I was given this book by a friend during my first pregnancy and have since given it as a gift to several of my other friends who are expecting. I had several books given to me and this one was by far the easiest to use and the most informative. If you like the facts then this book is for you. The book explains some of the things the doctors check for at regular exams but don't explain to you. It even has a handy reference guide for all the problems you might experience, the reasons they occur, and things you can try to alleviate them. It is a small book just packed with information.

This is the book I buy for any expectant mother I know. My first copy was purchased 13 years ago and info not out dated!
I refered to this book over and over again throughout my pregnancies.

Having just found out I am pregnant my sister gave me this book and it is so useful. Incredibly useful. I am one of those women who are coming to motherhood late - in my late thrities and without any experience of either pregnancy or children in the family much. It is a bit nerve-wracking (as well as marvellously joyous) so this book has proved to be a real salve to my nerves. It is so straightforward, well set out and has a plethora of easy to access information to take you through the pregnancy and after.

The contents are divided into 15 sections - the second chapter is the one I turned to immediately - it has all the pictures and information about the developing baby - even photos of what the fetus looks like at various stages. There is certainly a lot to think about health wise as well - Chapters 4 and 5 are on eating and fitness during pregnancy.

Other chapters deal with making a Birth plan for yourself, managing labour, dealing with common complaints, sex during pregnancy, preparing for the baby, and there are three chapters at the end on issues dealing with being new parents.

I have found this book comforting in the extreme. I realise once the pregnancy gets more advanced I will be in an antenatal group and generally have more contact with people who know about what the hell is going on. But for a first time mother with a lot of burning questions to ask and not many people to go to about them it is a wonderful reference book to have on hand.

Miriam Grace Monfredo's "Seneca Falls" mysteries are
very good reads. The history is always first-rate, and
the mysteries are compelling. The same holds true for
The Stalking Horse, except the not-believable Bronwen Llyr
as the heroine, and Jacques Sundown as the "deus ex machina."

In short, Bronwen is not credible as a mid-19th century
young woman. She is a late-20th century "supergirl" cast
anachronistically back into 1860 (especially given the
ridulous and confining layers of 19th century women's clothing).

As for Sundown - too much the stereotypical and stoic "noble savage" American Indian with "eyes like a wolf." His characterization, and overly convenient intrusions out of nowhere
to kill the villain, are ridiculous.

None of the above implies that I did not enjoy the mystery, and especially the history. But even good historical novelists like Ms. Monfredo must avoid historical anachronisms and stereotypes to be credible.

This book was dark, moody and probably one of Monfredo's best. heroine Bronwyn Llyr and her compatriots are well drawn and seen in complex terms. The history, as always, is well researched and fascinating -- this time focusing on a pre-inagural assasination plot on Abraham Lincoln. Her historical mysteries are some of the best in the genre. Occasionally, Monfredo has let her characters steps on the soap box a bit too much, but this book avoids doing that -- partially because Bronwyn herself tries to avoid politics on the whole.

A thrilling and accurate tale of the Southern attempt on President Lincoln's life as he traveled through Baltimore enroute to Washington for his inauguration. The author's fictional
Pinkerton female operatives are well cast, generally dependable and loyal to their mission. Of course they are stimulated by wartime patriotism. For a sketch of a not so dependable "Pink Rose" in later peacetime adventures see THE PINKERTON EYE.

Against the backdrop of the antebellum world, here is a story of resiliance in the face of annihilation. With a deft, loving zeal Miriam Rawl reveals the sinuous soul of an unconquerable nobility that was the Old South. This is an unsentimental, but personal panarama of a people, a place, a woman and a man that will never bow down to the mere technical defeat bestowed upon the Confederacy by ignorant historians. Here the South lives again in the tough musculature of the human heart.

Union Major John Arledge was investigating the disappearance of a couple of his men that were last seen at the Heyward residence. Sparks flew immediately between Arledge and Ellen Heyward, who was struggling to simply survive and protect her sister, Pam. The sisters were forced to flee to Columbia and reside with a relative. However, they were hardly there before General Sherman's march on Columbia (Feb. 1865) happened.

*** Here is a tale that shows the author's deep research and knowledge on her topic! It is bold and authentic in historical detail and rich in colorful characters! Miriam Freeman Rawl shows the trials women like Ellen and Pam had to survive through during this hard time of America's past. It also reminds us that even among holocausts and its rubble aftermath, love can still be found. In my opinion, this author has succeeded in creating a story to win the hearts of readers everywhere. A MUST for people who enjoyed "Gone With The Wind"! ***

Miriam Freeman Rawl's From the Ashes of Ruin is the perfect book to tuck away on your summer vacation. Or for anytime that you want to immerse yourself with another time, another place. Ms. Rawl's engaging storyline and vivid writing style quickly absorbs the reader and brings to life Columbia, SC at the end of the War Between the States.

An all together good read in the best traditions of storytelling.

Seneca Falls NY was the site of the Women's Rights Convention of 1848. Against this backdrop we are introduced to Glynis Tryon, a spinister librarian, who stumbles into a murder mystery. This is a cozy mystery, with most of the mayhem taking place off the pages of the book. An entertaining read, and a very interesting heroine, who chooses to be single, at a time when that was very difficult. The mystery wasn't too difficult to solve, but I enjoyed all the history and the numerous real life people woven into the background of the story. A good first entry in what promises to be an enjoyable series.

Set in Seneca Falls, NY, at the time of the first Women's Rights Convention of 1848, author Miriam Monfredo has chosen a particularly intriguing setting for her mystery series starring librarian Glynis Tryon. Monfredo introduces a lot of information about women's rights, the area and the lifestyle of the times without awkwardness, and the book is readable for that alone. The heroine and her friends are realistic and likeable, though Glynis is definitely not a confident feminist, and I look forward to reading other books in the series to see if this changes. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the most famous resident of the town, is not a main character but she does show up occasionally and that is fun. The mystery is okay but not dazzling, so all-in-all I'd say this was a promising beginning to this series, and I intend to read more.

Whether you're a devoted mystery reader or just looking for a good book for the train-ride, this novel is worth a look. Glynis Tryon is an interesting protagonist--she's smart, she's kind, and she knows what she wants. In a nutshell, she's the kind of person you'd like for a friend. And Monfredo has a talent for expanding her characters, so that her Seneca Falls is populated by a whole town of people you'll get to know over the next few books, and will always be glad to see again. The next two books, North Star Conspiracy and Blackwater Spirits, are among the best mysteries I've ever read. But if you're going to read any of these books, make sure you start with this one, so that your familiarity with the characters develops along with the whole storyline. (I read North Star first, then had to go back and read this one and North Star again, in order to get the full effect.) This is a wonderful series--if you're at all interested in American history, you absolutely must r! ead these books--and a very good first novel.

This book was recomended to me by a naturopath. It was easy enough to read in just one evening. The sections about how bones grow and what your risk factors are for getting osteoporosis were quite good. There is also good advice about what vitamins and minerals in addition to calcium to include in your diet, as well as the importance of vitamin D and sunshine, for calcium absorbtion. However, the food section is confusing. Nelson does not mention sea vegetables as the best food source of calcium and minerals to include in a healthy diet. And since she has the opinion that a person can get all the calcium they need from food sources, she should have included a more accurate calcium food chart in her book. For example, spinach, which tops the vegetable calcium secton, contains a lot of oxalic acid which interfers with calcium absorbtion. Nelson mentions the oxalic acid problem with some foods, but never mentions exactly which foods contain the highest amounts. Instead she says we should eat these foods for other reasons. So, why is spinach at the top of the calcium chart? Let's have a more accurate chart before telling people they can just add up what they are taking in with the chart she provides. Also, in her section on exercises she encourages women over 50 to jump vertically to retain calcium. A woman should gradually build up to 2 full minutes of jumping. What if a persons knees are not in alignment? Jumping is one of the most jarring and hardest things a person can do to their knee joints, especially if they are heavy on their feet. A woman who is over 50 and not used to exercising could easily get injured with this jumping program. I am over 50, and I already exercise 5 or 6 days a week, doing aerobics, running and weight training. I tried jumping vertically at a fitness center in front of a mirror to make sure I did it correctly. Then I went on to do a leg press, which I do on a regular basis, and my left knee hurt. My personal trainer said running would be much better for me than jumping. I do not have joint problems, yet, but I could after Neilson's exercise program. Also, the medication section encourages every woman to consider hormone replacement therapy. Does we all really need this therapy? I am discouraged that this book was rated so highly and recomended. It was mostly a waste of money. Only the first couple sections in the book were really worth reading. Check it out at the library or buy it used if you must.

Dr. Nelson offers more bone-building exercises and more info about osteoporosis and how to prevent it. Used with Strong Women Stay Young, one can't go wrong.

Excellent information on how to keep your bones healthy, with all the latest research, and easy-to-do exercises. Or if you have already developed osteoporosis, the book has authoritative and complete information on what you and your doctor can do to prevent more problems. Should be required reading for every woman!

The message of this book could be summarized as "Relaxation is good for your health. You can relax by 1)Finding a quiet place 2) Sitting in a comfortable position/posture that will keep you alert but won't lead you to sleep 3) choosing a mental device that will let you concentrate 4) maintaining a passive attitude during this period". The rest of this book goes into the health dangers of stress (as understood in 1975),the health benefits of relaxation and how it differs from sleep, different ways to evoke the relaxation response, and how the relaxation response has been evoked throughout history in the context of various cultures and religions. I think this book is of great historical interest because it was one of the first attempts to expose the dangers of stress in a clear way (I found his discussion on how high blood pressure leads to heart disease particularly illustrating) and gave scientific validity to age-old ways of treating it without involving the methods traditionally sanctioned by Western medicine such as surgery and high-priced pills. His findings are based on research he performed with Transcendental Meditation followers, so he spends much effort on qualifying his conclusions, adding disclaimers, and otherwise protecting himself from possible attacks because of his work with such a fringe group. I think this limits the practical usefulness of the book and makes it somewhat dated, particularly since no one today questions that stress is bad and relaxation good. I think a more appropriate revision of this book should include not just a new introduction by the author, but also references to current research on which meditation techniques or approaches bring the most tangible health benefits and how they differ from placebos. A new assesment on the advantages of modern medicine vs. alternative therapies for preventing heart disease would also be in place. By being properly updated, a book of this nature would be very influential in setting a balance between the new age crowd that has little regard for science in medicine, and the medical establishment that has a vested interest in the status quo and thus rejects alternative medicine as a whole.

This is worth the money to own -- it's so, so worth it... I did another review once for a somewhat similar book -- "The Quiet Mind," by White Eagle. That is a more explicitly "spiritual" book than this one, full of little aphoristic sayings that often refer to God, or "the light"... I still like that book, but I wanted to speak up in favor of this approach to having a quiet mind, also. "The Relaxation Response" is really quite short and to-the-point, and has a fundamentally Western, rational, scientific feel to it. The end goal is very similar to White Eagle's book, however. Herbert Benson helps us to know the value of taking just ten or fifteen minutes each day to breathe, to say your private mantra over and over, and to simply Be... I think a lot of people out there have some pretty flaky mental associations with the word "mantra." People immediately think of the Beatles saying "heavy, man" and binging in a huge way on LSD-laced mandarin oranges, or some similar image. Benson shows that meditation need not be like this. A mantra could be basically any simple, calming phrase -- anything that doesn't provoke fitful spasms of hysterical laughter is probably fine.

One example of a poor choice of a mantra would be "get... get... get... out... out... out..." like hockey mask-wearing Jason in the "Friday the Thirteenth" movies. A better one might be something calming, such as "decaf for me, please... decaf for me, please... decaf for me, please..." or, better still, the name of a beloved childhood pet. That's what I use, the name of the dog we owned when I was a kid, and it works for me. You can use a pleasant-sounding nonsense word if you want, also. Furthermore, it isn't necessary to be given a mantra in a personalized, ritualistic fashion by a personal guru, like many TM practioners used to advocate in the 70s. It's okay to pick your own, whatever works for you, a lot of those gurus were just a bunch of frauds.

This book is worth owning, for the further calming effect of being able to view the author's helpfully compiled graphs, and his discussions of the experimental sessions that led to his understanding of the essence of meditation. What he is basically going to tell you to do, however, is simply to take a few minutes a day to sit comfortably, breathe in and out, chant quietly, and try to let your mind empty itself out. Emptying the mind of extraneous thoughts is not meant to feel like wringing water out of a wet washcloth, either -- it should feel like leaving the washcloth hanging loosely over a clothesline, and letting the water, the thoughts, drip to the ground below of their own, unhurried accord, for just fifteen tranquil minutes a day. I wish I had discovered this book years ago. Two mellow thumbs up -- check this one out.

Truly a remarkable book. I'd been curious about meditation for years and it was Benson's book that finally got me to sit down and do it. I didn't understand what he was talking about -- all the science and stuff -- and my sleep has suffered tremendously. I cut out coffee, but still, after practicing these techniques I can now only get about 1-2 hours of sleep at the most. You can just imagine what this did for me. Yee gads. I feel more relaxed and at peace, something traditional religion had never given me. My co-workers have noticed a definite difference, and I've only been at it for a few years. My most recent employee evaluation was not a good one. I'm not sure if it's related, but my skin dried up soon after I began meditating. It's almost spooky how rapidly things begin to change. I'm definitely going to continue!

I am studying 'The Bell' for A Level English Literature along with 'The End of the Affair' by Graham Greene and 'Loitering with Intent' by Muriel Spark. I enjoyed 'The Bell' and the fact that it is very easy to read probably attributed to this. The relationships between many of the characters worked well, especially between Michael and Nick. The links then between this relationship and Michael's feelings for Toby was also well constructed. Dora, as the main protaganist, is very skillfully developed and many parts of the book are written from her point of view. Another point which deserves praise is Murdoch's excellent physical description of Imber, this made the place seem realistic and also supports the intended images of the characters, for example Nick. Catherine is probably the only character that did not fully work, however this is mainly true towards the end. The plot is interesting and moves at a resonable pace with the main charaters becoming increasingly intriging. However, the book could be looked at on a deeper, more philosphical/religious level with characters such as the Abbess playing more of a symbolic part than the others. This is a book about community and the strive for perfection. The characters, though all very different, have a common need for salvation and through Imber have hope for this despite their pasts. 'The Bell' is enjoyable on several levels, it is both sad and humorous although I didn't find it quite as witty as the cover led me to expect. I would also highly recommend the other two books mentioned, especially if one wants to further investigate some of the themes raised in 'The Bell'.

This beautifully constructed novel begins and ends with a description of Dora Greenfield. I feel that it is Dora who makes this novel. All of the other characters are hugely inadequate, struggling as they are with the constant dilemma of how to deal with the pleasure of life. Dora has no qualms she knows that life can be full of fear ( the reason she returns to Imber Court and her estranged husband) but she desperately wants to live, to enjoy sensual pleasure. It is not possible to detach sensuality from fear in this novel. The bell is a symbol of this fear, it sits under the water, discovered by Toby. Toby has a sexual encounter with Dora which is interrupted by the bell resounding. Toby has a sexual encounter with Michael, who is obsessed with the new bell, seeing it as a source of liberation from his sexual imprisonment, from this sensuality which he despises.

I really enjoyed this novel. It is almost perfect in form. The characters are explored slowly with wonderful skill they are slowly revealed to us .

I would highly recommend this book for anyone seeking an introduction to Iris Murdoch's work

The Bell is the only Murdoch novel I've really liked. I've read it, probably, dozens of times, and it improves with each read. The language is of a poetic quality - my test for this is that it's best when read out loud.

The theme of the book is the nature of human goodness, and the impossibility of human perfection. Murdoch was an Oxford Reader in Moral Philosophy at the time, and was well capable of producing a very dry account of this subject, but instead the book is a masterpiece of subtle comedy which gets its serious ideas across with great subtlety. The first two chapters, in particular, draw the reader into the life of the heroine with a piece of sustained artistry that is quite unparalleled, at least in my experience. It's a gorgeous piece of prose that I never tire of reading.

Dora, the heroine (and I use the term deliberately), is presented as a totally amoral being (and therefore, like the dog, without sin). She is incapable of deciding to "do the right thing", but also incapable of real wrong-doing. All the other characters are in some way struggling with their own moral turpitude, and in trying to intellectualize their struggle, accellerate their approaching doom. Dora meanwhile, guided only by her animal instincts, emerges as a Saint, cheered on at every stage by the reader (well, this reader at least). Furthermore, Dora's redemption occurs in spite of, rather than because of, the moral and intellectual strictures of Organised Religion. You cheer for Dora as she leaves the Chapel in disgust, just as you cheer for Austen's Elizabeth Bennet when she faces down Lady Catherine. It's that good!

The Bell of the title is a symbol of untrammelled female sexuality that resounds throughout the book. This theme is explored, ironically, in a plot which takes place around the grounds of a convent. There's a disturbing painting by Millais called "The Vale of Rest" that I think must have inspired Murdoch. The picture of nuns digging a grave is a wonderful image of Victorian male sexual terror (conceived, incidentally, by Millais on his honeymoon). In the backgound swings the bell. When moved, it must sound.

Apart from Dora, most of the other characters emerge from the events of the plot with their lives in ruins. Dora, in contrast, learns to value herself by finally detaching herself from the awful man she had married.

I'm very conscious of the fact that not all readers would share my interpretation of the book, and in all probability Murdoch didn't mean it that way. She was on record as saying that if she'd known how readers would feel about Dora's awful husband, she would have treated him more sympathetically. But the book is as it is, and as a description of the triumph of the Human Spirit over priests and pedants, it's just fine for me.

Incidentally, it was made into a very good television version by the BBC about 20 years ago. I hope they repeat it one day.

This book is a very frank and very brave sharing of one woman's horrific life in a cult that promised complete happiness. My jaw dropped countless times over Williams' descriptions of the constant and extreme emotional abuse inflicted on her and other cult members. Unfortunately, many Baby Boomers find a lot of familiarity in Miriam's life as in their own experiences, as many in that generation found themselves unintentionally living a seamier life.

The only problem I found with this book was its misleading title. Williams was in the cult for over fifteen years, but clearly spent only three of those living in Monte Carlo as a high class prostitute ('flirty-fishing,' as it was called by the Children of God). This is not to say her experience was any less horrific and painful, but isn't that a sort of false advertising?

This is a fascinating and sad account of the author's journey from being a rebellious teenage intellectual to being caught up in a suffocating cult. The pseudo-Christian organization, known as "The Children of God" claimed 20,000 adherents at it's peak. The book details her slow realization of the web of deception and depravity that ensnarl her and describes her journey back to a life of appropriate human relationships.

Semantic snapshots include the rebuke she received from cult leaders for the sin of having a difficult labor and delivery; her cult directed descent into "flirty fishing", perhaps better described as "hooking for Jesus", and the bizarre manner of the cults leader and founder, "Mo" David.

David lead the cult from it's founding in the mid-60's until his death in 1994. From the book I can only conclude that the reason he did not die at a younger age was the time it took to construct a special place for him in h! ell.

This is a very good book. I am one to testify, as during my childhood I was also a member of the Children Of God/The Family cult. I left when I was 20. Miriam goes to great lengths when testifying about her years as a prostitute in the cult. She very accurately describes the abuse and suffering that cult members suffered while in the cult. However, she doesn't go into great detail when it comes to the mental, physical and sexual abuse that we as children suffered.(After all, it's her story, not mine.) I hope that all who read this book will become aware to what cult members are forced to endure at the hand of their gurus and cult leaders. Anyway, enjoy this book, I did.

I really enjoyed the book until about 2/3 of way through. A combination of my own frustration at the pace of progress reading the book (I normally speed read and so I have to really try hard to not do the same when I am reading for pleasure) and that as soon as the "Shakespeare" popped up it was clear who was "to blame" kinda spoilt it for me. Having then "cheated" and confirmed my assumption I didn't properly read the remainder of the book. As a non-Jew I struggled with some of the terminology (which I didn't do with an earlier book of Ruthie's which had a glossary of terms in it) and I found the Internet angle far too overt... I liked all of the characters in the book with the exception of Josh's mother - which is a bit of a disadvantage when reading a book like this, as I suspect one is really supposed to be sympathetic towards her. I was confused by her - in the earlier stages of the book (given that Josh was about 8 years old) I got the feeling that she was in her late 20s early 30s. But by the half-way stage when Leora had come onto the scene she suddenly turned into a middle aged woman. That was unnerving and confusing - and disrupted the flow at around the same point in the story as the "Shakespeare" angle emerged. This is intended as honest feedback - I think that the book shows promise for future C&L stories.

I was sceptical upon first hearing of the book, both by thedetective novel nature of the book and by the fact that my knowledgeof the Jewish community and religion is very sketchy, at best.Reading the book, therefore, was a pleasant surprise. The plot waswell thought-out and obviously well researched, and none of the twistswere too twisty. As a reader, everything that was going on wassolvable before you the book laid it all in front of you. As anon-Jew, some of the language was unfamiliar but, generally, even ifyou didn't quite understand the nuance of a term, the general flowwasn't interrupted...

Occasionally, little bits of thecharacterisation annoyed me, but that was mainly due to the fact thatI sometimes found myself just wanting to shake some sense into thecharacters, rather than it being bad characterisation, because it'sactually quite good, and the level of interaction you can feel withthem only goes to reinforce that. You'll see what I mean when youread it.

Should you buy it? Certainly. It was an excellent read,well-paced, well-thought out and with "real" people in thestory with a plot that had me intrigued all the way through.

Once I started this book, I could not put it down! Ruthie Pearlman has done it again! Quite a while ago I read her other books and enjoyed them immensely. Now that I've read Dark Tapestry, I'm glad I enjoyed her work once again! It's a thriller for the 21st Century and one that will capture your mind and heart!

I thoroughly liked this book. I personally don't love reading, but this book kept my attention. The story makes a person feel for each character. I loved the way the book was written. The chapters would switch off who is talking between Miriam and Adam. This way, the reader is able to know the point of view of each character, how they feel and what they are thinking. I would recommend this book to just about anyone who is looking for something to keep their attention.

I thought this was a great book with the chapter switching and a very good plot. I couldn't put it down! What would you do if you had cancer and belonged to a church that wouldn't let you have medical treatment? Would you just see if a miracle would happen? The whole book was wonderful except the last chapter: Lois Ruby, I thought you'd do better with that! I know plenty of people who are married because of different religon! Think of Romeo and Juliet. There families didn't get in their way! I mean I know Miriam was deeply religious but still....true love is true love. Anyway this is a good book. Pick it up!

i loved this book. i couldn't put it down. it is good at symbolizing how two people from two different worlds who love eachother can never be together. it's sad but it's good.