On-the-tape

I recommend this book to everyone who loves to read it is a great book.. I have been a reba fan for years and when I got her book I read it about 1000 times.. there is alot of lessons in there about life and things and alot of Uplifting stories to boot.

For anything you want to know about Reba's life, this IS the book to read. I was not fond of country music of any kind, until I read this book. Now, I am a HUGE Reba McEntire fan..one of the biggest, because I gained enormous respect for her for bringing the truth out to all her fans. This book is funny, sad, sometimes surprising...but always well written, straight from the heart. You will enjoy this book, and the audio is great too because she reads it herself! I highly reccommend it.

This book was very good. She was honest and told the happy parts of her life and the sad parts. While You are reading this book you are sad and happy. I could not put this book down. And there are some great pictures in it also. I hope she continues to succeed at what she loves to do. YOU'RE THE BEST!!!!!

For fans of Raymond Carver, who wonder how his prose might have evolved had he not died in 1988, "The Night In Question" provides a possible glimpse. Wolff and Carver's close friendship is well-documented. And although Wolff is his own man and my favorite living writer, I believe that there's a tangible link between Carver's final stories, such as "Blackbird Pie" and "Errand," and Wolff's recent work. Wolff keeps Carver's legacy alive in a totally original, compelling way. I have read "The Night In Question" no less than four times. I have listened to the abridged audio version (abridged in the number of stories only) 7 times. There is a sheer mastery of the short story form here that astounds me. Bob Dylan once said of Gordon Lightfoot: "Every time I hear a Gordon Lightfoot song, I wish it would never end." I can imagine Carver saying the same thing about Wolff, for similar reasons. This book makes a great gift and is required reading for anyone serious about the art and craft of short fiction. I wished every story would never end.

First let me just state that the whole of The Night In Question by Tobias Wolff is really great. Each story is written in such a way that you feel like someone really familiar is just talking to you -- face to face -- and you don't want to leave.

Second, if you can't read the whole book of short stories for some reason (you would really need a good one), then you need to spend some time reading the last story in the collect, Bullet in the Brain. I read this story in another collection of short stories by contemporary authors, and it's always been in the back of my head as one of the best. I just finished reading The Night in Question, and Bullet in the Brain was the ending of Wolff's collection. Having the chance to read the story again without seeking it out was great.

Essentially, Bullet in the Brain is about a man who just can't shut-up during a bank robbery. But then the ending pretty much slaps you in the face because Wolff took one incident that would basically end any story and just moves it right along. I would have to tell the ending of the short story in order to explain this -- and I really don't want to -- but believe me, it's the most creative and interesting ending to a short story like itself.

I was lucky enough to see a reading performed by Wolff at my university, and I will never forget the author's ease with the audience, and his smooth readings. Like he knew us all, and we knew him, and the story he wrote was meant just for us.

Tobias Wolff's 14 stories in this collection is quiet, spare, measured - and absolutely stellar. Wolff can take a mundane, everyday experience and thru his meticulous craftsmanship dig into the depths to mine it for every nuance of emotional significance. Nothing is present in any of his stories that doesn't serve a purpose: not a dog, a twig, a sweater, or a smile. Everything moves the stories forward and shows us more about each character and his/her relationship to others. "Firelight," a story I've now read several times, is my favorite: a boy and his single mom, stranded in a university town, spend their weekends looking at houses and apartments for rent, knowing they can't afford any of them. At the end of the long day, they're invited inside the last house, one where a university professor lives with his wife and daughter. The story, told from the boy's POV, is bittersweet and focuses on a sense of being an outsider to the comforts of home, the warmth of the fireside - but he realizes that all is not as it appears within this family that he still envies.
Absolutely wonderful collection.

This is my first book by Barbara Samuels, but I do plan on reading more of her work. The book tells a heart warming tale about love, loss and family that touched my emotions on more than one level. The charactars were brought to life on the pages and the town of Pueblo, with all its traditions, a place you would want to plan to visit and stay awhile. I would highly recommend it!

This is the first book I've read in longer than I can remember that made tears just stream down my cheeks. But mixed with the sadness was so much joy. Barbara Samuels writes about family, food, love, motherhood, and the joys and sorrows of balancing all the roles that come with being a woman with wit, tenderness, and shattering honesty. The genuineness of the writing and the universal truths that this book explores lift it far above your average "women's fiction" novel. I never once felt like my emotions were being manipulated. It's only March, but I'm already placing NO PLACE LIKE HOME at the top of my Favorite Books of the Year list.

Barbara Samuel has a way with words that makes me just wallow in her work. She also has warmth and wisdom, and a delight in humanity in all its diversity and difficulty. She writes with compassion and clarity, kindness and shrewdess. NO PLACE LIKE HOME is a wonderful book.

We have to read a book for both my AP and English class. I wen to the library just to pick up something to read, immediatey as i entered the library, the book just drawn me nigh. I quickly went to the librarian desk to check it out. The two librarians told me, this is a very good book, and they also love the writer and therefore they highly recommend it. I couldn't stop for something when i started reading the book. This books gives a lot of details about the the head nations in europe duting the 16 throughout the 18th century. It talks about the affairs of the country and also talks about the character of Queen Marie Antoinette. It deal with social, political and economical issues in France and other countries by then. I personally recommend this book to every one, because it let you know more about a past culture and characters. I really encourage the reading of this book. It increased by knowledge on Europe, I am very sure it will another reader in the same way.

This book actually should be under one of Victoria Holt's other pen names, Jean Plaidy. Plaidy writes about actual historical figures.

The Queen's Confession is told by Marie Antoinette herself. Well, not actually, but how she would have written it. She grows up in the Austrian court under the guidance of her mother, the Empress Maria Therese. She marries the Dauphin of France and deals with the "uncrowned queen", Madame du Barry. Finally, she becomes queen and started the beginning of the end of the French monarchy. Scandal, intrigue, and flamboyancy were never as great, and the consequences are even greater.

This book was wonderful! I actually learned a lot about her (I thought I knew everything!). Also, it is a good book to read if you are in for a good cry.

I read this book in 1973!? It was so wonderful that I planned my trip to Paris around Marie Antoinette's homes - the Grand and Petit Trianon at Versailles for one stop. The author writes historical fiction so beautifully that you can't help wishing to run to Europe and experience the lives of the queens you've read about!! I'll never orget this book - and others by Victoria Holt!

I have listened to both the single tape edition as well as the complete set. I am nothing but amazed, at how he brings greatness, as role models and examples.

He introduced me to: Viktor Frankl, Cybernetics, Ralph Waldo Emerson's wonderful poem.

This is so powerful, that almost every day i listen to it in my car.

Now if only this was available in cd or dvd format. Or as a software application to help manage our self improvement process...

God Bless Denis Waitley!

He helped to me to know what kind of man I want to be.

If you want to be a winner in life, then read the book by the 'coach' and apply his techniques. Then listen to the audio tape as well, and reinforce these ideas. Success in anything is about positive attitude. Denis Waitley will reveal ten positive steps you can take to become a 'winner' in life.

I found this book an enjoyable read. Dr Waitley is a no nonsense self help guru. In this book he outlines the 10 qualities of a winner. Follow the steps and I am sure you will achieve tremendous success in your personal and professional life.

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated

Everybody has done it: looking up at the bright night sky produces mixed feelings of awe at the beauty, and impenetrable mysteries, and the insignificance of our local tiny problems, and other ineffable feelings besides. Serious stargazers just do it better than most. In _Seeing in the Dark: How Backyard Stargazers Are Probing Deep Space and Guarding Earth from Interplanetary Peril_ (Simon & Schuster), Timothy Ferris tells about some of the ones that do it best. A lifelong stargazer, Ferris has his own observatory in the California wine country (he writes about how it was planned and built). He is not a professional astronomer. He is a journalist, one who has produced fine books about science before, but this one is close to his heart, and his enthusiasm is easily apparent and beautifully described.

As an amateur himself, Ferris is able to describe the importance of amateur astronomy, and the surprising ways in which the big telescopes on mountaintops used by the professionals, and the Hubble, have not put amateurs out of business. He shows many ways that amateurs are useful, doing explorations and finding objects that throw more light on explaining such serious theories as the Big Bang. One amateur explains, "In how many areas of science can you still make an important discovery without a ton of funding?" There's some prestige in making such discoveries, but one supernova hunter spoke for thousands when he said, "I can't really tell you why I do it." There is a good deal of basic astronomy here, and someone interested in starting in the field will get good advice on doing so. However, this is only partially an astronomy textbook. Even better is that Ferris has given interviews and small biographies of amateur astronomers to give us an idea about how their passion affects them. Take, for instance, John Dobson, who got thrown out of his Krishna monastery because he kept leaving it at night to go use his telescopes. His vow of poverty meant he had to make cheap ones, but he found ways to use scrap plywood and piping to make large telescopes that amateurs could afford. He would set up a scope on the sidewalks of San Francisco and call out, "Come see Saturn!" If a kid came by and showed real interest, Dobson might give away the telescope and build another one.

Ferris's book is an inspiration. Even if you have no intention of ruining your sleep with this sort of activity, it is impossible to withhold admiration from the ones who do love it. Ferris writes with clarity and fervor about the endeavors of his fellow stargazers, and puts their efforts into a broader perspective, as part of the human condition. "We observe, and try to understand, and formulate ideas that, if we're honest with ourselves, we will admit to be 'not quite right.' But we keep trying, knowing that we'll never figure it all out but trusting that if we persevere we shall keep doing better."

This is a very unique and enlightening book about how much amateurs can enjoy and contribute to the science of astronomy. Since there is so much to observe in the universe, amateurs often spot phenomena that are missed by the professionals, and are aided by their love of astronomy as a personal passion rather than a job. In fact, there are growing cases of the professionals teaming up with amateurs for large projects. Astronomy is also probably the only science in which amateurs can obtain equipment almost as powerful as that used by the pros.

Ferris includes many interesting character sketches of noteworthy amateurs who have made real contributions to the astronomy of science, indicating how many different types of people from all walks of life can share these passions. The structure of this book is very rewarding as Ferris covers in great detail the full realm of possibilities for the amateur, from unexpected surprises right here in the solar system to the extreme cosmology of quasars and galactic superclusters. Just watch out for a few cases of cloying sentimentality at the conclusion of some chapters. One sappy example of the children-are-the-future variety closes chapter 9; while Ferris mangles the history of the Aztecs and Mayans in Chapter 8. The absence of scientific illustrations is another difficulty.

However, the day is saved by Ferris' everyman writing style that can encourage the interest of all people, and his appendices are incredibly useful to amateurs from beginner to expert. This book has succeeded for me personally, as Ferris has encouraged me to reacquaint myself with a lost childhood passion. A telescope purchase lies in my near future.

The match being that of science and poetry. The author writes about the achievements of amateur astronomers, giving a wealth of information about astronomy, stargazing, and amateurs, all of which is written in a language so beautifully poetic. It is a masterpiece. The love of the author for his topic is evident on every page and it is contagious. This is a book that will fill you with wonder, and probably sweep you off your feet and onto the nearest dark ground with a starmap in hand!

Rich with information, written with passion, the book is fascinating, moving, and absolutely beautifully written.

If you like gushy mushy gab about relationships, love, and forgiveness, all told in parables and ancedotes, you'll love this book. The slant is from the issue of divorce but it is like thousands of other self-help books out there. If you want practical, analytical help don't buy this book.

Don't believe it. This isn't just for divorcees. This book is for anyone who has fallen in love and then felt deeply betrayed -- whether by a parent, a spouse, a lover, a sibling or friend. Ms. Ford understands the pain and helps you transform bitterness and hurt into spiritual liberation and strength. Spiritual Divorce is one of the BEST books on forgiveness I have read, along with Gerald Jampolsky's Forgiveness book and the Prathers' book, Letting Go. It will change your life. Thank you, Ms. Ford!

"A Spiritual Divorce is one in which we use our divorce to improve our lives and our experience becomes one of gain rather than loss," Debbie Ford writes in the opening pages of her 209-page guide to an extraordinary life after divorce. "A Spiritual Divorce brings us back into the presence of our highest self and heals the split between our ego and our soul" (p. 5). After studying Transpersonal Psychology at JFK University (p. 29), Ford became a healing workshop facilitator at the Chopra Center for Well Being. She writes from experience, and she knows the pain of divorce.

The "divorce drama" leaves many of us feeling diminished and bereft. I've learned from my own experience there is no set timetable for recovery from divorce. After my divorce, while others advised me to "get mad and get over," my heart told me to embrace my loss and integrate it along with the pain into my new life. This is also the premise of Ford's book which, after several readings, has helped me move beyond a very painful place in my life. She encourages us to step into the storm of of our turbulent emotions, for "we can't heal what we can't feel" (p. 80). The painful experience of divorce represents "a sacred and significant time" in our lives that provides us with an opportunity to know our deepest selves (p. 80). In that respect, divorce is like a gift from the universe.

After an insightful Foreward by Neale Donald Walsh, Ford's book follows "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Divorce:" Acceptance (pp. 11-38); Surrender (pp. 39-56); Divine Guidance (pp. 57-74); Responsibility (pp. 75-126); Choice (pp. 127-66); Forgiveness (pp. 167-86); and Creation (pp. 187-210), showing us along the way, that the breakdown of one's marriage is for the highest good (p. 9), that suffering is really nothing more than the difference between what is and what we want it to be (p. 49), and that we have a choice in how we interpret our experiences (pp. 136-47). Ford encourages us to think of divorce as an enlightening experience, a spiritual wake-up call, and an opportunity for renewal rather than ruin. For anyone hoping to recover from a failed relationship, SPIRITUAL DIVORCE is a step in the right direction. And for anyone who has made the painful journey through a failed marriage, reading Ford's SPIRITUAL DIVORCE might just leave you wanting to send your ex-spouse a thank-you card.

G. Merritt

I have never read a series so full of heart as this. The characters are vibrant and alive, funny and real in their emotions. Any thing I write is a pathetic reflection of how truly great these writers are. How can I even begin to say what an impact the Galway Chronicles have had on my life? This is the most perfect Christmas story I have ever read. Just read the book and you'll be hooked too! Incredible!

What a novel! It has everything! Love, great conflict, good vs. evil! The Thoenes have done it again! Not to mention the fact that now the whole family is writing! I just read Heart of Allegience, the latest novel by Jake and Luke Thoene, and I have to say that the sons write every bit as powerfully as their famous parents! The torch of great historical fiction has been passed to the next generation! Congrats to the Thoenes on their great novels in the Galway Chronicles and big congratulations on two sons who write so beautifully! I'm reading the books by Jake and Luke and passing their Baker Street and Last Chance Detectives kids books on to my kids. Keep it up!What we have found in our house is that the Thoene name means good, exciting, meaningful fiction.I'm reading all the Thoenes!

When Joseph Connor Burke returned to the small Irish village of Ballynockanor, he only expected to stay a few months. Just long enough to put the past and his stolen inheritance behind him. But as he gets reacquainted with his neighbors, he finds himself drawn into their struggles against Protestants in general and his uncle in particular. Is there a way to reclaim what is rightfully his? Is the priesthood his true calling? And what about his feelings for Kate?

The Thoenes went in an unexpected direction when they started this series. Up til now, they'd been writing about Israel and America. For that reason, I've put off starting this series, even though I've heard such good thing about it. Boy, was that a mistake!

I know very little about Irish history. In this one book, I learned so much that helps me understand the current struggles. Yet, as always, the history is wrapped in a wonderful story with very real characters. While I figured a few things out before they happened, most of the time I was unsure what would happen next and had a hard time putting the book down as a result. As always, the Thoenes develop their characters well and I felt myself getting angry on their behalf on more then one occasion.

I'm already planning my next trip to Ballynockanor for the next chapter in this sage. Any fan of the Thoenes or anyone wanting some fictitious background on Ireland will love this book.

Renato's Luck, from the first word to the last visual, is the perfect read for anyone seeking a renewed taste for life. Jeff Shapiro has taken the Italian culture and woven a tale of hope, faith, and new-found happiness throughout his characters. Renato, in particular, becomes the small town hero of a delightful Tuscan town. Every character that Renato encounters shares a unique tale, simple yet so very Italian. Amazing for an American expat living in Tuscany. The visuals in this book are so precise that anyone who has visited Siena, Montalcino, or anywhere in Tuscany for that matter will no doubt be transported back to the tranquility of the Italian countryside. I loved the Italian phrases throughout the book, including their incredible translations! Bravo, Jeff Shapiro. Bravo, indeed. A must read for all!

Having returned from a few months in Italy, I have wanted to stay in touch with all the "life" that Italia offers ... this book is a wonderful way to recapture the experience. The way Shapiro builds his characters and their dilemma, he really wraps the reader into Sant'Angelo. Che bello ... bravo Shapiro!

I highly reccommend Renato's Luck to anyone who enjoys a chraacter driven novel full of interesting yet familiar characters. I found Renato and his fellow Tuscan villagers to have sharp insight into the absurdities and joys present in everyday life. Renato confronts the fears and challenges we all face as we get older and begin to question the choices we have made in life. The answers that Renato finds to these questions point to important truths that are present in our own lives.

Lori Lansens' book "Rush Home Road" was a literary journey into the life of Addy Shadd, an elderly Canadian woman whose life unfolds through a series of flashbacks, first-person accounts, and through the eyes of Sharla Cody, a biracial girl who is greatly influenced by Shadd's warmth and generosity.

The beauty of this book is that Lansens keeps the reader guessing, fascinated, and intrigued by the experiences of Canadian Blacks.

"Rush Home Road" is a must read.

I only meant to read the first couple of pages to see what the story and writing style was going to be like when I opened this book, but I found myself immediately involved in the lives of Sharla Cody and Addy Shadd. Sharla is a five-year-old child and Addy is a seventy-year-old woman. Their lives are joined together when Sharla's mother asks Addy to watch the child for the summer, then abandons her. Having Sharla in her life and home brought back memories for Addy of her childhood in Rusholme, Ontario, Canada, and later years in Detroit, Michigan and Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Sharla reminds Addy of her own daughter that she did not see grow up. Although they had a rocky start, Sharla and Addy become friends as Addy bestowed some of her wisdom on Sharla. Sharla in turn learns to be a loving little girl now free of abuse.

Most of the story is Addy reminiscing about her first love Chester Monk, her rape by a family friend, her lonely existence as the town outcast, her marriage, her children, friends and her job at the bakery. Addy's memories of these good and bad times surface as she dreams during her naps. While sleeping she has conversations with her brother, Lil Leam, who served as an advisor and helpmate to Addy. Unbeknownst to Addy, she is also talking aloud in her sleep and Sharla is taking in it all.

I think the author did a fantastic job of making clear and precise transitions between the past and present. She includes a little history about the Underground Railroad and the city of Rusholme, a black community in Ontario, Canada. Her writing style easily engages the reader as the dialogue between the characters tells the story better than anyone else ever could. This book is highly recommended.

This book is the first for Lori Lansens, yet it reads as if Ms Lansens has been writing for decades. She has written about love, life and places with an engaging honesty and convincing reality - yet the places and people are fictional. I read this book in a day simply because I could not put it down. My sincere wish is that Whoopi Goldberg does choose this book for film, as I believe it will be treasured alongside such classics as 'The Colour Purple' and the more recent 'Beloved'. "Rush Home Road" has made me a better person for having read it.