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I would agree that this book is peculiar, rather than whimsical, but also suggest that peculiarity can be used to good effect. Yes, it grates a bit on the adult sensibility to have Albert standing in the window for several weeks, but the author and illustrator collaborate nicely in this exploration of more complex emotions -- the tale of a youthful man's anxiety about the bad things in life and how his finding commitment to something outside himself lends him greater perspective.

Illustrations are lovely, and the content is appropriate for older kids exploring more complex emotions.

Everyday Albert sticks his hand out the window to see if the weather is just right for him to take a walk. Everyday he decides it is either too windy or too hot because he fears the bad experiences he might have outside-until one day a pair of cardinals force him to open his eyes to the world. Colored pencil illustrations in warm tones. This picture book could be used in a classroom to discuss taking risks, growing up, and 'leaving the nest'. As a middle school teacher, I might have my students write journal responses about someone or something that nudged them to take a chance they were not sure they were ready to take.

A reviewer said about this book that "It's a little perplexing" as though this is somehow bad. But it is precisely this ambiguity that makes _Albert_ such an appealing and valuable book. More authors should do what Napoli does, and create books that make children think--not books of brainteasers, although these have their place, or books about difficult moral decisions, although these too may be useful.

But books about characters who do things differently, who see the world in what most of us would think a quirky way--there is always room for more of these, especially when they are written with the delicate and beautiful language that are Napoli's hallmark, and when illustrated with such astonishing artwork.

Children--and many adults--may not be familiar with the medieval saint-tales where behavior such as Albert's is seen as miraculous evidence of grace. But they will surely see that he is a special person. They will also see that there is more than one way to gain courage to face what we fear. That Napoli does this without any preaching, and with so much sensitivy, is a great accomplishment.

The review below says much of what I would have said about the plot of The Fortune Hunter. This book is better than some others in this early series of Beverley's, though still not as good as Emily and the Dark Angel. Indeed, what I enjoyed most about this book were the opportunities to see Ver and Emily again, happily married and enjoying being together and with their friends. It was fascinating to see a much less cynical, but still non-conformist, Ver.

Amy is in some ways her own worst enemy. She's decided that she needs single-handedly to rescue her family from penury - so she controls their limited finances with an iron hand and when she decides to marry for money, she refuses to settle for Harry Crisp, despite the fact that he's comfortably off. Harry assumes that Amy is suffering under the unkind restrictions of her older sister Beryl - I don't think we ever see that misconception cleared up.

When Amy rejects Harry so cruelly, I was surprised that he was so willing to forgive her and continued to pursue her. But then, he obviously loved her.

Some interesting minor characters in this book: I was particularly taken by Clyta and the Duke, and would have liked to see a more definite resolution there.

Firstly, this novel is part of a series (book #5 I believe. Fortunately, this novel does stand alone although characters from other books pop up here - Sophie and Randal Ashby, Chart and Clytemnestra Ashby, Piers and Emily Verderan (hero and heroine of EMILY AND THE DARK ANGEL, said to be Beverley's best), and even Kevin Renfrew, the Daffodil Dandy (a minor character in DEIRDRE AND DON JUAN).

The story - Amy de Lacy, the beauty and the middle sister, decides that marrying a rich man (who will settle dowries on her sisters, and who will also pay off the debts on her brother's estate) is the only way out of the hard times that have engulfed her family since her spendthrift father's death. Amy - actually Amethyst, but she hates the name - has one older sister Beryl (who is really plain), and a younger sister Jacynth and a brother Jasper. And there are two elder servants who should have been pensioned off, who play a small part in her calculations.

At the beginning of the story, Jasper has just won a small fortune - five thousand pounds - in a lottery. Should the family try and pay off the debts on the estate? Should the family acquire some comforts? Should the family invest the money for an income that will allow them a decent standard of living (they are so poor that they cannot afford real tea)? Or should the money be settled on very small dowries for the three girls and a pension for the servants?

Well, the problem with the last is - who will the girls marry in this isolated part of England? The author's excellent note or preface makes it clear that part of the attractions of a London season was the wider choice of marriage partners. Furthermore, small dowries will not really lure wealthy husbands.

Amy decides to risk nearly all the money on a trip to London, where she is sure that her beauty (and she *is* a beauty) will attract at the very least a wealthy Cit (a London merchant or businessman) who can afford to pay out handsomeley for a beautiful wife who is the daughter of a baronet. True that she has virtually no connections [her mother was a Cit], but she has looks and she is a lady.

In the meantime (before going to London), Amy decides to try and attach the new owner of a nearby estate, although he is a Cit and rather reclusive at that. During a storm, she must seek shelter and thus ends up meeting Harry Crisp, who is the heir to a barony. Harry is smitten by her looks, and intends to propose marriage.

Will Amy marry Harry Crisp, and settle for future riches, and what aid he and his father can give at present? No. The quarrel between them is dramatic when she states her real intentions rather bluntly and destroys all his illusions. Harry returns to his friends (the Verderans), determined to forget this heartless fortune-hunter. I will stop here to avoid spoiling the rest of the book, but seasoned readers will understand that Harry and Amy are destined to meet in the not-too-distant future.

This is a solid, well-crafted and charming book that I would happily recommend to any Regency romance lover who wants a good plot and strong multi-dimensional characters. I liked it rather more than The Stanforth Secrets (Bk 2) and Deirdre and Don Juan (Bk 6).

I love this book. No one else seems to give it the credit it deserves. You can cut the tension with a knife and I was laughing SO hard at the characters' thoughts and imaginations. This was the first regency I ever read and I've read a million after it, but it is still the best.

I bought this manga on a whim. I was visiting my boyfriend and he brought Gravitation 4 over to me, which I had been looking for. When I asked where he got it he showed me, and I saw Les Bijoux sitting there. I picked it up, intrigued by the artwork on the cover, and read the back. It sounded interesting, so I bought it just to check it out. I can't say I'm disappointed! At first the story is confusing. I had no idea what was going on, and had to re-read somethings twice, but the author's notes at the end really did help. I couldn't tell the difference between then men and women in the story half the time, but it was still enjoyable (those are some BEAUTIFUL boys!) The artwork is AMAZING I think, and I can't wait to see what the next volume brings.
While there were times that I was confused and had to slow down to read it, it was well worth what I paid and the time it took. The characters are interesting and you learn more about them as it continues. It's hard to judge a series by the first book alone, so give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

I don't understand what's not to like here. The artwork is AMAZINGLY spectacular-but it's not just "eye candy". And I don't think the plot is very confusing at all, in any case it is explained in the author's note-and volume 2 will tie up loose ends. Personally, I found it very enjoyable and a delight to read because of the beautiful art and unique world, as well as the fabulous characters! If you like "Pet Shop of Horrors" (and why WOULDN'T you?) or "Under the Glass Moon" then you'll definitely love Les Bijoux. Even if you don't, still buy it...if nothing else, for the quality of the artwork which is unparalleled!

I saw the book and though it looked confusing, i was willing to try it. The art is beautiful and the story is interesting. It is rather confusing but i am willing to read the other books to understand it.

As to what's it about, a boy is born by a dwarf and a hunchback, and has a curse that turns him into a girl at random times. His family is killed and he decides to get revenge and overthrow the tyrants that rule the world he lives in.

It is alot like Barasa, the plot at least, but hopefully they will be different.
Check it out

this book was confusing and very not meaningfull i thought that page lambert did a bad job.

Very good reading, with excellent comments on the Grand Canyon, the experiences of rafting the river and essays on how the canyon touches people in different ways. I have just completed an 8 day trip of over 280 miles in the canyon and experienced every emotion and awe-inspiring moment described in the book. The photographs are worth the purchase price alone. A must read before and after taking a trip down the wonderous Colorado in the Grand Canyon

Writing Down the River grabs your heart and broadens your understanding of the power of the western landscape. The photographs are amazing in themselves; the essays stunning.

Sybil Downing, award winning author of Ladies of the Goldfield Stock Exchange

Natow's and Heslin's book, like most of its kind provides the user with a lot of information. Also like most "counter" books, it suffers from an ineffective use of indention and font styles (bolding, underline, type face size, etc.) Unlike its competitors, it almost completely ignores some very common items. Fresh tomatoes are grievously under represented. Just the green ones are listed. Yeah, so what that the red ripe ones have almost the same nutritional values. Some folks may not know that. And, I want to know the numbers for a single representative plum, grape and cherry tomato. This book says it's "The Most Complete" and it isn't, not in a useful way.Then there is the watermelon. The seeds are listed, but not the flesh! Oh, and watermelon juice is also there(?) You can find generic values for "melon", but I didn't pay for averages across a food type. This book is no worse than its rivals, but it isn't much better either. If you can have only one counter, Corinne Netzer's "The Complete Book of Food Counts" is cheaper, more compact and most importantly, more complete in its inclusion of the items you will be looking for. I give that one an extra star for that combination of benefits. BTW, ...

Very good counter, but needs to be updated with newer brands.

This is definitely a reference guide, not a pocket size book and the price is incredible. I have always had a book like this in my kitchen since I started making baby food for my daughter many years ago. Mine is tattered and well worn but this book has taken its place.

Not only does it cover everything in your kitchen by name brand, as well as generic words like brown rice without the name brand, it has the foods and nutritional value of popular restaurants. There is also a chapter at the end titled "Food facts from A to Z", that is more than helpful with explaining some common terms that are often misunderstood.

The authors have also compiled a book titled NO NONSENSE NUTRITION FOR YOUR BABIES FIRST YEAR that might be helpful to moms. Kelsana 12/10/01

My initial understanding of this book is that the contributors desire to bring to light the problem of racism in the American Church. Each one of the ladies describes her struggle with race issues in her own life, how God and faith helped her to over come those struggles, and now they all wish to help other Christians overcome those similar struggles.

Though I believe the contributors are sincere with the presentation of their individual testimonies, I believe the book fails as a serious, biblical means to confront racism in the Christian Church.

First, I resent the notion, which was threaded throughout the book, that Christians, particularly white, middle class Christians, are denying the hidden sin of racism in their heart. I totally reject that. All true racists are not struggling with the hidden sin of racism; their racism is out there for all to see. This attitude is not characteristic of the majority of Bible believing Christians in the United States.
In reality, I believe Christians struggle with loving one another, but it is not caused by a hidden motive of racism. The reason men mistreat men is that they are sinners, (Rom. 1:29-32, Mark 7:20-23, etc.). People are self-centered. Even after salvation, a Christian may labor with this malady. We are selfish, and we desire to be with folks we are comfortable with, and I believe it is regardless of race. This is something that should be eliminated in a believer's life, not by confessing hidden sins of racism that do not really exist, but as a Christian walks in the Spirit, puts off the old man and puts on the new (Rom. 6, Col. 3).

Secondly, the book places any discrimination or separation between people in a "racist" category. In other words, any true discrimination between people is due to racism and it alone. That is too narrow an accusation. Though it is politically incorrect to point this out, there is more discrimination done to people apart from the issues of race. A good example of such discrimination is that experienced by the mentally and physically disabled. They experience discrimination way beyond what any racial minority has probably experienced. Of course they have wheel chair access to buildings and the ability to park next to the front door, however these people are for the most part shunned by the general populace. People are uncomfortable just being around them. Their arms are twisted by paralysis and it may even be that they cannot communicate at all verbally. Yes, "normal" people will sometimes acknowledge them by giving a condescending, "Hi, how are you?" But, it is usually a pleasantry given so as to be able to move on and not have to deal with an uncomfortable situation.

I also had a serious problem with the 23 ways to improve cross-racial relationships listed at the end of the book encouraging an ecumenical, racial unity. The 8th suggestion, for example, is to march in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade. Why would I want to do that? First, I am mixing my faith with an event that is primarily political. But secondly, I would never want to join in solidarity with people who are pretty much opposed to my world-view and what is best for mankind. My beliefs go against everything Jesse Jackson and other members of the NAACP who sponsor MLKJr Day believe. That is not a matter of me being a racist, but stems from my faith and convictions.

On a personal note, I personally knew one of the contributors to this book during my time in college. We attended Church together, as well as various Bible studies, and we shared many of the same friends. When my old friends and I read through the book, we were absolutely stunned by the subtle accusations that we were all secret racists who refused to admit it. Many of the illustration this contributor pulled from her time in college to demonstrate this accusation were either exaggerated, or contrived altogether. We were all extremely hurt by what we viewed as a betrayal of sorts on her part.

I want to respect these four gals and the effort they put forth to confront racism among Christians, but I believe their effort is both misplaced, and misguided. Instead of striving to create racial reconciliation, Christians need to return to creating redemptive reconciliation. That is the only way man is going to overcome his hatred and prejudice. He needs a new heart, not new advice on being a better person. If Christians have an attitude against another group, then they need to be shown from scripture why that is a sin and be rebuked for such attitudes. 1 John 3 comes to mind. Give them the word of God. That is the only authority they must submit to.
A much better book on tackling racism is Ken Ham's work "One Blood." He grounds his solution to racism in a more biblical context.

I call you friend challanged me to think more deeply about how we treat others. The stroies gave me insite into some of the subtilies of discrimination which hurt others.

Elvon Reed-Borst, one of the women telling her story in this book, wrote the following in a journal she kept as a young girl. It sums up what I feel this book conveys. She wrote, "Some people go down a worn path; I will go where there is no path and I will leave a trail." Echoes of Robert Frost. Elvon, Pamela Toussaint, Jo Kadlecek and Andrea Clark have chosen the "road less travelled on..." Without melodrama, overly subjective confession or sentimentalism, each women opens a dialogue with the reader regarding issues such as: racial reconciliation, growing up in Urban America, Suburban America, the South and the North and the community of faith. The book is so engaging because of the way it is set-up. It is split into three stages of their lives, called: Coming Up, Coming of Age and Coming Together. This structure allows the reader to view each woman's story as if viewing a play in which the stage is sectioned off in fours. Each voice is distinct and individual yet their stories overlap as we watch them meet each other in various ways. Not unlike the four gospel writers (if I may be so bold in such comparison)they describe the same events from their individual viewpoints and in the process we get to know them, Christianity and the racial issue in a more intimate and well-rounded manner. We see the issues raised through female dialogue and three-dimensional story . We also understand what Christ meant when he said, "I call you friend..." because the lives of these women, their mutual admiration, honesty, passion and faith reaffirms for anyone who has ears to hear that laying down one's life in whatever form that works out to be, is simply the natural state of what true Christianity is all about. This is a must read for anyone, no matter where you stand in regard to Christianity, but more so because it re-challenges us all on the issue of racial reconciliation. What are you and I doing about it in our friendships? This book is a map showing us to the trail which Elvon, Pam, Jo and Andrea have and continue to blaze for us to follow.

by Kristy Johnson

The story of Laurel and Bun Bun is one that you may relate to. When Laurel breeds her rabbit, the mother refuses to care for her young and they die. After trying again, we see somewhat of a repeat, but Laurel tries to come to the babies' rescue. Kids will like to hear the story of the 6 baby bunnies and how Laurel fights to care for them, while she also fights two other small conflicts.

This was a good book in general, altough it doesn't cause too many emotions, if might be nice as an entertaining story for younger children.

I can honestly say I can relate to Laurel in the book, The Bravest Thing because I have a pair of rabbits, and my female rabbit, Lily, has had babies and at first, I was worried she wouldn't take care of them, (after reading this book), but it turns out she was. Anyway, this is a good book. Mine has a different cover. Laurel is sitting on the porch, holding Bun Bun, and Blossom is sitting beside Laurel.

This is the best book. Laurel think's she know's everything about pets until she gets Bun Bun.Bun Bun has a litter of rabbit's.laurel is curius becuse Bun Bun leaves them and they die. Laurel tries again and Bun Bun leaves them again. Laurel tries to save them.
If you read this book you will know what will happen to the bunnies.

I should know better than to read a 1985 reprint, regardless who the author is. 18 years ago, Romance novels used plotlines and devices that come off dated or even offensive now. Crystal Passion, the first of a trilogy written by otherwise excellent author Jo Goodman, has as its hero and heroine 2 wonderful characters - Ashley Lynne and Salem McClellan - who for the most part are caring, loving, heroic and admirable. But midway through the book, Salem rapes Ashley while he's delirious from a fever. He is "unaware" that he has done this. He has loved her from the moment he met her and can't understand her terror of him after his illness. This is the premise for their love and later family life. As a Romance reader in 2002, I found it disgusting that this scene was included, also that Ashley's evil guardian Nigel, chained her with shackles to the bed earlier in the book. Otherwise, Salem's family is warm and loving and parts of the book are what I expect from Jo Goodman. I do not recommend this book because of outdated, offensive plot devices and an exorbitant amount of American history. If you want to see what Goodman is truly capable of, try the Thorne Brothers trilogy: My Steadfast Heart, My Reckless Heart and With All My Heart. These 3 stories kept me up for nights on end and were worth every bleary-eyed morning but Crystal Passion, however, was a shambles. Stay away from it - you've been warned.

I do not like historical romances based in America, in my opinion there isn't enough history. But this book shocked me. I thought it was wonderful! This is my first book by this author, but it won't be the last. Check it out. I'm suprised the other reviewes aren't better.

Crystal Passion is a re-release of a series that Jo Goodman released years ago. The author of The Thorne brothers trilogy and the Dennehey sisters series.

The first in this series is about Ashley Lynne and Salem McCellan. When Salem visits England, he is surprised to find a beautiful girl in his bed. Assuming she is the "evening entertainment" he plans to seduce her. Immediately he finds that he has been set up and Ashley is not there at her own free will, but at her evil uncle's insistance. Planning to rescue her, Salem doesn't count on her actually rescuing him from prison and escorting him back to Virginia.

During the voyage to Virginia the two fall in love, but Ashley belives that Salem is her brother. The two realize they are not related, get married and the Revolutionary war begins.

Crystal Passion is a good book, but just doesn't have the "passion" that is found in many of Jo Goodman's other novels. If you're a fan of Jo Goodman, this is a good book to read. Jo Goodman is true to her writing style by combining a great love story with great history.

Don't bother to buy this book unless you are willing to invest at least one thousand dollars in incredibly expensive software. You are warned in the beginning that you can't do the lab exercises without this software. If you just want to read a book about three-tier development with Visual Basic there are certainly much better books than this one (such as Distributed COM by Maloney).

Overall, this book is a nice intro to Microsoft's MTS and COM using VB. The labs cover basic usage of MTS and VB with COM. The activities in the labs helped me remember what I learned. Points of knowledge are itemized nicely so you can spot them and mark them with your highlighter.

However, the book reads poorly at times. It is more readable than some classroom material from other courses I have taken (I bought this to read as a book and did not receive it in a class), but it does not have the appeal of a standalone book. For example, on pages 90 and 91 I see the phrase "In this exercise, you will create a new package called Math." repeated three times. Throughout the book you see this sort of repetition. You can skim large sections of the book due to this kind of filler and even larger sections if you don't do the labs. Though I think the labs help, this book is not a study guide. Rather it is a class experience in book form that offers little depth.

Also, this book seem preachy at times, letting me know the glories of Microsoft technology with little mention of alternatives. For example, self-check question 4 in Chapter One is "Select the statement that incorrectly describes a Microsoft Development tool." The answers are of course meant to hammer in that Microsoft's products are wonderful: Answer A is "Visual Basic is a Rapid Application Development (RAD) tool." So the point of this question is to help me remember how wonderful VB is? Many of the study questions were like this and did not help me test my knowledge much. And I would have appreciated some coverage of using Microsoft MTS and COM with the Oracle database, for example.

In conclusion, if you are very new to MTS, VB, and COM, get this book for quick exposure to the bare-basics with nice labs to bring home the knowledge. But if you already know the basics to these subject, you find yourself skimming large sections of the book and learning little.

This is a great reference for a beginner like me. If you want to learn fast, this book's for you. I've learn a lot from this book.You could find useful samples and usages of the ActiveX Data Objects, COM Components and the likes. You can even copy the codes and paste it in your application.

I am often interested in understanding what would cause someone with so little understanding of a subject to write a book about it. It is true that there is little published information available on the aiki-jo system of Morihei Ueshiba, apart from Morihiro Saito's excellent books, but that hardly justifies this rather amateur attempt on the subject. The fact that the aikido weapons systems are not well known has as much to do with people's egotistical unwillingness to concede that they know nothing about the subject and therefore seek out competent instruction as it does with any lack of qualified teachers. I appreciate the need for guide texts on the subject, however this book provides no solution. The techniques are badly performed imitations of correct technique. The authors lack an understanding of application and, therefore, form departs from function. It becomes an exercise in baton twirling. Martial arts technical manuals are seldom useful without access to a competent teacher. This book is worse than many.

This is one of the best martial arts books I've seen because I actually learned something from it. The writing is clear and the photographs and foot patterns are easy to follow. It also answered a lot of my questions about why certain moves are done, adn my jo work is better because of it. Some of the moves are different from what I've learned, but it should be good for beginners and advanced students, no matter what style of jo they do

A bit of a departure from the frequent form of martial arts books that continue to enshroud technique in mysticism, this book breaks things down in a way that reveals the essence of the techniques clearly, and the keys to their performance. Progression of photographs is particularly clear. A brilliant companion to live instruction, which is needed for mastery of any such art. I have found it very useful for students interested in significant progress in this discipline.