Bergman Books

Although my heart goes out to both of the Heche sisters and I have read both equally bad books I can not recommend either one of the books. I would however love to see a neutral party interview all the family members and friends of their father and the family to obtain a more coherent telling of the tale. It appears that Ann and Susan don't get along and neither one did much research in writing the book. Save your money for future tell alls by the Condits, Kennedys, Clintons, Ramsays, and OJ Simpsons.

I read this book years ago before anyone had heard of Anne Heche, former "wife" of Ellen Degeneres and author of a new book, Call Me Crazy. In this book--Anonymity--Anne's siter Susan tells a tragic story of a gay man who was ashamed of being gay and a wife who is the epitome of denial. Everyone in the family suffers (read about the son!) in their own way. The only one who seemed to escape it at all was Anne, the pretty, blond sister who had gone to New York to become an actress. Yet today Anne "recollects" horror stories about her family which do not jive at all with this honest, poetic book by Susan. Read this book for a story of true family dysfunction in the 20th century. It is quite a book! Very well written and honest. (I am hoping it comes back in print with the recent publicity Anne's book is receiving.)

This books is eloquent, honest and infatuating. It is also a rare devout Christian voice that doesn't sound like James Dobson... and is well worth reading for those reasons.

And it's a very powerful morality play.

"Anonymity" is on a very short list of books that changed my life. The basic premise of the book -- that secret morality is a self-deception-- was exactly what I needed as I was developing my personal values.

I often think about "Anonymity" as I consider making a moral decision; my decision will probably become public at some point.

Eloquent is the best word I can use to desribe Susan Heche Bergman's telling of her family story. Having read both Anne and Susan's stories about their family life, it is always interesting to see the different perspectives from siblings in the same family. I recommend listening to Anne's story first on CD as she adds profound emphasis to the telling and like so many good stories they are truly oral histories. I think it is nearly impossible for anyone to judge a family story other than those people who have lived the story. I thank them both for being brave enough to share their thoughts and perspectives on what happened while they were growing up. Clearly we are priviledged to be listening to what would normally only be divulged in a therapist office. We all need to hear more of these stories in order that we may come to understand that it is society's closed doors that keep people locked inside closets they don't know how to open; unfortunatley, for the Heche children, with devastating consequences. I have rarely read more finely written closing chapters than those where Susan descibes her longing to be throughly known pehaps "only as God could observe." My final thoughts upon finishing both books is that these sisters are closer than they know.

This book paints a tinglingly vivid portrait of the modern-day dysfuncional family. The gay father, the brother killed in a car accident, the lesbian-turned-straight sister, whoa! Poor Susan! The fact that she can write about all of this tragedy with a triumphant heart and crystal clarity is astonishing. My mother came out of the closet 15 years ago and I could relate to Susan's anguish and desperate need to understand her father's closeted homosexuality. As a Christian, I was touched by her sincerity and her commitment to the truth. She expresses anger at her father but she also shows he deeply she loved him. Christians are so often accused and accursed of being "hate-mongers" and "anti-gay" but most of us are like everyone else, trying to understand and homosexuals without condoning their lifestyle. Homosexuals are free to live as they choose but their lifestyle is not compatible with Christian theology. This does not mean that we hate them. There is no room for 'hate' in the true Christian's life. I see no such hate in Susan Bergman's tale of her father. Here is a woman who loves a man dying of AIDS with merciful abandon. Too bad her story is not heard in the mass media, it is one worth remembering and sharing.

I bought this for my 4 and 5 yr old sons, we are taking a long car ride so I thought it would entertain them for a while and it has.

We bought this activity book for when we travel. It is pretty big with lots of pages to keep the kids busy during a long car or plane ride.

This is a good buy for young children. I was impressed with the variety. But many 8 year olds will find it too simple. For kids getting tired of coloring books, you might want to look into a Klutz book or something more exciting.

This kept my 5 and 7 year olds busy for part of a long car ride...nice selection of things to do.

Our 5 yr old loved this activity book. It kept her busy on an eight hour road trip. She never wanted the dvd player on.

Although the style of the book mimics that of "Represent Yourself In Court" by the same author, its substance is quite thin. It does not seem that sticking with a particular style had helped the author in this case. Many definitions are lacking, both in the body of chapters and in the index. Under the topic "theft" for example, the act of forgery is inferred from misrepresentation or conversion. Then the topic is cut short as if the author had suffered fatigue. Attempting to study a specific topic in criminal law would not get you too far by this book.

The stories and examples also did not help make the book useful. Too many stories blunt the flow of thoughts when attempting to follow the logic of specific legal entity. Since the book is not intended of do it yourself manual, the author is less effective in presenting an attractive reference by adopting his particular style of examples, bulleted items, and summation tables. Or, may be the area of criminal law is too specialized for amateurs.

Its historical analysis of how the criminal law grew, is also less attractive by virtue of its reliance of stories and large white space that make it hard to sum up historical landmarks in a concise length of paragraphs. There is little if any logical flow from one chapter to the other. That is not the case with its cousin, where one expects and finds subsequent chapters and subchapters very well connected and leading to a coherent outcome.


Mohamed F. El-Hewie
Author of
Essentials of Weightlifting and Strength Training

The law can be a dry and dull read, but these authors have introduced just enough humour to make the effort worthwhile. The names of almost every party in the numerous cases sprinkled throughout the book are puns or double entendres, and some of them are a little tricky to figure out, making for a nice diversion when the subject might otherwise have been tedious.

The whole arrangement of the book is meant to reflect the entire legal process and is extremely logical and accessible. It is excellently cross-referenced and makes frequent reference to the relevant sections of state and federal laws. The writing style is conversational and quite readable.

The authors take great pains to comment on those aspects of law that vary from state to state, which I found helpful considering how I was raised in one state and now live in another and took certain things for granted.

All the legal terms that are introduced are carefully explained, and facsimiles of the various legal documents, such as search and arrest warrants, are included at the end of each chapter.

One unusual feature that shows the depth of the authors' treatment is how they comment on the emotional state that defendants, victims and court personnel are typically in at various stages of the proceedings. They use this to explain how that may influence people's behavior and argue for or against certain courses of action, such as talking to police alone or waiting for a lawyer to arrive, etc.

An excellent source book for "getting it right" for lay persons who want to "cut to the quick" in the search for answers to legal problems concerning the criminal law system. No mumbo jumbo legalese here, just straight talk in plain English. Kudos to you and your effort.

I'm currently busy writing my second mystery novel and can't say how much this book has helped me as a simple guide to getting things right when it comes to police procedure or the court system. It may be a lay persons guide but it either answers my questions or puts me on the right track in finding more in depth information when warranted. The digital edition is especially handy when I'm sitting at my computer because I can keep it open while I'm using my word processing program and refer to it with a simple keystroke.

This book provides an excellent overview of criminal law for the layperson. The authors provide a sound overview of complex topics without getting bogged down in the endless minutia inherent to criminal law.

It is also refreshing that the authors do not waste the reader's time by interjecting ideological and social policy opinions into the book.

Whether your interest in criminal law arises from intellectual curiousity or from finding yourself "in the system", I don't believe you will find a better introductory book than this.

Dr. Jerry Bergman's work, Jehovah's Witnesses. A Comprehensive and Selectively Annotated Bibliography (Westport, Connecticut, and London: Greenwood Press, 1999), is, as the title indicates, a bibliography on the background, origin, and history of the Watchtower movement. The book contains nearly 10,000 references, and it is very well done. It is, in fact, a goldmine for researchers. This holds true especially of the literature in English, which is truly comprehensive.

Bergman was himself a Witness until the early 1980's, and he knows the Watchtower movement thoroughly from within. He has spent decades on researching, writing, and collecting material on it, and owns himself almost every piece of material listed in the book. It can safely be said that very few persons in the world has such an extensive library on the Witnesses at hand.

The bibliography is "selectively annotated", that is, it contains brief descriptions of the content of many of the publications. These are usually informative, although in some cases they may seem too brief. Many, if not most of the publications about the Witnesses are of very poor quality, and for this reason Bergman often calls attention to the exceptions, denoting them as "well written," "interesting," "excellent," etc. Such evaluations, although of necessity subjective, are certainly legitimate and helpful.

Many publications about the Watchtower organization are aimed at "exposing" the faults of its teachings and policies. The notes on the contents of such "anti-witness" publications do not necessarily reflect Bergman's own views (although they sometimes do), as I was led to believe when I first read Singelenberg's review, but primarily the negative evaluations of the authors of these publications. The same holds true, or course, of the notes on the Watchtower publications. When, for example, the entry on a booklet published in 1983 is followed by the comment, "The need to accept Watchtower teachings; directed at Muslims" (p. 48), this, of course, describes the contents of the booklet, not the view of Bergman.

The work is not just an annotated bibliography, but it also gives very valuable and interesting background information on the movement. Thus the Introduction presents a most valuable historical overview of the movement's background in the Second Advent groups that branched off from the Millerites after the failure of their 1844 date. Brief biographical notes are given on George Storrs, John H. Paton, Maria F. Russell, the Edgar brothers, Walter Salter, and others. Some of the most interesting and valuable chapters are the last two (5 and 6) dealing with the offshoots of the Watchtower Society, which contain important historical notes on the major groups. Few if any scholar has gathered so much information and literature on these offshoots as has Jerry Bergman.

As stated, the main focus is on publications in English. A selection of publications in a number other languages are also listed, although these are far from complete. Unfortunately, for some of these languages (including the Scandinavian languages) the entries had not been proof-read and therefore contain many errors, particularly spelling errors. These, and some other errors I have noticed should be corrected in the next edition. However, most of these errors are trifles compared to the enormous amount of sources that are made available to scholars through this book.

Researchers and writers on Jehovah's Witnesses will find this work to be an indispensible reference tool, as it will save them years of work in searching for relevant sources. And anyone interested in the Watchtower movement will find the historical information added at various places in the book of great interest.

Who are these annoyingly persistent people known as Jehovah's Witnesses, who knock on our doors bright and early Saturday mornings, disturbing our rare opportunity to get a few extra winks? The person who desires a deeper understanding of this sect will get a jump-start on their search for information with this book. It is an extensive listing of the works written by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (the administrative head of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion), and also a listing of almost every work written by others about the Watchtower Society. His annotations--brief comments about the contents of the listing--are most helpful in narrowing down the publications one is looking for.

Dr. Bergman's book is a goldmine--a directive to a wealth of knowledge. It is like a map that directs one how to find the hidden buried treasure. Dr. Bergman has searched through hundreds of libraries for material about the Watchtower Society; he has invested an immense amount of time and effort in bringing his unique book to fruition, thus saving the writer, researcher, and persons interested in learning more about this religious movement an enormous amount of time and work.

Some may at first compare this Bibliography to a huge card catalog in a library whose shelves are bare, as many of the publications listed are very old and seemingly unavailable. As it took the author 30 years to compile this listing, one cannot expect to find all of the publications under one roof. The author assures, however, that most are obtainable through libraries in the United States, which can be accessed through one's local library on an inter-library loan basis; others can be obtained through the Library of Congress. Much of the older Watchtower Society publications can be purchased on CD-ROMs available from various Christian ministries.

In addition to the listings, Dr. Bergman has included a valuable section on the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as a very interesting chapter on religions that have their roots entwined with them, "American Offshoots of the Watchtower Society".

As a Watchtower researcher myself and author of the upcoming book, AWAKENING OF A JEHOVAH'S WITNESS: Escape From the Watchtower Society, (Prometheus: January 2002), I can attest to the value of Dr. Bergman's book.

This bibliography is the perfect reference tool for collectors, book dealers and researchers. Being a collector and researcher, I really put the bibliography to the test and have come to the conclusion that it should set the standard for many years to come in the field of Watchtower literature.

The first thing you notice is the excellent way it is set up with official Watchtower literature first followed by material associated with the Russell movement. Next are chapters titled: Books, Manuscripts, Tracts and Newsletters; Magazine and Journal Articles (written by both individual Jehovah's Witnesses (J.W.)and non-J.W.'s; both pro-J.W. material and anti-J.W. material). Finally, a list of literature by many Watchtower offshoots.

I found everything in my collection listed. Unfortunately, the publisher limited the author to a given number of pages forcing the author to eliminate some important W.T. material, i.e. official Post Cards starting as far back as 1910 (that I am aware of), audio records (hundreds of them were used in the door-to-door ministry during the 1930's), specially made portable record players of different designs (several of which I had in my collection for a number of years), etc.

The bibliography is most helpful in that most entries have annotations indicating what subject matter is covered by a particular publication. It also has a very useful Name Index which makes it easier to find all of an author's writing for they may be located under different chapters.

The one major disappointment I found, or maybe I should say "did not find", was a listing for my 899 page Bible Bibliography by the same publisher as Bergman's book, back in 1991 and is still in print and available from the publisher. I had a listing for every Watchtower Bible translation and their publication history and should have been included in this bibliography. However, to be fair, Mr. Bergman did list several articles I wrote for the International Society of Bible Collectors' quarterly.

Dr. Bergman's Bibliography it is a massive bibliographic listing of written material by and about Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) and the Watchtower Society from the 1800s through 1999. It is "comprehensive" in that it contains, according to the publisher, "nearly 10,000 references on the Watchtower movement and the dozen or so major schisms" of the Society. The book represents several decades worth of work by Dr. Bergman in compiling a comprehensive reference listing everything written on or by the Watchtower and their offshoots. In addition to listing every known publication produced by the Watchtower Society since its founding in the 1800s, it lists everything Bergman and his sources have found from a tabloid article in the National Enquirer to scholarly books and Ph.D theses on JWs. The "schisms" or offshoots of the Watchtower are the subject of the last two chapters. For those researching the origins of the Watchtower and C. T. Russell's beliefs, there is a valuable chapter listing the individuals and material that influenced Russell in the Millerite/Adventist movements.

As is typical of bibliographic listings of material, the book's references list the author, title, publisher, publication date and number of pages (where known) of each reference. Amazon's Table of Contents link on this page will give you a detailed overview of just how comprehensive this Bibliography is and the material it covers.

The book's references are "selectively annotated," which means many, but not all of the 10,000 references contain a one or two-sentence explanatory note by Bergman on the content or focus of the reference (article, book or manuscript). From the annotations the reader will know what the reference is about and thus if it is something that is needed as part of his/her research. In addition, each chapter and some of the subheadings contain an introductory explanatory text by Bergman on the chapter's material, what it covers, and discusses the most important and prominent individuals involved. These also often include advice on what may be the best, most important, or perhaps the most helpful material in the section for the researcher. Also helpful is Bergman's noting at various places where some of the rare material may be obtained in photocopy or where one can find reprints.

Being a bibliography, this book is not meant to be read from cover to cover (although I did just that for this review). It is a reference source for further reading and research, a means of finding material on JWs, both pro and con, without spending several decades tracking them down in libraries across several continents as Bergman has done.

Dr. Bergman's Bibliography is an indispensable reference for the researcher and writer on the Jehovah's Witnesses and their history. If you need a book on Jehovah's Witnesses as a source for research, this is the one to have. With nearly 10,000 references on the Watchtower and its history from the 1800s to 1999, you're bound to find much material that will assist your research.

The first review of this book claimed that Bergman's annotations "suffer from subjective usage, unfounded or incomplete evaluations, and tabloid irrelevance" and that Bergman claimed the Watchtower was "corrupt" and "inhuman," while some of its teachings were "erroneous" or "wrong" in the annotations. He even said, "An inclination to outright sensationalism can be detected in annotations" and that Bergman could only be trying to stigmatize a "religious minority" by "emphasizing" certain negative material on JWs. In my opinion, this apparently reflects more of the biases and preoccupations of the reviewer than in any defects in Bergman's annotations. It certainly is not a fair or accurate description. Bergman was simply stating what the references were about, not giving his personal "sentiments."

Bergman annotated much Watchtower material which he certainly doesn't believe in the same manner as the examples from anti-Witness works, thus the book is in general consistent, not biased against the Society in its annotations. For example, in annotating the second Watchtower president, J. F. Rutherford's various booklets, he annotated these as follows(pp. 41-43):

"Shows the only remedy for the evil world and clergy is the Watchtower kingdom."

"Discusses the work of the Watchtower which will cause all good persons to leave Christendom."

"on why the Watchtower is the only hope for mankind."

"an expose of Christendom and its false teachings."

Why would Bergman, that "notorious adversary of the WBTS," as he was called, say the Watchtower was the only hope for mankind and the clergy are evil? Was he trying to "stigmatize" a religious majority? No, anymore than he claimed the Society was "inhuman" etc. in his annotations. So for example the book Blood Crimes is not a negative review of the Society's blood transfusion doctrine, but is, as Bergman's annotation explains, "about the skinhead murder by three boys, all of which were raised Witnesses. Shows the critical importance of the J.W. faith and teachings in the crime."

It should be clear that the annotations simply state what the reference is about and its perspective at times in fairly neutral (unbiased) terms. Whether Bergman agrees or not with the author of the reference that the WT. is "the only hope for mankind" or is "corrupt" is irrelevant.

To paraphrase with parenthesis the author of Ecclesiastes: 'to the making of books (by and about Jehovah's Witnesses) there is no end". A bewildering array of literature exists, for and against this extremely active religious organization. And now, thanks to Dr. Bergman, it has been almost exhaustively catalogued. His bibliography includes publications as diverse as "The Truth That Leads to Everlasting Life" (possibly the third most published book in the world) and "Judge Rutherford Uncovers the Fifth Column", which hardly anyone has ever heard of. Both have rolled off the impressive presses at the Watchtower's Brooklyn plant and bear the imprimateur of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. This thorough bibliography would be of immense help for any serious student of the Watchtower that desires to grasp the extraordinary diversity of doctrinal and chronological modifications that have taken place in that organization over the years since its inception. There is even a listing of splinter groups that have formed during periods of upheaval and internecine controversy, along with their esoteric doctrines. The breadth of Dr.Bergman's book is remarkable and easily surpasses anything heretofore published. As a former student at University of California, Berkeley, who dropped out in 1952 to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses (ultimately graduating from the Watchtower Bible School, Gilead, and later becoming a circuit overseer in both Pennsylvania and Brazil), I can vouch for its overall accuracy and fairness of presentation. My own library of Watchtower-related material is quite extensive and from the vantage point of a serious student of Watchtower history, I can enthusiastically endorse and heartily recommend this splendid bibliography.

the first few chapters (120 pages)very technical and difficult for layman to read. However,if you take your time you will learn a lot. The case histories,however are easy to read and excellent-they teach you almost everything you need to know about infant and toddler psychology.

This includes the original study of Margaret S. Mahler for which she is most famous. Absolutely necessary for researching her Separation Individuation Theory.

If more new parents and/or future parents would read and understand the theories in this incredible book, there would be far less diagnoses of autism, bi-polar disorder and childhood depression in America. This book is invaluable if you want to raise a health, happy child.

This is a classic, well worth reading and re-reading. It is a reflection of powerful insights.

Just like the mother-infant bond makes an indelible impression on the infant, this book's observations gives lasting insight into developmental psychology. Once you dredge through the early chapters' technical and academic expostions, you will learn alot from the individual cases. I plan to revisit this work as I continually encounter children in my practice.

This book fills a void in the scientific literature that many were happy that existed. The book covers many organs mainly in humans but also in animals and plants. The book brings together a lot of information into one book that is useful and highly informative for anyone.
You will be stretched to find another book of this genre.

...neither Bergman nor Howe are anatomists.

The book is riddled with errors. One such example involves the coccyx. Bergman and Howe claim that it is bifid and can move to one side during defecation.

It is not bifid, nor does it move to the side.

there are many such examples, ...

This is a groundbreaking book by two professional biologists (Bergman teaches Anatomy to premedical and nursing students at a state college and at a large Medical school) that shows how the concept of vestigial organs has misled researchers in the past. It includes an excellent history and a discussion of the functions of the over 100 once, now we know incorrectly, labeled vestigial organs and structures. The anatomy books we use at my school (such as Hole's Anatomy) and the many others I have reviewed for potential adoption do not list even one organ or structure as vestigial, but some older A&P books had a whole chapter on vestigial organs. The harm that this idea has caused in medicine has been enormous, and is well documented in the case study literature, and I hope that this book will help to prevent such mistakes from ever happing again. I also hope that we have learned our lesson. Also, the coccyx is a small bone that does display minor movement to the side (check out your A&P lab skeleton).

Jerry Bergman and George Howe thoroughly dismantle a one-time favorite textbook "proof" for Darwinian evolution - the existence of functionless organs in contemorary organisms inherited from their evolutionary ancestors. Darwinists at one time argued that such "vestigial" organs provided support for Darwinism and failed to fit within a creationist model. But as Bergman and Howe convincingly show from the scientific literature, labeling an organ "vestigial" was really only a cloak for our own ignorance. All of the supposedly functionless organs touted by Darwinists do in fact have functions, as would be expected if organisms were in fact designed.

Unfortunately, as Bergman and Howe point out, the Darwinian view of life may have stunted scientific progress by causing scientists to label an organ as functionless (e.g. the human appendix) too quickly and failing to do the requisite research to unearth its actual function(s). More recently we've seen this happen in the case of so-called "Junk DNA" which is only now being discovered to play important functional roles. One wonders how much more quickly such functions would have been found if researchers had been working on the assumption of intelligent design rather than Darwinian evolution.

This a well researched and clearly written little book that belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in the creation/evolution controversy. It is also necessary reading for biology students who will no doubt be exposed to this tired and false argument for evolution at some point in their education.

This book provides a fascinating account of how supposedly-purposeless organs have been found to have a function--all in contradiction to ruling evolutionary beliefs. For instance, the "useless onetime third eye" pineal gland turns out to regulate circadian rythms. Those who try to find minor factual errors in the book, if any, are just throwing up a smokescreen to avoid this central issue. Furthermore, one could, without difficulty, call attention to numerous minor (and some not so minor) factual errors in evolutionary books. Do the latter indict evolutionary scholarship?

This book challenges the prevailing theories about how men and women are different suggesting that these differences are socialized rather than intrinsic. In this book the authors show what is possible between men and women in terms of having mutual and deep connections by nurturing the "We" rather than the I & you. The concept of seeing ourselves as part of a "We" that needs to be cultivated is revolutionary and filled with promise.

"We Have to Talk" is a good read, almost too good, and I was left wondering how much was fiction and how much was non-fiction. Is Samuel Shem deliberately teasing us in using identical passages in his work of fiction "Mount Misery" and his later release ( with Janet Surrey) "We Have to Talk"?

"We Have to Talk" (pg. 83)

Kate: Where shall we go to dinner?
Mitch: Let's go to Miguel's.
Kate: How `bout Pintemento
Mitch: Okay, let's go to Pintemento.
Kate: (after a pause) But it sounded like you wanted to go to Miguel's.
Mitch: No, no, it's okay-let's go where you want to go.
Kate: But I want to go where you want to go too.
Mitch: (silence)
Kate: Why don't you want to go to Pintemento?
Mitch: I just want to decide.
Kate: But we are deciding.
Mitch: We're not getting anywhere. (tensely) Let's just make a decision.
Kate: (screaming) Why are you yelling at me? (starts to cry)
Mitch: (screaming) I'm not yelling!

"Mount Misery" (pg. 175-176)

. . . "Let's go out to dinner."
"Fine. Where shall we go?"
"Let's go to Miguel's."
"How about Pentimento?"
"Okay," I said, not really caring, "let's go to Pentimento."
She paused, studying me. "But it sounded like you wanted to go to Miguel's."
"No, no, it's okay-let's go where you want to go."
"But I want to go where you want to go too." She considered this, and asked, "Why don't you want to go to Pentimento?"
Feeling more tense, I said, "I just want to decide."
The phone began ringing.
"Why are you yelling at me?"
"I'm not yelling."

Also compare pages 201-202 of "Mount Misery" with page 44 of "We Have to Talk".

The point to be made is not that Shem, the master of extreme hyperbole, is a sham, but that, while his fiction is eerily like real life, his non-fiction smacks of anecdote and fantasy. Even if Tom and Ann are real, a couple detailed in "We Have To Talk" who but the most affluent with limitless recourses, could afford the luxuries they take for granted, in and out of therapy. What about a boot-strapping theory for the rest of us?

Also, why the pervasive Freud bashing in both books? I am certainly not a Freud fan, but why is "holding the We" any less contrived then "the shadow of the object falls across the ego"? Doesn't Shem do exactly as Freud, concocting fanciful theories to fit his anecdotal experiences from a small cross section of the American population in order to serve his own notoriety?

I still recommend "We Have to Talk" but ask the reader to sift through the self help dross for the occasional enlightening pearls.

This book is oriented to people from the USA society. Some ideas discussed in the book might not work for people with other cultural backgrounds, like Asian or Latin American. However, even if you are not from the USA, you could get some good tips, but don't think the whole book will be useful.

This is a great book - the kind of book that you wish you had read 10 years ago. It would have saved me a lot of pain and grief in my relationships. I'm a 35 year old male - and I could recognize both the male responses in the book - and the reaction of the women. I recommend it to all my male friends - this is the book all men should read if they want to make their relationships with women work - and if they really want to learn what it means to truly connect, not just with women, but with each other as well. A truly insighful - and inspirational - book.

A very thought-provoking and enlightening work on gender differences and how they conspire to prevent/hobble quality relationship between men & women. I found myself continually clapping my forehead and saying "Duh!" and I've always fancied myself an evolved, hip and sensitive new-age guy!

With that said, I'm eager to "reality check" this book with some of my women friends to get their perspective. My instinct tells me "We Have to Talk" can be an incredibly valuable tool in understanding the deep, social underpinnings of both interpersonal communication and relational behavior. In fact, this may have been the single best interpersonal or "relationship" book I've ever read...and I've read a few. I now feel much better-equipped now to build stronger, healthier and more mutually-rewarding relationships in the future.

I also got the sense the authors really know their stuff and commend them for presenting the issue and information in a clear,very readable style.

I loved this book! It totally sucked me in from the moment I opened it. It's about a young boy's experiences being separated from his family during the Holocaust. His adventures are amazing! He has to overcome his friends dying, hunger, disease, poverty, separation, and even love. And I can't believe it all really happened to a real person!!!

In my opinion, Along the Tracks is a good book. You find yourself on the edge of your seat numerous times, not to mention not being able to put the book down. Along the Tracks also has a very happy ending, which I happen to like.

Along the Tracks is a book about a boy named Yankele, and he also is called Yasha through the second half of the book. It starts out Yankele and his family living in Lodz, where the German army had invaded after conquering Poland. Yankele's family started moving on, trying to get to Russia. When they finally got to the border, the Nazis wouldn't let them in, so they had to stay outside for a while. Soon, all of the Jewish people there had flooded the Nazi guards, and Yankele's family got inside Russia. They lived there for a while, and Yankele's father joined the Red Army, and he fought in the war against the Germans. Soon Russia was taken over and Yankele's family was forced to leave, taking a train to Warsaw. After they got there they had to take yet another train out, and Yankele and his mother and sister got separated when someone bombed the train. A man helped Yankele for a while, until the next train station, then they left each other. Yankele was on his own for a very long time, staying with a group of thieves and stealing to live.
After a while, Yankele was helping an old lady who couldn't get certain things, like coal from coal piles at the train tracks. Soon, the old lady told him of a lady who lost a boy - one that would be thirteen, which Yankele was. Yankele was thirteen years old, and he looked like he was seven. That was his mom in the black market, and he stayed with her for a while. Eventually, he would get tired of staying in one place and would wander, then come back and stay with his mother. This was a very good book, I liked it a lot and it went by very fast. It was by Tamar Bergman, and translated from the Hebrew by Michael Swirsky.
Nick, Madison OH.

This heartwarming story is about a Jewish boy who loses his family during an air raid on a train. His father is in the war, and he must learn to survive "along the tracks" by stealing and sleeping in coal piles (for warmth) until he finds his family. Setting: Poland

Sometimes reality 'sucks' but it is always 'real' and one can always learn from it....read this.

The personal essays of aid workers compiled by Bergman are profiles of ordinary people doing the extraordinary. Each essay reveals a unique writing style and personality. The one common thread that they share is a strong willingness to serve humanity; hence, they're humanitarians.

The compilation consists of 15 essays. None of the locations would be paradise because the hell-holes span the globe to wherever there are wars, the aftermath of wars, conflicts, and natural disasters. Personally, I'm pleased to read about some of those aid organizations that I support.

Here are a few of the more memorable pieces:

Camp-bo-dia by Dr. Panayotis Ellinas, a doctor serving the many needs of Cambodians in a Thai refugee camp. Dr. Ellinas grew up on Cyprus where he witnessed "napalm bombs, death, destruction, and occupation. A scene with pained faces comes back to me often...This is what led me to my vocation." More than empathy, more than compassion; the doctor has great respect for his patients and colleagues.

The House of Prayer and Peace written by Sister Theresa Baldini underscores a strong commitment of caring. Sister Theresa, who in 2002 was 63 years old, and Sister Madeline, age 79, have served in Sudan since 1986. The two Maryknoll nuns have endured not only continuous aerial bombings, several bouts of malaria, and countless rats; but also an austere diet of lentils, peanut butter and crackers, and cabbage. And there's no mention of burn-out!

My Bodyguard is a poignant account by Patrick Dillon of his 10 year old Somalian bodyguard, Muhammad Ali. I'll connect with young Ali whenever I use my Swiss Army Knife. (You'll need to read this essay to know why.)

Paul Heslop's Letters Home is full of grit and humour as he describes his daily routine of defusing mines in Angola.

Overall, each story provides great insight, something more than what could be read in official agency newsletters.

Another Day in Paradise had the potential to be an incredible book. It covers a fascinating topic involving danger, selflessness, and distant lands. Unfortunately the "author" (compiler and editor) of this book chose to take 15 disconnected accounts from humanitarian workers and randomly inserted them into this collection. Some of the contributors are quite captivating with their description while others are less than exciting. The result is a disjointed book that reads like 15 successive magazine articles written for 15 different publications.

It's hard not to feel that the editor of this book contributed nothing to this project short of attempting to profit at other people's humanitarian efforts and writing. Worse still, in the Afterword goes on to describe what a living hell her life has been as a result of this book:

"Friends and family were concerned that I was so immersed in the hardships of wars and disasters that I could no longer enjoy life. And, in some sense, this was true;"

Wow, what a martyr! Having other people risk their lives as humanitarians and write about it for your book sure is tough work.

Of the 7 books I recently bought, this was the first one I picked up to read because it seemed like it would have the most potential. Unfortunately it was quite a disappointment.

I've read this book countless times now. It gives such a wonderful insight into the real lives of these workers who are on the frontlines day in and day out. The stories are very well written and truly paint a picture of the events taking place around these workers.
If you've ever thought (or dreamed!) of doing humanitarian work, especially overseas, this book is a must-read. It will open your eyes to the real world not the media's glossed over view of it.
Enjoy!

One Christmas, when Ingmar Bergman was 10 years old, a wealthy aunt gave his older brother a magic lantern--a low tech projector. Little Ingmar was overwhelmed by the contraption, and he traded 100 tin soldiers for it from his rather indifferent brother. That night he crept into a closet with the lantern, fired it up, and gazed in wonderment at the images flashed against the closet wall. He was enchanted, and in his memoir, aptly titled after that memorable experience, he tells us that he still is.

The Magic Lantern is as intriguing as Bergman's films. Anyone who has seen his films will immediately appreciate just how many scenes in them are pulled from Bergman's own life--or at least his memories, accurate or not, of his life: the spanking scene in "Fanny and Alexander," the locked-in-a-closet scene in "Hour of the Wolf," the infidelity in "Faithless" (Liv Ullmann directed, but Bergman wrote the script), the death fear in "Seventh Seal," and so on. Bergman truly is a confessional artist. As both writer and director, his personal life, both inner and outer, is the raw material for his films.

The Magic Lantern isn't written in a linear style. Memories of childhood dance with more recent ones--e.g., rehearsing Strindberg's "Dream Play" or being arrested on false charges of tax evasion. What's important for Bergman throughout is his inner life: the incredibly rich psyche that serves as the magic lantern that projects his art into the world, both on the screen and the stage.

Bergman wrote his memoir after he'd "retired." He still had several films ahead of him, including what I think turned out to be one of his best, "Saraband." The themes that haunted him throughout his life, including ones that he thought he'd laid to rest involving God and death, and which he wrote about in The Magic Lantern, remained with him for the final two decades of his life. Like his movies, there is no final resolution. Perhaps that's simply the human condition.

The Magic Lantern is not a page turner. The autobiography of the swedish film director Ingmar Bergman is the kind of book that needs time to be read, not because its boring or too deep, but because its so good so enjoyable and every chapter so wonderful that its a shame to finish it too quickly. The Magic Lantern is the life of Bergman but he hardly writes about his movies, he writes about his childhood, his life in the theater, the women of his life, his relationships with his children, his health, politics... this book will help you understand one of the greatest filmmakers of our time.

Ingmar Bergman's autobiography lacks the creative intensity and spark that have made him a cinematic legend. While "The Magic Lantern: An Autobiography" is prettily written and lets you see a little of Bergman's persona, he wrote with little detail and few interesting anecdotes.

Bergman covers his childhood at a Lutheran parsonage in Sweden, and his early fascination with the mechanics of filmmaking -- the "magic lantern." He describes his failures and successes, his marriages, his love affair with muse Liv Ullman, and the many now-legendary figures that he dealt with in his illustrious career.

Ingmar Bergman creates atmospheric, riveting films full of emotion... which is the exact opposite of "The Magic Lantern." It's heavy in uninteresting details and bits of information -- Bergman lectures at length about Swedish taxes, but doesn't tell us about his feelings or his motivation.

And while people who write autobiographies are entitled to keep parts of their lives private, Bergman's lack of emotion carries over to his family. He barely mentions Ullman, and only includes one emotionless anecdote about their love affair. Their daughter Linn isn't mentioned at all. For that matter, none of his kids or wives are given much attention.

If one slogs through the swamp of boring details, there are a handful of interesting stories, involving people like Charlie Chaplin, Ingrid Bergman and Greta Garbo. But Bergman seems to be half asleep. There's little humor, pathos or anger in his writing -- it's flat. There's something wrong with a book when the most passionate anecdote is about Bergman and a cinematograph. It's no coincidence that Bergman calls this book "The Magic Lantern" -- filmmaking seems to be the only passion he can describe.

Ingmar Bergman is an excellent director, but as a writer he leaves something to be desired. "The Magic Lantern: An Autobiography" comes across as a distasteful duty he didn't pay much attention to, rather than a look into his mind and life. Dull and ponderous.

This book is a moving, candid account of the great director's often turbulent life. It is written the same way that his films are made: full of humor and tender observation. I was deeply touched by it and inspired by his creative spirit.