Works Books

Suffering is the proper word. Anthropology should be totally, completely fascinating -- it's the study of human cultures, for heaven's sake -- but it's often a dry-as-dust class for college students.

This book is not dry. In fact, it's probably the only anthropology book that can bring the reader to tears of laughter.

Which is not to say that the book is a comedy. It's not. The book is a sympathetic and interesting take on the writer's study of the Dowayo people. But the Dowayo people -- like any other ethnic group or people -- have quirks that the people themselves cannot see. Nigel Barley lives among the Dowayo and documents their lives, tells how he does anthropology, and manages to do so in a way that makes the book one I sometimes pick up, open at random, and enjoy.

Stumbling upon this book was total luck! The only motive I had to get this book was a desire to learn more about Anthro as informal as possible- yet have it be completely nonfiction.

I just want people to know that this is my first actual review. That being said, everyone who reads this review should understand that I liked this book SO much that I not only sent it from my house in Japan to a friend in the states, but I also came back here to write a short blurb on it.

I promise any future reviews won't be such a waste of everyone's time! Take a chance and get this book!

I borrowed this book in the early 90s from a British friend (thanks Mark!) and it fast became one of my favorites (a close second to Brave New World). Witty, touching, and hilarious - I would love to have Nigel Barley over for a dinner party! I just wish he had written more books like this one!

Nigel Barley is a social anthropologist and this is his account of his first fieldwork, a year living and studying the Dowayo people of Cameroon. Social and cultural anthropologists (also known as ethnographers) travel to exotic locales (sometimes in our own backyard) and live among a group of people for a year or more in order to come to know their way of life intimately and write about it. Most every Ph.D. student in the field will face this "rite de passage" in order to become "a real anthropologist," and is generally given precious little guidance in the matter, which seems cloaked in mystery and is therefore commonly a source of considerable anxiety. In recent years, the situation has been partially remedied with the publication of some texts on methods and techniques, as well as the development of courses on field research methods, but there is still little written on the human dimension - namely, what is life like "in the field"? This book joins a small club, which includes Malinowski's diary and Return to Laughter. What sets Barley's book apart is his wit. He faces some serious problems but - in retrospect at least - laughs at them. It is a very entertaining read. You will learn a lot about what to expect in the field. It will also be useful for anyone who will be living in Africa and possibly other developing regions, such as Peace Corps volunteers and missionaries. I was, however, uncomfortable throughout the book because the author seems to be very distant and detached from the people he lived with and studied. It is hard to find anything very positive about the Dowayo, and the book therefore serves to reinforce negative stereotypes about Africa and bolster Western superiority. I prefer the eloquence and wisdom of Return to Laughter.

This is a budding anthropologist's account of his experience with an obscure and previously unstudied people in the Cameroons. If you thought you might want to be an anthropologist, this will either inspire you or turn you to some more comfortable calling. The innocent Englishman describes in hilarious detail his dealings with bureaucrats, missionaries, village chiefs, and rainmakers, while trying to maintain anthropological distance. You learn a little bit of anthropology from the book; you learn much more about the anthropologist. He may have embellished his story in places, but he probably didn't need to. It would make a great film, but don't wait for that. It's one of the funniest books you'll ever read.

I purchased Dr. Thomas' book to assist me in my research in leadership behaviors and stakeholder empowerment, and what a great help.

However, the best part of reading this book, I was forced to remember much of my past training and reignite many of the qualities I had forgetten to practice.

What a great book, would recommend to anyone interested in understand how and why motivation works.

Intrinsic Motivation is one of the better books on leadership and management that I have read recently. Thomas targets both managers and employees, arguing that salaries and other extrinsic rewards are neither the sole nor the primary source of motivation in modern organizations. In fact, monetary compensation is only a factor when making major life decisions (e.g., whether and when to change jobs) and when there is a question of fairness. The best a manager can hope for, says Thomas, is perceived equity - that those doing the most and the best work are the best compensated. Absent major life decisions and inequities, it is intrinsic rewards that will motivate employees.

Intrinsic motivation, according to Thomas, means giving employees an understanding of the purpose of the tasks they do and giving them whole tasks whenever possible. Today's workforce is more highly educated than its forerunners. Competition and the need for quick decision-making have reduced the reliance on middle managers and bureaucratic rulebooks. In this environment, employees must be self-managing and they must have a sense of meaningfulness, choice, competence, and progress in the work that they do. If they feel that they have all four of these factors, employees will feel a great sense of job satisfaction, be highly motivated, and perform well.

Thomas offers managers and employees suggestions on how to improve in each area if it seems that that factor is lacking. In fact, if an employee is feeling unmotivated, Thomas suggests the employee consider which of the four "vital signs" is weak and address it accordingly. It is important, for example, for employees at all levels to have a personal vision to boost their sense of meaningfulness. Feeling that you have no choice in how you do your work? Negotiate with your boss for more authority or, if all else fails, consider moving to another job that provides more choice. A sense of competence comes from training and learning, but it also comes from patting oneself on the back for a job well done. Progress can be measured in a number of ways, but one of the best is through contact with customers.

Thomas's book is only an overview into each of these areas. He intends Intrinsic Motivation to be an all-encompassing model of employee motivation, and he generally succeeds. Those seeking more details would need to use Thomas's notes to find articles and books on individual subjects discussed within the book. And it is a shame that while Thomas characterizes outdated management styles as "paternalistic" he uses analogies of parents and children when describing intrinsic motivation. Overall, however, Intrinsic Motivation is a healthy reminder to both managers and workers that there are many steps we can take to improve employee morale and productivity. More money is better than less, Thomas agrees, but a true sense of purpose and worth can be priceless.

This is the first book that I have read that provides me with the information to confront the problems associated with instilling intrinsic motivation in those that I manage. It is often the problem that people show little concern for their work. The rule seems to be something like this- Do just enough to get by while exerting the least energy as possible. I like this book because the information is not a story of what a good manager has as an opinion as to what works best but it is a scholarly book in the sense that it provides information based on research that is proven. This is to date the best book that I have to reference when dealing with teams that act out of extrinsic motivation or no motivation at all. I applaud the author for this work.

This book deserves more than five stars.

Prior to Intrinsic Motivation at Work, management books often referred to the need for intrinsic motivation or sources of thta motivation (such as an inspiring purpose or interesting work). This book takes those isolated thoughts and connects them into a systematic method of improving overall motivation by increasing internal motivation and connecting with external sources of motivation. This book will be a landmark in the field of human resource management for decades to come.

The book contains many helpful elements to help you understand its message. One that I particularly liked was the management tale. In one connected example, it showed how management attention has shifted in the last 120 years from making people perform more effectively at predefined tasks (the rational approach as defined by scientific management) to creating passion and fulfillment from work, by focusing on the emotional side of a person. You get an overview of management practice and theory in very small and easy-to-digest doses. For example, one of my favorite sentences was "So the executives crafted Vision Statements that emphasized Contribution to Customers and Quality . . . but often [they] rang hollow in time -- like unkept promises."

The author distills the relevant sources of intrinsic motivation into meaningfulness, choice, competence, and progress. These ideas are nicely developed in several dimensions. For example, it is explained how these affect the worker (or associate, if you prefer that term). You also find out what the leader or manager has to do to help create those factors for the worker. Then, the author also exposes how the four areas are connected in a system of postive (or potentially negative) feedback. Further, you are given five elements of each one to develop.

Basically, the model calls for the meaningful purpose of the organization as the starting point. The next step is to give people a choice of actions to implement that purpose. Then activities are performed, and these are monitored for the competency shown (which may generate the need for better choices to pursue the object or to enhance the competency of those involved). After the activities are completed, you also look for progress and relate this back to the original purpose and your choices for fulfilling that purpose.

The book goes on the explain how to integrate intrinsic and external sources of motivation so that they reinforce one another.

There are several points to keep in mind when considering this book. First, you will get even better results if the organization picks a meaningful purpose that offers the potential for more intrinsic motivation. Some purposes have more potential to be accomplished and some are more exciting to more people. I find that most people latch onto an organizational purpose with too little consideration of the alternatives. Second, any on-going organization has a perceived purpose that attracts and retains employees now. You should find out what that is before changing it. My experience has been that you get better results by building upon that assumed purpose than by striking off in a totally new direction. Third, simplification (see Simplicity) is a related thought process that should be employed with this one. A lot of demotivation along intrinsic lines follows errors in making things too complicated and difficult.

Although this book is about work, its principles apply just as well to volunteer activities. I suggest that you share the book with those you volunteer with and then discuss how to employ its lessons to fulfill your empowering purposes.

Kenneth W. Thomas presents a model for using intrinsic motivation in the workplace to assure a more committed, self-managed workforce. He advocates leading for meaningfulness, choice, competence, and progress. He emphasizes the need to use this approach to give employees the greater independence and decision-making authority they need as bureaucratic management models break down. While many of these themes are presented in other books on leadership, motivation, training and worker empowerment, Thomas pulls them together in a well-organized, clearly written presentation that gives readers clear directions. The succinct style of writing is easy to understand, even though it is directed toward the serious reader. We [...] recommend this book to executives, managers, trainers and management consultants, as well as to employees, who will find helpful ideas for exercising greater self-management.

I adore David LaChapelle's work! I love how he uses colors, and his interesting subjects. His photos are beautiful. Does he have a website?

this book is badass. its great if your looking to be amazed...(or showing little kids when they wont shut up!)uhh try it youll like it...too bad he didnt take pictures of me!

He is so creative and each one of his works are a break from reality. LaChappelle finds beauty in the most awkward places. Each picture looks like a mini-movie.

Not many photographers can put together the camp, kitsch, gloss and lustre that this man can. Even the gaudiest of pictures can envelope you mind's taste buds... Its beautiful, erotic and camp at its best!

Lachapelle is one of my favorite contemporary photographers. His use of color is outstanding. Between the excellent technical quality of his work, and the whimsical (and sometimes arousing) subject matter, there is nothing about this book that is unenjoyable! I find the fact that not one of his images was digitally created or even enhanced to be a testimony to his talent and artistic vision.

I came home from a production of The Lion King staged in Appleton, Wisconsin, and was so enthralled I immediately set out to find out "How did they do that?" This book met and exceeded by expectations. I am an amateur costumer and puppeteer and this just the stuff to bring a smile to my face. Before this book I was not aware of Julie Taymor by name (Sorry, from a small town, don't get out much) but I will be looking for her work from now on.

...is seeing the show live. From intellectual concept, to extensive and authentic research, to development with constant referral to the physical, metaphysical, intrinsic, to the workshop...to the stage. One will see that Julie Taymor was THE RIGHT visionary to not only help in the translating an animated film to live theater, but to also retain the human moral behavior and lessons that are paramount for the existence of all people.

This book shows the "creation story" of the Lion King musical. Photos of the workshopping teams in their studio/s, sketches of early ideas, through to finished costuming displayed on the artists themselves.

A pity this book was not available in Australia, but thanks to Amazon I received it in about 3 weeks total.

I have seen the stage production of the Lion King twice--in Toronto and East Lansing, MI. Vendors offered a souvenir photo brochure for $20. For only a few dollars more, I purchased Julie Taymor's book from Amazon describing one of the most amazing creative achievements I have ever seen. Get the book! See the show!

The Lion King on broadway is by far the best most amzing show ever created. Whats so amazing is that the book is as good as the musical. Without Julie Taymor the lion king would not be such a huge success as it is and you find all about this in the book. Some of the pictures of the show itself and the costumes are just wonderful which makes the presentation of the book even more wonderful. I dont even read books but am findin it very hard to put this down and read it over and over again. If you require any info, or are just curious email me simba262626@yahoo.com to discuss this amazing book.

Maria Nemeth's book and work (course by same title: Mastering Life's Energies)are stunning in their simplicity. I think of a ballerina. It looks easy but when you try it you see how masterful the ballerina is. Except with the concepts, principles, and tools in this book, I get to BE the "ballerina!" I see that I can create (and have created) a luminous life out of what I've learned. Eckhart Tolle's books are very fine, but Maria's book makes the information in Tolle's books practical. Being a practical German(!) this means a lot to me. If I can't use it, it's not beautiful. And it's beautiful if I can use it. I can definitely use Maria's book. What a blessing.

I'm an accomplished achiever, a doer, a person who loves to learn and grow and take on challenges. However, what has eluded me is a deep sense of satisfaction and joy. Somehow I was too quickly onto the next challenge, the next goal. Then I found Maria Nemeth's book, Mastering Life's Energies. Gentle. Simple. Clear. Not easy, but filled with ease. Focused. Disciplined. Humorous. Step by step, Maria points the way--with wonderful stories, with useful exercises, with compassionate discernment. How can a book change a life? This one changed mine! This book begs to be discussed in a group! Mastering Life's Energies: Simple Steps to a Luminous Life at Work and Play The Energy of Money: A Spiritual Guide to Financial and Personal Fulfillment

This is an awesome book. You will learn so much, and feel very good about yourself and your life. I highly recommend it.

This book, by Dr. Maria Nemeth, is filled with easy-to-understand tools that you can incorporate into your life. It provides solid exercises that will provide the reader with clearly defined values for their life right now. Once these values are defined, the reader can see how to base all of their decisions and actions upon what they truly value. Value-based living only leads to the satisfying and meaningful life we all desire. The keys to successful living that are provided by this author are so valuable that I require all of my coaching clients to read this book. This empowers them to live the life of their dreams. Who could ask for anything more?

This book has made my top three list of books. Not a "self help" book but a gentle "wake up call" for your "Self".

I really did not expect anything when i bought this book. The book is made up of many short stories I mean real life love stories that are worth reading again and again and again. The story I liked the most was Nice guys by Rubria. It shows what a true romantic at heart really is. A fun book that would make you laugh and cry at the same time. Go ahead and purchase this book. worth the read. Anytime

If you are a romantic at heart, you will love this collection of inspirationl love stories. If you love to read love stories, without all the nasty stuff out today, you don't want to miss these.

If you are a romantic at heart, you will love this collection of inspirationl love stories. If you love to read love stories, without all the nasty stuff out today, you don't want to miss these.

I discovered this book recently while reading an excerpt from an old magazine article. I enjoyed the book so much I gave copies as gifts to friends.

Each chapter successively takes the reader through the various stages of love from finding each other to surviving difficult times together to finally ending the partnership with the death of a beloved spouse. Many stories were very poignant and bittersweet.

My favorite true story from the book was The Gold and Ivory Tablecloth. The series of events that transpired to bring two lost lovers back together was amazing and awe inspiring.

Although our world has made drastic advances, in technological innovations, scientific discovery, and overall change one thing has remained constant. The desire to be respected and loved by one person who you can in turn love and respect. The notion that someone was born and raised to be your spouse has sent many on a journey for love which sometimes ends up being an exercise in futility (or opportunity for growth) yet at other times is the start of something bigger than either party involved. Something "Divinely Appointed."

In A Match Made in Heaven Susan Wales and Ann Platz share the experiences of many who were successful in their quest like Dr. Robert Schuller who shared the results of his "self-centered prayer" and how through it he became consumed, "not by a person, but by divine destiny." (p. 37). In "The Prayer," Susan Wales was asked to pray for a speaker she never met who lived across the country and required immediate vocal surgery. Just prior to her own wedding years later, her friend revealed to her that she had prayed for her husband.

While love-at-first-sight is the encounter of many matches made in heaven, others sometimes later find that the very one they were looking for was right under their noses all along. Like "Bob" a New York attorney with small town values he shared with his secretary "Elizabeth" who came to New York to be a dancer. When Elizabeth learned that Bob was about to propose to "Laura," an attorney and daughter of wealthy New Yorkers she was heartbroken. Elizabeth congratulated Bob on his engagement and submitted her two weeks notice. A few weeks later, after Bob lost an important case and Laura showed a lack of interest when he tried to discuss it he began to wish that she were more like Elizabeth. Finally Bob realized that what he was looking for was right under his nose along. After canvassing his office for information on Elizabeth's new job he found her pursuing her passion, teaching dance to children. He invited her to lunch after her class and professed "You are the love of my life, and I want you to be my wife." They were married six months later. Through the motif of the proposal to every element of traditional marriage vows, Wales and Platz share a myriad of heartwarming and joyous stories of special days, trying times, and the eternal bond between husband and wife.

Through yielding to God's Divine will for our lives, we can all experience A Match Made in Heaven.

Max Perkins was the great editor at Scribners who handled quite a few of the finest writers of the twentieth century, F. Scott Fitzgerad, Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe being especially noteworthy (and dealt with at length in this biography). One might envy such a man with such a job, but Berg makes it clear that having to deal with the likes of these authors was like walking around with a huge millstone around Max's poor neck. His job was endless and thankless (Wolfe actually betrayed him). You see from the many letters quoted that many of them are blatant pleas for money. Saying that Perkins had to coddle some of these authors like children would be putting it mildly. Berg does an admirable job relaying Perkins's life and hard times. Recommended.

Berg's work rallies all aspiring authors to the cause of sainthood for Max Perkins...maybe even deification. He tracks Perkins's career vis-a-vis the literary careers of important 20th century American authors. Gives a peek at the largely ignored man behind the curtain...and stands as a monument to his contributions to our literary heritage. A must read for anyone who enjoys books.

Scott Berg's biography of Max Perkins is a warm, sparkling account of America's greatest editor in the prewar period, the midwife for works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe in the twenties and thirties, when big-time publishing converged on New York. Berg's book is cunningly organized: the reader steps at once into the rough and tumble of editorial work at Scribner's, leaving Perkins' early life, marriage, and family to be described in concise digressions taken only after we get another satisfying dollop of publishing history. Unhappily, once Perkins has delivered his discoveries to the public, the rest is mostly about their boozy extravagance (Fitzgerald), bullying ego trips (Hemingway), and petulant indiscipline verging on insanity (Wolfe). So even if, for this reason, you stop two-thirds of the way through, your curiosity about this key figure in modern literary history will be very well satisfied.

This is a wonderfully written book, very informative and inspiring for authors, editors, agents and anyone else involved or interested in publishing. Berg does a terrific and subtle job of painting these larger than life characters, allowing their own letters to speak for them. He shows remarkable restraint and good taste and yet has created a book that is enriching and very difficult to put down. Highly recommended!

Scott Berg has written a wonderful biography on one of the most important men in American literature, Max Perkins. Berg's book is well-written and very entertaining. It is more than a biography of Perkins, it is also a biography of Hemingway, Scott Fiztgerald, and Thomas Wolfe, and a portrait of America during the first half of the 20th century. This is one of those books that I could go on and on about. It is a book that everyone should read.

Chaplain George Castillo is my grand-uncle. I think the book is very inspirational. Until I read the book, I didn't know he did such great work in the prisons. He's an inspiration to not only the prisoners and their families, but an inspiration to us all.

George shared from the heart in this wonderful book about ministering to inmates as a chaplain. He also includes some of the politics that go with working within the system, We were so touched by his stories that we included his work in "Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul" and "Serving Time, Serving Others: Acts of Kindness by Inmates, Prison Staff, Victims, and Volunteers."

I would love for the author of this great work to give a talk to my local civic organization. He has profound insight into the criminal justice system, and unique, yet practical, ideas on how to make it better. This book is worthy of being Oprah's Book of the month!

My recommendation of the Rev. George Ramon Castillo's book, My Life between The Cross and the Bars, grows out of a personal acquaintance with the author for nearly forty years as well as several readings of the book. The book is very well written and allows the reader to glimpse a first hand view of the circumstances and events that led George into the Christian ministry and into the Federal Prison chaplaincy. This life service offering reveals the character and integrity of the man, as well as the broader dimension of his professional service.
Of vital importance to George's life story is his account of his early years in British Honduras, now Belize, his early immigration to the United States, and his service in the U.S. Air Force, and his U.S. citizenship (October 26, 1953). Even more important was his marriage in 1957 to Muriel Jermain Seale, who has provided the moral and spiritual support for his successful career.
One does not just become a minister and a chaplain willy-nilly. The story of his religious development and educational experience tells how this came about: the early difficult years, then college and seminary.
I became acquainted with George while he was a student at Bangor Theological Seminary. He and his family eventually joined the congregation I was servicing, the First Congregational Church in Brewer, Maine. He was ordained under my ministry there, one of the high points, actually the highest, of my own ministry. When I left in September of 1967, the church called him to become their Interim Minister. After a year or so, he went on to serve churches in Detroit, Michigan, and in Ohio, and then was accepted as chaplain by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
All of this is essential to getting the most out of George's career as a Federal Prison Chaplain. The reader will share in the documentation and correspondence that became an important part of George's work within a difficult bureaucratic system. There were also unexpected difficulties with the machinations of opportunistic prisoners as well as with prisoners whose legitimate personal problems were all but insurmountable. If you want insight into an environment and setting that cannot be portrayed in a TV or movie scenario, this is the book for you.
A Federal Prison does not exist in isolation from the rest of society. George spells out the relationship of his work to the "civilian" religious community. This is part of his task in educating the rest of us to the enormity of the problem that confronts American society. Prison populations are growing fast, and the costs are skyrocketing. The solution to this problem, if we take George's perspective seriously, is more in terms of human relationships than in purely punitive or monetary terms.
But this comes only through genuine commitment, in George's case, Christian commitment, in a life of duty and service, with an equally dedicated life companion. There is much to be learned from what otherwise might be considered as one of the darker sides of life. George in his book, and in his life, has shown us the way.

Ray Wilbur

Initially, I was leery about My Life Between the Cross and the Bars for two reasons: I'm generally not a fan of autobiographies, and I don't know anyone who has been to prison. When I was only one-fourth of the way through the book I realized that it contains volumes of material to which I can relate. I highly recommend this book to individuals from all walks of life, as it has monumentous value for everyone. The author is a genuine inspiration to all people of every race and background, and his book is a great read.

This is a must read for anyone that works in health care. Being a RN it has made a tremendous impact on me and my practice. It was very easy to read and I read it in two days and I am rereading it now. Great book on modern day nursing and is a instant classic.

I have been a practicing nurse now for 34 years. I have done everything from critical care, medical-surgical, some psychiatric nursing, to now; nursing education. This book accurately presents every thing I have experienced.

I recommend this book to everyone I meet. It does a fantastic job of highlighting the nursing experience, while examining ALL of the factors that challenge our healthcare system today. I am a nurse and found many of the anecdotes to be all too relatable. I think EVERYONE should read this book!

I read the book and am going to graduate from a nursing program in June of '08. I was so disenchanted as to what went on in the book as I see it going on when I am in clinicals. I probably wouldn't have picked nursing as my number one profession after being in the hospital setting and it should be a read the first quarter of new nursing students. The book is very factual, as to what I have witnessed thus far. It is a shame it has to be the almighty dollar when it comes to health care. This country is so rich and yet it has so many people without coverage. Most of my fellow students are trying to RUN from bedside nursing as the patient ratio is not safe. Schools need to revamp their programs with more hands on experience. We get little to prepare us for the real world. Any nurse will tell you "You will start learning when you get your first job, that is when the real learning begins." It is no wonder there are at least 300,000 med errors a year. Let us shadow a nurse for at least a quarter to see what it's all about. If I wasn't older, I would pursue another degree.

This a a very good, and easy to read nursing text book. It flows well because of the real life stories and examples that all of us at the bedside can relate to. It makes you think about what you do, and what you say. How these things can and do impact patient care, and relationships with staff, patients, facilty, etc. We are such a necessary part of the bigger picture, and this book helps support and encourage us to be the best that we can be and to stand up for what it right and good in nursing and health care.

This book is thorough, articulate and provides mountains of information in a concise, easy way for anyone to understand. A must read BEFORE you have a child and are bombarded with all the protocol that can often confuse and intimidate. This has been long needed!

This book is great because she is both a doctor and holistic. She lists what is in the vaccines and their issues while at the same time explaining all about the dangers of the disease and treatments so the reader can make their own decision.

Laid out in black and white for the uninitiated. There is another way folks and rarely has it been so eloquently expressed. A must read for concerned parents.

I got scared about all this vaccination-autism fuss, and this book is very informative about vaccinations, it gives you tips and all the information to make a decision and even investigate more about all this. I feel more prepared and confident when I talk to my pediatrician; we have to take all this very seriously because we are our children's voice.

This book was great for me; it gave me information that I didn't find in other places. However, I can not say that it is impartial; it tries to correct for the widespread misinformation. It might be a good introduction to the material for some but definitely not for all, because of its bias. It can definitely help you choose what is best for your child as an individual, but it can not serve as your only source in making that choice (unless you are sold on not vaccinating at all). It simply doesn't have enough details about the actual ingredients to weigh the risks with the benefits; the author seems to conclude that none of the vaccines are worth the risks. As someone who has chosen to selectively vaccinate my children, I did find the book helpful. The first source I use is Dr. Sears' The Vaccine Book because it has factual information about the ingredients. This book is the second source I use for a little more information on the issue. I don't think this book really lives up to its subtitle "practical medical and natural ways to protect your child." Also, I agree with some other criticisms about her use of language. From an editorial standpoint, this book is not a final copy. It is only a revision or two away, but it is not properly polished. Quite a shame. I am still grateful I have this source.