mass production focus. Success and management were evaluated on a numbers basis. How much has sales increased? How many items were produced during this period last year? This numbers orientation tends to cause people to work hard to meet the numbers as their primary focus. In this scenario employees typically don't go beyond what is expected of them. There is no motivation to create a unique world-class organization. Add to that the fact that times have changed and customers now require a solution or product that is customized to their specific needs. If you can't provide a customized solution or product then they will simply go to a competitor that can. Is this just another business direction change? Thomas Wentz argues that it is more than just a directional change, it requires a complete transformation of the business from one form to another completely different form.

A nice extra to the book are the numerous "Key points" scattered throughout the text. By summarizing the prior information in just one or two sentences and making it stand out from the text it is easy to quickly read over the key points of the book and refresh your memory on an ongoing basis. An excellent book on business and change that also has some applicability to personal change, it is a recommended read.

This book finally provides the process to address how leaders can transform their company. Many other books defined the need to rethink the "business of the business" but none actually outlined a process. I have not only read the book but also participated in several of Tom's Simulation exercises. With this experiential background, I can honestly express to readers that you will actually understand what Tom is trying to convey only after having experienced the Simulation in conjunction with reading the book. We all have seen managers who were trying to "fix" an organization into a level of performance desired by customers, stockholders, and employees. Given the changes in consumers' demands for customized solutions, organizations that were built within the context of Mass Production cannot be "fixed" into a new existence. Organizations must be transformed and created to compete within the new reality of Mass Customization and the required thinking of a "market of one."

The Simulation allows team members to "feel" the transformational change process and thereby it becomes more meaningful and alive than simply understanding the intellectual issues documented within Transformational Change. In particular, it becomes critical that a collection of individuals become aligned on the outcome the organization is trying to "create"; i. e., the Vision. More importantly, the individual boss can no longer "tell" the organization what the Vision should be. In today's world, team members must collectively create the Vision and enroll in that creation procss. Subsequent to alignment on Vision, then the Structural Framework becomes the documented process for leading the organization through transformation.

If you read this book and participate within a Simulation, you will not believe how you will be equipped to transform your organization and be prepared to deal with the realtiy of Mass Customization. This is a very important book that all leaders should read, and read again.

Written by the Thomas K. Wentz (President of Corporate Performance Systems Inc.), Transformational Change: How To Transform Mass Production Thinking To Meet The Challenge Of Mass Customization is a solid and deftly presented guide for adapting to the new and evolving demands and realities of a globalized marketplace where merely churning out vast quantities of a product is simply not enough to be profitable. Now, more and more, customers want goods and services uniquely tailored to their tastes, and they are willing to pay for it - so much so as to change the shape of international businesses worldwide. Learning how to incorporate customization for maximum consumer satisfaction and profit is a rocky road, but individual chapters of Transformational Change address a range of relevant problems including corporate restructuring, gathering appropriate intelligence, competitive advantages and disadvantages, and a great deal more. Transformational Change is a truly excellent resource and a highly motivational reading for business managers at all corporate levels of responsibility.

I'm not going to tell you about this novel. Instead, I want you to do the biggest favor you've done for yourself in years... buy this book and read it. When you've turned the last page, go directly to the beginning and start all over again. That is exactly what I did three times. Even though I wasn't a child of the '60s and I've never been to Alabama, the amount of depth and feel Robert McCammon extends to the reader is immense. I have literally read thousands of books, and whenever someone asks the common question of which is my favorite, Boy's Life is always the first to spill out.
I want you to ask yourself truthfully if you have ever spent a great deal of time being involved in a novel and when it is finally finished, do you walk away completely satisfied? Has it been years since you have read the novel and you still think of it from time to time? Were some of the scenes in the novel created so real that you could honestly mistake those experiences for one of your own? It has happened to me. It can happen to you.
If you have read this book, read it again. Recapture the magic of youth, friendship, and the adventures of life that can never fade, they only grow brighter.
And to those of you who are about to experience this novel for the first time, I envy you greatly.

I just finished Boy's Life at 1:45am, when I had to get up at 6:00am and go to work. I loved the book but hated the bloodshot eyes I had.

Cory Mackenson is 11 years growing up in innocence in a picturesque small southern town during the racially torn 1960s. He and his friends enjoy bikes, baseball, and monster movies at the town cinema on Saturdays. Things change early one morning just before daylight when Cory and his Dad witness a car and its occupant careen off a lonely country road into the deep abyss of a rural lake. Upon attempting rescue, Cory's dad finds the driver unconscious and handcuffed to the steering wheel with a wire wrapped around his neck. This launches Cory and his father on a search for the murderer who is living as a longtime respected citizen in this small rural community.

Who is the man in the car, and what about the tattoo? Can a clairvoyant black lady who lives on the other side of the tracks in this racially tense time hold one of the keys to unraveling the mystery before it unravels the sanity of Cory's father?

In addition to the suspense, Boy's Life also captures the wonder of being an eleven year old boy in much the same way Mark Twain did with Tom Sawyer. I did not realize that Robert McCammon was such a wit when it comes to humor. There are several places where I had to put the book down and laugh out loud. Other places were quite poignant and heart rending as well.

You will enjoy this one.

Thanks for reading.

Robert McCammon's Boy's Life is one of my favorites. I have just read it for the third time, and this fall, I will be teaching it to my 10th grade class for the first time. Boy's Life combines many outstanding themes in its pages: coming of age, good vs. evil, etc., but the theme I will underscore most in my classroom is the one that impressed me; i.e., magic is as much a part of a child's life as any real occurrence. The tinge of magic in the often incomprehensible world of reality makes negotiating everyday life much easier. Anyone interested in reading one other book of McCammon's (the only other one, as far as I know) that departs from the horror genre, read Gone South. This, too, is a very good book with memorable characters, situations and themes. I would love to see Robert McCammon write more straight fiction that is not in the horror category. I enjoyed both Boy's Life and Gone South very much. He is an author worth knowing.

Book Title -I Am Regina Author -Sally M. Keehn Reviewed By -Jonathan Praino and Eddie Szabo Book Rating - 10 Book Category -Historical Fiction We read this book and we want to review it. We liked the book and we liked reading about the Indians. It made us see the Indians as a peaceful people. Regina, a white girl, goes to live with the Indians. We saw life through her eyes and from the point of view of the Indians. This story was based on true facts. It shows both how the white man and the Indians lived. The Indians and the white man traded with each other. The Indians got guns, ammo and liquor while the white man got furs and land .We learned that the white man showed the Indians their bad ways. Like when Tiger Claw traded furs for liquor and got drunk.The white man also brought diseases that sometimes killed the Indians like smallpox. We liked the book and the writing style of the author. It was easy to read and follow. We also liked how Regina sounded like she was actually talking. We recommend this book to all fourth and fifth graders!

Book Title: I Am Regina Author: Sally M. Keehn Reviewed by:Heather R. Lang and Kerry Beekman Book Rating: 9+ Book category:Historical Fiction We read this book and we want to review it. I Am Regina is a true story. It is such an exciting story!. But we wish Sally M. Keehn would tell more about what happened to Wolfin, the old Indian woman that raised Regina for the ten years that she was living with the Indians. We also would have liked to know more about Quetit the white girl. We are curious about her past and if she ever found out who she really was!?! We gave this book an excellent rating because of it's great plot!!!!!!

Book Title:I Am Regina Book's Author: Sally M. Keehn Reviewed by: Natalie Dimant & Anil Fermin Book Rating: 10 Book Category: Historical Fiction We read I Am Regina and we want to review it. We rated this book a ten for many reasons. One of the reasons was that we liked the writing style. It was written like Regina was actually telling the story. Another reason why we liked this book was that we liked the plot. It was both exciting and tragic. We think the author wrote this book because she wanted people to see how it was to live with Indians and because she wanted people to see the Indian's point of view. This book shows us that the white men did not like the Indians because they were in the way of getting new land. The Indians did not like the white men because they took too much of their land. If we were the author we would write more about what happened after Regina got reunited with her mother.

We have an inexpensive paperback version (see our reviews) of this classic poem, and we said that's enough for us. That was before we looked through this beautifully illustrated (by Bruce Whatley) edition of The Night Before Christmas.

The lyrics are the same, from book to book, but the fanciful illustrations in this one are enough to engage adults and children as they read this book together.

The perfect gift for any family whose Christmas tradition includes reading this classic!

I discovered this book 31 years ago, for my daughter and it is still loved by all the family. The illustrations are wonderful, warm, charming and delightful and bring a special meaning to the story. We still read it to all the young children on Christmas Eve and for adults we read the story and pass a grab bag gift every time the word THE is mentioned. It would not be Christmas without this book. It is magical.

This beautiful book was in my family as a hard cover edition for many years and was a Christmas Eve tradition for my four sons when they were growing up. It's poor battered body disappeared some time after the last of my little ones went off into the adult world. I am so delighted to see it back again, though this time as a nicely affordable soft cover. Clement C. Moore's enchanting story poem already provides an atmosphere filled with warmth and joyful expectation and with the addition of Tasha Tudor's quaint, nostalgic water-colors from an antique New England the Christmas magic is complete!
The winter landscapes fill our senses and Tasha's own gray tabby cat and Welsh Corgi welcome us into this charming world.
Tasha's Santa that you will meet in this book has been portrayed as the poem describes him...a right jolly old elf. He's not that much larger than the corgi and his team really consists of eight "tiny" reindeer. His pointy ears and his Eskimo mukluks add to the delightful ambiance of the book. He dances with the toys and with the happy animals and we can truly believe it will be a happy Christmas for all.
I hope this book becomes a Christmas Eve tradition for many, many more families.

I will not repeat what other reviewers have said about this classic learner's dictionary. It has been a valuable reference for ESL students for many decades. I own several learner's dictionaries published recently (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 4th Edition, Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, and Collins Cobuild 3rd edition) and some of them have features this one does not have. But I still use this dictionary a lot and will continue to use it. I hope a new edition of it will come out soon.

I have recently bought the millenium edition (hardbound) of this book. In my scientific studies (I study Scientology which uses a precise study technology that demands a good dictionary to look up misunderstood words) a good dictionary is vital.
This one has been very helpful to me as it gives precise yet comprehensible definitions. This is maybe the most important point of all.
I found it very easy to look up a word i did not understand and gain a conceptual understanding of that word after a short period of time. The definitions just make sense and are not too complicated and confusing.
It also includes example sentences and idioms and information for the further usage of a particular word.
It also has a section with colored pictures (maps, categories such as clothing, food, animals etc.) that provide a picture of the real thing that the word represents - a quite useful tool for foreigners and non native speakers like me.

If you are currently studying english, reading english texts (but have a limited vocabulary) or just don't want to run into too many complexities when using a dictionary and don't want to be too confused but you just want to know the meaning of a word and understand it, then this is the right dictionary for you.

As it is a dictionary for "learners" it does not include things like etymology and syllables (the only negative points), technical definitions (although it includes some where their appearance is reasonable) etc.

But it includes phonetic symbols at the bottom of each page and has, as all dictionaries, a section wich explains each symbol and abbreviation that can appear in an entry.
If there would appear some symbol or abbreviation in the entry that you wouldn't understand, you would find it easy to find its meaning as everything in this dictionary is exactly where you would consider it to be.
So you don't fool around loosing time and getting frustrated. I think the editors of some dictionaries assume that you already know all these symbols but include their definitions anyway in a very complicated way.

Not with this one.
I highly recommend this dictionary. You can buy it without reservations.
But...you should have a second one with etymologies at hand.

No other book on my bookshelf is more worn out. I use it all the time. When I started to study English I used to use an English / Portuguese (my first language) dictionary but I could only actually improve my English when I started using the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

The dictionary has lots of pictures (over 1700) for words that can be explained but for which a picture is much more effective like "hinge". The words have a pronunciation guide with a mark (') showing the main stress. There are many useful appendixes like irregular verbs conjugation, usage of numbers, punctuation, family relationships and a few colorful maps.

Over 220 usage notes clarify the subtle differences among words such as dealer trader and merchant. Although it's mainly a British English dictionary the differences in spelling, use or pronunciation between American English and British English are stressed.

By far the most interesting feature is the extremely reduced defining vocabulary constituted of 3500 words. The great majority of definitions are written using that reduced defining vocabulary. This simplifies the definitions and it's a great starting vocabulary for the beginners. The use of such a small defining vocabulary rules out the use of this dictionary as a thesaurus but the advantages compensate this drawback.

My copy is a paper back that has been reinforced with adhesive tape. This makes the dictionary lighter and handy. I used to put it on my back pack and take it to all my classes when I started college in USA.

The drawbacks are the need of an additional thesaurus and the fact that the entries are not syllabified. Nevertheless I would give it 10 stars if I could.

Leonardo Alves - December 2000

A lot of celebrity sports figure books are full of ghost writer prose and tired cliche's. Many are entertaining, but like a fluffy dessert. Sweet but only empty calories. Not this one. This is meat and potatoes earned the best way--by hard work. Pat Summitt lets you into her head and heart--the head and heart that has achieved unprecendented success not only with women's basketball teams, but as a person, a leader, and an inspiring figure to these young women--and now to millions of fans. I find my self measuring her with a much larger yardstick than "just" one of the best coaches that ever coached basketball. This lady is a champion and would be at whatever she decided to do. This book is worth reading by anyone from the CEO to the janitor--and they will all enjoy it and be better for it. Review by: John L. Mariotti, former President of Huffy Bicycles and Rubbermaid Office Products, now CEO of The Enterprise Group, and author of "The Power of Partnerships" and "The Shape Shifters" --and a Lady Vol fan!

Having long been a fan of Pat Summitt & the Tennessee Lady Vols, I finally got around to reading this book and I must say it was a real eye-opener. You've seen pictures of Pat on tv & in the newspapers, usually in some player's face during a crucial moment of a game & you might think, "this woman is really tough on her players." Well, guess what? She IS tough, and many of the players that she's been toughest on went on to be championship players in the WNBA after getting their degrees at the University Of Tennessee. Other than building championship teams, Pat's main goal is seeing that her players get their education & graduate. Everyone on the team must sit in the 1st 3 rows in their classes and pay attention. After reading this book, I came away with the realization that she really does care about these young women and always made it a point to assure them of this. At times when she knew she'd really have to lean on a player, Pat would contact their parents to give them a heads up so that there would be no misunderstanding. Pat Summitt grew up tough but fair, not afraid of hard work and expecting alot from others. Her Definite Dozen System is easy to apply in any job, in all walks of life. You just have to be determined to overcome adversity and to face every challenge that comes your way. Highly recommended reading for everyone, not just fans of women's basketball.

"Principles are anchors; without them you will drift." This concept proves to be the underlying theme in Pat Summitt's Reach for the Summit. Summitt, along with Sally Jenkins, describes her numerous experiences as a basketball coach and truly connects both emotionally and mentally with the readers. The various influences Summitt has been affected by, the assorted methods described, and the simple style allows this motivational book to be both effective and inspirational.

In Reach for the Summit, Pat Summitt, head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols, draws upon twenty-four years of experience as a triumphant coach to provide motivational advice for those that want to find success in all areas of life. Structured around her "Definite Dozen" system, each of the twelve chapters covers one rule of achievement. Personal anecdotes, basic ethics, and numerous strategies are used throughout the book to provide a solid foundation for her system. One of the most apparent themes that is stressed throughout the book is the fact that very few people know how to achieve success repeatedly. Many people can win once by getting lucky, following their intuition, or practicing a semi-effective short-term formula. Because people have a tendency to lose sight of their priorities, grow content, and abandon their principles, Summitt's book accurately describes how to build a system of effective methods and stick to them. This book will have a lasting value because of its applicability to almost any situation.

Through her amusing stories and few painful memories, Summitt reveals her failures and truimphs as an amateur basketball player, as an Olympic athlete, as a Division I coach, and as a mother. She has become one of the most successful and highest-paid coaches in the country, despite her birth into a hard-working farm family fromn the backwoods of Tennessee. Candidly describing how she personally turned defeat into victory, Summitt then shows the reader how to do the same. However, the content of the book is primarily composed of basketball related incidents and may prove to be tiresome to those who do not share her same admiration for the sport. One of the most sufficient methods of motivation Pat Summitt uses in this book seems to be her thought-provoking rhetorical questions. "What will you do today to better yourself?" "How will you become a more successful person?" The questions enable the reader to analyze the numerous aspects of his or her life.

The diction of this novel proves to be rather simple and understandable, and this characteristic may further add to the content's effectiveness. Descriptive stories support all of her keys to success, and in addition to being useful illustrative tools, the stories are also entertaining and humorous. For example, Coach Summitt tells the story of a freshman post player's tendency of allowing the ball to get knocked out of her hands. Abby Conklin scores and rebounds well but always let some smaller guard slap the ball away from her. During halftime of one of the midseason games in 1997, Coach Summitt shoves a basketball into Abby's stomach and tells her to hold onto the ball for the remainder of the game, take it home, and then carry is around to all her classes on campus the next day. This particular story illustrates the "Discipline yourself so no one else has to" step. Conclusively, this book's strategies prove to be relevant for anyone who wants to establish higher principles.

Personally, I have found Coach Summitt's inspirational methods to be rather practical. I believe that the information she offers, being based on viable experiences, proves to be quite relevant in my life. After reflecting on her tactics, I have gained a much greater respect for athletes and coaches who work at the collegiate level. Additionally, the motivation I obtained form this book will hopefully elevate my level of achievement in school, sports, and the most important game of all-life.

It's hard to write this review. I hate to throw cold water on anything written by RRM, and I'm actually not. I'm just not giving it the 5 stars as everyone else has. Let me say, I have already read Boy's Life and Swan Song-Swan Song probably being one of the best books I have ever read. I picked up a tattered copy of They Thirst-the reviews were terrific. But I've got to say that this book does not compare to Boy's Life or Swan Song. Had I read it first, or when it was originally written, I probably could have written a better review. But Boy's Life and particularly Swan Song, are such excellent reads that I cannot review They Thirst without comparing them to these other two. Maybe I missed something. I could be wrong, but "They Thirst" seemed a little predictable to me and it bogged down in parts. And it didn't have the..I don't even know how to explain it. The other two were 3 dimensional, in full color, and as brilliant as laser light. This one was more 2 dimensional with faded colors. Perhaps someone who has read all 3 can explain it better than I. Anyway, I gave it 4 stars, but really it's probably closer to 3 and a half. Sorry..

Robert McCammon really outdid himself this time ! I rate this one up there with "Salem's Lot" by Stephen King. In fact, I think it may be a tie. This is one book I would love to see made into a movie. Could be really scary !

"They Thirst" is my favorite fiction book. I first read it back in 1981 or so. I think I fell in love with it because it was the first vampire story I encountered where the setting was a modern-day version. And, of course, the LA scene was very appealing. There is much more to why I like this book so much, but suffice to say that McCammon is a very good writer and handles the vampire topic well. I read Boys Life. That was pretty good. So now I'm reading Swan Song. I like this guy.

"I'll try and do anything and be anything you want if only you'll keep me." This is how "Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery begins.
Anne Shirley is a twelve-year-old girl who is brought to Green Gables only to find they were expecting a boy. The Cuthberts however, are one over by this queer, imaginative girl with bright, red hair and decide to allow her to stay.
Green Gables is a lovely, little farm just outside of a small town on Prince Edward Island called Avonlea. It is surrounded by fields and forests, which hold many surprises for adventurous Anne.
Throughout this book Anne's fierce temper and wild imagination often get the better of her, but she usually manages to squeeze out of these scrapes.
Anne's melodramatic nature and fiery temper keeps you interested as you read this marvelous book.
Montgomery's humorous writing style gives life to the characters so that you feel like you are meeting them in person.
I think that this was a wonderful book filled with humor, drama and tears. I would recommend this book to anyone that has ever had a dream and loves a good book.

first of all, let me begin with I LOVE THIS BOOK! I have read this book more times than I can remember...easily more than a dozen...thus, I am going to set my mind to write a glowing review of it.

This book portrays a stunning sketch of Canadian History and Culture in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The character personalities are so real and so amazingly "human" that one cannot help but fall in love with them. You really get a taste of PEI in its glory.

This story is set in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island (Canada), a fictional settlement which is really Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, the place where Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author grew up.

The main character is Anne Shirley...and eleven year old, enigmatic, imaginative, sparkling, highly intelligent orphan who is sent to Green Gables, a farmhouse in Avonlea, under the impression that she was to be adopted by a pair of elderly siblings, Matthew and Marilla Cuthburt. But, apon arrival to Green Gables, Anne discovers that there had been a horrible mistake...the Cuthburts never wanted a girl...they wanted a boy who could do the chores and help Matthew with the farm. Anne was was in the "depths of dispair". Matthew, on the drive home from the train station had taken a great shine to Anne and had his heart set on keeping her, regardless of any mistake. Marilla, however, was not so easily enchanted. She agreed to let Anne stay at Green Gables on trial, to see if she would behave herself and lend a helpful hand to Marilla. After the trial, Anne is welcomed to Green Gables and flourishes under the love of the Cuthburts and all Avonlea folk. Anne, however, has one big problem. Her Hair. It is a hopeless shade of carrotty red and Anne felt that it was the ugliest hair anyone could imagine. She was extremely sensitive about it and she was horribly embarrassed about it. On her first day of school, Anne's hair was made fun of by Gilbert Blythe, the smartest and handsomest boy in school. "Carrots! Carrots!" he said. Anne's temper got the better of her and she was so angry she broke a slate over his head. After that, for many years, she snubbed Gilbert every time he spoke to her and he developed a boyhood crush on her.

Ah, but to keep this review interesting and the book mysterious, I will stop telling you the story and begin reviewing. The characters in the book are so well-defined that it seems to you that you know every character personally, like an old friend or neighbour.

And by all means, don't let the age recommendation fool you either...this book can be read by all ages alike...and I have no doubt that this book will still be my avid favorite at the age of 85.

The book is not boring, contrary to many opinions of those who read the first chapter of small print and historical settings. The discriptions will place you right into the heart of the story and you find you will laugh and cry while reading this story. Every time I read it I cry at a certain part which I'm not sure if I should reveal to you for fear of spoiling the good parts in the story, but it is dreadfully sad. If you read the book, then you will know what part I am talking about. The one saddest part in the whole story.

Although this book has some old ideas and ways of expressing them, you will learn a great deal of Canadian history through them and there's no doubt in my mind that this book will still be popular decades and most likely even centuries to come.

Anne of Green Gables is one of my all-time favorite books. Anne is a person almost everyone can relate to in some way or another. Anne is launched into the "depths of despair" as soon as she finds out the horrible truth that the Mathew and Marilla really sent for a boy from the orphanage. Her fiery temper gets the better of her at some of the worst possible times. Such as when she vows that she will never forgive Gilbert Blythe for calling her carrots, as if smashing a slate over his head is not enough. This is a wonderful book that L. M. Montgomery has really shown her skill as a writer and novelist in. I have read the entire Anne of Green Gables Series and am also, like another reader, saving them all for my daughter some day. If you want a book that you can thoroughly enjoy, this is the one, although I have one warning that you may have a hard time putting it down.

I am not a Feng Shui Expert, nor did I have any interest in Feng Shui. However, I was at a party over the weekend and noticed this book on the hostesses coffee table and the title intrigued me. I picked it up and began leafing through it. I did not realize that I had spent over an hour off in the corner to myself going through this book until my wife came to retrieve me.

I went out the next morning and bought a copy of the book for myself.

I had always thought Feng Shui was a complex subject and very difficult to understand. I never gave it my credence as I was under the impression that I would have to hire some bohemian woman to come into my home wearing fluffy skirts and spraying incents to get my home into balance. I was mistaken. Just from looking at the back cover of the book and seeing a picture of the Author, I realized my impressions were mistaken.

I found this book very easy to follow, written in simple terms to explain things that were out of my expertise. I enjoyed walking around my home after reading the sections and looking hard at the placement and balance of my home and thinking of ways to improve upon what I already had. I appreciated the author's perspective that I could use what I already had and enhance, altar or decrease as opposed to completely redoing.

Another plus I found with this book was the author's web page and a link to speak/e-mail directly with a professional on the subject for additional questions I had.

I will now keep this book "Back to Balance" on my coffee table for future parties at my home.

- Howard

This easy-to-read non-fiction is hard to put down. Ms. Fretwell takes a fascinating subject that is traditionally hard to follow in books, and puts it into a perspective that I can use in my own life, and in my work as a Realtor. There is such truth and insight into her work. In a very few wors she is able to convey large and confusing concepts about feng shui and the nine star ki personality types that come together and have great meaning. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to make easy improvements in their quality of life.

I scanned Amazon for a Feng Shui book and was intrigued by this one due to the color scheme and write up. I couldn't have been more pleased with my choice.

The author's presentation and easy to follow format, made this a book that I could not put down until I had finished it. Her quote on the back cover "Be inspired to experiment with color, floor plans, lighting, texture, art and much more !" really sums up my feeling after reading this book.

I have always felt intimated to experiment with color schemes that I would like in my home, but have now been "inspired" and begun to change my home's basic settings. I am finding with these changes, my personality is coming out more and have since began using Feng Shui in other aspects of my life.

I am glad I took the time to research a Feng Shui book prior to buying it and am very happy with my selection.