I have never been very confident with money or money management. It's important stuff, but the whole subject has always been emotionally difficult for me. I've felt that everyone else knew how to manage their money, and somehow I'd just been absent from class the day that was taught.

This book is a refreshing blast of fresh air. It begins by acknowledging that lots of people felt as I did, and then acknowledges that in fact most people never have been taught to manage their money; we somehow expect ourselves to just "know". Of course, that's silly, and this easy-to-read, practical book dispels one myth after another.

The most refreshing and useful aspect of this book is that it is infused with an attitude that respects your emotions and spirit as much as your finances. Your money exists to serve you and your goals, not the other way around. All the smart advice from friends and family - you "should" buy a house, you "must" pay for kid's education, you "need" to save a certain percent - are bogus. What you really need to do is figure out what you want, and then use your money as a tool to help get you there. If that means save, then save. If that means spend, then spend. But do it with your eyes open and as the result of a consicous tradeoff of the costs and benefits.

This book reveals those costs and benefits clearly. When you're done, you'll be able to sit down and draw up a master game plan for your money, and dispense those "shoulds" and "oughts" to the dustbin, replacing them with the moves that are right for you.

I recommend this book highly. It's warm, personal, no-nonsense, direct, and highly readable.

This book brings a lot of heart, humor and no-nonsense good sense to the matter of putting money in its proper place in one's life. Karen Ramsey communicates her messages both directly and through many stories of experiences with her clients.

Beginning with the admission that most of us were never explicitly taught much about the basics of money, and maintaining that the value of our lives comes from within each of us, Ramsey takes us on several adventures at a very personal level.

Though I expected some kind of "how-to" advice, I was surprised at how moving and inspiring were the real-life stories of people accomplishing what they'd thought was not possible. As I read, I couldn't help but notice how so many of the concerns we have are so similar, yet so often held privately. I found myself more powerfully related to money and it's role in my life.

Reading this book can make a distinct difference in your financial well-being.

Karen has done a great job of presenting the human side of spending and saving. This book has helped me to put money to work for me - for my particular needs and temperament. No longer do I need to look at saving and spending from just an investment standpoint. I can feel good as I weigh how my spending and saving feels to me. As a behavior consultant with children, I consider her advice to be sound for parents trying to teach their children how to save, spend and contribute to the world at large. What a fun and easy read!

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in World War II. It tells the story of the real heroes of Bataan, the men who refused to surrender but went into the mountains to continue the war against the Japanese. Lieutenant Edwin Price Ramsey should have been awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the Philippines.

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Those words barely begin to speak of the sacrifices Lt. Edwin Price Ramsey gave for his fellow countrymen, the war effort against the Japanese in the Philippines, the behind the scenes guerilla movement, and the Honor he bestowed upon the United States of America through his actions and his command. This gentlemanly young officer went from the glory of Army Polo into the depths of an unsuspected Hell in a matter of months to become well known as the leader of the very last Cavalry Charge in United States Army History for which the Distinguished Service Cross was bestowed upon him, at the age of 24!

This in-depth bio eloquently traces the Lieutenants' life from childhood to the end of WWII. His remarkable true story has more twists than a licorice stick as well as plenty of eye filling emotional sledge hammers.

I recommend this book highly to anyone who would like to know what the phrase "sacrifice for country" really means.

My father in law was a guerilla fighter from the age of 12 to 16 in the Bataan area and this book brought to life for me what he went through. Unless you've lived it, this is as close as you can get to being there. I think it should be mandatory reading for high school students so they can better understand not only what the Americans were doing in the Philippines but what real honor is all about. Ramsey could have tried to escape the island, or like others, hid out til MacArthur returned to save them. He had something we all wish we have when the going gets tough. He saw the bigger picture.

I have had a copy of this book since the early 90's and I come back to it often to read and re-read the comments given by the various authors on their favorite horror books. It is an interesting experience to be able to see, within these covers, the growth and evolution of horror, inspiring itself over and over to become the phenomenon of today. From The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (the first work chronologically) to Dark Feasts (the last, the book was printed in 1988), we get to see a veritable timeline of horror.

Lists of this sort are invariably subjective. The authors commissioned for this were asked to write about their favorite book, not to describe the best books so some great works are going to be left out. But it is an excellent starting point and this list (along with the Suggested Reading in the back) should keep any horror afficionado trembling for years to come.

This updated version of the 1988 Bram Stoker Award winner is appealing for several reasons. First, it's a modern classic in horror scholarship, a survey of horror literature spanning fifteen centuries, several genres, and a plethora of authors. Second, there's the thrill of reading great writers' thoughts about their favorite authors--Stephen King on Robert Marasco, Peter Straub on King, and Ed Bryant on Dan Simmons among others. Third, it's basically a big list of good books. The 100 entries combined with an extensive list of recommended titles (now updated through 1997) have enriched my reading for years. Plus, I'm always gratified when knowledgable people reel off their recommendations--their picks send me scurrying to used bookstores in search of new treasures.

In their introduction, Messrs. Jones and Newman express their hope that the book is "...informative and fun," also stating that it "should offer a guide for the relative newcomer to the subject, but also some meat for the veteran afficionado. We hope we've succeeded in giving a working overview of an often maligned field of literature." I, for one, think they've achieved their goal--Horror: 100 Best Books is a worthwhuile addition to library of any horror maven, a useful, entertaining work that belongs on the shelf next to books like King's Danse Macabre, Winter's Faces of Fear, Skal's The Horror Show and Wiater's Dark Thoughts on Writing.

If you buy this book you'll just have to buy another one down the line. My current copy is falling apart from the constant use. The one I had before that still hasn't been returned. So with the next one I buy I'll be on my third copy in just under a year since my initial purchase. For the horror fan who doesn't have the time or volition to check out the horror websites or sift through all the rotten horror novels and anthologies, this book is perfect for you. In this volume of articles by distinguished writers and anthologists you get a taste of everything from splatterpunk to Gothic. Writers as diverse as Harlan Ellison and Richard Laymon (even going back as far as Poe) get to put their two cents in. You find established classics like Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and underappreciated gems like Carroll's The Land of Laughs. You get writers who you never associated with horror like Shakespeare(article for Will writen by writer/director Clive Barker) and Melville. Of course Stephen King and Peter Straub, the modern heavyweights, are included, it wouldn't be a party without them. Once you see the Hundred choices made and read the articles, you will understand why they are there(even if you disagree with the choice). Reading this book sent me out to my used book store in an attempt to locate the out of print volumes, but somebody else must have beat me to it. And I still have yet to go through the dozens and dozens of books listed in the recommended reading list at the back of the book. So do yourself a favor, don't buy this book, you'll just have to buy another copy and you'll find yourself hunting for books like Sarban's The Sound of His Horn or Laymon's The Cellar. It is an addiction worse than smoking. It is a fear addiction, and there's no patch for it.

I teach classes on 'Business Etiquette' to the management trainees of large international corporations and I have referred to Ms. Ramsey's book quite often when putting together my workbooks for my training sessions. So many etiquette books are large and cumbersome but this book is something I can carry on a plane with me and review before my next class.

I became aware of Ms. Ramsey and her work after she purchased my video, 'American Dining and Entertaining Etiquette; Manners for the Table.' She was also teaching classes on business etiquette and wished to show my video to her students as part of their lesson on 'dining etiquette.' I was honored that she wanted to do this! She then told me about her book which I immediately purchased.

Ms. Ramsey's book is concise, informative and very well organized. Congratulations on a work well done.

My hats go off to Ms. Ramsey for an excellent book on business manners. It's written in a very down-to-earth way making it easy to pick up tips at a glance. I especially enjoyed reading Manners That Sell knowing that this author "walks the walk" about what she writes.

This book has it all - Lydia Ramsey describes in clear detail everything important in business etiquette, including how to dress, correspond, converse, dine, conduct meetings, introduce, exchange business cards, leave messages, give gifts, lead, participate in meetings, and enter into the many other interactions that contribute to the image of a business. The reader gains an understanding of good manners in business that bring about confidence, good relationships, and success in business interactions. I especially enjoyed the tips that put others at ease and set the stage for important discussions in business meetings as well as the chapter on doing business internationally. This book will be extremely useful as an etiquette reference book for business leaders as well as for young executives just joining a business. Reading the book gives confidence and lets one move ahead in business interactions, knowing that the best impression has been made and that the most effective atmosphere has been created for the important business discussions to follow.

A wonderful introduction to the conditions of the roads for the early travelers by car in America. Because of their determination, our roads were improved and the automobile industry flurished. A great way to make children and adults aware of the history of the early automobiles and how people like Alice Ramsey believed in them. The geography lessons lend themselves to great mapping activities.

"On June 9, 1909, Alice Ramsey drove out of New York City and into a grand adventure. Alice Ramsey wanted to be the first woman to drive across America. Alice's friend, Hermine, and her sisters-in-law, Nettie and Margaret, traveled with her..." So begins Don Brown's marvelous story of a little known young woman and her dream. Mr Brown's engaging and informative text, told in an easy to read conversational style, is filled with enlightening details about how the trip progressed over its 59 day period. Pigs clogged the road in Illinois, and railroad tracks slowed them down in Chicago and "...the car bounced over mile after mile of rail until the women were dizzy." Dirt roads became muddy and impassable when it rained, and as they traveled further west, there were no roads at all. "Alice followed telephone lines, hoping the wires would lead her to the next town. It wasn't always successful-sometimes it left them even more lost." And there were many mishaps and breakdowns along the way. But as she crested the Sierra Mountains, Alice knew she was now in California and close to her goal. "Alice guided the Maxwell onto a ferry that carried them to San Fransisco. When she rolled off the ferry behind the wheel of her Maxwell, Alice Ramsey became the first woman to have driven across America! It was August 7, 1909, Fifty-nine days had passed since Alice left New York City." Charming watercolor illustrations add just the right touch, and highlight the important events of the story. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Alice Ramsey's Grand Adventure is an inspiring tale, told by a gifted storyteller, that is sure to whet the appetite of adventurous readers and send them out looking for more.

Luminous watercolors and a straightforward writing style serve to enchant the reader without over-romanticizing a true story. I look forward to more by this author.

I bought this book last year after stumbling across Dave's excellent radio show; I try to listen whenever I can. Reading the other people's reviews could lead one to think this book is only for those recovering from or in a debt crisis. Au contraire! Buy, read, re-read, and PRACTICE the recommendations in this book BEFORE you get into debt, stay out of debt forever, and get piles of cash. Doing this will add immeasurable peace to your life.

This book is a straight-talking, no B.S., easy-to-read gem about realistic personal finances. Everyone but the extremely rich should read it.

If you are like me, you probably have had some problem in the past with your finances and with that there come as certain bit of shame. Dave show us in this book that taking responsibility for your debt doesn't mean that you have to take the shame that comes with it. Like most of us we never intended not to pay our debt, it's just that our debt controlled us instead of us controlling it. This book lays out a step by step plan to take control of our debt. Do yourself a favor take control, buy the book and gain Financial Peace today.

I loved this book! I thought my husband and I would be in debt for the rest of our lives, but after reading Ramsey's guide, we feel like we're finally getting control of our finances. We expect to be "in the black" within three years. Thanks, Dave!

If you do not have any of MaryAnn Kohl's books, this will be a good resource for working with very young children. However if, like me, you already own several of Kohl's other books (Scribble Art, Global Art, Preschool Art, etc.) you might not need this one. I found that many of the ideas overlapped those in her other books. There was not a lot of new material here that I could not have adapted from Scribble Art (my favorite of her books, which can be adapted for all ages) or Preschool Art. The ideas in this book do allow for a lot of creative exploration, which cannot be said of a lot of other childrens' art books (many are more concerned with cute results than the child's experience). For that reason I would recommend this author's books very highly, just not necessarily this one!

I have most of Kohl's books. This one is VERY specific to working with the youngest kids...hints for adults and hints for kids. I work with the youngest kids, so this helps me quite a bit. I like the last chapter with ideas of things you can make to use with kids, like a pizza box easel. I found these ideas to be fresh and unique. Though I have used Kohl's other books with the youngest kids, this one brings art into clear focus and I don't have to think at all!!!

The secret of this book is that these art experiences are safe, fun and easy for toddlers but if you have older kids they will love them too. If you are a parent like me, you want to set up art projects that will be fun for all your kids. You also want projects that capture their interest and curiosity for a long time. I currently have twin 7 year olds and a 3 year old who have tried almost every project in this book. If you want to dive right into my top 10 favorite projects, here they are with comments based on our personal family experience:

Playclay - This is way better than the commercial playdough products you buy in the store. It sounds like a lot of effort to make your own, but this cooked playclay is so luxurious, wonderful and lasts for weeks. It is much better for toddlers than the store bought stuff since it is super soft and easier for tiny hands to roll, mold, and squeeze.

Waterpaint - Too easy to be true! Tips on taking a bucket of water and brushes and "painting" outdoors on a summer day.

Feelie Goop - A recipe of cornstarch and water with bizzare properties that fascinates toddlers, kids and adults alike.

First Color Mixing - This is such a favorite that I bought four ice cube trays and lots of food coloring and I bring this out often when my kids have friends over. I fill the trays with water, squeeze some red, blue and yellow in three of the compartments, and let them use pipettes (like easy eye droppers) from ...to drip the colors together in each compartment. This is an older toddler variation from the book. Great ideas for the youngest toddlers are in the book.

Early Scissors - My kids loved cutting playclay worms with plastic scissors and cutting strips of paper as they mastered the use of scissors. There are lots of great tips on getting toddlers started safely with scissors.

Buckets of Bubbles - My kids love to play in this stuff. It is like an outdoor bubble bath.

Scribble Book - Toddlers are fascinated with books. Make tiny homemade books that are OK to scribble in. The book has lots of great variations and ideas for this simple art experience.

Foil Squeeze - Foil paper is fun to make into shapes. I recently gave all my kids one sheet of foil paper on a long drive to Yosemite and the 3 year old made bowls and the 7 year olds created Half Domes.

Tabletop Fingerpainting - Here's a great recipe for homemade fingerpaint to do right on you table! My toddlers were fascinated and used their fingers to make endless patterns.

Color Tube - This takes a lot of time to set up, but I saw a huge version at a preschool carnival and it was such a hit. I tied lots of tubes and funnels to a board with twists and turns in the tubes. My kids and their playmates loved pouring colored water to see what would happen and what end it would stream out of.

I hope you enjoy these and the other projects as much as we have and still do. One tip that would have helped me when it started out is where to get inexpensive great art materials. Ask your local daycare, preschool, or elementary school teachers for teacher supply stores near you or the teacher's catalogs they order supplies from. In my area, anyone can shop through these venues and you will find the greatest stuff. (Always buy washable markers and paints! We stained lots of toddler clothes before I decided it was cheaper to just buy the more expensive washable art materials.)

Anoulih's version of Antigone was adapted for the time in which he lived. It contains hidden symbols to, at the time, both get the book past the censors and give the french audience moral and courage to stand up to the Nazi's and follow their beliefs. The characters are adapted slightly to fit his version, ie Tieresas is left out and a nurse is introduced. He also had to adapt the personalities of the characters, for instance Antigone develops a whiny habit, and Creon is seen as a "good guy". This was also done in order to get the play by the sensors. It is a well-written play with rounder characters than the original. This version would be better read after reading the original.

Ok, I'm french and I'm VERY surprised AMAZON sells some of our books... Anyway, Antigone is my favorite story, I'll read it everyday if I could. It makes me cry everytime and it's the coolest story about life.

Jean Anouihl is a very good writer. He did an excellent job with this play. And to the person who said Antigone was selfish, she is not selfish, why would the author paint his hero to be selfish?

With "My Life is my Sun Dance" Leonard Peltier proves that though his body may be imprisoned... his spirit, his soul still roams free. Though this book did not have the same profound effect on me as either of Mumia Abu-Jamal's prison writings, it does shed light on the mind of a man possesed with the anger of Malcolm X and the compassion of Ghandi. This is a must read for any individual in America (especially "white America") who recognizes the need for revolutionary change as we enter the year 2000.

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Whether or not you believe that Leonard Peltier really murdered two FBI agents in cold blood, you must read this book. The United States imprisons more people, *and* more people per capita, than any other nation in the world! Leonard's poignant book gives the reader a feel for *one* story of life behind bars. Not a journal or a story, per se, but a series of reflections, of meditations, of poems about life as a prisoner, life as a *political* prisoner in the Land of the Free.

You, who read this, with access to a personal computer, cannot begin to wrap your life around the experience of being caged. Of having every aspect of your life regulated. You, who grew up white, privileged, cannot wrap your mind around the experience of being beaten up simply because you spoke your native language. You, who grew up on land you "owned," have insulated yourself from imagining the pain of having your people destroyed, your culture outlawed, and your identity trampled into the mud.

So don't buy this book. Your will be able to continue your life comfortably. You'll be able to proceed with that warm fuzzy feeling that things are OK with the world, and that even if agent Fox Mulder has died, the FBI is really on *your* side.

Don't buy this book. You don't want to begin to feel what Leonard feels, caged in Leavenworth. Don't buy this book, it's easier to pretend that *those* people deserve to be locked up, that *those* people are animals, that the *justice* system really works most of the time. Don't buy this book, you don't want to have any inkling about what it feels like when justice miscarries.

Leonard Peltier wasn't (Mark) Rich enough for a Clinton pardon. He has exhausted his legal appeals. Prison Writings tells you what he will probably experience until he dies in Leavenworth. Since he's been sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus seven years, he wonders, will they keep his body in jail after he dies to get that second term?

Enough polemics. The book briefly recounts Leonard's history, the story of the shooting at Pine Ridge, and his trial. It intersperses his poetry with stories. His anger comes across loud and clear. There's a chapter about the massacre at Wounded Knee. I can't read that chapter without the tears rolling down my face. 300 women and children, surrounded by U. S. Cavalry, mowed down with cannon fire & gatling guns. 20 Congressional Medals of Honor were awarded for this atrocity.

Leonard doesn't pull any punches. He conveys, quite effectively, that we live in a land where systematic genocide and ethnic cleansing have nearly destroyed the indigenous people and enabled *us* to benefit greatly. While we look down our noses at the Nazi holocaust, we ignore the American holocaust. I wonder, is it any more *wrong* to lather your body with Jew soap, or to build your home on land soaked with the blood of the people who came before you?

Much easier to point our fingers at the Nazis and to smugly feel that we'd never participate in anything so horrible.

If you're looking for a book with more details about the Pine Ridge shootings and AIM, Peter Matthiessen's In the Spirit of Crazy Horse is a great source. The video, Incident at Oglala, provides an extremely biased presentation of Leonard's story....

PRISON WRITINGS brings the vital point of view of Leonard Peltier himself--often spoken of but rarely heard from. Peltier writes of the contexts which shaped his life, the impulses to activism through AIM, and the horrific miscarriage of justice perpetrated upon him. And aside from that, there is a beautiful and very moving description of an inipi, i.e. sweat lodge ceremony, which comprises the last several pages of the book, a section which I recommend for anyone who wishes to understand the logistics and the importance of this ritual. PRISON WRITINGS is a memoir, a treatise *and* a profoundly important accounting of the cultural connections which remain firmly in place for Leonard Peltier. I recommend this book vigorously.

This book kept my attention from the very first page. I had difficulty putting it down and read it all in two sessions. The characters seemed very real. The suspense kept me interested and wanting to see what happened next, especially since it was based on a true story. I look forward to Mr. Ramsey's next book.

I read this book from cover to cover in a day and a half. I just couldn't put the book aside. Being a mother of two daughters, I had to know what the out come would be. It truly frightened me knowing this was a true story, however, it has made me more aware to always be on my guard. You just never know. I'm looking forward to Mason Ramsey's next book.

In short...I could not put this book down! Mason Ramsey's characters were touching, real and horrifying... Although, I do not usually select books of this genre I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good read. Truly, I am looking forward to Mr. Ramsey's next book and hopes he does not keep us waiting too long.