In 1968 I received this book as a bonus from the Farm Family Book Club. I started to read it in the evening and read until I was finished at 4:00 a.m. The next day I said, "If Brother Andrew can trust God for 365 days a year, I can trust Him for one day, no matter how foolish it makes me look." I did, and I did look foolish. But I found out that He is faithful. My life has never been the same.

If self-sacrifice is the mark of true heroism, then Brother Andrew is in a class with the most valient. This book tells his story from birth and youth in WWII poverty, to the agnosticysm of a young man to the realization that God is REAL and part of his life. It will challenge your faith to rely on God as if he were a king leading his troops into battle. He is. Brother Andrew's story is one of the most involving STORIES I have read. But it isn't just a story, it is the life of a real man who has given everything for the mission to spread light to a dark land. Just because the Iron Curtin has fallen, dosen't mean that this book is any less relevant today. It will change your faith. Gaurenteed.

This book can change your life and how you see God. Brother Andrew gave his life totally to God, and God remained faithful to him. you cannot read this book and come away with the same view on God. I read this book, and could not put it down. Sure to strengthen your Christian experience. As thrilling as any spy novel. Not one to be missed by any christian. What one person can do when they give themselves totally to God. If you thought the result would be a dull life, you're dead wrong! Read the book!
IF YOU LIKED THIS, I HAVE ANOTHER TO RECCOMEND. It's called "A Thousand Shall Fall" But you must be sure to get the right one. The full title is "A thousand shall Fall: The electrifying story of a soldier and his family that dared to practice their faith in Hitler's Germany." Written by Suzy Hazel Mundy. It's as much of a page turner as this book and will also change your life.

Happy reading!

This book is an incredible, fast, fun read. It's heartfelt but often hilarious too. As Elizabeth Cohen manages her rapidly progressing infant and her rapidly regressing dad she tells an amazing story of human survival and will. She reminds us of the comforts of family, of poetry, of neighbors. What I love most about this book is how the author finds the good in a situation where most people would find only heartache. She reminds us of the beauty of everyday life, and of what's important. A celebration of family, parents, kids, of what it means to learn, to think, to be human. I don't usually like memoirs but I highly recommend this one. I've read it twice and couldn't put it down either time.

Single mom Elizabeth Cohen records her life as her toddler daughter grows up while her father descends into Alzheimers (and she has sole care of both of them). Cohen finds poetry rather than tragedy as her daughter and father cross paths: daughter Ava surging into consciousness, learning new words by the hour, father Sanford finally forgetting even his name.

I am overwhelmed by the truth of this poetry, because I am in a similar situation: my father-in-law was diagnosed with dementia a few months after my daughter's birth. As Dad has declined, my daughter has thrived. It is undeniably sad. Yet they are central to each other's worlds; even on days when Dad seems to know no one, you can tell he remembers G. You can tell she loves him and he loves her even though they can't speak.

A greater theme in Cohen's book is the power of community; her neighbors help her bear her burdens (chopping firewood, shoveling her driveway, watching Ava), just as she helps her father bear his. Thus, even if you are not directly touched by Alzheimer's or the like, this well-written and touching book is likely to resonate with you too.

May the world still be this way when we are older.

How do you comfort a friend whose parent is slipping away to Alzheimer's Disease? Can you truly know how one feels when your friend tells you her mom forgets her birthday, her name, her parent-child relationship? That's what I was looking for when I bought this book as a gift for my friend. Maybe it would give my friend a glint of hope and humor with all she is going through. I couldn't give it to her without reviewing its potential for gloom and sadness so I began reading it and couldn't put it down.
Elizabeth Cohen had a way of connecting to me with all the "mind chatter" about her daily living.... mind chatter that we all have....... the worry about our parents, our spouses, our children. I feel I have found a friend in Elizabeth from her writing. I have been given the "Beartown Road" view of coping with a parent who is slipping away. Elizabeth has shown through her writing that with one memory, one tiny memory, there is hope and love.

I picked up this book and I could NOT put it down. What a wonderful journey described here....how she interlocks traditional medicine with Navajo, how harmony and positive spirit is such a process in the healing world. You will not be disappointed with this read. I have shared this with all those close to me. Make it part of your list

The story of Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord's courage and determination to bridge the Navajo world with modern medicine is excellently written. For those of us who've had little exposure to the ways of the Navajo world, this book is part history and part culture. As America continues to find new ways to maintain and improve health care, it's refreshing to consider how living a balanced life has the potential to make a huge difference. Alvord's story, artfully told with the assistance of Elizabeth Cohen Van Pelt, a former New York Post reporter, is by turns heartwarming, soulful and inspirational. In the spirit of full disclosure, I should note that Elizabeth is now a co-worker of mine.

This book was outstanding. Once I began reading about Dr. Alvord's journey from Western Medicine to Navajo Medicine and back, I could not put it down. Those of us in the nursing field have often known about this connection to help patients heal faster and better. This excellent book describes a journey combining local medical technigues with western medicine. Highly recommended for all persons in the health care field, especially those of us in the Nurse Practitioner field.

Seven years ago, Lauren's mother was mysteriously killed in Wisteria. Now, Aunt Jule has asked Lauren to return to Wisteria for a visit. While in town, Lauren meets her old friend, Nick, who at first flirts with her and even ends up kissing her the night of the prom, he becomes cold and hostile to her because he thinks she pulled his cartoon from the paper. Holly, who would be cold to Lauren when they were kids because of her mother's sickening admiration, seems to have warmed up to Lauren and be more friendly to her. Nora, who was always very timid, has become out of touch with reality, thinks that Sondra, Lauren's dead mother, has come back to haunt her. Lauren's stay at Wisteria becomes more baffling and more suspenceful as the book goes on. A disaterous prom night, warnings, things moving by themselves, and people acting a little off around her, Lauren thinks she's losing her mind until she's locked in the boathouse with Nora by someone she truly trusted. Will Lauren be able to survive her stay at Wisteria or will the murderer succeed once again?

It has been seven years since Lauren's mother drowned, now her Aunt Jule asked her to come back. Jule's daughter Holly appears to have accepted Lauren with open arms - but there is a friction between them. Holly's sister Nora is strange - a frightening figure who makes Lauren's skin crawl. A series of accidents makes Lauren afraid for her life - especially when two of the "accidents" almost kill her. There is a secret buried in the past that Lauren must uncover. If Lauren can not find the truth then she will be the victim of a fatal accident - just like her mother.

The first book in this series was so well written that I didn't think the author could make it better - but she has. The storyline of this novel is strong and keeps you reading until the last page. As with "Legacy of Lies" this novel has strong characters that draw you into their story and make it yours. I have been recommending this all over the place.

The other great thing about this book is that although it is part of a series you don't have to read the "first" one first. It's also pretty neat that both books have been set in the same small town so that you can build a mental image of the town and add to it each time you read another book in the series.

Lauren has come back to her home town of Wisteria, Maryland finally. It's been 7 years since that tragic night when her mother died. While on her way to her Aunt Jule's(her godmother) she meets up with Nick, her childhood best friend who is no longer the troublesome chubby-cheeked boy she remembers. She also sees Nora and Holly again, Jule's children. Nora is deranged and angry and she wants Lauren gone. While Holly is accepting and her and Lauren become closer. Meanwhile Nick who had been acting as if he'd like to be more than just Lauren's friend turns on her and becomes glued to Holly. Now Lauren doesn't know who she can trust, but she'd better figure it out soon cuz someone wants her dead. And this time there's no place to hide.

GOD, this was an awesome book. I love Elizabeth Chandler. Make sure you read all the Dark Secret books! They are the best. And the guy on the cover who is supposed to be Nick is HOTT!!!

I enjoyed this book tremendously. It is much like Belva Plain's style (one of my favorite authors). It is a page-turner that you will not want to put down. I highly recommend this book, and this author. I am currently reading The Property of a Lady, which is engaging as well!

After you've read so many books, it's hard to find one that can surprise you. But this one will! A very tangled web, rags to riches, struggle and survival story with a red herring ending. Wish all her books were this good! Read this book, be amazed,but don't tell anyone how it ends!

This is probably one of the best books I have ever read. It spans over many decades. It's the story of Francie and her friend Lai Tsin. They meet after the great San Francisco earthquake. They are both homeless for their own reasons and develop a friendship that lasts a lifetime. Together they become multi-billionaires but still haven't found the happiness that they both deserve. This book is so powerful it is impossible to explain all of the different storylines that all come together. Read this book and you'll read it again and again.

My daughter, age 9 and I both read The Saturdays over the past few months along with Four-Story Mistake. We loved this family and found each character fun. I loved their adventures and wish I had read these books as a child. I recommend this book to anyone who values their child's mind and wants to protect them from the abundance of nonsense in some children's literature.

My original review was written 14 July 1998. This is an addition for readers (and potential readers) who are (or would be) as puzzled as I once was when the book said the Melendy children played a noisy game of "Dumb Crambo". Over 20 years after I first read THE SATURDAYS, I was lucky enough to get a copy of VICTORIAN PARLOUR GAMES by Patrick Beaver that includes it.

To paraphrase, in Dumb Crambo, the players are split evenly into two teams. One team leaves the room while the remaining team chooses a verb. When the first team comes back in, the second team tells them another verb that rhymes with the first verb. The first team must guess the secret verb by acting it out. For example [not the one given], if the secret verb is "fly", the first team might be told "try". If they guess it's "spy", they act out someone spying on someone else. If they're wrong, the second team hisses them. The first team keeps trying until they act out the right verb.

It's called "dumb crambo" because it's a variation of a game called "crambo." In the original, only one person leaves the room and any kind of word may be chosen. The guesser is still told a word that rhymes with the secret word. The trick is that you have to ask questions that might get you the secret word WITHOUT naming the word you're guessing. For instance, if you think the secret word is "bus", you might ask "Is it a big ground vehicle that carries a lot of passengers?"

I think it shows something of the personalities and intelligence of the Melendy children that they would enjoy Dumb Crambo.

I've loved The Saturdays since I was about 8, when I read it for the first time. It wasn't until I was older that I realized: these children had to figure out things for fun, because they didn't have TELEVISION! What a concept! Just look what awesome things they find to do. I'm delighted to share this book, and that added idea, with my son.

As a literary agent, I endorse this book and recommend it to my clients who are working on nonfiction book proposals because, in my view, it is the most thorough and clear book on the subject. A number of the titles listed on E. Lyon's website are books I represented and sold. They were developed following these guidelines. It is one thing to tell a writer to develop "a great hook" or "write a strong concept statement" and quite another to actually explain what these things are and why they are needed. It is important for the writer to understand the purpose of each piece of a proposal and how it will be used by the agent and editor to grasp why the approaches explained in this book are so valuable. Beyond having a strong salable subject and good writing skills (or a good co-author or ghostwriter), in today's publishing world even smaller publishers want to see a solid marketing plan and publicity ideas. Elizabeth provides guidance to develop one. There are quite a few books on this subject offering a broad range of expertise, but this one is the best. As someone else pointed out, the errors in the previous edition were the responsibility of the original small press-- a reminder that many things like title and cover design and certainly page layouts are not left up to the author! Natasha Kern

If you are interested in receiving an advance or contract before you write your nonfiction book, then Elizabeth Lyon's Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write is a bookshelf-must you will treasure! Lyon has demystified the process of writing proposals in simple How-Why-What steps. An editor, writing instructor, and "book doctor" she wrote this best-seller after observing her students and clients struggle to understand the basic steps of proposals. Her book is organized in order of reader need, packed with practical and easy-to-use information and interwoven with examples of proposals. Peppered with chapter goals, it will keep you in writer's mode until your book is assembled, polished and ready to market. The recipe in this book gives you the tools to be taken seriously by the publishing world. "Elizabeth Lyon knows proposals the way a surgeon knows anatomy" best-selling author Gary Provost. "You helped me create a tightly written, well-organized, and great-looking book proposal from concept statement to appendix" Bill Buzenborg V.P. of National Public Radio's Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

Of the several books available on how to write nonfiction book proposals, this one is the most comprehensive. Some of the areas it covers particularly well are the importance of credentials and presentation. However, it provides solid information in all the important areas. It takes more time to read this book than the others on the topic but the time is well spent. Editors and agents are always impressed by book proposals that are informative, succinct, and well prepared and following the guidelines in this book will help you prepare an impressive proposal. Prospective writers often ask me to recommend books on writing book proposals and there are several that I recommend depending on the writer's temperament. I am always encouraged when writers select this one because the level of commitment usually reflects a quality proposal.

Note: Beginning in December 2002, the book is published by a new publisher. The proofing issues that inadvertently slipped through the cracks with the second edition have been corrected( e.g., chapter 14 is now included in the table of contents).

This novel is one of a series, and makes the presumption that you have read the earlier novels in the series, with references to previous action. It is written in a narative style. The main character is not fully identified by name until page 74 (part of the assumption that you have read the previous novels). Tony Whats-his-name from book one in the series reappears, along with other characters from previous books. There are numerous digressions, and a tendency to use foreign language terms.

The plot is a whodunit as various characters search for the lost Trojan gold that disappeared from Germany during the final days of World War II. In the chaos at the end of the war, many valuable items disappeared, apparently looted. Now a story has emerged that the Trojan gold (artifacts that had been in a German museum) was carried to safety and hidden. Many people have an interest, either for museums or for their own profit.

With two people murdered, and an assortment of people just happening to be on the scene, there are questions about some people's motives (other than the fact that several men are trying to seduce Vicky). Vicky finds her life in danger, as various people follow clues in attempts to track down the gold. There are indications that it had been hidden in a schrank (a type of wooden cabinet). The good guys prevail over the bad guys, but the story leaves things unfinished and the schrank disassembled.

This book was such a satisfaction to read and reread. I've grown so attached to Peabody and Vicky Bliss, not to mention their fellow characters, that waiting for Barbera Mertz to write more books about them is torture. I hope Ms. Mertz lives to an active old age for the selfish reason that I want her to keep pumping these books out as long as possible.

In Trojan Gold she really delivers the good stuff. John and Shmidt's personalities get a good filling out, reading it is like eating Godiva chocolates, only better. Words can't say enough. In her previous Bliss mystery, Sihloette in Scarlet, the plot seemed weak, but the follow up made up for it. Apologies for misspellings.

I must admit that, as much as I loved Street of 5 Moons and Night Train to Memphis, this is the best of the series. The humour is wonderful: I had to put the book down several times due to hysterical laughter. However, this is not the only reason to read this exceptional Book! The mystery is compelling, the setting is beautiful, and the characters gain much more dimension. After being dissapointed by Silouhette in Scarlet, this book more than reaffirmed my faith in Elizabeth Peters. And for those of you who are also in love with John, he's back in top form here with very few traces of the obnoxious twit he was in Silouhette. He's absolutely charming and romantic. How lucky Vicky is!

I am in third grade. My teacher read my class this book and the one before it to. Every time when my teacher would stop reading the whole class would beg her to read more. the author does a great job of stoping the chapter right at the really exciting parts.I LOVED it!!!!!!!!! Normally I don't like books about castles but this one I really liked!

This is a great sequel!!! I loved it! There is no return of Alastor but there is a very evil gang lurking about. Not only dose William go to Sir Simon's castle, but Jason comes too!!!
There is also 1 new character: But you'll have to read the book to find out who he/she is! ;)

I read this book when I was in 5th grade and I would suggest this book and the first one called The Castle in the Attic.

Brew yourself a cup of your favorite herbal tea and curl up in a quiet corner because you're in for a treat. This book is exactly what the title says it is - a workbook for relaxation and stress reduction - and its user-friendly style enables the reader to dip into any chapter at will and derive something useful and informative from it. The book's orientation is very much a holistic approach and the authors' emphasis on mental coping methods dovetails nicely with the chapters on reducing physical stress symptoms. I found the progressive relaxation guidance (including instructions for creating your own tape) particulary well done and helpful. As the authors make so clear, many of us are unaware of how and where we store our tension and how our breathing impacts our ability to move from a stress response to relaxation. Methods such as progressive relaxation - systematically tensing and relaxing all the large muscle groups in the body - aid in gaining awareness of what we are experiencing physically both during stress and in relaxation. The book also discusses goals, time management, nutrition and exercise, with copious worksheets for the reader to dissect which area(s) he or she most needs to focus on to achieve more individual balance, and therefore less stress. The end of each chapter includes suggestions for further reading, providing the reader a jumping off point for deeper work in a particular area, if needed. Each chapter is a module for bringing about psyche/soma homeostasis. The book's one drawback in my view is the length of the personal stress analysis worksheets. One is of course free to skip over them or complete only a portion of each one. Overall though, the book provides a palatable plethora of nurturing and nourishing ideas and methods for bringing mind, body and spirit to a place of respite and repose, whatever one's outer circumstances may be.

This is one of, if not the best books on stress management and relaxation. It is a must have for health care providers working in this area, and an incredible resource for laymen seeking personal help or self growth.

I've recommended this book to probably 1000 psychologists, and as a specialty dealer of products for stress management, relaxation training and biofeedback, I know that at least 600-800 actually bought copies. Many of the ones I suggested it to already owned the book and I was always happy they did, because then, they knew I made credible recommendations.

The book offers a wealth of beautifully, simply explained exercises and techniques you can use immediately to learn to relax and cope with stress more effectively.

I must have bought countless books on relaxation and meditation in order to relieve stress. For the most part I found non-objective, very subjective eastern treatises pushing a philosophy or dogma. These books were not very well structured in explaining how to use the techniques. This book, approaches relaxation methods in a scientific manner. Each chapter is about one method, telling what type of attitude works best in its use, the variations of the method (based on effect) and the time that is necessary to see the effects. The methods are explained in a "cookbook" manner. The steps of the methods are clear and explained well. These methods are treated as templates for anybody to use, without implying inferences as to what philosophy of life is correct. I don't think I have ever recommended a book before (heuristic: 90% of all books say the same thing), but since this one follows such a well defined format, I will. Enjoy.