Rain of Gold is a book written by Victor Villaseñor an author of Mexican Heritage. Villaseñor wrote this book when he felt the urge to pas down to his children the history behind their name. Villaseñor traveled to Mexico and after years of hard work and several conflicts he published "Rain of Gold", the biography of his family. In "Rain of Gold" Villaseñor describes with full detail the lives of his ancestors in Mexico and later in the United States. More than just a story, Villaseñor gives a vivid image of life during the Mexican Revolution {the times of Pancho Villa}. He explains how his family was forced as well as other families to abandon their beloved country because of the violence and danger the Mexican Revolution brought to its citizens. Villaseñor also explains the hardships his family had to got through to adapt and survive prejudice, hunger and unfair work in the states. Not only does Villaseñor capture the struggles of his family but also the exciting and glorious moments his ancestors lived. This book has a vivid message to everybody of Mexican background. Especially to teenagers who usually don't get the chance to be taught their history with out somebody making fun or putting down their culture. This is the first book that I have truly related to, because of my Mexican background and hardships I've faced in this country. This is a book you just can't stop reading because you get so close to the characters. By the end of the book I assure you that not only will you know all of the people in the book but you will also respect and consider them part of your family! More importantly, I recommend this book to everybody who has parents or somebody who has immigrated to this country in search of opportunities and better life.

When I was an English Literature major in college in the early 1990s, I wrote my senior thesis on the significance of Chicano literature. "Rain of Gold" was included in my study. It is a beautifully written book and a tremendously valuable contribution to American literature.

In Victor Villasenor's "Rain of Gold," the dominant theme or metaphor is the struggle for survival. The mythic structure provides a rich and meaningful context for the characters and their inner struggle for identity and survival. "Rain of Gold" is the story of two parallel lives -- those of Juan Salvador and Lupe Gomez, characters delineated from Villasenor's real-life mother and father, who grow up with their respective families in two distant towns in Mexico and meet as young adults in California.

The novel can be divided into three parts: the families trying to survive in Mexico, but opting to find a better life in the U.S.; their harsh and harrowing journeys through the rough terrain of the Mexican deserts; and finally, their miraculous arrival and struggle in the U.S. The novel challenges the reader to experience the harsh realities of the characters' hardships and triumphs. Their struggle is internal and personal. Villasenor's adherence to myth, religion and a little of the magical paints a vivid image of a people -- survivors not only of physical challenges, but spiritual ones as well. His story is well detailed and well developed. It is truly an epic in every sense of the word.

If possible I would give this book a 10+ rating. This book makes me very proud to be a Mexican-American. Sr. Villasenor writes with so much passion that I often felt that I was in the story myself. It may be hard for some to believe that this is a work of non-fiction. I recommend this book to everyone. I hope it helps ALL people to understand the love our ancestors must have felt and sacrifices they made to give future generations a "better life". Victor Villasenor describes each member of his family with such detail that you can actually picture in your mind what each one looks like. I will continue to read "Rain of Gold" and pass in on to each child in my family.

This book has different topics like On Love, friendship, family, etc. It teaches you how to build your strengh and love. This book encourged my dreams. Chicken Soup also teaches you a lot about friendship. Chicken Soup has 101 courages, hoping and laughing stories. There are different topics that teach you different things. On Love they have stories on love and loving back in return. There are Sad, happy stories helping after people who you love. Then there's friendship. Friendship is about having friends that fight with you, but after, becoming friends again. The stories also tell it doesn't matter if your friend is black or white. The real test is if they're nice to you. Family is about how you get in fights and how to respect your family. Attitude and Perspective is knowing what's right. Death and dying is when you love someone and then dies. They still love you and want to be with you. Achieving Dreams is on going towards your dream, don't stop trying. Overcoming Obstacles is when you say something like I would have gotten 100% if I didn't get those 7 wrong. When you don't want to get something wrong to get people mad if you did something wrong. On Choices is anther way of saying decisions Tough stuff is when you want to do something so bad but you can't that's tough luck.

I liked this book because it realy changed me on problems and dreams. It was really good book.

Chicken Soup for the Kids Soul is a fantastic, well-written book. This book includes many stories about kids going through life. The stories are about love, sorrow, family, achieving dreams and many more. The stories will make kids think of times they went through. It's an inspiring book that will make kids believe in themselves. I would give this book five stars.

Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul, I believe, was one of the most amazing books written of all time for kids. It shares the experiences others have endured and overcome, loyal friendships that have been lived, and many other heartwarming stories. I was introduced to this book by a great teacher of mine, who lent it to me for a week, and that was when I fell in love with it!

It showed me words of wisdom: to strengthen my self-confidence, self-belief, how to dream my dreams of life and how to live a greater life.

The Chicken Soup Series is absolutely amazing, and as I am moving onto my teenage years, I cannot wait to get my hands on the Teenage Soul Series!

I recommend this book to each and every reader of the world, because this is the definite Chicken Soup to heal to anyone and everyone's soul for life!

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul is a fantastic book for anyone who has a special place in his or her heart for animals. The book was made up of many different stories describing the special qualities that make our pets and furry friends unique. I rated this book a 5 because I found myself crying one minute and laughing the next. There are stories that will make you giggle, one in particular describes buffalo playing a game on ice. It made me realize that there are many things about animals that we don't understand- and never will. Who would have guessed that buffalo play games? The book also included stories that sent tears down my cheek. The story that stands out the most in my mind is a story about how far a mother cats goes to save her kittens. The love of the mother cat can relate to human mothers as well, they will do anything to protect their children. I believe that animals are fantastic teachers. One story in the book talks about how a gorilla helped to rescue an injured (human) boy after he fell into her area in the zoo. The author of that story explained that what is truly amazing about the gorilla is that she helped the boy without caring about recognition. She helped the boy because she wanted to, she didn't know that recognition was even a part of the act. That is exactly what us humans can learn from these animals. We need to help somebody because it's the thing to do, not because we want to be remembered as a hero.
I would recommend Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul for anyone who enjoys animals or just wants to read a book that make you warm and fuzzy inside. The stories in the book will show you exactly why pets are teachers, healers, heroes and friends. You will realize how special they really are.
Also check out Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul for stories about teenagers that will inspire you.

After I read the first heart-warming pages, I couldn't put the book down for more than 15 minutes. This is the kind of book that makes you want to cuddle up with your pet and read the soul-tickling stories that are written over the 403 pages. Many times I found myself saying, "Wow!" or "Oh my gosh I can't believe that really happened!" But most of the time I found myself saying, "Aw, how sweet." I love how the stories are true. Once you open Chicken Soup For The Pet Lover's Soul, you won't be able to close it. You will love how just reading one 3 or 4 page story will make you remember it for the rest of your day. It teaches about how animals can be healers, heros, and teachers. I give this book 2 thumbs up, and in addition to the 2 thumbs, I give it 5stars as well.

Many stories to touch the heart--and the soul. Our pets become part of us; their unconditional love is something we treasure. When we are faced with losing them the pain and sorrow go beyond words to express!

After you read this book and smile-- and cry-- I would like to recommend two other wonderful books: one is FOR EVERY DOG AN ANGEL, an absolutely marvelous little book, that even though written for children, adults will love even more! The angel stays with pup throughout its life; "forever dog" and its "forever person" will eventually reunite; sometimes the dog will cross back over its "angel bridge" to visit in the interim. The author has had several experiences with her "forever dog", "Martha"; I have had a few with my little ones as well.

The next recommendation is for adults: THE SOUL OF YOUR PET. Stunning, solid evidence of animal afterlife; will startle the most hardened of skeptics. In addition, it is biblically-sound regarding pet afterlife.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul was a great book. It is filled with true stories (101 to be exact) and poems about teenagers, the troubles they faced, and how they got through them. It is truly an inspiration when you read it. This book speaks directly to teenagers and really makes the teenage reader feel like they are not the only one who feels certain ways. This book has stories about all different topics. It talks about relationships, friendships,love and kindness, family, tough stuff, learning lessons, making a difference and growing up. It touches on all different aspects of each of these topics. In one specific story, called Change for a Dollar, a boy who is slower than most kids his age is in line trying to get a dollar to go in the pop machine. He is having lots of trouble and soon everyone starts laughing at him. Then out of nowhere a girl from the popular table gets up and goes over to the pop machine. She tells him that they are sometimes hard to work and then gives him change for a dollar. This story was moving to me because it shows that you don't always have to do what everyone else expects you to do. That is just one example of a typical story in the book. I really like that one because it is something that happens everyday of my life. Kids are always making fun of other kids, and the book gives you inspiration to change that and do something about it. Many of the stories are not about everyday events though, some deal with people who have diseases or are close to someone who is dying. These types of stories can really help out someone who may be in the same situation. They may feel like they are the only person in the world who knows how it feels, but when the read Chicken Soup, they realize that other people have gone through the same things and gotten through it alright. This book is one that you can read over and over again. You do not have to read it front to cover and you can skip around or read only about topics you are interested in. You can go back and read your favorite ones over again. If you are ever feeling blue, you can just pick up Chicken Soup and I guarentee it will lift your spirits. The stories in it are so uplifting and just make you feel good. I found that once I started reading Chicken Soup, I could not put it down. Each story makes you feel so good that you just wanna keep reading. It lets you know that what we are all going through and feeling the same types of things. It makes you feel good to know that you are not alone. I think this book acts more as a friend than anything else. It is always there to comfort you and give you hope for a better future. I would definitely recommend this to all teenagers. Even if you aren't dying of cancer, there are stories in here that can relate to every teenager. And the greatest part is that the book is made up of stories written by teenagers themselves so it definitely relates to them. This book overall just gives you a positive feeling when you are done.

...Chicken Soups are books written by readers of real life stories about either their life or someone else's. There are many Chicken Soup books directed to certain people, mostly by ages. Some of them are Chicken Soup for anyone to read, Chicken Soup for kids, for mothers, for fathers, for parents for Christians, teenagers and many others. This particular book is the second version of the Chicken Soups for Teenagers. It has one hundred and one more stories about the life of teenagers. The writers of stories have written about the following topics: Relationships, Friendship, Love and Kindness, Tough Stuff, Family, Learning Lessons, Making a Difference and Growing Up. All these are topics, which teenagers can relate to as they all experience things connected to the topics. The authors of the topics vary, most of them are written by teenagers. Some of the stories are even written by parents who have teenagers and sometimes celebrities write in a story. In this particular book actress Jennifer Love Hewitt wrote a story about friendship. In addition not only are there stories but there are also poems.
Chicken Soup Teenage Soul II has a story written by Jennifer Love Hewitt, which is known to have attracted many people to read this edition. Her particular story is on the topic of friendship. The title of the story is "A Friend For Life." This story is about Jennifer Love Hewitt meeting a young girl named Nicole who is suffering from cancer. Jennifer Love Hewitt was asked by an organization to help young people with sickness have their dream come true. Nicole's dream was to meet the actress. The story explains the kind of personality Nicole had towards life, even though she was suffering from cancer. Jennifer Love Hewitt explains about her full-of-energy life, how she didn't want anyone to pity her, she just wanted to live a normal life, she was just so positive about everything. Jennifer Love Hewitt mentions that her experience with Nicole is a day she'll never forget and that would affect her forever. Nicole was and always will her inspiration.
This is a book, which teenagers can connect with. By reading it they can realize that they aren't alone when it comes to certain conflicts or struggles in common daily life a teenager could experience. Every story and poem all have life lessons and morals to learn from, take notice of and understand. It is classified as an inspirational book and is very uplifting.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage soul II is a book in which different people enter stories about their life. They would enter a story from their life, which has to do with Relationships, Friendship, Love, Kindness, Tough Stuff, Family, Learning Lessons, Making a Difference, and Growing Up. People would send in stories on those topics because those are the topics that are in the book. The stories in this book are very helpful too!
This book is for both teenager's boys and girls. I could definitely say that this is my favorite book. The next book I am going to read is the first Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. I can't wait to get started! I hope my review encouraged you to read this book!

There are so many Inspiring and touching tales that fills our hearts with emotion. One wonders 'why' things happen as they shouldn't or 'How' do miracles change the course of our lives. There are moments in everybody's life where at a point you encounter obstacles, where your self esteem gets low, attitude differences opine or whatever be, awe-inspiring stories of this book glues you to stir your heart to be more wiser. It rekindles the spirits undoubtedly when we read the emotional narrations of others and wonder - We too come across lot of experiences in life. Should we not pen it down? Easy it may seem, needs inspirations like these stories to share alike tales. This book sure is a great 'light up spirits' book for woman, self inspirations you can say. Topics on Love, Attitude & self esteem, Special moments, Dreams, Truth & wisdom n more are widely covered which makes it a special read. I cherish this book and read n re-read at times. Good pick

Contrary to this books title, this is a must read for either sex. These strories would inspire anyone with a soft heart and a need for inspiration. As I became more involved in these wonderful life stories, I felt that no matter what obstacle, I could overcome it. Chicken Soup For The Woman's Soul is easily the best collection of works I have ever read

This book was given to me as a surprise gift from a coworker. I began reading it one spring morning at six a.m. while accompanying my S/O fishing. As the morning sun shone on me and I sipped at my hot coffee, I became totally involved in the lives of the people whose stories enlighten and/or simply enrich the spirit. It is a true celebration of many aspects of what being a woman is about. There are so many sides to us, so much to learn about ourselves, so much to explore, so much of life to be absorbed. In our neverending quest to give and experience the precious things in life, this book is a wonderful roadmap to help us seek out that which we have yet to experience and to relive that which has already brought us joy. It is about all of what is right with those of us of the feminine persuasion and celebrates loving, sharing, giving, nurturing and growing. If there are any men who are still puzzled by us, maybe they should read a sampling of topics from this book. It will give them a greater understanding of some of what makes us the creatures that we are. And for those who do understand, it will draw them even closer to us and enrich their own spirits as well. I have since also given this book to several friends as presents, however, I also included a pocket-size package of tissues....just in case!!!

For the money you can't go wrong this is an excellent book for people just starting out in astronomy or who need a better understanding of the night sky and where to locate things. This book is packed full of info. and nice color photographs to go along with the many things you can see in a small telescope. I wouldnt really suggest this book though to those who allready know how to locate things and have a good understanding of astronomy. For the new person though theres tons of night time sky charts with details of nebulas and everything else in that part of the sky. Theres an excellent part that shows you how to measure the distances between stars & constellations to locate those harder to find subjects!! An excelent book that deserves a 5 star review. I forgot to mention that it's spiral bound so this makes it easy to lay flat and keep on a certain page. And don't forget take your time with the book to learn things the night sky isnt going anywhere!

I own several books on observational astronomy, but this is one of them I frequently turn to for help. This has been recommended as the first book to get introduced to astronomy and I would strongly agree with that.

Perhaps, the most useful aspect of the book is its available in spiral bind. It makes so easy to navigate the pages and keep it spread around during observation.

The second useful aspect, especially for the beginners, is the charts of constellations. I own the SkyAtlas 2000.0, but the info in it is sometimes overwhelming. But Nightwatch displays the brighest objects of deepsky in easy charts and also gives quick info (light years, magnitude, is it good for binocs etc) right below the object. When my friends visit my back-yard, this book is helpful in locating the star and also give them quick funda about it.

In fact just binocs and this book are enough to spend a dark sky night. This book along with Backyard Astronomers (by same author) will probably be a complete beginners library. (Backyard Astronomers gives more details about telescopes).

It just gets better and better all the time. Night Watch Third Addition, is jammed packed with information, that an aspiring astronomer can't live without especially if your just getting started, be he/she 11 or 75 years of age. I can't rant and rave enough about this book and how it has helped so many people discover the Night Sky.

When a new comer comes to our club or viewing session and asks for a book that will help them to learn more, it is "Night Watch" that is always recommended to him or her.

The book talks plainly and easily to the new beginner, helps them to imagine and realise the size and depths of the universe, offer's tidbits of information on telescopes, what to look for what not to look for.

Star charts expertly detailed and easily read, offering all kinds of celestrial targets to shoot for. The charts are done in such a way as not to confuse the user with thousands of stars (such as found in the more involved star atlas, these come later), the charts offer targets not only for the telescope but for the binoculars as well. For those of you who do not own a telescope YET!

By far this is probably one of the best purchases you'll ever make.

This book without a doubt won't be sitting on the bookshelf collecting dust, rather it will be in your lap while you search the night skys!...

Enjoy the book!

As a historian and teacher, I've read extensively about the Holocaust. Never before however have I come across such a riveting accounting of the horrors of Nazi Germany. Walter Klemperer, a learned professor of literature, uses his journal to analytically examine the increasing restrictions placed on Jews, and himself, a practicing Christian of Jewish origins. His diary affords the reader a compelling look into everyday life in Germany. Though he is affected by anti-Semitic decrees, his observations are grounded more upon his views as a German. That is what makes this diary such a valuable reading experience -- his views, are that of an everyday German, albeit a proclaimed Jew. His intense disgust with the Nazi rule stems equally from his horror with what it does to Germany as much as what it does to him personally. The mounting tension he and his wife encounter as their lives become increasingly difficult is both heartbreaking and spell-binding. The reader is introduced into the Klemperer world, including the people who populate it, as well as the inner musings of the author, who faces the torments of the times with all too real human reactions. His doubts, fears, insecurities, and triumphs come to light brilliantly in this diary. As you discover Klemperer's world, you'll not soon forget it. This book has had a tremendous impact upon my understanding of this time period and has caused me to rethink many of my views of it. Any serious student of the era, or even those people who have a casual interest in the subject will find this diary to be one of the most rewarding reading experiences of the year! Don't miss it!

Discovering Victor Klemperer's "Diary" is like finding the missing link. It helps to fill in the gaps in our understanding of the German society that became crazy and the Jewish victims who experienced it. Volume I of the Diary, written and edited in journalistic style, gives a dramatic account of the day to day life of a Jewish Professor during the Hitler years. It reveals an all too human, noble, but flawed, character who undergoes dramatic development as the story progresses. The backdrop of historical events turns the Diary into a page-turning thriller. If we consider this true story to be a novel, we can identify with the protagonist, caught in the plot of history; it is great literature at it's best. As documented history, it gives invaluable insight into the holocaust. Every intelligent person will want read it.

I was terrified by the world that Victor Klemperer brings to life in " I Will Bear Witness ". The diary is a day by day account of a slow descent into the bowels of Hell. In the beginning the reader is pulled into Klemperers mostly mundane day to day life. Klemperer was a well respected and much published professor of Romance Languages at the University of Dresden. As well he was a decorated veteran of World War I. Slowly, starting with Hitlers rise to power in 1933, his entire world is turned inside out. Day by day the situation becomes more strained. Year by year the situation becomes more dangerous. But the brave hearted Klemperers stay on in Germany because they are German and can imagine no other life. I was greatly moved by the scenes that were brought to life by Klemperer. The description of the first household search they were subjected to caused goose bumps to run up my spine. In addition, the narrative of his 8 day imprisonment ( cell 89 ) is in my opinion a classic that will belongs to the ages. His ability to to draw a picture and capture the mood of a situation was truly amazing. I cannot say enough about the courage of the Klemperers as they fought everyday to hold onto their dignity, pride and finally their lives. Thanks to the skill and courage of Professor Klemperer I now have, in some small way, an idea of what the day to day horror of Nazi Germany was like for the persecuted.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul is surprisingly a great book. Never would I have thought that a book categorizedas a self-help book could be so touching. The empathy I felt was phenomenal. Compiled by the #1 New York Times Best Selling authors (Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Kimberly Kirberger), this is a book filled with over 101 sad, heart-lifting, and true stories. This book, part of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, tells teens about other's triumphs and hardships. Inside there are stories on topics such as relationships, friendships, tough stuff, etc., not to mention all the epitaphs. One story that sticks in my mind is the story of a girl named Jane and her best friend Lindsey. After not drinking and being good on their prom night, a drunk driver hit them. Lindsey was killed. Jane, in order to mourn her friend's loss, wrote letters to her dead friend. Some of the letters were in the story. A sad story, yes, but this story tells teens bad thing happen to everyone and yet they can go on. In my opinion, this tearjerker book is everyone's (even adult's) cup of tea - or should I say soup.

I am 11 years old,a young adolesence boy,My mother (a.k.a Santa Claus) bought me Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul for CHristmas. I immediately put my other presents away and started reading.It was sad,heart warming,and happy at certain times.I realized how special I really am. It was amazing how other people around and over my age felt.Also very nice to see how girls feel and want in a man. Also,how no matter how hard times get,suicide is never the answer. There was two stories in particular I loved Sparky (in the section "On Learning)you will never believe the ending. Another on of my favorites is about suicide and how everybody deserves a friend it is Always Return Your Phone Calls (in the section "Tough Stuff") It is sad,beatiful,and very inspirational. I suggest this book to every kid my age this book is so good I am going to read it over and over again. Thank-you.

"Chicken Soup for the Tenage Soul" by Wack Canifeld, Mark Victor Hansen, and Kimberly Kirberger is a great book that I highly recommend! It is a non-fiction poetry book. It is a bunch of short true stories or poems written by teenagers. There are also a few stories written by well-known people such as Bill Cosby, Jennie Garth, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and many more! I feel like it is very easy to relate to some stories and I am sure that other teenagers feel the same way. There are a variety of stories so it is kind of hard not to fing at least one that you can't relate to a little bit! The authors of "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul" have also written many other "Chicken Soup" books that have also been excellent. These authors are the number one New York Times best selling authors. I thought that this book was exceelent and a very good idea. I personally really enjoyed reading the stories about other people's worries, problems, and achievements. It made me realize that there are many other teens out there just like me. It really made me take a reality check! I dont think that this book had any negative points! I loved it and I bet you will too!!

An American doctor once asked Viktor Frankl to explain the difference between conventional psychoanalysis and logotherapy. Before answering, Frankl asked the doctor for his definition of psychoanalysis. The man said, "During psychoanalysis, the patient must lie down on a couch and tell you things which sometimes are very disagreeable to tell." Frankl immediately replied by saying: "Now, in logotherapy the patient may remain sitting erect but he must hear things which sometimes are very disagreeable to hear." By this he meant that in logotherapy the patient is actually confronted with and reoriented toward the MEANING of his life. The role of the therapist, then, is to help the patient discover a purposefulness in his life. Frankl's theory is that man's search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life and not a "secondary rationalization" of instinctual drives. Whereas Freudian psychoanalysis focuses on the "will to pleasure" and Adlerian psychology focuses on the "will to power" it can be said that Frankl's logotherapy focuses on the "will to meaning." Does man give in to to conditions or stand up to them? According to Frankl, the strength of a person's sense of meaning, responsibility, and purpose is the greatest determining factor in how that question will be answered. He believed that "man is ultimately self-determining" and as such, "does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become in the next moment."

The first (and largest) section of this book is the searing autobiographical account of the author's experience as a longtime prisoner in a concentration camp. These camps claimed the lives of his father, mother, brother, and wife. Frankl's survival and the subsequent miracle of this book are a testimony to man's capacity to rise above his outward fate. As Gordon W. Allport states in the preface, "A psychiatrist who personally has faced such extremity is a psychiatrist worth listening to."

I agree, and highly reccommend this book. As the sub-title says, it is an "introduction" to logotherapy, and anyone who wants to go deeper into the principles and practical application of Frankl's existential psychiatry should go to his excellent "The Doctor And The Soul".

Frankl was fond of quoting Nietzsche's dictum..."He who has a WHY to live can bear with almost any HOW."

Viktor E. Frankl, as you've read in other reviews, is a holocaust survivor. In Man's Search for Meaning Frankl takes his experiences in concentration camps and translates them into a theory for therapy. His personally developed therapy, logotherapy, strives to help mankind overcome nuerosis by applying meaning to one's life experience, including (if not especially) a person's suffering. It is stated over and over again in Frankl's book that if a man can be shown a why, he can endure almost any how. This isn't really a new idea. However, Frankl goes one step further by helping people to see meaning and dignity in their suffering. Indeed, the preface of the book starts out with the line ' Dr. Frankl, author-psychiatrist, sometimes asks his patients who suffer from a multitude of torments great and small, "Why do you not commit suicide?".' What an opening line! What a question! Why does a suffering person not commit suicide? Are they living for a minor child, to finish a project, because their religion forbids suicide? Whatever the reason is, Frankl suggests that while that reason does not necessarily eliminate the suffering, a person's recognition of the dignity of their suffering can give them the will to go on.

While this book is not light reading, and does occasionally get a tad repetitive, it has such a wonderful message and packs so much into such a short space, that I highly recommend that everyone get a copy and read it. I was lent a copy by a friend and now I plan to get a copy for several people who I know. It's just wonderful.

Frankl presents the horrendous conditions of Auschwitz with the matter-of-fact tone of a sympathetic but objective observer, much like a clinician who cares deeply about his patients but does not allow his emotions to interfere with his analysis. He shows the reader a wide range of human behavior under extreme duress, including examples of the best and worst in our nature. It is hard to imagine anyone reading this first part, his condensed description of surviving the death camps, without being moved, without becoming deeply thoughtful, even stunned, in the face of man's inhumanity to man, and conversely of what it can mean to be truly human.

The book continues with Frankl describing his philosophy of psychiatric treatment, "logotherapy", that is, therapy based on discovering meaning in one's life. Based in large part on his observations in the camps, Frankl developed a method of treating depression which rejected the Freudian approach of dwelling on the past, wallowing in childhood traumas, in favor of focusing on the future, discovering personal meaning in one's present context. The idea of proper context is important here. Frankl enjoins against the notion of a One True Meaning of Life. The analogy he uses is that of asking the chess grand master, "What is the best move in the world?" It's an absurd question as it stands, of course, as every move must be evaluated in light of a particular game, the current layout of pieces, the personalities and strategies of each player, etc. Similarly, the constellation of meanings that lend our lives substance and power can very well change over time. The content of the answer is not as important as asking the right question: "For me, in this place, at this time, what gives or can give my existence the most meaning?" [that's a paraphrase, not a quote] Acting always in accordance with the honest answer to this question is, in Frankl's view, the most sustainable route to happiness throughout our lives.

I have recently read this book and my first impression was that it was kinda...plain??? This book doesn't have much description, but the stories are ...Spectacular!!! I dont think that 13 year olds like me would benefit from this book, because it's a little...should I say...old?? Even though I enjoyed the book, the authors would lose a lot of readers by only making a Chicken Soup for the Teen's Soul and the Kid's Soul. If I could suggest one thing to the author, I would suggest to make a Preteen's Soul. Also, I would suggest to have more kids write stories instead of the stories always being by either Kimberly or Jack. It would draw more attention to the books if they didn't take kids for granted. If we don't like a book, WE'LL TELL YOU!!!!

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Tough Stuff was a book I feel all teenagers and for that matter adults should read. It really touched me. At times I cried, and at times I laughed. This book really touched home. It reminded me that no matter how bad my day was, there is someone that has gone through the same thing and maybe worse things that same day. I have all the Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul books and this is my favorite.

I hope others can recieve that same joy I recieved from it. This book like the others will serve as a devotional for me. Each story has some meaning or lesson that will touch home.

Just like all of the other amazing Chicken Soup books, this one is full of "feel-good" stories that will make your feel all warm inside, as if you were eating a hot bowl of chicken soup. The stories in this book are focused on the tough stuff that teenages go through, and I'm sure any teenager can relate to this book in one way or another. It gives young adults inspiration, and is a wonderful collection of stories that will touch your heart and warm your soul.