I had the privilege of taking two workshops with Jill Miller at my first-ever scrapbook convention, way back in the year 2000.
Both classes introduced me to techniques we now call "Shabby Chic," all the rage in the scrapbook world at the time of this writing, but totally unheard of nearly three years ago. I wish that all my many scrapbook classes and workshops since those first two had been half as innovative as Jill's.

I was delighted to see that she would be publishing a whole book of her ideas, and waited eagerly for its release, which was quite some time in coming. Now that I have the book, I can say I was not disappointed. It's substantial in size and content, something one does not always get in the world of scrapbooking idea books, about 130 pages long. I don't really understand why it hasn't received more attention, because it certainly deserves it.

The book is lavish in its color printing and detailed close ups of the sample layouts, which cover every page. Jill comes to scrapbooking from the world of stamping arts, and this is THE hot trend in scrapbooking these days. She covers techniques involving the various pearlized powders and shimmering paints, metals including paints and leafing, all manners of distressing your media, and the newly hot textures, including molding paste, embossing and lacquers. Each project sample is clearly labeled beginner, intermediate or advanced, allowing the artist to choose which level with which they feel most comfortable. Materials lists are very clear, as are directions.

My guess as to the reason for its quiet entry into the market is that since it was a long time in production, some of the layouts look a bit "dated" in this trend of the week hobby. As scrappers, don't we all reflect back upon our earlier work and laugh at how far we've come? I would not let that get in the way of purchasing this treasure trove of ideas and instruction, though. The layouts are all lovely and timeless in their appeal, and the directions will allow the reader to venture into new territory using whatever level they are at right now. I can say that this really is one of the most comprehensive and innovative books I've seen in this industry--strong praise for a hobby that lately has at least one new "idea" book a week of late. If you like to experiment and do your scrapbooks for the joy of creating, you will not be disappointed with what you find in these pages. (Gwyn is a scrapbook designer for Fibers By The Yard and Scrapbook Impressions)

Jill Miller is a magician. Not only has she made absolutely beautiful pages but they are easy to make. With her easy to follow detailed instructions, tons of tips and tricks, I plan on making just about every page she has. Since I am not of the creative mind I have to be a copy cat and I can't wait until my friends and family see what I copy from Jill's book. If you only buy one idea book or magazine, make this the book. It is filled with just about anything you could do on a scrapbook page. Thanks Jill!

The book is divided in two roughly equal halfs, where the first focus on the spirits and liqueurs themselves, with a bit of history and methods of production as well as serving suggestions. This is a good introduction to various types of drinks and brands, but don't expect too much details.
The second half, which to my mind is the real essence of the book, presents 100 recipes of soups, starters and main dishes using alcohol such as Pastis, Cognac, Gin, Sherry, Calvados, Vermouth, Whisky, and cakes and desserts using Kirsch, Malibu, Apricot brandy, Curacao, Rum, Port, Coffe liqueur etc.
I have tried about 20 of the recipes, and I must say that almost all have resulted in very delightful food experiences(and the few ones that have not, may well be better explained by my occasional clumsiness as a cook instead of there being anything wrong with the recipe). The most striking thing is that the alcohol really contributes a lot to the taste and is not just some hardly noticeable thing in the background that only works as an impressive addition to the name of the recipe.
For these reasons, and also because I know of no other book that cover this field as broadly as this one, I warmly recommend it, especially if you happen to have a collection of spirits and liqueurs at home anyway, but only used it for other purposes so far.

Stiart Walton has a sense of humor and a sense of asthetics and taste. Besides an interesting history and description of spirits and liquers, there are drink recipes and photographs, complete with the suggested glassware to be used. The food recipes with spirits are doable, and have clear step by step photos. I am a cookbook collector and a sometimes cook! This volume makes me want to drink, eat and be merry - in that order!

This book is not a book on technique or a "how to be more like me" book. It is a book that outlines spiritual principles that all of us need to know as we serve the church and God. This has been one of the books that I have constantly referred to over the years and will continue to go back to.

This book updates church management to a model that works now. Too many churches still operate under a model where the minister is the absolute authority figure. Underlying spiritual principles support creating a loving, nurturing Christian team ministry where each and every member can become involved. Every ministry within the church becomes part of a support system. Even those who are difficult can find love, help and support in this model. For example, those in recovery from old hurts or substance abuse, the grief stricken, or those on the fringes of mental health have the potential to distrupt worship or interfere with church activities. They may not ready to be part of the mainstream, but there is a place for them to grow into the mainstream with God's help. This is a wonderful book, full of passion and wisdom and it comes from a man who leads a church with over 4,000 in attendance each Sunday. In other words, it is based on a highly successful ministry. He opens his heart and mind to the reader, providing information and inspiration. It's a great read!

In this book, Miller presents a series of essays of various topics, including his friends, other artists, and Miller's social concerns. The longest piece is "Money and how it gets that way". Of course, this piece is written with subtle sarcasm throughout. Although the longest piece of the book, it doesnt stand out as the best, and in fact, doesnt seem to fit in with the rest of the essays. In the other essays, Miller demonstrates his ability to exploit what is powerful and life-affirming, laughing off all that is refined, petty, and weak. This comes out especially in the essays on fellow writers. There is an essay on Thoreau, Miller writes: "He found Walden, but Walden is everywhere if man is there". It is this sort of formula that is constant throughout both "Stand Still Like the Hummingbird" and the rest of Miller's work: There is something positive and life-affirming everywhere so long as one is alive, it is only a matter of recognizing the greatness of life itself. Although not naively bashing all forms of technology, Miller urges us in "The Hour of Man" to take the time to return the basics and discover not technology, but ourselves, our families, and our friends. As Miller explores that which affirms life, he also takes the time to present piercing criticisms directed at those who are petty, controlling, and all too caught up in the rat-race; for example, he writes: "What, moreover, can you call your own? The house you live in, the food you swallow, the clothes you wear-you neither built the house nor raised the food nor made the clothes. The same goes for your ideas. You moved into them ready-made". This passage is indicative of Miller's insistance on creation and his general emphasis on overabundance and embracing the brilliance of nature and life as opposed to trying to control it. In "Tropic of Cancer", Miller writes that he "loves everything that flows", and one gets the impression that according to Miller, everything flows. Thus, the formula in "Stand Still Like a Hummingbird" can be summed up by saying that rather than try to stop these great flows of life, we should flow with them and embrace their power. Overall, this book is enjoyable, intelligent; yet, for a book of personal philosophy, rarely preaches morality and is never sentimental.

These highly readable pieces reflect the incredible vitality and variety of interests of the writer who extended the frontiers of modern literature. If you think the New Thought movement has some Ancient Wisdom roots, you will enjoy this collection of stories and essays. If you have read, even occasionally, Henry David (Thoreau), Ralph Waldo (Emerson), Uncle Walt (Whitman), this volume is for you. Henry Miller says nothing here either more offensive or less insightful than these three Transcendentalists who lived before him.

Miller's genius for comedy is at its best in "Money and How It Gets That Way"-a tongue-in-cheek parody of "economics" provoked by a postcard from Ezra Pound which asked if he had "ever thought about money." Stand Still Like the Hummingbird provides a right and perfect metaphor for this outstanding collection, one of Henry's Miller's most luminous statements of his personal philosophy of life. Much of this book, while previously published, appeared only in foreign magazines or in small limited editions which have gone out of print.

If you're an artist (starving or successful), you'll appreciate Miller's deep concern for the role of artist in society, in "An Open Letter to All and Sundry," and in "The Angel Is My Watermark." If you're a writer (struggling to be or already published), you'll find inspiration in words like these, scattered like gemstones--generous and true-throughout these pages: "...when you are convinced that all the exits are blocked, either you take to believing in miracles or you stand still like the hummingbird. The miracle is that the honey is always there, right under your nose, only you were too busy searching elsewhere to realize it. The worst is not death but being blind, blind to the fact that everything about life is in the nature of the miraculous." In short, there is much for many: timeless wisdom, not only for us still living "in this world," but also for us, who, like Henry Miller, have always suspected we are "not of this world."

I remember during my first job after graduating, our HR rep was telling me about my company's 401K plan and how good it is compared to others given the plan options and company match and boy did I turn a deaf ear to her! Like many new graduates I was just happy to get the paycheck and had no clue about retirement plans and IRAs. The older wiser employees used to talk about 401K during lunch etc and I wouldn't know what the hell they are talking about. I did figure out that it is something 'good' and everyone is ought to enroll.

I finally went to the bookstore and picked this book (at random). It turned out to be a life saver. It clearly explains what actually 401 plans are and how they work. It did not assume any previous knowledge on the subject. The book talks about the legal aspects of the plan as well and ofcourse how the employees can take advantage of this. You will clearly understand pre-tax deductions, company match, taxes relevant to 401K, what plan administrator is, what kind of different plan options are out there etc.

Most importantly it gives you an idea as to how you can set financial goals for your retirement and based on that and your age now how much you should contribute to your plan. There are many other facts about 401K covered such as taking a loan out of your 401 if you want to buy a house for instance. Ofcourse there are some 'penalties' associated with it and the book does a great job explaining those.

After reading this book I realized how important it is to enroll ASAP in 401K plan coz why the hell you'd want to miss out on $ for $ company match. Its literally free money for god sake!

This book does a great job of handling the task of explaining 401k investment options, asset allocations, and 401k distributions. The sample asset allocations for different styles of investors are great examples. Unfortunately the book does not cover Roth IRAs as the book was published before Roths came out. Otherwise a great book.

This catalog provides a wealth of information for collectors of comic books. It can be overwhelming for a novice (me) to absorb, but what fun I will have while I learn. Definitely a worthwhile investment.

This thing is a monster. It has details on nearly every comic published, through to September 2001 or so. Besides the usual pricing information, if also includes circulation info (for some titles) and CGC info (how many copies have been CGC'd, and what the highest grade is). Many titles have a short series synopsis included, with information on storylines, creators, and anything else that might be interesting about a title.

Every year these guys cut through the fat of baseball analysis and extract truly meaningful facts and figures. OPS is gospel these days and STATS, Inc. provides the scripture. Their piece "Which stat matters most?" is one of the most interesting revelations in sports. And pieces like "Who are the real RBI kings?" prove that 100 rbi is a lousy benchmark for success. Bring on the 2000 edition!

This book covers a wide spectrum of baseball-related questions with essays of one or two pages for each question. The essays are interesting and the stats will keep you reading for hours.

The only thing missing from this book is a follow-up of the questions from last year's Scorecard. Now, you can't really know if some of these figures are just fluke or indeed statistically significant.

Until this book, the technology to treat repeated relapse into alcoholism and drug addiction did not exist at worst, and was haphazard at best. What the authors did was study relapsers and notice patterns of relapse. These patterns could then be codified and used in a program to identify 'triggers' or situation that lent themselves to relapse, and could thus be avoided in the future. In addition, some tools can be developed to help recovering persons deal with unexpected triggers if and when they arose in the future.

It is a lot of work, both for the counselor and for the client, but the payoff is long term sobriety.

As someone who has worked with substance abusing
individuals (and, as a master's student,
having comoderated a DUI therapy group), STAYING
SOBER is an invaluable resource for therapists and
clients alike.

Basically, Gorski & Miller outline a way in which
the addicted individual can learn to avoid relapsing
in the future - basically, by examining the "triggers"
(usually emotional & situational) which can
potentially lead to relapse. By examining these

triggers, and then creating a "relapse prevention
plan", the addicted individual can
usually find a way to avoid relapse.

However, my summary does not do the book justice.
I _strongly_ urge everyone who can to pick up this
book. It is one of the best books I have read
about the subject of relapse prevention

This book made me laugh (I loved the author's "mental notes") and it made me cry (little Christian's teeth marks)! It opened my eyes to realize that God's grace and mercy are gifts worth sharing with all of my friends and acquaintances, and gifts not to be taken for granted. This book shows how God is with us in every rise and every fall in our lives, and how He is beside us even when we don't realize it. Thank you Sheila for a great book! (please note: I read it straight through...I just couldn't put it down!)

My wife recommended that I read this book, stating that she thought every one should. I was hesitant at first, but after laughing and then crying my way through it, I believe she's right. Everyone should. I was deeply touched and reminded again of the importance of all the relationships around me, not just the one's that make me feel good. Of the need to look below the surface to find the true person. Thanks to God for using Eleanor and Sheila to remind me of what is really important in life - others.

This is a fabulous collection of poems based on well-known fairy tales and nursery rhymes - but with a modern point of view and a wry, often grim twist. Imagine an advice columnist responding to the wife in "Bluebeard", or Hansel and Gretel's appearance in juvenile court... Here's a sample from the poem based on the story of the princess and the frog, as told by her parents:

"...
As for that fairy tale she likes to tell
About the frog who scrambled from the well
And gave her back her ball (all dripping wet),
Then turned into a Prince (that's how they met),
We know he's not a Prince; the point is this:
Our poor romantic daughter thinks he is."

Some of the takes are very funny, but nearly always disquieting. (There's a poem based on "Old Mother Hubbard," from her dog's point of view - sounds goofy but it's utterly heart-rending.) I re-read the poems often, and thoroughly enjoy them. Recommended!

Hay's collection of poetry explores many of the well-known fairy tales, nursery rhymes and fables from our childhood. While other poets, such as Anne Sexton, have been focused on adult audiences, Hay's poetry can be used with younger audiences, too. The book is filled with themes which adults can enjoy, however. The collection offers inspiration to poets to explore the themes in the folklore of our childhoods with grace and charm. Happily ever after is not expected by Hay, but she does not express a hopeless future either. The characters from the tales deal with the potential realities that come after their original "happily ever afters."