Home Books

Children need books they can relate to particularly in stressful times and this is one of them. Children need more than one book, as the books are explaining different aspects. Adults, parents, G'parents, etc. should also read a good number of books to help the child and themselves.

I bought this book for my 4 yr old nephew in the midst of his parents' divorce, and found it exceptionally helpful. It is sensitively written, yet direct and powerful. The illustrations are rich and expressive, and evoked a very strong response in my nephew, enabling him to express himself in ways he might otherwise not have. Due to his age, I read the book ahead of time and chose which sentences to focus on in order to account for his attention span. But as he grows and develops, we'll be able to read the entire book together. I agree with the other reviewer and also like that this book focuses entirely on the immediate changes, without focusing on step-families. I hope to find a book as good as this one about step families when that becomes a need. I highly recommend this book! Note: the cover shows a boy, and the boy is the primary character, however, many illustrations also include a girl/sister.

This book provides a wonderful explanation of how a family changes through divorce, especially for a very young child. It is one of the few books that does not discuss step families, which was not an issue at the time of our split, and supports the idea of a child spending significant time with both parents. Best of all, it's a pleasant read. More than a year after our move, my child still pulls this book off the shelf occassionally.

I bought this book to see what the process of building a house is all about and this book provided just that, a brief overview of whats involved. I finished this book in about half an hour (didn't do the worksheets) and while its helpful, it lacked the specific information I was looking for (for ex., where should I submit the house plan? what exactly is a lien?). For first timers like me, this book generates more questions than answer. Overall a good starting point, with the dozens of worksheets which may prove to be helpful later on, but if you are looking for detailed information... you need another thicker book.

With the seemingly endless upward trend of real estate pricing, potential homeowners are constantly on the lookout for cost-cutting tips and organizational ideas to help them make the right decisions during the construction of their "customized dream house."

And this title, "So... You Want to Build a House," by J. M. Gore and William Null does just that by providing readers with useful information about subjects such as: the "perfect house;" consulting with realtors, architects, and subs; controlling both hard and soft expenses; finding the value of an upgrade; learning how that "one little change" can impact the overall outcome; and more.

But the book also helps guide the reader through the complicated process of building by including over a dozen worksheets specifically designed to help with the planning, budgeting, and building process--covering most every stage from the purchase of the land all the way through to the closing.

With all of this workbook's tips and insight, this proves to be a helpful text for anyone who may be considering a home building project (even though the inclusion of an additional set of the planning sheets or duplicates would have been appreciated).

But overall, "So... You Want to Build a House" is still a solid workbook and a great reference for anyone who's even thinking about any kind of residential project (whether they're building by themselves or through a professional)!

Good Job!

J.M. Gore is a realtor & William Null a builder, and together they have written a very helpful book. From the introduction--where you learn the importance of gathering information to make decisions, staying in your budget, and avoiding delays--to the comprehensive workbook (plenty of room for schedules, materials, subcontractors, etc.) and index, this is a useful book; and it also includes samples of the various forms you'll work with. The authors cover the basics of surveys, soil testing, easements, architects, house plans/blueprints, construction loans, liens, hard & soft costs, the importance of the value of houses in your neighborhood, resale and upgrades values, etc.; and they list and discuss the things that add to your construction cost: roof pitch, gables, plumbing and wiring, ceilings, fixtures, cabinetry, flooring, and change orders!

Having written a book myself about building a house, Building a Cool House for Hot Times without Scorching the Pocketbook, I was impressed by their book; they cover what you need to know, and they also point out that each house and property is unique, plus they've included examples of problems that homeowners have had to deal with. I learned a lot, including pitfalls I missed, fortunately. I'm keeping this book for building my next house.

AS a construction project manager and author, myself, of a book on that subject ("Get Paid for a Change", subtitled, "The Contractor's Blueprint for turning Extra Work into Extra Money--through Change Orders", I was very interested in this book. I live construction project management every day, and really am aware of what happens on virtually every building project: changes to the original design and unanticipated site conditions. In fact, this is so prevalent that my columns "Full Contact Project Management" are carried in four trade magazines.

To that end, this book is a real help to the would-be owner-builder. I believe that you can never have too much information on a subject, particularly when you are about to risk your own money on it! This book will go a long ways toward helping you make informed decisions. Even if you just decide after reading this book that you are NOT going to build it yourself, but will hire a builder, or that you should hire a superintendent, you will soon realize that the $20 you invested in this book paid huge dividends. You really need this book!

Gary Micheloni

I recently bought this book to get a general idea of what it takes for a first time home builder and the $20.00 dollars I spent saved me more time, money and hassle than I can describe. I would recommend this book to anyone who is even thinking of the adventure of house building.

$20.00 will save you Thousands!!!!!

except perhaps the late Ms. Nancy Lancaster! Mr. John Fowler would not have been who he was if it were not for Ms. Lancaster, period!

Another reviewer said it best: If only our decorators of today can know the histories about such people as these, they would have a better direction of where they're going. This is my opinion of course. Let's forget about the word decorator versus designer. My gosh, real decorators of yesterday are doing the same things that designers are doing today! The term used is just different. Forget all that, and know the history of interiors.

John Fowler was an extremely talented, true creator in every sense of the word. He was good at everything when it came to beauty and function. Nancy knew the right people to uplift him to new heights, and she was a damn good decorator in her own right. These people created rooms; rooms that will never be forgotten. These were creators! Their exquisite taste only accented their natural talent. Henrietta Spencer-Churchill carries on their spirit very well, and I only hope to be as good as they! :)

One can be aristocratic and have poor taste. Money does not give you good taste. Taste comes from within, and has its own solid foundation. This is a great book, and recommend it to every designer student highly.

I bought this book as a companion to the one I have on Colefax and Fowler. Have always admired the work of the firm. Enjoyed reading more about John Fowler and the projects he worked on.

Book's pictures are of poor quality and worse still, small in frame. Not worth the asking price.

John Fowler has and will continue to inspire the way I decorate my home...this book is full of lovely illustrations and photos and a very interesting read

I was dissapointed with the lack of quality "full page color photos" inside this book. One can not get a sense of the cozy details in Fowler's designs, in the pics represented within. I found the book mostly a biographical story rather than an inspirational journey through Fowler's career. Don't be fooled by the intimacy presented on the cover...once inside you might be surprised by the lack of warmth.

I haven't been able to get my hands on the first Alfred Kropp book yet but after having read this book, I definitely will. This book has all the ingredients that makes a book exciting - adventure, danger and even some softer moments like when Alfred thinks of his dead mum or is compassionate towards his treatment of Kenny, the other foster child living at the Tuttles. A good book which I didn't want to put down!

After finding, and then losing, his father, Bernard Samson, a billionaire, then discovering himself as the last direct descendant of the famed knight, Sir Lancelot, retrieving King Arthur's sword, Excalibur, and, finally, surviving his own death in THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ALFRED KROPP, Alfred, naturally, now finds life a tad dull.

Except for the new sport at school called "Kropping" -- a practice of daily harassment and humiliation recently adopted by his classmates -- his life has pretty much returned to normal. Boring. It seems his days of saving the world with OIPEP are over.

Until someone ordered his extraction and he is kidnapped. He awakens aboard a ship, foggy and disoriented. In no time, he's forced out of a plane over the Arabian Desert and is preparing to speed across the dunes on sand-foils at 150 miles per hour.

Their target? The Hyena, a terminated OIPEP agent who has stolen the Seals of Solomon. The Great Seal, a ring, and the Lesser Seal, also known as the Holy Vessel, must be intercepted before the Lesser Seal is broken, releasing evil the world has not seen for 3,000 years. But they are too late. They find the Lesser Seal has been compromised and once again Alfred is thrust into the role of unlikely hero.

I guarantee that once you start this book you will be unable to put it down. Rick Yancey is the master of cliffhanger chapter endings. His descriptions are at once gross and fascinating. Alfred is endearing and funny, and epitomizes the hero in all of us. Who doesn't have the childish dream to save the world and be a hero? Through Alfred Kropp, the reader can live that dream.

Rick Yancey has created an engaging character in Alfred. This reader eagerly awaits many more Alfred Kropp adventures!

Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger

If you liked the first Alfred Kropp story, you will love this one. It keeps you hooked from start to finish. I am hoping there will be at least a third in the series. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy it.

It's a hard cover, so it had to come in good shape.
I love Alfred Kropp, so I definitely like this book.

Great book! I love the storyline! This is a fun follow up to the author's first novel.

Not impressed! Clutter appears to be in the "details" of this book. Even birds know enough to leave room for the eggs!

Nell Hill is the author's grandmother and the author's inspiration.
So with this in mind, Nell Hill must have had GREAT TASTE, as does her grandaughter Mary Carol, because her classic decorating style is timeless!

Anyhow,this book is the latest decorating book by Mary C. Garrity,which concerns accessorizing your home.

I own several other books by this author, and the photographs are stunning, as usual. (To an every-day decorator like me, photos can tell a thousand words).

This book takes the reader through the homes of 3-4 of Mary Carol's friends. All three of Mary's friends use the "NELL HILL" decorating style. As I stated above, the "NELL HILL" Decorating style is "classic". In other words, the ideas are not trendy or minimalist, but rather, the ideas are those that are often seen in magazines such as TRADITIONAL HOMES or VERANDA magazines (but NOT in magazines such as DOMINO).

For those readers that collect decorating books or read many decorating magazines, this FEATHER YOUR NEST book will seem easy to read and apply. However, for a beginning decorator, this book will seem a bit over-the-top and fussy & hard to duplicate. The reason I say this is because the ideas may seem "expensive" to a decorator on a budget, or to a beginner that is not used to decorating with lots of antiques,or fragile collectible glass, or old estate silver, and such.

Even for those readers that are used to reading decorating books such as this one, they will find the photos helpful, because they show HOW to display collections and accessories.

The photos are also helpful in showing how colors can be mixed together when using a more "classic style" (eg: muted tans and ivories, burgundies and shades of greens, navy blues and shades of yellows and reds, etc). Although many readers may already be using many of the techniques mentioned as sub-categories in this book (eg: using old books as risers, candlesticks for height,etc), I think that seeing the ideas in various photos will inspire even the most advanced designer.

The only reason that I gave this book 4 stars and not five is because this book is limited to basically three homes (and not all rooms in those three homes are photographed). Therefore, I wish the author had included more of her friends' homes as examples.

This is one of my favorite books to refer to when I need inspiration. It's been on my coffee table ever since I received it.

It's just what I was looking for, great tablescape ideas and just little extras to make your home looking more polished and lived in! Highly recommended!

A huge fan of all Mary C. Garrity presents. This is my favorite book so far. Any amateur can follow the hints.

Listening for Lions, by Gloria Whelan was a great book! I only finished reading it. It held me for hours.

This book is about Rachel Sheridan, whose parents work in Africa as missionary doctor and teacher. Rachel has grown up in Africa, and loves every bit of it. The people, the animals, the land, the sky, the weather. After her parents die from the sudden influenza that strikes Tumaini, where she lives, she has to stay with the Pritchards, her English neighbors who also lost their daughter. Soon, Rachel is caught up in their deceitful, greedy scheme and is being shipped to England to possibly save an old man...by lying and posing as someone she isn't. Though she's in England, trying to tell the truth and yet not succeeding, her heart is still back in Africa with the people of Tumaini.

From the maybe third chapter to the end of part two, this book was absolutely fabulous and gripping. Although I thought the ending wasn't as strong as it might've been, I think it was satisfying enough. Told from first person in a most curiously simple and powerful voice, this is a great book! :D I love the figurative language she uses, and how she uses them to show her feelings. Yes, you should get this book. :)

I love the cover art, too.

I bought this book for my 9 year old daughter and she hasn't had a chance to read it because both my mother in-law and I have read it first. It is a great story about a girl that has been throught great loss and managed to over come and give back.

Rachel is a girl who lives in Africa. Her parents died from influenza and a rich family decided to replace her for their dead daughter. They sent her to her "grandfather" in England to pretend to be someone she is not to get his wealth.
In England she and her grandfather bond together and have fun. But then a couple months later the Pritchard's come to England to pick up their Rachel, and make sure she got her job done. Rachel feels bad about lying so much to her "grandfather". But she doesn't want the Pritchards to get mad at her and punish her. Will she tell her grandfather the truth?
In the beginning of the book, Rachel was shy and obedient. But over time she became bolder. It must be hard to pretend to be someone your not. I would not want to be in her position where I had no opinion. I recommend this book to people who like adventure because in this book, Rachel's life is full of adventure.

A missionary's young daughter serves in Africa with her parents. An influenza outbreak leaves her orphaned and in the treacherous hands of ill-intentioned neighbors. They offer her a way out of sure placement in an orphanage, but it requires her to become an imposter. How will she be true to herself and the values of her parents without risking harm to those she loves most? And how will she find her way back to Africa?

Whelan has afforded the reader every detail necessary to richly experience each scene. Whether it be in the disease ridden community of Africa, to a brief stop in Alexandria, or the lush, bird-filled gardens of England, every sensory nuance is fully described with thorough enthusiasm and metaphorical abundance. In fact, a little too much info! She certainly cannot be accused of insufficient research leading to a lack of authenticity!

The initial chapters start a little predictably, but don't lose heart. I had not read any spoiler reviews and was thoroughly engaged in the surprise conflict with anticipation for the resolve. The middle of the book definitely reached the "can't put it down" stage. A wonderfully logical ending presents itself, but Whelan plods along far past that point before ending it in a satisfying conclusion.

It's among the best books I've read - with a deduction for literary overkill. This author is definitely a "more is more" thinker. In my opinion, less would have sufficed.

I've always loved Frances Hodgson Burnett's books (A Little Princess, The Secret Garden) and wished there were more. This book by Gloria Whelan definitely fills that void, and then some! The heroine is less passive, and her motivations are made clearer, which makes this book a little more modern in its presentation and possibly more appealing to modern readers than Burnett's books. Rachel is a likable heroine, and the book is an enjoyable read.

david kahn did it. a very good book on krav maga. a credible author who can share his knowledge easily and more practical. 5 star rating was given for a very good kravist. hoping for an advance book

This book might have some value for those who have never attended a single class in any martial art.*

There are much better books on the basics of punching and kicking however.

View it online and review the Table of Contents -- the first four chapters or more are history, philosophy, why the author likes Krav etc. This information can be summarized in a few pages or found free on the Internet.

The next few chapters are literally how to perform each simple strike or kick -- good enough, but hardly the specific to Krav. I could even find examples (might have missed the tree for the forest) the explanation of an Block/Attack at the same time -- an essential of Krav.

* For a raw beginner it might be a 2 or 2 1/2 stars, but:

Save your money, buy a better "self-defense" or "intro to martial arts" book if you are a beginner -- buy a "real Krav" book if you are experienced and want to really learn Krav.

I am extremely glad that I read this in the book store (I am a speed reader), rather than paying money for it.

I've been doing Krav for about 3 months. This book is a nice overview but it cannot compare to a real class. If you've never tried Krav, I would recommend this book as an introduction. If you've already tried Krav, you won't learn much from this book.

Krav Maga to me is probably the most efficient & effective martial art to ward off attackers, whether it is to just restrain an aggressor or to do some real damage to someone who may be trying to take your life or the life of your loved ones. This book breaks it down to the nuts & bolts and helped me build a solid foundation that helped in my process & growth as a student of Krav Maga. I originally come from a Praying Mantis Kung Fu background & was completely impressed by how simple it was to understand a martial art that was new to me. The diagrams are great & quite detailed & I actually read the book twice so that the concepts were well ingrained into my mind & muscle memory. David Kahn is a great teacher just through this book alone & since I live in NY, if it's possible, I will seriously look into making the trek out to his school in New Jersey to continue my training. A definite must read for MMA folks & for people of all sizes & ages.

As a personal trainer I have tried just about every kind of workout you can imagine. The twelve week workout offered in the back of the book makes for a terrific exercise, while also teaching one the basics of hand to hand Krav Maga. I am also a student of mixed martial arts and these techniques have helped me to feel much more confident in my fighting skills. The philosophy and origins of Krav Maga are also explained in detail, helping one to better appreciate the combat system. I was very pleased with the book as an introduction to Krav Maga.

The authors generalize from their experience as Harvard MBAs and from superstar women. The message: "If they can do it, so can you."

Well, in the real world, what works for superstars is vastly different from what works with the average person. What works for the average stay-at-home mom who wants to return to work is to simply beg all your friends and relatives for a launchpad job, even if menial, so you can put something on your resume other that stay-at-home mom. Unless really desperate, most employers resumes and cover letters from stay-at-home moms (even when they try to feebly explain how being a stay-at-home mom demonstrates lots of transferable skills) and throws them into the trash.

Laughably, if you google these two authors, supposed examples of stay-at-home moms successfully reentering the workplace, despite their Harvard MBAs, you get the feeling they aren't all that successful. They're mainly noted for pushing their book, and one was noted in the NY Times for marrying a physician.

I almost cried as I read the introduction - the authors described exactly the way I was feeling, and the decisions I was weighing. The authors then walk one through this daunting process with practical advice worthy of a professional career advisor, but peppered with the insights and commentary your best girlfriend might offer up. Wonderfully helpful!

The authors start off with a bit of sisterhood and camaraderie as they speak from the mommy club. They share their experiences as SAHMs transitioning to full time work as high powered career women. This is when those of us looking for a "job" are left out of the book.

I realize that this book can not be everything to all people, but unless you are in a very high ranking position in business, science, finance, medicine, technology, sales or consulting leave it on the shelf.

It offers some nice tips for everyone about networking and reminders about getting yourself back in gear for work. 75% is for women who have the leverage to play hardball with the employer when it comes to negotiating their schedule and salary. It does not offer many great ideas for those of us who are in financial need to return to work, especially if you have very young children.

I am not trying to dump on the book, but it is not for everyone. If you are trying to be a consultant it offers great advice. If you are finding a "job", not returning to a career, this is NOT the book for you.

As a medical researcher, I was impressed to see that Cohen and Rabin included grant programs for scientific researchers who are reentering careers after time away. They took this approach throughout their excellent book which highlights how women in a wide range of careers and educational backgrounds could realistically approach returning to work after a career break.

There is a flaw in the recent negative review posted by Martin Nemko. His criticism is directed toward the difficulty of building a resume to obtain a job following a break. Obtaining a job is not the focus of the book. Rather, the book is directed to those who seek to relaunch careers or launch new ones.

His comment implying that these authors are not qualified to write on this topic is wrong. Cohen and Rabin have been through this process personally, run a return to work conference that is touring nationally, and have a lengthy press and speakers list. I highly recommend this excellent guide to relaunching a career following a break.

I can't believe reviewer Martin Nemzo read the same book I did. As reviewer Rachel Towle mentioned, I do not have an advanced degree, yet I found Back on the Career Track to be a realistic, refreshing guide to career reentry. Women who had "relaunched" careers in all sorts of fields and work configurations are profiled and the advice and strategy is accessible and I think equally effective for those of us without graduate degrees. In fact, I think the stories from the authors and their subjects were unusually candid, which made the points the authors were trying to illustrate even more compelling for someone in the position of being at home trying to return to work. Looking at Mr. Nemzo's background, he does not appear to be in this situation which is why he might have missed the major points of the book.

Finally, his comment about the authors backgrounds is clearly inaccurate to the point where I wonder if Mr. Nemzo had some sort of agenda to diss these authors. His comment that one of the authors is noted in the NYTimes for marrying a physician happens to be her wedding announcement from 1988! From their company website (www.iRelaunch.com) and some of my own googling, I found out that Cohen, a mother of four, resumed working after 11 years out of the full time workforce in a full time job for an investment company. She left after a year at which time Harvard Business School wrote a case study about her journey back to work after her time at home. Rabin went into the executive search business after seven years at home with her five kids.

These two authors appear to me to be the only authors of books on career reentry who have actually gone through the entire process of working, taking a career break and then returning to jobs unrelated to writing about or starting a company in the career reentry field. They wrote their book and started their company after they went through the entire return to work process. That's why they understand it so well! They now run a company that creates career reentry programming for people on career break and they have spoken internationally on the topic. Just take a look at their list of speaking engagements to see the wide range of audiences they address. Mr. Nemzo - I think you better do more careful research next time before tossing out the ridiculous references you make in this review. I give Back on the Career Track five stars and highly recommend it for those on career break interested in a strategy to return to work after a hiatus.

Nicole, mom of 1 with one of the way

We enjoyed using this text, and also bought the teacher's manual and tests. I found the coverage of important events to be better than most textbooks. However, we mainly use textbooks as a sort of timeline or outline for history studies. It's great to add some hands-on activities, videos, and also historical literature to really round out your study.

This book is an amazing value for the price, and so are the tests! Since it is so inexpensive, you can use your homeschool dollars on some fun books and supplies to liven things up!

My 12 year old son and I bought this book from a homeschool store in CO in August upon their recommendation. We were not disappointed. We liked the balance presented by the authors and feel they did not try to hide the truth about what evolutionists or creationists think and why each side believes what it believes. We learned many things about civilizations that Mom (graduated 1976) or son had not read in previous Christian & non-Christian history books.

Okay, okay. Yeah, great resource-- full of good information; Beats your status-quo antichristian antiamerican stark-ravin-liberal history text any day. But is that really enough?!!! Christian Liberty Press demonstrates a better perspective on history than publically funded propaganda. But what ever happened to "unbiased"? Why can't we just tell it like it is without throwing a little "non-denominational" coloring in the mix?

Yes, I thought the narrative was informative and engaging -- 5 stars on that count. But I just couldn't ignore several major issues. The publishers state in the foreword (or the introduction-- I don't recall which) that they feel it the personal responsibility of every Christian to propagate a Biblical perspective on history. Of course, theirs is the only "Biblical" perspective. Maybe it would have been slightly less offensive if I agreed with every jot and tittle of their theology. But I am not alone in my disagreement. (Nor am I a Baptist.)

For one, the course notably discounts Baptist origins in its broad coverage of *important* religious groups and denominations. Why? Because Baptists historically originated from pacifist anabaptist groups, which did not fight bloody religious wars. This failure to contribute to the rise of Christian Utopia made them historically negligible.

This, of course, is just one effect of the broader "dominion" doctrine-- a fancy name for Christian imperialism. Yes, it would seem that it is our responsibility as Christians to take over the world. We can't leave ruling the world to the infidels. In fact, Jesus won't return until we have established God's Kingdom on earth and instituted Christian culture in every corner. By the way: What is Christian culture?...

Well, this kind of exclusionary bias is present throughout the book, casting its shadow on the facts at every turn of history. Why must we call the American Revolution the "War for Independance"? Even the American Civil War is openly slighted; The puzzlingly brief coverage, accompanied by subfusc ambiguities, leaves the reader wondering "Are they suggesting that the South was right???"

So if you appreciate the taste of malicious sectarian bias-- political or theological-- this book is for you. But I personally wouldn't recommend letting your kids read it without some good discussion of these issues. Baptist or not.

2Tim 3:13 "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse..." Mat 24:12 "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Jhn 18:36 "Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world..."

One of the few world history texts that combines a biblical worldview, creation science, and church history; it gives a solid overview of civilization. It has fair inclusion of both creationist and evolutionist theory of beginnings. The authors treat the Bible as one reliable historical document to be included among all the rest. This is an EXCELLENT introduction to western civilization, interesting, clear and full of opportunities for discussion. Major world cultures, religions, and their development are explained with the aid of maps, timelines, and graphics. This material provides information for classroom conversation which will in turn help the students to process, apply, and remember what they are reading. Compliment and enhance the students learning with biographies, films, picture books, and historical fiction novels.

I agree with Lina King's description. This is an EXCELLENT introduction to western civilization, interesting, clear and full of opportunities for discussion. I do not understand why she did not give the book any stars.