From the moment I first saw the title,I knew that I must buy this book and I did. If you ever experienced writing then giving up, rejection after rejection, writer's block or other malaises that haunt a writer then Chicken Soup will abundantly fill your soul with joy in being a writer. Over eighty authors from diverse backgrounds share with us their anecdotes, memories and triumphs of writing. Many of them were told they didn't have what it takes to become a writer. Others were discouraged at an early age while some faced rejection after rejection. After reading their stories you will know that through it all writing made a difference in their lives and subsequently in the lives of their readers despite the hardships a writer faces.

This book is truly a gift for writers as they go through the process of putting their thoughts onto paper. The book is broken down into ten sections with topics which include how the author became a writer, obstacles to overcome, making a difference and many other pertinent insights for a writer. By all means, if you write or want to write, purchase this book for inspiration, reflection and with the hope knowing that you are not alone as a writer.

Another very inspiring book in the "Chicken Soup" series. I have read many of them and they are now a permanent part of my personal collection and I reread them often for inspirations.

The "Chicken Soup For The Writer's Soul" is one book that I bought without having read a few pages of it as it was nicely wrapped up in the bookstore. But due to my past pleasant experiences reading books in the "Chicken Soup" series, I just bought it. And guess what? This is the book that has given me the most impact.

I have all the while enjoyed reading and writing. But apart from building up a library of hundreds of books .. I have never really got down to any serious writing. But the funny thing is I have often been approached by friends and associates to write reports and letters for them, in particular, letter of complaints! Yes, I am very good at that. Hah Hah.

After reading this book, I finally knew why. The writer in me has been identified and recognised!!! Or should I say, "awakened". It never felt better than to discover something you would really love to do deep within you.

When I first started a website project, "The Great Minds Project" at AwesomeLife.Com, I approached many great minds from all over the world to help ... and eventhough many have generously agreed to share their knowledge for free with other fellow human beings, many have turned me down. Eventhough I knew it was a meaningful project, it was tough getting turned down time and again.

After reading "Chicken Soup For The Writer's Soul", I finally came to the realisation that instead of begging people to share their knowledge and success secrets in life, I might as well write them myself. Voila!!! I have found the answer. And that is precisely what I am going to do. Halfway through this book, GraciousHearts.Com is born. I will write and write .. true stories that will inspire people, insights that will move people ... lessons that will change people's lives ... just like this book.

Thank you so much and keep up the awesome work. God bless.

As a woman on the verge of entering the publishing realm, Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul couldn't come at a more opportune time. It's like destiny is trying to get your attention to let you know that if these fine writers have struggled and made it, so can others. As a person who also loves to read I enjoyed being fed by numerous inspirational stories that show the sorrows, joys, and emotional rollercoaster of being a writer. I enjoyed the Terry McMillan story entitled, "Why I Write" because it shows she is sincere about what she does and about getting inside her characters heads and hearts so she can gain understanding. I also was enthralled with Bud Gardner's "A Chat With Alex Haley". The fact that Gardner had the courage to write such a legend and to ask him to speak at a writer's conference is one thing; to have Mr. Haley respond affirmatively just to turn around and do something totally unexpected, scary yet delightful, says a lot about how much a writer's life can be filled with surprises. I really am grateful such a book exists; it's empowering to know others share your feelings about your dreams. I would encourage all inspiring and professional writers to pick up a copy of this book. I believe you will notice immediately the difference that this book will make in your life.

This book opened my eyes to issues to which I had never given much thought. In planning for a trip to the rain forest of Belize, a friend gave me Tales of An Apprentice Shaman. As it wasn't a book I selected I was a bit tenative about starting it. Having now read it cover to cover, I can honestly say it is a book that has changed my perspective of the world and given me insight to people from non-Western/Indian cultures, the fragility of the ecosystem, and secrets of the jungle. For me, this book was definitely worth my time and effort.

I agree wholeheartedly with the rave reviews for this book and it has become one of my favorites (I even sent it to an ethnobotanist in Yap as a must read). Not only is it wonderfully well-written, and not only does it address crucial ecological concerns, but it is an exciting account of Plotkin's effort to identify and explore the medical possibilities of Amazonian plants, while preserving the indigineous lore about their uses, both medicinal and spiritual; the discovery and adoption of plants by Europeans and North Americans, and Plotkin's own adventures. I found some it so fascinating on so many levels I'd read it to my family (okay, I know that may be obnoxious, but I couldn't restrain myself). It's thought-provoking, important and absolutely fascinating. Can't recommend it highly enough!!

Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice is a classic scientific adventure story. To my way of thinking, an ideal book educates as it entertains, leaving the reader richer for the experience. This one certainly achieves that as it portrays the hidden riches of the South American rainforests, and the threatened knowledge base of its indigenous peoples. I only hope that its readership will continue to grow, that people will suggest it to national and international politicians, and take its message to heart. As is said on "The X-Files": "The truth is out there." The planet and our health may both be saved if these ideals of ecology and cultural preservation become valued in our collective reasoning.

I have been looking for this out-of-print cult classic for 7 years. I had the pleasure of meeting Mark Vonnegut in 1994, and a few friends recommended his book at the time. I had a very hard time finding the book. Copies were stolen from several libraries I tried, and I was outbid a couple of times on eBay!

Finally, I found a copy in a library. I was truly so excited to start reading.

So, now, after 7 years of trying, I'm ready to analyze this book.

The book very effectively captures the feeling of being schizophrenic (I think!), with rushes of overwhelming thoughts following from the most mundane of stimuli, and a loss of all sense of time. Being in the medical profession, I've had the opportunity to meet several schizophrenic patients, and I now feel like I have some modicum of understanding of how they must feel.

The book also offers a fascinating insight into the '60s counterculture, in which the authors' friends enable his mental illness for months, defending it as a form of free thinking, until he's undeniably ill.

But I had a hard time getting through the book. It's mercifully short, but after 200 patients of psychotic thinking, I couldn't make myself read the last 30. Understandably, the story basically goes around in circles -- initial illness --> recovery --> relapse --> mild recovery --> worse relapse. There isn't really any sense of progression.

In some ways, it reminded me of Jack Kerouac's On the Road. Beautifully evocative of a certain era and subculture, but after ambling back and forth across the country a few times, I had had enough!

Brutally honest, and at times extremely humorous, this account of a young man's journey through insanity is a splendid read. This narrative takes you on a ride through Heaven and Hell, and lays bare the inner-workings of a mind gone rotten. As his father before him, the author leaves no violator of his honor or goodwill unscathed. Be it human or non, any and all things are vulnerable to the young Vonnegut's scorn. Not only is the story strange and thrilling, but it also serves to educate the reader about schizophrenia in a new and unique way (though it is quite a few years old, it was never fully accepted into the mainstream and still retains an amazingly individual view of the matter). Amid biting sarcasm and the indomitable fear of losing one's grip on life, a timeless and beautiful message shines through: "There's no shame, there's no blame... there's hope. That's what this book is all about" (Mark Vonnegut).

Perhaps eclipsed by his more famous father, Mark Vonnegut has never received the recognition he deserves for this fine work. Courageous, honest and at times extremely funny, Mark tells his tale of madness without a hint of the pretension that often creeps into such works. Especially interesting is the way he tries to reconcile his schizophrenia with the hippie lifestyle he was living in the 60's, when many thought the line between sanity and madness was nonexistant at best, and that "madness is a sane response to an insane society." After a prolonged hell where he lost the ability to eat, sleep, or have a moment's peace, Mark ended up embracing and being helped by good old fashioned square western medicine, without losing the depth or sincerity of his countercultural leanings. His evocation of the experience of madness itself outstrips anything I have ever read on the topic. A very good book.

Makes you laugh ...makes you cry...full of shocking true stories. Better than the TV show "ER". A great book to keep by the john. Don't miss this one

This book concisely describes the joy and sorrow of all Er personnel worldwide. More importantly ir reveals the true nature of Emergency Medicine / Nursing in the raw form and allows all of us Er personnel to reflect on our current practices. Sometimes, we are too caught up in the biomedical nature of emergency medicine that we forget our clients as persons. Er persionnel are humans too who have dedicated themselves to provide quality emergency care. This book also aptly describes the true context of our feelings, the problems we face daily in the Er. I find this book a source of inspiration for myself as i was feeling burnet out and it allowed me to get my perspectives back in the right place. I had to laugh, cry and cringe with all the stories which were related in this book. No other book has allowed me the joy of doing so. The best book i have read in a long, long, long time. I recommend this book for all involved in the Er and hope that ALL health care instuitions and Er personnel obtain a copy of this marvellous book.

I have to say this book was wonderful! It would be great for anyone who is glued to the TV on Thursday nights. As I read the stories, I actually imagined the story taking place at Cook County General with Mark,Carol,Carter,Elizabeth,Kerry and the rest of the crew. It is also great for anyone who has no clue as to what I am referring to. After reading it, I bought a second copy for my cousin who is an RN. I highly reccommend this book!

White Wolf's greatest RPG, this book tells about the history and culture of werewolf society. These werewolves, known as the Garou, fight against a dark force destroying the planet and they are willing to go down fighting them. This is the best role-playing game for all ages!

This has to be the most incredible book ever written... at least as far as rp books go. I spent some time playing Vampire and Changeling, but neither of those sucked me in and intrigued me like Werewolf does. There are those who bitch and moan about the werewolves being too powerful, and how they are not true to folklore and myth... as for the former: The Garou are MEANT to be the as-kickers of the world of darkness! It's that simple! THAT'S why any leech worth his corpse keeps his ass inside the city! Besides, who cares about historic accuracy? This is, quite frankly, much more interesting.

Werewolf:TA is a great book, and adds alot to the World of Darkness. The Book is well written, and can hold its own next to Vampire:TM. The Systems of the Game work like in Vampire:TM, and people can smoothly go from Vampire:TM to Werewolf:TA without much problems...People may cry that the Garou(Werewolves) are too strong, but in fact they are only powerful in combat. Sure even a Elder Vampire could fall to a low ranking Garou, but a Vampire with a Discipline that allows mind control of a target can make the mightest of Garou fall before him. If you are looking for a Game that has bloody Combat and Great role-playing, this IS the book for you. I plain on giving out a few copies as gifts myself.

This piece of junk found its way to my garbage can not long after buying it. I've had great success with the "For Dummies" series in acquiring computer application knowledge, so figured that this book could replicate that success in a scientific field. That was not the case.

Cartoon-based, this book is more properly called cartoonish. It explains genetics poorly, if at all, and makes over-generalizations, too simplistic analogies, and dull, plodding stabs at bringing this interesting field to light. Definitely a pass for any serious reader, dilettante, or the idly curious.

This book was written in 1983 to present an interesting and unintimidating approach to explaining Mendelian genetics, interspersing humor with history and simplifying some of the harder, but still "basic" concepts: co-dominance, how proteins are made, eucaryotic genes, attenuation, recombinant dna, and basic cloning theory.

I liked it because the historical background walks you through the scientists' reasoning, why a particular theory was correct (or not), and how the thinking has evolved over the last several hundred years. The final section of the book attempts to present some of the ethical dilemmas that result from the ability to "play dice."

As the book is almost 20 years old, a lot of the "really interesting" discoveries and advancements in molecular biology and genetics aren't going to be there. Despite this, the book is, overall, a fine primer on Mendelian genetics.

I am a reasonably intelligent person with no biology background, trying to make sense of genetics so I can understand discussions about genetic engineering, medicine, the Human Genome Project, creation-evolution, etc. I have tried to read the genetics sections of biology textbooks to understand what's going on, but I find it hard to get the big picture from those. This book is perfect... it starts right from the beginning, and builds carefully and simply all the way to recombinant DNA, glossing over a few hard details but not making any huge, puzzling leaps like other books seem to. My girlfriend, taking third year undergraduate genetics, was astonished at how much material was covered so clearly in such a small book. The book is also fascinating as a study of how science really works. I'm ready for more genetics now!

Pickwick Papers is a wonderful book, and no doubt much has been written about it in academic and literary circles. But from a layman's perspective, it is simply a fun read. One would almost think it the work of a great master approaching the end of a career, consciously deciding to lay down the heartache of Great Expectations or the martyrdom of A Tale of Two Cities to take a jovial and whimsical jaunt through the English language and the realm of imagination. Yet the bumbling and somehow delightful misadventures of the Pickwickians fall at the beginning of Dickens' career. Comic relief is offered well before Hard Times sets in.

Take an independently wealthy, magnanimous old fellow and surround him with a group of close friends. Send them together on a journey of desire to explore the world about them, meet new people, and experience the fullness of life, and you essentially have the plot of Pickwick Papers. The plethora of characters Dickens introduces along the way add considerable color to the narrative, not only because they come from such a vast array of backgrounds, but because they themselves are colorful in their own right:

The first and most obvious example might be that of Mr. Alfred Jingle, the loquacious vagabond rapscallion who rescues the Pickwickians from an altercation with a feisty coach driver. One of Mr. Pickwicks cohorts, Mr. Snodgrass, receives a blow to the eye during the incident, after which Mr. Jingle is pleased to suggest the most efficacious remedies: "Glasses round-brandy and water, hot and strong, and sweet, and plenty-eye damaged, sir? Waiter! Raw beef-steak for the gentleman's eye-nothing like raw beef-steak for a bruise, sir; cold lamp-post very good, but lamp-post inconvenient-damned odd, standing in the open street half an hour with your eye against a lamp-post-eh-very good-ha! ha!" While Pickwick reads the legend of Prince Bladud by candlelight, we find this description of King Hudibras: "A great many centuries since, there flourished, in great state, the famous and renowned Lud Hudibras, king of Britain. He was a mighty monarch. The earth shook when he walked-he was so very stout. His people basked in the light of his countenance-it was so red and glowing. He was, indeed, every inch a king. And there were a good many inches of him too, for although he was not very tall, he was a remarkable size round, and the inches that he wanted in height he made up in circumference." The young surgeon, Benjamin Allen, is described as "a coarse, stout, thick-set young man, with black hair cut rather short and a white face cut rather long [...] He presented altogether, rather a mildewy appearance, and emitted a fragrant odour of full-flavoured Cubas." Dickens notes that the casual visitor to the Insolvent Court "might suppose this place to be a temple dedicated to the Genius of Seediness" and whose vapors are "like those of a fungus pit." Seated in this luxuriant ambience, we find an attorney, Mr. Solomon Pell, who "was a fat, flabby pale man, in a surtout which looked green one minute and brown the next, with a velvet collar of the same chameleon tints. His forehead was narrow, his face wide, his head large, and his nose all on one side, as if Nature, indignant with the propensities she observed in him in his birth, had given it an angry tweak which it had never recovered." A final sample from a list of worthy characters too long to mention might be Mr. Smangle, the boisterous whiskered man whom Pickwick encounters in debtors prison: "This last man was an admirable specimen of a class of gentry which never can be seen in full perfection but in such places; they may be met with, in an imperfect state, occasionally about the stable-yards and public-houses; but they never attain their full bloom except in these hot-beds, which would almost seem to be considerately provided by the legislature for the sole purpose of rearing them [...] There was a rakish vagabond smartness and a kind of boastful rascality about the whole man that was worth a mine of gold."

The book itself is a goldmine full of textures, personas, venues, and idiosyncrasies of a bygone age. These are delight to behold, as the reader is thus invited to enjoy experience and descriptive beauty for their own sakes. Plot largely takes a backseat to the development of relationships, which can be seen as a myriad of subplots contributing to a never-ending story. Numerous vignettes which are incidental to the narrative add another level of richness, and it seems clear that Dickens offers them for an enjoyment all their own. There is something of "l'art pour l'art" throughout the whole work which expresses a love of language and a love of human nature. As Dickens might have summed it up, "All this was very snug and pleasant."

The Pickwick Papers, (or rather The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club) although not Dickens' best work, is still a wondeful novel. The writing isn't as consistently good as it is in his later novels, but none of the writing is bad, and there are several flashes of brilliance which seem to herald what Dickens' would become when his genius had time to ripen (one of these can be found at the end of chapter 44, a beautifully written account of the death of a prisoner in a debtor's prison). In the beginning, despite being very funny, the novel, and indeed Mr. Pickwick, may seem rather inane. Keep reading. The story of Mr. Pickwick's trial and eventual imprisonment is one of the most brilliant pieces of comic literature, and Mr. Pickwick grows into a truly monumental character by the end. And Sam Weller, Mr. Pickwick's cockney servant, is one of the best characters in all of Dickens. Clever, witty, and cynical, he seems to light up every page. The book has a very happy ending, in which all loose ends are tied together and every character gets what he or she deserves. It is truly uplifting. I strongly reccommend this book.

Charles Dickens' first novel, Pickwick Papers follows the adventures of the Pickwick Club as they involve themselves in comic mishaps and misunderstandings. His travels as a newspaper reporter acquainted Dickens with the coaches, coaching houses, and inns of England which he uses as settings in Pickwick Papers. Gradually he abandons the use of the club format, which he found too restrictive.

Dickens' fame and popularity were forever established with the introduction of his greatest comic characrter, the immortal Sam Weller as Mr Pickwick's servant. Pickwick Papers contains some of Dickens' greatest characters: Mr Pickwick, the most interesting title character; the strolling actor Jingle and his friend Job Trotter; Sam's father Tony Weller who battles with the red-nosed Rev Stiggins; and the Fat Boy.

Memorable scenes include Christmas in the country, a Parliamentary election, and the famous court trial, which Dickens frequently recited on his reading tours.

I highly recommend this book if you've never read Dickens before. This is a must-have for Dickens fans.

I love true crime and of course, know John Douglas' name well. I ordered this, not realizing until I was running out the door with it in hand to read on the subway that it was a novel. I was a little disappointed, because I generally am more interested in true stories. I did read the whole book and I enjoyed it. I am guessing that there is probably a lot of John Douglas in the main character (Jake Donovan - same initials, even). The idea of the Flying Squad on which the book is based, is fascinating. And, of course, solving the mystery is half the fun. Well written, a good story, believable characters and even a few good chuckles.

Having read everything John Douglas has written, I knew this would be a good book, but it is incredible! You are pulled into the story immediately, and you can't put the book down. Douglas and Olshanker have another best seller. I read it in one sitting. The protagonist, Jake Donovan, patterned after John Douglas, shows us a more human side, one who is committed, inventive, and sexy. Please, John and Mark, give us more cases for the Broken Wings, and do it soon. Congratulation on another outstanding, facinating book!

Broken Wings is absolutely intriguing, but what else would we expect from best-selling authors Douglas and Olshaker? These two authors have traditionally written amazing non-fiction books, but I absolutely could not wait, aftering hearing Douglas was coming out with a novel, to delve myself right into reading it! The main character in Broken Wings, Jake Donovan, fulfills Douglas's actual vision by starting up a flying squad that will be ready to fly to the scene of a crime, fully prepared to analyze and solve criminal cases. This novel gets a strong five stars and a pat on the back to Douglas and Olshaker, for another job well done.

My own time growing up in Cleveland corresponds with the latter portion of the book. Winegardner captures the tone of the time perfectly and the rest of the book has wonderful set pieces, as well. The seques into Dorothy Fuldheim and other subjects are well worth the effort, but may be more useful for Clevelanders than for "foreigners" and sometimes he simply tries too hard with these sections. There also are some minor inaccuracies. A better story would have come from an east sider perspective (just kidding, my roots are in Willowick & Cleveland Hts), but someone else can write that one. Still, the book was evocative and it's derpth in Cleveland lore reminded me why I still feel affection for Cleveland.

Written with compassion for his characters, humor for the foibles we all have, and respect for caring people, Mark Weingardner has written an original, involving and heartfelt historical fiction about the peak of mid-20th century Cleveland to its river-burning decline circa 1970. With heart-capturing chapters about Dorothy Fuldheim, (read the book to learn about this eccentric cultural character and her important firsts), the Cleveland Indians glory days, and the sad repercussions of Willie Mays's (in)famous catch in the '54 World Series, Carl Stokes, the first African-American mayor of a major American city, and other tales of a city long ridiculed, but also a source of pride for its residents, including the leading fictional characters who find love amongst the steel mills, polluted river and ethnic neighborhoods. Who learn that life is something one learns to live while living it. A happy, bittersweet and memorable read. The story will stay with me for quite sometime.

I have lived in Cleveland for 10 years, and I truly enjoyed this book. Mark managed to actually put me back in time in 1948 when Rock and Roll was just getting started in America. His description of the World Series game that the Indians won that year was exciting, and I don't even like baseball. I loved the love story in the book, and I loved the way it ended.

This book is not just a book about Cleveland. It's a book about an era in American history. It's about life in the 50's; the birth of rock and roll; politics of the time; and love, not so different from what you and I experience today.

About the river: It's hard to believe that the river was so polluted back then when it's so clean now -- hard to imagine. We really have come a long way. Cleveland rocks!!!

I hope Mark's next novel will come out soon.

Come and see us in Cleveland!

My company has been making acquisitions for over twenty years and I think we've read all the merger books in print. "Five Frogs" is the winner when it comes to candid, practical and intuitive advice on how to accelerate through the post-deal transition without destroying shareholder value. Its a fast and easy read that makes its points clearly and with great examples that force you to think intelligently about decisions that must be made and executed quickly. The two chapters on internal and external communications planning and execution alone are worth the price. Our results from following the authors'advice on post-deal priority setting were both powerful and surprisingly painless. We're about to go through the biggest merger in our history and every member of every transition team in both companies now has a copy of "Five Frogs." It's become our merger bible. Also, if you get a chance to hear Feldman speak on the subject, don't miss it. He's an articulate and entertaining speaker who's seen it all. Very motivating.

If you're about to do a deal, it's a must read. If you've been through a deal, it's still a must read -- because you'll surely recognize yourself in every chapter. I learned that the principal lesson of this book is that speed, focus and direction make the difference in successful integrations. It's clear that successful deals do not hinge just on strategy -- but on the execution of that strategy. I've seen too many companies focus all of their efforts on the strategy and hope that the actual integration will take care of itself. Five stars for Five Frogs because it's not only informative, it's helpful and entertaining.

I had expected to get a dry, formulaic tome on standard business practices from a couple of long-time PWC executives. What I found in this book is actually an entertaining and deeply insightful guide to merger and acquisition integration strategy. I also found it to have actionable recommendations, and would urge anyone working on a merger or acquisition to READ THIS FIRST!