In these tapes, made during lectures, Marianne Williamson inspires us with words of comfort, peace, and wisdom. Many of us feel in need of guidance in our "dot-com" world, facing pressures from many external forces that tell us what we should be, feel, look like, how we should act, etc. Ms. Williamson helps us focus on what's important and helps us approach ourselves and each other with the love and respect that we all deserve. Her approach is wonderfully practical - thought provoking, but not requiring mind-numbing thought. After listening, I can put her approach into action. Each time I listen, I hear something new. Her words make for a better world. The response of the audience affirms this, too. All in all, these are wonderful additions to my library.

Marrianne Williamson's work is both real and honest. Rather than couch things in a concepts that are alien or extremely religious, she talks to you about the realities of existing. Of how things will not always be easy, about how you will lose your way, and honestly how to see people clearly. Growth is messy, it's not neat, maturity is not easy, nor is spirtiuality delicate work, but with assistance from a tape like this you can see yourself clearly and how to bridge yourself from concept to human to spiritual being.

I originally purchased the tapes on Self Esteem, Relationships, and Love about 3-4 years ago and kept them in my car at all times. Every once in a while, when I felt the need for a "reminder" about what is *really* important in life, I would pop a tape in and get out of my car with a new attitude. Unfortunately, my car got stolen last summer, and the person who stole the car took the tapes too (the car was recovered, the tapes were not..go figure...). For exactly one year I have been without the tapes and found myself missing them immensely, so here I am ordering them again and I cannot even wait to get them - it's been too long! I would definitely recommend them.

I really liked Marissa. It was a very unique book. I loved reading about the events that led up to her party. The book had a great amount of detail. Just readng about the part, I could visulize it , I wish I had been here. Buy this book ! Just like the other books in the series, it won't fail to make you want more. so hey.. What ya waitin for Go BUy It.

This is a great book about the party that latinos have for their 16th birthdays and Jamie Pittel does a great job talking about what that kind of party is like but I forget what that party is called. It's funny and not cheesy and really GOOD!! I like this book! Buy it!

I thought Marisa was a really cool book. It had a lot of interesting information on the Cuban culture. I think this is an awesome book and all the young adult readers should get a copy for themselves. Oh and Jamie Pittel is a great author! I can't wait until she has a new book out.

Ariel is a plastic surgeon who must take a one-year position at Fountainhead Foundation, an elite, resort-like hospital with strange elements: dusk curfew for staff (who must live on-site) and patients; a founder no one ever sees; and the roses that appear once a day with no notes in her locked office. Ariel sneaks out to take walks in the evening and encounter an enigmatic man who only give the name Jonah and never allows her to see his face.

This was a great story--sort of a Beauty and the Beast kind of thing--with great characters and great writing. The elements of mystery were good and the end truly caught me by surprise. The only problem I had with the book was that we didn't learn enough about Jonah at the beginning--we were told rather than shown what a special man he was.

Kimberly Borrowdale - Under the Covers Book Reviews

I have read most of her other books and this has to be my favorite. It is the sweetest, most poignant love story. I also was delighted with his communicating with her through the names of roses. I thought her hero in Moon Lord was wonderful but....You have to read this book!!! As a diehard historical romance reader this one is the only contemporary I feel is a must read and a positive KEEPER. Also loved the cover as it reflects the characters and story so well....beautiful.

This book made me realise that there are many in people in this world who are scared. Miss Wilhelm or Mrs Wilhelm you are a great authour continue the good work.

I was so excited to see little Oliver had his own story. After all the poor child endured he was going to live and have a happy ending. I hate to say anything other then raving reviews for Susan Wiggs, but this book just didn't grab me like Circle in the Water did. It was sooo slowww, I must have set it down a hundred times before I was able to make it to the end. When the gypsies showed up I became hopeful but they didn't stick around long enough to bring some of the jubilant happiness they had shared with us in CITW. At then end of the story a baby girl is born to Oliver and Lark, they name her Philippa and this is when I find out there is a third book Dancing On Air that Thank Goodness I have in my TBR pile. But, what had me so excited about Oliver's story is I was introduced to him in lengthy detail in CITW and finding out there is another story about this baby just doesn't excite me, I don't have that link with the baby. It would have been nice to have some of her childhood in this book so I would have been more compelled to see how she turns out in Dancing On Air.

I'll always remember this book for the emotions that I went through while I read this book. I can honestly say that this book made me cry , cry so hard that I couldn't read for awhile because of the tears, and I couldn't stop. I loved it, and will keep it, and read it again. I like Susan Wiggs she a great writer, with a great imagination.

I usually read the first line in a book to see whether it captures my attention. If it does, I'll give it a try. This book had me captivated right from the start. I usually don't read historical romance novels, but I couldn't resist this one. The characters are so loveable, and the story so intriguing that I couldn't put it down. Definitely the best Susan Wiggs book I've read so far!

This is the first book in the Harpur & Iles detective series, although this debut novel mostly focuses on Colin Harpur. Through the use of many informants, Colin with the help of his precinct tries to spoil a robbery of the Lloyds Bank Branch of his town (which is never mentioned, an any of the novels). The characters come from many different walks of life, and the look into Harpur's not-exactly-angelic personal life is a nice touch. A great start to a series that gets even better after this.

Detective Chief Superintendent Colin Harpur, he of the double vision - one eye on nookie, the other on the perps - goes after the bad guys. Of course they are no local small fry, but heavy hitters out of London. He has the help of Detective Garland and assorted whistle blowers, Lamb being preeminent among them. Harpur solves the case, of course, with panache, fortitude, tenacity and courage.

This book was first published in 1985 and is the first one in a long series of Harpur mysteries. It is written extremely well and is utterly believably. The action is fast paced and tightly constructed with a novel plot.

Please keep the series going!

Get hold of the bill James series starting with this volume.Then you'll have a history of the de-regulated world... and not just a great whodunnit.This is a world where there is no line between the activities of the cops and the fast buck boys . Where the cops depend on the conmen and fast buck boys for tips on drug running,bank robberies and the black economy. All the bill James books in this series are set in a university town, which is occasionally invaded by gangsters from London. But this ,too can be read as the wise guy view of the American economy, where residents of every city is free to operate in a market economy. Driven by drugs,sex, underground money and con artists ( the biggie in the james seriers is an art dealer who is a thief and a police snitch) in this world there is no class system. Just con artists and crooked cops . Top series in any league. This is a landmark publication event where " Getting away with murder " is everybody's goal.

Julia Tennant spent two years in jail, convicted of killing her husband and three other men with a bomb. Now she's free, on a legal technicality. But FBI agent Max Ross will do whatever it takes to keep Julia from seizing her daughter and becoming a fugitive. Except, when he's with Julia, he starts to wonder whether he put the right person in jail. Could he have made a mistake--been led into a false conviction?

Author Harper Allen does a fine job delivering the emotional message of her story. Julia has emerged from prison a different woman from the weak person who went in. She's stronger, tougher, but still capable of love--and blessed with a psychic bond to her daughter despite the distance and the years that separate them. Max has never forgiven himself for the death of his wife and unborn son--a son he denies ever existed. Julia's mother/child bond tears at him at the same time as he sees it for something he can never have. Allen's dream sequences add texture to the story.

Severe research problems weaken the intrigue plot. If Julia had been freed due to a flawed search warrent, the FBI would be doing everything it could to prepare for a new trial--second trials for the same crime are barred only in cases of an innocent verdict, not the case here. The idea that Julia's sister-in-law would be admitted into the witness protection program to protect her from Julia (who is in prison) is unrealistic. Witness protection is expensive and wouldn't be offered in cases like this.

Romance readers who don't quibble over legal matters and focus on the emotional details will find THE NIGHT IN QUESTION to be a rewarding read.

Until "The Night in Question" came along it seemed like forever since I read an Intrigue I really loved. Even Harper Allen's last one wasn't one of her best. This one's right up there.

"The Night in Question" is an intense read that combines moving characters and a strong mystery. Julia and Max are two deeply felt characters with tragedy in their pasts who find the strength and courage to overcome them. Julia is a gritty and more flawed character than most Intrigue heroines. That's what makes her so fascinating. Unlike the heroine of Allen's "Protector with a Past," another tortured Julia, this one is easier to relate to and sympathize with. She's also given a hero in Max with just as much to overcome and as much to gain from love. The author takes as much care to develop the mystery as she does the romance. There are plenty of secrets to be uncovered along the way and a good amount of action. The witness protection angle did strike me as a little off too, but the author has been very meticulous with her research in the past. She included author's notes in her first two books to note changes she'd made and there were parts of "The Night in Question" that demonstrated she'd done her homework. I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and go with it. It's such a little thing I wouldn't let it bother me when there are so many wonderful things in this book.

I was about ready to give up on Intrigues after the last few months of so-so books. I wasn't sure why I was reading them anymore (contrary to popular belief, I don't like writing bad reviews for Intrigues). This one was wonderful, full of the emotion and mystery the best Intrigues should have. There might be hope for the line after all.

I loved this book! It was a real tear-jerker and really touched my heart. It also had a better balance between the romance and the suspense than so many of the Intrigues I've read lately. The love story was very emotional. At the same time the mystery was developed well. It was nice to be able to follow along on the investigation as Max and Julia figure out who framed her. It kept me eagerly turning the pages and brushing away tears.

I have to disagree with the other reviewer's complaints. They're inaccurate and can be answered with some common sense. The FBI might have wanted to retry Julia, but they couldn't with what they had. The only concrete evidence against her was thrown out. They didn't have a case without it. In real life they probably would have wanted to retry her but would have decided not to waste the time and money on a circumstantial case they had no chance of winning.

Also, while the sister-in-law was placed in some sort of witness protection, I thought it was clear she wasn't in the actual Witness Protection Program, since she was still in contact with her family. That's a big no-no for the Witness Protection Program. I've read enough books with the protector storyline to know that there are other kinds of witness protection than the full blown FBI relocation/renaming treatment. It was clear that was what was happening here. The reviewer also reveals a secret that doesn't come out until well into the book, which is annoying.

I highly recommend The Night in Question. Max and Julia were wonderful characters who have both suffered devastating losses. Watching them walk a path to redemption and hope was a joy.

With a copy of this guide at hand, I've tried several times to read the whole thing front to back in order to digest all of the information and be able to come up with a coherent plan to visit New Zealand, but I find the writing dense and unentertaining. Perhaps the subject matter is difficult-- as a primarily outdoor destination, New Zealand may not lend itself easily to a list of places to see and things to do. Nevertheless, in despair at wading through this long but boring tome, I have ordered the Lonely Planet guides in the hopes that they will be more readable.

Just returned from a 21-day journey to Kiwi-country, and used the Rough Guide extensively. From Dunedin to Auckland, the book spells out excursions, accommodations and lifestyle samples in various price ranges better than most other guide books.

Format is simple to read, easy to find just what you need. We were turned on to some great motels and B&Bs, excellent eateries and a few adventure tours along the way. Maps of cities were quite helpful. Other books have prettier pictures, but this one does the best job of finding stuff to DO in NZ.

This review refers to the 2000 2nd Ed.

This first edition of the New Zealand Rough Guide has taken its place as the best overall travel book for the country. As with others in its series, this Rough Guide gives a thorough description of all the cultural and recreational aspects that a first time or a seasoned traveler "downunda" should know. For the basic information concerning accommodation or eating, the Rough Guide follows its practice of offering choices for every price level but it doesn't act as listing agent for each and every hostel, hotel, B & B or cafe. In that regard, the Rough Guides encourage the traveler to look for him or herself instead of following the standardized tourist formula.

But it's heavy on the activities for specific woderful areas like Kaikoura, the Otago Peninsula, Wanaka and many, many more. The color photographs are an appealing addition, also.

This book is very sad and emotional. The story of this couple is amazing. It makes you feel sorry for them, but at the same time happy because they share so much love.

This is a very short novel about a rural couple who have been married for more than forty years and the confusion and stress they face as the wife is hospitalized. It is a refreshing alternative to more popular and yet more sentimental stories that deal with spousal, parental, and sibling relationships and the conflicts associated with aging and mortality. Mason is a fine writer.

This was one of the most endearing love stories i've ever read. Spence and Lila are old and worn, but the love they have for each other is still pure and fresh, forty plus years after their marriage. That a love like this might exist, and the characters are so real that it is likely, gives me new hopes in life

I went to see the movie TITANIC, but regretted it. I didn't like all the sexuality that was portrayed in it, and when I heard about Moody Adams' book, The Titanic's Last Hero, I knew that I had to get it. I wanted to see how a person could be there to help change lives, instead of just having only the pleasures of life. John Harper was such a spiritual man, and he led many people to the saving grace of Jesus Christ even before going on that ill-fated journey on the Titanic. The narratives of people saved with the promise of going to their heavenly kingdom when the Titanic went down, that's a better story to remember and to think about.

If you are looking for a book as fast paced as the movie, you will be disappointed. This is a collection of memories of people close to John Harper. What the book will give you is a deep look into a man who faced near death by drowning three times before his death due to the Titanic's sinking. It inspired me to look at my own faith more critically. It presents the flip side of all those passengers who so lacked compassion that they put their own needs ahead of others who were dying in the water.

If you want to get to know about a real person that sailed on the Titanic, this book is for you. It is about an extraordinary Baptist minister, Rev. John Harper, who deeply touched so many who considered it a privileged to have known him. The book contains memories of fellow ministers, personal friends, and testimonies of individuals whose lives where changed forever under his ministry.

You will read about Rev. Harper's last moments in his losing battle for life in the icy Atlantic, and the effect on the last person struggling in the water with him that survived. You will also be painted a vivid picture of his informative years by his brother and the story about his wife, lost six years earlier. This book also contains a gripping message delivered the Sunday after the sinking, to his grieving church in England, by his Associate Pastor. There is also a message from Rev. Harper himself.

Don't miss this book, it will make you think, touch your very soul, and could change your life too. This book is great to read again and again, as you will get something new out of it every time.

There is also another book ("Titanic" by Leo Marriott) that contains a photograph of a hand written letter written by John Harper to a friend, nine days before he sailed, about how he came to take the Titanic.

A very scholarly review of one of my favorite books. Ms. Johnson points out similarities between events surrounding the trial of Tom Robinson in the book TKM and real life events surrounding the infamous trial of the "Scottsboro Incident", where several black youths were wrongfully accused, tried and convicted of raping a white woman in the South. Thus, pointing out how Lee's environment influenced her writing. It includes a chronology of key events in Lee's life and details about her relationship with Truman Capote. Ms. Johnson also gives a very indepth explanation of Gothicism in literature and how she comes to claim that TKM is a Gothic book, wherein the issues of boundaries are discussed. She points out a number of very interesting behaviors of the characters in TKM and also some similarities between the characters. Interestingly she points out how Atticus is Christlike. Overall a very insightful and scholarly review that will add to your enjoyment of the book TKM.

its a really well written book exploring the diversity, and aspects of human nature-- racism plays an important role, also, the ways of court systems "back in the days", dealing with rape charges against a coloured man. Fear takes over the children, they're not afraid of Radley's place, but have a fear of fear within. very well written! i recommend this book to anyone who's looking for something different!

Claudia Durst Johnson points out that despite the popularity of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," it has not really been the subject of serious academic study. In fact, you are more likely to find it being analyzed in law journals rather than literary magazines. Johnson is out to rectify this problem in this look at the novel in terms of "Threatening Boundaries."

The first part of this book looks at the literary and historical context of the novel in three chapters: (1) Racial Climate in the Deep South focuses on both racial tension during the Depression, which is both the setting of the novel and the time of the trials of the Scottsboro case as well as in the mid-century, when Lee was writing the novel and the Civil Rights movement was gaining momentum; (2) The Importance of "To Kill a Mockingbird" talks about not only the way the novel has resonated with readers but the attempts to censor it in school libraries and the controversy in the legal community over Atticus Finch's defense of Tom Robinson; and (3) The Critical and Popular Reception of "To Kill a Mockingbird" looks at both the newspaper and magazine reviews as well as the published legal criticism. These entire section provides an excellent background to Lee's novel, not only for better understanding its social origins but its place in American culture.

What makes this book a different approach to the novel from most literary criticism is that the idea of "boundaries" translates in five different "readings" of the text: (1) a discussion of the technical boundaries Lee establishes to advance her narrative in terms of plot, point of view, setting, and metaphor; (2) a look at the novel's use of the Gothic tradition, explored as a fictional construct of a castle's walls; (3) in a similar vein, a consideration of the walls of difference separating the various characters; (4) a treatment of the boundaries of law and code; and (5) an exploration of the relationship of art and expression in terms of the other boundaries discussed. Consequently, Johnson presents a series of readings, looking at the novel from various perspectives without being overly concerned with how everything fits together.

This is advanced literary criticism, useful more for college classes than secondary schools, although certainly teachers could take some of Johnson's arguments and make them palatable for their students. I think the idea that real life lawyers would argue about whether Atticus Finch did the right thing would be fascinating to younger readers, who usually consider him to be one of the noblest characters in American Literature. My final piece of advice is not to read this book at one setting, especially the five readings in the second part. TEach one reflects a serious change in perspective and you really need to clear the decks of your mind before you move from one reading to the next.