Do we, Muslims and Christians of the world, really need to build a bridge between Islam and Christianity?

In my opinion, It's not the aftermath of 9/11 that calls for an answer to the question and it shouldn't. However, one needs to bring to mind and heart decades and centuries of mutual understanding and coexistinace between members of the two faiths.

This is why, my wife (Dr. Laila) and I, had to have this great book at times like these for better ones when PEACE governs our hearts and actions.

Blessings and prayers from Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Esam Mudeer
A Saudi writer

This is the 8th copy I have ordered from you! The reason is because I heard the author on Dr.Robt.Schuller's Hour of Power a year ago and he made so much sense in helping me learn about other people and their religious beliefs. Therefore, I wanted to find out for myself. Now I have told others that if they don't find out for themselves we're going to have the bloodiest Holy War out of ignorance - that never would happen if we understood instead of condemning out of predjudice and ignorance. I have spoken to groups about this book and why I have passed out 8 copies of it so the word gets out!!
Here's how ignorance plays out. For example: Are you a Muslim?? Now let me tell you what the Arabic word "Muslim" means in English. "One who submits or surrenders to God." Now tell me whether you're a Muslim or not.

William W. Baker has written a clear and concise text that calls for both Christians and Muslims to better understand the similarities and shared historical origins of each other's great faiths to reach a common ground that will provide for a better working relationship to meet the challenges facing the societies where the practioners of both religions coexist. As a Christian theologian, Baker understands that there are differences between Islam and Christianity, but these differences do not warrant tensions and hostilities between peoples. He provides a brief but poignant presentation of the historical foundation of Islam and its relationship to the other monotheistic faiths, Judaism and Christianity, whose scriptures it has embraced.(p)

Baker's main emphasis and hope throughout the book is for the reader to enhance his understanding of the need for a common ground between Christians and Muslims because of shared origins and beliefs and to use this knowledge to do further investigation on how stereotypes and misperceptions that currently exist between the two pepoles may be overcome. This is certainly a must read for everyone interested in building a society based on trust and respect for the constructive values of each other's religious beliefs.

My kids really enjoy this book. It was a gift from Grandma for my oldest son because he likes to say funny words. This book is full of funny words and names that all three of our kids love. At the end of the book, my daughter always wants to know "what happend to Grandma", so we come up with all kinds of possibilities. This is a wonderful book and is read often as our bedtime routine.

This is definitely the best picture i have ever read to my children and i would recomend it to all parents and children alike. It makes you smile and feel so content and happy as you reach the last page. The illustrations, superb, the story, edge of your seat stuff.

Recommend t for everyone, young and old.

This beautifully illustrated book set in Australia's outback has the most interesting animals I've ever seen! The multicultural theme can be used in classrooms and at home to promote an understanding of native animals of Australia, relationships with elders, women of independence, and travel. The story is beautifully written in prose and the illustrations are patterned in pencil/charcoal and brilliant pictures.

This book gives information about alternatives to refined sugar. It is a very good book with excellent recipes (from simple cookies -the chocolate shortbread sounds terrific- to cakes and ice creams. But, something important, be ready to buy or order (there is a page of sources. Fantastic!) "Sucanat" or "maple sugar", "rice syrup" or "maple syrup". Because if you do not have these on hand, you cannot try the recipes. There are also some recipes with honey, an ingredient that is easier to find.

Most of the cookbooks I own come with the appliances I buy. This book is an exception. I enjoy the flavours of maple syrup and honey and was delighted to find a cookbook that caters to my tastes. I find the recipes easy to follow. I'm not an expert in the kitchen. Beside each recipe is a margin where the author has put some notes and room enough for you to enter any notes you may want to as well. At the end of some recipes are tips that give you a clue as to what to expect if you've never had the experience of, "Carmelizing Maple Syrup", for example. Another tip I really liked was the suggestion of using a variety of apples in my apple pie. That was a tasty surprise. The Pastry recipe, which she credits to Julia Child, is the best I've ever had. If you are a chocolate lover, try Aunt Josephine's Chocolate Cake. It's heavenly. I find the author's approach to the reader to be like a personal tutorial. It's like she's right there watching over and encouraging your every move. I haven't tried all the recipes yet but I'm getting a little braver as I tackle the standards: date squares, brownies, pies, and cookies. Thank you Carrie Davis for the "Naturally Sweet Baker".

As a professed chocoholic I was prepared only to savour the chocolate recipes in Carrie Davis's The Naturally Sweet Baker. But to be fair, I didn't restrict myself to those, although there is an ample supply. And I have to admit, that Davis's Maple Mousse is just about the nicest dessert I have ever made or eaten! And my guests raved about it too.

Of course, Aunt Josephine's Chocolate Cake was a real winner as well. This cookbook is a great resource for information about alternatives to refined sugar in your baking, and an absolute treasure trove of recipes. Check it out for some fun, adventure and delicious treats!

I love this character! She's funny and endearing and reminds me of children I know well: my own. Many parents will recognize their own kids in Olive. She has a unique brand of enthusiasm and spirit, and an approach to life that makes kids laugh. My three kids highly enjoyed this story, even the oldest, who at twelve, likes the rambunctiousness of the vocabulary as much as she likes Olive's rambunctious personality. Baker is a children's book writer whose sentences won't bore adults. "Mr. Weepole turned salmon pink, then maroon. Olive thought smoke would pour from his nostrils." I recommend this book as a good read-aloud, especially for kids with strong personalities. The illustrations are detailed and capture the character's humor and ebullience. We hope to see more stories about Olive and her adventures.

I recently gave this book to my 7 year old godniece and we have enjoyed reading it together many times already -- she loved Olive's many escapades. It's wonderful to see a young girl character with so much spunk and wit and I highly recommend this book.

"No Ordinary Olive" is a delightful book. Every page held a surprise both in words and in the illustrations. It brought back memories of my own childhood, and of the antics of my own four children. After reading the book, my seven-year-old daughter identified with Olive, making her proud of her unordinary accomplishments. In the past I ran a children's library, and if I were there today, I would read this story to the K-2 crowd. The story encourages girls to break out of the typical "girl mold." Boys will enjoy it, too, since Olive loves to try wacky things. "No Ordinary Olive" is no ordinary picture book.

This book is a excellent source of help for people experiencing the subjects dealt with including date rape, abortion, sexual harassment, and single parenting. It is a moving emotional journey through one woman's life. It shows the strength of a woman in many situations. The poetry is intense and expressive in a unique way with a variety of style and rhythm. I feel this is a must read for all women. It would be an education for most men about what harm their actions can do, and a strong message to them about how a woman can refuse to let it defeat her. Moving intense rollcoaster ride.

This book should be required reading of all freshman girls during their first year of college. The book explores how easily date rape can occur and the aftermath that follows. The book would also be very helpful to anyone who has experienced date rape as well. It can help begin the process of healing.

Once in a green room is a wonderfully written book. Keri Baker eloquently shows us the poignant reality of rape and the struggle of dealing with the guilt that follows. This is a must-read book for everyone. Even if you are not a victim of sexual abuse, you probably know someone who is and you just don't realize it.

the writing of race and its horrors is loud and clear in this book. heart breaking good. calvin thank you.

Two men from very different backgrounds come together under terrible circumstances in ONCE TWO HEROES, Calvin Baker's second novel. As he did his debut novel, NAMING THE NEW WORLD, Baker again explores the experiences of Black Americans. However, in ONCE TWO HEROES, Baker chooses to focus on two main characters --- Mather Rose, a black American raised in France and Lewis Hampton, a white man born and raised in the Deep South. Baker develops each character by writing two separate stories, one devoted to each man, with a prologue for each section that helps introduce the main conflict.

The first prologue takes us to Thanksgiving 1946. Mather Rose is driving across the country headed for California in an almost-brand new car. He is in the middle of nowhere in the state of Mississippi and stops at a gas station to fill up his beautiful Zephyr. Out comes a young black boy, who helps take care of the car and does some small talk with the war hero. Mather is nervous, since he knows that being a black man by himself in the middle of the Deep South is asking for trouble, but the young boy with his idle chatter eases Mather's mind and he soon relaxes. Frankie, the young boy at the gas station, notices the medals pinned all over Mather's shirt and is in total awe. Surely, Mather Rose is some type of war hero.

Mather is looking for a place to stay, so Frankie runs inside the station to ask his boss, Nathan Hampton, for help and to show him the one-dollar tip he had been given by this WWII hero. Nathan takes the tip from the boy and goes outside to see for himself what is going on. When he sees that Mather is black, Nathan's attitude immediately changes. What happens next is a turning point for both Mather and Nathan --- there is no turning back.

We now move back in time to 1940. Mather Rose has just arrived in America. Mather's new life in California revolves around his father's family. He gets to know his cousins and aunts and uncles, starts work in the family business and meets his future wife. World War II soon begins.

Mather's parents are still in Paris. They die while trying to escape to America and Mather decides to enlist, even though the United States has yet to join in the fight. But soon after, they hear news of Pearl Harbor and everything has changed. Mather goes against his family's wishes, but they are proud that he has the conviction to fight for his country.

After a few years in Europe, the war is over and Mather returns as a decorated war hero. He comes home to his family and his children but then realizes that he needs to return to Washington to retrieve his Medal of Honor, which he never received. It is on his journey back to California from D.C. that he stops along the way to get gas in the middle of Mississippi.

We then move to the second half of the book, to the story of Lewis Hampton. Lewis Hampton's background is one of racial segregation. When he goes to Europe to fight in World War II, he finds himself in the midst of men of all races. While at first it bothers him, he learns to get used to it. There are hints of racial prejudice in little things he says and does. Lewis often refers to some of the others as Northerners, clearly separating himself from them because he is from the South. He is reminded that they are all Americans, but deep down Lewis feels great pride in being a Southerner. As with Mather, the reader gets to know Lewis on an intimate basis. And, like Mather, Lewis is a family man who eventually gets married and works for his wife's father. Pride in family and being a Southerner is a big part of Lewis' life. And, although Mather and Lewis are from two totally different backgrounds, they do share the same pride and love for their families. But pride can be destructive, as the reader will soon find out.

ONCE TWO HEROES is about two men, racial prejudices and pride in family and in one's ethnic background. But it's also about what happens when two different worlds meet in a time when one did not dare cross over racial boundaries. It is an important novel that should not be dismissed.

--- Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton

Once Two Heroes by Calvin Baker

Calvin Baker's second novel, ONCE TWO HEROES, is the story of two men, and how racism can shape a person and their destiny. Two main characters are depicted, two World War II heroes: Mather Rose, a Black American raised in France, and Lewis Hampton, a Caucasian man born and raised in the Deep South. The reader learns about these two war heroes, two men who love their families, their wives and children, and who both have hopes and aspirations just like any person we would meet on the streets. But when their worlds collide, the horror and tragedy of racism is too ugly to bear. The shock of what happens is, unfortunately, not foreign to our modern world.

ONCE TWO HEROES comes highly recommended by this reader. I believe this is one of the more important novels to be written in 2003, and should not be dismissed. For those of the faint of heart, be warned! The book ends in a violent nature, and may not be appreciated by all readers.

Smack dab in the middle of a great, true, WWII story of yearning, fulfillment, capture and escape is a great love story worthy of a poet's description. This book will put you on a roller coaster ride that you will not soon forget; one of the best books I have read this year !

One Man's War is the gripping and harrowing memoir of Tommy Lamore, who served in the Army Air Corps during WWII. The bright-eyed kid from Waco, Texas, who had always dreamed of being a flier, soon learned that war is not just guts and glory. As a B17 tailgunner flying bombing missions over Europe, Lamore experienced the nerve-shattering onslaught of noise and violent motion, the sustained panic of a man fighting for survival against skilful foes and just plain bad luck.

The accounts of these battle scenes expertly evoke the sights and sounds of air battle. Flak barrages, numbing cold, hurtling fighter planes trying to shoot Lamore out of the sky; it really feels that personal. We feel the relief of the arrival of American air cover, we are heartened by the sight of safe haven, and we are awed by the courage it took to fight off the sheer exhaustion and fear, just to get back up in the air and do it all again.

When Lamore's plane was downed by a freak accident over France, he was sheltered by local people, evaded Nazi search parties and was recruited by the French Resistance. His training in munitions made him valuable in sabotage operations, and for a while he lived an dangerous and exciting undercover life.

His sudden betrayal to the Gestapo led him to the hell-on-earth of the Nazi prison camps. The physical and psychological tortures and a dipththeria epidemic took their toll, but Lamore survived with his spirit intact, finally escaping from a death-camp on the German-Polish border. Luckily, he encountered the advancing Russian Army, and joined them as they pushed the Germans back towards Berlin. He found he was traveling with a Mongolian Terror-Troop unit. It is not often that Americans can read of the Russians' contribution to winning the war, let alone the Mongolians', and these passages are memorable. I found myself wondering what it was that made Mongolian fighting methods seem even more barbaric than the Europeans'. Was it just the context of European soil? Or some holdover from the 'chivalry' of classic European-style warfare? Were they more likely to kill you than any other soldier? Whatever it was, they scared the hell out of the Germans.

One Man's War contains another unique twist - a love story in the midst of horror. The Russian unit liberates a women's prison camp, where unspeakable crimes have been committed. Among the freed prisoners is a Polish woman, Rosa, who speaks English. She and Lamore fall in love, comforting and healing each other as they continue onwards with the Mongolian unit.

Eventually, the cease-fire is announced and Lamore makes contact with British troops. He and his beloved Rosa make their way to Paris, where Lamore's dream of bringing her to the States is dashed. Rosa knows she must return to Poland to find her family. Lamore has to let her go, with just a ring to remember her by.

The final episode in the book is also the final straw. Lamore is ordered to return to the death camp from which he escaped, to help the Red Cross document the slaughter that happened there shortly after Lamore's got away. The sight and smell of the place, the memories and nightmares it evokes, push Lamore over the edge into deep despair and fatigue, and he is shipped back to the States.

The sad, but essential, message of this superb story is the horrific toll that war takes, even on the victors. Here, in this book, we witness the worst depravities of which we are capable, the despair and the clawing fear, the paralyzing exhaustion. But also, the hope that even in the midst of the hell we create for ourselves, there is redemption in love, even if only for a while. Lamore was deeply affected, as any sane person would be, by his experiences, but around his neck until he died in 1997 hung the ring that Rosa gave him in Paris.

One Man's War is a finely-written book. Congratulations to Dan A. Baker for capturing Tommy Lamore's unique story so brilliantly, and bringing it so vividly to life.

When I first read the dust jacket and saw all the things that Tommy LaMore had to endure during his tour of duty in WWII my first thought was "this must be fiction". Well, it is all true and truly amazing. I have read many personal memiors about WWII and I compare all I read to the two best one: "The Forgotten Soldier" and "With The Old Breed". This book is witout a doubt in that class. I don't say that lightly. Mr. LaMore goes from being a tail gunner on a bomber, to being shot down, to the French underground, to the Soviet army approaching Berlin. Along the way, you will meet some really unique characters. My favorite is the Soviet commander who takes a liking to Tommy and tries to keep him safe until he can be turned over to the British. You will also meet the love of his life when he encounters a womens concentration camp and discovers a beautiful polish surviver. Their story alone is worth the price of the book. Outstanding! I won't tell you how it ends but please, please, get this book. You will remember it long after the last page is turned.

Kudos to Mary Lane. Incidentally she was very popular at the recent CAEYC conference in Long Beach where many many teachers stopped by to say hi, and her older friends threw a reception for her. She is a remarkable 87 going on 110. This book distills the best research of the last fifty years on children from birth to five years old. I loved it when she says teachers must know the history and traditions of Education. So much of what passes for sound opinion in the current views on schools is just not grounded in the basics. Get this book! Educate yourself! Do it today! One great passage deals with the amount of time that elementary children spend lining up to go from one place to another throughout their time in a typical school day. As though they couldn't operate like regular humans. Go Dr. Lane!

Although I am not directly involved in acadmic teaching, Dr. Lane's book pulled me into her world of education. Her vision for improving teacher education should be adopted universally by all schools preparing students to enter the field of teaching. My daughter began teaching this year and is poignantly aware of the lack of preparation for the difficult task facing her. Sharing and discussing Dr. Lane's book has been an inspiration to her as she begins her journey of becoming knowledgable about herself and teaching.

Dr. Lane has done it again. For those who have known her work this is an wonderful gift to the profession from one who has worked with children, parents, and teachers for over fifty years. The research findings that she alludes to are so powerful that her notion that colleges and universities should recover the basic information of the forties and fifties is a much needed. It makes a lay person understand why all these fads (phonics vs whole words for instance) have no staying power. And the pictures are worth the price of the book in their beauty and power. I especially liked the "Friends" and the "Madonna and Child" (a photo by the great Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide. Thank you Mary Lane for your great effort.

Rosalie's best friend, a gentle Morgan named Major, is bound to be sold. Rosalie's father went to fight in the Civil War, and her mother is left with three children and a farm to care for. When she cannot pay off the morgage, she goes to plan B. "We have to sell Major." Rosalie can't believe her ears, and tries her hardest to think up a plan to keep her horse. The 10-year-old that she is, it seems impossible...when she strikes up an idea. Will her plan work and will Major be able to stay?

Since this was my favorite Treasured Horses book I'll give it a 10. Anyways this was about Rosalie Goodman, a daughter of Vermont farmer. But it's 1864 and her father took his horse Captain, with him to the Vermont Calvary to fight for the Yankees. Rosalies family, her sister Mathilde and her brother Albert, and her mother have to raise the farm themselves. Luckily they have a little help from Ed, the farmhand. But soon Mrs. Goodman doesn't have enough for the farm's mortgage. She lets Ed go and now it the plan is for the children to stay home from school and work on the farm. But that still doesn't bring in money. So Mrs. Goodman can only think of one other thing. Sell Rosalie's precious horse, Major. Rosalie must find a plan or a compromise to keep her horse, and what about her father? Will he ever come home? Will they be able to keep their farm? Read and FIND OUT!

Rosalie is determined to keep her family's horse, Major, from being sold. But how else can Rosalie's mother pay the mortgage on the family's Vermont farm with Rosalie's father away fighting in the Civil War? But then Rosalie comes up with the perfect plan to keep Major and stil be able to pay the mortgage.

This book is very useful for students who want to improve their fluency in American English. The usage of sounds in contrast is a powerful tool for those that have some difficult for distinguishing English sounds. The authors go depth on American pitch and intonation, driving the student towards the achievement of true American accent, just like a native has!

I discovered this book in the library, and have since used it to teach classes as well as individuals. Some of my students have even used this book as a self-teaching guide. It is an absolutely wonderful pronunciation guide for any level of ESL student! THE GOOD: The book employs a wonderful system for helping students learn the sounds of English. It has lists that differ by only one sound (ex. Sip & Zip) to illustrate the differences between similar sounds. It then tests the learners' hearing by having them choose which word they hear in a sentence where either word would fit! It goes on to provide practice with many words, sentences and dialogues. Then, after an activity, it summarizes all the ways that the sound can be spelled. THE BAD: There really isn't much! If anything, I would say that the mouth illustrations at the beginning of each chapter aren't really that helpful. And sometimes my students question me about the phonetic spelling that is used to introduce a sound. OVERALL: This is an absolutely wonderful book that can be used with anyone - from true beginners to advanced students! I would recommend it to anyone teaching or learning pronunciation. If you are going to use it to learn on your own I would recommend getting the cassette tapes.

I would like to know this book.Only the cassettes