An absolutly great book! The text is lyrical making it easy to read over and over again. The illustrations are colorful and fun. With each reading, your child (and you) will notice more fantastic details. The antics are zany, but Harriet's feelings are real and ones we can all relate to. This book will quickly become a family favorite!

A delightful story, complete with detail-rich, amazingly fun illustrations, makes this book a sure hit with children, and their parents. I can't wait for more releases from Ms. Stewart!

Every child with hair that won't behave or who has siblings that are too helpful, will delight in reading the trials put upon Harriet by her brother and sister all because of a wayward curl! The vocabulary is age appropriate and the illustrations are delightful.

This calendar is a great way to keep positive affirmations in front of you at all times. I buy a new one each year because I cannot imagine being without it!

Louise Hay is wonderful at coming up with uplifting and positive affirmations in this calendar. I enjoy and look forward to reading these short thoughts for the day each and every day.

If everyone owned one of these calendars, the world would be a better place.

I found Cindi Wood's book to be fun and easy to read with plenty of humor and understanding for women and the many roles they are called upon to fulfill, along with all the stress and problems that can arise. It was encouraging with lots of sound, practical advice for many areas of our lives. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone.

In the crowded library of self-help books, this one seems to be the Swiss Army knife of the lot.

Organizing, listening, personal physical and mental care and projecting a positive image are all covered in an easy to read format.

The book allows itself to be picked up and put down while giving the reader humor that is needed in this sometimes serious area.

This tool invites desire to participate in Ms. Wood's training seminars.

Men, women and team leaders of all descriptions would all benefit from time with this book.

Congratulations, Ms. Wood. When is the next one due?

Clear, readable, humorous, and very pragmatic. These are descriptors I would use for Cindi Wood's latest book. I hope she hurries to finish the next one. We all have heard ideas about dealing with the inevitable stess of daily living, at work and at home. This book is different. It serves as a very useful reminder of how important it is and of ways we all can master our personal situations. Judging from this work, I am certain that Ms. Wood must also be an outstanding speaker and training consultant. As a manager I recommend that you buy it and distribute it to supervisors and employees. They will enjoy it and both they and your company will likely share the rewards.

When I converted from Protestantism to Catholicism I looked for a devotional to replace "My Utmost For His Highest." This is it and it is rich and satisfying.

Seven pocket sized volumes. Well worth the cost.

This book is one volume of seven books titled "In Conversation with God". Their contents follow the complete liturgical year, that contain daily readings following the daily (and Sunday) Masses, plus solemnities and feasts of the saints. They are updated for today's culture, still full of writings from our favorite saints, quotes from the bible, Church documents, also quotes by Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. I don't believe another series can be this good. I have been reading them for six years. They are very fruitful for anyone's spiritual life, no matter what their vocation. Priests have been known to use theses to help them with their homilies. I find them useful for answering questions people ask me or that I seek out myself, as they have a great index of both subjects and quotations. They are put out by Opus Dei and Publ. by Scepter. Buy the whole set. They are a spiritual treasure!

This set is a timeless classic. I'd hate to begin to describe it in words. The meditations are based on the Daily Readings from the Mass. It offers excellent insights for anyone who's serious about deepening their faith and tranforming everyday life into prayer and growing in holiness. You'll be in sync with the Church's liturgical year and you'll gain an in-depth knowlegde of Church's teaching and virtue. I've used it for 3 years now and I HIGHLY recommend it.

This ranks as one of the funniest books ever written, while being at the same time a social history of Malaysia, or Malaya as it was known under British Rule. The first book of the trilogy deals with the last days of British colonialism (hence the title "The Long Day Wanes") through the misadventures of a remittance man named Nabby Adams, a civil servant, his wife, household staff, and local government characters. The second novel follows the civil servant and his failing marriage through the guerilla years in the struggling nation, and the third is The Coming of the Americans. These three events have been a sort of template for late 20th century global affairs. It's a tight trilogy that reflects historical and social changes through its characters in the satirical literary slapstick characteristic of Burgess at his best. If you've never read Burgess, this is the place to start. It will bring you an appreciation of "where he's coming from," literally: it is based upon his experiences as a British Civil Servant in the waning days of the Empire (upon which the sun set 30 June 1997 with the cession of Hong Kong to Red China). This review was originally published in June 1997 and with some site changes, my name got lost and Amazon was unable to transfer the review with my name attached, so this is a reprint of that earlier one.

One thing I have always admired about Anthony Burgess's novels is the compassion that he quietly conveys for his characters. They are all flawed: imperfect archetypes, reluctant saviours, apologetic swearers, gin mixed in with the orange crush. And we recognize ourselves in them all for this essential humanity, their endless struggle or acquiescence, for or against their unlikely fates. Burgess's humour is rueful and sharp: wistful disappointment and calm despair are the backdrop for his characters' heroic protests or desperate affairs.

He also writes with a playfulness and intelligence that shines through every page. Typically, his debt to Joyce and Shakespeare often wanders through his pages like a passing shade.

The Long Day Wanes shows much of Burgess at his best. Its setting in Malaya is a world apart: inner struggles against human desires, social forces against cultural divides. While writing of a world that fast disappears, he tells us a story old as the Malayan jungle.

I found this an absorbing, literary read, and like the other reviewers I first read this while living out East (in the 90s - Hong Kong & S'pore). I am amazed on re-reading it how many of the actions and attitudes of the characters - British, Malay, Indian, Chinese, American - along with so many of the secondary details, were still relevant and recognizable among Easterners and Western expats of today. The main story makes fine reading, too. In fine language, Anthony Burgess (who was a colonial civil servant in Malaya and spoke Malay) describes the last few years of British rule and the troubled handover to independance. There is a lot of enjoyable detail about life in the Malay peninsula at the time - many good scenes and vignettes, but what comes across clearly by the end is the uneasiness and ambiguity felt by Burgess about the future of independant Malaya and Singapore - he is worried about the hatred of the various ethnic communities for each other and the slim hold of British law, also the lack of interest among educated locals (besides the ones with marketable skills and talents who emigrated to new lives and identities in the First World) for anything other than technological development. Many of these concerns have sadly been born out - the split between Malaysia and Singapore, the second class status of the Malays in S'pore, of the Chinese in Malaysia, of the Indians in both places, the soulessness of the modern nightlife of KL and S'pore. Law in Malaysia is today a farce - witnewess the treatment of the politician Anwar, once Prime Minister Mahathir's 2nd-in-command, put in the dock seemingly forever for what was known in Singapore as "the endless buggery trial"; and Singapore under Harry Lee Kuan Yew has an even worse legal system (read Christopher Lingle's account, *Singapore's Authoritarin Capitalism*, or Francis Seow's, *A Dissident in Lee Kuan Yew's Prisons*). But this is a vivid, funny and moving novel above all - perhaps especially so if you have any connection with that part of the world, but of course it works brilliantly also if you're just looking for a good, cracking read. The thing I remember thinking after reading this was how sad it is that so many talented Malaysians and Singaporeans emigrate to other countries to get away from the sad realities at home. Burgess forsaw some of this, as well as much more. This is a classic about Malaya/Singapore the same way Paul Theroux's *Kowloon Tong* so accurately describes Hong Kong at the end (for which it was given the honor of being banned by China). Time for a Tiger!

This book was very enlighteneing, proactive and empowering. I was delighted to see that I am not the only one who will suggest and do just about anything to keep from wallowing in a depressive state of mind. This is a great book for inspiration and a delightful change of pace from the usual "self-help" book. I am glad to have read it and my closet is color coordinated!!! Thanks Cathy Baldwin!!

This is a great book with excellent ideas. It reads fast and gives suggestions that are easy to accomplish. I often found myself saying "I can do that" or "why didn't I think of that". This is an uplifting, positive approach for when things sometimes don't go as we would like. It's also a great gift item!

Cathy's book is great, and delightful to read! In her book, Cathy provides numerous suggestions that readers can use to help make their day brighter and more positive. If anyone is not having the kind of day they want to have, Cathy's ideas can help an individual change that!

I was given this book by a close friend for xmas. I must say if you are busy and enjoy reading but can't afford the time to read long, drawn out books, then this is a perfect remedy. Lots of charming anecdotes, factoids and funny stories to relate to for everyday life.

A friend lent me his copy of Insights, Insults and Insanity about a week ago. Since then I have purchased 5 copies !! for my family and friends. I LOVE this book so much ! I can't wait for a Part 2 !

Thanks, Quint

I love finding books that you can just leave sitting around and pick up any time. Despite it's size it is almost like a coffee table book in that regard. Pick it up any time, open anywhere, and who knows what you might find, from stories about struggling with the modern world of smoke detectors (believe me I know), to some ancient pearl of wisdom from Confucius. A flaw might be that it doesn't have an index (the one reason I can't give it 10 out of 10), but on the other hand, searching for something you want to re-visit usually leads to new discoveries. I highly recommend.

Like so many people in these unsettled times I long for a sense of stability and certainty. What is solid and unchanging if not our love of life and nature and the inspired word. That is why I recommend 'Journeying through the days 2002' with beautiful photography by David Hay Jones. The book is a rock upon which to rest our weary and battered souls.

At last, a diary and calendar that's spiral bound so it lies flat when you write! The photographs from around the world are great; some can even be looked at and studied for as long as it takes to fill a page with text. What's good, too, is that the quotes and so-called inspiring texts are not from Oscar Wilde and other masters of the ironic one-liner but words that go deeper than that. OK, some of the photo and text combinations are obvious. It shouldn't always be necessary to match so literally. But of the hundreds, indeed thousands, of calendars on the market, this is in the Top Three.

Journal-writing is a liberating exercise in so many ways. We are freed from the notion that other people's "truths" will save us, freed from the dogma of accepting 10-point programs to salvation. Although 'Journeying' is published by a Christian outfit it resists the temptation to point a fundamentalist finger at us. Instead, we are encouraged to listen to our inner voice, reflect on the beauty of our surroundings and use the thoughts of others, such as Martin Luther King, to enlighten our minds. Thankfully, too, the pitfalls of New Age "anything goes" are avoided. At last, Christianity has understood the meaning and content of humility! The photographs by up-and-coming European photographer David Hay Jones are sufficiently subtle and atmospheric to match this sensitive approach to spirituality. They are rarely obvious, certainly not commercial. Rather, they encourage us to look at the world and find our own truths, whether they be Christian, Muslim, Hindu, New Age or agnostic.

Mr. Shilstone's three steps can be summarized as follows: (1) shift your eating habits permanently, in a minimally restrictive way, guided by the glycemic index, (2) accomplish a full hour of aerobic exercise at a good intensity every day, (3) perform a serious but short core strengthening routine every day. That's the program.

The dietary portion of the program (certainly not a conventional "diet") is minimally restrictive both of the sort of foods you might be allowed to eat and the quantity of food you might be allowed to eat. You could eat like a lumberjack (if you wanted to do that) and still be well within the program. The key observation is "glycemic index," which Mr. Shilstone explains in more detail and more correctly than I could here. This is an important and very healthy suggestion, which was new to me. It is, in a sense, the natural and appropriate correction for most of the diets that are usually suggested, even the low-fat diets suggested by physicians for heart patients. More scientific basis of this is explained in Dr. Schwartzbein's books (The Schwarzbein Principle and her cookbooks), and related information appears in Cheryle Hart's book on Insulin-Resistance. This is a very good idea that I found in Mr. Shilstone's book first. My only criticism is that more information is really required than Mr. Shilstone has room to include in this small book.

The section on aerobic exercise for your hour a day is excellent. While power walking will certainly suffice, you are in no way limited. Very good and useful information is given for you to substitute any number of activities that might suit your changing interests. He gives detailed information here about the time of day when you can most usefully exercise (late afternoon, an hour and a half before going to supper) and what criteria must be fulfilled for your body to be able to burn fat (you only start burning fat well after a half hour of exercise). These insightful details will help a lot in monitoring your own effectiveness easily and without worry. He gives you that extra knowledge to know when you're done.

The core strength workout is given in two forms. Either form, when learned, can be accomplished in some time ranging between fifteen and thirty minutes. The simpler routine uses only a weight, something like a medicine ball (although a middle sized rock would do the same job). The more advanced routine requires a Swiss ball and some tubing. Both are efficient and well constructed routines.

The bottom line to a book like this is simply whether it works or not. My situation is not like every person's. I'm reasonably active, a little more active than the usual "weekend warrior," neither a total couch potato nor actually in good physical shape. I've carried between 10 and 14 pounds of extra weight that I couldn't lose for more than 10 years' time. I've tried a lot of ways to make it go, including bicycling and some moderately serious running (two miles after supper every night). Nothing has worked. Now, I don't do the cooking or the shopping in our house. According to the guidelines, our eating habits are neither exemplary nor totally wrong. So, as I count it, I am simply non-compliant with his step 1). From the start, I have been totally compliant and vigorous in step 2) via power walking. I am learning his step 3) slowly and integrating it into my routine (the bigger step) slowly. So, I would consider myself about half compliant with step 3) at this stage. So, according to my guesses, I am about half way doing his program. Happily, in this half-way mode, I'm systematically losing both inches and pounds. Now, if I said that I am losing about a pound every ten days or so, that would not be in the spirit of the book. Mr. Shilstone doesn't recommend the use of scales to monitor your progress. He asks you to use the tape measurement of your waist. So, I should say that I am losing something very roughly like an inch a month on the waist. (My estimate is rough since I am non-compliant and prefer to use a scale.)

My congratulations to Mr. Shilstone. I think this is a uniquely useful book and one that most people I know could usefully read. There is no question that this is a very good and completely adequate program to manage the "love handle" problem. The cost of this is the work of integrating the suggestions into daily life. Not everyone will want to do that (it costs about an hour and a half a day, and whatever trouble it takes to changing your cooking and eating habits). The results are a significant boost to good health, vigor, and a sense of well being. Not everyone will choose that. My suggestion is that you should only buy the book if you intend to do the routines systematically. While a useful outline, it is not really the best entertainment reading. I gave it only four stars because I consider it incomplete in the nutritional section. I still need to buy other cookbooks to help me become "fully compliant".

This book was so amazing! It totally changed the way i eat and live! Im 15, 5'11, and weigh 160, i used to weigh 260! This book really works!

I bought this book for my husband who refused to read it. I read it and learned a lot about metabolism and combining a healthy diet plan with exercise. Any male with a family history of heart disease, diabetes, stroke or cancer should definitely read this book before its too late!

I bought this book a couple of month ago for my girlfriend(non Swedish). She never read the book, but I did. And I must say I enjoyed every minute of it.
Fun reading, but I don't think you will fully understand how Swedes thinks unless you actually move there... Brrrr...
I do not agree with the statement that Swedes are annoying polite and says 'Thank you' to everything. After living in USA for two years I feel that Swedes are quite rude.
The book felt a little outdated but still the best around.

I am 24 year old American male who has previously lived in Sweden for 2 years as an exchange student and has also worked for a Swedish forestry products company. This book is amazingly enlightening! I have to admit that when I first came across it I was somewhat speculative of whole concept. By reading the title you'd almost get the impression that they were talking about interfacing with life from another planet! However, what I found in the book was very well researched and well written -- a fairly accurate portrayal of my experiences and observations of life in Sweden. Highly recommended!

My wife was born in Sweden and immigrated with her parents to this country when she was 9 years old. Married 6 years, Lena was continually questioning why she viewed the world in certain ways while others couldn't see things the same way. The insights in this book got her thinking about what was special in her Swedish upbringing and why she was taught to look at some subjects differently. Reward systems, her acceptance of certain conflicts and her questioning mind were revealed to her as a result of reading this book. Since then, I have purchased an additional copy to share with a colleague recently hired by a Swedish company and Lena has given her Dad a copy. A must read for both Swedes and Americans who interact with Swedish people.