Health Books

As a psychologist for 30 years I have read many professional texts and self-help books. This is a valuable book for people entering the healing professions as well as for patients and their caretakers because, throughout, it touches on a man's path to recovering from brain damage. It touches on his creating a personal philosophy to see him through, skills he learned along the way, including self-assertion, and finally the love he's learned along the way.
Dick Schmelzkopf's book, Brain Damage: Overcoming adversity with wit and humor, challenges us to observe what is, to most of us, the mundane choices of life, what to wear, doing chores, and handling finances through his brain-damaged mind. This book is a practical, no-nonsense, road map outlining the rehabilitation process of a brain-damaged man ... and more. In addition, the author describes what one can expect to experience along the way and shares his views that will help people understand what tools one needs on such a journey. It will make the trip easier for all who make this journey and those who accompany them. Reading this book illuminates our lives and can only make us more tolerant, compassionate, and caring. I'm a better psychologist for having read it.
Philosophy
From his first thoughts after surgery, Dick Schmelzkopf psychologically reframes how he sees life. Dick's advice to "Add Quality of Life to your personal credo" will shake the whininess out of anyone's "pity party." Many who have died on the operating table and are brought back to life also make this shift in their thinking through the transformational experience.
Dick avoids sliding into non-productive funks when he admonishes us, "Don't beat yourself up ... Remember it and learn by it." Combine Dick's advice to us all that we "... need challenges and interests. If you don't have one, get one," with his personal stance, "I will never, never give up," which explains much of his success. Dick's dogged determination to master whatever functions his brain surgery left him is a model to everyone, with or without brain damage. Dick's prior work as a salesman has, I believe, contributed to his use of affirmations like, "I have a positive attitude that guarantees success." Dick adapted the adage, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade," into his personal mantra, "If you're given brain damage, write about it." In addition to being great rehabilitation therapy for him, it gives his life meaning and purpose that this book "... will give somebody an idea of how to help themselves or someone they love."
Skills
This book has many techniques for the brain-damaged person to use to enhance the quality of their life and the lives of their caregivers. His recitation of his abilities, pre and post- surgery, can be an instruction manual, both for the patient and for caregivers. Whether discussing the impact on his decision-making or judgment, Dick lays out the roadmap of how a brain-damaged person can regain control of whatever is left by the surgeon's scalpel. Dick constantly reminds us of the need for the acceptance of the "slow and arduous task" of rehabilitation by patients, caregivers and health care professionals.
Dick teaches us by example. His strategy of linking his interests in darts to solving a math problem clearly shows how a brain-damaged person can learn how to cope. He serves up the problems he's had, like pattern recognition, then follows up with helpful hints for dealing with his "broken recognizer." Dick's rituals, for rebuilding his vocabulary, are his menu for finding and using what works for him. Dick's "Rule number one" for the cognitively challenged (and their caregivers) is proof that his "... pen is mightier that the surgeon's sword." Dick's comment about his re-learned poker skills are a warning to us all, should we ever find ourselves across a poker table from him.
His determination to define himself in his new life is a triumphant assertion of the human spirit and will. Dick's response to people who treat him as less than equal is a prime example of a psychologically healthy outlook, succinctly put, that others see him as a person of worth and dignity, handicap be damned. Dick's admonition that "Brain-damaged means we may be a little slower in some areas, but don't count us out," works as well for those with an aging brain as it is instructive to caregivers and health care professionals alike.
Love
This book is as much a love story of two people committed to each other in ways only a few lucky people will ever experience. It emphatically says, "Take heart, caregivers," when Dick tells caregivers, "You are important," and you feel it when he says throughout the book, "Ain't love grand?" You will find this book is full of heart, love, compassion, humor and common sense that prove that to overcome a handicap, the wisdom of the heart trumps intelligence. Every time. The two pages discussing Grief is worth the price of the book alone. Its lesson is the power of compassion, love and illuminates the author's humanity, or, as his wife says, "ECCE HOMO," which translates as "Behold, A Man."
Dick's rehabilitation journey is not complete, nor will it ever be. After a year of rehab work he has found, however, the best path for himself. He's currently busy on many writing projects. We wish him God-speed and Dragon's Luck.

What can I say....I laughed, I cried (rest in peace, Shardak), and then I laughed again (out loud, alone in the room, 1 AM). I saw myself and wondered why anyone who has ever lost their car keys is not in the same program right along with the "Rehabbers". Dick shares some very personal moments with his readers (some of these things it would never occur to me to share with some of my closest friends). He really grabs you and makes you think.....and laugh....and cry.... I felt like I was sitting and sharing secrets with my best friend. Truly inspirational, in many ways!! Thanks for sharing yourself with the world!!

Brain Damage is an amazing journey. Both the story and its author are testaments to the indomitableness of the human spirit in its quest for wholeness. However, the author's pilgrimage, compelling in its own right, is but a subplot to a recurring theme throughtout the book. This is a love story, marriage the way God intended it. "For better or worse, in sickness and in health"--vows often spoken but not always honored, expecially when tested the way these were. You will love this book, and you will love the way these two people love each other. Enjoy their journey, then I challenge you. See if you can ever again be angry with your spouse for ignoring the budget or failing to lower the toilet seat.

Dick Schmeltzof's very personal book, Brain Damage, is both heartwarming and informative. He treats a very serious subject with humor, wit and compassion. It is difficult to imagine the drastic changes that have occurred in Dick's life since the emergency surgery to remove a tumor on his pituitary gland. But through his carefully constructed narrative, we can "feel" his frustrations and also revel in the incremental -- yet moving forward -- progress that he makes. His is a story of great courage, hope and love; a lesson for Humanity. Thanks to Dick for sharing this moving and insightful story of life after brain surgery. Readers will laugh. They will weep. And finally, they will applaud this incredible human being. Dick demonstrates a real gift for storytelling through this book. Let's hope he delights us with "Brain Damage II".

This is one story that will inspire many people and give them hope for recovery from brain injuries. The author uses humor and wit and weaves his story of how he over came and coped with his "brain damge". It is a positive message about a serious concern. The book is a great read even if you do not have anyone in your lfie with brain damage - it really is about attitude and how you can cope with whatever happens to you in your life.

I totally recomend this book to all readers. It will add something to your life in a positive way. It is uplifting!

If you have or suspect having a vitamin B 12 deficiency or if you need to learn about this deficiency for any reason, I recommend you read carefully the book " Could it be B 12 ? An epidemic of Misdiagnoses " by Sally M. Pacholok and Jeffrey J. Stuart. But don't let it be your only source of information about the deficiency. Because at least half of alternative reliable scientific reports about this subject strongly disagree with the major allegations of the authors of this book. You must also be aware of the alternative opinions before deciding on what to do about your vitamin B 12 deficiency. I am not a medical expert and do not say who is right or wrong. However, I am glad I researched other sources of information after I was diagnosed with B 12 deficiency and after I read this book. I couldn't find any other books on this subject but there are a lot of serious scientific reports published on the internet by credible hospitals, laboratories, medical journals etc. You don't have to be a medical expert to understand them, they are written for the general public. Some of the information on the internet is crap but a significant portion is reliable , very informative and based on sound scientific reasearch and experiments.

Search from Google under the headings of vitamin B12 deficiency, homocysteine, methyl malonic acid, intrinsic factor and pernicious anemia. A lot of articles will pop up among them by reliable hospitals such as the Mayo Clinic and some labs etc. Also search under the same headings from the websites of Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia, American Family Doctor and Lab test on line. There are many other websites that include reliable information on Vitamin B 12 deficiency. After reading the book " Could it be B 12 ? An epidemic of Misdiagnoses " my initial reaction was an anger towards my doctor who diagnosed me with a B 12 deficiency believing that he had given me false information. I also had written a very favorable review of this book immediately after having read it two and a half months ago on January 19 2008. I have hereby replaced on April 11th 2008 my previous review of the book with this one based on my subsequent research on the internet about the topic from about ten different reliable scientific reports from different sources. My initial review was based only on the book. The present review is based on both the book and my subsequent extensive research. About half of the medical literature agrees with the authors of this book on the method of diagnosing and treatment of the vitamin B 12 deficiency. The remaining 50 % that disagree also base their views on sound scientific studies.

The authors of the book claim that most doctors in the world are ignorant about vitamin B12 deficiency. After finishing the book I initially bought this argument. However, after conducting the research on the internet I mentioned above I disagree that most doctors are ignorant about it. Surely there are a lot of doctors who are in fact ignorant about it and who misdiagnose. Even my doctor told me some things about vitamin B 12 deficiency some of which I still think are wrong. However, not all doctors who disagree with the authors are ignorant ; there are many among the disagreeing doctors who are very knowledgeable about this subject. Their methods of diagnosing and treating the deficiency maybe different than that of the authors. That does not necessarily make them ignorant. You can see this for yourself by reading their reports on the internet where they express alternative opinions about vitamin B 12 deficiency. Yet the authors of the book accuse all doctors who disagree with them with ignorance. I feel that it is unfair and unconvincing to accuse everyone who disagrees with you with ignorance. I got suspicious about that and found the alternative opinions. I am glad I did not let this book be my only source, I almost went and expressed my disatisfaction with my doctor based on this book. I regret that after reading the book and before reading alternative reports I got into an argument with a neuropsychiatrist whose acquaintance I made in a sports club who challenged the views in the book when I mentioned them to her.
Fortunately I did not go and quarrel with my own doctor based on the book ( it scares me to think I almost did ) because I had the sanity to investigate the deficiency from alternative sources.

The major allegations by the authors about which there is approximately 50 % agreement and of course 50 % disagreement among medical experts throughout the whole world have to do with the method of diagnosis and treatment of vitamin B 12 deficiency.

The authors claim that a serum ( blood ) B 12 test for a deficiency is unreliable by itself and must be accompanied by urinary methyl malonic acid ( MMA ) and serum homocysteine tests. Because in some cases a vitamin B 12 deficiency may damage the nervous system many years before it shows up on blood tests. Doctors who rely on the vitamin B 12 blood test alone could miss a B 12 deficiency if it does not show up on the blood test. The authors allege very strongly that the best measure of B 12 deficiency is the urinary methyl malonic acid and creatinine ratio test done properly along with serum B 12 and serum homocysteine tests. In the medical literature I researched there is strong support for this view. But there are also equally strong arguments in favor of the alternative view, claiming that on the contrary urinary MMA test results are not a reliable indicator of vitamin B 12 deficiency and that serum B 12 tests are more reliable. This is exactly the opposite of what the authors of the book claim.The book mentions that there are doctors that claim this. And it claims that these doctors are ignorant. However, in the reports the doctors state the reasons why urinary or blood MMA tests are unreliable and explain the results of scientific studies in support of their view. They are by no means ignorant.

The other major disagreement is about the method of treatment. The authors of the book claim that Vitamin B 12 oral tablets even in high doses are very often ineffective in treatment of the deficiency and insist that pain free injections directly into the blood is indispensible as a treatment method. They claim that nobody should lose time and risk ineffective treatment with oral tablets. In some cases this maybe true for swallowed oral tablets which have to cross the digestive system. However, I came across many different reports on the internet that mention the effectiveness of sublingual ( under the tounge ) oral vitamin B 12 pills that are also absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Especially during the recent several years many independent studies throughout the world indicate that sublingual vitamin B 12 pills have been found to be as effective as injections into the blood, making the injections unnecessary in many cases. After discrediting the oral tablets and strongly promoting the injections throughout their book even the authors back off from their claims on page 153 under the heading : " A Final Word about Oral B 12 " where they admit the promising recent studies about the efficacy of oral tablets administered sublingually. After I took 1000 mg of swallowable oral tablets for four months my serum B 12 level shot through the roof rising from far below the lower limit to more than twice the upper limit ! My doctor told me to discontinue swallowing the pills.

So, read the book and read any serious other sources you can find on the internet and then decide with your doctor about how you will proceed to diagnose and treat your or your loved one(s)' vitamin B 12 deficiency. Just don't take everything the book or the reports say for granted. Make your own analysis and draw your own conclusions based on a varied rich source of reliable information about this subject. Good luck !

This book contains critical information that could change the lives of many people. Anyone with any sort of unexplained health problems, from Alzheimers to leg pain to autism, must read this. I also wish every doctor would read it and become more aware of the prevalence of B12 deficiency. After reading it at the library, I bought a copy for myself and one for my doctor.

This book has taught me so much, it is a must for everyone to read. An absolute eye opener even for someone who already suffers from the condition.

This book brings to light yet another health issue that doctors have ignored. It is amazing how symptom-fixated, drug obsessed, our current medical training is, rather than focusing on the whole body, health, diet and common sense methods of old. Read this book if you know of anyone showing signs of dementia. Or if you're in middle age yourself!

Could it Be B12, An Epidemic of MisDiagnoses by Sally M. Pacholok R.N. and Jeffrey J Stuart D.O.

A good friend of ours had a sudden unrelenting pain in her leg which baffled her doctors. After many months of suffering, and many failed treatments and medications, she tried inexpensive vitamin B12 injections which immediately worked, providing complete relief. Occasionally the pain returns and reminds her it's time for another B12 injection. The injections are easy with a small syringe and tiny needle, and the B12 is injected under the skin twice a week.

There are many more stories of B12 misdiagnosis in Pacholok's book. Nurse Pacholok first describes her own ordeal with pernicious anemia and B12 deficiency which motivated her to become an expert on the topic. Working within the health care system, she was appalled at the numbers of patients with obvious signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency who were misdiagnosed.

Finding the medical system apathetic and unresponsive to her advice about B12 deficiency, Pacholok wrote this book to empower medical consumers and to educate their physicians. Pacholok is on a crusade to change medical practice to routinely screen for B12 deficiency, and her book is one giant step in that direction.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is estimated to affect 10%-15% of individuals over the age of 60 years. 40% of elderly hospitalized patients have low or borderline serum B12 levels, and 50% of long term vegetarians have B12 deficiency.

B12 absorption depends on many cofactors, so it is possible to take adequate amounts of B12 in the diet, and still have a B12 deficiency. Absorption of B12 requires gastric acid, so anything which reduces gastric acid production such as gastric surgery, atrophic gastritis, or antacid drugs could produce B12 deficiency. The very popular antacid drug Prilosec (omeprazole) has been clearly shown to decrease B12 absorption. Other antacid pills such as Prevacid, Protonix, antac, Nexium, Aciphex, Zantec, Tagamet, Pepcid, Maalox, mylanta, reduce gastric acid, inhibit B12 absorption and may produce B12 deficiency. Drugs such as Metformin and other diabetes drugs can cause B12 deficiency. The anesthetic agent, Nitrous Oxide, or "laughing gas", used in dental or surgical procedures causes B12 deficiency

Pernicious anemia is the second most common cause of B12 deficiency. This is an autoimmune disease with loss of Intrinsic Factor, in which antibodies damage the stomach lining interrupting the B12 absorption mechanism.

Other people at risk for B12 deficiency include vegetarians, people with eating disorders such as bulemia and anorexia, inflammatory bowel disease with malabsorption (ie. crohn's).

Auto-immune diseases such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis may be associated with B12 deficiency(pernicious anemia).

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause unusual neurological symptoms such as tremor, gait disturbance, severe pain, and can mimic MS (multiple sclerosis) or even Parkinson's Syndrome. The physical signs and symptoms can often mimic other diseases and the diagnosis is frequently missed.

B12 deficiency damages the myelin sheath around the nerve fibers, this is a soft fatty insulating material which is also damaged in demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

B12 deficiency can cause mental changes such as irritability, apathy, sleepiness, paranoia, personality changes, depression (including post-partum depression), memory loss, dementia, cognitive dysfunction or deterioration, fuzzy thinking, psychosis, dementia, hallucinations, violent behavior, in children; autistic behavior, developmental delay.

B12 deficiency can cause neurological signs and symptoms of abnormal sensations (pain, tingling, and/or numbness of legs, arms trunk or anywhere),diminished sense of touch, pain or temperature (may mimic diabetic neuropathy Charcot foot), loss of position sense, weakness, clumsiness, tremor, any symptoms which may mimic parkinson's or multiple sclerosis, spasticity of muscles, incontinence, paralysis, vision changes, damage to optic nerve (optic neuritis).

Atherosclerotic vascular disease is increased by B12 deficiency including; Coronary artery disease, TIAs, CVA, heart attack, heart failure, claudication, all associated with elevated homocysteine levels caused by B12 deficiency.

B12 deficiency causes Megaloblastic Anemia (enlarged red blood cells with anemia). In this type of anemia, the red blood cells are fewer in number, yet they are larger in diameter (this large size is called megaloblastic and is measured on the CBC with the mean corpuscular volume, MCV). The anemia can cause fatigue, and weakness.

Cervical Dysplasia and increased risk for other dysplasias and cancers are associated with B12 deficiency. B12 supplementation is cancer prevention.

Most doctors do not test for B12, and if they do a test it is the serum B12 which may be unreliable because of the wide normal range. A more accurate test, urinary methyl malonic acid was developed by Eric Norman MD, and is inexpensive and widely available (MMA). The Methyl Malonic Acid MMA is elevated in the urine and serum in patients with B12 deficiency. Pacholok makes the case that everyone presenting for medical care should be routinely screened for B12 deficiency with the MMA, serum B12 and Homocysteine tests.

Treatment is Curative:

Treatment with inexpensive B12 injections or sublingual tablets is curative. Recent work by Kuzminski showed that daily 2 mg. oral B12 serves as well as monthly 1 mg intramuscular B12 injections. Serum Homocysteine is elevated in B12 deficiency. It is important to discover B12 deficiency early, since nerve damage can be irreversible if not discovered right away.

In conclusion, this is the definitive book on B12 deficiency, diagnosis and treatment for the lay reader and for the interested physician. As a result of reading this book, I now routinely test serum B12 and Urinary MMA on ALL patients, and have been surprised to find many symptomatic B12 deficient patients completely missed by the medical system. Needles to say, it is very gratifying to see ill patients completely recover with B12 injections.

I applaud the authors on a job well done, bringing B12 deficiency to the attention of the public, and no doubt saving many lives in the process. This book will make a positive impact on the nations's health, and change medical practice for the better. The only thing I would change about the book is to give Sally a name that is easier to pronounce.

Jeffrey Dach MD

Exploring the TITANIC is a very profound read. Robert Ballard (author of this book) is an avid diver, with the dream of finding and exploring the TITANIC. He joined a bunch of French explorers, and traveled far into the deep of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland where the TITANIC sank in 1912. Ballard used Argo (an advanced water-safe camera) to take pictures of the TITANIC until he found that he could not use Argo anymore because the rough waves were pounding against it. Minute after minute, hour after hour, the Knorr (the submarine Ballard was traveling on) floated in a sea of darkness because the only light they had was the light from Argo. About ten hours went by before Ballard decided to use Angus. Angus was an older camera that Ballard had used in previous explorations. In an hour or two, Ballard had found the TITANIC. Somehow he was not satisfied. He wanted to take clear pictures but did not know how to get them with the technology that he had with him. He pondered this for days. He knew that he was about 13 feet above the TITANIC. Then it came to him that he just needed to go down 13 feet more to get his pictures. Ballard convinced the Captain to go down the 13 feet. When they reached their target, they were able to get their pictures.
Ballard's dream was still not fulfilled because he had not yet explored the TITANIC. About a year later, Ballard and two other divers went underwater to explore the TITANIC. They had traveled down four or five times to complete their mission of exploring the TITANIC. Ballard's dream was fulfilled.
I would recommend this book to any reader that is NOT sensitive. This book told about people on the TITANIC who died. I think the author told us too much about people's lives and made us care about them too much. It was sad when you found out the person died. If they weren't killed, then one of the person's loved ones was killed. For example, Jack Thayer was talked about very much in the beginning. I became fond of him because the author gave so much detail about his life. When Ballard told us that Thayer had survived the crash, he did not stop there. He went on to tell us that Jack's father and his friend did not make it. This made me very emotional. If you would like to learn about Robert Ballard and his exploration of the TITANIC, then by all means, read this book. If the sad parts about the people who died bother you, just skip those pages and you'll still learn a lot about exploring the TITANIC.

I first read this book almost 15 years ago, at age 5 : I loved it, and read it uncountable times. Today it is still just as fascinating. Beautifully illustrated and clearly written, it was the first of many Ballard books that I read. I would also recommend the Discovery of the Bismark and The Wreck of the Isis, just as interesting but less well known. A great way to start reading about the great ships of the past.

Goes behind the Titanic. Why did the Titanic sank, why it was built, how they came up with the name Titanic etc. It has everything you need to know about the Titanic. Even has real actual pictures taken of the Titanic in the water and above.

Do you like old ships? Well, I know the right one for you. It is the Titanic. It is about a ship that hit an ice berg and went down. So go under water with Dr.Robert Ballard and explore the Titanic. Good Luck! This book is recommended for 8 and up.

It's a true story about the Titanic and what things Robert Ballard and his team find in the Titanic.

I'm very glad this book exists; it's proof this kind of thing can happen. I read this quickly, not because it's going to win a Pulitzer, but because the reading level is not difficult and the subject is so timely and juicy.

1. THE DL MAN'S FAMILY WAS COMPLICIT IN THE CHARADE!!!! So many women in the Black community think the DL is just another example of lying, no-good men. The author here suggests that her husband's mother and sisters were complicit in promoting marriage and keeping the secret just that. When people receive counterfeit money or foreign coins, they often try to pass it off on other gullible people, rather than throwing it away. This book proves that many families of DL men are more than happy to make a Black woman's life miserable if her presence will be a cover for the family. I always say, "Notice how parents don't want their straight daughters to marry gay men, but they'll tell their gay sons to 'get married and cut all this foolishness!'" This book shows Black women who knew full well their DL relative was having unprotected sex with another Black woman and they did nothing, absolutely nothing, to stop it. So much for womanist unity!

2. THE ACTIONS HERE WERE SPECULATIVE WHEN THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN. Late in the book, the author says, "I still don't have proof that my husband was on the DL." She even suggests that he wouldn't have been honest about it if she had confronted him. HOWEVER, she never did confront him. Some women are very good doing private investigation; "Divorce Court" shows tons of examples of sistuhs doing that. The author herself never sniffed around. She never asked friends if her man was on the DL. She never went to his HIV-positive ex-wife and asked her for questions.
There are several books and articles saying, "How to see if your man is on the down low." I think many of them are unscientific, salacious, and homophobic. But here, the author kinda admits that she turned a blind eye. This book will not help women ask those difficult questions. If you want to not see the pink elephant in the room, sometimes you will. So this book didn't tell me more info about DL men. It's kinda scant in a way. The explosion in which a DL man has to come clean never happens here and maybe DL men purposely play women because they know they don't really want to see the truth.

This book was very informative. It opens up your eyes to deception. Also, that we must seek God when looking for a spouse. Only He alone knows the intention and motives of people. We only know by what we see and what the person allows us to know. Pray, Pray, Pray. The scripture says, in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path. When we surrendered our lives to God, it meant every area including our personal lives. Let Him choose for you.

The romance between Steven and LaJoyce is the stuff of fairy tales. A handsome, alluring man captures the attention of a very attractive female. They are feeling each other and a whirlwind courtship leads to a beautiful, albeit hasty marriage. After the lavish honeymoon, the nightmare begins and does not end until Steven is dead. What Steven failed to share with LaJoyce is that he had AIDS. She finds out only after he enters the hospital with an unknown ailment - unknown to LaJoyce, that is. She holds on to her faith in God as she grapples with the reality of being deceived and despised by the man she loves as she unselfishly cares for him to the end.

Oftentimes God puts us through a test of faith just as He did Job. This is LaJoyce's test and she is truly tried in the fire. She remains true to God and stands firm on her faith in situations that would make a weaker person give up and walk away. I empathized with all she had to endure and admired her resolve. FAITH UNDER FIRE reads like a dramatic novel instead of the true memoir of a real person. Although LaJoyce is tried in the fire, she comes forth as pure gold.

Reviewed by Paula Henderson
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I couldn't put the book down, it was an eye opener and a true story, that can affect all of us in some way. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend this to anyone, you want be sorry!

Wow! I am blessed to have read Ms. Brookshire's memoir. There but for the grace of God, go I. It's only because I'm covered by the blood of Jesus that I didn't find myself in a similar situation. He protected me even when I didn't know I needed His protection. Thank you, Ms. B., for sharing your story. You are truly an inspiration and proof that all things work together for the good of them who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

Product arrived in perfect shape. I gave the book to a friend for her birthday, and she loves it.

Thsi book is just a light read ,full of snippets on friendship and wonderful recipes

Every page of "Girlfriends Forever" is a treasure to read. That is why I have bought copy after copy of this book to share with my best and dearest friends.

It is filled with all the everyday things that girls laugh and talk about. It's not the kind of book that has to be read from cover to cover. You can read a page or ten pages from anywhere in the book and enjoy every minute of your reading time.

I purchased this book for a dear friend a few years ago and she loved it. I have all of Susan's books and decided I owed it to myself to add this to my collection. Her style is so warm and genuine you feel as if you're talking with an old friend. Wonderful to curl up with and reminisce about your own "girlfriend" experiences as you read. If you enjoy Susan Branch you must have this book.

I had this book and wanted to share it with a friend. She loved it too!
Many cute recipes and cute stories. Perfect as a gift to a friend or for yourself!

Haven't used it too much yet, but it seems like just what I need for our family of 3. Tasty looking recipes, without too much fuss!

This is my 2nd copy of this book. My first copy somehow turned up missing and there are some recipes in here that I just had to have so I ordered another. Great tasting healthier versions of old recipes and tips. I love this cookbook.

This book is very well written. The author shows HOW she decreased the fat and calories and comes up with a very tasty alternative. Food values for the revised recipe are listed. A most valuable interesting tool for anyone trying to decrease their cholesterol or lose weight. The food is attractively pictured and her color choices make for a light bright plate of food. Evelyn Tribole is a very imaginative dietitian, many dietitians make diet food look so dull and boring!

My wife and I love this cookbook. We started Weight Watchers a few months ago and their books use unusual ingredients and are often lacking in flavor.

This book on the other hand is fabulous. It uses common ingedients that you either have on hand or are easy to find in the local grocery store. It also includes all the information you need to calculate your points for Weight Watchers and the food is delicious. We have loved every recipe we have tried. I recomend the Spicy Peanut Penne!! It's my favorite so far.

These are more kid-pleasers and for those who aren't real experimental in food tastes, but for basic "comfort food" there are some good recipes. My one complaint is that some of them take a while to make, and there's no time estimates on the recipes-- so read them carefully and think about what you have time for. Otherwise, very good.

Great book filled with wonderful and useful info. For those looking to parent their children in a naturally minded informed way this is THE book.

This book has saved my life in so many ways!! When my oldest son was five years old, he had been on various antibiotics, decongestants, antihistamines, steroids, and you name it to treat asthma, and chronic ear infections and colds for two years almost non-stop. At the time, I felt like the only thing I could do to help him was keep pumping this stuff into him... it was so depressing, and what was even worse was that nothing I gave him was even working! I felt like I had hit a wall. I didn't know what to do. Then a friend recommended this book to me. Ever since I got my hands on this gem, we have started living again. It's amazing how much valuable information and guidance for parents can be packed into one single book. One of the many sections in this book has an extensive list of illnesses, what is normally prescribed in conventional medicine for these illnesses, and then the real good stuff --homeopathic remedies that can knock out the illnesses much faster than conventional medicine, and get this -- with NO SIDE EFFECTS! My son is off of all of his old medications and is feeling and looking so much better and stronger. Now I use this book as a reference on what to do and use whenever my two younger boys, I, and even my husband are sick. And keep in mind there is so much more in this priceless book, I've only mentioned one section. I open up this book several times each week and I know once you see what this book has to offer, you will too!

All I can say is WOW. I feel like this book has helped me to be a better parent, and I can say...that my daughter has never had and anti-biotic as a result of following this book and visiting Dr. Feder. I have loaned this book to neighbors, family and friends...It is a life saver!

Natural Baby and Childcare is a great book for treating conditions in adults as well as children. While I was visiting my daughter and grandchildren, I came down with a cold, and used Dr. Feder's book to treat my symptoms. The A to Z section on treating illnesses was easy to navigate and understand. I appreciated the guidelines on home treatments and found the right homeopathic medicine for my symptoms. I feel that the treatments allowed me to heal quicker and enjoy my time with my family. I would recommend this book to adults too!

Read it as a novel, read it when your kids are sick and you are looking for help, read it when you are sick, read it when you want your family to stay healthy. Read it!!!!

This book is fantastic, it goes over many vegetarian issues and teaches you how to eat to get the maximum benefit from your food.

This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to change their eating habits and improve their health. highly recommend this book

You can never have too many books on health, and this is a great one to add to your library.

this is an awesome book and resource for anyone interested in vegetarianism, new veggies, experienced ones... encouragement, practical information and reliable resources, detailed scientific nutritional stuff, you name it, it's here for you, for life. it also includes info. and data so you can compare/contrast the vegetarian diet to that of omnivores, vegans, every shade in between. i highly recommend this book.

This book is extremely comprehensive. It is the first book about becoming vegetarian that I have read but I am completely satisfied that it covers all the requirements of a vegetarian diet. I would also recommend this book to non-vegetarians, particularly those seeking to reduce meat intake and increase nutrition from plant foods.

I love this South Beach diet cookbook, has wonderful receipe's in it that satify all my cravings and more! This is my second SB cookbook I have bought and I plan to buy any more new ones that come out!

NSB Parties and Holidays Cookbook is a valuable addition to anyone's repertoire. The recipes are delicious, easy, and remove guilt from either presenting to others or eating. I use them, not just for parties, but for everyday adventure eating!

I just got this book and I can't wait to start cooking. I won't necessarily wait for a special occasion either. While this book gives you ways to stay on South Beach and each healthy on those special days, you can use the recipes anytime. I'm particularly happy to see a recipe for cheddar biscuits. YUM! And the first set of recipes is a Phase 1 kick off party. I wish I had thought of that when I started South Beach. What a way to start. Fun!

I started the South Beach Diet 3 weeks before Thanksgiving... I don't know what I was thinking. I was wondering what in the world I was going to do. Then I found this book.

I have tried many recipes in it. Most have been excellent. The most popular around my house have been the Buffalo Chicken Bites. They are SO good! I tried the Angel Cakes, too. I made them as little tiny muffins and then frosted them with the cool whip as directed. They didn't even last until the next morning in our house. The texture wasn't the same as cupcakes, but when you're wanting cake, and you want something SBD approved- boy are they good!

The worst one, so far was the Spiced Cocoa Egg Nog- Yuck! I normally like eggnog... but the texture was all wrong, and the taste was funky.

Overall, this is a great book for any South Beacher to have.

This book is a must have for everyone!!! The recipes are easy to follow, simple to prepare, and taste fabulous! A nutritional breakdown is included for each recipe and Dr Agaston has included menu planning suggestions (ie.outlining which foods can be prepared in advance).

The book offers suggested menus for the following parties and holidays:
Phase 1 Kickoff Party, Family Buffet, Baby Shower, Weekend Brunch, Super Bowl Bash, Tuscan Feast, French Bistro Party, Backyard Grill Fest, Hors d'Oeuvres for a Crowd, Rite of Passage Party, New Year's Day Open House, Valentine's Day, Passover Seder, Easter Gathering, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Hannukkah, Christmas Eve dinner, and Christmas.

I've made numerous dishes from the recipes in this book and every one of them has turned out perfectly. So perfectly in fact, that I was able to impress my mother-in-law (it's only taken a decade)!

This book is for everyone - not just South Beach Diet devotees or carnivore lovers. I'm a vegetarian and whilst there are no vegetarian specific menus in the book, there are numerous vegetarian options included in each party & holiday menu - all I have to do is ignore the meat options and make all of the vegetarian recipes.

This book will improve your cooking skills and fill you with confidence the next time you have a party. Do yourself a favour and buy this book!!!

If you are planing on joining the police force or are planing on trying out for a SWAT team, this book can really help you plan a routine. Good exercises for a whole body workout.

Book arrived in a very timely manner and has helped my daughter pump up her workout.

I was a personal trainer for four years and then trained with the local Sheriff's Dept. I am a strong enthusiast of a healthy body and healthy mind. This book got me into the best shape I have been in since I was playing football and soccer in high school. I would recommend this book to anyone in law enforcement or anyone who wishes to whip themselves into the best shape of their lives. A+++

I bought this book a little over a month ago, and I must say that it is a great book. The workouts, while incorporating everything from weights to calisthenics, are different than most workout you will have seen before. The workouts require very little in the way of equipment, but do require you to show up every day ready to give 100%. These workouts are not for the weak at heart! I will definitely look into other titles/workouts by Stew Smith.

Stew Smith has honestly helped me get into the best shape of my life. And it keeps getting better. No bs, no gimmicks, just a practical yet challenging plan to achieve well-rounded fitness.