This book was my all time favorite, however I know longer have a copy I have dreamed of finding another, the problem was that I couldn't remember the title. I searched for "meadow" here at Amazon.com just remembering that it had something to do with it and narrowing it down and viola there it was. Just finding the title and reading the reviews made me realize my memories were true. My daughter is just beginning to read and would love for her to have the book for her very own. We went to the local library and checked it out yesterday it was like Christmas to me. It was so nice to know some others loved it as well.

Memories of reading this book with my father as a young child still permeates my thoughts.

My older brother and twin sister and I all would sit mesmerized by Andrew Henry and what he could build. And the care and concern showed by Andrew Henry's family and the rest of the kids' families illustrated to us what a family is and should be to each other.

The detailed illustrations has made me wonder today why (or if) it didn't win any type of award.

I don't know what happened to our family copy. I'm certain a brother or sister has it "hidden". But, I hope to be able to obtain a copy of this book with its wonderful illustrations before I have children in order to pass along a treasured childhood memory!

This wonderfully illustrated book inspires and rekindles the imagination for anyone. Young Andrew Henry decides to run away from home one day; he takes his carpenter's set travels for a few hours and eventually he rests in a meadow. Andrew builds his house, then as other kids arrive at the meadow, Andrew builds their houses too. Andrew designs/builds each house for the kids to suit their hobbies. A bridge house with paddle wheels and sail boats, a tree-house with bird cages, anything you could imagine - he builds it. I remember having this book read to me when I was only 4 (27 years ago), reading it myself when I was 6 and reading it to cousins, nieces, nephews over the years. The book is out of print now (I gave my last copy away over 10 years ago). If you ever find it - it's a keeper! As a grown-up kid you could almost think the message may be "No matter how different we all are, we can all live together".

I've read Dick Biggs' other books, heard him talk, and witnessed the positive change and growth in people from the mentoring program he developed. BURN BRIGHTLY WITHOUT BURNING OUT is his best work. If you like Stephen Covey, Norman Vincent Peale, John Maxwell or Ken Blanchard, this book should appeal to you because it packs powerful but simple ideas of living a better life.

The author uses good illustrative examples in his twenty short and compact chapters that serve as stepping stones in a stairway to happiness and fulfillment in your life. Its messages have solid moral foundations, The book's subtitle, Balancing the Work You Need with the Life You Lead, is a theme carried throughout this fine work, with appeal for adult readers of all ages.

I've given copies of this book to a niece working towards a medical degree, a retired senior military officer friend starting a new executive career and a brother rebuilding his life, in addition to my three grown children.

The book is an easy read, however, its worthy of highlighting and reading again for reinforcement and to pick up additional insights. The book covers a lot of ground in less than 150 short pages and lives up to its title. It's a winner!

They say in five years, you will become the average of the books you have read and the people you have associated with. For two-and-a-half years, I've had the privelege of associating with Dick Biggs as a professional speaker--and now I've been able to read his book. Both have become indispensible resources for me.

Dick is respected among professional speakers for being a man who walks his talk. Reading his latest book, BURN BRIGHTLY WITHOUT BURNING OUT, is almost as good as knowing the man--it will provide very practical assistance if you want to achieve great things in your professional life while building balance into your personal life.

Are you a reader? Then you'll really enjoy this book. Are you working on developing the reading habit? Then this book will get you hooked. If Amazon allowed a SIX-star review, this one would get SEVEN!

For years I've been reading two books monthly on personal development(Well,at least trying real hard to do so!). The first book of each year is most important because it is the foundation upon which the entire year's reading is built. It is imperative, then, that I choose wisely for the year's first read, and this year I could not have chosen better - I selected "Burn Brightly Without Burning Out".

Grounded in a solid spiritual base, "Burn Brightly.." presents 20 powerful insights into leading a more balanced life, and it begins with a wonderful section on determining your purpose for being on the planet. The 20 insights come to life with right-on vignettes and action steps for making them happen in your own life.

"Burn Brightly..." is an easy read, yet a challenging one, for it challenges you to think about your life in a different way. The format is great for travel and it fits very nicely on the night stand as well. You've probably already read your first books of the year, so let me suggest you make "Burn Brightly Without Burning Out" your next one.

Ms. Gerber really brings Eleanor to life, and makes her human. This book unfolds the story of how Eleanor found herself -- found her skills, her voice, her passion. Even in the face of great challenges -- personal, social, political -- Eleanor had her internal compass which lead her to greatness.

This book also shows Eleanor's self-doubt -- a feeling that all mortals experience. Eleanor is not a "super hero." She was a living, breathing woman who didn't know where life would take her.

Finally, this book is about leadership -- not the hard-charging, slash-and-burn, take no prisoners approach. But the kinder, gentler, diplomatic approach, that appeals to people's desire to create a better world for themselves and everyone around them.

This is a great read, and will leave you inspired!

This is a must add to your leadership library! If you like authors such as Donald T. Phillips-"Lincoln On Leadership" or Axelrod- "Elizabeth I CEO" then you will enjoy this book. The big plus is that it is about a contemporary woman leader. The author adds how you can take some of the leadership qualities of Eleanor and apply it to your own life situations. She gives examples from the lives of women in your community and mine who are working to make a difference each day. This book speaks to the vision of one woman who helped to make a difference in lives of women today. Things that we take for granted were hard fought for ideals championed by this woman. It is hard to put this book down once you get started and will apply to each woman who works to make the diffence in the lives of the family, the community and the world. Read It! You'll enjoy it!

After reading about Colin Powel's style, Bush's War and Guiliani's book on Leadership, it was a nice break to read about one of history's greatest first ladies--Eleanor Roosevelt. It also served as a checkpoint for myself to have a peek at the early 20th century and the beginnings of the UN in light of recent events. This book was written by Robin Gerber who is a senior scholar at the Academy of Leadership which is part of the University of Maryland. Not only a biography of Eleanor, it's also a how-to on leadership and includes side information about how other women implement Eleanor's style in their lives today.
Key Takeaways:
Give Voice to Your Leadership--ER did not start out a brilliant and inspiring public speaker, she had to practice at it. She eventually managed to be an effective communicator through both speech and her writing in columns. She held press conferences at the White House for women reporters only--she identified an audience she could reach and began speaking to them.
Embrace Risk--despite many folks including herself being unsure of her and her role, at Truman's request ER took on a role within the formation of the UN and went on to be a leading proponant of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She took this on shortly after the death of FDR--a time when she could have retired. Instead she started on a second life.
Never Stop Learning--this keeps coming up in the lives of leaders--they have an interest in the world and learning about it. ER traveled extensively in the latter part of her life and took a good deal of interest in learning about the world and the various cultures enhabiting it. She traveled throughout the middle east and India. She also used her columns, and speeches as a tool to educate others.

Need a fast gift for the baby shower or just a fast introduction to patchwork? Eleanor Burns is there for you, with great illustrations, easy to understand instructions, and delicious photos of finished projects. An added bonus: detailed info on fabric quantities for various sizes of finished quilt (wall hanging, crib, twin, etc.) You don't have to struggle with the math! In fact, your only real challenge will be picking colors. She classifies "Log Cabin" as an "easy" project. Don't be misled; the finished projects can dazzle, despite the relatively simple construction methods. You can probably turn out that baby shower quilt in about 2 evenings. A king-size quilt obviously takes longer, but that's because of the time you'll spend wrestling with the greater amount of finished piecework in the machine quilting stage. Although you'll find the basic instructions for log cabin blocks in any number of quilting books, "Log Cabin Patterns" rates a place on any quilter's bookshelf.

Thank you Eleanor! I knew next to nothing about quilting before purchasing this book. As a beginner, I needed something quick & easy to give me confidence and get me started. This book is superbly written for the beginner; simple, clear, & precise directions with color photos. From the shopping list to the 1,2,3 directions, this book a beginners must have. Even though I don't think a beginner can make this quilt in a day, I made my very first quilt (Lap Robe size) in two days.

The log cabin pattern is a fairly easy pattern to work with, and Eleanor Burns' book makes it foolproof. Detailed color photos and diagrams make the directions easy to follow, even for a beginner. A perfect book for a first-time quilter.

This book had me chuckling from the first page. Ms. Burns knows her sports fans. The "uniform" ratings for each sport had me wondering why no one had ever pointed out before how sexy the uniforms in some sports are (baseball, football) and how some sports could stand improvement (basketball).
The book also helped me to understand the fascination of a true sports fan and gave me enough insider's information that I could probably hold my own in a conversation with true sports fans.
Thanks, Ms. Burns, for helping me see what the big deal is and for making me laugh.

I just finished reading "How to Become an Athletic Supporter", and loved it! This book is actually a informative, and well written, handbook to provide the basics (and lots of interesting details) of all of the major sports a wife is likely to encounter!

It covers each sport, and keeps your interest with it's pithy commentary (primarily aimed at the man of the house).

Overall, both I and my husband recommend this book. I just enjoyed reading it, and my husband actually learned a few things from it!

I have never been a sports fan. A few years ago some of my friends became avid fans of the Astros, the Rockets, and the Comets, going to the games and having fun. This made me wish I knew more about sports. After reading Teri Burns's book I am going to try going to games and see if I can become a late-blooming fan.
THANKS TERI!

Georgia Bockoven has done it again! She's created wonderful characters and a world the reader is able to immerse themselves in completely.

Catherine Miller seems to have it all - a luxurious house in a trendy subdivision, a successful fiance, and lovely teenage daughter. It all comes crashing down on her one night when her daughter, Lynda, is burned in a tragic accident. Her fiance isn't able to cope with Lynda's problems, leaving Catherine just when he needs her most. Rick Sawyer, the firefighter who is a volunteer support person for burn victims, and is assigned to Lynda's case, is there to pick up the pieces, not only becoming a support for Lynda, but a confidante for Catherine as well.

This book truly took my breath away. It really put me in Catherine's world and made me feel a part of it -- feeling her pain and sorrow -- and finally her need and her love for Rick. This is a book readers won't be able to put down once they start. If you enjoy the works of such great authors of relationship novels as Barbara Delinsky or Kristin Hannah, you are sure to enjoy this outstanding story from Georgia Bockoven, the master of the relationship novel.

I must exist on another planet because I have never read anything by Georgia Bockoven before today. If her other books are anything like this one, then I have a treat waiting for me. Disguised Blessing is a book that keeps you wanting more and more. Catherine's 15 year old daughter is accidentally burned at a party. She is taken to a burn center where she is assigned a mentor by the name of Rick who is a captain in a fire department. Rick is a fantastic leading man. We all know men like him. He is truly a good man who does whatever it takes to make the world a better place. Meanwhile, Catherine is dumped by her fiance who can't handle anything that doesn't fit into his perfect world revolving around himself. Lynda is a teenager who goes from having it all to learning to cope when life deals her a cruel blow. I expected light reading, what I got was a wonderful story with characters that leave an impact on you. I would really love a continuation of these characters in another book. How about it Ms. Bockoven?

Disguised Blessing is a deeply emotional book that really touches your heart. It seemed as if this book was very special to the author and she lavished loving care on every word. A very special read.

This novella reflects the author's state of mind: clear, genuine and eager to communicate in a meaningful way. Unlike other novels that glut the market, this one isn't filled with glib stereotypes or trite situations. African-American readers--all readers, for that matter--deserve more, and this novel delivers. Its characters and situations carry distinct elements of reality and are thought-provoking. Voices and dialogue are thoroughly convincing. All of which makes for a read that is as enlightening as it is entertaining. The author clearly has a bright future ahead of him and I look forward to seeing where the writing will carry him.

I really enjoyed this book. I started reading it and couldn't put it down. I recomended this book to all my friends. This book made me laugh and then it made me cry. I never read a book that actually made me cry. I hope Mr. Burns is able to write more books and accomplish all his dreams. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book... I just wish the ending would have been a little different. i.e. did Tasha have H.I.V? How did Darryl tell his friends? What was their reaction?

"A Man's State of Mind" is a heart renching eye opener for the man that thinks he is a "player" I thinnk this book was well written. Chris really knows how to bring out the realness of his characters. This book will make you laugh and then out of nowhere it will make you cry. The thing I enjoyed the most was that Chris didn't sterotype the African American women to be the loud, rude women with bad attitudes that people assume they are. Even though this book is fiction it is still the truth as to how it really is in the world, as fr as the way the chacters think and feel. When I started reading this book I couldn't put it down I recomended this book to all my friends male and female. I also recomend this book to you. I look forward to more books by Christoper D. Burnes

This book tells the story of the First Minnesota in such a way that makes you fell like you are with the soldiers. It was nice to read a book actually made up a lot of the soldiers own writing through letters and diaries. The First was a large part of the Union winning the battle of Gettysburg and it was nice to read the soldiers account of what happened. The author also put in other accounts of the First from the Generals that were involved as they praised the First. Great Book.

Richard Moe draws heavily from the letters and diaries (many of them unpublished) of the men of the First and weaves them into a complelling story. This is one of the few books on any topic that I have read twice and I am sure I will read it again. You will never forget Lyman and Issac Taylor and many of the other soldiers of the First after you have read this book. Their very personal writings cover a three year period and give the reader an insight into a soldier's life not often found in any book. I found myself not wanting to finish the book. These men had become friends and I knew full well their fate. They also knew their duty and did not hesitate. 262 of them charged 1,200. Gen. Hancock asked them to give him 5 min. to bring up reinforcements, they gave him 15. Of the 262 only 47 walked away. Many of the voices I had come to know fell silent. History does not allow you to change the ending as much as you might wish you could. By the way, I bought this book in Freeport ME at the 20th Maine Bookstore (it was their last copy). It can be argued that these two units, a mile apart, saved the Union line on July 2nd 1863.

The men of the First Minnesota could swing an axe, and did so, building bridges and making roads. They could shoot -- straight and fast, and did so on some of the most famous battlefields of the Civil War. They were a "cool" Regiment, men who stood fast. And they died, as a Regiment, on the battlefield of Gettysburg.

This book should be read by every high school senior in Minnesota, and most elsewhere. Moe captures the simple competence of these frontiersmen, their ability to walk for long distances (Antietam), work with tools (Peninsula Campaign) and to stand fast and fight hard -- in each battle.

The First Minnesota was raised in the West, in the new state of Minnesota, but fought with the Army of the Potomac. This gives their story a sense of an American Odyssey -- Moe captures the changing nation as a backdrop to the war. The First Minnesota struggles to learn how to cook crabs... and how to fight the Secesh. The diaries and newspaper articles of the time illuminate the nation through the stories these men tell.

Finally, the Civil War buff will love this book. The book tells one entire arc of the Civil War through the life and death of this Regiment. And Moe's writing is so simple and clear, the story unfolds and makes the early eastern battles understandable.

This book was simply amazing! Stu Mittleman covers in detail all of the areas that allowed him to run over 1,000 miles in 11 days. He covers your mindset/philosophy (if you are in a marathon you are not running 26 miles you are running 1 miles 26 times). He covers training and shows you how to slow down so you burn fat, not sugar, as well as proper heart rate zones etc and lastly he covers food. He'll teach you how to eat so that you put your body into a constant fat burning mode not sugar burning. His suggestions will help you to eliminate the ups and downs throughout your day and make it so you will feel high energy all day without getting tired! This really opened my eyes and Stu knows exactly what he is talking about because he walks his talk and has done so for over 15 years. This is a must read for anyone even remotely interested in health and/or fitness!

Stu Mittleman has accomplished what seem to be several ridiculous feats. How could a man possibly run 1,000 miles in 12 days? How could a man run 100 miles per day for nearly 6 days? How could he do all of this and have a smile on his face, and minimal fatigue afterwards?

Slow Burn is revolutionary! Never would a runner imagine all of the little things that go into it. Mittleman teaches us how to visualize, how to use proper technique, how to breathe properly while running, how to alleviate the stress on the body, which foods we should be consuming, and much more.

This book is excellent, and anyone who needs to improve their physical fitness and well-being should set aside a day or two to absorb the information within. It's an excellent read.

Contrary to the title, for me this book was more about finding the JOY in running and less about buring calories. By changing my thoughts and form while running I immediatly found myself able to run farther and enjoy the process more. This book is about getting away from delaying happiness until some long term goal is met and about enjoying the expirience of exersizing. You will not find a 16-week marathon program in this book.

I did invest in a heart rate monitor, as strongly advocated by Mittleman. While I have found it to be very useful and believe me gauge me level of effort during my workouts, I do not see it as a must. I believe Mittleman's other suggestions on how to gauge your level of effort, including using visual clues and breathing, to be as much if not more useful.

Reading the book did improve the expirience of running for me, no doubt. I had trouble, however, with Stu's dietary suggestions. They seem extreme to me and, while I 100% believe they work for many individuals, there is not enough how-to in that section for me. That is Stu's way though, he believes we each should find out own way- including deciding which exersize programs are right for each of us- and that I do appreciate.

It has been a while since this reviewer tried her hand at the Science Fiction genre, and it is a welcome journey. Domhan books (Irish for universe), is based in the U.S., UK and Ireland. Its mission is to give new writers a voice; experienced authors a new outlet; to bring books to market sooner; keep them in print longer; to break down barriers in genres; and to offer affordable books. They use the latest digital technologies and produce their books in both a paper and electronic format on a global basis. Burn is Texan Jonathan Lyons' first book.

It is twenty-first century New York. John Cage is an ex-cop whose lost his job and his future wife when he ran up against the mighty Expedite Corporation, the foremost computer corporation in the world. Science has eaten its own tail. The skies are filled with acid rain; and humans coexist with androids, Morlocks, binaries, and other assorted chip fanatics. The entire world is on the "net," StellarNet that is...and it functions as "Big Brother."

Cage is approached by Janice Gild, whose brother died in a singularly horrific way...by human combustion. When Cage investigates Gild'sapartment looking for clues, he sees someone watching him through the window:

"Moving around to the far side of the bed, Cage found himself looking absently through the greasy smear of the rain on the man's bedroom window, outinto the drizzle, into the darkness of the night, into -- into a window in abuilding across the street, to a backlit, overcoat-clad figure who's just realized Cagehad spotted him. The figure put something down -- a camera? Small telescope?--and disappeared."

Scientific science fiction must now be subdivided, to include the category of computer-geek science fiction. Burn is a horrifying look at what over-computerization, coupled with unleashed corporate pursuits, can do to our world. As Lyons so aptly conveys in Burn, if science andcomputers are not kept in check we could be left with a world with no beauty, no wood, and no humanity left. It is interesting to note that Lyons can't help but give his androids human characteristics...a la"Star Trek: Next Generation." Burn is a powerful computer/technologicalscience fiction thriller that leaves room for us to grieve for lost humanity. Great first effort!

Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer

After reading Burn, a book billed as science fiction noir, written by Jonathan Lyons, I had to reread the author bio at the beginning to be sure that this really is his first novel. With a strong narrative voice and fascinating story, Lyons writes like an old pro and as anyone who reads or writes science fiction will tell you, that's no small accomplishment for this genre. Burn is a good old fashioned, hardboiled detective novel set in a dreary future New York. Cage is a private eye on the downside of his luck and life. He's a former police officer who was discharged and humiliated for pushing too far on a case controlled by the most powerful entity in America, Expedite Corp. Expedite and the men who run it bear an eerie resemblance to a current corporate superpower (hint: think Gates) and can make or break not only other companies but the private lives of everyone in the country. The setting of the novel is very Blade Runner-esque, with perpetual darkness and a never-ending drizzle of acid rain. The streets are run by organized gangs of net savvy punks who are smarter than your average hack and more deadly than a pack of trained ninjas. It's a depressing, dangerous place to live, to say the least. Enter Janice Gild, the grieving sister of James Gild, an accomplished techno wizard who was found mysteriously burned to death in his apartment. It appears to be a case of spontaneous combustion, though Cage isn't quite ready to buy into that theory. Cage searches for answers, only to come up with other apparently unlinked cases of spontaneous combustion. Jonny Cache, a former pleasure robot who was rebuilt into a free thinking cyber babe, is on a similar case that will eventually lead to their teaming up with one another. Together, they must find the common thread between all of the victims and come face to face with the most powerful force in the world, Expedite. This novel has it all. A great setting, intrigue, sex, fights, hover cars, bad cops and paranoid net pirates. Lyons paints a wonderful image of this future reality and really knows his stuff when it comes to the technological aspect of a population linked to a cyber world. Jonny Cache is a character deserving of her own series of books. She's beautiful, super smart and can kick some serious tail. Her friends and partners, Yin and Yang-Angelique, lovers who have united themselves in body, mind and spirit with the help of future technology and genetics, are some of the strangest, most memorable characters I've ever come across. Burn is that rare combination of great science fiction and bare bones private dick suspense. This was a surprisingly great read and I look forward to more from Mr. Lyons. I also want to take a moment to praise the aesthetic quality of the hardcover edition of the book itself. Domhan Books, a small publishing company, has created a quality product. In fact, I'm going to their web-site to discover some more new voices in the writing field.

In post-environmental-apocalyptic Old New York City, acidic rains fall in a surreal dirty near-night landscape. In a world where the environment has shifted following corporate brutal abuses intent upon profit, citizens don filter masks and non-reactive coats as a matter of course. NewSchool Grrls, Nouveau Gothics and rogue-boyz populate bars like the Nine Circles, where chip rental outpaces consumption of alcohol, allowing patrons to experience the highs and lows of drugs without the aftereffects.

Cage had once been a career cop with a wife, a good partner and a retirement plan with Expedite Corporation, the corporate sponsors of Old New York's police force. Then he challenged Expedite Corporation and lost his job, his wife and his future in the same day. Now he ekes out a living as a private detective. Janice Gild arrives in Cage's office, hiring him to investigate the death of her brother James. The police attribute the case to spontaneous human combustion and have dropped the investigation. Soon Cage learns that James is not the only person to die this way.

Jonny Cache, a beautiful android, is a netrunner of unique talent, able to slip past any security system undetected. Once she delivers information to those who hire her skills, Jonny burns the information from her memory to the tune of "Ring of Fire," recorded by her namesake in an almost forgotten sunlit era. Jonny achieved sentience because of James Gild. She wants answers to his death. She will begin to find those answers in an online virtual world run by paranormal enthusiasts that leads to a real world meeting with Cage. Together they will attempt to find answers without arousing the attention of Expedite Corporation or the police force it funds.

Debut novelist Jonathan Lyons juxtaposes a frightening futuristic landscape with a hero in the tradition of the 30's private investigator. A corporation runs the world, destroying the environment for profit and funding law enforcement. Despite this bleak landscape, these characters thrive, creating their own unique niches in a world gone wrong, merging their humanity with technology seamlessly. Fans of technoir or cyberpunk will find BURN to be a highly entertaining read, with richly developed characters, and a fast paced plot. Readers will be disappointed to reach the conclusion and left hoping for more! A stunning narrative with haunting possibilities, BURN has earned the WordWeaving Award of Excellence.