My wife and I are currently expecting our first baby, so we've been prowling the children's sections of bookstores putting together a little library. Of the books we've bought so far, "Pete's a Pizza" is definitely our favorite. We truly love this book; it's sweet and funny and the illustrations are wonderful. We can't wait to read it to our little one -- and to play "pizza" with her as well!

This book is an easy read with expressive pictures. Pete's father plays a game with him to cheer him up and his mother soon joins in. It is a sweet family moment, where the family uses lots of imagination. At first, I didn't see the charm in this book. But my three year old twins liked it. They started requesting it more and more often. And I enjoyed reading it each time. It is a "feel good" book. (And, for me, the price of the book is worth just hearing my toddlers say "Pete's a Pizza!") Since my children are so delighted with Pete being made into a pizza, and then seeing the "pizza" run away, I think I will have to try making them into a pizza soon.

Pete's in a bad mood because the rain has spoiled his plans to play ball with his friends. His father decides to cheer him up by making him into a pizza. As his mother looks on dubiously, he proceeds to lay Pete on the table, knead him, stretch him, and twirl him in the air. Mom joins in the fun as he adds the oil (water), flour (talcum powder), tomatoes (checkers!), and cheese (paper). After some teasing and tickling, the pizza is ready to come out of the oven, and the sun, too, is ready to come out. A chase and a hug, and the pizza marches out the door with his football; all is well with the world. Steig's simple illustrations are worth a thousand words; the expressions on the character's faces tell all. What a treat to see such playful, loving parents sharing a game that the author himself used to play with his youngest daughter.

Wow! Every once in a while a book comes along that grabs your attention and really makes you think about how to deal with the world around you. The Eagle & The Monk brings the reality of today's challenges into a fable that provides a useful guide to a successful journey. The message contained in this book can help everyone in the family deal with the never ending changes life seems to bring. In fact, this book could be the perfect gift to send someone dealing with significant change.

E&M provides an innovative approach to an important topic. Easy to read and thoughtful in guiding content discussion, this book will be a particularly welcome change for students interested in leadership.

Books about change often overlook the inward look that must occur to make change happen. "The Eagle and the Monk" goes to the heart of the matter by addressing basic human needs - self-worth, accepting the worth of others, trust, etc. I can't think of any positive changes that have happened in my personal or professional life that wasn't preceeded by trust. This is a book I'll pick up again and again -- and will pass on to my co-workers, friends and family. Donna Culver

I was given this book by my brother almost 25 years ago, and I still consider it the best children's book I've ever read. In fact, I still pull it out from time to time and read it when I need a lift. I love the fact that Steig respects children enough to use sophisticated language and themes. This book has always made me feel smart and brave--just like Dominic himself! He is a wonderful hero and role model for boys and girls alike. It's a joy to read that so many others have also been touched by its magic. And the illustrations (by Steig) are incredibly evocative--they really draw one into Dominic's adventures AND his emotions. It doens't get any better than Dominic for bright, curious kids.

I read this when I was eight years old. I am now 22 and I still think that Dominic is one of the best books that anyone could ever read. It got me excited about reading and I haven't stopped since. This simple tale of a dog leaving home for adventures throughout the world has opened the world up for me. It taught me that there is more to life than what I see around me and that even walking to the end of the block can be an adventure. Dominic the character is a hero to me, and the book (which I still find myself reading from time to time) is still one of my favorites.

Despite winning a Walt Whitman and being an ALA notable, I still feel that Dominic has been overlooked for the past twenty years. Whenever I see lists for suggested reading I rarely see Dominic included. I have a theory for this, but it may sound like a bunch of hogwash. It is well documented that the main cogs, levers and bearings in the English departments for the past 40 years at least have been women. No, I'm not getting ready to say something sexist. Dominic, I think, is a book for the male population, and it could easily have slipped through a female reviewer's hands with the opinion of "good, but not superior." Now, this is not to place blame anywhere, simply to suggest that perfectly natural forces were and are and always shall be at work. Dominic embodies a certain masculine spirit, one which is infused with honor, nobility and simple virtue, yet at the same time he is complex and curious, wondering what makes his world go around. The illustrations which Steig provides match Dominic completely: simple, yet revealing. Dominic is the story of a dog who feels the bite of adventure take hold one day, and he sub- sequently tacks a note on his door and runs off into the wide world (with his collection of mood hats). He goes through a series of archetypal adventures, has brushes with death in various forms, develops an honorable reputation, and in the end finds true love. The entire book is infused with a light humor. The language in the book interesting. There are large words here and there which challenge the reader, not letting him/her get by without discovering meaning in some way, whether by dictionary or context. The reader can't simply stop reading the book because the story is too good, so they must discover meaning. (deconstructionists please hush!) - Dave Leaton

This is a great book of historical writing. For those who question the role history has in our lives I suggest you read this book and look at the world anew. Its focus is Churchill's fight against the appeasers in 1930s English politics. The staggering stupidity and the relentless badgering of Churchill as he stood his ground is an amazing story. Many people have described the Battle of Britain as Churchill's finest hour, but it was these long years with fascism growing in Europe that really mark him with distinction. Manchester is a brilliant historian and this is his masterwork. A dreadful pity that the third volume was never printed due his ill health.

As one reads William Manchester's second volume on Churchill, one is struck by Churchill's uncanny grasp of the threat of Nazi Germany, and his many attempts to warn Britain of its peril. Like Cassandra in Greek mythology, though, Churchill's predictions are not believed, and he is only included in the War Cabinet when war was inevitable. William Manchester's book is thoroughly researched, and is at least as good as that of Churchill's official biographer, Martin Gilbert, with one important difference: Manchester's book is written on a far larger canvas, and the level of detail he is able to devote to Churchill is far greater -- and the subject is more than worthy of it. Mandatory reading for anyone studying Churchill, a good prelude to read before reading Churchill's own five volume history of World War II in that it gives insight into Churchill's mind. On a personal level, I know that Mr. Manchester is advanced in years, and I cannot help thinking, in my selfishness as a historian, that I hope he completes volume III soon. It would be a tragedy if the task of completing this wonderful history proves to be too much for him.

Most people today know Winston Churchill at the great British Prime Minister of WWII. But Churchill was 65 when he became Prime Minister and had a public career spanning more than forty years. In this excellent book which is part biography, part history, William Manchester focuses on the period of 1932-1940 when Churchill was out of power, an outcast in his own party and universally derided as a warmongering relic. Churchill referred to these years as his "wilderness years" and they are among the most fascinating of his life because the years of Churchill's political exile coincide with the rise of Hitler and the growth of Germany from defeated power to world menace. Indeed, as Manchester chronicles, Churchill's return from the wilderness was intimately connected to the rise of Hitler because Churchill's relentless public opposition to Hitlerism and British policy towards Germany throughout the thirties is what led to his continuing exile while this same stalwartness preserved him from the mark of shame that infected the rest of the British elite when the policy of appeasement collapsed in 1939.

Manchester has an unrestrained admiration for Churchill. Nevertheless, at no time in this volume does he overlook Churchill's many faults of personality. Many of these faults become clear when Manchester examines Churchill's personal life at his Chartwell estate and his relationship with his family and the servants and secretary's who worked for him. Despite these faults, however, the Churchill of this book comes across as a man touched with greatness and who is well aware of it. But this book is not merely the story of Churchill but the story of the small shabby men whose policy of appeasement in the face of absolute evil laid England low. Most of the government during the thirties fits this bill but in particular Manchester singles out the three prime ministers, Ramsey McDonald, Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain and Chamberlain's foreign minister Lord Halifax.. The author's contempt for these "Men of Munich" drips on virtually every page. He contrasts their fecklessness with Churchill's steadiness. Certainly Churchill recognized from day one that Germany had been overtaken by a deranged criminal regime and that such a regime would necessarily threaten the peace of the world. The Men of Munich just could not see it. Churchill believed, without once wavering, that a foreign policy built on strength and deterrence could prevent war but that a policy of appeasement could only guarantee it. The Men of Munich believed quite the opposite. Manchester shows the motivation of the appeasers to be more complex than commonly understood. Nevertheless, since, to their mind, no rational human being could want war, any dispute with Germany could be resolved through diplomacy and negotiation. It never occurred to the Churchill's foes that Hitler was no rational human being but rather quite mad or that they were not "negotiating" with him so much as giving in and retreating.

A review of the events of the thirties shows a steady British retreat beginning with the failure to stop the re-occupation of the Rhineland then the failure to halt the annexation of Austria, the infamous betrayal of Czechoslovakia at Munich and finally the failure to prevent the final conquest of Czechoslovakia. Indeed, even after the invasion of Poland and declaration of War, Britain and France held back from aiding the Poles for fear Hitler would "turn west". Not until Churchill returned to power, nearly a year after the start of the war and days before the capitulation of France did the policy of appeasement truly end.

Even without the benefit of hindsight, the policy of the British government during this period defies belief. Churchill stands as starkly in contrast to these appeasers as he does to the criminal Hitler. Churchill's wilderness years contain important lessons for today's policy-makers. Appeasement of evil is not only wrong but foolish. It never preserves peace but only guarantee's war. Manchester is a great writer. His prose is lively and his storytelling ability is excellent. All lovers of history will adore this book. I highly recommend it. What a pity that there will never be a third volume chronicling the war and post war years of Churchill's 90 year life.

As far as pain mgt books go, usually they are overally verbose and ridden with medical jargon that makes it difficult to understand the reason you are reading the book in the first place...why does this hurt and how can I make it stop hurting? Back Pain for Dummies was so practical and to the point that just reading it made my back pain lessen. I highly rec this book to anyone who experiences back pain, especially if they are fed up with the pain associated with some doctor try to over-explain something that could be done in 10 words or less. Back Pain for dummies definately implements the K.I.S.S. method for understanding back pain. Keep it simple and make the #@*! pain go away.

Having had back problems for almost 15 years, I have read just about every book available. Back Pain for Dummies is by far the best. It delivers very practical and easy-to-understand advice and practices that helped me more than a dozen chiropractors ever did. This book should be in the waiting room for every back specialist in the country. If I ever get to meet this Dr. Sinel, I'm going to give him the biggest bear hug ever (keeping my back straight, lifting with my legs...)

Sinel and Deardorff take a refreshingly humorous approach to dealing with one of the most pervasive medical problems in our country. This book is easy to read and provides a very comprehensive approach to dealing with back pain. I would consider it one of the best resources available in the field.

William Ury is a not only an experienced high-level negotiator but an acute student of his art who can distill his wisdom into concise, memorable lessons. This book is indispensable for anyone who wants to do well in negotiations, formal or informal, without humiliating or destroying the other side. For Ury and his disciples, Win-Win is not a feel-good aspiration but a profitable practice. As a negotiation style which builds relationships while getting things done, Win-Win is a cornerstone of the "Sustainable Workstyles" we teach at MayoGenuine.

A key insight of his method is the possibility of being "soft on the people, hard on the problem." Negotiation is often associated with macho words like "bruising," "hard nosed," and "marathon" that it is easy to forget negotiation is not war pursued by other means. We negotiate as an alternative to battle, not as another version of it. Everyone wants an acceptable outcome and! would prefer to get to it without being harmed. Ury techniques for separating the issues from the personalities help produce resolutions without unnecessary upsets and leave all involved willing to negotiate another day.

Many books and articles use familiar examples from the news to illustrate their points. The difference with Getting Past No is that when Ury talks about the Cuban missile crisis is is with the authority of one who was in the room with JFK. He has also participated in labor negotiations, mergers and conversations with his children. His research and personal authority inform every suggestion.

If you are ready to reduce the time you spend capitulating and combating, if you are ready to start taking responsibility for crafting Win-Win agreements, then reading and applying this short book is your best start.

I thing "Getting to Yes" is the best book on negotiation in the market. It sets the outline. "Getting Past No" shows how to win difficult partner over the way you think. As in "Getting to Yes", Ury uses successfully a 5 step method for his method called "breakthrough negotiation".

1) Don't react 2) Disarm them 3) change the game 4) Make it easy to say YES 5) Make it hard to say NO

5 excellent steps in winning over a reluctant negotiation partner. Simple and clear steps that can have a great impact.

Getting Past No stands on its own. You don't need to have read Getting to Yes to understand and appreciate this one. Only do I love to go back to the basics of negotiation over and over, and their is for me no supplement to Getting to Yes.

This a must read for anyone that interacts with people. William Ury has written a very practical, easily read, guide and process that anyone can use right from the start. Not just a 'business guide', his five step process is easily applied to everyday situations and with practice is a foundation for much larger negotiations. The principles are well defined via a five step process that is demonstrated through examples that are fresh, relevant, understood by common association. Much effort has been made to make this text even more memorable than 'Getting to Yes.' Gearing concepts through example gives the reader a sense of self mastery without having to memorize lists. The framework builds upon itself with frequent review of previously introduced terms. From business to interpersonal communication, this book has something for everyone. This is also an 'easy read' at under 200 pages, the chapters are subtitled by concept and reference is easy. Read it, use it, and enjoy a more satisfying approach to negotiation strategy. Even alone, each of the five steps provide a valuable resource to summon upon when communications/negotiations are not moving smoothly. The principles will be right at your fingertips!! As my profession requires teamwork, I am delighted that a fresh, practical approach to interaction makes so much sense. I definitely have a new tool in my doctor's bag!!

I discovered the Gregg reference manual when I was in High School, and used it often. I am now a college student and use "Gregg" on a regular basis to aid me in correctly writing my papers. This handbook has the answer to every question concerning grammar, punctuation, composition, etc. I reccomend this book to any H.S. or college student, author, or someone just wanting to do things the correct way - every house needs one. Don't let you bookshelf be without one!

I've used this book for years, and I think it's terrific. Why? Four reasons: First, the information about grammar and usage is so mainstream, so consistent with the majority of other important references (The Chicago Manual of Style, for one). Second, it is accurate and reliable. Third, the outstanding index makes it wonderfully easy to use; you can look something up, in everyday terms, and readily find a reference. Fourth, the rules are short and the examples clear; once you've found the rule you need, you can read it, grasp it, and 30 seconds later be on your way.

As a full-time trainer of writers and editors, I have used this book with everyone from grammar-challenged support staff to highly educated professional editors. With some classes, I've also used the optional worksheets (sold separately). I can't recommend Gregg highly enough.

If I could give this book ten stars, I would. It is absolutely the best, most usable reference book of its kind. My jobs have all required superior composition abilities and, starting with its seventh edition, this book has been my required companion for almost ten years. It has always provided the answer I sought (often with extensive coverage), no matter the subject, no matter how obscure it seemed. Not only does this book have everything, but the index is the most comprehensive I have seen in any book, which significantly increases its usability. GRM is a must-have for anyone who writes, edits or proofreads, whether term papers, business letters, manuscripts, or any other writing. It has rules and examples of grammar, usage, capitalization (an astronomical list of rules), the gamut of punctuation, sentence structure, formats for a wide range of documents, forms of address and salutation, proper titles for individuals, government and other officials--the list goes on and on. I would almost venture to say if the rule isn't in this book it doesn't exist, and if it does it isn't significant! Make this book yours; if writing correctly is important to you, it will be one of your most worthwhile purchases.

On the Banks of Plum Creek is a really good book. Laura is seven like me. Her big sister Mary is eight. The little sister Carrie is two. They moved to the banks of Plum Creek and built a house. There was a town three miles away so they got to go to school. They had lots of fun in the water. You should read this book.

Laura was a nine year old girl who had dark brown hair and eyes. She lived in the prairie of Minnesota with Ma, Pa, Mary, Carrie and her pet bulldog,Jack. Laura's family worked very hard in their everyday life. Pa would tend the garden,Ma would do the house work,and Mary and Laura would help after they came from school. Sometimes storms struck the prairie and it was devastating. The author,Laura Ingalls Wilder, wanted to let people know about pioneer times. On the Banks of Plum Creek is a very well written book,it made me feel as if I was part of the story.

Laura and her family have moved to a small farm near Walnut Grove in Minnesota. They will have to adapt to Minnesota, the sod house, and a lot more. Laura Ingalls is a seven year old girl who loves to explore the creek, and is daddies little angel. Laura lives with her Ma, Pa , her two sisters Marry and Carrie, and their loyal companion and bulldog Jack. Pa goes out to get lumber and builds a beautiful new house with windows and he farms wheat to earn money. One day Pa said that in a couple weeks the wheat would soon be ready to pick. Then they see this peculiar sparkling cloud that filled the sky. Shortly after countless numbers of grasshoppers cover the field, the creek, and the rest of the farm, including Laura and her family. The grasshoppers consumed every plant including the wheat that Pa worked so hard to grow.
Mary and Laura start to go to school and on their first day they met many friends and some foes. one of their rivals was named Nellie who had a party and invited all the girls from school. Nellie was very rude and very cruel to Mary and Laura. Laura decided to have a party as well, and invited all the girls from school. Laura invites Nellie particulary to get back at her, and boy did she do a clever and a funny prank on Nellie. Then the Ingalls experienced blizzards, storms, and prairie fires which were very devastating. After all the work the family put into the farm and the wheat, their work finally payed off.
This book had lots of surprising, unpredictable, and very exciting events. If I could rate this book on a scale of one through ten, I would give this book a ten. Once I started to read this book I couldn't put it down, because I was so hooked on it. This book is fantastic and is great for every age, and great for every age, and should be enjoyed by everyone. If your looking for a great book that will excite, delight, suprise, and grasp your attention, On the Banks of Plum Creek is just the book your looking for.

This is quite simply the best investment book I have read in a very long time. I don't completely agree with every last word the author utters but that pales beside all that the book does right. The emphasis is in all the right places: mutual fund investment costs, mutual fund investment risk, investment risk period, asset allocation, index funds vs actively managed funds, the efficient frontier, allocation strategy implementation. Best of all the book makes sense. It is logical, well thought out and mature. This is a great book for novices and experienced investors who have gotten lost and is a breath of fresh air in a world of day traders. This book is NOT shallow. It gives me great pleasure to give this book five stars. Read it and use it. You won't be sorry.

Dr. Bernstein's excellent presentation in this text of Modern Portfolio Theory (in particular, mean-variance analysis) and his three-step approach to asset allocation should not be overlooked by the serious investor or by investment advisors. While some background in statistics would be helpful to the reader, don't run away if you are not a mathmetician. Read the chapters slowly, one at a time, and you'll gain valuable insights into the all-important asset allocation decision. No other text I've read to date better explains Modern Portfolio Theory and the underlying theories of asset allocation to the lay investor.

Dr. B effectively presents additional arguments for value investing and tax-efficient investing. The last chapter also contains a very useful reading list, providing a synopsis of books by Malkeil, Bogle, Haugen, and a host of web sites which can provide valuable data and reading. Investors should not overlook Dr. Bernstein's own web site, which is frequently updated with his newsletters.

The very beginning investor should perhaps first explore Bogle's Common Sense on Mutual Funds, and then explore texts by Burton Malkeil, Larry Swedroe, and perhaps a few others. This text can then be dived into (patiently). Bruce Temkin's recent text, The Terrible Truth About Investing, should then follow, lest the individual investor believe that he or she knows it all.

I highly recommend this text as an addition to every serious individual investor's library, and to investment advisors desiring to explore the fundamentals of Modern Portfolio Theory.

ONE CLICK THIS BOOK NOW

Few investment books rarely deserve our time and attention but this is a "must read" for novice and experienced investors alike.

If you've read anything by Bogle, Malkiel, Swedroe or Graham, then you'll appreciate Berstein's book. And given the current market situation and volatility, your nerves will be calmed by what Berstein has to offer.

The arguments are cogent and the text is well-written which makes this book easy to read again and again. And best of all, you can act on his recommendations for how to get started on constructing and re-balancing a diversified portfolio.

What's the big message to grok then from reading this book? (Let me whisper this to you very quietly so as not to disturb the brokerage and fund managers). Stock picking and active fund management are not as effective (consistently) as simply buying and holding a diverse set of asset classes. Most of which can be assembled and maintained using low-cost index funds. (Bernstein also points out the importance of low transaction costs and fees on performance/returns).

You may have heard this before but Berstein has done the hard part and now explains in detail why this is the case if not the law of intelligent investing. Is this case, what you don't know about investment risk will hurt you.

But the bigger message is that market risk is real. Asset values go up and down. However, by applying intelligent asset allocation, your individual portfolio risk can be managed (even minimized) while at the same time achieving reasonable rates of investment return. In other words, owning and investing in a diversified set of assets is the single most important investment policy decision you will make. Period.

Imagine that. Stock picking and hot hand mutual funds don't work as effectively as a diversified portfolio of index funds in the long run. And this is key because intelligent investing is all about time. Buying and holding a diversified portfolio for long periods of time. And most importantly, maintaining a disciplined approach to asset allocation and re-balancing on an annual basis.

Who should read this book? For starters, anyone who has won the big prize on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Read this book before you call a broker.

Secondly, any individual managing their own investments and/or 401K investments.

Finally, to all reformed stock pickers and chartists: do you want to sleep better at night? Read this book as well as Swedroe's book. As much as we would like to have our own black box trading systems to out perform/hedge the market, it probably isn't going to happen on this planet. Just ask the folks at Long Term Capital Management or George Soros or Julian Robertson.

If you're still not convinced of Bill Bernstein's wisdom, then go to his [site] and read his quarterly journals. His understanding and grasp of the subject are inspiring even to first time investors like myself. And he's a good writer too!

I thought I knew my American history reasonably well until Henry Mayer taught me how much I had missed. Garrison certainly was far more than the hot-headed crusader on the nut fringe I read about in one text after another. But this book also is more than a correction of an historial footnote; Mayer breathes life into the moral arguments about slavery before the Civil War and weaves America's history from the signing of the Constitution to the passage of the 14th Amendment into a colorful, lively tapestry. This is biography raised to its finest form.

Henry Mayer has written a definitive account of the life of William Lloyd Garrison, the great abolitionist. While I have a Master's Degree in American History, and have read extensively about 19th century America, I had not until now read anything of this power and scope about this great central figure. In many ways, the Garrison portrayed here is the epitome of an American ideal: fierce and unswerving in the constancy of his views about great and weighty matters, willing to not only stand up for his convictions, but to live them every day of his life. Mayer does a particularly good job in delinieating the early days of Garrision's life and the surprising--at least to me--roots of both his background and his passion. While we can learn a great deal not only about the conduct of an intellectual life from Garrison, we can also learn a great deal about the conduct of family life as well. Gentle, kind, loving and doting, Garrison at home stood in marked contrast to his public personna of "Garrison the Madman," as he sometimes introduced himself. We also find a cast of peripheral characters in this biography (William Herndon, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Beecher Stowe, etc.) which enliven it and give it the necessary depth required for a weighty and detailed biography. Taken in all, this is a terrific biography, and one of the best books I have read in some time.

I cannot recommend it highly enough. A rich read about a great American hero for all times. Mayer obviously loves and admires Garrison, but this did not keep him from portraying this hero with his blemishes as well as strengths. The most startling thing about this great read is just how important Garrison was to America's most tumultuous time --- the abolitionist of all abolitionists, a leader who appreciated how deep religious beliefs and moral politics go together, who believed in the power of the written and spoken word, who helped perhaps as much as anyone in our history to move our nation and free it of slavery. Truly a companion biography to go with the best biographies of Lincoln --- no understanding of the Civil War can be complete without knowing about Garrison, and this is definitely the way to know about Garrison. To say it simply: no one can claim to be a Civil War buff without knowing about Garrison, and no one can know about Garrison any better way than by reading this book. Highest kudoes to Mayer!