Abuse Books

I couldn't put this book down, but my God, I wanted to. I am scared that the drug problem is this bad, yet I highly recommend it to anyone who has kids in school. You should at least know whats going on in the classroom.

From a literary angle, it was so well written that I can't wait for her next!

Dr. Maggiolo's first novel is a remarkable achievement. I became so caught up in the very real characters she portrayed that I couldn't put the book down. When I finished, not only had I been entertained, but I had been brought to the reluctant admission that I've had my head in the sand about what goes on in our public school classrooms. This is more than an exposé - it is also a validation of the terribly difficult experience that teachers, administrators, parents and students find themselves in daily. Only by admitting that her story is very, very real-to-life can we begin to look for solutions to the problems she so vividly portrays. Everyone should read this book, especially parents and anyone who is an educational professional.

Author Paulette Maggiolo draws upon her many years of work in public school systems as classroom teacher, supervisor, administrator, member of a Teacher's Association, and a member of the Administrator's Association to write The Guilty Teacher, a strong, vivid, accurate, detailed and compelling novel about drugs, students, teachers, and America's troubled public schools. Maybe Maggiolo's The Guilty Teacher can do as much for the reformaton of the public education system that Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin did for the abolition of slavery.

I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down yet wasscared to turn to the next page. The issue of drugs is so much moreinvolved than I thought, yet as a parent, I needed to know. This is absolutely a must read!

I've been teaching for 13 years and have read almost every book about teaching that I could. Most were fairly good, but they lacked that honest and "been there" view that a real teacher has. This book has it. I can relate to the situations, problems and students. Great book.

"Cheating is not a new problem in the United States or anywhere else. It has existed in nearly every human society.
"In Ancient Greece, the Olympic games were rife with cheating. Athletes lied about their amateur status, competitions were rigged, judges were bribed. Those caught were forced to pay fines to a special fund used to set up statues of Zeus. Greece ended up with a lot of statues of Zeus."
-- David Callahan, THE CHEATING CULTURE

"First, since I played the game myself, I know that you can't put something in your body to make you hit a fastball, changeup or curveball.
"The only person who can do that is the good Lord. But, at that age, you have to ask: Did he accomplish all of this by rejuvenating his strength from day to day with those substances? I know that when you reach a certain age, you just don't bounce back as quickly as you think you can when you're playing all of those games.
"Drugs won't help you hit the ball. But can they make you recuperate consistently enough to hit the kind of home runs that these guys are hitting?
"Let me say this. Any way you look at it, it's wrong."
-- Hank Aaron, 2004

"When he came back, he sat down next to me, opened a plastic vial, and shook out four white tablets that were about three times as thick as aspirin. 'Guys just call it D-bol.'
"I looked at them, but I didn't pick them up. 'So I take these and I get bigger?'
"He shook his head. 'Not that easy. You have to work out even more than before. But it's better, because the results are bang, right there.' "
-- GYM CANDY

Even if you were to torture me by...hmmm...say, forcing me sit in the kitchen of an overheated Macdonald's and watch looping videos of MC Rove rapping and dancing for days on end, I'd still never be able to tell you what bright idea persuaded me to actually join the Commack North freshman wrestling team back in 1969.

It's true that in my preadolescent days, I always had a swell time playing kickball and handball, and you couldn't pry me with a crowbar out of any body of water in the summertime. But I cannot begin to explain by what route I got from those enjoyable and healthy pursuits to the sweat and pain of the wrestling mats.

It had actually been my little brother who always participated in Little League baseball, Pop Warner football, and ice hockey. As he'd be happy to tell you, my competitive juices more typically began flowing in those instances when a teacher directed the class to keep logs of every book read over the coming 4 months.

It seemed that for years afterward, Mom was always telling people how my unhealthy behavior over that winter of freshman wrestling was the cause for my forever ceasing to grow any taller. (Of course, it couldn't have been related to the fact that Mom was just under 5' herself.) But Mom was absolutely right about one thing: I seriously abused my health by dieting over the course of that winter. From what I recall, it was a diet big on celery, lettuce, water, and vitamin pills, and I adhered to it religiously for the days leading up to each wrestling meet, and then binged for a day or two afterward before beginning the cycle again. It was a regimen designed to give me a competitive edge. It resulted in my being able to "wrestle down" to the 112 lb. range instead of the "flabby" 122 lbs. at which I initially weighed in at that fall. (Great Zeus! Was I really that weight once? Even if I were bouncing around on the moon, I'd never be that light again.)

By the end of that freshman wrestling season, I had won half of my matches, lost half of my matches, and went on in the post-season to contract a championship case of walking pneumonia just in time for the vacation week in February. (In case you're wondering: My only other participation in organized sports after that winter was -- think Holden -- serving a year as the high school fencing manager, for which I received -- think Cutter Swim Team -- an actual varsity letter jacket.)

And so I have a bit of long-ago experience with being willing to do something risky to be more competitive, to be the best player, the baddest hombre in headgear. And I've also experienced the consequences: Descending into walking pneumonia while on a family vacation that entailed my father driving us over a thousand miles to Florida and then back again with me coughing and hacking and gagging the entire way -- that really, really sucked.

But those ten days of hocking loogies and running high fevers in my parents' '68 Wildcat was an absolute cakewalk when stacked up against the horror of high school running back Mick Johnson's falling victim to performance-enhancing substances in Carl Deuker's GYM CANDY.

" 'Here's how it works, Mick. You try to run there,' he said, pointing behind the line,' and I try to stop you.' He shoved the mini football into the crook of my arm, led me to the far end of the yard, went back to the middle, got down on his knees, and yelled: 'Go!' "

Mick has played football -- always at running back -- his whole life. His father, a former high school star, held Mick back a year before kindergarten so that Mick would always have that extra year and the additional physically maturity over the other kids in his grade. His dad's got two blank walls in the house that he expects Mick to fill with awards and newspaper write-ups.

Mick is dead-set against using performance-enhancing substances, but his need to be stronger in order to surpass an older teammate, and the fear of having to fend off a younger teammate, result in his being more and more desperate and willing to compromise his values. And then there is, hanging over him, the awful memory of how his first high school season had ended:

"With my teammates watching, with my dad watching, with every eye in the stadium on me, I'd failed. Completely and utterly failed. I'd been so sure of myself, so certain that if I got my chance, I'd make the most of it. How stupid! How like a third-grader! As if I were the only guy on the field with dreams. That linebacker who stopped me -- number 50. Before the game he had probably dreamed of making the big hit to save the game for his team. So why did his dream come true and mine go up in flames? What had he done that I hadn't? Why had I failed? Why had I come up a foot short?
"There was an answer. I tried to keep it from coming, but there was no holding it back. You don't have the talent, a voice whispered -- my voice."

Getting to follow him from when he's that four year-old in the backyard, Mick remains an exceptionally sympathetic character. This page-turner of a sports story is so vivid and well told that I literally experienced physical tension as I watched this teenager becoming more and more trapped in his cycle of lies and the side effects of his substance abuse.

With every page we keep rooting for Mick, hoping that he can see clear to accepting what the good Lord has given him and to stop cheating himself.

Mick Johnson has big football shoes to fill. His dad was a high school star who went on to be a college standout and then a third round draft pick in the NFL. There are two empty walls in the family den just waiting for all the honors and awards Mick is expected to earn.

Things seem to be headed in the right direction. Mick is an accomplished eighth-grade running back. He and his friend are stoked to learn they have been invited to join the high school team for their spring workouts. By the end of the summer, they both actually make it onto the varsity team as mere freshmen. But just making the team is not enough for competitive Mick. He doesn't just want to be there; he wants to play there, too.

Personal goals as well as parental pressure drive Mick to seek ways to speed things up. He knows he needs to be bigger and stronger, but natural growth is way too slow. Pills and protein powder from the health supplement store seem like a possible answer. He even gets his dad to agree and pay for the expense. Maybe he's on his way to playing bigger, faster, and stronger.

When Mick starts increasing his weight training time, his dad has another answer. The radio station where he works is the new owner of the local fitness center -- and free memberships for employees come with the deal. Mick starts working out with his own personal trainer. Peter, the trainer, has other ideas of how to help develop power. Mick's competitive drive pushes him toward steroid use, with all its positive results and negative side effects. His game and his body do get stronger, but at what cost? Friends, health, and personal pride suffer as Mick becomes more and more involved with the performance-enhancing drugs.

Carl Deuker, author of Runner and Night Hoops, focuses on football in this new book. His use of non-stop, play-by-play action, realistic teen frustrations, and personal demons make this a book even reluctant readers will be reluctant to put down.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

I teach Deuker's "Night Hoops" in my eighth grade English classes and it's consistently popular with even the reluctant readers. But now, I've found a novel I like even more. I like it because it wrestles with issues deeper than sports. I like it because it doesn't take the easy way out in the end. And I like it because it's just a damn good story, timely and entertaining.
Despite my high endorsement, I do have one quibble. I'm very familiar with weights and lifting, and one sentence reveals a lack of care to details: "Now he was standing in front of the mirror, bench-pressing two hundred pounds . . ." Every bench press I know involves lying on the bench, not standing.
That one quibble aside, this book is bound to be popular with boys facing the same issues Mick Johnson is facing.

This book is amazing, it is realistic and a true portrayal of the temptation to use performance enhancing drugs in high school athletics.It has you praying Mick makes the right choice and kept my interest to the last page. Not a challenging read but has a great message a must read for the athlete or someone interested in the game or subject. Brings the truth to light and exploits the fact that something like over 40% of steroid use in the US is done by teens. LOVED IT!!!!

Carl Deuker, a name of note in YA sports writing, has scored again with this realistic look at how a high school football player who knows better can rationalize his way into steroids merely by being ambitious, competitive, curious, and in the wrong place at the wrong time. The scary thing is, that's not too unusual a combination. Take this plus the fact that protagonist Mick Johnson already knows about steroids' side effects and health risks -- but takes the plunge anyway -- and you see the stuff of Deuker's engaging plot.

The stage is set with exposition about Mick's family -- chiefly the story of his dad, Mike, an ex-college football stand-out who fumbled his career away with a combination of bad behavior and worse attitude. Now Mike's redemption can only come vicariously by encouraging his son to succeed where he failed. Next we get a series of game scenes, a Deuker specialty, showing Mick's strengths -- speed and quick moves -- as well as his weakness -- strength. The pieces are in place, and when Mick's dad's company buys a health club, Mick gets an "in" that begins a dark journey into a tangled forest, the world of weight lifters on juice.

Books like this are a boon for boys who are reluctant readers but enthusiastic sports participants, and Deuker doesn't pretend to be writing anything deep and literary -- he's just writing great plot that makes kids read. Make no mistake, however: this book has a message worthy of discussion. Better yet, it avoids the mistake of coming across as any finger-wagging lecture.

In fact, I tip my hat to Deuker for juking the obvious ending (which was about to tackle him shy of a successful conclusion) and writing a more realistic one that scored big with me (extra point is good, too). You see, sometimes stories don't tie together so sweetly. Sometimes, in fact, the truth is more bittersweet than not. GYM CANDY is such a story with such an ending. A thoughtful, sobering sports book, I recommend it highly.

Many North American indigenous people believed that when we heal ourselves, we heal seven generations backward and forward. I have long loved this concept because it underscores how we are all related in subtle and time-defying ways. It also provides us with one more very good reason to do the incredibly hard work of transcending the traumas in our lives.

By telling her own difficult story in such searing detail, Julia Carroll has triumphed not only in repairing the damage done by her father, a ruthless pedophile; she also has healed her very troubled family. This includes, ironically and compassionately, the long-secret criminal (and in all likelihood, similar perpetrators in prior generations). Through her heroic struggle to cure herself from the myriad after-effects of her nightmarish childhood, Julia has broken the chains of family dysfunction that certainly would have created more villains and victims in perpetuity.

Moreover, by making her compelling story public in this beautifully crafted book, Julia has provided incest victims with a well-marked path out of the woods. This book contains many practical tools, such as a 30-day journal and many powerful art therapy techniques that guide and encourage readers on their road to recovery.

If you are someone (or know someone) who has suffered from sexual abuse, read this book. It can launch you on a heroic journey in which you transform yourself from a once-powerless victim into a powerful healer of many generations past, present, and future.

I was horrified at first at the sexual abuse that Julia wrote about in this book; and then I realized the truth of how perverted our society has become, and something has to be done to correct this disease. Well here is a very good stepping stone if not your answer.
I recommend this book as a starter to those with whom have been sexually abused, especially for men/males who find it difficult to talk about these 'undesirable things' with a friend, spouse or professional. Julia's book provides an opportunity for anyone that may have difficulty expressing themselves in regards to sexual abuse to work through this horrifying and difficult past.
The second half of the book is a great way to explore your past violations in private. More importantly, time to understand them, and to heal oneself allowing spiritual growth and moving on. I hope educators that teach at least psychology/psychiatry will read and use this book for identifying sexual abuse, more importantly, working with this book and their students that need the healing. I hope people everywhere will read this book to better understand their neighbor, to support each other along life's path, and to bring about healing in themselves.
If you are a victim or know of someone who has been, direct them to Julia's web page 'http://www.juliacarroll1.com/index.html' and download the book for free and give it a test drive. I own a hard copy of this book and now I can share it with my patients and allow them their personal power and an opportunity to be healed and transformed!
Be a friend and spread the news, we owe it to one another......

In "Healed By Light", Julia Carroll shares her courageous triumph over and powerful insights into the devastation of childhood sexual abuse.
Even more importantly, she gives powerful tools to overcome. I would recommend this work to anyone who has personally experienced sexual abuse, to educators everywhere so that they may recognize the symptoms and become better able to help their students who are affected, and to everyone who knows anyone who may be a survivor. God bless Julia Carroll for her courage and for sharing her experience and these tools to help others to become overcomers.

Healed by Light is a powerful journey of how a sexually abused child grew up and overcame her unimaginably painful childhood. Creative outlets helped provide the foundation for healing. By reading her story and including art therapy in the healing process, others can overcome their past and find success. Those fortunate enough to have never suffered or witnessed such abuse can also learn a thing or two about living from this book.

Healed by Light
I have read this moving and insightful book dedicated to the healing of both adults and children who have been abused. Of all the things the heart would like to heal, one of the most obvious and poignent is the feelings a human being is left with after such a betrayal. I hope educators everywhere will read this book in order to better assess and understand their students of any age. I hope people everywhere will read this book to better understand their fellows, to help each other along life's way, and to bring about healing in themselves. This author has shared a personal and painful path with a great deal of intelligence, background, and education. She is very well qualified to have written this book for a wide audience of every level of training. It is also a beautiful book, as well illustrated as written. I particularly loved the photographs.

This is a must-have modern classic for the library of anyone working professionally with abused children. I would also recommend this book for the insight it provides to anyone adopting a child who may have gone through trauma or abuse. Clearly written, backed up with thorough research and guided by sensitive clinical skills, Eliana Gil's work is a primer on helping children work through trauma using their main mode of expression, play. If I could recommend only one book for training young professsionals embarking on the challenging and rewarding journey of helping kids who have been abused, this would be it.

This book is a treasure for the beginning play therapist, as well as the experienced clinician working with issues of abuse. A work sprinkled with fascinating case examples and intriguing stories, this book is truly a must have for therapists

This is a must read if you are working with children. The author is one whom I consider the best in the field. It clearly defines all the basic principles of working with abused children and helps the new practitioner become familiar with the appropriate jargon in the field of play therapy. This is the "bible" of child therapy in my opinion and is priceless.

I love this book and this author. I recommend looking at her other books!

Gil writes about many different types of child abuse. Her book is easily accessible because Gil separates her chapters into very understandable sub-headings. This makes it very easy to go back and search for a certain part. She also makes good use of bullets for simple lists and graphics of characteristics a child may show.

Gil implements a variety of case studies into the text (there's also a section dedicated simply to case studies) to show her point. She also cites many other physiatrist works to back up her points.

Gil does not just write about "the affects of child abuse," and how "traumatic child abuse is to children." She also gives an abundance of suggestions of what to do during therapy. She also includes her own outlines of "Therapeutic Goal" for each of her Case Studies at the end of the book.

I highly recommend "The Healing Power of Play."

I am a victim of sexual abuse. I have read books like NIGHTMARES ECHO,BEAUTY FOR ASHES and COURAGE TO HEAL to find help in my adult life to get over what happened to me as a child. Abuse doesn't just go away and the demons do haunt. When I found out about this book, I bought it as soon as I could.
I am very pleased there is a book like this available for the children now...rather than later down the road when the impact of abuse has taken its hold on them.
I do recommend that all Parents,Teachers etc. buy this book as well as the other two I had mentioned. Though NIGHTMARES ECHO and BEAUTY FOR ASHES are more adult oriented, I think that the parent,teacher,spuse etc can learn from these books and then help the child to over come the abuse with THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY.
I think this book was written well, and written for the regular reader to understand with out all of the large words that can confuse.

I've bought and read a lot of self-help books over the years. Most of them aren't worth the money or time. I found this book, though painful at times, extremely valuable for enabling personal growth and recovery.

This is geared toward abuse survivors of varying kinds. But I think it is a must read for all women...for women who have lost themselves in motherhood, in their job, in their spouses. Her writing style is easy to follow and not condescending. The exercises in the book are thought -provoking and insightful.

Beverly Engel is quickly becoming one of my favorite self-help book writers. This is her newest book, and a must read for anyone who was abused or who had a difficult childhood. Beverly Engel describes the various negative parental mirrors and how they effect children, and how these negative thoughts and beliefs about the self are carried into adulthood. She also provides are powerful step by step program (including journal writing) to help you move through your feelings, coming out the other side with a renewed sense of hope and with new tools to use for the furture. This may also be good for anyone who is harsh and critical of his/herself and would like some tools to be kinder to him/herself. Very validating and empowering book.

Fantastic and very, very helpful! She has a way of helping the abused and the abuser understand from where it started and how to get out of it. It is paractical, easy to read and understand. It is very thoughtful and I highly recommend it to anyone trying to escape abuse and prevent reabuse.

A simply amazing book. I have learned so much about myself and I am only half way thorugh. The book has already helped me to pinpoint the negative images I have and where they came from. This is my second Beverly Engel book and this one hit the nail on the head for me, whereas the other book was good, but not as appropriate for my needs.

I am not only learning to heal myself, but learning how to interact positively with my own children so they will not have the same problems I have. This book definately helps break the cycle.

I read the reviews before I purchased and they helped.

This useful book is sure to offer wonderful help to its readers. It offers just the right strategies and approaches as it prepares you to move forward from hard times to happier times.

Bonnie Collins
Life Coach

I found this book to be written in a simple, straightforward manner that applies to all ages.
I especially liked the chapter on supporting those who are in a state of grief. The book is beautifully written and uplifting for all ages. My wife of 33 years recently died and this book gave me more aid and solace than the more sophisticated writings recommended by my grief support group.
I would advise any person from adult teen to older adult to purchase this book.

I work with grieving teens and whenever possible, I give them a copy of this book. Every page has a gem that can help them sort through their feelings and experiences. All of the children have told me this book really helps them. It is written in large print with pictures, poems, and sayings throughout making it extremely accessible for a grieving teen (or adult, for that matter). It is one of the very best books written for grieving teens. I recommend it highly.

I just wanted you to know that both my teens have read your book, "Help for the Hard Times". It was the only book on loss that really made them feel like it spoke to their true feelings. I can't thank you enough for writing such a wonderful book. I am recently widowed, and until I discovered your book, I was desperately searching. I bought an extra copy and donated it to my school district. I am a MSW graduate student at Fordham University. I eventually hope to work in the public school system. You can bet your book will be on the shelf along with my other resources.

I recently read the book, Help for the Hard Times, Getting Through Loss." I am a divorced mother of two great kids 13 and 18. I was divorced after 21 years of marriage. I went looking for a book I could give to my kids to help hem deal with their own issues of loss revolving around the divorce. I went through my own hard times, and in fact am just now after 3 years reaching the healing times. Unfortunately, my kids grief is just now showing up in ways that until now went unrecognized by them or me. I have to say that this book was very enlightening to me and therefore just can't loose with my kids. I will read it together with my 13-year-old, and give it to my 18-year-old to read on her own. This kind of nuts and bolts help can be very helpful to people of all ages, not just the kids. Sometimes we have to go back to the basics in order to heal an overloaded loss pot, and recognizing the stages is a great start.

Sally D. Divorced mother with a big loss to heal!

This book is so amazing and has helped so many parents I know deal with the everyday trails of teenage parenting.

You owe it to your children to buy this book and learn from knowledge of P.H.D. experts in the field of potential Teenage Dangers.

See for yourself!

As a Parent Advocate, this book has extremely valuable information for any parent that may be struggling with their teen. The authors take an approach that is easy to understand and offers insights to today's generation of teenagers.

Every parent should read this book and then keep it on hand for the inevitable day when the book will be needed as a resource. It is well written, well organized, contains believable excerpts from real experiences, and informs the parent/caregiver in a way that is understandable, albeit terrifying, on what our teenagers face and how they cope.

At last, a book written to help parents and those who work with TEENAGERS understand what is going on in those adolescent brains. I now have a much better understanding of what emotional changes my two teenagers are going through, what behavior I can expect, and what to do if some of the trouble signs clearly outlined in the book start to appear in their behavior. I know that this book has helped me understand them and relate to them with new insight that can only help. Thanks for writing this!

A beautifully written book that allows you to truly understand the perspective of those struggling with adolescence in our present age. Necessary for all who wish to further understand the psychology behind troubled teens and how to prevent their rebellious nature.

From the nomadic tribes of the Middle East centuries ago, to the streets of America's cities today, to suburban homes tomorrow; "Heroin" offers an in-depth review of every aspect of the drug as we know it. Humberto Fernandez has crafted a finely detailed look at a killer that we know too little about. With personal stories from recovering and active addicts, Fernandez shows us the every day life of an addict. His detailed account of the origins of the heroin trade points out the incredible staying power that this drug has shown. The author also goes into great detail explaining the history of medical treatments that we have tried using to get the drug under our control. All in all, "Heroin" is a comprehensive and educational look at a subject that we all might be a little scared to face head on. Fernandez has done an excellent job at helping us take that first peek.

As a heroin addict I loved this book, I read it over and over the stories were very real and the information very correct, I highly recommend this book to anyone... esp if you are a family member of an addict, an addict or work in the field of addiction, I myself have spent 28 days at The Betty Ford center, in addition to at least 39 other programs so I have a fair amount of knowledge of the subject and I still learned much from this book.

The best book on the subject I've ever read. Brilliant, incisive and comprehensive. Highly recommend this book! Great for students, educators or concerned readers.

I found "Heroin", by Humberto Fernandez, a fascinating read. I especially enjoyed the personal stories. It's an indepth and engaging look at this terrible drug. I really feel it is a useful tool for anyone touched by Heroin. A powerful and important book.

This is a beautifully written, deep and wide-ranging examination of the origin, use, effect and politics of heroin. It reports with great feeling and power the personal stories of those caught up in this life-destroying drug. It should be must reading for every legislator, community leader, drug counselor -- and parent.

G. Peter Duffy graciously escorts us through his troubled life...his own experience of repeated attempts at sobriety offers us exposure the virtual hopelessness of the chronically addicted; and then he proves it all wrong - his complete account convinces us that no one is hopeless!

The author provides us with an autobiographical personal saga that is truly riveting; but more importantly he has discretely woven his methods of overcoming his seemingly uncompromising afflictions into this narrative - which are simple, practical techniques that are ours for the taking.

Not your typical novel - and not a traditional self-help guide (although as effective); this book is a treasure-trove of valuable solutions for those who have struggled with maintaining sobriety. I also recommend this book to anyone who could benefit from empowerment, self-love, and peace - especially those who have had difficulty with the concept and achievement of the same.

Mesmerizing story - a real page turner! Reads like fiction, and then it hits you, you are reading someone'e real life story - and what a story!

"Hey God, I'm Home" is inspiration to anyone. I have an addict friend I am trying to locate who I am confident would benefit from reading this book.

After reading Mr. Duffy's life story, I am amazed he is on this earth to tell it.

A strong and powerful true story. This book is nothing short of inspirational, a must read not only for those struggling with addiction, but for any one who is has fallen into a dark place and is reaching for the light. G. Peter Duffy offers us, by the power of his example, a road to find the comfortable place within our selves. There is no such thing as an impossible case, especially when it comes to the alcoholic, this truly remarkable story will shake you, rattle you, and calm you with the miracle of hope, faith and determination.
Michael Clark Lorenzo
Author, Accidents of Birth

G. Peter Duffy graciously escorts us through his troubled life...his own experience of repeated attempts at sobriety offers us exposure the virtual hopelessness of the chronically addicted; and then he proves it all wrong - his complete account convinces us that no one is hopeless!

The author provides us with an autobiographical personal saga that is truly riveting; but more importantly he has discretely woven his methods of overcoming his seemingly uncompromising afflictions into this narrative - which are simple, practical techniques that are ours for our taking.

Not your typical novel - and not a traditional self-help guide (although as effective); this book is a treasure-trove of valuable solutions for those who have struggled with maintaining sobriety. I also recommend this book to anyone who could benefit from empowerment, self-love, and peace - especially those who have had difficulty with the concept and achievement of the same.

"Hey God I'm Home," is a must read for anyone who has experienced the crisis of addiction, self loathing, loss, abandonment and every other human dilemma that we are prone to. We are born innocent but our indoctrination from the cradle to the grave tells us we are guilty. What is it we are actually guilty of-- is the question G. Peter poses--our own sins or the sins handed down to us? G. Peter Duffy weaves a personal philosophy that is universal. As soon as we forget the sins of our father we can get on with ourselves. "It's about time we gave our thinking some thought...We all live with second hand beliefs..." The author takes us on a journey from his gutter bound existence to a Jacob's Ladder. G. Peter Duffy tells his true story and leaves nothing out. If you don't come out of this reading with a better grip on yourself, well then you didn't read it right. If this man conquered what he truly says he did, well, then there's hope for all of us. A must read for anyone struggling with addiction as well as looking to find their inner source of spirituality. G. Peter Duffy tells it like it is but tells it like no one else ever did.

I really love this book. I've been trying to live a drug free life, but the stress and pressures I feel sometimes make me think that it would be easier if I just started drinking beer and smoking weed like everyone else does. But after reading this book and incorporating some of the exercises into my life, I've found it easier to stay away from drugs. This guy has a great sense of humor and really seems to understand kids. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a way to releive stress without using drugs. Thanks, Alex. You rock!

It's all here - what every teen and young adult needs to know about how to feel really well and really good about themselves. On the premise that human beings like to get high, and that getting high is good, Dr. Packer's newest book tells us how to do it - without relying on alcohol, drugs or other substances. Written and illustrated in an engagingly contemporary way, "Highs" provides the reader with fresh, usable insights on such matters as serenity, nutrition, exercise, and relationships. Organized in three sections and 11 well- outlined chapters, it is possible - perhaps even recommended - that the reader turn to an area of particular interest first. Literate, witty, insightful, and irreverent where it should be, "Highs" is highly recommended to young people and parents alike.

In Highs!, Alex Packer presents more than one hundred and fifty ways for teenagers and young adults to feel good, really good, without resorting to alcohol or other drugs. Packer's detailed suggestions are divided into "Serenity Highs" (meditation, T'ai Chi Chuan, Yoga); "Physical and Sensuous Highs" (sports, relaxation exercises, food, massage); "Social, Spiritual, and Creative Highs" (nature, fasting, roleplaying games, music, dance, art). An especially recommended compendium of ideas and suggestions for today's youth seeking to avoid the pitfalls of alcohol consumptions and substance abuse in their personal and peer group recreational activities, Highs! is enhanced for teen and young adult readers with a bibliography, as well as suggestions for additional readings and resources.

I highly recomend this book to readers of all ages. Not only is it one of the funniest books i have ever read, it also contains many good methods to sleep better, relax, and most importantly, have fun. The book is true to its title, there are many safe and healthy ways to get a rush of adrenaline, or, just the opposite. There are several full chapters and several partial chapers dedicated to learning how to reduce stress, which is definitly something that most of us need. Another feature of this book is that it tricks kids into learning new things and encouraging a good life style without the feeling of a textbook. I would highly recomend this book to anyone looking for a good, educational, fun, and most of all, entertaining read.

Alex Packer has written a funny, educational, and comprehensive book on alternatives to getting high with alcohol or other drugs. The book includes examples of alternative highs from teenagers along with humorous illustrations and up-to-date links to websites. I hadn't realized how many non-chemical alternatives there were to getting high. I can't wait to pass this book on to my teenage nephew. I only wish such a book had been available when I was his age!