I picked this up on a whim from the local library, and was intrigued by the back cover. Given the short length, I was finished in a few day, but even so, I didn't feel that the stories lacked substance. There are a lot of stories in this volume, and as such the longest isn't more than 10 or 15 pages. By and large the stories are well thought out, little slices of life of a wide variety of people. One story in particular that grabbed me was "How We Remember You," especially in the way it was told, through the notes and charts of a group of employees at a homeless shelter. The first story in the book, about a young veterinarian performing her first house call euthanasia, is particularly touching. My least favorite of the bunch was "The Resolution of Nothing," mentioned in the editorial review above.

Despite some of the stories lacking any real punch or direction, most of them are very well-written, with characters that reach out and grab you, make you care about them for five or ten pages. I would recommend this to anyone interested in a short but very substantial read, or to anyone interested in realistic fiction.

Cheers!

Mr. Smith has humanized the plight of the "buffalo soldier" after the Civil War without showing bitterness. The main character, Johnny Buffalo, shows many emotions; desperation, patriotism, loyalty, hatred and love. He is a believable person and you find yourself empathizing with him, no matter what your own race or background. The plot moves swiftly without bogging down. Some descriptions may be a too gory for the faint-hearted but descriptive they are! I would order Mr. Smith's next book, based on this one.

I initially reviewed this on my clowning web site (http://www.clown-ministry.com), so some of this may not be totally germaine -- This is a short children's book (32 pages, hardback) illustrating the various Fruits of the Spirit from Galations 5:22. But what happens when Joy is missing? Joy the clown is the strength of Heartland, and his loss is sorely felt -- but eventually, all is restored, and the thief is washed in the river Grace, with Jesus detergeant (make you "white as snow").

Admittedly, this is only tangentially about clowns, but it is an excellent book for children ages 4-8, and has become a favorite bedtime story for my children.

This book is about teeth beauty's book, from this book you will study how to protect you tooth's mothond.

I met Jan Foulke once! She was nice! I would reconmend this book to anyone who has antique or newer version dolls or is a collector!

On the positive side, the book presents interesting histories of several kibbutz settlements. It showcases the wide variety within in the kibbutz movement. It also explains the history of the kibbutz movement within the greater context of Israeli history, explaining some reasons for the rise and slow decline of the movement.

The one thing that seems to unify every kibbutz is the struggle to retain members past the 2nd or 3rd generation generation. I was disappointed that the book doesn't provide interesting answers to the central question of the future of the movement. Are the problems attracting new members and retaining children due to historic cycles or to a fundamental flaw in the utopian vision?

All in all, I'd recommend the book to those who already know a little about the movement and what to gain a deeper insight into the history and pitfalls of the Kibbutz..

Daniel A. Scalberg, Chairman of Historical Studies at Multnomah Bible College offers us a chronology of events in Christian history in England. Many fine photographs illustrate this text, designed for anyone that enjoys things British or is in the planning stages of a trip to that country. His book is thorough, colorful and at times quite entertaining.

The non denominational Pictorial Guide is well written, full of absorbing details, and a few tongue in cheek asides. It includes a map, bibliography, suggestions on what to wear, a few tips on etiquette and helpful translations of American slang into British slang so that you can find a loo and order chips.

This isn't always an easy read, but it's worth the effort. Anyone who enjoys the classics of literature (or watch Masterpiece Theater) would find this a welcome source to help familiarize themselves with people, places and things British in relation to the Christian church. The Guide features interior and exterior photographs of classic buildings and grounds of the likes of Cambridge University as well as absorbing historical facts about various cities such as Canterbury and Ely.

Scalberg has spent the last twenty years making what he refers to as "pilgrimages" and escorting tours of England to explore the spiritual ancestry of the Church. I had no idea when I began reading this book that England was once an "insignificant missionary outpost under Roman rule".

The book is divided into three sections. The first chapter provides a chronological description of the entire of English church history. The author explains that due to economic hard times in Rome, troops were encouraged to settle in England permanently after serving as part of the conquering army. He then proceeds with an extensive overview the people and politics that contributed to the Church as it is today.

Section two focuses on the geographic centers of Christianity in England, relying heavily on full color photographs. The final section offers biographical sketches of John Wesley, Elizabeth I, Sir Thomas More, William Wiberforce, Dorothy Sayers, C.S. Lewis and the Venerable Bede. The majority of these people are familiar names in our culture but Scalberg explores their backgrounds and individual contributions to the Christian church.

Recommended.

Tommaso Campanella's The City of the Sun is a utopian literary work that was written in 1602, 86 years after Sir Thomas More's classic Utopia. The book is termed a "poetical dialogue," although it is written in prose. The dialogue consists of a Genoese sailor describing to a knight of the Order of Hospitalers of St. John his visit to the City of the Sun, which is located on the island of Ceylon. Almost all of the talking is done by the sailor. The Hospitaler's role is primarily to ask the sailor questions about The City of the Sun; he seldom provides a critical response or challenge to the sailor's assertions.

The sailor explains that the City of the Sun is built on a hill and defended by a series of seven great circular walls. Each wall contains paintings that are meant to teach the citizens, the Solarians, "useful knowledge and values" (a sort of educational graffiti). The center of the city is located in a magnificent temple at the summit of the hill. The city is organized to ensure order, security, and companionship for the Solarians. The state has absolute control over the lives of the Solarians--telling them how to dress (they must dress alike), what to eat (simple, healthy foods), what recreation they can have (only physical play to build up their bodies; no sit-down games are allowed), how they can fight in case of war (only defensively), and who should procreate (only the "fit"). Everyone works for the state and, in return, the state provides for the citizen. People eat and work communally. The Solarians are taught the key tenets of all major religions; the state religion is a sort of christianity without Christ. People live in dormitories, and every 6 months they are moved to new quarters to prevent boredom. There is no private ownership or private wealth.

The city is run by an elite class consisting of the wisest and ablest Solarians. The key ruler of the city is a person named "Sun" (also termed the "Metaphysician"), who is the most "universally wise." The person "Power" is the war leader, the person "Wisdom" directs scientific advances (they have airplanes and energy-powered ships); and the person "Love" controls all sexual relationships (men and women are allowed to have intimacy "when the astrological signs are right"). Marriage does not exist, nor do families. Women have the same educational opportunities as men and are expected to fight alongside men in case of war. However, the leaders at the top are all men. In spite of the extreme restrictions they live under, the Solarians are "happy with their existence."

Overall, I found the City of the Sun an imaginative piece of literature, although I felt it very unlikely that much of it would be possible in view of the innate human hunger for individualism and self-determination. Certainly, I would not want to live in such a place. Campanella also did not consider that the wisest and the ablest people selected from among the elite could be corrupt.

I think the book had greatcontent. the author uses a lot of descriptions that paint a colorful image into your head. It was about a you English soldier that is in Ireland during the rebellion and falls in love with an Irish girl. He also meets a convicted hedgemaster, teacher, which has taught the Irish language in secrecy and befriends him. His dad, the colonel finds out about him and warns him not to do it again. Now Anson is caught between his father and what is right.

This is a collection of the first four cases in the Labours of Hercules set. With the exception of why Poirot is selecting his cases at the beginning (His impending retirementand connecting to namesake),the stories are well connected. The first story is "The Nemean Lion". Poirot tries to help a man clear up a case of kidnapping of his wife's dog after ransom has been paid. In his mind the Pekenise dog is as fierce as a lion. The ending is very cute where everything turns out well but unexpected. The next story is of the "Lernean Hydra". This intails Poirot cleaning up a rumor mill ensnaring a doctor, his older wife who dies, and his female dispenser. Poirot has to find the truth to stop the multi headed attack of rumors. Good ending as well. "The Arcadian Deer" is the story for the romantic poirot fans. In this tale, Poirot tracks a maid for a lovelorn mechanic. Feeling the challenge somewhat simple, Poirot is surprised with it's complexity and travel. Good ending with the standard Christie flair. Last but not least is the "Erymanthian Boar". This one has Poirot in Switzerland hunting down a killer. I was slightly disappointed in the reasoning used in this one but it was still good. Daniel Massey does a great job reading this set. His voice changes from one character to the next. He even does a somewhat passable Belgian accent. I do wholeheartily reccomend this for those who like Christie stories but don't have time for the novels. Enjoy.