Abuse Books

This book is written with such energy and near-paranoid conviction that I'm convinced the author must have been shooting up while writing it. And I mean that as a compliment. Really. Tackling a subject as taboo (and as neglected) as the drug war takes chutzpah, and, I must say, the author does it with the fire of a crack-crazed prophet.

What surprised me most about the book, though, is its sardonic tone. It's got a wry sense of humor that really compliments the seedy subject matter. A great mix of comedy, tragedy, and ouright absurdity. It's refreshing to read a topical book with strong writing as well as research.

I must admit, I approached this book with extreme caution. And though I'm not sure I'm ready to have drugs completely legalized (I'm definitely a child of the "Just Say No" generation), Miller's case against the drug war is powerful and hard to dispute.

Highly recommended. Surprisingly entertaining as well as informative. All around, a very good trip (and I'm not just saying that because I want to smoke dope without fear of repercussions).

To put it succinctly, the war on drugs is a war against the American people. Over two-thirds of American adults born since 1955 have used illegal drugs at some point in their lives, most without any trace of subsequent harm. However, our gov't, through its Gestapo-like enforcement arm, the DEA (which has a vested interest in prosecuting the war to its maximum extent and keeping the war going as long as possible) continue to circumscribe the rights of the American people. Since the inception of the DEA the civil rights of Americans in regards to drugs have been increasingly ignored, and it's a rare politician who doesn't use the drug war as an opportunity to appear tough on crime. The DEA and many police forces actually rely on asset forfeiture to provide a substantial portion of their budgets, even though fewer than 5% of asset forfeiture cases involve any prosecution, let alone conviction. The DEA is then free to spend this confiscated wealth as it pleases. Orwell was prophetic.

Let's face facts: this is not a problem of supply, it's a problem of demand. But it need not be a problem at all. University sponsored and AMA and BMA endorsed research has consistently shown most "classic" drugs, such as weed, hash, heroin and morphine to be non-toxic. Coke is rarely dangerous, and then primarily to those with heart conditions. The prohibition of these drugs has caused the gov't to entirely surrender their ability to regulate a drug's content, which is far more detrimental to the health of any user of classic drugs in their unadulturated form. Medical studies have shown without fail that Alcohol is the most poisonous and detrimental of mood-altering substances.

Additionally, America's drug war has resulted in the wholesale destablization of producer and transshipment nations. The lawlessness seen in Colombia and along the Mexican border is entirely a result of America's campaign of zero tolerance-an unobtainable goal. Senator John Kerry perpetrated the prevaricative canard that criminal cartels were behind the drive for legalization. Nothing could be further from the truth: cartels always step into a vacuum, and they benefit from our draconian laws. One has to wonder where Senator Kerry gets his marching orders. Cartels would disappear if drugs were legalized, just as they did when alcohol prohibition was repealed in 1933.

Prohibition also leads to police corruption: studies show that 30% of police have been unlawfully involved with illegal drugs. The supreme court recently overturned a previous 9-0 ruling regarding the knock-and-announce rule, stating that the cops need merely identify themselves before entering a residence-usually violently.

Enforcement of drug laws are also racially biased (I'm a white male). Most drug users are white and casual users of weed, coke or heroin. Yet most of those doing time for drug offenses are disproportionately black and hispanic. It's a case of a predatory DEA wolfpack picking off the most vulnerable members of a herd, rather than facing down a banker who can afford something better than a court-appointed defence. It's so unfair it pangs the conscience.

America has among the most restrictive drug laws in the world, and they have only made the situation worse. Canada recently considered a Senate recommendation to legalize pot. Holland has legalized pot without any negative consequences: the Dutch have the longest life-span in the world and a violent crime rate less than 1 sixth of the US. Injection programs for the most hard-core heroin addicts in Switzerland have caused aids to disappear among this vulnerable group, and employment among them stands at 70%. Other countries have come to grips with this problem through rationality and compassion. America has not-and it has utterly failed. Studies of American conditions and behavior prior to 1914, when these subsances were legal, show no correlation to poorer health or crime-Alcohol is the sole exception to this.

President McKinley used cocaine for 27 years until his death by an assasin's bullet. Grant used morphine to ease his discomfort after his presidency. 250,000 Civil War vets were morphine addicts.

The police chiefs of Kansas City, MO, San Jose and San Diego, CA, Seattle, WA and many smaller departments have called for the legalization of drugs. Former drug czar Barry McCaffrey has called the Federal prison system "America's drug Gulag" and has stated "We cannot incarcerate our way out of this problem." Former Secy of State George Schultz has called for an end to prohibition and consideration of decriminalization and legalization.

"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."-William Pitt.

If there's one cliche that has been blatantly overused in the past few years, it's that our government is fighting a "war on drugs." Sure, the government is pretending to wage it, but we all know the war on drugs has been over for years, if it even ever existed in the first place. How exactly can we have a war on something so many people seem to want? Next thing you know, the government will start telling people they can't gamble, or pay for sex, or smoke in a privately-owned bar (whoops). Anyway, Joel Miller adds plenty of fuel to the raging debate over the drug war with Bad Trip. This short, direct, and intelligent volume should convince anyone who hasn't been indoctrinated up to their eyeballs in governmental propaganda that the war on drugs (like most wars) isn't worth fighting.

In one rather entertaining early segment, Miller takes the reader on a glimpse of the drug war's early days, illustrating the roots of the current mess in the first half of the 20th century. There's plenty of unintentional comedy to be found when Miller discusses some of the attitudes regarding drugs (including alcohol) that were commonly held back in the twenties and thirties. In one especially uproarious moment, in 1938 the Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics actually wrote, "an overdose of marijuana generates savage and sadistic traits likely to reach a climax in axe and ice-pick murders." And then of course, there was Reefer Madness, the classic 1936 movie where a little toking resulted in PERMANENT INSANITY. Now, having been around some pot smokers myself, I can say for sure that while marijuana use may result in giddiness, the telling of off-color jokes, and the consumption of junk food, it does not lead to violence or insanity. Sadly, though, the ridiculous beliefs outlined above continue to inform the drug laws even in these more "enlightened" times, and Miller does us all a favor by casting light upon them.

Of course, it's not drugs themselves that cause so much crime, it's the illegality of drugs. If people can't obtain drugs through legal means, they'll just get them elsewhere, very likely from violent gangs. Every halfway-informed person knows the same thing happened when alcohol was prohibited and gangsters took over the market, but apparently our politicians are slow learners (duh). Essentially, Miller writes, the drug war is bound to fail due in large part to simple economics. Drug dealers, he writes, are profiteers, while drug warriors are mere bureaucrats. Since the sale and use of drugs are prohibited, the government creates a black market in which any willing person with some brains can turn an easy profit. Therefore, the dealer trying to make a buck will always be ahead of the DEA agent who's getting paid anyway. As Miller details in the chapter on drug smuggling, the tighter the noose of prohibition gets, the more inventive dealers get in the quest for money.

Most tragically, though, since the drug trade is entirely voluntary and there are no victims to file complaints, governments have to resort to ever more proactive and draconian measures in order to catch dealers and users. Warrantless searches, no-knock military-style raids, blanket traffic stops, and utterly unjustified confiscations have made a mockery of everybody's Constitutional rights while doing little or nothing to stem the flow of drugs. Miller provides us with a laundry list of innocent people who have been robbed, terrorized, and even killed at the hands of overzealous (or outright corrupt) drug warriors. In many cases, governments have established a giant network of informants to fink on friends, customers, and even classmates, often going so far as to entrap people into breaking the law. Not to mention, the travesty of mandatory-sentencing laws has filled our jails with non-violent "criminals" who take up space that could be used for slightly more dangerous folks, like, say, muggers, burglars, and rapists.

Ultimately, Miller writes, the war on drugs amounts to nothing more than a war on freedom. There are plenty of other institutions in society, such as the family and the church, that can help prevent people from abusing drugs, but government prohibition merely creates a whole slew of new problems for all of us. Accepting the fact that other people are going to do things you don't like is a necessary part of living in a free society, one that mature people are going to have to get used to. After all, I don't think people should watch reality TV or listen to Celine Dion, but I manage to get over it. Miller finishes with a quote from Thomas Sowell that sums up the issue better than I ever could: "What do people get out of using drugs? I don't know...but there is all the difference in the world between deciding that you don't want to do something and trying to force other people to live your way." Amen.

This should scare the hell out of a lot of dirty law enforcement agencies! The War on drugs is OVER,and the drugs won. Illegal drugs cannot be stopped. It has created more dirty cops,and turned them into Nazi style storm troopers that bust into homes of the innocent in the wee hours of the morning. This book should be required reading for every American. Like the book? Please visit www.leap.cc/.
Leagalize the drugs and then you control them. President Bush, wake up and read this book.

Miller does a superb job of marshalling a number of philosophical, economic, legal and practical arguments against the war drugs. Although he states that he believes drug use is a bad choice, he also believes that life in a free society necessarily encumbers the fact that others will make choices that we personally oppose.

I wonder how Miller's argument would apply to the abortion debate?

In any event, I am a conservative Christian who happens to believe that the war on drugs is a misguided, miserable failure implemented by self-serving politicians who sought more votes in the 1970s.

The principle of states' rigths should apply to this question. Prohibition at the federal level is a failed policy that ought to be abandoned, and Miller gives us the ammuntion needed in this battle.

This book is what it would be like if addiction therapies were working perfectly and it would be smooth sailing. I believe that if addicts and their loved ones had plans like this they can be saved.
our families situation was like many others, my husband was an addict for at least 15 years. In and out of rehabs and jail - methadone works for awhile then they get sick of going everyday or they get dosed down too fast to make room for others. We thought we had a saving grace in suboxone. He was on Buprenorphine but his appointments were once a month and maybe 4-5 minutes long. His Dr. was the head of a psych dept in a major hospital in boston. The thing is insurance won't cover the appts so the Dr who would normally get hundreds of dollars an hour has to make it affordable for an addict so you get what you pay for. In our case it was 75$ for 5 minutes. My husband started to sell the suboxine on the street for heroin. With suboxine you can stay straight all week then get high on the weekends. If he went overboard and sold to many he would just buy them on the street for himself. It's sick and this needs to be solved with more contact between the dr and patient but can't until the government gets a grip and the insurance companies cover the visits like a normal treatment. Anyway this is exactly how my husband died dec 27, 07 20 minutes after selling his script. I literally had put all my hopes in this therapy. His Dr. never even called to give his condolences, I think he had a suspicion about what my husband was doing. This books approach will work but all the pieces have to be just so. You should bring this book to your appts and get specific with the doctors.

Dr. Beck's book gave me hope for my son. He has been addicted to heroin for 8 months. American psychiatrists need to read this and start a program here. It is needed so badly. Methadone only gives you another addiction to break and opportunity to sell again to support the heroin habit when the cravings kick in. The FDA needs to approve buprenorphine.Buprenorphine along with treating the underlying problems, usually ADD, is the key.The holistic approach is the only way to treat with permanent results. The underlying problems, usually ADD, are brought out in this book. When I read this book everything fell into place and made sense. I am now seeking people that may be able to promote this book and help get clinics open.

This book is very enlightening and informative, but I'm concerned that the powers that be in the Australian government giving the doctor so much grief about his treatment have done away with him. The emails and phone numbers on his Web site are inactive. I even tried sending a fax and it wouldn't go through. I was trying to get information on US treatment centers following the doctor's treatment plan. I hope this innovative pioneer has not been snuffed out by the system.

As an addiction medicine physician for the last 15 years, I feel that his book is extrememly helpful in educating on recovery from heroin addiction. I recommend it without reservation!
Sincerely,
Joel Nathan, MD
www.nabumed.com

This is a MUST HAVE for any physician, counselor, support person, or health care provider. I would like to see this book as University (or any teaching facility's) curriculum. It's a logical approach that should be applied in addition to or in lieu of a 12-step program. I say this because many addicts don't have the faith needed to rely on a "higher power"; they need alternatives and Dr Beck's theories address these alternatives.
Definately worth applying, especially when counseling for an addiction with a typically low recovery rate.

Patti's book was a gift to me in a time when I am searching for answers to what I felt were unsolvable family problems. My problems have nothing to do with the abuse that Patti went through, but her openness touched my heart and opened a path to God through Jesus. I pray to God, an abstraction in my mind, but never heard the story of Jesus written so personally. I thank Patti for her insight and her loving direction to find peace within.
God Bless You for sharing your story Patti.
Love, Laurie

The author gives a wonderful view of how to overcome the hard to understand obstacles of life. She explains how she personally overcame through her faith and explains how to implement the same relationship with God to help you overcome the trials that you have endured.
A great book to remind you of God's love and to help you heal.

I just want to say that this is a very excellent book for any person who has gone through the trauma of sexual abuse or even physical abuse of any kind. It also has great step by step answers to everyone's questions about why we are here, why God made us, and why he loves us unconditionally, no matter what we have done or what others may have done to us. It shows you how to get your life back and so much more even if it was stollen by someone else. It is very simple and easy to understand for anyone. I'd suggest it for battered women shelters and Pastors, too.

The author has a potential second book in the works with the second half of Betrayed, Broken and Defiled.The book is the true story of the author's abuse inflicted upon her by adoptive parents and the affects this abuse has on her actions for years to come. Her candor will haunt the reader for days!
The second part of the book explains how she got herself out of the "mess" of a life she created and it was no overnight resolution. I learned a lot from the second half of the book about forgiveness, I liked her explanation of how forgiveness became an option in our life..through God and Jesus. It was written in everyday words, at times humoured, easy to understand.... a great teaching tool for young people. I applaud her ability to offer such an explanation in terms so easily understood and so easy to read.
I hope she continues her writing!
Jo A. Nystrom

To start, what a blessing to have received this book directly from the Author ~ I will be eternally grateful for the gift of Love bestowed upon me. To continue: a betrayed, broken, defiled person can and does walk around aimlessly in a vast world feeling alone and without hope, not always knowing that there is the saving Grace of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that it is available 24/7 to restore, heal and redeem. In "Betrayed Broken Defiled: The Story of A Good Life After Abuse" by Patti Theisen shows in an honest and forthright manner, all of the circumstances and situations a person can and does go through in a struggle to hang-on, exist or survive. By going through these very kind of situations herself, she gives a refreshing and candid portrayal of what it is like to take every avenue, every treacherous road to the ultimate road of LOVE and FREEDOM. One of the largest problems Christians face begins at the time of their salvation, having a lack of understanding as to what needs to happen or what has happened to them or what they believe. In many instances a person is given a brief knowledge of Christ through several different examples used to evangelize. Patti's fresh, and honest approach is not only an instructed on how to become a new Christian but how to be a new Christians the books narrations guides us on how to ask, repent, forgive, receive and move onward to a solid foundation upon which to begin a journey and sustain a lasting and wonderful relationship with God, free from condemnation and strife. Her honesty lets us know that the path is not always a smooth and comfortable road but the experience can and does provide a solid foundation upon which to build a Christian lifestyle, which starts with a basic understanding of what the salvation of God is, how to obtain it and how to sustain it. This helps the reader obtain forgiveness, sanctification, redemption, and salvation but most of all the LOVE through the Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is and was and will always, be. She shows that she understands and she is a true friend who is there to back up what she preaches. God Bless you Patti Theisen, your honesty, love and devotion to writing this book is an inspiration to a once victim'ed' person and reiterates that being a VICTOR is a far better path to travel in this journey called "Born Again"~LIFE. Rock on Sister in Christ and I pray that God richly blesses you as you and the people who unite with you continue to point all people to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Yehoshua.

Gartner has written a must-read book for those of us in recovery. I've read several books on the subject, and "Beyond Betrayal" almost seems to be written directly about MY life. I learned so much about myself by reading and journaling along with this wonderfully helpful book. It has been extremely helpful to my wife as well...she understands so much about me now. Thanks Dr. Gartner!

We just don't have to feel so alone any more. Dr. Gartner's amazing earlier book, Betrayed as Boys, was written for professionals but he used language that many laymen (including me) can find moving and useful. In Beyond Betrayal, he writes directly to men like us as well as to our partners, spouses, and loved ones. Beyond Betrayal speaks so directly to my own experience as a man trying to heal from boyhood abuse that I almost felt he knew me and wrote it specifically for me. There is a stunning description of early betrayal and how it leads to severe problems with trust in relationships later on. He then leads you through how society cheats you by making you believe that men can't be victims. The result of this is that we often believe that our abuse was our own fault -- leading to shame, silence, and guilt. This section was especially startling and remarkable. He covers all the bases, including abuse by priests and other clergy, abuse by women that we are told is "sexual initiation," and so many other facets of boyhood sexual abuse!

But he dioesn't stop there. Dr Gartner also tells us how to find our way. I not only felt understood, but also felt I got specific tools to move me along a path of healing. The section on how to find a therapist (even if you live in an isolated area not likely to have specialists in boyhood abuse) will be a godsend to many men. So is his section on things we can do for ourselves in addition to therapy. And our partners and loved ones -- who are often really left out in the cold in books like this -- will also find relief, comfort, and specific ways to help themselves, us, and our relationships as we journey together.

Thank you, Dr. Gartner!

This book was the first one I read when I finally chose to accept my abuse. It is sensitive, compassionate, and full of positivity. Some of the stories from other surviviors will force you to recall similarities in your life, but in the end, it will help you to appreciate that you're not alone and you will become a Survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse and no longer a Victim. Mr. Gartner will give you the tools that you need to move forward and live a life that you always knew you could live. It will not happen over night or over a month or even a year, but it will happen!!

It is the best book I read on boyhood sexual abuse. It is a life saver!!! It is very constructive in rebuilding one's life after the abuse. A must read...

In the early months of therapy my therapist suggested this book. She had listened to me when I said that the other books seemed to be about victims, but not 'of' victims; she said this book was geared more from the victims' perspective. Reading it was one of the defining moments in my healing; this was a turning point. I read about people just like me; I read about how they felt and how they expressed it to Dr Gartner; I read about them not wanting to say the truth because they feared reprisal or ridicule; I read about things I thought only I felt, suffered, endured and held inside. I read reality and it hit home, it hit home hard and true and I let go of something. I let go of the illusion that I was the only one in the whole world that felt like that. I let go - so simple yet so profound, and in letting go I opened a small window to let my therapist see into my world. If you doubt anyone ever enduring the same as you, read this book. Skim it if you will; jump about through the paragraphs; read one page a day if it hurts but, please, read it. Read the real people. Know, in you heart, that you are truly not alone. You have to do that for 'you' now.

I dont think I would be priviliged enough to be in the same room as this superhero. No need for reviews as the others did a pretty good job. After you read this, you will never trust the government again.

He deserves 10 stars.

Note that this review is 4 years after publication... four years of silence.

A book that tears the mask off the fraudulent "War on Drugs". It exposes the growth of the war from two (highly mutually destructive) agencies in 1971 (Customs and DEA) to 55 and counting. It describes very extensive, high-volume CIA involvement in smuggling itself to obtain unaccountable funding.

It documents the cost of the fraudulent war. In dollars misspent, in innocent lives lost through raids gone amok and witnesses silenced, in the credibility of government agencies and the news media, and in the harm resulting from the 5-fold increase (his figures) in drug usage during the time $1 trillion has been wasted in the fight.

Recommend finding this book used or in a library, or reading Levine's chapter in "Into the Buzzsaw" by Kristina Borjesson.

The first sign of corruption in a society ... is that the end justifies the means. ~Georges Beranos, "Why Freedom?" (1955)

When you finish going through this book, you will gain a new perspective on the drugs war, and some of the root causes of the drugs problem in United States.

"Look Mike, our country has many diverse interests and you're one man in one little corner of the world. There are a lot of people a lot smarter than you and I involved in this business who might know a few things we don't. So just because an action might seem right doesn't mean it is; and even if it's the right thing to do, sometimes it's not the healthiest."

...

He was silent for a long moment. "Mike, don't ever forget a peanut butter sandwich."
"You're kidding."
"No, I'm not. I'm telling you this because I like you."

...

"Bario was one of the best and most committed undercover agents in DEA; he had done some of the agency's highest-level deep cover work. He was also a friend of mine. A year earlier he had been arrested for smuggling heroin from his post of duty in Mexico. While in jail in a Texas border town awaiting a removal hearing, he took a bite of a peanut butter sandwich and went into convulsions, and then a deep coma. He died a month later. He wife was told by the prison warden that strychnine had been found in his blood. The official autopsy report listed the cause of death as asphyxiation -- he choked on a peanut butter sandwich.
Many of Bario's fellow agents were aware that he was involved in cases that overlapped CIA interests. The rumor was that he "knew too much" about the CIA smuggling drugs into the United States to support its own interests and that he was killed by either members of DEA's Internal Security (who was in reality CIA) or by the CIA itself. I had always been one of those who had placed little credence in the rumor. Who could really believe that a branch of the U.S. government would assassinate its own people for any reason?"

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Mike Levine is a good writer. Add that to the fact that he was one of the best undercover agents in American history and you've got the equation for a great book. I had to stop myself a number of times to remember that this is NON-Fiction. The bumbling and deception that goes on at the higher levels of our Criminal Justice system would be laughable had this been a work of fiction. There is just too much detail here for it NOT to be true. This book, coupled with Levine's other book "Deep Cover" show you how the people in power manipulate the media to show the public the reality they want them to see. In light of the Iraq war "intelligence" misinformation, we can see that nothing has changed. In fact, the stakes have gotten higher.

I rank this book with "Dark Alliance" and "C.I.A.: Cocaine In America" as the most telling indictment of America's pseudo-war on drugs. Unlike most suthors who pontificate solutions from ivory towers and exhort stratagem with quill pens, Mr. Levine, not unlike Mr. VesBucci, for that matter, advises from hard-fought experience.

I am happy with amazon's fast accurate service. The book is interesting and easy to read. Would reccomend to anyone interested in history and development of modern substance abuse education and treatment. Mrs. Mann was a truly remarkable woman. I don't believe her contributions can be over estimated.

I enjoyed Marty's story so much. She was such an intelligent, attractive, successful woman, and yet alcohol brought her to a point of utter despair and poverty. I could truly relate to how it feels to have so much and yet not be able to save yourself from alocholism. With the help of AA I have found my life again, and continue to grow in all areas of my life. Reading Marty's story was so good for my self esteem and confidence. It truly emphasizes that alcoholism is a disease and not a moral issue. I enjoyed this book so much I stayed up until 2am the first night I started reading it. This has been a good read for me! I would recommend it to females in AA especially.

Riveting and educational! A page turner! Marty Mann was an incredible woman and we finally get to read about her life in detail. This is a must read for those who are recovering from alcoholism, those affected by alcoholism, social service and public health providers and legislatures. We have much to learn from Marty Mann and we must continue her mission today.

This was written with the language of the heart... and was informative, fascinating, and well done in every way. I enjoyed the pictures too. I felt privileged to see inside this fabulous woman's life.

I loved this book. It is well-written, expertly researched and completly honest.As a recovered person myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the the weaving of historical accounts of the early days of AA and NCA. Even without that, the story of Marty Mann was impressive and powerful. The account of the founding, growth, growing pains and success of NCA was a primer on how to get an impossible job done. Many other historical facts that were intertwined throughout the book provided a sense of reality about developments in our country that are rarely discussed.

My thanks to the authors for writing a book I will treasure it and make it a permamnent part of my personal library.

With Book Three of her Holy Ground trilogy, Judith Moffett draws together the universal and the personal in ways seldom seen in literature. The Earth is under the not-entirely-benign rule of aliens who have made it impossible for most humans to reproduce; the aliens want humanity to learn to live in balance with nature, but nature and human nature seem to be innately at odds.

Enter Pam Pruitt, a "Gaian," which is to say, a human who works with the aliens to educate humans and guide them toward a sustainable existence. Even though the Gaians are doing humanity a huge favor in trying to help reclaim the human ability to have children, they are hated as collaborators by a planet full of resentful people.

But Pam seeks to find a way past human prejudice; indeed, past human hard-wiring to survive and prosper by pillaging the world's natural resources. Despite a quarter century of almost zero births, the situation has grown critical: eco-balance has reached a tipping point, and so has the aliens' patience. Humanity is told that as a species they have one final year to shape up, or face near-extinction.

As Pam works furiously to maximize humanity's chances for survival, she finds that part of the key to the salvation of all lies with her own personal salvation: she begins to explore a new, previously unsuspected ability as a latter-day shaman, and to access wisdom, and healing, from what very well may be a higher plane of existence.

This book is rich with literature, archaeology, anthropology, and literate insight. Its message is that harmony and peace are not necessarily one and the same, and that inner struggle can be transformative. For the reader, this novel (which stands alone from the earlier books quite well) is an object lesson in the rewards of a story that doesn't predigest every single point the author wants to make. There's plenty were to enjoy right off, and plenty to mull over for a long time to come.

The third volume of this trilogy is the best read of the three, especially in terms of character development. Although it continues the story thread of the first two books' concern for the future existence of human life on earth, it can easily stand on its own. The plot is very good, too, and I found the integration of the rock art fairly clever although maybe with a little too much detail for some.

New Holy Ground gets broken. A wonderful finale to the trilogy and though I know we have to say good-bye to our heroines and heros, I am sad to think I won't get anymore of their tale. The new reader will come on board this new future without too much difficulty. If you like sci-fi, if you like well-developed characters, if you like twists and turns, if you like to travel like a shaman, if you think we would be wise to accept the earth as a living being, and if you like to turn pages, go ahead and buy this book! Great read.

The Bird Shaman is not only a mesmerizing story about Mormons, Aliens, time travel, child abuse and ecological danger, it is also a psychological thriller about what lies beneath the layer of consciousness. Its treatment of dreams alone would make it a tour-de-force, but it doesn't stop there: it ranges into science, history, primitive rock art, and religion as well. The characters are so rounded that they come across as people you have known for years, from the former child prodigy who lost her gift, to her grumpy former lover helplessly searching for his dead best friend in his sexual partners, to the beautiful Mormon TV child-star fleeing from a predatory grandfather, and finally to the hairy and implacable aliens who have banned all further reproduction on earth. This is science fiction written by a poet, and it reads like a dream. It is The Time Machine of the twenty-first century, a meditation upon what it actually means to "plant" and tend a future in flesh and on earth. Buy it for everyone you know!

This is not only a magnificent conclusion to Moffett's Hefn trilogy but is a truly satisfying read in its own own right--that is, if you haven't read the first two books, you can still love this one. As always, Moffett's prose style is of the highest quality, and she combines it with psychological examinations of characters you'll come to care deeply about, although you may not always like or approve of them. Moffet continues her examination of what it might mean should an alien race attempt to force us to save ourselves, and our environment, from ourselves and combines it with a fascinating look at the strengths and weakness of Mormanism in relation to community. The shamanistic rock paintings found throughout the Southwest play a significant role in the novel and add considerably to its depth. This book is science fiction, no question of that, but, unlike so many works in that genre, "The Bird Shaman" is no piece of hackwork escapism. It's a true work of literature that will move you and make you think while giving you hours of enjoyable reading.

Mike Echols does an outstanding job of chronicling the history of abuse "Brother" Tony, an evangelical itinerant preacher, inflicts upon the children of families who came to look up to him and trust him with their sons. Brother Tony is clearly a psychopathic predator who took advantage of hundreds and hundreds of boys during his roving ministry. Echols well illustrates that pederasty has not just been a problem in the Catholic Clery but in the fabric of many who betrayed the sacredness of the trust that was bestowed upon them in a number of arenas. While Brother Tony eventually gets jailed, it's fairly clear that it's far too little, too late. Brother Tony will be back in action within the next few years and parents need to look out for their kids.

Brother Tony's Boys illustrates again the importance of parents talking forthrightly to their children about potential predators who might be as close as relatives or as trusted as men of God. A sad story which chronicles a tremendous betrayal and the damage that these young people will need to come to grips with as their lives progress. An excellent edition to books dealing with similar issues in differing settings: "Scouts Honor" chronicling the sad story of abuse in the boy scouts, Jason Berry's outstanding book on Catholic Clergy, "Lead Us Not Into Temptation" Parents might read these along with some of the books on averting and treating some of these issues, i.e., author Mic Hunter is among the treatment pioneers in this field and his books are available on Amazon.com. A frightening subject -- yet not one to simply be ignored. Parents and educators need to be proactive about these kinds of predators! Highly Recommended! Daniel J. Maloney

I am a survivor of Tony Leyva's crimes and was not mentioned in the book. My experience with him was in the early 70's. I have first hand knowledge of how he operated and can truly say Mr. Echols' report on Leyva is completely thorough and accurate. Relatively few people will work to expose this type of behavior. Echols is to be congratulated. A must-read for parents.

I read this book as a recommendation for parents to be aware of pediophiles and how to spot them. Having children, I was compelled to know how to protect them. Here is a story I will never forget - part of that is indespensible. Worse, I cry for the countless victims of sexual abuse. When you see ( very thoroughly ) in this detailed account, just how far reaching the devistation is, you can only pray for such victims and strive to protect the ones you love and educate every one else!

I couldn't put it down, as the story grew more horrifyingly unbelievable, I kept thinking it couldn't get worse, but it did - for everyone involved.

In the end, I had to search the internet to see where Tony Leyva was today -- and found that he'd died in prison in 2003. I couldn't help but wonder if his victims rejoiced at the news? Yet a man's fate was hopelessly and finally sealed with the more infinite punishment I am sure awaits him.

As for author Mike Echols, that internet search was even more disturbing. He, too, died in 2003. But I won't tell you how, or where, or other circumstances. You can look that up for yourself after you finish the book. See for yourself what his searching, his quest for justice finally led him to.

You'll realize that you can't go anywhere near any and all things pornographic without being affected by it.

The subject of Mike Echols' book, Pentecostal evangelist Brother Tony Leyva, is to get out of prison this fall unless the U.S. Parole Commission decides to keep him in prison to serve his full prison term (he has now served 10 years out of the 20 years to which he was sentenced).

Mike Echols is trying to get people to write letters to stop Tony Leyva's parole.

Good book I guess but you can not truelly investigate Namblaa until you have made a list of alll government members all the way up to the whitehouse who are actual members of nambla until you expose them you will never be able to truelly battle Nambla

"This book describes a step by step process you can use to help stop a teenager's harmful involvement with chemicals.

One of my favorite chapters is the one "You sat on the burner, you sit on the blisters."

Judy Herzanek/Why Don't They Just Quit?

I bought this book and read it before talking to a drug counseler. This was the #1 book recommended by them. I found it extremely useful, and helpful in that I felt much more in control after understanding the issues that teens face when facing an addiction. I particularly found the stage of use/abuse outlined in the book to be exactly like what the professional abuse counselers used. Highly recommend!

This book tells you precisely how you can help and was selected by the board of directors for www.Parentshelpingparents.info as one of only two books recommended to our parents of teens. It describes a step-by-step process called intervention that you can use to stop a teenager's harmful involvement with chemicals.

Warren Pat Nichols
Founder
Parents Helping Parents, Inc.

This is truely an easy to read, step-by-step book. Explaining first the teenager's brain and thinking and what stresses a teenager has in their life, then going on to reasons for drug use, and practical, tangible ways to deal with it. This is a great book for any parent of a teenager to read, whether or not they have found their child trying drugs. It is a great "heads up" informative sourcebook. I esp liked the section on what special emotional needs that teens are looking to have fulfilled during adolescence. It is really helpful to read that as a parent of any teenager.

It's so important for parents to DO SOMETHING when they discover their teen using alcohol or other drugs. This no-nonsense approach is one of the best I've seen, and I've been counseling for over 20 years.

Combating Addiction Through Recovery Education: The C.A.R.E. Program - Substance Abuse Awareness and Relapse Prevention offers a methodical and informed approach to anyone seeking to free himself or herself from addiction. Written by Stephen Lloyd, a recovered alcoholic and addict trained as a certified substance abuse counselor, Combating Addiction Through Recovery Education discusses causes of addiction, the value of medical help, how to combat "triggers" for cravings, seeking support, goal setting, anger management, dealing with resentment, how to create a solid relapse prevention plan, and much more. Combating Addiction Through Recovery Education is a consumable text, with numerous opportunities for the owner to write down lists of resources, thoughts and feelings, future plans, and more. A highly recommended supplement to a personal addiction treatment and recovery program.

Combating Addiction Through Recovery Education: The C.A.R.E. Program - Substance Abuse Awareness and Relapse Prevention offers a methodical and informed approach to anyone seeking to free himself or herself from addiction. Written by Stephen Lloyd, a recovered alcoholic and addict trained as a certified substance abuse counselor, Combating Addiction Through Recovery Education discusses causes of addiction, the value of medical help, how to combat "triggers" for cravings, seeking support, goal setting, anger management, dealing with resentment, how to create a solid relapse prevention plan, and much more. Combating Addiction Through Recovery Education is a consumable text, with numerous opportunities for the owner to write down lists of resources, thoughts and feelings, future plans, and more. A highly recommended supplement to a personal addiction treatment and recovery program.

Very well written and easy to understand. Right from the start you get the sense that the author really wants to help, and knows how to do it. I would recommend it to anyone who needs help with a subtance abuse problem of thier own, or someone they know.

This book is such an easy read yet outlines the steps for what can be such a difficult journey. I gave my copy to my teenage son to read and am ordering more for others I know will benefit from it. Steve's wisdom as well as his candid disclosure of his personal journey through recovery cannot fail to leave a lasting impression on the reader. Well done!

I bought this book with the hopes of grasping a better understanding of addiction and alcoholism. I did get an understanding but I also got so much more. The author has written this book in a way that anyone should be able to pick it up and benefit from the contents. I can see how this book would be useful to youth, adults, seniors, virtually anyone. The author including his own story lends credibility to this book that cannot be overlooked. Thank you for such an informative read.