Mental Health Books

This book is amazing. Evan Cooper knows exactly what every girl is worrying and wondering about and has made yoga work for us! I've tried yoga before and it was okay, but this yoga is the best by far. Reading this book can change your life.

--Stephanie, 18

Evan Cooper's "Um, like...OM, A Girl Goddess's Guide to Yoga" is a breezy read which accomplishes what all good teachers do best: Imparting with vivid good humor the wisdoms of processes taken beyond the classroom. The target audience here, primarily middle-school girls, calls for a most delicate balancing act: Being bright, fun, and "cool" while explaining the theory, practice, and results of a disciplined approach to yoga. Ms. Cooper accomplishes this masterfully with anecdotes, explanations, and her "girl friend" persona.

Scan the table of contents alone and, guaranteed: You're hooked: weight, sex, drugs, peers, parents, and so much else. Add Stacy Peterson's fun, carefully-scripted (by position and motion) illustrations of the exercises, and this fun profound little book will delight and please any "tweener-to-teen." And her mom, who might recover her own "pocket devi" in the process!

A disclaimer: I am a yoga instructor in my mid-thirties. Clearly, I am not this author's target demographic. I took that into account when I first picked it up. Even with that caveat, I initially found the tone so off the cuff and the postures so disorganized that I put it down and walked away.

A few years later, after I'd incorporated much more Kundalini into my own practice, I found myself drawn to this book again. This time, much more of what she was offering for asanas/kriyas made sense to me, as well as many of the meditations. That she doesn't include a lot of different movements in each section also made more sense- often times with kundalini you may find that you get more bang for your buck from fewer movements.

I liked that she not only tackled serious issues- family pressure, drug use, body image, school stress and romance- but that she also had her own contributions to make about how those issues affected her. Her light, breezy style belied the seriousness of both her own and her students' and how yoga helped address- if not cure- all of them.

Like many authors for the younger set, her aim was off- I felt like she was reaching for the older teen, but instead landed on the twelve to fifteen year olds, if not younger. That's probably just as much her style as it is the increasingly jaded affect of all age groups, but it's something to keep in mind.

I'd love to see more from this author- I think she has a lot to offer not only this age group but adults as well.

I loved this book! I never did yoga before, and I tried it once from this book and totally LOVED it. I know do yoga every day, and enjoy it sooo much. PLease get this book! It'll help a girl through just about anything and everything.

When you think about someone being diagnosed with depression, teenagers might not come first to mind. But teenagers are not exempt from things that can make adults experience an extreme feeling of being overwhelmed and saddened. They are just as vulnerable as adults when it comes to having fights and disagreements with friends or family, and problems at school could intensify their negative emotions. With all the problems teenagers encounter these days, how can you determine whether a teenager's depression is serious enough to warrant treatment?

The book "Understanding Teenage Depression: A Guide to Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management," addresses this information. Readers will become more familiar with depression -- how common it actually is; who is likely to be at risk; how to determine if a teenager is depressed; and what treatments are available. Other important information in the book discusses life events that could lead to teenage depression; various therapies; and other disorders that may afflict teenagers.

My ParenTime recommends the book, "Understanding Teenage Depression" by Maureen Empfield, M.D., and Nicholas Bakalar -- it is well-organized, eye-opening, and informs readers about a problem that is much more common today than parents realize.

As a teen with depression I read a lot of book on the topic. THIS IS THE BEST ONE! I was diagnosed with a certin depression, that is hard to find information on -double depression. This book explains all about the differnt kinds of depression, also differtent methods to help feel better. I liked and related so much I would leave the book out with a note teeling my parents or friends to read parts. This book explains all parts if depression, and makes it a good read for a teenager that is depressed, or for some one that knows a teen.

As someone newly trying to grapple with the complicated topic of adolescent depression, from understanding what it is, to thinking about how to cope with it, this book is tops. It is easily readable and yet thorough in discussing every aspect of adolescent depression. Thank you to the authors for publishing this important work.

I dignosed with Depression in my teens and I have read many book out there over the years. THIS IS THE BEST ONE! I realted to it so much and I was able to show other people pages and sections that I tought would help them, help me. This book explains about differnt kinds of depression, and one of them is what I was diagnosed with. This is the only book that I have found that has a whole section of it. I love this book and if you are a teenager, or know a teenager with depression I would recomend this book.

The Uprooted is story a that features other stories of 190 escapees. This was also written by an escapee herself. The stories are about the escapee's lives and how they lived during the Holocaust, in their own words. I think the book was very interesting to hear what it was like for different people and their experiences. It was surprising to see how much kinder (children) that were taken away from their to parents to hide from the Nazis and escaped. Overall this book was very good at getting a good understanding of what the Holocaust was like.

This inspiring, ground-breaking book has rapidly become a classic in the Holocaust literature. It explains how some daring, resourceful and lucky Jews slipped the Nazi noose and what the aftermath of their harrowing experiences were. It makes excellent reading for students of all ages, Holocaust survivors, lay people and historians alike. Compelling human drama at its best!

This book is for you if you have ever wondered why more Jews didn't simply leave Austria and Germany before Hitler seized power of shortly afterwards.

With a survivor's first-hand knowledge and a psychologist's insights, Whiteman describes the incredible experiences of escapees of Hitler's tyranny.

Books surveying anomalous experience have tended to come from the skeptic side of the fence and have leaned toward the debunking end of the spectrum. While they have their uses, there's always the nagging suspicion that they might not be fair to all the evidence. While this book isn't as easy reading as those of the skeptics, it really shoots at being a balanced examination of the evidence, pro and con, with intelligent discussion about where the weight of what we know falls. Each chapter tackles one anomalous phenomenon and follows a consistant structure. First, the experience is clearly defined so that we know what is and is not being addressed. Then, the actual phenomenology of the phenomenon out in the field is surveyed. Since the book is geared toward those in the psychological and helping professions, the emotional, physical, and mental aftereffects of having the experience are then examined. The range of differences between experients is presented,then issues involving psychopathology, clinical assessment, background theories, and methodology of research are shown. Each chapter is written by an authority on that specific phenomenon and they provide a summation conclusion at the end where they render their professional judgment on the topic. If you're looking for a sensational or spooky handling of the subjects, this isn't your book; but if you want a very level headed analysis of what is happening in these fields of research, you need to be familiar with this work. Even better, each chapter provides pages worth of bibliography, pro and con, on each subject, that will keep you going for years.

What a delight, I first became interested in the paranormal and this weird stuff after reading Jerry D. Coleman's "Strange Highways" and was very glad to see that another book such as "Varieties of Anomalous Experience" could be on the same tone, meaning, well written, informative and most important left up to me to decide and draw my own conclusions! Great book, a wonderful read!

Excellent book. I never thought that it could have been posible to explain parapsychology and psychology in the light of each other. It has been a great text book for one of my courses. It has helped to create a more in depth vision of the relationship between both areas.

How fortunate we are to now have in one volume a comprehensive and scholarly review of the scientific evidence for anomalous experiences. The fascinating subject matter of this book includes such diverse phenomena as lucid dreaming, out of body experiences, past life experiences, and alien abduction. What makes this book different from other treatments of some of these topics is that the authors have no hidden agenda or viewpoint that they are trying to put forth. They are not trying to convince you that something does or does not exist. Instead it is an even-handed look at the available data and various competing explanations. And even though it is a scholarly review, it is well written, engaging, and easy-to-read. Varieties of Anomalous Experience: Examining the Scientific Evidence belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who has an interest in understanding and explaining these unusual phenomena. You won't be disappointed.

This book helps to put in perspective the relationship between how we treat children/young adults and their later emotional development. Read any of Alice Miller's books for another viewpoint into the psychological evolution of criminal behavior.

Dr. Gilligan's years of psychiatric work with America's most violent males brought him to ask why America is the most violent, and yet most penal, industrialized country on Earth. The possibilities for an answer seem to surprise even him. Writing with clarity and incredible compassion, Gilligan examines mythology, ritual and the role of shame in the mechanics of violence in American society. His case for treating violence as an issue of health rather than morals is sure to be unpopular with America's prison czars and those scientists looking diligently and expensively for the "violence gene." "Violence..." is gripping, painful, disturbing, and, through Gilligans' clear suggestions for combatting this deadly outbreak, hopeful

At a time when dialog on this subject is dominated by unscrupulous politicians appealing to ignorance and vengeance, this book provides a thoughtful study of why men (and it usually is men) commit unspeakable crimes. The book is based on Dr. Gilligan's years of work with violent men in maximum security prisons. It goes far beyond clinical study of deviant individuals to show parallels between criminal behavior and society's responses to crime. It turns to Greek tragedy, classic literature, and mythology, as well as psychiatry, for understanding. It shows how similar societal forces lay behind Hitler's rise to power. It asks, and provides answers to, the fundamental question: Why is violence far more widespread in America than in any other Western democracy?

I have only read the first half of this book. Mr. Gilliam is 'right on' with his analysis of violent crime and life today...and why the prisons are filling up as they are. He is so ingenius as to spell out how prevention is so attainable, yet going totally ignored by our systems, both moral and judicial today. That is the sad part.

I was in prison, and know what he is talking about is very true.......now I am a youth violence researcher and Hispanic Gang Alternative Educational Specialist. His work has tied together many loose ends for my theories.

Each page is fascinating and interwoven with factual stories.........makes it very good reading.

Del Hendrixson Dallas, Tx

At last someone with experience, education and common sense speaks out with compassion about the human side of trauma and the horrors of war. Dr. Scurfield's frank and heartfelt thoughts will change the way you look at life and those injured by stress and trauma. Great insights for anyone exposed to stress, trauma and combat.

A "must read" for everyone, especially those at the VA, Walter Reed, the White House and Capitol Hill!

War Trauma. Lessons Unlearned From Vietnam to Iraq.
Dr. Scurfield's third volume of his war trauma trilogy is by far and unequivocally, the most precise, frank, and heart-rendering publication on the subject matter of war's far reaching and unending impact, whether for the clinician's toolbox or the war veteran seeking answers that simply do not exist elsewhere. For example, I found the chapters on "Iraq and War Zone Psychiatric Casualties", "The Return Home and the Ricochet Effect on the Family", and "War Trauma-Related Blame, Guilt, and Shame: Relief is Possible" to be particularly salient and meaningful in their characterization of the trail of damages brought on by wartime service, as well as the great hope that exists for adapting and overcoming. Beyond any doubt, it is the fact that Dr. Scurfield has been in the trenches himself and lived war up close and personal that has allowed his pure genius to portray the essence of war so magnificently. This book is the ultimate and essential toolbox for the clinician, the veteran, and the family in terms of understanding and confronting the agonizing battle to overcome the damages sustained through exposure to the most unnatural and horrific of experiences. Stated simply, there is nothing out there in the literature that does so nearly as skillfully.

Colonel Kathy Platoni, Psy.D.

Reviewed by Tyler R. Tichelaar for Reader Views (5/07)

"War Trauma" by Raymond Scurfield is the third volume of "A Vietnam Trilogy." The first two volumes were "Veterans and Post-Traumatic Stress, 1968, 1989 & 2000" and "Healing Journeys: Study Abroad with Vietnam Veterans." It is not necessary to read the first two volumes to understand the third volume, although reading the first two volumes may enhance the reader's understanding of the third.

Dr. Scurfield is an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Southern Mississippi-Gulf Coast. His qualifications for writing about the Vietnam War include being a Vietnam Veteran, working twenty-five years for the Department of Veteran Affairs, directing PTSD mental health programs throughout the US, and numerous publications, presentations, and years of research on Vietnam and post-traumatic stress. He has also written on the post-traumatic stress that resulted from September 11th and Hurricane Katrina.

"War Trauma" itself is an eye-opening study of the effects of war on veterans. Dr. Scurfield uses examples from all the wars the United States has been involved in since World War II, but he primarily focuses on Vietnam and how the situation in Iraq is similar to Vietnam for U.S. Soldiers. Despite my own large ignorance of the Vietnam War, I found "War Trauma" to be compelling reading. Much of what Dr. Scurfield discusses is relevant to anyone who has experienced traumatic situations. Dr. Scurfield discusses this relevance toward the book's end when he talks about how the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina are similar to those experienced in a war zone.

One of the most effective chapters of "War Trauma" discussed how people can learn to understand a family member who has returned home from the war. One striking story was of a wife who has continually dug fifteen pieces of shrapnel out of her husband's skin. Dr. Scurfield gives excellent examples of how to be supportive and listen without prying and what behaviors to expect from a veteran suffering from PTSD. Another vital chapter in the book focused on healing the guilt and blame veterans feel when they return home after their comrades have died in battle. Guilt also exists over killing an enemy who is really human but whom the army had to dehumanize to perform its job, and guilt exists over killing innocent civilians out of fear they may actually be the enemy. Dr. Scurfield's "percentages of responsibility" procedure for helping a veteran stop blaming himself or helping him deal with pain was especially effective; the procedure allows the veteran to quit blaming himself or another solely and to realize to what percentage he was really responsible and to what percentage the enemy, the government, and fellow soldiers were responsible; this realigning of guilt and blame consequently provides a great deal of healing for the veteran. This technique can equally be applied to anyone suffering from guilt and self-blame.

I have two criticisms of "War Trauma". The first is that the book has many typos in it of extra, repeated words, and missing words. These errors created a problem because the sentences were long and complex and when the verb was missing, I would often have to go back to reread the sentence and struggle to figure out its meaning. I also strongly disagree with Dr. Scurfield's statement that every citizen in a nation at war is responsible for the traumatic events of that war. I do not think the millions of U.S. citizens who have opposed the war in Iraq since the beginning, who did not elect the current administration, and who are not in the military can be blamed for actions they cannot control and have fought to prevent. In other places, Dr. Scurfield mentions the difficulties for people who protest a war, which in itself may be the more patriotic action, while at the same time being accused of being unpatriotic. I wish he would have qualified or expanded on his statement that everyone in a nation at war was responsible for traumatic events; I felt it was too severe and out of place.

Overall, I recommend "War Trauma: Lessons Unlearned, From Vietnam to Iraq" to anyone whose loved one is a war veteran, as well as to anyone interested in learning what war is truly like. Even people who have undergone traumatic non-war experiences such as rape, physical abuse, or being in a car accident would find the many discussions of how to overcome trauma to be useful. Dr. Scurfield is to be commended for his many efforts to provide healing to veterans and their families.

Dr. Scurfield is one of the recognized international experts in trauma and PTSD. That fact was reaffirmed with his third book in his trilogy on the impact of war. This is an important book, and extremely timely given the emerging picture of a society embroiled in a war, not only destructive to foreign lands, but to the soldiers who fight there and who return with both visible and invisible wounds, many that will take a life-time to heal. Dr. Scurfield does these soldiers justice, a rare phenomenon - An important and essential book, to understand where we have been and how we continue to re-enact the dilemmas of warfare and their aftermath. I cannot praise this work enough.

Due to the nature of the diseases, FSH, Cogenial, Limb-Girdle, and Mysenthia Gravis, all of the Muscular Dystrophy family, the medical profession failed to recognize the symptons of these debilitating diseases and diagnosed this condition as depression which resulted in being in several state mental hospitals for years and given powerful anti-psychotic drugs causing hallucinations which reflected to a beautiful childhood. However, with the quick response of a didicated team of drs. from California the correct diagnosis of MD was discovered and treatment was given and the book tells of a beautiful love story as its ending. Not always the easiest read because of such a trauma but it shows the reader the awful consequences resulting from a physical illness such as muscular dystrophy mistaken by outstanding doctors for a mental illness.

I have just finished reading this book and am anxious to see it go to the top of every reading list and a movie, too. It is such a captivating read and also such a revealing study of personal experience in a mysterious world of the mind out of control because of mind altering drugs even if they are being prescribed by doctors. It was so very incouraging to see there is hope and life afterward. Frank Wray, I applaud you!

I found this book to not only be uplifting but also very rewarding. For those who face obstacles in their life, this book will surely be uplifting and rewarding!

It is one thing to have the courage this author has to have survived such a truama and, another to have written this true story and, yet another and most importantly to have the courage and stand up and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. This inspirational book is one that will touch many lives and will live forever in ones heart. It is also a most beautiful love story that will make grown women and men cry.

After years of reading book after book, article after article, website after website--combing the earth for remedies for our son's autism, I came across this book. In contrast to all the others, this one offered no imperatives, no miracle cures. It merely said, "you are not alone" as it described my very own feelings about the emotional roller coaster that is autism. If I had the incredible insight and writing talent that Craig Schulze pours into this book, I would have written it myself. I don't, so I'm glad that he did.

This book is an absolutely heart rending description of a comparatively rare form of autism involving degeneration. Craig Schulze captures one of the most painful experiences that a parent can go through, and encourages parents to remember that a parent's love and understanding are the most important parts of any therapy. Also, the book provides a useful foil to the raft of miracle cure books that are flooding the market; sometimes kids with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) do not recover, but parents need to be prepared for this. However, I would caution parents who, like me, decide to pick up the book after learning that their child has problems that fit under the PDD category. I initially worried that, like Jordan, my child would slowly slide away from me since so many of his symptoms sounded familiar. After further reading, I learned that the type of degenerative disorder described here is not typical of PDD, and that many parents do find some success with the methods described in the book. It does prevent a moving account of a worst case scenario, but approach with caution and remember that there is often hope.

A painfully honest, witty and intelligent account of the author's son Jordan, who developed symptoms of autism after several years of apparently normal development (a rare pattern somtimes known as Childhood Disintegrative Disorder).

The book chronicles Jordan's development, regression and diagnosis, and his parents' desperate search for a cure as they struggle to come to terms with their son's condition. In contrast to some other popular accounts of autism, the book tells the story of a child for whom no treatment produces a "miracle cure" or "amazing recovery" (in other words, a child typical of the overwhelming majority of those with autism). Some treatments or methods of education seem to help; others are ineffective; none produce a "cure". At the book's end, life goes on, though radically altered.

A further account of Jordan's life features in "When Autism Strikes: Families Cope with Childhood Disintegrative Disorder" edited by Robert A. Catalano.

Shortly after reading "When Snow Turns to Rain", I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting Craig Schulze and his autistic son Jordan, and my respect and admiration for Craig grew even further. I am the mother of an autistic 12-year old, and have experienced many of the same wild hopes and crushing disappointments that Craig describes so well in his book. I found this book extremely well written, informative, and inspiring. It certainly describes the bizarre and sometimes frightening behaviors of some children with autism in vivid detail. What I want to know is, how did Craig find the time to keep a journal and write down all this as it was happening? I have trouble keeping track of my son's current-year IEP (individualized education plan)! I do have to caution, however, that some people may be saddened and depressed (my mother, for one). There is no "happy ending"; Jordan's autism is not cured, and he doesn't develop a fantastic savant skill that somehow balance things out. But Jordan is a real person, who is loved fiercely and well. His story deserves to be told, and is told well, in "When Snow Turns to Rain."

The idea of healing appealed to me and so did journal writing. I've wanted to write but needed something to get me started. I needed a little more motivation, some ideas on how to begin and encouragment to keep going. Susan Borkin's book, When Your Heart Speaks Take Good Notes helped me begin writing, keep at it and create miracles in my life.

Borkin's conversational style encouraged me gently and her personal disclosure made me feel like I was listening to a wise friend.

Two examples of the effectiveness of the book are that I eased some of my grief at the loss of a loved one and made strides in letting go of food addictions. I'm convinced that Susan Borkin not only understands writing but can help us use journal writing to heal the pain in our lives.

Buy it for yourself if you want to write and heal. Buy it for friends because it's helpful and a pretty book as well.

The idea of healing appealed to me and so did journal writing. I've wanted to write but needed something to get me started. I needed a little more motivation, some ideas on how to begin and encouragment to keep going. Susan Borkin's book, When Your Heart Speaks Take Good Notes helped me begin writing, keep at it and create miracles in my life.

Borkin's conversational style encouraged me gently and her personal disclosure made me feel like I was listening to a wise friend.

Two examples of the effectiveness of the book are that I eased some of my grief at the loss of a loved one and made strides in letting go of food addictions. I'm convinced that Susan Borkin not only understands writing but can help us use journal writing to heal the pain in our lives.

Buy it for yourself if you want to write and heal. Buy it for friends because it's helpful and a pretty book as well.

With wit and a delightful sense of humor, Ms. Borkin takes you on a journey to a better "you" though stories, exercises and powerful information. She has a way of cutting deftly to the heart of your own human frailty and yet leaves you entirely in control of your journey to health and a more fulfilling life. Compelling and refreshing, she offers many ways to explore life and the problems we all face. Not necessarily with hard and fast didactic answers but with thoughtful exercises, gentle guidance and profound insight, she shows you the way to listen to your heart. She guides you gently yet firmly to seeing through your pain and finding your answers and trusting your inner guide. Try a few of the exercises and be amazed, as I was, how much you learn about yourself. Not only did I enjoy her book, I find myself going back and looking for those little nuggets of gold that spoke to me so personally. I know I'll go back to this book again and again.

Susan Borkin has written a wonderful book on healing oneself through writing. The 70 exercises are clear and concise. I have shared this book with a number of women in my creative women's group as well as women I do a writing workshop with and they are as enthusiastic as I am. I am ordering 2 more copies today for a friend that wants to give them as gifts to her daughter and sister. I wish Susan Borkin lived on the East Coast so that both of my group's could have her as a guest lecturer.

Compiled and edited by Nic Maclellan, Louise Michel: Rebel Lives is the dramatic biography of Louise Michel, the fiery leader of the 1871 Paris Commune, a short-lived workers' government created when the city population rose up to exert its will. Also known as "The Red Virgin", Louise Michel was a rebel who spent much of her life on the run, in exile, in jail, or in danger of being locked in a mental asylum. "Louise Michel" tells the story of her life by directly collecting and editing her own words from her memoirs and the insights of her contemporaries. Her story is presented with her sharp-eyed criticism of a society and an era where the only lucrative trade for a woman was prostitution, and tributes to her life and efforts from such prominent figures as Emma Goldman, Victor Hugo, Karl Marx, and much more.

As the treatment of mental health disorders continues to expand outwards, beyond the domain of psychiatric institutions, the nature and implications of intensified psychiatric intervention is a cause for concern for all of us.

A social worker, teacher, and community activist, Diana Ralph takes on contemporary community mental health systems. In a meticulously researched and highly readable work, the growth and change in the definition and treatment of mental health disorders is subjected to a concerned and scholarly scrutiny.

Ralph finds available theories, from the liberal to the Marxist to the radical antipsychiatry approaches, inadequate in accounting for these changes. Instead, she locates the ideological origins of community psychiatry within the tradition of industrial psychology, and is able to show how its operation is linked to the needs of contemporary industrial management in their efforts to diffuse dissatisfaction and alienation in the workplace.
--- from book's back cover

Kliatt, November 2004

MACLELLAN, Nic (ed): Louise Michel (Rebel Lives) Ocean Books.

Louise Michel. a relatively unknown figure outside of her native France, was an activist, an anarchist, and a fighter against racism who is known principally for her role in the short-lived French Commune in the spring of 1871.

A local rebellion, the Paris Commune was a reaction against the provisional government set up by the French after the defeat of Napoleon III by the Prussian armies in the Franco-Prussian War. Michel, a schoolteacher who had read widely in political theory, was fully embroiled in this brief moment of revolutionary ferment, organizing meetings, writing tracts, speaking, and even firing her gun as a fighter in the ranks.

Deported to New Caledonia at the fall of the Commune. she continued to write; and alone among her fellow deportees, championed the native Kanaks, a local tribe that attempted to rebel against French colonial rule. Back in France, she continued to live as she believed, travelling and speaking for the radical and anarchist causes she promoted.

What makes the Rebel Lives series valuable is its presentation of primary source material once the historical background has been carefully laid out in an introduction. Not only are excerpts from Michel's autobiography and letters included, but also brief pieces taken from the works of Engels and Marx writing on the Commune as well as short citations from many others, including Lenin, Emma Goldman (who calls Michel "a complete woman"), and Howard Zinn. Selected reading lists contain books and Web sites in both French and English. A unique resource.

Patricia Moore. Brookline, MA

"Since it seems that any heart which beats for freedom has the right only to a small lump of lead, I demand my share. If you let me live, I shall never stop crying for vengeance, and I shall avenge my brothers by denouncing the[ir] murderers" (p.101).

So said Louise Michel before the court passed sentence on her for participating in the rebellion that became the Paris Commune. The court did not execute her. Instead, it sent her into exile at the prison colony in New Caledonia 20,000 miles from Paris. Even there Michel advocated for the indigenous people of the island (the Kanaks) in their struggle against the French occupiers.

Michel was dubbed the "Red Virgin": "red" because she was an anarchist and "virgin" because her sexual orientation was unclear (as if this mattered) and because she was unattractive. I don't see it. She had a great and beautiful spirit, and I have fallen in love with her.

Ocean Press is to be commended for providing a good introduction to the person of Louise Michel and the times that stirred her and she helped to shape. Through the writings of such notables as Bakunin, Kropotkin, Marx, Engles, Lenin, Emma Goldman, Howard Zinn, the editor's introduction (Nic Maclellan) and Michels herself, we learn about her mixed proletarian and bourgeoisie background, her undying devotion to her mother, her days as a school teacher, her militancy and leadership role during the Paris Commune, her exile in New Caledonia, her return to Paris and her prescient feminism. All in a mere 115 pages. It is quite a feat.