N Books

This is an excellent book for the first time yoga user - but there is plenty to keep the seasonsed yoga person engaged as well. There are good pictures of the poses, a great introduction, and nice summary, of the yoga movements and what you need to know to do the program!

I purchased this book on the last day of Radiant Health Yoga Teacher Training. I had heard about it months previously and knew that at some point I would read it. I thought it was very "appropriate " that I came across this book on the last day of training. The reason is that Lilias Folan was the first yoga teacher I was ever exposed to back in the seventies via her PBS television program. So here I am almost 30 years later, my last day of classroom teacher training and I find her book, not in a conventional bookstore but in a gift and candy store. There she was, looking up and smiling at me from the front cover in her purple long sleeved shirt and black pants, arms out stretched lovingly with her palms open. No accident.

This book gently introduces yoga to an aging population (Lilias and I are both a part of that population now) in typical Lilias fashion.

Not only does this book discuss asana (and adaptations) but also much of the book is dedicated to meditation, pranayama, the koshas, as well as a little information regarding the Yamas and the Niyams and the stage of life that people our age (Lilias and me) are in now. It is wonderfully written to this age group.

This is a beautiful book and I will use it both as a reference and an inspiration for many years to come.

Yoga gets better with age, and age gets better with yoga a la Lilias.

Whether you grew up learning triangle pose watching Lilias on TV, or if you are brand new to yoga, "Yoga Gets Better With Age" is for yogis of any age or level of wellness.

Clear, concise and with lots of easy to follow pictures featuring people with real bodies, "Yoga Gets Better with Age" stands out from the pack.

Lilias's book is an excellent resource for understanding yoga but also to better understand your own practice. Lilias shares her knowledge of yoga in a holistic manner, covering all of the major topics necessary to gain a true understanding. She communicates the philosophy and practice through her own experiences so that it is not intimidating and easy to understand for a yogi at any level. It is a truly wonderful book and Lilias's enthusiasm for yoga is felt in every word you will read.

This book added so much to my love of yoga. Lilias has such a beautiful way of teaching and she is such a warm and understanding person. She has given me the gift of "love and light" in this wonderful book.

This is a delightful living book. An opportunity to learn a lot about Monet, his work and his life while enjoying a beautifully told story.

Fabulous book about places I have visited and loved -- I actually
know Michelle who owns the Hotel Esmerelda (she will autograph my
copy of book), and have spent many happy hours in the bookstore
around the corner (never go to Paris without visiting it), and
of course, Monet's art and home are the pinnacle. A wonderful
and inspirational book for all!

I absolutely LOVED this book when I was younger. So, if you're having doubts about your child liking it, I wouldn't...I had the doll of Linnea and I carried it around with me everywhere...and I also brought the book everywhere I could as well.

Linnea, a young Swedish girl has developed quite a friendship with the elderly Mr. Bloom, her upstairs neighbor. Mr. Bloom is a retired gardener who is the proud owner of a lovely book about the great French artist, Claude Monet. After hours and hours of studying Monet and his life, the pair begin the ultimate adventure: a trip to Paris, and where it all began! Linnea and Mr. Bloom visit the Marmottan museum to observe the many paintings of Monet. They study his artwork and how the genius painted. They learn about other Impressionist artists--many who were great friends of Monet. Eventually the young child and elderly gentleman make the ultimate trek to Giverny, where Monet lived and painted.
This book could almost be a 'fun' textbook. The artwork, both of the author's and of Monet's is absolutely exquisite. Becoming familiar with Monet's life and his paintings become a marvelous art history lesson. As an adult, I not enjoyed reading this lovely book but I learned a lot. In fact, a few days after reading LINNEA in Monet's Garden I was watching a Sex in the City episode where Charlotte was showing a group of people one of Monet's 'lily' murals. Being familiar with that painting because of this book was an exciting moment for me!

In 1988 I begged my Principal(I was a teacher in the Salinas valley) to purchase a set of this book.I taught in the "middle of nowhere " that now holds a good chunk of my heart. This was the time of teaching through literature sets, wholly in love with language, and inspiring children by creating together environments to make meaning and to find "context" for learning.It was a time to motivate lives. Toni Ungs, my then Principal, turned to me and replied, no, that I would be the "only teacher" on site who would use the set. And so it goes in teaching, yet another opportunity denied by those thinking within their prodigious logic systems.
So... I bought the set out of pocket as I do most everything, a teacher tale for another time I spend thousands each year to do what matters. This book is just a delight for students. A young, girl, Linnea and her elder neighbor embark on a trip together to see Monet's Gardens.They live in Europe and this book offers a glimpse into another world for the children. Both share a love of the actual plants/flowers/gardens Monet painted, the artist, the paintings and after planning their trip together we in turn share their gentle journey as they go see the L'Orangrie/Paris and head to the gardens. Since I've had the pleasure of those places and share the love of Monet...it's a book that I share every spring with my classes. I choose to teach Monet in the spring when "what so soon will wake and grow , utterly unlike the snow" thoughts crowd my imagination. I am fortunate in that we have a TV and I bought a DVD player to share the DVD of this book.(among other things) The DVD's as good if not better than the book. I have a pop out book of his garden and a book from a Monet Retrospective I went to in New York in my teens to supplement the images and students seem as captivated as the rest of us in these experiments in light. The notion of a "series", of the way light, time, weather affect the same image are very fascinating things for my students.Then we paint. Of course I embed this in my talking of Paris, reading Madeline, trying to teach a bit of the French, and our sharing baguettes, cheese, Napoleons and a petit four or two. My first grade enjoys my attempts at cultural contexts and bringing into their lives a notion of great artists. I can confess here on this site, I suppose, that it's heady stuff to bring Monet, Picasso and the world of art to students.First grade allows you the kind of "you heard it here first" honor. I'm all the more brilliant in their eyes for it. Of course it connects them to much larger contexts and from time to time these are revealed in the year when my class screams out "Monet" at an assembly or "Beethoven, "Ode to Joy" "or somehow lets the school collective know we are up to something in room 10. And that something includes learning about a little girl that ventures to a hotel with her neighbor and picnics on the grounds of Monet's gardens and sees for herself the beauty of his creation from the world of nature. Now that's a sweet confession to share with Amazon readers. Choose this book for a child, you'll be glad you did.

I really enjoyed this book, over all it is well written and the recipes look interesting too. It fills a glaring gap in the history of the Kennebunk's by providing a first person account of the Jewish experience in that famous tourist spot. It is something that has been overlooked by historians writing about the Kennebunk's largely because so little information on that subject survives or is available. Having lived in, researched, and written about the town of Kennebunk myself for over 20 years I really enjoyed the book however, it contained some really major, and embarrassing factual information. For instance, the "Brickstore museum" is really The Brick Store Museum, "Liz" Magnuson is really "Roz", there is no Kennebunk Historical Society, The Grist Mill Restaurant was spelled like that not Griste and to the best of my knowledge there was no newspaper called the "Kennebunkport Times". Also the "Main" Historical Society is really The Maine Historical Society. This may sound petty and nit picking but I think it's important especially when you thank someone in your acknowledgements and get their name wrong! I also found that in the book that the writer, Rebecca Charles, frequently interchanged Kennebunk and Kennebunkport as if they are the same town when in fact they are separate towns with separate governments. The only other issue I found annoying and distracting was her constant use of "David and me"; or "Momma and me" (for example) instead of the correct "David and I"; and "Momma and I". This is something an editor or the professional co-writer, Deborah Di Clementi, should have picked up on.
Other than the above problems this is a well written and entertaining book which I read it in one sitting. It was fascinating to read about the Forest Hill House and the people who original operated. This book will make an excellent addition to the many works of history all ready published on the Kennebunk's!

From chef and owner of New York City's Pearl Oyster Bar Rebecca Charles comes Lobster Rolls & Blueberry Pie: Three Generations of Recipes and Stories from Summers on the Coast of Maine. Family history and heritage permeate a fine gathering of family recipes, from Sugar Snap Peas with Lemon and Toasted Almonds to Blackberry Nectarine Crisp. The vintage black and white family photos are lovely embellishments to a blend of memoir and cookbook.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

If you love Maine, you'll love this book. Rebecca Charles has written a memoire for all of us who share similar family histories. She has captured the special pull of the Maine coast that keeps so many of us going back year after year, expressing well how it remains unspoiled after nearly a century. And she's done it without being overly sentimental. My grandparents began our annual tradition of summers at Kennebunk Beach just before World War I and we now take the family's fifth generation every year. I enjoyed the book so much that I've given copies to half my family.

I'm not big fan of seafood, but this cookbook of three generations of a Scottish-Jewish-American family and their summers in Kennebunkport Maine, was captivating. Its chock full of family photos, memoirs, and touching pictures from the last century. I particularly enjoyed the text, the stories, and photos and would like to encourage the author to write a novel, or more memoirs and stories. It would be a fascinating and delightful to read more.

I cannot comment on the recipes. I do not care for seafood, but I found this book valuable for the stories alone which were touching. 5 stars.

I love narrative mixed with factual, so learning the history of a family and a place [Kennebunkport, Me.] while perusing tons of delicious recipes, was a really enjoyable experience. The subject matter, the writing style, the layout--everything was top notch. In addition to recipes, there's lots of handy food tips, like how to buy the right scallops. I would reccomend the book to anyone with interest in an enjoyable read, a good cookbook, or a beautiful coffee table book.

Kat's book broke my previous record. I read this book in 1 day. I am a pet store manager in Simi Valley. I post missing pet flyers every day in the window at my store. These pet owners agonize over the disappearance of their beloved pets. I wish this book was around for me to read 10 years ago. I am now telling everybody to read her book whether they have lost a pet or not. I can't wait for her next book. The inside scoop is it will be more of a guide how to find your lost pets. But nothing beats the real thing and that is Kat Albrecht "Pet Detective" Email her at Missing Pet Partnership.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. Kathy Albrecht stories were nice to read-I read it front to back in 3 days, however i originally ordered this book to help in finding my lost cat and expected it to be a large reference on ideas on how to find a lost cat. But that wasnt the case there is only 5 pages out of the whole book on this topic. The rest is kathy's adventures in police work, canines, the loss of her pets and how she become a lost pet detective. She does speak of her searches for a few lost pets.

If you want a good read this is a good book. But if you are looking for a lost pet better to go to her website and read the information there.

I was at the library searching for something to read, and the beautiful dog on the cover caught my eye. I had no idea that this book would help me deal with the loss of my cat Ruffles, who had been my companion and friend for 14 years. This book speaks to all pet lovers. A great read.

Jeri
Ashburn, VA

The Lost Chronicles by Kat Albrecht is a great book for dog lovers or people that love mysteries. I absolutely love this book! I don't really like to read but I have eleven dogs and this book is definetly my type of book. I especially like how Kat did a wonderful job writing this book using imagery; it makes the book seem as if I was there watching it. It has so many great stories about her dogs, life, adventures, and mysteries. One of the things I like alot about this book is the pictures of her and her dogs. After seeing the pictures, You can picture all the things she's talking about so easily. Another great quality about this book is the supsense and different emotions. While she is telling a story the details she uses makes you have to know whats going happen: you'll find that this isn't a book you can put down. She describes her emotions and dog's emotions very well.This non-fictin book is great for all ages and you'll never have to worry about getting bored while reading. I reccomend this book to anyone especially if your a animal or mystery fan.

Everyone who owns a pet owes it to themselves to read this book! Kat's knowledge and experience with tracking dogs is extraordinary, and the valuable information she provides in this book could very well mean the difference in finding your lost pet, or losing it forever.
Kat shares the ups and downs of her interesting life journey, sometimes joyful, sometimes sad, with a charm, dignity, wit, and grace rarely seen.

I thouroughly enjoyed this book, learned much from it, and do not hesitate to recommend it highly!

i think this book is amazing along with the author delilah i have had the privladge of listening to her for years actually almost 11 years now and i have called and talked to her a couple of times. She is an amazing women and an inspiration to women everywhere!!!

I've only been a fan of Delilah's show for about a month now -- I discovered it last month -- but I'm already a big fan of it.
Her book, which I picked up and read simply out of curiosity -- is equally wonderful. It contains a delightful mix of warmth, humor, sadness and inspiration, and it's all just plain good reading. It's like a box of chocolates that you don't want to eat up all at once, but to linger over and enjoy.

This book isn't simply an autobiography about Delilah's life, but rather, it contains sketches of it along with stories from some of her friends and readers. You'll probably enjoy this book even if you've never heard her speak on the radio -- and you'll love it if you have. She shows just as much warmth and love in her writing as she does on her radio show. I recommend this book for anybody who loves good inspirational reading!

I absolutely loved this book! It is one of the most inspirational books I've ever read. I definitely recommend it to anyone, especially if they're going through a hard time, and even if they're not. I admire Delilah. I, too, am a mother and that is about the most important part of my life right now, so I can relate to her. It was nice to read a book about someone who values their motherhood as much as I do. But there's other things about the book other than that, so anyone can read it. And I love God, so I love the spiritual aspect of it. When is the next book coming out, Delilah? We're anxiously anticipating!

One day, several years ago, I was driving back to Milwaukee from Mauston. There are areas where radio reception is "take what you can get." At one point, I pulled in a station that featured a syndicated show called Delilah. With a perky voice, a laugh, and a few giggles, this lady takes calls from listeners who ask for a special song for a special somebody. It was quite uplifting.

Recently, in driving to and from Indianapolis with my wife we again pulled in a station playing Delilah. My wife has become hooked on it and has found a station in Milwaukee (Light 97.3) that plays Delilah every evening.

One day, while in the local bookstore that also sells used books, I came across this volume. I thought my wife would like it so I paid the few dollars they were asking for it and surprised her with this gift. She has enjoyed it.

Eventually I decided to read it. And it is a very interesting book.

The layout of chapters follows Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (if you don't know this particular passage, think The Byrds and their classic "Turn, Turn, Turn." Delilah was also kind enough to include the passage at the front of her book). She divides the chapters up for each "time," beginning with "A Time to be Born." The book is subtitled "Encouragement and Inspiration for the Times of Our Lives."

But the book isn't autobiographical as it is an extension of her show. You won't get a chronology of her life her. In "A Time to be Born" she talks about her "Kissy Baby" she had as a child and her prayer that the doll become real. She then seques into giving birth to her own children and the different reactions she had to each conception and birth (my contention in being pro-life is that a woman who has had more than one child has different memories of each pregnancy and each child was different in the womb. If the "fetus" were just an extension of the mother's body, I don't believe these differences would exist).

She follows that with "A Time to Die," just as Ecclesiastes does. It might seem strange in its order, but this book pulls it off wonderfully. The mourning of the loss of life stands in stark contrast to the giving of birth.

Not every "time" in Ecclesiastes is used. Delilah does not include "A time to kill, and a time to heal," even though this could be personal growth. "A time for war and a time of peace" might not be politically correct, but is very relevant today. There are others not used-maybe Delilah will bless us with a follow-up volume?

Not to say that she can't. Delilah has used listener stories in her book as a connection between her, her audience, and her readers. She also concludes each chapter with an original poem to display her skills as a poetess. And in the last few months in this year 2003 many military families have called Delilah's show and shared their stories and hopes and fears. So, Delilah, can we see a completion of Ecclesiastes sometime soon?

I would recommend this book for Mothers' Day or as a gift for someone special. My wife has read it several times now.

Delilah, a radio show host, gives us encouragement and inspiration as she tells us things that have happened in her life; plus, she shares stories of some of her listeners and friends.

I admire Delilah, as a woman who believes in and loves God, as her example as a mother, and as what she appears to be as a person.

Delilah hasn't always had it easy, but yet she appears to be a dynamic person. This book is wonderful. If you are going through or have gone through a rough time, either physically or emotionally or both, this book will encourage and inspire you. And if everything is going good for you, this book is also for you. This book is awesome and wonderful.

The Man Called Cash is a very good book. very informative.I think a child 11-12 years old could read it and beable to understand what they are reading.I think it gose behond some of the other books I have read on Johhny Cash.I would recomend it to any one who is interested in seeing where Johnny Cash were he came from and the legacey he left.

I am a legally blind man and and I usually get my books to listen to through the library, but after I saw the movie walk the line I felt I had to know more about the ledgend of Cash through an audiobook if I could find one. I was lucky to find this one. I love the way Kris Kristofferson reads the book. Since he was a friend of cash's, he put feeling into the reading like no other person can. Through the author's extensive research on Cash, I found out things I never knew about him. The Movie is good, but if you really want to know who Cash is, just by this and Listen to Kristofferson tell you about his friend. The man in black.

I learned a lot about Johnny Cash, as well as people like Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and many others who were the ones that generated so much buzz about music in the 1950's. Toward the end of the book, I was sad because I knew that it would speak of his death. I found myself not wanting to hear about it, because I had loved learning about his life so much.

My favorite story in the whole book was about a prayer he prayed at dinner. His dinner guest recalled the story:

Cash prayed and said, "... and we thank you Lord for this food, and we ask that you would bless it to our body. We pray these things in Jesus' name, Amen. When he finished praying he winked at me and said, "I still miss the drugs though."

It is precisely that juxtaposition of piety and weakness that I think I love about him. It reminds me of another man who is known well for his writing when he said:

I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do ... What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

In case you didn't catch that, the other man to whom I referred is the Apostle Paul. He happened to be one of Cash's favorite people for obvious reasons. I have wondered why I am so enamored by people like Johnny Cash and Paul; these men of such conviction, but at the same time so open about their transgressions. I think it is because they knew themselves well, and they never allowed the good in them to elevate them to a place where they could look down at others. They knew the darkness, and that it was always waiting if they would just relent and turn to it.

Cash turned to it a lot. However, like Paul, he also said:

Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

At the end of his life, after June Carter died he hung around for a few months more. He could barely walk, was in massive pain, and was eighty percent blind. In this state, however, he still had the Bible enlarged big enough so he could read it. Others spoke about his love of Jesus, his kindness, his generosity, and his faithfulness to June.

So many want to be cynical about people who struggle, fall, get up, and fall again. They like to point and yell to expose someone else's flaws. I am more convinced that the ones who yell the loudest are the ones who are the most scared of having their flaws exposed.

One of my favorite lines in music comes from a song sung by Cash. It was written by Bono and performed with U2 (yeah, I know big surprise). The line goes:

I went out there,
In search of experience,
To taste and to touch,
And to feel as much,
As a man can,
Before he repents.

Isn't that all of our stories? I know it's mine. I also know that it is mine everyday. I walk around, and like a little kid test the boundaries of God's love. Some days, I may not go far, other days I may feel restless and I just want to run. Yet each time I return home to talk with God I find myself speaking the words of Paul:

Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

I usually don't read many biographies, but I received this one for Christmas one year since I am a huge Johnny Cash fan. I was glad to see that this book was very well written and also a very easy read. I knew it was going to be good when the first chapter was pretty emotional, as it starts off with June Carter Cash dying. The book also focuses well on some key moments in Johnny Cash's life that made the most significant difference - the first being the death of his brother, Jack, and the others that revolved around June. Like other reviewers have stated, Walk The Line used a lot of moments from the book and I would recommend reading the book as well as watching the movie. I think what was great about Johnny Cash, and what we can all relate too, is how open he was with how he was a sinner and how he had made a lot of mistakes (ie. drugs, affairs, etc.), but he changed his ways when he fully committed himself to Jesus and his faith. I think this book can be a great tool to those who have struggled and have difficult pasts because Cash showed that it doesn't matter what you have done, that you have forgiveness and that you can always start over. Great message and this book has a lot of interesting and funny stories that will want to make you laugh, smile, shake your head, or make you feel sad. Steve Turner has done a great job and had made me rethink biographies. If you're a Johnny Cash fan, this a must-have!

Before I read this book, THE MAN CALLED CASH, by Steve Turner, from 2004, I had also read the 1997 book called CASH: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY (with Patrick Carr). They both cover similar ground. The 1997 book seems more homey, like Johnny Cash is talking to you, but this book, by Steve Turner, seems more accurate.

Having know Johnny and his family for over a decade, author Steve Turner was actually hired to help write another autobiography, but June and Johnny died unexpectedly, and the book turned into an in-depth research research project, instead of just helping Johnny write with decent grammar, or whatever it takes two authors to do with an AUTObiography.

Both books seem to be equally long in content, though the page counts and page sizes differ between the hardcover of this book and the small paperback of THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY book that I read.

Though both books cover a lot of the same incidents from Johnny's life, this book, THE MAN CALLED CASH, features some highly interesting coverage of the last living days of June and Johnny, before they both passed on in 2003. There is also plenty of more in-depth coverage of events told in THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY, and there are also plenty of events from Johnny's life that are not mentioned in the 1997 autobiography. I recommend that you read both books, actually.

The author also points out that since he had to do research, instead of just typing out whatever Johnny told him, he has discovered that Johnny Cash never had trouble telling a good story, or making a good story even better! For example, Johnny Cash has written and talked about how rowdy he was in the Air Force, fighting with the military police, etc., but Steve Turner points out that the people who were in the Air Force with him don't remember any of that kind of rowdiness from Johnny, who never got into much trouble, and would have been widely known on the air base if he HAD fought with the guards, etc. This book also tells about how Johnny would play music with other airmen in his dorm, and Johnny was the worst of the bunch, learning a lot from the others!

There are many interesting b/w photos, although mostly small, but in high quantity! There is a photo of his brother Jack, whose childhood death affected Johnny for the rest of his life.

This book also has a chronology of major events in Johnny's life, and a discography of his primary releases, which is good to use as a shopping list, for me.

This book does have some distracting typos that I hope get fixed in future printings. On one page the same sentence appears twice in a row. In the Chronology, the death of his father, Ray Cash, appears twice on the list, in 1985 (correct), and then again in 1993 (incorrect). This is unfortunate, but these two are the worst distractions that I found without even trying.

It is also interesting to see how the movie WALK THE LINE compares to what is contained in both of these books! For instance, both books say that June Carter never really met or toured with Johnny until he was a big, established star, years into his music career, while the movie gives me the impression that they met on Johnny's first fledgling tour.

THE MAN CALLED CASH gives information about the the saw accident and his brother Jack. This book says that actually there was another 12 year old boy there, who witnessed the event, and Johnny suspected him of being involved in a bad way, though none of the adults thought so at the time, or ever! Both books mention how Johnny would see Jack appear in his dreams for the rest of his life, always a few years older than Johnny at whatever the age Johnny dreamed the appearance.

This book talks about Johnny's friendship with the evangelist, Billy Graham. I personally enjoy Johnny's Gospel albums and projects, but I am a little bit disappointed over the wasted years of drug abuse and family neglect from Johnny, who thought of himself often as a lost Christian, but a Christian none the less. What do you think about that?

The Bible says, "What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." -- Philippians 1:18. Using this Bible verse as a model, it tells me that Johnny Cash's Gospel works, as good as they are, are also totally legitimate as long as they correctly preach the Word of God--regardless of the depths of sin and abuse that Johnny heaped upon himself and his loved ones.

As long as Jesus Christ is being preached correctly, the sins of the messenger do not negate the message itself (and we are all sinners, just not as extreme as Johnny was, I suspect)! I do not and cannot condone his sinful abuses, (though I have done most of them myself, before I got Saved 8 years ago), but I will let God judge his own servant, and I will continue to enjoy the many beautiful Gospel projects which Johnny Cash was always eager and happy to work on!

GOSPEL GLORY is my favorite Johnny Cash Gospel CD, so far. His movie, THE GOSPEL ROAD, is on DVD and is also really cool! My favorite Gospel project from Johnny Cash is his spoken word reading of the entire NEW TESTAMENT on 16 CDs, very affordably priced from amazon.com, and all three of these items come highly recommended by me!

I can recommend both of these books for anybody who enjoyed the WALK THE LINE film.

Bottom line: read CASH: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY for a fun time spent with Johnny Cash in his own words, then read this book, THE MAN CALLED CASH, for the REAL story on how many of those stories actually went down!

I've been a fan of Mike Dugan's comedy for a long, long time. This is not ONE of the funniest books on relationships, it's THE funniest book on relationships I've ever read. Loaded with spot-on observations and male humility (yes, there is such a thing) it is also hilarious.

This is an interesting book- often humorous, sometimes serious, and always thought provoking. For any woman who needs a little bit more insight into what drives men. Also for those few men who are sincere about confronting the results of their behavior. This is a rare treasure of a book.

"My brother would get grounded for being 10 minutes late for dinner. By the time they got around to me, it was pretty much 'No heroin in the living room.'" (3)
-Mike Dugan, joking about being the youngest child in a big family and his parent's possible leniency.

By the time I read the sentences above, I had laughed six times already and I was only on page 3. To say this book is some of the best good natured humor anyone can read is an understatement. Mike Dugan delivers his mature and personal message about becoming the "right kind of man" with what is often knee-slapping, belly-rolling, and even telephone-your friends-and-pretend-you-made-it-up-yourself, comedy. (If you're not good at telling jokes I suggest you use text messaging and simply copy these jokes word for word from this book.)

In, "Men Fake Foreplay...And Other Lies That Are True", Mike Dugan shares his introspective quest to discover the dynamics involved between men and women in order to develop his own personal philosophy. He begins this quest by asking two simple questions: "What makes a man?" and "What do women want?" He addresses these two insightful questions throughout the book with chapters and headings such as: Communication; Domestic Priorities; Blame; Commitment; Boxing, Bubble Baths, and Big Boys Crying; to name a few.

Mike Dugan is no relationship expert and doesn't claim to be. If anything, he comes across in this book as an average guy with normal thoughts, healthy desires, and realistic expectations and emotions. He is the first to point out his own mistakes, misconceptions, and misadventures in the area of relationships and his interactions with the opposite sex. These misunderstandings have caused him much pain and regret in his own life, and he often displays a more serious side to these issues when they subsequently inflict pain upon the women he's been associated with:

"...if you choose to avoid your own ignorance when it reveals itself to you, it becomes arrogance..." (65)

These are immensely profound words from someone who comes across as an "average guy", but that's why this book is so enjoyable and worthy of reading. From a man's point of view, it reads as though two guys are sitting around having a deep and meaningful conversation about women. Men won't talk without laughing, and they will surely lose interest if it is nothing more than the typical feel-good group therapy session. Mike Dugan is a man's man, and he has done an expert job (as a non-expert) in this book of sharing his experiences and personal philosophy. Men seem to shy away from experts, and men don't even read the books by experts; but men talk to each other and laugh, and realistically most men will listen to reason. Sometimes, men just need to hear the right words from someone like Mike Dugan, who has obviously put a great deal of thought and good intention behind becoming the "right kind of man".

According to Mike Dugan, "the right kind of man" will honestly listen to a woman and nurture her. He will develop his character and create an environment of trust with the actions he takes and the words he uses. "Men Fake Foreplay...And Other Lies That Are True" really isn't about sex, it's about what a man does when he's NOT having sex. With this great little book, Mike Dugan points MANkind to the next level of social evolution. Every man should own a copy of this book, and then he should pass it along to his sons.

Brian Douthit
Author Of Perfectly Said: when words become art

My sense reading this was that the author believed that all men tend to devalue women and treat them badly. I know that not to be the case. The early pages were humorous & fun, but the last half of the book seemed pretty apologetic to me.

This tale is short, sweet, funny, humble, and serious all at the same time. I think men and women equally should read it. The other positive reviews were on target and there's not much more I can add. Enjoy!

This is a book that I didn't want to put down! This is a heart warming, inspiring story of having the courage to be who you are no matter what. I fell in love with Miriam and her spirit has given me the courage to dare to be me!

I'm so delighted this novel is now in paperback! It's the magical story of a medium who can tell everyone's future but her own. Smart, sassy and beautifully written!

Miriam Kaminsky is a normal suburban mother and wife living on Long Island in a beautiful but old house. She's troubled by money problems, a husband who works too hard trying to breath life into his pharmacy, and a typical teen-age daughter who cringes with embarrassment at everything Miriam does. But added to everything else in Miriam's life is the very simple fact that she's a psychic with a strong gift for seeing people's auras and health problems and their future. Oh, and she sees ghosts --usually helpful spirits connected to the living.

Her childhood and her family are very important to Miriam, which is why her dearly loved grandmother Bubbie is still around her as is her father, both of whom have passed away. The hardest part of her childhood was her mother, who would order Miriam not to use her gifts. It all came from love and fear for her daughter, but Miriam still feels the shame her mother pressed on her whenever she was truly herself, using her psychic gifts to help others. More than anything Miriam would love for her mother, who also passed away, to visit her like the spirits of others do. But since, in her life her mother completely disapproved of the psychic talent, Miriam doesn't see her changing her mind in the afterlife.

But the here and now also carries hardships. Rory, her loving husband is losing money in his business. Though Miriam can't put her finger on why she doesn't trust the help in the pharmacy, Rory won't listen. He doesn't want her using her psychic gifts tell him what to do with his business. He insists that Miriam's psychic phone line is her business to do with as she sees fit, and the pharmacy is his. At the same time their daughter Cara, after trying for years to become a psychic, like her mother, finally realized that she doesn't have the gift. The disappointment has crushed her and the teenager changed overnight into a whirlwind of student perfection, studying and joining school activities, all of her thoughts concentrating on going to Cornell University. Using her gifts for her loved ones doesn't work at any rate. Miriam is too close, her heart is too wrapped up in their happiness, and that affects her ability to help them.

When out of the blue a press agent calls Miriam's psychic help line and insists that she could make Miriam a national name and wealthy, Miriam refuses. Her Bubbie always warned her not to use her gifts to make money, as if she were in a carnival. But Bubbie never had as many living expenses as Miriam does. When the house's roof springs leaks, then Rory's business begins to flounder as a new thirty thousand dollar computer system is needed to fill out the health care forms that make up his business and she knows that Cara needs money for her future, Miriam agrees to do a television appearance.

Will she lose her gift if she tries to make big bucks? Will her Bubbie and her father refuse to visit her anymore? Will Cara react even worse than she has at having a mother who now publicly dances to the beat of her own drum?

This book manages to make Miriam into the lady next door. She's not a madwoman or a charlatan, just a regular person with everyday problems but who happens to have an extra talent packed inside her likable person. I found everything about Miriam and her life believable. The author Rochelle Shapiro also managed to explain to me how a woman with her own mind and self-respect could permit her teenage daughter to treat her like dreck without losing her temper. Now that's an amazing talent!

At times funny and tearfilled, Miriam the Medium is an extremely great read. I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to seeing more of Miriam in the future.

This is a quick and enjoyable read which touches on the trials of bringing up an adolescent daughter in a typical suburban community when you are not the most traditional parent imaginable.
Miriam's extraordinary psychic abilities exacerbate the normal prickly tensions between mother and daughter and this novel explores both the tensions and abilities with humor and style.
The ins and outs of the plot keep you turning the pages - financial troubles, boyfriend troubles, and the business of being a telephone psychic were all of great interest to this reader. I recommend it very highly to mothers and daughters.

I really enjoyed this book. It sat on my shelf for two weeks before I got a chance to pick it up and read it and when I opened to page 1, I didnt want to put it down.

The author makes it very easy for the reader to like Miriam and sympathize with her. She must have a teenage daughter in real ife because the parts of the novel where Miriams daughter are involved are spot on.

I eagerly await Rochelle Shapiros next book!

Amazing new story that made me fall in love with Weetzie all over again. A quick and satisfying read, full of color and fantasy.
LOVE IT!!!!!

It looked like chick lit, so I picked it up last week. I have been drawn to lighter fare since losing Nat. My mind is wrapped around so many other things, that it is harder to attach myself emotionally to a story. However, this book wasn't exactly chick lit. I had never read the Weetzie Bat books, or anything else by this author for that matter, so I went in blind. It was a fabulous trip. Block's story winds through reality but includes magic at every turn. This book has a captured mermaid, changlings, floating brides, magic spider weavings... It was like a grown up Oz. And, from me, that is high praise. I was so sad to read the last page and close the book. I picked up the first of the Weetzie Bat books from the library and am reading that now. I will let you know what I think when I have finished reading.

I fell in love with weetzie bat about 8 years ago. I was searching for books and i ran across this one and bought it instantly. I was taken back to weetzie's beautiful world but this time filled with mermaids and drag queens. I finished it in a few days and needless to say I totally fell in love with it. I'd always felt a little incomplete at the end of dangerous angels and this finished it perfectly.

all in all...it is amazing. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Weetzie Bat is an adult now--just turned forty, with her children in college, and her relationship with her secret agent lover man Max falling apart, Weetzie packs a suitcase, leaves her cottage, and moves to a hotel--an unusual hotel, where she meets a blue receptionist, a room-service faun, and an invisible cleaning lady, among all of the equally unusual guests. She plans to stay there until she rediscovers kisses: the passion, goodness, and love in her life. Continuing the wonderful YA series of Weetzie Bat books in a new adult text, Block writes in her usual style, creating a magical, authentic, and truly approachable, enjoyable text. The setting is fantastic, the writing is at the same time straightforward and quirky, and the characters are vivid and their lessons learned are meaningful. This is a fitting sequel to the Weetzie Bat series but aptly modified for a more mature audience, and a wonderful, meaningful, and ultimately uplifting read. I highly recommend it.

The Weetzie Bat books are young adult classics--magical, enchanting, and in many ways uniquely realistic. To my great pleasure, I found Necklace of Kisses to be an apt adult continuation of the series--it preserves both the magic and the enchanting atmosphere of the YA books, and (while many of the issues in the YA books are mature), deals with more adult topics in a similarly honest, respectful fashion. The original Weetzie Bat series may be YA fiction, but it is a worthwhile read for all age groups; I'm pleased that this novel continues the series in a way that is authentic to the original texts yet still modified to speak and appeal to a more mature audience. In fewer words: if you loved the original Weetzie Bat books and are interested in reading a more mature version, then you will enjoy Necklace of Kisses.

Beyond anything, Block's writing style is magical, transporting both characters and readers to a world that is increasingly delightful and vivid. Don't let the unusual cast of characters fool you: the story is actually all the more realistic and meaningful for for its fantastic elements. Block's visual writing style and fantastic setting and characters make the experiences and messages in the book magical (and so more engrossing and more enjoyable to read) and also more vivid (and so stronger and more meaningful). The otherworldliness gives Weetzie's journey an ethereal, universal sense without ever becoming obvious or preachy. This is a delightful book and easy to get lost in, and Weetzie's journey and the conclusions she comes to are satisfying and meaningful. It is an intensely original coming-of-middle-age novel, and Block storytelling and writing is exceptional.

There are a few minor issues with this book (I found some of the characters unappealing, some of the plot points are predictable, not all of the life lessons are meaningful to all readers), but those issues are minor in comparison to the greatness of the overall text. It may not be perfect, but Necklace of Kisses is wonderful. It's a respectful and authentic continuation of the series, it is well adapted to an increasingly mature audience, and Block's writing style excels here, engrossing the reader in Weetzie's magical world and bringing her new knowledge to life. I was delighted by this book, truly glad to have picked it up, and I highly recommend it. It is wonderful.

A friend gave me a copy of "Weetzie Bat" in the late 90's and told me I must read it because I was very much Weetzie. Unsure what she meant, I took the book and devoured it in one brief sitting. Since then, I've read all the books in the "Dangerous Angels" series, as well as other non-Weetzie titles, and go back to them often. Block's word pictures and fantasy scapes thrill me to no end. Her imagery moves me.

I recently purchased "Necklace of Kisses" and was totally blown away by this book. After recently turning 40 myself, I found I could relate to Weetzie's search for self at the beginning of midlife. This book reinforced the truth that life doesn't end at 40...in some ways, it begins anew.

To anyone contemplating this book (especially those hip New Wave/punk grrls from the 80's who are turning 40 soon) please take a chance on it. It will show you that you can still be you as you are, no matter what age you may be.

Here's to the Weetzie in us all!

Don't we all wish we could go home again and make it work? Beautiful book and one of my all time favorites.

This is my first book by Barbara Samuels, but I do plan on reading more of her work. The book tells a heart warming tale about love, loss and family that touched my emotions on more than one level. The charactars were brought to life on the pages and the town of Pueblo, with all its traditions, a place you would want to plan to visit and stay awhile. I would highly recommend it!

Now that I've read and thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful book, I find myself missing these characters - that's how real they are. It's a familiar story told with truth, wisdom, humor and insight. As a mother, and author of a book for mothers, NEW PSALMS FOR NEW MOMS: A KEEPSAKE JOURNAL, I especially appreciated the touching moments between Jewel and her son, Shane. My sons are also boy-men, and I know the tug at your heart that happens daily as you watch them preparing to take flight. This is a book I'll recommend to friends. Like Jewel's pies, it's a tasty treat!

I loved this book. It's not often a novel makes me cry, with this one I couldn' t stop crying, but laughing too.

Jewel the heroine has such a wry way of looking at the world that we can identify with her easily, yet she is full of love and does her best to cope like everyone else with some horrendous circumstances. Hers is compelling first-person narrative and the talented author gives her a very strong voice, part comedian part earth goddess, all woman.

Every character is a little jewel that sparkles, and the hunky heartthrob Malachi is even to melt your bones. The love secnes are wonderful--only wish there had been more!!

A beautifully written book-I couldn't put it down, raced to the end and then re-read the whole thing to really savor it. I will definitely be reading more by this fabulous author.

Have you ever read a book and then felt regret when you finish it? This is the book that evokes that response in me. I laughed, I cried and I never wanted it to end! Simply....a great book!