I was enchanted and educated by the adventures of this fascinating family.
As a member of a later generation that did not personally experience the depression, I feel I now have an understanding of what life would have been like if I had. I thoroughly enjoyed the unique way the two sisters took turn telling the story, sometimes-different take on the same event! Wonderful!

This is a wonderful book. It is very well written and a fast read. I was left wanting to know more. What happened to Aunt Irene & Uncle Grant as they aged? Who did sleep in Giovanni's room? It provides a full portrait of a particular middle class family from 1935 to 1937 as they moved from town to town in the San Joaquin Valley of California to follow their father's work. I loved the clarity of the portrayal of this less complicated culture. One passage sent chills down my spine because of the contrast it draws to our present experience: "In 1935 most children didn't have closets stuffed with clothes, shoes and games." I especially enjoyed all the details of life - food, clothing, styles, manners. The characters were well drawn & varied & left me with a deep longing for a sister of my own.

The book is wonderful and is truly an asset to anyone who loves Dorothy Dunnett's books. All the poetry, historical references, historical figures etc are explained or translated. It is an encyclopedic addition that completes your Dunnett collection. Dorothy herself is helping with the second volume to finish up the Niccolo books and tie everything together. A definite "must-have".

The fine folks at Vintage Books have done a great favor to those of us who are longtime fans of Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond and Niccolo chronicles as well as those who have only just discovered her writing. The Companion first was published in 1994 and inexplicably was allowed to go out of print, so that the only copies available recently were used books that seemed to start around [price]...and up. Some readers of Dunnett's books might have the benefit of a classical education that allows them to understand who all the historical characters are, what all the literary allusions are to, and what all of the quotations in foreign languages mean. For all of the rest of us, Elspeth Morrison has performed the invaluable labor of tracking down Dorothy Dunnett's original sources and fleshing out the details. Dunnett's books remind me of Medieval and Renaissance tapestries--rich in intricate symbolism and detail. You can look at them and enjoy them as fine art, but when you know what the details mean, your experience is that much deeper and richer. Fervent thanks to Morrison for making this illumination available!

An amazing look at the life of this incredible Christian woman! This book dives into the depths of her mind and her life. No secret or interesting fact is spared in this delightful biography. I recommend it to anyone interested in the life of this fascinating visionary.

Dorothy L. Sayers did more in her life than just create the aristocratic detective Lord Peter Wimsey. In addition to writing the Wimsey novels and short stories, she was one of the first female graduates of Oxford, a translator of Dante, a poet and a Christian apologist whose reputation at the time rivaled that of C.S. Lewis.

Her longtime friend, Barbara Reynolds, draws on her memories of the woman as well as her voluminous correspondence and has written a lively account of Sayers' life.

Those who admire the Wimsey novels will find their enjoyment heightened after reading this book. As I found in researching the "Annotating Dorothy L. Sayers"..., Sayers flooded her work with literary, historical and social references that represented the best of her education as well as her interests in the murderous and the macabre: Shakespeare, John Donne, Greek mythology, contemporary English music-hall acts, Gilbert & Sullivan, notorious 19th-century murders and snippets of classical Greek and Latin. To write "The Nine Tailors," which featured a church and its bell-ringers, Sayers spent two years studying campanology, and had to endure, she wrote, "incalculable hours spent in writing out sheets and sheets of changes, until I could do any method accurately in my head. Also, I had to visualize, from the pages of instructions to ringers, both what it looked like and what it felt like to handle a bell and to acquire rope-sight.'" After the novel was published, she thought she had been caught out on only three small technical errors, but did well enough to be asked to serve as vice-president of the Campanological Society of Great Britain.

But the books also contain much of Sayers herself. Obviously, Sayers' alter ego was expressed in the character of Harriet Vane, the mystery writer she put on trial for murder in "Strong Poison," who was romanced by Peter in "Gaudy Night," and who married him in "Busman's Honeymoon." But Sayers also drew on her life experiences and her interests. "Gaudy Night" reflected her experiences at Oxford, her desire to live the scholarly life and the importance of intellectual achievement, while the parsonage she vividly recreated in "The Nine Tailors" was drawn from her childhood memories, and the gentle churchly Rev. Thomas Venables was modeled on her parson father.

Christianity played a great role in Sayers' life from the start, and the success of the Wimsey novels enabled her to shelve the detective and turn to writing plays and books that expounded the doctrine of the Church of England in laymen's terms. In this, she was enormously successful, and even sparked a ruckus when one of her plays featured the disciples talking in modern slang, predating the uproar over "Jesus Christ Superstar" by three decades.

Reynolds also tells the story of the illegitimate child Sayers bore. While it would be easy to condemn her for turning the boy over to a cousin to raise, Reynolds also made clear that Sayers did it to protect her parents, who she thought would be terribly hurt by her misjudgment. Considering that she visited and paid for his upkeep and education, and told him the whole story when he was an adult, it seems to have been the best of all possible choices.

The pleasure of meeting Miss Sayers can only be increased by looking into her letters, which have been published in several volumes. From the first, Sayers seems to have been bright, precocious and determined to make her own way, and it's a pleasure to see in Reynolds' biography that she did so splendidly.

This book was so good and Roger S. Baum really brings all the characters. He finds a different way to bring Dorothy to Oz. He also really describes everything that happens to her on her journey. He makes her adventures really exciting.

Roger is the great-grandson of L Frank Baum, who wrote the original Oz books. In this book Dorothy uses her silver shoes to get to Oz again. The people there are in great danger, from the evil Jester who lives in Princess Gayelette and Prince Quelala's castle.The Jester has the Wicked of the West's magic wand. With it, he has turned lots of people into china, including all of the people of the castle. He also turned Dorothy's friends, the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion, into china. When Dorothy wasn't looking, he even turns Toto into china! Dorothy is very frightened and wants to save her friends. If you are an Oz fan, you'll enjoy this newest book!

My father wrote this story for me when I was 12. He didn't publish it
until recently, and I never actually read it until recently. I might
be somewhat biased in reviewing it, but I feel it's an important book
because of the moral/ethical lessons woven into the story. It is not
your average Oz story. It certainly captures the whimsical style of
L. Frank Baum and faithfully retains his main characters, however,
while many new characters are introduced, the story contains a most
interesting but perhaps controversial philosophy. We feel that Baum
might have said some of these things in his time had he dared. (After
all,he was a theosophist), but because of the times he lived in he had
to bring his beliefs through in a very subtle way. Having said that, I
do think that the spiritual lessons given, although much more obvious
in their intent, could be very helpful to a young person just
beginning to formulate his or her values. In fact, I venture to say
that if children everywhere were to adopt just a few these principles,
they would find themselves, as adults, in a vastly improved world, one
that would be relatively free of violence (both in the media, and in
reality), and perhaps more importantly, free of intolerance. A world
where a new sense of honesty would exist -- not only in individual
citizens, but in corporate America, and in politics.(An Oz-like
reality on earth?) The story itself takes place prior to Dorothy's
moving to Oz permanently. Still back in Kansas our heroine is
reminiscing on Oz when she begins to feel faint. She is caught up in a
terrible vortex not unlike the original twister that first transported
her to Oz when she suddenly finds back once more in that magical
kingdom. Upon being reunited with her charming old friends the
Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman, Dorothy soon learns
of yet another Wicked Witch, the Wicked Witch of the Deep South, who
spends a good deal of her time in a fascinating place called
Negativethoughtland where cruel or evil thoughts take on tangible
physical form. The Fabulous Four embark on a quest to stop the evil
Witch from filling Oz with these repugnant forms and to bring back the
beauty and happiness that we all associate with Baum's delightful
fairyland. Along the way, we are treated to encounters with various
new residents of Oz such as the Fuzzy Yellow Woggle Bugs, not to
mention several strange creatures with names like Ticklemonsters,
Girrephalumps, and Octapong.... During the journey there is a
beautiful sojourn with a community of American Indians, as well as a
meeting of the minds with members of a unique club consisting entirely
of United States presidents. (Topics covered range from George
Washington's economic system to the importance of education, and of
treating one another with respect and dignity.) During the good
natured bantering between themselves some of the presidents provide
interesting historical information on their lives. Another chapter is
devoted to an important meeting with UFO people who represent an
extremely advanced civilization. They make some remarkable revelations
and speak with great wisdom, but since the dialogue is extensive,
younger children could safely skip most of this without losing any of
the story.) Following is a brief quotation from this segment to give
you some idea of its content: "...You see, beloved friends, it is
much easier for you to doubt your abilities, your powers, than it is
to try to realize the potentials that lie within you. Accept your
challenges of today. Cope with them and be not concerned for the
future ... Each of you has tasks before you that you will perform and,
if you will allow yourself to flow with the tide, you shall find that
these things will come to you in proper sequence. There is a constant
flow of energy around your planet. The entire cosmos is energy. We,
too, are energy. Swim in it! Feel yourself as a pulsating, living part
of the universal energy; feel yourself to be in tune with this energy
- to be flowing along with it, in harmony with it. If you become
disturbed or distressed, you have stepped out of the flow. If you go
against your conscience, you will go against the flow and be pushed
out of it. Keep your thought harmonious. Do not allow little things to
upset you. Check yourself several times a day to insure that you are
still within the flow - you will know by the feeling of inner peace
and tranquillity. Eventually you will not need to check; being in the
flow will be the most natural thing in the world for you. As each one
on earth learns these things, the forces of darkness will perish; they
must be banished from your planet for all time. And out of this must
come a new age of love, harmony, and understanding, an age where each
shall live to benefit his brother and not himself - wherein all
problems, the answer sought shall not be 'What is best for me?' but
rather 'What is best for all concerned?" There is a host of other
fascinating characters, including Gayelette, who was first introduced
in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This time, however, the emphasis on
very open-minded conversations (as mentioned above) that make for
fascinating reading. There are even a couple of delightful songs that
would put the Patchwork Girl to shame. A warning to adults who might
accidentally read this book: Towards the end of the story a mysterious
stranger is introduced to Dorothy: He doesn't give his name but his
identity is clear. He tells us that we didn't quite get the story of
his life and mission quite right. This could be a shock to some, but a
for others a revelation....

As I said before, this is not your
average Oz book.

This story is very original. There is no Nome takeover of Oz attempt. There is no long-lost sibling of one of the recurring Oz characters suddenly recovered from a wicked enchantment. Instead, this book focuses on stimulating converstaion between Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Woodman, and the Scarecrow. I do not always agree with the statements made in these conversations, but they certainly give me much to think about. Please read this with an open mind. I'm not saying that there is no Wicked Witch --don't think for a moment that there is no conflict. But this Witch is more interested in creating negative thoughts than in taking anyone for a slave. She is more comic relief than threat to Dorothy and friends. As they go in search of the Witch, they come in contact with several unique characters along th way. Space aliens, Pinheads, and even some very famous historical figures. All of these are captured brilliantly in Dennis Anfuso's charming illustrations. The cover is a water-color painting by Dore Meers (illustrator of THE FOREST MONSTER OF OZ) which is a fitting tribute to the Oz legacy. It features Dorothy with the famous trio on the Yellow Brick Road. For anyone who loves the famous Oz books by L. Frank Baum and his many successors, this is a nostalgic item that should bring a good deal of happiness.

I remember going to "The Landing" for Sunday suppers while in college just up the hill in Elsah. I can't put into words how good the food was! Imagine how excited I was to be able to bring the desserts, breads and meals home to California with this cookbook. I make the desserts and breads constantly, both for home and gifts. People can never get enough of the Banana Chocolate Chip Bread or the California Strawberry Pie. Sometimes the ingredients are hard to find, but the results are worth any effort you have to make. This is a staple for any good cook's kitchen.

If you've ever wanted to have fail-safe recipes for home-made soup, bread, and pies, this is the cookbook to own. The banana chocolate chip bread is requested by my daughter in college for care packages as "the taste I can never forget." It makes a wonderful wedding present or gift to a cook who thinks she already has everything

A well organized and thought provoking book, the authors successfully translates Special Education topics into easy to comprehend case studies, sidebars, and resources without overwhelming readers with medical terminology. Each chapter contains a vignette- a short portrait of students, parents and teachers- which humanizes the exceptionality under discussion. Special features include tips for inclusion, effective teaching practices,
evaluation procedures, and resources for further study.

I found the chapter on autism particularly helpful as I had always been confused by the origins of this spectral disorder and did not realize all the variables involved in diagnosis.
I'm particularly grateful that their research and resources are extensive and well organized. There is an interactive website that is a great companion to the book complete with a message board, and chat room. The opportunity to dialog and collaborate with other educators seems essential to working with special needs students and I was happy to see they've created a forum for it online. This book had raised my consciousness and level of sensitivity regarding advocacy for children with special needs. I suspect I will be using it for years to come.

This textbook is a nuts and bolts approach to special education that recognizes disability but doesn't accept predefined educational limitations. There is no telling how far a learning disabled child can go until that particular child is put to the test in a caring and supportive environment.

The chapter on giftedness is perhaps the best ever published.

Perfectly paced, intelligently written thriller. Read it, love it, pass it to a friend!

One of the best mysteries ever written. I came across this book at a friends house and I found a copy at a booksale. The story is about the brutal attack on a popular television personality and the circumstances surrounding the case.

I don't want to say to much about this book, because I don't want to give to much away. But all I can say is that this one of the best mysteries ever written. The characters are compelling and the story unfolds at a white knuckle pace. So if you see this book read pick it up, you won't regret it!

This book has been a great tool for me as I have learned to rethink "money" in positive terms. It is easy to read and understand and comes with real-life experiences/examples. Included with it is a cassette tape which is a absolute must. I listen to it in my car everywhere I go. Instead of listening to something that blocks my mental capacity, I listen and utilize the time otherwise wasted with goal setting and realize that success will happen. She shows us how and all we need is to want it to happen and with constant reinforcement IT DOES HAPPEN! I know because it has happened for me time and time again. Dorothy O'Donnell-Uhlman has uniquely written a book that is wonderful/helpful for all who desire that "Financial Pot O'Goals". I recommend it highly.

This book is a great tool to reprogram negative thinking. The book is easy to read and understand, and it also comes with real-life examples. I also listen to the cassette in my car while driving to work. I think it is an excellent way to utilize the time. Dorothy O'Donnell-Uhlman has provided an excellent resource for goal-oriented people, and anyone else who wants to be successful. All it takes is desire.

This wonderful cookbook has 150 recipes drawn from firehouses from all 50 states. It has everything from main courses, to side dishes, to desserts. My one complaint against this book is that is it organized by area, rather than course, but that's a very small complaint. In between, there are chapters on firefighting in America, firehouse cooks, and systems of cooking in firehouses.

Overall I thought that this was a fun book, with lots of great recipes. I really liked the Chicken and Dumplings from page 110 (of the 2001 hardbound edition), and the Coffee Cake from page 77. I highly recommend this wonderful cookbook!

This is "no frills" cooking at its best! If you're looking for regional, family recipes that are easy to prepare without compromising taste, this book is for you. All of the recipes were tested in the Better Homes & Gardens kitchen, and Kite cleverly gives us ingredient amounts for family-size or "firehouse" portions--no calculations needed while your hands are coated in flour. Recipes range from regional dishes like jambalya, enchiladas, chowder and spaghetti to meat loaf, banana pudding and one of my favorites, "Potato Dish from Truck Co. No. 2." This is not just a cookbook. As wife of a veteran fire training officer and firehouse chef, Kite weaves throughout, a brief history, quips and tales of firefighting and dedicates the book "to the honorable members of our society who keep watch over our lives and property every hour of every day--the firefighters."