Open

This bio gets right down to the heart of the person and what he had to go through. Ryno was an incredable H.S athlete. I liked the fact that he revealed the reason(s) why he retired. The only thing wrong with the book is the fact that a short time after its relese, he came back, leaving the book with an open ending so to speak.

terrific account of his playing days. In his heydey, Ryno! was the smoothest fielding, power-hitting, speed-demon ballplayer A-Rod dreams he could become. No question, Ryno was the best ever. Now, read about what inspired him and how he went from a throw-in in the DeJesus-Bowa deal to MVP, HR Champ, and god of all infielders. When Joe Morgan rants about how good we was, I think he thinks we was Ryno!

Sandberg does a great job of telling his side of the story of the Cubs downfall. In 1988 the cubs were a force to be reckoned with and just a few short years later they were in shambles. This account of Larry Himes ruining the Cubs is very true. A terrific read. WE MISS YOU RYNO!!!!

I must say this book started out very dry, in fact I put it down several times. But as you get into the tactics, equipment used, etc then it becomes very interesting. I do recommend it!

I found this book to be very detailed and informative on how the Australian SAS approached their commitment to gathering accurate intelligence of the VC activities in Viet Nam. The author consistently allowed the soldiers to explain in their own words their experiences of patrolling in small recon/ fighting units within smelling distance of the enemy and often undetected. The book explains how the unit operated in closeknit teams and how the unit successfully adapted to the varying roles it was to perform from long range recon patrols to aggressive ambushes. It was also a personal pleasure for me to read Nev Farley's detailed contributions as a patrol commander. I had the honor of serving with Nev Farley in the early 80's when he was the Regimental Sergent Major of my battalion. His military professionalism was an inspiration to all soldiers who had the honor to be associated with him. This is the book to read if you want to know the how-and-why to patrolling deep in the enemy's turf and winning.

As the author states in the beginning of this book, it is not a historical account or individual memoir. Instead, it is a journey into the nucleus of the SAS. The PATROL is the tool used to propel this account, which is the basic SAS fighting element of six operators. This book takes you through selection and training of patrol members, preparation and execution of patrols in Borneo, New Guinea, and Vietnam. This book spares no detail of operational patrols, from the warning order to mission debrief, it is all covered here. The book reads more like a how-to book highlighted with actual accounts of mission debriefs, this is just a treasure of lessons learned, that still apply today. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the SAS, or anyone that is in the military field Reconnaissance, scouting, sniping or special operations.

In Oregon, Summer Marsh's family has owned The Forked Lightning Ranch for four generations. However, her claim to the land of her ancestors is in jeopardy, as her former husband Frank wants to sell his half, obtained through the state's divorce laws, to a developer. To keep her ranch, the court ruled that Summer needs to pay Frank just under four million dollars within six months or he is free to sell to anyone. Summer worries about how she will obtain the cash that she does not have.

Former horse breeder veterinarian Coltrane Quinn knows the feeling of spousal betrayal too and supports Frank in the dispute. However, besides wifely mistrust, Coltrane has a hidden agenda to buy this ranch for his environmental group, Save Open Spaces. He reconsiders his position when Summer brings him an injured animal and even volunteers to use his military experience to save the offspring as he has fallen in love.

Though the lead characters are a delight and the support cast provides depth, Oregon owns WIDE OPEN SPACES as the story line paints a picturesque panorama. Summer is an ethical individual and Coltrane learns a lot about true values from her lifestyle. Though Frank is too villainous in a Machiavellian way, the state tourist bureau should give Ms. Denny a commission because a flood of visitors will trek the beautiful scenery as lovingly described by this author.

Harriet Klausner

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This story is action-packed. If it isn't one thing, it is half a dozen others ... Never a dull moment from page to page. I could hardly put it down. A must read for all, especially if you have ever dreamed about Wide Open Spaces!

Roz Denny Fox has a gift for using obscure news articles as the premise for evocative tales that capture the reader's heart. WIDE OPEN SPACES, Fox shares in the introduction of the novel, comes from a conservation ad aimed at saving "imperiled landscapes." Around this simple ad, Fox creates Summer Marsh -- a woman intent upon the preservation of her heritage and her son's legacy.

Under Oregon divorce laws, Summer's ex-husband is entitled to half of Forked Lightening, and intends to collect in cash. He takes her court to force the sale, and the judge gives Summer only six months to come up with 3.8 million dollars to buy out Frank's interest. The prospect looks hopeless as none of the banks want to lend her the money, and she barely meets expenses and keeps the ranch in the black. Frank vows to see her bankrupt within a year with Forked Lightening up for auction if she refuses to sell.

Coltrane "Colt" Quinn tends to side with Frank Marsh until he meets Summer when she brings a bald eagle to the vet with a wing injury resulting from poachers on her land. He is swept into her life as he volunteers to help her rescue the eagle's offspring from their mountainous perch. Special forces training in the military might have prepared him for the physical challenges of assisting Summer, and later working for her, but even a vicious ex-wife cannot shelter a heart that feels such strong kinship with a woman like Summer.

Fox brings her love for the WIDE OPEN SPACES of Oregon to this novel, creating a landscape rich in beauty and nuance. Summer is a woman who values her heritage not just for its land but also for its spirit. She's determined to preserve the land and protect from development, yet she also realizes the land comes second to her son's well being. A woman of strong morals and ethics, Summer also exhibits the flaws that make her vulnerably human. Interestingly, Colt begins with a grudge against women; siding with Frank's point of view until he actually sees for himself Summer's inherit goodness. Further, his guilt over his own deceptions regarding Forked Lightening provides strong motivation for his character. This beautifully crafted, marvelously realized tale comes very highly recommended.

I think this book is easy to understand for children in the 1st and 2nd grade at least. My son read this book for a book report on Egypt and talked about the things he learned for days later. "Mom did you know this and Mom did you know that..." Definitly a great book for school.

This great book on Ancient Egypt provides a brief history of Ancient Egypt, through its river, its numerous pharaohs, its trade, religion, mummies, pyramids, culture, and medicine. A short glossary is made available. Recommended for youngsters, ages 8 to 10.

This book was givin to my wife and I as a gift before we were married. It covers many topics that are relevant to couples that are going to be married. My wife and I both read this book before we were married and were pleasantly surprised with how familiar we were with some of the problems/issues that the book discusses. Perfect for couples of all ages and religious backgrounds. It has some religious overtones, but is not overbearing or presumptuous. I still pull this book out once a year or so and flip through it. It will help you relate to your spouse.

My husband and I received this book as a wedding gift from my hometown pastor. Like so many other self-help books I've been given, I placed it on a shelf figuring it would gather dust. Within our first year of marriage, we hit a major bump and I thought our marriage was going to pieces, so I picked the book up and began to read.

What I read has given me new hope and the strength and wisdom to hang on and ride this bump out. The book is filled with wonderful ideas on how to improve communications and how to help recognize the differences in the needs each partner has in the relationship. My favorite section of the book is "We Promise You Trouble". The section reminds us that there will always be trouble in life, the marriage doesn't cause the trouble, trouble just happens.

The Erdahl's originally wrote this book as a letter to their nephew on the eve of his wedding, a gift they hoped would be meaningful and helpful. They found that many others enjoyed and found this letter useful, so it was published as a book.

I would reccommend this book as a gift for engaged couples as well as to any couple at any stage in marriage!

I enjoyed this book. I think it gives an accurate depiction of teenage life. It tells about the relationships that teenagers deal with, including friends, family, and other adults. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels as though they are alone in whatever situation they are in. It is mostly about how others made their way through difficult times.

I was going through some rough times tried to even leave this earth , untill my best friend got this book for me. It gave me the knowning that I wasn't out there alone. Just like grandmas soup made your belly feel better Chicken Soup helps your heart and mind feel better. If it wasn't for this book I would have never had the sterangth to watch my kids grow up. Now when ever I'm down I just start reading.

This is a small inspirational book. I read a page each day and found that my creativity was supported. The book is filled with Tracy's beautiful and creative paintings. I think this would be a nice book to give as a gift to a friend or...even to yourself!

Dream With Your Eyes Open
By Tracy Porter

Review by Joan Moore Lewis, author of southern fiction

I felt as though I was taking a walk through a beautifully decorated home featuring a different wallpaper in each room -- flowers, birds, butterflies, lace, cupcakes, basket filled with Easter eggs, keepsakes, and lots of color. There was an inspirational message on each wall.

My favorite message was "Encourage your dreams...while wearing your rose-colored glasses. (If you don't have a pair, it's time to get them!)"

I enjoyed Tracy Porter's philosophy of living, and I recommend her rose-colored glasses to anyone who enjoys dreaming...

French Kiss is a passionate description of the fight of two men to discover the killer of their respective brothers. As all Eastern suspense thrillers this book contains scenes of controlled violence and love. The reader is brought on trips to France, the U. S. and most of Southeast Asia. A super armchair exploration of the planet and its different inhabitants mannerisms and thinkings.

A story of twists and turns and never a dull moment. The only time that this story is complete is within the final pages of the long novel. The book complete of 488 pages (paperback) never has a dull moment, almost all of the characters within this story live two lives that are never fully discovered till the end. This book is highly recommanded by me if you like international plotlines with flashs backs to Vietnam and placed currently at France, New York Cite, Connecicut and indochina.

As a birthmother and wife of an adoptee, I see the adoption issue from two different standpoints and this book is one of the few that grants all three positions in the adoption triangle equal importance while still maintaing that the adoptees interest must superseed the desires of anyone else.

The different areas of opening a closed adoption, ranging from how to tell the adoptee, to what to say on that first meeting, to, what do we tell other people work not only for an adoptee who is a minor, I think the advice and suggestions, would work equally well for an adult adoptee who is either searching or has been found. I highly recommend this book to anyone involved in the adoption triangle.

When an adoption that has been closed becomes fully open, or disclosed, most of the participants find themselves in a situation for which they have no precedents in their lives before. This was certainly the case for our adoptive family and our daughters' birthfamilies. So many emotions and so little understanding of what we might expect to feel, the way the relationships would evolve, how all of the children, adopted and birth siblings, would find their way and what each of our responsibilities was in this new extended family. This was family that had always been there of course, but was now coming out from behind a veil that never should have been there in the first place.

So, to come to the point, thank goodness for this book and its author, Patricia Martinez Dorner! This is an invaluable resource for families opening adoptions, for families that have already done so and need counsel and reassurance, and for adoptive families in closed adoptions, whose children are saying they need something more. I return to this book often, primarily because adoption is complex and emotional and the more I understand about what all of us are experiencing, the more grounded I am as an adoptive parent. The writer's wisdom and understanding are reflected on every page.

Buy this book and read it, not once but several times. No matter what your particular adoption situation is, you will learn and grow.

This book was the basis of the Disney film "Nikki, Wild Dog of the North" released in 1960. It's the story of a malemute puppy and a black bear cub growing up in the northern Canadian wilderness. I read this book before the movie was relased and was about twelve years old at the time. It was a magical adventure which takes you into the world of Canadian wilderness. This book, along with other Curwood adventures, is just as enjoyable as the Kjelgaard & Helmericks stories and are highly recommended for all ages.

I'd read 'Nomads of the North' when I was a teenager, but I still can't forget the beauty of Canadian landscapes and adventures of the little bear and cub. This is actually my favourite book ever written by James Curwood. The friendship between the two animals is beautiful, especially if we consider that they are from two different worlds. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves nature and animals the way I do. The vehement language of Curwood is unforgettable, along with the events that take place in the book. The travels of the two friends took them to different worlds and opened up new wonders, and let each one of them learn from one another. I couldn't even say which of them I liked better. They were both forest spirits, and while being together they learned all the beauty of friendship and freedom.