Taking upon himself the spiritual, mental, and physical struggles of his spiritual children, Henri Nouwen came to exemplify the kenotic life of Christ by "sharing each other's budrens, and so fulfill the law of Christ".

Each of the stories in this book show just how a simple touch, a loving glance, a kind word, or a quiet presence can effect to life of another person. More than that, it shows the simple, childlike beauty of the mentally retarded. Truly they rest in the heart of God in the arms of Christ. They are the pure of heart who see God.

If you get a chance, read Nouwen's "Compassion" to get a moving reflection on the life of communion and service.

Enjoy!

Henri Nouwen made remarkable contributions to many people of all religious denominations, particularly Christians, throughout his lifetime. Priest, Scholar, Psychologist, Professor, Chaplain and Author were the professional and formal roles he held throughout his lifetime. Yet, ultimately Nouwen was a deeply human man who has come to be somewhat widely recognized as something of a contemporary mystic since his death in 1996.

Nouwen's more than thirty-two books give very human voice and practical dimension to the struggles which life presents to us all. His personal struggles to live his own life defined his writings and perhaps are what made them so uniquely effective in reaching the wide audience he managed to draw. While clearly Christian, they were writings that were offered as 'an invitation to reflection and personal search' as opposed to any kind of theological mandates. As a result of his openness and his efforts toward inclusiveness, Nouwen was embraced by people of many faiths who found inspiration in his writings.

In Befriending Life, a wide variety of people who knew Henri in one capacity or another, tell their story of their encounters with him. Clearly, Henri Nouwen was a man who had a remarkable ability to reach and affirm others. Befriending Life is essentially a series of portraits of Henri Nouwen given through the writings and interviews of a wide array of people who came to know Henri personally in some capacity or other. The contributors include co-workers, former students, trapeze artists, retarded persons and even near-strangers who were somehow, often through the most unlikely series of coincidences, deeply touched through Henri's ministry.

As Nouwen was truly a geographical and vocational wanderer throughout his life, this book gives a delightfully engaging account of a deeply restless man who somehow managed to give voice to many more universal human struggles through the examination of his own.

For anyone who has enjoyed Henri Nouwen's writings, Befriending Life gives the reader a much better understanding of the human being behind the words. Flawed, broken, restless, seeking.... Henri went about his life most earnestly and seriously -- attempting to make his world a better place by reaching out to other human beings, one by one.

For the newcomer to Nouwen, here is a wonderful opportunity to become intrigued by this man's life and to perhaps begin a more lasting relationship with Nouwen through this invitation to his many books.

Befriending Life is a wonderfully engaging book. It weaves together many people's personal experiences with Henri Nouwen and ultimately creates perhaps the most informative biography available on the man.

Highly recommended!

Daniel J. Maloney
Saint Paul, Minnesota

If you have treasured Henri Nouwen's books, this book about him is one you shouldn't miss. It recounts the experiences of his friends with him... shows you the doors and paths he helped them find... refers throughout to his books... sending you right back to them. This 'Wounded Healer' who found so much to meditate on in the painting of the Prodigal Son will continue to touch you through these accounts by his friends.

I could not put this book down until I had devoured every word! My only regret is that this is her one and only book! How I hope to see another soon! "Birdbaths and Paper Cranes" is not only humorous, poignant, thought-provoking and, at times, heartbreakingly sad, but it is a quick easy read, with lessons from her life that will enrich yours!

Each individual passes through his single experience of being human, encountering his existential moments one by one, and studying with fascination, appreciation, and wonder those with whom he is meant to involve himself as mate, parent, friend, or any of those other myriad encounters that are often altered by events(birth, marriage, suicide, divorce, career, and death), and by myriad emotions (jealousy, resentment, love, sorrow, hurt, commitment, and grief). So it is with Sharon Randall who has described all those existential moments, those events, and the emotions accompanying the days of her life in BIRDBATHS AND PAPER CRANES. This book is a boon to any parent who is not paying enough attention, not creating a record of each child's life, any spouse who is taking a marriage for granted, any individual who assumes that life will proceed unaltered and unchanged, not through stupidity, but just because that is the "way we are." This book is a wake up call for each of us to pay attention, live it well and fully, and above all, create a record for our genealogy, more precious than gold. Sharon Randall shows us how. She demonstrates through a series of her columns "Bay Window" collated from "The Monterrey Herald" that her life is a special experience, lived sensuously and lovingly, and, somehow, gives the reader pause to ponder the special moments of his life and ask himself: AM I REALLY PAYING ATTENTION?

Birdbaths and Paper Cranes is a wonderful collection of stories from a woman who has obviously lived a very colorful life. The stories are edited together brilliantly create a seamless appearance despite the fact that many columns took place over the course of months and years. This is an excellent book to share amongst family.

Having the privilege of editing Jennie's book is one of the best experiences of my life. Working with her was a pleasure and I am thankful that our paths crossed in this way.

The stories in Blue Moon Rising are incredible. These are amazing women who have overcome so much. But they are women just like you and me. It takes courage to share your story. It is my hope that all of these women will continue in the direction of their dreams and find serenity in God. I also hope that abused women who read this book will find strength to make the changes in their lives to take care of themselves and their children and that women who have been through similar trials will realize that they are not alone. --Dayna Spear (Williams), editor

Blue Moon Rising

Blue Moon Rising is a "must read" for women's studies classes and for anyone interested in how women rise above sexism, poverty, racial prejudice, and poor educational backgrounds to build satisfying lives for themselves and for their children. This compilation of seventeen narratives is subtitled "Kentucky Women in Transition." Jennie Brown, who teaches writing at the Western Kentucky University's Community College gathered theses stories by traveling around Kentucky and listening to women who had "overcome tragedy, misfortune, or seemingly insurmountable odds.... to make a positive transition in their lives." Most of the women have struggled to rise above difficult or impossible backgrounds and have managed to either begin or finish a college education. Any professional interested in helping women leave the welfare rolls or interested in preventing women from ending up on welfare roll will find insights into the factors that made it possible for these women to turn their lives around. Often this difference came in the form of a mentor, a loving grandmother or neighbor, or a caring teacher or fellow worker. If we need any reminders of the sexism, the abuse, or the disdain that many working-class women face, Blue Moon Rising provides exactly that. If we have any questions about the ability of women to rise above impossible circumstances, Blue Moon Rising will answer those questions. If we have doubts that many ordinary women live extraordinary lives, Blue Moon Rising will erase those doubts forever.

--- Angela Tehaan Leone, writer and teacher

Reading Blue Moon Rising: Kentucky Women in Transition reminded me of a phrase found in a 1998 document, "The President's Commission on Women in American History," which read: heroism should be understood "as extraordinary responses to extraordinary circumstances by ordinary people." Editor Jennie L. Brown (Bowling Green Community College) has collected stories from 17 Kentucky women who, by that definition, are heroes. She lets them tell their stories without editorial interference and thus bears "witness to their courage, their determination, and the faith that sustained them." These women's lives, their stories, detail a tangle of woes and troubles (there is never just one problem!), ranging from sexual trauma to racism to hunger to illness to despair, and tell the reader far more than any sociological study or statistical analysis.

Jennie Brown made two significant editorial decisions. First, she neither edited nor changed in any way the wording of these stories which came to her either in written form or on audio tape. That clearly empowered those telling the stories. Second, Brown chose to insert poems by Trish Lindsey Jaggers (and one by Patti Lynn Henry) between the individual accounts.

While the poems were not written specifically for this volume, they beautifully connect with the prose. Jaggers, a brilliant young poet, wrote "In My Attic," printed on page 132:

In my attic/there is a book/of poems/I have been meaning to write/if only I could find the nerve./There is a page/from a chapter/I have been meaning to/finish/if only I could find the strength./There is a story/I have been meaning to/tell/if only I could find the will./There is a person/I have been meaning to be/behind my attic door/if only I could find the/key.

Jaggers' beautiful words remind us that there are innumerable stories yet to be heard and that we should be thankful that the 17 women in this volume found the courage leave the attic and "find the key." This eloquent book is an affirmation of life, an affirmation of the power to overcome pain and oppression, an affirmation of lifetelling, an affirmation of hope. It is, in other words, redemptive.

charles j. bussey
history professor
western ky. university
bowling green, ky 42101

An excellent and highly informative narrative of the nearly unknown world of the United States Navy's small craft fleet in Vietnam. A fine reminder to the sailors of today that individual heroism in a war fought with the machine gun and not missles is part of the recent naval tradition. If anyone can say they followed the path of John Paul Jones and went into harm's way, these sailors can, and LCDR Cutler has told their story well.

I was in the Naval Advisory Group at the same time as LCDR Cutler and I know where he's coming from. He did a great job of research. I'm really surprised at the volume of good factual info he managed to scrape up! BRAVO ZULU from an ex advisor at Rach Soi, Qui Nhon and Cam Ranh Bay.

As a modern day "River Rat," I started reading this book, while waiting to kick off that little invasion down in Panama, affectionately known as "Operation Just Cause" in Dec 1989, and managed to finish reading it in between "Brown Water & coastal Patrols." It's hard to put down once you start reading, and CDR Cutler does this small, sub-community of Navy Special Warfare Sailors justice (pretty unique thing to do for an officer). It's the roots & history of the U.S.N.'s "Brown Water Navy", the combat tactics and actions that are still in use to this date. I highly recommend this literature work to any person(s) that's interested in the Navy, and the and the personnel that forged the Brown Water Navy's history in the volatile rivers, canals and coast line of Viet Nam. A true reflection of courage, human spirit and dedication in the most adverse conditions. PBR= Proud, Brave & Reliable! Keep the Faith

The Builder's Revolution is a must read for everybody in the building industry. It is clear that any person or company..no matter how small or big, that does not adopt or enhance the the technology and systems described by Keith in this book cannot be sure of survival in the new millennium.

You can say that the building industry has been slow to change and adopt technology.... but the Internet is very different and will be (and already is) a significant enabler for any party (either from within or outside) the industry to change the traditional rules of the game. This will lead to disatrous results for those who are not reacting on a procative basis now!!!

A great read.... I look forward to the next one

The housing industry is witnessing dramatic changes in our customers, cultures, and business environment. Builders welcome change; they are quick to adapt. We all know that. In fact, builders are always at the forefront of some of the most inventive technologies available today. But the changes brought on by the Information Revolution are so earthshaking and revolutionary they will have a remarkably broad effect on every aspect of the building industry, from marketing and designing homes to actually building them. In the face of these changes, builders need three things: the confidence to change in response to new challenges; the tools to reorganize their companies; and a vision of the opportunity that's out there waiting for all who choose to embrace it.

It's times like these that I think we need a guide, a visionary, someone with enough foresight to predict the changes and lead the way for all builders, by demonstrating how to incorporate the Information Revolution's changes and use them to manage ourselves to sure profitability. The building industry has found a true visionary in Keith T. Brown.

Keith Brown presents one of the shrewdest critiques of market trends and one of the most accurate predictions available of how integrated computers and on-line services will be incorporated into the running of our day-to-day business. This book is a must-read. In fact, after reading it, I know you'll agree with me that there's no doubt that Keith T. Brown has his well-tuned ear to the ground... both at the job site, where he's experienced firsthand the problems builders face, and in the high-tech world, where he's sought solutions.

Using a lively presentation style, peppered with instructive anecdotes that make it clear Keith is a job site veteran, The Builder's Revolution lays out where the building industry is today and more importantly where those of us who want to succeed should be going. Best of all, Keith tells us just how to get there. The solutions offered here are practical and field tes! ted.

If you're interested in surviving the brave new world of the Information Revolution, I recommend-no I urge you-to read this book. I assure you it will be some of the most productive time you've ever spent preparing your business for the coming decades of change. Let's face it, if we builders don't re-tool, we most assuredly will be left in the sawdust of our own making.

"I just finished reading The Builder's Revolution and was impressed by Keith T. Brown's comprehensive knowledge of our industry as it is and can be. As well, Keith's vision and contributions are most definitely a supreme guiding light. The book was excellent..."

This is a thorough, well-writen, and edifying introductory chemistry book. I particularly enjoyed the chapter dealing with bio-chemistry.

Shipped book quickly and answered my concerns right away. I am willing to do business with this person again. Book in "new" condition. I am pleased.

I am taking this book for college and it is truly very good. It covers every content for inorganic chemistry. Moreover, the fancy pictures, explanations, examples, essays ease the learning experienfce that you may entail with this book.
The supplementary website and CD-ROM are pretty helpful as well. Specially the website, I like it very much because it had 3-D pictures of experiments and bonds, which help you to imagine the reaction menchanism of inorganic compounds.
The exercise section is extensive 80 question for each section. The same type of exercises repeat often, yet they really help if someone wants to practice more and more for a test.
For someone who has taken stoichometry, inorganic naming, gas laws, bonding and basic concepts of inorganic chemistry (like me) in High School, then teh first sections might be useless. However, the last sections which covers thermochemistry, electrochemistry are quite intriguing and interesting.
Overall, I think this is a great book as I mentioned. Although I think that I would buy one edition earlier since the contents do not vary very much (but the price does!)

This little book starts off by actually teaching you HOW to read a CXR. Not many books do that ... they just assume that you can. Then it goes into the four broad categories of abnormalities: 1) too white, 2) too black, 3) too large and 4) in the wrong place which helps you to categorise abnormalities. Then all the major conditions (e.g. pneumonia, COPD, malignancies etc.) are reviewed under each category. Read this before you start you clinical years and keep it in your coat pocket along with 'The ECG made easy'. Look at heaps of CXRs and ECGs from the beginning of the year along with the help of these books. Practice makes perfect! Good luck! I wish someone had told me these things at the beginning of the year! ;)

This book teaches the basics such as pneumonia, pneumothorax, and other abnormal thoracic conditions through the use of x-rays. It explains the abnormal findings of each x-ray in a clear and easily understandable manner. Best book I've seen so far on chest x-rays.

I love this book. It first teaches the reader how to look at a chest x-ray in a simple, step-by-step approach. Then it is organized quite effectively into chapters based on the appearance of the x-ray (white lung field, widened mediastinum, etc.). A must read for medical students starting their rotations.

I received this as a shower gift for my first son. For his first year we sang along and rocked each other to sleep to the music. I wore out the first one, now I am getting it again. He is 4, and still loves the gentle melodies.

I received this tape as a gift from a mother who said everyone she knows can't live without it. She was right. The lyrics and music are beautiful. One side of the tape has a vocalist the other side just music so you can sing to your baby. It includes a book of lyrics. I love the fact that my baby can listen to my voice singing to her.

I was given this cassette of lullabyes as a gift when my first child was a toddler. She is now 8yrs. old and it is still her favorite bedtime music. I now have a 4month old and am ordering a second copy because my older child does not want to share:)

This music is very soothing and a nice addition to the traditional lullabyes. I will be buying more for shower gifts too.

If you play the Dragonlance adventure game with SAGA, this book will tell you all you need to know to have any creature in your game! And even if you don't, it provides excellent background knowledge and stories about the creatures. It is great!!!

This is such a good role-playing aid. it is well-written, & visually superb. it is THE BEST MONSTER MANUAL that TSR has put out. The Bomb!

This book is well-written, lots of fun to read, and the illustrations are fantastic.

Fans of the novels will enjoy this as much as game players.

This book (Black is Brown is Tan) has been a favorite of my daughter since she was one year. There are very few children's books that stress the positive of being a member of a bi-racial family. Black is Brown Is Tan shows the harmony and love between parents, children, and other family members. We love the fact that the extended family (the tan-skinned Uncle, Grandma White and Granny Black) are prominent figures in this book. The book highlights the differences and similarities between the races. It is a great read for all families no matter what their ethnic background. It has become the main staple in my baby shower gift baskets.

I first read this book when the librarian at my elementary school in Worthington, Ohio had the insight to order it! I was the first student to check it out. I was in Fifth Grade at the time. I have to say that at the time, I had a friend that was black (like coffee in the pot) and I am white (with pinks and brown freckles). She lived with an all white family as a foster child. My family had real issues that the two of us were friends. Reading this book helped make things easier for me. 16 years ago, I bought this book for my bi-racial daughter, Samantha. She loved it. Now, all three of my children and many of our neighbors' children have borrowed it, read it, and live it. I can't think of any better way to breach the subject of race and to explain our differences and most importantly, our similarities. Black is Brown is Tan... for 30 years this book has helped me and my family!

"black is brown is tan/is girl is boy/is nose is face/is all the colors/of the race // is dark is light/singing songs/in singing night/kiss big woman hug big man/black is brown is tan // this is the way it is for us this is the way we are" Originally published in 1973, Arnold Adoff's joyous, lyrical, story-poem is as fresh and relevant today, as is was almost thirty years ago. Meet this wonderful extended family, from Momma, a "brown sugar gown/a tasty tan and coffee pumpkin pie/with dark brown eyes and almond ears", and Dad, not white like milk or snow, but "with pinks and tiny tans...brown eyes big yellow ears", and their kids, the color of both races, to golden haired aunts, tan colored uncles, granny white and grandma black "kissing both your cheeks and hugging back..." Mr Adoff's simple, rhythmic text is filled with love and pride as it celebrates his interracial family, and is complemented by award winning illustrator, Emily McCully's warm and cheerful artwork. Together word and art paints an engaging portrait of a strong, happy, loving family. Perfect for youngsters from 3 to 93, Black Is Brown Is Tan is a timeless classic, best read aloud and shared, that honors all families and the things that make them special.