Triumph Reviews

"I have had the privilege of hearing Cantor Leo Fettman's story of Holocaust survival personally... As I read this book, I could hear his voice and see the pain in his eyes once again. ...I will recommend this book to counselors, educators, and those who seek insights in the personal impact of the Holocaust that transformed ordinary people into extraordinary survivors. ...I am grateful that Cantor Fettman worked through his own pain of remembering to bring us this great treasure!"

Reverend Steven E. Boes Director of the St. Augustine Indian Mission Winnebago, Nebraska

I just finished reading SHOAH: Journey from the Ashes.

For the past 25 years I have read an average of two Holocaust books per week. I have read good books, bad books, mediocre books, and some outstanding books. This book I would gladly recommend anyone read as it goes beyond the Holocaust and goes to humanity.

Cantor Fettman mixes in sociology, psychology, common sense, and his experiences taking him from faith to faith never with a loss for where G-d is in his life.

I am proud that Cantor Fettman was one of the 60 interviews that I conducted for the Spielberg Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. He is a man that leaves an impact. He is a man who has made a difference.

This book is well written with just enough reference to the Holocaust to be a Holocaust book and at the same time this book becomes a primer on how to live your life.

I dare to dream for a moment thinking how this world would be if in each persons life a Cantor Fettman appeared. It is also leaves that void wondering how many Cantor Fettman's were murdered during the Holocaust.

This book should be required reading for everyone at any age and with any religion.

I would tell anyone searching for a book on the Holocaust to begin right here.

this book is so well written, i had dreams about being in the holocaust after i read it.

Although I have not yet personally read this wonderful book yet, I have the privilege of living with her amazing daughter, Caroline, at Notre Dame. Trust me: read this book. I've met the author and she's really nice. You should see our dorm room. It is wonderfully decorated because of her advice. Thank you Mrs. Connor!

I found the Body's Design Paradigm, the foundation of the Triumph of Individual Style, to be a concept born from the mind of a genius. This concept definitely includes all women, all people in the realm of beauty. The book's design and the writing is also superb and so easy to read and understand. The color chapter is awesome, the proportion chapter so innovative and bringing in an individual's creativity so creative.This book makes other books look mediocre.

Finally a book that does not contain frivilous and general information. There is concrete information for every woman.This is a must have book. FYI: Triumph is being published by Fairchild Books and will be available in Feb. 2002 with a fabulous workbook for teachers. Also, Helen Villa Connor, co-author and originator of the Body's Design Pattern, which is the foundation of Triumph will be a speaker at UCSF Women Leaders 2002 Symposium in San Francisco. Jill Popov is the contact for the Symposium. This will be your chance to get Triumph information first hand and get Helen to sign your book.

Charlene Edwards has put together a wonderfully deverse and mosaic puzzle that refects the human side of the Vietnam War. She has captured the spiritual and emotional energies of those she interviewed and photographed in her book. The book not only has wonderful photos but the text bleeds with heart felt stories.

Her 10 year quest to share the feelings and images of those personal experiences was a gift to the rest of us. I found myself moved to tears at times, by the images and stories she has introduced us to in her book. I am richer for having had the experience of reading this book.

Voices from Vietnam is a brilliant and riveting collection of images and essays that brought the Vietnam war alive to someone who was born at its conclusion. It is a must-read for anyone who served in the war or had loved ones who did. As the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, the stories in this book have been instrumental in helping me to understand some of the things my father experienced as a soldier in this war. This compelling book shares stories from every possible perspective, yet the themes of pain, suffering, survival and triumph are very much the same. This is a very personal, very human look at the affects of war. I highly recommend it as a tool for healing and for understanding.

Voices From Vietnam was written by someone who was very young when this war took place, but who was drawn to it and remained dedicated to the understanding of it for the rest of her life.This book is very special because it humanizes both sides and helps us to realize that it was a tragic mistake from the very beginning. Misguided but well-meaning Americans went into the abyss that was left behind by the French colonizers.The people of Vietnam were devastated by over 11 long years of fighting with the Americans .The most powerful nation in the world could not ultimately overpower the determination and tremendous courage of this tiny and poor country.One of the greatest and most profound lessons as demonstrated in this book is that the Vietnamese have forgiven us for the utter decimation of their country and are willing to help us heal the terrible wounds inflicted on both sides.The author introduces us to many people and their stories and shows us that it is possible to embrace your former enemies and work together towards a better future for all.For many Vietnamese the legacy of the war is saddness-the loss of time and place ,of family and friends ,of youth and innocence. If you turn the coin over you find once-young Americans burdened with those same loses.In the end we are a mirror image of each other. Perhaps we will never be able to fully make sense of what we endured on both sides for eleven years.The Vietnamese know they won the war but there was no real winner.The author shows us some of these people and how they have rebuilt their country and extended a hand to us in forgivness and friendship.The many beautiful photographs and interviews tell this story perfectly and for every one of us to understand perfectly.This is an outstanding testimony to the good we all have in us-if only we would try to remember it.

A collection of 29 short stories from five remarkable authors! Talented author, Su Kopil, was kind enough to send me this for review. I am happy to say that this collection is fantastic!

Modern romance stories of all ages of lovers. First marriages, second chances, magical, renewed, you'll find them all here. Each will have you smiling and sighing in contentment.

Short stories cut out the fillers and additives. Instead, it gives you the meat immediately, so you will never be able to catch your breath with this book! Delightful, fun, and highly recommended!

I picked up this book only because I was so bowled over by a writing book by one of the coauthors, Tami D. Cowden. I've read mystery short stories for years, but had never really seen a collection of truly short romance stories before - most of those are novellas.

But this unique collection does not contain novellas - these are nice punchy short stories just like I find in mystery anthologies. You'll be amazed at the characterization the authors manage to pack into so few words - the very brevity makes each story so much more powerful.

The stories themselves are quite varied. A few brought tears to my eyes, while others had me laughing out loud. Each one truly different from the other. The only things they have in common are the very satisfying happy endings!

I recommend this books as something off the beaten path. But frankly, I hope to see a lot more books like this in the future!

Need a quick pick me up? Hate having your reading time interrupted? Try Love Triumphs, a collection of short romance stories that will have you remembering that instant you fell in love. Written by five wonderful authors, this electronically published anthology is worth a second look. I usually like my romances long and involved, with detailed characterization and vividly imaginative settings, so this collection caught me by surprise. Each story is brief and yet has character portrayals that stick with you. Within these stories you are bound to find yourself, and come face-to-face with your own insecurities and doubts. Whether you are still searching for your true love or have been happily married for fifty years, these stories will remind you of that powerful, all-consuming feeling that we call love and how often it can catch us by surprise. Within every mountain there lies a sparkle of gold and within this collection there is a true gem. Seven stories truly touched my heart and left me yearning for more, more detail, more scenes, more joy and heartbreak. Author Carolee Joy is the treasure buried within these pages. Every story she wrote was more poignant, more heart-touching than the others. I sincerely hope to see more written by her in the future for I feel this is an author with true potential. If you have only five minutes during your day and wish you had something to fill it, pick up this great collection of stories. They might reflect you, they might move you, but they are guaranteed to touch your heart and remind you that love can often be found in the most unexpected of places. Recommended

Aimee E. McLeod Reviewer

As an avid WWII reader and historian, Rob Rush's "Hell in Hurtgen Forest" ranks at the very top of all the WWII books I have read. Although overshadowed by the Battle of the Bulge, the fight in the Hurtgen Forest in November and early December 1944 was the bloodiest of all fought by the 4th Infantry Division and the 22nd Infantry Regiment. Rob captures in great detail the daily actions of the fight and the challenges of leadership and why the men continued to fight as they were hit with casualties that approached 150% in the rifle companies. I highly recommend this excellent book - you will leave it shaking your head and better understanding why we hold our WWII veterans in such high esteem.

First, what Robert Rush's book is NOT: It is not one of those popular history books which strings together first-hand accounts into a fast-reading "you are there" look at a historical event. And it is not a narrative of the World War Two battle for the Hurtgen Forest as a whole, asking whether the objectives justified the costs. Instead, Doctor Rush focuses in upon a single US Army infantry regiment -- the 22nd regulars -- and follows them through two-and-a-half weeks of combat hell as day after day they thrust themselves in a German meat-grinder. Their persistence and eventual triumph -- albeit at the cost of virtually destroying the 22nd Infantry -- makes for grim reading. Each day's activities are presented in remorseless succession. Few names of individual soldiers carry through the narrative for the very simple fact that most of the soldiers who started the battle in mid-November, 1944, were with the regiment when it was relieved in early December. All the others had been killed, wounded, or evacuated. A continual flood of reinforcements kept the 22nd functioning effectively as a combat unit until very nearly the end of fighting, but the faces and the character of the regiment had inalterably changed in that brief period of intense battle. Over ninety percent of the men and officers in the 22nd's nine rifle companies at the start became casualties. It is here where Rush's real focus lies: examining the process of replacing combat soldiers during battle so that the unit, if not the individuals, can be kept functioning. Numerous charts and graphs delineate the grim mathematics of war, as day by day the numbers of "original" members of the 22nd decline and the quantity of replacements grow in proportion, even though the replacements too suffered horrendous losses. Rush's own experience as a professional combat infantryman illuminates his analysis of what went on in this tiny patch of German forest nearly six decades ago.

The hell that was the Hurtgen was over shadowed by the battle of the Bulge, however the carnage that was endured needs to be told. The book is a masterful account of the bravery of men who fought in tough terrain and inhospitable climates. The book, which draws from first person accounts, tells in great detail the battle as it unfolded, and the horrors of war. While I have read other books on the subject, this gripping, easy to read book is a must for any ETO scholar.

i read this book as soon as i heard it was published. i did not know eddie but my best friend of 5 years knew him, her whole family knew the polecs. it made me want to read it and understand what they all went through. that whole community suffered such a horrible tragedy, and somehow they all still came together to give comfort and hope to eachother. it is such a powerful book, the way it draws you into the polecs lives. every teen in highschool should read this book and come to an understanding that violence doe not solve anything. and it never will, it is sad that a sweet, young and innocent guy had to die in order for our justice system to improve just a little bit and it is sad that he had to die so that people could now see what this type of violent behavior has not only done to a family, but the entire community. i now know the polecs and they are the strongest people i have ever met, god bless them and may god give them strength and hope throughout all the days of their lives.

I am 17 years old, and in june 2000 I was brutally assaulted by 3 kids with baseball bats and had to have reconstructive surgery on my skull. This happened about a mile from where eddie was killed, and I'm also a senior at cardinal dougherty high school, where eddie was enrolled. I read this book, and I must say it hit me hard because I was so close to receiving the same fate as eddie. Please if you can take some time to read this book so that we may spread the message of peace to the world, and stop future things like this from happening.

After watching the Polec's on Dateline NBC recently, I got this book from the library, read it and cried almost halfway through it. I was hoping that the book was fiction and not true but that was not the case. I have every respect for the Polecs, wanting to make the community a better place inspite of tragedy to their son Eddie,They had a wonderful son whose life was taken in a senseless tragedy. I recommend this book to anyone who has children.

Going through life as parent of a "special" child, one navigates a maze of physicians, experts, specialists, and amateur diagnosticians. Desperate for help, such parents try a range of treatments and tactics, sometimes destroying their families and their sanity in the process. Ms. Bluestone and HANDLE do not have a "magic bullet," but the simple and authentic wisdom in the HANDLE approach teaches us all that there really ARE honest and practical strategies to help individuals who don't fit any of the models in the medical literature. My son has benefitted greatly from the HANDLE precepts, and this book tells true stories of others whose lives have been forever changed. Ms. Bluestone's own story is an inspiration, and she brings to her work the unique empathy of one who has "been there" and found her way out. HANDLE respects individuality and eschews labels; the accounts of these HANDLE clients are compelling and dramatic. Perhaps the most important thing this book provides is hope, which is often in painfully short supply for "marginalized" people. I congratulate all these writers for recounting their journeys, and I think thousands of people can benefit from stepping into the Churkendoose shoes for a few hours. I recommend this book to those with open minds, tired spirits, and vital hearts.

Compiled and edited by Lisa Brenner, The Churkendoose Anthology: True Stories of Triumph over Neurological Dysfunction is a collection of uplifting testimonies offering a positive message of hope to individuals afflicted with neurodevelopment problems ranging from attention disorders, learning disabilities, Tourette's Syndrom, or an acquired brain injury, to Cerebral Palsy, sleep disorders, Vestibular Dysfunction, Down's Syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. True success stories of the HANDLE (Holistic Approach to NeuroDevelopment and Learning Efficiency) approach in helping young people and their parents. Enhanced with an informative commentary by Judith Bluestone, The Churkendoose Anthology is highly recommended as an engaging and encouraging read, especially for anyone having to cope with a neurological dysfunction.

The stories in this book give hope to us all. For more than a decade I have worked with adults and children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. The usual treatments involve behavior modification and drug therapy. Little time is spent in observation and evaluation such as described by Judith Bluestone in this book. The Handle Institute's methods offer hope through its methods that have no reliance on drug therapy. This is a book for patients, family members and professionals.

I just so happen to pick this gem up at a library book sale. I never heard of the book, nor the author but it's title alone intrigued me, since I myself has been involved in an interracial relationship for the past 5 years (and counting :-)
This was a very moving as well as an enlightening book. I definitely recommend this for anyone pursuing an interracial relationship or even considering one. Actually I recommend this book to everyone, after all we are all of one race, and that race is called humanity.

This is one of my favorite books. I actually met the authors during their promotion of this book and I have a signed copy. This story is so moving, only those of us in interracial relationships and marriages truly understand the struggles and obstacles this couple faced and how they triumphed. This book helped make me strong and face all of those obstacles that I was afraid of. My marriage is a strong one, it has lasted 12 years! Gail wrote a very touching statement in her signing of my copy of this book: "Celebrate the love you share". I have never forgotten to do exactly that!

The story of a white lady who marries a black South African immigrant, this story is a very genuine, heartfelt account of two people from two different cultures who cross the race line and despite all the odds against them, have a very loving and successful marriage. Everyday trials are emphasised as well as the cultural problems, "going public", reactions from black women, and so on. Each chapter has two parts: Gail's point of view and Mark's point of view. It is a very interesting book not only for mixed-ethnicity marriages, but for everyone else as well. Highly recommended.

I saw the movie with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer, and found it incredibly dull. I thought maybe the book would be better. I was right, it was better, but it didn't thrill me or really move me the way All Quiet on the Western Front did. I am not sure if this is partly due to the fact that I read it when I was a bit tired.

I don't really have a lot to say. It's not a book that I can enthusiastically applaud, but I won't say it was horrible. I would advise you to just read it for yourself and decide whether you like it or not! : )

'Arch of Triumph' is a book which becomes your friend, and you want to read it again, and each time you are discovering something else. It makes you think about what is really important in life, and at the same time it is a story about war, love, trust, friendship, humanity ...

This is not intended for those of you who have never heard of Erich Maria Remarque. For the unfortunate ones who haven't come across any of his books, or were forced to read "All Quiet On The Western Front" as a homework assignment, you have been deprived of one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. After attaining any acknowlegement for any written work, writters tend to shift toward the more abstract and try to write something more profound then any of us 'Pleasure Readers' ever intended on reading. Remraque stays true to his roots, whether it is "Three Commrades", or this, "Arch Of Triumph", he keeps the balance between constructive conversation, 'page turning' story telling, and poetic descriptions that will forever be imprinted in our minds. Arch of Triumph is set in Paris during the late 1930's. Europe was on the road to recovering from the first Warld War and lurking was the air of the 2nd. Germans opossed to the new political views that ruled Germany fled anywhere refuge could be found. Ravic once an accomplished surgeon in Germany found himself in Paris, with no visa or passport. As an illegal refugee he had no rights to practice his profession in France and was forced to work underground performing surgeries illegaly. Paris, synonomous with elegance, good food, brothels, love,(at least in fiction) is described so beautifully in the eyes of Ravic that by the middle of the book I can swear I've been to Paris. Love, friendship, danger, philosophy they all have their places in this book. Without giving away too much I will cut it here and urge anyone who appreciates any of the above topics to read this book and find bliss in humanity and its simplicity put into words.

In less than 200 pages, Ms. Kopp details every step she took in establishing Teach for America, the national teaching corps for recent college graduates. Chapters 1-9 are a primer for fundraising techniques, non-profit organizational set-up and strong management skills. But, Chapter 10, the most interesting by far, is a lengthy description on what makes good educators. You may be inspired enough to join in the efforts in ensuring excellent education for all children in this great nation of ours.

One person, and idea, and a difference. Wendy Kopp detailed the relentless cycle of securing grant money to meet payroll to keep the organization afloat. Often the life of this organization was within days of sinking, but alas, the golden check was cleared. She is a very gifted networker, who managed a large organization without management experience until she handed over the operational reigns to those who knew what was going on. This account is from the perspective of the person who created the organization and ran it, so this should be taken into account. Their was heavy emphasis on recruiting graduates from Ivy League universities, which is good, because the students they would be teaching almost never have access to teachers with Ivy League educations and exposure. Those not in the Ivy Leagues seemed to not have a shot, although they could have made a significant impact. The reason why Teach For America exists in the first place in my opinion, is because the monopolistic public school system is an outright systematic, bureaucratic disaster today. TFA is a needed action, but also puts a band-aid on a bullet wound that is bleeding like a sieve. Recommended to young, new teachers, that are still idealistic and haven't become cynical, burned out, or moribund yet because of politics, administrators, and idiotic school policies.

Read the book in one day! Even though you know the outcome, it has the pull of a fiction novel as you read through the ups and downs of building TFA.

Kopp shows that vision, persistence and optimism can beat the odds when it comes to a good idea. She also demonstrates that all good ideas hit big speed bumps and resiliency is key with some insightful stories.

In addition there is a fairly specific prescription for what makes for a good teacher at the end of the book. This isn't philosophical musings--this is exeperiential lessons being laid out by Kopp.

If you feel like being uplifted and gaining some knowledge on what makes a good teacher operate--read this book.