Opening

Teachers and history buffs will love this thrilling recount of the settling of California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. From the sleepy times of Californios to the non-stop action of the gold rush, this book brings to life the rich history of the Wild West. I have used this book as a basis for many social study lesson plans, and the kids are amazed by the colorful and interesting stories.

From the forts and settlements along the Missouri River to the loss of most of the Donners going into California, Men to Match My Mountains captivates the heart and brings you along as a partaker in an experience never to happen again.

Irvine Stone has created in this book an intriguing look into the discovery, exploration and settlement of California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. He colorfully introduces you to the people, events and geography that affected the development of these states. It is well-documented and sourced, and provides a great list of other, similar works.

This book found its way to my hands in 1992. It is astounding...and simply magic! Countless times I would read the message for the day and it provided the perfect guidance for things that were happening in my life. It's a great book and a great gift. Plus if you travel a lot it does not take up much space at all and can be a constant companion. Thank you, dear Eileen Caddy, for such a jewel!

This is a book that every one should have and use on a regular basis. I think that if this were the case there would be more happines and tolerance in the world. I have recomended this book to a number of people and each of them has sent me a message saying thank you and that the book was helping them in many ways.

This book has been by my side for over 5 years, traveled half way around the world, and never ceases to amaze me with how timely it is. I've made tiny notes in the margins and can track my progress in life. It is a very life-affirming and self-validating book.

Are the lives of your countrymen and women more valuable than the lives of Afghans, Iraquis, Palestinians, or those of the people of Northern Ireland? Should you support imperialist war against them? Should you restrain your struggle to improve your working conditions during today's "war on terrorism" or acquiesce to the restrictions on democratic rights for the "war effort"?

The authors of "Washington's Assault on Iraq: Opening Guns of World War II" say no, not if working people are going to advance and build a world free of inequality and war. This book is as relevant today as it was at the start of the Gulf War.

The US government never goes to war for 'democracy', 'freedom' , against 'ethnic cleansing' ,or against
'terrorism'. The US government goes to war for domination, markets, and profits, profits,
profits.Profits for families that have hundreds of millions and billions of dollars.It is their government,
not ours.In the Gulf in 1991 ( and in the region tomorrow ) war was,and is ,and will be, in the first place on behalf of Big
Oil. The superrich send working-class youth to kill and die for their interests. Not our own.In this now classic work
Jack Barnes explains the Gulf War and the increased rivalries between the market giant ( imperialist )
countries leading toward Depression, fascism, and a new world war. And what working class fighters
have done and will do -- here and all over the world --to resist and win.

This book shows how the Gulf war of 1990-1991 war not only a product of the continued conflict US Imperialism has with the Iraqis and other peoples of the Middle East. It illustrates how the growing tension between the US ruling circles and the imperialist governments of Europe and Japan played a decisive role in the Gulf War. Those conflicts continue to deepen to this day. As such this book is not an abstract tool about dead history, nor is this book an abstract analysis for academic or journalistic voyeurs. It is a handbook on the realities of world politics for working people, youth, and oppressed people who want to struggle against wars, imperialism, and oppression.

This is a fabulous book full of the wonders of our green allies. Herbal medicine, plant lore, poetry, ceremonies, delicious recipes, and a terrific index make this book a must for anyone interested in using wild plants. The section on medicinal trees is unique in my experience. The author's lovely spirit shines in every word and makes me wish I was a member of her family.

Are you kidding me? I can't believe this book is not on the best sellers list. Definitely a wonderful piece of art. You will have so much fun learning about herbs and their uses, that you will have to wonder why you haven't heard of this book before! Get the word out. The author deserves to be recognized.

As a novice to the world of medicinal herbs, I found this book to be an outstanding resource. The plant descriptions and directions for medicinal use are clear, concise and inspiring. But it is the call to the way of the Wise Woman and the stories interwoven which sang to my heart.

If ever I find a school system that uses these principles of education, I want to work there IMMEDIATELY!

Editor Geraldine Van Doren has collected 25 essays on educational reform by Dr. Adler. Each essay is masterfully written and all are united by a common theme calling for the revitalization of education in our schools. Dr. Adler's program consists of using the Great Books as a means to bring back the Liberal Arts. He is a generalist who disclaims specialization in schools (students may specialize as they enter the work force or advanced degrees), discredits textbooks, elective courses, and narrow, didactic teaching. He supports the Humanities, calling for more Socratic-style teaching.

This is must reading for educators, administrators, parents, and all learners.

This excellent work by Dr. Adler presents an in depth analysis of problems and solutions for the American educational system. Dr. Adler presents his readers with revolutionary and practical educational proposals supported by long standing philosophical principles.

Many educational scholars may disagree with some of Dr. Adler's ideas. However, most scholars would be hard pressed to dispute the proposition that Dr. Adler's proposals provoke considerable thought in the common quest to improve America's educational structure.

It happens that sometimes in moments of silence, honesty and surrender we become aware of our deep desire for love - both to love and to be loved. This deep desire is our true nature and it is God's life in us. This is May's simple thesis. The power and beauty of his book is that he unabashedly celebrates this love and slowly gets us to become aware of and appreciate its presence and also to recognize the ways we seek to stifle it or twist it or run away from it and some of the reasons why we do this. Like his other works, May here again blends his unique experiences of prayer and psychology into a touching re-affirmation of our heart's basic goodness. His book opens an inner door to a greater trust in the instincts, intuitions and spontaneous acts of love that arise from that sacred space. How courageous for a man to write about and value the apparent "weaknesses" and "vulnerabilities" of love in a time when the "virtues" of efficiency and action are so exalted. By now, having read most of his works, I feel like a friend. And so as a friend, I say, thank-you Jerry.

What a deeply enriching book! I have had to read it a few pages at a time to savor and feel my way through what is being said. I reccommend this book to any spiritual seeker, even though the book is loosely Christian in orientation.

This author is the best contemporary spiritual guide I have. I wish he would write more!!

This is one of the wisest books I have ever read. Whether I can read it or not is a good measure of my spiritual openness to God, or at least, of my willingness to be open. If I am closed down, I don't want anything to do with this book. But if I am yearning for God's yearning for me, this book is meat and drink. How one person can be so spiritually wise is astonishing.

Ms. Hollingdale's work provides the reader with intensely powerful essays and pictures that almost "forces" one to stop and spend time with each picture. I couldn't just glance through this book - it takes time, emotion and a willingness to open one's heart and mind. The stories AND the pictures, when combined, create a level of understanding that I had not even experienced prior to her book. I know several of the people portrayed in her book but putting all of these faces together with their very personal journeys into ONE book lets the reader truly get a picture of this historic struggle for a more "civil union".

This book answers the question, "Why did Vermont work so hard for Civil Union?"; and it answers it from every possible point of view. Ms. Hollingdale has done a remarkable job collecting the thoughts and feelings of legislators, educators, citizens, parents and others, to explain the desire, the need, and the struggle for Civil Union. This is a beautiful book! The photographs are stunning in their simplicity and yet the emotions are overwhelming. It is a piece of history and a work of art at the same time.

Linda Hollingdale's collection of essays and photographs is absolutely amazing in how it portrays the legislative struggle for Vermont's historic Civil Union from ALL perspectives.
Not only does this book bring one the awareness of this struggle, but also gives one the opportunity to "open their minds" to common humanity as a whole. Just when you think you've become so absorbed in the process of how civil unions came to be, the challenges overcome and rewards achieved, you begin to comtemplate what equal rights of ALL citizens is really about.
I would definitely recommended this book for all.

Schodt masterfully recreates a time when the west was truly wild, with a group of bizarre characters and a truly unbelieveable protagonist. It is all the more amazing, then, that this is a true story. As in his other books, Schodt has so many interesting asides that even his footnotes read like adventure novels -- I hope he returns one day to write the full story of the Japanese radio operator-girls who committed suicide when the Russians attacked. But back in the world of the 19th century, this story of the Amerindian-Scot who learned Japanese and was one of the first westerners to see the closed land of Japan is truly fascinating. The ideal gift for anyone who thinks they know all about the way the West was won, or indeed, the East.

Schodt has accomplished two things with one book. He has told the tale of a fascinating individual and his adventures in the Orient and elsewhere. And he has also brought to life a unique period in North American history that few of us learn about in school. Although the exploits of McDonald alone make for a great story, what interested me most was the vast historical and geographic tableau the author ambitiously depicts -- one that sprawls over decades and continents and is populated by such colorful characters as John McLoughlin, the virtual emperor of the Pacific Northwest, and James Dickson, the self-styled general of the "Indian Liberating Army," to name just two. The book's portrayal of the Metis culture of the U.S. and Canada in the early 19th century is a compelling story in itself. Coupled with McDonald's remarkable adventures in a Japan that was on the cusp of opening to the West, this makes for a gripping epic. Schodt has done a thorough and eloquent job of bringing it to life. "Native American in the Land of the Shogun" should entertain any history buff as well as satisfy the most discriminating scholar.

Frederik L. Schodt is an interpreter and translator whose specialty is writing and understanding Japanese culture and Japanese-U.S. relations. In Native American In The Land Of The Shogun: Ranald MacDonald And The Opening Of Japan, Schodt ably presents the fascinating and true account of a half-Chinook, half-Scot adventurer who braved feudal Japan in 1848, when it was still closed to the outside world, and helped establish a legacy of knowledge that would pave the way to Japan's involvement in modern times. It was Ranald MacDonald's study of the Japanese language, and his teaching of English to interpreters of a nation, which helped Japan when the Japanese government had to negotiate with foreign visitors such as Commodore Perry and his fleet of "Black Ships" which arrived in 1853. An amazing, trailblazing account of one man's achievements and the intercultural communications he fostered, Native American In The Land Of The Shogun is an enthusiastically recommended addition to 19th Century Japanese History reference collections and reading lists.

In Opening Up Dr. Pennebaker discusses his research into the mind-body connection, and about how mental and physical health can be affected by how people express their deepest feelings about important life experiences. He describes the many studies he has taken part in and the case histories of individuals he has observed in the course of his career.

The bulk of Opening Up deals with the way in which writing (or verbalizing) the details of and emotions surrounding people's most traumatic (and occasionally most positive) life experiences can affect well-being. It is fascinating to learn how interconnected the mind and body actually are, and how effective the act of putting one's experiences into words can improve people's quality of life, or conversely how expressing the wrong kinds of feelings or expressing them inappropriately can do just the opposite. This book makes a quick yet intriguing read as Dr. Pennebaker expresses his observations in a way easy for the layperson follow and confines his notes to the end of the book so the reader is not distracted from the flow of the text.

That said, I have to add that the final chapter, "Beyond Traumas: Writing and Well-Being", seems superfluous. Diverse topics such as the use of in-class writing, note-taking, and the teaching of reading and writing to pre-school children are brought into the discussion and seem to have nothing but a tenuous connection to the rest of the book. These topics may have been better left out rather than brought up at the last minute and not really discussed at enough length to warrant their inclusion.

While the conclusion takes away from the book, I would still encourage anyone who is interested in psychology in general or the mind-body connection in particular to pick this book up.

I do have one caveat to make and it is directed to those who are under the impression that this book is a self-help book. While the subtitle, The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions, leads to potential reader to think that this book will show them how to use writing to heal themselves, this is not the case. If you are looking for a book to direct you I would recommend something like Louise deSalvo's Writing as a Way of Healing as a companion to this volume. deSalvo's book is largely based on Dr. Pennebaker's research but offers concrete advice on how someone looking to begin a writing practice could start out, providing exercises and checklists to ensure that the writing experience is beneficial to the writer.

This book is wonderful and easy reading for the just average person. It is filled with information about the inner healing we experience when we journal our most inner thoughts. Thank you for sharing this information.

Pennebaker's studies of people who wrote about their deepest traumas and hurts demonstrate that expressing feelings is helpful and healing. People who participated in the studies showed improved immune function as measured by doctor visits compared to controls groups who didn't journal or who journaled about daily events and omitted their feelings.

If you've kept a journal and written about what troubles you, you know how much this unloading can improve your mood. It's nice to have someone listen to you, or to have the compassionate attention of a paid therapist who can help you see your patterns. But it's also comforting to know that science has shown that journaling can be a way for you to be your own therapist. In this book, the author shares stories of people and their writing. This is a good book to point to if anyone thinks journaling is just narcissistic scribbling.

~~Joan Mazza, psychotherapist and author of DREAM BACK YOUR LIFE; DREAMING YOUR REAL SELF; WHO'S CRAZY ANYWAY? and 3 books in The Guided Journal Series with Writer's Digest Books/Walking Stick Press.

As all the Jents books, also this one is dedicated to the Panzertruppen and his day by day analysis of the single fighting is an inestimable fount for the ones really interested in understand the peculiar problems of the tank combat in the desert and, more general, on flat lands.
The author introduce the reader with the complete list of the italian, british and german tanks operating on the theatre and reporting not only the tanks datas but also the ones of the guns and the kills capabilities of all them explaining why the italian army, supported by no more than 100 german tanks was able to keep the entire british army at bay for three years.
Inside this book you'll find tactics notes, use of formation and how not to use the radio in combat, how to plain a tactical operation and how to plain a complete failure overstimating the enemy and completely forgotting the Von Moeltke lessons about the uncertain nature of the battlefield and the strange enemy use to have its own plans...
If you are interested about the tank warfare and the desert one, you must have this book

This is precisely the sort of work which wargamers long for, but never find. It is exhaustively researched and clearly presented, and chock-full of detail on equipment and tactics. If you are interested in Advanced Squad Leader, Advanced Tobruk, Panzer Grenadier Afrika Korps, or similar simulations, you will be delighted with this. It's also filled with clear, excellent photographs, maps, and charts.

This book is made of very high quality paper and hardcover. It is very easy and entertaining to read. It covers the early battle actions from February 1941-June 1941. The book has all the data on the tanks (even to the steel specifications of each armour plate), all the guns penetration and accuracy data tables & gunners aim diagrams for how the Germans should fire at Matilda tanks!) Jentz uses original sources for all his information not others work.

There are many official after action reports included as to the effectiveness of the tanks both in reliability and fighting performance. Also the official recommended tactics for battle are given.

Each battle is covered with tactical movements and a map showing them, also battle reports and at the end a summary of the tactics each side used and what conclusions can be made.

The B/W plates are of very clear reproduction and show many details not normally visible like the extra armour plates added to early Pz4D. The Matilda is definatly the "star" of this book but there is still a full appeciation of the Italian tanks and guns.

This book covers next to everything those interested in early North Africa Tank battles & tanks could want to know. Like the other reviewer I am eagerly waiting the next 2? books in this series!!