Our son lives in Colorado Springs and recently turned 30. I thought this a wonderful gift for a busy father of 5 year old twin daughters and a 3 year old son. I believe all of our young parents today need encouragement and reminders of how God is truly with them every step of the way. I especially enjoyed the section with the father and daughter walking in the woods and it appeared they were lost, but the daughter knew they were not lost for her Daddy always guided her in thr right direction, clearing showing the guidence our Heavenly Father gives us daily. I plan to purchase one for our other son and two daughter in-laws, "Hugs for MOM" and also a copy for a dear friend who is hurting, "Hugs for the Hurting" I recomend it for anyone. There are all types of Hugs, I purchased "Hugs from Heaven on Angel Wings" for myself. It is wonderful. In todays world everyone of us needs encouragement and these little books sure give it.

This is a fantastic book on the art of consulting. As a previous partner of McKinsey, I took a lot away from this book that took me 20 years to learn previously. I highly recommend this book to every level consultant, doing any type of consulting.

This short story collection centers on the impact of separations and divorce on the participants including extended family members. However, the twenty tales share a dark look at IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES as the audience is treated to situations that do not end as peacefully as our current legal system expects.

Lia Matera has put together a remarkable anthology that has several excellent stories, some very good tales, and no poor entry. The cross-genre contributors are a modern day who's who with such noted authors like Oates, Cross, Deaver, Lutz, Buchanan, and Muller, etc. None of the writers are lightweights as they all hold their own with the heavyweights. Anyone who enjoyed the Battle of the Roses will fully relish each tale that paints a very dismal look at broken relationships.

Harriet Klausner

This book is scholarly and technical -- and thoroughly enjoyable! It is written to be thoroughly accessible without any background, yet this book is of value to scholars as well as laymen. What's the relationship of John to the synoptics? Did the author of the fourth gospel use Mark, or maybe Luke, and what about Matthew? D. Moody Smith accurately recounts the historical debate from the nineteenth century down to today. Smith catalogues the various solutions that have been proposed and represents the arguments of every position most fairly. I came away from this book with a much better understanding of the issues involved and a desire to learn more -- to that end, Smith provides a bibliography for further research. Thus, the book presents a "road map" to the Johannine problem that, in the end, allows the reader to go his or her own way.

I will quote the review made by Raymond E. Brown: "Among Johannine scholars Moody Smith has gained the highest respect for his knowledge of the literature on John, the fairness and perceptivity of his judgments, and the good sense of his own contributions to what has gone before. The relation of John to the Synoptic Gospels is a most complex issue, and I know of no one I would rather have as a guide in this field. This is a book from which all will learn and which will advance scholarship."

This is a gem of a book! In addition to telling the story of
John Burns of Gettysburg, author Tim Smith has provided
a wonderful portrait of life in 19th century Gettysburg and lots
of insights into village life in general during that era. I hated
to have to put this book down for meals and sleep!

This book tells the story of the earliest parts of the birth of our nation in language a fourth or fifth grader can understand. Speaking as a fifth grade teacher, I would love to have a copy of this book for every student. It is gripping and engrossing, not to mention historically accurate. Who knew what perils and adventures John Smith endured before he ever came to North America? While this book is written for children, I learned many things I did not know. I also got a real feel for the times. John Smith, by Charles P. Graves, takes a topic, usually treated with textbook banality and makes it the true adventure story it was. -Nancy LaRue

There is probably no more legendary figure in the history of colonial America than Captain John Smith, the English Explorer. Of course, this is due mainly to the story of how his life was saved by the Indian maiden Pocahontas. To be fair, Smith's story was obscured by such tales long before the Disney movie. In this informative juvenile biography, Tara Baukus Mello gives young readers the true story of John Smith. We learn about Smith's early career as a soldier, which saw him brought to Constantinople as a slave, before he joined the Virginia Colony and came to Jamestown. After exploring the truth behind the legends of Smith, Pocahontas and the Powhatan tribe, Mello also looks at the period where Smith was the leader of Jamestown and then traces his final explorations and the important books he wrote about life in the New World. This book in the Colonial Leaders series is illustrated with historic pictures as well as contemporary color photographs of the Jamestown restoration. Other volumes in this series cover both colonists like Lord Baltimore, military leaders like Peter Stuyvesant, and religious leaders like Anne Hutchinson. Young students, as well as their teachers, who are interested in getting beyond what they find in American History textbooks about any of these famous figures will find this series provides excellent additional information.

Of all the books written on Jospeh Smith, John Widtsoe (who was also an Apostle) takes a new aproach to this amazing story. I found this book to be refreshing and unique and very informative. I enjoyed reading about one of the greatest leaders ever written by one of the greatest leaders in the Church. This adds an angle to Joseph Smith's life that needs to be explored by everyone.

This is a tribute anthology inspired by the works of Clark Ashton Smith. Having not read one piece of fiction by Smith, I anticipated missing some of the underlying themes. This was not the case. John Pelan has selected stories that while being in the tradition of Smith's stylings is easily accessible to those of us not entrenched in the ways of Clark Ashton Smith's fiction. As in all anthologies there are gems, good stories and a few dogs. This collection has a higher incidence of the first two.

David B. Silva's "Where The Past Lay Buried" is an effective meditation on guilt and the price it extolls. Geoff Cooper's "The Jolerarymi's Rose", a sculptor is betrayed by his wife and he enacts revenge. Edward Lee & John Pelan's "The Scarlet Succubus" waxes poetic on politics, betrayal and some evil aquatic monsters. This one takes you one way then twists the ending so you don't know which way is up. "Ashes of Longing, Ashes of Lust" is a fast moving, beautifully written selection that made me feel I was beside the characters. Here you find a man on a mission and the toll an old girlfriend's last wish takes on him. Mark McLaughlin spins a tale of obsession in "The Vainglorious Simulacrum of Mungha Sorcyllamia". Brian Stableford turns in a stellar novella of passion, love and betrayal in "The Light of Achernar".

Other standout tales are written by Charlee Jacob, David Niall Wilson, Gerard Houarner, Dan Clore, and Gene Wolfe. The book contains some outstanding cover art by Rob Alexander and some nice interior illustrations by Fredrik King and Allen Koszowski. Highly Recommended.

This book deserves a long review. But, briefly, the 'story' of John Bartram involves the reader in Bartram's family and the colonial world of London and Philadelphia. The genuine passion that Bartram had to learn about and discover new botanical plants gives the reader a unique outlook. Bartram's travels into Indian territory are a window into uncharted lands. Bartram's relationship with his son William is often disapointing to the father but show a sensitivity that is interesting to see.
This seems to be a solidly researched and approachable book.