T Books

It's been nearly ten years since this book was published, and many new techniques have emerged since then. It doesn't cover split rings or split chains, or mock rings, but it gives good information on basic technique. Not much in the way of patterns either, but good for a beginner.

This lovely book is an excellent buy for the beginner learning to make tatted lace as well as for the more experienced tatter wanting a good collection of small patterns. Ms Jones starts off with descriptions of six different methods of tatting, with the hope that if you don't understand one method you'll understand one of the others. Details are given of a range of different techniques including lock stitch, roll tatting, cluny tatting and others, however there are no instructions for split rings or self closing mock rings as these had not yet been popularised at the time the book was written in the 1980s.

There is a huge collection of patterns including tatted cross bookmarks, Christmas designs, tatted notepaper and an alphabet. Most of them are small pieces for beginners to enjoy, but the more experienced tatter will also enjoy this selection. One or two of the photographs don't quite match the diagrammatical instructions, but for the most part they are accurate.

Regarding the diagrams, they are hand drawn and clearly presented and apart from one of the crosses I worked quite a number of the pieces in the book myself, and had no problems.

Most people will enjoy this excellent collection of patterns and instructions and the book will remain a treasure on your bookshelf for many years to come.

When I first learned to tat this was the only book I referred to time and time again---two years later, I'm still going back to The Complete Book of Tatting to brush up on mock picots, cluny tatting and attaching edgings to hankies. Rebecca Jones gives *six* methods of tatting, including needle and reverse Riego, and also includes instructions for more advanced things such as Josephine knots and node tatting. The patterns aren't big or complicated, but there are plenty of smaller droodles and bookmarks perfect for novice tatters. A must-have for any tatter's library.

I purchased this book upon the recommendation of my tatting mentor. Like my mentor, I agree that all tatters should own this book. It is a substantive work, addressing the many techniques of shuttle and needle tatting--both basic and advanced. There are a number of patterns which provide excellent practice for beginners and food for thought for budding designers and advanced tatters. I frequently return to this book as a reference for tatting technique and for patterns to tat quick projects or gifts. Rebecca Jones' Complete Book of Tatting should be required reading for every tatter!

This is an excellent book for the novice or experienced tatter. The book offers excellent directions and diagrams for projects in the book as well as information for the tatter to begin designing and completing their own patterns.

I use this book in my classroom to help my kids start new projects. I would not trade it foranything, my fellow teachers have gotten their own copies.

This book covers many bases on printing on fabric all using things you probably have around. I have enjoyed using it immensely.

This book is spectacular! Whether you are a visual or verbal learner or any kind in between, Rayna's pictures and explanations make cutting-edge surface design methods approachable and dare I say...fun! This book is a must-have.

All work has come to a standstill here now that the mail carrier arrived with Rayna Gillman's new book, "Create your own hand-printed cloth: Stamp, screen & stencil with everyday objects." I am fighting the urge to lock myself in a room away from my kids (they can forage for their own lunch, can't they?) and read the whole thing non-stop. Gillman covers stamping and stenciling with found objects; random screen printing; gelatin plate printing; screen printing with thickened dyes; discharge painting; soy wax batik; and rubbings.

For each technique, there are lots of detailed directions and excellent photos to accompany them. She also provides supply lists (and websites where you can buy the supplies).

Within a week after getting this book, I met with a group of fiber art friends and we played with stamping using found objects, guided by the book. The results were great. This is a book I will really USE. And I can't wait to try more of these techniques.

This is a source for many many printing techniques. Each is explained in detail, and has plenty of examples. As an artist I don't necessarily want a book of specific projects, I want a book that will help me expand and learn. Rayna's book does that and does it well.

If you want to know what Florida was like until just a few years ago this is the book. Great reading and stories about real people and places. Although Cross Creek has not changed a lot it is just a matter of time. This book is one of the last ways to see the original Florida and the people who settled there before the modern roads and air conditioners.

For those of us old enough to remember the South before theme parks, interstates, and air conditioning this book revives many wonderful and a few not so wonderful memories. J.T. Glisson brings that period of Florida history alive with his vivid descriptions and wonderful stories. Very well written with the distinctive outlook and perspective of a true Florida Cracker. Enjoyed every page of this very entertaining book.

The Creek is a delightful look at rural FL in the years prior to and shortly after World War II. If you have already read Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' Cross Creek, The Creek will provide additional information and entertainment, as well as give you the added perspective of a native whose family and father in particular were featured prominently in Cross Creek the book. I found the book thoroughly entertaining and a worthwhile read. It along with Cross Creek is a must read for anyone with an interest in North Central FL.

No one on the planet is a bigger Rawlings fan than me. But THE CREEK is better reading than CROSS CREEK. And the writing is a wee bit better than Rawlings. This book is going in my Floridiana collection.

J. T. Glisson grew up next door to Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in this small central Florida community. This book of stories from his childhood provides a great context for learning about Cross Creek, and fans of M. K. Rawlings will find lots of insight into her place in the community. Glisson, himself, is a fine writer. He has great insights into life in Cross Creek, and his commentary provides a good understanding of some of the contemporary values and mores that continue to shape Florida's culture. There are also some interesting subtexts in the book. For example, Glisson affectionately gives the scoop on Rawlings. He modestly provides some specific references to himself in her writing, but after reading this work, I'm convinced that the character Jody in _The Yearling_ is modeled to a great degree after Glisson. He is also very funny. More than a few of the stories had me laughing outloud.

Excellent framework for business development analysis from market overview to deal implementation. Terms for some sample deals are provided, but wish even more was written on deal structure specifics. The book covers turf not previously explored and advanced my professional thinking. Very useful.

I have been involved in private equity, acquisitions, and joint ventures for the last several years, and bought this book to learn more about other types of deals, such as e-commerce partnerships, etc. Given the multiple five star ratings for this book, I expected quite a read. Unfortunately, although the book is fairly informative, I cannot say that it imparts anything that could not be gained by an attentive reading of the business press--just a chronology of various deals along with their rationale. I would say that this book would probably be quite useful for a novice or someone that doesn't keep up with their business magazine subscriptions.

If you 'do' strategy, if you 'do' planning, this is a must read for you. Time is, without a doubt, the most perishable asset on the planet. Where and with whom we spend our times now defines our social and workplace identities. The efficacy associated with our use of time charts our career trajectory. Spending time `strategically' on `strategic issues' is what executives are supposed to do. In almost two decades serving as trusted advisor to executives, I have never heard an executive say, `We have no time for strategy." Having huddled around my fair share of top-of-the-house campfires, I find that as the libations taken at CXO watering holes loosen tongues and the executive elders start to tell stories, the most memorable narrative emerging revolves around a review of past decisions. I have heard, stated quietly and in confidence, "We focused on the wrong things. We made the wrong decision." The payback on time spent strategically was, in many instances, negative.

Is time spent strategically a bad thing? Is strategy dead? Was time spent on strategy wasted? Does strategic planning have no place in our time-crazed, execution-obsessed New Economy? In 1983, the uber-executive of our age- General Electric Chairman Jack Welch dismantled the company's once heralded planning department. We have empirical evidence that those spending the most on traditional forms of resource-centric `strategy consulting' [the cerebrally challenged SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats dance] performed the poorest in the market place. The biggest strategic planner of them all, the Soviet Union appears to have just about finished its pre-Millennial journey from totalitarianism to disintegration. Strategy is not dead, but it had certainly fallen out of favor. Few companies don't have strategic plans. Yet few devote the resources to them they used to. Most disturbing, is that efforts to fix the problem, often had the effect of making things worse - or at least making them bad in a different way. Crusades and reforms intended to reinvent, relaunch and reposition the practice strategy have failed.

Lewis Mumford divided history into epochs characterized by their power sources. Traditional strategy tended to emphasize a focused single line of attack, executed by a single economic enterprise- a clear statement of where, how, and when to compete. Noticeably lacking was the question of `with whom?' The new power source in the New Economy is the ability to assemble the most resource-rich, market-savvy, technology-gifted, fleet-of-foot, known-and-trusted-by-the-consumer armada of partners. The way you do that is the subject of Digital Deals.

No book can promise infallibility. No book can guarantee that good decisions will be made. This book will help you spend the time you can allocate to strategic thinking more efficaciously. As such, this is not a coffee-table book. This is not a Great-Title-No-Content book. This is not a Good-article-unbelievable-they-stretched-it-into-a-book-book. This most definitely is not a I'll-buy-it-but-I-won't-read-it book. Digital Deals is the new, new thing in strategic thinking. Using the framework in Digital Deals to analyze the ur-protangonists of our evolving New Economy [Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, AOL, AT&T, Amazon] I experienced something akin to the joy that must have accompanied Galileo's use of the telescope to study the heavens or Robert Hooke's (1635-1703) use of the microscope to study bacteria. The tools contained in these pages will let you see new things. It will simplify what heretofore has been an incoherent jumble of pieces parts. This book has helped me understand the players, the deals and the deal rationales of the market I work in - digital security and privacy. As I read the book, I continued to ask myself whether the two Georges were adding words to the existing vocabulary of strategic planning or creating a new grammar into which the old words might be conjugated. There is no doubt that the process of market modeling described within these pages fundamentally changes the types of conversations we will be having as we try to plan our respective futures.

For an organization to survive in today's economy, it's not just a matter of doing deals, but of doing deals in a strategic and systematic way. Geis and Geis emphasize this tenet and provide substantial evidence why a well-planned partnering methodology is critical for the future of any organization. Not only does "Digital Deals" explore a number of partnering models, but also uses extensive real world examples and case studies from familiar companies who battle with these challenges every single day.

This is a book that puts partnerships and alliances in perspective in terms of their usefulness, value and criticality for the future of any organization in today's complex, competitive business world. Highly recommended reading for executives in general and Business Development professionals in particular.

Geis and Geis have produced an extraordinary product that will serve business leaders and deal makers well in both old economy and new economy companies. Their methodology of digital deal mapping provides a very necessary organic approach to identifying, organizing, and strategizing deals in the new millenium.

As a marketing/brand consultant to both Fortune 500 companies and to start-ups I will be handing out this book as Christmas presents to my favorite clients.

The front of this book says it is, "A Superb Book" It does not lie. It further states this book should be considered "A Classic of Civil War fiction." It is that. It ranks right up there with "The Black Flower" by Howard Bahr and Cold Mountain," by Charles Frazier. A love story set amidst the ravages of war, it is a masterpiece of emotional reading. for the Civil War buff, a must read, for everyone else, an excellent book to spend some time with. A Hallmark card of 300 pages. Get yourself something to drink and set yourself down in a nice, comfortable chair.

Philip Lee Williams' poignant Civil War novel about the beginning of the 1864 Atlanta campaign is a classic. Charlie Merrill, the central character, is everyman. He is the essence of THE Confederate soldier late in the Civil War when defeat was known to be inevitable yet duty, honor, and country demands to soldier on. Mr. Williams portrayal of the battles are historically accurate and well done, yet he uses his poetic license to examine the psyche of the common confederate soldier in the total context of those horrific times. Sad yes, but oh so glorious in a spiritual sort of way. The horrors that young Merrill sees and experiences are all too graphic yet he continues on wrapped in the friendship of his comrades.
The story is really a 3 part examination of Charlie Merrill's life during those difficult days. Mr. Williams artfully weaves the younger Merrill's life with the horrendous fighting of the 1864 Atlanta campaign, and his older life 50 years later when he is to give a keynote address to his hometown about the Fall of Civil War Atlanta. Charlie Merrill is a complex character that is slowly developed by Mr. Williams. Charlie is everyman of those chaotic times. He loves, cries, grows, and eventually understands the meaning of it all. Times change but memories endure.
Overall an amazing book. Outstanding character development in all respects. The complex relationships between Charlie and others in the book are well developed and although sad represent the circle of life in all its profoundness.
No gratuitous sex, language, or violence. The battle scenes are well done and not too graphic but necessary to the story.
Highly recommended, especially to those interested in the Civil War. A superb novel that anyone would enjoy. Good job Mr. Williams.

A book most readers would enjoy. If your looking for "The Red Badge Of Courage" or "Killer Angels" you may wish to look elsewhere. Not enough battle scenes/army life in this book though.

While young Charlie Merrill can hit a target 2,000 yards away with a Whitlock rifle, he is an unlikely soldier. We see him before the war as a frail, sickly teenager who is well-schooled in poetry and classical literature, living in one of the many North Georgia towns that is not altogether convinced in the wisdom of secession, much less war. We see Charlie Merrill in 1914 as his home town prepares to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the battle of Atlanta, thinking back on the loss and the sacrifice and the love that tied them together. And those of us who have walked the old works of Kennesaw Mountain where hikers now commune with a quiet wood and families spread out blankets and picnics on the warm grass of summer afternoons, see Charlie Merrill in in the contrasting bloody hell of 1864 rendered here in graphic detail. This novel received the Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction in 2004. It is a well-deserved honor, for A Distant Flame stands very near the top of the 80,000 books published about the civil war.

A literary Civil War novel that alternates between Charlie Merrill's grim existence as a sharpshooter in the Army of Tennessee, his sickly but love-touched boyhood and his old age.

I have very mixed feelings about this novel and I note from the other blurbs and reviews it's gotten that my opinion is a somewhat contrarian one.

I certainly have no issue with the research, which appears to have been painstaking. I found, though, that my engagement with the story wavered many times as I read. I honestly can't decide if this is a significant literary work told in a poetic style or if it's essentially sentimental in its themes and given to purple prose in its execution. I had trouble with the narrative's total humorlessness, with the saintly profundity of every character, with the endless repetition of variants on "Slavery was wrong." Yeah, obviously slavery was wrong. Every modern reader, hopefully, realizes that. But I'm not really convinced that the nineteenth-century Georgian character Charlie Merrill would realistically feel so unequivocally about it, and, as ever, the statement would have worked better shown than told. The race relations shown in the novel are all actually idyllic.

And along those same lines, I'm tired of reading about Confederate characters who don't believe in what they're fighting for. I think sophisticated modern readers can deal with protagonists who are fighting for a variety of reasons, some of which we do not consider today to be good. Merrill's lack of commitment to any aspect of his cause (whether resisting invasion or states' rights or his comrades, except for his single companion Duncan, or slavery) actually makes his battlefield actions more, not less, morally questionable for me. It severely undermines the quality of moral spokesmanship that I think the novel is trying to give him.

I was more moved by the failed-romance aspect of the story than I was by the war aspect, which is unusual for me.

I think this would probably appeal to readers who enjoyed books like Cold Mountain more than to readers who enjoy, say, David Poyer's Civil War novels. As for its overall quality, I'm just not sure.

Do you feel that marriage should be one of the most wonderful things in life? Do you feel sad about the divorce rating? This wonderful book explains how to live a meaningful and warm relationship. It explains what modesty is and why we need it. It discovers intimacy. A must read!

I recommend this book to all my friends and am actually buying it now for a friend who recently became engaged.

There are some books that defy definition, Doesn't Anyone Blush Anymore by Manis Friedman is one of them. This sweet book addresses many issues involved in relationships, love, and intimacy. It examines how interpersonal barriers that were once seen as sacred, that ensured the integrity of emotional health of individuals and families have been ripped away. The consequence of modern society shedding a traditional lifestyle that appeared superficial, to those living a rote existence according to these age-old practices, is a state of confusion and pain rather than emancipation. While this book appears to be about modesty, it truly deals with innocence, the end result of modesty. Manis Friedman argues that we as a society need to reclaim our innocence by setting personal and familial boundaries through implementing modesty in dress, speech, thought, and action if individuals and families are to become healthy and whole once again.

While comparisons to Return to Modesty and Kosher Sex are expected, this book differs in several ways. First, Manis Friedman never had a doubt that a modest lifestyle is better for someone's mental and spiritual health and second, he's not just talking about sex. The third difference is that he's not so much talking about a broad sweeping movement as much as a method of helping individuals get their lives on track.

Manis Friedman is one of the celebrities of the Lubavitcher movement and his writing and lectures exemplify why the Lubavitch movement is one of the most successful in reaching out to Jews unimpressed with observance. The operating procedure seems to imply "you think it's all going to be too hard for you? It doesn't fit your personality? Well, let's start small and see what you do feel comfortable with".

In this book Manis Friedman doesn't talk about the sexual mores at first. He knows that people see them as hopelessly outdated and Victorian. Instead he talks about modesty as an all encompassing part of the relationship. In his sermons, he helps to sensitize the reader to avoid little things that couples do all the time like arguing in public, making snide remarks when their partner argues with the clerk at the grocery store, etc. Through these stories and examples he gives a very intriguing and real picture of what a marriage could be and how it can be still romantic and fresh forever instead of for the first decade.

By the time he starts talking about the sexual rules of modesty, you are with him. You want the kind of relationship that he describes and if that means you wait until you get married to even touch a woman, so be it. And since this is Judaism, not Catholicism, there is no condemnation of sexuality. It's all about refinining sexuality and making it better than it could ever be in the so-called "swinging single" scene. When Manis Friedman describes a young man who isn't interested in dating or getting married just yet, he even hints at the popular "repressed guy just waiting to release all that pent up energy" fantasy with apparent approval. And just in case, you think that Friedman's ideas based on Halackic Jewish law are terribly repressive and limiting in sexuality, the guy's got 14 kids. He must be doing something right.

Read it. You might not agree with it. You might disagree with 90% of what's in this book, but that 10% that you agree with will make you think and make you feel and help you make healthier decisions in your life.

Years ago I heard Paul Harvey say that every American should go out and buy this book. I ignored him. Recently, while staying with a friend, I began reading her copy and couldn't put it down. I am now buying myself a copy.

What seems to be a passe perspective on life turns out to be brilliant and understanding. Manis Friedman has a remarkable grasp on the "places" inside us that we try to ignore. His advice for living and loving is unusually sound and his gentle delivery is among the finest.

I can't wait to see Manis' next book.

Doing the Right Thing is written for children taking care of their elderly parents. The book is well written and emphasizes the need for setting limits in taking on this difficult task. Specifically, Roberta Satow speaks of reaching a balance for children who have had distant, difficult relationships with their parents in the past. She emphasizes having boundaries and taking care of one's self in order to deal with the issues that inevitably come up at this time. As a daughter taking care of my mildly demented mother, I found this book helpful in validating the positive things that can come out of this new chapter in my life. Feelings from the past can be resolved and a new, positive bond can be formed with your parent. I highly recommend this book to any child taking care of an elderly relative and for children who are experiencing guilt over the resurfacing of old feelings at a time when our parents need us most.

The introduction to this book left me breathless - the author could have been looking over my shoulder at my own interaction with my mother, and dealing with the welter of emotions that come out of that relationship. I very much appreciate the author's disclosure of her own situation - I think this gives an immediacy that the reader can relate with. Anyone in a care-giving situation with their parents' should read this book, no matter what their relationship with their parents was like. I plan to recommend it to everyone I know, because they will need this kind of information sooner or later.

After picking up this book in a library, I was surprised to learn how low it is ranked on this list. Although I do not have personal need of the book (my parents are dead), many of my contemporaries are or were caregivers. This book helped me understand them. Among my aquaintances, nearly every primary caregiver is on antidepressants. With little time for exercise or self-care they have health and weight problems. And the primary caregiver often is not the favorite child. As Pipher says, he or she may be an estranged child seeking a last chance to work out "unresolved issues," in the language of therapy.

The book's title can be misleading. Satow does not limit her topic to children who resent their parents. She provides several examples of selfless caregivers who love their parents and care for them willingly. Often they're repaying an emotional debt or following a culture they embrace.

Given the heavy subject matter, author Satow couldn't take on the usual upbeat, cheery tone of most self-help books. In fact, reading the book can be exhausting. I am reminded of Mary Pipher's book, Another Country: relentless examples of frustration with no end in sight.

Compared to Pipher, Satow comes across more as a hands-on therapist and teacher. And she's the kind of therapist who holds firm to mainstream beliefs (e.g., we never lose ties to our parents) and offers, by way of encouragement, a simple, "That's difficult."

Like Pipher, Satow's message is one of acceptance. At some point in life, there's little to anticipate. And contemporary American society lacks an infrastructure to provide support.

The book would be stronger if the author had stepped back for a broader perspective. Many caregivers sacrificed their own lives, so who will care for them as they age? How will the single or childless elderly fend for themselves?

And some relationships seem so broken or distant that one or more children could move to the opposite end of the world, guilt-free. Remember the Sopranos episode where Tony's mother dies? Carmela, Tony's wife, says, "Who are we kidding? She was awful." A funeral director told me he's experienced this reaction first-hand - more than once.

The biggest omission in Satow's book relates to money. In her last chapter, Satow makes some recommendations for caregivers. She includes a list of questions, encouraging caregivers to assess whether they're experiencing illness, taking out their frustrations on their own children or giving up a social life altogether.

But Satow totally ignores the financial effects of caregiving. When the parent dies, the child who gave up career options now has to move forward, battling age discrimination and a resume gap. Sometimes parents never get around to updating a will. Some die intestate. The inheritance gets divided evenly among three, four or five children, who rarely are motivated to reward the primary caregiver. And the primary caregiver's career can suffer or even disappear.

Still, I'd recommend this book to anyone who's caring for an elderly parent. But I suspect caregivers have little time to read. Ultimately, this book will help the rest of us try to understand a little more.

The interviews in this book were very enlightening, giving me some new insights into the situations that I, and apparently many others, are going through with aging parents. I did sympathise with many of the adults, and I guess the only shortcoming of the book was that I expected it to provide me with solutions. I realize that may be impossible to receive from a book, but I do think I gained a lot by the empathy I felt to others who deal with the same insolvable and sometimes intolerable situations. I would recommmend this book to those just beginning to feel the pull to help their parents so that some strategies may be of help in the earliest stages before patterns are set.

This is it folks! Probably one of the most important books I have ever read. It took me, as the reader, full circle from my childhood all the way through to my current relationship with my aging parents, in a matter of hours. I could not and would not put this book down. It wouldn't let me. Never have I read anything on the issue of children dealing with their aging parents that has so thoroughly covered every human emotion. It is gut-wrenching and inspiring at the same time. Kudos to Roberta Satow for having the desire and the ability to write about a topic that is so controversial and so very necessary. This book pushed all of my buttons and made me rethink every aspect of my relationship with my parents and my own children. This subject cannot be talked about or written about enough. I took on every role while engrossed in this book. I was child, sibling, parent and aging parent all at the same time. I was hit emotionally from every angle. When the book was finished I was literally angry that there weren't more pages. I can't stop thinking about or talking about this book. Now that is the sign of a great book! Please tell me there will be more where this came from!

This book is, arguably, the funniest thing I have ever read in my life. Seeing these "normal" gay guys (and girls, too) has helped me face my own homosexuality. This book can (and should) be enjoyed by mature, open-minded readers of any and all persuasions.

this book is a fantastic insight into the mind of the gay male in society. when i bought it, the woman who sold it to me said I would be surprised how much it mimics straight married people's relationships, and, as a straight, married female, I can sympathize with Leonard's mother controlling his every move!

Bravo Tim!!!!

This book is a must. Not just for gay men, but for members of your family. I have given so many copies of "Domesticity Isn't Pretty" to friends and family members that I have lost count. It deals with the reality of gay couples, with humor and a realistic touch, so lacking in many gay author's work. Besides, once you give them "Domesticity Isn't Pretty," you can bet they'll seek out Tim Barela's three other Leonard and Larry books, as well!

Leonard Goldman is an architect. Larry Evans runs a Leather Store on Santa Monica Boulevard. Together, they deal with marriage, divorce, children, childbirth of grandchildren, the fact that a son may be gay, and who stole the cookies. Well, maybe the cookies aren't the most typical dilemma in anyone's family, but these men feel real, like neighbors.

When Larry's son David makes a very public coming out at his local high school prom, it completely unsettles his fatherhood expectations. Given that Larry, a gay man, is as rattled by the discovery that his offspring is gay makes him just like the rest of us. He's not a Super Human, he's just an Every Dad. Larry must suddenly face a reality that he takes for granted in his everyday life, and it's revelatory to come from a gay book.

One of the other fun things about this volume is that you get to watch the evolution of Leonard and Larry from being side characters in Barela's other strips to the heroes of their own. The introduction by Andy Mangles chronicles Tim's early strips for biker magazines, and how Tim came to terms then eventually came out through his art. Reading about Barela's growth and self realization parallels the growths of Leonard and Larry, making the stories all the more essential and commonplace to gays and lesbians everywhere. Maybe "Domesticity Isn't Pretty," but it sure is realistic. Funny, too. Get this! Get two. Spread the Leonard and Larry world.

This book was one of the best I have read in a long time. Leonard and Larry are the more realistic couple I have seen in a comic in years. Their shenanigans are awesome and their relationship is truly touching as well. Nice to see two "normal" men with "normal" lives who are so much in love.

Leonard is a timeless comic strip that is as fresh today as when it was written. If you would like to see what we are really like and how similar we are to the straight couples in this great land of our BUY THIS BOOK.

I purchased this book after serching for resources on mother - daughter abandonment. I was researching this subject to see if others has experiences such as mine. By reading this book I have come to understand it and grow. It made me feel as though I was not alone in my childhood experiences. I would highly recommened this book to anyone!!!

Don't Call Me Mother: Breaking the Chain of Mother-Daughter Abandonment is a poignant story on several different levels. It's such a compelling memoir, you have to keep reminding yourself that it isn't fiction. The raw emotions and the bare truth of the story pull you into a drama that no child should experience. It's a testimonial to Linda Joy's strength of character that she could survive such an experience let alone re-live it again to tell her story.

Her prose is so poetic, at times you think you're reading poetry. In addition to being a fine author, Linda Joy is a therapist illuminating the spiritual growth that comes from compassion, forgiveness, perseverance, and the courage that can be born of such a tragic childhood.

The driving force behind the book is the hope that the chain of abandonment cycling through the generations can finally be broken. Don't Call Me Mother should be read by anyone who has experienced abandonment, divorce, or living with mental illness; however, the book stands on its own as an unforgettable story.

I had the privilige of hearing Ms Myers speak recently and was touched by her incredible empathy and understanding for people who have suffered abandonment and abuse in their childhood. Though the memoir genre is overpopulated by stories of Hollywood stars and the like, regaling us with their secrets, Ms Myers' account of three generations of mother-daughter abandonment and her quest to heal the rupture in her family reads more like a lyrical and sensitive novel than a true-life story. Poetic and evocative in its depiction of Ms Myers' incarnations as a child struggling to withstand the tempestous damage of mental illness; a young woman seeking the truth buried amidst family secrets; and of a strong-willed mother and grandmother fighting to reshape the future out of the past, this is a book that touches all of us, whether or not we have suffered the same. Healing and powerful in its message while never being self-indulgent, "Don't Call Me Mother" is a testament to the resiliency and courage of those who seek to make peace with themselves and discover truth through their losses.

As a women's memoir writing teacher and coach, I read memoirs to find exemplars for my classes. I recently read the excellent Don't Call Me Mother: Breaking the Chain of Mother-Daughter Abandonment by Linda Joy Myers. Her compelling life story is written as a series of vignettes that reveal a multi-generational pattern of abandonment and eventual healing. Myers, a marriage and family therapist, writes in the voice of the first person speaking in the present tense. If you are writing, or interested in writing, your memoir, consult this book to understand the dramatic impact on the reader of this voice and tense combination. From the author's perspective, Myers says the choice "forced me to integrate the self that I was with the witness I have become." You'll also notice the importance of trains in her life, representing separations and reunions, new ventures and returning home. If you are working on your memoir, consider if there has been a thread running through your life that could be woven into your memoir. Myers, also an artist, creates vitality and vividness in the people and places she shares with us through the use of color descriptors. What passions do you have - gardening, sports, cooking, art, music - that might enhance the telling of your story?

I strongly recommend this book as a "good read" if you struggle with the mother-daughter relationship in your life. I also highly recommend this book for the insights it offers into writing your memoir.

This was not quite what I thought it was but it was enjoyable, if that is the appropriate term for a book that causes one to cry or reflect on familial relationships. I have been surprised to learn how many women end up in circumstances in which they have effectively, if not actually, been abandoned by their mothers. I gave a copy to my daughter and loaned mine to a friend who I learned had been placed for adoption because her mother didn't want more children.

Pam Johnson founded "The Secret Society of Happy People" and found herself grappling with holiday newsletters, worldwide press coverage, a spirited debate on "Politically Incorrect", and asking state governors to proclaim National Admit You're Happy Day. In Don't Even Think Of Raining On My Parade: Adventures of The Secret Society Of Happy People, Pam shares with the reader her perspective on living, enjoying, and celebrating what life has to offer, and presents a spectrum of happiness showcased through insightful stories, thoughtful observations, and witty pieces by other writers. Don't Even Think Of Raining On My Parade is highly recommended for inspirational self-help reading lists and library collections.

This book is two books in one! It tells the reader in chronological order the fences Pam had to jump to get her idea to become reality. With sheer determination and a humorous way of viewing events, Pam succeeded in her quest. The book also is loaded with entertaining stories demonstrating the 21 types of happiness. It was a quick, delightful read.

This book provides a humorours look at how her "Secret Society" got started. The stories of her adventures with the media, politicans, and the public in general are funny. She reminds us fo how lost "happiness" as become, but more important how we should NOT rain on someone else's parade. This easy to read and entertaining book would make anyone a great gift.

Pam's book is an easy to read, humourous look at how hard it is to spread a little happiness. It takes the reader on a chronological journey with Pam as she heads towards making her passing thought of a Secret Society of Happy People into reality. It also contains entertaining stories demonstrating the 21 types of happiness. A fun, quick read that left me smiling

Pam Johnson's "Secret Society Of Happy People" is one of the most unique and yet simple ideas I have ever heard of. Unlike so many other "feel-good" authors of today, she does not suggest that we deny our true feelings or the unhappy realities of this world, but to make a point of expressing our feelings of happiness as and when they arise -- without feeling guilty or inappropriate for doing so. There is a good chance that we are all a lot happier than we think we are! This book also raises awareness of how we allow other people's negativity to zap the happiness right out of our lives. "Don't Even Think of Raining On My Parade: Adventures of the Secret Society of Happy People." chronicles the author's diligent and courageous undertaking to bring acceptance back to the concept of feeling good. It's a wonderful read.