D Books

A nice book, but something about it made me not really wanting to read it and I love reading.
Not sure what it was, it is okay, depends on the person. Parent probably would not enjoy it, a person in the practice would.

When I was taking a class with Bobby Newman he suggested I get this book - and I'm so please he did. It's comprehensive, explanatory, and a must have for those of us in the field using the principles of applied behavior analysis to bring about change in the behavior of children with autism. I have many other books - but this is the one I turn to first!

This book is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to set up formal ABA programming for their child or for anyone who wants to understand the steps of development in specific areas such as making conversation, understanding the difference between yes/no and learning how to read. I found the checklists at the back of the book to be the most helpful. I have had extensive training (as a parent) in ABA principles and Discrete Trial Training procedures and I found that this book was accurate and gave the right amount of detail when I wanted to set up my own programs to be implemented in my home.

This book is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in behaviorism or anyone who knows a child on the Austic Spectrum.
If this topic isn't your cup of tea, then there's no reason for you to be interested in this book, but if you are into this sort of thing, it's amazing.

Right after I got the autism diagnosis for my son I realized that behavioral therapy would be our main focus of treatment and due to financial constraints, I would be the primary therapist.

After reading some really heady and intellectual literature on behavioral therapy I just wanted to scream, "Yes, I know, but tell me what to do!!"

A Work in Progress does just that. It is simply written and easy to use. Look up the behavior you wish to address in the table of contents, turn to the indicated page, and there, clearly written is a step-by-step plan. Brilliant. Just what we needed.

As a parent of a child with autism, I have faced many struggles.
Working with the public school system to provide my son an appropriate education has been the hardest struggle by far. I have read Wrightslaw: Special Ed Law and From Emotions to Advocacy by Peter Wright and have found them to be an invaluable resource for parents of special needs children. As with any disability, parents must educate themselves in order to help their child. These books are loaded with information that is essential for parents who wants to be strong advocates. I recommend these books to every parent who has a child in the public school system.

I found this book to be an excellent resource for getting the special education my 10 year old son needed. Not only does it point out the "common" methods school systems circumvent the Law (and your childs education), it tells the reader how to deal with it. Also of note was the text of several court cases on special education law and how it relates to the parents. Yes, we have a lot more rights and control of our childrens education than the school systems are willing to acknowledge! Especially educational was how it pointed out that school systems often do not have all the members present for a meeting, but the law requires ALL members to be present. This is a must have for parents of Special Educational need students.

This book is a must have if you have a child with special needs. It is the most comprehensive book around for helping your child get an education! I call it my special education bible. If you can only afford one book to help you through the special education maze, this is the ONE to buy!

Sissy

This book is extremely well written, concise and incredibly practical. As a parent of a special needs child, my copy is dogeared with tons of stickies coming out the sides and highlighted paragraphs throughout. The unraveling of caselaw portions and the clear writing style help you understand the nuances of special ed law, expectations you can have, how to be smarter in and out of an IEP meeting, and how not to be bushwacked. It has the good stuff, but doesn't skip on the real language either. Well balanced with nothing fluffy. I'd rather lose my dayrunner than my copy of Wrightslaw.

This book, is THE guide to protecting your child and making sure he receives the special education services that he needs. The author's give some VERY good, sound advice throughout the book. Just having the laws handy makes it worth the price, the legal commentaries are just the icing on the cake. It it the best book I have bought and highly recommended to anyone who has a special needs child. Whether you are familiar with the laws or not, you should own this book. There is also a companion strategy guide available from the same publisher that is very good. And there is also a Advocate's Guide coming out soon from the same author's and I will buy that as soon as it is released. Knowledge is power. The best way to help your kids is to learn as much as you can. This book is your best resource to do that.

The book is over sized with with a removable box dust cover. The binding is gorgeous and cryptic. Truly inspired by Gaimans work. The pages are thick and colorful... filled with beautiful art and Gaimans amazing stories of his Endless characters.

Well, I was expecting quite a bit after reading the first Absolute Sandman, and this one delivers on all accounts. The stories are amazing (somehow, A Game of You, the one I thought I'd hate, I loved the most) and this book overall was even better than the first.

The price here is magnificent, way cheaper than store price and the price is a very small price to pay for the content. Veteran readers will, I think, be pleased with the extra content.

They took some great stories and provided them a proper packaging. A great way to read and reread the series.

If you like sandman, just a little, so you MUST have this absolute, its needless to say that it is unworldly beautyful, the kind of item that any sandman fan have (they don't have the option: "not to have", if (s)he don't have, (s)he isn't a real fan). It's full with Extras more than 100 pages of mindblowing Sandman's extras.
Really a Top "Must Have" I already have garanteed tne other 2.

I always love Mr Gaiman;'s work. Sandman is probably his opus given the size and the eclectic nature of the themes. The Endless as interpreted by a Master like Gaiman represent an amazing world that weaves the deepest recesses of the collective consciousness, mythology, history and keep it living enough to be interesting. Aesthetically, the books are great and the artwork is just as eclectic as the are the themes. I wish I was exposed to this stuff as a kid...

The book is a compilation of short stories about the most influential children that he has worked with over the years, and once I started it I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone (I personally think this would be a great book for expecting parents to read). You will learn so much about the developing brain and about how early childhood trauma can drastically shape the course of the rest of someone's life.

My Professor, Nina Mogar, is a friend of Dr. Bruce Perry. For her class she suggested we buy the book, because she incorporates it into her curriculum. Everything we know about children, will change when reading this book. This book delves into the neurobiology of children, rather than just studying behaviorism. Dr. Bruce Perry's stories from his own experience, helps us understand children. I also suggest that you visit this link: http://www.visualrecord.com/wishspace/education/childvideos375.html There you will find lectures from Nina Mogar, an extraordinary teacher who has fought for children for over 30 years. She is an amazing woman, and she said she will never retire until she gets the message out of helping children. But how do we define helping children? Both Dr. Bruce Perry and Nina Mogar shape that understanding, and know, what some may even say radical, ways to help children. They have challenged common ideas that we believe are okay to use with children such as: time-out, the idea that teaching children earlier is better, testing, teaching a child to share, recess being shortened, etc... things that many elementary schools are using in their teaching environment. This book will help you to help.

This book is a brilliant summary of the essential information for anyone working with children and families. I thank the authors.

The book lives up to its fascinating title. Perry has worked for years with traumatized and neglected children and his take on dealing with them is based on research showing how the brain develops and the impact of neglect and abuse on it. In other words, if a child is abused or neglected in the first year of life (approximately), physical changes take place in the brain or rather, neurological connections that should be made, are not. (This is a vast simplification.) So as a child gets older and begins exhibiting antisocial behaviors that land him or her in special classes or even mental hospitals, it is not because he or she prefers to act this way but because the child's brain is unable to function in a way that enables him or her to become socialized. Perry, having done a great deal of research on this subject himself, spits in the eye of a lot of "accepted" practices when it comes to children's mental health. I'm always interested to read views that oppose the generally accepted norms. My daughter loaned me this book which she is reading as part of her Ph.D. program in pre- and postnatal psychology. It certainly fits right in with her assertion that we need to pay much more attention to what is happening in the first year of life (and before), not only because the child's personality is being formed, but because his brain is as well (and perhaps this is the same thing). The stories in this book are heart wrenching, but Perry does show that there are ways to help or at the very least, understand.

Assisted by a talented science writer, child psychiatrist Bruce Perry presents a series of heartbreaking stories of children severely damaged by trauma. But that's only one side of this remarkable book. The other side is how many of these profoundly damaged children were assisted to heal.

Perry explains his "neurosequential" approach that sequentially targets brain regions left undeveloped by abuse or neglect. He presents compelling cases to illustrate how the child's age at the time of the abuse or neglect will determine the gaps in neurological development and how his interventions sequentially target those developmental gaps. For children whose brains were stalled out in infancy, for example, therapy may start with healing touch or rhythm before moving on to higher brain activities.

The focus, always, is on the child's humanity. Perry explains the importance of listening and letting the child set the pace. He warns of the damage caused by well-intentioned but poorly trained therapists who push children to open up, or who administer punitive interventions in the guise of treatment. Healing is not about a specific technique administered in cookbook fashion but, rather, about love, and restoring shattered human connections.

This is an enlightening and heartening book and a real page-turner to boot. The neurological underpinnings of the trauma theory are presented in clear English accessible to anyone who can read. If you're a mental health professional, psychologist, or psychiatrist, you'll love this book. If you're a parent or a teacher, it's also for you. Whoever you are, it's for you. I guarantee you will be engaged and inspired.

Daughter of Ancients was definitely my favorite book of the series! It was a good ending though I think that Berg left room enough that she could have written more novels in the same world, so I am a bit disappointed that she didn't. Really a great series and good example of how talented Berg is to have been able to pull off something so complex.

This series has it all:

1. In depth characters
2. a good plotline
3. just a touch of romance
4. a whiff of magic
5. Strong storyline.

Miss Berg does not stray from her first intention, she does not stray from the morality of her characters, she makes them blossom, come to live and evolve like real people.

In fact it's all about the main characters and the magic is crucial yet second in command.

For me this series is well-thought, thorough, the characters jump of the pages into reality and well I enjoyed it a whole lot.

It's intriguing, surprising, unpredictable and yet a constant.

Well done

The whole Bridge of D'Arnath series has been riveting. The last of the series is not anti-climatic like many wrap-up books. It is a very good book.

Gerick, once a Lord of Zhev'Na, shows where his true loyalties lie once he's exposed to the magic of the Dread Lords. A very exciting book, no doubt the best of the series. It winds its way from viewpoint to viewpoint, never losing the feeling of impending climax.

A great book of a good series. I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Carol Berg, in my humble opinion, is the very best living writer of "dependable" fantasy...i.e. nothing that offends my sensibilities, but transports me to a place I'd like to be, filled with people I'd like to know. While I consider each of her books I've had the privilege to read as safe territory, her characters are anything but safe, each generally beat to a pulp one or more times in each story line. Some would consider this violence excessive, but it always moves the story forward and promotes the philosophy of pain and hardship's place in selflessness. A lost concept in the cocoon of ease and comfort in which most of us dwell.

Daughter of Ancients delivers all the promise of the preceding Bridge of D'Arnath books. It is satisfying, suspenseful, rich and so very human...with the delightful tendency of Carol Berg to often surprise us thoroughly and tie her plot lines together without the too-tidy endings that so many authors fall into. Thank you, Carol, for the gift of your imagination and the concise nature of your beautiful writing!

Robust account of one of the seminal figures of early America, one attempting the creation of an indigenous culture cast in a more universal mode than that of the provincial Christianity of his roots. The courage to give up his secure life as a minister for the uncertainties of exploration and creative renewal marks Emerson's trail through a pioneer's psychological American wilderntess, to touch on and integrate everything from the post-Kantians, to the Buddhists/Hindus to the Persians and Sufis. That Emerson evolved into a near firebrand abolitionist is an aspect of his life unsufficiently told, and this part of his later career runs clear in this book. All in all, a first rate pioneer story of another kind.

This is the only biography of Emerson that truly matters. Richardson locks in on the essentials - the development of a seeking mind is search of the ground of being and the nature of reality. Emerson is our Founding Thinker and to do him justice, a biographer has to grapple with the how and why a mind grows, changes, struggles and reaches new heights. Even if you haven't read much Emerson, this biography sheds light on what Emerson meant when he said, "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind."

In the past, my experience in reading Emerson has been similar to reading the Tao Te Ching; interesting, non-mainstream in its point of view, puzzling to understand what exactly it means. So I would pick up the Tao and read it at different times of the day and different frames of mind, hoping that it would resonate with me, but it never did. Maybe it was the cultural difference, or the language, or not being able to easily identify with Lao Tzu. Such had been my experience with Emerson. I wanted to understand him better because what little I did understand made me want to learn more, but I just couldn't get there.

This biographer, Richardson, really did his homework and any who want to understand Emerson better should appreciate this work. Emerson kept exhaustive journals and collections of his thoughts for many years. He read widely and deeply, kept detailed notes, and thoroughly indexed the notes. What perfect material to access for writing a biography! Apparently Richardson went back and studied much of the source material that Emerson references in his journals and brings into this biography an understanding of who Emerson was reading and what it meant to Emerson, so we receive the pleasure of following along on a journey in the development of a powerful mind. Then Richardson is able to write about this development so that it is easily readable to us moderns. It's quite a remarkable achievement.

"Mind on Fire" shows me that Richardson is certain that studying Emerson and his message is worthwhile. So much consideration has gone into this biography that when I laid it down after almost non-stop reading for several days over the holidays, I felt like I really understood Emerson for the first time, and now have much better insight. I plan to let this book simmer in my mind a few more months, then pick it up and read it again.

If Richardson could also write something as lucid and detailed to help me understand the Tao Te Ching, I wouldn't have 10,000 questions about the 10,000 things. ;-)

Mr. Richardson's 'Thoreau A Life of the Mind' was not only the best biography I've read on Thoreau, but one of the most exhilerating and enlightening reading experiences of my life. So I decided to read his 'Emerson The Mind on Fire.' And it was every bit as intimate and intelligent.

There are times you feel that you're intruding upon Waldo and Henry on one of their walks. It was an endless stroll of two intellectuals and humanists on the path of being very human. Each of the one hundred chapters (both books) are kept short, which helps move the reader from topic to topic without ever feeling put upon (too much detail can drag what is otherwise very interesting.) Though, for me personally, I would love to savor every moment these two great men shared. I don't think I could ever get bored.

Emerson has many close friends with whom one gets to know intimately. His personal address book was a whose whose of literary and intellectual greats.

The relationship between Emerson and his second wife, Lidian, is of great interest. She was also intellectual and as much a partner in life as she was a wife. Her presence is everywhere in Emerson's life.

Emerson's essays are pure poetry. And the behind the scene snippets into how they became a part of his legacy was both insightful and relevant to the day to day interactions and causes he committed himself. His transformation from the unremarkable child into the neverending 'student' of self-education and commitment to social conscience throughout his entire adult life is one to be admired.

Mr. Richardson is one of the best biographers of nineteenth century literaries. He is truly one with his topic.

Robert Richardson's biography of Emerson is superb. Though, as Richardson reminds us, Emerson did not like superlative language when precise and adequate language would do, it is the case that at times the superlative, the precise and the adequate converge (as, in fact, they often did in Emerson's writings). Richardson's biography is indeed superb in its unfolding of Emerson's life -- the loves, the friendships, the losses, the intellectual and spiritual hunger, the religious quest, the writers in America, in Europe, in Persia and elsewhere to whom Emerson owed and acknowledged debts, the grasping at and for a world, the determination of a single, brilliant human being to find his way and to see his life, and all individual lives, as imbued with the divine and thus worth living.

The book is also superbly written. Each short chapter offers enough substantive insight to urge the reader into the next. It is a long book, but not long-winded. Richardson provides the reader with some morsel of insight in a few pages of narrative, and then offers a rest to digest what has been said. His placement of quotations from Emerson's journals, essays and other works is brilliant, offering the reader a useful sketch of Emerson's metaphysics and ethics. In my own case, this has allowed time to reach for other literature more fully descriptive of the events or scenes offered in a particular chapter, or to reread chunks of Emerson's writings while moving through the biography. The book is a useful tool not merely for a study of Emerson's life but for a study of Transcendentalism and of the interplay of ideas across the Atlantic that shaped American thought in so many ways. One sees more clearly where and how such writers as Nietzsche and Thoreau obtained the seeds of their own truths from Emerson's works and thoughts.

Richardson has set the standard for the writing of future biographies. Again, simply superb.

If you are considering buying any guide for Check Point Firewall-1 NG buy this one first and forget the rest.

Don't let the author's "phoneboy" aka make you think twice. This is one of the best guides I have ever read. Most are dry boring and overly technical. This guide is a very easy read, it is well written and to the point and covers all aspects of Check Point Fire Wall thoroughly.

Welch-Abernathy has taken great care to present installation, configuration and troubleshooting in a manner anyone will understand, whether you are seasoned pro or just getting started. He has covered all OS models and taken many of the trobleshooting questions from his site FAQs at www.phoneboy.com and shown examples of how to understand and correct them. In addition to actual Q and A, he outlines the step by step sample configurations excellently with actual scripts, screenshots, notes and diagrams.

Welch-Abernathy also guides you through creating network structures on a scale that allows someone new to Check Point to design and impliment smallto medium network configurations in easy to manage ways.

The author starts out buy giving a great overview of firewall security technologies and there relation to OS Models while comparing the benifits and short comings of both.

Welch-Abernathy then guides you through the installation and developing your rule base. He includes tables and charts to show examples of each and backs up his examples with the most common Q&As making an installation seem like a breeze.

The authors explanation of remote access, NAT and high availability servers don't get any simpler. Any Admin who needs load balancing and fail over on a server cluster should keep this
guide around for refferance as well as daily use.

In addition to the main body of knowledge Welch-Abernathy also includes a great appendex covering OS Bastion security that is not only simple it is direct as well. Also included in the Appendices are a use policy template, ldap configuration, fine tuning for performance and two pages of concrete internet resources.

The author starts out buy giving a great overview of firewall security technologies and there relation to OS Models while comparing the benifits and short comings of both. I also found his overview and specifics of the licensing to be very helpfull.

Welch-Abernathy then guides you through maze of the installation process and developing your rule base. He includes tables and charts to show examples of each and backs up his examples with the most common Q&As making an installation seem like a breeze.

His examples of authentication, encyption and vpn make this a must read for anyone running Check Point on a corpoarte network.

I also found his overview and specifics of the licensing to be very helpfull as well.

If you are running Check Point Firewall-1 or considering using Check Point Firewall-1 you won't go wrong by putting this one in your library.

Alot of subjects in IT and security are covered over and over with a mass of books that may be a little better or a little worse, but are essentially identical. While Checkpoint is a less crowded topic than, say, NT Administration, I suspect this book will continue to stand out. In researching Checkpoint issues I've been struck by the extent to which "Phoneboy" is personally identified with the topic, both by newbies and by seasoned professionals. It's for good reason. This book is extremely thorough (within its scope) and brings alot to the table in the way of the details that a professional would need. I've read alot of technical texts, but this one stands out, both generally and with the specific topic. The book is written well, with a good structure and giving useful examples. I found the bug reports and known issues particularly useful. As a technical resource it seems unmatched. It was an excellent resource, both on the job and in earning my CCSA.

Each chapter of the book starts off with describing what the reader will learn or accomplish by reading that chapter. This sort of information is helpful for allowing readers to skip information that may not be useful to them and find the answers they seek. Many of the chapters also contain FAQ's and sample configurations and illustrations to help reinforce the information.

The book tries to cover a very broad scope and apply to a wide audience. It contains information all the way from holding the readers hand if they are new to Checkpoint Firewall-1 NG to providing detailed troubleshooting and configuration steps for experienced Checkpoint administrators.

I have never administered a Checkpoint firewall personally, but I found the information mostly straight forward and understandable. Again, this is not a book one would typically read casually, but for anyone who administers a Checkpoint firewall or is looking at installing a Checkpoint Firewall-1 NG system this is an excellent source of information.

(...)

Checkpoint FireWall-1 has become one of the top firewall software products in the industry. There are many reasons for its predominance. It was the first commercial
firewall on the market, but more importantly, the FireWall-1 GUI and its ease of use impressed corporate CIO's.

Although FireWall-1 is easy to use, some users face difficulty in configuring the product correctly and appropriately. In fact, one of the biggest dangers of a firewall is that it can
provide a false sense of security; if not properly configured, a firewall may have so many holes that it actually functions as nothing more than a router. Firewall expert Marcus
Ranum notes that, "...eventually, if enough data is going back and forth through your firewall, it is no longer a firewall -- it is a router."

Many times, firewall administrators are hired not because of their expertise in information security, but because they know network and systems administration quite
well. Many FireWall-1 administrators start with zero experience and knowledge. This is good from a job security and training perspective, but terrible from a security perspective.
Despite the proliferation and ubiquitous nature of FireWall-1 over the past decade, it is only in the last few months that any worthwhile books on FireWall-1 have become
available. One of the best is Essential Checkpoint Firewall-1: An Installation, Configuration, and Troubleshooting Guide by Dameon Welch-Abernathy. Welch-
Abernathy maintains a Web site, ..., which contains information on anything and everything related to FireWall-1. In fact, many FireWall-1 administrators have
... bookmarked as their prime site for FireWall-1 information, even before the Check Point support site.

Although the documentation that comes with FireWall-1 is quite good, Essential Checkpoint Firewall-1 often surpasses it. This is what makes Welch-Abernathy known as
the man for FireWall-1. Even Nir Zuk, who was a principal engineer at Check Point, stated that Welch-Abernathy's knowledge of FireWall-1 in many cases surpassed the
knowledge of Check Point's own engineers.

As its title implies, the book covers the installation, configuration, and troubleshooting of FireWall-1. Whereas the product itself is pretty straightforward to install (except for the
software license information), the real challenge is in the post- installation arena. The book has 14 chapters and, by Chapter 3 (page 34), the book is already into FireWall-
1. Other books often include up to 100 pages of filler on topics such as computer secrity, cryptography, threats, etc., and don't get to the main subject until half way through the
book. Chapter 4 of this book provides a thorough overview of how to build a rulebase. The chapter describes the various fields and objects that need to be created for the
firewall to be effective. Although the simplicity of the Check Point GUI is obvious, the definition of names, network objects, and so forth, must be carefully planned -- especially
for rollouts of FireWall-1 in large enterprise environments.

Chapter 8 provides an excellent overview of content security. FireWall-1 is built on its patented Stateful Inspection capabilities, but it has other security facilities including CVP
(Content Vectoring Protocol), UFP (URL Filtering Protocol), and others. The chapter describes much of the secondary content protection capabilities of FireWall-1. Such

capabilities are crucial in light of the volume of information that passes through corporate firewalls (including streaming media, email, files, Java, etc.).

Essential Checkpoint Firewall-1 covers all the crucial topics that any FireWall-1 administrator needs to know. From authentication, VPN, logging, high availability, and
more, it is all there. This is what makes Essential Checkpoint Firewall-1 the book of choice for FireWall-1.

This is one of those rare books that delivers what the title claims. It gives in-depth instructions on Firewall-1 installation, configuration and troubleshooting, and also includes additional material on security and networking that goes beyond what the title promises.

What I especially liked about this book are the little details that have a big impact if they're overlooked. Notable examples include:

(1) Quick, but thorough, introduction that provides an overview of firewalls at a general level, and the key features and benefits of Firewall-1 in particular.
(2) Issues, such the need for a security policy, are addressed early on. This is an important consideration and the author goes beyond merely highlighting the need by giving you a brief template to use in creating one.
(3) Guide through the labyrinth of Check Point's Firewall-1 licensing schemes - this is a nice touch because mastering the technology is a less daunting task then figuring out Check Point's sales strategy.
(4) Strengths and weaknesses of candidate operating systems, and a straightforward process for installing and configuring Firewall-1. The latter is a strong point because you'll benefit from the author's extensive experience and will save time by having a strategy instead of getting bit by obscure issues and learning painful lessons.

I like the way that each section ends with frequently asked questions. The author anticipates and answers common questions about installation, configuration and troubleshooting. Because of the way this book is structured it can serve as an off-the-shelf implementation and maintenance guide, eliminating the need to develop this material in-house.

This is one of the best written and well thought-out technical guides that I've had the pleasure of reading. It sets a high standard for similar books, but more importantly, it so completely covers Firewall-1 that you won't need anything but this book to implement and support this product.

This is such a positive book. If you are struggling with your teen you should learn their language. This book is very rewarding to parents and teens. Love it !!!!

Great resource for parents on how to help your children feel loved and appreciated. Helps to build their self confidence and show them that they are valuable and special. The book has many insights into the teens thoughts and needs at this stage in their lives. I will listen to it over and over.

WOW! Puts a twist on parenting! I love his insights to raising a teen.

Your relationship with your children changes as they grow, and this CD will help you figure out how to adapt your love to your growing child.

I am a probation officer that teaches a parenting class for parents of strong-willed or out-of-control teenagers. I personally believe in this book so much that I purchase them, out-of-pocket, to give to parents who have perfect attendance in my class. This book has helped them not only with their teenagers, but also with all their relationships.

Let's face it, we know the ending when we start. But, once into the book, you are drawn into the world at the NIC unit. You see what is happening as if you were there experiencing it. To see the raw emotion, experience the day to day happenings is to fall in love with the little life that is so fragile at this stage. Then on the other level you see how much love is shared, how everyone is drawn to this family. And yes, it is a family just like any other. I keep going back to the book and reread passages - when after a bath, little Jackson has a breathing problem, you read the "prayer" that BD Wong has going through his head. You get so imvolved that you actually feel emotionally exhausted after you put the book down. I so hope for more books by this particular author! Bravo! I am a Foo Follower for sure!

So, after finishing the wild ride/read on 3 different plane trips and stops at several coffee shops. I was crying, laughing, experiencing a roller coaster of emotions and everything else of this intense, personal family story. I kept having to stop to wipe away tears or suppress laughter in the very pulic spaces that I read the book. I guess B.D. can write as well as act. All of us can thank this family for sharing their experience...and making us all realize that alternative or traditional families are the same. A new Foo Follower.

This book is remarkable. I could, literally, not put it down and then was disappointed when I finished it. It is a real life, soul revealing, sad, funny, inspirational story. I feel that my life is richer for having read it. I am quite picky when it comes to how I spend my time, especially with regard to reading and I would read this again without hesitation.

I was recommended it because I just lost someone close to me through death and this book allowed me to grieve openly and fully for my loss and for all loss.

This book made me proud to be human. I await more from B.D. Wong.

a perspective, from a single woman, with no children-yet:
Believe it or not, this book is one of my birthday presents to myself, to help improve the quality of my life.

BD has helped me become a better woman. Hopefully, I will also become more responsible, as well. Hopefully, I will be better to cope with life's emotional issues, and handling them better.

That's what drew me to the book.

You see, while growing up, many, many people automatically assume that any given person should be able to handle anything thrown at them. You ask those around you for help, or you are impacted by something trumatic, and those around you automatically assume that you're tough enough to go through it, by yourself. Many a time, I would go through life, and not tell of my problems, because I felt that those around me would make the problem worse - or blame me for it.

Some of us have a harder time getting through things. To say "get over it", is a cruel thing to say. I feel that sometimes, those saying such a thing, are really digging deeper into the mess, and allow for things to continue to spiral downward.

I feel that this book allows people to communicate, in ways that go beyond the core scope of what the book was essentially written about.

I find it ironic that 2 men, sharing their account of parenting, pregnancy, and love with the world, including me, would have more of an impact on me, than that from any woman, since I have never received this type of insight from women.

I shouldn't have to get this type of insight about childrearing, etc., from men. However, I am indebted to BD and Richie, nonetheless.

You see, women have this thing out there, where they feel that they don't like sharing, esepcially when it comes to things like child-birth and pregnancy. It's like this secret, kept to hurt those women coming up in the world. Growing up, you ask your female relatives about such things, details inolved, and those female relatives keep quiet!

Women do not share everything, contrary to popular belief.

Needless to say, this is one of the first things that has impacted me, while reading the book.

The other is, of course the trauma, and roller coaster that BD talks about.

Some of the things mentioned, bring me back to the trials in my life.

I am thankful for the book, and the impact that the book has on my life.

When I saw this book, I just had to read it. Not because of who the author was or that he was gay, but because he LIVED what I was LIVING. Mr. Wong's book is the ONLY book about NICU babies that I would suggest as a MUST READ for critically premature parents! It doesn't help you understand the medical terms, it helps you understand YOU, as a parent of a tiny ray of life in a plastic box.
I lost a premature daughter (Mary) at 23 weeks, eleven months after that my second premature baby (Julia)was born at a whopping 28 weeks. I still was grieving Mary's death while trying to stay "upbeat" and "positive" about my Julia in the NICU. I joked, I laughed, but I hid A LOT of emotions. Everybody tells you how strong you are, what a brave person you are, while inside you are screaming "WHY MY CHILDREN!?!". You feel like you are the ONLY person in the world who feels that way.
Well, Mr. Wong's book is the ONLY book I have read that made me feel like I wasn't going crazy. He not only addressed the issues of being a parent of a NICU baby, but losing a child, and the realities of coping with that loss while being exatically happy your child has made a huge accomplishment (She either pooped, or ate half a teaspoon of breastmilk... major things in a NICU).
His humor at the most critical of times is very similar to how I dealt with things when the dr.s would say... "Well, Julia had a good day today, she only stopped breathing twice, and oh, by the way, her blood levels show she may need a transfustion, etc."
Life in the NICU is like constantly waiting for the shoe to drop! And when it does, it is usually a size 15 triple E!

I would love for Mr. Wong to do a follow up to his book, maybe "Following Foo, The Early Years". Julia is now 18 months old, and we are dealing with Early Intervention, Boston Children's Hospital, Weight issues, and Mom (or Dad) going nuts trying to keep it all in check. I would dearly love to hear some advice. Plus, I fell in love with his adorable son in this book and would love to know how he is doing!

Freedom summer is a story of 2 little boys one black one white who are friends during the desegregation movement. They really do not understand that skin color was supposed to make a difference in their friendship. An excellent book for the classroom showing that color doesn't matter.

An emotionally charged story for all readers, Freedom Summer is not a book to soon be forgotten. While its focus is on segregation, students of the current time can relate it to issues of bullying and prejudice. The painted pictures match the text and convey deep emotion through the use of color and texture. While the text is criticized for being overly contrived and romanticized in places, it often matches the message and mood of the pages. As a story for younger readers, it conveys a depth of emotion during a difficult time in history without overwhelming the reader with facts and information.

The story is told with a variety of colorful expressions and analogies. Illustrations are simply beautiful. The story was one that touched my heart and flooded me with memories of my own childhood, when this could have been my own town. I immediately shared the book with my own 9-year old granddaughter. Wonderful, powerful!!

This book won the Coretta Scott King award and the Ezra Jack Keats Book award. It is easy to understand why. Gorgeous illustrations belong in a museum; what appears to be oil or acrylic is rendered in a naturalistic, painterly style.

At the beginning of the book there is a historical note on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forms the basis for the action in the story. Two boys, one white and one black, are best friends in the deep South. They enjoy playing together in the summer in the river and on the fields. The black child's mother works as a domestic for the white child's family.

The summer of 1964 brings changes that some white people resent. The Act makes it illegal to bar blacks from businesses, public pools, and other places where they had been unable to go freely. Initially the boys were elated because that meant they could both swim in the public pool. But the pool is being filled in with asphalt when they arrive.

The level of hatred towards African Americans is palpable when reading Freedom Summer. It succeeds on all levels; a beautiful, educational, moving book. White attitudes are depicted honestly, but there are also open-minded whites who help the Civil Rights Act succeed. At the end of the story the two boys are entering a store together to buy ice pops. The reader is left rooting for them.

Have you ever felt bad because of how people treat you because of your color? Well if you have, you can make a connection with this book "Freedom Summer". "Freedom Summer" is about how two friends, no matter what people say, they continue being friends. That's how people treat one of them just because of his color black. If you want to know more about the book "Freedom Summer" just read it.