Simmons Books

Simmons opens his book with the line, "In the summer of 1963, I fell in love and my father drowned." The idea of telling the reader in the first sentence what they will then carry in their minds as the read this little novel is a very unusual mode of control. I found I was involved in the unfolding of the love story but could NOT focus on the writing and the evenness of the prose because I kept waiting for the part where the father will drown (perhaps my reading eye has been adulterated by too many murder mysteries?). Although Simmons tells us quite forwardly that he has based his piece on Turgenev's "First Love," this is a story has neither the depth nor power. One reviewer calls it a 'saga of adolescence,' which accurately portrays the hormones, anger, fear, despair and other feelings that seem to almost manhandle our young protagonist, Michael, but it the book is written in such a smug manner that it is hard to feel any of these passions. Michael's handsome father and lovely mother have taken their usual shore house for the summer and Michael finds that an unusual pair have rented next door - a Russian woman (Mrs. Mertz) and her daughter, Zina. Michael's mother is unhappy in the marriage (father cheats on her), and both the neighbor women cause her (justifiable) worry. Zina and her mother (and their mostly gay friends) are way too shallow and sophisticated for Michael's naiveté although he can't see this. When I first finished the book I was left unimpressed. Although there was plenty of emotion and passion (in particular, floating around in Michael's head and heart) - I never clicked with any of the characters... they almost seemed a little too "Virginia Woolf-ish" for their own good, no one ever having real conversations but lots of talk full of double entendres and illusions.

This isn't just a coming of age story. It is a story about a son and an adolescent, a father and a husband and a man, and a wife and mother. Its a story about how lives are intertwined, separate and yet significantly connected, all at the same time. Its simple and elegant and definitely a quick read.

What a wonderful story! Not your usual "coming of age" narration, but a stark tragedy. The first line tells you where the book will take you, but not when and how.The suspense is built up magnificently, with strong characters and believable action.

This gem of a novel is about the varieties of love and its inevitable loss, about parents and how little their children understand them, about the brittle mysteries of human connections and how gratuitously the links can be snapped, about a man trying to figure out who and what he is by looking back at the painful anti-Eden of growing up. In the 80s, I reviewed Charles Simmons's "Wrinkles" for the LA Times. Some perceptive publisher should reissue "Wrinkles" as a companion piece to "Salt Water." This book is a rich mine lode for book clubs everywhere, for people who yearn for good writing, as deceptively clear as fresh water, for all of us who are still trying to figure out who we are, how we got here, who our parents are, and who our children.

This coming of age novel is pretty awful, beginning with its writing school opening sentence ("In the Summer of 1963 I fell in love and my father drowned"), all the way to its contrived ending. The best that can be said for the book is that it aspires to something better. Even here, however, the author feels impelled to make references to Turgenev's First Love and Radiguet's Devil in the Flesh, as if to convince us that he is in their league. He's not. The central problem I think is that the author is unable to get beneath the surface of his characters. To compensate he fills them with pretensiously emblematic gestures and dialogue that varies from the banal aphoristic to a smarmy knowingness. If you're looking for a coming of age novel and haven't read Radiguet (who was twenty when Devil in the Flesh was published)then that's where'd I'd go. More unconventional contemporary novels of this genre are the brilliant Shipwrecks by Akra Yoshimura and Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids, by Oe.

This is a really helpful cookbook which describes cooking implements as well as ingredients both for common and global kitchens. I think it is a must-have for the beginning cook as well as for a more experienced person in the kitchen. The photos are spectacular! A piece of cookware is explained, alternatives are given and then several recipes are included for each. Tips for use are included as well. There are also explanations for ingredients used in cooking around the globe too. This would make a great shower gift for the bride to be as well as a wonderful gift for the cook or want-to-be cook in your life. Get one for yourself while you are at it. You won't regret it!

This is a very pretty book, and it certainly provides a nice overview of cooks tools--but be forewarned that it looks and feels more like a product catalog than a top-shelf cookbook. Yes, there are sexy pics of the equipment, a little (sometimes very little) informative text about how to use and care for the equipment, and recipes related to the kind of hardware being discussed. And while I appreciated the breadth of the material, the author covers so much ground that depth is seriously lacking. In sum, I found the book to be slight, vaguely corporate in tone (read: the author's voice is indistinct), and generally unsatisfying--especially given the relatively high asking price. This is one of those titles that demand a thorough examination of the "Search Inside" feature at Amazon to decide for yourself if the book is worth the price.

This one gets four stars for ambition, but only two stars for execution.

This was an anniversary gift for our son & daughter-in-law who are "foodies" like we are. After perusing the copy we purchased for ourselves, we got one for them and they love it too!

Great book.. I recommend for all budding cooks. If you are a gadget person, this book will point you in the right direction.

Why waste your money on this when Williams-Sonoma has already done it much better? This is a nice looking book if you are interested in paying for a Sur La Table catalog. Otherwise, there is nothing here that you can't find elsewhere and much cheaper. Buy this book if you want to see advertisement after advertisement of products that you don't really need and will never use if you buy them. Not to mention that there is very little information offered about the tools they want you to buy. As far as a cooking book goes, this is nothing new, just a way for Sur La Table to make more money by selling their own line of books at the expense of the individual authors they used to support. "Things Cooks Love"? It should be called "Things You Don't Need That Sur La Table Loves To Try To Sell You." Hey, if you want to pay for their advertising be my guest. If you want to contribute to big business and CEO profits at the expense of the independent cooks and authors, that is your choice. But this book is lame... don't say I didn't warn you.

This book is fine if you just want inspiration. A little mish-mash but not your traditional decoratinig book. I checked out this book at the library hoping I'd see lots of the same thing as pictured on the cover. I didn't. I wanted to see how they did the fireplace that was pictured on the cover. The problem with this type of book is that you can't ever find the same things at flea markets and replicate it. But there weren't any instructions or how-to and this book was pretty WORDY for no instructions. Basically, it was "decorate with things you love."

I¨m not a vintage/fleamarket style person when it comes to interiors, but it's refreshing to see that personal and unique homes can be created without a lot of money. A lot of ideas can be picked up here. You don't have to have a home that's entirely Bazaar/vintage style, but quite a lot of us do have a piece or two that can come to use in our home and make it our own. A lot of pictures - a book that gives you value for money.

Although the book itself is beautifully produced and photographed, the 'style' gives Eclectic a bad name. Even the most avant-garde professional designers know that the eye needs someplace to rest. "Calm" and "rest" don't appear here.

I never write reviews, but this book is just fantastic!
I love unique and different things with lots of color, so this book is very helpful. I can use the things I have for a vibrant fun filled home.
If you are an avid flea market, rummage sale, & import store shopper, you are going to really enjoy this!

I love this look and find it a fun and easy way to decorate, HOWEVER, I caution those less adventurous folks to find a more mainstream book for reference. This book focuses on the flea market, ethnic look which is not a look based on balance or anything cohesive...it's an "anything goes" kind of look which is perfect if you are just starting out and trying to put a home together with odds and ends available to you from friends and family. Since I am a huge garage sale, antique mall or tag sale fan, I love seeing how these type of things can be show-cased to look fun and stylish. Since my style is a mix of this bohemian style with antiques and newer, modern furnishings and accessories mixed in, I find it a good point of reference when I'm looking for new and fresh ideas.

This is a wonderful book to spark some creativity and make your imagination run wild!

Well, the last Daisy book I read ended in "Hello, Daisy!", "Hello, Granny!" so I'll admit I wasn't ready for some of the issues in this book. Specifically, there is a suggestion of surrogate mothers (the Aunt is sitting on the egg instead of the mother of the egg) as well as the possibility of a pregnancy that doesn't end happily. In this case, the egg doesn't hatch and the Aunt and Mother abandon the egg ("Some eggs just don't hatch" says the Mother Duck). Daisy doesn't give up. She sits on the egg and it hatches so we have our happy ending.

If your child is older than mine (mine was 18mo when I read this to her), be prepared for the following questions:
1) Why isn't the mommy sitting on the egg?
2) Why does the mommy leave the egg?
3) Why don't some eggs hatch?

If you feel like delving into these questions, this is a great book. If you're not in the mood, best to hold off on this one.

(Beautiful pictures, of course, as expected from the Daisy books.)

This is a beautiful book, fun to read, and my daughter enjoys it immensely. She even "reads" along, reciting all the parts she remembers, and looks so proud of Daisy when she sits on the egg. At three, my daughter is doing as many things as she can her "very own self" and I think she identifies with Daisy wanting to do something on her own. This book is definitely worth having in your kids' library.

This book not only has beautiful illustrations, but also has an engaging story that young children will sit quietly to hear. As a preschool teacher I have watched my 3-5 year olds ask me to read it again and again. The message of perserverance is a good one and that's what the children seem to focus on when they hear it. "Daisy did it!". I can't wait to read the first book about Daisy. I plan on purchasing this book to add to my personal library for when I have children of my own.

The illustrations of this book are beautiful--they make me want to cup Daisy and her cousins (and little Pip) in my palm--and the story is lovely. Despite one reader's feeling that there's no message (or an inappropriate message), I think children have the right to literature that's more than didactic, that represents dramatic or emotional or natural situations for their amusement or wonderment or pondering. And ducks sit on eggs for other ducks. And sometimes, eggs don't hatch. True to character, though, Daisy is curious, determined, and sweet--this is why she sits so diligently on the egg and is able, through her own determination, to win over her doubting Mama. By the last page, when Daisy and Mama and Pip watch the sun rise on his "hatching day," I had a tear in my eye, and my nine-month-old was still interested in the bright and duck-filled pictures.

As a fan of the first book, I was a little put off by this one. The art is as beautiful the first, but the story goes kind of flat. I come to expect that somewhere behind the sweetness and warmth of a children's book, should lie some commentary about life. Jane Simmons' first book 'Come Along Daisey,' showed that she knows just that. I left wondering what a Child should think about a mother that doesn't watch her egg, and then gives up on it, and leaves it to her duckling to save the day. In today's world I wonder what kind of conclusions children will draw.

This graphic novel is about three young persons, a man and two girls, exploring for fun a decrepit building in a remote abandoned village, until they loose their way back. At the beginning their stories intertwine in a lightly described juvenile experience of a budding attraction and its dynamics in a group of three: jealousy, exclusion, indifference, set in the bright light of a mysteriously empty nature. Soon though, the characters fall into three separate narrative lines, in which each one has to confront fear and despair alone. The simple wordless drawings make you feel their heart-beat rushing into terror and anger and then slowly, when hope fades, their breadth getting dimmer and halting. The way the flickering breadth of life is portrayed by repeating the same image again and again with subtle changes or by slowly reducing its size is masterly simple and effective. The darkness and the void, feelings of being lost, the unbreakable claustrophobia of being alone in confronting your own destiny. These emotions are narrated without words and well, it's worth to pay attention.

I had originally seen an advertisement for this book in Rue-Morgue Magazine. The ad didn't say much other than that a small group of teens explores an abandoned hospital and discovers it's depths which take them deeper and deeper into darkness. It also mentioned that this book did not have any words, only pictures. I ordered the book and sat down with it as soon as it arrived. I didn't put it down until I had finished it. I have to admit, I didn't think that I would be attracted to this type of book. I loved it. Also, I recently noticed that Rue-Morgue Magazine awarded this book with their graphic novel of the year award for 2007.

I'm not an avid fan of graphic novels, but when I read a review of "House" in Rue-Morgue Magazine my interest was piqued. The story is simple: three teenagers happen upon an abandoned house-a house that looks more like a palace-in the middle of the woods. Naturally, they decide to explore and what follows is a claustrophobic nightmare that will have you biting your nails. The panels grow smaller as the book progresses and so does the use of lighting. In all of the pages not one word of dialogue is recorded, but this only hightens the growing sense of panick. "House" comes highly recommended by someone who doesn't normally venture into this kind of territory.

"House" is a new graphic novel published by Fantagraphics. It is unique in that it is a true graphic novel as the story is told without benefits of dialogue or captions. To pull something like this off you need two things: You need a good story and an artist who is capable of relating it without the need for dialog. In this case, the book is written and drawn by Josh Simmons and he is largely successful in his efforts.

The back of the book describes the characters as teenagers but they look a bit older than that. The male character in particular looks like an old hippie to me but oh well...I'll go with teenagers. The three friends are out on a hike in the woods when they stumble across a massive deserted old mansion. Simmons here shines as he dwarfs the characters with the size of the mansion, showing it at different angles to really give you a sense of how expansive it is. I also like how Simmons contrasts his two female characters with one dressed in white and the other in black, which also serves to describe their personalities as well.

The three explore the mansion through its empty hallways and rooms. This was more than a house. The long corridors with the numerous, similar doors and tiny windows on them, marks the place as possibly an old hospital or maybe an asylum. Unfortunately, we don't find out anything more about the place, which is a bit disappointing. The picture on the cover of the book is from a painting on the wall in one of the large rooms, but again, we learn nothing more about. The male and the female character have an attraction to each other that seems to have just blossomed. The female in black looks on with jealously.

They find an old, hidden stairwell and begin to descend into darkness and this is when the true terror begins...Simmons has a very minimalist style, somewhat reminiscent of old underground comic artists. As his characters become separated in the darkness, the terror becomes palpable. You can see the fear in their faces and in their expressions. Gradually the panels of art become smaller and smaller as darkness overwhelms the trio and it's a powerful effect.

House leaves a bit too much unanswered to get a perfect score but it is a very different type of story and a change of pace from the usual comic fare.

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

After reading several raving reviews about this unique horror graphic novel, I had to see it for myself.
(**MINOR SPOILER AHEAD***)

This story of 3 characters exploring an abandoned building only to find themselves trapped after descending a structurally unsound staircase sounded intriguing enough, and the fact that it's told entirely in silence, without any dialogue or narration, only peaked my interest further.

Unfortunately, once you get past the novelty of the technique, the reality sets in that with no dialogue and no narration, there isn't much going on intellectually to keep you interested. The story itself is so simplistic, that merely watching it unfold in silence just isn't that engaging.

Now if the visuals compensated for what its lacking in plot and prose, we might still have something worth your attention. However, the artwork is done in a very simplistic, cartoonish style with seemingly little attention paid to proportion or depth. Visually, it's just not very compelling.

There is an interesting effect with the layout--the frames in the opening pages are large, bright spreads which get increasingly tighter and darker as the characters descend deeper into the structure. By the end, there is definitely a feeling of claustrophobia. But that alone isn't enough for me to recommend this book.

This is an excellent "starter" guide. Although you will need other sources (and be careful where you spend you hard earned cash - do a good few searches here before you part with it!). The writing style is "light" but that does not detract from the information imparted. This book, a substantial text and the great value Exam Cram 2's for each subject and you are there. Don't skimp on the resources, after all your trying to build a career, arn't you?

The way this book is organized would normally make it a great study tool. The book is divided up by the tests needed to get MCSA certified.
However, I found that the sections just don't go into enough detail. When I took some 3rd party paractice tests I was asked questions that pertained to material that wasn't covered by this book. Plus, the pratice quiz that's on the CD has some errors.
I would only reccomend this as a supplemental study guide.

Easy to read. Would make a great reference. Definately will NOT get you through the MCSA exams. The book questions and CD questions are NOTHING like the real questions MS throws at you. You will need other sources for realistic practice questions and to fill in the gaps left by this all-in-one.
Book Covers the required 70-210, 215, 218 exams AND Network+ and Server+ exams. However, for MCSA, the one MS elective has to be one MS course OR two CompTIA courses: the A+ exam and EITHER the Network+ OR the Server+ exams, so this book will not cut it for a single source as it implies. MIGHT work if you already are A+ certified.

If you are like me, you already have your A+ certification and are looking to pursue the MCSA certifications, this book is definitely the book for you. Gilster and Simmons have created a book that summarizes the essential knowledge for the 5 tests you need to pass to achieve that goal. Each test is covered in its own separate "book" so that you don't have to separate the information from one test from all of the others. Not sure that you shouldn't also look at Gilster's and Simmon's more detailed books on each test, but for those needing a bit more information, the other books would be a good idea.

I have used books by Ron Gilster to successfully prepare for a number of certification exams in the past couple of years. I also have a couple of Curt Simmons' Windows guides as well and have found them to be very to the point and informative.

So, it was a real treat to find an MCSA study guide by these outstanding writers. It was even more of a treat to read. Each of the "books" in the book covers one of the Microsoft or CompTIA exams required to complete the MCSA certification.

Like all of Ron's and Curt's books, this one is informative, to the point, easy to read, and entertaining all at the same time - something that cannot be said for the other "all=-in-one" books available.

Plus I'm sure this book will serve as a valuable reference long after I'm certified.

The Morning Ran Red sat on my shelf unread for many months. It was a gift to me and one I thought probably wouldn't be to my liking. I was very pleasantly surprised, when I started the book I couldn't put it down. I will recommend it to my book-club. Thank you Mr. Bowman, keep writing more mysteries.

I grew up in Villisca hearing the stories of the ax murders. My grandmother was a young girl living in town when it happened and my siblings and I loved listening to her recount. I really enjoyed reading the book!

As a fan of mysteries and especially the Villisca axe murder story, Morning Ran Red is an interesting work of fiction. It is loosely based on an actual Southwest Iowa crime and the events' characters. As someone who has researched the Villisca case thoroughly, you will not find any semblence of accurate history in its pages. It will hold your attention to the end. But for those who say it is accurate in its details, they are not well-versed in the actual Villisca story.

This was a very interesting book about the unsolved axe murders that took place in Villisca, Iowa in 1912. If you're interested in midwest history or true crime stories you'll love this one.

As someone who has done a lot of reading about the Villisca Axe Murders, as well as visiting the site, this book holds true to many of the actual details. Just enough literary license is used for a dramatic effect. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes intrigue and mystery, but especially to people who are familar with the actual story.

I was really looking forward to reading this one but from the first I struggled with it. About Stephen, who is always in his cups though rarely what one would consider drunk, of the 7 brothers his is a tortured soul. Which is why he numbs himself with drink, that is until he is forced to take Brighid back to Wales. Along the way, he has to give up drinking since there aren't any ale houses in the wilds of Wales.

I just couldn't get into this one for some reason. It rather dragged actually. I couldn't quite put my finger on WHY I wasn't happy with it. I did like Stephen, he was the most sarcastic of the bunch and I thought Brighid was a great pairing for him. Still, there was something missing from the story that I can't quite put my finger on.

I read this one AFTER I read THE BRIDES OF CHRISTMAS: The Unexpected Guest, which I really liked. I won't give a review of that book until I read the other two stories. So I had high hopes for the story about Stephen but was disappointed.

I ordered this book on Amazon after checking out A listmania about rakes. I was A little disappointed when I saw that it was A Harlequin romance. Even though I do read Harlequin novels, I knew the love scenes would be very tame if there would be any at all, but this was one of those books that was still good without steamy love scenes. Stephen de Burgh will capture your attention and hold it. He was the handsomest of all the De Burgh brothers but also A bit of A loser who used women and drink to forget his demons. Brighid l'Estrange turned into A sweet and compassionate heroine whom stephen did not find attractive at first but changed his opinon of her as time went by.This book was about Brighid's quest to find out who killed her magic practicing father while finding out some things along the way about herself. When I started to read this book I had no idea that it would be A book that had A little bit of the supernatural in it, and since I am not A big fan of books like that, it was my biggest problem, but the book had A lot of great qualities though, and it was heart warming to see how Brighid helped to turn Stephan into A real hero. If I could give half stars I would give this book 3 and A half stars because even though it wasn't perfect it was well written and enjoyable.

I got one of the books from an old stack when we were cleaning out my grandmothers house and have been searching for the rest of the books online. I have not been dissapointed! Everyone is as good as the last. These are books I read over and over again and still feel the anticipation and tension between the characters every time.

The sad part is that without a current publisher Simmons will never be able to publish Reynold & Nicolas' stories.

I hold out hope that someday the right person will want these published and will have the power to do something about it.

Once again Deborah Simmons delights her fans as she offers the fourth deBurgh brother's story. Finally, we get to meet Stephen, the most handsome of the seven siblings, a man used to having any woman he desires, which earns him the reputation of a rogue. Ahh, but the author shows us in this tale that 'what you see' isn't always 'what you get'. Stephen is a very troubled man and uses arrogance and charm to mask his real feelings. He is also the most sensitive of the DeBurgh siblings. Because his elder brothers believe this is a weakness, he taunts and mocks all of his siblings and drinks too much ale and wine to hide this facet of his personality. He is in a near drunken state when unexpected visitors arrive at Campion Castle and a command decision made by his father, Fawke DeBurgh, Earl of Campion, is surprise enough to shock him into sobriety.

Brighid l'Estrange is a plain, dull looking woman accompanied by two little old bumbling women, her aunts Cafell and Armes, who arrive at the castle of their overlord with a special request. Brighid received word of her father's death and insists on rushing to Wales to investigate her suspicions and check on her inheritance. Her aunts, blessed with special gifts, as all of the l'Estrange women are, worry since they sense danger if their niece rushes off unguarded. They rarely use their 'gifts' to protect themselves from being known as witches, but in this instance they secretly 'look into the water' to see into the future. The vision that appears is a dark, handsome knight they recognize as a DeBurgh man. When they enter the castle and see Stephen they realize he is the one that will be Brighid's savior, and they request an escort for her journey to Wales. Campion, being the all-seeing, all-knowing, wise father he is, chooses Stephen for the job!

Deborah Simmons will present many challenges for this couple along their way to Wales that will mature each of them. Brighid begins to look into Stephen's heart to learn he is not a drunken wastrel, but a gentle man, suffering from self-inflicted wounds. Meanwhile, Stephen watches what he believes to be an unattractive woman emerge into a beautiful woman of pride and strength. Brighid will fight this charmer all the way, but will not be able to deny their passion as sensuality is subtly introduced by the author.

MY LORD DeBURGH is an outstanding addition to the DeBurgh family saga, as Deborah Simmons pens another winning story. I was delighted to read of a loving, caring father who challenges his son in order to bring out his strengths. I was also touched by the tenderness shown by both Stephen and Brighid toward each other. As each brother is given a unique personality, Ms. Simmons turns them into a 'realistic' family for her fans. Your pleasure will be enhanced if you have read the prequels in the series; however, MY LORD DeBURGH will stand alone as a great story even if you haven't. I highly recommend reading this historical that will take you once more into the medieval past. I will be sad when this saga is over, but I eagerly wait the next one. The good news is - there are still three single DeBurgh brothers!

Although this is the fourth story in the de Burgh series, it can stand on it's own although your enjoyment and involvement with this family is enhanced immeasureably if you start from the first and read them in thier order.

Stephen de Burgh was a real rogue, the handsomest of all the brothers, who used his looks and charm to bed multitudes of women. He lived in a wine induced fog most of the time with no real goals in life - something of a medeival alcoholic. It was in such a state that his father requested that Stephen be the one to escort and deliver Mistriss Brighid L'Estrange to her home. She had been summoned home by her father but before she could arrange to go to him she learned of his death. She had to get there to find out what really happened to him and solve the mystery of why he had summoned her so desperately after so many years away.

Escorting the strong willed Brighid across the wild land of Wales strained Stephen's temper to the limits. He who had never had such responsibilities, nor ever having to take a leadership position - always relying on someone else to make the decisions so he could sit back and enjoy the view. Not only that but this cantankerous bossy woman was somehow getting under his skin, why he couldn't even enjoy a female conquest along the way because she was invading his very thoughts on a continuous basis.

This story, as all of Ms. Simmons, delves deep into character studies and affords us a glimpse into a persons awakening and growth. It was such a joy to see Stephen finally coming into his own and living up to his de Burgh heritage. A masterful story and one I highly recommend. Fabulous as usual, with just the right amount of humor and sensuality to leave you dreaming of finding such a love.

It's truly hard to believe that a publisher thought this book was
worth publishing. It's 250 pages with several empty cliches per
page.

Now out of print- this book sells for more than it's original publication price. It is used as a textbook in several org. behavior classes. Is referenced in more than one Ph.D. dissertation. The author (me) facilitates this form of dialogue successfully with gay and conservative christians, within the intelligence community (WMD was a communication issue) and with other difficult groups. THe book describes a process that is reliable, easily duplicated, and adaptable. This isn't a popularity contest. This is about helping people get past angry attacks and move on to collaborative partnerships. Check it out if you want to make a positive difference in the world.

What is it about organizations that creates so many secrets? In this bright and enjoyably written book, Annette Simmons reveals the subtle art of allowing people to share the secrets througth dialogue. From identifying the escape routes to explaining the step by step process in which dialogue unfolds she clearly identifies what you can expect if you simply follow the directions. She even includes directions. I immediately used this book in a two day retreat that was astounding in helping a California State Agency work through the change process.

What is it about organizations that creates so many secrets? In this bright and enjoyably written book, Annette Simmons reveals the subtle art of allowing people to share the secrets througth dialogue. From identifying the escape routes to explaining the step by step process in which dialogue unfolds she clearly identifies what you can expect if you simply follow the directions. She even includes directions. I immediately used this book in a two day retreat that was astounding in helping a California State Agency work through the change process.

Dialogue is a difficult and potentially fear inducing process. The author admits all that and gives the reader the background and a process to facilitate and engage in dialogue. The book is easy-to-read, free of unnecessarily confusing jargon, and full of good illustrative anecedotes. The author recommends some unorthodox facilitative roles based on her experience (some of which I had thought of before I read the book, but was afraid to try out). I found myself jumping from section to section to follow my interest---this was not a linear ead for me. The appendix on how to get dialogue started with a group is also helpful.

I wish the author really shared his legal expertise with the reader rather than beating around the bushes. The book could and should be much more succinct and to the point, while still easy to read/listened. Instead we get a lot of common sense notions, and many repetitions of the obvious, and not enough actual legalistic information.

I've listened it in the digital format, and from more than 7 hours of audio, no more than 1 hour can be classified as legal advice. The rest is crowd-pleasing filling. Based on the subtitle $600 per hour legal advice, I defintely didn't got $4200 worth of legal advice.

I am only 1/8 through this book and I WISH I had read this when I was 18. I am 52 and have been married to two sociopaths. A lot of the book verbalizes things many of us KNOW but we IGNORE. I recommend reading this to anyONE contemplating marriage. It's a wake up call. Makes you THINK. Some of us need someone to SAY things clearly in black and white. That would be ME. Well here it is... I plan on writing another review after completing reading this book. Stay tuned...

My bride (we are still writing thank you notes for our wedding gifts) and I sat up until 2am the night we were given this book, laughing and reading parts of it aloud to each other. We both loved the part cautioning readers that whatever bugs you about your intended before the wedding will only get worse as the years pass... so true. The author, a tough divorce attorney, takes a pretty hard line: if you don't want to get divorced, then don't get ever get married. Well, we already did exactly what he advises against, but there was still plenty of valuable reading here. It gave this newlywed lots to think about... particularly enjoyed the interview with Gene Simmons, of all people, about relationships. Funny cartoons. Very enjoyable book.

What were you thinking... we have all asked ourselves that question many times! This book really makes you ask yourself the tough questions that are useful before, during, or after a marriage (or any relationship for that matter). The expertise and insight that Barondess has in regards to marriage and divorce is unique, as well as entertaining! Just the tips on working with an attorney in general are invaluable! I believe everyone who has had, or is thinking of having, a committed relationship (not just getting married), should read this book!

The author tends to engage in conjecture at times, but overall, his book is very insightful on the divorce process and it definitely makes one realize all the practical implications of a marriage. People often decide to marry when they are on such an emotional high that they do not realize how tough it is to merge lives and property together.

I would have liked to have seen more commentary by relationship experts such as Dr. Phil instead of celebrities, but I suppose the author is trying to show how even celebrities have the same marital issues as everyone else.