Rebecca Books

The Original Sanctuary is a book about hearing, believing and obeying. It is thought-provoking yet easy to read. David and Marc invite you to join them in their pursuit of living in freedom. Their writing style is unique; it's as if you can hear each one of their voices as they bravely tell their story. It is honest and filled with hope, encouraging believers to accept the forgiveness and embrace the freedom that Christ died for. This book is a call to stop denying and minimizing those things that keep us from living the abundant life that Jesus came to give us.

The Original Sanctuary is a must-read for everyone with a beating heart! David and Marc's transparency and depth are so unusual in our shallow world. I was drawn into 2 lives from opposite ends of the spectrum with only a couple of things in common: overflowing garbage bags and God's grace. The authors painted a wonderful picture of God using their garbage for His glory. The truth of God's Word, combined with the author's life experiences, is overwhelmingly powerful! This book accomplished its' mission...revealing God's grace in restoring our hearts and a path to true freedom. How could I possibly put a price on these 2 things? Fortunately, I don't have to...the authors did, and it is only $17! This will be the best money you ever spend!

What I found so interesting about this book, is the transparency of these two men. It is so refreshing in todays world to find a book that really captures the heart of God. In realizing that from the beginning, God intended the heart to be the "original sanctuary" and that nothing I have done in my past will change the call God has placed on my life was a moment of freedom for me. This book helped me to realize that I was not alone with living in bondage from past mistakes, but that I could walk in freedom and that is a choice. This book is fun and easy to read, it is easy to understand, and can be used like a journal. There are questions you can answer and blank pages to journal. The authors have both poured their own voice into the text which helped me to connect to them as real people, but at the same time it taught me biblical principles of freedom. If you are in a place where you have lost your hopes and dreams due to your past, then this is a book for you. It will help to reconnect your heart to God's original purpose.

There's a saying that, a man with an argument is never at the mercy of a man with experience. In quoting the authors, "The only force in the universe that can truly change you is the presence and power of God." In this book, Marc and David don't come to you with an argument - they come to you with their own real, transparent and authentic experience of how God has powerfully, magnificently, and obviously changed their lives. But more than that, how you too can experience that and finally get your heart aligned with the original "factory settings" that God "hard-wired" for you. Indeed, this is much more than a book about change; it's about getting your life back. I literally had to lay it down twice because, I was weeping too much to continue reading the very personal stories of how God's presence and power transformed the lives of these two men. If you know you need a touch from the living God, then I urge you to buy this book - but have a box at tissues at hand, you're going to need them.

From the moment I began to read this book, I was immediately drawn into the pages and placed in front of a mirror where my heart met Gods'. As God allowed these two men to share their stories with a host of events that had me laughing on one page and tears streaming on another, I realized that my heart didn't look like Gods. My heart looked more like life's circumstances. As pages unfolded so did truth for me. Truth that is meant to set us free. This book holds so much freedom if you will allow Mark and David to take you back to the heart of God, the place where your worthiness was defined, the place where God reminds you that He Himself gave you a purpose and a destiny, and realize that life circumstances have not robbed you of it. We all want to walk in freedom, but to walk freely in our God called, God annointed destiny is truly freedom. The "Original
Sanctuary" will take you there.

I have read at least 5 books on parrot behavior getting ready for my African Grey to come home and this is by far the most informative. It is like going over details with a real person rather than cold and impersonal with dry facts only. I recommend for any new or experienced parrot person. Great illustrations also.

I am owned by a male Eclectus parrot. This book is written for a bird hobbiest in terms that are easy to understand. I have gained more understanding of what makes my parrot tick.

It's easy to place this book on any parront's list of must-haves. Well written, well laid out and full of the best information regarding keeping parrots as pets. If you want to set the parrot-person relationship up for success, this book gives you the tools to do it!

Chapters include: Choosing the Right Parrot, Setting Up Space, Nutrition, Adjusting to Your New Parrot and Vice Versa, Behavior and Training, as well as Caring for Your Parrot Over a Lifetime.

Another bonus to this book? It travels well! This is especially useful for behavior consultants, veterinarians and anyone else who assists people with their birds.

I've told my students that I've been waiting a long time for a book of this caliber, and this piece has delivered, plus some! It's not just for the newly bird smitten, it's for those who have lived or worked with parrots for many years as well. It is also a useful tool for animal shelter/humane society staff.

Definitely belongs on your gift giving list this holiday season for all your parrot loving friends, those who are interested in birds, and those who help the avian community. It's such a beautiful and useful tool, please consider donating a copy to your local animal shelter!

This book should come with every parrot adopted. I bought the book not only for the advice and information, but because it's filled with fun, colorful illustrations. I love the ideas for making easy, inexpensive parrot toys in the chapter called "Bringing Home Baby." Good luck with your new buddy.

I own most parrot books available and certainly all books available since year 2000. They are mostly good but very similar.....
A Parrot for Life is, not only a beautiful book to compliment your library, it is different in that it prepares you for events which more than likely will happen and for changes which are also bound to occur when you choose to share your life with one of these beautiful long lived creatures.
Not only is it a Godsend for those planning to bring a companion parrot into their life....
This book is special and unique and I feel it will help parrot owners going through that 'what have I done' stage, help them to get past that and fall in love all over again gaining a deeper relationship with the parrot they chose as their companion.
This book will help you to realise you don't have to be a failure and to make friends again with your companion.
Own this book and open your eyes.
With respect..
Jan

My 9 year old granddaughter cried when she finished the book. Not because it was sad but because her " favorite book EVER " ended. Can there be a better review ?
I am a little sad too, because we have to wait till September for the next Penina book. But, Ahh, the anticipation.

Penina Levine is one of only two Jewish sixth graders in Mrs. Anderson's class in public school. The class has been given an assignment to write letters "from the Easter Bunny" to kindergarten kids in the nearby Holy Family School. Penina strongly believes she should not write the letter because she is Jewish and Easter is a Christian holiday. She doesn't tell her parents about the assignment because she feels they don't listen to her and favor her younger sister, Mimsy. She does tell her grandmother however, when they are preparing the meal for the Passover Seder. Her grandmother says she is like a hard-boiled egg because when you boil it, it gets hard, just like the Jews: "When the heat is on, we don't turn to mush-- we get tougher." Her grandmother is proud of her for sticking up for her religion and not writing the letter. Eventually Penina tells her parents about the assignment and they tell the principal, who then talks to the class about diversity. Mrs. Anderson, Penina's teacher, apologizes and Penina and her family invite her to a Shabbat dinner. The story moves along briskly and Penina is an appealing and feisty Jewish character with much humor. The various black and while line drawings complement the text. For ages 9 -12.

The girl is spunky, truthful, hardheaded, true to her beliefs and most importantly, very believable. Although written for maybe 8-11 year olds, Penina is very much beloved by my 6 year old, a self described "agnostic" and myself a tripped off the religion wagon ex-Catholic with a Jewish father. It is a great book for helping my daughter explore her Jewish heritage and a great starting point to discuss religion, faith, beliefs, traditions, and how much she dislikes dealing with her little sister. It has a wonderful "conversation starter" in my house. Penina Levine is a real find.

Tenacious sixth-grader Penina struggles to retain her beliefs, trust in adults, and humor while going through what seems like unfair obstacles in the course of growing up. Will an impossible assignment, troublesome younger sister, unsympathetic parents, tricky friend, and attending a school where her heritage is in the minority, weaken her or give her strength? Is telling the TRUTH and self-control always better than just DARING to pay for the consequences of one's actions?
Rebecca O'Connell manages to have all readers experience with Penina the joys and struggles of one's heritage in this flowing story. It is not until the reader of any background has finished enjoying the book that they realize the wealth of information they've gleaned not only about the Jewish culture, but the unique beauty of their own as well.
As a school librarian I recommend this must-have library book to students who want to laugh at the important daily issues of grouping up, as well as to students and teachers interested in diversity. This is one of the few young adult books that lovingly DARES to be sensitive to such major topics.

You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate the wit and wisdom of Penina. Rebecca O'Connell's book taps in to the frustration we all have felt when an authority figure (in this case, a teacher with a fixation on the Easter bunny) disregards our most diligent efforts to be understood. Start with a Passover feast, add an annoying younger sister, an empathetic friend, and a rich seasoning of humor...and you have the recipe for a rewarding reading experience.

Outstanding book. A must read for anyone who wants a clear idea on how to organize and manage a financial planning practice. Most importantly, this book also explains the performance metrics that must be set up, how to read them, and the appropriate action needed to keep your practice on track. Warland Griffith III, CFP®

I have been a long-time fan of what Mark Tibergien preaches about practice management. So when I heard he and Rebecca Pomering were writing a book, I began to count down the days 'til I could get my hands on it. Let me tell you, even my expectations were exceeded. Do you remember the movie where someone said, "If you build it, they will come?" Well, if this buy this book, then new business is certain to come your way. Do yourself a favor and learn from the gurus of the financial planning world.

When you ask the question "How do I get my business to the next level?" In reality you first need to understand the answer to the silent question "Where am I now and what is the next level?" This book provideds thousands of dollars worth of professional consulting insight and is required reading for any financial professional who wants to be considered a financial professional.

Tibergien and Pomering do a great job of jamming a fortune in good advice into a book any advisor can buy for what it costs to get a good haircut. If you're like me, you'll keep it on your desk and use it as your firm's operating manual. Great stuff!

A well-engineered and reliable kitchen appliance, say a toaster oven or a blender, has a certain functional beauty, and so does this book. Authors Mark C. Tibergien and Rebecca Pomering specifically target and serve financial advisers who own consulting firms. Based on their decades of consulting experience, the authors offer sound advice designed to protect - or deliver - any small financial service firm from a fiscal crisis. In the course of doing so, they debunk several myths, such as the notion that you can simply sell your way out of poor financial performance, or that most small firms don't need to borrow to pay for their operations. With an appendix chock full of helpful tools, such as a cash-flow calculator, a sample financial statement and a practice-management assessment questionnaire, this is a useful book for any small consultancy. We strongly recommend this book to financial advisers who know the value of good advice.

I adored this book as a girl, and had to search for a copy for my daughter as my book was in tatters from continual re-reads. Rebecca is a wonderful reluctant heroine. While she doesn't search for adventure, time and again she rises to the occasion to cope when it comes her way. It helps children understand some of the complexities of war without graphic violence. Rebecca is very real and a heroine to whom girls can relate. This book brings the details of the period's daily life alive, without ever being boring.

I will never understand how this book went out of print. It is a treasure!

Rebecca is only fourteen when she is left in charge of her young brother and sister. Alone in occupied Philadelphia as America struggles for her freedom from England,she must find a way to feed and protect them, and guard a secret that could destroy America's dream of independance, while having to share her house with British Army Officers! When war turns family friends into strangers, and enemies into dear friends, who can Rebecca trust?

When reading historical fiction, it really irritates me when authors just write their impressions of a time, rather than doing actual research on the era they're writing in. Ann Finlayson stands well in this respect I haven't found anachronism or historical error yet. There might be some but they're definitely not glaringly obvious like in some books. The plot is interesting and the characters are well done and sympathetic. It's a good book written for the 10-12 age group, but adults will like it too.

A story of a girl growing up in a time when childhood took a back burner to patriotism. This book is exceptionally written, with characters that have you involved and mesmerized. Iam sixteen years of age and have read this book twice. Each time it holds new excitement and adventure for me. The friendship between The Honourable Frederick and Rebecca has a charm that gives you the insentive to read on.They have a mutual respect for each other and although on opposing sides of a historic war they form a friendship that war cannot come between. The story was imaginative and the characters memorable.

Rebecca's War tells the story of a teenager left with her younger siblings in Philadelphia during the English occupation. It is an exceptionally good book for giving the American and British perspectives on the conflict as well as the usual pre-adolescent story of rising to meet challenges. The story line includes a spy plot, and smuggling, and keeps the reluctant reader reading to find out what happened. Good for elementary and early middle school.

Working in a bookstore I often get asked for reading recommendations. Rebecca McClanahan's The Riddle Song is at the top of my list, appealing to anyone who is human.

I had read several of the stories included in Rebecca's recent compilation of essays when they appeared in earlier publications. Reading them as a whole only heightened my pleasure in each piece.

Rare is the storyteller who can summon tears or laughter in the same sentence that begs to be reread for the sheer beauty of its language. Rebecca does that. Her words create vivid images, making us feel the Prell between our fingers as we lather Aunt Bessie's "muddied gray" hair. We twinge as we witness the young bride spying from the window at her unfaithful husband below. And warm to the sight of her parents' bodies making "a spoon curve on the sofa."

I have shared Rebecca's stories with my 84 year old mother and my 14 year old son with equal success. She deserves a wide readership for her heartfelt rememberings, magically constructed.

Riddle Song is a book to savor. The language, images, and stories are beautiful, and they weave together to create a meditation on family and self that is rich with meaning.

Each piece is a world unto itself, yet each vibrates against that next so that a wonderful symphony is created in the reader's heart and mind.

I have found myself pondering Riddle Song long after finishing it. This is definitely a book to own.

This is a book of many delights. McClanahan's language is lyrical, down to earth and humorous. I find her voice clear-eyed, feisty and tender all at once, a mixture which gave me much pleasure. Her beautifully-structured essays are wrought by a fine intelligence which questions life in its own unique way; for example: "How do we navigate the spaces between ourselves and others?"

I felt that I was right there as the little girl dolls up her eccentric old aunt to go to church, or when the long-married woman packs up her beloved house to move into a new and unknown phase of life. I am especially grateful for McClanahan's exploration of loving un-motherhood by choice.

As I read I laughed often, cried more than once, and mused for days over a particular angle of perception of some human peculiarity. When I closed the book, I immediately started making a list of friends to whom I want to give it.

As I read the rememberings set fort in the Riddle Song, I felt honored to be invited into Rebecca McClanahan's world. McClanahan writes with an elegance and grace that give heft and scope to her brave honesty. I was surprised not to be able to put down a book that was not racing toward a dramatic finish, but I had trouble putting this book down. The Riddle Song is as lyrical as poetry or song and as intriguing as a novel of manners. Almost every page brought a tear or a smile to my face. I found myself caring very much for the characters in McClanahan's world. This is a special book and one I would recommend without hesitation.

I recommend this book to all who wish to read "rememberings" painted with words. It is one of the best books I have read, the writing is beautiful and puts you in the scene. The stories will bring back your own rememberings and you will get a true sense of the author and what shaped her life. As a poet, I recommend it to both poetry and prose writers as a study in the use of lanuage.

I was very satisfied with Amazon. My book was packaged extremely well so that the pages wouldn't get messed up. I was surprised at how fast I received it too.

I purchased three books on tin toys and dollhouses, and this one was the best by far to help me evaluate some tin/metal doll houses I was buying.

The book sections are by the doll house maker, with excellent photographs that help identify them, and estimated years that they were sold.

In addition there are photographs of the furniture that you would typically find in these houses. This helps alot if you have just purchased an empty doll house, and you want to furnish it with vintage items of the correct size and type.

Simply an excellent reference book for tin doll house collectors or just old-timers wanting a bit of nostalgia :)

Mary Brett has written the Bibile of Tin Litho houses. Excellent pictures of the houses detail their interiors, exteriors and the furniture needed to make them cosy little homes. All major producers are covered, Marx, Cohn, Wolverine to mention just a few. Ms. Brett also includes a section on the more unusual items, such as the rare and unique Friendly Folks Motel. Better buy two copies, this book is destined to become dog-earred and worn before very long.

Great reference book for collector of 40's and 50's plastic doll house furniture. Copyright in 1997 makes pricing guide a tad out of date . . . nevertheless a good starting reference price range. Great photos. Interesting information on producing companies.

This is a wonderful reference quide for baby boomers who want to collect dollhouses and furniture! What great memories this book brought back. I found doll houses and furniture I once had and some of the models my cousins and friends had in the 1950's! This is a trip down memory lane and the price is great for this publication. Amazon delivers quickly, too!

This book is one of the true historically significant accounts of events that have been forever shrouded in lies and fiction. If you are interested in historically accurate accounts of the late Apache wars, this is one of the must-read books. Davis just wanted the truth told, so he did it himself after watching glory-seeking sycophants take credit for, and be lauded for the heroic actions of others. Davis's views on his enemy Apaches, as well as the Apache scouts, show the wisdom and respect only a true and sage adversary can attest to. You won't be sorry you bought this book. Another must read is "On The Border With Crook" by John G. Bourke.

For any one interested in the real facts of the Apache campains this is for you. It may take a little patience to get through the early reading, Davis is very detailed in names and dates but he has real first hand accounts of things that acctually occured. This is a man I think saw and admired the native people and did his duty in a fair and just manner. Davis is an admiral person and does a great justice to the Indian and the attrocities they endured but at the same time points out that just like in every culture a few bad apples can spoil the lot. He also points out that the government did far more decieving to the Indian they ever did to the government. I always respected the Native Americans and even more so after this book.

Here is the point of view concerning a particular portion of the late Apache/Euro conflict involving the last rag-tag remnants of the Apache tribes and the United States Army units involved in trying to keep them subdued. Its an enjoyable read because the author gives a first-hand, eye-witness account of the series of incidents known as "The Geronimo Campaigns" and he does so without injecting the slobbering Politically Correct dogma that has become so common in present day literature dealing with frontier history (of course, Davis lived at a time when Political Correctness didn't exist, so naturally his book wouldn't contain any!)

A book like this easily destroys the sky-pie nonsense found in sob-story exercises such as Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" and blatantly absurd and Politically Correct motion pictures like "Dances With Wolves" and "Geronimo, An American Legend". In fact, its a very nice counter weight to the drivel out there that seeks to leave unaware people with the impression that the American Indian was some sort of Red Aristocrat or Feathered Philosopher/Sage who was unfairly victimized by unreasonable invaders.

However, I have even better works to offer you if you are sincerely interested in FACT and Truth concerning the White/Indian conflicts. These are all available right here at amazon.com, and the titles to look for are; THREE YEARS AMONG THE COMANCHES ( a first-hand narrative by a Texas Ranger who was captured by Comanches and how he was brutally and sadistically treated, how he escaped, and how he evaded re-capture.) LIFE AMONG THE APACHES ( a first-hand narrative by John Cremony of the famed California Volunteers, who dealt with Apache, Comanche, Kaddo and other hostiles at a time BEFORE the United States Army had even a small force in the southwestern region of North America.) and lastly, SCALP DANCE ( a book consisting of detailed military and civilian/settler accounts of the chilling, blood-curdling wars with Southern Cheyenne, Comanche, Arapaho, Sioux, and Kiowa on the high plains). These three books will serve to provide you with an excellent AND HISTORICALLY ACCURATE overview of frontier history, and an antidote to all the Politically Correct dogma out there that is being passed off as "fact" by glib leftist "educators", self-proclaimed "experts" and psuedo-historians. Read them all, none are dry or boring, and all are of the "couldn't put it down" type of literature.

After you've finished THREE YEARS AMONG THE COMANCHES, LIFE AMONG THE APACHES, and SCALP DANCE, get "Indian Wars" by Robert Utley. By reading these books in this order, you'll grasp the gravity of the incidents that Utley superbly, but only generally deals with, and you'll not only appreciate Utley's work even more, you'll also appreciate the fine line a genuine historian like Utley has to walk while trying to make a living within the Politically Correct jungle that surrounds the academic slums of so-called "modern education".

In 99.9% of all books written by whitemen about American Indians it is hard to find even a grain of truth or fact. This book is the exception that proves the rule!

While nothing is glossed over, the author does not attempt to sway the reader with sensationalism. He tells about his experiences and gives the good with the bad. He exhibits an almost unheard of ability to set aside any preconceived notions and actually see clearly both sides of the conflict AND views the American Indian as a human being, not some sort of subspecies.

An exceptional view of reality that should be required reading in all American history classes from junior high/middle school through the college level.

Britton Davis's reason for writing this book in the 1920's was to set straight some outlandish tales that were being published about who "captured" Geronimo, and some even more fictitious writings on the "Indian Wars."
This is an excellent book, as an adventure tale, as a look at the 'civilized' persons' outlook toward "the Indians" of the day, as a look at the horrific way our government tried to solve the 'indian problem' with a one-size-fits-all method (sound familiar?), and a look at Apaches as individuals rather than all-bad or all-good.
For a tremendous balance of outlooks, read this book along with Eve Ball's "Indeh".

I greatly enjoyed and appreciated Ms. Lemov's review of the evolution of behavioral psychology and the analysis of its weaknesses. As a student of B.F. Skinner at Harvard in the 1950s, I have had a lifelong interest in this subject.
First, Ms. Lemov exposes the basic risks and dangers of "behavioral engineering" and "control" in democratic societies. She also reveals the inadequate appreciation by behaviorists of the distinctions between the nature of humans and that of other animals. This failure was a fatal flaw in the behavioral concepts. Most significantly, if one accepts the concept of the need for "social engineering," the behaviorists never provided a persuasive set of social goals that should be attained by such methods. What is the point of social engineering and control with no clearcut ends in mind?
For anyone interested in the history of psychology, this book is a "must read."
James M Gregg,
Potomac, Maryland

This book tells the fascinating history of experiments to control human behavior and follows the careers of the brilliant and often idiosyncratic scientists who ran the labs and the experiments, beginning at the turn of the 20th Century with the Milgram experiments. These demonstrated that ordinary, normal people could be successfully ordered to shock and torture others on command. She also describes the CIA programs of interrogation and brainwashing that led inexorably to Abu Ghraib. This is compelling--and troubling--stuff, and it raises a lot of questions.
While the human engineers never quite managed to program their human subjects totally, they were at least partially successful. Now we have evolved to massive advertising campaigns that drive our economy, focus groups that help produce political spin, and manufactured divisive wedge issues that manipulate our voting patterns.
All of this suggests that we are susceptible to the kinds of human engineering Lemov so aptly describes. Indeed, the book made me wonder whether some of this human engineering has embedded itself in those corporate cultures where a zealous pursuit of profit makes it ok to market products that needlessly injure, sicken and kill (think unsafe cars and drugs), or to lie, cheat and steal (think Enron). This is one of the many crucial issues that Lemov illuminates.

Considering the incendiary nature of the topic (social control, brainwashing, forcible interrogations, chemical coercion) the euphemistic title of this book says much about how the content is treated. Mice, mazes and men - sounds harmless, no outrage there. Yet the history of how American behaviorists extrapolating from the techniques of B.F. Skinner (who oddly receives little mention) & Joseph Mengele (whose failed sleep-coma experiments were copied in the CIA's MK-ULTRA program) receives no mention at all.

Reading along through all the chapters, the actual "what can I take with me" information is very light, although the lengthy descriptions of many of the behaviorists' personal histories are more than sufficient. For all the talk about rat maze experiments and their importance, few are actually discussed in detail and fewer still are the facts actually learned from these.

In Part Three, "Files: Out Of The Laboratory" much is made of how -large- the files on human cultures collected at Yale were, and how -exhaustively- they were cataloged - but few examples are given of the data itself, who the data-gatherers were, and what protocols these data gatherers followed in their world travels, if anything.

And what practical techniques, exactly, did the modern beneficiaries of all this Cold-War experimenting (public relations, advertising, pollsters, marketing, government, the State Department) get out all of this? Entire books have been written on the techniques of persuasion used by each of these groups yet in "World As Laboratory" the reader walks away with very little in terms of concrete, practical modern-day examples.

The "thriller" part of the book, of course is Chapter 10's "The Impossible Experiment" documenting the CIA's brainwashing and drug experiments which rank among the most putrid of shames ever perpitrated upon American citizens by their own government. Yet, while related subjects such as Stanley Milgram's experiments are given great coverage, the equally important (and horrifying) Stanford Prison experiments are glossed over in just a couple paragraphs.

If you're wondering how Rebecca wraps this all up in her Conclusions, one need only refer to title of the book again - ultimately, the author is sympathetic, and even slightly admiring, of the scientific amoralists portrayed in the book. And although she tries to reassure the reader that attempts to create a Manchurian Candidate were unreliable and inconsistent at best, one can't help but feel that Rebecca is (mildly) rooting for the wrong team.

You want people to do your bidding; it's only natural. And governments, of course, would like other governments to do their bidding, but they'd like to have their own people do their bidding, too. How can this sort of influence best be strengthened? Well, perhaps it would be best to go to the people who study stimuli, responses, drives, and so on, to see what makes people tick. And if the researchers have a good idea of what influences people, then surely they are the ones to consult about actually doing the influencing. It has already been done, of course, and historian and anthropologist Rebecca Lemov has documented the history of such research and attempts at control in World as Laboratory: Mice, Mazes, and Men (Hill and Wang). It is an extraordinary story about very smart guys doing experiments, some of which were quite stupid and some which caused a great deal of suffering (to both animals and humans) to see how subjects could be made to learn the right way to behave. Lemov demonstrates that this was not some ivory tower effort at great remove, but a movement whose results are still with us.

The book starts with rat experiments. Regardless of how you feel about putting rats through such trials, the astonishing fact is that rats were so wonderfully controllable that the researchers assumed that if they just knew the right conditions to administer to humans, they could, as Lemov writes, "... explain the full range of human behavior and make it predictable and therefore controllable." Scientists were sure that if they could make rats do something, they could make humans do it, too. Then they could explain such phenomena as love and union organizing, looking at internal states in an objective, perhaps mathematical way. Some of the most benign experiments on humans were the Hawthorne experiments, which found that just paying experimental attention to humans helped their morale. Other experiments were less benign. Psychiatric patients got LSD or induced comas, without their permission or knowledge. Some got a recorded message like "You killed your mother" piped into their ears thousands of times. However, turning people into ciphers might be easy, but it also isn't very useful. Despite the interest and funding of such organizations as the CIA, researchers kept coming up against a very real problem in getting people to do what the researchers (or government) wanted them to do, or reveal what they wanted them to reveal: a real change in behavior does not happen without full and willing cooperation. There is one mention in the book of Abu Ghraib, but no reader will be able to avoid thinking of it frequently.

The bizarre experiments thus had a hopeful lesson. Brainwashing can be simply done, but it is useless simply to brainwash a person if you expect to control that person. You could create a vegetable, but that was useless; when researchers tried to instill, rather than erase, behavior, as one veteran of the CIA's MK-ULTRA program wrote, they failed eventually because "...the subject jerked himself back for some reason or the subject got amnesiac or catatonic." In all these grand plans for controlling people for society's good, no one could overcome the great obstacle that not only are people not rats, they are individuals, and no one plan is going to accomplish change for them all. Lemov shows that besides this failure, there is a legacy of such scientific effort: focus groups, consumer research, political polling. It isn't nearly as close to control as the scientists described here wanted to get, and let's be glad of that.

Although I have no exerptise in the history of "human engineering" or the evolution of American psychological thought, I was intrigued by the cover (I admit it!) and the subtitle "Experiments with Mice, Mazes, and Men."

"World as Laboratory" turned out to be a fascinating look into how scientists have tried, over the last several decades, to categorize and shape human behavior. It's a substantial book, but not so technical that it makes no sense to the layman.

This is NOT your average self-help book; it is so much more than that. The amount of sage wisdom cannot be overstated. It works on so many levels as a "lifeboat" opportunity for the reader (no matter where he or she is on their chosen spiritual path.) Rebecca Skeele proves herself to be an artful guide as she explains how not to see problems as "stumbling blocks," but rather, "stepping stones." Rebecca skillfully maps the way toward savoring each precious day while finding JOY in what you already have and the truth in the proverb: "Love makes all burdens light." This book will retain an honored place on my bookshelf, one that I will reference whenever my life feels out of balance and I need reminding of the fact that "I am the master of my own destiny."

Have you ever found yourself sabotaged by your "monkey mind," as all the reasons why you can't succeed dance through your mind at once? Have you found yourself wishing that you could find a way to live true to yourself at home, at work and in your relationships? Have you longed for a life in which you did what you most wanted to do, and were rewarded for pursuing your dreams?

If you said, "yes" to any of the above, then you'll be thrilled with YOU CAN MAKE IT HEAVEN! Author Rebecca Skeele writes eloquently about down-to-earth ways you can acquaint yourself with the divinity all around you, and shares personal stories from her life and the lives of those she's coached over the years. Skeele's background in psychology, counseling, and spirituality are evident as her advice comes from the rich tapestry of training combined with years of real-life experience.

This is a book you'll find yourself reaching for again and again, as a friendly guide on your journey of self-understanding. YOU CAN MAKE IT HEAVEN when you learn to open your heart to yourself, and feel the love that will transform your view of the world and your life forever.

Here's a book to be read over and over and, with each reading carry away a new delight. I found/find it amazing how, by accepting her own self and, via this self acceptance, exposing her own life experience, Mr Skeekle so gently opens up the reader to self-exploration. She prompts us to really look at ourselves with a loving spirit so that we might contact the exhilerating beauty of our own being. (Interesting mis-type: I typed "exhilarating" as "exhilarabling" and, truly, this mistype is the correct word.) Every chapter, every paragraph of this work offers an irresistable gift but chapter 15, with its "awareness exercises", is, for me, the jewel in the crown. I have purchased so many copies of this work for loved ones with whom I delight in sharing the joy of learning how to love both them and myself more. If I dare rephrase one sentence of Ms Skeele's work: "(We have) nothing...to do other than make the choice to be" (p. 170)

I am 53 years of age and have read many self help books and have experienced hours of therapy. I thought I had heard it all until I picked up this book. First, seeing the picture in the "Magic Eye" image, I knew I was about to begin a journey I had not previously taken. In reading the first few chapters, old windows that had been shut tight in my heart began to loosen and then spring open as I tearfully and joyfully ventured into each new chapter. When I read Rumi's poem at the beginning of Part III about "The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you, don't go back to sleep...", I felt the brightest light come through those windows to dispel the dark shadows I have allowed to linger for far too long. Ms. Skeele's simple language and gentle guidance makes her book easy to understand and do the suggested practices which can lead to unexperienced growth. She has done us all a favor by not only telling us how to "Make It Heaven", but how to really feel our hearts beat for the very first time.

I started reading self-help books in the 70's which is why I want to write this review. This book is just fabulous for so many reasons which is why I'm moving it to the top of the list. Most of the time when we pick up books of this sort we are in pain, troubled, full of fear, stagnating..whatever and it's tough to often get past the first chapter. Ms Skeele has made this an easy read, giving us a chance to catch our breath and reflect on her/our thoughts. The lightbulbs just keep going off and she gives us small exercises with which to use some of the new alternative thinking. She leads us gently down a new path. I have gone back to the book many times just to keep me focused on a different way to think about something. Tired of the old dialoge in your head...give this a try. I have bought about fifteen books for friends and everyone has good comments.