Lawrence Books

Lawrence P. Adams has penned his autobiography. Some may say "Who is he?"...after reading this amazing book I feel as if I really know who Lawrence P. Adams is and I also know that he now knows who he is, too.
Some might say, "Why is this so important?"
To this I say, it is more important than anything else. You see, Lawrence P.has overcome a pitiful past with grace and class and strength. He is to be commended. Living in numerous foster homes, going from place to place with his possessions in a paper bag and ending up at Boys' Town could have left him broken and bitter. But this remarkable individual overcame his less than ideal upbringing to become one of the finest people I have had the pleasure to get to know via email.
I am an adoptive mother and Larry has encouraged me through a rough time of feeling the loss of my daughter after her birth relative reunion. His caring ways and wisdom have given me insight into the mindset of the adopted/foster child. But it was nothing compared to the indepth glimpse I experienced by reading this incredible autobiography.
Two thumbs up for this must read! Now I get it!

In "Lost Son," Adams takes you on a heart wrenching journey of loss, pain, reunion, and joy. He leaves no stone unturned when he illustrates the horrific inadequacies of the foster care system-which were plentiful. He points out the inadequacies and places blame where blame is due. He recounts his suicide attempt, sexual identity struggles, and reunion joys and nightmares. As a survivor of four institutions and eleven foster homes, Adams is without a doubt an expert to say the least. I was moved by his description of the love he felt (and received) by one foster family and his wonderful experience at the famous Boys Town. When he later found out that this foster family tried to adopt him several times, but was denied without explanation, I became angry. His spirit always shines through regardless of the horrors and loss he has endured in 50+ years. He is never the martyr. The horror hits again when his birth mother, after a twelve-year reunion rejects Adams for being gay and the relationship abruptly comes to an end. Again, Adams strength and courage shine through as he removes the negative forces of his life and deals with an unfaithful partner after 22 years, and the epidemic of AIDS that has touched his life immeasurably. The message that is loud and clear is that we must accept the circumstances of our childhood's and move on while at the same time not accept abusive or toxic people in our lives today. He shares with us his lessons in life and how he has worked through the painful parts. Touched by foster care or adoption or not, we can all take heed of his advice. Triad members and mental health professionals need to read this book to learn about the issues that are general to adoption but specific to foster care survivors. Lawrence, your message will not soon be forgotten by this reader for sure.

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Review of: 'LOST SON? A Bastard Child's Journey of Hope, Search, discovery, and Healing' by Lawrence P. Adams

I had met Lawrence, (Larry) Adams on a message board online. I liked his attitude and the things that he wrote about why he wrote the book. I went to his web site and saw that all proceeds from the book were going to help children, and so I bought his book to help his cause. When it arrived 5 days later, I opened the package, but I was really not going to read it because I thought it would be too sad of a book. The next day I decided to open the book and couldn't put it down. My husband was home with a hurt back, and after hearing me make noises as I read the book, he began to ask questions so I ended up reading it to him. We both got angry at some of the people in the book, especially the one's who made this little boy sleep on the porch and take his meals out there. We also didn't like the social worker who took him to boys town and didn't even bother to talk to him.

As you get into the book you realize that it's not just a book about his life as a youngster, it's about how people treat other people and how there should be some kind of check to make sure everyone is alright. This book reminds you that every state could use an overhaul, and it makes you remember about stories in the paper and on TV about children who have been literally LOST in the system. Here is a writer who is standing on the wall, willing, able, and wanting to protect.

What is remarkable about the way this book is written is the fact that he moves between times so easily, making the book very easy to read.

I was telling my children about the book, and I was doing alright until I got to the part about a letter he wrote to his mother, I broke down then, and could hardly talk. Who should read this book? Every parent, anyone who works with the public, teachers, social workers, police, you can't help but remember how you felt when you were the ages he talks about in the book, you remember how innocent you were, and it makes you want to protect everyone too.

This book is a serious work, by a serious person who has made it out, he is a success, this is a book that should be talked about, who knows, maybe some little boy who isn't sure about his own future could learn about the trials and how Larry came out triumphant, it could give someone hope. I continue to hope and pray that Larry is on the news and in more newspapers, and is invited to speak so much that he becomes a household name, so that kids will hear about this man who is working on their behalf.

Hats off to Lawrence P. Adams for this good work!

Chris Bartholomew
Evangelist

Don't let the cover put you off -- Neil Ravin's M.D. is chock-full of good, hard medical details: patients, diseases, the life of interns and residents. I found it easy to skim past the protagonist's various romances with a patient, nurse, and fellow doctor. The characters are lifelike and varied, from the laid-back mellow California guy who wants to view his patients as whole people to the callous, driven New York-style residents who views his patients as diseased parts. The book is satisfying and surprisingly free of medical errors; I only wish the same could be said about Ravin's Informed Consent which contains so many medical errors one wonders where the editor was. Dated but delightful, M.D. will please those who like behind-the-scenes peeks at doctors' lives.

A wonderful, wonderful book--it ranks, without a doubt, among the top five books I have ever read. The author provides multi-faceted insights into the psyche of the protagonist, Ryan, a young and idealistic M.D., as he labors his way through morbidity, mortality and, not incongrously, romantic/sexual encounters. As with all good books, this one too can be read on many levels, with the reader obtaining whatever s/he wants from the book. As for myself: on completing the book, I was left with the realization that while it is impossible to completely live upto one's ideals, the continued possession of these ideals--even in the harsh light of "reality"--is necessary for the maintenance of one's humanity.

Published in 1981, before the appearance of AIDS, this saga of William Ryan's medical internship at the Manhattan Hospital and its sister institution, the Whipple Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases, this diary like account puts the reader through the emotional ringer. Shedding the usual pop media images of doctors, the characterizations of the interns, residents and attendings are lean and convincing. These doctors are fallible, tired but not burnt out, feeling victimized, feeling abused, often overwhelmed by circumstances, by implacable disease, but not spiritually defeated. The better known House of God, is a paean of defeat, in which the interns at a Boston Hospital react to the inevitable defeats and heartbreaks of medical practice by rejecting the practice of medicine altogether, one by one opting out, for psychiatry or some other line of work outside medicine. The long nights and frustrations endured by MD's front line interns are no less harrowing (and at time funny) than those of the House of God, but MD's doctors come to the opposite conclusion: that despite the harrowing nights, the price paid by the interns and by all the hosptial staff, the work they do, the patients, is ultimately worthwhile, worth the sacrifice. The romantic interest--love affairs of very different stripes between Ryan and a patient with Hodgkins Disease, a nurse and ultimately (and most destructively) with Diana Hayes, MD the head of cardiac diagnostics, serve to highlight how people faced with intense conflicts will often pursue the hypersexual, zanily romantic diversion, just to keep from dropping off the precipice into cataonic depression. The sexual cavortings reverberate with those of Catch-22, serving as what they must be in life, a crazy affirmation of life among the dying. House of God catalogues all the legends passed down from generation to generation of interns, the "O" sign, the gomers, the whole panoply of stories every medical student hears. But MD is more than a catalogue of stories, it's a story given shape and substance, and ultimately an affirmation of man's desire to do work which helps, to try to do something that counts.

I love to read to my boys and this was a great book to read together. It's hilarious!! I laughed as much as they did!! If you like the Captain Underpants series, you'll really enjoy this one too.

It is every kindergarten's dream to pee in the piddle pool for a good luck school year. Unfortunately for Jiggy McCue, he missed his chance. Everyday since, he has peed in the piddle pool for his shot at good luck. One day when he reaches the magic number, he finds him self in the possession of a teenage genie. After foolishly wasting all his wishes in a single sentence, the genie is free to run-a-muck and has dedicated his soul existence to making Jiggy's life miserable. Jiggy starts to have terrible and maggoty dreams and he wonders if one day they might come true. When Jiggy isn't worrying about his dreams, he and his best friends Angie and Pete (The Three Musketeers) are becoming possessed by the genie and start to do terrible, terrible things. This Jiggy McCue adventure is wacky and full oh miss-haps. The only way to find out is to read it.

I would reccomend this to anyone because it is the most funniest book I have ever read.

I love this book because I loved the show, "Mama'Family" in which Vicki Lawrence Schultz would put on her wig and act as Mama Thelma Crowley Harper to be exact. Since one of the stations has pulled her show from reruns, I am glad to turn to this book for some laughs. Mama Harper's wit and good sense of humor can teach the old dogs in Washington D.C. a trick or two about running a campaign to win American hearts. Mama's Family was canceled simply from network because it didn't get the right audience. The audiences were blue collar middle class Americans in all parts of the country. When syndication picked it up about 2 years later, it was one of the highest ranking shows in syndication along with Charles in Charge, It's A Living and Too Close for Comfort. Although with cast changes, the show managed to maintain and keep following so much that Mama Harper is in demand when Vicki Lawrence plays her on stage to sold out crowds. Why does the audiences love and demand Mama Harper? She's never totally right nor is she totally wrong. She is part of American culture. In syndication, she was allowed to be a senior citizen who still made a difference to society without being vulgar or profane. She was constantly devoted to her family despite their faults. Mama's Family was the first time in television that I can remember that nobody was perfect or Hollywood beautiful. Mama's Family will always have a special place in my heart as far as I am concerned. Thelma Harper was more than just a widowed grandmother, mother, and mother-in-law, she was President of the Church Ladies League and even Mayor of Raytown (possibly Missouri since there is no other Raytown). I would love to see Mama Harper and the gang. Unfortunately and sadly, Harvey Korman who played her bungling son-in-law Ed Higgins had just passed away. He will be missed greatly. This book is a great legacy to a show that still lives in the hearts of it's fans.

How much fun is this book? I found myself reading it on the NY subway laughing out loud. To ride the subway in the summer heat and have a large grin on my face makes this book worth every penny. You can actually hear "Mama's" voice when you read it (which made me look for the audiobook version, would be even funnier).

If you want some good laughs, an easy "beach" read, this is the book for you. It's witty, non offensive and just plain fun. Pick it up. (but don't read it in the bookstore or Mama will chastise you several times in the book for doing so).

"Mama for President: Good Lord Why Not?" is written by Vicki Lawrence in the character of Mama Thelma Harper. Like the Mama people have come to love from the show "Mama's Family," she is still as grumpy as ever in this hilarious book.

Her wisecracking remarks hit on topics people think about with regards to politics but never seem to get answers to. Each chapter is broken up into subjects pertaining to her campaign (though Mama sometimes runs off topic for brief moments). This book is wildly hilarious and I would definitely recommend it to any fan of Mama Thelma Harper/ Vicki Lawrence.

I got Dr. R's book for the public, Headache Help, and that was excellent so I purchased this one, I think written for doctors. It is excellent, incredibly complete....I used it to suggest treatments to my doctor...by far the most extensive book I have found on the medicines....JH

Dr. Robbins has once again written technical medical information in language the ordinary layman can understand and put to practical use. As a headache suffer myself, information contained in this book has helped me cope with the day to day trials of headache life. This info, coupled with what I learned in Dr. Robbins previous books, has opened my eyes and helped me understand some of the "whys" and "why nots" of certain mediations and even the medical profession itself. I recommend this book as "must reading" for the headache communuity.

The 2nd edition of this book is now available. This book had previously been reviewed as the best headache book on the market for physicians. It describes in detail all the different types of headache and dicusses all treatment and medications available. It is particularly good for what to do when nothing works. Although initially intended for physicians, this book is very understandable and readable for the patient as well. This is a "must have" for anyone suffering from headache.

This book is an excellent reference for quantitative survey research. Hundreds of different scales are provided with tests of validity and reliability. Multiple measures of similar concepts are included offering a wide variety of indices to choose from. An invaluable book for both graduate students and scholars, offering numerous ideas for generating new research.

If you are teaching research courses this book you want to have in your test library.

Although the book tackled a lot of material pertinent to Attitude and Personality Measurement, I find it really useful in my research-interest in Subjective Well-Being (SWB). A chapter was dedicated to SWB, it's theories, tests and development. It is a really must-have book for those interested in SWB.

David Spiegelman has done a masterful job with collecting the best medical malaprops over the years.The illustrations are skillfully done to capture the humor of the book.

this is spectactular, heart-warming, and concentrated humor like never before gracing my bookshelf...I bought ten copies for gifts!!!

I haven't been reading it for 25 years yet, but since I've had the book- lots of laughs! (And I've gotten healthier, too)

Bob Briner has done an exquisite job of crafting an easily accessible, thought provoking devotional guide for men in leadership. Some of the lessons are like a shot to the solar plexus - they will startle the reader. Each day's lesson provides ample insights for reflection and prayer. Clean design includes scripture, insights, lesson and a miniscule space for a written response. An index of scripture lessons is provided, along with lined pages for notes. The book delivers on the subtitle promise: "90 proven leadership principles."

The approach Bob had taken in making this devotional truly reflects that kind of lifestyle that Christ would want for us to have. It has definitely centered my attention and focus on how to deal with responsibility, leadership, attitude, and willingness to make a change. I encourage readers to purchase this book and share it with those in the leadership role.

Enjoy!

Bob Briner combines an experienced, time-tested businessman's background with an unwavering commitment to and deep knowledge of God in this devotional. I have found his practical insights very useful in living out a daily commitment to growing in my faith. I am giving this book to all my Stanford buddies! It is by far the best devotional that I have ever come across.

This book has helped me understand snuff bottles and its role in the asian art world. This book is clear and to the point, with fabulous photographs and extremely well written comments. It made me excited about snuff bottles. Clare Lawrence is an inspiring writer. I definitely recommend this book for any one interested in asian art.

This is a book of a private collection of snuff bottles. It shows the very best bottles that a collector can find on the market and how a collector can build up a small but exclusive collection in this genre. It is easy to follow and very well written with superb pictures of the different types of snuff bottles. Every category is shown from jade to enamels to glass and porcelain. If you wanted to find an example of the best snuff bottles from each group you could look in this book. The book itself is a very good size and easy to read in bed! It has extensive cross references and the index is simple to use. The photographs are very clear and the layout is extremely artistic. It is a must for anyone interested in Asian Art aswell as snuff bottles.

This is a book of a private collection of snuff bottles. It shows the very best bottles that a collector can find on the market and how a collector can build up a small but exclusive collection in this genre. It is easy to follow and very well written with superb pictures of the different types of snuff bottles. Every category is shown from jade to enamels to glass and porcelain. If you wanted to find an example of the best snuff bottles from each group you could look in this book. The book itself is a very good size and easy to read in bed! It has extensive cross references and the index is simple to use. The photographs are very clear and the layout is extremely artistic. It is a must for anyone interested in Asian Art aswell as snuff bottles.

The Miraculous Life of Father Houle is the biography of Father John A. Houle, S.J. of the Jesuit order, a Catholic priest who devoted his life to spreading God's love. Embarking upon missionary work in China, Father Houle was thrown into prison by Mao Tse-Tung's communist lackeys and nearly perished; yet miraculously, he survived, holding strongly on to his faith and devoting himself to the Lord's work. A second miracle helped him survive a 1990 bout with pulmonary fibrosis that brought him to the brink of death. The third miracle to transform his remarkable and dedicated life would occur during a visit from his superior, and lead him to the Vatican in Rome. The Miraculous Life of Father Houle is as much of a spiritual as it is a narrative book, and especially recommended for Christian readers for its inspiration to faith.

I'm not catholic so I was a little skeptical about reading this book. However I found myself riveted, engrossed in the life of Father Houle. From the miracle of Father Houle's conception to his being called home to God, this book had me captivated. I read it in a few hours, only putting it down to wipe tears of happiness during Father Houle's homecoming and meeting his mother in Hawaii. The life of this man, this book, is poignant, both spiritually and as a person. To read what Father Houle did for the people of China, then endured throughout his stay in a Chinese prison, to all he did when he returned to the U.S., and of course, his true Miracle from God was both heartbreaking, and heartwarming. Its no wonder Father Houle had a Miracle bequeathed upon him. This, being the Author's first book, read effortlessly and flowed from the Author, Lawrence Wieczorek, as a very personal and loving account of his Uncle's (Father Houle) life and what people can endure and still live a life of giving with all they have without complaint. Father Houle lead a truly Miraculous life indeed.

I highly recommend this wonderful book. This true story will grab at your heart and soul and leave you full again. Father Houle lived a life of grace and piety seldom seen since Mother Teresa, and the late Pope John Paul II. I was riveted throughout on how polished a self-published book can be, amazing accomplishment. The author takes you on a journey as if you were there experiencing Father Houle's life as it unfolded. A must read for young and old of all faith's.