I bought this book because Jim Trelease recommends it. Jim's Read Aloud Handbook is the definitive work on how reading to children is the #1 factor in increasing intelligence. Read-Aloud Rhymes is fun, funny and I have never tired of reading its many poems over the past two years to my kids (4 year old boy, twin 2 year old girls). It is my favorite and theirs as well.

If your little ones are driving you nuts and you feel like you're stuck on an island (like they're starring in Lord of the Flies), this book could save your life! Seriously, it is the best book for children in print today. I spend tons of time and the library and this book is one you must take home to keep.

I purchased this for my son over a year ago, he is 3 now & this is one of his favorite books. Its a family treasure & every child should have one in their collection.

The short, unique rhymes are so fun to read. They are charming and sweet for little ones and parents and so much nicer than those awful Mother Goose nursery rhymes. They're organized by subject matter, so there's a section on rain, going to bed, the garden, etc. The illustrations by Marc Brown alone are worth the price. It's a pleasure to read so many funny, uplifting rhymes...not plotless tradgedies like humpty, dumpty and Jack and Jill. I look forward to reading to my baby as much as he does.

The title of this book attracted me immediately because of my concerns about my financial security in the current market. I hoped that it would give me practical tips that I would be able to put into practice. I was not disappointed. The book explained in a language that I, a not very sophisticated investor, could understand.

Practical, levelheaded strategies and advice that obviously come from experience. Not full of polemics like many investment books...every paragraph adds to the reader's understanding toward direct application. You could read many of the popular investment books and never run into the techniques she presents which are an essential part of any portfolio manager's arsenal. While the book's title might seem to be for fearful investors, the book is actually focused on returns, and the techniques should allow an investor to make more aggressive moves in line with their goals when one has some control over the risks, through hedging, negative correlations within the portfolio, appropriate investment vehicles, and using options for controlled profit-taking and safer entries and exits even when entering into more volatile positions for which the risk could otherwise be prohibitive.

Just in time, the perfect book to make staying in the market less nerve-wracking during these uncertain times. It has to be one of the most important books on the recent volitile markets. Author Carolann Brown explains in easy to understand detail numerous ideas on safer investing.

Written in a language all can undersand - very helpful strategy ideas. Also, some great stories and comparisons.

Bill Brown has definitely got L.A.'s number. He knows how mixed up it is, how it is a reflection of many of the problems in America, but he makes you love it anyway - love it like you love those crazy habits of your best friend. I read this book straight through and want to read it straight through again - just to get all of the subtle inter-connections which I'm sure I missed the first time. Saugus to the Sea sprinkles beauty amidst the insanity - like wildflowers growing alongside the freeway. Pensive and profound, but delivered in a very digestable, easy-going fashion. A refreshing read!

_Saugus_ masterfully creates vivid imagery of those places we all wish we were, but for some reason or another, just cant find the time or the excuse to get there.
Summing up, thou shalt bow to the cow.

Saugus To The Sea is a remarkable debut novel by Bill Brown and set amidst the underground counter-culture of Los Angeles. Billy Brown is an ordinary man who finds himself increasingly sucked into an extraordinary web of events ranging from a network of antique underground sprinklers to a bizarre cabal of Arbor Day anarchists who have their ruthless sights set on Hollywood Boulevard. Establishing Bill Brown as an original writer of considerable talent, Saugus To The Sea is recommended as a tongue-in-cheek and wild-side ride of a conspiracy-theory read.

This book brought me to a moment of clarity. Upon reading this book I realized the many levels a person has to go through in order to achieve their dreams. It helped me realize how even the small steps I am taking now will lead to fulfilling my goals. I was inspired by this book and it provided me with tips on how to eliminate any negative thoughts that might distract me from my dreams.

If you too are seeking a book that will aid you in fulfilling your dreams then buy this book!

This book is very powerful! After reading Self Creation I decided to live my
life on purpose instead of by chance and you can too. The stories and principles
contained in Self Creation when applied to your day-to-day life will literally
improve your life!

In these uncertain economic times Self Creation will bring you the focus
necessary to take action and improve your life. Please note that I am speaking
from experience and after reading Self Creation I decided to pursue my true

dream which was to become a real estate investor. I am now happier and more
excited about my life than I have been in years!
I sincerely believe I wouldn't have taken action and pursued my dreams if I
hadn't read Self Creation. Upon completing the book I felt compelled to live FOR
ME and it was a moment of clarity that still brings me inner peace. I hope you
too get to experience the peace that comes from realizing your true purpose and
the excitement of pursuing your dreams. Read this book and make it happen!

I read Yvonne Brown's book and thoroughly enjoyed it. But more, in the back of my mind I always sort of knew the things she's talking about here are right on. Nevertheless, I never conceived a way of overcoming obstacles toward articulating it.

This book, her book, overcomes those obstacles brilliantly. Ms. Brown gives a very endearing account of her "American Dream" growing up outside of the USA, and as children do grow up, her way of persevering toward a goal is at least inspiring. I cheered her at each step of the way on toward her achievements, as she relates them, and secretly thanked her for her candor in her descriptions of them.

At a minimum, what we have in this book is a heartfelt and quite entertaining account of how a Jamaican immigrant has the American Dream better than most born Americans have it.

In total, it's a great account of one person's ways toward spirit overcomes any most thing. I like her ways, and it's a very cool book.

In this sequel to When Kambia Elaine Flew in from Neptune, Shayla's father has a baby daughter with his new wife. The baby is born on Shayla's birthday and has Shayla's eyes. As Shayla is learning to accept the new baby, Gift, she is also dealing with Kambia, who is getting threatening messages from someone while she is trying to recover from what happened before. Also in the midst of everything, Shayla meets a boy named Lemm. Lemm is a gentlemen who does a lot of sweet talking, and really likes Shayla, but he has real problems too. This is a great book, and anyone who liked the first book will really like this one too.

Shayla is young, black, and feels that now that her father's new wife has given birth to a baby (born on Shayla's own birthday!) that she has been replaced in her father's affections. Shayla can't even confide in her best friend, Kambia Elaine, because of not wanting to diminish Kambia's own happiness at finally being part of a loving family in her own right. Nor can Shayla confide in a new friend, Lemm, when she discovers that he has his own troubles and tragedies that he is trying to keep secret. Lori Williams' Shayla's Double is a superbly written, emotionally articulate novel of unconditional love, human heartbreak, and family relationships. Highly recommended for young listeners 10 through 18, this 10 hour, 30 minute Listening Library unabridged production is flawlessly produced and aptly narrated by heather Alicia Simms.

this was a great book, just as good as Lori Aurelia Williams's first book. it focuses on friendship and growing up. shayla must deal with some really difficult issues. her father has a new baby that she fears will take her place and someone begins sending Kambia packages that remind her of her childhood, sending her into her own little world for hours at a time. i can't wait to see what else williams writes.

The Clinton Administration has manipulated the Federal government with one of the world's largest market research firms, Information Resources Management, as part of the Federal government. They have public corporations with false information about the officers listed with the SEC, High level Federal employees using false alias names to protect them from the crimes that they are committing in the Federal Government. The Clinton Administration and the Federal government completely control the court sustems in America. Mr. Brown and Mr. Bossie, I will call you, your book is not finished yet.

If you have read this book then there are no surprises when crisis after crisis rocks the Clinton presidency. The authors go back to the very beginning of Clinton's political life to map out a pattern of public unservice which has led to bimbo eruptions, campaign money-laundering, and "deals" with foreign governments on behalf of one man: Bill Clinton.

When I got this book in 1993, I found it boring and didn't read more than about five pages. I ran across it on my bookshelf again and read it. Floyd Brown really knew what he was talking about! Now, I can see how what he said has been played out in the past several years, and I wonder what will be next. I wish more people had read this book and listened then.

Hans Christian Andersen is one of the most famous writers of fairy tales. The Snow Queen is one of the longest tales and one of his best known. He would listen to folk and fairy tales as a child and when he grew up, he wrote some of these stories in his own words.

Anderson began writing The Snow Queen on December 5, 1844 and it was published sixteen days later in book form! His fairy tales made him famous and the stories have been translated into more than 100 languages and some have been made into films, like the Little Mermaid.

Nilesh Mistry is one of my favorite illustrators. He was born in Bombay and moved to London, England in 1975. His books include The Illustrated Book of Fairy Tales and Aladdin. I simply want to own every book he illustrates!

In the story of The Snow Queen, you will find illustrations and photography that shows the settings of the original book. This classic is again brought to life, yet never so beautifully as with Nilesh Mistry's art. Kai is whirled away by the icily beautiful Snow Queen. His playmate Gerda sets out to find him and encounters many adventures in his quest. This is a story I remember very well, yet I had to imagine the pictures in my own mind as a child.

In this book, she looks hauntingly similar to how I pictured her as a child. "The driver stood up, in a coat and hat of purest snow. She was a woman, tall and glittering. She was the Snow Queen."

The story begins with a story about the Devil who laughed at his own cleverness. He creates a mirror that sets people against one another by making people see the ugly side of things. If a splinter of glass from the mirror ever entered a person's eye, their heart would become a lump of solid ice. (quite a lesson there to be sure!)

When the "imps" decide to take the mirror up to the angels and try to make fun of them, it falls and shatteres into a hundred pieces. When "Kai" finds a grain of glass in his heart his entire attitude to life is changed. "Keep away from me!" he screeches at his friend Gerda.

Then one day he falls off his sled and sees the Snow Queen. She kisses him with her cold lips on his forehead and she takes him away through a cloud of darkness up into the sky. When Kai doesn't come home, Gerda goes looking for him. She sings to the river and drifts in a boat down a river to find Kai.

Gerda is a contrast to Kai and is loving and kind. Only when a spell is broken is evil defeated. After the story a page of where the event takes place helps make the story more interesting. Finally, we can explore the real and imaginary world of The Snow Queen.

Even as an adult, I am fascinated by fairy tales. They appeal to the child in us all and to something deep inside of us that knows, good will triumph over evil, in the end.

Family Classic Audio Books is a series of outstanding "theater of the mind" audiobook productions featuring a full cast performance. One of their latest offerings for young listeners (and their families) are Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairytale The Snow Queen adapted and with lyrics by Adrian Mitchell set to music by Richard Peaslee and wonderfully narrated by Jonathan Pryce. The Snow Queen follows young Gerda's quest (with help from some magical characters she meets en route) to rescue her friend Kai from the icy clutches of the Snow Queen.

The messages relating to lifes journey are wonderful. If you have never read this book as a child or as an adult, it is a must!

I don't know where the breastfeeding manuals get the information that "97% of women can breastfeed" because my experience and that of many I've talked to is that one can try awfully hard to exclusively breastfeed and still fail. With both of my children, I've had to pump, supplement, use a lactation consultant, and still had to use both bottle and breast. My first child ended up dehydrated at one point and both lost weight until interventions were started. I ended up with neither the convenience of breastfeeding nor the flexibility of bottle feeding. The harder one tries, the more deflating and discouraging it is when breastfeeding never completely clicks.

So this book is a welcome find for those of us that don't fit into the so-called "97%". Its stories are real life successes and failures in breastfeeding, rather than theoretical or idealized examples. The variety of stories is so great that most mothers would find at least one story that resonates with their own experience. They reflect the true intensity of establishing breastfeeding and the hardships of the newborn period. The only mothers who might not care about these stories are those that never had any intention of breastfeeding.

I met the authors at a book signing and they are neat ladies. One has decided not to have another child given her first experience. Her example is an illustration of how overwhelming the experience of breastfeeding can be when it goes wrong.

I thought this book was absolutely fantastic. Even though it is not a "how-to" book, every situation and problem you could have breastfeeding is covered by one or more of the contributors. This book really helped me to continue with breastfeeding, even during the painful periods. I would highly recommend it. The only critique I have is that there are an awful lot of contributors from Decatur, Georgia (wherever that is!) - also the area where the authors are from. I would have liked to have at least seen more authors from different parts of the US.

This is a great book to educate parents-to-be, reassure nursing parents, and allow parents of older children to wax nostalgic. Some are funny, some are intensly emotional, and others are quite practical and prosaic. Although many of the essays tell of the joys of successful breastfeeding, others describe the pain that often accompanies nursing and even the satisfaction of giving up for the bottle. The essay format is perfect for new mothers, you can actually finish something during naptime!

Douglas tells the truth about American history when she reveals how black people were mistreated during slavery. This book shows that sexuality was used to oppress black people, the white culture exists only as the non-white culture is oppressed, day to day social struggles are a microcosm of the macrocosm (for example, "gangsta" rap is a response/result of dehumanizing social influences such as institutions and systems). But the book gets off track when Douglas condones homosexuality and mixes principles of Christianity with principles of secular humanism.

I think I've recommended this great work to everyone I know.

This book should be a must read for all African American church members. It is challenging, provocative, and engaging. A work like this is the only way to begin the dialogue necessary to resurrect the dying Black Church.

Kelly Brown Douglass has written an excellent first chapter for her book Sexuality and th Black Church. What she has done here is to explain the relevance of using Michel Foucault as a tool to look at the history of black sexuality in the United States. Her basic argument is that black sexuality as we know it today is a fiction, a number of fictions (made of up numerous stereotypes), more or less derived, from what she calls White Culture. That Black sexuality has been a means to discipline and control black bodies. This book is commendable in that it dares to use Foucault and that it touches upon the personal in such aa way as to make all a bit uneasy --- black, white, male, female, heterosexual and homosexual. We all have a lot to learn from her analysis.

Ok, so not everyone is into the "darker" side of life. We prefer to focus on sunflowers, streams and good old-fashioned values here in the midwest.
To many people, gravestones are just plain creepy. Haven't we all watched horror movies where the dead crawl out from beneath a cracked headstone and kill innocent lovers?
Mr. Brown's book made me look at the gravestones in a brighter (although not unentirely SAD) light. I saw the loss that families suffered through in the intricacy of massive stone mausoleums. I felt the emptiness of parents in the lifelike sculptures of their children. And I shook my head at the quirkiness of folks whose death markers are every bit as weird as they themselves must have been.
I've had this book for 5 years and I STILL pick it up now and again to read the stories behind the cemeteries. I have also given it as a gift to people in my life who I know won't get totally freaked out by it. They LOVE it.
It is a wonderful read/lookat/whatever.... just try it!--

My husband John and I love tombstone art and stomp around the countryside taking photos of cemeteries. This is one of our favorite books, with lots of wonderful photos of cemeteries around St. Louis and so forth. The author also writes a wonderful commentary on the nature of cemeteries, their conditions, and how we view them today as a modern American society. The photos of the children's graves are especially haunting. A must for collectors of tombstone art.

John Gary Brown, does an excellent job at showing the eccentricity and beauty of grave markers. He uses different angles, and points of view in his compositions, to bring out a morbid beauty, that is rarely seen by the naked eye. A truly impressive collection of masterpieces. Just when you think the works speak for themselves, Brown also includes wonderful poetry, which co-exists perfectly with the photographs. A must for anyone's artistic anthology collection.