Works Books

This enormous volume is a must for any fan of Marilyn's. There are over 400 pages of beautiful, high-quality photographs and photographer notes. Known as 'The Complete Last Sitting' (although it wasn't her last), the photographs are among the most stunning and haunting of the screen legend. Taken by photographer Bert Stern for Vogue, the session was a milestone for Marilyn. After winning her battle with Fox and being rehired for Something's Got to Give, the shoot was in many ways a celebration. At 36, Marilyn is luminous. Prior to the days of plastic surgery, she is as real as it gets. She doesn't try to hide her flaws. Scars, wrinkles, and smile lines are not hidden. The orange 'X's you see are where Marilyn scratched out the negatives, unhappy with anything but perfection from herself. They also serve as a sad reflection; that the most beautiful creature on earth thought she was anything but. These priceless pictures tell countless stories, frozen in the camera lens. The book is worth buying if only to view an actress who was so totally in control that she could convey a thousand different feelings with the arch of an eyebrow, the curve of a lip, or the slightest posture change. She is brilliant.

I love Miss Marilyn... This was a very interesting book! Beautiful pictures...as was the woman. I would say my only complaint was the fact that it was very obvious Marilyn did not want to have some of the pictures every published. But all in all the book is beautiful...and amust for MM fans.

I am so happy I finally bought this book. I was hesitant to spend the money on something not entirely useful but it's breathtaking and so refreshing compared to all the red lips/platinum hair shots we see of her. The book is thicker and heavier than I imagined and has found it's place on my coffee table, partly because I can't move it around so easily. I am so so happy with this purchase!

The book is very well made with great quality paper. There is a little introduction by Bert Stern at the beginning and then all the pictures of the last sitting in chronological order. You can see big images, the ones that Stern thought were the good ones, and then the little ones which are very interesting and funny too. It's an incredible book, you can see a new Marilyn, more mature and prettier on the inside and on the outside.

Come ho detto nel titolo, è il migliore libro di foto su Marilyn che c'è in circolazione, lei è assolutamente spendida, in uno stato di grazia che l'obbiettivo del fotografo Bert Stern è riuscito in pieno a mostrare.
Questo grande libro con tantissime pagine e tantissime foto che ci mostrano Marilyn bella come non lo è stata mai è per tutti i grandi fan consigliatissimo avere!
compratelo!!!!!

Craig and Mark may be young in age, but they are definitely old souls. Their grasp of Spiritual concepts goes way beyond their years.

The book shows that it doesn't matter what you know intellectually; unless you live it, it is meaningless. As one individual, you may think you are powerless, but everyone underestimates the extent to how much of a difference they can actually make.

These two brothers proved that in what they accomplished in such a short period of time. Absolutely amazing.

I read mostly self help books and I have read many. The book, Me to We was one of the very best. I read it while traveling to and from San Diego this past week. The two authors, brothers in their 20's, talk about how we must take the focus off of me and ask "How can I help others." In changing our focus onto the other person we help ourselves to grow. They give many great examples, examples from both ordinary people and very well known celebrities. Just learning about their own personal experiences helped change my way of looking at the world. Buying AND reading this book will be one of the best investments you can make in yourself.

I found this book to amazingly inspirational! For someone so young, these two young men have been blessed with amazing insight and wisdom. I would recommend this book to all who are stuck in wondering what the purpose for their life is. If you can't find a purpose somewhere in the chapters of this book, you must be dead!
Not only is this book informational, but it addresses much of the complacency and apathy of a society that has become so spoiled. Want to be inspired to go beyond your comfort zone? Read this book!

Free the Children is a fantastic organization, and reading more about it inspired me to live more of the "Me to We" philosophy. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Me to We is one of those books that will get you thinking about what you are doing with your life, and what you could be doing. Written in an easy to understand manner, it is suitable for teens and seniors alike.
Me to We is truly inspirational in the way it speaks from the heart, and encourages all of us to make a difference in our lives, our community, and our world. I truly recommend this book - you won't be disappointed.

I have a small part time mail order / direct marketing business and was looking to go full time. This guide was a blessing in giving me the information quick and direct. With the information on this CD my sales are increasing rapidly!

Ugh, I am a marketer but definitely not a writer. I needed some help with my autoresponder and marketing emails, a guide of some sort. This was the guide I was looking for. My sales and response levels increased within a couple of weeks! Awesome!

One of the best ways to attract many costumers is to use internet email marketing campaigns. Internet marketing campaigns attract a lot of costumers from allover the world. Your sales increase rapidly after using this method and I assure you that it's nothing complicated about it.

Great for the aspiring internet maketer who does not know the way the internet maket operates. I used this to start a camaping a long time ago and it's still succesful, and no ISP toled me to stop doing it. The book has a friendly writing style and appeals to all ,even thos who don't know the industry terminology

Ever wondered how much money can you make only by using internet to promote your products? Well I am telling you that you can make millions!!!
This book will teach you a step by step procedure on how to attract more clients and sell with the help of the internet.

This book gives a very clear and concise description of the Marshall Protocol, an anti-biotic based relief program for Auto-Immune disease.

I have given it to my family Doctor to read and he is convinced.

I am starting the protocol as soon as I have a couple of tests undertaken to check for suitability.

This text provided my family and I an alternative treatment outlook for the future of an RA suffer. At my age, 28 the toxic medication on offer from my specialist wasn't appealing. We were able to read and understand the disease better, it's long term impact on our lives and hopefully have found a safe effective alternative treatment. We have nothing to loose.

I bought this book for 2 people i know who have RA. I don't think either of them read it. You really have to be ready to think outside the traditional medical box to get this book. It was originally recommended to me by someone with RA who read it and is doing the treatments and is living a wonderful life because of it. She said it saved her life. I think it's worth knowing this information.

An excellent book for newly diagnosed people with RA who are unaware of alternative treatment available using anti-biotics, instead of current medications perscribed by mainstream doctors, which I believe are destructive to the human body.

Unfortunately doctors do not feel free to administer anti-biotic treatment because it is not approved, yet they can administer drugs that have destructive side effects. I did not feel I could survive the strong drugs being used as the standard of care due to my age. Luckily I found this alternative that has given me hope. Although I have just begun treatment I am experiencing improvement.

The book also has information on The Road Back Foundation, a resource for people affected by arthritis and other diseases.

I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 33 years old. I grew up very healthy and active. In September 2005, I had my second child, a girl. I was 32 years old. During both pregnancies I had hyperemesis gravidarum, which means extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. In October and November of 2005, I had two root canals (I ruined my teeth from vomiting during pregnancy). My immune system was down because I had just had a baby (the immune system lowers as to not reject the fetus), I was getting very little sleep with a newborn, and I had just had two root canals, the perfect entrance for bacteria. In December 2005, the balls of my feet began to ache. By the beginning of January 2006, I knew something was wrong. I did some investigating later and found out I had a great aunt with Scleroderma and three second cousins with RA. There are also a lot of allergies and asthma in my family, indicating a pattern of hypersensitive immune systems. (I always thought I was the lucky one in the family who didn't get allergies. It seems my allergies have just manifested themselves in a different manner.) About a week later, I was in extreme pain and I had read a lot about RA and knew that my symptoms matched. I referred myself to a local rheumatologist. My pain had spread to over 35 joints. I was having trouble lifting my newborn baby, opening jars, turning car keys, fastening infant seats, putting on my 4-year-old's socks, brushing my teeth, washing my hair, etc. I required at least 12 hours of sleep at night, and was still tired during the day. I was very depressed. I would cry every day, usually out of frustration because I could not undo my seat belt or put on my son's socks for school. Everything that I read said this disease was progressive, degenerative and crippling. I could not imagine it getting any worse than it was! I was referred to [...] by other RA patients. I read and read. I contacted my local area contact. I told him I was considering starting Enbrel the following week. He e-mailed back that I had a choice to make. I could give antibiotics a try and possibly go into remission or get significantly better; or I could go on potentially harmful immune suppressors, which would usually eventually wear off and I would have to jump from one drug to the next. And what would happen if I ran out of drugs to try? He said there is hope in AP. With AP, I had the hope of getting better. With the other drugs, I was merely suppressing the symptoms, not getting to the root cause of the illness. I ordered the book The New Arthritis Breakthrough and started posting on the roadback board. It made much more sense than the conventional autoimmune wisdom which stated that: One random day my immune system just up and decided to attack my joints for no reason at all. I finally came to the conclusion that I did not want to just suppress my pain and symptoms. I wanted my life back. I knew that in the past I always tended to get side effects of medications and I thought I would probably be one of the 1% of people who got lymphoma, TB, or severe infection from the biologics. I knew I wanted to be alive to watch my kids grow up. It was not like I was NOT going to be treating my RA; I would be treating my RA with an American College of Rheumatology approved DMARD. I decided to try the antibiotic protocol. It was the best decision I have ever made. Within 1-2 months of being on Zithromax, the depression and fatigue had disappeared. Within 3 months, I felt 60% better. After 10 months, I was 98% back to my normal self. 18 months later, and I have only one finger that will not bend all the way into a fist (it is about an inch away). My rheumatoid factor has dropped from 282 to 28 and my CCP has dropped from it's all-time high of 153 to 55. My sed rate is 1.0 and my CRP is .3. I walk two miles a day. My feet, neck, knees, ankles, and shoulders do not hurt at all! I thank God, Dr. Thomas McPherson Brown, Henry Scammell,and The Road Back Foundation for giving me my life back!

This artist is just amazing, since I saw his exhibition, I never forgot the intensity of these original masterpiece. So why only 4 stars?? I don't know, the book is too small? The printing? it's never perfect but the photographs... The photographs ...

As an avid photographer - and one who has spent a lot of time shooting in EA - these are precisely the sort of images that make me want to grab my camera and rush back into the Serengeti. It's a well selected collection - perhaps not the greatest photographs I have ever seen, but a beautiful selection nontheless. A wonderful departure from the stock "post-card" photograpy that's been pouring out of the continent, and some are so breathtakingly vivid (like the image used on the cover) that you can almost feel the dust swirl around you, and feel the hot African sun on your neck.

It's a beautiful book. Would make an an ideal gift for the nature photographer, and for the nature lover...

This is a wonderful book with some great pictures of the African wildlife. The black and white photos were striking and the book appeals to 3 years of age to 65. It captured the African wildlife that I have had the privilege of seeing first hand on two occasions.

Amazing BW pictures. Very nice and a good edition. Very interesting for all photo-africa lovers....

This is a collection of beautiful photographs. The prints are warm, with good blacks. This made a great gift for our friends that had travelled in Africa.

One of those books every home needs on the shelf. By the way, read it.

I have made it a habit this year to get through many of the classics on audio book during my daily commute. I picked Pilgrim's Progress since it was one of the most influential English books ever published, and I wanted to see what it was all about.

The audio book was published by Blackstone Audio and the reader was Robert Whitfield. The reader did an excellent job and was very easy to listen to. He did some characterization with his voice that made it easy to know which character was speaking. I was a little worried about the older style English, but it gave me no problem. It probably helps that I am familiar with the King James Version of the Bible. Overall, listening to this book worked out very well.

This is the first book length allegory that I have been through and I thought it was an excellent way to teach. There is no doubt which principal each character is supposed to represent by their name, and their actions represented that well also. I can understand why so many families had this book in their libraries. As far as Christian doctrine goes, there are a few things that some would disagree with, but most of the principals taught are still generally accepted today. The path to God's presence is filled with opposition, but there is help available and the reward is worth it.

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand an important part of our heritage, and to see what an effective tool allegory is.

I love this book. It was written from a jail cell in the 1600s. This version is the original so the text is difficult to read at first but I would not want a watered down modernized version (which can be purchased). I find if I read in chunks it starts to flow nicely. The characters have names like, "Evangelist", "Piety", "Talkative", "Faith", etc. So you know just where someone is coming from. I have marked up this book with pencil just like I do my scriptures! It is like reading one long parable in story form! Cool book. I'm glad to have found it.

We've read this book to our son and he has really enjoyed it. He doesn't yet fully understand everything and we had to stop and explain a lot to him, but it is something that we plan on reading over and over again as our kids continue to grow.
I read a review that stated that a main flaw in this book was the lack of one on one relationship with Christ. I can understand what they are saying, but I think what you have to keep in mind is that while we are here on earth and in our day and age we do not physically see Christ. He was once here walking and living on this earth, but He is now in heaven. He uses other means now to maintain a personal relationship with us. For example, we can know Christ through His word and through prayer. Just as in the book, He often also sends other Christians along in our life to help us and encourage us. This book is a good example of a walk of faith. We can't see and physically touch Christ right now, but when we are in heaven we WILL see Him just as Bunyan talks about in the book. Christian persevered in his walk without physically seeing Christ and he was rewarded in the end for his faith. For now, how much greater our reward is for those who have not seen Him and yet believed!

Every christian household should have this volume to read and share with the famiy. It never fails to bring me to tears when pilgrim falls before the cross and looses the burden of sin. It is a must have for every christian library and the additional insights from Bunyan are a added blessing!! I cannot say enough good things .....

We bought this for our young children (5-year old and 4-year old) as they were excited by the Pirates of the Caribbean movie trilogy.

We bought this book along with "Pirateology: The Pirate Hunter's Companion" last year. We take the books off the shelf every couple months and read through them for bedtime. The books will stay in our collection for years to come.

This book helps introduces kids to a large amount of new vocabulary but, more importantly, covers so much ground that it acts as a fantastic springboard to further study history or science.

This book is so interesting! I love it! My 5 y.o. daughter even loves this book!

This is an all around excellent book, I am completely satisfied with this purchase, and I highly recommend this book for the pirates enthusiast in your family!!

My adult daughter is mad about pirates. Her niece and nephew (6 and 10) bought this for her for Christmas. It was a hit.

I bought this for my 7 year old nephew who had a newfound fashion for all things Pirate. Being a book (at a birthday party) it didn't get his full attention until later on when he asked his parents to sit and read it to him.
Now it's a year later and I found out the book was a tremendous success from the get-go. He brought it into school to share with the class and every kid there wanted his own copy so phone calls were made and the hunt was on. A few parents were able to get a copy. My nephew and his friends dressed up as pirates and went together to see the latest Pirates... movie. Later my nephew was huddled with his special book, relishing all the details it provided. This book is interactive by design which makes the reading all the more personal and imaginative.

Page-Turning Southern Novels!

Shadow of Dreams Book Review by Barbara Robinson
The novel is full of realistic Southern characters. If you love Southern novels, don't miss out on this one! Shadow of Dreams by Eva Marie Everson and G. W. Francis Chadwick is a well-written, well-developed novel full of foreshadowing. The main character serves as an excellent example of what happens to many young teens glamorized by the big city and running from problems at home. Instead of the prodigal son, the main character, Katie, is the prodigal daughter. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen to Katie and her husband, and the bad guys. I loved the way the authors used literature for clues. I also loved the way the small-town Georgia guys protected their own and took care of the big-city guys. These authors do not preach, but they certainly know how to spin a tale that could serve to help others. These authors offer much insight, and a reflective reader will benefit from the experience of having read this novel. A good, reflective reader will find that this book is about many things that connect to life in such a way, it can't help but be realistic. The characters are realistic, not mere shells of characters. The way they talk and the things they say, the dialogue, provide that realistic touch to make them come to life. Katie's mom is really a Southern character. It is ironic that she seems to treat Katie as her own mother treated her, but she does not realize this.

Summon the Shadows Book Review

By Barbara Robinson

Summon the Shadows by Eva Marie Everson and G. W. Francis Chadwick is the second novel in a trilogy you won't want to miss. Katie, the main character loses her husband, but refuses to believe he is dead. She is forced to take over his business, running a posh hotel, as she faithfully waits for his return. Her faith in God sees her through. Katie remembers her roots and from where she has come. While being thankful to God for her own escape from the world of exotic dancing, she tries to help three other dancers find their escape by offering them jobs in the hotel. Looking back unable to let go of her past, one dancer secretly returns to the exotic dancing.

This book will not offend anyone with its subtle message of God's caring and love. Everson and Chadwick have interwoven the hope, love, and joy of His message throughout this exciting journey of Katie's life. Katie escapes the evil plot of others with the Lord's protection. Her faith and belief in God see her through the trials and tribulations she encounters at the hands of others. Even with so much turmoil in her own life, she still finds the time to love and care for others and opens her heart and hotel to saving the three dancers and turning their lives around.

This novel will keep you turning pages to find out what fate befalls the dancer who returns to exotic dancing. You will be on the edge of your seat wondering if Katie's husband will reappear, when she starts receiving gifts from an unknown admirer. Next, you will hold your breath as you await Katie's fate at the hands of so-called trusted friends who worked in her hotel. This novel is full of plot twists that make savory reading. Curl up with wonderful winter reads just in time for Christmas with this trilogy available through www.amazon.com because you won't want to miss a single book! What wonderful gifts of reading your presents may offer others!

Shadows of Light Book Review
By Eva Marie Everson
Book Reviewer: Barbara Robinson, Avid Reader and Passionate Writer, Educator

Shadows of Light is a page-turner with a Christian message delicately interwoven, so that the novel does not come off as preachy. Yet, it clearly delivers a much-needed message of God's love and forgiveness and how none of us are perfect. We all need loving kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and redemption, and the set of three novels in this collection clearly provide this message. Shadows of Light is the concluding book in the three-part series, one you will not want to put down until you see how it ends.

This final novel in the series of three illustrates how prayer and faith work in real life. Katie, the main character holds on to her faith, like the treasure it is, until her husband returns. She never gives up on him. Even when he returns and things are not picture perfect, she understands, has compassion, forgives, and continues to have faith in God. Maggie, the housekeeper, also models faith and how prayer works. She is not afraid of death and meeting her maker. In fact, she illustrates how she looks forward to doing so, and she tries to encourage Ben's faith. Just as in real life, all family members do not always share the same faith or amount of faith, but the novel displays a fine example of how one can model faith and belief in the power of prayer without preaching. One of my favorite parts of this novel is how Maggie is found with her finger marking a Bible verse and how Katie remembers the small things about Maggie, like where she kept Katie's slippers. For, when we lose our loved ones, it is always the small, simple things we miss the most about them.

Another favorite part is the epilogue and how the novel ends. I won't spoil the ending for you though. Read the book and find out for yourself! The ending ties in with an ongoing theme from the other two books as well as the third novel and wraps things up nicely like a well-wrapped Christmas gift. These novels would make great stocking stuffers for the readers in your life.

The novel also illustrates a love story and romance between Ben and Katie, the two main characters. It is very realistic to life and provides insight for the reader. If you like Southern novels, romance, or love stories, do not miss this delightful book. In fact, you won't want to miss a single one of the three.

This novel is full of plot twists that make savory reading. Curl up with wonderful winter reads just in time for Christmas with this trilogy available through www.amazon.com because you won't want to miss a single book from the collection: Summon the Shadows, Shadow of Dreams, and last, Shadows of Light.What wonderful gifts of reading your presents may offer others! Check out all of Eva Marie Everson's other great books online.

I'm hesitant to give low review to any author but felt compelled to do so because I was so disillusioned by the other reviews.

I kept waiting for something to happen in this novel and when it did, I was disappointed. It seemed that the entire book was written for the "surprise" ending which was overly dramatic and too unrealistic to be believable.

Then again, I had just read Francine Rivers' "Redeeming Love" and not much compares to that, now does it?

Eva Marie's series is fabulous. I couldn't wait to find the time to read the next page. I fell in love with Katie and hope there are plans to read more of her. Eva Marie's 3 books in this series is filled with exciting plot twists, suspense, and drew me closer to the Lord, plus making me even more appreciative of my wonderful husband. These books are delightful!

Once I started reading, I could not put it down. The characters and storylines are so realistic. I feel I know Katie personally (we are both from Georgia, after all). The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat with anticipation and the love between Ben and Katie warmed by heart. This is definitely a must read and will keep you coming back for more!

The prodigal daughter returns to her southern home after twenty-five years of absence. Katie runs from her problems, and she discovers she needs to make things right with God before she can solve her problems. This book was intriguing and suspenseful, and there were times when I was sitting on the edge of my seat! The characters were well-developed, and I'm anxious to start the sequal!

I'll preface this review by saying that I am a young man that does not normally cry, and although I managed to avoid tears, my throat has never felt so compressed as I held them back. On a hot summer day I visited a non-profit organization named CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. CASA seeks volunteers, then thoroughly trains those volunteers to track and advocate for children under the care of the state. All of the children that are in custody of the government are referred to a Child Protective Services agency that is overwhelmed and understaffed. Thus, CPS agents routinely end up with dozens of children to watch out for and they often end up doing a poor job. CASA is there to make sure that these children do not fall through the cracks.

Anyway, while at CASA, a lady asked me what I knew about the organization and more importantly, the thousands of children in foster care and orphanages in the country. I admitted that I knew little, if anything. She then grabbed a copy of "Three Little Words" from the book shelf and gave me a copy with the challenge that I read it at once. I did. Since, I have paid visits to all of the CASA chapters in my region and donate funds to them whenever possible.

"Three Little Words" follows the plight of Ashley & Luke, siblings whose parents are in and out of trouble throughout their childhood. These kids spend time in horrible and average foster homes as well as orphanages for the next decade. Ashley does a wonderful job of highlighting the difficulty that a child has in grasping the changes in the world around her. How can a five year old child understand that her parents aren't fit to take care of them? How do they understand that adults are not meant to be feared when they are routinely abused and not looked after? As mentioned, this should be a MUST-READ for any foster parents-to-be, CPS personnel and prospective adoptive parents. It is a recommended read for everyone else.

I can't say enough good things about this young woman. I inhaled this book and loved every page. Her story was inspiring and completely heart felt! A must read for anyone wanting to learn more about foster care, anyone that loves a good memoir or anyone who appreciates great writing.

I read this book a few months ago. It was very inspring to me. I had a pretty great childhood minus my father drinking a little too heavily but he was never a bother. But this book has completely opened my eyes to the horrible things children sometimes face. I hate that most children have been failed by the system. I have read many memoirs lately about child abuse and it has sparked an interest in me to go back to school for social work or even abnormal child psychology. I want to help stamp out child abuse of every kind. I have a two year old little girl who is my absolute life. I would never in my wildest dreams think about ever hurting her in anyway. Three Little Words is very well written and is very heartbreaking. I am glad that Ashley was able to rise from a horrible childhood and become a healing tool for children and adults who have and are still going through the same ordeal. I very highly recommend this book. It will change your life!

Ashley Rhodes was only three when she was taken from her mother and put into the foster system. No one bothered to explain the whats and whys as the little girl and her year-old brother Luke were passed from home to home over the next decade.

In some homes, Ashley was merely neglected; many of her "parents" were intent on merely making money off the system, and had way too many children to manage. But in other places - most notably the Mosses' - Ashley, Luke and over a dozen other children were actually abused. In the court trial that followed, the Mosses' former charges testified of horrors ranging from having hot sauce poured down their throats to being forced to squat for hours at a time.

At 12, young Ashley had gone through more families than she could remember, and was actually relieved to have landed at a children's home, where she could retain some semblance of routine and normalcy. Then Gay and Phil Courter came into her life, wanting to adopt her.

Even after the adolescent had made her home with the Courters, she was still unsettled. Adoption meant nothing to her; after all, she had seen countless other children, including her own brother, get adopted and eventually returned to the children's home. So Ashley continued to test her new parents, daring them to send her back. How much would it take? Where was the line? She felt sure there had to be one.

Now in her early twenties, Rhodes-Courter strives to educate others about the realities of foster care -- one of her chief reasons for writing her memoir. She is an inspiration to all, and her book is an engrossing, witty read not to be forgotten.

Lorraine Rhodes was a single teenage mother who shared parenting duties of little Ashley with her twin sister. They lived in a trailer and worked different shifts. Their home became the cool teen party hangout since there were no real adults around. Lorraine's maternal instincts were casual (when Ashley was a toddler, Lorraine strapped her into a car seat but not into the seatbelt; Ashley once fell out during a drive). Lorraine hooked up with an abusive boyfriend named Dusty, and was soon expecting. That baby died, but Lorraine became pregnant once more, delivering Ashley's brother, Luke.

The family moved to Florida when Ashley was three. There, Dusty ran into trouble with the law, and the two children were taken. Ashley was too young to understand that she would never live with her mother again, as she and Luke entered a foster home --- the first of 14 she would live in over the next nine years. No one explained to the three-year-old why she couldn't be with her mother. When she did finally see her mother, Lorraine said they would live together after she found a nice home and a good job. Ashley yearned for her mother constantly as she was moved from foster home to foster home, sometimes with Luke and other times alone. Lorraine visited occasionally, always promising that Ashley would live with her "someday."

Ashley and Luke were able to stay at their grandfather's house in South Carolina where they were relatively happy, thanks to their grandfather's live-in lady friend, Adele, who enjoyed mothering them. Yet they lived in fear that they would be removed from that home because Adele and their grandfather weren't married, and because Grandpa was frequently in jail and had a history as a wife abuser. Despite the instability of the situation, Ashley was so happy she felt like she was in a dream.

But when Grandpa got shot during an argument in front of the children, they were removed and sent back to Florida, where they entered Ashley's seventh home in two years. Their new "home" was packed full of foster kids, reeked of filthy diapers and was reigned over by screaming parents (as grim as this sounds, it was not their worst foster home, not by a long shot). Needless to say, Ashley and Luke were thrilled when they were sent back to Adele in South Carolina, where they were content until once again they were returned to Florida. During Ashley's nine-year stint in 14 foster homes, she encountered 44 caseworkers. None of these people, paid to help foster children, saved Ashley from living through sickening abuse at the hands of foster parents.

Finally, one woman, a volunteer named Mary Miller, took a special interest in Ashley. Eventually, Ashley was adopted by a loving family, although she agreed to it with major reservations (the three little words from the title were her "I guess so" when the judge asked if she agreed to the adoption). Ashley believed that the adoption could never last; she is frank about her problems adjusting to her new life after years of hopelessness.

Ashley Rhodes-Courter, who sued her most abusive foster parents, works tirelessly to help children in the foster system. She has spoken to the Senate, and many other groups, about the need for foster care reform. And in this excellent page turner, she gives vibrant voice to those voiceless, helpless children caught in this nightmare, giving us insight into a national tragedy. I highly recommend her heartbreaking and inspiring memoir.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

WHY THE WEIGHT? DARE TO BE GREAT! is like reading a Bible for those who want to lose weight. It is so inspirational that it should be kept out on a table to read and reread when one needs to be reminded of the multitude of ideas offered the readers. For those of us who have weight problems, it should be in a obvious place to use as a way of life.
Its contents are more than any reader could ever expect, without a page of disappointment.
Connie Nanasy, author of: Roamin' Around Planet Earth and
Love and Betrayal in Texas

This book helped me soooooo much. It's a spiritual approach to weight loss, and it's like nothing out there. Thank you, Jean

In this book, Jean Krueger talks about eating in response to "loss". She has had some profound losses in her life including the deaths of both parents and 3 brothers......but she expands the concept of "loss" to other areas as well.

A second point is Krueger's philosophy that weight loss is not only about the pounds. It is about adding things into your life. When you are overweight, you have no energy. No zest. No joy of living. She urges you to examine your life. Take on new challenges and make a list of things you want to do and start doing them step by step.

In my own life, I suffered "loss" of self esteem when I was unable to balance the stress of being a perfectionist at work and trying to be a wife and mother at home. I ended up taking a transfer in order to survive and felt embarrassed and ashamed because I hadn't been able to handle it all. My self esteem fell to an all time low. Eventually I retired and again felt the "loss" of an exhausting but exciting career.

Later, I fell from a ladder and suffered a debilitating injury which put me on medication and laid me up for more than a year. Food was an easy solution to both losses. Besides, I deserved it and it made me feel better..... temporarily.

I reached a point when I felt my life was over. I became depressed and discouraged and withdrew from friends and activities.

Weight has been a problem all my life. I have tried many weight loss programs and the scale has yoyo'd up and down. But when I found this book and started reading it, I wrote in my journal, "could this really be the time?" In other words, could I not only take off the weight but resume a meaningful life?

My mantra has become, "I am determined to take back my life." I have lost 10% of my body weight, am about half way to my goal and am doing more things and enjoying them more than I have for years. I am again in touch with old friends and am helping to plan a reunion of current and retired employees. I eat out all the time...and make good choices much of the time. I walk alot and go to the gym several times a week and my husband and I have completed several 5K fund raisers. I have joined a quilting guild and taken an adult education sewing class. I am in training as a volunteer for the American Red Cross.

I have been fairly diligent...but not perfect. For me, I no longer look for the "quick fix" to lose weight. Weight control is now more a change of mind set and life style and I owe my motivation to Jean Krueger and her insightful book.

Just attended a workshop featuring Jean Krueger and was sincerely motivated after hearing her speak that I purchased this book. She is truly a inspiration and I look forward to reading more about her method of weight loss. I would encourage others that are looking for a postive way to approach weight loss to hear her message.

Jean is an amazing woman and an inspiration to all. She is someone who has walked the walk. Her advice is on target. She is compassionate but shoots straight. Follow her plan and your life will change, along with your weight. I should know. I have been following her plan for a year now. I have lost 50 pounds, in spite of losing two important people. I dealt with the grief the right way -not eating my way through it. Thank you for everything, Jean.