He tenido el gusto de leer este magnífico libro que refleja la basta experiencia del autor en el tema,ha sido de gran ayuda en mi trabajo;mi sincero respeto,felicitación y admiración.

Soy estudiante de posgrado en investigación y he tenido el gusto de leer este magnífico libro que refleja la basta experiencia del autor en el tema,ha sido de gran ayuda en mi trabajo;mi sincero respeto,felicitación y admiración.

Soy estudiante de posgrado en investigación y estoy realizando mi tesis en estudios de Chlamydia,he tenido la oportunidad de adquirir este libro y me ha ayudado mucho en mi trabajo,muestra un amplio estudio sobre esta bacteria abordando desde aspectos históricos hasta moleculares.Mi respeto,felicitación y admiración al Dr.González.

If you love the American military, don't read this review; just get a copy of the book. Used copies are easily found online. It reads like Tom Clancy, i.e., you won't be able to put it down.

I've heard a lot of people complain about bureaucracy, but this book does an excellent job of painting an exacting picture of the problem. Gabriel argues that 3 issues produce American military failures:
1. Size of the officer corps (it is too big).
2. Rapid reassignment of officers (no one learns their job).
3. Self-promotion ( and self-serving bureaucracies).
4. Amateurism of political leadership.

The result is a lack of force preparedness and competent mission design.

Gabriel quotes a lot of numbers, so it is easy to check them. I was surprised to discover the ratio of enlisted to officers had gotten worse since the books publication in 1985. At publication, the ratio of enlisted to officers was about 7 to 1, it is now a little above 5 to 1.

Chapters on post-Viet Nam military operations make up the bulk of the book. Each chapter represents a detailed look at the planning and execution of the operation. Each operation is described as a failure in fact, if not political representation. The operations are:
1. Sontay Prison rescue attempt
2. The Mayaguez rescue attempt
3. The Iran rescue attempt
4. Peace keeping in Beirut
5. Grenada (rescue of students)

I am not comfortable with the concluding recommendations. I find them little more than tilting at wind-mills. Gabriel recommends fewer officers, fewer promotions, fewer reassignments, and end to the Joint Chiefs of Staff bureaucracy.

Enjoy.

Don't be fooled by the titled...this is not a tired tale from a dove. Gabriel's analysis of military failures from the Vietnam era through the early 80's is insightful and full of wisdom that all military planners - hawks and doves - should consider.

Yes, Gabriel's work holds value to military planners and scholars, but the text is also vibrant and exciting. The author looks at five different operations. Gives an overview of their objectives and describes what went wrong. Then pulls the layers back and exposes the lessons learned from each encounter. Its part historical narrative and part analysis.

Powerful stuff. Just as relevant today as it was prior to the Gulf War. Read up on our successes in that theater, then read this and see how we applied the lessons Gabriel taught us (and others, to be sure). Your understanding of military planning will grow significantly. As will your appreciation for our men and women in uniform.

Highly recommended.

The best book written about the post-Vietnam military. Although Mr. Gabriel was an officer, he seems especially in tune with what really happens to the soldiers on the ground who have to carry out stupid orders from above. Ths is one of the most honest and objective looks at the U.S. military. I wish he would write a sequel, beginning with Panama, Iraq, Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia. A litany of failure.

Este Requiem es magnifico, siento como que si estuviera en el Cielo

I have performed this in three different choirs, singing both tenor and baritone, and it is, to me, the greatest Requiem every written. I have performed the Mozart, Verdi, Bach, and a few other Requiems, but none compare. Mozart is technically more complex. Verdi is GRANDER, by far. Bach's was terrific, but not his best work. However, the Faure is the perfect blend of beauty, power, and ethereal elegance that easily associates with the ideal of heaven. Own it, sing it, or play it and know the peace of the life hereafter.

Faure's Requiem gives expression to the unintelligible and delivers a sanctimonious aura to all who listen. His perception of death through the 1st , 2nd, and 5th movements are masterpieces of the human psyche itself. His other movements, notwithstanding, are also monuments to God and His divine presence in all of us. There are few times when unspeakable grief and joy can be written and sung as they are in Faure's Requiem. To truly appreciate this work , one must sing it, and effectively empathise in the baritone and soprano soli. The baritone solo in the 5th movement, Libera Me, expresses tribulations and fears to make any man tremble. To finish his requiem, faure writes a beautifully serene and touching peace.The 6th movement-In Paradisium is a fitting end to the work. It uplifts your spirits to the peaceful arms of heaven as mentioned by the title, in paradise. Faure's Requiem is one of the best representations of his work.

The texts of many Eighteenth Century books are full of interpolations by printers and may contain thousands of edits by the author, too. What Dr. Brack has done is to identify and evaluate EVERY variant to assemble a DEFINITIVE TEXT. He's spent a lifetime tracking down what Smollett actually wrote. If you want to know what Smollet wrote, and not his printer, read an edition that Dr. Brack has collated. These volumes are triumphs of scholarship as well as a service to readers.

I read this book for the first time over 20 years ago, and I must admit it shaped my life. When I have kids (twin boys preferably) I will see to it that Machiavelli's Prince, and Smollet's Fathom are mandatory reading.

As you are lead through the life and adventures of FCF, you realize just how villanous a handsone dandy can be. Whistling as he makes love to your daughter so as not to let on that he is picking the lock on your safe with a toothpick between his toes definately displays a sense of arrogance that one must admire!

This is the best book I have found on the psychology and understanding of African masks. Just fantastic, worth the money. 80% color plates, brief outline of basic African mask types and their interpretation, grouped by region and by style.

First-rate, high quality throughout, this volume does what a book of this type should do: packs in plenty of color plates of the masks, and shows them being worn (in black-and-white in situ photos) on the accompanying left-hand pages of the spreads. The collection is far-ranging and, though it cannot include every type of mask, it does manage to convey the incredible variety, richness and paradoxical sophistication of this art form. Highly recommended.

This book has fantastic photos and information about the masks pictured. There are also archival photos of similar masks from earlier times. The most impressive part is the photos of the masks in use. I have often had trouble imagining how the masks were worn or used until this book. Not only are there photos of many of the masks in use the whole costume is also pictured. Truly one of the best books I've seen on the subject.

It's a real tear-jerker. I still can't believe that it is a true story. My parents are good friends with Joy and her husband, so they know a little about Gabriel. You should really get this book, Christian or not. It's a great story to read over and over again!

Angel Gabriel: A True Story comes across as if it was written from the heart. I can't help but feel that Joy LaPlante really did experience the amazing things she writes about. I have thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Angel Gabriel a true story is a wonderfull book. I couldn't put it down. I still have goosebumps. I am going to read it again. This book touched my soul. I think everyone that has lost a family member or is scared of dieing should read this. You no longer will be. If everyone could see what Gabriel showed Joy, this world would be a much happier place. And I just want to add one thing more. I would like to thank all of the firemen of the world for being earthly guardian angels. Thank you Joy for not being afraid to share your beautiful story and angel Gabriel with us all.

This is a wonderful, wonderful book on aromatherapy! Like Valerie Worwood's The Fragrant Mind, it goes beyond essential oils per se and delves into emotions. And he does so complete with beautiful line illustrations on the margins and photographs in full living color. Guaranteed to delight you!

In this book, the author made an splendid introduction of TCM basics like the Yin Yang theory and 5 elements. Your clearly way to explain and merge the aspects of traditional western Aromatherapy with Chinese Medicine fundaments, do this work a very good way to people interested learn both. The acupressure directions to help in many disorders and the explanations about psychological help of essential oils are other important elements of this book. The author made correlations of each oil "personality" with strong mythological and religious symbols and it help us to "feel" the oil soul even never smell it. This is a very important work and I encourage everybody interested in Aromatherapy and TCM must read it.

Mojay has presented a lovely, gentle guide to healing the psyche thru the use of Essential Oils. Introductory chapters are an overview of Chinese Medical Concepts which are difficult for my pragmatic Western mind to grasp. However, his pages on each essential oil are much clearer, referring back to the oriental concepts, but also describing the effect of each oil in a terminology I found more comfortable. He gives a loving description of each EO, an overview of its history, current therapeutic uses, known safety data, and its impact on the mind and psyche. The last section of the book deals with Restoring Balance. He describes various forms of emotional/spiritual imbalance and gives suggested formulas for dealing with them. This is, in my opinion, the finest popular work on the market today dealing with the emotional effects of Aromatherapy.

The subtitle of this book--"From Research to Individualized Practice"--really doesn't do justice to the succinct, yet really comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the syndrome that is Autism. This book is a must, especially for parents with recently diagnosed children who need both a reality check on possibilities and hope for the future. For those parents who have been struggling for years and haven't given up, the book presents an overview of therapy interventions in very concrete and practical terms, breaking down possible interventions for both children and adolescents. The book is well researched and is highly readable.

I have worked for over twenty years with children and adolescents in private psychotherapy practice and as the director of a non profit family clinic. Working with children with a broad spectrum of Developmental Disorders is a tremenduous challenge for the family and the clinician. As the author, Robin Gabriels often states in her book, the disorder is complicated in nature and requires a multifaceted approach to treatment. Children with autism do not have one identifiable "trauma" or chemical imbalance or an interpersonally toxic environment that would make therapeutic treatment tangible and focused. Robin Gabriels has undertaken the difficult task to match a broad spectrum disorder with a broad spectrum treatment approach. As a clinician, I loved her book, since it is the best integration of seemingly contradictory clinical venues I know of. In integrating sound research data with clinical outcome and experience she has given me an excellent guideline for my own work with children with Autism Spectrum. I am very happy that I finally found a comprehensive approach that includes medication, working with the family, the school, and the therapist individually. I have recommended the book to several of my colleagues, already, which is very helpful, since here in rural Middle Georgia we have virtually no clinical training opportunities or non-profit services for children with Autism. I can wholeheartedly recommend her book to professionals and parents alike.

If you are the parent or educator of a child with autism, this book should be required reading! Well-written and informative both the professional and the non-professional alike can learn so much from this multi-disciplinary approach to treating this difficult and heartwrenching disorder. Edited by two esteemed and experienced professionals, this book answers any questions you may have, and even questions you never would have thought to ask. I cannot more highly recommend this book!

I can't believe this is the same book that the editorial reviewers so rudely panned! The story was riveting and very well written. I can't remember the last time a book affected me so deeply. I picked it up off the new book shelf at the library on Saturday morning and finished it in tears Saturday night. The characters are still with me as I write this on Monday morning. I highly recommend it.

After reading some of the critics' comments (as opposed to customer reviews), I have to wonder if the same book was released to the public as was sent to the press. I found Carole Lawrence's novel far from 'stilted' and 'hackneyed' - I thought it a well-written story, one that is both entertaining on the surface and potentially eye-opening for those who have not had the experience of dealing with people affected by mental illnesses. Reading this book is an experience that could very well lead the reader to a greater understanding and empathy for those of us among us who are touched by mental disease and disability - and allow them to be treated more like human beings and less like freaks.

The cruelty perpetrated on Mary Gabriel in this novel - not only by the neighborhood children and her classmates, but by well-meaning but ignorant and prejudiced adults as well - is hard to watch, but it's unfortunately not too far-fetched. 'Kids can be cruel' is the excuse too often mouthed by those who would just as soon ignore the problem when it arises - but there is a lot of guilt bubbling under the surface of the Gabriel family, and it causes a lot of harm when it's ignored, or when it's dealt with in an inappropriate manner.

Dr. Gabriel is like many physicians of his day - suspicious of psychiatrists, seeing them as out to steal the patients of general practitioners and place the blame for the mental illness of children on the shoulders of the parents. Dr. Landry, the psychiatrist who lives across the street from the Gabriels, is firmly ensconced in the professional beliefs of the day (the 1950s), and holds firm that Mary's mental illness is a direct result of a lack of proper attention by her mother. Medical professionals today believe that schizophrenia and other mental disorders are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, some of which might be hereditary. Ironically, Dr. Landry's pronouncement that Mary's mother is to blame for her daughter's disease is - somewhat obliquely - pointing in the right direction. However, suggesting that Mrs. Gabriel's mothering skills - or lack thereof - are to blame for her daughter's condition placed an unbearable amount of guilt on the shoulders of the mother.

Dr. Gabriel himself is not much more help. Eager to keep Mary's problems 'within the family', he lays far too much of the burden of her care on the shoulders of Bonita, her older sister. The effect of this on Bonita is shattering - when something bad happens to Mary, she feels like it's her fault, that she's let both Mary and her family down. This guilt piles higher and higher within her until it wreaks its havoc on her own psyche - it's a sad but inevitable result of placing too much inappropriate responsibility on a child.

The author utilizes two time planes in relating the story. One of them is told in the first person by Bonita, and is set in the present day. The other is told in the third person, set in the 1950s, when Bonita and Mary were children. Even though the 1950s portion of the story is told in the third person, the author skillfully - and wisely - gives these chapters the voice and innocent outlook of a child. The time frames alternate from chapter to chapter very effectively, allowing the reader to follow events in the present day and understand what has happened in the past that shapes them. The characters are fully developed - and the author has treated the character of Mary Gabriel with incredible respect and love. She is believably depicted as a schizophrenic patient, and the scenes involving her as a child are heartbreaking - but she is never treated as a caricature, never ridiculed by the story (although she suffers several indignities from other characters). She comes across as her own 'whole' person - and it's easy for the reader to understand how much people like her deserve more dignity than they receive in this world.

The tension in the story - both parts of it - builds nicely. I thought I could see where the 1950s story was headed, but some clever (and completely plausible) twists by the author surprised me nicely. The part of the present-day story wherein Bonita comes to terms with her sister's condition at last, and recognizes the place they have in each other's lives, is particularly moving.

This is a book that could be valuable to mental health caregivers - maybe not the doctors themselves, but those who meet the day-to-day needs of mental patients. It's also a very entertaining read for the general consumer.

I LOVED this book!! I thought the author captured life as it really was in Baton Rouge, La. in the mid '50's!! And,yes, as your reveiwer said, it sounds like "Pleasantville", and it was, except for those who were trapped in mental illness!! Her contrasts of those who were allowed to "run free" and those who had "special needs" is really the heart of this compelling and heartwarming story!! She portrayed this loving, once happy family who was torn apart through ignorance and fear, and the GOD-AWFUL SOCIAL OUTCAST horror,in a loving and yet painful way!! And, yeh, folks, that's the WAY IT WAS in So. LA in the 1950's!!! NO ONE was mentally ill!! NO ONE committed suicide!! At least in "nice" families!! Thanks to Ms. Lawrence for helping us remember that maybe some of our "old thoughts" and values aren't quite so CORRECT anymore, and that those of us from this Faulkner-esque mentality from the South should re-think it. I have to give her many thanks for her portrayal of the mental institution and long-time care facility in Livingston Parish that I THINK she is speaking of in this book!! If not, then many thanks to her anyway for bringing a long-time problem to light!! A 60yr old reader from CT who grew up in Hammond, LA.

This book was excellent. Not only for the abandoned, but for every woman! This book was very easy to read and very comforting. I loved it and would suggest everyone read it and pass it on. Carolyn is a simply beautiful woman. I think if the all women read this, especially young women it will save a lot of heartaches from ending dangerous, life-threatening. Teach a lesson before it needs to be taught! Give it to a young soul beginning a relationship - Thank you!

"In her hope-filled volume, POWER FOR THE ABANDONED WOMAN, Carolyn Gabriel provides a much needed and valuable service for any woman (or man for that matter) left insecure and self-doubting by a failed relationship. Her thoughts distilled from personal experience and reflection, offer positive direction for many people. They deserve widespread distribution."

"A compendium of poetic and common-sense insights into love and loss by an intelligent, spirited woman who has been there."