A must read for all those working IN or WITH the profession of nursing. Gordon discusses how the changes in our health care system have affected both the nurses role and quality patient care issues. The essential need for collaboration of all health care personnel is woven throughout the content. I required this book for a senior nursing course I just taught at Wayne State University in Detroit and the students were most impressed with the book and its approach to nursing, medicine and health care. A must read for nurses, physicians, hospital administration, potential students and the general public. Afterall, we are all potential patients and we should be aware of what is happening to the largest population of health care providers, the nurses!

The most under rated people in our society are nurses,this is an introduction to the ever present caregivers in healthcare today.The most varied role and most significant in all aspects of health care is the nurse.This was a wonderful read for all of those who may ever be the receiver of any aspect of their care from nurses in our country, basically everyone,a must have.For those considering the profession as a career,and the family members who would like an overview of "all in a days work", this will invoke serious thought.Yes, I am a nurse and for me to recommend a book written on nursing....kudos to all involved in the creation.

I've been a nurse for several years, and I got the book on recommendation from another nurse friend of mine. I was, and continue to be, amazed at the power of this book. It highlighted in stark words and numbers, problems facing health care today, while at the same time brightening the work with the all too human touch of nurses, patients and doctors. Once you read this book, you will understand why legislation such as The Patient Safety Act came to be, and why it is needed. It describes why nursing is so necessary, why even bathing or feeding a patient are not always within the realm of tasks to be assigned to unlicensed personnel. I urge everyone to read this book, and be touched by Gordon's powerful writing. Diana Katseyeanis, RN

From Silence to Voice by Bernice Buresh and Suzanne Gordon is a must-read for all nurses. The message of the book is one nurses need to hear: talk about your work, show the world what you do, communicate the fact that nursing is skilled, responsible and interesting work. Buresh and Gordon make clear that much of the devaluing of nursing arises out of the fact that nurses avoid the limelight. Like the ubiquitous 'good woman' behind every successful man, nurses let their work be the backdrop for medical care, and for patients managing their own care. The consequences of downplaying the contribution of nursing to patient care is that our work is not noticed, our profession is not valued, and fewer and fewer people want to become nurses. Buresh and Gordon not only argue convincingly that nurses can be their own worst enemies in this respect, they provide a comprehensive range of strategies to teach nurses how to talk about their work, and (vitally) how to make people interested in hearing about it. These strategies range from ways of talking about nursing work to friends and family, to running a media campaign to support a union action, to writing oped pieces for major newspapers. I learnt a great deal from reading and re-reading From Silence to Voice and I recommend that it be part of curriculum for nursing students, be used for professional development sessions for working nurses, and adopted as a tool kit for union activists, professional officers and nursing leaders. Whether you are a student starting out in the nursing profession, a bedside clinican, a manager, organizer or educator, Buresh and Gordon's text is an eye-opener. Nurses as individuals and as a profession need to develop the communication skills and political savvy this book offers. And we need to do it right now! Sioban Nelson, RN, PhD, BA(Hons), School of Postgraduate Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Editor, Nursing Inquiry.

Bernice and Suzanne are two journalists who have taken on the nursing profession more or less the way we take on a patient with a life-threatening condition that is curable but requires both intensive and long term care. The diagnosis is silence. On account of our collective silence, we nurses miss the opportunity to show ourselves as consequential in the delivery of health care. And, as we well know, being inconsequential is ultimately fatal not just to nursing jobs and the status of the nursing profession but to our patients, who pay the highest price for inadequate nursing care. The remedy for silence is voice--our voices raised in conversation first and foremost with our families, friends and patients and also with the general public. I love this book. It's full of stories and information. It's also refreshingly direct. My copy is marked up from front to back.

 Veteran journalists Suzanne Gordon and Bernice Buresh have produced a practical,intelligent guide on public communication for nurses. How needed this is and probably more currently than ever before. Until now there's been very little available to teach nurses the nuts and bolts of public communication. Nurses who read this book will learn how to do the basics --construct anecdotes that explain why they make a difference, refine professional presentation, integrate nursing research findings into struggles for better staffing in hospitals, write a letter to the editor of a newspaper, or an op-ed or commentary, or speak compellingly on the radio or TV.

But another reason I like From Silence to Voice so much is that the authors sensitively explore the cultural barriers that have made women and women''s work so hidden in this society. In my own work and my work with other nurses, I''ve discovered how reluctant some of us are to toot our horns and broadcast our accomplishments. Our self-silencing is a detriment to quality patient care and real health care reform. This book can be a catalyst for a new approach by nurses to public education and communication. I highly recommend From Silence to Voice, particularly to nurse educators who should consider incorporating its timely lessons into their curriculum.

Claire M. Fagin, PHD,RN Dean Emerita, Professor Emerita, University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing

This is a very honest look at what very few people know about the world of ballet. The physical and mental horrors that come with job are an additional slap in the face for anyone who hopes to become a ballet dancer...especially for the non-white ballet dancer. Its the only ballet book that has admitted the deep racism is exists in ballet. I use to love ballet but I had so many racist white teachers that didnt care for nonwhite dance students, that they helped to dash my hopes (and many many others like me). It can really break a young girls heart and its something that one never forgets. I hope that this will change one day.

Let's stop moaning and groaning about terrible teachers, terrible schools and eating disorders in ballet dancers and DO something about it! This is a great book for parents and students to become critical consumers of ballet instruction and demand different approaches to training. The key to change is communication and education! When the students will know more than their teachers and demand sound advice for their bodies and health, the dance world will change! It is today's young dancer who will be a teacher, dancer or company director in the future.
It is up to us to take responsibility for change and not perpetuate the old paradigms.
Dance is a wonderful thing!
Niki, Michigan

Everything is NOT beautiful at the ballet.... This is a no-holds barred look at the dark side of ballet. If you thought "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes" was horrifying, this book is twice as shocking. Parents need to read this book in order to see what kind of life is in store for their child pursuing a career in dance. Ballet's stringent requirements for female dancers demand a breastless, hipless, ultra-thin body, which causes most dancers to become bulimic or anorexic. Gordon devotes an entire chapter to eating disorders rampant at ballet schools and in companies; it is shocking to note that many schools have weekly "weigh-in's", which only adds to the dancers' anguish if their weight goes up. Coupled with the physical demands of ballet, undernourished dancers are highly prone to injury and illness. Former dancers that Gordon interviewed are so crippled from injuries they can barely walk. The sacrifices to become a professional ballet dancer are enormous for both dancer and parents. Apart from principals, professional dancers make very little money, with no benefits or security after they've retired. The lifespan of a dancer is brief; many are already washed up and finished by their late twenties. Gordon admires the tenacity and dedication of the ballet dancers, but deplores their working conditions and the appalling demands ballet requires on their bodies. Gordon talks about the invisible partner, that of the ballet mother and how these women give up a normal life to give total support to the dancing child. She writes about the bitter rivalries between ballet mothers, which only increases their isolation and loneliness; it's not surprising these women become totally absorbed and obssessed with their children's success in dancing. With only a limited number of slots available in ballet companies, there is fierce competitiveness amongst students at the ballet academies, which is encouraged by the teachers. Movies like "Center Stage" and "The Turning Point" only scratch the surface of what life is really like as a ballet student or professional dancer; this books paints a more realistic portrait. Gordon interviewed hundreds of dancers for this book; however, the ballet world is such a closed world, most did not allow her to use their actual names, for fear that their comments would jeopardize their careers in dance. It is astonishing to discover how much power these ballet schools, teachers and choreographers have over their students; life in the studio causes dancers to have tunnel vision and renders them totally unprepared to cope in the real world once their all-too-short careers have ended. Although this book is out of print, do what you can to get a copy through amazon.com's services. You'll think twice before encouraging your child to become a dancer.

This book is brillant. Absorbing accurate, brief and clear paragraphs was a joy. In the margins there are money-making/ money-saving tips. It follows much easier than certain "for Dummies" claim. BUY THIS BOOK. You'll be happy with what you, too, have learned!

Remember, this book is written by one of the biggest breeders of Gordon Setters in the USA. That said, the book does have a number of valid points it makes, but then sometimes you have to wade through the propaganda.

That said, it's an interesting read and if you are a student of the Gordon Setter breed, it does belong on your bookshelf.

Sue and Norm Sorby literally wrote the book on pointing dogs with this one. It not only tells you how to train a Gordon Setter (or any other pointing breed of the finest quality field stock), but also how to pick a pup, when to train, how to deal with different personalities (yours and the dogs), showing, field trialing, and breeding. In short the essential guide for anyone interested in getting the most from a great hunting dog. The book is written in such a way that even a first time bird dog owner can understand and come away with a "I can do this!" attitude. A must read for anyone considering the purchase of a "hunting companion." Thanks Sue and Norm!

Having had several "pointing" dogs I thought that I knew everything. Then I purchased a Gordon Setter from the Author and WOW! The breed is peerless and the book is more than a "how to"" guide. The insights and training tips for the breed are excellent. The humor is great! I give it 4 paws up!