If you were raised in a family where the father was the absolute authority or if you have an anger problem stemmimg from circumstances in which you were raised or subjected to, this book is for you. Dr's. Sonkin & Durphy use very plain, simple language to explain what is the difference between aggression and being assertive. They explain what causes agressive behavior and more importantly, how to change it. There are exercises designed to help the reader throughout the entire book. This book, if followed closely and diligently, can change your life. I think it is even more effective if this book is used in a group setting with other men because men do not usually discuss this topic and having others present helps bring to life the examples given in the book. Somehow, hearing men speak openly about their problems seems to help others.

"Learning to Live Without Violence" is, at first glance, too easy. It is written in Junior High english and almost appears not deep enough to make an impact. However, after completing the book and following the exercises (of which there are many) I found that this is exactly the right format that is needed. People that commit violent acts on others; physical, verbal or otherwise, need a direct, easy to comprehend book that gives them alternatives to their violent behavior. This book will help accomplish that and more. It gives you new tools to put into your tool box so that when anger arises you will have that new tool to use instead of violence. Put these things into practice and you will be a better individual. Everyone wins when violence stops, not only for you but also your wife and family.

The review of this book states that it is an anger avoidance workbook. On the contrary - we help men learn to get in touch with, manage the intensity of, and communicate their anger (as well as their other feelings) so that their emotions don't overwhelm them and ultimately make them vulnerable to acting aggressive and violent. We hope your readers learn as much from this book as we did from writing it!

It was interesting to learn that Marseille is a great Pizza town and has Pizza trucks complete with North African Pizza styles, but that didn't make me feel like I was there. The recipes all seem very complex and seem to come from the kitchens of fancy restaurants. I did manage to create a halfway decent vegetarian Spinach bouillabaise as inspired by one of the recipes.

Incidentally, I was moving when I wrote this review, and so I goofed. Of course there is an index! I don't know why I thought there wasn't one. So I apologize to the author and review readers for that considerable error.

The first 50 pages of this "cookbook" is a wonderfully romantic but not romanticized portrait of Marseille and that historic Mediterranean port of call's long history, native customs, literary inspirations, immigrant influences, notorious mischiefs, and recent cultural revival. Recalling the movie "The French Connection," it's hard to think of Marseille as being trendy, yet Daniel Young makes a convincing case, especially through his side-by-side presentation of the local Provence-based cooking and emigre flavors that gives the food its contemporary appeal.

The recipes I have attempted so far have been delicious and very doable (so far I've preferred to try the straightforward, home-style dishes from home cooks (many from grandmothers, others from fishermen) rather than the more elaborate ones from Marseille's restaurant chefs). I can see myself making the Parmesan and black olive biscuits all the time. The Provencal-style eggs in cocotte are terrific and also simple to prepare. My friends loved the basil potato chips and the Moroccan crepes. The soupe au chocolat -- that's right, chocolate soup -- is to die for!

Incidentally, I'm not sure what "Cloudia," my fellow customer reviewer, is talking about when she complains of no index. My copy of the book has a very detailed index where you would expect to find it, in the back (pages 259-272).

Daniel Young's recent book, Made in Marseille belongs in every serious cook's library, this is a wonderful book. His recipes are a good mix , some Eastern Mediterranean rather than the usual type of French Cookbook which we're more familar with. Mr. Young's bouillabaisse,his excellent appetizers especially his Tapenade are a very good reason to have his very special book, additionally the photographs by Sebastien Boffredo really capture the area.

Daniel Pinkwater's "The Werewolf Club #1: The Magic Pretzel" is a fun book for young readers. The story is an entertaining blend of fantasy and humor, and is well enhanced by Jill Pinkwater's cartoony illustrations.

This book tells the story of Norman Gnormal, a boy whose parents have raised him as if he were a puppy. A kid who doesn't quite fit in with the average crowd, Norman finds a fairly supportive peer group in an after-school club for students who hapen to be werewolves. The club members go on a mission to help their faculty advisor, Mr. Talbot, with a dilemma invoving the magical relic of the book's title.

This book reminded me a little of the film "The Little Vampire," but is sillier (and hairier). The text opens with a spoofy werewolf Q&A, and incorporates some clever references to werewolf films and lore. Good fun!

Fourth grader, Norman Gnormal has been raised as a dog...it's what his parents really wanted when they had him and his earliest memories are of playing fetch with his father. Now the principal of the Watson Elementary School has signed him up for the Werewolf Club, since there aren't any other activities for boys who think that they're dogs. At the first meeting, scary and weird Mr Talbot, a werewolf himself and the club's sponsor, sets the group's first mission in motion. They are going to cure themselves of this evil curse by stealing the "Magic Pretzel", kept in a burglar proof case in the Museum of Pretzel. One bite, under the full moon and the curse will be lifted! Daniel Pinkwater has written a fast paced, funny, absurd and delightful short chapter book, that is just perfect for kids aged 7-10. With action packed scenes and hip kid-speak language, your youngsters will be turning pages to the very end as Norman, the only non-werewolf of the club, uses his canine skills to find and capture the prized pretzel. This is the beginning of a terrific series and a sure way to help your kids enjoy reading.

This is my first book by the Pinkwaters (Daniel writes and Jill illustrates) but it won't be my last. The Werewolf Club : The Magic Pretzel, is a silly, absurd book but in the most delightful way.

You see, Mr. Talbot, half-man, half-wolf, and sponsor of the Watson Elementary School Werewolf Club needs the one thing that can keep you from turning into a werewolf: The Magic Pretzel. Unfortunately, it is under the care of Talbot's half brother, Lance Von Sweeny, who keeps it locked away. Enter Norman Gnormal, the only nonwerewolf in the club, who was raised as a dog by his quirky parents (who actually wanted a dog instead of a little boy). Norman uses his tracking skills and canine-like smell to help Talbot find the magic pretzel, but of course it ain't easy.

This is the first book in the series known as THE WEREWOLF CLUB and I hope the next book is just as wacky and wonderful as this one. The illustrations aid a great deal to the story and serve the writing style very nicely. Grab a bowl of pretzels (magic or otherwise) and enjoy.

A real page turner with a strong religious bent. The book has an intricate plot, is well written, and is easy to read.

Highly recommended.

This book was fabulous. It is a thriller that keeps you turning the pages. You can't put it down.

From the hidden vaults of The Vatican to the ancient walls of Jerusalem, this novel takes you on a thrill ride of suspense and adventure filled with historical intrigue and non-stop page turning action.

Daniel Pharr presents us here with a comprehensive book about all things lunar. He starts with the basic lore about the phases--about the properties of the waxing, full, waning, and dark moon. He goes on to talk about moon signs and what they mean; he describes the personality traits of people born under each moon sign, and goes even deeper by detailing how a person born under each sign will likely react and feel as the moon enters each of the zodiac signs. For example, if your moon sign is Aries, you might have some struggles when the moon enters watery Cancer; having that knowledge can help you deal with the emotions. Pharr advises keeping a moon diary in which you keep track of the moon's sign and how your mood and energy levels are affected by it. Included is a lunar ephemeris; with a little bit of math you can determine the moon's sign at any given moment.

This is a great book to use to follow our emotional attunement as the transiting Moon changes signs. Some interesting and illuminating insights into the natal Moon in signs, too! If you love the Moon, you'll love this reference! There's a very useful appendix with a lunar ephemeris and a glossary of terms.

i absolutely loved this book it expalins what to do in each moon phase and when the moon goes into a different sign,it explains about how when the moon is in each astrological sign how it effects you depending on your moon sign,it would be great tool for writing spells too

Musichound Swing is a good guide for folks who are looking to expand their CD collections. I thought that I'd exhausted all of my possibilities, but it ends up that I'd barely scraped the surface. For the most part, the guide is right on with it's reviews. However, they are rather unkind to the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra, giving the 1st CD, 'Swing Fever' a 2 out 5 and the 2nd CD 'Calling All Jitterbugs' a 3 out of 5. It does refer to the band as 'Top Notch', but yet gives relatively low ratings. I hope that the book doesn't steer people away from the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra, as they are a fine band, in the mold of the Dorceys & Benny Goodman. The book is, on the other hand, too kind to Lee Press-On & the Nails, giving it a 4 out of 5. I didn't think the band was particularly strong in it's CD. It's horn section seemed to be struggling with the material at times. The band is great live and has developed quite a bit. Time for a new CD? A nice feature in the book is that each bands' influences, as well as bands that they influenced are listed at the end of each entry. However, the book does point out a few bands that influenced the Big 6 (a great UK swing/rockabilly combo) and yet there is no listing for the band. They have 2 great CDs out and even had a song in the recent movie 'The Truman Show', so surely they deserve an entry!? All in all, this is a really decent book and one that deserves a spot on every Swing fan's bookshelf.

This is an ambitious volume, in that it attempts to cover the "old swing" bands of the thirties and forties and the neo-swing groups of today, as well as those who bridged the gap between them. It succeeds to a remarkable degree. Particularly if you haven't kept up with all of the neo-swing groups to appear in the last few years, this book serves as an excellent introduction. The same goes for those on the other side of the generational divide who want to explore the genesis of this style. Extra credit goes to the editors for remembering some of the often-overlooked swing artists of the past, like Helen Humes, Andy Kirk and Lucky Millinder. There are some questionable inclusions (such as Lawrence Welk, who wouldn't know swing if it clogged up his bubble machine, and Guy Lombardo[!]), as well as some glaring omissions (where is Big Time Operator? and if Will Bradley and Ray McKinley don't deserve separate listings, at least they should have a joint one), but generally the listings are right on, even if they don't initially seem to ring true. (Both Kay Kyser and Ozzie Nelson could swing more than most people recall.) If you can't find a particular artist, there is an index listing where he may appear in other volumes in this series. Which brings up a couple disagreements I have: Natalie Cole is in the R&B and Lounge volumes, but she has certainly shown on some tracks on her "Take a Look" and "Unforgettable" albums that she also deserves a place here. And who knows where Boyd Raeburn should go; I would put him in the jazz volume. But I'm beginning to quibble.

Since the ratings of the individual CDs are so subjective, it would be easy to quibble with any number of them. I agree with the earlier reviewer who took issue with the ratings give the Bill Elliott CDs, and I could point out others. On the average, however, the ratings do not differ too greatly with what most knowledgeable listeners would arrive at. Even those listeners with large collections and hardened pre-conceived ideas (that seems to describe me pretty well) can learn quite a bit. Out of the wealth of material available by Duke Ellington, I don't think I would have zeroed in on the All Star Road Band albums without this book pointing the way. The system of identifying what to buy first and next is a great benefit to the beginner (either to the swing genre or to a particular artist). I also appreciate the recommendations as to what hard-to-find items to seek out, even if they are on vinyl. (No, my full set of the Bluebird Charlie Barnet LP twofers mentioned is not for sale at any price.) However, it is these ratings, while the key to the book, are also its downfall. Inevitably, and sooner rather than later, this volume will be outdated as new groups form, new recordings are issued, and more old material is newly released. Too bad the publishers can't follow the lead of law book publishers and issue pocket parts when needed. Instead, we'll just have to buy the new edition when it comes out.

I should mention the CD included with the book. It contains a good variety of current lesser-known acts and is nice to have in its own right, but of the seven tracks, three of the artists are not listed in the text at all while the track by a fourth is from a CD not listed. All of these flaws are really minor, and more likely to provoke serious discussions than criticisms. One thing this volume does lack is a general definition of "swing". We all know that it don't mean a thing if it ain't got it, but what is it? I guess in the words of Louis Armstrong (who said this about jazz), "Man, if you have to ask, you'll never know."

New for 1999, MusicHound's Swing! contains all the information that any swing fan, new or old, will need. Pages upon pages of what records to buy. Reviews of classic Big Bands, 21st Century Swing, and jump-blues artists. Each review contains a history of the artist, which records to pick up and which ones to avoid. You will save money by owning this bok. In addition MusicHound's Swing lists swing related books and websites. This is truly the last swing book that you will need to buy.

Like all the other books of the Countdown series this book is excellent. But this book differs from the other books in a big way, this book sort of drags on and on. There are a few important events that happen in this book that are needed to know to continue the series, but that's about it. This book is a good one to read but it's not an edge-of-your-seat book like the others.

While all the other Countdown books are excellent, "July" was somewhat of a disappointment. While we figure out our suspicions of the betrayers, the rest of the book seems unstructered and bland. The interactions are well developed, but the plot of this novel lacks motivation. It''s predecessors are very well put to gether, but this just seems like a "Remember when..." book that reminds us of all that has happened. Sure, a few of the evnts in this book are important, like the rain of blood and the final two chapters, but the plot needs to move on. Also, when are readers going to learn of Josh's fate?

Everysingle Count Down book is great. Although this one doesn't quite be in the best list of mine. But it deserves a 5 stars.

July is quite a let downer/cliff hanger. Can't get enough of it...can't even put it down! Always great! Can't wait to get August!

Kicking Tomorrow is a pretty amusing tale of Robbie Bookbinder, a disaffected teenage boy growing up in Canada in the 70s. Daniel Richler's story is funny and very well-written. Richler has fun with language, which makes the book quite fun to read. What I think I like best is the dialog. It's right on, almost scarily so. Enjoy.

There must be something in the Richler blood; this book is great. If you're in between 30-40 and have grown up anywhere in Canada or the US, you're sure to enjoy this novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Daniel Richler is an exceptionally creative individual. Kicking Tomorrow is an engaging and comical story of the transition from wayward youth to adult. I look forward to reading this authors future works.

I found this book hard to read, but worth the effort. ..It was a diffent kind of roamance than I am used to reading. .but very good.

I would also hightly suggest that you read Stolen Moments by Barbara Jeanne Fisher. ..What a beautiful story of unrequited love. . .for certain the love story of the nineties. I intended to give the book a quick read, but I got so caught up in the story that I couldn't put the book down. From the very beginning, I was fully caught up in the heart-wrenching account of Julie Hunter's battle with lupus and her growing love for Don Lipton. This love, in the face of Julie's impending death, makes for a story that covers the range of human emotions. The touches of humor are great, too, they add some nice contrast and lighten things a bit when emotions are running high. I've never read a book more deserving of being published. It has rare depth. Julie's story will remind your readers that life and love are precious and not to be taken for granted. It has had an impact on me, and for that I'm grateful.

Literary agent, Carolyn Hopwood Blick

"Stolen Moments " which is reminiscent of "Love Story" is written with so much sensitivity that it made me want to cry. Like"Love Story" it is about a dying woman who has found true love. It is the love story of the nineties."

This book has it all--from the feuding clans in the highlands to the forbidden love of Lorna and Ian to the battlefields of WW1 and the ghosts of Scotland's past. I found this book to be a very enjoyable read.

This is a TRUE story about the unrequited love of a young man (Ian) and woman (Lorna) from feuding families. It is truly the epitome of the Scottish history that emphasizes the generations of Scots, and how their fueding was a typical way of life. The fueds were brought on by often real or sometimes imagined slights. The constant need to merely "stay alive/exist" led to cattle raids and sometimes the loss of an entire clan, depending on the slight! The MacTavish clan haunted generations with a curse for future clans: "Hatred our sword and feud our fire". During the Boer War in 1902, the clans put aside their tensions. Lorna MacNeil was engaged to Malcolm MacDuff, yet in love with Ian MacTavish. This story takes you to the battlefield in France and back to Scotland, using the "Glen of Spirits" to provide an eery feeling to the voice of this wonderful story. There are a number of startling moments, that made me exclaim out loud. A genuine look at Scottish History.

I bought this collection of maps when actually looking for a poster of the whole Middle Earth. The maps have an antique look and feel on them and the whole package is of excellent quality. The detail of the drawings is good but simple, I think it could've been more detailed. You cannot place the maps to show the continuity between them because they are not all based on the same scale. And, its missing a very important map which is that of Mirkwood and the Lonely Mountain. Anyway, I recommend it but only if you don't mind my findings.

These maps are truly beautiful. I am in the process of framing them and they look very impressive when hung on a wall. The map of the Shire is by far the most detailed, and the booklet included has an enormous amount of information in it. I agree with the other reviewer, however, that this set would have been even better if it included Thorins Map. Im very much looking forward to Set 2 due for release this summer!!

These maps are drawn by Daniel Reeve, who was responsible for the cartography in the movie trilogy. There are six 17" x 22" archival quality collector's maps which show: The Shire, West Gondor, East Gondor, Rohan, Eregion, and Mordor. Also included is a 32-page guide to the lands of Middle-earth which recounts in detail the history and characteristics of virtually all of the places and regions of Middle-earth. Their beauty and quality makes them definitely worth the money.