United States Books

I have been visiting sanibel for many years and still got a lot out of this book. It gave me ideas of new things to do while on the island, and the candid restaurant reviews were spot on. Great Book.

This is by far one of the best travel books I have ever used. It kept us busy the whole time- beaches, nature preserves , shelling, accomodations, great great restaurants. everything!!!!! If you go to Sanibel/Captiva this is a must buy!!

Wow! This is a really great book. We're going to Sanibel Island for the first time and couldn't find any travel books that would give us the lowdown on where to go and what to do - until this book! It gives you a "must do" intinerary if you are planning on staying 3 days, 4 days, etc. It also includes tips for shelling: when to go, where to go and a comprehensive guide to help you identify what you find. I really enjoyed this book and it's now packed in my suitcase ready for the trip.

We had the best vacation EVER thanks to this book! Even when our flight was postponed, this book gave us a few options of activities in Fort Myers on the way to the airport. Who would have thought Sanibel/Captiva had so much to offer. The authors share ever bit of important info and more. Have Fun!

This is indeed a great guide book for Captiva and Sanibel Islands. We stayed on Captiva in a private house and used this book for dining and shopping recommendations. (Didn't need it for the recreation -- who needs anything more than beach, pool, shells, ocean??!) Weren't disappointed once! We referred to the shell guide more than once.

I usually devour multiple guide books before we go on a trip because it always enhances our vacations immeasurably. For Captiva, the typical (Fodors, Frommers) books were a little sterile. This one felt very local and authentic. I definitely recommend it for anyone lucky enough to visit these beautiful islands! Toast the sunset for me!

Daughter of a full-blooded Navajo father and white mother, Lori Arviso Alvord grew up on a New Mexico reservation in a family that took pride in its native heritage, but followed few of the traditional ways. She attended Navajo schools but never learned the language; she knew her clan relationships and enjoyed the security of tribal connections but seldom attended ceremonies or understood the depth of meaning in the Navajo concept "Walk In Beauty."

Such a person might expect to shed the remnants of tribal culture on leaving the reservation to become a high-powered surgeon, a career that by its very nature flies in the face of Navajo precepts like privacy and self-effacement.

Indeed, throughout her memoir, co-authored by Elizabeth Cohen Van Pelt, Alvord seems to straddle two worlds separated by an uncomfortable gulf. She first looked upon the deepness of that gulf at Dartmouth.

"For a girl who had never been far from Crownpoint, New Mexico, the green felt incredibly juicy, lush, beautiful and threatening." Unable to see the horizon, she felt claustrophobic. But the culture shock was worse. "I thought people talked too much, laughed too loud, asked too many personal questions, and had no respect for privacy." Navajos do not put themselves forward and cooperation is valued over competition. Not a good prescription for success at an Ivy League school.

At Dartmouth she began to feel her tribal identity more strongly and wonder if a kinaalda ceremony (a celebration of womanhood) would have helped empower her in such alien surroundings. But not until after medical school at Stanford, where she was forced to break numerous taboos (Navajo never touch the dead, for instance) and joined a profession where it is essential to ask prying, intimate questions and invade another's personal space at will, did Alvord really begin to explore the philosophical grounding of Navajo culture.

Becoming a surgeon at the Gallup Indian Medical Center, close to the reservation, Alvord notices that her patients do better when they are calm and relaxed, that harmony - even in the operating room when the patient is unconscious - is important for recovery.

She grows more interested in the Navajo philosophy that "everything in life is connected and influences everything else." To "Walk in Beauty" a person strives to live in balance, symmetry and harmony with everything and everyone else.

While this is an ancient precept, held in common with many other cultures and enjoying something of a renaissance in American medicine today, Alvord comes up with a particularly striking example. One of her surgery patients, a young woman, was the first to die of a strange illness that swept through the Navajo nation, killing 11.

A doctor working for the Centers for Disease Control, Ben Muneta, visited a medicine man, a hataalii, who told him "the illness was caused by an excess of rainfall, which had caused the pinon trees to bear too much fruit." There was "a significant deviation from the natural harmony of the world."

The medicine man showed a sand painting of a mouse and said that twice before in years of excess rainfall a similar disease had struck. " `Look to the mouse,' " he said. Weeks later the CDC determined that the Hantavirus was contracted from the droppings of infected deer mice. The deer mouse population had surged due to an excess of pinon nuts. "It was the rain."

Alvord's tone is quiet, reserved. It does not seem easy for her to describe the alcoholism of her charming father or the difficulties and generosity of her (married at 16) mother. Though she takes us to a nightlong ceremony for the sick and celebrates the strength her patients draw from medicine-man visits, she never explains why it takes her so long to visit a hitaalii during her own pregnancy. Or why she never approaches a medicine man to discuss cross-cultural treatments despite her growing conviction of the efficacy of the "whole body" approach.

While most of the book concentrates on her work and her struggle to reconcile cultures, she provides a wide, sad look at reservation life, beset by poverty and "white mans'" diseases. The long grief of history resides in the alcoholism and the self-loathing of so many - a balance that can never be put right.

At last Alvord leaves. Seeing it as the next natural step in her own "life trail", she returns to Dartmouth as a surgeon and a dean of minority and student affairs. At Dartmouth, she hopes, she can teach the Navajo "Walk In Beauty" principles to new doctors as well as working within the established system to bring better care to her own people.

I am full-blooded Navajo, I was taught to believe in my traditonal ways and it disappoints me that she has talked about very scared ceremonies.

Lori Arviso Alvord walks in two worlds. Raised on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico -- "the rez" -- she is the daughter of a Navajo man and a white woman. Carrying this dichotomy into her education and career, she went from the reservation high school to Dartmouth College, then found her path to Stanford University School of Medicine and a surgical residency in New Mexico.

As the first Navajo woman surgeon, she learned to integrate the science-based world of medicine and the spirit-based Native American culture. The importance of the singing cures, native healing practices, and other spiritual traditions was brought home to her when she observed her patients' outcomes. Surgical skill was often not enough when delivered without respect for the language, culture and spirituality of the Navajo patients.

The main focus of this memoir is Dr. Alvord's path to acceptance of the first Navajo principles: balance, harmony and wholeness, known as "Walking in Beauty." Along the way we learn a great deal about Native American history and culture, sensitively presented.

Dr. Alvord speaks of the cultural bases for Native American alcoholism and the prevalence of gang culture, monumental threats to the health and well-being of her people. The healing of these ills will never be achieved in the operating room alone, and many patients' stories illustrate this lesson effectively.

The outcome of Dr. Alvord's journey is signaled from the beginning, as is often the case with a memoir. While this may dilute the dramatic tension of her story, we're rewarded with a thoughtful and inspiring look at one woman's life and work, in all its contexts. I recommend this book to readers young and old who have an interest in the cultural aspects of medical care.

Linda Bulger, 2008

I picked up this book and I could NOT put it down. What a wonderful journey described here....how she interlocks traditional medicine with Navajo, how harmony and positive spirit is such a process in the healing world. You will not be disappointed with this read. I have shared this with all those close to me. Make it part of your list

--Dr Alvord writes about her journeys as a Native American student and physician. The book seems clearly designed for non-technical readers rather than the professional medical community, and there's little medical jargon. She uses her own difficult pregnancy and the death of a beloved grandmother as case studies in integrating Western medicine and Navajo ideas.
--On the one hand, it's worth reading this book just to hear such an inspirational story from such a role model. Dr Alvord tells her story with dignity and courage and she has many good ideas about listening to patients and integrating Balance and Harmony in our profession (although these ideas don't seem as radical or as rare within the medical community as she seems to imply, and I don't think she does anyone a great service by implying they are).
--On the other hand, the authors remained disappointingly abstract, even given the limitations of confidentiality and space. The stories of Navajo healing barely scratched the surface and the book was pretty scanty with practical advice that would help non-Native healers understand Native American patients. I'd love to have heard her perspectives on the magnitude of Native American health problems, how she handled the constant pressures of time and funding, or how she successfully used traditional Native American methods to help manage serious medical-social problems (i.e. alcohol use, diabetogenic diets, family pressures, basic compliance and responsibility issues, etc). In short, I'd like to have heard more about her successes.
--The book's perspective gives a good counterpoint to those who criticize Western medicine as too impersonal/sterile/uncaring/whatever, while they fail to demonstrate how to predictably improve things and still efficiently deliver technically competent health care to people with different levels of motivation and understanding. Western medicine works beautifully in its own niche, but it will be made to work less efficiently if we mess around with the wrong things. Perhaps medicine will improve if we balance the responsibilities of patients to live a healthy lifestyle with the responsibilities of healers to carefully listen to patients and then help them heal.
--This book did not practically help me to do this, so I cannot give it five stars despite my respect for her credentials. I do look forward to a sequel.
--Other books which may be of interest include Blessings (by Dr. A. Organick), The Dancing Healers, and Primary Care of Native American Patients.

Simply put, Robert Rummel-Hudson's Schuyler's Monster is a must read for every parent and educator. With raw emotion, he tells the story of his family's journey through the maze of parenting a child who appears perfect and yet somehow, something is not quite right. Rummel-Hudson doesn't hold back, he writes honestly about his wife's and his own efforts and reactions, as well as those of all the professionals that they encounter along the way. In doing so, he has created an accurate picture of the limitations of the medical and educational services available to some. Unfortunately, many people don't even have that.

As a special education teacher for 27 years, I hate to admitted that 30 years after PL 94-142 was passed, we don't have more to offer. Public education will always be a work in progress. Perhaps Schuyler's story will help move that work in the right direction. Which is why you need to read it.

You say your not a nonfiction reader? Never fear, this book reads like a novel. Rummel-Hudson keeps the story moving, making it interesting, entertaining and humorous. Warning! You may just become a dedicated blog reader, so you can keep up with Schuyler's journey.

I couldn't put this book down. I'm pretty picky about what I read and this was a beautifully written story, worth every minute I spent with it.

I found this book in the Black Oak bookstore on a recent day trip to Berkeley with my youngest daughter (the one who was never 100% neurotypical), and it's turned out to be the best possible souvenir of a wonderful day. Unfortunately, thanks to Robert Rummel-Hudson and his improbably funny, engaging style (how many books about neurological disorders and fights with special education administrators can lay claim to having many laugh-out-loud moments??), I've gotten no housework, homework, cooking, cleaning or other reading done in the three days since I acquired the book--and I got a lot of funny looks from the other parents at the neighborhood water park today, as I sat, happily oblivious to the periodic spray of water cannons, laughing wildly like Schuyler over my book while my kids played nearby. Thank goodness the author keeps a blog, so now that I've finished the book I don't really have to say a final goodbye to him or to Schuyler--I can just keep tabs on them periodically, and make sure they're doing okay and continuing to thrive in Plano.

This is a beautifully written story I would recommend to anyone. It had personal meaning to me as I have a child with special needs.

This is a story of tragedy, love and the humorous foibles of life. It is also expertly written, easily approachable and best of all, thoroughly enjoyable.

I initially wondered whether I'd walk away from it more forlorn than uplifted, but that wasn't the case. Schuyler, by simply being her beautiful, innocent self, proves that life does indeed go on, and that although pain might exist, so does joy, gratitude and hope.

Highly, highly recommended.

This book seems to cover many great hiking areas in Sedona. It is quite explicit re: directions and information about the hiking trails. Great book for a person new to the area or even people who have been around awhile. Very informative!

I used this book for planning a 2 day visit to Sedona. I was extremely happy with the format. It has 2 pages per hike, with a high quality photo of what to expect for views, driving/hiking distance/time, as well as selections of their favorites. We didn't visit long enough to do a lot of the hikes, but we truly felt that we were able to select 3 hikes that were perfectly suited to our tastes and with nice variety. Overall, I don't think you could go wrong in Sedona, but I felt like this guide was well worth the price and only wish I could find similar guides for other locations. The Magnum's have done a great job, deserving of 5 stars.

The only shortcoming you may find is that their maps are very general and mostly help you find the trailhead (which was flawless). But, I prefer to have a quality map as well and I purchased the Emmitt Barks Cartography - Sedona Trails Map (not sure if it was on Amazon), and was very happy with it. Personally, I don't think you can create a detailed map inside the book for each hike, so I don't consider this a flaw to the book - just a bit of advice if you are planning a trip.

This book was very helpful in deciding which hikes to do. We were not dissappointed by any of the hikes. It was good that we knew about the pink jeaps ahead of time.

I have read five books about the Sedona hikes, all written approximately across the same time period, and this is why Iknow what I am talking about.I have also been to Sedona twice and know about it in a general sence. Short and sweet...this is the best all around Sedona hiking book filled with lots of bits about popular and unheard of hikes. This book is good because it is created by a Husband and Wife writer and photographer team who have lived in the area for years. The book includes maps of how to get to the trail heads and where the trails go from there. Also, descriptions of weather related to time of year and level of exertion required to do the hikes. The hikes that include VORTEXES are clearly marked. The photography is great. The five other books are best described by one or several of the following phrases: sickening and homespun; the writer as spiritual guru who is grandiose; might as well not bother; information repeated elsewhere ad nauseum. GET THIS BOOK

This book is good you want to look up a specific trail by name. I am more interested in researching trails in a specific area and found the layout of this book VERY frustrating. This book NEEDS a trail map overview where one can see where a specific trail is in relationship to the other trails. If you purchase this book make sure to purchase a Sedona Trail Map as well.

This is a very inspirational book. Great for in-service teachers. I loved their dedication and devotion to their students' success and belief that they are "human."
Wonderful.

a wonderful read... a triumph of heart, mind and human spirit. great job mike, robynn and students. The movie will be a must see on my list.
maj. davie a megahan, usa-ret, huntsville al.

a wonderful read... a triumph of heart, mind and human spirit. great job mike, robynn and students. The movie will be a must see on my list.
maj. davie a megahan, usa-ret, huntsville al.

I usually prefer fiction books, however, this true story of a teacher so dedicated to his students was too hard to resist. It is uplifting and motivating to see that there are others in education who will put their heart and soul into helping their students succeed! So many children need teachers like Mike and Robynn.

A Smile as Big as the Moon, by Mike Kersjes, is a very inspiring and encouraging book. Personally, I was happy to see a teacher who took risks to make those children with disabilities feel proud of themslves. Personally, as an employee at a school with disabled children, I know what it takes to make those children happy. I can call Kersjes a gifted teacher who devoted his time, energy, and money to help those children in special education. Based on a true story, it is very interesting and keeps the reader eager to know what happened next. I would reommed this book to teachers, parents and older children.

I have used this book for everything from looking up recipes to researching diets, cleanses, learning about vitamins, minerals and diseases. Every household should have this book!

Delivery was immediate and product was in the condition as described. I would buy from this vendor again!

This is exactly the book I've been looking for! Objective, to-the-point facts on nutrition, vitamins, eating habits, and other topics such as preservatives, toxins, etc. I've seen too many "fad" nutritional books that are biased toward either vegan/vegetarian, low carb, low fat, high fat-low carb, etc. This book seems to be objective enough to allow the readers to decide on their own what diet path to take. This book, a good diet, and exercise can stand on their own and I feel this book can last a long time as a good reference book. Personally, I prefer a well-rounded diet (including some red meat), chicken, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts. I lean toward organic or natural foods. Should readers decide to focus on another particular diet, they can supplement this book with one that follows their philosophy. I highly recommend this book as a stand alone or as a starting point to other diets.

This is an awesome book for anyone interested in nutrition. Very indepth text book style reading but worth every miniute!

I use this book as a desk reference. As a wellness coach with a specialty in nutrition I refer to this book as well as others, like Paul Pitchford's Healing with Whole Foods and The New Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford. I like the scientific and integrative nature of this book. When I quote information from this book I can say this is by an MD. This book is the most comprehensive among the other ones I use. I have yet to use it more to suggest any area of improvement. So far I am very happy with it.

This is one of the all time great true crime books. If you like true crime, you must read this book.

I realize this is an odd heading for a review, but one of the very first things the author points out is that the crime was as incredibly stupid as it was brutal. I don't want to spoil the story too much, but added to a long list of very stupid mistakes made by the kidnappers was an apparent failure to understand how the telephone system in San Jose worked.

The author tries to explain this, but I supect that in this day and age when many people haven't even used a rotary dial phone, his explanation was inadequate. In 1933 the telephone system in San Jose was completely "manual." Telephones had no dials or buttons. When someone wanted to make a call, he or she simply picked up the receiver. This action caused a small light to go on over a jack in the switchboard, which was of course marked with the number of the calling party. The operator then plugged in one of a pair of cords from the shelf in front of her and asked "number, please?" The caller then spoke the wanted number to the operator who used the other plug to connect to the jack of the wanted number. She then had to press a small lever to ring the wanted party's bell. Consequently, tracing a call was ridiculously simple; all someone had to do was read the numbers next to the jacks in question on the face of the switchboard.

Of course all operators would have been alerted to signal the Chief Operator when anyone asked for the number of the Hart residence. The operator could also delay a few seconds before starting to ring the Hart's phone, giving the Chief Operator extra time to alert the law enforcement officers at the Hart residence that there was an incoming call.

All this resulted in Thrumond being arrested while using a pay phone to call the Hart residence. While San Jose city police were not involved in the arrest, it should be noted that he was using a telephone something like 150 feet from the main police station, not the wisest choice of locations.

This evidence would have been crucial if the case had come to trial and if Thurmond and Holmes had recanted their confessions, or if the confessions had been ruled inadmissible, which was possible even in 1933.

In other areas the author paints a vivid picture of the local political scene, and how "bosses" controlled much of city and county government. It's also interesting to note that much of the area around San Jose was rural at the time.

The brutality of the crime notwithstanding, I cannot in any way approve of the lynching, and I'm of the opinion that the governor should have been impeached for first failing to provide national guard troops to help defend the jail, and secondly for his outright approval of the lynchings and treat to pardon anyone convicted of taking part in them.

Prosecutors in three, if not four different jurisdictions were preparing charges against Holmes and Thurmond. There is simply no way they could have gone free if the first case against them for any reason had failed.

Swift Justice is more than a story about the murder of Brooke Hart, the son of a prominent San Jose businessman in 1933. It is about vigilante justice in its worst form--lynching.

Farrell starts the book off with Brooke Hart and the events that led up to his kidnapping and murder. He points out that most of his material was gathered from witnesses and/or people who wish to remain anonymous to this day. So, he cautions the reader about the accuracy of his story. The detail in which he describes the body and the lynching is gruesome. It works with the story, though, because I got the sense why the citizens of San Jose flew into a rage at those two men and the justice system. Brooke Hart and his family were revered by many, and in their eyes, what those two men did was unforgivable. The sheriff's department started receiving anonymous threats against those men and alerted the police chief. When the threats became more severe, he brought in more deputies to secure the area while the police chief did nothing. Then a small crowd gathered outside the station house. Slowly, it grew into a large mob. At eleven o'clock that night, they stormed the jail, dragged the men out of their cells, and hung them on two trees in St. James Park.

Farrell did an excellent job in depicting this scene. I felt like I was right there in the sheriff's office while he pleaded for those men to confess to their crime. I felt his desperation and terror of the crowd outside, and the adrenaline rush when he and his deputies fled for their own lives. He was a man on his own; however one firefighter helped another prisoner escape. Other than that, nobody helped them. Then there was the mob, itself. As I read those pages, I couldn't believe how good, decent citizens turned into bloodthirsty savages. But there they were, chanting and raving as the men were dragged out by their peers. The lynching was a spectator event, and everybody who knew or heard of the Harts attended with their babies and children. It was appalling and sickening. The authorities didn't arrive until it was time to gather the bodies and clean up the mess.

The St. James Lynching of 1933 was the last to occur here in San Jose. Since then, the penal system has made several improvements; however, the system leans more toward the civil rights of the criminals than to the victims. The pendulum always swings left and right, never landing in the middle. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in San Jose's history and/or the justice system. With all terrible tragedies, there is something to learn.

I'm not ashamed to stay I stayed up all night reading this book. I thought I'd read a few chapters before bed and...well, I just couldn't put it down. Brooke's murder is particularly brutal -- I could hear his final calls for help inside my head. The description of the lynching is so vivid you feel as if you're there, shouting and manning the battering ram with the rest of them. My only complaint was that the "after the lynching" section seemed to drag a bit. All in all a wonderful book, which I would highly recommend to any fan of true crime.

I must admit, I have a biased viewpoint. As a descendant of not one, not two, but three people who were summarily executed without the benefit of due process (one was most probably guilty --- the other two probably were not), accounts such as the San Jose Lynching tend to rub a raw nerve with me.

In a brisk, wonderfully written narrative, the author sets the stage and lets the events unfold to their unsettling conclusion. Along the way, he makes some interesting points about mob mentality, vigilante justice, and the abication of moral authority that our leaders on occasion display.

Most troubling for me are the points raised at the end of the book. The abrupt dispatch of the two murder suspects meant that other leads never were followed up on by the authorities. The author makes it clear that the two men were most certainly guilty --- they confessed to the crime, and the circumstantial evidence certainly pointed towards their guilt. However --- most troubling of all --- the circumstantial evidence also pointed quite strongly to additional men being involved in Brooke Hart's kidnapping & murder. Did other men get away with murder because the San Jose mob was too impatient to wait for a trial? The author does not beat us over the head with his theories, but he correctly points out that, because there never was a trial, a lot of questions that needed answering went unaddressed.

Certainly, it is a cautionary tale for those who believe that the justice system is too sluggish, and that we should just "line 'em up against the wall and shoot 'em." Maybe some time has been saved --- maybe justice has been served fully. But you can't confidently state it as fact.

Fortunately, I never had a child with Autism, but this book speaks to all parents everywhere no matter what issues they might have with they own children. Two things jumped right out at me. One was Sean's total "disconnect" problem from everything and everyone around him. It was as if he functioned in an emotional vacuum and even those closest to him had no value. And secondly, Judy's gut-whenching honesty. Every parent will be able to relate. I found myself in tears much of the time wishing I could have been there to offer her understanding and a shoulder to cry on.

The format of this book is also key. Sean's very significant contribution to the whole cannot be denied. Judy tells of a particularly bizarre behavior and immediately following it is Sean's answer to what he was thinking at that time and why he behaved as he did. It boggles the mind when you consider how much character and sheer guts it took for Sean to pull himself out of the quicksand of Autism and go forward to help others. I say bravo to them both. A truly beautiful love story.

I found this book very helpful. I could really relate to Judy's situation and saw many facets of my son's behavior in that of Sean's. It helped me to see that I am not the only one facing this same situation. Maybe my son will mature out of a lot of this too.

I read this book when my son was diagnosed with autism. The concept looked interesting and what I read opened up the world of autism to me. Sean gave me the idea that I had to get into my son's world and not make him come to mine! And 4 years later, my son is a very high functioning autistic child - it wouldn't have been possible without what I learned from this book!

This book is a must read for parents or relatives of Autistic children. I now understand why my 5 year old son does some of the things he does - it makes him feel good, and he does not understand why mom & dad say no. Sean tells you what went through his mind. Read this book, it will help you understand. Pray for a cure......

I absolutely LOVE this book!!! This is a very personable book that draws you into the Barron story as they share their family struggles and successes, hardships and joys. I love that Judy tells how she interpreted her son's behavior and how that is contrasted by Sean explaining what he was really thinking in his mind. The differences of thought show the confusion that easily happens between parent and child. Of course, each child is different but this does give excellent examples of the complexity of each personality within the autism spectrum. It is extremely important to communicate and try to understand what your child is thinking so that you can help him. It is equally important to be consistent to work through each issue. I love the honesty of Judy's frustration in the circumstance. And I love that Sean trusted his mom enough to share his life with the world. This book also proves the closeness between parent and child, even when their life is in upheaval. I have a nice collection of books on Autism, Fragile X Syndrome, OCD, OD, Asperger's, temperament problems, anger, and other such helps which were written by world-renown doctors and others but this simple book is, by far, the book I most relate to. Did I say that I love this book? It was the only book to give me hope. Whenever I felt I was going to give up, I'd think of this story. I credit this book for my son doing so well and being nearly normal so that people can't tell he is within the autistic/asperger's realm. :-)

This is a remarkable story about a courageous woman who - despite ongoing threats to her self, family, practice, and property- vigilantly protects a woman's right to choose.

Dr. Wicklund's stories about her patients are both inspirational and heartbreaking; her interactions with abortion stalkers/protesters - who violated her privacy and terrorized her family - are absolutely chilling. Before I read this book, I thought I understood the risks that doctors assumed when they worked at a facility that performed abortions. I didn't have a clue.

God bless you, Dr. Wicklund, for your eloquence, grace, and devotion to woman's health. You are an inspiration.

This is a wonderful, well written, book about a heroic figure who has endured much intimidation by anti-choice thugs who want to control women's bodies. It's a book I would recommend especially to young woman as they have a 50% chance of finding themselves in need of a save and legal abortion sometime in their life and if things keep going the way they are, they may be unable to obtain one. The stories Dr. Wicklund relates about herself and her patients would be unheard of in other developed Western nations so you get an indication of how out of step the U.S. is with respect to women's health. The book contained interesting medical facts about abortion procedures so you'll get factual information about an issue that has been clouded by a great deal of misinformation courtesy of the anti-choice folks. I was surprised not to see more endorsements on the book jacket from well known feminists other than Barbara Erenreich but that may be an indication of their own fear of being targeted. This is an inspiring story of a courageous woman who followed her passion and sacrificed much to serve women in need.

This is a brave book by a courageous woman. As an Australian, I am not surprised by what she describes as I have become aware of the shameless and gutless tactics used by anti-abortion activists in the US. If it is their faith which drives them to make Susan's life hell, then they are certainly not Christians. The very encouraging thing about this book is Susan's determination not to be cowed by them and the little ways in which she discovers the latent support for her around her eg the man on the plane. As a man I find the over the top zealousness by the male anti-abortion activists almost laughable as they can have no concept of the pressures that may make a woman undertake an abortion.

I was engrossed with reading this book. It is well written and the story is powerful. Also, the details match the details of my life when I worked at an abortion clinic; it is accurate.

Many thanks to Susan Wicklund for telling the world how her life was effected by her work.

This book is simply excellent. No matter your feelings on the subject matter, the memoir is well-written, with a compelling story. Dr. Wicklund makes an excellent heroine for the 21st century--we see her plodding on with resolve, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. But we also see moments of doubt, of reflection, that let us know that she is human. This is a very good book.

Dr. Wicklund focuses her memoir on herself, but also on her patients. The many, many women that she has served over the years play a huge role in this book. However, what was most interesting and eye-opening to me was her recounting of various tactics used by anti-choice protesters, and what she had to do to keep herself safe and to keep working. I had heard of doctors being killed, but I truly had no clue about the everyday lengths to which the "antis" would go in their self-righteousness.


Dr. Wicklund, I don't know if you read your book reviews on Amazon.com, but thank you. Thank you for writing this book, and for doing what you have done and what you do. Thank you for never giving up. You are an inspiration, as is your daughter, and everyone who supported you.

I grew up in Idaho, and in school there we learned a slightly different version... I found it in a Google search for Lyrics and it said that the verse we sung as the second verse was found in the Canadian version:
"I followed your low hills
And I followed your cliff rims,
Your marble canyons
And sunny bright waters.
As the fog was lifting,
A voice was saying
This land was made for you and me."

Only we sang it as:
" I travelled low hills
I travelled cliff rims,
Great marble canyons,
and sunny waters,
A voice came calling,
as the fog was lifting,
This land was made for you and me.

In the first verse we had a difference also... instead of "from California to New York Island" it was " from California to the Bedloe's Island. Later I thought I must have heard wrong because I never saw that in print and wondered WHAT was Bedloe's Island. Yesterday I saw on History Channel that Bedloe's Island was the name of Liberty Island at the time that the Statue of Liberty was built there, and it wasn't until years later that it was changed to Liberty Island. It makes me wonder, was Bedloe's Island in the original verse or did Woody Guthrie write it as New York Island ... which really doesn't make sence because there was Ellis Island, Bedloe's Island, Manhattan, Staten and Long Island, more than three dozen islands... so if the song said "from California to THE NEW YORK ISLAND" not islands, then WHICH island??? Ok, while writing this I found the words from the original manuscript, it was Staten Island. All I know is we learned to sing about the Bedloe's Island. Oh yeah, I'm 51, born in 1956 which was the year that the name Bedloe's was officially changed to Liberty Island. Woody Guthrie wrote his song in 1940 but the first known professionally printed publication was in 1956 by Ludlow Music. By then it was THE NEW YORK ISLAND. Maybe the people from New York knew which one he meant.

into the little sayings and tidbits of trivia littered throughout. Still, nice art (a little busy at times) and a quick read with sheet music and bio at the end.

I gave this book and the Woody Guthrie CD to a friend who had just become an American citizen. She was thrilled with the lyrics and the photos about her new country. I think they do a good job of telling America's story.

My kids LOVE this book! And the CD is one of the best I've heard for kids. My two (ages 4 & 7) are singing the songs, especially the title song (w/all its verses) constantly. The illustrations in this book are also amazing. This book would make a really nice gift.

The art in this book is phenomenal and draw young and old into the book. I think that every time one looks at any of the paintings one will find something new to see. The lyrics, of course, are pure poetry. I am pleased that the original verses are restored. The only thing I did not like was that the song of This Land is Your Land does not match the order the lyrics are written in the book, so you can't enjoy both at the same time. However, it is not important enough to make me give this book a lower rating. The other songs included on the CD are also masterful and are extremely popular at the preschool I work in.