This book was one of my absolute favorites as a child. The rhyming verse makes it very fun to read aloud. The story is just fascinating to young children. I'll have to buy a new copy to replace the tattered one from my childhood! I was very relieved to find that it was still in print, it really is a wonderful children's book.

My mother recently saw this book at a yard sale and remembered it was one of my favorites. Now at 29 I read it to my stepson , who is 2 1/2, everytime he visits, and he loves it as well. Each time I get to "And they had a feast for a hundred weeks" it fills me with a sense of well being. The illustrations are wonderful - each page is like a story of its own, with new things for children to discover each time the book is opened.

THE GIANT JAM SANDWICH was one of my favorite illustrated stories when I was a kid. I remember in first and second grade listening to this story at story time in the library. This book was one of those rare books that every kid in the class sat still for because we loved it so much and didn't want to miss one word or not be able to see one of the pictures. The story is rather simple; basically a town is over run by wasps and in order to get rid of the pesky insects, they build a giant jam sandwich. However, the original rhyming pattern adds a touch of flare to the story. Also, the illustrations are a pure joy to look at. This is a great book that most children will enjoy. But be forewarned, it's a book kids might want you to read over and over and over again.

I have been a fan of Janis Ian since the beginning. This album breaks new ground both for her and her genre. Every song is a gem, filled with beautiful, heart-rending poetry & wonderful sounds. It puts everything else she's done to shame. It is also perhaps the best sounding CD (prior to the advent of SACD) that I have ever heard! If you have even the slightest inkling that you might like it, BUY IT!

This recording would have to be included in a short list of essential Janis Ian recordings. Ian's low key impassioned singing and exquisite guitar playing add to a sense of drama to the proceedings. For those who felt she couldn't match the music of her CBS years, the recording will change their minds. The regular CD release is good, but the gold CD is a sonic treat. The music has more of a live presence-you can actually hear the decaying notes of the guitar and piano. The songwriting collaborations are good, but the standout songs are the songs written by Ian alone.

This is a wonderful recording, both musically and sonically. In particular, the song "Breaking Silence" is a good piece to test audio equipment. I'd recommend this CD for anyone who likes Patrica Barber and Diana Krall.

This book is absolutely incredible. It is a must read for any American citizen. It should be required reading for all school children. Although I knew who Rickenbacker was, I had no idea he was THIS influential to the development of America as we know it today. What is amazing are his predictions for the future in the last chapter. Published in 1967, many of them are bulls-eye accurate for today. Simply awesome.

Mr. Rickenbacker was always ahead of his time. The pity is that those who can see and plan for the future are never listened to by those who are supposed to be the leaders of this country.

If only Eddie and Billy Mitchell had been listened to right after WWI the Second World War might never have taken place.

The intense supidity of Franklin Roosevelt comes through, throughout this book. Just think, this country sent plutonium to Russia so that they could develop their own Atomic Bomb to wipe out the U.S. and no one even tried to stop the shipments.

Those in the leadership roles of this country very rarily look to the future. Visionaries seem to be continuously scoffed at, but still heroes like Eddie Rickenbacker come forward.

Eddie Rickenbocker has been, is and always will be one of the greatest heroes this country has ever produced.

Eddie Rickenbacker is what "The American Dream" is all about! His book should make anyone proud to be an American and should be required reading by all High School Seniors.

I wish that we could have had Mr Rickenbacker in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam Era. I know he would have brought a lot more of our men and women home alive!

This is a great book written by a great person!

Read It!

I may have hated Ben Franklin's autobiography, but by loving this book so much it proves I have nothing against autobiograhies. I guess because you hear of Franklin so much and he lived so long ago you'd expect him to tell you something worth hearing. EVR, on the other hand, I had never heard of before reading the book so I had no expectations whatsoever. Ed lived an incredible life and even if only half of the book was true the same could be said(some of the stuff he tells about is so fantastic that it sounds like it can;t possibly be true - like survivin in a raft in the middle of the ocean in the midst of WWII with no food or water for a month and living to tell about it.) The best part was early on when he flew in WWI. Some of his finncial whellings and dealings seem irrelevant, but they can be skimmed with no loss to the story. His rise to success while remaining basically a normal person is pretty inspirational. A must read.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up the debut novel by new author Olympia Vernon. The title suggested to me that I was beginning a story about the concept of Eden, a place where old age ceases, evil is nonexistent, and a place of abundance. Quite the opposite was true.

Maddy Dangerfield, a fourteen-year old with the weight of the world on her shoulders, lives in a place that defies Eden and all of its niceties. Maddy's mother, Faye, sends her to care for her Aunt Pip, Mama Faye's outcast sister. Pip suffers from breast cancer and the loss of her breast. Maddy learns much from Pip, and this stop in her journey to adulthood takes on an important role.

There was a strong theme of missing pieces in the novel, beginning with Maddy's father Chevrolet, who was missing his arm, and ending with Maddy herself, and all of the losses she incurred. The writing spoke to me in hushed voices, Vernon allowing her words and lyricism to come to the forefront. You won't find a largely plot-driven novel in Eden, as the author allows focus to remain on her characters and their losses. A symbolic tale of coming of age and coming to grips, this was a fantastic debut...

While reading Eden, I could hear Olympia Vernon's voice through her style, tuning every word like an instrument. I see strength in these characters. It is what they find their strength in that is different; this is a place that haunts them, hurts them or may heal them. Each character needs to find strength just to get by in their life walk. We can spy on them through Maddy; she is in the midst of adolescence, finding her own areas of strength to get by. She is growing up by visualizing and feeling the gut revelations that we all learn from family. Through watching the lives of those around her, Maddy sees that love, strength and truth do not always exist together in the same places. It is such a real to life revelation how family teaches us disappointment. There is also a strong sense of longing throughout Eden. Pip displays this longing. I love her name; it is like a flashback to how she used to be lively and exciting. She was once a free spirited beauty who found her strength in men. This caused her to betray her own sister Faye, and so she must live and die as an outcast from her family. What was once strength in her life cheated her by giving her loneliness. Mama Faye finds her strength in Jesus. This helps her function as a savior to her family. She needs His strength to overcome her husband's ways and heal the past hurt of betrayal. Chevrolet seems to find his strength in avoiding mama's Jesus. He gets messed up in the Jesus of the world, who seems to always be after him. He gambles with Jesus so much that his life is always on the line. Eden is a peek into rural southern living, filled with mystery and anticipation.

Olympia Vernon has certainly marked her space on the map with Eden. The entire book sings like music. Every line, every chapter is indelible--like an ongoing paean that praises and celebrates life, love, loss, forgiveness, death, God, pain, nature, disease and the awe of body--the physical journeys it takes. I found the language as bare-boned as Hemingway. Quick, clean, sharp and vivid. Even cancer resonates as a "character" in the novel. I was enamored with the simplest "sharing" in the book and that was Maddy. Though a rift eases in between two sisters, Faye and Aunt Pip, the child is still allowed to go to her aunt. Could that in some manner be a gesture of forgiveness? The one and only frail part about the novel is plot. However, the characters, structure, language, magical-realism and overall theme of the work deems it all the more rich. I hope this young author continues to contribute good, qualified, "seriously imaginative" literature to the African-American canon. I think she will keep the map strong. Highly recommended!!

The Mystic Path to Cosmic Power is en excellent starting point if you are ready to begin your own, personal spiritual journey. Vernon Howard avoids an ego-pleasing, erudite, overly philosophical approach, instead offering an extremely practical guide: the beginning steps to self-enlightenment. Taking as a basis that we are all living in a kind of psychic sleep, he offers practical techniques to 'wake up'.

For those who have already done a significant amount of spiritual reading, Howard's approach may seem 'populistic', but his dichotomy between the 'true self' and the 'false self' is misleadingly simple. In fact, he has distilled a very powerful thought system that is easy to understand for those who have little experience in spiritual matters but are looking for a better way of life, but that is also very much worth considering for those already well on their way.

I first ran across this book when I was in College back in the late sixties. I walked into The San Jose Book Shop near San Jose State University and on a whim told the kindly, old gentleman that I would buy any one book in the store that he recommended. Without hesitation he handed me a copy of The Mystic Path to Cosmic Power by Vernon Howard. The title seemed a bit strange, but I had given the man my word so I bought it. I read the first chapter and found the book so unsettling that I threw it in the garbage. About six months later I decided that my mind was a bit too cluttered with repetitive thoughts and decided I would give the book another try. This time I bought it and found it just as unsettling as before. But this time I was a bit smarter and only threw it in the bottom of my closet. About six months went by until I again decided to give it another try. This time I only had to dig it out of my closet to begin reading. This time the book made perfect sense. Every word was golden! In other words I was now ready for the inspiring and uplifting message it contained. Over these many years I have worn out many copies from overuse. This book was a real stepping stone for me and I would not be the person I am today if this book had not opened my eyes to the spiritual purpose behind our everyday life. Now is this book the last word in spiritual knowledge? No, of course not. But it is a heck of a beginning! Those who read this book and apply its teaching with dedication in their daily lives will, by doing so, open themselves to further spiritual guidance. I recommend this book highly and I hope that many people will be inspired to read it based upon my review.

The title might seem odd but don't miss this one! For those looking into the meaning of life and themselves, I haven't come across a book so helpful,enjoyable nor easier to read than this one. God bless Mr. Vernon for lighting the path to the truth of why we are here and how we can enjoy our lives during the trip. Each re-reading is a new experience!

This book is very informative, whether you are an officer, investigator, or just planning to enter the field. The book tells about different types of homicides, and different ways to solve the cases. It has taught me alot of different ways to approach the suspects, and different things to look for in the cases. It has also taught me different ways of investigating cases, and finding out if the cases are actually homicides, accidents, or suicides. It is very helpful for anyone that is thinking of going into the field, or even the people that are already in the field of homicide investigation.

Being in law enforcement and involved in homicide investigations, I have found the contents of this book relevant to modern day homicide investigations. Even though each case presented and some of the techniques used are now outdated, this book overall is a very good source of information on homicide investigations. If you are involved in any aspect of homicide investigation, this book is highly recommended

This book is a must for any law enforcement professional.It is graphic, with a number of color and black & white photos. It should be used during the "Investigations" section of the police academy. I feel this would give cadets a better understanding of not only homicide investigation, but investigation in general.

J. Vernon McGee is the only radio Bible teacher that I know of who consistantly pointed his listeners/students to the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ no matter which page of Scripture he was teaching from. The Lord Jesus Christ is always brought to the front and center of his teaching.
He was definitely gifted by God to teach from the Bible. He taught me how to interpret Scripture correctly by comparing Scripture with Scripture. The Spirit of God worked through J. Vernon McGee to lead me to saving faith in God our Saviour, and to turn me from the religion of Lutheranism (i.e., law and "gospel") that kept me from receiving God's GIFT of grace by faith alone, in Christ alone completely. Amen!

Dr. McGee had a saying that went something like this: "Put the cookies on the bottom shelf so that the kiddies can reach them." That was his approach to teaching the Word of God. He taught in a way that was able to be understood by every day, common people. Adults, as well as children, can become strong in their knowledge of the Word of God through the systematic teaching of Dr. McGee.

The only thing that I disagree with him on is when he would stray from the Authorized King James Version in favor of the "better"/corrupt manuscripts. Overall, his teaching is mostly taught from the Authorized Version.

When either listening or reading his program/commentary it is as if you are one-on-one with him. You will also discover that he has great sense of humor.

I have the five volume set and recommend that if you are looking for good solid Bible teaching, this is a good eternal investment.

I have owned and read Dr. McGee's 5 volume set of commentaries for over 15 years now and highly recommend them. Dr. McGee has a way of taking complex teachings of Scripture and simplifying them so that they are easy to grasp. He takes the "cookies and puts them on the bottom shelf so that the kiddies can get to them" as opposed to some Bible teachers who complicate the Bible's teachings with high sounding talk. One way that Dr. McGee clarifies issues is by using homely illustrations to explain his point. He never loses sight of God's redemptive theme which runs from Genesis to Revelation. He also points out how OT and NT books complement/explain, etc. each other: i.e., Genesis and Matthew; Leviticus and Hebrews; Joshua and Ephesians; Revelation and Daniel, etc. These commentaries are well the worth the dollar and time investment.

I had given my mother a copy of Talk Thru the Bible (my choice as a textbook for either O.T. or N.T. survey) as a guide to accompany her first straight through reading of the Bible. To my delight, afterwards, she asked me what would be a good commentary to use to further explore biblical themes and expand upon what she had already learned. I ordered her the five volume Thru the Bible commentary with the Topical Index taken from J. Vernon McGee's radio program to compliment her further studies.

While I don't always agree with McGee's tendency of hanging his own thoughts and commentary on a verse when not necessary, or his inclusion of Reformed dogmatics by way of presumption; more often than not I agree with the highlights of his message. I like the fact that he spent his time boiling down abstract ideas and doctrines by illustrating them through solid biblical theology in narrative tone that brings the Bible to life so that the reader can easily grasp and apply biblical themes in their own walk with the Lord. I also like the fact that McGee tends to engage popular pitfalls and misconceptions of understanding the Scriptures by frequently teaching why such assumptions fail before the whole council of our Lord. Though he clearly states that his intended audience was the layman, his commentary often exhibits surprising depth as McGee often illustrates key points in biblical typology, or the by pursuit of other rabbit trails which greatly enhance the readers understanding of the relationships between the Old and the New Testaments. Of further benefit, there is a sixth book available for this commentary that allows you to quickly look up specific topics quickly (Thru the Bible Topical Index). With the inclusion of this help, McGee's commentary can be obliged the double service of acting as a quick reference or a Thompson Chained Reference on steroids. This will save you the time and trouble involved with the tried and true "Sears Roebuck Catalog" flipping method of looking things up oftentimes employed with other commentaries when what you are looking for cannot be found by chapter and verse. In short, McGee's Thru the Bible is a neat commentary. It seems that others also agree with my assessment.

This book was my introduction to the spiritual life. A friend gave it to me--with some trepidation, not knowing how I'd take it--but to her relief, I was completely won over. I GOT it. Now that I've read more sophisticated books, Vernon Howard might not speak to me so deeply. But if you know someone who is spinning their wheels, who could lead a more powerful life if they were just shown the way, this is the book to give them. It is simple, easy-to-read, and it works.

If you are new to the ancient wisdom about which Vernon Howard writes, then your decision to read his writings may be THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION you will ever make. You have stumbled upon a source of wisdom that will ACTUALLY begin to transform your life and your experience of it.

If you're the kind of person who suspects that there's something very important that has yet to be understood about this life of ours, then you will most likely treasure this book for the rest of your life.

It's now been about 6 years since I came across this book, and I owe Mr. Howard such an unpayable debt of gratitude. I used to walk around throughout my day with a kind of unsettled, simmering anxiety (not to mention facing the major crises every once in a while that we are all accustomed to experiencing). I couldn't tell what exactly it was about, and I was an expert at hiding it, but it was there day, after day, after day.

This book has ACTUALLY changed all that. The curious thing is that I couldn't possibly tell you when or where a part of me changed, all I know is that something is fantastically different thanks to the life-saving wisdom in Mr. Howards writings.

The change has been much like moving from black-and-white TV to color! The beauty of life is back! Now, am I a fancy-shmancy spiritually enlightened man who "has arrived"? Well, I don't think so because I know there's still lots of work to be done. But what I DO know is that for those of us who have lost touch with the "sweetness" of life, there is an ACTUAL, REAL, LIVING WISDOM that will help you to rediscover it. I guarantee it!

I wish I could be there to give you whatever reassurance you need to order this book. I say this because very few people have the good fortune of stumbling upon the very thing that their heart calls out for... but right now, for whatever the reasons, you're one of them. I hope you will give it a try.

Take care...

I believe this is the best book that I have ever read. I can't express in words how much benefit I have received from this treasure. Vernon Howard is the best kept secret in the world. Any Vernon Howard book is 5 stars++.

The Last Suppers captured my attention immediately and I read it cover to cover in less than four hours. I simply could not put it down. This book covers famous final meals from death row and it is stuffed full of fascinating details about everything from who ate what (and why, in some cases) to what landed them on death row. Even more amazing than the sheer size of some of the meals are the jailhouse recipes in mammoth proportions and the fabulous sense of humor that the authors use to deliver the dirt on death row. Even though the crimes that these criminals committed were heinous, the authors relate the facts with grace, humor and objectivity, keeping the reader interested and turning pages. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone with a sense of humor and looking for a great chili recipe for a LARGE family!

Such fun reading this was! I have never thought much about the final meals of the people on death row before. It was truly fascinating to read of their journey to that place in their lives..then to see just what they picked to end it with!

I really enjoyed the style of writing...it made me want more. Let's have even more receipes if there's a Last Suppers II!

I have to admit I was somewhat skeptical about "Last Suppers" before I read it, just because...well, it is a book about inmates' last meals! But once I started reading it, I could not put it down until I had read it all. It is about meals, all right, but there is much more to this book than that. In a very unusual way, it deals with the controversy, created by a strictly American phenomena - the death penalty. And this makes "Last Suppers" quite an interesting reading both to Americans and people like me, who come from countries which have abolished the death penalty. The writing by Treadwell and Vernon, and the design of the book are very good. I strongly recommend reading "Last Suppers" - it is worth it.

I've been reading this book since before I had surgery last week and am going to give the diet a try. The explanations of unbalanced hormones and lack of certain vitamins/minerals causing my symptoms and horrific PMS make alot of sense. I dropped out of biology in college because it seemed to be over my head, but this book explained body chemistry and cell production in a way that I can relate. Through the nutritional advice in this book, I am hoping to get pregnant and not have to have surgery again.

After reading this book I gained such clarity of understanding of this awful and painful disease. Any woman or teenager that suffers from Endo must read this book! The book teaches you first how the immune, reproductive, and digestive systems, all work together and depend on eachother and then how endometriosis disrupts (to put it mildly) their special balance. The book then walks you through how nutrition (through supplements and food) plays such an important role in maintaining our system's balance and in healing. We can heal ourselves! And through testimonials in the book, you will see how women have changed their lives. Whatever your goal may be, to be pain-free or to achieve and maintain a pregnancy, this book will help you. Because of this book, two weeks ago I have begun to change my diet and already I have noticed a difference. The information provided in this book is invaluable.

I found this book to be an excellent reference for women with endo trying to heal through nutrition. The authors explain how the biochemical pathways and cellular functions are affected by the nutrients that we need. They also explain the how certain compunds in foods we eat can be harmful and adversely affect the normal cell function. There is a section in the end that explains each nutrient, and they even provide some recipes as a starting point for changing your diet.