Now in an updated and expanded third edition, Philadelphia's Outdoor Art: A Walking Tour by Philadelphia native Rosleyn Brenner is a showcase of 66 outdoor sculptures that lend personality, charm, and even emotion to the busy cityscape of the Pennsylvanian metropolis. Each spotlight features a black-and-white photograph of the art and a one- page history of how the art was created, as well as who or what it represents. Enjoyable for armchair travelers, and offering detailed addresses for on-site Philadelphia tourists who want to personally see these great works, Philadelphia's Outdoor Art is a fun, economical guide which especially recommended for outdoor art and sculpture enthusiasts.

Rosalyn Foy gathers a wide array of resources concerning the life of Mary Butts and complies them in an exciting and enthusiastic manner. The wit and spirit that springs from her words holds the reader's attention--this isn't just one long boring informative essay! Foy also gives a very up close and personal view of Butts, as she reviews her childhood, influences, friends and collaborators, etc. 99% of the other material (encyclopedias, articles) out there will only give you an overview; you won't experience her life closehand the way you will with this book. It's a shame that this is the only book written on the passionate colorful Mary Butts, but thank god Foy had the vision and insight to create such a wonderful piece of work! If you're at all interested in Butts, I highly recommend buying this book.

This is a great book, and deals with an important issue relating to the rise of Nazism and the Second World War that is too often overlooked: the fate of refugees. As illustrated in the classic 1942 film "Casablanca", the rise of Nazism forced thousands, and then hundreds of thousands of people to flee for their lives. These stateless people, often with few or no resources, tried to make their way through a Europe where on all sides powerful forces were bent on their destruction. Even in Britain and France, exiles from Nazi Germany would (after 1939) be treated as hostile aliens, although no power was more committed to the destruction of these exiles than Nazi Germany itself.

Fittko's book begins in Berlin in 1933. We find in these pages a brave and intelligent young Jewish woman of leftist tendency suddenly in grave danger with the rise to power of the murderous racist gangsterism that was National Socialism. Facing arrest for her anti-Nazi activities, she is forced to flee Germany. From this point on, the book gives an important insight into the nature and meaning of exile in the 1930s, what it was like to live a life on the run, always worried about legal papers, always trying to stay one step ahead of the Gestapo. This is not a scholarly book, but it does give an important personal insight into one of the most terrible experiences of the 20th century. Fittko eventually was lucky enough to get out of Europe. Tragically, for too many people like her, the life of exile and refugee flight would lead only to Auschwitz.

This book, along with a companion volune, "Escape Through the Pyrenees", introduces the reader to the experience of life in exile, the stress of being stateless in a world where everyone seemed to be demanding your papers, and a world where the Gestapo was anxious to ship people like you off to a concentration camp. Fittko had the opportunity to meet people like Hannah Arendt (who was greatly concerned with the problem of statelessness in her later work "The Origins of Totalitarianism") and Walter Benjamin, whose tragic suicide in the Pyrenees in 1940 cut short a career that already had produced enough of value to inspire a whole generation of literary critics and cultural theorists. Fittko is a sharp writer, offering suspense, insightful observation, and real human drama. Even more importantly, without hitting you over the head with this, she raises profound questions of morality and personal responsibility. This is a very good book, not so long, but dense with issues upon which to reflect. Read it and see for yourself.

Ken Follett's novels are particularly well suited to reading on trains and aeroplanes. They are short, easy reads which easily survive the interruptions inherent in those surroundings.

This novel fits the mold perfectly - the characters are more or less drawn from the stock characters of action/adventure/intrigue stories - the icy cold and thoroughly competent enemy spy, the intellectual, professorial good guy who somehow manages to stay one step behind the spy throughout the story, and the beautiful and thoroughly unqualified female who implausibly saves the day at the last minute.

The general plot is that a German spy has discovered the disinformation campaign that the Allies are using to divert attention from the preparation for D-Day. There is a race to capture or kill him before he can communicate the information to his masters in Berlin.

The book is the literary equivalent of a candy bar. It's not intellectually nourishing or nutritious, but it's a great way to kill some time.

Well, what can I say!? I mean, all those other reviews down there really tell what this book is like. Ken Follett at his best. And THAT is something, huh? "The Needle" Faber is the only german spy in english soil that can turn the war back for the Nazis, as he learned the secret that Churchill was hiding so well with the help of the americans. The book tells his adventures up the Brittany Island in order to contact a U-boat. The final sequency on Storm Island is something of a genious. Follett has written some very good thrillers about WWII, like this one and "Night over water". But his best still is "The key to Rebecca". Anyway, "Eye of the needle" is a page turner like Grisham in his early years, a book one with interests in spies and the War won't regret reading.

The Needle
Ken Follet

Henry Faber alias, The Needle, is a German spy who works for Germany during World War II. He is tall, handsome, intelligent, well built, German aristocrat who works fast, in a shrewd manner, cleanly, and without leaving a trace. He is very close to Hitler. When a person becomes a danger to his identity or whereabouts, he uses an "stilletto" to utterly kill without almost any evidence.

The Needle or Die Nadle, discovers a British military secret that if given to the Germans on time would, no question about it, make the Germans win the war. Then the British find out about it, then starts the run, hide and go of The needle. All the Allied and British military intelligence are looking for him with no results But nobody but a woman, Lucy Rose, who lives in a stormy and far away island , can get to him...

The novel is excellently written and keeps the reader interested until the end. It also depicts all the knowledge about military intelligence, spies and world War II that the author masters.

I strongly recommend this book as a novel to entertain, and "A Place Called Freedom", also written by Ken Follet

I like this book's interesting way on how to teach a child to chase his dreams. Most children think it is impossible to reach for your dreams, but this book shows an interesting way to make a child pursue their dream. When you tell a children to do something they may not want to do it. But when you take a different approach, the request might have an effect on the child. Showing a chilren how to acccomplish his/her dreams is better then talking to them about it.

This story shows a little boy who loves to play basketball, how to make himself a better player. When you explain to a child how to overcome their enemies, and set a goal for them they are more likely to accomplish it. Yosu cannot accomplish your child's dream, but you can show them a good path to take. Kids always need an extra push to understand how something work. To achieve your goals all you need is practice, persistance, and determination.

There once was a kid that just wanted to play baskerball with his older bothers but there is a taller kid at the basketball park. That all was picked on him and told him he cant play bastekball because he was to short. So Micheal asked his mom how can he grow faster. She told him to put salt in shoes every night before he goes to bed. so he does for two mouths and doesnt grow. so his dad has a talk with him. Then he goes and playes and the game.

This is a wonderful book. I purchased it for my 8 year old nephew and he absolutely enjoys it. He reads it all the time especially before his basketball games. Its wonderful and inspirings and lets kids know with hard work their dreams can come to fruition.

Roslyn Carrington thrilled us with her electrifying debut novel, A Thirst For Rain. In her sequel, Every Bitter Thing Sweet, Ms. Carrington will mesmerize the reading audience as we continue the story of Odile and Rory.

Odile has matured into a curvaceous and stunning young woman no longer vying for her mother's affection and stares of admiration from local male suitors. Four years after the horrid scene by the river, twenty-one year old Odile is employed as barmaid in a dilapidated Chinese restaurant and brothel located in the South Quay district of Trinidad. Shunning her mother's cries for a better life, Odile's resolve to prove resilient leads her to a path of ambivalence and discontentment. Rory is no longer the pimple-faced boy next door, but a burly, handsome young man. Now eighteen years-old Rory is sole provider for himself and malevolent father, Saul, in the small town of Amira. Attempting to bury the brutal attack on Odile years ago, Rory is constantly plagued with guilt and remorse. As Rory longs for solitude he faces one of the toughest challenges of his life.

As Odile and Rory seek healing and refuge from their wounded pasts, they will encounter a myriad of obstacles on the road to forgiveness and self-discovery. Roslyn Carrington has truly outdone herself in this sophomore novel with vivid depictions of Trinidad and its culture. For readers who enjoyed these two unforgettable characters from A Thirst for Rain, Every Bitter Thing Sweet is a welcomed epilogue to their suffering and quest for acceptance.

Reviewed by Nicki Lancaster
APOOO BookClub

Reading Everything Bitter Thing Sweet was a lot like eating a delicious chocolate mousse. Wanting to savor it's richness, I had to restrain myself from rushing as the fast-paced plot pulled me in.

Thank you, Ms. Carrington, for following up on the life of my very favorite character, Rory, from Thirst for Rain. When I finished that book I cared for him like he was my own son and was so happy to see you must have too. He is a wonderfully noble fellow and did not deserve to have one impulsive act of rage ruin his life. In EBTS he becomes everything I knew he was.

And, Odile, a strong and beautiful woman, really comes into her own and becomes "somebody." Didn't think it could get better than A Thirst for Rain, but I enjoyed this book so much I am leaving it bedside my bed for a second read in a few months. Kinda like licking the spoon and bowl.

In the emotional thriller "A Thirst For Rain", a young couple comes to a violent crossroads during a torrential rainstorm. As powerful a writer as Roslyn Carrington is known to be, nothing can prepare readers for the exciting new sequel "Every Bitter Thing Sweet ."

Two people that you feel you have known since childhood come to grips with their turbulent past and once again are forced face the reality of their uncertain future. It is very rare when a classic novel is followed up by a sequel which turns out to be more fulfilling than its original, "Every Bitter Thing Sweet " does exactly that with a deeper look into the lives of the characters we grew attached to in "A Thirst For Rain". Fascinating pitfalls occur in the lives of four main characters: Odile, Rory, Myra, and Jacob. Carrington actually gives readers a rare opportunity to know the personality traits and intimate feelings of Odile and Rory as children as well as seeing them as adults and understand why they ended up in their respective societal roles. Readers will also witness the evolution of the relationship between Myra and Jacob which went from Jacob's obsessive adoration from afar to a mutually nurturing bond between a couple deeply in love.

As time goes by Rory's life has become a constant struggle with an abusive father who's alcoholism has progressed to a stage where Rory has a daily reminder of the disappointment he feels toward his father and the resentment he harbors surrounding the loss of his mother. Odile has settled for a lifestyle as a waitress in a seedy bar where prostitution and gambling are commonplace. She faces similar resentment toward her mother because of past relationships that she disapproved of. Stress culminates between mother and daughter due to Myra's disapproval of her daughter's current lifestyle. As Rory and Odile cross paths after many years of separation, tragedy strikes again forcing everyone involved to come to grips with their inner "ghosts".

If you read only two books this year I would recommend "A Thirst For Rain" and "Every Bitter Thing Sweet". You do not have to read one to understand the other but to fully appreciate the talent and skill Roslyn Carrington uses to bring closure to her first drama it is important to start at the beginning by reading "A Thirst For Rain".

I give "EVERY BITTER THING SWEET " a very enthusiastic, must read rating of 5.

Unlike many survivor's accounts, Weil's novel (which I assume from the biographical material prefacing this work is probably quite autobiographical) does not deal with any aftermath to the Holocaust. The book breaks off just as the narrator chooses to hide and therefore conitnue his fight against the never-named but omnipresent "them."

The rapacity and cunning of "them" remind you of Art Speigelman's "Maus," and I wonder if he read this novel earlier. The picture of daily life outside the camps is told with details which constantly circle back to the narrator's lost (married) lover, and understandably, these obsessions only fade gradually, as the transports impinge more directly upon the Jews.

The metaphor of the circus, in which the only animals are people, is sustained admirably in this section of the novel, and the translation conveys well the bare irony of the minimalist style. Almost childlike in its observations, the tone of the novel may be off-putting to some readers wanting more elaborated insight. It took me about sixty or seventy pages to get used to the rhythm, and only in the halfway point did it fully compel me. But I read it in one sitting.

Why? By its steady momentum, you are carried into the horror even as it does not overwhelm you. Through the control of the protagonist, you too gain control over the situation, and resolve to resist the temptation to give in to complacency.

The characters remain in your memory: Roubitschek and his onion, the narrator's almost comic aunt and uncle who blame the whole Nazi invasion it seems on their nephew, Ruzema's memory, and most of all, Tomas the cat. Rarely has a pet assumed such an evocative place in such a story. The daily task of finding food when you can buy so little. The scene of the names being called for transport in the synagogue, the depictions of the grave digging detail, the narrator's shattered home, and the growing despair that battles against the realization that the slow advance of the Allies means that people "out there" are actually fighting to save the narrator: all these add up subtly to a powerful testimony.

The narrator must wear a star that shines only at day, that gives no warmth, that is pinned over one's own heart, but over the course of the novel, he realizes that his status as the "other" frees him (almost like a Camus character) to live.
Worthy of comparison to Imre Kertesz' "Fateless," and Primo Levi's memoirs, this overlooked novel deserves much wider attention. Read it and see why.

Weil takes his character Josef Rubicek through budding romance, poverty on the outskirts, danger, demeaning treatment, and the daily effort to survive, in Prague during the Holocaust. Rubicek is slow to understand what is happening around him, but eventually realizes the significance of the regulations that get announced daily, the restrictions that are put on his world, and the anguish of those he encounters. It's a very moving book throughout, even when Rubicek is lost in reveries over a romantic liaison which has been ended by the authorities.

I read 'Night' by Elie Wiesel, and although I sensed the horror of the Holocaust, I didn't actually feel it. Some time later I read 'Life with a Star', and finally felt it, deep inside. This book is an incredible description of a Jew's life outside the camps during the war. I highly recommend it.

Crossword puzzles in this series are some of my mom's favorites.

They are wire-bound, making it easier to lay them flat and get down to business. But she would prefer they be laid out on single pages, and have larger type.

The puzzles are challenging without being overwhelming. These are roughly comparable to those found in the NY Times and LA Times, in both level of difficulty and in their design.

A pretty safe bet for fans, but no 5th star for the reasons above.

This series is easy to read and laid out conveniently. The puzzles are challenging without being insane. These are my mom's current favorites, and I would recommend them to fans of the crossword puzzles appearing in the NY Times or LA Times.

Dr. Nelsen and her co-authors have presented parents with a treaure chest of ideas in Positive Discipline for Preschoolers. They have consolidated many years of counseling experience into a balance of the larger picture needed to begin steering children into adulthood with the nitty-gritty of coping with the daily adventures of raising youngsters. From setting the stage to taking the long view of parenting, this book helps separate the fantasy of 'doing it like my parents did it' to 'seeing my child as the unique being he/she is requiring creative responses to daily situations'. If you want to get fresh ideas on how to encourage positive behaviors, develop logical consequences that are respectful yet effective, or master the challenges of sleeping, eating or potty training, this is the source for you.

This book is a must have for any parent, teacher, or caregiver. It eliminates power struggles and allows you to enjoy your children. Instead of punishments and consequences, or just short term solutions, it helps us to open the lines of comunication with our kids, and motivate them to want to do the right thing- not just worry about 'getting caught.' Yes, it does take extra time and patience, but the results are incredible! I reference this book constantly and even keep positive discipline guidelines on my fridge! This is the best parent education book I have ever read.

There is so much disrespect in parenting these days--people yelling at children, hitting them, belittling them, etc. Some don't even realize what their actions can do to a child's long term mental health and social development. This book outlines many different approaches to discipline, positive time-outs, punishment free (consequence driven) learning. People attend birthing classes--it's a sure bet that they can give birth without them. Why not child rearing classes--I think it would pay off in society and our children would benefit so much from them. READ THIS BOOK!

Interviews with disciples of Papaji/Poonjaji. Good idea, nicely done. Only the interviewd people, except the son of Papaji, seem to be rather brain-leaky. One may like it, if one likes the non religious aproach to spirituality. But even then, it sounds too easy, that one just walks in with a guru and realizes the highest spiritual truths, then soon becomes a spiritual teacher and would have reached the end of wisdom. So I'd take the book as an example, how it should not be, but it's hard work, to figure out exactly whats wrong, because it sounds quite authoritative and unrefutable at certain pages. It's just simple interviews, but their omisions imply a lot which needs rethinking, (which, I think, is good:-).

I have been a spiritual seeker for a long time. I have read and pondered many metaphysical books, searched out autobiographies of spiritual masters. But I have never read one that affected me like "Meeting Papaji." I cannot recommend this book highly enough. By reading it I was literally brought into the presence of a living mater. In the preface Roslyn Moore describes being led to gather stories about meeting this great soul. The book is made up of eleven talks she had with people who were with Papaji in the nineties. The author is blessed with a combination of innocence and intelligence that brings each person out perfectly. Seeing what Papaji said to people and how he dealt with them is endlessly fascinating. There is an immediacy in reading "Meeting Papaji" that cuts through all concepts. As a result, many of my questions have come to rest. More importantly, and this would have been hard for me to believe, the search itself has now come to rest. This is Papaji's gift. Prashanti, one of the interviewees, lived near Papaji in Lucknow for many years and is now a software engineer and Ayurvedic healer in Northern California. He says, "With a saint realization happens just from being with him, doing nothing. There is nothing you can attribute any attainment to, although I guess you can attribute it to the Shakti (spiritual energy) of the saint. Being with Papa pointed to the absolute immediate Presence. No words were necessary. You would just snap into knowing, as if someone turned the light on." Papaji's transmission is simple: that we can know what is deeper than appearances; that we can be free; that we are realized now. This becomes clear through his presence, which is the presence, through his Shakti, and through asking for and sincerely desiring that. Even though Papaji left his body in 1997, he is alive!

In his life, Papaji, a fully enlightened master and disciple of Ramana Maharshi, transformed hundreds (maybe thousands) of lives in his effortless way, through the vehicle of satsang in the little town of Lucknow, India. So many who were in his presence describe the profoundest awakenings to the truth of life. Roslyn Moore, the author of this book, was inspired to track down and interview some of these fortunate individuals. And she did a great job. Reading this book gives you a peep into the deep transformative process that Papaji's presence precipitated in a number of interesting (and beautiful) personalities. The first interviewee is Gangaji, who began giving her own satsangs in the US a number of years ago at the prompting of Papaji (she has done such magnificent work -- see her book The Path of Self-Inquiry to get some feeling for her satsangs). If you are a Gangaji fan, you will love hearing some of the "inside" stories that she tells regarding her times with Papaji. Moore also interviews an Ayurvedic healer, one of Osho's former disciples, a former Japanese monk of the highest order, Papaji's physician, and Papaji's former wife (to name a few), all of whom gave their lives to him and in the process awakened to the wholeness of their being. Many who read this book will be lifted to the "next step" (so to speak) in their lives -- the book is loaded with the influence of awakening. You will be well rewarded for reading this book. Thank you Roslyn Moore for writing it.