"Departures" captures you with characters that enter the heart, with a richly layered story that continually draws you forward, with an embracing sweep of detail that makes these people and their culture seem so real, and therefore, so familiar, and all in a mature voice full of authority and insight. Miriam Striezheff Lewis is a masterful writer, and as I turned the final page, I wished that the next book of the saga was already published, because I was not ready to let go.

This is a terrific book, a first novel from a wondeful new writer. The central characters are rich and full, and the place and period are defined in succinct, specific detail. The book has the sweep of GONE WITH THE WIND and shares many of the same elements: the surprising changes in a culture and within one's self, the path to accepting hidden truths of the past, the precise rendering of a world now lost. I loved the people in this story and look forward to Lewis' next book. Remarkable storytelling!

Miriam Striezheff Lewis is a superb storyteller. Departures is a riveting page-turner and a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience. It is the story of one woman's passion for life and her tenacious efforts to preserve her self-identity in a world that seems determined to transform her "beyond recognition." This remarkable woman is Jeanette Ballin, a slight, dark-haired beauty, and the much-loved daughter of a successful Jewish furrier who lives in Paris during the first decades of the nineteenth century. The heroine's life story seems to stand as a microcosm of both the survival of Jewish identify in an often hostile Europe and the somewhat analogous resilience of a woman who manages to assert her individual identity in a male-dominated society. Jeanette's final words of advice to her daughter are significantly whispered in her ear so as not to be overheard by the men of their family who both figuratively and literally surround them: "Remember to speak your mind, and be firm of purpose" (354). . . . There is something for everyone in this life-affirming tale; it is an intricate matrix of interwoven passions for life's greater and lesser pleasures, a wealth of information that enchants the reader at every enthusiastically detailed allusion to theater, politics, history, geography, philosophy, fiction, music, language, dance, fashion, food, wine, travel, and romance in every sense of the word. Above all, it is a story of determination, survival and faith. Last but not least, like many great novels, Departures is a book about books and will bring delight to all lovers of literature.

Though not an educator by profession, I have had extensive experience working with youth groups and have seen Polly Erion's teachings put to practical use. Results have been everything she claims and more. Obviously, her lessons were derived from many years of teaching experience.

"Drama in the Classroom" has been an invaluable source of ideas for sparking the curriculum. My students and I have used lessons from this book to plan special programs. Throughout the year, in Social Studies and English, I have turned to it to guide students as they shape skits and oral presentations. The structure the lessons provide helps keep students focused as they plan and work but does not stifle their creativity. Celima Smith, 6th grade teacher, Mill Valley Middle School, Cal.

Polly Erion presents a drama program that is rich, varied, and in synch with the children. Drama in the Classroom is invaluable for suitable, stimulating ideas. Helen Morris, Kindergarten Teacher Tam Valley School, California

I thought this story was very intresting,It used a lot of adjectives,which would help children a lot with thier school work.I liked the part when the rich man was insulted and was shouting"How dare any-one in my village isult me!".But I didn't like the beging because it didn't catch my attention that much!

I think Mamo on the mountain was a good story because the rich man learned his lesson and there were lots of detail in it and finally it was a happy ending and I love happy endings. In school we have been doing some work on Mamo on the mountain and I have enjoyed it. We have been writing stories and been doing differences and similarities. Example in Ethiopia they have the same animals that we do like cows and sheep. Ethiopia is the place where they lived. Well anyway the story is brilliant.

We thought this book was very good and we enjoyed it . It also helped us with our classwork.We worked on what is similar and what is different to us.We are now writing from another character's point of view.

This little book is huge in terms of its presentation of a life lived exclusively by faith in God. It presents the life of a man who learned through the challenges and trials of 50 years of missionary outreach to inland China the faithfulness of God to supply every need. This book will touch your heart; it will challenge you with respect to your own commitment to trusting in the faithfulness of God, and it will encourage you to live by faith through the example of an ordinary man who did just that.

This book refreshed my spirit. It reminded me how good God is and how all things work together for good to them that love God. This book included excerpts and stories of Mr. Taylor's exploits in China.

I was amazed at the simplicity and honesty of the writing. It included his coming to faith, his struggles as a Christian, and him abiding in Jesus Christ in different situations. During times of crisis and during times of rejoicing, the constant in Mr. Taylor's life was the faithfulness of a loving God. I was deeply moved and humbled by his life.

Whether you want to be a missionary or just wondering what God's will is for your life, this book provides insight through the example of Hudson Taylor's life. An awesome read!

I was impressed with not only how much Taylor loved the Chinese people. But how much he trusted God for all of the needs in his life. And all of the things he accomplished. The medical center he established. And how he trusted God for the medical supplies. An inspiring little book.

Until The End is the second and final instalment of Harold Coyle's Civil War series. As with the first in the series - Look Away - the novel chronicles the lives of the Bannon brothers as they continue to fight on opposite sides of the conflict. Although Until The End is the second instalment of a series it can be read as a stand-alone novel. However, I would encourage you to initially read Look Away.

As with Look Away, Until The End is a splendid read if you're interested in the battles of the Civil War. This novel takes us to the end of the war and includes amongst others, battles scenes from the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, a particularly realistic account of The Bloody Angle, Jubal Early's aborted raid on Washington, the mud of the trenches at Petersburg and the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Court House. Although there are chapter notes at the end of the book I certainly benefited from a little previous knowledge of these battles. If you're able to get a copy you would find it useful to have The Conservation Fund's 'The Civil War Battlefield Guide' as a reference source

I feel that the author has fine-tuned his skills in writing about this subject matter, as a result Until The End is the better of the two novels. It still has the realism of the War but has lost some of the need to over elaborate on the nature of social relationships that was to be found within Look Away. I enjoyed the focus on the Bannon's personal lives in the shape of Harriet Shields and Mary Beth McPherson and found that Coyle had developed this element of the plot in a more believable manner than the previous novel.

Until The End, as with Look Away, can not be described as high literature, it does not have any hidden agendas and it does not try to convert the reader to any particular Civil War bias. It is, however, fast paced, realistic, gritty and enjoyable. If these are qualities that you enjoy in your Civil War fiction then whether read on it's own or as a conclusion to the story of the Bannon brothers I do recommend this book to you.

Look Away and Until the End were my first 2 Civil War novels. I was not dissappointed. The battles are described in vivid detail. Coyle makes the 1860's come alive with wonderful plot AND character development. The only bad thing that could possibly be said about this book is that it is not "to be continued".

Much better than first novel MUCH, MUCH better. In my review for the first book I noticed I'd accidently reviewed the audio book. I didn't mean to... Benn M. Limburg, NL

so my title is cheesy, oh well...i usually dont like travel books becuase they are written by boring individuals who always stick to the same rules of travel that most boring individuals do. nevertheless, this book is different. it is really funny! basically, a account of the lewis and clark trail being rediscovered by two guys who are real people, you can basically imagine yourself in their place...try to look for it at your library, thats where i found it...the book explains itself, most definitely not an travel guide!...

Just read his latest and cant believe this one is not in print or even out in paperback. What a shame!

I found this book while researching Lewis and Clark's journey for a miniseries. Not your boring armchair travel book -- this was the funniest thing I've read in a long time. Stephen Ambrose can't compete.

This book was really helpful. I learned a lot about AOL that I didn't already know. Illustrations were very helpful too.

This book is a must have next to your computer. It tells you how to get started online and how to use AOL for checking stocks, sports scores, email and getting pictures online. I refer to it all the time.

Finally a book out there that is easy to follow about getting online. It is well-written and clearly organized. I was already able to email friends, but "Wired in a Week" taught me how to do even more -- like checking my stocks, instant messaging and so much more. Buy it--it's worth it!

Not the best toddler cookboook I have found but suits it's purpose. A lot of the recipes seem based on British/ European foods that I am pretty sure my family would not like. I wished that there were more independant recipes for kids rather than breaking down the family meal into adult, toddler and baby. But, the suggestions I have used are simple and tasty, great to amuse the kids and healthy to boot. Some pretty good ideas in here.

I like to make sure my child is getting great nutrition and eating all the right foods. Who said that every child has to eat hot dogs, french fries, chicken fingers, etc. If you follow these recipes and get your child eating these types of foods early on, your chances are much greater that they will be excellent eaters as the get older. I borrowed my book and have to return it, so the publisher definitely needs to go back to the printing press.

i must agree with carol erkam -- i also cheked the book from the library

'"We took care of the dysplasia," Chessman would say, knowing the patient would ask what "dysplasia" meant. Chessman would launch into how some cells just become evil and then beat up on the good cells. Left unchecked, an evil dysplastic cell continued to become more and more evil, reproducing and bringing in other bad cells, until the good cells just couldn't take it anymore.' That's how Dr. Donald Gardner began to see Dr. Hank Chessman, the senior partner of the obstetric/gynecology practice. Hank invited Don into his graces and then trampled him till he mirrored Hank, or so it seemed for awhile.

The designer clothes, the exotic vacations, the prestige, the power, his wife's, Linda, extravagant spending, the Associate Professorship at Columbia University, and the appointment at Morningside Hospital in Manhattan were starting to be a burden for Don, instead of an asset. The more procedures Don did, the more money he made. To Chessman riches weren't enough. He wanted more. So corners were cut and risks were taken, especially when it came to the poor patients at the hospital, the non-people. That's what Hank considered them.

Appointed to make a review of the OB/Gyn practices in the hospital to control time and cost, Don planned to add his own cause, improve the care of Medicaid patients. Warnings came when Don considered changing things at the hospital. Would warnings stop Don or would danger ensue? Enter the real world of medicine, where not every doctor's cause is to provide quality care. Instead power, money, beautiful women, deviant sexual practices, and cover-ups come first. Vicious murderers may dwell here.

As a medical practitioner with experience in hospitals, family practice, and women's care, the realistic scenes and medical knowledge excited me and horrified me as I realized, this could happen in my own neighborhood. Move over Michael Crichton and Robin Cook, here comes Brad Lewis. The reader's goosebumps will have bumps until the twisted ending. Nancy B. Leake, Reviewer, Write Time, Write Place,

It's a medical thriller that chronicles the road to Hell of a renowned OB-GYN whose sexual habits are bizarre. This is not for the squeamish and it should not come as a surprise that it is written by a surgeon, Brad Lewis. He maintains that his portrayal of high-profile surgeons is not an exaggeration and, if true, you will not want to let one of this fellows get within a mile of you. The interplay between inflated egos and dependent patients works against the background of unnecessary operations, the profit mentality of many medical practices, and frightening inattention to new research. In short, physicians will hate this book, but readers will no doubt find it fascinating, if not terrifying.

In Dysplasia, oral surgeon and novelist Brad Lewis uses a fictional format to examine the sordid lives of esteemed physicians in a high-profile New York based OB-GYN practice. The parade of characters includes chauvinists, egomanics, and greedy doctors performing ethically and medically suspect operations to increase their cash flow. Lewis' depiction of "celebrity doctors" and their celebrity clientele is interwoven with infidelity, sexual deviancy, racism, and murder. Dysplasia is a thoroughly fascinating, totally compelling and contemporary novel of sex, drugs and deviancy.