New Books

This is a great book and makes the real costs of our prescription drug epidemic understandable to everyone. It is a must read for all Americans. We must educate the public that the prescription drug epidemic is going to ruin generations of our people unless we take action. We can no longer tolerate drug companies pushing legal "heroin" to our people and turning the other head when it causes the devastation pointed out by Sheryl McGinnis.

Steve Hayes
Medical Director
Novus Medical Detox Center

I Am Your Disease is not written by professional writers, its not scripted, its real stories, of real children, young adults, sons, daughters, written by people who loved them.

I have seen my own friends struggle with addictions and I saw it nightly at the hospital ER I worked in before Connor was born. I think some people like to believe that drug addictions come from broken homes, bad childhoods, homeless broken people who have no reason to live. I only wish this was true as the problem would be SO much easier to fix if this was really the case.

Drug addictions many times are born in perfectly happy, perfectly healthy people, that for some reason get involved with something that they just cannot control. Professionals, high school students, mothers, fathers, many many times people who otherwise have perfectly normal.. perfectly happy lives. Who knows why... a moment of weakness, a genetic predisposition, depression, boredom, peer pressure, I could go over a thousand reasons why... but thats really not important. What is important is as we look at our beautiful happy healthy babies, don't be blind to the fact that every child at some point in their life is given the choice at least once... and in my case many many many times have drugs passed in front of me and I had to make the conscious and sometimes difficult choice to say no.

One point I want to make to everyone out there... When I say drug addictions I do not just mean (street drugs), heroin, cocaine, meth, but some of the worst addictions I saw come through the ER on a nightly basis were prescribed that includes Valium.

I Am Your Disease, is a worthy read for every mom, dad, grandmother, out there.. these kids deserve to have their stories shared.

Though this book is not a self help book or a book that covers the recovery process it is a great source of support through stories from families dealing with the loss of a loved one through a drug addiction or an inspiration for those of you dealing with a drug addiction as to why its so important to find help.

Sheryl has done a magnificent work by telling her story and the stories of other parents who have lost their children to addiction as well. Every story is the personal feelings of a parent that has gone through addiction with their child, going hand to hand combat with the monster and in the end slipping through their fingers and leaving pieces of a mother, father, sisters and brothers behind to somehow pick up their lives and and keep going. Every story is gripping and you can actually feel what they are feeling. I purchased 2 of these and sent them to my daughter Anna who is presently in prison for possession of Cocaine, and the other I donated to the Prison Library. I bought one from Sherry which she personally autographed to Anna, and I hope and pray I can actually present her with that copy one day. This book is a "must have" for every parent who deals with a child on addiction and especially for those who don't.

As a Clinical Social Worker, I recommend this book be mandatory for any professional in the field. This book goes beyond a scientific understanding of substance abuse, beyond treatment methods and beyond clinical strategy. It explores substance abuse from the viewpoint of the mother or the family member who has lost a loved one. It reminds us that a life lost to substance abuse is a life victimized by an ugly and unrelenting disease. It reminds us that families left behind are victims themselves, as we see in the painful words of the book's many contributing writers. Our society so easily stereotypes "the addict", judges or places blame on the person for "choosing" that lifestyle. This book challenges us to break that stereotype, to see the beauty, the intellect, the passion and the energy that such individuals possess. It challenges us not to cast such individuals into the marginalized population but to do all we can to support them and help them find recovery when possible. Any loss is great, but there is no greater loss than that of a child. I commend the strength and honesty of the mothers and family members who have come together to write this book. May this book continue to act as a passionate and moving tribute to their children. May it also remind all professionals in the field of addiction to treat not "the addict", but the individual; to explore that person's capabilities and dreams, to find that person's sources of energy, creativity and strength, to use family support in treatment when possible. "I Am Your Disease: The Many Faces of Addiction" is a powerful and honest read, and a necessity for any professional in the field.

Sarah Thomas, LCSW

Author Sheryl Letzgus McGinnis lost her son Scott to a drug overdose. She says she wrote this book as therapy for herself but also to warn others as to the dangers of addiction to drugs. This book is a compilation of many grieving parents who write the stories of their children's addictions. They come from all walks of life, social, and economic groups, but they have one thing in common--they have lost a child to addiction and subsequent death. They all tried to stop their child's downward spiral but none of them were successful. The book also contains poetry from grieving parents and an eye-opening look at a group of eighth graders' view of peer pressure. This is a sobering book which serves as a warning to any teenager or parent of a teenager. There is a list of support groups and there are some suggestions for heading off a serious addiction, but mostly the problem is presented in the stark reality of hopelessness. The only answer is not to start taking drugs in the first place and it is this point of view that the book is promoting.

This book is less an autobiography than it is a memoir of dealing with cancer. The entire book is pretty much about the nitty gritty details of cancer, which could prove a valuable comforting resource for those going through something similar. Wish there had been more about her life and career. But it's pretty much all about cancer and Gene Wilder, whom she obviously adored. I like that it feels like you can hear her voice when you read--it sounds like her and can be very funny and touching. She seems like a great person and someone you would have loved to know as a friend.

I first discovered Gilda from watching the TV-movie of this starring Jami Gertz on ABC back in 2002 (which I don't recommend for highly-acclaimed critics, or to anyone for various reasons resting solely on the persona portrayed by Gertz) .
Although growing up in Detroit, I wasn't very familiar with Gilda as one would think, being from the same town. I looked EVERYWHERE to try to purchase this book, on here, Border's, Barnes&Noble and other various websites and my last resort, eBay (which I recommend if you don't know where to purchase it). In which case, I received it in the mail after a week or so, ripped opened the packaging and read it like a fat kid eating cake. Wanting more. After reading the book, you feel like you know Gilda. While reading the book, you feel like you know Gilda.
She starts off talking about her random excursions in her ambiguous life, how she wanted her story to go one way, but it took a left turn and made another. Gilda especially highlights her relationship with Gene and how they met, where they got married, the process of getting married in a French town hall and saying "I do" at every pause, because she couldn't understand the French language. She did everything in her power to try to become Gene's wife. She suffocated him, he moved to New York came back to see her in Connecticut and when "the ducks were landed" she ended her relationship with Former SNL lead-guitarist, G.E. Smith and so began the relationship between Rosanne Rosannadanna and Willy Wonka. Her never ending battle to have a child, put me at the edge of my seat as she went through 2 miscarriages.
Feeling unexplainably fatigued all the time, she tried to find the source of her problem by taking vitamins, sleeping more, eating properly. She stopped smoking (a habit she picked up at age 14) and went to doctors who mis- prescribed her with "Epsom-Bar Syndrome." Eventually, it got to the point where she couldn't get up and was constantly tired, so she got other opinions and was diagnosed.
STAGE FOUR Ovarian Cancer.
Afraid to be seen in public, she took therapy and began to realize how many other people were suffering from the same thing. She joined the Wellness Community, found her place and died on May 20, 1989. This book touched my heart from beginning to end. As if she was my life-long friend. I own the original 1989 edition, and I am NEVER letting ANYONE else touch it.

I was diagnosed with colon cancer in April 2005 and life has never been the same. My partner purchased this book for me and I loved it. I loved it not because it read like a self help book but because it read as a true commentary of life with cancer. It's words touched a part of me that no self help book could ever touch. Radner's everyday dealings with this insiduous disease made me laugh and cry and boil over with anger. Radner's words help me to roam through the numerous rooms that one staggers through after a diagnosis of cancer. My heartfelt thanks to Gilda and I would recommend the book to everyone who is affected and infected with cancer.

How wonderful to read something by the funny and wonderful and loveable Gilda Radner. Her descriptions of her trials and tribulations with various doctors..her descriptions of her house. Fate with cancer as a fate worse than the interior decorator..Love for the world..A shining example..A wonderful lady who inspired me during my chemo..Love to her..I shall conjure..The spirit of the one who made us feel not alone..

Gilda Radner was a very fine performer, but this book--not devoted to her entertainment career--shows her to be a class act off-stage as well. Some of us are lucky to have faired well at the hands of brilliant medicos, and are very grateful for it, but anyone who has had long-term experience with America's byzantine medical system knows how easy it is to become fixated, to the detriment of one's own health, upon its appalling lapses and petty cruelties, and lose sight of what's positive. Practically crawling, doubled-over in pain, before doctors took her condition seriously, and, later, away from treatment for an extended period of "remission," only to find out it was merely a mistaken test reading, Radner shows no bitterness in this honest, brave, and, yes, sometimes funny book.

Someone so famous during the golden era of "Saturday Night Live" that she could hardly walk the streets of New York without being mobbed by fans, Radner is reduced by illness to humble sprees involving bingo parlors and mail-order catalogues. Demonstrating resilience, but also a sweet brave sadness that makes you hope, against all sane logic, that things will turn out differently.

It has been written elsewhere that when Radner was very ill in the hospital she would make the rounds cheering up other patients, introducing herself "Hi, I used to be Gilda Radner." There you have it--that transcendent quality humor sometimes has to defy all human limitations, even death. Fortunately Radner will defy it more than most because her warm, precise and yet delightfully silly comedy will live on in tape, film and this very good book. Thank you, Gilda, you will always be really something.

Reading and/or listening to this management story is a fun way to gain insight about people with whom we work and interact. I enjoyed the positive presentation about different perspectives and strenghts that people have and where the best place to deploy people with these attributes might be. The book encourages objective interactions that are win-win and non-judgemental.

Here we go again, another personality classification system and the author's premise that if you can stereo type people you can manage them more effectively. I don't see what this system has over other personality classification systems, such as MBTI (which has been around longer and more people seem to be familiar with).

The book tries to be humorous, but it just didn't work. The story telling wasn't bad, but I'd almost rather listen to nails on a chalk board then listen to the voices of the people reading this book.

Bottom line. I learned a little, but not much and I'd like my money back.

This loosely medieval management parable about "a king at his wits' end" has several winning characteristics. First, it's relevant without taking itself too seriously. The light, self-effacing - even occasionally tongue-in-cheek - tone makes it easily readable. Authors Sheldon Bowles, Richard Silvano and Susan Silvano actively engage readers with a brief interactive online test that reveals your personality "guild type." Then they draw on their narrative's strength to move forward. Many books about emotional intelligence give readers little practical help. This one is fun, helpful and entertaining even though its guild classification system may need additional tweaking. Apparently designed primarily for workplace applications, it lacks the specificity of the more familiar Myers-Briggs test, which in comparison practically predicts how you'll want your eggs cooked a month from next Tuesday. Notwithstanding these minor limitations, we recommend this book to managers, coaches, consultants, EQ practitioners and those HR folks burdened with softening the Type A corporate hearts who run most organizations.

I found Kingdomality (the test) almost 10 years ago. I took the test and was impressed by its accuracy. Since then, I have taken the online test 3 or 4 times more, with the same results.

So, when browsing on a local bookstore, I saw that the test creators had a book about Kingdomality, I did not hesitate and bought it.

What is Kingdomality (the test and the book) about? Well, it basically sustains that people can be grouped in 12 categories of personality types. These types are a function of how people see the world, what are their motivations, how do they interact with it. It's called Kingdomality because the personalities can be linked to "standard" professions in the Middle Ages (the time of Kingdoms...).

Those who have already taken the test and have enjoyed its simplicity and accuracy will enjoy this book. It will allow them to have a more comprehensive view of all the 12 types and how could they be used productively in a work environment.

For those who have not taken the test, but enjoy learning about new and different personality type tests, this is also a great book. The test concept is simple, and the types are clearly different among them. Still, I think I would advise all to take the test first and then read the book (doing otherwise might "contaminate" your test with your expectations for its results).

Well, as I said, I always got the same result in the test. So, in case you wonder, I seem to be a Merchant.

I had the chance to attend a book signing by Sheldon Bowles of his book Kingdomality. When he started to speak to a large crowd there was a table loaded with books and I wondered how many he'd sell. When he finished talking, we all rushed to the front to get a book and an autograph. By the time I got to him the books were all gone! Now I have a copy. This book contains so much insider information about how different people are motivated and why people behave as they do, that it seems like you become a mind reader. It's easy. It's accurate. It has given me the tools that make me a better manager, a better father, husband son and friend. In the paper here last weekend KINGDOMALITY was #1 on the bestseller list. Go to www.kingdomality.com and find out what it's all about. You won't be dissappointed! I predict KINGDOMALITY will be the killer book of 2005.

It may sound strange to talk about God and Jesus Christ in a review of a "recovery" Bible. But I think all three of the recovery Bibles need to be understood in this context. Early AAs were a Christian Fellowship.The First Nationwide Alcoholics Anonymous History Conference, 2d ed.. They stressed Bible study and prayer. The Good Book and the Big Book: A.A.'s Roots in the Bible (Bridge Builders Edition).They required acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and saviour.The Golden Text of A.A.: God, the Pioneers, and Real Spirituality . They believed they could be and were cured by the power of God.The Conversion of Bill W.: More on the Creator's Role in Early A.A. And, of course, their source of authority was the Bible. Dr. Bob pointed out that AAs believed the answers to all their problem was in the "Good Book."Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous: His Excellent Training in the Good Book As a Youngster in Vermont I know David Stoop, and I know his background as a clergyman and therapist. And I obtained my copy of this Bible from him. I applaud any publication which brings the recovery community in general and AAs in particular back to the biblical roots of their program.When Early AAs Were Cured and Why, Third Edition I would caution that the answer doesn't lie in trying to equate the Bible with the Twelve Steps. I also believe the answer doesn't lie in trying to find multiple Biblical verses that seem related to the Twelve Steps. The Biblical roots of A.A. were simple. They centered on God, conversion, the Bible, and prayer meetings.The James Club and the Original A.A. Program's Absolute Essentials If the reader gets too wrapped up in trying to study the Bible to learn the Steps, I'd suggest the opposite approach. If you are in A.A., study the Big Book, find its instructions for taking the Steps, take the Steps, and then look to the Bible for growth in your relationship with God and His son and for understanding of His love, forgiveness, deliverance, guidance, and strength.The Good Book-Big Book Guidebook That's how simple the early A.A. Bible approach was. By contrast, when Dr. Bob read the Bible three times to get the fullness of the picture in his mind, there were no Steps, no Traditions, no Big Book. And he always felt that Bible was first as a source and first as a solution. So did his wife Anne Smith.Anne Smith's Journal, 1933-1939: A.A.'s Principles of Success

I find this Bible easy to read (the New Living Translation), and it has thousands of footnotes relating scripture to everyday life--whether you are in a 12-step program or not! And the price is very reasonable. My favorite Bible!

I ordered thinking I was getting the larger print version of this Bible.
The content is great stuff and I have other copies but I wanted these to share with others. Wish they would have been the larger books.

My groups and I use this Bible everyday many times over.
I also use for jail ministery. Easy to read and use.
Also easy to understand and aply to any one's life situation.

This copy of G_d's Word has so many helps in it for those in a recovery group or attempting recovery on their own. By using the indexes in the back of this Bible, the reader can zero-in on the facets of each of the Twelve Steps and find an appropriate Scriptural principle. Each Step is illustrated by several passages in the Bible, along with commentary by Dr. Stoop. This is not a study Bible, in the customary sense, but a Bible that will cause the recoverer to study what G_d wants to do in her/his recovery. The New Living Translation is easy to read, but I usually read a word-for-word translation along with it (NASB, NKJV, ESV), so as to not miss a thought!

This book is very informative and explains nutrition in a way that is easy to understand. It has great tips and it helped me to balance my exercise routine and eating pattern. This book is great for a serious athlete to a casual exerciser and I would highly recommend everyone who wants to obtain knowledge about a healthy lifestyle to read this book.

I recommend this book to everyone. Although Nancy Clark calls it a Sport's Nutrition Guidebook, this is really a guide on the way everybody should eat in order to be healthy. She begins by giving general guidelines on what eating every day should be like. She explains why everything is important: carbs, protein, fat, sugar, dairy. Then she goes on to explain what it is each of these types of food does in the body and how and why we should eat them. She also explains how to eat and when to eat. It is an extremely detailed book where you get a whole new outlook on food. There's also some great chapters with recipes.

Nancy Clark's book has revolutionized my diet, training, and life. As a fitness instructor and runner I had trouble knowing what to eat, how much to eat, and struggled with erratic weight. After reading this book all of my questions have been answered. I have learned tips on how to fuel my body for the demands that I put upon it. I have energy, I can eat without guilt, and my weight has stabilized. Science and experience backs up everything that Nancy Clark says. I'm a true believer. You'll love this book!

outstanding book, changed my eating habits with good information rather than beliefs. I recommend to anyone on a sports nutrition program.

The Sports Nutrition Guidebook is a useful resource for the average, healthy individual to have at hand as a nutritional resource. This book is more of a healthy living guide, than a sport specific guide, Individuals who are engaging in sports that require a lot of anaerobic activity, like football or baseball will not find this book as useful, but they will still find some great instruction. For endurance sports such as running or cycling, or for the general weekend warrior looking to have nutrition be a part of a healthy lifestyle, that is not concerned with larger than normal weight loss, this book is a good esource.

While basic advice is well-written here, that shouldn't be really new to anyone who is familiar with good nutrition: a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, and dairy; and the importance of regular meals, some care is taken to readjust thinking about fad diets and dietary myths, especially in preparation for physical activity. Unbalanced approaches to carbohydrates, fluid, protein, etc. and their dangers are detailed in an easy to understand format. The chapter on misusing a healthy lifestyle for rapid weight loss or other eating disorders is tactfully written.

The last third of the book is a useful recipe guide that applies principles taught in the book into practical meal planning steps that are neither arduous nor difficult for active individuals to adapt to. Creating a healthy approach to the body, especially in view of a fat obssessed society calls for balance and patience. There is nothing sudden or radical about the advice in this book, as it is above all, caling for a lifestyle that is healthy and active and is designed to provide nutrional advice for helping individuals achieve those goals. This book is a great resource for active people, who want sound, scientific advice that meets the needs of individuals in today's fast paced society.

During a visit to my parent's house about 6 weeks into my son's life, my father presented me with his 30 year old copy of this book. Clearly it had made such an impression on him while he was raising me, that he had not only kept it, but remembered it when it was my turn to raise my first child. After reading the What to Expect series, Dr. Sears, Dr. Spock, and other various finds studiously like textbooks while I was pregnant (highlighting, note-taking, comparing ideologies), I found this book refreshing, simple, honest and captivating. The "rules" are so commonsensical they may seem at first like a waste of time. But the author discusses the reasons why babies and young children do the things they do and need their basic needs in a way that makes you feel like you can really see the world through your child's eyes. It is a delightful read and many times brought tears to my eyes as the lightbulb went off above my head and I could see how simple raising a child can be. My son is 7 months now and this book has never left the side of my bed. I re-read it frequently as he develops just to re-center myself when the stresses of parenthood ever seem too weighty.

Unique as Pete: How Autism Does Not Mean Different

This is an excellent guide to raising a new baby. I love it becuase it's all based on sound research and the advice in this book has been right on with our daughter. This is a MUST have if you are raising a new baby.

When I was pregnant with my daughter - there was a lot of worry since this was my first child. Obviously, children do not come with a manual! I bought and read this book and used it constantly as a referral. Our daughter is happy, polite, shares, intelligent, kind, etc. She is constantly invited to parties and restaraunts that other childdren are not invited to. After meals at restaraunts, the managers/owners come and comment on what a well-behaved child she is. She does have many friends and can get along with varied personalities. We purchase this book for all new parents - and they read it stating they would like a child that is as polite and respectful (of others and their properties) as our daughter is. You really cannot go wrong in purchasing this book!!

From describing each developmental phase to suggesting toys, this book provides invaluable information that can help parents navigate the early years. Great shower gift for first time parents!

This is a great book for anyone interested in developmentally appropriate activities, toys, etc. for their growing baby/child. It gives excellent descriptions of what is going on in baby's development to help understand how to handle challenges and opportunities in rearing a self-confident, intelligent, happy child. Much of the activities are simple things you can do with little or no money, which is great. The national foundation based on this book is fantastic and I tell everyone about it: [...]

a must-have!

A classic, if you can find it. If you have one, don't let it out of your sight. A master course on channel theory that is a must have for forensic professionals.

Sell the Nordic Trak on ebay and buy this book.

Jim Hoerricks
http://forensicphotoshop.blogspot.com
Author of Forensic Photoshop - a comprehensive imaging workflow for forensic professionals

I'm a student learning Photoshop and I must say this is one of the best Photoshop books I have ever come across. The authors explain every aspect in a detailed and engaging way. In other books, I may read a chapter and understand how to do something but I often ask why it's done that way. Photoshop Channel Chops gives thorough explanations on many different channel operation methods that makes sense and leaves me wanting to read

Wow! The authors really know their stuff! There is so much information in this book it's scary. This book is a must-read for anyone who takes Photoshop seriously. Sure, it was written years ago when Photoshop was at version 4, and sure the writing gets a bit corny at times, but it is still a "killer app" among Photoshop books.

If you aspire to be a hardcore Photoshop user, this book is probably the one you want above all others. It's not a step-by-step tutorial, a mere reference book, or a book that leads you through the tools and various functions of the software. Instead it discusses the fundamental concepts you need to know to use Photoshop to its fullest. Some statements in the book are outdated, but fortunately, they are usually statements of opinion and occur only in a few places. Most of the book is still applicable since Photoshop today still has channels, alpha channels, paths, layers, and calculations. This book hasn't been updated since it was written in 1998, but it really doesn't need to be. It's not about how to use particular tools and new features. It's about how to think with Photoshop. And it's deep enough to read over and over for reference. I would encourage even beginner Photoshop users to read this book if they are really committed, especially if they want to learn about compositing. By the end of this book, you'll be able to understand how Photoshop does what it does, and why it is such a powerful program.

I hate the books that only talk about particular special effects and how to achieve them, without telling you why it should be done that way. With Photoshop, you want to be in control. This book allows to be in control. It will explain exactly what's going on behind the scenes. After reading this book, I felt like being a Photoshop guru. It was nice.

PLANETS IN TRANSIT by Robert Hand is THE OPUS reference for both natal aspects and regular transits. I've used this volume so much I am on my third copy. This is the one book I include with each of my new astrology portfolios for new clients.

This book is the bomb. I use it to read descriptions for transits on the go or at home. It's very cohesive and I love that it's printed like a dictionary so that you can thumb straight to a planet in the same way you would if you were looking up something under "A" or "B" in the dictionary.

It also has aspects to the Midheaven and Ascendant! a must-have for any aspiring astrologer...

Had Gotten this Many Years Ago in conjunction with the 2000 Ephemeris Book and A Few Books That Explain The Intricracy of Astrology Reading[Natal Chart Interpretation]. Found this to be more elaborate in regards to each planet 'placement' or transit; however, rather than stick with one point of view, always search for different perspective(s) from different authors. Truth comes from many angles than just one.

Susan

Planets in Transit is a must for both professional astrologers and lay people. It contains explanations of transits and basic astrological knowledge. I recommend it for anyone interested in transit astrology.

The best on transits there is! Couldn't live without it! I use it myself and recommend it to all my students.

I love the artwork in this book! I bought this as a gift for my little sister and had great fun searching the beautiful artwork for hidden animals. Once you find them all there is a final word puzzle in the back of the book. Very fun.

I bought the book for my grandchildren after having purchased "The Chicken That Could Swim" and loving it. The puzzles and illustrations in Puzzle Island are absolutely amazing! The whole family (mom, dad, grandparents, grandchildren (ages 4-9), aunt and uncle was involved in figuring out the names of the animals as well as looking for the animals in the pictures. After about 2 months, working on it at least once a week, we finished the book, solved all the puzzles and found all the animals. What is so amazing is that as you read the story you don't even realize all that is hidden on the pages. We loved it and can't wait to get another Paul Adshead book.

After going through several boxes in my garage, I finally found this book. I've had it for over 10 years and still am amazed how great this book is. It still grabs my attention and it doesn't matter that I remember the answer, I love looking at the pictures and solving the puzzles all over again. I can't wait for my son to enjoy this as well! I recommend this book to everyone out there!

abslutely wonderfol book. Me(8) my sister(11) and my brother(12) have almost finished it. We have been doing it since yesterday and are very very excited about finishing it. It has kept us puzzled scince! If I could I would rate it 20 stars!!!!!!

Everyone seems to have a problem finding the fourth animal in Lily's Pond. But I have found it! Unscrambling AGILNRST gives the bird STARLING. It is very difficult to find but once you see it, it is very clear. It is at the top right hand side of the page directly below the letter S and the missing P of the frame. It is one of the leaves of the tree. The head is directly below the missing P and the tail is below the S and below another leaf. You have to flip the page upside down to see it. Hopefully this helps you all sleep better tonight!

This was written before the internet age, but it's totally relevant today. It's about a girl who has it all (looks, brains, etc.), and then she discoveres she has cancer. She meets a guy in the hospital, someone who understands everything she's going through, and they start dating.

I liked this book because so many dating books sort of exist in a world where no one gets sick, and here, real life pops up and gives everything perspective. On the other hand, just because these characters get really ill doesn't diminish how important love and relationships are. Melissa and Ric still have sexual feelings and go through what all teens go through in relationships.

This was the first Lurlene McDaniel book I've read, and I plan to read as many as I can!

the story sucks u in and wont let u out tell the end with tears in ur eyes

"The diagnosis is lymphocytic leukemia, Melissa. It's a form of cancer." This book puts you in the place of 16-year-old Melissa. She seemed to be a normal teen, living her life to the fullest. She was beautiful with long, thick, black hair, which would soon be gone. Her best friend, Jory, was always with her, and her all-time crush started to like her! She was even nominated to go out for the Brain Bowl, which was always her dream. Everything was going her way until she was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, leukemia. She couldn't just live anymore; she had to fight for her life. A never-ending battle was going on in her body. Melissa's struggle between life and death really will make you see things from a different point a view.
I recommend Too Young to Die by Lurlene McDaniel to any person that wants to know what facing reality can be like. It is hard for people who haven't experienced loss, to understand. McDaniel does a remarkable job clarifying the situation and taking you on a journey through the eyes of Melissa, while battling her cancer. Many people die everyday of cancer, heart disease, and other dreadful causes. Think about how fortunate you are compared to many of these people that don't even know if they are going to be alive tomorrow.

I love to read...especially sad books. This book was amazing!! What bravery Melissa had. I don't want to give away any secrets but this is a MUST read!

When someone gave me this book in fifth grade, I put it aside and didn't read it right away. Boy was I glad when I finally started reading. It was one of the best books I've ever read. Well, back when I was in fifth grade. I'm in eighth grade now, and I still like this book.

Melissa is 16 and starting her junior year, which is looking pretty good. The most popular boy in school has taken an interest in her, and there's a pretty good chance she'll make the brain bowl team (kinda like the math thing in 'mean girls', only math and science). Melissa and her best friend, Jory, are physced. They're about to have a great year! Then Melissa starts finding bruises everywhere, and gets put in the hospital for some tests. The outcome isn't good. Melissa has cancer. Melissa, a perfectly healthy 16 year old, now has cancer. It didn't seem possible. Melissa sees her perfect junior year going right down the drain. The chemo she takes to fight off the cancer leaves her sick, and now the most popular boy in school ignores her. Then she meets Ric. Ric's knows what she's going through. He had half his leg amputted to save his body from cancer. With the help of him, Jory, and her family, Melissa is learning how to cope with cancer. She was so mature for a 16 year old, dealing with cancer. I hope I would have the guts to be as brave as Melissa Austin if I ever got sick like that.

There's a sequel to this book, so be sure to read it when you finish this. It's not as good, but it's still worth reading. It focuses more on Jory.