In a timeof Homer Simpson and Sponge Bob it is so refreshing to have a source of real heroes for school age children and adults alike. 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet gives the reader a source of Americans who struggled and shaped our nation. They include living and dead, men and women, young and old who have made positive contributions. It is a great read aloud for my fourth grade during our biography unit. 50 American Heroes contains so many interesting and unique facts about these famous people, but it also allows you to see their human side. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to visit with the men and women who were and are the backbone of this great nation.

50 American Heroes is a "must have" book for children, parents, and teachers alike. As a teacher, it is the best book I have seen on heroes. It is user friendly and even as an adult, I wanted to do the activities and read more about the heroes. Since adding it to our school library, it has been in constant circulation.

I love this book!!! It is extremely well-written and full of interesting, fun information on REAL, noteworthy heroes. I have taught grades 7-12, and I have used "50 American Heroes" in each grade with students of all abilities. The "Power Words" prompt great discussions with the older students, and "Explore Some More!" activities help keep these heroes alive for the younger children. No matter what the reader's age or reading ability, this book is sure to teach him or her a lot about the people who have made a difference in our country and the world.

September 9, 2000
After three years and two miscarriages I thought I was buying a "how to" book on adoption. What I got was so much more -- a book that helped my husband and I understand and talk about all the losses that come with infertility and what they meant to us. It helped us decide what we would and would't do for treatment and, surprisingly, helped us realize that we weren't ready to adopt yet. It was emotional reading but well worth the effort. I recommend it to everyone -- those just starting on the infertility road, those that would never adopt and those that are ready to do so. I'm grateful that this book came into my life.
March 9, 2002
It's been a year and a half since writing my first review of this book. I was online tonight ordering more great books about adoption when I remembered writing this review. After all this time Adopting After Infertility still stands as one of the most important books for me in our nearly 5 year journey toward parenthood. I often think of the things we learned by reading this book. In fact, I think that the communication steps we followed in this book became the start of what has been an incredible opportunity to really share our feelings and make decisions at each step along the way that were best for both of us. We slowly learned about and planned for adoption and moved away from the pain of our loss and on to excited expectancy for our yet to be born [adopted] child. I'm grateful to Pat for this book as well as for the book she wrote for families and friends on how to support the adoptive couple. Pat also had an impact in my life by responding to a question I emailed to her about adopting and then adding a bioligical child to our family later. A positive and insightful reply showed up in my inbox less than a day later. The adoption process to date has been an emotional one, easier in some ways and more difficult in other ways than we could ever have imagined. I still recommend this book to everyone I know, including two men that I work with who, with their wives, have been experiencing the same kind of emptyness and pain over their infertility losses that we once felt so keenly. Well worth reading along with two others that meant a lot to me, "The Open Adoption Experience" and "Dear Barbara, Dear Lynne". Best wishes.

While struggling with infertlity and depression, this book changed my outlook and the direction of my life. It gave me new hope. Each chapter mirrored exactly what I was experiencing from infertility and put everythin into perspective. You will find information about all the losses you are experiencing, how to decide on posible solutions with your partner and all the aspects that involve choosing adoption. Even though my husband and I had talked about the possibility of adopting, we discovered we were not ready yet and that we had to deal with several issues first and make our relationship strong again before making this important decision. My sister who is also infertile read the book and now she is about to adopt a baby who will be born in July. This book has been extremely helpful for the whole family. We live in Costa Rica and there is ZERO literature or support groups here. Thank God for the internet and all the useful resources it provides. Even if you are barely considering the option of adoption or even if you are just starting to deal with infertility, you should read this book (and later give it to your partner, your family and your friends).

This book was required reading for the adoption agency we are going through in Dallas, Texas. And I am so glad that it was! The book is partitioned into three parts: 1) Dealing with infertility 2) Making your adoption plan 3) Raising children in a family built by adoption. The first part really helped my husband and I discuss and integrate the losses we have been feeling since our diagnosis of infertility. The second part helped us define our wants, needs, and emotions regarding our choices in adoption. And the third part will be helpful on our lifelong journey of learning how to be parents of adopted children. After experiencing infertility, we definitely appreciated the author's calm, rationale process and frank style in communicating about these very emotional issues. It gave words to some issues that we hadn't yet defined, but were definitely feeling.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book ! Bart Smith explains that he hiked the PCT intending to photograph it along the way, and soon discovered that Thru-hiking and serious photography are simply incompatible. Bart returned to the trail over a period of 6 years to capture outstanding images of the spectacular backcountry, and then asked Karen Berger to write the accompanying narrative from her own Thru-hike experience. Karen's story blends humor, science, insight, and an obvious love for the trail. I thought her level of detail was perfect, telling the story meaningfully without getting bogged down. If you enjoy mountain hiking and share my facination with the PCT you are certain to love this book.

The photographs of the PCT by Bart Smith will take your breath away. I've section hiked long parts of the PCT and the sheer beauty of certain parts is etched in my mind forever. This book brings back a flood of memories and makes you feel as if you're back on the trail, enjoying all the stunning vistas, meadows and expanses of wildflowers. Though the photos are the backbone of the book, there is also an interesting narrative by Karen Berger, who has written several other thru-hiking books about the PCT. Berger tells about her own hiking experiences on the trail and the text is never intrusive, merely instructive and entertaining. She narrates a story about her time spent near Thousand Mile Lake near Mammoth and alongside is a stunning color photo of the lake.

Anyone with an interest in the Sieraa range, the PCT, hiking or who simply enjoys beautiful photographs, will gravitate to this guide. Rarely have so many sumptuous pictures been grouped together in one volume. If you're not a hiker, this book very likely will persuade you to get in shape and hit the trail. The vast majority of scenic wilderness in the United States can never be seen from a car window. You must lace up your shoes and get out there. I highly recommend this book for its simple beauty and awesome photos. If it persuades one coach potato to explore the endless beauty of California, then it's worth its purchase.

and it perfectly compliments Berger's and Smith's description of the determination needed to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I frequently find myself pulling the book from the shelf as the wonderful photography by Bart Smith provides the perfect escape from the "big city" life in Northern Virginia.

I anxiously await Bart's upcoming book, "The Appalachian Trail: Calling Me Back to the Hills" to see what he can do with the the natural beauty in the East!

Clay Holland was willing to die for his beliefs, but he was unwilling to kill for them. When he refused to fight for the Confederacy, he was imprisoned and tortured. When he returned to his hometown of Cedar Grove, he was ostracized and shunned and branded the town "coward".

Meg, who lost her husband and 3 brothers to the war, hates Clay with all her heart for refusing to pick up a gun for the Confederacy. She commissions him to sculpt a memorial to honor the 22 men from Cedar Grove who died in the war. She hopes to punish him severely for his cowardice. However, her plan goes awry as she spends time in Clay's presence.

As the reader, you feel Clay's utter loneliness, despair, and isolation. You also feel his quiet strength and courage. Meg is a bit harder to like, but her losses explain a lot of her actions.

ALWAYS TO REMEMBER is a beautiful story of courage and love. Don't miss this very original and heartwrenching book!

Lorraine Heath definitely makes her books unique and well done. Always to remember is similar to Sweet Lullaby in that the point of view is mostly through the eyes of a male. A touching story about a man, Clay, who comes back from war and branded a coward because of his choice not to fight. He suffered through the years during and after the war. He comes back, and the townpeople are outraged that he had the nerve to come back when others died fighting for the Cause. One of them is Meg who decides to punish Clay for his cowardness by building a statue for the town. Yet, Meg later turns her hatred into love when she realizes that Clay is a compassionate, caring man.

If you have read Lorraine Heath's books, this is one to keep as a collection. It's a great story to warm your heart. If you haven't read her books, you are missing out! All her book are awesome and must have's, especially Texas Splendor(heart-warming and will touch your heart)

The characters in this story will touch your heart and have you thinking of them for days. The twist in their relationship is unlike any I have ever read. Lorraine Heath writes from the heart -- your heart. Don't miss this one.

Although this book is for serious travelers who want tounderstand cultures and concepts, it's written in anentertaining, conversational style, sprikled with funny quotes from Belliveau's plentify and witty traveling companions. Addressing "the Age of Adventure Travel," Belliveau is trying to help travelers understand what they are seeing in the exotic destinations that have recently become so accessible. Reed Glenn, Boulder Daily Camera

... is taken beyond pure experience and intophilosophy. Location details are told withextraordinary flair, but it is the stories about the people that are the most memorable parts of this book. Jeannette Belliveau has taken obvious care to visit some of the world's most exotic places and to bring them to a readership who adventures mostly from the armchair. She has done a great service in providing this book. Amy Cooper, of Small Press magazine

I was delighted the other day to buy a book that I recommendwithout reservation: An Amateur's Guide to the PLanet.Jeannette Belliveau, the author, is a former Washington Post national-desk editor. She used her vacation time over a decade to visit a dozen of the world's most remote places. The traveler in her provides narratives for her journeys from Madagascar to China; the journalist in her provides incredibly insightful background on the cultural, economic and social issues of Greece, the Yucatan & elsewhere. ... Makes for new levels in travel journalism. Madison Capital

When Ken Burns's popular documentary series on the Civil War was shown on T.V. the Civil War diary of E.H. Rhodes who was aPrivate from Rhode Island was used various times to describe the attitude of "war fever" at the beginning of the war, to the boredom of camp life, to the fear and carnage of battle. Rhodes had an elegant yet easy prose when he wrote to his family his account of the Civil War. From Private at the beginning of the war, to promoting to the Officer rankings, E.H. Rhodes describes the mood of his mind, his fellow soldiers and the feelings of the Union. I really enjoyed his diary and also the information of what happened to him after the war, like being very active in the G.A.R. reunions. This man fought in almost every major battle of the war and his diary is a definte asset to the understanding of the Civil War. Highly Recommended to all Civil War Scholars and Enthusiasts.

Thank you Elisha Rhodes Hunt for drawing me into the inner circle of those who fight for right without malice and without pretention. Hunt suffered the mud, famine and blood of the battlefield, the boredom, stress and anxiety of waiting out winters and lulls in fighting, but wrote cheerfully, truthfully and insightfully about the spiritual and physical lessons learned during his four years of fighting for the Union. Surviving bullets, cannon shells, hand-to-hand combat, disease, heat and pompous generals bent on personal achievement, Hunt remained loyal to the Union cause and found inner peace exceeding the horrors of bitterness, rage and slaughter he endured. The details of the life of a solder in the civil war come alive in his diary entries and letters as battles lull or exhaustion prompts a short stopover. No one should mistake the source of Hunt's strength to endure. Every page speaks of spiritual victories, church meetings, revivals, prayer meetings attended by genrals and privates alike or personal pleas for God's mercy and strength for victory. Hunt's journal with editor Rhodes accurate footnotes and historical fillers left me impressed with Hunt's empassioned loyalty to God and country no matter the cost. The prhase "All for the Union," appears as a battle cry and word of encouragement during the darkest moments, yet show how a right and just perspective can motivate.

The diary and letters of Elisha Hunt Rhoades is very aptly named "All for the Union," as that is the way that he lived his life. Rhoades was with the Union army from the beginning of the war to the end, and he fought in almost every one of the major battles. Throughout this book, I laughed, I cried, and I now feel that I really know what a Civil War soldier's life was like. The only problem with the book is putting it down! Rhoades' personal integrity and commitment to his country make this book a definite winner!!!

Burt Solomon's Where They Ain't is the history of the original Baltimore Orioles, a pivotal team in the history of baseball that moved the sport from the nineteenth and into the twentienth century. Although, however, baseball may have changed during this period, one thing never changed and that is the importance of money and business in the sport. This was one of the most fascinating aspects of the sports history. In addition, the book gives marvelous personal sketches of many of the players, a social history of Balitmore and New York at the turn of the century, and, along the way, I even managed to pick up a bit knowledge of baseball. More interesting than I expected and highly recommended for the sports fan.

Although I have always enjoyed baseball history, I have never had much interest in baseball before the first World Series in 1903. I thought that since early baseball was so unlike the "modern" game it was as dry as dust. This book has corrected that erroneous opinion. Mr. Solomon shows the continuity of the game since the early days, yet refers to significant changes in the rules that led to the way the game has, essentially, been played over the past 100 years. The author also does an excellent job of placing the events of his story within the context of the social and economic conditions of the day. However, the most obvious parallel is that the business aspects of major league baseball have changed very little over the years. The more things change, the more they remain the same! This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

Many will know that Dimaggio broke Wee Willie Keeler's hitting streak of 44 consecutive games, or will know the name of Ty Cobb's manager Hughie Jennings, or the name of the much-feared Giants manager John McGraw (who turns out to be the combined Ty Cobb and Tony Gwynn of his day), but this book brings these legendaries to life in the days when they themselves were playing, all on the same team as it turns out! Also included is Ned Hanlon, a little known manager who seems to have practically invented modern baseball training and tactics, "Iron Man" Joe McGinnity, Cy Young (he of the famous award), Kid Nichols, Charles Ebbets and other distant whispers. There is even the occasional mention of Babe Ruth. The book does everything right, knowing when to slow down and just enjoy the subject and when to fast forward to the next salient points. There is a nice collection of photos, thorough appendices and wondeful footnotes that are a pleasure to read in themselves. Overall, Solomon and his editorial team have created a fascinating immersion in the time when fans were "cranks" and hurlers were "twirlers".

This book came with high recommendations and expectations but for me the book failed to live up to them. The characters are inventive and memorable but their treatment falls short and the stories repeatedly end on a dissatisfying note. I agree with the Amazon review that her characters' promise and development seems to stall out of some kind of self conscious regard for academic critique and conflict, etc. (I'm not an academic, but you can feel their eyes on the text.) I wish she'd just let it rip. I also think the writing suffers from a lack of a clear voice; the voice often seem contrived and forced and in some instances just competely derails the story. The good part is the characters themselves, who are memorable despite their author's too-often shallow treatment.

We spent a week in the woods with our children and grandchildren and I discovered in the nearby library this enchanting book of short stories. The first one that I read was "Retirement," because we are both retired grandparents. What a twist to discover that it was a comedy yet a reality check for Batman's butler. I laughed my way to the end, which I still have yet to discover. But that is what retirement is all about anyway.

This little book became a vacation to me within my family vacation. When the reality of family problems overwhelmed me, I sought refuge in Susan's family tales. Then nothing really could make me feel upset. Susan takes the everyday ordinary people of today and gives them a new dimension under bizarre experiences such as: an addictive mother who gambles her lifesavings on the lottery; lost loves and lovers; a young couple with unfulfilled material dreams; a burglaring father and Holywood son reunion; a pyromaniac daughter with her adulterous mother and meek stepfather; a brutal attack on a father in front of his son: the accidental death of a fellow student by two young friends; the emergence of clandestine sex between neighboring adolescents. You can enjoy the situation and revel in the unique mannerisms of her characters. She weaves her light stories in a charming and timely style that kept me curious to sample each new tale.

Perabo's new collection of short stories is a revelation. I'm normally put off by stories: too long, too short, too pretentious, too what-have-you. However, I succumbed to these bite-sized nuggets of angst, humor and shocking surprise. Perabo can say a lot in just a few well-chosen words: peculiarities and passions come to sharp, quirky life in one tale after another. It's like a bag of chips on paper: you'll have another, and another, and (yum!) another....and be left wanting more at the end. Don't miss this wonderful book.

I give this book to anyone I know who is going through a tough time. It is literally a life changing book. Tim Hansel talks about pain from a personal perspective--one we can't always give our friends. This book is perfect for people who don't have time to read; the chapters are short and to the point. I gave this book to a friend who was hospitalized with cancer and he in turn gave it to the hospital chaplain who ended up ordering 300 copies. This book is that good.

When I thought I had no hope of continuing on in my pain-filled life, this book came into it. I read this book over and over and over. It filled my needs as only God can through His children one to the other. How sad that we often choose not to share our pain and suffering. Tim, in sharing his life and what he has experienced because of it, has helped me to come to terms with my own life. I have come closer to an understanding of Jesus and the pain he suffered for us. Tim has suffered pain for his brothers and sisters in Christ because he has made many lives easier to handle and has helped many people learn that turning to God is the only thing we can do. Ever. Bless you, Tim Hansel.

Tim's writing this book has really been a blessing to me, I read this book when I was going through a very hard time in my life, and it taught me that their is true joy, in the mist of our trials. God never leaves us, he is alway there. Thank you Tim, and Thank you God for using Tim to help me, and others...

Richard Karl has done an admirable job of letting the reader into the rather rarified atmosphere of a surgeon's daily life. Also admirable is the compassion he feels for his patients and for the young doctors he teaches who are contemplating surgery as a career. With just the right amount of detail to give a good picture of complicated medical cases, the lay person can begin to understand the enormous responsibility a surgeon carries every day.
I am a high school librarian and I will buy this book for my high school library, as I believe many students, especially those aimed at medicine as a career, would definitely appreciate this very readable and enjoyable memoir.

Dr. Richard Karl developed his style by writing of his avocation, flying. It is a natural extension of his craft to write of his vocation, surgery. My generation of physicians were largely recruited to medicine by Dr. William Nolen in his books "The Making of a Surgeon" and "The Life of a Surgeon". Dr. Karl builds on that fine tradition with "Across the Red Line". Just as life has become more complicated since the 1960's, so has medicine. Dr. Karl reflects the complexity of the current environment while maintaining the the reverance of the doctor-patient relationship that Dr. Nolen so aptly described. Dr. Karl has served our professional and the public well with this passionate description of the surgeon's daily work.

Who should read Across the Red Line? First of all this is a book for medical students thinking about becoming a surgeon. with great economy of language it describes the emotional, physical and mental aspects of what it takes to perform surgery day after day, in both planned and unplanned circumstances. It offers the reader dramatic insight about the ups and downs of the profession.

It is good reading for the patient facing surgery as well. It provides a strong dose of reality for anyone facing surgery or other intense medical care. In this area Dr. Karl provides particular insight. In two separate chapters he describes in vivid and emotional detail his two bouts with being hospitalized. In both cases for illness or injury inflicted in the line of duty. The first was a case of life threatening hepatitis. The second was a broken neck incurred in an effort to restrain a strong, young patient who became out of control in the emergency room. Dr. Karl's own experience clearly shaped his perspective and made him a much more compassionate physician.

This book is good reading for other doctors who may need to see that it is possible to be passionate, caring and emotional thirty some years into a career.

Finally this is a book for anyone interested in learning about what it is like to walk around in the shoes of a serious and thoughtful surgeon who details with life and death many times a day.