Baby Boomers Books

This insightful book, Grab the Queen Power, explains women's struggles in a new light, in ways I never thought of before. Allyn Evans shows the indirect paths we follow when we seek to find out who we truly are. Although we are all on "divinely different" paths, all of us seek worth, purpose and fulfillment. She has eloquently expressed this journey in her own life, laying out steps for the rest of us.
Excellent advice and a great book!

Mirror, mirror on the wall: Who's the fairest of them all? "You are!" claims Allyn Evans in Grab the Queen Power. Evans takes a soul-searching look in the mirror and shares her experiences and journey to discovering her personal power and creating her destiny. She faces the beasts of her misbeliefs to recognize and acknowledges the beauty she is and the power she possesses. Evans helps each of us look beyond the shadows and fears in our personal mirror to claim our personal queen power.

Grab the Queen Power has been a great gift for the special women in my life! Thank you, Allyn, for your soul-reaching and soul-touching words to teach and encourage us!

It can be a lonely journey for a woman who feels something is missing in her life, especially if that something is her identity. Perhaps she harbors a desire to discover her authentic self, if she thinks she has one. This search can generate a painful and isolated experience, but it needn't be that way.

Allyn Evans has written the companion traveler for women on this path. In her book, Grab the Queen Power, Live Your Best Life! she reveals inspiring accounts from her own life as she maps out a cultural trail from girlhood to adulthood. Along the way, she unveils reasons that many girls and women have learned to subjugate their personal power to the needs of others. Interviews with other women are interspersed throughout and underscore her stories. Spell binding and highly personal, the stories captivate, as they may easily belong to me or you, or one our sisters or best friends.

Through the stories, we learn that our confidence and high self-esteem, those gifts from girlhood, may erode in time from an onslaught of cultural messages that instruct girls and women about our role in society. By the time we reach our teen years, our dreams may merely echo the vitality we once enjoyed. Evans takes the reader from there to her college experience, and then on to marriage and later years, navigating the testy waters with an uncommon blend of honesty, sensitivity and caring.

Evans then offers an alternative awareness. She dedicates the final third of the book to a new way of thinking. She outlines the attributes of, in her words, an "Authentic Queen," and paints a vivid image of a woman who understands and accepts herself fully, who loves herself enough to give to others, who is truthful as well as merciful. It's a heart-warming list, and leads seamlessly into the last section, where readers learn the steps toward actualizing their true selves. My favorite among the nine steps: Declare your intent. Be prepared to listen and act on inner promptings. Taken together, these nine steps create a rich menu that I know I will want to visit repeatedly. A highly recommended read.

What a wonderful, insightful look into how we as women may have lost our voice due to cultural and other external influences. But, there is also hope in reclaiming our power and walking through the rest of our lives as "Queen" of our own destiny. Through personal reflection and sharing, as well as examples from "Olivia's" life, Ms. Evans clearly shows us how our own sense of knowing is the key to transformation and ultimately wearing our own tiara.

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, columnist and reviewer author of This is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered and The Frugal Book Promoter

No doubt the Cinderella story is a captivating one but our culture seems to be trading on the insecurities of little girls--whether they are still small or grown. We also tend love Underdog (remember him from the 70s?) and Horatio Alger. The sad thing is that women still identify with the delicate, overworked keeper-of-the-hearth who has unrealized potential hidden beneath her apron and behind her gray eyes.

Enter Allyn Evans. She uses the word Queen in to attract readers who might otherwise not read a serious book or who would not understand the confident persona the author is trying to reach. This Queen is a combination memoir and guide. Scholarly interviews with women of all ages evoke memories and understanding from the reader. It is not light reading but it is inspirational.

Author Allyn Evans, born as a southern belle, draws from cultural icons from literature and film (Scarlett O'Hara, The Sleeping Princess) and serious feminist writers like Sue Monk Kidd. That she also reveals herself--right down to the core--is effective because her courage is an example to all, that willingness to bare raw bones in the cause of helping others.
----------------

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson's first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards. Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remember has won three. Her new book, The Frugal Book Promoter is USA Book News' "Best Professional Book 2004." She is also the author of TRACINGS, a chapbook of nostalgic poetry.)

I have not read ity yet but Bill Pezza, is an excellent teacher at bucks county community college in Newtown Pa, its not often that one of your teachers happen to be a author of a selling book. I have gained so much from learning from him and will be gifting this book to my two older cousins at Christmas tome

The previous reviews said it all but I will add my own for the purpose of emphasis.

This is a book that captures the emotional impact of the Vietnam war as well as subsequent wars on on small town america and on "real people." Bill Pezza impressively conveys historical facts through fictional characters while not interjecting political biases. Bravo!

Bill Pezza's book is amazing. I was immediately captured and wanted and needed to know more. The character development displayed was rich --- each of Anna's Boys characters had their own robust and unique personality which was fully developed. Mr. Pezza's ability to tell a story, about a group of boys that become men, and weave in many of the major historic events from the 1960s forward made this book highly enjoyable. Using this technique quite effectively, readers can easily visualize the context of this story as if they experienced it themselves, if they are of a certain age. I highly recommend this book to everyone --- it is highly readable and I can't wait for his next book.

How does a first time author pen such a wonderful story and touching novel in his first writing endeavor?

Bill Pezza, do tell!

"Anna's Boys" may be a work of fiction, but you would not know it if it was not presented that way. Mr. Pezza breaths life into characters that surely exist, for they seem so real, that I honestly felt like I knew them. Perhaps its the manner in which he weaves fact with fiction, the warmth of personal memories with the realism of yesterday's current events.

Whether you are a mother or father, sister, brother, women or man, "Anna's Boys" will take you on a capivating trip of how we evolved from a society in post-war, 1950's Americana to our lives today. His story is the vehicle which moves families and friends through one of the most challenging times our society has encountered. His point of view is real, even if the story is not. Anyone who has lived during these times can surely relate to the events that occured and the emotions that were felt.

And just as you think you have experienced it all, Mr. Pezza's unique story telling abilities reminds each of us of the most important part of our lives today.

Every once in a while a previously unknown author manages to capture an event from history, and tell a story that touches the heart - Bill Pezza's, Anna's Boys does just that.
Having spent thirty years in the military,I was drawn to Bill Pezza's book by the theme of how a group of young men from the same town adjusted to the challenges of Vietnam, and the years following their return. While much has been written on this difficult period of our history, I found Anna's Boys unique in large measure due to the authors ability to explain history through characters with whom we can all relate, and with an honesty that avoids seeking to prove any point other than the reality of the events that shaped the world. While the focus of the book is the war in Vietnam, the story goes beyond those bounds and captures human nature, and exposes the reader to some solid philosophy from which you can't help but to benefit. It's been a long time since I read a book as moving and which, on several occasions, brought tears to my eyes.
Bill Pezza is a talented writer, great storyteller, and born teacher. I don't know if we'll be seeing more of his work, but I do know that he's left us something that will be appreciated by generations to come.

Who wants to diet the rest of their lives? I certainly don't and now with this book, I don't have to. I gotten more out of this one book than all the diet books I have ever read. Believe me, this is the last book I'll need to buy and I am sure you'll find that to be true, as well. You are given numerous choices of ways to loose weight, one that should fit your personality to a tee. Unless you are planning on changing your personality any time soon, once you decide what plan works for you, you'll find it will become a part of your every day lifestyle. You will learn to eat and exercise in a way that you can do forever. Not only do you discover alot about yourself in this book, but you'll find out about all aspects of your life to make it healthier. An investment in this book is pennies compared to the thousands of dollars in medical bills you may encounter if you don't get the weight off.

If someone says he or she can't find a plan in this book that allows them to be successful in losing weight, then I don't think they really want to lose weight. By finding out about my personality type, I was able to choose the plan that works best for my type. It makes it so easy because you don't have to use willpower to succeed. You just honor who you are and work with the strengths you have. Yet, there is so much more in this book. I learned a great deal about the essentials of good nutrition, what to look for in the grocery store, cooking tips, exercise ideas, and how to deal with stress. I realize that my lack of knowledge in some of these areas was part of the problem. No more. The best part of this book is that it's something I can stick with and not call a diet. It's just the new me!

Even though I was born after 1964, the year when the last of the boomers was born, I was curious to see what this book was about.  It was neat finding out what life was like when my parents were growing up as boomers.  Makes me realize how much I take for granted, such as the microwave oven and cell phone.   I discovered some great ways to lose weight.  What the author offers is as good for boomers as it is for all ages.  I learned things about nutrition that I never knew and will definitely use to get off these stubborn pounds to avoid the middle-aged spread that my parent's generation suffers from. 

Even though I was born after 1964, the year when the last of the boomers was born, I was curious to see what this book was about.  It was neat finding out what life was like when my parents were growing up as boomers.  Makes me realize how much I take for granted, such as the microwave oven and cell phone.   I discovered some great ways to lose weight.  What the author offers is as good for boomers as it is for all ages.  I learned things about nutrition that I never knew and will definitely use to get off these stubborn pounds to avoid the middle-aged spread that my parent's generation suffers from. 

I felt like I was taking a walk down memory lane as the author shared tales of how it was to grow up as a boomer ... from the diet products to the gizmos and gadgets that were used to lose weight. As I was growing up, I never heard anyone talking about how important it is to take into consideration who the dieter is - what his or her needs are -not just nutritionally, but mentally and emotionally, as well. Even though there is a great deal of nutrition information in these pages (all very well worth the reading), it's the appreciation that one diet approach doesn't work for all. With four different plans geared to the various different personality types, there's no question you'll find a way to be successful. I highly recommend this book and hope others have the success that I've been having. I no longer look at food as the enemy.

If there's such a thing as Boomer Humor, you'll find it here amongst the useful philosophies and habits Elsa practices. Textor-Black is funny and entertaining as she shares Elsa's secrets to life and her commentary on the same. I can picture people telling her to "get Elsa on the jelly" and I can see the spit she describes as coming out of her mouth after hearing some ridiculous and unfounded remark about Elsa.

Also, however, Textor-Black tells of the losses in Elsa's life and difficulties that Elsa says taught her lessons, but must have been very hard at the time. This book is a keeper, and I'm giving it to close friends and family, too.

Joy of life lives in this book. Elsa has demonstrated this all of her long life. Textor-Black teaches us about Elsa and how to experience this joy ourselves through stories, photos, facts, and quotes. Elsa is just as comfortable and happy whether she's socializing with a billionaire friend or her plumber friend. At 101, she was the grand dame of a popular and historic south Florida holiday boat parade (photo seen on back of book jacket). At 100, she got a new car. At 101, she's out and about almost daily. Her goal is to make someone happy every day. Textor-Black likely had so much to choose from to highlight in this book about Elsa. I for one am very pleased with the 48 insights. They're diverse and relevant to the challenges we face today. You'll get a fresh outlook on how to overcome obstacles. Even if your life is pretty smooth right now, you'll love the stories, humor, photos and wisdom in Elsa's Own Blue Zone.

Don't get the wrong idea about the cover. You may realize Elsa looks much younger than her 101 years and is active, healthy, and happy from the cover, which is true.

Regardless, you'll read inside that this is not a Chippendale girls' night out; Elsa is on the cover with Carnegie Mellon chemistry major Paul Jasinto at a charity event. Paul is a volunteer host and an escort for the models. That's right. Elsa finds a way to help others and have tons of fun at the same time. You'll read how, at 100 years young, she allowed herself to be raffled off as a dinner date for another organization too. Elsa is a master at balancing helping others while loving and enjoying her own life at the same time.

I also love how author Textor-Black infuses her Boomer thoughts and examples relating to Elsa's insights, including her challenges adopting two children from Russia in 2004 and her travels in general, even including Disney World visits as examples to highlight Elsa's insights.
This book is the perfect blend of entertainment and useful information you can start incorporating into your life right now.

Can you believe America has 95,000 centenarians with an estimate of over one million by 2050? How about 1 out of 3 fifty year old women today will live to 90 or more? Did you know scientists now know that we do not lose huge numbers of brain cells as we get older and that older brains still produce new neurons? As these amazing statistics unfold (all this and more in this book), it's more and more important to learn about the role models that are living and aging well already. Don't wait for the science to tell us what's up. Look and listen now. Elsa is a person we can learn from now. The sooner we start taking on at least some of her habits and philosophies, the sooner we'll start feeling better all around. This is one smart sweetheart. Thank you, Sharon Textor-Black, for putting this all down about Elsa in a book for people to learn from indefinitely.

Elsa may not have ever read about the law of attraction, but she certainly is an example of it. She has optimism and has come to a point where she naturally changes her thoughts to positive as needed. Textor-Black does an excellent job of pointing out how Elsa sees the good, and moves on from the negative. When we see these real life examples, it gives us the motivation to know we can do it too. Elsa faces the issues rather than worrying about them ... She figured out quickly why a neighbor started to ignore her and then Elsa resolved it well. She changed some dreams she had and made the best of it -later to find the results were better than her original plans and dreams. This grand dame really gives us hope and trust that things will work out. You have to take steps to get there, and Textor-Black explains Elsa's ways in a very helpful real fashion -for all to relate to and use.

Too many marketing books offer only vague, motherhood-and-apple pie advice - particularly when the topic is a broad one. No such danger here. This book offers an ideal mix of analysis and advice, all delivered in a highly readable way. Brent Green is also very realistic about the Baby Boomers - he is not simply a cheerleader for how big and important the market is (although this is perfectly true), he also points out the challenges that this age group will face going forward, and how those impact on marketing communications. It's all too easy, as many advertisers are showing, to jump on the Boomer bandwagon, throw some old rock 'n roll lyrics into your commercial, and think you've done all you have to do. Brent Green shows exactly why this won't work, and what you should do inside. I consider this book essential reading for anyone interested in understanding, and reaching, the Boomer market.

By now most of us are well-versed in the statistical relevance of the baby boomer generation--including its size, wealth, and extraordinary influence on world events. In response, there have been no shortage of books studying every aspect of baby boomers and how to optimally market to them. However, most of these books fall short on explaining the values that define the boomer generation and how they distinguish them from other generations.

While Green's book is perhaps best used by the relatively small group of individuals who work in marketing departments, it is relevant to individuals considering setting out in new careers. A big part of launching a new business or transitioning careers is picking the right industry to move into ("all boats rise in a rising tide"). Even for those not in marketing nor contemplating a career change will find Green's book interesting if nothing else other than to better understand the world around us.

Of course the danger in talking about an entire generation is the necessary stereotyping that comes from aggregating otherwise individuals. Green has split baby boomers into two roughly equal groups, those born 1946 to 1955 (the "Leading-Edge Boomers") and those born 1956-1964 (the "Late Boomers"). Green focuses on the Leading-Edge Boomers but much is learned about both groups.

The book jacket promises to deliver:

"...all of the insights and strategies you need to achieve extraordinary business success as you determine what uniquely motivates Boomers and how to communicate with them in meaningful and mutually beneficial ways."

...and the book largely delivers on that promise. Green's anecdotes serve to support the points he makings and not as the foundation of them.

On a more personal note, I was interested in applying the book to LifeTwo and specifically in the way that we address the Leading-Edge Baby Boomer market. The section of "Baby Boomers at Midlife" seemed written for us. One of the attributes of midlife is an evaluation of one's life so far.

"Careers in crisis, mid-life economic shortcomings, unsatisfying marriages, waning physical prowess, and widespread boredom can foster musing daydreams about Vietnam protest marches, backpacking sojourns to Europe, bare-butt swimming parties, LSD mind trips, first love affairs, unfettered road trips, and Woodstock."

In other words, when hitting the midpoint of life, it's normal to reminisce. But when you were a member of the Sixties Generation, you might find yourselves remembering the idolized expectations that there held at that time for for a vastly improved world. Sadly and expectedly, most people's lives (not to mention society as a whole) ended up far short of the dreams of the Age of Aquarius. Adding political alienation and disenchantment to an otherwise troubling midlife transition and the result can easily be "restless stirring, the renaissance of experimentation, value conflicts, erratic behavior, role playing, depressive moods, grief reactions, and profound anxiety states."

That is not to say that the process is all negative. A reawakening (a "coming of age") can be a "harbinger of a more satisfying future." In Green's words:

Once again, it means honoring the nobler ideals of world peace, economic equality, egalitarian civil rights, human potential, and spiritual enlightenment. It means sharing a new, perhaps revitalized generational zeitgeist--that tenacious obsession with the perfectibility of the human condition. The stuff of truth."

[...].

This author has truly captured the essence of the values that distinguish boomers from other generations. What sets this book apart -- and makes it an important choice for companies and advertising agencies interested in the boomer market -- is Green's ability to articulate how boomer values and shared life experiences can be addressed through powerful cohort marketing communication campaigns. The book has several interesting hallmarks, including concise chapters that deal thematically with boomer values, case studies that reveal how these insights can be developed into effective marketing campaigns and a short story that adds artistic and evocative texture to the left-brain thinking driving most marketing campaigns. Because of his stanch defense of boomers, a generation popularly criticized in the media, the author will attract some critics who themselves harbor deep prejudices against boomers. This has been aptly demonstrated by one ascerbic review posted recently, lacking in depth or specificity. It's about time that someone stepped forward with a strident voice in defense of boomers, and particularly their economic and business importance.

I am a student of nonfiction books about baby boomers. Although I'm a member of so-called Generation X, my job demands that I stay on top of evolving thought leadership about boomers. Further, my two older siblings are boomers. In reviewing the reviews for boomer-focused books on Amazon, I've noticed something. The one-star critics of these books tend to be glib, lack depth in their analyses, and dismiss the books, not so much because of content, but because the books are usually sympathetic to the generation or perhaps more liberal ideologies. Let's face it: some people are furious at boomers. Their anger shows. To the contrary, Green's book is one of the best I've read on marketing to this generation, and one of my brothers -- also in marketing -- agrees. It's not just because Green offers a wealth of strategic and tactical insights, especially for those new to this market, but also because he adds texture with actual case studies and historical anecdotes. It's clear that this marketer and author knows what he's writing about as a practitioner, not just a pundit or academic. He informs and educates, but yet he tells stories that illuminate. Further, I also read his first edition, and he was ahead of the explosion of interest around boomers by at least two or three years -- light years in the marketing world.

The Baby Boom generation is characterized by its clear dominance of the popular culture of yuppie consumerism. Now members of that influential generation are entering their fifties with more disposable income than any previous generation. This new and expanded second edition of Marketing To Leading-Edge Baby Boomers: Perceptions, Principles, Practices, Predictions by marketing creative director, strategist, and copywriter Brent Green covers all of the insights and strategies necessary to successfully sell products and services to this now aging population. Readers will come to understand critical "bipolar metavalues" that influence Boomer buying decisions; learn how to select the right advertising media to achieve marketing goals; realize why and how mature audiences receive advertising messages differently; create advertising and marketing programs that transform a brand into a Boomer favorite; receive instruction on just how to plan and organizing "bandwagon" Boomer events and promotions, explore the opportunities for reaching Boomers through the Internet, and so much more. If you are marketing a product or service to the Baby Boom generation, then you need to give a careful and reflective reading to what Brent Green has to say about selling to the Boomers in today's highly competitive and frequently volatile marketplace.

California Boomer has layers of meaning, some simple and others bold, and brave. The author gives us so many life lessons, insights, and details, many times overlooked by individuals but ever so important. If you get past the sweet and touching first few stories you'll be pulled into an ever more complex set of people, and at times, almost surreal situations. This book is never dull and will make you think about your own life. I'll be looking for more works by Don Noyes-More. Totally enjoyed this read.

I've waited to write a review until I fully digested what I have read. Boomer is unlike any other biography or time based book I've read before. It is a deeply honest book that demands and commands attention from the reader. There is no place to hide after reading this book, if indeed that is your reaction to raw truth! Boomer hits on many life themes and topics in ways that to me were unexpected. The message at the end is clear and concise yet with an edge of joy mixed with pathos. The second time I read the book I read it backwards, somehow that made the book come doubly alive. If you're into reality reading Boomer will be a great experience.

Sometimes, just sometimes something very good comes in a small package. This 162 page book is just one of those sometimes. "Boomer" is sometimes sweet, sometimes stark and disturbing; a panorama of Boomer California; human vistas and depths.Trust me you'll not read anything near this saga of human emotion, of life at its rawest anywhere! I was deeply drawn into this personal journey and found myself wanting answers to many questions at the end of the book. This is Americana at its personal best. The author's brave and good spirit is an example for us all. "Boomer" will last in your thoughts, it has in mine.

As a media person I found "Boomer" an exceptional work. The book offers a tour de force of the California Boomer years with deeply etched personalities, emotional environments, and political-social life. This book is personal and yet cuts through many topics and insights. Any one story stands on its own, but all the stories together provide exceptional reading. Being in Hollywood media I was interested in the stories about Hollywood personalities, some mentioned by name others renamed (but I knew who the author was writing about). Yet the entire work has given me great pause, reflection and a thankfulness for the author's message. Boomer is a good read.

Totally enjoyed Boomer. It is hard to define a book with so many important parts, so many insights. You can't but be touched by this author's journey through life. Boomer is a collection of stories about the author and the many people of his life. This book is striking in both its softness and then hard hitting, gut wrenching experiences. The book at times seems almost odd for its inclusiveness and acceptance of at times seemingly different insights and life positions. But it all comes together and we are left with a profound message of Life, Love, and Hope. This is more than a California story, it is a story of the human condition; good, bad and inspiring. I believe that Mr.Noyes-More has written a book for us all. Boomer is a book of courage and honesty well worth the time and money.

David Weigelt and Jonathan Boehman are on target to acknowledge that Baby Boomers are both quite actively involved and under-served when it comes to online marketing and social media. This book provides clear direction that is easy to understand and implement for those of us who want to reach older adults with our message, products, and services. As both a Boomer marketer and consumer, I appreciate their perspective and the influence it has made in my business decisions. It is a certainly a refreshing change to traditional marketing.

David and Jonathan have found the winning combination of Developmental Relationship Marketing and Meaningful Online Engagement, that, if used to build trust, not only helps you motivate Boomers to buy, but allows them to have a "peak" experience and an emotional connection that will result in those consumers becoming influencers themselves through what Boomers do naturally, word-of-mouth sharing. The result is a better relationship with the consumer and more efficient marketing.

Marketing, in and of itself, is not the only key to online success. The "influence" factor is important in this age of technology because there are so many voices shouting their online message. Dot Boom shows us the way to engage the Boomer generation with a message that fills their needs and creates the desire to share the experience.

This is a book I will come back to again and again as I move forward in developing my online marketing strategy. As more businesses go online, Dot Boom will become a valuable resource for them in finding ways to plan and evaluate whether they are authentically and effectively engaging various boomer age groups as consumers and influencers in the marketplace.

Leta Russell, CEO, Optimal Health for Life LLC
http://www.networkmarketingbydesign.com
http://www.theweightlosschick.com

Dot Boom is the marketing book I had been waiting for. I have been working with Boomers for many years and have wondered why in advertising it has been an under-served population. The authors did and excellent job using developmental psychology, humanistic psychology, and contemporary marketing philosophy to help the reader better understanding the challenges in reaching the Boomer market. I am a psychologist and along with my nurse-attorney wife started [...] where we offer solutions to legal, healthcare and the emotional needs of aging loved ones and their caregivers. Dot Boom offers clear tools to help businesses like ours serving the Boomer market capture this niche.

Dr. Mikol S. Davis
AgingParent.com &
HelpWithElders.com

DotBoom combines Developmental Relationship Marketing with Meaningful Online Engagement and provides a new, more refined integrated approach for marketing your products or services to Baby Boomers. Given the fact that Baby Boomers represent one of every three adults in America and control over 70% of the wealth in the U.S., it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that this demographic is becoming the most sought after consumer group in America. David and Jonathan walk the reader through the steps a company will need to take to successfully broadcast its value proposition using story telling and interwoven content to draw in the Boomer customers and create a "must-buy or must-have" mentality in the minds of those customers toward their product or service. This is 21st Century marketing at it's best.

Mac McKinley, CEO, Boomer Insight Inc.

Dot Boom approaches marketing at an angle that you rarely, if ever, encounter in a marketing book. The best way for me to describe this book is "marketing outside the box". Dot Boom drives home the fact that if you try to market to Boomers the way you market to "everyone else" you will not be as successful as you could be if you are willing to really learn and understand the underlying biology and psychology of Boomers' decison making. While reading the book, if you don't find yourself saying, "I hadn't thought of that, but that really makes sense," I would be very surprised. I gave this book only 4 stars and not 5 because I don't believe any book has the "secret to success" (which this book actually admits) but I think that it has valuable points and it is definitely worth reading; even if Boomers aren't your target market, I believe you can apply the unique principles here to all aspects of marketing.

This book has the answers and advice for anyone wanting to generate Boomer interest. The well researched DotBoom gave me the confidence to change my strategy and approach to the look and feel of my online business presence. Since doing so I've contracted with two dream clients I'd never hoped of connecting with before. It could be a coincidence but I believe both these opportunities came as a direct result of reading this book and taking the advice within. Read it and follow through!

Carol has written a compassionate and heart felt reflection into the needs of the soul in taking care of your parents or elderly loved ones at the end of life's journey. This book will remind you that you are not alone in this process and the journey is one that will reach into your heart and embrace your soul.

The Path into Healing

Anyone in the process of providing the most appropriate and loving caregiving for their beloved elderly knows just how rewarding the experience is. There are miraculous moments of shared tenderness and indescribable opportunities of healing. And yet there is another side to caregiving - it is often an emotionally exhausting and physically demanding journey. Caring for someone's declining health and wellbeing can feel like being in the middle of an out of control emotional whirlwind. Feelings of uncertainty, guilt, resentment, stress, burnout, and overwhelm are normal occurrences.

If you are a caregiver of your elderly parents, this book offers inspiration for all those times you feel overwhelmed with the issues of taking care of elderly parents. "Minding our Elders" is a collection of heart-warming stories written by author Bursack and caregivers who share their authentically honest and exquisitely human experiences. It is practical and overflowing with empathetic truth from those who have gone through the experience themselves.

The stories contained in this transformative book provide a "portable support group," allowing the reader to feel understood, comforted, and less alone. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is caring for an aging person. Is a great resource to help you care for your elderly without losing yourself. If you feel like you are alone and dealing with unique issues concerning your parents, please pick up a copy of this book. It will give you an invaluable resource of support and understanding to comfort you through the toughest of times.

Dr. Annette Colby: Author of "Your Highest Potential"

This book is far more than a delightfully well-written collection of inspiring stories.... The book really seems to prepare one for something one can't prepare for!!...It's quite brilliant...through a collection of vividly told stories, the reader has actually been there, ...with differing elders, personalities, needs, wishes, emotions, settings, timetables, etc.. ..all are unique, yet all are similar in that they are all trial and error on the caregivers part...uncharted waters you will just get into ...but the hope of the book (to me) is that the caregiver finds out there is no "right" way....far to many forces are at play... beyond the caregivers control...so you suck it up, do the best you can.. ..and don't fight natural events and ones desire to have done a better job. Readers are really lifted with more confidence, less guilt, and the definite feeling of not being alone. You will learn that you are not going to be perfect, but you can get the job done by doing the best you can. We can't be Carol, but we can learn from her going before us. What a friend to all caregivers. What a gift she has given us.

Skip Jones, Human Service Professional and family caregiver.

"As the frazzled son of an aging mother with dementia, I found validation and comfort in Carol Bradley Bursack's exceptional book, "Minding Our Elders." Eldercare is often a lonely business and one that places a profound mental and physical burden on the caregiver. Healing begins with the discovery that one is not alone. "Minding Our Elders" provides ample evidence that eldercaregivers have plenty of company these days.

Bursack uses a professional journalist's interview technique to compile the trials and challenges of over twenty-five caregivers who have poured out their hearts to her. There is a relaxed intimacy to her writing style that immediately engages the reader. It feels as though each of her subjects has become your own personal friend who is quietly sharing with you the private pain associated with care of their loved one.

Bursack introduces each person with a description of surroundings, clothing, gestures and expression that reveals a sharp eye for detail--the kind of detail that imbues the people and their stories with humanity. Her faithful and insightful reporting of these stories, told in each caregiver's own words, has created a sensitive and well written book that is must reading for anyone facing the decline of a parent.

I recommend it highly."

Bob Tell
Author, Publisher, Speaker
http://www.dementia-diary.com
A memoir about caregiving

I am a professional who has studied caregiving of elders. Carol's book was very well written, and reflected the same type of stories I found in the research I did on elder caregiving.
This heartwarming book will help you understand the caregiving process.
Dr. Mary Ellen Erickson, Author of "Common Sense Caregiving."

Diana Dell has a talent for transporting the mind back in time and place - to the times that us baby boomers still remember with fondness. Her look backwards is also her way of dealing with the loss of her brother - without reminding us of that fact all the time. She has loving respect for her roots - her family and her neighborhood. She has captured those times and people and given us a snap shot of her heart as she grew up. The reader will find that they will get involved in all these people's lives that she introduces in the book. It is a book for both men and women to read. It makes a nice weekend reading journey as I have done this weekend.

Memories Are Like Clouds is a beautiful, evocative memory of the bucolic and misty 1950s in a small town in Pennsylvania. Diana Dell's love of Kenny, her younger brother, her family and her 'place' screams off the page. I found myself chuckling often and when not chuckling, a twinkle nestled in my eye side-to-side to a stray tear or a chill.
This is a story about a boy, a family, a town, and a time that comes alive in the present and says something meaningful to us.
Memories Are Like Clouds is a celebration of Kenny Dell, an All-American boy, a poignant toast to Kenny, the soldier and hero, and a song to the sacrifices of American soldiers heeding their country's call. We can pray their country exercises their love with wisdom.
Memories, like clouds, stir and churn. This book is a must-read that places history in context to the present. Bob Lupo, author, A Buffalo's Revenge; Extremities-4.

This wonderfully descriptive and delightful memoir is charming. Hollywood filmmakers take note: This poignant remembrance of the 1950s would be a great movie or TV series!

I enjoyed this book. The title is perfect for a work that snapshots growing up in a Polish community. My grandparents were Russian Jews (both sets) who came to America about 1912. Both my parents were born here. So much of the anecdotal tales of local characters, mom and pop shops, numbers running, close communities, mirrored so much of what I remember as a child. Overlaying the story and presented initially is the loss of a loved one in Viet Nam. This book relates how immigrant families sacrificed for their children encouraging their education that resulted in 2nd generation Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants etc. Its a wonderful book to read and struck many chords for me.

What makes this book so appealing to a "Baby-Boomer," like myself, is that it brings back memories of what it was like growing up in a small town in the fifties. The wiry humor and interesting characters make the book hard to stop reading. Fact is---I read it twice, and would certainly recommend it for its entertaining aspects, as well as its literary merit. Dell's other book, "A Saigon Party," is a must read for those desiring a different view-point of the Vietnam war. Her writing is poignant, sincere, and manages to capture a little of the American spirit that is in all of us. Sincerely, Franklin D. Rast, author: "Don's Nam," and "Ghosts In The Wire."

WOW! DeeDee reminds us that we should never take ourselves or our circumstances too seriously! I laughed out loud when reading about her family, fad diets and off the wall relationship advice. DeeDee proves that "attitude is everything" AND that "laughter is the best medicine". DeeDee Divine's Totally Skewed Guide to Life is a funny, irreverent book which will make you and your friends howl with laughter!

If we can't find laughter, in these difficult times, with so much negative being thrown at us constantly these days, all is lost! Stop, take a break, and read this hilarious look at how our everyday real life experiences are side splitting funny when we look back at them. From Back Yard BBQ'S gone "slightly" awry, to cross country "Trips", where, well you remember what went on in the back seat, as well as diets you have tried that included hidden treats throughout the house, and of course one of my favorites how does this *@#! Car seat work!!! Get your favorite beverage, sit back, and enjoy a much need break from the stress and worries of today! You deserve a break today.... (Hopefully, McDonalds didn't trademark that!) If you can't identify with these, "Real Life" humorous stories, well you have missed a lot of life! A must read for all.

If you are looking for a good belly laugh, this is it. Diana Estill's writing is wickedly hilarious being blessed with one-liner insights into life's frustrations and how to copy with them through humor. In fact, I would even go so far as to compare her to a female version of Andy Rooney of Sixty Minutes fame. And as the introduction mentions, Estill through the voice of her narrator Deedee Divine, "no longer looks at life from a bubble-on-due-plumb perspective. It is laughter that has gotten her through the hard patches, plummeting times, and spiralling bills."

Estill has published her essays in a variety of publications and her opinion columns have appeared in The Dallas Morning News. She is also the author of Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road: Humorous Views on Love, Lust, & Lawn Care. With Deedee Divine's Totally Skewed Guide To Life she tackles such topics as daredevil children, riding in cars with kids, scuba lessons, vacation envy, home and garden issues, health beauty, and other pricey pursuits, dining advice, the best way to clear a garage, as well as a host of other common landscapes wherein Deedee, which Estill claims to be part of her that doesn't hold back, voices totally skewed views for which no apologies are offered.

It is difficult to pinpoint which of Estill's essays was the funniest and wackiest, however, when several of my friends including my wife were found rolling on the floor after reading Love Means Never Having to Say "Excuse Me," you know you have a winner. Without giving away too much, Deedee recounts how she and her husband Jim stopped to eat at one of their favorite Mexican restaurants while traveling on a book tour. This began, as she states, to be now simply referred to as "Bean-o-rama." We are informed that she had forgotten that the restaurant serves a small bowl of bean soup with each of its meals. In itself this wouldn't have been so bad if she and her husband did not order platters of refried black beans. By the time they returned to their hotel room, they were "loaded with more than margaritas; we were packing major intestinal power." In other words, this was lethal!

When reading Estill's essays, I was reminded that one of the fundamental elements of humor is that it hinges on the principle of reversal of expectations. In other words, we anticipate a certain result, a certain tone, a certain reaction, but in fact we get something entirely different. As an example, Making Vino illustrates how the simple process of deciding to make one's own wine turns into an event the participants couldn't even remember, as along the way to creating their masterpiece they permitted their numerous samplings to take over. So much for making your own wine!

Even though some readers won't find all of Estill's essays hilarious or witty, the good thing is that if you don't enjoy one, you need only to start another. With that in mind, I found her writing a welcome breath of fresh air and Deedee Divine's Totally Skewed Guide To Life did manage a fine balance of quirky humor, sometimes absurd with a good dose of light pen commentary pertaining to everyday common settings. What is more, Estill is a savvy amusing observer and her effectiveness lies in the way she packages the truth that differentiates what makes us cringe from what makes us chuckle.

Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures

Deedee Devine's Totally Skewed Guide To Life by Diana Estill is a delightfully humorous read, especially for moms. The author, writing from her experience of helping four children grow up successfully, two to whom she gave birth and two from her second marriage, has a tongue in cheek way of telling many experiences familiar to every mother. With wit reminiscent of Erma Bombeck, the author will have you chuckling at her wit and wisdom and the philosophy, adopted only in her senior years, that she has enough age to speak her mind frankly and sometimes shocklingly, uncensored. She had pithy commentaries and funny stories about losing weight, shopping, gardening, romance, health and beauty, handling holidays and leisure time. This is a fun read and would make a great Mother's Day gift for young and older moms.

I received this book as a gift - what a wonderful gift! The author's evil twin, Deedee Divine, has hilarious takes on everything from diets that don't work to families that succeed in spite of themselves. The story about her skydiving step-daughter had me in tears! I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes to laugh and needs relief from the stresses of daily living. I bought one for my Mom too!