5 comments about Building Better Families: A Practical Guide to Raising Amazing Children.

1. Matthew Kelly is a motivating, dynamic and incredible messenger of truth for all. I would recommend Building Better Families to all members of the human family not just to the people who are raising children at the moment. He emphasizes filtering all your choices for yourself (or for those you are entrusted with caring for) through the question of "Will this help me to become the best version of myself?" That question brings clarity and reason back to the big decisions and the smaller choices in life.



2. Grandparents, you know all the advice you give your children and you are not sure they are listening ? Give them this book. This is a great book for raising all grandchildren and not just the amazing ones. The messages and directions are simple, similar to Rhythm of Life which is an earlier book by Matthew Kelly (and should also be shared with your children, especially the CD version, because we all know they don't have time to read.)
   
   The ability for all of us to share messages of love and affection and caring, the approach to valuing time, the need to develop sincerity, and the need to show parental love as a real emotion and not an abstract, not a throw away remark to justify doing something unpleasant, are well laid out and solidly applied.
   
   The goals espoused are all attainable with some reprioritization and focus. They do not require joining a commune, adopting holistic practices, or removing all wheat based products from your diet.
   
   The book is an easy read for grandparents who will find themselves shouting out "yes", and crying out "listen to this" and wanting immediately to jump up and hug them all, big and small, toddler and teenager, and, yes, their parents. Maybe they will even start going to church.



3. This is excellent advice to raising amazing children. I only wish my children weren't grown. I will be utilizing the information on my grandchildren. Don't wait another minute. Order this CD set today.



4. Matthew Kelly has taken a complex, difficult subject and made it simple. Not easy, but simple. He engages the reader in a series of conversations that run parallel to developing as an adult-and what we want for our children (or grandchildren).
   
   Oftentimes his advice is a blinding flash of the obvious-but more often than not is something we know at some level-but are not acting on. For example he explores the four needs that every child has-and clearly differentiates between what we all can clearly recognize as a need-and something that is simply a want. I'd be more specific, but frankly, I want you to be curious and buy this book-it's that good.
   
   He also clearly spells out the four things a child really needs from a parent, and then peppers the chapter with specific how-to's. One of the most poignant stories in the book is that of a five-year-old child asking his father how much he earned. The father got upset with this line of questioning, but eventually told his son "twenty dollars." Armed with that information his son asked if he could have ten dollars. This infuriated the father who proceeded to educate (or rather berate) his son in a very loud voice. He then sent him to bed. After a bit the father realized how harsh he had been and went to the son's room, apologized and asked forgiveness. He then gave his son the ten dollars that he had requested. With that the small boy pulled some crumpled bills out from under his pillow. This immediately caused the father to be upset again-until the boy said, "I was ten dollars short, but now I have enough. Can I buy an hour of your time?"
   
   What a humbling experience. And this is the type of compelling story Kelly tells over and over again to make his key points come to life. This book is for anyone who truly wants to be a better parent or grandparent, and who is looking for answers to questions like:
   
   * When should a child really have a cell phone?
   * What types of video games are appropriate?
   * How can I help my child deal with peer pressure?
   * How can I have conversations that will help my child develop the values that will help them truly be their highest and best selves?
   * How can I become the role model that I want to be as a parent (or a grandparent)?
   
   Not only will the answers make sense. You will find practical strategies that can be readily implemented.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Run, don't walk to your bookstore and get this book.



5. This product is for any parent out there interested in raising children successfully in this very scary and backwards world! By success, I mean "children that are happy, healthy, and know who they are both as persons and as memebers of their family". Besides being a great buy, it's also a GREAT GIFT! That came from the family that I purchased this CD set for. =-) If you ever get a chance to hear the speaker in person, I highly recommend it!

2 comments about Great Books for High School Kids: A Teacher's Guide to Books That Can Change Teens' Lives.

1. When I wrote a book about Berkeley High School (Class Dismissed, October 2000), I was captivated and inspired by Rick Ayers' and Amy Crawford's dedicated, innovative and intelligent teaching methods--that's why they were two of the four teachers profiled in the book. This book is the text version of their dedication, innovation, and intelligence, and no high school teacher--or parent--should be without it. Brilliant and necessary!



2. Excellent "Great Books" reference for High School Students. You can search alphabetically or by topic. Very useful book!!!

5 comments about Calming the Family Storm: Anger Management for Moms, Dads, and All the Kids.

1. "The book presents its ideas and strategies so as to be accessible and applicable to parents, youngsters of every age and professionals alike. Its roots go deep into the theories and philosophy of Individual Psychology. It covers every aspect of anger in families progressively. Written in a readable and informative style, the issues, some of them highly sensitive and controversial are dealt with openly, honestly and with appropriate clarity, appealing to the reader's curiosity and interest in tackling anger's destructive powers reframed toward positive outcomes. No stone is left unturned."



2. Calming the Family Storm by Dr. MacKay & Dr. Maybell is a rare gem. It addresses a huge modern problem - time pressed families don't have time to communicate or to communicate well. The book is easy to read and chock-full of practical tips. I would recommend it unreservedly for any family or counselor.
   W.F. Peate, MD, MPH
   Associate Professor of Clinical Family and Community Medicine
   Associate Professor of Public Health
   University of Arizona, Arizona Health Sciences Center
   Co-Director, Tucson Health Promotion Initiative
   Principle Investigator, Southwest Public Health Leadership Institute



3. This book will calm many family storms around the world as it provides the best of all anger managment techniques! And it specifically caters to the needs of families tired of facing anger, conflict and disharmony in their home. Also, the perfect resource for family counselors!
   
   Kelly E. Nault,MA
   Founder of "Mommy Moments"
   Author of "When You're About to Go Off The Deep End,
   Don't Take Your Kids With You



4. Children who are frequently exposed to anger often become adults who use anger to control their partners, their children, their friends, and their workmates. They express this anger on the roads and in the workplace, as well as in their families. Now we have a common sense, extremely readable book that can give direction in helping turn around the lives of people of all ages who want support in dealing with difficult emotions. Calming the Family Storm is written by Gary McKay and Steven Maybell, psychologists who truly know their subject. They have taught and written about families and their emotional management throughout their long, productive careers. Put this book at the top of your 'must read' list.



5. This book is a clearly written, well-organized, step-by-step and practical approach to which all family members can relate. Basic principles of Adlerian psychology, such as equality, respect and the use of encouragement in the family system are integrated throughout the book. Relevant examples are plentiful throughout the chapters. The detailed step-by-step procedures make it easy for individuals and families to transfer learning to application in daily life. The major points are reviewed at the end of each chapter to emphasize key information. This would be an excellent tool to incorporate a chapter or section at a time in weekly family meetings.

1 comments about There's a Spouse in My House: A Humorous Journey Through the First Years of Marriage.

1. This is a quirky, funny little book that is a good guide for the recently married and the not so recent. Peter Scott has a way of writing about life's truths that first make you laugh then you realize he has made a really good point. Very insightful in the ways men and women think.

5 comments about Until Now.

1. Anne Geddes takes such beautiful pictures of babies! This price for such a big book is a GREAT value for the money. You won't be disappointed!



2. I was recently presented with a copy of this--compendium of cultural toxic waste--by a friend with dark sense of humor. I had confessed to her that, after lapsing into unconsciousness after a bender compounded of too much Maker's Mark and not enough food, I had had odd and disturbing nightmares studded with grotesque images of infants. By the following weekend, she left a copy of this monstrosity on the cocktail cabinet. After shaking up a suitable quantity of Manhattans, we fell to thumbing through this glossy bit of schlock. The inevitable debate arose: Does this stuff really reflect some vision of Geddes', or is this a very well put-over joke? I thought I had the better end of this argument by suggesting that anyone who collaborates with Celine Dion must have an immense sense of humor, but I was reminded that listeners to the latter are often a really humorless lot. That stymied me. And Geddes' objectification of infants, I was reminded, has the hallmarks of kitsch and sentimentality, but with an edge of--fetishization. These images are no more genuine, no more reflective of the (rare) bit of beauty that one can glean from a squirming screechling, than a grainy Linda Lovelace flick. Either Geddes is a master ironist, or a very, very disturbed photographer. For a case of the creepies, only Wegman and his harem of porno-Weimaraners can do more psychic damage.
   
   So as a gift to someone whose tastes are so utterly debased that they can't see the creepy humor in this, as a gift to someone who can, or as an evil prank on someone who is likely to have colorful nightmares, this thing is a winner.



3. I assumed that all Anne Geddes books were full of adorable pictures of uncomfortable-looking babies. I bought this book online as a gift for my Grandma for Christmas. I wrapped the book before looking through it, and was more than shocked on Christmas morning when my Grandma was flipping through her brand new book and saw a lot more than babies!! While the photography is stunning, please be warned that nude adults are included in this particular collection. I was also disappointed that the pictures were rather small. Overall, the pictures were beautiful but the book was not quite what I expected.



4. I bought it for a friend recently- somehow I expected the book to be a little bigger- still a good gift for all the pregnant women in your life :)



5. I gave this to a pregnant friend, and she absolutely LOVED it. I actually spent an hour pouring over the pages and the notes in the back before I gave it to her. It is an excellent book, although it is a little small (probably about 8 inches tall).

5 comments about Broken Promises, Mended Hearts : Maintaining Trust in Love Relationships.

1. It's not just that this book is written horribly (it's nothing but extreme excerpts from people who've obviously made therapy their personal hobby). It's not just that this book fails to offer actual constructive ideas about dealing with trust issues (although it does explain, ad nauseum, all the ways you might see trust issues). The real problem is that it sounds like the most old-school, formulaic psycho-babble you could possible imagine.
   
   In a nutshell, here's what this book will tell you: 1. it's all because of your parents and 2. it's all because of your gender. Helpful? NO!
   
   I really have no idea where all the good reviews on this book are coming from. Seriously, if I didn't have such extreme trust issues, I'd wonder if the author didn't pay a couple of his friends to drop Amazon a note...



2. This is the most important book I have ever read. My partner and I finally understand WHy we made the mistakes. Only then could we fix them and not repeat them. If you read nothing else ever, read this book. Your life will make complete sense



3. I think this book has some fabulous points on anyone who has any trust issues, it's very direct and makes so much sense. I wish I had read this book a long time ago, I'd say it really gives an in depth description as to why so many of us don't trust and sabotage a potential good relationship.



4. I have to admit, I read this and really found a lot of good points made. I am sure we can each read into what we want about a book and find some spin on how it fits in our life. I am not a big self-help book guy. My girlfriend HATES them...she thinks they are just the easy answer, we need to look inside ourselves to find what we are looking for. These books are just cookie cuter and broad strokes over what we are looking for. But for me, I say read it and let the book get you to think about things. It won't solve all your problems and issues....you will have to do that on your own. But at least this will give you a nice start. I truly recommend this to whomever is wanting to at least improve themselves and take ownship of thier own life!! Yea books!!!



5. The surest path to happiness is losing yourself in a cause greater than yourself. When a relationship is over, it is best to bury the past and get on for your own satisfaction. It just wasn't meant to be with that particular person. Words are important, but its the tender little gestures of affection, the hugs and hand-holding, even shoulder squeezes, which confirm personal connections. Call upon the pride you feel for the good choices you have made.
   
   It could be jealousy rearing its ugly head, so it is not good to give too much credence to people who are asking you to rethink things. Life is like a jigsaw puzzle, without the picture on a box to show what iss supposed to look like. Live life everyday and be happy just to be alive. Sometimes you're not even sure if you have all the pieces, like my Russian architecture in blue and gold. Life can be beautiful, a song sung by the California group.
   
   Even if you wish the truth were something different from what it is, call the problem like it is so that everyone, especially the person you love, can understand where you're coming from. If anyone doubts one of your choices, stand up for yourself. Put your best foot forward and fight for your perspective. Value how you feel about yourself, if for no other reason than it makes you happier -- and more pleasant to be with. You will gain the support and approval you need so go right ahead and step in, feet first.
   
   Love is expressed through trust and respect. Our natural reaction is to not trust ways and ideas counter to our own. In non-romantic relationships, you can hardly expect to be respected for what you say or believe, but you can expect instead to be condemned by someone because of it. It is rare to find an opportunity to savor a thought or fact. For most, it is immediately inspected for relevance. Life does not stand still; we can't stop change. At times, change disappoints us and causes hurts to surface. Without it, we could never hope for anything better than what we have. To continue living is to change. Complicated situations worked through enhance the relationship; moving on and putting hurt aside keeps us mired in self pity. We'd have no way to ever hope to be a better person than we are. Love can aid in enduring change to glean good from it.
   
   The source of overt frustration is not change itself, but what we let change do to us. Change would be no problem if we didn't wish others would think and act as we do and as we feel they should. We need to strive to let the power of love enable us to respect and trust others and their opinions more. It's hard sometimes to know who to trust. I have trusted the wrong people many times, and I have loved the wrong people. But life is honesty. I learned the hard way that the "little white lie" sometimes is necessary for the other person's soul.
   
   If you possess a very particular type of honesty, that's straightforward and compassionate, you should ever let anyone tell you that it's not the right way to be. It's okay to admit that you don't know it all. Money is nothing compared to personal growth and emotional fulfillment. Problems generally don't happen one at a time. They don't wait patiently for you to solve one thing before another pops up. Problems often travel in groups.

No comments about The Facilitator's Book of Questions: Tools for Looking Together at Student and Teacher Work.

5 comments about Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence.

1. _Am I Blue?_ is a brilliant YA anthology that should be required reading in every classroom! Dealing with homosexuality in teenagers and their parents and friends, these stories will move any reader--gay, straight, questioning, or bisexual. This anthology helps gay kids understand that they are not alone, while shining a light on what it feels like to be homosexual for straight readers. The stories have similar themes, but range in genre, giving every reader something to thoroughly enjoy. I can't recommend it strongly enough!

   My only complaint is that there were no stories that really focused on a bisexual character.




2. There are some stories in this book that are absolutely phenomenal. "Am I Blue" is one of them, and it is a great first story of the book. This books helps people to understand what it is like to be GLBT from many different viewpoints. "The Honorary Shepherd" is probably the story that impacted me the most, as it deals with interracial relationships as well. Having bought this book on accident, I am glad I did. I've probably read the book 15 times through and I don't know if I'll ever tire of it.



3. Written over ten years ago, AM I BLUE? is still as important today as it was then. A short-story collection dealing with GLBT (gay/lesbian/ bisexual/transgender) issues by some of 1995's top authors, this book is a true gem for teens searching for their identity--or just looking for a good read. With stories ranging from contemporary paranormal, to ones set in the 1950's, to one based during the Vietnam War, and even one in another world of Amazon warriors, there's something here for everyone.
   
   Stories include:
   
   AM I BLUE? by Bruce Coville
   WE MIGHT AS WELL ALL BE STRANGERS by M. E. Kerr
   WINNIE AND TOMMY by Francesca Lia Block
   SLIPPING AWAY by Jacqueline Woodson
   THE HONORARY SHEPHERDS by Gregory Maguire
   RUNNING by Ellen Howard
   THREE MONDAYS IN JULY by James Cross Giblin
   PARENTS' NIGHT by Nancy Garden
   MICHAEL'S LITTLE SISTER by C. S. Adler
   SUPPER by Leslea Newman
   HOLDING by Lois Lowry
   BLOOD SISTER by Jane Yolen
   HANDS by Jonathan London
   50% CHANCE OF LIGHTNING by Cristina Salat
   IN THE TUNNELS by William Sleator
   DANCING BACKWARDS by Marion Dane Bauer
   
   It's hard to pick a favorite from this collection, as each story has something different to offer. From allowing everyone in the world to see who is gay, to wondering what it would have been like to have two gay shepherds at the birth of Christ, to manning a booth about gays and lesbians at a school parents' night, each short story has an engaging story to tell.
   
   The only thing that would make this book better is to have a part two--another AM I BLUE? published in 2006 with some of today's best GLBT authors like Julie Anne Peters, Brent Hartinger, David Levithan, and more.



4. This book is dedicated, "for all young people in their search for themselves." These are short stories about teenagers who are trying to find their identity, Teenagers face who they are and find support from their parents and friends. In some stories, they do find support from school, parents and friends. In additional some even find the right person to be with. There are three scenarios: teenagers not being accepted from others, not getting support from others and themselves being confused with their identity.
   
   
   
   My favorite story from the book was Parents' Night. This story was about a teenager who had her girlfriend but her parents didn't know, they thought they were just friends. At the beginning of the story she says that her father didn't give her a rose in her birthday. This was because they were at dinner when Karen gave them the news; she told them that she was involved in a club at school. This club was the Gay Straight-Bisexual Alliance, which every one in that club they were going to represent in on Parents' Night. Karen tells her parents that she was going to be there with her girlfriend Roxy. Her father wasn't happy with the news, so he didn't agree and he was really mad. In Karen's birthday her father was really quiet and he didn't give her a yellow rose like he used to every year. My favorite part of the story was when her parents go to Parents' Night and her father gives Karen a rose. He tells her that it was a little late and that he is happy that she got a really nice girlfriend. This part really got me, Karen was crying and my eyes were watery. She knew that her parents were now accepting her the way she was.
   
   
   
   All stories have a main idea. The writer sends messages that after reading each story you might think differently. The idea is to understand and support those who are in situations like that. I think that people don't have to experience first in order for them to write stories. All these authors give really good stories, which really touch the readers heart and at the end of the book you put it down and have a different view of those who are confused with their identity.
   
   
   
   The book has sixteen stories. The story Am I Blue talks about a gay teenager who has a fairy godfather who helps him out throughout his time of not knowing what he wants. The stories were different but they had the same idea in all of them. In Michael's Little Sister, his sister shows him that it's okay to be that way; she gives him support and understands him. Slipping Away is a story where a gay teenager tells his friend Maria who likes him, that he is gay but like any other girl she got mad at him instead of supporting him. Running from the book is really interesting; it's about a girl that starts seeing her sister's friend differently. Sheila was Heather's friend who brought her because she was having problems at home, and that's how Heather's sister meets Sheila. All these stories are really interesting and they throw good messages in each story written.
   
   
   
   I like this book mostly because in each story the writer gives an idea why he wrote that story and why he/she wants us to read it. Also when the reader reads the story, the writer clearly states how the person feels. It is really important for those who read this book to understand what and how it feels when a person who is in a position like that might feel when he/she doesn't have any support or is not accepted from others.



5. Review by A'JA Lyons
   Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence by Marion Dane Bauer is an assemblage of eight distinct tales about young adults experiencing firsthand the perils of what comes with being gay or lesbian or being close to someone who is. Though this book was published 14 years ago, most of the stories still apply today, especially in areas of the Country that are less progressive.
   
   In the story `Am I Blue' by Bruce Coville, a young man gets heavenly help after being assaulted by a fellow classmate. `Winnie and Tommy' by Francesca Lia Block details a situation where a young couple's love is questioned when one of them questions their sexuality. In `Parents Night' by Nancy Garden, a GSA booth on Parents' Night gives a teenage girl the courage to come out to her seemingly liberal parents.
   
   Some of the stories are relatively lighthearted and others show the melancholy side of being a sexual minority. Each author manages to tell a creative tale about finding and knowing oneself without ending up with a stereotypical "sad homosexual story."

No comments about Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas Cheer: Stories about the Love, Inspiration, and Joy of Christmas (Chicken Soup for the Soul).

5 comments about Surviving an Eating Disorder.

1. This is a good book designed for the friends and family of eating disorder sufferers. Before I gave this book to my familiy, I read it myself. I liked that the authors suggested therapy/counseling for friends and family, who can sometimes feel helpless watching their loved one suffer with an eating disorder. There was also a lot of focus on parents. That's good for many, but my family is not a problem in my case. When I gave this book to my family, I told them to ignore that chapter since it did not pertain to us. The information provided within the book helped my family understand what I'm going through, and for that I am thankful. I didn't know how to get the words out to explain the eating disorder. This book helped me tell my family of my disorder.



2. I got this book without reading the subtitle (Strategies for Family and Friends). I thought it might help me with Binge-Eating problems. It didn't. In fact, I got very bored. It was sickeningly boring and only discussed how to handle things if you weren't really all that involved.

   First of all, it's my experience with any kind of mental health problem that you can't give a person help if they don't want the help. They have to make a conscious effort to choose to get help. This book somewhat bypasses this whole thing.

   Second, it states what you typically see in an Anorexic -- loss of weight, not eating, etc. Okay, who doesn't know this? If you didn't know this, then you probably wouldn't be picking up the book in the first place.

   I really don't think this book would be helpful if I had a friend or family member with an eating disorder. It's very unhelpful in my personal opinion.

   Skip this book!




3. This was recommended by my daughter's physician and I found it to be the most informative of the very many books on ED that I have read.



4. I was surprised to read the reviews for this book. It is actually effective at what it is designed to do: teach friends and family of those who have an ED about the condition. It is not for those who have had a college course in body image disorders or those who are currently seeking treatment - there are much better resources available that will be of a much higher interest to you and will have more in depth info.
   
   I mailed this book to my mother, mother-in law, and college friend when I decided to go into recovery. It is small and unassuming. It is easy to read. It isn't threatening or verbose. I think its a good start in the right direction.



5. This book has helped me better understand eating disorders. I would recommend it to anyone who needs information.
   The book was received in great condition and in a timely manner.