I definitely recommend this book to both young and old. It will take you back to a time when life seemed innocent and interesting. I found myself laughing out loud in public and couldn't imagine someone not being touched by such a work of brilliance and humor. CHECK IT OUT! Women...especially encouraged. (Guys would like it too though)

"Coming Attractions" by Fannie Flagg is one of the most brilliant pieces of work I have ever read. It is absolutely hilarious, and very touching. It is about growing up with a young girl, named Daisy Fay. From day one she is getting into trouble. Her mother is busy trying to cover up her and her husband's bad relationship, while all 'daddy' does is sit around and drink Pabst Blue Ribbon all day, so Daisy has plenty of time to sneak in strip bars, be a Jr. Debutaunte and find an albino. The novel is in the format of a diary from Daisy at the age of six until in her twenties. This is a book that I feel every woman should read, you'll see a little bit of yourself in Daisy Fay! I believe the book is still in print, unfortunately, I don't know the name of the new novel.

Funniest Fannie Flagg yet. Did you know this book is in print under the title: "Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man"?! Find it right here at Amazon!

Brother to a dragonfly, Will D Campbell's brilliant,evocative, nostalgic luminous memoir teels the story of his family in the pre-tva rural south. Though much much more then a simple coming of age story,it is the story of 2 brothers,their lives amid the greatest change in this ountry since the civil war. Will D Campbell and his brother Joe stories are told so movingly,and with such deep power that ,by the end it will move you to tears. It is the sory of a man,family,RELIGION,the south,race,addiction,love and death. It will shatter any preconcieved notions and stereotypes,for Will D Campell is a true iconoclast. I run out of superlatives to describe this book. Read it.

This is a truly wonderful autobiography. Anyone who has a brother (especially Southerners) should read this chronicle of growing up in Mississippi. I loved it so much I shared it with my Northern friends, and they loved it too. If you aren't moved by this work, check your pulse.

No other book that I have read has demonstrated the courage that Campbell took to look at personal family heartache, popular social cause, and politically unpopular issues. Campbell's message tells the reader his struggles, but does not tell the reader what to think. He has had the courage to bare his thoughts.

This is a beautifully compiled collection of short stories from Mississippi authors, including the writings by both of the editors. Tucker's short story, "CLara's Star," reminded me of much of my Mississippi past, even though I left Mississippi, reluctantly, almost forty years ago. This is a beautiful book and I am still enjoying it. A Mississippi past is helpful, but not mandatory, to become thoroughly engrossed in this book. I cannot recommend this book any higher. It is unfortunate it is so difficult to find.

Maybe Welty, Morris, Hannah and other such names sold the book, but the works of Wheelock, in Christmas Lights and Isonhood, in Morning Stove seems to have captured what the true meaning of Christmas is in our hearts. Need to hear more from them.

This is a beautiful collection of stories, not just for the Mississippian or the Southerner. With greats like Faulkner and Welty and Spencer in the crowd, it should have a wide appeal. But to my mind, the lovely, bittersweet story of Caroline Langston testifies to the fact that modern writers from Mississippi are as talented as ever, and write with as much poignancy as those from the past.

Clif you are so right "You don't seperate yourself from your faith" I just love your books. I truly like what I'v seen God do in your life through your writting. I'm a Sp.Ed. teacher in Maywood, Il. and I want you to know I've read your books to all of my English classes. Thanks for making a diffrence. Your old class mate.

A wonderful book. The author not only lists the values that are dear to his heart, he shares personal experiences that helped to embed those values even deeper into his life. He was closely surrounded by family and friends as a child and they took the opportunity to encourage him to be the best he could be. Thanks for a good book that will encourage the rest of us to be the best we can be also.

Eight Habits of the Heart by Clifton Taulbert is among the most honest books, I've read regarding building our lives. Each of the Habits ring true as I think about my life and the people who lived out these life lessons in front of me. The book is so very practical, Taulbert does not leave us with efforts we can't make happen, instead he points out the extreme value in our everyday acts of goodness and that we can build community wher- ever we are. I find it all the more valuable in that he discovered these truths during the period of legal segregation in our country. If his elders were able to use these Habits to build a community for their children, then I am convinced that we can do likewise. Taulbert does not give the individual an out. This book should be daily reading for people everywhere.

Beach Walks is a lovely series of daily musings by George Thatcher, whose way of writing reminds me of paintings with words. George has an acute and creative sense of observation as well as a rich interior life! I am giving this book for gifts; a friend told me yesterday she reads my gift daily as a kind of devotional. Susan McNease

For a land-bound Arkansas boy, BEACH WALKS opens new vistas of nature and beauty that I have not experienced as a way of life but only in passing on too-quick vacations. But Thatcher's introspection transcends the Coastal life to all who are one with God and nature.

Beach Walks is more than a collection of thoughts inspired by years of beach walking the Mississippi Gulf Coast by an observant, curious and perceptive beach walker. These thoughts, often lyrical, are enhanced with various quotations from Psalms to Mae West and Stalin, and frequently include fascinating scientific and historical facts, as well as entertaining trivia. Though this book will be especially meaningful to those familiar to the Gulf Coast, its essence is universal, transcending time and place.

First of all, the book is aptly titled. For the men of the 15th Mississippi Infantry, their journey through the war was indeed "A Hard Trip." The personal stories (and tragedies) that are told through the diaries and letters of the soldiers are by far the most endearing feature of this book. While many histories are based on these types of documents, it is the way author, Ben Wynne, places them in his narrative that makes this book unique. In addition to the material on the war years, there is also a lot of good background about the communities the men came from and the reasons they joined the army. I have never read a Civil War book quite like this. It was really fascinating and I highly recommend it. The book is very well written and I learned a lot more about the history of the state in which I live.

The author does a very good job telling the story of these Confederate
soldiers. Although the battles are discussed in some detail, I liked the
book because I didn't get bogged down in the minutia of the battlefield. The
story is more about the men than the battles, which is what makes it
interesting.

I think this is a wonderful book. While it might be a cliche, I "felt like I was there" much of the time while I was reading. It is obvious that a lot of research went into this book, and the book is written in a very engaging style. The author is a fantastic story teller, and that is definitely part of the book's charm. I felt like I actually got to know the men in the
regiment as I read about what happened to them during the four year struggle. To make a long story short, I love reading about the Civil War and I loved reading this book.

I enjoyed this fun story, and I thought the location was wonderful. It was great to get out of the big city. I also thought Pipers vocation was interesting, but imagine being allergic to chocolate! Stephanie Bond never disappoints, excellent writing and characters.

When wealthy restaurateur Ian Bentley's girlfriend proposes to him and gives him an engagement ring, he quickly heads to Mudville, Mississippi to personally work with Blythe Industries food scientists to develop a signature dessert for one of his new coffeehouse chain.

Piper Shephard is the chief food scientist for Blythe Industries in Mudville, Mississippi, population 1,200. Piper is responsible for creating the deserts that Blythe sells to restaurants around the country. Piper's job is somewhat hazardous because she's allergic to chocolate. Piper has been a bridesmaid so many times she could open her own bridal boutique with her bridesmaid dresses. When she learns that she is the last single girl of the 25 girls in her sorority, Piper realizes it's time to get serious about finding a man for herself, even hypochondriac Tillie has gone to hospital so many times she's bagged herself a rich doctor. When Piper discovers a guide on how to catch a husband among a box of items her Grandmother gave her, she decides to follow the book's advice, after all, it worked for Gran. Although the selection of eligible males in Mudville is somewhat slim, Piper is determined to stay in town so she can be close to her Grandmother. In fact, if Piper comes up with a desert good enough to get Ian Bentley to sign a contract, she will earn a large enough bonus to put a down payment on Gran's house.

Piper's attempts at attracting a man go hilariously wrong from the moment she begins. From the moment Ian leans over Piper when she's lying in a mud puddle, he's immediately smitten. The sparks fly between Ian and Piper but Piper is determined to stay away from Ian because of the ring on his finger.

This is a very funny book with charming, funny characters. I especially like Piper's neighbor; he's a hoot.

Stephanie Bond is a master of comedy, but in this book, she mixes her rare talent for "funny" with some of the hottest sexuality and quirkiest characters seen in Temptation to date. You can't help but love a heroine who willingly risks an allergic reaction to chocolate in the name of sensual delights! I can't wait for her next one!

A work of love. Major Kudos. Thanks very much.

The opportunities to make an important American history connection that are contained in this book are inspirational.

I just got back from the Delta (there's only one, isn't there?) last month (12/01) and had the opportunity to visit 8 sites. I drove a small car with my 15 year old son, and the information this book and my experience with the blues provided, prevented the mayhem one frequently associates with excessive exposure between generations from the same family.

We started in Leland and went to Clarksdale and came down to Greenwood and back to Leland.

While I expect to continue to use this book for years to come as my family and I go back to annually visit the in-laws, my sole complaint is the directions. I've driven from Guatemala to Vancouver and been in 26 countries, so I have a well seasoned sense of direction. Perhaps I'm overly pedantic but some of the directions did not anticipate some of the predictable confusion I experienced.

While the directions to Zion Church in Greenwood were good, confirmation such as a green roof or easily visible from a mile away just after the curve to the right would be helpful. It was a lovely church but I was a somewhat self conscious about parking in the driveway. Fortunately there wasn't anyone else there at the time.

The graveyard for Mississippi John Hurt was fascinating but the directions could have been a bit better. When a turn is called out and the driver makes it, I'd prefer to see right away that one should park right after 1.0 miles. By the time my son read the preceding information, before the distance,to me, I wasn't sure how many tenths of a mile we'd gone. So, do we turn around to the mail boxes or try to guess? We tried the latter and should have tried the former (it was getting late in the day). It was well worth it since the graveyard was fascinating in how natural, secluded and private the sites were. Thanks for the tip about wearing bright clothing due to hunters, but I wish that had been in a section in the front: Preparing for Your Journey. That section could include common sense photographic suggestions such as extra film, batteries, a flash and a tripod.

I'd suggest adding to the Sonny Boy Williamson grave directions to make the first right after 2nd street (instead of turn at the gas meter, not all gas meters in the country are the same) on the named street, I'm going to guess Bruister (starts with a B anyway) Street. The locals walking that road saw me 4 times in a half hour, probably livened up their day.

I'm sure I expect too much, but I would have liked some idea about the driving time between sites with a line item complete itinerary in the back with the driving time between the site you're looking at and the site on the line above. That way if you wanted to skip some of the less interesting (varies from person to person) sites, you can plan your day more efficiently.

I wish I had unlimited capital and could pay the author to try to find out who else is buried in these various graveyards. Were they family or neighbors? I wish there were money to pay someone to go to these graveyards annually to spruce them up a little, secure lopsided gravestones etc. I'd want to see all the individuals in the graveyard get equal treatment.

Go slowly and make notes in the book in case you ever want to redo the trip or take another blues enthusiast on the trip of their life that wouldn't be available if it weren't for this excellent book.

Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites Of Delta Blues by Steve Cheseborough (an independent music scholar and a performer of blues music) showcases the contributions of John Hurt, Jimmie Rodgers, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, Fred McDowel, Howlin's Wolf, B. B. King, Little Milton, Elvis Presley, Bobby Rush, Junior Kimbrough, R. L. Burnside and other notables essential to a proper understanding and appreciation of this authentically American music tradition. Blues Traveling is a literary and historical excursion through the Mississippi delta taking the reader on a kind of pilgrimage to juke joints and churches, birthplaces and graveyards, dusty roads and levees, where down-home blues music was born, nourished, and evolved. Blues Traveling is a unique guidebook enhanced with photographs, maps, easy-to-follow directions. If you are a fan of the blues and will be finding yourself in the delta country, the begin your trip planning by a serious perusal of Steve Cheseborough's Blues Traveling!

I thoroughly enjoyed 'Blues Traveling'. It came along just as I was planning my trip to the Delta this summer, so I constitute a sort of 'road test'. The book contains a wealth of information on little-known historic buildings and the like, and it's conveniently arranged by a very logical itinerary. With lots of little-known facts (did you know that the Great Wall of China is *not* the largest man-made structure in the world?), it's a great read whether or not you're actually traveling to the Delta. FWIW, I'm not in any way related to the author. :)

A real life saga of one man's journey down the "Mighty Mississippi". A confirmed river rat, he brings to life the joys and dangers of his solo expedition. Byron did a great job in carrying you along with him every step of the way. I found my heart pounding, muscles aching, stomach cramping but also excited, awed and lifted in spirit. Definitely a must read and would make a great gift for the adventuresome spirit.

Byron Curtis fulfilled a dream by kayaking solo down the Mississippi River starting in Prescott, Wisconsin. After being on the river for one week, Byron learns that terrorists chose his birthday, September 11th to attack the United States East Coast. His descriptions of those he encountered and the challenges the river provided along the way make for entertaining, suspenseful reading. Byron has an adventurous spirit and is thankful for each day. His love for his family and the support they give him is evident throughout the book. His journey is complete when he is reunited with his wife and son at Morgan City, Louisiana 42 days after his journey began. Whether on land or water, it is clear that Byron is a man of integrity and character.

A very good read. Written in the present tense with a very respectful style. Not a brag book. Gives a good look into the mental toughness needed to do this kind of solo stuff. Hard to put down. Hopefully we will see more stuff by this author.

The Old South and particularly the Plantation homes is a subject that always interested me. This particular book is the best I have ever seen. Some of Mr. Laughlin's comments are a bit flowery, but for the most part, he captures the spirit of this time in history. I think it is wonderful that people have restored some of these homes back to their original splendor, but the pictures and the history of the homes that have long since been destroyed are the most interesting and are truly the "Ghosts Along the Mississippi".

This book contains heart breaking photos of mostly Louisiana Plantations, some Beautifully restored but most are tragic beauties gone for ever, it is the only source for most of these homes to still exist, many of these photos are the only images of these magnificent homes ever taken, read the book front to back and you will agree, it reads like a novel of the tragic queens of the old south.

Laughlin's work is truly inspiring of the imagination; definite piece for the book lover of art and architecture.