Through the lives of two women, Jew and Gentile, Julie immerses the reader in God's prophetic plan for the world. As they journey together, His plan for restoration and wholeheartedness unfolds - for all of us. This is a fascinating in-depth study, brilliantly written, yet easy to understand. I recommend it highly for mature Christians, men and women alike, who are seeking a new dimension in their walk with the Father.

Drawing from imagery in the book of Ruth, Homecoming exhorts readers to recover wholeheartedness in their pursuit of God, to reconcile past disappointments with God and journey toward a brighter future. The book echoes themes taught in the popular John Eldredge series, Wild at Heart and The Journey of Desire, but with a greater emphasis upon attaining mature intimacy with God as the Bride of Christ. The book gives lots of practical advice concerning how to grow in spiritual intimacy. It is an excellent resource for individual or small group study.

The Book of Ruth is about 3 pages long in most Bibles. In Homecoming, Julie Wilson creates a study of it that is 304 pages long, and more intricate--and intriguing--than anything I've ever seen about this Old Testament Book. Anyone who has ever said, "I don't understand the Old Testament," should read this book. The author has really done her homework and offers numerous cross-references to help you see how this story foreshadows the coming of Christ and the relationship of the Church as the Bride of Christ. But rather than being a ponderous treatise, it is a lighthearted and joyous look at what a mature faith can be. An important theme throughout is "spiritual friendship" and how believers can help each other through difficult times. Homecoming really opened my eyes to the Old Testament, and my heart to the notion of a "romantic relationship" with my Savior. Read it and you'll see what I mean!

I have several of the "If You Grew Up...." titles in my free-reading area of my sixth grade classroom. The George Washington title is one of the most-often chosen titles--probably because they are curious about our first president. This title also gives a good description of what life was like for the gentry class of Virginia in the 1740s-1760s. Students have been able to use the information to write comparison pieces about GW's life and their own. I highly recommend this title and the others in the series for both the literature and social studies classroom. Weak readers have a high interest in the subject matter; strong readers enjoy a quick read.

Although I don't have all the books in this series ("if you..."), the six that I have are so fun and interesting, that I intend to get them all asap. My three children (3-8), my husband and I LOVE them.

Outstanding look backwards in time to discover what it would have been like to grow up with George Washington. The book answers lots of questions; What kind of clothes would you wear?, What about the bathroom?, What did children do to have fun?, What would you learn in school? How did people carry their tabacco around?, Who made the laws for the colony? and many more... Loads of cheery illustrations cover the pages.

I have used this devotional for about 5 years now, since it was given to me as a gift from a dear friend and mentor. It is full of wisdom and insight and truth that relates to our daily lives today, even though most of the excerpts were written centuries ago. Some days I find I need to read the passage through a few times to fully absorb the meaning of it; other days it hits home right away. I find it amazing that the things the many authors wrote so long ago are still so relevant and applicable to my life--but I shouldn't be surprised, since God's word is dynamic and relevant. I appreciate the list of authors and their dates of birth and death listed in the back with references to the pages of their writings.

Last Christmas I gave a dozen copies of this book away to friends and family, and without exception each recipient thanked me profusely for the gift of transcendent yet realistic hope and encouragement they received. Whatever your faith, whatever trial or triumph you're experiencing, this book's daily entries can lift you into communion with God and hold you there.

This book is like an angel perched on your shoulder that whispers secrets when you most need them. It comforts, encourages and supports those on a spiritual journey seeking a closer walk with God. This book is Soul Food for the spiritual traveler.

With Katish's recipes, you will eat the most sublime and comforting food. It was easy to see from this book how the famously sensitive Russian soul was nourished by such a cuisine." - From the Introduction by Marion Cunningham. Katish, round as a plum and neat as a pin, arrived in Los Angeles as a Russian emigre in the 1920s. Wanda Frolov's stories about this humble genius of the kitchen first appeared in Gourmet magazine, and were gathered together in book form in 1947. Here again, at last, are the stories of a woman who nourished the bellies and the souls of a happy throng with her blini and pilaf, her shashlik and borscht, and who brokered marriages and started bank accounts for new emigres, presiding over all from her spotless pastry table. KATISH offers deliciously simple Russian country cooking enveloped in a warm and cheering narrative, tender as the crust of Katish's own piroshky. It includes Katish's cheesecake, one of the most beloved recipes ever published in Gourmet.

Katish is the nickname of the young Russian widow who is taken in by Wanda Frolov's mother as a cook in 1920's Los Angeles. Wanda, the author, and her brother lived with their widowed mom. As a middle-class California family, hiring a cook was an extravagance for them, but Wanda's aunt talked them into doing it. In the 1940s, when she was grown, Wanda wrote the chapters of this book as a series of articles in _Gourmet_ magazine. They were later gathered together as a book in 1947. Now the Modern Library Food Series has reprinted this delightful literary cookbook for a new generation of reader-cooks. Like many things culinary, these memoirs have improved with age.

The story of the book revolves around the cultural differences created as Katish and her Russian immigrant friends interact with an American middle class family of the 1920s. It is a heart-warming story in which both sides profit from the relationship. _Katish_ is a delightfully amusing glimpse into the culture of the time and is populated with warmly portrayed friends, relatives and situations.

As each food is discussed in the narrative, the recipe is listed. They are easy to follow and delicious. The recipes are a wonderful introduction to Russian family cooking. Breads and rolls, soups, desserts, side dishes, and main dishes are all well represented. Sadly, there is only one salad and one beverage (a delightfully rich hot chocolate). Thirty of the recipes contain meat or meat products. Thirty five are ovo-lacto vegetarian (many with butter and sour cream). Only nine are animal-free vegan recipes and six of these contain alcoholic beverages. An interesting aside is that, for a Prohibition-era story, there are surprisingly many recipes with alcoholic beverages. Dieters should be warned that most of these recipes are rich in flavor, but also in calories. However, there is a delightful fruit juice pudding called Kissel that can be made fat-free.

Read it for the story or read it for the recipes. Either way you are in for a treat.

This is a lovely slice of Americana, in addition to a quirky story of a Russian immigrant and a collection of divine recipes. The flow is perfect, with the recipes jumping in right when a dish is described. It took me back to my summer in Russia and I can't wait to try more of the dishes.

This is not a book you can read in one sitting. Take a box of Kleenex and a weekend; the thought written here is stacked like bricks, and each one weighs on the soul of anyone who has travelled among cultures and left their hearts in many places.

Such introspection is by all means good for the soul. The letters written reflect in a child-like way many of the questions that we have all asked, whether they were ever answered or not. For MKs (missionsry kids) it is a relief in itself that someone else has asked these questions, too.

It is not lightly that I recommend this book; for the MK seeking to make sense of the lives they lived growing up, it is an immense flood of power and emotion as their life experience is all at once confirmed and validated after so many years of feeling entirely different. It is a road to healing. It is a trip worth taking.

I found this book to be very insightful. It reveals the inner struggles that many missionary kids deal with in silence because they cannot tell anyone how they really feel. I feel this book can help Third-Culture Kids (and adults) find healing from their silent pain. Ruth writes very openly about her own emotions and confusion growing up on the mission field and later returning to it. I also feel that anyone who wants to understand Third-Culture Kids/adults or plan on raising children/youth in another country would benefit from reading this book.

I heard you speak on the radio on my way home. KJNP North Pole,AK I felt deeply moved by the conversation and the callers who called in.

This is truly one of the funniest collections of stories I have ever come across. Tears of laughter rolled down my face with each paragraph I read. The descriptions of the intense sexual scenes "knocked my socks off" and I found the story from the point of view of a cat especially hilarious. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone feeling glum and I look forward to more comedic works from this author.

This collection of essays shows an author who transcends each and every aspect of life...what it means....what it should mean...and (sadly) what it hasn't meant. The first section is near and dear to my heart for reasons you would not believe if I revealed them here. I was sent a copy of this author's work and I must admit the first section "Farewell to the Sun" moved me to really think about my life and choices I made. Because of the choices I made I feel like I could have had an impact on the other essays if I only I were wiser.....and I think that is what this book will do for you. Make you all the wiser! (they never taught this kind of stuff at Pomona College as I can attest)

Is the prose rough around the edges? Yes. Do the story lines periodically become blurred? Sometimes. But, oh what an essay! This is a must read for anyone who yearns to feel the true emotions of a girl as she grows into a woman. If you're tired of the same old Jackie Collins formula approach to life and love, Life's Potpourri is for you. The sheer simplicity of the story allows for every emotion to shine through. It's engaging and a true morality play from cover to cover. When you're finished, you'll swear you know the author personally!

This is a beautiful and unique book; the photography and printing are outstanding, and the images of the beetles are simultaneously gorgeous and bizarre.

This book contains a most colorful collection of creatures.I had never realized that the family of beetles encompassed such variety in colors, shapes, and forms. As an artist, I would recommend this book to anyone who delights in images celebrating the bizarre and the beautiful in nature.

Living Jewels shows just that: the tremendous variety of jewels that make up the population of beetles. Upon closer examination of the photographs, the "jewels" have a tremendous amount of detail, showing tiny hairs, fuzz and various protuberances. How can that much detail show up in a photograph?
The text at the beginning of the book contains many fascinating, and at times hysterical, facts about beetles. I got a good laugh about the treatment of beetles in medieval times!

This is the first wellness book I've read that does an exemplary job in addressing the whole person. This book helped me not only with a common-sense, practical, do-able approach to diet and exercise, but also with developing a healthier approach to balancing life in general. McGinnis is also inspiring and motivating in her delivery of the material. Ready to get your life in order? Buy this book.

THIS IS A BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN BOOK, OFFERING HOPE AND SENSIBLE SUGGESTIONS IN A TROUBLED WORLD. I FELT GUIDED TOWARD A LIFE OF INNER PEACE AND BALANCE. A MUST READ FOR ANYONE!

Longterm health and fitness is comprised of much more than some magic fitness device or crash diet -- a premise that most of us instinctively know, but one that Ruth McGinnis has the guts (given the current state of pop culture) to celebrate.

Small, incremental and "do-able" lifestyle changes that encompass spiritual and emotional areas as well as diet and exercise, are the keys to overall success.

This is the most honest, reasonable, positive and common sense lifestyle book I've ever read. And the only one that has produced lasting results for me.

man, what can i say, this book was apart of me years ago, about 10-15 years ago, i lost mine i guess and i have been wondering for years how to get another one, i want to read it again and recapture that youth, and have it to share with children, if i ever have any, when i had this book, i read it so many times, it is truly a classic, and i cannot wait to find it again so i can remember what i so cherished about that story of the Magic In The Park.....and of the children who were allowed to explore.

LOVE THIS AS A CHILD AND A MUST FOR ANY CHILD TODAY. GREAT FOR A ADULT LOOKING FOR A WAY TO RELAX AND FIND A WAY TO GO ON VACATION AND LEAVE YOURSELF AT HOME.

DAVID

I READ THIS OVER 25 YEARS AGO AND IT'S A EXCELLENT BOOK. IT STANDS IN MY MIND LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY. YOUR IMAGINATION WILL FLY FREE AND YOU'LL UNLOCK SECRETS AND MYSTERYS IN YOURSELF YOU FORGOT ABOUT YEARS AGO.GREAT ON A COLD NIGHT WITH A CUP OF TEA,WITH THE WIND HOWLING OUTSIDE AND BRANCHES CRACKING. THIS IS AN IDEAL BOOK FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS ALIKE. TAKE YOURSELF BACK TO A SLOW RELAXING TIME WITH THIS CLASSIC. I HAVE TO OWN ANOTHER, MAYBE 2 COPIES! LOVED THIS WHEN I WAS A CHILD AND NOW I WILL LOVE IT AS A AN ADULT.

For a lighthearted, entertaining, and fascinating trip into the inner workings of children's minds and souls, and how they perceive God and religion, read this book! You'll chuckle, you'll giggle, you'll laugh uproariously, you'll smile in tender recognition. An adorable, fun book!

This book, in some respects, is a Jewish version of Art Linkletter's "Kids Say the Darndest Things!" These kids are Jewish and commenting on Jewish subjects. Many of their remarks demonstrate a guiless intuition that is at once entertaining and enlightening. A joy to read, and a book which will endure.

I enjoyed leafing through this book. It takes us through all the holidays and events in the life of a Jewish child, proving that kids DO say the darndest things!