This book is a wonderful collection of information about women's health. It is readable, comprehensive, and understandable. The editors have done an excellent job of bringing together information ranging from minorities to issues about violence to the research agenda for women's health. This book is recommended for anyone interested in women's health.

I'm a big fan of Lem but I have to admidt he has churned out some bad books. I have read all but two all of Lem's books and this is among his worst (along with Chain of Chance, Eden, the Investigation). Its boring, short, and no way worth [that much money] Instead start out with one of his 5-star books: His Master's Voice, Star Diaries, Fiasco, or Pirx the Pilot.

Lem's writes a great story. But more than that, he is different, I think, because of...well, because of something else. Something occuring below the surface of the narrative. Something hidden...something coded? I don't know. It is some thought-provoking something that gets you to put the book down to consider something new, or perhaps reconsider, anew, something you thought you knew.

Writers ought to attempt entertainment, I think. Of course, not every writer succeeds. But Lem does. Brilliantly, I should say. Moreso, though, Lem's work is made more thorough-going, more profound in effect, perhaps more three-dimensional, because of something powerfully nonverbal....some undiscovered, secret goings-on behind the words and phrases. Something at once present and indiscernable. Something, at times, even terrifying.

I can't explain it. I can't talk about Lem's technique or his uniqueness in plain language. His achievement itself aspires to the nonverbal. Just read "Memoirs", or "The Futurological Congress", or the "Cyberiad", and see for yourself how, the story, or what it becomes, manages to linger long after the book has been closed. Lem has been lingering in my mind for years.

Whatever that curious something is, though, a rarest of things, the thing you feel when you read Lem, but can't quite locate, I'm sure is something Lem the artist has somehow fashioned deliberatley. For this reason, I think, I can't say you should read Lem...but that you must.

Not for the casual reader, this devilishly complicated book will have you stumped in the end. So unless you wish to re-read it (in order to finally figure out what it was all about) don't bother with this one. But for those of you searching for that rare book that leaves you wondering and puzzled for days, weeks, years... well, this is it. From the brilliant mind of the best Polish sci-fi writer comes a satire and a comment on those wonderful societies of ours (take your pick: socialism, communism, etc.) and the methods of their tyranny.

The plot is simple: An innocent, foolishly loyal aspiring agent enters his new occupation only to find out that those in power have plans of their own (which he just can't discover). Searching the confines of a "Building", a futuristic military-like establishment hidden underground, he seeks his mission, his purpose and the meaning of his existence. Ultimately, all those disappear before his eyes and turn into code. This skillfully written tale where not one word lacks meaning or purpose (or does it?) attempts to understand methods of population control. Could it be that political systems have, are and will rule their population through skillful semantics-control? (think NEWSPEAK) Lem posits that political rhetoric color not only our judgment but also our ability to perceive the world around us. Concentrating on the cold war tension between the US and CCCP, Lem explores systems which convert all their resources and their entire populations to one task: the destruction of the enemy. To accomplish their goal, they convert the minds of their subject. Much like a child who learns to adhere to the principles of society through the careful teaching of parents, teachers, TV, and others, a member of these societies learns to relinquish to his superiors the ability to judge his surrounding.

The Building's plan is simple: Through a carefully planned mission, our hero learns to loose trust in himself, loose his ambition and the ability to choose how and to whom to be loyal. He learns that he is a tool. He discovers that his only responsibility is to the Building, and that the Building alone can think for him, tell him what, how, and why to think. He learns that he is a part of the Building and that his duty is to serve a predetermined function which he himself can't alter. He learns that he can only make sense of the insane world around him, if he unconditionally adapts the strategies of his surrounding.

In the end, he discovers that a system like the Building has developed into a new life-form (who smiles and leads a life of its own), an organism whom we humans must ultimately serve and whose survival we must guaranty if we ourselves wish to live on. If you can deal with an unorthodox plot (if there is one), and like your books heavy on ideas, this is the book for you. Otherwise, stick with Jordan or Simmons - they're good, too.

The Midlife Miracle Diet is according to the author a method where you can take back control of your eating habits, lose weight and become healthier.

The diet has 4 basic steps. First you achieve BASIC BALANCE by cutting back your carbohydrate intake. Next you go to CARB CAREFUL where you further cut back on carbs. You also add SUPPLEMENTS that will help you balance your blood sugar and you add EXERCISE.

There are many good ideas throughout the book. Adele tells you never to get hungry so your blood sugar will stay on keel. She recommends hard chews (like an apple) and soft chews (like tangerines) to satisfy your hunger needs. Adele includes food choices to select from that will help you stay in control.

Unlike other low carbohydrate diets where you suddenly go from eating what is normal for you to eating low carbs, in this diet, according to Adele, the transition is gradual. The first step Basic Balance removes many carbs but in a gentle way. The next step Carb Careful removes more when you are ready. Personally, I did not see a large difference in the two steps. For example in Carb Careful she suggests removing cereal and grains from your breakfast meal, but then includes bread in the menu plan.

Menu plans are included for both Carb Careful and Basic Balance.
These may get you in balance and in control of your food but they are pretty stringent. In one example, a client of hers, eats a handful of string beans with other veggies several times a day and portions of protein, with a tiny amount of grain and fat included. The menu plans to me were pretty joyless. There was no mention of wine or chocolate, fat free cheeses were used, etc. Can you eat this way for life?

One of the reasons that low carbohydrate dieting can be so successful is that the fats in the diet are so satisfying. They add a richness that helps make up for the lack of carbohydrates we are used to. Adele does not mention fat much in her book. A menu might have a tad of olive oil or a bit of cheese but not much more. I feel many folks will not be satisfied eating both low carbohydrate and low fat. And recent studies have shown that good fats are good for you to eat. So she could have included more of these in the sample plans and at the very least more information on how to treat fat in your diet.

Another area Adele discusses in depth is supplementation. She makes suggestions for different nutrients and explains what they can do to help you. She also sells these nutrients at her website and to her credit does not push her own products at all.

Exercise is also covered. She discusses how it can really help your insulin. One suggestion she gives as an exercise choice is TY BO. It made me wonder how quickly the book was put together as the correct spelling is TAE BO. With the lack of information on fats and the obvious spelling error, I wondered if perhaps the book was put out fast.

I think alot of Adele Puhn's warmth and regard for her clients comes through in the book. But I think with the stringent eating plan and lack of thorough information on how to treat fats in the diet many people will be disappointed with this book.

Adele's book has been so helpful. Following her plan, it has been easy to reduce the amount of carbs in my diet. And I don't even miss them, which is a miracle. With some planning ahead, I always have the right snacks to keep me on track. I feel satisfied and do not miss eating what is not good for me. I do not feel deprived.

It has made such a difference in the way I feel. I am so much more energetic -- which helps me exercise more. My cholestrol and blood pressure are going down. I sleep better and no longer have headaches. After many years of yo-yo dieting, I feel I have found the program that works for me.

Thanks, Adele.

This book helped me understand what I had been doing wrong all along when it came to dieting. Adele Puhn teaches you how to balance food intake and exercises to achieve your ultimate goal of losing weight.

What's great about her advice is that she doesn't make you quit those carbs cold turkey. You learn to do it gradually where eventually you get to a stage where you don't miss them as much as you thought you would.

Thanks to this book I have lost 20 lbs. and have learned how to keep them off. I enjoyed reading it and have recommended it to many of my friends with similar struggles of the bulge.

After reading The Name of the Rose with few helps, discovering this book was quite wonderful. It goes into adaquate detail with the historical background, and I found the translations to be good and very helpful. A must for those trying the novel for the first time or for those who felt the lack of endnotes frustrating. A wonderful suppplement.

The Key to "The Name of the Rose" by Adele J. Haft, Jane G. White, and Robert J. White is a wonderful little book. When was the last time you used your Latin that you had in High School? You say, you never had Latin... well how do you expect to solve the clues that Brother William of Baskerville in "The Name of the Rose" gets.

Well, the answer is in this little tome as it includes translations of all of the Non-English passages making you as "smart" as Brother William. This book furthers your experience when reading "The Name of the Rose" as you now can decode the juicy clues. Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose" is about crimes in a medieval abbey and the obsession of it monks with heresies, apocalyptic visions, and forbidden knowledge.

This "Key" is a delightful guide to the phrases and bizarre characters and has mirthful anecdotes that you're sure to enjoy and you'll solve the mystery of the seven deaths as fast as Brother William and enjoy the intrigue in doing so.

i am hoping to do an intricate performance art piece based on the novel "the name of the rose;" however, many of the lush details and layers were lost on me, because i am not a historian or a scholar well-versed in semiotics... the task is still daunting, but i feel more confident having this "hint book" to fill me in on the background information. it renders the novel much more accessible to a lay person, and makes the story even MORE fascinating than it already is. i suggest that anyone reading "the name of the rose" should have a copy of this to help them along... also, there is a text that does this same task for dante's "divine comedy" (dante has a large influence on the novel, so reading dante will help the reader to understand the apocolyptic attitudes of the characters). joseph gallagher wrote "a modern reader's guide to dante's 'the divine comedy'" which you may also find helpful.

I thought this book might be about how to use praise and language to avoid facing discipline issues with children but it is not like that at all. It teaches parents to be authorative and send the right messages without micro managing their children. The suggested changes are fairly straight forward and common sense, but may require some practice. Fortunately thare are many well illustrated examples and practical exercises to reinforce these ideas. This book stictly sticks to the topic of comunication and establishing cooperation which makes it an excellent supplement to any parents existing parenting style. Teaches mutual respect without surrendering parental authourity. A very good read.

If you have time to read only one book on how to deal with children, let it be this one. Although it was over 200 pages I read it in a day, because it was so good. This book is written in a really clear fashion. The techniques are easy to use, and the language is simple without being condescending. The authors cover discipline, sharing feelings, how to give useful praise, and a variety of other subjects. It's useful not only for parents, but for anyone who has contact with kids. I've seen an improvement in my interactions with kids in only a few short weeks.

A therapist recommended this book to me when my son was 4 years old and I was going though a difficult divorce. I read the book and actually photocopied the basic ideas of each chapter and taped them to the refrigerator for easy reference. The ideas are simple and effective. They build self-esteem and keep the avenues of communication open between parent and child. My son is now almost 18, and we still have a terrific relationship. I've been following the practices in this book for 14 years and I can tell you it has made all the difference. Wherever my son goes, I hear from people who tell me how wonderful he is, how well-mannered, pleasant and charming. They all want to know what ever did I do to raise him this way. I tell them about this book. The more I move through life and the business world, however, I am struck how the same techniques enhance communication between adults in all aspects of life. This book should also be listed in the Business/Management section. It says all the same things the high-priced consultants say -- treat people with respect, do not deny their emotions, state the facts (only) and shut up and listen. This book also talks about giving praise and recognition, which makes it another reason to use it in real life, inside the family AND outside in the "real" world.

There's only one word for this book and that is 'genius'. As soon as I picked it up and flicked through I felt compelled to read it cover to cover - that very night! Everyone, even the non-believers among us, has a sneaky peek at our own star-sign or that of the man /woman we have in our sights (well, I know I do!) every now and again and this book just goes one hilarious stage further advising us who, astrologically, we might want to watch out for and why. And it does it in an effervescent, hilarious, dry and witty way. How To...takes a fur covered pussy cat paw swipe at the male gender and their shortcomings and it does it to absolute perfection with sparkling wit and subtle sarcasm. These girls actually know their astro stuff too and could no doubt spot a bastard (and his star sign) for fifty miles. I had such a laugh reading this with my girlfriends, (the general opinion being "If only we'd had this book 10 years ago!") and even my husband, whose Taurean discription in the book was so scarilly accurate he thought I was making it up! How To Spot A Bastard By His Star Sign is a harmless, hilarious, superbly-written and entertaining guide that, once you've stopped laughing along with it, could make you stop to realise that it actually has a real point. No girl should be without it!

There's only one word for this book and that is 'genius'. As soon as I picked it up and flicked through I felt compelled to read it cover to cover - that very night! Everyone, even the non-believers among us, has a sneaky peek at our own star-sign or that of the man /woman we have in our sights (well, I know I do!) every now and again and this book just goes one hilarious stage further advising us who, astrologically, we might want to watch out for and why. And it does it in an effervescent, hilarious, dry and witty way. How To...takes a fur covered pussy cat paw swipe at the male gender and their shortcomings and it does it to absolute perfection with sparkling wit and subtle sarcasm. These girls actually know their astro stuff too and could no doubt spot a bastard (and his star sign) for fifty miles. I had such a laugh reading this with my girlfriends, (the general opinion being "If only we'd had this book 10 years ago!") and even my husband, whose Taurean discription in the book was so scarilly accurate he thought I was making it up! How To Spot A Bastard By His Star Sign is a harmless, hilarious, superbly-written and entertaining guide that, once you've stopped laughing along with it, could make you stop to realise that it actually has a real point. No girl should be without it!

This book defies categorization. Astrology? Humor? Relationships? Vitriol? All of the above, which is what makes it so fun. Ladies, if you've just been dumped or if you have a sneaking suspicion that the one you're with is a bastard, then this is the book for you. This absolutely unapologetic volume of man hatred takes the done-to-death astrology motif and applies it to defining a man's most despicable traits with frightening accuracy. Forget Linda Goodman's Love Signs. It's the bad stuff that can hurt you, and Lang and Rajah have detailed all of it in brutal honesty and high hilarity.

This is the kind of book I want to throw away as soon as I've exorcised the demons that accompany my broken heart (and hurt pride), but that would be a waste, because I'm bound to need it again, even if only for some good old male-bashing fun. It's a must have for gen Xers, nexters, boomers, and any woman who engages in the dating war. It's well researched, well written, and well, it's just flat out a lot of fun.

Compatibility tests are included to find out which bastard suits you best. After all, we still can't live with them or without them, bastard status notwithstanding. Guaranteed to perk up the crestfallen and the downright despondent.

I'm not very familiar with Japanese culture or the Samurai. My area is the Roman Empire, but this book is impressive. I've always had a mild interest in the Martial Arts and Feudal Japan and this book delivers. The writing is concise and easy to follow. The book is lavishly illustrated and the illustrations are fantastic. Instead of leaving it to the reader to try to figure out what the author's are describing the illustrations are there to demonstrate. It's a great book and a wonderful read for the beginner. As far as the historical errors referred to by earlier reviewers, I can't comment on. But this book is worth the money. It will make a nice addition to any military history collection.

This book is the best one you can read to take a perspective of the evolution of Japanese Martial Arts from a historical point of view. It is rigous and covers all the fundamental aspects of this beautifull subject.

IF YOU COULD READ ONLY ONE BOOK ON THE HISTORY OF THE JAPANESE MARTIAL ARTS, THIS WOULD BE THE ONE. WITH AN EXTENSIVELY RESEARCHED, WELL-DOCUMENTED TEXT AND HUNDREDS OF WONDERFUL ILLUSTRATIONS, THERE IS NOTHING ELSE IN PRINT THAT EVEN COMES CLOSE. ANYONE WITH A GENUINE INTEREST IN THE ANCIENT JAPANESE SAMURAI CLASS, ITS WARRIOR ARTS, AND THEIR MODERN INHERITORS, MUST HAVE THIS BOOK.

I gave this book 4 stars because the author (or her editor) delivers good writing and I did not have to force myself to keep reading. Unlike many books I get these days, I didn't find myself mentally editing whole paragraphs. And it's easy to get swept up in the stories of women and their money.

It's been said that New Age is a religion conceived in prosperity, while other religions help people accept misery and suffering. In a way this book is about creating a spiritual base for appreciating one's own wealth, in the context of a very traditional religion with official messages of "Love the poor and despise the rich."

Adele Azar-Rucquoi delivers two parallel themes. First we learn the story of her own life, a struggle to find meaning in money in an affluent home, with a father who never felt he had enough. Adele's search for spirituality, as well as a comfort level with money, takes her first into the Roman Catholic pre-Vatican church and then into a convent. She loved the religion and the life, yet she marveled that nuns and priests lived a lot better than the poor -- in fact, a lot better than a good part of the world. The real poverty came, she learned, from following the rules, giving up individual possessions and enduring banal conversations at dinner.

Leaving the convent, Adele has socked away (from an illicit teaching job) enough to give herself a good start. Despite her struggles with the meaning of wealth, she has inherited her father's gift for earning money and her brother stands by to help her invest wisely. Through therapy, she gains the strength to ends an affair with a priest that combined finance with romance, at the cost of secrecy.

After a few twists and turns, she ends up with a huge inheritance that once again forces her to confront her money philosophy. In an ending that would not be plausible in a novel, she finds herself happily married to a man who had been homeless for a year, just before they met.

Each chapter begins with an episode from Adele's life, then follows with stories of women at a similar stage in their own lives. Each story held my interest, but the cumulative effect left me wondering when we'd get to the point.

To make the book work, you have to believe that women have unique problems with money, rarely talk about money and cannot achieve a comfort level with money. In the age of Suze Orman, Leona Helmsley, and Mary Kay, those beliefs no longer ring true.

Rather than focusing on money, these stories ultimately deal with bad marriages, misguided romances and rags-to-riches determination. And as someone who works with people in career transition, and who has lived awhile, I found little that was new here. Many stories followed the sequence trauma-therapy-salvation. One woman's husband lost her fortune -- almost a cliche! Another has learned to live for each day, trusting the next phase of her life will be just fine.

So...what do we learn from all this? The exercises at the end of the book were not compelling, especially since there are no ties to the rest of the book. The author has talent and data. She needs to get clear on her message. Does she want to write a self-help book? Develop a memoir of her own life (which calls for a theme)?

Today, Prosperity Programs cloaked in "spirituality" abound on and off the Internet. Today's gurus write, unabashedly, about the path to health and wealth. In this environment, Adele's concern with money seems a little quaint and outdated, somewhat like Thomas Merton's concerns with sins that seem mild today. I think the author has a stronger message waiting, and I hope she finds her voice to share it. I found my enjoyment of this book dimmed by wondering what might have been.

This book is a breath of fresh air for anyone struggling to have a healthy relationship with money in their life. The book is a compilation of stories of how various women have dealt with their money challenges of proverty and prosperity throughout their lives. The most helpful lesson I learned from this was thinking of money as something available to serve your life...rather than serving money itself. Azar-Rucquoi does an excellent job of showing that God wants an abundant life for all of us - and the real solution is to trust Him in whatever financial circumstances we find ourselves in. It was an enjoyable read and I applaud the author for her unique and relevant way of handling a very elusive subject.

Money As Sacrament: Finding The Sacred In Money is a book written by peace activist Adele Azar-Rucquoi especially for women. Encompassing the author's own personal experiences, the candid and informative interviews of more than 50 women are drawn from a variety of backgrounds, and exhibit a thoughtful scrutiny of just what money is and the potential it has. Thoughtful and thought-provoking reading, Money As Sacrament blends the practical and the spiritual into an even whole concerned with balancing needs of the body with needs of the soul.

All of Adele Ashworth's novels are set in 19th century England. She is a historical romance author. "Winter Garden," her 3rd novel, does not come up to Ashworth's previous heights in "My Darling Caroline," her first. However, for those who want to read a pure romance genre novel, Ashworth delivers. In this novel we have 2 spys, Thomas and Maddie, pursuing a drug smuggling baron in Winter Garden, an English village with temperate winters. The drug smuggling and the baron are just fodder for the story though as the central conflict is whether Thomas can make Maddie fall in love with him since he is already in love with her. Ashworth's second novel, "Stolen Charms," had both characters heavily involved in spying too and even her first had the hero as a spy. Where the first one distinguished itself though is that it had a lot more going on than spying and falling in love. Caroline was a brilliant woman kept out of Oxford, who plans on leaving for America to attend college there. Her field is botany and the hero's uncle is the chief botanist in England. I was really able to sink my teeth into that set of circumstances. So if you want something in addition to a love story, "My Darling Caroline," is the 5 star novel to get. However, Ashworth has a way with love scenes and sexuality that is quite special. She manages to combine sexuality, love and emotion together, an ability which eludes most other authors. This ability is seen in all three of her novels. If you have been looking for an author to combine those three in the romance genre, you've just found her. If you want to try Ashworth, I'd try her in exactly the order she wrote the novels. Read "My Darling Caroline" first, then "Stolen Charms," and finally "Winter Garden." I do have a word of advice for Ashworth though if she wants me to buy novel #4: abandon the spying angle, which you seem to be using more and more rather than less and less. You are NOT John le Carre or Robert Ludlum!

After reading the reader reviews at Amazon, Winter Garden did not live up to my expectations but, in fact, surpassed my expectations by so much that it almost can't be rated or compared to any other books I've read with the possible exception of Flowers from the Storm. What makes it so spectacular? To begin with, the hero, Thomas, is to-die-for and his heroine, Madeleine, is simply perfect for him. In an unusual twist for a romance novel; she's the one with the sexual experience and desirous of a brief affair. He's the one whose complicated feelings demand so much more of her. Secondly, the dialog is stunning and not one false word is spoken. Each verbal exchange between Thomas and Madeleine is teeming with innuendo and intent and gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. Thirdly, this book is character study at it's best. The secondary plot never interferes but rather provides a backdrop for the story of Thomas and Madeleine. While Thomas is a tortured hero, neither Madeleine nor the reader feels abused by his past. He's true and faithful to what he knows and wants, and what he knows and wants is Maddy, now and forver. Finally, Winter Garden has some of the most intense and realistic scenes of passion I have ever encountered. No one's flying to the sun or bursting into white hot flashes of light and the waves don't swell and crash to the shore. Not one word of purple prose is used to convey the intensity of the love scenes. Simply put: this is one of the best romance novels ever written!

I have to tell you I have read every one of of Ms. Ashworth's books and she just gets better and better.

Her story lines are always unique in their way. The stories are heartwarming, emotional and endear you to the hero and heroine, even as they work through their feelings and doubts.

I am not a reader who is fond of reading through a lot of emotional baggage and what-not, and I have got to say Ms. Ashworth delivers a well-written, fast-paced story that will tug at your heart strings, but also one that has substance in the relationship of the main characters.

The story of Thomas and Madeleine-who was introduced in "Stolen Charms", is one of two people coming to terms with not only their past, but also discovering what they really need in life.

The story sets Thomas and Madeleine as undercover British spies attempting to break up an opium drug ring. But unbeknown to Madeleine, Thomas arranges for her to be with him and tries to cultivate a relationship between them and to culminate his feelings he has had for her since a fateful meeting with her years ago shortly after he was crippled in an accident.

If you have never read Adele Ashworth you need to start now. You will not be disappointed.

Natalie wishes to meet the Black Knight ( a Robin-Hood type thief), whom she claims to be in love with. Natalie goes to Jonathan, a man she shared intimate moments with, for help. The results are, that she and Jonathan, share an adventure that truly entertains the reader.

Who is the Black Knight? Is love the real motivation for Natalie's wishing to meet him? And, what part will Jonathan play in Natalie's life? These are a few of the questions you ask yourself, as you start to read this book. And, while you may know the answers; the way Ms. Ashworth defines the story, makes it a truly worthwhile read.

There are some flaws in Ms. Ashworth's writing. And, they probably will jump out at you. The unlikely behavior of the heroine, for this particular time period is hard to ignore. However, I chose to read the book as I would any other implausible historical. And many of them are; even those from very seasoned writers. The geographical mistakes, are a little harder to overlook, and could have been prevented.

I would have loved giving this book the top rating. It truly is one of the most romantic books I've ever read. The love scenes are beautiful. The leads truly walk off the page!

This is a really unusual romance. I can't say too much about the plot because the twists and turns are one of the things that make it so much fun. The setting in France is delightful and many of the scenes reminded me of the works of Monet and Renoir.

This is a fun book with a delightful sense of humor. Think of those old MAN FROM UNCLE episodes but set in Victorian times.

The love between the hero and heroine is palpable and the love scenes are scrumptious. STOLEN CHARMS is not only one of the most entertaining historicals I've read this year, it is also one of the most original.

Write fast Adele Ashworth!

Adele Ashworth has another winner in Stolen Charms. Innocent Natalie asks womanizing Jonathon to take her to the Black Knight, a kind-hearted thief whom she thinks she loves. A wonderful and suspenseful trip to France changes their lives more than they care to admit. The chemistry between Natalie and Jonathon builds and ignites a passionate fire. Only a confession of love to each other and to themselves will help them find their true heart's desires. The characters are lovable and the love scenes are sweet and sensual. To a novice romance reader and aspiring writer like myself, Stolen Charms is a delight to read again and again.