Gregory Ryan's My Happy Heart is a colorful, read-aloud book written not just for kids age 4-8, but for the whole family to share. A simple, straightforward book of prayer to a kind and loving God, My Happy Heart shows wonderfully illustrative examples of God's love in everyday life, and makes excellent, highly recommended bedtime reading for young children.

Gregory Ryan's book, My Happy Heart, makes the ancient and profound tradition of Prayer of the Heart accessible to both children and adults. The charming illustrations and the author's clear, simple words lead the reader to his/her heart (the center of one's being) in a gentle, almost imperceptible, way.

The text is free of sentimental or pretentious words and therefore communicates directly from heart to heart. The child in me was deeply touched by this gem of a book.

..."A Happy Heart", by Greg Ryan, Obl. OSB, is a good read. Adults, too, will learn to become simple and prayerful. It is a delightful book and beautifully illustrated.

It was introduced recently at a domestic violence shelter where children and their mothers stay and learn for an extended period of time. You would think that meditation would be especially difficult for children of abuse, but the opposite proved true. The children took to contemplative prayer like ducks to water. Later that same day, the children asked if they could pray with their hearts at night; if they could pray with their hearts sitting on their beds, or on their floors.

I am thankful to Greg Ryan for putting in print this "how to" for children and families in an inviting way. Families will truly be helping to build a world of peaceful citizens by reading this book together and establishing their own family's practice of prayer.

I did not realize at first that this was part of a series. I have to go back and find the rest of the books. Jill Gregory gives the reader everything she wants. A romantic hero, a sweet and feisty heroine and a town filled with warmth and understanding where nothing can stop the romance between Emily and Clint. Our hearts warm to this pair who are at odds with each other. It was one of the best romances I have read recently and has sent me searching for as many Jill Gregory books as I can find.

If you want a great book to read over the weekend look no further. Jill Gregory has written a book that will fulfill all your expectation and more. Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. The characters were wonderful and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who loves western romance.

I HAVE LOVED THIS SERIES. I REALLY HOPE CLINT'S BROTHER NICK WILL HAVE HIS OWN STORY WITH EMILY'S FRIEND LISSA. I THINK NICK AND LISSA WOULD MAKE A WONDERFUL LOVE STORY WITH ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE. EVEN THOU CLINT VOWED HE WOULD NEVER MARRY,EMILY UNKNOWLY CHANGES HIS MIND AND FALLS IN LOVE WITH HER. I LIKED THE PART WHEN HER FAMILY AND CLINT JOIN FORCES TO RESCUE EMILY WHEN SHE IS KIDNAPPED BY RATLIN.I AM GLAD CLINT AND EMILY FALL IN LOVE. A KEEPER FOR CERTAIN LIKE THE REST OF THE SERIES.

This book ends up better than it starts out and it starts out well. I have seen it change the lives of people I know and I am buying them and giving them away as fast as I can afford to. The principles explained are easy to understand, but more difficult to apply. However the rewards of application are worth every effort. Telling the truth about ourselves as Dr. Baer teachers allows the light to come into our hearts freeing us from darkness and self deceit.

Have you ever wondered why an intelligent and motivated person like yourself finds it so difficult to change your life? I did and in reading this book and its predecessor "The Truth About Relationships", I found what the self-help books I've read have left out--that changing your life is more than affirmations, deep breathing exercises, and even self-discipline and commitment. This book shared with me what really makes people happy and how to find the happiness that creates the lasting changes and true happiness that you always wanted but never seemed to grasp. Don't assume that you know what "Real Love" is--you may not have really experienced it. But don't despair--you really can change. Do yourself a favor and buy, beg, or borrow (but don't steal) this book! It just might teach you a thing or two!!

Some might call it "forgiveness;" others might typecast it as "foolish" or "naive;" still others recognize its power but don't believe it exists or can exist except in the formation of animal-person friendships or parent-child relationships. But, it can, does, and will exist in all those cases where persons are able to see, feel, and hear the heart of another in empathetic sympathy, and recognize it as the only true love there is. Arising as it does as a "gift of the heart for another" rather than a "gift to the heart of oneself" often plagued by jealousies and conditions of reciprocity that so often becomes the standard of trust formed by individuals, components of real love often have the dual advantage of protection and sacrifice that complements the intimacies of reciprocal love which allows it to endure far beyond those of ordinary relationships. Unconditional or absolute acceptance is free from possessiveness but loves the attention of possession. It leaves the recipient wanting more but never requires more. It is unselfish love desiring only the "best" for the object of that affection regardless of expected responses. It is moved to make that possible knowing that heightened potential realized is the ideal glorification of the love felt, one uniquely focused upon the empowerment of that person and the power of love to accomplish that end. It is never martyrdom but some confuse it with that method of negative attention designed to reflect great sacrifice as love or passion, a chameleon of love. Absolute acceptance requires looking beyond the comforts of the moment to assess the total capacity and potential of benefit associated with a relationship, and investing it with a warranty that is unconditional, that doesn't depend upon reciprocity or possession to sustain it; it is total abandon to the commitment of love expressed for the sake of love itself, and nothing less than the greatest gift that one can bestow upon another - that absolute acceptance that both flatters and endows the person upon whom it is conferred. It is the ultimate embodiment of self confidence by the one conferring that endowment who requires no condition to verify its presence or justify its existence. It is love, pure and simple, pursued by many, and found by few. It is usually recognized as "great" love, and may, or may not invoke the desire for reciprocity by the other. If given, the contract made is enormously powerly and very highly valued as the epitome of love's ability to transform and transcend ordinary relationships.

Although Gregory's intended audience is those who would teach children and youth, the laws he outlines are equally applicable to teaching adults. Having taught children in Sunday Schools, and adults in software training classes and programming classes, I can verify that ignoring these principles is significantly deleterious to the outcome of teaching.

Gregory's observations are organised into explanations of seven laws (hence the title):

The Law of the Lesson
The Law of the Language
The Law of the Teacher
The Law of the Teaching Process
The Law of the Learner
The Law of the Learning Process
The Law of Review

His key insight is that knowledge is not a commodity that can be transferred from mind to mind in the way that a physical object is transferred from hand to hand. Thus teaching is fundamentally a conversation, and the object of the teacher is not to directly transmit knowledge. Rather, the teacher's goal is to excite the student to self discovery and to direct him or her in that process of discovery. The teacher should only resort to direct communication of the material when it is necessary to quickly provide context for the main lesson to be learned.

The stress upon review done properly is equally important. For Gregory, review is not successful if the teacher merely elicits a verbatim recitation of the lesson imparted. Review should be structured in a way that requires the student to have internalised the lesson and be able to apply it experientially.

Even though the book is thin, Gregory gives many practical tips for making teaching work and many of examples of what doesn't work. In fact, the thinness is a virtue. One can easily read a chapter in a very short sitting, but then spend the rest of one's day evaluating one's own teaching by his standards and pondering what changes could be made to improve one's teaching.

I had taught Sunday School for a few years when a seasoned elder recommended this book. I was immediately hooked when I began to read it. I had to learn to teach the hard way, and I wish I had gotten ahold of this book earlier. I am now the Sunday School superintendent and I asked all the teachers to read this book. They loved it too! The amazing thing about this masterpiece of a book is that he follows his own advice. He starts simple and works to the more complex. He gets the readers attention and interest and keeps it until the end. Even if you don't like to read that much, you will savour this well written book. I was inspired and equipped to be a better teacher after reading this book.

As much as I enjoy The Seven Laws of Teaching, I also enjoy its orderly lay out. Each law of teaching is paced chapter by chapter, which makes reader easy to follow the flow of the concepts. In another word, its structure gives an effective communication to the readers. Another strength of this book is the paragraph number and the key word next to the paragraph. The paragraph number and the key word are two effective reading tools in reviewing the concepts for the reader.

I wonder if Mollie Gregory knew what she was going to reveal when she first started research for this book. It's an amazing book -- the journey taken by a group of courageous, talented women who didn't realize they were actually making history.

Absolutely terrific!

"When I started reading this book, I was amazed how controversial it was. I had no idea what women went through on the job in the 1970s through the 1990s, the period this book covers! I sent a copy to my mom in Chicago. She is 84 and has been in business all her life. She just called and told me that she has two of her friends over every afternoon, they pass the book around and read sections of it aloud, and laugh their heads off. She says that this book should be given to every retired woman because the women in this book are talking about what my mom and a million other senior women went through, too. What a great Christmas gift this book will be! (To the book editors of the Chicago Tribune, New York Times and L A Times--Wake up!)
Dave Henson, Chairman, International Foundation of Education and Performing Arts.

Mollie Gregory's newest book is a terrific history of recent Hollywood, as well as a biography of many courageous women. It is also much, much more. It is a great read, written with the ease of a novelist and the detailed facts of a top journalist. It contains many cautionary tales about the 'biz' plus it is a great how-to manual for anyone who wants a career in the entertainment field. If you were part of Hollywood in the 70s, 80s, or 90s, as I was, the stories will resonate, validate and entertain. If you're new in town --or want to be -- this book should be required reading. You will find it a fascinating peak at the real Hollywood. Enjoy!

This is the best book than I see about Bach Flower Remedies for animals. She's easy to understand and clearly in hers explanations. It's a pocket guide for all days.

Each of the Bach Flower Essence remedies is described in a section in this book. Following the general description is a section describing the behaviors and characteristics of various species (horse, dog, cat, bird, etc) which are particularly helped by the remedy, along with suggestions for other Flower Essences to use or combine. This is the first book that I turn to when I'm working to select a Bach Flower Essence remedy, because it focusses so well on *animal* issues.

Like other reviewers I was so frustrated with the small amount of information for using flower essences for animals. If you could find it only some of the essences were given for certain emotional problems. I have a dog who was snapping at family members without provocation and without warning. He does have hip dysplasia so I attributed it to pain. I tried to minimize his pain with a joint care supplement, occasionally aspirin, and I tried behavioral training, nutritional supplements, nothing had an effect on his unprovoked snapping. Finally I found this book which had complete information on flower essenses so I decided to try them. So far it's been eight months since he started on them and no episodes of snapping since! This book goes over each flower essence, what it can be used to treat, what are some of the symptoms shown by animals that need these essences, which ones can be used together and how to administer them. If you are having a behavior problem with your pet and you have ruled out a physical illness as a cause check out this book. It is an invaluable reference and it may lead you to the answer to your problem.

Connecting Online is a fascinating text that explores two worlds--the Internet with its many tentacles and the public relations industry--and how to merge them with powerful results. Sherwin and Avila start off with a well-written explanation of the Internet-not just the World Wide Web, but also ftp, e-mail, Usenet, Internet etiquette. In short, all the various pieces that fit under the umbrella of the Internet. They also explore the public relations world if briefer than they did with the Internet--releases, media relations, crisis communication. Having accomplished the groundwork, they set out on their main objective--explaining how to have effective public relations online.

They demonstrate a variety of interesting, if not necessarily the most innovative techniques. Examples abound, including finding the right consultants, costs, hardware, software, and utilizing websites for maximum advantage. In this, Connecting Online is none too dissimilar to Michael Levine's Guerrilla PR: Wired, which also covers using the Internet as the means to attain public relations objectives.

Drawing upon their experiences in both the Web and in the public relations industry, Sherwin and Avila provide several valuable pieces of advice. What makes this text even further stand out is the style in which it is written. Deft uses of humor in the technical explanations assure that even those with a layman's grasp of the terminology and technology will have little difficulty in understanding, grasping, and using Sherwin's and Avila's methods and advice.

In Connecting Online: Creating A Successful Image On The Internet, Gregory Sherwin and Emily Avila draw upon their extensive expertise and experience in clearly and definitively explaining the history, demographics, features and benefits of the Internet; show how to utilize email, the World Wide Web, Usenet, FTP, and other Internet tools; explain Internet etiquette, press release, crisis communications, security, and other public relations essentials, reveal how Web pages work and provide some strategies to research, build, maintain, and keep websites current. Connecting Online also covers issues such as costs, hardware, software, hiring consultants, and obtaining proper technical support for establishing and maintaining a website or an Internet presence. Connecting Online is an ideal, informative, comprehensive "user friendly", and highly recommended guide for learning all of the aspects of establishing a an effective online public relations strategy.

Connecting Online: Creating A Successful Image On The Internet explains why it is essential to establish a solid image and a communicative environment with specific Internet audiences. Authors Gregory Sherwin and Emily Avila have collaborated to created a guidebook that will help the most novice of computer users to get up and running with image building strategies, even when they have had no prior experience with, or training in, public relations. Connecting Online covers the history, demographics, features and benefits of the Internet; how to effectively use email, the Web, Usenet, FTP, and other Internet tools; Internet etiquette, press releases, crisis communications, security, and public relations essentials; how Web pages work including strategies to research, build, maintain, and keep them current; costs, hardware, software, the hiring of consultants; the technical support required to establish and maintain a website or an Internet presence; and much, much more. Connecting Online is "must" reading for those new to Internet communications and public relations and a handy reference for anyone needing a refresher in the art and craft of building a successful and profitable Internet presence.

This is what the main character, Zavalita, and the author, try to find out in the book: how, when, where, why, Latin America went wrong. It is a political, social and personal novel. Without a clear answer, of course, Vargas Llosa boldly exposes before our eyes the crap, the misery, the injustice and the depravation that rule life in most parts of our continent. He is unsparing, cruel and realistic. The lives of Santiago Zavala and Ambrosio Pardo meet time and again through a conversation in "The Cathedral", a bar in Lima, Peru. As they tell to each other their stories, they tell the story of Peru in those years. Zavalita is an upper-middle class journalist, the son of a politician, who resigns his social position for idealistic reasons. He is a loser because he refuses to fit in a world like that, where in order to succeed you have to be a part of corruption, pervertion, and immorality. He prefers to be marginalized and isolated.

To tell a chaotic story, Vargas Llosa uses a complex style: jumps in time, different voices from separated times speaking simultaneously. But it is not a hard reading, once you get used to it. The author is superb at eliciting suspense, progressive revelations that give an additional clue into the whole picture. It is fascinating how he reproduces the way people talk in an informal conversation at a bar. Think about it and try to remember your conversations with friends, when sharing a complex story.

If the style is great, the substance is chilling: it is a glimpse into the reality most of us refuse to acknowledge. Wherever you live, you will recognize people in almost every character. While MVLL is an excellent writer, this is definitely one of his best. It is certainly one of my favorite novels of all times, and I strongly recommend it.

Conversation in the Cathedral is a novel of power and politics in 1950s Peru. Two of the main characters meet in an inexpensive restaurant (the "cathedral" of the title) and spend the afternoon conversing about the past. The novel is, for the most part, encapsulated within their conversation, although we are occasionally reminded of some events accessible only to the omniscient narrator.

While somewhat unusual, the structure of Conversation in the Cathedral is most impressive. The vast bulk of the book is dialogue, and a common occurrence is for different dialogues to be interlaced at the level of the sentence with no overt marking in a kind of point and counterpoint. There also exists an hierarchical layering, with events described in individual conversations recounted within the meta-conversation that spans the entire novel.

The narrative includes many jumps in time, with significant events that take place in the middle of the story often not being recounted until near the end of the book. The result is an almost "fractal" narrative, but one that is singularly impressive.

Despite its somewhat complicated structure, Conversation in the Cathedral has an irresistible feeling of movement and once readers become used to Vargas Llosa's sophisticated style, the book becomes more than engrossing. Conversation in the Cathedral also presents the clearest picture of exactly how a Latin American military dictatorship actually works.

While all of Vargas Llosa's books rate five stars, Conversation in the Cathedral is certainly his most impressive.

This is a great novel. At the beginning I found it a little hard to follow the story but once I got used to the author's narrative style, I was spellbound.

It is just amazing how much knowledge the author (in his early 30s when he wrote this novel) displays about Peruvian, and by extent Latin American, society and people's psychology, especially those in positions of power (since this is also a political novel).

The narrative revolves around the story of Zabalita, a journalist from an upper middle class background. Zabalita is essentially a rebel and idealist who renounces fortune and fame out of both political/ideological convictions and parental resentments. His own personal family deceptions and disappointments are somehow projected onto the whole Peruvian society (it is hard to tell the author from his personage).

As it turns out, Zabalita's misfortune is that the vices he resents in his family (his father is an important politician) are inextricably linked to those the author very ably depicts as taking place in Peruvian society as a whole. The author skillfully depicts this reality throughout the novel by showing us his other characters with all their vices; here we have the opportunistic, corrupt, deceitful and immoral politicians.

Vargas Llosa greatly succeeds in narrating Zabalita's misfortune and gaining adepts in his readers (at least in my case) to Zabalita's cause. The climax of the novel comes towards the end of the book when Zabalita and the reader are revealed the darkest secrets of Zabalita's father. This is the climax towards which the novel inexorably unfolded starting with the initial conversations, between Zabalita and one of the main protagonists, in the bar "The Cathedral".

What really makes this novel great is not only the substance of its subject matter but also, and perhaps most important, the way it is expounded. The author reveals his characters (their darkest secrets, their noblest actions and so on) in a very gradual way, eliciting in the reader suspense, and all kinds of emotions at every turn of a page. The way the author weaves his personages, treating one at a time and then relating them, with the way the story unravels makes it so hard to take a break from reading. This is as much a psychological novel as a social and a political critique, and a great one.

Sometimes, the most serious and deep messages are hidden in the form of light and funny literature (one book that jumps to mind is "Gulliver's Travels"). In this simply genial novel, the Peruvian military has a problem: the garrisons of the Amazonic regions are very short of women and feeling extremely sexual, so rapes are mounting. This, of course, is bad PR for the Army and a real problem for the chiefs. They decide to create the "Special Service", a well-oredered and efficient ring of disciplined prostitutes who will satisfy the soldiers' needs and erradicate the problem of rapes. Who is the perfect man to be in charge of the Service?: Captain Pantaleon Pantoja, a model solider, who lives with his lovely wife and his mother-in-law. Pantaleon is a sober and righteous guy, enemy of prostitutes, bars and fights. He is also the most efficient manager of the Army. He is dismayed at the task but, always disciplined, puts all his intelligence and efficiency to it. The learning process proves problematic for his marriage: since Pantaleon knows nothing about the night life, he has to learn it by visiting sordid brothels and buying drinks to informants. Of course, when he starts arriving home in the morning, extremely drunk, his wife gets very disappointed. But he convinces her of the importance and required sacrifices of his new mission. Eventually, the Special Service becomes the most efficient branch of the military, and it gets famous. The very funniest parts of the book are the official reports where Pantaleon informs to his superiors of the successes and problems he has in his job. The official language describing absurd and outrageous situations is just great. Of course, things get out of control, with dramatic but funny consequences.

The plot is rapidly developed, with the surfacing of a sect of fanatics as its counterpoint. These sect crucifies people and animals, and the story includes a harsh criticism of the Church as parallel to the Army. The reader wonders: why is it that Vargas Llosa decided to intertwine a satire of military discipline with another one of religious fanatism? And the conclusion is that it is an extremely smart and witty novel, hilarious and troubling at the same time. The characters are really, really great, including Panta, his wife, his mother-in-law, some of the prostitutes, and some of the officers. Great book by a great contemporary author.

A tale of prostitues and jungle. Stay clear of the arc for crucifiction jump former dog channels.

If you want to obtain a flavor of Peru this is a must-read. You could summarize this book by saying that it is a sex-related excellent comedy. However, I think this book is much more than this. Vargas Llosa provides a wonderful profile of our idiosincracy, values, and fears. In addition the style is agile. Vargas Llosa tells the story using military communications, radio programs, and personal letters from different characters so that you get everybodies' point of view. I strongly recommend it.

I found this book at my local library and it's been one of the few that I found hard to put down each night. I was flying out of a flight school and got my private but was wary of the expenses & the odds and ends that weren't fitting in. I then decided to be brave and went out looking at flying clubs and Mr.Penglis couldn't have been more right about "...the greatest characters in aviation reside at flying clubs". I found my Instrument Instructor at a flying club a little out of the way, but a retired and amicable USAF C141 instructor! I couldn't ask for more. I would say this book is an absolute MUST READ before you decide on your first school/club.

I would highly recommend that anyone considering private pilot training buy this book. In a wry, cynical, style, Mr. Penglis offers some very clear and valuable insight to the many expensive pitfalls that await you.

Read it cover to cover before you invest a dime in training. Then, re-read each chapter as you reach that point in your flying career. I'm sure a few high profile instructor/examiner types would hate this book. It does not tell you what you want to hear about general aviation, it tells you what you need to hear!

A complete guide indeed. The author takes you from zero hours through ATP and goes through all the pitfalls in between. If you are a student pilot or a professional you will laugh out loud at all the stupid things you do in flight instruction that he describes and find yourself saying "It's funny 'cause it's true"