Foley Books

Do not let the stale title fool you here. Foley employs some wonderful ethnographic, qualitative research methods in this piece of work. Foley disobeys the old, archaic rules of the social sciences, in that he leaves his objectivitiy behind and immerses himself into the city of North Town (a mythical name). Texas is much more than Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. The author shows us another side of the state. Foley focuses on the South Texas region and its much too often ignored Mexican American population. Many people do not realize the old, colonized treatment that Mexican Americans are still subjugated to and Foley makes a point of writing about this in his text. In addition to being an ethnographic account of the socially inequities that exist between the dominant Anglo population and the subordinate Mexican American population in North Town, this book is also an analysis and critique of an educational system. Foley demonstrates how the educational system in North Town perpetuates inequality and tracks its young people to take their assigned role in society according to their socioeconomic status and their ethnic background. Learning Capitalist Culture is a book for those not only interested in the social sciences, but those of us interested in research techniques and methodological approaches that are new, exciting, and part of a new kind of social science model.

Doug Foley wrote a very food account of a small town in this book. It is an ethnographic, and fuliflls that part. Mostyl the book discusess the race relation of the poor town, and delves into the politics that make such a racial divide possible. I highly recommend it!

This book is outstanding. A collection of stories, it reads more like a novel. Ruth, who might be referred to as the main character, is a survivor. But what makes her different, what makes her compelling, is the complexity of her responses to pain. Unwilling to let those who hurt her control her, she takes her own pain hostage, showing it, as it were, who is in charge.

These stories are not about victimization; they are about the high price of rejecting the idea of victimization. Ruth gets hurt, yes. But her responses to pain are the responses of an organism. Her survival -- and indeed this is precisely what it is -- is survival in the most Darwinian terms: Ruth survives by adapting -- not by running away.

There is triumph here, redemption in Ruth's fear of fear. This book is not so much a book to be read as a book to keep on reading.

Sylvia Foley's Life in the Air Ocean is a quick read in that it grabs you and won't let go. But layered and exact observations about the inner life and its consequent actions reward the careful reader. Her precise, beautiful writing captures the moments across years that make up a family history -- not the public one, but a private, under-the-skin history.

"Love Prevails" is an intimate novel that skillfully captures the thrill of love, the hope of survival, and the heartbreak of terminal cancer. Theresa and Mac are avant-garde professionals with a love for spiritual and physical beauty. They thrive by hiking in the spectacular scenery of New Mexico and absorbing the warm charm of Key West. The overriding theme is heart-felt relationships suffering in the shadows and under strains of failing health. The story shows the day to day struggles of a couple, their families, and friends over Mac's last two-years on Earth. What raises this novel to excellence is the author's honest insights into personal relationships under stress. The reader can easily connect to the clear and true feelings of the characters. You will experience their swings of emotion and be gripped by the tragedy of loss. In the end you will agree that Love Prevails.

I just got my copy and am only half-way through the book, but I am engrossed by this tale of new love overshadowed by an unwelcome, closeted guest. As Ms. Foley analyzes the developing relationship between the lovers and the effects of the "fifth wheel" that comes between them, one can hardly help but see all sides and feel real empathy for her characters.
The author's descriptions of Santa Fe and Key West ring true to anyone who has visited or lived in either of those exotic American desitnations and add an interesting dimension to thre story.

I had the pleasure of seeing both of these plays on the stage in New York. The productions were entertaining and moving because the writer has managed to recreate these ancient tales with a modern theatrical sensibility -- seeing the past through a contemporary lens, not for jokey incongruity, but in order to explore how these larger-than-life myths reflect eternal truths. Cressida is my favorite: a powerful tale of love torn apart by war. These plays are romantic, wise, and witty -- plus they contain great scenes and monologues for young actors.

I was involved in one of the first productions of this Play. We actually held the New England premiere. My company was lucky enough to have Mr. Foley attend a rehersal and answer questions, as well as attend our production. It is a modernization of the greek Orestia. Very entertaining to be involved in, as well as an extremely good learning tool. Would be great for High Schoolers, who need to know the story but dont want to read long drawn out verbose books. Contains strong language, and wouldnt be suitable to young readers. I highly reccomend reading or even performing this piece.

Parting Ways has a twisted kind of dark humour. Definitely check it out. I think everyone feels a little disconnected from their 'true self' at times. Parting Ways takes this to the extreme, with results that are disturbingly hilarious.

Parting ways: The near life experiences of Peter Orbach is a work of art. Speakeasy Comics produced another book of pure quality and originality with one. The graphic novel, which is written by Andrew Foley, with art by Scott Mooney and Nick Craine, shows that comic books really aren't all about clichéd capes and villains that have to spell out their plans right before they "win". The story is one that most can relate to; it's about a man who has reached the edge of reason and decides suicide is the only way out. We then see the journey of the man, Peter, to the afterlife, but not the afterlife of pearly gates and fire ridden underworlds. He's dead now, but his body continues to live on Earth, living how Peter never would have lived.

This book has crisp artwork and a story that rightfully deserves to be turned into a silver screen hit. If you are a fan of sequential art, art in general, or simply a great story, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. You won't be disappointed.

Peace of Heart: Reflections on Choices in Daily Life is broken into 4 weeks each containing 7 days of reflections. Each week has its own focus: (1) Staying Rooted in God's Presence; (2) An Eternal Perspective; (3) The Peace of Charity; (4) Being at Peace with Oneself.

Father Foley draws from a wide knowledge of literature when he writes. Some representative authors are Shakespeare, St. Thomas Aquinas, Hans Kung, John Milton, William Wordsworth, Ken Blanchard (of the One Minute Manager), C.S. Lewis, Kathleen Norris and Cardinal Newman as well as many others. From his Carmelite tradition Father Foley quotes from, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and St. Therese of Lisieux.

The first reflection references the title of the book and lays the foundation for all that follows. "The great principle of the interior life lies in peace of heart," writes De Caussade. "It must be preserved with such care that the moment it is in danger, everything else should be abandoned for its re-establishment...The reason for this is that peace and tranquility of spirit alone give the soul great strength to achieve all that God wills."

If our hearts are at peace we have a place where we can meet God in prayer. Each day the book provides the topic that can help lead us into this prayerful encounter. Although I think all of the reflections are notable, I was touched by week 4, day 6. "The next time that you are anxious, don't pray that the anxiety goes away but rather for the strength to bear it and to continue loving your neighbor in spite of it. If you do so, you will feel a peace beyond understanding because within the swirl of your anxiety you will become aware of a still point -- the presence of God"

I highly recommend this book. Buy one for yourself and extras to give your friends.

Subtitled Reflections on Choices in Daily Life, this new entry in the "7 x 4" series consists of 28 short meditations (one a day for 4 weeks). Marc Foley, a Carmelite priest, presents the material under four themes: staying rooted in God's presence, an eternal perspective, the peace of charity, and being at peace with oneself. Each individually titled entry covers one to two pages. Most contain a story or quotation that illustrates the theme and end with a question to ponder or a suggestion for a small action that might increase the odds of finding peace of heart, mind, and soul in the near term. One of my favorites, Where Will You Live Today? addresses the "endless stream of images and emotionally laden ideas that we cannot stop." Foley retells a Chinese proverb reminding us that while we cannot control birds (negative and anxious thoughts) who wish to fly over our heads, we can prevent them from "building nests in our hair." We choose our thoughts, he writes, and rather than brood, "we can gently focus our mind on God's Eternal Presence dwelling within us, realizing that we can never be alone, never separated from the One who loves us."

Like the earlier entries in the 7 x 4 series, this pocket-sized gem would make a wonderful gift for self or others.

Easy read. Great book for dog lovers and those that like boats.

"Sinbad of the Coast Guard" is a wonderful book for adults and
children about a homeless puppy who gets sneaked onboard a
Coast Guard ship by one of the sailors and grows up to be the world famous mascot of not only his ship, the USS Campbell, but
also the mascot of the entire Coast Guard.
It is a story of how Sinbad received his name, how exactly he
got on the ship, his life on board with his shipmates, most of
this occurring during the height of World War II on the stormy
waters of the North Atlantic.
Sinbad and his crew had some real scary encounters with Nazi
U boats who had only one objective: to sink the Campbell and
any other Allied ships they could destroy. In one incident, the
Campbell ends up sinking the German sub, but is severely damaged
in the process and has to be towed to port.
Sinbad eventually retired and lived out his life at the Barnegat Light, New Jersey Coast Guard Station where he was buried with
honors and his gravestone survives to this day as does his
memory which will endure forever thanks to "Sinbad of the Coast
Guard".

This book shows the front side of every Topps baseball card that was created from their inception in 1951 through 1990, when the book was published. It also includes the "Traded Series" for those players drafted or traded during said year. Each year has a section of what happened in the season during said year, and has a quiz. The quiz asks a question, and the answer is told in the form of a number, which correlates to a specific players card number for that year. This book is a joy to have, especially at looking into the past and seeing the players of yesteryear. The book is heavy, as it is almost 11 pounds, but it is well worth it!

Excellent View of all Topps Baseball Cards Presented Yearly of each cards front face reduced to approx. 20% of the actual size on nice premium glosy thick paper. Hoping that someday maybe the size (larger) and back side of each card can be made in the same format. For now the next best thing to actually owning the entire collection which (Depending of course on condtion) could cost approx. half million dollars. An excellent gift for any baseball card fan of years gone by to re-live there child-hood memories in this massive volume weighting more than 10-lbs.

Book Review
When the Focus Is on Care: Palliative Care and Cancer
Kathleen M. Foley, M.D., Editor
Atlanta: American Cancer Society, 2005, 337 pp.

The American Cancer Society publishes a wide range of quality books on cancer. This one was written by a variety of MDs, PhDs and other experts. Most cancer books are written by individual patients, doctors or good journalists. Those written by a highly-qualified group are unusual, thorough and valuable.
This book focuses on the needs of the patient in the latter stages of the disease rather than the earlier phases of treatment and cure. As death becomes more visible and likely, the patient needs special care to maintain quality of life when cure is no longer possible and the success of treatments is fading. Other problems now must be dealt with: serious illness, new legal and financial matters, caregiving and all the heavy issues related to death and grief.
The book is as much for caregivers as it is for patients. It is said that there should be caregivers for the caregivers, who go through many emotional, financial and activity management problems of their own. This book provides the expert information and advice that will help both patients and caregivers solve problems, maintain hope and positive attitudes and prepare for final days.
Every year in America, more than 500,000 people die of cancer. Most of them will face the problems covered in this book. As I deal with my own cancer, survey the literature and research and write a book about how to fight the disease, this essential book rises to the top of my recommended list.
John Roberts (www.CanFighter.com)

This book is great in that it is easy to skip through as you want to focus on specific chapters or topics without reading the whole thing. I do recommend reading their introduction and definitions of palliative and hospice care.
The writing style is easy, very matter of fact, not overly academic, but doesnt talk down to the reader.
The book talks about types of care, choices for the person who is ill or dying, and for their family. And very helpful: what various stages of dying look like emotionally/psychologically/ and physically.
Being a learner who needs both book learning plus hands on experiences, this book helped me alot as my mother was ill and dying.
The hospice organization who helped us was tremendous and had some resources too but this book has it all.

One of my co-workers recommended this book to me and I am so glad that I decided to buy it. In it is all the information I could ever need in order to begin to educate myself on every aspect of my physical and emotional health. Ladies, we all need to be informed about our minds and bodies. And this book is an excellent place to start. I just can't believe that I got a brand new copy for only 39 CENTS!

"Good marriages are not necessarily based on equality or on evenly divvying things up but on a sense of fairness. It's an overall faith in the relationship that your needs will be met. If not now, then later."

The chapter on marriage is rather harsh for any woman who is about to get married. I'd not recommend it. lol Ok, reality is that there is no happily after. I am so tired of people telling me, "Go find happily ever after." It doesn't exist and they read too many fairy tales. Marriage is work, and those are the facts. It is always easier to leave than to work out the problems. This book is at least very honest in this regard. It is like the woman's "reality check" book.

It is true that women do carry the fantasy around that a knight in shining armor will take them from their slavery and carry them off into bliss. But that is what fantasies are for. To help us deal with reality.

They do have some intriguing lists of what a "Happy Marriage" is.

They also have an interesting comment about "the pain of being with him was stronger than the pain of being without him" in regards to women who seek love from men who can't ever give them what they need or want.

I've owned two copies of this impressive book. Not only does this Women's Encyclopedia deal with health issues, it delves into the deep and often confusing issues pertaining to the emotional life of women.

This is not a medical guide as much as a reference volume. This guide will assist you in your decision making process, but it was not written as a substitute for any treatment prescribed by your doctor.

The Contents Include:

Aging, Anemia, Anger, Anxiety, Birth Control Pills, Blemishes, Body Image, Breast Care, Breastfeeding, Breast Surgery, Cancer, The New Celibacy, Cellulite, Cesarean Section, Childbirth, Child Care, Child-Free By Choice, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Contraception, Cosmetic Surgery, Cystitis, D and C, Dating, Dependencies, Depression, Dieting, Divorce, Dual Careers, Eating Disorders, Endometriosis, Estrogen Replacement Therapy, Exercise, Fatigue, Fibrocystic Breasts, Fibroids, Friendship, Grief, Gynecologists, Heart Disease, Housework, Hysterectomy, Incontinence, Infertility, Infidelity, Inhibited Sexual Desire, Jealousy, Marriage, Married Men, Medical Care, Menopause, Menstrual Problems, Miscarriage and Stillbirth, Money, Monogamy, Mother, Motherhood, Motherhood Versus Career, Motherhood Minus Marriage, Nutrition, Office Romance, Osteoporosis, Overweight, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Physical Abuse, Pregnancy, Pregnancy after 35, Premenstrual Syndrome, Prenatal Testing, Prolapsed Uterus, PSLQ, Rape, Remarriage, Retirement Planning, Role Models, Self-Esteem, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Dysfunction, Sexual Harassment, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Siblings, Single Life, Sterilization, Superwoman Syndrome, Thyroid Problems, Vaginal Infections, Varicose Veins, Virginity, Widowhood and Wrinkles.

Whew! They really do cover a lot and it is all fascinating reading.

This is truly a compendium of health problems women experience throughout their lives.

A book that shows you how to take control of your health and your emotions.

I can't believe people are selling this book for one cent. But hey, get one while you can. ;)

~The Rebecca Review