Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish (Hardcover) By Mark R. Levin

Although Mark Levin is known as a constitutional lawyer and a nationally syndicated broadcaster, he is, first and foremost, a dog lover. In 1998, he and his family welcomed a half-Border Collie/half-Cocker Spaniel they named Pepsi into their lives. Six years later, his wife and son persuaded him to adopt a dog from the local shelter, a Spaniel mix. It turned out he was older than originally thought, and he was the most beautiful dog they'd ever seen. They named him Sprite. Their lives would never be the same.

Sprite and Pepsi became fast friends. They did everything together, from rummaging through the trash to loudly greeting the deliveryman. And the Levin family fell in love with him -- with his gentle nature, beautiful face and soft, huggable fur. But on Halloween night, shortly after joining their family, Sprite suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the animal hospital. It was the first of many such visits, and the start of a long journey for the Levin family, filled with much joy and anguish.

During the next two years, Sprite and Pepsi were inseparable. And Sprite's bond with the Levin family deepened. Friends, neighbors, and even Mark's radio audience came to know and love Sprite. As Mark's daughter turned eighteen and graduated from high school and Mark's son turned fifteen, Sprite's health deteriorated -- even as his spirits remained high and his beauty and grace continued to inspire. Comfort came from family, fans, and friends, and between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2006, the Levin family said their emotional final goodbye. Crushed and consumed with grief, Mark turned to family, friends, and fans for help.

But new hope came when the Levins least expected it.

Rescuing Sprite is a stunningly intimate look at the love between a family and a dog, one that movingly shows, in Mark Levin's words, that "in the end, we humans are the lucky ones."

The author will donate a portion of his proceeds from the sale of this book to animal shelters. About the Author
Mark R. Levin is a nationally syndicated talk radio host and president of Landmark Legal Foundation. He has also worked as an attorney in the private sector and as a top adviser and administrator to several members of President Reagan s cabinet. The author of the New York Times bestselling book Men in Black: How the Supreme Court Is Destroying America, Mark holds a B.A. from Temple University and a J.D. from Temple University School of Law.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews 47 of 55 people found the following review helpful: By J. White

You won't find many books as touching as this one. All of us pet owners have been through some tough times when our dogs get old. Mark is a wonderful writer and tells the story well. Don't for a minute think that just because Mark is an extreme right wing talk radio(sometimes even creating the appearance of a right wing nutjob!) person that he doesn't have a heart.

64 of 67 people found the following review helpful: By K. Brennan (Staten Island, NY)

I could not stop reading this great book, and finished it on the day I received it.

It was very therapeutic, and I wish I would have had it a year and a half ago when I lost my beloved companion "Rover." Any animal lover who has been through the anguish of a sick pet would benefit from this book, and you know you are not alone in your anguish.

Although it broke my heart and opened a lot of old wounds, some quite difficult memories of my own pain, it also helped me to realize I am not alone, especially since I felt extremely guilty, such as Mark did, of feeling so distraught over an animal's death.

I thank you Mark, and I know Sprite thanks you for keeping his memory alive, and for bringing awareness to all of the wonderful animals that are out there in the shelters and to the wonderful people who work there.

53 of 55 people found the following review helpful: By Sheepdog (Washington, DC)

This book was hard to put down. An emotional and honest story about dealing with the loss of a beloved dog, it will melt the heart of anyone who's had a pet they cared about. Levin reminds us that we need to block out all the distractions of daily life and appreciate what is really important.

A touching and wonderful story
Constance Nunes (conniejra@cox.net), Mom to several four-legged friends,

Rescuing Sprite is an emotional rollercoaster of tears and smiles, sharing with us the painfully short relationship between a dog rescued from an animal shelter, and a family that completely adored him. It is a story of love, compassion and the absolute loyalty found in the friendship of a dog. For anyone who has ever had a furry best friend, whether it be dog, cat, horse, rabbit, or any other pet, this book will touch your heart and remind you of why we are willing to suffer the incredible loss of their short lives, for just a few precious months or years of their presence.

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The Dangerous Book for Boys (Hardcover) By Conn Iggulden & Hal Iggulden

Equal parts droll and gorgeous nostalgia book and heartfelt plea for a renewed sense of adventure in the lives of boys and men, Conn and Hal Iggulden's The Dangerous Book for Boys became a mammoth bestseller in the United Kingdom in 2006. Adapted, in moderation, for American customs in this edition (cricket is gone, rugby remains; conkers are out, Navajo Code Talkers in), The Dangerous Book is a guide book for dads as well as their sons, as a reminder of lore and technique that have not yet been completely lost to the digital age. Recall the adventures of Scott of the Antarctic and the Battle of the Somme, relearn how to palm a coin, tan a skin, and, most charmingly, wrap a package in brown paper and string. The book's ambitions are both modest and winningly optimistic: you get the sense that by learning how to place a splint or write in invisible ink, a boy might be prepared for anything, even girls (which warrant a small but wise chapter of their own).

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8–Intentionally old-fashioned and politically incorrect, this eclectic collection addresses the undeniable boy-appeal of certain facts and activities. Dozens of short chapters, in fairly random order, cover a wide range of topics in conversational prose. Simple instructions for coin tricks and paper airplanes alternate with excerpts from history such as Famous Battles and facts about ancient wonders of the world and astronomy. The dangerous aspect is more apparent in such chapters as Making Cloth Fireproof, and Hunting and Cooking a Rabbit, but also applies to the overall premise that action is fun and can be worth the risks. A section on stickball, for instance, includes advice to possibly flee the vicinity in the event of a broken window. The information is appropriately concise. The knot-tying section, for example, sticks to five basic varieties with clear instructions and useful diagrams. Occasional topics such as Marbling Paper and Latin Phrases Every Boy Should Know may not fit the stereotypical interests of young males, but support the general theme of cultivating curiosity. The authors refer to their own experiences as they tested the activities, lending an appealing personal tone. Tongue-in-cheek humor emerges throughout, notably in eight bits of advice offered in the chapter called Girls. Already a best seller in England, this American edition features several adjustments, such as substituting The Declaration of Independence for Patron Saints of Britain. Both premise and content should appeal to many boys, and might be even more successful when nostalgic dads join in.–Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews 261 of 308 people found the following review helpful: By Michael W. Perry (Seattle, WA United States)

What a marvelous idea for a book! It puts into action what G. K. Chesterton wrote in a 1906 magazine article:

*****
A child's instinct is almost perfect in the matter of fighting; a child always stands for the good militarism as against the bad. The child's hero is always the man or boy who defends himself suddenly and splendidly against aggression. The child's hero is never the man or boy who attempts by his mere personal force to extend his mere personal influence. In all boys' books, in all boys' conversation, the hero is one person and the bully the other. That combination of the hero and bully in one, which people now call the Strong Man or the Superman, would be simply unintelligible to any schoolboy....

But really to talk of this small human creature, who never picks up an umbrella without trying to use it as a sword, who will hardly read a book in which there is no fighting, who out of the Bible itself generally remembers the "bluggy" [bloody] parts, who never walks down the garden without imagining himself to be stuck all over with swords and daggers--to take this human creature and talk about the wickedness of teaching him to be military, seems rather a wild piece of humour. He has already not only the tradition of fighting, but a far manlier and more genial tradition of fighting than our own. No; I am not in favour of the child being taught militarism. I am in favour of the child teaching it.
****

And for those rainy days with mommy makes the young warrior stay indoors, get him wonderful, imaginative books such as Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn, and Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, along with tales of exploration like those of Ernest Shackleton and the two brave young men in Across Asia on a Bicycle

--Michael W. Perry, Untangling Tolkien 201 of 225 people found the following review helpful: By D. McHone "CoffeeSwirls" (Ankeny, IA, USA)

I have been thoroughly enjoying the book, as has my son and thousands of boys (and dads!) in Great Britain and the US. What is it about this book that brings such excitement to so many?

If I had to offer my opinion, I would say that the appeal of this book is that it does not ask any boy to apologize for being a boy. Our culture is infested with the demand that boys forgo their God given call to grow up to be men, largely because we have adopted an unhealthy view of just what a man is. Whether our example be found in Homer Simpson, Ray Romano or the dad on Family Guy, men are portrayed as selfish imbeciles in a large portion of the media. Women are shown to be compassionate and intelligent, and they are usually given the role of the one who fixes the problems created by men. I have no doubt that most women are compassionate and intelligent, but the common negative portrayal of men is presented far too often, and frankly I'm tired of it.

This book has a different take on what it means to be a boy, which is important because boys grow up to be men. From a biblical standpoint, men are meant to lead their families and churches by serving them. Where can you find such a concept on the television? You can't. This is yet another reason to get this book in the hands of a boy and his dad and get them outside to explore the world, whether that be an excursion in the woods or even just in the back yard. But how does this book portray a boy? What ideals are encouraged?

I'm glad you asked.

I simply cannot take this book section by section. There are instructions meant to get a boy started in tying knots, making a bow and arrow, fishing and many other activities. These are expected out of a book about being a boy. But included with such topics are other mini-chapters about the wonders of the world, grammar, historical battles, understanding latitude and longitude (something I never grasped in a classroom), the Declaration of Independence, poetry, Latin phrases, literature the Ten Commandments and also how to talk to girls.

I mention talking to girls last, not because it is the last topic, but because I would like to highlight it for a moment. The first piece of advice about girls is to listen to them. The second is to avoid a long string of nervous jokes by listening to them. I'm sure that my wife wishes I had this book as a child! After this, romance is mentioned. Buying flowers is often not a good idea if you are young, because the girl will know your parents purchased them. I wouldn't have thought of that. Anonymous valentines are a good idea, due to the suspense the girl will have trying to figure out who's eye she has caught. Vulgarity of all forms is to be avoided at all costs. Respect for girls is given the utmost priority.

Is this what is so dangerous about this book? Is it the high value the authors place upon girls or is it the very fact that they say that girls and boys are not identical? Is it the suggestion that every boy should have band-aids available for the inevitable mishap, because our bodies do heal? Or is it the way this book portrays a healthy boy in a way that expresses both a boy's natural desire for adventure and the ideal of respectfulness for others? I really can't say for sure.

If I had to pick one way that this book is considered dangerous and why it has met some opposition, I would say that it is because The Dangerous Book for Boys resonates so well with dads who can only wish such a book was available to them when they were growing up, and because their sons by and large are reveling in the contemplation of spending Sunday afternoons and long summer days with their dads, rediscovering what it means to be a boy with their father acting as the primary instructor.

I give this book my highest praise and encourage every dad to buy it for their sons. If you have a boy, you really need to get this book. If you don't have any boys, I'm sure you know somebody who does.
132 of 148 people found the following review helpful: By Bart King (Portland, Oregon)

Some books you hang onto because they are useful, or well written, or happy memories are associated with them. And then there are the select books that are so handsome, you keep them because of pride of ownership. THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS is a keeper in all these categories. It is so durable and well designed, it is an absolute pleasure to hold and read.

As to its actual contents, it sits at the pinnacle of nonfiction for early teen and 'tween boys, alongside The Big Book of Boy Stuff by, er, yours truly. Anyway, the chapters in DANGEROUS BOOK are a glorious, encyclopedic hodge-podge. They range from the historical ("The Golden Age of Piracy") to the esoteric ("Grinding an Italic Nib"!) to the quite daring ("Understanding Grammar").

My kudos to the Brothers Iggulden for this retro look celebrating the secrets of boyhood. And again, neither gender nor age should restrict its readership; this book looks great sitting on anyone's nightstand.

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An Inconvenient Book: Real Solutions to the World's Biggest Problems (Hardcover) By Glenn Beck

Have you ever wondered why some of the biggest problems we face, from illegal immigration to global warming to poverty, never seem to get fixed? The reason is simple: the solutions just aren't very convenient. Fortunately, radio and television host Glenn Beck doesn't care much about convenience; he cares about common sense.

Take the issue of poverty, for example. Over the last forty years, America's ten poorest cities all had one simple thing in common, but self-serving politicians will never tell you what that is (or explain how easy it would be to change): Glenn Beck will (see chapter 20).

Global warming is another issue that's ripe with lies and distortion. How many times have you heard that carbon dioxide is responsible for huge natural disasters that have killed millions of people? The truth is, it's actually the other way around: as CO2 has increased, deaths from extreme weather have decreased. Bet you'll never see that in an Al Gore slide show.

An Inconvenient Book contains hundreds of these same "why have I never heard that before?" types of facts that will leave you wondering how political correctness, special interests, and outright stupidity have gotten us so far away from the commonsense solutions this country was built on.

As the host of a nationally syndicated radio show, The Glenn Beck Program, and a prime-time television show on CNN Headline News, Glenn Beck combines a refreshing level of honesty with a biting sense of humor and a lot of research to find solutions that will open your eyes while entertaining you alongthe way.

In this appraisal of America's woes, conservative TV and talk-radio host Beck (The Real America) lays lighthearted siege to everything that makes the world worse. [P]olitical correctness is the biggest threat this nation faces today, he declares, as it makes us prey for Islamic fundamentalists, renders taboo the roots of our economic troubles (poor people are, in fact, lazy, he argues) and creates rampant distortion in the media. Beck goes paragraph for paragraph with global-warming alarmist Al Gore, merrily slaughtering the sacred cows of the environmentalist crowd. Not sated by the hide of the former vice president, he goes after everything and everyone from poverty to perverts, offering solutions to these and other problems (e.g., the key to success in the capitalist system is to believe in it). While often informative, as in his chapter on global warming, Beck is sometimes tedious, particularly when dealing with Islam and education (France is literally teetering on the edge, and our biggest ally, England, is about to be turned inside out as well). He's at his best when most absurd, and funniest when he's his own target (the father of four is little more than a flesh-and-bone jungle gym). This should make a good read for conservatives. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"Glenn Beck is CNN's chief corporate-fascism advocate."

-- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

"Finally! A guy who says what people who aren't thinking, are thinking."

-- Jon Stewart

"Satan's mentally challenged younger brother."

-- Stephen King

"There's something about him that suggests that, one night, he'll say something that will cost him his career...."

-- Keith Olbermann

"Glenn Beck shouldn't be on [the air]."

-- Al Franken

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The Daring Book for Girls (Hardcover) By Andrea J. Buchanan & Miriam Peskowitz

The Daring Book for Girls is the manual for everything that girls need to know -- and that doesn't mean sewing buttonholes! Whether it's female heroes in history, secret note-passing skills, science projects, friendship bracelets, double dutch, cats cradle, the perfect cartwheel or the eternal mystery of what boys are thinking, this book has it all. But it's not just a guide to giggling at sleepovers -- although that's included, of course! Whether readers consider themselves tomboys, girly-girls, or a little bit of both, this book is every girl's invitation to adventure.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews 32 of 33 people found the following review helpful: By Anjana (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This is the perfect book to share with your daughter/ granddaughter/that special girl you know, whether she is 8 or 18 or somewhere in between. It has just the right mix of articles - informative, fun, and stimulating! When the "Dangerous Book for Boys" came out I wished for a version for girls and this book is as good as the one for boys if not better.

When you first flip through its pages it will remind you of the time you were her age. You probably read a book almost like this but not quite. I say not quite as this book does a perfect balancing act between skills and general knowledge, between techniques we learned from our grandmothers and the ones that became popular later. It tells you "how to press flowers" but also "five karate moves". "Make your own quill pen" is preceded by "how to change a tire". I remember reading a book almost like this in my childhood. I dearly treasured that book till its pages were yellow and stiff into my college days. I spent many afternoons after school experimenting with the projects. I remember the bitter candy apples I made from a recipe in that book, or the quill pen with which I wrote my "secret language" notes for my friends and this book brought back those memories. With more words than illustrations, the Daring book for Girls will encourage the girl who reads it to use her imagination.

This book will appeal to the "girly-girl" in every girl with the sections like "Palm reading", "Hopscotch", "Princesses today" or "Boys"; to her sense of adventure with articles like "Going to Africa" (short section on each country), "Hiking", "Reading tide charts"; and to the "builder" in her with sections like "Building a campfire", "Tree swings", "Every girl's toolbox". There is a ton of useful information and facts in this book too for those rainy or quiet days - "from French terms of endearment" to "Queens of Ancient world" to "Women Inventors". Sports are covered too - basketball, softball, netball, bowling, playing cards and more.

My daughter was thrilled to get this book. I wasn't sure she'd like it as much as I liked my childhood book. But she began her next project "how to tie a sari" in minutes and over dinner started telling me about the women inventors in the book. We have now designated this book the "mother-daughter time" book. Each weekend, we pick up the book and try something new! What a great antidote to the "Mom, I'm bored" refrain!

Some are activities she can attempt on her own and for others like building the ultimate scooter she will need help as it requires some sawing and drilling. It is a challenge for me too as I've not really attempted to build anything from scratch before. I'm ready with my saw and drill and as excited as her to begin that project!

This book gives just the right kind of stimulation for a younger girl's (or boy's) curious mind and their thirst for new knowledge and skills. This book will also grow with the reader as it gives practical advice and even contains chapters like "Stocks and shares" and "Negotiating salaries." This book is therefore highly recommended and will make a great gift for a 7-14 year old.
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful: By PunditMom (Washington, DC)

I don't know what I like better -- The Daring Book for Girls or the fact that it's written by two women I greatly admire, Andrea Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz.

Written as a sequel, of sorts, to last year's The Dangerous Book for Boys, The Daring Book for Girls is a compendium of activities and information to help today's girls rediscover that there are ways to have fun besides shopping at the mall, watching Hannah Montana or IM'ing their friends.

As the mother of a seven-year-old daughter, I was thrilled when I learned that the founders of MotherTalk would be writing this book and couldn't wait to see what it would have in store.

When it arrived, my daughter and I were both very excited because it's just got so much STUFF! Where to begin? There was so much to take in after I was done ooh-ing and aah-ing over the beautiful teal cover with the sparkly silver letters (yes, that did appeal to the "girl" in me!)

How to make a lemon-powered clock (really!)? Reading the chapters on women who were pirates and spies? How to make a tree swing or check out the list of books "that will change your life?"

Aimed at the "tween" girl market, it is perfect for that age group, billing itself as the book "for every girl with an independent spirit and a nose for trouble."

If you're the parent of a daughter who could use a little nudging to take off the headphones and get a little fresh air, then this book is just what the doctor (or Santa) ordered. There are so many great craft ideas and topics to spark the imagination of a girl it's hard to know where to start.

Since the book's release, some commenters have questioned whether this type of book can really have an impact on the way our daughters are socialized today -- can we really hope that a book that is an homage to our childhoods in the 1970s will be the tonic that will drag our girls out from behind the laptops and forsake the sassy outfits?

Can it really get our girls away from the world of Libby Lu parties, Bratz Dolls, and questionable Halloween outfits?

Is it too much to take the feminist optimism we had as girls of the MS. generation and help our daughters discover that they can do "boy" things, too? I think it's imperative. At seven, my daughter is already succumbing to the phenomenon of boys having too much sway on her budding self-esteem. If a few of the activities in this book can help boost her already waning self-confidence, then I'm going to go for it.

Perhaps it is too much to expect that one book can start a new feminist wave for our daughters of the 21st Century. But if we don't start somewhere, who will?

As a parent, I can't be responsible for reclaiming the girlhoods of all the "tweens" in America by making them turn off the Disney Channel and sit down to make a quill pen or learn about Queens of the Ancient World. But I can start with one excited second-grader and I'm planning on doing just that.

What I can do is take one second-grade girl, who is chomping at the bit to dig into the activities in The Daring Book for Girls, and help her discover things she never thought she could do. And I can make sure other moms know about it, too.
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful: By C. Hoffman (MI USA)

This book is as wonderful as the Dangerous Book for Boys. I have a son, but bought the Daring Girls for my niece. After flipping through the book, I think I will order a second copy for myself! There are things in there that I have always wanted to learn how to do. If I could hide the title of the book, I'm sure my son would enjoy things inside of it too. But heaven forbid that he be caught reading a book written for girls! :) Thank you for writing such an interesting, wonderful book!

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Double Cross (Alex Cross) (Hardcover) By James Patterson

Alex Cross rejoins the police force to face the most diabolical villain he's ever encountered-a serial killer with a hunger for mega-celebrity.

Just when detective Alex Cross thought his life was calming down, he finds himself back in the game-this time to catch a criminal mastermind like no other.

A spate of elaborate murders in Washington D.C. has the whole East Coast on edge. It is like nothing Alex Cross and his new girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, have ever seen. With each murder, the case becomes increasingly complex. There's only one thing Alex knows: this killer adores an audience.

As victims are made into gruesome spectacles citywide, inducing media hysteria, it becomes clear to Alex that the man he's after is a genius of terror-and he's after fame. The killer has the whole city on a string, and he'll stop at nothing to become the most terrifying star that Washington D.C. has ever seen.

The Alex Cross series is the #1 bestselling detective series, with more than 50 million books sold.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 6 of 8 people found the following review helpful: By Fred Black "Black Beard" (Florida)

I have always been a big fan of the Alex Cross Novels (With the exception of London Bridges and I don't care for his other books written by other authors with his named stamped on top), so I was excited to receive and advance readers copy of Double Cross! I waited for a slow day a the Marina before cracking it open and was soon lost in the world of Cross. Alex has become like a old friend, having read so many of trails, adventures, and tragedies.

Alex's life has become more settled since we last saw hin in Cross. He is back at work tending to his patients and living a normal life with his Girlfriend Brianna Stone--detective Stone that is! But of course this cannot last. Washington DC and the east cost are a jitter because of a number of elaborate murders, these are not just murders but spectacles. This guy is a grisly showman. A murder who wants fame and to scare the pants off the entire DC metro area. Of Course it is up Alex and Brianna to bring this guy down...but at what cost?

Patterson's master plotting, lightening fast chapters that keep you turning the pages are again on display and make for a great beach read! Speaking of Patterson like pacing, I have to recommend the cult thriller hit A Tourist In The Yucatan---Very Cool!

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful: By Debra Smouse "Editor in Chief"

I've already confessed to being a bit of a prose-a-holic, and can't wait to tell you about the book sitting beside me...still warm from my hot little hands.....

James Patterson is the mastermind behind several best selling series (Women's Murder Club, Maximum Ride) but I've long felt that his books about Alex Cross are his very best. Double Cross is the 13th book about the Washington DC detective Alex Cross.

Double Cross was certainly no disappointment. As we step back into Alex Cross' life - and the lives of his family - we find him out of his life as a police detective - and into his role as a full time therapist. He has a new lady in his life, DC Detective Brianna Stone, and his world is certainly sweet. The public murder of a mystery writer draws Alex back into his persona, The Dragon Slayer (his police and FBI nickname). Soon, the killer is dubbed the "Audience Killer", as each of his brutal attacks are done in front of live audiences.

To complicate matters, The Mastermind, gets his wish: escape from the Maximum Security prison he has lived in for four years. For those who don't recall, Alex was involved in cracking the case of the Mastermind - discovering that FBI Agent - and friend - Kyle Craig - was the culprit. In court, Kyle Craig promised to get his revenge on the judge - as well as Alex and his entire family.

Both killers are targeting Alex....and watching his family...and his friends. Will Brianna be another loss in a long line of women Alex has loved? Will his family be used as pawns? Will the killers succeed in slaughtering his oldest - and best friend?

If, like me, you are an Alex Cross fan, run, don't walk, to your favorite book store and get up to date the life of Alex Cross . If you enjoy fast paced, well written intrigue, you'll devour Double Cross, just as I did. It's available beginning Tuesday, November 13th.

If you've never read any of this fabulous series by James Patterson, I encourage you to start from the beginning (Along Came a Spider - and work your way through to Double Cross). You'll hang on every word....and quickly become a fan.

A reviewer,

After a few co-authored mediocre Patterson books recently released, it's nice to get a pure Patterson novel back, especially one of the Alex Cross ones ! I was thrilled to find it in Heathrow airport already. It was so good and such a fast read I finished it on the flight home. It was easy to pass the time with familiar friends such as Nana, little Alex and even Kyle Craig is back. Another great Patterson page turner ! I highly recommend this one ! Already looking forward to the next Alex Cross novel !
Devon, A great james Patterson fan.,

I love all Mr. Patterson. He is one of the best writers I have come across so far. Every book I have read by him so far has me glued to the pages afraid of what well come next. He is truly a great writer.

Also recommended: Honeymoon,Hide & Seek, Kiss the Grils, Along Came a Spider, Mary, Mary, Cross, You have been warned,The Quickie.
Mark Cizinski (mcizinski@hotmail.com), Economics Professor,

Pattersen scores again with Double Cross. From the title to the structuring of his chapters, this book is written and designed to entertain. I don't know how he can break a book into so many chapters and still manage to have almost every single one of them open with a hook and a end with a cliffhanger. You can tell by his fiction that he was once an advertising whiz on Madison Avenue because his writing always seizes your attention.

Also recommended: World Without End by Ken Follet, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, Endangered by Glenn McAnally

Lisa Brown, someone that loves to read.,

I love all of the books that are written by James Patterson. I think he is an excellent writier. I can not put his books down. Write on!!!!
Also recommended: London Bridges, You've Been Warned, Kiss the Girls, The Quickie,

Terry DeCarr, a house wife.,

I love all of the Alex Cross series as soon as they come out I read them right away and can't put them down they are the best. I knew there was going to be another book because after reading I just had that feeling.

Also recommended: All of the Women's Murder Club, can't wait until the new one comes out. Also looking forward to the series to come on Fridays.

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Having It All: Achieving Your Lifes Goals and Dreams By John Assaraf

"If having abundance in your life is what you want...Having It All delivers!"

-- Robert G. Allen, author of the New York Times bestsellers Nothing Down, Creating Wealth, and Multiple Streams of Income

"If you are ready to let The Street Kid's wisdom help you become happy, rich, and fulfilled...read this now!"

-- Mark Victor Hansen, coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestselling series Chicken Soup for the Soul and coauthor of The One Minute Millionaire

Book Description
No matter what you want in your life, Having It All will take you from where you are to where you want to be. Entrepreneur John Assaraf started with nothing and went on to create a multimillion-dollar empire and achieve the life of his dreams, earning himself the nickname "The Street Kid." Now he shares the best of what he's learned so you, too, can create the life of your dreams. Having It All contains practical exercises and powerful lessons to help you achieve greater happiness and long-lasting success. You will learn how to:

• Develop and utilize the seven power factors all highly successful people use
• Apply the most advanced techniques that world-class athletes and entrepreneurs use to eliminate mental obstacles
• Pinpoint and design the exact life you truly want
• Use the power of your subconscious mind to develop empowering success habits.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews 9 of 9 people found the following review helpful: By quantumthinker "Life long learner" (Southern CA, USA)

I read the first edition and it changed my life forever. Now, with the two new chapters on Your Powerful Brain and The Laws of Earning Money, it's destined to become a classic, like Think and Grow Rich.

John writes in an easy to understand way, and shares information (that he's learned and used) about your mind and how it REALLY works, and the unseen laws that govern the world that we live in and how to get what we want in a way that allows you to consider that maybe, just maybe you too, CAN have it all.

If he can go from a 17 y.o. drop-out to become a mega-successful entrepreneur and all around great human being, SO CAN you. IF you are willing to do the work like he was. Therein lies the REAL secret...
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful: By John Jay Harper "www.johnjayharper.com" (Spokane, WA United States)

John has applied the ancient secrets of the shaman in ways that are overlooked oftentimes given our mistaken idea that we should all get rich before we die. That is not true. I mean health, happiness, and longevity is the end-goal, isn't it? I bet there are more people in this world that would give a million dollars to have their broken bodies, minds, and spirits restored than desire to take the Lotto Jackpot home with them tonight.

Indeed, there is a genuine focus on loving your life as you co-create it in this work and that is the key to using the law of attraction to manifest the desires of your heart, wisely. We can create anything we want to as matter is minded, no doubt about it anymore, as quantum physics reveals. In fact the world we have before us right here and now is a damning testimony to that realization. That is to say, we've turned our Garden of Eden into a toxic waste dump but that likewise means there is an unlimited opportunity for YOU to invent the next generation of go-green technology to clean up the mess and save our planet!

In short, there are true "neurological" nuggets of gold in this treasure chest of tools and techniques and strategies not to be found elsewhere. So buy it, read it, savor its simplicity and then do it, do it, do it: Create a life worth living that is full of fun at least if not fame and fortune!

Dr. John Jay Harper is the author of the international bestseller book Tranceformers: Shamans of the 21st Century and DVD Science of Soul: The End-Time Solar Cycle of Chaos in 2012 A.D.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: By Sean P. Simpson "Sean Simpson" (San Diego, CA)

John's Book, Having it All, is simply an amazing piece of work. While the Secret had introduced us all to the Law of Attraction, John takes it further by teaching us of the 7 Natural Laws of the Universe, going far beyond just the Law of Attraction. As he teaches the principles behind these laws he gives very simple instructions on how to begin applying the laws to your life. His goal setting procedure for each area of your life is fantastic.

Imagine having someone take you by the hand to help you evaluate where you stand in your health (both mental and physical), spirituality, relationships (significant other, friends AND family), finances, and career/business, and THEN helping you lay out your goals in each of those areas. Well, now that you've imagined, visualized, and felt it, now go grab John's book because that is exactly what it will do for you!

What I like the most about John's materials and goal setting procedures is that he helps you understand why they work, and why other things don't work! His studies into neuroscience over the last 25 years are clear in this book as he teaches us about the brain and how it works, and helps us overcome our negative thoughts, and replace them with positive ones.

If you're looking for a book to help change your life, then this is it. By following the principles in this book my life has absolutely been changed and it is so exciting! So here's to Having it All!!

--Sean Simpson Get A Copy Of "Having It All: Achieving Your Lifes Goals and Dreams By John Assaraf"

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The Birds in My Life By The Supreme Master Ching Hai

"Supreme Master Ching Hai's relationship with birds represents an ideal to which all humans should aspire! When she encounters a bird left to languish in a small case, she rescues and rehabilitates that creature with kindness, communication and unconditional love. Supreme Master offers a profound lesson. Every creature you encounter has a heart and feelings and deserves respect.

Paulsen's perceptive, funny look at the life of 12-year-old Duane is at once indisputably real and drolly exaggerated. The author gets the beleaguered boy's voice just right as Duane bares all in his journal, admitting, "Lately I've been thinking a lot about the female body. Not in a weird or sick way but not in an artistic or medical way either." When these images pop into his mind, he forces himself to instead envision "elbows," a tactic that "helps. Sometimes." As he identifies with a baby bird going through its life changes in a nest outside his window, Duane bemoans his zits ("my face looks like I tried to kiss a rotary mower"), cracking voice ("It sounded like somebody hit a bullfrog with a big hammer right in the middle of a croak") and persistent cowlick (which he likens to "that bushy little tail you see on the back of a warthog in National Geographic"). At school, calamities abound: "a river of stupid" pours from his mouth when a new girl says hello to him (he later smacks her in the head with a volleyball in gym) and after creating a bald spot on his head while trying to cut his cowlick, he is suspected of havingand spreadingringworm. Though readers aren't likely to encounter all of the humiliations Duane endures, they will identify strongly with his insecurities. After he clumsily causes bookcases and a fish tank to topple in the library, the boy sardonically says, "You gotta love my life." For all the reasons Duane doesn't, readers will. Ages 10-up. (June) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature
Bawdy. Horny. Rollicking. Weird. Clumsy. Awkward. Hormonal. These are the words that come to mind when thinking about award-winning author Gary Paulsen's exploration into the very first days of male puberty. Twelve-year-old Duane Homer Leech has made a sudden, dramatic transformation into a clumsy, incomprehensible, sex-crazed doofus. As his journal details, Duane is suddenly unable to walk across a room, much less talk sensibly to a female classmate or even look at one without thinking entirely and solely about certain parts of her body. He is miserable, as are all of the boys in his class. At times outrageously funny, at times horrifically realistic (and sometimes both at the same time), Duane's story is one that will be wincingly familiar to all males who are going (or have gone) through the awful, necessary agony that is puberty.

VOYA
Paulsen is in top form in this brief twenty-day puberty journal. Duane, aka Duey, aka Doo-Doo, is just twelve when puberty hits in the form of pimples, klutziness, the inability to speak to girls, and disturbing focus on what he euphemistically calls "ELBOWS." As he adjusts to his own changes, he is watching the slow growth and fledging of a baby bird in the nest outside his window. As Duey grows pimples, the bird grows feathers and eventually flies. Duey might not fly, but he will become accustomed to the changes in himself and claim them as his own. The reader squirms right along with Duey as his tongue gets caught in his mouth, his thumb gets caught in the locker, he accidentally starts an epidemic panic at school, and the bookshelves crash into the aquarium . . . and the gerbil cage . . . and the guinea pig cage. On the other side, the reader has to think, "This boy is going to become an amazing man," when he describes the mystery of sex as "a beautiful sunset somebody else sees and tries to tell you about." Those are really the words of the author, a writer who has captured a very uncomfortable time of life amazingly well. This book is an innocent twelve-year-old's view of puberty. Paulsen's writing is beautiful, and it turns Duey's puberty journal into a description of a beautiful sunrise of its own.

School Library Journal
Gr 5-7-Twelve-year-old Duane confides to readers, "I should have seen it coming," but no one ever does. It's called puberty. With laugh-out-loud lines and self-effacing humor, Duane describes 20 days during which he has disturbing dreams, sees "ELBOWS" everywhere (a euphemism for "part of a woman's body"), gets giant zits (recognized even by his parents), and notices his voice is changing (along with other body parts). He constantly falls over his own feet at school, babbles at girls, and manages to embarrass himself-several times-in front of the entire student body. But Duane has a good friend and a grandmother in whom he can confide. Ultimately, he recognizes that he's normal and understands that this awkward, awful, alarming time will eventually end. Short chapters and clipped language keep the pace fast and create empathy for Duane's plight. Just like the fledgling bird that he observes from his bedroom window, depicted in a comical black-and-white drawing at the start of each section, Duane's confidence and self-acceptance develop and he realizes that he will not only survive puberty, but also grow and become adept at many new things.-Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at Washington DC Public Library Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews
Twelve-year-old Duane Homer Leech feels he's in the clutches of something insidious, a cruel joke that's ruining his life. Everyone calls it "puberty," but what exactly is puberty? He can't walk without tripping; he's a human zit factory; when females are near, he can't form words, much less coherent sentences. He sees ELBOWS everywhere (that's his code word for those other parts of anatomy, which you can probably guess). At school, he causes a ringworm scare by cutting off his cowlick, leaving a circular bald spot. He destroys the library by falling against a shelf reaching for a book on puberty. Duane commiserates over the phone with his friend Willy and feels a kinship with the awkward, ugly baby bird that lives on his windowsill. Between Willy and the bird, Duane realizes that life after puberty won't be nearly as hellish. Paulsen has created a humorous Are you There God? It's Me, Margaret for boys. Every male on either side of puberty will see themselves in Duane. At times laugh-out-loud funny, here is an only slightly exaggerated manual for every boy encountering his first life change. (Fiction. 10-14)

75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

By Sanjog Misra (University of Rochester)
This is gentle,sweet and wonderful book. The pictures are vivid and the colors are striking. My little boy loves leafing through and staring at each page. I strongly recommend it if you have young kids or even if you dont!

97 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

By Apisada Bulpakdi "VeggieYogi" (Fairfax, VA USA)
I'm so touched by the love Supreme Master Ching Hai has for these birds. This book is full of love and compassion. I'm not a bird person but I found this soo touching. The quality of book is also superb. glossy color printed so well worth the money. This book will touch your heart.

85 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

By L. Gao "Linda G." (Illinois, USA)
Birds in My Life is truly an eye opener to the modern readers. It unveils the secrete of bird's inner world and sees them as soulful beings, with raw emotions and divine dignity. It helps bridge the connection humans and feathered friends like the Native Americans or our ancestors used to have. It's truly a precious gift from an enlightened being to this world.Marvels!

Get A Copy Of "The Birds in My Life By The Supreme Master Ching Hai"

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YOU: The Smart Patient: An Insider's Handbook for Getting the Best Treatment By Michael F. Roizen & Mehmet C. Oz

Everyone needs to become a smart patient. In fact, in the worst cases, your life may even depend on it. Number one bestselling authors and doctors Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz have written this indispensable handbook to help everyone to get the best health care possible -- by making everyone into their own medical detective.

Witty, playful, at times offbeat, but always authoritative, You: The Smart Patient shows you how to become your own medical sleuth, tracing your medical family tree and wending your way through the pitfalls of any health care situation. Written in conjunction with the health care community's leading oversight group, The Joint Commission, the book shows readers in clear, easy steps how to take control of their own health care and deal with all matters that may come up when facing a medical case: from choosing the right doctor, hospital, and insurance company to navigating prescription drugs, specialists, treatment options, alternative medicine, pain management, or any problem that might arise.

Accessible, humorous, and filled with information that you need, You: The Smart Patient is a book for every patient and all those dealing with a loved one's medical issues.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One: Getting to Know You Let's Discover the Juicy Secrets About the Person Who Controls Your Health: You

Most people think they communicate with their doctors just fine. Better than fine, in fact. Fantastic. Given that most of the communication consists of nodding or a request for antibiotics, there's little to find fault with. That's the problem, of course. Most patients don't do a great job of communicating with their doctors because patients often give us too little pertinent information to go on (remember, just like the detective, we're looking for the facts). At the same time, they may also give us too many distracting or off-topic details. It reminds us a little bit of what a mechanic must think when we try to explain a noise in our car. We're not sure when it started, we're not sure what makes it worse, we think it's a whining sound but aren't sure...We bet this becomes a tedious monologue for those earnest professionals trying to help us.

An almost identical conversation goes on in doctors' offices every day. To be accurate, the parallel exchanges often concern befuddled male patients. There's a reason that women aged thirty to sixty are the prime decision makers about health care in the United States. Most of the guys they love either have no clue about their health needs or wouldn't see a doctor unless they had blood shooting out of both ears.

The goal of this chapter is to make sure you know the details and numbers in your health profile that you really need to know -- those stats and specifics that are crucial to you and your doctor. We always see health books and well-intentioned magazine articles that tell you to compile so much stuff, we get winded just reading the list. The average person would have to take a week off from work and probably hire a bounty hunter to get everything recommended. You don't need to do that, but you do need to assemble a thorough health history so that you'll have a body of evidence to use when working with your doctor. A big part of being a Smart Patient is knowing how to compare new evidence (such as new test results) against the old. Like Sherlock Holmes, even though something may seem elementary to everyone else and not worth asking about, you need to press on with your questions and your investigation.

We'll make compiling your health history simple enough to do, but we won't oversimplify the tasks so you lose accuracy. It's a small time investment that could save your life, so get started right away.

You Love Us? Ditto

The first sign of a Smart Patient is that telltale document they produce during their first visit, or even their fiftieth. It's a portent of a beautiful partnership -- that is, when it's not a form they need signed for their job, or a note asking one of our office assistants about their dinner plans. If we're lucky, it'll be their health profile. It's the sign of a patient who means business, one who will challenge us to be at our absolute best and who won't waste time and money on redundant and unnecessary efforts (which can lead to errors). To create the perfect health profile, circa early twenty-first century, flip ahead to appendix 2, Sample Forms, and find the forms labeled Your Health Journal. Make copies of them, or rip them out if that's handier. The forms are also online at www.jcrinc.com and www.realage.com.

Fill them out.

Finished? Everything? You're done. That is, if you don't have any questions, and you're sure it's all correct. Just bring those forms to your doctor along with a baggie filled with every medication, vitamin, herb, or whatever else you take regularly (in their original bottles). Store copies of the forms in a fireproof safe, and update them yearly or whenever a piece of key info changes. Everyone's happy.

What's that? It wasn't that simple? You don't know all the info by heart or have it filed neatly in your credenza? Now, that's woefully human of you. If you're like most of our patients, you've never compiled your important health info before, and you may not have the foggiest notion of where to find much of it -- or even if it exists at all. Even with using the forms as guides, your records may be so scattered that you don't know where to start.

Let's take it from the beginning.

Start in Top Form

Fill out all the easy stuff on the forms labeled Your Health Journal, such as your birth date, address, your doctor's contact info, your pharmacy, your insurance info, and everything else listed. As you may suspect, this will be your master form, the one you perhaps store on your computer, and give out whenever necessary, including when you visit a new medical professional or step foot in a hospital. (Take at least two copies, and always give one to the admitting nurse who welcomes you to your bed.)

This form won't just make your life easier, it'll prevent a severe case of hand cramps from rewriting half of this info dozens of times in the future. And bypassing twenty occasions that require you to blearily check boxes before you've had your morning coffee (and having another fallible person decipher that scrawl) is a no-brainer way of reducing errors.

Under the section entitled Your Health Now, write down every significant ailment or condition that you have right now. This would be the place to list ongoing conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, psoriasis, depression, back pain, and the like. Don't include anything you had years ago but don't have now; that goes in a different place. Be certain to include anything that you're taking medication for, even if the specific symptoms are gone; for example, if you're controlling your high blood pressure with medication, list high blood pressure. Next to each condition, list when you were diagnosed, what medication you're taking for it, if any, and any other relevant info. If you're not sure if it's relevant, jot it down. That's why your doctor's office assistant has Wite-Out.

In addition to those mentioned above, here are a few more examples of conditions that are significant:

* Anemia

* Heart disease

* Heart murmur, or any other

* heart irregularity

* HIV

* Herpes

* Multiple sclerosis

* Nerve paralysis

* Cancer of any form

* Diabetes

* Gingivitis (gum or periodontal disease)

* Hemophilia

* Kleptomania (just making sure you're paying attention)

* Epilepsy

* Gulf War syndrome

* Alcohol or other addictions

* Vertigo

* Sexual dysfunction

* Paraplegia or quadriplegia

* Sleep apnea

* Vision or hearing loss

* Glaucoma

* Parkinson's disease

* Amputation

* Liver disease

* Post-traumatic stress disorder

* Dementia or frequent memory loss (for example, can't recall name of close friend or relative)

* Multicythemia veragis (just kidding)

* Here are some that are probably not significant:

* Astigmatism

* Dental cavities

* Sore lower back after shoveling heavy snow

* Rosacea

* Varicose veins

* Toenail fungus infection or athlete's foot

* Forgetfulness (for example, can't remember where keys are, or where you were when Luke and Laura married on General Hospital)

* Sunburn prone or can't tan

* Insomnia before job interviews or court sentencings

* Cat allergy

* Hangover

* Irritability

* Disorganization

* C-SPAN addiction

* Turkey neck

* Repeatedly date or marry losers

Now list your past significant ailments and conditions in the next section, noting when you were diagnosed and what happened. Then list all the details about the medications you're taking (all pills or tablets or anything that you regularly ingest, inject, insert, or otherwise consume regularly, whether it's prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, herbal supplements, vitamins, etc.). We'll say this again, but in addition to having this form handy when you see your doctor (in your pocket or the office file cabinet), always bring the actual bottles of all those medicinal consumables, too. It's important.

Checklist: We Ask, You Answer

For any condition or ailment you include on your list that you're still dealing with, write down and be prepared to tell the doc the following:

* What caused this?

* When was it diagnosed?

* How are you treating it?

* Has it gotten better or worse?

* When did it first begin to noticeably improve or worsen?

* What makes it better?

* What makes it worse?

Don't Know Much about Genealogy

On pages 52 and 53, you'll also find the Smart Patient Family Tree. Flip to it and sharpen a pencil. This Smart Patient Family Tree is designed to bring joy (and longevity) to your life. The solid lines sprouting outward from you to your siblings, and downward to your parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents represent blood-relative connections (not by marriage). You'll notice a dashed line going to your spouse, which represents a non-blood relationship. The reason you need to include your spouse is that he or she lives with you (at least we hope so). That means you share the same environmental exposures and, likely, similar risks. You serve as each other's personal coal-mine canary. One of you may get nauseous from the toxic waste buried under your house years before the other one. (Just kidding! You'd likely be afflicted simultaneously.) Also, even though you don't share DNA (at least not on most school nights, anyway), your spouse influences your health far more than your aunt Sadie in Perth Amboy. Auntie may have a cholesterol count that would bring a Guinness World Records rep to her door, but she isn...
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 55 of 57 people found the following review helpful: By Amalfi Coast Girl (Mid-Atlantic, USA)

I was a hospital administrator for just under two decades so most of this information is second nature to me. I purchased this book because I liked the general style of "You: The Owner's Manual" and was curious to see how the doctors tackled this subject. I have been impressed with the way they were able to take out much of the unnecessary medical and hospital terminology and get to the point for the rest of us.

The book is subdivided as follows:

1. Getting to Know You (Information that is important to convey to your doctor)
2. Finding Doctor Right (not all doctors are created equal, 50% of all doctors finished medical school in the bottom 50% or their graduating class)
3. Let's Play Operational (what you should know if you are scheduling surgery)
4. Prescription Drugs
5. How to Case a Hospital (choosing a safe hospital)
6. Have a Happily Humdrum Hospital Stay
7. Why You Should Always Get a Second Opinion
8. Just What Gives You the Right (Patient Rights)
9. Considering the Alternatives (Alternative Medicine)
10. Take Control of Your Health Insurance
Appendix 1: Medical Jargon Explained
Appendix 2: Sample Forms (Your Health Journal, Living Will, Power of Attorney for Health Care, Do Not Resuscitate Order)
Appendix 3: Resources

If you know someone that has been diagnosed with cancer, or will be undergoing surgery this is a nice book to buy. The doctors cover a lot of important topics like: making certain a hospital has JCAHO accreditation (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, checking the doctor's board certification, understanding HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, knowing drug interactions and getting second opinions. All of these things are extremely important and will impact your care if not your health.

If you don't work in a healthcare setting, I recommend reading this book before something happens to your health and you end up in the hospital. I read somewhere that almost half of us will have an inpatient stay in the hospital prior to the end of our lives. I don't think we can ever be too prepared for something that can have such an impact on our lives, or the life of someone that we love. As a former member of the hospital community I can tell you that the doctor and hospital that you select can have a tremendous impact on the outcome you experience. Why take a chance, know the facts, and know your rights.
49 of 52 people found the following review helpful: By Renee Malkah (USA)
This book was an interesting read, and it certainly has some useful information in it. It's written in an irreverent style, for those who like that sort of thing. Chap. 1 does a good job of explaining how and why you should have a detailed health history on hand, as well as knowing your family history and keeping a list of your medications. Later on in the book, on p. 271, there is related advice, on getting copies of all your test results, radiology reports and specialist reports. All important to keeping your health information up-to-date.
Chap. 2 covers finding a good primary care doctor, though some of the advice is also meant for finding a specialist. Pages 91-95 are especially relevant, where it's explained that it's important for you to let a doctor ask you a lot of questions, so they can figure out what is wrong with you, and how important it is for you to answer those questions succinctly. At times, I couldn't tell if the content of this chapter was meant for finding a primary care or specialist doctor; I would have liked to have seen a chapter just on finding a specialist.
Chap. 3 is all about locating a good surgeon. It has a lot of fine points about finding the surgeon who's best for treating your condition, and has a list of important questions you should ask the surgeon before having an operation.
On p. 74, and again on p. 109, there are suggestions about finding a good doctor by asking for recommendations from nurses and anesthesiologists at nearby hospitals. I'm sure that these individuals do know who the better doctors are. However, I wonder how willing these health care providers would be to provide recommendations to patients who are complete strangers. But, it's a gambit that's worth a try.
There's a chapter about hospital stays, and the main advice is for you or your family members to make certain that the hospital staff wash their hands religiously, and to watch like a hawk to make certain that you're given the right treatments, tests and medications, rather than the wrong ones meant for another patient. It's astounding the amount of diligence you and your family will have to exercise during a hospital stay.
Chapter 7 is well-written and explains why it is so important to get a second opinion about your medical care. There's also a discussion about patient rights. Likewise, Chap. 9 on health insurance is full of useful tips explaining how to deal with your insurer.
After reading through the book, I was hoping to find advice on how to deal with a difficult situation I've experienced, but I wasn't able to find any. The situation is when I've done my homework like the book says, and found a surgeon who's highly regarded, works at a teaching hospital, has great credentials and is highly recommended by my family doctor. He's even published a paper about the condition I have. And then I go to him, and find that he's disinclined to answer the questions about surgery, such as those listed on p. 99-101. What's a patient to do in a situation like this? Here you've followed the advice in the book, and you're still stymied in getting good medical care.
There is only one small part of the book that I disagreed with, and that's the sidebar on p. 204, about being a grateful patient while in the hospital. Like the book says, it is nice if you can buy candy or pizza for the nurses during your hospital stay, to show your appreciation. But then the book goes on to suggest "if you've never been a people person in your life, now is a good time to get good at it."
This is great advice - if you're going on a job interview or to a party. A hospital stay is neither of these. You're there because you're sick and in pain and trying to get your health back. From my visits to hospitals to see friends and relatives, I've witnessed a cousin on morphine spouting out nonsense and unable to recognize family members. I've seen a friend so debilitated by surgery and pain, that she could barely carry on a conversation. Asking someone to be at their 'social best' under such circumstances is simply asking too much.
As much as a person is able to, they should try and not be disrespectful or overly demanding of the hospital staff. And I do think, as the sidebar suggests, that once you are out of the hospital and back to your normal self, that you write thank you notes to the staff, and let them know that you did appreciate the care you were given.
This subject makes me wonder if a patient should expect a doctor to 'get good at being a people person'.
All in all, I think the book is a good read for those who are totally mystified about obtaining decent health care. If you're half-mystified, there's still plenty of good suggestions here. But for anyone who's been involved with doctors and hospitals for some length of time, there's not much new in this book. You've probably already found out a lot of this information just through your experiences navigating the labyrinth that is medical care here in the US.


13 of 15 people found the following review helpful: By Stefanie (Pa United States)
Even though I already knew a lot of what was in this book, I still had a lot to learn.
I just spent a few months in and out of the hospital and I wish I had this book with me. It is an excellent read for someone who is just entering the "maze" of the medical community. If you have any chronic conditions, this book is a must have. You'll find yourself lending it out as well!
Even though I already knew a lot of what was in this book, I still had a lot to learn.
I just spent a few months in and out of the hospital and I wish I had this book with me. It is an excellent read for someone who is just entering the "maze" of the medical community. If you have any chronic conditions, this book is a must have. You'll find yourself lending it out as well!

Get A Copy Of "YOU: The Smart Patient: An Insider's Handbook for Getting the Best Treatment By Michael F. Roizen & Mehmet C. Oz"

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Back to the Future - The Complete Trilogy (Widescreen Edition) Starring: Michael J. Fox & Christopher Lloyd

Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis topped his breakaway hit Romancing the Stone with Back to the Future, a joyous comedy with a dazzling hook: what would it be like to meet your parents in their youth? Billed as a special-effects comedy, the imaginative film (the top box-office smash of 1985) has staying power because of the heart behind Zemeckis and Bob Gale's script. High schooler Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox, during the height of his TV success) is catapulted back to the '50s where he sees his parents in their teens, and accidentally changes the history of how Mom and Dad met. Filled with the humorous ideology of the '50s, filtered through the knowledge of the '80s (actor Ronald Reagan is president, ha!), the film comes off as a Twilight Zone episode written by Preston Sturges. Filled with memorable effects and two wonderfully off-key, perfectly cast performances: Christopher Lloyd as the crazy scientist who builds the time machine (a DeLorean luxury car) and Crispin Glover as Marty's geeky dad. --Doug Thomas

Critics and audiences didn't seem too happy with Back to the Future, Part II, the inventive, perhaps too clever sequel. Director Zemeckis and cast bent over backwards to add layers of time-travel complication, and while it surely exercises the brain it isn't necessarily funny in the same way that its predecessor was. It's well worth a visit, though, just to appreciate the imagination that went into it, particularly in a finale that has Marty watching his own actions from the first film. --Tom Keogh

Shot back-to-back with the second chapter in the trilogy, Back to the Future, Part III is less hectic than that film and has the same sweet spirit of the first, albeit in a whole new setting. This time, Marty ends up in the Old West of 1885, trying to prevent the death of mad scientist Christopher Lloyd at the hands of gunman Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson, who had a recurring role as the bully Biff). Director Zemeckis successfully blends exciting special effects with the traditions of a Western and comes up with something original and fun. --Tom Keogh

Product Description
Experience the Complete Trilogy!

Presented by Steven Spielberg, directed by Oscar® winner Robert Zemeckis and starring time travelers Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, the phenomenally popular Back To The Future films literally changed the future of the adventure movie genre. Now, this unprecedented Back To The Future DVD Trilogy immerses you in all the breathtaking action, outrageous comedy and sheer moviemaking magic of one of the most brilliantly inventive, wildly entertaining motion picture triumphs in Hollywood history!

System Requirements:
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover, Elisabeth Shue, and Lea Thompson.
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis.
Running Time: 344 Min. (Total), Color.
These films are presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2002 Universal.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Most Helpful Customer Reviews 388 of 414 people found the following review helpful:

This review is from: Back to the Future - The Complete Trilogy (Full Screen Edition) (DVD)
Just wanted to let people know that in the widescreen edition, a mistake was made on the second and third discs--instead of using actual widescreen footage, someone just put black bars on the top and bottom of the fullscreen pan-and-scan version, so you get even *less* picture with the widescreen version. This error was not noticed until it was too late, although Universal Studios is planning to correct this in a future version of the dvd set, and people who bought the original set will be able to get a free trade-in. Here's the email they've been sending to people who asked about this:

"Thank you for your email. Universal Studios will exchange Back to the Future parts 2 and 3 for copies with the updated framing in late February 2003. You may send the DVDs back now or wait until February. Please send Back to the Future disks 2 and 3, without the case, and a letter with the following information: Name, Full Mailing Address, Daytime Phone Number, Reason for Return and Return Address. Send to:

Back to the Future DVD Returns
PO Box 224468
Dallas, Texas 75260

Thank you,
Universal Studios Customer Service"


174 of 223 people found the following review helpful: By S.A. Boumans (Netherlands)
Well, after too much Internet gossip and anticipation, we can finally enjoy the DVD version of this great trilogy. Actually, nothing needs to be said about the story or the fantastic crew that made it happen, everybody knows it (and if not, you're a caveman amongst other cavemen...or cave-women...). The DVDs have many extras you'll enjoy and then some...

Probably the most-talked about issue of this release is the product's interpretation of the soft matted original cut. If you dig deep enough in Internet sources, you'll read a mixture of positive and negative responses. Fact is, on this 1.85:1 version, you will see less picture information in height, and more in width than the 4:3 version. This movie was shot in soft-matted format, which basically means that the original prints were in a kind of '4:3' format, where in the upper and lower regions there is information that needs to be covered (the microfone syndrome...), and was not intended to be part of the screening of the film. This is done in theaters, and again with every video/ld/dvd release. This in contrast to 2.35:1 movies, or otherwise matted films and formats, in which case the widescreen format is 'directly' converted to DVD, and will give a much more complete film than the 4:3 viewing. But that's not the case here.

What all this means is that with the Back To The Future DVDs, a new matting has been applied that has converted the original soft-matted material to a new 1.85:1 format. This means that, like I stated earlier, when you compare the 4:3 VHS (that everybody knows) to this release, the 4:3 has some extra film top and bottom, and this DVD has some extra film left and right. This is what the 'confusion' on the Internet is all about. Some people, rightfully, indicate that they are missing peaces of the film (Marty's sci-fi jacked is f.i. not fully displayed in the DVD whereas it was on ld and VHS), but other information is added on the DVD (the hard matted special effects sequences). Thus, some people are inclined to say that this is not the original movie version. Actually, being a soft matted presentation in theaters in the mid '80's and later, it probably differed each time it was presented, with a different projector setting each time, resulting in a different matting and screening each time. This DVD version is just another interpretation of matting. And everybody has something to say about this one!

To make a long story short, please enjoy this classic and its many extra features, with or without the knowledge that in every different media format, there is a different viewing of this wonderful peace of family entertainment.

85 of 107 people found the following review helpful: By Michael Crane (Orland Park, IL USA) - See all my reviews
Well, looks like nobody wanted to post my first review, so I'm posting this again. And I will continue to do so until it finally makes it on here, because the truth needs to be told. I know other people have already told you all about the problems concerning the WIDESCREEN versions of "Back to the Future." It's all true. This is terrible. Parts 2 and 3 were formatted incorrectly, meaning that you are missing more than half of the bottom and even the sides! THE SIDES!! The whole purpose of widescreen is to see what the director wanted you to see. When you get full screen, you are missing the sides, which are way more important than seeing some of the top or bottom.

Part 1 is correct from what I know and what I could see. It is only parts 2 and 3 that were formatted incorrectly.

Would've been the perfect edition if Universal didn't royally screw it up. Everything else is great, but you know what? That doesn't mean you can muck up on the formatting of the stinking films and ship them out even when you know they were wrong, Universal!

The two stars are not for "Back to the Future." No, they're for Universal. Thanks for nothing!

Post this review, please. I have it saved on Word, so I WILL re-post it if I have to. The truth will be told, no matter what it takes.

Get A Copy Of "Back to the Future - The Complete Trilogy (Widescreen Edition) Starring: Michael J. Fox & Christopher Lloyd "

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Mama's Boy, Preacher's Son: A Memoir By Kevin Jennings

This rags-to-riches story, about growing up poor and eventually reaching Harvard has bite and pathos. The youngest son of a born-again Southern Baptist preacher originally from Massachusetts, and a mother from Appalachian Tennessee, Jennings led an itinerant youth among trailer parks in Southern towns where his dad would try to find work. The boy couldn't make his father proud on the football field, and already he had learned that "being a real man meant taking advantage of anyone smaller or weaker than you." With his father's abrupt death when Jennings was eight, he became a "mama's boy," introverted, brainy and overweight, and ridden by guilt at his incipient homosexuality. Supported by his scarcely educated mother, who became the first woman manager at McDonald's, Jennings excelled in school and on the debate team and was accepted to Harvard by 1981. Jennings became a high-school teacher, at Concord Academy among others, agonizing over the decision to out himself; he promoted the creation of GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) to protect students from the kind of harassment he experienced firsthand. When his national crusade brought him back home to speak at the same Winston-Salem school system where his "young soul had almost been crushed," Jennings writes of his journey with graciousness and candor. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
When hospitalized in 1966 with whooping cough--a consequence of his family's extreme poverty, which excluded vaccinations, insurance, and even a doctor until the three-year-old's fever exceeded 102 degrees--Jennings almost died. Buoyed by his Appalachian mother's steel will, he returned to the family's two-bedroom trailer and recovered, but fighting for life left him feeling different and vulnerable, and his mother overprotective. Hence, he became a mama's boy. As for his fundamentalist--preacher dad, he cared only about God and sports, worked construction jobs--and dropped dead at Jennings' eighth-birthday party. He grew up gay with athletic brothers in a sports-mad family ("a white-trash version of the Kennedys") amid a culture that forbade homosexuality. After 12 years "of isolation and sadness" in public schools, he went to Harvard on a scholarship and discovered new freedoms, but he re-closeted himself when he went home to teach. After two years, he left, marched with his partner for gay rights in 1987, and eventually spearheaded efforts to make schools safer for gay kids. A refreshingly readable memoir. Whitney Scott

Most Helpful Customer Reviews 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: By Jessica Lux-Baumann "LaGizma" (Rosamond, CA)

This review is from: Mama's Boy, Preacher's Son (Paperback)
Kevin Jennings grew up as a preacher's son (the son of a Southern Baptist Minister) and a mama's boy (more interested in intellectual pursuits than athletics). This memoir is not merely the story of a homosexual boy in the Deep South living below the poverty line. Jennings's personal struggles with family and community acceptance are neither extreme nor representative of the majority. The strength of Jennings's life story lies in the experiences and incidents which led to his career as an activist. The author is able to portray the gradual development of his adult activist spirit, so far removed from the boy who lived in fear of school and his classmates.

As a reader, I especially enjoyed the story of young Kevin's black sister-in-law. His decade-older brother came back from military service with (gasp!) a black wife. They were exiled from the family and community and moved to the Northeast. Kevin had been raised to believe that the KKK, while not a part of his immediate family, did good for the whites in the South. He was ingrained with beliefs about scourge of the blacks in the South. He had extreme anxiety about visiting his brother and sister-in-law, but when he arrived at their house, he learned first-hand what a lovely woman Claudette was, and they quickly became friends and confidantes. Kevin's earliest moment of activism was introducing Claudette to all the family members at a funeral, and ensuring that they all shook her hand and talked politely with her, despite her outsider status.

Kevin Jennings was the first member of his family to go to college, but the family was disappointed that he chose a profession as un-important and un-manly a teaching. If there is one lesson from the story of Kevin Jennings, it is this: a teacher learns as much from his students as they do from him. A teacher who goes into the classroom ready to learn from his or her students has boundless capacity for growth. Jennings worked at a number of private institutions in his early career, learning from his students what level of "outness" they could accept (a lot, it turns out). He spoke up against administration policies which did not prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. He formed early Gay-Straight Alliances, describing the impetus that came directly from both gay and straight students who placed importance on such partnerships.

I highly recommend this book as high school classroom reading. Kevin Jennings has a life story with elements of poverty (classism), sexism, racism, and discrimination based on sexual orientation. These are universal issues, and his personal experiences provide a starting point for dialog about acceptance and the destruction of stereotypes.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful: By Bob Drake "BobDrake" (Bronx, NY United States)
One might expect the life of a gay son of a Southern minister to be miserable and brief, but this one is truly inspirational, both because of the quality of the son, and of the extraordinary tenacity of his uneducated but street-smart mother. Jennings has a memory for and eye for detail that is astonishing. Anyone who believes that homosexuality is a "lifestyle choice" should be convinced otherwise by this memoir, though some will be troubled by Jennings' brazen attitude during his Harvard years. My experience with teaching at a "private school" paralleled his -- not the place for a liberal-minded person with an independent streak. One has to admire the man Jennings became and appreciate the strength required to get there.

Get A Copy Of Mama's Boy, Preacher's Son: A Memoir By Kevin Jennings

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