This book is an essential reference tool for mental health professionals who run therapy groups for a variety of clinical and problem focused populations.

Not only is the inside of the book as fascinating as the beautiful cover, but the text keeps the reader from putting the book down. I could not stop turning pages and learning more about how Jewish tradition meets issues of health and illness. A great read!

In this stunning book, Freeman Patterson creates stunning images and imaginative uses of the photographic medium.

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Purdue University librarians Robert S. Freeman and David M. Hovde, Libraries To The People: Histories Of Outreach is an impressive selection of fourteen essays by experienced authors examining the difficulties libraries face in providing easily accessible educational and enriching resources to those portions of the population who are most estranged by socioeconomic, geographic, or cultural factors. Discussing libraries in low-population areas, shipboard libraries for the American navy, using radio to promote libraries, electronic outreach that predates the Internet, and much, much more, Libraries To The People is a seminal work with ideas critical to advancing the benefits of the library to the entire public and a very strongly recommended addition to professional and academic Library Science reference collections.

I was impressed at the magnificent way that this book brought to light the struggle and dreams of the Mule Train participants. Their beleifs that what was transpiring would make a difference, not just for them, but for all of America. The committment of Mr. Willie Bolden, tasked with the responsibility to see that all went well. His determination and others that dispite several roadblocks insured all travelers were taken care of. The reporting by Jean Pond-Smith showed the realness of this movement without being bias or prejudicial. Her capture of the spirit of the travelers were enligntening and heartwrenching. This book brought home to me many memories that I had long ago moved to the back of mind. That I, along with with mother and three of my sisters were a part of this moment in history.

The book explains and deduces mathematically the working principle of many architectures, and presents commented examples (good ones) in structured English (very similar to Pascal). I used it as the basis for many NN's and felt quite satisfied in all cases.

This book provides a practical means to approach reading and writing for Spanish speaking students learning English. The strongest points of the book are the classroom scenarios and examples of lessons and units. Examples of student writings illustrate their stages of development.

This is my first year teaching and I have entered a bilingual teaching setting with no formal training in ESL/Bilingual methodology. I am taking these practical examples from the book and applying them to my teaching. It has really helped me provide for my students. I have ordered several of the books they suggested in their detailed bibliograpies. I am planning more effective units for my Spanish speaking students for the fall.

Eddie Cantor is truly a great comedian! The two new autobiographies that were just released; you hear Eddie's story about how he got in to show business, his sucess's and also failures. This is a wonderful book and I would advise it to any Cantor fan.

Eddie Cantor was a larger-than-life musical comedian in the first half of the twentieth century who made a splash on Broadway and in the Goldwyn Musicals of the 1930's. If you want to hear about old-time showbiz straight from the mouth of someone who lived it, seasoned with intimate memoirs, you've got to check these books out. What's more, you get two for the price of one!

The only genuine problem with this excellent book is that it does not compare favorably with some of the other books in this series. For instance, if one turns to this after reading Schlereth's amazing VICTORIAN AMERICA, one is scaled down the book seems in comparison. This is not the fault of author David Hawke. The problem is the paucity of details in everyday life in 17th century America compared to the late 19th. Unfortunately for Hawke, the life of Americans in the 17th century was rudimentary and, of necessity, simple. What makes VICTORIAN AMERICA such a delight is the almost overwhelmingly amount of delicious detail.

Nonetheless, life in 17th century colonial America is apt to be less familiar to most readers than that of late 19th century America, and this book performs an enormous service in providing a concise, well-written overview of what that life was like. Hawke is especially good at exploding various myths that have evolved over the years concerning colonial life. Unlike the later volumes in the series, Hawke deals, by dint of necessity, of the larger historical situation.

Some of the topics that Hawke takes up include the structure of towns and villages, the nature of farms and the crops grown, houses and the types of objects found within them, the health of the settlers and treatment of illness, social stratification, indentured servitude and slavery, relations with Native Americans, and various superstitions. If the book was somewhat less exhilarating than some of the later books in the series, it nonetheless is quite informative. I highly recommend it to anyone wishing to learn more about the nuts and bolts of colonial life.

This is a great book for the ordinary reader who would enjoy a chance to learn a bit more about the history of our country. With 176 pages of written text, it can't provide an extremely in- depth description of colonial life, but it does give an excellent overview of the 17th century in America with a surprising amount of detail. The writing style is engaging and not at all difficult, so the book is easy to finish off in a few days. I would recommend it!

This book is a must for anyone who wants to achieve a greater understanding of day-to-day life in 17th century America with a few hours of enjoyable reading. Hawke largely avoids the in-depth treatment of weightier political, social, and religious issues that bog down most such histories, and instead focuses on giving the reader a palpable impression of what it was like simply to be alive. It's not all farm implements and spinning wheels, either. The author skillfully uses anecdotes to covey the impact of bigger issues like industry and economics, transportation, warfare, morals and manners, etc. Excellent!

I would be more than happy to give this book a five star review but for a few key, significant complaints about narrative therapy. The main one is that no therapeutic failures are ever presented in narrative texts (including this one). This leads me to wonder if the authors' political, or politically correct, agenda is not more important than the clinical aspect of the work.

An example is the situation here where the therapist feels she must confront a client's racist remarks. It is presented as an imperative - that the therapists' needs at that point in the session are of supreme importance, given the context of the therapists' socio-political righteousness. I agree that racism should be challenged, and I am sure I am in accord with the therpaists' views here. But this is not the point.

After Ms. Freeman confronts the client about the racism the therapeutic relationship evolves to an epiphany in which all are blissfully healed - this is standard narrative mythology. In most psychodynamic literature (and real clinical practice) even skilled therapists sometimes suffer an empathic failure that leads to an adolescent leaving therapy. Young people are extremely sensitive to being judged, and it takes a very strong relationship, grounded in the clients' needs, to contain this type of intervention. Better still, the therapist should embody her/his beliefs in their being rather than by pontificating. A righteous stand like that presented here would stand at least a 50-50 chance of rupturing a therapeutic alliance. You won't find a book called "Failures in Narrative Therapy". This is not because failure is a 'construction' or some other bit of sophistry, or because therapeutic ruptures do not occur. It is because narrative therapy has yet to attain a level of maturity where it can admit that it, too, is an errant art that demands transparency and empathy, not preaching to the client out of the therapists' needs, no matter how noble.

All that said, many of the storytelling methods presented here are useful for working with children and their families. But please hold the self-congratulation, narrative enthusiasts.

Provides original solutions to tough and common problems. I found that I was able to apply the concepts and suggestions, both personally, and in my practice, effortlessly. I bought it for every therapist I knew.

Playfull Approaches is an engaging book that makes the complex simple. A therapist parent or teacher will be spurred to creativity about even the most recalcitrant child. The authors work with children is presented in a literary form that puts the reader right inside their thinking and the world of childrens ideas. There is an excellent chapter on the use of expressive arts so its not just about talk therapy. The book shows how to put children in charge of their own healing and in touch with eachother. There are a number of extended case "stories" that are fascinating and educational.