5 comments about Boundaries with Kids.

1. I wish someone had loved me enough to give this to me at my baby shower. This is a great book and wonderfully easy to read. OK maybe the baby shower is a bit early, but I would definitely recommend it for parents of toddlers and older. I ordered a copy for my best friend. I had always heard about respecting your kids so they'll respect you, but never the real "how to's". This book gives what you need.



2. We got this to use as a study book for a church small group. It has been very practical and helpful, but the chapters sometimes seem long. However, the methods suggested are very proactive and easy to implement in any household.



3. This is another one of those books that I borrowed and read first. It was so good that I went back and bought a copy for myself for reference. The good doctors Thompson and Cloud give a very good framework for raising useful and productive adults. If you don't want to raise large children, this is the book for you. What I found particularly useful, coming from a fairly disfunctional family, was the amount of space devoted to empathy. If you have been disciplined harshly and unfairly, it can be hard to know how to discipline with kindness. This book devotes a fair amount of space to making your discipline empathetic so that your child understands that the discipline is neccesary, but that it isn't something you are doing just to make him/her miserable. They really help you to always keep the goal in front of yourself and your child, that is: the adult you want them to become, not the child they are now.



4. This book helped me to see that implementing scripture pricipals into parenting makes life so much easier. It was encouranging and convicting at the same time. First got it from the library and then had to buy it so I could reference it over and over.



5. This is a well needed book in todays society. I being raised by older parents sure benifitted from it. I am listening to it over and over to get it into my making. And really all it is is common sense. KAren

5 comments about Sex and the City.

1. Okay, so I bought the book because I'm a fan of the show, and the movie was fun, if not as sexy and smart as the series. I just found this book really boring - it seemed as though Bushnell couldn't really be bothered writing it... maybe that was to convey the superficiality and heartlessness of the people, but how can you care about people like that?
   Give me the show over this any day - in the end it was the friendships between Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha that gave it its zsa zsa zsou - and the superb acting.
   Some chapters are insightful but overall, it's bland. I'm just glad that it spawned the series though!



2. I'm an absolute Sex and the City nut. Been addicted to the show for years. Happy to finaly have the book it all come from.



3. Beware!! This is not a novel!! If you want an engrossing read and you want the girls from sex and the city, do not let this fool you. This book is more of an essay. Paragraph after paragraph of what appears to be the newspaper column maybe. Not novel format at all. I was real disapointed because I enjoyed Lipstick Jungle and Trading Up and Four Blondes. This book is nothing like them.



4. The Truth: I'm a Girl, I'm Smart and I Know EverythingAs a positive psychologist and the author of four books for women and girls, the latest is a quick fiction read,designed to build self-esteem, The Truth (I'm a girl, I'm smart and I know everything), I am always eager to see how women are portrayed and what lessons we can learn from a story in terms of female development. Yes, I am addicted to the series, Sex and the City. I never saw it when it ran, but now can hardly fall asleep without a rerun. Give me any of the girls and I'm happy. Give me all four together, chatting over lunch or breakfast, and I'm even happier. As a psychologist I see the brillance of the series tied into the intimacy that the women achieve with each other. It is this intimacy that helps them through love disappointments, career mistakes, loss of family, etc. However, although I enjoyed the book very much, I missed this level of female closeness in the book. I was surprised and fascinated at the same time. The characters I could see being birthed in the book, but the community they created with each other I guess had to wait until the book was rewritten into a screen play. I wonder if Candane Bushnell was pleased with the next step into the closeness that women can achieve with each other that the series and the movies has taken on.
   
   In terms of my work with girls and women, it is this closeness that is so important developmentally. We need the time of endless dialogue and anaylsis that Carrie, Charlotte, and all had day after day. Men don't need it, but we do.
   
   Still, Sex and the City is a great read. I recommend it and you will, like myself, be intrigued to see how the four women came into being. You will laugh and be dismayed and it won't change one way or another your eagerness for the next re-run of Sex and the City. At least it didn't change my late night run to the television!



5. I was very disaponted with the book. It seemed like the characters were hopping around so much that I couldnt figure out what was going on. I love the movie and I own every season, the book was just disapointing.

5 comments about What to Expect: Eating Well When You're Expecting (What to Expect).

1. I loved this book, it helped my break done the dos and donts for being a first timer. I am hungry all the time and it really helped me break down the good and bad calories. I have always struggled with eating healthy, and this did wonders for me.



2. Sometimes in these times it's hard to make the time to eat properly for our growing baby. This book made it helpful to make sure I am eating the proper things....



3. If you have no clue about basic nutrition, this book is for you. If you are a healthy eater and a pretty well informed person, you don't really have to get this book unless you want confirmation that you're doing all the right things.



4. I love this book, but alot of the recipes call for things that aren't everyday household items.



5. It seems like every pregnancy, diet and health book advocates the exact same diet. Is this a conspiracy? Has this diet even been tested on lab rats? What is the research behind these guidelines?
   
   Let's review the books recommendations.
   
   *Eat Lean Meats
   *Eat lots of Grains
   *Eat lots of fruits and veggies
   * No Junk food - this is good advice except half the foods in the book, such as foods with processed flours, and soy are unhealthy (junk food). The author mistakenly says that artificial sweeteners are okay during pregnancy, which is completely false and misguided and also recommends sweeteners like fructose, which is artificial.
   
   The book parrots advice from US governmental agencies, even quoting the USDA as if they know something about our health, which they usually do not.
   
   Finally, we need healthy fats from whole foods to be healthy. Pregnant women get essential vitamins from healthy fats, that's why even this book recommends fish, and eggs for pregnancy. But they unfortunately go on to say saturated fats are unhealthy, this doesn't make sense since eggs and fish have saturated fats.
   
   Indigenous groups across the planet, who had healthy babies, and uncomplicated births knew what to eat during pregnancy. Special foods included raw grassfed dairy, sea foods which included the organs, and fatty foods from the land and sea. Healthy people never had refined flour, or "organic" breakfast cereals or soy milk. By returning to a whole foods diet based upon generations of healthy people, rather than listening to mainstream, nonfactual and unscientific medical beliefs which we are to take on blind faith, we can reclaim our pregnancy health. Learn how to do it in Healing Our Children: Because Your New Baby Matters! Sacred Wisdom for Preconception, Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting (ages 0-6).

5 comments about Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul: Stories of Feline Affection, Mystery and Charm (Chicken Soup for the Soul).

1. My little one is a big cat lover. Although her allergies forbid her to own a cat, this book helps her to receive a better love for them. We have many of the chicken soup books and this one is her favorite. Also.... shop for the book "The Secret" it has some footnotes from this same author. The Secret is a must for children too. Of course, we all want our children to grow up with a world of knowledge, well it starts with what us parents buy our children. Books...Books...Books.... people. Turn Off the TV's...



2. Being a Lover of Cat's when I saw this Book--it was a "must have" for myself. Each story is true and has its own uniqueness just as every Cat does. It is simply a fun book to curl up with, you will laugh, cry, sigh and definately agree with, for one way or another you will understand and learn through each story about how amazing "Cat's" truley are. If you are a Lover of Cat's you will enjoy adding this Book to your Home Library-------this one you won't regret. MEOWWWWWWWWWW.



3. I had recently lost my favorite cat, and was looking for something to help me get over my lost. I came across this book & reading stories of other people and their cats helped me get over my loss, especially the part about other people losing their cats! It does help your soul, when you lose your one true friend. I recommend this book highly!!!



4. What a wonderful collection! It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me grab my own 2 kitties for a big hug. I like the idea of an anthology. I can take the book to work and read a story or two during lunch break. I also bought "A Cup of Comfort for Cat Lovers." If you like stories about cats you'll like that book as well.



5. The stories are wide ranged in nature but sorted in chapters where you can identify with your specific cat joy or sorrow. Some of the authors are well known. Others are amateurs who love a cat. The list of Contributors and Permissions speaks for itself. This book is truly literature for cat lovers. I read every story and love them all.

5 comments about The Secret History.

1. I first read this book when it debuted in 1992, intrigued as much by the fact that a first-time author received a $450,000 advance as by the blurbs about the plot. In some ways, this is the novel that my friends would have expected me to write. After all, it involves Latin, Greek, fountain pens, Classics students, a Mustang, and one reference to Alexander Pope. As I came near the end of this second reading, some sixteen years after the first, I felt a melancholy that I had not for some time, but one that was familiar. It was the sadness of knowing that a book that has completed captivated you and taken you into its world, is coming to an end, and like the characters whose further lives you will never know, you must face the light of life around you.
   
   Indeed, this is the secret of the book, both for its characters and for the enjoyment of its countless readers. It takes you to places beyond yourself, yet somehow inside yourself as well, places that are at once frightening and familiar, and frightening because they are familiar.
   
   Make no mistake, the characters are utterly amoral by Christian standards, and because of this are led to extreme immorality and crime. I can honestly say I know no one like any of the characters, nor have I participated in any of the activities that rule their lives (except for the study of Greek and Latin and the use of fountain pens), yet I know them. They and their experiences are familiar. Perhaps this is not unlike the familiarity one feels with Classical tragedies that, despite their wildly different settings and motivations from modern times, transcend time to connect with people of all ages. In this regard, The Secret History takes its place alongside the tragic works that its characters study.



2. What to say about this book..I've started this review more than five times. It's an elusive thing. Tartt can create images like the most detailed, beautiful Carleton Watkins photograph you've ever seen...convincing dialogue as well. The test is to bundle all these images into a cohesive story that hangs together. Along the way I had my doubts, but in the end it worked. The book has stayed with me and I keep asking myself questions about duty and character and people/things appearing one way, but being another. These are worth continuing to ponder.



3. I have just completed reading this novel for a second time, having initially read it shortly after it was first published. Then, as now, I simply did not want it to end; and each time I put it aside, I did so reluctantly. The rarely seen, but always present force behind this novel is Julian, a classics teacher at an elite school in Vermont. Around him gathers a small cadre of select students. His students, all wealthy or pretending to be so, take courses almost exclusively from Julian ( a fitting name, for it was the Roman Emperor Julian who tried unsuccessfully to rekindle in an increasingly Christian Rome, worship of the fading, old Gods of the pre-Christian world). In The Secret History, Julian's students commit a ritualistic murder, seen by them as a sacrifice of sorts, and, then, murder one of their own circle who is perceived as being on the verge of disclosing their crime. Ms. Tartt's description of the family dynamics at the home of the fallen student prior to his funeral is richly detailed, yielding a level of authenticity that tenaciously absorbs the reader. Each of the students in her novel is convincingly described, and each in depth. We find Henry, for example, Julian's prize pupil, concerned about which classic text he should carry and display in Court to convey the right image, precisely what the reader would expect from this anachronistic young man. On second reading, my appreciation for Ms. Tartt's gifts only grew. The Secret History is simply one of the best modern novels I have read.



4. I love this book. I bought it many years ago and recently gave a copy to my best friend and teenage daughter. They both thought it was a remarkable book as well. I won't go into detail about the characters or plots, as others have done, but it is a FAVORITE book of mine.



5. I was turned on to this book after reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. She says that this book was the reason she began writing. I loved the Historian so much that I decided to read this one as well. needless to say, I was not disappointed. It's a nice little murder mystery with a twist. It's a really easy read - let's hope Hollywood doesn't find out about it and ruin it.

5 comments about Women Men Love, Women Men Leave: What Makes Men Want to Commit?.

1. After a painful break-up I was left with many questions. And this book has answered them all. Things I/he said/done that puzzeled me, have now found meaning and understanding. I might even say I was clueless about men until I read this book. I understand now that what I thought was a good relationship was anything but, thanks to this book. The first part (women men leave) gave me a lot of insight into my behavior and his reaction to that. I found myself in some greater or lesser extent in each portrait of common women behavior that can end a relationship.The authors explain in structured and simple way what men want from relationships and how they behave. Another helpful book that I highly recommend is How to Snag a Guy and Keep Him Hooked: 99 Ways to Make Him Ache for You If you want to spare yourself a lot of heartbreaks in the future read both books!



2. Especially if you are like me- the professional "Commitmentphobe Trainer" you know, the guy says he doesn't want to ever get married, breaks up with you, marries next girl he dates, happily every after- for him anyway.



3. I tried to read through the whole book- really, I did- but it felt like I was continually getting a shot to the stomach just for being a woman. I asked my fiance to take a look at this book. He laughed and said he had met guys like this in college; really smart guys who had trouble getting a date and who blamed it on the women. (And yes, he IS a jock- he also studies Bio Technology. *grin*...) He suggested I throw it out, but I'm going to take the book next to a female therapist (Dr. of Psychology) I know, and see what she says.



4. I've read many dating books, the last being How To Be Wanted: Use the Law of Attraction to Date the Man You Most Desire and Live the Life You Deserve and wanted to find others that could give me a different perspective. This one certaily did. It's a bit dryer than the Romy Miller book, but it was very helpful in all aspects. I say, keep your eyes and mind open. This book proves that point.



5. A very insightful book that makes sense of the male thinking and
   enlightens you into understanding their behavior. A light and easygoing
   book which is hard to put down.

5 comments about Just Sisters: You Mess With Her, You Mess With Me.

1. This is a precious book for sisters. The photos and quotes are magnificant. I read it every day. And when my sister and I have a problem, we quote from the book. Bonnie Kuchler did a beautiful job. My favorite is actually from an unknown. "A sister is one who will pick you up when you are down. If she cannot pick you up she will lie down beside you and listen". I'm so glad I could comment on this most beautiful book. Thank you.



2. I bought this book for my sister who is going through some tough times and it conveyed my love and support for her in words and pictures that were endearing and heartfelt.



3. I bought this book for my sister to let her know how much she is appreciated. Since she lives far from me, I am hoping it will serve as a reminder. I added my own special notes to the quotes to add some additional laughs and tears. The quotes serve any sister well and remind us where we came from.



4. I purchased this for my sister's birthday.
   I had to read it first and loved the photos
   with the attached sentiments. This makes
   a good gift from sister to sister.



5. I love this little book and plan on giving it to my sister for Christmas. A perfect gift!

5 comments about The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child: With No Pills, No Therapy, No Contest of Wills.

1. This book helped me to know I am not the only parent with these challenges. The book is very current with situations (computers, cell phones, video games) that are hurdles for today's parents. Advice and strategies are given for pre-schoolers to teens. The book is thorough and even comes with a DVD to demonstrate Mr Kazdin's core method. I was satisfied with this purchase.



2. This book has helped us to get a better routine in place for our 3-1/2 girl to go to bed. It use to be a battle every night to get her to bed but now she walks herself to her room and usually within 20 minutes of reading and resting she is asleep. Even if she does not want to go to bed she will still walk up on her own and climb into bed. She is very excited and proud to put a sticker on her chart for being a big girl. This book help to give us some direction to follow and it is working for us.



3. I can't stand the method being shown in this book. I much prefer (and they work) Dr. James Dobson, Dr. Kevin Leman, and Dr. Tim Kimmel. Of course, every parent has their own style, but by blending the three aforementioned people's ideas, it's working great.
   
   The Kazdin method is too fake, and my son saw right through it, and actually didn't like it.



4. This works well with my almost 5 year old daughter who has always been a pleaser and likes positive reinforcement. She's also a suck up and manipulator so this method works right into her personality and psychology. This method does NOT work well with my 3 year old son who is a wild child who would rather destroy everything in the house and attack people when their backs are turned. He does not care about positive reinforcement. It has absolutely no impact on him. You can tell him that you love how he cleaned up his army men so quickly then he'll turn the bag upside down, grab one, and grind it into your thigh just to hurt you. Obviously, the younger one has issues that are beyond what this book is prepared to address.
   
   It's perfect for the typical, snotty, defiant child who needs effective parental re-direction instead of a constant barrage of corrections and punishments. It is not enough for some children whose problems are not those of the normal bratty child and whose problems lie far outside the realm of this book. We were already essentially using this method with our daughter because it works for her. I was hoping to find something new in this book that would help our son. It's a great book for the right child. It just didn't work for our difficult child.



5. I don't allow myself to read just any parenting book, the latest fade or the newest technique, not for me. I believe too strongly in consistency. So for me to consider changing how I parent is major in my book. I work in the field of psychological research, which means that if something is backed by good science I'm far more willing to take a risk with my own kids. Dr. Kazdin's method is the solution I was seeking. Scientific research written for parents to become better parents.
   
   The good news though, is that you don't have to know anything about research to let Kazdin's method work for you. Regardless of your unwanted behavior, lying, stealing, bed-time, potty training, hitting, fighting, yelling - you name it and the age! The book simply gives you the tools to be a better parent and to help guide your children's behavior for the better and without YELLING! Who doesn't want that! Kazdin's book is brilliantly presented - I love it and recommend it for any parent. He gives you the specific tools, along with realistic examples and sound reasoning to make the method work for your child's specific unwanted behavior. It's easily adaptable to any problem.
   
   The is no risk in reading this book, it will change your families life for the better! Take a chance to change your life for the better.

5 comments about Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul: Stories of Canine Companionship, Comedy and Courage (Chicken Soup for the Soul).

1. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! I love the stories and many of them bring me to tears. They're all great & really show the unconditional love of our dogs.



2. This book is for you! Typical Chicken Soup fare but on the plus side, dogs are the lead characters. Lots of tearjerkers, heart warmers and amusing anecdotes. The format makes for perfect short reads (bathroom, waiting for appointments, lunch breaks). I recommend it highly.



3. Haven't had time to read a book in quite some time. I made time for this one. If your a dog lover, you can't go without reading this book. LOVED IT.
   Purchaed 3 copies and gave two away.



4. We love dogs especially and we used to have a beautiful black lab but she's gone to heaven now! Our children got this lab for their stepfather years ago for Father's Day and of all the pets we have had over the years; this one was extra special to us! The book is great but the hubby cannot read much of it right now as he misses lady a lot. But, from what I've seen, I like it and believe others will too! I am a big fan of the Chicken Soup books and have always been impressed with their books and this one is no exception!



5. I love dogs. Each little story was heartwarming, entertaining, caught my attention and mostly heartbreaking/bittersweet (in the endings). It is about dogs relationships with people and other animals and peoples with dogs. I cried so much I ended up with a tension headache/migraine and was in bed for a day on medication to relieve the pain. I dread the day I loose my litle Teddy (Maltese) + know how I rescued him. Not meant for the little ones-they may cry more than I did.

5 comments about The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons from the Herd.

1. Book was very well written, found it hard to put down. Wish the author would write more books on this subject. This book has prompted me to purchase other books he made referrence to.



2. Fantastic book--highly recommend to everybody who owns or admires horses. Gives insight to how horses think differently then we humans--reminds us that they are unique and so different from other animals-



3. A friend passed this book on to me saying "read it and let me know what you think" Well I think Joe Camp is extremely pompous to think he could write a book with his extremely limited experience with horses. Just because he wrote Benji doesn't mean he should write a book on horse ownership. A whole chapter on the "tie blocker"? Give me a break! I bought a tie blocker at least 4 years ago. I do use it occasionally on certain horses but only until they are trained to give to pressure. His real problem is his horses don't know how to give to pressure. He has put a band aid on a very dangerous problem. Sure I agree horses are much better off being in pastures able to move around but his "natural pasture" of 1 1/2 acres with 50 piles of hay spread around? Are you serious? That's like running from your kitchen to your bedroom and saying you worked out. Many people only have the option of stalls and to make them feel bad or inadequate is just wrong. I know a lot of situations where horses are turned out into some dinky pasture and never given any attention or care. I bet if you "asked" them they would love to change places with some of those poor stalled horses. Going shoeless when it can be accomplished is great but it doesn't always work for a variety of reasons. My horses usually never wear blankets but recently when I took one of my horses up to the mountains where there was a big temperature change from what he was use to, I used a blanket at night. Why because I cared about my horse and he needed it. I typically ride 3 to 4 hours a day, in the summer, moving cattle in the mountains of Montana. Riding 20 minutes around your barn is a long way from really riding. I have been around horses for 45 of my 50 years have a degree in Equestrian Studies and I would never try to educate someone the way Joe Camp does. If someone asks me a question or my opinion fine but I would never approach someone and shove it down their throat. I take clinics every chance I get because there is so much more I can learn. Maybe he should start giving clinics because obliviously most horse owners need his advice. Oh but let's not do any loping until we can keep our adrenaline in check. This book is either for non-horse people, rank beginners or people that have had their heads in the grain bucket the entire time they have owned a horse.



4. Through his work with Benji, it is clear that Joe Camp understands and gets along well with dogs. Working effectively with horses requires a whole different type of intuition and language. After all, dogs are predators and horses are a prey species. In his outstanding book, The Soul of a Horse, Joe Camp has demonstrated that he is adept at understanding and working with both ends of the spectrum. It is inevitably refreshing when someone approaches a subject with a "fresh set of eyes" and questions traditional paradigms. Joe has done exactly that and effectively describes his thought processes in an enjoyable narrative. Thanks, Joe for nudging the horse loving public to think about and reconsider things that have been taken for granted for so long.



5. This book intertwines stories with factual information about horses making it an easy and enjoyable book to read. I have found myself using this book as a baseline to begin looking for more information about different perspectives on how to properly care for horses. My mother read through it and simply enjoyed the book for its simplicity. I would recommend it to anyone who isn't looking for any technical reading.