Bonds Books

I would not recommend this book. I understand the information, but being someone who is in therapy it made me doubt therapy and placed bad ideas about therapy in my mind.

In Session illuminates how the heart of therapy lies not in the therapist's theory or dogmatic beliefs, but in the relationship that exists in session between the client and therapist. Seamlessly weaving together the information she collected through interviews, research, and her own personal experiences in therapy, Deborah Lott reveals how this crucial bond between women and their therapists requires the therapist be professional enough to adhere to the boundaries of the "approximate relationship" while also being human enough to be empathically and emotionally present as the client's unique complexity unfolds. This book serves as both a "buyer beware" book that guides women in evaluating their own therapies, as well as a poignant reminder to clinicians about the powerful healing/harm duality inherent in the therapeutic relationship. With the closing words of her book, Deborah summarizes how the therapeutic journey can ultimately be a healing one: "Only by revealing what she is really feeling about herself, her therapist, and their relationship might a woman in therapy have the profound pleasure of being truly seen and understood."

I was looking for readings on "boundaries" in psychotherapeutic relationship. Well, I didn't really understand why my therapist insisted so much on keeping boundaries between her and me. I didn't see any problems having conversations over coffee if I happened to run into her outside of therapy. I didn't have any fantasies about finding where she lives, seeking her out, but I didn't see any harms to have a socially friendly relationship with her either. Sounded like very bad ideas from my therapist standpoint. Felt like we would jeopardize all our hard work in therapy if we socialized outside of the "sanctity of the office"! Anyway, I was interested in learning what these "boundaries" stuffs were all about from someone outside of our relationship. This book not only answered my questions on boundaries, but also gave insight into all aspects of relationship between women and their therapist. Wow, what a complicated world! My hat is off to Deborah for writing this book so candidly, attributing no shame to the patients for their feelings, sexual or not. My therapist is a wonderful woman, full of compassion and warm caring for me. She's genuinely listening to me with empathy. I gradually progressed towards a complete trust in her. I told her all my shameful secrets I never told any therapists before. I found myself adoring her like a kid. Yet, despite our wonderful therapeutic relationship, I still wondered if I was weird or some thing. This book helps me to understand my attachment to my therapist and don't feel ashamed about it. It helps me not feeling "weird" about my "child-like longings" for a motherly figure in her. It strengthens my trusting in her and in myself to work out my problems. I would recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in psychotherapy, patients or therapists.

This was the first thought I had when I started reading this book. Deborah does a fabulous job of describing the feelings of transference.

I entered therapy almost a year ago and had been to many therapists in the past. However, this time, something was different. I had never even heard of transference or knew this could happen. So, naturally, I thought again, I'm the only one stuff like this happens to.

I recommend this book to anyone but mostly to therapists. I think they should read this to understand just what we go through. Even though our transference isn't about them per se, it certainly feels that way. I guess it could be about them if their therapist crossed the line, which mine hasn't done.

Thank you Deborah. I needed this book!

Even if you are lucky enough never to experience transference and attachment issues with your therapist, there is plenty of good information here about the goals of psychotherapy, its history, subgroups and boundaries. And if you ARE experiencing transference, dependence, attachment or all three, do yourself a huge favor and read this book.

An amazing book. Highly recommended. An absolute gift to women who are trying to use psychotherapy to overcome negative pasts and/or cope with the stresses and losses of the present.

This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read, and we read A LOT in our house! I get teary-eyed every single time my son and I read this book together. The sentiment is just so perfectly accurate, and the appearance of the heart in every picture is a fun seek-and-find for my son. You just HAVE to add this book to your collection!

Mama bird explains to baby bird, who misses her, how her love is with him throughout the day while she is at work. She tells him that she also misses him and finds his love with her. She also tells him that her greatest joy is when she comes home to him.

This is a good book for a working mother to read to her child (starting as young as possible) to reassure him/her and open up a conversation about the topic whenever needed. The pictures look just like my grandson when I babysit and he misses mommy.

Gift Of The Tortoise: A Musical Journey Through Southern Africa by Ladysmith Black Mambazo includes a song that the children sing when their mothers return from trading in the city (which may take days). It also has a song by a girl when she receives a gift from her father who works at a distance from the family and only sees them a few weeks a year.

I bought this book for myself when my first child was still a baby. It helped me with the drop off at preschool when she was a baby to know that our love was with each other when we were apart! I bought them this year when my sister-in-laws had their first baby girls and were headed back to work and they found them just as moving and sweet. What a great gift for any mom at any stage!

Large, soft, colorful illustrations attracted me to this book that I found at a book fair several years ago. I purchased this book for my "when I have children" book collection, and now that I have a son to read it to, it is a favorite for both of us. The story is a sweet rhyme and not too "wordy" for my toddler who does not sit still for very long. The illustrations are so pleasing to me, that I just completed a search for other books illustrated by Jane Dyer, and am excited by my new finds.

This is one of the most beautiful and tender stories I've ever read about a working momy and the seperation she and her baby son must go through every day when she goes off to work and he goes to school. It helped me and my son a lot knowing that other families go through a similar process of separation anxiety. It also has beautiful pictures and eases the insecurities most little children go through when the aren't with their parents, I really recommend it.

It's a fun book to have - a coffeetable book. I purchased it as a holiday present. I may end of keeping it and purchase another for the holidays!

I just ordered this book after seeing Emily Scott Pottruck being interviewed on a local TV news program. I also ordered copies for two friends who I share a special bond with as we volunteered at the Michigan Humane Society together. I understand that some people think too much attention is given to animals when there is so much human suffering in the world. To them I would say that our pets give us unconditional love, which is a very rare gift. My 26 year old son died suddenly in June of '06 and I know I could not have made it this far without the companionship of my beloved beagle, Piccolo. She always senses my moods and is ready to give me extra cuddles whenever I need them. I think I am a kinder, stronger, and better person because of her.

Tails of Devotion is more than just a coffee table book. This book does what few books on animals manage to do, which is to attempt to raise the level of human consciousness about the necessity for relationships with companion animals and the sacredness of those bonds. At a time when companion animals are still largely regarded as "property" by many, this book will add to the growing understanding of the need to treat companion animals as valued members of our extended human family.

Karen Leslie, Executive Director, The Pet Fund

I gave this book as a gift to a friend who is a true animal lover. She absolutely fell in love with the book. Some beautiful stories of people and their love for their animals. Highly recommended!

Emily Scott Pottruck brings the unique relationship that exists between pets and their people to glorious life in this beautifully written and illustrated book. 'Tails of Devotion' proves that the love which is shared between people and their pets crosses all social boundaries, and unites us all in a way that few other loves could ever accomplish.

The life-affirming story of Elizabeth, a homeless woman living in the Bay Area along with her faithful companion, Hero, alone is worth the price of this lovely book!

In addition, Emily Scott Pottruck is generously donating 100% of the proceeds from 'Tails of Devotion' to non-profit animal welfare groups! So, along with receiving this beautiful book (which you will treasure for years to come!), you will also have the wonderful feeling that comes with knowing that your purchase has enabled animal welfare organizations to continue their work to help less fortunate animals.

'Tails of Devotion' will make a wonderful gift for anyone who has ever known the joy of loving ... and being loved by ... a beloved animal companion.

This easy to read book is a good review to those who have backgroud in psychology. It is also a good read for those who are looking for a great introduction of just how important early relationships are. Dr. Karen does a masterful job of presenting complicated material in an easy to read historical narrative style. I have given copies to my friends in the helping professions who report back to me their gratitude for reminding them what is important in life: relationships!

This is an amazing book which was recommended to me by a friend who works in Child Protection - the parents of the children have mental health issues which range from learning disabilities to more extreme personality disorders. She sees babies and toddlers who have been abused through neglect; absence of communication; verbal, emotional, physical and sexual abuse. The children suffer a range of disorders from the physical to mental, emotional and social as a result, yet all have degrees of attachment to their abusers, ambivalent attachment and codependency and the patterns of how they are likely to develop are easy to see manifesting in the child that will become the adult if there is no early intervention, if the relationships were to continue between child and parent and if there is a lack of awareness or ability as a growing adult to consciously make efforts to change habitual patterns. This book covers all of these themes. Moreover in the seemingly relatively normal upbringing of a child and then the adult who looks retrospectively at their own childhood and their present relationship with their own children similar issues arise which affect their ability or capacity to love or show an ability to love. This book causes one to self-reflect, analyse and ponder quite deeply how we love because of how we were loved or what we understood or perceived love to be.

I just finished this book about two weeks ago and I want to read it again. Although the book at times is a little technical, it is perfect for anyone interested in understanding people. Although the book is primarily about child development, Robert Karen adds amazing insights throughout that are absolutley mind boggling. I would highly recommend this to everyone because you will not only understand others, but you will understand yourself. Absolutely love it!

I'm about 2/3 of the way through this, and I must say: I am very impressed. You can learn a lot more from this book about childrearing and how to bring children up to be secure, confident adults that you can from most of the pop psychology and parenting books which present the fad of the day or some catchy opinion that has not been backed up by scientific research. Karen has a rare combination of professional expertise, a wide command of the extensive literature relating to early childhood including psychoanalytic, a real gift for writing, and a willingness to not dodge difficult issues and to be entirely forthright with the reader, without ever underestimating the intelligence of the reader to grapple with the issues he brings up and form their own conclusions. The book does get a bit dense towards the middle, including info that the layperson probably wouldn't want to bother with, but he never loses the narrative thread and I kept reading and learning and being grateful he did such a thorough and well-reasoned job of presenting all this material.

A therapist friend suggested this book. I was surprised and pleased to find it so easy to read. I am kind of grateful, however, that my children are somewhat older now. If I had read this while they were still toddlers, I think it would have pushed me quite over the edge!

But even more than the early separation material, about which I can only say (as most parents, hopefully), "I did my best"; the material on the effects of parental intrusion, and of not allowing children to work things out themselves, is very, very helpful.

This book is really a treasure.

This is not your typical Vampire novel. In my opinion, it's much more orignal and fun than most! It has a range of great characters that you can both adore and hate - that's something that really makes this book come alive! The sequal to the excellent book: Vampire Academy excedes the first and makes me even more impatient for the third novel to come out!

Rose Hathaway is a Guardian-In-Training. She's a student at St. Vladmir's High where teenagers train to either be Guardians or to be protected by Guardians (the Moroi). Her dementor is Dimitri whom Rose completely adores but my stay away from because of their difference in age and the fact that they can't be distracted when they are going to be protecting the same girl: Lissa.

Dimitri might be having his eye on someone else and Rose's friend, Mason would do anything to be with her. But aside from Rose's constant guy trouble the Moroi royalty are constantly being attacked by Strigoi (Moroi gone bad.) and ruthlessly killed in the process. They are killing royalty and common blood alike as well as the Guardians that live to protect them. They must do whatever they can to stop this group of Strigoi from killing any more of their species!

Another thing is going on as well. Rose's own mother, the great fighter and killer of Strigoi is coming to her school and Rose could not be more displeased...

Things are crazy at St. Vladimir and all could possibly end fatally...

Enjoy this novel!

This is the second book in the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. It was just as engrossing and griping as the first book. This is another one of those series that I just can't put down, yet I am not sure why.

In this book a violent Strigoi attack on a noble Moroi family leaves St. Valdimar's academy in a state of panic as the Christmas holidays approach. An elegant solution is presented that will allow the students of the academy to mingle with their parents for the holidays. The whole school is put up in a ski resort for the holiday season; with the highest security measures taken. Lissa is forced to mingle with her noble kindred and much of her time is spent in the company of Christian. Rose finds herself in a lonely situation. Dimitry is doing his best to ignore her and Lissa is otherwise occupied. Rose's life is even further complicated when her famous guardian mother shows up to help with security. As Strigoi attacks continue to get more violent and more frequent, many questions are brought up; among them are whether the Moroi should learn to protect themselves and use their magic to harm others.

This book was well-written, the characters have a lot of depth, and the world is creative and interesting. The action scenes are well-written. The love scenes are sweet without being overly explicit. The binding between Rose and Lissa is interesting. The inclusion of both Adrian and a new love interest for Dimitri made for wonderful new character additions. Throughout the whole book is a overlying sense of urgency and doom as if the Moroi are being marched toward their extinction. The next book promises to have even more dire situations and more interesting character development.

I could not put this book down. I had to blink back tears at the ending for a number of reasons, it was sad and yet hopeful. It takes a good author to drag a reader into a story that thoroughly. The only thing that has bothered me about this series is that I think the book titles are a bit corny and the book covers could also use some help. That is a small quip though based on how much I have loved this series!

I was sad to finish this book and can't wait for the next one to come out. I would put this series right up there with the Twilight series given how much I love it.
karissabooks.blogspot.com

The woman has done it again! Another great novel. I have yet to meet a book by this author that I haven't fallen in love with. Mead, in her second Vampire Academy book, has made this book even better than the first, which I thought was impossible. Now I know nothing is impossible for this author.

The character development is really good. Rose has to deal with Lissa's attention being else where. Including Dimitri? Rose shows real character getting past some of that adolescent angst.

Humor even better than last time.

The reality of what Rose does, is training to be finally really starts to sink in. The prices that she has to pay to gain the ability to kill monsters. And the price they all must pay in the end.

Other characters are introduced in this book. And all of them are just too good not to meet in this book. And that's all I'll say so that the story won't be ruined. (At least not by me!)

**** If you've read the first book, trust me you don't want to miss then. If you haven't read any of these books, start. If you love vampires, great action, and good mysteries. This is better then it gets!!! (Here's the first book, Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Book 1).)

Of all the Young Adult series about vampires, the Vampire Academy series is probably my favorite. This sequel was very enjoyable. I couldn't put it down after I started reading.

I love the relationships between all the characters, Rose especially. When she deeply cares for someone, you can feel it in your soul how much she loves them. Her and Lissa's connection is a really unique way to show inside Lissa's head, without actually having her point of view. Rose and Dimitri's relationship is strained, and Rose is almost positive that there will be nothing between them ever again; especially when a new woman comes into the picture. The friendship between Rose and Mason is growing. He obviously would do anything, and I mean anything for Rose. We find out though, that moving on isn't so easy when you care so deeply for someone. There is also the introduction of Rose's mother, and this definitely throws Rose's world for a loop.

Some of the decisions Rose made were questionable, and the outcome was obvious, but it was nice to see her use what she has learned at St. Vladimir's Academy, and put that to use out in the real world.

Rose is growing and maturing into a woman in this book. She's working on her attitude and her control. She's not perfect by any means, but she's getting better. She now understands her flaws, even though it hurts her when people point them out.

All in all, this was a great sequel. If you read the first, there is no reason to not pick this up. I'm excited and worried to see where the third book takes us. It seems like Rose will have some tough decisions to make in the future.

This was another amazing book by a very talented author. I loved Frostbite every bit, if not more than Vampire Academy. The characters are rich and flawed with hints of things to come. We got an introduction to a new character who bodes to be promising as well as more Christian who I happen to have a soft spot for ;) I adore Rose, she is a fun, strong female character with a great deal of depth and heart. The dark twist to this novel was page turning and Mead did a seamless job unraveling the story and at a fantastic pace. I have not been this engrossed in a vampire novel since LJ Smith. It may not be as great a series as Twilight, but it definitely is high up on the list. With all the flat, cliche series out there these days (such as "Chosen" stay for away from that one..), this is a breath of fresh air. I am eagerly anticipating the third book....

I have been looking for this cookbook for a long time. My Italian mother-in-law had made many of the recipes from this book and they were wonderful.

EAT THIS . . . IT'LL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER! MAMMA'S ITALIAN HOME COOKING AND OTHER FAVORITES OF FAMIY AND FRIENDS is a beautiful and priceless celebration of food prepared in some of the finest ways imaginable. Some of my Italian friends think that some of the rest of us cannot cook truly Italian food. Here's a little secret: with this book all of us can cook wonderful Italian food.

In Dom's book, we have all we need: detailed and easy-to-follow recipes for the best dishes, such as meatballs, Mom's Sunday sauce, marinara sauce, and pizza dough; pictures of Mamma helping cook the food; and funny stories about Dom's interaction with the food.

My book actually was published in 1988, and it has been used well; yet it still looks brand new. If you can get a copy, do so. This is bound to become a collector's item.

Oh, there is something else too. The book has several pictures of celebrities way back when.

I love to cook. Over the years I have collected a large number of cookbooks of all varieties. I am also of Italian decent so naturally I am somewhat biased with regards to Italian cookbooks. I owned a copy of this book for years and I used it so often that it literally fell apart so I purchased another copy. The recipes in this book are extremely easy to follow and Dom Deluise fills the book with humorous stories that any Italian can relate to. The meals I have cooked bring back memories of eating at my grandparents home and the taste is almost identical to the way my grandmother made them. I thought those meals would be lost forever when they died but thanks to Dom, I can re-create them in my own home and my children can carry on the tradition. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to cook and eat great southern Italian food.

I lived with a very Italian aunt who made the best food, and for so many years I assumed that these recipes- lental soup, pasta fagioule, eggs with tomato sauce, pasta primavera etc were from hand me down recipes. To my surprise, after inquiring about how to make "her tuna fingers," she handed me this book. It blew me away how simple and easy the recipes were. Really good Italian food! Its a shame that I bought so many Italian cookbooks trying to perfect these dishes when they were all right here. Dom Deluise adds personal stories which are a little sappy but still entertaining as well. It gives you something to read while your cooking dinner. Enjoy

My mom bought this book when it first came out in the late 80s. This was probably the first cookbook I ever looked at. I loved the stories and started trying out the recipes when I was about 11 or 12. Throughout the years the book has lost a few pages, gained quite a few smudges, and has literally broken in half, but it's still my favorite cookbook. In fact, I like to think it is this book that ultimately inspired me to go to Italy to attend culinary school. I'm now moving into my very first apartment and am ordering another copy of it (don't want to take my mom's) so that I can have it with me...even though I've pretty much memorized it. I know I'll be using this book my whole life.

The book I read was A Bear called Paddington, and it was very good. The author of A bear called Paddington was Michael Bond who has been writing children's books since 1995. A Bear called Paddington is a fantasy story.

A bear called Paddington has 8 stories in the book. First story...Mr. and Mrs. Brown find a bear who had came to America from darkest Prue. The train Stations name was Paddington so they named him Paddington. Paddington has no family so the Browns takes the bear to there house. Second story... Mr. and Mrs. Brown have 2 children, Judy and Jonathon, they really like Paddington. Paddington always has his hat o which actually saves his life. When Paddington was in the bath and forgot how to swim so he poured the water on the floor out of his hat. Third story... Paddington, Mrs. Brown ad Judy go underground somewhere, and o the way there, they lost all there money so as soon as they get there they don't have ay money for tickets. So all 3 of them looked for the money for the tickets. Fourth story Paddington, Judy ad Mrs. Brown go shopping and Paddington have never been on an elevator so he wants to go on one. They got off the elevator and Paddington hates it so much. Fifth story... On day a grocery man tells Paddington how to get paint off stuff. After hearing that, Paddington wanted to try, so he found an old and tried to erase it but it makes an even bigger mess. Sixth story... The whole family went to the theater. Paddington loves it so much that now he wants to be in show business. So he creeps I the actor's dressing room to find the main person, Sir Sealy. Sir Sealy gives Paddington a special part in the play. Seventh story... the whole family go's to the sea and Judy, Paddington and Jonathon enter a sad castle contest and one of them wins. Eighth story... Paddington gets a magic kit for his birthday in the end he vanished 2 thing's and broke one thing.

This book was one of my favorites, it was so good. One bad thing is that it was very easy to understand. I would recommend this book to third or fourth graders.

Paddington is very funny when he does little mistakes. Paddington is a very interesting character that is lovable to everyone. Whenever I'm bored I read it, usually, even though we have already read it. You should mainly buy it for your kids, but you should read it to them because adults like it as much as the kids do. I like all the Paddington books, but my favorite one is the first one. Paddington is a wonderful character and he is my most favorite on earth.
by a 9 year- old (almost)girl from the USA

We LOVE this CD set! I bought it 2 years ago for my daughter to listen to for naps and bedtime, and now at age 5 she's STILL asking for it every night.

I like the fact that both CDs are over an hour long, she likes that there are several stories on each CD to keep her attention. The plots aren't too complicated for her to follow, but they do force her to pay attention and focus on the cd, which is key for naptime. :) Stephen Fry's voice is wonderfully soothing to listen to, and he does a great job of distinguishing between the various characters -- key for books on CD!

As she's gotten older Caroline has begun to appreciate some of the silliness that is Paddington, but the stories are nicely entertaining even without that element. We parents don't mind listening to Paddington in the car when we're on trips. All in all, I say this CD set is well worth this money, it's one that will really grow with you!!

This proved to be a wonderful purchase. The stories are entertaining for both parents and children and are perfect for long car trips. Excellent alternative when you don't want the kids in front of the television.

A classic! I loved Paddington as a child and I'm thrilled to have this in our CD collection. (I'd even listen without the kids!). Stephen Fry reads the stories very well.

this book is fantastic. in a very beautiful and big format, it's complete with all the bondgirls in a great description. very good if you are a bond fan or at least a woman lover!

Overall the book is ok, however for a coffee table sized book (It's rather tall, which makes it awkward to store in a bookcase - well mine anyway) there's not enough photos, and a bit too much text. Almost all of the photos I'd seen before, so while most people new to the Bond world might be impressed, there's not enough unique content to make the book a must have. Actually come to think of it most of the text does seem like filler, too generic to be interesting. A book this size shouldn't be a novel, it should be mostly photos. With only one or two photos per actress there definitely needs to be a lot more photos.

great pictures and an in depth look at each girl and her relationship to the movie

Perhaps my expectations were too high, but when I had read other reviews I hoped for the best. This is not the best. So, what one is the best? It is the one yet to be published. yet I will admitt that this one is the best out there that I have seen. A book on Bond women should have a lot more pictures, and more inside stories would help as well; yes, more photos, that would do the trick.

If you are a James Bond lover...you will ENJOY this book!!! Great book!!!

I have read 4 or 5 collections of travel adventures and this is by far the cream of the crop. I would gift this to any man or woman who loves to explore. A real treasure.

This book is amazing. With a full-time job and a toddler, I need a book I can pick up and read a little at a time. I found myself thinking about this book all day and pouring through it each night. I love to travel, but haven't been able too as much as I'd like in recent years. This book not only makes me feel as though I've been on an adventure - several! - but it has inspired me to make mental notes of where I will be off to on my next trip. The great thing about the stories is the feeling that with a little motivation, any reader could be the next to take a trip and write a story. A great pick-me-up, there's-so-much-out-there-to-experience, carpe-diem, kick-in-the-patooty book! I highly recommend it.

In a hurry, I pulled this gem off the shelf and took it to work for lunch time adventures. Inside of a page I realized I'd read it a couple of years ago, but I never turned back. Bond collected no near misses; every story in this volume is outstanding. Its full of longing, rough and tumble, sensitive bonding, self-realization, hilarious mix-ups, reality checkpoints, stark terror and pain, transcendance, and pride of achievement--all crammed into a heavy volume you don't want to end. Read it. Read it again.

Ride a horse through China. Trek in Nepal. Ride on the back of a motorcycle from California to Northeast Canada. These women are adventurous... yet are normal women with real fears. After reading this book you'll have the courage to be more independent and challenge-seeking. The stories range from the thrill-seekers (think African safari) to conservative travellers (such as going to Gatlinburg for a weekend with the girls)...but illustrates that stepping out of your comfort zone means different things to different women. It's the effort that counts.

I bought this book to accompany me on a long trip, and wished I hadn't. The stories are very similar to each other, with platitudes of the 'my eyes met with the old woman in the rice paddy, and something wordless was exchanged' variety. I know there are better examples out there: why couldn't the editor find them?

When my counselor recommended this book I was not at all sure that the material applied to me. Boy, was I wrong! This book has proven to be insightful and helpful in identifying patterns in my life that came from a dysfunctional family of orgin. To do all of the work that the book suggests will require a significant time investment and I think to really get the most out of it at least one insightful and trained person to guide you through. I am just at the point where I am putting my action plan into writing and practice so I can't claim lifechanging events yet. It has, however, given me the insight and the tools to move forward. And I feel the first seeds of hopefulness sprouting in my life.

I am very thankful for this book, I learned things about myself that I couldn't quite figure out. This is the best thing I have seen about identifying these betrayal bonds. The problem I had with the book was it wasn't very helpful about where to go next and how to get better. I wish I would have had this years ago, and it was incredibly helpful in helping me identify things I never knew where they were coming from, and that is very helpful.

I read the book again and changed my review.

I felt this book identified the problem extremely well. I could see how a relationship I've been in fits the description of a betrayal bond nearly perfectly. However, I was disappointed in that I did not think the solution was very clearly explained. In fact, p. 35 says that trauma bonds "can be formed almost instantaneously, but they can last forever," leaving me to wonder if there is any hope. p. 165 identifies the dimensions of recovery as healthy bonds, boundary development, role development, trauma resolution, systems change, sense of self, key metaphors, and a recovery plan. However, I did not feel that these dimensions (except perhaps the recovery plan) were adequately explained in the book. One final criticism is that the suggestion to develop healthy bonds seems to focus only on developing healthy bonds with a therapist and support groups. Not everyone is going to feel the need for therapy and support groups, if they have adequate support from significant people in their life. Why doesn't the author address the importance of forming healthy bonds with family and friends? I would think a trauma survivor would be better off with healthy, supportive relationships in their life in the form of family and friends, than to become dependent on a therapist and support group. I am not much of a believer in psychotherapy, so I did not find this particular book very useful. I would have liked concrete suggestions for how to detach from the person who I have this unhealthy bond with.

This is a must read for anyone working with children or teens. Especially good for social workers, psychologists, youth leaders, and any family that has dealt with or is dealing with sexual or physical abuse of a loved one. I cannot give this book a high enough rating. Our daughter was sexually abused as a minor by a (used to be) good friend that we had known for 15 years. She had a very hard time getting out of the situation even as an adult. People do not understand the manipulation, brain washing, lying etc. that goes on in such a situation. If only we had known the signs to look for. Thanks you Patrick Carnes for your insight and for trying to open the eyes of the ignorant.

This is a sensitive but straight forward book on the roles that are played out in relationships between the addict and those involved with them. Dr. Carnes also runs a rehabilative center, "Gentle Path" for those who recognize that they are addicted to sex. This is recommended reading for anyone who is willing to give addiction a honest look and what role the non-addict plays in their lives. It is powerful and worth following to find sanity, answers, and peace.