Abuse Books

Ms St. John's style of writing had me turning page after page wondering just what happened next. I would put the book down for a moment thinking I could just walk away and do the things that needed to be done. I was wrong. I found myself drawn back to Southern Illinois and the St. John family. It brought back memories of my own dysfunctional family. I highly recommend this book, not just for those that may have lived through a similar upbringing, but for anyone that wants a good read and a glimpse into how one woman overcame so much.

haven't read it yet but can't wait. i actually saw on powells.com this book offered for $8.50 and no special order fee. just an fyi. look forward to an enchanting and engrossing read - it's been awhile...

Linda St. John is a wonderful talent and tells her remarkable story of surviving a stark upbringing with wit and insight in the package of a really good read. The story moves along. Her characters are tremendously vivid and orginal.

Memoirs of a terrible childhood marred by poverty, alcoholism and abuse in Southern Illinois. Later on the abused children look after their dying father, a WWII veteran with a PhD, and seek his love. These terrible childhoods always make good stories when told by their survivors. The worse the childhood the better the story because we know that the writer survived to become a person who could write a book. It's always a question as to how much is true (I've heard that Frank McCourt's mother was a New York secretary) but this one could stand on its own as fiction. We're given a lot of jacket biography, and even a cover designed by the author, that form an intrinsic part of the story. I share the other reviewers' irritation with the apostrophes on the gerunds but I guess them white trash aint gonna mind that none.

The author has taken an artful look at her painful family
background in a way that is amazing. The sincerity and poignant detailing suggest that the author has not borrowed trouble to write about, but does in fact know it very intimately, and has used the power of creativity to rise above and even flourish.
No one can read this book and not be inspired to look with more colorful curiosity at any trouble in their life.
All people in Alcohol and abuse programs would take heart from reading this. This book suggests tools for taking a liberating apprach to life. A beautiful book of love and understanding.

This Ellis's best book. How and what you think changes what you feel. Depression, anxiety, and other psych issues are impacted by what you think, what you say and how you say it.

This book can help almost anyone feel better, but first you have to read it.

Those looking for the usual pampering and hand-holding need not look here. This book is for those who truly want to feel better, even if it means taking a sometimes-unpleasant look at their own behavior.
While this is not a manual for the seriously disturbed, those with more common issues will find a great deal of help, so long as they are willing to apply these principles.

In this book, Al Ellis tells you everything you need to achieve long-term freedom from emotional upset. He explains why certain modes of therapy are ineffective and counter-productive. Even if they do no harm, they do not deliver the help you need, as opposed to more efficacious modes of therapy, such as REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) and Cognitive Therapy. He distinguishes between merely palliative techniques, like Yoga and Meditation, which help you feel better, but do not lead to lasting improvement, and those which help you get better and stay better.

Ellis makes no bones about the fact that it is often difficult to achieve the changes you want to make - but that's no reason for not doing so!

Having tried other therapeutic methods, until I discovered Dr. Ellis at one of his legendary Friday night workshops, I can tell you that if you stick to the principles laid out in this book, you will be the better for it.

In this book, Ellis shows the interested reader how Rational Emotive Therapy works, what the underlying philosphy is, and - most importantly - what you can do to get yourself out of emotional difficulties.
He emphasizes not only the aspect of feeling better, which many clients can more or less easily do (e.g. by exercising, meditating or distracting oneself from difficult feelings and situations). It is much more important to actually get better and permanently stay better. Ellis shows how you can achieve the kind of deep restructruring of your basic philosphies of life. He specifically recommends the use of the following techniques:
- Logical Disputing, e.g.: does it really follow that I am a worm if I am acting wormily?
- Realistic Disputing: Where is the evicence for my absolutist belief?
- Pragmatic Disputing: making cost-benefit ratios of short and long term benefits of my behavior and thinking patterns

To effectively dispute your irrational beliefs, you better dispute them cognitively, emotionally and behaviorally.
What I as a psychologist especially liked about this new book, are Ellis' exemplary disputations of low frustration tolerance, self-downing and other downing. This can help clients considerably to apply the ideas to their real life problems.
A good book to use for bibliotherapy!

No pychologist has contributed more to cognitive-behavior therapy than Dr. Albert Ellis. I highly recommend this book for everyone! This book will enhance your well-being no matter current situation.

Building and maintaining healthy relationships is part of the human experience, but building bridges that lead to spiritual and emotional wellness is an awakening. The Feeling Soul is a powerful book that helps you remove the barriers to being present, here and now.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

John LeBlanc
The Canadian Financial Wellness Group (CFWG)

Mark is a wonderful story teller and teacher of life. I learned a lot about psychology and proper and inproper ways of dealing with pain and trauma from this book.

Thank you for shedding some insights to my own psychy. Everyone should get this book, my friend Rafal certained loved it.

Alice Zhou
www.gracioushost.ca

Some comments from readers
A powerful book... a great guide to anyone on a journey to understanding themselves. Mark shows how to work through emotions and really heal, and stop patterns and really move foreward

If you've done your healing work, this is a great refresher to help you enjoy the benefits of your work.

A very practical book - the author shares his personal stories and insight. No psychological mumbo jumbo.. Well written with lots or stories to relate to.

A lot of hard earned insight is shared in this book!

This unique book is a compassionate, penetrating, practical resource for both the layperson and therapeutic community. It is a thinking and a doing book, demonstrating that a new life can be learned. It integrates thinking, feeling and new behaviors and illustrates the dynamic relationships between all three in a comprehensive model of personal development and who we are as person. The book flows well, but does not need to be read sequentially..

The book is divided into 5 major sections;
Learning; discovering what emotions are, attitude development, connections, self responsibility, support systems, emotional role models, emotional maturity, the role of stress, and a broad spectrum of innovative healing techniques.
Insight; understanding our past and culture and why we are hurting, depression, masks, loss, rejection, shame, jealousy, guilt, boundaries, abuse and memories.
Growth; challenging our beliefs and past emotional and mental patterns, triggers, self talk, belief changes, personal purpose.
Healing; letting go and releasing emotions and beliefs, awareness techniques, base-lining, breathing techniques, anger, dependency, productive grieving, forgiveness, catharsis, visualization and various other religious and cultural healing practices.
Teaching; forgiving, empathy, gratitude, healthy living, balanced life, positive expectation.

The book includes an extensive bibliography and further resources at www.healingresources.org. An ancient Chinese proverb says "Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand". Mark O'Meara's new book does all of this and more, a unique contribution.

Mark's writings teach people that we can really learn how to live free from past pain and to create new possibilities. The Feeling Soul helps the world to know that it can be done and how to do it!

This book is chalked full of the information about FASD! From the beginning of awareness in the public till now! Reccomended reading for all who deal with FASD.

Dr. Streissguth is one of the pioneers in the identification and treatment of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the entire spectrum of congenital damage arising from in-utero exposure to alcohol. 25 years after the identification of this common and devastating disability, most efforts in the academic community still focus on definition and diagnosis, with relatively little attention paid to treatment. Dr. Streissguth stands atop the heap in extending her basic science research into the actual lives of affected individuals, their families, and the communities in which they live. I consider her the foremost authority in the academic community on exploring pragmatic options for helping affected individuals, families, and community.

This little volume is jam packed with useful information.

After reading Dr. Streissguth's book on fetal alcohol syndrome, I feel this book should be given to every parent or caretaker who receives this diagnosis about their child. This is the most thorough book I have found on this subject. Dr. Streissguth's knowledge in this area is so extensive and her book offers a step by step approach and guidelines on what you will need to know to in raising a child with FAS. I truly recommend her book and am so grateful for her insights.

Written by one of the leading behavioral experts in the field. A must for anyone with a problem child, in medicine or psychology, social or justice work...it is a recognized primer for the topic of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Dr. Streissguth's Book is the best explanation of the effects of alcohol on the unborn child, that I have ever found. For years, I did not know what was wrong with the beautiful little girl that my husband and I adopted. Twenty-seven doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, school counsellors, guidance counsellors, religious leaders, police or addictions counsellors over the past 16 years never once, suggested that FAS/E was the problem. For every person in those positions dealing with troubled children, "Fetal Alchohol Syndrome: A Guide for Families and Coommunities" should be compulsory reading!
I cried over and over while I read the book when I saw how my community, my family and I had let my daughter down, because we didn't know. I wrote to Dr. Streissguth and thanked her personally, and I am doing my best to help my daughter and to educate others, so no one has to fail their child the way we did. Thank you again, Dr. Streissguth!

I just finished this book and have a couple thoughts. This author is incredibly insightful and the reader is given so many jewels of wisdom about parenting and the outcome. For instance she says: "The immature mother subconsciously believes that the magical trick is working and that the sacrifice of the child is appropriate to history and circumstances. It seemed to provide my mother with some sense of justice, of payback, "of now it's time to get mine." Profound and original stuff, and there is a lot of it in this book. Alexis Morgan has reached incredible insight and understanding here, but at what a cost to her life... it was simply horrific to read.The physical-mental-emotional torment this author went through was not only life-threatening but also stole her happiness and rippled through her family disaffecting the health and happiness of her daughter and it could not have been good for her husband and others. Ripple negative impact from a deliberately destructive individual. It made you want to reach through the pages of the book, go back in time and make the author a ward of the state at age four.

Yet, through it all... 60 years... the author's mother took pretty good care of herself.

What's kind of disturbing is the pride with which this author describes her mother's career accomplishments and "good moments" of non-abusive interaction.

While the book is intensely personal and the author's analyses brilliant on many relational points, I was concerned for this author on one important point. When it is obvious that this author's mother is pathologically competitive, jealous and cruel, I just don't know why anyone would keep going back to the well for more... it just cannot be worth it. Ms Morgan speaks of geographical distancing and gradually setting boundaries, but clearly that wasn't enough because as she points out you cannot control what other people say and do and her mother continued to sucker-punch her with abject mean-spiritedness even when the author was in her 60s. She left the house at 19; why blow four more decades on trying to make her mother into someone she couldn't be?

It seems obvious to this reader that that the sooner this author walked away the better for her. She was destroyed over and over by this mother and the mother's influence on her brother... what's the point? I understand the time frame the thinking on this took place; the author is in her 60s. I think a more enlightened point of view nowadays would be to cut it off with someone this overtly cruel, even if he/she be a parent. The author repeatedly references the Fourth Commandment, to honor thy parents, as a guide to her behavior but it is the book's bad message. If the parent is narcisstic bully with no empathy or regard for her daughter, then how is honor the proper response? It just isn't. Unconditional love in return for deliberate life long cruelty/deprivation/neglect is not reasonable. Period.

And this point is easy to make in two quick arguments. While pretty much everyone can reproduce, not everyone is psychologically healthy/mentally balanced.Clearly, in the innumerable permutations of the human personality there are people who cannot wish for better for their children or even wish them well. And, there are those, like this author's mother, who actively wish to destroy them when they have power over their lives. I see total avoidance and self-protectiveness more than forgiveness and continuing interaction as the solutions here.

Secondly, what does "honor" mean? Refusing to deal with someone that uses every opportunity to do you harm, and/or historically has basically destroyed you over and over is not the opposite of honor. And there is one more point that the author seems to miss: this author's mother functioned better, even normally, in areas of her life like her civil service job, but not with her daughter. Her daughter, this author, consistenly triggered vicious jealously, competition and vengefulness. Evidently, this narcissitic mother saw her darling four year old daughter and felt mostly rage and resentment and retaliation and then with a sense of entitlement acted on those emotions... for a lifetime, refusing to recognize or be grateful to this child for all she was forced to do. Heartless. Nefarious. Unforgivable.

I would defer to Alice Miller's point of view on the "honor thy parents" commandment when dealing with a sadistic parent. When a parent is this destructive it is a pathology and that person needs to be cut out of your life. Go to the book by Alice Miller: "The Body Never Lies: The Lingering Effect of Cruel Parenting," in regards to the Fourth Commandment, Page 130: "... as soon as we opt out of this value system it would be absurd for an adult woman to be expected to honor her parents for either being brutally cruel to her, or for looking on and failing to intervene." Exactly. She goes on to say that the idea of most therapists is that success of therapy is forgiveness of the errant parent by the person in therapy and goes on to explain the ridiculousness of that position. I would hope that this is changing in therapy-world.

Page 53 of the same Miller book: "People who have done you such harm do not deserve your love or respect, even if they are your parents. The price you pay for such filial devotion is appalling, the terrible physical torments you repeatedly go through. You can free yourself from the Fourth Commandment."

Other than the constant trying to make a relationship work with her mother the book had some outstanding analyses. I wish Ms. Morgan the absolute best.

While ultimately I found the book inspiring, it was difficult to read in a continuous sitting. I found that I had to "digest" one chapter at a time. The writer's story made me feel uncomfortable at times. Perhaps because it reminded me of things I had experienced and would rather forget. I do believe her personal discovery has important messages for the reader. And the exercises or meditations at the end of each chapter are very helpful to someone on the road to recovery/discovery. However, this is not a book for someone who is not ready to seriously examine why they have used fatness as a source of protection. It can be quite painful to do the work the author has done. It was well written and well organized.

This is a courageous account of one person's journey to authenticity. The writter's struggle was with obesity but the concepts can be interchanged to apply to anyone suffering from any addiction. I would recommend this to anyone who is tired of living with the emptiness of trying to please everyone but herself and is ready for self-awakening.

This is one of the most powerful and beautiful books I've ever read. Ms. Morgan relates her issues with food addiction back to her often traumatic childhood. I have had problems in my own life with obsessive eating and always wondered why. The questions to the reader at the end of each chapter were so helpful to me in my own discovery of this question. This book is for everyone seeking an understanding into their addiction or a loved one's addiction. It is thought provoking and so beautifully written. You won't be able to put this one down!

This book details one woman's attempt to overcome both her health problems and her traumatic past. It is useful not just for those seeking to lose weight or overcome abuse but for those looking for their internal strength to overcome obstacles in their lives. This book is more than an autobiography, it is more than therapy. It is a journey of spiritual and personal growth for readers and how one woman found the courage to overcome the haunting memories of an abusive childhood and use that experience to help others.

This is a very powerful testimony about being about as low as you can get then being saved by God. He probably made it short so anyone could read it but I wish it was longer because it really pulls you in. I highly recommend it for anyone with struggles of any kind or who just want hope in their life, or for anyone.

John Michael Weber has done a stellar job in writing this book. He is one of the first people writing about additions to reveal that additions are often about pain, not partying. He did it well.

Two words that describe his writing are HONESTY and CLARITY. He doesn't smooth over the tough parts, and while his book does contain humor, it is written very seriously. He means what he says.

The chapters are short, so, in theory, one could read it a little at a time. I say, in theory, because once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I will say, that in spite of the short chapters, I would save this book for times when you can give it your complete attention.

Thank you, John Michael Weber, for sharing your story with us. I hope it gets shared with many, and pray for your continued success.

To write about something so personal, to open oneself up to scrutiny and judgement, to give livid detail to a life that few of us can understand - this is the message of a man with a gift who unflinchingly shares the dark depths of rock bottom and the salvation following. Brutal, yet tender; heartbreakingly sad, interspersed with ironic commentary...this is the work of a man on a mission to save others - if only but one person - from this despair. Cheers to you, Mike, for your bravery and the strength to pull yourself out of hell.

For most of us the world of drug addiction and homelessness is a mystery. When we see people on the street with a sign we can only wonder what their lives are like. With this book Mike Weber reveals the mystery for everyone to see what it is like to live like that. We get to see not only what those people do but what they think as they go through the day. It brings them into focus as real people with families and things that matter to them. It makes their situation all the more painful so when he overcomes that life it is all the more powerful.
I was especially surprised by the poetry and how good and touching it was. It was not something that I expected to find in a book about drug addiction. This book was wonderful to read and when it was over I just wished there were more chapters. I would recommend this book to everyone whether they are just curious about the life or if they are trapped in the life of an addict and want to see that there is hope. A terrific book!

I personally think this is a great book, it will help families of drug addicts to understand the thoughts and struggles of a person with a drug and alcohol problem,and also help people going through their own battle, it is a great idea and takes alot of courage for my dad to write this book, revealing his own hard past in hopes that his book will help someone who might feel they don't have any hope. I'm very proud of my dad and enjoyed the book especially the parts about me ; )

A much-needed perspective on the complexities of family violence which clearly establishes the inappropriateness of the "one size fits all" approach to the diagnosis and treatment of family violence. A comprehensive, readable, lucid, well-structured domestic violence manual that broadens the debate beyond the traditonal patriarchal paradigm, offering instead a gender-inclusive, wholistic approach to domestic violence.

Hamel's approach allows for consideration of intimate partner abuse as a complex problem which may include individual psychopathology and problematic family systems, as well as incorporating what's useful from the feminist paradigm. His approach allows for the tailoring of the treatment to actually suit for the individuals, couples and families involved.

Hamel provides a clear framework for working with different kinds of offenders, including guidelines, techniques, and assessment tools. Its gender inclusive framework is consistent with current research and acknowledges that both men and women are serious victims of partner abuse.

I couldn't recommend this book more highly.

Mr. Hamel's book is a refreshing, much-needed view of the intricacies of family violence. he, hopefully, puts to rest the "one size fits all" approach to the diagnosis and treatment of intimate partner violence. in fact, we in the field had drifted away from diagnosis, assuming that men were always the perpetrators just because they were men! assumptions will not help families struggling with this difficult issue. hopefully his approach will help the lost children whose lives often do not improve if only one parent gets treament.

L. Darlene Pratt MFT CDVD

John Hamel has filled a much needed void in gender abuse understanding. Finally a book that looks at both sexes thru overwhelming research. Great book for the assestment and treatment of partner abuse. There are so many helpful "tools" including marital happiness scale , abuse lethality levels, controlling tactics, anger styles, etc. I highly recommend this book.

At long last, a comprehensive domestiv violence manual that departs from the traiditonal patriarchal paradigm, offering instead a gneder-inclusive, systems approach to domestic violence. John Hamel's book views intimate partner avuse as more than a problem of individual psychopathology, but also as a relationship problem, and he shows that treatment is limited when we fail to treat the entire family.

John Hamel's new book, on gender inclusive treatment of domestic violence, is the most honest and refreshing book I have ever come across. What I most like about John's book is that he doesn't try to be politically correct, but simply shares the facts in a completely honest manner. I especially like the fact that he seriously addresses the need for treating the male "victim" and the female "perpetrator" of domestic violence, which is often minimized by those in the field. I feel that we are finally entering into the 21st century on this topic with John's work. A must read for every domestic violence treatment worker!!

April Lorier's book is so well written and will hold your attention from beginning to end. As difficult as it was to write this book, we need to remember how much more difficult it was to actually live this story! God's angels definitely surrounded April throughout these years of pain, heartache and difficulty.

What a blessing for April Lorier to share this personal story of child abuse. It shines a light into the dark abyss of child abuse and hopefully, will cause others to see themselves and get the help they need in order to stop the abuse. That is the real reason for sharing such horrific stories as this. I commend April Lorier for her boldness in telling her life story and am confident that God will use her words to accomplish far more than she could ever hope or imagine!

Bless you big time, April Lorier!

I had the pleasure of reading "God's Battered Child". It's an exceptionally moving and inspirational book. It's a true story of April Lorier's life as a severely abused child and how God's enduring promise brought her out of the darkest and most destructive periods of her life.

The book is layered and takes you through a tremendous journey, both of deep pain and heartache and of renewed faith and recovery. I was literally consumed with April's words. Her style of writing holds your attention. The reasoning of why some things happened, made me see things in my own life more clearly.

Mere words cannot touch upon the depth of this book. It's something you have to read for yourself. Her words will change your life, renew your faith and linger long after you've turned the last page. Thank you April Lorier for such an inspirational story and for helping to make the world a better place.

Lorier's book, God's Battered Child, is riveting. From the first page, the writer captures the reader like a lion its prey, and she doesn't turn loose until the end. While the book opens long-forgotten wounds, it also soothes the wounded spirit, especially when Lorier writes about her faith in God, and at last, finds the strength to forgive her mother.

When she spoke at her mother's memorial, she realized how much her mother had changed in the years since she'd seen her. "All of those people through the years that Mama had talked about--faceless names I thought I'd never meet--I met all of them that day. And I recognized all of their names because Mama had told me about each of them receiving Christ. She had always been most animated when telling me about a `new soul for the Kingdom.'

"I looked out on a sea of redeemed humanity and realized Mama's life was not about her inability to control her anger . . . Her life would not be measured by her failures, but by her obedience to the Lord."

Lorier has the gift of story, and she tells it with passion, tempered with her wit. From the neglect and abuse she received from her mother to the love and faithful prayers of her grandmother, the book takes the reader on a wild roller-coaster ride. Lorier's story is powerful!

April Lorier has done a masterful job in telling her difficult personal story of neglect, abuse and darkness. Each chapter is a little story within a story. Reading her visual description and taut writing is almost like seeing a movie unfold. One-line cliff hangers draw the reader forward. Each chapter reveals more negative events and difficult emotions arising for the writer. Her situation, brought on by the sins of many, becomes an ugly tangle. The ensuing end of the story -- while not a perfect "happy ending" -- demonstrates courage, understanding, and rarely seen Christlike love.

Nancy Spiegelberg, author of "Fanfare: A Celebration of Belief" and "I'd Like to Ask God."

God's Battered Child: Journey From Abuse to Leader

Judging strictly by the title, one would think this was a made-for-TV horror story. It's much more than that. Ms. Lorier grips the reader's heart from the first page as she introduces the reader to her mother:

"She often came to the skating rink that autumn of 1941, knowing most of the farm boys in Paw Paw and nearby Shabbona Grove would gather to meet girls. Rather than being content to huddle on the fringe like the other girls, she preferred to be the center of attention by weaving in and out of the other skaters, her long blonde hair flowing behind like a bride's veil. With blue eyes flashing like spring lightening, she would challenge the braver boys to race, then fill the room with her contagious laughter as each boy inevitably fell to defeat. She was wild and exciting, and all the boys fell under her spell and wanted her.
Especially Calvin Morston."


Sounds like Ms. Lorier is describing herself. I was in the audience in 1974 while Ms Lorier addressed several thousand people at CU Boulder. Blonde hair flowing, eyes flashing like spring lightening, she eloquently challenged a hostile audience to muster up empathy for abusing parents. Witty and passionate, she was obviously in her element before so many. She stood her ground midst the scattered catcalls and boos. I watched her win over all of us with her contagious laughter and self-deprecating humor. Two hours later Ms. Lorier received a standing ovation. Her cause was taboo. Her passion was exciting.

There are not enough stars available for the rating of her brilliant chronicle. Her method has not changed in thirty-three years. She's a master at blending anecdote, statistics, logic and faith. One would expect the offending parent to be excoriated. But Ms. Lorier, wise beyond her years, lays out the dynamics from one generation to the next and draws the reader to her own empathy.

This book holds the reader in its grip from the first to the last page. Her acerbic wit is employed often enough to provide relief from the unspeakable repulsion of what she endured. Never once does she paint herself as victim. Unbelievable.

Do not be fooled by the brevity of this book. All 159 pages are packed with tight writing. Just part of the genius of Ms. Lorier.

This book was a eye opener to a friend of my daughters, she read the book and gave it to her girlfriend to read, because she new the situation the girl was in. Maybe one of these times she wouldnt be alive to see her girlfriend again. She didnt think she was worthy or could get someone better than what she had, a abusive boyfriend. Now her girlfriend is going out with a nice boy, he treats her well, totally different. It helped her see the difference of the abusive situation she was in, whether it was vocal or beating-hitting, it definitly made her think . She is very thankful to the author.

The author has given a lot of thought to this book - only 45 pages - very clear, concise, and effective. It is not just a passage or a brief example of an experience of domestic abuse, but the whole story. The psychology of the dynamics are woven into the story. I realize more from this reading how the problem of domestic abuse could happen to any woman, especially since the character, Leia, was a normal young woman, with many positives within herself, before she was in the abusive situation.

The best part of this book is the way it teaches and tells a story at the same time. All readers will identify with the character Leia in the story. I found I couldn't put the book down once I started and as a working mother with limited time that says a lot about this author.

I clearly understand the situation of verbal and physical abuse after reading it. Sometimes you need to read it to realize you are living it. I will make sure my daughter reads this book before she starts dating.

Finally, a book that articulates and espouses the reasons behind violent domestic abuse. These words and insights from this author, are a ray of hope for those who are on this road of destruction. And to those who question, and do not understand the compelling reasons behind women[and some men]who stay in such horrific relationships--PLEASE read this book. I no longer finished the book when my sister swiped it from me, and handed it to a woman, who is living Leia's story. Ms. Guiser show the steps needed towards healing and self-discovery. And my hope is, that this woman will find through her story the inner strength and courage to leave, and to realise her value and self-worth as a woman. The knowledge, insight, and candor conveyed in this book is encouraging, refreshing, and valuable. To me, this is a true testament to this therapist and author, who seeks to break down the wall of silence, and to help those who see no hope.

I teach a group of inmates at a local detention center. Most of them are there for alcohol and drug abuse. However, this book aptly points out that we are all addicted to something, whether it be material things, or even relationships. Dr. Jampolsky explains in a caring, loving manner how to overcome our addictions. His thoughts are based on "A Course in Miracles." I also recommend his father's book called, "Love is Letting Go of Fear." (Gerald Jampolsky)

This book is not just for those plagued with obvious addiction, it is a call to reflect upon the mind and uncover the barriers that don't allow us to experience real love, which everyone is struggling with at some extent. The foundation for the book is within it's preface: Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all of the barriers within yourself that you have built against it. (A Course in Miracles)

Jampolsky uses personal stories and stories of real people who suffer from the ability to feel love and assists the mind in considering a different perspective, which allows love to flow in. I believe the question isn't; Are we addicted, but, which of my addictions are causing me the most pain?

As a Life Coach using the modality of Rapid Eye Technology, I assist many suffering from addiction in being able to feel "real love" which is where Jampolsky directs his audience. Real love is found within, not from some other external entity. The more we begin to feel real love, the less we become dependent on the false hit we get from addiction in any form.

I recommend this book to all who struggle with addiction, all who care about one who is addicted, and all who attempt to assist others in breaking free from the grasp of addiction. Did I miss anyone?

This is a great book regarding addiction issues and there root causes. It is packed with great information which can be utilized immediately to help with personal issues of all kinds. CC

As a minister, and a student of A Course in Miracles since 1994, I found this book very inspiring and helpful in uncovering all that is addiction. It is not what you think. We used this book in early 2003 as a basis of study for our study group. The entire group received so much insight into their own addictive patterns and many were able to release so much to the Light and Love of God.

I read an excerpt from this book at an on-line site. I ordered the book. I started reading it the same night I received it. I thought I would only read a few pages. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. The questions/situations Dr. Jampolsky posed was me. It was like looking in a mirror. The book offers lots of life situations/problems, and wonderful suggestions to solve them. This book was a "mind" saver for me. And I like the other reviewer, use it as my Bible.