Books to read if you're planning a vacation in "Sheffield", sorted by average review score:
You Know They Say
Published in Paperback by Lighthouse Press (15 October, 2002)
Average review score: 
A must read and share!
I loved this book!This book is great whether you are reading it alone or enjoying it with friends or relatives! The expressions in the book triggered many forgotten memories of sayings my mother, grandmothers, aunts and others echoed throughout my life. The book lead to hours of laughter and discussion between me and my sisters as we read each "you know they say" and related to it. I have purchased several additional copies to give to my friends because it's a lighthearted, easy read and I know this book will bring a smile to their face!
"Ol' Folk Wisdom"I think that this little book holds a lot of knowledge about our culture and "how things use to be." I feel that the book is a small bridge from our past to our present. Very interesting book! I really enjoyed it!
Before You Were Born
Published in Hardcover by Random House (August, 1987)
Average review score:
A way for attachment parents to prepare baby's siblings!This book has wonderful illustrations of a mother nursing (along with cats), babies inside the womb, cosleeping kids, and even shows casually the difference between boys and girls *grins*! The illustrations are so magical and beautiful. At the end, it appears that the mother even has had a home birth. It's a great book for natural parents!
happy birthday.....Some very strict parents might not choose this book for their children. I carefully avoided the V word on page 29. My children are too young to know everthing about giving birth just yet. This is a wonderfuly illustrated book that makes me wonder how anyone denies God and Right to Life ! This is a beautiful book. I loved being pregnant and this helps the whole family to understand how Mommy feels and loves the new baby even before he/ she is born.
Lugosi: His Life in Films, on Stage, and in the Hearts of Horror Lovers
Published in Hardcover by McFarland & Company (February, 1997)
Average review score:
King of Horror MasterpieceIn August, 1956, faded horror film star Bela Lugosi died forgotten and penniless in Los Angeles. Five marriages, two bankruptcies, and a slow descent into chemical abuse and career collapse had taken their toll. Considered the ultimate "Dracula" star and actor today, Lugosi had watched his film success peak in the early 1930's. Boris Karloff quickly passed him by as the new King of Hollywood Horror. And poor Bela never recovered from the loss of prestige. Settling for a paltry $3500. to star in "Dracula" for Universal in 1931, Lugosi fumbled through a long line of poor business managers and faulty screen appearances right up until his untimely death. Just one year after his demise, Universal Studios re-packaged their old classic 1930's horror flicks for TV as "Shock Theater". Instantly, teens around the world reveled in the calculated mannerisms of the Hungarian Count. A big new star was born...just after his final curtain. "Lugosi: His Life in Films" reveals every detail. Published in 1996, you won't find this excellent compendium in any store. But you can order it through Amazon. Lovingly written by cinephile Gary Don Rhodes, the book lists every film, event, and appearance of the cinema icon. Bela Lugosi was scheduled to play Dracula in 1944's "House of Frankenstein". He never did. A marvelous photo of him as Jesus Christ(one of many great pics) reveals his true versatility. These rare pictures and historical investigations are all here for the true Lugosi fan. It's astounding that such a comprehensive work is available. Should we be surprised? Maybe not. After all..."There are many things under the sun..."
A "Silents Majority" review of "Lugosi"Reference books generally have a reputation of being full of facts, yet dry in prose. While a bio-bibliography may not be traditionally called "entertainment," this ambitious effort successfully breaches the limitations of such reference books. It is a thought-provoking history of the great Béla Lugosi (1882 - 1956). His career was as varied and tragic, both publicly and privately, as John Barrymore's. His legend remains secure, thanks to "Dracula" (Universal, 1931). The life surrounding the legend has been colorfully illuminated thanks to Gary Don Rhodes. His phenomenal research charts Lugosi's long voyage of fame and infamy, revealing details never before printed. His documentation is truly an achievement and a labor of blood, sweat and love.
Lugosi was a lover of style, sports, good living and women. Rhodes provides exhaustive examples of his exploits, both publicized and private. The wealth of photos alone display Lugosi out of his cape as a sociable creature, playful, enthusiastic, an avid reader and a cigar aficionado. A ladies' man, he was married five times. All five marriages are covered in detail - after all, there is curiosity about the love life of a vampire! There is documentation of his stage, screen and even court appearances; critical analysis of his career; and quotes and articles about or by Lugosi. The light side and the dark side are equally exposed. He was a man of strengths and weaknesses - perhaps the most notable and depressing of the latter was his long-term drug addiction. All of these elements are integrated to present a fascinating portrait of a complex artist. Those who are obsessed by the great Hungarian actor will find a sumptuous feast to satisfy their hunger. Even the mildly intrigued will be drawn into this unique individual's world. Lugosi never lost his dignity nor his offbeat sense of humor. His proud Magyar heart kept his spirit intact despite efforts to break it. Rhodes' book unflinchingly sees all and tells all - with intelligence, compassion and devotion.
- Copyright, 1997, Diane MacIntyre, "The Silents Majority" (http://www.mdle.com/ClassicFilms/)
The Nimrod Hunt
Published in Paperback by Baen Books (August, 1986)
Average review score:
An awesome book deserving to be reprintedI found this book at a out of print book sale. i put off reading it but found it one day. It totally shocked me. I was expecting some dainty "sci-fi" novel that avoided all contreversy and toes, but what i found was a gut wrenching novel where the seemingly "bad guy" was NOT always bad. The characters had depth and the plot was very intertaining.
ExcellentHard to find, but well worth it
Sight of Proteus
Published in Paperback by Ballantine Books (June, 1989)
Average review score:
Among Sheffield's best workAt his best, Sheffield fits in the category with Larry Niven in that Sheffield is able to deliver a fully developed world driven by several far-sighted predictions of where technology and need will drive mankind. Sheffield seems to produce his very best material when he writes solo and (frankly) when he writing 20 years ago.
"Sight of Proteus" fits both those parameters, and in my opinion is among the two or three best that Sheffield ever produced. The story is based in a world where changes to the human form can be ordered from a public catalog - and of course the darker underworld where prohibited changes can be obtained.
In an over-populated world where underground scientists are willing to push the envelope of human form and evolution, this novel broke new ground pushing the "what if?" question related to human potential. I have the paperback in its 1978 edition and it has a permanent place in my SF collection.
Just proves again what a genius he is.Its the first book in a series of three. Some real good advanced biothechnology,intristing lead charecter,good plot. He really took his time and thoght about all kinds of human forms. Get the trilogy,if you know whats good hard science fiction is.
The Teacher's Right Hand
Published in Hardcover by 1stBooks Library (October, 2001)
Average review score:
Awesome Teacher ResourceThe Teacher's Right Hand is an educator's dream. It really does have practical, ready to use activities. I refer to this resource several times a week, and my students thoroughly enjoy the teacher-created games. If you are a middle school educator, this book is a must have!
Excellent Resource For Teachers and ParentsI found this book to be an excellent resource for teachers and parents. This book has numerous activities that can be used either in the classroom or by parents at home. I found each of the activities to be very detailed, outlining the objectives, and needed materials. The book contains numerous reproducible transparencies and worksheets.
This book has helped me to organize my daily instruction and has saved me hours in planning time!!! I also use it at home with my own children. This is an exellent resource and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!
Bo and the Missing Dogs
Published in Paperback by Argyle Books (January, 2002)
Average review score:
Great BookI read this book while I was staying in Oklahoma. This is a very funny book. Bo will run off and come back with dogs, and they will be returned to their owner after being taken to the vet to be scanned. I loved this book and thought it was funny. At the back of the book, it has some of the cookie recipies that Mrs. Barnett made for P.J. It's a great book and everyone should enjoy this book if they love dogs.
Depression Fallout : The Impact of Depression on Couples and What You Can Do to Preserve the Bond
Published in Paperback by Quill (01 April, 2003)
Average review score:
Wise, practical, and real!This is a wonderful book. I've recommended it to many people who are trying to love and live with someone with depression--a truly difficult task. Sheffield is a terrific writer, her style is easy and engaging, and she has a wealth of practical advice to offer. Her stories of people who've talked to her about this problem are sure to strike a chord in the reader. She is addressing a very serious problem, because people with depression will often do everything they can to alienate those who love them, thus adding more guilt and more trouble to their already out-of-control lives.
Anne Sheffield has done it again!!It seems that society forgets that depression not only has a major impact on the depressed person, but it also affects their family, significant others, and friends. This book, as well as Anne's other book, "How You Can Survive When They're Depressed: Living and Coping With Depression Fallout," are extremely helpful to those who love someone who is depressed. Many times we blame ourselves for our loved-ones' behaviors when, instead, many of the things they say and do are a result of their depression. "Depression Fallout..." helps the reader to better understand depression and how to deal with his or her own behaviors in response to the depressed loved-one. As the reader reads the stories shared by men and women who have loved a depressed person, the reader will see that he/she is not alone in what they are experiencing.
The Key to Understanding Your Loved One's DepressionThis book was exactly what I needed to help me understand my husband's depression. My world was turned upside down when he suddenly began to act like a different person. After his hospitalization, I was left wondering what happened. Upon looking up depression on tons of websites and in loads of books, I was convinced he had been misdiagnosed. The "sad, empty, lonely" description didn't explain the hostile, angry, and seemingly emotionless person I was now living with. All of that was explained in Depression Fallout. The "Unofficial Symptoms" in the book described my husband's behavior to a T. I felt like I was reading about us. My husband also agreed that this book contained the most accurate description of the way he felt, but could not easily put into words. The real life accounts of people who have lived with and are still living with this are great. It creates a true picture of depression from the point of view of both the depressed person as well as their spouse.
Brother to Dragons
Published in Paperback by Baen Books (November, 1992)
Average review score: 
Where is science taking us?In a post successful USA the reader finds him or herself caught up in the life of an unlucky individual. A hero who rises from the bottom to achieve a goal. Yet this is unknown till only the end when the final and most drastic decision is made.
An excellent read!Brother To Dragons is the story of a man born in the midst of a terrible time, in a deep city charity ward with extreme birth defects. Early in life he is, without knowing it, exposed to the illegal drug trade, because of which he ends up in a supposedly unescapable juvenile delinquint house with purposely lethal conditions, but somehow manages to escape. He then spends about ten years as a multi-lingual street vendor, until the government pulls him out by way of blackmail (his recent first love was, without the protagonist's knowing it, a member of an important political family). The government then uses him to find out what's going on in the country's biggest complete security prison/Toxic And Nuclear Disposal Installation facility. He comes back not only with what he was sent for, but also with a way to save the world, which he himself puts into action shortly before dying. Although I have read lots of science fiction, this book is the first book of its kind I have read (3 times!), and I look forward to reading more of Sheffield's work.
One of the best books I have ever readWhen I read this, I was unsuspecting of what this story really was. Originally I just pointed out a book and bought it. Fortunatly my choice out of blind luck turned me on this dark look at the future focusing on an unfortunate good soul growing up in the worst conditions who would change the world forever. The cover is misleading, but I didn't feel at all jipped at being mislead. Infact, I greatly appreciated stumbling upon this jewel of a story.
Sorrow's Web : Overcoming the Legacy of Maternal Depression
Published in Hardcover by Free Press (October, 2000)
Average review score:
Enormously helpfulSheffield's biggest contribution may offering an answer to those who have struggled with chronic depression: "Why have I always felt so strange? Where did this all come from?" In other words, the fallout from living with a mother who is depressed -- even someone who has never been identified as "depressed" -- can have lifelong consequences. The book will probably convince those who have been reluctant to get treatment to do so. Much of the rest is a standard round-up of recent literature and the usual advice on what to do when you are depressed --take medication, find a therapist - maybe. Despite its failings and its occasionally cutesy writing, it's probably the book about depression that has been the most personally helpful. I'd give this five stars for the idea and three for the execution.
This is the Book I Needed to Read Decades AgoSorrow's Web -- the book I've needed to read for decades. Ms. Sheffield deals with the subject of growing up with a depressive mother in such an insightful, intelligent, and honest way! I found recognition, understanding and comfort from her combination of the personal and the more "scientific" information. I urge mothers, daughters, sons -- and, yes -- fathers, to read this book. It has the potential profoundly affect your life and the life of those you love most.
Read this book!This is an extraordinary book -- sensitive, revealing and READABLE. I only wish I had it thirty years ago!
It's great to have something enlightening to read at this time in our lives. I encourage the author to take a bow for a great work.