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Family Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Family
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II
Published in Paperback by Health Communications, Inc. (1998-10-01)
Authors: Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Kimberly Kirberger
List price: $14.95
New price: $0.24
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $14.95

Average review score:

Why I love Chicken Soup!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-15
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul Volume 2 is an inspirational and enlightening book. Being a teenager myself I can relate to a lot of the stories told in this bestseller. The first time I read this book I was younger and didn't understand what the authors in the book were saying, but when I revisited it this year I actually understood it and connected more to the stories. This book has inspired me to write about my personal experiences and really look back at the good, bad, or in between as a way to learn from my mistakes. Instead of breaking down I decided to write. This book has taught me and helped me through some rough times. This book is great and I recommend it to anyone. Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul is not just for teenagers, I have even read some stories with my friends and family. This book has been a real joy and inspiration on all aspects of my life. Thanks Chicken Soul and I hope all readers out there will get a chance to read this delightful, motivating, and wonderful book.

Chicken Soup For the Teenage Soul
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-22
This is a great book for every teenager. Every teen goes througha tough time at least once in their life and this book can really help. It has stories on things from teenage romance to suicide. This is a great book for everyone from teenagers to adults.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul 2 is great
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-22
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul 2 is a great book for teens because it is something we can relate to. It is filled with short anecdotes written by teenagers or once-teenagers about their adolescent experiences. It is inspirational and teaches us about who we are, about people, and about life in general. I recommend this book for all teenagers.

Chicken Soup
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-21
I think that this book was a very good and fun book to read. Anyone who enjoys hearing about different teens telling their own stories would greatly enjoy this book. While I was reading it, there were times when i felt like laughing and other times when I felt like crying too. The things that teenagers go through are so hard and alot of adults do not understand this, that is why this book is so helpful. It is a very good book to read and I would recommend it to anyone, espically teens.

An inspirational book
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-14
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul ll is a great book written by teenagers and some adults about life. It teaches us about life and how to deal with it. It shows us that no matter where you came form, what you look like, or how you act, almost all teenagers are the same. This book is an inspiration to everyone.
This book influences me because it inspires me to become a better person. Before I read this book I thought, "Oh this book is just some boo full of made-up stories", but as I continued to read into it more, I thought" Wow this is a really great book". This book tells you that all teens go through the same stuff. It shows you that your not alone, and with faith and courage you can overcome most obstacles. This book is filled amazing stories of love depression, and hope. I encourage everyone to read this book.

Family
Little House 9 Book Box Set (Little House)
Published in Paperback by HarperTrophy (2007-10-01)
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
List price: $59.99
Used price: $162.84
Collectible price: $175.00

Average review score:

Little House boxed set
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-24

Very nice set--I purchased it for a gift and am very pleased with it :)

Josh's review
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-20
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a whole series of books about a girl named Laura Ingalls Wilder. The books talk about some of the hardships Laura and her family faced. These books also tell about every thing that happened in her life from Wisconsin all the way to Kansas. The story of her life starts as a young girl and talks about her getting married as a young lady. The books tell how she changed and some of the places she went and even some of the people she met.
I like these books because the way these books were written because they were written so you fell like you are actually there. I also like these books because they tell what people had to go through in the 1800's. I read all these books and I liked them. If you read them you will like them too.

A Magical Wonderland
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 19 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-03
"They're an inspirational source of literature that celebrates the turn of the century, the struggle of the American family and the bonds that held them together."

These books are straight garbage, a friend got them for me and they stink...I could totally pWn Pa Ingall's IRL.

Little House 9 Book Box Set
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-27
Fantastic set. My daughter was very excited to receive the set and continue her reading journey. The quality of the set was very good and will last a long time.

Fun Books
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-30
I purchased these books for my eight year old daughter. We read all of them already. She loved them, and so did I. I was a little disappointed that there were no pictures at all. In the older version, there were some very beautiful pictures that helped bring understanding to some of the concepts of being a pioneer. Overall, this was a great purchase.

Family
Tom Patire's Personal Protection Handbook: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Keep Yourself, Your Family, and Your Assets Safe
Published in Paperback by Three Rivers Press (2003-09-23)
Author: Tom Patire
List price: $19.95
New price: $5.87
Used price: $2.39
Collectible price: $25.00

Average review score:

Great Overall Protection Manual
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-08
This is a very comprehensive book on personal protection. It is far broader than a street self defense manual. It covers all kinds of self defense and safety issues.

It is very broad in its scope. Here are a few of the areas it addresses: street self defense, fire safety, mobs, traveling in strange cities, online shopping, and much more. As you can see, it is far reaching.

Prior to reading this, I never would have guessed that an author could cover such a broad range so well in such a relatively small book.

I would recommend this book for anyone who would like to improve his/her overall personal and family safety. There are numerous tips for parents of small children that are excellent.

You really can't go wrong with this book. It will stimulate lots of thought for most readers.

very solid guide to personal protection
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-31
I highly recommend this book on all levels. As a martial artist who has done many martial arts, I have to say, this information really rings true. For example, he states, the goal of self-defense should be to "stun and run" - which almost anyone who knows the field will tell you. For example, where I train, we "stay and commit", but most of us are pretty highly trained. I have also done some of the "military martial arts" that Tom describes, and to be honest, in a "bad" situtation that I can't talk my way out of, i count on it to save my life, and I have been trained to "fight through the adrenaline dump" by the Israelis I trained with. But I also realize, most people don't have time to do that kind of training. So Tom's program is really useable for people who don't want to become experts in the martial arts. His book is full of lots of information that can literally save your life (for instance, have a map before you visit a new city, etc.). The book is full of anecdotes of personal protection. I particularly liked his advice on using your eyes to scan a room, and how to confront a "bad guy" who is sizing you up (you basically stare through him to let him know you are not afraid). A lot of his advice comes down to projecting confidence and not being a "victim", becuase universally, bad guys go after people whose body language, eyes, and positure suggest that they are not willing to defend themselves. So this is an excellent book on personal protection that I would highly recommend to anyone, from the beginning to the true pro.

Seems like a rehash
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-30
I read lots of books like this, and I found absolutely nothing new in here. In fact, it looked a bit familiar. With the checklists, the boxed tips, the statistics and the vignettes, it looked an awful lot to me like Be Alert, Be Aware, Have A Plan: The Complete Guide to Protecting Yourself, Your Home, Your Family, by Neal Rawls. Really, it looks like Patire got his whole idea on how to present his material from the Be Alert book (which, by the way, was a much much better book). I say don't bother.

Great For Mom's!
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-19
We hired Tom Patire to speak at our annual PTA event here in Chicago. I was on the committee that sought him out after I read his book and saw him on Fox. The book is an updated look into safety and has some similarities of other books in this catergory but it is written in much different, more people friendly format.

Tom takes the approach of easing the reader into different safety issues by relating them to factual events in his life. Because of that the book reads life a story of safety and not like a book of boring statistics. I loved the Tom's Tips but really was intrigued to his child safety training since I am a single mother of two young girls.

What really hit home was how Tom talks about 'seeing from their eyes' and their being the children of the world. The book can be used in different ways. For example it can be used as a guide to safety issues like when you travel or safety at home. It can also be used as a call to urgency because safety is usually not a subject that we like to think about or address.

It gets even better should you attend Tom's talk. Tom is a big, in-shape, charismatic guy that has a empowering way of getting you involved in his lecture which he calls 'Safer Life!' From his opening statement to his closing remarks Tom's becomes the big brother that we all wish we had and presents safety with out installing fear.

I gave his book 5 stars as I did Gavin DeBecker's book. But Patire's talk is the missing piece to the safety puzzle. It's one I would recommend for all people, especially single mom's to attend.

Have A Blessed Day!

Kim K.

Information To Teh Safer Side
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-21
A family from my town in Wisconsin recently appeared on the Montel Show. Watching the show one had to feel for the terrible ordeal that the family went through during their violent home invasion. At the end of the show Montel brought out a security expert named Tom Patire. Mr. Patire's comments were for everyday people and his tone and way of speaking showed his compasion for human life and left me feeling empowered. This led me to buy his book. The book is beter than good - it is excellent. It's for all ages from teens to seniors and is filled with unlimted, priceless information on how to keep you and the people you love, safe. Montel open my eyes to what can happen and Tom Patire gave me the information on how not to let it happen or what to do if.

Montel - Great Show!
Tom Patire - Great Book!!

Family
How to Survive the Loss of a Love
Published in Hardcover by Prelude Press (1991-11)
Authors: Peter McWilliams and Harold H. Bloomfield
List price: $19.95
New price: $2.00
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $19.95

Average review score:

it was okey
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-26
in this book you won't find any hard core advice on how to deal with the loss of love and it does not offer anything you haven't heard before or you haven't read on the internet or from a magazine. the advices are good, but they are very light and nothing new. it's easy to read and it's short. i finished reading the entire book in less than 3 hrs. the poems were very nice though but over all this book did not really help me.

EVERYONE NEEDS THIS BOOK!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-08
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ!! ITS SO POWERFUL FOR YOUR HEART, BODY, AND SOUL!!

One of the best Self-Help books ever!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-05
This is one of the best Self-Help books ever written! Even though it is a little corny and uses bad poems, I use it every time I have had a major loss and it has served me well. It defines loss and the stages of grief, and helps you work your way through them.

First Aid!!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-26
If you experience an end to a relationship....the loss --- it leaves one vulnerable, raw....and this book, written by 3 authors: doctor, poet, counseler....will give instant First Aid!! Amazing! Such a Blessing!! And it is such a small paperback! You just may find yourself carrying it around with you! Jotting down sentences on post-it notes and leaving them around the house to uplift you... Interspersed with poems that are short and very much to the point...you will find they often speak as if directly from YOUR heart!
Quite amazing book which helped me many years ago! Since then I have always made a point to keep a copy on hand in case someone experiences such loss and is in need of comfort and good help! I give them my copy! They may find they do the same whenever they run into someone with similiar sorrow!!

May you never need this book...but if you do....may you be pleasantly surprised to find such deep satisfaction from the Comfort and Hope it brings!

A wonderful book for people when they are hurting
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-03
I am a divorce attorney. I order ten copies of this book at a time and give copies out to people who are hurting. You can read this book in one night, and I recommend that you read this book over again during the next days as needed.

When my own girlfriend/partner had a sudden stroke, I was devastated. One of my divorce clients who I had given this book to, told me, Gary, there is this book.... I read this book again that night, and found it to be quite helpful as I supported my Marilee with her stroke and then a painful death from cancer that was discovered.

This is an excellent book for anyone who is experiencing a loss, be it due to divorce or separation, or any other loss, such as a sudden illness of a loved one, or even the loss of your own employment, etc. Also, people who initiate a divorce are also suffering from a loss, albeit a less sudden loss. They are faced with the loss of the dream that they had when they committed to their partner.

This book walks through many of the steps involved with loss, and the three mega-stages of surviving, healing and growing.

But this book! Dollar for dollar, it will be one of the very best investments you will ever make. When you are next hurting due to an unexpected loss, read this book that day, and the next day or days as you need to. And buy a second copy of this book to give to friends who are devastated by loss.

Family
Mrs. Mike: The Story Of Katherine Mary Flannigan
Published in Paperback by Berkley (1987-01-15)
Authors: Benedict Freedman and Nancy Freedman
List price: $5.99
New price: $1.81
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $10.00

Average review score:

One of my all time favorites
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-08
I read this book the first time when I was in Jr. high school. I know I have reread it at least ten times. I have 2 copies one falling apart and one to lend to friends. As you can surely see I love this book.

Wish I discovered this book earlier
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-08
Yes! I have read a few books that I wanted to read again. However, "Mrs. Mike" by Benedict and Nancy Freedman found me wanting to re-read chapters the first time through.
This treasure will be stored in a special place to be read again and again when I want to go back in time, feel feelings and thank God for talented authors.
I wish I had found it as a teenager, or a young mother. Guess this retiree should just be grateful that I was given this warm gift in my latter years.

With Very Realistic Characters
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-10
At the turn of the century, life was much harder than it is today, partially because of the amount of untamed wilderness in this country. We often attribute a difficult life with sorrow and desperation, but this story portrays life in the north as a rewarding and happy one. It is based on the real-life experiences of Kathy Flannigan, a woman who met the authors and shared her story.

Mrs. Mike begins when Kathy is travelling to meet her uncle who lives in the north in a city. She suffers from pleursey and the doctor has recommended she leave the booming city of Boston to a colder climate. There, she meets a mountee from the wilderness of the north, and promptly falls in love. He warns her of their impending life together, but she embraces it with timid but open arms and she matures quickly in the vast expanse.

The depiction of the relationship between Kathy and Mike is beautiful to say the least. Both people seem so real and their love for each other is vivid and true. Other characters are highly memorable. Oh-Be-Joyful and Jonathan, Sarah, Constance, Baldy Red, Captain, Timmy, etc. all play their parts in this lively story. It reads like a series of events without the typical introduction, rising action, climax, and falling action, but this makes it seem more real. The language is easy to understand and there is plenty of dialogue.

This book was made into a movie starring Dick Powell and Evelyn Keyes. It is a good adaptation, but due to time restraints, it cuts out many characters and events and alters a few as well. I recommend seeing the movie first and then reading the book to avoid disappointment.

an old friend returns
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-18
Mrs Mike is an old friend. I first read and enjoyed this book more than 35 years ago. This story chronicals the life of mountie Sgt Mike and Mrs. Mike. It honestly chronicals these lives and shows that it is in the sharing of the small things that make life joyful. I'm so happy to be able to now be able to now share this book with my neice

A classic
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-15
I just got this book again since I lost/loaned my first copy. Although some have critisized the writing style, and the facts, I really enjoyed this book. I think it's one to keep on your shelf and pull out from time to time to reread.

Family
Mandy
Published in School & Library Binding by Tandem Library (1999-10)
Author: Julie Edwards
List price: $14.55
Used price: $58.00
Collectible price: $58.00

Average review score:

A young girls secret cottage
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-05
I think this book was read to me in school many many years ago. I remembered it as an adult and purchased it for sentimental reasons. I think it reminded me of The Secret Garden in a way. The seashell cottage was the perfect hideaway that every little girl could dream of making her own. I loved the story of Mandy and found myself wistfully wishing that I had a place like that as a child. What a wonderful story that Julie Andrews has created. I will cherish it always and keep it to pass down to the young girls in my family.

My favorite book as a child!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-30
I read and reread this book about 5 or so times as a child. I simply loved the adventure of it all about the protagonist discovering a home away from home that she could call her very own. This is a fascinating tale for children who love to live in their adventurous daydreams and who love secret hiding places of their own where they can just "be". Although this is a book I would reccomend to children, I wouldn't reccomend it to adults as the plot and drama is very minimal. Adults would be bored of this whereas most children, especially little girls, would be fascinated by the simplicity and beauty described within its pages.

Mandy is obviously the protagonist of this story. She is an orphaned child living in an orphanage with other children of the state. She has a friend that she bonds with over time and gets along farily well with eveyone else, as well as the staff, until the day that mandy climbs over the wall of the orpganage and discovers an abandon cottage! She decides from that moment thatthe cottage is hers and her secret hideaway. She begins to do things that are uncharacteristic of her such as lying about where she has been, stealing from the orphanage supplies to take and supply her new home with, and is suddenly secretive with everyone, even her best friend. Read on to find out about Mandy and what she goes through as a child trying to make a cottage into a home and keep her secret place just that... secret.

Mandy
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-25
Although this book is aimed to appeal to girls approximately between the ages of 7-13, I was in college when Mandy was first released. Being a hugh fan of Julie Andrews, I of course bought the book and was amazed that I could not put it down! To me, a great book has the ability to transport the reader from their day-to-day life into another time and place. I was mesmerized by this charming story from beginning to end as I am sure every child who reads it will be. Mandy is not only a sweet, likeable orphan, but she is very positive role model for children, showing that if you try hard enough, you can make your dreams come true. I admire Mandy's spirit and courage to go after her dream of someday having a real family.
I had read that because Julie Andrews lost a bet to her teenage step-daughter Jenny, that her forfeit was to write her a story, which turned into this wonderful book! Lucky for us readers, the result of that bet gave us our first glimpse at yet another one of Julie Andrews' many talents.
It's been 30 years now since I first read Mandy and I still have my original version of this book in a prominant place on my bookshelf, along with a hardback copy of Mandy and each updated version that has been printed. All the young girls in my family have read this classic book and loved it as much as I do. I only hope someday a movie version of this beautiful story is produced.

A classic!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-23
I purchased this book with my own money when it first came out thirty-six years ago. I was eight years old. I still have it on my bookshelf and shared it with my own children. This is truly a classic and I hope that someday it will be adapted for the screen!

Much better than "The Secret Garden"
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-28
This book reminds me a lot of "The Secret Garden" without being quite as preachy and overly descriptive. My two daughters absolutely love this book and consider it one of their favorites.

Family
Tear Soup
Published in Hardcover by Grief Watch (2005-06-01)
Authors: Pat Schweibert, Chuck DeKlyen, Pat Schwiebert, Chuck DeKlyen, Taylor Bills, and Pat Schwiebert
List price: $19.95
New price: $12.51
Used price: $9.95
Collectible price: $19.95

Average review score:

Book about Grieving
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-29
This book is a nice way to let someone , who has suffered a loss of any kind, know that you understand how sad and difficult this situation is for them.Cards are good,but I have sent this book to people of all ages with a short handwritten note as an offering of condolence. It's format may seem juvenile,but its message is clear. Also because it is simply written, it is not a book that takes deep concentration, nor is it "preachy".These factors are helpful when the one grieving is overwhelmed with emotion.Certainly it is a book to help young people, but ANY age can benefit from it's messages. In my message to the recipient, I mention the books format and that it's messages are clear.Everyone I have sent it to has truly appreciated it.

Absolutely beautiful!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-21
I found this book while trying to find a book to explain the loss of my father to my 3 children. After stumbling across it in the bookstore, I believe I found a gem. It really told a beautiful, very touching story about Grandy who is suffering a loss. It really shows the different stages of grief one goes through and it really hits home. I had my kids and sister read it, and then I gave it to my mother. I highly recommend this book to those who are grieving. I think, I too, will be handing this out to those who are suffering a loss.

Good for adults and older kids
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-27
My mother is very ill - we're not sure if she'll survive. Since she's such an integral part of my young kids lives, I've been trying to talk more about death and dying. This was one of the books I purchased to generate a discussion. My daughter liked it but wondered why the lady was so sad. She seemed to focus on this and had trouble getting past this unknown. She's five years old.

I liked the book well enough to purchase it for a friend who lost a son just over a year ago.

Tear Soup
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-21
All three items were in beautiful condition. The story is absolutely fabulous - especially if you are grieving about anything.

inspiration
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-23
I purchased this book for my Daughter and son in law who lost their infant child. It was a great comfort for them

Family
A Grief Observed
Published in Hardcover by HarperOne (1989-03-29)
Author: C. S. Lewis
List price: $16.95
New price: $8.28
Used price: $0.88

Average review score:

Best book for grief
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-31
This book obviously already has plenty of praising views, but I read this book and found it so great that I can't live with myself if I don't write a review. Coming from a kid who grieved a traumatic death, this book *IS* the book to buy if you're grieving, want to understand death, or want to find a book to help out a confused friend (no matter what age) who's grieving. It's worth the price.

Deep
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-05
I am new to the genius of CS Lewis. I read the Narnia series as a kid, but have not read books for years, until recently. This book was deep, and full of the genius Lewis is known for. He expresses the pain of losing his wife, and the questions that those who mourn often work through, but are too guilty to express publically. The work is awesome, and may help some who are going through similar feelings of greif. Skip the aknowlegement at the beginning by Madeline Engle, I am not familiar with her writing, but have heard the name. I am surprised she was chosen to write the aknowlegement, but it is an amusing contrast to Lewis' intellect and spiritual understanding. The aknowlegement exudes an attitude of confidence in spiritual issues, yet reveals a cluelessness and spiritual blindess found largely in todays new age books. It does not belong in a CS Lewis book.

A Book of Great Beauty and Intelligence
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-23
Although Lewis was, of course, a renowned and devout Christian, this book will speak to anyone who's lost someone with whom they shared real love. All of the questions, angers, and doubts that fill the mind during the numbing time following great loss are shared in the first person, generously, by Lewis. This is, I think, a beautiful, powerful, and deeply healing work.

A Grief Observed
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-19
This small book is a blessing to those who have experienced a deep and pressing grief. It shows a bit of the journey C.S. Lewis made through his grief experience. It was a brief, beautiful read.

A Grief Analyzed
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-27
Originally published under a pseudonym, this short book is a thoroughly reasoned but heart-felt analyzation of grief from the private writing journal of intellectual author and academia giant, C.S. Lewis. The object of his grief is the love of his life, his rare intellectual equal and friend whom he met later in life and fell deeply in love with, making her his wife.

Born Atheist, C.S. Lewis became a committed Christian, but spent part of his journalized pages in honest reflection of his anger at God and acknowledgement of fragile faith while in the throes of traumatic, life-altering grief. He boldly wonders and writes the thoughts and words most familiarly held at some point in the minds of others bereaved over their most beloved and cherished.

From page 23: "Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief. Apparently the faith - I thought it faith - which enables me to pray for the other dead has seemed strong only because I have never really cared, not desperately, whether they existed or not. Yet I thought I did."

After other thoughts about risks and beliefs, this is said, "And you will never discover how serious it was until the stakes are raised horribly high, until you find that you are playing not for counters or for sixpences but for every penny you have in the world. Nothing will shake a man - or at any rate a man like me - out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs. He has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses. Only torture will bring out the truth. Only under torture does he discover himself."

On page 25, C.S. sees the human side of grieving when others try to console him with spiritual avenues of comfort: "Talk to me about the truth of religion and I'll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively. But don't come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect that you don't understand."

The social leprosy of bereavement is also mentioned on a couple of pages, including this: "Perhaps the bereaved ought to be isolated in special settlements like lepers."

At the end, C.S. Lewis seems to reconcile himself to a conclusion about grieving: "For, as I have discovered, passionate grief does not link us with the dead but cuts us off from them," as he tries to go about cherishing his beloved's every memory with gladness, a smile and a laugh. Not for long, however, is this a workable plan as he writes the next day's journal entry more in line with the natural phases of grief: "An admirable programme. Unfortunately it can't be carried out. tonight al the hells of young grief have opened again; the mad words, the bitter resentment, the fluttering in the stomach, the nightmare unreality, the wallowed-in tears. For in grief nothing `stays put.' One keeps on emerging from a phase, but it always recurs. Round and round. Everything repeats. Am I going in circles, or dare I hope I am on a spiral?"

As do we all of bereavement ask ourselves when finding that as much as we try clawing our way up the spiral, we suddenly lose our grasp, totally at the mercy of our humanness and that quality that never dies - love.

Family
Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
Published in Kindle Edition by HarperCollins e-books (2006-05-02)
Author: Mayo Clinic
List price: $15.95
New price: $9.99

Average review score:

best book ever!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-02
The Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy is really well organized so you can find information quickly, the drawings are informative and accurate, and the tone is not dumbed down at all. I looked at reviews of pregnancy books before I bought this one and I'm really glad I did. This book was consistently rated the highest and I totally agree. I haven't felt once like we needed another resource besides this book (and my doctor) to answer our questions.

Best of the Best
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-02
I found this book to be an excellent resource and very refreshing after too many books of dated information. This book is very clearly laid out and is broken into several sections covering, month-to-month "waht to expect," then common problems, a great glossery, nutritional information, etc. Everything is easy to understand and simple to reference on a daily basis. Well done. Choose this over "What to Expect When You're Expecting."

Excellent source for information, especially if you are high-risk
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-28
I never even considered "what to expect..."-- I'd flipped through friends' copies, and was never impressed with either the style or the information presented.

During my own pregnancy, which was higher risk to begin with but rapidly turned into a high-risk endeavor, this book was a great source to read up and help me formulate questions for my obs & perinatologists.

I do wish it covered more rare conditions in more detail, but with so much other information, there are bound to have been edits. Also wish there was a source that lets the reader know that after amnio, its NOT unsual to spend the next 2 days in bed. I had to have the test, but they should really prepare the parents better for this particular test.

A good source based on solid obstetrics.

Waste of money if you have internet access
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-19
The info in this book was always very high-level. If you are like my husband and I, you may find youself visiting websites weekly to read about fetal development. If so, don't bother to buy this book. It NEVER had any more info than I got online!! Even on specific issues such as gestational diabetes screening, the info was never more than the few paragraphs you find on every pregnancy website. So I found it to be a total waste of money & I rarely opened it.

Furthermore, DO NOT TAKE ADVICE ON LABOR & BIRTH from this book. It states, "There is nothing you can do to prevent a C-section." THIS IS TOTALLY FALSE! First, right off-the-bat, the rate of c-section varies wildly among practicioners. Picking a health care provider with a lower c/s rate will lower your risk. Secondly, getting an epidural doubles your risk of c/s - so there is PLENTY you can do to lower your risk. (Sure, you can't 100% prevent it, but you CAN substantially lower your risk.) I highly recommend "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" to find out the REAL FACTS on OB procedures. You do not want to just blindly trust your practicioner.

Amazing book for first-time pregnancy
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-09
I recently found out that I was 6-weeks pregnant, and my first thought was, "What's the most informative book I can have to guide me through these 9 months?" I blindly stumbled on this book, and I am so relieved! Considering I forgot to ask my friends and family on advice for which books I should purchase and use as my bible, I (thank GOD) didn't buy What to Expect When Expecting, and instead, bought Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. I guess my primary reason of choosing this book is because its written by medical professionals. The last thing I wanted to do was choose a guide that was not written by medical professionals. I want to feel as though I have something to refer to when I can't call my OB at 3am!! Its very well organized, and although I'm only in my first trimester, it helps to view what is to come in my 2nd and 3rd trimesters. The information provided is very clear and for being a first-time mom, I want to know what I should be alarmed and/or concerned about, but I definitely don't want to feel as though I'm becoming completely paranoid about every little thing (I don't need extra help in that category!). I highly recommend this book to anyone who is experiencing their first pregnancy, or even for those who have traveled down this road before.

Family
Baby Catcher
Published in Kindle Edition by Scribner (2004-01-07)
Author: Peggy Vincent
List price: $11.99
New price: $9.59

Average review score:

Moving and Informative
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-16
I've read several births on midwifery and Peggy Vincent's is by far one of the most readable in terms of reaching a broad audience. If you reach for a midwifery book, in general you are pregnant and considering it as a birth option or interested in midwifery itself. There aren't a lot of general interest readers but Vincent's book is in a position to change it. It is both a memoir of a powerful personal journey and a piquant social commentary but beyond those two facets it is a testament to the power of women and the beautiful normalcy of birth. In fact, it's the stories of the women--both happy and sad--- that make the book so compelling, particularly because the author doesn't try to ignore or whitewash births that did not end as planned.
I recommend Babycatcher to any pregnant mom who wants a glimpse of her own birthing capabilities and to any women considering midwifery. I also recommend it to anyone else who wants a moving, informative, often funny adventure into the exciting world of baby catching.

Inspiring memoir
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-11
My best friend gave me this book as a thank-you gift for flying from Nor Cal (60 miles from Berkley, where most of the action is set) to Phoenix, AZ on a few hours' notice, five days ahead of schedule, in order to be her doula for her first baby. I had read it before I left for California again some days later.

Fast, engaging, memorable life experiences follow a decades-long parade of shifting ideas of how women give birth in our country, from "all stirrups-and-forceps, all the time!" (slight exaggeration... slight.) to the reemergence of midwifery care and homebirth. The chapters tend to be short, which is great if you've only got a few minutes to squeeze in some reading. The stories are exhilarating, often hilarious, sometimes terrifying.

One of my favorite books. I hope someday to meet Peggy and learn more from her as I also work with laboring women, and maybe even get to catch a few babies, myself.

honest AND exciting!?
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-03
I love that Peggy begins her career as a shy, girlish candy striper & goes on to become the take-charge, seasoned veteran she ultimately is. I love that she chose what appear to be the most exciting, interesting, poignant & pivotal birth stories of her professional career to share with us. She gives the people what we want - action! I've read lots of hum-drum, normal homebirth stories, so I found it refreshing to be riveted at every page.
BTW, Peggy, you got screwed & it's not fair! I was so spitting mad about her lawsuit that happened >20 years ago that I will rant about it whenever the topic comes up. A page-turner, but perhaps not for first-time pregnant mommies. If you're really into childbirth, like me, wait until your postpartum time, when you need something to get your heart racing & overemotional eyes pouring in happiness & sadness.

Memory Lane
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-31
Absolutely one of the best books I read of late. I was a labor and delivery nurse in the mid 70's when so many changes occurred. This book took me down memory lane of all of the wonderful experiences I had as I labored women before the "electronic age". Thank you Peggy and your women for sharing the most intimate part of their lives.

Fantastically engaging!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-16
This was quite possibly one of my favorite books of all time! I am an aspiring midwife and felt like this book spoke directly to me and encompassed my own thoughts on labor, delivery, and midwifery in the U.S.

I would love to spend a few hours picking Peggy's brain and just listening to her talk. A WONDERFUL book!


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