y no me cansa! Sus historias son como un bálsamo para el alma y el corazón; como un manantial de energía y valor cuando nos sentimos agotados o cuando nos posee la frustración... ¡Y cuando leo alguna de sus historias al azar, siempre encuentro algo útil y aprendo algo nuevo de su ejemplo! Mi esposo siempre trae un ejemplar en el coche y los lee en los altos: Dice que eso impide que pierda la paciencua ( y les confieso que tiene mucha ) De verdad, no dejen de leerlo y verán que, como yo, acaban leyéndolo tres veces o más...porque nos deja un sabor dulce en el alma.

el vuelo había sido malo, con mucha turbulencia, y me sentía lejos de casa, porque aun me faltaban muchas horas para regresar con mi famlia..Pero ESTE LIBRO FUE UN HALLAZGO PROVIDENCIAL !
Derrama ternura, belleza y LO MEJOR DEL ESPÍRITU HUMANO...
Si lo leen, les dejará calorcito en el corazón y un fresco sabor en la boca.
Me pareció FUERA DE LO COMÚN !

Una autentica delicia de ternura, sentimiento y bondad. Se tata de muchas historias reales que giran alrededor del consuelo y la felicidad...Tiene trozos verdaderamente bellos, como la "Carta de un Padre que no ha Envejecido ", "Las Fllores del 10 de mayo ...! " Y asi, sucesivamente, nos ofrece una lectura tan deliciosa como un chocolate para nuestro paladar o una flor aromática para nuestro olfato!
Un libro que alienta, consuela, inspira y eleva..!

"The guide covers all the essentials of home care from deciding if home care is appropriate to preparing and equipping the home, providing proper nutrition, managing daily living, dealing with emergencies, and handling finances.

The authors of the book, Maria Meyer and Paula Derr, draw from personal and professional experience, as well as consultations with professional caregivers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, architects, and a long list of other experts to ensure that the book contains the latest, most appropriate home care information."

Review by The Office of Rural Health, Volume 9, Number 1, Spring 1999

I am the Director of The Waud Patient and Family Resource Center based out of Rush Presbyterian St. Lukes Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. I am a nurse by career choice, and a caregiver by nature. I have provided home care and hospice care to a number of family members. I found this book useful to teach family members how to take care of someone at home. It has clear illustrations, step by step instructions for those tasks caregivers do every day, and a resource listing for those items that help make the job easier. It also has introductions to other areas of care which are very informative. This book empowers people without any healthcare education or experience to understand the mechanics of taking care of another person - no matter where they live. If you have family in a nursing home, this book will help you evaluate the care they receive. Both personally and professionally I would recommend this book to any person with a loved one who needs care.

"...a must for not only care-givers who are the focus of this book, but for aging people and their famililes who need to know the advantages and disadavantages of home-care before making a decision to provide a realistic alternative to nursing home care."

"The subject of this easy-to-read book covers an enormous range of information that might suggest an encyclopedic format. These professionals in the field of home-care present the various aspects of home-care with understanding and warmth for all the people involved in this program rather than in technical jargon. It is neighborly in tone with respect for the reality of the aging process."

Maria Cooper Janis has put together a wonderful photographic memoir of her father, the celebrated actor Gary Cooper. Some of these photographs are extraordinary. The life this man led and the people whom he knew! They're all here, from fellow actors like Jimmy Stewart to writer Ernest Hemingway to Picasso to Queen Elizabeth to a very youthful John F. Kennedy, while still in the Navy. I'll treasure this, not simply for the photos. Ms. Janis has also written a series of essays to accompany the various chapters, essays which are finally nothing less then a wonderful extended love letter to her father. A beautiful book.

What a delightful, refreshing book! Imagine, a book by the child of a celebrity which actually extols the father. Maria Janis, daughter of Gary Cooper, one of the half-dozen greatest film stars of the century, has put together a photographic tribute to Gary Cooper, father, husband and private citizen. And what a tribute! Extraordinary photographs, showing the human being behind the celebrity icon. This is a beautiful book.

This warm and loving tribute from Maria Cooper Janis to her father, screen legend Gary Cooper, is a delicious book. Filled with fabulous photographs of "Coop" off camera, out of the public eye, Maria Janis reveals the man behind the legend. For all Cooper's well-documented affairs with women throughout his life, this book reveals that he was nonetheless a devoted and caring family man. Some of the photos of Cooper, wife Rocky and daughter Maria are quite moving. As is the written memoir from Maria herself. It is indeed refreshing to see a daughter extolling her celebrity parent rather thna trashing.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ursula at the Virginia Military Institute on Saturday 25 August. After a short visit I thought I had known her forever. On my way back to Atlanta I had the pleasure to read THE GOOD AMERICAN.
If you have even read a book on World war II or looked at the pictures..and the efforts in Europe the book will be something. If you have ever ridden the train from West Berlin through East Germany to East Berlin you will have cold flash backs. If you have ever helped a family in need you will have flash backs.If any of you have served in Viet Nam, Korea, Germany, Panama, and the other places where our military is now this book will tie it all together. You will walk in the foot prints and be able to relate to the people.
The best thing about his book is that it is TRUE, Real, Sincere and the Author is one who can be a true friend.
Ursula has written a book that will become a BEST SELLER and the TOP rung on the critics ladder.
THE GOOD AMERICAN is for all who want to witness the other victims of a war torn country,experience their lives and how in time of need they will give the other person the chance with out thinking of their own safety.
If you wnat to read a book that cannot be put down this is it.
Thank you for sharing this with all of us.We are better for it.

I hardly ever read for leisure, it is always a text book or some manual. When I do read for leisure, it takes me weeks to get through it. Not this book! I read it in 3 days, I could not put it down! I lived in Germany for 4 years, and never did I 'see' Germany as I did in this book. A wonderful story, with a story-line that everyone can follow and feel a connection with. Men, Women, Young and Old can truly enjoy this book. If you haven't read a really good book in a while, I suggest this one! It will remind you why it's good to be alive!

This truly is the best book I have read in a very long time. I read it in two days, because I simply could not put it down. It almost seemed like it was two stories in one. I was anxious to find out what would happen with Penelope and Alex, but also wanted to know the whole story of Ruth and Alex's father. The book was so well written, I felt like I was right there, watching everything happen. The book also gives us a different look at the war and how it affected people that is not written in any history book. I have already bought two more books to give as gifts and will definitely recommend "The Good American" to anyone who enjoys reading.

Pessoa was a true acrobat of the imagination. The Book of Disquiet is a collection of epiphanic journal or diary prose kept by Pessoa and found decades after his death. The prose is truly some of the most gorgeous musings about everyday life and existence that any reader could ever find. The poet's world is laid out exquisitly and paradoxically for the entire benefit of those who read.I can't say I've ever found such beauty in the pages of a book before. If you like literature albeit simple or complex this book is something that you will immediately cherish for a very long time.

What, in all sincerity, can be said of Fernando Pessoa's Book of Disquiet? The book presents us, as with any superb literary work, with a problem of translation. That is, of translating into value (good, bad, average) an expressive incoherence (the aphoristic style) that is manifested in the heteronyms that Pessoa was, in the dispersed identities, and in the fragmentary incursions into the absurd(real) that pervade the book and brings forth the 'disquiet-ness'. 'Conventional' writers need a 'plot'(could be a subject-person, an event etc) as an anchor in which to secure coherence and from which meaning is derived. Pessoa's genius (like Kafka, Beckett, Lawrence, Blanchot) lies in his deliberate abandonment of (monotonous)anchors and his intrepid embrace of diversity(in the most general sense imaginable) and immanence(one feels 'floating' within life). This author will, I am certain, be recognised as one of the greatest European literary genius.

"If i think, it all seems absurd to me; if i feel, it all seems strange; if i desire, he who desires is something inside of me."
Sums up the book perfectly. Pessoa explores one of his many personalities. "The Book of Disquiet" explains, in complete depth and faith, the beauty of a lonely, existential, moment by moment life. He explains the beauty that people forget. He explains the world, his perception, as if every moment were the last.
"The book of disquiet" is one of the most insightful books a person can read, but only if one has imagination and an ability to let go. Bernardo Soars, Pessoa's personality who wrote the book, is extreme and eccentric. It isn't easy reading, and it won't affect you if you can't overlook the fact that life doesn't go on like Soars'; that there is more in thinking, dreaming, and desiring than Soars admits. What makes the book so special is how Soars can forget everything but the thought and the moment, and how he can analyze and critique and put into words something that most of us forget to remember. "The book of disquiet" reminds me, at least, of how to appreciate my own mind. It is the only philosophy-like book that i enjoy (as yet) because it is the real thing and encompasses a forgotten part of real life.

This is THE best book in English on Belgian cuisine. People who have visited Belgium, love it's typical dishes: Belgian endives, aspargus, waffles, "Waterzooi", mussels, fries, ... This book - which appeals to beginning and expert cooks - explains you in a simple and playful way how to make these dishes yourself.

I am trying these recipes one by one and they are excellent so far and I am no great cook. The sidebars are full of interesting tidbits and I am planning my garden around ingredients needed in these recipes. Anyone who has been to Belgium knows they have the best beer in the world. The people are lovely, their country is gorgeous, their food superb and their beer un-beatable. This is my very favorite cookbook. I only hope I can learn to grow Belgian endive and white asparagus. If you don't love this cookbook, you don't love food. It is a treasure!

I married into a Belgian family, and I have to say, I was intimidated by my mother-in-law's wonderful cooking. How would I ever measure up? In fifteen years, I've learned quite a few of her recipes, but after reading this book, I finally understand where she's coming from. Ruth Van Waerbeek not only introduces Belgian food and cooking, but an entire way of life. The recipes are great, and the stories and anecdotes are even better. This is one of those cookbooks you can sit and read cover-to-cover, even when you're not looking for a recipe. I'm ordering one for my mother-in-law --she'll love it!

Blessed Josemaria Escriva's book, THE WAY, consists of 999 "counsels," some short as a sentence, others as long as a couple paragraphs. Topics include: character, prayer, purity, lukewarmness, study, sanctity, love of God, Our Lady, the Church, devotions, faith, humility, tribulations, the will of God, the apostolate, etc.

This book can be read in two ways. First, it can be picked up throughout the day, opened at random, and you will have enough food for a nice 5 minute meditation. In this way, Fr. Escriva's book helps you enter into a spirit of prayer throughout the day. Second, I have found that reading topically is also very useful. Despite the way you read the book, it has the power (if we are open to God's grace) to penetrate the heart and sanctify lives.

However, on a more critical note, there is a certain "oldness" about the book. Though it is in agreement with what Vatican II said about the Christian vocation to holiness, it was written in 1934 by a Spanish priest. Consequently, it does not always satisfy the spiritual needs of an American Catholic in the year 2000. Still, it is a great book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has the slightest desire to deepen his or her prayer life.

I will close with the words of Blessed Josemaria Escriva himself: "And what is the secret of perseverance? Love. Fall in Love, and you will not leave him" (#999).

This is the first of three books Bl. Josemaria Escriva wrote of short spiritual counsels. It is also the only one published during his lifetime, and it is considered the greatest work he wrote. Why?

It is concise and insightful. Bl. Josemaria reaches to root of what troubles us spiritually, and challenges us to conform our life to God's plan for our life. He also teaches us that every little thing we do in our life -- work, sport, leisure -- can be done well for the greater glory of God, and offered as prayer.

This presented an important spiritual awakening for me, since I before reading this book I tended to compartmentalize my prayer life. What is also unique about this book is that the insights are broken down into short sentences. The longest insight is no more than two paragraphs. Thus this book can be carried around with ease, and meditated upon during a spare minute or two during the day.

This little book (small enough to carry in a pocket) has 999 spiritual directives, organized according to their subject. This organization, PLUS the subject index, enables the reader to quickly find something that is of particular interest.
There just aren't adequate words to describe how inspiring this book can be, if you give it - but more accurately YOURSELF - a full chance to receive and ingrain it's benefits. It's phenomenally, power packed with inspiration and direction !
Although it can be read relatively quickly it's the sort of book that is more likely to give the reader the maximum possible benefit if read slowly, with meditative pauses when something strikes one with particular emphasis.
Although much attention is paid to the individual's interior life there is also a great deal of direction provided for various ways of reaching out to our fellow man.
So ..... to summize ..... I, very strongly, recommend this book ! It really is the sort of book that you'd be apt to read repeatedly, and ingrain it's directives into your daily life.

This book is well written, easy to read and addresses a problem that troubles many in today's world. It tells the story of an adopted woman's search for her birth parents and her need to put to rest a life long feeling that her life was not quite complete without knowing about them. Her effort to identify and find them reads like a detective story except the plot is overlaid with the author's constant concern that her efforts would impose on the lives and relationships of the characters in the story.

The way the author handled situations requiring sensitivity yet boldness shows her to be a person of great determination and moral strength. Reading this book should be inspiring to persons who embark on a hunt for their unknown birth parents or to anyone seeking to solve a seemingly hopeless task.

The Chosen One by Maria Brodeur is both poignant and inspiring. It is the story of the search for her roots. I found her book to be an excellent read--one that touches every emotional fiber. It portrays her resoluteness to overcome obstacle after obstacle in her great search. Finally, her accomplishments leave the reader with great satisfaction, and happieness for her.

I could not put this book down from when I picked it up! It is an amazing story of Maria's journey to find her natural past. It is an inspiring account of a woman's determination and strength to dig into the unknown, combined with the unfaultering love and support of her family and faith. It not only delights with a happy ending but is proof of what can be achieved with courage and persistance. Loved it!

I saw the movie with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer, and found it incredibly dull. I thought maybe the book would be better. I was right, it was better, but it didn't thrill me or really move me the way All Quiet on the Western Front did. I am not sure if this is partly due to the fact that I read it when I was a bit tired.

I don't really have a lot to say. It's not a book that I can enthusiastically applaud, but I won't say it was horrible. I would advise you to just read it for yourself and decide whether you like it or not! : )

This is not intended for those of you who have never heard of Erich Maria Remarque. For the unfortunate ones who haven't come across any of his books, or were forced to read "All Quiet On The Western Front" as a homework assignment, you have been deprived of one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. After attaining any acknowlegement for any written work, writters tend to shift toward the more abstract and try to write something more profound then any of us 'Pleasure Readers' ever intended on reading. Remraque stays true to his roots, whether it is "Three Commrades", or this, "Arch Of Triumph", he keeps the balance between constructive conversation, 'page turning' story telling, and poetic descriptions that will forever be imprinted in our minds. Arch of Triumph is set in Paris during the late 1930's. Europe was on the road to recovering from the first Warld War and lurking was the air of the 2nd. Germans opossed to the new political views that ruled Germany fled anywhere refuge could be found. Ravic once an accomplished surgeon in Germany found himself in Paris, with no visa or passport. As an illegal refugee he had no rights to practice his profession in France and was forced to work underground performing surgeries illegaly. Paris, synonomous with elegance, good food, brothels, love,(at least in fiction) is described so beautifully in the eyes of Ravic that by the middle of the book I can swear I've been to Paris. Love, friendship, danger, philosophy they all have their places in this book. Without giving away too much I will cut it here and urge anyone who appreciates any of the above topics to read this book and find bliss in humanity and its simplicity put into words.

'Arch of Triumph' is a book which becomes your friend, and you want to read it again, and each time you are discovering something else. It makes you think about what is really important in life, and at the same time it is a story about war, love, trust, friendship, humanity ...

I got this book before going to live in Germany for 3+ years to get a feel for the country, for the language. The lack of giving this 5-stars isn't so much for the translation of poetry (since I could only order a ziegersnitzel, book a zimmerfrei, and little else en deutsche), but simply that the writing hasn't drawn me back into it time and time again like the bilingual translation I have of Octavio Paz. Whether it's the poetry from the poet or the poetry from the translater, I'm not sure. With that said, there is some brilliant poetry here and Steven Mitchell being a poet himself puts it down faithfully with regard for the poet's voice. I wasn't under the impression that German could be a poetic language, but after being exposed to it and reading this book I'm moved to change my opinion. Here's some of the better lines: True singing is a different breath, about nothing. A gust inside the God. A wind. And the beauty of bilingual editions gives us Rilke's words as well: In Wahrheit singen, ist ein andrer Hauch. Ein Hauch um nichts. Ein Wehn im Gott. Ein Wind.

I bought this book along time ago, but it has remained on my shelf untouched until tonight because I knew that Rilke wrote in German and that I would be reading a translation which I thought my detract from the power and original intention of the poetry. But I decided to open it tonight out of curiosity after reading a few of the letters from Letters to a Young Poet and Rilke immediately became my favorite poet. Even when I don't understand what he is saying his poems carry an immediacy and a power which bring me close to tears. I have not read any other translations of his work so I am not qualified to comment on the quality of this translation, but if you like poetry I would definately suggest getting your hands on some Rilke!

"You are not my favorite poet. That implies comparison. You are poetry itself." in a letter from Marina Tseteyeva to Rilke.

Since I do not speak German, I can speak neither to the accuracy of translation nor interpretation (realizing that they are separate concepts). But I can tell you that this keeps me coming back for more (so much so I have 2 copies, plus a hardback, which differs slightly in content). It's the sort of book that if I loan it, I'm astonished to get it back. And don't really mind.

Mitchell has included in his notes excerpts from diaries and letters which I otherwise would never have had the joy of knowing, nor insght into not only the heart of the poet, but the heart of God as well.

Mitchell also has the integrity to refrain from attempting to translate some works which, I believe, he would have otherwise loved to share. His rationale, from the intro to the "Notes" section, follows:
"Translating poems into equivalent formal patterns is to some extent a matter of luck, or grace, and this is especially true of rhymed poems. Rilke called rhyme "a goddess of secret and ancient coincidences" and said that "she is very capricious; one cannot summon or foresee her; she comes as happiness comes, hands filled with the achievement that is already in flower." Some of my favorite poems never got beyond a rough draft, because that sweet goddess refused to make even the briefest appearance."

This poetry is a love letter to life, no matter what an acedemic might say about the relative merits of the translation/ interpretation. Reading Rilke, I understand why Jung (I think it was Jung) said, "Everywhere I go, I find the poet is there before me." (or words to that effect) Enjoy.