Rebecca Harding Davis (1831-1910) was a fiction writer and journalist, best known for her novella "Life in the Iron Mills", and who published approximately 500 works in her lifetime. Deftly edited for modern readers by the collaborative efforts of Janice Milner Lasseter and Sharon M. Harris, Rebecca Harding Davis: Writing Cultural Autobiography is the aptly annotated version of the autobiography of Rebecca Harding Davis, originally entitled "Bits of Gossip" and intended for her children. Leaning away from the traditional autobiographical format, Ms. Davis' life story focuses upon the cultural changes that were taking place during her life time, from the political fallout of the Civil War to close portraits of famous people she knew, such as Louisa May Alcott and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Rebecca Harding Davis is highly recommended for American history and biographical studies academic reference collections and supplemental curriculum reading lists.

I give the book three stars due to content, but the numbers are all obsolete. The information is now seven years old! OBRA laws have changed, gifting laws have changed, estate tax laws,...you name it. Save your money and buy soemthing that has been updated NO EARLIER than January '03. I am a financial planner specializing in this area, so I cannot- with good conscience- recommend that people adhere to the outdated information in the book- talk to an advisor who is up-to-speed on the new rules.

I read 6 different books on this and irrevocable trusts when my dad went into a nursing home. This one was by far the easiest to understand. My parents had a revocable trust that was not worth the paper it was printed on. This book saved my family a lot of money. Unfortunately I lent it to someone who never returned it, so I am buying another copy to give to a friend.

Alexander Bove's book is one of the few out there that really gives you the information you need when dealing with the finances of admitting a loved one into a nursing home. After I read this book, my family and I went to an attorney who "specializes" in elder law. This turned out to be incorrect, and the advice he gave was incomplete and just plain wrong. If we hadn't had Bove's book at our disposal, we would have unknowingly accepted the other lawyer's recommendations without realizing that they would have cost a huge portion of needed funds. DON'T ASSUME THAT AN "ELDER LAW ATTORNEY" KNOWS ALL THE INTRICACIES OF MEDICAID LAW! READ THIS BOOK! (And THEN double-check the most up-to-date laws to make sure nothing has changed since this printing.)

I may be the one guy out there that does not like his books. What makes me mad is that I have heard so much good press I was excited about this book. The story sounded like it would be full of interesting stories and the duel plot was new, but it really did not rise to the occasion. I found the writing wooden and he just does not hold my attention. It takes a lot of time (or it seams that way) to get through this book. I do not know what slowed me down more; the disjointed writing or the two plots that seamed to just be thrown together. I did not believe the characters; they just were not well developed. I only made it about half way into the book. This book seams rushed, almost like the author did not want to take the time to really develop either the story or the characters. Because of the light development it does not hold your attention.

This book had a good theme, but Herman did not play on this...this book was slow and full of more inside lingo than the last ones. i was very disappointed!

Not his best,but don't pass it. Plenty of action & story line!