LOVE AND POWER If you feel a little lost in this land of hopelessness, LOVE AND POWER, is the book for you. I found it to be a guide to a lost heart. Of course, the Holy Bible is the best in my opinion for a wounded soul. But, LOVE AND POWER is still a wonderful book, one of the best I ever read.

I am new to Lynn Andrews's work but have been told of her for several years. Frankly, to my surprise, I was enthralled with her style and insight. She is very unique and this is a wonderful book. I will definitely start at the beginning of her journey with Medicine Woman.I truly did not know what it was I needed or wanted to make me happy and to have "balance" in my life. The man with everything materially- but nothing spiritually or in love.I can honestly say that this book helped guide me to see what was attainable and now, blissful. Thank you.

Ms. Andews has done it again, but with even more clarity and insight this time! Fabulous, I'm giving a copy of this wonderful book to everyone I know for the Holidays!

I read this book 8 years ago on the advice of a friend, and it really is the gem that the other reviewers suggest. Most good books suck you into them so that you form a picture of the people and places involved, but no other book can make them so real as this. I can still walk around Evensford, hear the voices, and see the people. Read it between 17-25 or so when your emotions are learning & developing, and your experiences beggining, you won't be disapointed.

This book has one of the most accurate descriptions of wintertime that I have ever read. It's a beautiful book that should not be read quickly-- one should savor it rather, because every sentence is so elegantly crafted that you practically want to memorize it. It's one of the few books I always have with me.

HE Bates is one of the most under-rated authors of the Century and this book is his masterpiece. It is the story of the love of a young man for the beautiful Lydia, and how their love has painful and tragic consequences for them both and their friends. It is a story of warmth, love lost and love found, of growing up, of rejection and hope. HE Bates had a profound love for the countryside and it shines through in the detail of his narrative. A few books teach you more and more each time you read them: this is one of them.

Talk about a twist and turn of events! My first graders loved this book. It teaches children that being first is not always best. I use it now whenever my first graders fight to be first in line. We all yell out, "Don't be a Pinkerton!" and in a gentle humorous way the "pusher of the line" concedes. It is also a great book for a follow up discussion on homophones. When you read this book, you'll know what I'm talking about. You see, Pinkerton wants to be first when he hears someone offering a "sandwich" but it turns out to be a Sand Witch who makes him realize his selfishness. It is an adorable book and voted one of the top five in my classroom!

Pinkerton the Pig always wants to be first. He is "pink, plump, and pushy". Every day he is always first in line in the school trough-a-teria. One day he goes for a hike with his pig scout troop and hears a distant voice asking, "Who would care for a sandwitch"? Of course Pinkerton wants to be first and he meets a real "Sand Witch" who teaches him the value of taking turns and waiting patiently for your turn. This book is written in a humorous but it can be used to teach children a valuable lesson. Concepts that can be taught are, waiting, taking turns, respect for others, and functioning as part of a team. The use of language is unique and creative which helps to capture and hold young readers as does the humorous illustrations. This is a great book to help teach children appropriate behavior. Also, can be read for fun and enjoyment.

Like all of Lester's books, Me First imparts an important lesson for primary aged children without being preachy or condescending. Her clever use of the English language and humor make it just as enjoyable for the reader as the read-ee!

My 3 and 4 year-olds love this book. The rhymes are very good (not your standard rhymes), the pictures are hysterical and the author manages to sneak in a counting exercise. Some books you get tired of reading but not this one. Finally, the lessons about safety (a not so subtle subtext) are not preachy but funny and to the point. You can't go wrong with this one.

One Monkey Too Many is one of our favorites. It's rhyming verses are flowing and fun to read for both parent and child. The silly pictures will make you laugh! Your child will request this one again and again.

The writing is great but the illustrations make the book. The monkeys are adorable and you can make a game out of discussing them with the kids. Lynn Munsinger has done it again!

Open and Clothed is one of the most interesting, intelligent, funny and unique books I've read in a long time (and I am an avid reader!). It is not only about clothes and fashion, but about the human being wearing the clothes and the dynamics thereof. A person's relationship to clothing is explored in a way that opens the subject in what I think is an unprecendented way. A must read for all who wear clothing!

Every few months I buy a "woman's" magazine or fashion magazine looking for that elusive "something". Within the pages of OPEN and CLOTHED, however, I found it all. This is a book for people who want integrity with their fashion statements, whatever they may be. This book offers insight and support for REAL women (and men), not just wannabe models. Siegel's voice is strong and clear, full of warmth, humor, and above all, a style that never goes out of fashion.

I'm not a passionate clothes lover. My wife got this book. Still I find myself reading it every chance I get. You can open to any page and get fascinating history/anecdote/thought on humans and their clothing and how it might all relate to you. Lots of quotes, lists, questionnaires, ideas, advice, etc. And scholarly endnotes to boot. As a lazy reader who appreciates a quick fix of entertainment/enlightenment I recommend it totally.

"...Patsy is a masterful study of an American master. It's the most meticulously researched and insightful of the three Cline biographies published thus far. Jones captures Cline in all of her vitality and passion, while showing how Cline rose from poverty to stardom."
Steve Neal, Philadelphia Inquirer

"Author Margaret Jones is a virtual unknown, but her book, Patsy, deserves to be the definitive work on the subject. Jones has dug deeper, done more interviews, uncovered more facts, and gotten more history correctly than nearly any book on the market today. Richly detailed, it succeeds both as biography and as a research work on country music of the '50s and early '60s."
Rich Kienzle, Country Music Magazine

"...[Patsy] Cline has never before been the subject of an unflinching, unbiased and, most important, Nashville-apolitical biography. Author Margaret Jones' Patsy: The Life and Times of Patsy Cline is the first portrait of the hillbilly torch singer with real fur on it--the book offers a depth, breadth and height of reality that is both fascinating and repellent." Jonny Whiteside, L.A. Weekly

I've read most of the books out about Patsy Cline and came to the conclusion that this one is the absolute best. It tells everything you'd want to know about her and more. How she decided to make singing her career and how she paid her dues by singing at every country fair and carnival that would have her. Before long her golden voice drew alot of attention, and she was invited to try out on Arthur Godfrey's tv show. Needless to say, Patsy was so well-liked she topped any other competition and won first prize-a recording contract. True music lovers will enjoy reading about how the great Owen Bradley produced and guided her as well as what went on in the studio with Patsy, Owen & her backup band. Patsy was definitely ahead of her time and feared no one. What a tragedy that she only lived to be 31 years old. Her music lives on forever. Highly recommended.

PATSY had me spellbound -- a page-turner from start to finish. Not only does this book reveal more about the woman and the myth that was Patsy Cline, but it is also the best documentation of the birth of modern country music that you can find anywhere. I loved the photos.

The authors map out clear, effective and proven strategies for rewarding parenting in this excellent well-written guide. An imaginative approach was called for when my 16 year old boy Jonathan threatened to barricade himself in his bedroom using just twigs, leaves, and his own spittle and dung, and this guide provided just that. There's nothing wrong with setting parameters, the authors say, just as long as that are not arbitrary or capricious and they are clearly articulated - and for crying out loud why should he be allowed to act like a nesting African Hornbill under my roof?

My daughter is just becoming a teenager, and I am glad I purchased this book at this time. It has helped me to identify my enabling behaviors that maintain her dependence on me. I am now working to empower my daughter to become more independent in her decision making. This book is presented in a very logical format and the suggestions are easily implemented. I have never used punishment as a motivator with my daughter and now feel vindicated in that choice. I encourage parents of teens to get this book for a refreshingly alternative approach to interacting with our teens - treating them like the individuals that they are. Good luck!

I present workshops for parents and teachers of teenagers, in the Los Angeles area. I have researched many books, all of which have valuable information. What makes this book different, is the format. It is easy to look up a problem and find the resolution. Parents and teachers have found it invaluable.Dealing with teenagers can be a trying proposition. They are adults-in-training and need all the guidance and patience we can give them. With the help of this book, I have been successful with the workshop presentations.

From someone working in the school system for the past 15 years, this book, Learning Disibilities and Life Stories, touched me more than any other book on the subject. Reading the personal accounts of former students with LD, they pointed out many shortcomings of our school systems throughout the country. In reading the book, one can hope that we as educators, counselors, psychologists, and parents, will help educate all who are involved in the lives of children, especially those who are crying out for our help in the classroom. Hopefully we are changing the way we look at disabilities of any kind. This book is a constant reminder that if we do not work to help children with these disabilities, we will be losing a generation of potentially contributing adults to society. What a great tribute to these children, who are now educating us on the plight of being lost in our classrooms. I plan to share this book with fellow educators, and parents.

I had to purchase this book for a class on learning disabilities in the classroom. This book is a perfect example of what is right and quite wrong about our educational system, particulary in our special education programs. The autobiographical stories within gave me huanting reminders of my childhood in the public school system. If you have a child in school who feels that they are olone, hand them this book. I also feel that all proffessional educators should read this as well. It gives an insider view that is uncomparable to anything that I have ever read on the subject.

Learning Disabilities & Life Stories

Edited by Pano Rodis, Andrew Garrod & Mary Lynn Boscardin (Allyn & Bacon, 2001; ISBN # 0205320104)

Reviewed by Peg Dawson, NCSP

On a recent flight to France, I sat next to a French physicist, currently living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His specialty was optics and he told me he knew Ansel Adams personally. When he asked what I did for a living, I told him I was a psychologist specializing in children and adults with learning and attention disorders. His reaction, like so many adults outside the fields of education and psychology with whom I converse, was: "Don't you think that young people who claim to have these problems are, in fact, just lazy and unmotivated, and use the labels LD and ADD as an excuse?"

While in France, I began reading the book, Learning Disabilities & Life Stories, and I wished I could have given my friend the French physicist a copy of the book to read. How cavalierly he suggested that learning disorders are really excuses for character flaws. This book is a series of 13 autobiographical narratives written by adult students with learning and attention disorders. Each autobiography is different, yet each is laden with pain - many express anger and triumph as well. I have worked with students with disabilities all my professional life, and I thought I had a grasp on what it means to have a learning disability. After reading this book, I realized that my understanding of learning disabilities has been grounded in a logical-scientific-cognitive world. Students with disabilities view their learning problems through an emotional filter - and no student, it appears, grows up in America with a disability and emerges unscathed from the experience.

I have always viewed with some suspicion the argument that learning disabilities are the creation of a socio-cultural context. I have questioned this argument because I know the students I work with have genuine difficulty reading - or doing math, or paying attention, or remembering things. The point this book makes is that the impact of a disability on a student is powerfully affected by the environment in which that student finds himself or herself.

American students grow up in a world that rewards ambition, personal achievement and competition. The current emphasis on high stakes testing only accentuates this. And it's not just that teachers and parents have this bias - although this can be devastating enough, as several of the essayists in this book attest. Children, too, absorb this message from a very early age. Most of the students writing these essays endured teasing and ridiculing by their peers. And the ones who didn't still managed to learn that they were defective when compared to their classmates. Every contributor to this book had to dig themselves out of a fairly deep hole to get to the point where they could survive in college and write about the experience of growing up with a disability. In fact, a majority of students with disabilities fail to graduate from high school and only a scant 7 percent of them go on to higher education. Bruised as these writers are, they are clearly the survivors!

The book concludes with several essays written by scholars in the fields of education and psychology. While I found the autobiographies themselves the most useful part of this book, the essays by professionals were informative. It was helpful to find the socio-cultural argument amplified. One author described the stages that students with disabilities go through in dealing with their disability, a description that matched my own professional experience. But the enduring lesson I brought away from the book is how absolutely critical it is to view these students as more than a collection of disabilities. Too often, we pay lip service to the need to recognize a child's strengths as well as weaknesses. Think about it: humans develop strong self-concepts by locating and expanding their areas of competence. Robert Kegan, one of the contributing scholars, asks, "How wide a range of a child's endeavors are we willing to respect?" The task of childhood, in Eriksonian terms, is to develop "industry." This same writer states, "If we shrink the respectable 'industrial' arena down to the one domain in which children who have learning disabilities have the most difficulty, we create childhood worlds of pain."

Reading this book has led me to make new resolutions about the way I do my work: Never again (if I ever did before) will I write a psychological report that only lists a child's weaknesses. In every encounter I have with a child with a disability, I will work to identify that child's passions and talents - and to hold up a mirror so that the child - and the child's parents and teachers - can see them and celebrate them, too.

Peg Dawson, Ed.D., NCSP, works at the Center for Learning and Attention Disorders in Portsmouth, NH. She is President-elect of the International School Psychology Association, a past President of NASP and a Contributing Editor to the Communiqué.

I really enjoyed The Moon Lord. This author takes a very overdone storyline and makes it into a very touching romance. I do not want to give the story away, but I will say what I liked. I liked the fact although the hero is out to get revenge on the heroine's brother for a past betrayal, he does not make the heroine pay for her brother's deeds. I also liked the fact that they like more about each other than physical appearance.

All in all, a very well done story.

I really loved 'The moon lord'. All the characters are lovable. The story is set in Medieval. The devastatingly handsome Trancred de Vierzon is known as The moon lord. He is awarded by king Richard the right to take Wynnsef. When he arrives at the estate, Rosamund of Wynnsef tries to resist him because she is bound to be loyal to her brother. She feels guilty that she falls in love with her enemy. This book is a beautifully written tear jerker. (ok, there is a happy ending to it). At first one might think that this book would end in such a heartbreaking way but there is a lighthearted surprise to happily end the story. Ms.Wilhelm depicts what is in their hearts and their feelings so wonderfully that I got swept away with them. Secondary characters also add colors to the story. There is a secondary romance between the two main secondary characters and this helps ease the tension of the story. This book will make you laugh and cry and the characters will have their parts in your heart for a long time.

With her Lord brother away and Wynnsef castle and its holdings under siege by a greedy neighbor, Rosamund Bourton fears that all hope is lost. Then, an unknown army of crusaders appears before her eyes and fights back the offensive forces until they retreat. Rosamund rejoices--Wynnsef is saved! But who is its savior?

Troubadours recount heroic tales of a Moon Lord--Tancred de Vierzon, known for his black armor and silver and black pennon emblazoned with a moon. Having heard these chansons de geste, Rosamund soon realizes the identity of the fearless leader who has saved the castle from destruction. But why would he save Wynnsef?

Now face to face with this stunning warrior, Rosamund is grateful and then shocked when he claims the castle as his own. Adamant that she will keep her castle, she closes the doors to the Moon Lord and raises all defenses. But, in the dark of the night, a black-gloved hand awakens her and bids her to surrender. Captive, she has no choice. Rosamund vows to escape, and when she does, she will win her home back from this arrogant conqueror. But will she win back her heart?

"Deliberately continuing to examine the sword, Rosamund did not look up to meet her captor's gaze. Willing herself not to react to the heavy silence, or the magnetic pull of his attention, she noted that the quillons of the weapon were masterfully wrought to resemble a falcon's wings. Set into the round pommel was an orb of flawlessly clear rock crystal. With a sinking feeling, she realized that this was no ordinary weapon. She had heard it described several times, each in a different chanson de geste. No longer could she deny that this man was indeed Tancred de Vierzon." Terri Lynn Wilhelm, author of A Hidden Magic and Highland Jewel, again dazzles readers with this compelling saga of a woman in fear of losing her home and a man afraid of losing his heart. The Moon Lord shimmers with a captivating storyline and a star-studded lineup of enchanting characters, including the beguiling but tormented Tancred, the stubborn but enthralling Rosamund, King Richard the Lionhearted, a head-strong Abbess, a lustful soon-to-be nun, an enamored Saracen, and a bevy of villains and traitors.

Part of Signet's "Lord of Midnight" series, specially priced at only $3.99, The Moon Lord is a steal! Despite the low price, The Moon Lord is a must-read, and a bargain at even triple the price!

Lynne Remick, Reviewer

Dr. Rampolla is one of my favorite teachers, but i'm not biased at all when it comes to this book. It is really good! It isn't too complicated but it doesn't leave things out. A good investment for any history class.

Dr. Rampolla is my Professor and it isn't pomp that makes her and every history teacher at my school recommend this book. It is really helpful and easy to understand. a must for history majors!

this is better than the diana hacker book. it covers all mla and footnote-style citing possibilities and gives various hints on what to include and what not to include in the bibliography. for example, i cited 87 sources in my thesis. rampolla says to exclude all interviews and personal communications used. also, periodical articles can be listed under the heading of the one newspaper or magazine with a timeline include. it really cuts down on work time! not to mention it comprehensively tackles citing www info. highly recommended for all social studies students researching in college or in high school ap classes.