A funny, enchanting, and utterly believable story from a dog's perspective: A Dog's Purpose

A Dog's Purpose [Paperback]

by W. Bruce Cameron

This is the remarkable story of one endearing dog’s search for his purpose over the course of several lives. More than just another charming dog story,A Dog’s Purpose touches on the universal quest for an answer to life's most basic question: Why are we here?

Surprised to find himself reborn as a rambunctious golden-haired puppy after a tragically short life as a stray mutt, Bailey’s search for his new life’s meaning leads him into the loving arms of 8-year-old Ethan. During their countless adventures Bailey joyously discovers how to be a good dog.

But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of Bailey’s journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders—will he ever find his purpose?

Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, A Dog's Purpose is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend. This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose.

A tail-wagging three hanky boo-hooer, this delightful fiction debut by newspaper columnist Cameron (8 Simple Rules for Marrying My Daughter) proposes that a dog's purpose might entail being reborn several times. Told in a touching, doggy first-person, this unabashedly sentimental tale introduces Toby, who's rescued by a woman without a license for her rescue operation, so, sadly, Toby ends up euthanized. He's reborn in a puppy mill and after almost dying while left in a hot car, he's saved again by a woman, and he becomes Bailey, a beloved golden retriever, who finds happiness and many adventures. His next intense incarnation is as Ellie, a female German shepherd, a heroic search and rescue dog. But the true purpose of this dog's life doesn't become totally clear until his reincarnation as Buddy, a black Lab. A book for all age groups who admire canine courage, Cameron also successfully captures the essence of a dog's amazing capacity to love and protect. And happily, unlike Marley, this dog stays around for the long haul.

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Sometimes I read a book and think; "Wow, this would make a great movie;" A Dog's Purpose, by W. Bruce Cameron is one such story. This is a tail wagging, Kleenex blowing, delightful read; Think Tuesdays With Morrie Meets Marley & Me; except that this canine sticks around a lot longer than Marley.

Richard Bach asks in his book, Illusions; How do you know if your mission on earth is finished? If you're alive, it isn't, which is the case of Bailey, a dog, born several times over; as a mutt, a Golden Retriever, a German Shepherd and a Lab.

Told from the perspective of Bailey, in the voice of the first dog, this canine shares the wisdom gained from a journey of lifetimes, the joy, heartbreak, long and short of it. Part of the magic is in the way Bailey experiences the world underfoot; the horses, goats, cats, people, human interactions, cars; part of the magic is in the emotional joy ride that the journey takes you on; and part of the magic is in the story itself; a story of hope, inspiration, purpose and ultimately love; which, is the greatest purpose of all.

Cheers to Toby, Bailey, Ella and Buddy; one spirit in several bodies, making this book doggone amazing! - Heather Jacks "Cheers!" (New York)

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About the Author

W. Bruce Cameron is the New York Times bestselling author of A Dog's Purpose and 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, which was turned into the hit ABC series. He is a nationally syndicated columnist who has twice received the National Society of Newspaper Columnist’s award for Best Humor Columnist. He lives in California.

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A beautiful memoir of perseverance, courage and love: Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero

Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero [Hardcover]

by Michael Hingson

The bond with a dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth can ever be.

Konrad Lorenz

A blind man and his guide dog show the power of trust and courage in the midst of devastating terror.

It was 12:30 a.m. on 9/11 and Roselle whimpered at Michael's bedside. A thunderstorm was headed east, and she could sense the distant rumbles while her owners slept. As a trained guide dog, when she was "on the clock" nothing could faze her. But that morning, without her harness, she was free to be scared, and she nudged Michael's hand with her wet nose as it draped over the bedside toward the floor. She needed him to wake up.

With a busy day of meetings and an important presentation ahead, Michael slumped out of bed, headed to his home office, and started chipping away at his daunting workload. Roselle, shivering, took her normal spot at his feet and rode out the storm while he typed. By all indications it was going to be a normal day. A busy day, but normal nonetheless. Until they went into the office.

In Thunder Dog, follow Michael and his guide dog, Roselle, as their lives are changed forever by two explosions and 1,463 stairs. When the first plane struck Tower One, an enormous boom, frightening sounds, and muffled voices swept through Michael's office while shards of glass and burning scraps of paper fell outside the windows.

But in this harrowing story of trust and courage, discover how blindness and a bond between dog and man saved lives and brought hope during one of America's darkest days.

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Hands down this is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I started reading and couldn't put it down. I even found myself reading while I was trying to cook dinner! I felt every emotion; I laughed, I cried, you get the picture. I usually try to stay away from books about 9/11, quite frankly it the memory is still a little to raw for me. But this book is different. When reading it I felt like I was in the stairwell, but at the same time it was strangely uplifting. Plus I gotta say, I'm a complete sucker for a good dog book! Especially one with a happy ending for the dog!

To sum it up, Michael and his dog Roselle were working in the Twin Towers on 9/11. This is the story of their descent down the stairwell and through the streets back home. Do yourself a favor and read this book! You will be so glad you did! I would give it 10 stars if I could!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." - fizzle7033

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About the Author

Michael Hingson, national ambassador for the Braille Literacy Campaign, is a miraculous survivor of 9/11. He now owns The Michael Hingson Group, Inc., a consulting firm concerning inclusiveness and diversity and a platform for engaging speaking opportunities. A graduate of the University of California (Irvine) and a cum laude graduate with a master’s degree in physics, Hingson has never let blindness stop him from achieving his goals. His life is a testimony to the power of trust, perseverance, and the amazing bond between humans and animals. Michael and his wife, Karen, live in the San Francisco Bay Area with three yellow lab guide dogs, Roselle (ret.), Africa, and Fantasia, and one cat, Sherlock.

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This book is a dog lovers delight!: A Big Little Life [Paperback]

A Big Little Life [Paperback]

by Dean Koontz

In a profound, funny, and beautifully rendered portrait of a beloved companion, bestselling novelist Dean Koontz remembers the golden retriever who changed his life. A retired service dog, Trixie was three when Dean and his wife, Gerda, welcomed her into their home. She was superbly trained, but her greatest gifts couldn’t be taught: her keen intelligence, her innate joy, and an uncanny knack for living in the moment. Whether chasing a tennis ball or protecting those she loved, Trixie gave all she had to everything she did, inspiring Dean and Gerda to trust their instincts and recapture a sense of wonder that will remain with them always. Trixie lived fewer than twelve years; in this wide world, she was a little thing. But in every way that mattered, she lived a big life.

Anyone who has read Dean Koontz’s novels (my favorite is Watchers) knows that he can tell a gripping tale while being perceptive about dogs, an insight made more noteworthy by the fact that Koontz didn’t have a dog for the longest time. Finally in 1998 he and his wife Gerda corrected this omission by adopting Trixie, a Golden Retriever and trained assistance dog, who had been forced by elbow problems to retire in her third year of service. It was the happiest forced retirement imaginable--for Trixie, for the Koontzes, and for all of us who are now privileged to read Dean Koontz’s loving memoir of this remarkable being: A Big Little Life.

Like all great writers, Koontz has the ability to transform the ordinary--his daily life with Trixie--into the funny, the moving, and the sublime. Trixie’s accidentally gashing him while they play fetch turns into one of the great set pieces of medical comedy as Koontz ends up in the emergency room with a lacerated hand. On another occasion Trixie’s saying “baw” for “ball”--straining to say it, but saying it nonetheless--becomes a memorable recounting of all of our attempts to communicate with beings from another species. And Koontz’s simply watching Trixie move, her lithe golden body shimmering and flashing in the sun, takes on the quality of the divine as he expresses what so many of us have subconsciously thought about our own dogs: “The more I watched her, the more she seemed to be an embodiment of that greatest of all graces we now and then glimpse, from which we intuitively infer the hand of God.”

It is no exaggeration to say that Trixie was the hand of God for Koontz. He recounts his difficult childhood, his dysfunctional father, and the many challenges that he had to overcome on the road to becoming a world-famous novelist. But with that fame came commercial caution: telling stories in the same old familiar way and a consequent dulling of his creativity. Then came Trixie. With “baws” and balls, with warning him of fires and intruders in the house, with humor, with stoicism, and with unflinching love, she restored his diminished sense of wonder and impelled him toward taking new risks with narratives, themes, and characters, the very ones millions of us now enjoy.

“Some dog, huh?” he says.

“Some dog, yes,” we must agree, also concurring when he adds, “The only significant measure of your life is the positive effect you have on others.”

For all of us who have had our lives made better by our dogs, or for that matter by any loving being, A Big Little Life is a welcome reminder of the power of love to turn our hearts into mirrors, reflecting compassion back into the universe--as Trixie most surely did for Koontz and Koontz now does for us.

Guest Reviewer: Ted Kerasote is the author of several books, including Out There, which won the National Outdoor Book Award; the national bestseller Merle’s Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog; and Pukka: The Pup After Merle.


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I am a major dog lover. I also am a fan of Dean Koontz. This book is one of the best that I have ever read. I have a new passion for Golden Retrievers, and now I know what a nice guy Dean Koontz is. He, and his wife Gerda, adored this dog. I have been telling everyone that I know what a great book this is. - Margie

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Outstanding! One of the best book club reads ever! : Perfect Peace by Daniel Black

Perfect Peace [Hardcover]

By

Daniel Black

"The heartbreaking portrait of a large, rural southern family’s attempt to grapple with their mother’s desperate decision to make her newborn son into the daughter she will never have."

When the seventh child of the Peace family, named Perfect, turns eight, her mother Emma Jean tells her bewildered daughter, “You was born a boy. I made you a girl. But that ain’t what you was supposed to be. So, from now on, you gon’ be a boy. It’ll be a little strange at first, but you’ll get used to it, and this’ll be over after while.” From this point forward, his life becomes a bizarre kaleidoscope of events. Meanwhile, the Peace family is forced to question everything they thought they knew about gender, sexuality, unconditional love, and fulfillment.

When Emma Jean was a child, she was abused mentally and physically by her mean-spirited mother. She couldn't understand why her mother went to such great lengths to hate her but shamelessly showered her two older sisters with the love and the attention she craved.

Emma Jean marries Gustavus "Gus" Peace and from their union six sons are born. Pregnant with number seven, Emma Jean feels deep in her heart she will be blessed with a girl; a daughter she will love and cherish, unlike the way she was treated as a child. As fate will have it, she gives birth to a son; a beautiful son she will easily disguise as a girl and name Perfect. For eight years, sweet, adorable Perfect was the apple of her brothers' eyes and her parents' pride and joy. However, Emma Jean and Perfect's world is shattered when Perfect's true identity is discovered. Perfect's name is changed to Paul and he is forced to start living his life as a boy.



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Undeniably the most creative writing I've ever read in this genre. The characterization and story line are amazing! Particularly amazing is the setting for this book -- that is what made it possible for Emma Jean to create a "Perfect." Daniel Black is an extremely talented writer -- I wait on the edge of my seat for his next book.

Reviewed by: Pat Black

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About the author

Daniel Black is a native of Kansas City, Kansas, yet spent the majority of his childhood years in Blackwell, Arkansas. He is an associate professor at his alma mater, Clark Atlanta University, where he now aims to provide an example to young Americans of the importance of self-knowledge and communal committment. He is the author ofThey Tell Me of a Home and The Sacred Place.

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If you ever thought of propagating a plant, this is the book for you : American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation by Alan Toogood

American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques[Hardcover]

By

Alan Toogood

"The unrivaled priatical guide to the successful propagation of all garden plants -- from trees and shrubs to culinary herbs."

Expert Guidance On The Propagation Of More Than 1,500 Plants. Whether you want to increase your plants by the easiest or most reliable methods of propagation, or experiment with more unusual or advanced techniques, or use specialized techniques for a favorite plant group, AHS Plant Propagation contains all the techniques you need in easy-to-follow, step-by-step explanations such as:

What is is the best way to propogate a plant?
Each entry in the A-Z section of Plant Propagation tells you, plant by plant, which method of propagation to use, when to do it, and what degree of skill each method requires.

How can you improve germination of seeds?
AHS Plant Propagation tells you which seeds need special treatment before sowing and how to provide the conditions to ensure a good rate of germination.

How long does it take to obtain a flowering plant?
AHS Plant Propagation gives guidelines on the average success rate for each plant, how big a yield you can expect, and how long it should take to get a mature or flowering plant.

How do you make sure cuttings won't fail?
AHS Plant Propagation tells you how to take appropriate cuttings from each type of plant and how to make sure they root successfully.

Destined to become the standard work on the subject, AHS Plant Propagation is the practical handbook gardeners have been waiting for.

Amazon.com Review
The American Horticultural Society's Plant Propagation is one of those stuck-on-a-desert-island books. All the information you could ever possibly want in order to propagate virtually any plant or tree or cactus or succulent that might be growing on said desert island is to be found somewhere between the covers of this marvelous, informative book. If you're tired of buying many pots of expensive perennials, tuck a copy of Plant Propagation under your arm and buy one good specimen. From that specimen, following the simple directions, make many plants. It's the kind of skill that all grandmothers of a more distant generation seemed to have.

Still mixed up about hypogeal and epigeal germination? Can't tell a bulbil from a cormel? The very first section covers all the basics of plant biology as well as the history and basic how-to of propagation. The body of the book is divided into "Garden Trees," "Shrubs and Climbing Plants," "Perennials, Annuals and Biennials," "Cacti and Other Succulents," "Bulbous Plants," and "Vegetables." Each section begins with an overview of appropriate propagation techniques: the many styles of grafting, seed saving, taking cuttings, and bulb and root division. Individual plants within each section are addressed alphabetically. With Plant Propagation in hand, you can hybridize your own rose and name it after yourself. The text is written to an intelligent, somewhat experienced gardening reader, and the lush illustrations are accurate and effective. --Schuyler Ingle


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Just as advertised. The book is easy to use, loaded with descriptions, both technical and practical, and lots of figures and pictures. My wife loved it.

Reviewed by: BABALOO (Edwardsville, IL)

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About the author

Alan Toogood (Editor-in-Chief) trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He has worked as a horticultural journalist on Gardener's Chronicle and Amateur Gardening, lectured in Horticulture and was editor of Greenhouse magazine. He is now a freelance horticultural journalist and consultant, Horticulture Correspondant for The Times and Features Coordinator for The Garden. Alan resides in Hampshire.

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A critical book for living a better life! : Put Your Mindset to Work by James Reed and Paul G. Stoltz

Put Your Mindset to Work: The One Asset You Really Need to Win and Keep the Job You Love [Paperback]

By

James Reed and Paul G. Stoltz

"The right mindset can make you three times more likely to get the job you want-and even less likely to lose it later. . . ."

What does it take to get and keep the job you want? Ninety-six percent of employers argue that it's not just about having the right skills for the position- it's all about the right mindset.

As two leading experts on the subject, Reed and Stoltz know what employers really want from the people they hire and keep. According to their extensive and globally acclaimed research, there is a specific set of mental traits that will make you exponentially more desirable to potential employers, and more likely to succeed and enjoy your job once you're hired.
This "3G Mindset" is:

• Global-the openness and big-picture perspective to compete on a global scale in any job
• Good-a positive force with an unwavering moral compass
• Grit-the tenacity and resilience to thrive on adversity

The authors reveal why employers are three times more likely to hire people with the right mindset over those who are more qualified on paper. This book provides an actionable approach for both assessing and developing these essential traits.


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I've known Paul Stoltz and his work for at least 17 years, read every book he's written, am a big fan and my personal job search story from 20 years ago is shared in his new work's pages. I share this information for the cynics so that it's clear I'm close to the source and ask you consider purchasing the book not because I think Stoltz is a great guy but because if you're checking it out, you or someone else will benefit from it.

Why? Well..it's that dang good. Period.

I have known of Paul's work since I started my business with a friend and he consulted to us long ago. Paul's AQ Work is legendary and has been vetted by the world's best organizations including Harvard. That said, I personally have always felt like something was missing...how could Adversity be the only thing that mattered. And..boom...in this quick read, Paul shares what's missing...Good and Global thinking.

I have read the book cover to cover. I didn't intend to write a review until I ran into a good friend who is getting transferred and wants to stay in our city. As I heard him talk, I heard the missing "G" in his language. At first, I was going to just give him my copy...then I realized for under $12 I could give one to him delivered..CHEAP! Not a chance he was getting my copy...I may need it again! So..I came on to buy a book and thought...why wouldn't I be recommending this to everyone, I'm buying multiple copies and giving them out!

Actually, I've looked at the concepts and have begun recommending the work to corporations so that they understand what to look for in difference making employees.

We're all adults and have to make a decision. As for me, this is my favorite Stoltz book and the most impactful. My only critical thought is that I would rather have seen a company version of the 3 G's that was written for selecting talent, not getting a job. I'm giving this book to corporate clients because the ideas are so powerful, it's worth taking the ideas aimed at job hunters and reading them inside out to describe what company's should seek.

Buy the book and Paul, get a new book out asap for us hirers that explains why we need to look for people who have this Mindset!

Reviewed by: Tom Schaff (Edwardsville, IL)

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About the author

Dr. Paul G. Stoltz, is the world's leading expert on measuring and strengthening human resilience. He is author of four international bestselling books on the subject -- printed in 14 languages -- and was voted by Executive Excellence as "One of the 100 Most Influential Thinkers of Our Time." Dr. Stoltz is a guest lecturer for the Harvard Business School Executive Education program. HBS incorporates Dr. Stoltz's AQ theory and methods into its prestigious executive development and MBA programs. The Harvard Business Review featured an article (January-February 2010) co-authored by Dr. Paul G. Stoltz and Dr.Joshua Margolis (Harvard Business School professor), titled "How to Bounce Back from Adversity."

Today, AQ is the most widely adopted resilience building method in the world, currently in use by industry-leading companies and many governments across the globe. In 1987, Dr. Stoltz founded PEAK Learning, Inc., a global research and consulting firm,through which he coaches, consults, teaches, and collaborates with top leaders, thinkers, and influencers within a broad range of organizations from start-ups and NGO's to the Young Presidents' Organization and the Fortune 100 on six continents.

As a highly sought-after thought leader, presenter, and teacher, Dr. Stoltz combines inspiration with application, delivering a compelling and practical message to audiences of 10 to 10,000 people. As PEAK's global reach grows, Dr. Stoltz remains highly active in the classroom, teaching AQ to groups of all levels and sizes in a broad range of indoor and outdoor settings, including some of the largest venues in the world.

As Director of the Global Resilience Institute, Dr. Stoltz oversees a research agenda in 21 countries dedicated to exploring, expanding, and advancing the applications of AQ to strengthen people and their organizations. His research partners include top thinkers at Yale University, Stanford University, and more than a dozen universities overseas.

He has been a member of Stanford University's Distinguished Leaders Lecture Series, was selected as the Millennial Thinker for Singapore, "Thought Leader of the Year" in Hong Kong, is a top-rated international faculty member for the Young Presidents' Organization, and is a frequently sought after resource for the world's top media including CNN, CNBC, Business News Network, NBC Nightly News, Public Broadcast Service (PBS), the Today Show, Sky News, and the Oprah Winfrey Show. You will also find Dr. Stoltz quoted in Wall Street Journal, Harvard Management Update, Investor's Business Daily, Asia 21, Inc., Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Singapore Straits Times, The Australian Financial Review, Success Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Boss Magazine, The Drucker Foundation's prestigious Leader to Leader and other publications.

Dr. Stoltz received his bachelor's degree in Organizational Communication and Economics from the University of California, as well as his business and social sciences interdisciplinary master's and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.

PEAK Learning's international headquarters is situated in the coastal mountains of San Luis Obispo, California, where Dr. Stoltz resides with his family, who were honored by USA Today as "America's Most Creative Family."

James Reed is the chairman of Reed Global and the top U.K. authority on recruitment. He lives in London.

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Amazon Best Books of the Month, June 2011 : Before I Go to Sleep: A Novel by S.J. Watson

Before I Go to Sleep: A Novel [Hardcover]

By

S. J. Watson

"As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I’m still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me. . . ."

Memories define us.

So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?

Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love—all forgotten overnight.

And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story.

Welcome to Christine's life.

Every day Christine wakes up not knowing where she is. Her memories disappear every time she falls asleep.

Her husband, Ben, is a stranger to her, and he's obligated to explain their life together on a daily basis--all the result of a mysterious accident that made Christine an amnesiac.

With the encouragement of her doctor, Christine starts a journal to help jog her memory every day. One morning, she opens it and sees that she's written three unexpected and terrifying words: "Don't trust Ben."

Suddenly everything her husband has told her falls under suspicion. What kind of accident caused her condition?

Who can she trust? Why is Ben lying to her? And, for the reader: Can Christine’s story be trusted?

At the heart of S. J. Watson's Before I Go To Sleep is the petrifying question: How can anyone function when they can't even trust themselves?

Suspenseful from start to finish, the strength of Watson's writing allows Before I Go to Sleep to transcend the basic premise and present profound questions about memory and identity.

One of the best debut literary thrillers in recent years, Before I Go to Sleep deserves to be one of the major blockbusters of the summer. --Miriam Landis


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This is one of those books that you open just to glance at the first page and see whether you will like it only to discover yourself five hours later still glued to the book, desperate to find out what happens next. Writing a novel whose main character and narrator suffers from amnesia and doesn't remember most of her life when she wakes up in the morning carries a risk of creating a book that is repetitive. S. J. Watson, however, made Before I Go to Sleep so fascinating, full of surprises, mysteries and revelations that there isn't a single boring page in the entire novel.

Christine, the main character of Before I Go to Sleep, wakes up one morning only to realize that she recognizes neither the man who sleeps next to her nor the house she is in. Even her body is alien to her because her most recent memory is that of being a twenty-year-old student and now she is a woman in her forties. Christine discovers that she lost her memory many years ago and now has to find out who she is anew every single morning of her life. When she finds a diary she has been keeping to remind herself of what she has been doing every day, Christine begins a complex and painful journey to self-discovery.

Before I Go to Sleep is not only a fascinating suspense thriller. It also makes you think about what constitutes the nature of human identity. What makes our personalities? What are we without our memories? How does one go about reconstructing a life that has been shattered by a horrible tragedy that has robbed you of everything you cherished and lived for?

The novel is so professionally structured and so meticulously plotted that I was really surprised to find out that Before I Go to Sleep is S.J. Watson's debut novel. I am extremely glad that I discovered this promising new writer through the Amazon Vine program and will now be eagerly awaiting new books from him. If you like psychological suspense novels, make sure you get this book. It is masterfully written and very believable. I visited the author's website and learned that movie rights to the book have been acquired and the filming will start this year. That is one movie I will definitely be watching.

Reviewed by: Olga Bezhanova (Edwardsville, IL)

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About the author

S. J. Watson lives in London and worked in the National Health Service for a number of years. In 2009 Watson was accepted into the first Faber Academy Writing a Novel course, a rigorous and selective program that covers all aspects of the novel-writing process. Before I Go to Sleep is the result.


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Wonderful for gardeners and history buffs alike: Founding Gardeners by Andrea Wulf

Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation [Hardcover]

By

Andrea Wulf

From the author of the acclaimed The Brother Gardeners, a fascinating look at the founding fathers from the unique and intimate perspective of their lives as gardeners, plantsmen, and farmers.

For the founding fathers, gardening, agriculture, and botany were elemental passions, as deeply ingrained in their characters as their belief in liberty for the nation they were creating.

Andrea Wulf reveals for the first time this aspect of the revolutionary generation. She describes how, even as British ships gathered off Staten Island, George Washington wrote his estate manager about the garden at Mount Vernon; how a tour of English gardens renewed Thomas Jefferson’s and John Adams’s faith in their fledgling nation; how a trip to the great botanist John Bartram’s garden helped the delegates of the Constitutional Congress break their deadlock; and why James Madison is the forgotten father of American environmentalism. These and other stories reveal a guiding but previously overlooked ideology of the American Revolution.

Founding Gardeners adds depth and nuance to our understanding of the American experiment and provides us with a portrait of the founding fathers as they’ve never before been seen.


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It is a pleasure to report that this is one of those unique and rare books that is both a delight to read as well as being chock full of important information and significant insights. The author, a Brit, argues that "it's impossible to understand the making of America without looking at the founding fathers as farmers and gardeners" (p. 4). To support her thesis, the author looks at principally Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison, although Franklin, George Mason, and George Wythe (among others) also make appearances. All of these four were deeply involved in agriculture and gardening, in addition to their political lives. I was surprised to learn how grumpy old John Adams turned into a happy camper when working on his farm or in his Philadelphia greenhouse (a gift of Abigail). While I knew that Jefferson was passionate about plants, so it was true of the other three as well, especially Washington who was quite the student of agriculture.

The author focuses upon some key events to develop her argument. Washington's American garden of native plants and shrubs is discussed. The 1786 garden tour that TJ and Adams made in England where they visited many of the famouns English gardens and discovered them to be largely populated with American plants. This was the work of the little-known John Bartram (1699-1777), who shipped American plants and seeds to England from his Philadelphia nursery, as well as supplying the framers. The author's "The Brother Gardeners" looks at these splendid English gardens and the role Bartram played in supplying American plants for them. One chapter deals with the deadlocked Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, which the author suggests might have been able to reach compromise due to a visit of some key delegates to Bartram's nursery for a refreshing break. While some have criticized this suggestion, I found it interesting, and whether one agrees with it or not does not affect the great value and enjoyment of the book.

Next we follow the 1791 New England purported garden tour of Jefferson and Madison, which was probably more political than botanical. A chapter discusses the selection and creation of Washington, D.C. The final chapters focus on Jefferson and Madison. Of course who better than Jefferson to organize and direct the Lewis and Clark expedition which resulted in a treasure trove of new trees and plants. TJ's retirement at Monticello is for me one of the most interesting stages of his life, and he was extensively involved in agricultural research during this period--as an "experimental gardener" to use the author's description. And the more shadowy Madison emerges as the father of the American environmental movement with his 1817 address to the Agricultural Society of Albemarle (Virginia).

The author explains how plants were more than just a hobby; these patriots saw American plants and shrubs as one basis for continued independence since they supplied our needs domestically. These framers shared the view that a nation of independent small farmers would foreclose the inherent corruption of laborers forced to survive in "putrid" cities. How slavery fitted into all this is also touched upon by the author. The author's research (reflected in 81 pages of notes, including important references to electronic data sources) is awesome. The book has 16 color plates and 19 B&W illustrations. I knew nothing of plants, but the author's skillful narrative is rich in descriptive power. The book itself is beautifully produced, from the colorful dust jacket to the fine paper--yet another example of the superb work done by Berryville Graphics in Virginia. Accept the author's argument or not, this book stands as a unique and insightful study of the sometimes mythical "founders".

Reviewed by: Ronald H. Clark (WASHINGTON, DC USA)

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About the author

Andrea Wulf was born in India and moved to Germany as a child. She lives in Britain where she trained as a design historian at the Royal College of Art. Her book "Founding Gardeners" was published in spring 2011 and went to number 32 on the New York Times Best Seller List . She is the author of “The Brother Gardeners. Botany, Empire and the Birth of an Obsession” and the co-author of “This Other Eden: Seven Great Gardens and 300 Years of English History”. She has written for the Sunday Times, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Garden and Kew Magazine, and reviews for several newspapers, including The Guardian, New York Times, the Times Literary Supplement and the Mail on Sunday.

She has lectured widely to large audiences at the Royal Geographical Society and Royal Society in London, the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Monticello and the Missouri Botanic Garden amongst many others (see events). She is a three-time fellow of the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello.

She is a regular contributor on BBC radio and television.

The “Brother Gardeners” was long-listed for the Samuel Johnson Prize 2008, the most prestigious non-fiction award in the UK and won the American Horticultural Society 2010 Book Award as well as the CBHL 2010 Annual Literature Award.


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Very compelling read: The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry

The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry [Hardcover]

By

Jon Ronson

The journalist looks at the psychopathy disorder and discovers that checklists and experts don't always agree on who is insane and who is normal.

The Psychopath Test is a fascinating journey through the minds of madness. Jon Ronson's exploration of a potential hoax being played on the world's top neurologists takes him, unexpectedly, into the heart of the madness industry. An influential psychologist who is convinced that many important CEOs and politicians are, in fact, psychopaths teaches Ronson how to spot these high-flying individuals by looking out for little telltale verbal and nonverbal clues. And so Ronson, armed with his new psychopath-spotting abilities, enters the corridors of power. He spends time with a death-squad leader institutionalized for mortgage fraud in Coxsackie, New York; a legendary CEO whose psychopathy has been speculated about in the press; and a patient in an asylum for the criminally insane who insists he's sane and certainly not a psychopath.

Ronson not only solves the mystery of the hoax but also discovers, disturbingly, that sometimes the personalities at the helm of the madness industry are, with their drives and obsessions, as mad in their own way as those they study. And that relatively ordinary people are, more and more, defined by their maddest edges.


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Review

'People who are psychopathic prey ruthlessly on others using charm, deceit, violence or other methods that allow them to get what they want. The symptoms of psychopathy include: lack of a conscience or sense of guilt, lack of empathy, egocentricity, pathological lying, repeated violations of social norms, disregard for the law, shallow emotions, and a history of victimizing others.'
- Robert Hare, Ph.D

I've been hooked on Jon Ronson's writing since 'The Men Who Stare at Goats' was first published. Ronson cuts right to the heart of important topics by having the guts to ask the difficult questions. His literary style is equal parts journalistic rigour, deep compassion and incisive observational humour that often shines the light of ridicule on darker human behaviours. 'The Psychopath Test' explores psychiatry, psychopathology, medication and incarceration of 'dangerous' individuals. The book reads like a mystery novel, which - driven by Ronson's compelling prose - makes it difficult to put down.

The story begins with a meeting between Ronson and a history student who has received a cryptic book called 'Being or Nothingness' in the mail. The same book has been received by several individuals around the globe, most of whom work in the field of psychiatry. The book contains 42 pages, every second one blank. (This made me wonder...in 'The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy', the ultimate answer to life, the Universe and Everything was 42. Was this relevant? Was the mysterious author of 'Being or Nothingness' implying that his cryptic messages, if decoded, could lead to enlightenment?)

Ronson's journey leads him to 'Tony' in Broadmoor, who - when charged with GBH and facing prison 12 years earlier - had faked insanity in the hope of being sent to a comfortable psychiatric hospital. Instead, he had been sent to Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital (home to Britain's most dangerous psychotic prisoners), where he was being held indefinitely. Tony explains that he had picked characteristics of various movie lunatics then pieced them together into his 'insane' persona. Getting into Broadmoor had been easy, but getting out was proving immeasurably harder. A senior psychiatrist admits to knowing that Tony isn't insane, as a truly insane person wouldn't manufacture a new personality in the hope of avoiding prison...but a manipulative psychopath would.

Ronson meets Bob Hare, creator of the PCL-R Test, a 20-step Psychopath Checklist which gives individuals scores between zero and forty; the higher the score, the more psychopathic the person. Hare reveals that inmates at prisons and psychiatric institutions aren't the only ones who score highly on his 'psychopath test': many CEOs and directors of corporations qualify as psychopaths too. This prompts Ronson to wonder 'if sometimes the difference between a psychopath in Broadmoor and a psychopath on Wall Street was the luck of being born into a stable, rich family.'

Al Dunlap closed Shubuta's Sunbeam factory (the economic heart of that community), showing no empathy while firing workers and effectively killing the town. While laying off employees, he even spouted jokes such as, "You may have a sports car, but I'll tell you what you don't have. A job!" Bob Hare flags Dunlap as a psychopath, so Ronson sets out to meet the man. When Ronson asks probing questions based on the PCL-R checklist, Dunlap's responses mark him as a textbook psychopath.

Hare explains the science of psychopathology: a part of the brain called the amygdala doesn't function in psychopaths as it does in other human beings. When a regular person experiences extreme violence or carnage (or even photographs of such scenes), his amygdala becomes overstimulated, provoking an extreme anxiety response in the central nervous system. When a psychopath experiences the same stimuli, his amygdala does not respond: no anxiety response occurs. This explains the psychopath's lack of empathy.

'The Psychopath Test' is a compelling read. Ronson's fluid style is the perfect balance of rigorous research, keen observation, poignancy and humour. Congratulations to Jon Ronson on another phenomenal achievement.

Reviewed by: Monty Archibald "HeavyMetalMonty" (west coast of Scotland)

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About the author

Jon Ronson is a writer and documentary filmmaker. His books Them: Adventures with Extremists and The Men Who Stare at Goats were both international bestsellers. The Men Who Stare at Goats was released as a major motion picture in 2009, starring George Clooney. Ronson lives in London.


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Seeing Heaven through the eyes of a child: Heaven is for Real

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back [Paperback]

By

Todd Burpo
with Lynn Vincent

A young boy emerges from life-saving surgery with remarkable stories of his visit to heaven.

Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.

Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us.

Told by the father, but often in Colton's own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle.


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Review

This is a story about a boy and his miraculous adventure to heaven and back. What this family has to go through in a year's time is unbelievable. 

First Sonja and Todd Burpo have a child named Cassie in the city of Imperial, Nebraska. It was their first born child. Then they try for another child, but Sonja, the mother, has a miscarriage. 

They were very upset about this, but they were excited and relieved to find out that they were having another child. His name was Colton. Colton's father, Todd, had a bad 6 months. He broke his legs, had kidney stones and had surgury for breast cancer. 

When Colton was about 4 years old, he complained about a stomach ache. They took him to the hospital and they diagnosed him with a stomach flu. The next day the were happy to see that he was perfectly fine, or so they thought, they next day. They decided to go on a small vacation. They went to the Denver Butterfly Pavilion. 

Then that night Cassie and Colton complained on stomach aches. Colton stayed up all night, vomiting. The next day, Cassie was okay, but Colton was not. They decided to take him back to the hospital. They figured out, he had a ruptured appendix and an abscess. He automatically went into surgury. The surgury went well. 

A few days later, the doctors said he could go home. Everybody was so happy. When they got in the elevator to go home, the doctor called Colton back and said that he had to go into another surgury. He went back and this surgury went well. 

A few days later, they told Colton he could actually go home. They got home and Colton started telling his family the stories about heaven. He told what angels looked like, what God looked like, what Jesus looked like and what the throne looked like. He told things about heaven that his father, a pastor, didn't even know. 

At first Todd, Colton's father, thought Colton was making the whole thing up but soon figured out that he wasn't. Colton was saying things that his father knew, he couldn't have known, unless he was there. 


Reviewed by: Rhonda L. Cochran "All About Shopping" (Lynchburg, OH)

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About the author

Todd Burpo is pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan, a wrestling coach, a volunteer fireman, and he operates a garage door company with his wife, Sonja, who is also a children’s minister, busy pastor’s wife, and mom. Colton, now an active 11-year-old, has an older sister Cassie and a younger brother Colby. The family lives in Imperial, Nebraska.

Lynn Vincent is the New York Times best-selling writer of Same Kind of Different as Me and Going Rogue: An American Life. The author or co-author of nine books, Vincent is a senior writer for WORLD magazine and a lecturer in writing at the King’s College in New York City. She lives in San Diego, California.


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Great resource for moms with tween girls: Six Ways to Keep the "Little" in Your Girl

Six Ways to Keep the "Little" in Your Girl: Guiding Your Daughter from Her Tweens to Her Teens (Secret Keeper Girl) [Paperback]

By

Dannah Gresh

When the world wants girls to grow up too fast, how do you help your daughter navigate boy craziness, modesty, body image, media, and Internet safety? The foundation for an emotionally healthy teen girl is built between the ages of 8 and 12. Mothers of tween girls can direct and guide their daughters by developing a close relationship with them. In Six Ways to Keep the Little in Your Girl, Dannah Gresh shares six ways to help you grow confident, godly young women. Also included is a quiz to test your relationship, fun activities to do together, and Scriptures to use in prayer.

Bestselling author, speaker, and founder of the Secret Keeper Girl conferences, Dannah Gresh shares with moms the secret to helping today’s girls grow up confident, grace-filled, and strong in their faith.

Studies show that the foundation for an emotionally healthy teen girl is built between the ages of 8-12 and that a good relationship with mom is one of the most important factors. So when the world wants girls to grow up too fast, how does a mother help her young daughter navigate the stormy waters of boy-craziness, modesty and body image, media, Internet safety, and more? With a warm, transparent style, Dannah Gresh shares six ways a mom can help protect and guide her daughter, including:

• help her celebrate her body in a healthy way
• unbrand her when the world tries to buy and sell her
• unplug her from a plugged-in world
• dream with her about her prince, and more

This wonderful resource also provides moms a Connection IQ Inventory to test their mom- daughter relationship, creative and fun activities to do together, and Scriptures for the mom to pray for her daughter.

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Review

I have been affected in a positive way by what Dannah Gresh has written. She delivered a wonderful read.I devoured the words and content and quickly passed the title on to many other mothers. Her love and concern for children is evident in her writings and her research and knowledge are thorough. She not only talks about the problems, but she gives you solutions. This book is an insightful look at the culture that we are up against.(Take note on the section where celebrities do not allow their own children to watch t.v. )

I have been encouraged to use the knowledge to combat the culture and make a stand on the behalf of all girls the Lord has laid on my heart, especially my granddaughter.

Mothers, Grandmothers, God-mothers, Teachers, Aunts... ALL of you who have a love for Girls should purchase this book. It is a delight even if you have older girls.

I am certain that an investment in this book will yield a profitable return!

Reviewed by: B. Wise "Wisebuy" (Carrollton, VA)

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About the author

Dannah Gresh, a best-selling author and sought-after speaker. Her best-selling titles include And the Bride Wore White and 2010’s best-selling CBA youth book, Lies Young Women Believe co-authored with Nancy Leigh DeMoss. She says the most important book she has or will ever write is What Are You Waiting For: The One Thing No One Ever Tells You About Sex, which traces the Hebrew language of sexuality from Genesis to Revelation answering every question a heart could ask. She has long been at the forefront of the movement to encourage tweens and teens to be modest and to pursue purity and is the founder of Secret Keeper Girl a live tour event for tween girls and their moms.


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