Addictions Books

This is an amazing book which can help adults with FASD learn more about the condition, and find ways to help themselves in their daily lives. Steve's story and the ways he has discovered to get around the problems of a person with FASD can show how the brain can function in different ways to achieve a better way of living. I highly recommend this book to those with FASD and those working with them.

It is very hard to know what to do when entrusted with the care of a FAS mind.
The in depth practical look given in this book is such a breath of fresh air.
The many facets, the sadness and the ultimate joy and all the possibilities.
This book is so comforting in many ways. I highly recommend it!.

This is the book I've been waiting for -- a practical, hands-on guide for people living with FASD, and for those who love them! This book is full of stories and ideas that are easy to put to use. I will definitely recommend it to families and professionals.

Stephen and Barb Neafcy have brought the painful truths of how difficult it is to fit in when one has a FASD to light in this delightful book. The strategies Stephen outlines herein for coping with his stresses would help just about anyone, but to an adult struggling with a FASD, they may just be a lifeline. I see their book as an eye-opener for many who have yet to be clear that prenatal exposure to alcohol changes lives irrepairably. Stephen discusses his coping strategies with candor and with grace. I am very grateful to the authors and the publishers for the creation of this book and have purchased a copy for my son who is also affected.

This book will give abundant hope and daily practical help for those living with or caring for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Birth mothers, adoptive parents, siblings, school teachers and the medical community will find hope and help as they read the experiences and victories of a victim of FASD who is now an adult.

The Long Way to Simple will inspire all who face the daunting challenges of this preventable disease. Nancy J. Stanton

I've heard it said that the most important relationship a person can have is the one they have with themselves. It's that bit of wisdom that is at the heart of this book. It isn't some glib, flavor-of-the-moment, one-size-fits-all typical relationship book. It won't ask you to play by any "rules" or tell you that men are from a different planet or show you how to figure out if a guy is into you or not. The danger with those books is that they are too superficial and general and in the wrong hands can do much more harm than good. Just look at some of their reviews and you'll see what I mean.

I suspect that there isn't a woman out there who has picked up one of those books who would not be much better served by reading this one instead. Almost all women have some propensity to lose themselves in their romantic relationships with men and when those relationships fail or become unsatisfying they want to know why it happened. Ms. Engel tells us that we have to look within ourselves to find those answers.

The bad news is that finding those answers takes work. The good news is that it can be done and I guarantee that if you read this book you will start to find out more about yourself than you ever will by reading the current self-help best seller.

Most of us are so focused on our relationships with men that we neglect the one with have with ourselves. This book will help you get back in touch with who you are as a person. It shifts the focus from men back onto ourselves and helps us find ways to become fully realized, individual adult human beings. It's only by doing this that we can prepare ourselves to enter into healthier relationships with men.

One of the things that I liked the most about this book is that the author doesn't pretend that her book is a cure-all. She recognizes that a lot of the issues she touches on go well beyond the scope of the book but she offers up lots of resources and places to turn for further assistance with those problems. She knows a lot about her subject matter and the book is well written and well researched.

Beverly Engel asks us to look inside ourselves, to accept ourselves, to change the things that need to be changed, to find our voices, express our opinions, find ways to recover from less than ideal parenting, and so much more. She shows you how to begin this process and offers help and support along the way. But doing the work is ultimately up to you.

I urge you to get your hands on a copy of this book as soon as possible. All women can benefit from it, whether you are currently in a relationship with a man or not. I am so glad that I found it.

I am amazed at how dead on every chapter of this book was for me. If you have problems keeping your footing in relationships, you MUST read this book!

Loving Him Without Loosing You has been one of the best books I have read. Not only gives you the notion the book is actually talking about how you feel it also helps you understand many unanswered questions about the relationship and yourself. In fact, I like the book so much I recommended the book to many of my female friends. Loving Him Without Loosing You is definitely a book every woman should read.

I found this book in amazon by chance. Read a couple of pages online, and couldn't wait until it arrived home.
This book is one of "the best" self help books I've ever read (and I've read a lot). Beverly Engel writes the book as an answer from a woman that has suffered the "disappearing women syndrome" herself, and directed TO WOMEN.
I would highly recommend this book to every woman, irrespective if you think you are that kind of woman or not. We all, at some point in our lives, have "disappeared" in a relationship. This book explains you why, and gives you tips on how to avoid it in the future.

I am in the throes of a very painful break-up and this book is saving my life. I am a classic "disappearing woman" and I have had 3 painfully dysfunctional MAJOR relationships to prove it. This book is giving me more insight into why I choose the men I do and, more importantly, the hope and the tools to change my life and be able to have a healthy relationship one day.

It WAS Real. The things you experienced with your alcoholic mother WERE real.

Other people have been through the same horror, guilt, and despair. I found this book very comforting.

I really enjoyed hearing other stories of daughters of alcoholic mothers. It aided in my therapy because it helped me remember events that I was having a hard time remembering. I found that my situation was much like others. Therefore, I didn't feel so alone. I highly recommend this book.

As an adult daughter of an alcoholic mother, I have read several ACoA books but never really found anything that spoke to me like My Mama's Waltz did. I was amazed at how many issues stem from growing up with an alcoholic mother. It was so comforting to read others' experiences and know that I'm not crazy and other women are going thru the same things. This book is a gem and I have recommended it to my three sisters and a girlfriend. So far, everyone has loved it as much as I did. If you are an adult daughter of an alcoholic mother you have to read this book!!!

I have not even finished this book yet, but already I feel like I'm healing. My mother was an alcoholic (now dry), her mother was an alcoholic, and I used to drink heavily myself. It's shedding light on some of my tendencies (trying to bend over backwards to please everyone, feeling abandoned by my mom at times, and so on). It also explains to me some of her behaviors and why she has anger lingering in her life and how it affects her still. Very insightful.

My mother was not an alcoholic, but her mother was. I helped me to understand my mother so much better and how being raised by an alcoholic effected her life. As a person in recovery 7 yrs and now a mom, this book solidified my sobriety to see what a burden an alcoholic mother can be to a child. Thank You.

This book is easily the best book I've ever written... the only one, actually. Dan Dunn is great. Dan Dunn is me.

Dan Dunn has written a book that is not only freakin' funny, but is also a very informative tome about the history of booze. If you are unable to travel this year, pick up this book, pour yourself a drink and take a trip with Dunn as he traverses the world in search of free booze and food. You will not be disappointed.

"Nobody Likes a Quitter" rocks, which makes sense, because author Dan Dunn apparently likes his liquor on the rocks and, well, in just about any other form. Dunn, a professional booze writer for numerous magazines and newspapers, manages to bundle up his social life, professional life, and the life of the various skid-row bums he calls friends and roommates --- who may or may not be completely real but who are unfortunately at least 75% real --- into a tight roman à clef narrative of debauchery and merriment.

It's hard not to see the parallels to "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Dunn's mentor and one-time bothersome Colorado neighbor, Hunter S. Thompson. (The two used to hang together in the 1990s, and Dunn apparently has the crazed late-night voicemail message from Thompson on his machine to prove it.)

Admittedly, and Dunn would have to agree, Quitter isn't as literary as Fear and Loathing --- there's no stated quest to find the American dream, although Dunn seems to be living it; no stated agenda of capturing the essence of generations x, y or z --- but the rhythm and the fun and the spirit (and spirits) are there. Whereas Thompson was on assignment for Rolling Stone and his fuel was his narcotics, Dunn consumes nearly every known mainstream and indigenous intoxicant in North America and Europe while remaining ever so loyal to the Deadline, capital D, and his responsibility to his readers.

Dunn is proud and irreverent, with 12 chapters in Quitter based on AA's 12 steps. This is the stuff he obviously couldn't put into his newspaper columns. Aside from the sex, which is sloppy enough to believe, there's the feeling that any responsible newspaper editor, knowing the true background, would send Dunn to rehab instead of footing the bill for his drinking orgies.

I'd call this required reading for any serious educated drinker. There is a narrative, sort of, in a hazy drunk kind of way: The letters between him and a Fox TV executive about some ill-fated pilot are worth the price of admission, as is the high-as-a-kite Larry King story. Yet layered in here also is the history of booze, in sidebars, and lessons on cocktail making. Like a Long Island Ice Tea, the various poisons somehow mesh in an intoxicating read.

-cw

If you love fiction and comedy, you will love this book. Dan dunn is a unique writer and his book is worth reading. Just take a look at the endorsements and you will know that this book is for those with a sense of humor. Buy, read and enjoy. We did!!

The identity of the man who pens one of America's most widely circulated booze columns is illusive. From humble beginnings as a local newspaper columnist in Aspen, Colorado, to rubbing elbows with the rich and famous at swank L.A. mixers, the public truly knows little about this man of mystery, despite a career that threatens to bleed through three or four decades. His mystique remains uncompromised in the pages of Nobody Likes a Quitter. Dunn's episodic remembrances are seasoned with recipes for cocktails and shots, tips for selecting premium spirits and advice on who to drink them with. For the modern bathroom and subway reader, this format is ideal--this way you can pick up or leave off anywhere in the book without loosing your orientation. No matter when-- no matter where-- no matter if you're sipping straight Johnnie Walker Blue or chugging from a Dixie cup of Franzia boxed wine-- you're going to have a good time with this book.

Secret Keeping by John Howard Prin
Do you have a secret? Of course you do we all do.

Do you have something you do that is not producing the results in your life you want it to?
Do you have something in your life that is holding you back from accomplishing what you want?
Wasting time? Cleaning up messes? Dominating your waking hours with worry and concern? Waking you up in the middle of the night forcing you to pace?

Are you living with some one like this?

This is a great book for you.
Mr. Prin with his willingness to share his own personal journey has added much, to help those who struggle.
We all have secrets with many life issues that are difficult to face and even more difficult to share.

It is and excellent book with many clear helpful suggestions. Suggestions a secret keeper can use to, help you face your own secrets--you know the ones, the ones that drag you down and pull you back.
I read this book as a secret keeper and a counselor and it was valuable, I would not hesitate to use it as a reading for clients.

Bob Melson, Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor.

Secret Keeping is a fascinating book, not only for those who may be allowing secrets to govern their lives but for those of us whose lives have been impacted by secret keepers. Think you don't know anyone who fits the profile? I encourage you to read this book and you may find you have a new understanding of the behavior of a loved one. We would all like to believe this kind of thing only affects other people, but do yourself a favor and read this book, then decide.

I have wirked with people in recovery from chemical addictions for over 20 years. During treatment they get sober and usually start to deal with their demons that got them their in the first place. but most of the people have a very hard time comming clean, i.e. telling their secrets. John's book goes right to the heart of the matter. He tells us what secrets do to us, how to deal with them and heal them. FREE AT LAST! It's helped me be more open and honest and I will use it in my school. thanks alot John!!

Among many books dealing with addictions, "Secret Keeing" is a notch above. It provides concerte and practical advice in a very straight-forward manner. It is compassionate and yet not bashful all about confronting these all-too-common human prediciments. The messages are helpful and realistic. As a graduate school professor, I have read and written many self-help books. This one stands out in a field of its own.

I am not a secret keeper but I know people who are or have been. I found this to be such an informative book to learn where this behavior comes from and what it can lead to.

The stories of "real secret keepers" were fascinating and also sad and also encouraging!

What a great tool for someone who is a secret keeper. To read about others who have triumphed and to be given concrete instructions on what they can do to help themselves must be invaluable.

This would be a good book for a book club to discuss.

Always good to be open to all choices.
Very detailed and helpful.

provides insightful thoughts and alternative viewpoints to attacking route causes and focus to vexing problems -- not just alcohol

Kuddos to Ms Solomon for helping break us out of this religious tyranny. A much needed resource guide
to other approaches to alcoholism and addiction. My impression is that AA is just about the best recovery
program the 12th century has to offer. It is time to get into reality based programs with some scientific
basis as opposed to this faith based psycho-christian nonsense.

Reviewed by Louise Landeta for Reader Views (2/07)

The author's main point is that there are many other programs and approaches to dealing with addictive behaviors besides Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and its twelve steps; yet the alternatives, while perhaps known within the recovery community, are not widely made known or available. She contends that AA is not as effective as most people think--her statistics are quite dismal, and some of the other programs have much more success. Mainly, Ms. Solomon wants to drive home the fact that while AA might be good for some people, and she has nothing against it, there are numerous other approaches that are effective as well. People are diverse and need diverse approaches to fit their individual needs.

Ms. Solomon shares the pitfalls of her own journey with addictive substances and her attempts to find help and support through AA to no avail, even though her own father was quite successful with the program. Her inability to recover through AA was a source of great sadness for her until she came to realize that lots of other people fail to recover through it as well. It was only through her own unrelenting search for alternatives that she found other programs and eventually something that worked for her.

The author is a good writer--her verbiage and syntax are on par, she provides data to back up her contentions, the content is well-organized and she cites her sources.

The basic theme in her thesis is that not everyone accepts the concept of a higher power and the basic assumption that they are helpless in the face of addiction. I believe this is a valid point. My only suggestion is that she seems to soft pedal this. I would be more comfortable if she would come right out with it--don't skirt around it. Be right up front with it.

I was interested in reviewing "AA Not the Only Way" because my work as a chaplain brings me into contact with various types of addicts. It will remain in my library as a useful future resource. I give it an A for all of the reasons cited above.

AA Not the Only Way is a resource for those seeking addiction counselling. Everyone has heard of AA but this type of program quite simply does not work for everyone. The author has personal experience in this situation. She tried AA and like many people when she kept relapsing she blamed herself for somehow failing the program. This pattern changed when the author found a program that suited her needs and specific issues.

Since AA does not suit everyone's needs and because most people don't realize that they have other options, the author has compiled information on alternate programs. Some programs require total abstinence and others look to teach moderation. There are also programs specifically tailored for women or specifically for men. The overlying philosophy, background, and contact information is included for each of these programs. Lists of licensed professionals, treatment centers, and other useful resources are also included.

This is a very helpful book for any person with an addict in the family. This book confirmed many of the same things I am going through with my son who is addicted to painkillers and heroin. In addition to helping me cope and help me understand my son's own addiction, it has revealed to me the importance of getting myself well. Addiction effects the entire family in a very damaging and far reaching way. I have a long way to go but I am learning to detach myself in order to move forward and be there for my son when he finally decides that recovery is the best and only course of action. This will be probably one of the toughest challenges I will face in my life. This book has given me hope and let me know that I am not alone in this lifelong struggle.

This is one of the best books I have read in regards to how addiction affects the family. It has some stories as examples, but gets to the point. I am a counselor and a family member of an addict. I found this book right on with my experiences dealing with my younger sister who is an addict. It has a nice balance of education and ways to deal with an addict. We as family members have to stop enabling the addict or we are just helping them stay sick. This book makes this point very clear. Well written and easy to read. This book is a source of comfort like the author states in her introduction. She did a great job putting together information and she is so right when she states there are few books out there for family memebers. I would love to see one on how siblings are affected by the addict and the parents that focus on the addict. I thought this was so well written I bought and sent copies to all my siblings and mother. We all have participated or are still participating in enabling behaviors, which although intentions are good, it is not helpful, it is destructive.

Hopeless confusion are the two words that come to mind when I think of the time I learned my two daughters were heroin addicts. I wish I had this book then. It gives very good descriptions and examples of the things you will feel, the questions you will have, and the hope that is there behind all the despair. You'll still try to cure them, but it won't take so long to realize that you can only cure yourself. This book is also for those of you who dismiss the worthless, lying, thieving drug addicts and alcolholics out there as a waste of effort, as I once did. Read this book, and feel the pain and agony of the loving codependents of those addicts, and pray you are not next.

It is a good insight into the many issues and how to deal with having an addict in the family. Can learn valuable lessons for life even if you don't have the same circumstances. Ideal gift for a family that has an addict in their midst.

This book is analagous to a well-stocked pantry filled with provisions as well as the implements needed to put these resources to good use. The essence of the author's message appears to be based on the 12-Step prototype. If "Addict in the Family" contains any weakness at all, it might be the author's tendency to do it all by "The Book," including peppering the account with various references to 12-step doctrines, adages and buzzwords. A reader who is already familiar with the steps might find this format to be slightly repetitious and fairly predictable.

Through the author's story of her daughter's addiction as well as accounts given to her by other parents and loved ones of addicts, we are able to contemplate, if not feel, the pernicious grip that addiction has on everyone in the addict's circle. What follows are examples of every- day situations family members face as a result of their loved ones' addictions. We are given examples of strategies and responses that are helpful in managing or deflecting the often irrational behavior of the addict.

There is a dash of irony in the lessons that are imparted along the way: It seems that it is not only the addicted person who is prone to be obsessive or compulsive, but that his loved ones often become addicted, in a sense, to the substance abuser's addiction. Addicts tend to fall into the habit of concealing their ignoble behavior beneath a convincing enough topping of lies, subterfuge and denial. It appears that we family members, in the beginning, at least, are willing - even eager - to believe the fantastic multi-layered cake of deception towering in front of us. As we continue to gain strength from the author's wisdom, we come to recognize how the loved ones, along with the addicted, are being poisoned by the unsavory byproducts of addiction. We read as the similarities and ironies continue to emerge: The addict is ashamed; so are we. The addict is angry; and so are we. The addicted one is depressed, sad and despondent, and we are, too.

This book offers suggestions to the family and loved ones of the addict, and these methods require us to exchange our toxic coating of negativity and denial, for one that nourishes us - physically, mentally, spiritually and economically - without distorting our reality. The author recalls a time when her daughter, upon being asked of her whereabouts that evening, began to concoct one of her characteristically tall tales. Although her mother knew her daughter was lying, she refused to challenge the veracity of the daughter's statement. Instead the mother allowed her daughter to finish, while she responded impassively, empowering herself and disarming her daughter in the process.

Setting rules and limits for the addict is another mechanism suggested in the book as a way to safeguard our overall wellbeing. Asking the addict to move out should his behavior become too disruptive or disturbing - and carrying out the order - is one more example of disengaging from our addicted love ones. There are many other inspiring stories included in the book along with helpful advice, hope and encouragement from those who have been where we, the families of an addict, are now.

At the end of the book, there are pages with listings of substance abuse facilities, mental health treatment centers, dual diagnosis rehabs, detox centers, and services for the families of the chemically addicted. It is a very comprehensive list for those who are looking for help in dealing with an addiction, whether it be a loved one's or their own.

"Don't judge a book by its cover!" they scream as I hang my head in shame. Once again I have proven to myself how narrow minded and judgmental I can be. This brilliant little book is packed full of surprises especially for those who have developed some preconceived notion as to what it's about. Starting with the title which, now that I know what it means, I think is brilliant. I was picturing two pot heads making out with a sort of latte-esque foam covering their mouths which I'm sure is exactly what the author wanted me to believe. Then turning past the table of contents I came upon the explanation of the title and was immediately transported back to my youth in Florida and my fear of the tall grass. I won't say more about that in order not to ruin this very pleasant little surprise for others.

Then the first story "Some new kind of kick" is pretty much exactly what I was expecting. A very dark and seedy tale of Goth clubs, speed and sex, although one thing I didn't expect was to really like it. Something about the way Clint Catalyst casts his penetrating stare into this so called "Goth" scene is so incredibly revealing of not just the Goth scene, but any scene that's gotten old and tired. And it's in this first story that I began to realize that the scenes and the players are all the same. It doesn't matter what scene you were in, because we all got tired and we all ended up alone. The scenes all lacked something, or as the author so eloquently points out, we ourselves lacked something in ourselves that our "scenes" or distractions could not replace; well, not for long anyway.

So I guess it's clear that I'm not a "Goth". And while I did think they were cute in the mid eighties when they were still known affectionately as "Death Rockers" I've never been into things "Goth". I've also never been into speed of any sort. Of course I've done speed and had so called "Speed Sex" which contrary to the name takes hours, but I've never been into the whole "gak" experience if you know what I mean. So despite hearing the rave reviews of "Cottonmouth Kisses" I put off actually reading it, thinking it was fifty percent Goth and fifty percent homoerotic speed induced sex. Not my cup of tea exactly.

But from that first story Clint Catalyst just blew me away. His insight into moms, wanna-bees, punks, straight boys, art school girls, alleged bisexuals, strippers, bag ladies, in fact everyone he encounters and most importantly himself is nothing short of stunning. This book is crammed with fascinating stories which in and of themselves are great but without which you would still be left with an incredibly insightful book about people and our inner truths and fears.

Stories I particularly like are "Party Favors", "Conversation with what once was a friend", "To Push Away or to Clutch" and "Taking Care of".
Poems I particularly liked are the beautiful and charming "First Person Third Person First", the dark and direct "Guess I should talk about sex", the dark and funny "Truth about Modeling", the grim foreboding "Inky Bloater" and my favorite, "At the Edge" which to me was like an updated and slightly more optimistic take on Langston Hughes' "A Suicide Note".

Overall, I read this book too fast and have had to re-read it twice to catch up with the brilliant and still racing mind and prose of the enigma that is Clint Catalyst.

After reading Cottonmouth Kisses I found myself in awe of the sheer richness of Clint's language. His command of both poetry and prose is astounding and refreshing indeed. His honesty and unpretentious approach to the recording of his own experiences is a gift to his reader. Whether Clint is writing about drug addiction, sex, friendship, or love, the sheer energy of his personality shines through in every piece. The combination of rage, passion, sorrow, and humor that animates this book is something to behold and reading it was like being taken on a ride where every turn promised something new. A truly wonderful collection of writing. Moving, engaging, and always on the mark.

This is a great selection of essays and poetry from Clint Catalyst. They deal with gay relationships, adolescence, and out of control drug addiction. These subjects are dealt with in such an honest, clear and edgy way. The lives of these unconventional characters are brought to the page so intensely with all their flaws clearly exposed. You'll feel their thoughts and feelings. The artistic language used in this book make it a pleasure to read right through to the last page. No matter how dark and trashy these characters get you'll want to read more.

This was my first introduction to the author's writings (thanks,Sheldon) and I truly enjoyed this book. I think what really made this book special was the poetry in-between the essays and fiction. These poems were so easy to read and what I mean by that is they were very understandable. You don't have to spend all day figuring out what the author is trying to say. They are a joy to read. I look forward to this author's future work. Highly recommended.

which I deem:

1) "What is Goth?" by Voltaire
For spelling out the basics to looky-loos, kinderbats, or insiders who aren't afraid to laugh at themselves (for fear of exposing the adhesive-stripes along the gumline of their fake fangs)...

2) "Cottonmouth Kisses" by Clint Catalyst
For its sinister and gorgeous first-person account of life within the nightclub netherworlds. I've known many a Goth girl over the years who's had her share of Clint "pin-ups" and "shrines," and the fact that he's lived a life so far beyond the margins of Hot Topic and mainstream acceptability (and SURVIVED it) is more "Goth" (i.e., barbaric -- i.e., AUTHENTIC) than any paint-by-numbers impostors out there...

3) "21st Century Goth" by Mick Mercer
For its role as an informative compendium of the international scene in all its varied shades of shadow. There is no easy answer, no singular attempt in this book to pigeonhole Goths -- in fact, it does the opposite. Plus, I mean, it's MICK MERCER, who's been reporting on the scene longer than most batpackers these days have been alive. Pay your respects to the grandaddy of Goth!

And ALL HAIL THE TRIUMVIRATE!

Mr. Clint has really let all of us, no matter what stage of life we are in, what planet we are from, or the aumont of zeros on our paycheck, look inside his world and gave us a whole new realm of thought. I loved this book. I read it in two days. AND thats with two kids under the age of 4, a hubby and a big white dog. I couldnt put it down. Its an awesome book. I can not wait for his next wonder in print... keep up the good work clint. This is definately a must read!

I got interested in buying the book after listening to her "Dear Jane" podcasts. Unfortunately, the book was much less useful than her casts would lead you to believe. The podcasts are more useful than the book, and FREE!

Look for David Burns and his 10 Days to Self Esteem book sets for some real help. There is also Break the Chains of Low Self Esteem (cannot remember author's name). These books have been immensely more helpful in dealing with my depression and related low self esteem.

I don't even think I'd recommend Enough is Enough for anyone who is further along in her/his recovery process. Just not helpful. Lots of platitudes, but no real skill building exercises.

Best of luck in whatever you choose on your road to recovery!

If you have thought to yourself or said out loud, "I just can't do this anymore" this engrossing, entertaining and practical approach to identifying the obstacles to living a vibrant and fufilling life is for you. Jane Straus provides tangible examples and exercises to help anyone who is really ready to address their 'endurance'. I have been acquainted with this author's work for many years and have seen impact in myself and others of her incisive and to-the-point remedies. She reveals her own inspiring story and those of many of her clients with compassion and humor, and invites the reader to undertake this exciting, and sometime painful path to a fuller, richer, more thriving life.

I have read around 100 self-help books and would, unhesitatingly, count it as one of the best (if not the best). It gave me lots of food for thought. I think Jane should get onto the Oprah show. It merits that kind of attention.
Paul Heller

A fun and easy read, yet powerful and filled with insight and inspiring stories. Jane Straus has compassionately offered her heart and soul in this book about truth, authenticity, non-judgement and forgiveness. "Enough is Enough" provides the reader with a sobering look at how our fears and self-judgements stands in the way of living the life we were meant to live, and how in the end, it is all about forgiveness. Jane gently guides us with practical tools and exercises to help us move forward in the direction of our dreams. Thank you Jane for your honesty, humor and humaness in revealing your own fears and vulnerabilities. I see so clearly now how I have been creating distractions in my own life and I am now ready to live my one precious and extraordinary life with no more excuses! Thank you for this wonderful gift you have given to all of us and to the planet.

I found this book very easy to read and, as strange as this might sound, I felt better immediately after reading it--like I really could change specific aspects of my life NOW if I was willing to see myself truthfully. The author uses personal experience, and the experiences of people she has coached in her professional life, to demonstrate how to stop enduring people, things, etc., in your life and start choosing to live a life that is aligned with your higher truth. While some books require extensive exercises and cumbersome companion workbooks, this book is much less threatening and provides thoughtful questions (she titles these "Time In") for your own consideration after she provides important "food for thought". One thing in particular that I appreciated about the author's approach is that living your life to the fullest is a process that can be started today, no matter what your situation. For example, one of her chapters is titled, "Daily Tonic for an Extraordinary Life" and she offers the following, "Living our truth cannot be for some future goal or noble end; our commitment to releasing judgment and limiting beliefs, practicing positive affirmation, honoring our emotions, and striving for win-win is the daily tonic for breaking free of our endurance." Wonderful stuff that I highly recommend to any reader!

I am a disabled person who was overjoyed to read David Ford's wonderful exposè. My progressive condition should be causing unbearable pain and spasms at this point...and DOES without this great medicine. Someday the truth will triumph because of people such as Mr. Ford and books as bold as his. Someday this book will be a collector's item, like the Soviet flag, because of works like this. I have heard Mr. Ford on talk radio, as well. With his survivor's courage and enlightened convictions-having won his battle with cancer with a big help from marijuana-David Ford provides a wealth of knowledge and insight into the absolutely ridiculous and ineffective War On Drugs. This WOD, this total misuse of our money, is being promoted by alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical companies. Dirty politics? You bet! Marijuana is a superior product plain and simple, and more doctors would publicly agree if they could do so without negative consequences. After reading "Marijuana: Not Guilty As Charged," I would not be surprised if the future reveals some sort of conspiracy involving advocates for the gun industry and the DEA's War On Drugs...perhaps gun lobbyists pressing officials to pass WOD budgets to fuel more crime to increase the demand for firearms. In any event, the War On Drugs has achieved this: in every American city, illegal drugs are more readily available today than ever before. And not many consider the by-products of the WOD's destruction, the constant displacement of farmers in developing countries among them. CLEARLY, the War On Drugs has become an out-of-control habit supported by taxpayers coerced by ill-conceived laws. Mr. Ford's book has an easy style and light approach, but makes one think deeply...and hope for a sequel.

I have had the honor and pleasure to read "Marijuana not guilty as charged" and brought several copies of it for friends and family. As Glenn, one of the readers, so correctly stated, it should be in every household to not only inform but educate people. It once again proves that we are a spoonfed society and that it takes individuals such as this author, David R. Ford, to break through that barrier and do the work for us. I applaud you Mr. Ford on having the courage to write a book on a very controveral subject and bring the facts to a very misguided society. I am looking for (hopefully) more publishings of yours. Gratefully, Elisabeth M. Drews

I've been working with Cannabis Action Network for about 3 years now. I've recently walked away from doing any political work due to an armed robbery I fell victim to due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You would think that would have ended any relations I had with Marijuana at that point.

It's an interesting story but I wanted to say how after reading MARIJUANA: NOT GUILTY AS CHARGED and actually feeling a taste of the REAL drug war that does exist in America, this book helped me to not feel alone and to make sense of what is happening all around us that we take for granted or wish to not see and give our power over to those in Authority in whom we "feel" should be giving us the truth on drugs. When in most cases the story is far from the "truth" in America.

This book gave me encouragement to not be a VICTIM of the Crime of not knowing the facts on Marijuana and gave me a conviction in my heart to let the world know they're is healing, growth, and most importantly Hemp that can bring an impoverished land back to a land of healthy, strong, individually stable people.

After the robbery and learning so much about the legalization of marijuana from short excerpt of one page papers and people I came across, I then found this book. I had many books to choose from. this book seemed to have the right information and well spoken best of all it was all in one great book. I've managed to help many people while working as the Office Administrator for CAN after reading this book. Thank you David Ford for taking the time to reach all of the people you interviewed!

After talking to people across the US over the phone on counseling them for marijuana use while working at CAN I saw the overwhelming need of Americans who felt hopeless and alone due to pressures of family, church and friends.

I grew up living on the East Coast and this book helped convince me how wrong I've been in my thinking but that it's due to my upbringing and the way we are all taught in school and life.
This may be something we have all heard before but the way David Ford lays out the facts and in a well understood way brings one to a new state of enlightenment.

After reading "Marijuana Not Guilty As Charged" I have decided to become active in this marijuana movement. This book made me realize that marijuana is a medicine. I wonder how long our federal government is going to be wrong(about medical marijuana) to try to prove that they are right. This book addresses their own DEA administrative judge Francis Young and his support of marijuana. David R. Ford also talks about the "steppingstone theory" and addresses the fact that marijuana was once legal in this country and what happened among many other issues. This book has changed a part of my life. I now know that I cannot sit back and let everyone else do the work in the marijuana movement I have to join the fight. Like David R. Ford, I too can do courageous things to help. This book is a must read. In the book David Ford dedicates a chapter to NORML(National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws) and ten things that you can do to relegalize marijuana.
David R. Ford is so sure of the benefits of marijuana he offers a $50,000 reward to anyone who can scientifically prove marijuana is not medicine. I think this book is a must for the "non-users" of marijuana as well as the users to gain some insight into this misinformed subject. Read this book it's possible that it could help you make the quality of life better for someone you might know or for yourself.

As a Caribbean person, who has lived most of my life in Guyana and Jamaica, I wish to highly recommend Dave Ford's timely book on the issue of marijuana use and persecution. Though Ford focuses on the problem in the USA he refers to other countries, and especially studies done outside of the USA which serve to support his thesis that marijuana is not guilty as charged. Ask the Rastafarians of Jamaica. He uses an impressive collection of facts to disclaim the various medical problems that are blamed on marijuana use. He shows how marijuana regulation got caught up in the attempt to deal with abuse of drugs such as cocaine and heroin and how the government bureaucracy for reasons which reasonable people can speculate on, refuses to correct. The noted Caribbean jurist, Aubrey Fraser, documented this same issue.

The hysteria surrounding the war on drugs creates a climate in which it is difficult for reasonable and workable approaches to drug use reduction and user rehabilitation to be implemented even though we have examples around the world of what works and what doesn't. A neglected aspect of the war on marijuana which Ford also discusses is how the war has drastically reduced the cultivation and use of hemp, one of the most useful plants known to man.

I would highly recommend Ford's book to anyone who is interested in the truth about marijuana and wants to be empowered to make an intelligent choice about what this relatively harmless intoxicant really is all about. It would be remiss if I did not also note that one of the things that is lost because of the irrational approach to marijuana use is the medical benefits of this plant. This has been the subject of study by scientists around the world, including specialists in Jamaica, the UK, and the USA and is one of the points Ford makes in his book.