I cannot put in words how much I enjoyed this book! I loved it! When John died at the end I cried. I literally had to put the book down to control myself. This is one of the best written books I have ever read! The part of the book that really touched my heart is when John was about to die. This book inspired me. That doesn't happen very often. I will keep this book close to my heart forever. Thank You.

In the spring of 1982, I borrowed this book. I was in the 9th grade, and had to get a book for my English class. I couldn't put the book down. I was so touched by John Baker and his incredible courage and compassion for others. I soon bought the book and found myself reading it for inspiration when I joined the track team. John showed me something I never had realized--that by doing one's best, one can accomplish amazing things. I soon found myself putting much greater efforts in not only track, but also school and life.

In 1992 I became an elementary teacher. I have read aloud this book to my various classes. I have found my students loving the book. Many tell me it is their new favorite book. Together we come up with service ideas of how we can make our year "A Shining Season". This books reaches right into their hearts and stays there. John Baker is the role model that our children and young adults need. If you only buy one book this year, I recommend highly that "A Shining Season" be the one. I can never express enough how thankful I am for this book.

This is the best book I have ever read. I think it was really neat how John helped kids with disabilities. He helped them get involved in areas they never thought possible. I wish I could have the same effect on others that John did.

I first saw Tomas Kinkades work at a gallery in Port Jefferson Long Island. They were set in special rooms with typical individual lights for each piece. There were dimmer switches in the room that we were able to control the lighting, enhancing the effects. The paintings actually came alive with light as I dimmed the house lights. I'm not in the position to afford his work but with this book I'm at least able to enjoy the experience. The book is so good you can see the brush strokes and even the bumps in the canvas It's not as good as the real thing although it dose tease your senses. So sit back. Put on some soothing music and live the experience.

At the college I work at I teach classes on personal development and stress management through hardiness training. Recently, in class, we were discussing whether it is possible to experience joy when in the midst of challenges and trials. Through beautiful artwork and inspired narrative in "Simpler Times," Mr. Kinkade demonstrates how one can experience peace and joy in a hectic world. The book was like food for my soul. Thank you.

I bought this book 2 years ago, as a reward for myself. It's so beautiful and tranquil that reminded me of the simpler time is really what I want.

This book is a gem. Once I picked it up, I could not put it down. I even had to rush to the bookstore to pick up Never Let Them See You Cry. This woman has a refreshing tell-it-like-is tone. A truly wonderful book about one of America's most colorful cities.

This is my all-time favorite book. It inspires and enthralls. I am glad to see that Amazon carries it. Edna Buchanan truly is a great talent of our time.

If you really want to get a feeling for Miami, read this true crime book along with a standard tour guide. Edna Buchanan is as good as anybody in this genre; her love of the city, warts and all, shines through everyone of these gripping pages.

This is a must-read book for anyone interested in any of the following topics: African-American History, hunting, Theodore Roosevelt, Southern History, the Civil War, and William Faulkner. As an avid Faulkner reader, I cannot help but conclude that Holt Collier is the real-life person upon which the pivotal character of Sam Fathers is based. Beyond this observation, the book is well researched and is an excellent read. You will not be disappointed. HOLT COLLIER deserves a wide audience and should be assigned reading.

Brilliantly written non-fiction biography using countless primary sources. An amazing new character never before presented to the general public. If this book had not been sent to me as a present I would have never heard of it. Apparently it has been sold only as a regional book, but I can assure any reader, it will have a national following in due course. Very highly recommended. Well worth the read. You will come away from this book thinking about it for weeks, and frankly, you will soon pick it up to read it again.

As a history major in college I developed a taste for the truth that can only be found in biographies. Over the years I have kept a small library in my home and under my bed to read at night, prior to retiring. The book by Mr. Buchanan is a detailed, accurate account of this man and his relationships to the men around him and his world. Being a product of the Mississippi Delta, I can see Holt Collier in the deep bayou's of the old Delta, hunting the bears. I admire the writer's style in his ability to place me there beside Holt all along the way in this book. There, in the realities of Holt's world, the reader walks his paths, thinks his thoughts, and feels the anger he feels.

Finally I would like to thank Mr. Buchanan for this effort and look forward to seeing more of his work in the future.

This is a wonderful book. I constantly use it as a reference and keep meaning to bring it with me when I go to the nursery. (Otherwise I come home with plants like Larkspur, which look beautiful now, but might not make it through the winter.) It is divided into three sections. The first, Portfolios of Designs is full of plans for every location, sun or shade. The Guide to Installaton shows you how to do everything from making wooden planters, building a retaining wall, creating paths and walkways, to installing a pond. The third section, Plant Profiles, gives descriptions and care information for all of the plants in the designs.

I have only one criticism. Cost doesn't appear to be a factor in any of these designs, most call for dozens of plants. It would be nice if they had a few designs for those on a smaller budget.

I have purchased a great many books on this subject and this is far and away the best. Helpful tips on what plants to put in different conditions, settings and combinations, as well as plans to help get you started. I've used it over and over and have given copies to numerous friends.

This book offers everything a gardener in the northeast needs to easily plan, design, plant, and maintain wonderful landscaping.

The bulk of the book offers design plans--photos & drawings of landscaped areas, together with a description of each of the plants shown and a mapped-out grid to assist you in recreating the design in your own garden. Substitute plantings are suggested, and in most places the design is shown as it appears in different seasons. And the designs are DEFINITELY not difficult to follow! So many gardening books offer plans that I couldn't hope to recreate--this book stands out for its ease of use.

Examples of the twenty-three different designs: 1) Enclosing a patio with foliage & flowers; 2) creating a welcoming walkway to your front door; 3) enhancing your curbside strip; 4) using a two-tier garden to replace a short slope; 5) creating a no-mow slope; 6) creating a shady hideaway; and 7) fitting a formal garden into your backyard.

I planted one of their designs myself--"A Neighborly Corner." I was worried about how to define the corner lot line of my odd-shaped lot, especially since I live in a neighborhood with few fences and no obvious divisions between properties. My next-door neighbors love what I did, and several others have stopped to ask what the various plants are so they can try them in their own gardens.

Even if you don't have large areas to plant, but merely want to fill in holes in your garden or improve the overall look of your property, this book is wonderful. The last 25 pages of the book consist of plant profiles, all of which work wonderfully in the chilly northeast. And there are several sections on designing walkways, building trellises, planting basics, etc.

I found this book to be well worth the price, and several of my neighbors have gone out to buy their own copies after borrowing mine. I've used it over and over and recommend it without hesitation.

This book is a good source for midwest-specific plantings and landscape ideas. I found I didn't have to look up the growing zones of plants I found interesting, wondering "Would this plant grow well around here?"

I also enjoy the overall friendly tone of the text. Some other books of this type that I own are written in a stuffy, almost highbrow manner.

The only thing I would have liked to have seen more of in this book is more actual photographs of the landscapes. There are many photos of the featured plants, but the book relies heavily on artwork for the landscape design images.

This book is a tremendous resource for landscaping in the midwest. It provides great ideas for landscaping for different seasons, conditions, and locations. Most of the recommended varieties of plants are easy to find at your local nursery which has always been a problem with other books I have used. The pictures and drawings really provide extreme value when trying to picture how plants will look together. It has already given me enumerous great ideas and suggestions.

A big problem I've had with gardening books is that they so often cover areas with different climates (such as the wet Pacific Northwest) than that which I have to face here in the American Midwest. This book, however, has shown itself to be an excellent resource!

It starts out with a portfolio of 23 designs, giving the reader excellent advice on appearance and what plants to use, complete with color pictures, and a sample graph paper design. After that, it has step-by-step instructions (again with great color illustrations) on building projects, such as sidewalks, walls, patios and so much more. The final part of the book is a series of plant profiles that looks at garden plants and their needs.

So, just to make everything perfectly clear, I loved this book, and highly recommend it to every gardener in the American Midwest!

"The challenge to Conservatives today is quite simply to demonstrate the bearing of a proven philosophy on the problems of our own time," notes Barry Goldwater in his introduction. The problems from 1960 that Mr. Goldwater chose as topics for his book were: States' Rights, Civil Rights, Freedom for the Farmer, Freedom for Labor, Taxes and Spending, The Welfare State, Education and the Soviet Menace.

His thoughts later became political gospel for conservative activists and a measuring stick against which politicians were held to see if they were truly conservative. One such prominent conservative activist, Phyllis Schlafly, stated: "It is hard to overestimate the importance of Barry Goldwater to the conservative movement. If there hadn't been a Barry Goldwater, there wouldn't have been a Ronald Reagan."

A closer look at what Mr. Goldwater wrote in 1960 convinces one that he would still have plenty to say today. His barbs would target both Democrats and Republicans. Perhaps it's discovering the barbs he would have tossed at today's Republicans that makes reading this book full of surprises.

States' rights formed a cornerstone to Barry Goldwater's conservative thought. Although the States' rights to permit slavery were ended by war and constitutional amendment, Goldwater saw no such restrictions on a state's right to keep racially segregated schools. Simply put: "no powers regarding education were given the federal government" and "it has never been seriously argued ... that the authors of the Fourteenth Amendment intended to alter the Constitutional scheme with regard to education. ... I therefore support all efforts by the States ... to preserve their rightful powers over education." (p.35) The Bush Administration supports a court challenge to the University of Michigan's policy of giving African Americans racial preferences in admissions. Mr. Goldwater would shout "NO" to this interference. You can't have it both ways: supporting States' rights when they result in segregated schools, and opposing them when they result in greater African American enrolments.

Goldwater further proclaimed: "federal intervention in education is unconstitutional" and "the alleged need for federal funds (for education) has never been convincingly demonstrated." (p. 79) It's doubtful if Barry Goldwater would have supported the Bush Administration's much touted educational initiative, the "No Child Left Behind Act," which involves the federal government in policy-making and funding.

Forty years ago Barry Goldwater led the conservative attack on federal tax and related spending policies. Faced with the Bush Administration's tax cuts and its disregard for ensuing deficits, Barry would be fuming. He wrote: "While there is something to be said for the proposition that spending will never be reduced so long as there is money in the federal treasury, I believe that as a practical matter spending cuts must come before tax cuts. If we reduce taxes before firm, principled decisions are made about expenditures, we will court deficit spending and the inflationary effects that invariably follow." (p. 65)

Finally, Goldwater called for "prompt and final termination of the farm subsidy program." (p. 43) He considered it unconstitutional. Last May President Bush boosted U.S. crop and dairy subsidies by 67 percent by signing a $51.7 billion farm law.

Mr. Goldwater's analysis of the Soviet menace also makes fascinating reading in our post-Soviet world.

First, he opposed the U.S. halt to nuclear testing. Tests were "needed to develop tactical nuclear weapons for possible use in limited wars" (p. 112). Barry Goldwater believed that limited nuclear wars were almost inevitable, for they provided our only answer to superior Communist conventional military power. Moreover, the U.S. government was tricked into halting tests. "Our government was originally pushed into suspending tests by Communist-induced hysteria on the subject of radio-active fallout." (p.113). I'm sure Mr. Goldwater would be among the first to rejoice that his worst fears were wrong.

Second, Barry Goldwater opposed our official exchange programs with the Soviet Union, even though they received major support in some Republican circles (Eisenhower, Nixon and Kissenger). Exchanges would lull Americans into accepting Communism and reduce our willingness to make sacrifices to halt Communist expansion. (p.108) I think, however, it can now be argued that these exchange programs played a major role in undermining the Soviet Union by creating a core of internal opposition. Many Soviet citizens who saw the West first hand on official exchanges later risked the "knock on the door" in opposing Communism. They are the unsung individuals who "won" the Cold War. Ironically, Mr. Goldwater's vocal opposition to these exchange programs probably made it easier to gain support for them within the Soviet bureaucracy.

Upon finishing Mr. Goldwater's book, it appears to me that Conservatives are still being challenged to "demonstrate the bearing of a proven philosophy" today, especially to many Republicans. On turning the last page, I was left wondering, if the Bush Administration fails so many of Goldwater's litmus tests for Conservatism, who are the Conservatives today?

Beyond the issues that are presented, beyond the thoughts that are conveyed, this book shows the greatest cause of America and the aim of a any true conservative: to preserve freedom.

Mr. Goldwater showed himself to be a politician who understands government, a kind of politician that would have made Bastiat proud, a politician who sought nothing more than to perpetuate the ideals of the constitution with every vote he casted.

Although some of the issues presented are a bit out of date (i.e. the Soviet Menace), this book has merit beyond time showing how any American ought to develop his or her political thoughts: simply on the platform of freedom.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to extend their political knowledge, or to even begin it.

Don't be fooled by the brevity of this book. Goldwater managed to hit a home run with his synopsis of conservative values. Many of today's conservatives owe their involvement in conservatism to Barry Goldwater. He is a forgotten hero.

Goldwater was derided in the 1980s for turning off social conservatives. Yet, the 1980s revealed Goldwater for what he really was - a libertarian. He was consistent in his belief that government ought not to be involved in our lives in any way, shape, or form. That included our bedrooms as well as our wallets.

He was a visionary who had keen insight on virtually every topic imaginable. Reading his three-decade-old book today is like reading yesterday's news. It is still pertinent and applicable. And there is still much to be learned from what he said and did.

No conservative can possibly go without reading this book. It is historical - a building block towards the Reagan 80s and the GOP Congress 90s. It belongs on the shelf of every political scientist (or junkie) as a reference on the conservative governing philosophy.

This is not only a great rock biography, but a great biography period. Though most "rock stars" seek the spotlight, Roy avoided it. Yet Carson has managed to get closer to who he was than most bio writers get to their subjects, who give the public a persona but hide themselves more cleverly than R. B. This book is of interest to Roy fans, rock or country guitar afficianados, anyone interested in the early history of white rock and roll and anyone interested in exploring the world of a conflicted genius. Carson spends important time describing the early days of Buchanan in small town California. This is much more than the usual cursory treatment, for the seeds of who he became were rooted there. Carson makes few judgements, and lets Roy's friends and fellow players provide much of the insight. In many ways a sad story, but not maudlin. Although you wish it could have turned out differently, maybe it could not have. Buchanan was a man who had a chance at what we call everything, and turned it down to play his own music his own way. Was he a tragic figure or a hero? Read this book and decide for yourself.

I'm a huge fan of Roy Buchanan, so no doubt I was excited when I heard about this full-length biography. Despite the fact that Roy was the most talented of the guitar virtuosos of our time, his music remained largely unknown for the general audience. And even for a hardcore fans, little was known about Roy's life and background.

The author Phil Carson concentrates on the musician Roy Buchanan. He has done a throughout research work on Roy's early influences, as well as interviewed and collected other musicians experiences with Roy. Despite being a fan, the author manages to give us an objective, and also a critical view of Roy's work. The numerous anecdotes given in the book lighten up the story.

This is essential book not only for those specifically interested in Roy Buchanan and his music, but also for guitar players in general as Roy's guitars and techniques are presented.

And while reading it be sure you have some of Roy's music in your stereo!

At long last comes a book that, for the first time, gives a detailed look into the life and music of this gifted (and largely unheralded) guitarist.

Even those unfamiliar with Roy's particular genius will find "American Axe" a fascinating chronicle. The book provides not only insight into Roy's early influences but gives an historical perspective to the very beginnings of rock and roll itself. You get a real feel for what life on the club circuit was like for the journeyman musician in the 50's and 60's.

Phil Carson has obviously taken great pains to garner first-hand accounts about Roy from family, friends and musical colleagues in order to piece together some understanding of what made Roy tick as accurately and fairly as possible. Roy was generally media-shy so there are many eye-opening revelations here.

I couldn't make a higher recommendation for this book. It is a much overdue and welcome addition to the Roy Buchanan fan's collection.

We are a culture that discourages mothers from discussing their doubts, insecurities, fears, and failures as mothers. We want motherhood to seem ordinary, not extraordinary. But to see the heroism in motherhood, we must explode the myth that it is easy and ordinary by acknowledging the dark elements that are part of the whole experience of motherhood. Heroes are recognized as heroic because they do what is difficult, because they venture into the darkness. We need to reveal motherhood in all its shades to counteract what we see in mainstream magazines. Articles like "10 ways to lose the baby weight" and "5 Steps to Making Time for Yourself" trivialize the intense, life-altering heroic adventure that is motherhood. Motherhood is subject worthy of more complex treatment, worthy, even, of literary discussion. MOTHER SHOCK meets this need. I applaud Andi Buchanan's vision, her honesty, her style, and her heroism.

The book is based on an analogy between mother shock and culture shock, which plays out beautifully in the four part structure, with each chapter representing a different stage of mother shock: mother love; mother shock; mother tongue; and mother land. The author defines "mother love" as a honeymoon stage of maternal bliss, "where the newness of the experience is exciting rather than overwhelming." Mother shock, in contrast, is a period when lack of sleep, missing cultural cues, shaky confidence, and unmet expectations combine to create crisis, even postpartum depression. Mother tongue describes a time when mothers become more "acclimated to the routine of living with an infant" and learn to "speak the language." Finally, mother land tells of adjustment to the new role of mother. The journey is worth following.

MOTHER SHOCK is not written in memoir style; rather the individual essays draw from ideas germinated in Buchanan widely syndicated web column, "The Dark Side" on her web site, ... . Quotes and definitions at the beginning of each section set the stage for what follows, and the essays are nicely selected to fit each description. I especially liked that the author didn't stick to chronology. I gained a broader sense of her development as a mother from grouping essays from different time periods together. It made each chapter seem less driven by a "thesis"--to prove this stage of development--and more by a common connecting thread, loosely woven.

In addition, the style is clean, tight, and direct. The pacing is quick, and moves the reader along with grace. The alternating uses of pathos and humor kept me guessing and intrigued, laughing as well as crying. The changes in format, some pieces written in journal style (aka Anne Lamontt), some as lighter, more humorous essays, and some as deeper, more philosophical reflections, helped give the book variety, like a well-made quilt, with parts that harmonize with the whole. The depth of intelligence and insight, too, set this book apart, making it an antidote to the few, careful, personal narrative essays that make it into mainstream magazines in which a mother must face some small failing in herself but in the end, only become a better mother for it. I respect the essays in the book while I don't the ones I read in mainstream magazines because they allow for ambiguity, ambivalence, and complexity. All is not neatly packaged, wrapped up, and prettied up, which makes these essays more literary than journalistic.

Alicia Ostriker says in "A Wild Surmise: Motherhood and Poetry" that "If [we] believe that the activities of motherhood are trivial, tangential to main issues of life, irrelevant to the great themes of literature, [we] should untrain [ourselves]. The training is misogynist, it protects and perpetuates systems of thought and feeling which prefer violence and death to love and birth, and it is a lie." Buchanan debunks the myth that a mother's life is tangential to larger social issues affecting society. She shows us that there are no separate spheres, where mothers and children live protected and safe from the big, bad world. In particular, her essay, "Changed World" explores life as a mother after the events of September 11th, 2001, and "Forgetting" discusses the fear a mother feels as she faces the thought of her child's death. In "The Concert" and "Piano Lessons," Buchanan links motherhood to her career as a professional musician. Buchanan's exploration of the common creative connection in making music and raising children caught my attention as one of the better discussions of the similarities between mothering and art I've seen. In "Zen Mom, Beginner Mom" she shows how the practice of Zen helps and parallels motherhood. Throughout the book, she shows a woman engaged with the great themes of literature through her work as a mother.

I also appreciated the bold honesty with which the author addresses her early desire to suddenly return to her old life without baby in "Giving Birth to Ambivalence." Mothers need to hear this and need to talk about it. Like a good friend who speaks only in truths, MOTHER SHOCK drew me in and offered me a cup of coffee. I felt that I got to sit at the big table with all the other moms, talking of grown up woman things.

Yet, all is not serious. In fact, one of the delights of this book is its humor. "Loving Every (Other) Minute of It" includes a delightful list of what mothers don't love about being mothers. Each line starts with, "I don't love every minute of" and goes to on include such activities as watching Elmo, getting sleep interrupted, doing laundry, singing the Barney song, and picking up blocks. In "I am an Idiot," the author describes her attempt to take her baby to a business lunch meeting, which ended up with "general freaking out and ketchup-flinging on Emi's part and near tears on mine." "A Fine Mess" takes on a study that says higher achieving children come from cleaner homes. And "Fear of the Double Stroller" pokes fun at the author's fear of her work load doubling with another child. All address serious subjects with a lightness of touch that is refreshing and laugh inducing.

Since I became a mother of an active toddler, I don't often find books I can't put down, but I found myself running after my little Sarah with this book in hand. Thank you, Andrea Buchanan for this much-needed book that shows that motherhood can be the subject of literature.

Seldom has a young mother dared to express hereself in the courageous, poignant and most of all -- honest way that Andrea J. Buchahan has done by presenting us with her wonderful collection of essays in her inventive and resourseful new book she so astutely calls: "Mother Shock: Loving Every (Other) Minute Of It." This informative guide explores the light and dark sides of this all too often rocky road. With each page we hold our breaths and cross our fingers as Andrea dangles her toe in murky waters (and not just the baby's bath). Her words are like a warm fuzzy blanket, sure to make any new mother feel comforted.

Being the mother of two grown children and a new grandmother, I only wish this book would have been on a parenting book shelf thirty-six years ago when I too was a frightened and inexperienced young parent. This sweet collection of words of wisdom is sure to satisfy and soothe the ruffled feathers of any woman who may have doubts about herself as she takes on her new role called - Mother!

I am so happy I found this book. I have 3 small children and often stressed out, exhausted, etc. I am hardly the perfect, happy, energize mother that I imagined I would be. I am so happy to hear another mother talk about the "dark side" of mothering. It lets me know I am not alone and there isn't something "wrong" with me. I have 2 upcoming baby showers, and I'll be giving this book as a gift. I think it's like being able to tell them how I feel, but more of a fun read than I could come up with myself. I definitely recommend this book to all mothers and mothers-to-be.

You will laugh, cry and be confused when you read this book. This book can teach you that what you think is good is not always good.

There is a boy named Peter Pan. He sprinkles fairy dust in Wendy and her two brothers. Then he shows them how to fly. He takes them to Neverland and shows them to the Lost Boys who live there. Wendy becomes their mother. She makes up rules, like any other mother would do. The boys have to follow these rules. Everything was fine until Captain Hook came with his crew to where the boys and Wendy were. While Wendy and the boys were at the lagoon, where they go every day after dinner, they see a girl named Tiger Lily, princess of her tribe. She was captured by Smee, one of Captain Hook's men. Then Peter saved her. A few days later Wendy and the boys were on their way to Wendy's house when they too were all captured by Captain Hook. Then Peter saves them. Then the lost boys, Wendy and her brothers go home. All except for Peter.

It is mostly about what the people in the book think is right with childhood. The kids in the book think that if you grow up it is bad, but in our case it is actually good.

Peter Pan is a violent book not really made for children under the age of 10 but people 10 and up can read it. It is violent because of the language that is spoken and the idea that killing could be fun. Also, the vocabulary is very difficult for children under 10 to understand. Even if you're older it is difficult to understand.

Overall, it is a good book but watch out for the violent ideas if you are reading it to little children.

When talking of literature, people tend to look solely at books they read today but forget what they used to read, namely the ones we read as children. It is a common misunderstanding that children's literature is to be read by children and children only, but when we come to think of it, which one of us are not children, at least in our hearts?

One of the best books any child, young or old, can read is Barrie's Peter Pan. Although written in the past century, it has something for any generation at any time. Its humorous views at the world from a child's mind left me rolling over the floor, laughing; the exciting storyline kept me busy with reading until the end; and the serious undertone made me think of whether the world wouldn't be a better place if we realised that deep down, however deep, we are in fact all children. So if YOU are a child, which you most certainly are, get yourself a copy and enjoy your ongoing childhood.

This is an utterly charming work. It has been retold myriad times, but nobody else has done it as well as the original teller, J. M. Barrie.

It's difficult to know what to say about a book like this... everybody knows the story. But I guess that unless you've read this book (not just seen a movie or read a retelling), you don't really know the character Peter Pan, and without knowing the character, you don't really know the story. So read it.

By the way, if you enjoy this, you probably would also like "Sentimental Tommy" and its sequel "Tommy and Grizel", both by Barrie. There are differences (for one thing they're not fantasy), but there are also compelling similarities. Anybody who found Peter Pan a deep and slightly bittersweet book would be sure to enjoy them.

-Stephen