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Book reviews for "BE" sorted by average review score:

Golf Can't be this Simple: The Swing
Published in Hardcover by Fairway Press (24 April, 2002)
Author: John Toepel
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Take ten strokes off your game
John Toepel's approach to teaching golf is very simple. John doesn't talk about "swing plane","spine angle" or the other terms that many golf teachers use. He discusses five "Swing Principles" which are easy to understand and easy to implement.

These swing principles have helped me to hit straighter and longer shots. As a result, my scores have dropped by at least ten strokes.

Top Notch!
About two years ago, I suffered an injury to the base of my hamstring, the consequence of which was that I was not properly shifting my weight through the swing and consistently pushing the ball to the right. This, coupled with an unfortunate incident involving a worn grip on one of my clubs, made me nearly quit the game. Toepel's careful, clear and cogent analysis of the mechanics of the golf swing have helped so much that if I continue to improve as I have recently, I could ultimately break the club record, theoretically.

Best Golf Instructional Book Ever!
This book significantly reduced my handicap and it made sense. He uses my swing and not some ideal swing. I have Natural Golf Vidios and books and this is the only book that does not try to make a robot out of the average golfer. I look forward to his follow-on books.


A Hard Time To Be A Father
Published in Hardcover by Bloomsbury USA (15 December, 1998)
Author: Fay Weldon
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a real gem
I picked this book up on a whim while browsing and was so delighted with it that I shared it immediately with friends and family. I felt that many of the stories rang true with a realistic modernism, and the couple of ventures into futuristic sci-fi were interesting and satisfying. I recommend this book to all readers and expect that most women will recognize bits of themselves in the pages! A very enjoyable read. I am anxious to read more of Weldon's work.

A Hard Time to be a Father
Great storyteller. Full of delightful insights. Will find yourself saying "So true, so true." Could not put it down.

Very amusing stories.
I enjoyed this book greatly. Fay Weldon's writing can be as unattractive as Goya's art. This short story collection is very gripping but not hideous at all . Typically, of this author, there are some wicked characters portrayed. And there are some deadly accurate vignettes focused on New Zealanders and the English: somewhat brutal, but nothing unfair. There are some optimistic stories included which might be inspirational, particularly with parent / child themes. I couldn't put it down.


The Heart Can Be Filled Anywhere on Earth
Published in Paperback by Milkweed Editions (27 February, 2001)
Author: Bill Holm
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Through these pages, Holm's ancestors live again
Bill Holm writes very movingly about his parents, ancestors, and the people of the town of Minneota. It made me all the more interested in my own family's history. He writes with humor, understanding and compassion. He doesn't dwell too long on sentimentality; indeed, he warns us against it. He strives to show the character and (dare I say it?) soul of some of the notable people he knew in his youth. He has provided us with a wonderful book of essays.

This book about people in small places opened my heart.
Bill Holm has a gift with words and brings to life people long dead who had a strong impact on his life. As he opens up his past life, the reader's is also opened. Perhaps it was growing up in a small midwestern town that caused this book to strike a deep chord in me. However,I think it is his ability to bring out the gifts he was given by members of the community that helps all of us see similiar gifts in life.

Openings
Bill Holm again speaks softly, and humorously. As a sixteen year old whose first wish is to get out of rural Minnesota it is surprisingly nonthreatening. The only disappointing thing about this book is the omission of the author's poem, "Openings,"


Hello, I Must Be Going: Groucho and His Friends
Published in Paperback by Viking Press (September, 1979)
Author: Charlotte Chandler
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A rare glimpse of Groucho toward the end of his life
As the author points out, Groucho was a willing participant in this book but didn't live to see its publication. Charlotte Chandler spent a good deal of time with Groucho in his home toward the end of his life, and it's a perspective not offered by other authors (and I've read a number of books on the Brothers). Ms. Chandler conveys a sense of mutual warmth between herself and Groucho but doesn't idolize Groucho the Legend to the point of forgetting to capture the man. I also appreciated her kindness and restraint in treating Groucho's twilight-years relationship with the much, much younger Erin Fleming (the subject of a lawsuit by son Arthur Marx and many vitriolic pieces by the tabloid press). My husband points out that a few of the stories are told twice (anecdotally by the author, then in interview form), but that's well worth the price of admission. Transcripts of coversations with Woody Allen, Bill Cosby and others are priceless.

Memoirs of a Mangy Reviewer
I've read part of this book in the library. It contains MANY anecdotes and quotes NOT found in any other Marx Bros. books-- and I've read most of the main ones! Thrill to the revelations about the sixth Marx brother! Gasp in Amazement at the meeting between Groucho and Woody Allen! Cheer at the revelation of the Missing Sketch from "I'll Say She Is!". And last but least, laugh. Of course some tiny smidgen (say, what IS a smidgen, anyway?) of information is incorrect, but hey, beggars can't be writers. Or is that critics can't be boozers?

Best Book On The Marx Brothers
This book is the most delightful, most fun book about the Marx Brothers that I have ever read. It's a series of interviews with Groucho and his friends--friends like George Burns, Bill Cosby, Woody Allen. And the book is written in such a style that by the time you've read the whole book, you really feel like you've spent a lot of wonderful hours chatting with Groucho.


Here There Be Unicorns
Published in Hardcover by Harcourt (December, 1994)
Authors: Jane Yolen and David Wilgus
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You'll never see them the same way again
Unicorns usually mean fluff fiction characters, and sugary cliches. Not so here! This exquisitely illustrated collection of short stories and poems is worth the hunt for it. (Also recommended is the author's other book, White Hart)

"Making of a Unicorn" is a beautiful poem in Shakespearean style, while "Unicorn Tapestry" is a haunting medieval story and romance. "Death of a Unicorn" is also beautiful, but a little hard to understand. "Infestation of Unicorns" is a slyly funny story about monks vs. unicorns. "The Lady's Garden" is a parable-like story about a beautiful, unnamed woman and three unicorns -- who end up adopting a human baby, with unexpected results. "Hunting of the Narwhal" is a catchy poem/song about finding a narwhal (a whale with a pointed horn protruding from its forehead). Then there is the uniquely-written "Boy Who Drew Unicorns," about an isolated boy who draws unicorns -- much of it is the dialogue of other people, who go unnamed and uncredited, like echoes.

"The Promise" is probably the shortest short story I've ever read. "The Hunt", a tale of the whole maiden-unicorn thing, is not much longer. "Unicorn Leaves is a pretty poem; so is "Unicorn's Pool." "De Natura Unicorni" is a grittier, harsher story that stays in the mind a lot longer -- the story of the hunt of a unicorn. "Unicorn and the Pool" (very different from the aforementioned poem) reads a bit like an old myth/legend. "Visitor's Account" is nice, though written quite differently from the other poems. "Healing Horn" is a gem among short stories, where some young kinds named after Yolen's own children find a magical unicorn's horn. Then "Rhinoceros," the content of which you can guess. Then it is "Li Po and the Unicorn," a Chinese-themed short story about the Chinese unicorn k'i-lin. And the last work of the book is "Fossils," about unicorn bones.

The illustrations by David Wilgus are beautiful as well, soft and rouned and gently shaded so that they look almost real. Everything in it is beautifully written, and will add dimensions to your thoughts on unicorns. A very beautiful collection.

Never see them the same way again
Unicorns usually mean fluff fiction, idiotic characters, and sugary cliches. Not so here! This exquisitely illustrated collection of short stories and poems is worth the hunt for it. (Also recommended is the author's other book, White Hart)

"Making of a Unicorn" is a beautiful poem in Shakespearean style, while "Unicorn Tapestry" is a haunting medieval story and romance. "Death of a Unicorn" is also beautiful, but a little hard to understand. "Infestation of Unicorns" is a slyly funny story about monks vs. unicorns. "The Lady's Garden" is a parable-like story about a beautiful, unnamed woman and three unicorns -- who end up adopting a human baby. "Hunting of the Narwhal" is a catchy poem/song about finding a narwhal (a whale with a pointed horn protruding from its forehead). Then there is the uniquely-written "Boy Who Drew Unicorns," about an isolated boy who draws unicorns -- much of it is the dialogue of other people, who go unnamed and uncredited, like echoes.

"The Promise" is probably the shortest short story I've ever read. "The Hunt", a tale of the whole maiden-unicorn thing, is not much longer. "Unicorn Leaves is a pretty poem; so is "Unicorn's Pool." "De Natura Unicorni" is a grittier, harsher story that stays in the mind a lot longer -- the story of the hunt of a unicorn. "Unicorn and the Pool" (very different from the aforementioned poem) reads a bit like an old myth/legend. "Visitor's Account" is nice, though written quite differently from the other poems. "Healing Horn" is a gem among short stories, where some young kinds named after Yolen's own children find a magical unicorn's horn. Then "Rhinoceros," the content of which you can guess. Then it is "Li Po and the Unicorn," a Chinese-themed short story about the Chinese unicorn k'i-lin. And the last work of the book is "Fossils," about unicorn bones.

The illustrations by David Wilgus are beautiful as well, soft and rouned and gently shaded so that they look almost real. Everything in it is beautifully written, and will add dimensions to your thoughts on unicorns. A very beautiful collection.

This is Great!
I have loved literature since I was very littel and found this on the shelf. I checked it out and read it. The poems all are great from the one about fossils to the one about the birth of a unicorn. I particularly like the notes she places before each story/poem.

All the stories are good, written with Jane Yolen's great talent for words. I especialy liked the story about three children finding a unicorn horn in thier great grandmothers attic and use it to cure animals.

For all of you who like to believe in unicorns or as Jane Yolen put it "like to pretnd I do" this is a must have book!


The High-Protein Cookbook : More than 150 healthy and irresistibly good low-carb dishes that can be on thetable in thirty minutes or less.
Published in Paperback by Three Rivers Press (14 November, 2000)
Authors: Linda West Eckhardt and Katherine West Defoyd
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Great cookbook!
My husband is on a low-carb diet so I have been searching for good recipes for dinners in the evening. I bought this cookbook because it said that the meals could be cooked in 30 min. or less. Of all the hundreds of cookbooks we have this has definitely been one that we use alot. The meals are GREAT and easy to cook although one or two of them have definitely taken longer than 30 minutes. The combination of flavors is great and we love the variety of recipes. I like the recipes so much that I am also eating low-carb meals - and we've both been quite successful on this diet. I'd highly recommend this cookbook

Order this book for the recipes, not the high protein diet
I am not a fan of very high-protein diets, but this book is great. The cover says the recipes are quick, easy, and delicious. They really are! They are inventive, use generally available ingredients, and draw from a range of cuisines. I am an attorney who commutes over 2 hours a day, so I am tired when I get home and I just want to eat. As long as I have the meat called for in the receipe thawed and ready to go, I am eating a great-tasting dinner in 30 minutes or less. Add a salad and a side vegetable and you are all set.

Sometimes the fat content is a little high, but you can generally work around that. Also, the dessert recipes rely on aspartame, which I don't consume now that Splenda is available in the U.S., but you can make substitutions. Very minor problems, in my book.

Highly recommended for anyone who eats meat and wants a quick, easy, and interesting dinner.

awesome taste, great technique
After hearing Linda Eckhardt on Jennifer English's Radiogourmet show, I went out and bought this book. I made Steak on Arugula topped with Kalamata Sauce last night. That taste was awesom and I followed the pan-searing instructions for the meat and have never been able to lock in juices like I did. So I learned a meat-cooking first last nigh -- don't try and sear meat on the outdoor barbecue. Do it on the stove with a griddle first. Of course we topped it with a nice tasty cab. Awesome book. TE, Tucson


How Not to Be a Frazzled Bride
Published in Paperback by askcharlotte.net (January, 2004)
Author: Charlotte C. Du Brier
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Average review score:

Wonderful Bride Companion Book
This book is terrific! Charlotte did a great job writting it. Anyone that you know that is getting married, just engaged, or thinking about getting married, this is definitely the book for them.
I got the book for my sister and 2 of my friends that are getting married and they think that it has been a big help to them in planning their weddings. It really helps to remind you to keep everything in perspective.

A little gem of good advice for the bride-to-be
I bought this book for my niece as part of her shower gift. She is planning her wedding and getting very upset about tiny details. I think this book would be helpful to all frazzled and non-frazzled brides because it gets to the heart of the matter - planning a wedding can be stressful what's more important is planning your future married life together. This books helps brides stay focused on the "real" stuff: their health, their relationships with family, friends and most importantly - their future husband.

Wish the book was out when I got Married!
I Enjoyed this book and I am giving it to all the friends who are planning a Wedding. If you practice what the book teaches you,you will save money,avoid stress and arguments.
This is a self help book with many helpful hints. It is written in a enjoyable manner. Couldn't put it down


How to Be a Christian Without Being Religious
Published in Paperback by Tyndale House Publishers (June, 1970)
Author: F. Ridenour
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Plain Simple Truth
I have had my copy for over 15 years and I find it good to pull this book out and reread it every few years.
The book is a commentary that follows The Book of Romans. The heart of the message is salvation through faith in Jesus Christ - God accepting us, and not earning our salvation through our own works. The book is very well written, very easy to read (I usually reread it in a day or two), and the writing is very down to earth and on the level of the common person.
I first saw this book when I was young in the early 70's - this book has stood a time test, and the writing is still so current today. I reread the book yesterday and it reads like it could have been first published today even though it came out in 1967.
Christianity is a path more than a destination (a way of life in fellowship with God being led by his Holy Spirit). Sometimes you can stray off course, even a little, and start to loose your peace and joy. This book helps me to remember the basics of my salvation and set my heart in the right direction. The beautiful part is this book is so easy to read; no big language, you are not being talked down to, no from another world type of writing - just on your level.
Please read this book. Save a copy, and pull it out every few years. You will be glad you did.

Great intro, especially if you are from a religious
background. I read a copy that was printed in the mid-60's a few years ago. I was a brand new born-again christian coming out of a Roman Catholic background. I understand that things are changing in the catholic church, praise God, but at the time,not much was said about God's grace, and this book helped me out of the religious baggage I had brought with me.Don't get me wrong, I am a bible believing christian, a former youth leader for a Foursquare denomination church, and I plan to do missionary work.This book is not about just doing whatever you feel like, but it is a rich, easy to read explanation of the Book of Romans that examines all the religious things that we do to try to please God so he gets off our backs, or so that we can feel superior to others. This book does a great job of going through Romans and examining our relationship with Christ. It is engaging for the intelligent as it covers the concepts in Romans which are God-breathed, and it is written in an easy to read manner. I have lent this book to many different kinds of people and they were all able to receive from it.It is wonderful for those who came from a legalistic christian background who are just begining to know Christ, so that they can know the freedom that is in Christ.

A terrific little book telling us about unearned salvation
This is an easy reading study on the book of Romans. In this book, Fritz Ridenour clearly explains the concept of God's grace to us. He helps us see the difference between trying to earn God's forgiveness and receiving the gift of God's forgiveness. It is a book that I have given out many times to those with questions about what it means to be a Christian.


How to Be a Couple and Still Be Free
Published in Paperback by New Page Books (1987)
Authors: Tina B. Tessina and Riley K. Smith
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Transform your unsatisfying relationship into a "loving, sustainable, healthy partnership between equals." Licensed marriage and family counselors Tina Tessina and Riley Smith show you how in this guidebook for couples of all stripes (straight and gay, married and unmarried, monogamous and open). The goal is to become a "free couple"--expressing love easily; respecting each other; sharing equal power in the relationship; expressing desires, needs, and satisfactions; and resolving problems cooperatively.

Tessina and Smith walk you through the five steps of "cooperative problem solving" using the clear, sequential instructions of the "negotiation tree." Each step is detailed in its own chapter, with highly structured techniques, frequent anecdotes, and sample dialogues clarifying the concepts and strategies. "Rather than fight, you work together; rather than feeling deprived, you both feel fulfilled," write the authors. "Rather than being defeated, you experience success; rather than restricting yourselves, you are each free to be yourself."

This book is like taking a couples workshop from two skilled, warm, and articulate therapists. Recommended for couples who are frustrated by getting stuck in conflicts and are willing to learn structured guidelines for cooperative problem-solving. --Joan Price

Average review score:

How To Be A Couple And Still Be Free
"How To Be A Couple And Still Be Free."

To many people this may seem to be an impossible dream. Tina B. Tessina, Ph. D and Riley K. Smith, M.A are two people who know that this is not the case. They have witnessed at first hand that couples within a relationship can indeed retain their freedom. A relationship that recognizes the needs of both parties, can only be good. It will allow couples to reap a richness in their existence, denied them as singles.

In today's world, we hear a lot said about the individual's right to freedom from our politicians. The concept of democracy is based on each individual's right to be free to do what they wish, that is within the law. This includes the freedom to express oneself in a healthy manner. Not all of us have the opportunity to do this. Our background, the culture we live in or a chain of events beyond our control can prevent our potential development.

The will to learn and expand our knowledge is the basis of change. To be able to do this one needs to be what we call free. Yet, freedom is not a license to go out and do what one likes with no care or responsibility. It imposes on us an obligation to recognize the rights of others, and adjust our needs to blend in with those of the society we live in.

To assist couples in meeting the obligation of recognizing the rights of others, two tools are recommended by the authors. These are The Negotiation Tree and Cooperative Problem Solving; each one is explained in detail throughout the course of the book. If each is practiced diligently, a couple will find that they can indeed be free as individuals and still meet each other's needs.

Relationships need both partners to constantly strive to make it a success. To allow them to get flabby through lack of effort will only lead to apathy and disaster. We all need to be loved, cherished and respected. "How To Be A Couple And Still Be Free," shows the way to achieve a life long relationship that meets couples needs.

This is a book I cannot recommend highly enough. Tina B. Tessina, Ph. D and Riley K. Smith, M.A. indeed have created a masterpiece. All couples should read this book at least once during their lives. They can only enrich their lives by doing so.

How To Be A Couple And Still Be Free
"How To Be A Couple And Still Be Free"

To many people this may seem to be an impossible dream. Tina B. Tessina, Ph. D and Riley K. Smith, M.A are two people who know that this is not the case. They have witnessed at first hand that couples within a relationship can indeed retain their freedom. A relationship that recognizes the needs of both parties, can only be good. It will allow couples to reap a richness in their existence, denied them as singles.

In today's world, we hear a lot said about the individual's right to freedom from our politicians. The concept of democracy is based on each individual's right to be free to do what they wish, that is within the law. This includes the freedom to express oneself in a healthy manner. Not all of us have the opportunity to do this. Our background, the culture we live in or a chain of events beyond our control can prevent our potential development.

The will to learn and expand our knowledge is the basis of change. To be able to do this one needs to be what we call free. Yet, freedom is not a license to go out and do what one likes with no care or responsibility. It imposes on us an obligation to recognize the rights of others, and adjust our needs to blend in with those of the society we live in.

To assist couples in meeting the obligation of recognizing the rights of others, two tools are recommended by the authors. These are The Negotiation Tree and Cooperative Problem Solving; each one is explained in detail throughout the course of the book. If each is practiced diligently, a couple will find that they can indeed be free as individuals and still meet each other's needs.

Relationships need both partners to constantly strive to make it a success. To allow them to get flabby through lack of effort will only lead to apathy and disaster. We all need to be loved, cherished and respected. "How To Be A Couple And Still Be Free," shows the way to achieve a life long relationship that meets couples needs.

This is a book I cannot recommend highly enough. Tina B. Tessina, Ph. D and Riley K. Smith, M.A. indeed have created a masterpiece. All couples should read this book at least once during their lives. They can only enrich their lives by doing so.

Review by Warren Thurston - Owner of Boggle Books
"The home of Quality eBook Reviews"
http://www.bogglebooks.com

Held me together and got me honest
I found this book after making a terrible mistake in my marriage. The next day. I read it in a couple of hours, and the ideas helped me keep my marriage together and healthier for two more years. I cry a bit every time I read the introductions. I try to give this book to every person I want to spend time with. And also those entering into a new relationship.

I reccomend it highly for teenagers, new lovers, old lovers, just about everybody.

Dave

Followup to the new 3rd Edition, released Early 2002
Sigh;
The new edition really wants a new title. Part 2 of 2. Something to let people know that it really looks different. Missing all my favourite bits. Still a fine book, but definitely not the first book I would give to people. The 1st and 2nd editions are essential to appreciating the 3rd in my opinion.
I have been buying copies of earlier editions to give out to friends. Third edition in reserve for later dispersal.

David


How to be a Real Person (in Just One Day)
Published in Library Binding by Knopf Books for Young Readers (13 February, 2001)
Author: Sally Warner
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"When I was ten years old, everything was just right--for a while. I mean it, things were almost perfect." Two years later, things are not so perfect for Kara. Her father has moved out and her mother's mental illness has worsened. Kara believes that as long as no one (including her father) finds out about her mother's condition, everything will be all right. School is more and more difficult, as Kara struggles to pretend she's normal--a "real person." Retreating to the Lonely Island of her imagination, based on her favorite book, Island of the Blue Dolphins, is one of Kara's only ways to cope with this tremendous burden. In spite of her fear of discovery, it's only when she's finally forced to relinquish control of the situation that Kara can stop pretending and truly become real again.

Sally Warner's first-person narrative captures the vivid agony of living with (and loving) someone with a debilitating mental illness. Readers will be startled to come to the end of the novel and realize the entire drama has unfolded in just one day (with revealing flashbacks to chronicle life leading up to this particular Thursday). Warner's sixth-grade narrator, who has enough to worry about just getting through her adolescent years, seems almost numb with fear. Kara's poignant, desperate efforts to control her life by making lists of how to behave at home and at school are portrayed with eloquence and great sensitivity. (Ages 10 to 14) --Emilie Coulter

Average review score:

Awsome!
Kara was an ordinary girl, that is when she was 10. Things have changed since then. Her fathers moved, her moms "crazy". She dreams about an island that she could live on.

Felt like I knew what it was like
My parents are not mentally ill, but after reading this book, I felt like I knew what it was like. Sally Warner writes a riviting story about a teen girl trying to keep it all together; trying to take care of her mother; and trying to keep it all her own business.

I think this book would also be great for parents suffering through paranoia and depression to see what their kids really go through.

An accurate look at the effect of mental illness on a child
Kara Biggs lives by lists. She has a list of rules, instructions, tips, etc. for almost everything you can imagine. From avoiding doing an oral presentation to getting ready for school, Kara knows how to it all "like a real person." Want to know Kara's tips for avoiding having a family conference at school?

1) Say that your parents are away on a business trip.

2) Or say that your grandmother just died, and now really isn't a very good time for your teacher to call home. You can use this excuse twice, and twice only. Keep track.

3) Or say that your phone is out of order, but you will deliver the message. (Yeah, right).

Kara has her lists down to a science. She has to, or people might find out about her home life. Kara's mother suffers from mental illness. Most days her mother stays in bed with the curtains closed and the covers up over her head. Kara's mom has been like this for almost as long as Kara can remember. She has her good days as well as her bad, but ever since Kara's father left them, it has only been one bad day after another. Kara tries her best to take care of her mom and to keep everything looking normal. When her lists don't work, Kara retreats in her mind to "Lonely Island," a place based on her favorite book, "Island of the Blue Dolphins." But sometimes even that doesn't help. She knows that eventually her mother will get past this, but when? Cracks in Kara's carefully constructed façade are beginning to show and people are starting to get suspicious. What if they find out? What will happen then?

Told over the time frame of one day, this engrossing novel delves truthfully into the reality of a child whose parent suffers from mental illness. The author does an excellent job of conveying Kara's conflicting emotions concerning her mother and the situation she is in. As a reader you not only sympathize with Kara for all that she is going through, but also admire her for the strength she has to deal with everything that is thrown at her. Strongly recommended for EVERYONE.


Related Subjects: BB
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