Anderson Books

This is a companion book to Reagan, In His Own Hand: The Writings of Ronald Reagan that Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America, both of which are transcriptions of Reagan's radio addressees delivered during his interregnum from governor to president. This slim tome, however, focuses more on Reagan's philosophical and spiritual side, as opposed to policy.

Indeed, it is more of a devotional book than anything else. You feel Reagan's faith in God, and his love for the down-to-earth people that make America great.

There are so many heartwarming stories. One of my favorites is his retelling of The Little Red Hen, which begins on page 86. On the surface, it has a new twist on an old fable. But once you think about the underlying tales, and the punch-line, you see this story ranks with Animal Farm: Centennial Edition and Atlas Shrugged.

Regan's America is our America. In this selection, Reagan gently reminds us who we we are, and our power as individuals to do good. Reagan was for small government simply because he believed that everyday people were so big.

Not earth-shattering or impressive, still this collection of stories written by President Ronald Reagan is a worthwhile glimpse into the thinking of our former president. Each story is brief, a format that lends itself well to a person whose habit is to read a book little bits at a time due to a busy schedule. I found the stories insightful and well done, further demonstrating to me the depth and integrity of someone I've admired for many years.

For the most part, this little book consists of brief, non-political, stories written by Ronald Reagan for delivery on his five minute radio program in the 1970's. Some are his own. Others are based on stories which he had read or heard and which apparently touched him in some way and which he felt were worthy of repeating to a broader audience. My expectations weren't very high when I began reading the book; probably because there have just been too many such books compiled in recent years. If I'd noticed that the book was produced by the same people who earlier produced "Reagan, In His Own Hand..." they wouldn't have been quite so low.

In any case, this small book exceeded my expectations. Taken separately, its stories are quite topical and quite interesting. Taken together, they tell us a little bit more about our 40th president and it becomes clearer than ever that he was not only a great president and a great human being but also a master story teller. In my view, this book should be of interest to anyone who is interested in Ronald Reagan as well as those who simply appreciate a good story well told.

On Sept. 20, 1983 during my freshman year at the University of South Carolina, RR came to speak. When some students of the far left heckled him, he replied "Is there an echo out there?" and disarmed them. He also entertained the crowd with folksy anecdotes of his days at Eureka College that we as students could identify with. Most of the students (myself included) who disagreed with many of his policies and would never vote for him in susequent elections agreed that RR had a gift with a story and with an audience.

This is the RR that appears in this book. These are the folksy anecdotes that he shared mostly with radio audiences and a few are from his presidential days and some go as far back as his newspaper columns in the 1930s. Much of this makes for good light reading, such as his impressions of hollywood in the 30s and his joy of his parents coming out for a visit, the tale of his hosting a black fellow athlete at his home when a hotel refused to house him, and of the girl who braved a crowd of student demonstrators to shake his hand, as ell as his observations on death.

Unlike some other compliations of RR's writings, tales such as these transcend political opinion. This would make good bedside reading or on a short flight.

This is a compilation of transcripts of Ronald Reagan's radio talk-show from the late 1970's. Reagan always loved to use stories to communicate ideas and give advice, and this collection is replete with perfect examples of that. I believe that the four components of leadership are:

1) A clear vision of a better future; 2) The ability to communicate that vision; 3) The ability to get others to want to listen to your ideas and to believe you; 4) The ability to translate your vision into action

Whatever you might think of Reagan's vision for America or of the actions he took, this book shows us how he excelled at communicating his vision and pulling people into it. He was not called "The Great Communicator" without reason, and this book shows you that reason clearly. This is a treasure for Reagan fans, and for anyone who wants ideas on how to be more charismatic.

A champion among champions. One of the greatest of all time tells you his story - he is a fighter, not a writer. Don't expect pretty prose, expect a deep, moving look into the life of Sugar Ray Robinson.

To talk about the grandness of Sugar Ray Robinson may seem a commonplace, but in the annals of the boxing there has not been such kind of boxer who has displayed such style, refinement, effectiveness and elegance. 109 KO along his life and the fact to have recovered four times the World championship have become a true myth in this sport.

it is what it is. you get Sugar Ray's story right from the man himself. its concise and thorough and entertaining and inspirational

Sugar Ray - 3.75 Stars

I wanted to love this book. I wanted to love Sugar Ray - he was Ali's hero and in a lot of circles he is considered pound for pound the greatest boxer of all time!

I wanted to love this book and Sugar Ray - but unfortunately I didn't.

I almost feel like I'm committing some sort of sacrilege here - and I'm sad to say - I found Sugar Ray Robinson somewhat unlikable.

The story is a great story - a very poor family's struggle and their support and love for each other - Sugar Ray's discovery of boxing and his rise to fame and fortune and the phenomenal and heart breaking comeback and the sad decline in the end. His story really is very interesting, but the book doesn't capture it. It doesn't capture the Sugar Ray magic and I felt that Sugar Ray wasn't 100% honest - he and the book were truthful, but I felt that there was something missing - that he wasn't completely honest.

Sugar Ray Robinson was One Of THe Greatest Fighters Ever.Very Uplifting of How He Overcame SO Much.He was a Great Warrior Inside of The Ring.Muhammad Ali called Him The Greatest.A Must Have.

In the last three years, I have watched 500,000 acres of San Diego county burn. I came to M. Kat Anderson's book after we nearly lost our home, which is neatly tucked between two pieces of reservation land; I got infinitely more understanding than I thought possible. She has given us a timely, well researched work, that gives homage to the people who came long before us.

This book will sit on my shelf, next to "1491" (another must read, Americas before Columbus). The land nourishes all of us, regardless of race, color or creed. We need to learn from the past practices, to better care for the land. Many environmentalists use "pristine" when describing wilderness, and it is a misnomer. Without fire, there are no sprouting redwoods. Controlled burns are necessary. But try and tell your local political leaders that.
Buy this book, read it and understand.

Kat,
its wonderful!!! Long live the Wendell Berry Club.
Miss ya,
Joseph and Linda the cattail botanist!

This book is covering ground not found elsewhere about the way of Native Americans in California interacted with nature to actually improve the health of forests and wild life. I am thrilled to find it.

This book should become required reading for all High School and University students, teachers, and researchers with an interest in North American anthropology, ethnobotany, botany, biology, historical ecology, fire history, forest management, and history. It will be of particular value to readers with an interest in cultural and natural resources management, agricultural sustainability, and federal Wilderness policy, among other topics.

The book is excellently written, organized, and indexed, for both general reading and specific reference uses. It is a wonderful addition to Anderson's other major contribution to science, Forgotten Fires.

This excellent book written about the management of California land by the native people in the past, is also a textbook of what we will need to do in the future to survive. M. Kit Anderson has written a revolutionary book. The wealth of information on how Native peoples managed the California landscape in a sustainable way finally does justice to these people and their way of life - a people who were so cruelly treated by the Spanish and American invaders. The author explores the ecological management skills of California native peoples without romanticizing them or ignoring mistakes that they made.

The modern environmental movement created the myth of the unspoiled wilderness untouched by human hands. Tending the Wild debunks that myth and levels some well earned criticism towards those environmentalists who failed to appreciate how the California native peoples were successfully and actively managing the California landscape, as were other indigenous people around the world.

But the wealth of detail the book provides on how the Native Americans successfully managed the California landscape is also a model of sustainable living that has much to teach all of us. We learn an alternative to the destructive environmental, agricultural and development practices of our time. Practices that are destroying our ability to not only preserve the beauty of the landscape but to use the landscape wisely to provide for our needs in a sustainable way.

Anybody who is interested in sustainable living should also explore books on Permaculture by authors like Bill Mollison, David Holmgren and Toby Hemenway. Permaculture is a modern attempt at designing for sustainable living. Permaculture designers have studied the sustainable methods agriculture, horticulture, building and community of indigenous people from all over the world. As world oil production peaks and as the effects of global warming are felt, we will need all the help we can get to re-learn how to live sustainably on this planet.

I found this to be a very charming book that shares an endearing message. Told in a fairy tale like fashion, this is the story of an old man who lives in a small house in the middle of a dreary looking place "near nowhere and close to forgotten," filled with, basically, piles and piles of junk and scrap metal. However, despite his sad circumstances, the old man never seems to lose hope and we don't see him complaining about his situation as many people probably would do. Instead the man just keeps working to clean up the junk and, most importantly, he keeps dreaming. Every night he dreams of living in a vibrant forest full of life until one day he comes across a peice of garbage that gives him an idea. "The idea grew roots and sprouted" and eventually the man has built an entire forest, complete, with animals, out of the junk. Though not as beautiful as the forest in his dreams, he never loses hope. Eventually a pair of birds come to nest in the tin forest, bringing with them seeds, which eventually grow into plants, which attract other animals. Over time the tin forest is overgrown with a real forest and real animals and low, the old man has turned his dreary home into the vibrant forest of his dreams.

The illustrations are enchanting. The story begins with pictures of a dull and misty gray landscape and, throughout the book,develope into a dreamy forest of golds and greens. The beautiful artwork enforces the fairy tale like style of the story.

I read this book to my son, who is 19 months old, and with the text being short and sweet, it was able to keep his attention all the way through.However, I don't expect that he'll be able to fully appreciate the beautiful atmosphere that the illustrations create for a couple more years. (At his age he is more drawn to bright, bold colored illustrations and the greys of this book didn't quite grab his attention.)

All in all, it is a beautiful little story with a great message: No matter what your circumstances are, never let them dictate your attitude or your future. Never stop dreaming.

The story is touching and the illustrations are haunting. The ethos of the old man, to make something out of seemingly nothing, is a wonderful trait that many would be lucky to emulate. The language is poetic and the artwork striking. I would recommend this book to be part of any school library collection for its content, language, images and message.

I was drawn into this book the first time by the beautifully intricate illustrations. It has a dark, lonely feel to it, and reminds me somewhat of Maurice Sendak's work (especially the work of Dear Mili). On a second read, I enjoyed how the text is spare and achingly poetic. It's just a gorgeous, gorgeous book.

I used this book in a 3rd grade class as the last lesson in a rainforest unit and it worked wonderfully well. After reading the story, the students loved doing a picture walk of the beautiful illustrations and noticed many interesting things about them not obvious from the first perusal.

The Tin Forest is recommended for readers from 4-8, but this book, to me, is a wonderful book for all ages. The story teaches the lesson of hanging onto one's dream, of not letting it go, of nourishing it, tending to it, until it indeed sprouts leaves and blossoms into a life of its own. The old man constantly held onto his dream, and never gave up what he wanted to achieve. He had hope and that hope spurred him on. The forest he constantly dreamed of became a reality.

He lived in forgotten place, where he was surrounded by trash and objects that others once wanted, but no longer did. He tirelessly cleared away the trash, organized it, and dreamed at night of his forest with wild animals and lush flowers. One day, the idea came to him of making his own forest, if one was not going to spout up amidst all of the garbage. He made a forest of "things", a forest of tin, fashioned only after his own imagination and the books he devoured each night. He made trees, and flowers, and plants and the wild creatures that would inhabit his forest. Then one day, a visitor arrived in the form of a colorful bird, eating the crumbs the old man gave him, and singing his thanks back to the man. Sadly, the bird left the next morning, which left the old man very lonely.

Yet, the next day, the old man awoke to the melody of his visitor and his mate. They brought seeds to plant and decided to make their home here, in the tin forest. Soon, green shoots sprouted, flowers bloomed and various wild animals came to the forest to make their home. . . . "And in the house lived an old man who never stopped dreaming."

This book is just precious and the illustrations are just as wonderful and precious. I absolutely LOVED this book! A wonderful tale of teaching children that nothing is beyond their grasp.

"There was once a wide, windswept place . . . . but where there is a dream, hope can grow."

This was a nice first novel for June. It's obvious where her heart is.

I really enjoyed reading To Catch A Fallen Star. It was so easy to read and such an inspiration. I read this book in two days. It was such a refreshing change from other books I have read. I look forward to reading June's next book.

This book is a great read for non-christian and christian alike. We all face difficulties in our lives and this book shows by example the value of living our faith. I was able to identify with many of the characters and could not wait until the next chapter to see what would happen.

I really liked the southern setting; it allowed me to easily identify with the characters. If had not known better, I would think this book was based in my home town featuring people that I know.

June definitely got it right. I used this book for my daily devotional because of the scripture references. I am now looking forward to another book, hopefully in this series.

God bless you.

All of my favorites--inspirational, funny and Southern! Great book, quick read--couldn't put it down. The ending surely will lead to the next book. God is certainly using author as a vessel to spread the Word. Great job!

This is a fun book to read and a book that makes you feel good. It will challenge readers to reflect on their faith and how it fits into their everyday life.

This valuable edited volume attempts to answer the question: What's going on in our Culture? What is producing the dramatic changes, the social chaos and even the creativity in the present era? What is giving so many people permission to tinker with the hallowed traditions and symbolic heritage of societies: bypassing long-held myths and mixing old rituals with new traditions like a tossed salad; inventing new personal identities; revising old political ideologies; and picking and choosing between what to believe and what not to believe, as if picking hors d'oeuvres from the table of a corner bazaar? These are the questions this book's thirty-three carefully selected chapters try to answer.

The illustrative contributors to this edited book are themselves among the trailblazers of thinking in our modern era. Collectively, they think they see a pattern linking such diverse events as the collapse of Communism, the information revolution, the theological wars within organized religions, terrorism, racism, the Civil Rights movement, and the desperate search for a re-centering of our spiritual values and lives. According to them, the common thread to this turbulent pattern has more to do with a change in how we believe than in what we believe. That is to say, what they see is a "shift in beliefs about belief." To some this is decidedly good news: a new era of liberation; to others, it is a very threatening and grievous lost of a comfortable past, indeed.

Modernity pre and post: A Primer

The term "modernity" is a "made up word" used to describe the meta-games of cultural life: attempting to describe the grand meta-narratives, or the systemic and global ideas that command, govern and guide our cultural Worldviews, as well as our lives.

Pre-modernity was about how to install and maintain in perpetuity a single meta-narrative about our cultural life such as Christianity, Communism, racism, "Manifest Destiny," democracy, and their overarching systems of thought such as rationality, mysticism, belief in faith or some other metaphysic, essentialism, ideology, or science and evolution. Our march out of pre-modernity into modernity has been a series of culture shocks, only matched by the current pains in moving form modernity to post-modernity.

These authors tell us that Modernity is now being eclipsed by post-modernity, which was about the four-century dominance of the Enlightenment era meta-narrative about rationality, reason and logic. However, in retrospect, Enlightenment was not only about the installation of logic, reason and science, but also about how to work out the kinks and the disconnects in the leading contending pre-modern ideas, basically the struggle between the ideas of science and religion.

The Enlightenment, or modern era (modernity that is), held the view that the grand problem of reality was one of representation: of how reality was to best be represented: by a single unifying and overarching meta-narrative of rationality of science, with its instrumentalities of reason and logic and experimentation - or by a belief in magic, faith or some other metaphysics.

But the Enlightenment project, which for the past four centuries has sat on the ground floor of the Existentialist Grand Hotel, instead of unifying the dominant meta-narratives of the pre-modern era, has caused them to breakdown. Post-modernity, thus is about this breakdown and about what is to replace the present chaotic and confusing meta-narrative.

Thus, this book is about the waxing and waning of these ideas across the multi-century battleground and about how the major contending meta-narratives of the dominant belief systems: between philosophy, religion, political ideologies, and various combinations and blends of them, have tried, but failed to exert their dominance.

Not only does this book explain the ideas, it also takes us through the key historical shifts in them and their arguments as they have held sway over our cultural thinking for the better part of a half millennium.

Well-organized, beautifully told: A true tour de force: Fifty Stars

Comprehensive. However, with a topic this extensive, not that I am suggesting that Anderson is trying to do this, but it is difficult to produce the definitive PoMo piece. Postmodern thought is the academic topic of the day - or maybe the era. It has replaced Existentialism as the topic of discussion all over the place as THE coffee shop conversation topic. Anderson takes the bull by the horn and comes up with a 4-part book that will certainly prove useful as a primer and will help you impress your friends. Part one and two sets out to define and to explain vocabulary. Part three deals with the construction of self. Part four takes on a more macro look (globalization) and closes with the positive side of postmodern discourse.

Thing with this collection is that it is very difficult to go wrong when you include such notables as Jean Baudrillard, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault and Richard Rorty. PoMo philosophers are taking on deity status that was reserved for existentialist celebrities like Heidegger and Sartre. Despite the lack of popular appeal due to purposeful ambiguity as well as the difficulty of the material, it has taken academia by storm.

A dense book, it is packed with information. Despite the range and complexity, I highly recommend "The Truth about the Truth" as a starter kit only. The collection does not really prepare students to discuss this stuff in class in any detail - mind you this is my opinion only and it could change as folks find it a good book for an introduction class. Anderson does a fantastic job. We ignore this stuff at our own risk. Be prepared.

Miguel Llora

To many readers, postmodernism (PoMo) is a vexed subject, smacking of trendy intellectual fashion. However one views it, Anderson's book collects a number of essays on the topic that anyone interested in the dominant ideas of the day should not be without. The entries are not lengthy and therefore persuasive depth should not be expected. Put them together, however, and a pretty complete overview of PoMo is before you. The editor has fashioned a nifty little introduction that lays out the general orientation in clear and understandable language - a not inconsiderable feat given the subject matter.

One point worth noting that is not in the book. Beneath the ideas promoted by PoMo lies a sociological reality captured in that forbidding word "multi-culturalism". There are many different cultures in the world whose customs and mores project many different kinds of worlds. This fact does seem to leave us with no common frame of reference to judge any of them as superior, a key PoMo conclusion. In that sense, postmodernism appears to be the perfect philosophical expression of an emerging multicultural reality. Nevertheless, wedging beneath the world's many and various cultures is another emergent reality - the global consolidation of private property, as represented by trans-national corporations and international trade agreements. Beneath PoMo's relativizing of cultural absolutes, there moves the monolithic grip of global capitalism, homogenizing all cultures in a consumerist vat. It at least deserves consideration that the former serves to conceal the latter from the view of secular intellectuals like post-modernists, and thus becomes the perfect cultural expression of a consolidating world order. Put another way, the power of Pepsi has conquered the outdated truths of reason and anyone who complains is practicing cultural imperialism. So go with the flow. Readers interested in how PoMo serves the powers-that-be should consult Terry Eagleton or Frederick Jameson.

(T) "p" is a true sentence if and only if p

N'est ce pas?

Anderson tells us, "We are living in a new world, a world that does not know how to define itself by what it is, but only by what it has just-now ceased to be." One of the most positive aspects of postmodernism in my view is that, because there is so much chaos of opinion today, reality is being created in plain sight. Walter Truett Anderson is one of the most lucid writers of our time and this book makes that creation of reality clear and comprehensible to anyone who will take the time to read about it. Highly recommended.

Not only is this a book a great read but, a great reference guide too! You can use this book in more than one way. You can read it just for the fun of it & laugh at the reality of man. Or it can be used as a sort of encyclopedia of information on bachelorhood. For men, it is like a safe haven of permission to be who they really are. For women, it will (at the very least) help them understand that men are men & that is what they tend to do best. This is my second time having read the book, which is why I am writing this. I read it a while ago but have been reflecting on it ever since, so I figured I had to read it again. With the easy guide-like format I can just pick it up anytime, find where I want to be, hand it to a guest for something to flip through as I make some coffee, even grab it for an emergency guide of info along the journey of the bachelor life. Buy it, read it then, buy another one for a gift. No, don't give your only copy away! You need it for your coffee table or, better yet, for sittin' on the Throne! This is the thing to hand down from father to son for generations to come.

Very funny and well written. Every bachelor and bachelorette should have a copy. This guy must be a comedian!

I am the ultimate bachelor, I can relate to so much stuff in this book it isn't funny. The book however is very funny. This guy Ward Anderson is something else. I'm assuming he has either spent way too much time with the ultimate bachelor or he just doesn't get out much. Anyway this is a quick fun read perfect for a vacation or just for fun. Buy this book you won't be disappointed

Anderson's so right it's scary... and hilarious! As a woman, if you know any single men, or are a single man yourself, this book will absolutely kill you. From typical bachelor pad decorations (i.e. lawn furniture indoors) to a guide on getting through a chick flick, this book will have something to remind you of every single man you know. It's a great present for a friend or even for yourself. It had me dying!

One can learn so much from The Ultimate Bachelors Guide. It is a well organized, well written, comical book for anyone. As I turned the pages, I couldn't keep myself from smiling and laughing. It was quite amusing how I discovered characteristics of my male friends lying right in the text of the book. After reading it, I felt it was a perfect gift for my older brother who recently turned 21. This book really got me interested in comedy, and I attended a comedy club for the first time, and LOVED it, just as I loved the book. I recommend the book for both men and woman of all ages.

This book was great for helping plan my son's kindergarten valentine party. The snack ideas were super and pretty easy to assemble. The highlight of the book is the valentine bingo game where everyone wins at the same time. The children just loved the game as they all shouted "bingo" at the same time. We also did the ice cube game and the cupid game. Both were also big hits with the children! I would highly recommend this book for any class parent needing some creative ideas for kids from 5+.

With all the crafts, snacks, and games, you will have everyone entertained for years to come. This book is great for classrooms, parents, day cares, work, & more. Perfect paired with Valentine Boxes.

Wonderful Book - Pleae make more like this!!

What a wonderful book. Valentine parties are always a favorite the crafts/activies are warming to ones heart. Every room parents or hostess/host needs this book for any type of party. Suggestion purchase the complete set.

I run an after-school program for a non-profit organization with children that range in age from 6 to 14. It's very difficult to plan holiday events that will interest all the kids, but I got some great ideas from this book! It covers everything from games, to crafts and special treats. While most of the activities are geared towards the younger crowd, I was able to extract some ideas for the older kids as well. A very well organized and creative book!

I enjoy Joan Anderson's books. I felt A Year by the Seas was the better of these two books.

Joan Anderson shares her wealth of experiences to gain a different lifestyle for one's self.
The book provides many useful stages to work through that sets your life into a pathway that pleases yourself and breaking away from being a people pleaser & forgetting what one's own dreams are.
The book does this in a pleasing gentle way & it is also where many woman are after family have grown & one's life's work seems to be over but we ask what now ...
Loved A Year by The Sea by the same author.

Joan Anderson, the gifted author of "A year by the sea" and "A walk on the beach" has written yet another book that speaks to the heart and soul of every woman who has reached a crossroads in her life.

This book is an outline of her weekend retreats at Cape Cod. In it she shares not only her program and thoughts, but also the experiences of participants and exercises that the reader can do at home. The exercises are more than thought provoking (never ending crossroads), revealing (the calendar exercise), and renewing (The self and others circle). They are indeed the road map back to your true and authentic self.

If you have gone through a divorce, death, loss of job, empty nest, or are just wondering 'what next?' this book is an invaluable compass to aid you in seeing options and new directions. To quote her dear friend Joan Erickson, "We do not receive wisdom - we discover it for ourselves after a journey through the wilderness."

Joan Anderson does not seek to give you the answers, but to help you discover the questions within yourself. Her writing is encouraging, honest and perhaps most important, heartfelt. You can't go wrong buying this book for yourself or as a gift for a friend.

I'm not a big fan of self-help books and am pretty cautious in my response to readings like this. A Weekend to Change Your Life, however is one of the true exceptions I've had the pleasure to read. The author is not preaching or in any way a know-it-all but she challenges very basic feelings and emotions in each and every person, whether we admit to them or not. And in going thru her exercises we are drawn into trying her suggestions and digging deep into our souls to see why we do so many of the things we do. The author has deep, deep respect for the uniqueness and value of every emotion and individual. She doesn't judge or ever try to criticize or downgrade. She teaches us acceptance and deeper understanding of whatever is causing our innermost private thoughts and feelings. It's truly a treasure and one that I highly recommend for every woman, no matter how old. I readily admit that one of the feelings I deal with most often is that "I'm too old; I'm 73 years old; I'd like to do this or that, but I don't have enough time left to start now, etc." Nonsense! Joan Anderson has prompted me to try, even at this ripe old age to at the very least try and to live each day left to maximum fullillment and satisfaction. !

It is a sad reality that so many people have their identities molded by the wants and needs of others. And I think that few would dispute that this is more likely to happen to women. There are powerful social and perhaps biological reasons why this might be. But the important point is that there are millions of people who are not fulfilling their potential. And there are many men who are stuck in the same bind.

We are all combinations not just of male and female biology but also of a set of identities that together form our sense of self. There is very good evidence that the female sense of self is closely related to her relationships, while the male sense of self is usually more closely linked to achievement. Though there are clearly personal and cultural variations, the implication is that most men and most women will likely find different techniques of healing and integration to be effective for each of them.

This is a terrific book in which Joan Anderson shares some of the exercises and activities that she has developed to encourage change and growth. One of her models is based on the work of the German-born psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, who delineated eight stages of life from infancy to old age. Joan suggests listing the gains and losses from each phase in order to help us identify our personal strengths. This is a fine example of drawing strength from the natural reversals that we all experience and using them to develop resilience. She also guides us to other exercises and techniques that make very good sense, and some of which I've found very useful, despite having a Y-chromosome!

So while designed to help women, this is also a book for men who want or need to learn more about their feminine nature, and who care about the women in their lives.

This is a book that is practical, wise and compassionate.

Highly recommended.


Richard G. Petty, MD, author of Healing, Meaning and Purpose: The Magical Power of the Emerging Laws of Life

The future of work for many of us will be in our home--and we need to prepare for it. This book is the Bible for what it will be like, what we need to think about, and how work at home may be a part of our future.

It's not easy trying to stay focused and motivated while working at home. Sandy Anderson's book provides the necessary tools to not only stay focused and motivated, but to maintain your sanity too.

This book should be the foundation of everyone's work-at-home resource library. My wife bought it for me so that I could understand the true "ins and outs" of what's involved in working from home with kids under foot. (My wife has been telecommuting from home on a part-time basis for about two years, and I must admit, I've been less than supportive.) Recently, I decided to make the plunge to start a home business and take on a good portion of the child care responsibilities. We searched high and low for resources that could help. "The Work at Home Balancing Act" was the *only* book we found that addresses ALL the issues and challenges of working at home from both a MALE and FEMALE perspective. It's been our lifesaver because we can both relate to it, and it teaches us how to communicate about complicated issues that arise when you work from home. It's written in a reader-friendly style with great quotes and stories from men and women--very realistic and motivational. Lots of nuts and bolts strategies--everything you need to know to set up and run a successful home business or telecommuting arrangement, and then some!

Dr. Anderson's extensive research interviewing work-at-home parents is a must for anyone with children and the desire to work from home. You get tried and true, both common sense and creative, ideas from the many parents who have "been there, done that" and know what works for dealing with children of all ages. It also has an excellent chapter on issues for couples. You will find yourself among kindred spirits. Easy to read, encouraging and engaging, this book is excellent! Barrie Jaeger, Ph.D.

Sandy Anderson addresses the key issues facing people who want to work at home or are currently engaged in enterprise at home. For those looking for a home career, Anderson's chapter on choosing the right business is very informative and guides people through the most difficult part of starting a business-"choosing the right one for yourself." Plus, her insights on managing a household along with a home business are worth re-reading several times. Finally, Anderson's interviews with many different types of homeworkers gives the reader a great insight into the TRUE benefits and challenges of working at home. Tina Egge Family@Work Editor, Work@Home Magazine