House

Every day in my work as a Long-Term Care Insurance Specialist I work with families as they try and develop a Strategy to deal with the the potential for a love one or themsleves needing long term care. In most cases until something happens to one's own family most people are in deniel. "It will happen to someone else but never to me or our family."

I always try to paint a picture for potential clients by using my own families experiences with needing care to make the issues more real. From now on I will just give them a copy of the book. It will do a much better job.

I read the "House On Beartown Road" in one sitting on a rainy Sunday with tears in my eyes as I finally understood how lucky my own family was to have had my mom as a fulltime caregiver to both sets of grandparents as well as my father over a period of years. People like Elizabeth Cohen and my mom are great examples of loving family members that did what needed to be done with grace, dignity and a sense of humor. I didn't understand or fully appreciate the concept of being a caregiver while running around in my on life and watching my mom from a distance but after reading the book I sure did!

I strongly suggest that every adult with aging parents read the book today as tomorrow may be to late. It will make you think in many different ways. For some reason I really think the author wrote the book to help the rest of us to be better prepared to deal with this growing national crisis of aging parents. Thanks to Ms. Cohen.

Th

I've read and reviewed lots of books about Alzheimer's, but I think I can honestly say this is the most beautifully written that I've ever read. Elizabeth Cohen, at the time a single parent, writes of her baby girl Ava's growing and learning at the same time that she write's of her retired Economics professor father's forgetting and his descent into Alzheimer's disease. Set in a rural New York state farmhouse, the events of daily life bring both tears and laughter, and the helpful caring neighbors warm our hearts. Every time I began reading, I didn't want to put down this book, and yet, I didn't want to finish because I knew how I would miss Elizabeth, her Daddy, baby Ava, Jody the helpful caregiver, and all of the wonderful neighbors that surrounded them. Highly recommended, a must read for all caregivers of Alzheimer's patients!

The House on Beartown Road is an insightful memoir of how Elizabeth Cohen and her family cope with her father's journey down the path of Alzheimer's Disease. I originally bought this book because of my own dad's struggle with this disease; I felt the anger and the heartache and the unfairness of it all. Elizabeth changed my outlook. She reached out with her own story and taught me that along with the tears, there are still memories that can be created and laughter that can be shared. She understands. I cannot thsnk her enough for writing with such warmth and honesty. It's so cathartic that I've read it over and over again.

The Big House on Cape Cod was built more than a century ago by the author's great-grandfather. It weathered 2 world wars, joy and tragedy, the changing seasons and fortunes of two families, and the transition from the simpler life-styles of past times to our own modern 'very fast is still too slow' culture. When the house becomes financially untenable for family members to maintain, Colt returns for one last visit before it goes on sale...and there the story, a touching and wistful memoir, begins. Don't miss this lovely book.

"The Big House" is a big piece of work by George Howe Colt.
For a century, "The Big House," an eleven bedroom architectural gem on Cape Cod, has been in the Atkinson/Colt family. At the start of the book, Colt describes taking his young family to the house for what may be the last summer. Alas, the extended family can no longer afford to keep the home and it must be sold.

The house has served as a center of gravity for this family, a place which pulls them back each summer to live out graceful and simple Boston Brahim traditions. The house also serves as a metaphor for the fading fortunes of this once wealthy, once socially prominent family whose entire caste-the Brahmins of Boston--has become irrelevant.

Through the prism of the house and its meaning to his family, Colt also delves into his family's history of mental illness, of marriages that become estranged, of boys that start out as golden children and end up tarnished old men.

He also recounts his own story. He began his adult life as a young Brahmin with disdain for his heritage. Now in mid-life and a New Yorker, he is deeply proud of the many traits (e.g., thrift, reverence for family) bred deep in his bones.

I would recommend this book to those who gravitate towards serious memoirs and thoughtful accounts of profound issues (e.g., meaning of family). It is a beautiful read.

Built by the author's great-grandfather 100 years ago on a peninsula stretching out into Buzzards Bay from Cape Cod, the big house is a landmark. The four-story, 19-room jumble of roof lines, gables, bays and dormers is the emotional home and the center of gravity for the Colt family through the 20th century.
The big house is a wonderful place. Anyone who ever understood the use of the word "summer" as a verb can feel the emotions, smell the smells, hear the creaks in the floors and appreciate the melancholy of the fading glory of this monument to family, local history and old New England aristocracy.
The big house silently presided over five weddings, four divorces and three deaths. There were countless anniversaries, reunions, birthdays, nervous breakdowns, conceptions and love affairs. Author George Colt blends humor and affection as he describes the rise and fall of the significance of his family's social class while saluting his ancestors' deliberate manner and their deep-seated pleasure found in this place at the shore.
For a century everyone returned and worshipped the familiar. It was an unchanging place in a changing world. It was sanctuary for 100 years. But even the best summers come to an end, and people must move on.
The context for this memoir is Colt's pilgrimage to the big house with his own wife and children as his extended family comes to grips with the impossible task of maintaining or renovating the old house in a time when "new money," sterile architecture and thoughtless development are the norm. The big house is being sold.
Colt's book is a gift to anyone with memories centering around a family place and the legends of parents, grandparents and great-grandparents who went there before.
Reviewed by Carroll Colby and the North Star Monthly, Danville VT

Ivan Doig's "This House of Sky" is one of the most moving books I have read. Raised in Montana myself, I can relate to almost every segment of this well written book. I have given it as gifts to several family members, all who have raved about it. Thanks, Ivan, for special memories and sharing your life.

Thank-you Ivan Doig. This book is wonderful. I had started the book and then put it down realizing that I wanted to savor this book. I picked this book up again after reading Close Range by Annie Proulx. What a relief House of Sky was. Great way to see Montana, the writing takes you there.

This is Ivan Doig's story of growing up in Montana. It was not an easy life. His widowed father kept Ivan close, made sacrifices, taught him everything he knew. The father even made a truce with his mother-in-law for Ivan's sake. Ivan was raised by two strong characters! Which made Ivan a strong character.

I would highly recommend this book. It touches all the parts of your heart.

As a writer, Ivan Doig is something of a favorite son in Montana, and for good reason. His memoir is a rhapsody of affection for the land where he grew up -- the small towns, homesteads and ranches in the Smith River Valley, along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, extending north to the Blackfeet Reservation on the Canadian border. It's also a wonderful and often touching story of a father and son. Born in 1939, Doig begins his tale with the emigration of his forebears from Scotland to Montana. At the end, in the 1970s, he has emerged as a writer with a graduate degree, living in Seattle, with rich and deeply felt memories of the people and the land he has known -- the house of sky.

An only child, his mother dying when he is six years old, Doig is raised by his father, Charlie, who works various jobs, sheepherding, haying, moving from place to place, and for a while leasing a small ranch of his own, his son in tow. Charlie is a hard-working man, with a big heart and tender love for his son. Concerned by a turn of bad health, he is reconciled to his mother-in-law, who did not approve of her daughter's marriage to him, and the three of them become a family that remains together until Charlie's death at age 70.

The book captures and preserves in detail a way of life that has almost vanished from America. Doig tells of growing up in wide open spaces among livestock and wildlife, learning from his father the skills of making a living off the land and surviving against the odds. He attends small town schools, spending the winters in rented rooms, seeing his father and grandmother only on weekends. Much of his time spent with adults or alone, he grows up more quickly than his peers and learns to love solitude.

At 300+ pages, this is not a long book, but it's no page-turner. You find yourself reading it slowly, relishing the rich prose style that captures the poetry in this landscape of mountains, valleys, and plains, as well as the people, with their personal quirks, habits, ways of talking, and often eccentric behavior. In fact, the book reads much like a novel, full of stories, colorful characters, humor, pathos, suspense, and adventures. The vividness of Doig's writing reflects his training as a journalist, and I suspect that he may have been influenced more than a little by the novels of Thomas Wolfe. I recommend "This House of Sky" to anyone with an interest in the West, nature writing, books about growing up, family sagas, ranching and rural life. As a companion volume, I recommend Wallace Stegner's "Wolf Willow," about his boyhood in southwestern Saskatchewan.

Gordon Rhea's book on the vicious fighting collectively know as the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House will endure as the "prime" example for all future writers of battle histories. His narrative of the action is riveting, bringing vividly to life the violence of Civil War combat. Never have I read such descriptions of the physical exertions and emotional impact of men trying to kill each other. Rhea has subtly mixed in at just the right moments examples of humour and levity that balance the combat scenes. He also illustrates very well how the lack of communication between Grant and his minions created the proverbial "fog of war" that allowed the Army of Northern Virginia to stave of disaster and maybe ending the war right there. His research appears to have been exhausting and the effort shows. The book reads like a thriller and I could not put it down. I thought I knew the battle pretty well but picked-up new data on virtually every page. This book should garner numerous awards and be a part of every Civil War and military history buff's library.

Gordon C. Rhea has done it again. Mr. Rhea wrote a compelling battle narrative on the desperate fighting in the Wilderness that appeared on the book shelves in 1994. After I read that history, I wondered to myself, how in the heck would he follow up on his excellent treatment on the Battle of the Wilderness. With his latest volume on the Battle of Spotsylvania, he has certainly done that. Rhea, with this latest book has established himself as one of the finest historians writing about the war today. He has brought all of the elements together...Bravery, tragedy, incompetence, and yes, humor in a narrative that truly describes the horrors Americans went through during those awful days in early May, 1864. Mr. Rhea's description of the events on May 12, 1864 are harrowing, unbelievable, and heartbreaking. The struggle for the Bloody Angle becomes all too real for the reader. The unbelievable, heroic combat for those earthworks on the hallowed ground of the Spotsylvania Battlefield makes me proud of both sides as they fought during that rainy day. Each side gave their all....and they showed what Americans are all about. Special thanks for the maps of George Skoch. Mr. Skoch's work really helps the reader understand the campaign. A must for all students of the Civil War....Rhea has written a classic!

Gordon Rhea makes an important leap forwards in "grand scale" Civil War writing with his work on "The Battles for Spotsylvania Courthouse May 7-12,1864". Unlike his previous release covering the Battle for the Wilderness, Rhea has obviously incorporated all critiques and takes a bold step forward with this masterpiece of Civil War writing. The battle descriptions, everyday soldier stories and maneuver/tactic summaries along with the extensive array of maps (all in the correct context!) converge with this amazingly described battle story.

Rhea begins this book with the disengagement of the Federal forces following the tactical draw at the Wilderness. Detailed troop movements on both sides of the lines encompass most of the first quarter of the book and Rhea does an excellent job at describing who went where and explaining why it is important to understand that the movements of Confederate Richard Anderson towards Spotsylvania Courthouse (a small crossroads hamlet southwest of Chancellorsville) in a timely manner (his march from the Wilderness to Spotsylvania occurs hours ahead of schedule and barely beats the Federals to this important strategic holdpoint) made the difference in the ensuing battles.

The initial engagements at Laurel Hill/Spindle's Farm on May 8th set the stage for the Siege/trench warfare that follows and Rhea adroitly explains troop layouts and maneuvers in this important prelude to the subsequent major battles. As in the Wilderness struggle, this battle period also covers two main areas...the infantry confrontations at Spotsylvania and the cavalry maneuvers/battles between Phil Sheridan's complete corps of Union cavalry and Jeb Stuart's partial Confederate corps as they head to a climactic engagement at Yellow Tavern north of Richmond (culminating in the un-timely death of Stuart...a major blow to the Southern cause).

Rhea goes on to point out how vulnerable the Confederate "Muleshoe" entrenchments at Spotsylvania are and how Union Colonel Emory Upton is partially successful with his May 10th charge at the west side of the salient. U.S. Grant sees this and uses this same tactic to attack the northwest "angle" on May 12th. The resulting "Bloody Angle" encounter is the highlight of the book. Charge after senseless charge is depicted along with chilling descriptions of the resulting carnage...this clearly was the Civil War at it's most gruesome (apologies to those who say that Antietam, Fredericksburg or Chickamauga were the bloodiest). Rhea descibes..."In places, the combatants pressed so close that their flagstaffs crossed. 'The fighting was horrible,' a Mississippian recalled. 'The breastworks were slippery with blood and rain, dead bodies lying underneath half trampled out of sight.' The 16th Mississippi's flag stood at the salient's apex, like a challenge to the Federals. Wave after wave of Union assaults battered the point. Between charges, the Confederates cleared corpses from the trenches and loaded and stacked their rifles in preparation for the next onslaught. 'The powder smoke settled on us while the rain trickled down our faces from the rims of our caps like buttermilk on the inside of a tumbler,' penned a Mississippian who had stood not ten feet from the flagstaff. 'We could hardly tell one another apart. No Mardi Gras Carnival ever devised such a diabolical looking set of devils as we were. It was no imitation affair of red paint and burnt cork, but genuine human gore and gun powder smoke that came from guns belching death at close range' ".

Rhea then closes the book with an excellent Epilogue...expert analysis of both side's tactics and rationale are given and he absoluetly does not hesitate to indict both Leaders (Grant far more than Lee this time) for failures in thinking and command. In the final analysis, this is a watershed in Civil War battle history. Rhea now shows that he deserves mention with the best Civil War historians of the day (notwithstanding my critique of his first work) and I eagerly look forward to reading the rest of his Overland Campign histories. I highly recommend this book!

I was skeptical about reading this book but a good friend of mine recommended it. This friend has a photo of my daughter, her god-daughter, in a section of her house with a lot of other similar photos of friends and family, and one day she explained to me why my daughter's photo was in that particular spot in her house. Its placement was very intentional; it had something to do with affecting the "energy" of her home...then she told me about Denise Linn's book. This book is not a joke written by some far-out flake in California. This book is seriously written and researched by a highly educated and skilled woman. It is applicable not only to houses, but to any place of residence or even an office space. You are a part of your environment. The space in which you live affects your mood and psyche, and there are ways to improve your well-being by improving your environment. That is what this book is about. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It made a lot of intuitive sense, even if I didn't understand the "science" of it all

Forget fuzzy theories! This author gets right to the point with helpful, specific little ideas to make your home feel better and to make you feel better in your home. I have had this book for two years and continue to pick it up regularly and get ideas I can use. Some of the ideas fall within the realm of decorating while others get at changing the energy of a space with everything from chimes to water or candles. The book is very readable and easy to actually USE (unlike most of those feng shui books that go so deeply into theory that I never know what I am supposed to DO about it all!). For more specific decorating ideas in this same vein, I also highly recommend EVERYDAY COMFORTS, which is filled with practical ideas and beautiful color photos. I put those two books, Sacred Space and Everyday Comforts, plus a candle, in a birthday gift basket for my sister, and she loved it. Since buying Everyday Comforts, I find I am using that book all the time, too. It is relaxing just to flip through that book, but i love all the specific ideas that I can quickly accomplish to make my home more comforting.

I read this book after I read Karen Kingston's "Space Clearing" book, and, even though the two authors apparently work together, the two books are like night and day in their approach. Ms. Kingston's book was very rigid and authoritative. Although Ms. Kingston's techniqes may work for some, her book made me feel anxious and "wrong". Ms. Linn's book encourages people to rely on their own intution and trust their own feelings rather than following traditonal "rules". She gives examples of space clearing techniques from many cultures and encourages you to make your own rituals rather than following some set technique.

You may not agree with all Ms. Linn's ideas, but she presents them in a way that allows you to consider them and then make your own decisions, rather than telling you that you have to believe what she believes. Reading this book was like talking to a wise, loving, friend - I recommend it.

My name is Cassie I'm a girl in Mr.Wells fifth grade. I go to a school in Arizona. I'm10 years old all most 11 years old. Ireally liked the book because I got goose bumps.I was still scared when there are even other kids in the room. It was dark and the Author did a good job she made the book be real. Jason is 12 years old in the book . He is very brave to go down in the basement. If I went down there I would freaked out. Sally is 4 years old she's Jason's sister.She has an imagenary friend name Bobby.Sally is sometimes annoying. One of the characters to watch for isTHE WITCH! She is so mean . She lives in the basement.The witch needs a bath and to brush her teeth.

Hi my name is Bradley. I'm in 5th grade. I live in Tucson, Arizona. I'm in Mr. Wells' class. This book is a wonder. If you like R.L. Stine and get scared you'll get even scarder than ever. Cause the athour made all the characters come to life. I like this book because I like scary books and because it's better than R.L. Stine. I also like this book because if I were in Jason's spot this story never would have happened. Becase I would have left the first nidgt.Oh your wondering who Jason is. Well i'll tell you. Jason is a very brave 12 year old. He has some friends. There names are Lucy and Steve. Jason, Lucy,and Steve are the main characters. Jason also has a little sistter named Sally. The setting of this book is an old house on Cherry Street. This house is in a small town in Hartsville, California. Hartsville is a made up city. Sally is a 4 year old girl. In this story she gets a playmate. This this play mate possesed her a copule of times. This playmate's name is Bobby. He is invisible. Bobby is about Sally's age.

The book The final Nightmare is a book full of excitement. It is a book that you just can't put down. I highly recomend it. on a scale of 1-10 I would rate the book an 11. If you're looking for an exciting book, read The Final Nightmare. Rodman Philbrick is a wonderful author. When you read the book it feels like you're there.

This is a truly eye-opening book that I would not be without the next time I consider purchasing a new home. "The Home Inspection Business from A to Z" provides detailed information on what to look for and just how serious various problems might be. Filled with copious illustrations and photographs it is easy to see exactly the problems the author is discussing.

The coverage is extensive enough to start you in the business of home inspections and Mr. Cozi goes through the details of what is necessary to begin such a venture. Areas discussed include heating systems, air conditioning systems, water heaters, foundations, plumbing, septic, electrical systems, roofs, walls, decks, flooring, and just about anything else you can think of. Before reading the book I had no idea the number of potentially serious problems that can be easily discovered with a minimal inspection and some basic knowledge. This is a highly recommended book for anyone looking to purchase a new home, considering purchasing a home for investment purposes, or looking to start a new business.

The primary purpose of this book is to help you become an effective inspector of homes, but the audience is much broader than that. If you own a home or are thinking about buying one, then you should read it. It will help you develop that critical, discerning eye concerning what to look for in spotting flaws in a house.
I spent almost eight years as a construction worker, six where I was the foreman, and have performed many repairs to my own homes. And yet, there was much in the book that I was unaware of. It was a learning experience for me, and it will be for you. Unless you find the perfect house or are already an expert, buying this book and reading it will be time and money that will be returned many times over.

Guy Cozzi knocks it out the box with this very informative book on what to do look for when buying a House&things that must be on point when you want your House.I had the pleasure of reading this book&was moved by the details&things were said in a way that everyone could relate to.very classy on Mr.Cozzi's Part with all of His details&helpful tips.a must have.

Ah, the adventures of Pooh & Co. Far fewer people have read these light lovely little books than seen their animated semi-accurate Disneyfications. Should the average reader choose to actually read, "Winnie the Pooh", they'd find a series of adventures set in a child's safe/tame landscape. The great recommendation of this book (and its subsequent sequals) is the jokes that kids won't get but that adults will adore. Aside from some of the more C.S. Lewis-like twistings of the English language, some characters are written as charicatures of the timid, the pompous, and the dejected. After all, who hasn't known their own Owls or Eeyores at some point in their life? In my opinion, Piglet is almost the quintessential timid Englishman. As for the original illustrations, they cannot be improved upon (especially since the movie has so invaded the public consciousness). My advice? Get kids to read this before they see the film (which is probably an impossible thing to desire these days). You won't regret it and they'll take them to heart.

This is a review of the Jim Broadbent recording of the first Winnie the Pooh book. Although it does seem to include the other recordings I have heard, and I expect his version of The House at Pooh Corner would be quite similar.

Jim Broadbendt does a great job reading us WtP. Anyone who has heard the Charles Kuralt version- this version is 300% better. Jim not only has a sense of of humor, but does a different voice for each character. Two things sorely lacking on the CK versions. Now, for those who have heard the Peter Dennis recordings, well, those are better, there's no getting around that. Peter's piglet cannot be topped and he also does the most wonderful versions of the songs I have ever heard. But alas, those tapes are no longer available and Dennis never recorded the entire book(s). So, I figure Jim is still deserving of the 5 stars.

Broadbent does a wonderful job of bringing out the humor in the stories, something which the Kuralt recordings do not. His Eeyore does sound a bit like Ringo Starr- but, that works rather well now, doesn't it? Pooh, well, he's a bit on the not-so-bright side, but he's cheerful and trustworthy. Piglet does sound timid and sweet. Rabbit, well, he could be a bit more edgey in these. Jim has made Rabbit a bit more sympthetic a character than I envision him. Still, the subtle nuances are not lost, even on children. And, it is nice to have an unabridged version of the story available.

My children just love these cds. Which is nice. It's always good to have something that the entire family enjoys and is still a worthwhile use of time. Especialy something that one can listen to in the car that doesn't bore the pants off the driver and yet amuses the children enough to keep them quiet. I highly recommend this version for anyone who would like to expose their child to the original Pooh stories.

Ah, the treasures you come across cleaning out your adult child's closet once he's grown and left the nest. How could I have forgotten this enchanting book? My son used to love Winnie the Pooh and all his friends when he was three years old. In Piglet, Kanga and Baby Roo, Eeyore, Rabbit, Owl and Pooh himself, A.A. Milne created some of the best-loved characters in children's literature. The stories in the book are funny and endearing, what child doesn't laugh out loud over Pooh and Piglet hunting for Woozles, and Eeyore losing his tail? Read this book out loud to your child (or silently to yourself), and you may find yourself transported back to your own childhood:

"Isn't it funny
how a bear likes honey?
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
I wonder why he does?"

As with all the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories, the deep love and rich feeling Laura herself felt and lived jumps comes across as a real, physical thing. I read one of these stories as a child. I remember liking it but I went back and read them recently as a mother. It gave me both a clear, real view of pioneer life. With both the hardships as well as the joys. As through all of the Little House stories, Laura's love and feeling for her family jumps from the pages. I could only wish that all books I read were so true and real.

My mother read this book aloud to me when I was 7, and I cannot remember anything else that enthralled me as much during that entire year. Laura Ingalls Wilder tenderly describes the fun and hardship her family experienced as early American settlers, and Garth Williams' illustrations gave me fodder for countless dreams. One of the best books I can imagine buying for any child.

Laura Ingalls Wilder is an amazing, adventurous pioneer girl. She grew up in the big woods in Wisconsin. She went from the prairie to Plum Creek. Laura has a mother, father and three sisters named Mary, Carrie and Grace. Laura also had a dog named Jack. On the banks of Plum Creek, Laura moved into a sod house. When Laura or her sisters played outside, they might see a cow standing on their sod house. A sod house is mainly made of mud. Over the mud layers laied a nice layer of grass. My favorite part about this book is when Laura invites a mean girl from her class to her house, and then Laura took her down the creek and splashed an insect on her. Laura grew up to be an amazing author. She died in the 1960's. I like to read about people who were pioneers and lived in the 18-1900's.

I recently came across this book again. I remember reading it about six years ago in high school and thoroughly enjoying it. I shared a new chapter of the story with my family every evening. I also remember reading another fictional story about the Oregon Trail, about two sisters travelling alone, the younger one disguising herself as a boy. It was a great story, but I can't remember the title or the author. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, please let me know.

I can't believe this book has gone out of print. I read it 25 years ago and I can still vividly recall many scenes. I wanted to get it for my teenage sons. There are characters that show the best in human nature, and the very worst. But most important are the characters, like Jaimie's father and the wagon train guide, that are a combination of faults and virtues. They show what character is when they face-or avoid-the difficulties that their shortcomings have caused.

This is a touching, funny epic story of a boy's travels across the Wild West. It has remained on my personal list of favorite books since I first read it nearly 20 years ago. I promise I will buy the first fifty reissued copies to give as gifts.....men, women, young and old would love it. But don't take my word for it; it won a Pulitzer!