I have just completed all three of these books by Phillip Gulley. I highly recommend all three as great reading! I laughed out loud and even called my sister long distance to read a chapter or two. After reading his books you will wish you lived in the city he lives in and have him for a next door neighbor. He is very down to earth and once you pick up his book, you won't want to put it down. In each chapter he is able to make the reader understand how and why life sometimes ends up like it does, and how you can learn from it. I will re-read these three books again as they are truly uplifting!

Although I have only read two books of Gulley, I have become a great fan of his. Home Town Tales is a perfect follow-up of Front Porch Tales. I do prefer his first book to Home Town Tales; nevertheless it's a book worth reading. I highly recommend it. There has been an influx lately of books like Chicken Soup for the Soul. At first they were okay, but I got kind of sick of them and already found them corny, mainly because the books were characterised merely by quantity of stories and not by their quality- the stories somehow trailed the same messages, the same lines of thought, the same points. But Home Town Tales is different- the stories are not predictable, yet they occur in an ordinary man's (or shall I say extraordinary?) ordinary life. Heart-warming... it makes you go "ahh..." with a tear in your eye, and discover the mawkish in you.

This book was as good as his first book, maybe better!! Gulley has a great way of telling a typical lifehood story and turning out a morel. It is written like Reader's Digest, with short stories.. I highly recommend this book to anyone!

This book is not for beginners, if you want to learn purchase the Teach Yourself C++ Builder 3 in 21 days. The material in this book is for intermediate to advanced level developers. The flat file database, relational database and InterBase chapters are great. The DCOM, OLE and DirectX are very hard, you must know the API and technology to understand them i guess, I skipped them. What I didn't like was that some chapters of the book are in PDF format at the CD ROM. I know the book is huge, but switching from the real book to the Acrobat Reader for some chapters slowed a little bit the pace. Anyway this is a great book for people who already know C++ Builder 3 well enough.

An excellent book covering almost everything you'd ever want to do with Builder. Watch out for the CD though, many of the chapters come in Acrobat format on the CD and if you damage it, tough - Macmillan press will NOT replace it. If you only buy one book for Builder 3 make it this one.

This is the best book I've read for C++ Builder to this date, I have all of them with the exception of the "For Dummies" intro book. Charlie Calvert has improved this book so much from the previous version. He is able to explain difficult topics with ease and short examples. Database, Internet, ActiveX, DCOM and other interesting topics are explained with clarity so you really can test what he is explaining by yourself. This is not an introductory book, you must have some basic knowledge with C++ Builder 3 before reading it. It worths the invested money in it. Thumbs up, thanks Charlie

I picked up an early edition of this book at a used book sale recently. I had heard of Phillips, but had not read any of his writings. Unlike an earlier reviewer, I enjoyed the second half of the book much more than the first. I am a C.S. Lewis fan, so I am already quite familiar with the "destructive" views of God which are briefly examined in the first half of this book. But, the second part of the book in which the "constructive" view/feel for God is explored is, in my estimation, good and original stuff. [I liked that Phillips used the word "stuff" so I thought I'd add it here.] Like Lewis, and unlike so many of the more modern Christian writers, Phillips can certainly "turn a phrase". He writes so well that it makes his constructive vision of God, in the person of Jesus, come alive and convince. Christians should share/mention the book when evangelizing; non-Christians should read it to see that God is big enough to handle their questio ns and criticisms.

Do you struggle to understand why God didn't answer your prayer?
Are you convinced that He will like you more if you do the right things?
Or do you think God is a lovable papa bear in the sky who only wants you to be happy? Reading Phillips' classic may disturb you into a proper understanding of the real and living God, a mystery whose ways are higher than our ways, whose thoughts are unfathomable.

In this pocket-sixed book, Phillips deals with incorrect ideas about the God of the Bible. He's not a cosmic policeman or a divine grandfather. Neither is He a bellhop, a tottering old man, nor a fire-breathing despot. He is a God who loves the world for His own glory and calls everyone to repentance for their sins against Him. Does that fit your understanding of God? If not, you may be deceived. Don't let yourself exist with a God too small for your life.
Read this book. Come to know the infinite Almighty.

In this 40-year-old short Christian classic, Phillips does a masterful job showing just who God isn't...and is. There are certain false images that we may have of God, but Philips tackles these in the first half of the book. I believe much of the views today's America has about God come from the media and their stereotypical nonsense--this is the kind of thinking Phillips seeks to destroy. The second half is dedicated to the constructive view of the authentic God who, it should be pointed out, is much greater than the limited box many stick Him in.

Not a typical "self-help" book, but a life prep course unfortunately not offered in schools. Read it, do it and learn to live it. Expand your control of your own life - but you have to do the work - it isn't a quick fix book - it is a book that will actually do what it says if you follow through.

Good luck and best to all who follow this path!

Before reading this book, I stumbled upon Dr. Phil's "Getting Real About Fat" three-part series on Oprah. After five minutes of part one, I was hooked. Dr. Phil's fresh & candid approach to getting your life straight is no less than life-changing. If you can get past your own theory of having a pretty good handle on life and opening your mind a little, I guarantee you'll realize what a fantastic tool this book really is. The best thing about this book is the fact that you can apply McGraw's Laws to anything in your life you'd like to improve upon or change. What's more, adapting these laws to your life and using them correctly on a day-to-day basis will save you from future failure. This is the first self-help book I've ever been intrigued to read. I can say without hesitation that it's the only one I'll ever need.

I guess I picked up this book as a last resort. I was feeling hopeless--that I could never overcome the darkness and fears of the past, that I was trapped in confusion as to why my life was the way it was, and feeling like there was no escape--no way out. I opened this book and the very first page I saw began to give me hope. I read more and more and am now committing portions of this book to memory. What he says makes sense--its real and honest and though it puts the responsibility for the problems of your life on you--it isn't accusing, it is, in actuality, putting your life back into your own hands--which is where you want it and feel it is not---right?

Great book, the beginning of a new journey and new understanding. The book addresses all sorts of problems for those of us who have been "victims" to those of us who are overachievers and overworked, to those who are the opposite. I recommend this book--even for teenagers.

A Star-Trek cookbook narrated by Neelix the Chef was a nice idea, but poor editing, and not enough supervision by people who know Star Trek characters, have made this book a mess.

First, some of the recipes themselves are poorly written and edited. For example, the Peptide Cake recipe does not specify the pan size. (The recipe mentions a "sheet-cake pan," the standard size of which is too large for the recipe.) The recipe itself is a little strange, as it is a sponge cake that contains many egg yolks but *no* egg whites. Since I don't know what the writers were trying to achieve, I can't say for sure that they made a mistake, but I suspect that the egg whites were left out by accident. There are other recipes for which I suspect ingredients are missing as well. This would not surprise me, due to the number of typos that are scattered throughout the text.

Second, some of the recipes are inconsistent with the book's narration, as well as with information from the tv shows. For example, after having confirmed that "raktajino" is a beverage similar to strong coffee (and having printed a recipe for making raktajino out of coffee beans,) "Neelix" offers a recipe for raktajino cake that contains no coffee! In another example, "Neelix" says that "parthos" can be made out of brussels sprouts. Any one who has seen "The Next Generation" knows that parthos looks nothing like brussels sprouts, and everything like bright green spinach. Finally, while the book gives a reasonable recipe for "Klingon blood pie," (basically a steak and kidney pie,) there is also a version, called a "favorite" of a Klingon character, that is really a sweet cherry pie. To pass a cherry pie off as "blood pie" is to say that the publishers really don't know--and don't care-- what Star Trek is all about.

Third, there are inconsistancies in the narration. On page 115, "Neelix" says that Commander Riker's favorite Klingon dish is "bregit lung"; on page 117 he says that Riker's favorite Klingon dish is "pipius claw."

An annoying aspect of the book is padding with recipes that have nothing to do with Star Trek. These recipes are given teasers that are meant to connect them with Star Trek characters. But who needs a recipe for oatmeal on the doubtful assertion that it's Jake Sisko's favorite breakfast, or a recipe for green beans (improbably called "Klingon green beans," as if any Klingon would actually sit at the same table with them!)

The book strictly avoids beverage recipes that contain alcohol, so this book is of no use to those who want to recreate ales and spirits for taste as well as looks.

The book has its good points-- it tells you how to recreate prop food, and some of the recipes are good, even thought they have little to do with Star Trek, and some of the stars have contributed good recipes.

Neelix comes across in this book almost as well as he does on TV. The recipes are fun to read and cover the full range of the Star Trek universe. There is even one for a Borg dish [the only one that can't be created in a standard Earth-type kitchen]. For anyone hosting a Star Trek theme party, this book is a must. There are lots of hints on how to costume Earth food and drink [mostly non-alcoholic] to suit your occassion!

Be prepared for an out of this galaxy taste-trip! You'll have to forgive me, but being a Neelix-fan, of course,(I'm naturally biased in a good way)I had to go get this, try some of USS Voyager's chef's interstellar meals...The book is a blast, there's a lot of great humor, real practical info combined in a readable way! The preparation-steps easy to follow and do, the edible-results are out of this world and will vanish quicker than you can fix them! There are a number of reciepes offered that kids will like and want. Plus the added back ground on Neelix's past make help us understand him better,this wise, gentle and well-seasoned alien of many skills! Congrats to both Ethan Phillips and William Birnes for an enjoyable work!

Hemingway was reticent about his craft; he feared that talking about it would destroy it, or even worse, be a substitute for it. Yet, woven throughout his novels and other writings are numerous observations about writers and the art of writing. In "Ernest Hemingway On Writing", Larry Phillips has culled several hundred excerpts from Hemingway's books, interviews, and personal correspondences that touch upon some aspect of writing. They range in length from a mere sentence fragment to several paragraphs. As Phillips explains in the introduction, "This book contains Hemingway's reflections on the nature of the writer and on the elements of the writer's life, including specific helpful advice to writers on the craft of writing, work habits, and discipline. The Hemmingway personality comes through in general wisdom, wit, humor, and insight..."

Some of these reflections are insightful, some are humorous, and some show us Hemingway at his best. But this is not to say that the collection works as a whole. While I like the idea behind book, and feel it has definite value, there are a good number of excerpts that do not seem to have any of the above qualities, so I question why they were included. They seem like filler. Nonetheless, I'll list a few of the reflections that I liked, as they show something of Hemingway's many moods and styles.

In a letter to Charles Scribner, Hemingway reveals a tortured ambivalence about writing: "Charlie there is no future in anything. I hope you agree. That is why I like it at a war. Every day and every night there is a strong possibility that you will get killed and not have to write. I have to write to be happy... But it is a hell of a disease to be born with. I like to do it. Which is even worse. That makes it from a disease into a vice. Then I want to do it better than anybody has ever done it which makes it into an obsession."

Among the reflections are many little truisms about writing: "...it has never gotten any easier to do and you can't expect it to if you keep trying for something better than you can do." There are also sardonic remarks: "The good parts of a book may be only something a writer is lucky enough to overhear or it may be the wreck of his whole damn life--and one is as good as the other." Some of Hemingway's remarks seem genuinely helpful, as when he describes what he does when he is "stuck". He would say to himself "Do no worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know." Then, he explains "If I start to write elaborately, or like someone introducing or presenting something, I found that I could cut that scrollwork or ornament out and throw it away and start with the first true simple declarative sentence I had written." Finally, when asked "How much should you write a day?", he proffered this advice: "The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day when you are writing a novel you will never get stuck. That is the most valuable thing I can tell you so try to remember it."

The collection definitely contains some gems; if you are a Hemingway fan you will likely enjoy it. However, if you are looking for sage advice from the master, you are apt to be disappointed, for once you remove the quips and the anecdotes, there is not a great deal left.

I read "Hemingway on Writing" in nearly one session. I had recently completed a series of difficult articles and felt drained, at least creatively. I took a few days off and read this book. It energized me and gave the wherewithal to jump back in the fire. When Hemingway writes that he suffers like a -------, when he doesn't write or just before, what writer can't relate? Equally powerful is his, "Need to read some bloody thing I've written in order to convince myself ... to write something else." Whatever the particular writing problem, whether fiction or nonfiction, Hemingway's advice can help. Highly recommended! -- Timothy Daiss

Hemingway's straight-to-the-point advice reveals much about his own process of writing and helps us get inside his head (just a bit) which is of much interest to the Hemingway fan. It is also great for those of us seeking advice or new ways of looking at different aspects of the writing process. Even when I don't entirely agree with his comments, they are insightful and enlightening and offer suggestions for what may be benificial variations in our too-routine writing routines. I also must agree with one of the other reviewers: the paper is poor (like the brown stuff you used to practice your alphabet letter writing on when you were in kindergarten.) Why? I don't know- this is a book that I can easily refer to anytime I feel myself lacking in drive and I would like to know that it will stand the test of time (physically); a few passages from it and I feel energized by what he has to say. Regardless of the por paper quality, I HIGHLY recommend it.

Five-Point Play is the perfect companion to the 2000-2001 Basketball Season. I received the book from Amazon two days ago, and managed to read it in just a couple of hours. The book is a blow-by-blow account of how the Blue Devils grew and matured during its championship run. Five-Point Play is written in the same style as the ESPNMAG article that was written from Coach K's perspective.

Although I don't think one has to read "Leading with the Heart" to enjoy this book, I do think that one's enjoyment is definitely elevated by doing so. A lot of what Coach K emphasizes in Five-Point Play has distinct echoes from his previous book. Such important lessons as communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring, etc. are big themes that he re-emphasizes to the team. However, the primary difference is that in this book, Coach K follows the season in chronological order, with descriptions of practices and in-game situations. There are also several quotes from the players, coaches and staff that are inserted during these situations that further illuminate the different perspectives on the team. Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the book describe, in great detail, the team's psyche when Carlos suffered his foot injury and the team's subsequent shift in offensive and defensive strategies. In reality, there was a signifcant amount of doubt that the team would be able to be competitive by practically everyone on the team-- including Coach K! Fortunately, the Duke Blue Devils overcame this obstacle (among many others) and surged towards the National Championship.

In Five Point Play, Coach Mike Krzyzewski tries to teach the 2001 Duke basketball team about not only basketball, but life too. By setting examples for the team, Coach shows his players the results of communication, trust, care, responsibility, and pride, the same points that helped them win the national championship. "Coach K" has a crew of talented coaches and players that include Shane Battier, Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer and many more. I like the way that Coach Krzyzewski put this book together, by explaining every pep talk, describing every huddle, and giving the details of every game. Although I wouldn't recommend this book to a North Carolina fan, I hope that every other basketball fan gets a chance to read Five Point Play.

Duke is on TV almost as much as Sponge Bob. I've probably missed five games in twenty-five years (including my time at Duke). After reading this book, I've missed all of them. The behind-the-scenes, locker-room perspective on how Coach K motivates players is powerful and moving. His preparation for each game centers less on the opponent and more on singling out one player on his own team to lift that player's game. His simple, direct message gets through.
"Next Play," "Confidence Breeds Courage," "Collective Responsibility" and other catch-phrases of K's apply not only to basketball but to business and to life.
How many coaches after winning the National Championship would bring their team back into the locker room two days later to remind them that the Lessons of the Fist (for what those are you have to read the book) apply not only to basketball but to life? How many, in the same meeting, would goad their players to excel not only on the basketball court but in the classroom and in life?
This is a book to treasure.

Great Story! Lots of facts, pretty accurate except for Bonnie and Clyde's death. This book uses the movie Bonnie and Clyde version of their fatal end. This is not the way it happened.

This is the story of a criminal in the 1930's who was part of the Barrow gang, and whom we've previously heard little if any about. Though a good part of the book is about his time spent with Bonnie and Clyde, it's also about his own career in crime and the atrocities of the Texas prison system of the era. The book is well written and also very well researched. The author is to be applauded for his extensive list of resources. Mr. Fults, the ex-gang member, does put a sympathetic spin on Barrow and Parker. But he was there, and he got to know them in a different way than a lawman or reporter. The book contains some good photos, many which were new to me. Well done!

I admired the lengths the author went to to assure historical accuracy of the book. Accuracy pertaining to Bonnie & Clyde were of high importance to me. The author at the same time should be credited for bringing out the human element in it as well. I was touched very much by Ralphs Fultz life as well. The way he turned his life around after all he had been through is astonishing and nothing less than miraculous. Fultz' work to stand up against the corruption of the prison system and spread the word to help others from following the same road were admirable. I found that I was inspired over all by the story.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the number of photos in the book as well as several maps outlining movements of the key individuals involved.

It would be my profound pleasure to one day shake the hand of the author that painstakingly put this work together.

Ajila

This was a nice story about sisters and sisterhood. Good moral about not knowing when our time is going to be up, so we need to love one another. I realize this is the first book for this author. I found the scenes to be lacking in details. I always knew what the people were wearing and eating, but other things were lacking such as the romantic scenes. Also the storyline seem to be moving real fast. One paragraph it was March then it was 5 months later in the next paragraph. A fair job for a first time author.

Three sisters with different issues, but they are all inter-related. You find yourself wondering why the mother showed so much favoritism toward one daughter and show no type of love and affection for the other two daughters, which causes all three sisters to have problems when it comes to their personal life and their relationship with men. This book is not your typical love story, but it's entertaining.

Congratulations Ms Phillips. Great book!!!

SOMETHING IN COMMON is undeniably a book for all of us that are still young at heart. I found myself racing along an avenue of missunderstandings, errant comments, and guilt; being cascaded off of walls of pain and deception, to finally land in a world of peace and twice found love.

SOMETHING IN COMMON is a love story, so carefully and emotionally woven through the relationships between three sisters and their relationship with their mother, that at times, I felt the realness of the individual charactors and forgot it was fiction.

Very well paced, very well done. I look forward to future works by Ms Phillips. In the mean time, I am re-reading SOMETHING IN COMMON. I am hooked!! (Will Robert and Helen pop up again in future novels? Hope so.)

Wright's most notable book, the Shepherd of the Hills, is a story of mystical happenings in the Ozarks at the turn of the century. A small group of country-folk live there in relative peace. A stranger arrives one day and hires on as a shepherd at an abandoned and supposedly haunted ranch. Dan, the shepherd, changes everyone's lives.

There are many players in this tale. One family is seeking retribution/peace against a man who left the area after taking up with their daughter. Another wants the love of a young woman who is in love with a person going to the city. The young woman wants to learn what it takes to be a "woman" from the shepherd All in all, many different activities are happening here and all are interrelated.

Wright demonstrates what strength of character is. The woman, does indeed learn that what makes a woman. She learns it is not what she wears or how much jewelry she has, but what she is made of. Her unrequited lover also learns what it takes to be a man and demonstrates it over her weak willed lover. The hurt family also learns forgiveness and the shepherd learns that God can be found in nature.

This was a good book (and later made into a movie starring John Wayne). It is a bit of a western tale with typical Wright sermonizing on morals. However very entertaining except the end. I didn't care for it and thought it was a bit too neat and too coincidental. However, it wasn't a bad book and it was worth reading this tale of classic American literature.

Once I read this book a few summers ago, it quickly became my all-time favorite book. I had seen the play, which is spectacular, and I had seen the movie (a bit disappointing to me), but nothing could prepare me for the book.
Harold Bell Wright creates a masterpiece. And that is an understatement. Several plots develop throughout the story, each one seeming irrelevent when compared to another, yet they are all interwoven masterfully by the end of the book. There is the lonely stranger, who wanders into the hills, and changes the community and then learns something about himself and the meaning of life. Readers then watch Sammy Lane struggle to become a "sure 'nough lady," and will most likely cheer on Young Matt as he fights to steal Sammy's heart from Ollie Stewart, though he knows Ollie promises Sammy a rich city life. Readers are also involved in Young Matt's and Wash Gibb's struggles to the title of "Strongest Man in the Hills." And Old Matt, Aunt Mollie and the Shepherd are forced to relive the past and learn from it, no matter how strong the pain is.
In conclusion, I just want to recommend this book to all people looking for some quality summer reading. The book may seem somewhat long, but it is hard to put down and you'll go through it quickly, wishing it would never end. Read this book and enjoy!

I have read this book some six times and each time I enjoy it as much as if I had read it for the first time. Being from the Ozarks, I find a special attraction to the charm of the natives and the descriptions of those beautiful hills. Harold Bell Wright weaves a mysterious tale that keeps you spellbound from chapter to chapter. This book is a classic.