I feel compelled to share with potential readers of Anita Johnston's EATING IN THE LIGHT OF THE MOON how much this book has helped me on my recovery from bulimia. As a woman with an eating disorder, let me assure that the path to recovery is a long difficult journey, but when things get tough, to this day, I turn to this book.

The concept is different than anything I have read to date, and I have read a lot. I love analysis, thought and literature. Johnston, who, by the way, runs an acclaimed eating disorder clinic in Hawaii uses multicultural fairy tales and myths to illustrate to the reader important steps on the journey to recovery. The story I return to again and again is that of the Tutu bird.

Briefly put, there was a young girl who lived in a village in Africa where the people were starving. Like all the other village children, she was sent out to fetch the animals that had been captured in the village traps overnight so that the villagers might eat. When she got there, there was a Tutu bird in the trap. His song was so sweet that she set him free. She returned to the village and explained what happened. The villagers were so angry that they buried her alive in a mud hut and left her to die. She cried and cried. One day, she heard a sweet song and a ray of light came though the top of her hut. The next day she heard the song again and realized that it was the Tutu bird. The bird was pecking a hole in the mud hut to free her! The bird then dropped in fruits and nuts. This continued until the girl was well fed and the Tutu bird could free her. She returned to an astonished village with the Tutu bird nourished compared to the thin villagers and then left with the Tutu bird to go into the forest forever. The point of the story: Find your voice, listen to it and don't stray. It will serve you in the end no matter how bleak things seem at the time.

If your mind is a literary one - if you are a person who finds deep meaning in stories/books - then PLEASE purchase this book. It has instrumental in my recovery and I really want to thank Ms. Johnston for that. I hope EATING IN THE LIGHT OF THE MOON will speak to you as it has to me.

This is a deeply insightful book that speaks to women with disordered eating of all types and severities. I've found that one of the most terrifying aspects of living with an eating disorder is the sense of stark isolation from others that we feel, fueled by the powerful secrets that we keep. As a woman recovered from bulimia, I was appreciative of Dr. Johnston's ability to help me see the many commonalities among women who suffer with eating disorders.

Johnston uses stories, myth and symbol to help explain the emotional and spiritual struggles that women encounter as they seek to regain a balance between heart and mind. Her description of the labyrinth as a metaphor of women's healing path serves as a gentle reminder that healing from disordered relationships with food is not a simple, straight-forward, linear process; and that being judgmental of our "progress" toward healing can only hinder our journeys.

I have read this book several times and have shared it with my mother, friends and colleagues. It has been a catalyst for many emotionally and intellectually fruitful discussions. I recommend it whole-heartedly.

There is not a woman in the western world today who hasn't been influenced by 5000 years of masculine thinking. Dr. Johnston's stories and interpretive lessons nourish a hunger for feminine guidance and wisdom, and help the reader tap into a sense of strength born from paying close attention to the information her she receives from her inner resources - dreams, feelings, intuition. Written for women with disordered eating, this book speaks to all women

I originally read this series of books over 15 years ago. When your name is Bronwyn, you don't find characters with the same name. That is why I read the first book, but the fascinating characters and description of large family at the turn of the century is why I read the whole series. It is "wholesome" without being boring. It is "educational" without being stale. Tish offers a heroine who is sensitive, but flawed, which is the same as any girl today. Bring this series back in print!

I absolutely loved this book. Norma Johnston is a gifted writer, and I have been trying to find the other four books in the series. They are all out of print, and I desperately want to continue reading the saga of Tish and the Sterling family. Puffin publishers, please bring these books back in print. I assure you many people will read them.

The book is terrific, about a girl, Letisha, coming of age in early 20th century Yonkers and her family. The books in the series are The Keeping Days, Glory in the Flower, Sanctuary Tree, A Mustard Seed of Magic, A Nice Girl Like You, and Myself and I. I've only read the first two, and they were terrific.

This series should never have gone out of print-I've never introduced them to a student yet who didn't love them! Unless you find a copy in a library, you are out of luck, and forget E-Bay, unless you want to pay a fortune for a copy that looks like it was dragged through the mud. Someday...

September 9, 2000
After three years and two miscarriages I thought I was buying a "how to" book on adoption. What I got was so much more -- a book that helped my husband and I understand and talk about all the losses that come with infertility and what they meant to us. It helped us decide what we would and would't do for treatment and, surprisingly, helped us realize that we weren't ready to adopt yet. It was emotional reading but well worth the effort. I recommend it to everyone -- those just starting on the infertility road, those that would never adopt and those that are ready to do so. I'm grateful that this book came into my life.
March 9, 2002
It's been a year and a half since writing my first review of this book. I was online tonight ordering more great books about adoption when I remembered writing this review. After all this time Adopting After Infertility still stands as one of the most important books for me in our nearly 5 year journey toward parenthood. I often think of the things we learned by reading this book. In fact, I think that the communication steps we followed in this book became the start of what has been an incredible opportunity to really share our feelings and make decisions at each step along the way that were best for both of us. We slowly learned about and planned for adoption and moved away from the pain of our loss and on to excited expectancy for our yet to be born [adopted] child. I'm grateful to Pat for this book as well as for the book she wrote for families and friends on how to support the adoptive couple. Pat also had an impact in my life by responding to a question I emailed to her about adopting and then adding a bioligical child to our family later. A positive and insightful reply showed up in my inbox less than a day later. The adoption process to date has been an emotional one, easier in some ways and more difficult in other ways than we could ever have imagined. I still recommend this book to everyone I know, including two men that I work with who, with their wives, have been experiencing the same kind of emptyness and pain over their infertility losses that we once felt so keenly. Well worth reading along with two others that meant a lot to me, "The Open Adoption Experience" and "Dear Barbara, Dear Lynne". Best wishes.

While struggling with infertlity and depression, this book changed my outlook and the direction of my life. It gave me new hope. Each chapter mirrored exactly what I was experiencing from infertility and put everythin into perspective. You will find information about all the losses you are experiencing, how to decide on posible solutions with your partner and all the aspects that involve choosing adoption. Even though my husband and I had talked about the possibility of adopting, we discovered we were not ready yet and that we had to deal with several issues first and make our relationship strong again before making this important decision. My sister who is also infertile read the book and now she is about to adopt a baby who will be born in July. This book has been extremely helpful for the whole family. We live in Costa Rica and there is ZERO literature or support groups here. Thank God for the internet and all the useful resources it provides. Even if you are barely considering the option of adoption or even if you are just starting to deal with infertility, you should read this book (and later give it to your partner, your family and your friends).

This book was required reading for the adoption agency we are going through in Dallas, Texas. And I am so glad that it was! The book is partitioned into three parts: 1) Dealing with infertility 2) Making your adoption plan 3) Raising children in a family built by adoption. The first part really helped my husband and I discuss and integrate the losses we have been feeling since our diagnosis of infertility. The second part helped us define our wants, needs, and emotions regarding our choices in adoption. And the third part will be helpful on our lifelong journey of learning how to be parents of adopted children. After experiencing infertility, we definitely appreciated the author's calm, rationale process and frank style in communicating about these very emotional issues. It gave words to some issues that we hadn't yet defined, but were definitely feeling.

My husband asked why I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe. I held up this book. My daughter asked why I was crying. I held up this book. This happened a LOT while I was reading this book. I was also accosting people and reading the "good bits". Okay, I admit it... that was everything in the book. There are parts of this book that should NOT be read to children. But if you are an adult with a sense of humor... you should read this book. I know that I'll need at least three copies for Christmas... no, maybe four... wait, five! Yes! That's it! I need at least six. Oh? You say you want to know why you should never eat or drink while reading this book? Read the book.

Then read it -- aloud or silently, in snippets or one fell swoop, Sailor Jim's yarns never fail to entertain. And once you finish it, you'll find yourself recommending it to others, too.

I've been reading SJ's little bits of silliness for about four or five years now. It's great to have them all in one place and in portable format for lending to friends. I highly recommend putting down any food or drink before picking this book up, because you will laugh yourself silly. Oh, yeah - don't judge this book by its cover. And don't forget to read the index.

"Silence" is perhaps one of the finest novels written that addresses the meaning of Christian faithfulness in the midst of intense persecution and suffering. The protagonist, a Jesuit missionary named Rodrigues, arrives in hostile Japan with a sense of pride and confidence in his faith. But his witness of the martyrdoms taking place and the intense psychological torture the authorities inflict upon him and others force a reexamination of who he thinks Jesus is and where God might be in the midst of all the tribulation.

Endo's deeply compassionate portrait of all the characters involved--even the apostastes and the persecutors--made the novel quite controversial upon its release in the Japanese Christian community. But I admire his courage for not feeding the reader easy answers. The book is unflinchingly realistic in the dilemmas faced and Rodrigues's crisis of faith, though occasionally the symbolism is blunt and unnuanced (a problem somewhat corrected in Endo's later novel, "The Samurai"). Ferreira, the apostate missionary, is particularly a complex and intelligent character who speaks eloquently about why the Japanese are so resistant to Christianity. If he is right, then all missionaries and others trying to spread the Gospel to foreign nations ought to rethink their methods and approaches to sharing their faith. ("The Samurai" also addresses these issues in an even more direct way.)

I recommend that all Christians who care about their persecuted brethren, are thinking about foreign missions work, or in general wonder what it's like to be put in a truly hard spot for one's faith, to read this novel carefully and prayerfully. The book shouldn't make you comfortable, but I think the discomfort is salutary, and will hopefully help those of us who have faith to come to a deeper understanding of "the cost of discipleship" (Bonhoeffer).

"Silence" is an excellent novel. Comparisons between Shusaku Endo and British novelist Graham Greene are apt, as both deal with the relationships that develop between individuals, Catholicism, and the world. "Silence" is an extremely intense historical novel. While knowledge of Catholicism may be helpful for some of the situations and terminology, the issues of doubt and faith, in God and in people, are readily available to any reader.

"Silence" is set in sixteenth century Japan, where Portuguese missionaries must contend with traders from rival European nations and the persecution of Christians by Japanese feudal lords. The feudal lords want to drive Christianity out of Japan, and try to do so by torturing priests into apostasy, denying their faith. This is done symbolically by stepping on a "fumie," a Christian image, like a picture of Mary or a crucifix. Two Portuguese priests, Sebastian Rodrigues and Francis Garrpe, make a dangerous journey to Japan, both to locate and comfort Japanese converts, and to discover the truth about a supposed apostate priest, Ferreira.

"Silence" makes use of several narrative approaches, third person omniscient at the beginning and ending, while the middle portion of the novel is written in the style of a diary and letters from Rodrigues' point of view. The main protagonist, Rodrigues must deal with the validity of his faith, the propriety of the Christian mission in Japan, the suffering of Japanese converts, and the silence of God in the midst of so much hardship.

Rodrigues' trials are exacerbated by his physical and cultural isolation, as he and Garrpe are forced to conceal themselves in a small hut dug out of the side of a mountain near Nagasaki. Culturally, he must confront being in a nation whose language and customs are mostly alien and threatening to him. The most perplexing external difficulty Rodrigues faces is from an ambiguously motivated local named Kichijiro. Rodrigues' relationship with Kichijiro forces the priest into his deepest and most troubling reflections on faith and the Bible.

"Silence" was an absolutely fascinating read. The historical and cultural milieus of the novel are complicated by Endo's own background. Endo's perspective on Christianity and Catholicism in particular, as a Japanese writer, and writing about Japanese history forced me, at least, as a Westerner, to look at issues of faith and international relations from a radically different perspective than even the foreign-based novels of Graham Greene that I have read, like "The Heart of the Matter" or "The Power and the Glory," the latter of which is thematically very similar to Endo's "Silence". Overall, a tremendous and powerful novel.

Endo's novel is a fascinating look at the Christian faith in the midst of brutal, cruel persecution. The novel is set in the 17th century. Two Portuguese Catholic priests journey into Japan with two goals in mind: To minister to the Japanese, and to find their former mentor, a priest named Ferreira, who may or may not have apostatized.

Silence is a well-balanced work. The story is deeply moving without becoming heavy-handed. The characters are very well thought out and developed. Endo uses a very interesting technique in this novel: The first several chapters are narrated by one of the priests. We see the events that develop through his eyes and how they affect him. About halfway through the book, the priest is no longer narrator, but perhaps we can see inside his soul better from another's vantage point. This is a book that I will think about for a long, long time.

I have, for several years, been a member of various computer animation lists, and that's where I'm coming from with this review. This is the one book which has consistently come up on those lists when dealing with general issues (the Principles of Animation, etc), simply because it is the best. It is not the best tutorial book, since it is not written as a tutorial: it is a history of Disney. If you want a tutorial on computer animation, go elsewhere. But that will probably NOT be as much help to you as reading this book, because after reading this, you will be inspired. I think this is why people are so religeously fervent when speaking about it - not because they found it useful for the large number of techniques and tips which are slipped in throughout (though very many of them are out of date or not applicable in the computer animation world), but because the book inspires. I thought it was expensive, but after I bought it and read it the first time, I realised it was cheap at the price. It is gorgeously produced, and filled with colour pics and examples of what it talks about. Worth buying if you are into animation, or if you are interested in the history of Disney.

The two Authors of "The nine old men" knew what went on at Disney Studios. "A Prime source, you just can't read a better source than these authors! Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston's expertise, honored by the American Film Institute and other prestigious resourceszz; guide you through the characters in many animation movies; job descriptions of departments in the making of these movies, steps in animating a scence, ingredieants of a scene, principles of animation, story, character development, animating expressions and dialogue and more.

"Buy the book---no reservations"---the worst that can happen, you return the book to amazon.

Carl Santy.
C.S.

If you can only afford one book on animation, this is the book to own. It's a wonderful "oversized" high quality hardcover full of illustrations and wisdom that I feel are priceless. If you take just one bit of wisdom from this volume, it will have paid for itself. Every time I open it, it's as if I had one of the Disney masters sitting next to me. The principles discussed are a distillation of wisdom over many years from one of the premiere animation pioneers and will provide an excellent foundation as you explore the wonders of this art. I've paid much more for other books, which didn't even come close to the content in this one. It's really a treasure that you will reference time and time again even at twice the price!

"Arabians" From the Camera of Johnny Johnston is a wonderful book and a must for all animal lovers! This book is also a great learning tool. "Arabians" really helps one understand how truly wonderful and unique the Arabian horse is. It is beautifully arranged and very easy on the eye. The majesty of these fabulous horses comes through these amazing photographs and tugs at your heartstrings.

Visually breathtaking book. Johnny Johnston is one of the all time great horse photographers. For those of us who own and love Arabians, most will agree he can capture the true essence of a horse again and again. The cover photograph of the magnificent stallion *Padron remains one of my favorite horses photographs.

If you love beauty, and especially appreciate beautiful horses, you MUST have this book!

When I gazed upon the cover of this book, I immediately put on my film-handler's gloves so no fingerprints would contaminate this true work of photographic art! I have had the pleasure of sharing my life with Arabian horses, both full-blooded and partial, and their unique equine essence has been powerfully translated by photographer Johnny Johnston and author Maggie Nicol. The portraits of some of the most honored and esteemed Arabian stallions are breathtaking..they leap out of the pages at you. The more casual pasture and candid shots are pastoral and touching. I especially loved the mare/foal photographs. Anyone who has had the moving experience of helping your Arabian mare care for her colt or filly and watching them grow and prosper into their magnificent adult years cannot help but be thrilled by these representations...they are universally Arabian! Another interesting addition to this work are the descriptions of how Mr. Johnston obtained these incredible pictures. The stories behind the photos are both humerous and helpful. I plan to use some of the tips when I photographic my own special Arabians.

In closing, I must say that even though I have been a collector of books on Arabian horses for 40 years, this book is the most beautiful. It begs to be opened and enjoyed again and again. I plan of purchasing several more for my horsey friends..I know it will be their favorite holiday gift! If you love horses, particularly Arabians, you will treasure this photographic collection for years to come...I can't wait for the NEXT book!

The book has some great ideas for favors and how to set the mood. However, some ideas seemed out of date or just plain odd. One was to throw a teenagers birthday party in a mall having a treasure hunt. I just found this weird. What mall is going to let you do that and I am not going to send teenagers to the mall unsupervised while searching for clues to a treasure hunt.

You can tell that the author of this book is a real "party animal"! Her enthusiasm is contagious. I do not have children of my own, but I have two nephews who will certainly benefit from Suzanne Singleton's expertise when their birthdays come around. I think the book is well thought out and will guide me all through the party planning process from invitations to thank you notes and everywhere in between (love the recipes and illustrations!). Thanks, Suzanne for sharing.

I found Suz's book to be especially handy when planning a party for all ages. The writing is clear and easy to understand. Even my kids can read this and get party ideas. Thanks for a great party reference guide.

I wonder if Johnston McCulley had any idea what he was starting when he first wrote THE CURSE OF CAPISTRANO, as the story was titled when it was first published as a serial in a pulp magazine. Had it not been for Douglas Fairbanks, it would probably have ended with that one novel. I'm glad it turned out differently, as the Zorro legend has become such an ingrained part of our culture and sparked so many more stories, as well as movies and TV series! Don Diego Vega is a lifeless, spineless wimp--or so he would have the world believe. He won't engage in duels, won't romance pretty young ladies, won't engage in any of the activities expected of young gentlemen of that era. He only courts Lolita Pulido because his father has ordered him to get himself a wife, and even then, he does it in such a lifeless manner that Lolita can't stand him. All the while, however, he leads a double life that nobody knows about. At night, he dons a mask and costume, and calls himself Zorro (fox). As Zorro, he is everything Don Diego is not. He duels with soldiers and laughs as he does so. He romances Lolita in a passionate, yet gentlemanly manner, and defends her honor with a wicked captain. He persuades a group of young caballeros to stand up to tyranny, which in the end saves his life and Lolita's. THE MARK OF ZORRO is an exciting, adventure-filled, romantic novel. I recommend it to everyone.

I first read this book when my friend, Murphy, bought it. He let me read it. It is the best book I have ever read. Diego de la Vega is by day the boring foppish man who can't stand violence but by night he rides the highway of El Camino Real as Zorro protecting the people of Los Angeles in the 1820's. It is funny how Lolita Pulido ( Zorro's love) despises Diego but is in love with the handsome fox known as Zorro. To conclude my review of Johnston McCully's book the Mark of Zorro, I say it is action-packed, romantic and just plain good. I give it a five star rating.

This is my favorite book. It is set in the 1820's which is the time California is under Spanish rule. A boring and foppish man, Don Diego de la Vega returns home from Spain and the new commandante had taken over the people. Diego sees this and with his deaf-mute servant Bernardo dons a black mask and cape and rides to protect the people of Los Angeles as Zorro the fox. The book is filled with romance, action, adventure, a fat seargeant, and of course, lots of fencing duels. I give this book a five star rating and if I could, I would give it a lot more stars than that. If Johnston McCully were here right now he would probaly be the most known adventure autor in the world! So I guess in the words of the maked man himself, "Buenos Noches!"

I acquired this book on the recommendation of one of my professors. I had heard great things about the program's effectiveness with younger readers, but was not convinced I could adapt it to suit the needs of older students with reading difficulties. However, because my students dislike worksheets as much as I do, I am constantly searching for hands-on activities that developed word attack and spelling skills. Donald Bear et al provided me with numerous games and word sorts to use with my reading classes. It has also been possible to extend the curriculum to a higher level by creating additional word sorts that focus on the specific issue of high school readers/spellers. In my opinion, this book is an essential resource for every elementary teacher, language arts teacher, reading specialist, or tutor.

Here are two recent reviews of Words Their Way:

This book is a must read for teachers who are interested in not only improving spelling and vocabulary, but in improving the competency of their students as readers and writers. (Thompson, S. (1998). "Professional Bookshelf," The California Reader, 31 (3), pp. 33-34.)

We suggest that Words Their Way be kept on a convenient shelf for daily reference in every teacher's classroom for easy access and use." (Shanahan, S., Macphee, J., McMillen, L., Lynch, M., Hester, J., Brodzik, K., (1997). "Materials that make the mark: Explicit skills instruction." Language Arts, 74, pp. 291-292.)

This book was assigned as part of my Master's in Reading program. It is well-written and easy to use. Ideas are plentiful. Sections include material which may be photocopied and used in the classroom or clinic setting. It helps inform teacher instruction and provides an excellent resource that honors the synchrony of reading, writing, listening and spelling. I use it and have seen results!