References Books

Nothing mattered anymore, my grades went down, i didn't care about life, i wanted to die. so i attempted suicide, my wrist is scarred and mutated, everyone said i was insane. then i heard from the family circle magazine about this book, and i swear this has helped me, and i'm so glad that not everyone thinks depressed teens are insane or stupid. and i'm glad there are people like lisa hurka covington that are talking to teens how valuable life is, and helping them sort out their problems.

This book combines compassion and empowerment with accurate information.

The author, a cousin of singer Curt Cobain, wrote this book to help make sense of her cousin's suicide. It is readable, knowledgeable and thorough. It helps adolescents understand what they might be feeling when they are depressed. It discusses how to interrupt the downward spiral and find a way out. The book covers both social and biological aspects of depression.

I felt that the author had a good intuitive grasp for how an adolescent might feel when he was in the depths of a depression. She reflects back the sense of isolation and hopelessness so that a depressed person feels understood. She provides information on how to get help when you don't feel that anyone out there is trustworthy.

She empowers teens by providing good information about the causes of depression and well as the treatments. For those who want more detailed information, she provides a resource list. I especially liked her section on how to stay healthy once you have recovered from the initial depression.

I have recommended this book to several teens. They felt that it made sense and was helpful

This tome is organized extremely well; one can start at the beginning or jump directly into any chapter. The background information is helpful and lucid for parents and the stories from the teens themselves tells it like it is but at the same time gives hope and tells of "the light at the end of the tunnel" for depressed teens, that things do get better. Highly recommended!

In When Nothing Matters Anymore, Bev Cobain offers a teen-friendly reference guide to adolescent depression, complete with self-help suggestions, counseling resources, and case studies of teens who sought help for their illness and now lead "normal" adolescent lives. Cobain is a credentialed author: a certified registered nurse, a mental health professional, and a recipient of the National Mental Health Association's Green Ribbon Award for efforts on behalf of teen depression awareness; however, the book reads like Cliff's Notes of a more comprehensive text - as if Cobain simply compiled the bullet-point lists, sidebars, and quick-reference statistics from an American Psychiatric Association web listing for teen depression. When Nothing Matters Anymore relies little on Cobain's personal observations and extensive experience, and too much on peppy, inspirational messages from its case study teens.

The book is structured in two parts: What's Wrong? and Getting Help and Staying Well. What's Wrong? is primarily diagnostic, providing a checklist for the reader to determine whether he or she is depressed, explaining the varieties and causes of depression, and outlining the correlations between depression and chronic illness, sexual abuse, sexual identity, drug use and addiction, eating disorders, and "perceived differences" from peers. Getting Help and Staying Well highlights treatment options, suggests ways to seek help from family or trusted adults, and lists self-help activities for readers undergoing treatment. Both sections include "Survival Tips" that a health professional might suggest to any teen: Get Exercise, Have Fun, Eat Good Food, etc. There are some practical suggestions, like journaling and creating mood charts, and there is a chapter dedicated to the important topic of teen suicide, but the book as a whole rarely digs below the surface of the illness and underestimates its audience's desire (and perhaps ability?) to understand depression more fully.

One aspect of the book that seems borderline inappropriate is Cobain's ad nauseam referencing of her cousin Kurt, the popular lead singer of grunge band Nirvana, whose suicide shocked the MTV youth culture in 1994. Perhaps this approach is an effective way of securing "street cred" amongst teen readers, but this hook feels opportunistic at times, particularly in "A Letter to Kurt Cobain," a three-page, sappy, metaphor-heavy eulogy in which Cobain rues that Kurt's handlers wouldn't give her the access that could have prevented his suicide. I understand the intent is to show the readers that she cared for someone they cared about and saw the beauty of his music and the tragedy of his death as they did, but to a non-teen reader, it rings hollow. Had Cobain been close with Kurt, a reader might not bawk at this inclusion, but she mentions that she did not know Kurt "personally," a fact that makes the multiple, casual mentions feel like name-dropping.

For the last year or so I had a few questions for myself. Why am I here? Whats my pourpose in life? Cant I just be dead? Dang do I wish I could give my life for some one else. This is really good book for any teen...

Not only is the author a good writer, it has a lot of good examples of other peoples life situations so you can auctly say "wow someone can really relate to my struggle".
Anyways, again its a good book and if you have any questions about it my hotmail address is [...]

Excellent -Written in a unique style that was easy to read and it held your attention. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. It provided insight as to what a veteran actually had to endure - something most of us simply cannot understand.

A great book and a fantastic tribute to a World War II veteran. What I enjoyed most was that the author also goes to great lengths to show the behind the scenes back round of this american hero. Many books are written about history but this book tells the history of one of the individual soldiers. Anyone who enjoys WWII history would enjoy this. Great reading!

Not only did Kathleen Belfiore Schuman honor the Schuman family with this wonderful tribute to Donald, I felt as though I was experiencing each dramatic occurance first hand. You can only image the countless hours of research that went into writing this book when you see the copies of journals, telegrams, letters, news articles, pictures, etc.

This book captivates you - you won't want to put it down.
This story would make a wonderful family war-time movie with reuniting a family torn apart by vindictiveness and war.

This book is first a tribute to an American WWII hero. It then abruptly switches to a detective story as the author searches for the hero's grave. The author's description of the search is so real, unpretentious, and down to earth that you feel you are there and a member of the family. Kathleen Belfiore Schuman talks to the reader as if she were standing in the room with him.

The book is very well documented. She includes actual scans of the original documents including the terrible telegram telling the family of the loss off their son. There is so much in the way of scans and/or verbatim transcripts that it would make a good reference book if only there were an index.

A family history is hard to write in such a way that it is interesting to outsiders but she pulled it off.

Thank you Kathleen for letting us share this story.

Action, drama - you name it, this book's got it! A storyline that runs a full range of emotions, from sorrow and despair to triumph and joy. A definite must-read for all ages!

I bought this book in 2004 and I still use it to this day. It's witty and a fun read, not to mention inspiring. It isn't that I have a shortage of ideas, but I have a hard time putting it on papaer... and this book definately puts things in a new perspective for me!

Jack Heffron's "The Writer's Idea Book" is a very good specimen of a book of writers' exercises. It mixes "prompts" of various sorts (more than 400 of them according to the cover, and I believe it!) with short riffs of practical advice on a wide range of writing matters. While Heffron is a professional editor and does give advice regarding methods that he believes work best, he concentrates on writing for yourself in this book rather than trying to get published. This is just the idea phase after all--check out his later book, "The Writer's Idea Workshop," for practical advice regarding taking your idea from raw ore to refined metal.

There are many prompts meant to help you mine your own experiences for ideas and plots. (As well as your likes and dislikes, your family, your home town, places you've visited, "public moments," secrets, dreams, and more.) There are prompts to help you explore different forms of writing, structure your story, and more. There are even good solid hints on dealing with openings and endings. The huge number of prompts in this book guarantees that you should be able to find something to spark your creativity no matter what mood you're in.

In fact, about the only thing that bothered me about this book was the lack of the unusual. I love genre. Horror, science fiction, fantasy--I love the strange, and this book had a very "literary" feel to it. That'll make it perfect for many other writers out there, but it left me a little flat. I like to have a certain otherworldliness come into play when looking through lots of writing exercises and warm-ups. This book is meant to push you into finding inspiration from the ordinary rather than the extraordinary; I would have liked a better balance.

It's certainly a fun book, however, and definitely a kick in the inspiration department!

A great book with a lot of writing prompts. Perfect for the fiction author, however as a writer of non-fiction I felt there was a lot of character development exercises. The trick for me was to try to turn the ideas into ones that would fit into non-fiction. The surprise was this book got me back into writing fiction which I had not done for many years.
My recommendation is if you are looking for writing prompts for fiction, definitely buy this book. If all you do is non-fiction, this may not be the book for you, but it never hurts to look it over.
It was quite well written and Jack Heffron certainly presented some good idea generators.

With over 400 prompts in this book there is one to suit every mood and these will not only encourage you to write regularly but get your creative juices flowing. What's more each of the prompts target specific areas of your writing such as story endings, developing character & plot. It also addresses nonfiction, poetry & screenplays...and I am using it to improve my blog writing.
I own a number of books on this topic (including "What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers") but find the format and content of Jack Heffron's Writers Idea Book to be the most practical, inspiring and effective. Thanks Jack!

to add to the other reviews, I like this book because I'm the type of writer that needs an "assignment" to make sure I don't keep writing about the same things. With this book, it's easy to follow along and take out what you need and go back later to the other prompts the second or third time around. I'm a firm believer that a person should go through a book like this two or more times to get the full benefits.

I've been a writer all of my life but took five years off to get fat, dumb and pregnant -- over and over and over again. Well, those days are done and while I dwindle down to my pre-pregnancy size with a few extra sags and stretch marks, it's time to raise my kids and get back to writing. Needless to say, I needed a darn-good refresher course. After considering a $600 class, I decided against it and bought this book instead. For once, I made a great decision (and my pocket book agrees). This book was perfect in getting me back up to speed! It freshened up my creative skills, got me motivated to write again, and had all the necessary components needed to refreshen my skills. Best yet, at the end of each chapter there was an excercise to make sure I understood what I read. It was the best course in a book I could ask for. Nancy Lamb, you are the best! That was the best "slap in the creative juices" I could ask for!

If you want to write stories of any kind, you want this book. I borrowed it form the library, but I didn't want to return it. I bought my very own copy right away.

This book is great for anyone interested in writing for children, actually, it's great for anyone interested in writing fiction! It's an easy read and has loads of great information. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Nancy Lamb is the author of the "Which Way Books"!!!!

This books explores most if not all facets of writing with a focus on children stories. Very dense, her book offers enough information in each topic to get you started writing and to understand story structure. An excellent primer for beginners, the book serves well for experienced writers as a refresher. Lots of golden nuggets in each page. It is a book that will not remain on your shelf collecting dust. It's not the end all book on writing but will save you time and money from buying poor quality how to books on writing. Her style is very straightforward. She offers good examples to make her point as well as exercises at the end of each chapter geared to either the writing of your story or an element that raises your awareness to good writing. Buy the book. You won't be sorry.

Also, Check out her new book "The Art and Craft of Storytelling"!!!!

If you need a writer's guide , buy this one, no matter what you write or for which public. It's full of usefull and simple examples and exercises. The language is clear and humoristic. This book contens all you need to know about crafting unforgettable stories. I use it to rewrite my crime story manuscript and it makes rewriting something close to fun. And that is something unvaluable as you may already know. Buy this book, pick up your pen and join the creazy community of wannabe writers.

It was almost as lovely as the first one that was given to my children when they were very small....a gift from their great-aunt who was a Catholic nun with a degree in Library Science...I tried to locate one exactly like the original which was received in about 1964. It was about half the size, hard cover with the most beautiful artwork and my 5 children loved it. Somehow it was lost in one of our moves, but I bought this one for my oldest daughter (now 51) who always wanted a copy..She loved reading it to her younger siblings. She loved it and so did I, so we consider it a wonderful little book.

The familiar poem from childhood paired with beautiful illustrations makes the perfect bedtime read to share with your grandchildren.

Captain Kangaroo sang this song on his show many years ago. I was fortunate to have
the leather bound edition of children's poems by Eugene Field that included this poem.

I sang "Wynken, Blynken & Nod" to all our children and all the children I have loved. The original
is a bit different and has more lyrics but the feel is the same. The color pictures
are beautiful. The song is a wonderful bedtime routine and the imagery is lovely. Also,
it is appropriate for either a boy or girl. This book makes a wonderful addition to any children's library.


We will be gifting and singing this poem to the children of the many children we
love.

Eugene Field spins a marvelous bed time yarn with Wynken, Blynken, & Nod. Wonderfull Illustrations by Johana Westerman enhance this century old tale. It was my favorite bedtime story as a child, no violence, no villians, no nightmares. A fantasy delight that will send all young children off to dreamland with vivid and happy thoughts. Highly reccommended to parents and teachers, or anyone who cares for a child.

I was thrilled when I discovered Wynken, Blynken & Nod was still being printed. I believe of the two books I have saved from my childhood (I'll be 65 next week), this was one of them.

I treasured this book. It's a classic.

Today I found it has arrived. I am so sure that my grandchildren, 4 and 2 will love it as much as I did, that I bought it for them.

I read this book simply because my boyfriend said he couldn't put it down. I was mesmorized by the bravery these men went gave out to fight the fire. After every page, I kept thinking to myself, "This is TRUE." I have a stronger respect for the brave fire fighters aroundt he world. Not only is this book about the fire and the fighters themselves, but it also depicts the family's devistation after the fact. Every page brought tears to my eyes. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially family's of fire fighters. Didn't want to put it down.

I didn't think a non-fiction book about the personal and professional lives of 'everyday' people would be so well composed. Sure, I expected to read about drama and bravery and tragedy, but Sean Flynn writes with well-tuned prose and a well-honed ear for the people and the town he reveals to the reader. He has done a great service in getting to the heart and soul of the protagonists and their loved ones. He does so without exaggeration, false bravado, or romanticism. The heroic fire fighters are shown three-dimensionally, and there isn't a phony note or word in the book. And like the true heroes in history, they are far from perfect human beings. In fact, the profound issue suggested in this book is that they are willing to risk their lives because they have flaws and have felt personal pain. How else could one feel so obligated to save utter strangers at the risk of their own lives and to have such an intuitive sense of how far your body and soul can go when they're up against a formidable foe. George Orwell said that it is the job of a human being not to be a saint. If my life was at risk, and given the choice who would try and save me, I'd pick these guys over any saint, preacher, minister, or holy man.

Note to who ever wrote the Publishers Weekly review. Get a map. The second largest city in New England is Worcester Mass. not WorcHester. Those of us born and raised there pronounce the city to rhyme with mister.

All that I can say is that Sean Flynn wrote this book about a horrific true event in such a way that I feel as if I lost my friends in the blaze. I can only imagine how the true friends of these 6 men felt and continue to feel each time they see a family member of one of their perished brothers. I'm not a crying man, but I cried at some points in this story b/c they hit so close to home for one, but for two you get so wrapped up in the lives of these men that you feel the stinging pain of realizing they have died. It's a sad story, that I actually remembered hearing about after i read the book, but it's also very motivating to anybody that has thought of becoming a FF. It's almost as its a test of your heart to be a FF. Like the beginning of initiation (hazing) to become a part of a fraternity. I know two other people that read it, that upon completion(one wasn't even able to finish) withdrew from the FF applicant process in which we all signed up together. Weeds out the weak...well kinda. :o)

Either way you look at it, this is good reading. I finished in in 4 days and I was continually fussed at for 3 of those days by my 9 month pregnant girlfriend b/c I wasn't giving her the attention she wanted. Now she's reading it and i'm not getting any attention. Go fig!

Buy the book! BTW...my addiction i speak of in my title just means my addiction to FF books.

I really enjoyed this book. My dad was a firefighter and I thought the writer portrayed the firefighters with a tough realisim without taking away their compassion for what they do. The families stories seemed to convey not only the day to day fears that all firefighters families have but, a small sense of what they went through when the unimaginable happened to them. Overall a great read by a writer who seemed to care about the subject.

Very informative, great pictures, covers everything you need to know to raise a wonderful garden.

I've been slowly entering gardening as a serious hobby and this book was perfect for me. Whether you've never gardened before or have done it for years, this book is a wealth of valuable information. I spent hours reading it! Gorgeous photographs and easy to understand intructions and information -- this book has become an indispensable reference for me.

The information and photographs get a 5-star Rating. The binding (0 stars) fell apart the second time I opened the book.

I was a little disappointed with this book because I thought it would have more information on specific plants. It gives very little info on the specific plants and focuses on the design aspects. As a novice gardener, this book has not been very helpful to me. Don't buy it if you want a general reference guide.

This book covers almost everything including how to grow Blackberries and grapes which caught my attention and how to take care of cuttings, which I had never done before and had all sorts of doubts about. Thanks to this wonderful jewel, my back yard is now filled with all sorts of exotic flowers and plants that I have grown from cuttings off of other plants and flowers in only a few short weeks.

My husband bought me a greenhouse in February 05 so I thought this book would be perfect for us. We have tripled our flowers and plants by using this book. Now the back yard is half filled and the greenhouse is totally filled thanks to this book! Total cost was only for the soil and pots that we needed, everything else was all cuttings placed in water or placed directly in the soil until rooted.

This book is very expensive but worth it's weight in gold!
I love it!

This book is chuck full of antigues with prices and pictures, I highly recommend it!!!

The 2007 Edition of Antique Trader Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide is superb. Filled with gorgeous color photography and to the point descriptions, this modern guide has become a leader in the field. I highly recommend that you add this guide to your library without delay!

The weighty yet portable Antique Trader guide Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2007 may not fit in a jacket pocket but it will easily be a take-along to any garage sale or flea market for avid collectors. Public libraries strong in collectibles price guides and private collectors alike will find this annual reference follows the market, offering up the latest prices and some 5,000 new color photos and upgrades to this latest edition.

As always a useful reference for the collector. My wife and I buy and sell glassware as well as other small collectibles and antiques and find this to be one of the more useful general guides for pricing and identifying a range of items.

This book works well to get a general idea of the value of items, but it has some bare spots. They cover some items in great detail and others in very general terms.

I would have liked it better if there was more discussion about what causes the variation in prices of certain categories.

In our world of today, which is multi-cultural, fast-paced and global, what more makes sense than listening to the 'inner voice'? Randi convinces the reader to realise the importance of balancing preformance and emotion,which may come as an eye-opener. Many phrases and expressions in the book will strike a chord, which may have been buried in our sub-conscious. The book is full of real-life examples, making it readable and providing the feeling of sharing common experiences with individuals like ourselves.

Randi B. Noyes has written a beautiful book that will be your loving guide and companion if you are serious about leading yourself from the inside out. For those who are yet to define themselves as the "uncontested boss off their own life", the book will encourage a bigger and brighter dream of what their life can be.

This book is a practical and down to earth approach to navigating in your own life. Its focus on emotional intelligence teaches that if you want to live a whole life, you will have to use your whole self in your day to day living. Filled with living examples, the book is easy to read and enjoyable. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know themselves better.

In "The art of leading yourself" Randi is taking full advantage of her natural talent and the vast experience she has gained from meeting with people in different contexts and her desire to understand their behaviour. She succeeds in conveying the highly complex topic of emotional intelligence in a simple way without banalising the art of managing yourself. Emotional intelligence is often presented in an academic way which means those in need to understand this topic often miss out. Therefore "The art of leading yourself" has the potential to capture a wide audience thence enabling more people to take an active role in developing and improving their situation and becoming managers of their own lives. Randi's book and seminars have definitely contributed to my personal development. I have found the strength to confront myself and as a result I have become a more complete person, both private and professional. Consequently, "The art of leading yourself" should not be regarded solely as a businessperson's guide as it is a very useful tool and guide for personal development...

This book is a conversational journey with extensive, vivid images. Noyes calls on extensive consulting and coaching to take the basic principles of self-awareness and self-management and personalize them. The imagery is memorable. The people and examples given make the material applicable and personal. Throughout, the work is easy to read and on point. It's strength is in experience rather than abstract principle. This serves as a great self-help work. The final sections provide easy to use exercises to make materials real, personal and practical. Fun and informative, this work serves to practically make life more fulfilling.

Finally - an author has created a new paradigm of success and has produced a book that gets right to the heart of modern pursuits. One of the world's leading experts on emotional intelligence, Randi B. Noyes, argues that in today's world, emotions matter. In fact, they can matter twice as much as conventional intelligence and expertise put together in terms of accounting for business success.

"The Art of Leading Yourself" provides a balanced and practical approach to emotional intelligence. It indicates that proper understanding and use of emotions can be critical to helping us be more effective workers and better communicators. Comprehensive, convincing, and invaluable this engaging book is a 'must read' for anyone desiring to make a difference.

I have been listening to this tape for years, not as a guided meditation, but more as a reminder of strong, important, simple ideas that are easy to forget.


Thich Nhat Hanh has published many books and tapes. This audio CD stands out because in its several hours it covers all the major bases of Zen thinking and practice. When you have listened to it you will have all you need to begin a meditation practice, to understand some basics of Zen or EuroAmerican Buddhism, or advance your existing meditation practice.

The CD includes comments on the importance of being fully present in the moment. ("Present moment, wonderful moment") It goes on to teach a basic but very useful guided meditation, with explanations of each step, so that it is easy to learn and understand. For example, one part has you saying to yourself silently on your in-breath, "breathing in I am aware of a tree," and on the out-breath, "breathing out, I smile to the tree." The words alone don't sound like much, but after hearing the comments, it becomes powerful. The author explains that the tree can be a symbol for all the resouces that are outside my body, that are readily available for me. If there is a tree, he says, there have to be sun, rain, and earth, for example, or else there would be no tree. This thought can be calming as we encounter daily anxieties and sometimes feel that we are not getting enough of what we need: we can look on a tree and remember that the earth has all we need that is important. Enough food, enough air, etc. Breathing in I am aware of a tree, breathing out I smile to the tree.

He also uses this idea to advance the ideas of interbeing and impermanence, but I'll let you find out about those when hearing the CD!

Please don't hesitate to e-mail me with any questions.

These two CD's are wonderful. Simple message delivered in straightforward manner with humor and humility. I actually am enjoying my morning commute now.

I've listened to a few other nonfiction "books on tape" that pull this odd 'lecture and/or interview in the place of the book text while claiming to cover the entire content of the book' thing and it never measures up to the conciseness or clarity of the written word; or, more accurately, the conciseness and clarity of someone reading the written word.

The other problem here is that English is not Thich Nhat Hanh's first language (probably not even his third or forth). So, on top of the lecture focus being bogged down with listening to Hanh guide a large group through meditation for the first (at least) forty minutes of this recording, his inability to articulate any of his incredibly basic Zen concepts through anything other than monosyllabic broken English becomes quite the opposite of Zen. It's quite maddening, in fact.

Besides the problems detailed above, the content covered is really too basic for anyone with even a cursory knowledge of Zen and/or Buddhism and those who are initiates will likely wonder what the heck is going on since there's little context given for anything, all of which it feels like we're being dropped in the middle of.

I do not leave negative reviews; it is not for me to bash anyone's hard work and, for all I know, the written book is excellent. But Karmically speaking, I feel it is my duty to warn anyone considering buying the audio version so you know what to expect. Still, I humbly suggest avoiding it entirely.

I have downloaded audio books by Thich Nhat Hanh in which the sound quality has not been nearly as good as it is on this 2-disc set. If you are not familiar with this Vietnamese monk and are exploring mindfulness training and insight meditation, or just want to learn how to make your days on the planet a more joyful, peaceful experience, this is a great investment. If you are a follower, you will love The Art Of Mindful Living. It contains some of his most core teachings, and there are some beautiful chants included as well. Wonderful opportunities for mindful, contemplative time.
Nameaste

As a Thich Nhat Hanh fan, (tough to say!), this item is a nice addition to my collection of print and audio. For those of you who are tempted to download the audio, be aware that it comes from an Amazon partner, [...] I discovered too late (my bad) that their proprietary DRM software doesn't support my particular mp3 device, a Sansa e250. So I'm going to wind up buying it twice.