Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon teaches kids no matter what people say or how people treat you you should always believe in yourself. Molly Lou Melon faces many fears that everyday children must face and she conquers them which helps kids have faith and confidence that everything in there life will work out even if they are going through a hard time.

I discovered this book in my local library and my two daughters, my husband, and I all LOVED it so much we got our own copy. It has an engaging and humorous story, wonderful illustrations, and an excellent message. It is appropriate for a wide range of ages - my 3 year old loves it but it is about a girl in first grade so older children will relate to it. The message that what is inside a person is more important than what she looks like is something I want my daughters to believe. Molly Lou Melon is such a likeable and wonderful character that we all fell in love with her. It is truly an excellent book!

Molly Lou Melon is my hero! I found this book in a bookstore about a year ago and had to buy it even though my boyfriend's daughter (the intended audience) was not even two at the time. I knew she was probably too young, but I thought it was such a great story I couldn't pass it up. At about 2 1/2, she really got into it. She is just about three now and we read it almost every night.

It is the story of a first grader who has big buck teeth, a voice like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor, and several other traits that make her a little different. She is okay because she has her friends, and her wise grandmother who teaches her to stand tall and proud. Molly then moves to a new school. By following her grandmother's advice, she fits in just fine.

What I love most about her is that she never doubts herself for one second. Many books have been written where the hero/heroine overcomes self doubt and replaces it with confidence. Not Molly Lou Melon. She sparkles with that wonderful trait that children have - innocence. She has no reason to think her grandmother might be wrong, so she believes in herself all along. I know that my boyfriend's daughter doesn't understand all the details of the story. She enjoys it because of it's whimsical pictures and repetitive lines ("So she did!" and "... Ronald Durkin felt really foolish.") I hope that she continues to read the book as she gets older, and I hope that I can be as wise as Molly's grandmother and teach her to believe in herself so the world will believe in her too!

The Gardener is now our favorite book. My three sons love to look at the wonderful illustrations. I love to garden and I have enjoyed teaching them. My children love to hear the letters Lydia writes to her family, which tell the story. In today's world, letter writing is becoming a thing of the past. Most of all, we love the ending - showing the love Lydia and her uncle developed for each other. It makes me cry every time I read it.

This book has such an unexpected gut-level impact on everyone who reads it! I have read it aloud to people of all ages and there is never a dry eye in the room! Each of the short letters begins with a date which will be meaningful to anyone who lived through the depression. Oddly enough, disasters and hard times seem to bring out the best in people and this book sets out to show just how that is true. Lydia Grace Finch is such a universally loveable little character - she is unforgettable! The text and the illustrations are so perfectly suited to each other - they seem to have been created by the same person -but they aren't! (Just a "marriage of true minds" I guess.)The book gets at the heart of what a family can give a child even without money - what it means to be poor and what it means to be rich.
This is a lovely gift book for children or adults and I hope it stays in print for a long, long time!

"April showers bring May flowers." Sarah Stewart's The Gardener brings us the winsome story of a young flower lover, Lydia Grace Finch. Forced by the hard times of the Depression, Lydia leaves her family to go to the unfamiliar city to stay with her Uncle Jim, an unsmiling baker. While traveling by train, Lydia writes to Uncle Jim, admitting she knows nothing about baking, but a lot about gardening. In Lydia's subsequent letters to her Mama, Papa, and Grandma we discover just what Lydia thinks of the city, subdued Uncle Jim, and learning to bake bread. David Small's pen and ink drawings with their softly hued watercolor washes fill the large pages with detailed views of Lydia's adventure. Where in the big gray city can Lydia ever grow all the seeds and bulbs her Grandma sends her? Will Lydia ever coax a smile from Uncle Jim? Read Lydia's charming letters to find out how one determined slip of a girl brightens her city corner of the grim 1930's world.

I have been a big fan of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross for many years. I'm glad she hasn't passed on yet because she clearly has a lot to tell us still!! David Kessler's experiences add value to the book as well. The chapters are each written on a particular lesson: Time, Fear, Anger, Play, etc... and within each the authors "talk" about the lesson flowing back and forth between each other, presenting their own insights and personal accounts of friends, and patients.

This book is terrific if you are interested in learning about life. You will learn the key lessons from people who have been terribly sick or are terminally ill. They have much to teach, because as the book says.. They have nothing to lose anymore. Here is a quote from the section in the book on Patience...

"And remember that God and the universe are not ultimately just working on the situation: they're working on you. If you're wondering why the universe isn't soley focused on getting you the great job offer, it's because the universe isn't always concerned with which job you have. The picture is much bigger than your job. Neither is the universe always concerned whether or not you're married-it's more concerned with your experience of love than who is or is not in your life. And rather than focusing soley on your health, the universe is more concerned with your experience of life, whatever the conditions may be. The universe is concerned with who you are, and it will bring into your life, in whatever the situations, in whatever time, what you need to become the person you're supposed to be. The key lies in trusting-and having patience."

This is one of the most important books that I've read in the last 30 years. I purchased 22 copies of this book, so far. I am giving this book to everyone that I love or for whom I care. I find myself reading it over and over again. Each time that I read it, it holds some different meaning for me. The authors offer up the wisdom of those who have entered the zone of "dying soon". Each author in their own unique way urges the reader to listen to this wisdom now, while there is, hopefully, many more years to apply it. I love the brutal honesty of Kubler-Ross, who has in her later years, suffered a debilitating stroke. She is in recovery now but still angry about it. However, because the stroke did not kill her, she realizes that there are still many lessons for her to learn in this life. This book is not morbid but rather, uplifting. The advice and descriptions can suit anyone at any stage of their life. If you are fighting certain "battles" in your life, as we all are, you may find comfort knowing that you may not in this life learn all the lessons that you need to. As the authors put it so well, even the most terrible people in our lives can become our teachers.Whether you are just beginning your life experiences or you have had many, this book gives you so much to consider.

This book is the best book I've read in a very long time. It's for all of us who lose sight of what's important in our lives. It's about how to live life without regret, without fear, with inner peace, which, as someone currently going through a divorce and recently unemployed, I have to say, that's really tough sometimes. And, yet, this book helps us all see the true beauty in our everday lives, no matter how small. It helps you see that things happen for a reason, even if that reason is very difficult to figure out at times. So, if you think your life is good, this book will help you see that it's actually great; if you think your life is terrible, you hopefully will come away thinking that it's not so bad after all.

This story is about an 11 year old girl who is a member of the next step of human evolution - "homo post homineum". She possess great intelligence and physical strength which enables her to survive a bionuclear holocaust. The book is a text of her journal as she travels from the bomb shelter beneath her home to various areas around the U. S. trying to find others of her kind. Her short, choppy but very witty and to-the-point journal entries a joy to read. Her adventures border on the improbable when you're thinking of the average American 11 year old girl, but Candy Smith-Foster will quickly grow on you. This is a supremely excellent science fiction book for girls (empowerment and all that) but I feel it will delight everyone who has a chance to pick one up. They should really print another issue. Sincerly - Pat Gibbon

Only a 9?! I couldn't agree more with the other reader/reviewers. The form of the narrative is not for everyone. I LOVED it (it is so refreshing, creative and unique), but I have read favorite passages to family members and friends, and though they rolled on the floor laughing (take that literally of my high school aged son), most said they couldn't read the entire book in its shorthand style ("it would drive them nuts"). Palmer very cleverly turns the narrative over to one of Candy's companion's in one chapter, or uses other devices to break into normal speech for occasional chapters, but then returns to Candy's special way of recording her story. He keeps the reader aware of the uniqueness of the book in hand. I have recommended this book to several students (I'm a high school librarian), especially girls. Some just can't get into its unique style (Palmer has done something TOTALLY different here), but those who do, LOVE the story, love Candy, and love Palmer's approach to conveying the story. I have one girl who has re-read the book every year because she loves it so much. This is one my all-time favorite reads and I can't recommend it highly enough. Maybe if we push the publisher we can get it printed again. It's one that should never be out of print. Try to get it from your library or through inter-library loan, or go ahead and ask Amazon to try to find you a copy. If you can enjoy the style, you won't regret it.

Meet Candidia Maria Smith-Foster, the most compelling female protagonist in modern science fiction since Friday Jones and Podkayne Fries (both Heinlein characters). Candy's unique outlook on life shines through in her journal which chronicles the aftermath of a bionuclear war, a war which has eliminated 99.4 percent of the people on Earth. The remaining .6 percent -- well, let's just say that they have very unique abilities. Candy is one of these, and as she sets off from her hometown in search of other survivors, the meaning of the book's title becomes clear -- Emergence, the emergence of a new species, a new society, and a new world.

Full of engaging characters, compelling scenes and a love-to-hate antagonist, this book rates in my top ten list, any day of the week.

I don't believe I've read a more compelling book! It was purchased from a bargain table as something to read while recovering from a foot injury. The therapy for my soul and mind was worth far far more than the few dollars I paid.
So many times I've been disappointed in the quality of "Christian Fiction." Not so with "SOUTH PACIFIC JOURNAL." The characters are believable and very interesting. Descriptive passages place the reader on location in the South Pacific. I've never read such compelling "flash-back" passages. Even though the narrative left many unanswered questions about the characters (What happened to the lieutenant? How did Sarah try to contact her family? When and how did she return to Manila?) I feel as if I really know the characters personally. I hope David & Nancy French write a sequel.
My gratitude goes to the authors for such excellent writing and to the publisher for printing this book.

I just finished reading the wonderful story South Pacific Journal by David and Nancy French. I recently started reading Christian fiction as I am so sick of the filth in secular reading. This story made me smile and cry and praise the lord all at the same time. It was beautifully written and the characters all seemed alive to me. If more of our young people would read these kinds of books maybe the world wouldnt be going to hell the way it is!!. I hope these fine new authors will publish another story soon. I will rush to the bookstore to get it!! May God Bless all who reads this wonderful book.

South Pacific Journal was definitely worth the day I spent reading it. This story is about a brother and sister, Jacob & Sarah Levine. They are separated by unusual circumstances, but Jacob finds out about Sarah through a phone call, a fax and a trip half way around the world where Jacob finds a priceless treasure. The tale is skillfully woven and drew me in on the first page and release came too soon at the final sentence - so sweet was the journey from cover to cover. Rarely would I expect to find such a seamless story line and so strong a purpose in any book, especially by new authors. Believability, passion and God's loving mercies were echoed throughout this gripping tale. As page after page of masterful storytelling unfolded, I cried, I hoped, lost hope and found it again. Finally, if you've ever wanted to introduce someone to your dearest Friend -- let this book help you. They'll be glad that you did... Bernie Siegel said in one of his books, "Tell a story. No one is offended at a story." Thanks Nancy & David French. Your story will find it's way into the hands of some of my loved ones this year so that the Story will never die....

I consider the book a complete overview of the design history of the Star Wars Univers. The drawings detail is just great and there is a wealth of information too that bring us back to the origins of many of the familiar vehicles and ships of the original trilogy. The fold-out of the Droid Control Ship is amazing but the other drawings are no less impresive. I strongly recomend this book to everyone interested in technical detail even if you are not a Star Wars fan.

Wow! I bought this book for my six year-old who is a Star Wars nut (of course, so am I). It just arrived and I'm having second thoughts about parting with it - it's just that good. The illustrations are fantastic, with a good deal of detail. The information presented is interesting and well-organized. What more can I say? This book is a GUARANTEED PLEASER for any kid (and adult) that is counting the days 'till the movie premiere!

The artwork and detail in this book is mind blowing. However, since few of the Episode 1 vehicles are as intriguing as the ships in the original trilogy, this book is slightly less interesting, in my view. That is not to say it isn't essential if you're into technical artwork or Star Wars as a whole. It's probably best to get them both, the older book and this new one. I have one question to DK, however: Where's the Star Trek cross sections book?

Remnick's frank, insightful analysis of the Soviet Union's final days filled me with inspiration and sadness. I'm inspired by the inhuman perseverance of the Russian and Soviet bloc people and saddened by the intense and lethal persecution of millions at the hands of their so-called leaders. Remnick shows a society led by decades of fear - citizens who feared persecution and leaders who feared the loss of power. The author flows easily from dissecting the Communist party and power brokers of Soviet society to eating cabbage with Siberian miners who don't expect to live past 35 to intense discussions with the Russian intelligentsia who fought the system quietly and desperately. It is a long book and at times I found myself needing a Russian history reference guide. But Remnick is not writing a history filled with facts and statistics. It is all about the people. Lenin's Tomb should be read by any journalist who feels the urge to go beyond 8 graphs. Truly wonderful.

It's hard to imagine there was any dissention from the Pulitzer committee over "Lenin's Tomb". This book excellently combines top-notch journalism and fine, precise, descriptive writing for an increbidly enjoyable and informative read. Considering how most such "good for you" books are long slogs about as exciting as bran, "Lenin's Tomb" was a surprising pleasure.

I came to this book with minimal knowledge of Russia in general, let alone the Soviet transition, and disliking what I had encountered of Russia's culture and people. "Lenin's Tomb" manages to explain the basics to ignorant laypeople like myself without condescending or dragging through too much history. What you need to understand what was happening, Remnick provides, no more and no less.

"Lenin's Tomb" proved an eye opener about the Soviet experience, but it also reflects on the larger ramifications of Communist autocracy. So many of the explorations of the Soviet erosion of society and culture gave me a sense of Deja Vu compared with China, only China has perhaps been less scathed by the shorter span of its bureaucratic red terror. Also, while "Lenin's Tomb" did not make me like Russia or Russians any more, it did present the context of how and why people can be a certain way, so that I now hold it against them less.

"Lenin's Tomb" is almost novelesque in its readability, a page-turner and easily beach or plane fare. I doff my hat to Remnick's ability to carve dense political stuff into an involving, compelling narrative. Perhaps Russia scholars would find points to criticize, but from a journalistic perspective, "Lenin's Tomb" is the book all of us wish we could write.

David Remnick in "Lenin's Tomb" writes a fascinating book on the demise of the Soviet Union. Remnick manages to convey the views of the liberals who want to democratize the country and the neo-Stalinist conservatives who want to turn the clock back to the repression of life under Stalin.

The author has little sympathy for Mikhail Gorbachev who once he launched "perestroika" could not make the final commitment to democracy and republicanism and remained trapped in the dying and corrupt Communist Party. Yet, Gorbachev's half-hearted attempts at reform nearly ended in a disasterous rigt-wing coup. Only, the incompetence of the plotters and will of the people not to turn back to a corrupt failed system prevented the USSR in falling back into despotism.

Because of "glasnost and perestroika" Remnick was able to obtain candid views from everyone he interviewed during his stay in the Soviet Union. Miners, dissident and even communist party apparatchiks spoke freely about the good and bad of Russia. Nearly, 50 years after his death, Stalin's shadow still hovered over everything and everyone in the nation. Liberals such as Andrei Sakharov wanted the government and the party to fully acknowledge the heinous attrocities of mass murder and imprisonments committed during Stalin's reign, Khrukhschev made a tentative start at 20th party congress in denouncing Stalin but failed to follow through with real reform. During the Brezhnev years the country lurched backwards thast by the time Gorbachev came to power the Soviet Union was totally morally, politically and economically bankrupt.

Remnick also does a fine job showing the first hesitant steps toward capitalism yet evenn today 10 years after the Soviet Union collapsed Russia still refuses to make the fundamental changes to bring a market economy fully to fruition. Under the Communists there was "equity in poverty" today in Russia you see the extremes of rich and poor. This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in the demise of the Soviet Union, but it needs an update to encompass the last decade.

THREE MINUTE THERAPY is a wonderful book! It has enabled me to overcome my lifelong bouts of anxiety and depression. Two psychotherapists failed to help (although they were warm, caring people). I'm so much more confidant at work, that sometimes I feel like an entirely different person than I was before discovering this book. It's like I've emerged from the dark ages. I do the "Three Minute Exercises" regularly--a small price to pay for the deep satisfaction I'm experiencing as a result.

The concepts are explained so clearly, make much sense, and are so effective, that I wonder how my previous therapists can get away with what they're doing. THREE MINUTE THERAPY is one of those books that you're bursting to tell everyone about. It has the ring of a tract that will be useful and in demand eternally.

For economic reasons, I practice self help whenever I can, so self-help books appeal to me. I have lots of them, but not often do I read a book like Three Minute Therapy which began to help me from the first chapter. Reasonable thinking lies at the heart of this therapy. The simplicity of the author's technique fit right into my busy life in that I did not have to wait weeks or till midway the book to comprehend Dr. Edelstein's technique or start getting obvious results. I have compulsive shopping and anxiety, family disputes and job tensions. I started using Dr. Edelstein's simple, down to earth, rational therapy and already become aware of positive improvements in my life. I talk to my mother more affectionately now thanks to this book because I learned to accept her and not require she become my ideal. I find my work more enjoyable because of changed expectations and reduced anxiety about having to be perfect. I find play more fun, and started again on creating an office manual, now that I understand it need not be the ultimate, most perfect one. I like the new feelings I am still obtaining from this book. Socially, I feel less of a need to have absolute approval from friends, and this freedom has given me a great deal of comfort. I say feeling because my new reasonable thinking actually has benefited my emotions. These improvements I am sure came from contact with this Three Minute Therapy book. I would like to recommend it to everyone I know. Cliff Cin, San Francisco

Dr. Edelstein has written a simple, straightforward and very helpful book here. REBT made easy. There's gold here folks! I recommend not only the book, but also Dr. Edelstein as a therapist.

One of the things I've learned from him and his wonderful book is how to get control of my unhealthy eating habits and to start exercising. I've lost 40lbs so far, and I am continuing to lose. To get help losing weight was the reason I started therapy with him, but I got so much more out of it. I only wish I had discovered this way of thinking 20 years ago. But as I have learned, it is never too late to turn your life around.

In addition to this book, I also highly recommend Albert Ellis's "A Guide To Rational Living".

Thanks Dr. E for all the help and for writing this book!

Although I have since switched to Mac OS X (aka OS 10), I actually used this book first. It was an invaluable tool in easing my transition from Windows user to Macintosh user. I would recommend all Mac users switch to OS X as soon as possible since it's a much more stable and reliable version, but if you have an older Macintosh then OS 9 is a fine Operating System.

If you need help learning how to operate your Macintosh with OS 9 (OS = operating system - the graphic user interface that you see when you turn the Mac on) then you can do no better than this book.

If you're completely new to computers you'll find this book immensely helpful as it holds your hand in the first few chapters and explains how to use the GUI (graphic user interface), the mouse, the keyboard and so on.

If you're new to Macs it will also serve as a primer to get you up to speed very quickly on how to use the Macintosh and learn the Mac way of doing things.

If you're someone who knows how to use Macs this book will also help in the later chapters by showing you how to become a "Power User". It will help increase your productivity, teach you all the great short-cuts and keyboard combinations and so on.

All the books in the "Missing Manual" series are very easy to read, with detailed step by step instructions along with a fantastic index for simple cross-reference and nice pictures to further simplify the process of learning.

Be sure to check out "Mac OS X: The Missing Manual" if you're looking for the best and easiest to read book on Apple's fantastic new Operating System.

Unfortunately I'm limited to two thumbs because otherwise I'd be tempted to give this twenty thumbs way up!

I am extremely familiar with Windows & NT but not Macs. Last November I decided to buy a G4--and was very dismayed to find that virtually the only documentation I got with it was a flimsy small booklet. When I called Apple, the response was "Well it's online." Yes, the online help is outstanding but it doesn't do you much good in the event that the system won't boot up! (Fortunately I have not had that problem so far.) So I broke down and went out and I bought several OS 9 books that have given me alot of good info and helped me out, then last night at the bookstore I ran into this little gem and snapped it up. I by no means have finished it but what I've read is great--very matter of fact and helpful. I sure wish this book had come out when I first bought my G4 because it sure would have helped me in my efforts to learn to "think different"! I saw in the back of the book that Pogue will also bring out the same type book for Mac's upcoming OS X--and I'll be one of the first in line to get it.

Hunched over Mac OS 9 : The Missing Manual for 3 days, I laughed out loud when I closed the book. I had remembered what actual computer manuals used to look like in the Dark Ages of the mid-eighties when I had first attempted Microsoft Word. If memory serves, the book was horrendously thick (impossible to read comfortably), turgid as mud, and ultimately unhelpful. Manuals went the way of the dinosaur for a reason.

Now comes this wonderful new series. In the OS 9 book, David Pogue lays out the organization of the program while simultaneously teaching navigational tips and tricks. ( He knows our brains actually do better when they multi-task.) His ability to combine methods and analysis actually makes the whole system easier to understand. Chapter 2 may be my favorite in the book in this regard because he not only describes the ways in which applications work in OS 9, but he fills the reader in on how to cope with memory management issues at the same time. At a time when 'novice' use takes us into the world of digital photography, complexities of Internet, and even the realm of film-editing, at some level, the user must understand that memory in a computer is not simply passive storage. Pogue makes this abstraction clear by defining terms carefully and not overloading the reader with technical jargon.

As a somewhat long-term Mac user, I knew some details before this reading, but after it, I made adjustments on my computer that improved use and function visibly. Since finishing my first reading of the book, I've returned to it twice for references: once, to describe to a friend how to create a RAM disk, and once to see how I could disable keychain. I'm already planning to sit down again with the chapter on scripts and the one on file sharing. The good thing is, I know that the clear writing and the helpful illustrations will lead me to solutions and new ways of doing things. One quick example: in the book, Pogue reminded me of how to create a "screenshot," a feature I once played around with at a workshop but promptly forgot. This time, Pogue provided just the right fix on the feature to help me use it: I set up screenshots for each of my 24 zip drives, to show what each contains. (Labeling rarely helps because you take things off and put new ones on and who takes time to reach for a pen, but a new screenshot takes seconds and the process is actually fun). I now have a file at the top of my hard drive that lets me look into a zip before I dive for it. Finding files is no longer a giant nuisance; just a few keystrokes.

Keystrokes are one of Pogue's fixations...and I'm beginning to see why. Throughout the book, he injects shortcuts and keystrokes that help access material quickly-enable efficiency. He's going to have to be VERY efficient. I have already purchased and read two other titles, but I'll want more when I've digested iMovie and AppleWorks. Keep those fingers moving at warp speed, Mr. Pogue. Let's make the next one on Web-Design...please!

Georges Perec loved language, and it shows. _Life_ is clearly a labor of love. There are times when maybe the descriptions ramble, and you may well find yourself into the fifth page of a description of some piece of furniture, but if you don't keep track, you'll never notice. This is a difficult book to describe simply because it is so dense. At one level, it's a logic game; at another, it's an exercise in linguistics; at another, it's simply poetry. The translator, too, deserves kudos. Although I haven't read the original, the translation, I suspect, has remained faithful to the spirit of the book. Please read this book.

If you read the first few pages of this book after seeing all the glowing reviews on Amazon, you may wonder what we are so excited about. However, you will be rewarded if you persevere. In an ice-cold literary voice, Perec systematically describes the inhabitants and contents of a Paris apartment building. His style is at first totally uninvolving, yet somehow, amazingly, his monotonous descriptions come together like the tiles of a mosaic (or, to use Perec's image, the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle) to create a living, exciting picture. Even if you know nothing about the philosophical and aesthetic theories that gave this book its structure, you will find it enthralling.

Georges Perec constructed Life : A User's Manual in accord with a simple set of principles. Perec allowed these principles to trump the normal "laws" of how a novel should be constructed, and, in true Oulipan fashion, following the rules resulted in a novel which is utterly unique.

The subject of the novel is a block of flats in Paris. Perec organizes the book around the floorplan of the building: he moves from room to room, describing the furnishings and the decor. With an eye for ever-smaller details, Perec shows us how the ordinary space of an apartment teems with an almost overwhelming complexity.

As we tour the building, we begin to encounter the inhabitants, from the eccentric millionaire Bartlebooth to the master puzzlemaker Gaspard Winkler, and as Perec folds them into the narrative, he also regales us with stories from their past. He shares dozens of tales of every conceivable stripe: murder mysteries, fabulist yarns, stories of love and courtship. In this regard, Life: A User's Manual evokes Invisible Cities, another Oulipan novel, by Perec's friend and colleague Italo Calvino. In Invisible Cities, Calvino creates a series of cities that seem to contain everything in the whole world: here Perec goes one further, managing to pack the entire world down to the size of a single apartment building.