Sassparilla's New Shoes is one of those truly rare books that can be enjoyed equally by a child and a grown-up. The story follows a delightful Chinese American girl as she tries on different pairs of shoes and imagines herself in imaginative situations. The prose is quick and witty and the color illustrations add an extra element of fun. This is an instant classic, one that I look forward to reading to my nephews and nieces again and again!

This is a great book. It just came across my desk and I am going to order two copies for my neighbors' kids. The book, centered around a freckled Chinese-American girl who is imagining the different shoes she could put on and the various adventures she would have is well-written, with beautiful and colorful illustrations. The verse is very funny and the overall book is fresher than most kids books that I have seen of late. A real treat!

I was looking for a gift for my god-daughter who often gets blue about wearing her big sister's hand-me-downs when a friend told me about this book. Not only was it a blast for my god-daughter to read (beautiful whimsical illustrations and playful, easy to understand text) but it made her feel so much better! This book helps a child to think creatively and empower his/her mind... to be anything he/she wants to be no matter where they are or what they are wearing. A positive, inspiring book I highly recommend - i've bought several for my friends' kids since!

I wish this book had been put together a long time ago. It's a very useful service to researchers. When doing research for my own book "Mr Jefferson's Academy, The Real Story Behind West Point" (now, "West Point"), I went through the books available on John Adams/Thomas Jefferson, but found I had to resort to the original documents. It took a massive amount of time. That's one of the reasons my book took several years to complete. This book could have saved a lot of time, and can do the same for any reader or researcher. It's not only comprehensive, but also, well written. If you're interested in an in-depth read on Thomas Jefferson, I recommend this book. (To get a closely packed distillation of Thomas Jefferson, my own book has a biographical chapter that has been distilled from what could easily have been hundreds of pages of opinion, interpretation, and speculation to 40 pages of facts. The rest of the book is gleaned from what he, himself, read!)

I agree with the reviewer who wrote the book about West Point who said this book is a service to researchers. Why it's a magnificent research tool. I'm using it copiously at this time for a scholarly work I'm on sabbatical to work on.

What a joy it is to read the correspondence between two of America's greatest founding fathers. Through this collection of letters we begin to get into the minds of men who created and shaped this nation. We read of their dreams, expectations and fears for this new nation as well as typical correspondence between friends. That is when they were talking to each other. When the two men weren't, Abigail continued to write Jefferson to try and heal the breach. My favorite letter is from John Adams to Jefferson to tell him to stop writing his wife. This is a book for anyone who loves the human side of history and enjoys getting to know the real people behind the legends. I first read it in college, and then spent ten years trying to find it again. Now that I have, it will never leave my bookshelf.

The authors do a superb job explaining the applications of wireless solutions for all readers - those very technical and those who are not. The information is concisely written and is not dry and boring. In addition, the case studies that were presented flowed very well with the material. This is the first book I've seen that disects each step of the architecture design process - the charts were a great visual guide.

There are plenty of books out there on the shelves about wireless technology. When I first took this book into my hands - that's what I expected. Needless to say: I was positively surprised about Cap Gemini Ernst& Young's different approach to wireless technology. They not just covered technical aspects (just like everyone else), but even more importantly, how all this translates into the daily business environment. This book will stay on my desk as a source of continuous reference and will not collect dust in my book shelf.

One of the best books I've read on wireless technology. This book provides not only a blueprint for building a web architecture, but also illustrates how to integrate wireless design into your enteprise. It's like two books in one! Each section covers a unique case study for wireless. It's a rare chance to learn from the big 5 pros.
It's a great book for a beginner or someone with years of experience.

This book and "New Recipes from Amish Country" are, without a doubt, my most used, most read and most worn cookbooks in my library. These cookbooks are not only wonderful for their recipes, but also for just curling up on the couch with a cup of coffee to browse through. The pictures and stories are wonderful. Marcia Adams is one of my favorite cookbook authors on the market today. She knows what she's writing about and her books are incredibly enjoyable to go through, not to mention educational.

My favorite recipes out of Cooking from Quilt Country - Whole Wheat Bread (wonderfully easy and very delicious), Cinnamon Rolls (great icing!) and Potato Pancakes (I still haven't found a recipe that can match the flavor of this one)

This is a delightful book that offers interesting glimpses of the Amish lifestyle and preserves some wonderful recipes. I greatly enjoy the photos and anecdotes in this book, as well as the terrific recipes.

I make the Hot Water Pie Crust in nine-crust batches and freeze it (it freezes perfectly). It is the easiest pie crust recipe I've ever used and tastes just like Grandma's. We don't have pie often, due to its fat content, but when we do, this crust never fails.

The oven-fried chicken recipe is also a winner. Again, it has a lot of fat, but it's great for special occasions and company dinners.

Kudos to Marcia for ensuring that these treasured recipes aren't lost, and for providing a peek at a unique way of life.

This is the best cookbook I own. The recipes are relatively simple but also unique in a way. I especially like the vegetable dishes. I use this cookbook as a wedding present all the time. My wife makes the Amish apple pie and it is the best. Every New Years Day I make the cabbage rolls and they are outstanding. The crushed ginger snaps make it special. Men and women who cook should own this cookbook.

I received this book as a Christmas present, and had it on my desk at work for a few days; everyone who stopped by picked it up and couldn't put it down ... and a few tears appeared when people started reading some of the individual patient stories. The photographs are beautiful, and the stories of the children and doctors and nurses are really touching; I have since purchased a few copies to give as gifts myself

I have been a huge fan of Phil Borge's photography for years and was delighted to see that he recently published The Gift. Not only are the photographs fantastic, but the narratives that coincide with the photos really bring the book to life.

Besides belonging in anyone's library, this book is a perfect gift. It chronicles both the generosity and selflessness of the Interplast volunteers, and it highlights the triump of the human spirit. It makes you understand the impact that one human being can have on another human by sharing the gifts that are natural to them. It is nice to read about this type of humanity during a time when we are constantly bombarded with negative media images.

Phil Borges photos are deeply moving. They drew me into the story of these children--so much so that I bought several copies to give as gifts. This book brings out the beauty of children, no matter what their physical circumstances and the power of individuals working to make a difference. Stunning.

I've never played anything but 1920's Call of Cthulhu, and have never been to keen on the idea on modern-day CoC. But I must admit, the Delta Green campaign setting is really impressive. After having taken a look at it and purchasing it, I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a change of pace in their CoC game. The best comparison I can think of is this: If CoC 1920's is the movie "Alien," Delta Green is the movie "Aliens." Both are cool, both have the same creatures as the adversaries, but they both have different moods and different types of protagonists. The background info in this book is so realistic, if I were a bit more mentally unbalanced :), I could easily believe every bit of it as gospel truth, not just a game setting.

If Lovecraft was alive today this sourcebook would make him green with envy! This takes the Call of Cthulhu game to the contemporary level. There's more than enough plots and characters to juice up a modern (postmodern?) Call of Cthulhu game. I especially like how the creators have made so many versatile options. You can make this supplement as intricate or as simple as you want. I definitely recommend this as a sourcebook to all Call of Cthulhu role playing fans.

Many have commented that DELTA GREEN is where X-Files meets the Cthulhu Mythos. They are correct, but it goes beyond that. Delta Green presents a satisfying and believable context for mythos roleplaying in the modern era. This supplement for CALL OF CTHULHU, a game which has a history of great supplements, raises the standard by which future works will be measured. This is quite possibly the best role-playing supplement ever. I have been into RPGs for nearly 20 years now, and I have seen most of what is out there. Believe me, it does not get better than this.

What, in all sincerity, can be said of Fernando Pessoa's Book of Disquiet? The book presents us, as with any superb literary work, with a problem of translation. That is, of translating into value (good, bad, average) an expressive incoherence (the aphoristic style) that is manifested in the heteronyms that Pessoa was, in the dispersed identities, and in the fragmentary incursions into the absurd(real) that pervade the book and brings forth the 'disquiet-ness'. 'Conventional' writers need a 'plot'(could be a subject-person, an event etc) as an anchor in which to secure coherence and from which meaning is derived. Pessoa's genius (like Kafka, Beckett, Lawrence, Blanchot) lies in his deliberate abandonment of (monotonous)anchors and his intrepid embrace of diversity(in the most general sense imaginable) and immanence(one feels 'floating' within life). This author will, I am certain, be recognised as one of the greatest European literary genius.

Pessoa was a true acrobat of the imagination. The Book of Disquiet is a collection of epiphanic journal or diary prose kept by Pessoa and found decades after his death. The prose is truly some of the most gorgeous musings about everyday life and existence that any reader could ever find. The poet's world is laid out exquisitly and paradoxically for the entire benefit of those who read.I can't say I've ever found such beauty in the pages of a book before. If you like literature albeit simple or complex this book is something that you will immediately cherish for a very long time.

"If i think, it all seems absurd to me; if i feel, it all seems strange; if i desire, he who desires is something inside of me."
Sums up the book perfectly. Pessoa explores one of his many personalities. "The Book of Disquiet" explains, in complete depth and faith, the beauty of a lonely, existential, moment by moment life. He explains the beauty that people forget. He explains the world, his perception, as if every moment were the last.
"The book of disquiet" is one of the most insightful books a person can read, but only if one has imagination and an ability to let go. Bernardo Soars, Pessoa's personality who wrote the book, is extreme and eccentric. It isn't easy reading, and it won't affect you if you can't overlook the fact that life doesn't go on like Soars'; that there is more in thinking, dreaming, and desiring than Soars admits. What makes the book so special is how Soars can forget everything but the thought and the moment, and how he can analyze and critique and put into words something that most of us forget to remember. "The book of disquiet" reminds me, at least, of how to appreciate my own mind. It is the only philosophy-like book that i enjoy (as yet) because it is the real thing and encompasses a forgotten part of real life.

This is a good story. Maybe if I hadn't read so many of Henri's other books, where he recounts some of the same experiences as in this book, I would have been more moved. It was helpful and touching to read about this relationship Henri had which had such a profound influence on him, and in which his theology culminated. He had been realizing for several years that we are all called the Beloved independent of what we do, have, or how we look--but this was most pronounced for him through his relationship with Adam.

So it is worthwhile getting a fuller picture of how Adam taught Henri so many important things about God and himself, but if you have already read many of Nouwen's books (written after he went to L'Arche), much will be repetitive. But evenso, the story and concrete examples of Henri living out his theology are really beautiful. And as someone who works closely with and sees God in people with developmental disabilities, it is wonderful for me to see how Henri saw God in Adam. One of the other reviewers accuses Henri of romanticizing relationships with people with disabilities, but I do not find this to be the case. It was clear that Henri was writing a book about how he encountered Jesus in Adam, and of course focused on incidents that would show that. I did not find the book lacking just because it mainly talked about the peaceful and beautiful moments, because the purpose of the book is to show us how God is in every person, and in a special way in people with disabilities; and it comes across loud and clear. I recommend this short book, though it is definitely not my favorite by Nouwen; it could easily be read in one afternoon.

As a former professional carer for men and women with profound learning and multiple physical disabilities, I have a personal interest in the subject matter of this book. In Adam, Nouwen describes the life and death of a core member of L'Arche Daybreak Community in Toronto, Canada; one with whom he had a particularly strong relationship. Adam was disabled from birth and had lived at home until reaching adulthood when he spent five years in institutional care before joining the Daybreak Community. Adam was unable to speak, he suffered from epilepsy and was left unable to walk as the result of a drug error. He was also incontinent and unable to take control of his own personal hygiene, that is, washing, dressing etc. Devoid of the ability to do things which most of us take for granted, and, lacking anything in which society recognises status, he was, by every definition, a marginal person.

Nouwen describes his progressing relationship with Adam, which began with self-conscious attempts to meet Adam's physical and social needs, and deepened into a real relationship between two human beings that Nouwen describes as being like brothers. He compares Adam's life and ministry with that of Jesus: the fulfilment of his work on earth, like Jesus, was in his brokeness. Jesus died a failure and a marginal person yet it was through this that his mission on earth was accomplished. Adam, like Jesus, ministered to the spiritual and emotional needs of others through his weakness and through the lack of control that he had over his life. Anyone who entered into an honest relationship with him experienced his ability to connect them with what was really important on the human journey: love, faithfulness, integrity and acceptance. He represented, in himself, the importance of being rather than doing, of being faithful to one's own identity and purpose.

There is much of Nouwen's book that anyone in relationship with a person with learning difficulties could relate to: at the beginning of their relationship Nouwen saw a disabled person who happened to be called Adam, he couldn't see beyond his disabilities. As their relationship progressed, and as Nouwen himself integrated more fully into the Daybreak community, he reports that it became harder to judge who was disabled and who wasn't. What we define as disability became invisible.

Those who have come across Nouwen's work before can hardly be unaware of his intense and complex personality that bordered on self-obsession. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the focus of this book was more Adam than Nouwen. It does have its limitations: Nouwen's apparent discomfort with mystery and uncertainty I find disappointing; he still defines Adam in relationship to himself and his own beliefs. His view of people with learning difficulties also seems hopelessly idealistic, to read Nouwen one would think that they never lost their temper or became upset. There is also no recognition of the pain, anger, disappointment and guilt experienced by families with a disabled child; there is no recognition of the injustice of suffering seemingly inflicted on some people; there is no recognition of the hopes and dreams of the learning disabled themselves who may have social and sexual aspirations which because of their disabilities are often unlikely to be fulfilled. However, I welcome the book as a work which presents a positive image of people with learning difficulties and offers helpful insight into their immense potential and contribution to our Church and society. And for anyone who has not been privileged, as I have, to work alongside such people, its message could represent an important step on their own journey.

Adam, God's Beloved, by Henri J. M. Nouwen, is an excellent book for a family caring for a special needs person, for the friends of special needs people, and for anyone wanting to understand the special world of those that are "different" from them. We are parents of a very dear special needs boy, and this book offered me a much more positive outlook toward my son than this world tends to offer. I was blessed and touched by Henri Nouwen's identification of Adam with Jesus. This book is realistic and inspiring at the same time--par excellente!

Not that it is a bad book, but it is very different than all of the other (12) Chicken Soup books that I own. I was surprised, I guess. There aren't many up-lifting stories. It's more of a documentary type book. Telling people's experiences on 9-11. I usually finish my Chicken Soup books in a very short period of time. This one,.. I could only really read 1 story a night. It was too depressing.

I think this is one of the coolest Chicken Soup books. Its 101 stories to heal the heart of our nation. Right when I saw it at Shopko I wanted it. I just got it for my birthday and I have started to read it. So far I really enjoy it. My Mom has read some of it and also liked it. It has sad stories in it like one is about a person whos reltive died in the Twin Towers. there great stories about September 11, 2001 The chapters are

September 11, 2001
Amarica Responds
The World Resonds
Renewed Patriotism
United We Stand
Reflection
Wheres next?

All the Chapters are fulled with good stories

I love Chicken Soup for the Soul books and my kids know it, so they got me this one for Fathers Day. As a retired Coast Guard officer, someone trained to do just what those policemen and firemen did on September 11, this one in particular strikes at my heart strings - I found myself crying, then laughing, then struck with an overwhelming love for my country and all of the people that make up this great land.

It's this book that inspired the following article.

******

"Proactive Prosperity: How To Keep Filling Your Glass"

By Randy Gilbert (c)2002

A kindly looking man, who worked as a janitor in the World Trade Center, approached an old and graying homeless woman one cold September morning last year. She looked chilled as she stood there clinging to her shopping cart containing all of her meager belongings.

The janitor smiled and held out an old thermos to the woman and said to her, "This old thermos has been my friend for many years and I want you to have it. It's a very special thermos, because as long as you share its contents, it always has enough for everyone. Please take it, for I have a feeling I won't be needing it any more after today."

Do you have a favorite book that you read over and over again? I have one that tells about how people view the world and the profound impact that it has on their lives. It uses an age-old illustration of how some see a glass half empty and others half full. As I pondered this again, a story-like vision came to me, which doesn't happen often, so I paid close attention.

The clear glass that I was picturing turned into a metal thermos, like the ones carried by construction workers. Instead of big hands, small hands in tattered gloves held it. An old woman was stooping down in front of a small child and her mother. It was snowing and they were clinging to each other for warmth.

The old woman asked the little girl, "would you like some sweet warm cocoa?" She used the thermos top as a cup and I could see steam rise as she placed the cup in half frozen little hands. The girl drank it down and then flashed the biggest smile she had ever smiled and her eyes shown as bright as a rainbow.

"Mommy, is she an angel?" the little girl asked. "Yes dear, and that is what we're going to become. Do you remember that happy song we used to sing when your daddy was still alive?" They began singing the sweetest and most enchanting melody. People walking by and those coming up from the subway station were drawn to them as if by magic.

Some people stood there transfixed, tears welling in their eyes. Others said a quiet "thank you" and laid money down on the walk in front of them.

Two of the listeners were a young boy and his father. They had been shopping and the well-dressed man held a large bag of packages. "Father, are they angels?" the son asked. "Yes, I think so, and that is what we are going to become. Do you remember we used to make gifts when your mommy was with us and give them to people who needed them?"

The father reached into his bag and began handing the bright packages to his son, who gave them out to the homeless people along the street. I thought to myself, this is truly a miracle, the bag seemed to never empty.

My attention was drawn to a man in a wheelchair who received a shiny red pocketknife. In a voice that was choking back tears, he said, "Thanks son, I lost one just like this in Nam. You know, I used to be quite a toy maker; I can whittle just about anything with a knife."

The story in my mind began to fade as he wheeled himself up the sidewalk and breathlessly said, "I know an alley where I can get some wood and I'm going to start sharing this gift right now."

Wow, that's what it means to be proactive. Pessimists see the glass as half empty. They say, "it's not enough." Their negative attitude causes them to turn inward and be selfish. When a decision comes along they believe their doubts, which turn into fears, which then produces unhealthy stress and anxieties. They end up experiencing the lack they saw in their minds.

Optimists see the glass as half full. They say, "I'm happy to enjoy whatever life gives me." However, their positive attitude of sufficiency doesn't last long, especially after a few swallows are taken and the glass is nearly empty. Optimism without prosperity becomes a limiting belief of being content with poverty.

However, Proactive people see the glass as something to be used, both for themselves and to serve others. Like the thermos in the story-vision, there will always be abundance. You're a very special person. As long as you share your contents, you'll always have enough for everyone.

This story-vision extends to other things, such as your smile, your talents, your bank account, the skills you've acquired, and the knowledge you have. Your life will always have these in abundance if you use them to serve others.

Prosperity is not a glass half empty or half full; it's you becoming a glass and being used to bring joy and abundance to others, knowing that your source of supply will never run dry.

###

I have a very high regard for Mark, that's why I incorporated many of his philosophies into my life and into my first book "Success Bound." When it was completed I sent him a copy to read. I was totally amazed when I received back the following testimonial.

"If you're ready to be permanently success bound, read this book!"

Thank you Mark!!! You are now my super-hero.

One of the few personal accounts of the Terror-famine in print. A terrible and very depressing story, there is no happy ending, no justice, just a hollow sense of loss and revulsion, that something as horrendous as this could have happened - and that those responsible could get away with it. However, despite all of what I have said, I still strongly recommend this book. It will not make you happy but it will inform. For that is the greater tragedy - modern ignorance of what the people of the Soviet Union endured under Stalin. Read this and do not forget.

Upon first reading the diary of Anne Frank, I have become interested in other "similar" types of narratives. Miron Dolot certainly gives us a captivating and sometimes heartwrenching account of when Stalin and his henchmen in Moscow carried out this policy against the poor Ukrainians during the early 1930s. This famine did not only effect Ukraine but Kazakhstan and possibly other areas as well. The story of the famine told by a young teenage boy is very insightful. Such a sorrowful chapter of history.

"Harvest of Sorrow" by Robert Conquest is another good book on the same subject. This one, however, is briefer compared to Conquest's book and can be read in the course of a weekend.

Dolot's book should be read by all interested in European history. I also agree, that it should be used in schools.

This gripping and disturbing eyewitness acount of Stalin-orchestrated famine in the Ukraine leaves me horrified. Human beings and their governments can be so dogmatic and cruel that they are ready to destroy anything and anyone who stands in theier way.

The book is preceeded by a wonderful introduction written by Adam Ulam, an expert on Soviet and Eastern European politics, and a brother of the world renoun mathematician Stanislaw Ulam, whom I, as a historian of scientific and technological ideas, consider one of the co-creators of the hydrogen bomb. The book itself is written by Miron Dolot, a pen name of a survivor of Stalinist famine in the Ukraine. He vividly describes decisive actions of the communist regime against the Ukrainian peasants. These actions are underhanded and heavyhanded at the same time. No trick, no deceit, and no brutality was spared to crush the peasants and Ukrainian nationalism. The Soviet elite, almost all of which consisted of humanistic intellectuals, despised private property and the markets. They wanted to destroy every vestige of peasant independence, and they dispossessed them by forcing them into government-owned collective farms. These kolhozes were exmamples of inefficiency and apathetic attitude. In the meantime, the hunger that resulted from dispossesssion and vicious persecution of somewhat-well-off peasants who were called "kulaks" and "enemies of the people" devastated entire villages. The regime rewarded productivity and initiative with death and exile to Siberia.

This book strongly suggests that utopias do not work. They are concocted by resentful intellectuals who have no technical training (writers, historians, lawyers) and who despise what they cannot understand: the markets, rural life, international finance, and major corporations. When power is acquired by a small group, everybody outside this group is a potential victim. No more ominous sign of the truth of this statement exists than the Soviet government's successful attempt to starve millions of its subjects in the name of ideological slogans and visions.