A friend recommended this Bible to me. I usually use a NIV Bible and wasn't sure about this translation, but it is wonderful. It is not like the Living Bible where everything is written in more modern terms. It is similar to the NIV only easier to understand.

The Bible is divided so that you read six days and have the seventh day to reflect and/or catch up. Each day's reading begins with a devotion, a synopsis of the reading, things to think about concerning the reading, and suggestions as to how to apply the lessons learned to your everyday life. It is not simply a devotional. It is the complete Bible with thought provoking commentary and simple explanations that anyone can understand. I highly recommend it to anyone...even those who do not desire to read the Bible in a year. It is a great Bible for everyday study and use at church.

I made the commitment 5 years ago to read the Bible through it's entirety every year for the rest of my life. I started with the Living Bible, and when the New Living translation came out in 1997 I purchased it in the Daily Walk version. I am almost finished now, for the 3rd time. The Lord said that He would bring His word back to our rememberance, but before I started reading this translation, I couldn't even get it in, so that He could bring it back to me. The wording of The King James version was much to complicated for me to read fluently. This Bible has been such a blessing to me, I take my yellow highlighter each day when I read, and mark the things that speak out to me. When I talk to others about the importance of being in The Word, and they don't have the NLV, I buy The Daily Walk NLT for them. Why? Because I know that they can read it and understand it, without having to stumble over the words. There is no better way to make God's Word a part of your own life, and no better way of encouraging someone else to make it a part of their life. I believe this Bible and a yellow highlighter should be beside every person's bed. What a wonderful way to be blessed.

My mom told me about this Bible so I purchased it. I've been telling everyone that I know to get it. I've only had it for a week, but it has inspired me to want to read the Bible daily. This Bible is written so that everyone can read & understand it. I can see this being a very important tool to help me become a mature Christian. If you are looking for help in your daily devotional reading, don't wait any longer, get the Daily Walk Bible!!!!

I have about 38 "Serendipity Series" books from Cosgrove including about 15 printed in the 70's. I am now in my 20's and am adding to my collection. I understand that several of the books are out-of-print, and I am looking for those. I concur with others who want a complete set made available. I would also like to see a web site devoted to the books. I can't wait to read these to my children (when I have them).

Serendipity books are the best written books in childrens literature. Just this morning, up in the attick, I found 13 of my favorites. Also, in the box I found my stuffed animal, you know, the one you keep forever. Along with a cup of tea and a rainy day, I read, and re-read every book I owned. The lessons in these books tought me to be a better person (Little mouse on the Prarie) and connect with my brave friend leo...I highly recommend these books for your children, and you.

Hello to all Serendipity lovers
I have almost completed my collection of I believe at least 77 books from this series. I grew up reading and falling in love with all of the animals from Rhubarb to Fanny to Ming Ling. I encourage any reader (parent or child) to indulge themselves in the gorgeous illustrations and wonderful morals at the end of each story. Cosgrove and James have inspried me to start writing children's books on my own. I might be a famous author someday!

In this book you will find prayers that are written on the basis of scripture, upon which you can literally throw yourself on God's promises and pray according to His perfect will. Many times when I have found that my words fall pitifully short when I pray, I can always look in here and find inspiring words to lift me up and help me pray with power. Although it really isn't what you say that matters to God, but what's in your heart, these prayers can be used as models for your own prayers. Find wisdom, comfort, peace, forgiveness, hope, and whatever you long for in these pages. It's a must book for your Christian bookshelf and one of the biggest blessing you can give to others. My favorite prayer is the one on Adoration ("Hallowed be Thy Name") See what a mighty, merciful, and awesome God we have as you read through it. In Christ, Algis Morales

Germaine Copeland's book is a very effective tool for those who want to improve the effectiveness of their prayers. Her message is simply to pray to God using His unchanging, unfailing Word. Each chapter in the book gives examples of both personal and intercessory prayers. The prayer purposes vary from such goals as health and healing to victory over depression or peace in a troubled marriage. The book concludes with separate chapters on the prayers of Jesus and also Paul. This book will appeal especially to those who wish to add authority to their prayers.

This book is the best example of true and effectual prayer. The highest rating doesn't give it the true honor it deserves.

This book, with whom I share a long and one-sided love-affair, is a perfect gem. I have read it during my life again and again, and I never have escaped without laughing--hard--out loud at all the Thurber family goings-on. Thurber has the rare gift of constructing a symphony of a story with the sparest but most meaningful instruments. His other books, The Thurber Carnival and the Thurber Album are also worth reading.

Unlike most autobiographies, My Life and Hard Times is short and extremely sweet. Despite its length, however, you can pick it up again and again and always be delighted by it. As Thurber says, he talks "largely about small matters and smally about great affairs." And the great affairs he talks about are quite meaningful, adding yet another dimension to the book. After reading it, I had the feeling James Thurber was somewhat depressed because of the limits of life. He only hints at this at the beginning and end of the book in his "Preface to a Life" and "A Note at the End," but it is there, and it is powerful. As for the nine anecdotes that make up the bulk of the book, there is simply no equal: they are very funny, displaying the occasional and humorous insanity of people. This is a book to be read again and again, and to be treasured.

This has got to be the funniest book I have ever read and read and read. Simple stories of Thurber's early years will get you laughing out loud.

My youngest child in now 14. I thought I wouldn't have an opportunity to read "Piggy in the Puddle" again until I had grandchildren. However, having recently started a music enrichment business for preschoolers, I am thrilled to be able to again dig out my well-used copy of this book. Before reading the book in my music class, I explain a little about rhythm and rhyme and have the children start a tapping pattern on their legs and I read the book along to their rhythm. They love the book just like my children did. My older daughter has written a review of this book starting that we have it memorized and we do. The first time my male friend was introduced to "family dinner" at our home, he had to sit through four of us reciting, from memory, "see the piggy, see the puddle, etc.". He now also reads it in the preschool music classes he teaches. And to add another generation, my 77 year young mother reads it to the inhabitants of a nursing home she visits to bring cheer and laughter to them. If you have children (or don't but love fun, giggly books), be sure to order "The Piggy in the Puddle"

Let me endorse the other reviews. This book is fun to read. Kids and adults love it. My 7 year old and 4 year old have it memorized and we still read it frequently. Piggy in the Puddle holds up under thousands of readings.

"See the piggy,/See the puddle,/See the muddy little puddle./See the piggy in the middle/Of the muddy little puddle." She dawdles and diddles. She waddles in the merry middle. She dives and paddles, wiggles and giggles and though she's making the rest of her family very angry, she's having a blast. What's her daddy, mommy and brother to do? No matter how hard they try to convince her to get out of the muddy middle of the puddle and wash up with soap, she always says "Nope!" Well as the old saying goes...If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. And that's just what each of them do..... Charlotte Pomerantz's piggy puddle classic, is as fresh and delightful today as it was when she wrote it over twenty-five years ago. Her joyful, rhyming text, full of silly verse, wordplay and tongue-twisting alliteration is complemented by James Marshall's very familiar, humorous and expressive illustrations and together this dynamic duo will have youngsters giggling and laughing out loud at the antics of this charming pig family. Perfect for early readers, The Piggy in the Puddle makes an even better read aloud story the entire family will enjoy. This is a book to treasure and share now and with each new generation to come. Make sure you get your copy, today!

Many people think that the NLT version is "bad" because it is not the Bible. It is, just not the NKJ version. I have always had a hard time understanding The Word, and this version was wonderful for me.

I got it just yesterday, and haven't read much of it, but I love the format and all the notes. I wold have given it 5 stars, but since I have had it for only a very short time, I don't know if I won't like it as much later.

I have read, and also used the devotions in The New Believer's Bible. People are dissing that one, too! I think for new believers, children, and teens, the NLT is an easy-to-read bible. If I tried reading the KJV as a new believer, child, or teen I'd freak out. The thee's, thou's, thy's, etc., and the other words that are beginning to be less used, and even less "understandable", would make it hard for me to concentrate on God's love letter to me. I would be too focused on trying to understand the language! Even the NIV is sometimes too hard for me to understand!

This is a wonderful version for all those teens out there who want to read the Bible, but can't find the time. If you have a good Bible and are thirsty enough for God's Word, all of a sudden, there will be time! There was time all along, you know, you just didn't WANT to!

This is the best Bible format and language I've ever read. It gives a clear interpretation of what the Bible says about important issues surrounding teens today, such as abortion, homosexuality, creation, etc. It also highlights key verses and gives profiles of important biblical figures. The wordage is easy to read and understand, and tells the reader what the Bible is saying in modern English. It is a great study and reading Bible for any teen, and I give it two thumbs up!

When I was a young Christian my youth pastor gave this bible to me. This is such a great bible for young people for so many reasons, too many to name really.

This New Living Translation of the bible is complete with index helps as well as numerous other resources. Maps are clear and easy to read. There are life application notes and well as highlighted memory verses that really stress the important scriptures. The persdonality profiles of major biblical figures is great to those who may not have a clear understanding of why what a person did was so important.

Probably the best aspect of this bible is that it makes reading some parts of the Old Testament, which can be more difficult, interesting and enjoyable to read. The parts of Leviticus and Numbers have charts and other helps to give the reader the little bit of added help it sometimes takes to get through those books.

An excellent portion of the book is the "Life Changer Index" where it gives guides to where certain scriptures talk about issues that directly relate to young people today in our Western culture (AIDS, homosexuality, abortion, gossip, cults, honesty, prayer, etc).

I have bibles in every translation that they come in, and yet this remains my favorite one to read. It is as user friendly as a bible can get. I've hung onto this book from my days as a young Christian to my days as a pastor and beyond. I highly recommend this book to all young people. Even if you are not younger in age, but are a new Christian, this version of the bible would really be a great help to you. It doesn't really matter that it's titled "student" bible, it touches on issues that we all deal with anyway. This not limited to students, by any means.

Derrida is my favorite philosopher. I don't think that his 'Deconstruction' is holistic necessarily but the gist of it explains the inherent problems of doing philosophy better then anything else I've read.

Unlike the greats of Science who simplify complex ideas (i.e..Stephen Hawking, Richard Feynman), the guru's of philosophy take fairly straight-forward ideas and shroud them with such mysterious sounding proprietary language that their work becomes nearly impossible to decipher. Derrida is no exception. This is a shame because his underlying message is brilliant...and really not not all that abstract.

So until philosophers realize that less words does not directly translate to less intelligence, we should be very glad to have commentators like Jim Powell around.

"Derrida For Beginners" concentrates on developing the key concept of "differance" and defining the necessary Derridian terminology used to communicate its meaning. The book clearly defines, "binary opposites", "texts", "logocentricism" etc.. and has plenty of diagram's to help you get the idea. While I can't say the artwork did much for me, the cartoon setting does force the message to be carried accross succinctly...no babling. The first book I read after failing miserably to tackle "Of Grammatology" was "Derrida" by Christopher Norris. While his was an excellent introduction..I will say that after I read "Derrida for Beginners" I went back and read most of Norris' book again and got a lot more out of it. Try this: read "Derrida for Beginners" as many times as needed until you have all the words in bold print at your fingertips..then, read Norris' book "Derrida". With this few hours of investment, do some online searches and read some of the commentaries and criticism of Derrida. You will be surprised at how badly he is misunderstood by so many who have studied him a lot more then you, and should feel good about your knowledge in comparisom. Of course you then need to get humble again so start reading "Of Grammatology". :)

Before I read this book, all I ever hear of Derrida is that he is so hard to read. Upon reading this, I realized where this could be true. This beginners book is very well written and made Derrida's work simple to understand. Although one may need a basic knowledge in linguistics and Sassure, one does not need it all together to comprehend some of Derrida's work. Author Jim Powell gives a concise look into the dense writings of the linguist which I not only found easy, but exciting - enough to make me want to go out and read some of the material that is written about. Along with an explanation of Derrida's work is also a brief biography which gives on an idea where he is coming from. Highly reccomended! One of the best beginners book to date.

I thought that the book was excellent. I would think that anyone who read it would be able to tackle texts like Dissemination etc. There are so many bad introductions to Derrida around that this book came as a refreshing surprise. I felt that it gave a very good coverage of Derrida's work.

I have ordered several books on exercising during pregnancy and most are a dissappointment if you are already active at all. This book explains in detail (and with scientific, medical studies) exactly what you are feeling and why. It explains what effect exercise has on your growing baby and on you,the Mother. The book also includes exercise prescriptions for different types of women, from sedentary to competitive athlete. I highly recommend this book for anyone wishing to exercise safely during pregnancy -- but particularly recommend it to those who already are exercising and need much more than the typical beginning books about walking and leg lifts.

I have been using Dr. Clapp's research for years in my program design and presentations. He is an advocate for women who want to stay active throughout pregnancy. His book is must have for anyone who wants the latest information on what's safe to do, exercise-wise, throughout pregnancy. His presentation of the material is simple and straight-forward so that everyone can read and understand it.

Dr. Clapp has compiled and made sense of the most important and illuminating research on the effects of exercise on pregnant women and their babies. A valuable resource for pregnant woman and maternal health and fitness providers. The most complete and well written resource currently available on this subject. I recommend this book to my prenatal fitness classes and instructors.

This book is powerful and unsettling at the same time. But that's a good thing, that's just what America needs, a sharp wake up call to the realities and horrors of racism. James Baldwin's commentary on race relations in America rings truer now than when first published. What he says may sound militant, but his words of wisdom coupled with his observations speak volumes. He doesn't just voice his ideas and then leave the reader hanging, no, he offers suggestions about problems that have to be resolved and realities that need to be faced before this country can move forward as a truly United States of America. James Baldwin stands out not only as a superb writer but also as a contemporary philosopher. I would recommend this book along with Mr. Baldwin's fictional masterpieces, "Giovanni's Room" and "Another Country" as a means of discovering this mans exceptional talent.

Perhaps the most significant indictment on racism in America written in the twentieth century, The Fire Next time ignites the mind and soul, causing the reader, whether black or white to reexamine the state of human relations in this country. With the intensity of a million flames and the insight of a prophet, Baldwin details the struggles faced by African Americans (American Negroes then) in a culture that has brutalized, vilified, and rendered us powerless. His insight into the white psyche and its dehumanizing effect on African Americans is frightening and yet as real today as it was in 1962 when this essay was published. How unnerving it was to read this book in 1999 and be faced with the realization that some 37 years later we as a nation are no closer to bridging the racial divide in this country.

I particularly applaud Baldwin for his eloquent discussion of what must be done, by both black and white America to release this country from the shackles that prevent us truly becoming the greatest nation on earth (in deed, not just rhetoric). I highly recommend this book as a must read for the country. In 1962, Baldwin's level of candor may have been somewhat off-putting to white America (the government considered him a Communist), for the truth can be an awfully bitter pill to swallow. Still, it's my hope that at that some point, white America will reckon with their own physiological, spiritual and political ills. Until then, African Americans must continue to hold a mirror before the face of injustice of this nation, while struggling to claim a place in a country that seems dead set on keeping us a drift.

Originally published in 1963, James Baldwin's, "The Fire Next Time", is an indicator of what society was like as many viewed it, and forces questions about the degree of change that has happened since he originally wrote the work. The position or the perspective of the reader, will greatly affect how each reader reacts. One issue that I do not believe can be doubted is that this is a powerful, and passionate book, written and published at a time the Author risked all manner of hatred and violence upon him. Published when Mr. Baldwin was 39, the book is not the rose colored view of youth, nor the writing with an entire lifetime to reflect upon. It does not suffer from the first, nor does it fall short do to the latter. It is writing that will elicit powerful emotions by all those who read it.

Great change for the better has taken place. Former Joint Chief Of Staff Colin Powell will soon occupy the most powerful post ever held by a person of color in this Country's History. This was probably unmanageable in 1963. However this example does not represent the state of change in our Society. As an argument for how much change has taken place for the better between the races, a person pointed out to me the march on the anniversary of the sick events in Selma Alabama, and the lack of any violence. My feeling was that if the President Of The United States had made the same march with the same people in 1965, as the President did recently, the violence would surely have been different. The participation of The President and all that surround him tend to minimize Civil Rights abuse in his presence.

There is no definitive measure of how much change has taken place, who is responsible, and who if anyone is to blame. The ease with which "The Race Card" is played by individuals of any color, at any level of our Country may not measure change, but it certainly does indicate that whatever change is needed is not yet completed.

A very powerful work about a conflict that still occupies too much time as an issue in our Nation. This book is one man's views, and his shared personal experiences. He writing is not the final word, but after 38 years, the fact that his work and his thoughts are still relevant, speaks for the work and the man who wrote it.

This book is worthwhile reading. It's fairly brief and recounts the interesting experience of the author as a platoon leader operating near an important contested village in Vietnam, Truong Lam. He details his own struggles and triumphs as he takes control of his platoon and his responsibilities. Since his service was fairly late, starting in August, 1970, he had his share of problems due to the general war weariness of everyone involved. He spared the true identities of the other characters, which I'm sure was appreciated by his company commander and several others.

I didn't rate this a 5 star book because I didn't find the quality of writing to be in the same league as I'd expect from a professional writer. McDonough did a respectable job of writing and used a simple, straightforward style. Still, I thought his experiences would have been more gripping and interesting if he'd had some help from a professional writer. As such, I didn't find it hard to put the book down and was glad it wasn't longer. Basically, I found the writing to diminish the story rather than equal or enhance it. No disrespect to the author, who seems like a fine Army officer and a decent writer. It's just that I think the book could have been better if there had been some writing help.

I'd recommend this book to be read along with On Point by Roger Hayes (spelling?). Platoon Leader is a low level officer's experience and On Point an enlisted man's experience. The two books are similar in strengths and weaknesses and the two authors seem to share a lot of the same attributes.

It is not easy to be a leader if you are young and inexperienced. The book describes how a young officer established his leadership among a group of veterans. He faced a lot of difficulties at the beginning as the veterans perceived him just a "college boy" but they had to put the whole platoon fate to this "boy's" hand. Eventually, Lt. McDonough became a successful leader after he had devoted himself entirely to his platoon and his job.

The inside world of Lt. McDonough had a lot of similarities to mine when I was a probationary police inspector - similar capacity of a Lt. who normally leads a platoon or similar team size of policemen in the Hong Kong Police Force. We both experienced similar things for gaining the trust from our subordinates, we both needed to participate and devote ourselves in order to set good examples to others. We both needed to show firm and strong leadership in order to convince our men of our competence. I will recommend this book to my friends in the Force and I think they will like this book too.

Well I found a book that ranks with Macdonalds' Company Commander, the best military memoir ever. Platoon leader is an unbelievable glimpse into the life of a typical platoon leader sent into the bush of Vietnam. After reading this book it is obvious why the Army chose it as required reading for officer candidate school. Macdonough describes clearly and with brutal honesty his tour as a young LT sent in the fight with no idea what to do. His platoon was on an isolated outpost and has to not only spend the days patrolling but endures the nights of fierce enemy attacks. Here it is described in such a flowing exciting manner that I finished it in one sitting. This is no 'glory of war' type memoir, but a plain portrayal of the senselessness and viciousness of war. Truly one of the classic military memoirs ever written!