christen Books

I read this book back in the 80's and found it very helpful. When my aged college daughter was questioning her major, I shipped her this book. I think it should be a "must read" for all high school students.

it is an easy guide to help others and yourself to overcome daily crisis.

As a part-time personal career coach for college students trying to identify their major, I was thrilled to see the "What Color Is Your Parachute" franchise has created a version for the late teens/early twenties demographic. Despite the best efforts of college career counseling offices, I still encounter many young people needing help identifying career options that complement the person they are. Resources such "What Color Is Your Parachute" provide young adults with critical learnings they can use to educate themselves about the importance of their personal interests, their strengths, and their skills to ultimately make an informed career decision. And it doesn't hurt if the parents of the young person have read this (or similar) works, as well, so they can be educated coaches for their young adult. In many cases, parents have invested time, emotion and money into getting their child into an institution of higher learning and keeping them there, so their participation in this stage of their child's life is a logical next step. Trust me, parents - they want your involvement more than they let on.

As a HR Manager, the regular version of "What Color Is Your Parachute" has been a resource I've relied on and recommended for the past 15 years to those affected by unexpected downsizings and by the `I want to do something different but I don't know what' bug. After reviewing this new version, I feel confident young people will benefit as much from this work personally as I have professionally. Highly recommended for young people who seek answers to the simple but complex question, "What's next for me?"

Wow! I wish I had this wonderful book when I was a teenager.

I remember very vividly when I came across Richard Bolles' 'What Colour is Your Parachute', it was way back in the late 80's/early 90's. At that time, I was embarking on a journey to find out about what I wanted to do with the second half of my life.

Naturally, I was attracted to this new book when I saw it in my local bookstore. I am pleased to note that the author has now teamed up with Carol Christen, a career strategist & Jean Blomquist, a college counseller, to come out with this great guide to help teens zero in on their favourite skills & apply that knowledge to get the most out of school, set goals & pursue their dreams.

More importantly, this book actually brings back some sweet memories of what I have perused - pondered about & worked out - for the first time.

It is filled with interactive exercises, provoking worksheets & interesting profiles of young adults who have found their uniques paths in life, all beautifully structured in a three-part layout:

- Part I: Discovering Your Dream Job;
- Part II: On the Way to Your Future;
- Part III: Landing Your Dream Job & More;

With a track record of some thirty years in the career advising arena, the lead author's 'What Colour is your Parachute' has been recognised as the world's best selling job hunting book. To me, it is very much more than that - it's about you & your future; about exploring who you are, what's important to you & what you like to do.

I fully concur with the authors: Life is meant to be lived to the fullest.

In order to achieve a fulfilling life, all of us must do what we love & love what we do!

To sum up my review, this is definitely a crucial book for every teenager who cares about his/her future.

Attention: Mums & Dads, please go & buy this book for your teenaged kids as soon as possible!!! You will be ambly rewarded in the long term.

This book uses Hollands theory of interests to help the teen discover what they want to do. The book helps prioritize interests and translate them into potential careers. This book is an excellent resource from self-discovery to building your resume to interviewing and negotiating an offer. This book is easy to read and understand and the information is useful and current. I highly recommend this book to any teen trying to determine their career path or any adult working with teens with plans to help them determine their career paths.

While I like bunnies and duckies, I really love vampires and zombies. That being said, this book is pretty cool. What kept it from a 5 star: the instructions are a little complex when they don't have to be, and the author uses more expensive materials than is necessary. I like the idea of the handcrafted eyes as well..but definitely NOT child safe. That being said, I made the groom skeleton in an evening and he was fun to make. I recommend this book to people with crochet experience..and if no experience, make sure your LYS can help you through the sticky parts.

Just received the book and looked through it. It was just what I was looking for. The projects seem quite simple and just great for any little boy or girl who like creepy cute things. Thanks

This is such a fun book. My role-playing gamer daughter-in-law recognized all of the stranger characters (who is cthulhu?)and has already asked me to make some for her friends. Now really, who doesn't want a pocket sized grim reaper? Or a teeny little ninja? Doesn't every office cubicle need an office zombie figure? There's something in this book for every one of my strange family members! So if you are tired of happy little bunnies, maybe it's time to go creepy!

I love these guys! The patterns are easy to read. She even has the chart. I have no learned to read crochet charts by comparing her written words to her charts. Any stitch or instruction that is not a "normal" crochet stitch is explained in the beginning of the book. I have several of them sitting on my end table. They are great!

This is a fantastic book if you are learning how to crochet amigurumi. Very well explained diagrams which introduce you to the japanese terminology and will help you in your future projects. All designs are perfectly to be done by a beginner and the finished items looks like exactly as the one pictured in the book.
I think is the best book to learn and make amigurumi, but in a creepy way XD
Excellent book!!

Clearly, the Norwegian peasants enjoyed quite the literary gift. The folktales in this collection are surprising for their sophistication of plot, strong commonalities among the individual tales notwithstanding. (The Trinitarian influence, especially, is blatantly evident: the hero must obtain three magical charms, steal three items from the trolls castle, rescue three princesses, or walk through three castles [of brass, silver, and gold--but, of course!] before proceeding. [By the way, in Native American--particularly Western--myth, it's _four_ that's the magic number.]) One also descries considerable pagan Norse influence: giant eagles (= Hræsvelg), tree-dwelling serpents (= Niðhöggr, if you will, vice Satan-in-the-Garden), and the tortured, bifurcate identification of lightning now with Þórr Óðinsson, now with St. Michael. It's interesting--given that many of these tales cannot date back far beyond the sixteenth century (because of otherwise resultant anachronisms, e.g., muskets and post-medieval kitchen technologies)--that the tenth-century Uppsålan tension of Christian versus pagan Viking is still strongly evident between the lines (even if Nornagest per se does not people any of the tales!).

Believing strongly in the Årne-Thomasson taxonomy of fictive archetypes, one detects considerable similarity among some of the tales with the Swedish tradition (not surprising), the German tradition (also not surprising--just across the gulf), and the Russian tradition (a bit more surprising, given both Russia's geographic isolation and, indeed, its cultural isolation until the entrenchment of the legacy of Peter I in the early to middle 1700s). Personally, it gives me a chuckle to be able to ferret out such common "skeleta," as it were, of various tales, whereby one can select a common middle and slap on, e.g., a Norwegian beginning and a Norwegian ending.

One thing I don't understand is the considerably wider array of supernatural characters in the Swedish than in the Norwegian corpus. Given especially that Norway is rather more rural than its eastern neighbor (witness its one-half the Swedish population in nearly the same land area), I cannot fathom why the Norwegian tales offer only trolls and the occasional manlike giant while the Swedish counterparts also offer elves, markedly non-manlike giants, witches, water spirits (call them nixies, Irish kelpies--even Japanese kappa, if you wish!), and--for that matter--zombies! But I digress. The collection is terrific, the plots are satisfyingly complex (for folktales, at any rate), the symbolism is clever, and the earthy, realistic tone is very, very satisfying as well as convincing that the folk literature actually matches the folk!

The Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library is usually excellent, and this book is no exception. It is well worth the money and is a good read. Interestingly, one of the illustrators also provided illustrations for Snorre Sturlasons Heimskringla or The Lives of the Norse Kings. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1990.

I lived near Oslo from Aug. '85-Jan. '86. One fall Saturday, at the checkout counter in a bookstore across from Slottsparken, I said to the clerk in Norwegian "You speak English like an American!" Her sharp tongue shot back "You speak Norwegeian like an American!" She responded to my questions why she (American) was there with "I was married to one of them" and couldn't "go back" because she didn't fit anymore. She recommended a book and also told me she'd translated some Norwegian Folk Tales into English. My host told me later it was Pat Shaw.

My daughters (then 8 and 12) read the book from cover to cover many times. Without the availability of an English grade school library filled with teen and preteen romances my daughters read pretty much whatever was placed on the coffee table. They enjoyed Shaw's translation very much, although I also occaisonally translated directly (with effort) from Asbjørnsen and Moe. This translation gives us in English a look at 'the soul of the Norwegian people', as a good friend describes the folk tales.

I'm a middle-aged English professor, but I love this book now, as I did when I was a kid. If I had to whittle my personal library down from its present size (maybe 3000?) to a hundred books, I'm sure I'd still keep this one. I read these stories now to my children and remember how I loved the stories when I was their age. When I'm a senior, I'll remember how I shared this book with my kids, as well.

...alongside the fjords, is its literary tradition, beginning with the Viking romances and sagas, at full flood in the works of Ibsen, but flowing like an underground river through its grotesque folk tales - eventyr - as collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and the Møes father and son. Asbjørnsen began collecting tales in 1834, in isolated rural areas of Norway, a country whose geography has guaranteed isolation through most of history. The publication of the Grimm Brothers' collection of folk tales sparked further enthusiasm amongst Norwegians, but the 'eventyr' are different in many ways from the traditions rescued by the Grimms, and radically different from the literary fairy tales that soon infiltrated Europe and consigned folk tales in general to the realm of children's literature.

Readers familiar with the Icelandic sagas will find many similarities in these hard-minded and hard-handed stories of peasant kings, eerie maidens, and of course trolls, with their peculiar shrewd stupidity. The pleasure of hearing/reading most of the eventyr is in the sardonic humor, the joy of seeing the come-uppance of the rich and powerful. It's interesting to note that stories collected from men are chiefly rough and humorous, and naturalistic, while those collected from women, as translator Pat Shaw reports, "kept to deep, mystic, or eerie themes."

The original illustrations by Erik Werenskiold and Theodor Kittelsen are reproduced in this collection. Black-and-white pen sketches and etchings, they match the eventyr in wry humor and spooky trollishness. I remember them well from my own childhood, when my grandmothers held me on their laps and read to me in Swedish. These are indeed wonderful, memorable stories to read to children, but they shouldn't be limited to laps, not even the laps of Lapps. Adults will enjoy them equally. Most of them are quite short, especially compared with the wordy Grimm tales, and can be relished a few at a time.

I've reviewed three Norwegian items in the past week - music by Harald Saeverud and novels by Borgen and Christensen. You may wonder why a good Swedish fellow like me would be reviewing works by Norskis. Well now, I'm just trying to show that I'm comfortable with diversity.

This is an excellent text book for leaning about the National Incident Management System (NIMS.) Having a reference book available to supplement the on-line training courses available from FEMA helps the student to review the material. (HSPD)-5, Management of Domestic Incidents requires that NIMS be used in major incident responses and that both NIMS and the NRP be incorporated into policy and training for all organizations that will responde to disasters or emergencies.

Pictures in "My America", though having qualities of many different genres and styles (political photojournalism, new topographics and fashion photography) are not manneristic, in a sense that they can't be tied to or inscribed to neither of the aesthetics. Those perfectly studied shots are simple yet discerning. People's faces are partially cropped out to focus our attention on particularities of their outlook: blood red lipstick of a young republican supporter open up in an expression of a blissful awe; a picture of a marine in his camouflage printed uniform shows only his lips pressed together tight in a grimace of pride; neatly tailored suit of the President with hands at his side and some fingers typically lifted up as if by some invisible strings. We see glassy eyes, full of hope and admiration, staring and mesmerized. We see flags, limousines, deserted areas, landscapes, car parks with men in black suits standing, waiting, watching, controlling. "My America's" cinematic narrative is disturbing. The opening photo shows a close up of a tapestry of the Presidential Seal: an eagle clutching in its beak "E Pluribus Unum" motto. Stars, rays, brown wings of the eagle, blue background knit with yarn feel almost palpable. As well as golden grasses in the field in Maine that fill up the second spread. A man in an elegant black suit stands amidst of it. His posture is unnaturally stiff, like a mannequin in a tailor's shop. We see golden buttons on his cuff and a lock of clear coiled tube on his neck. Though "My America" revolves around the President he can hardly be noticed. Fragments of his figure appear four times in the whole story, and the only time one can see his face is in a dark portrait where his calm profile shot against spotlights gives an impression of a pianist giving a concert. Almost unrecognizable is his tiny figure in an image shot from above where a crowd is circled around the Presidential Seal. He stands in the middle of it with his hands on a lectern. There is a huge distance between the tribe and the orator. An empty ring of a fiery red carpet separates the people from the podium guarded by figures in black suits - a closing brace and a metaphor for the whole book.

One of the problems with buying photo books online is that you have no idea of how you feel about the photos ... because you CAN'T SEE THE PICTURES.

On an intial run through this book, I was initially very drawn to the pictures. They really are very beautiful. But then I noticed something ... when you get about halfway through the book, you start noticing that everyone in the book looks the same. Then, you try to figure out what it is. You read some more of the book ... and you realize that everyone in the book is WHITE. The only people who might be considered to not be white are a few janitors somewhere in the middle of the book.

So, I'm not really sure what this author is trying to say ... apparently his America only consists of white people and a few colored janitors? To me, that's either seriously closed-minded, or something more insidious.

Whether it is due to the threat of terrorism or the president's inability to turn a clever phrase, George W. Bush has been a difficult person to truly capture in photographs. Sure, there are the many images of him that lampoon his expressions or make him appear awkward in public. But because his press office and/or handlers offer little or no opportunities for the news media to see him in a candid - or "non-canned" - moment, photojournalists are left grasping at straws and attempting to glean what they can while he enters and exits one photo opportunity after another. Not so with Christopher Morris' book "My America."

Instead of aiming the camera at the President while he waxes on about terror, taxes and family values (after all, a man at a podium is just a man at a podium), Morris looks away from the preacher and into the eyes of the congregation. Here, reflected in their awestruck faces, you can really see what kind of affect Bush has on this audience. Soldiers, cheerleaders, young women in uniform and boys in braces, all appear hypnotized by the presence of the world leader just off camera. In Morris' America, the beautiful landscape (be it a wheat field or a parking garage) is void of any humans and dotted only with the occasional black, monolithic Secret Service agent. Here life is staged, cut-out, removed from reality.

And because the President believes in God, and God is said to live in the details, Morris leaves none of them untouched. In the spirit of full disclosure, I sometimes work at the White House and cover the president. So, I've seen these details, too. But Morris frames them and captures them in a way that takes my breath away: the ice blue eyes, the ruby red lips, the diamond necklaces, the masking tape that says "THE PRESIDENT." And the ever-present American flag, hoisted, bannered, pinned and planted in every available place so as to raise it to a near false-idol status.

So, despite the President's best efforts, something very honest about him and the personality of his administration has crept into every photograph in this book. Tucked into the corner of each frame or sitting blurred in the background is a sense of loss and detachment. In Christopher Morris' America, people don't touch, or hug or cry or laugh. They just stand frozen in anticipation of the next word from the great leader.

Photographically speaking, the book is beautifully printed. The tones are muted so to extend the effect of uniformity and sincerity. Also, its size (about 8x9 inches) is not overwhelming like so many other books published by photographers of Morris' caliber. If you enjoy the work of Alec Soth, Alex Webb, Jonas Bendiksen, Martin Parr and Morris' colleagues at the VII Photo Agency, then this book is a must.

I bought this book to give to my son for Christmas, and a quick look indicates that it has some very useful information. The author takes a very matter-of-fact approach to the legal profession and its culture. Much of the job-hunting and general professional conduct advice applies to other professions as well. However, I cannot forgive Ms. Carey for her omission of the entire state of Maine in the list of law firms by state and alphabetically! Wyoming made the list. What gives?

The information that's present seems to be reasonable and helpful, but I wish I'd known before I ordered it that there's nothing at all in the book about solo practice, or starting a small firm with other attorneys. The advice in the book is all about how to get someone else to hire you, how to work for them and get along with them, and what sort of job you might want to look for. That's pretty good, if that's a good match for your personality. However, if you're not inclined in that direction (most of the attorneys in the US work as solos or in small firms), this may not be that helpful after all.

While this book's title is a little misleading, it does contain useful general information that might prove handy for an aspiring lawyer. "Full Disclosure" is by no means a "must-read career guide"; however, it might be worth skimming through if you have time. For those who are thinking about law school, I would definitely recommend "Law School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Law School Experience" over "Full Disclosure" for practical advice.

"Full Disclosure" seems like a big book but it actually is not. The book tries to give an overview of finding a job and then building up your career, but it gives pretty short simplistic advice that can be found for free online. For example, www.findlaw.com gives more extensive information on career information for attorneys.

If you are looking for a legal job-hunting book I would recommend "Guerrila Tactics for getting the Legal Job of your Dreams" by Kimm Alayne Walton. Career strategies is best covered by "The Young Lawyer's Jungle Book" by Thane Josef Messinger" and "What Law School Doesn't Teach You" by Kimm Alayne Walton.

Honestly, I don't understand the point of "Full Disclosure." The book was published in 2001 when job-hunting tips and career strategies were already extensively covered online--for free. Moreover, why is half the book given over to an appendix that covers a listing of law firms? Law firm information can alreadybe accessed online at sites like Martindalehubble.

Altogether, I would recommend that you save your money on this book. The ground that "Full Disclosure" covers is better covered by other books, and the advice it gives is the standard stuff you can already find online.

This book is a JOKE.
This mindless compilation is as if to suggest that the reader has no comprehension of fundamentals or is innately lacking.
"Work well and play with others?"

This publication just goes to show you that just about anybody can fill pages with asundered text from who knows what source for certain, publish it and call it a book.

While there are a "ga-zillion" books on travel destinations, there are relatively few manuals for what travelers require before, during and after their journeys. Knowing where you want to go is only the tip of the iceberg. Knowing how to go about getting there IS the iceberg.

This is why I think Travel Wisdom is so very important for any traveler. It is a tutorial on preparedness for travel. And, the emphasis is on "wisdom" which to me means first-hand experience and not simply theoretical deductions, conjecture, self diagnosis or guesswork. In short, both Lynne and Hank Christen have infused their wealth of travel knowledge into a concise and practical package for travelers of all levels.

The underlying theme of the book lies in the fact that following the events of 9-11, both domestic and international travel have been greatly impacted by new and greater issues regarding security. We no longer can take for granted many of the routine activities of yesteryear.

Furthermore, no two travelers have the same needs, wants, desires or questions. Yet, somewhere in Travel Wisdom there are easily located answers to almost every question that can be posed on travel preparations, expectations, etiquette, booking, lodging, shopping, and a continuing litany of relevant travel-related subjects.

I highly recommend this book to be read thoroughly by all novice travelers. For the somewhat experienced and veteran travelers, I suggest allowing for a few more ounces of carry-on weight to have Travel Wisdom close by on any trip as a handy reference companion.

I received this book a week ago. I think it is the best book of genereal travel info I have ever read (and I have read many!) The authors include lots of "travel tips" that I had never thought of, as well as some excellent packing lists and a great list of resources on the internet.

Travel Wisdom: Tips, Tools, And Tactics For All Travelers is a highly practical guide to packing like a pro, managing travel money, shopping smart, bargaining for goods and services, dealing with setbacks, enjoying traveling with a group or going solo, creating travel lasting memories, and so much more. Collaboratively written by Lynne and Hank Christen for anyone who needs to prepare for a long journey, Travel Wisdom offers no-nonsense health, safety, and financial advice and is enthusiastically recommended for those about to travel the country or around the world for business, pleasure, or both.

(...)
Very practical guide. Well-organized into helpful chapters on every travel subject imaginable. But not a dry read. Funny little travel predicaments and stories are interspersed throughout. Heavy on the cruise ship/group tours, style of travel; light on low budget treks. Geared a bit more towards the older traveler. An attractive couple. Lynne, a former Flight Attendant, their great love for travel comes through on every page. Attractive cover with a definite lazy tropical appeal. (...)

The authors have packaged checklists and practical advice that simply is not available anywhere else. As a writer and frequent traveler I found this book essential for the experienced globetrotter and a revelation for those who are novices. Anyone will find fresh and instantly usable info on planning, packing, shopping, and savoring their trip. Can't recommend it highly enough!