channel Books

I rarely give a book 5 stars- BUT this one has it all. Well-drawn and interesting characters, an incredible setting, dire circumstances, suspense....and even a tiny bit of romance. It is told in the form of letters-an epistolary tale, an unusual and often difficult way to tell a story. But it works beautifully here.

Set in 1946, following World War II, author Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a man, Dawsey Adams, who has purchased a used book by Charles Lamb. This book has Juliet's name and London address written inside the front cover. Touched by his love of Lamb, Juliet goes out of her way to get him more books, and replies, asking him more about some of the stories in the first letter, specifically the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, formed during the German occupation of Guernsey.

Continued correspondence entices Juliet to visit Guernsey, to try to find a subject for an article she has been commissioned to write about the reading habits of the Society. She may even find a subject for her second book in the stories of the occupation she has heard from their letters. The letters even distract her from a burgeoning romance with a handsome and wealthy American publisher.

Mary Ann Shaffer, who had worked as a librarian, editor, and in bookshops, wrote the book over a number of years, found an agent, and as the editing process began, became ill with cancer. She died in February of 2008. Her niece and author Annie Barrows finished up the editing process, hence the co-authorship.

Armchair Interviews says: If this reviewer, a librarian raves about this book--we must say: "Highly recommended."

A delightful book with something for everyone: WWII, a little known island, interesting people, romance - even food (or lack of it in this instance)! I'm not a great fan of epistolary novels - novels written in the form of letters - but here the genre works just fine, a natural choice in the circumstances. I was fascinated at how deftly characters are made to reveal themselves by how they write back and forth to each other. A real treat!

The epistolary novel form is a great conceit for telling the story of those occupied by the Germans on Guernsey Island in WWII. I found myself reading this book slowly so it wouldn't end and used it as a treat to return to after a trying day or when I was feeling down. I admire books about people who keep that "stiff upper lip" through it all. While this is fiction, of course, I'm imagine there were real people banding together for good during these trying times, just like in the book.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a very good summer read. The end is, in my opinion, a "hallmark" ending; the mechanism of letter writing gets too, too much by the end of the book. But, on the way to the end, one learns a lot about life on Guernsey during WWll and about very decent people who did their very best to survive and even to flourish under war-time restrictions. It will not take you long to read this book. When you finish reading, you will say, "now that was nice." Nancy Salen

I just can't say enough about this book. I don't usually like WWII fiction, but this book is making me re-think that. A book for book-lovers, a book for someone who has always wanted to write a book, a book for lovers, for friends, for the historical fiction lover, a book of connection, a book of everything. Just everything. Read this book. You won't be sorry.

Fun and informative romp with plenty of imagination. Should have a dictionary of sailing terms. Lots of points to connect with the history involved - Churchill, Lord Nelson, the Nazis, etc. Passing it along through the family. They are devouring it.

I bought this book for my 10yr old son. He loved it and my 2 daughters (9 & 14) loved it to. I also found myself reading it. Great Book wonderful values.

I'm only 5 or more chapters into it but it is a good book so far. wish he had gone back in time already but i guess all good things come in time and patience.

Nick McIver and his sister Kate live a happy life on an island off the coast of England, spending their days exploring and sailing as the children of the lighthouse keeper. But it's turbulent times in 1939, and Nick's father has been engaged by Winston Churchill himself to watch the waters of the English Channel for prowling Nazi U-boats, and Nick and Katie are eager to help. But one day the discovery of an old sea chest containing a time machine, the sighting of a high-tech U-boat, and the arrival of some unsavory characters launch Nick and Kate into the adventure of their lives and they'll struggle to protect their beloved home from enemies all around them.

From the very beginning of Nick of Time, author Ted Bell enraptures the reader with fast paced and riveting action. The story is constructed with younger readers in mind, but will appeal to older teens and adults as well who don't mind reading about younger protagonists--although the adventure never lets up long enough for them to mind! Some younger, less experienced readers may find it hard to wade through all of the nautical jargon and the two different time periods, but Bell's themes of honesty, loyalty, and courage, wrapped up in fierce determination to do what's right, will hit home with any reader. Historical, exciting, humorous, and suspenseful, Nick of Time has the makings of a classic.

You do not find books like this any more. You can be a kid again in this book. You are pulled into every page. I have read all of Ted Bells books, but Nick of Time is so different you can't wait to turn the page.

In my life long search for the true meaning of life I have studied and investigated a lot of things. Ultimately I have become convinced that our truth purpose in life is enlightenment and now study and follow the so called non-dual religions of the east. Having found non-dual wisdom I abandoned all my previous spiritual / religious beliefs including the belief in channeled information as well as the new age idea's that we reincarnate to learn specific lessons. So initially I was resistant to revisit the concepts that are presented in this book as they seemingly are in direct conflict with the non-dual wisdom path. How could both be right? One believing that the personal self is an illusion and that there is only one true nature and the other believing that there is a spirit world and that we have individual immortal souls that reincarnate to learn lessons. However it proved well worth my while to put aside my reservations and read this book!

My review will not cover the `life plan' aspects of this book as so many other reviewers have already done that. If that is what you expect then it would be better to read one of the other reviews. If it interests you to read on then you will find a high level critical review of this book based of the highest level of spiritual truth that I know, the non-dual wisdom teachings of the east.

"If you always - and I mean always - take the higher road, the higher frequencies will lift you into more loving actions towards others." ~ Page 285, Courageous Souls. Non-dual wisdom says if you seek your true nature then the Self will begin to pull you in. What I discovered in reading this book was that it is far more inline with non-dual wisdom than I initially suspected. It now seems to me that reincarnation and life lessons are an intermediate stage (that we all go through) which will ultimately lead to the desire to seek enlightenment itself, which is where the non-dual teachings of the east begin. The channeled information in the book states quite clearly that the personality structure is an illusion created for learning; "The personality is the illusion that is required on Earth in this space-time to learn the lessons" ~ Page 222; "You must understand that the personality is a construct" ~ Page 230. Non-dual wisdom says something very similar that the personality is a construct / illusion and that enlightenment is seeing through the construct and knowing ones true Self, which is indescribable impersonal conscious non-duality (oneness).

I am university trained in logic and deductive reasoning and do not simply believe something because it sounds impressive or it is popular. I put everything I come across through rigorous logical analysis and cross checking and only embrace it when it stands up to thorough examination. Just because I have embraced spiritual teachings does not mean that I have thrown out logic and reason. Therefore the unscientific approach of this book grated on me and although I was pleased that the author validated the information by using several different sources for the same person the book is clearly written with no objectivity. I found the writing style too informal and loose for what I consider a serious subject. The author repeatedly inserts his own understanding of the material, his personal beliefs and common new age beliefs which requires some sorting through because of the different sources and levels of understanding mixed together. The reliability of the source of all information is of utmost important to all scientists.

Spiritual truth can only ever completely be trusted when spoken by someone who knows because they have been there experientially. Second hand truth may be true but there is no way to verify that it is not simply nice cozy concepts that we want to believe in because they make us feel better. Lastly I definitely do not trust channeled information, for the same reason, you have a completely unverifiable source of information. You have no idea what level of consciousness that `spirit' who is providing the information has reached, in fact you have no idea if information is even being channeled. A clever psychic or psychologist could simply be reading you and telling you what you expect to hear or giving you some spiritual information that they read in books especially after you have already provided them with a lot of information upfront. I am not saying that the information provided in this book is not true but rather that you can not verify the source of the information and therefore it is automatically less trust worthy. For these reasons the book lost one star. Despite my misgivings I still rated this book at four stars simply because of the inspiring and beneficial affect it had on me. And despite what I have said I have faith that the unverifiable `life plan' information is reasonably reliable because I crossed checked the other channeled information with my non-dual wisdom sources and these sources I have complete faith in since I have been validating them for years.

Some further extracts; "Do not consider reuniting, for that betokens a separation. There is never any separation. What the personality feels after death, when it feels as one with God, is simply the brushing away of cobwebs that obscure its view" ~ Page 223. Non-dual wisdom says that the world appears as duality but in reality is non-dual. In other words there is no separation only a oneness, this applies to physical object as well as consciousness. Further it says that we can not see reality because our view is obscured. "we create the illusion in which we appear to be separate from one another and All That Is" ~ Page 203. "The realization and recognition that one is responsible for creating one's own sense of happiness and well-being" ~ Page 143. This is also a teaching from a high consciousness level and indeed similar to non-dual wisdom which states that we project all meaning out onto the world. All emotion states stem from our mental positioning towards objects. Therefore if we give up our constant mental positioning we can experience peace. "What other activities are you engaged in? We, too, server as guides and mention for others, and we seek our own melding with the absolute"; a question that is asked of channeled spirit ~ Page 74. This is saying that there are other beings in other realms also seeking enlightenment in their own way and this agrees with the non-dual teachings that say we are seeking enlightenment.

I have given some examples from the book that I have been able to verify with my non-dual wisdom sources. Some other concepts that are mentioned in the book that also correlate with non-dual wisdom are impermanence, non-judgment, compassion and love. One of my non-dual western master teachers often says how judgment is reserved for God alone and that we think is just a beggar on the street may actually be an enlightened master. This book really helped me embrace this teaching. I have found faith in what else is offered about life lessons and despite my continued weariness and tendency to distrust channeled information I have found this book of great interest and usefulness. It certainly helped me become less judgmental, more accepting, inspired greater hope and meaning, and resolved a long conflict I had between my past new age beliefs and current faith in non-dual wisdom. In essence both teachings are true and compatible but vary in approach and target audience. I highly recommend this book to those of you who embrace new age and also to those who study non-dual wisdom (as an interesting and useful adjunct to your primary teachings). I end with one more validation with the non-dual wisdom teachings.

"The hermit who sits alone on a mountaintop radiating a vibration of peace does more to bring harmony to the world than the angry peace marcher." ~ Page 270

Whether or not you believe in reincarnation or spirit guides or even pre-birth planning, this book has something to teach you. The book helps us look at the negatives in our lives and turn those into positives - especially the negative people we encounter. Instead of harping on the negative lessons our parents (or anyone) gave us, we can thank them for being examples of how to and how not to be. It's a complete flip from the negative to the positive. I felt like a tremendous load had been lifted after I finished the book. Again, even if you don't believe in mediums, reincarnation, etc., you can still learn from this book. Give it a try.

If you have unanswered questions about why some of your relationships didn't work out, or why certain things seem to just "happen" to you, read this book! You will get a better understanding of how we chart our lives, prior to incarnation, in order to learn the lessons our soul needs to grow and perfect. Robert Schwartz does a wonderful job of researching!

With my mother dying I had a lot of questions about the journey of souls. This book is packed with a lot of wonderful information and gave me a sense of calm and made me felt more accepting of situations and people in my life.

One of the most important books I have ever read. This book confirmed to me many things that I have always inherently felt to be true, but more than that, it has helped me see life and the people in it from a much more elevated perspective. I cannot stress how amazing it is. I am re-reading it once again. I hope the author writes another very soon.

A big sucess. We had a family reunion and it kept 6 boys happy for many hours in addition to tiring them out as they ran up and down the stairs from a loft area. Good instructions plus the proper paper.

interesting and fun for kids that love hands-on activities; easy and challenging at the same time...

I am a Science teacher I designed a Science Camp for the school district I work for. One of the days was devoted to the science of flight and we used paper airplanes as models. Originally, I had purchased 4 different paper airplane books (including this one). But, when the time came around and it was 'Paper Airplane Day' during our camp, this was the book I used.

The other books were ok, but many of the planes seemed to be very complex to make, many also involving irregular sizes of paper. I also try to keep my Science lessons simple - I wanted something the students could take home and start making right away. Not only did the Klutz book offer great, easy to make airplanes, but it also contained easy to understand explanations of the principles of flight (as well as some group games to play with paper airplanes.

I HIGHLY recommend this book and I give it a solid teacher endorsement!

Great product. Kids have fun making special paper airplanes. Especilly good for kids who have enjoyed putting Lego together.

This book is awesome. I never have been able to fold paper airplanes before that actually flew. With this book, it is so easy and they really fly. I now buy this book for my girls to give as birthday presents. Awesome find.

A great little book to have around for a quick few minutes of reading. The stories are presented in a short form that provide just enough reading to fill a boring few minutes.

I devoured this book in one sitting! What fun to learn obscure facts! If you enjoy learning the quirky side of history, you'll love all of these books.

I enjoyed this little book, it has interesting little pieces of history not well known. I didn't sit down and read the whole thing I read one story a day until I'd read the whole thing. The book is in sequence by years and it goes back to the beginning of some of the things we take for granted today I liked learning those little details about the people who were important in those days. I just wish there were more stories I looked forward to reading a little piece of interesting history everyday.

For what it is, this was a very informative book of little bits of historical facts. I was hoping for a little more in depth look at some of the things contained, but overall, I thought it was very well done. I did notice some small errors within the book, but nothing that takes away from the book as a whole. I did enjoy the book, and think it could be a great book even for younger readers, or parents and children together.

A great book for someone with a short attention span or people who can only spare a second or two here and there to read. People interested in history will love this book, as would those interested in trivia. Also would recommend for kids who are working on oral reading fluency.

this is my first book on channeling, and im very happy that i picked this one. its very easy to read, and it keeps the exercises as simple as possible. there are no big long extravagant rituals to memorize and im thankful for that! like i said, im a beginner, but now i have hope of consciously contacting my guides. maybe in the future i will write another review on this book and its impact on my spiritual path, but im sure this book will always get good reviews from me!

It's nice to get the info directly from channeled sources. Orin and Da Ben has given us such a gift. Now, channeling is so much easier, effortless actually. It's really just realizing that everyone's channeling all the time, it's just listening to the messages through thought, feelings, etc. It's just all about awareness and this book helped me understand that. The practice exercises are really helpful too!

Opening To Channel was invaluable in teaching me how simple it is to connect to your higher self and spirit guides. This book was written in a completely disarming way and makes meditation and channeling seem as natural as a trip to the store. The relatively easy techniques, combined with the insights of the author's personal story make Opening to Channel a light and important read for anyone looking to grow their spiritual growth. Jim Fargiano, author of The Spoken Words of Spirit: Lessons From The Other Side

This book is clear, easy to read and doesn't use a lot of senseless 'filler' words to make the writing sound more eloquent than it needs to be. I bought this book over 12 years ago and have had it on my nightstand ever since. When I need a reminder of how life is meant to be lived, I open it, read a few pages and am immediately reminded of my own power and joy.

This book is RIDICULOUS.

I FULLY believe in channeling but this book is half "written" by "Daben" (one of the author's spirit guides), and half from the authors---- nonsense.
After reading over half of this book talk about how wonderful and easy it is to channel if you just ask (and Daben "says" he will help you meet your guide if you just ask him), and giving you some "pointers" on how to start meditating--- it's not any different than any other "beginning meditation" book, except it is "written" by the authors' "spirit guides" too-----

I wouldn't waste my money on this one--- try someone else. This one to me, is useless and simply ridiculous as well.

Exactly what I ordered. Easy to use, great quality product, would recommend to a friend.

I bought this book for my daughter's 3rd birthday party. She has lots of older cousins ranging from 3-12 (mostly boys) and everyone was excited to get their face, arm, hand or leg painted. There are wide variety of ideas with set-by-step instructions. They were all very easy to do. If you make a little mistake the kids didn't seem to even notice, and if you make a big mistake the paint wipes off easily. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of paint that comes with it. I'm sure I will be using this set for years to come.

I bought this book for my daughter's 4th birthday. We have used this book over and over. The pictures are easy to duplicate on the whole. There are some that are a little more difficult but it was easier than I imagined.The paints that are supplied are also great. I bought some others but they were not as easy to work with. This is all you need for face painting.I have also gifted this book since then.It costs more in the stores than shipped from amazon.No negative aspects to this book.

My husband could not believe that I painted my daughters face! She also loves it. I would highly recommend this for parents planning a birthday party.

I'm a preschool teacher and I've been face painting children's faces for several years now. I've tried many, many different types of face paints and this set is one of my favorites. The paints come on really bright on the children's skin and I don't have to apply too much for the color to show. They also come off the skin easily. The book also has great ideas and are simple to follow. So buy it! You won't regret it!

I have been a fan of Deadliest Catch since roughly the second season. For the most part, I liked the Hillstrand Brothers (though Capt Phil and the Cornelia Marie crew are my favorites). I was very excited to find an autographed copy of the Hillstrand's book at my local B&N. Though it offered some entertaining stories, I must say I was disappointed in the book as a whole. The narrative is very choppy and hard to follow. It jumps back and forth from Jonathan being stranded at sea, to Andy on the farm waiting to hear from him, to both of them reflecting on their pasts. I don't blame the Hillstrands for this (I don't expect crab fisherman to be great writers) as much as I do their editor/ghostwriter. Surely he or she could have done a better job.
For me, the most disappointing aspect of reading this book was how much respect I lost for the Hillstrand brothers. By their own admissions and through their own words, Jonathan comes across as the perpetual child who refuses to grow up. He wastes his money on women and booze and doesn't spend a lot of time with his son (but expects him to take over the family business someday). Though he says he treats women well, he seems to have an almost annoyed, even hostile attitude towards those like Andy and (Jonathan's) son Scott, who have or seek to have a stable family life. For his part, Andy comes across as the perpetual enabler who is always bailing his brother out of trouble. I have to say the book as a whole left me feeling a bit cold towards the brothers. I will definately watch them differently when they're on the show in the future.

If you love Deadliest Catch and the Hillstrand brothers you will really enjoy this book. They are my favorite captains on the show becuase of thier sense of humor.

There is no question that Time Bandit finds an eager audience among fans of the American TV show "Deadliest Catch," but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the book stands up well on its own as an entertaining and informative read. The brothers Hillstrand have a pirate's lode of great fishing stories, but the book doesn't stop there. These men are also admirably candid about their personal histories and the tough issues they deal with on land (families, obligations, personal demons, compliance with fishing regulations, outfitting for the next fishing run, hiring/firing crew, etc).

The first and dominant voice in the narrative is Johnathan Hillstrand whose delivery struck me as egotistical and arrogant to the point that I almost didn't stick around to give the book a chance--but I'm glad I did. After all, the book opens with the "bad boy of the Bering Sea" perilously adrift and alone, and even if he does seem a bit full of himself, I wanted to see how he would get out of his dire predicament. His life-threatening situation serves as the literary focus to reflect on his life--kind of a slow-motion version of seeing your lifetime pass before your eyes before you die. Thus unfolds Johnathan's entertaining story, reminiscences of his life, interspersed with the narrative of his brother Andy and the fellow fishermen who eventually rescue him.

At first, I thought the writing style was too unpolished and the tone overbearingly arrogant but as I got to "know" Johnathan better, and then his brother Andy, I decided to cut them some slack. After all, if fishermen were born to be writers, they wouldn't be fishermen, and vice versa (with the exception of Linda Greenlaw who is both a good writer and fisherman). Thankfully, the authors enlisted the help of seasoned writer Malcolm MacPherson who I presume is responsible for making a cohesive work from two lifetimes of harrowing stories. More effort in that direction would have further improved the book.

Time Bandit is great entertainment. Tales of near death, living on the edge, the roughness of life on sea and land, gave me a great escape into a world I could never approach in my real life. I take points off for the literary weakness of the book which is apparently aimed at the established TV audience as a "mixed media" marketing effort. When the TV show eventually ends and the DVD market is sated, the book will not have much literary quality to sustain it as a book alone.

Sharing similarities with Time Bandit in ocean-going subject matter, here are a few recommendations which are stronger literary works: _The Hungry Ocean_ and _The Lobster Chronicles_ by Linda Greenlaw, _The Perfect Storm_ by Sebastian Junger, _Hen Frigates_ by Joan Druett, and _Cod_ by Mark Kurlansky.

This book can hardly be laid down, which is surprising for its genre. It was received in the condition advertised.

I really enjoyed this book. It is well written and very informative. I watch Deadliest Catch every day, and can't wait for the new season to start. Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand are to be commended for getting this book published. They are my favorite fishermen and I really like the crew also. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is excellent. I loved each and every word and could not in all honesty put this book down. I think I read this most excellent book faster and in a shorter time then any book I have read, and I have read hundreds of different books in my adult life. If you like the show, you MUST get this book.

I am currently using this book in my Master of Professional Studies in Supply Chain Management program at Penn State University and I have found the book to be very useful. When I compare this textbook with the books I used when I completed my MBA in 2003, I feel this textbook is by far one of the best in regards to content and useful information. The only suggestion I would make is that the authors should include a CD with Excel templates for all of the models in the book.

Also, do not think of this book as only being useful if you're a student. I used this book while I was managing Dell's supply chain and I find myself referring to the book now that I am a consultant.

As Sunil Chopra and Peter Meindl explain in their Preface, the purpose of their book is to help those who read it to "develop an understanding of the following key areas and their interrelationships: the strategic role of a supply chain, the key strategic drivers of supply chain performance, and [the] analytical methodologies for supply chain analysis." I think their material will be of greatest interest and value to executives who are now centrally involved in management of larger organizations' supply chains. However, I think their book will also be of substantial benefit to others who are directly or indirectly involved as strategic allies in those supply chains, those who can also help to ensure effective management of them.

Chopra and Meindl carefully organize their material as follows:

Part I: Building a Strategic Framework to Analyze Supply Chains
Part II: Designing the Supply Chain Network
Part III: Planning Demand and Supply in a Supply Chain
Part IV: Planning and Managing Inventories in a Supply Chain
Part V: Designing and Planning Transportation Networks
Part VI: Managing Cross-Functional Drivers in a Supply Chain

I was especially interested in the final part because one of the greatest challenges when establishing and then sustaining an effective supply chain is to take into full account the need to get all participants in proper alignment, especially when cross-functional resources to achieve to achieve mutually-beneficial results. In Part VI, Chopra and Meindl respond to questions such as these:

1. What is the role of sourcing?
2. How to achieve design collaboration?
3. What are the most important "drivers" of pricing and revenue management?
4. What is IT's role?
5. What does effective risk management require?
6. What are the major barriers to effective coordination?
7. How to build strategic partnerships and trust between and among stakeholders?

Many readers (I among them) will also appreciate the provision of a "Summary of Learning Objectives" and "Discussion Questions" at the conclusion of each of the 17 chapters. Credit Chopra and Meindl with fully achieving their objectives when they set out to write this book: To help their readers to understand the strategic role of a supply chain, the key strategic drivers of supply chain performance, and the analytic methodologies for supply chain analysis.

Bravo!

The book was purchased as a gift for my husband, who is a military history buff. He was a little skeptical at first, but once he started reading the book, he couldn't wait to share a number of the stories with me and had a hard time puttimg the book down until he finished it.

Good, but like another reviewer I have read, it passes off a questionable theory as fact. The questionable story for me is the death of Davy Crockett. While there is indeed a story of his surrender and subsequent begging for his life, it is one rumor of many and there are far more stories that dispute this. I am hardly a historian, but I have done a great deal of study on the subject of the Alamo and just finished a couple of William C. Davis's books which cover the subject. In both books he dicusses the theories of his death backed up with great research. It is possible, but unlikely. So I was skeptical of this book which passes off this one theory as fact.

That being said, I also own the other two story collections (Greatest Stories and Greatest Presidential Stories) and find them fascinating and great reads. But I have a problem with this volume. I ended up putting it back on the shelf without buying it half-way through.

This book is highly entertaining and is chock full of interesting facts. It is so interesting that it answers many questions that you never thought to ask like "how did the bazooka get its name?" Nothing deep, but a pleasurable read. I found my self wanting to share many of the stories with friends and family. A quick read and worth the time.

I am a social studies teacher and my jaw dropped reading these short tidbits on historical events -- this is such a great writer in easy-to-understand language. My students love it when I tell them stuff like this you'll never find in a textbook.

This book was nice distraction. To be honest, the first time I saw it and looked at the format I thought it wouldn't be that good but actually I was pleasntly surprised. Although I was familiar with many of the stories, Beyer managed to surprise me with a few new angles on some of these bits of trivia. Better yet, he came up with several new stories I had never heard.

Great book. I look forward to more of this type.