New Age Bible Versions: An Exhaustive Documentation of the Message, Men & Manuscripts Moving Mankind to the Antichrist's One World Religion

New Age Bible Versions: An Exhaustive Documentation of the Message, Men & Manuscripts Moving Mankind to the Antichrist's One World Religion
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Good Liner for the Birdcage

The KJV was also rejected initially by the Pilgrim fathers and many others

Important information when choosing a Bible

Left the KJO camp...

required reading

New Age Bible Versions: An Exhaustive Documentation of the Message, Men & Manuscripts Moving Mankind to the Antichrist's One World Religion
G. A. Riplinger
Manufacturer: A V Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0963584502

Customer Reviews:

Good Liner for the Birdcage.......2007-09-13

Is this still in print? Mine went into the garbage can 10 years ago. What misleading drivel. It's the bunk.

The KJV was also rejected initially by the Pilgrim fathers and many others.......2007-08-06

I was a KJO person for about two months; then God opened my eyes to the idiocy of thinking that Paul actually talked like Macbeth and there is such a thing as a perfect translation in English. English is a crude language, and it tends to either complicate or oversimplify the original languages. If the KJV is the preserved Word of God, where are the original autographs that prove it?

I fell prey to the idea that the NASB and NIV were devil's bibles, until I actually looked at them. While I do not recommend the NIV as a study bible, I believe it works well as an introductory bible. God is all about making the Gospel clear to people. Yes, I believe the Holy Spirit helps us understand the meaning of the God's Word, but must we think archaic language is the way God speaks today? Of course not!

If the KJV was the only way for people to hear the gospel, then God would make the best of it, and He did. However, in our current visual age, with so many people addicted to visual representations of life and not educated to become readers of good literature, what chance do we have of getting people to read the KJV? Harry Potter is very popular for two reasons: 1. It tells an interesting story (apparently), and 2. It is written in an easy to read format. Were it written in the language of the KJV bible, do you think kids would read it?

All one is asking is that folks use the good sense God gave them and decide what makes sense. If the new versions do not change doctrine or challenge the beliefs taught over the past 1900 years, but induce people to read them because they use contemporary language, then what's the problem? Similar to any prejudice, the antipathy to the newer translations is resistance to change. It took almost 100 years before the KJV was universlly accepted, for the same reason. The Pilgrim fathers brought the Geneva Bible with them (oh..and drank beer all the way over) from the old country.

When a bible, such as the NASB, makes the meaning clearer and more relevant using current wordage, how can that be bad? To think that God would allow His Word to be corrupted on the mass scale supposed by this book's author is to infer that God is allowing it to be corrupted. That makes God a co-conspirator, doesn't it? Doesn't accusing these translations of heresy (which is unfounded) help to breed doubt in the inerrancy of God's Word rather than, as the author infers, the translations themselves?

Even the King James translators (who were not as Godly as one would think based on the reverence shown them by KJO's) state that a plurality of translation is a GOOD thing! I love the King James rendition for it's beauty and it's majesty. But, that is also the result of the translator's original intent to make it an oral presentation rather than a version to be read by the general public. I am intelligent enough to understand the King James Version's language, but at times find the sentence construction awkward in the sense that it doesn't make sense. That's when I appreciate the clarity of the newer versions. I also prefer the literal translations (NASB,ESV) for the same reason: clarity and alternate readings that sometimes illuminate what is obviously wrongly understood by the KJV translators based on the way they interpreted the original Hebrew or Greek.

A very quick example is here:
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
(Daniel 7:9 KJV)

compared to:
As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
(Daniel 7:9 ESV)

Which makes more sense? The KJV translators were not inspired by God...the original authors of the Hebrew and Greek were. Jesus and the Apostles quoted from the Septuagint(a Greek translation of the OT also called LXX) which renders the exact same thoughts differently, not word for word, or in the exact same sentence structure.

When Jesus said "It is written 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'" (Matthew 4:7 KJV) why didn't he say it exactly as it is rendered in the books of Moses: "Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah." (Deuteronomy 6:16 KJV)

How about "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (Matthew 4:10 KJV), which refers to "Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name."(Deuteronomy 10:20 KJV)

None of these are an exact match, but the point is made isn't it? Ditto for the newer translations. In short, don't let emotions and tradition overwhelm your common sense and faith in God. This book is simply a circular argument without the original manuscripts.

Important information when choosing a Bible.......2007-07-22

This book is long overdue. It is a difficult read, as there is much research here. Ms. Riplinger has outdone herself with comprehensive first line data collection, and captures the dangers surrounding the issue well.

I find it interesting that one of the reviewers cites that after reading this book, he was convicted to stand by his KJV... that is, until he attended divinity school, and all that changed. Ahhh, the corrupted and liberal academia is the best way to turn a Bible believer into a believer of man's wisdom (ie philosophy). Divinty schools are the worst, because they have to teach the watered down, non-denominational relativism that will keep all the various faiths happy and enrolling in their schools.

As long as there are people with Bibles, the debate over the KJV will likely never end. Has anyone ever considered why the opposition is so great? Perhaps because "the opposition" is just as God warned us in the Bible... that Satan, whom God calls the Prince of this world, is disguised as a minister of righteousness and has been allowed to corrupt His word, just as God warned us he would. But also remember God promised to preserve His word too. So which is it? Well, since God is no liar, both are true... there are both corrupted and uncorrupted texts out there and it is up to you to make a discerning choice. Taking a stance that ALL Bibles are truth is actually anti-Biblical!

The truth is, one only has to hold a newer translation side by side with a KJV to see the problems for yourself... missing verses, incorrect name references, changed meanings, and errors which leave me with little confidence in those texts. The list of problems is actually quite long.

Non KJV readers may not like the old words or language, but truthfully this is what makes it a wonderful study tool. Much like the reason doctors use Latin... it hasn't changed and therefore less open to mistakes in interpretation, and harder to change (ie corrupt) without being noticed. I don't find it difficult to study at all. In fact, once I adjusted to the very few languange barriers (thee, thou, comest and goest) I find it to be easier, due to its consistent use of the same words throughout, plus it has a certain poetic flow that lends itself to memorization and understanding. If a translation says "let there be light," but later calls light "glow" and then later calls light "brightness" etc, then word referencing becomes hard, but in the KJV a word can be refenced back to its first use in the scriptures themselves. If a different word is used, like day instead of light, then I knew the meaning is also different in this context. Awesome! I never need a Bible dictionary and rarely need other books to study my Bible... I let the Bible be the teacher and not a lot of supplemental texts that could introduce error. Occasionally a concordance or quality reference like Bullinger's Figures of Speech Used in the Bible: Explained and Illustrated come in handy.

So what is all this angst and fervour against KJV supporters anyway? I undertand people say the KJV is "too hard" to read, but why get all upset that other people don't think its too hard, or better, they think its a superior study tool? Perhaps KJV opposers don't want to admit that God is right...

I found Ms. Riplinger's book to be thought provoking and well researched. The fact that it is controversial makes it all the more interesing to read! One should always know both sides to an issue before making a definate decision... especially when it comes to God!

Give it a read... even if you don't agree, you might learn something.

Left the KJO camp..........2007-06-25

I read Gail's book my junior year of college and could have sworn that it was sent straight from God: a waking up for the nations, a way for us to remember our "true" Christian history and hold fervantly to our received tradition. Gail's book for me, contained salvation.

And then I went to seminary and earned a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in Greek and Hebrew Language. I did the Hebrew language track first, and by the end of that term, I knew that the KJO only camp was in way over their heads. Riplinger's book oversimplifies the debate about language and the issues surrounding language, which is odd because she claims to be a linguist. She also over-simplifies the issues surrounding textual criticism and attempts to make it just seem "so clear" that of COURSE, the KJV is the only version that one should ever use.

Not only did I read this book of Riplinger's, but I also read her books "The Language of the King James Bible" and her book "Blind Guides." I also ordered a bunch of her 'tracts,' listened to a couple of her messages on tapes, and ordered about 5 or so other books supporting the KJO position. The thing that I did like about her writing was that she clearly does have a high regard for seeking to discover what "God's Word" is... her conclusion of course is that God's Word is the King James Bible, and no other version.

I don't think that it was Riplinger's goal to be deceptive herself, or to start her own cult. In fact I have to be honest that although I am now a stanuch critic of her position, I don't think that she should be somehow condemmed as "writing a bunch of gibberish" or what have you. Riplinger is using one of the three approaches to Postmodernism: Paleoconstructivism. That is, she's reaching back to a time in the past, finding meaning there, and saying "this is what they believed then, THEREFORE this is what I'm going to believe now." This is not to say that God himself changes: but over time our understanding of the scripture does change - the Christian tradition cannot be simply reduced to a "theological list of statements to which we must consent" - it's a lot more and a lot deeper than that. Riplinger's paleoconstructive response is really a fear response to the changing world, with an attempt to stabalize the seeming spinning. Totally understandable.

What Riplinger does (perhaps without realizing it) is attempt to uphold scripture: but by locking it into a set period of time, she's actually doing damage to the scripture: making it irrelevant. Most of the "biblical" intuitions that she's trying to uphold are simply traditional interpretations based off the King James Version of the bible: therefore any version that says something different will of course sound a little different than that tradition, and it therefore becomes either "[worthless]" or in some way "New Ageish."

The single best way to work at getting toward what God is speaking through scripture is to use multiple translations (and use translations done by committees, not translations done by a single individual or paraphrases - paraphrases are too far removed from the actual manuscripts, and more often then not the people who were doing the paraphrases have no concept of what's going on in the Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic) for study. Why use multiple translations? Because it will make whoever's doing the research much more clear as to what the translations issues were for particular passages.

Please don't burn up your time trying to "prove" something about the KJV. It's a beautiful translation, and I do love reading it, but it's by no means "THE TRANSLATION" that we MUST use. Jesus is the True Word of God, as pretty much every translation of the bible points out. Although Scripture is an important foundation in our Christian belief, we ought not bow down to it and worship it: or our own interpretations of it.

required reading.......2007-05-30

I was raised reading the NIV, then switched to NASB in high school (to get a more "literal" translation), and then switched again to ESV in college (to follow the "reformed" guys who love it so much.) I had a friend who was KJV-only and I (with my superior "reasoning" skills) would put him in his place time after time. "How ridiculous!" I would say. I studied the debate, and stuck with my NASB, but somehow the questions stuck around. I studied it again: stuck with NASB. I studied it again after I switched to ESV, and stayed with the ESV. I knew that the AV (KJV) and the NASB couldn't both be equally accurate, because my friend and I had done parallel readings in passages and found clear examples where EITHER one OR the other was correct (or neither) but NOT BOTH; the newer version had done more than simply update the "archaic" language: it changed the meaning. So three rounds into the research, and I still resisted. God was doing other work on me too at the time, and He finally got me to the point where I couldn't put up a fight anymore. I quit relying on myself (and other men) and switched to the AV. At first it was really hard, and gave me headaches, but after persevering through the first few weeks, the light broke through and I absolutely love the AV now and have no trouble reading it at all. Just recently, I've started reading into the subject again to be able to give a defense and to prepare to do battle for the truth, and came across New Age Bible Versions. I had seen this book for a long time, and had been avoiding it! We are all conditioned to reject Riplinger (and Ruckman, for that matter) out of hand. "Don't waste your time, etc." But finally I decided to give her a try, and I am very glad that I did.

Let me say that I'm not sure that NABV should be the first and only book on the subjects that someone should read. For someone with no background at all into the textual aspect of things, I can see how you could get lost sometimes. For someone with no exposure to the new age, I can see how it can all seem like a crazy conspiracy theory. So I go back and forth, sometimes the best tactic is to shock someone with the truth and they see it and recognize it and act accordingly. Sometimes when the truth is too shocking, or hits too close to home, we put up walls and retreat behind the walls of irrational emotional outbursts, personal attacks, and straw-man arguments to avoid the implications of the truth. For some people this may be the best book to start with. For others it might be better to lay some groundwork. I read Edward Hills' "The King James Version Defended" before I read this and I know that I was better prepared to assimilate all of the information, and also better prepared to see the hollowness of all the criticisms against NABV. I would certainly recommend Hills work as a precursor to Riplinger's.

All in all, I thought that NABV was excellent and laid out very clearly the key differences between the modernist versions and the AV, as well as the history of the new age movement, and a good section on textual criticism. Another reviewer recommended reading the last section first, and perhaps that would be very helpful too.

I agree that there are parts of this book that were pointless. I'd put the number at about 10%. These are one page, one paragraph, or even one sentence elements that contribute nothing to the overall work, and also provide a target for those who want to reject the truth of the matter. Critics love to point out the acrostic algebra, the hissing sss sound, and the speculation about B.F. Westcott = W.W. Westcott.

The critics have a tendency (I want to say ALWAYS, but I'll refrain) attack the spurious 10% and refuse to address the remaining 90% of the document. It is actually ironic that these are the some people who ignore the 90% of greek manuscripts (the Majority Text) in favor of the minority when making English translations.

Before reading this, I read a 60 page booklet criticizing "KJV-Onlyism" with Riplinger and NABV being the special target. I went in with an open mind (there are people who adhere to the AV who reject Riplinger, I was prepared to be one.) I will most likely read more material that criticizes this position, but unfortunately I have already noticed the tendency to construct straw men and ignore the real arguments. I don't think the Scholarship-Onlyists have a very strong case, and if you read Riplinger's book and then compare it to the criticisms (without an axe to grind) you'll find that there is more to Riplinger than "acrostic algebra."

All in all I would say that I highly recommend this work within a larger context of investigation, perhaps after a good introduction to the subject (like Hills).

Many Roads One Journey: Moving Beyond the 12 Steps

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THE WORLD OWES ME A FAVOR, BY CHARLOTTE KASL
Interesting stuff clouded by prejudice
16 Steps vs 12 Steps For the Spiritually Abused
A revelation - thank you, Ms. Kasl!
Must Reading for Anyone in Recovery

Many Roads One Journey: Moving Beyond the 12 Steps
Charlotte S. Kasl
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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From the author of Women, Sex, and Addiction, a timely and controversial second look at 12-Step programs, helping all readers to draw on the steps' underlying wisdom, adapting them to their own experiences, beliefs, and sources of strength.

Customer Reviews:

THE WORLD OWES ME A FAVOR, BY CHARLOTTE KASL.......2005-11-01

I attended my first meeting back in 1991. I hated "the program" then, and I hate it now. I have been cautioned that if I don't get a sponsor and start doing step work NOW, that I will relapse and yet, here I am, still sober. One word: GOD.

What bothers me about meetings is that many of the people who attend them are mentally ill and there is no one with any sort of mental health training overseeing their little gatherings. In that context, exploitation of new members, dominance of the group, inappropriate behavior and contact between members is inevitable, not just an unfortunate occurance. I became so fed up with being hit on during "fellowship breaks" that I just stopped attending meetings.

As a woman, I feel extremely uncomfortable when I hear female members talk about being "of service," as if women have not been trained since the dawn of time to be "of service."

I am also familiar with SOS, Rational Recovery, Moderation Management, Women For Sobriety and a number of other alternatives. Considering my personal history, I was excited to get my hands on Kasl's book, figuring it would be an articulation of all the things that have "bugged" me over the years about 12 Step programs and meetings.

Instead I found myself being subjected to Kasl's seething rage toward white males. Page after page after page, she continues on with her acrimony. "We are all victims," her story goes. "Nothing will ever change," "Look at what they have done to us," whine, whine, whine, as the violins play in the background. She rails away, pounding her readers instead of "patriarchy" (this word must appear 450,000 times in the course of her book). After finishing it, I threw her book in the trash. I wonder if she has begun work on her autobiography -- "Victim of the Universe," by Charlotte Kasl.

I spent some serious time dealing with my own issues regarding "white males" and "patriarchy." Yes, there is a priviledged class in this country and a great number of its members are white males. Yes, there are plenty of rapes and murders and acts of sexual abuse and domestic violence, committed largely by men, some (many? most?) of whom are white. The key to freedom from their "oppression" (another word that appears half a million times in this book) is to realize that NOT ALL OF THEM ARE LIKE THAT. The "patriarchy" of today is nothing like the bleak, Victorian picture Kasl paints.

I got sober so that I could enjoy my life and participate in reality. I did not get sober to immerse myself in cross-dragging martyrdom, or to catalogue all the ways I have been "oppressed" and mistreated by "patriarchal white males."

Kasl writes at length of a life-altering battle she had with caffeine. Apparently, caffeIne ruins lives and destroys families the same way alcohol does, and what we all really need to do is watch less television and eat more lentils.

Her supposed subject matter (recovery from alcoholism) is used to lure in an audience, then trivialized in favor of trite, man-hating diatribes.

Grow up.

Interesting stuff clouded by prejudice.......2005-03-11

Kasl does a good job of painting a broad picture which posits the pathway to spiritual enlightenment is broad and that there arwe many roads that can get us there. Unfortuantely, too often she falls back on that pseudo-intellectual - new agey - warrior princess stuff that died out in the early 90s.

Her critique of AA and 12 step methodology is spot on in places, although she fails to acknowledge the diverse ways the 'program' is practiced by its membership. Furthermore, issues of dogma, power and control are just as prevelant in feminist organizations as in AA. One senses she's a bit blinded by her own loyalty to her postion.

Ultimately, its the excess of that 60s-postmodernist-femist tripe that kinda swamps the good parts of her message. Definiately written for a different era. Not sure how relevant it is to recovery/spiritual development these days.

.

16 Steps vs 12 Steps For the Spiritually Abused.......2004-09-25

The 16 Steps help move people who have moved to [Stage 4: Late Adolescence and Early Adulthood, The Critic: Ages sixteen - twenties and thirties] of their faithing (journey of faith) and are no longer dependent on a traditional 12 Step program. They have moved past a dependency level of a Program to one of personal empowerment and one that honours their own wisdom & internal strength. Dependency on an external set of rules or dogma needs to be replaced thusly if one is going to grow & mature into someone with a healthy ego that has an autonomy balanced with interdependency. Such a program of 16 Steps that moves beyond the rigid 12 Step program is necessary to develop a person's God-given potential here and now. Through such a program, people will be empowered to find their own unique place in the Universe. Instead of rigidity to a traditional 12 Step mantra, they will be encouraged to think for themselves and question those things that don't "feel" right.

She says we cannot slide into a dangerous one-size-fits-all mode that is sure to be wrong for many people. If we remember the overall goals are to alleviate people's suffering, we can put our rigid egos aside and ask, "What works? What doesn't work?" Are there ways support groups could be more effective, possibly for different groups of people such as those who have been spiritually abused? Because of my two years in Celebrate Recovery as the Assimilator Coach, CR is NOT the place for the spiritually abused. I became very familiar with how it works and had some difficulty with some of the things in it but couldn't put my finger on what they were and why there were so many triggers there for me.. After reading this book, I came to identify what they were. It's a great read. Although I don't agree with everything she believes, she has identified for me the things I needed to know.

Kasl shows us how we need to find ways to create SAFETY in these 16 Step recovery (uncover/discover) groups so there are fewer instances of CONTROL, ALIENATION & EXPLOITATION. We need to instill in people a sense of internal power that they lack in their "POWERLESSNESS". It is this attitude that fosters a newdependency on their recovery groups. Recovery grounded on fear does not lead to the development of a healthy aware ego (self-image).

To lock them into a similar 12 Step program will present too many triggers that will make them withdraw. While initially it may seem to help them, they will eventually leave because they realize they have to stuff too much to stay connected to the group at the cost of their human development. By staying locked in a rigid box/set of rules and authority like the controlling group/church/cult they left, they will continue to stuff and not advance in their healing. Eventually they will leave when it becomes too unbearable.

Solutions have to "feel" right for each individual if they are truly going to last. They need to be more than "bandage" therapy solutions. If there is little room for questioning, then a certain fear sets in that leads on to believe that the program is unchangeable or the leader/facilitator is too controlling. This is very triggering for the spiritually abused. They do not want to take a backward step in their journey and enter a program at a more mature level of our faithing by being asked to go back to a more childlike state of faith in order to get well. If there isn't room for shades of gray, then there isn't room for the Spiritually Abused.

Kasl says, "Although small groups have an immense capacity for healing, it is important that we not attribute this healing capacity solely to a 12 Step program. We need to have our own internal sense of power and realize, in the end, we are responsible for our own recovery (uncover and discover). We need to honour our own internal compass and respect our own wisdom & internal strength. If it doesn't "feel" right, it probably isn't for us. Our "gut" feelings have often been right in the past and we ignored them only to our own hurt. We cannot afford to do so in the future.

Kasl says, "The 16 Step program needs to lead people to a level of transformation and maturity where they no longer need a 12 Step group identity." They can't go back to a program of dependency because they know too much. We need to move past this in order to grow to the latter stages of faithing and Wisdom in order find our unique place in the Universe.

A revelation - thank you, Ms. Kasl!.......2003-09-05

I was raised in a family where everyone was/is involved in one or more of the 12-Step programs and was taught that attending AA and working the 12 Steps was the only way to stop drinking, or to recover from being a child of an alcoholic. In fact, to my subsequent embarassment, I have preached those rules to people without really knowing what I was talking about. But in spite of this, I have always felt uncomfortable with some of the language in the 12-Steps and other 'conference-approved literature', and this book helped me figure out WHY I was uncomfortable, and also reassured me that I wasn't going to go to hell for not being in a 12-Step program (I'm joking here, but since the 12-step 12-step philosophy is essentially my family's religion, the comparison is apt.)

This book clearly explains the history of the 12 Steps, the original intentions of Bill W. (founder of AA), the ways the steps are implemented in current 12 Step programs, and, very importantly, why they don't "work" for a lot of people (contrary to the message that one gets in AA and other step groups). She also takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of alternative recovery programs.

Despite the opinions of some other readers, I found the book very non-judgmental - Ms. Kasl doesn't tell people not to go to AA or whatever if it is working for them, and she certainly doesn't tell people that her sixteen-step method is "the way", or that you need to agree with everything she believes. She just points that, contrary to many people believe, "working the steps and going to meetings" is NOT the only way, and there are many people who have gotten and stayed sober without AA.

If you've ever felt uncomfortable with the 12 Steps, or have not been able to work the program successfully, or have not felt comfortable attending meetings, this book will help you realize that those feelings are not indicative of "defects of character", and will present an alternative philosophy which may make more sense to you. It certainly did to me.

Five stars for this book, and many thanks to Ms. Kasl for writing it!

Must Reading for Anyone in Recovery.......2003-02-13

My only regret is that I didn't read this book years ago. Although there is much to be said for 12 step programs (especially in initial stages of recovery), many people feel excluded by them for various reasons. Sadly, they are then told by people in the addiction field and in AA that they "are not trying hard enough" or just "don't want sobriety badly enough" .
Alternatives to 12 step groups are not offered by many treatment centers and counselors so those who do not fit into the mold reeive no guidance or choices. To read a book which not only spells out other options, but sets out reasons why you may not fit in AA is affirmingAlthough I concluded years ago that I would never fit into the mold, this is the first time I have ever had my reality validated. It is refreshing to read a book in the addiction field that encourages thinking outside of the box. This book will save lives - hopefully people will realize they do not have to choose between sobriety and being part of a herd. If you are a therapist and work with alcoholics, addicts, etc. you owe it to your clients to read this book and familiarize yourself with options other than 12 step groups.

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

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One of those wonderful books you re-read many times
Well-Versed Formula
Funny, Great Novel for the Beach
A story to touch your heart and your funny bone.
Doesn't live up to the title

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies
Sonya Sones
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The sassy title tells readers right away that this book is NOT like one of those hideous books where the mother dies, even if fifteen-year-old Ruby's mom has recently succumbed to cancer. Sonya Sones has made a reputation for engrossing and emotionally valid verse novels with her two previous books, Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy and What My Mother Doesn't Know, and here she has the good sense to avoid the platitudes of the tearjerker, focusing not on the melodrama of death but on the grieving process of a feisty teen--sometimes even with humor.

Ruby has turned her grief into anger at her father: because he divorced her mother before she was born, because she has had to leave her best friend Lizzie and her boyfriend Ray to come to Los Angeles to live with him, and because he is Whip Logan, a very famous and rich movie star. She turns a cold shoulder to all his gentle and persistent attempts to relate to her, sneers at the glamour of his Beverly Hills mansion and famous friends, and spends most of her time writing desperate emails to Lizzie and Ray, and her dead mother, from her Dream Bedroom. The friendship of Max, Whip's live-in assistant/personal trainer, is some comfort, and Ruby has a harder and harder time keeping her sneer as Whip ups the ante, from rides in his classic vintage cars, to shopping trips for anything she wants, to weekends in Las Vegas and Catalina and a party where Eminem is the guest of honor. But an earthquake leads to a surprising revelation that changes everything for Ruby, in an enormously satisfying ending. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

Book Description

My name is Ruby.

This book is about me.

It tells the deeply hideous story

of what happens when my mother dies

and I'm dragged three thousand miles away

from my gorgeous boyfriend, Ray,

to live in L.A. with my father,

who I've never even met

because he's such a scumbag that he

divorced my mom before I was born.

The only way I've ever even seen him

is in the movies,

since he's this megafamous actor

who's been way too busy

trying to win Oscars

to even visit me once in fifteen years.

Everyone loves my father.

Everyone but me.

Customer Reviews:

One of those wonderful books you re-read many times.......2007-10-09

There have been very few books that I read more than once. Yesterday, I read One of those Hideous Books, etc. Today, I read it again. I don't expect that to be the last time.

What can I add to the positive reviews? Nothing, really. If you have an open heart, you will probably love this book.

Well-Versed Formula.......2007-08-08

Formula: Write your novel in verse on pages with lots of open, white space, so that your book reads quickly. Have an engaging, first-person point of view (15-year-old Ruby, let's call her). Give it a catchy title (makes up for its length). Spice it with themes of death (Mom) and divorce (Dad, whom Ruby must now live with). Clash east coast (Ruby, from Boston) with left coast (Dad, named "Whip" Logan, from LA). Add beautiful people (kids of Lakewood High School) and famous movie stars (all of Whip's neighbors and friends). For dessert, throw in a little "gotcha" surprise at the end.

What Sonya Sones has cooked up here (and, no doubt, in her other books) is a sure-fire winner for middle and high school-aged girls. If the girl is a reluctant reader, all the better, but avid readers will embrace it, too, as a sinfully delicious guilty pleasure. Ruby's voice is THAT winning. Ruby does her best to hold on to her Massachusetts best friend, Liz, as well as her old boyfriend, Ray, but you know how that goes. She also goes through the usual turmoil, anger, stubbornness, that awaits any kid foisted on the parent who left her long ago. Poor Whip will have to pay for his past transgressions, no matter HOW much money he has (oh, he's a famous movie star, too).

Slow to make friends with the weird stereotypes floating around La-La Land High, Ruby at least can identify with Whip's "personal trainer," Max, who befriends her and becomes a lifesaver as she goes through some choppy seas between getting to know Dad and trying to fit in at the new high school.

As for the style, well, most of the "verse" is just paragraphs redesigned into lines and stanzas but, credit where it's due, Sones DOES come up with some poetic language and surely knows her stuff when it comes to how a teenage girl thinks. Funny, quick, and even a little sad at times (like when Ruby e-mails her poor, dead mother for advice and succor), ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES scores a 4 with me but no doubt a 5 from its target audience (so the heck with me!) because this author knows of whom (and for whom) she writes. All young girls should check out a Sonya Sones book -- they might just end up checking out every Sonya Sones book they can find.

Funny, Great Novel for the Beach.......2007-08-05

This novel is about a teenager who meets her father for the first time ever since her mother dies. Turns out her father is a super popstar! The idea of the novel is simple, not original really, but written in an easy, clever way to keep you turning the pages. It is a QUICK, fun read, so give it a taste. The ending will give you a smile.

A story to touch your heart and your funny bone........2007-07-02

When Ruby's mother dies, she flies across the U. S. to live with her movie star, scumbag father, who she's never met and who left her mother before Ruby was born. She leaves behind her best friend, Lizzie, and her boyfriend, Ray. She misses her mother, but Ruby's quirky sense of humor and her attitude keep this from being a sad story. Look for a lot of surprises along the way. A great read about a spunky girl who discovers that people are not always what they seem.
Listen to the Ghost
Secrets I Have Kept

Doesn't live up to the title.......2007-06-20

One of the best titles ever, too bad the book doesn't live up to it. The short poem-like chapters this books is written in are perfect for short attention spans and the book reads very quickly. The situation with the mother dying, the girl being separated from best friend and boy friend and going to live with mysterious father are good. I had trouble believing the whole Hollywood star father. If he made so many schlock movies where did the Oscar come from? I saw almost every twist a mile down the road. Don't people in LA bolt the bookcases to the wall? I have enjoyed other books written in poem form, but these seem particularly shallow. The novel True Believe is especially good. Read this book if you must, but I think there are better ones that you would enjoy more.

Moving Zen: One Mans Journey to the Heart of Karate (Bushido--The Way of the Warrior)

Average customer rating:

Martial Arts at its best.
A Great Read!
A classic martial arts autobiography!
"Usss!"
Hard fists and a cold dojo

Moving Zen: One Mans Journey to the Heart of Karate (Bushido--The Way of the Warrior)
C. W. Nicol
Manufacturer: Kodansha International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Karate-Do: My Way of Life
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Karate the Japanese Way

ASIN: 4770027559

Book Description

A classic story of one man's confrontation with the self through Karate.

In 1962 at age twenty-two, C. W. Nicol left Wales to study Karate in Japan. He quickly found that the study of the martial art engaged his whole being and transformed his outlook on life. Moving Zen is the multifaceted story of a young man who arrived in Japan to study the technique of, and spirit
behind, Karate.

Joining the Japan Karate Association, or Shotokan, Nicol discovered that Karate, while extremely violent, also called for politeness and a sense of mutual trust and responsibility. He learned that the stronger the Karateka, the more inclined he was to be gentle with others. Those who have gained a
measure of skill but have not yet achieved spiritual maturity are the dangerous practitioners. Studying kata, Nicol came to realize that these forms are, in essence, moving Zen and that the ultimate goal of all the martial arts is tranquility.

Through the help of many gifted teachers, C. W. Nicol gained his black belt, and moved progressively closer to his goal of tranquility. His story, Moving Zen, was first published in 1975 and has achieved the status of a modern classic.

Customer Reviews:

Martial Arts at its best. .......2007-06-13

Moving Zen is an autobiography of one man's journey into the warrior traditions of Japan. It tells the story of a violence prone young man seeking authentic power through martial arts. This book takes one deep into these warrior traditions and their transformative power to change ourselves. As the author notes, the true meaning of Budo is the Zen state; no small feat to accomplish but herein lies the heart of the book.

This book is not only a true life adventure story, but a philosophy on life. In this verese, C.W. Nicole documents this journey as a beginning student of Karate and the Sempai who befriended him along the way including the Martial Arts legend Don Dregger. But it is much more than that, Nicole conveys something inexplicable in his verse that touches-the-power-of-life and the meaning it holds at a core level! In this sense, the book is powerful and compelling giving a good account of the rigors or martial arts training and the inside struggles to advance along this path. Perhaps more importantly is the synchronicity intercepting one life trajectory that brings people into our lives at the right moment for some hidden purpose.

This book remains a monumental best seller years after it was first published. It provides a primer for any aspiring martial artist seeking to study in Japan. Moreover, it captures a sense of beauty of these disciplined people who continue to live by a code of honor. Nicole Sensei emobodies that honor and mystery on every page. Great Book!

A Great Read!.......2006-05-09

This is a magnificent book and although I teach a Chinese martial art, I strongly recommend that all of my senior students pick up a copy of it. A classical story of a young man's journey along the path of the martial arts...we all see ourselves at different points in the book...this is a book that you just can't put down.
Until you read it again. And again.

A classic martial arts autobiography!.......2005-09-07

I have read this book probably about a half dozen times. Sadly it was out of print for a long time, but recently came back in to print with a new subtitle "One Man's Journey to the Heart of Karate". I never understood why it was out of print at all. This book is a classic, and is the one that all other martial arts autobiographies are measured against. And I should know because I have read them all (check out my book Martial Arts Biographies-An Annotated Bibliography if you don't believe me). This book is referenced in countless indexes of other books. It really gives a great history of karate in Japan during the 60s. Nicol describes living with other martial artists from the west such as Donn Draeger. If you haven't read it, I strongly urge you to pick up a copy, and read it today.

"Usss!".......2005-01-12

As a newly minted ShoDan in Shiho Karano Karate, I have to be skilled in knowledge as well as technique. To that end, I've been reading a number of books on various aspects of the martial arts. One part of that genre are the autobiographical accounts of Budo practitioners. I want to gain deeper insight into my own path through what others have experienced, learned, and how they changed as a result of their martial arts training. "Moving Zen" is one such tale, written by a Welshman who rose to black belt level in Japan during the early 60s. C. W. Nicol, an adventurous twentysomething, decided to immerse himself in the study of Karate. So he moved to Japan and began training at the Yotsuya dojo in Tokyo. "Moving Zen" chronicles the two-year period where Sensei Nicol progressed from a brawny and temperamental white belt to a skilled and calm first-degree black belt. First released in 1975, this newer small-sized edition includes an afterword written by the author in 2001, plus some vintage photographs and simple pencil illustrations.

Sensei Nicol writes with a very pure and austere style, so "Moving Zen" is a fairly quick read. There's not a lot of detailed exposition, although at times he tends to wax eloquent about the spiritual aspects of Nippon, particularly Zen within Karate (hence the title). Sensei Nicol is quite taken with Japanese culture, so you won't see much Western cynicism or skepticism here. Instead, he "went native," marrying a Japanese woman and eventually becoming a citizen of Japan. Of course, Sensei Nicol has his share of trials both in and out of the dojo, due to his hot temper and, ironically, being a gaijin (foreigner) in the somewhat xenophobic society he loves. But his respect, perseverance, and eagerness to learn Karate impress his Sensei and Sempai (not to mention his neighbors), so he eventually wins over even the hard cases. As his studies continue, Sensei Nicol slowly but surely matures and comes to grips with his penchant for "impetuous courage." Despite some slips that would've probably landed him in jail over here, he learns to calm his inner rage and become more tranquil. Indeed, the inner workings of Karate upon his spirit (vs. external fighting ability) become the most precious aspect of the martial arts to him.

I was humbled by Sensei Nicol's unswerving determination and dedication, as well as the harsh training he endured and blossomed under as a Karateka in Japan. One would have to really love the martial arts to deal with the ascetic military-style discipline, exacting technical requirements, and physical pain meted out by Sensei Nicol's superiors. He even had to commute three hours a day(!) via train to his dojo. I'm not sure I'd want to endure all that, although I got a small taste of it as a young Marine under a Japanese Sensei in Yokosuka, Japan. He never abused us, but we sparred full contact (with pads) and performed some extreme exercises, like doing wheelbarrows on our bare knuckles up and down the gym floor. I haven't seen many American dojos that hardcore, including my own. I stand by my current school, but I sometimes miss the intense level of training I had in Japan.

I read "Moving Zen" in conjunction with "Iron and Silk" by Mark Salzman and "Angry White Pyjamas" by Robert Twigger to get multiple perspectives on martial arts training. It's interesting to compare and contrast Sensei Nicol's early 60s presuppositions and experiences with those of Mr. Salzman's in the 80s and Mr. Twigger's in the 90s. Each book is a fascinating snapshot of a particular era, culture, and martial art style (Karate, Wushu, and Aikido). But despite their different philosophies, motivations, and levels of immersion, all of these men demonstrated personal growth and maturation through practicing the martial arts in a persevering way. I found that to be inspiring, and so I recommend all three books.

Hard fists and a cold dojo.......2003-10-24

Mr, Nicole tells about Karate from a Western viewpoint and how it was practiced in Japan after the war, but before it became mainstream in America. He recounts his interactions with the Japanese, some nice, some not so nice, and gives detailed accounts about his learning karate in the cold dojo with a wood burning stove as the only source of heat. His adventure is one that many of us envy but would not attempt, as he did and when he did. IN our current day of carpet on the floor, and three inch safety padding, Nicole's book provides a good account of what karate used to be like and should be like today.

Digital Day Trading; Moving from One Winning Stock Position to the Next

Average customer rating:

Poorly done, slapped together
lots of pages and little content
WHERE'S THE BEEF
Good Day Trading Boook
0 STARS

Digital Day Trading; Moving from One Winning Stock Position to the Next
Howard Abell
Manufacturer: Dearborn Trade Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Stocks | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

DayTrading into the Millennium
Electronic Day Traders' Secrets: Learn From the Best of the Best DayTraders

ASIN: 0793131138

Customer Reviews:

Poorly done, slapped together.......2005-02-13

Well, what can you say when you've read a book that shows little desire to convey any meaningful information in any meaningful way? Howard appears to have done a paste up of old news and well known "insights" into what looks like a book, but doesn't really read like one.

Worst sin? They didn't even take the time to format the "graphs" horizontally on the page, or with text. Every time you look at one of these graphs to try to understand the point Howard is making, you have to page ahead and turn the book 90 degrees and try to remember just what HA was getting at. By the time he mentions the 3rd graph you're already skipping ahead.

This is my first Howard Abell book and I have two pieces of good news: first, since I borrowed the book from the library I'm not out any $$$ (although I still feel cheated by the time I put in) and second, it's the last Howard Abell book I will ever read.

(I have a library of maybe $2,000 worth of investment books, so it's not like I won't buy a book of some value. Stick with Weinstein, Tharp, Morris, Nison, McMillan, Bill Williams.)

lots of pages and little content.......2000-10-01

I read about five books on trading techniques in the last four weeks before writing this review, and liked this one least of all. I never actually count pages in a book when writing a review, but I was so much surprised how such a (considerably) thick book can contain so little useful information that I made an exception. Judge by yourself: the structure of this book is as follows:

The first 35 pages (sec. 1-3) is a broad introduction into the psychology of successful day trading, which says all correct things but its style is so dry that you would rather skip to the next section than to read it carefully. Even if you do read every word, you will get such absolutely correct but next to useless statements as the following recipe for successful trading (p.33): "1) identify an opportunity, 2) take immediate action (buy or cell), and 3) feel good no matter the result as long as the trade is consistent with you specific method or technical bias and was based on probability".

The second part of the book (Sec. 4) uses another 50 pages for interviews with several successful traders. This section is not too bad, although one cannot expect to learn much about techniques of successful individuals (even assuming that they are willing to disclose all their secrets) from 6-10 page-long interviews.

The third part on technical analysis is the most useful part of the book. It discusses how to identify trends and select entry points. Unfortunately, the charts used to illustrate the text are too numerous and large, and the text itself tends to be somewhat on the side of general statements. It is sufficient to say that about 50 out of 80 pages in this section are charts, and in my opinion only about 10 pages contain really useful concrete practical wisdom. These 10 pages were very useful since they suggest analysis techniques which I have not seen anywhere else, but its only 10 pages out of 260!

The rest of the book, about another 100 pages, is essentially a large appendix with lists of all NASDAQ and S&P-500 stocks, long excerpts from the TradeCast 3.0 user manual (who needs this section? those who bought this program had presumably gotten the full manual, and those who do not own it do not need these excerpts), and a glossary.

My advice: don't waste your time and money, there is so many better books around than this one.

WHERE'S THE BEEF.......2000-09-06

Pages 3-50 of this book is dealing with some what useful information, for the novice invester. Pages 51-70 testimonials from professianal Traders is exciting and interesting. I found from pages 80-175 useful and worth my reading, I must mention that half those pages had charts. Pages 177-196 names and stock symbols, again probley for the novice. Pages 197-256 Appendix B Excerpts from the TradeCast 3.0 user manual, why I would want this unless I was going to buy the program and my hope would be that the manual would cover this, and then again maybe this book is the manual for the program and they just forgot to send the program?. Pages 257-267 Glossary, Further Reading, and the Index.

Summary-For $40.00 and 269 pages, I found 90 pages (half of those charts) dealing with the Authors title(Moving from One Winning Position to the Next) or as a very famous advertisment slogan goes..... WHERE'S THE BEEF

Good Day Trading Boook.......2000-08-28

I have now read 4 of Howard's books and think they give a lot of useful information to traders. I recommend this one and The Electronic trading of Options. Day Trader's Advantage is also very good. I also like Murphy's and Schwager's books.

0 STARS.......2000-08-24

I don't know who wrote the other reviews, but i guess they were abell's relatives. This is the worst book ever. Two pages of real information. I learned absolutely nothing from this book. After reading lynch, o'neil , motley fool and many other great books; I am insulted by this book.

The Delicious Grace of Moving One's Hand: Intelligence is the Ultimate Aphrodisiac

Average customer rating:

Food for thought
Trippy tome

The Delicious Grace of Moving One's Hand: Intelligence is the Ultimate Aphrodisiac
Timothy Leary
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Your Brain Is God
Intelligence Agents (Future History)
Musings on Human Metamorphoses (Leary, Timothy)
Change Your Brain
Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out (Leary, Timothy)

ASIN: 1560251816

Book Description

Timothy Leary (1920-1997) was one of the most controversial figures of the 1960s, the man who urged a generation to turn on, tune in, and drop out. Now, nearly two years after his death, this manuscript has emerged comprising his best writings about sexuality. Beginning with an account of his first sexual encounter -- his own conception -- Leary takes readers on an exploration of the link between sexuality and the mind. Each short chapter contains either a traditional or novel approach to what Leary called "improving your navigational control over your pleasure cruises," including Hindu methods for stimulation via hypnogogic yantras, chemical aphrodisiacs, and neurolingual tricks for arousal.

Customer Reviews:

Food for thought.......2003-10-29

I read this book a few years ago (knowing almost nothing about Timothy Leary, except his status as a 60's icon) and really enjoyed it. It helped me to redefine the way I think about pleasure and society's relationship to it. I was raised with such a puritanical "if it feels good, it must be evil" way of thinking that Leary's point of view - "if it feels good, it's probably good for you" - was downright liberating for me. Although I don't subscribe to everything Leary says in the book (for example, I don't think doing LSD once a week is a good idea), his essays are always provocative and full of food for thought. Even if you're put off by Leary's associations with hippie and drug cultures, I'd still recommend reading this book. Leary was an intelligent man with ideas worth listening to.

Trippy tome.......2000-06-23

"Turn on, tune in, drop out" the trinity of tripping, the credo of the sixties' psychedelic revolution, was coined by the "High Priest" of LSD, Dr. Timothy Leary. Though his Harvard research into the consciousness-raising possibilities of psychedelic drugs might have ended with his, and Richard Alpert's, dismissal from the school-the first faculty to be sent packing since Ralph Waldo Emerson-Leary went on through private funding to research mind-expanding drugs, especially as related to sexual ecstasy.

The Delicious Grace of Moving One's Hand: The Collected Sex Writings, compiled by Leary before his death in 1997, includes lectures, interviews, essays, and personal history that reveal this man's remarkable wit and brilliant scientific mind. The words here are just as often gorgeous prose as they are lucid scientific postulations. He writes of his "first sexual experience"-his own conception-in gorgeously erotic terms: "I was eased into this soft, creamy home, my slim serpent body sputtering with pleasure."

Accessible even to Leary novices-including those of us under 40, many likely born long after Leary's escape from prison in 1970-Delicious Grace will tune you in and turn you on to one our country's most ingenious, controversial minds.

Love Works Like This: Moving from One Kind of Life to Another
Average customer rating:

a revelation

horrible

Wonderful and Beautifully Written

Honest and Informative

Cry me a river.

Love Works Like This: Moving from One Kind of Life to Another
Lauren Slater
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Prozac Diary

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Accessories:

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0375503765
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Book Description

“Is even the most clenched heart capable of it?” Lauren Slater asks about love, in this original, eloquent, and illuminating book about how we discover what love truly is. Slater, career-oriented and willfully autonomous, charts her own personal journey and decision-making process, starting with a list of the pros and cons, about having a child. The cons are many, the pros only one: “learning a new kind of love.” But what will that love look like? How does one reconcile the needs of the self with the demands of others? How do couples go from the dyad that is a marriage to the triad that is a family? And how can Slater adjust to losing precious control of her own carefully developed life?

Slater’s complex biological and psychological history also lies at the core of this unique and yet strikingly universal story. One of the first people ever to take Prozac, she chronicles the impossibly conflicting advice regarding pregnancy and antidepressants, and explains the rationale behind her eventual decision to stop taking the medication during her first trimester. This is Slater’s first encounter with self-sacrifice, and for her a crossroad at which modern medicine and basic human love meet.

Love Works Like This is a richly written book by “an enormously poetic and ebullient writer” (Elle magazine), an author who writes with “beauty and bravery” (Los Angeles Times Book Review) about falling in love, about growing into the ability to put someone else’s life ahead of your own, and about the rich rewards we can draw from the courage to exchange one kind of happy life for another.

Customer Reviews:

a revelation.......2004-12-09

very real, but also a little scattered (not just mentally, but in format), crazy. i gained a clearer perception of some of the "issues" in her life, mental and otherwise. this book was not just about the writing, but was a gift really of a revelation of weakness and strengths. one can both hate and love slater after a book like this (giving birth on Lithium, Klonopin, and Prozac; forgiving her own mother, who was herself, mentally ill, and facing the fears of being an unfit mother, enduing a difficult pregnancy, falling in love with her daughter, becoming protective), as a daughter would. of course, this is a book, no personal judgments here. it must take some kind of person to write about her life like this. personal revelations can in my experience be dangerous, scary, make others angry. i have no idea what kind. and i hope that she comes across and is as she is a writer. also, gained a deeper understanding of mental issues to the extent that i could, really i don't understand what it would be like to hear voices in my head... i don't understand what she means. hallucinations, i guess. and how is that not schizophrenia?

horrible.......2004-10-26

I've never seen such self-pity as in this book. Too bad her daughter has got to be subjected to the environment in which she is so unfortunately born into. Some people just shouldn't be allowed to raise children. You need more credentials to be a pet owner these days. What a shame. And to think, this woman counseled people in the past. Scary.

Wonderful and Beautifully Written.......2004-06-16

As a new mom, I loved this book. It beautifully described the changes and upheavals that becoming a mother has brought to my life. While I wasn't on depressants, I too had a difficult pregnancy which I'm still coping with emotionally and physically. I too was on a variety of medications throughout the pregnancy. But the depression and medication worries are only a small part of the story in this book. If you're looking for Prozac Diaries part II as one reviewer seems to have, you're looking in the wrong place.

I too have never known that I could love this deeply, that a single smile from my baby girl would be worth more than anything I've done in my 38 years. No other writer has come close to describing the way I feel as if every molecule in my body has been rearranged. In particular her comment "Fatherhood is something you do, Motherhood is something you are" struck me. I've been fundamentally changed in so many ways that I never expected and ironically, I don't even care. I read the book thinking, "Wow! Someone has decribed how exactly how I feel and now I don't have to do it myself." She's written the book I wished I could but in prose that's so much more beautiful than anything I could have mustered.

I don't understand the reviewers who criticized her so much. Perhaps it was a father who was offended by how much the father was left out of her story. This was a story of the emotional changes involved in becoming a mother who struggled with some of the difficulties that no one tells you about.

Lastly, several of her observations have stayed with me. Like the thought that pregnancy should carry a warning label. As she points out, with all it's side effects, if it were a drug the FDA would classify it as highly dangerous. And the information that fetal cells remain in a woman's body for her entire life... parts of each child remain part of her physically in addition to emotionally ... explains so much to me now as a new mom.

I've been buying it for all my pregnant friends and new moms and we've all loved it and found it remarkable.

Honest and Informative.......2003-04-26

I've enjoyed other works of Lauren Slater, and this was no exception. It takes courage to write about the experiences she's had emotionally. Especially when it involves being heartfelt and honest about the giant step of having a baby.

Anyone who is pregnant or plans to become pregnant should read this book regardless of whether or not you have a history with depression or other mental illnesses. Many of the feelings and emotions Ms. Slater expresses about having a baby are ones that many women have, but are not honest enough to express. Reading about her experiences and emotions authenticates just how serious a choice having a baby is, not just for someone with mental illness, but for every responsible couple.

This is a good, informative and honest piece of writing. I would recommend it highly to anyone who wants an emotional look at what it's like to be pregnant. Ms. Slater is an excellent writer in both her use of imagery and emotion.

Cry me a river........2003-04-01

This is a book I wanted to like. I enjoyed Ms. Slater's "Prozac Diary" (although, interestingly, she never seemed to be suffering from what you might term "major depression"--whininess and an overinflated sense of self-importance was more like it) and "Lying," while another exercise in self-indulgence, at least had wit, good writing and a certain honesty that redeemed it.

Not so with this book, which is, to put it mildly, awful. It seems to be in vogue for women writers to pen memoirs about motherhood as a kind of self-improvement program--as in, "Yes, I was wonderful before, but motherhood has made me go such deeper and now I'm an even better writer and I Have It All." I'd expected better of Ms. Slater, but this book fits neatly into the trend, along with Naomi Wolf's Misconceptions, Martha Beck's Expecting Adam, Suzanne Finnamore's Zygote Chronicles, and more (I'm sure Elizabeth Wurtzel will be weighing in soon.) Perhaps not entirely coincidentally, these ladies are all multi-degreed and Ivy League--I suppose that makes their issues much more important than those of the lumpen proletariat.

Slater's book doesn't crack much new ground. Like the writers mentioned above, she's over-educated, a psychologist ("with over a hundred publications!") seeing herself occupying lofty heights as one of the intellectual elite. When she finds herself pregnant (her opening--a paragraph-long description of her urine--is priceless) she worries a lot about whether or not she'll be able to keep writing, presumably self-indulgent tomes like this one. Her husband tells her that she can "be the aunt"--in other words, he'll take all the responsibility for raising the baby, along with live-in help. Oh, how awful--a Mr. Mom and a full-time nanny. However will she keep writing? Her apparent "mental illness"--which seems to be little more than garden-variety dysthymia and very poor coping skills--is not examined in much depth, nor is her relationship to the long-suffering husband, who has to put up with her pronouncements such as "I hope you want this baby, because I sure don't." I also felt terrible for her live-in nanny, described as fat and pimply and whose major crime in life seems to have been not having wealthy parents to send her to Harvard.

Much of the book revolves around her agonizing decision as to whether or not to keep taking Prozac and her raft of additional "meds," but again, it's not made clear why a woman in a comfortable marriage, with a seemingly good career--as a psychologist, for heaven's sake!--is in such dire need of drugs that are usually prescribed in such massive quantities only to hospital inpatients. The ending is neatly tied up with her telling her sister, "I feel like a mother"--yet she seems to have had no transforming experiences that warrant this conclusion. Her self-absorption, already boundless, seems to have only added the ego-gratifying, "And I'm a mommy!"

Book Description

FOR ALL THOSE SURVIVORS who wonder when they will finally feel good, the answer is now. One Small Step reminds us that living well is the best revenge and provides the knowledge and tools to fully embrace life. Organized into easy-to-follow sections, readers will find help in:

* Moving Beyond Survivorhood * Enjoying the Gifts of the Present * Creating a Joyous Future * Responding to Life's Challenges * How to Start a Small Steps Support Group

Customer Reviews:

Affirming the strength of the human spirit.......2000-08-10

When I purchased this book, I did so with the intention of reading it to use as a tool with my clients. The clients who have found this book to be the most helpful are those who have completed their initial trauma work and are asking themselves and me, as their therapist, "Where do I go from here?" The book has some very powerful exercises which provide an affirmation as to how far they have progressed in their healing journey from abuse and offers direction as to where they can go from here.

Book Description

Someone's been stealing food out of Pokey the beagle's dish. When Pokey sets out to find the thief, he makes a surprising new friend instead. Now Pokey always leaves a little bit of food for Charlie the hamster to snack on. But when Pokey and his family go away for the weekend, Charlie's hungry and makes a big mess scrounging up cupboards for food. Will Charlie be caught in the mousetraps that Mom and Dad set as traps? It's up to Pokey to save the day.

Customer Reviews:

A Hound With a Heart.......2005-09-04

Poky is a lovable beagle who has a very unusual friend - a hamster named Charlie. Charlie has been eating the hound's food and Poky agrees to share his dog food with the rodent. He also helps Charlie dodge traps.

Thanks to video surveillance, the covert hound-rodent friendship is captured on film and the dog's owners make a place in their home for Charlie. The lovable hound and his funny friend are sure to delight readers of all ages; beagle lovers will be especially appreciative of this book.

What Can I Give You: The Moving Account of One Family's Journey to Understand the Many Faces of Their Child's Chronic Condition

Average customer rating:

Realistic, informative, entertaining, day-by-day account.

What Can I Give You: The Moving Account of One Family's Journey to Understand the Many Faces of Their Child's Chronic Condition
Mary Mahony
Manufacturer: Redding Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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There's an s on My Back: "S" Is for Scoliosis
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Growing Up with Scoliosis (A Young Girl's Story)
Scoliosis: Ascending the Curve
Stopping Scoliosis: The Complete Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment

ASIN: 0965887901
Release Date: 1997-07-01

Product Description

What Can I Give You? is a chronicled story of a loving mother's journey with her daughter, Erin, who was diagnosed with congenital scoliosis at the age of fourteen months. The journey follows her daughter through bracing, surgery, and even into her life as a young adult. The book offers insight and inspiration to families living with congenital scoliosis and gives them valuable guidance. Please note that the book was recently updated and contains special tributes to retiring Dr. John E. Hall as well as a medical update on congenital scoliosis by Dr. John B.Emans of Children's Hospital, Boston, MA. Of special value is the glossary in the back of the book listing the most current medical terminology with user friendly descriptions. July 2005

Customer Reviews:

Realistic, informative, entertaining, day-by-day account........2000-05-09

What Can I Give You? is Mary Mahony's compelling account of one family's journey to understand the many aspects of their child's chronic condition of scoliosis (curvature of the spine). Here is an intimate, candid, moving account of a mother's love for her child, of a family's struggle to understand and deal with an medical condition that afflicts almost six million Americans of all ages. Also highly recommended is Mary Mahony's There's An "S" On My Back: "S" Is For Scoliosis which she wrote for pre-teen readers and presents Maisey MacGuire, a fifth grader diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis at a school screening. This realistic fiction gives the young reader a day-by-day account of what children with scoliosis experience with respect to peers, siblings, sports, camps, and the normal flow of a school day. Both books are recommended by the National Scoliosis Foundation and commended by the Midwest Book Review for personal, school, medical center, social service agency, and community library collections.

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