Fine book, can be read again and again. Would be a great book to give an expecting mother or new mother.

It seems that a week doesn't go by when I see a woman on the subway or in a coffee shop reading a book from the What to Expect When You're Expecting series. Those detailed tombs of writing seem to be sent to people planning or in the process of rearing children as if by storks. (I've even heard of some workplaces keeping the book What to Expect... in the human resources supply closet, to be given as a gift when a woman announces she's pregnant.) However, upon reading some chapters from those books and informal discussions with mothers, a theme that reoccurs is that some women will explicitly instruct others not to read those books. Why? Not because they don't contain a plethora of knowledge but precisely because they do. That is, these can wind up really scaring a parent-to-be because they contain all the zillions of possible physical and emotional things that can go wrong during pregnancy and the first years. I think everyone can agree that raising the anxiety level, especially of a woman during pregnancy, is quite a less than desirable outcome.

What if there was a book that spoke honestly about the experiences of pregnancy and childbirth and, more importantly, treated these experiences as natural events rather than listing all the possible things to be feared? Better yet, what if there was a book that did all those things and spoke of the spiritual aspects of pregnancy and children, in a gentle and non-denominational way? Well, a book with all those features and more is available in this book.

Erdrich is of Native American ancestry and a writer by profession. Her background is rich with symbolism and spiritualism and is wonderful at weaving her story into the passage of seasons. At times I felt I was really looking through her eyes in the room where she wrote, looking out at a large picture window in her remote rural home. She saw the lives of various wildlife, from all types of birds to deer to wild dogs, intertwine with the passage of time from the beginnings of her pregnancy through the first year of her daughter's life. This book seems to be very realistic primarily because it does not compartmentalize pregnancy or infancy; Erdrich does not shy away from concurrent events in her life including changes in relationship with her husband, observations of nature, memories from her own childhood and recipes she craves during pregnancy or for their nurturing powers.

In more popular baby manual-type books, the subjects of actual labor, sleep deprivation, nurturing "instincts," and patience are sometimes glossed-over or described in such a way to possibly make a parent feel guilty for not automatically possessing certain qualities. This is yet another way that Erdrich's book masterfully succeeds as she lovingly and with understanding tackles these and other important subjects. She describes with humor and passion of a "no-sleep week" by stating how she wanted to call 911 Emergency because her baby wouldn't sleep. She describes the situation: "It happens to be a long crying bout, nothing wrong physically, just growth, maybe teeth. Why knows? Sometimes babies just cry and cry... in my office, with her in the crib next to the desk, I break through a level of sleep-deprived frustration so intense I think I'll burst, into a dimension of surprising calm," (71).

Erdrich speaks of the "tender and grueling task of rearing a newborn," (6) with such a fullness and richness of spirit that I cannot help but be moved by her descriptions. I highly recommend this book not only to anyone personally considering parenting but also to educators and anyone interested in the mutual development of a parent and an infant. I think it could also serve as an excellent supplement for all students in any Infancy and Child Development course. The best summary for her book is by Erdrich herself. In the introduction she states: "These pages are a personal search and an extended wondering at life's complexity. This is a book of conflict, a book of babyhood, a book about luck, cats, a writing life, wild places in the world, and my husband's cooking. It is a book about he vitality between mothers and infants, that passionate bond into which we pour the direct expression of our being," (5).

I loved this book when I first read it before my daughter was born. Re-reading it now, as a new mother, I find it even more remarkable. Louise Erdrich has perfectly captured both the frustration and surpassing joy of life with a new baby. The book is also a beautiful nature narrative, with observations on the changing of the seasons interwoven with the story of a child's first year. Highly recommended!

I got this book, not knowing how useful the information would be to me. I never used herbs before, but now I know how to take care of myself without antibiotics or drugs. I actually lost 23 pounds by following the author's advice/guidelines! Who knew herbs were so useful and they work too! This book is a must have for men and women!

this book is filled with such useful information, everyone should own a copy.

After I bought this book & started following the authors advice, my whole health has improved. I lost weight, my cholesterol has been drastically reduced from where it normally was & best of all, I know have more information on how my body works than I ever did before. Its fun to read and most importantly, easy to do!! Just follow her instructions & your quality of life will improve!

This book was recommended in Harvey and Goudvis's book "Strategies That Work". What a beautiful book! It is so powerful in presenting these statements, yet the use of Muppet characters does not present a grotesque picture for young children. I've never seen a book impact students' thinking of the world in the way that this book does. Could great reviews like the ones published on your site possibly encourage the initial publisher to re-print this book once again? I believe every classroom teacher and parent should have a copy of this book as we continue to become a more global society.

I purchased this book for my daughter when she was 3. It has become a favorite. She has taken it to school for Show-n-Tell. Her teacher read it to the class and I was told it brought tears to many of the children. Each time I sit down with my daughter to read it, she has so many questions about it. What a shame that this book has gone out of print. What a wonderful opportunity for children to learn about others who are less fortunate. Our copy will be a forever treasure indeed.

I was so disappointed to find out this book was out of print. It is a book every parent and every teacher should share with their children. In fact - many adults should keep one on their coffee table - a great conversation piece... an inspiration to realize and treasure what we have in life and realize that so, so many people do not have these basic necessities!! (I heard rumor that they were going to reissue this book. If they do - I'll buy a stock for gifts!!!)

This collection has historic significance in Dickinson studies not only because it highlights the interesting and complex relationship between Emily Dickinson and Susan Dickinson, her sister-in-law, but also because of the way the letter-poems appear here in print. Hart and Smith took pains to present as best they could in print the original line breaks and other features of Dickinson's manuscripts, and this causes the poems to run down the page in long narrow columns, in many cases. Like Johnson's restoration of the dashes did in 1955, this edition of letter-poems to one correspondent changes the way we "see" a Dickinson poem physically on the page. The form presented here is as equally fascinating as the content of the letter-poems themselves. Superb!

The best thing about this book is that it gives us Dickinson's poems to her best friend, Sue, in the form they actually appear on the page. For most people, seeing the manuscripts of her poems is something that will never happen so Smith and Hart do their best to give us an idea of what Sue would have seen when she opened the envelopes. The review from the reader in the desert southwest has not read this book as it was meant to be read--as another way of reading and seeing. Hart and Smith do not suggest that theirs is the only way to read the letters/poems, they suggest that there's another way to read them that has not been the tradtional way of reading. My graduate students loved this book, as do I, because it offers a fresh perspective. Few Dickinson books in the last 10 years have been truly original and different. Anyone with a true interest in Dickinson, not the passing interest some reviews here suggest, will read this book in conjunction with other Dickinson studies and will achieve her/his own perspective of the poet. Smith and Hart give us some wonderful ideas to ponder, whether or not we agree with them is not the point. The point is that we exercise our intellect and think.

OPEN ME CAREFULLY : Emily Dickinson's Intimate Letters to Susan Huntington Dickinson. 323 pp. Edited by Ellen Louise Hart and Martha Nell Smith. Ashfield, Massachusetts : Paris Press, 1998. ISBN 0-9638183-6-8 (pbk.)

The present book came as a revelation. How much more meaningful and exciting these 'letters' become when, instead of being treated as letters they are treated as poems. The range of effects generated by the simple procedure of respecting ED's autographs is amazing.

Editors Hart and Smith are to be congratulated. But one wonders why it has taken Dickinson scholars so long to start treating her drafts with the respect they deserve? One also wonders just how much poetry may be lurking unrecognized in the various editions of regularized letters we have been given? And finally one wonders when we are going to be given an unregularized Complete Poems? Would anyone, for example, seriously think of destroying William Carlos Williams' lineation and printing his work as straight prose or in conventional stanza form? Of course not. Then why should it be considered acceptable to distort the forms and rhythms of a vastly more important writer?

Dear Ellen Louise Hart and Martha Nell Smith - You've shown us what can be done, have done it extremely well, and we love it! In fact, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts! So how about an unregularized COMPLETE POEMS? Please?

Published on what would have been Dennis's sixtieth birthday, A Personal Memoir is not what one would expect in era of "kiss-and-tell" tomes from the Hollywod elite. There are no tired lists of professional accolades or conquered lovers famous and infamous, no gossipy prattle. In fact, the particulars of Dennis's chosen profession are rarely mentioned at all in this 77-page memoir, we are instead introduced to Sandy Dennis the person--a person whose life was filled with colors, unbridled compassion and many, many cats.

In a scrapbook of prose--written, it appears, in fits and spurts when the muse allowed it--Dennis "recalls emotions...images" from her first trek at three years to the local store for jawbreakers to morning walks in the woods ("I like this kind of grey suspended morning. It will be, I think, a soft washed-out day"). Snippets of memory come alive in Dennis's vivid words--sticky baby fingers clutching a shaggy dog, fragrant New England foliage, fading images of a father seldom seen due to work and war. This Sandy Dennis, not necessarily the Sandy Dennis we see flickering in a grainy black-and-white film, is the one we are meant to remember.

On screen, Sandy Dennis was powerful, and that power transfers beautifully to her own life. A Personal Memoir is uniquely poetic, and a very thoughtful read.

What a woman! Sandy Dennis has always been, in my mind, one of the most strikingly original and entertaining performers to ever grace the Hollywood screen. Watching her movies has given me a great deal of joy and happiness over the years, but until I read this book, I had no idea she had such an equally natural talent for writing. For those of you who buy this book expecting to read a conventional tell-all, you are in for a big surprise. Sandy's book, which she began to write not long after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, tells of this remarkable woman's courageous battle with the fatal disease. It also tells of her strong, warm relationship with her many cats , the furry friends that seldom left her side during that very difficult time. This is a book like no other. Every page is filled with love and compassion, laughter and heartache. It is a stunningly original and unforgettable work, much like the woman who wrote it.

Filling a scant 77 pages, these intimate recollections by Oscar-winning actress Sandy Dennis are the distilled essence of a life lived with humor, valor, and grace.

In a praiseworthy departure from the usual movie star memoir Ms. Dennis does not focus on her professional achievements, but rather on personal aspects of her childhood and offstage adult life.

Few who saw her as the frightened foil for Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in the film "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," would envision the gallant courage with which she faced the ovarian cancer that took her life in 1992.

Few who saw her confident Tony Award winning performance in "A Thousand Clowns" would recognize the vulnerable unpretentious woman who usually wore no make-up, "gave her hair passing attention at best," and happily shared her roof with over forty homeless cats.

The vicissitudes of housing two score tabbies and toms were viewed with robust good nature. "Last year the condenser in the refrigerator burned up," Ms. Dennis writes. "The repairman discovered abnormal amounts of cat hair which had collected and caught fire. Exclamations of horror and surprise seemed pointless. The man was standing in a kitchen filled with some thirty very interested cats and they weren't bald." This memoir, the personal thoughts of a very private person, were found after her death. Handwritten on sheets of yellow legal-size paper, they lined the bottom of a filing cabinet in her home office. Characteristically unassuming, she may not have considered herself a writer. She is a delightfully gifted one.

Ms. Dennis reminisces about a man she loved, her family, her friends, her animals, and her garden with a poet's tenderness. Her observations of our world spring from a generous soul.

Describing the potency of time, an intensity of light, "painted sticks of sunshine," as she is dying, she writes, "My soft orange glass-shaded lamp slips me into twilight and then darkness. How I love." She did, indeed.

Traditionally history book wars begin with a declaration and end with a treaty. In families the effects of war extend through generations. Steinman's treatment of the discovery of her father's "souvenir" from World War Two is a story of how an entire family was shaped by the silence of an experience her father couldn't talk about. It is a fresh and original treatment of the impact of war, one that we as a nation are only recently coming to grips with. It is also extremely relevant to understanding today's climate of global public opinion against America's declaration of preemptive war in Iraq, particularly in Europe where many people believe that war is no longer a viable instrument of "politics by other means."

A very good emotional book about World War II. Steinman's father served in the Tropic Lightning Division of the U.S. Army fighting in northern Luzon (P.I.). Even though her father is not a casualty, he suffers the rest of his life from the effects of the war. He is hard and somewhat bitter. After his passing, Louise finds the souvenir of the war---a personal flag from a Japanese soldier. She examines the brutality of the war from both the American and Japanese perspective (Hiroshima, Nanking, P. I, Bataan). She finds the family of the soldier and returns the flag. She finds that the Japanese soldier has a human face after all.
This is a good emotional read of the effects of war, even if the war was the good war.

I couldn't put this book down. As a veteran of the Viet Nam era, I don't like stories of war that glorify nationalism. This book artfully humanizes the overly simplistic categorization of "good" and "evil." This book should be required reading for every high school student, especially of history or political science. If you have a son or daughter, you owe it to them to buy this book for their education that isn't taught in school. It is a graduation present that could help them change the world.

I loved this book, could hardly put it down.

It is about three elderly women who have a dark secret they were all involved in from the past. It takes place in Georgia and involves racism, murder, homosexuality, poor people, rich people, single mothers....... Once you start reading you won't want to put it down until the final surprise ending.

In spite of the fact these three ladies are involved in something as horrible as murder, you like them. There is also the young Laurel, 20 something, tough and hurt badly by her alcholic mother, who begins to realize these three old ladies have information that will set her free from her past.

Get it, read it, you won't regret it.

I heard Ms Shaffer on NPR recently and bought her book. What an outstanding novel. I can't say enough, hopefully someone will make a film of THE THREE MISS MARGARETS.

THE THREE MISS MARGARETS sweeps the reader into the deep south world of the title characters. Leap-frogging through time, the plot unfolds seamlessly. All the players are fully realized into living, breathing people. This novel, thankfully, lacks the hand wringing and whining of some other books of this genre. THE THREE MISS MARGARETS depicts characters of extraordinary resolve as their darkest secrets are exposed. From the first sentence to the last page THE THREE MISS MARGARETS will captivate you. I can't wait for the sequal or the movie!

What is there to say, TOLSTOY was a master of his craft? A read through this book will tell you all you ever need to know about the written word.

I can highly recommend this great work. I do not think you will be disappointed.

Tolstoy is one of the great masters of fiction -- and of Christian fiction. And the stories you will find here are many of his best. His love for humanity shines through. These stories are so direct, so concrete, and they ring so true. One can't help reading them with a reverence that borders on awe.

The translation, too, by Louise and Aylmer Maude, is exquisite. It is done with such authority that it feels spontaneous and seamless, as if one is reading the actual words of Tolstoy, rather than those of some lesser intermediary. The Maudes are by far my favorite translators of Tolstoy.

The book is well done in every respect. I love everything about it -- right down to the bright whiteness of the pages; the paper quality is very good.

I recommend this book highly. It is one of my most prized volumes.

If she knew how captivating her writing was she may not have wasted so much time with a broken heart. A well written synopsis of some of her mis-adventures. Lending insight to how she viewed others and herself. With and without grace.

I am unimpressed by Emily from Seattle's harsh words, which are both snotty and inaccurate. Tynan was the finest theatre critic of his time--and not bad on film, either. His profiles of stage and screen actors, recently collected in one volume, are masterpieces of the genre. In particular, his profile of Brooks was an indelible portrait of a brilliant and beautiful woman. Brooks herself, though not a great actress, was indeed a great star--exquisitely beautiful, highly charismatic, and powerfully erotic. To the best of my memory, Tynan describes her only in these terms, never as the creator of naturalistic film acting. (Incidentally, none of the women named by Emily--Crawford, Davies, Bow, and the insufferable Shearer--could properly be described as an actress. They were merely stars--and distinctly inferior to Brooks in talent, intelligence, and beauty.) Finally, as everyone here (including Emily) acknowledges, Brooks was a first-rate writer herself, and the essays in this book are required reading for anyone interested in silent film.

Great to have this irreplaceable book back in print. Even better that it now includes the New Yorker article by Kenneth Tynan, "The Girl in the Black Helmet," that helped touch off the 80's Brooks revival, and an additional piece by Brooks entitled "Why I Will Never Write My Memoirs." Still, one can't help coming away from this book wishing there were more material, just as one wishes there were more Brooks films.

Finally a book that actually uses the peer reviewed literature. It was a pleasure to read this book knowing that you were getting factual and scientifically valid information. If you want to know what works in training and nutrition this is the book. Now I dont have to buy all those supplements - and have I saved a heap of $'s.

After battling with a school physical education project on training principles, I found this book in our library and WOW, the assignment was easy! This book really made good practical sense and turned my essay from boring science to cool information. I now find myself wanting to read all the sports magazines to find out more about how world class athletes train and what they eat. Sounds to me like some of them need to buy a copy of this book to read!

There are so many good points about this book I hardly know where to start. What impresses me most is that the authors have maintained a balanced and rational view on the many diverse and sometimes conflicting inputs - lab. tests, experience in the sport, folklore, practicalities - all of these impinge on the attitudes of athlete and coach, and can result in a lot of confusion and uncertainty. The book does an excellent job in unravelling these tangled strands of knowledge and half-knowledge to present the a clear and accurate picture to the reader. Uncertain points are made clearer, several myths are debunked (some of my own misconceptions were cleared up). Yet where the truth remains hidden or is unclear this is commented upon. Concerning scientific studies the source material is extensive and up to date.

The layout and language are so clear and reader-friendly, and the material so interesting that I found it hard to put the book down. However, I'd have to advise readers not to try to take in too much at a time.

The few inaccuracies in some of the details didn't detract from the message or the overall quality. There is one slightly surprising omission, namely the absence of any discussion of the Conconi test for aerobic performance. Nevertheless, the sections on training are excellent; the ones on nutrition are even better.