This is a valuabale study tool. It includes outlines of every book, a synopsis of every chapter along with notes to references that need clarification. There are also lots of illustrations, maps and other helps for anyone on any level who is reading God's word. It is easy to understand, but goes deep enough for the serious student.

The Bible Reader's Companion is a very nice concise overview of the Bible with numerous black & white drawings. The comments are interesting and the conclusions are generally conservative and traditional. If you like this book you may also enjoy THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE BOOK OF PROVERBS by Cody Jones. Numerous biblical characters are pointed out who illustrate King Solomon's witty observations on human nature.

I haven't read it all yet, but everything I have read I understand fully. You also find some pretty interesting stuff.

"A Call To Pursue came into my life at the right time. Paul's journey teaches us to listen, have faith and go forth and do the work that God is calling you to do. Paul's story is remarkable. The book will inspire you to build a stronger relationship with God. I know that I have done this, since reading this book."

Pauls book has taught me to be patient. In addition, it has taught me to wait upon God for his timing is the best - if only we can learn how to wait on him. Thanks to God, Paul has now reaped what he sowed.

I am not a big book reader by any means...as a matter of fact I don't think I have ever read a book front to back!! I was handed this book and was just wondering what it was about. The first chapter..then the next..then the next...well before I knew it I was done with the book..I couldn't put it down!! I found that there was so much that I could relate to in every day life and it just encouraged me to keep going.
A truly honest and personal book!

Political debate of sensitive issues is too freqently polarized by passion, and too infreqently built upon the foundations of rigorous research, rational analysis and orderly presentation. Miller's book is therefore an invaluable tool for the proponents of legalization. It offers unassailable validity to arguments that are easily dismissed when couched in the shrill voice of uninformed activism. Miller's book is a masterpiece. The single flaw is that the notes are re-numbered for each chapter and the sources cited require two steps to find. But were the connections less exciting, this would go un-noticed.

Fantastically written and masterfully researched, this book contains more hard data than any other resource I've seen. My own misguided impressions of America's drug problem have been set straight thanks to this resource. I would never fathom such scenarios and circumstances as those depicted in this book, accounts deftly brought into light with unparalleled skill and remarkable insight. Common sense runs fully through each point the author makes, and vivid analogies provide the reader a capability to understand the complex ideas within... without requiring a degree in sociology, psycology, pharmecology, or the like. All in all, this book demands the highest respect and forces the reader to explore new ideas with an open mind - something the nation's drug education force has failed to do in the last few decades.

Miller goes into meticulous detail, illustrating the harm caused by drugs and drug users, compared to the harm caused by the War on Drugs. He often makes statements that seem to wildly contrast with what most people think is true about drugs, and but for the painstaking use of footnotes after each of these statements which refers to a study, or a well-regarded book on the topic, this book would not nearly be so convincing.

This book is a must read for politicians and anyone who feels strongly about drugs and drug prohibition.

I thought this was a wonderful book. I enjoyed Thayers use of poetry to exrpress the emotion in the story. The language used in the text is of very high quality and when read by an adult to a child, the child is able to thourghly understand. The illustrations play an important role with the text. They not only enrich the text, but they tell a story in itself. We can feel the emotion of the players and the crowd through Polacco's work. Overall I thought this was a wonderful book and reccomend it to a child of any age.

Thayer's classic ballad, 'Casey at the Bat,' is greatly enhanced by Patricia Polacco's brilliantly achieved, big-hearted illustrations. Ms. Polacco captures emotion, action, and character through wittily exaggerated, slightly loopy pictures, and through lots of uncrowded background shenanigans. It's very cinematic: She effectively isolates action through extreme close-ups, and extends time through a montage of events occurring within a single picture. Like the auteur she is, she even adds some opening and closing story elements (while leaving the poem intact) that augment the poem's appeal to the younger reader.

This book is simply great fun to read aloud; you'll find yourself wanting to memorize its evocative imagery and epic aspirations:

"Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt; Five thousand tongue applauded when he wiped them on his shirt. Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip, Defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip."

You and your youngsters will love the humor and the drama in this a classic rendition of Thayer's beloved poem. Infants and toddlers will enjoy the bright pictures, and all readers will appreciate the perfect teaming of Thayer and Polacco.

Casey at the Bat tells about mighty Casey and his missing 2 strikes - like messing up in life.

like most micro business owners my cash flow planning consisted of reading my bank statement at the end of the month. mr. lawrence's book forgoes the theory and provides the nuts and bolts ability to guide the average business owner who may not be a spreadsheet expert. i can now plan my business strategy with new-found accuracy and all for the very small investment this book requires.

Too many businesses overlook the importance of cash flow planning, whether they be small or large enterprises; I've experienced first-hand both suffering as a result. Mr. Lawrence's book provides something few business books too - a concrete set of tools for those without the expertise or experience, or those looking for a more structured approach to many aspects of cash flow planning critical to business success. It's a book I wish I had read ten years ago, before embarking on my first of many business ventures...

This book quickly proved to be a major asset in my business library. I always keep it within easy reach everyday. It is a great tool & recommend it.

I've been a hobby Chinese cook for about 10 years, since I found this book for $1 on a table along NYC's Broadway on the Upper West Side. Its perfectly adapted recipes for the American kitchen are true to the original intent, and you will be able to create great meals at home with little trouble to replace that cold take-out.

Lest it sound that it's not for the serious chef, the instructions provide lots of interesting details about the true Chinese recipes and ingredients. If you live in a city or town that gives you access to the true ingredients (as I do), then you can also play authentic Chinese cook for your family or friends.

All-in-all, one of the most used cookbooks in our house, where we have well over 100, and my wife is a professional chef!

I was looking for a really good Char Shue (Chinese Bar-B-Q Pork) recipe since having this delicous treat at Chef Chew's restaurant in CA. For years, nothing came close to what I had that day. Then I found this book by Chef Chew and I wouldn't part with it for anything! It's well written and it's got some of the best authentic chinese cuisine in it *YUM!*

You won't be disappointed!

There were so many Chinese cookbooks available so I had to try something different to pick one. So I looked inside the cover and picked out the best looking Chef I could find.

That may sound wierd, but the quality of food I cooked was amazing. Chef Chu takes traditional Chinese cooking to the next level with his unique touches that can't be found in any other cookbook out there. Chef Chu not only covers how to cook great Chinese, but how to make the dishes look like artwork.

If you are serious about cooking Chinese food, this is THE book to get.

Generally, I'm fairly hard to please. That being said, I love
this book without reservation. I've recommended it to and
foisted it on friends for years now. Many of them react much
the way I do: there isn't anyone else like Frank O'Connor.

The stories are lyrical, sharply and humorously observed, and
told with elegance in an easy but precise idiomatic diction.
O'Connor always gave his work the test of being read aloud,
and this care for the sound and cadence of his prose shows
on every page.

Finally, there is O'Connor's feeling for people. Reading the
stories, one gets the impression that he was an intelligent
but fundamentally kindly, generous man. Even when a character
in the stories does something that seems objectionable, he
never loses sight of that character's humanity.

Any selection of one's "favorite" stories will be personal.
To an interested reader, I would say, "Read them all." To
friends who ask, I add that they should start with
"Guests of the Nation" and "First Confession." These
aren't his "best" stories, but I've always liked them
both, they are typical of his best, and one must start
somewhere.

When I've given 5 stars to a book, I've often had to argue
with myself as to whether it deserved it. Not for this one.

There are very few stories that can make you just want to sit for a while after you've finished them. You're not sure if you're happy or sad: they just fill your body and you need to sit for a while because you know something special has just gone through you. Maybe they have a way of looking at the world that's just somehow more right than anything you've come across before. Chekhov's "The Bishop" is a story that does that for me, and Salinger's "For Esme, With Love and Squalor." A couple of others.

It's not that they make you happy, exactly, but they give you a sense that life is a more worthwhile thing than you might have felt before, stranger and more full. Frank O'Connor has more stories that give me that feeling than any other writer I've read in English - The Drunkard, My Oedipal Complex, The Mad Luceys, The Ugly Duckling, Don Juan's Temptation. He gave me the same feeling I got when I read Tolstoy and Chekhov for the first time: this guy is onto something: he knows the secret, and if I just read closely enough I'll figure it out too. Well, no luck yet - but each time I read one of O'Connor's stories I feel like everything around me is both more sensible and more mysterious than it used to seem, which is possibly all the answer any book is going to give.

The tradition of the Irish story teller has been reborn in this century in her marvelous short story writers. None was finer than Corkman, Frank O'Connor. All of O'Connor's classic stories are here. O'Connor truly captures Irish life in the early part of this century. The wit and humor that are legendary among Corkmen is present throughout this book. This is one of my favorite books ever. I have given it as a gift too many times to count. Every person that I gave it to came back raving about it!

I am going to visit Santa Fe for a few days and to do a job interview there. I wanted a book that would give me all the information I needed about Santa Fe and the surroundings so that I could come up with a list of places I wanted to visit, restaurants I wanted to eat at, and so on. I definitely recommend this book for those who want to be able to have a clear picture of where they want to go once they reach Santa Fe!

I love Santa Fe and have been there numerous times. I'm always looking for new aspects of the city to see. I like this guide book because it is not mearly a list of places to stay and eat. I agree with the places recommended as some of the highlights of the city. I look forward to my next trip to enjoy some of the new things I've read to do in Santa Fe and the surrounding areas.

We just got back from Santa Fe. This book was wonderful! It has history, what to see (museums, ruins, architecture), where to eat (an interesting list -- we didn't particularly use it because we had personal referrals). It had great tips -- like buy the 5-museum pass for slightly more than a one-museum, one-day pass. I was very pleased I'd read it BEFORE I went and it was very useful while we were there.

Reginald Wyatt's story telling is wonderful. I found myself so engrossed with the Lafayette family. I felt like I knew them personally. If you want to go on a rollercoaster adventure of emotion and passion this book is for you. Very strong characters! I really loved the description of the deep south where the family is from. The ending sent chills down my back! A must read. Looking forward to the next story.

What a fantastic and fascinating journey. This novel is one that you can't put down. And, if you think you can skip a paragraph or two, you are mistaken. It takes you from one adventure to another in the blink of an eye. An enticing, exciting and stimulating experience. With profound, descriptive words of life and the human condition, where twists and turns abound and are masterfully created by first time author, Reginald Wyatt. I can only hope for more from this outstanding writer. Thank you for the breath-taking ride!!
Do I recommend it?? Absolutely!!

"Bitter Roots".....I found myself there! The strong characters portrayed in the book, left me emotionally drained as the author skillfully left me wanting for more as he teased my imagination and invited me to secretly relive my own untold story and to wonder what secrets and broken branches of my family tree that may lay hidden under the leaves of time. Recommended reading for anyone who may have ever concealed a Secret.

I confess to a penchant for accounts of pioneer history and this amazing biography offers far more than the oft-published times, dates and places.

Bold Spirit-Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America, is simply riveting. Helga's true story, brimming with struggle, loss, hope, peril and audacious moxie, portrays a complex woman pushing prevalent cultural boundaries, while holding loyally to her values surrounding family ties and religious conviction.

Born in Scandinavia, Helga emigrated to Minnesota as a child. Following her marriage at 16, she, Ole and their growing family eventually homestead south of Spokane, Washington. Within a short time, the depression of 1893 finds them desperate for work and for funds with which to pay their mortgage.

When an anonymous donor offers $10,000 to any woman who will walk across America under stringent constraints, Helga and her 18 year-old daughter Clara accept the dangerous challenge and strike out together for New York City. Defying the era's "suitable" behavior standards for women, and confronting myriad hazardous obstacles, Helga and Clara display a determination to save their home that results in a confusing combination of respect and condemnation from those who follow their journey. Their arrival in New York heralds both an ironic ending and another beginning to this fascinating story.

Utilizing accounts garnered from extensive research and personal interviews, Linda Hunt recounts this absorbing saga with the objective of preserving the truth of Helga's gifts, tragedies and legacy. The story, stilled for many years by members of Helga's family, might have been lost altogether. We are indebted to Professor Hunt for her gift of presenting this glimpse of a truly surprising Victorian woman. Historically intriguing, poignant, engrossing and beautifully illustrated with vintage photographs, Bold Spirit is absolutley recommended for individuals and Book Groups alike.

Linda Hunt weaves a fascinating story from the old newspaper accounts of the extreme challenges and dangers faced by Helga and Clara Estby as they walked across America in a bid to win the money that could save their family farm. Once I started reading, I could hardly put the book down. (I'm an opera singer, and I read this book during my waits between entrances in a run of performances for Mozart's Don Giovanni.)

As I read this book, I expected to learn more about the role and place for women in late nineteenth century American culture, and I expected to learn about the silencing of stories that happens within families. However, I was surprised to find the story so relevant to my own history. I gained a new insight for myself from Ms. Hunt's description of "breaking the central code of a culture"; that a story simply cannot be heard when the actions of the characters in the story go beyond or "break" what is accepted in the prevailing culture.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in a glimpse of what life was like for independent thinking women at the turn of the last century, and I also recommend it for anyone who cherishes family stories.

I read very little non-fiction, but have really enjoyed two non-fiction books this summer, this book (BOLD SPIRIT) and SEABISCUIT by Laura Hillenbrand. They are similar stories about overcoming the odds and doing what no one thought possible. I hope BOLD SPIRIT gets the attention it deserves.