welfare Books

As a professional working with children in foster care through a supervised visitation program, I found that at times I had difficulty putting this book down and then at other times, I could barely stand to read more. This book gave me an insight into the lives of the children I serve that I did not have previously. I also read A Child Called It and am now reading the third book in the series, A Man Named Dave. Pelzer's story gives me renewed hope for the children I work with and reignites my committment to protecting these children.

Everything was basically fine with the book but some of the pages in the front were folded on the corners and the outside looks a little weathered.

This is the second installment in the memoirs by Dave Pelzer. After being rescued by social services, Dave faces the dynamics of foster care. Wanting desperately to be loved and accepted contrasted with an understandably guarded heart. It is interesting to hear the varied families that entered his life, the struggles to finally be free to be a "normal" child while trying to adjust to impending manhood. Beyond the sacrifices and work of workers and foster parents, the people who stepped in and mentored him are an inspiration. Like all "middles" to a trilogy this book only opened more questions than it answered.

This was an amazing story, told from a perspective only someone who lived through could say so well. An awesome awesome story.

This is the second book in the trio. I read Dave Pelzer's "A Child Called "IT" first, then his brother, Richard's book, then this book. There seems to be some differing details from Richard and Dave's books. For example when Dave writes about meeting Russell at school and nearly runs into his mother (but doesn't). Richard writes that it was he who met Dave at school (not Russell) and there was confrontation between the mother and Dave. Also Richard writes about dave showing up at their fathers funeral and having a confrontation with the mother at the end. Dave mentions nothing about his father's death or funeral. His father was his hero and meant so much to him, I would think it would have been part of his memories and story in this book. I don't know who is right and the differences in stories and people have me not believing the story.

This book is about Dave's struggles in different foster homes and how at the time society viewed foster children and parents as "trash". Dave writes about his fair share of trouble with the law and pranks he pulls with his friends. Again he spends pages repeating on something so minute and at other times spends only a few sentences describing weeks of time.

The book arrived in good shape but it took 2 weeks before I recieved it. I also ordered a second book from another vendor and it was here in just a short time, both were ordered the same night on the same order but it took an additional week or more before this one arrived.

This book is really relatable for pet lovers. make sure you have a tissue handy, though. I bought this book for my mom after her dog passed away, and have also read it myself. I know the understanding she is able to get from these stories has helped her. there are some very memorable stories, and the short story format lets you read at your own pace. don't get me wrong- not all the stories are sad!

As both a dog and cat owner, and a would-be everything-else owner, too, I love this book! I have several "Chicken Soup" books, plan to add several more to my collection, but this one is probably my favorite so far. It keeps you between tears and laughter from beginning to end. All pet lovers will see themselves and their furry, feathered or finned friends somewhere in here, I'm sure!

Most of the series of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' has the kind of warm and fuzzy story that many find endearing and sweet. They are not 'deep' most of the time, but do point to things beyond themselves; for my own use, I often find sermon illustrations and stories within the pages of volumes of Chicken Soup -- as chaplain at a retirement centre, many of the stories help people to recall happier times, and help them deal with their present situation.

This particular volume involves stories with animals. The relationship between animals and people of all ages can make for some of the funniest, most heart-warming, most sad, and most meaningful stories. There are contributing authors of some note (Barbara Bush, James Herriot, Jimmy Stewart, Gilda Radner, Art Linkletter) among other authors who had stories to tell and volunteered them. Much in the manner that Readers Digest accepts unsolicited stories from amateur authors, so does the Chicken Soup series. Often the most meaningful stories are those that happen to people who are not professional writers.

Few animals are left out here, as many animals have come to be companions with humans over the centuries. Dogs and cats feature prominently, as do horses and other farm animals, but there are also wolves, birds, dolphins, deer, wild turkeys, gorillas and even a Christmas mouse. The stories cover a wide range of topics, including pets as friends and healers, animals as rescuers and performers of other amazing feats, animals whose companionship meant a lot, and finally on the sadness and meaning of saying goodbye to an important family member.

Each of this stories can easily be read in a short time. This makes it a good source for 'falling-asleep reading', for use in public speaking and preaching opportunites, for shared reading-aloud times, and for simple enjoyment and entertainment. Many of the stories here are ones that stay with you; the story about the wild turkeys and the story of the Christmas mouse are stories I use again and again in my chaplaincy, and they are always appreciated.

The editors of the primary series 'Chicken Soup' are Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen; for purposes of this volume, they are joined by Marty Becker and Carol Kline, authors and animal-professionals in various capacities.

My cats give their paws-up to this!

I didn't quite know if I was going to make it through this book. Through about the first 8-9 stories, I kept on crying. I was thinking "This is ridiculous. I can't read one doggone story without crying after I read it." I kept thinking of my dog, Shep, who died a couple years ago at the age of 91 and how badly I want another dog. There is a dog beach by my house so usually everytime I see a dog, Shep pops up to mind. I pretty much had sunglasses on when I read this book in public so people wouldn't think I was completely crazy. Somewhere towards the middle, I hardened up and was ready to read this book without blinking a thousand times.
These were wonderful stories about everything from cats, dogs, snakes, bears, gorillas, and birds. I enjoyed every last one of them except for the one about Bush's dog. It was very impersonal and told the whole story like it was some sort of nursery rhyme. That was the only reason the book got four stars. I don't even understand how that story made it past submissions.

I read this book last semester for a Criminal Justice class and it is amazing. It opened my eyes to exactly how wrong the war on drugs is. This book is my #1 recommended book. If more people would read it I think we'd finally be able to find our way out of this fruitless war.

This is one of the best books I've read on the drug war to date (and I've read a bunch). The book carefully went through the origins, history, and effects of the drug war in a captivating and easy to follow manner. When finished, the reader will be left with an iron-clad indictment of the drug war which has covered all angles. This really is one of the most comprehensive and well written books on the drug war, and I highly recommend it.

Q: What is the difference between the Prohibition and America's war on drugs? Mike Gray's overall answer is "very little," but the one glaring difference is that when Prohibition failed, the country repealed the Constitutional Amendment which had created it. Alcohol use remained at about the same level before, during and after the Prohibition years, but the murder, official corruption and gang battles that accompanied official proscription came and went. DRUG CRAZY analyzes the upshot of that distinction and its enormous worldwide effects. The U.S. led anti-drug effort has cost us hundreds of billions of dollars in enforcement efforts alone, not to mention the cost of prisons, imprisonment and court proceedings and has succeeded in creating an international drug consortium with an annual income higher than the U.S. defense budget. Thousands of innocent bystanders have died in sprays of automatic fire and bomb blasts. It has made pot easier to get than alcohol for most American teens and brought Colombian, Bolivian and Mexican democracy to the brink of collapse. Damningly, Gray reports that every refereed study since the 1890s has suggested that marijuana is harmless and that the opiates and cocaine are no more dangerous than alcohol (perhaps less). Even the infamous "crack babies" we heard about for a few years turned out to be an unsubstantiated myth. In every country where legalization and controlled prescriptive availability of harder drugs has been tried, addiction rates remained stable or fell, crime decreased and most addicts proceeded to live normal workaday lives. The U.S. has forced other countries to quit such programs through fiscal pressure and outright lies, insisting that all adopt our abolitionist stance. We have managed to export violence, crack cocaine, corruption and other benefits to numerous other nations along with our failed policy. At the same time, and to make matters worse, the nature of enforcement has become a defacto racist effort. Cocaine in Wall Street boardrooms is harder to see than crack runners on Main Street and while whites are the disproportionate users of illegal drugs, blacks are the disproportionate arrestees. In this country, one in four black males is either in prison, under probation or on parole, mostly as a result of drug or drug related crimes. Small wonder, as the author points out, that blacks think O.J. Simpson was framed: it is their daily experience. Police routinely lie in court to make drug charges stick. (Since private deals between consenting parties are very hard to actually witness, when police claim that a perpetrator dropped a bag or in some other way made evidence visible it is understood by judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and defendants that it is "acceptable" false testimony to cover an illegal search. So perjury is permitted in the name of enforcement.) Amazingly, the whole morass of current drug problems and policies could be eliminated with the stroke of a pen. Minus prohibition the drug cartels would be defunded. If prices fell, many farmers would find other crops more appealing. If currently illegal substances were distributed by prescription or through state-licensed stores, kids would be infrequently exposed. (How many pushers are selling beer in front of your local elementary school these days?) Mike Gray has brought his story telling skill (The China Syndrome and other screenplays) and his investigative/documentary bent (American Revolution and The Murder of Fred Hampton) to bear on an urgent national and international problem. His recommendations and observations are difficult to refute and his is a well considered voice in a growing debate which affects us all. Even now, the genie released when California and Arizona approved medical marijuana use is being clumsily stuffed back in the bottle by Federal mandate, disenfranchising voters and creating a rising uproar. As former U.S. Attorney General Elliott Richardson observes: "Anyone who thinks the war on drugs is succeeding should read this book. It shifts the burden of proof from the critics of existing policy to its defenders."

When it became clear that the medicines called opiates were highly addictive and caused health problems, they were dealt with as nicotine and alcohol are dealt with today. There were honest and realistic public service messages warning of the dangers of opiates, and there was medical help that greatly limited the damage they did to the individual and which had a chance of eliminating his or her addiction. These methods worked, and where they are applied they work today. Then in the second decade of the twentieth century the country took a nose-dive into authoritarian attitudes and corruption, and people got the strange idea that you could eliminate a practice you didn't like simply by passing a law against it. Alcohol, and the opiates were completely banned, as was marijuana which was now designated a "drug" because of its association with minority groups. Alcohol use, which had always hovered between widespread and universal, had been declining but now became more common than ever before. Worse, the alcoholic drinks that were taken became much harder and not being regulated they might contain enough alcohol to be dangerous. Worse still, an untold number of criminals were created, crime of all kinds increased radically, organized crime came to control whole districts and corruption reached heights never seen before. "Public service messages" regarding what were now illegal "drugs" became simple expressions of hatred having very little to do with the "drugs" they were about, and everyone actually familiar with those "drugs" knew it. Medical treatment by doctors who were actually trying to help their paitents was declared illegal, and a number of doctors went to prison. The lives of opiate addicts had usually been no worse than the lives of nicotine addicts, but now those lives became impossible. Addicts could no longer hold jobs raise children or do anything else but concentrate on their addiction. Current "rehabilitation" for opiate addicts is an expression of hatred for those addicts and makes no attempt to help them. It mostly consists of telling them they are evil it they don't break their habits, and for those addicted to opiates or nicotine, breaking the habit altogether is usually not possible. Opiate use had always been an insignificant phenomenon nationwide, and in the early part of the century when it was being dealt with intelligently, it was declining. But then the hate laws were passed, and now a measurable percentage of the population is addicted and condemed to ruined, useless lives, organized crime is more powerful now than at any time in history, and whole countries like Columbia are completely dominated by corruption-- as are large sections of others like the United States and Mexico. None of this needed to happen. The things we call "drugs" were handled intelligently at the beginning of the twentieth century or were never a problem in the first place. If realistic laws were passed, the worst of the damage would be fixed very quickly since it is directly caused by bad laws. The rest of the damage would take a decade to undo, but if we begin treating the opiates as we treat nicotine and alcohol we will gradually undo it.
I think that is a pretty good thumbnail of what Mike Grey had to say, and he is completely right. Everyone in the country should read this book. Our real addiction is to hatred.

Author Mike Gray tackles the failed drug war in this book and effectively shows how the present war has many similarities to alcohol prohibition in early part of the twentieth century. Gray begins his discussion of the subject of drugs by taking the reader back to 1925, in the city of Chicago, during the height of the nightmare of prohibition. Gangs ruled the streets. The air was filled with the smell of cheap booze and the sound of gunfire. Police were defenseless to the total chaos going on all around them. They simply could not stop the manufacture and consumption of alcohol. There was too much money to be made by selling this "forbidden fruit". There was no possible way that this "war" on alcohol could ever be won.

Does this sound familiar? It should, because the same thing is going on right now. The government's failed attempt to eliminate alcohol is now being attempted a second time with the war on drugs. These laws are discussed in the book with a history lesson on the various court rulings and congressional decisions that led to the present prohibitions on drugs. These laws have some of their roots in the U.S. Congress. According to the book, marijuana itself became illegal as the result of a lie told to congress by Fred Vinson, a man who would later become the U.S. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Vinson was sitting in a congressional hearing one day, just before congress was about to vote on whether or not marijuana should be made illegal. The American Medical Association knew of the benefits of marijuana in medical treatments, and was strongly against such a law. But when Vinson was questioned by congress, he lied and said that the AMA backed the proposed law 100 percent to make marijuana illegal. This was enough to help push the law through congress. Vinson's lie, coupled with the onslaught of government propaganda against marijuana, marked the beginning of America's second nightmare with prohibition.

The lying and deception by government cooled off a bit during the 1940 to 1960 period. But then, the lying and deception continued when President Nixon decided to revive the anti- drug crusade, in part to cover- up his own problems with Vietnam and Watergate. George Bush then escalated the damage even more by scaring the public into backing his anti- drug package and his "get tough" policies against drug dealers and drug users. Gray talks about these and other political maneuvers; why they happened and the true motives behind these so- called "moral" crusaders.

The present- day situation looks pretty bleak. Gray points out that the United States is now the largest jailer in the world with roughly half of all prisoners being non- violent drug offenders. We have also corrupted our police officers, with many of them actively taking part in the drug trade; cutting special deals, accepting bribes, etc, because of the allure of easy money. Respect for law enforcement is low, and violent criminals have been allowed early release to make way for non- violent drug offenders, thanks to mandatory minimum sentences.

This book is an easily manageable length: about 198 pages and fairly easy to read. There are a total of eleven chapters and two appendices. Appendix "A" details the changes in the U.S. murder rate, showing how it peaked during alcohol prohibition and during the present- day drug prohibition. It also shows graphs depicting the U.S. prison population and the Federal Drug budget. And to give the book some balance, Appendix "B" contains a listing of activist organizations, both pro- drug war and anti- drug war, along with a brief description of each and their respective websites.

As Mike Gray points out, the War on Drugs is one of America's greatest failures. Gray never specifically condemns the war. He wrote this book as a means to educate the reader on the motives behind drug prohibition and the reasons that politicians continue to fight a losing battle when they know that the war is not winnable. Gray never resorts to name calling or any form of moral persuasion. He really doesn't need to. He lets the facts speak for themselves, illustrating the endless problems created by a war of prohibition and why it is so important to stop this insanity once and for all.

Nationally recognized ARA author and animal
rights activist is nailed for theft.

This person was hailed by the NCVAW as a
wonderful person and a part of their crowd.
Goes to show you what they are made of. Goes
to show you what these fanatics will do....


***NEWS: Author of the book "PIECES OF MY
HEART" and
essay "HOW COULD YOU", JIM WILLIS, INDICTED
ON TWO
FELONY COUNTS OF LARCENY OF DOG by Pender
County
Grand Jury***



The Pender County, NC Grand Jury returned two

true
bills to indict Jim Willis for Larceny of
Dogs on July
23, 2007.


Case No. 07-CRS-51009, State of North
Carolina vs.

James Charles Willis states:

"The jurors for the State upon their oath
present
that on or about the date of offense shown
and in the
county named above the Defendant named above
unlawfully, willfully and feloniously did
steal, take
and carry away a dog, a female white lab
sheep dog mix
with black spots with solid black right ear
and black
and white left ear, named 'Krissy', . . ."


Sources say this dog has not been recovered.
If you
have seen this dog or know of it's
whereabouts, please
contact the Pender County Sheriff's
Department at
(910)259-1212.


Some animal lovers have suggested boycotting
the sale
of Jim's book, 'Pieces of My Heart' and
removing his
poetry from their web sites until such time
as the dog
is recovered.


Case No. 07-CRS-051399, State of North
Carolina vs.

James Charles Willis states:

"The jurors for the State upon their oath
present that on or about the date of offense
shown and
in the county named above the Defendant named

above
unlawfully, willfully and feloniously did
steal, take
and carry away a dog, a male Dalmatian dog,
white in
color with black spots, named 'Damon', . . ."

Sources say this dog was recovered at the
home of
Robert Hoggard, of Wilmington, NC, where Mr.
Willis
has been a house guest since April.

In a separate action, Jim Willis was found
GUILTY of
HARASSING PHONE CALLS in the Pender County
Court on
July 26, 2007. Despite pleading not guilty,
Mr.
Willis was found GUILTY and was sentenced to
30 days
in jail (suspended), 24 months of
unsupervised
probation, was assessed $115.00 in court
costs and
received a fine of $570.00 in restitution. He

was
also ordered to have no contact with the
person he was
harassing and was ordered not to go on her
premises.

Truly a must read for animal lovers. One of the best books I have read in a long time. Jim Willis will make you laugh. He will make you cry. I did not want this book to end. It is one of the few books I will definitely read more than once.

Deep, heartfelt and inspiring. This book will touch you deeply if you care at all about animals. A very special author with a very special voice.

The spiritual nature of these "beasts" comes through in each poem and story and essay. I found them each and every one to be powerful. They encourage me when I feel too run down to continue my little rescue efforts. This is from a man who practices what he preaches. Not only does he advocate on behalf of all homeless and abused pets,he also takes care of many of the ones no one else wants. Animals ask only for a safe place to rest, some clean water and decent food. Jim Willis reminds us that each of us can make the world a brighter, kinder place.

First of all I would like to say that I love this book. It is so heart touching. Second of all in reponse to Kat Lady. I am a former resident of Pender county. Pender County NC is a rural area and the mentality that many, many people in this area have towards animals is heartbreaking and unforgivable. I would be wiling to bet that those dogs that Mr. Willis took were probably being neglected and/or mistreated. The laws of this area often fail the animals and many die waiting for reports of animal abuse/neglect to be investigated or resolved. And not enough people in the area care enough to do any thing about it. Mr Willis taking those dogs may have the best thing that had ever or would ever happen to those dogs. I admittedly don't know the whole story, but I do know how many dogs in that area are treated-- kept chained their entire lives in the humid and severe NC heat without adequate provisions. So why not hold your judgement?

This was recommended to me by my friend who is a psychiatric nurse when I asked her for references regarding vascular dementia. This book was much more informative than When Your Loved One Has Dementia: A Simple Guide for Caregivers by Joy A. Glenner, Jean M. Stehman, Judith Davagnino, Margaret J. Galante, and Martha L. Green. It contained much more information about the whys and wherefores of Alzheimer Disease and other dementias. I found it much more helpful regarding things to do to help Mother - or, more exact, to put up with her behavior. The book lists other things that can cause the symptoms - including schizophrenia, other forms of brain damage, and TIA (transient ischemic attack). The book was well-written and informative.

It was shipped really quickly and the quality of the book was even better than the description.

I've read this book twice...once when my mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimers and then again for my mother-in-law who is in the throes of the disease right now. This book helps care givers understand the confusion Alzheimer's patients deal with from their perspective. It provides sound recommendations ie;how to redirect their attention and deal with the constant repetition you must deal with. It also provides a look through the eyes of the Alheimer patient ie; the terror some patients experience and confusion of taking simply taking a shower. This book helps you to understand that the Alzheimer patient DOES RECOGNIZE YOU....they just don't know how you FIT ie; my wife? husband? son? daughter? relative? They do know WHAT THEY FEEL for you...love, safety, fun, joy, etc are all in there.The Alzheimer patient can experience feelings of "DELIGHT" for the rest of the day after a half hour visit from you. They just don't remember that "YOU" were there but you made their day as they continue to be "upbeat" for the rest of it ;-) This book makes it easier to cherish every special moment and to empathize with the terrible cross of confusion the Alzheimer patient experiences

I work for a neurologist and we recommend this book for our patients and their family members. It has an easy to read format, excellent referrence and resource guide and supportive information. It gives a thorough overview of the different causes of memory loss and how each may manifest and progress in the life of your loved one. It provides this information in a comapssionate yet down to brass tacks manner that will encourage the care giver. It is an excellent resource if you are starting this journey with someone.

I purchased this book for a friend whose husband is in the throws of a degenerataive dementia journey. She had heard of this book and wanted a copy. I told her I could get it through Amazon.com. She has just begun to read it but she knows it will be a constant handbook for her, suggesting ways to cope with her husband's impending journey into this frightening world and it will give her words of encouragement and suggestions for his saftey and her sanity.

One of my all time favorites. I've read it many times over the last 25 years!

I would have to credit this family...this book....this story...for the creation of my own family. I first read this book as a nine year old with a Scholastic copy from my classroom library. That was 44 years ago. Because of the Doss Family, I was determined to make adoption a part of my own family. Today I have two internationally adopted children. I will never forget the dismay in the face of our first home study caseworker when she asked why we had turned to adoption. 'It was always in my family plan,' was my response. And I told her about this book and Marjorie Margulies' story of her Vietnamese/Cambodian adoptions, 'They Came to Stay'. Remarkable moms to emulate.

I read this book in my teens and LOVED it then. I thought of it often in the years that followed. This book can renew your love for the whole human race. It is heart-warming in the best sense of the word. The conversational tone makes it a quick read, but you will want to read it again and again.
It tells the true story of a couple who are unable to conceive and set about to adopt children. The standard policy of the time (1940's - 1950's) was to place children in homes with parents of the same race. When the couple learns of this policy, they are surprised and vehemently object, promising the adoption agencies that the race of the child would make no difference to them. In time, they break down the objections of the agencies and nurture a growing family of children of many races and backgrounds - - providing a lesson in love and equality to the people around them.

My mom read this book when she was young, and it inspired her to later have 15 children (9 of them adopted, from different races/cultural backgrounds). This book is so warm, heartfelt and inspiring (especially when you consider the decade in which it was written). The author is a great story-teller, using her family's up's/down's, sad moments, comedic moments for the basis of her story. I only wish that the "preface"/family update (new to this edition) was longer and more specific.... However, after years of being out of print, I am so happy to see that it is being published again. A must read!!!

I read this book in junior high and fell in love with the idea of a family created from so many orphaned children. At the time I read it I decided that even if I did have biological children I'd try and convince my husband to adopt at least one child. As fate would have it, I haven't ever gotten married but three and a half years ago I adopted a beautiful baby girl from Russia. This book was the real beginning of that journey for me. What a blessing!

Family Court Law is the most corrupt industry in America today. It is also the most dangerous threat to the constitutional freedoms and protections (which many claim that all citizens are granted) in the history of our society - really, since the institution of slavery. The parallels between slavery and the divorce industry are erily compelling...

Upon first glance, Family Court Law is just another harmless branch of our legal system. We've all been brain-washed into believing that state employees, lawyers and social workers really do care and want what's best for our children - and that they know what is in our children's best interests better than we parents do. After all, they are very righteous people, aren't they? And they really DO care. Thus, we are given Hillary Clinton's assertion that "it takes a village to raise a child..."

There is something inherently bizzare about this whole concept... Why would these strangers care about my child, whom they've never even met? How could their judgment ever supercede that of a fit parent who has raised and loved his daughter from birth? What is REALLY motivating these people to assume control over our children and our lives? What business do they have when they pompously assert that they are acting in my child's "best interest" and on my behalf?

This book systematically exposes all of these cleverly hidden motivations behind the "12 billion dollar child trafficking industry." If you want to know the truth about the divorce industry, then read this book - and tell everyone you know about it so that they can see behind the dark wall called Family Court Law...

Dr. Baskerville's book uncovers the hidden truth that can only be seen in the actual court proceedings. A must read for anyone who councels marriages and tries to keep the couple together.

This book is about a legal system gone wild, particularly against father.

These two points need to be separated. The legal system is a bureaucracy, it is amoral. In that sense, all it seeks to do is enlarge its own coffers - seeing that men tend to earn more, and that society instinctually has more sympathy for females - it rationally goes after men.

Above and beyond that is feminism and feminists gone wild. They expect all the freedom and none of the responsibility. The level of child payment that goes to the caretaker of the child (the wife virtually all the time) is nothing short of extortion.

F Roger Devlin has written a very cogent article and review analyzing this book that is available on the internet. Search for "F Roger Devlin" or even just "Rotating Polyandry and its Enforcers" (the article name) to read it.

7 years ago I was a happy loving father with 2 daughters a nice house and a good job. Now after 7 years of living hell, I am broke, lost my house, children, real estate, life's savings and 70% of my income. I have been accused of being a threat to myself and others arrested, banned from my house, taken against my will to a psychiatric hospital, and denied access to my children. What have I done, I married a woman who knew how to use the divorce system. Taken into Custody is the first real expose of the greatest injustice in our society. Guilty until proven innocent, insulted, threatened, falsely imprisoned, impoverished I suffered alone and confused. How can this be happening? It can and does happen. The war against fathers is real. Thank you Dr Baskerville, for the truth. We can't let this go on, I don't worry about myself anymore, I worry about my children.

Without doubt,Baskerville brings to light
the family court agenda.He explains why they perform their acts
of power,control and aggression which creates conflict and destruction
of children,families and especially the elimination of fathers,fatherhood.
I have experienced this destruction myself.

I always wait for years to read this book again so I won't get tired of it which is hard to do and hard to put down its about how a father's abuse of his family can spead like cancer and destroy the lives around him and how one brother horrible actions affects his family.When they have nothing to do with Gary Gilmore's actions and how stupid and petty people can be when one family memeber do something stupid and evil and people want to blame the rest of family for that person's action how people always look for a scapegoat and also how creepy people can people can be by trying to attach themselves to fame no matter how that person attain that fame I wish people understand more than anything when that the family should not be blamed for one person's crimes but I also uderstand people's anger when family members make excuses for their loved one's poor actions but I am glad to say this not that kind of book. I think this is a true crime classic and should be read by people who work in prisons,psycholgist, and the genral public. My point is I give this book five stars or more.

It's a big call, but Mikal Gilmore's heart wrenching memoir of his family has to be one of the most moving reading experiences I have ever encountered. To tell you the truth, I found this book in a second hand store here in Melbourne, Australia without a cover! I could not put this down as Mikal's words just ripped me to pieces. It drowns in sadness and despair at times, but there is a flicker of hope and redemption in it's conclusion.
Amazing stuff.

An incredible book. Raw. Brutal. Honest. Heart-wrenching. Profound. A well-written and amazingly conveyed story of a families personal tragedies that ended up affecting the world.

If you work with or study psychopaths you are familiar with the term Anti-Social Personality Disorder (ASPD). There are not a whole lot of biographies written from the perspective of what it is like to grow up in a household with Anti-Social Personality Disorder parents. Gary Gilmore (author's brother) was ASPD, but the Mom & Dad are just as much a piece of work as their crazed killer son. This is one of the finest autobiographies about what it is like to grow up in a family of Psychopaths.

The book covers the little things and everything about the day to day life with a nuclear family headed by people who fit the bill as Psychopaths. It's chilling. Gary ends up to be a crazed killer but the other sibling appears to have adjusted without the disorder. You wonder if what we are reading portrays a congenital mental disorder or an acquired one. And if the disorder is acquired, why did Gary get it and not the other sibling?

ASPD at the levels portrayed here mean that the patient will typically be unable to maintain housing, a job, a relationship, their health, stay out of institutions (prison or nuthouse), stay sober, have a pet, maintain a vehicle, raise a child, or not drift from city to city. People this disordered typically die prematurely from Trauma (in this case execution by firing squad), neglected health, or substance abuse. They just don't make it - the disorder is deadly at this level.

This story is harrowing and is a great read if the reader is heading for a career in social services, prisons, mental health or law enforcement. When you read how these people treat their kids you can imagine what they can do to a stranger.

Mikhal Gilmore is a stellar writer.
His understanding of his family life, and of the Mormon influence in the laws of Utah, gives credence to the saying "violence begets violence".
The sad legacy of his brother Gary still haunts me to this day and I read this book years ago. I recently reread parts of it and I continue to be impressed with Mikal's introspection and ability to find hope from such a tragic life.

I read this book & loved it. I'm not sure what kind of politics is surrounding this author, but the book itself, and the story of the rescues, really touched and inspired me. As a result, I registered & trained as a rescue volunteer through UAN's EARS program (Emergency Animal Rescue Service). That means I, myself, can now deploy to animals in peril via UAN & play a part in rescuing animals. I wouldn't have known about the program if it were not for reading this book, for that alone, I love it.

Great book on the plight of unwanted and abandoned animals and the humans who care enough to do something about it by rescuing them and finding homes for these homeless pets.

State probe forces animal-rescue nonprofit to close
Queries $8M raised in wake of Katrina
Sacramento Business Journal - March 30, 2007
by Kelly Johnson
Staff Writer
A local animal-rescue nonprofit that gained national attention for its work after Hurricane Katrina, sparking more than $8 million in donations, was shutting down this month amid a state investigation into how it used that money.
Noah's Wish, which rescues and cares for animals in disasters, was preparing this week to close its El Dorado Hills headquarters. About a dozen workers have resigned or been laid off since late last year.
The California Attorney General's Office has been investigating the organization since last summer, examining how Noah's Wish used donations that might have been designated for relief efforts in the hurricane-ravaged area. The probe led to most of the nonprofit's funds being set aside in accounts where they couldn't be used for other operations.
The nonprofit contends the funds were used properly and said it is cooperating with investigators.
The group received millions in donations after news stories showed its efforts in an area devastated by the August 2005 hurricane. Former Noah's Wish insiders allege those millions were intended to relieve suffering in the storm-battered zone but were improperly used for other purposes.
According to documents obtained by the Business Journal from a former employee, an accounting firm hired by Noah's Wish to examine its books concluded that it would be impossible to conduct a reliable audit because so many records were missing from the period when the group and its volunteers were working on the ravaged Gulf Coast.
Documents filed by the nonprofit or provided by the former employee indicated Noah's Wish had about $210,000 in revenue in the year ended June 30, 2005, and almost 40 times that much -- $8.4 million -- in the next six months.
Expenses shot upward, too, from about $212,000 in 2004-2005 to more than $2 million in the last six months of 2005, including almost $400,000 to purchase vehicles. In early 2006, the group bought a storage building in East Alton, Ill., for $65,125 and leased office space in New York City, according to documents provided by the former employee.
Terri Crisp, founder of the group and its executive director until this week, was paid $6,200 in 2004-2005, tax records show. The documents supplied by the former employee covering July through December 2005 indicated Crisp received compensation of almost $141,000.
The nonprofit's board this week acknowledged the investigation on the group's Web site. "The California Attorney General has taken the position that certain funds donated to Noah's Wish during this period (of Katrina), and its immediate aftermath, are restricted and may only be used for the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina, rather than the animal victims of other disasters or for general disaster preparedness," a letter posted online said. "Noah's Wish disagrees ... but is working cooperatively with the Attorney General toward a timely resolution of the dispute."
Noah's Wish has agreed not to use the disputed funds while the investigation is pending, and the nonprofit cannot continue its work without access to the money, the letter said.
A spokesman for the state's top lawyer would not confirm or deny an investigation.
Ralph Nevis of Downey Brand Attorneys LLP in Sacramento, who represents the group, would not discuss the nature of the inquiry.
Founder was asked to leave board
Staff members are being paid through April 11, but this week only the office manager remained at the El Dorado Hills headquarters to close things down over the next couple of weeks.
At one point, the nonprofit had 15 employees working at offices in El Dorado Hills and New York City and from homes in other states. The three-person office in New York closed in January.
"They've reduced the staff because of funding. It's everybody," Crisp said Wednesday. She said she's taking her remaining days as sick leave, but by Wednesday evening a message on the group's Web site said she was no longer connected with Noah's Wish.
Crisp also served on the organization's board of directors from its founding in 2002 until February. She's no longer on the board, she said, "partly because it's a conflict of interest." The Attorney General's office "had asked for me not to remain on the board."
Because she's no longer on the board, Crisp said she did not have the latest information on the investigation or details about what it covers. Investigators, she said, have not interviewed her and were working only through the nonprofit's attorney and its board chair, Amy Maher.
Maher did not return calls Wednesday. Board members Lyn Kendrick, Gail Monick and David Lesser declined to comment on the investigation; another, Heather Hathaway, did not respond to a request for an interview.
Asked about allegations that the nonprofit inappropriately used money, Crisp said, "I don't know of any misuse of funds."
Lori Polk, chair of the Noah's Wish board during Katrina, left it the month after the hurricane. Before and after Katrina, she said, she voiced concerns about "the organization and the allocations of the donations we were collecting." She said she felt she was "fighting a losing battle trying to maintain my fiduciary responsibility to the organization."
The group "did not make decisions based upon board approval," she said, and made "expenditures without approval."
The former employee, who would only speak on condition of anonymity, said that "the amount of money that was spent by the organization was unbelievable."
The Attorney General's authority over charities includes investigating the loss of substantial funds during one year, illegal use of funds, diversion of funds from their intended purpose and excessive amounts paid for salaries, benefits, travel, entertainment, legal and other professional fees, according to the agency's Web site.
Raising money last month
Noah's Wish was soliciting funds as recently as February. In a letter to potential donors, Crisp wrote the nonprofit had "made a concerted effort to only ask for donations when the need truly exists, and not become a pest with repeated appeals."
Later, the letter said, "So why am I contacting you now? Noah's Wish is prepared for the next disaster, but lately this has become increasingly challenging." Because 2006 was a "fairly uneventful year," Crisp wrote, donations declined significantly.
Tax documents for Noah's Wish obtained by the Business Journal reported revenue of $8.4 million, almost all of it from contributions, between July 1, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2005. Some $4.8 million was in unrestricted assets and $1.5 million in temporarily restricted assets at the end of that year, financial documents indicate.
In June 2006, the accounting firm engaged to audit the books wrote the board that it could not express an opinion on the 2005 financial statements, according to documents provided by the former employee.
"A significant portion of corroborating evidence such as vendor invoices, receipts, deposit slips and other supporting data were not maintained during the period that the organization was responding to the needs of animals during Hurricane Katrina. The records that remain are not sufficient to permit the application of auditing procedures that would be adequate for us to express an opinion on the accompanying financial statements," according to the letter from John Waddell & Co. CPAs.
For the second half of 2005, Noah's Wish paid $405,948 in salaries and compensation, according to the Form 990 supplied by the former employee. Of that, Crisp received $140,900, while the second-highest compensation went to Sheri Thompson at $118,125, the tax documents show.
If the numbers are correct, it appears the compensation for Crisp and Thompson is well above the norm for nonprofits of this size, said Ann Lucas, executive director of the Nonprofit Resource Center. The annual median base salary for the executive director of a nonprofit of this size is $130,000, according to the 2006 Compensation and Benefits Survey of Northern California Nonprofit Organizations, which is produced by the Center for Nonprofit Management in Los Angeles.
Noah's Wish committed $1 million to the city of Slidell, La. for construction of a new animal control center; the old one was severely damaged by Katrina. The city has not received any of those funds, Slidell City Attorney Tim Mathison said.

This is in response to the post about Terry Crisp's organization being investigated by California's Attorney General's office. This is what's posted on her website:

Noah's Wish Board of Directors, March 26, 2007

We are writing to inform you that Noah's Wish is in the midst of an ongoing civil investigation by the California Attorney General's office concerning funds received by Noah's Wish during Hurricane Katrina. The California Attorney General has taken the position that certain funds donated to Noah's Wish during this period, and its immediate aftermath, are restricted and may only be used for the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina, rather than the animal victims of other disasters or for general disaster preparedness. Noah's Wish disagrees with the Attorney General's position with respect to those funds, but is working cooperatively with the Attorney General toward a timely resolution of the dispute.

In response to the California Attorney General, Noah's Wish has set aside the disputed funds and agreed not to use those funds pending final resolution of the investigation. Noah's Wish is unable to predict when the matter will be resolved. Because Noah's Wish does not presently have access to the disputed funds, it is unable at this time to continue with its efforts to provide disaster preparedness services and volunteer training.

We will provide you with an update once we have resolved this matter.

We appreciate your patience and also wish to express our gratitude for all that you have done to support Noah's Wish in carrying out our charitable mission.

Terri Crisp is a dinosaur and hopefully she has been replaced by more enlightened people. She randomly euthenized every feral cat she came across, proclaiming that ferals are not adoptable and are basically a scurge. Obvioulsy she has never heard of T.N.R. programs. I was very disappointed in this book and in Crisp's actions and can only hope people will NOT use it as a guide to animal welfare. It is just one uneducated womens accounts of her exploits.

I bought this book for my eight year old son and he LOVES IT! He's a big fan of the Titanic and owns several books and DVD on the subject. As all the other reviews mention, this is an excellent book. Well written and all the information about Titanic, shipwrecks, history, history of technology, history of America, ocean liner, shipwreck, ships, etc are great. The illustrations and photos are outstanding. Great work Mr. Donald Lynch and Ken Marschall. If you're a fan of the Titanic this book is a must for your collection.

This is a wonderful book with great pictures. My kids checked it out so many times from the library that I finally bought one to have at home. The book tells the story of the making of the Titanic, the fateful journey, the discovery of the wreckage. It has many pictures and a few projected pictures (what it may have looked like). There is also a section of questions and answers, such as the differences in first, second, and third class. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

This book while a beautiful pictorial is both informative and compelling in its historical data. There have been many many books written about this ship and her fate but this one is best for a collector or a model ship builder. I bought it for my model ship building partner and he was thrilled with it. He completed his 5 foot model last year and gave it lots of detail. When he sees inaccurate models of this ship he gets annoyed and some people think it really doesn't matter but to those who know the history, it matters a great deal. This book, received after the build, was a welcome addition to his Titanic collection.

This book is perfect. The artwork of Ken Marschall is absolutely stunning. The text is so accurate. It is my favorite book on the Titanic to date.
Majestic, is the word that comes to my mind when I look at this book.
I savor each and every page.

I love it.

Amazon rocks!!

Product was of a decent price, arrived in a timely manner and in good condition. Overall, well pleased with transaction.