United States Books

I thought this book looked more like how to be a feminist than anything else. I was so disappointed that it doesnt deal with issues my daughter cares about. She wasnt even interested in flipping through it. What a waste of money.

Finally a book that addresses womens' issues and presents them in an easy-to-read and fun format for young women! It's important that girls know about these issues at an early age to help them realize their potential. This book is full of facts, quotes and stories, making it interesting to read and easy to pick up where you left off. Stories from real women help make the author's points credible and understandable. The book doesn't just talk about issues, it actually gives girls ideas on how to put their beliefs into action. I found The Girls' Guide to Life very inspiring, informational and empowering! I can't wait for my daughter to read it, and I plan to recommend it to all of the young women in my life. - Dale Salvaggio Bradshaw, co-author of Firestarters: 100 Job Profiles to Inspire Young Women

The Girls Guide to Life by Catherine Dee contains a plethora of information and anecdotes for young girls and budding teens that are both entertaining and empowering. This primer for young girls deals with issues such as self esteem, empowerment in the workplace, social rights and obligations, and general life 101 lessons. The guide celebrates the empowerment of young females through a variety of activities and uses real life examples to address the issues that all young women face today. A great field guide to life's basics that every girl should read!

I think this is a good present for most teenage girls because it opens the door to further thought and purposeful decisions. Even if one is not a feminist, one could appreciate the information on topics like why sports are important, how to stay safe at home/school/street, and why math & science equals a bright future.

I appreciate the topics on self-esteem, what is physical beauty, and understanding and handling sexual harrasment.
Honestly, I wish this author would write similarly empowering and informational books for boys!

How refreshing to read a book which helps to elevate, educate and emancipate young girls of the world. This book speaks to young girls in a very human and comprehensible way. It teaches them how to be strong, yet not overbearing, healthy not bulimic, educated, self-motivated and just all round good citzens of the world.

The book is full of historical facts showing how females took on the world against all odds and succeeded. In the book readers are also treated with humorous cartoons, for instance their is a young lady who takes on the form of a puddle. At the end of the cartoon she is standing upright and shouting "I am not your doormat!" Its a beautiful evolution....

Also what impressed me are the worksheets and life exercises in the book. What a clever way for a young girl to track her progress, in addition getting life pointers and hints.

Help a young girl become a confident young lady - Give her this book!!!!!

Hats off to you Catherine!!! Keep em coming.....

My book of the latest coin values arrived in excellent condition and expeditiously. The book has proven to be a practical and user-friendly reference source and guide to the most current US coin values.

There is no better guide for the novice or professional coin collector. Reliable information and up to date pricing.

This is the first book a person should buy when entering into coin collecting. It gives a base to prices and where one might start.2008 Guide Book of Us Coins Redbook (Guide Book of United States Coins)

This is a very comprehensive, filled with pictures, easy to understand and follow guidebook for a beginner, as well as a serious collector.

I ordered this book for my son as he is beginning coin collecting. He took up that interest after seeing the collection that my grandfather handed down to me. The book was perfect for showing him what these coins are worth today.

I really enjoyed this book. Ann Leary has an engaging and enjoyable writing style and a great sense of humor. Her story, about her premature son Jack, was touching and heartfelt without straying into maudlin. I read it in one sitting, in a few hours, and can honestly say it was worth staying up until 1:00 am to finish it, even though I'm now grouchy at work.

...go along with all the other reader/reviewers who gave this memoir Five Stars. It's a quick, though thoughtful read.

Any Denis Leary fan who has ever bought the most recent DVD release of "No Cure For Cancer" or the book knows only briefly what he and his wife went through in London back in 1990. This is the whole story.

When I learned of this book, it was truly a must-have. With the imagination I have, you can just hear Denis talking, and you can just picture the British accents of the people there. You also have the brief stories of how she and Denis met, a brief shot at, particularly, her upbringing, and a lot of family beliefs. Therefore, this also kinda works as a brief autobiography of her and Denis and their families.

Whether you're a Denis Leary fan or an expectant mother, you'll find this story funny, triumphant, and wonderful.

Women love to share their birth stories, especially with good friends. Ann Leary's novel makes the reader feel like they are laughing and joking about the time of their children's births over coffee. By the end of her book, I felt like good friends with Leary. She is smart, funny, and not afraid to expose her insecurities in a way that we can all relate with. A fun, quick, satisfying read!

Ann Leary's autobiographical account of her sons birth abroad, amidst the rise of her husbands comedy career, is well-written, interesting, and very truthful. Unlike some autobiographical stories, Ann doesn't attempt to present herself as some sort of hero, and she doesn't portray anything that happened to her in a way that is self-serving. She tells it like it is. And it is a very interesting story. From her son's surprise appearance, to her unexpected life abroad, Anne's story is intriguing, sometimes sad, funny, and sometimes happy. I would expect that anyone who's ever had a premie, or anyone who's lived abroad, would especially enjoy her story, but to the rest of us, it's still a good read.

The book can look very promising to you. And it is. It offers a great amount of history and vividly describes the structure of the Marines. However, the book isn't very much a manual as it is a set of chronicles. I recommend it to any with an interest in the Marines or military overall.

I purchased this book for my husband, for our anniversary. He had, many times, picked up this book at our local bookstore and thumbed through it. The book drew numerous smiles and comments from him. "Hey hun, look at this.." became the regular statement made, while browsing through the pages. Not only did the book offer a throrough history of the Corps, but it brought back endless memories for him. I've enjoyed this just as much as he has! The book is a beautiful presentation of history, wonderful photos, artwork and facts. We've had the book quite some time, and he's still admiring it, learning new things from it..... still smiling as he "looks" through it! In effect, what I have is a Dashing Grunt, who's so happy you'd think it was November 10th. :-) A great book for all.

As the proud mother of Two of The Few, I'm unashamedy too "moto" for Things Marine. The first time I saw this book, I had to have it. From the beautiful cover with its USMC Seal to every single bit of information inside, it is a fitting tribute to our country's BEST - United States Marines. Chesty Puller himself would give it a gruff "Good To Go!"

I cannot find a single aspect of this book I don't like. For proud parents of Devil Dogs especially, I highly recommend this book!

This book is absolutely amazing. This is a "must have" for every former and current Marine and military historians. You will be pleased with this one.

Despite an aching back, I stood for over an hour this afternoon thumbing through the pages of this book at a local bookstore. It was outstanding. I was a Marine combat correspondent in Vietnam ('67) and saw a number of photos taken by my colleagues, including David Douglas Duncan in Con Thien where I also was. What struck me about "Marines" is the extensive and well balance coverage of the history of the Corps. I found it very amusing the "political correct" comments about several of our controversal commandants. How true. How true. Great work. I came home and immediately ordered this book from Amazon.

Semper Fi!

I've got a couple dozen vegan-oriented books and this is one of the best. Succinct, cogent, smart, well-researched. A lot of books don't give enough hard facts or go deeply enough into their information. This one does both. Particularly great guidance for activists--which I consider any ethical vegan to be just by virtue of being 'the vegan in the room.'

I almost didn't read this book, and I am SO glad that I did! This is a great book for all those eager to make an impact on animal welfare. This book provides strong arguments for taking an active interest in animal welfare, especially the meat industry which lies at the root of an overwhelming majority of the animal suffering in this world. All arguments are supported with well documented facts. Most importantly, Meat Market inspires innovative ideas and directs readers to important resources for turning thoughts and beliefs into action. From evaluating leafleting and writing letters to editors to working with school lunch programs, Erik Marcus provides information about how to take action through many unexpected venues and careers.

I highly recommend this book as an innovative guide to activism!

Liked it. Not as ground breaking as Marcus' previous work on "Vegan the new ethics of eating", but worth reading.

"Just as slavery was once America's most pressing human rights violation, there can be no doubt that the effort to eliminate cruelty to animals should focus on agriculture. Animal agriculture accounts for more than 97 percent of animals killed by humans in the United States. Farmed animals therefore deserve priority, and arguments made on their behalf should not be weakened by lumping in rhetoric pertaining to hunting, medical research, or companion animals."

So argues Erik Marcus with impeccable logic in Meat Market: Animals, Ethics & Money. This concise, well-researched, and thoughtful book is divided into four sections:

Animal Agriculture -- The first part of the book covers some very familiar ground but does so succinctly and with the occasionally provocative perspective of someone who is willing to prioritize in an honest, objective way. This is no angry screed with unjustifiable or exaggerated claims. (In fact, the entire book embodies an admonishment against such counterproductive approaches.) Marcus is almost detached in his delivery thus making his presentation even more powerful.

Dismantlement -- The heart of the book covers Marcus' vision for how an activist's time, energy and money could best be spent. I won't go into detail here but this is great stuff.

Activist Essays -- I felt these were largely a waste of space and time. Perhaps other readers could find something useful or inspiring here but I did not.

Appendices -- The best appendices you will ever read in any book. Seriously. Marcus separated these essays from the main text in order not to distract from his message but there is some terrific stuff here especially Appendix B where he provides a rational counterargument to the popular beef production water use claims.

Some additional quotes from the book which I hope are provocative enough to arouse your interest:

Organic dairies and free-range egg farms never seem to volunteer the fact that they rely on killing every bit as much as their factory farm counterparts...

While suffering will always be part of animal agriculture, some of the worst cruelties can be removed at little cost. The industry could, if it chose, quickly enact the following five steps...

For many years to come, most of the dismantlement movement's efforts should be directed toward outreach. But it would be silly to neglect other attractive opportunities for action. Even with our current minimal resources, we can begin stripping away three of animal agriculture's most important assets...

[Militant activist Josh] Harper...explain[ed] why he believes that both outreach and property destruction should be used to protect animals. According to Harper, the animals benefit if the meat industry is forced to defend itself on as many fronts as possible--a coalition of militants and mainstream outreach activists would stretch the industry's resources and double its vulnerabilities. Harper's assertion seems reasonable, but a closer look reveals a flaw in its logic...

Overall, there have probably been thousands of instances in which animal testing helped diminish human suffering...

Unfortunately, the truth about water use is on the beef industry's side...

Outstanding book! Highly recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Meat Market, not only as a refresher course on animal treatment and common farming practices, but also because I and others around me have recently engaged in discussions related to activism approaches and how to appeal to other people's nonviolent inclinations regarding their decision on what to eat. I agree with Marcus that the most prevailing concern with regard to use of animals is an ethical one and that animal protection advocates would be wise to focus their efforts and attention on eliminating an industry that kills billions per year. Due to Marcus's invaluable perspective, pensive mind, and incessant quest for facts, I believe that this book will give rise to many new ideas and collaboration within the animal rights movement. I cannot foresee any negatives of reading Meat Market, taking the information into consideration, and working towards becoming a millionaire just as Marcus; even causing others to choose not to kill one thousand animals will bring about a much-needed paradigm shift in our culture.

(As an aside, I saw mentioned that Marcus supports or believes that animal testing is justified in certain circumstances. I do not know if, outside of Meat Market, Marcus has suggested or stated the same; however, this is the location on Amazon for Meat Market book reviews. Marcus does not intimate in Meat Market any personal support for animal testing. He merely states that there probably have been instances wherein animal testing helped diminish human suffering, which is not a statement in favor or against vivisection.)

If you or someone you know has had life's dreams interrupted by an accident or illness, consider "My Decision to Live." It's a real life story about how one person - poised to accomplish his life-long goal - dealt with a terrible setback that completely re-wrote his life's script. Nader's story has elements with which many of us can identify: An imperfect yet loving family spread across several states, strong, individual motivation, bureaucratic obstacles, and bitter disappointment. Through it all, we see a young man's character and faith grow while he charts a new course in life. I'm glad Nader Elguindi took the time to share his story. It's given me a renewed perspective on overcoming my own challenges through an honest account of one person's struggle. Nader would have made a great submarine commander and his leadership would have meant a great deal to the men with whom he served. Having lost the chance to attain that goal, Nader instead has chosen to serve us all by telling his story and helping others in the process. Read this book and pass it along.

It's cliche to say "This book has been an inpiration to me, but so be it. This is an incredible story of overcoming obstacles and living by design with purpose and intensity.

The next time life gets hard and you don't know if you want to make the effort - buy this book, read this book and then get in gear.

I am still reading this book and I am enjoying it very much. The language is simple and unsophisticated which may disappoint some, but this makes it more appealing to youths. I want my son to read it so he understands what it is to be a man of character.

I just could not believe all that he has been through, and he still managed to do two remarkable feats by getting submarine qualified with a prosthetic leg, and starting a business which is hard to do anyway. If he can find his way, I can also.

Prior to the read, I expected a book 3/4ths about the after Navy struggles and little about the submarine experience. Being a former submariner I was happy to find I was mistaken. Knowing of the lack of physical space on submarines and moving fore and aft becomes routine for us but in retrospect I can remember how difficult it was especially during a call to "Battle Stations."
An excellent story of the hills and valleys of recovery both physically and career wise and how persevere in the business world.
I'm recommending it to all my viewers on my submarine BBS.
Thanks Nader!

"On The Air"
I've been after this one for some years but couldn't make the price tag.
Finally I found one of Amazon's amazing cut price sources & grabbed it.
It arrived at my UK address in as secure a package as you could hope for and for a third of its original price! It is as near mint condition as one could expect and is one great hunk of reading. I'll be older and feebler before I reach Z with this one! I can't say I'm familiar with all shows as a UK guy but it'll be interesting to plough through the many shows that either I never heard of or that never quite made it. It was mainly thanks to AFRS & its dedication to keeping the troops in touch with Hollywood & the stars during their wartime golden days that drew me (and thousands of other UK listeners)into the web of American radio and now thanks to those dedicated groups like YUSA and OTR much has been preserved to be recaptured & appreciated as if it were yesterday,again! A solid souvenir for all fans of this incomparable media of the mind.

Whether you wish to know about the great or the small radio programs of the past, this book is for you. It is more than a resume of the various radio programs but rather is a complete history. With the more famous shows, entries can be several pages. Each entry is well researched and seems to be very complete, from cast members to those "behind the scenes." This is the definitive work, in my estimation.

Being an old time radio fan for more than 15 years and having collected more than 45,000 programs I was looking for a reference book that allowed me to better track what I have and what I wanted to look for. John Dunning's book is that and so much more. The detail he has included for the series listed is simply amazing. From showtimes to networks to cast to sponsors to a behind the scenes type view of each series you're left feeling like you were there the whole time.

This book is a must have for both novice and serious collectors of these fine old programs. You won't be disappointed in the detail. If you're looking for pictures then this isn't the book. It is a beautifully written reference book that gives you insight to not only the shows themselves but the actors and actresses who starred in them.

Simply put, a wonderful read!

Highly informative, well written, entertaining, sometimes exhaustive. I read this through from cover to cover (several evenings) - a process that has not tempted me with any other encyclopedia! Brings back many memories while adding much information new to me. Great stuff!

This book has everything you could ever need to know about OTR. Meticulously researched. I asked my father in law about shows he used to watch and he named some I never heard of and he said were just local shows and wouldn't be in this book. Wrong! This book had them and even said that they were local shows. If you want an encyclopedia on old time radio, this is the one to get!

First, Jonathan Eig is a tremendous writer! He does have a tendency to detour along tangential lines, but that adds to the richness and backdrop of the drama that was experienced by Jackie Robinson. Eig transforms history into humanity with cameo appearances by icons such as Babe Ruth, Malcolm X, and Sidney Poitier. I felt the sense of pride that African Americans of mid 20th century America must have felt. It bolstered the idea of "Only in America". This was a civil rights story before Till, Brown v. Board.., Parks, and King. I hurt with Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, and a litany of other Negro Leagues stars born "out of season". I smelled the hot dogs of Ebbets Field. I met and loved Branch Rickey. I watched Pee Wee Reese, Eddie Stanky, and Dixie Walker and many others mature. I adored Jackie Robinson for his talent and demeanor. All courtesy of Jonathan Eig, who BROUGHT IT!

A complex, nuanced portrait of Jackie Robinson, told with stunning detail and insight into the first black man to play major league baseball in the 20th century. As an historical account, this book goes beyond myth and revisionist morality to create what feels like a genuine account of a complicated man in a complicated place. As a baseball book, it is wonderfully expansive on an important era with lots of legendary players. As a literary work, it is a top-notch narrative told in an elegant, rhythmic cadence. It also gets high marks for journalistic technique and style. If all writers of sport possessed Jon's rare combination of gifts, the genre would be a lot richer.

This is the second book that I have read from author Jonathan Eig. The first, Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig, was such a great retelling of the life of the Iron Horse, that my expectations when picking up Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season were quite high.

Opening Day is the story of Jackie Robinson's first year in the majors, and the challenges he faced when he became the first black American to play Major League Baseball. Any true fan of baseball knows the story of Jackie Robinson, his importance to the game and the lasting impact he has had on the United States. But, Eig manages to provide a fresh look at this historical year, focusing not only on the challenges and bigotry that haunted Robinson, but also on the lives that he touched in 1947 and for years to come.

One of the more intriguing stories from the book was that of Jackie's teammate Dixie Walker. When Robinson's Dodger teammates were informed that he was coming up from the Montreal Royals to play with the team, Walker wrote the team's general manager, Branch Rickey, asking for a trade. There were also rumors that he led an effort by the Dodger players to get Jackie off the team. Dixie always denied the accusation, but nonetheless, he was basically a self-proclaimed bigot - worried about what his family and friends in Alabama would do if he played alongside a black man.

Like authors before him, Eig could have easily cast Dixie as the villain of the story. But instead, he details how playing with Jackie helped Walker evolve into a better man. Within time, Walker started to respect Jackie for his toughness and determination. He started giving Jackie pointers on how to improve his game, and later in 1947, he stood up for him (along with all of Jackie's other teammates) when opposing teams would hurl racial epithets at Jackie. Robinson made Walker start to question his views on minorities and Walker came to realize what he learned about blacks while he was growing up was wrong. After that, Walker played with, coached and managed black players throughout the rest of his career, and later said Jackie was "as outstanding an athlete as I ever saw."

This is just one example of the impact that Jackie had on the lives of others. Stories are sprinkled throughout the book about the significant impression he left on his teammates, other players in the league, broadcasters, league executives - and most importantly, the next generation of black Americans who would continue the struggle for equality in America.

Opening Day, definitely lived up to my expectations and surpassed them, and I highly recommend it for any fan of baseball and/or American history - and to anyone who is interested in understanding the important role Jackie Robinson played in the evolution of the United States.

Jonathan Eig is developing an expertise at rehabilitating hackneyed young-adult biography heroes. First with Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig and now with "Opening Day", Eig takes a baseball player whose legend has become tarnished by excessive praise, and retells the story from its original context, restoring a sense of wonder.

The story of Jackie Robinson has with time become a story about the heroism of Jackie's white teammates. History now tells us that they bravely accepted and embraced him, over society's disapproval at the ending of baseball's color line. At least, that's how Eig first approaches and then rewrites the tale. In "Opening Day", the spotlight rightly shifts back to onto Jackie himself, as well as to his wife Rachel, the rock at the center of his life. We hear from Jackie himself via contemporary interviews and from his assigned beat-writer from the black press.

The discussion of Jackie's acceptance among his teammates is limited to how they did not in fact accept Jackie as one of them: Eig fails to uncover any evidence that the rest of the Dodgers tried to socialize with or befriend Jackie in any meaningful way once they stepped off the field.

Branch Rickey, who gets rightful credit as the man who integrated baseball, is also shown as the shrewd businessman he is, in both the good and bad sense. Rickey was the executive who refused to trade one of Jackie's most vocal teammate critics, realizing that his pennant hopes resided in that man's bat. He further refused to give Jackie a significant raise for 1948 even though Jackie's presence generated value in publicity and gate that far exceeded his meager rookie paycheck.

Most compellingly, Eig retells the story of the 1947 season month by month, primarily through contemporaneous newspaper accounts. We see the variable way Jackie was treated by the press, and whose agenda affected which stories. A national publication tried to anoint Spider Jorgensen, a strictly league-average third baseman, as the league's top rookie, in a veiled slap at Jackie's aggressive Negro League style of play. We also learn things not commonly told: we know, for example, that Larry Doby was the second black baseball player in 1947, but Eig goes further and tells us who came third and fourth (a cynical move by the St. Louis Browns), and which white owners opposed integration in the disingenuous name of preserving the Negro Leagues.

"Opening Day" could stand to go farther and tell a bigger story. Jackie's post-1947 career and personal life is shunted into a brief epilogue that hints at a possible second book of equal depth. Of course, the space within "Opening Day" is well used: the three chapters devoted to the 1947 World Series are well researched and lively told. Even in a book about Jackie Robinson, the other unlikely heroes and goats of that series (Bill Bevens, Cookie Lavagetto, Al Gionfriddo) still deserve their space.

Eig's extensive research and thoughtful treatment of Jackie Robinson does not vary or question the general truth of his legend: Robinson played the game well under tremendous pressure with little or no support and demonstrated in the process the skill and courage that entitled blacks to equal opportunity. But Eig does add some new perspectives that make the legend far more interesting.

First is the general unpleasantness of Robinson. He's like Pete Rose in his burning desire to win at all costs and would rub some people the wrong way regardless of his color.

Second and perhaps most important is Eig's ability to introduce more subtlety into the story. Eig destroys the legend of Pee Wee Reese publicly encouraging Robinson on the field in the face of racial abuse. That did not happen, at least not in 1947. Robinson is utterly alone in 1947 and has to prove himself to his teammates. Branca is the only guy to make a point of shaking his hand when he first appears, which adds to Branca's own legend as a man of character, but even Branca essentially ignores him for much of the season. Some of this is racial, of course. But some of it is the culture of baseball: a rookie must prove himself.

Robinson's ability to peform in these circumstances, under the most tremendous pressure possible, adds to his legend and makes his 1947 season perhaps the most admirable of all seasons. Eig is also good at introducing subtlety into the legends surrounding Robinson's oppressors. There is some rumbling on the team, but that quickly dissipates. Most interesting is the role of star player Dixie Walker. Walker felt compelled by his southern roots, and by his desire not to have his business punished in the south, to make a point of objecting and asking for a trade. But thereafter, he drops the protest. The problem for Robinson was not simply the obvious bigotry, but his freeze-out by the rest of his team until he could prove himself under the most trying of circumstances. Walker may have given Robinson a few batting tips and may have dropped his trade demands, but neither he nor anyone else took Robinson under his wing. Even in baseball's demanding culture of ritualized abuse of rookies, a rookie will eventually be taken under someone's wing. Robinson did not have that benefit.

The protests of other teams has also been exaggerated. It appears that there were some murmuring on the Cardinals to try to boycott Dodger games, but that fizzled before it started. The Phillies were grossly racist in their bench jockeying, but backed off early in the season. The Yankees in the 1947 World Series had a few nasty bench jockeys.

What emerges from all this is the pain of the gross racism aggravated by the agonizing loneliness of Robinson as he has to endure everything and prove himself. Eig convincingly shows that by the end of 1947, Robinson succeeded in proving himself and was the MVP of this team. Only then was he accepted by Pee Wee Reese, the team's captain.

All of which demonstrates Branch Rickey's wisdom in choosing Robinson as the man to break the color barrier. Robinson had mental toughness and competitive fire. The rap on black athletes was that they were not mentally tough, and Robinson was exactly the right guy to disprove that myth. Choosing a more passive personality would not have made the point, and choosing a less disciplined soul who would have got into physical fights in 1947 would not have worked either. But it is interesting to learn how Robinson sometimes crossed the line (such as spiking Rizzuto in the 1947 Series) and how close Robinson came to losing it.

Robinson emerges as a complex and truly great man in this narrative. This is an excellent book that I highly recommend.

As a trained mental health professional, I wanted to read the book for purely academic and research reasons. However, I found myself going on a personal journey of exploration into the relationship between myself and my father with schizophrenia. This book was amazing to me on multiple levels.

Unfortunately, most readers of this book, as well as the author of the book, even if he is his son, are misinformed. I've spent a lot of time around mentally ill people who really do seem to have something dead wrong in their brain/body biochemistry, as well as imbalances of all sorts. Charles Lachenmeyer, the Outsider, was not crazy, except for the extremely stressful situations that he was forced into from OUTSIDE ( pun intended ) sources. He was no fool, he had a PhD in sociology and was a University professor of the same. A man doesn't just go from that kind of being to a homeless guy sleeping in a puddle of his own urine on a park bench in -0 degree weather. His books are still in the sociology section of Borders and Barnes n' Noble bookstores. What happened was that Charles came up with a multi-million dollar idea as to how to revolutionarily re-structure society in a much more efficient way. However, he refused to share his idea with his colleagues, thusly with the government. Charles wanted full credit for his own idea, and rightly so. So his colleagues teamed up with various government and probably military agencies to try to ruin his life, basically to torment him into sharing his breakthrough idea of sociology. Anyone who is naive enough to doubt that various agencies are well-versed in mind-control technology and psychological warfare, needs to seriously deprogram themselves from their own mental conditioning. MK ULTRA, MAJIC, OPERATION MIND CONTROL, etc. as well as other operations are no mere conspiracy stories, even the agencies themselves willingly admit that they did these operations now, being that so much time has passed. Unfortunately, Mr. Charles Lachenmeyer was subject to their torture devices. His embarrassing dreams at night were, in turn, reenacted the following days in braod daylight public view to humiliate him by " strangers ". His family life was sabotaged away from him, leaving him all alone except for his comanion, his dog. Of course, then, the dog was kidnapped away from him, leaving him emotionally bankrupt and spent. He was then subjected to the final part of the plan, which was to make him seem like some crazy " schizophrenic " spouting off conspiracy stories, and unfortunately, even his son Nathaniel, bought into this. The whole time Charles was homeless, he was writing, more and more he was expanding on his breakthrough, as well as exposing the mind-control that he was subjected to, probably naming important names in his book. Charles was ultimately killed, and " his papers were mysteriously lost in a flood in his apartment " ( how convenient to lose all of the evidence ) All in all I think Nathaniel did well to honor his dad in this book, and I do believe that his intentions were good. The book is excellent, and I read it back to back 3 times in a row. But .... Seem like he was simply a brilliant man that became schizophrenic? Well let me pat you on the back, that's exactly what they want you to think.

I found the Outsider to be a fascinating book, one that really opened my eyes to the problems encountered by those suffereing from mental illness and schizophrenia. The son's journey to understand the father and piece together the last few years of his life is heart-wrenching and the reader truly sympathizes with his pain and anguish. A terrific book that I heartily recommend.

THE OUTSIDER brought the pain and the struggles of Charles Lachenmeyer to life. Charles was a brillant sociology professor who gradually was transformed into a victim of paranoid schizophrenia. Even at his lowest points, he kept trying, and he kept believing in humanity. In one letter to the author, he wrote, "No matter how adverse the circumstances--and mine have been adverse--there is never any reason to give up . . ."

This book breathes life into a person with mental illness, and it brings understanding. It left me in tears and with a deep respect for Charles.

I truly believe this book should be read by everyone, not just people that are going into the mental health field. I was required to ready it for a Social Work class I am currently taking at the undergraduate level; however, I can say without a doubt it is by far the best book I have ever read! Lachenmeyer really brings home the stigma and heartache that is experienced by people and their loved ones suffering from such a debilitating mental illness. Most people are unaware of the devastating effects mental illness can have on a person and their family. This book highlights so many issues concerning mental health as to responsibilities of people in the system, stigma, prejudice, and the tolerance of society in general to someone suffering from mental illness. Moreover, this book was really an awakening that this could happen to anyone at any time. I wish everyone could read this book as it really teaches a lesson on humanity!!

Positive Pushing speaks to our times and the difficulties parents face when determining how much or how little to push their children to achieve success in life. We all want to motivate our kids to succeed in life, but how much is too much? When do we push and when do we back off? Dr. Taylor, through examples, research, and his own personal wisdom, walks this delicate line, showing the pitfalls and dangers of both sides, and leads us to creating a healthy, balanced and purposeful life for our young ones. In the highly competitive world we live in today, no home with children should be without this important work on their bookshelf.

If you're living vicariously through the life of your child- step out of the way. In his book Positive Pushing, Dr. Jim Taylor teaches parents to step back and examine the root of their attitudes towards their child's successes and failures and provides a win-win model for positive encouragement. He teaches parents to equip their children with an internal compass to which they can gauge their own successes and failures, while always keeping focused on giving their personal best.

When it comes to literature on young achievers, Dr. Taylor's book stands out from the pack. Positive Pushing brings to light the oftentimes overlooked and misunderstood world of emotions, family dynamics, and external & internal expectations that young achievers face during their school years and beyond.

Taylor cuts to the chase when it comes to examining achievement and happiness, making the necessary distinction between external achievement and achievement that includes the internal experience of joy in the process. In so doing, Taylor details the type of guidance and support he encourages parents to provide in order to ensure their children experience success and happiness simultaneously.

Taylor pulls no punches as he cautions parents to examine their own motives, desires, and expectations. At the same time, he skillfully guides parents on how to navigate the terrain of ensuring their children grow into happy, resilient, confident, and successful adults. Taylor draws from his extensive professional experience as well as from current research in the fields of child development, sports psychology, and other disciplines. He provides examples in the areas of academics, sports, and the arts that every parent will quickly recognize as true-to-life. He even details red flags, along with accompanying advice on ways to respond to them.

Positive Pushing is a resource as practical as it is thought-provoking. It is a must-read for all interested in ensuring that our children are truly happy in their success.

Dr. Jim Taylor does a fabulous job clarifying a parent's role in his book, "Positive Pushing". He gives you a framework to guide decisions about children's activities, schedules and responsiblities. I don't feel the panic to join everything or the guilt about not letting them quit piano lessons. He taught me what is negotiable with my three boys and what isn't. I am more of an in-charge parent. We have a new house rule: "one sport, one music...no more, no less". It has worked beautifully for 3 years now. Everyone is trying new things but they are not overwhelmed because they are trying too many new things and they are not bored because they aren't trying anything new.

Dr. Taylor taught me to own my part of parenting and to let my boys own their part. They are proud of the "excellence" they achieve by always working as hard as they can. The word "perfect" has been removed from our vocabulary. Once you open your eyes to how imperfect everything is...you'll never put that pressure on yourself or children again. Dr. Taylor brought joy back to my parenting and, I hope, to my children's childhood again.

Every parent owes it to themselves to read this book! Thanks Dr. Taylor!

Jim Taylor is pushing too hard in trying to resolve various parenting and parenting/adult issues in one book. He probable knows a lot about achievement but he couldn't convince me about how positive pushing/control can be with kids--he starts with a promising argument but feters out in his style of discussion. He cites good research but his own ideas/interpretations are unoriginal and unconvincing. He is also inconsistent in his opinions (i.e., unconditional love does not exist then in next sentence he says that parents are to love their kids without condition). He also talks about achieving "balance" without real-life solutions. He does have lists of behavioral solutions in the end of the chapters but they seem disjointed and almost exhaustive, making me feel more like my kids and I would be more exhausted than "balanced". The tone of his book was bland and too distancing--I found myself skimming his chapter intros. He sounds more like a motivational speaker or academician than an experienced parent (he cites kids/families he's worked with but no personal stories about his own family). For a more "balanced" approach in parenting and easier read, I recommend "Hold on to Your Kids" by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Mate.