Thomas Books

Alison Anderson is among the finest literary stylists writing today, writing a carefully crafted lyrical prose which reminds me of Patrick O'Brian's best work in his Aubrey/Maturin saga. Her graceful writing is a poetic throwback to Jane Austen, with much Joycean self reflection thrown in, reminding me too of Andrea Barrett's elegant fictional prose on science and nature. I was quite taken with "Darwin's Wink" as I read through the opening pages, keeping a keen interest in the affairs of the two protagonists, Fran and Christian. To her credit, Anderson has fashioned a tale that I wish didn't end, but yet it did, with ample realism and poetic prose.

Fran is a fortyish American behavioral ecologist and ornithologist who has found sanctuary on Egret Island, a tiny island near its much larger neighbor, Mauritus, trying to save a rare bird from extinction. She also finds herself coping with the unexpected death of her assistant and lover, Salish, a Hindu Mauritian. Salish's replacement, Chris, a former Swiss Red Cross worker, has lost the love of his life, Nermina, a Muslim Bosnian Red Cross worker, he met while both were working in war-torn Bosnia in the mid 1990s. Unexpectedly, they find themselves drawn to each other while contending unknowingly with Mauritians opposed to their conservation work, and who were ultimately responsible for Salish's death.

Starts quiet and sort of stays that way which belies the strength of its voice and story which rings loud and clear -- the power, trauma, guilt and loss as each are worked upon. The tiny Maritian island in this book is a stripped down, bare essentials cosmos. Some will say it's a love story but it's no more nor less than a survival story, and that's beautifully sufficient and gorgeously written (though not over-written). Will be moving on, just as quickly as my feet can scurry to my local, to Anderson's earlier novel Hidden Latitudes. She seems to have a thing for Island novels; works for me!

I really loved this book !
While you get gripped into the suspense which has the two main characters strive to keep alive an endangered species of birds on an island near Mauritius working against an unknown enemy and learn slowly about their secrets wounds in a well constructed story that takes you back and forth between past - the war in Bosnia during which Christian was working for the red cross and lost his girlfriend- and present - the island where Fran suffered her own loss, you really dive into the serenity of this island and the beautiful and lyrical use of words by the writer. It is punctuated with pertinent and philosophical comments about life, survival and relationship.
You will not want to leave Fran and Christian when you reach the last page.

Off the coast of Mauritius is a coral reef, Egret Island, twenty-five hectares of tropical vegetation. Following the Portuguese, Dutch, French and British, even the egrets vanish from this beleaguered place. Fran, a trained naturalist, comes to Egret Island via an independent foundation, her mission to return the island to its pre-human state, replacing plant and animal life, "the exotic with the endemic", restoring the natural habitat and possibly saving the mourner bird from extinction. The fiftyish woman is joined by a younger man, Christian, a Swiss by birth. Deeply scarred by his experiences with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Bosnia, Christian is seeking refuge from the harsh reality of war, "a bloody game of bullies and warlords, a slaughter."

Fran carries her own heartbreak, a love affair with Satish, a younger Tamil immigrant from India who knew the island well, his death still a potent grief. Christian's arrival has awakened Fran's feelings, his romance with a local girl a reminder that Satish is gone, as if Fran's relationship was only an island tale. Socially unacceptable, Fran and Satish's love was something they chose, accepting the challenges of such an affair. At this point in her life, Fran has crossed an invisible line, accepted solitude as a way of life, made stronger within the boundaries of self. Fran finds comfort in her position, having never mastered flirtatious games, removed from island society, safe from the entanglements that expose her vulnerabilities. Watching Christian in Satish's place, Fran hopes that their daily routines will offer this man an opportunity to recover, to regain his balance in the world. Drawn closer by the defining experiences of their lives, Fran and Christian share their stories. Writing in her journal, Fran realizes that anything can be changed in nature, an act of God, Darwin's wink: "What will I do now... my ordered little world is only an illusion of order, thwarted by biology."

Fran is a complex person, having weighed her loneliness and made peace with it, yet allowing herself to embrace Satish, and later, Christian. The years have given her a natural wisdom and compassion, withholding her own needs so that those of others can be met. She offers Christian the freedom to make choices without resorting to trickery or dishonesty. Even Christian realizes that this place and this woman are temporary, a brief respite before he reenters a brutal world with unfinished obligations. Yet Christian is acutely aware of Fran's strength, her unconditional acceptance of what life offers, even if happiness only comes in small measures. Anderson evokes a time and place made real and tactile by the species clinging to life and the wounded humans reaching to each other for comfort. The characters inhabit the novel, Fran, Christian, Asmita, the devious Razel, the lost Nermina and the ghost of Satish. Here passion blooms without interference, but the world waits; this temporary solace belongs to the moment, where old wrongs may be made right, nature tilted gently into balance, Fran and Christian planting the seeds of the future. Luan Gaines/ 2005.

This is a lovely, unusual novel. The writing is lush, the setting and characters complex, and the protagonist's work important. The ending seems quite realistic. For anyone, especially one who cares for endangered species and is drawn to the mystery of islands, this novel should hold one's interest straight through. Beautiful and imaginative.

Have actually improved performance results by implementing many of the techniques found in the Field Guide (tips have helped me in a number of places and ways). An easy read. Practical, applicable and actionable.

Comments from using the electronic version of the book at books24x7.com.

I read the entire book for use on a capstone project I'm working on. This book hammered home many of the exact concepts I believed were present, but couldn't prove. I work in IT for a multi-billion / year company. Many of the issues Tom describes are the exact issues we've either gone through or are currently struggling with.

Key concepts for me:
1) IT cannot be responsible for data quality, but they are definately involved.
2) Data quality is a multi-facted management issue.
3) Quality has to be defined by the each organization. (i.e. what's good enough for company A may be substandard for company B.)

I also noticed the website address listed in the book is obsolete and has been replaced with this:
http://books.elsevier.com/companions/1555582516/?country=United+States

This is an excellent everyday guide to data quality. Easy to read and filled with tips and techniques for starting and improving a data quality program. The field guide format makes it a great reference book.

Good practical advice for improving data quality. Covers the most common data quality problems. Well written. Some other sources to look at online:


http://www.dmreview.com
http://www.datalever.com

I like this book quite a bit because although it's not a huge doorstop of a tome in terms of length, it's quite complete and thorough. Some data quality books cover management aspects, some the technical aspects, and some take other angles. This book takes a look at all of the different angles on data quality and sums them up into a very nice package.

One of the things I liked about it is the section on social aspects of data quality, since so many technical people I work with have a great idea but aren't able to implement it for lack of understanding of the social aspects of working on data quality projects. Another is a part where Redman goes through the process of how data quality is tracked over time, to see if things are improving, and the way that he draws a distinction between records that are "perfect", and records that are "usable", which points out some differences that are important. There is even a very relevant section on data quality problems in the US elections of 2000.

The nice thing about this field guide is that it should have everything an organization needs to do some serious data quality work (including even middle management roles and responsibilities). I think it's a very solid book that would be a great addition to data manager's and other tech manager's libraries.

Every day this devocion makes sense and is relevant to the trials and experiences that I face each moment. I have read this for years and years. However, each day seems fresh, relevant and speaks to me each time I read it. Even though it was written centuries ago, the message is up to date and I cannot avoid wondering how the author knew that I needed this?

After pouring out my heart to a woman I worked for, she gave me an old copy of this book. It has truly has been an answer to my prayers. I am a 21-year-old college student, who found myself in the words of Mrs. Cowman. She examines the heart's deepest troubles and exposes them to the promises of God, healing them from the inside out. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I bought this as a gift for my mother and she loves it. Even though it is a little harder to find, my mother claims that the evening devotionals which are taken from Cowman's "Springs in the Valley" are just as moving as the Morning devotionals (taken from "Streams in the Desert"), if not more so. Another great gift idea is the "Streams in the Desert" Journal which gives the reader room to journal next to the moving daily devotional.

I have been reading the paperback devotional of "Streams in the Desert" and I enjoy it greatly. It is non-judmental and very loving. My fave devotional!

I had to order this as my old one is in at least 25 broken sections from reading and re-reading it! Not a day has passed that each particular page has spoken to me God's words of faith, encouragement, endurance, pressing on with a song in your heart and even the gentlest but firm discipline when needed. The authors and "selected" readings I know were directly from the Holy Spirit given to these saints of old. This book is a must for every believer embarking on the pilgrimage back home to heaven. (see Hebrews 11:13-16) Brings healing tears to the spirit, soul, and body.

I have read different devotionals, but this is by far the best! What I love about this particular book~~it's two devotionals in one! In the morning I read a devotional and before I retire for the evening I can read more "refreshing" words penned by Mrs. Cowman.

Mrs. Cowman was "wise beyond her years". I cannot tell you the times I have read her devotional and felt like I had been in touch with heaven itself.

As an old-time radio fan who has just recently discovered the magic of Don McNeill's "Breakfast Club" program (and WHY aren't there more surviving recordings of this series currently in circulation among collectors?), I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Doolittle's new book. I found it to give fascinating and in-depth looks into the "behind-the-scenes" workings of the show, the network and sponsor difficulties with the TV version, and the careers and private lives of the McNeill family and the various cast members. I found the section regarding Kay McNeill's (Don's wife) mental and physical decline from Altzheimer's Disease to be particularly poignant and heartbreaking...especially considering what a vibrant person she seemed to be prior to her illness. In a previous review, Mr. Slobb criticizes the book for treating Don McNeill as if he were God...I respectfully disagree. The book deals with the two personas of Mr. McNeill....How he could seem outgoing on the program and be quite introverted, even sullen, in real life. However, after reading the book one gets the impression that Don McNeill was basically a fine person. After working with Mr. McNeill for a number of years and numerous broadcasts, Mr. Slobb's complaints are that Don McNeill never spoke to him, or that Don gave Mr. Slobb "cheap" Christmas presents....I don't think that those issues really put Don McNeill into the "ruthless S.O.B" category. Unlike fellow "morning man" Arthur Godfrey, who truly alienated his cast members and had some very ugly parting of the ways, most of Don McNeill's regulars stayed with him for YEARS. There were male and female singers who would leave the show to get married and raise families, tour on club dates, go into the service, etc. Don had a friendly "open-door" policy with these departed singers.....Most of them would return to fill in when their replacements would be out sick, on vacation, etc., and these "pinch-hitting" former regulars were always made to feel welcome. I'm sorry to digress from the book itself, but I felt that the preceding needed to be said. I found this book to be enlightening, interesting, inspiring and a LOT of fun...sort of like an actual "Breakfast Club" broadcast! I recommend it highly!

The Don McNeill Breakfast Club was a comfort of home, a memory of cherished moments sitting by the radio with my family. When I heard that a book had been written about the program I had high expectations. I was more impressed than I could have imagined. Not only did I feel a stronger sense of who Don McNeill was, I also gained perspective on American History through radio, which was so perfectly encompassed in The Breakfast Club. For anyone who remembers the lazy mornings by the radio, or for anyone who is interested in American culture and history, this book is a must!

Although I am old enough to have been able to remember Don McNeill's Breakfast Club I have only heard of him, and wanted to learn more about this popular radio show. Author John Doolittle has done an excellent job in bringing out the personality of Don McNeill. Don was a devoted family man who, despite an extroverted personality when interviewing people, was more of an introvert away from the show. Don was devoted to the midwest and chose to keep his show in Chicago from various downtown locations. I would say the primary reason for the success of the show was his sincere interest in people in addition to his willingness to pay the price in preparation time. Those who filled in for him found out there is more involved than chatting with members of the studio audience. The silent prayer and the march around the breakfast table were interesting staples of this show that I wasn't aware of. Don McNeill was a sincere man both on the show and in his private life. The CD that came with the book I bought provides interesting snippets on some of his shows and was especially interesting to listen to after having read the book. Don McNeill was a giant of radio who had a lot to contribute to other people and did.

This is a fascinating journey back through radio and american history.

The "Breakfast Club" was a morning radio program staple in hundreds of thousands of homes across America beginning in 1933 until its final broadcast in December of 1968. Don McNeill hosted this program which was completely unscripted and involved a lot of studio audience participation. Now John Doolittle has memorialized that unique and beloved radio show host and his program in Don McNeill And His Breakfast Club. Here is the history of a man and a program that developed an enormous and loyal listenership in an era when broadcast radio was the major daily mass media for information and culture in the country. Doolittle's informative, enthusiastically recommended history is enriched with the inclusion of an accompanying CD with sample clips from the show to give the reader an authentic flavor of what the program was like and why it became (and stayed) one of the most popular components of morning radio.

This book has been so helpful to my prayer life. It has broadened my understanding, deepened my respect, and aided in the fruitfulness of my prayer life. I believe prayer is foundational to our relationship with the body of Christ and Jesus as our Lord. Reading this book has been like spending time with a wise elder who desires to assist the walk of fellow brothers and sisters. I can't recommend this book highly enough. God bless.

This IS a great book. I've read books on prayer...good books, but this focuses on intercessory prayer. I checked this out of my church library, but have to have my own copy so I can highlight, etc. I can't add anything else. The other reviewers have said it all.

I happened on this book when I was dealing with a particularly bad patch in my life and it gave me the courage to pray and have faith that things can change, and they did!. The book isn't "preachy" at all, but is lively and enjoyable. I was saddened to hear of Mr. Dunn's passing a few years ago. He certainly made an impact on my life through his work.

Ron Dunn has made such a tremendous compilation of truth from scripture and through what was his own amazing journey, on the power of the praying Believer. As a Christian who struggles with this topic often it has been a much needed, simple to read, breath of fresh air. I recommend this book to everyone, not just those like myself who struggle with prayer. Again, it is very easy to read and understand.

This book is phenomenal. I've read a lot of books - GOOD books - about prayer. This tops the list. Ronald Dunn lays out prayer principles in a logical way that is easy to understand and to follow, and which has a solid foundation in the Word of God. He writes in a way that makes it easy to believe that prayer is real and works, AND that anyone can do it. He shows throughout the book that God want us to pray, but He also wants to answer us. Many people forget about that second half of the equation. He gives us reasons why we should pray - about anything and everything - and why God not only wants it but requires it of us before He will move in a specific situation.

This book will be instrumental to anyone who wishes to grow in their relationship with God and in their prayer life. I've already read it three times and found new nuggets of wisdom and understanding each time. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to have - and grow in - an effective prayer ministry.

i havent read it yet but i have a feeling that this will be an excellent novel

I have almost 80 DL novrls and Ive never heard of thes

I've already read the original chronicles and I noticed some differences, but this book is still great! The illustrations are wonderfully drawn and it really gets the point across. I highly recommend this book to all!

I started reading DL in the mid-90's, but I started by being given one of these as a gift. They're hard to find, but well worth it if you can find them. They're based on the books, but even if you've already read the chronicles trilogy, it's well worth it. Recommend these with the highest regards.

This book is an adeptation of the last half of Dragons of Winter Night. It is a very thick comic book that was written in 1985 after the original chronicles came out. I have only books 1,2,3, and 4 and all of them are pretty acurate in there interpretation of the original.

This wonderful book is much more than a collection of hunting and fishing stories. The author has the rare ability to take his readers with him on both his physical adventures and his philisophical journeys. These journeys delve into the heart and soul of a particular location.

The stories told here take us from familiar ground to the far corners of the planet. Each account includes well-researched observations on the local natural and cultural histories. McIntyre's interpretations of wilderness values and hunting ethics are thought-provoking and profound.

I highly recommend this book to everyone, even those who have no interest in hunting or fishing. If you enjoy visiting truly wild places, or are simply grateful that such wild places and wild beasts still exist, this book will provide much satisfaction.

Tom McIntyre is one of the last great storytellers. His gift with a pen places the reader right in the middle of all the action. The subject matter within the pages of this book is broad. It ranges from an account of a fantastic woodcock hunt in Ireland to the pursuit of the most dangerous African cape buffalo but never once will you loose interest. Be it his candid views of the cultures surrounding the hunt or the excitement of the actual hunt, you will leave each chapter with a better understanding and respect for both the hunter and his prey.

"Dreaming The Lion" is far from the traditional "hook and bullet" prose found in most of today's hunting publications. Rather it is perhaps more of a modern day Hemmingway approach. It is factual, adventurous and all with just the right touch of humor. All of which I found quite refreshing.

If you are a hunter "Dreaming The Lion" belongs in your library.

Ed Noonan
Member of the Outdoor Writers Assn. of American and
New York State Outdoor Writers Assn.

Tom McIntyre is a writer with a distinctive voice and an exceptional talent. His style has pith and elegance -and humor and intelligence. For a couple of decades now (maybe a little more) he has written some of the best prose we have on hunting. "Dreaming The Lion" is a treasury of his finest work, and will prove a delight for every literate hunter.

This is by no means a somber book, but it is a thoughtful one. Reflecting on the prospect of hunting in his native California, McIntyre writes, "The best thing would be to hunt the country you were born into, to make it even more your home. But what if your native country is not only a place, but a time, and what if that time is past?" Not exactly the kind of bang-and- brag drivel so common to lesser hunting writers, and to an unfortunately increasing number of "sporting" publications.

"Dreaming The Lion" is a collection of choice pieces, (mostly about hunting, especially but not exclusively about big game,) connected by one-page, inter-chapter selections from an ongoing African diary. In this safari narrative McIntrye appears more as protagonist than hero; he screws up sometimes, misses badly on occasion, has his ups and downs just like we, the readers, probably would. The book's final section, the title essay in three parts, recounts another African adventure and by any fair standard must be judged one of the finest pieces of hunting writing in our time. Comparisons to Hemingway and Ruark and Capstick or anyone else are as unnecessary as they are trite. McIntyre is his own writer, speaking with his own voice in his own (for a hunting writer, not entirely fortunate) time. Enjoy him.

When a writer conveys an experience he conveys something of himself. Thirty years after reading him, when I think of Robert Ruark in Africa, I remember his honesty in writing about fear and booze and his struggle to live up to his own image of what he wanted to be, as much as his insightful observations of a safari. When I think of Hemingway, the exquisite craftsmanship of "The Green Hills of Africa" is overshadowed by his chest-thumping competitiveness and dishonest self-aggrandisement.

In "Dreaming the Lion," Tom McIntyre brings all the unabashed, unapologetic masculinity you would expect in a book about hunting, but he tempers it with the thoughtful intelligence of someone who thinks about his actions and their consequences, who thinks about the world around him and his place in it. And more: he brings a refreshing mastery of the English language and a wit as quick and sharp as a skinning knife. This is a book about ideas as much as actions, written by a man who doesn't suffer fools gladly, and who sees the world he loves slowly and irrevocably vanishing. Read it and dream of Africa.

In a just world, Thomas McIntyre's Dreaming the Lion would be considered a classic. While it is definitely a "hunting book" it is also literature in every sense, and superior to such curiosities as Hemingway's True at First Light.

McIntyre has hunted everywhere from the Rockies to the Arctic to Africa, not to mention his native California, whose degradation he describes movingly in the essay "Blade Hunter": "...no matter how Californian the armature of my soul may be, in the end it is insufficiently rigid to keep me here until it's all barricaded away and I am reduced to stalking Norway rats in the storm drains with the broken-off shaft of a nine-iron tipped witha fluted point knapped from a glass insulator, til all that's fit to live here is cockroaches and Keith Richards."

McIntyre's essays range from the dark to the humorous to the moving, though always free of the easy sentimentality common to lesser "hook and bullet" writers. He has not only been just about everywhere; he has read just about everything, from novels to history to biology, and thought long and hard about it all. He would never scorn the meat or trophies produced by his hunts, but his real quest is for meaning, experience , and the wild within and without.

If you are a hunter who has not read him, you will find things here that you will find nowhere else. If you are a nonhunter or even an anti-hunter who wants to understand the soul of the hunter, start here. As McIntyre says, "Welcome to the wild."

If you had to read one book about Ireland 1916-1922, this would definitely be it! It starts in the aftermath of 1916 and proceeds through the end of the Civil War. Flanagan does so well in bringing the history, the players - actual and fictional - and the atmosphere to life that I can't believe he wasn't there. (Don't think so, though...) Michael Collins, Ernie O'Malley, DeValera -- they're all here. Finally, this is quite simply an absolutely beautifully written book, even if you're not interested in Ireland, the time period, or the people involved.

The thrird novel, after "Year of the French" & "The Tenants of Time", in Flanagan's magnificent historical novels of Irish history.

"End of the Hunt" paints an exquisite, compelling portrait of Michael Collins Ireland with all the complexity and personal tragedy of the Irish Civil War in tact. Told with bold narrative strokes and page turning action that belies the deep characters and big ideas in a book as beautiful as Ireland herself. Flanagan is no Joyce, he is Ireland's Tolstoy. Characters that breath and a book you won't want to leave.

I loved the Thomas Flanagan trilogy.
By chance, I believe I came across the primary source books for each of the three.
The Year of the French seems quite obviously informed and inspired by Thomas Pakenham's Year of Liberty, a novelistic but dense nonfiction recounting of the western uprising in 1798.
The End of the Hunt takes much of its feel from "The Big Fellow", Frank O'Connor's beautiful account of Michael Collins' revolutionary career.
If these two are obvious the third is less so:
The Tenants of Time builds very effectively upon the foundations of Micheal Davitt's book, "The Fall of Feudalism in Ireland." This book, by an 1867 Fenian who became a leader of the Land League movement and an obstructionist member of the British parliament, is rich in detail about the Land League and the parliamentary struggle of the late 1800's that shows up in the Flanagan book.
I recommend these books to readers who have finished the trilogy, just as I would recommend the trilogy to all.

Thomas Flanagans' The End of the Hunt follows The Tenants of Time as an engrossing novel about Ireland's fight for independence. His most recent novel centers on Michael Collins, but, like previous Flanagan efforts, is told through the eyes of a collection of characters. These individual insights give the reader a well-rounded view of events as they occur and allow us to peer from different angles at the tactics, strategies, subterfuges, and idiosyncracies of the warring parties. From the Easter Rising of 1916 to the edge of Irish civil war, Flanagan weaves a taut web of intrigue, conflict, and tragedy with a "behind-the-scenes" access which affords the reader an extremely suspenseful experience.

Though admirably fast-paced throughout, the story quickens as Collins and crew reluctantly sign a treaty with Great Britain which runs counter to the oaths of their IRA brethren. Creating the Irish Free State, Collins finds himself and his fellow free staters caught between the unconditional IRA demands of full independence and the British who continue to hold Northern Ireland with iron fist and require the rest of the country to ultimately submit to their sovereignty. The balancing act is exciting to behold as Collins continues to abet IRA action whilst holding an ever-demanding Great Britain at bay.

Ireland's struggle to be free of Britain's imperial grasp is a story that, to this day, continues to make headlines. Thomas Flanagan has again provided a ground zero view fraught with peril, passion, and seemingly insurmountable odds. I recommend this book highly as I do his earlier effort, The Tenants of Time.

This is a part of Irish history that most Americans, including many Irish-Americans, don't know well if at all. Thomas Flanagan's story of Irish independence, centering on the figure of Michael Collins (the Big Fella)is a story of historical significance and personal tragedy. While this is not a full rounded history of the time, since it focuses on Collins and ignores for the most part the other Irish leaders, it is still a grand adventure and captures perfectly the tone of time and place. Flanagan is a writer of significant skill and his handling of character and story - not to mention his skill with language - make this book a memorable and moving reading experience.

For the term "technology" I understand the theoretical knowledge applied to the practical world in order to produce a useful tool. In this case, this book is to be considered a technological one. Great.

if your a student of hypnotherapy, nlp or wanting to know more, this book is a must. it explains things well and in simple language.

This manual is truly a Master work... the book touches on everything from early history of hypnosis, NLP language patterns, metaphor, inductions, etc. The book is written in language very easy to read and understand. The ideas are brought forward very clearly, and one gets a sense of the personality and substance of the authors themselves. There are many books out there about Erickson, his work and techniques... This one should be at the top of any list and a must have for the library of every practitioner of the art.

I paid £39.99 for this book, I'm a total novice having been studying NLP and hypnosis over 14hrs a day for the last two months (yeah I redirected a compulsive behaviour ;) ).

I've read a lot of excellent hypnosis books by now, and this one is certainly a must. Thorough coverage of language patterns was the key thing when I first looked through it, plus in that chapter an interesting discussion on "torpedo" therapy.

Various NLP tools are documented yet this is not an NLP focussed book, so excellent for those that aren't necessarily taken with the NLP approach to this work in general.

Also there are a variety of scripts and techniques from traditional to more flexible types al a Ericksonian.

There's many more things covered in this book that I've left out-lazy reviewer I guess :-). Ideomotor responses and hypnosis without trance to mention but two. A serious student of hypnosis wouldn't want to be without this one.

Ericksonian Approaches is a hands-on manual that includes an overview of the field of hypnosis from its history, myths, and misconcpetions to Erickson's contributions.

You will discover the NLP techniques and interventions that emerged from Erickson's mastery.

You will learn hypnotic language patterns and a variety of induction processes. The book concludes with a whole spectrum of utilization methodologies designed to alleviate various mental and physical traumas and discomforts.

Lisa Haynes has a way of luring readers with refreshingly intense language, and endings that offer subtle and veridical power. Enhancing her imagery through a skillful play of metaphors, the psychological complexities behind her poetry are as haunting as they are bracing. Another key characteristic of Haynes' poetry is lyrical honesty as she maps-out the vast landscape of human loss, not forgetting that she herself is woven into its scenery. In Lisa Haynes, we witness an astonishing writer who knows intimately the power of human language. This Seattle-based poet comes with my highest recommendation.

The subjects covered in this book are innumerable. Loss, grief, love, love affairs, anger, suicide, dreams, hope, amnesia, racism, sexuality, divorce, caregiving, illness, politics, online relationships and so on. This is a good book to get if you are one of the hundreds of thousands of people who are looking at aging parents and wondering how caring for them is going to change your life. If you are already in that situation you would benefit from this book. It will reassure you that you are not alone. It is a powerful book. One poem will leave you feeling raw and then the next one will leave you feeling full of life. Sometimes I felt like crying, sometimes laughing, and sometimes I just sat quietly nodding to myself. GET THIS BOOK!!

If Pablo Neruda is "the people's poet" then Haynes' may well be the "poet of the human heart." This first collection of her work is a comprehensive journey into the deepest pools of loss, love, sorrow and honesty. She is fluent in the language of Emotion. One poem, entitled "What You Didn't Know, N'ser" is startling in its heartwrenching language. It is the story of a lonely woman who longs to be kissed and escapes into the magic and ultimate heartbreak of a short-lived affair. I continued to be amazed through the intensity of poems like "Shooting At Demons" (about a young man's suicide) and "Loud and Surly Ghosts" (when love turns to homicide) only to be caught up in the wonder of good love to be found in such poems as "Afraid of the Dying" (about losing someone to illness) and "Weather In The Bones" (the fond recounting of an ex-lover). There is a wide range of poems in this collection, all of them acutely sensual. While I don't know if the poems are autobiographical, one can certainly imagine them so. It is a a wonder to follow along as the poet grows from a sensitive young woman whom you want to protect from the brutal world to a mature, confident woman who has drank the bittersweet wines of love and loss and emerged on the other side, whole. I feel like I know her. I know that I would like to know her.

The stereotypic poetry review discusses the poet's craft, and the masterful way in which the poet deals with issues of loss and lack. This "language of poetry review", well hackneyed, renders a meaningful review of a skillful book about loss and lack difficult to write. Lisa Haynes' "Ex-Lovers and other More Important Losses" addresses a wide range of themes and emotions, grouped in related sets of poems. Whether she writes about a police pursuit, a fading relative, life on a native American reservation, or love relationships, she brings to each poem a wonderful ear, and a way of drawing vivid imagery in straightforward language. Her work lacks the pretension that give some works a "poetry workshop" quality, but neither does she try to write a "know nothing" feel-good "emotion of the week" type of poetry. She brings a sure sense of how to write poetry to a set of ideas worthy of a poet's voice.

The works here largely are written in free verse, although she does play with other formats in some effective ways. Although the poems are entirely contemporary, they have a timeless quality about them, a sort of well-formed stateliness. The poet does not mince words here, but neither does she fail to appreciate their power. Instead of elaborately constructed rocketships incapable of ascending Heaven, she builds instead more earthbound and serviceable pieces, capable of transporting.

This is a book for people who like their poems straightforward, real, and yet filled with satisfying imagery. Lisa Haynes has done a good thing here, and I hope more people will discover her work.

There are poems in this volume that will make you laugh, more that will break your heart, still more that will make you gasp in amazement, and still more that will make you recognize you've just made a huge discovery in Lisa Haynes.

The poems each carry an individual power, but their collective effect is exponentially more intense. It's been a while since I've read a book of poetry that really feels like a book, a whole, an entity. This one is its own complete experience.

Lovers of American poetry in particular will enjoy this book, and recognize antecedents in William Carlos Williams and others. Even without that categorization, though, the sensuality, compassion, forthright honesty and unsparing language here is refreshing and often astonishing.