A fan of Hitchcock's adaptation of "Marnie," I decided to get the book from the library, and I was very pleasantly surprised. George writes in the first person, and it is extremely insightful to be able to delve into the workings of Marnie's mind; her extreme emotional detachment, which has served to protect her from dealing with a long-buried, horrible memory and an imbalanced, mysterious mother; her ability to create different personalities to accompany her various aliases as a way of dealing with the moral dilemma engendered by her penchant for kleptomania; her deep-rooted, seemingly inexplicable fear of intimacy.

Winston's writing style was quite clever: The story is gripping and tumultuous, yet presented in a cool and practical manner through Marnie's voice, just as Marnie, herself, seems cool and methodical but brims with overwhelming pain and confusion beneath the surface.

Though there are some marked differences between the book and movie, they are quite similar in what I believe are the most important and interesting aspects of the story; namely, a woman rendered incapable (by suppression) of "natural" feelings due to a traumatic childhood event is able to meet and conquer her demons through the love of a patient and caring man.

I do heartily recommend the book as well as the movie.

I really enjoyed this book - much more than the movie. It takes a look at a woman with a past, a tramatic childhood; and how she overcomes it, despite herself. Hitchcock showed Marnie's false reality very well in the movie, but the script and Tippi Headren couldn't do the character justice.

Although the film version did not follow the storyline, this story well-defines the "burial" of a childhood traum and warps the thinking and actions of an adult woman. Alfred Hitchcock was the director of the film version which starred Sean Connery and Tippi Hedron. With the help of her husband, Marnie is forced to revisit her mother and, in doing so, discovers what it is that has so terrified her. Again, with the help of her husband, she is able to adjust her life and live as a well-adjusted human being.. Graham's story has been out of publication for a number of years. After checking with many sources, including Buccaneer Books in New York, I have discovered that this book is out of print. They would have to check with the Graham estate to get permission to re-publish it. I am hoping that SOMEone may have a good copy (either paperback or hardcover) that they are not looking to gouge in pricing. Anyone out there who fits this description? I do not have an email address, however, you can contact me at 414-545-3933 or write to 9849 W. Beloit Road, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53227-4234. Thank you. Bev Bayliss Heipp

David Winston is one of the most respected herbalists in American, and his knowledge shines through in this book. In some ways it is incredible. He reviews the literature going back several centuries, and clearly explains the known ethnobotanical and scientific literature in easy to understand terms. Lots of solutions for genitourinary and other related health problems are described. I should know - this book gave me the answer to my son's difficult to solve acne problem. Get this book.

David Winston is one of the most respected herbalists in America, so it is no surpise that his depth of knowledge shines through in this book. In some ways it is incredible. With ease he quotes references over the past few centuries, clearly explains the known ethnobotanical and scientific literature, and then tells you exactly how to use this plant for improving health in easy to understand terms. I should know - this book gave me the solution for my son's difficult acne problem. Get this book.

Author David Winston has more than thirty years experience an all aspects of herbalism, including a mastery of medicine making, and studies of Eclectic medical herbalism, traditional Cherokee herbalism, and traditional Chinese medicine. The book covers the uses of Saw Palmetto completely from both traditional uses and scientific research. The traditional uses are much broader than simple treatment for prostatic hyperplasia in males. Winston also describes alternate and related treatments for both men and women

I was lucky enough to have trained Greg Winston at Xerox in Memphis. Greg mentions me in his book, but never told me he used me as an example as that is the type of person he is. I heard about the book through a company who used Greg as a motivational speaker, bought it, and read it. I am so motivated by Greg's work. You never know how you effect a person's life! Great book!

I was just downsized from a company after having two great years with them. I am in a barb part of life. I read the book often as it keeps me motivated. It has me on the smooth part of the Barbed Wire even though I am job searching for employment which is a barb in my life!

I recieved this book as a gift. As I read "When Life Is A Barbed Wire Fence" I not only felt, but saw the stories unfold in front of me. One of my favorite stories in the book is called Treat'em Right...Our authors Granddaddy goes on to make the comment,
"you can't treat everybody the same, but you can treat everybody right" There are many life lessons in this book and I would and do Highly recommend it to folks of all ages. I look forward to Mr. Winstons next book. And congratulate him on this one.

Great Book !! This is a great book for those young and old to teach us how our simple little daily gestures can make a difference in the lives of others surrounding us. Take the time to read this book ,and you will definately walk away with a different outlook on life !!!

There's no missing Lori Oliwenstein's delightfully accessible style in this fun and informative book about the wonders of the human body and the amazing challenges it faces in its day-to-day task of staying alive. Great for armchair scientists of any age.

When I first saw R. Winston, on the BBC TV show, I thought "this guy doesn't look superhuman", at least not in the sense that everyone would give to the word superhuman. And yet, this book - probably more than the tv show - explains precisely why modern Medicine makes us super-beings, not by turning us into some kind of X-men, but rather by using our natural body response to injuries or diseases and by boosting and helping our immune system. This book opened my eyes on this medicine at the opposite of ER tv shows. Great book !

Bruce Winston captures a new way of looking at both secular and Christian leadership. He uses principles from the Bible to capture leadership practices that are universal and cross-cultural. I highly recommend this reading to leaders of all organizations who care about sucess with integrity. I use this book in all of my leadership classes.

"Be A Leader for God's Sake" examines leadership from a Biblical perspective. In it, Winston draws from the Beatittudes and the Sermon on the Mount to provide a basis for how leaders should behave toward those under their authority.

The book is revolutionary in that it challenges the way leaders have been taught to think. Winston takes the words of Jesus and applies them in a practical manner to how leader's operate in today's organizations. He points to qualities often lacking in leadership, such as being teachable, exercising controlled discipline, and extending mercy when employees make mistakes.

"Be A Leader for God's Sake," is an asset to both those in positions of leadership and those under the authority of leaders.

I got this book from the library for my 3 year old. I wanted her to know why we celebrate Christmas...the REAL reason and not just Santa. It was simply written from the books of Matthew and Luke. The pictures are adorable and held her attention. (...)

This book is so fun to use during the Christmas season and to have children act out the nativity scene. They really learn a lot and understand the story of Jesus and the real importance of Christmas better! I love it!

I'm a member of The Churchill Center, of which Mr Langworth is a director, and for years, I've been an occasional customer of his Churchillbooks business. I've emailed or written him a few times over the years, and so I like to think that -- through my pesky and amateurish questions -- I bear a little tiny bit of the responsibility for the publication of this excellent book. Because now that I have this, I won't have to bother Mr Langworth in person any more. I'm sure he rests more easily knowing this.

The 'Connoisseur's Guide' is, without exaggeration, the Book of the Century about the books written by The Man of the (Twentieth) Century. From Sir Winston's rarest and most obscure titles to Book-of-the-Month-Club volumes owned by millions, Mr Langworth has catalogued, evaluated, and given us his excellent personal insights and opinions about them. For each title, including posthumous collections, the Guide gives us a bit of history, excerpts from contemporaneous reviews, and a listing of every known imprint and variant, including translations into other languages.

I'm not, either by temperament or financial status, a collector of fine volumes. I just love to read Sir Winston. And I have found this Guide to be every bit as useful to me as I believe it must be for the most high-end of Churchillo-bibliophiles. Mr Langworth is to be commended for the remarkable amount of work that went into compiling this comprehensive Guide. It is a volume that belongs on the shelf of any student of Churchilliana.

A Connoisseur's Guide is a quirky and engaging tour of all the editions of Churchill's key texts. Before a debate over my use of "quirky" in an endearing manner, let it be known to all that Langworth is the major American dealer in books by and about Churchill and as such has a unique view of Churchill as filtered through his work. Others regularly handle Churchill material (including the author of this piece, who, in the spirit of full disclosure, it should be noted is praised in the acknowledgments and cited authoritatively in the text), but none take into stock and send back out Into the world a fraction of the books, pamphlets and magazines that pass through Langworth's hands. Indeed, in his introduction he claims "one purpose" he had in compiling the Guide was to forestall the question most frequently put to him by novice buyers: "What exactly am I holding in my hands?" With this Guide in hand, the answer might still require one more call to Langworth; but once the aspirant grasps the bibliographic language with which he narrates this textual tale, home-schooling should quickly replace classroom instruction. The Guide is put together with admirable clarity, even simplicity. For each text, from The Story of the Malakand Field Force in 1898 to the posthumous ephemeral publications, Langworth first provides an eminently readable redaction, along with some solid background of each book's place in the canon. In these preambles Langworth's voice resonates eloquently, providing a sense that we are being guided by a generous, avuncular Diogenes with knowledge of all things Churchillian. Following his introductory remarks, Langworth deploys excerpts from both contemporary and modern commentators; his use of supporting and dissenting opinions offers a novel approach to understanding how a text was greeted upon publication and how it continues to be perceived. Throughout Langworth relies on the bibliographical research of the late Frederick Woods, who devoted decades to tracing Churchill's works, and whose bibliography, to date, has not been superseded. Langworth states that his goal is to amplify, not expand upon, Woods's early work, and in this, I think he is too humble: he clarifies innumerable pockets of obfuscation transmitted by Woods (one need only read his lucid discussion of The Malakand Field Force to see how far we've come). He also, however, occasionally nudges up against the hubristic: definitionally, Woods is the text with which Langworth is bantering, and insomuch as the preponderance of readers will not be familiar with Woods, his frequent taglines "see Woods" and "Woods incorrectly" seem a bit bullying. Maybe I'm being too pedantic, but the paragraphs devoted to the physical components of the books are similar enough in both format and language to Woods to have generated a feeling that Langworth, now and again, set up his predecessor only to knock him down. Most readers, I suspect, will breeze through the technical patches on book production, press-runs and binding variants and will be rewarded with the concluding categories with which the description of each edition ends. The first of these is labeled "Comments" and in it Langworth incorporates the substantial anecdotal knowledge he has gathered in his decades of handling Churchill books. In these passages he demonstrates the extent to which he has attained true "connoisseurship," that state of grace to which all collectors of objects aspire, and he communicates his wisdom with the ease bred of confidence. For example, in describing the Times Book Club issue of Lord Randolph Churchill he notes: "nicely if not elaborately bound (it lacks the gilt coat of arms) it is an adequate if not dramatic looking set of books." And about the first edition of India:: "softbound copies on the market today outnumber hardbound copies at least twenty to one...." These are, to my mind, truths that could only be proffered succinctly and elegantly after years of study and reflection. In a late interview, the American novelist Bernard Malamud suggested that "clear writing is clear thinking," and in those pithy observations, in which Langworth shares his clear thinking in clean writing, the Guide earns a place on the list of essential reference works devoted to Churchill as author. The Guide is sturdily produced; the photographs are attractive. I wish a number of the more compelling, early books had been shot in color, though some appear on the color dust jacket. To those of us who esteem Churchill's accomplishments, this work offers one more reason to stand in reverence: the titles and text roll across seven decades with clarity and logic. The Guide both elevates and entertains-and you can't ask for much more for your money, can you?

I am a foster parent and I take in children with disabilities. Not all have liked church, not all have liked school, but all of them have loved this book. The message hits home. Also, one child took it to school for show and tell to get her point across as to what it's like being different. She finished her presentation, and the teacher sent a note home thanking us for this book. She now has one in here class room

Earl the Emu is a great book for average and special kids because it teaches youngsters how to value others. The boy in the story, Jason, has a brace on his leg. While people with disabilities in stories are not as rare as they used to be, it still is not something we see regularly in a children's book. I think this gives kids with physical limitations and disabilities a story character they can identify with. Plus, the pictures of Earl the Emu with hurt feelings because Jason's farm animal friends make fun him are really easy for kids to grasp and so should make them think twice before making fun of others. Earl's wanting to be liked and not being accepted really touched my heart. So, this book gives parents a great opportunity to stress why we should be kind and fair to others. I am using the book to teach my neice and nephews about diversity.

This handsome coffee-table book, which covers roughly the sweep from Tahiti to Easter Island, is the work of the photographer son of the writer/painter Barnaby Conrad. The brief text skillfully introduces the islands, incorporating quotations from famous earlier visitors such as Melville, Gauguin, and Robert Louis Stevenson. The photographs are well chosen and provocatively juxtaposed with historical images, including old postcards, portions of maps, and even postage stamps. Unlike many books of this genre, there is an emphasis on portraying the local people in their everyday activities, as well as views of stunning sunsets. Primarily a gift book for those planning a tour and a souvenir to remember it by, this book may be priced beyond the budgets of many libraries.- Harold M. Otness

Bookbag...
A writer and photographer who splits his life between his native California and his adopted homeland of French Polynesia, Winston Conrad has put together a sampler of Pacific paradises. The title - Fabled Isles of the South Seas (dist. by ACCESS Publishers, $49.95) - says it all, or nearly, and Conrad's selection is hard to quarrel with, including as it does Tahiti and its Society Island neighbors, Pitcairn, the Cooks, the Tuamotus, the Marquesas, and Easter Island. Conrad clearly knows the territory, and each of his essays conveys a personal take amplified by extended quotes from eminent literary visitors (Jack London to James Michener). The illustrations include both Conrad's own color photographs and a nice melange of drawings, historical charts, and old prints. It's the grand Pacific tour with an informed guide.

Most touristic field guides are remarkable either by a dearth of meaningful information, poor photography, or both. This book, and its parent series, for that matter, suffer from neither, and form excellent works that are a proud part of anyone's library.

With respect to the instant work, the text is exceptional, containing many captivating facts about animals a lot of folks would regard as very ordinary and uninteresting. Did you know, for example, that beavers were once wild in Florida, were trapped into extinction. and that they are now returning?

The great color photography closely follows the expertly-prepared text, and brings out many detailed facets of the creatures described. I would heartily recommmend this book and its companions to anyone, tourist or native, who has any sort of interest in Florida or North American wildlife or nature.

I have been charmed by this book, I can pick it up at any page and be absorbed, read interesting information about the mammals of Florida, my home state. The book is filled with many clear pictures of each animal, and even their young, and also details about their particular features, say clawed feet, or color forms, or teeth and such. In and around each picture is a clear explanation of each animal, their habits and lifestyle, what research there is and their condition of care or preservation in Florida. Also there are panels describing the the effects of man or changes in habitat, the politics and even what fokelore there is and whether this is true. The language is such that any young person who is able to read can understand it, but also it is extremely informative in ways that keep my interest as an adult. I would recommend this book to anyone of any age. Even pre-readers can use the pictures to learn by.