Abuse Books

100% pure, unadulterated Cronk! You will not be disappointed.

No sob story here, Cronk relates with unblinking candor and clever turn of phrase the pain, disillusionment and consequences resulting from the choices she's made. What is so compelling about this work is that amid the gritty reporting of her foibles and of those close to her, is the sense that she's through with the self-destruction, and that through her honest introspection which is so clearly expressed in this book, she'll not only survive, but thrive.

This collection of writings is thought provoking to say the least. Each one, no matter how brief is a novel of thought. Want to know what it's like to be on the inside of a troubled life looking out, this book is the picture window. If you are fan of the poetry of Jim Morrison this is required reading.

The most original, gripping piece of work I've ever seen. There are some books you read that you never forget, and THIS is one of them. Very profound and mesmerizing. I don't normally read poetry, yet I couldn't stop reading this! The brilliance of words is playfully thought out. The author's humor shines despite all the pain.

For any desperate junkies out there, you have a chance. There's no excuse for anyone who dies with a needle in their arm. Drug Deal With God will open your mind, once the despair wears off. The impression I got, is that the world doesn't do anything to you...it's how you choose to react to the world. I now realize, that any misery I've experienced, is strictly self-imposed. This book will literally open the prison cell your mind has locked you in, and let you out!

Forget to smoke. Find true happiness. Enjoy the process. One of the very best books I've ever read, hands down. Fully recommended for all.

Full of fun facts and exercises and no pressure! Today is my 4th anniversary and NOPE - Not One Puff Ever in that time.

We've all seen them, the smokers huddled at the doorway of a smoke-free building. For the most part, they seem furtive and possibly embarassed - our society has decided to make smoking a shame-based activity. Enter Bear Gebhardt and his revolutionary approach that emphasizes the inherent dignity and essential worthiness of the smoker. Gebhardt doesn't point fingers, doesn't assign blame. Rather, he employs a message of self-worthiness and practical behavior patterns. If you're a smoker, or care about one, check out this helpful book.

Bear G. has written a book based on many years of clinical, and especially, personal experience. The best thing about this book is it embodies his upbeat view of the world, and optimistic but realistic approaches to the challenges our habits create. I can unreservedly recommend this book to anyone trying to overcome the very difficult and addictive lifestyle of smoking, or tobacco use in general. Bear was recently invited to speak on the subject at a conference at Oxford University; a well- deserved honor because of his ability to help people.

After you've tried everything else, try this. Like any true change, quitting is an "inside-out" job. When you stop beating yourself up and start supporting and understanding yourself, you will be empowered to walk away from smoking forever. My husband quit for good 1 1/2 years ago, cold turkey, after reading only part of the book! He had smoked for 25 years~ but once he truly understood why he'd started and realized that the reason no longer existed for him, that was all it took. Hopefully you'll find this book first, before trying all the other methods~ If you truly want to quit, this will work for you too.

Motherless Eddie Brown (actually Evangeline) candidly tells of her friendship with the new boy in school, Farrell. Both feel themselves to be outsiders and closely guard their family secrets. Their fathers are drinking buddies and their alcoholism overshadows the whole story. The bullying by the other kids pulls the two youngsters together and Farrel teaches Eddie to defend herself.
Young readers will relate to their experiences in coping with hurtful teasing, having to wear glasses, adjusting to a new teacher, and feeling embarrassed about their homes and families. The two of them have an up-and-down relationship as they take their insecurities and frustrations out on each other.
When disaster looms, they hatch a plot together to cope with it. Farrel fears that the new teacher's home visits will result in Eddie and him being sent to foster homes. He says they should run away and travel to his grandmother's.
Eddie must make a difficult choice between her loyalty to her father who has disappointed her over and over or on taking a risk with this new friend. The book ends on a hopeful note.

I don't usually read children's books, but bought this one for my grandchildren, read it myself, and was delighted. Perhaps the strongest feature is the way Ms. Davis captures the voice of 10-year-old Eddie Brown (Evangeline) the sassy little protagonist through whose eyes the story is told.

Eddie's problem is that she lives with her dad, the village drunk, in a run-down Florida motel--one of those places that rents rooms by the hour. The most notable feature of the motel, other than its broken neon sign and shady clientele, is the rear end of a pink Cadillac protruding from one of the rooms. Eddie's dad is the manager.

Eddie is street smart enough to realize that all is not well with all the comings and goings, and finds friendship with Farrell, another kid with problems. His dad runs a greasy mechanic shop and is the drinking buddy of Eddie's dad. The dads aren't bad guys, just a couple of negligent drunks.

Eddie and Farrell play basketball together, fend off bullies, and talk about their miserable lives. As bad as things are, they turn worse when a new teacher comes to town and announces she's going to visit each child at home, have a chat with their parents. No way, says Eddie and Farrell. Not only will they become the laughing stock of the school, but they could wind up as wards of the state. This sets the stage for an elaborate escape, a run-away-from-home with the intention of moving in with Eddies aunt.

I won't spoil the ending for those who haven't read the book, but will add that things go from bad to worse to disastrous when they encounter the really bad guys in a bus station, the sort that preys on little kids.

This book has everything for a delightful read--a loveable protagonist, a BIG problem, a determination to do something about the problem, bad guys and a satisfactory ending. It also has a message for kids contemplating escape from their parents: things could be much much worse. In short, it's a great read for both kids and adults.

In this novel, which won the coveted Ann Durrell Fiction Contest (Dutton Children's Books' contest for new writers of middle-grade fiction), Evangeline "Eddie" Brown lives in poverty with her beer-sodden father. Their home is the rarely frequented Cadillac Motel, decorated with the butt-end of a pink Cadillac. Eddie has lived in Paradise since she was born. The motel is in sad shape and so is Eddie's Pa, who has never recovered from her mother's death when Eddie was five. Ruby, the motel maid, functions somewhat as a mom substitute. Eddie is friendless and teased unmercifully at school.

Eddie meets Farrell, the son of one of Pa's drinking buddies. The two connect through their mutual love of basketball. Eddie is troubled by Farrell's secrets. Why is he afraid of enclosed spaces? Where is the place he lived when his mother died? When school starts, they strike a deal: Eddie will help Farrell with his schoolwork in exchange for fighting lessons. Farrell and Eddie combine their talents to solve problems. Their solutions sometimes result in triumph but also lead them into danger.

Along with her new friend, Eddie also has a new teacher. Instead of cranky old Mrs. Thornton, the class has pretty, sweet Miss Rose. Her new teacher drops a bombshell: she plans to visit each student's home. Eddie is awash in shame and fear at the thought of her lovely teacher in the trashed-out motel meeting her drunken father. She is desperate to prevent that scenario.

This is a poignant book with fresh, surprising characters (I love Eddie's attitude!) and a lively but thoughtful plot. It's both heartbreaking and heartwarming but never slips into sentimentality. Although I thought that perhaps the situation with Eddie's father was resolved just a bit too easily, this is a minor quibble with such a wonderful novel. Indeed, I simply cannot wait to read many more books by talented newcomer Michele Ivy Davis.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (...)

This is a wonderful story that made me laugh and cry. I really loved the main character. The author does such a wonderful job that you really feel part of the story. I am an adult and I plan on sharing this one with both my 8 year old and 11 year old. A great book to curl up with!

What a delightful book! I enjoyed the engaging story and the spunk of the main character. Eddie is a no nonsense tomboy on the outside and a vulnerable young girl within. The author lends a remarkable insight into the life of a young girl of difficult circumstances. I recommend this book to anyone who would like to enjoy its simple lessons. I truly do believe that this book shouldn't be limited to kids!

I did. I stayed up all night to read this. I picked it up to 'start' it. Little did I know it would suck me in so fast. I won't give a report about Travis and his life or his love life or his low life friend/s. I will just say I loved this book. I was disturbed, educated, a little shocked in spots, moved, and did I mention sucked in? A really great read.

This is My ALL TIME favorite book...its really amzing. a must read!!!!! the whole story seems very real and you just cant put it down. i would suggest reading this. its really a great book.

jason myer's style of writing is unique in its unrelenting honesty.
as you slam through the story of exit here, it seems somehow tangible and yet at the same time distant because of its level of shocking reality.

maybe its that feeling of invincibility you have as a teenager.
the disbelief in permanence.
the impulsivity.
the lack of consideration of consequences.
the disregard for anything but the here and now.
the helpless scrutiny of growing up and looking back.
seeing all those places where you could have made a different choice.
how easy it would have been to end up in a different place.
wondering how things got so out of control.

you don't read this book. this book reads you.
that's exactly what makes it so relevant. your own experiences fuel the events that occur within these pages. this book is backed up by life.
and that's what makes it resonate.
this could be you....

Exit Here is pretty disturbing fare-- these characters are very real, and to see them as they begin down a road of self-destruction is compelling and riveting.

"Inhale. Exhale."
And the events of Travis Wayne's life unfold.

In Exit Here, Myers tell the story of Travis Wayne as he arrives home for the summer after his fist year away at college. Throughout the book, Travis struggles to come to terms with the truth and reality of his life and his future. Enough with my plot synopsis; read the book and find out what happens. Now, on to my opinion of the book:

First of all, this book is awesome. I don't know why you are sitting on your computer reading my review when you should be reading this book, but if you need more convincing I will go on. When I first got the book, I was a little wary of the length. I mean, how can a book with over 400 pages be fun and exciting. Well, in Exit Here something happens on every page. After the first few pages, I didn't want to put it down; so I wasn't astonished when I finished it in 2 days. This book is a true page-turner.

What makes the book so fun to read is all the pop-culture references. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much while reading a book; it was great! How can you not love a book that makes fun of a former member of NKOTB! AWESOME!!!

It is not all laughs either. Besides it being a hilarious story, it also tackles difficult issues of growing up and learning responsibility while facing sex, drug, and alcohol abuse. I think it is sometimes hard for a novel to both be funny and have a strong thematic message, but Myers is able to accomplish this beautifully. He so seamlessly creates a world in which all the characters exist. By the time I finished the book, I felt like I knew Travis and all his friends. It's weird because I felt like their lives continued even when the book ended. Myers is truly a talented writer in this aspect.

If you like reading good books, read Exit Here.

I lack the adjectives to describe either the book or my reaction to it adequately. It has a cumulative power and majesty that must move even (especially?) the so-called conventional "social drinker" to wonder. Where, it forces me to ask, among the array of well-limned personalities in this finely written volume and among these tenderly laced vignettes am I? The book has a lyric quality to it that saves it from any sign of preachiness. It compels one to visualize, even if one has not had the experiences of Mr. Thomson's fellowship, the agony lurking in the transcient pleasures of drink. Bravo and congratulations, Mr. Thomson!

David Earl Thomson's Fellowship of Men and Women makes a powerful impact. Much of it comes from the ease with which you get to know his characters, ordinary people, familiar and likeable, before realizing that each in his own way, is spinning out of control. These are alcoholics and, as any alcoholic can attest, an alcoholic is usually the last to acknowledge how bad things really are. Thomson's portraits reminded me of "the mass of men" Henry David Thoreau described over a hundred years ago leading "lives of quiet desperation", and reveal how some choose to deal or forget. Readers should not be surprised to find a friend or loved one -- or themselves -- on these pages, so perceptive are Thomson's observations. Buy this book for someone you love.

This powerful book stands alone in its literary value and has the added emotional impact of an inside look at various kinds of alcoholism and its effects on those around them. It makes clear that it is a disease. The book makes you care about each of the people and you find yourself realizing that they need help and not condemnation. A must read for a deeper understanding of one of today's most pressing issues.

"A Fellowship of Men and Women" is one of those books that you hate to leave when it is finished, because of the way the author puts words together. Not only do they linger in your ears and in your brain, they also weave a story that is poignant and compelling. I was amazed to find myself transported inside each character at a visceral level, giving me an understanding of addiction as I never have before. The writing is reminiscent of Hemmingway and I can't wait for Thomson's next novel. In the meantime, every teenager, adult, counselor, teacher, doctor, crisis manager, AA and Alanon leader should use this novel as a textbook. Never has such a hard, profound message been so easy to absorb!

A Fellowship of Men and Women is an incredibly moving novel. It is a compilation of many lives all touched by alcoholism, yet each in such different ways. It is an unbelievably valuable book for anyone who has or has had any contact with this disease. I fell in love with each and every character, and had trouble putting the book down, right to the very end.

As the spouse of an alcoholic in the late stages of the disease, I found this book to be a great resource. I finally saw into the mind of the alcoholic-the pain, the low self-esteem, the mental disorders that develop. My alcoholic is in complete denial, but I find great hope from this book and by learning more about the disease I am better able to detach and feel more compassion for my spouse. Other books just didn't reach me this way.

I haven't finished the book yet, I keep reading Chapter 2 over and over "the alcoholic mind"...A great first book for those interested recovery.

Material for the book has been very, very extensive researched. The book is extremely comprehensive and well written. It is the best book I have found on this subject. I thought it was written about me personally.

Although I have never met the author of this book, I felt as though I had. I, myself, have experienced the same feelings of desperation and remorse and finally was able to find the path of hope to a truly meaningful way of life. I would suggest this book, not only to the person who questions whether or not he/she is an alcoholic, or even to the person is 100% sure. I would suggest it to anyone who been affected by the disease, and is in search of answers to questions that baffle us all. Thanks to the author for helping me to be a little more honest with myself.

The book is extremely comprehensive and well written, the best I have found on this subject. Its material has been very extensively researched. I am grateful to Dale for chapter two that provided me with a personal introspect of "The Alcoholic Mind", it helped tremendously to understand where all this came from in me, and for what I will always need to be on guard.

This book should be required reading for ALL teachers and all those preparing to become teachers. I have been falsely accused myself and find this book helpful in dealing with the stigma and the humiliation that comes with the accusation AND the media witch-hunt that follows the accusation--well before evidence has been presented or fully examined, and long before any "verdict" has been reached. These authors have dealt with and represented hundreds of teachers who have been in this situation and offer, through their experience and insight, ways to handle the legal, emotional, and practical aspects of false accusations. Do these things really happen? Of course they do. But there are many more falsely accused than there are actual cases of abuse. And what of the accusers who have ruined a teacher's life and livelihood? They get off with nothing almost 100% of the time. Read the book. You will find some frightening and crippling stories of teachers who have had their lives ruined and their incomes and futures ripped away from them because of the anger and need for revenge of some students.

If you are a teacher then you should read this book. Many of us are naive and think nothing bad will ever happen to us. This book is easy to read and tells the stories of teachers who thought the same way but ended up in legal trouble. This book will help educate teachers on how they may protect themselves against false accusations. A must read for teachers.

This is an important book. Sure it is anecdotal. Yea, some of the prose is less than deathless. Ok, the discussion of law is limited to one state. However, administrators and teachers need to read this and then pass it on to a colleague. Your jaw will drop open in astonishment every other page

All my grandmas, aunties, & Mom were teachers. (They were very good Working Mom's--incase you run into people that say working moms are bad. We did better in life than our peers who's mommas didn't work. ) Anyway, our teacher relatives discouraged us kids from going into it.
The odds of having any sort of false accusation made against you is really high...nothing is too low for many of these folks seeking to make money. You are lower than the garbage man, people are more intimidated because the garbage man knows where these folks live. Bartenders & cashiers gets better treatment, because they could spit in your drink, plus all your peers are watching.

Many of the kids won't mind, they aren't prepared for schooling, their parents didn't want to "break their spirit" by teaching appropriate behavior or discipline--unlike any other animal social pack on the planet.
Alot of the kids households are highly unstable, abusing drugs & alcohol, lots of men & women come & going from the homes, so that highly increases the chances of the kids being sexualized, relating to the world through sexuality, desperate for attention, manipulative, YET very angry and punitive.
These kids don't have much chance of learning study skills or even having a stable house to do homework or prepare for school, so not much future prospects. So they & their parents are going to "survive" at all costs even if it's taking advantage of a teacher or the school system. Or they'll take revenge over their failure in parenting, sue the teacher or school.

Here's a sad story:...
"Teacher who died in prison is cleared posthumously of rape

A WEST Yorkshire, UK, teacher who died in prison after being convicted of raping one his pupils has been cleared posthumously.
Timothy Gee was jailed for eight years when he was convicted at Leeds Crown Court in 2001. He fell ill and died from an undiagnosed blood cancer the following year.
Always maintaining his innocence, Mr Gee launched two unsuccessful appeals before his death. He has now been cleared by the Court of Appeal.
Campaigners have described the case as one of the worst miscarriages of justice they have seen.
Gail Saunders, of the campaign group Falsely Accused Carers and Teachers, said: "It is an appalling example of the extraordinary difficulties faced by individuals who are accused of abuse many years after the alleged offence."
Mr Gee's 88-year-old mother Molly has been awarded more than ?62,000 costs by the court after battling to clear her son's name. As part of that bid, she contacted the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which asked a leading psychiatrist to report on the girl - now aged 26 - who had accused Mr Gee of rape.
While the study cast doubt on the girl's mental state, it emerged that she had also made similar accusations against another man, whose conviction was quashed earlier this year.
Mrs Gee said: "It all boiled down to one girl's word against his, and the jury believed her. That's all it took to send my son to prison and it has left me very angry and grief stricken. I don't think anyone should have to work alone with a child - it's just too easy for an allegation like this to be made."
Mr Gee, from Lindley, Huddersfield, taught brass instruments for 25 years in Kirklees and Calderdale before he was accused of raping and indecently assaulting a pupil in a Huddersfield school in 1989.
He died aged 55 in August 2002, a month after his second appeal failed.
Overturning Mr Gee's conviction, Lady Justice Smith said that experts now believed the girl's statements to be "unreliable."
25 April 2006"

The collaborative effort of journalist Matthew D. Olson and Colorado criminal defense lawyer Gregory Lawler, Guilty... Until Proven Innocent: Teachers And Accusations Of Abuse is a compelling and authoritative look at the human instinct as expressed through the legal system's inclination to protect children at all costs - even at the expense of a constitutionally required presumption of innocence. Examining the phenomenon of false accusations against teachers, (including thirteen of litigator and author Lawler's cases), Guilty... Until Proven Innocent is an exceptional and thought-provoking study, which is highly recommended reading for students and practitioners of the law -- as well as educators and members of the general public with a vested interest in protecting children from abuse and teachers from false accusations, while upholding the highest standards of the American judicial system.

GUYS DON'T RAY ON GUYS is a novel with a touchy subject.

That subject is child abuse.

Many authors willingly take the risk of having bad things thrown in their direction when they write about such a taboo subject, but that didn't stop Grey Baker in writing his story. Deep down, I believe that everyone is interested in the unknown or the little-known. This is part of the reason why I was attracted to GUYS DON'T RAT ON GUYS (the other being that I met Grey online and wanted to support him as an author.)

So, on with the story.

Our main character is Kevin Hurley, a pubescent boy who, like all children, just want attention and love from their parents. This is something that Kevin doesn't has. Early on in the novel, we learn of the troubles the family has. From the parents' fighting over alcohol, money, or just over nothing at all, to the oldest daughter's constant obsession with being popular and skinny, to the second-oldest daughter's burden of having to take care of her younger brother. All of this comes together in a way that is rarely seen outside the eyes of the family's home.

Like all young boys, they want attention and admiration from their father, something Kevin doesn't have. Kevin's father is burnt out on his relationship and life altogether, which is what eventually makes him leave the house. Through this dramatic event, we watch Kevin mature and develop over the time that his father is gone. We see him grow into a boy who's depressed over his father's loss, and through this, we see his reaction to `Lefty,' Kevin's mother's ex-boyfriend.

This is where GUYS DON'T RAT ON GUYS takes on its real meaning.

The book itself is relatively short, coming in at around two-hundred pages. At times, I felt there were extra chapters added to try and create suspense. While we see the narrative switch to Kevin's childhood to his adult hood through these changes in tense, there were times that it was forced. A scene that I felt could've been extended to have trailed off into the next chapter more smoothly didn't turn out that way, or the chapter would just spring out of nowhere. There were also a number of glaring typos. Oftentimes, punctuation was left outside the dialogue, or the paragraphs weren't intended/were indented too far past the other chapters. There were also a few obvious spelling errors, which were often repeated in the same way.

The punctuation and paragraph/typesetting mistakes aren't why I'm giving this book four stars. I blame the publisher's editing for this. Baker's writing is generally solid, as the mistakes weren't all the same.

I'm giving this book four stars because I felt that there was a lot of untouched material here. At the end of the novel, the real meaning of `guys don't rat on guys' comes up. There was a lot of undeveloped character development here, particularly in the emotional aspects of Kevin's character. An event that often traumatizes most children does little to Kevin (as we see in the writing.) If that is because of his past experience with his parents' fighting and his own abuse, that's one thing; but if this left out character development isn't there for some other reason, this is why I feel the novel is missing something.

On the plus side, GUYS DON'T RAT ON GUYS gives the reader an unexpected ending, a twist that won't be seen or thought of throughout the novel. That's something I enjoy in a novel. I like to have an ending that I can't guess at the end of a novel, and Grey Baker did this quite well.

This is definitely a book that won't leave me for a long time.

Guys don't rat on Guys is tremendous in every way. I bought it on a suggestion from a friend and I know that I have discovered a hidden gem. This book pulled my emotions in every possible direction. I found myself on the edge of my seat at times and crying the next. I have never been an abuse victim but I found myself being able to relate to this book. I read quite a bit and am I comfortable saying that "Guys Don't Rat on Guys" may be the best book of the year. Great job Mr. Baker.

Grey Baker's new book "Guys Don't Rat on Guys" reminds you of what good literature is supposed to do: tell a gripping story that makes you think, and makes you FEEL. Baker tackles a terrible theme, child abuse and its lifelong repercussions, and in this book, the victim is a boy child, a group we hear little about because..."guys don't rat on guys."
Now an embittered young man, the book's protagonist returns to the scene of the crime, his hometown. He needs to punish, avenge, and somehow, understand. He has to banish his demons, who hide behind familiar faces. This is a book with a message and a mission: to make us all confront the pain and ugliness that lives in every town.

The narrator's voice is authentic, and so is his story. It's one book we've lived...or our friends have. Everyone can relate.

This book was addicting! I didn't want to put it down. This is a story of a boy who grows up in a home as normal as anyone's - or at least that is what outsiders think and then you begin to realize how much is hidden behind the doors of others. He is a boy who wants to be loved, understood and accepted but is given pain, betrayal and becomes the black sheep of the family by voicing his truth. I found myself hoping to learn more about how he gets through each day as so many hurt people do everywhere. Maybe there will be a sequel to this story - I loved the way the story unfolded - just can't say enough and I can't wait for the next book!

The collaborative work of Gary Stromberg & Jane Merrill, The Harder They Fall: Celebrities Tell Their Real-Life Stories Of Addiction And Recovery is a compendium of autobiographical accounts of self-help and recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction told by a range of readily recognized men and women who range from singer and songwriter Paul Williams, to comedian Richard Pryor, to actor Malcom McDowell, to musician Alice Cooper, to U.S. Congressman Jim Ramstad, and sixteen others. All of these stories are revealed with candor, insight, humor, humility, and hope. The Harder They Fall is a unique anthology and should be available to everyone (especially those struggling with their own addictions) in the community through their local public library.

It seems like you can't pick up a newspaper or turn on a television without hearing of some new celebrity being involved with drugs. Why with all of their success does it take drugs for them to get through their lives? And in the news you don't hear about followups. What happens to these people after they get out of their court ordered treatment (or jail)?

In this book the authors have managed to get an extraordinary collection of people to talk about their lives under drugs and how they were able to beat their habbit. In each case it was clearly a struggle, it was not easy, but they managed.

I say the collection of people is extraordinary because it contains far more than just the musicians that seem to get all the press. It includes sports figures, writers, comedians, and actors. The stories leave me with a feeling of both sadness and hope. That these people can not only accomplish what they did but that they are now will to share their experiences with the rest of us speaks great things about them.

Highly recommended.

Gary Stromberg really tells some very compelling stories of some of the biggest names in pop culture. This book offers hope, some laughs and great insights into an insidious disease that effects millions. I highly recommend this book!

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (2/06)

In "The Harder They Fall," publicist Gary Stromberg and author Jane Merrill write stories about twenty-one celebrities and their experiences with addictions. Stromberg begins with his own story about how he got addicted and how hard he had to hit bottom before he could climb up on top again.

What really made this book refreshing is that the stories are written about celebrities from a variety of walks of life. They are not just movie stars or musicians, they are also athletes, politicians, writers and even a cowboy. In spite of the difference in their backgrounds, a common thread runs through the lives of these people. The substance abuse usually began as they became famous. Some of these people even thought that they could use the drugs or alcohol as their muses. As they crashed and burned, they had to go into recovery. In most cases, there were relapses. Then the real healing began and as they healed their inner selves, they made peace with their demons and found a better way to live.

This book is really well written. The first thought that came to my mind as I was reading it, was that, "This is a really good book." That is a simple statement, and I know that the authors could have phrased it much better because they write so well, but the bottom line is, I really enjoyed this book.

People who are interested in stories about celebrities will enjoy it. But, I think that a person struggling with an addiction or a person who knows someone close to them that is struggling with an addiction will get the most out of these stories. The reason I feel this is because that the underlying theme is one of hope. These people hit bottom and in many cases they also had to deal with the humiliation of having the public involved in their private lives. But they manage to overcome their addictions and rise above them to become even better, stronger people than they were before.

The authors also mention celebrities that they would have liked to include in the book, but were unable to, because they are dead as a result of their substance abuse. The most famous one was Elvis. The chapter mentioning these people provides a sobering eye opener to what can happen if you do not go into recovery.

Mariette Hartley ends her story with a powerful quote from a woman that was her spiritual advisor, "One's deepest wounds, integrated, become one's greatest powers." This quote sums up the outcome of people that survive addiction and make it through recovery. I highly recommend this book.

You don't have to be interested in reading celebrity stories to enjoy this book. I highly recommend it. I found the book really hard to put down. Because there are so many great short stories, I was able to get a broad view of the disease's nature. Also, I am very impressed with the honesty and vulnerability of the people who shared their stories. They are very human, beautiful and courageous.

This book is an excellent read for those of us who continually make stupid relationship decisions. Why do I let myself fall for the same type of person over and over when I know it will only lead to emotional pain for me? This book tells us so much about the ways of getting into these kinds of patterns, how to recognize them, and then how to move on. Everyone should give this book a try, even if you think you've never had any problems.

I really liked this book. I am an avid reader and would recommend adding this book to your must read list. Another book that really impressed me is Psychic Gifts in the Christian Life - Tools to Connect, by Tiffany Snow, pub. 2003. In this time of increasing awareness for the need to help our relationships, workplace, family, self and environment, these two books are at the forefront of giving us the tools to do so - not only by positive reinforcements, but in the case of "Psychic Gifts," showing we have a Divine birthright to access the supernatural in our lives, and how to tap into that. I encourage you to Keep Reading, apply what you learn, and be a force for good in your part of the world.

So many of us are damaged in childhood, many times carrying around unresolved baggage that keeps us stuck and unable to live our best lives. This delightful and insightful book helps us understand what has molded us into who we are, and then gives us the tools to move towards a more rewarding and fulfilling life. 'Healing the Sensitive Heart' compassionately takes us on a journey of a millions miles by encouraging us not to be afraid of taking the first step.

Jacqueline Marcell, Author, Elder Rage

Healing the Sensitive Heart: How to stop getting hurt, build your inner strength, and find the love you deserve by Debra Mandel, Ph.D.

I thought I would be the worst candidate to get something out of reading this book. I am not one of the sensitive hearted people that Dr. Mandel is referring to, but there are many such people in my life. I may be a magnet for sensitive hearted people. I learned from reading this book that I can help my sensitive hearted friends.

I have friends and relatives whose sensitive hearts have kept them trapped in a fantasy world. They sell themselves short because they have been "taught" that their own feelings do not matter-they exist to serve the will of their parents or some other childhood character. Dr. Mandel shows a path that sensitive-hearted people can follow to become Thrivers. Thrivers enjoy life and give back to the world more than they take. Thrivers have a balance between serving their own needs and responding to the legitimate needs of others.

I recommend this book for the happy soul mates and friends of sensitive hearted people. We can benefit when we understand the likely genesis and resolution of behaviors that are so odd to those of us without sensitive hearts. Thank you Dr. Debra.

As a therapist myself, I am on the look-out for books that would be helpful to my clients. "Healing the Sensitive Heart" is an outstanding resource! Written with clarity, compassion, deep respect for people, and belief in their capacity to change and grow, it resonates with authenticity. It provides an excellent analysis of the inner life and behaviours of the "sensitive-hearted", and clear, effective strategies for restoring balance and achieving a healthy relationship with self and others.
I highly recommend this book!