My first exposure to this book was ten years ago, when in the LSU library I stumbled upon some very old, very dusty books. Being intrigued by old books, I found his simple titles (Adventures in Contentment, Adventures in Friendship, Adventures in Solitude, etc.) irresistible. I read 5 David Grayson (Ray Stannard Baker's pseudonym) books in two days. I returned them to the library, then soon afterward moved to California. I could not remember Grayson's name, though I would tell stories about those wonderful books that influenced my life and my writing.

7 years later, I came across a 90 year old copy of Adventures in Contentment, and found that it struck me as even more profound, having tasted a little of the cynical world that drove the main character from the city to the farm. This is the only book I have ever read that made me cry tears of human experience -- and then the very next chapter had me laughing out loud. (I was sitting at a coffee house with my friends when this happened, after which they wanted to borrow the book.)

If you are a person of thought, this book will move you. Grayson will take you on a tour of his farm and his mind. You will give him a voice, and you will hear that voice speak the words as you read. You will quote this book, you will reread this book, you will think of this book with the fondness of a close friend.

The simplicity of the essays will charm you, his masterful vocabulary will force you to grab your dictionary, and his expressive literary patterns will strike you as being as close to poetry as prose could possible come.

A picture may say 1000 words, but David Grayson's simple essays about small town life in the early 1900's will paint more vivid images in your mind than 1,000,000 Michaelangelos ever could. Simply stated, this is the greatest literary work ever written. Unfortunately, modern literary critics refer to this type of work as unimportant, sentimental and preachy. So this book will probably never be placed in its rightful spot in the literary canon.

Still, don't think the author died in obscurity without his talent being discovered. He was a lifelong friend of Woodrow Wilson, and in his old age, Ray Stannard Baker won the Pulitzer Prize for his biography of his famous friend.

I wonder why there aren't any reviews on this book? It is the greatest book ever written. This book is about a person who has found a perfect harmony in life. Escaping all the scholastic philosophy and theological quest David Grayson here settles for what I regard the highest wisdom and the true purpose of life, and that is living. The book is potrayal of extra-ordinary experiences of a farmer poet who discovers a world within and without and adds a dream world quality with a sense of humour to our everyday experiences. A return to nature, beauty, simplicity, spontaniety and harmony!

Forri is the kind of "action hero" who uses his head -- and his bread -- to rescue and mend and fix the world. Great values and all that; more important for a children's book, great fun.

The stories in Forri the Baker manage to be exciting without being violent, serious without losing the light touch-- I imagine parents reading the book aloud to kids, and everyone enjoying it at their own level. What lovely stories!

This book describes the lives of historic Roman figures in an interesting fashion - drawing you into the history and time of ancient Rome. I also purchased their book on Ancient Greeks. The writing is exceptional and the books are full of information. I purchased these for my children, but instead have been reading them myself.

This magnum opus is expensive, but deservedly so. An enormous amount of research and knowledge has gone into creating a hugely useful book. The Contents alone covers Rome and her great leaders from 369 B.C. to A.D. 410. Then there are the four Appendices; Glossary, Further Reading; and two Indices, plus maps and plenty of artwork! The Bakers' writing style is elegant yet accessible, appropriate for older students through adult.

I ordered this book because I am very interested in how the body heals itself.

Through reading the book, I learned more about how to get out of way of the body and let it heal itself than I did about how the body actually heals itself. But if it's better health you are seeking, this is much more important than theories anyway.

As the first reviewer mentioned the book is packed full of information. Art Baker knows what he is writing about; you can see it has been an integral part of his life for a long time.

The section on the history of the Natural Hygiene movement is excellent, and is alone worth the price of the book.

If you are thinking about alternatives to Western medicine, frustrated with the standard approaches to health or wondering what you can do to promote your own well-being, this book is for you.

If you are want the answers to the mysteries of health and healing, then read this book. This book is jammed pack with interesting, valuable, and important information on health, healing, and disease everyone should know, but few do. Even I, who have studied natural healing for 30 years, learned a ton in this book and enjoyed every word of it. This book summarizes the history of health care evolution in this country, informs us on the dangers of the treating disease, and provides a healthy alternative based on the Science of Natural Hygiene, which Baker summarizes better than I've ever seen done before. We need more authors who dare to speak the truth like Baker does. This book is a classic in its own time and deserves be on every family's book shelf. Get it while you can.

When I was a child, my parents read this book to my sister and I often. Now, that I am a teacher I continue to find this book rewarding for myself and my students. The story captures a magical feeling of family, culture, tradition, holidays, and bagels! I wish someday to buy this book for my own children. IT's a shame that a book that use to be ... is now out of print and costing ...! This book is fabulous and creative and everyone should read it to their children.

The setting is Mulliner Lane, "in a place New Yorkers still call the Bronx," at Grandpa Izzy's bagel bakery. Grandpa Izzy has to sleep with one eye open and one eye shut to keep an eye on his dancing duck-agel bagels and pirouetting pig-agel bagels. Grandma Sonny worries about Izzy's strange behavior, but he reassures her, "It's magic, Sonny." The only bigger mystery than Grandpa Izzy's crazy bagels is how this book ever went out of print...it was my favorite picture book when I was a kid, and went over just as well when I read it to my first-grade Sunday morning Hebrew school class twenty years later. It's well worth the search for a copy -- I promise, your kids will love it.

My daughter and I love this book (since about 18 months). The rhyming pattern is wonderful, the pictures are exciting, all in all, a great book. We like to try and find all the different characters on the page and see what they're doing. The ending is also a pleaser. It's a great transition book from picture books to short strories with a plot This is one of the best Early Step into Reading books.

A great read that invites lots of animation on the part of parents. My son started loving this book at about 14 months and is still reading it at 19 months. He gets excited every time a character he has seen on TV appears. The rythm is excellent, the book is exciting, and has a very happy ending. We take this one in the car and my son 'reads' it by himself. A gotta have....

ALL CHILDREN WOULD ENJOY READING THE BIBLE IF THEY KNEW OR HAD A CLUE OF SOMETHING TO LOOK FOR. WELL THIS BOOK DOES THAT. IT ALSO TELLS THEM WHY THAT CERTAIN BOOK WAS WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE, TELLS THEM WHAT TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHILE READING THROUGH THE BIBLE, OLD & NEW TESTAMENT. I THINK THEOLD TESTAMENT GETS A LITTLE BORING FOR OUR YOUNG ONE, THIS BOOK WILL HELP THEM, BECAUSE OF WHAT I SAID ABOVE. I
COULDN'T PUT ITDOWN MYSELF WHEN IT CAME, & I AM FAR FROM THE AGE OF A CHILD. I DO HOWEVER: WISH I HAD THIS WHEN I TAUGHT SUNDAY SCHOOL YEARS AGO. ... IT IS A VERY GOOD HELP BOOK!

A WONDERFUL BOOK, I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN AND I AM FAR FROM THE AGE OF A KID. THIS BOOK WOULD BE PERFECT HELPING OUR YOUNG ONE UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE. IT GOES THROUGH EACH BOOK, TELLS WHAT TO WATCH FOR, WHAT THE PURPOSE OF EACH BOOK OF THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN' FOR, POINTS OUT THE IMPORTANCE OF EACH PERSON. IT IS JUST THE BEST BOOK YOU COULD GET FOR OUR YOUNG ONES.I WISH I HAD THIS WHEN I TAUGHT SUNDAY SCHOOL. IT IS VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER& WILL MAKE READING THE BIBLE MORE INTERESTING, I THINK IT WILL KEEP A CHILD INTERESTED TO READ MORE & MORE, BECAUSE IT ENCOURAGES THEM TO LOOK FOR CERTAIN THINGS. IT WAS WORTH EVERY THE PRICE!!

I am leading a Singles Ministry for the first time in my life and after searching the web for information, God led me to this book. It was wonderful for all types of leaders. Whether your church is large or small, regardless of denomination, it has great ideas, training along with scripture references. Definately a "must have" for any ministry leader!!

If you're involved with a ministry with single adults, this is the first book you should own. There's a chapter on every area of ministry: single parents, divorce recovery, Bible study... Each chapter is written by an experienced singles leader or pastor.

I do not believe I can say enough to extol the virtue of this book. I am finishing my Music Composition degree and Baker's has been an indespensible tool for my research. Concise and informative, this book even includes the opinions of the musical scholars. To say that this is just a dictionary would be like saying that the sun is dull.
Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians could be used like a "Who's Who" if the musical world. While the Harvard Dictionary of Music is the reigning authority, written differently from Bakers, which is easier to follow.
Specifically, I wanted information on J.S. Bach. Baker's has a particularly well-detailed, extensive section on Bach: everything I needed.
I strongly recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand the finer facts of music history.

While I don't actually own this book, I have used it a great deal for a college music class. The definitions are helpful, well-written, and present helpful, relevant information in a concise form. The biographies are good for a quick reference, but they also lead to further, more complex research questions.

Engle's book is a must-have resource for anyone planning a wedding. When the pastor marrying us asked us what we wanted in our vows, we had no idea. Baker's Wedding Handbook gives information on nearly every denomination from Baptist to Reformed. The section for each denomination not only lists tradtional vows for that denomination, but includes traditional wedding hymns and prayers typically used. In the second section of the book, Engle presents more contemporary wedding traditions, including several for second marriages. Meditations for wedding ceremonies are included in the final section of the book. The meditations are beautiful!

Dr. Paul Engle was very instrumental in helping to plan my wedding ceremony. Assembled in his handbook is a complete guide for weddings that is conveniently compact. It includes an assortment of denominational styles of wedding ceremonies and ideas that help in selecting vows, music, and order of worship. A must have for any couples looking to plan their wedding ceremony or any pastors performing the ceremony. Thanks Dr. Engle!