Linda Richman, author of a humorous book and audiotape, explains that what we know about pain is: "no one wants any and everyone gets some." If you haven't yet experienced the pain of illness yourself or in a loved one, it's pretty likely you will. On the other hand, many, if not most of us, have already had brushes with illness or even death. This is just the book to have on hand for those occasions - though it's truly helpful even if you're not facing a crisis. In fact, the authors suggest that it's better to think things through before one occurs!

Generally speaking, the information in the book is highly practical - tips aimed at improving health that you can put into action right away. I liked the fact that you don't have to read the chapters in order to get the benefit of the sections relevant to your own situation. And to top it all off, Clarke and Evans take a subject that is not usually thought of as entertaining and "take their own medicine," using humor and stories throughout, which makes the reading go quick.

Chapter 3 was the most powerful chapter for me: "Seeking the Right Kind of Social Support." I always thought I had a good - if not excellent - support network. What I learned is that there are (at least) six types of support: emotional support, yes - but also network support, esteem support, tangible support, informational support and opportunity for nurturance. Further, the type of support needed depends on personal circumstances and type of situation. This opened up my eyes to why I seem to cope with some situations better than others.

Perhaps the most important outcome for me was significantly reducing my own stress level. My husband and I have chosen to have a schizophrenic relative live with us. He is an intelligent and kind person, and the effects of his illness are not terribly apparent. So it may or may not be a surprise that this situation can be extremely stressful to me. I learned several key tips that helped me tremendously, for example, asking for and receiving the type of support I was lacking (and didn't know I was lacking until I read the book), or using humor effectively to deal with the situation overall.

This book that will be on my Christmas shopping list this year!

Surviving Modern Medicine was given to me when it was first published in 1998. I read the first chapters; since I did not have a particular medical problem, I did not feel the need to finish the book.

Time passed and someone very dear to me raised a question concerning what to do in the case of serious illness of a loved one. I immediately referred to Surviving Modern Medicine and was able to share some of the ideas discussed by Clarke and Evans. In the end I bought the book for my friend.

This book is a resource for us baby boomers who, believing ourselves to be immortal, will delay facing the issues of age and death. Clarke and Evans address these important subjects with candor and compassion. I recommend this book to anyone who is beyond the great divide - over 50.

This book is easy to read, well oganized, and most helpful. The information here has already helped myself and my family. I've already bought copies for gifts. If you want to know the inside scoop on health care in America, you must read this book.

A great book - I really liked it. These books publsihed by Hardinge and Simpole on how the great chess players Tal, Botvinnik etc. rose to take the chess crown, are wonderful for understanding the various tactics of the masters of chess. What makes it more interesting is the preface and foreword which provide great background info., bringing the games to life.

this book covers mikhail tals career up to the match in 1960 against botvinnik when he became world champion. there are wins in it against botvinnik smyslov fischer and keres-the notes are very full and read really well-the author has carefully researched russian sources and if tal misses a trick clarke spots it. the games- being tals- are mainly very brilliant-he was the supreme magician of the chess board and liable to crush even the greatest of opponents with his amazing tactics. the print is very clear and the diagrams are well chosen -in fact this is one of the books i wd definitely take with me on a desert island.

Knowledge Management has been degraded to a technological speciality for many people. Organisational Semiotics explains when and why technology is not enough...even, sometimes, technology can be a real barrier to learning.

I am one of the authors and simply wish to let you know that the book has a 5 star review on the uk site. ( this is a rather cumbersome way to send you this information but I do not seem to have another option - sorry.

In Del-Del, Kelleher evokes powerful images and emotions that even after 1 year still send shivers up my spine, and put a lump in my throat. Intriguing, powerful and fasinating.

This book is thrilling and a great read for anyone from ages 10 and up. Kelleher is a great Australian writer of pre-teen novels, for your science fiction audience. This book is wonderfully writen. The story is about this young boy who thinks he is possed by Del-Del, it is shows his interaction with his family as the character of Del-Del, develops. Definately not a book that one can drop until it is finished

This book is one of the spookiest I have ever read. Reading it as a adult I don't know if I could have coped with it as a child, although my son and daughter did. They enjoyed it so much they insisted that Mum and Dad read it too, so we did. Although written and set in Australian it is absolutely universal and could have been set anywhere there are children with grief to deal with. A totally outstanding piece of work that I had to read in one sitting. Please read this book!

Clarke's analysis is a bit superficial, and the games are all in descriptive notation (when will they stop publishing chess books with that clunky method?) The games are exceptional; it's hard to find books on Petrosian's games, but it could be better.

If you haven't read Peter Clarke's works on Petrosian and Tal, you are missing a chess treat of the very highest order. Clarke is a phenomenally talented chess writer, whose annotations are an instructive as anything out there in the whole of chess literature. If you are into chess books, you need his major works. His Dover book, 100 Soviet miniatures, is great too.

Peter Clarke, a great chess player in his own right, annotates and discusses with great sensitivity the best games of chess by former World Champion Tigran Petrosian. A great strategian, Petrosian worked his way diligently to the top through admirable persistance and determination, allowing him to finally take the crown from the mighty Botvinnik. A classic anthology published by Hardinge and Simpole.

Allanbrook is on the faculty at my alma mater, so I had something of an interest in this book for that reason. It's basically a very frank recollection of his years in Italy, both as part of the Army during World War II and afterwards, when he returned to the country on a fellowship. Actually, it's a bit confusing (yet another book that could be chronological but isn't) because it starts out with the later phase of his life and only eventually gets to his first experiences in Italy. Like one's recollections, it jumps around as one is reminded of other events. He will repeatedly relate anecdotes from a different time but the same place as he is or was reminded of them.

It is a very frank recollection, holding nothing back when it comes to dealing with his sex life throughout with both prostitutes and lovers. The style is a little convoluted. I wish at times that he'd chosen to be plain-spoken rather than clever in his choice of words.

Still, this does provide a clear view inside his head and that, at least, makes it an interesting read.

This is a wonderful book about the harsh truths of modern warfare--the constant mud, cold, and idleness, the perfidy of generals, the humble face of occasional heroism. It certainly deserves a paperback edition--should not be allowed to go out of print.

Here is an extremely talented memoirist who is particularily adept at giving us character sketches. As a civilian, this book gave me a realistic glimpse of what life as a soldier was like in WWII's European theater. I would rate this book second only to Norman Lewis' "Naples '44" if you want to get a feel for wartime Naples. That is saying a lot because Lewis is widely recognized as one of the greatest travel writers of the 20th century.

Most of Arthur C. Clarke's nonfiction books are collections of scientific articles he has written. This collection of some of the first emails ever made is a great read. It gives a great insite into the production of the film version of 2010. Some of the best parts are from writter-director-cinematographer Peter Hyams as he struggles to find dophines, sattilite dishes, actors, heat sheilds, money, spacecraft designs, and other such things. If you like Arthur C. Clarke's books or like Peter Hyams' films, you should definetly get this book.

About a decade ago the producer of Les Miserables, Cameron Mackintosh, brought out a show that featured and was built around jazz great Louis Jordan's greatest hits, "Five Guys Named Moe." A wonderful and incredibly lively six man cast can, when it's done well, take their audience back to the 1940's and 50's and make their blood boil with swing and jazz and blues and all that stuff. The beat is infectuous and insistent -- I defy anyone not to tap their feet when they listen to it. I can't help singing out loud! I bought this book hoping to recreate at home at least some of the fun I'd felt in the theatre. I was pretty disappointed in that only 12 of the 25 songs in the show are in the book. And some of the ones left out were particular favorites of mine ("I like 'em Fat like that," and "Ain't Nobody Here but us Chickens," to name just two). The music that is there is fine, and the arrangements work. But the holes were too large for me. I returned the book for a refund.