Works Books

Review from Ryan Brenizer's Amazon Blog

America at Home
8:45 AM PDT, June 16, 2008, updated at 8:47 AM PDT, June 16, 2008
If millions of photographers around the world have a collective bias, it's this: The more interesting the better. Generally, that's a good thing -- the last thing the world needs are thousands of photo documentaries on "Things I Found in My Belly-Button." But if you're trying to document the way we live, it can be dangerously deceptive. Someone hundreds of years from now looking only at the professional photography of the era might assume we spent most of our time getting married and killing each other, but never went to the store or drove to work.

Photojournalist Rick Smolan tries to ameliorate this with "America at Home." Documenting as broad an idea as American domestic life is a daunting task, but Rick handles it adeptly, with a number of clever flourishes. His curating of the collection is very well-handled. It's unselfish, with his own work playing roles only where it fits best (and one of my favorite photos in the book, of a girl resting on the couch in the dramatic shadows of twilight, is his). With few exceptions, the photos that look best large are given the space to shine, and the photos that can convey messages in smaller sizes are paired up on a page, maximizing visual impact. The work itself tends to be both brilliant and familiar, trending toward subtle compositions that tell a story without being garish, appropriate for the topic.

Where it starts to get clever is in how the book is arranged. There are essays by writers such as Amy Tan and Terry Teachout breaking the book into chapters, but the photos are arranged around prominently displayed salient facts about American life, such as how much TV we watch a day or that the average American woman has one hour less free time per day than the average American man (I tried to hide that page from my wife).

It's a book that's supposed to teach us about us, and Rick wants readers to make it their own -- literally. The book has a companion Web site, MyAmericaAtHome.com, where you can order the book with your own photo as a customized cover. Since this is all about domestic life, I tried it out with a photo of my nephew at the ice cream shop instead of my professional work:

As you can see, the process is well-designed and easy to understand, showing how the final product will look with the headline and logo, as well as whether your photo will have enough resolution to make a good cover print. It's not only an easy process, but a bit addictive, so be careful lest you order 20 different copies of the same book.

This book represents an important topic well-handed, and a copy will be sure to grace my coffee table.
[...]

I have spent hours of enjoyment with this book....losing myself in faces and places unknown to me, yet at the same time hauntingly familiar. Rick Smolan has captured America at the very time when so many of us feel we are losing a connection to the vitality and promise of our country. But in every page and every essay, there are precious reminders of where our strength for the future lies...in America's people and in our homes an communities. Thank you, Rick Smolan.....

I have followed Rick Smolan's books for many years. This book touched me as few others have done. My Czech wife often seems to miss the diversity of the true America. I think all of us that have suffered these past 8 years where we might not have felt proud of our country can find something to feel proud of in this book. Here one can see so clearly and beautifully the diversity, the imagination, the love of family and friends that we who have grown up in America hold to be the true America. I shared this book with my wife who I think was quite surprised to see how many America's there are and to see what the true fabric of our society looks like beyond the slick magazines and endless TV glitz.

This is a book that you can give to someone who wants to see and better understand what America is truly about.

A beautiful and elegant celebration of american life at home.
The authors also offer a great way to personalize the outer cover of the book with your own pictures. Very cool!! Customizing the cover makes a great conversation piece for your home as well as a great gift for friends and family.

I love the warmth of this book. I travel the world and am disturbed by the misconceptions many foreigners have of us here at home. (I can't say I blame them with the present administration having devastated our reputation and the relentless negative news reports.)
I would love to share this book with everyone abroad. It paints honest, touching, personal, everyman images of true Americans in all sorts of everyday activities in their homes.
Whether as a gift to people abroad or enjoyed with friends and family, this beautiful book presents who we are as everyday people. Honest, simple, good, loving Americans.
Thanks to Rick and Jennifer.

Ayn Rand is one of the foremost communicators of our time. Her ability to communicate complex issues cogently, logically and passionately means that, decades later, her works are still being sited as `the text' to read, in politics, philosophy or morality. Clarity, integration and style are thoroughly discussed. The advice given here applies to all non-fiction writing (see also her book on fiction writing The Art of Fiction: A Guide for Writers and Readers) and it's not the usual recycled blurb. Rand's method of thinking, led to her method of writing and style. This book lets you into some of those secrets and allows anybody to improve their writing skills.

I was rather impressed with what Rand had to say about writing and style. As the authoress of the second-most influential book ("Atlas Shrugged"), she has a lot to say on the matter. And, as always, you cannot stop a bandersnatch.

There are some preliminaries. First, as with all of her writings, this book's ideas are outgrowths of her philosophy of Objectivism. For Rand aficionados, you know that it keeps cropping up with everything that she writes. So if you either agree with her, or are willing to plow around it, then get this book.

Second, this book is really edited selections from a longer seminar she had on writing. If the discussion seems out of joint at times, it is due to the selecting/editing process. To help round out here ideas, I suggest reading "The Art of Writing Fiction" and "The Romanic Manifesto," all of which were extracted from this same meeting.

Rand is one of the finest systematic thinkers ever, and this book shows it. She is able to take something apart, separate, correlate, and analyze the parts, and then put it back together again.

By being so analytical, she gets the writing process right. The first five chapters are really the basting cap essential in explosive writing. Writing can be simplified by preparation, organization, and thinking, which is the message of these chapters.

Chapters 5 through 8 cover the more traditional nuts and bolts of writing. Chapter 5, on creating an outline, is the key link between thinking and writing. She is right when suggesting that everyone writing nonfiction should use an outline. It organizes both the mind and the writing. I was glad that the editors included some sample outlines of Rand's writing, to watch how the process proceeds from outline to full article.

I think out of all of the chapters, "Writing the Draft" was the most helpful. The editor subtitled it "The primacy of the subconscious." This highlights Rand's point that writing is really something that comes spontaneously form a disciplined mind. Furthermore, the chapter contains several subsections on "The Squirms," helpful mulling, euthanizing pet sentences, and handling interruptions.

This last point cannot be emphasized too much: writing is a job, and it takes concentration. Rand likens it to heating a blast furnace--you work up to a high temperature, and that temperature must be maintained for weeks to get the desired results. While writing "Atlas Shrugged," she had to sequester herself for thirteen years.

I have a similar experience while writing. People visibly see you clacking on the computer, but what they do not see is the amount of focus inside your head, invisible to your eyes. So they want you to answer the phone, run this errand, baby-sit, chat, paint a house, watch some idiotizing program on TV, or come in on your day off because so-and-so called in sick so they could stay home watching some idiotizing program on TV. You need to be as harsh with writing as you would with your bill-paying job. Indeed, a good writer sees writing AS A SECOND JOB!

The last chapters are a potpourri of topics that did not fit in either "The Romantic Manifesto" or "The Art of Fiction." They are helpful for what they are, but seem a bit out of place and curt. They serve as surveys to the topics.

The only critique I have would be rearranging the chapters. Move chapter 12 ("Acquiring Ideas For Writing") up between chapters 1 and 2, since the thinking process--the process of reverie and listening to the unconscious percolate--precedes the choice of a subject and theme. I would also move chapter 11 ("Selecting a title") to go after chapter 7 ("Editing"), and moved chapter 8 ("Style") between the chapters on writing the draft and editing. Since this book was edited posthumously, this organizational error is not hers.

Here is my ideal order:

1. Preliminary remarks
2. Acquiring Ideas for Writing
3. Choosing a Subject and Theme
4. Judging one's Audience
5. Applying Philosophy
6. Creating an Outline
7. Writing the Draft
8. Style
9. Editing
10. Selecting a Title
11. Book Reviews
12. Writing a Book
Appendix: Outlines

For a second or third reading, it may be helpful to use this order, since it follows the process of thinking-writing-rewriting.

*

I have put this book in my mix of style guides, and will read it along with Strunk and White, Trimble's "Writing With Style," The Chicago Manual, and "The Little, Brown Handbook."

(I would rate it five stars, but the disordered chapter organization talked me out of it.)

This book offers guidance on a variety of topics and problems that a writer of non-fiction, whether articles or books, might encounter. The advice is never formulaic, but rather gives the reader methods by which to improve his own writing process and style. Highly recommended.

It starts slow and plods along for a few chapters but eventually Rand strikes a resonant chord and the writing comes to life. Ayn Rand will get your mind 'right' about writing and get your mental tool-box organized, to handle odd-jobs or the magnum-opus.

As with so much of Ayn Rand's writing, she takes on an issue (in this case, nonfiction writing) that seems hopelessly complex, and then explains it with such clarity that you're left wondering what all the confusion was about in the first place. If you're stuck in your writing, even if you've never read anything by Rand before, this book is priceless.

I cannot rave enough about this book. As I'm sure most translators or more authoritative people will point out, the translation quality here is superb. But, from the angle of the guy who knows almost zilch about that, the book offers guidance and discipline. While the original is short and to the point, this book offers a more 'warm' (if I can call it that) feeling, with photographic, smooth paper and various related pictures from the time.

That being said, this book also features commentary by other guys from the time relating to their opinions of Sun Tzu's words. It's definitely interesting to get perspectives from them and not just the author or translator. I felt that was a unique addition that really added to the book. You can read the whole thing of Sun Tzu's words in a couple days or so, but the deep discussion behind it offers a whole 'nother book in and of itself.

book arrived on time and in condition described

This edition makes for a terrific gift for the college graduate. The illustrations and photos add visual interest; the text layout makes for "easy" reading. Although we already own several editions of this classic, this will be added to our personal collection.

This is a classic work on what works and doesn't work it war. It is from the 3rd century BC and cuts through the BS of modern war science. Must reading for all future Presidents, Secretaries of Defense and General Officers.

As a Chinese, I can say that author grasp the essence of Art of war and the English is beautiful.

I see adiobook on this topic. What no one for this version? strongly suggest and if come out I would buy it firstly.

As the parent of an adolescent child with Asperger's, I found this book to be just what was needed -- a no nonsense approach to helping our kids with a sense of humor. This is the second book by this author that I have purchased. I will purchase more, I am sure.

This book is one of the best I've seen about the transitional issues that arise when someone with Aspergers reaches their teens. With my son, we find each developmental step has its own challenges, but the movement into middle school, with the increased expectations of self-management and the early teen student issues among peers has been a bigger challenge than most. This book helped me frame these issues as they apply to my son, improving my understanding. Then I could apply many of the ideas provided both directly and through the school. My biggest problem is that this is such a slow read ... not because it is hard to read (to the contrary, its very understandable and straightforward.) Its a "slow go" because of all of the underlining and page marking I am doing to track the "good stuff." Dr Bolick has done those of use living in these situation a major service with this work! I fully recommend it.

More and more books are addressing the problems ASD kids encounter in their latter years . Teresa Bolick has written a well thought out and structured book that answers many of the concerns that parents and teachers have. Would you need another book dealing with this area ? I would say...yes. It is such an important time in these kids lives that a comprehensive knowledge is needed by all those that care for these yound adults.


reviewed by Special Education Teacher and father of ASD child.

I have a son with Aspergers. This book is a great help!

I haven't finished reading this book, but so far what I've read completely fits. My AS teen needs all the help he can get with organization, social skills, etc. This book gives real life examples and excerps from real parents and adolescents with AS. This book is helping me to better understand my child and to help him develop strategies and coping mechanisms so he can have a successful life. Definitely a good addition to my AS library!

A must have for NP school. Great book. Thanks Amazon for providing the best prices and great services.

If you work in a pediatric practice which serves children, you will find yourself turning to this book again and again. It has very helpful and complete text and pictures. Our pediatric residents use it as a primary board review text. I highly recommend it. Anyone want to buy a Nelson's???

I bought this to study for the pediatric boards and it was very helpful for the picture session. I've also found it extremely helpful everyday in seeing patients especially the dermatology section.

Another ubiquitous book. A "must have"....or "must have owned". Too big. People just buy it for the pictures anyway, has anyone really read the text in Zitelli's? Most people use it as an atlas to review for boards...My logic is, if you're gonna just use it for pictures, why not google images? There are other atlases out there that are less cumbersome and cheaper. Plus, do you think the pedi board people will take a picture right out of a well-known text?

Useful as a bookend or coffe table a-la Kramer in Seinfeld.

This is the finest text a pediatrician can own for daily practice, board brush up and companion to the standard textbooks. It can fill many gaps inherent in the nature of pediatric training and is eminently relevant. If the authors never pen another things, they can be forever proud of this work. Brava.

This is a great book to add to your collection. There is lots of information and pictures. I bought this book for my husband who has done a little blacksmithing and is wanting to set up a shop at home. He has several other blacksmithing books and really liked this book.

A good beginners book, But as a working smith I enjoyed it and found some good tricks, and ideas for my own work.
Great illistrations, good projecte.

This is a good beginner to intermediate book to help someone understand and start blacksmithing. The suthor is well versed in her art and provides good pictures for students to better understand the forging process. Like most books of this kind, however, a student is best served having taken a ahort course in blacksmithing to better understand the terminology.

Although I am very familiar with working with Metal, and many other forms of crafting, I knew little of Blacksmithing. I have always been interested in Blacksmiths since I was a child, but knew nothing of their background, history, and the tricks of the trade so to say that they used to form beautiful and more importantly, useful items that they created.

I recently had the opportunity to work in a blacksmith shop, but I had to do so alone, as the former blacksmith had moved on. Hence I purchased several books to learn of their ways.

I was very interested in this book for one just because it was written by a female blacksmith, something I found to be unheard of, as I never in my life saw a female blacksmith working any forge I ever encountered. I felt that I had to have this book over all others as it would give me not just knowledge of blacksmithing, but a woman's point of view on it, which I felt could be very enlightening.

I could not have been more correct. This is so far the best book I have purchased on blacksmithing, and I have purchased 8 here through Amazon. This book is very well written, depicted, laid out, and explained. I loved the mixture of some of the history, and more so the insight of the craft. For example a simple account of how you will keep getting burned, I laughed over for some time, and yes, so far, I have gotten burned twice. Yea, I'm a newbie, read the book, you will laugh and only then really understand this statement. Also how the Blacksmith bug will bite you and you know it has if scraps of iron start to almost call out to you, grabbing your full attention since as you look at it, you depict in your mind all the things you could make that piece into. I for one remember that line in the book since I have already noticed that the Bug has fully bitten and infected me.

Out of reading the whole book, I was only left with 2 or 3 items that I didn't understand, and that may have been that I missed something in my reading of it, since I did so in a hurried piecemeal fashion. In other words, when I had to put it down or get fired from work, I hurriedly picked it back up as soon as I could to read more!

This is an awesome book. If you are to buy only ONE book, then make it this one. Even the projects in the back are as good as or better than a Project book I purchased. LOL... Enjoy!

The author clearly put a lot of time into this book, and it shows. Clearly explains the basics of blacksmithing without jargon and with useful illustrations. It is entirely on the level about the pros and cons of blacksmithing, the dangers, the rewards, and it is written with engaging humor at times. Great job. I recommend this highly for the beginner!

Anthony A. Hoekema's "The Bible and the Future" is a fairly thorough exploration of all the major issues surrounding the study of last things (eschatology). Admittedly, a three hundred page book cannot do complete justice to such a complex and varied field, yet he has given us a good place to begin exploring.

In my experience, eschatology is dominated by a sort of generalized randomness ("I don't know much about the end times, but I know I don't believe THAT...") or even a passive indifference ("I'm a PANmillennialist - it'll all pan out in the end") or even a sort of sensationalized excitement ("we may not be able to predict the day or the hour, but we can predict the week and the month"). Helpfully, though, Hoekema clears away some of the confusion, cobwebs, and craziness that is often associated with the doctrine of last things.

In his favor, there are not graphs or charts (except for a few in the appendix) to try to puzzle through. He attempts to be thoroughly biblical in his approach. He does use footnotes, but they are often short and to the point, which contributes to an uncluttered text.

Even if you disagree with an Amillennial view of the end times, Hoekema is a valuable resource - as one of my professors used to say, "The best place to start looking is a good book with solid footnotes - that will cut down hours of time doing research."

While he does engage both Postmillennialism and Historic Premillennialism, he spends the bulk of his time defending Amillennialism and refuting Dispensational Premillennialism. My guess is that when he wrote in 1979, Dispensationalism was (and continues to be) the dominant view among Evangelicals when it comes to studying end times.

One negative - because it was written in 1979, it does not engage the newest wave of Postmillennialism or Dispensational Premillennialism (Left Behind series and all that). However, the critiques of both explore the biblical roots that underlie the various expressions of the theology, so even being a bit dated, it still is worth your time.

Great book. The author treats even those with different views on the subject with respect. However his writing is to convince or persuade his readers. Good read even if you don't agree with his theology.

The Bible and the Future is the single best volume written on the wide topic of "end things" (eschatology) If you really want to understand what the Bible says about "The Day of the Lord" or Christ's Second Comng, His coming at death, the after life and so on, then this is the volume for you. It is for serious students of the Bible who want a biblical, evangelical perspective and not pop-theology. What concerns me more than anything, when it comes to the topic of the end times is the fact that what may blind the church from seeing the signs is the dispensational interpretation of scripture which has been embraced by conservative churches as the literal, authoritative understanding of the end. This view, arising out the the Plymouth Brethren church, condified by J.N. Darby and polularized by the Scofield Bible, "Thief in the Night Trilogy" and the new update of this original series, "Left Behind" does not handle the scripture properly and is itself not a conservative approach to scripture but is more in line with modern liberalism. If you find this commment strange then you need to read this book and go back to a thorough reading of the whole counsel of scripture on this topic.

Good Reformed look at eschatology, giving a fair shake to all expressions of the Christian Church in regards to eschatology. It causes us to think deeply of the nature of eschatology and why it matters for life, ministry, and life in God.

many books about the bible and end times stuff (eschatology), are goofy, fanatical and just not worth the time to read. However, this one is a gem. It is sane, well researched, well thought out and really does a great job of interpreting this biblical subject with sobriety and intelligence. This book has a commanding reputation amongst more level headed bible scholars and theologians. Even if you end up disagreeing with some of the book's material, you will learn an immense amount on the subject either way. This book will educate you on this subject. It's just packed with material. Forget the popular "prohecy" books about doomsday soothsayers and world war III, and instead read this one by a scripture honoring, intelligent theologian. I would rate it six stars if there were a six star option.

You read Blood Shot Eyes. I've read good mysteries before, complete with the conventions we've come to expect: A burned-out PI with ties to a connected lawyer or brutish bodyguard, either of which bails him out of heavy situations or gives him much-needed information at JUST the right time; a killer, whether primary antagonist or secondary threat, who's void of conscience and proves superhumanly strong; bureaucratic excess resulting in the stagnation of the protag's quest; and the fast-paced plot that oftentimes eschews accuracy and authenticity in favor of speed. You can still produce a good book with such clichés intact, but it certainly helps your cause if you ditch them or, at the very least, revise them for a fresh twist.

And that's exactly what Picciarelli does with Eyes. He comes closest to cliché in the internal turmoil of Ray Yale, a PI struggling with the death of his wife, but that's it. Yale, unlike Coben's Bolitar or Lehane's Kenzie, actually knows what he's doing and is competent enough to get the job done without the crutch of extra muscle or a brainy associate. The antagonist has a bloodlust, to be sure, but Picciarelli handles her character with enough care and backstory as to make her multi-layered and, dare I say, even a smidge sympathetic, parting from the standard of so many titles in the genre. The bureaucratic excess doesn't come in the form of a gaggle of precinct higher-ups commandeering Yale's crime scene or threatening him should he persist in his snooping; in fact, "excess" would be the wrong word entirely. Bureaucracy is presented as the entity which pushed Yale to become a PI in the first place, rather than a rigid institution stomping him every time he gets too close to the truth. Furthermore, Yale's sidekick is played extremely far from type, thereby making him--and the story--more effective and authentic. The slang, the insider's look into proper police procedure, and the back-of-the-hand knowledge of NYC allow the story to pulse with reality, no doubt stemming from Picciarelli's background with the NYPD.

All that and we haven't yet gotten to the plot! The story centers around a decade-old crime, giving our hero an even bigger hurdle to jump. Every layer that Yale pulls back reveals another, more intriguing piece of evidence that keeps you reading and wanting to find out the "why" and "how" of the crime. The answers are blocked by enough obstacles and challenges that you're left asking yourself how in the world Yale will pull it all off without getting caught. And when he succeeds, it all makes sense; nothing is unbelievable, clichéd, or stretched too thin. Because of this, Blood Shot Eyes is the first mystery I've read that felt so close to being real, and was one of my most enjoyable reading experiences to date in the genre. Five star recommended.

Blood Shot Eyes is the first piece of fiction I've picked up in five years, and I found it difficult to put down. I have to read for my profession, and I spend so much time at it that I gave up leisure reading, which I used to enjoy. Once I picked up Blood Shot Eyes though, I gave up nighttime television for a week so I could find out what would happen next with Ray Yale and his investigation. Kudos to Patrick Picciarelli for a completely engrossing mystery, and for helping me rediscover the power and enjoyment of the written word.

I highly recommend this gripping mystery! Blood Shot Eyes is one of those whodunits that you don't want to finish because you know it will be a long time before you find another book as good. Patrick Picciarelli is a gifted storyteller. His characters are interesting, imperfect and realistic - the kind that every reader identifies with. The good guys and villains are equally captivating. A truly unexpected and absorbing tale of murder and intrigue!

BLOOD SHOT EYES is a riveting page-turner that you simply can not put down. The suspense kept me up all night reading this book. Patrick Picciarelli is a master of pacing and crime fiction. I'm quite sure his name will appear on the New York Times bestseller list one day.

Blood Shot Eyes by Pat Picciarelli hooked me in the beginning with the murder of a young female college student. The suspense mounts as Private Investigator, Ray Yale, ex-NYPD, Lt, is reluctantly persuaded by sympathy for the grieving father of the victim who can't let go of the mystery of his daughter's death. Yale takes on the case of solving the riddle of the ten-year-old homicide which leads him to the beautiful Leah Porter as the main suspect in the murder. This pychotic character while revolting the reader will also intrigue. Picciarelli's vast experience and knowledge of crime is revealed in this suspenseful story. I highly recommend it to all who love a well-written, captivating brainteaser.

I think I got into Blythe dolls after seeing so many of clothes and accessories made for them on etsy.com. I bought this book to get some ideas on how to dress up my dolls and I just thought it was so cute! Some of the outfits are really great and a few are just out there. Overall, this is a great book to flip through. I gave it 4 stars because I think it would be really cool if they showed us the process of creating the looks for these dolls.

This is a fine book. All of the images make you suddenly forget they are dolls; you start feeling like watching models displaying designer clothes.
If you like Blythe, this is a must.
The edition is excellent.
Mint item...!

If you love Blythe dolls -- or dolls in general -- you will certainly love this book. It's got really creative photos of Blythe dolls. Very imaginative and well-done book!

This is an amazing book for someone in the fashion or design business. Not only the clothing is great but the styling is beautiful, witty and in perfect coordination with the spirit of the clothes.
I highly recommend this book.

I own a Blythe doll, which just recently arrived here at home after a lot of research on my part. I know about face types ("superior and "radiant"), the different companies who are allowed to reproduce the dolls (which were originally released in 1972 for one year only, by Kenner), customization of Blythe dolls, and the best websites to read tutorials on that, and where to find outfits for my new, fantastic Blythe!

As you may have guessed by now I am a "reading-type" person! Because of this, I felt that it would be fun and important to also add the books which photographer Gina Garan had created, to my Blythe collection.

The way the story goes, Gina received an original Kenner Blythe doll as a gift from someone who felt that Blythe looked like Gina. Gina began taking her on photoshoots and practicing taking pictures using her as a model. Shortly Gina was never without her. Since that time Blythe has travelled the world with Gina, making each of them famous both in the fashion arena and in charity work as well. Many of the Blythes in this wonderful book are dressed by top couture designers, and were later shown off in Vogue Nippon magazine, ultimately to be auctioned off to support children's charities. How great! The introduction to this book explains how that came about and is written by Junko Wong, a lovely person who met up with Gina and really got much of the interest in the Blythe phenomenon to grow.

As a mother of two children with severe dsabilities (and five sons in total!), I am always gratified to read about events which raise money for children's charities of all sorts!
However, that is actually beside the point in one sense. This book stands on its own as an elegant testimonial to a fantastic, personality packed creation...the doll who is Blythe.

Blythe dolls have four different eye colors! What you do is pull a string on the back of her head to make her eyes click to a different color. She has two "straight ahead" colors, then there is one which looks off to the right, and one which looks off to the left. One of the "straight ahead" colors is what is called the "main color". In the case of my doll, it is described as a "mysterious purple" color. I love all of her eye colors and they do change her expression and personality. Add a collection of doll clothes, such as the great ones you can get through Gina's own website, www.thisisblythe.com, which I thoroughly recommend, and you will be having the time of your life dressing up your own doll, photographing her, if you enjoy that, or just..loving her.

If you don't want to spend the money on a doll, buy this book instead! Or consider this other book This is Blythe, by Gina as well, available here on Amazon.com . Gina has captured every expresssion, every mood, every situation you might imagine coming up in a doll's daily life. She has accomplished it in a thoroughly charming, beautifully photographed manner!

If you have never seen Paris, see it with Blythe as your companion! Feel like a day at the beach? Blythe does, too!

Quiet times, dress-up times, visits to foreign countries galore; you will have a ball with Blythe at your side. I totally recommend this book and would not be without it. I love my doll, and I love Gina Garan for rediscovering the treasure that is Blythe!

Over the course of many months my book club's conversation kept coming back to boobs...things like bra-fitting and breastfeeding and family members struggling with breast cancer. So we decided to read this book. It was great fun! Some read it cover to cover while others dipped in here and there to the parts that most interested them; the book covers many subjects and is written with humor and wit. It's one of those books that belongs on any mom's shelf, not only so she can refer to it but so tweens and teens can go to it for that information that is sometimes too awkward to bring up over dinner (like how, when I was a teen, I referred to that great 70s book Our Bodies, Our Selves). This is the Boob Book that you want lying around for when you or your kids have a health or body image question about boobs. Informative and uplifting!

This is an entertaining, informative, and essential book for everyone with or without BOOBS. Elisabeth uses humor and practicality in addressing a subject matter that is Taboo and Inanimate to many. Read it. Laugh. Stop staring.....Get a clue about Boobs...

How refreshing that Elizabeth Squires speaks openly and honestly and humorously about bOObs! This is the ultimate guide and will hopefully change the tone of discourse about a body part that affects women throughout their lifetime and on so many levels. Thank you Elizabeth!!

Gail Konop Baker author of CANCER IS A BITCH Or, I'd Rather Be Having a Midlife Crisis

Elisabeth Squires knows her stuff and takes what could have been painfully clinical subject matter and made it into a clever, witty and un-put-downable book full of fun, factoids and frank information. Hats off (make that bras off!) to the author for her fine research and fantastic wit!

Boobs: a guide to your girls is funny, informative and just plain necessary! Elisabeth Squires makes the reader feel comfortable about all the questions one might have about one's boobs. This book is more than a guide, it's a self-esteem enhancer, it's a friend that is filled with answers to questions that are sometimes to embarrassing to ask. I loved this book and I don't even have boobs! Oh, and I saw Elisabeth talk about Boobs and she is a really smart, articulate woman who knows her facts but has an incredible sense of humor too!