Cleaning Books

This book literally has hundreds of stories and ideas about moving. While some of the advice didn't apply to me, it was fun to read nonetheless. I love the first-person style and the different perspectives. Sometimes a suggestion will be juxtaposed with the exact opposite advice, giving diverse perspectives on how to solve the same problem.

The book is sorted into chapters, with special attention to topics such as moving with pets, moving with kids, and hiring professional movers. Very handy, because I'm about to do all of these things for the first time.

It's a great read if you're busy, scattered, or planning your move as a long, drawn-out process. It's very easy to pick it up, read a couple of pages, and then move on with your day. The tips in the book can also get you thinking, spark conversation with the family members who are stuck moving with you, and help you come up with your own creative solutions for moving problems.

And if everything goes wrong in your move anyway, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud disaster stories to remind you that it could, in fact, be worse.

Fairly impressed. It is a collection of anecdotes that help you avoid mistakes others have made and great ideas that could help

Did you know, an estimated 42 million American's move each year? Jamie Allen and Kazz Regelman have done an amazing job of cataloging and categorizing hundreds of ideas from hundreds of people, some who have moved as many as thirty times.

From moving kids to moving cats and gold fish, it's all included in this incredible olio of tips and suggestions topically organized for easy reference.

There are tips like, "Put all boxes into one room so you don't have to run around the house like a madman on the big day." Understated information is provided by the U-Haul Company, "Moving is one of the most stressful times in a person's life."

Horror stories abound. "My bicycle was mangled, my mattress torn, glass shattered, and wood was coming off my table in shreds. I sued the movers, but only received $ 200 from which I had to pay the lawyers' fees."

Pros and cons of using friends to help you move and hiring professionals create some questions to consider and some solutions for you in making the decision easier. Suggestions for moving day, from packing the truck, and saying good bye to friends, to unpacking at the new site and settling into your spanking new home, meet with a divergence of opinions.

Hundred's of people have shared entertaining personal stories and suggestions from their moving experiences. Sometime these experts will share conflicting advice. It will be up to you to choose the method that will work best for you.

The publishers have subtlety provided you with the best tool you will need for your next move. That is a sense of humor so that in the madness of moving day you can enjoy the camaraderie of family and friends and revel in the knowledge that there are hundreds of other movers out there to share your misery.

This is seriously an EXCELLENT book! I love the concept of soliciting stories/advice from people all across the nation because it practically guarantees you will find something (or, in my case, a LOT of somethings!) within these pages that you can relate to. The stories are funny, insightful and best of all, easy to read. Even if you're not moving, I'd recommend buying this book and reading it for future reference. Of course, if you know someone who is moving, this book would make an excellent gift!

Yes, it was fun to read about other people's experiences. But I didn't find this book helpful at all in regards to organization and planning. It's basicially just a lot of tidbits from all sorts of people.

I love this book as it describes what I am looking at...right now! If I had a webcam trained on the room this computer is in, you'd see pile after pile of computer mags, books, papers, etc. Both my mate and I are pilers. Sad to say.

Now, I am attempting to use the systems in this book on our piles of piles. We are going to see if being "differently organized" works because the other books I tried frankly failed. (I loved Clutter's Last Stand and started pitching stuff, but my mate had no use for it.) We need a system we both can agree on. So stay tuned, I will post results and see if we can get Mount Ever-Messed down to a mere molehill.

I was just about to figure out the Piler system on my own, but this book helped me overcome the inevitable inertia that confronting my "visual organizational system" has previously produced. I don't have to write the reminders on how to stay organized on my hand for ready reference either! But I must admit it would be helpful to me to have a copy of this book in every room of my house. I'd tell you more but I've got to get back to organizing-it's FUN now!

Throw away all of those other "how to get organized" books out there. I speak from experience that Karen Jogerst has written the only `how to' book for those of us wives, mothers, grandmothers, employees, and homemakers who ARE NOT Martha Stewart and who are not filers, but `pilers'.

Using her extraordinary gifts of humor, communicaton,faith, and home management skills Karen has managed to write the MUST HAVE book for all of you, like me, who have tried and tried and tried to use the other useless `filing' system(s) for home management and threw up our hands feeling hopeless. Reading the book is not only fun as she describes her frustrations; she has brilliantly come up with the one plan that absolutely works. Piles! Organized piles.

Thanks to Karen's methods, delightful sense of humor, and her application of Biblical principles, I am now totally organized throughout my home, and this has resulted in my feeling very good about myself, my accomplishments, and my sense of pride in my now well organized happy home. Karen, you are my hero!

I own many organization books and implemented their strategies only to fail miserably a few months later. Why? Because I'm a Piler - I have piles all over the house, on every flat surface imaginable. Ironically, I KNEW what was in those piles. Karen's book helped me to realize that I needed to work with my natural instinct to "pile". Her book is delightfully funny, and at the same time, uncanny because she described me perfectly (my husband says that Karen and I were "twins seperated at birth"). The book will show you the difference between a Piler (a person who battles with chronic piles) and a Filer (Martha Stewart-types), how to organize each room, how to sift through clutter without getting bogged down, how to handle paperwork, cooking, doing chores, and holidays. I had already been doing some of the things she suggested, but feeling like a failure because "it wasn't the way Emilie Barnes does it." She validated my successes. PLEASE get this book if you are the type of person who has trouble keeping up with calendars & planners, live by "out of sight, out of mind" (think of those "science projects" lurking in the back of the fridge), have piles on every flat surface in your home, have "Laundry Mountain", don't mop floors, clean toilets & tubs until you "see a ring", always late when sending cards, letters, bills, have rolls of undeveloped film, etc. My piles are now contained, and I can easily locate things when I need them. Karen gave me HOPE and appreciation for my differences, instead of feeling like a failure for not being able to "keep up" with all the lists and schedules, like my "cleanie counterparts". You will enjoy her sense of humor, too. Thanks, Karen!

although this book is quite entertaining, and she quite accurately describes pilers like myself, her approach is too 'dumbed-down'. She kept me laughing as she described situations which could have easily happened in my own home, but gave little actual information I felt I could use.

Don Aslett's Office Clutter Cure book isn't technically about office efficiency, but you will find if you follow his advice to clear the clutter from your office space, you will automatically increase your efficiency - it will inevitably happen without you even thinking much about it. You'll be able to find things easier, and for some reason, most people get more work done if their work area is cleaner. It might seem that there's no logical connection between clean work space and productivity, but it does exist (although I know many people think they work better in a messy office).

Don Aslett has a great sense of humor, and it shines through in this delightful and easy to read book. Highly recommended if you work in a cubicle or small office.

As owner of one of the U.S.'s largest cleaning firms, author Don Aslett has first hand experience with the way that mess and confusion can impede a good day's work. His book shines a light on the chaos, from overflowing wastebaskets to staggering stacks of paper, to (gasp!) the inside of the communal refrigerator. He reveals why out-of-control office clutter is not simply unsightly, but harmful to your productivity and your career. Then, he offers the cure, including ways to reduce paper accumulation, organize your workspace, weed through the junk and create your own filing system. He brings humor, enthusiasm and passion to tackling the daunting job you need to do before you can do your real job. If you want to be liberated from your office mess and experience the exhilaration of a clutter-free work life, we recommend this book - just put it on top of your stack.

This book is a humorous pictural guide to reducing office clutter. It offers many reasons for "86-ing" piles of useless clutter and suggests alternate solutions such as using a briefcase.

I don't work in an office. I work in a classroom. However, I found that much of what is said in this book applies to me.

I teach science, and have worked in 2 different schools where I inherited the previous teacher's mess. In the first one, I applied many of Aslett's principles without even realizing it. There was so much junk that I couldn't even work. I did almost no labs my first year because I couldn't find anything!

At my new school, started by organizing. Recently, I read this book and was inspired. I went through my storage area and threw out every broken piece of equipment. I also snuck out a few pieces of equipment that I knew I would never use.

It has been a wonderful feeling. I now have room to have a sort of "office" in my storage room. I can find equipment quickly, making me more likely to do labs, and I have created room for the equipment I plan to order that I will use.

I see no obvious connection, but I now get my work done a lot faster. I write a lot of my own material. Before I did my decluttering I was working until midnight or later. Now I'm going home for supper, and coming back and working only a few more hours.

His book is not so big on specifics. That is why I did not give it a fifth star. A few more specific ideas on organizing papers and the clutter I'm required to have would have helped. Overall, however, he covers the general principles of clutter removal and organization, he is inspiring, and, most important, this book is a help.

Honestly, this book made me a better teacher!

This is classic Aslett -- it will have you pitching half the papers on your desk in no time. Aslett has some good ideas on how to begin to conquer the clutter of accumulated paper, and ideas that can be used in discrete time increments. Of all the clutter / office organization books I've read, his are the only ones that actually make me eager to get to work.

Two reasons I gave this book four stars rather than five, are (1) because of Aslett's gratuitous name-dropping & boasting (when my coimpany was cleaning AT&T, when I was consulting with the top executives of IBM, when I was making one of my many TV appearances with Regis & Kahie Lee . . . ); and (2) because Aslett seems to consider himself an expert on all things rather than sticking to what he knows best. Of course, I've read most of his books, and there is some redundancy, as if they're just regurgitations of former material. If you haven't read his other books, you might not have this perception. Nonetheless, every time I read one of his books I can manage to throw out several boxes of stuff, and after reading this, my office at work no longer has any hidden stacks of papers waiting to be dealt with.

It's certainly about time we had something from Japan that goes beyond the famous "101 Useless Japanese Inventions" (funny, though). Now we have "Very useful Japanese tricks." I really like how Lisa tells us why the tricks work as well. And the vignettes for how the situations might arise are so funny!

I've had this book for several months now, and it only gets more and more useful and fun. It's improved my quality of life in so many areas -- in the margins, but it's these little things that make it so fun. The other day I spilled wine on some white clothing. No problem. I impressed my grandmother and family to no end by cleaning up their coffee and tea-stained cups and coffee-maker with orange peel and salt. My wife dropped an egg on the floor, and it was so easy to clean up the mess. In our household, "what does it say in the Urawaza book?" is now the standard first response to many situations. In the office, warmed-over coffee never tasted so good. I don't need to worry about garlic breath after lunch. And my plant is thanking Urawaza for saving its life, since it stayed home without me but didn't dry out.

I just wish I could hold more of the urawaza in my head so I'd be prepared for all sorts of contingencies on the road too. I've recommended this so many of my friends, who immediately rush to go get their own copy after I've recited some of the great tricks.

Definitely one for every household. This also makes a great gift! (I'm set for this Christmas season - I always have trouble finding something that's fun and useful)

This book is so neat. We've tried a lot of the little tricks already. Very interesting, and also gave us a laugh on a few of them :)

"Urawaza" is a word with a long history in Japan. In martial arts, it means "from the back", an unexpected or tricky move that only experts might know. In the computer gaming world it means programmers' back-doors that let players gain points, levels and advantage by doing something unexpected.

In society in general it represents frugal and clever household techniques. There's been a show on Japanese television for nine years where ordinary people share their tricks with other people. UTube is a great source of videos often taken from this show. The sound is often in Japanese, but the tricks work without sound. I've learned to perfectly fold a tee shirt in a few seconds, for example. An even more amazing video shows how to make babies stop crying by breathing on them after drinking a bit of red or white wine.

This book is an excellent introduction to the genre. The ideas work -- I tried the shallot trick for a stuffy nose and I was cleared up in a few seconds -- and the illustrations are excellent and amusing. Each of these Urawazas comes with a technical explanation of why they may work. The philosophical approach is a commentary on the loss of ingenuity in an era of specialized products, many of which don't work very well.

If you enjoy reading the cooking shortcuts in cooking magazines or the shop hints in "Popular Mechanics", you'll find this a real adventure in human ingenuity.


Robert C. Ross 2008

This book is like a fun version of Hints from Heloise...little tricks that you're surprised work, that make your every day life a little smoother. I like skimming the book, and I've gotten some good ideas from it already. Another nice thing is the explanation of why each tip works...I picked up some lite science while reading. That said, the book is a little layout heavy, with only one tip per page. If it was more packed, I think I would've given it 5 stars. Even so, it's a fun book to have around when you just wanna thumb through.

Everyone knows how to cure the hic-ups, or to get wine stains out of white clothing right? There are all sorts of little household tricks and tips handed down via word of mouth, or from a helpful friend or parent in a time of need. The Japanese term for these is "urawaza", a word with a sly feel to it meaning a little secret that only you know about, something you discovered about a product that the producers didn't intend for you to know. Its main use is with videogames, referring to cheat codes left in by programmers who never intended them to become public knowledge.

This book is full of urawaza's, little "cheat codes" for common household objects like potatoes and old sales receipts, things that would normally never be used for more than their intended purposes. For example, magically clearing up a stuffy nose by shoving the white root section of a scallion in your nostrils, or rubbing a little egg white on your glasses to prevent them from fogging. Each tip is accompanied by a short explanation of why the process works, showing the molecules and process involved that accompany the magic.

The strange thing is, the tips actually work. I haven't tried all of them, but the ones I have given a shot work just as advertised. You might feel a bit strange at first rubbing a cut potato across your bathroom mirrors to make them fog-free, but you can't argue with the results. Want to know how to keep your bathwater from going cold using only orange peels, or how to make your dull hair glossy? "Urawaza" has what you need.

The only disappointment with this book is the lack of any real Japanese connection, aside from the title. There are a few little asides at the start of each chapter talking about the author's personal history or a few cultural notes, but that is about it. There was a good opportunity to include some Japanese vocabulary for each entry, just a few words here and there relating to the subject, and make this a language-learner along with its helpful and fun tips. Unfortunately they didn't go that route, but if you aren't studying Japanese and just want a cool and useful little book, then that isn't really an issue.

This is another winner from the author of, Where's Mom Now That I Need Her?

This time, we're being given some advice on the arts of dealing with contracts, budgeting, fixing leaky faucets, tying a tie, asking for a raise, or wrapping a gift.

Outrageously useful, this book belongs on your bookshelf, if you can find a space... Now, if your shelves are too crowded, there is also some wonderful information on how to throw a yardsale! Either way, you need this book!

This book is something my daughter loves. Her Dad taught her many things. Since she lives in CA & we moved to WI, she misses having Dad there to help her out. Now she can figure it out on her own. She still calls Dad for directions!!!!!

I recently gave this book to my grandson who is living away from home for the first time and will be a college freshman. Inside the pages of this book I found solid practical advice. I particularly liked that the book showed how to buy a car. My grandson benefited greatly from the buying a used car section.
Oh, and the recipes aren't bad either. Kudos to Kent P. Frandsen.

In addition to this book I also gave my grandon:
College 101 : The Book Your College Does Not Want You To Read (ISBN: 0966412206 )

The two books together made an excellet graduation gift. Again, I cannot say enough good words about Kent P. Frandsen's book. Bravo!

This book picks up where, "On Your Own For The First Time" leaves off. These two books paired together and your child is set! On Your Own gives advice for resume writing, insurance, credit, room-mates, interviewing, shopping for cars, leases, legal matters, personal investing, etc. These two books together make the perfect graduation gift or even for the newlyweds....

FYI - 145 pages of this book are dedicated to recipes. And in a book that's only 311 pages, 145 pages is nearly half the content. If you can't cook, the recipes are practical, easy to make, tasty dishes. If you can cook (that's me), the rest of the book will still provide you with an interesting and concise (sometimes too much so) read covering banking, security, home repairs, loans, contracts, buying a car, and travel tips.

So far so good. I had to have this book for my required English class, but it's an easy read.

"Writing Research Papers: A complete Guide" is essential to those who write these papers often. The first 130 pages serve as a basic review of Information and rot Data collection mixed with organizational schemes, parallelism and whatnot. The last 250 pages discuss in detail Modern language Association (MLA) format and American Psychological Association (APA) format research papers. I personally recommend that you buy the tabbed book, while it is more expensive; it provides easy access to the very difficult APA Reference page material and data. In all honesty, the only real importance to this book is the APA materials, as MLA is intrinsically easy, and most people who pick up this book have already dealt with the basic material, which is at the front of the book. This book offers some use to the more experienced research paper writers, and exponentially more to those with less experience.

I have used Lester's works in an accelerated High School Class on Research and Writing. With very few exceptions, this book will prepare the High School Senior for Writing College Papers. It especially hones in on the MLA and APA methods of formatting papers and gives a brief description for each of the following: Chicago Turabian, Numbers and CBE forms for writing. This is a MUST book for highly motivated seniors who have a firm direction.

This was required as my text book for my English 102 class at Mesa Community College in Mesa, Arizona, so even if I didn't like the book I would have had to buy it.

As it stands, the book gives a wealth of information needed on the two primary writing styles, MLA and APA. While the book gives ample time to each of them most English teachers, unless they have something physically wrong with them, like to use MLA style which is easier for students to write in.

The book is spiral bound which makes using it easier because you can open it to a page and there is no nasty crease, and you can fold it back when your turn the page to keep it small on your desk, especially if you have alot of notes.

The only thing to be said is that, since it is primarily used as a college text book, it falls apart faster than a Ford Truck. Pages will rip out during use and the pages themselves are very thin and prone to ripping.

You more than likely don't have any choice on this book as it will be required for class, just take good car of it and it should work out good enough to get some money back when you trade it to the bookstore.

--Erich Becker liked English 102, and 101...

I've written both MLA and APA research papers, and now I teach research writing. THIS IS THE ONE. I use a textbook (usually focusing on Argument/Rhetoric) and Lester's as the reference. It provides a wealth of solid advice, examples, outlines, guides, visuals and Web site addresses. Even though this as an English course, practically none of my students are English majors... so why teach MLA only when they'll have to use APA (social sciences) or CBE (science majors) in the not too distant future? This book addresses that and includes CMS (Humanities, Fine Arts). The appendix is EXCELLENT with the locations of sources for multiple disciplines ranging from Anthropology to Women's Studies.

If your not an English major (and most aren't) and you want to learn research writing from source material to presentation style, this is the reference book.

I am still reading this book but it has given me some great ideas to do around my house. We have a busy household and can be overwhelming at times to get things accomplished. It is great to read ideas from other people to get you back on track or help you focus. This is a great book to do that.

First off, I'm an unusual reader for this book.

1) I'm 22.
2) I'm male.

But, since I'm going to be moving out on my own in a couple months, and I found this book at a discount, I figured "Eh, why not?" I want to have an organized home, and since I'm not yet married, I figured I'd have Emilie Barnes, housewife extraordinaire, give me some advice.

At that, she did okay. First, since I'm going to be living in an apartment by myself, much of the book was pointless, so I skipped several of the chapters ("Raising Children", "The Garden", "The Garage"). But, what was left was pretty good advice. Simple things to make your life and more easier and more organized. Is most of it common sense? Sure. But, it's common sense that we don't necessarily think about without someone else pointing it out.

My major disappointments in this book were two-fold. First, it's terribly organized. One would think that a book about organization would be... well, organized. Instead, you get a more or less disorganized list of tips separated into topical chapters (which aren't always particularly accurate). Second, it can be kind of cheesy for me. Under "Beauty" (a chapter I browsed rather than read), she suggests to "teach a child to ride a bike". What that has to do with beauty, I'm not entirely sure, though it is a nice thing to do.

So, to wrap up, if you want a book with a step-by-step method for organizing your home and your life, look somewhere else. Emilie believes that whatever specific system you use has to work for you, so she doesn't bother offering one. If you want a book with some random good ideas that you could probably think of yourself if you had more time, then this is the book for you. Personally, I don't regret buying it. I think it will get me started on the right foot as I move into my apartment. (It's already encouraged me to clean up my room here at home! I haven't done that this thoroughly for 7 years!)

This book will encourage you to organize your life, and give you some tips to get started. But, Emilie certainly won't hold your hand all the way!

This book is filled with so many 'gee wiz' ideas for cleaning and organization. Just everyday tips and tricks you don't normally think to do. There are some tips on using certain items for cleaning that I did not know about at all. There were so many that as I read sections of the book, I would hightlight all that applied (which was a lot) then I would go back and read through those again to remember them all. I have made suggestions to friends and family. It always seemed that I never had enough hours in the day. Clutter had become a way of life. This book shows how to organize yourself, how to clean, and how to stay on track with it. Even if you are organized the tips on cleaning are very helpful. Would recommend this book to anyone! I read it just in time for Spring Cleaning :)

This book will NOT teach you how to organize your home. What it does is offer you (in random order despite the clearly identified chapter titles) a host of tips on things like how to clean up messes and how to choose the "right" checkout lane at the supermarket. That got a whole page (in the chapter on finances)! There are 18 chapters including Cleaning, The Garage, The Automobile (has a section on what to do if your car won't start), Finances (includes the tip--when shopping classified ads use a colored marker to circle ads you're interested in, so you don't have to wade through the paper to find them again later), and even Raising Children and Good Health. The real problem with this book is it's scope is far too broad. Mrs. Barnes tried to give us practical help for every area of our lives. The trouble is, the book title says it's about Home Organizing. Why does it cover how to buy a car (or sell yours)? Most of the book's 300+ pages are devoted to tips for making chores easier and faster. That is NOT organization. If you want a good book for helping you set up your house to deal with clutter and hectic schedules, look elsewhere. If you get a kick out of the kinds of homey tips (how to mend a crack in a china cup with milk) found in ladies' magazines (and have LOTS of time to browse) you may have a winner here. I'm giving the book two stars because it contains SOME useful information. The thing to do though, is to use a highlighter to mark a tip you like so you won't have to wade through the whole book to find it again later!

As a creative woman who has too much stuff to maintain well. I turn to Emilies Barnes' books over and over for motivation and encouragement to stay the course and make my home the most pleasant place to live, study in, to be hospitable and be able to find things that somehow have disappeared when I need them. She has her priorities straight and has determined that all homes no matter what the size can be organized and she gives easy to follow intructions. The only thing better than having her books handy is her videos *smile* or maybe her living right next door. You'll really learn lots. and then get a copy for the next bride who could use the tips.

Ben Cheever's comic genius rises once again. FAMOUS AFTER DEATH is brilliantly funny. This novel is a wonderful combination of innovative prose, engaging characters, and unrestrained wit. I love it. -- Edward J. Renehan, Jr.

Noel Hammersmith is as dull as a serial killer as he is in his "normal" life as a book editor. The entire book reads like the introduction to a book that should have been longer and better. The "twist" ending would have been better served as the beginning of a truly biting and devastating satirical novel. Fans of dark humor are better off sticking with masters like Evelyn Waugh.

Ben Cheever (and how many has he heaved?) must be a funny, funny man. I imagine him cocking his head like a bird listening for a worm as he encounters the silliness of this world. Famous After Death seems to have been written by a man fascinated by the mores of this country, day and time, but not too reverently. His hero, named Noah and called "No-man" is the perfect observer: largely disengaged from life, he finds it chases him. The book is a romp.

Combines the blackest of black humor with the Mittyesque quality of Thurber, all decked out in an S. J. Perelman suit. One will never read better.

The topic of the shameful things people do for publicity is dealt with in a light,very funny,page turning way but you keep thinking about the topic long after you put down the book. The twist ending was a wonderful and complete surprise.

I just loved this book. I loved the relationship between Camilla and Philip. The plot twists kept me very interested. If you like true love stories where the man is aloof and and seemingly disinterested (as in Pretty Woman) and the woman goes from rags to riches (and so does with tremendous style) this book is for you. I thought it was great.

After thoroughly enjoying ROUGH WRANGLER, TENDER KISSES, I grabbed every Jill Gregory book that I could get my hands on. Three unimpressive books later, I'm beginning to think that the first enjoyable book was nothing more than a fluke.

I really tried to get into this book, but it just couldn't capture me. None of the characters was very compelling, and even the situation they were in didn't do much to spark my interest. I can't exactly put my finger on what the problem was, but it just didn't work.

This author usually writes western romances. This is the first Regency of hers. And it shows. Rather than writing it in her own style, I felt like the author was trying to "spoof" the Regency style. She kept jerking the focus of the book around. For example: the point-of-view switches from a servant upstairs to the hero in the library without even a pause or break to let the reader get oriented. One sentence the reader is upstairs in the servant's head, then next sentence, she'd downstairs in the hero's head. How annoying and distracting.

I guess I'm in the minority, but for good Regency romance, I'll stick with Jacquie D'Alessandro and Teresa Medeiros.

This is the very first "Jill Gregory" book that I have ever read. I basically picked it up to read while vacationing on a remote island.

To me, Jill's characters really leaped out of the book's pages and came to life...with vivid thoughts, hopes, dreams, love, pain, revenge and even tears. Forever After truly seized my emotions with its triumphs, tragedies and twisted plots.

I look forward to reading more of Jill's books.

I've read alot of stories but I was never convinced that the characters fell in love as much as in this one.To make myself clearer,I found that the characters actually fell in love not just because of a kiss or because the heroine was pretty and the hero couldnt keep his hands off her..She helped him open up and made him softer and more cheerful..So,It wasnt physical it was emotional..And i find that this emotional element is missing in alot of stories these days or mishandled.Many writers these days mix up love with lust..and there's a large difference of course.

Also,all the secondary characters are well created and described..This book is one of the best i've read.I couldnt leave it, i actually finished it in 2 or 3 days because i couldnt do anything except read it..When i finished it i read the last chapter over avd over again..The story is really worth reading.So go pick it up already ;)

Being a fan of Jill Gregory's Westerns, I was not sure about a Regency story. WOW, can she tell an awesome Regency love story. Even with the element that makes me usually roll my eyes...the poor maid/serving girl who finds out at the end of the book, she was actually the daughter of a duke, which is perfect since the man she loves is a member of the ton... Gregory's use of this element is only a small piece of the puzzle. The plot itself had me questioning the outcome. (I knew the hero and heroine would get together.) Camille and Philip were two characters I found myself liking equally. I hate the stories where the man treats the woman like ... and she lets him with little resistance. Phillip and his family treat Camille with respect even though she is a "mere serving girl". I appreciated their kindness. There was also a lot of humor in the book. I love a book I can cry and laugh with. The secondary characters were a large part of the story and were delightful (or horrible, depending on their role :) ) Forever After is one of the books I will remember forever after. Pick it up and read it...you won't regret it!

I always thought I was the one in the family who was *not* in denial - the one who called things as they saw them, but this book showed me that I too, had been in denial.

I'd hit parts of this book that were so upsetting or so revealing that I had to set the book aside for a time and think deeply about what I'd read.

And it relieved me of tons of guilt and shame I'd carried for years. Quite frankly, this book was an answer to prayer, but it took some wading through the mire and muck to get to the fresh, pure waters.

After reading one chapter and doing an exercise, I recalled a painful incident when a family friend harmed me and I told my father about it and he didn't even want to hear about it. My father accused me of being a liar.

Subsequently, I made some poor choices in life and I'd always kind of wondered how I'd wandered down that bad path. Stoop's book helped me connect some of the random looking dots and see what happened, why it happened, and why it is okay to forgive myself and forgive the others who let me down.

First and foremost, this is a book about healing. The very last chapter though, is rich. It's a section you'll want to read again and again.

I bought this book after reading another by David Stoop and thought this would be helpful with guiding me through forgiveness from a Christian perspective. It was better than I imagined. The first half is back ground information on identifying yourself as an adult child of a dysfunctional family. The second half if the hands-on steps to forgiveness including a clear understanding of the true goal of forgiveness - your own peace of mind. I felt the most helpful thing for readers to know is Dr. Stoop's position on NOT forgetting. Many people have a big road block to forgiving because they don't want to let anyone "get away" with what they've done or they don't want to forget. He explains that forgiveness leading to your own peace of mind is possible without "giving in," without forgetting and without reconciling. I would imagine that non-Christian readers would have difficulty agreeing with much of his Christian based views. Overall, extremely sympathetic and helpful in releasing your demons and getting on with your own happiness.

I always thought I was the one in the family who was *not* in denial - the one who called things as they saw them, but this book showed me that I too, had been in denial.

I'd hit parts of this book that were so upsetting or so revealing that I had to set the book aside for a time and think deeply about what I'd read.

And it relieved me of tons of guilt and shame I'd carried for years. Quite frankly, this book was an answer to prayer, but it took some wading through the mire and muck to get to the fresh, pure waters.

After reading one chapter and doing an exercise, I recalled a painful incident when a family friend harmed me and I told my father about it and he didn't even want to hear about it. My father accused me of being a liar.

Subsequently, I made some poor choices in life and I'd always kind of wondered how I'd wandered down that bad path. Stoop's book helped me connect some of the random looking dots and see what happened, why it happened, and why it is okay to forgive myself and forgive the others who let me down.

First and foremost, this is a book about healing. The very last chapter though, is rich. It's a section you'll want to read again and again.

Dr. David Stoop speaks in terms that may resonate with engineering-types.

He describes families in a systems approach using language such as "homeostasis", "action-reaction", and "non-linear systems".

As an example, we cannot react to a family problem/dysfunction in an "action-reaction" or "linear" manner. We must realize that each member plays a distinct role, essential for maintaining the homeostasis (i.e., thermostat) of the family system. Thus, each role must be examined prior to formulating a conclusion about the problem. He and James Masteller contribute many examples that support this hypothesis.

This book is essential if you are dealing with any type of emotional malady--depression, anxiety, anger, bitterness, stress, etc. Chances are likely that these maladies have found root through a family dysfunction that may have occurred years ago!

The workbook found in the book's epilogue is practical if one is *serious* about dealing with a dysfunction.

I thought this book just tread the same path as John Bradshaw (whom he quotes) with a few biblical examples thrown in. I didn't find anything in this book that I hadn't seen before.