Abuse Books

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.

This is honestly the best book I have ever read. April Lurie, you are a terrific writer. I really appreciate your work! Thanks. Also, if you have any books very similar to Dancing in the Streets of Brooklyn, I would love to know.



Thanks for reading!

- Katie Jenkins

i have read this book 3 times in one day. u my think thats crazy but it just shows u how good this book is. a twist of reality, romance, and confilcts is what makes the recipe complete and this book has got it all.

Dancing in the streets of Brooklyn by April Lurie is based on some true events. A little piece of information I thought was interesting is that April Lurie grew up in Brooklyn, New York along with her character Judy.

Fourteen-year-old Judy Strand is the main character in this book. When Judy was younger, her father abandoned her and her mother. Judy's mom, knowing she would be the sole provider for her family, she set out for America for more opportunity. Before they started their journey, Mrs. Strand had two children, one of which died of pneumonia on their way to America. Judy had no idea that she had a younger sister until, nosing around in her mom's closet.There, she found a photo of a little girl and a birth certificate for an anonymous person. When Judy finally got the guts to ask her mom who this girl was, her mom started to weep uncontrollably. I'm not going to let out the secret of why she was crying..... You'll need to read this book and figure out for yourself the "Big Secret".

Lurie has a great talent for word choice. She is so descriptive; I had a visual of what was going on in the story at all times. Here is a great example; "I awoke to loud voices mixed with aroma of fish balls and creamed cabbage. Ma was fretting like she did when she burned something." You're probably wondering why she was fretting, but I can't give away the whole thing!!

I think this is a great book for ages 9 to 12 both boys and girls as it has many concurrent story lines. This is a very dramatic book for active readers. Why don't you read it and see for yourself. Have a great time reading!

Wow this is the best new author I have read in a long time. I read the entire book in one sitting because I could not put it down. The characters were so realistic and I felt like I could relate to each of them in one way or another. I recommend Dancing in the Streets of Brooklyn to anyone looking for an exciting novel to read over the holidays.

"Dancing in the Streets of Brooklyn" is a warm, beautiful story with authentic characters that have remained in my memory. Lurie avoids melodrama to tell Judy's story with sincerity and compassion. The author's roots in Bay Ridge give the book an authenticity that's refreshing. Not your typical wartime book, "Dancing" shows that while the years were difficult, they were innocent as well. Readers easily feel Judy's joys and sorrows as she comes to terms with the secrets of her past.

When a college in San Diego asks Edgar Donahoe to leave due to his drunk bellowing from his dorm room window at 4 in the morning, he resolves a decision to embark upon a journey which he has romanticized for some time. Throughout his journey his goal is to rid himself of the corruption of America by his discovery of paradise. Until he received a postcard from his best friend Mountain, he never had a destination in mind. With the discovery of Poisson Rouge, Edgar now sets out to the island where he intends to become one with nature and return to a more natural version of man.

However, Edgar makes the mistake of assuming that a change of ambience will help him live a meditated life. At the end of the novel the readers realize true peace of mind can not be achieved through paradise, but solely through one?s personal efforts. An external change will only change surroundings; it can not balance or improve one?s inner-self. As Edgar works through his internal and external problems he becomes captured in the same corruptive and influenced behavior he hoped to leave behind in America. Some of the adversity Edgar is faced with is a love triangle with his best friend Mountain, and Mountain?s girlfriend Kate. He is also stalked by an island native. Ironically, it takes a hurricane to remove protagonist Edgar from this complex lifestyle.

Poe Ballantine creates the image of a youthful character by breaking us down with complex tragedies and then building us up with his unique sense of humor. It is the story of a hero who attempts to regain paradise. Ballantine?s fast paced style keeps you interested from the beginning to the end and then craving for more. His detailed descriptions and vivid scenes make you feel as if you were following Edgar on his journey to paradise. Once Edgar reaches the island, the culture shock seems so grave that you wonder whether it is a direct representation of the society or a delirious description due to an unhealthy mix of heat and alcohol. However, this quickly forces Edgar to realize that civilization is not as overrated as he perceived. Ballantine also maintains an intriguingly relaxed and almost conversational tone throughout the novel which provides a level of comfort between Edgar, the author, and the audience. With this said, Ballantine has proved himself to be a contemporary spokesperson of today?s society with a strong sense of wit.

Despite the fact that the novel takes place in 1976, I believe it is still a good reflection of today?s younger generation. Edgar helps to open the minds of an older more structured generation to a more simple and fanciful mentality but also aids the youth in recognizing the demand for direction. Edgar?s whimsical idea of a simpler life, his endless craving for alcohol, and his yearning for unity with nature will leave you wishing to return to the days of youth or a motivation to improve upon them.

I suspect Edgar Donohoe, the twenty-one year old anti-hero and warped protagonist of "Decline of the Lawrence Welk Empire" may have walked straight out of the 1976 edition of the author himself and into the pages of this novel. Or maybe I would just like to think so. Perhaps it is a slight to think there is an autobiographical foundation to the character, but Ballantine clearly knows Edgar very, very well.

The action begins in San Diego, but the bulk of the story occurs on the blighted Caribbean island of Poisson Rouge, where no one is who they first seem to be.

Edgar, a young man without a moral compass, has a hearty appetite for booze and an appreciative eye for the ladies. His bawdy descriptions of the female anatomy punctuate the narrative thoroughly and consistently.

Immersed in Ballantine's descriptive power and offbeat imagery, the reader follows Edgar at a safe distance, keeping an eye out for Legion, a crazy loner who first wants to kill Edgar with a machete, shadows him relentlessly around the island and, ultimately, saves Edgar from his murderously jealous best friend, Mountain.

As Edgar lurches from one mishap to another, you'll feel torpid from the oppressive heat, your mouth will be sour from last night's Scotch and your head will throb with the dull ache of a hangover.

If you wish to revisit your own wasted youth--or if you are currently youthful and wish to get some good ideas--this book will fill the bill.

Once again, Poe Ballantine will crack you up, break your heart, and make you wish you had half his verbal skill. In his second novel, Ballantine follows his hero, Edgar Donahoe from God Clobbers Us All, on an ill-conceived attempt to simplify his life in a tropical paradise, only to discover that paradise exists solely in the mind. Traveling through his own personal heart of darkness, Edgar finds himself entangled by all the base desires and jealousies he'd hoped to escape by leaving the western world behind. Ballantine makes the island of Poisson Rouge come alive with explosions of language and vivid descriptions that border on hallucinatory. After reading a scene in which Edgar's love affair with his best friend's girlfriend is consummated in a graveyard, you'll never look at a headstone the same way again.

I'd never read anything by Ballantine before I purchased this novel. I was browsing a bookstore in Cambridge when I saw its cover proudly displayed in the window. Of course, I had to investigate. Needless to say, this book is fantastic. It is both a belated coming-of-age story and an adventure story, coupled with tinges of lust. I've loved every single page thus far, and unfortunately, I've nearly finished it (20 pages to go). "Decline" seems to be one of those novels you can read over and over, without getting tired of it. I love the pace and description in the narrative. Ballantine is certainly a welcome writer on my "favourite books" shelf. Do yourself a favour and read it.

I am not a big fan of most recent fiction. It is so often just whiny, self-aggrandizing crap that glorifies debauchery and pretends to carry a greater message. I picked this book off the shelf because the title and the cover are hard to dismiss. Reading the first page, even though the subject material seems conventional, it was immediately clear that I held a novel wholly different from any of the other two dozen recent novels I'd opened that day.

This book is a real story with real character, real fear, real consequences, and a real philosophy. It begins like The Catcher in the Rye but ends like Fight Club. It takes place in 1976, which seems perfectly poised between those two works, and almost feels like a transition between Holden Caulfield's tired hopelessness, and Tyler Durden's wreckless self-serving activism.

I adore this work, and if you have a soul, I suspect you will, too. This is literature.

I loved the story and the positive influences the author gave to Rob and all of us who are tempted to take a short cut. I loved how real it was and how well the story was able to help me `get into the minds' of the characters to the point that I became consumed in the plot. Esp. being able to get into the mind of the main character, Rob, him being a guy - I was impressed that the author was so realistic with his `typical guy-like' thoughts and did not try to overcomplicate him even though he was in a complicated situation.

I think the main thing I was left with was the value of the positive influences of good people in our lives. The converse of that being important to note as well: how devastating the reprocussions of negative influences...

Well done and worth the time!

For a taste of everything from suspense, romance, and actually getting into people's lives, this book contains it all. Once you start you cannot put it down because you want to read about what happens next. The characters are all believable and seem like people you know. The writer keeps you in suspense to the very end and ties all of the loose ends up in a neat package.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A NOVEL THAT CONATAINS ACTION PACKED SEQUENCES WHERE THE HERO OVERCOMES INSURMOUNTABLE ODDS OVER A PLETHORA OF ENEMIES, OR A BRANIAC ANTHROPOLOGIST WHO CAN SUMMON UP ANY MINISCULE FACT OF ANCIENT HISTORY FASTER THAN ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, THEN THIS IS NOT THE NOVEL FOR YOU. BUT, IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A NOVEL THAT CHALLENGES YOUR THINKING ON HOW WE EFFECT OTHERS LIVES BY THE DECISIONS WE MAKE, NO MATTER HOW INCONSEQUENTIAL THEY MAY SEEM, THIS IS THE ONE BOOK YOU NEED TO READ. THIS STORY DOES A SUPERB JOB OF WEAVING THE CHARACTERS LIVES TOGETHER, EVEN THOUGH THEY DO EVERYTHNG POSSIBLE TO SEPERATE THEMSELVES BY TIME AND GEOGRAPHY. THE AUTHOR IS GREAT AT HOLDING YOUR ATTENTION BY USING CHARACTERS THAT ARE REAL AND BELIEVABLE. THEY COULD EASLILY BE YOUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR. AS THE READER, YOU FIND YOURSELF CONSTANTLY QUESTIONING THE OUTCOME OF DECISIONS MADE BY THE CHARACTERS, FORCING YOU TO READ THE NEXT PAGE JUST TO SEE IF YOU SURMISED CORRECTLY. IT IS A REFRESHING READ FROM THE USUAL TALES THAT ARE ABOUT A HOMOCIDIAL MANIC DRIVEN BY AN OVERDOSE OF TESTOSTERONE IN ORDER OT SAVE HIS PRINCESS THAT SEEM TO COVER EVERY INCH OF THE SHELVES AT OUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE. ONCE YOU PICK IT UP, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN!

I strongly recommend reading this book. I couldn't put it down, I wanted to see what would happen next. The characters and plot touched my heart.

This book got me "hooked" from the start. The story never lagged. Bobby Mac has a lot of things on his plate- most of them unpleasant. I really liked his character, and those he interacted with. It can take a lot of courage to return to your past then start anew. I have never read anything quite like this and would recommend this book to anyone- literally.

It's not that this book is the most exciting story ever told or that it's sheer poetry to read. Two seemingly ordinary men created something extraordinary, something that's affected the lives of millions of people. In LIVING their beliefs, they showed the power that exists in being conscious of the choices we make 24 hours a day, one day at a time. AA got its real start in Akron -- that's where it started because that's where Dr. Bob and his Annie were. Bill had a harder time in NY. As Dr. Bob said, "Love and service keep us dry" and he really lived it. Bill may have been the better writer but in Dr. Bob's story we experience the early HEART of AA and we understand why it grew to be the powerful force it did. Dr. Bob isn't as well known as Bill W., he just didn't live as long, but the love and spirit he brought to AA played a crucial role in making it what it became.

This is a very interesting biography. His life took many fascinating twists and turns. Some of the other reviewers noted that the writing is a little bland, but it really doesn't get in the way of a good story!

I picked this up as part of research project on the history of alternative therapies in America. I thought it'd be some dry recount of the early days of AA, but instead I found it to be a very warm account of a very intriguing man. The writing style lacks flair, but the plain language makes it readable for practically anyone. His final weeks are especially inspiring.

The only historical work out of GSO worth reading. Brings home the powerful message that the good Doctor carried. Gives one puase to think of what AA could have become if Bob had outlived Bill.

While looking for a book by Dr. Bob Arnot, I accidently came to this book review for Dr. Bob and The Good Oldtimers. Well, I read the reviews and then asked an AA friend of mine of he had the book in his library. He did, so I borrowed it.

There's no author listed in the book, so I gather it might have been written by a group of archivists? The writing has that dry, "committee" like feel to it. Which is a little sad, because Bob Smith lived one interesting life! His story is very inspiring.

I read it in one sitting, about three hours, so it's not long. From my perspective, you don't have to be an alcoholic to enjoy this book. Cause I enjoyed it.

This book examines objectively the use of MDMA ("Ecstasy," "mole") in the US and Europe. Saunders reviews many aspects of the drug and its culture (eg his personal experience, history, psychological dangers, social effects, safety, psychotherapy and much more). While the majority of readers probably use the drug or are thinking about using, non-users should read this work as well (it was recomended to me by a fellow parent who had bought it after learning that her 20 yearold son had begun using MDMA). Saunders did not recieve much publicity b/c of the taboo subject, although many reviewers and critics personally thanked him for a well written, informative book.

This book is excellent and I agree with all the other people that have reviewed it in a positive way. However, what surprised me is that Nicholas included very little about the bad effects of Ecstasy, such as first-time user panic attacks, negative effects that might occur (anxiety, claustrophobia, fear of others,midweek crash, etc.) I agree totally with him that E should have never been made illegal, but I feel that he was (rest in peace) so passionate about the good part of E that he forgot that E has a definite downside. Ignoring this downside can make some readers think that E is ALL positive. I recommend this book because still it's very informative and obviously well-researched, I just want potential readers (and E users) to keep in mind that Ecstasy is a strong substance that should be used with respect.

Earlier incarnations of this book, "E for Ecstasy," "Ecstasy and the Dance Culture," and "Ecstasy Reconsidered," have been chosen for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy." http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy

Of all the books on MDMA I've read this is by far the best. Very well organized and goes through everything concerning MDMA from its legal status to the chemistry behind it. The text is very easy to understand even for those who do not know much about this subject. All his statements are backed by solid evidence derived from independent research and real life stories. Saunders gives the reader a chance to decide for himself, rather than telling the reader 'This is what I looked up so this is what I think, and therefore what you think as well'. I would recommend this book to everyone. The author has dedicated his life to this subject, as indicated by the quality of his work.

Saunders, a brilliant and inquisitive man, writes of his experiences, research, and overall knoweledge of MDMA. From the chemical make-up to the trafficing of the drug, Saunders tackles the entire realm of Ecstasy and its culture. A must read for anyone curious about the subject - #1 Thesis on Ecstasy

Review: Embracing the Storm
by Kelli G. Deister
Rated: 5 Stars

Kelli G. Deister's book Embracing the Storm is a handbook for those who have found themselves locked in the chains of abuse. Not only does this book explain Kelli's journey to freedom, but her poems are amazing. Each guides the reader to the end of her journey and to those readers who are in the same prison of abuse, a roadmap, which will guide them on the same journey. Each woman's resource should have a copy of Kelli's book within their walls.
I as the reader and reviewer found this book filled with amazing poetry and good advice. Good Advice to women everywhere. I may not be one who has felt the pain as Kelli has, but I did feel her pain and her joy when she was able to say, "I am Free."


Review by Nancy Lee Shrader
IS IT NOW? The End of Days!
The Curse of Mayweather House
IS HE MESSIAH? Messianic Prophecies Revealed!

"The deeper the sorrow, the deeper the joy" must be said of Kelli Deister's book "Embracing the Storm..." Like the island on which she lives which has been formed by erupting lava from deep within the earth, Kelli has the ability to turn the deepest sorrow into pure joy, death into life, and emotions into revelation. Her poems and the thoughts contained therein ring out like psalms of praise and exaltation (originally songs) from themes of nature's "majestic mountain tops" to "motherhood" with all its trials and pleasures.

Kelli's experiences have even greater meaning for us in that having received love and support from others, she has learned to reach out and share her innermost feelings. Kelli's strong and loving words are capable of lifting burdens from others and removing mountains of fear, repressed emotions and despondence in order to effect change in the lives of those who have suffered as she has.

I have yet to write about similar experiences in my life because God has given me a different way to deal with them, but I can relate in essence to everything Kelli has gone through. It is comforting to know another soul who has chosen to allow herself to walk on a different path and to challenge the rules of a false "religious" doctrine that would allow abuse in one's life to pose as "virtue" instead of an evil to be reckoned with and removed.

Joyce Ann Edmondson
Author
The Listening Tree

Absorbing this collection of poetry authored by Kelli Deister is like taking a trip to the very pit of her soul. Each verse reveals the depth of Kelli's pain and emotional bondage; each with a message of domestic abuse shared in a different vista.

Then with a great crescendo she finds herself. "I am truly free" rings out the joy of her new liberation; the woman who had always been there, hidden behind the prison wall of sorrow. A revelation of peace, happiness and naked emotions are forever hers.

In a most courageous way, Kelli has brought the issue of domestic violence out of the closet. Her poems reveal so much depth and emotion and the comments that follow give hope to all who have been touched by domestic violence or who know someone who has been a victim. Her personal testimony is a must-read for all women. Mahalo, Kelli. YOU are a precious jewel.

Kelli suffered for eleven long years before having the courage to write this collection of poems for victims of domestic violence. Her poems are a testament to her enormous courage. Writing them was not easy. It never is, but writing about abuse is particularly painful. Each one speaks to a step she took that she is now willing to share with others who are facing or have faced abuse. I particularly appreciate the comments following each poem. These enhance her work by interpreting the poem and recommending a step the reader can take to remove herself from a destructive relationship. The poems and comments are reminders also to all those who have not experienced violence directly but who know those who have. They provide a way for all of us to reach out to help victims in many different ways. One of my favorites in the collection is "She's the One." This poem reminds us that these women are all around us, if only we would pay attention and know how to recognize and embrace them.

At the age of 91, Diane Sandell's mother died after having been severely beaten in a California nursing home. This horrific event compelled Diane to found Network Outreach--Better Living for the Elderly (NOBLE). Collaborating with Lois Hudson, Sandell then wrote Ending Elder Abuse: A Family Guide, an important work that directly confronts the inexcusably pervasive maltreatment of our elder generation at home or in sheltered care. This critically important and immensely helpful volume provides the reader with a practical, creative approach to caring for their aging parents as well as offering solutions to professional caregivers and a realistic strategy for legislators and political activists seeking to eliminate this distressing problem that will increasingly affect us all as our population ages and medical advances extend our life spans. Critically important, highly recommended reading for anyone with a loved one in assisted living or nursing home care.

Diane Sandell and Lois Hudson's book "Ending Elder Abuse," is an excellent guide for those who are initially dealing with the care of an elderly loved one. At the same time, there is much that can be learned from the book by those of us who have been in the position to provide care for an elderly loved one.

We can no longer deny that elder abuse occurs and probably more often than we know. The book is a beautiful tribute to a much-loved mother who sadly experienced first-hand this abuse. The authors beautifully illustrate that each of us can make a difference. They give us hope that elder abuse can be stopped.

I found this book to be an invaluable resource for everyone who is, has been or will be faced with caring for a loved one. And that's just about all of us. The authors take the helplessness and fear out of a difficult, heartwrenching task and lead us through it sanely and compassionately. I had no idea how huge was the problem of "elder abuse". Not only was this book's information well written but Bessie's story, which read like a novel, touched me deeply. I could see the frustration, the scenes were alive and when she died, I cried and cried. As one who has had a grandmother in such a home and who is now taking care of my invalid husband in my home, I found the part about caregivers particularly helpful. I applaud the authors and suggest this book to everyone. In fact, it should be in every doctor's office in the country. THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR SUCH A WONDERFUL BOOK.

Having friends who struggle as members of the sandwich generation, that large percentage of the American population dealing with both adult children living at home and elderly parents, I highly recommend this book. The story line tugs on the emotions; the language is for the lay person; the suggestions and guidelines are for anyone who finds themselves dealing with the elderly.

Particularly useful are the suggestions on how to handle the frustrations. Just to know that,"Wow, I'm not the only one that feels that way," gives hope and comfort in an otherwise seemingly hopeless situation.

These authors, speaking from their combined voices of more than 30 years of experience with their own elderly, sometimes helpless parents, bring credibility and hope to the pages.

This is a must read for anyone whose parent is losing his or her independence. Who to talk to? What to do? Where to go for help? When to act? Why is this happening? How to deal with the emotions? These and many more questions are answered and issues addressed.

No reader can finish this book without having a profound awareness of the reality and prevalence of elder abuse as well as what can be done about it.

The appendices are perhaps the most important part. They obviously result from in-depth and shocking personal and shared experiences.

The very detailed guides to choosing and monitoring a care facility are invaluable. Although most references to government and voluntary resources are from California, they provide clues on what to look for in the readers' state and local community.

ENDING ELDER ABUSE is a very substantial contribution to the literature in this often avoided or ignored problem.

Ending Intimate Abuse is a practical and insightful work that will surely prove useful for future generations of student, cirsis counselors, and the curious, alike. The appliction of theories and definitions to real life scenarios made reading this book entertaining and enjoyable. Roberts writing technique is superb, as he has managed to teach a myriad of lessons to readers in a way that is neither daunting nor boring. This book is a valuable asset to any one who has a collect of works on the topic of intimate abuse.

Never before has one been able to put together all they know about domestic violence better than these two! The layout is fantastic! I recommend this for anyone interested in anyway on treating any type of violence case as it pertains to more crises than domestic violence. You learn about details of couples that give you a real-life view of what goes on in a relationship of abuse. The authors did a fantastic job describing all types of abuse and is also a great teaching aid for any type of crisis counselling. A++++!

Robters and Roberts' Ending Intimate Abuse is an informative and compelling book which is hard to put down. Professionals, Academics, and all women will find the research and practical information helpful. This is a realistic self-help guide with practical resources and services. This is a must-read for all dating women, young and old.

In Ending Intimate Abuse: Practical Guidance and Survival Strategies, Roberts and Roberts give survivors, advocates, faculty, students, and other interested readers, an extremely informative and useful text to understand and address intimate partner abuse. The text is versatile, that is, it is suitable as a supportive guide for any woman experiencing abuse in her relationship, as a class text for undergraduate and graduate students, and in the libraries of advocates serving survivors. To understand the critical issues that survivors face, the authors talked with 501 abused women and interweave their life stories throughout the text. Roberts and Roberts identify and discuss a number of important factors (e.g. socioeconomic, substance abuse, protective and resiliency, socialization, culture, and religious beliefs, and other factors) that influence abused women's decision making processes about their intimate relationships. They break new ground in the domestic violence literature by analyzing and organizing these life stories into categories along a continuum of violence (short-term, intermediate, intermittent long-term, chronic with patterns, and lethal). In addition, Roberts and Roberts assertively identify warning signs of potential abusive men. In all these ways, Roberts and Roberts provide critical information for prevention and intervention strategies and policies changes. I highly recommend this book.

This book is absolutely compelling. "Ending Intimate Abuse" is the most brilliant and comprehensive book ever written on this subject. Dr. Albert Roberts has captured the true impact of intimate abuse and violence with riviting true stories of many abused and battered women. He intensely explores the subject and writes with inspiring emotional power. One of the greatest strengths of this book is that women can understand it and use it. It includes 23 warning signs that will help prevent women from being trapped in a violent and/or deadly intimate relationship. The greatest strength...it will save lives!! Hats off to Dr. Albert Roberts , America's premier author of intimate abuse.

This beautifully written, lyrical book is genuinely scary in a way that puts much modern children's literature well and truly in the shade. Grandmother Oldknowe is protected by all the good things of the earth - stone and water, and all the deep things of nature - in her struggle with the horrible Melanie Powers. Aided by Tolly and Ping, it's a battle for the soul with moments that will make adults draw their breath sharply.
Not a book for those who are easily scared, nor for those with strong prejudices against the supernatural - but for the bravehearted reader, an truly thrilling ride awaits.

Why is this book out of print?

In this, the fifth Green Knowe book, Tolly AND Ping come to spend the summer with Tolly's great grandmother, Mrs. Oldknow, and do battle with the forces of evil as personified by a newneighbor, Melanie Powers.

Absolutely wonderful -- my favorite part is the very end, where everything comes together serendipitously to defeat Miss Powers, leaving you to feel that all is right with the world.

After "The Children of Green Knowe," this is my favorite of the five central books of the sequence. It includes all the elements that make the series immortal: the mysterious old Norman manor house with its lush garden and bordering river, the wise and wonderful Mrs. Oldknow who often seems to have more than one foot in any time but her own, her young great-grandson Tolly (now probably about 12) to provide the spark, tales of the mysterious past of the house, and magic--some of it not very nice. Kids who enjoy identifying with the juvenile protagonists of R. L. Stine's horror tales may be well served by being introduced to Tolly and his friend Ping, the Chinese refugee boy, and following along as they slowly become aware of the character and lack of scruples of "Dr. Melanie Powers," the sinister lodger at The Firs, who wants to acquire a gramarie (book of spells) said to have belonged to a tutor employed at the house in the 17th century. While Mrs. Oldknow quickly comes to agree that Dr. Powers is both powerful and evil, it's left up to the boys to beat off her nastier efforts and, ultimately, find a means of defeating her utterly. (Ping has an excellent heroic role when he summons the shade of the slain gorilla Hanno.) Mrs. Oldknow's lodger, the scholarly Mr. Pope, also has his moment of glory when, reciting an ancient Hebrew spell for his tape recorder, he unknowingly halts a spell that threatens to literally ruin the manor. Even the time-travelling blind girl Susan makes an appearance, though I wonder that Tolly's first ghost-friends, Toby and his sibs, are conspicuously absent, this being as much their house as Tolly's--perhaps more: they've been there longer! The one question that itches at me is what has become of Tolly's stepmother: her husband, his father, is mentioned and even arrives at the end of the book, but she isn't and doesn't.

Children like to be deliciously frightened, and this book is a superior title to frighten them with--though not one you'll want them reading alone in their rooms late at night! A superior entry into the series.

The fifth book in Lucy Boston's "Green Knowe" series finally brings together our two main protagonists: the house's blood relative Tolly and the Chinese refugee Ping, both of whom have featured in the previous books, but never together. Unfortunatly we do not see their meeting, but instead join the story half-way through the summer, by which time the two are already best friends.

As always, the mysterious Green Knowe is filled with ancient and semi-magical artefacts (all of which are actually real relics that belong in the author's home on which she based the books) and Grandmother Oldknow tells the children stories concerning the past inhabitants of the house. Now for the first time, she tells them a story that holds a more sinister edge to it. In the 17th century a young boy had a tutor that was said to dabble in alchemical practices, and have a number of magical books with which he created his spells. An author with astonishing vision for her time, Boston highlights the unfairness of such a man being thought of as noble and intelligent for following such a practice, whilst harmless women were often prosecuted for dabbling in herblore. Grandmother Oldknow tells the children that Doctor Vogel eventually burnt all his equipment with the help of the local minister (whose testimony was found in "The River of Green Knowe", but only now translated), but it is rumoured that one book of dark spells may have escaped the flames.

In typical Green Knowe fashion, in which the past regularly surges up to greet the present, it is not just a coincidence that directly after this storytelling a new neighbour comes to call: Melanie Powers, whose interest in the house and in the legend of Dr Vogel hints at her true intentions. She is after the missing book, and begins a systematic assault on Green Knowe as its first truly evil antagonist, whereas up until now the worst the children have faced is meddling adults. Like the Twelve Plagues of Eygpt, Ms Powers sends nasties crawling into the Green Knowe: maggots, snakes and bird-snatching cats.

But of course, Tolly and Ping have their own spells and allies, and with this comes wonderful reappearences from previous characters, including the spirit of the gorilla Hanno and the ghostly past-resident Susan. Even the starlings, who have been pests in previous books, prove their worth. It is stirring stuff to see the children fight passionatly for the home they love and attempt to reach the book before Powers does. I only wish Boston had taken the opportunity to include more characters: what about Ida and Oskar? Toby, Alexander and Linnet? Boggis and Feste the horse?

It is the first Green Knowe book to instigate a good against evil theme, and for that reason is sure to be a favourite among most readers since all the other books make more meandering and whimsical reading. In fact, one should be warned that this installment can get a little scary at times, and even gruesome, as in the case of Powers hanging dead birds on a clothesline or the sight of a horned ritual stick, which was described so evocatively that it sent shivers down my spine: "they recognized it at once as absolutely evil." I should also warn New-Agers and modern day "witches" that Ms Powers is a witch in the medieval description of the word - with black magic and links to Satan.

A great addition to the "Green Knowe" books, though often mistaken for the final installment. This is false, as there are six books in the series, and the last title is "The Stones of Green Knowe", an essential part of the collection. Boston claims that she wrote these books for her own amusement, and that has never been more apparent than in "An Enemy at Green Knowe" since many questions are left unanswered concerning the background of Mr Powers and the real intentions of Dr Vogel, yet despite that, this book is one of my favourites.

And as always, Peter Boston's illustrations are excellent, and I love Brett Helquist's new covers; let's face it, these books were in need of a face-lift.

I remember reading these books on my summer vacations to my grandparents...I was bored and the local town librarian recommended them to me. Many years later, looks for books on mysterious houses for a nephew, I remembered and re-discovered them. My favorite is An Enemy At Green Knowe. The story is full of twists and turns and quite frightening events, with the excitement lasting just long enough to tantalize the reader. You feel the house itself is a living breathing character, as is true of the entire series. This is the kind of book an adult needs to put in the hands of the student -- as is true with A Wrinkle In Time -- and sit back while the child becomes wrapped in the world of Green Knowe. A superior children's book!