During the go-go years of the late 1990s, there were plenty of jobs available in a hot economy. For the first time in history, workers had tremendous freedom in choosing the kind of work they would do, where they would do that work, and what employer they would work for. Work was transformed from being a drudgery-something that has to be done-to an experience that could actually be enjoyable and fulfilling. In a sellers' market, workers could actually manage their career destiny...and their personal lives. We began to see a movement toward enriching the balance between work and life.

In 1998, this book was a little bit ahead of its time. People were starting to seek more meaningfulness in their lives, but still weren't quite sure how to define it. Many of us were not even sure we were entitled or deserving of such a life, so different from the work-as-central-to-life core belief.

If the economy hadn't slowed, this book probably would have been a pretty strong seller. If rediscovered, I'll bet it could be a very popular book. The message is right on target and the book itself is very readable and well put-together. The chapters are heavily seasoned with brief stories from workers, identified only by first name. Whether they are true stories or whether they are created by the author to make her points, they are effectively illustrative and add value to the text. The same added value applies to the summaries at the end of each chapter. The table of contents is enhanced to give the reader a strong sense of the messages that are conveyed so well in these pages.

The book is organized into ten chapters that are revealing in their titles: Work is More Than a Paycheck, How Core Beliefs Keep Us Stuck in the Wrong Job, Stress and the Workplace, Finding time to Find Wise Work, When Quitting is the Best Option, What to Do Before You Lose or Leave Your Job, What to Do After You've Lost Your Job, Managing Change, The Heart of Wise Work, and Balance-Working and Having a Life.

For several years, thousands of people have been out of work and/or trapped in jobs they don't like. As the economy picks up, these people will be seeking, searching, wondering...and hoping. If you fit in this category, pick up a copy of "From Making a Living to Having a Life." Your insight will grow, your stress will drop, and you'll be on the way to a new phase of life that will be delightfully different for you and those around you. This book is coming back...and so are you!

This valuable and practical book is particularly appropriate now more than ever. We've been downsized, rightsized, laid off and demoralized over and over again and it's about time we took back control of our careers and our life. This is book that will help you do just that!

The book begins with a story that tells how the author decided one day to "run away" and follows her through her own discovery of her perfect work and her fulfilling life. The author, Gloria Dunn, has been there and done that and offers in her book the nuggets of wisdom she discovered along the way.

The many topics covered in this book include: how to find the work of your dreams, how to make your current job more fulfilling, how to determine whether to leave or to stay, what to do if you're laid off or fired and how to have a more fulfilling life that is enhanced by your work and not dominated by it.

This book is a not to be missed resource for anyone who works!

With everyone's life racing forward, Gloria's book gave me permission to take a break and find my purpose. When others say stay-put no matter what, Gloria recommends taking risks and even taking time off to cultivate options. She's the greatest!

I happened upon Not By Accident, at a yard sale of all things. This was a very lucky find. Samantha Dunn is an incredibly talented writer. Her story is courageous, honest, and intelligent. Her stoic and quirky humor propelled me on with an odd curiosity, only to watch her become vulnerable and naked in her healing process as well as her writing. I loved her internal musings and mental wanderings, it made me feel less alone, as though I were a part of a greater whole. I have recommended this book to many people and plan to read Failing Paris, if this is any example of what Samantha Dunn is capable of, I'm there.

NOT BY ACCIDENT: RECONSTRUCTING A CARELESS LIFE is a very well written, indeed it's a beautifully written, book. The language used just keeps you flowing along through the story, which is absorbing in its own right. The book presents a tale of facing death, of tearing apart assumptions, and of deep insights revealed which profoundly change a life. We see guilt, sorrow, growth, hard work, heroism, in fact, almost every emotion runs through this book especially the one needed most: appreciation. Samantha Dunn is to be commended for the way in which she presents the events unfolding around her life, and the sterling use of our language, crafting the structure of words and sentences into something profound. You will not be disappointed if you read this work. I predict a literary prize in its future.

Dunn's work is exemplary for its brave and steady gaze. She looks at her life, this "accident" and through shockingly beautiful and precise prose as fine as any literary novel, Dunn's work takes up the project of assaying her soul--something memoirs, when they were first conceived in the 3rd century did, but now rarely do. This is not mere nostalgia: this is a good hard look at her life come undone, and the journey of putting her back together again. The book never succombs to the easy road of sentimentality and ennervated prose. Her look at herself is cool accurate as a surgeon's scalpel. There's no room for sissies, sad-sacks, or glorification. This work is as trued and pure as Augustine's Confessions. Read it now.

Hilda Dunn's The Hanged Man is a clever and entertaining mystery that should be read by everyone who admires the novels of Jane Austen and Barbara Pym. With great skill, Dunn presents an exciting story (one that makes unobtrusive references to works by such writers as T.S. Eliot and Graham Greene among others)while presenting a view of post-World War 2 England that is as good as anything in the novels of Pym. The reader needn't have read these earlier writers to enjoy Dunn's novel, but if one has some familiarity with with them, the enjoyment is increased, and the reader sees that Dunn is an extrordinarily clever writer.

But,more important, The Hanged Man is an entertainment. It is fun to read, and the final pages are as exciting as any other mystery story I know. Don't miss out on this treat.

THE HANGED MAN offers the enjoyment of meeting a well-furnished mind through an enthralling story, with highly evocative period details that bring daily life in the 1940s to the page. The author's wit and intelligence shine through and ensure the reader's pleasure.

Reading "The Hanged Man" was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me. The plot has more twists than a Celtic knot, something I usually don't go for since in most twist-and-turn detective novels the cast are not much more than pawns in the author's effort to concoct a surprise-filled puzzle. In this book, however, the players were all alive and interesting, each with its own funny and loveable idiosyncrasies. Every character in this book was vivid and fascinating to me, even the secondary ones. In fact it seemed each one had enough "juice" in it to merit being a protagonist in a book of its own.

The language in the book is rich, sometimes almost too rich for someone like me for whom English is not a native tongue. I'm sure I missed most of the interesting (and funny) homages to (and parodies of) classic works of literature. It comes across very vividly that Ms. Dunn was in love with the English language and literature, and the book is virtually fizzling with this love affair.

With suspense hitting you right on page 1 without relenting till the last chapter, "The Hanged Man" manages a truly unique tight-wire act in my eyes: It somehow manages to be fun and yet deep at the same time. A spoiled reader like me is thus provided with everything he could possibly wish for: Instant gratification AND an intellectually worthwhile adventure...

Isaac Orr, Israel.

I owned this book as a child and 20 years later I am still fond of it. A sweet story about a young's girls love of caring for a new lamb. LArge color photographs throughout book. A nice addition for any child's library.

I remeber this book from my childhood and it has stuck with me for many years. Because of this I am ordering myself a copy of it now. The photographs are adorable and the story is charming. I recomend this book to all.

This book is so nice that my sister who read it fainted when she was reading it. When se woke up she wanted little lambs. This book is also exciting and she cannot stop reading it

I can't wait to pick up my very own copy of this GREAT book by Virginia Kantra, so I can re-read whenever I want. THe characters are intriguing and sometimes it just AMAZES me the way an author can describe things!VK shows such a gift with words, and I don't want to give much away, but on pp. 14-15, part of her description had me LOL: "...his masculine charge lit her screens up like incoming missiles over the desert."

I just LOVED this book! What's next from this talented new author? I can hardly wait!

Virginia Kantra has created one terrific romance, and an equally terrific hero. Ms. Kantra creates characters that linger in your mind long after you finish the book. Don't miss this one!

It's hard to believe that THE REFORMING OF MATTHEW DUNN is Ms. Kantra's debut book. With great wit and a unique talent for turning a phrase, Ms. Kantra is sure to draw a big following. Both Matt and Clare are likeable characters, truly modern in their thinking and actions. You'll feel you've known them all your life, which means you're guaranteed to read this book in one sitting in order to find out what happens to them! I can't wait for the next book from this gifted new author.

This book is a great jumping-off point for family vacations in the US or abroad. It will inspire you to travel AND read with your family!

Thirty international locales from books aimed at 3- to 13-year olds are described. Each descriptive chapter includes a few sentences summarizing the overarching experience (with location and age information); a one to two page summary of the book; several pages relating an actual visit by an adult(s) and child(ren); and, one to several pages detailing the specific location(s) involved, including names, addresses, phone numbers and web sites. Also included are a list of twenty-five other literary travel possibilities, including Call of the Wild and Peter Pan, and an index to titles.

The books and sites included are:

The Adventures of Pinocchio, Tuscany, Italy
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hannibal, Missouri and environs
And Now Miguel, Taos, New Mexico
Anne of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island, Canada
A Bear Called Paddington, London, England
The Black Stallion, Belmont Park, Long Island, New York
Brighty of the Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Child of the Owl, San Francisco, California
Eloise, New York City, New York
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York
Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates, Haarlem Amsterdam and environs
Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, London, Windsor and Durham, England
Heidi, Graubunden, Switzerland
Hill of Fire, Paracutin Volcano, Michoacan, Mexico
Island of the Blue Dolphins, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, California

Kidnapped, Isle of Mull, Scotland
Linnea in Monet's Garden, Paris and Giverny, France
Little House on the Prairie, De Smet, South Dakota
The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, New York City
Little Women, Concord, Massachusetts
Madeline, Paris, France
Make Way for Ducklings, Boston, Massachusetts
Maybelle the Cable Car, San Francisco, California
Paddle-to-the-Sea, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Hamelin, Germany
Ramona Quimby, Age 8, Portland, Oregon
Song of the Swallows, San Juan Capistrano, California
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Lake District, England
The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963, Birmingham, Alabama
Yolonda's Genius, Chicago, Illinois

You can tell moms wrote this book. It's entertaining AND practical. The material is fascinating, well written, and tells you everything you could want to know (except maybe where the bathrooms are located). The contact information makes this an invaluable resource. I hope the authors will continue to write more of these wonderful family travel guides.

Highest recommendation.

MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE JUST GETTING OLD ENOUGH TO TRAVEL, AND THIS BOOK GIVES ME A GUIDE TO MANY CHOICES OF WHERE WE CAN TAKE THEM (A FEW AT A TIME!) IT'S GREAT TO HAVE A PROJECT WHEN PLANNING A TRIP, AND IT WILL GIVE ME A SOURCE OF CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND A WAY OF DISCOVERING WHAT BOOKS THEY REALLY ENJOY. READING SOME OF THESE SUGGESTED BOOKS WITH THEM AND MAKING JOINT DECISIONS WILL ALSO BE FUN--THE BOOK IS SO WELL WRITTEN AND INFORMATIVE IT MAKES THE IDEA OF SEEKING OUT LOCATIONS OF BOOKS WHICH HAVE SET OUR IMAGINATIONS SOARING IN OUR CHILDHOODS, AND THEIRS, VERY SPECIAL. THE ITINERARIES ARE ALL THERE, AND TOURIST OFFICES,WEB SITES, RESERVATION NUMBERS---AND IT'S HONEST--NO FLOWERY DISCRIPTIONS OF EVERY LOCATION--I LOVED IT!!!!!!

After Chancellorsville: Letters From The Heart is a collection of the Civil War correspondences between Emma Randolph and Private Walter G. Gunn of the 11th New Jersey Infantry as Dunn. They began their exchange of letters when Walter went off to war and Emma was a young girl not yet twenty years of age. Water was carried from the bloody battlefield of Chancellorsville to a hospital in Baltimore. And it was their that he relayed to her the everyday events that comprise an intimate, eye-witness account representing a compelling and informative account of the hardships he endured while in the service of his country. Emma's letters were of the familiar things of home that Walter so badly needed to counter the horror that he lived through -- and almost died from. In time, the grew to love one another and planed a life together after the carnage and slaughter of war was ended. After Chancellorsville is an engaging and much appreciated contribution to the growing body of Civil War literature left in legacy for the benefit of future generations.

After Chancellorsville: Letters From The Heart is a collection of the Civil War correspondences between Emma Randolph and Private Walter G. Gunn of the 11th New Jersey Infantry as Dunn. They began their exchange of letters when Walter went off to war and Emma was a young girl not yet twenty years of age. Water was carried from the bloody battlefield of Chancellorsville to a hospital in Baltimore. And it was their that he relayed to her the everyday events that comprise an intimate, eye-witness account representing a compelling and informative account of the hardships he endured while in the service of his country. Emma's letters were of the familiar things of home that Walter so badly needed to counter the horror that he lived through -- and almost died from. In time, the grew to love one another and planed a life together after the carnage and slaughter of war was ended. After Chancellorsville is an engaging and much appreciated contribution to the growing body of Civil War literature left in legacy for the benefit of future generations.

Among all the hundreds of books about the Civil war, very few show the human dimension of men away on duty and the folks back home. Here Private Walter Dunn of New Jersey, wounded at Chancellorsville and with a minie ball still in his shoulder, is sent to a hospital in Baltimore. He works as a medical orderly as the wounded stream in from Gettysburg. And he renews his correspondence with Emily Randolph back home in Plainfield, New Jersey ( he lost her letters to a Rebel scavenger on the battlefield) Emily is an unforgettable young woman, playful, optimistic, dutiful, and serious, a fine observer of the people and the activities at home (among them the Lincoln reelection campaign). Walter, in turn, is in a vantage point for interpreting the events of the war, particularly as Baltimore lies vulnerable to Confederate attack. There is an interesting love story here, but more than that, the book is outstanding in reaching daily life and customs during the war. A fine addition to Civil War literature.

I found this book to be very helpful, and I refer to it frequently when I see a new species at my feeder. I like the way it lists the seed preferences for each bird. It is a very interesting book and has been very helpful to me in attacting backyard birds!

The title doesn't do justice to this book's breadth and depth. "Birds at Your Feeder" consists of ornithologically informed and delightfully written accounts of the feeding habits, behavior, distribution, and abundance of 93 North American species that often visit bird feeders. I bought the book knowing nothing more about it than Dr. Dunn's international prominence as an ornithologist at the Canadian Wildlife Service and a prime developer of Project FeederWatch -- and I wasn't disappointed. She and her co-author based the book solidly on an analysis of the data submitted by thousands of observers since 1987 in the immense network of FeederWatch volunteers across the U.S. and Canada. It seems to me that this important publication has not received the wide attention it deserves. A broad range of readers from professionals in ornithology to people with little more than a casual interest in backyard birds should find it both entertaining and worthwhile.

In addition to very interesting and often unique summary information on different species of birds attracted to feeders, the book includes birdfood ratings and maps that are ideal for people who are trying to determine whether the foods, water, etc. that they offer for birds were found to be as attractive by other birdfeeders, and whether particular birds were attracted to feeders in their local rural, suburban, or urban area, or adjoining state. By examining various graphs, they can also tell: how many of each species typically come at one time; how frequently they may come between different periods watched by other birdfeeders; and whether there is any monthly variation in visits between November and April, when most people are feeding birds.

This brief play will leave the reader to decide about the issues involved. I love works that do not hit you over the head with one point of view but allow you to feel what its like on both sides of an issue. This play delivers with a punch ending that will leave you wanting more.

I really liked it as it was a rather different way to approach a hot potato subject.
So many people these days get so upset if one even questions the idea that one is born gay and can-not change.
I think it is learned and yes it can be unlearned. Its not easy but it can.
Good book!!!

I read this story as part of my research for doing some new art for the book. And I was blown away by how detailed each characters beliefs were displayed in their arguments, which reminded me more of the characters in Clerks or Chasing Amy. I am sure that this is a debate that happens all the time between Christians and gays, but to see it written out in such detail is a change of pace.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a good read, because that's exactly what you're going to get from it. Afterwards, you may just find yourself siding with either character.

When my son began the study of Modern European History in college I decided to reacquaint myself with the subject. "The Age of Religious Wars" is a good place to start. Covering the years, 1559-1715, this tome takes the reader from the End of the Reformation to the beginning of the era of the 18th century balance of power.

This book focuses on the big themes of history. It tells the stories of Kings and warriors, merchants and clerics, artists and philosophers, but very little about the common people of the era.

This book is very well organized. Beginning with the situation in Europe in 1559, the first chapter gives the religious lay of the land in the countries of Western Europe at the start of the era. Chapter 2 outlines the beginning political situation in Eastern Europe.

In Chapter 3 the author studies the economic theories and commercial forms which fueled the economies of the age.

Chapter 4 introduces the reader to the political ebb and flow between absolutism and rising constitutionalism. Although the dominant figure of the era was France's Sun King, Louis XIV, he was the architect of a system which would die in a sea of blood before the 18th Century was out. In his day, Louis XIV lead the superpower of the age, but, toward the end of his long reign, he overplayed his hand, losing much of the territorial gains which he had temporally enjoyed.

The political upheaval of the era which was a harbinger of things to come was England's Glorious Revolution of 1688. For perhaps the first time in history, a monarch's right to reign was made dependent on the support of his subjects. Protestants William of Orange and his wife, Queen Mary, daughter of the late King Charles II, were invited by the nobles to challenge Mary's brother, the Catholic King James II. The resulting overthrow of James, in clear contrast to Louis' absolutism, laid the groundwork for the concept of government by consent of the governed, which would receive expanding application during the succeeding centuries.

In Chapter 5 Prof. Dunn reflects on the Age of Genius which truly this era was. Emerging from the intellectually stagnant Middle Ages, Europe erupted into a creative age virtually unique in history. Science was advanced by the likes of Copernicas, Kepler, Galileo, Descartes and Newton. Renaissance art bust forth under the creative genius of da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Durer and El Greco, to be followed by Baroque masters such as Rubens, Van Dyck and Velazquez. Europe still glories in the architectural heritage of Bernini and Wren. Our philosophy and political science still draw inspiration from the writings of Montaigne, Pascal, Hobbes Sponoza and Locke. Theatres of the world still interpret the works of Shakespeare and Marlowe, Lope de Vega and Calderon, Corneile, Moliere and Racine.

The book concludes in its sixth chapter with an analysis of the new balance of power which would carry Europe into a new age. A series of wars, Sweden's moment in the international spotlight and giant personalities such as Peter the Great would all combine to make Europe the place it would be in the 18th century.

Overall, this book is a good survey of the Age of Religious Wars. I had not read a college text in a long time and I had more acclimated to learning history in biographies and books more focused on specific topics. I am glad that I read it and give it 4 stars.

Dunn is an excellent writer. He is not flowery like the Durants, but his prose is elegant and to the point. He covers a great deal in a fair amount of detail. His book is very well organised and full of well chosen illustrations. The book is an easy size to carry around and very competitively priced (this kind of book is often very expensive, this one is not). If you want an introduction to this period, I do not think you could do better than this book. I could not put it down (Dunn knows how to be entertaining) and since completing it have referred to it often.

Reads like a story, instead of a series of "facts", like most history books. Highly readable. Very interesting.