V Books

This book should be read by every parent who has pre-teen/teen kids and should be made a mandatory book in every high school. It is a true eye opener and very insperational.

I bought this book for myself and my 18 year old son to read before he left for college this fall. I read it first and then let him read it. The Volkmann family did a great job of communicating to the reader the dangers of teenage drinking. My son went to numerous parties during high school where alcohol was present. Our son told us about the drinking going on at these parties and I began to realize what a serious problem exists concerning teenage drinking. I hope that many parents will read this book and realize that teenage drinking is not something to be taken lightly. Many parents do not realize what can happen to their teens who take part in this dangerous activity. I encourage any parents of a teen to read this book and then make their teen read it as well and then discuss the book with your child.

I found this to be extremly informative , seeing both sides of bing drinking and the perceptions of the family as well as the Alcoholic. I read this while my son (who also asked for help) was in rehab for his 21st birthday. He is now reading my copy. I found I could identfy with alot of the thoughts/situations as well as the codependent/alcoholic behaviors. As I work on my codependence and my son works on his sobriety I strongly encourage anyone with a teen/young adult afflicted with this disease to read this book.

As a high school counselor and child of an alcoholic I found this to be a great resource both personally and professionally. Your candid account of your journey for information and for recovery has already given me insights to help my students and their parents.
Thank you both,

This book was very educational and informative. A MUST READ for anybody struggling with alcoholism or who has a loved one struggling with the disease. Very realistic and honest.

I think the book is very interesting. I heard about it because I saw Amye Leong at an Arthritis Conference she spoke at and came home and ordered her book. She went through very tough times and is a very motivational speaker and I really enjoyed listening to her. I have family members with arthritis( not rheumatoid ) but I felt they could read the book also and be inspired by Amye. I am a registered nurse and I now know the daily struggles rheumatoid arthritic patients persevere. Thank you Amye for a great book!!

This book is full of inspiration for those with or without chronic illness. Amye shares a heartfelt, yet witty story of hope and perseverance. She weaves in helpful resources and advocacy strategies as she describes her journey with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Get a Grip is empowering and life changing. As a person with chronic pain - once I read Amye's book - I knew I wasn't alone.

As a person with RA and as a professional health educator, I LOVED Get a Grip! Not only did I like the advice and inspiration that Amye Leong provides in it, but her personal story was amazing! I did not want to put this book down and when I did finish reading it, I wanted to read more about what happens to her next as she reaches for her dreams all while dealing simulataneously with a ravaging chronic disease. If you want to know exactly what it is like to have RA as a young adult or you just want to read how another person understands exactly how YOU feel while trying to live a full life and cope with RA at the same time, you have to GET THIS BOOK! Amye really is a wonderful arthritis educator and advocate but even more so, she is such a terrific role model. If she could come through her horrible flares of this disease as well as she did, it makes me feel like I can still move towards my dreams as well, RA and all. Amye is a great motivator and author, and now I can hardly wait for her next book to come out: to hear how her story continues!

'Get A Grip' is not simply a story about how to deal with the pain and torment of arthritis, this is a story about how to deal with LIFE! This is a story about a woman who at the age 18 was stricken by a disease normally attributed to those much older. Amye Leong tells her story of pain, of despair and hope, of setbacks and victories. This is a story that can teach us all lessons on how to deal with whatever challenges we may be faced with in our own lives. This is a story that can teach us all that in the final analysis it is the person we all see looking back at us in the mirror that has the real power to affect our lives. But most of all, this is a story of COURAGE!!

One does not have to suffer with rheumatoid arthritis in order to be inspired by this book. Its lessons are universal!Amye's descriptions of her pain, feelings of isolation, helplessness are almost palpable.It is hard to imagine the spirit and strong desire to lead a full life that propel her to go through countless surgeries. Her description of the role of family and loving friends brought home what we always knew that our relationships can make the difference between life and death. I also particularly appreciated her emphasis on taking control of your own health, and in dealing with doctors to work as a partnership. The phenomenal work she has accomplished is more than most people could do without health problems, but her contributions to others are a tribute to her courage, determination and tenacity. I advise everyone to read this book, lend it to others and rejoice that an Amye Leong exists!!!

I chose this book for my leadership development program at work. I enjoyed reading it, and found that it sparked a lot of ideas for things I could do to improve my own workplace. This book is short, funny, and to the point.

In this book, the author uses a short story to tell readers how a gifted boss and a great employee together can create synergy. The story starts with the author asking for help from a wise mentor, Max. He and Max spend a weekend together in Arizona, visiting different companies and talking with each other.

According to the Max, a gifted boss creates a magnetic work environment to attract great employees. He/She emphasizes goals and standards over procedural how-to rules. What is hired is help, not just time and efforts, from employees. He/she also cares about the personal development of employees by placing them outside their comfort zones. As for firing employees, a gifted boss helps them find new jobs.

In the book, Max also sheds light on a great employee. A great employee does not have to be expensive to hire. He/she is looking for a change and a chance. This great person is naturally productive and wants to be trusted that work will be done without constant supervision. He/she usually has one or more skills that are superior to those of the boss. As a result, great help is given to the boss through checking on the boss's work. A great employee also understands customers. He/she is entrepreneurial and is confident enough to seek measurement of his/her work and wants to be paid accordingly. Such great employees have to be courted by gifted bosses for they seldom change jobs. Courting here means a gifted boss has to be a friend and look for a chance to open up for offering a job to this great employee. This may happen after many years after they have become friends.

The author really understands how to be a gifted boss and the nature of a great employee. The story-telling writing style of this book makes it interesting and different from that of other books in Business.

This book is a great one for those involved in business. It takes you on a journey that will certainly change your ordinary views about work, salary, and boss-employee relations. The Gifted Boss is for those who want to make a change and to elevate standards in the workplace: the best workplace for the best employees!

Very wise and up to date. I bought 2 for my store managers to read. This book identified some of my attitudes and policies even though I hadn't identified them myself--for example Nordstrom's employee review system. Thanks.

I haven't read the book, but the example cited in the publisher's review, that of John Kilcullen, former chief of IDG Books during the 1990s, makes me hesitate. The idea that Kilcullen, one of the most heartily despised bosses in the computer book publishing industry, would be cited as a "Gifted Boss" because of a neat trick in luring in a name author, is sad. Go ahead and read the book, but skip over the parts about Kilcullen, he's no examplar.

The product was great and Woody's book store communicated great through email about the purchase and ordering information. The only thing is the number of days that it took to ship was confusing; I thought it would get to me sooner, but what the number of days meant was when it would be shipped as opposed to it arriving to me.

This is a great book. Inspiring, entertaining, hilarious, and real. Mark doesn't pull any punches in this. It is not a self-pity book nor does it try to lecture the reader. It is a real account of someone who is very inspiring, yet doesn't pretend to be what he isn't.

Once I started reading this I couldn't put it down. Awesome!!!

Mark Zupan makes you think about what you have, not what you do not have.

He may be in a chair, but he is not handicap. Mark Zupan speak frankly and openly about his life before and after. He does not blame anyone for his injury.

Make you think you life is O.K. and despite what happens you can survive and go on.

Life is not so bad.

Sometimes, people who have been "handicapped" in some manner end up withdrawing into themselves. A few of them are downright miserable. Mad at the world for being stuck in the situation they're in... the best they can hope for (because they're depressing to be around) is to have people feel sorry for them.

Mark Zupan (who, hopefully, you know from the astoundingly-good, and deserved-to-win-the-Oscar documentary, MURDERBALL), is NOT one of those people. He doesn't WANT anyone to feel sorry for him. (In fact, he doesn't even want to be seen as a "role model," or an "inspiration," though [sorry Mark!], to a lot of people, he is.)

Mark was an athletic, fun-loving 18-year-old, having a blast in South Florida when everything he knew changed in an instant. Sleeping off a night of heavy partying in the back of his buddy Chris Igoe's parked pickup, he had no clue when his friend got in and (also drunk) drove off. Not too long thereafter, Igoe swerved off the road and Mark ended up flying out of the truck-bed, over a fence, and into some dense foliage overhanging a small lake. (Igoe had no idea Mark was in the truck bed, so when the police came, they never looked for him.)

Mark regained consciousness, only to find himself unable to move (he didn't know it yet, but he was paralyzed from the neck down), hanging upside-down from a branch with his nose just inches from the water... and getting closer by the moment. He hung there for 14 hours, before a workman heard him yelling for help.

And that's just the START of the story!

In the years that followed, he has not only become one of the star players of the sport known as Quad Rugby (a.k.a. Murderball), his attitude about his "situation" (whether he likes it or not!) has helped untold numbers of others* to better cope with their own situations.


* I know of what I speak. My young and lovely wife has been in a wheelchair for several years due to Multiple Sclerosis. After seeing the movie MURDERBALL --and *especially* after meeting Zupan at a tournament, her attitude went from "good" to fantastic. She's no longer "the girl in the wheelchair." She's simply my wife, who's fun to be around, and who's interested in doing the things she CAN do, rather than fretting about the things she can't.

-Jonathan Sabin

A fast paced, gritty look into an Athlete's brush with death and the long road to recovery. If you are looking for the next inspiration for a cheesy After School Special on overcoming adversity...don't read this book. If you are looking for a well written, insightful look into how one guy copes with tragedy and disability, then this is an excellent read. To say Gimp has texture is an understatement thanks to its subject, Mark Zupan, a quadriplegic athlete who was made famous by the documentary Murder Ball. Gimp details how this proud, perhaps arrogant athlete dealt with a tragic accident that cost him the full use of his limbs thanks to drunken night that resulted in a brush with death and a debilitating spinal cord injury.

Gimp does not spare us the details that are often left out of such stories including the uglier side of human emotion. The books subject faces Zupan's denial, doubt, guilt, fear, despair and loss as a result of his tragedy. While he ultimately comes to terms with his injury and recovery, it is not without some serious setbacks, some self inflicted. It is this part of writer Timothy Swanson's writing that really sets Gimp apart. He does not spare Zupan some hard looks into his darker nature to include arrogance, self indulgence and outright self destructiveness at times. If there is a villain in the book, it is Zupan himself and his own feelings of despair and anger. It is Swanson's description of Zupan's struggle with his own dark feelings and fears that give the story its power.

The book is not without its own sense of humor and offers a dark amusement that Zupan has for the hand life has dealt him. Gimp deftly shows Zupan's outlook on life which is headstrong and confident but not without his fair share of hidden frailty in the face of a near death experience. In fact, the description of the actual accident that describes Zupan clinging to life, literally perhaps, is the book's strongest section. I have many friends who suffer from war wounds, especially brain injuries from IED's or "danger close" air strikes and I can say from personal experience that Gimp does an excellent job at looking at how proud warriors (in Gimp's case a world class athlete), deal with injury and recovery. I recommend this book without reservation to certainly anyone who knows someone who suffers from a disability or who has seen the documentary Murder Ball. The book has broader appeal to fans of sports writing as well since the book leaves no doubt that Zupan is an athlete. The fact that it is an easy read and has a brisk pace is no small feat given that other works of this genre tend to drag on, lack direction and are often burdened with sappy and clichéd, touchy-feely housewife book club nonsense. Zupan's force of will as described by Swanson carries the book along as does the suspense of how he will cope with each stage of his recovery and his entrance into the world of quad rugby aka Murder Ball. I thought it was a great read and recommend it without reservation.

great - timely service... I had no problems with my order or receiving my book.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It is well written and the characters really come to life and feel like they are family and neighbors. A tornado destroys many homes in a small Missouri town where people live just as you and I with good and bad times in their lives. There are many hard feelings among them, but this tragedy brings out the best in people and many changes happen in their hearts and they come to depend upon each other and make changes to go forward to the future. Sometimes we need to suffer loses before we realize what is most important and that we only have one life to live.

I thought that this author's first book "Tending Roses'was very good, but this one is even better. I can't wait to read the next books in this series, "The Language of the Sycamores", "Drenched in Light" and "A Thousand Voices",

This is the first of Lisa Wingate which I have ever read. Now I definitely want to read more of her books.

Jennilee Lane and her family were the "poor folks" on Hope Road. Her mother was ill with depression, and later had terminal cancer, and her Dad was a loser as well. The family struggled just to eat. The other people in the small neighborhood were middle to upper classed people. Eudora Gibson was a big gossip and spread awful rumors about people to whoever would listen to her gossip. And then there was the lawyer's family, Marcella, of whom were big snobs.

All of this changed, when in the beginning of the book, a tornado hit hard and many folks lost their homes and precious items. Many lives were taken, some spared, and the whole neighborhood had to come together all living in a shelter together.

Jennilee saved the life of Eudora, and her granddaughter Lacy, who lost her parents and won't speak to anyone. While they are in this shelter together, Jennilee does a lot to help rescue items people have lost by posting pictures up on a board. She cooks, cleans, and helps the injured as well during all of this disaster. People gradually come to love and admire her, even the very haughty Dr. Albright.

On the other side of this coin though, Jennilee has lost part of her family, (Dad and brother Nate), and can't imagine where they are when the storm destroyed their town. She fears the worst that they were seriously injured or even killed, and as the story continues, what happens comes to light, and whether they are lucky to have survived remains to be seen. Jen's older brother Drew is finally coming around as well, but Jennilee holds a lot of resentment there as Drew left when her mom was dying and they needed him there.

It is just a good 'down-home' type of book. I look forward to seeing what Wingate's others are like.

After reading Ms. Wingate's two romances, I picked up Good Hope Road. Surprised it wasn't a romance, I almost tossed it, but the writing was so beautiful, I couldn't. This was a wonderful tale of reconciliation and survival populated with marvelous character that give real hope.

Good Hope Road by Lisa Wingate is her strongest book to date. After the entire town of Poetry, Missouri is destroyed by a tornado, the people within it are changed to their cores as well. Jenilee Lane has lived her entire life ducking blows and trying to stay unnoticed. Eudora Gibson, her elderly neighbor, suffers from a bad case of judging others until Jenilee saves her life. The entwining stories of Jenilee and Eudora are woven together until as one strong cord, both women pull themselves out of their former selves and find a better future. Jenilee's idea to pick up all the photos and papers she finds on the road, in her yard and fields and try to return them to the townspeople who have lost so much is moving, especially after how she's been treated by them throughout her life. Wingate captures the essence of a family caught in the cycle of abuse and trying to break free. The scenes between Jenilee and her brothers are especially poignant. The dialogue is extremely well done. This book is peopled with characters that everyone in a small town knows, and after finishing the book will be sorry to leave.

Of the eleven novels by Wendell Berry in the Port William saga, Hannah Coulter is probably the best. It is a complete life told with great sensitivity of a poor girl and an outsider to the families written about in the other novels of the saga. Hannah has great determination and ability to overcome her limitations with the help of her grandmother and the Feltner, Coulter and Catlett families. The story covers the period from 1922 until the turn of the century. It is an epic tale.

This is one of the best books I have read - a wonderful book of community and belonging

In his Port William novels, Wendell Berry has built a community of nostalgia and gentleness that provides an opportunity to redirect our attention, for at least a time, from the day's most discouraging headlines. Enough of modern society trickles into the edges of Hannah Coulter's story, however, that we are reminded she may very well be our own contemporary.

This is the story of a woman widowed twice, who has never had extreme wealth but who seems to have learned contentedness in most situations and to be quietly resigned to the rest. Is she an idealized and not fully real character? Probably, but that could also be said of some of the many angst-drenched lead characters in other contemporary fiction, and I admit I find someone like this far more interesting.

The difference in her world from that of so many of the rest of us is summed up by another Port William resident's summary of what has happened to her children who have moved on to Ohio, California, and beyond.

"Andy said, 'You're worried because they've left the membership,' and he smiled...They've gone over from the world of membership to the world of organization. Nathan would say the world of employment.'...One of the attractions of moving away into the world of employment, i think, is being disconnected and free, unbothered by membership.It is a life of beginnings without memories, but it is a life too that ends without being remembered. The life of membership with all its cumbers is traded away for the life of employment that makes itself free by forgetting you clean as a whistle when you are not of any more use. When they get to retirement age, [my children] will be cast out of place and out of mind like worn-out replaceable parts, to be alone at the last maybe and soon forgotten.

"'But the membership,' Andy said, 'keeps the memories even of horses and mules and milk cows and dogs.'"

And that is the magic of Berry's writing; his telling of stories of those who are still *members* of a community helps keep their memories alive and reminds us of our own need to find our own community within our own spaces.

I don't always agree with Berry. Sometimes I agree with his dianoses but wonder what practical solution there is for the problems he notices. But one thing I must say is that he is able to beautifully capture the pathos and wonder of human community. Quite simply this is a beautiful meditation on life and relationship. If you do not come away longing for or at least pondering community and what it means you may want to check you pulse. His descriptions of married life are sublime.
A few random questions I have as I read the Port William novels:
-What would happen if an Italian immigrant moved to Port William? Would they be welcome?
-What is evil? Would you ever want to just kick someone out because they were so bad?
-Should I just let the effect of the novel wash over me or should I respond to a larger message?

ok.. I read this a year ago and loved it! It is elegantly written and soulful and kind. BUT after reading Wallace Stegner's 'Crossing to Safety'..and re-reading a chapter of 'Hannah Coulter', I'm afraid this book falls downward into a whole other category of writing. In my mind, 'Hannah Coulter' lacks humor..detail.. and the complexities of marriage. While Berry doesn't sugarcoat or gloss over his characters, he doesn't go into as much depth as I'd like, leaving me wondering and frustrated as to what's really going on inside Hannah, Nathan, and all the other folks of Port William. There just must be a whole lot more than 'everything's fine' in bucolic Port William..

The beauty of Stegner's book is that he manages to write 300 some odd pages on 'very quiet lives' and I truly hated for the book to end. With 'Hannah', I was left wanting more, not at just the end, but throughout the entire read.

What happens when a young woman (16) learns that her entire life has been a lie? This is what happens to Estrella di Madrigal in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition.

She watches as those around her are arrested, tortured, and put to death because they are Conversos (Jews who have converted to Christianity). She feels for them but is happy that she and her family attend the Christian church headed by Friar DeLeon and that her brother is a seminarian.

Estrella's best friend and neighbor is Catalina. They have been close since birth but it is Catalina's cousin Andres, who lives with Catalina's family, that ultimately causes the rift between the two girls. Catalina has always believed that she and Andres would be married. But Andres sees Catalina as a sister while he looks at Estrella in love.

With the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition as a backdrop, Estrella soon learns from her honored grandfather that she is Esther, that her entire family are Marranos (Jews converted to Christianity but who practice judaism in secret). Because of Estrella's love for Andres and his for her, Catalina and her family betray the Madrigals; Estrella watches from the shadows of the crowds as her family is first denounced, then tortured, and finally put to death. She is the only one to escape.

This book is short but packs a mighty punch. Easy enough to read in one sitting but don't, no matter how much you are tempted. Take time to digest what you are reading here. Although meant for the younger reader, most adults should find this a compelling story. A word of caution: the descriptions of the torture of the Marranos is very detailed and vivid and may not sit well with the squeamish.

Different from Alice Hoffman's other novels, I found this one nevertheless equally as good. Ms. Hoffman hasn't disappointed me yet.

When I first picked up the audio book from the library, I was nervous that it was only three CDs. When I found out it was for young adults, I grew more nervous. Then I started listening and fell in love with it. It's an amazing story. The writing is simple yet powerful. The narration is amazing. The entire story is heartfelt and deeply moving. I loved it.

This book is one of the most amazing books that I have read. I could not put it down from the time I started reading it. It is both easy to understand and follow. The story is an incredible story of love and betrayal.

This is not a book for the sqeamish or for younger kids. That being said, it is a wonderful read, vivid and gripping, for adults and teens. It calls up events of the time, both in daily life and in its look at a group seldom mentioned, and offers readers something that lingers after the text is done. The young adult readers in my classes have been devouring this and passing it from one to the next so quickly, my book signout can hardly keep up.

This book was very short, but really amazing. It took me back in time to the Spanish Inquisition (as you can see by the summary) and it gave me some insight on what it was like to live during those times. There was no good court system, and people were scrutinized for just being different. Basically, if you weren't Catholic you were trash.

In the beginning, Estrella has a good life. She has a wonderful, if a bit strict, family, and she has a best friend that she loves with all her heart. But things begin to change when Estrella starts to get attracted to her best friend's cousin. And things get even worse when Estrella finds out that her whole life she was raised thinking she was Catholic, only to find out that it was just an act and she's really Jewish.

This book was wonderful, truly. I couldn't put it down. There was some romance in it, but mostly it was about a family who struggled to stay true to their faith, but stay alive at the same time. I was really sad, and there were some memorable passages that I will never forget. The writing was fantastic, and I found that I liked this book much more than I really thought I would.

The book starts out with, "Don't read this book if you are pregnant" (or something like that). I was six months pregnant with my first child, yet steamed ahead anyway. I am glad that I did. The description of the insanity, temporary or otherwise, that can be brought on brought on by modern motherhood that Ingman paints is exactly what a parent-to-be like myself needed, because it prepared me for the worst, and let me off the hook from the overambitious expectations that I had (elaborate birth plan that did not go as planned? check. Dreams of cooking my own organic baby food now making way for Gerber jars? check). The writing had a way of taking me to the absolute depths of her experience while at the same time injecting humor and compassion that made me feel like everything was going to be all right. I didn't expect to laugh out loud, but I did many times while reading.

This book is WAY more complex than any review can possibly hope to convey. It's personal, and political; funny, and sad. While reading, you realize that a lot of the problems Ingman faces are not just parents' issues, but women's issues. Are the mothers crazy or is the world crazy? Read and decide for yourself.

I think pretty much everything that the author has to say can be (and is!) said in the first 30 pages or so. After that, it's bits and pieces, loosely strung together but without a goal in sight. Neither a great resource for those dealing with PPD nor a good comic relief.

"Inconsolable" is smart, funny, and heartbreaking. This book should be required reading for any woman considering motherhood--it rips off the layers of Hallmark sentimentality and reveals exactly how agonizing post-partum depression can be. Frankly, it made me want to send my mother a bouquet of three dozen long-stemmed red roses.

This is a brave book written by an astonishingly talented writer Whether or not you're considering having a child, this book will change the way you think about motherhood, pregnancy, and mental health long after you've put the book down. I will never play Nine Inch Nails without thinking of Marritt ever again, and man, I play a lot of NIN.

Thank you for this book, Marritt.

When I suffered from debilitating depression after the birth of my 2nd daughter, I searched everywhere for something to grasp onto. Anything to grasp onto. Somehow I found this book. All of a sudden, here was someone like me - someone else who wanted to drive off a bridge. I felt like I had finally made a connection and I wasn't alone in this anymore.
I can honestly say that this book was pivotal in my (LONG) recovery. It is what ultimately encouraged me to push through, connect with others and reclaim motherhood. Marrit's accounts of early motherhood are real, moving, poignant, and honest. I highly recommend this book to any new mother - if you aren't suffering from PPD yourself, you might be able to understand and reach out to someone who is.

If you are a mom and you think you are loosing your mind, read this book!! You'll find out that you are not alone. I think all moms feel this way at times but most are too worried about what people will think if they admit it. Props to Marrit for being brutally honest.

Fifty years ago I had psych classes at the UW, and I helped tend the rats in 600 N. Park. I learned about Harry Harlow, Carl Rogers, and schools of thought in Psychology. Now, finally, I understand and see the importance of what was going on here.

Deborah Blum has clarified the conflicts in behavioral science during the first half of the 20th century as my instructors never could. She has given human faces to the names that were listed in the semester timetables, but whom most students never saw. And Harry Harlow's flaws are not whitewashed, but they are understandable.

Younger readers will be aghast at the parenting style that was advocated by child health professionals over 50 years ago. Many of us, although we were not neglected or abandoned, were not cuddled and made to feel cherished. Harlow, among others, was able to disprove the validity of a sterile upbringing in creating a human adult.

And it is truly a page-turner, well written and captivating.

This book was in great shape and is an excellent read for those who want to understand

When Harry Harlow started exploring the science of affection it was in the face of disregard and opposition in the world of medicine and psychology. But he was able to show that affection is vital to the proper development of the newly born, as too is the measured rejection of the newly born's parents when the time is right. Consequently we now encourage the bonding of parents and children through physical handling. (Perhaps more affectionate and supportive friendships outside the family have developed as a result also.)

These were great insights for society and yet Harlow did face opposition. Just when he was saying the role of the mother (and father - but he was less vocal about that) was vital to the upbringing of the baby, the womens liberation movement was trying to get women more freedom - more equality on the basis of being the same as men. How could this new emphasis on the importance of the role of parents (principally women as men were traditionally the 'bread winners') be tolerated? To me, however, there is a mistake in this. We should not be treated equally because we are the same - but for the very opposite reason - because we are all unique. If we are to get the best from each unique individual then each individual must have equal rights and opportunity. Unfortunately Harlow's approach to opposition was often rude and confronting.

After his death Harlow's research faced another challenge - this time from the animal liberation activists. Harlow had done his experiments on monkeys principally, and these experiments necessarily had damaging (and surprising) results for the animals experimented on. Harlow did care for the animals and provided for them as well as he could in difficult circumstances - for example, he always tried to 'restore' emotionally damaged animals. Although we may now regret the methods he and his students used, and certainly not want to repeat them for the sake of student exercises, we should not lose sight of the vital information that was uncovered.

Deborah Blum's book is engaging and revealing - especially concerning the history of human behaviour with regard to affection and love. It is surprising how recent (1950s) some attitudes were that are now totally overthrown, at least in part because of Harlow's work.

But does psychology have more lessons to learn from Harlow? It is my belief that this is so. I recently had a workplace experience where I was confronted by a workplace bully. But immediately I knew this bully was not picking on me - this was just characteristic behaviour that was applied to everyone they worked with. All the stories and rumours I had heard - and continued to hear with more clarity - suddenly had greater presence for me. To overcome my distress at this situation I used the free staff counselling service offered by my employer. Perhaps in doing that I was already demonstrating my capacity to manage, to cope. What, however, of my colleagues who I now had insight to the terrible behaviour of the bully for them? Harlow would not have been surprised that I had bonded with these people - to some more closely than others. But the psychologist/counsellor understood nothing of this - as long as I was dealt with (the immediate client) nothing else could be done. But the only thing that could really be done for me was to smash all the bonds I had built with my colleagues so that I was no longer concerned for them. Was that reasonable?

And what of psychology offered to one of a married couple privately from the bond that links them. What is the risk that this will actually prise apart the bond that needs to be strengthened or at least maintained? I'm not sure how psychology should handle these matters but it continues to alarm me that the insights of Harlow are still being overlooked in areas where they should not be. Is it the impact of the womens liberation and animal liberation movements that have denigrated the research sufficiently to block its use in other areas?

other recommendations:
'Workplace Monsters' John Clarke (Random House Australia)
'Conditions of Love' John Armstrong
'A Crystal Age' W H Hudson

This is one of the most interesting and well written books I've ever read on this or any similar topic. To anyone who studies or has studied attachment, Blum offers an amazing look at how this early research changed the face of psychology. To anyone who has read countless poorly written descriptions of boring research studies, this book is an oasis.

I don't believe Blum has portrayed Harlow through rose-colored glasses. On the contrary, anyone reading this book might even wonder whether Harlow's neglect of his own children was a good thing, given his lack of compassion and indifference toward the suffering he caused. My copy is well-worn and has been loaned out many times. I highly recommend this book.

This is an extremely interesting book in terms of underlining how damaging scientific fads can be. The early twentieth century fad of data and cleanliness may well have led to the deaths many children as cleanliness was preferred over attention.

Unfortunately, Harry Harlow is less interesting, and provides an abominable contrast to the subject. Harlow ignores both wives and his children in search for - as he wrote in his school's yearbook - 'fame'. He becomes a chain-smoking alcoholic. Bizarrely, Blum emphasises Harlow's visionary understanding of love with, at times, an almost 'here comes superman' manner. She appears incapable of reconciling her argument that Harlow is the scientist of love with the fact that he ignored his wives and all his children!

If anything, I read the book as reflecting one man's selfish, desperate desire for achievement and fame. Thanks to his interest in monkeys, he and his students seemed to fall over the answer. Not exactly visionary.

A good read though, reflecting the pitfalls of faddish thinking, and also how scientific discoveries (if the fact that a child needs its mother is a discovery) occur. The book also reflects how difficult it can be to refute incorrect arguments.

Just like The Winter Child and The Faeries of Spring Cottage this is very lovely book. Both adults and children will enjoy the pictures and lovely story. This is a must have for all children and Froudians.

Wendy Froud is every bit the genius as her husband. This book is absolutly enchanting. Her dolls and her vision coupled with Terry Windling's adorable story create a world that young and old will want to escape to time and again. A must have for all fans of Frouds and faeries.

An excellent book for children. My daughter loved the heroic faery. The illustrations are first rate. After getting this book for my little girl, I tried out Terri Windling's "The Wood Wife" which is written for more adult readers. I am glad I stumbled onto Ms. Windling's work. Both books were excellent. She is a very good story teller.

Sneezle, you ask? What exactly is a Sneezle? Well, Sneezle is our little root faery hero, that's who! This is a wonderful book with a very good lesson that teaches us that everyone in life has been put here for a reason. Sometimes it may seem that certain people in life have better luck, are more beautiful, are thinner, have a better voice, etc but this book shows us that there is something special in everyone, even when we least expect it. Sneezle shows us that the pure of heart will always prevail over the forces of evil.

The artwork in this book is also PHENOMINAL (please forgive me if my spelling is incorrect.) Every time I look at the pictures, I find something new. The creatures, the landscapes, the settings are all GLORIOUS! Although this is a "children's" book, I highly recommend it for both the young and old at heart.

The book refers all to faeries, the story is good but what I was interested on was the art. Wendy Froud created the dolls for the story and since my interest is doll making, this was a great book full of details. She has another book named "The Winter Child" in which she uses the same dolls but there is different story line. If you are interested in books with great pictures, this is the one or if you enjoy reading good stories to children you will greatly enjoy it. Wendy Froud is the wife of Bryan Froud the great illustrator of "Good Faeries, Bad Faeries" and "The Faeries' Oracle".