Day-order

I would suggest this as the third book by Dorothy Day that you read-- after "loaves and fishes" and "long lonliness", however, the introduction to this book justifies the purchase for anyone. The introduction is lengthy (over 25 pages), and is written by two people that know the movement (they run Casa Juan is Houston). The book by Day is very touching.... but not an introduction to someone unfamiliar with her work. Often I suggest that someone new to Dorothy Day read the introduction, and then "Loaves and Fishes", and then returns to this book.

Many of Dorothy Day's sabbaticals from the Catholic Worker houses are chronicled in "On Pilgrimage," which was also the title of her long-running column in her monthly newspaper, The Catholic Worker. Ever the journalist, Day would record the most minute aspects of her trips--usually by bus and with a jar of instant coffee and prayer books in her small bag--and give her newspaper readers insight into the social struggle in the South, in Okie migrant camps or Indian reservations. Her compassion and observer's eye didn't conflict; she wrote about injustice with passion, but felt compelled to temper her anger at issues such as the mistreatment of black tenant farmers. Her distinctly Catholic perspective on poverty (indeed voluntary poverty was her lasting contribution to 20th century Christianity) and suffering as well as her feisty personality are evident in these essays detailing her trips. Even though efforts have begun toward Dorothy Day's canonization, she will never be a plaster saint...not as long as these warm and utterly realistic accounts are read. She comes across as a committed Christian who believes in the essential dignity of every human being, oppressed and oppressor alike. The only fault with her pilgrimage essays is their essentially hurried nature. Dorothy Day could be careless with punctuation and transitions in her efforts to get her thoughts on paper. The essays when she's visiting her daughter and attempting to help with the growing number of children are my favorites. Dorothy Day continues to be one of my prime spiritual mentors, precisely because of homey, faith-filled essays like those, where the grandchildren are climbing on her lap and preventing her from writing. The real woman--warts, moments of exhaustion and all--is in these pages.

Scary stuff. This is not a job I think I could do. I was amazed by the immense variety of family distress situations faced by the court. Judge Ross seems to maintain great powers of objectivity and analysis in the face of a near-constant stream of the most painful decisions one could have to make. I was stunned by some of the descriptions of what many kids before his court endured before they got there. Fascinating book. I hope more are forthcoming from Judge Ross.

Considering the publisher of this work, it must be regarded as the "official" complete list (up to 1906). Volume 1 contains the preeminent orders -- Garter, Bath, Victorian Order, etc. -- each list being chronological and providing full names and dates of all persons invested, so far as information was available. (It seems astonishing that the registers of the Order of the Thistle, which began in 1687, were lost c1830 and not rediscovered until the turn of this century!)

Volume 2 is a chronological list of knights bachelors -- "ordinary" knights -- from the introduction of the Angevin dubbing ceremony c1250. Shaw's articulate essays on each order, and on the system of knights bachelors (and why most fief-holders didn't want to join), provide an antidote to American confusion on this subject.

As a spiritual director I am constantly meeting people who want to establish a rule of life. Often they may not realize that is what they desire but upon reflection they uncover a desire to establish some spiritual habits that will help them pay attention to the holy. Debra Farrington's book is a wonderful resource for this. Her historical research lays the foundation and is very helpful but what I really like is the way she helps a person reflect on their life and begin to take steps in the eight areas she suggests for engaging their own rule of life. I recommend this book for all spiritual adventurers but especially for those who are seriously seeking to grow in their spiritual lives by attending to their life as a "rule" for maturing spiritually.

This novel is unique and almost defies categorization. I can really only describe it as a Brazilian version of the "X Files," only it's much, much better. The plot is multi-layered and complex, involving the CIA, the KGB, the Brazilian military, and a secret society that has made contact with aliens.

"Order of the Day" starts off with a bang -- Vera Martins, an agent for the Ministry of Agriculture, has been assigned to work in a remote jungle village and teach the locals modern farming techniques. However, after six months of slow progress and total boredom, she finds herself slipping toward insanity.

Then she accidentally meets up with an old lover from university, a young but burnout reporter, and tries to convince him that aliens have been terrorizing this Amazonian village. He doesn't believe her of course, but agrees to investigate her claims just to calm her down.

Hours after starting his investigation, Vera's friend disappears -- along with a local disc jockey who corroborated her story. Then, to complicate matters, a local missionary is found dead -- his body mutilated and beheaded. There is some suggestion that he may have been working for the CIA as an expert on the paranormal.

Vera, on the brink of nervous collapse, decides to continue the investigation and quickly comes against the Brazilian government, which is busy trying to cover everything up. This leads to a series of conspiracies, a coup d'etat, and even resurrection from the dead.

"Order of the Day" is a sci-fi thriller conjoined with a political satire and is, needless to say, highly original and extremely funny. And although it is certainly a strange story, littered with myriad characters, the plot is easy to follow and the prose is very straightforward.

This is one of the few books I have read that truly captures the absurdity and surrealism so prominent in everyday Latin American life.

It is the work of a mad genius. Kudos to Marcio Souza for writing such an enjoyable novel.

Robert Plamondon has packed more great information about chick brooding into this book than can be found in any other current "how to" poultry book. The author combines his own chick brooding experiences with still valuable material from out-of-print poultry books, and shows the reader how to apply it using new technology. It is well illustrated with both old and new photos. This book is a must have if you want to raise chicks. I wish it had been available when I first started, but I have it now!

It's about time someone compiled a book on how to brood chickens properly. Robert took his many years of experience and knowledge, and also his old library of out of print books and compiled a very detailed yet concise book that will help you have the greatest success or improve your past success to a higher level. I would recommend this book to anyone who is brooding chicks in numbers from 10 to 100,000. Thanks Robert for putting together this information.

Plamondon raises chickens and eggs at his successful Oregon pastured poultry operation. He is also a respected member of the internet poultry mail groups.

He has gleaned the best of the past--tried and true information--the almost lost "Secrets of the Past Poultry Masters".The Ohio Brooder plans alone are worth the price of the volume. The guidelines are suitable for all climates and breeds.

The book is strong on up-to-date nutritional and disease control information, and explainations of what does and does not work.

Easy to understand charts and illustrations help the novice and experienced poultry person to grasp the concepts. Plamondon writes in an easy to read, engaging style.

Highly recommended!

I bought this book years ago when the cover was different, and it cost only $12.95 in paperback, and I still use it for ideas, although some of them are a little off-the wall or even impractical for me. It's the kind of book where there is a culture clash with some of the things she suggests: "Put strawberries in a bowl and leave two, with stems on, on the table next to the bowl.." Why? Or "Put eggs in an old wire basket." Well, I'm afraid they won't last too long like that, and with the organic eggs I buy costing over $2,00 a dozen, it's the height of impracticality for me. Then there's "Make lobster, avocado, and wild rice salad for a picnic." Two problems: a) tell me how, and b) maybe this is no problem for a New Yorker or Connecticut resident, but for a landlocked Oklahoman that's a mighty pricey picnic! Statements like these make her seem very Martha Stewart, like she's from another world. Certainly not mine, anyway.Still, there are many, many parts of her book where she makes perfect sense, such as buying in season, and that people buy too much food, and taking the television out of the bedroom is a great idea I've completely taken to heart! So to sum up, this book that gives you food for thought, if you don't choke on some of the grace notes!

As a former working mother (working outside the home, I mean), I am grateful for books like these. Having been raised by one of the first working mothers in the 1970s, I didn't learn all the skills of homecaring, or the little niceties that make like more enjoyable and beautiful for myself and my family. Like one of the guys, I was sent out into the world of business and expected to compete there. I did, but I was miserable and felt something was missing from life.

A good friend gave me this book as a gift -- and what a perfect gift it was, at the time I most needed it. Yes, the ideas are simple, and perhaps, to some, this whole domestic goddess thing can be "syrupy" as one reviewer put it. So sue me -- but I love being at home, love rediscovering what it's like to live like a human being, not a "human doing", and to make my home a place of beauty. I love this book, and plan to give it to other women like myself, and I will be looking for more like it!

I felt obligated to post my review because, as cheesy as it may sound, Alexandra Stoddard's book, Living A Beautiful Life, actually changed my life -- for the better. I'll agree that all of the Grace Notes are not for everyone -- they are merely suggestions. Neither do I try and do everything that she recommends. But she did succeed at getting me to look at life and its daily routine in a different way. She's also introduced me to wonderful authors, such as Madeleine L'Engle. Alexandra's writing has helped me to live a more beautiful life "in the moment" by appreciating every blessing and using every moment to add more beauty to it. Now I try and celebrate every little aspect of life, if possible, by not keeping anything mundane. My life greatly reflects my passion for life and I am now more aware of the beauty involved in simple existence. Alexandra has written other great books (which have helped me tremendously) on relationships, family, interior decorating, the lost art of letter writing, etc. Remember, it's all about what works for you. I'm currently collecting Alexandra's books and highly recommend them all. Alexandra, thank you very much. By sharing your passion, you give a wonderful gift. :)

Darby is a lovable, high spirited English Bull. He arrives by crate, special delivery to an unnamed family. The equally unnamed brother and sister try to train their anvil headed English Bull, (these dogs have anvil shaped heads) whose favorite activity appears to be chewing their cushions, photos and furniture. They make some success with their spirited dog and Darby learns to tinkle outside, bark, sit and stay on command. He just can't master that chewing problem, though.

Furious with the destructive behavior of the dog, the childrens' father insists that Darby be kept penned in his own fenced corner of the yard.

In an amazing, implausible series of events, the family home plunges into water, is immersed below (how did they all breathe) and Darby rescues them. Although the story left something to be desired, I loved the illustrations and was captivated by the English Bull. The illustrations alone were worth 5 stars.

Lisa Kopper introduced the world at large to Daisy, an English bull who imitates her owner's child and teaches her puppies as well as her owner's child how to get up to some serious mischief). This book will delight dog lovers, particularly those who love an anvil headed English bull.

I don't think much of the family's training methods in the book, since Bull Terriers should always be crate trained. However, the story is good, the art is up to Alexandra Day's usual marvellous standard, and Darby is a true BT, with all the loveable characteristics of the breed. My 4 year old son truely loved this book.

Holding Out for Hero: Through Texan Men magazine, wealthy entrepreneur Tanner Jones found the prefect Texas woman-beautiful Dori Mae Fitzpatrick. But because he wanted to be loved for himself, not his money, Tanner neglected to mention the fact that he was filthy rich. Little did he guess that Dori was keeping a few secrets of her own...

Mail-Order Bridegroom Faced with bankruptcy, Leah Hampton needed a husband-fast. But despite her advertisement, her only candidate was Hunter Pryde. Their marriage would be a business arrangement-nothing more. Not that Hunter would want anything else-he'd made that clear eight years ago. And Leah was too smart to fall for the same trick twice, wasn't she?

Having recently read "Waterland" and "Last Orders"--both of which I found to be deeply moving--I was really looking forward to reading Swift's newest novel. Unfortunately, "The Light of Day" is not nearly in the same class as those other two. While I applaud the author for the attempt to stretch his work in a new direction, the gritty and hard-boiled world he tries to create here is just not believable. In particular, I found the main protagonist's (i.e., George, the defrocked cop turned private detective) obsession and devotion to his murderess client to be completely implausible. There really was nothing developed in the story about their relationship that justifies George's behavior, either during the book's catalyzing event or over the subsequent two years. Without even trying to establish why such passion and conviction might exist in the face of all reason, the novel came across to me as a soulless collection of literary devices.

If only because it is Graham Swift, I feel I have a right to be disappointed. After all, this is the Brit who gave us "Waterland" and "Last Orders," a writer has been compared to Dickens and Faulkner. That is not to say that there are not some good things about "Light of Day," his latest novel. The jokes may be a bit heavy-handed (a murderess is "dressed to kill"), but there is a residue of Swift's deadpan sense of humor. His hero is a divorced detective who has taken up cooking and who can't seem to help bedding his female clients, and then assimilating them into his life. As in his earlier, and far superior work, "Shuttlecock," the story is a mystery that doesn't get solved-it's not the who that's important, but the why. As in "The Sweet-Shop Owner" and "Waterland," a leading character is a woman whose behavior is indecipherable, particularly to the man who loves her, George Webb (great name for a private eye, by the way), the answers to whose questions must await his loved one's re-emergence from prison into "the light of day." But the elements don't add up to much here. The text is more like notes toward a novel, rather than the real thing itself. I wanted to know more about these people, not in the sense of learning their motivation, which is understandably opaque, especially in the case of something as outré as murder, but at least to the extent of seeing George in action with the object of his affection, Susan, on at least one occasion where he wasn't tongue-tied. This novel took Swift seven years to write. He has had bad patches before; between the marvels of "Waterland" and "Last Orders" came the disappointing "Out of This World" and "Ever After." But those were much more ambitious and therefore forgivable failures than "Light of Day," which, while continuing to explore Swift's favorite theme of qualified hope for the future, is tentative at best.

Not only an important book, The Light Of Day is an important work of art. Booker Prize winner Graham Swift skillfully paints his protagonist's past and hoped for future within the frame of one single day.

George Webb is a former policeman, relieved of his duties by poor judgment and ensuing scandal. Rachel, his wife, responded to these events by leaving him.

"We both knew which way it worked for Rachel," George opines. " Rachel decided - almost overnight - that I wasn't just a bad cop, I was a bad husband, a bad deal altogether. Rachel decided I was no longer for her and went her own way."

With little but a policeman's training to recommend him, George becomes a private investigator reduced to tracking down evidence of unfaithful husbands or wives for their vengeful spouses. Enter Sarah Nash, a teacher , and prospective client who comes to occupy his every thought.

Rather than follow her husband, Sarah has an altogether different request. She already knows that her husband Bob has been having an affair with her pupil and their houseguest, Kristina, a Croatian refugee. Now, according to Bob, the affair is over and Kristina will return to Croatia. Sarah wants the pair watched to make sure the girl really boards the plane.

Throughout this tense, dark narrative, all of which takes place in George's mind, we learn of the day he first discovered that his father was an adulterer, and relive the joy he feels when having dinner with his daughter, Helen.

We also are privy to his dreams of the future as he waits for Sarah who has been imprisoned.

Graham Swift's remarkable soul baring novel is a reminder of the twists and turns that life may take as well as a haunting psychological drama.

- Gail Cooke