Guides Books

This book is so useful, even for Grandmas like me. There is always more to learn about raising a child and these times are so much more complex than the 70s when I did my Mommying. Dr. Jenn makes everything clear and even adds a touch of humor. The separate chapters make it possible to address just one question or you can read it through. I'd recommend this book to everyone who has a child or grandchild in their life or one on the way.

As a psychotherapist, I read many books and often make recommendations to clients. This book is at the top of my list. Dr. Berman has done a wonderful job summarizing some of the most important things parents need to know so as to raise happy, healthy, confident kids. I enthusiastically recommend this magnificent, practical, fun, interesting, and easy-to-read book to any parent. It really is a must read!

I have a ten month old daughter. I want nothing more for this beautiful little girl, than to be happy and confident. Kids are cruel, school can be brutal, and I'm hoping to get her off on the right foot with some self esteem. This book didn't really provide great advice on how to help her achieve that.

This book is more of a comprehensive guide to parenting. Much of the content is things I would have done anyway, sort of common sense parenting to those of us who care enough to read a parenting book. Many of the topics, while relavent to parenting, fail to relate back to the confidence issue I was looking for.

Having said that, there are a few good nuggets. My opinion is that this is a book that would best be checked out from a library, and not necessarily purchased for ones frequent reference.

Dr. Jenn's "A to Z Guide to Raising Happy, Confident Kids" is a must read for parents and of course soon to be parents! I have given this book to four new moms, and they all have loved it, and have felt their anxiety about becoming a parent has lessoned after reading Dr. Jenn's insightful, encouraging and practical words. I also highly recommend this book to anyone who works with children and families! I look forward to reading more by Dr. Jenn!

The author really knows her stuff. I love the short readable chapters that are packed with valuable information for parents. This is my new favorite shower gift.

"Wonderful, wise words. It provides insight into the human side of serious illness and offers patients and families the hope and strength they need." Jimmie Holland, chairman Psychiatry, Memroial SLoan Kettering

"Filled with practical information for freinds and family, it should prove to be a great comfort..." Andrew von Eschenbach, director, the FDA


"...Provides hope and teaches us how to show compassion when it means the most." Steven Rosen, MD, director of the Lurie Cancer Center

This was the book I was searching for to help my best friend. It spoke to me because of the way the author told her personal story and gave ideas and suggestions. I felt like she was speaking to me.

She knew what I was feeling, knew I wanted to help and she gave me ways to do that. She helped me face the future right beside my friend.

when Life Becomes Precious was a godsend. It should be handed out to everyone at doctors' offices.

This truly is a fabulous resource! The information is quite straightforward and covers a wide array of areas/issues that are certain to be impacted by the news of a loved one being ill. The components of the book cover areas such as understanding your feelings, how our fears play out in the ordeal, how to have conversations regarding the illness and ramifications of the illness, how to find resourceful medical care and how to balance one's role in life given the situation.

I would highly recommend this book for people who are going through the challenge of a loved one being ill, as it applies to not only cancer patients - but all who have serious health issues.

Elise Needell Babcock's words are better than any I've read on dealing with cancer and family. Her advise is simple and extremely helpful.

My spouse had heart disease. At the same time, I was looking for a book for a friend with cancer. I found Precious and read it before giving it as a gift. I realized the suggestions applied to my family. I started using the author's ideas immediately and it helped us tremendously. I find myself quoting her often in my volunteer work at church (with patients) and with friends. One friend called and said she was having serious problem coping with her husband's diabetes. She read the book and called to tell me that after following the advice in Precious, she saw a dramatic change in the way her family communicated and supported each other. Another friend said she was in an argument with her daughter about the father's illness. The mother used the suggestions in the book to calm her daughter down. Later that evening, the daughter (in her 30s) came up to her mom and said, "Thank you. What you said and how you said it was wonderful!" This book should not even have cancer on the cover. It's practical, moving, upbeat and extremely helpful for patients and families coping with any medical challenge. J. Long, past president of a personnel agency

This is a great book. It is full of real and usefull information while keeping your attention and not going dry.this is the first book on paganism that I have been able to read all the way trough without getting bored. Lauren Manoy doesn't really put any spells into the book, she leaves her readers to do that for themselves which I really admire. There are tons of resipies. Everything from banishing poverty to getting rid of pimples. The only thing that I didn't like about this book was that it didn't really explain the book of shadows very much, only 3 pages for the entire subject. But all in all this is a wonderful book and I would encourage any beginner (or even experienced) witch read. you will not be sorry.

Hello,
I am 13 year old, new found Wiccan and this was the first book I read on the subject. I have just finished reading it and it an absolute pleasure to read with hints and tips through the book. The book contains ideas on her spells and rituals for if you dont have access to some of the tools and herbs etc. that you may not hav access to. Lauren makes it easy to read and not too technical without having to dumb it down.
An amazing book that i recomend for anyone wishing to learn about wicca.
I wish to read more of her work.
Merry Meet, Merry Part and Merry Meet Again.
Blessed be~

The one thing that disappointed me about this book was although it started off strong, acknowledging openly that the form of witchcraft known as Wicca was largely a twentieth century creation and addressing well in a section of related spiritual paths the aspects of the various schools of modern Wicca which were borrowed from other religions, the author later slides back into the practice of using phrases like "in Wiccan tradition/mythology..." By the end of the book, I didn't feel the author had done an adequate job of making clear that there isn't just one "old religion" stretching back in an unbroken line to the beginning of humanity.

Not a bad introduction for beginners by any means, especially since it does explain well the difference between various schools of Wicca and which practices come from which school, and the list of recommended works is also quite comprehensive, but I felt it could have been clearer about the origins of the beliefs.

When I started concidering the craft, I came to amazon and tried to find some good books to read on the subject. It was a little overwhelming, there were so many! I went to the local library and checked out my top thirty. After reading each and every book, this was the first one I bought. Why? Because it gave you the whole picture. There were lots of books on different types of witchcraft, history, spell casting,candle magic, tarrot readings... This was the only book that gave brief in-depth overviews of each part, in language that recognizes teens as real people that can think for themselves. She stresses that the power of the craft is not how you cast, but what you are thinking, way down in the depths of your soul. She conciders (sorry about the spelling) all possibilities, and her writing is open to everyone. If she wrote this whole book about the weather, I would still read it just because of the way she writes. I don't know how to describe it, her writing made me feel like my thoughts and emotions were being aknowleged to their full extent. Whether you are new to the craft or have been practicing for a while, defintetly read this book for the insight and unique comprehension. Read the book! You'll be glad you did!

This book was the first book that I bought about wicca. That was over two years ago and I am still a practicing pagan. I definitely recommend this book to anyone new to the path. It is also very helpful as a basic guide. It explains that Wicca is a healthy religion and what some warning signs might be if anyone is sceptical. I still refer to this book on occasion and find it pleasant when I do compared to all of the others that I own (and there are many).

Definitely a great buy. I would recommend it first and foremost, no questions asked.

You don't have to be a GRITS (Girl Raised in the South) to enjoy and identify with the strong, loving women characters in these novels. These books are as crazy as your drunk Uncle Rabon at a wedding and as poignant as the first anniversary of your favorite huntin' dog's death. We all should have friends like these - Ya Ya!

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya sisterhood and Little Alters Everywhere tell the tale of Vivi and her beloved girlfriends the "Ya-Yas" and about Siddalee, her daughter who she both physicaly and emotionaly abused. Sidda was beaten, slapped, and called names by her own mother who was a drunk. Vivi, though charming and fun, is also very selfish and cruel. Sidda goes from being a hurt, abused little girl to a tough and passionate young woman in her 30s who still fights with her mother over a Time magazine article in which she tells of her mother's damanging ways. As Sidda slowly comes to know more about her mother from a scrapbook, it forever changes her life as she starts to heal past wounds and being able to move on from her dark past. Sidda is a beautifuly written voice, and there's so much truth to these books. So many parents abuse their kids and all for selfish reasons and most of all because they don't love them. Sidda doesn't know how to love anyone, since her parents didn't love her enough. But Vivi, though an unfit mother, is sorry more then ever that she hurt her poor children and both women struggle to regain their realionship. I love this book. It's a great book. It made me cry and laugh. I love the South, so I loved this book and the child-abuse subject is a very universal subject matter which I'm sure a lot of people are very farmilar with and can understand and have been through.

This was a most enjoyable easy read. It filled you will sense of the south and a life (both good and bad) that most of us only see in the movies.

Rebecca Wells did an awesome job at writing this book. She's created lovable characters for everyone. Rebecca has made the charcters come so alive, it's like they're your friends. When they're having a bad time, so are you. When they're happy, so are you. This book is really good for mothers and daughters to read together.

I was leant a well read dog-eared copy of 'Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood' a few years ago and came to know and love Rebecca Wells' style and story telling capabilities.

Ms. Wells has the ability to capture a particular era and region of the country (the South) and make her characters come alive.

The Ya-Yas are all about friendship, loyalty and some much darker and less admirable human traits as well. Some of the situations recounted in these two VERY different books about the Walker family will have the reader squirming with discomfort. For Rebecca Wells is intent on telling the whole story: the bad, the sad, the shocking, as well about the successes, the joys and a lot of giggles at the funnier side of human nature.

When you have finished both volumes in this boxed set, you will have a really good idea of what makes a very complex set of family members (the Walkers) "tick". What keeps them together, what may tear them apart. The journey isn't going to be boring in Ms. Wells' talented hands.

The story(stories) prove that being a "southern belle" isn't nearly as easy as you might think.

I'm happy to have my own lovely boxed set, combining both volumes 'Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood' and 'Little Alters Everywhere', so I can revisit these fascinating people any time I want. My particular recommendation for the reader would be to read 'Divine Secrets' first and then flesh out the history of the clan with 'Little Alters'. But I have wondered many times why Ms. Wells published the smaller, episodic 'Little Alters' first. So those uninitiated into Ya-Ya-hood, may wish to read them in order of the published date. If you do, PLEASE let me know what you think about the experience. I'd be interested in your opinions.

What can I say? This book is amazing. Gayla breathes fun and life into gardening in a way I haven't found anywhere else. I was a beginning gardener looking for a book that was fun, hip, easy, and full of useful information. This book DELIVERED and then some. It's been an incredible reference again and again. I surf her site regularly for updates but this book has really been my teacher. My garden is looking a million times better. Some things readers will love: organic fertilizer and pesticide recipes that are easy, simple projects like growing your own herbal tea garden and making a foot scrub, and start-to-finish instructions on how to grow any kind of garden (container, community, urban, etc). THANK YOU GAYLA!!

I checked this book out so many times from my local library that I finally just bought it. It's fun to read, and a great reference book. I am such a newbie when it comes to gardening, but this book really helped me understand the basics, and at the same time encouraged me and got me excited about gardening! I would recommend it to anyone who has the urge to plant but just doesn't quite know how.

I love this book! It is full of information that is in a humorous and easy-to-read format. I have been through the whole book once and now go back almost daily to look specific things up. I live in a downtown loft and have a beautiful container garden on my rooftop thanks to this book!

This is such a nice book to keep on the shelf and reference. She explains a lot about gardening, indoor and outdoor.

I had originally checked it out of my local library, after reading it, I knew I had to own a copy. I've never regretted this purchase.

Enjoy the book!

This book is great for people who know absolutely nothing about gardening, but want to grow a window flower box garden or want to start a backyard herb and vegetable garden. Takes you through the details of gardening in an informative and easy-going way and answers all your questions.

Having read a number of books on parenting, this book was found to be the most inspiring in terms of causing us to reach to God. As Christians we are called to walk by faith in every area of our lives. This book shows us how to be loving and strategic in our parenting whilst reaching to God in faith believing for our children also to walk with Him.

Reading parenting books takes time of which parents have little. This book has been encouraging and convicting- well worth the time. I highly recommend Age of Opportunity to any parent!

GREAT BOOK.
If you enjoyed "Shepherding a Child's Heart" and desire to train your children to be thoughtful and caring of others in their heart - not just training behavior - you will love this book. It looks at the great opportunity we have in the teenage years to help them see their self-centeredness and trust in Christ to be transformed.

As a young pastor who does not have any teenagers of my own, this book has been a great resource to hand out to parents. Tripp's book has really helped open many of our parents' eyes to the wonderful opportunity for discipleship through the teenage years.

This is the best book I've read on parenting teens from a Biblical perspective. Tripp helps parents think about what the heart issues are, not just control the external behaviors. If you're interested in taking the time to use the trials of life to point your child to the gospel of Christ, this book is for you.

Very useful guide, almost all things you could think of are covered (a few are not though, i.e., I found one particular eye-related problem that although is mentioned somewhere in the book, is neither explained nor dealt with anywhere). As it is obvious given the time passed between the last two editions, the panel of doctors differs from the prior one, and some topics are treated differently as well, not necessarily due to the passage of time or technological advances, so I kept the former edition. I suggest you do the same if you have the older version.

This was a great value. I was going to purchase this at a well-known book store for $29.99, however decided to hold off and check on-line. I was extremely surprised at the price I was able to purchase it for. Excellent Value.

This gives the precise information we were looking forward to having at our finger tips. Good to have this type of informational book!

My daughter pointed out that the previous edition of this book we were using was from 1994, so I agreed an upgrade was called for. I was thrilled to find it was still in print and in a much newer version, while still retaining features I liked-such as the diagnosis guide and the chapters focusing on various body systems. This book is a great family resource, and easier to cull for information than the internet.

This book is the exact kind of medical guide which I like to refer too. It is user friendly. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants quick facts about illnesses'.

While I use Angel Blessings Cards regularly, I seldom read the book anymore. I felt like I knew the angels so well that I didn't need to look at the book.

Then I meditated about something I was stuck on. As I listened within, I felt guided to read the section on Seraphim. Were my eyes opened! I had forgotten the richness and the treasures that are on these pages. Kind of funny for me to say because I wrote it! But that was 15 years ago.

I am enjoying every moment of rediscovering this gem.

There was a person that gave these cards 1 star. Actually that's not quite fair. These cards are really pretty the only thing that she's missing is the lamination/gloss to help them last longer. These cards are larger than your average tarot deck. She has all the archangels on them. Hadraniel is the most adorable looking in this deck. Not a bad deck at all.

I love this product. I am very satisify. It really helps me in my everyday life. THX soooooooooooooooo much fo the great price too.:)

I pull an angel card every morning & read about the special energies my angel of the day has in store for me. It helps me focus on something positive everyday. It gives me a higher direction for my energies. I am finding that big changes are taking place in my life as a result of this set.

Thank you, Kimberly, for all your dedication and hard work in putting together this deck of cards and accompanying book of some of our helpers. the angels. I use many spiritual materials, however, this deck has become the sunrise to my day and a latern in the middle of the night when I feel lost. Truly, Kimberly has walked through the fire and has come out to the other side with great wisdom and inspiration to share with us, as only one can who has experienced near death. I highly recommend this material to those in search of the light and for daily inspiration to keep pressing forward.

I wish this book was much longer--I wanted to know more. The story of a family with the resources to have a luxurious easy life, but chose to open their home and hearts to children who had less than nothing. The selflessness of this family is amazing. I just couldn't have done it. I couldn't have divided myself into so many pieces and have coped with the disorganization. But, I wholeheartedly admire the people who can. Such an inspiring story. Don't miss it!

What an amazing book this is. I was thinking about fostering children and this book was so helpful in my decision. Kathy writes with honesty and although I'm usually not one to cry, through the joy and pain in this book I cried three different times. I couldn't put it down.

This book is fantastic! It offers a realistic view of what raising fostor children is like. It shows the good and the bad, yet I have never wanted to be a fostor parent more!

I loved this book. As a therapist who has just written a book about a teen girl in foster care I think it's important to focus on the incredible work that foster parents do. They are our unsung heroes! Thank you Kathy!!!!! For a fictional, uplifting account of the journey of a teen in foster care (inspired by the foster children I've worked with in the past) check out my soon-to-be released young adult novel, RETURNABLE GIRL. Maybe it will inspire you to bring a child home.

This book is about Kathy Harrison's real life as a foster mother and the story about a couple of the children that came into her home. She talks about her true emotions and feelings as she tries to hold these "shattered" children together with, as she puts it, just love and "band aids."

Augusten Burroughs (author of Running with Scissors) said about this book...."Shocking, brutal, heartbreaking and ultimately redemptive, This is the riveting and profoundly moving story of a hero, disguised as an ordinary woman. And like every hero, it's the children she is out to save."

Unlike Augusten I did not find the book "shocking" but honest and realistic to what every foster mom goes through. I could not believe how close our stories were as I read this book. You could have taken out the names of her children and drop in some of mine, tweak their story a little, and it wouldn't ring any truer then what we have seen and gone through.

I cried as she wrote about letting Lucy go to an adoptive home. She loved Lucy but not in the same way as the children she adopted. She wanted to keep her but also wanted Lucy to have that unconditional, total love she deserved. The pain of letting Lucy go tore open those feelings and what we went through with two little boys I had for three years.

She writes about her desire to reach ever child that walked into her home and the heartbreak when she realized love, food, clothes, a home, and safety wont/cant heal all their wounds.

She talks about the times caseworkers have such caviler attitudes to their lack of action that keeps a child in the system longer then need be, or keeps them off the adoption list longer. It reminded me of the unfelt and off the hand "sorry" and "oh, well" I have heard so often. But like her, I don't know how to change things, nor do I have the time to try because there is "another child coming through my front door that needs me."

I understood as she talked about the times she stood tall and strong when she felt the weakest, because it was best for the children. Telling the emotions every foster parent feels behind closed doors. The love she has for the strength and unbelievable timing her husband had at being there when she needed him. I understood the times she wanted to yell at a parent for smoking around the baby in her care but struggles with what is good for the baby and the need to keep the communication open between them. The honest hate she felt for some of the parents that have abused the children in her care but at the same time struggle as she realizes that most likely the bio-parents were children in the same situation when they were young and haven't learned anything different. The hope that what she was doing would change things in some way screamed what every foster parent prays is true. It made me think she had a hidden camera in my home that could read my thoughts and feelings I never let others see.

The hardest part of the book, for me, was the roller coaster of emotions they went on as they tried to adopt Karen. She is elegant in relating the fear of loosing a child that, in your heart, is already yours. A feeling that can't be explained or even come close to being logical. She maps out the joys of moving forward, the pains of more hold ups, the relief that the children are in your care, but the lingering dread that things could change in an instant. She revels how everything is devastatingly out of our control and we have to stay on till the ride is done.

She is most honest about not being a saint, or perfect, or even close to perfect. I laughed so hard when she wrote about the attachment case workers visit. She says she remembers her weakest moments (when she said something she shouldn't of or didn't handle a situation the right way) when people call her a saint; so do I. It only takes one or two human reactions to realize we are not saints or perfect; but she honors us with "a warrior" doing our best.

However, she also shows why we keep doing what we do for these children. The ability to see more in these children then others do and the wonderful feeling we get when the children reach not their potential (because it is rare we get to see this) but better then when they came to our door and father then others thought they could. This might be a simple smile, or a giggle, a sentence everyone understood, going a week with out an out burst, a day with out harming themselves, or the ability to care about something other then themselves for a second or two.

I could go on and on but if you want to see what it is like to be a foster parent....read this book! If you are a foster parent and want to know you are not alone....read this book!