Richard Carlson's The Feelings And Imagination Of A Barefoot Boy Still Inside My Head! is a delightful, entertaining, and highly recommended collection of poems and short stories for children ages 9 to 12. The topics of these pieces range from family, falling in love, and imagination, to yelling, bicycles, and kissing. I Loved To Walk On My Bare Feet: When I was a young boy,/I loved life and felt great joy./I untied and my little shoes off I took./At my bare feet I wanted to look./It felt really neat,/Walking on the grass and soil in bare feet./I breathed in the spring air through my little nose,/And in the mud puddles, wiggled my little toes./I would play and daydream./Life was wonderful to me it did seem.

This was a book of poems and short stories. Mr. Carlson writes really good poems, I liked them all. Some of them were about Jeremy Grabowski's Crazy Summer In Stormville. I thought that was neat. Some were about life in Tucson Arizona. That was cool because I've never been there and it was fun to read about a different place. The short stories were all great. I liked all of them too. I think you will really like this book. Both boys and girls will.

Nathaniel

P.S. Kevin Carlson is Richard Carlson's brother. His pictures are terrific! People are really hard to draw, I know, I try to all the time! He does a really great job!

Author Richard W. Carlson Jr. Brings echoes of maturity to freshly imaginative short stories and poetry in THE FEELINGS AND IMAGINATION OF BAREFOOT BOY STILL INSIDE MY HEAD. The sparkling ingenuous voice of remembered youth sparkles, recapturing the best of childhood and strongest of memories in a startling original record certain to please young readers. The rhythm and rhyme keep the tempo steadily on high, recreating runaway frogs, black eyes, broccoli and walking barefoot with equal vividness. Accompanied by simple, yet skillfully drawn illustrations (by the author's younger brother), this marvelous lark comes highly recommended.

This gently written, loving and accepting book is about family dynamics with a sibling who has autism. A gifted artist, Kevin provides the rich illustrations in this book and lends his "voice" to describe the world he confronts on a routine daily basis.

Autism and its related condition, Asperger's Syndrome is a series of sensory related issues. Sounds are amplified; strong aversions for vaccuum cleaners are not uncommon. One can feel Kevin's pain every time he has to endure the vaccuum cleaner and other painful sounds in his environment. Sensory modes are often heightened, people with spectrum conditions (autism/Asperger's) find coping mechanisms in facing sensory onslaught. This book provides good descriptions of these issues.

This is an excellent work that will attract all ages. It is something for all educators, parents and other interested parties to use and learn from. It is an invaluable work in seeing the rationale for the behavior of many people on the autism spectrum. Routine often provides security and changes or disruptions can often make one feel threatened. This book provides examples of this.

Richard and Kevin will remain permanently in the hearts of all who read this book. Please read this.

"My Brother Kevin Has Autism" sheds a profound yet simple light into the world of Autism. Richard's poems are wonderfully written, and Kevin's illustrations are ingenious. I highly recommend this book for siblings of autistic individuals, or those who wish to educate themselves in regard to Autism. A wonderful addition to our library. Bravo to Richard and Kevin!

From anyone's perspective, living with autism can be quite a challenge. Simple chores become a test of endurance for the autistic child who cannot endear the sound of a vacuum cleaner. A trip across town on a new street becomes a test of endurance for the autistic child who clings to routine for salivation from a chaotic world. Parents and siblings who live with the autistic child likewise face these challenges, often baffled at the autistic's child's reactions to a world they perceive as ordinary.

Author Richard Carlson lends his talented pen to a book of verse for young people in MY BROTHER KEVIN HAS AUTISM, capturing these challenges in a straightforward yet lovingly gentle tone that readers of all ages will appreciate. Autistic younger brother Kevin adds his illustrations, proving with each one the beauty of his gifts and the lessons he can teach us all. A must read for anyone who knows someone with autism or simply seeks understanding. Highly recommended.

Hats off to Richard and Kevin Carlson! This book is a must read for families who have loved ones on the autism/Asperger's spectrum, educators, all professionals. In short, this book is for everybody. This book serves as a bridge linking people and knocks down walls that were once said to enclose people on the spectrum. Like Joshua with the ram's horn, the walls are knocked down by the brothers Carlson.

This collaborative effort features several anecdotes involving Richard and Kevin. Kevin's illustrations bring the world as he knows it and the sensory issues he confronts on a daily basis into sharper focus. Richard provides an equally clear and strong voice. The bond between this pair is very heartwarming.

Please read this book. You will be so glad that you did.

My brother's book has 6 stories about me. I drew illustrations. This stories is true. I stole a french fry are McDonald's and cut my own haircut. Other stories about Cheez Puffs, our dog Duke, my bicycle and flying beetle. The people where I work like my book. There is a poem about Mrs. Post, my aide at my old school. I drew illustration of her. I drew a dogs, my family, animals and my own cartoon characters. I like how the book is turn out. It's nice when the people read about me and see my illustrations.

Richard Carlson is to be commended, along with his brother Kevin. The drawings throughout this book are delightful, as are the stories told with such direct simplicity. This book, along with others in the Richard Carlson collection, should be required reading in schools. Children will love it. Every one of the stories will grab their interest. It will make a terrific present.

Carol Kluz is a coauthor of Carol Randy suspense and solo author of fantasy.

The Impressionists are the most famous French Art Movement of the late 19th Century. At about the same time, France was also producing a great school of historical painters and illustrators. Edouard Detaille in my opinion was the greatest historical painter/illustrator of the 19th Century. Do not buy L'Armee Francaise for the text. It is an English translation of stilted and heavily baroque 19th Century French. However, the illustrations are simply amazing! This is one of my favorite books.

An important source of 19th century military history is the beautifully illustrated, two-volume work, L'Armée Française, produced in 1883 by the renowned military artist Edouard Detaille, with text by Jules Richard. Through his remarkably detailed and beautiful artwork, Detaille has rendered a compelling look at this most dramatic era of warfare dominated by the French art of war, military organisation and uniform styles. This classic work has been known for over a century in its French edition and is now translated into English for the first time. This lavish reprint contains the entire two-volume translation, and is richly illustrated throughout with Detaille's original published artwork depicting accurate portrayals of uniforms and military life. The book has been further embellished with an additional full-colour section displaying other works by the artist.Contains the entire translation plus over 300 illustrations from the original artwork by the military artist, and gives background information on regimental histories, army organizations, recruitment, training, battledress and equipment.L'Armée Française is the only military history book of its kind, giving background information on regimental histories, army organisations, recruitment, training, battle dress and equipment of the soldiers of France. It is a guide to the French armies that fought in the Napoleonic Wars, Crimean War, the Mexican Expedition, the Conquest of North Africa, and the Franco-Austrian and Franco-Prussian Wars, as well as a contemporary look at peacetime army in the late 19th century.No one can make a serious study of military history without becoming familiar with the wars fought by the armies of France.

This book is superb. Profusely illustrated by French artist Eduard Detaille, it covers the French Army from 1790-1885, describing in great detail the combat arms, staff, schools, gendarmerie, the navy, and the 'bric a brac' of the arms and services.

There are numerous tables of commanders of units and orders of battle, and the text is comprehensive; trying to keep up with its pace is like being force fed with a firehose. Quite simply, it gives an amazing amount of detail is what is actually quite a small space. There are both color and black and white illustrations, and they definitely have the look and feel of the 'smell of gunpowder.' Detaille was one of the best military artists of all time, and this book shows of his work perfectly.

Having seen the original volumes in French, this translation and edition have lost nothing in the trasition. The detail and minutiae are amazing, from the formation of the not-properly-sanctioned 15th Cuirassier Regiment in Hamburg by Marshal Davout in 1813 to the conquest of Algeria, this volume has much information that was not available before in English. It is a definite must for the military historian.

Much of the book is about the French Armies of the Revolution and Napoleon's Grande Armee, which is fine with me, as it is my favorite period. You can ride once again with the cavalry of the Empire, work those terrible guns of the Imperial Guard that tore allied armies to pieces, or sweat in the ranks with the infantry of the line (infanterie du ligne) as they go on just one more forced march into the thunderous hell that was combat in the Napoleonic period.

Highly recommended and you won't be disappointed.

The struggle to find to find true love in the present world is not an easy task. In this world where the once sacred institution of marriage is now no more likely to last than flipping heads on a coin, those who truly know what love is are scarce. Everyone claims to know what this thing called love is, but few truly understand the essence of everything the word love stands for. In this book, the writings of several self-proclaimed love experts, professors from various colleges, have been compiled together in an attempt to help others find out what love is and how to make it a part of their lives. The basic beliefs range from Buddhism to Christianity, but all of the authors agree that we all need love. This in itself is a valid argument because of the basic human need to feel accepted and appreciated.
Some of the claims made about love in this book are:

1. Give love to get love
2. Love is a choice
3. Love is wanting the best for another person
4. Love yourself in order to love others

There are various other insights on love in this book; buy it and find out what they are.
The basic argument from these claims filters into the overall argument of love stems from the individual. Love cannot exist if an individual doesn't want it to exist. Restating the claims, an individual must give love to get it in return, choose to love, desire the best others, and show love for the self in order to show love to others.
This argument is quite valid because love is not some sort of pit which people can helplessly fall into. Love is not lust and love does not envy. All of the claims presented elaborate on the essence of what love is and reasonably arrive at the conclusion that love stems from the individual. All of the points are clearly and precisely elaborated on in the book, and the reader comes away from the book with a newfound sense of mental completeness. This completeness comes from better understanding what true love is. There would be no way to account for the multitudes of occasions in which individuals have professed to "knowing" what love is, but enough sufficient evidence is presented in the book to allow the argument to be complete.
It's intriguing to find that many proverbs have stemmed from the forethought that love stems from the individual. The Golden Rule is the prime example of this. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The "doing" part is from the individual, one must do unto others first in order for others to do the same unto them. "You reap what you sow." Again, it is seen that the individual must first sow in order to reap. For what is there to reap if nothing has been sown? So this is what you must do, go out and express your appreciation for someone. Love first in order to love last.

Everyone in the world needs to read this book, I guarantee it would change many lives. It opens your mind to think deeply of what some fears the most, love. It truly answers so many questions in regards to love and life. Everyone that has picked my book up, cannot put it down. Now that's a winner!

To receive more love in your life, you must give more love: This book opens you to the possibilities. There are so many pearls in this collection of essays, and each and every chapter gives one much to ruminate about. I rate it a "10" because the messages are both timeless and crucial to finding happiness. It's a wonderful book to give as a gift, but first and foremost, as a gift to yourself.

In the foreword to this book, we are told that the word anthology "literally means a gathering of flowers." The editors of this remarkable collection of essays asked healers from various perspectives to share their ideas, in order to define and foster the "common denominator, or 'golden thread,' that unites all healers and healing methods of ancient, current, and future times."

Below are some representative insights (there are many more contributors -- and much more to each essay-- than are quoted below):

Bernie Siegel, M.D., F.A.C.S., founded the Exceptional Cancer Patients program and is author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles. He believes that his own role -- teaching people how to feel and express love -- succeeds only if he is able to show them that they are lovable.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D., is noted world-wide for her work in death, dying, and transition, her books including On Death and Dying and AIDS: The Ultimate Challenge. She believes that healing does not occur only at an individual level: "Because each individual is connected through a vast network of relationships to innumerable other people and creatures on the planet, the process of healing even one person has far-reaching ramifications."

Hugh Prather -- a crisis therapist, columnist, and minister who has written such books as I Touch the Earth/The Earth Touches Me -- has concluded that "all healing approaches heal the body in the identical way; the only difference is in how they limit their options." The "great mistaken assumption" is that healing necessarily means a physical improvement -- it is not up to us to prejudge the form in which the gift of healing is to be received for a given person.

Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. -- former director of the Mind/Body Clinic at New England Deaconess Hospital, Harvard Medical School and author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind -- writes very succinctly, "The message that underlies healing is simple yet radical: We are already whole... The work of healing is peeling away the barriers of fear that keep us unaware of our true nature of love, peace, and rich interconnection with the web of life. Healing is the rediscovery of who we are and who we have always been."

Jack Schwartz is a research pioneer and author in the field of voluntary control of mind-body processes. He sees disease as holding back energy that can be released if we align ourselves with the process of transformation. Even by using the label of "disease" we create an attitude that constricts our life energy's flow -- as if an enemy is attacking us from outside. He asks that healers be "mapmakers" or "guides" who walk alongside their clients, showing them how to release their own power, how to overcome the fear of change.

Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., F.A.A.P., who specializes in chronic and life-threatening illness, asks, "beyond all these techniques, what is it that truly fosters the healing process? I think it is the way we stand in relationship to each other that is most important." She offers a model for any healer with whom we might partner in our journey of healing: "...two people in a healing relationship are peers, both wounded and both with healing capacity... I don't believe that one person heals another. I believe that what we do is invite the other person into a healing relationship."

Richard Moss, M.D., founded a nonprofit organization for health and wholeness and is the author of The I That Is We: Awakening to Higher Energies through Unconditional Love and How Shall I Live? "When I was a traditional physician," he writes, "I was content to regard healing as the restoration of health. But today I know that healing is far more than a return to a former condition. True healing means drawing the circle of our being larger and becoming more inclusive, more capable of loving. In this sense, healing is not for the sick alone, but for all humankind."

Designed "to search for the common denominator......that unites all healers and healing methods", this book pulls together almost 40 relatively short essays by various authors noted for their work in healing body and soul. Because of this approach, some chapters have more relevance than others, depending on the interests of the reader. Reading the ideas of a particular author can spark a desire to read more by that person, so in that sense this is a nice overview course on the breadth of attitudes held by contemporary healers, both traditional and alternative. It probably should be included as required reading by all practitioners of the healing arts.

This collection of essays by a Who's Who of American Healing started changing my life twenty minutes after I picked it up. The advice of people like Louise Hay and Carl Simonton went straight to the heart of issues we all face with our own health and the health of our loved ones and clients.

Of course, not all of the 37 different takes on the healing process will seem relevant to any individual reader. But it's easy to get what you need; most of the essays are no longer than 1500 words. Authors include writers Lynn Andrews, Norman Cousins, and Ram Dass, visionary MD's Gerald Jampolsky, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Deepak Chopra and Rachel Remen, and alternative healers Sun Bear and Dolores Krieger.

If you were my friend, and if you practiced in any area of health, or faced health issues yourself, I would want you to read this book.

As I have written in several book reviews of the self-help genre, nearly all such books are wordy, repetitive, and should be condensed to booklets. (That will never happen; imagine the profit margin of a booklet compared to a full-sized paperback or hardcover.)

However, Shortcut Through Therapy: Ten Principles of Growth-Oriented, Contented Living by Richard Carlson is outstanding! It is concise and forthright in both its explanations and examples.

I skipped most of the first section; it repeats most of what Dr. Carlson states in his other books. (All of which I have read.) I went straight to the actual principles. Boy, do the ideas Carlson teaches ever make sense!

At the expense of sounding like a salesman, you really do have to read the ten principles that lead to a healthy psychological state to actually appreciate them. They are simple to understand, and virtually impossible to refute or rebut.

With the growing trend toward simplicity, this book takes the lead in showing how one can achieve a happy, peaceful, simple life that results in many rewards, both tangible and intangible.

I have not liked all of Dr. Carlson's books, most of them yes, not all (see my other review), but he clearly has written a winner this time. I am not sure when this book was written in relation to his other several books, but if you had to read just one of Dr. Carlson's books, let it be this one!

I re-read portions of it regularly, in addition to giving copies to friends.

At first the title sounded a bit like a snake oil remedy, "read this and all your problems with be solved and you'll never have to go through conventional therapy again!" Consequently, I started the book with a negative impression, primarily due to the title, but the title is precisely what the advice in the book offers: Specific principles the majority of therapists never teach their clients, principles that if practices regularly, would put a GREAT number of therapists right out of practice. (In fact, most therapists have harped on and on indoctrinating principles in their clients for decades that are the antithesis of the ten principles that Dr. Carlson teaches. Their attempts at assisting their clients usually result in needlessly prolonging one's therapy rather than curtailing it when it is time to move on to a happy, meaningful life.)

As I began in this review, I am a tough sell when it comes to books, tapes, etc. in the self-help genre. In order for me to take time to write a review about a self-help book, it has to be either top-notch or utterly worthless, otherwise I don't bother reviewing the legion of mediocre books in the field. However, in this case, Shortcut Through Therapy: Ten Principles of Growth-Oriented, Contented Living by Richard Carlson is a MUST READ!

Thank you Richard Carlson for writing this book. It was a joy to read, thanks to your knowledge and your wit. I believe the answers to leading a richer and happier life are right here in the pages of this book. I liken this book to AA for alcoholics, Weight Watchers for dieters and SmokeEnders for smokers. It is also a program that is presented in a clear and simple format, using basic terminology, yet its messages are profound in their impact towards attaining true peace of mind and personal fulfillment. I've known many people throughout my life (including myself) who put their hopes, time and money into traditional psychotherapy, only to become more hindered than helped through the process of reiterating and dredging up old wounds. Practicing the principles of this book regularly is cheaper and easier than a therapist and it is almost guaranteed you will find positive results.

Carlson, best known as the author of "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff", provides an upbeat and amazingly simple set of techniques for dealing with the angers and pains we carry with us, sometimes from earliest childhood. First, he shows us how it is our thinking about a problem that causes us pain, not the problem itself. Then, he presents 10 steps for freeing ourselves from the thinking trap and along the way finding joy and pleasure in our lives. Carlson is a compassionate and cogent writer who avoids both technical jargon and psychobabble.

Over the course of a busy day, parents may find themselves in situations that they don't know how to handle. This is where stress plays a part - it's very easy to get caught up in the day's craziness. When parents reach this point, even the simplest ideas and solutions are easily forgotten.

The book, "The Don't Sweat Guide for Parents," will help parents when life gets a little crazy! This book is filled with stress-reducing ideas and solutions for situations involving children of all ages. The ideas in this book are easy enough to put to use, and they may just make you a less-stressed parent!

My ParenTime recommends "The Don't Sweat Guide for Parents" - it's convenient pocket size makes it easy for parents to carry around it's wisdom and ideas on how to remain sane :-).

As a fulltime work-at-home mother of three (including one toddler), I have my fair share of stress -- kids, house, husband, pets, dinner, laundry -- you name it, I get stressed! I have previously enjoyed other versions of "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" and was thrilled when I received a copy of "The Don't Sweat Guide For Parents: Reduce Stress and Enjoy Your Kids More"! I read this wonderful book in an evening because I couldn't put it down. Every section seemed to speak to me -- such as # 50: When Super Mom Feels Less Than Super. Did they know I would be reading this book?

This book, while small and compact, is a must for all parents. I think it is especially great to give to an expectant couple. It will give you lots of great advice, soothing thoughts, and superb strategies for coping with the up's and down's of parenting. I highly recommend!

I have read all the other reviews. They are right on target; essentially this is a 5+ star book. However, like nearly all self-help books, the author repeats and repeats and repeats simple concepts (new maybe, revolutionary to the field, perhaps, but simple to understand).

The basic premise is that one's thinking when it is askew gets one into trouble with depression, etc. Simple, true, great explantions, but the book could clearly have been half the size.

The case studies are informative and break the monotony.

I highly recommend this book, but you can skip through most of it, and more importantly start practicing the principles.

This book is easy to read and understand even if your too depressed to read anything. Richards' writing doesn't talk down to you or pretend that your supposed to get "it". He explains in common sense ways how you can change your life by changing your thinking. He also doesn't leave you with hanging questions. He intuitively knows what questions the reader may be asking and answers them. I felt satisfied with his thorough explanation of his proces and it has helped me immensely. I have given this book to many friends and their comments echo mine. This book puts you back in the drivers seat of your mind.

This is a good companion book to his "Happiness" book. My favourites are:

Our Thoughts - our thoughts are ingrained in us, through our childhood and adult experiences. We are constantly thinking. Understand that our thoughts are simply thoughts and nothing more. More importantly, our thoughts are not real! Like a river of floating leaves, our mind carries both bad and good thoughts, but as the primary "thinker" we decide which thoughts to carry.

Depressed or unhappy people carry too many unhappy thoughts. We must learn to understand, experience, and more importantly dismiss thoughts when necessary.

Don't overanalyze your thoughts, or as Carlson puts it analysis paralysis. Remember thoughts can't hurt you.

Present moment living - there is no yesterday or tomorrow, your happiness is grounded by living in the present moment.
These and many others are sound principles of living, well worth the short read.

Is it that simple? Our thoughts.. our thoughts...

This is an excellent anthology of essays by many accomplished scholars (see the list of names above). Some are psychotherapists, some former ministers, and some psychiatrists; many are simply inspirational writers. This is a calming book with eclectic selections that will suit most tastes.

I picked up this book when I was at a low point in my life. It awakened me to a new way of seeing - both myself and the world around me. Handbook for the soul is a wonderful collection of short essays, by various people, all with the same message. It is one of my most favourite books and I highly recommend it!

Anything Richard Carlson lays his hands on is worth considering reading. Each essay offers a philsophical view worth pondering guiding the perseptive reader closer to the inner self. The wealth of information well surprasses the few dollars spent on this compilation.