This series of board books are fantastic.

I started collecting these for my daughter after she was given one at 6 months as she loved them so much. The book is simple and easy to read with wonderful real photography (not illustrations)and textures on each page that relate to the text on the page.

It's a great book to get your baby involved in the reading process, to learn what you are saying also means a texture they can actually touch. It's also a book that baby can read alone with easy to turn pages and endless fascination with the different textures.

A wonderful book to get your children learning, thinking and enjoying books. You can never have too many books to read with your children.

My daughter has loved this book from age 6 months; she's now 18 months. I think it's held her interest because of the variety of textures and because the dogs are so cute! One reason I like this book, over other DK touch and feel books, is that there is no repetition or forced situations. All the textures are a natural fit. They include: fluffy tummy (the best one!), rubber ball, leathery noses, and fuzzy slipper.

This gets a high recommendation from both baby and mommy!

My one year old son recieved this book for his birthday and he LOVES it! I am thinking of getting two - one for the car and one for the house. One of his first words was "dawg", so this book fits the bestseller list for him! If he is crying, this book will make him stop instatnly...he loves it that much. It is sweet, tactile and he loves the pictures on the outside of the book as much as the ones on the inside. He loves the furry parts the most, but he mostly just likes to look and babble about these cute pups. I highly rec. this book. Enjoy!

The author expands on all those short items you may have read in Strunk & White's Elements of Style, with detailed explanations and numerous examples. I especially enjoyed reading about the writing process which included developing good writing habits and time management. It's one of those books you need to bring down off the shelf and re-read every once in a while.

In Keys To Great Writing, Stephen Wilbers covers every aspect of the craft of writing and shows the aspiring author how to develop a writer's "voice" that is unique, precise, and effective with their readership. Wilbers covers every aspect of writing from grammar to revision strategies, offering clear, effective information. Of special value to the novice writer are his: Four Mythos of Great Writing; The Elements of Style Checklist; The Elements of Composition Checklist; The Four-Step Writing Process; Glossary of Grammatical Terms; Proofreading Checklist; Four Common Errors in Word choice; Five Ways To Bring Music to Your Writing; and Fourteen Techniques to Eliminate Wordiness. Keys To Great Writing is a complete and highly recommended course in one volume and a valuable reference guide enabling writers to stand out with a distinctive style and literary presence all their own.

The author provides instant techniques and clever examples such as the emphatic effect of having a short and snappy sentence after a long one. Like this.

The "cleverest" book I have ever read.

Stephen Mehler's research, spanning over 30+ years, indicate that whenever there is a so-called "Power Place", sacred site or Vortex on Earth - three things will always be found. Flowing water, a source of natural crystal, and igneous rock (itself a source of crystal) - these three elements are found at every major site in Egypt, not by any accident. His major theme in the book is that the ancient Khemitian civilization, over 10,000 years old, was based on ANOTHER Nile River, in what is today called the Western Desert. The ancient Khemitians drilled miles of tunnels through limestone bedrock to divert this river to the present Nile Valley, and also built huge above ground aqueducts and channels to bring water to the sites. EVERY Per-Neter had water flowing into it to create acoustic harmonic resonance with each other . . . tremendous amounts of energy could be created this way.

This completely concurs with the evidence and functioning of the subterranean section of the Great Pyramid.

My copy of "The Land of Osiris" is highlighted thoughout. It is packed with solid new information.

Stephen's indigenous teacher, Abd'El Hakim Awyan, stated "Follow the water". Absolute truth.

Abd'El Hakim Awyan is a tourist guide. Period. Albeit an excellent guide, I personally would be hesitant about the accuracy of Hakim's information. This comes from years of living in Egypt and observing how these "indigenous masters" work and how they interact with foreigners, as well as how they acquire their information about various topics. Besides, the indigenous peoples of Egypt are not the Egyptian villagers who live infront of the Sphinx. The true indigenous people are the rare bedouin tribes still roaming the deserts such as the Hamitic Beja tribes or the Berbers of the Siwah tribe....

If you want a fresh understanding of Ancient Egypt, The Land of Osiris is your best guide. In this well-written book Stephen Mehler provides a new perspective of this ancient culture distilled from his own research spanning over 30 years plus the invaluable knowledge provided by Abd'el Hakim Awyan, a master of the oral indegenous tradition. Rather than Egyptology with its western outsider bias, Stephen believes that we need a new tradition, a new paradigm, which incorporates this living indigenous knowledge and chooses to call it Khemitology. I believe this is a bold and necessary departure because the dead weight of mainstream Egyptology simply does not answer the questions that need to be answered. To put it in different terms, who were the ancient Khemitians and what did they know? Stephen's book is an introduction to answering those questions.

So what does Stephen give us. As a matter of fact, there are many items of fact and deduction but I will suggest a few. He gives us the land of BU WZR, the Land of Osiris and what it entailed. He asserts that the culture may stretch as far back as 65,000 years ago. He defines and clearly delinates the difference between a place of power (per-neter), a place of burial (per-ka) and a house of worship (per-ba). In the process he corroborates Christopher Dunn's theory that the Great Pyramid was a place of power. He shows us a clear connection between the Maya and the Khemitians. From satellite-based maps he demonstrates the bed of the Ur-Nile or proto-Nile covered most of what is today western Egypt. From shards of limestone canals he was shown by Hakim, he claims that water was diverted from West to East. He argues that the Bu WZR pyramids may have been part of a huge Fibonacci spiral rather than a ground map of the heavens as asserted by Hancock and Bauval. And perhaps the biggest of all, he concludes that the Sphinx is very, very old. Hakim, in fact, believes that it is over 50,000 years old. If you think this is a stretch, read Our Cosmic Ancestors by Maurice Chatelain about numbers found in Assurbanipal's library which were known over 64,000 thousand years ago.

Stephen has provided an invaluable service and guidebook for all students of ancient Egypt. I highly recommend this book to all.

It is as peaceful as the prairie it describes but takes you some wonderful places. You will love it, but you might feel like going to Nebraska after you read it... I know I do. A beautiful book.

The author gives a series of brief essays on the history, natural history, and current affairs of this region in north-central Nebraska, which is one of the most isolated areas in the US (in fact, that's why it is considered one of the best places in America for amateur astronomy). I read the book just before visiting the region on my way to work at a Sioux reservation just north of the geographic sandhills -- I must confess I thought this would be a boring and uninteresting territory.

Well, I was wrong about that. The author loves the area, because of its stark beauty and the natural peacefulness of the terrain. I found it to be an almost eerie place, with the same feeling of sacredness that I have encountered in places like Assisi. I remember sitting atop one of the hills on a stormy day and observing the wave-like swaying of the grass and the equally swirling texture of the clouds, and feeling sensually as close to our primordial being as I could. Supposedly, our blood has much of the same chemical character as the oceans from which we came, and the prairie sandhills seem almost as close to some unknown element of our being.

The author has an uncanny feel for the land, and he is able to make you easily understand why he loves it so. The book is far more than a geographic tour, however, and it will leave you with a greater appreciation for life and its observation, no matter where or how you live.

Mr. Jone's admiration, appreciation and concern for this very special ecosystem shines through this lovely book. In it, he intertwines Native American myth, Plains history and well researched scientific data into a cohesive and readable overview of the Sandhills of Nebraska.

Through his eyes, we visit and experience a landscape of beauty, solitute, history and rich wildlife. It is, in turns, thought provoking, humourous, enlightening, yet never preachy. Steve is most respectful of the current private owners of these lands, and integrates their ongoing stewardship into well reasoned suggestions to insure the long-term integrity of this fecund habitat for posterity.

Other books about PD scared the heck out of me, but Havemann's sense of humor and indomitable spirit have changed my perspective. I'm not afraid anymore. Thank you Joel. The book is honest and straightforward. He describes what happens to a brain with PD so clearly that I finally understand it!

Author Joel Havemann weaves his own story of living with this progressive neurological disease with a clear and carefully researched explanation that ranges from symptoms and drugs to challenges and the outlook for a cure. "For an adventure it is - not one that I would have chosen, but an adventure all the same." Mr. Havemann, an editor with the Washington bureau of the Los Angeles Times, helps us look at the human brain and its intricate yet magnificent operation, and the disastrous consequences of even the simplest misfire. He has created an excellent reference guide for caregiver, family member and patient alike that affirms the paradox of our own frustrations and hopes for the future. We feel Mr. Havemann's determination to keep going for his family, anger at the debilitating symptoms, and belief that the scientific and medical communities will deliver an answer.

Mr. Havemann provides us with an incredibly personal view into Parkinson's disease. His wit, candor, and superb writing style draws the reader into his story to such a degree that it is difficult to disengage. While telling his story he concurrently entertains and educates the reader as to where medicine stands with regard to research and current treatment, and how individuals cope. I'm looking forward to his next work.

This was good, although "Deadly Innocence" is my favorite out of the three (Nick Pron's also). Stephen Williams depicts Karla as being in charge of the situation at times, and although I think she is a horrific person, I think she was just going along with Paul, not masterminding everything. This couple fascinates me, because I just don't get it! But "Deadly Innocence" has a lot more interviews with people that knew them, and "Invisible Darkness" tries to tell the story from Paul and Karla's view, kind of. I do recommend reading this but be sure and get the other one also.

Hello true-crime enthusiest!
I've read all six books on this case. Yes, there are truly six out there. I believe only O.J. Simpson and Charles Manson share this honor. Not all are available through amazon.com., however.
"Invisible Darkness" is easily the best book on this case. I believe this to be the reason that only this book out of the six released on this case started out as a hard-cover, instead of paper-back. It shows you what almost three years of research can uncover. I enjoyed the other quickly printed paperbacks as well, though.
I'm really looking forward to author Stephen William's new hardcover book on these crimes, "Karla: The Deal With The Devil", available on February 14, 2003, I believe. He is a true maverick of true-crime journalist.
I hope this helps.
"Invisible Darkness" is highly recommended!
Five ***** Stars. Do try to purchase the hardcover edition of this book (Invisible Darkness) though. It has 43 color photos!
Thanks! Jess

The crimes committed by Paul and Karla Homolka are unbelievable in their depravity. If you enjoy true crime, read this one. One of the best I have ever read.

As a fan of the Little House books, I've read Laura's stories many times. But before she wrote them, she wrote for the newspapers about farm life. This gives such an exciting peak at her adult life, her "what happened next" years, that any true fan should read it.

This is a collection of newspaper articles Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about life in the Ozarks. Many of the articles are full insights into life that still apply today. She wrote about farmer's wives being equal in importance to their husbands, the frustration of dealing with "new technology" (in her case a new washing machine), and many other day to day activities on the farm.

Laura Ingalls' writing for adults, through a newspaper column she did weekly from 1911-1925, is highly amusing, and very thought-provoking for those of us living now in Psychobabble, Let It All Hang Out, Complain and Whine and Blame and Brood California.

Her advice is to simply refrain from even commenting on one's troubles, and avoid thinking about the negative things, the things one can't do anything about.

Try to be positive, try to see that work is necessary, and don't avoid one's job and chores, or you make yourself more miserable.

ARe these the commonsense things that today's adults or children ever hear, outside of a church sermon or Reader's Digest?

It reminds me of my early days in Germany, when slowly the meaning of the old folksongs began to penetrate as I learned the German vocabulary. I'd heard them, hummed with them, and played the kazoo and danced to them; but when I finally understood the lyrics, I realized what a completely different time and place they came from. They encourage people to stand up and enjoy their lives, the chance to walk in the flowers of springtime, to make friends, to have a drink with colleagues or family, to see one's beloved again, and to rejoice that God made you at all.

When I met older Germans, they seemed often to still embody such positive efforts and mentality, in contrast to the American-like cynicism of the young.

This will strike you - assuming you are an adult reading this - when you read Laura Ingalls' columns. I don't know what children would think, but I think they'd like them. They're straight and honest and true, just as she advises us to be.

This story centers around Oliver Pascal, who returns home from a pilgrimage in the Holy Land, only to find that he has lost his lands to Flemish Mercenaries, in the pay of King Stephen of England. He becomes a hearth knight for Robert of Gloucester, illegitimate brother to Empress Mathilda, hoping someday to regain his lands. He is a widower who lost his wife in childbirth. He rescues Catrin from a razed village and brings her and young Richard, illegitmate royal son and half-brother to Robert of Gloucester, to Bristol. He and Catrin eventually fall in love, lose each other and come back together in time. But not before they undergo many adventures during the turbulent times of Prince Henry II and King Stephen. This was a wonderful story, and I couldn't wait to read it at every opportunity. It portrays not only what life was like for the nobles but also for the common people in great, descriptive detail. A fantanstic read! I found this book in a used book store and I'm very glad I bought it. Even though this title is out-of-print, it is worth finding! If you like/love medieval stories, this book is for you!

This was the second book of Ms. Chadwick's that I had the pleasure to read, and it surpassed the first one by far. The characters had the depth that is sometimes lacking in historical novels, everything was brought vividly to life, from the danger of childbirth in the middle ages to the romance between the characters.

An excellent curl up in your favourite armchair book.

Summer of the year 1140, Oliver and Catrin are drawn together through the horrors of civil war; their love grows but is then threatened. Oliver is taken prisoner and Catrin returns to the husband she mistakenly thought had died in battle. Torn between love and loyalty this is a story that will have you turning the pages quickly wanting to find out what happen If you love medieval historical romance this is definitely the book for you.

Initially I purchased this book for the multitude of color photographs contained within it. Once I began leafing through its pages, I realized it was written in such elegant simplicity that I was drawn in immediately.

Each chapter covers a different aspect of Hindu worship in India: worship in the home, with one's community, at a temple, etc. The book does not so much explain Hinduism as it does the way Hindus approach their faith.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Indian culture or Hinduism. It's a fascinating read.

Tons of books have been written that explain and glorify the wisdom and philosophy of Hinduism. Many non-Hindus have been more than happy to embrace some or all of these concepts, one of the most ubiquitous being the concept of "karma". But even they can feel awed, confused, surprised or a combination of these emotions when they first encounter the seemingly anachronistic practices of Hinduism- like worshipping the stones or trees.

This is one of the few books that explain well to the western audience the whats and whys of the oldest religion in the world. It focuses on the approach of common Hindu folks to their religion and how it enhances their day-to-day life. Author starts with some basic concepts and then goes on to draw pen-pictures of daily lives of devout Hindus that, at least in the religious sense, defy modernization in contemporary India. The text aided by vivid pictures fires the imagination and magically transports the reader to India. The deep passion of the author is clearly reflected in the knowledgeable text. Hinduism is a very flexible religion, which is primarily the reason it has survived thousands of years. It is perfectly acceptable to practice faith in ways different from those of ancestors, provided certain basic tenets are kept in mind. The approach to religion may vary by region, by economic status, or caste but the important thing to note that diversity is acceptable.

Author has presented the approach to Hinduism in rural India or that practiced by lower income strata of the society, which comprises of a significant number of Indian Hindus. This approach is different from that practiced by urban Hindus or those in middle or upper income class. This book is highly recommended to all who have interest in religion, those who have an unquenchable thirst for anything Indian and even practicing Hindus.

Its books like this which are truly inspirational. Open it up and you will open up to India and the complex spiritual diversity of Hinduism. The process of 'meeting God' pervades all of life here. Everyone has their own unique and individual 'puja' for 'dharsa' This is a look at a whole culture, and not just a religion. The images are spectacular. These ancient rites flourish in the face of any modernization. Probably the best introduction to Hinduism out there.