D-A Books

THIS BOOK IS ABOUT LEGENDARY FILM MAKER ROGER CORMAN. HE IS KNOWN FOR MAKING FILMS AS QUICK AND CHEAP AS HE COULD. MANY OF THESE ARE CULT FAVORITES SUCH AS LITTLE SHOP, GIANT LEECHES AND MANY MORE. I HAVE SPENT MANY A FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY AFTERNOON WATCHING THESE "CLASSICS". ROGER CORMAN IS KNOWN FOR MAKING CHEAP BUT INTERESTING AND SOMETIMES HILARIOUS B MOVIES. THE BOOK GOES BEHIND THE SCENES AS THE AUTHOR INTERVIEWS MANY FORMER EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE WORKED FOR CORMAN AND HAVE INTERJECTED THEIR VIEWS AND OPINIONS ON CORMAN. ROGER IS ALSO KNOWN FOR GIVING MANY STARS THEIR START. CORMAN IS ALSO A COMPLEX GUY WHO CAN BE VERY GENEROUS AND CAN ALSO BE AS CHEAP AS THEY COME. SOMETIMES MOOD BUT ALWAYS LOOKING TO MAKE ANOTHER MOVIE. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND I RECOMMEND IT FOR ALL FANS OF KING OF THE B'S AND WHO APPRECIATE BRILLIANCE ON A BUDGET.

Wow! Talk about switching personalities! This amazing biographer can emit the style of the person she is writing about to really give you a flavor of the personality. And of course, she spent time working for him, so you are privy to more of a view. Written somewhat bruskly like Roger's personality, you really gain insight into his life and what made him the person he is. Contrast this book with Beverly's biography of Ron Howard and you see some of the exceptional talent of this lady. A great read!

(...)

Gray's biography--fun as it is-- is more than a story about a man who is arguably one of Hollywood's most idiosyncratic moguls. It is a chronicle that parallels that of The Great Depression, World War II, the growth of the film industry and Los Angeles itself. We meet again celebrities we haven't thought about in years like the adorable dimpled Jon Davison, the memorable Vincent Price and even run across pop culture icons like Frank Gorshin.

Occasionally this book is burdened with glitz-town detail that only a dedicated film buff might adore but these moments are rare. Like a super hero, Corman--now 75 and still going--is resilient because he is multi-faceted. The same can be said for screenwriter cum UCLA instructor and journalist Beverly Gray. The two seem admirably paired in that way. Gray uses her many experiences and talents to tell the story of a man of many parts.
(...)

This fascinating "biography" is really a savvy "how to" book that belongs on the shelf of every screenwriter, aspiring producer, director, and development executive -- and everyone else who loves films and craves to know the secrets of Hollywood's most colorful mogul.

I found it fun to read as a realistic "behind the scenes" glimpse of what it takes to be a profitable mogul, such as the way Corman hired young cheap "promising" talent instead of going for experience. Directors fresh out of film school reading this book, for example, can get a good feel for the mindset and financial situation of producers they interview with. Screenwriters will learn how Corman and team (Gray had been his development executive) managed to write and produce so many successful films quickly.

Few books reveal the inner machinations of a successful producer so intimately. Gray, a screenwriting teacher at UCLA, has done a spectacular job of showcasing the life story of an intruiging man through more than eighty interviews and via her own experience.

I have to agree with the other five-star reviews. "Roger Corman: Blood-Sucking Vampires, Flesh-Eating Cockroaches, and Driller Killers" is the best book on the subject, the subject being the most unique American studio head in film history.

Beverly Gray really paints a nuanced picture of Corman and never panders to the fans, the haters, or her old boss Corman himself. Though it's impossible to pull back the curtains entirely and see into a man's soul, Gray seems to have at least pulled back one side, giving us as much a glimpse as is possible without telepathy.

Storywise, Corman is, as always, fascinating, and Gray's perfectly detailed retelling of his story is the best yet written.

This book was without a doubt the funniest book I've ever read. Naturally, readers familiar with his movies will get the most out of this book, but there's a lot in there even for those who can't sit through one of his movies. I especially like Waters's tales of his mischief as a lad attending Catholic school. Considering the time, his educational background, and the Baltimore environment, I can really understand how Waters turned out the way he did.

This book is impossible to describe in one word. It's no surprise that Water's life is funnier, and more bizare then any of his films can ever hope to be. We learn about Baltimore life, his childhood, Divine, Edith Masey, Pink Flamingos,Desperate Living,and more. THIS needs to be his next film project! The only thing sad about this book is that it feels dated at certain parts (especially when it refers to Divine in the present tense, since this was written before he died...and before Cookie Muller died...and Edith Masey). But it remains a fascinating read that really encourages people to feel grateful for living in Baltimore(or makes you wish you lived there).

Out of maybe a few hundred, this is probably the funniest book I have ever read. I remember reading it late at night in my parents house, trying to stifle my laughter so I wouldn't get in trouble for waking people up. "...a cry went up from the sleaze-mavens"

With this book, you could argue that John Waters is a better writer than he is a film maker.

Shock Value is like Waters' autobiography, mainly focused on his film career. There are only two chapters about his childhood. The book will be very interesting to every Waters fan as it provides in depth looks at the making of several of his earlier films. The book's material is dated, however, since it was written before he completed "Polyester". Waters' updates you in the new introduction though. It is very clean and has few curse words, unlike Waters' films, but is still good. I recommend it.

I finished Shock Value only moments ago, and i feel like i should go to baltimore and fall on my knees worshipping Waters and the crew. i thought i was weird...This book focuses on the early years and has truly inspired me to raise myself above the boring muck of semiconformist existence. READ IT

This is a collection of scary stories. This contains some great scary stories. They are well written to keep you in suspense. The stories are short enough to read in a matter of minutes and each has been very entertaining.

This volume contains genuinely creepy tales from various parts of the world. The writing is atmospheric and Katherine Coville's illustrations are well-crafted. This would be an ideal choice for anyone looking for a spooky book to read to classes at Halloween, around the camp-fire, or just for their own entertainment. And really, who could resist a book with memorable monsters like the Tailypo, the Cegua, the Golem, and the Loup-Garou?

This book is a well put together collection of folktales and true ghost stories from all over the world . i enjoyed it very much.
There is a nice diverse mix of stories, but no matter where they are from, all are relatable because fear is a universal human emotion.
Beautifully done illustrations set the mood of the book off perfectly.

Short and Shivery

Do you like reading ghost stories that leave you afraid to turn out the lights at night? Short and Shivery by Robert D. San Sousi has many haunted stories that are really creepy.
In the story of "The Haunted Inn" a guy named Wei along with a couple of his friends were driving around. All of a sudden a storm appeared. Because of the violent storm they had to stop and stay at an inn. They were greeted warmly by the innkeeper and his wife. I felt one of the best parts in "The Haunted Inn" was when the group went up in front of Wei's friend's face. The reason I mentioned both both of these incidents in the stories is because they were the creepiest.
In another story, "The Duppy"the protagonist, a boy named Jubal Lescot had an aunt that died when he was six. He told us she had been mean and evil. He overheard his neighbor talking about a duppy, or a ghost. A few weeks later he went to the graveyard to spy on the duppy, but instead, the duppy spotted him! One of the best parts in "The Duppy" was when Jubal came running from the duppy and ran into his father. His father said, "In the morning we will put the duppy to rest." They were going to kill!
If you didn't enjoy the last book you read, you shouldn't wait to read this. This book has many different stories, and each will excite you. Go and buy it now! These stories will creep you out.

My sons, ages 8 and 5, absolutely LOVE these stories! They are just scary enough without going overboard, and have great plots that keep their attention the whole time. We will definitely be buying more in this series.

Excellent, heartwarming story about the friendship between a white girl and a slave girl. The story takes them both through the Civil War days and afterward as they mature into changing life roles and experience the different social and cultural mores of the times. Touching and thoughful presentation! An excellent read for all.
Evelyn Horan -teacher/counselor/ author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Books One-Three

"Sisters Forever" by Sharon D. Martin should be on the Best-Seller list. From page one my interest was captured and the action that followed held me captive to the very end. Martin proves to readers everywhere with "Sisters Forever" that she is the ultimate storyteller. Woven through out the narrative is the premise that love can overcome the troubles that life tosses our way. Martin's use of dialogue and action to move the story forward enables readers to feel they are living the story with her characters. I plan to recommend this book to all my reading friends. "Sisters Forever" is a great reading adventure.
Beverly J Scott author of "Righteous Revenge" &...

Sharon Martin tells a heartrending story of two women raised from birth as sisters - one the daughter of a plantation owner and the other a slave. Set in the Antebellum South, Martin's research is told through the eyes of the women giving a human connection to plantation life, the road to freedom, the War Between the States, and the aftermath.

Sisters Forever begins in 1822 with the birth of April Cothran on the Cothran Plantation near Charleston, South Carolina. When her mother learns that she can't have more children, she goes to the slave cabins for a wet nurse with a new baby girl. She names the baby "May", hoping for the girls to be raised as sisters.

April and May are inseparable as they grow. They share the same bedroom and are treated as sisters by all. Though technically a slave, May does not know hard labor and the hardships of other slaves. While in Charleston, April makes a scene about May being her sister, and the rumors spread about her father's slave baby. To put the rumors to rest, he decides to separate the girls, which causes his daughter to fall ill to the point of being at death's door. To save his daughter, he promises that May will come back to the big house as April's sister.

However, as the girls become young women, hard times cause David Cothran to reconsider his protection of the beautiful slave who has been raised as his daughter. That event sets the course of the novel.

April and May face trials that test their sisterhood, but their love holds strong. As they mature into women with families of their own, they touch each other through letters. The most moving are those from the battlefields.

Sharon Martin is a natural storyteller as her story of oppression and freedom is weaved through the culture and events of that era. The cast of characters who waltz through the pages create scenes that touch all of the emotions. The reader will cry for the sisters hardships and cheer their victories.

A historical novel that will leave you anxious to read a follow up. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Two young girls (I had a tendency to forget that one girl was black and one was white) grow up more like sister on a southern plantation and like all sisters they don't always agree. At times one questions the motives of the other, but no matter what happens, they remain good friends, bonded forever as sisters. A good book Sharon Martin, I look forward to reading your next one.

Sharon D. Martin begins this poignant tale in 1822 South Carolina. It's the Old South, that antebellum era of plantations and parties, southern belles and courtly gentlemen, free men and slaves. Into this world of privilege, April Marie Cothran is born to wealthy plantation-owner parents. April is born breech, a difficult and traumatic birth. She is the only child her mother will ever bear.

One month later, a 13 year old Cothran slave named Lilly gives birth to a girl child sired by a Mandingo warrior. April's mother names the newborn slave May. Lilly, little more than a child herself, is taken into the master's house as wetnurse for April. Thus begins this story of two lives that remain entwined together for a lifetime.

April and May - one the white child of privilege, the other a result of mating slaves like prize animals - are raised as siblings. These two children of diverse backgrounds are oblivious to color barriers and taboos of the time.
Southern race and class issues mean nothing to them. In their minds, they're sisters. Sisters forever.

Ms. Martin masterfully intertwines the lives of April and May through ensuing decades. Through marriage, births, joys, deaths, sorrows, the Civil War and its aftermath, the author shows us the lives of these two women. Along the way we witness human cruelty and courage, hatred and forgiveness , the blessings of unconditional love, and the surprise of reward and resurrection.

This is a beautiful story, written with honesty and compassion, about a time in our history that was not always pretty for either race. The surprise ending lays the groundwork for a sequel to Sisters Forever. Readers should prepare themselves for more southern history, and another well told story by Ms. Martin.

Not something you would want to read cover to cover, but this book provides a one-stop-reference for everything you need to know about starting a business in California. It's important to know that the information could change at any time, but much of the information is linked to websites and other resources that are likely up-to-date.

Nolo Small Business Start-up Kit for California provides excellent information for those starting your own business. I've highlighted sections throughout the book!

simple and clean, rather go through all of the sites to search what you actually need to register your company, this book guide you through that. also, book v.s. web sites, the book gives you more insight to cross comparison on all the legal structures that you need to choose, pros and cons, to make you select what fits you, instead of reading laws on the web only tell you what is LLC and etc. I will keep it although I formed my company after reading this book.

It is well written and easy to understand. Not a lot of legal jargon that you have to wade through, but legal nevertheless. I will continue to use it for a reference.
Thank you for such a easy to read and understand book!

If you are thinking of starting your own business in California, especially if you have never done it before, you will find that this book is worth its weight in gold.

This resource takes the complication out of starting a business, contacting the right agencies and doing things legally. It cuts through a lot of confusion, has an encouraging tone and presents what you need to know in a very logical and easy to understand format.

I often recommend this book to my small business clients and find it to be a useful general reference. It also points to many other good resources and is a good value for such a comprehensive book.

This is the first really good book on the subject that I have seen which supplies both a disease based guide and a supplement by supplement guide as well. The author has made it easy to use for patients as well as heath care providers. We keep a cpoy in our physician office waiting room for patient reference. A true must for anyone interested in alternative health care options.

this is a very informing book I really like the way it helps with so many things

SOLVE IT WITH SUPPLEMENTS: THE BEST HERBAL AND NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS TO HELP PREVENT AND HEALTH MORE THAN 100 COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS gathers the latest facts on vitamins, minerals and herbs and the conditions they treat. From introductions on what supplements can do to how readers can choose the best products from the range of items available at a pharmacy or grocery, this is one of the most important surveys of supplement characteristics and functions in print - and a 'must' for both health libraries and general-interest reference collections.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is a wonderful comprehensive book with sensible information based on medical research , presented in a reader friendly format..

Robert A. Schulman, M.D. is well qualified to write on this important subject. I know that his knowledge is based on formal training, extensive research and continuous clinical experience.

The clear format makes it easy to read and quickly find the information I am looking for. For example, the defined supplements listed by title in part two are further divided into subheadings "What It does", "How It Works ", "How To Take It", "Look Out For This" and "What To Avoid". The medical issues in part three are briefly defined and the recommendations are divided into two sections, "What Should I Take" and "My Supplement List".

As an obstetrician and gynecologist, I can see referring to this source of information as I would other sources such as "Up To Date", the "PDR" and "Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation " by Briggs, Freeman and Yaffee. As a point of criticism, or perhaps more so a point of recommendation, a quarterly or at minimum a semi annually update of his work is essential. Perhaps Dr. Schulman can post these changes on his web site. An example of this is the absence of the more current information on cervical dysplasia, such as HPV typing and the most current information on the HPV vaccine.

This work has become a sorely needed reference for me. I keep it handy and use
It frequently. I have purchased several copies to give as gifts to family members, close friends and colleagues.



David. Cramer, D.O., F.A.C.O.G

I Love this writer. There is nothing dated about these absorbing tales from one of the English language's greatest adventure writers, regardless of Hollywood's love of his fictative works; and regardless of the time and venue in which men were men and heroes were conquerers of the elements.: M. Gann's achievement has been to see himself, daringly or humbly pick his way up the ladder of seamanship, and evoke,with humour and narrative storytelling, among the fleet of all us fellow lovers of the sea and ships, delightful fascination for the vessels of a now-passing era.

I read as many sea and sailing stories as I can get my hands on. This is one of the best. Read the other rave reviews here of this book--they pretty much say it all.

I would just emphasize that this is one of the few contemporary sailing books that has a lot about sailing square rigged boats.

Also an interesting twist is that Gann's Albatros is the boat that Sheldon lost in White Squall.

Ernest Gann has written a memoir of what happens when you hear the Sirens singing and follow them. I loved this book as the sea-going counterpart to his marvelous memoir of flight, Fate Is the Hunter; there's the same wrily witty, compassionate observations on the vicissitudes of the sea and those who sail upon it, particularly himself, the same amused humility in the face of the perversities and miracles of chance, whether they be a failing engine at the height of a tempest, intransigent bureaucrats of the Panama Canal, a balsa raft costing less than sixteen dollars which can leave a scientifically designed catamaran in its wake, or a wild voice singing in the Greek Islands. Whether recounting desperation in a great storm off the Oregon coast, or the nostalgic reminiscenses of his earlier sailing boats and shipmates, or the languid monotony of a long tropical ocean passage, or the nature and the workings of what he terms the 'Dock Committee' (which has membership worldwide), even the time he was masterfully conned by a crafty old sailor on the wharves of New York, Gann maintains a close and humorously affectionate eye on the sometimes clear, sometimes problematical, but always interesting relationships between the mundane acts of everyday and the greater universe which lurks behind every common act and thought.

Above all, there is in Sirens, as in all his books whether fic or nonfic, a love of the sea, of boats, of living fully in and of the world and of us frail, fallible and funny humans in it. In Fate Is the Hunter, it is the world of the air and those who fly; in Song of the Sirens, the sea. A wonderful read.

I've read several book by Ernie Gann and being a pilot I was in awe of Mr. Gann's story telling ability in "Fate is the Hunter" and thought this is surely the best autobiography ever written. Now having read "Song of Sirens" I have to re-evaluate this opinion. It makes you want to run out and buy a boat!

Ernest K. Gann is, quite simply, a great writer. In Song of the Sirens he writes about his adventures aboard the many ships he has owned. His writing skill takes the reader, even a landlubber like me, along with him to experience what it is like to ride out a storm 50 miles off the coast of Oregon in a fishing trawler or to sail across the Atlantic Ocean with an old, rusty, leaky training boat with a suspect engine. The book is slanted more for the boating afficionado. While he does explain some of the technical terms, a lot of them are obviously for someone who knows sailboats. There are no pictures, either. Pictures of the ships (not boats because, as he explains in the book, a boat is carried by a ship)would have been helpful. All in all, though, this book will greatly appeal to Ernest K. Gann fans, those who enjoy adventure stories, and those who enjoy sailing stories.

My mom and I have truly enjoyed the Dr. Cheney Duvall, MD series. Gilbert & Lynn Morris are excellent writers. I started reading the series first. Then my mom started and she also couldn't put them down. The father/daughter team takes mystery and Christian fiction and puts the two together perfectly. We have already read the first book in The Inheritance series. I have already read the second book the The Inheritance series (I read it in 2 1/2 days, I couldn't put it down). I am now ready for book three to come in the summer of 2005. I would greatly recommend this series to anyone who likes Christian fiction and mystery!

This if one of my favorit books! I love the way the authers use details and facts. The story captures you, you'r filled with cheneys emotions and you can feel what she is feeling. This book is truley an insperation. I love this hole series, each book is even better than the last.

The Stars for a Light by Lynn and Gilbert Morris is the first book of the Cheney Duval, M.D. series which consists of 8 books and a subsequent series called the Inheritance. So far, that contains only 1 book.

Overall, this is a nice, entertaining book. The series is fun, too, although sometimes the adventures seem rather unrealistic. However, there are adventures, and they are exciting. This book/series has that, plus mystery and romance. I'm not a big fan of christian literature, but I did like these books. I reccomend it for people who like christian fiction or historical fiction.

The Stars for a Light tells the story of Cheney Duvall, a lady physician who struggles to become accepted in an all-male medical world. Other physcians look down on her, and patients don't trust a woman to doctor them. As a last resort, Cheney gets a job escorting/doctoring a group of women traveling by ship to California in order to add more women to the western population. Cheney brings along a nurse, who was reccomended by a friend. Mr. Shiloh Irons. He's an orphan, with his name coming from the crate marked Shiloh Ironworks in which he was found.

This unlikely pair (a female doctor and male nurse) travel to California with plenty of adventures to keep them busy, including Shiloh's hobby/second job of fighting, fires on board the ship, disease, and other excitements.

It is a good book. The characters are likeable and realistic, with their own particular traits. The dialogue is fun and the characters seem to work well with one another. It's well written and original, showing character development aplenty during the series. If you start on this, read it all. By the fourth book, you'll be hooked. I was.

I'll admit I was skeptical at first. While I read Christian fiction all the time and enjoy it, I'd never read a Christian historical fiction book that I really liked. My cousin highly recommended these books, so I thought I would give the first one a try. Of course I became hooked almost right away.

I liked the premise before I even started to read the book. A female doctor in the 1860's? Great premise! The book met and exceded any expectations I had for such a premise. As Dr. Cheney Duvall and her nurse, Shiloh Irons, travel from New York to Seattle with Asa Mercer and his hundred belles, they face danger and disease, along with more common shipboard problems. I was so disappointed when I finished this book, simply because I didn't have the next book in the series (Shadow of the Mountains) along, so I had to wait to start it.

Lynn and Gilbert Morris make a fantastic writing team. The plot is swift and intriguing. The characters are well fleshed-out and believeably, delightfully human. The dialogue is fun to read. All in all, this is a wonderfully well done book. Needless to say, not only do I love this book, but I love the others in the series that I have read so far. I definitely recommend this, even if you don't think Christian historical fiction is your thing.

I read this book years ago and am currently reading the followup series, Cheney and Shiloh: The Inheritance. Personally, I enjoyed this series (and still do) about the same time I was fascinated with Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman. Apparently I enjoy women doctors in the 19th century...??? Anyhow, this is a wonderful series, not only exceptionally stating the strength of a woman, but Godly views and relationships as well. Read this SERIES and you won't be sorry, I promise!

The US healthcare system is broken---I don't know of anyone who disputes this idea. Patients are getting less time and attention; costs are going up; meanwhile, doctors are getting lower reimbursements and having greater demands placed on them by insurance companies if they want to keep what reimbursements they're getting. In this system, everyone loses:

"To provide health care, one needs to balance three interrelated factors: access, cost, and quality. The unfortunate truth is that only two of the three can be optimized. ... The worst scenario would be to provide limited access and low quality at a high cost. This, currently describes our healthcare system."

It's nice and all to talk about what the ideal healthcare system might be, but the unfortunate truth is that as patients, we need to concentrate on making the most of what exists right now. And that means being educated about what our options are, how best to take care of ourselves, and how to best make use of the healthcare resources available to us.

This is what Dr. Davis Liu set out to do in Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely---educate us as to how best to take advantage of the current, flawed health care system. The amount of information in this book is vast; I highly recommend looking through the table of contents if you want a detailed run-down.

Overall, I do recommend this book if you would like to become well-informed about your healthcare options and how to make the most of them. My only real reservation is that it's dry enough at the beginning and pitched at a high enough intellectual level that many of the people who could really benefit from it won't end up reading it.

Reviewed by Randy A. Lakin for RebeccasReads (6/08)

In Doctor Davis Liu's book "Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely," he helps the average person get a better grip on the healthcare industry and the health insurance industry. Dr. Liu explains the different types of health insurance plans and he goes on to give details of how a health savings account works. Dr. Liu uses real-life examples to show why it's so important to have insurance.

Dr. Liu also talks about "Mastering the Ten-Minute Doctor Office Visit." Did you know that the average amount of time the doctor will wait before interrupting you is "twenty-three seconds?" One study even shows that nearly 70 percent of the time, physicians will interrupt patients within the first fifteen seconds of a visit. One of the many great things about Dr. Liu's book is that he explains how to get the most out of your office visits with your doctor.

I know personally that if I'm in the room talking to a doctor for more than five minutes face-to-face, I'm doing great. Dr. Liu even explains why that is: it seems that insurance companies pay less to the doctor while charging us more to be there. It's no wonder that they have to get as many patients in and out as possible to make their money. I know that everyone complains about all the money that a doctor makes, even I do. After reading this book, however, I now know how to get the most from an office visit. It's true I'll have to pay the doctor, but at least I know I'm getting my money's worth.

In one section of his book, Dr. Liu focuses on different types of doctors, what their specialties are, and what types of patients that they see, including the special tests and procedures that they might run. I personally read this section several times; besides being very informative, I found it very interesting.

So, in conclusion, I think Dr. Davis Liu did a great job of explaining how the health system works and how the health insurance industry needs to be reworked. This is one book that everyone should have in his or her house. I highly recommend this book to everyone; it's a winner.

[...] This is one of the most informative books on helping you understand the Healthcare System in America. Dr. Liu tells you how to get the most out of your visit at the doctor's office. He also covers the diferent specialties and what to expect if you have no insurance. This book is a must if you want to get the most from your doctor for our money.

Whether or not you agree with some aspects of the book's premise, you can't argue with the value of a volume dedicated to helping you make health insurance and health care choices and decisions.This book offers straightforward information on insurance plan choices, medical practices, common medical concerns and situations, medications (and their development and marketing), scams, and wellness. Not a true self-help book (and I mean that as a complement), rather this presents information so that the reader can better understand what is going on around him and behind the closed doors of medical practices and insurance providers.With modern medicine and insurance company practices both changing daily, with federal and state mandates conflicting with policies and written plans, with advances in technology and medication regimens no one can keep up with all swirling around every American today, a book like this one is a valuable addition to the personal, healthcare or public library.


Particularly positive is the emphasis on wellness and minimizing one's use of unneeded resources while not avoiding necessary medical consulation and services.

It seems as if navigating America's health care system continues to get more complex with each passing year. Dr. Davis Liu's book, Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely: Making Intelligent Choices in America's Healthcare System, presents a practical guide to how best to steer your way to an excellent relationship with your health care professionals while not going bankrupt in the process.

Contents:
Part 1 - The Most Important Policy You Will Ever Own: Health Insurance, Savings Accounts, and Cost; Consumer Driven Health Plans (CDHPS), Health Savings Accounts (HSAS), and Personal Responsibility; The Quality of Your Health Insurance Matters!; Do Your Homework. Question Everything and Pay Nothing (Right Away); You're On Your Own; Health Care Costs - How Much Does It Cost For Procedures and Tests?
Part 2 - Mastering the Ten-Minute Doctor Office Visit: The Importance of a Medical History; Providing The Perfect History; Know Yourself - Your Personal Medical History; Make Every Office Visit Count; Informed Consent - Is It OK With You?; Don't See Your Doctor
Part 3 - Do The Right Thing Regularly and Repeatedly: The Prudent Approach To Staying Healthy; American Cancer Society; Cancer Guidelines for Women; Cancer Guidelines for Men; Cancer Guidelines for Women and Men; American Heart Association (AHA); American Diabetes Association (ADA); U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF); Immunizations and Vaccinations; Happy Birthday to You; Denied Coverage? Reimbursement Letter
Part 4 - Meet Your Medical Team: Your Health Advisors - Physicians; Internists and Family Physicians; Specialists; Medical Specialties; Surgical Specialties; Other Primary Care Fields; Other Specialties; What's the Deal with DOs (Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine)?; Other Providers; Office Settings
Part 5 - The Truth About Medications: The Magic Pills; Generic and Branded Medications - What's The Difference?; Partnering With Your Doctor - Having a Frank Discussion; Making Sense of Over-The-Counter (OTC) Medications
Part 6 - Caveat Emptor, Or "Let the Buyer Beware": Concierge Care; Body Scans; Herbal and Dietary Supplements
Part 7 - Twenty-First Century Medical Care: Looking Forward - Trends Redefining Health Care; Hospitalists; Group Visits; Evidence-Based Medicine
Part 8 - Take Control - Excellent Health Pays: Self-Serve Health Care; Stay Healthy; Using the Internet for Research; The Future of America's Health Care
Appendix - Referenced Web Sites; Notes; Index

Dr. Liu has created an excellent guide that covers virtually all the moving parts of the American health care system that you as a consumer will deal with. Even better, he does so without pushing an overt agenda or offering some "secret method" for making it all work. He acknowledges that the system can be confusing and frustrating, but knowledge is key in making effective choices. He's big on making sure you have your own version of a personal health record that you can quickly present to a doctor to summarize your health history. Given the current focus on electronic personal medical records, this makes a lot of sense. He also ends each section with a "Take-Home Points" summary, a convenient list of action items that reinforce all the information just covered as well as making it easy to put into action the points you just learned. There are also a number of sidebar insets throughout the pages that highlight certain key points in a sentence or two, making it easy to skim back through the book to pick up the pertinent facts.

This is a book I'd have no problem recommending to someone trying to get a grasp on making sense of the health care maze in America. That should include just about everyone. It's balanced, practical, and deals with reality instead of a nirvana that doesn't exist. Nice job...

As a kindergarten teacher, this book has made a big difference on how to prepare children to read. This book offers many wonderful tips on how to help your child as parents to better equip your child even before a teacher introduces your child with reading concepts.

I am a teacher of children with mild to moderate specific learning disabilities who went through the teacher education program at Ashland University in Ohio. Like countless other teacher education programs, ours stressed only a "whole-language" model of instruction, to the exclusion of all others, especially those that stress explicit phonics instruction.

I bought this book at a symposium given by the International Dyslexia Association, and I am so thankful that I did. As a parent of elementary school-age children I needed to know the things in this book. Specifically...

*Why a book like this is necessary in the first place.

*What is this "great debate" that reading teachers, and educators keep talking about?

*How do children learn to read? Amazingly, this is not taught in many teacher education programs. Why? Because almost all of the research ever done on the issue, any research worth its weight in cotton candy points to the explicit teaching of phonics to be the way that most children learn to read. As the authors so beautifully, and succinctly point out "The English written code is a sound symbol code, not a word symbol code. That is the game."

Parents of school-age children especially need to carefully read this book. Although I myself am a teacher, I believe in a "parent as consumer" focus in education, and, given this, caveat emptor! Parents need to know what they are getting in return for their hard earned tax dollars.

Please email me if you would like to continue this discussion.

I purchased this book because my younger child is exhibiting signs of having reading difficulty in the future. In contrast, my older child learned to read on her own prior to entering school. From my own experience I realize that there is a wide variation in what children need in school. My easy reader would have found a "face the teacher and practice the sound" program exceptionally boring. I selected this particular book because I wanted "straight talk" on how a school could teach these two, very different, kids. Instead of the "straight talk" I wanted got a very biased presentation. For example, the child that gets phonics is "beaming with success." Secondly, the "researcher" reports the test scores that occur during "whole language" teaching but does not compare it to the scores that occurred during phonics periods. In addition, they do not identify the lag between when a child is taught to read and when they are tested. Thirdly, they should be more clear about why these shifts have taken place. My friends 2nd grader knows phonics well but cannot read because he cannot put it together in context. What happened to those kids in a highly phonics based program. Did they all "beam with success?" Lastly, a credible researcher provides a balanced report that identifies the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches. This book reports phonics as strong and whole language as weak. So, if you want "straight talk" on why phonics is the only way then this is a book for you. I you want to find a balance that will work for many different kids, then keep looking.

This book explains the difference in teaching methods for reading and how effective the methods are. It is written for parents. I appreciate the facts presented on actual studies that have been done on methods in learning to read. As a parent of two preschoolers (and I am not an educator), I am now educated on how I can make a difference in my child's performance in school after reading this book. I like the recommended reading lists by age that can be found in the appendix or at the author's website which is www.proactiveparent.com . The author stresses that the earlier you are proactive - the better chance that your child becomes a good reader. It has been proven that it is much more difficult to become a good reader after the 1st grade. The author points out that usually reading problems are not detected even in "good" schools early enough. She details what parents can look for and what to do when your child is having a problem at a very early stage in leaning to read. The author also has a newer book titled "Parenting a Struggling Reader" that is more for parents with children with reading difficulties. "Straight Talk" is more written for parents of all children before their children read. "Straight Talk" tells parents how to be proactive to ensure their children love reading.

This book was truly spectacular if you are interested in really understanding how kids learn to read and what you can do to help! I learned so much from this book, if I had the money, I would buy a ton of them and give them out to anyone who has kids, will have kids, or works with kids.

This book does an amazing job of developmentally (Pre-K through grade 3) describing the skills kids need to acquire in order to read. It fairly reviews the current debate on how kids need to be taught reading, what parents can do (tons of specific age appropriate activities & lists of good books based on reading level), and it describes the research based warning signs for a child who is at risk for reading difficulties.