P Books

I can't say this to people enough; that MBTI method typing is flawed, because of the following reasons. First, the test you take on typelogic dot com determines you internal self. Myself for example-internally I am ESTJ but in reality I am INFJ (ESTJ is my dual-the person who is the best match for my personality type). Second, as you can see from my example of testing ESTJ my internal dual-seeking self is menefesting outwardly flawing the resaults of the test thereby putting you in a pool of people you wouldn't get along with. For correct resaults-type yourself using How to Find Yourself and Your Best Match Socionics by Rod Novichkov then take the MBTI test and you'll know exactly what I'm taling about.

The profile of my ENTP personality was right on. I found this book useful and interesting to understand my parenting strengths and struggles as well as those of other mothers I know.

I have been an accredited MBTI trainer for 6 years - but I have this daughter who's now 5 and she's, lets say, 'spirited'. I've read lots of parenting books but none have really hit the mark - because she's not bad and most of these assume 'difficult' children - even The Spirited Child! So I bought this book - blind - don't know anyone who has it or has read it.
For me the first part of the book was superfluous - it's about working out your style and whilst I understand the book has to do that for non-MBTI people - it's a little unfair for those of us that get it.
Then it gets into the analysis. My first surprise is that the author has a preference for 'T' - so do I.
I found the book interesting - first read. You can also put by the bed and read a bit each night - you don't need to devour at one sitting. The examples are great. There's one particular example that could have been written about me and my daughter - about sticky tape and sissors! and it was like wow - OMG - now I get it.
Has it made me change my parenting style - no, will it, probably not overall, has it helped me understand my daughter more - you bet!

This book was very helpful to me in understanding WHY I do things the way I do (for example, how I relate to my children). It also helped me to understand why my mom did/does things.

I was able to make a guess a my children's personality types (there is info in the book in how to do that) and found out that my daughter and I only share 1 letter out of 4 - no wonder I have a hard time understanding her! Taking our personality styles into account, I am better able to provide her with the emotional and physical attention that she wants and needs. I also try to focus on the strength we have in common and have been able to bond more easily.

I have loaned this book out three times already and have another person waiting - but I want to read it again first. I highly recommend it!

Ever since before I conceived my daughter, I have devoured parenting books by the score. Only a few have passed the "purchase test." (I borrow everything I read from the library, then decide whether I'll reread it enough times to want to own it.) Motherstyles is different from anything else I've come across. After reading ONE PAGE I purchased it on the spot. A few more pages and I was already laughing and crying, feeling deeply affirmed as a mother and energized by the powerful truths this book contains. Since first reading it cover-to-cover in a couple of days, I have referred to it several times a week for my own parenting and to share its insights with friends.

Ms. Penley has used her deep understanding of personality type to show every mother why she shines in certain areas and struggles in others. Motherstyles solves an amazing number of mysteries about why different mothers, kids, and people in general operate differently, as well as shedding light on family dynamics. The book "justified" for me certain strong needs I have as a mother--such as why I need daily solitude for my very sanity, while for many of my mother friends, a little time alone is simply a luxury that they can postpone if need be. So I'm meeting my needs more consistently--without guilt. I have stopped comparing myself to other mothers, instead embracing my personal style as a gift to my child. And everyone in my family is happier!

Mothers in our society are in an strange bind: At our fingertips is an unprecedented amount of theoretical knowledge about all that children need in order to thrive. Yet on the practical level, ONE person, with her very human strengths and limitations, is expected to provide it all . . . while socially isolated, sleep-deprived, and overwhelmed by the rest of life's demands. It would be funny if it weren't so serious. This book goes farther than any other to lighten the load of that impossible burden, empowering mothers to claim their own uniqueness as a vital part of their children's thriving.

Motherstyles has changed my world. Since reading it, I've been imagining a world in which every mother had a copy of it. It would be a world in which every mother was doing her very best parenting, her unique kind of parenting--while having fun and feeling plenty of ease and joy! A world in which every mother approached her children, her partner, other mothers, and herself with warm and deep understanding. A world in which every mother felt free to be fully herself. And THAT would give children what they truly need. I urge mothers, their partners, educators, and everyone who works with mothers to buy Motherstyles and help change the world!

First published to great controversy & acclaim some 40 years ago, R.R. Laing's ferocious, heartfelt cri de coeur is even more relevant today. Technically it's psychology -- but in truth, it's a poetic, prophetic work in the tradition of William Blake. Laing's horror & outrage at the needless suffering inflicted on humanity by The Normal Man blazes from every page, and he demands that we face our own inner darkness rather than gloss over it.

Many will disagree with his assessment of schizophrenia ... and they may well be right in a literal sense. We've certainly learned that it has major biological origins. Yet in the modern zeal to medicate rather than analyze, to smooth over wounds rather than delve into their roots, we do ourselves a grave disservice by ignoring its psychological & social components. It's a symptom & reflection of the times, I suppose -- the 1960s emphasized community & social responsibility, as well as the importance of the individual; the contemporary attitude is all too often one of fitting in & getting with the program. If time & science call into question Laing's medical diagnosis of schizophrenia, his philosophical & moral diagnosis remains terribly potent.

How much have we really advanced since the book's publication? We see the same Normal Man calmly talking of pre-emptive wars, of acceptable civilian causalities, of torture as rational policy ... and it's Laing's anguish & compassion that are called crazy. If he were alive today, he'd undoubtedly be even more appalled by what passes for civilization. The dumbing down of the past decades, the push for blind, unthinking obedience, the Pavlovian appeal to patriotic buzzwords -- all this would sicken him. As it should sicken us. What to do in the face of such despair?

Laing reminds us:

"Yet if nothing else, each time a new baby is born there is a possibility of reprieve. Each child is a new being, a potential prophet, a new spiritual prince, a new spark of light, precipitated into the outer darkness. Who are we to decide that it is hopeless?"

The Bird of Paradise is there, hovering in the darkness, waiting for us to join it & soar into the heavens ... if we can only break free of the chains of normality. Most highly recommended!

Not sure about schizophrenia as a strategy to deal with untenable circumstances. Outside of that, this is the most profound book I have read in my life. I have been reading it on and off for 13 years

I had this book years ago and lost it; The Politics of Experience should be on everyone's shelf and is the perfect antidote to isolationist approaches to mental health. The interaction of people, families and communities, and how that interaction affects the participants' mental health, is important to remember in in our travels through life.

Schizophrenics often--not always--have a sensitivity for the Unconscious and what might be going on the mind of the other as well as themselves,but few of us ever get to "hear" it. In the very first three pages Laing gets into the mind and mind- reading of interpersonal relations of the schizophrenic ;eg" you can only experience the fact that I am experiencing your experience..."
this goes on page after page, also in Knots (another book by him). NEVER have I been so engulfed by the thought process; one knows, as he reads these lines, that "he is there" (with the schizophrenic) and knows it unforgettably. Harry Stack Sullivan also struggled with capturing that inner world, which he often shared, of the schizophrenic. Read this book and be introduced poetically into another reality.
Martin J.Kaplan, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist

Ravings of the mad have been metaphorized as "cries for help." Ronald Laing's '67 opus Politics of Experience could be similarly cast as the doctor's cries for help, were one compelled to do so.

Drawing foremost from fellow Scotsman John MacMurray, who insisted that philosophy was only the product of @least two people in relation (& never the product of platitudinous Cartesian contemplative solitude), & then from his own acquired capacity to talk to the designated mad, Laing issued this stinging rebuke of diagnosing & treating selected scapegoats: the invalidation, mystification (the word is Marx's), & finally execution of experience, for the purpose of maintaining social order.

After MacMurray, Laing & assorted colleagues waded into Sartre's last philosophical tome, the octopus-like Critique of Dialectical Reason (which @the time was available only in French), an arduous examination of how the varieties of human groupings appear & are recognized as such.

Lest Laing be construed as a muddle-headed humanist, he knew that although the time was ripe, lepers were not yet kissing saints: in Sartre's terms, no genuine reciprocity.

Despite the general acceptance of schizophrenia by professionals, media interpreters, & the lay population as a bio-genetic anomaly, no one has yet connected THIS particular chemical imbalance with THAT particular objectionable behavior. To his eternal credit, Laing resisted the easy answers with which most of us are so readily mesmerized; the product of what he called "incautious extrapolation."

This is a great book!!! I encourage all adults who want to be more informed about the health care industry to read it. You will be able to make better decisions about your own treatment. A great challenge to the conventional wisdom about routine testing.

This book is truly an eye opener. Millions of people are being screened for cancer every year, but is it really necessary? Is it really making a difference? Are people harmed by these tests in anyway?

Dr. Welch explains brilliantly, in my opinion, what these cancer screenings really mean. He argues that we are taking healthy symptom-free individuals and looking for cancer.

What most people do not know and I did not before reading his book is that:

1-There is no evidence that these screenings have actually saved lives. In fact despite increased detection of early stages of prostate cancer and breast cancer, the death rate for prostate cancer has stayed the same and the rate of late stage breast cancer has increased over a 25 year period.

2-Autopsies of people who have NOT died from cancer have shown cancer in the lungs, thyroid, kidney, etc. This means millions of people are living with cancer and die of other causes and not even know they had cancer.

3-If the screening finds cancer, it does not necessarily mean that it is the type that will grow rapidly.
a-It could regress on its own as our immune system eliminated abnormal cells, including cancers regularly.
b-It may stay the same for many years and never cause a problem
c-It may grow so slowly that cause no health problems and the person dies of something else before it does

4-Studies conducted by John Hopkins, Harvard, and others have shown that different pathologist give different diagnosis for the same tissues. They may look at the same tissue and some think it is cancer while others think it is not. Especially when it comes to the a few abnormal tissues found from screening a healthy individual.

5-Also between screenings it is possible to develop a fast growing cancer. So how often do we need to do mammograms and colonoscopies?

6-The statistics, such as the five year survival rate, are not always reliable and maybe calculated in a misleading manner.

So you have a mammogram, PSA test, colonoscopy, fecal occult test, etc done. This is what may happen:

1-You end up with a false positive, depending on the test, 10 percent false positive is the average.
2-You get the cancer scare unnecessarily.
3-This can begin a cycle of retesting, biopsies and other tests. Some can be very unpleasant and have side effects.
4-If they find an abnormal tissue, what does it mean it mean? May the pathologist made a mistake; maybe it has been there for many years; maybe it is a slow growing one; maybe it will go away on its own; maybe it is a fast growing one! Of course, your doctor can't take a chance with your health, and also does not want to get sued for malpractice, so most likely she recommends the most safest (which could be the most aggressive) course of action!

Here you were living a relatively healthy symptom-free life and now you are told you need surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy.

BUT once you or I know about they have found cancer, it is hard to know what to do, not to speak of the emotional toll. That's why Dr. Welch believes sometimes it is better not to know. However, as Dr. Welch cautions: If you have any unusual symptoms and your doctor recommends screening for cancer, make sure you are screened.

After reading the book I decided I do not need any screening. As long as I am symptom free and healthy, why put myself through tests that may or may not extend or save my life. I think as long as we don't do anything to harm our immune system, such as smoking, and do the things that enhance the immune system, such as exercise, there is no need to become a patient.

We all need to make the decision for cancer screening based on our priorities, family history of cancer, and other factors. Perhaps a good course of action is to read the book and consult your doctor for best options.

Thank you Dr.Welch for an excellent expose: Well researched and well written.

This is a great little book. In a little over 200 pages Welch reviews the science and data about cancer screening and concludes that it is not worth doing it. Cancer after cancer (prostate, skin, breast...) he shows that screening has very little benefit if at all in terms of life expectancy (I recently saw a scientific article defending mammography on the basis that it added 3 days of life to women having one regularly...) .
The main justification for cancer screening is the belief that a cancer caught early is not lethal. The problem is that a lethal cancer is in general not caught early. A lethal cancer is usually very aggressive and by screening time it has already spread (unless as Welch points out you are willing to be screened every other day...).
What screening is very good at is catch cancers (and Welch explains that the definition of cancer is not clear cut) that are growing slowly if at all and will probably never kill you... Have you noticed the epidemic of breast cancers or is it just me?
The only thing missing from the book is the broader implication of generalizing cancer screening. By devoting so much money to an irrational health policy the general population is deprived of many services that could really impact its health and improve the sorry health statistics of the United States.

Before reading this book, it had never occured to me that there were pros and cons re cancer testing. Welch has excellent credentials.He is on the staff of Dartmouth Medical College and writes articles for JAMA. In this book (which was also favorably reviewed in JAMA) Welch succinctly explains the perils of cancer testing in asymptomatic patients. He provides ample numerical data to support his contentions.The book is short and interesting and easy to read.

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. This is possibly the most valuable book you will ever read regarding your health. Dr. Welch has impeccable bona fides, and his arguments are well-reasoned and well documented. He is a wonderful writer who makes sense of complicated, nuanced statistical analysis for the rest of us.

Of particular importance to this 53 year old woman is his detailed analysis of mammography and breast cancer. He completely debunks the hysterical coercion of women to have this test, and points out why declining to have one is a completely reasonable decision. This is of particular importance now in light of Elizabeth Edwards doing public penance for "letting down" the country and her family by skipping a mammogram! Elizabeth, honey, read this book! It is doubtful that mammography would have made any difference in your outcome.

Welch's dicsussion of DCIS, which is probably the most horribly overtreated fake "disease" in the history of modern medicine should be required reading for every woman over the age of 20.
Just buy it - I plan to give a copy to every person I love. It's that good.

I bought this book and The Smoothies Bible. The Smoothies Bible, I don't really recommend because it was too redundant and the recipes were too similar. This book is the best book if you want smoothies like you get at juice bars.

I purchased this book based on what I saw at Amazon.com. The book delivers what is promised. I really liked the history of and profiles of the juice and smoothie companies that contributed recipes. As for the recipes: yum! Now I'm the smoothie pro in my apartment complex and smoothie parties happen at my place all the time!

`Smoothies, The Original Smoothie Book' by Dan Titus is the sixth book on smoothies I am reviewing. These six fall into three different categories. The first, with titles such as `The Smoothies Bible' by Pat Crocker and `The Ultimate Smoothies Book' by Cherie Calbom claim to be `everything you wanted to know about smoothies. In this category, the first is far superior to the second. The next category, with titles such as `Ultimate Smoothies' by Donna Pliner Rodnitsky and `The Best 50 Smoothies' by Joanna White are quick references, presumably with a selection of the best recipes. Again, the first of these two titles is the better in this class.

Mr. Titus' book may seem to belong to the first category, but I think it really belongs in a third with `Smoothies for Life' by Daniella Chace and Maureen B. Keane, where these books claim to offer things which may not be in other books, without pretending to be a `complete' reference on the subject.

Dan Titus' angle is that his book includes recipes from six major smoothies and juice bar chains, with the claim that this means you can make them at home just the way they are made at these chains in your local mall. This `feature' has some serious shortcomings, as I describe below. Mr. Titus does give us something unusual in a little history of the smoothie and the leading smoothie franchise chains. He also gives us some rather nice tips on smoothie technique, including an explanation of the phenomenon of cavitation, so well known and loved by fans of the movie and novel `The Hunt for Red October'. While cavitation makes it easy to detect submarines by sonar, it spoils the action of a blender rotor, which, on close inspection, looks suspiciously like a submarine screw, hence, the common effect.

All this material in the early part of the book gives the reader a good feeling that this is a worthwhile book. Especially interesting is Mr. Titus' scheme for rating smoothie recipes based on the freshness of ingredients and the extent to which they are prepared at the time one places an order.

Many of these recipes rely on juiced vegetables. This is a good thing, since vegetables contain some nutrients not found in most fruits, but I don't rank it too highly, as it means some of the recipes require a juicer, which narrows the suitable audience for the book.

I was pleased to see nutritional information on many of the recipes, but this effort is not as valuable as it could have been if the nutritional analysis was done for ALL the recipes, and, like Ms. Rodnitzky in `Ultimate Smoothies', put all the nutritional analyses at the same place on the page, so you could easily buzz through the pages to find a high potassium or low calorie recipe to fit your needs or whim of the moment.

Mr. Titus includes other worthy nutritional information, especially a no nonsense description of various important ingredients. The Appendix contains some good recipes for milk substitutes from rice and nuts. This is useful since I just discovered that soymilk is not as unalloyed a good thing as some make it out to be. This appendix also gives some quick guidelines on which smoothie ingredients are good to aid in treating which ailments. This is nice, but not nearly as good as Ms. Crocker's index of smoothie recipes by ailment in `The Smoothies Bible'.

Mr. Titus presents recipes by type, consistency, and by commercial originator. These recipes are missing my most important criteria for smoothie recipes, which are both English and metric units. I also give demerits for not including the nutritional analysis for many of the recipes and for not applying his very clever rating system for smoothies to these recipes. I also find some of the recipes to be almost worthless for the average reader as they include proprietary nutritional supplement ingredients marketed by some of the featured franchise operations. There are instructions for ordering these products but if you are put off by having to find a local GNC for protein powder, you will have no interest in spicing up your smoothies by something you need to order from the Internet.

This isn't a bad book. It just does not deserve five stars because there are several other books in the same price range, which are better. My overall favorite is `Ultimate Smoothies'. The most complete is `The Smoothies Bible'.

This book is one of the best, if not the best book on smoothies. Getting more fruit into our diets is something we all aspire to, but few achieve. Between having to shop for it, getting it home, and it spoils one day later, makes the recommended daily levels fruit consumption a lot more difficult to achieve. Then along came smoothies, and now we freeze our fruit. Chop it up into little squares as soon as you get it home, and place it in zip loc bags. Then the smoothie is always ready; no more spoilage.
My favorite is to take banannas, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, strawberries, and blueberries to make an all fruit shake. In this book you see a lot of varieties of the smoothies.
It's worth it just for the redipes. Highly recommended.

Now in a second printing, Smoothies!: The Original Smoothie Book by nutritional advocate and "smoothie" expert Dan Titus, is an excellent recipe guide for making smoothies that are just like those of such famous smoothie stores as "Jamba Juice" and "Smoothie King". Profiles of famous smoothie companies, basic "how to" instructions, detailed recipes for smoothies of every flavor, and a balance of quick-to-prepare recipes as well as recipes for more complex yet exotic tastes make for a first-rate guide for anyone who truly loves a smoothie. If you like smoothies, than you want to add Smoothies!: The Original Smoothie Book to your kitchen or barroom reference shelf.

I was in the 173d Signal Co when we went back to Dak To II in Nov 67. I met Dave Brueggmann on a perimeter wire detail. Had all day to get aquainted. He was quiet and one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. A couple weeks later I reported for duty at the LRRP area,, and there was nobody home. I soon found out that they were pulling Dave and his team out of the woods with ropes. Welcome to the LRRPS. I didn't know the author but I went on a mission with Tadina, once, outside Tuy Hoa. He mentions a few familiar names that brought back memories like Arslanian, (wherever you are). I also had the privilege of knowing guys like Rabel, Don Waide, and Sgt ''Rock'' Tremblay. It is difficult to meet people and not use these guys for a Standard of Character. They set an example for me.
It's a very readable book and it gives a '''Non-Carrer'' soldier's version of THE HERD.

Excellent view on how we worked. Bill & John did and great job! Lurp Teams were the "Eyes and Ears of the Commanding General". We had many tense situations. I personally slept with my M16 on my left side, my radio phone on my right ear and my 45 on my chest- finger on the trigger thumb on the safety. Ed Zapata RTO, Team G. Thanks Bill. Never forget you guys, Bill, Dave and Arthur Bell.

Excellent view on how we worked. Bill & John did and great job! Lurp Teams were the "Eyes and Ears of the Commanding General". We had many tense situations. I personally slept with my M16 on my left side, my radio phone on my right ear and my 45 on my chest- finger on the trigger & thumb on the safety. Ed Zapata RTO, Team G. Thanks Bill. Never forget you guys, Bill, Dave and Arthur Bell.

This is the true story of Bill Shanahan and his two tours of duty in Vietnam. Bill and his co-author John Brackin have created a book that gives the reader a fox-hole view on a unique kind of warfare. In Vietnam at this period of time, the Army and the Marines were all engaged in large operations with big units going into battles. Meanwhile, small Ranger units began to play by another set of rules with the enemy forces. They would ambush and engage the enemy where and when they chose. Sometimes the NVA and VC had greater numbers but these silent and invisible killing forces were able to pull success after success.

The authors give the reader some rich imagery through their wording and descriptions. This story is well worth telling and it will inspire and entertain. Bill was a real hero as were the men he fought with in his Ranger unit. I believe that this book gives justice to what they did.

A highly recommended book to read; it is given our Top Rating!

I think that Bill Shanahan's is one of the very best first-hand accounts written about LRRP operations. His verbiage is not egotistical, but it does reflect the confidence with which he and his teammates and others in his unit carried out their very speciallized and unique operations. They were a fine unit and this book gives testimony to their memorable combat achievements as part of "The Herd", the 173rd Airborne Bde. This books ranks right up there with the best of Gary Linderer's series of books and other great combat narratives of the Vietnam War. He puts the reader right out there "in the bush" and explains tactics and actions in a manner even those who did not serve in a LRRP or Ranger unit can readily understand. He tells what his unit did, where they did it, how well, and "lessons learned", all in a very candid way. It is particularly good considering that this is apparently his first book. I hope more are forthcoming from him. I speak from first-hand knowlege as a former LRRP in the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. I would highly recommend "Stealth Patrol" for a valued place in anyone's library.

My first copy was pretty worn, so I decided to buy this edition. Really interesting new stories, not only from the Pardeys expereinces in storms, but also from others. I liked the deductions made by folks from both ends of the experience spectrum, one a real novice, others all along the expereince wave, they all add to the information Lin and Larry share in a very understandable manner. I still think this book is really important. And this edition is definitely easier to navigate. I have the Storm tactics DVD and like it. The two work well together.

The authors give their opinion. It can be discussed but they support it by many examples. I was convinced by the interest of heaving to in bad weather or just to wait and rest at sea. Now, I am buying a parachute anchor...

In my humble opinion this is the Pardey's best book to date. The techniques they present are life savers have no doubt.
M. Bertsche

My wife and I spent four years living on our sailboat (55ft) voyaging from Calif. to the east coast and read every book I could find on heavy weather sailing. About half-way through I came across Pardey's book. I think it's far and away the best volume out there on the subject. Even if you pass on the parachute angle and just plan on heaving-to in a tough situation. Should be in every crusing boat's library, and read and implemented by the skipper.

After reading this book you will know a lot of theory about when and how to heave to. Diagrams and well-written explanations describe methods and techniques of survival during a storm at sea. Also consider "Heavy Weather Sailing" (revised edition) as an excellent source of information on storm tactics and heavy weather sailing. It describes the yacht's stability in more detail.

Tiopa Ki Lakota stands out within this genre for the quality of the writing and character development. I don't know how accurate the portrayal of the Lakota Indians is, but it's very interesting. This is one of very few lesbian-themed novels I have passed on to my partner to read (she's not into the typical lesbian romance books) - and she is really enjoying it, too (and she's a very picky reader).

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants more than just a formula romance novel.

This was an awesome story that held me from cover to cover. I wanted more. An in depth story involving the daily life of the Lakota as well as the love story of two people destined to be together. Jordan Redhawk outdid herself again.

I loved this book. No qualms at all about 5 stars. A book can be pretty much perfect for what it is, but if it doesn't touch me in some deeper way, I usually avoid the 5-star rating. But this elegant and detailed piece of art deserves every star.

I first read it years ago online, and I find that a lot of what I loved back then suffers a touch in comparison to the quality I've been exposed to now. But this book was not hurt by the passage of the years at all, and in it's published version is likely stronger and richer than what I read in the past.

At its heart, this book is an extremely touching romance. The characters are sympathetic, and real. But to bolster the strengths this author employs in characterization and flawless motivations, the tale is an absolute masterpiece of interwoven pieces of Lakota society held up in comparison to "white" society back in the late 1700s, and even our modern society. There is a depth of understanding that is provided so that even when practices of the people as presented seem odd or unnecessary to us, they make complete sense in the context of their formation and application in society back then. Through this the beauty and peace that result from the communal Lakota life as presented in this book is highlighted and celebrated, with acceptance of everything as it is, including the "two-souled" Anpo--a warrior in a woman's body--given special status and honor in her society. I have no way to vouch for the accuracy of each description, but the author's skillful use of language, including the fascinating scattering of the text with Lakota words (and the helpful pronunciation guide and glossary included in the back), vivid descriptions, keen eye for the emotion and reactions, events and consequences really bring this world to life.

And as I said, at the heart of it all you get Kathleen and Anpo and the gentle balance they bring to one another, and the positive power and influence their happy union has on their family and friends. This book actually spans a couple of decades, though most of the action is concentrated in a 4 or 5 year span. The author skillfully moves time along, while not neglecting the important moments. I love interesting information and detail; I love it when the characters I like so much are given interesting lives and things to do. I really enjoy the richness that supporting characters can lend to the proceedings. I can't praise this book enough. It just got to me, and was an uplifting and inspirational read.

I first read this book online, yes, online: http://www.djordanredhawk.net/tiopa/lakota1.htm

I am glad to see it available in print. I was certainly not looking for lesbian fiction; but as I started to read it I was mesmerized. This is not a gratuitous sex book. Readers will experience Native culture and the fascinating world of the two-spirits. It is a shame that our predominant White culture has had such a negative influence on contemporary Natives once having a tradition of two-spirit or berdache society, that being 'gay' and 'native' no longer receives the respect it once did. Read this book. Gay or straight, you will love it. I did.

I just love this book and highly recommend it. The way the author develops the relationship and draws the characters page after page is just amazing. It is one of those books which you have to read in one session (set a weekend aside for this) and where you hope to see a sequel, because you don't want the story to end. It is not just another easy to read romance or a good Uber book, but a brilliant and interesting read, which gives insight about a special and interesting culture.

I would love to to be able to give it more than just five stars.

This is probably one of the most life changing books I have ever read. I would highly recommend this book for any Christian and for any minister of the Word. It will change your life! Paul Tripp presents himself as vulnerable by revealing his own faults and failures and constant need of grace in Christ. He stands alongside of you as you see your own heart revealed and your ongoing need of change. I am a pastor and my ministry has changed drastically for the better because of this book. It is Christ centered and spiritual gold for the layman's book shelf. Anything from CCEF is gold. I thank God for these dear brothers. They have advanced the Biblical teaching of sanctification to great levels, literally getting to "the heart" of the matter.

This is a wonderful book. It explains clearly how our words are meant to honor God. A great resource book and a must read!

Paul Tripp gets right to the heart of the matter. With great skill he is able to reveal to the reader the ugly truth about the condition of their heart. Fortunately, he doesn't leave you there but shows how the power of the Gospel properly applied is the only real solution.

This is one the most helpful books I have ever read and I highly recommend it.

This book is scripturally based and is very helpful to everyone. The subtitle "Getting to the Heart of Your Comminication Struggles" should be "Getting the Heart of Your Struggles". So much of our sin comes from our words and attitudes and this book just drives that home consistently. I can't think of anyone who could not benefit from this book, believer or non-believer. I got on line actually to order four more books for friends of mine.

This is the best book I've ever read on how Christians should behave in terms of communicating with one other. Tripp points out the (not always so) obvious that Scripture clearly teaches that anger is a sin, and if we use anger in our communication, it means we are not trusting God who is sovereign over our lives and circumstances. He asks the pointed question: Are you willing to sin in order to get what you want, or, if you don't get what you want, do you then sin (out of anger, frustration, disappointment, etc.)? He also provides some excellence guidance on anger management. It is both biblical in its teaching and practical in its application.

I read his books as a teen and loved them. Bought the whole set for my grandsons, [teens]. They laughed until they cried. [so did I].

If you like animals you will enjoy all James Herriot's books. This is one of a series of delightful books. Reading one will make you want to read the next one. I can read them over and over.

I have the complete series of All Creatures Great and Small books now. This was the last one and I loved it as much as I loved the others. He was a fantastic writer and having been born and raised on a farm I can appreciate a lot of what he talks about. I also have his cat and dog stories books and loved them just as much.

The books arrived so quickly that I got to take my time
wrapping the books.

The third book in the series and you know exactly what to expect. Yes, folks, it is every bit as entertaining as the first two, and that's probably all you need to know. But I'll go ahead and mention that he spends some time in the RAF during World War II, which we knew he would as the second book ended. I'll also mention that he and Helen have a baby, which you probably expected. One of the great joys of his writing is discovery, so I'd hate to screw that up with a spoiler, but these two tidbits are on the back cover anyway. Oh, and halfway through it, I predicted an ending in advance, and I only had to read 1000 pages by this guy before that happened. It's still great, great stuff, and you know you'll love it.

While reading this book, it occured to me that I could have been sitting in the course - that's how verbatim the majority of the book was written. I certainly walked away with the concepts of EST but without the experience of people who have actually taken this course. For anyone who has taken The Landmark Forum (EST's predecessor), this is a great book to remind you of some of the exercises and concepts covered in that course.

This book is the real deal. It's more hardcore than the Landmark Forum, but it does contain many of the distinctions that are at the core of what makes the Landmark Forum so effective. I am dismayed, however, by those reviews that use the context of a book review to opine on something they have no clue about. Landmark Education is a for-profit business; yes, it has programs to sell; no, it doesn't hide that fact. I can tell you that Landmark Education operates with the highest integrity. Yes, its representatives believe that its programs are the best. Many business professionals believe totally in what they sell. As for the guy who said that est and Werner ruined his life and his life, I say "BS." He ruined his own life, if he could only take some responsibility for his participation. As I wrote in a similar review, read the reviews and then make up your own mind.

...and was actually convinced never to go near est or any of its incarnations. I like to think I'd be one of the few who in the first session, upon being offered their money back, would go to the back of the room and claim it on my way out. I give this book five stars, but for the opposite reason that many reviewers did.

The Book of est is like attending the Landmark forum. I found it to be a great reminder of what I got out of the course I attend in 1999. I got something different reading this book than attending the forum. It really can be stated from my experience that it is an opening, a clear slate, an observing viewpoint to experience and see events unfold and not be the at the controlling force of people or events.

You can review many of the topics of how you create your own experience of life, how to discover what is behind some issues that you struggle with and how to get beyond those issues or transform your approach to issues in your daily experience. You will still struggle with things in your life. This book does not fix you, you are not broken.

This is a must read for anyone that finds themselves stuck and is looking for a new point of view and breaking through self-imposed barriers.

Some people have problems with Landmark. I myself do not like the experience of the marketing but as they say "take what you get" what I got from the training I would have paid for it again.

I have taken the Forum and have had many additional breakthroughs from reading this book. This book is much more focused on opening up to your experiences the the Forum was. This re-creation of an EST event is more harsh then the Forum with the leader addressing people as A-Hole directly. I had a racket (Est/Landmark jargan) about this at first but then I got the distinction made in the book. An A-Hole is someone who thinks he/she is not a machine (more Est/Forum jargan) and resists in the name of their so called freedom. They do not take responsibility for their experience and this keeps them small. A non-A-Hole is someone who gets they are a machine, accepts it, rolls with it, observs it, and is free as a result. When the arguments between participants and the leader were recreated I felt like I was back in my forum all over again. One of the most powerful breakthroughs for me when reading this book was that I stop resisting and I Take What I Get and I Don't Take What I Don't Get. I was no longer resisting. Resisting what you may ask? Feelings, stories, experiences, being present to others, etc... By not resisting and taking what I get, I feel so much lighter. This is such an important concept as for one, what you resist will persist and number two, if you experience something to its fullest, it will disapear and that is a very freeing feeling. Concepts from the Landmark Advanced course are also covered yet with a different spin, such as the Ultimate test for knowing what is Real. The Forum states that Physicallness is the ultimate test for reality yet the focus in this EST book is that experience is really what reality is. It is all how you experience it. One quick example from the book is if you are hit by a bus and you don't know its a bus because your eyes were closed, AND (big "and" here) you experience it as being run over by GOD, then to you it was "really" GOD that hit you. You created your experience and it was real for you. Incedentally, since you create your own experience and are responsible for creating all of your experiences, this makes you a God as well. The paradox that is pointed out in this book is that not only are you a God but you are also a machine as you are not in controll of your thoughts all of the time. Simply close your eyes and try to think of nothing for over 3 minutes and you will probably find this imposible. No matter how much you will it, want it, try for it, controll it, thoughts will still pop up and so you are not in controll. What you are left with is the power to Choose freely. Often, I have found myself having to put this book down so I can apply what I have read to my life or just observe the distinctions created happening out in my life. It is definitly a different flavor of the Forum so if you have taken the Forum and want to get a wider scope of freeing and enlightening perspectives, this book is well worth the price.