George Wood describes the strategies he brought to bear, and others which can be brought to bear, in public education high school reform. The result? A school that does not do absurd things to youngsters, which encourages them to become good citizens, and which leaves them opportunity to go to college, or not--but not to fail as persons.

His advantage is that his high school, Federal Hocking, was small; that he was skilled at seeking teacher collaboration; and that he has imagination.

His disadvantage is that he subscribes to some time-worn Essential School maxims. Nevertheless, he is able to do creative things and you get a sense that he, the teachers, and the students are spending more productive times together.

A quick read. Implementation of his ideas takes some real planning and commitment.

George Wood's book is an amazing description of what can happen in a typical public high school, if you organize the school as a learning community, focused upon developing citizens and neighbors. Wood is a high school principal who has written a book about what has been done to improve his high school in rural Ohio. This is a must read book for anyone who is concerned with the deterioration of the public schools in America. Wood, through stories about students, provides helpful suggestions for how to improve schools. His stories will have you crying with joy as you see the impact of a school organized to care for each student as an individual. Read this book, and then, give copies to your school superintendent and school board. After reading his book, you'll want to pack your things and move to his town, just so your kids can go to his school. And the truth of Wood's approach is that it can happen anywhere. What a breath of fresh air and hope for our nation's public schools.

I used this book as a basis for all my carvings, This book actually started me in the buisness of woodcarving and I created my first Walking stick from the instructions therein.

Two years ago I purchased this book and a set of six tools. My goal was to create a hobby that was rewarding and relaxing. I can truthfully say that I have never been more satisfied with any purchase. I have found a world of enjoyment from the simple act of cutting wood. In three days, I will exhibit in my first show, The Tupelo Gum Tree Festival, Tupelo, MS. I have never been more relaxed and proud of anything I have done before. Thank you Tom Wolfe! Dennis Renfro

My daughter loves this book and we read it to her every night. It's a cute little tale about exactly what the tooth Fairy does with all those teeth she collects. It has a wonderful moral, too! Very cute!

I have three children and this book has been a part of our family for many years. It became part of our family tradition to read The Tooth Fairy by Audrey Wood each time one of the children lost a tooth-they learned the words by heart! It's a cute story and has great pictures which really capture the children's imagination. Now that my children are all grown, I have saved this book to pass on to their children!

From virginal Eden to lascivious lavatory, this frightening photo-document exposes the moral corruption in its most vivid form. Consider yourselves warned!

"Long live the new flesh!" This quote from David Cronenberg's cinematic playground of perversion, Videodrome, announces the theme of Torture Garden, the inimitable London nightclub established in 1990. We are not allowed to categorize it as simply a fetish club, because it is "multi-dimensional, ever evolving and mutating." One way to get a handle is to peruse the strict dress code on its website. Your look better be: burlesque, fantasy, theatrical, period costume, glamour, drag, alien, cyborg, cabaret, mutation, cybersex, fetish, SM, body art, rubber, leather, PVC, or uniforms. Sounds like the East Village on a Saturday night.

You take the Angel Tube to get to the current site of Torture Garden's monthly parties. You really do. These partygoers don't engage in much actual BDSM play, although there is some walkabout bondage. It's mainly a Stand and Model venue, a nightclub/dance scene. There's no room to swing a cane anyway. There's a floor show by some of the top out-there acts in the world. There are performance photos here of (among others) Miranda Sex Garden, the Genitorturers, Ron Athey, Medieval Magick, and Angel Grinders & Chainsaws, who use industrial equipment to send fountains of sparks gushing from the groins of troupe members.

The production package of Torture Garden, the book, is superb. Chaplin's candids capture the feverish ecstasy of a world where nothing is true and everything is permitted. They are brilliantly grouped and sequenced. Sivroni's mostly larger format portraits bring you face to face with folk in costumes far beyond fabulous, exuding the potency of their homemade personas. The Videodrome quote above is one of many at the bottom of every page. These provide a quick, painless introduction to the TG philosophy. A few favorites:

"...sadomasochism enjoys all the forms of religious piety - kneeling, praying, worshipping, sacrificing, invoking and punishing." -- Terence Sellers, The Correct Sadist

"The first duty of man is to become artificial." -- Oscar Wilde

"The body is both a pleasure palace and a torture chamber." -- Charles Levin, Body Invaders

"It's your body, play with it." -- Fakir Musafar, Modern Primitives

"Your body is a battleground." -- Barbara Kruger

At Torture Garden, the concept of costume is raised to extremes of creative imagination, transcendent otherness and disgusting repulsion. By the time you get through this volume, your own definitions of these categories will have been severely mangled. On one night a performer named Franko paraded through the crowd on crutches, accompanied by a nurse. He was nude except for syringes, catheters, rubber tubes and various medical receptacles containing various bodily fluids. On the same night, completely independently, a female partygoer appeared wearing a brassiere consisting of two plasma bags filling with her own blood.

One man's features are covered by a remarkably lifelike effect of the flesh of his face pulled back and nailed to his skull. Hellraiser-style pinheads abound. Crazed male ballerinas, harem girls, rubber boys, sirens, harpies, transvestites, androgynes, hermaphrodites, naughty nurses, naughty nuns, naughty Nazis, welder's goggles, gas masks, catcher's masks, nine-inch nails, helmets, horns, spikes, wounds, rings through everything and to top it off, a spitting-image Laurel and Hardy. Happy Halloween in Hell!

I cannot believe that this book is out of print! What a travesty.

It's been years since I read "Touch Wood," but the memory of Roth-Hano's vivid descriptions is still clear in my mind.

The fact that the book is a true story, and one that takes place in an extremely dangerous time for the protagonist add to the books intensity. Even without these factors, though, the book would still be well worth reading for Roth-Hano's lovely detailed prose and dead-on depictions of family relationships. The bond between Renee and her sisters -- who she is with constantly during hiding -- is especially well-illustrated.

If you can get ahold of a copy of "Touch Wood," I strongly recommend that you do so.

Yes, this book has an un-orginal theme: Jewish people surviving during WW2. But, the fact that it is a true story, and the way it's told, makes for compelling reading.

My daughter received this as an Xmas gift when she was 3. It may be our favorite book--it occupies us for at least 45 minutes each time. Each page has ingenious activities, with pop-ups, mini-book, a puzzle, a fishing game, I Spy, dress-up the paper doll and bear--along with accompanying rhymes for each page and activity--this is a wonderful, educational, well-planned, clever book. I plan on giving it as gifts to all her friends. A wonderful travel book too--pack it in your carry-on as a great surprise on the plane, or unpack it at your destination and your little girl will love it! We have at least 100 books & this is definitely in the top 3. Because it has many features and parts, I would recommend it for girls ages 4+, or mature 3 year-olds, or, if younger, read it only with an adult so the parts won't be lost.

This is a wonderful book that looks through a toy cupboard and has little games and pop-ups along the way. Some of the activities include a mini puzzle, a "fishing" game, a magic trick, a paper doll, and finger puppets. Our 1 year old loves it. He has torn a lot of it up, but that was half the fun.

Outstanding content and fun to read! Sports in general and golf specially are a microcosm of life and business. Using golf as a metaphor the traits of champions guides you through a dream round of golf with the help of an engaging and wise caddy and real life examples of some of history's finest golfers. The lessons are practical and insightful and sure to guide you to breaking par on the course, in business and in life.

This great book is a must for both Golf fans and Personal Development buffs.It teaches,inspires,and motivates.There are some great golf stories mixed in with tips and techniques on how to be a success in business,golf and life.There is alot of valuable information in this well written book by two great authors who know a great deal about success.

This book will walk you through the making of an amazing set of several hundred blocks of several types. The work requires moderate woodworking skills, quality machinery for accurate cuts and, if you use clear pine or maple (recommended), at least $$$ in materials alone. It will take two or more days but the result is more than worth the effort. The little kids will just see too many blocks and probably should be limited in their access. Using the excellent illustrations, however, the older kids will see the makings of not just bridges and castles, but also of classical greek, roman, and gothic details. With or without parental participation, it can be quite a learning experience.

I am a woodworker and never thought there would be a book that could help me with making blocks. I was wrong, this is that book. This book gives plans on how to make blocks that can be used to make supension bridges, casles, etc. Blocks that even a young teen would get a kick out of using.

It also gives recommendations on how many of each block to build.

I helped a friend make blocks for his children and they came out great.

One downside to this book is that it calls out pine to build the blocks however the blocks in the pictures are made of maple or birch.

Another downside is that this book disappears. I lent my copy to someone and it didn't come back. I am looking for another copy.

Breathtaking paintings and the author covers practically 99% of the era, my favorite sections are dealing with the painter Waterhouse and Lord Leighton, beautiful! I am definitely adding this to my collection of art books!

What a gorgeous book! I have a rather extensive collection of books on Victorian painting and painters, and this one is the best! Christopher Wood covers everything from the Pre-Raphaelites on through Waterhouse and the Romantics and on to the start of impressionism. It is full of beautiful color and B&W illustrations - many of which are not seen in other books of the same subject. The text is easy to read and understand. Very highly recommended!

After reading over 41 books and watching two vhs films on death and its related topics, i came across the Visions of the Bereaved by Kay Woods. Visions of the Bereaved has the right information,excellent examples,to the point logic,and is very comforting as one reads it. Kay has an easy to understand book as she is writing from the heart as she had lost her Son and because of the closeness of the two of them ,the words ring loud and clear and very believable!!! She just seems to add the touch of being there and it is easy to place yourself in the story line of the book. Visions of the Bereaved stays on track and presents itself well in believability and truth. I can not say enough on how it made me feel better and to live each day with the knowledge that we will see our Son,Eric Michael Zimmerman in the hereafter in a joyous,loving and eternally upbeat energized plane of existance. I also had a first hand visit from Eric --45 days after his passing-while i was fully awake and in control of my thoughts. However he brought everything with him to visit me, the tremendous love,the overwhelming joy,the feeling that where he is now is pure love and excitement!!!! He squezed me so hard that i thought my ribs were being crushed--no doubt of the reality of this visit!!! Every bereaved person should read this book ,as it will bring comfort and trust that better things are yet to come after our transition to the other side. Visions of the Bereaved makes sense out of what did not make sense before the tragic situations that we faced.. A must read!!!

Kay, as an author, and as a speaker, gets the point of continuing life after death across with much enthusiasm! I recently met Kay and her book, and wish I had this book when my daughter was killed. A book on grief and life after death by a bereaved mother and author is very helpful!!