A new novel about nannies says all the wrong things about nannies and the families they work for. This hiring handbook will help you make the right choice. Check your nanny's background and use the needs assessment questionaire. Working as a nanny is a full time commitment and you need to make sure the nanny working for you isn't more committed to her education and social life than she is to your children The online appendix abcnanny allows you to down load all the forms you need. Downloads are a way of life today, but this site links to the forms you need as well as the irs site.The direct links save you a lot of search time, every form you need is designated in the book. The forms in the book and on the CD proivde a lot of information about the hiring process.

The page count is very misleading. It seems like the book has a lot of forms, but the text on the forms is very useful. The child care reference form is very good, I wish I would have asked those questions when I hired my last nanny. Downloading forms from IRS saves time. The section on job descriptions and schedules is very helpful. The CD-Rom makes the book good for several uses because you don't have to fill in the forms in the book. The only thing missing is simple recipes for the nanny. The best thing about the book is the author sticks to the presenting straight information. She created terms like parent employer and childcare trio, she does not offer her opinions nor does she tell stories. The ABCs of Hiring a Nanny is really a step by step program. This is a great gift for a co worker at the office shower.

Develop a compensation package as suggested by the author before you start the search process. Stick to your guns, if using an agency, make them understand they are not doing YOU a favor. Don't get hooked into an agency by paying an application fee. The consumer information in this book is great! The abcnanny website is very helpful, the one shortcoming is the limited directory of nanny training schools. That however is not the fault of the webdesigner and author. The forms in the book give you a lot of information about the many aspects of the search and it is important you develop a packet of documents to use during each process. We found the interview techniques and questions very helpful. The author even has developed a language of her own, I like the term "child care trio" , and having a had a nanny snatched away from us, "Nanny Napper" is a very appropriate term! This book is great, don't be concerned about the page count, every time you run off the forms from the included CD, the page count increases. You can also download the forms you need immediately from the website.

I have rarely been as deeply moved by a book as I was by this meditation by Leonard Fein's on the death of his remarkable daughter, who suddenly and unexpectedly died at the age of 30, a young wife and mother of a 14 month old daughter. The book moves between Nomi's life and the process of dealing with her death. As a "sceptic," Fein struggles to understand the "meaning" of this death. He does this with an honesty, eloquence, and vulberability that is truly remarkable. The book takes the reader on a journey to discover how it is possible to construct meaning in the face of loss. Fein reflects on this process as a Jew, but his insights ring true well beyond the confines of a single culture or religion. This is a beautifully written and deeply felt work that I would recommend as a wonderful read for all of us who must inevitably struggles with issues of meaning

This is a book everyone needs to help in confronting the most unfair aspect of life: death. Specifically, this gem of a book is about the loss of Fein's daughter, Nomi, and how he has come to terms with it. But the wisdom in this book will benefit anyone who faces death, their own or the deaths of their loved ones. I imagine many people try to avoid a book like this because they assume it is depressing. This one isn't. The loss of Nomi was tragic, terrible, but her life was such a gift. You read this book and understand that we are promised nothing in terms of longevity; we must make the most of whatever time we have. That Nomi dead and so did her father. An important message Fein conveys whether intentionally or not is that the pain of losing someone you love is unbearably painful but far more bearable if your love has been expressed openly during life. Fein loved his daughter and told her so, over and over again. His recollection of that simple fact keeps him going. Pain, yes. Guilt, none. There is an important lesson there. This book is a must.

The image evoked by the words on Nomi's gravestone led me into long ruminations about the ways to comprehend, and ultimatly tranform the sadness of, the death of a young life. How many of us have warded off the searing emotion of imagining the loss of a child? This is Fein's personal story as he tries to cope with his loss, honor his daughter's memory, and move foward with his life forever altered. The book is filled with a personal wisdom that is both deeply philosophical and searingly personal. To read this book is to vacillate between crying one's own tears for the loss of Nomi and being inpired by her own unique and powerful spark. The book is Fein's personal journey, but the story he tells is deeply and movingly universal.

Wendy Lawton has done it again! She has drawn me into one of
her historical children's books.

Lawton's ability to weave history with fiction enriches each book she has written in the Daughters of the Faith Series. I was thrilled to reach the end of the book and learn about the fate of the real Mary Chilton and other passengers of the Mayflower. I found it interesting to note that there really was a Francis Billington who nearly blew up the Mayflower.

I think Lawton's descriptive ability is richer in this third book of the series. She has a way of placing you in the country as though you lived there. You can almost smell the salty sea air in Leyden. On board the Mayflower, readers can see "the shimmer of water" and hear "the flap, flap, flap of sails being unfurled..."

Throughout this series, Lawton weaves her faith in God throughout the book much like Mary Chilton and her mother weaved the cloth for their family as they set out for their new home--America.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest book in the Daughters of the Faith Series and can't wait for the next one.

Between the romance of the Pilgrims' story with which I grew up and the story that our children hear today falls the truth, and I believe Wendy Lawton has shown quite a bit of that truth in her story, Almost Home.

In their quest to escape religious persecution in England and again in Holland, the Pilgrims put their faith in their God to carry them across the waters in a vessel that should have carried no more than half of the number that it brought to freedom. We see this trip through the eyes of Mary Chilton, a 13-year-old girl who must bear the pain of leaving her older siblings behind to go with her parents in order that they all might start a new life. Mary soon finds that that loss is just the beginning, and she struggles to find God's love through trials of sickness, loss, and starvation.

The book includes a glossary that explains the unfamiliar terms which Ms. Lawton uses to take the reader back into the early 17th century; also, an epilogue gives a glimpse of Mary's life as an adult in her new home.

A wonderful, challenging book for young ladies who are interested in history and in strong young female characters.

It's a universal truth that everyone longs to have a place to call home. It's the place where we feel most comfortable and can be ourselves. Thirteen-year-old Mary Chilton longs for the same stability in her life. Mary and her family are looking for a place to call home. In this highly readable and engaging book, Wendy Lawton takes the reader on the journey home through Mary's viewpoint. One of the 102 passengers who traveled from England to the New World on the Mayflower, Mary experiences hardship and joy as she discovers the true meaning of home and family.

The research and vivid details of this book will transport young readers yet teach them something about the early settlers to the New World called America. I recommend this book and encourage you to read it as well then you can recommend it to your friends. It's the perfect recommendation or gift for any library-school or church.

W. Terry Whalin...

This is not an easy book to read, and you may often find yourself having to put the book down once in awhile simply to get away from the horror and reality of child abuse. Silverman is more than a survivor, she is an inspiration to victims who have experienced the savage, psychological, and inhuman terrors of child abuse. In Silverman's case, it tears the reader's heart to the very core to read of the abuse suffered at the hands of the one person who should have provided love and protection - her own father. What goes on behind the closed doors of a prominent, respected family will validate that child abuse knows no barriers or limitations when it comes to social standing. Silverman takes the reader through a nightmarish journey which will make the staunchest of characters break down and weap, not only for Silverman but for all the other innocent children whose childhood is being stolen from them at the hands of an abuser. The scars of child abuse remain forever, but through Silverman's story, she shows a light at the end of the tunnel, and an inner personal strength in reaching out to others that can only truly be understood by someone who has walked in her shoes.

This is one book I sincerely wish did not have to be written or published, not because it happened, but because I wish something like this never had to happen. I had not heard of Sue William Silverman before picking up her memoir, and the second I closed the covers together I wished that she did not have to live the life she was forced to live. To have survived years of torment and terror, of which Williamson has her own definitions, is truly a testament to the author's will to maintain a normal life beyond the circle of abuse.

Written to read like a novel, Because I Remember Terror is a gripping history of abuse and power, and of the subsequent healing and forgiveness. People with weak stomachs should be warned that Silverman does not sugar-coat her childhood--her language, though vibrant and flowing, is quite raw. Those fortunate to have never been sexually abused should read this as an account of a terror that needs to be extinguished. Those who have been abused will look to this book as representation of one woman's survival.

Sue Silverman's award-winning book is truly a work of art. The language is simple and powerful, like perfect poetry. Her story is personal, but as more and more similar stories of childhood sexual abuse are revealed, this book has a universal tone that is frightening because of its ordinariness. I could only read a few pages as a time, but I literally couldn't put it down and, after devoted the better part of two days to the effort, allowed myself to be moved to tears by the story and by the fine writing.

This book gives you a small insight into the amazing poetry that happens at the Cafe. It's a wonderful gathering of voices of folks from all kinds of backgrounds speaking their own truth with courage and lyricism.

i was shocked by the enormous beauty contained in the words - the simple english, spanish, or hybrid mixture words - how much emotion, how much skin and sweat can be placed within them. i am a poetry fan, but what i like is particular and peculiar. the poetry in this book speaks to and about human beings in the honest, skin-blood-bones-organs-nerves way that i feel has not been captured since the Beats. while i love sylvia plath, this poetry contains none of the almost ascetic, sterile, abstraction of most poetry, poetry like how you think "british" when you think poetry. this is tactile poetry, and though one may not personally relate to the writer, one would hope (I would hope) that the reader can relate to the words as they are placed, the emotion invoked and evoked by the words-plus-tone, by the very act of those very particular words placed together to create this poetry. this is where appreciation lies. this is where poetry is. this is turning feeling and thought and experience into sounds and words - into poetry.

In Aloud Voices From The Nuyorican Poets Cafe tons of poets came together and made an incredible book, many different races, cultures religions even languages, from skin heads to mothers, spanish people to africans, hermits, to loud mouths this whole book was great.

This review refers to "The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook"(vol 1) by Kitty and Lucian Maynard....

St Chuck Poolside Jambalaya to North Carolina Applsauce Muffins, Aunt Ruth's Baked Eggs and Cheese to Dorothy's Chocolate Zucchini Cake, Guacamole to Lobster Pie to Salt Lake City Taffy, you'll find the biggest and best collection of regional homestyle cooking from all over this great food lovin country in this fabulous cookbook!

Whatever type of fare you have in mind you'll find something good in these pages. The Manyard's have done all the work. State to State(including Alaska and Hawaii) they have found us some great recipes from Country Inns and Bed and Breakfast's from all over the country. With more than 1700 homestyle recipes you really get your money's worth.

You can go state to state(without leaving home) and try something new and different, or find some of your old favorites that you've been longing for.
There are two indexes to check through. You can check by city, or by food. For a good look at what's inside, the book, click on the 'Look Inside" link to several pages to browse through.The recipes range from meals as simple as Biscuits and Eggs to the more exotic tastes like Veal Scallops with Gorgonzola Sauce. You'll find several different ways of making the most everyday things, like French Toast, depending on what State or Regional taste you're in the mood for that day!

There's an additional perk to this cookbook as well. If you want to get out of your own kitchen and do a little traveling, you will find a little description as well as the addresses and phone numbers for all the Inn's used here, on the pages with their own recipes.In some cases there are nice little sketches of the lodgings as well.

I use this cookbook more than any other in my kitchen. although I haven't loved every single thing I've tried, it is stained and sticky with the remnants of some terrific recipes(some of my favorite pages are in worse shape than others!). Everytime I look through it for a new idea I find one. I love it! You will too.

So have fun, eat hardy and try to get someone else to do the clean-up.....enjoy...Laurie

This cookbook is great !!!! i borrowed it from a friend and never gave it back (bad!!!) but it really is a great source for entertaining. Fanstastic and easy recipes. A good way to impress your friends with your cooking. Also what i like is they usually have serveral recipes for similar dishes so lets say you want to make scalloped potatoes - you can look at them all and then kind of use the info to make your own variation with the pieces of the recipes you think sound good. Also it is good if you are doing theme parties. I love asian cooking we were having a party where i needed to bring an asian salad - they have like 5 different types. and they arent what you would expect. Note this is just not breakfast foods - all types of cooking are in this book and from all types of us regions.

My husband just surprised me with a weekend at one of the B&B's in this book. We were getting away for our 8th year wedding anniversary. And he bought me a copy of this cookbook he wants me to make some of the same dishes that we were treated to during our stay. This is something that is such a special treat. I LOVE to make dishes for our family when they come to visit. I like to see the looks on their faces when they are treated to dishes that are simply out of this world. There are just no other words to explain the recipes in this cookbook. You'll always want to keep it handy. You won't find any recipes in here that require alot of hard work or foods that most of us don't have in our kitchens everyday.

I was first introduced to Jeff Alt and his wonderful book in Damascus, VA at Trail Days 2000. This book is a absolute must read. After talking with Jeff for some time, I left the store with restored hope in humanity. I had been searching for inspiration to push me over the edge and commit to hiking the trail. His book convinced me it was something I will definitey do.

As an occasional weekend hiker, I found this book to be a great inspiration to do more. It's a great story about one man's experiences on the trail and how he managed to stay motivated along the way. The easygoing style will make you think Jeff is the boy next door. A great read!

Jeff Alt did a wonderful job taking the reader along with him on his enourmous journey to not only raise money for his brother with cerebral palsy, but also on completing the 2000+ mile Appalacian Trail. I would definetly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the outdoors or inspiring stories!

Addicted to War was the first book on this subject matter that I read, some time ago. For me, reading this book was like having a revelation. I was speechless the entire time I read it, glued to the pages. I hope not to sound too cliche, but after reading it, I felt as if I had just awoken from "The Matrix", seeing for the first time some of the larger truths of U.S. foreign policy and its inseparable ties with big business and the economy, and how I had been manipulated my entire life to see things in a different way. And I immediately thought that everyone in the U.S. who hasn't been exposed to this kind of thinking needs to read this book. Since then I have bought dozens of copies for family, friends and acquaintances.

Joel Andreas relies mostly on quotes from leaders of industry and government as well as government documents and memos throughout the book to support his thesis that war is a racket, benefitting the wealthy of this country, and paid for by the working people of this country in taxes and military service. One may argue with his conclusions, but would be hard-pressed to dispute the authenticity of the source material used.

The book inspired me to purchase a number of other books dealing with similar subject matter (some of them used in the impressively long Bibliography listed on the last 3 pages of the book), as I think was part of the intent of the book. It's meant to jolt you awake (especially if you were politically asleep like myself) and encourage you to seek out more information on the subject matter.

I see only a couple small nitpicks with the book. Since I've been reading stacks of other articles, books and papers on similar subjects, I think there are a few other dynamite quotes that could have bolstered the viewpoint of Andreas but were overlooked, although the quotes chosen do an excellent job anyway. Also, the role of Communism in the world during the time of most of the military and CIA interventions mentioned in this book is not discussed. This is important information for the reader to know, and I hope anyone who reads this book will research that topic after reading it. Any historian or political scientist with the opposing point of view of this book will likely tell you that the deterrence of the spread of Communism was the primary motivating force behind most of these encounters, and this is the reason given by the government. But that point I think can be overlooked while reading this book, as that information is covered in great detail in other places, and it is not central to the ideas presented by the author. Those ideas being, primarily, that our leaders (leaders of industry and government) are motivated to go to war and change the politics of other countries not out of a desire to spread Democracy throughout the world, but from a desire to bolster the economy and line their pockets. As that is the stance the book takes, the information and the way it is presented is quite convincing.

The other idea that I think is left unexplored in the book, is how essential the natural resource of petroleum is to the survival of the U.S. (and the world) economy and lifestyle, and how securing access to that resource is our most primary national security interest, which has directed U.S. foreign policy a great deal over the last 50 years. I would also encourage the reader to explore this information as a supplement to this book (Michael T. Klare wrote a fantastic book, "Resource Wars", about this very subject).

While there are some well-read and knowledgeable people who may point out this book is full of "tired stereotypes" or that the points presented are old and cliche, I would say that the majority of people living in the U.S. have not been enlightened to these ideas, and as such, I can't recommend reading and distributing this book enough.

What an absolutely fabulous little book! In clear concise and honest fashion, this book lays out in easy to read illustated pages, the real history of this country. No where in my college level education were these easily verifyable facts presented. My family and friends read this book, and all agree it should be required reading for every highschool student in the country. It has never been more needed than right now with our insane military aggression threatening to engulf the Middle East in a terribly destructive ... war. Read who is doing this and why, read who profits from this madness, take a copy to your next PTA meeting and ask the teachers to read it!
Buy this book! Better yet but 5 copies and hand them out!

I LOVED this book. The writer/artist makes it sooo easy to really understand the dangers of this military industrial take over of the U.S. economy, the world, and our childrens lives. For what? To support the very people that have stripped the wealth out of every working American, and get us to send our "kids" to fight THEIR money wars, so they can sit home and get fatter than they are. I HIGHLY recommend this book. I've a wonderful interview with Joel Andreas in the archives of my show at ... I've read plenty of books, but this one should be in every school and every library.

Cosmic Ray spills the beans about the best trails in all the best mountain biking areas in Arizona . . . Sedona, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Tucson, Prescott, Payson and more. It is obvious that he is a local and has a keen interest in what he does. He includes his e-mail address in the book so you can quiz him on a particular ride whenever you want. I found this very helpful before I set off on the Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stage Coach Route.

Each ride is accompanied by a description and a map. The description includes time, distance, effort, skill, find-ability, best season to ride and fear factor (puck-o-meter 1 to 10 !) If you are short on time, premium rides are indicated with a special "primo ride" icon.

Rating ride difficulty is a subjective science and Cosmic Ray makes it clear that he is an intermediate/advanced rider. He rates the trails for the "average" rider, not the racer and not the total weenie. Most trails lean toward the intermediate/advanced rider with a few severe trails just to add some spice. There are a few easy trails as well.

Cosmic Ray's maps are cartoony looking, but he says they are adapted (traced) from topos. They are pretty much to scale and oriented north. The detailed descriptions and mileage log fill in where a map just can't do the job. I found the distances to be mostly pretty close, but not 100% perfect. Any semi-experienced mountain biker can easily work around this.

The best part of this book is Cosmic Ray's sense of humor. It makes for a good read with lots of laughs whether you ride or not.

I've done a dozen of the rides from Fat Tire Tales & Trails and Ray delivers the straight skinny on trails in the Flagstaff, Sedona and Phoenix areas. The descriptions are very helpful before doing a ride and the contour profile really lets me know at a quick glance what a ride will be like before I give it a shot. He carefully lets you know how he rates every ride in the beginning of the book. He tells you straight up what kind of a rider he is then uses that for comparison in the amount of effort and skill required.

Ray's maps are usually right on the money. They are cartoony but look as though the route has been traced from a topo . . . oriented north and pretty much to scale. You can tell that he puts a lot of effort into giving you the feeling that he is right beside you along for the ride with lots of insightful tips. Whether you are an expert or a complete novice, this is a great book and Ray's sense of humor makes it a kick to read whether you ride or not.

Cosmic Ray's book is great. This new edition has much improved maps over old editions. The writing style remains hilarious. In this one book you get all the 70 or so best of the best trails from all over Arizona for under ten bucks. If you bought separate topo, forest service or specialty maps, you'd pay hundreds of dollars for this much info. And Ray knows the trails. He's been riding a mountain bike since before they were called "mountain bikes", back in the days when the locals in Flagstaff were making their own mountain bikes out of spare parts. He knows the trails all over Arizona and rides them regularly.

In the very beginning of the book, Ray tells how he rates the rides. He describes himself as a "seedy but sincere middle age male in reasonably good shape" so you have something with which to compare your own level of ability. Then he goes on to tell how the ride felt to himself regarding effort, skill, fear factor (the puck-o-meter rules!). The contour profile lets you know what a ride is like at a glance. If the profile is flat, it's easy. On the other hand, if you see that you have a 5000 foot climb coming up, be warned it ain't no weenie ride.

If you must complain about roots, rocks, mud, sand, dirt etc., then this is not the book for you. If you need a topo map,a GPS and a hand to hold to find your way around a well signed trail, again, this is not the book for you. If you want directions, buy a map. If you want adventure, this is it.

This is one of the finest historical yet entertaining books I have ever read. This book is a must read not only for lovers of history but for parents raising children. Author, Doug Wead effectively presents timeless principles from the lives of America's leaders. I plan to purchase several more copies of this book as gifts for family members, co-workers and friends.

Doug Wead is a master storyteller. In his latest book, he has scripted a fascinating look at presidential kids. It gave me a whole new perspective on such public lives. I think what pleased me most was that he focuses on lessons learned, rather than making a judgment about one part of a life and branding the presidential child in perpetuity. He tells stories of forgiveness and reconciliation, strength and service. I came away with new respect for presidential children who had been tarred with a cynical brush. Of course, he also throws in juicy gossipy bits about Alice Roosevelt Longworth and others to make his readers laugh. Thanks, Doug Wead, for a fascinating read.

Doug Wead's book on Presidential Children has something for everyone. It's a must-read for all History buffs... well researched, hundreds of references and source notes, facts not found in other books!
Parents will discover how to raise successful kids!
Teachers will find it an extremely helpful resourse book when teaching about our presidents. It brings the Presidential families to life.
Ladies, there's a whole chapter dedicated to WH weddings.
It's a well written, entertaining, & educational book with something for all!