"Out of the Darkness" is indeed the perfect title for the long-awaited telling of these events. For the past 50 years, only students and professionals in the child protection field have learned the profound significance of Mary Ellen's story. This, the first book entirely devoted to this landmark case, brings Mary Ellen to life along with all those who helped her survive.

The story opens in May 1864 on a battlefield in Cold Harbor, Virginia, as Thomas Wilson receives word of the birth of his little girl in New York City and dreams of returning soon to his wife, Fanny, and their child. Shortly afterward, however, he dies in battle.

Amid the hustle and bustle of New York City life, Mary Ellen's mother attempts to care for her little girl, but poverty soon forces her to abandon the child. We learn of Mary Ellen's stay in an almshouse for a time before being taken into a foster home where she is beaten, locked in a closet, burned, and permitted no contact with the outside world. She remains in this home for 6 long years.

Shelman and Lavoritz accurately and poignantly describe the New York City of the 1860s and 1870s, allowing the reader to experience the overcrowding and the sounds and smells of the infamous Hell's Kitchen area of NYC where Mary Ellen is finally found and rescued.

The story follows two threads, first told separately, and then woven skillfully together. We learn of Mary Ellen's plight, while at the same time in NYC, Henry Bergh is working to found the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). We are with Bergh as he enforces the new animal protection laws in NYC. He fights to protect them all --from turtles to horses. He is often ridiculed as he charges, "Turtle abuse!" But he persists. Amazingly, in 1874 there was no agency to aid mistreated children. When Etta Wheeler, a dedicated social worker, appeals to Bergh and his animal rights society to take the lead in the child's rescue, he and the ASPCA's talented attorney, Elbridge Gerry, conduct the then famous trial that ultimately brings Mary Ellen freedom and a new home and results in the founding of the New York City Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, still in existence today.

The story culminates in the standing-room-only trial where Mary Ellen's foster mother is charged on several felony counts. The authors effectively recreate the circuslike atmosphere that prevails throughout the trial at which witnesses from all walks of life testify about what they have seen and heard. The transcripts of the trial are complete and authentic.

While most will read this book as a novel, a complete index at the back provides access to the wealth of factual material carefully researched by the authors. An epilogue tells what finally happened to Mary Ellen as an adult. Adding to the authenticity are a number of previously unprinted photographs provided to the authors by relatives of the principals.

An invaluable reference for those interested in the history surrounding child and animal protection, "Out of the Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson is also just "a good read."

Child abuse is a subject many people would prefer not to think about. This account of the life of Mary Ellen Wilson will change that way of thinking. This story will open your heart to a little girl who, for much of her childhood had no friends, no hugs, no kisses, no bedtime "I love you" moments. The book will take you from the beginnings of a love story, through death, child abuse, hate, compassion, rescue, and survival. It's a must read for anyone who thinks that one person cannot make a difference in the life of a child. Thank you, Mr. Shelman and Dr. Lazoritz for bringing Mary Ellen into our lives...may the doors of our hearts be opened as a result.

This is a stirring book which holds a reader's attention from the first page until the last. As the true drama unravels, readers learn of the atrocities which were inflicted on an innocent little girl. Readers also learn of the birth of child protection in America as it unfolds through the efforts of a few determined and dedicated individuals. This is a "must read" for anyone with a heart for children and compassion for victims of abuse. Until now, this story was a missing piece of our history, yet it is now available for us to read about and learn from. Lazoritz and Shelman have shed light on this once overlooked part of our history, and they have indeed brought little Mary Ellen Wilson "Out of the Darkness". This is an extremely well written book, and its pages are packed with truth, spirit, and drama. Once read, it is a story you will never forget. Little Mary Ellen Wilson scampers through the pages as her story is told. Readers feel, hear, see, taste, dream, hope and live Mary Ellen's story as the authors reveal her life using words of truth filled with strokes of compassion. While growing up, little Mary Ellen Wilson had no toys to play with or books to read. Her life was a living nightmare. But now, Mary Ellen not only has a book, she has an audience. We must give this child and her book our full attention so that we learn from history's mistakes and strive to protect our children from the evil of child abuse. Lazortiz and Shelman have cause to celebrate in this masterpiece book. Mary Ellen's story will touch many lives through the pages of this book.

This is definitely a must-have for any civil engineer involved in hydraulics, especially water modelers. I had been surprised by the quality of the previous Water Distribution Modeling book, but the Advanced edition succeeded my expectations. Its writing is very understandable and it is full of creative illustrations. The chapter about Geographic Information Systems is very well written, and after realizing who were involved in its review (ESRI's staff), I don't wonder about its content anymore.

Highly recommended.

This book is extremely thorough in its coverage of all things concerning water distribution modeling. Although this book is a little intimidating in size, the material is easy to digest and quite enjoyable. The breadth of the material is astounding. This book takes you from the very fundamentals of water distribution modeling to advanced topics such as GIS and Transients.

This is a very well put together book that is well worth the cost. It is going remain on my bookshelf for a very long time.

This comprehensive book is a "must have" reference for those involved not only in Water Distribution Modeling but also in the field of Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering. The coverage is extensive and the book is written in a very "easy to read" style. My congratulations to Haestad Press for another outstanding publication.

Criminologists Drs. Ross and Richards (respectively, a former guard and a former federal inmate) provide a cogent and accessible look at the brutal reality that is our criminal justice system. Their humanistic and jargon-free coverage of what it's like to be taken into custody, processed and incarcerated is a refreshing departure from the stale, emotionally distant (and of often apologetic) coverage that has sadly become the standard fare in the academic coverage of the correctional system. Located both in the world of experiential closeness and scholarly rigour, Ross and Richards expose the harshness and inhumanity inherent in America's incarceration industry. - Finally, something that I can comfortably fit between Sykes' "Society of Captives" and Irwin and Austin's "It's About Time" on my book shelf. Interested in what life in prison is like? Turn off Oz, and open up BEHIND BARS.

This was the most fascinating portrayal of life "behind bars" that I have ever read. A must read and it's also quick and readable . I enjoyed the narrative and description of prison food. You want to buy this book because it will probably give you a lot ot talk about with other people. It's a great conversation piece. It will also make you question the brutality of the federal prison system and understand why recidivism rates are so high. It was like taking an entire class course in one book. It is the kind of book that will make you want to dedicate yourself to studying this subject. A fundamental read if you want to understand the basics of the prison system. If you get arrested or are facing criminal charges this is the book you want to buy.

Make no mistake; Behind Bars is written for cons, and by cons. Because of this, the reader can be certain that the information contained in this text is not glossed-over, heavy-on-the-big-words academic pretense written from inside an office. Drs. Ross and Richards offer this book as both an analysis and a precaution. Step-by-step advice from the moment of arrest to months after release that refuses to ignore the physical and mental/emotional problems modern American correctional facilities provide. There is nothing resembling coddling in prison, and there is nothing within this book that will attempt to coddle the reader. Rather, the fact that fifty percent of federal convicts return to prison in under a year after initial release is constantly beaten into the head of the reader. However, Ross and Richards do present methods of proper social interaction among cons, with guards and other personnel, who to trust and not trust, etc. If, as an individual, you so much as know of any illegal activity, you are liable to serve jail and/or prison time. No one is innocent, and no one should be so smug as to think their life experiences could never include those mentioned in this book.

This classic gives insight into the mind of the Serial Sex Killer, Ted Bundy. Described variously as "handsome, smooth talking, erratic and charming" except one thing he killed women descriminately. This gives a detailed account (as Stephen G. Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth researched it and did interviews with family, friends, girlfriends, the sympathic wife who believed Bundy was innocent to the end and wouldn't hear otherwise.... and Bundy himself straight from Death Row in 1980.

Bundy, himself, wouldn't discuss the murders as if he did it, he never said he was guilty of the crimes, he always claimed he was innocent (even as he went to the the executioner in 1989). So Michaud and Aynesworth made a deal with him that he didn't have to discuss them as if he did it, he could discuss them as if discuss a psychological case, and Bundy agreed to that. So Bundy discusses his crimes and his "entity" (as he called it) in third person throughout the book.

Bundy was a textbook sexual psychopath who terrorized the College communities of Washington, Utah and Florida over a span of years. He left none if little evidence so he was very hard to catch. As all serial killers do, they get cocky and so self-assured they won't get caught that they make a mistake and Ted Bundy made his mistake in Florida around the University in Tallahassee where he was caught.

The Only Living Witness answers all the questions about one of America's worst monsters. It is a timeless classic. It covers most of Bundy's life, including his youth and his years as a student and volunteer before murder became his primary occupation and after ... when the first 4 or 5 girls went missing and he volunteered to "help" the DES with the searches for the women as a credit for his law school course, or so he would have his girlfriend (at the time) believe.

I finished the book with a sense of fright for those women never found, and sadness for the families that won't get to bury the missing women, and the family and friends of Ted Bundy who was so manipulated and conned by their son and friend so much they believed in his innocence until he at last confessed the murders. A brilliant brilliant read and research source into the mind of a mass serial killer and sexual defiant psychopath. His crimes are as vivid and studied today as they were when he was being hunted and caught!

This book for me personally was a real page turner. I wanted a book to help me understand the mind of a serial killer and also to relay to me in more detail the crimes of Ted Bundy. This book did indeed give us an insight to the serial killer's mind and indeed gave us the unanswered questions to those girls Bundy robbed of their lives. I found this book informative without going overboard on statistics and the like...I felt the style of writing and pace of the book had me gripped from the description of the weather in Florida at the beginning of the book and I was not dissapointed from then on in. I felt regret when I finished the book as it had stimulated me intellectually and made me do my own thinking as well as educating me. I came away with a sense of loss and waste not only for the families of the victims but also for the family and friends of Ted Bundy who it seemed were duped with his innocence until the last confession. A brilliant brilliant read!

The good news is...you will never forget this story, and the bad news is...you will never forget this story. An astonishing study of a real life "wolf" a monster. I'm a little embarassed that I'm closely related to a well known criminologist (sociologist) who doesnt believe in the death penlty (and has written many books on the subject). This book will convince you that serial killers should fry and I believe that I could have personally pulled the switch Ted Bundy after reading this story. I read this book nearly 18 years ago and although I forget lots of books I've read, but there hasn't been a time when I washed my car that I havent thought back to this book (you'll find out why when You read it). It will haunt you forever..I highly recommend it to all and I will have my own children read it someday so they will understand that one can never be too careful. I came away from this story feeling a very deep sorrow for the victims and their families. The author will take you to a dark world that few ever experience, and will forever change the way you think, the author (through painstaking interviews) succeeds in writing a book about the Devil himself that will not soon be forgotten.

This book was <> according to Frederick Busch, who reviewed it for The New York Times.

The quote above just about says it all. The book read like fiction and was carefully detailed. All of the medical terminology was easily understood and thoroughly explained. The authors stated that the theme of the book is "the emotionally-charged intersection of SIDS and infanticide."

Almost all of what we have known of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) for the last 20 years was based on work done by Dr. Alfred Steinschneider in upstate New York. His findings were based primarily on two children (Molly and Noah Hoyt) who died while under his care in the early 1970s, following the deaths of three of their siblings in previous years. Steinschneider thus "determined/concluded" that SIDS was familial and caused by apnea (pauses in breathing while sleeping). To combat these deaths, he pushed the use of home monitors for babies who were considered "at risk". His landmark paper in 1972 in The Journal of Pediatrics shaped medical thinking for the next 20 years. Yet he had used only a tiny sample and had no control group. This article and subsequent ones cleared peer review committees despite obvious flaws. He arranged facts to fit his theory over the next years. His fundamental deception/fabrication was that apnea episodes were documented in the hospital for the two children who died --but there was NO documentation!! In fact, Steinschneider had repeatedly ignored concerns of the pediatric nursing staff about the mother, Waneta Hoyt.

I found it incredible that a hypothesis was presented and accepted by the medical community based on only 5 cases and 2 deaths! I think this shows how desperate people were for a quick way to predict and prevent SIDS. Because of the prevalence and acceptance of this theory, Munchausen Syndrome by Prozy (when a parent, usually a mother, harms or kills a child, usually to get attention) was rarely considered when a very young child died.

In the next 20 years, the monitor business became a multi-million dollar business and many people got rich from it. Steinschneider himself never owned stock in any monitor company, but his research was underwritten by one of them, Healthdyne, whose fortunes then became dependent on the doctor's continuing research findings about apnea. A vicious circle! Also, leading SIDS researchers conducted seminars, which were funded by Healthdyne grants, then gave out information on monitors to the participants.

What particularly disturbed me was the fact that Dr. David Southall, from England, had refuted Steinschneider's theories and proven them to be false with very extensive research of his own But until the 1986 Apnea Consensus Conference, no one appeared to listen to him. This conference was the first time that Steinschneider's theory was formally investigated or questioned by an official group of his peers.

In the early 90s, a coincidental series of events led a district attorney in upstate NY to begin investigating the deaths of the Hoyt children. This led to the 1994 arrest and conviction of Waneta Hoyt for the murder of all five of her children. The authors make it clear that not only was the mother on trial for murder, but that Steinschneider's theory was also on trial.

The trial's outcome demonstrated that the entire premise for SIDS for the last 20 years was false. In the words of several prominent pediatric forensic specialists: if there is one infant death in a family, it is probably SIDS. Two deaths should be considered suspicious. Three deaths are homicide.

What was especially shocking to me was the information in this book about Massachusetts General Hospital's SIDS program. Mass General had positioned itself as "the" place to bring babies thought to be "at risk" for SIDS. Yet the program, run by Drs. Kelly and Shannon, disciples of Steinschneider, was governed by a false, 20- year-old theory. The pediatric department had had a long history of ignoring suggestions of child abuse, some of it fatal, when a young doctor named Tom Truman arrived for a research fellowship in pediatric critical care. Truman secretly investigated all of the deaths of children who were "at risk" and found that in 155 deaths which occurred after multiple "events" (instances of unconsciousness, etc.), Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy was never considered, even in one family when the "events" stopped after the children were placed in foster care.

The authors said: "In the Shannon-Kelly team, some [abusive] mothers found the allies they needed. In their babies, the doctors found the data they needed. Locked in this symbiosis, Mass General appears to have become a Munchausen haven, while contaminating the research of SIDS with highly dubious data."

I would highly recommend this book not only for its interesting subject matter but because it was so well done. The meticulous and documented research was presented in a scholarly yet easily-understood manner.

I have read many true-crime books, and this one really stands out from the crowd. The authors did an amazing job of researching not only the crime, but the history and politics of SIDS and apnea.

This is one of the few books that I told friends about, starting with "I'm reading the most interesting book ..."

This is a true story Crime Novel that every Police investigator and child abuse investigator should read. Medical personnel would greatly enhance their knowledge in preventing child deaths by reading this book. To uncover such horrible child abuse and deaths was amazing to me and the resistance that Professionals portrayed in allowing the deaths of so many children in any one family was beyond belief. This is must read for anyone dealing with children.

Peter Pan is a good adventure/fantasy that kids and adults can enjoy alike. With much exaggeration, it is something kids can enjoy and read into. It's a page-turning book that once you started you can't stop.

Wow! What a great story this is! I picked it up on a whim years ago having enjoyed the Disney cartoon, and when I finally got around to reading it, I couldn't put the darn thing down. This is really exciting stuff! Peter is ten times as irrascible as he is in the toon. One line has always stuck in my head - its where Peter is faced with certain death (I forget exactly what). He thinks to himself that its quite possible he could die, and thinks `That would be the greatest adventure of all!' That line sums of the feel of this book. Imagine being a kid who can never grow up who has the power to fly through a world woven of dreams and fairytales....I learned later that this was probably the sincere wish of the author, James Barrie, who was afflicted with a disease which made it impossible for him to grow. Though an adult in mind, he was the stature and semblance of a child. The warmth of this story has a deep heartfelt resonance in the heart of any boy who has grown up having adventures in his mind. It can't really be described -it has to be read and appreciated. If you love fantasies in the vein of The Never Ending Story and The Wizard of Oz, you will love this book.

Driving with young children in the car quickly convinced me that it was unsafe to not give them something to listen to. After ten years I have collected a large (30+) bag of books-on-tape. I have also loaned them to others and asked for opinions. Peter Pan (read by Wendy Craig) is not only my favorite, but also the favorite of my wife and most of my friends. It is excellent for all ages (4 to 80) and even most hardened teenagers. Humour, presentation, ... a prefect 10.

Has anyone heard of Eschatology? I hadn't until my writing instructor used that word in a letter he sent to me. Baffled, I looked it up in the Webster's Dictionary, but didn't find it. I checked with The Synonym Finder, but it wasn't listed there either. Finally, I turned to this book and found it in the table of contents. Eschatology is the study of afterlife.This book has been a godsend for me as a creative writer. There were times when I was writing a scene and couldn't think of a word to describe something or a term I couldn't remember. Most of the time, I found what I was looking for in these pages.Word Menu is broken down into four parts. Part One deals with Nature­­The human body, living things, and the earth. Chapter One (The Human Body) is then divided into five subcategories­­Anatomy, Medical Problems, Health/Fitness/Enhancement, Hair and Grooming, Phsyical Appearance. Under these, you will find hundreds of definitions, terms, and cross-references.This dictionary covers everything from everyday items, customs, religions, etc. to the obscure and strange. For example, Eschatology. Word Menu is an indespensible tool for any type of writer, student, or anyone who wants to learn something.

Every writer needs this book. It is not negotiable. I was lucky enough to find a hardcover copy of Word Menu about five years ago on a bargain book table, and at least once a month, I rave to my wife about how much I love it.

All true writers know that nouns and verbs are the meat of writing. This is what makes Word Menu great. The book puts words into categories like walking, hats, and ships. Suppose you know what a certain type of gun is, but you don't know the name--with Word Menu, you'll find the exact name of the thing.

I read somewhere that the author, Stephen Frazier, made this book his life's work. He is now dead, but what a legacy to leave behind! I think the next step for someone eager (or crazy) enough would be to produce a visual word menu, because often we know what an item looks like, but we don't know its name. A great, great reference tool.

I am obsessed with words and with lists, so this book is my Bible. You can do so much with Word Menu if you enjoy word play and writing. Sometimes I randomly pick a word and start brainstorming around it until I have material for a short story or the beginnings of a poem. Sometimes I just pair adjectives and nouns, getting a kick out of what comes up.

I think this is a really great book to give a kid who is getting into writing. It is arranged in such a way that a person can just page through it and get lost in the world of words. It's so much more than a thesaurus-- if I had had this as a kid, I would have filled many more notebooks with my writing; I just know it.

Lucid dreaming, i.e. dreaming with full awareness, is one of the most ecstatic experiences open to human beings. Yet creating this state of bliss has traditionally been difficult - the naive approach of autosuggestion produces only very low success rates.

In "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming", Stephen LaBerge discusses far more efficient techniques, including one pioneered by himself - MILD, or Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams. He explains how to create conditions conducive to lucid dreaming, how to prolong a lucid dream once one has one, and how to use lucid dreams for creative problem solving, health, entertainment and spiritual growth.

I should point out, however, that there is no miracle method for having lucid dreams instantanously. The techniques that this book offers still need to be exercised, patiently and diligently over a period of weeks if not months before results will start to materialize. But if you are willing and motivated to invest the necessary work and effort, this book will be one of the best guides there is. For those readers who prefer a simple, step-by-step approach, I would also recommend "Lucid Dreams in 30 Days" by Keith Harary and Pamela Weintraub.

THE BEST AVAILABLE GUIDE TO LUCID DREAMING!

Although this inspiring book presents a new model of dreaming and consciousness, its approach is primarily practical, covering methods for inducing lucid dreams, and a variety of applications. LaBerge also includes a brief history of his scientific research; all is presented in an engaging and comprehensible manner. Reading the book gave me an appreciation for his dedicated pioneering in the field of mind/body mapping and the ingeniousness of his lucid dream induction methods and devices.

This book offers the most extensive collection of step-by-step techniques for increasing consciousness during sleep. It also includes accounts of what a variety of lucid dreamers have done with their dream lives. For me, the most important point was how the same skills and mindfulness developed through learning to lucid dream can also deeply enhance one's waking life.

Why sleep through dreams (and sleepwalk through waking life) when lucidity is a learnable skill? This excellent, easy-to-follow guide is essential reading for dream explorers of all levels of experience.

I have to admit this is the best book for the price on the market with scientific proof and probability of occurences for lucid dreaming. I have been trying months to have out of body experiences/partial dream ones and/or lucid dreaming and have to admit this book is very detailed explained and I have accomplished it with this book which many other books failed. I have looked at other books on awareness exercises, this one even talks about it in depth more and not to mention the WILD/MILD techniques are worth the price alone cause I had a lucid experience with those tehchniques atleast once every second day after reading their FAQ, I had to buy the book to support this author and found out there are many more treasures/techniques in this book which I can't wait to try out. This is my second best book on the market I will cherish and come back to many times, the other one is power of the subconscious mind by murphy, two of my favorite psychology books.

H.M.S. Surprise, like the two books before it in this series, is excellent in every way. There is great dialogue, subtle humor and riviting action. We finially get to see what Jack Aubrey can do when given command of a decent ship (as oppossed to the little Sophie and the piece of junk Polychrest). I think most male readers will like this book a little better than Post Captain; the main characters spend a lot less time on shore and there is a little less romantic/relationship stuff. From the reviews I have read of this series, it stays pretty good at least through book #17 and then deteriorates badly. Although it is a shame this series is not strong until the end, O'Brian did write a very large number of excellent books that we should all be grateful for. In my humble opinion, if O'Brian had not written another word after finishing H.M.S. Surprise he would still deserve to be remembered as the best novelist who ever wrote in this genre.

Like the preceding Aubrey and Maturin books by O'Brian, this is a beautifully written, meticulously realistic tale. In this, the third book of O'Brian's seafaring saga, things take a painfully tragic twist.

In the setting of the sea voyages, the dual romantic dramas of Captain Aubrey and Doctor Maturin continue to unfold. What reader can truly care that the bold and dashing Diana Villiers has been subjected to all sorts of low, nasty gossip, when Maturin has realised that his love for her has survived it? And will Aubrey's fiance, Sophie, break their engagement in the face of his long and silent absence at sea? Especially with a charming new minister in the neighborhood...

Always before, in spite of rivalries and breaks, the good captain and doctor's fortunes have risen and fallen pretty much together. But in this book, only one will win through to joy.

Aside from the poignant human drama, this book holds the most dramatic description of a storm at sea that I have ever read. O'Brian's prose drove my heart rate to amazing heights for the usually non-athletic pursuit of reading! His gift for succinct description is purely wonderful.

Another wonderful book in a series of wonderful books.

I read HMS Surprise several years ago, and I've read several others in this wonderful series, but I backtracked and read this novel again at the same time I listened to most of it in the audio version with Patrick Tull as the reader. It was a great experience. HMS Surprise comes close to being a perfect novel. From the rescue of Stephen in Port Mahon, to the scene on St. Paul's rocks, to the gale as they went round the cape of Good Hope, to Stephen's tragic adventures in Bombay, to the incredible battle with the French squadron, to Stephen's tragic relationship with Diana Villiers, to Maturin's duel in Calcutta, to whether Sophie would be waiting for Jack, every scene is near perfection.

Patrick Tull is a perfect narrator for O'Brian's work. He has the various voice down to perfection and you can tell he loves what he's reading.

Each book in this series has much to recommend, but his one stands slightly above the others.

Buy this book before you buy the boat. If you just bought a boat, buy the required Coast Guard equipment and this book at the same time. If you're an experienced seaman, you should already own it. This book covers it all, Mr, Calder's opinions and practices are "on the mark". It is a wealth of knowledge and easily worth the money spent. Every other maintenance book supplements this text. It's the "gold standard".

If you have a boat you need this book. It's full of detailed info on how to fix just about anything on board. Lots of pictures and explanations on how things work and typical problems. Don't leave the dock without it.

When electrical or mechanical systems go wrong on a boat afloat, you have a crisis. An uneducated repair can be costly. This book needs to be handy.

The book devotes 113 pages to aspects of the electrical system, then addresses auxiliary sources of power, electric generators and motors, marine electronics, diesel engines, transmissions, refrigeration and air conditioning, toilet systems, pumps, steering systems, stoves, heaters, lights, rigging, deck rigging and hardware. Its a gold mine.

Its guidance in the toilet repair and generator troubleshooting has been a great help to us.