1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Nothing inspires one's love of God like contemplating His love for us, as demonstrated in Christ Jesus. Margaret Montreuil has acquired great riches by investing in a contemplative relationship with Jesus Christ and has stored them up in heaven. Love's Face is a sharing of those riches and a guide that leads one deeper into the greatest adventure of all time; the most enriching experience of all eternity.

Margaret, thank you for the inspiration!

Loves Face. Never before have I been so entirely captivated by any book. Loves face explores the very heart of our precious heavenly King. Looking beyond the writen word and into the very sences of the Lord as he might have felt, thought, experienced as he walked with us on earth. Loves Face taught me how to take hold of a scriture - meditate upon it - see the scene from the heart of it rather than as an on looker reading historic details. "For a few moments I was able to see Jesus from the eyes of the Woman with the Issue of Blood. The chaos of the croud as they pressed into Jesus. Her desperation to reach the only hope she had left, to just streach out and touch the very hem of his garment. The elation as she immediately received complete healing from her sickness, then the sting of fear in her heart when she heard his voice declare that someone - someone specific had touched him. As He turned to look at the offender - me - I saw the kind and lovin! g eyes of the Lord and his gaze rested upon me. His eyes told me that he knew the touch had been one made in faith and one made out of desperation. He seemed to know how I had crawled between the feet and legs of the fevered crowd, how I'd breathed the thick hot and dusty earth as it billowed up with the shuffling of so many feet - all clambouring to see this Jesus from Nazereth." Loves Face is more than a book, it is a journey into the very emotions of our loving Bridegroom, a journey that takes you to places in God you may have never explored before. The journey is one that does not end - the book is mearly a boarding pass, a helping hand to climb aboard a sailing ship which, if you allow it, will take you on a journey into the heart of God, a journey from which you will never want to return. A life changing book. Jayne Chell (Worship Leader at Life Changing Ministries.)

"Love's Face" is an intimate glance into the Heart of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. He is Love Itself, the Great Bridegroom, and He yearns for His Bride, the Body of Christ.

This is a well-crafted book, filled with radiant images of the Son and bittersweet, personal glimpses into the life of Jesus. It fills the heart and spirit with joy and wonder.

"Love's Face" captures the awe and mystery that we will know someday when we see Jesus "face to face" and we dance joyfully with our Bridegroom.

I am quite sure it was the film "Gandhi" that had me thinking Margaret Bourke-White (1904-1971) was essentially a portrait photographer, but this impressive collection of her life's work amply proves otherwise. Bourke-White was originally an industrial photographer, who was hired by Henry Robinson Luce to do assignments for his new magazine "Fortune," for which she did extensive photographic essays on everything from meat packing plants in Chicago and glass blowers in upstate New York to workers in Indiana quarries and the steel industry in Germany's Ruhr valley.

On her first trip to Russia in 1930 she photographed not only the industrial expansion of the Soviet Union but the lifestyle of the people and it is from this point in her career that she made the clear shift to being a photo journalist. During the Great Depression she documented the plight of migrant farm workers and sharecroppers. When Luce launched "Life" in 1936 Bourke-White formed the magazine's original photographic staff (along with Alfred Eisenstaedt, Peter Stackpole, and Thomas McAvoy) and her photo of the construction of Fort Peck Dam in Montana was the cover and lead article in the first issue. During World War II Bourke-White covered everything from the German attack on Moscow to Patton's push into Germany to the horrors of Buchenwald.

Bourke-White's work represents the height of the era in which photography was a recognized art form, by which I mean a time when photographs were hung on walls in the same manner as paintings. Her work, like the best of that period by her contemporaries, has a poster-like design. It is fascinating to read how her use of multiple flashbulbs helped her create a more realistic effect. "Margaret Bourke-White, Photographer" lays out her career in clear stages, telling us not only about what she was doing but the hows and whys as well. Whether you consider yourself an aspiring photographic artist or are simply an interested neophyte such as myself, you will have a greater appreciation for both the artist and her art after devouring this book, which contains 160 pages of superb reproductions of her best and most famous monochrome images (some of which are from her personal archives).

I did not buy this book because MBW was an inspirational female or other, but because her photos are simply superb. They capture a feeling, a time and space with a clarity that is both sparse and yet detailed. This is a book to savour and reflect on.

This book illustrates why Margaret Bourke-White should be recognized as one of the 20th century's top photographers. Her ability to capture a moment during war and destruction or an enternity in marble and stone, is awe inspiring. She was not limited by her feminity. She moved easily into the world of machines and factories, capturing molten metal and shiny blades. Again and again, I return to the book and study all aspects of her photographs. The depth of field, the rhythm, the harmony and the life seen in all her photos takes my breath away. Within a few days of purchasing the book, I had the joy of visiting the National Art Gallery of Canada in Ottawa where there are two Margaret Bourke-White photos in their collection. The soft creamy paper used in these pictures counters the hard metal of the image itself. These are the third and fourth Margaret Bourke-White's I have had the pleasure to see in person. The other two was a copy of the original cover for LIFE magazine and a single rose bud. Both of these photos are owned by Margaret Bourke-White's sorority and are featured in their archival collection. The photographic reproductions in this book, although lacking the soft creams of the Art Gallery's copies, do capture the integrity of her photos. I will treasure this book.

National Geographic Picture Atlas of Our Universe is THE best solar system book. I never really thought anything of the Universe, and the planets, until I found this book! It is amazing! It answers questions my science teacher couldn't answer. It gives detailed, understandable information, with beautiful pictures! After reading this, I can name some of the planet's moons, and how many a planet has! I feel like I know tons more than I ever did about the solar system, and Our Universe!!

During library hours, every week as a child, I rushed to this read Our Universe. With it's easy to understand content, and fascinating ideas is the foundation to my most prized possession. Imagination. Give this gift to every child of 8, and watch her or his mind grow even beyond the scope of television.

This book has fascinated me since I was in the third grade. All of the colorful illustrations and easy to read facts taught me a great deal about the Universe that I am a part of. I must have checked this book out at least twenty times between the third and fifth grade. This book is a must for children or adults who want to learn more about astronomy.

This book is a lovely way to discuss the life cycle with children and to encourage them to view living and growing old with spirit. Old Pig is a grandparent figure who celebrates life but one day does not get out of bed. He lets the young pig know it is his time to slow down and that life will go on and that his spirit will continue.

Old Pig is the most touching story of life. I read it to my children, ages 3 and 4 years. My son, who is the older of the two, had questions about what it meant to lose someone you love. However, he quickly turned it around and spoke about life and how much fun it is share to it with others. Later that evening and for many evenings thereafter, I read Old Pig after they went to bed. It is indelibly etched it my heart.

i came across this book in 1996 when a fellow production controller showed me OLD PIG. we were the printer of this book for allen & unwin.

it made the hairs at the back of my neck go all funny the first time i read it. and it still does everytime i reread this achingly beautiful book. i left my hometown, 10 years ago, to work when i was barely nineteen and my grandfather died a few months later- never had the chance to say goodbye. i wished i had the chance to hold my grandfather tight one last time...

An intrepid young heroine finds herself caught up in a long-ago mystery involving a World War II battleship and its crew. You will be caught up, too, as the author's authentic descriptions transport you to the Alabama Gulf Coast. Stylishly written and cleverly plotted, it's a great adventure. We hope future books are in the works from this new author.

O'Meara has combined mystery, romance, history and total "last-page" suspense with a true touch of writer's class and a superb yarn-spinning capability. Thanks for a great read and hurry with your next book.

If you like mystery, nostalgia of days gone by, veterans who served in World War II, all in a beautiful setting on the Alabama Gulf Coast, you will enjoy The Shamrock Diary. The characters in this novel are as colorful as the scenery and the mystery has an unusual twist. A jolly good story.

My four year old loves the Dragon Tales show and so of course likes this book as well. I disagree with the rating of this book as for babies as well as preschoolers. My 2 year old would never sit through 3 or 4 paragraphs per page. Certainly it is appropriate for preschoolers.

The girls love this book as much as the video, and they have taken an interest in constellations after this tale. I like how it tackles the problem of being afraid of the dark, and again the characters work together to solve a problem. My girls loved this tale so much that I had to make stars for them to put in their rooms! lol

I bought this book for my son as a gift for the day of surgery - honestly I think I was more scared than him!

We frequently read this lovely story of Ord's adventure in the Forest of Darkness and how the love and trust of his friends helped him achieve a new ability.

Lovely!

I was rather careful when rating this book to be fair and, honestly, I had tried to read it over to be sure of my opinion. This was because other reviewers have such high opinions about it.

I ponder the reasons others give such good comments about this book are because:

1) The book is thorough. It covers materials, techniques, color theory, meanings of brushstrokes (for instance, each type of brush stroke carries a certain mood), and apparently a lot of how-to's and do's-dont's.

2) The work done by the author is in photographic style. She uses vivid colors in most of her paintings. Also, a lot of details were rendered in her work; one of the reasons may be because most (if not all) of her work were done from reference photos (single or combination thereof).

From an en plein air and alla prima painter's point of view, unfortunately, I find the book a little dull with full of rules and do's and dont's. Perhaps it is just a very personal thing, but when out there painting "en plein air", a lot of "vibes" and "moods" rendered onto the paintings come from the fact of "being out there with nature", not with pre-defined rules. That is also the reason that photographic style from photos is not my favorite.

Respectfully, I consider this a good reference book on painting landscapes, especially if the readers decide to use photos for his/her work. Therefore, it is given the rating above (4-star).

I had the honor of taking a workshop from Margaret Kessler in Joseph, Oregon. My eyes were opened to color as never before in my painting career. I purchased two books because I 'used' my first one until it was almost unreadable and I didn't want to be without. I teach painting and find her instructions so easy to pass to my students and easy to see when they finally 'get it'. As someone else said, if you get the book, don't loan it because you won't get it back. It is the best book to learn from, in my opinion. I only wish that she would do another book.

I bought this book about 10 years ago and although I have dozens more on landscaping, none can compare with Ms. Kesslers style, colors and textures. I had the privilege of participating in one of Ms. Kessler's seminars at Pocono Pines Pennsylvania several years ago--what a treat! I wish she would write another book.

Any kids who love dogs will like this book. It's so very charming.

This is such a charming tale about a male dachshund named Pretzel trying to win the affections of his lady-friend. He tries all kinds of antics to woo her and impress her, but it isn't until he rescues her from a deep hole that he truly wins her heart. A must for every child! I still love to read it and I'm 26!

This was my favorite book as a child, although I discovered in later years that my parents had changed his girlfriend's name to Gretchen when reading it aloud since my name is Greta! I'd recommend this to anyone since it shows kids it's okay to be different and problems can be overcome with patience. I've been searching for this for years and am thrilled to finally own it. When I got my dachshund I immediately named him after this book.

"Swimming in the Congo" by Margaret Meyers is a very good novel that reads like a collection of short stories. It is told in the first-person by a girl, daughter of missionary parents, growing up in the Belgian Congo, circa 1960. The stories are focused on the narrator and her memories of her parents and the local people (Congolese and ex-pats) in and near missionary communities. Issues the seven-year narrator deals with include the mix of American Protestant and African traditional beliefs she encounters; the meaning of the equator and scientific reality; and White racism towards the Congolese. Meyers' writing reads well and is easy to like. It would be interesting to see her story continued.

Margaret Meyers, the daughter of a missionary family, grew up in The Congo in the 1960s, and this 1995 collection of short stories was part of her later MFA Thesis at the University of Virginia. Through them, she introduces her lead character, Grace, who views the world with the freshness of childhood and shares her experiences with the reader. Her father tells her the equator goes right through their property and, at the age of six, she searches for it as if it would be a clearly marked path. Her favorite pastime is swimming in the river, a river she will miss terribly when she is sent off to boarding school a few years later. Her protestant Christianity is unquestioned and she's always exploring her own spirituality as well as making keen observations about the people around her. There are some memorable characters here, from her loving parents to the native Congolese who laugh at the foibles of the missionary families. There are the two spinster women with a secret, an unhappy former ballerina who has trouble adapting to her life in Africa, and a Frenchman who loves his garden almost as much as he loves his constantly changing women. Through Grace's young eyes we see the cruelty of racism and the stirrings of independence as political changes are happening in the country.

At 261 pages this is a fast and enjoyable read, one that I gobbled up in two sittings, letting myself travel to the lush world of Grace's Congo and view it through her child's eyes. Mainly, it's about the people and she stays away from political analysis. She tells her stories simply and creates an atmosphere, and brings the reader right into her world. If I have any criticism at all, it is that some of the characters appear in just one of the short stories and I wanted to hear more about them as the book went on. But, alas, this is a book of stories, not a novel. I loved this book; it was a small trip into a world that is now gone and which I will never get to know except for my reading. And it sure was an enjoyable journey. Recommended.

... you'll love SWIMMING IN THE CONGO! This is a collection of short stories that reads like a novel. In it, young Grace Birggen, the daughter of an agricultural missionary to the Congo in the 1960's, comes of age along the banks of the Congo River in what is now Zaire. The stories are beautifully written and the descriptions of her childhood in an emerging third-world nation are compelling. It is POISONWOOD without the poison. Yes, there are incidents of imperialism and racism, but those incidents are filtered through Grace's eyes, in much the same way that Scout narrates Boo Radley's and Tom Robinson's stories in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and so will you.

Catalina Guzmán, the heroine of this novel, is based on the wife of powerful Mexican General Maximino Ávila Camacho, who is named "Andres Ascencio" in the book. This man was a ruthless political boss of Puebla, whose brother, Manuel, was Mexico's President from 1940 to 1946. Maximino was an exploitator, a corrupt and violent man and a womanizer. But he was very rich and powerful, and so everybody feared and hated him. Even his Presidential brother couldn't cope with him.

This hilarious but sensitive novel is narrated in the first person, like the memoirs of the character, a beautiful and brave woman who married the General, despite his being 20 years older. Mastretta has done a fine job at describing this excellent female character. Living in an extremely "machistic" society, where women's role was utterly limited to household and silence, Catalina never lets her husband overwhelm her. She is a truly free spirit, fighting her way with dignity and malice. Her story develops amidst political turmoil and violence, but she manages to survive, have her little revenges, and come up alive and kicking. Even though the subsequent production of Mastretta has a very inferior quality, this book deserves to be read, and not just by women, but by whoever enjoys a good story well told. Its sense of humor is very good, it has really hilarious moments, and the depiction of Mexican society in the 30's and 40's is superb.

I loved this book! Anyone who has preconceived notions of the female in Mexican society should read this book. The protagonist is gorgeous, lusty, feisty, sympathetic and a survivor. Interestingly, the brutal, egomaniacal general is not one-dimensional and has moments of pathos. Fabulous and often hilarious read. Can't wait to read Mastretta's earlier work, Lovesick.

Those who have read The Death of Artemio Cruz should take a close look at Mastretta's Tear This Heart Out. Cruz's wife, Catalina, becomes Catalina Guzman, protagonist of Mastretta's novel. The similarities and differences are fascinating. Mastretta's novel makes an excellent choice to follow a classroom discussion of Fuentes' great novel.