There seems to be a lot of debate going on in the previous reviews over whether or not Stone Soup is feminist. My opinion: of course it is! And it's quite refreshing to see a comic strip that isn't afraid to be. Better yet, the strip is never preachy and, unlike Foxtrot (to which it gets compared frequently), it's almost always funny. I've also seen a lot of comparisons to For Better or for Worse (helped along perhaps by the fact that Lynn Johnston wrote the introduction to this collection) which I find closer to the truth. The big difference there is that unlike FBoFW, Stone Soup is almost never sentimental. Eliot always finds a way to squeeze a laugh out of good times and bad, without dwelling on her storylines or overdeveloping them. While her focus may be on single mothers, her humor is accessible to one and all. And of course, it helps that Val and the gang always manage to keep their sanity intact at the end of each story!

How completely, utterly *refreshing* to read a comic strip where the female characters don't value themselves based on their waist measurements, their spendthrift shopping habits, or by how men see them. How wonderful and hilarious to see a comic-strip Mom who's got better things to do than become the family doormat -- Val's no-nonsense dealings with the kids is a refreshing change from the usual Mommy-clean-my-mess (from husband as well as kids) in most family comic strips. Of course STONE SOUP is feminist (Oh! I just said the "f" word!) -- it dares to presume that female characters can carry a comic strip all by themselves, and be funny and interesting in and of themselves, and that families come in all shapes and sizes. Naturally it's taken years for Eliot to come out with a *second* collection of these wonderful strips while the bulimia manual CATHY and the formulaic mommy-doormat FOXTROT are on their umpteenth releases -- some people are just so *threatened* by real women, aren't they?

Someone below called this a feminist comic strip but I think that's misleading, especially given the current difficulties in just defining that word. Yes, it happens to have several female characters, and yes it's not a stereotypical mom-dad-dog-2.4-kids-wagon-picket-fence family, BUT: This strip is about all of us, everyone of every sex and age and family style, and it's enjoyable to (and enjoyed by) a wide range of people -- even ordinary traditional people and even (gasp) men! My husband loves it, my 60-something dad loves it, and so on. I think the publisher's blurb on the back of the second Stone Soup collection ("You Can't Say Boobs On Sunday") got it right: "Anyone who's ever had a family, been in a family, or known a family seems to love Stone Soup. ... Readers see themselves and their families in Stone Soup, and they love it." That goes for people who don't consider themselves family-oriented, and for people who do.

Everyone I've known who's read any Stone Soup has enjoyed it and wound up quoting or passing around some of the strips.

Recommended reading for everyone except total grumps, I say.

There are many reasons for having this book but let me relate to you what only two chapters did for me:

Gradually I became stressed. I found it hard to concentrate on anything, even the things I once enjoyed -- Even watching a movie became a task. I was too tense to concentrate, which made it hard to remember anything. I avoided people because even talking became stressful. I became so tense at times that I had difficulty breathing.

Then I got this book.

The muscle relaxation exercise showed me that all of the above symptoms were due to tense muscles brought on by stress. Afterwards I felt wonderfully calm and at peace with the world.

Following the advice on meditation brought about a simultaneous supreme calmness and sharp-thinking alertness (My brainwaves had gone from high beta to alpha). Once, my concentration increased so dramatically after the meditation that I felt mentally invincible. Of course, the effect only lasted that night but I experienced a similar effect on repeating the mediation. It basically quietens your chattering mind, and reduces 'noise on the brain'.

The incessant chatter on the brain stops. No longer caught up in your thoughts, you are left more in the moment, and notice the world isn't all that complicated after all. Peace follows.

I can't _stress_ enough how vital this book is for conquering tension, stress, and emotional unrest.

Get it for yourself and feel much better.

Lessons for Living is a exceptionally well-written book offering simple, practical and usable suggestions for living a happier and more fulfilling life. The book has helped me personally, offering new perspectives on situations in my life that were troublesome. As a therapist, I often recommend Johnston's book to my clients and have used it as a text in several group therapy settings. Every single client has given positive feedback on how the book has helped them see problems in a new light as well as provide easy to follow exercises to aid them in making changes in their lives. The book's best feature is the many strategies for tackling long-standing habits that negatively impact our lives. I highly recommend Lessons for Living . . . for everyone.

The subtitle of this book gives the reader insight into the meat of Dan text. Dan gives simple solutions to life's complex problems. In a format that is designed for a daily thought or meditation the author gifts us with the paradox of the complexity of simplicity. His book is divided into three sections of lessons: remembering, coping, and growing. He invites his readers through the use of quotes, personal stories, metaphors, and illustrations to move toward health and wholeness. All perfectionist would be assisted by his illustration of being on auto-pilot and anyone in the helping profession would resonate with his story about mind storms. I would recommend this book to my clients, colleagues and Sunday school class members.

David C. Johnson
Pastoral Counselor

What a masterpiece of arranging and translating. Mr. Cheney took 20 years to finish this project and it's a wonderful way to study the life of Jesus in chronological order with all the details from the gospels blended together. You have to read it to see it's value. It is out of print -- thus the high prices for used copies -- so it's too bad it couldn't be revised to bring the words a little more up to date.

As a student of the Greek and Hebrew I can say it's a very accurate translation though a bit uncontemporary in it's vernacular after 30+ years.

I don't think it was ever published in hard cover. It's paperback is extremely sturdy.

I got my first copy in 1980 at a Goodwill store for $.99!! I've gotten many, many fine books from the thrift shop book racks.

Unbelievers never tire of alleging contradictions between the Gospels. Yet if one actually takes the time to read the Gospels, it becomes obvious that the discrepancies between them are, in any case, so trivial that they do not undermine the veracity of the accounts in any way. Otherwise, one would have to discard all newspaper accounts for comparable "contradictions" between news accounts. Since the Gospel writers wrote independently, it is inevitable that there are superficial discrepancies between the Gospels. Cheney beautifully shows how the different Gospel accounts flow together once one realizes that the writers "saw" things from different angles, so to speak. Cheney correctly calls this supplementation.

Cheney's harmony is a must for the bookshelf of any serious Bible student. This work, which accounts for every word in the original language texts, demonstrates the sequential consistency and compositional integrity of the four Gospel accounts and brings them to life in a special way. What a shame that its out of print!

I purchased Jack's audio seminar three years ago and I've been on a wonderful journey of unfolding pleasures ever since. Even though I'd been recovering from an old spine injury, and suffered from chronic pain at the time, I was still able to have my first multi-orgasmic experience within three weeks of practice! Since then, I've been opening up to more and more pleasures that I never knew I was capable of. As promised, I'm able to have all the multiple orgasms I want without ANY use of ejaculation control or PC muscle squeezes, etc. Jack was right, there's NO sense of a, "Point of No Return," whatsoever!
I had studied Tantra and other methods in the past and always found them to be overly complicated and difficult to master. What Jack calls the Key Sound Multiple Orgasm Trigger or KSMO was the simple, direct approach I had been searching for. I still have yet to find anything out there like it. It was surprisingly easy to learn, but after three years of practice, I'm amazed at how much I am still discovering in my practice.
I had always imagined multiple orgasms would be just like having multiple ejaculations. But the sensations I get from KSMO are so much more joyful and intense than what I had expected, and even more intense than any other I'd ever experienced before in my life! The orgasmic pleasure seems to wash over my entire body in wave after wave for several minutes at a time. I am able to remain in this state for long period of time without effort or "holding back." Sometimes I even feel these wonderful rushes of pure joy pouring out of my heart. It's as if I'm bursting with love. At Jack's website, they call these feelings "Heartgasms," and that's just what they feel like! It's as if my heart is having an emotional orgasm. I wish I knew how to describe this feeling in words. But it's unlike anything I've ever felt before.
For me, the best thing about KSMO is how it allows me to totally relax and let go in the midst of incredible pleasure and arousal. It's just an amazing feeling to experience orgasm after orgasm without having to maintain control of my body. I can enjoy all the pleasure I want without worrying about "the point of no return," or squeezing the right muscle at the right time.
This way, I am able to be fully present with my wife when we make love. Instead of taking turns pleasuring each other and then finishing with a "Big Bang," we share our orgasms together and ride these waves of pleasure over and over again until we feel completely satisfied. Finding satisfaction together in this way has spilled over into so many other areas of our marriage. We feel more in sync as a couple and more able to express our love for each other. I could just go on and on about all the ways KSMO has improved our lives.
Whether you're a man or a woman, young or old, single or in a relationship, if you are looking for a simple way to have multiple orgasms and enjoy sex more, I highly recommend this CD! You may just find that not only does it help you learn to feel more pleasure, but also able to be more open with yourself and others.

I came to this book via some of the other methods, having made them sort of work. I say sort of because the techniques which involve approaching the point of no return & then squeezing your PC muscle actually do sort of work with one problem - they aren't really any fun.
Jack Johnston's book is unique in so far as he has a method which is totally new & does not require any sort of holding back & what's more the feelings (that's what it's all about right?) can be far greater than those that accompany normal ejaculatory 'orgasm'.
If you do want to ejaculate afterwards of course it's very easy to change gears but the difference in the level of feelings were a very pleasant surprise.
This also works for women in exactly the same way, in fact my wife learned it first.
...

I would like to say that Jack's program is written for both men and women as it has to do with arousal, not gender. I have practiced the Keysound and have noticed tremendous effects in my own intensity of Bliss. This program uses techniques for men without ejaculation control of any form. Everything else I have seen on Amazon.com, has been about Ejaculation control, which I believe reduces the openness of the intensity. Jack's discovery makes ejaculation control obsolete!

I just got my first PBGV in Augest of 2001 and before I got my wonderful little pbgv I bought this book and it helped me alot understand more about the breed and it also helped me in learning about the differnt begining kennels of the first PBGV's. It also help me understand how this wonderful breed came to be. If you are intrested in getting a PBGV or are getting one I would seriously recommend this book because of all the information it will help you with in the future.

From The English Dog World magazine: Breeders and exhibitors of the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen round the world have been waiting for a definitive book on their breed, and here it is.

The authors have taken immense pains with the history, development and spread of the breed round the world, Many hundreds of hours of research and much traveling must have been undertaken to produce a volume of this scope.

The detailed discussion on the points of the breed will be of great use to those in PBGV, to those considering buying into the breed. and to any who essay to judge.

I have just finished reading the Petit Basset book by Valerie Link and Linda Skerritt and found it full of new information and facinating to read. The authors have done themselves proud

The information contained in Mr. Johnston's book is some of the best I've encountered in my 20 years as a doll maker. I highly recommend it to you.

Jack shares his dollmaking expertise with his readers. I have gained a lot by following his dollmaking techniques.

We have purchased all of Mr. Johnston's books and videos. We have collected most of the doll making books available and find his to be the best. After studying from his books and watching his videos we decided to take one of his seminars. They are also five star events. Try this artist's work, you will love him too!

This book is very well written and the description of battle and encampment life is very accurate. I loved the beginning of the book, the Battle of Shiloh, and then the flash back to the prior 6 months. I had a hard time putting the book down, and the ending was brilliant. Bring on the sequel!

The Boys from Kalamazoo is a very good book. It provided a vivid description of what happened during the beginning of the Civil War. I am 12 years old and I was never interested in historical fiction until I read this book. I didn't think it was possible to like a type of book so much after reading it only once. My dad got this book for me and he read it too. T.J. Johnston is a very talented writer and I can't wait until he makes another book.

Set in 1862 during the American Civil War, The Boys from Kalamazoo by t. J. Johnston is a fictional account of the famous Kalamazoo Sharpshooters. Lending a vibrant freshness to a yesteryear world of American history peopled with the heroes, villains, ordinary soldiers, and citizenry who fought and died in the toils and turmoils of a bloody civil war, The Boys From Kalamazoo is entertaining, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and quite vivid in its portrayal of a war-torn America.

For anyone from the disbeliever to the curious to the devout Christian, this set can provide digestable enlightenment. These cassette tapes offer the NIV version of the New Testament read by a professional, pleasant-sounding voice and at a pace that's easy to comprehend. I listen in the car on my work commute and have an acquaintance who listens while he does his daily walk. Both of us find this audio version of the text provides a marvellous addition to other paper-bound study of the Holy Bible.

Excellent audio New Testament at a reasonable price. Johnston's voice is clear and sharp. There is a rather odd background music that steps forward into notice at times, an unneccesary addition but not an overly intrusive one. Its very handy to hear the correct pronunciation of some of those names in the NT, when I'm lector I'm sure I'm using Johnston's accent to pronounce some of those tongue twisters. This audio NT is just the thing for when you're driving, walking, or working and want to study the Word.

Having heard a number of audio books through the years, I can wholeheartedly recommend this most excellent oral reading of the NIV translation of the New Testament by Stephen Johnston. Mr. Johnston's narration is very pleasant to listen to. He has a clear, rich voice which is distinct, yet not overpowering - and his reading has just the right amount of vocal inflections and pauses to make it interesting to hear, while avoiding the all-too-common melodramatic "dramatizations" many narrators are prone to. Without reservation I can recommend this outstanding reading of the NT as the best one I've ever heard - and the price for this cassette package is quite reasonable.

"The Best Baby Name Book...In The Whole Wide World" by Bruce and Vicki Lansky is not only a well researched and helpful resource for choosing a name for your baby, but it is an entertaining read as well. I have had this book for well over two decades now and I am holding on to it to pass along to my own kids when needed (whenever that may be..I am still waiting!) My copy was published in 1979 and had ONLY 10,000 names to choose from but I see now that this updated version now has over 13,000!

The List of names, seperated by boy and girl and listed alphabetically contains the main entry name, variations of the name, the meaning, source(Greek, Hebrew etc) and several different ways to spell it. For example my name,,,Laura (Latin) "Crown of laurel leaves" fem for Lawrence...Lara, Laure,
Laurie Lori, Loretta, etc. You can spend hours pouring through this section.

What makes this book a keeper and especially unique is all the great tidbits of information you'll get before you even get to that list. Some of it is laugh out loud funny as well. A great intro by Erma Bombeck, a list of the most popular names in the world, tips on "How To Name Your Baby", a Legal guide, Celebrities' real names(Did you know that Boris Karloff is really William Pratt?)and "fascinating Facts" are some of the informative sections included. In fascinating facts, there's a section called "Truth Stranger Than Fiction" which might have you laughing so hard, you may have the baby right then and there(maybe best to pick a name before reading this part).Names like Farmer Slusher, Nebraska Minor and Newton Hooton might give you ideas of what NOT to name your baby!

But the best part for me was a worksheet that was included with the book. It has lots of room for making choices. List all of Mom and Dad's favorites than move on tho the Final Choice worksheet, where you can also rate the names, and see how the whole name looks on paper. This section makes this quite a keepsake! When I look at back at some of the names I almost went with...well...thank goodness I didn't.....

Have fun with this great book if you're expecting or give it as a gift to someone who is. It will be greatly appreciated.
Enjoy......Laurie

I've always been interested in baby names. I found this book to be quite helpful, because it doesn't go overboard with the alternative spellings. I guess it's good to have options, but it gets overwhelming, and this book is well-organized when it comes to that. The print is bold and somewhat large, so it's easy to read. You should buy it if you need to find a name or if you just find names interesting.

Though slightly outdated, _The Best Baby Name Book_ is still a good resource for baby names. Not only are there things to consider when naming your baby, there are stereotypes, fascinating facts about names, birthstones and flowers, a baby name worksheet and over 13,000 names to choose from. Each name is listed with it's origin, variations and nicknames clearly visible and easy to understand. I found quite a few interesting and beautiful names. Definitely one to keep around when you're making that important decision!

This is a great basic book for learning to quill. There are many projects and numerous techniques, not just the flat scroll work, but also free standing miniatures and some leaf cutting, etc. However, I find most of the projects to look very old-fashioned in a way that is tacky rather than charming--wall hangings of chickadees and the like. This book is particularly good for making more complicated Christmas designs or variations for many basic flowers. If you are learning to quill, this book is a good place to start, but if you are already familiar with quilling, you might want to go for a book with more contemporary ideas and patterns.

Started Quilling with this book, after 3 years still go back for to it. My favorite amoung all my quilling books. Easy to understand and follow.

Have owned this book for several years and I keep going back to this basic book.