I've been reading this book to my daughter for years (she's 4 now). It's a simple story, beautifully illustrated that touches on shyness, friendship and helping others.

Our 22 month old daughter loved the book the moment we read it. This is a wonderful story about a rabbit offering to help a bird hide away from the rain and becoming a good friend. We re-read it 5 times in the first sitting and this book continues to be a staple bedtime read.

This is a darling story of how a bunny and bird become friends. The pictures are soft and look like water colors. I have read this book to my preschool children (4-5 year olds) and they loved it! It is a great story to introduce spring, or reinforce friendship and helping. It is a wonderful story and I recommed it highly.

In "1982 Janine," the protagonist, Jock McLeish, an alcoholic security installations supervisor, indulges in sado-masochistic fetishistic fantasies in his lonely hotel room. The fantasies--which have been refined since childhood--involve a regular cast of characters: "Superb," --" a ripe housewife in her early 40s" sometimes known as Joan or Terry--a married woman whose affair inevitably leads to bondage, Max--Superb's ineffectual and cuckolded husband, and of course, Janine--she's shorter and slighter than Superb--and much more pliable. Other minor characters invented by Jock include: Big Momma (she likes to wear leather) Helga, von Strudel, Stroud, and Charlie--Superb's lover--he acts as Superb's instructor, and he likes to discipline.

Jock Mcleish amuses and distracts himself with the fantasies which can be rewound and replayed until they are perfected. Interspersed with these fantasies are glimpses of Jock's real, far-from-perfect life. Jock desperately squashes these painful memories with more fantasies and alcohol. Unfortunately, for Jock, his fanstasy women bear rather uncanny resemblances to the real women in his life, and Jock's fantasies occasionally slip into reality as the fantasy women repeat phrases and incidents from his past.

Fantasy allows Jock to create a world in which he maintains control, but his real life is flawed, full of mistakes, and laced with regrets. In reality, his sexual experiences are rather sparse--and that's putting it mildly, but he does lead a rich fantasy life, and it is through this other life, that Jock attempts to work through his unhappiness by creating a world in which he controls the players.

I loved this book--it was original, and written with bold, brilliant style. "1982 Janine" is a serious commentary on human sexuality--its functions and importance in life, and Jock represents the millions of lonely people who lead unsatisfying and lonely lives while drowning their sorrows with alcohol and trying desperately not to think about life--the mistakes they've made, and the regrets they nurse. No doubt "1982 Janine" is offensive to some, but to me, it was fresh, brave and funny--in a rather odd way. It is not pornographic as some critics claim, and the style reminded me quite a bit of James Joyce's "Ulysses."--displacedhuman--Amazon Reviewer--

1982 Janine is set in the consciousness of a middle-aged inspector of security systems, holed up in a small Scottish hotel with a bottle of whisky, trying to have sexual fantasies. So far, so unpromising. The trouble is, his memories of his (far from satisfying) life keep getting in the way. And so the book continues, with Jock's baroque and teeth-gratingly embarrassing fantasies (big-breasted women in leather skirts, behaving badly) displaced more and more frequently by the shabby and unflattering truth - Jock is aware that he is a small, not very brave man who has spent his life making bad decision after bad decision. Eventually he swallows a bottle of sleeping pills. And that's not even the third last chapter, so I'm not spoiling anything for you. This is a brilliant novel - Gray's style is (as ever) classical, measured and almost pedantically correct, but it fits Jock as well as the three-piece suits he's worn since his college days. There are some barkingly insane typographical maneuvres in the wake of the pill-swallowing episode, but that's all just to set up what comes next. The comedy is grim and the sadness is awful, but there's real catharsis there for those who can appreciate it. My favourite of Gray's novels - leaner and tougher (if not as wild and ambitious) than Lanark, and less whimsical than much of his later work. The paperback edition is completed with his now-characteristic inclusion of snippets from the book's worst reviews.

This book offers an easy way to write a simple will without hiring a lawyer. The forms were well organized with at least two different examples shown for each. My only recommendation is BEFORE you begin filling in the forms, have your thoughts organized ahead of time. Some forms must be photocopied in advance because more copies are needed than the two provided. Overall, a great book that I highly recommend.

If you are like most people you don't have a will. This book is a painless way to start with its fill-in-the-blank forms. The explanations are very thorough, never leaving you guessing what to fill in. Each form has multiple examples for you to see what a finished page should look like. Please make the effort to protect your loved ones from the grief of sorting through your possessions after you die.

This is a great book because of the adventures envolved in it. It was full of excitment and humor. It is about a boy going into the southwest (in the 60's) with his older brother searching for his Uncle Clay who he has not seen in years. I enjoyed this book because it kept me reading all of the time.

The Big Wander is a humorous, thoughtful trip through the American southwest amidst the tumultuous 60's. If that era wasn't enough to fuel the author's creative palette, our hero, Clay, is euphorically approaching adolescent replete with starry eyed infatuation and an all-to-well-remembered awkwardness in his approach to young ladies. The novel sets out as an summer adventure ("The Wander") for Clay and his older brother, Mike. But, the story strays from its origins and delights the reader with its creative insight into the workings of a young teenager's imagination; too young to give up John Wayne, but well on the way to his first lovesick romance. Natural beauty, native american lore, and the love and loyalty of distant family are woven into a rewarding tale. The plot is best shared with a young reader, an excellent bedtime "chapter book" for Dad to read each night. Oh, I imagine the rigidly fixed realist may have problems with the unfolding of events that defy a likely outcome; but the child you read to (and the one kept deep inside) will receive each and every adventure Clay encounters with a smile, a giggle, and a brief reflection on life as they have known it.

This book is an abridged edition of Maturin's longer work titled "Self-Knowledge and Self-Discipline," and includes minor revisions to the original text. Maturin's book is comprised of nine chapters, each with a prescriptive title requiring action from the reader as follows: 1) Develop self-knowledge; 2) Discipline yourself; 3) Abide by the laws of the spirit; 4) Train your will; 5) Control your thoughts; 6) Strive for balance; 7) Govern your body; 8) Sacrifice the good for what is better; 9) Persevere.

According to Maturin, Christian self-mastery is based on two spheres of knowledge: knowledge of God and of ourselves. "To know God is to know self" (pg. 6). He emphasizes in Chapter 1 our self-ignorance and how we can attain to self-knowledge, which he distinguished from self-analysis. We must also test our self-knowledge and learn to examine ourselves in the light of Christ. In Chapter 2, he clears up confusion regarding the nature of sin and points out that no human faculty is bad in itself but can be misdirected. "When we take these God-given powers and use them for an unworthy end, we sin" (pg. 41). We must turn our God-give powers to the good. He also states that the true principle of all Christian self-discipline is the same one that inspired Christ who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross. Discipline is a means to a glorious end, not an end in itself. Maturin also admonishes us to subdue our rebellious will. Here is where the reader must carefully study and compare chapters because throughout the remainder of the book, he attributes the will to the "law of the members" that is under the "law of habit" and the "law of sin". Chapter 3 distinguished between four laws as presented by the apostle Paul in the book of Romans: the law of the members which ties into the law of sin, and the law of the mind (the conscience) which ties into the law of the Spirit of Life that leads one to Christ. Chapter 4 introduces the law of habit and the law of perseverance. The former is tied to the body (the law of the members) whereas the latter, in the sanctification process, is tied to the soul (the law of the mind). Here it is emphasized that choosing the good grows easier with habit through perseverance. This chapter introduces the concept of character and explains how there are many forces that form it. Also, Maturin points out that one's character will last beyond this life. One critical point to remember here is what he calls the one measure of every character which is addressed by the following two-fold question: "Does the will strive after what the man believes to be right, or does it deliberately and consciously choose what he believes to be wrong?" He continues: "The answer that his life gives to these questions will enable us to form a very good estimate of his character." Although Maturin attributes the will to the law of the members, he is addressing the soul throughout the book which implies that the soul has a will of its own that either strives to do good or deliberately chooses what it believes to be wrong. The "will of the flesh" must be subdued by the will of the soul. In fact, in Chapter 7 we are told to submit our flesh to our spirit. Another area that will require careful study is how Maturin uses the terms flesh and spirit, on the one hand, and body and soul on the other. They are not necessarily synonymous, so one must look at the context to determine how these terms are used because he doesn't clearly define them. Chapter 5 is paramount. Here Maturin notes that our thoughts color our experience, but we can drive out bad thoughts with good ones and the mind can be trained to habitually choose certain thoughts. Controlling one's thoughts requires prudence. Also, the memory and imagination are important guides that should not be abused.

Chapter 6 introduces the concept of balance not only internally, within one's soul, but also externally among one's relationships. He also wisely points out the positive use of the emotions, including hate and anger. Chapter 7 discusses the physical body and the proper, balanced care of it and how it relates to one's resurrected body. He also says we should deny it whatever weakens our soul's union with God. Chapter 8 notes that mortification isn't an end in itself. He also points out the balance necessary to understanding how life and death relate to the Christian walk. We must be ready to "die" to rise to a higher state of life. Life progresses through death as we surrender to God's grace and Christ imparts divine life to us. Chapter 9 is the shortest one and reiterates the fact that life is the school of character and we need to persevere. This is a favorite book of mine because of it's loving exposition on the important subject of self-mastery.

Father Maturin outlines a guideline in which a person may master the skills of self discipline for a life time.
The insight and knowledge is with merit as a tool for living.
If one should wonder about the necessity for such a tool, the book offers the human physic at its norm and assists it to evaluate it to its best ability and self control.

I am the webowner of the Mental Health Sanctuary and added a story to this book. When the book came out and I was able to read other's stories, not only was the book very interesting to read, but it helped to comfort me, realizing that what I endured in my life was shared by many people. I felt so much less alone as I read other people's stories - their hardships, their pain and how they worked through it - what gave them strength, etc.

If you are hurting and you are feeling alone and perhaps that there is no way out in your life, this book is for you. If you are a family member and you are having a difficult time understanding your loved one, this book is for you

I could not put this book down. Each person's poignant story gave me a new understanding and compassion for mental illness of all kinds. I believe it will go a long way in healing the fear and stigma surrounding those who suffer from this kind of illness. As John Brown states in his introduction, "No one feels more lost, alone, misunderstood, confused, and hopeless than someone experiencing a depressive episode. This book will not only benefit the patient; it will also aid their family members, who are just as confused and bewildered."

This is a deceptively simple book, quite easy to read, yet potentially transformative. It offers insights, helps and provocative questions that, if carefully considered, can help one navigate the especially difficult currents of holiday grief. It does an excellent job of normalizing predictable crises related to grief during the holiday season, and offers a pathway through the experience with sensitivity, compassion and wisdom.

This book is one of the best I've seen on grief--especially at the holidays. The author has gathered thoughtful quotes and draws on experience as a counselor and pastor to offer practical, heartfelt suggestions on dealing with grief. I've given this book many times as a gift to friends who are facing the holidays without a loved one. I highly encourage the use of this book!

This book doesn't just tell you to improve your life, it shows you how in simple steps that anyone can follow. I learned many things about myself and the people around me that I never knew! This book changed my life!

It was wonderful, how the author shared what he'd learned throughout his life on overcoming obstacles and moving forward! It made me take an honest look at myself and is teaching me to take control of my life! Most importantly, it's giving me the courage to make some important decisions in my life!

Mr. Ajani is a true renaissance man. He writes with the brain of a project manager and with the heart of a spiritual guru. His last book "Extreme Project Management" had me taking notes immediately. This one is goes far beyond. He has captured the fact that we are all struggling and in need of a parachute, life preserver, or something. Things are moving too fast and our life skills haven't kept pace. For your lifesake, you must read this book!

Eric Tribune Review:

I had the advantage of acquiring this book from the publisher. I find it necessary to write this, so the reader can get the most out of the book.

Shaun Ajani starts the book, just like any other self help/meta-physical book. By a longer then usual introduction, and almost a step by step description of how you can get what you want. It was just at the border of getting boring, when it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I suddenly realized that I was being taken on a ride. Before I even realized, I was actually doing everything that I was supposed to manage my life! This book is absolutely a perfect example of a self improvement book, because it actually helps you as you read.

A positively great read. E.R Tribune