House

This book was outstanding. It was one of my personal childhood favorites, and for good reason. This book is ideal for parents to read to younger children, and older, more advanced readers will be proud to be able to read it. The language used is descriptive and really sets you in the book, but isn't too hard to read for children of about 6. And if the plot doesn't quite entrance you, the illustrations are remarkable. I highly recommend it for any child!

We loved Waddell's gentle story and Barrett's lovely illustrations. One aspect of the story that we found particularly appealing was the portrayal of the overtaking of the house by nature as interesting and positive--many insects and animals come to live in the house and plants cover the walls and floors. Things get a little green and smelly, but the dolls don't mind because it's so interesting to see the changes. Children of all ages will like this tale of finding a new family to love.

The Hidden House is my favorite picture book because it is such a wonderful, magical tale. If you have ever craved a home of your own, filled with history and character, this is a story for you! The illustrations by Angela Barrett are so evocative. When I read it to my students, they always collectively sigh, once they realize the house is being loved. Read it! You'll love it!

Paul does a good job of explaining the construction process,lavishly illustrated with clear photos and drawings. There are many nice projects by the author and others.

This book is perfect for the beginning to intermediate woodworker who has a table saw and plate joiner and needs some guidance on how to use them on projects. Also ideal for swiping ideas or just learning how to do some simple case construction.

The best part of this book is the first twenty two pages. Paul explains customizing and planning a design to fit your need and then goes into working with different materials. He even explains and has a drawing to show the proper way to install a screw. His information on joinery is easy to understand with the shop drawings to help explain them. Most people think you need a large selection of tools to build a project, not so as is demonstrated with the list Paul gives you. Layout and stock preperation along with the triangular marking system is information every woodworker should know to make a project easier to build, and finally someone gives us a simple finish to put on a project instead of worrying about using expensive spray equipment. Throughout the book there are many tips that can be applied to any project. The photos are great, the book is well written with some fantastic projects anyone would be proud to show off in their home. Thanks Paul for a great addition to my library and my shop.

Taunton Press realizes that a how-to book must not only deliver in content, but must be able to stand the abuse that taking it to the shop can cause. They use a slick cover and page material that looks like it could be damp-mopped many times without wilting. The content will also pass the test of time without wilting also. Anthony has brought six great woodworkers, including himself, to take on thirteen different storage projects.

There is probably not a project in this book that anyone would have a problem with. The attention to detail is amazing; from the complete and accurate cut-lists, to the step by step written procedure for each operation with outstanding photographs to illustrate what tool or machine to use. We have all been advised to do "dry clamp-ups" to make sure of glueing sequence and optimum clamp placement. This is covered in detail on almost every project.

For those of you who are Turners, you get your chance on the legs of the Storage Bench, and Allen Spooner shows how to book-match veneer for the Man's Jewelry Box.

I have found Anthony's book to be more than worthwhile addition to my library, and I am sure you will also. Where else can you get working drawings, great instructions and photographs for thirteen projects for this price?

Harom walks along a foreboding tightrope using a long balancing stick of reality. This is not a feel-good book... it's one that grasps the reader from page one and challenges you to continue the walk across the string. Along the way, you will find no saving graces, but ways not to fall down... ways to cope by turning the page.
You won't find policially correct nonsense in this work... you'll find real emotions and real ways the characters deal with them. You'll find yourself in more than one place in more than one character. There are no heros... just people living the best they can with the circumstances they got.
Harmon is a storyteller and not a psychologist. Thank God. Here's a story that makes us interested and want to think. It's refreshing that he doesn't give any answers or excuses... he just tells about how people live and relate in this story.
The details of coming-of-age in a boy's life amidst difficult circumstances is not a new phenominom... here we just get it told in a real way.
Definitly worth reading... it won't take long, either. Once you get started, you won't want to put the book down. Harmon has proven to be a modern master storyteller. Let's hope for more from this writer.

At times the images are wrenching, but always a page turner. Harmon paints a vivid picture of a young boy coming of age in the rural South. Laced with tender and funny moments, Henry is caught in a battle between his mother's aspirations and his father's history, all the while struggling with his own changing body. Not your typical piece of regional fiction, A House All Stilled is timeless, poignant and elegantly written.

Here is a novel that introduces us to three generations of men all seeking to find approval and understanding. The young boy wants his fathers approval but the pressure put upon him make it difficult. He is forced to reach maturity at an early age.This is not always pretty but it has its uplifting moments. The book is a page turner, and I know we have a promising new writer on the scene.

Dr. Thomas Stern's book "House Calls" is a stimulating story of rural medical practice in the 1950's and urban practice in the 1960's. It begins with excerpts from his personal story which are touching and inspiring. He went from being an orphan teenager on his own to a well respected physician. He began his practice in rural Oregon where he had many great adventures. The descriptions of his travails are funny and to the point. He cared for a wide variety of patients and acquired a great insight into the human condition. He describes the priorities and struggles of a young doctor with a growing family and a large practice. His personal, as well as, career aspirations are clearly described. There are many funny moments in the book and some of heartbreak. His joys and sorrows and the misfortunes and successes experienced by his patients are discussed in a very sensitive and caring way.

The years in California provide insight into the visionary efforts of Dr. Stern, a pioneer in the specialty of Family Practice. He developed one of the early residency programs for family doctors in the Los Angeles area and worked for several years as the technical consultant to the hit TV series, Marcus Welby, M.D.

Most readers will be lay people who will gain insight into the workings of a caring physician's heart and mind from the book. As a former rural and later urban family doctor myself, I can attest to the validity of the human drama which Dr. Stern so ably describes. Dr. Stern has textured this book with the art, as well as, the science of medicine as it was practiced in the 1950's and 1960's and provided us all with a good read.

V. Franklin Colon, M.D.

The author practiced family medicine in rural Oregon and Southern California for over twenty years: his reflections and memoirs tell of delivering babies, struggling with heart attack victims and healing challenges, and becoming involved in his patients' lives. House Calls is a warm account of personal challenges and healing.

This is a great read for both the physician and the patient. Its stories are brief,interesting,humorous, and easily understood. A very pleasant experience to be enjoyed by all. Best wishes, Archie W. Bedell, M.D., Ph.D. Director Emeritus, Mercy Health Partners Family Practice Residency Program, Toledo, OH

I thought that this book was really good because it was mostly on Lila and Bruce. (my fave charecters). Lila falls for a docter, Porter Davis after she has an accident. Porter is a phcyo who tries to make Lila belive she is crazy. Also Jess plays tricks on Tom because he moves in with her and Liz.

The House Of Death was so cool, I read it in an hour because I couldn't put it down! I'm a long-time Sweet Valley fan, and the last thiriller this good was Sweet Valley High #???-A Killer On Board. I enjoyed it.

This was a great book. I read it in about two nights because I could'nt put it down. It is very suspenceful. I was really scared for Lila. I can't believe she fell for Porter Davis. I felt bad for Bruce. You'll have to read the book to find out why I felt this way.

I read this book a few years ago and was particularly interested because I had lived for years in Steve Gunderson's congressional district, had met him several times and had voted for him. He was first elected as I recall in 1980 as part of the Reagan Revolution. He was a decent enough fellow, did his job conscientiously and probably with his background in agricultural issues might've ended up as a Secretary of Agriculture perhaps. Whatever his rise was in the Republican Party it pretty much was ended after he was "outed" although I was impressed in the book about his friendship with Newt Gingrich and Gingrich's acceptance of his homosexuality (then again, one of Newt's sisters, I believe, is gay). Say what you want about his personal lifestyle, if it had a bearing on his political future (and how could it not have) then it was the public's loss in the long-run to have a conscientious congressman like Gunderson take himself out of the political arena.

Being the only gay GOP congressman, Gunderson's book is worth reading if only for that fact. I had moved out of his district by the time he was "outed" by "B-1" Bob Dornan but I recall having heard years earlier about his being gay and knew that one of his Democratic challengers during his tenure had struggled with the idea of outing Steve himself in order to try and win the election; this was long before Dornan decided to do what he did. In the end the Democratic candidate decided to keep the news to himself, so to speak, and not make an issue of it. He was soundly defeated in any event, by Gunderson.

As a liberal Democratic activist, I was suprised how much I liked this book. While I had known Representative Gunderson was hardly one of Ginrich's drones, his independence impressed me in some cases.

Throughout the book, Gunderson and his partner are frank in exploring the balancing act between being gay and Republican. It also makes no bones about the dislike for former Representative Robert Dornan (who was thankfuly replaced by Democrat Loretta Sanchez)Yet, at the same time Dornan was responsible for Gunderson's outing, the congressional conservative unwittingly freed his colleauge from a long standing dilema.

Myself included, some allies and GLBT people might forget there are Gay Republicans and they are just as deserving of equal rights as the more typical members of the community. In a non-judgemental tone, this book shows the skeptical reader just how difficult it can be to maintain those two identies. Ultimately, honesty is the best policy.

In a day and age when politicans from both sides of the aisle are caught up with imagery instead of truth, reading this book is a thought provoking and humbiling experience for any individual regardless of party or sexuality. Although I might disagree with some of Gunderson's decisions, I at least know that he has character depth.

Rob Morris and Rep. Steve Gunderson tell their story very well. The layout is very well done with Rob and Steve each having their own section in each chapter. I couldn't recommend a better book to politicaly motivated gay men and women. Oh, and yes, a great cover design too!

A roof over our head is a need just as the air that we breathe, the food that we consume, & the water that we drink. As human gradually evolves & that our mind is getting more complex, a house doesn't serve the need simply but it also has become a form of expression, a display of the occupants' personality &/or their wealth, bringing into fruition an ideal or an -ism, &/or a culmination of both. Irrespective of which countries we're going to, & what cultures we immerse ourselves into, we still need a house to go home to. And the "House Book" delves into the residential end of architecture scale by showing us all range of houses that transcend boundaries, dollar value, time. I view this book as a collage of 500 houses. I wish certain iconic houses could be discussed further with provision of additional pictures but what we are provided with are simply pictures taken from the most potent angles, which supposedly do the most justice to the houses. Having said that, I would opt the strengths & weaknesses are exposed & they are to be judged by their own merits but then, the size of the book would have been increased quite significantly & so does the cost of owning the book. Still, this is an exceptional book with high grade quality pictures, good summary, good end notes for us to delve into a particular style, particular countries. At the end of the book, there is also an index of further information regarding houses that are available for public viewing. Overall, a very well-done book & it is featured permanently & prominently on my coffee table. Highly recommended

A great collection of 500 houses, from huts in thirdworld countries, to historic castles and palaces and estates and chateaus, to modern architecture, done by 500 architects. This is a visuals-only book. It does not have much information about the buildings or the architects, but it makes up for the lack of text with the large, vibrant photos, which is what the book is all about. This book is a trade-off - it has more homes and architects than any other book out there, but it also has very little information, since with 500 architects, that only leaves one per page.

Fun to look through and mentally design the dream estate of my retirement years...and to learn about a lot of architects I'd never heard of.

Why ....O....Why is this book so cheap???!!??? It's so wonderfully done. Each designer gets exactly one page (even Frank Lloyd Wright). One beautiful photograph(and thank [goodness] not too many words), then on to the next,500 in all; an incredibly diverse view of the different ways that "Home" is accomplished, with suggestions in fine print of other entries that might interest you if you like this one. Every book I've ever bought even close to this quality really hurt me at the checkout counter....but this one is [PRICE]..!!?? Perhaps it's the ugly cover photograph of bricks. Who knows, but inside is one of the most incredible and inspiring collections of images I've seen in a long time...kind of like "Shelter" without the excess verbage. Years ago, my sister cut thousands of small photographs out of years of National Geographic and laminated them into an incredible montage that covered the entire wall surface that separated the kitchen from the dining room. Colors, textures and images provided us with endless amusement. I'm ordering 2 extra copies of this book to chop up. No [kidding], I'm not associated with this book in any way, I'm just an economy minded Architect that can spot an incredible buy.

The poems bring us close to nature and enable us to create a link of awareness that is sometimes soft, sometimes shattering. We are connected closely to the animals and birds - "The Kookaburras" made me cry. The reality of death is treated in a way that makes us pay attention and live NOW and know that when we are enveloped by that vast darkness, as everything eventually is, it will be alright.

I've read just about everything that Mary Oliver has written...and something about "House of Light" makes me sit up and LISTEN to the natural world. These poems -- I think especially of "The Kookaburras" -- invite us to become more accountable for every thought, action, and gesture. Mary's poems break my heart open again and again; they're soul-food for me; they remind me of what is essential. Mary is a compassionate witness for the exquisite minutae of life.

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend, and found it to be a spiritually-filling experience. I particularly like the imagery of "The Ponds". Read it, all of you!

This is the sequel to MOONSPEAKER, which is an excellent fantasy. Once again, I enjoyed reading about this world of psi talents. I did go down a star because some of the side trips were a little mind-boggling. I would also have liked a little bit more interaction between Haemas and Kevisson. They spend most of the book apart, which is a shame because they make a fabulous couple. But that's the romance reader in me.

I enjoyed the story of young Haemas on the run from her home for a crime she doesn't remember committing. She is pursued by both good and evil searchers. The use of psi talents is put to good use by the author. I went directly to the sequel, HOUSE OF MOONS.

The Kashi Lords of Desalaya can enter the snug warrens of another mind as easily as gold slips through water. This is the world of Haemas, daughter and young heir to the House of Tal'ayn, who must relearn to guard her whispered thoughts and rebuild her powers when she flees her mountain home of Kith Shiene, tormented by half-memories that she may have murdered her father.

Haemas is pursued through the protective psi barrier and into the coarse Chierra lowlands by her cousin, Jarid, who hopes to destroy the only link to the truth locked in Haemas's mind. She is also sought by a trained searcher, Kevisson, intent on returning her to face the Council. But a third power seeks Haemas, one that can remember a time before the Kashi Lords learned to misuse the mysterious ilsera crystals and threaten the very existence of Desalaya.

Moonspeaker is a finely crafted tale to curl up with in front of a fire on a cold night whether you are fond of fantasy or science fiction.

I loved this book as I did her first. I relate well with her lifestyle, for it is mine too. I worship the solitude living alone can give me. I can laugh along with Amy as she battles the Wasps and spiders. I can share her fun at being able to walk "nekked" in the house whenever needed and in the fact we are not bound by someone elses rules. Noone can tell us how or when the house should be clean. Ms Blackmarr is my hero :-)

The last time we saw Amy Blackmarr (in the fine "Going to Ground: Simple Life on a Georgia Pond"), she had been forced to give up her pondering on the pond and was headed to the North Georgia mountains. However, she somehow got derailed and wound up in a peculiar little house in Kansas. No problem, in her newest work, "House of Steps: Finding the Path Home," she still finds plenty of adventures to share with us, including some from her past life. And her reflections on life, love, family and nature are as sharp as ever. As she did on the pond, Amy still finds snakes and other interesting creatures to deal with, and some of the people are pretty wild too. She even wins the battle of the mailbox, sort of. Either of her books is just the right length for a trip to the beach, or a few hours in the backyard. One more thought: If you like these books, you should also try "Ecology of a Cracker Childhood" by Janisse Ray, another South Georgia woman with a heart for nature.

While Blackmarr's first book was about having the courage to follow your dream, this book seemed to be about your dream later taking you to a place where you didn't really expect or want to go--in her case, back to Kansas--and drawing what meaning you can out of it. But Blackmarr has such an incredible knack for finding meaning in just everyday experiences, what she calls "the remarkable and incorruptible process of living from ordinary day to ordinary day." This book worked on many levels for me. It's hilariously funny sometimes, has some great characters, like the stove man and the wasp lady, but it's also intensely spiritual. It has a zen-like acuteness to it. Yet it's a fast, easy reade. There's a great deal in a small space, here.