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I had heard about the books from a friend at work, and got three for Christmas (Woman's soul, Woman's soul II, and Mother's soul). I don't normally enjoy reading but could not put the books down, in a matter of a week, I read two of them. They are absolutely wonderful. The Chicken Soup for the Mother's soul, WOW, what a book! It's awesome, and the stories touch the heart. Some of them even bring tears to my eyes. I recommend these books to anyone and am forwarding the Mother's soul book onto my mother.

This book is GREAT...As a mother of an 10 & 12 yr olds, this book makes me realize how thankful I am to have kids. Any Mom will understand & enjoy these stories. They made me laugh and they made me cry. This is my 1st Chicken Soup book, my daughter has one also, now we have started a " book collection " that our family will enjoy reading together for years to come. Take the time to enjoy a GREAT selection of books.

I received my first Chicken Soup book from my father six years back and since then there has been no stopping. I continue to be a voracious reader of these lovely series. I have recommended them to many of my friends too.

Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul is one book which I feel all women must read irrespective of whether they have arrived at the threshold of motherhood or not. Heart-warming stories, personal experiences, and moving tales comprise this book, which will on more than one occassion make you grab a tissue and wipe your moist eyes. The illustrations in this book are hilarious too. As you read this book, you shall reflect upon the happiness and pain of your own relationship with your mother. One of the finest and sweetest books you can gift to your near and dear ones. They will always thank you for this book.

I shall take the liberty of quoting one of the proverbs in this book.
"God cannot be everywhere so He made mothers."

There...I rest my case. Nothing further needs to be said in honor of this exquisite book.

My 9 month old loves this book! He lifts the flaps with no problem and turns the pages as we read. The flaps are sturdy and have stood up to his tugging. He doesn't chew on books, but he likes to toss them around and this one has really held up. We also recommend "Lift a Rock..." by the same author. These are great books!

This was one of the first books I bought for my daughter. Actually I bought it while she was still in my womb! I decided to get it after seeing a child having the best time reading it with her mother at one of my pre-natal visits.

Needless to say my daughter absolutely loves this book. She is now going on 15 months old and picks this book daily to read over and over and over....

The pictures are simple, bright and clear. She loves to lift the flaps and see which animal is waiting for her and we both giggle our hearts out as we make the sounds together.

A pure joy of a book for both child and adult.

This book, I safely can say is her favorite (and one of mine too).

We received this book as a gift (and I'm giving it as one today) and it has been a lifesaver. We used it dozens of times a day from the time our daughter was about 8 months until now (20 months). She still oves it and we finally had to buy a second copy (she chewed on it a lot). It stands up to abuse really well, but this was too much to ask of any paper-based product. I wish there were more like this one. It's great for your purse or diaper bag, in the stroller etc.

Great Book! I have all of Catherine POnder's books and love them all. Dynamic Laws of Prosperity is my favorite, but this one is another hit. I'm reading it agan right now. I can't say enough about how these books have not only changed my life, but it has done amazing things for my family and friends as well. Every day I hear new and wonderful ways it;s working in my friends and families lives. This book, and faith is all you need to get you the life you've always wanted.

This book is all about the power of positive thinking with God as the center of your daily activities. Catherine Ponder outlines simple, effective, proven means by which we can effect positive change in our lives. She discusses the power available to humans and gives the roadmap for achieving prosperity at all levels. Combining the power of God with the gifts He has given each of us, we are able to make the most of ourselves personally, professionally, financially, emotionally and spiritually. Anyone can benefit from this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book and utilizing its' key concepts. It emphasizes spiritual techniques and having faith in God to provide for your every need, and gives practical suggestions on how to incorporate this into your daily life. The author presents heartfelt examples from her own life, and those around her, which demonstrate the power of faith, prayer, visualizationa, affirmations, and decrees. She also does a fabulous job of dispelling the myth that poverty is a virtue, and outlines why this is an erroneous belief. If more people would practice the concepts outlined in the book, the world would be a much richer place in mind and spirit!

I found this anthology to be full of compelling stories - many having to do with extraordinary coincidence, others simple stories of Jewish life. I was surprised at the high caliber of writing in this book, since some of the other "Chicken Soup" books are more about inspiration and less about the craft of writing. There is a lovely story by Rabbi Gerald Wolpe about the great kindness of a fellow congregant, and a remarkable account from Norman Jaffe and Leslie Riskin about "The Day Hitler Touched Me." All in all, it is a wonderful compilation, well worth the cost. I highly recommend the book.

So nu, it's about time we finally got "Chicken Soup for the JEWISH Soul" -- after all, didn't we Jews invent the chicken-soup-cure-all metaphor in the first place? And storytelling is such a big part of our culture, that there was no shortage of material. In fact, according to the intro to this book, one of the reason it took so long to edit is because there was SO MUCH material. Enough, I hope, to do a sequel or two.

I was delighted to find so many of my favorite contemporary stories included: Larry Trapp, the ex-KKK member who had a real change of heart; a prison inmate touched by a hug from the late Shlomo Carlebach; How Kirk Douglas re-connected with his Jewishness at the Western Wall; how Eddie Kantor started the March of Dimes; the heroism of Raoul Wallenberg; the good-hearted people of Billings, Montana, who took a stand against antisemitism, etc. Plus there are many, many new stories to touch the heart and soul. Ten stars!

The Larry Trapp story is amazing, and I was deeply touched by the Billings, Montana, the "Rabbi's blessing," and the Ed Koch/Mother Teresa stories and the Anne Frank excerpt. These are stories about the power of human kindness and about the value ALL people have to God. I am not Jewish myself, but I loved this book. It shows that (in the words of Voltaire) "prejudice is the reason of fools."

I originally purchased Chestas Way because my daughter is a teen in 4-H. As a mother of teens myself I can identify with the teenage angst and the way this book is written you just get right into it. I figured my daughter would appreciate this book not only because she raises animals for her 4-H project but because of the ages of the girls in the story. She is still reading it (I have finished),my daughter has read books in the past that spring to mind when reading Chestas Way.It has a "Sarah Plain and Tall" quality to it and though it is set in a different time the values remind me of "The Little House" series of books.I believe if Michael Landon were alive today he would be able to do justice to this wonderful story in the form of a mini-series. I hope Disney gets wind of it and makes a movie out of it,I think teens need all the good role models they can get and this book was so good it just left you hoping for a sequel (hint, hint).Please consider writing another book to give us fans of Chestas Way an update.God Bless you Mary Jacobson,and thank you again for a beautifully written story that tugged at these heartstrings.I would highly recommend this book to anyone with teens, anyone who loves animals or anyone who works with teens. Chesta can teach a lot and it really helps you to understand and have compassion for troubled teens.There is a wealth of knowledge in this book.

Chesta's Way is an inspiring and heartwarming true story that captured me from the beginning. Through smiles, tears and intense moments, this is an uplifting account of how one woman's compassion and perserverance helped fill the void in troubled city kids hearts. This book is a "must read" for anyone concerned about kids today, anyone who is called in their "own way" to make a difference in the lives of others, and for animal lovers everywhere who know and cherish the gifts animals bring to us through their need, companionship and love. City Kids and Calves...what a wonderful combination! Chesta's Way is beautifully written and it's story rekindles one's faith in the human spirit. It is the kind of book you will want to share with others. The perfect gift. I have given this book as gifts to others with the greatest of joy. Thank you, Mary, for sharing this story.

I sat down to skim Chesta's Way one night, being too tired to really read it. Well, much later, wiping tears from my eyes I was thankful I'd taken the time while my family slept and the phone didn't ring to complete the book. As a Registered Nurse who has often dealt with obnoxious teen patients I was enchanted with Chesta's determination and her approach. It made me reflect on my own sense of compassion ( or occasional lack thereof!). Thanks, Ms. Jacobson.

Several months ago, I was asked to read this book. Let me be first to say "never judge a book by its cover". I read 100 pages in a few hours. This is a coming of age, love story that takes on a very indept look at the life of Eric Brown. It was funny, true to life and at times over the top (but that does not mean that it could not happen) and romantic.

Alex's writing is clever and to the point. He does not waste a lot of time telling you the story eventhough sometimes I think he give you too much information (I liked the vacation on the island but I did not need that detail explainaion of the room decor). For his first novel, I think that Alex has written a very clever book that is different from a lot of the other stories that we are reading. I thought the poetry was really good. My personal favorite is "BLACK". Once you met Alex, his appeal will no doubt convenience you that the book is worth reading.

And speaking of covers- The illustration was made by his teenage son! That is very impressive.

Congratulations Again Alex!! I look forward to your next novel from BET books.
Peace and Blessings!!

From the frist page to the last page I was hooked on this book.It
started with something so tender and soft I just couldn't wait to tell my friends about this book.It had me laughing,wanting to be the women in the love making scenes,and it also caught me with the poems.I loved this book can't wait to read the next one.Hope it is as good as this one.Just absolutely incredible writing.

This wonderful book was a joy to read. Alex definitely has a way with words and it will be no surprise before a major publisher snatches him up. The brother in the book however was a sex fiend *lol* but I loved the poetry and I loved how the character initially found himself.

I think FreeBSD is the best OS on the market and this book is a must have if you are thinking of using FreeBSD or even if you just started using FreeBSD. It is written in a non-technical way that is easy to read and will quickly get you going and walk you through the first important steps of a very powerful operating system. It will help you better understand the next book that you should have for operating FreeBSD, Greg Lehey's "The Complete FreeBSD."

It steps you through the entire process of getting FreeBSD up and running the first time and explains why or why not to choose an option during the setup process. The author helps you with basic commands that you will use over and over again.

This book is as good as having someone there to walk you through your first steps of using FreeBSD. I applaud the author.

I'm pleased to have written this book (it's working for real people). I get messages like this:
"Today I successfully and without a single hitch, installed FreeBSD 4.3 Release on my Sony PCG-F180 laptop by following your instructions precisely.
This is my first sojourn into Unix, which I ultimately plan to use to run a small internet mail server in my house (on an old P1-150 machine).
Bravo!"

Only one reviewer has had a problem with the physical book not holding up (I'm sure the publisher would replace it) so overall I think this has been a contribution to FreeBSD and its users. There's some stuff in the book (like how to use the ed editor in single user mode) that isn't in any other book or the Handbook.
With only a few books specific to our own central interest...we need them all, don't we?

Your most interested and concerned author,
Annelise

This book is a must if you are learning BSD Unix. All the commands you'll ever use are covered in this book. This book is easy to read and explains important topics without being exhaustive (a skill some authors never learn). A great book for newbies to BSD Unix!

The author of this book has produced one of the very best and most interesting books to date on intelligence reform and transformation. It is extremely well written and provokingly thoughtful on many critical issues as we decide what we want from our Intelligence Community in the 21st Century and how we want to achieve those results. His economic, business and organizational logic is right on track for a wide range of relevant and timely topics. One is amazed at how much detail the author provided without getting the reader "lost in the trees with no sense of the forest". His reference approach is also outstanding in two regards: (1) he carefully documents the source of many of the great authors and thinkers and practitioners sited, and (2) he gives the reader access to a much broader set of view points (some of which no doubt conflict with his own views). Whether you agree with all of Steele's ideas or not is irrelevant. This is just excellent stuff and should be required reading for all members and staff of all of the Congressional oversight committees as well as the various commissions that review aspects of one sort or another of our national intelligence community. Beyond that it will undoubtedly be of interest to anyone who is concerned about the role of Intelligence in National Security.

Robert Steele's book is an excellent companion for any intelligence officer. Steele's insight comes from many years of experience, much of it trying to beat down old paradigms, out dated ideas and dogma at departmental and government level.

"On Intelligence" is written from the 'bottom up' with a 'top down' brain and shows a passion for, and knowledge of, a subject which few can aspire to.

Anyone buying this book will be amazed at the depth and richness of it's content. Each page is packed with gems of intelligence, insight and planning.

I found myself revisiting my concept of the Intelligent World as passage after passage challenged my conventional perceptions and made me re-think much of what I held to be correct. It's a shame that such vision may not be fully appreciated until ALL dinosaurs are extinct!

Robert Steele is the one man crusade for the importance of open source intel. This and his more recent New Intelligence tell and show why open source intel is the most useful means of understanding the world around us and at the same time maintaining our personal liberties. To him each citizen should be running their own open source collection in in the areas of their personal interest. Read both of these books. Buy both of these books. Then go to the OSS convention in Washington. You'll quickly see how muth the professionals think of him.

I was so impressed with the reviews that I bought this book, but regret it. The first third of the book is her talking about her personal experiences that led her to Reiki and I was getting impatient for her to focus on Reiki. Although it did become a lot more interesting further along in the book, I have read much better Reiki books which explain how to do it yourself. She focuses on being present in the moment and how to teach yourself to focus on the present which is good, but for someone wanting to learn about Reiki I would not recommend it.

ONE DEGREE BEYOND is a compelling book which skillfully layers different aspects of Janeanne Narrin's reiki journey into an informative and inspiring work. Not only does the book portray her personal story of discovery, it also paints a convincing picture of the importance of this mysterious energy which connects all things. Creative exercises allow the reader to experience, firsthand, the benefits of reiki energy and to become mindful of living with integrity and balance. My "reiki consciousness" has greatly expanded as a result of this book!

Not since Bodo J. Baginski and Shalila Sharmon's book "Universal Life Energy" in 1988 has there been a book that has so much heart. JaneAnne Narrin's *One Degree Beyond: A REIKI Journey Into Energy Medicine* is a unique arrival on the literary scene - and one written directly from Heart.

Taking the methodology, a sublime methodology I might add, called *The Usui System of Natural Healing*, and how it can, with Intent, become one of the most powerful and effective ways to move Narrin, in "One Degree Beyond" shows how to put Reiki to work in one's life, indeed, even change the quality of one's life. For this she won the 1999 Visionary Award.

While the marketplace is awash with books on 'reiki' very few books, if any, explore the matter of personal transformation in conjunction with this simple practice, Reiki.

Narrin points out the place of Reiki in a living partnership with which one begins to have aa fuller and more resonant experience of Being Alive. And she does this in both a practical and eloquent way. In a sense, Reiki practice *is* pure channeling: when one has life experiences and by the relaxed observation of them brings forth insights that spring forth with intuition right from the heart of All That Is.

"One Degree Beyond. . ." is not a book teaching Reiki methodology per se (giving hand positions, and other data is more appropriate and accessible in a workshop setting,) but this book looks instead at the Essence of Reiki.

Having myself taught Reiki for many years, this (the Essence) is of special interest to me. I think whether one is a new or more advanced student, or knows little about this whole field of energetics and integrative therapy, Narrin's work engages the reader, always proposing new ways to look at things, including one's self.

Many,many books about Reiki that are out there these days just describe technical data. They appear to me to have limited ,if any, value - I think that one cannot really learn Reiki from a book. There is such a difference in depth and grace that one derives from the interaction between student and teacher.. .at least that is what my students tell me when they learn *The Usui System of Natural Healing, Reiki in conjunction with a personal transformation program called The ReikiTECH Workshop. After this intensive training, believe me, graduates of the workshop need not be reminded about technical data . . .and if one has not experienced Reiki training, method books are hardly going to attract the man on the street so-to-speak. The man on the street wantscpeace of mind. . .harmony. . .a way of feeling comfortable in his own skin. This is what "One Degree Beyond: A Reiki Journey Into Energy Medicine" is about . . .living an enriched life, plugging into Vital Life Force (which has never been so easy,) dissolving stress at its roots and moving into wellness (wholeness.)

In this regard, readers find Narrin's book to be rich with narrative and insight, and a practical interactive text. This can guide one to realise that, truly, the way forward for humanity is to get beyond "attachment to outcome" (having to always have things your own way) through the practice of Reiki, which engenders deep caring and attentiveness in the present moments of our lives. To 'participate in', rather than to be 'in control of' is a far more healthful and satisfying way of living. To be grateful for each moment as we walk through our lives, is to stand at the gateway to enlightenment. Here we may welcome an era of deep and abiding personal harmony to be enjoyed by each and every human being. So this is about *process* rather than the *results* . . .part of the paradigm shift as we move into the new millennium.

I still enjoy this book and it has some wonderful dishes for entertaining. There are so many great recipes that caterers were using in the late 80s and early 90s that are still popular--they've become the "new classics". However, a few of the recipes didn't turn out quite right. The author seems to be a little too generous with the amounts of some ingredients. I strongly suggest trial runs before cooking for guests.

The white bean and pinenut salad is delicious--but tricky. Don't add all the olive oil at once--you won't need it.

I just made the pumpkin spice muffins and vegetable frittata for a brunch and my guests went nuts. Everyone has asked for the recipes. They looked and tasted spectacular.

I'm a personal chef and caterer and this is one of my mainstay cookbooks. Everything I've ever cooked from it has been distinctive and wonderful--especially the Shrimp Salad recipe that has Pernod in it. The recipes are totally reliable and great for entertaining. Beautiful, delicious, wonderful use of good ingredients.