As a Christian who struggled with legalistic Christianity, the Lord used this book to open my eyes up to His saving G R A C E. I realized through this book that I can't do anything on my own and that even Christians try to live the Christian life without Christ. The Lord used this book to help me see that I don't need to live the Christian life by rules, laws, and regulations. Just by His grace. And when I come under His grace, everything else follows.

I don't think there is a woman alive who would not be touched by this book. Rose Marie's struggles resonate with most women. We have given this book to many of our friends and they all have been encouraged.

This book is absolutely amazing. God truly speaks through her writing! If you are a woman who struggles with feeling like she doesn't "measure up," hates being "out of control," read this book! There is GRACE for God's children and there is acceptance in HIM! He loves us and is with us at ALL times!

This book is one of the best books I have ever read. It makes you want to try you best at the sport. I enjoyed this book very much. I would recomend it to everyone!

Although Septima Green's book is written merely for children, as a 19 year-old gymnastics fan, I found it very enjoyable. This book was written before the Atlanta Games so it is a bit outdated. However, it was an excellent book on an excellent person. The book is very inspiring, showing in detail Shannon's years of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. I enjoyed getting to know Shannon as a person then a gymnast. I also liked the reading about Shannon's family, her relationship with her coaches, and friends

This book was excellent. It showed the real Shannon Miller. It gave perspective into her life and what she has went through to get where she is. She is truly the most magnificent gymnast ever

This book could create a more secure future for us all by empowering tomorrows adults, ( today's children ) with financial freedom.
An excellent read.

This review will be short and sweet. I my opinion the author hit the nail on the head. They simply wrote the easy true about the importance of teaching young kids how to save money today for their future goals. It show them how to save without going without today. They will notice all the things they can still have while watching their future money grow geometrically.
Most of us know how kids feel about the here and now, "I have to have it now". This book teaches them how they can have both. Great book for such a small price.

This book takes a complicated subject and explains building wealth in simple terms. It is easy to understand and practical. It does not try to impress with complex theory and information. It gives specific ideas and examples of how anyone can, using a consistent and disciplined approach, build real wealth for their children and families. The best solutions are often those that seems almost too easy - but these are often the strokes of genius that change our lives. This book and its methods and ideas are in this category. What a bargain! What a program!

It's been a long time coming but my search is finally over. I have been waiting for a book of this type to come along since I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Finding contemporary medicine unable to treat the pains I suffer, I soon began seeking "alternative" medicine. I was shocked to find so little information available and it soon became a struggle to combine work and healing on my very frequent business travels. Now with Ms. Miller's book always tucked away at my desk I am sure to find a center to fill my needs. I find her guide to be accurate, concise and interesting. Her descriptive style entices me to try new places and new treatments. I wish this book had been written five years ago, it sure would have saved me a lot of time, trouble and headaches. I seriously recommend this book as a must for travel agencies with clientele looking for "alternative" vacations. They and their clients will not be disappointed.

Thank Buddha for this most insightfull guide. Now I know where to go in order to get what I need. I feel much better just knowing that this is out there. Not only did it save me time in finding my perfect retreats it was also enjoyable to read. Ms. Miller's writting really held my interest, she is quite witty and amusing.

Everything you wanted to know about holistic healing retreats, but didn't know where to look. This book was a wealth of information and helped with many of my unanswered questions.

Dr Miller told me of his book, and as I was so impressed with him as a person and a surgeon, it was the first book I read during my recovery. Even though I was still on pain killers when I started, I couldn't put it down, staying awake longer than I should have each night.

I heartily agree with the first two reviews written before mine, and will let them stand as my views also.

To unwind from his work, Dr. Miller told me he that on Saturdays he frequently gets an intellectually stimulating book on tape, and then takes his dog for an all day hike in the Cascade Mountains (near Seattle) while he listens to the book. This gives me the thought that he really is a renaissance man.

Pain killers aside, I thought the whole theme falls together for you during the last few pages. You may wonder as you go along as to how it all falls together. He does not disappoint you at the end.

I felt it was one of the best books I have ever read.

Suspend all your usual stereotypes about insensitive or materialistic surgeons! Donald W Miller, a cardiac surgeon, is a most knowledgeable, sincere, and deep thinker who has contributed a monumental work of art to our human quest for understanding. Heart in Hand is a wonderful gift, especially in this Information Age where true meaning and personal significance are often lost to Moore's Law and the next Microsoft takeover. Miller's exhaustive reflections on the nature of life are backed by solid scientific evidence, intuition, and a passionate appreciation for philosophy (especially that of Arthur Schopenhauer), Woody Allen movies, classical music, biology, and mystical experience. Although it seems almost impossible to integrate these diverse resources into only 213 pages of text, Miller does it brilliantly, adhering to his own message in the book that simplicity is a virtue. Examples of simplicity he provides include the guileless but compassionate fool of Danny in Woody Allen's Broadway Danny Rose, and the ageless simplicity found in the immortal music of the Beatles and Theolonious Monk.

Heart in Hand helps us realize that we are all deeply interconnected. All matter in the universe is comprised of leptons and quarks, force is really the same as substance, and we are all products of the big bang. He advocates for scientific and analytical thinking, but admits to the limits of this approach and suggests a need for mysticism and intuitive understanding too. However, don't mistake Miller's openness to mysticism as an endorsement of Western religion. Probing questions about religion will raise many ecclesiastic eyebrows, and he may get tossed out of a few churches! For example, he doubts that we have souls if we evolved from bacteria, and describes the secret and cunning of priests as "pretending to possess the means to satisfy mans great metaphysical need by saying that the great riddle has reached them direct." His deep sincerity and honesty is evident, and his description of Schopenhauer's writings on morality is a good primer for many supposedly good religious folk who are actually more instrumental in separating the human race through judgemental thinking than encouraging true compassion.

This grand integration of multiple dimensions of science and art succeeds on many levels. This is a technical book with tons of useful information on biology, history, art, and even sex, and Miller shares many personal preferences for future reading and listening. This is also a very fun book that celebrates life while standing on the shoulders of many significant and creative minds. You may want to read Heart in Hand multiple times, and will surely come away with new insights and pleasure every time.

There are still many questions unanswered. What happened before the big bang? Could there still be a personal God? Is there a personal purpose for each person during this brief planetary residence? Miller by no means answers all these questions. There will always be more questions to ask. What Miller does offer are personal experiences, knowledge that is extensive and refined, and great insight. Heart in Hand will most surely enrich your life. The surgeon adequately satisfied this psychologists' desire for a great read! I'll refer to it often in my work with clients.

If one has trepidations about mortality, then Dr. Donald Miller may assuage his and her misgivings. His book, Heart In Hand, however, is not just about death and dying, it is about life and living. Indeed, Dr. Miller traces the beginning of life to the one-celled amoeba and carries it forward to man in its highest form, most notably, as defined by Arthur Schopenhauer, Richard Wagner, and Woody Allen. He also makes several references to himself, his family, his friends, and his patients.

He no doubt has spent sleepless nights in Seattle as a heart surgeon, and in the process, has much time to think about six facets of life, each one represented by a chapter in his book. While it may be unusual for one to cross the divide between Schopenhauer and Allen, one sees where the two are not far apart, except by 147 years between birth, and the book is filled with quotations of both, which are treats, and saves one from the tedium of heavy reading, especially Schopenhauer; all of this in just 213 pages of text, with additional endnotes, reading and film selections.

Dr. Miller's explanation of evolution has condensed the so-called theory into very interesting and coherent facts, and could be a primer for teachers. There are also many other facts that could be described as interesting trivia. And his explanation of sex, and indeed, compassion, touches the sensibilities. His chapters, "Searching for God," and the "Metaphysics of Music" are engrossing. But the chapter "Confronting Death" should get to core of everyone's being. Of course, death is inevitable, and when one is born, every day he and she creeps one day closer. But knowing it doesn't help. And for many, it is a perplexing and often debilitating experience. Dr. Miller enlightens us with one quotation from Schopenhauer, "Where was I before my birth?" "For it is irrefutably certain that non-existence after death cannot be different from non-existence before birth..." If one is hesitant to confront any of the volumes that have been written to assuage our fear of death, this chapter is enough. It takes us there without cringing, and with a simple but plausible explanation.

It is Schopenhauer and Woody Allen who are the main players in this book. Unless one has read the older philosopher, probably in his most important work, "The World as Will and Representation," and "Essays and Aphorisms," a compilation selected and translated by R. J.. Hollingdale, much has been missed about his views about compassion, living and dying. Likewise, unless one has analyzed the films of Woody Allen, and assumes that he is more than a comedian, then Dr. Miller shows where he is a deep thinker, and very preoccupied with death, which is made light through his comedy, but has a very serious and obvious cognizance. Dr. Miller is generous in his observations about Schopenhauer, Allen, and finally Richard Wagner, who was immensely influenced by the philosopher and his above mentioned book, and his chapter, "The Metaphysics of Music" is one that will inspire all music lovers, especially Wagnerians. The good doctor again reminds us about the soothing effects of music on our health.

So here we have a small volume packed with much to think about. It is a quick read, engrossing, and one which the reader will no doubt absorb in one sitting, and feel good about it.

This fabulous book gives you a look into the life and struggles of a young Yugoslavian couple back in the turn of the century. It shows the strong ties families had to their religion as well as the persecution those who found and accepted Christ went through. As you read this suspensful page turning book, you can't help but smile and remember that God always keeps his promises to those who truely believe and fully trust in Him.

Hidden Rainbow is a book about struggling. Its about standing up for what you believe in, because its right, even when your whole community shuns you and your family avoids you. The only choice it seems is to flee the country and leave everything behind. Why risk it all? What could make a person so sure that they would give up the only life they ever knew? Trust. If there is only one thing this book teaches, it is to trust. trust that God has everything in control and no matter what happens He will guide you, keep you and protect you if you trust. A powerful novel, its hard to put down and hard to forget.

John and Anna Olesh, a hard working Yugoslavian couple, struggle to raise their family in the poverty of pre-WWI Serbia. Their difficulties increase when they turn from the superstitious sprituality they have known their whole lives, toward the Light and Truth that they know they must embrace.

Haven't yet hit too much of the content, but it's a wonderful publication in it's photography and high-quality publication value... Great pictures, great detail, and from what I see, the discussion of the temple architeture and sculpture looks equally promising. Definitely more of an art and architecture book about temples, than a book about Hinduism it's temples.

It is fifficult fo find a book on this subject which is equal or better!. It gives a comprehensive description of ancient Indian architecture than spans several thousands of years. The photographs should be commented for giving the finest details all all the intricae pattersn. The construction details even provide information about the materials used, floor plan dimensions, sculpture techniques etc. Best of all, there is even map locations so someone can visit these hlly sites for themselves! This book is a real pilgrimage tour of India and much more!

I would highly recommend this book for historians, philosophers and especially "people Of Indian Origin (PIO) whose ancesors came from India over a century or more and have little contact with the former mainland as are many Indian residents here in Trinidad & Tobago and elsewhere.

I traveled in India for six months in 1997-98 and am now reliving the visit, thanks to this wonderful visual survey. A great feast for the eye. Best of the India photo books.

If you liked this book, you might also want to check out other photo books of India that examine areas differently...for instance, there is a wonderful illustration book by a British artist (can't recall his name now; he also did a book on Italy as well)...and a fabulous in-depth book on Varanasi, called Benares Seen From Within, by Richard Lannoy. This book is a must-have.

Taschen has published a spectacular book called Indian Interiors, which is a real spectacle of wealthy people's fabulous homes and a few peasant places, too.

Usually most history books are as dry as the dust with which they deal. But with THE HISTORY OF EARTH, Hartmann & Miller tackle with vast success a topic that is only marginally understood,at best, by the layman. And make no mistake; this history is for the layman, but one who has a desire to know where we come from and where we may be going. Part of the learning process involves digesting a flood of data and making sense of it. Hartman & Miller use dozens of drawings, pictures, and mattes to bring to life a series of threads that they weave into a coherent whole.

What the authors reveal is a planet that may well stand unique in the universe. The precious element called life arose on earth in such a fortuitous manner that the odds of life having spontaneously arisen in any form were so staggeringly improbable that I marvel that I am here right now to pen these words. Yet, life did arise here, and Miller & Hartmann trace the long sequence of twists and convolutions stretching from the Precambrian right up to the present day. Most readers who go to the trouble of buying this book probably took a course or two in Earth History in school. What this book provides is a much longer and more comprehensible version of the geological timeline that readers have seen but failed to grasp. After finishing this work (I read it as if it were a novel), I concluded that if we here on earth are truly alone in the cosmos, then we had better take full advantage of our having won the Cosmic Lottery. We are not likely to win twice.

This book was wonderful in that it gave me a valuable and easily understandable introduction to earth science, evolution, plate tectonics and planetary science, to name a few subjects. The only glaring mistake in the book, which I recognised because I am a biologist, is that the author refers to DNA as being made up of amino acids. This is incorrect. Proteins are made of amino acids; DNA and RNA are composed of nucleotides, entities completely different from amino acids. Despite this problem, the book is still excellent reading. I am buying several copies to give as gifts to family.

As a trained engineer and educator, I've scanned, read and studied many books on science. This is far and away the best I've ever seen. As magnificent as the painted illustrations are, they simply match and support the superb quality of the text itself.

Covering the full range of natural history, "The History of Earth" not only explains how the earth and life evolved, but explains how we gained this knowledge, or why we believe it to be so. Where multiple theories exist to explain something, they are each given fair coverage, with the evidence for and against each theory explained.

But most important, the book is accessible to all adults as well as to children. I began reading it (with some side explanation) to our kids when they were 7 and 10, and they loved it.

The book begins with an explanation of the formation of the Earth and Moon, describes the likely origins of life on our planet, and explains the changing environment and how that led to the origin of life. This is followed by in-depth treatment of the evolution of the diverse lifeforms leading to today's species, and excellent coverage of recent and current geological phenomena. The book concludes with a projection of the likely future of the earth over the next billion years or so.

I cannot praise this work highly enough. If you only buy one science book for you or your kids, this is the one you want.

My views on the English language are somewhat conservative, so I approached this book with suspicion and an intent simply to broaden my horizons. To my relief, even though I do not agree with all its conclusions, I've found the book definitely worthwhile.

It is short but well-written and thorough, tackling major issues in nonsexist writing with humor and clarity. Its detailed, structured table of contents is especially helpful as it enables the reader to get quickly to a desired topic, whether it be the use of "man" as a suffix, "'they" as a singular, gratuitous modifiers, assigning gender to gender-neutral terms, or whatnot. Its examples of (allegedly) sexist and nonsexist writing are useful, and frequently are pulled from actual published works. Shakespeare, for example, is quoted as having written "God send everyone their heart's desire," which is used as evidence that "their" as a singular pronoun has not always been taboo in English; it is only since the eighteenth or nineteenth century, the authors argue, that grammarians began eschewing "their" in favor of "his." Helpful reference notes to books and scholarly articles are included for readers who want to check up on such claims. (This I certainly intend to do in a few cases, in particular with regard to the authors' interesting assertion that Thomas Jefferson meant only males when he wrote in his Declaration that "all men are created equal.")

I must mention that the authors occasionally lapse into what I can only term idiocy. For example, they apparently believe that the use of "man" as a verb (e.g., "The emergency room must be manned at all times") is sexist, despite the fact that, whatever its origin (which is irrelevant to its present-day meaning), the word has no sexist connotations for us today. Indeed, based on the authors' treatment of the verb "to man," I see no reason not to throw out all words with "man" in them (such as by changing "woman" to "womyn")--but the authors elsewhere reject such an approach, and rightfully so. So why this concern for a word's etymology if it has no practical effect in the present?

The authors also seem to realize that a single word, such as "man," can refer validly to two distinct concepts, such as generic or gender-specific "man," which is good. But at times they inexplicably assert ambiguity when none is, in fact, present. I grant that in some cases such ambiguity is extremely hard, if not impossible, to avoid, and I am grateful for having been made aware of such instances; but the authors' occasional misidentifications do not give me confidence in their being free from bias themselves.

This book's shortcomings notwithstanding, however, I must give it my recommendation. It contains many examples of sexist pitfalls in writing that I have not until now been aware of. I know I will use this book in the future when I have need of extra care to avoid offending an audience's sensibilities.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle described Ercongota, daughter of a seventh-century English king, as "a wonderful man." No, she didn't have a sex change. In her day, "man" was a true generic term meaning "person" or "human being." Many older English writings do indeed use "man" in this sense. But, as this book explains, our language has changed, and this generic usage is no longer appropriate. Problem is, many writers who grew up on the classics have internalized the outdated language of our literary ancestors. One of the reasons I bought this book was to learn how to update my writing style.

The first chapter, "Man as a False Generic," traces the history of gender usages in the English language. This chapter did a great deal to help me personally overcome my initial negative reactions to "feminist" language by explaining how English has grown and evolved over the centuries. For example, "you" was once a plural only (the singular being "thou"), and the use of "they" was once a legitimate generic singular pronoun. Such classical writers as William Thackeray, George Eliot, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and even William Shakespeare used it regularly. Only later, in the 18th century, did it go out of fashion. Now it's back in style again, as a gender-free alternative to "he." (Example: "Each person can decide what they want.")

What I like best about the Handbook is the way it uses actual examples (both good and bad) from published works to illustrate its points. Especially interesting were the references from old grammar books, some of which were so absurdly outdated that I literally laughed out loud. The authors then show how the various examples can be re-written with gender-free language without loss of clarity or style.

To me as a writer, this down-to-earth approach was more convincing than the angry diatribes about "Patriarchy" which had previously turned me off to the whole gender issue. If there's a problem with my writing, don't call me names, just show me how to fix it! This book does that very well, explaining clearly and with good humor. I also appreciate the thesaurus in the back of the book, which serves as a quick reference for the most common gender-problem words.

The one weakness of this book is that it skimps on religious language issues, which get only half a page. The authors do correctly point out that the original text of the Bible uses feminine pronouns and imagery that got lost in translation, but there are no specific examples cited. Nor does the Handbook give any of the genderless alternatives to "The Lord" (such as Ruler, Sovereign, Creator, Holy One, Blessed One, Heavenly Parent, etc.) now in use among Jews, Christians, and others. Instead, the authors simply refer the reader to a bibliography in the back of the book. But unless you happen to be a theologian, you are not likely to have those references handy when you need a quick synonym for "The Lord." Nor is "The Lord" included in the list of problem words in the Handbook's thesaurus, although "Goddess" does rate an entry as a no-no (as are all "-ess" words, according to this book). It would have been more helpful to give a few examples from those bibliography resources.

Here's another vote for bringing this book back into print. Like the previous reviewer, I'm a professional editor, and the Handbook has helped me a great deal in my work. It's clear, concise, and sensible. The best working reference on this issue I've seen.

This is an excellent diet for people who have plenty of time to prepare the menus and have the time during their day to get out and walk!! I am a busy executive who has only one time a day to get in a workout, and absolutely no extra time for the food preparation (especially the lunch menus) --the menus are a bit unusual, in that most are not available in restaurants, and therefore most times you are forced to bring your lunch (which again requires some preparation)!! Again, being in the business world doesn't allow for a lot of the necessary preparation. I have used his "Hilton Head Diet" a few years ago & it was very successful. Try it if you have the time!

I lost 16lbs. & 27inches in 1996 by exercising & 1200 cal. diet I quit too soon and gained the weight back but kept inches off by exercise alone. I guess you would call it a plateau. I started this diet on Mon. & lost 4 lbs. in 3 days., wow. I do not like fish and get tired of chicken. I've tried the menu thus far & it is really flushing out my system. Recipes are good and if I think they are too complicated and nobody else wants them I am using the frozen variety. Same results, they work. How hard can that be. If I'm too hungry I'll adjust the protein because I go to the gym 5 days a week.

I have been on numerous diets, only to feel terrible while on them, and only to gain back my weight within months of going off of it. This diet has been absolutely amazing! I've lost about 50 pounds in 4 months, almost effortlessly! The diet is very well-balanced; you don't cut any major food group (e.g., carbs). The portion sizes are a little hard to adjust to, and I found myself frequently hungry, but I adapted quickly. The exercise you must do is merely taking a moderate walk after two of your meals. I didn't even do the weight routine he suggests and still lost! The only drawback to this diet is that it takes a LOT of preparation time to make the recipes. There is also a great section on the psychology of weight loss and body image, which includes advice on how to avoid going off the diet. I highly recommend this book!