In high school I pulled this book off the shelf and started reading. I couldn't put it down, checked it out, and finished it that evening at home. I came back and re-read it many times. Then our high school built a new library and the books were all moved. I couldn't even remember the title of the book, because I knew it only by its location on the shelf. I knew it had something to do with "Survive" or "survivor". but now, finally, I've found it! It's riveting, fascinating, unbelievable that it's a true story.

I, like another reviewer, had read this book when it first came out. I had bought the paperback sometime in the 70's and like the other reviewer read it from cover to cover in one sitting. Lauren's experience surviving the incredible hardships of the plane crash, dealing with her planemates fates and then her incredible journey down the mountain made me realize how strong-willed we humans can be when it comes down to the challenges she faced climbing down that sheer mountain with her injuries, hallucinations and no underpants! Since I lost the original paperback I owned,I ordered the book again last week (Nov. 2002); it arrived in the mail last night and once again riveted by Lauren's incredible experience read it through in one sitting! I only have two questions now..Now that Lauren is in her 50's like me, whatever happened to her? did she end up with her boyfriend Jim? Did she ever have any long-term problems with the crash? And alright, three questions, why hasn't anyone made a motion picture out of this incredible story?!!!

Lauren Elder, with the help of ghost writer Shirley Strashinsky, tells the story of a light plane crash in the Sierra Mountains in California.

Lauren is a likeable young woman, something of a Bohemian artist-type, who on a whim takes up an offer to be the third passenger on a little Cessna, making the trip from San Francisco to Death Valley. The pilot is confident and competent but has only some 300 flying hours -- he mistakes the pass through the Sierras and Lauren, sitting in the back seat and enjoying the view of mountains all round, turns forward to see a wall of granite moving towards them! When she wakes up, she finds they've crashed: the crumpled plane is lying on a precarious slope a few FEET away from the crest of the Sierras.

(The geography here is part of the drama because Mount Whitney, just a few miles from them, is the tallest mountain in the continental U.S., and the Owens Valley below, in turn, is a close and comparable neighbor to the lowest point, Death Valley. Lauren can see the Owens Valley from the crash site.)

One of her fellow passengers is severely injured; the pilot less severely so but seems nonetheless unwilling or unable to help. Lauren and he survive the severe cold that night by collecting gasoline from the leaking plane and pouring it in a thin steady stream onto a fire they're started with the plane's cigarette lighter.

She tells in first-person, frank and meticulous detail the events of that night, and of the next morning when she decides to hike/climb down from the mountain to the valley below, at one point having to lower herself down a dry waterfall, and having many visual hallucinations on the way because of lack of sleep and shock; and, finally, how she has trouble finding help when she walks late that night into the town of Independence! People see her disheveled appearance and are afraid -- this is the county seat where Charles Manson was put to trial, and where his female followers spent a lot of time hanging around the courthouse.

This may not be the most amazing story of survival extant -- I guess that's why the book is out of print -- but I couldn't put it down. I liked Lauren, and Shirley Strashinsky is a really excellent ghost writer: you feel that this is happening to you, and this makes the lessons in survival most memorable. I found myself saying, as Lauren does in many places, "We should have had a first aid kit -- I should have worn better shoes," etc. And thanking God that she had just happened to take, for instance, a good, warm cap that covered her ears.

Ironically, Lauren's father is an ex-Navy test pilot working for Northrop Aviation. Northrop sends one of their planes to search for her, piloted by a buddy of the father's who has logged more than a hundred times the hours that Lauren's friend had. Point made regarding light planes: don't travel very far in them unless the pilot has racked up thousands of miles.

This is a cute book with lots of ideas. Doesn't have a lot of "how-to's", but does have some. Great pictures. I use this as a book for "brides-to-be". Someone always chooses something from this book.

I enjoyed this book because of the ideas it presented for the little details ... suggestions for floral arrangements that were dramatic, beautiful, and unique. It gave examples of floral arrangements for everything from baptismal fonts to tents. I was inspired to think beyond the standard altar pieces and table decorations.
While many of the actual examples were a little heavy for my taste, I found them to really demonstrate how powerful flowers and greenery - beyond the white roses and baby's breath - can be, and how carefully chosen floral arrangements can compliment any decor and create ambiance. I recommend that anyone needing to choose flowers for a wedding - or really, any occasion - at least take a look at this book for inspiration, even if one isn't going to actually arrange one's own flowers.

I am thoroughly enjoying Shirley Monckton's book, which I happily discovered on returning from an "early honeymoon" in England, in which my fiance and I explored wonderful Gothic cathedrals and appealing parish churches. Yes, Ms. Monckton is writing for an English audience and her lovely decorations are suited more for the churches and manor houses in her country, but she has a great sense of design and lots of detailed advice for the rest of us, too. Being "florally-challenged," I greatly appreciate Ms. Monckton's experienced guidance on things I would never have considered, such as determining what the rules are in decorating a particular church or hall and who enforces them, how to keep a vertical arrangement from looking like a Christmas tree, how to prevent plastic in a basket arrangement from reflecting sunlight or camera flashes in your wedding pictures, and how long to condition flowers before arranging them (two hours to overnight . . . not the two minutes I would've allowed). Shirley emphasizes planning ahead and informs the reader which things can and cannot be completed until the Big Day. She kindly nudges the bride to delegate the last-minute work to the florist or talented friends/family members. Of the three wedding flower books I've read in recent weeks, Shirley Monckton's is definitely the best.

In this memoir Shirley Abbott she tells her very personal story of her romance with romance. She has always studied great literature and so it is not accidental that the theme of great literary passions run throughout this book, contrasting sharply with her own experiences.

The book is a delight to read, full of nostalgic details of the popular culture around her as she grew up in the forties and fifties. It's a painfully honest book as she, with humor and insight, chronicles a lifetime of disappointing romances with strong commentary on the contemporary state of marriage. She comes across as very human and yet imperfect, and her appeal is to everyone who has ever believed in a fairytale.

There were times I was impatient with her. She kept waiting for romance to come to her, constantly searching for the perfect man. She looked at herself and her aspirations with humor, but never really took any positive actions. In spite of a career, two children and a marriage, and some tentative experiments with affairs, it took her until her sixties to seem to find that love.

This is more than a book about one human being however. It is the story of how the world we live in holds up an idealized version of romance which is echoed in great literature. And how the search for this romance is doomed to failure.

The book is hard to put down. I looked forward to reading it and was sorry to see it end. She's a good writer and I appreciate the way her words fall across the page, leading me on and letting me share her life.

I hope Love's Apprentice won't be considered one of the undifferentiated, self-exploiting memoirs that are published by the dozens these days because it is an astonishing book: It is history and literature; witty and poignant; deeply humane, and astonishingly brave. It describes, through example, the facets of both youthful and mature love. Were 5 stars not reserved for my pantheon of Great Writers (Tolstoy, George Eliot, Nabokov), this book would have rated higher. Read it. Tell your friends.

At first glance, this might look like it has more to say to your wife, lover, or sister, but I can assure you it will be worth your time to read this for yourself. AT 50, with two marriages behind me, I found it quite fascinating, and often confirming in regard to what was, and is, going on in my relationships with women. I am, of course recommending it to my therapist giflfriend. I recommend it to you for insigh, style, and grace.

As a grandfather of eight girls and boys, I have learned how challenging it is to be a Mother in the 21st Century.

The Motherhood Club with its true to life profiles of Mothers and children is the support group that carries Mothers through the bumpy times from baby birth on into childhood.

Buy this for your daughter, your grand daughter, your neices.

Dick Brasie
Boston, Massachusetts

I felt that the author did a great job unveiling the truth about motherhood and all of it's expectations. People only emphasize the good times after becoming a parent. However, new mothers need to know that there will be trying times and that they're not alone. This book hits on these points and offers helpful solutions. These solutions are not from non-mothers but from mothers who have been there and have all the expertise to past on to new mothers.

I read The Motherhood Club and I found the book to be very informative and uplifting. I am a mother of two beautiful children and I had quite an experience with them both. So many times we hear stories of how to care for our children or what to expect, but not often enough do we hear from the mothers. The book goes into great detail regarding the emotional trials and tribulations each individual mom had to overcome. I loved the diversity and the overall format in which the book was written. Taking on new challenges can become overwhelming at times and it's good to know that there are others who have been in your same situation or similar. Just knowing that you are not alone and that there are options is comforting. So when you thought you were at the end of your rope and that your colicky baby would never go to sleep, there is light at the end of the tunnel and it is truly a blessing.

I found this book to have clear and cohesive explanations. As I thumbed through it I found several wonderful meat, seafood, and vegetarian recipies that anyone with any level of cooking experience could prepare. I'm a beginner at Italian cooking and my co-workers, friends, and family simply rave about the wonderful dishes that I serve at outings, dinners, and potlucks. I strongly recommend this book to anyone with little time and a desire to learn to cook.

I've used recipes from this book for several years. It contains one of my all-time favorite dishes: pasta with a creamy avacado sauce. It also has great recipes for pizza dough.

I lived in Italy for 2 years and I found the recipes very authentic. Excellent recipes with excellent cooking techniques and great pictures of food and cooking equipment. I borrowed my girlfriend's copy and have made almost everything in the book. I'm waiting to buy my copy! I love it!

Since I got in the habit of looking at manhole cover designs in San Diego, where I grew up, I was tickled to come across this title while looking for another book (Omeyagi). I loved it, very interesting and beautiful to look at. Almost inspired me to actually sew something, but I managed to overcome the feeling. I'm not a quilter, but I like to read about quilts and buy them. I recommend this book highly.

Quilting with Manhole Covers was a gift that I have thoroughly enjoyed. It takes your imagination beyond the traditional approach and shows quilting ideas in everything around you, even underfoot. I especially like the line-drawing for each design. The color illustrations get my creative juices flowing.

MacGregor's book contains a beautiful display of manhole cover quilting. Artfully arranged, pleasing to the eye and other senses, this quilting is truly an artform unlike any other! Inspiring and yet undaunting, the author leads you to believe there is beauty in everything-- you, too, can see it and capture it; or, in the least, enjoy such art through her book.

I had never read any of Ms. Kennedy's books before this. Naturally when I read the back cover I was intrigued because it was about sibling rivalry (namely, twin rivalry) as topic that always promises great things. Now, the story was cute but the writing was as elementary as some of the Sweet Valley Twins books middle schoolers read. The plot revolves around two beautiful twins, Clarinda who is supposedly the bad twin and Clarissa who is the perfectly good twin. In truth it is Clarissa who is the manipulative, nasty twin while Clarinda is good-hearted but a little silly when it comes to not getting in trouble. Clarinda has had a past love experience with a milk-sop, who died a hero in war, that Clarissa stole away from her but Clarinda still hangs onto her 'love' for him. Clarinda meets Lord Stormont who has won the estate next to theirs in a card game. They go through the motions of Stormont being undeniably attracted to Clarinda and her hating him then loving him. Then there is Clarissa who decides that she wants Lord Stormont. She tries to steal him from Clarinda and tries to get Clarinda sent away from home. The plot was interesting but a little ridiculous. How could their parents not see how evil Clarissa was?Why didn't they ever believe a word Clarinda said? Why did Clarinda still hold onto her love for the war hero even though he preferred Clarissa? Both twins are rather flat characters as is Lord Stormont. The style is very easy to follow though.

Clarinda and Clarissa are Identical in looks, but that is where the similarities end. One twin loves adventure, book learning and riding horses without a saddle (astride no less!such shocking behavior!) thus making her the "bad twin" in her proper parents eyes. The other is inclined towards more lady like endeavors such as embroidery, music and water colors not to mention gossip, clothes and preening in front of her mirror thus making her the "good twin" When the handsome and very wealthy Robert, Lord Stormont takes over the neighboring estate he is immediately smitten with "the bad twin" the problem? both girls like him too; and one (the question is which one?) will stop at nothing to get her man. Who shall be the lucky twin? read this book and find out, it is a treat and an exciting ride from begining to end with a bit of intrigue and mystery thrown in.

With a writing style that is both humorous and provocative, Shirley Kennedy has set a new standard for Regency Romance. Her heroine is smart and saucy. . . with a sense of humor which sets her above and apart. The hero is strong, yet vulnerable, and unquestionably sexy! The clever twists and turns throughout the story were fun, refreshing, and kept me riveted to page after page. The only disappointment was that the story had to come to an end. I look forward eagerly to Ms. Kennedy's next novel.

Being a foster child myself, from 1949 (age 9) to 1957 I related very well to the book. It is very factual on what can happen to children that can no longer live at home. I managed to pull out of my "grief" by remembering the excellent care my grandmother gave me until I was removed from there by my mother at age nine. Progression in life is the key to most foster children. If you don't move on to better things you will be trapped. I can speak of this with some authority, since I am now a foster parent. My wife and I have had over 20 foster children in eight years. Several have stayed with us over a year, Others were returned to their parents. A few didn't do well at all. One girl had been in over 21 different homes since the age of 12.

The book speaks very true of most "systems", but there are some very good placements for children. In this day and age (California) there are very strong guidelines on foster care. The book was a little harsh on the judicial system, and didn't allow the author to look at possible alternatives.

Prior to having a relationship with God, I never had a desire to reach out to children who have been "thrown away" whether to a foster care or an adoption home. Instead, I use to just think about me and what I wanted out of life. After all, the fact that there are unwanted children out there living in foster care or adoption homes is not my problem. That use to be my attitude, until I became a daughter of God five years ago. Once I married my husband, Noel, we both decided that it would be a good idea to some day adopt a little boy or girl. After I read "Throwaway Kids", it became clear to me that my husband and I would DEFINITELY adopt a child.

Immense tears and saddened emotions filled my heart with every page read. When I use to think that I, only one person, could not possibly make a difference in this world, this book helped to convict me otherwise! "Throwaway Kids" brought me to another world. A world that I would not have understood nor been impacted by had I not read it. My only hope is that many more will read this book and realize that by giving up a little part of your own life to take on another, can really radically change the future lives of so many millions of hurtful and hopeless children out there.

Shirley and Bob, I am sorry that you had to go through such a painful life, however, it has brought a lot of good considering the decision my husband and I have made. And who knows what else could come from your shared life experiences!

Bob, or should I say "dad", thank you for finally sharing with me what happened to you growing up. For years you kept the truth stored away until I was old enough to not only understand it, but to have been able to handle it as well. Words cannot express how much of a hero you are to me. Most people having lived a life like you have, would come out of it filled with bitterness, resentment, and maybe even hatred. You, however, came out to be a man full of love and compassion for others. The love that you have poured out on me is only a small measure of the goodness that you brought to my life. I believe your hurtful experience made you into the wonderful dad that you are today. It is because of you, dad, that I have learned to become loving, affectionate, and caring towards others. The book that you and Aunt Shirley wrote truly has moved my heart immensely to save a child who is in great need of having loving and caring parents to come home to. Thank you both for being humble and vulnerable enough to have shared your life with not only me but with all who will read this heart moving book.

Dad, I love you much and will always cherish you. Aunt Shirley, my love goes out to you too. May your book change the way people look at adoption and foster care homes!

God, thank you too for changing my selfish heart and molding it to become one that is closer to yours. Just as you have taken me, a sinful woman who falls short daily of giving back to you what you deserve, so I too hope that I can take a lost unwanted child and show them your love for them, through me. I love you too, God!

For those of you who are unsure as to whether or not you should read this book, let me just encourage you to take the time to do so. If you give your heart to it, you too will think twice about your own life and the life of these unwanted children. Not only will it make you grateful for the family you do have, (considering you were brought up well), but it might even move you enough to pass down the love you were once shown, to another child.

Throwaway kids is a very moving and sad story about what some children have to go through when the state gets involved in thier lives. I thought the book was written very well with a lot of instight. It told the other side of the story of what can really happen to a child when they are taken away from their parents and place in what the state considers a sutible home. Throwaway Kids gives you a completly different view on the subject. I recomend that if you are a person who has gone through a foster home or want to know what has happened to some people who have then you read this book.

While vastly inferior to Bede's own writings about his life ("The Golden String" especially), this book gives a great account of Bede's development from his formative years at Eastington, where he engaged in a Waldenesque experiment in "simple living" (which left a lasting mark upon him) to his nearly forty years in his ashram in India. Bede shows himself to be a genuinely ecumenical man, taking a wealth of ideas and concepts from all religious traditions that he comes into conduct with (but especially the Hindoo faiths). A man years ahead of his time, he would most probably had been excommunicated if many of his ideas had received more attention in the Roman church. He was in favour of radical reform of the Catholic Church, which he had began to think was outdated and did not speak to people in the way that it once did -- and that if it did not change its approach to speak to people in this modern day, that it would eventaully cease to be of relevance altogether. He was in favour of a married clergy and denied that the pope should be the head of the whole church, but that this was a corruption of the original church which had the pope of Rome as merely the "first among equals" -- a position that he was supposed to share equally with various other bishops throughout Christendom. His theology tended to be on the mystical side, which, to me, makes much more sense than the Biblical literalism that is sweeping the world today. He was also of the opinion that Jesus' message was at odds with the Old Testament, but that it agreed in all its essentials with the teachings of the Gita. His embracing of the similarities of Christianity and Hinduism was particularly impressive, especially in this day of finger-waggling evangelistic denominationalists who assure us that only they can be right. Bede always kept an open mind and was a seeker until the very end. He never stopped growing and learning -- something that would have been impossible if he had closed his mind to any other opinions other than his own. He is an example of a very, very rare type of individual. A wonderful look at an amazing human being.

Admirers of C. S. Lewis often like to read about his life and to become vicariously acquainted with his friends, too. If you want to know about Lewis as Griffiths' friend, read Griffiths' own autobiography (The Golden String), his contribution to C. S. Lewis at the Breakfast Table, and The Letters of C. S. Lewis. (It is much to be hoped that all of their correspondence that survives will be published.)

However, admirers of Lewis may be advised that these two men profoundly diverged in their religious thinking. While Lewis was an apologist for orthodox Christianity, Griffiths eventually said he could understand Christ only by means of the Vedanta; that Jesus rejected the God of the Old Testament; that only a bit of St. John's Gospel attained to the insight of Hindu "advaitic" mysticism, etc. For readers whose faith is close to that of Lewis -- who said he was as dualistic as possible within Christian theology, meaning preoccupied with good and evil, and aware of God's warfare with the devil -- this book might have been better titled "Into the Darkness" of spiritual error. The book is readable and informative, presented by a biographer who wishes to promote Griffiths' "deep ecumenism."

Father Bede Griffiths (1906-1993) was an English Benedictine monk who resided in India for nearly four decades. Ms. du Boulay's book is the first major biography written about him since his death, and I, for one, bought it as soon as I could. Her meticulous, though not overwhelming, attention to the many facets of his life provides a fascinating and incredibly balanced perspective of this man of many roles: monk, mystic, writer, lecturer, and leader in Hindu-Christian interreligious dialogue. For all that I admired his embracing warmth and sheer wisdom, it helped to know just how much he had to live through; i.e. she does not shy away from describing with excruciating clarity some of the vicious verbal and written attacks from both Hindu and Christian fundamentalists he endured. My hope is that this very well crafted biography brings the importance of Father Bede's vision and life into the consciousness of many seekers. Highly recommended (along, of course, with his own writings--most of which remain in print).