5 comments about How Did I Get So Busy?: The 28-day Plan to Free Your Time, Reclaim Your Schedule, and Reconnect with What Matters Most.

1. How Did I Get So Busy?: The 28-day Plan to Free Your Time, Reclaim Your Schedule, and Reconnect with What Matters Most
   
   I loved this book. It was easy to read and easy to apply. I went thru the 28 days and have noticed significant changes in my life already.
   
   The voice Valorie uses in writting is not intimidating or undermining. Reading it reminded me of alot of the advice my best friend gives me only with an unbiased perspective. It also offers productive ways to put it into practice that I never thought of before. It helps cut down on the scare factor of stating an overwhelming schedule and life rehaul and breaks it down into digestable tasks and attainable goals.
   
   I've already recommended (required) my family read it so we're all on the same page and it has greatly helped with the harmony in our house.



2. I bought this book on a busy week while at an airport. I immediately "took" to many of the ideas presented in this book. They are presented in a helpful, non-judgmental way, and address the importance of balancing one's work/school and personal life. Also, many of the ideas presented helped me to "normalize" that what I am and am not doing well is similiar to the challenges of others, such as not always getting to all those items on a to do list. The author, regarding to do lists, presents a different way of approaching these lists anyway. I guess there are some so-called new age ideas here, but I think it just has more to do with recognizing the value of remembering to have a spiritual life as well. My only suggestion for a better book would be to allow more room for writing out the brief exercises in the book itself. The author suggests a journal. I found room in the book for writing, but a little more room would have been helpful.



3. Valorie's book helped me get clarity, focus and learn how to do what matters most. I love her writing style. So crisp, personal and authentic. This book and a candy bar saved me a lot of money (now I don't have to see a therapist) :) I have to go to the gym, but now that I'm not so busy - I can do this! Thanks Valorie, another hit! God bless you!
   
   Pam Perry
   Chocolate Pages Reviewer



4. I got this book from the library with high hopes but I am disappointed in it. There are many instances I felt the author was just bragging about herself, in the guise of "sharing". By that, I mean she makes opportunities to "share" her own story, but somehow even her so-called problems seem contrived to promote herself. For example, in one part of the book, she was relating that she thinks her own tendency to be busy all the time started in childhood, when her mother put her in kindergarten at the age of four. She then goes on to say she was trying to prove to the world she is "smart" by getting her masters degree at age 21. Well, that does prove she is smart, and surely she knows it, but by the time she is done with telling the story, I was annoyed by the obvious self-promotion. In another segment, she relates of how she and her husband took a leap and bought a home that "nourishes" them physically, emotionally and spiritually. She then gushes about how lovely it is to walk in the streets near her home, how happy she is they took the leap and bought it. Well, that's great, but in these economic times, that sure does seem like bragging.
   
   I got the feeling the author led something of a life of priviledge, and cannot relate to why many of us are busy. She never mentions having children and as a busy mom, I can say a large part of why I am overly busy is the care of my children. Like many moms, I was looking for advice on things like how to slow down without shortchanging the kids, but kids were never really addressed in this book. That is a glaring omission, because kids (or the care of adult parents, or both) add tremendously to one's busyness and most women are in some sort of caregiving role for a large part of their lives. It is very easy to make the adjustments listed in the book if you are a woman with few caregiving obligations, but if you have those issues, then many of the suggestions here will be difficult, if not impossible to put into practice.
   
   The author lacks insight into the reasons why people are so busy, the very real obligations some of us face, and cannot simply reduce by self examination. Some of her points are good, but there appears to be a lack of understanding of the serious responsibilites many of us face.It is very easy to say "slow down" and "take time" but when one is faced with the care of parents and children, or working two jobs to save a home from foreclosure, such advice seems worse than trite.



5. Valorie Burton is an amazing woman who has used her talents to empower us in our everyday life. As a mother, professor and political candidate, life can get extremely busy. When I purchased this book, I expected to simply get tips of how to maintain an organized schedule. However, I received so much more. Valorie explains how "busyness is often based on fear" (p. 52). What a revelation!
   
   I've shared usurps of "How Did I Get So Busy" with my students and they are astounded at how 28 days of application can change their habits. I encourage all of you to take a moment and read this book from cover to cover and I assure you, the profound message(s) will change your life. Thank you Valorie for helping me to get my thoughts and life back on track. You're truly divine. Sincerely, Dr. Ro 2010

2 comments about What I Believe and Deep Relaxation.

1. You have to listen to this with an open-mind. It really is a great way to begin to retrain old, negative thinking.



2. This is most helpful to get yourself to sleep. Louise has helped so many but I cant help think how many more would benefit from this gentle meditation she gives. The only criticism would be with the quality of the sound could be better, but it works so dont hesitate to buy.

5 comments about The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential in the Second Half of Life.

1. The book perpetuates harmful stereotypes about aging. Cohen chastises older people who try to take care of their health. He claims that they are searching in vain for a "magic bullet" to regain their youth. Cohen then advocates a false mind/body dualism. Through this dualism, one gives up taking care of their body in order to follow their creativity. I honor the author's belief in the importance of creativity; however, I believe that the approach presented is self-defeating.



2. If ever there was any question about our ability to make meaningful contributions at midlife, this book will dispell all doubt! I found the continual notes (on the outer edges of the pages) encouraging, as they documented the multiple contributions made by individuals of "advanced" years. This is absolutely exciting, and gives me hope for the future!



3. This "easy-read" book offers both professional and lay people alike a very refreshing and encouraging perspective on maturity. When coupled with a gentle sense of spirituality and wisdom which comes from life experience, it should help the reader to establish and reinforce a sense of purpose and resilience that engenders hope and creativity unimagined by most youth. This book is to become a part of my professional counseling practice for senior patients to read and discuss as they search for a deeper meaning and ultimate purpose in their lives. In a sense, I anticipate it will help to set the stage for welcoming passions of an existential nature, heretofore unknown in many individual's lives.



4. Was perplexed by a negative review of this book, so I wanted to find out, firsthand what the author really said and I am so glad I did. Nowhere does the author chastises older people who try to take care of their health. Just the opposite.
   
   Not only does the author have fifty year old plus folks on the cover, kayaking, swimming, painting etc but on page 188 he writes of 'More on the Effects of Creativity on Health' . Heck the whole book is about embracing the second half of life and taking personal responsibility for making needed changes so that you live to one hundred and do so eating healthy, interacting with others, becoming involved in ones community etc etc etc.
   
   On page 10-11 , the author notes that studies of aging people and in my work with them, four aspects of creativity stand out:
   
   1) Creativity strengthens our morale in later life 2) Creativity contributes to physical health as we age 3) Creativity enriches relationships 4) Creativity is our greatest legacy. That 'Increasing numbers of preliminary findings from psychoneuroimmunological studies-research that examines the interaction of our emotions, our brain function, and our immune system-suggest that a positive out look and a sense of well being have a beneficial effect on the functioning of our immune system and our overall health' These findings are particularly strong among older persons.'
   
   The many examples of famous and everyday folk who have been or become creative after age fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty are empowering. In Chapter 9 titled Creativity us Everyday Life: Letting It Start with You,' the author gives some excellent examples of how as the quote he gives from Lao Tsu notes 'The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step'., and how we do have the choice to think outside the box, and live life to the fullest. And that we need to make the effort to get involved in a variety of activities that will stimulate the mind from different directions. Be it painting, reading more, walking more, volunteering more. Anything that will stimulate the brain which in turn will stimulate the rest of the body.
   
   I am so impressed with the book I am buying a copy for a physician friend as well as the library over at hospice, where our widow/widowers group meets.



5. The author emphasizes creativity as an important part of growing old but does a poor job of guiding the reader in terms of what they might do to awaken "human potential in the second half of life." I expected a less vague, more concrete set of guidelines rather than an anectodal review of the author's previous patient loads. Psychotherapy can help everyone (duh!) but the author takes that premise and builds a book that purports to target the special problems of the aged. It isn't really that selective and could apply to nearly everyone. The author's experiences are somewhat enlightening but become excessively autobiographical by the end of the book.

5 comments about The Art of Growing Up: Simple Ways to Be Yourself at Last.

1. This is the first book I have read by Veronique Vienne and I will surley read more. I am 43 and many of the things Ms. Vienne wrote about I believe. It will be a book I will refer to often. I plan to give copies to my "40 and over friends" I'm not sure my younger then 40 friends will apprecitate just yet, or maybe its just that I want to keep this book special between the 40 and over crowd. The photography by her daughter Jeanne Lipsey is done beautifuly. I woud love to have some of her prints even.



2. As so many other young women, I dread growing old and losing IT (if I have it, otherwise losing the possibility of ever getting IT). However, after reading this book I felt much calmer on the subject. The author speaks to the reader like a friend, and teaches that there are many ages in a woman's life, where different styles and attitudes are appropriate. Old can be chic! Young does not necessarily equal chic!



3. When I first picked-up *The Art of Growing Up*, I randomly opened it and the first line my eyes fell on said "Decide once and for all never to apologize for your age". I knew then that I was going to like this book.

   A small and elegant little tome filled with gentle and playful reminders that there is poetry in ageing if only we use the wisdom of our years to accept it, as well as dance with it. The more we fret over the years we rack up, the harder we make things on ourselves. Just because you are a woman of a...ahem....certain age...doesn't mean you can no longer embrace whimsy, swathe yourself in color, seek out adventure, or dream big dreams. It is a time to write your own myths, savor your gifts, revel in your mysteries, and stop dwelling on clich?s.

   This book is sprinkled generously with lovely black and white photographs that include women of all ages and contains ten chapters all beginning with "The Art of....". Each chapter ends with a list, which thrills a consummate, and sometimes rather obsessive, list-maker like myself. A couple of my favorite lines are: "Use long words around short people. Teach a five-year-old to say 'facetious'" and "Be the designated observer of both grief and wonder".

   This would make an excellent gift for women friends, even those still in their twenties - give them a taste of what they have to look forward to rather than dread.




4. How many books do you buy more than once? I give this book to my girlfriends who just need to relax and release the need for drama. It is an undaunting size and has layered in it wisdom that grounds you and puts you at peace with who you have become. I am a man, and I can tell this book was written with a woman in mind, but I believe it can teach/help/entertain any gender or age. So buy a few for you and the ones you love.



5. I loved this wise and witty book so much I give it to every woman friend or family member when she turns 40. That is the age when she needs to know that everything that went before - the anxiety, the insecurity - was preparation for the best of life, which comes after. Hang American advertising. Youth is not what is great, maturity is.

5 comments about Food Enzymes: Missing Link to Radiant Health.

1. Santillo writes an enthusiastic and engaging overview of the needs and science behind enzyme supplementation. Speaking as a consumer and interested reader, not as any type of health practitioner, I found the book to be exciting and it has certainly influenced my outlook in terms of dietary choices and need for attention to enzyme intake and food processing.



2. I have read other explanations of how enzymes work in the body, but this is the first one I've actually understood! Smokey did a wonderful job of explaining this topic to people with no prior knowledge of enzymes. You come away from this short and to-the-point book feeling that you have learned a great deal about how your body works, and wanting to eat raw foods with lots of enzymes to help your body recover as well as maintain, its health. Is very motivational as well as instructional, at a basic level.



3. AS A PASTOR of 50 years I spent much time in hospitals and funeral homes, puzzled over American sickness compared with primitive populations, and over the lack of sickness in animals until they eat our food. The answer, I now know, is in our almost total lack of food enzymes. Food Enzymes by Dr. Santillo is the best place to begin reading.
   Dan Carr



4. Another excellent book on the importance of enzymes. I have quite a few of those, but I still learned new things from this book. Well-worth buying it.



5. This is a great intro book into the complex world of enzymes and how they interact with our entire system.
   
   I learned that obesity, diabetes, psoriasis, and many other ailments can be pre-empted--or at least postponed a long time--by a healthy supply and balance of enzymes. In some cases, a partial or full reversal is possible. In the same vein, enzyme balance aids digestion in such a way that controlling sugar is a natural side-effect.
   
   However, cooked/canned foods and aging combine to drastically deplete our enzyme reserves. Canned foods are devoid of enzymes and the more heat we apply to raw foods, the fewer the enzymes left. Fully cooked items usually have zero enzymes as well.
   
   I do want to mention a bit about the research sources. On the one hand, more than half the cited studies are both powerful and highly convincing. On the other hand, little, if any research refers to reputable US-based research findings. I don't believe this suggests that the author's reasearch is flawed. Instead, it points out just how pig-headed the F.D.A. and the U.S. mainstream medical community still are regarding supplements in general and enzyme therapies in particular.
   
   A few months ago, I began an organic approach to controlling sugar. By replacing refined sugar with plant-derived Stevia,* my fasting glucose plummeted from 119 to 104 in the first week and I effortlessly lost 14 pounds in four months. All this, with no other dietary/exercise adjustments.
   
   My gut tells me that both supplementary enzymes and an increase in raw foods form the perfect backup approach to substantially improved health, enhanced sugar control, and continued weight loss. This book makes a strong case that I might be right.
   
   Because this book is concise and very well-edited, I got through it quickly, yet I yearn to reread it. I know that second and third readings will no doubt allow the material to fully sink in. Although this marks the first of potentially five or six books I intend to read on enzymes, I feel like I got off to a really great start.
   
   * Until 1995, the F.D.A. banned Stevia and ordered regular searches and seizures of trucks suspected of carrying these plant products, imported from South America. Since 1995, the F.D.A. forbids manufacturers from labelling Stevia as a sweetener. Instead, it must be marketed as a "dietary supplement." As a result, a tiny fraction of one percent of U.S. sweetening is done with Stevia, while 70 percent of the world sweetens with Stevia. In Japan, that figure is 90 percent. Don't you just love the sugar and artificial sweetener lobbyists?
   
   Several online retailers sell Stevia, but beware of its high concentration. A little goes a VERY long way. A 2-ounce bottle yeilds 225 drops and an 8-ounce beverage only needs one or two drops. By overusing, newbies ruin their drink or recipe and never use it again. Stevia really is vile if overdone. Then again, so is sugar and Aspartame.
   
   In recipes calling for a cup of sugar, non-diabetics can use one teaspoon of sugar and sweeten the rest with Stevia. The trick is to add the Stevia drops at the very end. Slowly. If the entire recipe weighs in at 80 ounces, then add 10 drops and taste it. Then add two more drops at a time, until you reach the desired level of sweetness. Just Google Stevia to pull up retailers or you can Google Stevia and F.D.A. to learn more about that story.

5 comments about No Regrets: A Ten-Step Program for Living in the Present and Leaving the Past Behind.

1. We live in a world in which twelve-step programmes abound, and worthy and worthwhile as they are, in fact there is nothing sacred about the number twelve that means every process must follow the same number of steps. Perhaps this is a minor observation with which to start, but I did find as I looked through the ten-step programme of Hamilton Beazley that the process is fairly complete, not really lacking in any particular step, and applaud Beazley for not trying to force his system into twelve steps, for the twelve-step anonymous programmes are something different in many ways.
   
   This is a book about the past, about how the past impacts our lives and how we can more clearly see what it is we should hold fast to, and what we should let go. The title and the text often use the term 'regrets', but in fact this is as much about forgiveness as it is about regret - regret is often our inability to forgive ourselves, our situation, or some other aspect of our past, and forgiveness is a difficult practice.
   
   I use the word 'practice' here, because it is an important concept that Beazley incorporates fully into his work - the ten-step process is a multi-layered practice for overcoming regret and both practicing and embodying forgiveness. So often we treat the idea of forgiveness as if it is something that is easy to do, and something that is a one-off occurrence. Sometimes we may have convinced ourselves that in fact we have forgiven or let go of a long-standing hurt, only to find it resurface at inopportune and inappropriate times.
   
   'While we cannot change a past event, we can change our reaction to it, our understanding of it, and what we do with it.' The ten-step programme here takes advantage of the success and experience of others in similar situations (including the twelve-step programmes), and incorporates many kinds of spiritual practice. Like its cousin twelve-steps, it doesn't require adherence to any particular organised or institutional religion.
   
   In the first section, Beazley sets the stage by looking at what regrets are and aren't, and giving a short encapsulation of what the steps will be, and how one uses spiritual and psychological tools and methods. While this is a book that would be wonderful to use in a group setting or in consultation with a therapist, spiritual director or other counselor, it is also a book that can be used to good effect by the individual seeker. The first piece is understanding, and the first requirement is honesty.
   
   In the first step, one lists regrets. This requires honest appraisal and reflection, not exaggeration but also not overlooking pieces. This does not mean that things will not be honestly missed or forgotten. One of the good things about these steps is that, while there is advantage to them being worked in order, they are not lock-step in progression, and one can go back to rework steps or add to what has been done.
   
   In these steps, the one on the journey will do a lot of examination, soul-searching, and a lot of growing. Beazley uses personal stories of his own as well as others he's encountered to show in example how many of the items and steps can work.
   
   There are appendices that include further readings, summaries and quick references. Similarly, the first few chapters are worth repeating several times in the process. This is not a once-and-for-all process; while it can be a life-changing process, life still progresses, and much in the way that twelve-step programmes continue over and over to reach new levels, this process can as well.



2. I really thought this book was helpful. It was difficult to keep reading and basically took me almost 3 months to read but I finally finished it. I have to keep going back and re-reading but I suggest it to help you.



3. It's heavy on the "faith" and "God" stuff - including an entire section dedicated to the art of praying. He suggests that "faith" comes in many packages and shapes but the emphasis is still strong in defining things as "God" (See page 43).
   
   If yer buttons are pushed by the "God" thing, you may have trouble getting to the useful portions of this book - of which there are many. Despite the emphasis on prayer and God, there's plenty to inspire any person of reason who's working through the difficult issues related to having regrets.



4. The author pleads a mea culpa for his religiousity and claims that "[a]theists and agnostics, devoted followers of a religious tradition, and those whose sense of the spiritual embraces no specific form of worship will all find that the Ten Steps will work for them." Unfortunately, Beazley constantly refers to prayer or its synonyms, making it difficult for the non-religious. There are repeated references to "your higher power". That's a direct lift, I believe, from the AA program whose originators tried to minimize its religious aspect, but the fact remains that it is a call to prayer which secularists will find grating and perhaps even offensive.
   
   Beazly is open about his emulation of the famous AA 12-step program. But there is a problem with some of his techniques, which seem rooted more pop psychology and its "feel good" mantras. For example, Beazley recommends writing "healing letters" to dead people you feel you've wronged. "The healing letter is like a creative visualization but on paper. It has the power to seem real and so to heal." Uh, the person you believe (and perhaps did) offend is dead. You are doing this to make yourself feel good.
   
   This "feel good" approach pervades the book. In fact, the message boils down to forget about it - what's past is past. Good advice, but someone like Albert Ellis is much better, in my opinion, at delivering this message.
   
   Jerry



5. The author has done a scholarly work that is quite readable and shares a number of case studies about the importance and process of forgiveness. He dispells a number of myths which surround the subject. The overarching theme of forgiveness is emphasized because ultimatly the forgivness extended benefits the offender, but even more, the one who has been hurt. Have no regrets in your relationships.

5 comments about How to Get What You Want and Want What You Have: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Personal Success.

1. I purchased this book for a very specific piece of content. The person who recommended it couldn't remember if this content was in this book or in one of Mr. Gray's audio tapes. What I wanted was not in the book and I found the book, overall, to be just another run of the mill self-help book written in a rather sappy way.



2. One of the best book on self-help I read, and one I will keep.
   I recommend it to all my friends.
   The exercises are easy to understand. And then, it's up to you...



3. John Gray hits another relationship book out of the part with this one. It really clarifies how to enhance and improve the relationship with self.
   
   His true understanding, while sharing a part of his life helps you really get what he is teaching. One of his best books!
   
   Merna Throne
   
   Pocket of Pearls: A 30-day pocket workbook to start hearing a softer voice inside of you!



4. I am a feminist and a John Gray fan in general but this is by far his best book and probably his real life mission. It answers for me why affirmations alone usually don't work and has given my a game plan for how to identify the kinds of love I need and their sources so I don't overburden any one source of love. I love it!



5. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1GHTTVX7EP215 "How To Get What You Want" is essential in your home reference library.Add it to "7 habits" and Dale Carnegie.

5 comments about 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People, The: What Scientists Have Learned and How You Can Use It (100 Simple Secrets).

1. just buy it, it does help. i suggest highlight the words that you think can really help you. the words that struck you will help you. just buy it, it helps damn it



2. What a fun book! I went to a conference where the speaker referred to this book. Some suggestions are already a part of my habits, but there are some real gems that are new. Get this book and get happy!!



3. I highly recommend this book to everyonde who's planning a wedding right now -- whether you're the bride, groom, parent, bridal party member. As the stress increases during the wedding plans, this great little book will remind you of the insights to happiness. It's a light, easy read that you'll revisit again and again.



4. I enjoyed reading this book so much that I ended up seeking out other books by this author. It's not just a book filled with "feel-good" advice, but the ideas are backed by research studies that prove the ideas work.
   
   This is one of those books that you can read from cover to cover, or just read little bits and pieces whenever you want. Each of the 100 "secrets" in the book is explained in a page or two. There is a quick two or three sentence summary of the secret, followed by more information or an illustrative example, and concluded with the statistics or study that backs up the idea.
   
   The ideas were definitely things I could put to good use. Some were things I already knew (although it was nice to see them backed by research studies) and others were ideas that I hadn't really thought about before. Some of the secrets include:
   
   Exercise
   Volunteer
   Pay Attention. You may have what you want.
   Try to think less about the people and things that bother you.
   Friendship beats money
   Accept yourself - unconditionally
   
   I found this book to be a fun and positive read while providing great tips that can easily be put to use. I'd recommend this to any reader - and it would make a wonderful gift!



5. I loved this book so much that I purchased several copies and sent to friends. Another reviewer mentioned that the book was superficial; of course each piece of advice was brief, that was his intent! The book is meant to be a non-tedious read.

5 comments about Broken Toys Broken Dreams: Understanding and Healing Codependency, Compulsive Behaviors and Family.

1. I recommend this book whole-heartedly for anyone who would like to change behaviors that they are unhappy with, be able to participate more fully, naturally, and wisely in life, or have any family or childhood-related issues they would like to resolve. Excellent book for those willing to look and willing to change.



2. This book explains co-dependency more clearly than any other book I have read on the subject. Way more information than I ever expected. Want to get the sequel Broken Silence. Do you have it?



3. I read this book years ago and it was life changing. Terry Kellogg clearly explains family dysfunction in a personal way that really rang true for me. I have read a lot of these types of books but HIS was the best--gentle, sad, truth but with an offer of hope at the end. I had so many 'lightbulb' moments reading this--wish he had of written it when I was a teen. Ohwell--when the student is ready the teacher will come.



4. Although it may take time for the codependents eyes to adjust to the light, this book does a great job of illuminating the issues that many of us face in a way that changes the way you view everything, reading this book really made me face some things that until now I had not looked at. It pointed me in the direction of true healing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is experiencing feelings of emptiness or feeling like they are lost.



5. Broken Toys Broken Dreams is a great initiation into the study of family systems. This book is complimentary with the work of John Bradshaw and easier to understand. It's the perfect introduction to Bradshaw On: The Family: A New Way of Creating Solid Self-Esteem, where Terry Kellogg is referenced by Bradshaw.
   
   I have two copies of this book. I had to get a second one because I highlighted the first one so much. I return to this book often, especially when I'm thinking "What the heck just happened?" and finding my issues and the roles others played. I glean something from it everytime but only what layer I can comprehend at the moment, which is why I read it a couple of times a year. It's still an eye-opener.
   
   Always the codependent, I have given away several copies to friends and loved ones coping with difficult issues in the hopes that others will gain understanding as I have. All copies are given with love as I believe this book to be the best book I have ever read, and I want to share it with the world.
   
   The sequel isn't out yet as far as I know. Terry Kellogg has a website with a book listing but "Broken Silence" isn't on the list. Kellogg's book Family Matters : Principles & Roles of Family (Kellogg Harrison Family & Relationship Series) is a continuation of his work in family systems and the roles of family members. It is also an excellent book and builds upon the information in Broken Toys. Read it when you are ready for more detailed information. I still like Broken Toys best because it's basic and succint.

5 comments about The Great Sex Weekend: A 48-hour Guide to Rekindling Sparks for Bold, Busy, or Bored Lovers.

1. I really enjoyed this book. Great for people in relationships, as some of the instruction books are either too technical or too geared at just the act. This is a great guide for setting the romantic tone, destressing, and reigniting the sensuous feelings that got you togther in the first place. It has a checklist of goodies to bring or get like candles, music, feathers, etc. This is a great resource if you have the passion in your relationship but other things, like work or school :) get in the way. What I like is that the author's focus on relaxing, no work talk, etc. I highly recommend this book for couples. The title should say great romantic sex weekend, b/c that's what we had. P.S. I recommend chocolate chips and candles at the very least ;) and have a great weekend



2. Like many who've been married for decades, sex became a back-burner item. Stresses of work, kids, community and everyday life meant no time. We talked about missing our love life, but found little chance to do anything about it.

   This book helped us put things into perspective. We took a long weekend. We got back in touch with each other. We put a lot of joy back into the relationship.

   If you're in love, but not making love, get this book and follow its suggestions. You'll be glad you did.




3. I'm only 18, but this book truly applies to all ages and all walks of life! Finally, an author who stresses foreplay and romance, not just sex. My cousin says Schwartz's son is the best lover she's ever experienced, so I know it must be genetic! The book was great; my fiance and I truly enjoyed each and EVERY detail.



4. I'm a therapist who's worked with a lot of couples and this is a common complaint - the spark is missing, sex is routine or doesn't happen enough, or one person is tired of always being the initiator. As long as there are no serious marital problems, this is a great approach - it really is a big boost to intimacy, and a lot more fun than the mostly "in your head" exercises in most books on rekindling desire. It's also kind of neat to plot the weekend together without family or friends knowing what you're up to. That by itself helps to strengthen the intimate boundary around the two of you. And yes, we did "road-test" the book, and it really did have a lasting effect on our relationship. Just the anticipation was enough to put us onto a different level. And afterward, we continued to be a lot more open with each other about what we like, and have been more daring and willing to try new things than ever before in our 28 years of marriage. Don't worry if you don't have the energy to do all of what they suggest, or get the order all changed around. The main thing is to make your mutual pleasure your only priority. And that carries over quite nicely into your everyday life. Also, don't worry if you have a hard time getting used to giving constant feedback to each other - that's a skill that it's hard to develop in one weekend - but it's also a good reason to schedule more weekends at regular intervals. This book can be the best gift you could ever give your partner, because just giving the book sends the message that you want your relationship to be kicked up a notch, and it does it without doing any criticizing or complaining - since any couple can get bored or busy, your partner is a lot less likely to feel defensive. (Saying it's for "bored or busy" people is a great way to make it more palatable, just like the "for dummies" series did). It's now on my small shelf of top books to recommend to clients, no matter how long they've been together, or what age they may be.



5. This book is alright for people that haven't had sex in over 6 months but it didn't really teach me and my husband much. It is mostly about setting a mood and things to buy, which most people already know. The only helpful tip was to get a blue light for your bedroom.