Pleasant little book to read, gives you quite a bit of history and description of the beer type. Good enough to give the curious an idea of whether or not they'll want to drink or make the stuff but does not give the uninitiated enough information to do the brewing. You will learn a lot though.

Foster details the history of porter including the techniques which were used to make "traditional" porter. He includes recipes, in both extract and all-grain, for duplicating what porter must have tasted and looked like from an historical basis. If you're interested in brewing porter, this is a must read.

The usual authorized biography is worthy but not worthwhile; the author has traded access for freedom to write what he damned well pleases. In this case, Foster, though not writing an "approved" or subsidized book, has given up nothing -- he knew and genuinely liked his subject, despite having worked for him. Robert Wood Johnson, NOT the Johnson who just bought himself a professional foootball team, was both a gentleman and a rebel but he did establish for one of the premier American companies a credo which helped to build it and, even after his death, to keep it on the right course during the Tylenol crisis, a triumph of responsible capitalism -- and not incidentally of well-handled public relations . The author minimizes his own role in handling this potentially widespread and dangerous situation. The book is rare in its genre -- well written, humane, interesting, and valuable to anyone interested in top drawer American companies, the economy, public health, public service, the lives of the rich, and more.

The impact of the Johnson family -- and particularly the "gentleman rebel" at the center of Larry Foster's book -- on the community, the health care industry and society at large has been documented in a way that is illuminating, satisfying and inspiring. Attention to detail, the providing of context and respect for the subject, along with graceful writing, make this book a joy to read.

Noone says before die: Oh I should had been more in the office. More think: I should had spent more time with the family. This book teaches how to do your work perfectly without stealing time from your family. Enjoy it and change your life.

Another in a series of books that make simplicity seem simple. Simply put simplicity is far more complex than can be stated adequately in any book. This one however has done as best as can be expected on such a simply complex subject.

I saw the other reviews of this book,and I have to wonder if the reviewers really read this abridged version of the play. This is one of our family's favorite plays, and I bought this book to allow us to do a living room performance of it in one evening. I was disappointed. First, the copy has many errors in it that make performing it confusing. For instance, in Act I, Scene 1, when Egeus brings Hermia and Demetrius and Lysander before Theseus, there is a stage direction that says "Demetrius exit and Helena follow." although Helena has not appeared (in this or any other version of the play) until later in the scene. Second, every person who has to make cuts in this play does it differently, but Cass Foster has cut some parts that I really miss, especially Bottom's playing the "tyrant" in Act I, Scene 2, and the rest of Thisby's death speech in Act V. Those scenes seem wooden and hurried without those lines. If I had known what this book was like, I would have ordered a different book with the full text and cut out lines myself. It would be easier than going through this text and correcting typos and adding lines that I feel need to be there.

March 5, 1999

Dear friends at Five Star Pub.,

We have a small school on the other side of the planet from you in a country called Azerbaijan. It's kind of a home school coop. Two years ago we performed your version of Romeo and Juliet and last year, A Midsummer Night's Dream. We really enjoy your versions because of the suggestions for staging (we're all rookies) and your notes of explanation on difficult phrases. I have to admit that the kids liked the Romeo and Juliet notes the best because there were more of them but we also like the new layout of Midsummer. It's easier to use.

Thanks for your help,

Cindi Wagner Baku, Azerbaijan

This book, which seems to be multiple episodes of the cartoon show tied together by the author, is what I believe is the best of the Star Trek Log series. I suggest this for any fan of Star Trek - it's well paced and has some good ideas in it.

The "Star Trek Log..." series is a series of adaptations of episodes from the animated Star Trek series; through volume six, each book had contained three separate, if related, episodes, each with its own title and occupying roughly a third of the book. In volume seven, this pattern changed slightly; it was possible to see three distinct sections to the story, but only one episode title was given, and it was treated as one continuous story. That pattern was continued in volume eight, but the story was good enough that I find I don't object as strenuously. For what it's worth, the episode title given is "The Eye Of The Beholder", and the book is unquestionably the best of the series so far. I have only one quibble with it, which is that in the second third of the book, the Enterprise crew meet a race of beings whose biology is based on silicon, rather than carbon, and are shocked that such a thing is possible. As any connoisseur of the original Star Trek television show can tell you, they met such a creature in the episode "Devil In The Dark", and were surprised to find such a creature possible. If that episode predated the events in this story, they should not have been so surprised at the concept here; conversely, if the events here supposedly predate those in that episode, they should have been less surprised then. In either case, we have a case of a failure of internal consistency.

This is a small quibble, however, as is the fact that in the original series, whenever they attempted to leave the confines of our galaxy, they met with a powerful forcefield ("Where No Man Has Gone Before", "Is There In Truth No Beauty"), yet in this story, they are able to do so easily, without incident. Perhaps the forcefield does not extend all the way around the galaxy, but is a comparatively "local" phenomenon. In any case, the existence of such a field is implausible enough that I'm more inclined to pick nits with the original series stories than I am with the story in this book.

In the first part of this story, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are captured by aliens with the appearance of elephant-sized slugs (more or less) who are sufficiently more intelligent than humans that it takes a good bit of persuasion to convince them that humans (or even vulcans) are sentient enough not to be kept as zoo specimens. Later, the aforementioned silicon-based life forms are encountered, followed by a life form ranging upward from continent-sized that roams the wilds of the space between galaxies.

The story is fast-moving, well thought out (unlike many of the stories in this series) and maintains the characterizations of the known characters well. It is interesting and spurs some worthwhile philosophical thoughts (the concept of Kirk & co being seen as merely interesting zoo specimens, for instance) and is generally well worth reading.

The book Stranger at the Window is a book about a young boy who has to hide places in houses because he is a illegal immigrant. I think the book is exciting because you never know what is going to happen next. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes an interesting and exciting book.

THE STRANGERS THAT CAME TO TOWN WAS A GREAT BOOK. iT WAS ABOUT A YOUNG 11 YEAR OLD GIRL WHO HAS TO STAY WITH HER AUNT IN LONDON WHILE HER MOTHER IS AWAY WORKING IN EGYPT. LESLEY IS LONELY AND TRIES TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE TEENAGERS NEXT DOOR. THEY HAVE NO INTREST IN HER. THEN SHE INSISTS THAT SHE SEES A YOUNG BOY IN THEIR ATTIC. THEY SAY SHE IS IMAGINING AND ITS PROBABLY HER SICKNESS. SHE WAS RIGHT THERE WAS SOMEONE HIDING THERE. AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IS HIDING THERE. WHEN THEY ARE IN GREAT RISK OF THERE BROTHER TELLING ON THEM LESLEY STARTS HELPING. VICTORIA IS MEAN ROBERT IS NICE AND CHRISTOPHER JUST DIDNT THINK THAT THEY SHOULD KEEP ERRI THE IMMIGRANT. SOONER LESLEY FINDS VICTORIA A NICE GIRL AND FINDS OUT SHE LIKES ROBERT. LATER VICTORIA MAKES LESLEY HER HONORARY SISTER, AND ROBERT KISSED HER, CLAMING IT WAS ONLY A BROTHERLY KISS WHEN VICTORIA PROTESTED. SHE SAID LESLEY WAS TOO YOUNG FOR HIM TO PRACTICE ON. HE SAID HE DIDNT NEED PRACTICE AND ASKED LESLIE. SHE BLUSHED AND HE LAUGHED. THAT IS THE KIND OF STORY THIS IS. I HOPE YOU READ IT AND LIKE IT. ITS A GREAT STORY.

Mary Giaccio(her sirname changes alot of times during the series due to being a foster kid)will not stop hanging around Jessica and Elizabeth's mother,and ignores the twins!Hot-headed Jessica becomes VERY very ticked off!They soon feel very sorry for Mary when they realize that the reason she spends so much time with Mrs Wakefield is that Mary misses her own mother.Will Mary ever find her own mum again?

This is the story of twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield and their friend Mary Giaccio. Mary was the foster child of the Altman's. She often went to visit the Wakefield's, walking home with either Elizabeth or Jessica from school. Jessica noticed that Mary was far too close with her mother. She felt jealous and resented Mary's easy going ways in their home. She noticed that Mary was always following her mother around, chatting and laughing with her. Sometimes, she felt ignored because her mother was busy talking with Mary. One day, she approached her twin sister Elizabeth and told her of her observations. She said that Mary didn't really go to their house to be with them - it was really to be with their mother. She asked Elizabeth not to invite Mary to their house anymore. She made it clear that she didn't want another sister! Elizabeth, realizing that Jessica really resented Mary's presence in their house, tried to avoid Mary at school. She would run off after school or pretend to be busy with her newspaper work. Mary noticed this and felt very hurt. Elizabeth, who is really a warm and understanding person, decided to tell Mary the truth. She told Mary that Jessica no longer wants Mary to visit their home because she didn't want to have to share their mother's attention with anyone. Since then, Mary avoided the twins. She would sit alone in school and really looked miserable. During one occasion, Mary had a chance to sit beside Jessica. She gave Jessica a gift and told her that she really wanted to be friends again. Jessica was surprised and pleased when she saw that the gift Mary gave her was a gold and silver bracelet Mary had worn so often and which she really liked. She also needed some help in typing some recipes to be published in a book in school. So she decided to be friends with Mary again. She even invited Mary to go her house after school for snacks. While they drank grape juice in Jessica's kitchen, they read the master newspaper article Elizabeth wrote about someone who gave a talk about proper dressing in school. Unfortunately, Jessica accidentally spilt the grape juice on the paper. The ink ran out and no matter how they tried to blot the paper, the whole article which Elizabeth wrote was erased. Afraid of Elizabeth's reaction, Jessica proceeded to fill in the missing paragraphs with her own ideas. Mary typed the article on the paper. That evening, Jessica overheard her parents saying that the Altman's have decided to adopt Mary. Despite Elizabeth's warning that she should not repeat that information to anyone else, Jessica decided that it was such good news and everyone should know about it. The Altman couple were so nice and finally Mary would stop following her mother around since Mrs. Altman would made a very good mother. Just before going to sleep, Jessica wrote an additional sentence in the Elizabeth's article in the master newspaper. It read: "Mary will be adopted by Mr. & Mrs. Altman". Jessica was sure that Mary would thank her for putting that in. Come the following day, Elizabeth and Mary were both horrified with what came out in the newspaper. Elizabeth went straight to her advisor to say that she wants to redo the article. Her advisor said that the article was more "fun" than her usual articles and if she would only correct the spelling errors, it would really be perfect. This made Elizabeth feel worse. She really wanted to kill Jessica - specially after Mary confronted her, telling her that she didn't want to be adopted by the Altman's because she believes that her mother is not really dead, as was told to her by a certain Annie who brought her up after her mother left and disappeared. Mary said that she was sure that her mother was somewhere still trying to find her. After school, she went home directly and told Mr. and Mrs. Altman that she didn't want to be adopted because she believes her mother would one day find her - even if it was already 7 years since her mother left her. The Altman's understood her and respected her decision. Mary forgave Jessica for writing about her in the newspaper. Elizabeth managed to forgive her twin sister as well and all three became good friends once more. One day, a woman came by the school to ask about Mary. Elizabeth noticed that the woman resembled her mother. She told the woman that Mary was with her twin sister in their house. She offered to walk the woman to her house. On the way, the woman asked a lot of things about Mary, about the Altman's and whether Mary was happy there. Elizabeth asked her if she was Annie. The woman said no. Suddenly Elizabeth's heart jumped. She asked the woman if she was the mother of Mary. Tears sprang to her eyes as the woman admitted that she was Mary's mother. She said that she had been looking for Mary for a long time. When they reached the Wakefield's house, Mary instantly recognized her mother and ran to embrace her. The woman introduced herself as Mrs. Robinson and said that Mary's real name is Mary Elizabeth Robinson. She explained that she left Mary to the care of her neighbour, Annie Gaccio, when she had to go to attend to her dying mother. After the funeral, she went back only to find that Annie had kidnapped Mary. She went to the police but no one could trace Annie. No one could trace Mary Robinson either. When Annie Gaccio was recently caught by the police stealing from a department store, she denied knowing any Mary Robinson. A policeman said that maybe they will try to search for a Mary Gaccio - in case Annie had changed Mary's surname. That search led her to Sweet Valley and to Mary. Realizing that Mary was very happy living in Sweet Valley, Mrs. Robinson accepted Mr. Altman's offer to help her look for a job there. Mary was very happy to be with her mother at last and to continue staying at Sweet Valley. She really liked her friends and her school. Elizabeth and Jessica were so happy for Mary. Elizabeth altered the newspaper article, retaining most of what Jessica wrote and adding "Written by Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield" making Jessica very happy. The school newspaper won in a contest and the recipe book which Jessica, Mary and their other friends wrote was selling well. More importantly, Jessica and Elizabeth realized how lucky they were that they had parents who loved them and took very good care of them. Review by: Alexandra Rodriguez age: 10

This book is an interesting read but it should be retitled "Transracial Adoption and Foster Care: Don't Ever Do It. Practice Issues for Professionals "

It does not offer much support or guidance in placing children in homes of different races. It focuses on the statistics and the how-tos of getting children placed in same-race families, then begrudgingly offers some guidelines for the lowly professional who is forced into transracial placements. The stats were insightful and often surprising, which makes it a good reference for facts and resources.

Example of a disturbing scenario: -James, biracial, age 2. -With the "T" family since 2 months old, who want to adopt James. -Social worker doesn't think race issues are sufficiently addressed in home.

"James is able to...attach to significant others as demonstrated by his attachment to Mr. & Mrs. T. James would experience typical separation anxiety if removed from Mr. & Mrs. T's home. Since James' ability to attach is within normal ranges, he should be able to bond with different or adoptive parents, if properly prepared for adoption."

-Nine months later, Mr. and Mrs. T were re-evaluated for James' adoption. They were then able to answer the social worker's race questions sufficiently and were then allowed to adopt James.

Scenarios illustrating situations that come up in multi-race families weren't always given problem-solving solutions, sometimes leaving the reader with more questions. On an emotional level, the book often left this reader steamed and offended, but after a cool-down period, I would have to recommend it to those interested in this subject. Transracial placement is after all, not a subject without opposition. It is informative to know what the professionals are being told. Overall, the book exudes opposition to transracial adoption and foster care. It does, however, contain compelling, experience-based information from the author's career.

This book goes beyond the discussion of "should we or shouldn't
we have transracial adoptions". Although it is directed toward
professionals it is also very useful for adoptive parents as
well. The book avoids the emotional turmoil and discussion of
"what's right or wrong about transracial adoptions". Nor does
the book attempt to make parents feel guilty or inadequate to
adopt transracially. The reader is given information that compels
them to:
1) appreciate the challenges of transracial adoptions,
2) appreciate the needs of children adopted transracially, and;
3) gives them the skills and resources an adoptive or foster
parent needs to acquire.

The book does an excellent job of assisting adoptive parents to
judge their own skills and ability to adopt a child of a diffe-
rent race, rather than being judged by a professional or someone
else. Self assessment guides are even provided to adoptive pa-
rents for this purpose.

The case studies in the book provide examples to professionals
and parents that are clear and practical in highlighting the
issues and skills in preparing for and parenting children in
transracial adoptions. It is a practical "how to" book, without
the emotional turmoil and rhetoric that surrounds the topic of
transracial adoptions. I would recommend it to both professionals
and adoptive parents, as well as parents considering transracial
adoption or foster care.

Lucy's Wish, the other Orphan Train Children book, was better. This book was boring. And it was annoying that Will wanted to go back to his father when his foster parents cared about him better and he had a real future with them.

Basically, Will is rather upset and can't believe that his father would just abandon him. He is placed with a kind couple who loves Will. They are Otto and Sarah Wallace, Otto is a doctor and often takes Will with him to meet his patients. He believes that Will has a real shot at becoming a doctor himself. When his father, Jesse, comes with his traveling circus, Will is torn on whether to go with his father, or stay with the Wallaces. This is a very good book, that builds up to the plot, nicely.

While this book does make interesting connections and presents history as a narrative, it struck this reader as having a strong white Christian bias. Isabel, who expelled Muslims and Jews and then sanctioned the Inquisition to hideously murder and torture those that were left, practically has a halo over her head (the inquisition is mentioned, but she doesn't get nearly enough credit for it). Prince Henry's exploration motives are purely based on his desire to better the lives of savages by spreading Christianity; hubris, greed, and material gain apparently never entered into his equation. Meanwhile, while I commend Foster for devoting a quick chapter to African emperor Mansa Musa, ignored by mainstream children's histories until fairly recently, I have to say that her portrayal of Africans leaves something to be desired; probably the less said the better. I recommend checking the book out of the library prior to plunking down the bucks for it. I will say that it's a decent starting place, but please encourage discussion, hopefully from the non-Western and non-Christian point of view.

Genevieve Foster's books are based on an intriguing concept: a horizontal approach to history; a view of the world and the people who lived during the lifetime of the main character--in this case Columbus. Charlotte Mason would have us delve deeply into an era; these books help us do that.

Each section of the book starts with an interest-grabbing 2-page spread naming and illustrating people who lived during a portion of Columbus' life. These drawings could be copied and pasted into the student's book of centuries or timeline as the corresponding story is read. The maps and illustrations throughout the book provide much interest, although these short stories are appealing because of their conversational tone.

You'll want to acquire all the books in this series by Genevieve Foster.