Distance is everything to Buck Brannaman.

Time and space have made all the difference. Whether it's the 30 years since his harrowing childhood, or the nearly imperceptible space that constitutes trust between a horse and its rider, it's all been important to the horse-whisperer whose life and work helped breathe vitality into a gentle method of training animals. Now he's telling his own story in "The Faraway Horses."

Brannaman recounts his sometimes horrifying, occasionally funny adventures. He describes his training technique, built on trust and respect, not force. He writes about horses he's learned from, including Bif, the rank outlaw who became one of Buck's most trusted mounts. And he tells of owners he's taught, including the trainer who abused her show Arabians to make them look "spirited."

But the roots of his special connection with troubled and wild horses lie in his own childhood.

"I want people to be entertained, but there are some real stark realities out there," Brannaman says. "I hope it just doesn't go away after they close the book and put it on their shelf, but that the book's with them, maybe for the rest of their lives."

I feel like I understand horses more now. What I got out of this book is:
A horse that is considered bad because of something a human did to them gets the bad rap...They are treated like they are at fault and then they get pushed asside or abused all because of humans. If there is someone who comes along and can get the horse over their fear--usually caused by a human error. These are true horseman and woman. Buck Brannaman is just that. He has helped many horses become good horses and therefore have a better life. What could be more important?

This book is not only on how to help horses but on character,from begining to end it gives us lessons on how to help not only the troubled horse ,but on our own troubles as well .
We see from early on what shaped and formed the man of today,the abuse he and his brother suffered as children,the long road to true unity with the horse,the faliures along the way ,the tragedy of his first marriage and how as we say in the horse world he got back up and got on again ,all along we can see were many people would have thrown in the towel and quit ,Buck did not and in so doing showed strength and character .This is all written in a unvarnished way that I find refreshing
I found myself near tears at times and laughing at others ,some of what has happened in his life hits close to home for myself,as a lifelong horseman I have struggled to find unity and peace with the horse ,I have lost loved ones and struggled on,in reading his book I found new ways to deal with some of lifes problems and with my own love of the horse.
To say I enjoyed the book is an understatement,it will be something I will go back to time after time and I hope others will also.You do not have to own horse or be from the horse world to find something in this book that will help you either with your family or life its self.

Though Tzu Hsi (pronounced Sue- Z) was the last Empress of China very little of her life-- both personal and private-- is known. Much as been written about this unfortunate woman; nearly all of it speculation and a good deal of it obscene. In her book "Imperial Woman" Mrs. Buck trys her hand at telling the story of Tzu Hsi and,in my opinion, comes about as close to the real woman as we're ever going to find. Tzu Hsi here is no cardboard figure but a flesh and blood woman with fear, ambition,helpless, cunning, triumphants, and deep loniless. All set mid-late 19th century China in a court, in a county, weak and rotting from the inside out while struggling to deal wth coming of the West and the 20th century. The characterization, dialogue, and discription are magnificent. A "must read"-- definatly!

Imperial Woman tells the story of Tzu Hsi (pronounced Cixi). She was a well-known leader because not only was she the last empress of China, but also she was strong, smart, fierce, and efficient. The story begins with young Yehonala, a beautiful and spirited girl who is engaged to her cousin. Every year, as it is considered an honor, women are picked to become the Emperor's concubines. Yehonala and her cousin, Sakota, are picked and are taken away from their family, never to be seen again. The first portion of the book describes how Yehonala wants to stand out from the others so she will be picked by the emperor to become his head concubine. She plays the part of a spoiled brat well. This includes sleeping in, making sarcastic comments, not lifting a finger to help wash herself, and looking the emperor straight in the eye (in China you cannot look past mid-chest of the emperor). The emperor is attracted to her and she and Sakota are picked to be the head concubines. Yehonala waits to be summoned by the emperor and befriends the emperor's mother the Dowager Empress. Meanwhile, Sakota is in the emperor's company and soon it is announced that she is with child. Now that the emperor has 'paid his debt to society' his attention wanders to Yehonala and she is summoned. There she loses her innocence forever in more ways then one. Yehonala becomes the new favorite and secures that role by giving birth to a son and she is crowned 'Fortunate Mother'. This gives her a position higher than anyone in the palace.
The second portion of the book tells of the death of the emperor and dowager princess. Yehonala and Sakota become the Dowager Empresses and are equal in power. But tongues are beginning to wag. Is Yehonala's son the emperor's child? Is someone plotting against Yehonala? Why is Sakota behaving so icily toward her? Yehonala must answer the questions to save not only her son and her own life but also the kingdom. Learning to trust no one but her 'loyals', Yehonala rules the kingdom with a strong hand.
The main characters shape Imperial Woman. Pearl Buck does a phenomenal job of portraying her characters. They are also easy to connect with and you find yourself cheering for Yehonala. You share the emotions with the characters, when Yehonala is distressed because she will never be able to marry the love of her life now that she is the emperor's concubine; you find that you are crying with her. The main characters are Yehonala/ Tzu Hsi, Sakota, Li Lieng the Eunuch, The General of the Imperial Guard (Yehonala's cousin), The Emperor, and Tung Chih.
Yehonala is the main character and protagonist of the story. She is the spirited concubine who becomes the Emperor's favorite. She moves through many roles such as third rank concubine, first rank concubine, Fortunate Mother, Sacred Mother (Tzu Hsi), Consort, Empress of the Western Palace, Empress Mother, Empress Regent, and finally, Empress Dowager'the Old Buddha. Sakota is Yehonala's cousin and started as a first rank concubine. She was the first concubine because her father died fighting for the late Emperor, so the current Emperor owed it to her for her father's act of bravery. After she gets pregnant, the emperor has done his duty and his attention wanders to Yehonala. She soon becomes the Emperor's favorite and gives him a son. In ancient China, they did not realize the affects that opium taken in large quantities, every day would have on their bodies. Instead, it was believed that it had healing properties and would make you better and there was not such a thing as too much. So because of the large amount of opium they were giving the Emperor to heal him it eventually killed him. Li Lieng the Eunuch is probably the most loyal member to Yehonala. Even when she was third rank concubine he was loyal. When Yehonala finally asked him why he helped her because she had nothing to give him and she could not pay he replies 'I know what your destiny is ' When you rise toward the Dragon Throne I will rise with you, always your servant and your slave.' Li Lieng brought Yehonala gossip and news. He influenced major princes because the Eunuchs wielded much power. Li Lieng helped Yehonala privately meet the General of the Imperial Guard, her cousin who she was in love with, although there are suspicions that Li Lieng was in love with Yehonala as well. The General of the Imperial Guard was Yehonala's cousin who she had been engaged to before she became the Emperor's concubine. They were very in love and arranged secret meetings with the help of Li Lieng. The General eventually got married to Yehonala's favorite maid so as to avert suspicions of an affair. Last but not least is Tung Chih. Tung Chih was Yehonala's son and the new Emperor of China. He did not have much time to rule because he died young and his wife was so heartbroken she killed herself. This left Yehonala to pick someone else to rule.

Imperial Woman tells the story of Tzu-Hsi, the last Empress of China. It is well known that she was a formidable, fierce and cruelly efficient leader, but this story begins when she is a beautiful young teenager, vibrant, full of life, and deeply in love with her cousin, a handsome and stalwart guard at the Imperial Palace.

As was the custom in the day (as I learned from this book), the Emperor yearly picked a new crop of concubines from the daughters of the wealthy of China. It was considered a great honor to send one's daughter into whoredom at the palace, and the shocking details of how they were chosen and used make up the first part of the book. Our heroine, who is still known by her childhood name, Yehonala, is sent, along with her cousin Sakota--both are picked. On one inevitable night, Yehonala is sent to the Emperor's bedroom, and there loses her innocence forever, in more ways than one.

Swiftly becoming the Emperor's favorite, our heroine learns the intrigues of the palace, learning to trust nobody but to rely on only those closest to her. She consolidates her position by giving birth to the Emperor's only son, thus receiving the new name of "fortunate mother"--and a place of power higher than any woman in the palace.

But was the Emperor's son really his son? Can the formerly innocent concubine, fast becoming a political player worthy of anybody in today's world, stay alive to see her son crowned? Or will she be murdered in the truly baroque but terribly dangerous palace in-wars?

All is told in this fascinating book, written in Buck's simple but elegant style. This is one of her best, and well worth finding and reading.

Michael Connors and Bruce Buck have given me a fun and educational experience in their creative endeavor "Caribbean Elegance". I hope to see more of each individual island's gift to its historical history provided by their craftsman and furniture makers. Especially fascinating were their fabulous Cuban ventures, which makes me feel they only scratched the surface leaving lots to encounter in future. This one is an asset to any coffee table collection!

A gorgeous book that's as interesting and informative as it is beautiful. While reading Caribbean Elegance, I found myself transported back in time to an era when sugar was king and great fortunes in the Caribbean facilitated a style both elegant and sensual. This is a fascinating account of a pivotal period in history as reflected through the style of the furniture.

Caribbean Elegance, how the title is only the tip of what lies between the cover as it is such a wonderful book to always have at hands reach for small mind vacations after a long day of work! The author has done a fantastic job of educating one about the Caribbean islands' history as well as the furniture. It is the only book that lives on my coffee table, and every person that visits is sure to pick it up and become mesmerized by the writing and captivated by the photographs! It is impossible to not fall madly in love with this amazing find of a book! It is so easy to read be it that the author is obviously passionate about his work, as he leaves the reader feeling the island warmth from his detailed writings of Caribbean history. The photographs are so well placed, and beautiful! What a tasteful, well written, and charming book! Well done!! One must be careful though, as you will be sure to want your house filled with Caribbean antiques as I am now doing!

A great book to get you thinking about how you relate to your kids and how to begin teaching them about money management. Ellie Kay is a chocolate loving, coffee drinking, and deeply religious military wife who is a mother of five. "Money Doesn't Grow On Trees" is a fun, practical book with stories from the family of the author. Throughout the book runs a theme that saving money is a skill that you can teach your children, not only so that you and your children can avoid being crushed by consumer debt, but also so that you will have money to help others in need. Ellie Kay tells you how she does it, and how you can do it. "Money Doesn't Grow On Trees" is a fascinating read, so make sure that you budget at least five hours when you get started - you will not want to put the book down!

Ellie is such a gifted author! As someone who doesn't usually like to read self-help books, I must say that this book has humor and real life illustrations that keep me going. I didn't want to put it down! Her ideas for training your children how to manage money are so helpful and realistic. And the best part about it is that she weaves in all the principles we adults need to know for our own financial management, too!

I have read Ellie's other two books and really enjoyed them, but this one is the best yet!! As usual, it is full of wonderfully funny stories to which any parent can relate! It is very entertaining, but also very practical! I believe every parent can benefit from the wisdom in this book. Ellie gives you the tools you need to raise financially responsible children with a strong work ethic - something often missing in today's young people. You will learn how to handle a child's desire to wear only name brand clothes and to "keep up with the Jones'", and how to encourage your children to raise money themselves for the items they feel they must have. This gives a child the confidence and self-assurance that money cannot buy! Great book!! I highly recommend it!

i have read big bucks the benoit way at least a dozen times.the best deer hunting book i have ever read.i live and hunt in north dakota no matter where you live and hunt you can learn from this book.as far as i am concerned larry and his family are the best deer hunters in the country they hunt in the toughest whitetail country there is out there tracking no matter what the weather is doing. HUNTING HARD EVERY DAY .taking home the biggest 200+ bucks they can find. bryce towsly and the benoits done a great job putting this book together. im hoping there will be more from the first family of deerhunting thankyou and keep bringing home those big bucks.

It is one thing to shoot a trophy buck. It's even more amazing to shoot them year after year. This is just what the Benoits do and keep in mind it is being done in Maine. This makes it an even bigger accomplishment. If you have hunted Maine like myself, you know what I'm talking about. The big bucks up there are far and few, yet the Benoits are able to "read" the area and thus find moss backs every year. Even if you are an experienced hunter, you can be humbled quite quickly when hunting in Maine. This book details hunts in which bucks were tracked for many miles, offers many tips on how to read tracks, and when and where the bucks are going. If you want to learn more about big woods bucks, this book is for you.

This book is one of the best true hunting books I ever read! The Benoits are the True first family in deer hunting and as a north woods hunter myself I have learned lots from reading this book. This book is not about sitting in a tree stand all day or electronic trail timers or other high tech deer hunting ambush aids its about true hunting...tracking the most wise buck in the world..the northwoods buck !

A thoroughly charming read. Was sold on this one by Marcia Brown's "Strings Attached" story on the sneak preview. She must have a colorful family indeed! Also enjoyed the Mandela piece. Great fun, even if you're not a gardener!

Thanks to Cliff Hunter for his great review of "Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul". Please note, however, that the story "A Son's Harvest" was written by Lee May, not Henry Boye, as Cliff states. (It's a wonderful story, no matter who wrote it, but Lee should get the credit!) Thanks--Carol Sturgulewski, coauthor, Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul

A truly good book evokes cozy images and sensations from the past. And this is a very good book, one that teaches us to stop and consider how wisely we spend on this earth.

Among my personal favorites was Nona's Garden by Paul Silici. I could almost smell the delectably heavy garlic, beef and tomatoes slowly steaming in my grandmother's kitchen, and felt a tug on my heartstrings when she shared the story of her grandmother's lessions in life. Planting Day filled me with hope for the younger generation when I saw that sixteen-year-old Beth Pollack had written such an insightful essay. It was good to learn in Pat Stone's A Bedside Story that I'm not the only person who talks to their plants.

There's something for everyone in CS for the Gardener's Soul.

If you read only one mystery/thriller by a new author this year, make "Monkeewrench" your choice. The plot and characters sizzle and the authors (mother-daughter team of PJ and Tracy Lambrecht) have set the thriller in Minneapolis/St.Paul-Wisconsin, one of my favorite areas, and the stomping grounds of Lucas Davenport of the "Prey" series.

For new authors, the team is excellent at weaving multiple plotlines together, and the team of 5 software developers that is at risk, and who have created risk for others, is an intriguing and slightly comic group (that apparently will be back for at least 2 sequels). Monkeewrench has gotten a lot of critical praise, some of it over-the-top, when comparing its comic touch to that of Evanovich. Make no mistake, this is a dead serious thriller, whose writers have a light and humorous way with words and descriptions. They don't populate the book with cartoon characters (no offense to Evanovich, I love her work). Here's a sample of the kind of descriptive turn that grabs your senses while you work through the plot:

"...the room was an olfactory museum of hundreds of meetings just like this one. Fast food, sweat, and the now-forbidden cigarette smoke -- all these smells and more seeped from the plaster walls and rose from the uneven waves of the warped wooden floor. "

You'll enjoy cops Magozzi, a Mpls. detective and his soft-hearted partner, Gino Rolseth, as well as Wisconsin sheriff Mike Halloran. Mostly though, you'll be annoyed at the sleep you miss, since Monkeewrench is one of those books you can't put down once you start. Plot twists and turns are exciting, and while the eventual discovery of the killer's identity is a little surreal, it makes for a great whodunit.

Looking forward to more from this writing team; their debut was spectacular!!!

This was an amazing book. It was written very well so the reader can easily follow along. Although I got the names mixed up a lot in this book (I didn't even know there were two seperate police forces involved)it was still a great book.
I loved the use of humor in this book and the characters were great. Everyone should read this book because of the first and middle, but I think the end is kinda disapointing. They aren't even talked about a lot in this book so it's a surprise but you don't even know anything about them.
The buildup to find out who the killer was the part I liked best. It was what kept it the most interesting. The emotion of feeling sorry for the cops when they couldn't find the killer even though they had over 5 murder scenes to investigate right in front of them and they still failed was compelling. These cops watched Mall of America for days and they still did not catch the killer. All of what the killer suceeds with makes the reader think he is brillant but then you learn of the killer's past and what he went through. I don't know of anyone that has ever had such an interesting *person* as the killer in a novel. They didn't even know if it was a John or Jane Doe.
This is the 2003 murder mystery that everyone should read up on.

I was curious about this book after reading a glowing review in, I think, People magazine. I've been disappointed by reviews before, but this book was everything the review promised, and more. I love the characters, and especially the interplay between the characters. There are plot twists and enough kinkiness and gore to satisfy those with a blood lust; unlike another reviewer, I didn't find the language particularly obscene. True mystery buffs will have a good idea "whodunit" so the ending is not a total shock, but it is satisfying, nonetheless. It was a one-day read -- I couldn't put it down -- and I look forward to reading more by this/these author(s). I also enjoyed the Minnesota locale, though I can't vouch for its accuracy since I've never been there. If you liked this book, you might also enjoy "AKA Jane" and "Run Jane Run" by Maureen Tan.

"To appreciate any sport, you must learn about its entire history. And you can't truly appreciate baseball without learning about the Negro Leagues. Begin with this book."

As submitted to Hasting House on Dec. 10, 2001 via e-mail

My personal library collection of baseball books includes several hundred volumes. Only a privileged few of these books sit on a small shelf handy above my word processor. Among the selected few is a newcomer, The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues: The Other Half of Baseball History by John Holway. This unique book succinctly traces the history of Negro baseball from pre-civil war days to the end of the Negro Major League era in 1948.

Mr. Holway is no stranger to the more than 7,000 members of the Society for American Baseball Research. He has been chronicling Negro baseball history since 1969, and has produced five previous books on the topic. His innumerable newspaper and magazine articles are referenced in the book's laudable bibliography. Well indexed, this book is the culmination of over three decades of dedicated ressearch by the man who knows more about Negro baseball than any writer ever. Royse "Crash" Paarr, co-author, Glory Days of Summer: The History of Baseball in Oklahoma.

"To appreciate any sport, you must learn about its entire histroy. And you can't truly appreciate baseball without learning about the Negro Leagues. Begin with this book."

-Sports Columnist, Kansas City Star

A wonderfully written book of an amazing life. From DC-2 to 747, it was a career spaning the greatest changes in civil aviation. A story that is now told by someone who was active in advancing the skill of airline flying and can make it very readable. The airline pilot autobiography is not a new idea - there have been some good ones and boat-loads of just OK ones - but this is the best I've read.

A pilot's pilot (Captain Buck flew the line, did research and wrote some best-selling classic pilot education books) who can make the flight through the decades come alive. Imagine sitting down with an old man at a small airport who still pilots gliders and he turns out to be a storyteller of great wit and charm, a man who still remembers when crossing the Atlantic was a battle, who was there when airline flying advanced from shaky pistons to huge jets. Who would not want to relax in the sun, watch the airplanes, and listen to the wonders of TWA unfold. In the tradition of St. Exupery, Ernest Gann and Len Morgan. And yes, I liked it.

North Star Over my Shoulder is the best flying book I've ever read, and one of the most fun books that I've read in a long time. Captain Buck has an easy to read style and has had a fascinating life centered around aviation. From the earliest planes through 747s, Buck has flown them all. He bring us along through his life with entertainment and a sense of humor. Highly recommended!

Simply amazing , one of the best aviation "history" books I have ever read, Truly those were unique times for aviation : the author started flying wood and fabric airplanes and finished his carreer flying 747. I reccomend this book to pilots and to everybody intersted in the history of commercial aviation and its developments. In my opinion it is comparable if not better than another classic : Fate is the hunter.

Pavilion of Women provokes thought about the nature of women's roles, not only in China, where the novel is set, but also in the world in general. The juxtaposition of ideas from the West and East is exposed through the characters of Madame Wu, a woman newly turned 40, who has decided to end the physical aspect of her relationship with her husband, Brother Andre, an unorthodox, but very intensely committed priest, and Little Sister Hsia, a foil for Brother Andre, offering a more traditional Christianity. Timeless questions about the nature of relationships between women and men, parent and child, and privileged and poor are explored. I found passages so moving and thought-provoking that I saved them in a journal for further contemplation. This is a good book for women--and men! I would also recommend it for my high school-age daughters in order that their consciousness of their roles as women be raised. The issues raised in this book are not limited only to China of the early twentieth century; they are timeless.

When I first read "Pavilion of Women" I was unsure whether I like it or not...in fact I was a little disappoionted. But over the months I found my thoughts constantly flitting back to it-- to some bit of dialog, some passage in this book. A year later, drawn by something I could not describe, I re-read this book. It is not a book for girls, or even young women. It is a book for women. Women who have been married a long time. They alone, I think, would understand, sympathize and identify with the actions of the main character, Madame Wu, who, on her 40th b'day, arranges for her husband to take a "little wife",and the consquences of this action on the family. I know the premise sounds simple but this book explores the very deep waters of the human heart. To be honest, even after a second reading I am not sure I actually like Madame Wu, and , I must admit, it is not Mrs. Buck's greatest works but , as said before, there is something haunting about this book...

I love and treasure this book immeasurably. Every time I find a copy at a used book sale, I buy it and send it to my one of my women friends. Women everywhere should read this spectacular, beautifully written story of the independent, sassy Madame Wu. I thought Ms. Buck could never top "The Good Earth" but this one did it for me. I won't give a book report, just my humble opinion that this book should be on the reading list of every woman on earth....even my 20-something daughters loved the story.