Grace tell her life story with a lot of spirit and inspiration. From a turbulent adolescence where she served time in Federal prison to where she is now, Co-director of Maximum Eyes an Institute of Visual Healing. Dr. Halloran eloquently tells of her struggle with retinitus pigmentosa for herself as well as her fears for her son. Anyone with a visual impairment will be able to relate to her pains, her joys and be inspired

In September 1995, I was diagnosed with cone-rod dystrophy, a degenerative condition of the retina. Two independent retinal specialists diagnosed me with this condition. Both specialists told me that the disease typically leads to legal blindness over time and that there was no treatment for the disease.

Fortunately, on the day the doctor called me with the diagnosis, I found the book, Amazing Grace - Autobiography of a Survivor, at the Chicago Public Library. I was immediately intrigued by the idea that something could be done, and that people had gotten results. After contacting Grace, I attended a one-week therapy session, and experienced improvement in my eyesight in only one week of therapy.

I am haunted by the thought of how many people walk out of the doctor's office each day with the same diagnosis and same feeling of helplessness that I once felt. I was lucky to have found Grace's book, Amazing Grace - Autobiography of a Survivor, and to have recovered a great deal of my eyesight as a result of her work. For those who have not been so lucky, I hope that her book and work finds its way into their lives. Please feel free to share this letter with other people who are interested in her work. I would also be pleased speak to people and share my experience with them. Grace has become a great friend, and I will always be thankful for what she has meant to my life.

Incidentally, as I am finishing this letter, I just walked outside and looked at the stars in the sky. I looked directly at them and could see them just fine.

Eric Lickteig / Chicag

Full of interesting, charming, and humorous anecdotes gathered from letters and diaries, Roberts accomplishes the elusive task of making history informative and entertaining. Roberts repudiates the notion that the forty-niners were predominately working-class folk, explaining instead that most forty-niners were actually of middle-class origin (pointing out that the trip to California was expensive). These middle-class forty-niners, Roberts illustrates, joined the gold rush as a "rebellion against certain middle-class values; this revolt, in turn, was largely carried out by middle-class individuals." The gold rush provided an escape for those who sought freedom from the confines of Victorian mores.

Few books have as much to teach about the history of Californians or the United States. I recommend American Alchemy highly to anyone interested in innovative books about American history and culture.

William Emerson's The Applegate Trail Of 1846: A Documented Guide To The Original Southern Emigrant Route To Oregon is a fascinating historical book, peppered with twelve illustrations, twelve maps, and thirty-five black-and-white photographs, of the first wagon train to follow the route through southern Oregon that would one day be known as the Applegate Trail. An exciting, involving true story made all the more compelling by the meticulous documentation, The Applegate Trail Of 1846 is enhanced with an appendix of names (which includes the other names for the Applegate Trail, names of the exploring party, the volunteer road party, emigrants on the first wagon train, names of the relief parties), a bibliography, and an extensive index. An amazing look into the trials and travails of settling the American West, The Applegate Trail Of 1846 is a recommended addition to school and community library western American history collections.

I found this a great read. It covers the history of Southern Oregan from the Hudson's Bay Trapping days to the early settlements. Emerson notes the early settlers by name and covers the blazing of the Applegate trail and the true history of this region.

There are few books about this place and time in history and this is by far the best I have ever read. He covers the topic in great detail, this book details how the other trails were used in forging this all important route for immigrants. The book is full of pictures and drawings of the area and settlers. It also includes detailed maps of the trails discussed. Anyone interested in the settlement of Southern Oregon and it's history will find this book a great and informative read.

the outstanding architectural reference guide for the topic....is now updated in the new 2000 edition to cover a wider region with many new examples. format is succinct and easy to use and the elegant graphics provocatively demonstrate the breadth of work accomplished in the southern california region from the early 20th century to today.

What makes this book a great book is its structure and its size. It's small and light enough to be carried everywhere. It's well done, because you have maps, with the buildings marked with numbers and index of the architects, with the names of the buildings referring to the same numbers of the maps. Then you have three different colours, meaning: black open to the public, blue visible by appointment and red private. It makes you going around in LA easier!

My class is learning about the birth of California and the gold rush. This book is excellent with many stories about the exploration and statehood of the area.

If you were not born in California, then this book is especially for you! Each chapter is more or less stand alone with interesting facts and stories about early California. The laminated cover is a real beauty, and printing and writing is of very high quality. Makes an excellent text book for students of all ages.

I have owned this book since the second annual Asparagus Festival when I volunteered at a booth in Asparagus Alley. I am constantly being asked for recipes I make from the book. As a parent, it is also nice to have recipes for asparagus that my son will request.

This book is really a value for its small size and small price. It was originally sold at the Stockton Asparagus Festival. The book contains many recipies from the Festival's Asparagus Food Alley as well as past winners in the ongoing recipe contast. Recipes range from soups, through main dishes, and on to breads and desserts. I highly recommend it for personal use or a small gift to the cook who has everything. If only it were 100 pages longer...I do love asparagus!!

The plot was fascinating, kind of like the picture brides of the past. Fierce women are shipped to a town, believing it's a large city, only to find it be be out in the middle of nowhere. Females will love these romances, adults may also. Very graphic at times, but nothing raunchy.

Ivy Nesbitt's life in a small Maine town was ruined by a lie, and her fiance left her to go to sea. When her father dies of a heart attack, Ivy and her sister, Mattie, head west to California. There, Ivy gets a job as a schoolteacher and writes stories published in a newspaper. But rumors are about to shatter Ivy's life again. And after her fiance left her, can she find the strength to mend her broken heart and love again?

Whether you are from S. Cal or just visiting, this is the book for anyone wanting to have an enjoyable day with their children in Southern California. It is filled with ideas and facts about more than just the usual L.A. attractions. And it is geared toward the parent with young children and what is fun and appropriate for them. After I used it once, I don't go anywhere without this book. I just leave it in the car. You'll never be at a loss for places to go and the best way to see them. It is obvious that Dr. Holt did her research and has been to all of these places firsthand. There are no blind recommendations and her ideas for fun and free adventures really inspired me to get out there and explore with my children. Buy this book and you are on the road to years of hassle free outings with your kids.

Where was this book when I had my first child? This book is a great way to help plan fun outings with little kids, especially if you're new to parenting or Southern California. It's well organized, very thorough, easy to use, and formatted so that you can get an overview without getting bogged down in too much detail. I like how you can check out the events that occur by month, like the harvest festivals or holiday events. I highly recommend this book for new moms and moms who are looking for adventure and wonderful memories with their kids.

WOW this was really helpful for giving us something fun to do with the new Jeep Rubicon. Ratings are a great guide. Mostly the trails are pretty sedate - but there are are quite a few hard ones listed to keep the rest of us happy. The history of the area is also interesting. The GPS coordinates are a huge bonus, better than wandering around wondering if you are allowed to be on this trail or not. Definately recommend - it worth the money in savings on wasted fuel - and driver/navigator harmony ;-)

We were wondering if the book could be worth it but we thought we'd give it a try. WOW! This book has everything, I mean EVERYTHING you could want to know as you explore the state (directions, lots of photos, interesting history, info about animals and plants w/pics, rating systems, and GPS coordinates)!!
Love this book. I hope that I can collect the rest of the titles about the other states. My book was fun to take along on the vacation drive but I could see just sitting and reading through it at home!

Definately one of the better books on fishing Baja. Well worth getting!

This is a really good book that describes what places to go and what to use for specific species. Has a nice layout of knots, and gives pointers on the various popular types of fly tackle used there. Could have included more fly patterns, but being a Baja fisherman myself, it wasn't a setback.