When I was an English Literature major in college in the early 1990s, I wrote my senior thesis on the significance of Chicano literature. "Rain of Gold" was included in my study. It is a beautifully written book and a tremendously valuable contribution to American literature.

In Victor Villasenor's "Rain of Gold," the dominant theme or metaphor is the struggle for survival. The mythic structure provides a rich and meaningful context for the characters and their inner struggle for identity and survival. "Rain of Gold" is the story of two parallel lives -- those of Juan Salvador and Lupe Gomez, characters delineated from Villasenor's real-life mother and father, who grow up with their respective families in two distant towns in Mexico and meet as young adults in California.

The novel can be divided into three parts: the families trying to survive in Mexico, but opting to find a better life in the U.S.; their harsh and harrowing journeys through the rough terrain of the Mexican deserts; and finally, their miraculous arrival and struggle in the U.S. The novel challenges the reader to experience the harsh realities of the characters' hardships and triumphs. Their struggle is internal and personal. Villasenor's adherence to myth, religion and a little of the magical paints a vivid image of a people -- survivors not only of physical challenges, but spiritual ones as well. His story is well detailed and well developed. It is truly an epic in every sense of the word.

What a privilege it was to be able to share the story of these incredible families. This is a tough story to read at times and yet it is truly beautiful the way these people kept their faith in their struggle in the United States. Often pushed aside like trash, the Mexicans in Rain of Gold showed that it took more than just macho in order to make it in the white man's world. Salvador Villasenor seems like a character out of fiction, and Lupe as well; their story matches any immigrant one I've read for the hardship and rough lifestyle they led. Read this book to find out what those people who have picked the cheap produce we eat every day have gone through to make it in this country.

If possible I would give this book a 10+ rating. This book makes me very proud to be a Mexican-American. Sr. Villasenor writes with so much passion that I often felt that I was in the story myself. It may be hard for some to believe that this is a work of non-fiction. I recommend this book to everyone. I hope it helps ALL people to understand the love our ancestors must have felt and sacrifices they made to give future generations a "better life". Victor Villasenor describes each member of his family with such detail that you can actually picture in your mind what each one looks like. I will continue to read "Rain of Gold" and pass in on to each child in my family.

I have read a fan of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books since Grade 8 and I must say that out of all of the series I have read, this is my favourite one. This book is great for kids. It includes stories, and poems that were written by kids FOR kids! This book is great and I love to sit in my bed sometimes at night and read stories from Dating and Relationships to Death and Divorce. Kids can face many troubles out in the world like Gangs, Drugs, AIDS, Death and many other situations. Kids have to make difficult choices sometimes. This book is good because it can really make you think. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who wants something great to read! It can make you laugh or cry. It can make you feel good about yourself. I know it will definetly make you think, it made me think!

Chicken Soup for the Kids Soul is a fantastic, well-written book. This book includes many stories about kids going through life. The stories are about love, sorrow, family, achieving dreams and many more. The stories will make kids think of times they went through. It's an inspiring book that will make kids believe in themselves. I would give this book five stars.

This book has different topics like On Love, friendship, family, etc. It teaches you how to build your strengh and love. This book encourged my dreams. Chicken Soup also teaches you a lot about friendship. Chicken Soup has 101 courages, hoping and laughing stories. There are different topics that teach you different things. On Love they have stories on love and loving back in return. There are Sad, happy stories helping after people who you love. Then there's friendship. Friendship is about having friends that fight with you, but after, becoming friends again. The stories also tell it doesn't matter if your friend is black or white. The real test is if they're nice to you. Family is about how you get in fights and how to respect your family. Attitude and Perspective is knowing what's right. Death and dying is when you love someone and then dies. They still love you and want to be with you. Achieving Dreams is on going towards your dream, don't stop trying. Overcoming Obstacles is when you say something like I would have gotten 100% if I didn't get those 7 wrong. When you don't want to get something wrong to get people mad if you did something wrong. On Choices is anther way of saying decisions Tough stuff is when you want to do something so bad but you can't that's tough luck.

I liked this book because it realy changed me on problems and dreams. It was really good book.

Being a true pet lover, I found this book to be absolutely magnificent. The heartwarming collection of stories exemplify the loyalty and love of animals. In this book, you'll read touching stories about how our healers, teachers, friends, and heroes are often our pets! After reading these real-life tales, I began to realize how much my own pet (a Quarter Horse mare) meant to me. I guarantee that after reading "Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul," you will begin to see your furry friends in a whole new light. I highly recommend this astounding book to any pet lover!

After I read the first heart-warming pages, I couldn't put the book down for more than 15 minutes. This is the kind of book that makes you want to cuddle up with your pet and read the soul-tickling stories that are written over the 403 pages. Many times I found myself saying, "Wow!" or "Oh my gosh I can't believe that really happened!" But most of the time I found myself saying, "Aw, how sweet." I love how the stories are true. Once you open Chicken Soup For The Pet Lover's Soul, you won't be able to close it. You will love how just reading one 3 or 4 page story will make you remember it for the rest of your day. It teaches about how animals can be healers, heros, and teachers. I give this book 2 thumbs up, and in addition to the 2 thumbs, I give it 5stars as well.

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul is a fantastic book for anyone who has a special place in his or her heart for animals. The book was made up of many different stories describing the special qualities that make our pets and furry friends unique. I rated this book a 5 because I found myself crying one minute and laughing the next. There are stories that will make you giggle, one in particular describes buffalo playing a game on ice. It made me realize that there are many things about animals that we don't understand- and never will. Who would have guessed that buffalo play games? The book also included stories that sent tears down my cheek. The story that stands out the most in my mind is a story about how far a mother cats goes to save her kittens. The love of the mother cat can relate to human mothers as well, they will do anything to protect their children. I believe that animals are fantastic teachers. One story in the book talks about how a gorilla helped to rescue an injured (human) boy after he fell into her area in the zoo. The author of that story explained that what is truly amazing about the gorilla is that she helped the boy without caring about recognition. She helped the boy because she wanted to, she didn't know that recognition was even a part of the act. That is exactly what us humans can learn from these animals. We need to help somebody because it's the thing to do, not because we want to be remembered as a hero.
I would recommend Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul for anyone who enjoys animals or just wants to read a book that make you warm and fuzzy inside. The stories in the book will show you exactly why pets are teachers, healers, heroes and friends. You will realize how special they really are.
Also check out Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul for stories about teenagers that will inspire you.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul is an excellent book for every teenager, and anyone who wants to understand what problems teenagers are facing these days. This book contains stories that range from incredibly funny to sad and serious, but yet uplifting. All teenagers facce hardships that have to do with self esteem and fitting in. It is a book that you can go to when you are having problems. I feel tha tevery teenager can relate to this book. It is a good book to uplift your spirits. I recently had some trouble with one of my friends. The book was very helpful and helped us get over our differences. However, there was one story that really touched me. it was titled "A Lesson for Life". The quote at the beginging sort fo explains it all: "The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core strength within you that survives all hutr." It is about a boy who stand up for another boy when he is being picked on. This story changed my life in a way. I started to look around, and I realized that many people around me felt that they did not fit in. I suddenly thought that I was not very confident about myself, but I wanted to help others. The less that I started to worry about myself, and getting to know others, the more and more confident I became about myself. I now have a very happy life, and when someone feels down about their self, I can relate to them and give them advice. More people in this world should be friendly and stick up for others. The book teaches life lessons that everyone should be aware of. One of my friends's parents read the teenage version of htis book when her daughter was done. They previously had a rocky relationship, and everything has changed for the better since then. Another story in this book that has helped me in the struggle as a teenager was titled "No Matter What Happens". It is about growing up and how to deal with it. This book is a great place to turn to when you are looking for inspriration or help in life. You can relate to almost everything in the book.

This was an awesome book. I liked it a lot almost as much as the others. it was multi-authored and had a good approach to teenagers. It had so many interesting fun stories in it that it was easy and fun to read. One of those books that I just couldn't resist to not put it down. It was seperated into catagories like love, friendship, and so on. It also contained many poems and interesting cartoons. Change for a dollar was one i really liked, but you'll just have ot read that one for yourself. Also a really sad story that made me do a lot of after-reading thinking was It happened to me. The cartoons in this one were funny I enjoyed them a lot. a really cute story for me was starlight, starbright. it was about a girl who always used her sisters everything she looked up to her for everything, this is something a lot of my friends could relate to. One thing she was good at was taking her sisters stuff. When her older siter would bring guys over she would have a lot of fun day dreaming about the hot boys. whick ones were popular and of course the fact they didn't know she exhisted until one night while siting on her porch a guy she had liked for a long time came up to her and they got to talking they saw a shooting star and he told her to make a wish. She did and at the end of the night it did come true. I'll let you find the end to that one yourself. I recomend this book to all teenagers. it really relates to life and it just might let you learn a lesson without makeing the mistake yourself.

...Chicken Soups are books written by readers of real life stories about either their life or someone else's. There are many Chicken Soup books directed to certain people, mostly by ages. Some of them are Chicken Soup for anyone to read, Chicken Soup for kids, for mothers, for fathers, for parents for Christians, teenagers and many others. This particular book is the second version of the Chicken Soups for Teenagers. It has one hundred and one more stories about the life of teenagers. The writers of stories have written about the following topics: Relationships, Friendship, Love and Kindness, Tough Stuff, Family, Learning Lessons, Making a Difference and Growing Up. All these are topics, which teenagers can relate to as they all experience things connected to the topics. The authors of the topics vary, most of them are written by teenagers. Some of the stories are even written by parents who have teenagers and sometimes celebrities write in a story. In this particular book actress Jennifer Love Hewitt wrote a story about friendship. In addition not only are there stories but there are also poems.
Chicken Soup Teenage Soul II has a story written by Jennifer Love Hewitt, which is known to have attracted many people to read this edition. Her particular story is on the topic of friendship. The title of the story is "A Friend For Life." This story is about Jennifer Love Hewitt meeting a young girl named Nicole who is suffering from cancer. Jennifer Love Hewitt was asked by an organization to help young people with sickness have their dream come true. Nicole's dream was to meet the actress. The story explains the kind of personality Nicole had towards life, even though she was suffering from cancer. Jennifer Love Hewitt explains about her full-of-energy life, how she didn't want anyone to pity her, she just wanted to live a normal life, she was just so positive about everything. Jennifer Love Hewitt mentions that her experience with Nicole is a day she'll never forget and that would affect her forever. Nicole was and always will her inspiration.
This is a book, which teenagers can connect with. By reading it they can realize that they aren't alone when it comes to certain conflicts or struggles in common daily life a teenager could experience. Every story and poem all have life lessons and morals to learn from, take notice of and understand. It is classified as an inspirational book and is very uplifting.

This is a wonderful feel good book that is definitely a two boxer. That's two boxes of Kleenexes that you'll need to get through this one! The very first story sets the tone for the whole book. This story about a mother and daughter and the love that they shared was the most touching and one of the best stories contained within. As with any anthology, with many authors, the writing style differs throughout and you may find yourself captured by one author and wanting to get rid of the next author all within the same chapter. I like how the editors divided the book into sections about love, attitude and self-esteem, overcoming obstacles, marriage, motherhood, special moments, living your dream, aging, finding a higher wisdom, and truths across generations. This is definitely a book that you want to share with your woman friends and female family members. There are certain stories that should be photocopied and read often, to capture the feelings they evoke. Another especially touching story was written by a nursing home nurse about the love of an elderly couple and their struggle to be together their last remaining days. Two days after the author was located to provide permission to be printed, she died, leaving her loving story to be read by the world. This book brings out many emotions that in the end make you feel glad to be a woman and respect the richness of all your life experiences. It sure has made me feel a little less challenged and lot more honored and rewarded that I share commonalities with all of the women in these wonderful stories.

this book is very inspirational no matter what your plight in life is or has been. there is something there that every woman can identify with in their own lives, no matter what her age or ethnicity. the stories and shared experiences are so real and from the heart that I was overcome with sentiment and emotion. a truly terrific must-read book for ALL women

The stories are short but all are wonderful; the book has no beginning, no end. You can open the book to any page and read that story. The stories make you glad, sad, joyful, give you hope, make you laugh, make you mad, make you want to read them all. They uplift you, bring you down to earth, or make you think about yourself and wonder how you would have acted or reacted? What is amazing is that these women are not so different from you or your family or friends after all. We are all important, just like the patches in a patchwork quilt. It takes all kinds to make one beautiful world (quilt, too)

This is perhaps the most important book you'll need to get started if you feel you're one of those people who have suddenly been captured by astronomy. The book sets out to answer all those questions that will inevitably flood your mind and does so in a way that is very easy to understand, complemented by a touch of inspiring poetry. It never gets too technical, yet the amazing wealth of information in there is never compromised.

Topic coverage is very broad and the depth of information I find is very satisfying. Chapters include the structure of the universe, stargazing, a detailed guide to selecting and purchasing equipment, the stars, the planets, the moon and sun, solar and lunar eclipses, comets, meteors, auroras and even how to photograph the night sky.

The book is further enriched by an abundance of backgrounders, star charts, tables, breathtaking images and excellent diagrams explaining things like measuring degrees with your hand and how to use the constellations to find other stars. Important stars and constellations are treated like individual personalities as a lot of the associated data such as distances are put into perspective.

Nightwatch is a clearly focused book. Rich in information, and down to earth with its content, it will satisfy the budding backyard astronomer's need to appreciate what's out there and how to enjoy it.

It just gets better and better all the time. Night Watch Third Addition, is jammed packed with information, that an aspiring astronomer can't live without especially if your just getting started, be he/she 11 or 75 years of age. I can't rant and rave enough about this book and how it has helped so many people discover the Night Sky.

When a new comer comes to our club or viewing session and asks for a book that will help them to learn more, it is "Night Watch" that is always recommended to him or her.

The book talks plainly and easily to the new beginner, helps them to imagine and realise the size and depths of the universe, offer's tidbits of information on telescopes, what to look for what not to look for.

Star charts expertly detailed and easily read, offering all kinds of celestrial targets to shoot for. The charts are done in such a way as not to confuse the user with thousands of stars (such as found in the more involved star atlas, these come later), the charts offer targets not only for the telescope but for the binoculars as well. For those of you who do not own a telescope YET!

By far this is probably one of the best purchases you'll ever make.

This book without a doubt won't be sitting on the bookshelf collecting dust, rather it will be in your lap while you search the night skys!...

Enjoy the book!

I own several books on observational astronomy, but this is one of them I frequently turn to for help. This has been recommended as the first book to get introduced to astronomy and I would strongly agree with that.

Perhaps, the most useful aspect of the book is its available in spiral bind. It makes so easy to navigate the pages and keep it spread around during observation.

The second useful aspect, especially for the beginners, is the charts of constellations. I own the SkyAtlas 2000.0, but the info in it is sometimes overwhelming. But Nightwatch displays the brighest objects of deepsky in easy charts and also gives quick info (light years, magnitude, is it good for binocs etc) right below the object. When my friends visit my back-yard, this book is helpful in locating the star and also give them quick funda about it.

In fact just binocs and this book are enough to spend a dark sky night. This book along with Backyard Astronomers (by same author) will probably be a complete beginners library. (Backyard Astronomers gives more details about telescopes).

As a Jewish American born after World War 2 with no knowledge of any family members who lived in Europe during the holocaust I have nonetheless always been fascinated with those times. As a college student I worked in a resort hotel where I met German Jewish survivors. To this day what struck me most was what one such survivor told me when I asked him what he remembered of his childhood in Germany. He told me it was just like being in America. German cities were modernized. Jewish people participated in civic life with small attention paid to their heritage unless they wished otherwise. Victor Klemperer's book "I Will Bear Witness," underscores what I had been told by that survivor. Life in Germany before January, 1933 was not, for Jews, particularly distinguishable from life for non-Jews. In fact, one might argue that the kinds of insidious prejudice rampant in the United States in the first half of this century were more virulent than that experienced in pre-Nazi Germany. The beauty of this book is how Professor Klemperer bears witness to the slow but relentless descent into hell by people who did not perceive themselves different from their countrymen. His descriptions of the day to day activities of paying taxes, arguing with the bureacracy over one's pension, and seeking out rationed foods bring to life the experience of those times. I must admit that I, like most Jewish Americans of my generation, view a Jewish person professing Protestantism somewhat uncharitably. And yet, the professor's consistent adherance to a world view in which one's ethnic background does not determine one's fate is quite palatable. Yet the fatal attraction of German culture, in this case, becomes the downfall of many German Jewish citizen. Perhaps we learn through this book and others like it that powerful forces of demagoguery once unleased may render even the most apparently "enlightened" society into a middle ages horror.

I was terrified by the world that Victor Klemperer brings to life in " I Will Bear Witness ". The diary is a day by day account of a slow descent into the bowels of Hell. In the beginning the reader is pulled into Klemperers mostly mundane day to day life. Klemperer was a well respected and much published professor of Romance Languages at the University of Dresden. As well he was a decorated veteran of World War I. Slowly, starting with Hitlers rise to power in 1933, his entire world is turned inside out. Day by day the situation becomes more strained. Year by year the situation becomes more dangerous. But the brave hearted Klemperers stay on in Germany because they are German and can imagine no other life. I was greatly moved by the scenes that were brought to life by Klemperer. The description of the first household search they were subjected to caused goose bumps to run up my spine. In addition, the narrative of his 8 day imprisonment ( cell 89 ) is in my opinion a classic that will belongs to the ages. His ability to to draw a picture and capture the mood of a situation was truly amazing. I cannot say enough about the courage of the Klemperers as they fought everyday to hold onto their dignity, pride and finally their lives. Thanks to the skill and courage of Professor Klemperer I now have, in some small way, an idea of what the day to day horror of Nazi Germany was like for the persecuted.

My review refers to the german original edition of the Klemperer diaries from 1933-1945. In the german edition, the diaries are not published in two parts. It must be hard for the english reader to stop 1941 and wait. Klemperer wrote more than 5000 typoscript pages of diary during the nazi period. The german original edition with many cutbacks has more than 1800 pages (1933-1945), the english translation about 500 (1933-1941), so I expect more cutbacks in the english version - most likely around Klemperers language studies about LTI-lingua tertii imperii, the language of the 3. Reich - more interesting for german native speakers. For the english reader, which had yet only read the diary until 1941 I will give the warning, that the 1942 diary is really the most depressing one.

The Klemperer diary is definitely the best book I ever read about the nazi-time. (second one: Hans Fallada, 1947: "Jeder stirbt für sich allein" (Everybody dies for himself), English title: ?)

As a German I grew up with an endless amount of information, literature, books, documentations, discussions and history school lessons about the 3. Reich, but the most refer only to long known facts and their problem is, that they are written with the look of the survivers, the next generation or the history view which sorts and interprets the facts with the knowledge of the ending. I believe, that nobody can understand the system, who has not read "first-hand" impressions. The Klemperer diary is, what I always was looking for: An uncommented inside view to the all day life in germany in that days and the evolution of the unthinkable. A first-hand information about the terrorism not in the concentration camps, but in "normal" life.

Klemperer shows on nearly every page of his book, how many germans didn't follow Hitler's antisemitic view. He noticed the meanings, conversations, wishes, anxiety of the german population and always wondered about the opinion of the majority - is it pro or contra Hitler? He noticed the endless list of restrictions for the jews - simple and little things, which are forgotten and pressed to the background by the horror of the concentration camps, but new for us today. He noticed, how people divide in heroes and opportunists. By reading about the nazi-time we always ask ourself "What would I have done?" Would I had helped the people who needed me despite of the danger of loosing my own life, or would I had taken care only for my own security.

It's hard to imagine, that someone can register, analyse und document all this on an unbelievable level of quantity and quality under the circumstances of starving, illness, pressure work und humiliation. He wrote not only a diary, he wrote high level literature - espessially his description "Zelle 89" about his 8-day prisonary on a level like "Schachnovelle" (Chess novell) from Arnold Zweig (highly recommended!). Around Victor Klemperer his (and the readers) friends are murdered or make suicide and he expects his own death every day but he wrote a real thriller like nobody else. We know, that he survived, but nearly everybody else, who was introduced to the reader didn't. A fiction thriller can not be a better page turner.

After reading this diaries I decided to buy also his memories from 1881-1918 and the diaries from 1918-1932 to read how life was during World War I and how the republic turned to dictatorship and his diaries from 1945-1959, to read why he decided to stay in East-Germany and join the communist party - in contrast to his liberal political opinions. Together all four books must be the best inside view to german history during these important periods.

The book is a memorial for all the nameless, who decided to be a hero (espessially Eva Klemperer) and for the six million, which would not have lost their life, if there had been more heroes. It brings us back a remembrance to at least a few of the six million precious human beings Europe lost forever and brings us back, that the nazis really killed a main part of the elite of european culture and society by killing the jews.

Buy it and read it.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul is surprisingly a great book. Never would I have thought that a book categorizedas a self-help book could be so touching. The empathy I felt was phenomenal. Compiled by the #1 New York Times Best Selling authors (Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Kimberly Kirberger), this is a book filled with over 101 sad, heart-lifting, and true stories. This book, part of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, tells teens about other's triumphs and hardships. Inside there are stories on topics such as relationships, friendships, tough stuff, etc., not to mention all the epitaphs. One story that sticks in my mind is the story of a girl named Jane and her best friend Lindsey. After not drinking and being good on their prom night, a drunk driver hit them. Lindsey was killed. Jane, in order to mourn her friend's loss, wrote letters to her dead friend. Some of the letters were in the story. A sad story, yes, but this story tells teens bad thing happen to everyone and yet they can go on. In my opinion, this tearjerker book is everyone's (even adult's) cup of tea - or should I say soup.

"Chicken Soup for the Tenage Soul" by Wack Canifeld, Mark Victor Hansen, and Kimberly Kirberger is a great book that I highly recommend! It is a non-fiction poetry book. It is a bunch of short true stories or poems written by teenagers. There are also a few stories written by well-known people such as Bill Cosby, Jennie Garth, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and many more! I feel like it is very easy to relate to some stories and I am sure that other teenagers feel the same way. There are a variety of stories so it is kind of hard not to fing at least one that you can't relate to a little bit! The authors of "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul" have also written many other "Chicken Soup" books that have also been excellent. These authors are the number one New York Times best selling authors. I thought that this book was exceelent and a very good idea. I personally really enjoyed reading the stories about other people's worries, problems, and achievements. It made me realize that there are many other teens out there just like me. It really made me take a reality check! I dont think that this book had any negative points! I loved it and I bet you will too!!

When I got this book I was going thru some hard times at home.My best friend decided that I needed some "chicken soup" to make me feel better.When I saw the book,my first thought was" What can a book do for me?"I mean,it's not like it can talk to me or hold me when I need to be held.As I sat down on my bed to read"chicken soup",I soon discoverd that consolance can come in the form of words. This book has many true stories that any teenager can relate too.For example there is a story about a girl who has to deal with the death of a very close family member.She tells how she dealt with it and all the feelings she had.I personally can relate to this because I lost my grandmother about a year ago.I felt like no one understood me or the way I felt,but I soon realized that there ARE other people that have lost family members and were willing to talk about their feelings. If you are a teenager or of any age group,I'm sure you will enjoy and appreciate this book.So when you are "ill"or feeling a little "sick",why don't you try a little Chicken Soup for theTeenageSoul.

An American doctor once asked Viktor Frankl to explain the difference between conventional psychoanalysis and logotherapy. Before answering, Frankl asked the doctor for his definition of psychoanalysis. The man said, "During psychoanalysis, the patient must lie down on a couch and tell you things which sometimes are very disagreeable to tell." Frankl immediately replied by saying: "Now, in logotherapy the patient may remain sitting erect but he must hear things which sometimes are very disagreeable to hear." By this he meant that in logotherapy the patient is actually confronted with and reoriented toward the MEANING of his life. The role of the therapist, then, is to help the patient discover a purposefulness in his life. Frankl's theory is that man's search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life and not a "secondary rationalization" of instinctual drives. Whereas Freudian psychoanalysis focuses on the "will to pleasure" and Adlerian psychology focuses on the "will to power" it can be said that Frankl's logotherapy focuses on the "will to meaning." Does man give in to to conditions or stand up to them? According to Frankl, the strength of a person's sense of meaning, responsibility, and purpose is the greatest determining factor in how that question will be answered. He believed that "man is ultimately self-determining" and as such, "does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become in the next moment."

The first (and largest) section of this book is the searing autobiographical account of the author's experience as a longtime prisoner in a concentration camp. These camps claimed the lives of his father, mother, brother, and wife. Frankl's survival and the subsequent miracle of this book are a testimony to man's capacity to rise above his outward fate. As Gordon W. Allport states in the preface, "A psychiatrist who personally has faced such extremity is a psychiatrist worth listening to."

I agree, and highly reccommend this book. As the sub-title says, it is an "introduction" to logotherapy, and anyone who wants to go deeper into the principles and practical application of Frankl's existential psychiatry should go to his excellent "The Doctor And The Soul".

Frankl was fond of quoting Nietzsche's dictum..."He who has a WHY to live can bear with almost any HOW."

Mr. Viktor Frankl left the physical world in 1997, but for me he remains a HERO. He came to be a Doctor of Medicine, and Doctor of Philosophy. He founded his own psychological system "Logotherpahy" which strives to give people a sense of their own vitality, something to live for, and, in a word, "meaning." He loved life and the humans within it.

MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING deals in part with Frankl's own dealings with Nazi Concentration Camps, for he was a suffering Jew. He was there for 3 years, and never saw his wife again, presuming here to have been already killed. The second portion of the book is a cursory look at "Logotherapy." A more detailed account is found in THE DOCTOR AND THE SOUL, THE UNHEARD CRY FOR MEANING, THE WILL TO MEANING, anf THE ULTIMATE MEANING.

The man Frankl had, throughout, a sense of purpose, positivity, and courage, whereas many of the others were embittered or frightful. He gave them hope and, again, "meaning." He thought of his wife, his work, and his fellow man, in all the deepst of ways. He helped the sick, and spoke vehemently of having a "Will to meaning" or, will to live, rather than sit there in despair.

Frankl asserts that man, whether "consciously" aware of this or not, strives for meaning. This implies something apart from himself (transcendent), as a cause, a religious impulse, a person. The "ultimate" or "super" meaning is something beyond living for family, friends, school, and so on.

He ask of us to consider the possible hidden meanings within every happening in our lives, rather than a single meaning in life. He will take a given a person and help him to find himself by teh discovery of a meaning in (a) love, (b) suffering, (c) death. He ask us not to dwell on the past, but to dwell on the future. He defiantly says that man is not, as Freud so emphasizes, bound up in pleasures. Man is not, as Alder asserts, looking for power. Psychology is then not materialistic or reductionistic. Man has Free Will, and spiritual drives. For Frankl, and myself, man wants MEANING.

For example, Frankl notes that Darwinism discusses a "struggle for survival." But, consider middleclass persons living in North America. Where is their struggle? They have "survived." Now what? Struggle for what? Another example is a simple person who attends university, is doing well, has friends, a working relationship, supportive parents, and so on and so forth. He told Frankl he still felt "empty" and without meaning.

And lastly, my own 10 months in a factory could not have been handled so well without Frankl. I was there to save money for school. This was my purpose. Rather than concentrate on the poor working conditions, the long hours, the angry bosses, and so on, I reminded myself that I am here for school. And so, I worked exceptionally hard, unitimidated. I regarded it all as a welcome challenge. They say "work 10 hours," I say "give me 12 hours." In short, I handled every hardship with eager diligence on account of Logotherapy's positive insistence on meaning and purpose.

Every person who has opened a book should read this and work therefrom. We owe it to ourselves.

Of the many thousands of books I have read this is the most important. Frankl survived Auschwitz and derived meaning from the experience. Can we do any less in the face of our own small problems?

The book, to a large degree, is based on a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche, "He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how." It's true, and Frankl's life proves it.

Frankl doesn't provide a road map for finding the meaning in every experience. He does something better. He asks us to ask ourselves what our experiences mean. We already know, if only we will stop to think. My favorite example is that of a man who greaves the loss of his wife. Frankl asks him why he greaves. The man answers that he greaves because he loved his wife. Frankl asks him, "Isn't that a good thing?" A light goes on in the man's mind, he nods, and gets up and leaves. Frankl's book can make a light go on in all of our minds. All we have to do is spend a couple of hours reading this wonderful book.

I absolutly LOVED this book. Fianlly a book that foucus's on issues like suidcide and eating dissorder, mixed in with a dash of death and I pinch of friend/relationship. Its the perfect combination for the recipe of teenager. It was a great self help book and a great read all at the same time. I have to say that all the Chicken Soup for the Teen Soul books are great. I own them all but this one has really touched home and helped me to connect with the authors. I definetly recommend this book to anyone who is interested especially teens. I think that this book, being as it focus's more on the rougher aspects of being a teen, will help alot more teens. Just read the first story.... bet you can't put it down...

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Tough Stuff was a book I feel all teenagers and for that matter adults should read. It really touched me. At times I cried, and at times I laughed. This book really touched home. It reminded me that no matter how bad my day was, there is someone that has gone through the same thing and maybe worse things that same day. I have all the Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul books and this is my favorite.

I hope others can recieve that same joy I recieved from it. This book like the others will serve as a devotional for me. Each story has some meaning or lesson that will touch home.

This book is really an extension of "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul" except this one deals with "the really tough stuff." As a counsellor, this will be one book on my list that will be highly recommended to teens, particularly girls. It is not that the "tough stuff" mentioned here does not happen to boys but teenaged boys, generally speaking, are often more hesitant to put their thoughts in writing the way most teenaged girls will do.

Three topics are found in this book which are truly a sign of our modern times. The first is abuse, that thankfully is no longer a subject to be hidden in the closet. The second is teen depression and suicide, and the third deals with violence in schools. As a counsellor, I have seen first hand the havoc these problems can create. If you are a teen, you will realize that much of this "tough stuff" is univeral and you are not alone. It also helps if you are troubled by these issues, to discuss the topic(s) with a parent or trusted, responsible adult with whom you feel comfortable. Teens will be surprised that this is not a book which comes across as a voice of authority but, rather, one that speaks of compassionate understanding. It is highly recommended and, in my own opinion and based on feedback I have received from teens, the book is most deserving of a five-star rating.