Product Description
No one has influenced the person you are today as much as your mother. The way she handled your needs as a child has shaped your world view, your relationships, your marriage, your career, your self-image... your life. How can you identify areas that need reshaping, make positive choices for personal change, and establish a balanced, mature relationship with Mom today? In this book, Dr. Cloud and Dr. Townsend steer you down a path of discovery and growth beyond the effects of six common mothering styles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Speedy shipping Good condition
I received the item much sooner than anticipated and the condition was very good. Thank you!

some good ideas and insight
I read this book primarily to study and implement what was written about "The Phantom Mom".The information was satisfactory and insightful, but I thought that perhaps more could be said about the solution phase or implementing the plans of action.The symptoms the authors gave were spot on.I grew up without a mother and the symptoms of having a phantom mom were so fitting that it looked like I was reading my life story.Basically, the only solution the authors suggest is to seek out friends who have what one has missed growing up without a mother.It's overly simplified because as was mentioned in the book people like me who've grown up without a mom have severe relational problems.What I think should have been emphasized about the phantom mom offspring is that we should practice eliciting what we want from others more (i.e. warmth and empathy, nonintrusiveness, mutual dependency, honesty).

Overall, it's a good book and if one has intentions on working hard to transform themselves then it can work but don't expect change to happen overnight nor should you just use this book as the only reference.

not so sure
At first I was excited about this book. Now, I am not so sure. I think they are ignoring the cultural bias we have in america towards independence from family. Their work does not seem to be based on clinical research, but just experience in therapy. Many of the outcomes are the same.... anxiety, depression. There are many reasons for one to experience such difficulties, not just mom. The book contributes to the mom bashing we already hear about in therapy. It does call for some responsibility on the reader's part to change, but not enough. Aren't we supposed to honor our parents? They do not operate in a vacuum. We helped create our own existence. Wondering how biblical this book is really.... It really is just a pop psychology book with little substance to back it. It may be helpful for some self awareness, but like I said.... not so sure.

Its alright
I think this book will be great for some people, but it really didn't help me all that much.The different mothers hardly applied to my situation with my own mother.The controlling chapter fit a little bit, but all it talked about was "learning to say no" and finding your identity.I was the one who rebelled, and I held onto my identity very well.The mothers in this book were much more loving than mine was.It would have been nice if they talked about mothers who were verbally, emotionally, and physically abusive.Where's the "Bi-Polar Mom" in this book?? From a real young age (around 7) I teamed up with God determined to turn out just fine.I even grew up setting my own boundries & parented myself (ex: I wouldn't allow myself to see PG13 movies until I was 13... my mom however could have cared less).I read this in attempt to understand why my mother does the things she does.I've tried to reconcile with my mother, but she refuses to have a relationship with me at all.My mother has resented me since childhood, and even now shes in an imaginary war with me.I'll probably give the book to one of my friends or sell it to half-price books.

Understand your mom, and yourself as a mom!
I picked up this book to help me deal with my elderly mother.I had an abusive upbringing and need to come to terms with it.This book was awesome!It doesn't blame the mother at all, but gives help to the adult child on how to compensate for what mom didn't have to give.It was also invaluable to me to see mistakes I am making with my own children, and how to correct them.I will say, the book does get pretty deep into psychology...some parts are a difficult read. ... Read more

Product Description
In order to call themselves good Christians, many people have drawn overly flexible boundaries (unwilling to say no, always accommodating others' needs) or overly rigid boundaries (to the point of being righteous and judgmental). Psychologists and inspirational speakers Cloud and Townsend show readers how to set reasonable boundaries in order to follow the true path of Christianity. This book has become immensely popular, most likely because it makes personal boundaries easier to define and is filled with spiritual purpose. Some cautions: the format can be overly self-helpish for such a complex discussion and the authors at one point imply that judicious spankings may be an acceptable form of setting boundaries with children. However, many Christians will probably find themselves grateful for this biblical context of boundaries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A++
I bought this for a friend and she said it came in great shape. She had started reading it and has liked it so far.

Boundaries
Book is hard-covered and in good shape, arrived on time.Good read.Thank you.

Great material!
I'll try not to repeat the many excellent reviews already done on this book. Our care Pastor uses this for education and fortunately practices the material both during his instruction and outside the classroom. I previously had taken a Stephen Ministries course which included one chapter out of 25 on boundaries. This book is much more thorough and covered much more material. While I did appreciate the authors use of scripture in the book, I found I was able to skip over much because of my background. However, it would definitely be an advantage to readers that did not have a strong Biblical education.

Boundaries are not a huge issue in my life but I have come to realize that for many people, of all ages, they are a major relationship stumbling block. And even though I didn't attend the training for personal "repair", I was able to help friends, family and my wife and myself through some issues successfully using this material.

I strongly endorse this book.

Life-changing
I was told by a friend that I needed to learn how to set boundaries in my life.The truth is, I had no idea what he was talking about.I had never heard of such a thing.Then, by God's guideance, I am sure, I happened to see this book on the shelf at a bookstore, right next to the book I came in to buy.I picked it up and decided to read it.What did I have to lose?

Well, my friend was right.The first example in this book mirrored my life very closely.As the authors explained what boundaries are and gave tangible examples of how to apply them, I learned how to turn my life around.The example that the authors gave in the end of the book on what a life looks like when boundaries are correctly applied gave me a sense of hope.That was the kind of life I wanted, and now I have it!This helped me fix the problems in my life that I was blaming on everyone else.After I realized that most of my problems were because of my lack of boundaries, I was able to fix that, and everything fell into place.Since then, I have bought this book for almost all of my friends, and it has improved all of our lives.

Terri Cruze, author of: Joy for the Troubled Heart and Finding Peace in the Midst of Chaos

Improve your life
This book is invaluable to the struggling believer (of which group we all belong to).Townsend and McCloud do an excellent job of guiding the reader through the steps it takes to be rid of many bad habits and hang-ups.It takes up where many of the self-help books leave off! ... Read more

Product Description
In her extraordinary novels Into the Wilderness and Dawn on a Distant Shore, award-winning writer Sara Donati deftly captured the vast, untamed wilderness of late-eighteenth-century New York and the trials and triumphs of the Bonner family. Now Donati takes on a new and often overlooked chapter in our nation’s past—and in the life of the spirited Bonners—as their oldest daughter, the brave and beautiful Hannah, comes of age with a challenge that will change her forever. Masterfully told, this passionate story is a moving tribute to a resilient, adventurous family and a people poised at the brink of a new century.

It is the spring of 1802, and the village of Paradise is still reeling from the typhoid epidemic of the previous summer. Elizabeth and Nathaniel Bonner have lost their two-year-old son, Hannah’s half brother Robbie, but they struggle on as always: the men in the forests, the twins Lily and Daniel in Elizabeth’s school, and Hannah as a doctor in training, apprenticed to Richard Todd. Hannah is descended from healers on both sides—one Scots grandmother and one Mohawk—and her reputation as a skilled healer in her own right is growing.

After a long night spent attending to a birth, Elizabeth and Hannah encounter an escaped slave hiding on the mountain. She calls herself Selah Voyager, and she is looking for Curiosity Freeman—a former slave herself, one of the village’s wisest women and Elizabeth’s closest friend. The Bonners take Selah, desperately ill, to Lake in the Clouds to care for her, and with that simple act they are drawn into the secret life that Curiosity and Galileo Freeman and their grown children have been leading for almost ten years. The Bonners will do what they must to protect the Freemans, just as Hannah will protect her patient, who presents more than one kind of challenge. For a bounty hunter is afoot—Hannah’s childhood friend and first love, Liam Kirby.

While Elizabeth and Nathaniel undertake a treacherous journey through the endless forests to bring Selah to safety in the north, Hannah embarks on a very different journey to New-York City, with two goals: to learn the secrets of vaccination against smallpox, a disease that threatens Paradise, and to find out what she can about Liam’s immediate past and what caused him to change so drastically from the boy she once loved. The obstacles she faces as a woman and a Mohawk make her confront questions long avoided about her place in the world.

Those questions follow her back to Paradise, where she finds that the medical miracle she brings with her will not cure prejudice or superstition, nor can it solve the problem of slavery. No sooner have the Bonners begun to rebound from their losses—old and new—than they find themselves confronted by more than one old enemy in a battle that will test the strength of their love for one another. Hannah faces the decision she has always dreaded: will she make a life for herself in a white world, or among her mother’s people? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

Lake in the Clouds
Another great book in Wilderness Series by Sara Donati, I found this book a little slower of a read than the second book (Dawn on a Distant Shore) but I love the adventure and romance. If you have read the Oulander Series by Diane Galbadon you will love this series.

Lake in the Clouds
I think this is my favorite book of the series so far.As a recap (and spoiler if you haven't read the first few books) Elizabeth was a spinster woman who came to America to teach school.However, she meets Nathaniel Bonner and falls in love and together they must elope and find a way to restore property back to its rightful owners, the Mahican.When this has settled they are inexplicably rushed to Scotland to rescue their twins who have been kidnapped.An earl there wants an heir and Nathaniel's son could be it.It leaves with Nathaniel discovering a long lost son who decides to go in his place and they return home to America.

This book has to deal with runaway slaves, smallpox, and other adventures.When Hannah (Nathaniel's daughter) and Elizabeth find a sickly runaway in the woods that is linked to Curiosity (another character in all three books) they know they have to help her gain her freedom and get to Canada.Hannah though is being sent by the local doctor Richard Todd to study in New York on how to give smallpox vaccinations.Though she is half Indian and a woman, she is regarded as a curiosity in New York and allowed to continue her studies.She brings the method back to Paradise with her to inoculate the people there.But unfortunately no one is ever content to let everybody bring happy and strife and lawsuits soon come along.

Donati's writing is always very clear.Luckily in this book she returns to explaining what some of her accents and different languages mean instead of leading it to the reader to try to figure out.There is plenty of description and once again it is written in the third person.

Most of the story is told about Nathaniel's daughter, Hannah, this time.I really like her character and actually enjoy hearing about her more than I do the rest of the Bonners.To be honest, I can't stand the twins.I feel that they were just used as a filler and not very fleshed out by Donati.Elizabeth and Nathaniel take a back seat in this book so their characters are also a little faded away.

Regardless though, it was an interesting book and a good look at what happened in the times back then.The issues of slavery and disease are ones that everyone is familiar with.I definitely recommend this book.

Lake in the Clouds
Copyright 2002
610 pages

Lake in the Clouds
This is the third book in the Wilderness series, picking up in 1802, eight years after we last saw the Bonner family in Dawn on a Distant Shore. As in that book, a large portion of this book focuses on Hannah, who has evolved as my favorite character. While her parents go off on a dangerous mission to help a group of runaway slaves achieve freedom, eighteen-year-old Hannah sets off on an adventure of her own to study vaccination methods in New York City. The story alternates between Elizabeth's and Nathaniel's quest, Hannah's time in the city and the people left behind in Paradise, with the youngest Bonner daughter, Lily, and Hannah's nemesis, Jemimah, narrating.

Once again Ms. Donati does an excellent job of bringing the time period to life. I especially enjoyed the depiction of life in New York City and Hannah's time spent working in the almshouse hospital. Here, as everywhere else, Hannah is confronted with the prejudice and ignorance of others who cannot see past the color of her skin, but she is determined to learn as much as she can to take back to the people living on the frontier and she handles it as the intelligent, courageous and courteous woman that she is.

Due to the change of setting in the previous book, we lost track of the characters living in Paradise, but they're all back in this book in all of their colorful glory. But all is not well and there is a lot of death in this story. It's very sad, but when you have a book with so many characters, it's bound to happen, and it's also very realistic. Life was not easy back then and the mortality rate was very high.

Now that I've sung the book's praises, I'll get to what I didn't like. Early on in the book there are a couple of very graphic sex scenes with secondary characters. Graphic sex scenes in general don't bother me, I actually like a healthy dose of sex in my books, but in this case this is a departure from the style of the previous books in the series and it seemed to be done mostly for shock value. Then later in the book when the characters that I actually want to see having sex finally do, I get nothing! Frustrating. That leads me to what has been my biggest complaint in all of the books, that I've felt that the author skipped over some important incidents that deserved to have their own scenes rather than being touched on in the narrative after the fact. It happens again at the end of this one when Hannah makes her decision about what she's going to do with her life and we don't get to witness her take those first steps firsthand. There was also a fairly important plot mystery featuring Hannah's first love that was not resolved at the end of this story and that disappointed me, though I'm hoping this means the story will be revived in one of the future books.

However, my complaints are relatively minimal when compared with the overall quality of the books in this series, the next of which is Fire Along the Sky. I am looking forward to reading it, though I am disappointed to see that it begins ten years down the road when I really would have liked to continue the story right where this book ended.

Lake In the Clouds
I was very satisfied with how fast the whole transaction was completed. The book I purchased was in excellent condition at a much better price than I could purchase it at a book store. I will continue to use amazon.com to find a book I am interested in buying.

Fell A Little Flat
I would have to agree with another review that the romance between Hannah and Strikes-the-Sky fell a little flat. I loved how the relationship between Elizabeth and Nathaniel developed in Into the Wilderness. It went into detail and really showed you why and how they fell in love. For Hannah and Stikes-the-Sky I felt it was just skimmed over and under developed and such a short part of the book. I wanted the details of that relationship to make up more of the book. I'm glad the love between Elizabeth and Nathaniel was not lost though even though there was more of a focus on Hannah. Apart from that I still very much enjoyed the book and have nearly finished the series. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Many years of counseling have enabled Dr. Henry Cloud to observe people trying to work out the most important issues of life: relationships, career, fulfillment, meaning, pain, hurt, loss, despair, and addictions. If we sincerely want to "get life right" and quit repeating the same mistakes over and over again, 9 Things You Simply Must Do provides the practical guidance we need to live life to its fullest . . . every moment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

Great Graduation Gift
I wish someone gave me a copy of this on my graduation, instead of a pot of flowers that died not long after.Now that I'm older and wiser, I can say that these guidelines make a lot of sense.I'd keep them in my navigation system as I continue my journey through life.

great author, I enjoy his insight.
I hope to continue, to use this book for the rest of my life.Valuable book.

Part of a Strong Foundation
I have enjoyed several of Dr. Clouds books and find his style easily relatable. "9 Things" prodived me with a great perspective on many things in my life that I had experienced, but did not realize I was doing them and in some cases NOT doing them. I think Dr. Cloud provides a light handed Christian touch to his book, reasuring but not heavy handed.The book has many practical examples to help illustrate the points that Dr. Cloud makes. I have read it through 3 times now and found new perspectives each time.

Book Review
People are weird. I know I'm weird. People can also be very difficult to deal with. If you think about it, people are the source of most of our problems. People are also the ones that help us and they are the ones we depend on, so, basically we need each other. So, we have to learn how to deal with each other, tolerate each other, and ultimately love each other.
In the book 9 Things You Simply MUST Do, Dr. Henry Cloud gives us nine very valuable principles of living a successful life. The underlying theme of the book is being a "Deja Vu Person". I personally thought that "Deja Vu People" should have been the title, but that's just the marketing side of me coming out. The first two chapters are introductory and a little slow, but once you get into the 9 principles, the nuggets of wisdom just keep coming. He uses a lot of stories from personal experiences of counseling people, and that's not really my bag, but the principles he is applying were spot on. I love reading books like this, because they put things every good leader knows into words and sentences that they can pass on to others. He ends the books by saying:

"Do not see success in love or life as a goal that you cannot attain or a prize only for special or lucky people. That is not true. Success is never embodied in a person, but in the ways of wisdom that transcend any one individual."

9 Things You Simply MUST Do is a great read for anyone on how to deal with people in a wise and productive way. I believe every leader simply must read this one.

9 Things to be reminded about
I first purchased this book for my twenty-something children.I have read this book three times, and am involved in a study with others of its principles.It reminds us of basic approaches to life that should become second nature to us.I find the book stimulating and helpful, and have recommended it to others.
... Read more

Product Description

Do you ever wake up and wonder what the weather will be? Instead of turning on the TV to find out, you can just look out your window at the clouds. How do you know what type of clouds can forecast a change of weather? Read and find out.

Customer Reviews (5)

Good book about clouds andweather for kids
I really like the "Let's Read and Find out Science" series.These are great science books for elementary school and they are perfect for my first grader.They use familiar examples to introduce basic scientific concepts in a simple but fun way.They are interesting for both kids and adults.I have found them to be a valuable tool to teach these concepts to my kids.

We had a wonderful time learning about clouds.I recommend this book.

My daughter knows her clouds!!
We discovered this series through my daughter's online public school. I was impressed by the books they sent her so I went out looking for more science books.

Clouds breaks down clouds by their level in the atmosphere and further explains what kind of weather they produce.

When my daughter pointed out the car window and said "Mom, look!! Cumulonimbus clouds!!" I knew my money had been well spent.

Well done! ;)

This is a nicely detailed and very informative book about clouds!
Two children lie side by side on a blanket looking up at the sky.It's a peaceful country setting with cows, sheep and horse grazing nearby.They are looking up at the sky at the clouds moving across the skyline."Most clouds are too far away to feel," but if you are around fog you can feel that.You can learn a lot about clouds just by looking at them.Their shapes, size, shade and how high up they are can tell you what the weather will be like.If you have an outside activity planned, it would be nice to know if the weather will be nice or stormy.

In this book you will learn what clouds are made up of, the different kinds of clouds (cirrostratus, cirrus, cirrocumulus, cumulonimbus, altostratus, altocumulus, cumulus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus, and stratus), what their names tell us, what they will do or not do if you see them, which clouds tell you it will get colder, which clouds tell you it will rain or snow, which tell you that it will rain or snow steadily, which ones tell you a thunderstorm is coming (take cover!), the importance of clouds and how you can tell the weather is going to change.If you learn all about clouds, you will be able to tell what the weather will be in advance, just like a meteorologist!

This is a nicely detailed, very informative book about clouds that will not only interest the young child, but also the adult.The illustrations are similar to folk art paintings and are very appealing.In the back of the book you will find a handful of cloud facts and will find instructions on how to "Create a Cloud" (adult participation is recommended).This is a Stage 1 book that explains "simple science concepts for preschoolers and kindergartners." Which cloud formations will make you run for cover?If you don't know the names of them, you just might want to read this book!

Great Book
This is a great book for helping elementary students learn about weather. The text is complimented by the inviting illustrations. It is a delightful book!

Very educational
Reviewed by Cayden Aures (age 4) and Mom for Reader Views (12/08)

"Clouds" is part of the "Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series" of books.In it you will learn about all of the different types of clouds, the meanings of their names, and what kind of weather they will bring.At the end of the book are more facts about clouds and instructions for a project to make your own cloud.

Cayden:"I liked learning about the different kinds of clouds.All of the ones that are high in the sky start with the `Cirr' sound.I can't remember how to say the one that bring bad storms because it is a really hard word but I know what the cloud looks like.The book said that if you see one to run inside fast because it will cause a bad storm.I really liked that you read this book to me mommy.Thank you for teaching me about clouds!"

... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Still aching over his wife's death, Cody Gunner can't bear the thought of also letting go of his brother, Carl Joseph, who suffers from Down Syndrome. Cody wants his brother home, where he will be safe and cared for, not out on his own in a world that Cody knows all too well can be heartless and insecure.
So when Carl Joseph's teacher, Elle, begins championing his independence, she finds herself at odds with Cody. But even as these two battle it out, they can't deny the instinctive connection they share, and Cody faces a crisis of the heart.
What if Elle is the one woman who can teach Cody that love is still possible? If Cody can let go of his lingering anger, he might just see that sometimes the brightest hope of all lies JUST BEYOND THE CLOUDS. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Excited for the first FEATURE FILM based on a Kingsbury novel
I am super excited about the first Kingsbury novel ever to be made into a feature film! Watch the trailer here: [...]

Great Read
Bought a lot of Karen Kingsbury 4 the wife she loves em all. Great Christian writer.

Really Hit Home
I really enjoyed Beyond the Clouds by Karen Kingsbury. I am going to college to become an Early Childhood Special Education teacher. I loved reading how they taught them how to be independent and how to live on their own. "Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or the same way." I actually read this book before I realized there was a first book in the series and I plan on reading that one next.

Beyond the clouds
This was a good book.We have down syndrome in our family too.I always like a love story as well.She is a very good writer.Keep it up.

Beyond the Clouds
This book was smaller in size than the original and I was disappointed as this was not share.Joan Hendrix ... Read more

Product Description
The clouds drift across the bright blue sky-all except one.Little Cloud trails behind.He is busy changing shapes to become a fluffy sheep,a zooming airplane, and even a clown with a funny hat. Eric Carle's trademark collages will make every reader want to run outside and discover their very own little cloud. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Little Cloud book
Purchased for my preschool classroom for a weather unit.The book is great for preschoolers with short, simple sentences and nice pictures.Love Eric Carle books!

Little Cloud
This book is adorable for preschoolers as well as the young grades. It is simmple to read and is beautifully illustrated as are all of Eric Carle's Books.

Little Cloud
Little Cloud is one of Carle's more recent books. Carle started illustrating and writing books in the late 1960s. Of the Carle books I've read there are only two that I don't enjoy: The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Very Greedy Snake as both are focused so heavily on gluttony.Little Cloud instead teaches through example the importance of being an individual and being a contributing member of a group.

Until the end, each page has a different shape that Little Cloud has created on his own. There's an airplane, a hat, and a variety of other shapes that children will easily recognize. In the end, his hat joins up with the other clouds who have together formed a clown.

Used Book
Average condition for a used book and with shipping the price, the total was so, so. The delivery took weeks!

A book that leaves you with options...
This book by Eric Carle is a simple book that I believe could be used many different ways.You could use this book in weather themes, during a cloud unit, or to stretch the imagination.

You could follow this book with an activity in which your children do their own cloud making, possibly out of cotton balls.

I think that this book is fun and I really enjoy the illustrations.I would definitely suggest having this book as a part of your classroom library.
... Read more

Product Description
In this book, Dr. Henry Cloud gets to the heart of the issues dating raises for many readers and gets them on the road to fun and fulfillment in the single life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

How to Get a Date Worth Keeping
This book had practical information on Christian dating. I bought this for a friend but read it first. She can now discover some avenues to find a date. Nice read.

Excellent Book, Interesting perspecitve, good advice.
I am a big fan of Henry Cloud to begin with.After reading Boundaries In Dating this book has a lot of the same points and principles but also good advice on how to put yourself out there, make yourself available and keep a healthy mindset as you go about the process.I didn't agree with everything in the book 100% but I enjoyed hearing his perspective.Everyone I know that has read this book has started dating within 6 months of reading it.Just sayin...

what book?
I haven't received this book yet, It's now been 3 weeks. This isn't a review so much on the book, but on the seller.

Much ado About Very Little
This book can be summarized as: go to new places, meet alot of new people, go out with anybody you meet, and you will eventually settle for someone to marry.He calles this "getting your number up" and it is the only theme in this very shallow, psycho techno babble heavy book.Under the pretense of being a "coach", the author explains why it is important to go to new places, to meet new people, and date anyone for the experience.Wrought with over analysis and jargon jibberish, the book explains the blantantly obvious to the truly clueless and hopeless.

A MUST for every single person!
My daughter wanted to be dating, but was never asked out even though she is a physically beautiful girl, and is a strong Christian. I bought this book and read it before I gave it to her. After she read it, she said, "Mom, this book has changed my life!"She has recommended it to many of her friends and it has also helped them. It makes a single person look at some personal characteristics about him/herself that may keep him/her from getting dates. This may be a bit painful, but if you are open to being honest with yourself, it will help you become a 'datable' person. Many books about dating are cheezy and really not helpful, but this one is straight forward, well written, and has Christian morals incorporated in a way that is very appealing and helpful to a single person. My daughter said that even her non-Christian friends have enjoyed this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Shift happens. The unexpected matters. Remember how the retail book industry was slow to grasp an understanding of the Internet before it got ''Amazoned?'' Well, here we go again, only this time the shift could be even greater, and it's happening in the midst of economic turmoil. Right now, there's something in the air, something really big. It's so big that to many it's hidden in plain sight. To others it's as clear as seeing a cloud in the sky. In fact, that something is indeed the Cloud, the 21st century business platform.

Just as it was with that new-fangled ''Internet'' thing a decade ago, the Cloud and the technologies of Cloud Computing suffer from confusion and hype. And pat definitions won't do when it comes to understanding these two new buzzwords. But, as they are game-changing phenomena, business leaders--and the rest of us--must gain an understanding of what these terms really mean and how they will affect us, just as much as the Internet affected us all. In Dot.Cloud business strategy expert and former CIO, Peter Fingar, explains the main ideas of Cloud Computing in lay terms. Peter also does some old-fashioned reporting to bring together the ideas of the movers and shakers who are actively building the Cloud.

But this is not a technical book about Cloud Computing technologies; it's a business book. It's about what the Cloud portends for business ... about transformation in the ways companies are managed ... about business models for the 21st century. It's about how companies carry out their work in the Cloud instead of office buildings and skyscrapers, and how they manage their business processes in the Cloud. It's also about human interactions in the Cloud, and about the end of management and the rise of self-organizing, self-managed ''Bioteams.'' Even more, it's about unlocking human potential in business, about unleashing passion. All this points to your company's future, and your future, set in the context of the biggest economic downturn since World War II. So ultimately, it's about lighting a fire in you.

According to Jim Sinur, Vice President of Gartner, ''To say that we are living in interesting times is an understatement, and Peter has captured the essence of how business will work going forward. Dot.Cloud is both visionary and realistic in that each of the pieces of the vision have working examples today, but not woven together like in this writing. The goal of the virtual business platform is not just a dream, but attainable once all the contributing pieces are brought together. Peter brings them together here in a way that will work under any number of situations, across just about any industry.''

Gregory Simpson, Chief Technology Officer of GE, remarked, ''Dot.Cloud isn't just about the Cloud; it's really about embracing change in the workplace. It pulls together elements of Web 2.0, BPM and other dreaded three-letter acronyms, as well social and economic trends, to give you a vision for how harnessing the Cloud can transform the way your company works. Peter's unique ability to pull all of these concepts together in an understandable fashion make this a business book for the future, and the future is now!'' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Not a serious book
This book is not the result of rigorous research nor is it a dissertation that gives any glimpse into the future of Business or the cloud.There are too many cut/paste from blogs and from unknown writers.I feel like I got robbed.Do not buy it.

Business and Cloud Computing
A pragmatic visionary, Pete Fingar has accurately predicted and explained socio-technological trends over the past several decades, writing in a format that is easy to understand. Here, in his book Dot.Cloud, he explores the effects of Cloud Computing on business processes. Fingar emphasizes the need for companies to adapt to changing technologies, and to develop new models of organization, and says that otherwise they'll be rendered obsolete.

In Dot.Cloud, Fingar outlines the basic ideas and definitions of Cloud Computing and its uses. He then outlines how the Cloud affects the way work gets done, how innovation occurs within it, and in the last two chapters explores human interactions within it.

Of particular note is his chapter, The End of Management, which discusses a paradigm shift in management, and points the way ahead to organizational democracy and the utmost emphasis on customers, and suggests how humans can learn a thing or two from nature.

This is a book that is not about cloud computing itself, so much as it is about the ramifications of cloud computing and its impact on business processes. Fingar also emphasizes the need to evolve by moving away from a monolithic organizational structure to "dynamic, customer-driven value webs". Well worth a read.

For managers only, technicians wouldn't get much out of it.
This is is a great book for business minded folks, but the material would leave a techie, out in the cold.

Lacks focus
This book is hardly suitable as an introduction to cloud computing for anyone. Fingar's objective is similar to Carr's (The Big Switch) which mulls over the impact on business and society instead of providing an overview of the subject.Unfortunately it doesn't compare well to Carr's writing style.

Reading is difficult. You need to to wade through long quotes and follow the author's thought processes which are blended with distractions. Take heart. It is a short book with loads of white space and pictures so you wont't suffer for very long if you don't like it.

If you do have the patience to read diligently then there are actually some interesting facts and details that you might learn. I did.

Anand's review


Many R&D organizations spearheading towards the cloud phenomenon look for material that can be used as a basis, reference, or a visual aid in all phases of development. `.Dot Cloud' is a book that can be used in the board room and, with the same intensity, to drive the low-level implementation.It's that out-of-the-box view from Peter Fingar coupled with the relevance of the now and the future, that makes the reading joyful. ... Read more

Product Description
Boundaries in Dating provides a way to think, solve problems, and enjoy the benefits of dating in the fullest way, including increasing the ability to find and commit to a marriage partner. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (63)

LOVE THE BOOK!!!!
I love the book as it is a must for singles of all types. The book is chockful of wonderful information that can really help in the dating avenue

Great book
Boundaries in Dating is a must read for anyone who is in the dating stage of their lives. I am recently divorced and I found this book helpful in reminding me and teaching me how to date again. I wish I read this book before I met my ex husband because there was so much in the book that I should have applied to my dating relationship with him. I would highly recommend this book for teens and adults, never married and divorced.

Highly Recommend Boundaries In Dating
This book was a great source of healing and comfort for me in my time of crisis, as I had just broken up with my fiance.As I was doing the autopsy of the relationship, I was able to identify and understand the dynamics of what had taken place, why our relationship got set up the way it did, and why it lead to our demise. The book is abridged and read by the authors which, I believe, helps the material be more concise and easier to absorb and integrate.Most importantly, I was able to see the dysfunctional items that belonged to me as well as to my partner.I highly recommend this material; either book or audio CD version.

Excellent advice for dating
I liked this book alot. It had very good advice, things I wish I had already considered and would have saved myself a whole lot of trouble. I will definately try and use what I have learned.

Speaks Volumes!
I enjoyed this book from end to end. The authors covered all the basis: from how to incorporate God into your dating, to look at personal inadequacies before engaging in a God-centered relationship, keeping yourself respect, and knowing the difference between "settling" or compromising with someone that could be a potential best friend for life.

Although some of the topics, to some degree, were not pertinent to my life, they were, however were good reads and reference points for the future. I don't think that these boundaries are necessarily just for romantic relationships. These ideas can easily be related to interpersonal friendships. ... Read more

Product Description
In this "crime puzzle of the first order" (New York Times), an ordinary flight to London turns extraordinary when a female passenger is shot to death with a venom-tipped dart. Even more bizarre is that the murder went unnoticed by everyone on board-- including the brilliant Hercule Poirot. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Disappointing for an Agatha Christie Novel
In 'Death in the Clouds', a woman is found dead while airborne on a plane enroute to London. This places immediate suspicion on the plane's passengers and stewards - including one Hercule Poirot. It appears to be a perfect murder, with Hercule Poirot stumped as to how it was done with none of the passengers noticing anything amiss.

Agatha Christie is as clever as always, peppering this whodunit with multiple red herrings and clues right & left. It starts a bit confusing at first, since we jump from one character's viewpoint to the next, but in just a few pages, we do get a good grasp of the personalities of the plane's passengers (a mix of a dentist, hairdresser, archeologist, mystery book writer, doctor, society ladies, etc) as we try to figure out which of the passengers make good suspects for the murder.

I really liked this mystery, right up until Hercule Poirot solves it. The ending pretty much spoiled the whole book for me - very disappointing & complicated conclusion (involving secret identities for one thing), with many important details brought out that were discovered by Poirot and company away from the narrative. Not very sporting of Agatha Christie, how were we to guess the murderer when not enough info was given to us?

p.s.
I have read a couple of other Agatha Christie books, but I have to say that I don't quite recall her being as funny as she is in this one. Watch out for a lot of really funny one-liners scattered all over the place that will have you going LOL.

terrible
i read and then there were none before this book and loved it. this book has nothing that gabs your attention. it doesnt have that wow factor. the method of murder is stupid and it seems that agatha christie wrote this book just to make some money rather than deliver a quality story that had a lot of potential

"There is an Unknown Factor in This Case..."
Described on the original cover as Agatha Christie's "Greatest Poirot Story," this particular mystery has several unique aspects to it. First published in 1935, Christie wastes no time in setting up the murder. Whereas Christie novels wait until the story is half-way over before a body is found, "Death in the Clouds" provides one within the first chapter.

Whilst aboard the airplane "Prometheus," flying across the English Channel, a woman is found dead. At first a wasp is blamed, but before the plane reaches the ground a dart tipped with poison is found, and the verdict at once falls to murder. And yet the murder weapon is almost too fantastic to be believed, and certainly no one saw anyone else use a blowpipe in order to kill the woman during the flight. Luckily for the investigators abroad, Hercule Poirot himself was aboard the flight - and in fact, is one of the suspects considering a blowpipe is found hidden beneath his seat!

The murder victim is Madame Giselle, a Frenchwoman who was a creditor to several powerful and aristocratic people: a discreet and reliable moneylender, but tough as nails when the time came to collect her debts. It is easy enough for the police to find plenty of motives as to why people might want her dead, particularly since she was very careful in ascertaining material that could be used for blackmail should the need arise.

Somewhat affronted that a murder has occurred right under his nose whilst he was grappling with air-sickness, Poirot ropes in two of the other passengers to help him with his investigation, most notably Jane Grey, a hairdresser who is finding unforeseen advantages to having been aboard a plane upon which a murder took place. Carefully considering all nine passengers and the two stewards who had access to the rear car of the airplane, Hercule sporadically dishes out clues and musings in order to beat the killer (and the reader!) to the next inevitable murder.

"Death in the Clouds" (initially published in America as "Death in the Air") is as entertaining as any Christie mystery, but not an upper-tier Poirot mystery.The characterizations of the central players are not quite as vivid as usual, and a lot of periphery characters seem more interesting: Giselle's secretary and Horbury's husband for example. The presence of a mystery writer provides comic relief as he excitedly plans to adapt the events for his latest book - and thanks to a beautiful coincidence that not even Christie could have foreseen, she names him "Mr Clancy."

A note though: there are some unfortunate throwaway comments that may make the modern reader cringe, such as an anti-Semitic slur, and a passage in which Jane and her date agree that they "don't like negroes." For authenticity's sake, these passages remain in some of the latest publications of the novel - it may depend on what copy you get, and I'm sure such things create quite a few headaches for publishers. Aside from this however, "Death in the Clouds" is one of Poirot's best mysteries. The little Belgian detective at the top of his game, even as he reveals his more fallible side.

Using Those Delightful Little Gray Cells
The late Ms. Christie brings back the colorful and reknowned Belgian, Hercule Poirot, for his 11th murder mystery. The scene is 1934 and, as usual, the author does not disappoint. I began reading the Hercule Poirot stories in the order that they were written. It isn't necessary to do it in this manner, because each book is a stand-alone adventure. However, I find it fun to follow the stories in the same sequence in which audiences of the early 20th century did. Ms. Christie's characters are never developed into such well-rounded people that you can empathize with them, but that was never her objective. Her books are all about sleight of hand in an attempt to confuse the reader. This highly skilled author does not disappoint with "Death in the Clouds." Ms. Christie's tightly-crafted mysteries are fun, a quick read and a great way to exercise your mind.

the solving of an airplane murder soars above the average
When I started this book, I admit that I hoped what would happen is that someone would get killed and then Poirot would somehow solve the mystery before the plane ever touched ground. It would be like Murder on the Orient Express except ... on an airplane. Which was just two Poirot books ago, which is probably one of the reasons Christie didn't do that. (For an author so prolific, I find her wonderfully creative from book to book in her contexts and twists and even the flow of action.)

Instead, the murder takes place on an airplane in plain view of everyone, which narrows quite a bit both the field of potential murderers (tough to have someone stowed away on a plane) and the method. Poirot works through, candidate by candidate, until he reaches a wholly surprising conclusion.

I found it engaging, interesting, and the ending was satisfying. ... Read more

Product Description
Healthy relationship and sound living depend on maintaining effective personal boundaries. But many people don't know where to start.Here's where---with the Boundaries ZondervanGroupwareTM.Based on the bestselling book by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend, these nine interactive sessions can make a life-changing difference. Drawing on principles from the Bible, Boundaries guides small groups on a journey of discovery and practical application.As a participant, you'll learn how to live your life more fully and display truth and love more freely. Each of the nine Boundaries sessions contains a video presentation by Drs. Cloud and Townsend. It's the centerpiece for insights, exercises, and spirited group discussion that can profoundly improve the quality of your relationships in every sphere of life---marriage, family, friendships, church, and the workplace.Now revised to enhance both your group experience and personal growth, this participant's guide gives you practical tools for cultivating the habits of productive relationships.For use with Boundaries small group DVD, also available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Too simple and very preachy
This is as much a religious sermon as it is a self-help book. I was not able to finish the book as I found the actual material to be simple and preachy. Be warned it draws heavily on the Christian faith, which is fine as long as that is what you expect.

excellent read!
This book is truly excellent and has changed my life. I recommend it for everyone, regardless of your stage in life.

Protecting Yourself
I purchased Boundaries Participant's Guide- Revised:When to say yes, how to say no to take control of your life.I also purchased through Amazon and the product came on time and was in fine condition.

I have a hard time to say no to someone and this book is helping me with "life's issues" and it is ok to say no to someone if this causes stress in your life and that is ok.

A person needs to life some stress out of a person's life.It makes you feel better and in control.That is a very nice feeling.

If you are having trouble with this purchase this book and see how much better you will be.

I highly recommend this book, and getting anything from Amazon has been very secure and I have had no problems what-so-ever.

Know what you're getting and not getting before you buy!
This book REQUIRES a separate purchase of the DVD.Amazon fails to mention that.Amazon also fails to mention that the book is totally useless without the required DVD.Just know what you're getting.If you are involved as a participant in a study group and the leader has the DVD, the book will be useful and is at a good price.If you planned on this book being used as a personal growth tool, just know that without the purchase of the DVD, this book will be useless to you.Boundaries

great read
great book to help people to understand what life is all about, and to help them take control of there life.. ... Read more

Product Description

"The promise of cloud computing is here. These pages provide the 'eyes wide open' insights you need to transform your business." --Christopher Crowhurst, Vice President, Strategic Technology, Thomson Reuters

A Down-to-Earth Guide to Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing: A Practical Approach provides a comprehensive look at the emerging paradigm of Internet-based enterprise applications and services. This accessible book offers a broad introduction to cloud computing, reviews a wide variety of currently available solutions, and discusses the cost savings and organizational and operational benefits. You'll find details on essential topics, such as hardware, platforms, standards, migration, security, and storage. You'll also learn what other organizations are doing and where they're headed with cloud computing. If your company is considering the move from a traditional network infrastructure to a cutting-edge cloud solution, you need this strategic guide.

Cloud Computing: A Practical Approach covers:

• Costs, benefits, security issues, regulatory concerns, and limitations
• Service providers, including Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Yahoo, IBM, EMC/VMware, Salesforce.com, and others
• Hardware, infrastructure, clients, platforms, applications, services, and storage
• Standards, including HTTP, HTML, DHTML, XMPP, SSL, and OpenID
• Web services, such as REST, SOAP, and JSON
• Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and Software plus Services (S+S)
• Custom application development environments, frameworks, strategies, and solutions
• Local clouds, thin clients, and virtualization
• Migration, best practices, and emerging standards

Customer Reviews (3)

The Case for Cloud
Is your company considering migrating to the Cloud?What Cloud strategy is best for your organization? Are you having troubles identifying the major Cloud Vendors or even how to begin using their technology?Are you interested in knowing what the big deal is about the buzz surrounding Cloud? Are you trying to separate fact from fiction about the Cloud?Look no further than Cloud Computing: A Practical Approach, an good introduction to Cloud Computing.The authors of this book have provided a well-structured apologetic and business case for using Cloud Computing Technology; this book has a little bit for everyone:IT Administrators, Architects, Developers, Managers, Executives, etc.Even someone, with general knowledge of IT, such as mobile users, can benefit from this book.In fact, the authors state in the preface that the book is for "anyone who wants to learn about cloud computing" (xiv).

The books is organized in three sections: Getting Started, Cloud Computing Technology, and Cloud Computing at Work, the heart of the book .

The First Section, Getting Started, comprising 88 pages, introduces and explains various Cloud `basics', including the clearing up the confusion over the meaning of "Cloud".According to the authors,
"In essence, cloud is a construct that allows you to access applications that actually reside at a location other than your computer or other Internet-connected device; most often, this will be a distant datacenter...The beauty of cloud computing...is that another company hosts your application (or suite of applications, for that matter). This means that they handle the costs of servers, they manage the software updates, and--depending on how you craft your contract--you pay less for the service" (p. 4).
After providing a brief overview, topics as cloud components, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS),Software as a Service (SaaS), and Storage are all explained.The pros and cons of using Cloud Computing are stated in a fair manner, although the benefits of the Cloud are given edge.Nonetheless, the authors present a comprehensive list of concerns and issues, such as security and privacy, that all should be know before transitioning to the cloud.The authors warn that in some cases it is best not to use Cloud Computing.The major Cloud `Titans', such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, SalesForce, etc, are also highlighted along with some of their offerings. The `Business Case for the cloud' (p. 69-87) is presented in a very adequate manner.

Cloud Computing Technology (76 pages) highlights the Infrastructures of the cloud, such as the Hardware, the networking protocol, and the way Customers and Developers can access the Cloud.

Lastly, the main section, Cloud Computing AtWork, almost twice as longer than any of previous sections(154 pages),expands upon topics introduced in Getting Started (and briefly mentioned in Cloud Computing Technology) such, SaaS, Software + Services, and the trade-offs between a `public'(external) Cloud and a Local (internal) Cloud, and a mixed solution of both .In addition, some of the common services that are used by the general population, such a Google mail, Google Docs, or MSN Hotmail are also explained. Some of the discussion on "Virtualization" seems misplaced and should have been included in section II, Cloud Computing Technology.

The book includes three appendices which are probably worth the price of the book by itself.It includes a short, but useful Glossary, and a most beneficial list of who's who of Cloud vendors (over 60), with their sites and brief descriptions of the offerings (p. 319-22). Furthermore, a table of World Wide Web resources on Cloud Computing is provided for further research (p. 324-25).

One of highlights of the book is that it contains many helpful diagrams, and various website snapshots of various Cloud Vendors and their offerings.The listing of vendors' price offerings, key features, services, and URLs are some of the strongest points of the book. It also presents lesser known, but intriguing and innovative companies, Cloud based applications and tools, such "Skytap Virtualization Lab" (p 281-84).Also, there are brief sections on how to start development on the Cloud (Google, SalesForce, and Azure); However as developer I was craving for more.

The Best practices for Migrating and Utilizing the Cloud (p. 297-309) are very thoughtful and sensible in my estimation, although by no means exhaustive.The authors note, "When you plan to move to a cloud solution, there ways to go bout making the change to ensure an optimal experience while paying less than a colossal price. It stars with your analysis and selection of a vendor, and continues with your day-to-day usage of that service" (p. 306). These three factors are in explored in some detail in the chapter.It seems like all the Cloud Computing topics are covered, even if briefly.

Some of the strengths of the book are also its weaknesses.By its very nature of trying to reach a wide audience, some parts will be appealing to some, while others will seem uninteresting.The authors typically introduce topics in an outline form and then discuss them in an orderly fashion. Initially, this allows the readers to get acquainted with terminology, technology, offerings, and benefits of Cloud Computing. However, after a while, some of information becomes repetitive.For example, I suppose for a newbie to this will be very a helpful pedagogue to constantly hammer-in the concepts repeatedly.

At times the book feels like a marketing ploy for the Cloud. Some may find the comments, embedded throughout the book, by Cloud Vendor to be illuminating, but I wanted to see less of it.However, this may say more about me, as a developer.Furthermore, the Authors intend the book to include a wider audience, such as Executives.In this, the authors succeed for the most part.Lastly, sometimes, it is not always clear how all some sections and/or technologies integrate with one another. Even though the book does succeed in including information for a very broad audience, some newbies may have trouble to understanding certain concepts or terminology, since the authors don't go in-depth in various instances.

Despite these minor quibbles, I find the book enlightening on the various vendors and their offerings. If you are new to the cloud or a looking reasons to move to the cloud, either in part or completely, this books makes many compelling reasons for it. At the same time, the book provides a fair assessment of the current problems of Cloud.

I highly recommend this book as a good introduction to Cloud Computing. However, if you don't' have $39.99 to dish out for the book (Amazon is currently selling at $26.39), check the free podcasts from PluralSight and you get essentially an abbreviated discussion on many of topics covered in the book.

Cloud Computing Book
Product was everything it was said to be. Would have liked it to be shipped faster.

Above average
I've reviewed over a dozen books on cloud computing.This book is better than average but misses its objective of being a practical introduction. It has lots of interesting information and is indeed a useful companion for anyone seriously involved in cloud computing but there are other overviews which are more comprehensive and easier to digest.

Velte, Velte and Elsenpeter touch on many of the main topics, such as security, networking, storage. They mention a number of cloud service providers. The problem is that they do not tie these together in a logical and methodical way. Some of the other recent books do this better. I also ask myself the specific relevance of eclectic topics suchas AJAX XHTML and AIR to cloud computing.

In spite of the minor deficiencies which I mention above this is a useful text that will help many readers who need to broaden their understanding of cloud computing and related technologies. ... Read more

Product Description
Introduces the ten most common types of clouds, the myths that have been inspired by their shapes, and what they can tell about coming weather changes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Funny and informative
This is a simple book about clouds, written in de Paola's signature comic style.

We have a collection of simple facts about clouds, some illustrations of cloud-related sayings, and a silly (very silly) cloud story.

Should hold a young child's attention fairly well, while also Educating them.

A lovely way to learn about clouds
My 8 year old enjoyed reading this book and read it with ease.It was entertaining and very informative.

Educational And Funny.
Any book by Tomie dePaola is a hit. He is an excellent illustrator. It is an educational book that provides nicknames of clouds and explains the various types of clouds and what they do. My children enjoyed this book and read it many times over and used it to identify different types of clouds they saw in the sky. The illustrations help them identify the clouds they see too.

Informative, yet funny
The Cloud Book is an informative book about clouds, which can be used to integrate reading and science.In this book, the author uses funny illustrations to introduce types of clouds, along with their specific characteristics.The book also includes an index, so that the reader can look for a particular cloud.Also included are different culture's views on clouds and their meanings.
The facts presented correspond with information that is deemed scientifically correct, but the author does not cite a source.The information is up-to-date, and the illustrations do not look dated.There is a clear distinction between scientific fact and the theories of different people groups.
The information is structured well.The book explains how clouds are formed, then examines each cloud type and its characteristics.Each cloud type is compared to objects that are easily identifiable.The index, which lists the cloud types in alphabetical order, is very helpful.
The illustrations, along with the text, intertwine fact with humor.The cartoon style lends itself to exaggeration.The style of the text is also comical.It is clearly for younger children, but an adult reader would also enjoy reading this aloud.The author also illustrates idioms about fog and clouds, painting a humorous view of the English language.The book is concluded with a "Very Silly Cloud Story," which is nonsensical.
Classroom Activity:After completing the story, the students will make cloud journals, in which they will chart clouds for an entire week.Students will write about cloud types, cloud shapes, questions about clouds and other observations.

Age Group:This book can be read aloud to 2nd through 3rd graders, with independent reading recommended for 4th graders.

The Cloud Book
The Cloud Book is a great book for the curious little scientists or meterologists in your home.To tell you the truth, I thought that this book would be boring.Who wants to read a book about clouds out of science class?But, this book came a surprise to me.It explained clouds in a fun way, making you want to learn about them.The illustrations and metaphors help you understand, while teaching you about them at the same time.The illustrations help you relate everyday objects to those confusing scientific words.Only Tomie de Paola could compare the cumulus clouds with a cauliflower or the cirrus cloud with mare's tails.He also tells folk tales and legends that go along with the clouds.This book is a must on the bookshelf of any future meterologist! ... Read more

Product Description
Learn when to say yes and when to say no--to your spouse and to others--to make the most of your marriage.Amazon.com Review
Establishing and understanding boundaries are crucial to thesuccess of a marriage, according to authors Cloud and Townsend, whocowrote the award-winning and biblically-based book Boundaries. Forexample, boundaries help us understand where one person ends and theother begins, the authors claim: "Once we know the boundaries, we knowwho should be owning the problem we are wrestling with," theywrite. "This issue of ownership is vital to any relationship,especially marriage." But more significantly, couples need to claimand take responsibility for the "treasures that lie within theirindividual borders," such as: "feelings, attitudes, behaviors,choices, limits, desires, thoughts, values, talents, and love." Basedon the book that elevated them to national prominence, Cloud andTownsend caution readers not to use this self-help manifesto as ameans to change one's spouse. Rather, this is a book about takingresponsibility for oneself in all aspects of life, but especiallywithin the boundaries of marital commitment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (66)

This book WILL help you
Whether you're not married yet or in the middle of the misery of a bad one, I absolutely KNOW this book will help you.I am divorced ( 14 years ago) and about to get married for the second time.Bought this book in order to NOT screw it up this time, and wound up learning so much about people in general, and about myself.Some of it is a little shocking, and very "out of the box", but at the same time maintains perfect Christian integrity and doctrine.

Not only that but it's written so well, and contains so many case studies you don't want to put it down.My husband to be got it on CD and listens on his commute to work so we're "reading" it together.Can't recommend it highly enough.

Great Service!
I received my item promptly and it was in the condition advertised.Great Service!Thanks!

Don't lose yourself

This book helped me to see just how much I had "lost sight of the person God had intended me to be".

Boundaries... not what you'd expect !
As a Christian preparing for marriage, my fiance's mother loanedme her copy of the book, saying it would have made a great difference to her marriage had she not read it 42 years into marriage. I'm so glad she did. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to shoulder their responsibility in marriage and let that serve as catalyst for change in their relationship. It's great!

Excelllent book, applies to all kinds of relationship or life, a great wedding gift!
I received this book from a friend after getting married in Chinese translated version. This is the first book of such kind I've read in my life. At first I thought this is another Christianity preaching book about love and Jesus, but I was wrong, it is more than that.
I've reread the book at least 8 times to the middle, although every time I never get to finish it, it has already helped me greatly.My marriage is great, but we still encounter arguments, disagreement of opinion which makes us depressed and unhappy afterward. After reading this book, it made us understand our own weaknesses, exam our self and help out each other.

What's really good about this book "...is that it is not a "How To" book. The authors realized that lists of surface actions to change don't change the heart. They focus on pointing out principles and revealing truth. They give plenty of examples and paint pictures of how certain actions make others feel. This helps you see beyond yourself, thus allowing you to interact with your spouse with greater grace and mercy. The changes in your actions are the result rather than the solution." This sentence quoted from Laura Butler "Lola"'s review really summarizes what I wanted to say and I can't say it better.

Basically, I highly recommends it to everyone married or not because as what it talks about works in many types of relationship and not just marriage. I decided that this is a book I will gift to my friend's wedding~
... Read more

Product Description
Comedy / Casting: 4m, 3f w/doubling / Scenery: 2 exteriors

The time-shifting comedy by the author of Top Girls created a sensation Off-Broadway directed by Tommy Tune. Here we are in 1880 darkest but British Africa as portrayed in old movies, plays and novels. Only with a difference. Both parody and spoof of the Victorian Empire and its rigid attitudes especially towards sex. There is Clive, a British functionary, his wife Betty (played by a man), their daughter Victoria (a rag doll), Clive's friend Harry an explorer, Mrs. Saunders who runs about dressed in a riding habit, Clive's son Edward who still plays with dolls and is played by a woman and Joshua a native servant who knows exactly what is really going on. What really is going on is a marvelous send up and a non-stop round robin of sexual liaisons. All this time the natives are restless in the background. The second act shifts to London in 1980 except for the surviving characters it is only twenty five years later and all those repressed sexual longings have evaporated along with the Empire.

"Intelligent, inventive and funny."-The New York Times

"I really don't know when I've had more fun. It blends farce, pathos into a work of total theatre."-New York Daily NewsAmazon.com Review
Reading the script for Caryl Churchill's 1979 play about sexand love is a special workout for the imagination. First, she asks youto imagine characters whose sexual identities and alliances shiftconstantly. Then she asks you to imagine that most of the charactersmake an impossible leap in time, from colonial Africa in the Victorianage to contemporary Britain. Lastly, she asks you to imagine some ofthe male characters played by women and some female characters playedby men. Churchill likes to get things good and mixed up so all theaudience's preconceptions about gender, romance, and "lifestyle" arescrambled, neutralized, and possibly even rebuilt. The title refers tothe state of orgasmic and emotional bliss that everyone in this playseems to be striving for so desperately. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Brilliant Social Farce with Much Bite
Caryl Churchill has written many strong and valuable plays, many of them about female identity and social roles, but none has supplanted Cloud 9 as her masterwork.
A biting farce of sexuality, gender, traditional familial and class roles, and pointedly, the mask of the Victorian and the Modern English persona, Cloud 9 is as funny as it is awkward, deep as it is quirky.
A true classic of the English stage. Read and if you can, see this.
Highly recommended.

Definitely Not One For The Kiddies
When you first start to read this play it will strike a few cords. If you can get past the enormous amount of sexual activities that goes on in just the first act, then you will find this play very interesting. What makes this a must read is the way the author has men playing women, women playing men and a doll for a baby. The explanation the author gives for doing this will causes a few hairs to stand up, but that is what makes the book. You won't know whether to hate the author or love her. I feel the author's talents really show in the way she transforms the characters. Betty who is Clives wife is played by a man in the act one. She is confused and incapable of making her own decisions, but by the second act she is played by a woman and she is more independent thinking on her own. Edward is another character that I find very interesting. In act one he is played by a woman because his desires are that of a woman, but by act two he start to accept his homosexuality and is then played by a man.
Cloud 9 is full of dramatic irony as well as plenty of oxymorons. If books had to come with warning label this one would definitely qualify.

Bridge Builder
Caryl Churchill's dark comedic play, "Cloud Nine" is a masterpiece.Though written in 1978, its commentary on gender roles and sexuality is quite compelling to our youngest generations.With the current controversey over homosexual relationships/marriage, Cloud Nine serves as window into the frustrations and fears of gay characters.People who have a hard time identifying with alternative lifestyles would have a lot to learn from reading through this play. In a way, Churchill's play is a bridge builder between the heterosexual world and the gay minority.

Cloud Nine follows the story of a family.The first act takes place on a South African plantation during the English Victorian Era, while in the second act, though the characters have only aged 20 years, the action takes place in London, England in the 1970's.Clive, the family patron, is the center of a male-oriented soceity and incourages traditional family and gender roles.For the first act, his wife Betty is played by a man, his gay son Edward is played by a woman, and his black servant is played by a white man.Immediately we learn that only Clive is satisfied with his station in life, where the other characters suffer many indignities to themselves that go unnoticed by everyone else (i.e. Edward is being molested by a friend of his father, who eventually attempts to seduce Clive as well).By the second act, time has moved forward and we watch the characters trying to adapt to an ever changing world in which parts of them is too withdrawn.

Chruchill's play is clever and intense with emotion.To connect with one character is to really experience the mental frustration and the indignities that we suffer from a judgemental society.I praise Caryl Churchill for this commentary in hopes that readers will gain a sense of sympathy for such people and in turn will promote tolerance.

Excellent Study in Alienation
As far as Brechtian plays go, Churchill is a master at alienation and disidentification- characters in this play are played as the protagonist's projection of who he thinks they should be (ie: the westernized African servant is played by a white actor). Although the effect is extremely powerful onstage, particularly when it raises up complex social and ethnic issues, the different characters can be hard to keep straight on paper. This play works far better in performance than it does in print, but it remains a valuable teaching tool for both Brecht and World Theatre studies.

For those into theatrical arts
For those of you who are familiar whith Brechtian practices this is a very good source. However, if you are not into the study of performance this might not be the book for you. It is very explicit with sexual orientation and questions gender and social status. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (12)

The Book of Clouds
I also bought this book for my son-in-law.Everyone in the family loved the book.It is probably the most interesting of all the 4 books that I bought him this year.

Great for artist reference
This book has terrific color shots of many different kinds of clouds and skies.It's an amazing book for using as an art reference and pretty much covers every kind of cloud you can imagine.

Almost Heaven!
For many years, I lived in the beautiful state of Texas, with wide open skies wherever you'd look.After moving to a large city in an eastern state, suddenly the sky became something I had to look hard to find.Skyscrappers tend to block the view.This book not only gives me my sky views back, it tells me just what I am looking at.Thank you for the beautiful photos.

Don'twaste your money
I ordered this book for my father for Christmas and I had really hoped it would be something special. We have a sentimental love of clouds and I thought this book would be the perfect gift. I am also a photography student and, naturally, love great photographs. This book was a disappointment. It is cheaply made, and all the pictures are grainy. The cover looks beautiful from a distance, and that's about it.

good... not great
I purchased this book to reference for my painting. I found the variety and quantity of photos great, however the quality of the photos is questionable. Most of them are grainy (an artistic treatment?) and some appear to be low res images scaled up to fit the format of the book. The paper and print quality could be better, but if you read it to learn about clouds it would suffice. ... Read more

Product Description
In the fourteenth century there was a great flourishing of religious writings in English, both orthodox and heretical. Many of these works focused on Christ's Passion and humanity, whereas The Cloud of Unknowing describes an abstract, transcendent God beyond human knowledge and human language. Drawing upon radically different traditions, it is a rich work full of intriguing contradictions that speaks to us with liveliness and wit even today. The unknown author, thought to be a priest and Carthusian monk, is also believed to have written the other three works in this volume: The Mystical Theology of Saint Denis, The Book of Privy Counselling, and An Epistle on Prayer, which, together with The Cloud of Unknowing, are the four texts at the core of medieval mystical theology.

This Penguin Classics edition includes full explanatory notes, suggestions for further reading, an appendix that reproduces the Middle English text of a section of The Mystical Theology of Saint Denis, and an introduction that places the texts within the context of medieval religious writing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Well liked but Underappreciated
Are we and our institutions--individually and collectively--irredeemably mired in the flesh?

"Not!", says the wisely anonymous author of Penguin Classics' "The Cloud of Unknowing and [Three] Other Works", all dealing with the flesh-to-Spirit path to spiritual perfection.

The unknown author's recommendation that one pay particular attention to short words of one syllable (God, love, in, up, and so forth) is well taken, as is his insistence that one must read the entire text (to avoid misunderstandings) and indeed repeatedly re-read, in order to arrive at a proper understanding of all that the author would so dearly love to convey.

I was greatly helped by including translator A. C. Spearing's Introduction in the cycle of readings.

Your friend in Christ Jesus, John Douglas Adams.

Great Text Small Print
As a student of the "Cloud" for many years I appreciate having this text in my library, especially since it includes the "The Mystical Theology of St. Denis," "The Book of Privy Counselling," and "An Epistle on Prayer." However, the type face is so small that my 65 year old eyes tire easily when attempting to read it. If you're subject to eye strain, I'd recommend William Johnston's edition of "Cloud" and "Privy" or the "Cloud" from the "Classics of Western Spirituality" put out by Paulist Press along with its companion volume, "The Pursuit of Wisdom," containing other works by the "Cloud's" author. In any case, no student of contemplative prayer/meditation should be anything but thoroughly familiar with the treasure these texts contain.

A brilliant work of Christian mysticism
The Cloud of Unknowing, along with the other works by this humble contemplative, is certainly one of my favourite works in contemplative Christian mysticism, and in itself is also a lovely work of medieval English literature.

The writer of the 'Cloud' also wrote several other works, including a translation of Dionysius the Aeropagite's 'Mystical Theology' and other works written for a monk starting his novitiate at the writer's monastary.The writer was probably a Carthusian monk, and also the spiritual director (or perhaps even the abbot) of a Cathusian monastary in medieval England.

The writer had a standard though thorough education and he was influenced by St Thomas Aquinas, Richard of St Victor, and also by Dionysius the Aeropagite.The writer is an enthusiastic advocate of what is now called the 'via negativa' or the form of theology or mystical contemplation which emphasis the unknowability and 'darkness' of God.

The writer counsels his 'spiritual friend in God' to discard any images he has of God, as well as consoling visions and feelings.The writer urges his student to put a 'cloud of forgetting' between himself and God, and between all creatures and God.When asked 'What is God' the writer replies 'I don't know' but carefully emphasis while God's essence cannot possibly be known by the human mind, God can be understood and grasped by a 'sharp dart of love' aimed at God.

The rest of the writer's works unfold outlining and expanding on these themes, in a brilliantly lucid fashion which avoids any ornaments of rhetoric, condescending spiritual pride, and unneccessary displays of cleverness and erudition.The Cloud author in fact attacks such people quite strongly, saying they have more in common with the devil than with God, merely learning in order to puff themselves up while completely forgetting their own creator and his amazing gifts.

I think the Cloud author is one of the finest mystics in the Christian tradition and all Christians can read this work with enjoyment, and without fear that the mystical is connected with weird ideas of the occult or of pantheistic union with God.The author takes great pains to attack those who indulge in occult speculations (as perhaps theosophists might today) or in outbursts of hysterics or unbalanced emotion, like Margary Kempe and many other English mystics (and also others in Europe also) sometimes indulged in.As Thomas Merton wisely said, the mystical path is a calling for all Christians but also an extremely dangerous one; the journey into our interior can easily lead us astray, either by our own self-deceptions, or else through those of the devil.The author is also careful to emphasize our union with God (unlike Eckhart or Quietists like Margaret Porete) is not one of substance but of loving wills and natures, and there is no fusion of the divine which involves the total and final annihalation of our own being.

The tradition the Cloud author follows is firmly rooted in the via negativa.While this approach and also mysticism generally has come under severe criticism from many quarters recently, I think the Cloud author is certainly one of the most sober and 'safe' mystics in the Christian tradition, and avoids many of the excesses other mystics have fallen into.

While some of what the Cloud author says will no doubt have similarities to other religions like Buddhism (especially in meditation), it should be emphasized the Cloud author is firmly Christian in his approach and frequently mentions the necessity of following Christ and also other things like the liturgy and sacraments.He also frequently refers back to the Bible, and while his biblical references are not as common as those of John of the Cross, 'Biblical' Christians will find this author is careful to keep his ideas within Christian bounds, and to exclude any elements which are clearly foreign to the Christian tradition.He certainly tones down or ignores for example many of the Neo-Platonic spiritual elements which exist in the system of Denys the Aeropagite.

So far as contemplation goes, this little work is a beautiful clear gem, to be treasured as well as admired across the ages.Certainly when I read this I often feel like the Cloud author is also talking to me, and whenever a writer can do this, you know you have a great writer in your hands.

By an unknown author. How fitting!
This classic guide to Christian contemplative prayer (effectively, what we call 'meditation' these days, rather- than 'asking' for something), is as meaningful now, as the day it was written. Still, it won't mean a thing if you aren't drawn to the contemplative life - but, as the appropriately 'anonymous' author points out, with almost Zen-like acuteness, if you are truly given to the spiritual art and discipline hinted at in his directions - you will find that it supervenes wherever you may happen to be ("for when you are nowhere physically, you are everywhere spiritually. . ." ). Quite fairly then, this approach has been called 'Christian Zen' - and so it is.

Spearing's translation of 'The Cloud of Unknowing' has replaced the previous Penguin edition presented by Clifton Walters. I would still recommend Walters' version, if you can find a copy. It gave a good introduction to the 'Cloud' and its background - useful to read alongside Spearing's introductory material. As we have remarked before, Christian 'prayer' is often taken to mean 'petitionary prayer' - asking for something (Eckhart said that "people want to use God, just as they would a cow" !). There is, of course, a perfectly noble and proper place for petitionary prayer, but in some ways, it does heighten our sense of separation from God - at the worst, leaving us as mere creatures, seeking creaturely rewards. The 'Way of Unknowing' - set forth in the 'Cloud,' represents a much neglected dimension of Christianity - the way of self-emptying. In a certain sense, it is more suited to an age tired of religious formalism and the mere externals of faith. Some of the 'Cloud-author's' comments - about Christians who literally 'look upwards' - as if God were in the sky etc., might be those of a contemporary critic. Nevertheless, the 'Cloud-author' speaks as an 'orthodox'' Christian, and he is by no means mocking the Church.

Nobody who reads the 'Cloud' has an obligation to consider inter-faith issues, but we live in 'global' age of inter-cultural - and, hopefully, trans-cultural values. Christians the calibre of Thomas Merton found it an enrichening experience to explore Buddhist horizons. With the possible exception of Suzuki Daistezu, after discovering Eckhart, Asian Buddhist writers have been inclined to dismiss Christian mysticism, saying much about the affective, emotional and allegedly 'sexual' feelings of the Christian mystics. There is no 'God' in Buddhism - which cannot be made into 'Theism' without considerable distortion. Still, there is a transcendental ground - in Buddhism, and that's what intelligent Christian mystics mean . . .by searching for God.

In one edition of the 'Cloud' text, Walters went into a digression on Zen, saying just enough to dismiss it as 'nihilism.' Having appreciated Walters' work, and finding that much in the 'Cloud' had an evident resonance with Zen, the reviewer contacted the author (a Christian priest), pointing out that Buddhism (cf. the Diamond Sutra) expressly warns us against holding 'nihilist' views.

Suzuki seemed to regard Eckhart as exceptional (the Church in his day charged Eckhart with heresy, and though he acquitted himself, the Church banned his books for centuries, after his death, just to be sure). On mature reckoning, however, Eckhart was but part of a mystical flowering which emerged throughout Western Europe. The 'Cloud' author was part of the same flowering, happily avoiding the pitfalls which had beset Eckhart.

One reviewer has described the 'Cloud' - as 'fun' to read. Understandably then, another reviewer has astutely pointed out that the 'Cloud' text is preceeded by an injunction, discouraging frivolous use of the material - and this, for good reasons (similar injunctions can be found in Buddhist contemplative manuals), for anyone who undertakes such practices needs to do so in disciplined manner. In their own way, the Christian mystics recognised what the Buddhists call 'ma-kyo' - demonic states or hindrances which can arise in the course of contemplation. Still, there is no superstitious fear of 'sin' or 'evil' here. Rather like a Zen master, utilising a kind of spiritual ju-jitsu, the 'Cloud-author' points out that - if you encounter obstructive hindrances, thoughts etc. - you can 'look over their shoulder' as it were, rather than giving them more power, by trying to resist them directly. The 'Cloud' is an amazing little text, which may yet gain fresh life and meaning.

A final point, the Amazon.com editorial notes repeated the erroneous 'blurb' placed on the back-cover of the book by the publisher, attributing the 'Mystica Theologia' (Pseud. Dionsyius) to the 'Cloud-author.' While 14th c. mystics such as the 'Cloud-author' used the 'Mystica Theologia' (Mid. Eng.'Deonise Hid Divinitie)to support their ideas, the 'Mystica Theologia' was written centuries before, circa 500 a.d. The 14th c. works in this book are 'The Cloud of Unknowing,' 'The Book of Privy Counselling' and 'An Epistle of Prayer.'

Unknown Knowing
I found this book was fascinating.I also found it pedantic and tiring. The author returns repeatedly to the same precepts with only minorenhancements.Nonetheless, I found value in the central idea which is thatthe LORD, our GOD, is unknowable.This is an idea which brings with ithope at a time when Europe was in the grips of the Black Death and theHundred Years War.It is also an idea which Karl Barth articulated when hedistinguished between a "no-god" of religious organizations asopposed to the GOD which is completely "other", whom we meet in apersonal, spiritual relationship.This idea found resonance with me.I amreminded that I often become so involved with doing that I leave preciouslittle time for being.Familiarity breeds contempt.I find that I amfurthest from my LORD when I feel I know her.Contrary, the times I feelclosest in my spiritual relationship is when the awe of how little I knowabout him is apparent.From the comprehensive notes by Clifton Wolters, Ilearned of the peculiar habits of this author as well as his genuinededication. If you are interested in strengthening your spiritualrelationship by introducing an "unknowable" aspect of the LORD,our GOD, into your meditation, or if you are interested in mysticism as itwas practiced in Britain during that fruitful period of the 14th century,this book will be interesting to you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Inspiring
This book is great. It is inspiring to read about people who help to change the world for the better, especially when they are not always understood by their contemporaries. My husband and I are reading a little of it each day.

Nuggets of Gold
This is a collection of short biographies of real life heroes.Many the reader will know already, people like Martin Luther King Jr. and St. Francis of Assisi.Others may be less familiar, like Chuck Matthei or Brian Willson.Most were a part of the 20th century scene, and speak to struggles we have shared, or at least recognize.All are inspirational signs of hope in an age hungry for good news.You may be tempted, but don't read through the book quickly -- savor the life of each "saint." ... Read more