Choices was a holiday gift to me in 1996 and I was surprised to discover a Southern writer who had written so many books that I'd not heard of. Then, once I read Choices, I was really amazed that I'd missed a writer of such quality with such a compelling story to tell. Because my books circulate to family and friends, this copy of Choices has been dropped in the ocean or bathtub or both and now bears a fair amount of tape.But it's battered condition shows the number of folks that have enjoyed it; each exclaims that this is such a good book.

As a Lit major I have read a lot of books that are blessed with the distinction of being "good literature." Choices is easily my favorite in my long list of quality books. Being able to follow the development of one character so intensly is sastisfying and Mary Lee Settle did a perfect job of making Melinda's life one to get involved in.

*Choices* is exquisitely written, epic in scope yet deeplypersonal. I found myself completely caught up in it.

To Kill a Mocking Bid is definitely one of the best books in American history. It clearly describes the unjust discrimination against the blacks in the south in the 1930's. It taught me alot about racism in the south. I really admire Atticus Finch, the main character in this novel, he stepped up to defend a black man despite losing all his friends and reputation.

Here in Duluth everybody in town is supposed to be reading Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," and there are all sorts of literary discussions, dramatic events, and the like going on all month long. In addition to rereading the novel, which is probably my favorite in American Literature, I have been looking over the various study guides available. Barron's "Literature Made Easy" guides are based on "modern scientific knowledge of how the brain works," which means not only using pictures and graphics, but unique "mind maps" that summarize details students need to learn. The idea with these is that you use them to take notes and develop a personal outline of your thoughts about the character and plot of the novel which branch out from a central point. Now, this might look a bit intimidating to me, but the goal is to build simple chains of key associations regarding what is happening in a novel and what it means. Ah, the joys of 21st century education.

This book, written by Mary Hartley, also makes use of icons for key themes from Harper Lee's novel: growing up is a cake, courage is a heart, racial prejudice a face half black and half white, etc. A typewriter is used to highlight commentary about Lee's choice of words and imagery (i.e., style and language). These icons pop up during the commentary section so that students can trace the develop and interaction of the various themes. The guide begins with some background on the author and the time in which "To Kill a Mockingbird" is set, followed by a synopsis, a discussion of the main characters, and an overview of the main themes of the novel.

The commentary section breaks each chapter into sections. For example, Chapter 1 is broken down into The start of it all, Atticus and the Finch family, Dill's arrival, Boo and the Radleys, and "Just go up and touch the house." Each section starts with the first and last sentence that define it, followed by a list of what happens in that part, commentary, and questions marked with stars which young readers are supposed to stop and think about. In comparison to similar study guides, such as Cliffsnotes, this approach has the key values of inviting active participation from the readers and dealing with more discrete units within each chapter. The little pieces add up to some significant whole without the students realizing what is going on.

The back of the book has Topics for Discussion and Brainstorming, suggestions on How to Get an "A" in English Literature (which probably translates to American Lit as well), an Exam Essay, a Model Answer and Essay Plan, Glossary and Index. My feeling is that this book is geared more towards junior high students, which is fine since that was the grade level at which I taught "To Kill a Mockingbird." Teachers can certainly find some useful things to emphasize in class discussions, even if students are not using the guide. Other volumes in the "Literature Made Easy Series" look at "Animal Farm," "Julius Caesar," "Lord of the Flies," "MacBeth," "Of Mice and Men," "Pride and Prejudice," and "Romeo and Juliet."

Great life lessons, on racism and hate. It makes you sympathetic towards the outsiders.

Irresistible Attraction: Secrets of Personal Magnetism does a nice job in a very highly competitive arena for relationship...seduction...personal development...perception type books. (In fact it blends the four nicely with the ethical rejoinder, "...so ultimately...anyone can get the first date but the second... is completely dependent upon your personality and your character.")

Unlike the Art of Seduction which is quite beautifully written for a text on pure overt and covert manipulation, Irresistible Attraction is focused on Attraction. Essentially the first argument of the book is that we are all predisposed to find certain characteristics in others attractive. Those characteristics are evaluated in two stages. The first in the very first moments (seconds if you will) of meeting. In many cases they happen before meeting. The second is once the introductions are made and trying to overcome (or maintain) those instant evaluations.

IA really is about those first moments. There is one chapter that does a nice job to help you determine if your "catch" is going to be "right" for you, but this is right at the end of the book. This is a book about attraction. The applications in business are obvious, but this is really all about instant liking, instant connection, and...it works.

This book takes the current research on evolutionary psychology and breaks it down to give us honest answers about what men and women not only want, but are wired to want. It's not about what women want men to want. Or vice versa. Geez, if we could have that, we could blink our eyes and have the person of our dreams. This is honest stuff, and how to use the information to adapt ourselves and our environment so we can be the best person that we want to be. And maybe that will help us to attract the person we want into our lives. Not only that, the book goes beyond the man/woman/love/partner relationship to deal with body language and how we appear to others, not just in love or romantic situations, but in all situations. How can we be more magnetic? Everyone has the capability to be more magnetic - but do we have the drive to actually come through and make changes necessary? We all need someone to be honest with us and tell us how we could change to be more attractive - these authors do that for us, like our best friends - the ones who say what we need to hear. Thank you!

I didn't know if I would like this book or not when I first saw it. I didn't want to read a book that was a Cosmo-get 'em in bed book. This was a pleasant surprise. Since Irresistible Attraction, I've read other books by Kevin Hogan but this remains my favorite for a lot of reasons.

Every page is filled with fun, respect for women, lots of well researched information about relationships and sometimes a tongue in cheek atttitude that is very fun!

Hogan and LaBay share fascinating research about body language and non-verbal communication. I learned so much about body language I feel I could be a commentator on television. Some of the more interesting facts I discovered included:

1)When meeting someone you are likely to start off on the right foot if you keep that person to your right side. The research behind this was truly amazing and once you learn this, you wonder why no one ever figured it out before.
2) The first impression really is important and in fact you should try to make a great impression on everyone you meet.
3) People with different colored eyes expect to be looked at in different ways and for different lengths of time.
4) People should dress themselves with colors that match their eyes for a great impression.
5) Men and women's body weight influences how people perceive their personality. I thought people would like you for who they are and they do but people assign better characteristics to you if you are thinner!
6) Women are deeper and more complex beings than men! (I knew that all the time.)
7) Physical appearance is far more important to men than women.
8) Clothing styles help you state who you are and helps other people see you for what you are stating.
9) In the first few seconds of meeting someone, everything matters alot and carries over into the relationship.
10) First impressions are difficult to change.
11) There are lots of specific cues and clues that makes us more and less attractive to others.

This book is like a Bible for making it easy for people to love you.

I also agree with the other reviewers that sometimes the book veers off of the interpersonal dimension into the business dimension, but even that works.

This book is fun, exciting and really useful!

Robert E. Lee's daughters are the subject of this beautiful and poignant book. So touching is the correspondence between the General, his wife and daughters that you feel like an interloper. The lost art of letter writing as praticed by the Lee family gives a vivid picture of Antebellum, Civil War, and Recontruction-era social history.

The Lee Girls by biographer Mary P. Coulling is the informed and informative story of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's four daughters: Mary Custis Lee; Eleanor Agnes Lee; Mildred Childe Lee; and Anne Carter Lee. Diaries, letters, paintings, and other contemporary records were utilized as primary source materials upon which to base an bibliographically historically accurate narrative of these women's lives through girlhood, the horror of war, and the era of reconciliation and rebuilding. A truly excellent and well balanced chronicle, The Lee Girls is a welcome and highly recommended addition to American Regional History, Civil War Studies, and Reconstruction Era Studies collections and supplemental reading lists.

Enjoyed the time frame of the book. It was not just the girls during the civil war period but also gave attention to the sons as well. The black and white photos were a plus but I wish the author had featured photos of the two surviving daughters in later life. This is an excellent well researched book into the lives of four charming girls of American history.

While this book helped me self-diagnose my earliest menopausal symptoms, I think the authors deserve a real thumbs up for the information on how to find the best doctor - and how to talk to this doctor once you find him or her. Talking to my gyno about the change proved VERY frustrating - but this book made me feel like I wasn't alone and gave tips on how to get referred to a specialist in hormonal issues. What a difference! Thanks Drs Teaff and Wiley!

This book has helped me a lot - especially the part on how to tell the difference between PMS and perimenopause. The chapter on how to find the right doctor was also right on the money. I am in my mid-forties and trying to conceive. Dr. Teaff and Wiley have more information on middle age fertility and how to keep it going than any of the other dozens of books I've read on the topic.

This book is lying on my bedside table. I found the authors addressed the symptoms of perimenopause in an easy-to-read, and easy-to-relate to manner. They presented information about hormone therapy but didn't insist that it was the only way to go. I never got the sense they were trying to sell their readers on a particular treatment or point of view, just to rather lay out all the options.

This is a nice little book of stories, poems and the like from Maryanne Mohanraj's postings on the Internet, mostly at alt.sex.stories. Although most of the stuff you find on the net is garbage, there is some high quality material to be found as well, and this is among the better, although certainly of not the highest quality. The stories are at once arousing and edifying and they combine sexuality and sensuality to provide one with a (usually) nice mix in stark contrast to many other writers, who are good at writing blatantly about sex but not so good at writing about the feelings that go along with it. Some of the stories are tacky or silly, but at least Mohanraj deals with certain real issues in her writing and usually doesn't focus in on the rather tedious mechanics of the sexuial act itself. Some of the depictions come off as sounding trite and traditional, but she does try to make the stories a little bit more than something to masturbate to, as a few do actually make you think. Not a bad collection overall, but for some really hot stuff, you might want to check out Anne Rice's erotica.

I bought this book primarily for Tracy Lee's photography, after seeing it on her website. I ended up liking Mary Ann's work a lot, and referring back to it occasionally. As an erotica connoisseur, I recommend it.

I bought this book awhile back after reading some of her internet postings. Her take on sex, love, and the people who engage in both are breathtaking, fresh, and honest. And there are a couple stories that, even after owning this book for two years, still make me, well, you know... THis is a must-read for people who like their erotica to be more than just sexual descriptions.

Being a full-time professional hypnotherapist I found the information concise and quite usable. I have been looking for a book that I could recommend to my clients for quite some time. Because this book explains the concepts of how the mind works in a direct method using examples and metaphors, people of all levels of knowledge will gain from it. Whether you are a hypnotherapist looking to explore some of the finer nuances of hypnosis, or a person who wants to use more of your own God given resources, this book will help you. If you are ready to take control of your life and make the improvements that you want to have, then this book is a must!

Self-hypnosis can be a powerful technique for anyone seeking to overcome phobias, lose weight, stop smoking, ease the pangs of childbirth, or make other significant and lasting changes in their emotional and physical well being. In Through The Open Door: Secrets Of Self-Hypnosis, Kevin Hogan and Mary Lee LaBay offer simple, easy-to-follow guidelines for employing self-hypnosis to achieve and maintain a desired balance in life; dissolve self-sabotaging fears and abolish unwanted habits; make and abide by better decisions; develop an enduring self-confidence; even interpret dreams. Exceptionally well written and an ideal introduction for the non-specialist general reader, Through The Open Door is a unique and invaluable contribution to any self-help, self-improvement reading list or reference collection.

I thought self hypnosis was all about, "sit down, relax, take a deep breath and space out." I was wrong. This book is a life changer! It is so practical.

The authors start out explaining just what hypnosis is and how it works. They sort of take the mystery and magic out of it...like seeing how a magic trick works, and then show you how to use your mind as a theater or TV screen to change all the pictures in your mind.

I really didn't expect to learn how to control pain. I bought the book because Hogan cowrote it and I was absolutely 100% happy with what I'm learning about self confidence, weight control and reducing pain. I probably will never use the section on have a child with hypnosis. Hee hee.

This is a really remarkable book about something everyone should use!

Well, deserving of the book award except::: having visited Turkey many times; her overall description of the people is acurate however its also as foggy as each of the characters assesment of each other. Also she seems to think that all gays are either boring fakes, silly holiday makers and she compares lesbians to either smugglers, drug addicts or spies. Mary whats your problem with a positive gay character. Its a moving book, I enjoyed it though am a little disappointed with the ending; which I wont spoil. I can see how Turkish people could be offdended. I think her Turkish Reflections a much better read.

Her "Turkish Reflections" is also a marvellous read. This time, the author offers a true story in a "fictional" format along with her escapades in Bodrum. Her ability to understand and convey to readers Turkish cultural nuances is remarkable. The story itself is wonderful. Enjoy!

In ways reminiscent of "The Ugly American", "Blood Tie" explores the lives of a group of expatriates and reveals the impacts they have on the Turks living in a small coastal community along the Aegean. Settle does a beautiful and poignant job of immersing the reader in the landscape and lives of the characters. The story is believable and accurate. Her writing transported me back the town on which the setting is based. Excellent reading for those seeking to understand social transformations taking place in Turkey in recent decades.

Had this been the first book I read on Roger Williams, I might have enjoyed it more;however, I feel it is a weak attempt to present Roger Williams' beiefs and their evolution. There was way too much time spent learning of Edward Coke (although interesting, not the subject of the book). There is more to his leaving the Church of England that just being exiled from the Bay Colony. We get no religious philosophy; just political. Why did he found the Baptist Church in America and then leave it? Seven generations back he was my grandfather; he deserves a better telling. A much more filling work is Liberty of Conscience:Roger Williams in America, by Edwin S. Gaustad.

I stumbled across "I, Roger Williams" in the public library, while I was waiting for my wife to go through the check-out line. A brief glance was enough to capture my attention, even though I had heard nothing about this book. After a careful reading (sometimes with a dictionary at my side), I am ready to read it again. "I, Roger Williams" is a sublime work, weaving great insight about human relations with credible historical fiction. With a delicate touch Mary Lee Settle has written one of the finest works of fiction I have ever read. This is a book to read slowly and savor, as it sparks reflection about law and faith and tolerance, and it piques curiosity about historical detail. No other work of fiction has so artfully explored the continuity between old England and New England, or critiqued the weaknesses of our ancestors while celebrating their achievements. Mary Lee Settle breathes life into great men who have unjustly become footnotes for historians. And she paints the most joyous pictures of faithfulness in marriage and wisdom with aging that I have seen. I am deeply indebted to the author for her research, wit, grace, and maturity; and I recommend this work to all who have the patience to read a masterpiece.

I, Roger Williams by Mary Lee Settle, is a tour de force. A perfectly structured fictionalized autobiograpy of Roger Williams, the book makes the origins of the United States' most important freedoms, freedom of religion, belief, speech, and the separation of church and state come alive. At the same time it conveys the human side of our forefathers and the forces that shaped their thought and actions. A must read for anyone who would wish to understand and protect democracy.

This is an excellent and clear-headed book about Turkey before the dynamic capitalism of the 1980's really set in. As such, it is somewhat anachronistic as all books about Turkey quickly tend to become. On the other hand, the general portrait and the beautiful writing make this the best and truest introduction to Turkey yet written. Read it to understand this unique country, a veritable mosaic of ethnicities, customs and histories; spawning a bridge between the East and the West. For people who see the world through narrow eyes, Turkey might be a paradox: the most secular country in the world, with a solidly modern orientation and a predominantly Muslim (but secular!) population. Not a paradox for Settle who has an open mind.

Recall also that Turkey is a country that suffers an unjustly bad image, mainly because of fanatic Greek-Orthodox fundamentalists (e.g. see the one or two silly reviews below by Greek-Americans with no idea of Balkan history!). Mary Lee Settle has done more than anyone else to rectify the balance. She is uniquely qualified to do so because she clearly has no political agenda to settle with the past or with the future...

One can only hope that Mary Lee Settle writes another book covering the breathtaking changes in Turkey in the last 20 years or so with the same clear vision.

This is an excellent and clear-headed book about Turkey before the dynamic capitalism of the 1980's really set in. As such, it is somewhat anachronistic as all books about Turkey quickly tend to become. On the other hand, the general portrait and the beautiful writing make this the best and truest introduction to Turkey yet written. Read it to understand this unique country, a veritable mosaic of ethnicities, customs and histories; spawning a bridge between the East and the West. For people who see the world through narrow eyes, Turkey might be a paradox: the most secular country in the world, with a solidly modern orientation and a predominantly Muslim (but secular!) population. Not a paradox for Settle who has an open mind.

Recall also that Turkey is a country that suffers an unjustly bad image, mainly because of fanatic Greek-Orthodox fundamentalists (e.g. see the one or two silly reviews below by Greek-Americans with no idea of Balkan history!). Mary Lee Settle has done more than anyone else to rectify the balance. She is uniquely qualified to do so because she clearly has no political agenda to settle with the past or with the future...

One can only hope that Mary Lee Settle writes another book covering the breathtaking changes in Turkey in the last 20 years or so with the same clear vision.

This book reflects personal experiences and insights of the author, which is done very sincerely and poetically. It is not a history textbook nor carries a political agenda. I do not know if the reader had read the whole book but pages 66-67 contain references to Armenian genocide. I can also tell that this reader's knowledge of modern Turkey and Turkish people and their relationships with Armenians, Greeks and Kurds are limited to few subjective publications. If he/she ever lived in Turkey and observed how those people from diverse backgrounds live, go schools and work together, become best friends and marry each other, he/she would not believe every opinion so naively. Every country has its own unique disparities and ways to deal with them. Turkey regionally and politically has a very strategic position (historically much diverse compared to many countries in the world); hence, it experienced and continues to experience many uproars for claims of land. This situation is not unique to Turkey and I strongly believe that most countries would do the same to defend the integrity of their land.