Independent Books

One would think that American universities would be centers of free speech, where all sorts of views could be stated freely. Well, that hasn't been entirely the case recently. And this book examines some of the problems that have arisen.

I would have thought that the fundamental issues would be simple. Most speech is inoffensive. Some speech is actually illegal (sedition, incitement, or whatever). The line between illegal speech and legal speech may be a subject of debate, but that line exists somewhere. And some speech is in between: it is offensive but not illegal. And those who are offended have plenty of options: they can shun such people, or tell others about their bad manners, and so forth.

As this book points out, once one has rules against offensive speech, not just against intimidation (or worse), that leads to thought control. And there are some examples of what has been happening along these lines.

One spectacular example is the 1993 "water buffalo" case at the University of Pennsylvania. A Penn freshman got in trouble for using the term "water buffalo" in response to students who were making too much noise at midnight outside his dormitory. Although a simple apology from him would have been the most reasonable resolution, Penn made this into a major case. So did much of the nation! The result was not only a victory for the accused student, but the removal of the "speech codes" at Penn. It seems that the speech codes were doomed by the idiotic claims of Penn officials, including the Penn President, that they were merely following due process in the water buffalo case.

Downs describes how speech codes were removed at the University of Wisconsin as well. And there is some fascinating material about the University of California, Berkeley. The campus newspaper ran an ad that offended some people, and then compounded the problem by apologizing for it (offending even more folks). And then, there was a speech by well-known conservative David Horowitz. An assistant chancellor warned Horowitz that he might be shouted down "because the right of free expression also" belonged to those that disagreed with him! I find it incredible that such censorship could be called "free expression." Others were similarly censored just for having "politically incorrect" views. A striking example was former Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who was prevented from speaking to 2000 waiting ticket holders by a couple of hundred foes of free speech. One of these people, when challenged about what she had done replied that she didn't "believe in free speech for war criminals." By the way, given Netanyahu's record, I find such a charge against him ludicrous. And I wonder if genuine criminals, such as Yasir Arafat, would have been shouted down at Berkeley.

One more topic in the book is the sexual misconduct policy at Columbia University. That's another university that has a problem with taking political correctness too seriously. But in this case, the issue was simply that people accused of sexual misconduct were denied due process, including the right to hear the testimony against them or to cross-examine. That policy eventually had to be scrapped. Still, the incident serves to show the moral blindness of some of those who create policies on campus.

I found this book very interesting and I strongly recommend it.

The main purpose and content of this book is to present four case studies. In the first two, those of U. Penn and U. Wisconsin, thanks to efforts made by faculty and students in the last few years, gains were made in restoring some degree of free speech and other Bill-of-Rights protections to faculty and students. In the other two, Columbia and Berkeley, no such efforts have been made and the status quo continues. The author states that most or all other campuses resemble the latter two.

Also, in introductory chapters, the author gives a precis of what has happened to colleges and universities since 1987:

(1) the redefinition of the mission of the university from the search for truth and knowledge to the transforming of individuals into sensitive members of the community from whom all racism, sexism and homophobia has been washed away.

(2) the redefinition of speech as action. One doesn't state an opinion, one offends another person or harasses another person. So, codes against harassment and creating a hostile environment include saying anything of which the censors disapprove.

(3) "critical race theory", the view that racism is endemic to liberal society and that such notions as individual, reason, merit, etc. are racist notions and should be suppressed.

The author, like many others, states that the motive for the de facto repeal of the Bill of Rights at universities was that the welfare of some groups was more important. He goes on to point out that the consequences have been anything but beneficial, even to those groups. Feelings of antagonism have increased. An increasing infantilization or dependency of the favored groups has occurred. etc.

The author cites a number of other interesting recent books, including McWhorter, Losing the Race; Wood, Diversity; Kuran, Private Truths, Public Lies; Farber and Sherry, Beyond All Reason; and Kors and Silvergate, The Shadow University. Kors and Silvergate have continued to be active in the area and have established an organization called Foundation for Individual Freedom in Education (FIRE) with a website, www.thefire.org, where complaints can be registered. The site makes interesting if harrowing reading. There is also a database in which you can look up any college and get FIRE's rating of the degree of freedom on that campus.

One strength of the book is its narrow focus. That means, however, that other books need also to be consulted. The book is especially weak on the causes or development of the present situtation. The author states that he became a faculty member in the mid-1980s as a result of having written an anti-Nazi book (PhDs looking for faculty positions, take note!). By that time, the situation had already developed. For an eyewitness account in narrative form of the groups and motives that led to the present situation, see The Rape of Alma Mater. For a detailed study of the situation at the present time, one which includes other parts of society that are affected by what is happening in academia, read While America Sleeps: How ... and Indoctrination Are Destroying America From Within -- While America Sleeps: How Islam, Immigration and Indoctrination Are Destroying America From Within.

The present book is unique in sounding a hopeful note and in providing others with the two cases of (limited) success. It is to be hoped that other academics and students will read this book and learn how to take back their own universities.

Born in St. Vincent, employed in Trinidad and the U.S., and now living in Barbados, Carolle Bourne won that nation's Kamau Brathwaite Award in 2002. Saraband (The Incomplete Works of Caroline Ravenspeare) (Independent Press, $15), published in Montreal last year, celebrates Caribbean identity, and, particularly, Carib heritage, for the author is a descendent of Chatoyer, an 18th-century chief and St. Vincent's first national hero.

But these poems also narrate a difficult love affair. See Perfume: "Once a lover of / things light and floral - / I find myself drifting / from jasmine to /pungent pithy fragrances / like burying myself / in the deepest sense of you." Fascinatingly, Bourne often shifts between Victorian phrases and street- talk: an ex-colonial tic.

[She's an exmplar] of ... exemplary transatlantic poetry.

** George Elliott Clarke, a Nova Scotia-born author and poet, teaches literature at the University of Toronto. In 2001, he won the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry. **

This is a magnificent perspective of the mythos of The Caribbean...

"Wild Child" sounds like a fairy-tale comic-book of the West Indies! It was obviously partially inspired by the beginning of Disney's Snow White but done in a totally regional flavor.

There are definitely overseas influences such as a description of shoes that's not for the prudish, a glance at a tree in the heart of winter...

Many of my family and friends no matter their station in life hear one or two of these all too brief poems and rush to get a copy, perhaps we can hope for some more in the near future?

This book has awesome information for anyone wanting to grow all their own food and become self sufficient.

Also lots of tips for extending the season even if you only grow a few favorites.

Includes growing information on different vegetables, organized into short and long season heat-loving or cold-hardy. Also building instructions for their solar appliances and even the difficulties and learning from their decades of experience growing all their own food.

One of the best gardening books I have ever read! Excellent information on solar gardening & instructions on how to construct the garden cones, frames & pods. They provide practical information in an easy to understand format. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in gardening.

I had the opportunity to attend a Tabula Rasa workshop with Kathy Curry in February. The technique is amazing and easy to use. I had been working for some time on getting to the bottom of various emotional issues, and had tried a multitude of techniques, both through traditional medicine and more holistic approaches. After the workshop, I had a breakthrough when I recovered memories that previously I only had bits and pieces of to puzzle over. I used the technique on myself by first grounding myself, and then visualizing my "inner child" and grounding her...by using the communication balance, I was able to finally get her to tell me what was going on. The effect on my emotional state, AS WELL AS my physical health, was astounding. I have since used the technique both on myself and on others with positive results. I am now a certified Tabula Rasa practioner and look forward to sharing this technique with others!

This book is life changing. If you believe in the saying, "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear" this is the book for you. After reading the book and applying some of the processes, it has been a life changing experience. Not only for myself, by my children as well. There is a lot to be said about looking within, verses looking outside for a solution. Especially as it relates to your health and emotions. This book will start you on the right track and take you on a journey that will be forever life changing. Thank you Kathy Curry.

I picked this book up in Kansas City where the art exhibit "Unnaturally" was on display. While the book and essay are fantastic, it pales in comparison to the exhibition which was sublime!!!

I don't know where the show is going to travel (I heard it was going west) but do yourself a favor and check it out. One of the best art shows I have seen. If not, check out the book with wonderful reproductions and thoughtful insights on the work.

This is a beautiful book - the pictures are delightful, but it does not have an essay in it by Barbara Kingsolver. I bought it for a friend because we both love her writing and I'm disappointed to see that there's no work of hers included. Fortunately my friend loves art and I think this will still be a nice gift for her, but it's not what I expected.

this book was easy reading, kept my interest through out the book. can't wait for the next book to come out. love the main star serena wilcox.

I loved this book! It was hard to put down. Very easy to read and with a surprise at the end.

I have recently become interested in Wind Energy and the possibilities it presents for NY. With a finite supply coal/oil/ and other fossil fuels it is a matter of time before alternative forms of energy become cost effective.

Gipe was able to present an overview of Wind Energy. He offers mathematical equations for the energy produced, The difference between Energy and Power, and practical presentation of how, what, and why Wind is a viable source.

Chapters include: Measuring Wind, Estimating output, Economics of the system, Towers, Interconnections with a Utility, Stand Alone, Water pumping, Installation, and Safety.

I would have liked to see more detail on placement added into the chapters but Gipe does give you other sources to look into.

Overall Gipe does an excellent job of presenting Wind energy in an understandable fashion. I would recommend any interested in venturing into wind energy would start with reading this book. I am reading it for a second time.

Many would like to take advantage of the wind, a so-called 'free' energy resource to do things ranging from pumping water for irrigation to supplying their home or business energy needs. Over the course of the book, via extended examples of practical, functioning and active wind power systems, Paul Gipe makes clear just how 'free' this free energy source actually is.

While Mr. Gipe concedes readily that the wind can be harnessed to provide energy, he also patiently explains the limitations in doing so. Mr. Gipe is probably the technology's most level-headed advocate, and he makes clear what these systems can and can not do.

Although wind energy systems have lots of potential, they often fall short for several practical reasons. As Mr. Gipe quickly points out, not all sites are suitable for harnessing the wind, and the most important criterion for wind energy development is the stability of the wind resource, and not necessarily its maximum speed (as it turns out, practically all commercially available systems will not produce any energy above a certain speed, for aerodynamic reasons). This is the first and most common misconception that Mr. Gipe dispels, and throughout the book he provides a lot of clarification on many other wind energy myths and misconceptions. A second very common misconception among the public, who have been sold these energy systems based on their clean image (zero greenhouse gas emissions), is the ongoing confusion between power and energy, which many consider to be equal. Gipe takes us slowly through the mathematics, and shows us the important difference between power and energy.

Many unscrupulous advocates of so-called 'free' energy- solar and/or wind power have fooled more than a few technological neophytes by citing the high efficiency of such systems at converting the wind to power, er, ah, I mean energy. However, this is misleading for two reasons. First, power is not what we at home pay for; we pay for energy. Second, and most important, these knaves often cite efficiency at hub height, and not in terms of final output (which is what you really are paying for), when they 'sell' (more like hype) wind power. Granted there is lots of energy in the wind, but that is energy of motion, and that has to be ultimately converted into electrical energy to brew your coffee or run your toaster, and alas, the efficiency of such conversions is rather low, right around that for coal or petroleum fired electric power plants (and a bit below that of natural gas fired plants).

The book covers all the wind power basics, from estimating your wind resource (distribution of wind speeds for your particular site), to estimating your annual energy output with a given system, to costing the system and issues related to siting and installation. All in all, it is a very comprehensive book, complete with chapters devoted to each aspect of an individual wind energy system- rotor, transmission, tower, as well as issues dealing with interconnection to the utility and proper transformation of voltage for home use.

For me, the most important admission made in the book is the fact that no one can say exactly how much power (uh, energy!) the system will deliver. Because the wind is an intermittent resource, the amount of useful energy output depends to a great extent on the type of wind resource one has, namely the distribution of wind speeds throughout the year, and less on such things as the size of the rotor, the height of the tower and the efficiency of the entire system. In fact, because each system is unique in that it has a different rotor diameter, hub height and total system efficiency, one must estimate for each and every system under consideration the annual energy output. Failure to do so will mean overestimating the capability of your site and your wind energy system, and in turn, not getting all the energy you may require. As a result, knowing your site and its wind speed distribution (generally five years of data) is more important than the type of system you choose.

As a result, I have come to see wind energy systems for the home not as an enabling technology but as a limiting technology. This is the primary reason why investor owned and municipal utilities tend to use these systems as peak energy off-sets, and not as dedicated systems to meet fixed energy demands. Though Gipe does not say this in so many words, he does admit that the technology, while having many possible applications and lots of potential, also has a lot of fundamental limitations.

Mr. Gipe has written a few other books on the subject, some of them a bit more recent than this one. Still, this book makes for a good, clear and level-headed introduction to a much hyped technology.

This book accurately depicts the lifestyle and thoughts and feelings of Americans during the time slavery was legal. This book incorporates many concepts from other books such as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet when the Grangerfords and Sheperdsons feuded against each other over a marriage. I recommend this book.

How can one critically review what is arguably the greatest American novel? Very carefully! Twain, who briefly served the Confederacy was a river boat pilot, miner, reporter, lecturer, acerbic wit, devoted family man, was the premier writer of 19th century America.

In "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" Twain thoughtfully and compassionately weaved a tapestry of mid-stream American life and culture which probably did more to positively change white America's view of its black minority than any legislation ever could. He achieved all that while creating a timeless world of youthful adventure to where countless generations can escape.

This wonderful volume is a replica edition that contains almost 200 original illustrations by E. W. Kemble, which conveys the raw excitement of life on the Mississippi. It should be given as a present along with "The Complete Tom Saywer," so the reader can have access to the the entire mythos that Twain recorded.

I have read and enjoyed "Huckleberry Finn" many times; but this recording enhances the text and makes it that much more enjoyable. The narrator, Tom Parker, does a superb job of bringing this odd assortment of strange and humorous characters to life. He does an especially fine job of pronouncing the numerous dialects that Twain put down for posterity. Hearing Mr. Parker's pronunciations and articulations brings these characters to life in all of their mid-nineteenth century motley. If you close your eyes you can picture Huck and Jim conversing as they travel on the Mississippi, lazily wasting their days and outwitting the numbskulls they encounter along the way. Parker does an especially fine portrayal of Pap Finn when he rants about the Guv'ment in a drunken stupor. His Duke and King are also delightfully portrayed in all their vainglorious pomposity.
I was really impressed by how much value I received for so little cost. I laughed many times while following along with my text of the story. After all, Twain was primarily a humorist, and what's the point of reading a story like "Huckleberry Finn" if you refuse to see the humor in it? And Tom Parker's dramatic skills embellish this humor by bringing the text to life. Aside from the humor, Mr. Parker elicits the heart and soul of both Huck and Jim and shows how their views of each change as they both realize just how human and decent the other is. This is a story of some very human people from a time and a world that no longer exist. It's like reading a dream of a foreign world.
This CD set is worth the money. It's a delightful and heartfelt reading of a most wonderfully compassionate and funny story about the common sense and innate humanity of an "uneducated" boy from the back woods of Missouri who discovers his own sense of morality and humanity while living by his wits and travelling up and down the Mississippi while meeting an assortment of colorful characters along the way. And, yes, it is unabridged.

First off, I love this book and I was very mad to hear stuff like "All people who like it are stupid" I read one review where the person said "It shows how stupid Anericans can be" You misspelled Americans buddy! People did talk like that. I know because they still talk like that. I loved the language, and snobs who just turn their noses up and say "that's not proper English!" are obnoxious and pitiful! How is it hard to read? The bad reviewers called lovers of this book stupid when they couldn't even understand the book. Twain uses the N word so much because that's how people talked back then! Americans who insult this book are uncultured, know nothing about history and are complete snobs. I find Jim to be a kind, patient, fatherly figure, Huck to be an interesting main character and Tom to be lovable and funny. People say it's childish and that Jim is childish, but that's because the book is written through the eyes of Huck, a 13 year-old boy. You would have to be racist to call this book racist. MARK TWAIN WAS VERY ANTI SLAVERY! I'm really mad that people can be so ignorant as to want to ban this book. People say that Huck's adventure were boring, but they were not. He is a 13 year-old helping to free a slave and then there's all the stuff in between. How many 13 year-olds do you know who have ever travelled down the mississippi river constantly being hunted for, without any parents? I love this book, the characterization is flawless and all Americans should read this and enjoy it. Mark Twain was a brilliant writer and all you people who hate on this book and are mean to people who like it, I feel kind of sorry for you that you are such stupid snobs who can't even understand a dialect which is still used today. This book takes place at America's most shameful time in history and yet I am still proud that this is a book that represents america.

Twain's Huckleberry Finn has derived much controversy from its use of the "n" word in the dialogue as well as what some believe are stereotyped characters within the novel. As some have noted in defense of Twain, Twain's main object was to portray and depict the typical Southern dialect of this time period, and so his use of the word was to mainly show that this was a common expression used. This "overuse" of the word is most obviously an attempt at debunking the idea that people should speak this way. What some forget while reading Huckleberry Finn is that it is a satire aimed at breaking down and making fun of many of the conventions of not only the South, but other aspects of social life. Perhaps the biggest indicator of Twain's intent of facetiousness is in his "Explanatory" and "Notice" in the book's preface, where it is inferred that we are not to take everything so seriously in the book. There are many other things going on in the novel, and it is a shame that often we overlook that a classic like this has so much more going for it.

For one thing, the novel is as much about growing up and striving to do good as anything else. Huckleberry Finn has this battle throughout the book, and mostly after he meets up with Jim on Jackson's Island and must do some serious soul searching to figure out what is right and what is wrong. An abolitionist wasn't thought of lightly in this setting, and so Huck is not easy to let go of society's laws. However, through much of Jim's guidance, Huck does learn morals and principles of life. Jim represents the father-figure in Huck's life, mainly because Huck's "real" Pap is an alcoholic, abusive, neglectful and mean-spirited to his son. If there ever were a case for a character breaking the stereotype idea, it would be Jim. After all, isn't it Jim who questions what Huck believes about him running away from slavery? When Huck examines ironically to himself is, and will always be, a "no good abolitionist", this admission and growth of character can be chalked up to Jim, who has already influenced Huck by then. Jim helps Huck grow up and be a more thought-provoking character. Huck gains a better picture as the novel progresses; for instance, he comes to understand that the duke and the king are not only frauds, but that they are lower than low because of their greed and callousness to the Wilks family.

On another level, the novel is a lot about light-hearted fun, satire, poking fun of society and just Huck's imagination. Huck is a child who is not easy to civilize; he wants to be out in the world and living an adventure, being in a band of robbers with Tom Sawyer or adding "style" to a given situation. Huck often lives life by the moment, and has to use his "street smarts" to get out of predicaments, which might mean making up a story, faking his own death, dressing up like a girl to get information or using quick wit to escape a sticky situation. He seeks freedom and adventure, and the Mississippi River, where Jim and he spend much of their time on the raft, is a symbol for this escape.

Over all, I found this to be a difficult review because Huckleberry Finn is probably one of my favorite books and Twain is one of my favorite authors. But, I think if you read Huckleberry Finn in the right light, it is an amazing read about adventure and growing up. Definitely recommended!

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS READ MY REVIEW ON MONICA'S BOOK THEN YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO WASTE ANY MORE OF YOUR PRECIOUS TIME...PS: FOR ALL THOSE INTERESTED...IF YOU ARE PATIENT ENOUGH YOU CAN READ IT ALL FOR FREE..IT WILL NO DOUBT BE IN OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES EVERY WHERE...(LOL)....

I was brought back to the Starr Report after reading and reviewing the 9/11 Commission Report. I found the 9/11 Report to be lacking as a legitimate investigative report: it was incomplete, imprecise, and full of statements which were arrived at through compromises between Republican members and Democrat members.

One reviewer who, like many, disliked the Starr Report, drew a comparison using the 9/11 Report as the model of a good report. Many reviewers of the Starr Report refer to it as sleazy, pornographic, etc. Obviously, those reviewers have no idea what an investigative report is supposed to be. An investigative report provides the information an attorney or prosecutor is going to use to prepare his case. It must report the findings; fully, accurately, and precisely. Imagine an investigator who writes a report on a brutal rape case. For the sake of prudence he chooses not to mention certain female body parts as well as acts that are either titillating or repulsive. That report would be a waste of time and effort.

Ken Starr's job was to investigate and report; fully, accurately, and precisely. The notion that he did not have to include some of the more lurid details is ridiculous. The investigator is not supposed to delete things he doesn't like or add things that seem nice (as 9/11 Commission did in some cases). That would be up to the prosecutor, in this case the house judiciary committee.

The Starr Report is an example of an investigator doing his job correctly. The criticisms that were reported by compliant media were nothing but an attempt to further demonize the investigator for the purpose of evoking sympathy for President Clinton. In that sense, it worked.

If you believe the apocolypse is nearing, read this book! The sleaziness is beyond anything ever written in Playboy, the use of descriptive words are hilarious, and, amazingly, I learned new ways to have sex! Read this book!

This whole investigation, MILLIONS of Democrat and Republican taxpayer's dollars spent chasing the Republican's dream of revenge on Democrats for past occurences, has been a total waste of time. This book is evidence not of the wrongdoing, or moral corruption, of a president, but rather it is evidence of an overzealous man who was consumed by a hatred that is beyond what would be reasonable for an unbiased person. History will record Clinton as basically good, but flawed man. History will record Starr as biased, obsessed investigator who was intent on "getting his man" using any means possible, right or wrong. That is if history remembers Mister Starr at all.

Though titillating, this book, like Starr's entire investigation, is a complete waste of money. First off, its just REALLY BAD, and second, you can read it for free in the paper or on the web

The Mars/Venus Diet and Exercise solution is the missing link in my life. For 20 years, I have searched for wholeness, of mind, body and spirit. I work tirelessly to release with the emotional and spiritual pain of my past so that I may grow spiritually. I pray and meditate daily. I exercised regularly and I eat as healthy as one can in West Texas, lots of fruits and vegies, limited fried food and sugar. With all of this, I still felt fatigued, irritable and overwhelmed. After reading Dr. John Gray's book, I began using the recommended products and information in he book. I have been amazed at the results in my life the lives of my family and friends. I have since been privately trained by him as a nutritional cleansing coach so that I may help others. His information about how diet and excercise effect addiction has literly allowed me to help many people who struggle with food and alcohol addiction. The information on brain chemistry is fascinating and brings to light the differences in men and women. My marriage has come alive and my 5 year old said, "Mommy, you and my sister (hormonal 12 year old) are so much nicer now!" This book is a must read for anyone who wants to fill better and who are committed to a life change.
Here's too a healthy life filled with joy, peace and happiness.
Becky Benes, onenessoflife.isagenix.com

After checking this book out from the library, I purchased it so I could make notes and use it as a reference along with my select few books on health and nutrition. Pages two and three bullet point interesting ideas like how certain food combinations will put a man to sleep but put a woman in the mood. Well, if that's in the book, I haven't found it yet. What I have found is endless reference to how I will feel once on the "Mars and Venus Diet and Exercise Solution." But there is no solution, just a constant reference to it.


This book disappointed me so much because I loved the book, "How to Get What You Want, and Want What You Have." The book is about removing emotional blocks that prevent you from moving forward in life. Now that I've read this diet book, with so many questionable terms like, "cold pressed aloe vera" (what does that mean?) and his ideas about chromium, I'm ready to chuck everything. The worst part of the book for me was on food combining. He just combines everything as far as I can tell. Other books will have you not combining certain foods because they cause gas and acidity when mixed together. John Gray clearly is a novice in this field and though discovered some neato stuff in his research, should not have created his own system for others.

As for me, I've been studying health and nutrition for 25 years. I haven't been over weight in 27. I don't believe in dieting to lose weight, but I do believe in proper nutrition. At a bargain rate this book isn't worth it not to mention all the time you'll waste reading and being confused.

Although the content of this book is somewhat repetitious, the suggestions for boosting metabolism and improving diet are great. I'm drinking the activated water in the morning and bouncing and shaking my way to a day with increased metabolism and energy. I'm using the Isagenix shakes in the morning as part of this program and so far so good.

"Without a nutritious diet, we don't have the fuel to make more endophins." ~ pg. 102

If any book can be frustrating and enlightening at the same time it is "The Mars & Venus Diet and Exercise Solution." This book is filled to the brim with interesting information on dopamine, serotonin, testosterone and endorphins. You will learn about the top forty serotonin-producing foods and how to get endorphins to release into your body. There is also a good amount of information on how to make your relationships work. There seems to be a biological basis for everything John Gray has been teaching for years. He explains why women are obsessed with giving too much and how to get men to give more. It is logical and makes complete sense. He also gives some of the real reasons marriages fail. I thought some of the information was very interesting, especially about why men may become workaholics:

"By increasing mental stress by taking on too much work (deadlines and long hours), men in particular stimulate the production of endorphins to reduce mental distress and anxieties temporarily." ~ pg. 103

While this is very helpful and intellectually exciting, I think the actual diet can be confusing. In the section on following the Mars & Venus diet I came across many frustrating things. Each morning you are supposed to drink a glass of water enriched with lemon juice, honey, trace minerals and aloe vera juice. This drink is also taken after you exercise in the morning. That means you are taking minerals twice. The problem I see with this is that you are also taking trace minerals with your morning health shake. (This drink is also recommended for fasting - should you take that many minerals in a day?)

My main question really is: "Is it necessary to take so many trace minerals?" The morning shake is made with a number of ingredients that can also be found in the Mars & Venus Superfoods Shake. In fact, you can skip mixing up the shake from scratch and just purchase the shake online. My problem with the shake is that it contains blanched almond meal and I'm allergic to nuts in general.

I looked up the Isagenix products and read the lists of ingredients. There are three products you could buy even though John Gray also says you can find other brands (he doesn't mention which ones so I'll give you that information).

The products you can buy (at the Isagenix website) include the Mars & Venus Superfoods Shake ($45), the Super Cleanse ($30) and the Super Minerals (also contains lithium - $30). So you can get the entire program for under $105.

Some options for the same types of products (Total is $131 with the optional cleanse) include "Nature's Plus Spiru-tein Tangerine Dream (Nature's Plus - Tangerine Dream Spirutein Shake 1Lb - $18)" which I've taken for years (compare ingredients to the Mars & Venus Superfoods shake) and the addition of Omega 3 Fatty Acid capsules (Nordic Naturals - Complete Omega/Lemon, 1000 mg, 60 softgels - $17). If you want to add in Yucca try Solaray - Yucca - 100 Capsule - 490 mg - $6.

This is easier than making the shake and adding in flax seeds, protein powder, yucca, enzymes etc. If price is a factor then you can see the difference in price. However, I read the ingredients on the Mars & Venus Super Cleanse and found it is not as good a product as Dr. Natura's Cleansing Product Colonix - Internal Cleansing Program (Liver, Kidney, Colon, And Parasite Cleanse) - FREE UPGRADE TO EXPEDITED SHIPPING - $90). The thing to note about the Dr. Natura program is that the "Paranil" product has wormwood. This is not good to take for an extended period of time. The "Colonix" is a good cleanse on its own.

Once you read the book you can then use these ideas to your advantage. The ingredients recommended will optimize brain chemistry and this will make you feel better. I've been taking a shake with amino acids for years now and it does make you feel more healthy. The Nature's Plus Spiru-tein Tangerine Dream (or other flavors) is an excellent product that contains most of the ingredients (just take Yucca and Omega 3 capsules as well) in the Mars & Venus Shake.

To finish the book, John Gray also briefly discusses the benefits of aromatherapy. He also talks about spirituality and how dietary changes can even cause cancer to go into remission.

Overall I think this book is very enlightening. The frustrating part can be easily solved by buying the shakes in powder form. There just doesn't seem to be enough information to make the program work when mixing up the drink at home. I found that section to be very frustrating because no exact measurements were given.

~The Rebecca Review

However, my husband twisted my arm and I was tired of him nagging me, so what the heck. We both started the Isagenix program a couple of months ago and I just finished reading Dr. Gray's book. Neither of us really needed to lose weight, but I have a history of depression and PMDD (I've been on meds now for almost seven years). So two months later, I'm eating my words of skepticism. I am completely off one med, weaning from another and going to work on my blood pressure and cholesterol meds next. I am an entirely new person. I feel good, I have a lot more energy, my marriage is much improved and an added benefit, I've lost 10 pounds and my clothes fit much better. Our son has anger and aggression issues and so we started him on some supplements mentioned in the book and he is a brand new kid. He quit junk food, soda and is no longer craving nor asking for it. He's eating a lot more fruits and vegetables and has not had a single episode of aggression since about a week after starting the supplements. I've done a lot more research beyond just the book and find agreement with other health professionals (holistic) that back up his statements. So, I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth. Seven years of hell with depression is enough to convince me that there must be something to it.