D-A Books

I think that anyone who would give this great novel 2 stars is a HATER and have NOT read the book at all.


I LOVED LOVED LOVED the book and Can not wait until Metamorphosis is dropped this summer. "What if it feels good?" is just the beginning.

Congrats D.J. !!!!!

Teri~

I was really excited about reading this book when I saw it online, but when I received it in the mail and started reading it..I was very disappointed. I read about 80 pages before I just gave up. I wouldn't recommend this book to someone whose looking for a solid read with detailed dialougue and colorful characters.

This is one of the best books i have had the opportunity to read , i couldn't put it down there were nights i sat up till 2:00am reading , Dj vivid description made believe i was there , I connectected with the chracters and felt as if i knew them personaly i read 5 to 6 books a month and WHAT IF IT FEELS GOOD is by far my favorite i have already made plans to read it again and recommend it to all my reading friends .

D.J. McLaurin's hard-to-put-down, exceptionally well-written and phenomenally plotted "What If It Feels Good?" is pure old-school pop fiction with an edge. Harkening back to the better days of Danielle Steele, Sidney Sheldon, and Jeffrey Archer, and a terrific homage to Charles Dickens, Ms. McLaurin restores melodrama's good name with a story as heart-wrenching as anything concocted by the Bronte sisters, while still maintaining a unique voice of her own with a contemporary and downright controversial slant few writers have been brave enough to traverse.

The story opens on the mean streets of Detroit. Michael Bagley is an almost too beautiful street urchin, a cross between the angelic Oliver Twist and the streetwise Artful Dodger, homeless, eating out of trash cans, surviving anyway he can. The novel opens with three telling sentences: "Men were attracted to him. At just fourteen, Michael could see it. Of course not every man was attracted to the youthful sweetness of the innocent, but there were enough of them to make a lucrative living."

But there's something special about Michael's personality, as special as his unearthly beauty. Even as he half-heartedly hustles male tricks twice his age and older with mixed results, the kid's got chutzpa and a lot of heart, with no desire to do anyone harm. He beds an older woman out of gratitude and genuine affection, his good heart earns him shared shelter under the highway with a loving homeless couple, and even his single mother, a stripper and a loving (if irresponsible) parent beset by unfortunate circumstances, benefits from his unconditional love and devotion. Ironically it is because of his protection of her (whom, against her protest, he stays away from to give her space with an abusive pimp-type) that lands him in trouble, as a gun accidentally goes off injuring his mother's nefarious paramour.

Swirls of activities ensue at a deliciously dizzying pace; court hearings, mysterious lawyers, the sudden appearance of an unknown father, the threat of incarcerations, and custody decisions. Suddenly the court gives Michael's biological father, Joseph Simpson, a black billionaire entertainment and media mogul from New York, an ultimatum: either assume custody of his illegitimate son, or watch the boy be remanded to Michigan state custody.

Both mother and son are devastated by the results, as Michael is whisked off to a New York mansion by a father he doesn't know, and to a step mother and half-siblings who are less than cordial.

Without resorting to simple black-and-white stereotypes, the author creates circumstances for Michael in his new setting so emotional that tears of sadness and tears of joy are guaranteed to fly, and after being roller-coastered through every emotion imaginable you'll jump with the bitter sweet joy of parents at their only daughter's wedding when Michael's ultimate relationship with his father works itself out.

Over time a bond is created between Michael and the rest of his new family, only for the now 17-year-old to enter into a deeply moving love affair with his father's best friend, a man twenty years his senior, creating another grand crisis in a story awash with crises.

Ms. McLaurin's handling of the delicate issue of pedophilia is nothing short of miraculous; leaving readers with conflicting views and though-provoking questions that will spark discussion long after the final page is turned.

Books like these--impossibly beautiful people, rags to riches, what price celebrity, a media eating frenzy, tawdry sex, infidelity, deep family jealousy, dark family secrets, international jet-setting, deathbed confessions, and the kitchen sink--usually have very little on their minds and are so often mere titillating stories poorly articulated (How do you say Jackie Collins-Judith Krantz?), but in "What If It Feels Good?" D.J. McLaurin has cracked the secret recipe for writing an intelligent and literate potboiler.

It is almost a cliché to say that I didn't want this book to end. Well it also happens to be a fact. What a hellified book. What a hellified writer. I wait anxiously for whatever she comes up with next.Looker: A Novel

What If It Feels Good by D.J. McLaurin is a riveting novel that throws you into the pit of hell and drags you into another world. This book is filled with everything from abusive relationships, cheating, stardom, uniting, and salvaging memories; you name it, it is in here.

Meet Michael Bagley, a young man forced to move out of his mother's home because of an abusive boyfriend. Where can he turn when he does not know who is his real father? Michael hits the streets where he does anything for money, food and shelter. When Michael tries to save his mother, Sarah, from her violent boyfriend the confrontation has him on the run. Facing jail time, Sarah must tell Michael the truth about the identity of his father, and Michaels' life will never be the same.

D.J. McLaurin pushes you to the point of no return. When Michael meets his father and is faced with his fathers' lavish lifestyle and happy family, all hell breaks loose. For goodness sake he was eating out of garbage cans, prostituting himself and sleeping under a bridge. How could Sarah let him live under these conditions given his father's status?

Michael now has a new battle to face; he has fallen in love with his father's best friend of twenty years. Will love prevail? When the lies become too much and boundaries are crossed who will come out unscathed?

This book is filled with an abundance of emotions; forcing me to feel the inevitable, cry and pray for Michaels' safety and sanity. As a parent, I was filled with mixed emotions, in regards to the lack of parental control the parents had over his life. I did however, enjoy reading this book, and look forward to the riveting sequel to find out if love conquers all.

I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys reading, feeling and appreciating a good story.

Reviewed by:

Cheryl H
APOOO BookClub

This book provides in depth knowledge concerning all aspects of whippets: their history, temperment, housing, training techniques, etc. I strongly recommend it as the proud owner of a whippet puppy. The information provided has worked wonders in learing about the whippet breed and managing our little guy.

I have found this book to be an excellent source for Whippet enthusiasts. It is quite comprehensive, has some stunning photography, and deals with pretty much every facet of owning one of these wonderful animals. It gave me a great deal of insight into Whippets in general. Highly recommend it!

i love this book. by reading it, i chose to get a whippet as my next dog. i already have a golden retriever, but she's really my mom's dog and i wanted one of my own to take to new york city when i go to college. as luck would have it, my cousin, raymond, who is one of the top whippet breeders in the country, called me and told me he had two little puppies who needed homes. my mom, my brother, my brother's friend, and i all went to his house one weekend and came home with an eight week old puppy. i named him elton, and he's sitting in my lap right now as a twelve week old adolescent. thank you so much, to the wonderful authors, for helping me choose my next breed of dog!

While the book is fairly concise, it is a very thorough handbook for owning a Whippet. I have referenced it many times in the few months since owning a Whippet puppy and each time it has something valuable to say. I highly suggest owning this book.

Great book - comprehensive guide for whippet owners. Useful information for those primarily interested as a pet owner rather than those looking for specialised advice on breeding, showing etc. Highly recommended. Should be mandatory reading for all prospective/new whippet owners. The information is detailed yet highly readable. The writing is of an excellent standard making it a pleasure to read.

Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (1/09)

The author's have given us an excellent overview of how women get sucked into unhealthy relationships with men who are power hungry, controlling and have no concern or empathy for those whom they hurt. These are men who can harm an individual without killing them. Psychologist's and society call them sociopaths or psychopaths.

The detailed information on topics such as: understanding the psychopath; how men hook women into their dark world; the woman who is a high risk for getting into a relationship with a psychopath and stories from four women who were caught in this deceitful web.

As I read this book, I will honestly say that it was the story of my daughter and the man who took her life without killing her. Reading this book gave me chills for all women who are or might get into a relationship like this. One chapter that really held my interest was the chapter on The Use of Trance, Hypnosis and Suggestibility. The authors talk about how this type of man can spend all his time around a woman focusing on them and no one else by making little comments such as "You're so wonderful and beautiful," "No one has ever made me feel the way you do- they just don't understand me." How does this work you might ask- one thing I found from reading this book is that some women have high attentional factors; this comes from a possible history of abuse or neglect; extensive dependency and excessive self-sacrificing.

As a psychologist, I do know that we all have asked how a woman can stay in a relationship with a man that is like this. The author's have done an incredible job in explaining the temperament, and character traits that draw women into this type of harmful relationship and further explain why they remain. This book is such an unbelievable account of a profile of women who attract psychopaths. After reading this, readers will have an excellent view of how, what and when this happens. "Women Who Love Psychopaths" by Sandra L. Brown and Liane J. Leedom is a book every therapist should recommend to women who have been in harmful relationships and it is a book all therapists or would-be therapist need to read.

Women Who Love Psychopaths is a great eye-opener. For years I haven't been able to figure out why there were so many controlling men in my life. I'm smart, caring, trusting, friendly, empathetic and loyal, just the qualities that a psychopath looks for in his women. Now that I've read this book, I have a much better idea why I'm in this situation. Can't wait for their next book that will tell us what to do about this dilemma.

I'm kind of new to the whole psychology scene. A group of friends was passing this book around and sharing it and I was blown away by it. So far as psychology terms I'm quite novice but Brown and Leedom do a great job of presenting the facts in terms a novice can understand. It was a little difficult, being male and that I had to take a good look at myself in my own relationship(s). Regardless though of gender it brings a person into the microscope of studying the psychopath.

"Women Who Love Psychopaths" is an eye-opening experience and certainly a must read. This book revealed many things about ourselves and our weakness, both men and women. And, it is a good book for those who have fallen in love with such a psychopathic individuals and how we can learn to spot the signs and how we can survive the toxic relationships.

It is most certainly a great research into the situation. I would highly recommend it along with Sandra Brown's How to Spot a Dangerous Man Before You Get Involved.

Based off a case study of seventy-five women, Women Who Love Psychopaths is Sandra Brown's latest tome dealing with dangerous men, and how to spot them before they can seriously cause damage. Liane Leedom also contributed, however her view of psychopathy is something more along the lines of the DSM-IV category, which anyone who studies the subject know is grossly misleading and quite inaccurate. The book offers a look inside the minds of psychopaths (which is the part I recommend you skip), as well as the minds and emotional traits of the women that tend to be their victims. It also gives an extremely details look at the 'bonding' process these women go through, how their psychopaths were able to hook them and keep them once their pathological behavior starts to rear its ugly head.

My biggest complaint about the book are its contributions by Liane Leedom. For example, on page 19 we're told, "ADHD is often a precursor to psychopathy." which simply isn't true. No reference is cited nor have I seen this in the classic literature (Hare, Cleckley, etc.) There was also a tendency to quote Wikipedia as if it's a reliable source. If I've learned anything about Wikipedia is that it's good for something, mundane things, like the temperature of the sun or a superficial look at history or definitions, but when it comes to sensitive topics, like the Israel-Palestinian bit, Iran, or psychopathy that the information is likely to be skewed in favor of the mainstream. If you want a good example contrast these two entries on the topic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy and http://enpsychopedia.org/index.php/Psychopathy. That latter one has good case studies of individual nut jobs too if you're interested.

What I really like about WWLP is that it gives us a good look at the women (and by extension anyone) who has a tendency to fall for psychopathic personalities and get ensnared in their pathological machinations. It gives us a plethora of red flags to look for in terms of their behavior, which can be useful in identifying pathological personalities at home, at work, or in our social life.

Some choice quotes on the matter:

"Interestingly, this is the only major trait that the psychopath's woman shares with the psycho¬path--the issue of extraversion and excitement seeking. This is the attraction, the hook-up factor, and the issue upon which their dating relationship was based, the exciting extraverted life they both want to live! If you wondered what the first part of their attraction to each other was: here it is! But there is also more to what attracted her and kept them together."

"As wonderful as competitiveness is in regular life, her competitiveness however, is a downfall in the relationship with the psychopath. This is because as the relationship begins to become patho¬logically-driven and his crazy-making increases instead of running for the hills she is likely to stay and battle it out."

"Women who love psychopaths tested very high in relationship investment and positive sociability. These are the kinds of women psychopaths like to target. The psychopath uses positive rewards to establish his patterns of power, control, and dominance in a woman's life."

"If a woman is ending a previous relationship in which she didn't get much affection, hooking up with a psychopath can feel like she has hit the 'Affection Lotto!' At least in the beginning many psychopaths know that to give affection is to increase her sense of attachment, and her corresponding loyalty. Psychopaths see affection as a way of exerting power and dominance over both the relationship and the emotions of their partners"

"These cooperation traits are her drawing card to a psychopath. Her over-flowing empathy, tolerance, friendliness, compassion, supportiveness and her moral prin¬ciples are what balance the lopsided scales of the relationship with him, since he lacks these quali¬ties. This delicate balance helps to camouflage the glaring gaps of the character traits between them. Her cooperativeness helps to smooth out the character he doesn't have and makes the relationship seem more normal. We think that very high cooperativeness is the most significant reason these specific women were targeted. Psychopaths instinctively know that women high in coopera¬tiveness will stay in relationships with them longer."



I could go on, but you get the idea. Friendly, cooperative, empathic, loyal, extraverted, tolerant, well-adjusted women are like a gold-mine, literally, for the psychopath. He'll use her strengths against her in order to keep her right where he wants her, while he drains her bank account, emotional vitality and all of the time their psychological and physiological health suffers as a result.

One of the most interesting traits I discovered during the reading was: "..the women in the survey when given the choice between trusting what the psychopath says he has done/not done/or will do, or trusting what she has caught him actually doing, women who love psychopaths will likely choose the words over the actions."

Now that's pretty scary. We're also given info on how he uses sex as a primer, in order to have her bond with him, chemically:

"Sex kick-starts the premature bonding process. The touching and sexual stimulation seals the love bond. The stimulation of the vagina and cervix during sex causes the release of the hormones prolactin and oxytocin. These hormones travel to the bonding centers of the brain and produce an emotional and hormonal attachment to the man. The importance of these hormones in female attachment is these are the exact hormones produced in pregnancy and nursing. They are responsible for a woman's ability to bond to babies! The more sex she has with the psychopath, the more these attachment hormones are released, and the more bonded she feels to the psychopath. This isn't merely the cuddling of love making. This is a biochemical process occurring in her body and brain increasing her sense of attachment...but tragically, to a psychopath! These are the hormones of motherhood attachment. Just like motherly love is unconditional, a sexual bond is also unconditional. She will find out just what it will cost her to have this intense unconditional attachment and love bond to a psychopath."



Psychopaths also instinctively know how to induce trance-like states in normal people:

"Trance produces perceptual biases. That means if the psychopath is telling her wonderful things and she is euphoric with him, she tends to associate wonderful and euphoric things with the memory of him...even after he's turned into a monster. While in trance, a woman tends to "cement" what she felt or learned in that state. That's why it's so difficult for women to believe he's a liar, swindler, or cheater because she learned all the wonderful things about him in trance states that have been "cemented" in her memory."



It's a chilling read. Later the book has discussions of what the women felt while their were with their psychopath, and how it has affected their lives once they've managed to break away from them. Most interestingly we are given a step by step explanation of the relationship as it progresses from the initial meet and attraction, subsequent bonding and infatuation to the eventual downward spiral into emotional manipulation, psychological (sometimes physical and sexual) abuse, and financial loss.

Overall Women Who Love Psychopaths is a great book, solely for it's look into pathological "love" relationships, how they get started, their downward trend, and the overall affects on the lives of the non-pathological partner. The stories are real, visceral, and sad and should serve to educate all of us on the warning signs, before we too before another victim.

Ahead of the Curve: A Guide to Applied Strategic Thinking (Hardcover)

Are you an active force in shaping your future or simply being on the receiving side of the inevitable "jolt" of change? Stowell and Mead suggest a practical approach to becoming a strategic force in an organization's future. The strategic leader lays the groundwork for future opportunities. Examples of powerful questions set the context for establishing a cultural of reflective and analytical thinking. This starts by "stepping back" from daily activity and discovering what strategic thinking means to each individual and member of any leadership, management or natural work team: how are you adding value to your organization in the long term.

A practical model is presented to help us visualize our work environment from a strategic perspective. Of the four zones described (Operator, Planner, Inventor, Strategist) on a horizontal axis of time and a vertical axis of imagination, the Strategist operates in environment of strategic opportunity, thinking both broad and long term. The Strategist has an uncanny ability to anticipate, recognize and convert changes into opportunities. Strategy is about improving your position to make a difference in the organization. The secret is recognizing how to apply this way of thinking on a daily basis to the most mundane of activities in order to uncover new ideas, proving value and moving ahead of the curve.

What can we do to make this applied approach work? We must find a way to mentally step back and have a conversation about the future with a mentor, team member, supervisor or trusted advisor. Observe how the organization and its parts fit together, gain a perspective of perspicacity. Develop habits that will strengthen the strategic mind: Seek out knowledge and information; be curious; be self-motivated; be collaborative; be playful with ideas; go on a learning journey.

A C.L.E.A.R. target provides a basic rule: Nothing about strategic thinking is all that complex. A good target that is well defined has a certain profile. Controllable, Linked, Energizing, Actionable, Result-Oriented. The importance of this goal model to me is the focus on the energizing and action focus of the entire book. The initiative must be exciting, fun and rewarding, but must at all costs lead to reasonable implementation or you gain nothing. If not result-oriented, then you have wasted finite resources and are simply marking time. Finally, the future is not as far away as you think - so get ahead of the curve and avoid the jolt of running into the wall of change you did not anticipate. This book is worth having at your desk and reviewing in a reflective intentional manner.

Dennis Rogers, Director of Strategic Learning, Division of Strategic Development, Social and Rehabilitation Services, State of Kansas.

As much as this title is about strategy, in my opinion, it is also about being innovative and acting on innovation - what the author might call "strategic thoughts". If you are thinking about how to satisfy the future needs of customers, I think you would like this. It has a plenty of good information.

I bought this book after reading one of the Amazon reviews. After reading the book, I was impressed in the value and concepts it offered towards the idea of strategy. From a Senior Management perspective, this works for both the organization as an entity and those "individuals using it daily" as was mentioned in another review. Strategic gold.

I've read through a number of books on strategy and feel this is one I can put to good use and speaks to me. It discussed how to "apply" strategy rather than just telling you what it is. Most of the other books on strategy are academic and seem to be solely informative. This is something you could give to front line management and senior team who could all relate. If you want to learn how to think strategically, this is for you. If you want a more traditional text book style read on strategy, you might want something else. This could be a good companion if you choose that route.

Before reading this book, I didn't think that the word strategy applied to me and my role as a mid-level manager. But since I've read Ahead of the Curve, I use strategy and apply the strategic priciples I learned in every aspect of my life. It has given me a new outlook on how I can contribute to my organization. Not only does the book guide you through identifying your strategic target, or goal, but then walks you through a strategic process to achieve your initiatives. As a side note, I found the book kept my attention the whole way through with interesting examples, helpful quotes, and eye catching images. The authors did a great job at keeping my attention and securing me as a reader of their other books! Win-Win Partnerships: Be on the Leading Edge with Synergistic Coachin

I,m sixty-one yrs old. My heroes have always been the WWII veterans. I'm stocked with books, video tapes and dvd's of WWII. But my favorite is Tom Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation". I gave my 31yr old son a set for Christmas, when they first came out. I hate to see them(WWII vets) go. There will never be another quite like them. No, never! Through out the universe, we can not fathom what they went through, for US. My greatest memory of a WWII veteran, is when I was aboard the USS Lexington. I was a tour guide when it opened as a museum in Oct '92, in Corpus Christi, Tx. I was wearing my Viet Nam veteran pin. He extended his hand to me and said Thank you! I was perturbed for a minute, but then he said, "for your service in Viet Nam". Those are the men Tom is talking about. It had been twenty-five years since Nam. That was the first time anyone thanked me for my service in Viet Nam. 1st Mar Div. 1st Shore Party Battalion, '67,'68. And proudly served my Country. Porfirio Moreno.

Very down to earth description from the men that were there on that date. Worthwhile read.

Being a baby boomer, I have not truly experienced war, albeit was born during WWII and have never failed to be impressed by its stories of bravery, of sacrifice, of unrelenting determination to pursue the glory that awaits those WWII heroes who have not died in vain, for all of us, and for our country. I have only read the book reviews but I feel that I have read the entire book. I also fully concur with my fellow book reviewers that the WWII veterans are, perhaps, not the most recognized, to this writing, as opposed to those veterans of recent wars. Some of the WWII veterans have long died, as well, such as those from the Bataan Death March, waiting to be recognized in vain. This is what truly hurts the most.

Characteristic of Mr. Brokaw's deservedly multi-awarded journalistic style, he has, and continues to impress on the whole world how vital and necessary it is for us to love history (as does this Filipino-American journalist reviewer with all of my strength, my mind, my will, my heart, and my soul so much so that it runs in my veins).

The book is a must-read for all future journalists. I cannot but add it to my personal library.

Brokaw provides another moving tribute to what he refers to as the "Greatest Generation." Many of the letters included here are quite emotional and touching. This book also includes timelines for the war in Europe, the Pacific, and the homefront, as well as the depression, and also touches on areas not addressed in the two earlier books. There is also an abundance of period photographs and copies of documents, submitted by the letter writers. These help to put a human face on the various stories.

I found this book while searching on Amazon.com for gift ideas. I have not read the book but it seems to be just what I need to finish a gift for my father. My parents grew up during the Great Depression and as a result saved everything. Last year I cleaned out the attic of the family home and sorted through bags and boxes of what we now refer to as disposable items such as bags of pencil stubs (did they really think they would use them again...especially if they are stuffed in the attic?). However, being the child of "savers" has paid off. I am preparing an "album of memories" of the original letters that my father, Roger Griffith, a WWII Navy veteran, sent to his parents during the war. I plan to buy Mr. Brokaw's "An Album of Memories" as a companion to the my album. Mr. Brokaw has again made gift giving easier for the older and greater generation. Thank you.

KEATINGS STYLE OF WRITING LEAVES YOU SPELLBOUND, YOU CANNOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN.IT'S A STORY THAT KEEPS YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT.ANYONE THAT IS A COP OR KNOWS A COP, WOULD RELATE TO THIS BOOK,AND SAY THIS BOOK MAY BE FICTIONAL, BUT IT IS SO TRUE IN MANY WAYS,KEATING COVERS ALL THE BASES, AND YOU'RE NOT LEFT WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED ABOUT ANYTHING.I CANNOT WAIT FOR KEATINGS SECOND BOOK TO COME OUT.

This book was a pleasant surprise. Presently a cop in Florida and formally in Cook County this book is right on.It came as a reminder to use caution any time Im working with the federal government.This was well done, kept me up past my bedtime,and I hope there is another book in the works. Maybe a few Italians for the lead.Suggested names Pape, Nardini or even a Comparetto!

A great thinly veiled work of fiction about working cops and the FBI. Keating certainly knows the difference. If you are an aggresive hardworking detective or investigator who has ever worked with the "G", or are thinking about working with the "G" you should buy this book today.
I knew Jim Keating when he was the Police. He was an aggresive hard charging, street smart guy then and he hasnt changed. This book is written from a perspective of someone who has been there. Take off the rose colored glasses and read what it's really like out there. You wont be dissapointed.

This book hits the nail on the head when it examines the adversity between the feds and Chicago police. The Chief of Detectives for the Chicago Police Department is reminiscent of old school police work. A lieutenant with the Cook County Sheriff's Department, before he was sent to prison, Keating would know this old school police work. Residents of the Southwest Side and suburbs of Chicago will find several real life locations in the book. A very nice read.

Jims book starts out getting your interest right away, not like a lot of novels where a third of the book is given to a lot of prose, introducing you to the charecters etc, I have read those types and I still didn't know whos who 20 pages on. This book tells a story that most police whould believe. It kept me more interested because of the locations Jim used in the plot, any cop from in and around the Chicago area can identify with the places, it made me think I was part of the investigation more or less. A book that most police should read.

while the lessons inside are easier said than done many times, they are lessons nonetheless. i knew i wasn't a good listener and i knew i wanted to change it, and this was a great way to start the process. the best part is identifying the non-listening behavior so you can root it out! definately recommended, but just know that listening may require more than you may be willing to offer!

This book had some really good ideas and brought up some very good points, but the execution of the book was fairly poor. The example conversations we not convincing and were said in such a manner that I don't think would have helped the given situation. For example, the chapter on paraphrasing had the following solution to a child's opening statement:

Child: "Camp stinks this year. It's not like last year. The counselors don't care. Some of the kids are really mean."

Father: "You sound disappointed that camp is different this year and not as nice as last year, as if you were hoping that you would be as close to the counselors as you were to Brianna last summer? And it sounds like as if you felt hurt by some of the kids?"

Perhaps this conversation is an exaggeration to get the point across, but if I were a kid and I heard this, I think I would have been put off by this. Paraphrasing is defintiely a good idea, but the way the authors presented it was poor.

As for the general content of the book, it was mostly about what *not* to do. Basically, the idea of what exactly you *should* do was left open-ended. Example conversations reflected this, most of them were things you shouldn't say, not what you should. This isn't particularly useful for someone who learns by example, but I do have to admit that I have a much clearer idea of how to be a better listener.

Minus half a star - Poor conversations
Minus star and a half - Focused too much on what one shouldn't do.

Otherwise it was fabulous!

Relationships often flounder because of poor communication. In Are You Really Listening?, the authors make a strong case for the importance of listening attentively to improve communication. This book offers case studies, concrete examples, and clear descriptions to help the reader become a better listener. By carefully listening, people can depend their understanding and talk intimately with each other. I highly recommend this book.

"Are You Really Listening? Keys to Successful Communication" is a self-help guide to relationships, and the value of listening - a skill desperately needed in a world prone to misunderstandings and worse. "Are You Really Listening?" isolates the factors that tend to keep people from listening, and how to identify one's own tendencies to tune out what others are saying - from the "Me Too" syndrome that tends to tune out the speaker and refocus the conversation on the self, to learning how to be heard, to how counterproductive defensiveness can be (defending oneself signals that the time of listening to the speaker's concerns have ended). "Are You Really Listening?" has the absolute highest recommendation for anyone striving to improve their communication skills and professional or personal relationships.

I feel like I've been waiting forever to find a book that would neatly describe how to listen better. There are so many "self-help" books out there, but nearly all of them are ineffectual. Are You Really Listening, however, is extremely useful. I have found it so helpful in my life, because the authors wrote it using an honest and clear voice that is shared between them.
Moreover, I found the brief case illustrations to illuminate wonderfully the messages and lessons that these two experts prescribe.

Buy this book.

I read this book for the first time in junior high school and fell totally under its spell. I now own a very tattered paperback which I have read many, many times. No matter how many times I read this book, I find something that I didn't in a previous read. You really get caught up in the lives of Maggie, Lillian, Mercer, Mays, Jackson and all the rest. To me, this is the mark of a great author. I waited anxiously, fearing that it could never equal the book, when the mini-series came out and was delighted all over again. If you are a reader of history or just want a plain good read, this book is for you. I keep hoping that sometime the mini-series will be available for purchase on VHS or DVD.

I have read this book many times and have thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the mini-series when it came out in the 70's. I too am perplexed as to why it has never been released on video as so many others are.

I enjoyed this book very much and wonder why it's never been available on Video.

Many tv mini series have been put into video and dvd. is there any chance that this one will? this is a fantastic story and i would love to see the series again.

I found this book kept my interest from front to back. I had amazing little tidbits of information about every president and their wifes. I thought this book to be thoroughly entertaining.

I took Biology and Chemistry in college and although I am not a health professional it is very interesting to have learned the general approach our physiology follows when faced with stress and emotions. The first 65 pages of the book describe the physiology of the brain and then some very interesting hypothesis is concluded. One among which is an elaborate description of test animals that revealed a link between stress and inflammatory diseases, arthritis being one of them. You should read this book because I'm not going to tell you how it concludes. What would be the point?

What I loved about the book is that it's written to adults and it's written very well. The author really knows how to put things in order. When dealing with such a complicated system as the human nervous system this is a good idea and certainly made the reading smooth and fast.

Some very interesting history is woven into the fabric of this book, making it less like a textbook and more like a non-fiction novel. I haven't changed my minds about personality types and the author does point out to interesting relationships between people. She talks about type characteristics like traits, the ones we use to describe people. I do believe that majority of what psychologists observe as Intuitive people is now directly related to human stress response.

This is a delightful and fascinating book. While it is meticulously researched and technical in spots, it is extremely readable. Sometimes even amusing, and even touching. I heard Dr. Steinberg interviewed on "Speaking of Faith" on NPR, and this is what motivated me to purchase her book. I am glad I did.

This is a beautifully well-written book. Mind body-books can be arrogant or too ethereal.
Dr Sternberg succeeded to write a thoroughly researched and referenced book that is also a fun book to read. This book is really helpful to understand how your mind functions. It is worth reading and re-reading.

This well written & interesting book became my bible in learning how stress can influence and/or cause an autoimmune attack. Understanding the connection between mind and body, and learning to cope with stress, is paramount to a complete recovery, so well explained by Dr. Sternberg.

Most of us believe that emotions have an impact on health--emotional stress often leads to illness and bad environments definitely changes our moods and our health. But...just how do immune defenses work, does the brain really send messages to our body to protect it from the impact of stress or lead us to get sick? How do we get the balance of healthy performance and stress right? This extraordinarily well-written book describes the mechanisms relying heavily on current research and does so with exquisite references to history and descriptions of real situations. Sternberg writes so well that many of the emotions she discusses are evoked for the reader. It challenges mainstream linking without promoting simple-minded extreme new age therapies. It shows how a balanced life can be the healthiest lifestyle. This delightful journey through the body is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how stress and immune responses really work.

If you are a fan of Tolkein's Ring trilogy, Jordan's The Wheel of Time series or Marion Zimmer Bradley's books, then Banshee's Honor by Shaylynn Rose is the book for you. This is the story of an epic struggle, told in one volume.

Azhani Rhu'len is a hunted woman. The half-elf rose to the position of Warleader of the kingdom of Y'Dan, but evil forces came to power and stripped her of her honors, declared her an outlaw and killed the love of her life. Azhani won her freedom through a very bloody ritual that left her body almost as broken as her spirit and is hoping to hide out at her childhood home while she plots her revenge, but that isn't how the situation works out. A chance encounter brings Stardancer Kyrian of the kingdom of Y'Syria into Azhani's life when the warrior rescues Kyrian from a kidnapper. Kyrian is a priestess of Astariu who has the power to heal people, but is haunted by fear stemming from her own violent encounters. Forced to share a bitter winter together in Azhani's cabin, the women form a friendship that allows both to start healing their wounds, but they soon find themselves pulled into a cosmic struggle for their world. A prophecy says that a great evil will rise to challenge the gods and Azhani and Kyrian know instinctively that they are key to the outcome. As they rally the forces of the surrounding kingdoms, there are battles with demons, ruthless mages, political intrigue, a perverted religious force and more than one blooming love affair. Add to that a supporting cast of heroic and evil kings, strong willed women and quirky individuals and this is a book with a broad scope.

Banshee's Honor has obviously been influenced by the legends of knights fighting to save kingdoms and ladies in distress. Except for the fact that half of the characters are elves or mixtures of other species that have unique powers, this story would fit very suitably into the Medieval period. There are also subtle messages here about racism, women's rights and religious fanaticism that, while they aren't overbearing, will cause the reader to think. The reader will find it easy to step into the world that is created and connect with appealing characters. Because of its length, it will take several hours to complete the book, but it's a story that you try to avoid finishing because it's so satisfying. Warning - if you can't believe in magic, interventions at crucial moments by gods or the existence of dwarves, elves and such, then this isn't your book, but those who have no trouble accepting the possibility of Hobbits, Tinkerbell and King Arthur will enjoy it.

A wonderful adventure!! Labeled a lesbian novel, it is much more than this. Anyone who enjoys fantasy adventures will enjoy the wonderful story telling of Shaylynn Rose. Here is a real page-turner to transport you to another world and make you wish for a sequel. I fell in love with the characters and the story. My only regret--- Reading the last page, knowing it was the end of the fantasy,-- For now.

I tried very hard to like this book, but ultimately, it fell way short. While the general idea and plot were intruguing - hence the 3 stars, as opposed to 2 - it just didn't work as a whole. First, I didn't find the main characters to be particularly endearing (something about Kyrian just irritated the heck out of me); secondly, the narrative spent way too much time telling me about, rather than showing me the world and its peoples, and thirdly - and most importantly for me - I found the dialogue to be stilted, fake and down-right goofy at times. Believable dialogue is one of the cornerstones of a great book and, unfortunately, this just didn't cut it. Ultimately, I shook my head, rolled my eyes and gave up just shy of the end. EDIT (8/1/08) - I've been reconsidering this review in light of other books I've read recently and I've decided that for me, this book really warrants no more than 2 stars....

Good fantasy these days is hard to find. You have to really look around pick and choose and hope that if you cannot pick it up at the library that the book that you buy is not a complete waste of your time. Happily, "Banshee's Honor" is in no way a poor book choice. More than worth anyone's time or money "Banshee's Honor" is a complete book it could easily begin a new series but it also could readily stand alone an excellent example of how books should be more often. I encourage any who enjoy just plain good fantasy of the caliber of Andre Norton (the writer's style though is completely her own) to take the book buying chance and read this.
Seriously I do not want to give anything away; I believe the description that Amazon has up is wonderful for leading you into the story though while reading I found it left out just enough information for me to be completely engrossed in the nuances of the story. However I will say that fans of fantasy lesbian, straight, or none of the above will like this book. The characters will enchant you barely 10 to 12 pages into the book the world is very well developed and I found myself often traveling beside Kyrian and Azhani, though unlike them I often referred to the map to get my bearings of the countries and places where the characters dwelt. The pace of the book is excellent, building the plot slowly until the climax. And wow there was just things I never guessed would happen that did in the book. The characters never seemed wooden, even the lesser characters seemed full of their own life and history. No one was ever just a placeholder everyone and everything had its own vibrant life in this book. Even the horses have their own distinct personality!
So I urge lovers of good fantasy to pick up Banshee's Honor, it has action, romance, and just an all around fun plot. You will find it more than worth your while in a world that is currently a bit fantasy deprived.

I really enjoyed Banshee's Honor. Especially the idea of a world where all relationships are accepted as "normal". Along with the adventures and everything that makes up a great fantasy, this made it special. It is now a part of my collection and I am hoping Shaylynn Rose will continue to write for us.