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Everytime I asked this tarot for an answer or guidance, it always gave me exactly what I needed to hear at the moment. Quite amazing. I love the messages that Osho has given on each card - not just a woodoo kinda thing like any other tarot I used in the past. Try to quiet your mind before you enter the reading. It somehow helps me queit my mind as well - very powerful and helpful.

Ullasini Khwan
www.urbanyogis.com

Beautiful set of tarots and a masterful art of getting you to look within for the answers to what is puzzeling you. I have enjoyed the tarot readings and have begun my journey.

Zen and Nonduality:

I can only talk about this deck as part of the spiritual genre known as nonduality, which speaks to the experience of oneness, especially with God or reality itself. Nonduality is the wisdom or deepest knowing of Zen, but not only Zen, also Sufism, Kabbalah, Advaita, Buddhism, Gnostic Christianity, quantum theory, and other fields.

The nonduality genre consists of teachers, students, scriptures, sacred structures and sites, rituals, practices, books, films, audio and video recordings, websites, blogs, emails, all the subjects they bear on, such as religion, philosophy, psychology, quantum physics, and the genre of nonduality also includes this deck of cards.

The Book and The Deck:

There are two parts to this deck. One is the deck. The other is the book that accompanies it. The book states very plainly how this deck differs from other tarot decks: "Osho Zen Tarot is definitely not a traditional tarot in the sense that you play with prediction. Rather it is a transcendental game of Zen which mirrors the moment, unwaveringly presenting what is here, now, without judgment or comparison."

The book itself describes the deck within the context of traditional tarot decks. The framework made up by the Major and Minor Arcana is explained. Recommendations are given for how to play the transcendental game of Zen, including card layouts and the frame of mind to keep.

Then each card is pictured (in black and white) and the theme is described concisely and profoundly by means of an excerpt from the vast body of Osho's writings. As well, there is a brief commentary on the card itself, about the picture, the symbolism, the meaning, the application to your life.

Freeze Frame the Now:

Between the artistic card itself, the Osho reflection upon the theme, and the commentary, a moment of deep understanding and insight becomes possible. When that card is part of a layout of cards, then that understanding and insight becomes part of a bigger transcendental construction. The result is that the present, the moment, becomes crystallized so that you can examine it.

If you want to crystallize the now, do a layout with these cards, and examine the crystal's angles, colors, points and planes. Become aware of how the universe creates you and act sensibly from that knowledge. That's what this tarot deck is about. I use it once in a while to turn the moment inside out. Mostly, it's fun.

Jerry Katz
One: Essential Writings on Nonduality

One of the most beautiful packs of Tarot Cards I have ever came across. You can relate each and every one of them to some part of your life. They are inspirational and have a lesson in each of them. I get all of my friends to buy them. I recommend them to everyone who needs direction in their lives.

This is my fifth purchase of a deck of the infamous TAROT. It's already my favorite. It doesn't conform to the usual four reigning families but it needn't. These are not fortune telling cards; they are meditational tools for those dealing with the Nowness of being. The illustrations are breaktakingly gorgeous on some while others -even negative cards like 'laziness'- reflect a quirky cartoon charm. This is a warm deck of cards where an student of the Buddha or just the spiritually curious can look at different aspects of their lives with new sharpness and intensity.

In a post-Harry Potter world, there are many 'wannabe' books/series popping up that are trying to satiate the gap left by the Harry Potter series. This book doesn't try to fill the gap, it tries to carve out it's own niche.

Overall the book is very easy to read with little interruption in the action and flow of the story. Maybe not as deep in plot as Harry Potter, but fits the audience this is targeted towards.

Glad that there is another author willing to break the mold and take us where we haven't been before.

After reading this first book of the series I was hooked line and sinker. Shortly after I found the candy shop war book and had to read it too.

I really enjoyed this book. Others who enjoyed should check out a new author, Jessica Hale. Her debut novel is called "The Glass Eye: Search for the Ancient Scroll". These are two great fantasy stories.

I bought this book while i was working for Border's on a whim, looking for a light read. I must say, I do love this book, and the series is progressing wonderfully. This book has been wonderfully descriptive and I will continue through this series.

Fablehaven is quite the page turner. The story never dulls, it keeps you interested for the whole read. It's not a difficult read and the author has no trouble in making you imagine the Fablehaven world in your head. I was only disappointed with the quick ending, I was hoping for more of a showdown or tougher battle. However, this will not stop me from reading the series. It is a bit younger than Harry Potter (or so I think) but that should not discourage any reader, young or old. If you are in search of a great story, fast read, a world only the imagnation can conjure, and you like fairies, this is the book for you.

I nearly fell asleep while reading this book. It only gets more than 1 star from me because of the somewhat predictable plot twist at the end.

This book is the first chapter book to interest my six year old. The characters, five sisters, each have their own personalities which are drawn in detail and carried through all of their adventures. The stories are sweet, focusing on everyday life in a poor jewish family at the turn of the century in New York (on the lower east side). The traditions will be familiar to an educated jewish reader but the setting just diferent enough to make it interesting. My daughter demands it every night and now cant sleep without her nightly dose of "naughty Henny and her sisters."

This book is just as entertaining as it was when I read it as a child! The book arrived quickly, in fantastic condition. Thanks!

Sydney Taylor's classic book for middle readers is set in the Lower East Side of New York City and depicts the life of a traditional Jewish family in the early 20th century. All-of-A-Kind Family is the first in a series of novels about the lively family and is a sweet, charming read. The story takes the reader through most of year and involves not just the family but their friends and acquaintances, too. The book opens with a chapter about going to the library, and the children's librarian (or "library lady," as the girls like to call her) is a gentle, recurring presence. The children's adventures include a trip to the market, scarlet fever and an outing to Coney Island, where one of the girls gets temporarily, and happily, lost. Meanwhile the story meanders through a year of Jewish holidays and teaches the reader a little about each one. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Shabbat and how Taylor contrasts the hubbub of shopping and preparations with the simple serenity of the day itself. The family relationships struck me as very true and believable- for example, Papa's ambivalence regarding the present the girls get for his birthday and his quick turnaround struck me as realistic and human. I can imagine any parent reacting the way he did initially and then rallying in the end. I appreciate Taylor's honesty about her characters throughout the book, too. It's a great book for anyone and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series and sharing in the further adventures of this fun, busy family.

All-of-a-Kind Family was a turning point in the history of Judaic children's literature - the first mainstream book with Jewish characters! In memory of author Sydney Taylor, the Association of Jewish Libraries gives out the Sydney Taylor Book Award each year to the best in Judaic children's literature. See lists of winners at www.sydneytaylorbookaward.org.

Also, you can hear an interview with Jo Taylor Marshall, the daughter of Sydney Taylor, on The Book of Life podcast's October 2007 episode "Catch Me a Classic!" Jo shares memories of the real people who became the characters in the series. Tune in at www.bookoflifepodcast.com!

I finished reading Chickenhawk last night just a few minutes after midnight, July 4, 2008. I feel like I oughta apologize to its author, Bob Mason, for taking 25 years to "discover" his excellent account of one man's horrific wartime experiences in Vietnam over 40 years ago. Sam Hynes, author of the equally excellent WWII pilot's memoir, Flights of Passage, once told me that one of the most important ingredients in a memoir is that the narrator be likeable. Chickenhawk has that most vital element, for Bob Mason is as likeable a guy as you'll find in the literature of war, and his prose is absolutely real and riveting as he tells of his whirling descent into the madness that was Vietnam. His final chapter summarizes the kind of confusing nightmare his life became upon his return home, as he struggled to understand and survive this thing now commonly known as PTSD. I like this guy. In fact I like him well enough that I will try to find a copy of his out-of-print sequel to Chickenhawk. It may take a while, but I'll be back to comment on that one too. In the meantime, I urge anyone who enjoys good writing of any kind to read this book. It's the real deal. - Tim Bazzett, author of SoldierBoy: At Play in the ASA (RatholeBooks.com)

Read it in six days. Kept my interest. Hope Mason's life is going better these days.

As the cover says, "The best book to come out of Vietnam". This is a hard hitting book which is very well described. Approx. 50 pages in, you are already riding in the chopper with 'Bob' Mason. A sorry tale but a very true one.

I have read many military books. This is the best one I have ever read. I suggest the sequel "back in the life" as well as "Weapon" and "Solo". Anything written by Mason is good.

Bob Mason wrote a very eloquent, very eye-opening account of his Vietnam tour as a helicopter pilot.

Having just lost my older brother, who was also a helicopter (slick) pilot in 67-68 with the D Troop 1/10 Cav (Shamrocks) and A Co., 4th Avn Bn (Black Jack), I found just how much he sugar-coated the "war stories" he told myself and our siblings when we were pre-teens/teens. After reading Chickenhawk, it's a miracle that Bob Mason (and my brother) ever made it home at all. It seems that if this war didn't get you physically, it sure got you mentally and emotionally - making you pay one way or another.

From a woman's point of view, I recommend this book to every woman who ever had a son, brother, uncle or husband in Vietnam. This is what our Vietnam heroes went through for US ... somehow, a mere "thank you" will never be enough.

Welcome home, Bob. Thanks for all you gave up for us.

I picked this book up on a recommendation from someone who used to work on the I Love Lucy Show (Dann Cahn). It was fantastic! Written by Lucy herself, it really focused on her feelings and thoughts early on. Once I started I couldn't put it down.

Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball was an autobiography she wrote but never published. Her daughter Lucie found the manuscript and decided to publish it almost a decade after her mother's death. Lucille Ball was a comic gem, she did everything so perfectly. This book is good but some of the parts seem empty so I can't give this book 5 stars. Ball talks about her modeling days, how she met and fell in love with Desi Arnaz, her hit t.v. show and becoming a businesswoman when she was highly criticized for being too tough. Check this good summer read out sometime, enjoy!

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Lucy fan. Knowing that it is an autobiography makes it more interesting. You can almost hear her voice as you read through the lines. Her life wasn't all roses. Lots of pictures for us to enjoy. Get the book. You won't put it down.

I quite enjoyed this one. It is Lucy's "lost" autobiography--that is, it was only discovered and published after her death in 1989. It was found tucked away in the files of her former attorney, discovered when her children were processing her estate. Apparently, Lucy had begun an "as told to" book by dictating for two years to a talented secretary who transcribed her tapes and even traveled to her hometown to interview her childhood friends for their memories. The resulting product is the history of Lucy from her birth in 1911 to Christmas of 1962. It is written in the present tense, and many of the readers who knew her commented that it was in her "own voice." When Lucie got to listen to the tapes, she even discovered that her mother had been accurately quoted for once! A warm picture emerges of an ambitious but essentially normal comedienne who was very family-oriented and hard-working. Her father died before she had a chance to know him, but she was raised lovingly by her mother and maternal grandparents. She goes through stints of modeling and starring in movies, about which time she meets Desi Arnaz. He played the Cuban firecracker to her more low-key character, and the sparks flew. They went on together to produce the most beloved television show of all time and to rule over the empire of Desilu Productions. But they found themselves not too compatible in the end--he was working too hard and given to explosive rages, and his drinking and many infidelities didn't help matters any. He humiliated her publically on many occasions, and that was why she eventually wanted a divorce. But she remained fond of him, and put this book away because she was afraid that its revelations would hurt him. She went on to meet and marry Gary Morton and found happiness with him for many years until her death. But Gary is only a small part of this book--you walk away struck by what Lucy and Desi achieved together that neither could have achieved alone.

Lucille Ball abandoned this book in 1964, out of concern that its contents would hurt Desi Arnaz. She then forgot about it (as did everyone else in her life, it seems), and it sat neglected in a box of papers until the mid-1990s. This is a phenomenal book, and easily the best I've read so far regarding Lucille Ball.

Love, Lucy should be read along with other biographies in order to get a balanced perspective (Miss Ball tends to be a bit circumspect, though not as private as I expected her to be, regarding her own shortcomings and her private life), but on the whole it is a fascinating glimpse into a legendary life when it was far from over. She had only recently divorced Desi Arnaz and was in the heart of working on The Lucy Show at the time she abandoned the project, and was still terribly active in the running of Desilu.

Lucille sometimes remembers things in a way that makes her seem a bit more moral than she really was. She doesn't discuss running wild and being naughty in her teen years, but since she had young children of her own at the time of the writing of Love, Lucy, I don't suppose I should have expected her to do so. Who wants to display their shortcomings to their kids and then say "don't do that!"

What is most beautiful about this book is the discussion of her love of Desi Arnaz and their marriage. Even though the marriage didn't survive, they adored one another and continued to do so until the ends of their lives. The quote that made me laugh out loud, and I could HEAR Lucy saying it was "It was not love at first sight; it took five minutes."

I gave Captain Nemo five stars because of the strong moral to this story. I also liked the relationship between the sea creatures and Captain Nemo and his crew. I have the book and the audiobook and my friends and I are studying Jules Verne. We read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth. Captain Nemo is very loyal to the Jules Verne character and it has added a new set of wonderful scientific ideas to the storytelling world. I to am going to be a writer and I will start classes when I go to college.

A very wonderful world opens up to you as you read this story about a future with endangered oceans and a mad warrior. I like the mixture of characters on The Nautilus, The Trinity and The Avenger. This is a well thoughout continuation of the Jules Verne classic.

My friends and I attended the MegaCon Comic Convention earlier this year and we exchanged books and comic books. I had to do a book report on Jules Verne and my teacher said I could use this book. I didn't read it all summer but I just finished it. Now I can see why all these other people are talking about this. Just the idea of Captain Nemo and his technology is great. I like the oceans a lot and now my dad is reading this Captain Nemo book. He also ordered the audiobook. What ever happened to the sequel?

My friends and I are doing book reports on Jules Verne. This audiobook is very cool. It allows you to imagine what Captain Nemo and his crew live like in their ocean world. I have a friend who is from Europe and he likes the idea that there are crew members from this story from other parts of the world. We are also called nerds because we like science and math. Captain Nemo makes it all worth it when it comes to being different.

I've loved Jules Verne novels since I was a kid. I am very glad to see Captain Nemo and the Nautilus rise again in a classy and smart way. There are so many super heroes with super powers, Nemo uses his brains. That's a true super hero! My 14 year old daughter also liked this book. She liked the idea of Sonja and other women in this story and how they contributed their knowledge of commanding the submarines. I also bought the audiobook. It is equally fantastic.

As both a dog and cat owner, and a would-be everything-else owner, too, I love this book! I have several "Chicken Soup" books, plan to add several more to my collection, but this one is probably my favorite so far. It keeps you between tears and laughter from beginning to end. All pet lovers will see themselves and their furry, feathered or finned friends somewhere in here, I'm sure!

Most of the series of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' has the kind of warm and fuzzy story that many find endearing and sweet. They are not 'deep' most of the time, but do point to things beyond themselves; for my own use, I often find sermon illustrations and stories within the pages of volumes of Chicken Soup -- as chaplain at a retirement centre, many of the stories help people to recall happier times, and help them deal with their present situation.

This particular volume involves stories with animals. The relationship between animals and people of all ages can make for some of the funniest, most heart-warming, most sad, and most meaningful stories. There are contributing authors of some note (Barbara Bush, James Herriot, Jimmy Stewart, Gilda Radner, Art Linkletter) among other authors who had stories to tell and volunteered them. Much in the manner that Readers Digest accepts unsolicited stories from amateur authors, so does the Chicken Soup series. Often the most meaningful stories are those that happen to people who are not professional writers.

Few animals are left out here, as many animals have come to be companions with humans over the centuries. Dogs and cats feature prominently, as do horses and other farm animals, but there are also wolves, birds, dolphins, deer, wild turkeys, gorillas and even a Christmas mouse. The stories cover a wide range of topics, including pets as friends and healers, animals as rescuers and performers of other amazing feats, animals whose companionship meant a lot, and finally on the sadness and meaning of saying goodbye to an important family member.

Each of this stories can easily be read in a short time. This makes it a good source for 'falling-asleep reading', for use in public speaking and preaching opportunites, for shared reading-aloud times, and for simple enjoyment and entertainment. Many of the stories here are ones that stay with you; the story about the wild turkeys and the story of the Christmas mouse are stories I use again and again in my chaplaincy, and they are always appreciated.

The editors of the primary series 'Chicken Soup' are Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen; for purposes of this volume, they are joined by Marty Becker and Carol Kline, authors and animal-professionals in various capacities.

My cats give their paws-up to this!

Most of the series of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' has the kind of warm and fuzzy story that many find endearing and sweet. They are not 'deep' most of the time, but do point to things beyond themselves; for my own use, I often find sermon illustrations and stories within the pages of volumes of Chicken Soup -- as chaplain at a retirement centre, many of the stories help people to recall happier times, and help them deal with their present situation.

This particular volume involves stories with animals. The relationship between animals and people of all ages can make for some of the funniest, most heart-warming, most sad, and most meaningful stories. There are contributing authors of some note (Barbara Bush, James Herriot, Jimmy Stewart, Gilda Radner, Art Linkletter) among other authors who had stories to tell and volunteered them. Much in the manner that Readers Digest accepts unsolicited stories from amateur authors, so does the Chicken Soup series. Often the most meaningful stories are those that happen to people who are not professional writers.

Few animals are left out here, as many animals have come to be companions with humans over the centuries. Dogs and cats feature prominently, as do horses and other farm animals, but there are also wolves, birds, dolphins, deer, wild turkeys, gorillas and even a Christmas mouse. The stories cover a wide range of topics, including pets as friends and healers, animals as rescuers and performers of other amazing feats, animals whose companionship meant a lot, and finally on the sadness and meaning of saying goodbye to an important family member.

Each of this stories can easily be read in a short time. This makes it a good source for 'falling-asleep reading', for use in public speaking and preaching opportunites, for shared reading-aloud times, and for simple enjoyment and entertainment. Many of the stories here are ones that stay with you; the story about the wild turkeys and the story of the Christmas mouse are stories I use again and again in my chaplaincy, and they are always appreciated.

The editors of the primary series 'Chicken Soup' are Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen; for purposes of this volume, they are joined by Marty Becker and Carol Kline, authors and animal-professionals in various capacities.

My cats give their paws-up to this!

I didn't quite know if I was going to make it through this book. Through about the first 8-9 stories, I kept on crying. I was thinking "This is ridiculous. I can't read one doggone story without crying after I read it." I kept thinking of my dog, Shep, who died a couple years ago at the age of 91 and how badly I want another dog. There is a dog beach by my house so usually everytime I see a dog, Shep pops up to mind. I pretty much had sunglasses on when I read this book in public so people wouldn't think I was completely crazy. Somewhere towards the middle, I hardened up and was ready to read this book without blinking a thousand times.
These were wonderful stories about everything from cats, dogs, snakes, bears, gorillas, and birds. I enjoyed every last one of them except for the one about Bush's dog. It was very impersonal and told the whole story like it was some sort of nursery rhyme. That was the only reason the book got four stars. I don't even understand how that story made it past submissions.

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul is a fantastic book for anyone who has a special place in his or her heart for animals. The book was made up of many different stories describing the special qualities that make our pets and furry friends unique. I rated this book a 5 because I found myself crying one minute and laughing the next. There are stories that will make you giggle, one in particular describes buffalo playing a game on ice. It made me realize that there are many things about animals that we don't understand- and never will. Who would have guessed that buffalo play games? The book also included stories that sent tears down my cheek. The story that stands out the most in my mind is a story about how far a mother cats goes to save her kittens. The love of the mother cat can relate to human mothers as well, they will do anything to protect their children. I believe that animals are fantastic teachers. One story in the book talks about how a gorilla helped to rescue an injured (human) boy after he fell into her area in the zoo. The author of that story explained that what is truly amazing about the gorilla is that she helped the boy without caring about recognition. She helped the boy because she wanted to, she didn't know that recognition was even a part of the act. That is exactly what us humans can learn from these animals. We need to help somebody because it's the thing to do, not because we want to be remembered as a hero.
I would recommend Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul for anyone who enjoys animals or just wants to read a book that make you warm and fuzzy inside. The stories in the book will show you exactly why pets are teachers, healers, heroes and friends. You will realize how special they really are.
Also check out Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul for stories about teenagers that will inspire you.

Master Sha influenced my life much more than words can express. I want to share with you one extraordinary thing I have found, with you. My illness has as a symptom Acid Reflux Disease. I don't treat it with Tums or GasX but with the co-operation of the soul of my energy. When I feel indigestion I in an authoritative tone of voice I ask it to take the excess energy in my throat and digestive system and send it to my Lower Dan Tian. It has worked repeatedly for me. I Am sure the book Soul Wisdom will put a heavenly spin on you life. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I absolutely LOVE this book. Dr. Sha teaches you how to heal yourself and others by using various chants, affirmation-like sayings, and by using various positions of your hands. He's a great writer and the techniques are easy to grasp and use in daily living. I recommend this book to everyone with an open-mind and desire to heal.

I have read this book and four of Master Sha's other books. I would say that it is a clever and eclectic marketing mix of new age, psychic and traditional qi gong techniques. The techniques for healing specific ailments seem to be congruent with similar healing techniques which fall under "energy work".

The leap of faith for me is ignoring the inconsistencies in his seemingly virtuous intentions. Some things just send up a red flag for me.

Has anybody noticed if you start with page nine of all eighty-some reviews that the majority of the reviewers have only reviewed Master Sha's books?

Has anybody noticed on Dr. Sha's website that he offers the services of "Karma Cleansing" for $1,000 and a Divine Protection Package for $1,200.

Has anybody noticed that most of the reviews for his books are regurgitated descriptions from the back cover or in the introduction of the book?

Has anybody noticed that out of eighty-some book reviews most are romantic reflections about the book's philosophy as if it were a novel instead of a how to get results book on self-healing?

Has anybody noticed that there are only approximately five reviewers out of eighty-some reviews that cite any reduction or elimination of specific, chronic, physical conditions?

I wrote a review called "Missing the Obvious" for another one of his books. In that review I made the honest observation that if Master Sha's soul healing methods work, and he includes specific techniques for healing the eyes, why does he wear glasses?

Since then, I looked for contact information on his website. I called the contact phone number and spoke with one of his representatives. The representative I spoke with assured me repeatedly that Dr. Sha does not wear glasses. I told the representative that I have five of Dr. Sha's books and in all his photographs in the books and often on the book covers, he was wearing glasses. As we spoke I was staring at the website's homepage where Dr. Sha is smiling with glasses on. The representative said, "Oh it's because, like many other healers and guru's, he's so busy taking care of others he hasn't taken the time to heal himself."

Is it just me? Since when have we become so gullible or so helplessly in need of a medical cure or warm hug that we'll believe anything we're told?

My intentions are not to take away any hope for any readers involved; however, I would like people to make an informed decision as to whether or not they want to invest their money, time and energy on the newest spin in snake oil, even if it does tout of being on the N.Y. Times Best Seller list or come recommended by another best selling author.

Dr. Sha's concept of healing the soul first, then the mind and body healing will follow will make tremendous sense to anyone who has done any serious level of self exploration and soul searching, and will be quite eye opening to anyone suffering from illnesses that western doctors cannot explain. Dr. Sha's style of combining prayer, meditation, positive intention, visual imagery, and energy healing is revolutionary.
The exercises he describes which I have I tried provided amazingly powerful results.

from the other 1 star review:

Has anybody noticed if you start with page nine of all eighty-some reviews that the majority of the reviewers have only reviewed Master Sha's books?

Has anybody noticed on Dr. Sha's website that he offers the services of "Karma Cleansing" for $1,000 and a Divine Protection Package for $1,200.

Has anybody noticed that most of the reviews for his books are regurgitated descriptions from the back cover or in the introduction of the book?

Has anybody noticed that out of eighty-some book reviews most are romantic reflections about the book's philosophy as if it were a novel instead of a how to get results book on self-healing?

Has anybody noticed that there are only approximately five reviewers out of eighty-some reviews that cite any reduction or elimination of specific, chronic, physical conditions?

I wrote a review called "Missing the Obvious" for another one of his books. In that review I made the honest observation that if Master Sha's soul healing methods work, and he includes specific techniques for healing the eyes, why does he wear glasses?

OK ,,TO ELABORATE ON MISTER SHA.......I WALKED OUT ON HIS LECTURE..his students were doing healings and talking/channeling...it was unbearable..
as far as the book goes if the exercises help you GREAT,,....
but he seems to be a very slick businessman....

this book was life changing for me ...creating an epiphany moment of transformation and healing ... truly a must read for every woman !!

EVERY married person, male or female, should read this book. Very well written, interesting, and knowledgable. My husband and I agree that if we would have read this book a year ago, we would not be separated and in counseling. I can't wait to read the rest of her books!

This was the first book that I read in Lerner's Dance series
and I must say, it changed my life. The book teaches you how
to break out of the familial patterns that keep you stuck in
one position: the backseat. No, you won't become an overly
angry woman but I certainly felt like that at times. Instead,
it shows you where anger comes from and how to talk to others
without screaming at them. I learned how to become more assertive.

Lerner asserts that it's dangerous for a woman not to speak
her mind, however, society says that speaking out is equivalent
to being bitter or angry or anti-male. This is NOT what Lerner
wants women to learn but instead learn how to take a more
self-assertive position in intimate relationships. If, like
me, you had a problem in the past with being real at all times
and telling others how you truly felt, then please grab this book!

Very insightful. If you can't figure out why you're not getting along with family check this out.

What an eye opener! I highly recommend it to all women. It's like seeing suddenly your blind spots - sometimes not pretty but what a relief to understand yourself better, to understand why we do what we do. I will give it to my daughter when she's adolescent. And to all young women in my family. Thank your for writing it, Mrs. Lerner!

Jeanne Boylan could be a movie star or model. She is tall, slim, and blonde. She began her artistic career by doodling in notebooks as a child. Her art career is really based on getting serial killers, mass murderers, and criminals brought to justice. Her relationship to Marc Klaas, the father of murdered victim Polly Klaas who became an activist seeking justice for the victims. The book's narrative is taken by the author's perception and experiences. The Smith case rendered the same feeling that the mother was involved in her sons's abductions and murders. Reading about how Jeanne and Marc learned about their fates were both horrifying. They still had hope that a mother would not have gone so far or over the edge of the unthinkable. We all think that the criminals can be monsters but Susan Smith was also the mother to two innocent young boys, Michael and Alexander. Nobody believed her story of an abduction in a rural road in the middle of the night. Most motives behind carjacking is the car itself. Carjackers don't want two babies in the backseat. Sadly, a carjacker would have probably returned Michael and Alexander safely somewhere but Susan's story never washed out. Her sons' bodies were in the bottom on John D. Long Lake. Of course, Boylan writes about her failed marriage, her background in Montrose, Colorado, and how she became known as the woman behind criminal portraits which led to the captures of the Unabomber or Ted Kaczynski and others.

I became interested in this author after seeing her speak about eyewitness memory on the Oprah Winfrey Show. I found the book, read it and then noticed a composite drawing in the Elizabeth Smart case that seemed to bear no likeness to the man arrested for the kidnapping. Jeanne Boylan's name was periodically associated with the case and I felt let down that she'd so badly erred in doing the less than stellar drawing. (Though now we know that the man was caught because the Smart family realized his religious name, announced it to the public and then were given real photos by the man's own family that were aired on TV which then resulted in his subsequent identification and quick arrest.)

Now, in more recent news reports, I found out that Jeanne Boylan actually interviewed the younger sister of Elizabeth about her memory of the abduction night and that the poor suspect drawing the media was showing was not from her interviews, but was from a local portrait person and was not taken from the little sister's sighting the night of the abduction but rather was taken from the family who knew the man and had spent many hours with him. Now I understood why the descrepancy.

I felt relief. I momentarily thought Jeanne Boylan had lost her skills. Now I understand the difference between her interview and the drawing that is now linked to the case but does not look like the kidnapper.

I look forward to the sequel of 'Portraits of Guilt' and to reading more about what happens to eyewitness's memories when the sightings are endured during moments of fright and fear and how that forces their vision very deep into the recesses of their mind as it did for Elizabeth's little sister.

Praise the Lord that with help and encouragement, Elizabeth's little sister finally remembered the religious name with the help of the loving Smart family, the apparently astute police and Jeanne Boylan who all had fiercely guarded the young child's evolving memory while it was gradually surfacing so that the kidnapper was finally caught. Good things come to those who wait!

I found this book on Oprah's website under "Oprah's Books" and think highly of her choices so ordered it. I'm happy I did. It was a fast moving, compelling read and gave me a view into a world I knew nothing about. I feel entertained, educated and wiser from reading it. What more could you ask... I endorse the book, author and Oprah's good taste.

I am a reseacher in the area of human memory. My university studies and thesis are in the area of crime victim recall and memory malleability. I was given Miss Boylan's book by a fellow doctoral student who said simply, "Read this. This woman gets it."

To my astonishment, this was true and to know that there is a woman struggling essentially all alone to enlighten police about the seriousness of memory malleability made me want to jump into the pages of this book and yell to the police she works with that there is scientific data backing up every word she says about this topic.

Miss Boylan unfortunately writes in too kind a fashion, seemingly concerned about offending the masses, but sometimes creating change requires the proverbial 2 X 4 to create the desired impact. Although I appreciate Miss Boylan's subtle and polite manner, my only complaint about this book and her story is that she should and could have been much more hard hitting in her critique of what has historically gone wrong in criminal investigations. With what she's experienced, she is entitled to be direct.

With the knowledge we in the academic world have now of how memory works, there is no excuse for the mistakes made in past cases to continue to take place. Jeanne Boylan should scream her message and take her lumps. I'd rather see her save lives than to worry about winning a popularity contest. She can speak from inside the world of police, whereas "us" in our ivory towers, don't have access to the real world as she does.

Boylan relied on us to give her the foundation for her work and my predecessor's findings of three decades now, but those of us doing the empirical research have to rely on people like her to deliver our findings to the point of practical application in the police world. She can be the go-between from our world to inside real life criminal investigations.

Overall, Portraits of Guilt is a great book, great 'on the mark' insights into crime victim memory and some lessons in Boylan's stories that had better be paid attention to before we lose more lives such as Polly Klaas. (Her book is dedicated to the Klaas girl's memory.)

I give this book a five star rating for it's general level of readibility and for her stunning insights into trauma victim memory malleability, but Miss Boylan, if you write a second book, and I hope you do, next time, take the gloves off and try to come out swinging.

I've read a lot of good books about healing from trauma and the effects trauma has upon memory. I've also read a lot of books about the fallibility of memory that do not correctly take into account the actual experience of the trauma. Jeanne Boylan has succeeded in writing the first book that accurately addresses both sides of the understanding of memory. She clearly illustrates the way that traumatic memory can be malleable in the presence of suggestion. It is through the insight of Jeanne Boylan's work that we can keep the innocent people out of jail and the guilty people can be handled accordingly.

She succeeds at what she does because she has both a natural ability and a deep understanding of trauma and memory. She also succeeds because she knows how to reach the heart. She works from her intuition as well as her logical understanding. Her kind and gentle nature is a true asset in the work that she does, and she could not achieve what she has achieved without it. In addition to all of this she has the added gift of being an incredible artist. Jeanne Boylan was born to do the work that she does; it is an inborn gift, which was further honed by her own personal experience of trauma and surviving a crime.

Jeanne Boylan describes traumatic memory as being like a fifty-cent piece that has been tossed below eight feet of water. The memory gets buried by the intense emotional trauma, but at the same time is locked into memory. As the emotions arise our minds protect us by blurring the image, like the movement of water. We can still see it, but it is distorted. With the right approach the memory of the trauma can be brought back to the eyewitness's conscious memory in it's original condition, just as the fifty-cent piece can be retrieved from the water fully intact.

Jeanne Boylan works with survivors to draw near perfect portraits of the criminals. Her technique is the art form. She says, "The answers to uncovering memory reside in understanding the powerful inner workings of the human mind-- and more importantly, in the power of the human heart. (p. 11)" She says "The higher the degree of personal trauma, the harder the mind works to discard or bury the image, but, also, the more likely it will have been encoded into memory in the first place, even if it is housed at a much deeper level of recall... Sometimes if we can coach the conscious mind to move aside we can still access the original untainted image--if there is reason enough for it to have been retained in memory. (p.13)" It is the release of emotions, no matter what form, that helps reach the image. She uses an interview technique, which brings the person into a safe space in order to access the memory without the emotions blocking it, and she uses carefully worded questions to prevent suggestions from distorting the original memory.

During her chapters about the devastating kidnap and murder of twelve year old Polly Klass, she provides new insight into how to recognize the veracity of an eyewitness account. She explains that when witnesses remember the trauma or the attacker differently that this is actually a sign that they are telling the truth because no two people remember an experience identically. The discrepancies help to validate and preserve the images and details of the memory for later needs (as long as suggestion has not been introduced). There is usually one stronger witness, however that witness will often have a degree of self-doubt that can be increased when she/he encounters discrepancies among the other witnesses. Jeanne Boylan was the first person on the case of Polly Klass to treat the witnesses (also twelve years old) with the validation and support that they needed.

The chapter about the abduction and torture of Sister Dianna Ortiz was the most powerful aspect of the book, for me. Anyone who has experienced a similar trauma will find a lot of healing and peace in reading this chapter. We watch Sister Dianna Ortiz work through the intense PTSD, become empowered, speak out and overcome the accusations that her experiences were a figment of her imagination. Sister Dianna Ortiz speaks of her healing, "Healing comes in many forms. I know I will always carry the memory of what happened to me on November second, 1989. For more than six and one-half years I have allowed my Guatemalan torturers and Alejandro to haunt me. Many times, I've felt like they danced within me. Many times I've felt that if I got close to anyone, I was going to contaminate them with the evilness that they left inside me. But today, I can sit here and say that that evil does not exist inside me anymore, and that is because of the work that I was able to accomplish with Jeanne Boylan. (p.282)... The images of my torturers and Alejandro have always stayed within me, and I have held myself responsible for the horrible things that happened on that November day, but today, because I was able, with the help of Jeanne Boylan, to put a face to these monsters, I can put them away from me. They no longer live in my soul. Until I faced them, I could never be free. (p283)"

In the next chapter called Awakenings Jeanne Boylan says, "Though I knew instinctively the importance of freeing a victim of the evil left from an attack, never before had I realized so clearly the emotional power that floods the soul when the residual grip of an assailant is finally loosened, and gently removed from the heart. (p. 286)"

Jeannie Boylan ends the book with the conclusion she left us wanting to hear since the Prologue. She weaves in her own experience, and powerfully does for herself what she has already done for so many others.