Book Description
What does it mean to be a man? Moreover, how does a father instill these qualities in his son? Using as an example the process by which a boy moved through the medieval stages of knighthood, author Robert Lewis identifies parallel stages for today’s fathers to create ceremonies to commemorate significant milestones in a young man’s journey toward becoming a modern-day knight. Beginning with a biblical perspective of manhood, author-pastor Robert Lewis shares a unique approach to shaping a boy into a man by equipping him with three essential elements: a vision, a code of conduct, and a cause (Christianity) in which to invest his life. Complete with ceremony ideas to celebrate accomplishments and ingrain them in his mind, this softcover is as insightful as it is practical in raising a boy to be a chivalrous, godly man.
Customer Reviews:
An Awesome Must Read for Fathers with Sons.......2007-09-06
My husband does not take the time to read much since he reads so much at work, but when he started this book he could not put it down. It was very encouraging, insightful and is a must read for fathers with sons !!!!!
Exceptional book.......2007-05-13
I highly recommend this book. It's unique, creative, insightful, and provides numerous excellent tools for dads to use with their sons. It's the best of its kind that I've read ~ have sent copies to my three sons-in-law. Am also recommending it to all the dads in my church.
Rev. John P. Splinter, Ph.D.
Raising A Modern-Day Knight.......2007-03-31
Important information for every dad that wants to raise a son according to biblical principals. A must read book to move beyond good intentions and give what every son needs--love, affirmation, vision, direction and a father's blessing.
A book every father should have!.......2007-02-09
I picked up Raising a Modern Day Knight while attending a recent Family Life marriage conference. I'm sure there isn't a dad out there that doesn't want to raise his kids properly, and especially his son. I have a five year old and know that right now, I am his hero, his best friend, the best guy in the world. I don't want to squander his admiration and unconditional love. I want to know how I can raise my son so he will be a strong man. This book attempts to answer that question. This is a Focus on the Family book and broaches the subject of parenting from a Christian point of view. It's also a very short book and can probably be read in a couple of hours. In its brevity, you aren't going to get a lot of content, but what you do get is good stuff.
Author Robert Lewis equates raising a son to the process of raising a young man to be a knight back in the dark ages. At times, the analogy is cumbersome, but the book still offers a lot of good points. Also, the book is filled with tons of scriptural references, which at times caused my eyes to glaze over. I feel the scripture references needed to be backed by more examples or antecdotes. This book is primarly about teaching your older kid how to be a man, and how to do it through ceremonies. The book doesn't include much discussion on how kids think and act, so don't expect that in here. This book is probably for men with kids approaching puberty and older, because it focuses a lot on guiding your young boys into manhood through memorable ceromonies.
Lewis men need to teach their boys how to be men by providing a strong example in Jesus, living right in their own lives, guiding them through memorable ceremonies and surrounding them with a community of men. The ceremonies are a big focus of the book, and although the author says he provides a lot of examples of different types of ceremonies, they really are all the same. You may not want to give your son a family crest at his college graduation, but the book does stress the importance of ceremonies for your children Some of the most power ful segments of the book are when fathers mention they failed their sons, or when sons said their dads weren't there for them.
Every father should read this book and every father should understand that the role of a father is the most important job they will ever have.
What is a man?.......2006-08-10
That is the key question for men born and raised under the infuence of a society burdened by political correctness and absent fathers. The most disturbing askers of this question are young males themselves, who are receiveing so many inputs from so many unreliable sources. Robert Lewis has not only answered the question for himself and his sons, but provides a model based on the most noble parts of the mideval concept of knighthood. His answers are compelling, soundly based in Christianity, and illustrated with many "how to" methods that have worked for him and others. While the book is targeted at fathers with juvenile sons, it has meaning for all of us.
Customer Reviews:
A warm and wonderful way to introduce geometric shapes!.......1998-12-09
As a new teacher I am always looking for good literature to introduce mathematics. This warm family story uses loving, hard-working characters to spin a tale of promises and dreams, all wrapped around geometry. The possibilities for geometric-based lessons are endless. When I read it to my second grade class they were enthralled.
Average customer rating:
- Love these books
- Wonderful story of special times
- Outdoor fun
- Being Fair
- Mercer Mayer Books as a new tradition
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Just Me and My Dad (Look-Look)
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
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Just Me and My Mom (A Little Critter Book)
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All by Myself (Look-Look)
ASIN: 0307118398
Release Date: 2001-03-02 |
Book Description
This well-loved Little Critter picture book has become a modern classic. It's the tale of a father-and-son camping trip filled with Little Critter's mistakes and good intentions. In spite of difficulties, however, the happy father and son manage to put up their tent, catch fish for dinner, and sleep beneath the stars. In spite of minimal text, the story is full and rich, with endearing illustrations from start to finish.
Customer Reviews:
Love these books.......2007-08-10
My sons gave this to my husband for fathers day. They are all great books!
Wonderful story of special times.......2007-08-06
Again Mercer Mayer has captured a special moment full of it's ups and downs. Along with his beautiful art work this book is a joy to read with your little one. My children seem to enjoy the special characters that are along for the trip also. See if your little one can find them as you read. Little Critter always portrays the curiosity and eagerness of children and the funny mishaps that come from that curiosity and eagerness. I have loved Mercer Meyer since I was a child and enjoy that my children do too!
Outdoor fun.......2007-01-18
This short story about going camping with dad fits our family perfectly. I love the art work.
Being Fair.......2007-01-17
It's always easy to find a book relating to the child/mother relationship, but it's a little more difficult finding a book relating to the child/father relationship. So this was quite a delightful find. It was written exceptionally well, and my stepdaughter enjoyed reading it.
Mercer Mayer Books as a new tradition.......2006-11-05
When my 3 sons were little, they constantly begged me to read all of Mercer Mayer's books to them, but especially Just Me and My Dad. Now that my oldest son is grown and has a 3-year old daughter of his own, it has become her personal favorite. Children love the adorable characters and the humor contained in all of Mayer's books, even at very young ages. A great, easy to read bedtime story for all children!!
Book Description
Every year Henry and his dad (with help from Mudge, of course) make Henry's mother a funny lunch for Mother's Day. Shopping for their juicy, crunchy surprise is fun, and preparing it is even more fun. But sharing it with Henry's mother is the most fun of all!
Customer Reviews:
Mothers Day Lunch.......2007-02-09
The attractivness of this story is the special bond that has occurred with Henry and his family. He is so excited about Mothers Day "knowing" that he and dad will take a secret trip to get something special for mom. Arriving home they creatively make something together, that they think mom will just love! Mudge and his appetite just enhance the humor that makes this an all around fun story.
another Henry and Mudge.......2005-09-30
Another Henry and Mudge... we love the series (have everything offered in paperback), but this one wasn't quite up "Henry and Mudge and the Green Time" or "Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat". My son, nevertheless, wants to make me a funny lunch next Mother's Day. If you love the series, get it. If you are new to Henry and Mudge, start with some of the first books in the series.
Kids determined to put together the best Mother's Day lunch.......2004-06-12
With this Level 2 focus on independent reading skills, kids will more readily move from beginning reader to enjoying more complex tales with paragraphs and short chapters. What better place to start than with Henry and Mudge & The Funny Lunch, Cynthia Rylant's zany story of kids determined to put together the best Mother's Day lunch ever ? against all odds?color drawings add to the appeal.
Book Description
An inordinately beautiful day surprises Chicagoland in July, 2003. No searing heat. No humid haze. Perfect. Real estate appraiser Conny Bromenn has recently turned 40, and the new fresh breeze has pumped him with a magnum of lucidity, though it struggles sometimes to sift through the gauze of befuddlement compiled over 40 years.
Conny's ready for a serious change. He needs to confront his long-standing lethargy in the community and search for deeper meaning in his life-but can he let his golf buddies know his intentions without being laughed off the course? His newfound clarity tells him . maybe.
Risking their friendship, Conny proposes a new wager to replace their long-standing $5 Nassau, one in which the losers must adhere to certain pacts. Intended to initiate some sense of social responsibility within this group of 40-year-olds, these pacts quickly take on a life of their own with each passing hole.
Conny and his friends start out just hoping to get a tee time in this unexpected weather, but end up turning a funhouse mirror on suburbia, their places in it, and what needs to be done .
Customer Reviews:
An involving novel about an awakening sense of social responsibility, highly recommended........2007-08-07
Waggle is a novel written by golf lover Joe Redden Tigan, for fellow golf lovers and suburbanites everywhere. One ordinary day in the summer of 2003, real estate appraiser Conny Bromenn decides to inject some change and meaning into the self-absorbed life he shares with his community. He decides to motivate his Saturday morning golf foursome by replacing their usual wager per hole with certain "pacts" that the loser pledges to adhere to. Hole by hole, the group of 40-year-olds is forced to reexamine their place in the world, and what they need to do. An involving novel about an awakening sense of social responsibility, highly recommended.
Not just for golfers!.......2007-05-31
I don't golf but many of the men in my life do...and some are pretty good at it. That aside, I loved this book! Hillarious, touching, colorful and intelligent, it is a thoughtful novel about life...on the golf course and off. This is an author who gets the whole notion of wanting to really amount to something in the grand scheme of things. Buckle up for this one! It's a great ride!
Great story!.......2007-05-20
I enjoyed this book! As a Californian who once lived in suburban Chicago, I remember the...often challenging climatic events, shall we say, and how rare it is being on any Chicagoland golf course in the middle of July without having to tread humidity in 90-degree heat. Joe Redden Tigan employs rich humor, skillful character development and energetic dialogue to create an engaging tale that takes place during a round of golf on one of those rare July days. He delivers a powerful message involving true friendship, self-reckoning and civic responsibility that will resonate with golfers and non-golfers alike. A superb first novel from an important new American literary voice.
I'm a golfer and I love it!.......2007-05-13
In reading Waggle, the first challenge the reader has is actually believing that Social Change could be used as a bet on a golf course. But considering the age of these four golfers, and the use of the word "Catharsis" to explain the changes these men are going through, makes the plot not only plausible, but indeed real.
I liked Tigan's use of humour throughout the book. He's really a gifted writer. His setup of the characters and the golf course gives you all you need to paint a perfect picture of the 18 hole game.
Highly recommended reading.
Spread the word! This is a good one........2007-05-02
Ok, I'm not much of a golfer and I'm a girl, so I was not sure if I was going to like "Waggle". But, within the first chapter I knew I was going to love it! The author's use of language totally "drives" the book. This is not your typical book you pick-up off the shelf with the same old drone, page, after page, after page. With each new chapter you never know what you are going to get next. I found the variety of techniques employed to relay the story extremely clever and refreshing. It's a fun read and a book I will definitely be reading again. That is, unless, Mr. Tigan gets us that sequel first!
Product Description
Throughout the ages, man has been engaged in a quest for knowledge. Generation upon generation of man have endeavored to discover the truths which make man honorable and life worth living. In that same tradition of humanity the greatest of these philosophers have sought as well to pass along what wisdom they have discovered that others may live a happier life and that mankind's chances of survival be unhanced. This book contains 2500 years of man's greatest wisdom, passed on in that same tradition of humanity that others may share in that wisdom.
Customer Reviews:
Inspirational Gift Book.......2007-08-08
This book can be previewed in full on the publisher's website free by following the links to this title in the E-Book section of the site. All of this publisher's books are available on this site so any book can be previewed before purchase.
Great Men, Great Thoughts, Perfect Title .......2007-08-04
I love this book. It may not have 2000 quotes in it, but I have to agree that these are some of mankind's greatest quotes. I received it as a gift and I find it easy to use and lovely to look at. It has over 100 of mankind's most profound insights in one place which makes them easy to refer to. The book was designed so that there are 7 or 8 quotes on a page with a beautiful color photograph next to each page of quotes that is appropriate to the theme of those quotes. The aesthetic affect is a reminder of the depth of life and livingness - something that often gets lost in our day to day lives. The wisdom relayed reminds me that we as mankind have very similar hopes and desires and dreams for ourselves and our family and friends. It is also very therapeutic to be reminded how GREAT each one of us really is. I recommend reading this little book and bringing some joy to your life. You deserve it.
Not worth the price..........2007-08-03
I have to say that I disagree with the majority of the previous reviewers, in that this book is really not that useful in my eyes. While it does have a few famous and inspirational quotes, it is definitley not worth paying $15 for. Like other readers have mentioned, the book is 50 pages long, with half of them being illustrations. The other 25 pages contain from 4-5 quotes each, for a total of maybe 100 quotes in the entire book. This is the type of book that you would expect to pay $3.95 for at a bookstore, and definitly not $14.95. My suggestion would be to stay away from this book. You are better off getting quotes off the Internet. Just my opinion...
Beautiful Book.......2007-06-11
Pick the book up and flip to any page whenever you are in need of an inspirational thought. Great to have in your own library; also makes an excellent gift for a book-lover.
great quote book.......2007-06-10
Was the previous review even talking about this book? The book is a 50 pg small gift book full of many inspirational quotes. Quotes are by people such as Aristotle, Socrates, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Buddha... people whom just about everybody has heard of! The quotes are inspirational, and the illustrations are beautiful too. It could be a great gift for just about anyone.
Average customer rating:
- Worth every minute
- We Laughed and Laughed--and then Cried a Little
- great book
- Beautiful, sometimes painful, but hey, so is life. Even for kids.
- True, Fascinating Story
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A Day No Pigs Would Die
Robert Newton Peck
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
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A Day No Pigs Would Die Study Guide
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The Giver
ASIN: 0679853065
Release Date: 1994-09-20 |
Book Description
"With plenty of Yankee common sense and dry wit, and some pathos as the boy at 13 takes on the duties of a man. For boys of this age and for the young of any age."--School Library Journal.
Customer Reviews:
Worth every minute.......2007-10-08
What an eye opener for this generation! Welcome to the Shaker tradition of plain, earthy, reason. No frills. Where a man's word is second to his deed. I found this novel to be inspiring and humbling. Nowadays, we take so much for granted! Here is a family who earns or makes everything they have, and is gracious enough to consider themselves rich. Indeed they are - rich in faith, love, dignity, integrity, and community.
This is an important coming of age novel for many reasons. Robert Peck has to face challenges that many Young Adult readers face: increased responsibility, the wanting of worldly possessions, and death.
We Laughed and Laughed--and then Cried a Little.......2007-09-16
I read this to my boys when they were young. We laughed and laughed. And then cried a little.
Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence
great book.......2007-08-15
not for the faint of heart, I suppose, after reading some of the other reviews on this site. But hey, life is tough, and this book shows how one father prepared his son to survive and flourish. I highly recommend this book.
Beautiful, sometimes painful, but hey, so is life. Even for kids. .......2007-04-12
I read this book when I twelve. It was not assigned reading from school; my aunt had a copy, and I helped myself. When I finished, I gave my aunt back her book and never read it again. I didn't have to. It was a part of me.
I lived the days of the story with Robert. Yes, some are country-slow, but they are richly described and absorbing, even when relating trivialities. (Think "To Kill a Mockingbird".)
I was horrified (as was Robert, the boy who is the main character) at the bloody images of the dog and weasel, but what *stayed* with me afterwards was the remorse of the dog's owner, and his declaration that, conventional wisdom be damned, he would never "weasel" a dog again. A clear lesson in self-determination in the face of tradition, more forceful because it was a grown man making the mistake and painfully learning from it.
Robert's visceral reaction to his pet being violently bred made him more real in my eyes, more vulnerable, and his bitter sense of filial obligation in cooperating with the process made me empathize even more. It's a tricky, sometimes powerless place, being that young.
But interwoven through the plainly portrayed harshness and casual brutality of rural poverty is the still beauty and serenity of a farm family in the 30's. The quiet father, who butchers hogs by hand, carves his son a whistle with the greatest care.
I don't know what the target age for readers of this story is. I have seven and nine year old daughters. I won't give it to them yet, but I think in two or three years I'll be adding it to their library. I was actually shopping for a copy to give to a grown-up friend. We had been talking about books that had made us cry.
True, Fascinating Story .......2007-02-26
Every boy dreams about owning their own animal. Robert Peck's dream comes true when he receives a pig for helping a neighbor, but while growing up in a Shaker household he can't afford to do many things. By getting Pinky, his pig, he is able to experience things he has never done before. Amidst all the fun, Robert needs to become a man, and learn what it takes to do so.
Average customer rating:
- Wanna know what a "daddy" does?
- Cute book
- Book review
- Beautiful Book
- Great book for Grandma to read to Grandson
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I Love My Daddy
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0060543116
Release Date: 2004-04-13 |
Book Description
Sometimes daddies are loud and playful. Other times they are quiet and compassionate. And they are always loving. Sebastien Braun's appealing text and charming illustrations follow a day in the life of a bear and his bear cub in this celebration of the bond between father and child.
Customer Reviews:
Wanna know what a "daddy" does?.......2007-08-02
Then, check out this captivating look at the bond between father and son told in the simplistic dialog of a little bear. With poignant pictures by author/illustrator Sebastien Braun (perfect last name), little "readers" can relate to the love that is shared by the family duo.
This is a perfect "primer" for both the child and the dad that needs to know his role.
Cute book.......2007-07-26
This is a cute book. It's short and simple, which is easy to read to little ones. The illistrations are very pretty, also. Good gift to give as a baby shower gift or to a grown-up "from a child". (There is a page inside that says 'This book is to ______ with love".) I gave this book to my Brother-in-law but wrote inside that it was from his son.
Book review.......2006-11-04
This book is very nice. It was part of a gift to my husband when we found out I was pregnant.
Beautiful Book.......2005-09-14
This is a beautifully illustrated book that would be a sweet gift for the favorite daddy in your life. When my husband saw it he said, "you're such a sap". But then he went ahead and added it to his regular line-up of goodnight books for our little boy. :)
Great book for Grandma to read to Grandson.......2005-08-29
(I wrote a similar review for I Love My Mommy)
I bought this book for my grandson when he visits overnight. He LOVES it. I believe that he is comforted by the book. It's very simple, but the message is direct, and the illustrations are quite sweet. My grandson's parents often work at night or are in school and clearly he'd rather be with them, but this book is a reminder that even though he's with Grandma, his Mommy and Daddy love him lots.
Average customer rating:
- Funny Absurdism -- with a VERY nasty edge.
- The Day I Read A Whole Children's Book Aloud in the Store...
- The day I swapped my dad for 2 goldfish
- BRILLANT, SWEET, CHARMING, TWISTED
- I�ll swap my dad any day if that�s book I�ll get for it...
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The Day I Swapped My Dad for 2 Goldfish
Neil Gaiman , and
Dave McKean
Manufacturer: White Wolf Pub
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ASIN: 1565049446 |
Amazon.com
It's a graphic short story more than a traditional picture book, by a famous fantasy and comics team. From the front end-flap to the final Fin (and not excepting the copyright page), this is a witty, funny collaboration. Neil Gaiman's grasp of kid-narrative logic and Dave McKean's whimsical layered art tell the story of a dad who "doesn't pay much attention to anything, when reading his newspaper" and the narrator's brilliant idea of swapping him for something more interesting--and of course, the convoluted consequences.
Customer Reviews:
Funny Absurdism -- with a VERY nasty edge........2007-07-20
One minor problem for me, that is evidently not a problem for many others, was the art. I was put off by the blotchy, surrealistic, color-schemes, which were distracting, and rarely added to whatever charm the line-drawings themselves possessed.
Getting past that, I was able to enjoy the silly story. Humor is often generated when the tension is created by horror or fear, but then is punctured by the absurdity of the situation.
All decent people should be horrified by the idea of buying and selling other human beings, in pursuit of materialistic goals, as though they were mere objects. Here, however, the absurdity of the situation breaks the ice. We know that virtually no real child would want to sell his or her father. Moreover, the idea of this rather useless dad permitting himself to be bartered all over town by children, without ever once looking up from his newspaper, is completely nonsensical. I suppose children might laugh (just as I did).
Another saving grace is that, even though the story is told from the point of view of the creepy little sociopath of a son who sells his dad, there were other characters for me to root for. I was completely on the side of the little sister, who (quite properly) objects and protests the scheme. She (quite properly) rats him out to his mother, who is also suitably furious, and makes this creepy little materialist promise never to sell his dad again. Morever, since the bulk of the story concerns the quest to RECOVER the bartered-off dad, even the boy is doing the right thing for much of the narrative.
But then comes the TWIST. You see, he never promised anything about not selling his little sister. The last panel shows the brother's huge shadow, mouth open with glee, reaching like an ogre for this little girl, who looks small, isolated, helpless.
This time, I did not laugh.
Why not? This time, sadly, the absurdity of the situation does not puncture the horror. It is not absurd enough, and it is too horrific. We do not think the boy is joking. Earlier in the tale, we actually saw the little sister bound and gagged by the older brother to prevent her ratting on him to Mom (a disturbing enough scene in its own right). Moreover the pictures make the boy look much larger and stronger than his little sister -- the situation lacks the obvious jokiness of bartering off one's much-larger dad while he never looks up from his newspaper. Even the THREAT of selling your little sister to your friends is potentially a nasty and frightening form of abuse.
Gaiman's afterword tells us the story reflects real and bitter hostility that existed between two of his children, and further reflected a similar bitter hostility between himself and his own sister. This eerily suggests that the final panel might have been inspired by genuine malice. How, then is it a joke? If bitter hostility between siblings is a problem -- and it often is -- ought not the message, in a picture book ostensibly marketed for children, be a bit more positive? Payback time, little girl! I guess she shouldn't have ratted out her creepy older brother. Funny to Gaiman, perhaps, but not to me.
The Day I Read A Whole Children's Book Aloud in the Store..........2005-10-01
This book is a whimsical tale about a boy who sets covetous eyes on his friend's goldfish, and after rummaging through all his belongings, finally hits upon the idea of swapping his dad for the goldfish. Though the friend initally doesn't think it's a fair swap ("I've got two goldfish, you've only got one dad"), he eventually agrees. But when Mom gets home, the boy has to go return the goldfish and get his dad back. Returning the goldfish, he finds his dad has been swapped for something else, and so the boy has to go through the town returning item after item until he eventually gets his dad back.
Though it's dressed up and marketed as a children's book, it's a little long to hold the interest of anyone under 7 or 8, and a little too simple for those over that age, but who aren't old enough to really see the humor in it. But as an adult, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. The illustrations by Dave McKean are delightfully creepy, and the story is just silly enough to remind me how I thought about the barter system when I was a kid. The story is funny, and the ending even funnier. My wife and daughter enjoyed hearing me read the whole thing aloud in the store, and by this merit I was allowed to buy it. The edition that I got has a CD insert with a recording of Mr Gaiman himself reading the story. Though my performance was masterful in the extreme, I have to concede that Neil reads it better than I do, and I've listened to the disc several times since I got it.
If you're reading it aloud to kids, make sure you've got a patient audience first, since it takes a while to get through. But if they'll sit for it, they'll probably enjoy it. I personally loved the illustrations, done in a mixture of media, collages of photograph and hand-drawn images, a staple of McKean's artistic style. Not the typical happy-cartoony children's book drawings.
Though I've gotten mixed responses from the groups of children I've read this to, I enjoy the book a lot, and think that you will, too.
The day I swapped my dad for 2 goldfish.......2004-02-13
This is not a children's book. It is dark. Don't read this to yor children. This person should not be writing childrens books.
BRILLANT, SWEET, CHARMING, TWISTED.......2002-11-27
I'm sure I'm not the first reviewer here to say that I love this book as much as any kid ever could. Great story, great writing, exceptional artwork by the inimitable dave mckean. If you don't fall in love with this book, then I'd be willing to wager that you never had a childhood.
By any means necessary, no matter how old you are, read this book; even if you have to swap your favoritest family member for a copy. (I've heard Amazon does in fact accept this kind of bartering system)
I�ll swap my dad any day if that�s book I�ll get for it..........2002-04-06
Take Neil Gaiman, put him in a room together with Dave McKean. What do you get? Wonders. This dream-team has worked many times before and has produced some of the best Sandman comics in the bunch.
Although it is presented as a book for those who are still children at heart and offers a moral which should not be overlooked, it spins a wondrous yarn about a boy and his friends, and mocks the sixdegrees theory in its undertow...
Gaimanýs words are beautiful and McKeanýs art is fantastic. You can read this book over and over again and never tire of it, or just leaf through the pages and marvel at the pictures, which are a great source of amusement for children who are yet to be able to read on their own.
(I only wonder how come I never though about it doing this when I was 10...)
Amazon.com
Strong is the urge to write one's life story as a keepsake for oneself and one's family. The difficulty is knowing where to start, and then where to go from there. Carl and David Marshall, a grandfather-grandson team, have created a fine and fun do-it-yourself autobiography. The cover of the journal-sized Book of Myself is intended to resemble handmade paper; the inside pages have the yellowed hue of a keepsake found in a musty attic trunk. The book is not especially pretty. But the questions--one per page, divided into early, middle, and late years, and then again into sections concerning family, friends, education, work and responsibilities, and the world--are good enough that it hardly matters. Among the 201 jumping-off points included here are questions concerning childhood toys, crushes, and forbidden exploits; adult embarrassments, betrayals, and achievements; and how one's views change over the years. --Jane Steinberg
Book Description
Strong is the urge to write one's life story as a keepsake for oneself and one's family. The difficulty is knowing where to start, and then where to go from there. Carl and David Marshall, a grandfather-grandson team, have created a fine and fun do-it-yourself autobiography. The cover of the journal-sized Book of Myself is intended to resemble handmade paper; the inside pages have the yellowed hue of a keepsake found in a musty attic trunk. The book is not especially pretty. But the questions--one per page, divided into early, middle, and late years, and then again into sections concerning family, friends, education, work and responsibilities, and the world--are good enough that it hardly matters. Among the 201 jumping-off points included here are questions concerning childhood toys, crushes, and forbidden exploits; adult embarrassments, betrayals, and achievements; and how one's views change over the years. --Jane Steinberg
Customer Reviews:
Bought one for Mom and Daughter.......2007-09-06
After purchasing this book for myself, I bought one for my Mother and Daughter. What a great journal of your life and thoughts!
If you have the time.......2007-07-23
My husband and I bought these to fill out together, but it's not really like that. They are in depth answers that require thought. Perfect for self reflection if you have a lot of time to write. Good thought provoking questions.
get to know yourself with this.......2007-03-19
Great tool to get to know yourself and for others to get to know you
Great gift for parents.......2006-12-07
I gave this book to my father many years ago, and had completely forgotten about it. He recently passed away and, when going through his things, I found the book. He had completed it. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to have his words and thoughts in writing, many of those words and thoughts quite new to me! My brothers and I will treasure this book forever...once a gift to him, now a gift to us.
This book is a hit with my mother and relatives!.......2006-04-16
For my mother's 60th birthday, she told me she'd like to reflect on her life thus far. I'd seen books of this nature, in which the reader can fill out question to create an easy autobiography. After using reading lots of different reviews on these types of books, The Book of Myself stood out with the best ratings. I bought the book from another bookstore, and from just skimming through the book I loved its questions. Finally, I presented it to my mother at her birthday dinner. She beamed with excitement when I explained the nature of the book, and she repeatedly said it's just what she wanted. After the dinner, she immediately called her sisters and told them about the book. They said they would like one for a christmas present, and eventually have all their siblings fill out the book. In light of other deaths in the family, my elders were seeking ways to preserve their memories. They're looking forward to discussing the questions as a group, and recalling all the chapters of their lives. Also, my mom told her co-worker about the book, who in turn wanted one for herself! "You see," my mother said, "this book you gave me is really taking off."
I love seeing my mother's enthusiasm for the book, and she informs me of her progress in filling it out. She decided to type her answers to the questions, and she's saving her answers on a keepsake CD. My father and aunts will be doing the same, and we anticipate having a memory box full of these books and autobiography CDs! Overall, I'm so blessed to have stumbled upon this book, it seems like it's becoming an integral part of preserving family memories.
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