"I used to think that I was small...a little body, that was all." With these words, the reader immediately identifies with this small child's wonder at all that is around him. The trees seem so tall as he looks upward through their branches! The magnificence of the night sky, so filled with glorious points of light, seems so immense. Who could ever know why those many stars are so bright and beautiful or where they get their vibrant light, and how could he possibly fit into this wondrous place - and most of all, where could he go for answers?

This book tells its story by speaking of things that children see: trees, plants, animals, and people - plus the moon, the sun, the stars, and even candy bars. Amazingly, children who read this book seem to automatically understand its deeper meaning; "Your body is just a little part of the light that shines within your heart." All I See Is Part Of Me is about innocence and wonder, and it is beautifully written for small children. I highly recommend enjoying this book with your child. The poetry is charming and the colorful illustrations are innovative and imaginative - perfect for viewing the world and the universe through a child's eyes.

Reviewed by Ruth

Chara Curtis and Cynthia Aldrich have created a charming introduction to a child's understanding of one's relationship to nature and the universe. The illustrations are done with colored pencil. On a first glance they could be a child's drawings because of their subtle simplicity and the choice of medium. On closer inspection Cynthia Aldrich has drawn illustrations which appeal to children in their simplicity but are nevertheless done with great mastery of the craft. Each illustration radiates with an inner light to go with the theme of the story.

Quoting from the book jacket, "In a journey that carries the reader far beyond the printed page, a child discovers his common link with all of Life. Inspired by Sister Star, he finds the light within his heart and, as his vision expands, he sees that same light in all other things."

"All I See is Part of Me is warm and inspiring -- a delight for children of all ages -- a book whose message is never forgotten."

I loved this book because in a very precise and childlike way, we are told and shown how we are one. Chara is a wonderful children's book author who has penned a few. This is just another that has been recognized and awarded for its insight and content.

It is an easy-to-read piece, capturing children of all ages. It encourages us to look deep within, past the outer trappings of illusion, to discover our connectedness with one another, nature and the universe. The story is poetically simple, but shares a deep meaning quite clearly.

The illustrations fantastically depict the words the author is trying to get us to understand. From the first question asked of the Sun to the closing of Sister Star's response to that same question, the pictures play on the child's imagination. They are so enjoyable it makes the child in each of us bubble with joy and delight. The colors are vivid yet muted, giving the pictures a depth of meaning that clearly tells a story of its own.

I can see why this amazing book was given the 1996 Award of Excellence by Body Mind Spirit Magazine. I purchased it, sometime ago, for my own grandchildren, and I'm sure it is by now a favorite of many.

This is a terrific reference on accurate rendering
of animals. If you are interesting in techniques
that help you capture the look in the eyes, realistic
fur and that something that makes the picutre come
alive this is a very helpful resource.

I was looking for a book on wild animal paiting and a friend of mine just picked this book from a shelf and said... I think this is like your taste.
After reading from cover to cover in just one night, I was impressed by the way I felt about the book. It has quite a lot of writing on it, but the kind of writing that inspires you to explore, think and feel about art and wild life art. It has hints, but not the kind of "take this for granted because it works". Instead, the book stimulates you to find out what suits you better, never creating rigid parameters.
Well, the overal feeling was that somehow Mr. Aldrich has written a journal about his toughts on art and wildlife art, and that he is kindly sharing his long way trip with the reader.
An awesome book and the one to which I come whenever I need a boost, not only for art pourposes, but also when I need a cheer up in my mood.

Loads of material on creating feathers fur and expressions.
The author covers the practical little details you need to learn
and in several demonstration sequences he puts everything
together. You can see the work "becoming". Very helpful reading
for anyone wanting to make realistic pieces with animal
subjects. I loved the section 'dealing with the blahs' which
addresses the point at which you go stale on a piece your are
working on.

From the first picture as you open this charming book, you know you're going to have a fun journey. Even the tree is smiling!

Each verse is filled with words of wisdom that tell the young readers that they live in a world filled with fun, wherever they look.

"Consider the courage of that little bug
Who jumped on your nose to give you a hug.
Or the soft, silken lace of a wondrous design
That a spider created as your valentine."

Author Chara Curtis lives in the forest of Northwest Washington which must have provided ample material for this delightful book.

The drawings by Cynthia Aldrich are lovely--the kind that you look at again and again, seeing something new each time.

"Fun can be found wherever you go,
But there's one more thing I think you should know.
Sometimes it hides, because fun LOVES to play, and waits till
You see things a different way."

Illumination Arts is a small press that specializes in unusual and unusually beautiful children's books. The art work in each of their publications is at times breathtaking.

I loved the words in this book because they really described what fun is through a fun-filled book of rhymes. The illustrations are just magnificent! You feel like you're right there in the middle of all the magic, fun and excitement.

When a boy asks a main, "How do you have so much fun?" The man juggles his question (mark) for a moment or two, then he laughs. "Dun or not, it's all up to you." I liked the message which is just what the man said, fun or not, it's all up to you. This book made me feel really good inside and I think that if someone reads it to you, it will make you feel really good inside, too.

...Savor that smile as it slips onto your face and let the merriment begin with this refreshing and insightful narrative about the feelings of a child. This book is both adorable and wise, and it teaches children to look at everything and every situation in a different way. Fun Is A Feeling tells us that fun is where we find it and shows us how to look for it; however, it also reminds us that sometimes we have to put that fun there.

Inside this book, children will discover things that will delight their imagination and wisdom that can only come from within. Fantasy and whimsy permeate, fill, and overflow these pages. That isn't simply a sprinkle of rain pitter-pattering on the upturned faces of children! Who would settle for rain when it can be turned into tiny little kisses - from raindrops that were looking just for them? And what about that bug that lands on their nose? Isn't it there just to give them a hug?

Stardust sparkles and swirls from page to page, sweeping us along with pure joy. Trees stretch their arms wide to let the smiles of children sail through their branches and tickle their leaves. The clear blue waters of a stream giggle their way through a forest glade, while colorful little fish leap as high as they can to peek out at the glorious scenery. What child could resist such beautiful illustrations, or fail to understand the most important message carried within this story...children are very special and their joy can light up the universe.

This is a wonderful book. Sweep up some of its stardust, put it in your pocket, and let its magical message change the way you look at your world - and when that happens, it will change your life...

Reviewed by Ruth Wilson

Read the book. I did when I was 14.

It has influenced me for over 30 years. I have lived by many of Nancy's (and her father's) values.

I will never ever regret spending my hard-earned pennies to get that book in some souvenir shop while my family was on our "go West" summer trip. I always thought long and hard before buying anything, but after leafing through a few pages and reading passages from Bess Streeter Aldrich's book, I would have asked my parents for extra money to buy the book. Luckily, I had enough.

It's the best investment I have ever made.

Karen K. (Schmidt) Gregory

Intrigue - romance - good old-fashioned values - beautiful sentences - believable characters. Having grown up in the Midwest, this book brought back all the seasons, smells, rhythms and beauty of prarie living. Bess Streeter Aldrich's prose is timeless - I am thankful to have discovered her work. What a pleasant surprise!

This is a good book, well worth reading. I like mysteries, and this one has a mystery in it! I won't tell you what it is, you'll have to find out, but it is not a 'scary' type of mystery, just enough to make you not want to put the book down. I just wanted to say that I have 'Rim of the Prairie', and really enjoyed it! If you live in Nebraska, you will enjoy this book, and even if you don't, you should still read it.

This book brings history to life. It is good reading and is a treasure to keep.

"Soldiering _ Yesterday" takes the reader into the inner most thoughts of a solder who fights his way across Europe. It is the story of a man who is afraid he might show fear in a fearsome war. The author opens the mind of the reader to questions all survivors have about life and death - and why. This is one of those valuable primary source books that one does not finish at the last page; rather one puts the book aside quietly to reflect on a story bravely told.

I enjoyed reading the account of a young man in Normandy. I have been there many times and had heard about it often as a young child from my father. This is a wonderful account of an awful period in history from the point of view of a young man whose life was interrupted and seriously altered by this event in history.

I would recommend this book to all who have an interest in World War II history and Normandy in particular!

A very wise person once defined genius as being not what youknow as much as knowing where to look. Mr Aldrich and Mr. Davis have woven a tale that could have easily been a front page story in any major American newspaper. Or maybe it already has. The only too real setting of this novel is the strange world of politicians that have either lost it all or have gained so much that even the truth is a minor detail. Joseph P. DeVine is a former FBI agent working as a consultant investigating the strange death of a political information gatherer know as "Dr. Dirt". And on his tail, Anne Carlson, a reporter for the L.A. Times. Speak no Evil introduces the reader to a collection of ruined politicos, powerfull politically connected families, a former Soviet spetznaz turned assassin, Dmitri Popova. And a unhuggable slimeball named Lindstrom. From the Oval Office in the White House to the brothels in Surabaya, Indonesia, a string of shady land deals, pay-offs, corruption and a bastard child. This novel becomes a little too real at times. The story is loosely based on the experiences and knowledge gained by Mr, Aldrich from many years working for the F.B.I. And his assignement to protecting "the current residents" of the White House. An unnerving insight into what might be, what can be, and what is. Just a note...It might be best to think of "Cyclops" as just a monster in an old Sinbad movie, if you think it would help.

"Speak No Evil" is a behind-the-scenes look at the way vicious Washington games are played. After the macabre murder in the first chapter, "whodunnit" meets "whydunnit"--and all the players seem to be drawn (are they real?) from Washington figures on the current scene. It makes you wonder.

It's a compelling read for mystery fans, political junkies and anybody who enjoys a book that will keep you guessing. I loved it.

Davis and Adrich either concoct or expose for the public, a high-powered, high-tech political dirt digging operation. Their backgrounds suggest the latter. While 'Speak No Evil' is "fiction", the amount of facts and truths as they relate to the present-day political scene leave you wondering where fact ends and fiction takes over! Education or fantasy? This powerful murder-mystery, political thriller is alive and fast-paced from cover to cover.

A heavy reader, I have excellent recall but there is one book I read in my teens which I have always looked for and could not find. I am happy to be able to order it here.

It is a story of simple young love which is thwarted by a number of societal rules...and as we watch the two parallel lives unfold, we are startled, near the end, to watch them pass one another again...our emotions never recover. That is why I must read it again as I ender old age myself.

This book is a delightful and enchanting story

I first read this book as an almost high school freshman; it stayed with me through the years and I had to 'find' it again through the same library almost 30 years later. The story has not lost any of its power and charm; the love and constancy of Amalia and Matthew for each other, and their ability to carry on despite separation, hardship and heartbreak is still a strong story. The story is a thorough, clear picture of the life of a settler, when what we now call the midwest was wilderness. Duty, the greater good of the community, just getting to the end of the day/planting season/year was an accomplishment. To do this well, with honor and simple love, carries the lead characters through. When they separate, in spite of all their intentions to stay together, your heart almost breaks, yet cheers for them as they continue. When they are 'almost' brought back together, I smiled at the irony and justice of this beautiful example of the full 'circle of life.'

Aldrich Ames' met with the author for several sittings after he was jailed and without the government's permission. That was just one more offense in a career of treason, drunkenness, slough and almost revolting passivity. Yet this man not only sent as many as 25 agents to their execution, he also spared no information to his KGB handlers. At times, he would be rooting for our side by day and by night he would have reversed and treacherously divulged everything he had previously learned.

Of course the answer is how? Despite the agency's superiority in resources and technology, they retain a dangerous and imbecilic "he's one of us" mentality. Ames repeatedly failed to follow protocol. He was spending money like a madman and while there were a few who were convinced of his guilt, the amount of time and the ultimate leakage that occured with every day was shameful.

Interestingly or not, the CIA has satellites that could zero in on Brezhnev as his dacha while he was being detained-but when it came down to getting the goods on Ames, they were more like the Keystone cops. Stealing trashcans, going door to door as salesmen, til someone called the cops and all of the vaudeville that one associates with those types of blunders. The book is far more flattering to the 'bureau,' who took full honors for the arrest even though there had been an agency team that had first fingered Ames and his wife.

The underlying issue for me was a) how the nature of espionage seems to be more about getting moles than about truly gathering intelligence and b) the astonishing lack of effective ways to figure out if someone is working for the other side. All of which, indicts or acquits the nature of being human in a world of frightening homeland security and total information awareness. Getting the info is apparently easier than managing it and logically acting on behalf of the constitution- not an ideology. There has been nothing discovered that has solved that problem. I really enjoyed reading this book and having some insight into diplomacy and superpowers and flawed characters all over.

Excellent book. Well investigated and written. Once you start, it's hard to put it down.

I really enjoyed Pete Earley's book "Hot House" about Leavenworth Prison and this book is every bit as good. An excellent combination of detailed research and captivating writing. Much more in depth than "Killer Spy" by Peter Maas (which was not a bad book, but tells more of the FBI's role in the investigation).

Aldrich is a leading figure in organizational sociology. The organization is, with no doubt, a domain of sociology. But organization is not the object only sociology, especially because the company is the dominant form of organization under capitalism. The firm has been the object of various disciplines. Since the firm is an organization, if one studies the company, he participates in organizational studies. Organizational sociology has also zeroed in on the firm, rather than other form of organization. So now organizational sociology is not much discernible from economic sociology in the empirical research. Both have focused on the firm and the market as research domain. Most universities in the States offer both specialties as one course rather than separate course. Moreover, such a blending of field is intensified as more and more researchers from various disciplines take the firm and market as their research agenda. we¡¯ve seen the ascendance of organizational economics over past decades, breaking decades of ignorance of firm in economics. One-of-a-kind move could be spotted even in political science. ¡®Varieties of Capitalism¡¯ (2001), edited by Peter Hall and David Soskice, for instance, is a example of such a trend. In this book they examine the influence of national regulatory system on the business system and competitive advantage. Now the organizational study is increasingly interdisciplinary affair in social sciences. The more come into play, the more divergent the field become. Aldrich identifies seven perspectives in organizational studies: ecological approach, institutionalism, interpretive approach, organizational learning approach, resource dependence approach, transaction cost economics, and evolutionary approach. The diversity of approaches is not only tolerable but also necessary, given the interdisciplinary nature of organizational studies. But seven perspectives in only one field is too much. So Aldrich attempts to launch the overarching framework based on evolutionary approach, while preserving the value of other approach. The advantage of evolutionary approach lies in its simplicity. It consists of only 4 principles: variation, se4lection, retention, and struggle. Each relates to the other with if-then clauses. But they are abstract in nature. The specific accounts of events should be provided by other niche approaches. Evolution is the name of process, not of substance or what takes place in the field. This is the overall architecture of the book. It seems Aldrich succeeds in the ambitious project to provide the umbrella framework linking competing perspectives under one roof. In doing so, he reviews tons of researches to validate the effectiveness of his proposal. It seems to work with empirical studies. But the devil lies in details. He dumps too many into the limited space in cursory manner. So reader has some difficulty in following through the lines. Overall framework of the book is reasonable, and that it must be the breakthrough in organizational studies. But reading through it is another matter. It¡¯s a painful travail.

Howard Aldrich's ORGANIZATIONS EVOLVING is truly a tour de force. Those who know his 1979 ORGANIZATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS are familiar with his sharp insights into the field of organizations and his lucid writing. In ORGANIZATIONS EVOLVING, Aldrich develops a compelling, broadly evolutionary, perspective on organizations that integrates the best ideas from diverse organizational theories. He makes the best, most sophisticated, case yet for an evolutionary perspective on the organization.

this book will revolutionize the way sociologists look at (evolving) organizations...lots of examples and an excellent organization of topics.

In my preparation for a workshop I taught on women encouraging each other, I read this book.

The stories of average, every-day women accomplishing such amazing things in such seemingly simple ways was very uplifting! To be an effective encourager, one must first feel encouraged. And what a great book to lift the spirit. God loves working with the little things and something so small can be used for great things once God gets His hands on it! This book gives the 'proof in the pudding'.

I encouraged the women in my workshop to get this book, to have around if they just need to read something quick to get a boost. That we are instruments of the greatest musician and He can use us if we are willing!

Excellent work.

Heartprints made me appreciate all the women in my life who have made a difference and gave me the courage to buy the book for one friend and share with her what a difference she makes on a daily basis. This book makes me want to give and do more even if I don't know the end results of my deeds.

I read a few sections of this book each night before bed, it was a terrific way to end the day, thinking about how I might affect someone for Christ the next morning. The stories are about real women with real issues and truly made me feel that if they can encourage someone, so can I.