I read this book over 20 years ago. It was my introduction to Samuel Johnson. The book inspired my deep devotion to Johnsonia. The subject, I now know, is fascinating; for over two centuries biographies of Johnson have never been out of print. But this book caught my attention and fixed it. It is a moving portrait of a person like all of us except with greater disabilities and greater strength and, after years of struggle, greater triumphs.

I urge anyone with an interest in English literature or 18th century England or in the heights to which a honest and brave man can reach to make the effort to read this book. It is, at the very least, a good read. It may also make ytou a better person.

The very idea of writing a definitive biography of a figure as towering as Samuel Johnson seems unthinkable, yet the late Walter Jackson Bate succeeds in capturing the essence of Johnson's life in spectacular fashion. Some may quibble at Bate's occasional forays into speculation, particularly when he writes about Johnson's troubled childhood and how its events shaped his later life. Because Bate imposes such detail and rigor in his scholarship, however, it would be foolhardy not to think his depictions, even the speculative ones, as pretty accurate.

The physiological analysis of Johnson's character may strike some readers as heavy-handed, yet it ultimately illuminates the full character of Johnson, helping the modern reader to understand more clearly the time and culture that produced a character as complex and powerful as Dr. Johnson.

As I neared the end of this wonderful volume, I felt the same pangs one feels toward the conclusion of an excellent novel. Bate writes with such power, clarity, and insight that I cannot foresee any other biography of Johnson dislodging this one as the definitive rendering of his epic life.

Most earlier biographies of Johnson have concentrated on the author's public life and his work as a writer. Bate's is the first to zero in on the inner man -- and it succeeds magnificently.

In some ways, Johnson's personality was as complex and as tragic as that of his best-known biographer, James Boswell. Johnson's towering genius was often at odds with his uncouth ways, his disfigured face, and his seemingly lunatic tics and stutters. He controlled his desires and needs with an iron fist of self-control, often denying himself even the most innocent pleasures in his never-ending quest for spiritual purity. Bate shows us how Johnson's neglectful childhood and his crushing poverty as a young man forged his emotional character, and how his many disappointments as an adult moulded his spiritual character.

The only qualm I have about recommending this book is that Bate sometimes goes too far in his psychological analysis. Since this book was published, a consensus has arisen that Johnson suffered from Tourette's Syndrome, a neurological condition characterized by ticcing, a quick wit, an unusual gait, and specific personality quirks. If this is the case, and if many of Johnson's character traits can be attributed to Tourette's and not emotional damage, much of Bate's analysis is incorrect.

Having said that, I still highly recommend this book. Bate can't be faulted for omitting a diagnosis that couldn't have been made at the time he wrote the book. Moreover, the bulk of his analysis is spot-on, and his love of and respect for the subject of the book are obvious in every chapter.

I highly recommend this book.

Before my first spay, I watched the demonstration video a few times, read over my spay manual a few times....but reading the procedure over in Fossum upped my confidence in remembering each step.

I've used this book to clarify certain procedures mentioned in my classes, and it has helped me so much conceptually. The illustrations are great and provide a great model to accompany the instructions.

It's a standard for any vet student!

The best surgery book out there. Detailed, full-color drawings give me confidence that I can actually do the procedure. I did my first GDV last week with this book!

A must have for any practitioner. The first edition was great, replacing my 2 volume Slatter's, the second edition is even better! Other authors should learn from this reference, provide the information needed and include terrific pictures and drawings!

I bought this book and I loved it! It is easy to read and understand the business in fashion world. Lots of useful advise from the famous people for those who wants to go into the real world of fashion business.

I've wanted to pursue my love of apparel design, but have held back because it felt like too "foofy" of a career choice. I was pleasantly surprised, reading this book, to find out what a practical business this is. Artistic ability and design talent are really a small part of what those in the fashion business need to survive; most of the rest is an understanding of marketing, merchandising, global economy, quality control...in other words, business skills. I wish I had known this as I was graduating from high school--I could already be employed by now! I am using the information in this book to evaluate design programs, and feel confident that I can now go into this field with my eyes open. Fashion and apparel aren't as glamorous and superficial as they might seem: there's a lot of hard work and business savvy that makes up the bulk of the field.

I'm using this book in a course right now, and for the first time I understand how the fashion business runs! This book has been a wonderful source of first-hand information, I love it.

This book is on the mark for anyone not just women who are moving at a very fast pace and need to find peace and comfort in their daily lives. The Prayer of page 12, I call "The Stress Reliever's Prayer" is very powerful and has been of great comfort to everyone I have shared it with.

Dr. Cook's approach to women of the Bible brought them in to the "sisterhood" of my life like I have never understood before. I highly recommend this book at a training I do on stress management called "Are you too stressed to be blessed?"

For me personally, the book has been a great source of peace and comfort and a guide to seek and trust in God. Once reading it and not all at one time, I recommed her other book, SisterStrength as a companion to TBTBS. She indeed takes you on a personal journey to find less stress and more peace in your life. If you are seeking to manage the stress in your life this is a good investment to start with. TDBS

I took this book with me to the hair salon. A stylist sitting a little distance away asked if what the title listed was possible. Answering her was easy...the blessed state of mind from reading the book caused my lips to open to a resounding YES!!!! We as women are indeed "too blessed to be stressed". Thank you Dr. Cook for bringing life into such a dynamic perspective!!!!

Too Blessed to Be Stressed found me on the first pages of the book and ministered to my spirit throughout. Often we get so caught up in the drama that we lose sight of the choices we make that create our scenarios. I found myself humming me back to a centered wholeness and peace that I don't want to let go. Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook, thank you for this wonderful work. It has certainly blessed my life and the lives of my Sisterfriends!

I found "Unfinished Dreams" by Pamela Johnson impossible to put down. Her plot is perfectly paced, her characters are sympathetic and leap off the page, and the twists and turns she takes us through can't help holding the reader's attention. I highly recommend this book.

Medical bills and caring for his dying father left Gabe Russell facing foreclosure despite his promise to his father to save the family farm. Now he makes a living at repair, side stepping randy widows and dreaming of regaining his birthright with his work on a graduate degree in agricultural science little more than a memory.

After two years of struggle and heartache, Tess Graham is ready to start over when she receives a promotion at work and an in for the perfect home. The farmhouse needs repair, however, and she requests help from the local handyman. She does not realize that Gabe suffers from mixed emotions as he works on the place that was his home. Despite the obstacles between them, things begin to heat up until secrets erupt.

In a powerful mix of romance, dreams and hope, UNFINISHED DREAMS will capture readers' hearts. Both Tess and Gabe are strong characters, determined to overcome the past and set their own course for the future. Unfortunately, they find themselves at cross-purposes over their respective dreams. Author Pamela Johnson demonstrates a mesmerizing ability to weave a story with fluid grace even as her characters confront difficult choices and circumstances. UNFINISHED DREAMS comes very highly recommended.

This book is well deserving of all the awards it has garnered. P. Johnson will set the romance industry on fire with her soothing settings, real life characters, and skillfully designed plots. You can't help but fall in love with the characters, and that's what it's all about.

This one is a classic. It has a perfect attention span for a 5-9 near old. This comes from series. All of these books they put out are awesome! I wish they were back in print and publish some new ones. They just don't make books like this anymore.

I had this book when I was little and I used to beg my mom to read it to me over and over. I loved it. It got me interested in science and research. It is at least partially due to this book that I entered college as a biology major. Highly recommended- I wish it was still in print.

My brothers and I grew up with the Value Books series, and this was one of our favorites.My mother still has the full set, but now my brothers and I are starting our own families and would love to each have a set. If you can get ahold of copies, get them. The lessons they teach are invaluable - I would reccomend them to any parent and for any child.

I like this book, but it does point out one weakness in Provencal cooking...a slight lack of variety. There are multiple gratin recipes, good fish dishes, etc. It also doesn't shy away from organ meats, etc., much like the region itself. Like all the books in this visually stunning series, this one has lovely photography.

I was a little suspicious of the series. After all, should we trust a book more suitably sized for the coffee table than for the kitchen counter? But my mistrust was misguided. The food is wonderful. All people have assumptions about "others," and one of the assumptions Americans make about the French is that their food is very difficult to prepare and relies on expensive ingredients. The truth is that French food need not be difficult and that it is a cuisine that recognizes the beauty of each season. Since my children bought this book for me, we have been building seasonal rituals around it. For example, we get salt anchovies from the neighborhood Italian deli for our Christmas eve appetizer. At Mardi Gras, we make the oreilles found in this book, which are the pastries sold as "pig's ears" or "angel wings" in the last days before Lent by Polish bakeries in Detroit. Depending on the bakery, they were known as "pig's ears" or "angels wings." My only criticism of the book is that I feel the need to keep it open in the dining room, lest kitchen grease spoils it.

French born and 4th generation provençale, I take pride in the cuisine from my homeland and I have to confess I was a little wary about what I would find in this book. Well, the authors did a wonderful job at promoting the gastronomic traditions of Provence without betraying them. My grand-mother, our family's head-cook, and our culinary inspiration would have given her seal of approval without hesitation, would she have been around to discover this wonderful recipe collection and it is with her and my homeland in mind that I enjoy preparing the recipes featured in this excellent collection for my own enjoyment and the one of my (American) husband and our friends.

Besause they have been written by the same person. Perhaps by friends of the authors or by the publisher (I don't want to blaim the authors because they have may good books published so far and I own most of them). On the other hand these reviews don't change the fact that this is a really good book on MANs with sonet (though it is not the MAN bible). Warmly recommended.

A must have book. Without a doubt this is the most comprehensive book available in the industry. Great authors! Experts in telecommunication industry. Check out their other publications, all invaluable resources.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. This book is pertinent to the library of any Telecommunications Personnel. It's quite thorough and equipped with the most recent information from the telecommunications industry.

This book presented 12 powerful talkes about slavery that impacted me in a way were i could not believe what people when through back when slavery began. It showed the terrors and the savagery of slavery that no one can forget. It hit me with the realism of what effects and causes of slavery and i am glad that it has come to a point where slavery is abolished.

For a class in contemporary literature, I read Charles Johnson's novel, Middle Passage. The novel provoked a big response in me, big enough that I contacted the author to discuss the book. The book and the discussion piqued an interest in me to read more novels that reflect my ancestors' painful time in history.

When I purchased Soulcatcher, I was excited to find a collection of stories that bring many voices together to tell of the horrible tales of slavery. Each story was poignant and painful to read, but each enlightened me on the realism of an era where my ancestors were treated like the basic of animals.

Each of the 12 stories in this stellar collection provokes attention to a time in history that tends to get swept under the rug; however Johnson, with his tight, and at times, tongue-in-cheek, literary style, painfully brings it out with stories like, "The Transmission," a story about a boy's despairing journey on a slaveship and "Martha's Dilemma," a story told by Martha Washington about the care of her slaves after the death of her husband to a boy chained in a slaveship.

This collection is a must to everyone. These stories are testaments to a reality that won't be forgotten, and Johnson vividly portrays the horrific within beautiful prose.

Shon Bacon

"Soulcatcher and Other Stories," by Charles Johnson, is a contemporary collection of stories that brings to life the era of African-American slavery. Johnson uses various techniques throughout the book: dialogue, monologue, third person narration, diary entries, a letter. This variety of form helps keep the book interesting throughout.

Johnson deals, either directly or indirectly, with a number of important names from U.S. and Caribbean history: Frederick Douglass, Martha Washington, Toussaint L'Ouverture, and others. The topics of the individual stories are varied; they include passage on a slave transport ship, black soldiers fighting for the British during the Revolutionary War, the pursuit of a fugitive slave, and more. My favorite story, "Poetry and Politics," is an intriguing fictional dialogue between groundbreaking African-American poet Phillis Wheatley and her mistress.

Overall, this is a solid collection which would, in my opinion, be good both for classroom use (high school and college) and for individual reading. My recommendation: read it alongside relevant works by such 18th and 19th century authors as Douglass, Wheatley, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry David Thoreau, and others.

My 5th graders enjoy this book. After "reading" this wordless book, we tour our school and observe the "alphabet school." It is amazing how many letters they find in the most obscure locations. The search continues for weeks. This is a great way to hone observational skills and attention to detail. Wonderful book.

In this book for children (no words except for the introduction), the artist finds settings throughout a typical city in which the letters of the alphabet can be seen in the buildings, streets, etc: a very fresh look at the alphabet that children will enjoy. The book was a 1996 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a children's book.

My second grade class loves this book even though they are way beyond learning the alphabet. It presents a new way to look at surroundings. I've seen children transfer this way of thinking by finding letters, patterns, and shapes in their world. Creative and fresh.