L Books

Used at Kellogg School for Financial accounting course. This book balances simplicity and complexity of accounting very well. Many real-world examples and tons of exercise problems are provided to reinforce concepts better. I would highly recommend this book to anyone new to Financial accounting.

The book arrived early and in great shape - US edition, hardcover, and no surprises.

An Introduction to acconting, Assets, The time value of money, Liabilities and equities, financial Investment, Analysis, Role of accounting and Debits and credits

I'm CEO of a medium size business and wanted a resource to teach me accounting. This is a great book, with plenty of assignments which fully reinforce the lessons. The only disappointment is that there are no solutions and the publisher only gives them to you if you are a registered teacher.

NYU's Stern School Of Business uses this book and its a well-crafted introduction to financial accounting. While taking accounting at the other New York business school, I deep sixed my assigned accounting book and instead borrowed my wife's. It coverage of topics and pedagogical flow are quite approachable and manageable. Struggling friends begain to purchase it for themselves. An excellent book. An interesting book as well. Case examples and references keep things interesting. Not just dry rules.

I purchasd this book in "used" condition. I was very pleasantly surprised when I recieved it. It was in PERFECT condition. Would definately purchased from this source again!

This is a great overall book on horses. However, the section on how horses actually move is really lacking. It does a good job discussing the basic walk, trot, pace, canter, gallop, but then says anything else is "artificial." "Any other gaits are caused by chains, chemicals, and shoeing practices". I have a completely barefoot Tennessee Walker trail horse that has some lateral gears that are not covered by this book at all.

I was first introduced to this book 20 years ago while a student of Dr Evans at UC Davis. Its the only text from college that I still reference. The information is informative, reliable and accurate. I strongly recommend this book for every horseowner from the novice backyard owner to the experienced showman.

This book was recommended to me when I was attending college for Equine Studies. The book is great! A must for those who wish to know more indepth about the care of horses. Not for the novice. It was so nice to read a book that didn't spend most of the chapters on grooming and mounting. You won't find that here. The four authors are some of the best horsemen in the business and Anthony Borton was one of my professors. I highly recommend this book to anyone taking any Equine studies or anyone who wants to learn more than just the basics. (from physiology to genetics to feeding, etc.)

Very thorough and informative text book. Has everything from calculating inbreeding relationships to nutrition to leg disorders and foal care. Used for my University class. Precise and easy to comprehend.

This is a great book for any salesperson, experienced or new. It can help you stay on track, or get back on, to reaching your goals. There is a lot of real-world experience that everyone can relate to. I refer back to it often, and it is helping me greatly in my new sales career.

I have had the personal pleasure of meeting Terry in a training class I took. Terry has a way of taking the most difficult things and explaining them in terms you are able to not only comprehend but understand and utilize. After reading this book I felt more focused and driven. In my opinion, this is not just a book but a "tool" to be used by everyone . If you ever feel like you are lost or have missed the correct path- read this book to help you get back on track. Most educational material I have read have just been words on a page but Terry uses personal experiences to help make the material real and understanding. With Terry's book I was able to not only read, understand but also form a picture in my mind of what some of my goals are! This book is a must read!! After reading this book you will feel so much better about yourself!

Thank You Terry,

Traci McGregor

Terry makes some practical suggestions for getting your life on track and moving forward. It's uplifting, positive, and easy to read. He combines age-old wisdom with some fresh new approaches. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Great book! This book has been a great tool for heading down the right path for a successful and promising future.

This book is a must read for people of all ages. It doesn't matter what stage of your life you might be in, i gaurantee this book will help you understand your goals, your motivations, and ultimately yourself. Use this book as an inspirational tool to help achieve all your dreams. The best part about it, is that the book is so full of interesting and remarkable stories that each time you read it, you pick up something new and helpful. I must have read this book half a dozen times already, and each time i learn at least one new invaluable concept. Amongst its many other beneficial lessons, this book most importantly teaches you how to accomplish something we all strive for at one point or another in our lives: creating and managing our own destiny! It is truly rare to find such a book that can teach you so much and yet be so exciting and fun to read.

This was worth the time to read if you are or ever will be interested in how to open a pizzeria. It has every detail on how to run your business to include a checklist on whether you are the right person for the business. The included CD ROM with all the lists and pertinent information in the book was an awesome addition. The business plan was also very helpful.
All in all a good book if you are new to the pizza business and looking for a map to opening your own.

Shri L Henkel and Douglas R. Brown have produced a phenomenal book on how to not only open a Pizza and Sub Restaurant but on how to be successful financially in starting this type of business.

Great details have been provided in every phase of the business process from research gathering to the actual operations of the business including how to budget and control your costs, techniques on marketing the business as well as being aware of governmental requirements whether federal , state or local.

This book of instructions and guidelines will assist anyone in becoming successful in the Pizza & Sub Restaurant business if they are willing to follow the suggestions and advice the authors provide in this book. The CD included with the book is an added plus in that it provides all the necessary forms that are mentioned in the book. What better way to provide Readers with something they can use in the start-up and progress of their business.

There are plenty of books on the market which cover how to open a general restaurant and a few which even address high-class establishments; but pizza and sub venues are different and need the close inspection of a subject-specific treatment. That's why How to Open a Financially Successful Pizza & Sub Restaurant stands out from the crowd: with its companion cd-rom of all forms in the book plus an editable business plan in Word, it offers the specifics neeeded to tailor a plan to such a venue, from incorporating a wood fire stove into a structure to sales analysis and successful employee relations. A 'must' for any would-be pizza or sub shop owner or franchisee.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

As a business owner who has looked closely at opening a restaurant, I find Henkel and Brown's book to be the best single-volume insight into that process. The authors take the reader from the typical but business-flawed dreams of restaurant ownership through each step of the process. Those painstaking details, which are so accurately and thoroughly presented in the book, are truly invaluable for anyone considering a career as a restaurateur.

Most importantly, the authors have already conducted their readers' market analysis: by limiting their analysis to a specific type of restaurant, they provide readers with information that is specific to their concerns. The book's twenty-three chapters cover every important aspect of the process, from buying a shop, to bookkeeping, to marketing, and to dealing with the local food and health safety officials. The CD-ROM that is included with the book features an editable business plan.

In short, this is a must-have for anyone even remotely considering opening a restaurant. Buy it, learn, and be successful!

This is a great book whether you really want to open a pizzeria or just want to know what goes on behind the counter. I fall into the second category - I'm always interested in how other businesses are run.

The first few chapters will help you understand if owning a pizza restaurant, or indeed any kind of business, makes sense for you. It clearly lays out the skills and talents you need and the first steps to make your business successful.

Read it from cover to cover. Every little detail is in here. What kind of oven should you buy? How should your menu look? Will you offer delivery? How will you evaluate employees? There are even about 70 recipes to get you started.

Most people who go into the pizza business probably won't read this book. Reading it will give you a leg up on the competition. They may have good recipes and a strong work ethic, but they'll struggle with bookkeeping, marketing, and so on. Meanwhile you have the answers from this book, or you know where you get them (from resources listed in the book). It includes a companion CD-ROM that includes all the forms, worksheets, and recipes.

I highly recommend it.

If you like scary books this is the book you should be reading. Ever sense Ian's death his cousin Spencer Turner feels it is his fault. Spencer tried to save Ian from his drowning death but he almost drown when he tried to save Ian. Spencer has tried to contact the spirit world to let Ian know he is sorry that he tried to save him. Spencer gets so desperate he spends his last $30 on a machine called The Howler. When he decides to play a trick on his friend Scott it all goes wrong. He release 5 ghoses from Scott's attic. that had been locked up for more than a centry. He finally gets to see Ian again while he is dead and Ian forgives him and gets rid of the 5 ghosts. The setting is mostly at Spencer's house. Some of it takes place at Scott's attic and at their school. But the story starts out at the pond that they were ice-skating at when Ian drown. Do you think we really are able to reach the spirit world with a little machine???

Ever sence Ian's death his cousin Spencer Turner feels it is his fault. Spencer tried to save Ian from his drownding death but he almost drownd too. Spencer has tried to contact the spirt world to let his cousin know he is sorry. Spencer gets so desperate he spends his last $30 and a machine called The Howler. When he decides to play a trick on his friend Scott it all goes wrong. He release 5 ghost from Scott's attic that had been locked up for more than a centry. He finally gets to see Ian again and Ian frogives and gets rid of the five ghosts.

The desperation of the main character in this story is so true and powerful that it indeed feels like you are living through it, and for me it was like living through a nightmare. Buy this book.

This and Camp Nowhere are definitely the best books in the Nightmare Room series thus far. This book is a movie in itself, and R.L. saves it from being a ridiculous idea into a somewhat heartfelt and scary horror adventure. I highly recommend it - great reading and a classic.

The Nightamre Room #7: The Howler is probably R.L. Stine's best book yet in his newest creepy Goosebumps type series, with a unique twist and excellent story that distinguishes this book from past books. Probably one of his scariest books he's written, and with a story that is sure to keep eyes glued, I loved this story more then any of the others in THE NIGHTMARE ROOM series. Spencer Turner was devastated at the shocking death of his cousin Ian last winter when they were skating on the ice with some friends. Even as Ian fell through the ice, Spencer had tried his best to save him -- but he almost got killed himself trying to do so. Spencer survived, but his cousion Ian did not. Ever since, Spencer wants to contact Ian's ghost and tell him how much he had tried to save him, and how sorry he is of Ian's tragic death. He becomes so desperate that he eventually purchases an item called the Howler from a ghost supplies shop. The Howler is able to make Spencer hear the howls of ghosts -- and even though Spencer is terrified, he'll do all it takes to reach Ian...somehow. But maybe he gets more then he bargained for. The terror that ensues will make Spencer wish he'd never even dream of buying the terrifying Howler. This was a spine-tingling, scary, and page turning book in R.L. Stine's terrifying new series, The Nightmare Room.

I love this lullaby! My three children 4 year old boy and 2 year old twins all love to listen to me and my husband read to them. The music is really very pretty, and different than the usual cutsy lullaby music. Everyone should have this book in their collection.

This book is beautifully written and full of lovely illustrations. As former children, we can all remember imagining ourselves in the pictures of the books our parents read to us as kids. This book seems perfect for children to do just that. I loved it so much that I bought a couple more for my friend's kids! Hopefully this is the first in a series from Morter.

Among thousands of titles to choose from this is the one childrens book that stands out as the perfect fit. Kids love it. Parents love it. If you must limit the number of kids books for the trip you take - include this one. You will be happy you did.

Mrs. Morter's book shows the love and security a child needs at the end of a busy day. The music at the end of the book makes it possible for a parent to sing to the child. The illustrations are simple enough for a little one to understand and put himself into the picture. Definitely a good read for a baby or toddler.

This is a great little book. I highly recommend it. Lots of fun to read especially to little ones. The illustrations are good too. I have given this book as gifts especially to new parents and they love it.

This is a great book for anyone who has ever worked with the mentally challenged or Knows someone who is mentally challenged. It shows the true hearts of the clients and the realities they experience in thier every day lives.This is one of those books that A person picks up to read,and doesn't put it down untill it is finished.Very emotional,yet very funny book.A book that truly warms your heart.

Highly recommend this well written hillarious tale of Richard, the "rubber room resident". This is a great read for anyone and would make an awesome gift this holiday season.

Not long ago, during a time where the mentally ill and the mentally retarted were often housed together, Richard Ulysses is encouraged by an uncle to "become committed" to one of these institutions (as a health care professional?) As we read his entries to his journal, we witness the feelings he has toward his fellow "inmates" as he gradually makes them his family. Don't let the sophomoric (and sometimes stomach-turning) humor mislead you, this is a very touching story that will get you thinking about the institutions we all live in, and, like Richard, "Do I really think I'm any better than they are?"

If you have ever worked in the human services field, you'll love what your reading. If you have ever worked direct care with mentally handicapped individuals, you'll love it even more!
I could relate every character in the book, to an individual with whom I have worked. Stellar Job Wally, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

I enjoyed this book, found it to be funny and entertaining. Very good reading won't put you to sleep so don't bother reading before going to bed.

This book has blessed my life and a few of my friends who has it or has read the book. Angela is straight to the point and she breaks things down for your understanding. If you desire a closeness with God and you are tired of satan's tactics this is the book for you. It doesn't matter where you come from or what you have done "I'm Fed Up With Your Mess" will bless you.

1st thing Angie I would like to thank you for using the KJV which makes the WORD more understandable for some of use old schoolers.
2nd Putting this book down was one of the hardest things for me to do. I shouted, cried and rejoiced in ways I can not put on paper. Thanks for helping me recieve my deliverance.

I love you My friend and My sister in Christ. Danielle Davis

The book was very inspiring and was a great personal testimony of her struggles and how she overcame them with the help of the Lord! Would recommend the book to anyone.

I must say, It's great for your first book!
I identified with your book in so many ways. Your book has inspired me, encouraged me and gave me confirmation of what God has been speaking to me in my own circumstances. Thank you for being obedient to God's Will by writing this book.

I must say, It's great for your first book! I identified with your book in so many ways. Your book has inspired me, encouraged me and gave me confirmation of what God has been speaking to me in my own circumstances. Thank you for being obedient to God's Will by writing this book.

I own about $150 worth of books on indie publishing (not counting this one.) They are some of the best books you can pick up on the subject. So it's easy to think "no one needs another book on indie publishing." If you think that, you'd be wrong.

This book fills in gaps that others miss. Including step by step D-I-Y typesetting so specific a trained monkey could do it.

While not every part of this book will equally apply to everyone and their personal situation, it is definitely a much needed addition on any indie artist's shelf.

While I feel some things an indie should contract out individually for, which specific things will depend on the individual's specific skill set. i.e. If you are a graphic artist, you probably don't need to hire a designer, but if you have no eye for graphic design or no skills in that area, you may want to.

One of the great benefits of this book is it assumes a D-I-Y approach to all facets of the book. So instead of just assuming you personally can't design a cover, or typeset a book, or whatever this book tells you how to do it yourself.

If what is outlined is outside your abilities after it's been explained to you, then of course one can contract out. But when operating on a shoestring it's good to do some of it on your own.

It is probably true to say that writing a book has never been easier than it is today. The sheer facility of composition with a computer word processing programme has removed one of the great barriers to producing a large volume of text. At the same time, it is also probably true to say that it has never been more difficult to place a book with a publishing company, the reasons for which are persuasively presented at the beginning of April Hamilton's wonderfully comprehensive guide to independent publishing, The IndieAuthor Guide.

As a man, as a previously published author, it might seem that I would have no need of such a self-help volume. Men, supposedly, hesitate to ask for advice or assistance, particularly from women; published authors are - erm - published. Why would one of them want to think about independent publishing? Well, the fact is that I, along with many other published writers, am published no longer. I am still writing, however, and so independent publishing is an increasingly beckoning way out of the impasse I find myself in. But how on earth does one go about it? Enter Ms Hamilton.

The IndieAuthor Guide leads even the chronically inept (I'm thinking of myself) along the road from desire to achievement. It seems to me that there is nothing the would-be independent author needs to know that is not covered, in detail and with examples, in this splendid guide. Even when Ms Hamilton tells her readers that she cannot offer advice on something (the legal aspects of Kindle publication, for example), she promptly offers a link to a site where such advice will be forthcoming.

Some readers might possibly be disappointed that this guide is particularly centred on independent publication through Amazon and its subsidiaries, but the truth is that Amazon is very much the big boy in this particular world now. That minor quibble aside, the vast majority of the advice in the book is as relevant to other independent publishing venues as it is to Amazon.

All in all, The IndieAuthor Guide seems to me to be an excellent and timely helpmate to writers pondering new ways of setting their work before the public. "Come on, you can do it," this guide seems to say, and it does not deceive in this. A five-star piece of work if ever there was one.

After recently writing and publishing two books of my own and spending most of my time learning the hard way (trial and error - mostly error) I was kicking myself for not taking the time and doing the right searches to find this book before and not after the 100's if not 1000's of hours of writing time. After a while you quit counting. April's book is indeed a breath of fresh air in otherwise stuffed rooms of misleading, and often wrong information. I was very appreciative of finding so much information in one source. Took a few pages to unravel the meaning of the title - Indieauthor Guide - but this may have been intentional as the style of writing develops like a story - one chapter at a time - uncovering the hidden secrets in the publishing industry. Great job - great writing - April did her homework.

Reading this book is a must for the writer who is trying to self publish their work. Everything you need to know or could ever have a question about is covered. I had the honor of reading it before publication and I found it extremely helpful and easy to understand. The author has done a massive amount of research.

April Hamilton gives a brief background to the publishing business as a whole and then leads you from start to finish on getting your work into print. She covers subjects like getting started, formatting, editing and designing your own cover as well as promotion and getting a website up. Everything is in plain easy to understand language so it is very easy to follow if you are new at this. In my opinion this book is a must have.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is informative, well outlined, well written, and covers a topic close to my heart - self publishing. This book is divided into the following 12 chapters:

1. Indie authorship: An introduction
2. Publishing options
3. Getting organized
4. Creating your brand
5. DIY formatting for POD
6. Editing and revising
7. Designing your own book cover
8. Publishing through CreateSpace
9. Publishing for Kindle
10. Publishing for other eBook formats
11. Promotion
12. An HTML primer

At one point the author says that subsidy and vanity publishing don't offer any advantages over POD publishing these days. I'm not sure this is true. After reading Aaron Shepard's book entitled "Aiming at Amazon" (ISBN: 093849743X) last year I learned that small text does not print as well with POD. Nor do pictures in the book using POD technology. And if the book is going to be over 200 pages or so, then POD might get a little expensive as compared to traditional printing methods. But if you understand the ins and outs of POD publishing, then it is definitely the route to go in order to sell your writing on Amazon. A good, but slightly dated, book on POD is "Print-on-Demand Book Publishing" (ISBN: 0972380132).

Although I haven't read "The Frugal Book Promoter" (ISBN: 193299310X), it is my understanding that it goes into some depth about the importance of branding when promoting one's book. Chapter 4 in the instant book did a nice job explaining the importance of branding.

Although I haven't read "Perfect Pages" (ISBN: 0938497332), it is my understanding that it goes into some depth about how to create formatted Word documents for Print on Demand (POD). Chapter 5 in the instant book did a wonderful job explaining how to use Word to format your self published book copy for POD.

This afternoon at Barnes & Noble I read "The Frugal Editor" (ISBN: 0978515870) and found it to be a good book. But I liked the coverage of how to edit and revise (or get help in editing and revising) in Chapter 6 of the instant book. Well done!

Mr. Shepard in "Aiming at Amazon" explained how to go about designing your book's cover if you were going to use Lightning Source, Inc. as your POD printing service. In Chapter 7 of the instant book we are told how to design a cover if we are going to use Amazon's CreateSpace printing service. I think this coverage could have gone into a little more detail on how to use and customize graphic files. But it was certainly good coverage on the topic.

The material covered in chapters 8 and 9 I have not seen in print in other books yet. They were well done. And Chapter 10 was informative.

Chapter 11 covered promotion well. I liked it. Other books on the subject I like are: "Sell Your Book on Amazon" (ISBN: 1432701967), "Plug Your Book!" (ISBN: 0977240614), and "The Author's Guide to Building an Online Platform" (ISBN: 1884956823). But consider getting another book ["The Web Savvy Writer" (ISBN: 0977830403)] sold as an ebook by its author, and an audio book entitled "Secrets of Successful Blogging System" (ISBN: 0978806018) which is kind of pricey, but really good. If you get all these resources, read them, and study them, then you should have an excellent idea about how to go about marketing your tome or tomes.

Chapter 12 was OK. But I think I would have liked the book better if it had been left out. It kind of felt as though it was not within the scope of the book's subject matter. All in all, this book is a gem. I think it is good as a stand-alone guide, but it will really shine if used in conjunction with other books I have referenced in this review. 5 stars!

Very good resource if you are considering the ethical implications of IVF and infertility treatments.

This book spent the first several chapters helping you know how to best feel sorry for yourself and understand your grief. It does have some good information in it also but I sure could have done with out the pity party section. My wife and I need the answers not sympathy.

The Infertility Companion: Hope and Help for Couples Facing Infertility (Christian Medical Association) is a book that is part almanac, part dictionary, part personal testimony and part Bible teaching and study. It's written by a Christian Infertility Doctor and a Christian Infertility Patient.

I'll start with my critiques because they're pretty minor. My biggest complaint about the book is that for some reason I've not quite put my finger on, DH and I both found it visually hard to read. I can't decide if the text is smaller, the leading is smaller, the characters are closer together, the lines are longer or if it's because the pages are gray and not white, but I found it hard to read more than 20 pages in one sitting before my eyes were too tired. I've never experienced that with a book before and I'm quite confident it wasn't the content that made it hard to read so I'm quite befuddled. At times I was frustrated because I wanted to continue reading but couldn't comfortably do so.

My other critique is that the book is littered with one paragraph personal anecdotes from various people that I found distracting on almost every occasion. I struggle to see their purpose and at times, was frustrated by the incongruence that occurred when the anecdotes interrupted the primary authors' train of thought, with little explanation as to why they were offered in the first place. The primary text is stronger when one skips the interruptions (though for thoroughness' sake, I did read them all).

However, those two, minor things encompass the totality of my complaints about this book.

What I love about this book is how straightforward it is. This is not to be confused with authors who are insensitive. This book just lacks the emotional aspect of a lot of the other books, which my husband especially appreciated. He felt much more comfortable reading this book than reading some of the others I speak highly of, including ones I've recommended here. The book reads largely like a textbook on infertility, if such a thing could exist given the diverse nature of individual experiences. However, it is very conversational and approachable in tone-not at all dry and difficult to read like the mention of a "text book" would suggest.

The authors write with one voice and do an excellent job at it, which I think lends itself to the "neutrality" of this book. It's not a book by women for women, or men for men. It's a book for a general audience, which I think is rare in this particular genre of texts.

The book spends some time on the interpersonal aspects of infertility, including the patients' relationships with themselves, with each other, with God, with their friends and family, with Christendom and with the general public. It also address such things as parenting after infertility, secondary infertility, childlessness by choice, and responding to well meaning advice.

Perhaps one of the most instrumental things I've read in any book on the subject was in the authors' chapter on myths of infertility. In response to the myth "If you adopt, the pain will go away," the authors cited another author who identified six key losses that are rooted in infertility:


1. Loss of control
2. Loss of individual genetic continuity
3. Loss of a jointly conceived child
4. Loss of the pregnancy and birth experiences
5. Loss of emotional gratification surrounding pregnancy and birth
6. Loss of an opportunity to nurture and parent a new generation

pg 29


How freeing it was for me to read that it is perfectly normal to mourn the loss of pregnancy--a need that will never be met through born-child adoption! I've already shared this with a few other people because it was so instrumental to me to identify the various types and sources of grief and loss. I wish I could put it on a flyer and distribute it to the world and maybe then people would cease looking for trite things to say or ways to help their infertile friends "get over" this loss!

The rest of the book, however, is what I found most useful. It's an explanation and bioethical exploration of the tests and procedures common in the treatment of infertility. It covers everything ranging from sample collection to examinations to medications to surgical procedures. The authors are quick to confess their own limits and biases, but even with the procedures with which they don't agree, they highlight the benefits along with the risks. I appreciated this neutrality. They are also careful and responsible to state that their opinions on anything that falls outside the bounds of clear scriptural teaching and/or does not jeopardize innocent life is their own opinion and not gospel truth. On the other hand, where something does violate clear scripture or the sanctity of life, they are firm in stating its inappropriateness for the committed Christian (examples would be fornicating to produce fluid samples or children, selective reduction abortion, etc). In some cases (IVF for example), they are very helpful in helping the reader understand the limits they should place in order to keep the procedure one that honors God and human life. Where Catholics and Protestants might differ, they offer information and resources for both world views.

I appreciated how respectful the authors are of opinions that differ from theirs when it comes to matters of interpretation. There is no condemnation-only simple, undecorated statement of their opinion and where applicable, medical and scientific facts. They do not pressure the reader to come to the same conclusions and as I mentioned, are generous in even offering the benefits of procedures that they would not choose for themselves.

They offer a very useful grid for evaluating the ethics of reproductive technology. They have borrowed the framework from a secular textbook and offer it as being both useful and consistent with a biblical worldview.

The four principles are:

Beneficence-to do good. Thus, we ask, "Does it do good?"

Nonmaleficece-to do no harm. We ask, "Does it avoid doing harm?"

Autonomy-the patient has the right to make decisions about care rendered to him or her. We ask, "Does it respect self-determination, the patient's right to decide for him- or herself?"

Justice-fair, equitable, and appropriate distribution of social benefits and burdens. Our own definition of justice goes beyond this definition to ask whether something seeks what is right or due the patient in a given instance. So we ask, "Does it give what is right, due and equitable?"

pg 171


So long as the reader retains honesty careful grounding in scripture when answering the questions posed in this construct, I found this to be a very useful and practical framework.

The book also has quite a few extra curricular resources. The end of each chapter has discussion questions for the reader. I suppose with some moderation, they could be good prompts for a group discussion as well. The appendices of the book include a scripture-based workbook of questions and exercises for each chapter, an infertility medical workup worksheet, the Christian Medical Association Statement on Reproductive Technology, an IF glossary with common vernacular explanations, a list of resources and complete citations for all of the studies, interviews and writings cited in the book.

The book is very well cited. Each time the authors mentioned a clinical study, a public statement by a group or committee, a medical fact, and even in some cases a hermeneutic explanation, there was a corresponding citation. This set me at ease that the things that I was reading were true, or at least easily verifiable. It also gave me a place to go if anything piqued my interest to the point of wanting to seek out further information. I appreciated this responsible treatment of a lot of things that are offered as "fact" in a world full of questions and controversy.

I will confess that I did not complete the workbook or discussion questions yet, and am not sure if I plan to. However, I did read through them and found them relevant and thought provoking.

The book is like an encyclopedia insofar as there may be portions (even large ones) that are not relevant to you if you are not considering a certain procedure or class of procedures. I did read the entire book so as to have a firm understanding of it, but I admit to times when I had trouble staying interested in subjects that are not a part of our journey. I will say that the book can easily be read in sections or chapters. If you skip a section that is not relevant to your journey, I do not think it will make the rest of the book unreadable and I think you would still benefit. Each chapter can stand on its own and be contextually accurate and understandable. However, the book also feels unified enough to be read through as a traditional chapter book.

There is a ton of clinical information in this book, which distinguishes it from other books in this genre. For that reason, it's a lot more difficult to retain all of the information in the book than it is with other books that are more narrow in subject. For that reason I think this book is most useful when consulted many times, especially the subjects of particular relevance to the reader. I know I shall have to read through the details of some of the Reproductive Technologies several times before I feel I have a firm grasp on them but again, that selective reading is very possible in a book structured this way.

This book is an excellent resource for infertility patients. I'm not sure it's useful for pastors, friends and family or doctors, but I suspect it was never intended to be. This is not your typical infertility Bible or personal enrichment study, so I would not add it to my library in lieu of books that are more personally challenging, but it is an excellent academic reference resource, which is especially useful in a world where the sheer volume of facts and anecdotes can be overwhelming.

I am so glad I happened upon this book! The personal experiences of Sandra, the expertise of Dr. Bill, and the spiritual issues addressed in this book have been an invaluable resource to my husband and me as we have struggled through the difficulties of infertility. This book is a terrific guide to anyone going through infertility themselves or any lay person or clergy helping a couple that is struggling. Rarely does one find a book that balances medical terminology and its great detail with the emotional and spiritual aspects of the patients' experience, but this book does. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone that is beginning the journey of infertility as it clearly gives medical information. More important to me, though, was the biblical content that reminds us that we are NOT alone through this process, that God is still God, and that the emotional roller coaster is a normal thing. Not to mention the chapter that deals with handling well-intentioned advice... great content there, too! :)

Right around this time of year, sermons about Mother's Day and the beauty of parenthood bring grief to those experiencing the hellish ride of infertility. Though I have not personally experienced this, I have walked with several friends that have. This book was invaluable in helping me understand the medical, spiritual and emotional issues facing infertile couples. Glahn's personal story is woven throughout, giving the reader glimpses into the pain of infertility. Cutrer offers the reader practical and sound medical advice, gleaned from years and years of treating infertile couples. Both grapple with theological questions like "Is infertility a curse from God?" and "Why did God create sex?" Perhaps the most helpful chapter detailed the well-intentioned (but painful) things people say: Just relax. You can have my children for a weekend. If you adopt, you'll conceive. Just trust God. The latter half of the book deals with the ethics of medical intervention in an honest, non-alarmist way. If you are looking for an infertility manual with heart, pick up this book. If you are longing to love a friend or family member through infertility's minefield, read it for understanding.