The collaboration of licensed therapist and Alzheimer caregiving expert Sandy Braff and Mary Rose Olenik (Staff Research Associate in the Department of Psychiatry, University of California - San Diego and a participant in an N.I.H. grant studying the effects of stress on the immune system of Alzheimer's caregivers), Staying Connected While Letting Go: The Paradox Of Alzheimer's Caregiving is a "reader friendly" guide to Alzheimer's debilitating effects on the mind, the stress of handling both the physical demands and the emotional turmoil of caring for a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's. Providing expert advice for avoiding the trap of neglecting one's own health; counsel for dealing with sensitive issues such as inappropriate public behavior in one's patient; and much, much more fill the pages of this very highly recommended guide for all Alzheimer's caregivers. If you have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's, then give a careful reading to Staying Connected While Letting Go.

Over the four years during which my brother and sister and I arranged for, and provided, care for our mother, I experienced the soul numbing range of horrors that Alzheimer's disease visits on both its victims and their caregivers.

•The disbelief that my mother could possibly forget that she had asked me the same question three times in 10 minutes, followed by the self-hatred at my anger and lack of understanding.
•The feelings of helplessness and confusion that accompanied our struggles to figure out what would be best for her, and the absence of definitive answers from the medical community.
•The deluded belief at each particular phase of her illness that things couldn't possibly get any worse, only to watch the next descent destroy more of who she was.
•The heartbreaking relief when she smiled at me in recognition when I arrived to visit.
•The innumerable times that I had to pull my car to the curb as I returned home because I was sobbing so deeply that I could no longer see the road.
•And, most of all, the overwhelmingly empty feeling of isolation and solitude.

Now, I watch from a distance as my cousins endure the same horrors in caring for my mother's brother. But they have a reaffirming guide that was unavailable to us. I sent them a copy of Staying Connected While Letting Go.

In our high tech world, we often forget the importance of the individual human story in passing along culture, history, knowledge, and simple wisdom. But to me, the highest value of the human story is to trigger in the listener, or reader, a sense of shared humanity. Recognizing one's own experiences in the story of another person shatters one's sense of isolation. This is the genius of Staying Connected While Letting Go.

Ms. Olenik and Ms. Braff have structured their book around the stories of caregivers, who describe their experiences with their loved ones at successive phases of the illness. Neither the caregivers nor the authors try to sanitize what is frequently the unpleasant reality of facing and reacting to the confusing and disturbing behaviors that can accompany Alzheimer's. As a result, the book has a credibility that will strengthen its appeal to caregivers, while sharing the coping mechanisms of the caregiving community to which they belong.

It's extraordinarily rare to find a book that has such enormous potential to help people who desperately need a sense of community. The authors deserve our thanks!

As a long time caregiver, I wanted to thank you so much for the gift of your wonderful book. It's a continuous support group for Alzheimer's caregivers. There were so many stories and situations I related to, since I experienced some of the same events over time. Having participated in a support group for caregivers for 15 years, I found the book to show great understanding and empathy of caregivers, and to be a real acknowledgement of all the caregivers I have known and learned with over the past 15 years. It's a great resource and will be a wonderful help to all who read it!!

Yvonne - a caregiver for 15 years.

This book is delightful. What a great concept to introduce to young minds. Not just that if you keep at something you might persevere. But also that our ultimate success often comes by way something or someone outside ourselves - when we least expect it!

Tragedies like Columbine are a wake-up call. It's clear that we need to provide our kids ...with tools to counter the violence and knee-jerk aggression ubiquitous in popular culture. These children's stories by Idries Shah are just this kind of tool. They're not preachy. They don't offer simplistic lessons or moral platitudes. They're more like exercises for "mental muscle groups" grossly underdeveloped in this culture: A strong sense of one's own value. Empathy. Flexibility in thinking and responding. Appreciating that not everyone is the same, not every outcome is predictable. Seeing that there are more than two sides to a situation. A sense that patience and perseverance can pay off, sometimes in unexpected ways. Not demanding easy answers. A sense that things are not always as they seem, that the viewpoint of "experts" — or even the whole community — is not always right. The experience of seeing something that even adults don't see, of creating clever solutions. The sense that taking positive action is possible and rewarding—even when one has to buck the tide. That help can come from where and when we least expect it. The sense that life has interesting "loose ends" for us to reflect on. And so much more. At least one of these books should be on every child's book shelf.

This is a new twist on the types of stories that kids love to read and hear over and over. It begins with a lady making a simple request...she just wants her apple. The chain of events that results though, teaches cause and effect in a fun way. What really makes the book a lasting treasure is the art work. We found ourselves going through the book both from front to back and back to front just exploring the colorful and playful art. I highly recommend this book for kids or even adults who like the playful prose and pictures. Two thumbs up for Mary Rose Santiago and Idries Shah. I look forward to seeing more of their works.

The children in our preschool love books with big bold images, lots of strong colors, and a big surprise in the middle. This one is a perfect example. The children especially seem to delight in the idea of a little boy taking what the big people see as brave action in the face of their silly fear that only the little boy can see through. I highly recommend this one.

Tragedies like Columbine are a wake-up call. It's clear that we need to provide our kids - especially boys - with tools to counter the violence and knee-jerk aggression ubiquitous in popular culture. These children's stories by Idries Shah are just this kind of tool. They're not preachy. They don't offer simplistic lessons or moral platitudes. They're more like exercises for "mental muscle groups" grossly underdeveloped in this culture: A strong sense of one's own value. Empathy. Flexibility in thinking and responding. Appreciating that not everyone is the same, not every outcome is predictable. Seeing that there are more than two sides to a situation. A sense that patience and perseverance can pay off, sometimes in unexpected ways. Not demanding easy answers. A sense that things are not always as they seem, that the viewpoint of "experts" - or even the whole community - is not always right. The experience of seeing something that even adults don't see, of creating clever solutions. The sense that taking positive action is possible and rewarding-even when one has to buck the tide. That help can come from where and when we least expect it. The sense that life has interesting "loose ends" for us to reflect on. And so much more. At least one of these books should be on every child's book shelf.

This beautifully illustrated book, part of a children's series by Idries Shah, is sure to delight kids and parents alike. Based on a tale told for centuries in Central Asia and the Middle East, it is about a boy who happens upon a village where the people are terrified of melons simply because they've never seen one before. In showing the villagers that their fears are unfounded, the boy teaches children some valuable lessons about fear. Yet unlike so many other children's books, THE CLEVER BOY AND THE TERRIBLE, DANGEROUS ANIMAL doesn't impose its lessons on the young reader, but instead gently offers them up to be digested and understood at the child's own pace. I wish there were more children's books like this one and the others in Shah's delightful series.

This magnifecent collection of short stories is an entry to the passages of an oneiric world bound to the hardships of reality. The author through a poetic language creates an aura of fantasy which enables the reader to foresee the souls of its characters. Social commentary is expressed not through a direct invasive dialogue, but rather by evocative introspections of prose directly linked to the political and economical status of its protagonists. Psychological latitudes are re-arranged to erase all possible misconceptions of gender and social conditions, creating in this way the anomality and normality of life itself. Content in this book goes beyond the mere narration of telling a story, it sumerges the reader into a dream-like experience without disconnecting itself from a magical plot of realities that will ultimately take you to experience the universal emotions of love, death and life. Ms. Salum is with no doubt linked to the great tradition of master mexican writers like Juan Rulfo and Rosario Castellanos. What separates Ms. Salum from them is the intuition of her prose, both mysterious and transparent, luminous full of suggestions. The reader will not find in Entre los espacios (Between the Spaces)a mere narration of stories, but a bounding experience to the human soul with its happiness and with its sufferings. A standing ovation for such a remarkarble book!

Entre los espacios es un libro extraordinario, lleno de imágenes y fantasía. Leerlo es como estar viendo un cuadro de Remedios Varo

I picked up this book with some interest as I grew curious after hearing Rose Mary Salum in the launching of her new magazine called "Visible Magazine". I thought "Entre los Espacios" is an excellent book containing various short stories that intertwine dreams with reality and poetic prose with fiction. These stories are about people from the streets, godesses and reflect a measureless imagination. I definitely recommend this book to everyone. This book characterizes the new literature written by Mexican women.

Southwest gardeners who live in very dry areas will benefit from Mary Rose Duffield and Warren Jones' Plants For Dry Climates, an informative, "user friendly" book which tells how to build and maintain a landscape on very little water. Plants For Dry Climates and a focus on organizing a planting area based on usage makes for a title which tells how plants can improve the climate around one's house.

The plant dictionary is very thorough, and helpful.The color photos are an excellent tool for someone who is unfamiliar with plants for dry regions. Information is easy to find, and to the point.

The authors start out with the background information regarding the environment and basic gardening techniques. Then the book provides in-depth information on the suitable plants along with photographs. These detailed descriptions are very useful and clear. I highly recommend to anyone who is thinking or just want to know about xeriscaping.

This wonderful little book suggests experiences/rituals that validate, guide and support women diagnosed with breast cancer as they travel the often overwhelming terrain from diagnosis to healing journey. Using the myth of Pandora's Box as metaphor, the awareness, sensitivity and power of the writing and simple heart-felt rituals is inspiring. Highly recommended for support groups--both formally sponsored as well as informal gatherings of friends-- and by individuals in a meditative way.

RIRUALS FOR WOMEN COPING WITH BREAST CANCER is a gift for everyone! We all know of someone who is coping with this desease, perhaps it's ourself. So we are all asking how are we to be and what are we to do with this life changing experience. For women this is a personal, spiritual, physical and psychological journey. This book of rituals gives form and possibility to live as healthily as we can with breast cancer.

As a minister of spirituality I companion many women who are trying to live with breast cancer, therefore I am also coping with the experience. When I read this book of rituals I imediately ordered several. The authors gently, cretively and wisely make suggestions for rituals that can be reflected upon or acted out by the individual or with another or a group. Often the woman coping with breast cancer is not ready to do so with a group. But she does need to ritualize her feelings. So right in the introduction the authors give this permission to the reader.

If there is a poverty of spirit among women today it is the lack of trusting their own power to ritualize life experiences. We have been, and many still are, co-opted to transfer the power of the ritual to a designated minister...usually a male in the patriarchial religions. But in order to live whole lives women must reclaim their power and creat ritual about all life experiences.

This reclaiming or our power is especially difficult when the experience is a devastating loss. RITUALS FOR WOMEN COPING WITH BREAST CANCER invites the women or her circle of friends to reclaim this power. One ritual done well, and this book is a brilliant aid in facilitating this, convinces the person or community of the power of ritual.

I highly recommend this book for all women, all ministers and for all communities of care.

In 1997 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I was frightenedto death! I didn't know where to turn. Sharing with my childrenbrought tears for them and an inability to talk about it. We were all dealing with the possibility of death and I felt like I had no where to go with my fear.

The doctor told me I was lucky because I had ductul carcinoma in situ, which means the cancer was encapsulated. It was also microscopic. Early detection is always the key to the most hopeful situation. After two lumpectomies and 38 radiation treatments I was told that hopefully I would fall into a 96% category for survival. No matter how hopeful the prognosis, one lives with the FEAR every single day of one's life.

My process began in early June and the treatments were completed in early November. The months between were very difficult. IF ONLY THIS BOOK HAD BEEN AVAILABLE THEN to companion me through the emotions, the sounds and the loneliness conjured by this evil!

Acknowledging one's reality, claiming confidence, naming losses, stream of emotions, taming and living with the fear and celebrating hope -- these are all of things that I was yearning to do in my own personal horror. I did not have the language nor the structure to allow myself these simple yet profound opportunities.

Kudos to the Prism Collective for touching my soul and so many others. Rituals for Women Coping with Breast Cancer is the most wonderful, caring, insightful way to touch the lives of the thousands of women who confront the evil beast every day. This offers courage, hope and a great sense of not being alone in the struggle! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

As librarian for a Patients' Library in a hospital, I watch for books that may help patients and their family and/or friends cope with debilitating illnesses. I was impressed by the thoughtful variety of activities proposed in this book--especially by the emphasis on maintaining dignity and independence for the patient. The projects described are creative and practical, the approach is empathic, and the love is inspiring. Peope looking for ways to help a seriously ill, confined, person will find gems here.

Anyone who has ever been involved with a chronically ill child needs this book, or if you know someone who has a chronically ill child, please get one for them. It is beautiful, sensitive and full of love!

This is a beautifully designed book. As to what's inside: It contains what too many of her biographers are either too dishonest, too ignorant, or, too afraid to include, i.e. her belief in God and her understanding that her country and her country's people had a unique place and a unique role in carrying out God's plan. Elizabeth I had a complete understanding. It's difficult to write off her accomplishments in learning at such a young age as being merely the result of having royal tutors helping her along. This is what many biographers try to do. There's never been an over-supply of young genius in royal families in any era. More attention, as well, should be paid to her reading. Reading great books has never been a guarantee of anything regarding somebody's understanding of themselves and the world, but it is, without exception, a key ingredient in the education (self-education or otherwise) of everybody who eventually DOES attain a real understanding of themselves and the world. Elizabeth's understanding may have even gone beyond herself and the world around her... These writings are not ideal as a window into her, but there is enough here to work up an impression above the words, and, coupled with a good biography such as the one by Paul Johnson the picture can become very complete.

Queen Elizabeth I of England has had hundreds of books written *about* her, but very few of them allow us to hear what she has to say in her own words. I found this an accessible, well-edited collection, not of *all* her words, but of a very good sample. It includes all of the speeches, prayers and poems she wrote that are available from reliable contemporary sources (as with all famous people, things have been attributed to her that she never wrote). It also includes -- and this is my favorite part -- a selection of her letters; sometimes the replies are also included, as with a series of angry letters she exchanged with King James of Scotland (all the while addressing him as "my right dear brother and cousin"). The documents range from formal speeches to Parliament to the occasional playful, teasing or personal note, such as the one she wrote to Lord Leicester in the Netherlands that begins, "Rob, I am afraid you will suppose by my wandering writings that a midsummer moon hath taken large possession of my brains..." Spelling and punctuation have been modernized, and unusual words have been footnoted, but the words are otherwise unaltered, and the texts are presented in full, sometimes in several versions where they differ significantly. I did find that a basic knowledge of the outline of the events of her life is immensely helpful in understanding who she is addressing and why, which is often mentioned only briefly in the notes. There is a certain amount of theorizing in the book's Preface about the "strategic gendering of Elizabeth's self-representation" -- but the texts really speak for themselves. This is a rare chance to see historical material that's often hard to locate, and an enjoyable chance to be "inside the head" of a fascinating historical person.

America was the land of opportunity. The main character, Rose, seeks out that opportunity with her family in Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch. Rose is known for her hard work and her stubbornness. This book shows the immigrants' struggles to survive in America. Rose's family has to learn to live in America from the different Ireland. Ashes of Roses lets the reader view an insight to the pressures of living in America.
In Ashes of Roses, Rose's family travels from Ireland to America for a new life. But at Ellis Island, tragedy strikes the family when Joseph, Rose's baby brother, has trachoma and cannot go into America. Roses' dad decides to take Joseph back to Ireland to stay with Grandma Nolan. While Rose's dad takes Joseph back, the family stays with Rose's uncle. However, Rose's mother hates to live for free, and Rose tries to find a job. A short while later, Rose's mother decides she does not want to live in America without her husband and Joseph. On the way to the boat, Rose asks her mother to let her stay in America with her younger sister.
Rose and her sister find a place to live in America with a father and his daughter, Gussie. Gussie helps Rose find a job at a cloth factory. BR> In Ashes of Roses, Rose and the readers learn not to take life for granted. The story line is easy to follow and keeps the readers hooked. The author did an impressive job bring the story to life. Ashes of Roses shows immigrants making their life in America by the trials they face.

Rose wants to stay in New York after arriving as an immigrant from Ireland, but she finds that it is much easier for a man to make the riches promised in America than it is for a woman. She ends up working in a sweatshop where the owner tries to take advantage of her. She leaves there and finally ends up getting a job at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company where she believes she has finally found a place where she can build a life for her and her sister. But tragedy will soon tear her new safe world apart.
Auch pulls you into the world of 1911 and creates an atmosphere that allows the reader to feel the desparation that accompanied the fight for women's rights in the workforce. The characters come alive and when many are lost in the Triangle shirtwaist company fire you grieve for them along with Rose. Ashes of Roses is a poignant book that will move the reader to a new, deeper understanding of the struggle for rights and the horror of the fire that took the lives of over 150 people in the Triangle Company fire in New York.

This book really moved me. The description of the city, characters and work conditions made me think about why something was not done about work conditions sooner. I see the character "Mary" as any immagrant coming into the city, or US for that matter, for the first time. This book really changed my perspective on what the world was really like for immigrants coming to this country. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that would make them think, enjoys the history of this country, or enjoys reading about courage that was in the heart of every immigrant who came to the United States the way the Nollans did. If their was one thing that disturbed me the most was how the owners of the triangle shirt waist factory got out of prison time, a conviction, and where able to continue running a company, caring little for the welfare of their workers. May all the workers who died in this disaster rest in peace.

This is the second of them Fallen Angels books that I read. What I like most about this book is that Clare is willing to face the censure of her friends and families in order to have things fixed in the village she lives in. Nicholas does not make it easy on her either. Both of them come to realize that their hearts are involved and Nicholas must face his past in order to have the life he wants with Clare. I hope Ms Putney will do a reunion book or the like and bring all these wonderful characters back to be enjoyed again.

I love reading a Putney book because I know I won't be disappointed or bored.This is the 1st in her FALLEN ANGELS series. It is the story of Nicholas and Clare. It is emotional, sexy, enlightening, and exciting. (Read it for the billiards scene alone! Whew!)You will also get to meet the 3 other members of the Fallen Angels: Rafe, Lucien, and a very tortured Michael. All three are fascinating and all three get their own stories in other books! But Nicholas and Clare are the main attraction in this book and they do NOT disappoint. This book is absolutely superb!

I absolutely loved this book! I have read a few of Mary Jo Putney's books and have liked all that I have read, but this book especially stands out. It was wonderful! Clare and Nicholas make such an appealing couple. I loved that they were truly best friends throughout the whole book. What an entertaining story. It was humorous and very touching. The "kiss a day" idea was very erotic as was the gypsy wedding dance. It was clear that they understood true passion and love. I can't wait to read the next book in the Fallen Angel series--"Petals in the Storm." There are two more books in this series "Dancing on the Wind" and "Shattered Rainbows." Also look for related books--"Angel Rogue" and "One Perfect Rose." Thanks Ms. Putney for a great read. This is definitely a keeper!