G Books

This was an interesting read into the world of poltergeists. Those of a scientific mind (what "believers" would probably call skeptical) should rest assured, Roll is very careful in his investigations to make sure the evidence is legit (and on more than one occasion, finds instances of pranks being played). Roll also writes in a very dry, scientific way, so don't expect much excitement.

Roll believes that poltergeist activity stems from the psychic manifestations of a single person's mind, as opposed to some sort of invisible entity being the cause. This is an interesting theory, but if the book suffers, it's from lack of evidence. The case studies are just too small and individual to begin applying widespread hypotheses to them.

Again, it's a very interesting viewpoint to take when writing about this kind of stuff, and the scientific tone with which he approaches it is refreshing. But whoever wrote about reading it in Maine on a stormy night may have it confused with a Stephen King novel!

Informative, deep and convincing, he looks at it from an objective point of view, has witnessed the phenomena himself so remains confident and unbashed by the skeptics. Fantastic

Over the years I have bought several copies of this book to give as gifts. My father was the decetive who investigated the "House of Flying Objects" in Seaford,NY.(Joe Tozzi)Before the days of internet it was pretty hard to track down these out of print books. I wrote to Dr. Roll several years ago after seeing him on unsolved mystries trying to aquire a copy. He wrote back and told me that that case was his first real intro to the papapsychology world.He didn't have an extra copy but photocopied the whole chapter for me. My dad never did know what to make of that case. He died last year leaving behind a trunk of magazine articles and books dealing with the house of flying objects. I have for years wondered what became of the Hermans, the family who lived this nightmare back in 1958.

a fine read for a dark, dreary night with the wind howling through the rafters of your house in the isolated Maine woods.

"The Poltergeist" by William G. Roll, Ph.D., is a book that I think should certainly be ranked among the classics within the literature on parapsychology and psychical research, alongside books by other notable authors such as Drs. J. B. & Louisa Rhine, G. N. M. Tyrrell, and Frederic Myers, to name a few. It is both an academic book and a nonfiction book for the general public that takes an in-depth look at one of the most fascinating types of ostensible psychic phenomena that is still a focus of parapsychological research in the present time: the poltergeist.

Following an introductory chapter that recounts the background leading up to the development of serious parapsychological research on the poltergeist and Dr. Roll's personal role in it, each chapter of the book gives a detailed and interesting account of several well-documented cases of reported poltergeist phenomena (including 2 chapters that summarize historical poltergeist cases and cases reported in Europe, respectively), 7 of which were personally investigated by Dr. Roll and other researchers in the field. Among them, the first case ever investigated by Dr. Roll (along with Dr. J. G. Pratt) involving a "house of flying objects" in Seaford, Long Island; a case in Indianapolis that seemingly involves a "biting" poltergeist, a case of strange lights and flashes in Clayton, North Carolina; and an attempted semi-controlled experiment during a poltergeist case occurring in a Miami souvenir warehouse, in which objects seem to mysteriously fly off shelves and sometimes break without any apparent force acting upon them.

The last 4 chapters of the book attempt to weigh and interpret the evidence from each case in order to begin to develop a theory of the poltergeist. Based on the observation that the disturbances in each case seem to occur and center around a certain individual, Dr. Roll considers the possibility that the unusual events in each case are not due to "noisy spirits" (as the term "poltergeist" literally implies), but rather to notable instances of ostensible mind-matter interaction (called recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis, or "mind over matter" on a frequent and large scale) that may originate from the mind of that central individual, called the "agent." Dr. Roll's theory is further supported by the observation that the agents in each of the cases are often experiencing repressed psychological tension or emotional problems in their lives, and that these anomalous displays of "mind over matter" may perhaps represent a kind of "body expression" of their distress. Once the agents receive counseling, the poltergeist occurrences often suddenly disappear along with their problems. This seems to provide an interesting hint at the psychological basis for these anomalous occurrences. Also presented in these chapters are Dr. Roll's classic "psi field" theory under which different forms of psychic phenomena may be understood, with some analogy to known physical forces, and a distinction between poltergeist and haunting phenomena.

This is book has great scientific value for its detailed descriptions and diagrams of the poltergeist cases, but also has great learning value for the general public in that it outlines the straight facts and gives unique examples of one of the most mysterious phenomena of the human mind. Unlike most academic books, the text is not dry and actually reads in a very engaging and easy manner, keeping the reader interested throughout.

This book, coming from one of the country's leading experts on poltergeist and haunt phenomena, is an excellent resource for students and researchers of parapsychology wanting to learn about the possibility of strong psychic phenomena. For the general reader, it is a great book for those curious about what poltergeists are and what they are aren't, aside from the misleading depictions in TV and movies. Over the past 30 years, experiments using random number generators seem to suggest that "mind over matter" may exist on a very small and subtle scale. "The Poltergeist" seems to attest to that possibility on a rare but very large scale. If you've ever had questions about poltergeists, I highly recommend reading "The Poltergeist."

The I Ching (pronounced "yi jing"; it means "Book of Changes") is an ancient Chinese divinatory oracle, as well as a classic account of the philosophy of ancient China. The text contains 64 different "situations", each represented by a figure of six lines (called "hexagrams"). The trigrams making up the hexagram can be either Heaven, Lake, Fire, Thunder, Wind, Water, Mountain, or Earth. A question can be directed to the I Ching by the consultant, and an appropriate hexagram is derived either from the method described in this book (flipping coins) or through the traditional method of casting yarrow stalks. The hexagram is considered to be appropriate to your current situtation and suggests advice on the course of action that you should take. On its own, the I Ching is interesting, though somewhat archaic and obscure if you are trying to really gain a deeper insight into its meanings. Many other commentaries on the I Ching are also available (I recommend Carol K. Anthony's "A Guide to the I Ching", as well), but I find R. G. H. Siu's book particularly enjoyable.

Unlike many other I Ching commentaries, "The Portable Dragon" can either be used for further explanation for using the I Ching as an oracle or read (with great interest) from beginning to end. The full, translated text of each portion of the I Ching hexagrams are given, along with passages from literature relating to the concept involved. Poetry and prose from all around the world is included to better illustrate the examples of each situation. A variety of authors, from well-known to fairly unknown, are represented nicely in this collection. In "The Portable Dragon", even someone who isn't planning to use the I Ching as an oracle can gain a lot of insight on philosophy and simply enjoy good literature.

This book deserves all the praise it has received elsewhere. While the basic pattern or cycles involved are based on the format of the classical Yi Ching, it was a stroke of genius to 'flesh out' the various archetypal situations depicted in the line-texts, with quotations drawn from the world's literature (most reviewers have stressed 'Western' literature, but in fact,
many quotations are drawn from 'ethnic' sources (e.g. Chinese, African, Eskimoo etc. - in English translation).

Initially, I was disappointed with this book - after acquiring the Ist ed. years ago. A review had led me to believe that it was an anthology of Yi-Ching studies/commentaries, leaving me shocked to discover otherwise - a plethora of quotations - drawn from sources spanning many cultures, many centuries. As befits all oracles (usum ad delphi)the original Chinese text mostly rules out once-and-for-all, black and white definitions. The few exceptions being where and when a single 'yes' or 'no' type answer suffices. But by and large, the terseness of the Chinese text survives translation - leaving an open-ended spread of semantic possibilities - without which the intuition cannot come into play. Still, short of writing in a stilted 'pidgin' Chinglish, translating the Chinese glyphs into English (or any other Western language) necessarily involves making a choice of syntax, with tenses not there in the original. The Chinese text has a compression rather like newspaper headlines, or even an encrypted code. So, from that point of view, reducing any given line text to a black and white definition, has its price.

Be that as it may, R.G. Siu is a wonderful soul. He searched the very heart of humanity - in all its richness, triumph and tragedy - and 'just-so-ness' - when selecting his quotations, obviously a labour of love. Many, many times, I have found myself deeply moved - by the appropriateness of the quotations he has 'matched' with the Chinese line texts, resonating in real life situations - the very diversity of the sources increasing my sense of being a man among mankind, reminding me that others have known the same joys and woes, painful decisions, or even the fact that the only thing to do. . .is to wait, and let life itself produce the 'answer' to seemingly intractable situations. In fact, many of those quotations have embedded themselves in my unconscious mind, and - rather like seeds, they have re-activated themselves, speaking to me - without consulting the 'Yi' at all, which is most remarkable.

Nobody has written (or should we say 'composed') another book like it, and nobody ever will. It was a 'one-off' - a flash of inspiration, something about the 'New World' - what happens when a Chinese-American scientist with Taoist feeling and imagination finds himself looking at the Yi Ching in a 'melting pot' culture. Ten thousand people could have endeavoured to do the same thing - without the same success. The outcome could have been a hope-lessly disjointed project, but Ralph Liu's genius fused it with life - and feeling. There is something about the Chinese text and its glyphs, which has a beauty of its own. But in many cases, the nuance of some lines is not clear, minus insight into the Chinese background. Liu's text transposes these archetypal situations to a truly universal context and amplifies them in unexpected ways.A most remarkable book, by a remarkable author.

EXCELLENT BOOK, WORTHWHILE READING. PICK AND CHOOSE SECTIONSTO READ AND REMEMBER. I RECOMMEND VERY HIGHLY.

An enlightening look into eastern philosophy, through the eyes and voices of the most famous western philosophers, politicains, rebels, poets, bards, playwrites, martyrs, & fools. A journey all should take. Every page reveals words an philosophies to live by, some obvious, some a tangled maze of stories and morals. Learn from it , and then throw it away and LIVE!

This extremely well read editor has substituted mostly Western literature for the exegesis of the lines. Like in the original, these new texts are provided as mirror on which to reflect your question and search yourself for an answer, but with Western content in a Western context. This is a very avant-garde take on the I Ching. I have used it with other commentaries of the I Ching and have found there to be insight in the literature chosen to represent the line's meaning.

It is also a fine collection of literary snippets from a variety of authors you couldn't hope to read in this lifetime, except in this format. They are truly pithy sayings, in the truest sense of that word. It is very similar in content to The Practical Cogitator, but The Dragon is much more playful. Great for reading on the can, almost as good as those little space fillers in the old New Yorker.

Easy to read, contains pertinent info in a concise fashion. Great to study from, easily read during a clerkship.

Experts write about their respective topics in Medicine in the most easily readable and absorbable manner possible. The information is very thorough but does not DRAG on. Surprisingly large amounts of retention is possible with a SINGLE READING of this LUCID text with CURRENT information. Highly recommended. Does a lot for first reading of topics and EASILY ABSORBED.

I used the 23rd edition of Stobo for my internal medicine rotation as a 3rd year medical student and also as a quick reference for several other rotations. I think it is the best mid-size medicine text I have seen. The content is broken down into bite-size chunks that are easy to read in one sitting--the short chapters make it easier to retain the material. Each section begins with an introductory chapter that gives a concise overview of the approach to take when evaluating a problem with a particular organ-system. Each chapter also ends with a list of summary points that are very helpful. Excellent tables are easy to reference. The actual information contained in the book is in more than enough depth for MS3 level, and the text emphasizes pathophysiology in many chapters, which helped me learn to integrate what I had learned in basic sciences and apply it to seeing patients in the clinical setting. The last section also has some good summary chapters for things that fall outside the realm of each organ-system section. This is a truly outstanding book. I highly recommend it, and I can't wait for the next edition.

I started my 3rd year medicine rotation with Appleton and Lange's Current Medical Diagnosis and Therapy but soon found this book to be more appropriate. It clearly and concisely explained pathophysiology of disease as well as clinical aspects, such as presentation, diagnosis and treatment. I also really enjoyed how each organ system began with a general approach to the patient. I am now using this books counterpart for my surgery rotation.

This text, written by the physicians at Johns Hopkins, is the greatest mid-size general internal medicine text that I have had the pleasure of learning from. It does a great job of helping students go from the classrooms to the bedsides by choosing the most common conditions found on the wards and discussing them so well, that you will be brought to tears! Each chapter is a delight! I cannot say enough about this text. There will always be huge encyclopedic texts such as Harrisons for reference, but for your day to day reading, this text cannot possibly be beaten. One great feature is the way every section of the book (cardiovascular, respiratory, infectious diseases, etc) is started with a chapter which serves as a general introduction in how to approach a patient with a possible pathology of those organ systems. This text is simply awesome and I highly suggest you check it out and make studying internal medicine an incredible experience.

...but a tiring survey of previous typologies that must be read before you get to Jung's version.

This Magnum Opus of Jung,totally encapsulates his main goal as to an outline of a "healthy" working personality theory with the key to understanding the intricate balance between what in our common definitions is called the man of action and the man of ideas.
Needless to say since we are all a combination of the 2,it is heart warming to see the precision and intimacy of Jung's care in explicating a sort of systematic approach while the author remains humble enough to allow for fallibility's as to the perennial question mark of uncertainty.
200 pages can take one months to savor,but for those philosophically and academically inclined the journey is worth it as Jung takes on a historical survey through biblical criticism,Greek mythology,German poetry,Idealism as well as a treasure house of distinctions and comparisons between states of being such as naivete(the extrovert) and sentimentalitty(the introvert),intoxication(extrovert) and dreaming(introvert) to convey his ideas in merging Freud and Adler into a system that became totally Jungian leaving it's footprints as a giant but not only in common day jargon between the introvert and extrovert but balancing an individuals life between conscious and unconscious reality. The emphasis on Freud the extrovert(predominance of the sexual instinct and melting/loving the world)as distinct from Adler's introversion(power and subjective positioning of mastery of one's self and world)) were philosophical insights that alone were too one sided for Jung,hence a possible union was developed by confusing love for power (or vice a versa) which leads to fragmentation whereby the individual's libido becomes lost by slipping into either the unconscious or the conscious reality without a proper regulating principle.
The beauty of this scholarly work(for that matter the majority of his works are scholarly and difficult)is the outline he left humanity and modern times as to understanding man and his manifold contradictions,the constant oscillation between living in the world of sensation(extroversion) and one's own ideas and theoretical construct of the world(introversion).The balancing act in finding A "3rd way" for our energy(soul) is a regulating principle to understanding mental health despite the predominance of one tendency or the other in our general make up.
Indeed one can argue incessantly between living in a world of black or white or grey but one's perception is obviously colored by the past millions of years within one's genetic makeup fusing with the world of sense perception with a keen view to eternity.
The issue it seems to me and Jung is not epistemological truth or salvation but a working theory on what makes people tick and how the world accompanies diversity of spirit and temperament.

If you're familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and want to know more about it then _Psychological Types_ is one title you'd certainly want to read. It is the definitive work on which the MBTI is based. In this volume Jung explains in detail what the nature of the two attitudes--introversion and extraversion--really are, as well as that of the four functions--intuition, sensation, thinking, and feeling. He also discusses various combinations of these attitudes and functions, such as Introverted-Thinking, Introverted-Feeling, Extraverted-Sensation, etc.

It is Jung who gave us the terms introversion and extraversion. But our colloquial understanding of these terms are not exactly what Jung had in mind. For instance introversion he says means "an inward-turning of libido [psychic energy]." Moreover, the introverted person is one who orients himself predominantly by subjective views in contrast to the extraverted who orients himself by objective (external) conditions. Therefore, extraversion and introversion have to do with which realm--outer or inner--the person is drawn to and invests his energies in. So much for our simplistic notions of what these now household words mean!

Personally, I have not read the first half of the book. When I got my copy I went straight to Chapter 10 "General Description of the Types" since that's where the meat of Jungian typology can be found. And let's not forget the four essays in the appendix. They too offer additional insights into typology.

As a bonus there is an entire chapter (some 80 pages) entitled "Definitions" which is actually an in-depth glossary of some of the more important terms and ideas that Jung uses throughout the Collected Works.

If you'd like to learn about (Jungian) personality typology then I suggest you get this relatively inexpensive paperback edition. I've read many works on Jungian typology but nothing beats getting it straight from the horse's mouth.

Jung's theories are absolutely amazing. Anyone who is interested in psychology should read this book!

This is the forerunner of many contemporary works on psychological types. The mother-daughter team of Briggs & Myers devised the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) on it--devising the 4th (Judgmental-Perceptive) scale based on preferences (i.e. superior function vs. secondary function) between the iNtuitive-Sensate scale & the Thinker-Feeler scale. Jung does not address the J-P scale (it didn't exist yet). The book is written in Jung's usual rambling, erudite style with his usual quantity of incredible interspersed observations & conclusions. Some modern works are far easier to read, but many (e.g. Keirsey's "Please Understand Me") leave much out. Indeed, his assessment tool is quicker but less accurate IMHO (I used to score MBTI results for a professor doing research on MBTI's in other countries). I also took a couple of short courses (paid for by the U.S. Navy) related to the MBTI--& lots of management courses which referred to it or utilized it. It is extremely useful in improving interpersonal communications & understanding amongst co-workers, supervisors, etc. I used it with my own subordinates & found it quite valuable--people shared their results readily. Of course, there's a bit of confusion between Extrovert & Introvert--surface/laymen views can be misleading. The key is where one gets/loses one's psychic energy. Introverts get it from being alone & tend to lose it in groups; Extroverts, vice versa. But, this has nothing to do with whether one enjoys people, books, parties, etc. So, to understand the types, one must read the book. As Jung states, p. 526 "The psyche is the very thing we know least about, although it seems to be what we know best of all, & furthermore that everyone else probably understands it better than we do ourselves." Further, self-knowledge is a continuing challenge because p. 52: "The psyche creates reality every day." Also, psychological type relates not only to self, but also to society: p. 448: "Only a society that can preserve its internal cohesion and collective values, while at the same time granting the individual the greatest possible freedom, has any prospect of enduring vitality" & p. 449: "The more a man's life is shaped by the collective norm, the greater is his individual immorality." However, it is important to understand that Jung is NOT saying people ARE this type or that (implying the types are real) but that the types are a useful model for understanding human differences-- p. 493 "Reality neither consists of theories nor follows them." The sixteen types are a reasonable model for differences in accordance with Jung's scientific approach. As he states here & elsewhere--on p. 41 & on p. 494ff: "The scientific axiom known as Occam's Razor--`explanatory principles should not be multiplied beyond the necessary.'" Necessary & sufficient are required. This work is at least as relevant today as when it was written.

Shelley is my Professor and a wonderful person aswell. I have read most of the book and I love it. This book will stay in my collection since it has very good tips to use on clients. I hope I have Shelley again as a teacher before I graduate!

One of my interests in the area of sexuality is the interaction of sexuality and spirituality, so I was somewhat disappointed that there was not mention of that in the book. In my opinion, the messages that many people receive from their faith community often form the basis for their self-defeating ideas about sexuality. However, I found the chapter on Narrative therapy most helpful because it provided some substance to my argument. Doan explained that "narrative work, informed by social constructionist notions, seeks to liberate clients' voices from the oppression of cultural mythologies and discourses" (p. 155-156). In addition, I believe that the conversation on pages 165-169 further highlights the impact of what I refer to as "religiously defined sexuality."
Of all the chapters in the book, I was able to connect to this chapter most because I consider myself to be a Narrative Therapist. It offered new insights for me into how to work with clients who present with complaints about their attitudes about sex. Though the chapter did not go into great details about the influence of spirituality on sexuality, I was able to apply the core ideas in my personal project for the class which centered on the influence of spirituality on individual's ideas about sexuality. With that said, I feel that the next edition of the book would greatly benefit from an article that deals specifically with the issues of spirituality and sexuality. As a therapist who belongs to the Christian community, I am often left feeling as if I am being pulled between two worlds--the world of therapy and the world of Christianity. Quite often it seems that the suggestions made by therapists are not in sync with fundamental Christian doctrine or practices, and the suggestions made by Christian writers and leaders are often not in harmony with systemic assumptions. While this tug-of-war can be exhausting, it does provide me with some understanding of what clients may be experiencing.
Again, I thank you for your contribution to the field and for your influence on my educational experience as I have been fortunate to study under two of your best and brightest students. I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next edition.

Sincerely,

Tekulve Martial-Vann

Quickies served as wonderful foreplay! Several thoughts in the book provoked ideas and challenges, which have helped me to evolve into a better and more aware therapist. The highlight of the book can be found on page 174. This section discusses the therapist's exploration and evaluation of self when seeing clients. The questions were very useful. I believe I can apply this idea to every client, based on their particular incoming issue, simply by rephrasing the questions.

I also particularly enjoyed Chapter Eight - Just Between Us: A Relational Approach to Sex Therapy. I really appreciated the distinction that was made between professional and personal conversation made on page 127. I think that that is something very important to highlight. In addition, reading the section on Relational Sex Therapy was very helpful to my development as a therapist. I could really appreciate and understand your understanding of the multiple relationships that exist within the therapy room. This concept indirectly reiterates the importance of going into the therapy room from a stance of curiosity. This resonates with my own therapeutic assumptions and orientation. By taking a not-knowing posture, the therapist is being non-assuming and showing genuine interest by asking questions to the client. A great example of this is described on page 175 regarding gay and lesbian clients.

Furthermore, great conversations were explored in my Masters level Couples and Sex Therapy class. Your book initiated discussions about a variety of topics, such as some of the following:
* Is there really a difference between making love and having sex?
* What is "making hate"?
* The struggle between parents and children to talk about sex
* Is nudity sexual?
* The definition of sexual intercourse
* One's relation to sex vs. the relation to the person you're having sex with
* Language separation - being female vs. feminine and being male vs. masculine
* The concept of there being more than just two sex types

So, yes, in my opinion, you have accomplished your third goal of "stimulating conversations and further explorations of brief sex therapy." Hence, I am thankful for your thoughts on the subject matter. It has influenced my ideas and created a better understanding of therapy. Thank you.
[...]

Dr. Shelley Green and Dr. Douglas Flemons,

I am a student in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia. One of our professors, Martha Laughlin, used your book for one of our classes: Couples and Sex. I must say that for an overall read, being a student, it was very educational and helpful to me in my journey towards being a marriage and family therapist. The use of case illustrations, while intertwining the disciplines of Batesonian systemic thinking, helped me to more clearly understand how to apply these principals that I am learning. Additionally, when reading through the case illustrations, I was able to apply the teachings of my sociology background, such as social construction and dominant social narratives, and have a clearer understanding of how these can be used in therapy.
On account of personal preference, I found certain chapters more interesting than others. Chapter ten, "How Do Therapists of Same-Sex Couples `Do It'?" was a favorite of mine. Being open to either an opposite-sex or same-sex relationship myself, I could relate to the information described in both chapter ten and chapter two. It is true that there is limited research that can speak about the sexual difficulties of same-sex relationships, and I was glad to see that you both included these chapters. I found this book to also be intriguingly humorous. The double-meanings in some chapter headings such as, "Come Again? From Possibility Therapy to Sex Therapy," "Out of My Office and Into the Bedroom," "Just Between Us: A Relational Approach to Sex Therapy," "Who Really Wants to Sleep With the Medical Model? An Eclectic/Narrative Approach to Sex Therapy," and my personal favorite, "How Do Therapists of Same-Sex Couples `Do It'?" were a delightful aspect to the book. As mentioned in the introduction of this book, these chapter headings and titles grab the reader's attention and hold it there. Sex therapy is indeed a "serious business," but the lightheartedness of these chapter headings makes the book not only a "serious" read, but a fun one too. It is refreshing to know that you can read one of your class books for fun. You had mentioned in the introduction that this was one of your motives. Well, in my opinion you succeeded.
One other chapter that I enjoyed was chapter six, and how author Thorana S. Nelson "briefly" spoke about the different parts of family therapy that have helped to form her orientation to therapy, structural, Bowenian, behavioral, solution-focused, and narrative. For me, as a reader this helped me to better articulate the views behind the therapist and why she chose certain interventions. As a therapist, it is my orientation that you have to be able to make sense of your client's behavior in order to form that therapeutic relationship of change. Vice versa, it is helpful for me to be able to make sense of the therapist in order to understand how change occurred.
The book was well written; therefore, I did not find anything to be significantly confusing. I understand that as a writer/editor, it is more helpful to receive criticisms as opposed to praise, but I do not want to find myself trapped into trying to find something out of nothing. Yet, this did not surprise me considering that I agree with the majority of the ideologies contained in the book. If anything, what I gained most from this book was a better understanding of how to put these theoretical principals into practice. It was an "out of the book and into my therapy room" experience. Thank You for this.

L. Queen
Valdosta State University
Family Therapy Student

Dear Dr. Green and Dr. Flemons,

After reading your book, Quickies the Handbook of Brief Sex Therapy, I discovered sex therapy could be possible for someone like me! I had been baffled for about a year thinking how sex therapy could occur in the therapy room in a brief and systemic way. Your book managed to put my questions into perspective. I particularly found the Narrative approach to be very helpful. Using a literary metaphor as opposed to the medical model made perfect sense to me. I have found it to be very popular in the mental health field to rely on the medical model in order to make sense of the "problem." However, the eclectic/narrative stance brought about a very new intriguing way in which sex therapy could be incorporated. The book brought out a systemic way towards sex therapy in which the clients do not have to feel someone is "wrong." I must have reread this segment at least 5 times. How wonderful it is to have a conversation with clients without having to identify someone to blame. The book gave me an understanding of how to include externalizing in therapy. For example, the idea that "the problem is the problem" as opposed to "person is the problem" liberated me and my clients from the ongoing trap of medicalizing therapy.
The book presented a good look at therapy in a systemic/cybernetic fashion. I was intrigued by each chapter's introductory paragraphs. The book provided profound insight into the techniques and concepts that were to be applied in the case vignettes. I discovered how much I benefited from the first few paragraphs of each chapter.
The uses of case vignettes were very helpful as well. As a graduate student struggling to learn how to incorporate techniques within a systemic foundation, the vignettes helped display how these skills were used. Specifically in chapter eight, you speak about a relational approach to sex therapy. This chapter helped me experience the importance of a systemic approach in therapy. For example, the chapter mentions, never to focus on just one relationship at a time, but to be aware of other changes in the couples' lives. This allows flexibility and relational freedom to the clients' relationships with whatever the problem may be. Information such as this helped me as the reader grasp the overall concept of the books message.
One aspect of the book that took me a bit off guard was the title. When I first read the title I had some anticipation that the book would be a bit more sexual. For example, sexual in the sense that it would include more graphic details about sexual experiences and styles. However, the book ended up being much more informative than I had expected. The title had me thinking different things about the book as opposed to what I had ended up reading.
The book overall was very enlightening. It was one of those books that never end up on the shelf read only once. The book served more than just a manual for me, but also a very enjoyable read.

Thanks,
A.J. Ramirez

Anyone with hearing loss will identify with the content of David Myer's book. Very inspirational!

This book is very nice and a valuable source. However, there are some things you ought to know before buying it.

The book is very subjective in the sense that it is written in diary form. The author basically tells you about his experiences with hearing loss. Fortunately, he does have insightful comments with regard to hearing loss.

This book both made me sad and happy at the same time.

The account of this guy made me very happy that there are others out there who do understand what I'm going through, like I'm not alone or just antisocial. Deaf IS an important issue when communicating and relating to others.

Sad because for the first time I fully realized how real this is for me. I just can't keep ignoring it. I need to understand that there are things I must do to become more functional out there as a hard of hearing person.

Why 4 stars?

Well, the book isn't exactally written by a professional advisor on hearing issues. He is a psychologist who happened to be hard of hearing. And as far as I know he does not have a speciallity in hearing therapy or such. What I'm saying is that you should read the book as a valuable testimony from someone's experience, not as a professional help source.

It is important to have this kind of book, because there are people who need to know there are others going through similar experiences. Yet, it is very important you understand this is still a very subjective book.

He also mentions that he is a teacher and all the big time problems he has in his class and conferences. It sure most be hell for him, still what about people who hadn't even had an education to teach and who need to work in even way more demanding (for the hearing impaired) workplaces because they had not had other choices.

Again, the book is good, but keep in mind it is just the very personal account and not a professional source to help you overcome deaf or hard of hearing problems.

This book is wonderful and useful in a variety of ways. It deserves all of the praise it has earned. The chapter "Aids and Advice" contains a helpful subsection, "Advice for Friends and Family Members" that is invaluable. Tips such as "invite us to a quiet place," "get our attention," "face the light and face us," "rephrase," "create a context," and "speak slowly" are essential for successful communication with people with hearing loss since, for many people with hearing loss, lip-reading is necessary or at least desirable.

Wearers of hearing aids become particularly vexed by, for example, noisy restuarants. This is because most hearing aids still amplify all sounds without prejudice - the words you want to hear (the signal) along with the crash of dishes three tables away (the noise). Add curtainless windows, uncarpeted floors, background music, and ever-increasing decibel level of voices competing to be heard, and you get a very noisy place. Myers explains this in good detail. He then shares his wonderful fantasy : respite from the "noisy world" of most restaurants and coffee shops via a chain of acoustically thought-out tea rooms and coffeehouses named "A Quiet Place." He quotes various studies and surveys that have shown that a great many restaurant patrons object to excessive noise.

Myers offers some great trivia, such as the fact that umpires' hand signals were invented in 1892 by William Hoy, the major leagues' first deaf player. In addition, Myers cites the works and writings of others (whom he names) - Oliver Sacks, linguist William Stokoe, Alexander Graham Bell, for example - leading his reader further into this interesting field, should one wish to read on. He also mentions, though not in much detail, some current research and developments, using lay person's terms. There is an appendix of resources for the hard of hearing, and an index. No bibliography, unfortunately.

A great book and thoroughly worthwhile.

This book has so much to offer for the hearing-impaired and their families. I almost skipped over it because it is the author's story of losing his hearing as an adult. My son was diagnosed at age 4 1/2. I am so glad that I decided to read it! Myers offers a wealth of technical information along with an impressive list of internet resources. Perhaps the most important aspect of the book is the emotional insight in dealing with hearing loss. I definitely learned to be more patient with my son after reading this book. I visited the author's website and emailed him about his helpful book. He even emailed back with more suggestions for my son!

If you have loss of hearing, the prose and memoirs by Dr. Myers will be profoundly familiar. You will find yourself sitting and listening to this friend as he shares secrets you seldom discuss with anyone. The author offers rich experiences in roller coaster rides of emotion. He is insightful, humorous, sensitive, revealing, encouraging--and often painfully honest. You feel his torment and elation, and through it, not only come to know the author, but clearly more about living with hearing loss.

An excellent recommendation for those with hearing loss, and professionals who desire to learn more about the experience.

Dr. Myers leaves you anxiously waiting for his next book. . .

Richard Carmen, Au.D. Clinical Audiologist, Sedona AZ rcarmen27@yahoo.com [and Editor/Author, "The Consumer Handbook on Hearing Loss & Hearing Aids: A Bridge to Healing," Auricle Ink Publishers, 1998]

When you are proud to carry on traditions but discouraged by others to do so, a book like this goes a long way in confirming your thoughts of maintaining traditional family ties. My kids are bilingual, and now suddenly it is hip to be bilingual. I love the rhymes and songs, I double love the stories of maintaining that balance between two worlds. I could care little if others approve of us having two worlds to reap from....but I do like reading that someone else is as concerned about helping our children remain steady in both the English and Spanish ethos and languages.

I just got this book yesteday and so far I really like it. I am not a latina but most of my friends are and more importantly my Goddaughters are. I bought this book so I could better understand their heritage that even their parents who were both born and raised here do not really know about. I enjoy reading the dichos, songs, stories as well as recipes and of course the advice in this book.

I FOUND THE BOOK TO BE ENLIGHTENING AND REWARDING. THE AUTHOR SHARES WITH US VALUABLE PARENTING SKILLS AND ADVICE, SHE ALSO INCLUDES CANDID YET REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES IN HER OWN UPBRINGINIG AND ALSO THE RAISING OF HER THREE CHILDREN. THE BOOK ALSO INCLUDES MANY FAVORITE LATINO SONGS AND RECIPES. ALTHOUGH THIS BOOK IS FOCUSED TOWARDS LA FAMILIA, IT SHOULD BE EMBRACED BY ALL. WHETHER YOU ARE ALREADY A PARENT OR SOON TO BE PARENT, THIS BOOK CAN BE A VALUABLE GUIDE IN HELPING TO UNDERSTAND AND RAISE YOUR CHILDREN.

Gloria Rodriguez is an inspiration to parents everywhere. If you're even THINKING about ordering this book, DO it. This is a book you will save and cherish.

Raising Nuestros Ninos is by far, the best parenting book I have read. The book has helped me truly recognize my children and myself as bicultural. She addresses some difficult questions: what language should I speak to my child in? Is it really a good idea for grandma to babysit? Furthermore, Gloria makes the reader see that being bilingual and bicultural is an asset.I wish all latinas, including teenage moms had access to this incredible book.

I am amazed that this book seems so obscure;1 other review?!Ive read extensively including all of the great and renowned authors in most modern lists-this book would be up there in any list in terms of the quality of the writing.Cordell brings the welsh character to life with 3 dimensional people enduring the bitter hardships of 19th century mining life.Humorous,tragic,heartfelt,real 'The rape of the fair country' is a must read for those searching for pure quality;unlike many novels relating struggle or hardship this one stands above,resonates truth and emotion and leaves the reader with an indelible memory.There are two more in the series of the Mortimer family but this is the best of them. Told through the eyes of the younger son Iestyn in a first person account the language will charm,the plot will intrigue and the characters will be endear with a real ring of truth.At times earthy and sensuous,never falsely romantic this book is a gem that surprisingly seems to have missed out on any mainstream recognition.Dont be misled by that ,with this book you wont be disappointed

"The Fair Country" is rural Wales and this is a novel of the industrial revolution - or rather, a polemic against it.

The story is set in a Welsh valley, and begins in 1826. It describes how the valley became a centre of iron production, and is highly critical of the human cost of industrialisation.

The writing is quite moving and powerful, and will be what most people read this book for.

The attitudes presented in "Rape of the Fair Country" are rather one-sided and simplistic. Over the last century, the word "luddite" has become a pejorative term of abuse to mean someone who is mindlessly opposed to technological change or reform approved of by the person using the word. This novel is literally pro-luddite in the original sense of that expression in that the heroes and heroines of the book are opposed to the human cost of the industrial revolution.

The book represents the government and ironmasters as a machiavellian evil, and the Welsh working men who eventually rise against them as brave and noble but foolhardy.

I was initially tempted to caricature this book by desribing it as so pro-luddite as to make the Teamsters union seem like the John Birch society by comparison. However, that would be a little unfair, as the book also depicts the awful results which can follow if people are too quick to resort to force, even in what would otherwise be a just cause, without thinking through the consequences.

I am 27 and embarrassed to say that "Rape of the fair country" is the first book I've really read, but what a way to start! When you begin reading the book you soon become inseparable for you feel as though you are part of the "Mortymer" family. Its a tragic but beutiful tale of life at the begining of this century in the iron works of the South Wales Valleys. But it's an eye opener into the world we live in today. (Some third world countries). It makes you appreciate our past and be thankful of what we have today. A trully wonderfull read.

am amazed that this book seems so obscure;1 other review! Ive read extensively including all of the great and renowned authors in most modern lists-this book would be up there in any list in terms of the quality of the writing.Cordell brings the welsh character to life with 3 dimensional people enduring the bitter hardships of 19th century mining life.Humorous,tragic,heartfelt,real 'The rape of the fair country' is a must read for those searching for pure quality;unlike many novels relating struggle or hardship this one stands above,resonates truth and emotion and leaves the reader with an indelible memory.There are two more in the series of the Mortimer family but this is the best of them. Told through the eyes of the younger son Iestyn in a first person account the language will charm,the plot will intrigue and the characters will be endear with a real ring of truth.At times earthy and sensuous,never falsely romantic this book is a gem that surprisingly seems to have missed out on any mainstream recognition.Dont be misled by that ,with this book you wont be disappointed

I heartily agree with the other readers of this wonderful book who have given it 5 stars. I first read it as a teenager back in my native Wales and was fascinated by its accurate historical detail and wonderful earthy characters - I think it exlains better than any other novel of its type the eternal struggle of the Celts against their Anglo-Saxon would-be conquerors, and why we (the Celts) are so different. Had this book been written about Scotland or Ireland, I am sure it would have been made into an Oscar-winning movie by now!

It is immensely informative but well written so that it's easily absorbed. Great book.

This book sets a standard that would be hard to beat. The author knows his subject and the production is superb. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the field covered, and to others as an example of how a book should look.

An excellent review of automatic weapons for the technically inclined. There is little or no operational history involved, but this book's detailed development histories of weapons and their ammunition is more comprehensive than anything I've seen since Johnson's books from the '40s. If you are into the details of automatic weapons and the ammunition they fire, you must have this book. If you are looking for operational military history of how these weapons were employed, this is not for you.

Very informative, easy to read text - not too dry or technical. Great photos & diagrams. Really helps to understand the auto loading mechanisms of many different weapons, their performance data, specifications. Glad to have this in my collection, definately recommend it.

This book is a very well written history of large caliber automatic weapons. It gives a good coverage of the mechanisms and characteristics of the weapons, but it's real importance to me is it's well illustrated gallery of the rounds used in the weapons, complete with specifications of the rounds and the weapon and country using them, something that is rare to find in other works.In a library of over 1000 volumes on weaponry, this is one of the most used references I have.

We got this for my 5 year old who is a raptor lover. The pictures are simply fantastic and even though he can not read the book yet, it makes it so easier for parents to explain since the book is meant to be for children so the language is easy to understand. Saying that the rest of my childen love this book too (a 7, 10 and a 12 year old). I highly recommend it.

As a volunteer educator for one of the nation's leading Raptor organizations, I think this beautiful book is one of the finest Raptor surveys in print for young readers. This richly illustrated digest helps readers browse topics ranging from anatomy, behavior and habitat -- to binoculars, migration, bird watching and simple ecology. There are also enough profiles of common species to serve as a simple field guide.

The text is so concise and balanced, the book will be as fascinating to adults as it is to independent readers and pre-teens. Whenever I conduct interpretive tours for young people, there is no book I recommend as often or with greater enthusiasm. A must for the family library, and a treasure trove for visual learners.

My thirteen year old son got this book for Christmas after scouring local bookstores for it. He loves it. The pictures are beautiful and the information appropriate for his age.

...and I've seen a lot of them! (maybe 30 or more different children's books on raptors and birds)

Many bird and raptor books for this age group are very basic and fairly sparse in detail, probably because they're written based on the assumption that most young readers would be overwhelmed by too much information. But my raptor-loving 7-year-old son poured over the library copy of Raptor! for many weeks, checking it out several times.

After spotting a bird of prey in the sky a few times, he grew interested in raptors. Within a month, he had checked out every book on raptors in the children and juvenile section of our local library. Most of the other raptor library books were read only once and put aside. Not so with Raptor! -- there were plenty of interesting details for my son to soak up.

We eventually invested in his own copy, which he still enjoys re-reading 2 years later. All in all, an excellent book for this topic and age group.

Here young readers will be vry nicely introduced to raptors: the hawks, eagles, turkey vultures and more who keep our word clean by hunting and scavenging. Raptor! presents a lovely "kid friendly view" guidebook to raptors by the team of Christyna M. Laubach, Rene Laubach, Charles W.G. Smith to birds of prey which packs in activities, observation tips, sidebars of facts, and plenty of color photos to encourage young naturalists in grades 4-6. Suitable for both reports and leisure browsing, Raptors! is very highly recommended for school and community library shelves.