Brown Books

Women Who Love Psychopaths is a great eye-opener. For years I haven't been able to figure out why there were so many controlling men in my life. I'm smart, caring, trusting, friendly, empathetic and loyal, just the qualities that a psychopath looks for in his women. Now that I've read this book, I have a much better idea why I'm in this situation. Can't wait for their next book that will tell us what to do about this dilemma.

I'm kind of new to the whole psychology scene. A group of friends was passing this book around and sharing it and I was blown away by it. So far as psychology terms I'm quite novice but Brown and Leedom do a great job of presenting the facts in terms a novice can understand. It was a little difficult, being male and that I had to take a good look at myself in my own relationship(s). Regardless though of gender it brings a person into the microscope of studying the psychopath.

"Women Who Love Psychopaths" is an eye-opening experience and certainly a must read. This book revealed many things about ourselves and our weakness, both men and women. And, it is a good book for those who have fallen in love with such a psychopathic individuals and how we can learn to spot the signs and how we can survive the toxic relationships.

It is most certainly a great research into the situation. I would highly recommend it along with Sandra Brown's How to Spot a Dangerous Man Before You Get Involved.

Based off a case study of seventy-five women, Women Who Love Psychopaths is Sandra Brown's latest tome dealing with dangerous men, and how to spot them before they can seriously cause damage. Liane Leedom also contributed, however her view of psychopathy is something more along the lines of the DSM-IV category, which anyone who studies the subject know is grossly misleading and quite inaccurate. The book offers a look inside the minds of psychopaths (which is the part I recommend you skip), as well as the minds and emotional traits of the women that tend to be their victims. It also gives an extremely details look at the 'bonding' process these women go through, how their psychopaths were able to hook them and keep them once their pathological behavior starts to rear its ugly head.

My biggest complaint about the book are its contributions by Liane Leedom. For example, on page 19 we're told, "ADHD is often a precursor to psychopathy." which simply isn't true. No reference is cited nor have I seen this in the classic literature (Hare, Cleckley, etc.) There was also a tendency to quote Wikipedia as if it's a reliable source. If I've learned anything about Wikipedia is that it's good for something, mundane things, like the temperature of the sun or a superficial look at history or definitions, but when it comes to sensitive topics, like the Israel-Palestinian bit, Iran, or psychopathy that the information is likely to be skewed in favor of the mainstream. If you want a good example contrast these two entries on the topic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy and http://enpsychopedia.org/index.php/Psychopathy. That latter one has good case studies of individual nut jobs too if you're interested.

What I really like about WWLP is that it gives us a good look at the women (and by extension anyone) who has a tendency to fall for psychopathic personalities and get ensnared in their pathological machinations. It gives us a plethora of red flags to look for in terms of their behavior, which can be useful in identifying pathological personalities at home, at work, or in our social life.

Some choice quotes on the matter:

"Interestingly, this is the only major trait that the psychopath's woman shares with the psycho¬path--the issue of extraversion and excitement seeking. This is the attraction, the hook-up factor, and the issue upon which their dating relationship was based, the exciting extraverted life they both want to live! If you wondered what the first part of their attraction to each other was: here it is! But there is also more to what attracted her and kept them together."

"As wonderful as competitiveness is in regular life, her competitiveness however, is a downfall in the relationship with the psychopath. This is because as the relationship begins to become patho¬logically-driven and his crazy-making increases instead of running for the hills she is likely to stay and battle it out."

"Women who love psychopaths tested very high in relationship investment and positive sociability. These are the kinds of women psychopaths like to target. The psychopath uses positive rewards to establish his patterns of power, control, and dominance in a woman's life."

"If a woman is ending a previous relationship in which she didn't get much affection, hooking up with a psychopath can feel like she has hit the 'Affection Lotto!' At least in the beginning many psychopaths know that to give affection is to increase her sense of attachment, and her corresponding loyalty. Psychopaths see affection as a way of exerting power and dominance over both the relationship and the emotions of their partners"

"These cooperation traits are her drawing card to a psychopath. Her over-flowing empathy, tolerance, friendliness, compassion, supportiveness and her moral prin¬ciples are what balance the lopsided scales of the relationship with him, since he lacks these quali¬ties. This delicate balance helps to camouflage the glaring gaps of the character traits between them. Her cooperativeness helps to smooth out the character he doesn't have and makes the relationship seem more normal. We think that very high cooperativeness is the most significant reason these specific women were targeted. Psychopaths instinctively know that women high in coopera¬tiveness will stay in relationships with them longer."



I could go on, but you get the idea. Friendly, cooperative, empathic, loyal, extraverted, tolerant, well-adjusted women are like a gold-mine, literally, for the psychopath. He'll use her strengths against her in order to keep her right where he wants her, while he drains her bank account, emotional vitality and all of the time their psychological and physiological health suffers as a result.

One of the most interesting traits I discovered during the reading was: "..the women in the survey when given the choice between trusting what the psychopath says he has done/not done/or will do, or trusting what she has caught him actually doing, women who love psychopaths will likely choose the words over the actions."

Now that's pretty scary. We're also given info on how he uses sex as a primer, in order to have her bond with him, chemically:

"Sex kick-starts the premature bonding process. The touching and sexual stimulation seals the love bond. The stimulation of the vagina and cervix during sex causes the release of the hormones prolactin and oxytocin. These hormones travel to the bonding centers of the brain and produce an emotional and hormonal attachment to the man. The importance of these hormones in female attachment is these are the exact hormones produced in pregnancy and nursing. They are responsible for a woman's ability to bond to babies! The more sex she has with the psychopath, the more these attachment hormones are released, and the more bonded she feels to the psychopath. This isn't merely the cuddling of love making. This is a biochemical process occurring in her body and brain increasing her sense of attachment...but tragically, to a psychopath! These are the hormones of motherhood attachment. Just like motherly love is unconditional, a sexual bond is also unconditional. She will find out just what it will cost her to have this intense unconditional attachment and love bond to a psychopath."



Psychopaths also instinctively know how to induce trance-like states in normal people:

"Trance produces perceptual biases. That means if the psychopath is telling her wonderful things and she is euphoric with him, she tends to associate wonderful and euphoric things with the memory of him...even after he's turned into a monster. While in trance, a woman tends to "cement" what she felt or learned in that state. That's why it's so difficult for women to believe he's a liar, swindler, or cheater because she learned all the wonderful things about him in trance states that have been "cemented" in her memory."



It's a chilling read. Later the book has discussions of what the women felt while their were with their psychopath, and how it has affected their lives once they've managed to break away from them. Most interestingly we are given a step by step explanation of the relationship as it progresses from the initial meet and attraction, subsequent bonding and infatuation to the eventual downward spiral into emotional manipulation, psychological (sometimes physical and sexual) abuse, and financial loss.

Overall Women Who Love Psychopaths is a great book, solely for it's look into pathological "love" relationships, how they get started, their downward trend, and the overall affects on the lives of the non-pathological partner. The stories are real, visceral, and sad and should serve to educate all of us on the warning signs, before we too before another victim.

Wish I could give it a zillion starts. Learn how your greatest strength in normal circumstances become your greatest weakness when dealing with people as pathologically damaged as psychopaths. The authors took research surveys from 75 women and came up with a victim profile that is spot on. There are quotes from victims as well as great advice on how to spot the warning signs and run run run if you encounter a psychopath.
Women who love psychopaths is a concise easy read too. Even if you haven't experienced the pain of having loved a psychopath it should be read by every woman, and man for that matter. There are also female psychopaths after all. Which brings me to the only issue I have with the book-it's written for women. When the title is considered it isn't really an issue but I still think it is good advice for anyone who may fall in love with a psychopath, regardless of the gender of the victim or the aggressor. It's fantastic research by the authors. Get a copy for someone you care about, especially if the person is looking for love. While at it, get a copy of Sandra Brown's other book: how to spot a dangerous man before you get involved. Both are necessary reading.

A self-described "working class intellectual" with a passion for collecting jazz records and a "flunky gig" as a file clerk in a VA hospital, Harvey Pekar pioneered the literary comic genre. His long-running series American Splendor portrays not caped superheroes with bulging muscles, but the everyday life of an ordinary guy in Cleveland. Pekar's autobiographical vignettes are introspective, honest, and often funny, candidly revealing his flaws and failures as he pushes on heroically in pursuit of love, companionship, and creative fulfillment.

Pekar's realistic dialogue (the characters speak in different dialects, which helps you "hear" them in your head) accompanies a wide range of art styles by a number of comic artists, from the quirkiness of R. Crumb to the stark realism of Greg Budgett and Gary Dumm and the meticulous, photographic detail of Gerry Shamray.

For me, this book was a great introduction to an addictive series. Chock full of amusing anecdotes and musings on everything from race relations in Cleveland to the joy of a good pair of shoes, it's a slice of life in comic book form.

This collection of Pekar writings from the 1970s and 80s was issued on the heels of the film "American Splendor," and it collects some of the best of Pekar's earlier work. Although not exclusively chronological, the presentation of the material gives a good idea of Pekar's life from his post-high school days through his meeting and marrying Joyce Brabner. (For a strictly chronological memoir, see Pekar's recent The Quitter.)

In the later Pekar work, the centerpiece of much of it is Pekar's obsessive-compulsive anxiety. But a lot of this work focuses on what might be described as Pekar's existential anxiety: his terrible loneliness, his anger and alienation, his dark reflections on the meaning of life, his desire for recognition, his regret over wasted opportunities and adolescent hubris, and his worries about future contingencies (financial security, illness and death, old age). The Pekar who comes through in these pages isn't the lovable crank of the film. Rather, the person who comes through is the outsider, a self-educated man, extremely knowledgeable in literature and music, who disdains a "normal" lifestyle and seeks freedom through nonconformity. Perhaps the finest single piece Pekar has ever written, "I'll be Forty-three on Friday (How I'm Living Now)" speaks to all this. The collection's lead story, "The Harvey Pekar Name Story," in which Pekar winds up asking "Who IS Harvey Pekar?" is a perfect set-up.

Of course, there are also lighter moments in this collection. Mr. Boats (wonderfully illustrated by R. Crumb) appears here a couple of times, and he's always good for a bit of gently funny homespun wisdom. "Mrs. Roosevelt and the Young Queen of Greece" and "On the Corner: A Sequel, June 1976" are touching pieces about the bittersweetness of memory. And the penultimate story in the collection, "Common Sense," would make even a dyed-in-the-wool misanthrope love humanity.

Highly recommended.

I've been a fan of Harvey Pekar's work for over fifteen years. The first time I ever read his self-published comix, American Splendor, I was impressed by its examination of everyday life. His self-effacing humor grows on those who want more than mainstream comics starring spandex-clad teens with superpowers. Compared with Pekar, Spidey has it easy.

I was happy when this movie tie-in release of his early collected work was published. The everyday brilliance of the real life interactions between Pekar and his friends, co-workers and loved ones merit more attention by discerning readers. It would behoove anyone who cares about the comix medium to claim a copy for their personal reading enjoyment. This volume is not for collectors, but for fans of alternative graphic literature who want more meat and potatoes rather than the visual eye candy of more mainstream publishers.

Pekar has been described as a "working class intellectual" (The Comics Journal), and this label is respectfully accurate. He comes from a generation who grew up devouring a culture that had more respect for intelligence than is common today. Instead of just mourning this trend, Pekar rebels from it in true beatnik fashion. His long-time association with R. Crumb (who drew the very first American Splendor story, "The Harvey Pekar Name Story") attracted other artists within Cleveland as well as from other locations as the series has progressed.

The everyday heroism of Pekar working a civil service job in order to create his vision of the potential of graphic literature comes through in every page of this collection. I am glad that there are other collections and issues of American Splendor that are available. It would be grand if future generations of comix fans could gravitate around the work that Pekar has never tired from creating. Even at the worst of his lymphoma and chemo treatments, he has never quit observing and relating the drama of everyday life.

i own i think every american splendor collection book there is, and this one is my favorite. there's a few in particular that really blow me away (the one with pekar wondering around a park, reflecting on his past marriage, his present, and whether there is a God is spectacular). there are a wide variety of artists, from the goofy robert crumb drawings to more serious ones. there are certainly weak points IMO, but not as much as in the other collections. while "the quitter" is his most consistent i've read so far, there's no replacement for finding a really cool comic collection like this and reading through it, finding a bunch of random pekar stories and seeing which ones you enjoy best.

American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar is the largest published collection of the comic series, containing the complete text of American Splendor and More American Splendor. With an introduction by R. Crumb and art by Kevin Brown, Gregory Budgett, Sean Carroll, Sue Cavey, R. Crumb, Gary Drumm, Val Materick, and Gerry Shamray this is 320 pages of a classic American comic.

Pekar's work is a cerebral approach to the comic medium. Many of the panels have no dialog and only illustrate the external while the text reveals the thought stream of Pekar's mind. His ability to portray the inner workings of his thoughts, in a humorous and sympathetic manner, is the key to the success of his writings. The comic is a working class version of Seinfeld with a populist self-made intellectual as the leading character. Yet there is a Existentialist angst to this work that puts it in a class by itself.

Wonderful book for nature buffs. Instructions very easy to follow, lots of detail and helpful information on applique as well as lovely patterns for nature lovers birds,flowers, and such. Lovely book to read cover to cover with good reference material to return to when working with hand applique.

it is the best book i have ever seen . besides giving guidance on applique it also gives good idea on embroidary and fabric painting. only if there was more guidance on fabric suppliers it wud have helped

I had been seeking a book that combined needle turn applique and embroidery ,and Little Brown Bird has fit the bill perfectly, it also uses fabric pens to add even more detail to the designs.This is a beautiful, well written book with good explanations on fabric used and technique. I would highly recommend it.

Karen
Clare Valley Sth. Australia

A wonderful book with patterns, conversation, and instructions. A delight for everyone who loves applique either in large or smaller projects. Highly recommend.

This quilting book provides great illustrations
and complete instructions. I am looking forward
to making some of the blocks using the colors
that are suggested.

I bought this because I am a fan of Clay Aiken. He is so good at reading stories and does a great job of changing his voice to suit the various characters.

We gave this CD to our daughter for her birthday as she recently has started listening to audiobooks and has enjoyed Arthur for awhile. This has been very nice to listen to in the car, and we were pleased to see that some of the profits go to a good cause. The only glitch is that many of the Arthur stories rely on the talented artistry of Marc Brown to convey the scene. Without the book directly in front of the child, parents really may need to explain what was visually shown by Marc Brown. Ex: In Arthur's Tooth, Arthur loses his first tooth because he is shoved by Francine. This is shown in the book, but never said in the story. My daughter wondered why Arthur was grateful to be pushed roughly. Aside from this, it has been great fun.

This is a fantastic choice for children who love Arthur. The stories are so well read by the celebrities that they really capture my son's attention (he's almost 3), and mine too as I listened to some of my favorite stars (Kelly Ripa). I usually played this in his room when he was having quiet time/nap time. He would be able to play quietly because he was listening to the stories, which are his favorite anyway.

My kids love Arthur and this product is a nice treat! Each of the celebrities brought their own unique personality to the Arthur stories and make the entire Audiobook really enjoyable. It's also nice to see such wonderful celebrities take time out to record stories for charity.

Aside from the feel good factor, this is a really fun product that includes some of my favorite Arthur stories, pictures from his beloved books, the catchy Ziggy Marley theme song and a host of interactive games to keep the kids occupied. Don't be fooled! There's a lot on this little CD!

I highly recommend it.

I bought this for my cousin who is obsessed with Arthur. After listening to it with her -- I just had to go out and buy one for myself! It is so much fun hearing the celebrities read -- and who doesn't love Arthur??!!

My mother read this book when she was a child. Then she told me to check it out from the library when I decided I was old enough to read a book with chapters. I think I was about 8, and I loved this book. I read it over and over. Even though I am now 22, if this was still in print I would buy a hardcover copy and keep it on my bookshelf just in case I wanted to be a kid again for a couple hours...

My sisters and I adored this wonderful book when we were kids. I read my dilapidated copy to my own children and wish it was still in print so I could give copies to all the kids I love. It's a wonderful story about a little girl who suddenly gains the power to read minds. She goes on a quiz show to get the money to save a favorite park in her community -- she can "hear" the answers. But of course nothing turns out exactly the way it was supposed to, and of course there is a very happy ending. One of the nicest things about this book is its lesson that we cannot read minds, but we can hear the thoughts and wishes of people we care about if we listen with our hearts. This is a little dated but a lot of fun, and very wise.

i have twin boys who have just turned five, and i cannot wait for them to be able to enjoy this book. (i might jump the age recommendation and get them going on this sooner than 9)

i signed this book out of my public school library in etobicoke (toronto) ontario, and read and re-read it probably a half dozen times ... it's a classic.

I am nine years old and I just read this book on a long car ride. It was so good I did nothing but read on the whole car ride. I liked Jenny because she was brave and she didn't give up on getting something that was really hard to get.

When I was in the 5th grade, about 34 years ago, my teacher read this book out loud to the class. We laughed & loved it so much. I've been thinking about this book and was so excited when I found it on Amazon. I plan to read it to my 7-year-old son. I'm sure he'll love it. I can't believe it's still in print.

I like the fact that a man has written a book to help us women who find ourselves in a situation where we could Beat Him At His Own Divorce! I am currently using much of the advice in this book as I write this review. In my busy schedule, I needed an easy to understand book, with a practical strategy on how to approach the overwhelming task of responding to the "divorce bomb" without curling up in a fetal position to lose the war before the first battle is even begun. This book's greatest strength lies in both the clarity and brevity of its explanations, and the sense of humor used by the author which provides much needed encouragement in an otherwise tragic situation. While nobody wins in a divorce, I can see how one can minimize the damage and avoid being trampled by implementing the strategies offered in this book. I am currently using this book to structure my search for information and "team members" to aid in my defense. Furthermore, the author invites you to email him if you buy the book, and is true to his word about responding. Thanks Ted Knight for performing a great service to those of us who find ourselves in an otherwise horrifying predicament. I would recommend every woman caught in the storm of a divorce to start with this book!

To paraphrase Mr. Knight on page 39, of this book. I especially found it rather interesting, that in one particular situation, the future X to be, was crying "wolf!" Where finances were concerned. The wife, therefore, hired a "forensic accountant." As it turned out, the future X, had purchased a $400,000 home, with which he planned to live with his new 22 year old, wife to be! The wife, in this case, acquried considerable leverage by the court. Which made the cost of the forensic accountant, worthwhile! This book, is well written, and easy reading. You won't need a translator, to help you deceifer, it's meaning.

while there are many books available on divorce there are few that are succinct enough and simple enough to get your attention when you have been thrust unsuspecting into the middle of a divorce. I have read the book many times in the 2 years since my x initiated our divorce and it has been supremely helpful in helping me atttain my dignity, humor, and resolve in living a life no less without my former. If nothing else it has given me a positive direction to go when no one else could or would. I have followed all the advice and will be living the life I choose thanks to the jump start I got from this book and all the people it helped lead me to. "A reader's review" says it all, if you need help this book is it!

Ted Knight's book is a wonderful resource and gives such valuable insight on the 'Right' things to do before, during, and after a divorce. Every woman involved in a separation or a divorce should read this to bring order, understanding, and organization to the chaos and devastation of a marriage gone bad.

Ted Knight hits the nail right on the head!!! Divorce can be difficult, but you can get through it and as the saying goes ...you might go through the fire but at least you won't come out smelling burnt!!! I re-read the book long after i first got it, and realized much if all is very true... Ladies!!! Hang in there and get your head on straight take what you read and use it to get you through your divorce ...Beat Him! You Can!! Addy

To steal a line from another reviewer "Crusading environmental journalist Jeffrey St. Clair has written a devastating tale of corporate plunder, political hypocrisy and ecological loss." Too bad my copy was printed on virgin not recycled paper. This is a great book for paranoid earth first types who ignore the good and focus on the bad. It tells one side of the story very well. A side that needs to be brought to the fore but I personally am put off by the unwillingness to look at all aspects of the environmental movement. While the focus on a number of individual truths is not necessarily a 'lie' it most likely is also not the 'truth'. Books like this are written for the already indoctrinated not those looking for enlightenment. I suspect dollars had more to do with St. Clair's motivation than concern for the environment.

But the book itself smelled GOOD! It is a very interesting read and an eye opener as well. An eye might just even pop right on out of your head matter a fact! Though it shouldn't, just look around at our world today and our exploited environment. Some issues may just be speculation at the least, but it is definitely a great book for the critical reader.

Don't send in that Sierra Club membership renewal payment just yet, before you read this book!

"Been Brown So Long..." is author Jeffrey St. Clair's best work yet. Consider it required reading for anyone who's ever given money to an environmental group, and especially for environmental activists who want to know which groups are doing the critically important work and which are not. In an era where environmentalism is in decline as a grassroots movement, it is critically important for those who care about the fate of the Earth to examine the nature and cause of this crisis that is perhaps invisible to those who are not involved in movement politics on a daily basis.

One of the most incisive critics of industrial environmentalism today, Mr. St. Clair is, sadly, one of the few writers willing and qualified to dissect the body impolitic of the big enviro groups and their patrons, the Environmental Grantmakers Association and its member foundations chief among them.

Capitalism, the free-market and progress give noble aim to the spirit of man. As documented by St. Clair, their gifts include the advent of factory fish trawlers that make a haul of 400 tons of fish, crabs, and squid in a matter of a couple of hours in the Alaska Bering Sea, 40 percent of which is by-catch waste, churned up and spewed back into the sea, some 550 million pounds a year. What are fish after all, next to Almighty Dollars?

St. Clair disposes the myth of the tree-hugger in his common sense description of the wanton destruction of 95 percent of the ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest, an irremediable teasure. You'll seethe with him at the six figure incomes of leaders of the co-opted and ineffectual environmental NGOs like the Sierra Club. Corporations that "patent" mineral claims for as little as $2.50 an acre by virtue of the anachronistic 1872 Mining Act, and thereby reap millions of dollars of profits off public lands for pennies on the dollar gives animation to the old saw about if you're not outraged!

When Louisiana-Pacific discovers that its newly-patented and supposedly innovative Inner Seal siding emits deadly fumes when exposed to humidity it is quietly shipped off to the mere dusky-hued in Vietnam and Bolivia. Separately, politically connected, L & P profits handsomely in buying cedar off the publicly-owned Tongass Forest in Alaska for $1.50 per thousand board feet and then sells it to Japanese sawmills for as much as $1,500 per thousand board feet. What are American jobs next to corporate profits?

"Hostile intentions toward the people of another country. Deployment of chemical weapons and biological agents. Pursuit of a scorched-earth policy. Sounds like Saddam's Iraq? Think again. This neatly sums up the Bush administrations ongoing depredations in Colombia, all under the shady banner of the war on drugs." Nice to know St. Clair bothers to keep us informed even if our pathetic media don't.

Through all this and more, St. Clair counsels good humor and optimism. And while the stark immensity of what he reports in this book ought by all rights engender a hopeless despair, through the skill of a singular investigative jounalist and a peerless story-teller, just the opposite is true.

Only in Michener's story of the missionaries' sailors' attempt to round Cape Horn in a storm in "Hawaii," have I found the printed word exceeded as viscerally compelling and dramatic, as in St. Clair's narrative of coming face to face with a rattlesnake in the Mojave Desert.

It's the Life Support System, Stupid.

BY

MICHAEL DONNELLY

"They say we can't win without the Big Greens and the funders. Yet, that's the only way we've ever won."
Mike Roselle, co-founder Earth First!

Jeffrey St. Clair's book, "Been Brown So Long It Looked Like Green To Me" (Common Courage Press, 2004) is a 400-page verification of Roselle's statement.

After a brilliant "Opening Statement," the book starts out with an edited version of Alexander Cockburn and Ken Silverstein's summary of the events that led to the modern environmental movement and giving credit where due, surprisingly for many, to our "greatest environmental president" Richard M. Nixon, and, not so unexpectedly to the great Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas and his allies.

The summary goes on to chart the rise and fall of the Big Greens as they tepidly challenged Republican-led depredations and then completely collapsed in a spasm of Clinton sycophancy -- illustrated perfectly by their surrender of the grassroots' Ancient Forest victory.

From there, it's the same thing over and over again in campaign after campaign. St. Clair charts how local activists rise up to challenge corporate assaults on nature only to see the Groundhog Day-like script repeat -- the Big Greens and their foundation masters come in, take credit for the grassroots' hard work, use the issue to raise funds and then cut a Democrat and corporate-friendly "compromise."

There are so many issues covered here, it could very well be the definitive history of every ecological issue since the first Earth Day.

Wilderness issues appear first, as they did for the early environmental movement's heroes like the arch-druid, David Brower. Contrast Brower's life-long dedication to all things wild with the sorry tale of Eastern millionaire G. Jon Roush, then president of the Wilderness Society, who clearcuts ancient forests on his own hobby ranch in Montana's Bitterroot Valley - an act called "roughly akin to the head of Human Rights Watch being caught torturing a domestic servant."

The slaughter of Yellowstone's bison, the strip-mining of the oceans, the suffocating of salmon streams and the murder of activist David Chain all come under much needed scrutiny.

The toxic nature of Big Ag is dissected early on, as are the predations of Big Oil, King Coal and the conscienceless Nuclear industry.

Excellent uncovering of the continued assault on America's indigenous people, their remaining lands and barely hanging on culture is perhaps the books most necessary section. These stories have been all but ignored in the mainstream press. That the spineless Democratic Party Senate "leader," Tom Daschle (D)-SD is able to get Big Green support for yet another raid on Paha Sapa (the Black Hills), the sacred lands of the Sioux is just about all one needs to know about the rot that permeates the Democrats and the DC-based environmental establishment. That the sorry deal on the Black Hills is being used by the Bush administration as the template for "post-fire" logging assaults all over the West shows exactly where the bankrupt pro-Democrat leanings have led.

Stories about military pollution and the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and what's happened to the good people of Fallon, Nevada are the creepiest in the book. It's enough to make one throw up one's hands and run for a cave in the hills.

But, in the end, hope is all over the place. As St. Clair notes time and again, real activists are valiantly working to hold off the predators and their political and nonprofit enablers. Reading their stories and realizing that there are hundreds of folks out there who are fighting for the fate of Gaia, is the antidote to the despair one easily could get locked into.

This is an important tome. Unlike so many other cautious tomes written about environmental issues, it names names and has the facts to back it all up. It also names places - places that deserve better. And, hopefully, with this fine compilation out there, we'll see more support for these special places and an even greater vision motivate generations to come.

This is a great book for kids and even adults! Love the innovative way the vocabulary words were incorporated. The interactive technique makes it fun for kids to read, comprehend and apply what they've learned towards a healthy lifestyle. The colors and illustrations are very nice...not your typical kids' book. Look forward to the next adventures!

I loved your book! Characters are truly loveable.

I received my book today and I LOVE IT! Your characters are simply the best. Good Luck!

The Book is so creative! The perfect holiday gift. The website looks good too! [...]

Truly a loveable story. The characters have child friendly humor. Robert Montano explicitly illustrated each page at its best. My children love it! Ozzy appears to be my son's favorite character. Can't wait for the cartoon.

This is a cute book and has personality in it for journaling.

This perpetual calendar without days of the week written on it is a great idea and in true Susan Branch fashion!

Susan Branch's wonderful artwork and stories that are throughout this perpetual calendar/journal always brings a smile. She comes from a large family, and shares creative and thoughtful ideas for entertaining, celebrations, and holidays that I find to be an inspiration. The binding allows it to lay flat, the paper used takes ink nicely, and the dated spaces are generous. Even after making good use of this same book for so long, I've never grown tired of it, and look forward to starting a new one each year. With the purchase of this one for 2007, I now have a row on my bookshelf dating to 1997!

This is the greatest, most beautiful book, calendar! I am going to be giving one of these to everyone for gifts! This book can brighten your day every time you open it, with the beautiful drawings and sayings. You will not be disapointed.

I just discovered Susan Branch's stickers/books/stencils/stamps/etc. I ordered this book for next year, and want to get one for my sister. It's so cute, and there are lots of Susan's drawings and watercolored leaves, flowers, and hearts...I can't wait to start using it. Couldn't find this in the bookstores anymore, so I ordered it from Amazon and got it within 3 days.

This book gives both the Eastern and Western perspective of infertility and help for the layman to understand both.

Excellent read and informative. It brings hope to those who are experiencing what was described in the book and has helped me change and understand my body better. I bought this book for myself but ended up give it to a friend that needed the information more than I do. Its a perfect gift to give to all women in all walks of life. You are gonna love it!

Nice approach to TCM basics for westerners, a softer sell than Fertility Cure, but not as "scientific." Still, with an authentic "Asian matriarch" voice (smile). Provides actual recipes and meal suggestions, a big plus when trying to change your diet.

After struggling with secondary infertility for 1 year, I had given up on conventional medicine and turned to TCM. I read this book (as well as some others) and immediately made an appointment with a local accupuncturist. After 3 months of accupuncture, modifying my diet and taking chinese herbs, I was pregnant. Baby #2 was born healthy just 6 weeks ago and he will always by my "accu baby". Buy the book - trust your body and give Traditional Chinese Medicine a chance to work for you!

I have gone thru 3 failed IVF and 8 inseminations and speant over 60K. Heartache beyond compare! polluted my body with Chemicals! Had a miscarriage. Went into labor. Had a C-section. and the clincher no baby to show for all the abuse I put my body thru...Shall I go on. All for the sake of western medicine and if I had read this book 1st.Please give this a try you will be armed with invaluable information. Like any business go with someone who is highly recomended call your local accupuncture school, find someone who specializes in infertility. Educate yourself with what truly is going on with your body before you spend your heart& soul. there was no reason for me to not get pregnant, all my results were great FSH 5.5 cycle 27-28 days 14 day luteal phase great lining great hormone levels...at 40 pretty proud of my body, but after I used two different donors and didn't get pregnant with an 80-90% success rate. I new there was something else wrong and that wrong was found in eastern medicine...now we are working to resolve the issue and hopefully....I PRAY