On-the-tape

I had the pleasure of meeting this lovely woman when she came to our area and spoke at a local church. I, myself, just lost my 4 1/2 month old daughter to Edward Syndrome (Trisomy 18), a chromosomal syndrome which they say is "incompatible with life." Nancy is such a compassionate person and this shines through in her book. If she can survive the heartwrenching pain of losing two children to a horrible disorder, she gives me hope that I can do so also. I never knew much about the life of Job, but have learned much from her book. It is a real page-turner!
I hope she writes some more books in the future!

When I first got started in this book, I was leaning towards three or four stars. I am not sure exactly why. I allowed that some of it may be my own personal experiences. Although I have had rough and tough times, I have never lost a child or spouse. That may have lead to me "missing something" in the text.

However, about half-way through, I really started getting something from the book. It felt like the author was really opening up to what was really going on. Perhaps it was just my perceptions that were changing, but it felt like the author was leading on a journey to a more enlightening relationship with God. Her reliance on God had been clear, but it seemed to be more real in that she could really mentor the readers now.

I imagine that if you are in a similar situation, the book would be even more helpful while not being preachy or an intensive theological research into the topic -- friendly and open.

I read this book only weeks after losing my son due to a stillbirth. His heart stopped beating only 1 day before he was to be born. This book gave me so much comfort, hope and understanding during those very difficult days when I was in shock and disbelief. The author relates one's loss and hurt to the experiences of Job in such an incredible and practical way. She devotes chapters to understanding despair, blame, and the question of "why did this happen?" to name a few. This was by far the most helpful and comforting book I have read to help me get through the grief process. It gave me hope and strength, amd helped me to understand that God has a divine plan, even during our times of suffering. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone experiencing the loss of a child, or any loved one.

Wayne Dyer has once more produced an excellant program on creating your own reality. This time he addresses perseptions that limit your access to success. How you think about what you want to achieve results in what you achieve. It addresses dealing with obsticles and forming the relationships you have with those around you. It explains concepts in plain straight talk that you can relate too. Its an enjoyable and powerful program and I recommend you buy a copy to ad to your collection. It was and is a good investment.

this had been a book as well as an audio presentation. It would have made a great read. Some are put off by Dyer's newer works in which he seems to get pretty "new-agey" and metaphysical and I understand that. I much prefer his work from the late 70's to mid 80's. I have nothing against his spiritual ideas per se, but sometimes all the chanting, Course in Miracles, and doctrinaire eastern thought can get a bit heavy for my taste.

These cassettes are practical, common sense presented in a lively and upbeat forum. There is plenty of humor and food for thought. For example, Dyer talks about people making themselves upset about traffic jams and people saying you "should have" this or "should have" that. He rightly points out that traffic will be traffic independently of our opinions, and that there is no way anyone can "should have" done anything. The past is over and to be victimized about something over which you have no control is absurd.

Far better is to use our present moments constructively and bring our own joy to what we do. Dyer goes on to point out that we all collect mental garbage from our past and then continue to beat ourselves up with it and stay in a neurotic and non- life-enhancing cycle.

If you enjoy wisdom presented in a practical, humorous way, you will love these audio tapes and listen to them over and over again. It may sound over-simplistic, but it is true that if you listen to this message and take the principles to heart and actually work them, your life will change immediately and dramatically.

This could be the best thing you ever did for yourself for under fifteen bucks.

I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Wayne Dyer's books and tapes and especially this one! He has a wonderful way of mixing humor with his advise. This tape can really make a difference in your life. I've purchased it for myself and several friends. He keeps things simple, yet shares profound wisdom with you that can really help you move to a happier, more fulfilled life.

Rabbi Katsof does a masterful job of keeping it simple and easy to understand. He writes like a wise father telling his children a story. I was captivated. I am not a religious person, yet I found myself with new questions and thoughts. I actually found myself praying at times while reading his book. To me that's like taking a giant step. I enjoyed it so much that I will read it again. Best of all I think his formula works for all religions. I heartily recommend this book for all ages & religions.

I could not put the book down once I started it. I am not a religious person, yet the message appealed to my spiritual side. What impressed me most about the book was that it has appeal for anyone.

This book is a must read for people of all faiths and backgrounds. I have found amongst the members of our community that people are looking for a way of getting closer to their Father in heaven. This books provides the tools.

Everybody has things that they consider problems and setbacks, at work and in life. Dr. Schuller's encounters and experiences shed perspective on us that many setbacks are bigger than our own but they can all be overcome. It just depends on YOU. After months of frustration at work, culminating in losing a promotion to a man with equal experience but less "tenure", I was getting very discouraged in general, and disappointed with other "self-improvement books" I was reading, to gain insight on what I am doing wrong, and how to fix it. Books like "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie get rave reviews, but in comparison to Schuller, Carnegie's work is miles off the mark. Unlike Carnegie and many others, everything Dr. Schuller explains is completely ethical and allows you to live your life with dignity. I have never been a real spiritual person, but Dr. Schuller is helping to change that. Using faith and spirituality as your guide seems to be much more effective and self-affirming than shameless groveling. In short, this book tells you how to set goals and keep them. How to take lemons and make lemonade. Great for its informational value as well as its entertainment value. Reading it may not exactly change your life, nor does it claim to, but it will definitely change whatever negative thinking you might have.

I admit I'm a big fan of Dr. Schuller. His gift of communication is one that has enhanced the quality of my life on numerous occasions. Consider, for example, what he writes about growth, "Every new possiblity pursued with passion changes the hunter somehow, someway." In other words, the process of overcoming challenges changes us!

He views problems in a creative, healthy way. He writes, "In reality, every problem is only a decision waiting to be made." The principles he describes are inclusive, he notes "Every person has been created to be creative."

We're encouraged to celebrate our uniqueness. He advises, "Detect, discover, and take direction from your uniqueness." Prayer is viewed as a vital part of the process of achieving significant goals. As one prays and asks God for guidance, by faith it is received.

Dr. Schuller sees ideas as living things. He says "Every truly great idea has a life of its own." He goes to describe how a Renaissance thinker will cultivate worthwhile ideas of creativity.

This is another wonderful book by one of my favorite authors. His words will inspire and motivate you to do more and be more than you are now. It's a delightful, playful, productive process he's describing that leads to enriched living.

Setting up goals in life is a step to optimistic accomplishment. If it's going to be me, its upto me to make the 'Decisions' firm and keep them final to achieve what we want. Realising own strengths with a positive 'I can do it' is in itself an initial step towards reaching heights. Robert Schuller's books are gems of inspirations and this one is just the 'Attitude' - shrugg off the black seeds of inferiority complexes and come out to accept the changes with vital energy and think positive. All his 'Better Yourself' serious is marvellous collections. It's the inner fire to flicker flame and positively pace ahead to be real 'Ownself', know the potentialities and think with mind rathar than use the heart. Rob's has a unique style of setting examples, adding the spiritual zest of bible stories but the main purpose stands for personal improvement and managing self to be better and best. Positive attitude pays dividends when you break free to grasp all that you dream. Whatever the faith be, Rob's book has the inspirational motivation to push forth the reader to smooth sail in life. Set goals, set priorities, think positive and achieve success with commitment to fulfil the desires - just decide upon today and think 'If it's going to be me, it's up to me and nothing can stop you from looking ahead as you leave those trails behind. That's a master piece 'Dr.Robert Schuller' - A spritual and Mind trainer, I would say! A good reading 'Hour of power' to read and self improve.

Many of us take so much for granted, including our ability to hear. If You Could Hear What I See is presented in a narrative format that is easy to read, and presented in a casual manner. This narrative biography is about comedienne Kathy Buckley, a woman, who among other things, spent the first 34 years of her life not knowing that paper could make noise.

"I went home as excited as a five-year-old and grabbed every type of paper I could find, laid them all out on the living room floor, then sat in the middle of the floor crumpling up the papers just to hear them crunch. Newspaper, wax paper, tin foil, Kleenex...."

During early childhood, her hearing impairment was undetected and she was labeled as retarded. As a young adult she continued to be pushed down by society. Throughout the first thirty years of her life, she endured many traumatic moments. From those early times, to the time in which she decides to take control of her life, becomes a comedienne, and has the surreal moment of seeing her name in marquee, at Bally's, in Las Vegas, there are lessons entwined. Kathy shares a nice balance of fact and insight, lacing it with tinges of humor. Although she has every reason to wear a label of victim, that isn't the reason for this biography. Rather, it shares with regard to much that was wrong during the first thirty years of her life, but how she rose above it all to become a well-known comedienne and beloved motivational speaker. And, we witness how she gives back to society, and extends kindness. This book carries a message toward the importance of communication, one in which we all can benefit.

I thought about how different it would have been for Kathy, if her hearing impairments were diagnosed early. The principle messages from the book aren't ones of encouragement to feel sorry for this successful woman, nor does Kathy wallow in pity. But there are testimonies throughout the book that allow us to see the importance of recognizing and accommodating to the needs of individuals.

If you like motivational biographies, there is a strong possibility that you will enjoy this book. There are several good messages within the pages, and motivation to persevere. In addition, I feel that there is a gentle reminder to give back to society, and several examples toward the importance of kindness.

I totally enjoyed this book. Kathy is an inspiration and I wish her nothing but continued success in the future. The book is hard to believe in some points - that so many bad things can happen to one person. It is amazing to see the metamorphasis Kathy goes through in her life and how the total of all of her life's experiences both good and bad have shaped who she is today. She's triumphant!

Kathy's severe hearing loss lead to an early diagnosis of mental retardation: she was also molested, run over, and stricken with cancer all before the age of thirty but she never lost her sense of humor. If You Could See What I Hear provides her life story and how she kept this sense of humor through the darkest of days. A powerful memoir and personal account of hope.

What an unexpected turn of events. This isn't your average run of the mill thriller. Meg fights to discover who has been sending her threatening letters and ancient pieces of jewlry before the threats made come true. The most likely suspects are not who they seem, but neither are the least likely. A must read!

Barbara Michaels pens two kinds of thrillers -- lackluster and dull with unsympathetic characters, and sparkling, vivid and populated by "real" people. This, thankfully, is one of the latter, a delightfully twisted mystery that sparkles as much as any of the gems.

Meg Venturi becomes the heiress to a jewelry fortune when her grandfather unexpectedly dies; among the conditions of her grandfather's will are that she must take over half of the ownership of his respected gem and jewelry store. The other half is the domain of his partner, a dark, silent, mysterious man named Riley, whom the townspeople suspect of having killed the elder Venturi. Meg is unsure about Riley, but she does know that he is brilliant with jewelry.

But then strange, sinister happenings begin to occur around Meg. As she tries to unravel the dark mysteries that destroyed her grandfather before his time, she becomes the target of a killer with a mission that stems back to a scandal many years before...

"Into the Darkness" has many of the best attributes of a Barbara Michaels novel: the witty dialogue, subtle characterizations, strong heroine, unusual romance, and a wide range of supporting characters who are never what they seem. Readers who enjoyed lessons on roses, maze gardens, and old Gothic novels will enjoy the informative lessons on jewelry and gems. As she always does in her best books, Michaels includes plenty of information that will stick in the mind without being annoying.

Meg Venturi is a standard Michaels heroine: tough, no-nonsence, mildly sarcastic with a bit of trauma in her background to add extra dimension. Riley is more of a dark horse: it's hard to tell what he's thinking or why, from his first scene onward. Supporting characters like the despicable wimp Candy, her boor husband, the seemingly fragile Mrs. Venturi and hearty Uncle George are all well-rounded from the start, but with hidden depths that are revealed as the book goes on. Even the grandfather is a very alive figure, despite the fact that he dies at the beginning of the novel.

This is more of an "Elizabeth Peters" mystery than a Barbara Michaels one, as there is virtually no supernatural influence, no cults or ghosts or werewolves or anything of the sort. But it is an excellent mystery for those of you who like a little sexy pizzazz, past scandal, and a lesson or two with your guilty pleasure.

I've read all of the book by Barbara Michaels that I can find and I love them all. This was the first one I read and it's definitely my favorite (and the only one I've checked out of the library 4 times). The character and plot development are terrific. The ending is unpredictable (as with many of Michaels' other books). I liked the storyline and all of the characters. Overall, this is a good book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes mystery, romance, or jewelry.

I enjoyed The Golden Road, but not as much as I enjoyed The Story Girl. I recommend you read the two novels together, one right after the other. If you enjoy reading books set in a long-ago era, the books have a charm to them. If you like action, these books will not appeal to you as much.

In my opinion, it is not possible to enjoy The Golden Road unless you have just recently read The Story Girl. Not all of the characters and actions in TGR will be understoon unless you have read TSG. The characters are a lot of fun and are well-written. The adventures this group of friends have together will stay in your memory forever.

The Golden Road and its prequel, The Story Girl, are two of the best books I have ever read. I never seem to get tired of them, either...I have read them countless times! If you enjoy L. M. Montgomery's novels, such as the Anne of Green Gables series, these books are a must. The Golden Road tells the story of cousins, Beverley (who narrates the story), Felix, Cecily, Felicity, Dan, and Sara Stanley, also known as the Story Girl, plus their friends Peter, the hired boy, and Sara Ray. The adventures these eight have are sometimes exiting, sometimes sad...but mostly really funny! For instance, one time, they have the governors wife to tea...but they think she's their deaf Aunt Eliza and comment on the governors big nose and such things! And Felicity accidentally bakes tooth-powder rusks...oh, I can't tell you the whole book! Read it for yourself!

The Golden Road and its prequel, The Story Girl, are two of the best books I have ever read. I never seem to get tired of them, either...I have read them countless times! If you enjoy L. M. Montgomery's novels, such as the Anne of Green Gables series, these books are a must. The Golden Road tells the story of cousins, Beverley (who narrates the story), Felix, Cecily, Felicity, Dan, and Sara Stanley, also known as the Story Girl, plus their friends Peter, the hired boy, and Sara Ray. The adventures these eight have are sometimes exiting, sometimes sad...but mostly really funny! For instance, one time, they have the governors wife to tea...but they think she's their deaf Aunt Eliza and comment on the governors big nose and such things! And Felicity accidentally bakes tooth-powder rusks...oh, I can't tell you the whole book! Read it for yourself!

This second part of the Gormenghast trilogy focuses on Titus Groan, 77th Earl of Gormenghast's youth, from schooling to his ascention to manhood. This book took me almost a year to read (one long break) - the first half of the book progresses incredibly slowly, even for Peake's normally languid pace - I just couldn't cope. I can appreciate his qualities as a wordsmith - his vocabulary is second to none but I couldn't help but think he could have shortened things somewhat- the schoolmasters' preparation to court Irma drags on and on, but her eventual marriage has virtually no importance to the main plot, and ends up seeming like a waste of time and space - 'I waded through molasses for what!'

In stark contrast, the latter half of the book contains Peake's best (I think) work of the entire trilogy, culminating in the hunt for Steerpike - which is superb. Definately a book of two halves, (bad cliche) but the reader is rewarded for their effort in the end.

It's not really possible to review Gormenghast out of context with the other two books that sandwich it: Titus Groan leads you into the world of Gormenghast and Titus Alone makes you wonder how Gormenghast, the place, exists.
This second volume continues to follow the adventures of the murderously ambitious Steerpike, the maturity and self-awareness of Titus Groan, with some colorful side-trips into a courtship, the revelation of a creature completely antithetical to all that Gormanghast stands for, and a natural disaster that heightens the intensity of the conclusion.
I would heartily recommend starting with Titus Groan (it seems the only available edition has all three volumes in one), and working through them in sequence. But make sure you avoid all the scholarly apparatus that follows Titus Alone until you've finished all three: there are a few spoilers there.
As for the comparisons to Tolkein, I'm afraid I don't see it: they as different as can be. This is not a hero's quest and where it does come down to good versus evil, it's more to do with survival: the world of Gormenghast is a world of murk and shadows, with no clear delineations or values. Titus Groan's self-awareness and the choices he makes are what drive the story. In The Lord of the Rings, there's a sense of destiny to the decisions and actions: Gormenghast is much more personal, with Steerpike's ambition, Sepulchrave's sense of duty, Flay's vigilance, Titus's maturity all helping to propel the action.
Now go read this monster.

These books rank with the greatest books of world literature, and only one of them is still in print? Every library in the world should have a copy of the trilogy. Anyway, here we find the story of the adolescence of Titus Groan. We are also given more depth into the other characters. I'd like to note that my veiw of Steerpike and Flay changed. When I read Titus Groan, I found Steerpike more a sympathetic character than Flay, here it is otherwise. I'd also like to mention on how the events in the previous book effect the life of Titus Groan in such a way that it seems as if it happened in real life. We see the conflict inside of him between the pride of his linege and the desire for freedom, that eventually has Titus flee the great castle. The conflict between freedom and desire for the home is carried into Titus Alone.

I like Barbara Delinsky's books mostly because she has such a gift in making her characters come to life on each page. "Heart of the Night" definitely has a lot of heart in it. Love, lust, friendship, conflicted loyalties, fraternal twins' jealousies, insecurities, duplicity, real men with you know whats, kidnapping, frame ups and death, and of course the jerks who are bosses and coworkers. The main treat is the pulsating, throbbing voice of Jared Snow the DJ who keeps the ladies in R.I. drooling and doing other things all night long.

I can recall having had a "crush" on an all night DJ's voice that was like smooth, creamy, luscious (fill in the blank with your choice) orgasmic-like delight. Mine? - melt in your mouth chocolates! Mmmmm.

Well, anyway, although this book was written back in the 80s, it has an aura of timelessness that the author comments upon herself. I agree. And, in my opinion, of all Delinsky's books this one will remain my favorite. It is a wonderful, thoughtful tale filled with deeply drawn characters who remain in your heart and mind long after the last page. Buy it, enjoy it, and have some luscious Godiva or Sees while you read.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It has it all...romance, mystery, suspense. I am a huge fan of Barbara Delinsky and have never been unhappy with any of her books. You will not want to put this one down. Good for yourself or as a gift.

It was hard to say just who's story this was - so many characters all with depth, strengths and charm of their own - society twin sisters, Savannah the over achiever top attorney and Susan the divorcee socialite; their childhood and best friend Megan raised from blue collar to socialite thru marriage. Then, as always, there are the men in their lives - Sam, the hard nosed, down to earth cop; Will, Megan's loving society husband; and last but not least, Jared Snow - the voice, the heart and the soul in the heart of the night!

This story was impressive showing very successful and dynamic people on the outside and examining the all too human complexities of sibling rivalries, issues of self esteem in the privileged world of the Newport elite! Toss in some really hot and sinfully sensual love scenes as well as a mysterious socialite kidnapping and you have in this, an almost perfect read! This was an extremely fast page-turner that I consider high praise from a die-hard historical romance genre book reader such as myself. This story invoked a lot of feeling here and I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to any of those who like to read into the 'heart of the night'.

I have just finished House of Stairs for the 3rd time. I know little about writing and read mostly commercial fiction. However, the quality of Rendell's writing is at times breath taking. Her device is this book for shifting from the past to the present is simple and elegant. There is really no who done it here, only a why done it. And when you find out why, its so ordinary that you wonder why you read so long to get there. The why is that Rendell writes so good and dribbles the information out is dribs and drabs that you keep reading. You know early on that the narrator may or may not have a dread disease but it isn't identified until about 15% into the book.

One of the drawbacks to this book is the lack of sympathetic characters. Maybe its my age, but there is really no main character is this book who is likeable (although there are a couple which you care about). Elizabeth is the narrator but has an unfathomable weakness when it comes to Belle with whom there cannot be any type of healthy relationship. Belle is a flagrant sociopath who is only interesting because of the degree and outlandishness of her coldness and selfishness. Cossette is the all-time post child for co-dependency. Mark comes closest to being decent but in the end destroys Elizabeth and Cossette's relationship to save his own. There is no one in this group I'd ever want to be friends with.

As Elizabeth Vetch is travelling down the street in a taxi, she suddenly spots a woman whom she used to know many years before. A woman that she thought was still in prison. She calls the vehicle to a stop, and rushes off in pursuit of her old friend. Eventually, Elizabeth looses her amid the bustle of London. Then, here memories triggered by this event, she begins to tell the reader her story...

It's a tale that leads to a time when Elizabeth was staying in a tall boarding house (known by its residents as the House of Stairs) run by her kindly old friend Cosette, when all the varied inhabitants lived in peace and harmony, and when she was in a relationship with the enigmatic Bell, a woman who will soon be arrested for murder. But, then Mark comes into their lives, and the effects of his presence soon mean that none of their lives will ever be the same again. For death is following in his path...

Barbara Vine (aka Ruth Rendell) is quite, quite marvellous. The way she mixes past and present, the current story and the flashbacks to the events which happened at the House of Stairs is masterful, and not nearly as confusing as a lesser writer might make it. Her demonstrations of how the past can hold an inextricable grip on all our future's are brilliantly subtle. The characters she creates are almost unbearably realistic, and few of them are likeable. Even the kindly Cosette's needy dependency may grate on some after a while. She also injects a great subplot concerning the fact that Elizabeth, our narrator, may well have inherited the Huntington's Chorea that runs in her family.

The suspense Rendell creates with the almost unbearably slow (although never, ever boring) teasing out of her plots is immense, and she maintains it right to the end, when the final surprise is revealed. Some longstanding fans of Rendell may be able to guess the main subtle twist that she uses (but not all she has up her sleeve), for she has used a similar one before (but in a rather different way). But then, as another reviewer has said, very aptly, of Rendell, "she pulls back the curtain to reveal, rather than to surprise".

Vine/Rendell is not going to be ideal for anyone who prefers their thrillers to be fast-paced and exciting, with constant surprises, but if you're the sort of reader who admires an intelligent, immaculately written thriller, full of realistic characters, subtle suspense, and with one or two surprises along the way, then there is no one better at providing this that Rendell. The House of Stairs is a prime example

The Book is really good because the reader really has to think and has to find out who the killer is, and who she/he wants to kill. There is also a good version for non-English speakers! (Its for Intermediate -1650 words) The book was written by Barbara Vine, she is one of the most popular crime and mystery writers.

In the story is an old Lady who is really lonely and wants to be younger and to have a husband. Her best friend Elizabeth is always helping her with her problems. Cossette (the old Lady) is really rich so she buys her a new house with 106 stairs, then Bell Sanger, who was in prison because she killed her husband for money, meets Elizabeth on the street. What effect will she have? Later Liz (Elizabeth) falls in love with Bell. Liz is so happy but does Bell feel the same? Later Bell brings her brother Mark to the house of stairs. Cossette falls in love with him and Mark with her. Soon they are together, but is Mark really the right one for Cossette? And why is Bell so strange? Read the book and you will find out.

By Lilly F.