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Spend the holidays with Nero and Archie, and quickly discover Wolfe quick thinking as he solves the mysteries faster than you can turn the pages. The last one is particularly good, as Wolfe takes offense to the fool who tries to fool him. In the others, Wolfe himself is cast in the spotlight as the police begin to even suspect his involvement - but naturally, his intellect always bails him out.

Nero Wolfe is constantly getting himself into fixes through three character flaws. Arrogance, Cupidity, and Eccentricity. He must then shake off his indolence and use his intelligence to extricate himself from whatever predicament he stumbles into. Frequently he must extricate himself through the device of an elaborate caper designed to expose a killer while simultaneously burying his embarrassment.

Each of the four stories in this book has as its centerpiece an elaborate caper. In two of the stories Wolfe engineers a caper to extricate himself from danger; in the one the caper places him in danger; in the fourth, he is victimized by a caper and solves the mystery through sheer force of logic and deduction.

In "Christmas Party" Wolfe's fear that Archie is going to marry causes him to masquerade as Santa Claus and become prime suspect in a murder. In "Easter Parade" Wolfe's envy of a rival orchid grower causes him to stoop to petit theft and become embroiled in a murder mystery. In "Fourth of July Picnic" Wolfe discovers a murder at a picnic, attempts to flee without reporting it, and must expose the murderer before he himself gets arrested for obstructing justice. In "Murder is No Joke" Wolfe provides all the usual suspects with an ironclad alibi. How can he break an alibi that he himself provides?

Classic murder mysteries rarely bear any resemblance to reality. I've handled hundreds of homicide cases over the years, and the puzzles presented by real life homicide investigations bear no resemblance whatsoever to the puzzles presented in murder mysteries. You can imagine my pleasure on finding that Wolfe solved one of the mysteries in this book with exactly the same stratagem employed in a case that I prosecuted years ago. I've long since lost track of the investigator who solved that little mystery, but if I ever see him again, I'm certainly going to ask him if he has ever read any Nero Wolfe.

This edition now boasts "As Seen on TV!" on its cover, alluding to the fact that 1 (so far) of the 4 short stories herein has been adapted by A&E. Since 3 of the 4 are set during major holidays, Jane Haddam (author of the Gregor Demarkian holiday mysteries) was selected to write the forward. Apart from her forward and the afterward, the book is pure Stout, set after both _Black Orchids_ and _The Black Mountain_.

All four are murder investigations. The Ingram editorial review incorrectly implies that the killings were committed by 1 person - they're not. The cases are unrelated, and are only grouped in one volume because of a common holiday theme.

"Christmas Party" - The A&E adaptation is faithful to the story. Archie, having arranged for a day off, receives brusque instructions to cancel his plans and drive Wolfe out to Mr. Hewitt's for a special orchid powwow. He whips out a marriage license (!), with the news that he must attend his fiancee's office Christmas party that day. You've _got_ to read this one, if only for Wolfe's reaction to this. :)

"Easter Parade" - Rumor (via his gardener) has it that Millard Bynoe has bred a pink Vanda, but he refuses to admit it or display it before his wife wears a blossom for the Easter parade. Wolfe, giving in to acute orchid envy, has Archie arrange for a petty thief to steal it under cover of parade photographers. Unfortunately, that's the day that someone poisons Mrs. Bynoe, apparently with a dart shot from a fake camera.

When originally published in a magazine, the photos referred to in the text were provided in color as clues. The old hardcover edition of the book provided them in B&W; this edition omits them altogether. It's a pity, but does not detract from the story.

"Fourth of July Picnic" - Wolfe never leaves the brownstone on business; his friend Marko Vukcic (and by extension, his restaurant, Rusterman's) is associated with most of the things that can get him out. He has agreed to give a speech at the annual picnic of the Restaurant Workers of America, if they'll stop harassing Fritz to join their union.

"Murder is No Joke" - A different version of this story appears in _Death Times Three_.

Because of my purposeful separation of religion (my beliefs), pleasure and business, I am not often "moved" to discuss, or even read, books of this nature. However, my godchild was visiting and had just experienced Craig McNair Wilson "live" and had purchased his book. I picked it up - and couldn't put it down. He has an incredible approach to imparting his message with humor, criticism and profundity. The meat of this book lies in McNair's ability to discuss the Bible and Christianity without elevating himself - and relating to it on a practical level. It is hysterical - and meaningful. Real-life words with open criticism to some beliefs and practices. Great for teens and older. Easy reading - great cartoons.

An absolute must for your collection, coffee table or gift occassion. A delightful insight into our "religious beliefs" that will pivot the reader into an introspectful hilarious approach to "our" beliefs. McNair is a wonder and a genius!

Mcnair Wilson is a genius. I could not stop laughing once I opened this book. I had to take a break because I was so exhausted from laughing. Mcnair accurately portrays the problems with Americanized Christianity in a very humorous but still convicting way. Mcnair understands the healing and freedom that comes from being able to laugh at ourselves. For anyone who grew up going to church or avoids church religiously, this book is for you. You will enjoy Mcnair's wisdom and humor, and you might end up a little freer on the other side.

The story of a rising young star and her troubles with the past. A great book, yet not the best of Streatfeild. A good read for those who can get there hands on it.

This is a fun filled adventure through the streets of London. Great book if you can find it!

This is an amazing tale. It fits together with a neat story. A young girl gets an amazing chance for the theatre. It's a great book if you can find it.

I found this book very exciting. My favourite character is George, who is never afraid of anything, and Timmy the dog who always comes to the rescue. In this story I found the spook trains very spooky, and enjoyed imagining them racing undergrond! However, I did not like the fact that the adventure seemed so short.

Five Go Off to Camp is a great book but in my imagination I do not like the look of Lewis and Tiger Dan! I have read other Famous Five books and liked this one the best. It was very exciting and very risky but the brave Five never stop their adventure. I did not think there would be any thieves in this adventure but something always pops out in their holidays! Don't stop now Five! You have got plenty more adventures to come! If you're sensitive about cruelty to dogs you may not want to read it.

This book is completely worth the money... You'll have fun reading it! I got hooked on it right when I started, this book has it all... action, suspense, adventure etc.

I recommend this book to all readers!

This book is a powerful, sharp hitting expose' on some of the areas of our human nature that can easily be hidden to others. Lisa is bold in pulling no punches as she details behaviours that we are all prone to and often justify because 'everyone else is doing it'. Lisa highlights many areas specific to our modern situations where we fail to love,honour, fear and serve God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. In doing this we are failing to obey Jesus' first command (Matt 23:37&38). And in failing the first, we cannot obey the second (v.39). Prior to reading this book, I am ashamed to say that it was often the consideration of what others would think of me that determined my speech and actions, not a reverant fear of serving my Creator and Lord

This book helps women specifically to realise the enormity of what it is to serve God in this complete way. It is quite literally the loss of all control, leaving total faith dependance in the Lord and Creator of the Universe. It was not until I read this book that I realised how poorly I was performing in many areas of my life, in comparison to Gods perfect standard. Areas where I may have suspected some sickness if I had cared to heed my very muted conscience, and others where I was totally blind & in darkness. The chapters on fear and gossip were almost mind-blowing, as the depth of information contained within shone much needed light and understanding on how deeply rooted these things are, dictating many of my thoughts, responses, directions.

Many anecdotes throughout the book are evidence of Lisa's personal experience of complete submission to the rule of God in her life. The vulnerable position that this puts her in gives credence to what she is saying, and a definite sense of equal achievability to the reader.

The only areas of reservation I would express are the many narratives of Lisa's personal two-way conversations with God. I do not have as much knowledge as I would like on the subject of unhindered human interaction with God. I do not personally feel confident to say I hear the voice of God giving me specific direction. I do however, acknowledge that God being God may choose to reveal himself in many ways, and I have learnt not to discredit the spiritual experiences of others based upon the fact that I myself may not have had a similar experience. Reading this book has made me want to investigate this further ... is such a clear communitive pathway available to me also as my submission to Gods complete control over my life deepens?

I love Lisa Bevere books and Out of Control & Loving It is one of my favorites. Why? Because Lisa's ministry allows her to be transparent, which means she speaks from her own personal struggles, and shares how the Lord brought her through. In this book she admits how she tried to be in control, but that in losing control (giving it over to God), she actually gained control. Her writing eases the readers fears, lets them know they aren't alone, and gives them a scriptural and practical perspective that is most helpful. I recommend this book as well as the others she's written.

Lisa Bevere is a true Godsend. How marvelous it is to relinquish control over aspects of our lives that we were never meant to handle in the first place. And how maturing is it to realize what we do have control over..our responses...and how that allows us to make the right choices in life. God Bless this woman and her ministry. Trust me, this is not just a book for the Women of God. Everyone should read this!

I use this book a lot when I have questions about love and romance. Particularly when I want to know specific questions about someone or a relationship coming up. It's not the best book for a generalized answer though. But, each card is defined by who and what to expect. It even gives clues to what your sex life could possibly be like with a particular person. Best of all it's a positive book and doesn't dwell on any negative aspects of the cards.

I have had previous experience with Ms. Vega's co-authored work "Power Tarot." I can't begin to say how pleased I was to find this new work, that dealt so specifically with relationships. I find that most of the people who want readings have relationship questions. This book has great spreads to cover just about every aspect of a relationship. And the interpretations of the cards are a great jumping off point for finding your own truth in the card.

Since I have begun using the spreads from this book, I've received a lot of compliments from my clients about how "dead on" I am to their situation.

Overall, I think this book would be of great use to the beginner to intermediate reader, as well as a good resource for the more advanced.

You could call a "psychic friend" and spend big bucks. Or you could buy this little guide and learn to use the Tarot yourself to shed a little light on your love life. Phyllis Vega, co-author of the wonderful Tarot spread resource, "Power Tarot...", has put together a terrific Tarot book specifically related to romance and affairs of the heart.

The 40 original Tarot spreads vary in complexity (from 3 to 12-card spreads). They cover a wide range of questions relating to romance and partnerships, such as, whether or not your new relationship is love, where your relationship is headed, choosing between two loves, how to let go and move on, career conflicts between couples, will your kids or pets get along, an anniversary relationship overview, and whether or not your significant other is cheating on you. By using/studying the spreads, readers may be inspired to create some of their own for issues Vega may have missed...though it's hard to think of any.

Vega also provides very detailed card descriptions. There's a general interpretation for each card and key phrases are also provided to help remember card meanings. Seven other categories of romance-related interpretations are provided for each card; expectation, emotional potential, sexual potential, material potential, spiritual potential, challenges and outcome. Though Vega doesn't have reversed meanings for the cards, she discusses how to read the cards reversed, if desired. Though not specifically recommended by Vega, I think her "challenges" category of interpretation could be read for reversed cards quite effectively.

She also provides a brief section on Tarot background and basics and four sample readings at the back of the book. This book is a fun and highly informative work. All levels of users will fall in love with this accurate, in-depth guide to using the Tarot for questions of the heart.

Barney and Baby Bop go to the grocery store (which is actually a Tom Thumb location in Dallas) and talk about stuff to buy.

My only problem is that this is supposedly two friends chatting in the store, but their "conversation" is in a stilted, forced verse. Why the author felt it had to be rhyme like this, is beyond me. She should leave the poetry to Dr. Seuss and just let the two guys have fun in the store.

I'd choose another book in the "Go To" series if I were you.

I'm a preschool teacher and we used this book before we left on our field trip to the grocery store. It was great! I highly recommend the series for preschoolers. Great photos and few words. Wonderful!

My 3-year-old loved this book. It gives clues to certain foods that Barney needs to put in his cart, and your child, along with Baby Bop, can guess what those foods are. And they're all healthy foods, too! Great job to the authors

Each summer, thousands of kids go off to camp for the first time. Naturally, it can be a scary experience (for both parents and kids alike!), but thanks to the Berenstain Bears, we can breath a little bit easier - sharing this book can definitely help to ease some of the pre-camp jitters. In the story, Mama and Papa sign up Brother and Sister Bear for a week-long summer day camp. The cubs aren't too excited about going away every day and worry about everything from making friends to encounters with strange insects and animals. The book also does something helpful for kids going away to sleep-over camps: the daycamp for Brother and Sister culminates in a hike and sleepout on the final night, which will help to appease some of the fears of kids who are scared of spending a night or series of nights away from home. In the end, Brother and Sister realize that camp is an excellent way to spend part of the summer, and can't wait to go back next year to play fun, new games, and see the many new friends they have made. "The Berenstain Bears Go To Camp" is a worthwhile addition to your Berenstain Bears library and highly recommended for kids who may be going off to camp or spending time away from home for the first time.

This is a great story to get your child prepared to go to camp. A must read.

The Berenstain Bears GO TO CAMP was a good book. It was about how the cubs wanted to go to a camp because they were bored, but at first they didn't want to go. The sister cub didn't like the idea very much only because she didn't want to spend overnight outside. The brother cub was curios about what "fully supervised" meant. This book taught a good lesson about how you shouldn't turn things down until you try them. At first the cubs didn't want to go but then they tried it and found out they actually liked it. The age level of this book is pretty much all ages. Parents can read this book to their children or young kids can read it on their own. I think this book was a good book and I enjoyed reading it.

As a 4th grade teacher, I've been looking for a book with exercises that will help my students with their writing - something with short, easy to digest information, and something that will allow them to write just a paragraph (as opposed to 1-2 pages). I think the strength of this book is it provides writing opportunities and gives many ideas for writing prompts; however, I don't think it really gives lesson ideas that will help students correct bad writing habits. There's plenty of guidance for the teacher in the way of telling their students what to think about before they begin to write, and there are many clever and diverse writing prompts, but this book does not get into how to correct or avoid writing problems. The reproducible pages are graphic organizers, some of which leave much to be desired (such as those that are circular and curved that do not leave enough writing room). If you are looking for an IDEA book - this will do a great job, but if you're looking for writing lessons - try Scholastic's: Brighten Up Boring Beginnings.

Bought this book to try to help my son get interested in writing, which is something he struggles with a bit. Offers a lot of creative ideas which tie writing into real life (like phone messages) as well as fantasy exercises (describe your a fantasy hideout). It has "exercises" to get them started and break the process down into steps....I'm not a teacher but a former journalist and I know half the battle is getting started.

What a find! Definitely a valuable resource for any teacher teaching grades 3-6. "If they can read, they can write". This magical addition to my bookshelf covers every imaginable type of writing that a student could run across (from blurbs to phone messages). It then provides very friendly graphic organizers to help put this writing into play. Lots of extensions to carry young writers BEYOND in their writing development.

How long does it take a little bear named Bartholomew to get ready for bed? Long enough for a big gentle bear named George to finally pick him up and carry him off. The stall tactics continue in the bedroom, this time with "giggling" and "wiggling" and "cuddling" and "huggling". Author illustrator Virginia Miller wrote this after her first book about the little bear with the big name, On Your Potty, grew in popularity. She enhances her spare text (only 100 words) with illustrations outlined in wide pencil and colored with soft, earth-toned markers. Ba is now out of diapers, but does not seem to be out of his "Terrible Two" stage. This story is cute, but probably not our favorite Ba story. I recommend the book Bartholomew Bear, a collection of five toddler tales of the same lovable bear at a great price.

I actually checked this book out of the library for Alex, but it has made its way into the nightly rotation. When Bartholemew says "Nah, nah, nah, nah, NAH!" there is always a giggle, even though he's almost asleep. I can't wait to get 'On Your Potty'.

This book, along with Virginia Miller's other two books about these bears, "Be Gentle!" and "On Your Potty!" are pitched perfectly to the toddler set. In this book, Bartholomew, the toddler bear, resists going to bed even though he is obviously tired. He seems to be waiting for the big bear to set limits, though, because once he is *in* bed, he enjoys his hugs and tickles and (eventually) settles down. Miller's storytelling style miraculously resonates with my child and yet ultimately depicts the outcome that I, as the parent, want to happen - without seeming preachy, heavy handed, or in anyway untrue to life. The artwork is adorable too. Neither one of us has gotten tired of reading this book over and over after many months.