Wendy's book is a very well written horror story. Someone should make a movie about her experiences. The true tragedy is that this story takes place in modern times. You would expect this sort of treatment to have taken place a hundred years ago, when we knew little about the human mind and psychology. I have come to know Wendy over the past several months, and I am in awe of her ability to adapt to her new life, and in her bravery in telling her story. God bless you, Wendy.

Being on the same ward as Wendy I remember how she suffered. It was heartbreaking seeing this girl become a nobody with her thoughts and memories disappearing day after day. Havn't spoken to her in years but hope she is doing fine. If anyone hears from her tell her "Jack" says hi.

I first met Wendy on the internet a few years ago and was able to attain a copy of the book just recently. I have never been much of an advocate for some of the methods used by the psychiatric profession to treat "Mental Illnesses". I have had several friends who had nervous breakdowns and such, and they always returned from their stays at various hospitals and psych wards worse off then they were prior to going in. They were either subjected to ECT or the miriad of drugs these doctors like to prescribe instead of just finding out what the real problem is and supporting the person through the rough patch. We had always joked about ECT, as we all had our reasons for not supporting it. This book confirmed exactly why we were against it.

I read this book out loud to my roommate and we both could not believe what was happening to Wendy. When I read out loud where she was from, it shocked us even more, considering we live in the same city she did. That brought this story a lot closer to home for us.

This book shows that these things can happen to anyone, anywhere...even in your hometown. It also shows how much power those in the medical profession hold and what can happen when that power falls into the wrong hands. For seven years, I worked in the medical profession as a medical assistant and home care worker, and I too saw what sort torment many patients, especially those in long term care situations, have to endure.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has either been in this situation, is considering this situation or knows someone in this situation. This is an inspiring look at how one woman managed to survive such a situation.

I am an 18 year survivor of Osteoganic Sarcoma and I found this book to be one of the best and informative books I've ever read. I read things that I didn't even know about my disease or the long term late effects due to the chemotherapy I received. I will admit, at times it was TOO much information, but it was all factual and there were things that I read that I had to come to term with. I have an appointment at a Late Effects Clinic in a few weeks, and I am eager to get on with the rest of my life. A big Thank You to the authors who took so much time doing research and putting their own blood, sweat and tears into such an awesome project!!! Sincerely, Diane Trautman Smith

This book is what every survivor, their parent(s) and thier doctor needs! It is comprehensive and well laid out...I love how I can easily find information on areas of concern I have regarding my son's survival. It has come in handy during follow up appointments to ensure my son is receiving the proper long term care. There is a compact card in the back of the book where all information about the child's treatment can be recorded so the child will have easy to access, concise information regarding their surgeries, chemotherapy drugs, radiation amount and type, etc. I know this will be an indispensible tool for my son as he grows up. I applaud the authors for writing a much-needed book. This book is a MUST-HAVE for EVERY childhood cancer survivor!

Once again Nancy Keene provides information for patients and families that is just not available in this detail anywhere else. Her disease specific description of late effects and life after chemotherapy enables the reader to receive benefits that will effect for the rest of their lives. Information such as monitoring potential life threatening effects from treatment are just invaluable for the future of children surviving cancer and continuing into adulthood. I would urge any patient/parent/family member coming off active chemotherapy to pick up this book. Trust me you will have many, many book-marked pages. Our child just concluded his treatment and this book has not been very far from my side.

This is a wonderful book! Had been waiting for its release and it lived up to the wait. Everybody will like this book, from its Outer Banks commentary to the characters to the surprise ending. Glad I found wendyhowellmills.com for book signing schedule and more! Thanks Wendy for these great books and keep 'em coming!

I absolutely loved the book! It's even better than the first one. I couldn't put it down and didn't know who the bad guy was until the end. Wendy's writing is wonderful and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I'm ready to read her next one as soon as she writes it. Way to go Wendy!

This book is a great read! It moves swiftly and keeps you guessing right up to the end. The characters from Mills' first book seem like old friends. Highly recommended!

Really great activities for you & your toddler to participate in at home. Just a great outlet for figuring out how to occupy your toddler's time constructively.

I purchased this book to use in my preschool classroom. This book is filled with interesting yet simple activities for toddlers. The best part is, you don't need to go out and buy anything fancy - these activities utilize basic materials. I love it!

This book has terrific fun ideas for toddlers. It has many of the rhymes and songs that every child (and parent!) should know. We consider ourselves remedial parents and found this book to be quite helpful! Now we're WOWWING other parents with our rendition of "The Noble Duke of York."

Like all of your reading in the present tense (she is seeing this; she is now tasting that; he is feeling such-and-such)? If so, this is your book. If not, stay away. I suppose the current present-tense-vogue adopted by otherwise excellent writers is designed to lend a sense of action and immediacy. To me, not having anything appear in the past, nothing in the future, is so artificial that it destroys the value of the book.

I started reading this book right before we left for vacation and had to bring it with me because I literally could NOT put it down. Made poor hubby drive all the way so that I could read! I loved how there were so many 'suspects' in the book, several times I was placing in my mind where all the men were at one time knowing that any one of them could be the killer. And the teaser chapter at the very end of this book .......I can't wait to read "Dearly Beloved".......I've already recommended this book to several people.....absolutely wonderful!

Ms. Staub masterfully builds the suspense without resorting to
explicit violence. Rose is a very believable, likable heroine,
surrounded by an interesting supporting cast of characters. Fans of
Mary Higgins Clark's earlier books will enjoy this book.

As a New Yorker, I particularly enjoyed this book because it is chock full of references to places I know or have been. The story is engaging and romantic. And, the characters are believable. You can easily see this as a made-for-TV movie. Read it, you'll see and enjoy!

wendy coakley thompson's "back to life" is a real piece of literature that details the interracial romance experience in real terms. the attention to themes of the day and music of the moment adds a special spice to the book and helps to set the mood. i just love hearing "what's playing in the background". lisa and marc show us the conflict one feels in a situation like theirs. and it's also a treat to see how their exes factor into the relationship as well. a good read!

I enjoyed reading 'Back to Life' not because it was such a well-written, heartwarming love story, but because I was able to relate to it as I lived in New York during that time period when all af those events took place. I was able to relate to it too as a woman of colour who had a history of physical abuse, and also as one who knew several mixed couples who weathered great storms to be able to stay together and maintain their love for each other. The author was able to provide such imagery that there were times when I felt I was actually inside the story listening to Nina Simone singing 'Mississippi god damn' and eating guava duff which is a delicious, sumptuous Bahamian dessert, more so when rum is added to the sauce. The story was believable, the details of the events were so accurate.
I am looking forward to viewing this story on the 'BIG SCREEM'

The Brazilian Sound is good as far as it goes - a who's who list and discography of 20th century Brazilian music. Although, the book has the feel of a junior college textbook, it's written in plain language. It would be a relatively easy read if it were not that a parenthetical list of Brazilian names breaks up every third or fourth paragraph. There are some very informative passages - notably the chapter on Bossa Nova and the "Escolas de Samba" section of Chapter 2. At their best, the authors provide clear and comphrensive explanations of the geneology and sociological context of the music.

Unfortunately, unless a person is willing to spend countless shopping hours and a couple of thousand dollars building up collection of Brazilian records, he or she will gain almost no insight from this book into what the music feels like. The authors describe individual works and artists in only vague terms - terms often identical to those previously used to describe others. They beat the term "syncopation" into irrelevance - it's clear only that all Brazilian music is syncopated. The authors habitually refer to folk music genres and song forms ala "Composer X's work is all based on the Y song form..." But they provide no practical examples or definitions of those genres or forms.

The authors stridently dumb-down their text, accepting as axiom that one has to "hear it to believe it" and that it is meaningless to describe Brazilian music in technical terms. They generally refrain from even using common musical terms - bar, measure, pulse, key, etc. - to give the reader a clearer understanding of Brazilian rhythmic and harmonic structures. They use few effective musical comparisons or verbal metaphors. It is understandably difficult to describe music in writing. But it is possible. Judicious use of metaphor, comparisions, and technical descriptions would have greatly fleshed out what in the end comes off as a skeletal text.

This 1998 edition serves as the update to the first, apparently published in 1990 or 1991. However, the amendments appear to have been quite minor - embodied by an isolated paragraph here and there, and four meager pages in the final "More Brazilian Sounds" chapter. It's as if nothing has really happened in the evolution of Brazilian music since 1990 - an impression that must be wrong.

The Brazilian Sound catalogs decent research, but is neither good writing nor effective music history.

The best book ever written about Brazilian music in English, "The Brazilian Sound" is a beautifully written, in-depth guide to samba, bossa and other Brazilian genres. Many of the reviews below are on the mark, but BGB from WA seems not to have read the book (or to have read a different book!). The 1998 edition substantially upgrades the original 1991 version. There is much added in terms of early history, capoeira, racial issues, choro, and the blocos and afoxes in Bahia. There is more on important artists from the 1990s, like Marisa Monte, Daniela Mercury, Carlinhos Brown, Chico Cesar, Chico Science and Karnak, though these additions are in various chapters, not just the final one ("More Brazilian Sounds"). One needs to have actually read the book to know that, of course...The music is nicely described, in both musical and cultural terms. One gets a strong sense of how it sounds, and a clear understanding of its rhythmic, harmonic and melodic ingredients. Some of the writing is rather encyclopedic, dispensing a rather staggering amount of information, while many sections vividly convey a sense of the music. I often felt I was at a bossa nova club in '59, at an escola de samba rehearsal, watching one of the 1960s song festivals, or attending a forro party. "The Brazilian Life" brings to life both the current and past greats of Brazilian music. As a result, I added quite a few CDs to my collection, especially of artists like Milton Nascimento, Pixinguinha, Jobim and Marisa Monte. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

You could fill a book with all the information I _don't_ know about Brazilian music... In fact, these guys already have! Concise, conversational, informative and very well laid out, this is an exceptionally readable book. Chapters on samba, bossa nova, tropicalia, forro and jazz include focused biographical sketches of dozens of key artists, as well as succinct historical information about the progress of Brazilian music from its European and African folk roots into its bewildering and often beautiful modern offshoots. The book's focus is nonpartisan: although there is plenty of room for aesthetic criticism within the various styles, the authors generally hold their preferences and dislikes to themselves. They do, however, give readers a good sense of which recordings might be best to check out -- an invaluable service considering how little of Brazil's vast musical output makes it to the United States. Highly recommended! Certainly the best English-language guide to Brazilian pop that you will find in print (online is a different matter), this is great for casual listeners and hardcore fans alike.

I owe Wendy Beahn, the author of this book, a huge thank you for having written this. At 36 weeks of pregnancy, I have read just about every book on pregnancy and childbirth but I felt that nothing I had read had prepared me for the realities of what REALLY to expect during labor and after I give birth. After reading Wendy's book, I was so relieved in that I know what to expect. Wendy tells it like it is; her honest and forthright approach will be appreciated by anyone who reads this book. The checklists and summaries at the end of each chapter are indispensable. This book is an incredible resource, and enjoyable reading. I could not put it down once I started reading it. Kudos to Wendy Beahn for writing a book with a fresh approach. This book made me laugh and cry alternately, and Wendy Beahn is the girlfriend that all of us pregnant women wish we had - the one who truly tells it like it is. If you are pregnant or even thinking about having a child, DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS INCREDIBLE BOOK!!! It should be required reading for fathers as well!

Wendy Beahn's First Time Mom is a solidly written and thoroughly "reader friendly" resource for expectant and new mothers, packed cover to cover with what every woman should know about labor, childbirth, and the first six months of raising a newborn. Written in down-to-earth terms, addressing everything from minor discomfort to potentially life-threatening difficulties, First Time Mom is very highly recommended reading for all new parents and parents-to-be regardless of gender -- because first-time husbands and involved fathers need to know the basics of what to do as well!

First Time Mom was exactly what I needed! We are expecting our first child in March, and I am reading everything I can get my hands on. The author's use of humor really made the reading quick, easy, and fun. I couldn't put it down! My husband is now reading it as well!
While most books talk only about the pregnancy (which is very helpful), I need to think ahead to when the baby is here so that I don't lose it when he or she arrives. The summaries at the end of the chapters and the lists in the back of the book provide insight that I would have never thought of. Being a 'list person' myself, this is perfect!...

In less than 200 pages, Ms. Kopp details every step she took in establishing Teach for America, the national teaching corps for recent college graduates. Chapters 1-9 are a primer for fundraising techniques, non-profit organizational set-up and strong management skills. But, Chapter 10, the most interesting by far, is a lengthy description on what makes good educators. You may be inspired enough to join in the efforts in ensuring excellent education for all children in this great nation of ours.

One person, and idea, and a difference. Wendy Kopp detailed the relentless cycle of securing grant money to meet payroll to keep the organization afloat. Often the life of this organization was within days of sinking, but alas, the golden check was cleared. She is a very gifted networker, who managed a large organization without management experience until she handed over the operational reigns to those who knew what was going on. This account is from the perspective of the person who created the organization and ran it, so this should be taken into account. Their was heavy emphasis on recruiting graduates from Ivy League universities, which is good, because the students they would be teaching almost never have access to teachers with Ivy League educations and exposure. Those not in the Ivy Leagues seemed to not have a shot, although they could have made a significant impact. The reason why Teach For America exists in the first place in my opinion, is because the monopolistic public school system is an outright systematic, bureaucratic disaster today. TFA is a needed action, but also puts a band-aid on a bullet wound that is bleeding like a sieve. Recommended to young, new teachers, that are still idealistic and haven't become cynical, burned out, or moribund yet because of politics, administrators, and idiotic school policies.

Read the book in one day! Even though you know the outcome, it has the pull of a fiction novel as you read through the ups and downs of building TFA.

Kopp shows that vision, persistence and optimism can beat the odds when it comes to a good idea. She also demonstrates that all good ideas hit big speed bumps and resiliency is key with some insightful stories.

In addition there is a fairly specific prescription for what makes for a good teacher at the end of the book. This isn't philosophical musings--this is exeperiential lessons being laid out by Kopp.

If you feel like being uplifted and gaining some knowledge on what makes a good teacher operate--read this book.

As an adoptive parent I found the stories in Parents at Last to ring true. It was so encouraging to see many different kinds of families gathered together in one book. There are many ways to go about creating a family. The only constant is love and commitment. Several of the stories reflect the parents feeling that their child was meant to be theirs. We also experienced that faith as we searched for our daughter 5 years ago. This is a beautiful book that I plan to share with our adoption support group.

With their fingers on the pulse of American life, the authors of "Parents At Last" have captured the essence of the most important challenge facing us today - creating and nurturing families. While the media focuses on the breakdown of the family, this book focuses instead on creating family in its many forms - adoptive families, blended families, families who experience the wonders of cutting edge technological fertility. Through it all the underlying truths of family shine through: humor, communication, and most of all, love.

This book offers hope & compassion to many people with the goal of creating a family. As the Mother of a stillborn son 18 months ago and with added discouragement of not yet conceiving again at age 35+, this book offers hope that there are alternatives to building my family should I need to go that direction. It's nice to know that I'm "not alone" in this quest. It was also wonderful to hear about the book on the "Today" show; that's what prompted me to purchase it.