After reading several Carl Rogers books and papers I was led to Martin Buber's works. Martin Buber was one of the most profound thinkers of our times. Not an easy read but a one well worth the time and effort. Illuminating and insight on the subject of good and evil.

There is a sense that this is one of the most important book in my life. I have re-read it for the last 3 summers and i have found different things that i needed. Buber has a distinct method of communication that pulls from you who you are... i hear his subtlety in my ear even now. Buber is brilliant.

This book was invaluable in our bathroom project. First it gave us the confidence to get started, and then it answered all our questions during the project. With the aid of this book we ripped our bathroom out to the studs, and put in a completely new bathroom. The book covers materials, techniques, helpful hints, and cleanup. Just as an example, after we got the tile off the walls and were faced with a 300lb cast iron tub, we checked the book and found that we could smash the tub into pieces with a sledgehammer for easy removal. Problem solved.

Now we're thinking about doing the kitchen.

An excellent book for beginners. Like Nikitas's other books, I found this one thorough, and clearly written. The projects are laid out just in the right order for an on-again-off-again home improvement dude like me to follow. I tried a mortar bed for the first time and it came out amazingly well: this goes in my reference library.

I stumbled across this book about 6 years ago in a sales rack at Crown Books in Topanga Canyon, California. There were only three left, so I picked one up and paid about $11 for it. How I wish I had snatched all three, because it is now impossible to get and some dealers are asking a fortune for used versions (Ron offers the best price and his are new!). One of a kind posters, many that are different versions from the same film and sometimes foreign versions, are artfully arranged and beautifully reprinted throughout this book. The reader can enjoy the fabulous art again and again, as well as learn quite a bit about the history of film posters, lobby cards and one sheets. Ron's narrative about his love for collecting posters is a treat and he paints a great picture with words of what it was like when he and his friends started out collecting. I urge you to visit Ron's shop on Hollywood Blvd. for a look at some truly classic film posters if you just can't seem to find this great book. What can I say but, "Five Thumbs Up!" (And thanks, Ron, for sharing!)

I have seen the collection in person and let me tell you that this book is phenomenal! . There is no book that comes close to this masterpiece. Ron still sells copies at his store in Hollywood. It is a must for any horror fan. From silent to the 70's it's all in there. There are even some items in his book that are 1 of a kind. Yes, the only specimens left on the planet earth. A feast for the eyes!

The right answer to the dumb question "If you could buy only 1 book . . .?" should be "I wouldn't be a vet!" Choosing a comprehensive Small Animal Practice book, however, comes to only 2 alternatives: either Birchard & Sherding's or Morgan's. I am not considering excellent Internal Medicine texts (like Ettinger or Nelson & Couto) because, by design, they leave out important areas of the practice. Which one would you choose, then? I have a slight preference for Birchard & Sherding's (which could be influenced by the fact that I worked in the same school as them for 20 years!). Morgan's outline format occasionally is too restrictive and prevents full explanation of important concepts but it is a great text and a few chapters (like the one on Central Nervous System) are truly exceptional. Each text has its own chracteristics and strongest areas but both are outstanding. What do you do then? Do as I did; buy both! It is a bit more expensive but you will be sure that you have the very best that has been written in small animal practice. I have had no reason to repent.

To make a long story short, if somebody tells me that I have to pick just ONE book to run a small animal practice, I would pick this one.
This book discuss 95% of the clinical cases you will find in real life and it's written in such a way, that you find the answer you need in a couple of minutes.

Hawaiian Money is an encyclopedia of information on Hawaiian coins and tokens. It contains information valuable to anyone, begginer to coin dealer. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in tokens, scrip, medals or coins of Hawaii.

Auction houses, advanced and beginner collectors, dealers of coins, tokens and currency, all use this book to guide them in their collecting, pricing, and cataloging of Hawaiian money.

Behn's new book is magnificent. Poem after poem, hear such clarity of complication, such intelligence, such heart. If this book doesn't win ALL the prizes, I'll be surprised. On the other hand, it's a book that in all good ways doesn't seem to care about prizes. It's ambition has some eternity in it. Any serious reader of poetry will cherish this book.

The opening poem of Horizon Note introduces a spider who reappears at intervals throughout this book. The speaker states,
"If you play the fat black note of her body/anywhere upon her intricate staff/it only sounds like her." And the word-music Behn composes within this compelling book only sounds like her.
She has all her poetic instruments in tune. Through rhyme or playful word trills or long melodious movements of thought and sound, she playfully and painfully pushes words to their limits to confront and question their beauties and their frailties. Behn is a maestro here who understands the power of language, and at every turn--even in its griefs, its failings--she finds the music there. A stunning collection of poems.

Despite having a wonderfully supportive family, I needed even more comfort after the death of my infant twin daughters. I couldn't understand the emotions I was feeling and I felt so alone even when surrounded by friends and family. This book must be read by every mother who has feelings of desperation and hopelessness. I hope to never have to pass it on to a friend, but if the need arises, I would recommend it positively.

a friend lent me this book after i lost a baby @15 weeks in 1994. i was struck by how two men could write a book with such great insight into a loss felt most intensely by women. the authors interviewed women who had experienced loss - either through miscarriage, infant death or stillbirth - and recorded their feelings in a most non-judgmental and sympathetic way.

i found the section on doctors particularly illuminating, since the reaction of my own doctor had been less than warm. peppers and knapp theorize that doctors who choose obstetrics as a specialty, especially young ones, are ill-equipped to deal with loss.

i have recommended this book to many women and will continue to do so. i applaud the authors for a wonderful source of comfort during a most devastating time

Very intimate and revealing account of tragic suffering from mental illness, this book is a wonderful resource, one I would have welcomed in my past, to help the spouse and family deal with the mental illness of a family member. It identifies two deficiencies in the currently health care system: 1) not enough attention given to the supporting and spouse and family; 2) no real alternatives between the hospital and the home for supporting the treatment and recovery process. If you are dealing with the issues, get the book!

Required reading for anyone who has tried to do more than they probably should, or possibly can, for someone they love...

The author's honesty about the personal and family costs that are incurred when faced with an 'unsolvable', out-of-control loved one is tough to read - but enlightening and important to hear. By just keeping it personal, and by being real about his own struggles, Ron Hamlen will hopefully help many others who find themselves desparately stuck in a cycle of 'Trying to Make it OK' - when they can't.

To place modern scholarship on India in the proper context, it will be helpful to read this book. Inden dissects the colonialist prejudices of these scholars and shows how a lot about India that we take for granted is actually a construction of these Indologists.

Inden's book is commendable for giving a clear, thorough and courageous analysis of why scholars of many ilks have given the distorted image of India that we have today. The British wanted to justify their empire and loot, by positioning themselves as the civilizing force. The Germans built their "Aryan" identity as being at the center of history. The Jungians constructed the West as being rational and progressive, as compared to the 'world negating', irrational and mystical Indians. Post-independence Indian Marxists wanted to 'qualify' India for Marxism by having to prove its feudalistic character. All these served to build and solidify the theory of India as a sponge of civilization and with no agency to originate anything worthwhile. No wonder then that most treatments of India begin and end with caste and the multitude of social evils - all deemed too quickly to be its inherent qualities. Yet there is little coverage given to the appropriations by Westerners from India. Inden's book should be read by everyone with a serious interest to understand India.

This book is a lifesaver for my family.
I struggle to keep a family member "on their meds" so they may continue to live independently. This book has explained, in a simple but sufficiently thorough way, things I've needed to know:
1) What the medications prescribed actually do;
2) Side effects of prescribed medications, so I know which complaints I hear about side effects are actually from the meds, or whether other health concerns should be addressed;
3) Relative costs of medications, so I can address complaints about the medications' costs;
4) Alternative medications, and why they might be prescribed;
5) Time lag - some meds may take weeks before they have therapeudic effect, even though the patient taking them experience side effects immediately.
6) Time lag - if a patient decides to stop taking their meds, there is often a period of time between that last pill and relapse.
Meds, even though they are less than perfect (don't we know!!) are still the miracle keeping mentally ill people alive and "at home", figuratively and literally. It is SO easy for the people who need these meds to stop taking them, with absolutely disasterous results.
Although psychiatrists and pharmacists may have had education in this, social workers, family members, and even general practitioners that are on the front lines dealing with this on a daily basis really do have a need to know this material.
I'd give this book a Milky Way's worth of stars if I could.

We recently had the pleasure of a hosted discussion by Dr. Diamond at our web site.

One person sent me the following review of this book:

The following is an abbreviated version of the original article: Book Review: Instant Psychopharmacology by Ronald J. Diamond, M.D. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., ISBN 0-393-70269-3 (pbk.).

Dr. Ron Diamond, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School, as well as the medical director of the Mental Health Clinic of Dane County, recently published a book on psychotropic medications.  Written in a remarkably straightforward manner, this informative handbook is a rare treat.

Indeed, it's quite a resource for psychologists, nurses, and social workers who are often reading and incorporating various sources of data (chart notes, medical histories, etc.) to assist in treatment planning, answering clients' questions and/or communicating with physicians. Students in non-medical mental health fields will also find this book useful, especially the annotated bibliography.  The handbook's bibliography includes web addresses for accessing psychopharmacology information through the Internet.

I would also encourage mental health consumers and their significant others to consult Instant Psychopharmacology. Although it is subtitled, "A guide for the nonmedical mental health professional", the author alternately addresses his colleagues and clients throughout the text.  Diamond achieves an appropriate balance between offering detailed information (dosages and drug profiles) as well as general facts about neurotransmitter systems and how drugs work.  The book's greatest strength is how clearly it's written Chapter One, "Psychopharmacology:  The Rules of the Game", is a must- read for all consumers.

Another strength is how up-to-date it is, in terms of the various types of psychotropic drugs available.  I can also appreciate its usefulness for researchers such as myself, who frequently ask study participants to list the medications they're currently prescribed. 

In this regard, it's extremely helpful to have the appendices which list drugs  by their brand names as well as their generic names.  The book also deals  with the somewhat sensitive topic of  sexual side effects directly and  matter-of-factly.

In summary, Instant Psychopharmacology is a wonderful resource.  I strongly encourage consumers and family members as well as mental health professionals to consult it.

Diane C. Gooding, Ph.D., Chair, Public Education Committee ------ reprinted from The Pioneer, AMI of Dane County, Sept l998 issue