Abuse Books

This book should be called "Sex Crazed Guys Who Get Upset When Their Girlfriends Leave Them". The author stetches the reader's imagination to the limits as he tries to make a correlation between Drug Withdrawal and the Loss of A Loved One. It becomes obvious that the author of this trash has never heard of the concept of TRUE LOVE and the Process of Grief.I give this book 5 stars because every person who is promiscuous now has a "valid" reason to justify their actions by saying they have a "Sex Addiction" so no doubt this book will have a resurgence in sales.

I had the luck of finding this presently out of print book in a used book and clothing store in the mid-West. Peele's LOVE AND ADDICTION is about the most concise, eye-opening and, in light of how the problems he documents in American society have only been geometrically exacerbated in the twenty-five years since it was published (now inlcuding an addiction to guns), the most disturbing of the self-help books I have ever read. With the exception of Nancy Friday's JEALOUSY, not since Bradshaw's HOMECOMING, published in 1991, has a book with a psychological theme sent such powerful vibrations through me, forcing me to look again at my life. It effectively removes the veil covering the sad connection between diametrically opposed (and mutually ineffective) views on politics, religion, sex and sexual freedoms, romance, family, marriage, relationships, crimes of all kinds and the spectre/epidemic of drug addiction in the U.S.- as well as the international history of it all.

Many have said with wisdom- often quoting Martin Luther King or a Buddhist philosopher- that we are all joined together in one unified life, like threads in the fabric of society, and until we are all free, no one or group of us truly are. LOVE AND ADDICTION proves such poetic wisdom scientifically for the western mind, and its increasingly growing more fragile soul. Dr. Peele begins to show us the paradox of American society that is crippling us: how we are being psychologically crushed under the weight of our own technological innovations and tremendous freedoms, and how that affects ever single one of us, in all of our relationships, with everyone and everything.

You will learn more about your world- including that of present day self-help book writers with the same problems he delineates- than you may ever have wanted to know. Because he says what you think you already know in a way that makes it all but impossible to ignore.

This book needs to be reprinted, and made available to the general public, now. Twenty-five years later, its prophetic visions and common sense approach have yet to be surpassed.

Once I realised my problem was relationship addiction, I read everything i could get my hands on about this phenomenon. His treatise on the entire nature of addiction was very interesting but it wasn't an easy read - I had to be quite determined to finish the book. The prose is pretty dense and he takes you through the whole nature of alcoholism to create the model for addiction that he then compares to relationship addiction.

The information is great, just not very easy to access.

This book goes against the grain on much of what we have learned about addiction (whatever your poison may be). You will soon see why. It offers many real-life case samples, offers insight and solutions. It is written with fierce intelligence. This is not "bathroom reading", like i consider so many self-help books to me. This is a "thinking persons" book, utterly haunting, yet equally helpful. If you have unhealthy, addictive relationships, you MUST read this book.

I highly recommend Love's Way : The Union of Body, Ego, Soul and Spirit by Brenda Schaeffer. I thought I know what love really is until I read this book.

I like the recipes for a vibrant physical; healthy ego; soulful life and spirit based love life. The Body in Love; the Ego in Love; the Soul in Love and the Spirit in Love are great. The meditations are worth checking out.

Quotes in "Love's Way" that I would like to share:

"...what stands between you and the power of love is you"

"...the most powerful human energy we have is love. And our greatest energy center, our central powerhouse, the heart, mediates that energy."

"Multidimentional love is the greatest symbiosis of all. When we bring our ego,soul and spirit into symbiotic harmony by living from the heart, we create a world of amplified power. This is the real meaning of Love's Way."

"Love says: I am the flow of life. I flow from the Great Spirit to you. I enter through the heart. Harness me. I am the greatest power you can know. Let me in and use me. You must take me to others. Others must take it back to you. This is the geatest circle of life. Go my friend. Never forget the words: I love you. And now live them."

"Love's Way Recipe for a vibrant multidimensional love life"
Find a handful of people willing to be lovers with heart.
Do everything you can to open your heart.
Nurture childlike innocence,curiosity and playfulness.
Be loyal and honor commitments.
Allow space for contemplation, introspection and the need to be alone.
Understand what love really is.
Get rid of love illusions.

"The Realm of the Heart"
Share all of you from deep in the soul.
Become the "Good Mother" the "Valiant Father"
Protect your body, your ego, your soul, your spirit.
Dance, dance, dance the circle of love.
Thank your wonderful, strong heart.
Become a warrior with heart.
Do lots of down to earth loving.
Get rid of the glut and clutter in all four facets.
Work through any inner fragmentation
Love fearlessly.
Radiate love frequencies.
Bend heart to heart.
Put Love's Way into the streets.

I know Brenda..as well as anyone who has worked intimately with a therapiest. Actually a healer of the hightest order. Love's Way is more than important book, it is an essential field guide for those wishing to lead a more healthy whole life. In a time when many of us know the "time is now" to be authentic to our live's calling, love is the way. Brenda is a rare guide who has the gifts, heart and wisdom to live what she writes about. Buy this book now and give it to others!!!!

Brenda Schaeffer's book is very personal since it reveals not only true case history but also candidly share a practicing therapist reflections. She reveals to her readers how love is available to all and to understand what it really is in the union of the body, ego, soul and spirit.

It is a small book packed full of common sense advices and spirit awakening exercises that are just gems! Her creativity and fresh approach to therapy offers rituals and life affirming recipes to design your own love life, to overcome the bad hand that was dealt, to give each one of us winning cards and the will to discard the jokers in the deck.

I will always keep this book as a travel guide to navigate the rest of my life’s journey. Let's hope that Mrs. Schaeffer will soon offer a companion workbook to allow her readers and students to chart their progress.

This is the most complete book on what love is and isn't that I have read or even imagined. This book is way more than about romantic love, it's about life.

Ms. Schaeffer's insights are simple and wise. And new. I often shook my head in amazement while reading. Her knowledge is extensive and could be a bit too meaty and in depth, but her writing is lyrical and easy. But make no mistake, this is not a fluf self-help book.

I have known for a long time that love is all there is and all that is important, and therefore I have been searching as to what it is exactly. This book was my answer.

William Kennedy has finally exposed the Satanic element lurking behind the priest abuse scandal. I thought I would have to wait forever for someone to finally come out and say it.

It has been obvious for some time to anyone paying attention that there is a Luciferian pattern evident in all of the more sensational stories of priest sex abuse. Most notably the case of Paul Shanley, whom Kennedy devotes an entire chapter to in this book. He was even involved with the Process Church of the Final Judgement, as Kennedy proves.

It's interesting that this man has not been invited on the Art Bell show yet, considering that he's Malachi Martin's official biographer, and Art Bell is supposedly such a big follower of Malachi Martin.

But we all know that Art Bell is in with the Illuminati.

LUCIFER'S LODGE

"Malachi Martin was correct in his assertion that Lucifer's Lodge exists within the Church of Rome. Unfortunately, there are no quick answers as to how to deal with this horrible state of affairs. Lucifer's Lodge is an ongoing problem. It is still in operation and should be of major concern to people of goodwill everywhere."

With that statement, William H. Kennedy closes his investigation into the sexual abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church.

One searches for the words..."shocking"? If only I were shocked. Things I was not prepared to believe of priests have turned out to be true. The time to be shocked passed with the reading of Goodbye, Good Men; Amchurch Comes Out; Lead Us Not Into Temptation.

"Inaccurate"? But I don't think that it is inaccurate. Some of the material in the book had already surfaced in research I had done over the last several years. Kennedy uses quotes from newspapers like the Boston Globe. The accounts of priestly sexual abuse that he uses to tell his story are familiar. Half way through reading the book I checked some of the unfamiliar sources and found them credible. He does use a few marginal sources which I would like to check further.

"An exaggeration" then? I've read too many of the press releases to even think it for a moment. Much of this has already appeared in the Boston Globe and elsewhere. Kennedy merely connects the dots.

In trying to sum up Kennedy's book, only one word comes to mind..."diabolical." And just maybe that is the only word that needs to be said.

A trio of priests--Fr. Malachi Martin, Fr. Al Kunz, and Fr. Charles Fiore--became aware that something was seriously wrong in the Catholic priesthood and began collecting data. William Kennedy came a bit later to join in the investigation, making it a foursome. Today all but Kennedy are dead. Fr. Kunz's death in 1998 was sudden and bloody; and the crime has not been solved. Fr. Fiore's health as well as Fr. Martin's declined immediately after the murder. Within 16 months Fr. Martin was dead, and Fr. Fiore was not well enough to continue the investigation. He died in March 2003. Kennedy states that a mutilated calf also found the morning that Fr. Kunz's body was discovered is the calling card or signature of Satanists.

Kennedy discusses the OTO and Aleister Crowley, along with Jack Parsons, AMORC, Rose Croix. He also mentions a cult called The Process Church, Scientology, Charles Manson, and Fr. Paul Shanley and so much more. The Processians were active in the Harvard Square area in the 1960's, which means they were active in Paul Shanley's stomping grounds. Later they moved to California near the headquarters of Charles Manson. There is some controversy over how much contact Manson and Shanley had with these cultists. What Kennedy does point out is similarities in rituals and some evidence of exchanges between them.

In fact similarities are the basis of what he presents. Essentially he offers information about which the reader is asked to draw his own conclusion. He shows, for example the similarity between the Alpha Omega House, a retreat house for wayward and displaced youth, and the Devil's Room at Loftus Hall. Both rooms, he believes, were used for ceremonies which included sex magick; and he explains how sexual rituals are intended to make the practitioner a god, and in some cases Jesus Christ come again.

He talks about the abuse of nuns which has not come out in the press, and a priest who concentrated on abusing young women who were studying to enter the religious life. He paints a rather different picture of Magdalene laundries than the one recently released in the press.

He speaks of ceremonies that took place in Catholic convents which are reminiscent of Rosicrucian ceremonies; and tells stories of prostitution within convents, lurking in the history of the Catholic Church. I have not yet had time to verify this.

He develops a very interesting line of reasoning centered on cults from the early days of the Church which preached a married Christ who had children, attempts to show how this heresy remained alive down through the centuries, and where it surfaces today, including in The Da Vinci Code.

There is a great deal in this book that will prompt further investigation. If he is correct in all of his assertions, it will explain a lot of what we are seeing develop in the culture. It will not exhonorate the Vatican, however. Once again it appears that Rome knew. Rome did nothing.

I was surprised that he did not touch on Eugene Vintras and on the Mariavites. Perhaps he had to keep the book to a certain length and decided to leave them out. Neither did he discuss the Paris occult revival. Possibly for the same reason.

What he has done is link the details of news reports to historical information and in that way tells his story. The bulk of the book is quoted material from a great variety of sources. It's a hard book to put down.

I wonder if anyone who had not done some investigating into the occult would take Kennedy seriously. It helps to already know about Crowley and Parsons and their relationship with Scientology, and a little about Masonic obediences, and the Mormon Church before picking up the book. Otherwise this seems just too fantastic to be true. I would expect those bloggers who poke fun at conspiracy theories to poke fun at this book. They would be wrong. Had the abuse scandal not been broken by the Boston Globe there is little chance this story would have been told because no one would believe it.

In the next several days, if all goes as planned, I will be looking at his sources on the web, which means that most likely the usual blogging won't get done. But we'll have to see how that works out.

AFTER READING LENGHTY BOOKS ABOUT THE ABUSE OF CHILDREN IN THE CHURCH AND THE COVER UP, AND THE CONTINUED COVER UP, SUCH AS RE-APPOINTING CARDINAL LAW TO A GREAT POSITION IN THE VATICAN, I WAS WAITNG FOR SOME BRAVE SOUL TO SAY THE TRUTH. THIS IS NOTHING OTHER THAN A SATANIC BEHAVIOUR. THE BEST WAY TO STEAL SOMEONE'S SOUL IS THROUGH SEXUAL ABUSE. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PROFESSES TO SAVE SOULS, THEY TAKE IT AS THEIR BADGE OF AUTHENTICITY. WHAT A JOKE!! THIS MUST HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR CENTURIES. MY GRANDFATHER, WHO CAME OVER FROM SICILY, KNEW 100 YEARS AGO HOW CORRUPT THE CHURCH WAS. HE KNEW PRIESTS IN HIS COUNTRY, WHO MARRIED (SECRETLY OF COURSE) AND HAD CHILDREN. HE KNEW PRIESTS WHO WORKED FOR THE MAFIA.HE KNEW THE HYPOCRASY OF THE CHURCH. WHEN HE CAME TO AMERICA, AND WANTED TO MARRY MY GRANDMOTHER IN 1925, THE PRIEST WHO WAS TO MARRY HIM, WOULDN'T DO SO UNTIL HE WENT TO CONFESSION. WHEN HE REFUSED TO DO SO, THE PRIEST CALLED HIM A "PIG". MY GRANDFATHER DIDN'T RESPOND AT THE TIME, BUT INSTEAD, SENT A FRIEND TO "GO TO CONFESSION" FOR HIM. AND THE PRIEST IN THIS STORY, HAD TO MARRY MY GRANDFATHER. AS A RESULT OF THIS STORY AND MANY OTHERS, WHEN I WENT TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN THE 1960'S, I WAS WELL VERSED IN THE PERVERSITIES OF THE PRIESTS AND NUNS, AND WAS TOLD OVER AND OVER AGAIN, "NEVER BE WITH A PRIEST OR NUN BY YOURSELF" MY GRANDFATHER, NEVER WENT TO CHURCH EITHER. HE WAS THE MOST HONEST MAN I KNEW, OTHER THAN MY FATHER, AND LIVED MY LIFE BY THEIR EXAMPLE. THIS BOOK WOULD NOT HAVE SURPRISED MY GRANDFATHER. HOWEVER, AFTER READING THIS BOOK, I BEGAN RESEARCHING SECRET SOCIETIES THAT THE AUTHOR MENTIONED. ITS OPENED UP ANOTHER WORLD TO ME. THIS BOOK WAS TRUTHFUL AND WELL DOCUMENTED. ONCE YOU REALIZE HOW CORRUPT THE CHURCH IS, I HAVE COME TO BELIEVE AFTER READING ABOUT FREEMASONS AND SKULL AND BONES, I AM ALMOST CONVINCED THAT OUR COUNTRY LED BY THE CURRENT BUSH MAY HAVE ACTUALLY ALLOWED 911 TO HAPPEN SO WE COULD ENTER THE SITUTATION WE ARE NOW IN, IN IRAQ AND THE MIDDLE EAST. IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE ILLUMINATE, THE AUTHOR MENTIONS, YOU CAN SEE THE PLAN OF WORLD CONTROL BEGINNING TO UNFOLD. AMAZING!!! AND SCARY.

CATHY

_Lucifer's Lodge_ by William H. Kennedy is a highly disturbing book detailing various accounts of pedophilia and other forms of sexual abuse as well as Satanic ritual among Roman Catholic priests, as well as speculation concerning various Satanic secret societies and sex magic cults which have infiltrated the Roman Catholic Church. The author, a friend of Father Malachi Martin (who wrote a fictional account detailing Satanism within the Vatican, _Windswept House_), has unearthed many very bizarre and twisted details of the sexual activities of predator priests. However, unlike certain other books which have been made available detailing the sex scandals (particularly within the Boston Archdiocese under Cardinal Bernard Law), this book attempts to show that Satanic abuse may be involved. As noted in the introduction, by Tracy R. Twyman, throughout the Old Testament the ancient Hebrews encountered various depraved sex cults (which included bestiality, homosexuality, and pedophilia) which were repeatedly condemned by that ancient people and their God, Yahweh, as Satanic in nature. Satan, or Lucifer, is regarded by Christians to be a fallen angel, cast out of heaven for pride before God, and according to Christian doctrine has been trying to destroy Christ and His Church since its inception. Indeed, to instate the reign of Antichrist upon the Earth, Satanists seek a worldwide institution to serve as a vehicle for their diabolical plot. No institution could be more fit for that role than the Roman Catholic Church and its venerable hierarchy. The author distinguishes between modern day Satanists (of Anton LaVey's Church of Satan, for example) who are mere hedonists and self worshippers, and the more diabolical kind (unrecognized by modern day Satanists) who may engage in human sacrifice and sexual depravity. The first chapter of this book concerns the original "Satanic Panic" of the 1980s, a modern day witch craze, which brought many innocently accused into the spotlight. However, as the author notes, this original Satanic scare may have merely covered up the more diabolical kind, which currently may exist within the Roman Catholic Church. The author next considers some severely sick and disturbed individuals among the Roman Catholic priesthood. Many of these are sexual predators, although not all pedophiles (and quite a few are blasphemers as well). Perhaps one of the sickest individuals considered is that of "Father" Paul R. Shanley, a "priest" in the Boston Archdiocese, who engaged in pedophiliac and homosexual acts with countless victims (especially among disaffected and troubled youth), was an active member of the Gay Liberation movement, and whose perverted speech on "man-boy love" served as inspiration for the founding of the ultra-sick NAMBLA organization. This part of the story is particularly difficult to take, and the reader may feel him or herself having to retch several times over as he completes this most vile chapter in the history of pedophiliac priests. The odd thing about these priests is that nothing was done to defrock them and remove them from interacting with the youth by the Catholic hierarchy. In fact, many of them were given protection or variously re-assigned. The author also examines the secret psychiatric hospitals where many of these so called "priests" are sent to be "cured" of their diabolical disease. The author also shows how certain other priests within the Church, particularly those of a traditionalist bent, have been prevented from stopping the perverse actions and goings-on. Indeed, one Father Alfred Kunz, a friend of both Fathers Malachi Martin and the Dominican Charles Fiore, was found murdered, in ritualistic fashion (his throat was cut, having revealed the secrets of the brethren and a mutilated calf was found nearby), for having promised to reveal details of the pedophiliac priesthood. Much of this book is spent detailing various aspects of the secret societies involved in Satanic ritual and "sex magic". The author refers to these as "the underground sewer", referencing Saint Thomas Aquinas and his remarks on prostitution. According to certain heretical movements (and according to the popular book _Holy Blood, Holy Grail_), Christ may have been married as well as promiscuous and have spawned a bloodline. This is certainly the most diabolical of all heresies, attempting to mar the innocence of Christ. Indeed, even the Mormons have been known to believe such things, and supposedly a geneological chart detailing the supposed "bloodline" of Christ through the French and Merovingian kings can be found at their temple in Salt Lake City. The author argues that this cult has infiltrated the Roman Catholic Church as well, perhaps as far up as the Vatican, and refers to it (as did Malachi Martin) as "Lucifer's Lodge". Certainly this is a most disturbing revelation. The question remains as to what Catholics can do to reclaim their Church from the treacheries of Satan. Given the sorry state of the American Church it remains a difficult question to answer. The Catholic hierarchy, overtaken by liberalism and the so called "Spirit of Vatican II", continue to enact diabolic "reforms" within the Church and protect pedophiles and homosexuals. Indeed, many of the homosexual priests are blackmailed by the pedophiles into protecting their cult. Satan's serpents continue to move against Christ and His Church as well as climb the rungs of the hierarchical ladder making their way up to the Pope himself. Perhaps this is an indication that we are living near a time of great turmoil, as revealed in prophecy.

Philip Harris' A Maine Christmas Carol, a modern retelling of the Dickensian fable of Christmas' past, present, and future in a middle class New England setting is a holiday treat for readers of all ages. The spirit of the original story is cleverly unraveled in a more up to date but equally grim narration of the experiences of a blighted contemporary Scrooge named Thomas as he "sees" Christmas with his spirit guides.
The classic unfolding of the life of a beleaguered and very ill-spirited young man faced with the consequences of his own self-serving actions is cleverly layered with messages aimed at the socially irresponsible of our own life and times. A Maine Christmas Carol is a powerful parable of the ills of progressive society left to exist unchecked and held unaccountable. Through the eyes of the spirit guides, Thomas sees that while he is not responsible for the happiness of others, his actions do deeply impact all those who come in contact with him. From the local shop owners to his eight-year-old sister, his exploits leave a deep and lasting impression. Even more critical to note is the tsunami-like wave affect his acts, deeds, and lack of achievement has on those he will never meet. What he does not do with his life is just as significant as what he has done so far in his 16 years.
In Harris' A Maine Christmas Carol, a new family tradition is born. The easy conversational writing style, the logical flow of the story, and the twist to the original story makes this book a new classic that will go on the shelves right next to Dickens' original morality tale. Harris does a marvelous job of weaving Thomas' profound experience of redemption with the underlying themes of social justice and poverty. A Maine Christmas Carol is explicit in demonstrating the relationship of the privileged class in our country who has failed to address the social issues facing our society. Philip Harris has clearly and unequivocally produced a rich allegory that redefines the importance of Christmas to a new generation of readers.

A Maine Christmas Carol is the modern retelling of Dickens's classic. Set in the small picturesque town of Hallowell, it is the story of TJ, a lost teenage boy. Left fatherless by the war in Iraq he withdraws from his family and the world into the land of drugs and surliness. His younger brother and sister adore him but he is not willing to let their caring affect him. His mother has retreated into her job as a social worker, tying up her feelings of loss by helping others who have it even worse.

The story takes place on Christmas Eve. In the face of a raging Maine snowstorm TJ's family decides to spend the night at their uncle's house. He refuses to go with them instead choosing to spend it home alone, stoned as usual. It is then that his father comes to him, apologizing for leaving him so often as a child. He tells TJ that during the night three spirits will visit him. And so arrive the three ghosts of Christmas- past, present and future. Each shows TJ the effects of his behavior on others. He is shown that he too has a role in the world, in his family and his community. Each person can make a difference, even when they chose not to be involved. TJ begins as the poster child for youth at its most callow and ends as youth at its most caring.

A Maine Christmas Carol is a moving replay of the Christmas classic. It comes to life in its portrayal of the character of TJ, a realistic portrait of a disenfranchised youth. He struggles to deal with the loss of his father and fears loving his family in case he loses them also. By becoming totally self absorbed he only has to think about himself, by putting down others he maintains his wall of uncaring. The author, Phillip Harris, has managed to create a sympathetic, understandable character even as TJ scares the elderly and young children alike.

A strong, thorough and meaningful plot is enveloped within of these pages. At around 100 pages it is a poignant and timely reminder of the meaning of caring in today's world. Its well chosen words enable a full length novel to inhabit the pages of a novella. In the guise of the well loved tale it reminds us of the effects of modern life, its drugs, wars and poverty, on its people. It gives us the hope and optimism that is much needed in our contemporary world.

This will be a holiday treat for Maine and the country. Put up the holiday lights of all nations, light the fireplace and curl up with this dose of hope.

Now, this book is really cool. I wasn't sure initially how another make-over of the old Scrooge tale would work out, but author Phil Harris has really spun a relevent-for-today twist to the traditional fable. A troubled misfit teenage druggie is the new Scrooge, and the spirits of Christmas past, present and future are ... well, read for yourself, I don't want to spoil your fun. It's a reading experience that will have you riveted and thoroughly enjoying your time on the couch.

You really could re-name this charming little book "The Main Christmas Carol," because it is what quintessential Christmas Spirit is all about, and re-delivers in today's context the message of compassion and love that we should all strive to display with our lives every day of every year.

A Maine Christmas Carol had me mesmerized from the first page. While loosely based on the traditional Christmas Carol, Philip Harris has brought the story into today's world and given it some unique twists that make it a brand new story.

Anyone with kids, gramdkids or even anyone who knows someone with kids needs to pick up a copy of this book. It is one that you will find yourself reading over and over again.
Joyce A. Anthony
author of Storm

Rae, Nancy. A Matter of Time. Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse. 2007.

This book is unique in that it is the story of a male victim of child sexual abuse written by a woman. It is unique in that we seldom hear much about the struggles men face who suffered the type of abuse many women face. To me this story was valuable because of the insight it offered to our male counterparts and also because it brought home, once again, the fact that there is no cure for PTSD but that we can live a meaningful life and that our symptoms can lesson, especially when we have and accept the support of our friends, peers and family.

Nancy Rae chronicles the fictional story of David who was victimized as a child and as an adult and his long struggle to accept himself, to understand himself and to understand he was not to blame for what he suffered. It also clearly portrays the importance of accepting love and support from those who want to reach out to us, the hurt when those we do love are not able to understand us, and the damage done when those we trust to help us, namely therapists, end up abusing our vulnerability and trust to their own ends.

Although this is a fictional story, one can see that the author is acquainted with those who have lived this struggle, and that she has done research on the subject of sexual abuse of males, a subject often overlooked because men are taught they have to be strong and that it is weak to ask for help.

I found this book touching and informative and I feel it is a story that needs to be told. I also feel this book would be a valuable addition to the libraries and a research tool for those interested in this subject. If you know a man who has suffered abuse, this book would make a great gift as a tool for reaching out to someone who may not open up in a face to face conversation.

Patricia Brown

This book addresses a subject most people would rather avoid. Even those who advocate for sexual assault victims.

The issue, sexual assault on males, has been a hands-off topic for many years because its hard to see men and boys as victims. When it HAS been discussed, its usually glossed over or very unsympathetic - much like sexual assault against women and girls was handled 50-odd years ago. Men in particular are stigmatized because, of course, men aren't supposed to be victims, or even talk about their pain. "A Matter of Time" attempts to remedy this, and does so admirably.

The author takes us on a compelling, dark journey of a man who has been dealing rather badly with the pain of a childhood rape. He does what most other men in this country do in this situation; block it out or drown it out. David pays a deep price for this refusal to properly cope repeatedly before deciding to take control of his life and successfully turning it around.

Sadly, this is a common story, easily rendered to cliche'. Ms. Rae soars above such triteness by getting into the emotion, the pain, David feels. Her writing brings us closer than we've ever been to what a man has to suffer through while coping with sexual trauma, and does so with a taut writing style that grabs you by the throat and demands to be read.

Some might say that a woman can't possibly know the emotional price a male victim pays for being victimized so imtimately. Perhaps that's right. Ms. Rae does the next best thing. For such a touchy issue, it's a great result. The book also happens to be a great read as well, and worthy of the hours you won't be able to avoid giving to it.

It's not the kind of book that I would normally read, but once I started it, I couldn't put it down. I was really into all the characters, and had to keep reading to see what would happen next.

"A Matter of Time" by Nancy Rae is a powerful fictional account of how a man struggles to overcome the devastating psychological trauma of childhood rape and adult victimization. This book details the many twists and turns David takes as he learns to face his demons, shame, guilt, anger, and finally the road to becoming a mentally stable adult. David does not take this journey alone, he takes many people with him, including the reader, all wonders if he will ever find peace of mind. Whether he does is not revealed until the very end of the book. In the mean time hold on because you're in for the ride of your life!

This book is an excellent resource for those seeking a well established alternative to the pathology/deficit/disease focus of traditional 12-Step programs. I believe the reviewer who rated this book with 1 star was confused on its origns. Audrey Kishline is the founder of Moderation Management while Insoo Kim Berg (a contributor) & Steve de Shazer (both out of Milwaukee) are the founders of the Brief Solution Focus Method of Therapy. MM was founded as self-help group. BSF was developed by educated and trained therapists with practical experience. The Brief Solution Focus Method serves as the foundation for this book. A couple of it's main points are: there is hope for the future and there is no "one size fits all program." It is an excellent read whether or not you accept its premise.

wcdancer appears to be under the impression that Audrey Kishline is somehow associated with this book. In fact, though, her book was a completely separate one and she is not one of the authors of this book at all. Potential readers should weigh wcdancer's opinions accordingly. :-)

This book presents common-sense methods for changing your life, essentially by beginning to live the life you want to live eventually. It's not the single best thing I ever read, but it's a breath of fresh air compared to the dreary old advice to abase yourself, label yourself defective and diseased, and turn your entire life over to "God as we understood Him."

If you're a devoted 12-stepper, this may anger or even frighten you. If you're looking for a more positive approach which doesn't condemn you to obsessing over alcohol for the rest of your life, you might like this. It's certainly worth a read.

I read this book after pretty much exhausting every other possibility for recovery from alcoholic drinking. Berg and Kim present an approach that is radically different from any other I've encountered. Their main thesis seems to be, "Start acting as you expect to act when you're sober, but do it NOW." The idea is that by incorporating healthy habits into your life immediately, you can actually begin to learn how to be sober before hitting bottom. The book is very clearly and forcefully written, with helpful case studies to illustrate the main ideas. I was able to make substantial progress on my own behavior through the methods described here. I highly recommend it!

I have bought several copies of this book to hand to clients. This is a program that works for those who are not interested, for whatever reason, in attending 12-Step meetings. I have had the privelege of attending workshops on this subject by both authors, and feel that the book completly and concisely presents their point of view on the subject of stopping unproductive behaviors of any kind. A "must have" in the library of any therapist dealing with addictions and of any person trying to control their unproductive drinking habits.

I have the first 4 of the White Dove Romance series and I absolutely LOVE them! My mom got them for me for my 15th birthday last year and I totally got hooked on them. I love this one called Mirror of Dreams because it is sooo awesome. Christian girls? READ THIS SERIES!!!!!

This book was the best book I read out of the first three of teh books. It is a very good book that every Christian kid should read

I have three of the five books that are out. The next two look really great. This is one of those series that teenage girls can relate too. I am only 14 and those books have really helped me even though the characters are older.

This series is FANTASTIC! I got the first book but I wasn'tquite sure I would like it. I was pleasantly surprised!! This is agreat series with some brand new character development and some unique plots. My only criticism of the series would be the conclusion of this book, The ending seemed to be suddenly thrust in to "get the book done." But don't let that deter you from buying this one--they're all GREAT! (Although "Swept Away" is best.)

This book was excellent. Not only does it relate the connection between addiction and anger but it helps anyone reading it understand where anger comes from. Additionally, this book helped me recognize the important difference between anger and rage and the necessity of feeling and expresing ones anger in a healthy way. This book is a must have for anyone in the mental health field as well as anyone looking for a better understanding of addiction.

This is a great book,I really enjoyed reading it. It gave me permission as a Women to feel my anger and also gave me an understanding that my anger will also pass, all I have to do was to stay present to it. Thank you John for your insight..and my new understanding that anger is a feeling to be respected and that I dont have to feel bad because I feel it, That life is a journey of all my emotions and expressions.
And I can now let go of that belief if I am angry...its not that I am not working in my recovery..its actually that I am honouring myself on my journey by feeling it.

I have followed John Lee's work for 22 years; he amazes me. And this book tops them all...

John exudes humility. His depth of writing is so heart-driven, I sometimes wonder if he even has a head!

This great book -- interest and easy enough for a one-session reading -- is for EVERYONE... Not just "Alcoholics, Addicts and Those Who Love Them! I encourage everyone to tap into its pearls...

Don't be fooled by the title, this book applies to EVERYONE! The honesty and truth in what John Lee describes and way he captures and words these truths is heart-opening, validating, healing and a huge relief. It is like he is describing the places we all know in ourselves but never talk about or want to own. I thought it would be too basic but honestly it is fresh and has really useful information that is easy to practice and apply to daily life. The realness and humility in John Lee's books always hit deep places in me and I am so grateful for his willingness to go before us and shine the light of his awarenesses for us as we try to find our own way.

Other great books by John Lee that I have personally found to be life-changing are "Facing the Fire" and "Growing Yourself Back Up".

Philip Jenkins did it again. His previous book, 'Intimate Enemies: Moral Panics in Contemporary Great Britain' talked about child-abuse hysteria that swept Britain some time ago. This new book is actually a history of the concept of child abuse and child abuser in USA in the twentieth century. The book talks in details how that concept looked like at the end of the last century and how it looks like now. I have never read before any book that is so accurate and detailed as this one. For anyone interested in the subject of how society viewed child abuse and child abusers and how is viewing it now, this book is must-have. And I am very happy that Jenkins decided to devote this book to the Joel Best who himself wrote similar book, "Threatened Children: Rhetoric and Concern about Child-Victims"

Contents:

1. Creating Facts, 2. Constructing Sex Crime, 1890-1934, 3. The Age of the Sex Psychopath, 1935-1957, 4. The Sex Psychopath Statutes, 5. The Liberal Era, 1958-1976, 6. The Child Abuse Revolution, 1976-1986, 7. Child Pornography and Pedophile Rings, 8. The Road to Hell: Ritual Abuse and Recovered Memory, 9. Full Circle: The Return of the Sexual Predator in the 1990s, 10. A Cycle of Panic.

The emergence of "the child molester" as Public Enemy Number One -- or, conversely, as an image for hip audiences to snicker over -- is the topic of this book, and it examines how American society has responded to pedophilia over the past century. The author sifts through an enormous volume of evidence, and his tone is as sober as a judge.

He suggests that concern with the sexual abuse of children has developed in waves over the past century or so. In each case, public awareness has gone through a kind of cycle -- from reluctant awareness of the problem, to increased public attention, then to a period of intense fascination and horror culminating in the demand that the government move in to act decisively.

Jenkins argues that we have, for some time now, been in the final stages of the cycle. The expression "moral panic," which gives the book its title, is a sociological term. Those who coined it define moral panic as a state in which public reaction to a problem "is out of all proportions to the actual threat offered, when 'experts' perceive the threat in all but identical terms ... [and] when the media representations universally stress 'sudden and dramatic' increases (in numbers involved or events) and 'novelty,' above and beyond that which a sober, realistic appraisal could sustain."

What makes Moral Panic absorbing is not so much Jenkins' diagnosis of the present situation as his careful reconstruction of how medical and legal institutions came to recognize and understand the existence of molestation. "In the opening years of the twentieth century," he writes, "social and medical investigators argued convincingly that American children were being molested and raped in numbers far higher than had been imagined ... By 1910, social investigators were confirming the worst speculations about the prevalence of child sexual molestation, and panic about sex killers and perverts became acute about 1915." A similar pattern of increased attention and growing anxiety ran from the late 1930s through the early 1950s.

Conceptions of the nature and extent of sexual abuse changed from decade to decade. Extensive documentation -- from social-scientific works, newspaper stories, and mass entertainment forms like crime novels and film -- undermines the impression that pedophilia was only recognized a short time ago. Particularly striking are the parallels between the early years of the century and the present day: "In a foretaste of the 1970s and 1980s," Jenkins writes of the Progressive era, "feminists allied with therapists, social workers, and moral reformers in order to defend children, and the new ideas were promulgated by a sensationalistic media." The wave of concern that peaked in the late 1940s brought with it demands -- also heard lately -- that sex offenders be turned over to more or less permanent psychiatric hospitalization.

Following earlier patterns, the cycle of attention, anxiety, and legislation that began in the late 1970s ought to have burnt itself out by now. Clearly it has not. And some of the bogus "data" afloat about the menace suggests that "panic" is just the right word. "Far from marking a new era of indifference," Jenkins writes, "the year 1995 was characterized by the furor over sex predator statutes and the fear of cyberstalkers. The cycle has been broken in the modern era, when child abuse has become part of our enduring cultural landscape, a metanarrative with the potential for explaining all social and personal ills."

Jenkins' book is a very well written and documented study of the various child sex abuse panics that have taken place during the past century. It demonstrates the role of the moral panic in the policy making process and shows how decisions have been made on popular opinion and misguided beliefs rather than solid facts. It is objectively written and is a very good resource for anyone interested in sex offender policy. The only down side of the book is its relatively limited information on moral panic theory as a general topic. For this, you will need to look at Goode and Ben Yehuda or Cohen.

The title quote is quoted in Chapter 13, "Full Circle."

Jenkins leads us through the history of the sex abuse "panics" from the Progressive Era to the modern day. We find that in the early 1900s research/science found there was a problem worse than imagined. How else could young children get STDs? When facts became panics, the problem was buried under political self gain and the requisite rhetoric: from the F.B.I. vying for funds and power against the newly created Federal Bureau of Narcotics, to the feminist blame of the "patriarchy," to the conservative cry of decadence. And so much more.

The real issue, as is happening today, got buried under rhetoric and unchecked extremism. Backlash was inevitable.

This book is a valuable read in general even if one is not interested in the subject. It is an excellent primer on how to read an article, or listen to a speech or a news anchor, and see though the propaganda and rhetoric.

To close with another Nietzsche quote: "A people wants to hurt with the evil that is evil today." This book explains how some can hijack a hot issue, worthy though it may be, for their own political gain. Anyone who cares about child abuse, especially knee jerk lawmakers too cowardly to speak their real minds about the shallow laws they pass, should read this book.

The author obviously knows what it means to be resilient and does a wonderful job of passing that informaton on to others. A great read, short and to the point.

Author Julie A Brands hits the nail on the head with this short, easy to read book. As a survivor of mother-daughter sexual abuse, this book helped me to know that I was not alone and that the things that happened to me were not all "in my mind". An excellent tool for those who have gone through this little known form of child sexual abuse as well as for those who are trying to understand a woman who has gone though this.

I work with a number of women who were sexual abused as children. Several were sexually abused by their mothers. This book has helped my patients realize that they are not crazy or alone. It is a difficult read, but well worth it if you want to understand the complexities of the impact of abuse on a child.

This was the first book that I have ever read that helped me feel not so alone with maternal sexual abuse. It was not really "clinical" but instead was written by a woman who is a clinician but gave her personal account of what happened to her. There are precious few personal accounts written on this subject and for those of us who have been sexually abused by our mother's it's definitely one to cherish.