y Harvey Frommer, 1992, 219 pps, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. At one time New York had three major league teams: the Yankees, Giants and Dodgers. What a time! In the days after World War II, some of the most heady times ever in the city, there was one incredible Baseball Decade. From 1946-57 the New York teams owned baseball. Relive the golden days of the 1950s in this amazing account. And loaded with photos and stats that fans love. Here's to you, Jackie Robinson and Joe DiMaggio.

Don't hesitate to buy this marvelous book. It told with an exact and actually atmosphere everything about NYC baseball... when the Giants were called 'Polo Grounders' and the Dodgers 'Da Bums'. The dramatic move also is well explained.

New York City Baseball tells about how the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees dominated the late 40's and early 50's baseball.
I really enjoyed the opening chapters discussing the reasons for the departure of the Giants and Dodgers to the west coast.
It made me feel really in on the move.
The rest of the books talks about the feuds, history and outcomes of the seasons metioned.
Frommer is a gifted writer and it was a pity that the book had to end.
There are some neat photos and I would reccommend this book right up there with Dynasty (about the Yankees).

Review by Matt Mathews. Writer & editor

This book simply defies being categorized. The Serpent's Dance, Book 1 (of a trilogy) seems to be three things at once. First, it is a fictionalized account of the author's experience that portrays a transformational shift from being the victim of circumstances to intentionally creating his world. It integrates the author's experience with ancient wisdom, which results in "ah-ha" experiences for both author and reader.

Second, the book is very entertaining and rich with imagery. I found it difficult to put down. Yannam's vivid descriptions put readers in the middle of the action.

Third, The Serpent's Dance is almost an instructional book. At a minimum, Yannam implies that similar insights and mastery of self are open to practitioners of meditation.

Yannam's descriptions are so vivid it's like you are there. And such insights he has! When our hero gets the green light to move in with a new girlfriend and is given free reign to redecorate her house while she goes on vacation, instead of red flags, he sees an opportunity. Of course when she returns, the confrontation is inevitable. A serpent named Siddhah is Shri's confidant and mentor throughout the book. In conversations with Siddhah, Shri discovers how problems can be opportunities for learning. The serpent illustrates how events actually played out perfectly to reveal the actors' inner needs and unspoken intentions.

Historically, the symbol of the serpent emphasizes knowledge or inner wisdom, with an initially frightening aspect. The serpent is at once both revered and reviled. It exemplifies wisdom and secret knowledge, similar to the wise old man.

In The Serpent's Dance, Book 1, the serpent at first represents the destruction of the author's physical world and his point of view about the "reality" he has experienced in relationships and a near-fatal accident that left his lower half paralyzed.

Shri (as protagonist) has a conversation with the serpent in which he discovers that destruction is necessary for creation to occur. Further he discovers how various problems in relationships and the accident actually served the purpose of manifesting his inner needs or unconscious motivations. In other words, there is perfection in how things turned out that lead to inner development.

Siddhah's secrets seem to echo many of the enlightened perspective of the world's treasured spiritual writings. They actually make sense when presented next to the episodes in the author's life.

I heartily recommend Serpent's Dance for its entertaining and readable style. As Shri fearlessly bares his soul, you just might also learn something about yourself.

Review by Lauren Pickard -- Healer, Single mother.

The Serpent's Dance is a comprehensive dialogue between Shri, the author, and a serpent, the author's chosen spirit form representing our super-consciousness or God-consciousness. This insightful conversation explores the depths of Shri's spiritual transformation through the perspective of his personal relationships.

I came to this book during a time of deep emotional healing. Life is an anthology of relationships, and when you heal one aspect, you automatically open the doors to healing them all. As Shri shares his journey of transcendence, it's an opportunity and an invitation to heal along with him.

The greatest teachers impart wisdom by example. The Serpent's Dance offers any reader an example of how to exist within the dichotomy of life, naturally balanced. It's intimate, comical, and its' vast, colorful concepts of self-mastery are presented in simple terms, with situational references.

This book reflects the innate wisdom within each of us and reminds us that our transformation, or "shedding of old skin," is always unfolding.

Review by Shyamkumar Srinivasan -- Telecom Engineer.

The Serpent's Dance is definitely not another 'run of the mill' book on Self Help. Shri does an excellent job of relating oft repeated ancient truths (the Gita, etc. in my case) as solutions to modern day stresses. He follows a unique approach in examining our deepest emotions, prejudices, likes, dislikes. His approach is secular in nature and free from all dogma (something that is hard to come by these days). The book does not come up with a list of do's and dont's or a magic wand that will brush away all our imbalances. What it does offer are ways at better understanding and de-mystifying our own inner selves. The style followed is one of a conversation between Shri and Siddhah - an imaginary Serpent in the form of a tornado. This could easily represent the reader and the tornado within each one of us.

Shri's formulas will go a long way in helping us better understand ourselves which will result in a better understanding of the universe external to us. This book is a must for every receptive mind.

I would recommend this book for anyone to read, young or old. I, not being a real "big reader", found this book to be very interesting and entertaining. I found the characters to be very real, and could relate to all of them. Even though the book isn't very long, Nicole Bailey-Williams writes this story's plot very well and keeps you wanting to know what's going to happen next. Once again, I really enjoyed reading this book, and I saw a piece of Sky, and some other characters, in myself.

A Little Piece of Sky tells the story of Song Byrd. Song takes a cautious look back over her life, starting with her earliest relationships and in doing so we read a story of triumph. Song deals with an emotionally unavailable mother and later she struggles with the guilt she feels as a result of her mother's death. When her mother dies, she has to live with her father and his wife and adjust to a completely new, but healthier existence. Unfortunately, the scars of the early part of her life don't just disappear and her half sister and brother are additional reminders of the life she left behind. Even as an adult, Song continues to try to heal her wounds and make a life for herself and recover her lost self esteem. The sky is an important theme in this book and it represents hope. As Song shares her story it becomes clear that just a little bit of hope is often enough to carry a person through the most difficult circumstances.

Nicole Bailey-Williams has made a grand entrance into the literary scene with this spectacular novel. She does an excellent job drawing the reader into Song's world and making them share in her experiences through the short passages of prose. While the format of this book is different from the norm, the author's mixture of literary style and prose proved to be just the right recipe for a stellar debut.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay

Song's spirit is wonderfully captivating! The author has artfully transformed the challenges of youth and hard times into the successes of Perseverance, Trust, and Hope!

Uri Gellers latest book "Mind Medicine" is a fabulous book which will transform your whole life. It includes assesment of ancient healing wisdoms, insights into the nature of ill health and also includes healing therapies for the four energy bodies : Physical, mental emotional and spiritual. This book is a must buy for everyone who is interested in the secret of powerful healing.

Mind Medicine is the best meditation guide ever. The meditation excerses given in this book actually work! Other than that, I feel safer now to choose what kind of meditation I want to study and practice. Iwas able to start meditating right away. I am pleased with the results so far. I now meditate regularly. I like this book a lot. Thanks Uri.

What an extraordinary book. Uri's lucid and entertaining style opens up a world of healing which I had scarcely ever imagined. This is more than a book of medicine - it's a lifestyle blueprint. As soon as I finished reading it I turned back to the beginning and read it again - Mind Medicine is destined to be one of the most-thumbed volumes on my shelves. Thanks, Uri

This very well written book by Richard Bernstein is really a must read for either professional or private investors! I particularly recommend that everybody reads chapter 9: "What makes a good analyst?". I'm sure this chapter will bring a blush of shame to many analysts' and portfolio managers' cheeks.

A topic that I would suggest is in the back of investors' minds yet one they aren't willing to address for a variety of reasons. Rich Bernstein brings to light the media's influence on investing decisons and that the "noise" generated by the media distracts us from long term investment objectives. This book is to the point and in layman's terms...a must read for all investors AND financial advisors.

Rich Bernstein is one of the "Wisest" Professionals on Wall Street. While there are a lot of smart people in the investment community that can easily rattle off facts and figures, Rich helps you understand why much of the information is worthless and can even be harmful to an individual investor. "Navigate the Noise: Investing in the New Age of Media and Hype" helps explain how individuals can avoid following the croud, or getting caught up in the news event of the moment. He provides a common sense and thoughful appoach to what information is important to achieving YOUR investment goals and objectives, and not simply following the croud when it comes to making investment decisions. With all the talking heads in the media and investment community Rich Bernstein is a "Breed Apart".
This is one book on investing that can help new and experienced investors stay focused on the information that can make a positive difference to their investment returns.

I found this book excellent! It's a great way for children tolearn, not only about the world's most famous maritime disater, butfor them to also have an understanding of what life was like for the wealthy to have lived during this era. I plan to be a teacher and have already acquired this book and have read it to several children. What a better way to promote history than through a true story, and with the perspective through a bear's eyes. Highly Recommended! If fact, I am doing a rhetorical criticism paper on this book.

Having read virtually dozens of books on the RMS Titanic, I figured a children's book on the topic to be entertaining at best, but certainly not informative. Polar the Titanic Bear was written by Daisy Corning Stone Spedden as a Christmas gift to her son, Douglas. The book chronicles a period of approximately two years in the life of the family's 6 year old son from the point of view of his new teddy bear, Polar. The story begins with Polar's assembly in one of the finer toy stores in North America. Polar is placed on display in a store and purchased as a Christmas gift for Douglas. The reader is then sent on various journeys throughout the world with the Spedden family, culminating with their voyage on and subsequent rescue from the Titanic. What makes this book most appealing is the real life glance into the lifestyle of the affluent family prior to the Depression. Because it was written by a mother to her child with no intention to publish, there is no fluff or marketing appeal added. This book is, in effect, a true-life diary of Pre World War I America complete with pictures from the author's own collection. The book is a touching display of motherly affection for her child. It ends with an epilogue (added for publication) detailing the years following the book's creation. The ending is emotional and sadly tragic. Though written for children, Polar the Titanic Bear is a touching story for readers of all ages and interests.

To me, "Polar, The Titanic Bear" is a precious book because it has so many fascinating dimensions to it. On the one hand, it is a charmingly written children's story about a child's stuffed polar bear and the journeys it takes with it's master around the world, culminating ultimately aboard the Titanic. Second, it is a must have for Titanic scholars as it provides us with insight into the Spedden family that traveled in First Class and survived the disaster by getting into Boat #3. The father, Frederic Spedden, was one of the few First Class male passengers who was so fortunate as so many other men that night died.

But finally, there is the extra poignance that this story takes on because of what it ultimately represents, and that is the love of a mother for her son in writing this book and presenting it to him as a Christmas gift, as Daisy Spedden did for eight year old Douglas. The closing narration of Polar reflects the hopes and wishes all parents have for their children, "I hope he will be blessed with a long and happy life" and then you find out that Douglas, after surviving the Titanic, lost his life just a year later at age nine when he was struck by a car while at his parents summer home. Only the hardest of hard-hearted people could not be moved to tears by learning that. In the end, as we read ultimately of how the Speddens were able to move on from this tragedy in their lives, this helps make "Polar" filled with more insights for adults than the average children's book might have. No Titanic enthusiast can afford to be without this book.

This is a book to savor and let the information and feeling of real aloha sink in. After living in Hawaii for seven years this is the first book I've come across that catches the the magical, mystical essence of Hawaii accurately, and in true island style - with a balance of respect and humor.

Pila has his information down through study, homage to his teachers and direct experience. This is a book about much more than Hawaii for those that have eyes to see and perception to perceive beyond the words.

Pila brings the hidden stories of creation - ancient Hawaiian style - out for us to experience. Much of what he's talking about goes far beyond any particular race or place.

I have given this book as a gift and encouraged others to buy it, (I manage a bookstore). I've received wonderful feedback on same. It's deep, fun and interesting to read, the type of book one doesn't want to end.

This book is a blessing that can and should be read and experienced on many levels.

Aloha and blessings to you, Pila, for your gifts of Aloha and more.

I just bought the book "Secrets & Mysteries of Hawaii" and have read it through once already. (Of course I'm going to read it again). I related to everything that the author said in this book -- I was 'initiated' on the Big Island 6 years ago (during the solar eclipse). I visited several spots of the Island, and got a respectful salutation from Madame Pele. I never got to encounter a kahuna while on the Island, but I had a mystical experience there

Yhe book is "The Secrets and Mysteries of HawaiiY by Pila of Hawaii I wish everybody would be able to read and do the chants Pila presents in his book. They have certainly changed my life, and They will do the same for anyone who use them. I only wish I was able to get hold a recording of them, since I believe they will be even more powerful with the right music or tones.

The Lee's book re-packages the basic teachings of Eastern Mysticism and conveys them to a modern audience. For instance the authors write about a mass spiritual awakening in which humankind finally comprehends the truth -- that "we are all one." This idea of monism has been around for ...well, a long time. In short, there is very little that is 'new' in the Lee's book.

1. The author refer to an energy called "Ki" which they claim is the natural bridge that connects body, mind, and spirit, and is the perfect tool for allowing people to feel and understand the universe's most profound truth. That 'truth' is the idea that everything is one. This they state is the thing, which allows humanity to go beyond current problems into a higher spiritual plane.

2. And it's here that the ideas stumble. Are you having family problems? Are you having work problems? Are you having health problems? The Lee's claim that you are not. You are rather experiencing an illusion. You aren't seeing things correctly. Everything is one. It's all the same. Good and bad circumstances don't exist - just circumstances.

3. See, the book tries to get people to go beyond the categories of ethics. You can't call rape or murder 'bad', because everything is one. The good is the bad and the bad is the good. If everyone would just understand that, then this world would be a better place.

4. However, this isn't ultimately a very satisfying answer. In fact, it's an answer that asks the person to ignore what they know to be true in their heart; that evil is real, the good is real. The Lee's ask their readers to pretend that all is one and to not 'solve' problems, but to see them as not problems at all. This is escapism - It's running from the problem instead of facing it.

5. The Lees ask why this most simple and important truth gone unheeded. For one, it's a very difficult world to live in. It's hard to believe that justice, mercy, hope, love, and goodness and all illusory.

6. The authors sate that the world is in political, religious, economic, and ecological crises of our own making. We need a mass spiritual awakening, in which billions truly realize that we are One. This would transform our world: children wouldn't starve, women wouldn't be brutalized, and young men wouldn't die in battle. I can't agree with their conclusion. People would still starve, and women would still be brutalized, and people would still die in battle, but nobody would care. Why? Because it's all good, because it's all one.

7. The Lees claim that the purpose of life is really no big deal, although people have generally viewed the question, "Why am I here?" as the ultimate in self-exploration. This is true. If someone truly believes all is one, then my life is no more significant than the lives of the bugs on the bumper of my car. The authors teach that we are here on earth in such and such shape, form, and mind to strive for the completion of our spiritual selves, not only as individuals but as the whole. That 'completion' is a recognition that all is one. We are a drop in the bucket. Far from offering hope, this offers hopelessness, and asks that we accept that and come to terms with it.

Using common sense, deep insights and humor, with this new book, IL CHI LEE invites ( the all world to wake up to the real 'REALITY' of the purpose of existence on the Planet Earth. With simple guidance He powerfully remind us to explore and exercise the Divinity from within each of us.
Enough wasting time 'Stuffing' the inside from outside informations. Time for information 'Triage¡¯.
What is inside naturally is all we need to Live, Sense, Appreciate, Respect, Love, Heal, trough simple actions coming from the calling of the Heart and Soul.
The KI Energy language is all we need to listen to. 'From within to out' make ourself available and productive to rebalance our surrounding in the most naturel heartfull way.(for the Planet and it's Habitants.)
He remind us the value and impact of self-discipline, right habits concept, responsibility toward our own actions, the state of physical, mental and spiritual health in order to keep and install Harmony in any given situation, and to bring a positive effect on others and incite them to do the same. He touches subjects of all aspects of 'Life'
[Birth-Growth-Survival-Relationship-Death] and He explains from all sort of view-points[Science-Phylosophy-Theology-History-Technology-Sociology-Ecology-Physical-Spiritual] to remind us the notion of not 'Define' ourself by the 'Differences' but instead by the 'Ressemblances' as being first of all a 'EARTH-HUMAN' following the Cosmic Order to care for the Body,feed the Soul,and grow the Spirit by embracing and breathing 'LIFE'entirely.
We all have the freedom and ability to choose the ultimate way to bring changes in Society's future. Some already started.
S.U.N. is rising because Enlightenment is not the end but the beginning¡¦

Thanks to you Il CHI LEE.

This book is a must read if you want to heal yourself and the world. This book is just one of the reasons Dr. Lee is called the Grand Master. What a keeper. I can't say enought about this splendid book.I know it will be a another best seller.

Like many of the other customer reviewers, I loved this book when I was a child. This book has it all: classic nursery rhymes, stories that don't tax little ones' attention spans, and enchanting illustrations. Names of everyday objects, shapes, colors, numbers, etc. are presented in an entertaining manner - your child won't realize (s)he's being educated!

This book is great for getting your toddler interested in books. My two year old daughter loves reading her "Lellow Book" at bedtime every night, and I look forward to it as much as she does. (If I had the proverbial dime for every time I've read "Chipmunk's Birthday" I'd be richer than Jeff Bezos!)

The only complaint I have is that we've had to glue the spine to the pages several times. I suppose frequent use is a contributing factor, but other reviewers have noted similar binding problems from this publisher. If not for this one drawback, I would have rated this book 6 out of 5.

Like other reviewers, this was one of my favorite books as a child. Since the contents of the book have been covered in other reviews, I wanted to mention a few other things. First, I can proudly say that my 3-year-old son is currently thrilled with my original copy. Second, I believe that this book has much to offer in terms of pre-reading skills. When I pulled this book out for my son last year, I looked through it fondly, and vividly recognized almost all of the pictures. Interestingly, though, I didn't remember the words; I had memorized all of the pictures and created my own stories as a very young child. I was a very early reader; I was reading novels of 300-400 pages in the third grade. I believe that that had much to do with my desire to sit and "read" books on my own as a toddler.

Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever is designed for a child to work through on his/her own. My son "reads" to himself for about an hour each day (self-inflicted!) and he already matches letter sounds to words. I'm not a believer in the genetics argument for most children; I believe that children learn to read early, and learn to have a love for books based on the environment provided for them. This book is a fantastic way to begin to set that environment for your child.

Researchers constantly find that reading to children is valuable in a variety of ways, not least of which are instilling a love of reading and improved reading skills. With better parent-child bonding from reading, your child will also be more emotionally secure and able to relate better to others. Intellectual performance will expand as well. Spending time together watching television fails as a substitute.

To help other parents apply this advice, as a parent of four I consulted an expert, our youngest child, and asked her to share with me her favorite books that were read to her as a young child. Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever was one of her picks.

This book was my daughter's choice night after night during the years from ages 3-6. The stories are all vividly colored, humorous, and reasonably short. They just suited her perfectly.

She would plead after each one, "Just one more story, Dad." (This was after her mother had read to her, as well.) I would read until I had almost no voice left. Eventually, we negotiated that she could pick two stories from this book, and if I was in the mood (and in good voice) we could go up from there. Otherwise, bedtime would have been delayed for hours!

If you don't know Richard Scarry, he has a wonderful, light sense of humor. He usually features intelligent animals, but in human-like contexts. This makes the moral of the story easier for the youngster to swallow, while making the story more interesting. For example, A Castle in Denmark is about the rules that you should follow in a castle (or a house) such as not leaving things on the floor where people can trip on them. Who else would have come up with such a wonderful way to help establish household rules?

The stories in the book contain all the elements needed in a preschool book, with lots of alphabet, numbers, socialization, and charming stories with important lessons attached. The book includes one of my daughter's all time favorite stories, I Am a Bunny by Ole Rison. This story was repeated like a mantra around our house by all four children. It is a great beginning reader story.

The stories vary in sophistication from simple ones to mini-mysteries involving detectives. My daughter especially loved the mini-mysteries.

Here are her favorite stories in the book (in the order they appear):

The Rabbit Family's Home

I Am a Bunny

Work Machines

Pip Pip Goes to London

A Castle in Denmark

Couscous, the Algerian Detective

Officer Montey of Monaco

Pierre, the Paris Policeman

The Country Mouse and the City Mouse by Patricia Scarry

Schtoompah, the Funny Austrian

From a value perspective, it is much less expensive to buy these stories in this form than to get them in the various Richard Scarry books. Of all the story books we bought for our children, this one was definitely the best value. I suspect it only cost about a penny per hour used. Running the television costs more than that!

Some readers have complained about the binding. Ours is a little loose in back after four years of hard use. For such a thick book, that's about par for the course. If your child is a hard user of books, you may want to get a new copy at some point.

After you have finished enjoying this book for the 4,317th evening in a row (if you have a large family), I suggest that you think about how these stories could be made even funnier by changing the context. For example, a castle in Denmark could become Cinderella's castle after she married the prince. What rules do you suppose Cinderella would have wanted to have? In this way, you and your child can exercise your imagination to have even more fun.

Take great stories and build on them . . . together with your child!

This book was difficult to put down. Of all of the books I've read regarding the subject of reincarnation, I found this one to be the most interesting. Most of the time, when a book is written about the after-life, it's someone who has had a near-death experience. The aurthor of this book was experiencing this "astral plane" of the after-life while he was dreaming, and found comfort after he contacted his beloved brother who had passed on. Many a person may scoff at the notion, and think this is a good piece of entertaining fiction. If so, so be it. However, if you have more of an open mind, it makes you think . . .

I was recommended this book by a friend who'd lost her boyfriend in a motorcycle accident. I must say that it was one of the most enjoyable and inspirational books I have ever read.

I must admit that I was a little suspicious about how accurate the descriptions of life in the spirit realms are, especially as the writer used a nom-de-plume and nobody seems to know much about him. However since then I have done a great deal of reading and talking to a lot of people who have had similar out of body experiences, and nothing yet has contradicted anything mentioned in the book. In fact, everything has correlated perfectly with the personal experiences I've come across.
Another good thing about it is that it's written in a pretty matter-of-fact way and doesn't push any particular religious point of view or have any axe to grind.

I recommend it very highly indeed for its enjoyment and inspirational value.

I was housesitting a friends place in 1978 when I came across this book. Even though I hadnt lost anyone close to me - I found it a revelation. Since then I have lost a son, my Grandmother and Grandfather, a very close friend and an Uncle. This book inspired a life passion as I have read hundreds of books regarding re-incarnation, the cosmos, angels, life on other planets etc. But this story and title has remained in my memory forever. I intend searching for it until I find a copy - to read it again, 21 years later. So much has changed. It will be an even better read now that all this time has passed, and Ive experienced more of life. In 1978 A Souls Journey introduced me to a topic that has become a major source of interest for me; for that I am eternally grateful.