Book-value

Everyone knows Robert Louis Stevenson; everyone has at least one of the myriad books of his poetry. There are some stunningly illustrated collections of his poetry out now, notably two by Thomas Kincaide, among others. But how many of us have actually read all or most of his work? I'm guilty as charged.

This smaller, quieter version of Stevenson's poetry helped me finally, actually read all the Garden poetry. True, the illustrations are spare, but delightfully accurate. My children (7 and 10) were not as mesmerized by this book as they are by others with fanciful graphics, illustrations and larger type to accompany the poetry.

Still, this small book found its way into my purse to be used for waiting moments, e.g. at the orthodontist, doctor, and also to my bedside, where it's shear diminutive size did not dissuade me from reading "for only a minute or two." And within Stevenson's words and language lie the ferment of creative pictures. I liked to have my children close their eyes while I read short poems to 'force' them to use only their mind's eye.

I thoroughly enjoyed the adventures, moods, and images Stevenson conjures and at long last can understand why his poetry remains so classic.

When I was younger, well 5 actually, I had the chicken pox. This was one of my mom's favorite books. The words in the poetry just soothed me. It seemed like the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, knew exactly what I was going through.

You can't forget about the little toy soldiers (a poem) at your feet because when you are sick for days, you can imagine all kinds of things in your mind. The curtains billow like sails, the bedpost is your anchor. I sat there in bed and just floated away with the fun of having someone to share my illness. It seemed like a had a friend right there with me.

I loved the pictures too. The little kids are old fashioned and it made me laugh because the boys wore silly clothes, but they fit the time period, my mom said.

I love this book and keep it by my bed when I need to be relaxed.

Hayley Cohen

I remember reading this collection of poems when I was a little kid. My dad bought it for me and we'd read the poems together before I went to bed. Stevenson seemed to have a good understanding of how to talk to a child("Bed in Summer" was a favorite!).

I've given copies of this book to a niece and a friend for her young daughter. It's certainly a book that should be part of any child's library.

This book is a very nice read. It is very concise and makes the reader want to keep reading.

As far as content, I was proud of my fellow brother in Christ to take such a hard Biblical stand against lust. The world thinks that it is ok, but God does not.

It is time that we as Christians take stock in our personal lives and see if we are living, "...being conformed to this world's pattern, or being transformed by the renewing of your mind." Rom. 12:2

I was impressed with Joshua's dealings with this subject and his slam against legalism. If there is one thing I hate is a false righteousness, and Harris makes sure that the reader understand that this righteousness does not come from us, but from Christ.

Not only that, but he makes sure that we understand that it is our love for God because of what He has done for us that is to motivate us to good works.

Youth today are being attacked by the world, and so many in the Christian circle say its okay to have a little lust, but I would rather see what God has to say in his holy and inerrant word, keep yourselves from all sexual immorality.

Thanks Joshua for treating this subject so well.

This is a powerful book on dealing with sexual temptation. Joshua Harris does a fantastic job of setting every man's battle in its proper biblical and theological context. He is not soft on sin, but neither does he lead one to discouragement or despair. He understands that a right relationship with God is by grace through faith alone, but he knows that the faith which justifies also sanctifies. He is candid and honest, yet remains discreet, writing a book which is appropriate for and targeted to both men and women. He avoids setting hard and fast rules, advocating that we develop "a custom-tailored plan" for fighting against lust, but he provides plenty of practical ideas about how to make progress. He addresses sensitive issues (like masturbation) as well as cultural issues (like media and dress). Best of all, he encourages open accountability ("lone rangers are dead rangers") and provides an excellent chapter on how to fight the lying promises of lust with the true and satisfying promises of God. Drawing on the wisdom of John Piper's Future Grace, and C. J. Mahaney's The Cross-centered Life, this is one of the best books on sanctification I've seen, and the best book on the particular subject of sexual temptation I've ever read. I highly recommend this to both men and women, single or married. Thanks, Josh for sharing your heart with us.

This book is good if your having a problem with Lust or want to learn how to stay away from Lust. I found this very helpful. I was battling spending and worried about a husband. I also had bad tv habits. This book really helped me deal with those things and overcome them. It wasn't just his writing alone, it was that he backed what he said up with the Word of God. Even if your not addicted to anything, it's a great resource to help you not lust after things, money, fame, people, etc.

This book was interesting and I couldn't put it down. Of course, this was written by Jules Verne and was filled with exciting moments. Philleas Fogg, an Englishman, bets 20,000 pounds that he can travel around the world in 80 days with his companion and sevant named Jean Passepartout. After betting this money at the reform club, he departs soon from London and travels all the way around the world. After arriving in many different countries by many different means of transportation, he lands in India and runs into a enchanting young princess who is about to be killed. Fogg and Passepartout come to the rescue and keep moving right along. And soon, they fell in love. But this whole time, there was trouble right behind him. Detective Fix thinks Fogg was a bank robber and this detective is following him everywhere so he can arrest him in London. Passepartout ends up thinking this man is a member of the reform club, and thinks he's trying to stop them from getting there. After many close calls through transportation and an arrest, Fogg arrives. But you'll have to read it yourself to find out what happens. It's a wonderful book and if you haven't read it, it's a good book to read.

I think this book is a superior book because it is full of action. This book is about a man named Mr. Phileas Fogg, and his faithful servant, Passepartout, that wager a bet that They can travel the whole world in eighty days stopping at Suez via Mont Cenis and Brindisi, then to Bombay, then Calcutta, Hong Kong, Japan (Yokohama), San Francisco, New York, back to London, all within eighty days, and by steamboats, and trains. However, a nosy detective, Detective Fix, tracks them down, and tries to arrest Mr. Fogg because he believes that Fogg stole fifty-five thousand pounds. As one may guess, this greatly detains Mr. Fogg, and it seems like he may not make the trip around the world after all. However, the Fix never seems to catch up with Fogg, and Fogg triumphs over most of the obstacles that come his way, like missing boats, missing trains, missing people, and Fogg even meets and rescues a beautiful Indian Princess called Aouda. However, Fix finally catches up to the detective, and everything seems lost for Fogg until Fix discovers that Fogg was not the robber, and Fogg is released. Even so, Fogg is one day late, and in doing so, misses the train that would have taken him to London precisely to win the bet. He ordered a special train, but even in doing so, still misses the bet...or so he thinks. The ending of the book is a very unexpected one. Read this book and find out!

Around the world in Eighty Days is a really great book. With a wonderful and thrilling adventure and some suspense. Around the world in eighty days is about a man named Phileas Fogg makes a bet with some of his fellow club members. With 20,000 pounds on the line Phileas Fogg starts his adventure right away with his servant Passepartout. But unsuspectingly are being followed by a detective named Mr. Fix who is accusing Phileas Fogg of a robbery. After many twist and turns Phileas Fogg arrives to India where he meets a young lady who's name is Aouda. Then after that he arrives to America and travels across the plains with his fellow travelers and Mr. Fix but is attacked by some enraged Indians. After making it to New York he travels across the sea to Ireland but with only less then a day left it will be pretty hard to make it in time. Read this book to see if he makes it or if he fails. I suggest this book to any reader who likes adventure and suspense.

It's not surprising that Bill Bennett has ignored some of the more marginalized of society. Here's some folks YOU WON'T find in Bill Bennett's "heroes"

Saladin: who gave Christians in his domain greater tolerance than the Christians did the Muslims

Ashoka: whose (real) legendary beneficient government is sitll to be matched by the West

I could go on... but suppose, just suppose your "real mom and dad" is a child abuser.

Not all real moms and dads *can or should* be looked up to, and Bennett expresses is profound lack of humanity with such jingoistic nonsense. To suggest that simply because 2 people are have a contract that is ratified at an atavistic ceremony, and have sexual intercourse resulting in the birth of life human somehow makes them "heroes" (when in reality they may be *Republicans*) is obscene.

I wouldn't let my kid near this man's work.

But this isn't surprising- the policies carried out on his watch have needlessly imprisioned *thousands* of real people.

Now there's some heroes he could have put in- the people who are standing up to the tyranny created by Bennett's "War on Drugs."

William J. Bennett and Michael Hague, having teamed together to produce the national bestseller "The Children's Book of Virtues," now offer up "The Children's Book of Heroes," which celebrates heroic deeds, both historical and fictional, as appropriate inspiration for children. Certainly it is interesting to see the dozen-plus heroes, from Christopher Columbus and Jackie Robinson to the legendary Sir Roland to a young girl named Tashira, who are presented in this volume.

People might be surprised as to how few religious and political figures are included in this volume given that Bennett is the editor. For the former there are just the Biblical story of "David and Goliath," the story of "Father Flanagan" of Boys Town, and "Mother Teresa" as the epitome of the modern-day heroine. The only political figures, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, appear in episodes well before they each became president with "A Prayer at Valley Forge" and "Honest Abe" respectively. However, one of the better aspects of this book is that some of the stories and poems are not about famous people but rather about a mother ("About Angels"), dads ("Only a Dad"), and even how kids can be heroes by putting themselves on the line for someone they love ("The Hero of Indian Cliffs") and showing moral courage in order to avoiding temptation ("Our Heroes").

Because of my academic interest in mythology I was especially interest in the two classical myths that were selected. The story of Theseus and "The Minotaur" is given as an example of doing the right thing even when afraid of danger while the story of Oedipus and "The Sphinx" is used to remind us that heroes use their brains. This is certainly an interesting pair given what happens to each hero after their defeat these monsters: Theseus and Ariadne never make it back together to Athens and as for Oedipus, well, you probably know what happened to him once he became king of Thebes.

"The Children's Book of Heroes" does indeed present a diverse collection of role models, which at the very least, should expand a child's notion of what constitutes a hero. Each story begins with a brief comment on what the particular life lesson is from that story, for example Jackie Robinson represents "keeping your cool and doing the best you can in a bad situation," which arguably present values that transcend the ideological spectrum.

Bennett has edited another fine book that introduces young children to values and charactor while making reading interesting.

This book of heros combines mythical and historical figures with everyday folk (moms and dads) whose actions and charactor speak to the better values that should be taught to children. The book is fairly accessible to ages 4 and 5 -- the gist of the story will usually be understood and there are enough new concepts / words to prompt meaningful discussion. The illustrations are rich and invite children into the story by providing an attractive visual introduction to each vignette.

Bennett continues to provide a great service to parents and children with the series of which the Book of Heros is a part.

The book Life Stratagies for Teens was an excelent book. The author really knew what he was talking about and what the teenagers these days think. He was able to predict many of my feelings about life. The book adresses ten major rules that are called "Life Laws". It goes on to explain every one of them individually. At first, I must admit that I was very unhappy with the fact that I had to read it because I didn't want to be lectured about the future through a book - much less my parents - but the author understood that most teens would feel that way and made the book a quick book to read. You never want to put it down. I recommend you read it if you are in junior high or high school, it is a book that has situations us teens can all relate to.

Life Strategies for Teens by Jay McGraw is a nonfiction book. In it the author talks from his own experiences and shares his own stories, as well as stories from other teens. One of the rules of life he suggests is: you need to "get it" which simply means in order to succeed in life you need to understand life. The one thing that I took out of this book was that you shouldn't let people walk all over you. Don't be a door mat.

I could definitely relate to the things that the author talked about in the book. I have also done some of the things that the book talked about. For example, it tells you about denial. I used to be in denial about my life.

I liked this book a lot. It was very good. I didn't really have a favorite part. I thought the whole thing was really good. I would not want to change any part of it.

I would definitely recommend this book. Someone who doesn't really like to read story books, would like this book.

This book was quite excellent. As a thirteen-year-old girl, it sure got me in gear! My twelfth year was spent trying to fit in with the crowd, dismiss good grades, and wear tight clothing. Now, thanks to this book, I have newfound self-esteem, willpower, and goals which I am reaching one by one! My aunt, a huge fan of Dr. Phil, gave it to me for Christmas. I am already a different person. It helps so much with self-esteem issues, peer pressures, goal-setting and other teen dilemmas and issues.

I definitely recommend it to all teenagers who want to get their life in gear! It helps so much, but only if you allow it. This is not the kind of book that you can just skim through. You've got to read it and take action, take it to heart, in order for those Life Strategies to work in your life. I'm telling you, it's so helpful! Thanks Jay!

One last thing, however, I would like to direct to those who thought Jay McGraw was copycatting Dr. Phil's book- NO KIDDING! Where've you been? This book is the same as LIFE STRATEGIES, but it's just been rewritten for teenage understanding. And, also, the rich have their problems, too. Maybe Jay hasn't had to work hard for his popularity or money, but I'm sure it's obviously something he knows a lot about- THINK ABOUT IT! He has DR. PHIL for a father. Please try not to be so critical. Not everyone's perfect, and perfection is only in the eye of the beholder- there is no real perfection. No reality, just perception!

Does one have to be a disciple of Jesus to be saved or is discipleship different from saving faith? I applaud Macarthur for approaching this issue and taking a stand against easy believism. While this book is not as comforting as many christian books of the "everyone will be saved variety," I would take a biblical truth over a feel good version any day.

Despite what some may argue, Macarthur doesn't argue for a works based salvation. Rather he argues for a salvation that works. That may seem like a symantical distinction but it truly is not. True faith produces a change in a person, a repentant heart, and a willingness to strive to obey. Churches today focus on the gift of eternal life, while leaving the necesssity out of reptentance and the warning of "dead faith" as James calls it. Jesus made some very demanding claims and there is no getting around them.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn what the bible says about saving faith. I am, however, concerned that its inflammatory tone will scare some seekers away because of the "high demands" Macarthur discusses.

Thank God for a genuinely Biblical book - one that tells the real truth about what the scriptures really teach us about the Christian life! John MacArthur, like his hero Spurgeon in the 19th century, has always been 101% Biblical in his preaching and this book shows this to be the case yet once again. Read this book, give 10 copies away to your friends and make sure your pastor not only has this book but has taken notes from every page - it will transform both you, your church and then the whole community around you. This is REAL Biblical Christianity folks! This is the message of the Cross that turned the world upside down in the first century and is doing so still in the 21st! Thank God for a genuinely Biblical book. Christopher Catherwood, author of CHRISTIANS MUSLIMS AND ISLAMIC RAGE (Zondervan, 2003) ...

The sub-title.."The High Cost and Infinite Value of following Jesus" seem to really fit MacArthur's latest. This book will get you to thinking about your life and your decision to follow Christ. I mean really follow Christ. This book is Mac's UNFLINCHING, UNAPOLOGETIC, writings on the modern tendency to alter the true message of Christianity in order to meet the whims and desires of a culture hoping for NON-CONFRONTATIONAL messages, easy answers, and superficial commitments. There is no user-friendly seeker sensitive gospel talk in this book. And this statement is only the begining of what Mac writes. If you want the hear truth as Mac explains it, then you are at the right place. You want be sorry for buying this book and I recommend you get it today.

Peter Rabbit is one of four rabbits in his family. Very much curious as well as disobedient, Peter decides to wonder off into Mr. McGregor's garden. He has heard the warning given to him by his mother of what Mr. McGregor does to curious, wandering rabbits. Peter slips away from his brother's and sister's while they play in the fields and decides to see this wonderful garden. While in the garden, Peter fills his stomach with delicious carrots, lettuce and other various vegetables. While eating, Mr. McGregor finds the somewhat stuffed rabbit and chases him around his garden. Peter, realizing the mistake he made, only wishes to be free, that he might not make the same mistake again. This book is very well written and can capture the heart of even the oldest person. Filled with detailed pictures, Peter comes to life in this classic tale of tales.

I got this book when I was very young and to this day I still love it. It's a cute story about this naughty little bunny going into Mr. McGregors yard and getting into a big mess. I love the drawings and everything about it. A great book for the kids.

Four rabbit children are told to pick berries by their mother, who also warns the rabbits not to go near Mr. McGregor's garden. Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottaintale obey their mother, but Peter, the mischievous of the four rabbits, ignores his mother's warning and ventures off for some tasty food from Mr. McGregor's garden. While Peter is greedily eating some radishes, he is spotted by Mr. McGregor. Peter tries to dash out of Mr. McGregor's way, only getting further and further away from the garden gate. Will Peter get away from Mr. McGregor, and find his way out of the garden? What will happen when his mother hears what he has done?

Personal Response:
I have loved this story since I was little, probably because any child can relate to Peter's mischievous ways. I have not met a child who could not attest to getting in over their heads after doing something they were told not to do. Beatrix Potter does an amazing job illustrating this well known tale. She brings life to the characters with her beautifully detailed illustrations. The illustrations have soft lines and curves to give a pleasant fell to the story. The pictures go along with the pages of the story as well as adding detail to the reader's mind about the plot and setting. The reader can see the vastness of the garden by looking at Beatrix Potter's illustrations.
The author's ability to suspend disbelief is not very great, because of the nature of the story. This story is made to be a fairy tale, which is not usually believable to children or adults. Children are accustomed to talking animals in stories at the age they would read this book. However, the plot of the story is very realistic to the child. It is realistic because the child can relate to disobeying their parent, and getting into trouble of some sort. They can also relate to the punishment that Peter gets at the end of the story.

Hyrum Smith does an excellent job portraying the tools we all need to use in our life if we are to succeed. As I just happen to live in the same area as he does it would be wonderful to run into him someday. Most of the material he's used in this book has been used (either books or tapes) by him before. However, like any positive material, it is all worth repeating. The only drawback to this book (four stars) is that it dwells so much on Hyrums experiences- rather than giving usable advice to its readers (the old WIIFM). This book did leave me with the warm fuzzies, which by the way, is one of the ways I rate a book. If you are a reader of self-help books, this is a winner.

This book is great at showing the importance of recognizing one's values and not contradicting them with one's actions. Further it has exercises to help one discover one's values and keep them more in focus. The only shortcoming is the book's failure to show how reality precludes certain choices. I recommend the book Viable Values by Tara Smith to cover that gap.

The concepts presented in this book have completely turned my life around. I've tried numerous "self-help" or "self-improvement" books but most tend to focus on the problems you have in your life, rather than your core values. In What Matters Most, Hyrum Smith brings these values to the forefront and helps you focus on the important things in your life.

It's unfortunate some people are not happy with the book - especially when they haven't even looked at it! While some of the concepts may have been published elsewhere, this book presents them in a wonderful and easy-to-read format. What Matters Most certainly doesn't rehash The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People - rather it compliments it quite well. In fact, I've started to read The 7 Habits book again and it all makes much more sense now.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.

I imagine the reviews of this book will be split two ways: On one side, they'll say Medved is just another member of the Religious Right trying to make everyone conform to a boring religious regime.

On the other side, people will say it's a well-deserved attack on the entertainment industry at large. It is neither. Medved points out that no one movie, no one song title, no one T.V. show should be cancelled, censored, etc.

What Medved does is point out the self-destructive trends of the entertainment industry elite to flood the market with material of little worth in the name of profits or a cause. In the former, he proves that movies have been steadily repulsing more and more of the public, and decreasing the chances of bringing in families, where the real money is. In the latter matter, he shows beyond a doubt that a very narrow viewpoint is being portrayed in hollywood, to the nearly complete exclusion of all other views. A move detrimental to Americans AND the entertainment industry.

Anyone who wants to get an idea of where the entertainment industry has been, and is taking American viewers, should read this book.

Michael Medved's "Hollywood Vs. America" is an excellent observation of how out of touch Hollywood is with America and how they are influencing our youth.

Michael looks at many different aspects of Hollywood and the media but he really takes a good look at how they handle the subject of sex. He points out how Hollywood has made sex a requirement for any movie to be "romantic." Because of his observations on this subject, it has made me review some of the movies I consider "my favorites" and I've made a decision to not watch them or recommend them anymore.

While he makes his Judeo-Christian views apparent in many different parts of the book, he also uses a lot of common sense when addressing many of the issues. He points out that some of us can watch a movie and see people brutally murdered and we sit there with no reaction at all. I have caught myself becoming "numb" to a lot of the violence in movies. Sure, it isn't going to make me run out and commit these acts, but it has become commonplace to see heads explode or people dismembered that a lot of us are not even aware of how horrific these scenes are.

He also points out that less than 5% of movies in the past 15 years show religion in a positive way. I couldn't agree more. Recently, there have been movies (Return To Me, The Apostle, Signs) that show how a long-suffering faith in God can bring you through everything. Why is it that Hollywood can't see that a lot more than 5% of Americans have a religious faith and would like to see more of that in films? It is a shame.

This is an excellent commentary on today's time. It does tend to get a little repetitive and tedious toward the end but he does make excellent observations and leaves it up to you to decide.

I have only just had a chance to read this marvellous book, but I wish I had known about it years ago. Medved demonstrates what I have long realised but have never been able to assemble the evidence to prove - that the powers behind the modern entertainment industry have consistently pushed certain lines - anti-family, anti-religious, anti-authoritarian, and the whole assemblage of ideas and opinions now known as "political correctness", while ignoring or persecuting anything that goes against these views, and that they do this even when it means sacrificing their supposed highest priority, profitability.

He argues his case so brilliantly, and demonstrates it so exhaustively, that his critics are are reduced to oversimplification, misrepresentation and name-calling.

Some reviewers have labelled his arguments simplistic, naïve and lacking objectivity. I think they have only skimmed through his book, or else read it with such bias that they can't see what he is saying. Many of them assume that because he criticises one movie for embodying a particular trend and praises another for going against the trend, he is making a blanket statement about the value of those films. It should be obvious that this is not the case, as he makes a point of praising the overall quality of some of the movies he criticises.

This book is a must-read for anyone who is seriously interested in understanding what is happening to the world.

The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room is about Bother and Sister Bear who never clean their room. One day, Momma bear had enough and made the cubs change their way. After talking, they decide to do something about it. This book teaches children about responsibility. This book is good for children from 4-11. I thought it was a pretty good book.

After my son and I read this book, he stopped me right before the last lane and said to me "Cleaning your room is supposed to be fun?" I sat there for a moment pondering on how i could reply in a way that i wouldn't be lying. "It depends on if you make it fun." I replied. Before hearing the last line, he stood up and ran to his room. He grabbed a hockey stick and started shooting his toys under the bed. He said "Cleaning can be fun."

I read this book when a child, and still remember it at age 25. Now, it didn't turn me into a neat person, but with fond memories of this book in my heart, I plan on having a clean room ... one of these days.