If you think that the Ivy League is the only place for a decent higher education, think again. Joanne McClellan Egnor's career teaching at a Florida community college reveals that a lot of people (both students and teachers) with superior intelligence and drive effectively use community colleges as places of higher learning. However, it is the lessons about life related by Ms. Egnor that endear her to her readers. Her book is funny, realistic, practical and makes the reader contemplate what truly constitutes a genuine education. I can't wait for her next book!

What a wonderful book of real life vignette's; all tucked into a neat package that flows with her personal experiences; topped off with a bow of humor that made this a delightful book to own and a joy to read. J. Egnor captured a sense of Community College life that I never was aware of on my way through school. J. Egnor writes in such a creative way that I felt she put me in her situations. Her humanistic and direct approach, into a learning institution, was refreshing and puts REAL face's on the people who teach and guide so many people through Community College's. Great book. Could not put it down. Every page was a new experience. PS: Sent a copy to my mom and she told me basically the same thing over the phone. She loved it too.!

Come and help yourself to some Crispy Piffles, Joanne's light and crunchy vignettes from 30 years of college employment. Experience shared wisdom features the author's flashes of humor. Teachers and students alike will welcome this account of college life. (Adapted from the editors, Vantage Press).

If you have ever looked for a devotional that brings you closer to our Lord Jesus Christ, than this is the right one.
Neil T. Anderson explains what the gospel of grace is all about. It will really set you free from any form of legalism.
You will enjoy it if you want to live a life in the full freedom that Christ has provided for you.

This is a wonderful devotional, however, you can receive the exact same daily messages via e-mail from crosswalk.com.

This is more than just a devotional guide. It is a book that will help you understand who you are in Christ. It will reveal to you your wonderful position as a child of God and the authority you have over the world, the flesh and the devil as a son of God.

Ashley Wolff is my favorite illustrator and I have ALL of her books (including out of print ones, and sorry, I'm not selling!). This book, along with "home sweet home," has a strong message of reverence for nature and caring for its treasures. My two daughters love to look at the richly detailed illustrations and discover all the wildlife "hidden" in the pictures. On each page dozens of creatures lurk in the shadows, begging to be found. The text is melodic and meaningful, and could be read quickly, if not for the illustrations which cause you to linger and delight in the joy of discovery. This book is a must have! Also makes an excellent gift -- you will be praised for your good taste in art and children's literature.

Looking for a way to introduce your toddler to the awe, beauty and magic in nature? If you are a parent, grandparent or caregiver who hopes to share a love for mother earth with your child, then this is a perfect book to set the stage. My two and a half year old loves this book--the illustrations are beautiful and fun to discuss. I love reading it with him because I feel it helps convey our values and teaches him to respect all living things. I love the last few lines, in talking about animals in nature: Be aware of them, take care of them, be watchful...let them be. Truly a treasure!

Here's a picture book filled with vivid colors of Ashley's Wolff's scenes of a child's view of the natural world. Minimal text by Joanne Ryder accompanies each picture with reminders to watch out for each living thing. Whether it's a spider's elegant web, wriggling worms, snapping crabs, bears in the woods at dusk, owls and bats taking wing at night this book encourages children to be watchful, take care of them, let them be. My kindergarten age daughter enjoys picking out all the animals hiding in each picture! Your family will enjoy this book as much as mine does.

This book is wonderful, especially for parents who have school-age children. Turansky and Miller explain why expressing anger when children misbehave is detrimental to relationships and how to respond to misbehavior in a way which will bring about change from the heart. They discuss the difference between obedience and honor and explain how parents and children can honor each other. The bad attitudes in our family are melting away.

This is the best stuff on parenting I've seen (and I've seen a lot of Christian materials). Most of the parenting books I've read agree with what the authors say about parenting, they just don't tell us HOW to do it. This book does!!

I have been praying about what to do regarding some undesirable behaviour in my children (and in myself), and this book is the answer to those prayers! It is worth every penny.

With all of the "How To" manuals out on parenting, it is hard to know which will be the most helpful in rearing children. After reading several books on this subject, I have found "Eight Secrets to Highly Effective Parenting" to have the most APPLICABLE techniques and principles. For example, after reading the first three chapters, I began using some of the "Secrets" on discipline and I witnessed an immediate change in how my two year old was responding to my correction. It took me one night of reading these chapters and I was able to use the methods right away. The other thing I appreciated about this book is that it is very easy to read because it gives examples of situations we all face with our kids. I have already given copies of this book to family members! Get this book! The "Secrets" work!

Offering no soft, simple answers, this book gives a troubling look at many different views of dying in America. A necessary read for anyone interested in not just the spiritual side of dying, but the practical, political, difficult aspects of dying.

When I started reading books on dying (Final Gifts by Maggie Callanan, Patricia Kelley; The Grace in Dying by Kathleen Singh), I read books that gave me hope and comfort in dealing with my own mortality. This book made the hair on my neck rise up.

It begins by shattering illusions (the ones I'd built up) about having a pain-free, easy death. There are insurance companies, personal opinions, differing agendas of a variety of institutions that come into play.

In short, some people have an easier death than others. Webb writes in an easy to read, article style. She begins with a chapter called "Dying Easy", about the nearly beautiful, fairly comfortable death of Judith Hardin, who at 36 dies at home with her husband and children.

"Dying Hard," is based on Webb's personal interviews and experiences with the death of Peter Cicione. Cicione died a death more painful than it needed to be, largely due to medical staff's fears that this dying man was misusing morphine, might overdose or use so much medication that the drugs would no longer be effective (not true).

In "The Sorcerer's Apprenctice" and "When Death Becomes a Blessing," Webb focuses on the history of medical control of pain, the prolonging of life with new medical techniques and modern pain control through the works of Dr. Kathleen Foley, director of neurology pain service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Foley estimated that 5% of the patients she was seeing were "in unassuageable pain." Webb's conservative estimate offers that "109,500 people a year die with unrelieved suffering." Much of this is due to outdated information, old rules, and misunderstandings about how much medication a dying person in severe pain can and should get. She offers the possibility that terminally ill patients who want to commit suicide or look for assistance in dying might not do this, if their pain could be properly handled.

She has chapters about the legal conflicts for families who want comatose relatives off of life-support systems, with detailed information about Karen Quinlan and Nancy Cruzan's cases and the affects on their families long after these women died.

"Bearing the Burden" focuses on what happens to the lives of families with a terminally ill member - "The sad secret that many don't want to admit is that care at home, wonderful as it can be in helping a patient to a good death, is hard on families. Home care may allow for those close, intimate, late-night times with the dying family member...but there are also the difficult times: changing diapers, losing sleep or feeling intense anxiety because the patient is in pain or can't breath..."

This first half of the book is tough reading, but necessary - for there is still a lot of work to be done to make dying easier. The second half of the book deals with hospice; assisted dying (suicides); spirituality in dying.

She closes with 10 common factors 'good deaths' have - 1) open, ongoing communication with doctors, patients, families 2) preservation of the patient's decision-making powers for as long as possible 3) sophisticated pain control 4) limits on excessive treatment (medical interventions, per the patient) 5) focus on preserving the patient's quality of life 6) emotional support 7) financial support 8) family support 9) spiritual support 10) patient isn't abandoned by the medical staff even when curative treatment is no longer required.

She also has 10 changes, which she believes need to be made to change the culture of dying from a cold, hospital-set detachment to a family affair. These encompass everything from expanding health insurance to cover needs currently not met, to legalization of assisted suicide.

If you have given little thought to some of the darker sides of dying, focusing as I have on the spiritual and more uplifting side, this book offers a lot of food for thought. Well-written, easy to read, disturbing.

Even if you have different opinions than Webb has (about assisted suicide, for example), this book is a good read to investigate the other side's information and arguments.

"The Good Death" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy." http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy

The Good Death provided me with information that everyone should know! If you have a loved one facing a trminal illness this is the book that you should read. I was especially grateful for the information about pain management, about what to expect, and to learn why we fail so often in this country to make people comfortable in their final days, how our "war on drugs" has tied the hands of doctors and resulted in dying patients being under medicated, often times grossly under medicated even hospices, and what you can do to insure that your loved on will not suffer.

Alexander Hamilton is one of the most important, most misunderstood and most under studied Americans ever. He is the central figure in establishing the Federal Bank, as different as it is today from what it was then. He is responsible for the majority of the Federalist Papers, the most important documents produced in support of the Federal Constitutuon and the heated debates it entailed. But another thing most people don't know is that he is an American Revolution hero, serving, with distinction under Geroge Washington, receiving his highest praise and becoming his right hand man. He is the most elegant and gifted of writers. To understand his beginnings, read Alexander Hamilton: American by Richard Brookheiser, and understand the humble beginnings he was born into, working as a store clerk in the West Indies, educating himself in America and turning himself into one of the Americans who has a true grasp on the English language. His politics aside, he was a brilliant man. He was a gentleman and he was honest. He was a mna full of pride and great courage. He refused to let himself be bad mouthed, accepting Aronn Burr's duel, but he refused to fire at his opponent, instead firing into the air. A very honourable end to a great American. His writing are essntial to understand his life and his mind, his political orientation and lifelong goals. Not only that, but this is great literature. This receives my highest recommendation.

With this volume, the Library of America continues its project presenting the best of American culture and thought in an accessible way.

The subject of this volume is Alexander Hamilton. Although John Adams has frequently been regarded as the least understood of the Founders, Hamilton has his own plausible claim to this honor. History has not treated Hamilton kindly. He has certain obvious flaws in terms of arrogance,temper, and judgment.These flaws are amply revealed in this collection of writings. Hamilton, nevertheless, has much to teach us about government and about our country. This collection of his writings is a treasure.

At the outset, I was reluctant to begin a project of reading this volume through in its entirety. As my reading progressed, I couldn't put the volume down.

The book covers all phases of Hamilton's political and personal life, from its beginnings in what is now the U.S. Virgin Islands to his death at age 49 in the notorious duel with Aaron Burr. The heart of the book begins with Hamilton's role in the Constitutional Convention, in which he advocated for a strong Federal government and, in particular for a strong Executive. The book continues with Hamilton's 51 contributions to "The Federalist" in which he explained the Constitution to the people of the State of New York in terms which remain a seminal exposition of the basic governing document of the United States. Again the focus is on the need for a strong central government with a will and ability to act for the public good.

Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury. This book gives us long selections from his work in which he advocated forcefully for having the Federal government pay the Revolutionary War Debt, for founding the Bank of the United States, and in promoting industry in the fledgling United States. These works divided Hamilton from Jefferson and Madison and became the basis of partisan politics in the United States.
In defending the constitutionality of the National Bank from attacks from Jefferson and Madison, Hamilton set the foundation for an expansive view of the power of the Federal government under the constitution. This view was controversial in its time and remains so. Hamilton's position, however, has largely come to prevail over the years and is an important basis for our governmental structure as it has developed over time.

The book includes Hamilton's public confession of an adulterous affair, his criticism of John Adams which divided and doomed the Federalist party, and Hamilton's own political career, and documents regarding Hamilton's fatal duel with Aaron Burr.

There is much to be learned from this book. Hamilton was a paradoxical figure both behind and ahead of his time. This is a valuable work for understanding our country. Kudos to the Library of America for allowing us to learn.

With this volume, Alexander Hamilton assumes his rightful place in the ranks of the Library of America -- not only as a key historical figure in the founding of the Republic, but as a master of political argument and writing. With care and sensitivity, Prof. Joanne B. Freeman of Yale University has assembled the best and most comprehensive one-volume Hamilton collection ever assembled -- but she has done something even more important: She has presented us with a thorough, judicious, and enlightening documentary life of Hamilton. This book will be indispensable to anyone who wants to understand the origins of the Constitution, of the American economy, and of the nation's political system and public life. It also will be indispensable to anyone who wants to understand Alexander Hamilton as a political, constitutional, and economic thinker, as a key shaper of American government and public policy, and as a human being.

-- R. B. Bernstein, Adjunct Professor of Law, New York Law School

This book is very fun to read and of particular interest to toddlers. I absolutely love Barbara Reid's plasticene illustrations. The poetry in the book is wonderful. The book takes about 5 minutes to read, and it is easy for a young toddler to join in. The text is repetitious without being monotanous.

It is one of my 22 month old's favorite books.

This charming little book uses alliteration, assonance, and rhyming words to describe various types of birds and how they live. The sentences are written in poetry that's cadence and structure enhances the types of birds being discussed. The claymation illustrations are playful and capture children's imagination, but without distracting from the focus of the book's lessons. A fun book to read.

My two year old adores birds, and of all of our bird books, this is one of his absolute favorites. I'm not sure how much of the text he understands, but the illustrations, done in clay art, are beautiful, and he loves to identify the various species.

I don't mind reading it over and over because the poetic text stands up to intense rereadings and I love the cadence and rhythm of the text. The author has managed to emulate the careening freedom of flight by the flitting, dipping, racing style of her poetry. This is one of those books I wish we had in hardcover.

I'm a mom of three home-schooled girls, and I bought the book for them. I decided to read the first few pages to make sure that the reading level was appropriate for my oldest. I couldn't put it down! From the very beginning, the author gets you interested in this Hittite young man. The descriptions of the battles were interesting without being upsetting to children. Besides battles, there are horses, spies, lots of interesting information about what it might have been like to live during this time in history, and some good plot twists.

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...at the enormity of the sacrilege.'

Hittite Warrior tells about a Hittite boy, Uriah Tarhaund, and his adventures after his family is killed by the Greeks, or as they are refered to, the 'Sea People'. Told by his father, he promised to go to Siseria, a man in Canaan. He is brought to Tyre to be rewarded for saving a merchant from thieves. He is 'adopted' into the family. One of the servants of the merchants father, Ethbaal, saves a child from being sacrificed to their God, Moloch. Forced by the servant, Jotham, to come with him, he lives with Jotham's Hebrew tribe for a while. Keeping his promise, Uriah went to Siseria but was captured on the way. After being released he took part in defending Canaan from the Hebrews. He loses the battle and retreats across the river Kishon to Dor in the company of another soldier. He returns to Ethbaal to save his daughter, Mehitable, from the Philistines. The end of the story is very touching. I found the tale extremely intriguing. It had some facts regarding the structures of buildings, the chariots, etc... There is, for those of you who like war, a battle in the story. I find it a very good book for a person in their early teens.

I also recommend: The Cat of Bubastes (G. A. Henty), For the Temple (G. A. Henty), The Golden Goblet (Eloise Jarvis McGraw)

Takes an obscure period, and an obscure people and makes an interesting story. Historical fiction such as this is much more fun than textbooks. It's very readable with enough action to keep the attention of young readers. This clarifies who the Hittites were, where they lived and what happened to them.

Let me start by letting you know I am not a teacher. However, I read this book and felt it is not just for teachers of children, but for anyone who has or deals with children on a regular basis. I found it insightful and useful as a parent in planning leasons to help my child excel in education. It is a must read for anyone who finds themself in the company of children.

This book was probably the best read of all the education books I've read. As a new teacher, everyone has an opinion on how things should be. JoAnne Hindley's approach is a model for me, one that I hope to live up to.It just makes sense.

My friend Annie and I were inspired by Joanne`s book,along with another book by Ralph Fletcher.We are writing a book about children`s writer`s notebooks,and how children write.Since we are kids,we know alot about this topic.I have read parts of Joannes` book,and it helped me alot.Joanne is my teacher,and without the book,she`s taught me alot about writing.In fact,without her,I wouldn`t know what a writer`s notebook was.

I am a Sign Language interpreter. I am with deaf people every day. This book is a wonderful, accurate account of how many deaf people feel about the hearing world.
Hearing people will never be able to understand how frustrating a deaf person's life often is. It is hard to have to go through an interpreter for all your business and often private transactions.
This book beautifully told the story from both sides, and I highly recommend it to anyone.
Thank you.
Marsha Binau

We all have signs, in spoken language, in the way we behave, in the way we act..... And the signs are important to understand ourselves and to understand others.

In this book Joanne Greenberg tells the story of a deaf couple and their hearing daughter. The story is so sad, I have cried alot, and at the same time I learn so much from the book. Janice and Abel are both deaf and because of a misunderstanding early in their married life, a misunderstanding because they are unable to hear, their lives make a tragic turn. This change their lives dramaticaly, and takes away most of the beauty. Their daughter can hear, and becomes the link for Janice and Abel to the world of hearers, a world they don't understand and don't trust.

This is the story about Janice and Abel who live in their own world. A world of signs. Signs they are ashamed to show. They are quite young when they leave deaf school to marry, and the book is a heartbreaking story of their fight for their lives in the hearing world.

A book you will learn alot from, a book you can't put down once you have started.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

This book has a strange impact on the soul. It's a story thatmight be described as about deafness, since it's the story of deafcouple, their hearing daughter, and their struggles through life. And yet the comment I hear most frequently about this book--from old and young, women and men, those who can hear and those who can't--is this: "I could relate." It was the same way with me. As I read this book I kept thinking..."that's like my family--thats like MY parents--that's like me." This book isn't JUST about deafness...it's about what separates us, about the walls we put up around ourselves and how to break them down. The characters aren't heroic and they aren't extraordinary. They live, go to work, go to school, cry, laugh, have children, make and lose friends...and you can't put their story down because it's too much like yours. I never wanted to read about life, just life, until I saw it so well portrayed.