Bloom Books

things about Romantic Theory,what is romantic theory,who wrote romantic theory

As a graduate student writing her thesis on these amazing gentlemen, I fully and wholehartedly recommend this text as a primer. But be sure to have the poetry collections on hand because this is not an anthology, and Bloom assumes a certain level of familiarity with the works of Blake, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron, and Keats.

The most accessible book on British Romanticism I've ever read. Bloom does an outstanding job providing the big picture of the period and a close, specific explication of individual works.

A couple of things to start off: This is the best of Bloom at the height of his power, and this book is ultimatly the one that will be remembered despite Bloom's sad, downward spiral into "Omens of The Millenium" and other such kitsch.-This book, when first published in 1960, was an affront to the prevailing Neo-Classicism triumphed by T.S. Eliot and the soi-disant New Criticism, both of which defined themselves, to a great extent, by despising the Romantics and in seeking to give the lie to their poetic ability and influence. Neither school is now given much account, while the Romantics are still with us.-The problem with a book defending the Romantics and explaining their poetry is that you are attempting to explain what the poets themselves saw as inexplicable, the vision of the visionary company is that of a divine beauty not of this world making itself known to the poets not at the summoning of their will, but, as Shelley beautifully puts it, like a sudden wind firing a fading coal. It would be a futile endeavor to go over the texts of each of the poets in this necessarily brief review and explain, as Bloom does, how this vision manifested itself in each of them.-That's, after all, what the book's for!-But, as an example, take the final poem of one of Bloom's and my favorite of the Visionary Commpany, Shelley. His unfinished, final poem before he drowned at the age of 30, "The Triumph of Life," is an almost perfect example of why defending the Romantics is such a difficult and complex task, and why this book is such a triumph for Bloom. The "Triumph of Life" describes a public way thronged with people "All hastening onward, yet none seemed to know whither he went, or whence he came, or why...". This is the plight not only of the common man, but of kings, potentates etc. (Napolean makes a brief and horrid appearance). Then follows behind a blazing chariot, which is Life here on Earth as we commonly know it, and that light blinds all to the moon and stars, symbols of Nature and Imagination, respectively. Thus Shelley learns, in common with all the Romantics who had not the luck that Keats had, of dying young, that the "spark with which heaven lit my spirit" is no match eventually for the blinding light of Life. This view of common life, devoid of poetic vision, as, frankly, something evil, is a difficult matter to explain to those who have not shared in the vision. But, intellectually, it's subject matter should not appear strange. It amounts to the Fall of Man, as described Biblically.-The upshot of all this for the poet, who now sees life as evil, is that, quoting Bloom, "Life, our life, can be met only by quietism or by willful self-destruction." This echoes some lines by that later (some would say last) Romantic, Yeats, "What portion can the artist have, who has awakened from the common dream, but dissipation and despair?"-This is hard and unpleasant to many, but it is logical, and makes sense of what the aforementioned literary schools trampled on as sentimental cheeseparings. This then is the book's triumph. No longer can these poets and their poetry be dismissed without contending with Bloom. A formidable obstacle indeed!

Bloom ate Blake, Crane, Shakespeare, Shelley, and the rest of them before adolescence and has been digesting ever since. Even before his lifelong meal, his intellect is simply larger and sharper than anyone else's.

I purchased this book shortly after it was released, in approximately January of 2007. As background, I decided to learn some Arabic due to my work occassionally requiring me meet with individuals whose native language is Arabic. Last summer I attended a formal 3 week intensive Arabic college course in Chicago, but found that the grammar taught there was overwhelming and complicated. Further, a native Arabic speaking friend of mine told me that the formal class I took provided such a high degree of grammar usage - it was not practical for everyday communication. In all seriousness, communicating in Arabic using the formal "long pronunciation" would be analogous to walking into a bar in the South Side of Chicago and attempting to order a draft beer using "shakespherian English." As is quoted on page 12, "This book uses short pronunciation." Author John Mace gets directly to the point in this book, and the vocabulary is completely popular and practical without unnecessary complicated grammar. Do buy this book if you want to learn Arabic - but, do first obtain a solid grounding in the Arabic script. I learned the script in about 3 days of solid practice and it is not as difficult as I thought. I believe John Mace also has an Arabic Script book as well.
Special thanks to this author for his ability to provide practical information and vocabulary fi-l-'arabee. I have pre-ordered his second book due this month! Dave

As a self-taught student of Arabic, I can't say enough good things about this book. I flip through every new Arabic book I can find at Borders, but most of them are either too easy (ie the Teach Yourself series) or require a teachers (ie Arabic Connectors, Al-Kitaab, etc). John Mace has finally produced a book that allows you to understand the grammar, learn and pronounce relevant vocabulary, and do short but very effective exercises.

However, don't use it as your first book! In my case (and I'm a language nut) I used a couple of Jane Wightwrick's books, Let's Read the Arabic Newspapers, 1000 Arabic Media words, and Kalila wa Dimna first. Otherwise, this book would have done me in: a) it is quite dry, with the majority of exercise sentences being something like "The conference of experts rejected the report of the Ministry". b) it introduces not only the relevant grammar, but also many exceptions / variations in endings / etc at the same time, so that you really need to read carefully in order to get it all. I have gone through most of the chapters 2 or 3 times, including all of the exercises. c) the pace is pretty brisk, as with present tense of all verb types in a single chapter (sound, doubled, initial-waw, 3 variants of hollow, 3 variants of ending-defective, and 6 doubly defective verbs)

A minor problem, there are a number of typos in the exercises, usually in transliteration, sometimes in the arabic spelling, or a wrong word used, etc. Most are not too hard to spot but, when I don't understand why my answer is wrong (since I don't have a teacher to ask) I often wonder whether it is my mistake or the book's...

I'm quite impressed with this book. The exercises given in each chapter are short, but effectively review each concept. The pace is good--knowledge of both vocabulary and grammar will increase at a reasonable speed. The transliteration of all Arabic words is a good touch to ensure one's pronunciation is correct. Also, no previous knowledge of grammar is needed to grasp the Arabic within this book (although knowing what a subjunctive or jussive tense, etc., certainly helps). I also purchased his "Arabic Verbs" and plan on buying the next book in this series once I complete this one.

My one caveat is that there are a few spelling errors sprinkled throughout, which in my experience is normal with grammars. Also, you won't learn phrases like "Hi, what's up?" And etc. This will more prepare you to read media Arabic.

A good instruction to simplify fus-ha/formal grammar without quite crossing the amiyya/colloquail border. For spoken communication purposes it's best to learn the actual amiyya of the region, but for spoken transregional purposes or just for the casual speaker this is great.

An unusual but excellent text. The author conducts a point by point review of grammar rules while also introducing a news and media-oriented selection of related vocabulary items in each chapter. The grammar overview is very concise, written in as non-technical a manner as possible and can be described as pithy. John Mace has a wonderful way of distilling rules simply and clearly. He also narrows the grammar down to the most useful subset possible. Although short exercises punctuate the text, the book is more a review than a workbook.

Book contains two stories based on the characters of Snow White and Cinderella. It's a light, easy read but I find the stories to be a bit inane due to basic writing and lack of interesting storyline. I much prefer another book that we recently got: Happily Ever After Stories (Disney Storybook Collections) It's a heavy hardback/compilation, not a paperback like this one, but the stories I find to be of much higher quality, not to mention all of the other nice qualities of this book (see my 5-star review).

My four-year-old daughter loves this book! It had two stories in it -- a Snow White story and a Cinderella story. Both are new, original stories -- not what you see in the movie. It's a really neat concept. Both stories deal with Spring. And the companion books, Fairest of the Fall and Sweethearts in the Snow, have stories that deal with Fall and Winter. The books are great because you can get your Disney Princesses in stories you've never heard before. I like to buy all three books and give them as birthday presents.

My 2-year old daughter loves this book. After reading both stories, she then says, "Again, Mommy". A definite collection of short stories to have.

My 8 year old daughter is not only hard to please (she gets that from her mom's side), but also a Disney Princess fanatic. Of the dozens of Disney related books she owns, "Beauties In Bloom" is one of her favorites.
If you are looking for a great book to add to your child's collection or for a great gift, I recommend purchasing this ASAP.
Regardless of age, any child who loves the Disney Princess theme, will fall in love with it.

Lovely book. Bright colorful pictures. My daughters love the Disney princesses and I read their stories over and over again... It is very refreshing to have a NEW story with the old favorites! I think I liked it nearly as much as they did!

In studying the history of Beowulf criticism, it is important to be aware on the one hand of Ker's critique of Beowulf as a poorly structured non-masterpiece, and Tolkien's influential defense of the artistic and structural merit of the poem.

This anthology of Beowulf criticism is exceedingly thin, and while it provides Ker and Tolkien a few paragraphs each to make their case, important portions of Ker and Tolkien's analyses are omitted.

Although Bloom calls Tolkien's essay a "landmark" he doesn't say in what way it was a landmark. Tolkien drove home the point that Beowulf was a masterpiece, and that has been the general consensus ever since.

That being said, the anthology features the big names in Beowulf criticism, including Kemp Malone and E. Talbot Donaldson. This thin volume is definitely worth the time spent reading it.

When I first started reading this book I was a complete Beowulf neophyte, and I didn't understand what they were discussing. I put the book down and returned to it several years of Beowulf study later.

I recommend that people read and reread Beowulf several times before reading this anthology of criticism. Or at least that they return to this anthology again after becoming familiar with the sections and structure of Beowulf.

Beowulf is in Anglo-Saxon, but is probably originally a Norse legend. Please ignore the comment in another review that the Anglo-Saxons were ancestors of King Arthur! Arthur, if he existed, was a British king who fought the Romans. The Angles, Saxons and Jutes were teutonic tribes who came to England at the end of the Roman occupation several centuries later.

The concept of the Modern Critical Interpretation series is an excellent one. The editor, Harold Bloom, a renowned scholar in his own right, has assembled the best literary criticism of a large number of important works.

If you want to get a deeper insight into Beowulf as a work of literature, this book is an excellent way to do it. Some of the essays are a bit challenging--the book is for the fairly serious Beowulf fan. Seamus Heaney's translation really got me into a work which I've been meaning to get to for a long time. This collection of essays took me the rest of the way--it told me all I wanted to know about Beowulf as work of literature. Think of it as a senior-level college text book.

The essays give the reader some valuable insights into the language, but you don't have to know Old English to appreciate it. But a willingness to learn about a few of the words will help.

"Difficult" classics usually pay back many-fold the effort one puts into studying them. Beowulf and these essays are definitely worth that time and effort.

Altrough its a book covered in the 12 grade it is book not only for seniors. Its a wonderful epic that takes us back to beliefs and myths of Anglo-Saxons (the same folks that are ancestors of the king arthur). If you like epic stories, if you like the dark ages, if you are interested how the life could be back then, then its a book for you. Good reading...

When I had to switch my college study to English, I was a bit frightened of all the reading before me. This book told me that I was in for a REAL exciting journey towards my B.A. "Beowulf" is no less than an exquisite masterpiece. It is just the right length, the images are well drawn, the language is well used, and the plot is more complex than we may have thought. The setting prior to Beowulf's entrance is well constructed. Beowulf's character is well prepared upon his entrance. Unferth is well placed. He reveals to us that despite Beowulf's piety and courage, he is not a flawless hero. He suffers from excessive pride. Beowulf's fight with Grendel offers suspense and captivation, and we are even allowed a small amount of sympathy for Grendel when he escapes only to die later. We are then told the story of Siegmund, and his fall over excessive pride foreshadows Beowulf's fall. (History repeats itself.) Grendel's mother than comes to avenge her son. (This goes way beyond a simple chapter.) She is a threat that must be dealt with, but it is difficult not to feel sorry for her. (She is after all a mother in sorrow over her son's death.) Although Unferth rebuked Beowulf earlier, he joins with Beowulf for a common cause, and later, Beowulf ADMITS that the battle was very close. (He is not invincible.) King Hrothgar then warns Beowulf of excessive pride. Later the dragon attacks, and Beowulf displays excessive pride (the very thing King Hrothgar warned him against). In this battle Beowulf does fight with courage, and Wiglaf displays touching loyalty to Beowulf in this battle where Beowulf dies. Beowulf's funeral is a fitting end for this masterpiece. So we have a hero with strength, virtues, and flaws, suspense, well organization, well drawn supporting characters, complex villains, and even an element of mystery! Who was this author?

This is the book I keep on hand for a new baby gift. It gives the parents and child a cute message on how important it is to read to children at an early age. I was introduced to the book at a children's literature conference. I have gotten many thank yous years and years after the newborn was in school! Even though I am a retired kindergarten teacher - I am still contributing to early childhood eduaction! :-)

Wonderful poetry, excellent pictures, and fabulous message. This is a must-read for all little kids!

The book on its own is fine, but when I recently read an article that said the authors had originally intended the protagonist to be a girl but changed their minds because they "learned that boys will read about boys and girls will read about both boys and girls", I was very disappointed. That kind of thinking will contribute to ever minimizing girls and women. Why not have featured a girl protagonist and worked a little harder to have made that character interesting to both boys and girls?

Wonderful poetry, excellent pictures, and fabulous message. This is a must-read for all little kids and their parents.

"A new book for me-/I can't wait to read!/I run to my own little chair./I'm growing too tall and the seat is too small,/So I am not comfortable there." Now where is the perfect place for our young narrator to read his new book? He looks all over the house and even outside, but can't quite find just the right spot. Grammy's soft, cozy chair is being used by Rover, and he's not sharing. Daddy's chair is under the cold, blowing ceiling fan, and his brother's beanbag chair has sprung a leak. The kitchen's too sticky and messy, Grandpa's chair has sprung a spring, and though the backyard is warm and sunny, the sprinklers come on as soon as he settles in and now it's too wet out there. "I dry myself off./I give up, I can't read./I've tried to sit down everywhere./With no reading done, I'm still on page one-/I can't find a comfortable chair!" Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom's clever, rhyming text is engaging and full of bouncy energy, and complemented by Michael Garland's bold, bright, and playful illustrations. Each page dazzles with vibrant color, marvelous facial expressions, and humor as our frustrated hero is thwarted again and again as he runs from room to room looking for just the right place to read. With a sweet ending to set everything right, The Best Place To Read is a heartwarming, joyous romp preschoolers will beg to read again and again. "Mommy, oh, Mom!/May I sit on your lap?/I love it so much when we share." The best place to be, just my book, Mom, and me-/At last.../In a comfortable chair."

Not every story is the same, with twists and turns right when someone thinks they have figured it out. A must read, and I am looking forward to Lotus's next book.

A Lotus Rose book is like his name soft and sensual.He's a wonderful writer.Once you open a Lotus Rose book you can't stop reading,it left me speechless,breathless and excited.I hope everyone gets a wonderful expirence as I did by reading this book and to look into a mind of a beautiful soul.
Zoe

As this book progresses so does Lotus Rose. He writes like a child with a thirst for knowledge, like a child he becomes corrupted through his teenage years and as he journeys into manhood one has to become worried for his sanity. He is so far twisted it is hard to see where the fantasy ends; leaving you thirsting for more and worried for your sanity, such is the style of his writings.
I was saddened to see some of the stories end and hope that Lotus will soon be expounding on some of these wonderful, imaginative new concepts and ideas.

lotus rose is an extremely promising young author. he writes some of the most engaging works of short fiction i have seen in years. everything about this screams "wave of the future". wow. nifty stuff.

This compilation of short stories is filled with recognizable characters, whose idiosyncrasies endear them to the reader. These stories are an artful blend of sci-fi, horror and erotica genres. The stories are not for the meek and may be a bit racy for some, but I found them to be completely enjoyable. The author shows promise of future glory. I'd love to see him progress to a novel length work, I know I'd buy it.

We got this as a gift for our kids, but won't be making it a tradition in our house. And we don't have a Channukah bush, either. Bubbie and Zaidie are Santa Claus in a beard and dress.

I am happy to let my kids know about the traditions of other religions, but those traditions should be associated with the appropriate holidays. Channukah has enough of its own traditions, such as lighting the menorah, dreidel, latkes, sufganiyot, and the story of the miracle that God gave us when He helped the Maccabees defeat the Greeks and rededicate the Temple.

And by the way, Bubbe and Zaide are YIDDISH words, not Hebrew, as this book claims.

I purchased this book for my children. I've read it to my three year old. She did enjoy it although, she doesn't yet understand it. I'm sure she will some day. I plan to continue reading Bubbie And Zadie Come to My House to my children for many Hanukkahs to come. I just love this book!

This book is a classic. It belongs in every Jewish (and half-Jewish) home in America. Daniel Bloom is the Bing Crosby of American Jews!

START A TRADITION IN YOUR FAMILY LIKE WE DID 20 YEARS AGO READING BUBBIE AND ZADIE COME TO MY HOUSE..THIS BOOK IS A GREAT STORY TO READ TO YOUR CHILDREN EVERY YEAR AT HANUKKAH..WITH THE NEW RELEASE THIS YEAR IT WAS SO EXCITING TO SEE THE BRIGHT AND COLORFUL ARTWORK..IT IS DONE JUST BEAUTIFULLY!!! AND THE STORY IS ONE THAT YOU WILL ENJOY READING YEAR AFTER YEAR..A DEFINITE MUST FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD TO EMBRACE..GREAT FOR GRANDPARENTS TO GIVE AS GIFTS TO THEIR GRANDCHILDREN AND CHILDREN TO GIVE AS GIFTS TO SPECIAL GRANDPARENTS...START THE TRADITION NOW..DEFINITELY THE BEST HANNUKAH BOOK THERE IS!!!!

Guess what? After 20 long years and being technically out of print, this book is coming back to life in 2005 as a 20th anniversary edition from a new publisher in New York, updated and revised for a new generation of kids.

The flowers are just beautiful. I bought this book to use as reference photos for drawing/painting. It's better than I anticipated.

Hi,

I'm a serious amatuer photographer and had heard a lot about this book. This is not a "how-to" book. I knew that going in. All the photographs have a black background or a white background. They are all approximately square. The author says he does this so we focus on the photos and not the background. After a few pages I got bored of the white and black backgrounds. If you read Shaw's books he'll tell you that black backgrounds in particular are very un-natural looking. In our world with a Sun a black background seldom occurs. Some of the white background shots look like a cheap Photoshop knockout. Although the author claims he uses only a lighted white backdrop to produce the effect. All in all, just not as moving as many have described it. You'd be much, much better off buying Shaw's book "Close-ups in Nature". I ended up sending mine back.

I was searching for a gift for my sister, who is a bulb and gardening master. After taking a closer look at the gorgeous photos and great practical advice, I bought a copy for myself as well! If you love flowers, you'll love this book.

Wow! I bought this book for my Mom for mother's day. The photos are hyper close-ups and so beautiful. It's a great coffee table book, and has the added benefit of a succinct section on chosing the right bulbs, planting storing, and using bulbs in container gardens. Very clever, very pretty.

This is a beautiful, artfully done book. I saw it for the first time just after viewing the Georgia O'Keefe art show in San Francisco. I was inspired by the show to look at flowers in books, and when I leafed through this book, I found the photographs as beautiful as the art work I had just enjoyed. The photos are works of art, very close up and extremely well choreographed. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a gorgeous collection of photos of beautiful bulbs in bloom!

This first novel was a delight, with a realism about the New England, Japanese, and French characters and evirons. The author, a distiguished scientist/physician who was instrumental in setting up the scientific follow-up of surivors of the atomic bombs, provides a real sense of romance in Japan, as well as his depiction of the French and affection for France. In all probability, many who have loved and lusted after lost loves, will identify with the Harry Citron character's singular pursuit, one of the more enjoyable sicknesses. A recommended, light, enjoyable read.

A thought-provoking read for everyone, especially those of us approaching or in the troisième âge. Harry Citron looks back on his life and his mistakes and discovers several surprises in the present. His own sexuality has led him astray from conventional morality, yet Harry remains a moral being, and a likeable one, in spite of his caddishness at times. Having left academia for Paris, he has many thoughts - both positive and negative - about various aspects of France and his experiences living abroad. The thread that leads him on throughout the novel is his desire to see Suzanne, an ex-colleague's wife, with whom he had had a passionate affair twenty years previously. As he sheds layers of intellectuality he comes to realize that he need not write literary criticism or even literature itself but that his whole life has been his creation, his sonata. An impressive first novel with a most memorable ending!

This is a truly enthralling short biographical novel; even though the hero's demise is foreordained, the reader remains on tenterhooks, eager to follow events as they unfold.
Harry Citron is a paragon of instability who bolts away from "normal" life at an apparent drop of the proverbial hat; a man who once seemed to have everything going for him, he finds that nothing has proceeded according to plan (or perhaps it did, all too well, which is what prompted the precipitate flight from ostensible success).
Bloom excels in tracing out telling vignettes of bygone times and places; his pointillist evocation of post-war Japan is particularly vivid, and the getaway in the Berkshires (shades of Philip Roth?) is rendered in painstaking detail, with clinical precision.
The author succeeds in rendering memorable a "hero" whose decidedly unorthodox curriculum vitae is a standing and stinging rebuke to the American dream as it materialized over the 1950s; Harry may even be deemed an "antihero" along the lines of Meursault in Camus' L'Etranger. And yet, such characterizations are, in a way, beside the point; what matters most is Bloom's mastery of a peculiarly Bostonian vernacular larded with French and Japanese words and expressions; a man whose long and distinguished career took him far from authorial precincts, he nonetheless manages to shape and propel a persuasive narrative; utterly spellbound, this reader couldn't put the book down until he had finished -- and then was tempted, as may be the case subsequent to a compelling movie, to pick it up and start all over again.

Dr. Harry Citron is true European style intellectual, existentialist, scholar and honest person to his life. Many characters in various setting created are well written and reflect author's deep insight, knowledge, research and humanity. The setting of characters and places is marvelous. Intermingling of culture, nation, religion and race with these characters are informative. Noriko and Iida-san in Nagasaki is particularly interested to us. We feel their images are so accurate and realistic in detail. We shall remember the natural and cultural beauty of Japan.

Arthur Bloom's first novel, Citron's Sonata, contains more than a hint of autobiography, revealing a questing and unconventional life, laced with many successes, but not without sorrows. It crosses the continents, with evocations of life in France and in Japan that offer interesting insights into cultures that are examined from a fresh prospective. The book grabs you and doesn't let go, until its inevitable ending leaves you shaken but stirred! All in all, a very respectable maiden voyage for a newly launched author.

I found this book to be focused primarily on the physical limitations of aging and not for persons with disabilities. I would recommend one of the several books on Universal homes if you are looking to really help improve the living spaces for someone who has a disability or degenerative disease. Low cost alternatives for strength and reaching issues of aging were the primary focus of this book.

This book features more than 100 hints and tips for making life easier or safer for anyone with any sort of physical limitation due to arthritis, illness or life-long disabilities. The illustrations are excellent and the instructions are easy to follow. Any friend, neighbor or family member with a couple of basic tools can help create these items. Many would be wonderful homemade gifts decorated by grandchildren!

This book clearly deserves more than five stars for the very high benefit to cost ratio involved in the suggested solutions.

Most disabled or elderly people would prefer to be in their own home. At home care is expensive, and most people do not have long-term care insurance. (Although, if you can afford it, this is a good investment at around age 65.) Most people bought or rented their homes to raise a family in, or to live as a fully-functioning adult. As soon as one becomes more frail, or even slightly disabled, these homes present many frustrations and challenges. Before moving out or hiring help, I suggest that you avail yourself of the many helpful suggestions in this book. They are cost-effective and relatively easy adjustments that are well worth the effort and investment involved.

I strongly recommend that all physically disabled and elderly people have a copy. The children and grandchildren of these people should also read this book, because they can help make the modifications. In addition, caregivers should become familiar with these ideas so they can help improve the home environments for those they serve.

The book focuses on the needs of those in wheelchairs, people with trouble gripping (from arthritis or a weakness), those are unsteady on their feet (from dizziness, weakness, or complications), individuals with the use of only one hand, and people who are not as mobile as they once were. Research has shown that people in these circumstances can replace the need for more care by making household modifications. For those who need care, these modifications can reduce the level of care required and improve safety.

The time to make these changes yourself is before you need them, especially for grab bars and lowered sinks. Looking at this book about the time your AARP card is starting to get a little worn around the edges should give you plenty of time to prepare.

The author wrote this book from her own experiences as an advocate for the disabled and helping her elderly parents live at home. Many suggestions came from people who thought up the solutions themselves. The book's stated purpose is "to get you thinking about your own situation and get your creative ideas going." The book is not a comprehensive solution for every need, but it certainly shares many wonderful ideas . . . at least some of which will be helpful to anyone.

There are six chapters, plus a list of resources you can draw upon. These chapters include:

Bathroom & Washing Up

Bedroom & Getting Dressed

Kitchen & Meal Time

Living Room & Leisure Activities

Housekeeping & Getting Around

Outdoor Activities & Home Security

Let me describe the last chapter in more detail to give you a flavor for all that is in this wonderful book. Space limitations prevent me from providing more detail. This chapter includes adjustments for patios and porches, ramps, a salt shaker for ice melting, pulley-based hanging plant baskets and bird feeders, combined planter boxes and benches, raised flower beds, smaller gardening tools, ways to garden with one hand, container gardening tools, making your own seed tape, household security, making keys easier to use. Like all of the sections, it also contains notes for caregivers.

Here are some of my favorite ideas in the entire book: customizing a walker so you can do tasks with it more easily; lowering the "hot" water temperature so you cannot burn yourself; using dining smocks from old shirts instead of bibs; a playing card holder; one-handed broom; salt shaker for ice melting (I plan to make one of those for myself since I recently had surgery and cannot lift very much); hot pad using the microwave; build-up handles for gripping; drying yourself with a terry cloth bath robe instead of a bath tower; light-switch extensions; pulley-based bird feeders; and long handles for reaching.

I also think this book can stimulate your mind, as it was intended to do. Many people with restricted physical capabilities find themselves becoming less mentally active. This book should help reduce that problem, and provide new reasons to be hopeful.

Whatever your age and physical situation, your mind can extend your reach and your grasp. What do you think is beyond you? How can you reorganize how you pursue those activities to make them feasible?

Dare the possible dream . . . even about that which seems "impossible."

This book is a distillation of the author's background in disability advocacy, her career in assistive technology design and extension at a major university, and her personal experience as caregiver for two frail elderly parents. Written in a clear, down to earth style, the book is crammed with practical ideas for simple and inexpensive modifications for homes and items in daily use by elderly and disabled people. On each page I found myself wondering: "Why didn't I think of that?"

You needn't have an O.T. degree to know whether a project will be helpful for you - the needs and uses are clearly explained. Nor must you be wealthy or an experienced handyman to complete the projects - some take minutes and cost under $5. Best of all, the modifications look natural and homelike, not clunky or hospital-ish. Suzanne Bloom's clear, graceful line drawings show exactly how the projects will look and how to create them. Every page glows with caring and respect.

This book is a must-have for anyone caring for an elderly or physically disabled person, or just growing old gracefully.

If you're lucky, this fate shall greet you. Rather than doom bright futures, this common sense book brightens any abode. By explaining how a few, tiny modifications to anyone's home creates a new world of ease, subsequent comforts apply equally to able-bodied and physically challenged dwellers. How we ever let the luxury of mild modifications escape us might be a lasting question for all readers. Shhhhhhh! For now, perhaps some of these inside tidbits are best kept secret. Easy reading.