I've been collecting children's Christmas books for seventeen years, since my oldest child was a baby, adding a few more to the collection each year, but without a doubt this is the best one I have. I first read it when my oldest was six and I've re-read it every Christmas since, and not only have I never gotten tired of it, but I can't imagine Christmas without it.

The story is about a church Christmas pageant in which the Herdmans, the wildest, toughest kids in town, move in and take over the main parts. Mary smokes cigars. The Wise Men steal. And the Angel of the Lord is more likely to smack the shepherds in the teeth than bring good news. Everyone in the church is scandalized, of course, but trying to fit the totally unsuitable Herdmans into their Biblical roles makes for one hilarious story after another. When you can get an adult and a six year old laughing out lout at the same things, you know you've got a special children's book.

If all this book had was its humor, it would be a treat, but it is a lot more than that. Under all the great jokes is another more moving story. The Herdman kids are hearing the story of Jesus' birth for the first time, and their reactions Ñ shock that anyone would put a baby in a feeding trough, fury at Herod's attempt to kill the baby, amazement at the angel's miraculous appearance to the shepherds Ñ renew the meaning of the story for those of us who have heard it hundreds of times. Little by little they become more and more effected by the story and it changes them.

In the end, this is not just a funny book, but a powerful story of redemption. Through most of the book, I can't stop laughing, but by the end I am always reading through tears, even after having read it eleven times.

I didn't read this book until I was 32 years old and it made my day! I laughed so hard that I thought that I was going to hurt something. I loved the Herdmans because I grew up with a lot of kids like them. I now know why this is a classic that will continue on long after I'm gone. Ms. Robinson did a fantastic job of incorperating humor in many, many poignant moments. I laughed reading every page until the last two or three when the tears came. You couldn't help but be deeply touched by how, for a few brief moment, the Herdmans cleaned up their act to tell the wonderful story of Christmas in their own special way. I had the opportunity to spend a day with Ms. Robinson last year and let me tell you all, it was the experience of a lifetime. She's a fantastic lady who is absolutely incredible with children.

This little novella is a gem and a wonder. The story of the "worst kids in the history of the world," who've managed to burn down a toolshed, because "it was a Saturday, and not much going on," and how they hijack the church Christmas pageant, is touching, true and laugh out loud funny. When seen through the eyes of kids who've never even heard the Christmas story, the pageant becomes something deeper and more true than any of the more conventional parishoners expect, and the lessons learned in this unorthodox manner are priceless. Not just meaningful, but fun, as when the Wise Men, sensibly reasoning that the Holy Family has little use for Frankincense and Myrrh, bring a useful gift (a ham!)or when the Angel of The Lord yells to all in attendance, "HEY! UNTO YOU A CHILD IS BORN! For kids and adults, to read and re-read.

Dr. Judith Orloff and others like her are desperately needed in the current medical environment with it's focus on money and bureaucracy rather than on human beings and healing. Her book Dr. Judith Orloff's Guide to Intuitive Healing is fascinating, refreshing and enpowering. Dr. Orloff writes candidly and directly with obvious sincerity. It is time for the medical establishment with it's so called scientific, "evidence-based", often prejudicial attitudes to remind itself of the essence of science, which is to keep an open mind. Dr. Orloff with her medical credentials and psychic abilities can help open the eyes of the medical establishment and individual human beings to the enormous potential for healing we all have. In her book she gives us practical suggestions on how to realize that potential. In addition Dr. Orloff's book reminds us how rich our world can be if we remain open to the psychic-intuitive realm. I find all this very exciting and hope inspiring. I would strongly encourage anyone to read this book! Peter Goertz, MD, Psychiatrist, Bellevue Hospital, New York, NY; Faculty Member, New York University School of Medicine

Dr. Judith Orloff's latest book 'INTUITIVE HEALING' makes interesting reading for those who seek to understand more fully the role played by faith and intuition in modern medicine. She treads a delicate path through traditional medicine, psychiatry and intuition, linking one with the other in a logical and edifying manner. Her plea for an open mind, by both the general public and her medical colleagues, towards a largely untried sector of the medical world is presented in a step-by-step series of practical exercises. Those facing mental or physical problems will find these exercises to be useful back-up to many forms of current treatment. Composed of three parts; The Body, Emotions and Relationships, and Sexual Wellness, the book offers advice and direction in a direct and forthright manner. Her first book 'SECOND SIGHT' has been already translated into Japanese and this one is also currently being translated into Japanese.

This is an insightful resource book for those who are either beginners or well on the path to understanding how to use intuition in every area of their lives. Filled with exercises, questions to ponder, tips and case histories of her patients, this book is written in an easy conversational style. Dr. Judith Orloff's Guide to Intuitive Healing has made it okay for us to trust our "inner voice" again. We each have this inner guidance connected to our spirituality within us. Dr. Orloff shows us how to use this "voice" to fully connect with our love ones, understand our doctors and our healing and even how to avoid absorbing other people's negative energy. I have highly recommended this book to my friends!

This book was recently read to my kindergarten sunday school class. While I was listening along with the children, I just had to crack a smile. I've had plenty of days just like Alexander. As a college student, days like this are normal occurances, but it wasn't until I read this book that I realized how much I can blow things out of perspective. Just like in the story, my bad days often begin with my bad attitude while getting out of bed. I truly believe that this book is absolutely essential for everyone to read. If you're not having a bad day, then great...but if you are, it'll definitely put a smile on your face and help put things back in proportion. Just a reminder that good advice for everyone can come from anywhere, even a children's story book.

Though I wouldn't necessarily admit this to anyone over about 3 feet tall, I must say this is my all time favorite book bar none. I read it as a child and found myself instantly relating to Alexander and distinctly remember feeling pleased that someone...anyone...else had the capacity to blow a day full of minor irratations out of proportion so dramatically. Now, as a preschool teacher I love it yet more because not only do the children have terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, but when they do, so too do I. I find myself reading the book out loud with so much drama and emphasis that it is emensely cathartic for all of us! I adore this book and firmly believe that every human on the planet would benefit from dramatic readings of it from time to time.

i discovered this book when i was in grade skool and i remember running home and telling my mom all abt it, how it was just like what i used to go through. it's abt this little boy named alexander who has the worst day of his life (or so he thinks.) he wakes up with gum in his hair, goes to skool with no dessert in his lunch, finds a cavity at the dentist's office, wants the sneakers with the red stripes but his brother got them first so he has to have the plain white ones, has lima beans for supper, and is forced to go to sleep in train pajamas. it's such a cute book simply becuz you know kids go through it everyday. if ever yr child is having a bad day, read them alexander and see if they don't improve attitudes just a little.

I am a professional in the computer business and also share the gift of the psychic and the high sensitivity that Judith describes in her book. I'm in the process of reading the book for a second time and must say that I feel as if we are brother and sister after reading this wonderful book.

Her very direct writing style, and first person account with sometimes brutal honesty is refreshing and an act of candor and love not seen in many books on this subject. She has successfully placed the psychic gift in its true context, that of a God given gift to be cherished and used to better the lives of your fellow human and yourself. I can only hope that her book becomes required reading for all medical, spiritual, and even educational disciplines so that people who have the gift can be recognized early in life, and to receive the help and training they need to successfully use their gifts to hopefully help others on their paths.

Judith - you are a sweetheart of a lady, and I'm sincerely hoping to see another book from you...

This well-written, engaging book focuses on the author's experiences as a psychic and her attempts to integrate her psychic abilities (which have made her uncomfortable in the past) into her daily life.

The author considers intuition and psychic capabilities to be one and the same, but I do not. I do not consider myself a psychic. I read Second Sight to learn how to better access and integrate my intuition (whose inexplicable conclusions have frequently made me uncomfortable) into my life and decisionmaking. This book provided me with exactly the support and information that I needed.

Reading about Dr. Orloff's struggles to merge her rational and seemingly irrational sides has inspired me to do the same. The book contains simple, practical suggestions for developing and using intuition that made it easy for me to get started and progress toward integration in my life. I now feel much more comfortable with my intuition and myself. As I've learned to trust my instincts, my decisionmaking has become less arduous, and I feel a greater peace regarding difficult choices that I have made in the past.

This book will NOT help you if you want to understand WHY psychic phenomena occur. Orloff seems to avoid this issue-- she simply presents her history. Personally, I found her approach more convincing than that of some new age psychic books which treat speculation as fact.

"Second Sight" is wonderfully validating for readers who experience intuitive flashes and psychic events, as well as a very intriguing read for those who don't. Dr. Judith Orloff's book, which engaged me immediately and felt like a conversation that ended much too soon, builds a sturdy bridge of understanding between the worlds of science and spirituality. Medical doctors and mediums alike can freely traverse Dr. Orloff's territory without feeling as though they've drifted into the enemy's camp. Dr. Orloff doesn't read palms; no psychic call-in lines or tea leaves here. She simply shares her story with warmth and candor, convincing us that it's possible to intuit more about a medical reality than meets the eye. This book offers plentiful proof of the body-mind-spirit connection. It paints a vivid portrait of a new kind of healer; one who not only taps into the rational mind to access scientific knowledge, but also heeds the psychic impressions that invisibly complete the puzzle to effect healing. Dr. Orloff knows these realms. This book gets my highest recommendation.

The authors are very observant Jewish women who believe that the extraordinary events recounted in this book are not random but rather divine acts of intervention. There was a particularly moving tale of a young man who had a terrible falling out with his father. Two amazing coincidences .. or more accurately, small miracles brought him close to his father after his father died. I won't go into the details because I don't want to spoil it for you if you read this book but, suffice it to say, if this story is accurate, it is indeed miraculous. It just could not be a coincidence. This book is charming and uplifting. I have suffered a recent disappointment in my personal life and prayerfully, I am seeking to discover the reason. I am convinced, that in the spirit of this book, I will discover a miracle in that the real reason for this disappointment will lead me to enormous personal fulfillment. I recommend this book to all who believe in miracles or who wish they could so believe.

Yes, I believe in miracles. I have always felt that these extraordinary coincidences that occur were more than just coincidences. How encouraging and enlightening to read of the many "everyday" miracles which have occurred in other peoples' lives. Yes, God definitely is with us and speaks with us...the experiences related in this book show this to be true. They are wonderfully written and obviously carefully selected by the editors, because every single story is a blessing in itself. I can't wait to read "Small Miracles II" and intend to order it today.

The book was beautiful. It has changed my life. Just as the authors promised, I began to experience my own small miracles after reading this book. I also read the stories to my students. They love them!

I buy every copy I can find to give as gifts.

this is the first book that i've read of judith mcnaught's many books. i started reading this book out of boredom but once i started, i could not put down the book. now, i'm totally hooked. i ca'nt forget the book and continously thinking of the main characters, matt and meredith. imagining how they look like. i just hoped that judith had included in her book images of these characters...then it would be easier for me to imagine them in my fantasy. i am so touched by the book and wished for a paradise part two. sort of a continuation of the story...because until now i'm wondering what happens next.
i love matt in my fantasy...as well as meredith.
to whoever decides to read this book, i guarantee your enjoyment 102%.
and to judith mcnaught: please write Paradise 2!soon!and thank you for the great book.

I must confess I love all of her books. When I read "Paradies" & "Perfect" I became slave of love. I fell in love with all the characters. I just wish one of these stories will made into a TV movie for lifetime. If anyone out there has not read any of her book with eyes close I strongly recommend these two books then you'll let me in your review. you will laugh, cry then there will be time you want to kill them all then you turn the page and you just fall in love over and over again. in paradise my favorite scene is the meeting between Meridith and Matt at his place she went to tell him the truth about the baby. I cried and cried along with them. I read that scence so many time the pages of the book just disappear on me. if you're going on vacation stop by a book store take Matt, Mer & Zack, Julie with you believe me you won't regret it. I thought "whitney my lovve" was it until I read these 2. judith keep up the good work and if you could write a little more often it will help. some of us are suffering waiting for the next novel. I felt she takes an eternity after "Remember When" came out until "Night Whispers". but you're my # 1 author. Love always your fan

this is d 1st book from judith mcnaught that ive ever read....& trust me....it is SOOO good!! ive since been a huge fan of hers...but i got to admit this is by far her bes. in fact, it is THE best EVER....
at first, after seeing that it was about business, i kinda wasnt so interested, but i was wrong. the love n i mean LOVE (not just lust, but true all-consuming love) between Matt & Meredith was so touching, & their pain from the misunderstanding that Mer's dad caused will just tear your heart apart. but them making up was just blissful. but that's not all....then they find out that they're still married....ahhhh.....thats even better.
i just love it when Matthew said 'you have no idea just how much-i'd do for you' *sigh*
once you start....you'll totally get so entranced by the book (that you'll totally be able 2 relate to) that u just cant put it down... you'll just get so caught up with their lives & their feelings that it makes you sometimes wanna jump in & sort evryting out between the characters. sometimes it's hard to remember that they're just FICTIONAl characters cuz they seem so real. everything that's felt between matt & mer is just evrything you'll want in real life....true love
cheers to judith mcnaught....& may you write more books that'll take us to Paradise :))
P.S. the book Perfect (Paradise's supposed kinda sequel) is nothing compared to Paradise

The book MANDY was bought for me by my aunt when I about 9 or so. I owned it for a few months before I was able to actually sit down and read it, and when I was done I was thrilled with the satisfying feeling that my time had not been wasted. This book is one that I think all females can relate to, no matter their age, and is a great example of a book from childhood, that will never leave you. MANDY is a story of an orphan who dreams of something that she can call her own living a world where everything is shared. There is a wall in the back of the orphanage where Mandy lives, and she wonders about the tremdous possibilities of what could be beyond everything she has ever really known in her short life. But the real question is does she ever get over the wall, and end up with all that she has ever wanted, and more? Read the book, and you will find out, and I promise you will not be disapointed!

I am a student at Waldron Mercy Academy. (ADH)
The story takes place in a stone orphanage close to the woods. In the orphanage lives a 10-year-old girl named Mandy. Secretly Mandy's heart pounds for a family and a place to call home. One day Mandy follows her heart and travels in the woods. There in the woods she finds a cottage and a little garden. Mandy loves it so much that she dreads leaving. When she gets back to the orphanage she swore herself to secrecy. Soon Mandy falls terribly ill and is forbidden to leave the orphanage. When
no one was around Mandy sprints towards the cottage. Outside Mandy hears loud crashing thunder and is so sick she can't even move. The only person who can reach her is a secret admirer.
This book kept me reading from page 1 to end. You should defiantly read this book.

I read a wonderful book called Mandy written by Julie Andrews. Mandy has an exciting and comforting plot with different kinds of joy and happiness sprinkled in each chapter. The first time I picked up Mandy, I was drawn in and I had forgotten about my surroundings and worries due to Julie Andrews descriptive words and cheeriness. I encourage all of you who enjoy sweet and kind books to read Mandy. I was intrigued by Julie Andrews writing style, characters, and touching plot.
Julie Andrews has a distinctive writing style. One example of her writing is "It was absolutely beautiful Lovely shells of every shape and size and all colors of white and pink and iridescent mother-of-pearl lined every wall and the ceiling too." The words used in Mandy are so light in touch and kind at heart. Also, I absolutely love the mood in Mandy. When I read Mandy, it seemed to make life so simple and filled with little trinkets of enjoyment and happiness along the road of life. I thoroughly enjoyed the environment Mandy lived in. Such as "On the outskirts of a pretty country village called St. Martin's Green, there stands a large, white house called St. Martin's Orphanage. It has generous tall windows and large, high-ceilinged rooms." This is why I love Julie Andrews's writing style.
Not only does Julie Andrews have a great writing style but also the characters are wonderful and alive. First, there is Mandy who is a bright, spunk, book loving 10-year-old girl who has lived at the orphanage all of her life. Sue, Mandy's roommate and friend, did not have as strong a personality as Mandy but was understanding and kind. Mrs. Bridie was the elderly woman in charge of St. Martin's since as long as Mandy can remember. Mrs. Bridie was strict and tries to aid and observe and help each child in a personal way. Last, but not least, there was Jake, the orphanage's gardener. Jake was sweet and generous but extremely protective about his ancient gardening tools and his gorgeous flowers. These are only some of the wonderful characters in Mandy.
The plot of Mandy is my favorite! I have always wanted a place to call my own where I can plant a garden of brilliant colored flowers and keep the cottage kept up. This is basically what Mandy is about. Mandy discovers a hidden, abandoned cottage deep inside the beautiful apple orchard over the "great wall" that inbounds the orphanage. The cottage is old, rickety, and filthy. Mandy uses the little money she has to buy exquisite flowers and borrows useful gardening materials from Jake. There are twists in the story that had me on the end of my seat! Mandy is an exciting and just plain sweet story about an ambitious girl who follows her dreams.
I truly enjoyed the writing style, characters, and plot in Mandy. I love Julie Andrew's distinctive writing style and the marvelous characters in Mandy. Also, I learned how wonderful life can be if you just pay attention to the little things. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who needs a heart-warming story about how to achieve his or her dreams. I think Mandy is a wondrous role model to people of all ages.

i love this book! the first time i read this book i was abt 9 years old. my mom used to take us to the library and as soon as my brother, sister, and i hit the doors, we bolted for the childrens room. we all went to our respective corners with our favorite books, and this one was mine. i've read it hundreds of times and mostly on the floor of that library. it's abt this brother and sister who's grandfather tells them the story of chewandswallow, the town that rains food. it goes abt the business of telling how when it was that time of the day it would rain breakfast, lunch, and dinner and how they would just go outside and pick up what they wanted to eat. it also tells of how when there was something hot coming down, such as pizza or spaghetti and meatballs the people would hide inside till it stopped raining and go out with forks and plates. by the end of the book a big storm comes and forces some of the people out of their homes but it ends and everything is ok. the book leaves you wanting to go to chewandswallow just so you could eat all day. the pictures are great as well. they are barely more than pen sketches but the the illustrator makes the food look so appetizing it's impossible to resist getting hungry just looking at them. the one that always got me was the picture of the pancakes with syrup and butter. mmmm... if you want a great kids book with far out imagination, get this one! it's great!

When I first read this book I was about seven years old.... and I haven't stopped loving it in the 13 years since. The book is so imaginative and beautifully illustrated. The story holds a child's attention.. a feat that a book rarely accomplishes in the age of television and computer games. It starts on saturday morning... pancake morning. And it ends with a bedtime story that stretches across oceans, desserts, mountains, and into the realm of Chewandswallow, a most extraordinary town. As I child I was fascinated with rain, snow, and thunderstorms. I aboslutely loved them! In Chewandswallow, the weather brings breakfast lunch and dinner. The illustrations are so well drawn and full of detail, there is always something new to see. My favorite drawing is the two page spread in the middle of the book, which depicts the town under destruction of monstrous food... gargantuan pizza, two-story pickles, and doughnuts the size of cars. Everytime I read the story to my cousins, they laugh over the man with the noodle on his head. It is fun for us to think up our own weather-menus for Ralph's Roofless Restaurant, and draw pictures of the food falling from the sky. Kid's love it, it's good clean fun, and the adults don't get bored reading it over and over. In fact, I have it memorized! And I just found out that there is a sequal to this book, Pickles to Pittsburgh, so I am going to have to get it to read... after all these years, I finally get to see what happened back in the town of Chewandswallow... the town everyone was afraid to go back to because of the giant food that fell from the sky.....

This is one book that bridges the generation gap. There are many books in my son's library that elicit a groan in me when he chooses them during our nightly story reading, but "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" certainly isn't one of them. From the absurd tall-tale to the fabulously detailed drawings, each time we read this book we find something new to discuss. Due to the fact that my son is only three and a half, and not able to understand much of the subtle humor of the illustrations, I know this book will have a very long shelf-life at our house as he starts "getting" more and more of the punchlines throughout the years. In the meantime, he is fascinated by the pancake that Grandpa flips onto Henry's head and the giant jello setting in the sky after dinner one night in the delicious land of Chewandswallow.

There are so many fabulous scenes in this book that I just keep returning to read time after time....

... When Elizabeth visits her first two suitors, Sir Francis Belhaven and Lord John Marchman in order to turn them off the idea of marrying her -- a total scream! (Judith, please consider giving Lord Marchman his own story! He's absolutely charming.)

... The courtroom scene when Elizabeth must atone for her stupidity in running off with her brother (hey, we're all allowed to be stupid now and again -- nobody's perfect) by convincing the chauvinistic House of Lords that she's stupid featherbrain! (And Elizabeth is in fact the most intelligent and witty of McNaught's heroines.)

... Ian and Elizabeth's reunion in Scotland. That's probably one of the tenderest, most profound love scenes I've ever read.

... And finally, the epilogue. Only a stone-cold heart could fail to be warmed by Ian's explanation of heaven to his six year old son, Jonathon. One of my favorite scenes of all time!

Treat yourself to Almost Heaven. It's romance at its very best!

ENCHANTING. HEARTWARMING. HEARTWRENCHING. UNFORGETTABLE. I was hooked from the beginning to the end -- staying up all hours of the night to finish it. The dialogue was wonderful -- poignant, clever, witty. I fell in love with Ian and Elizabeth and their story. I reread it immediately after reading it the first time -- it was that good! Mine was a library copy but I'm going to buy my own copy so I will always have it on hand. I think I'll be reading it again soon. I agree with the review that said the part of her leaving b/c of her brother and Ian not figuring it out was hard to believe but I forgive that because it is such a wonderful story. I loved everything about it. I wish their would be a sequel or that it could be made into a movie. Their love is so magical. It's inspirational.

_Almost Heaven_ is in my Top 3 favorite romances of all time. I love how JM uses both humor and heartwrenching emotions in this book. The love and relationship between the hero and the heroine are very passionate, powerful and beautifully written.

Elizabeth Cameron, an English beauty and a countess, is definitely the perfect heroine for this book. She's intelligent, witty, spirited, passionate, humorous, courageous and honorable. She never let the scandal (caused by her attraction to the hero, whom society deemed unsuitable) or her frugal uncle to dampen her spirits or prevent her from keeping Havenhurst (her ancestral home - which is on the verge of being put on the auctioneer's block). She's also very real and NOT entirely flawless.

Ian Thornton is not a hero. He is "THE" hero. To me, he defines heroism. He's just magnificent that I always wish I was Elizabeth. He has no equal.

There are so many wonderful scenes in this book, and also many wonderful secondary characters such as Lucinda (Elizabeth's duenna), John Marchman (a shy, wonderful man, who is one of Elizabeth's suitors), Bentner (Elizabeth's butler, who is addicted to mysteries) and more.

_ALMOST HEAVEN_ is the ultimate reading experience, and another book I would recommend is _A KINGDOM OF DREAMS_, which is a medieval.

Motivational speaker and writer Judith Wright insists that the minor harmless habits are the dangerous ones that hold people prisoners within "soft addictions" that keep an individual from enjoying love and meaningfulness in life. These time filling disillusioned ruts like watching TV or surfing the Internet typically leave a person unfulfilled. Ms. Wright offers a program to eliminate or at least reduce the "soft addictions" in order to gain a more harmonic lifestyle shared with loved ones. The author espouses live everyday with the expressed purpose of achieving your goals and stepping closer to attaining one's vision rather than hide within the socially acceptable rut.

This self-help book is well written and easy to follow once the reader understands the underlying hypothesis fostered by Ms. Wright, who makes a strong anecdotal case defending her belief. The difficult part remains disciplining one's self because these "soft addictions" are so hypnotic even when one is left feeling empty afterward, but Ms. Wright offers small steps as a plan to achieve a more satiated life shared with loved ones. THERE MUST BE MORE THAN THIS: FINDING MORE LIFE, LOVE, AND MEANING BY OVERCOMING YOUR SOFT ADDICTIONS is solid advice for those who seek greater harmony within themselves.

Harriet Klausner

If you feel adrift and dissatisfied in life, Judith Wright's "There Must Be More than This" may be just what you need. Ms. Wright is co-founder of the Wright Institute for Lifelong Learning where people learn to fulfill their potential in all areas of their lives -- work, relationships, self and spirit. She offers you new ways of thinking about life and new ways to behave. These could make a world of a difference. The core of this approach is that you are thoroughly coached on how to make "the One Decision." The process is one of soul-searching and commitment in which you discover what you really hunger for in life and begin reorienting your thinking, feeling and behaviour. The One Decision becomes your rudder in the stormy seas of life. By giving you a firm "heading" your commitment becomes the foundation for a new, conscious, purposeful life. Once you make your One Decision, then you can begin studying your life and eliminating your "soft addictions." Soft addictions, simply, are patterns of feeling, thinking or behaving that keep you from experiencing what you really hunger for in life. Examples are excessive TV watching, Internet, video games, compulsive reading, over-exercising and indulging in moods that distract you from the beauty of life that lies around us. None of these is necessarily a "soft addiction." The test is what effect they have on your search for what you hunger for in life. By helping you to find a purpose for your life and to redefine thinking that does not work for you, this book can help you to make a breakthrough by building a new, more complete life. Its usefulness is enhanced because it contains the stories of many people who have successfully used this approach to build a far richer life. Just by reading these stories carefully, you can begin to understand the power of this method and can gain increased commitment to fulfilling your One Decision. There seems to me to be follow-up work that you may also do after reading this book. Ms. Wright hints at it, but has not yet helped you to go deeper. Several times, Ms. Wright hints that her clients have decided to meditate. That is, of course, a time-honoured way to find purpose in life by accepting sheer being, without any need to "do" anything. In my life, meditation provided a direct experience of what can only weakly be described as the God within. Meditation led me to experiences that go beyond words. It also produced visions and insights that sprung from the depths of my being and have provided an anchor that does not require that I create a verbal definition. I hope Ms. Wright will fill this gap by producing a follow-up book on self-discovery through meditation.

What an inspiration this book is! How many times have I said to myself, "There must be more than this?" I've always wanted more out of my life but wasn't sure what was in my way or how to get it. With this book, I am more aware of my blocks--and soft addictions--to living a bigger, more satisfying life. After reading this book, I am noticing when I am in a soft addiction like watching TV to zone out. It's not only a time zapper but it keeps me out of touch with my feelings and people around me. Judith Wright's book has given me MORE! More compassion for myself and my soft addictions AND actual strategies for doing something about them. The author writes in a way that is accessible and down to earth, and the concepts are easy to relate to. There's not a lot of fluff to this book, just a lot of substance. I will be reading this book again and again to keep me inspired!