I have given this book to two different expectant mom's. Both new mom's have told me how wonderful a support this book has been in dealing with their own concerns about their own changes. They liked the way they could focus on specific concerns using the straight forward question and answer format.

A friend and I were looking for a gift for a first-time mother when we came upon The New Mom's Companion. As a mother and a psychiatrist, I know first and second hand how much a woman's life drastically changes when she has her first baby. This attractive book insightfully and sensitively touches on all of the many concerns I had when I first became a mother, from internal, identity issues to changes in my marriage and other relationships. The Question and Answer format is easy to use and allows a harried mom to focus right in on the issues coming up for her at that moment. The index takes her quickly to where she needs to go. Every new mom desperately needs the reassuring tone and easily found answers to her questions. This book helps a new mother feel confident, normalizes what feels abnormal, and helps her to know when her emotions or behaviors indicate that she needs professional help. (With all of the most welcome current media attention on post-partum depression and psychosis, this is particularly valuable.) I wish I'd had The New Mom's Companion when I was a first time mom, and it will be the book I give to every new mom I know.

I am a first time mother and received this book when my son was three weeks old and it really helped my sanity. With the new found awareness of postpartum psychosis this book is a must for all new moms. When I brought my son home from the hospital I had such a swing of emotions (some to embarassing to share) that I thought I made a big mistake having a child! It was difficult adapting to this "little bundle of joy" let alone coming to grips with my new role as mother. I mean wasn't this supposed to be the best thing? Well, when I picked up The New Mom's Companion and read through the questions that pertained to me I felt not only relieved but confident that I didn't make the biggest mistake in my life. What I liked most about this book was the format of question and answer it let's you browse the questions that pertain to you. The great thing is that this book not only validates your feelings and let's you know they are normal but offers some great coping advice. I can't thank these women enough for taking the time to put out such a great book for such a great cause our children and their hard working Mom's.

I am a workplace English instructor and find Targeting Pronunciation and the audiocassette package of to be very useful in business settings as well as the classroom as a tool for teaching more effective presentation skills.
It has a fun and clear approach to covering all the essential pronunciation features such as word stress, rhythm patterns, and thought groups, as well as consonant and vowel sounds.

Students enjoy using this book and tapes because of the engaging and varied activities. Whether you are experienced or inexperienced at teaching pronunciation, Targeting Pronunciation a great book to teach from. I recommend the book and audiocassette package: ISBN 0-395-94540-2. It's the best deal and each student has a set of tapes for home practice.

This is a really good book, but be careful. Don't buy the $33 version of this book (ISBN 0-395-90331-9). It ONLY includes the Book. Buy the $42 version of this book (ISBN 0-395-94540-2). That is the Package Edition, and includes both the Book and the Audiocassettes.

We've been working on a lot of material on voice and accent for Indian Call Centers dealing with the American market.

This appears to be the best book I have come across.

It is very detailed and easy to understand and beats the current book and CD offerings like American Accent training.

A definite must buy if you are into accent reduction for individuals or training.

Ian Stern
Holistic Enterprise

The 10 Minute Guide to Lotus Notes 4 is an easy to follow, intuitive book that leads users through easy steps to perform functions that they need to learn NOW. I am a Lotus Notes instructor that has been using this book as my classroom text since it was released. Before version 4, I used the same book for version 3. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone that wants to jumpstart their knowledge of Lotus Notes.

This book is great, has many easy recipies with ingredients you have at your home. A+++

This is one of the best supplements for the Fifth Age game to date. The roles in this book give a lot of creativity of what a player can do with his character and the optional rules for mysticism are cool. The adventure is also very sweet.

We were discussing Switzerland recently, and someone asked, 'What do the Swiss eat, anyway?' Apart from the obvious -- cheese and chocolate -- I had no idea. But then I found this attractive book, and now my questions are answered.

Sue Style here tackles the difficult task of giving us a culinary portrait of a nation which, as she points out in her introduction, is 'at least four countries rolled into one,' not counting influences from neighboring countries and cultures. The key, she says, is in realizing that Swiss food, wine, and tastes aren't monolithic, but rather vary (sometimes widely) from canton to canton.

Aided by John Miller's skilled photography of landscapes (sometimes I wonder if it's even possible to take an unattractive photo of Switzerland), people, and ... not least of all ... food, Style not only gives us a wide variety of recipes, but also shows how those foods fit into the broader Swiss lifestyle. Bread, cheese, chocolate, and sausage ... each gets its own chapter, as do Swiss winemaking (who knew? -- 'Many Swiss wines never make it beyond the confines of the canton, let alone the country' -- yet some are apparently quite nice) and the art of the Swiss innkeeper.

In all, whether you have no experience of Swiss food at all, or are a former visitor or resident looking to recreate happy memories, Sue Style's book seems like an excellent way to explore the surprisingly varied world of Swiss tastes.

Sue Miller's excellent work tells the heart wrenching story of an incredibly gifted man who gradually disappeared into the horrible disease that is Alzheimer's. Anyone who has a loved one who is suffering from this disease should read this book. I also recommend Into the Shadows by Dr. Robert F. DeHaan, a psychologist whose wife suffers from Alzheimer's, for those who want to read more. Both books address the loss of a loved one from a spiritual perspective.

Sue Miller has written a very thoughtful, loving account of her father's downward spiral with Alzheimer's disease. I found very informative her discussion of the history of the disease and the medical updates on it as described in Chapter 3.

As the title implies, there is more to this memoir than just an account of Ms. Miller's father's final days with Alzheimer's. She discusses much of her father's and her family's lives. The relationship of her parents, at least as she remembers it, was intriguing. I would like to have known either or both of her parents. Also, I bought the book from having read the first few pages in a local bookstore about James Nichols'-- the name of Ms. Miller's father-- feelings about pacificism. This is a brilliant first chapter that make you want to read more. Ms. Miller writes clear, beautiful prose.

Just as important as Mr. Nichols' story is also the story of Ms. Miller and her own frustrations, anger, love and all the other emotions that a child/caretaker feels as she watches the disintegration of a brilliant, scholarly and loving father. She attempts to be completely honest about her own feelings--it seems to be as honest as one can be in tackling such a painful and personal subject.

Mr. Nichols was lucky to have such a loving daughter. We, the readers, are likewise fortunate that she has written what had to be a very difficult book for her to write.

Sue Miller has given us all the most extraordinary gift in the form of this wonderful memoir. My father was an Episcopal priest and although he died at an early age from leukemia, I could certainly relate to her tender descriptions of the relationship they had. The most important thing about the book is her careful description of the evolution over many years of the loving relationship she and her father had at the end. I could not decide whether to smile or cry throughout this book, but it is simply a gem. The factual information about AD is very important for all of us, but the intimate view she gives us of her own family life is truly a gift, an extraordinary gift, for which I am grateful.

For many companies, large or small, the mission-critical applications run in the CICS environment. The difficulty of opening up those business logic and data for access through web interface often comes from the fact that the mainframe programmers don't know much about the web technology while the new web guys usually know little about CICS. This book bridges the gap between the two camps, and provides step-by-step instruction on how to apply and integrate the different technologies including Java, MQSeries, etc. This book is a must-read for anyone responsible integrating CICS and web interface. The only drawback is that this book focuses on OS/390, while there are many CICS applications running in other platforms such as OS/2.

Together with the COBOL programming language, IBM's CICS (Customer Information Control System) has formed the most common set of tools for building customer transaction applications in the world of large enterprise mainframe computing. CICS is used by 470 of the Fortune 500 companies to process 20 billion transactions a day. Written by John Horswill & Members of the CICS Development Team at IBM Hursley, Designing And Programming CICS Applications introduces new users of IBM's mainframe (OS/390) to CICS features. Experienced users will learn how to integrate existing mainframe systems with newer technologies, including the Web, CORBA, Java, CICS clients, and Visual Basic; as well as how to link MQSeries and CICS. Whether developers have thousands of terminals or a client/server environment with workstations and LANs exploiting modern technology such as graphical interfaces or multimedia, Designing And Programming CICS Applications gives them the power to create, modernize, and extend CICS applications. A CD-ROM is included.

I found this book quite disappointing. It is about an elderly woman named Lily Maynard and her family. Or what is left of it. She is a divorced mother of three children, technically, although one has sort of disappeared (and the more you read the more you think you might have done the same). Miller highlights Lily's shining moments as an author and the fame and popularity her talents have found. Her son, Alan, takes her in temporarily until there is room for her at the nursing home. She is somewhat unbearable, although, that was not the real problem with this novel. For some reason, unlike Miller's other works, it was just really super boring. I kept reminding myself not to walk away without finishing it. Without at least giving it that much of a chance. At the end, instead of feeling like it was a good book after all, I was just glad I had finished it. Not the worst but certainly not the best.

This book has some of the best character development that I have read in recent years. It reminds me of classic novels, like those of Charles Dickens (such as Oliver Twist) for capturing the interior perspective of the character. Four characters receive this thorough treatment, and through their thoughts you see the tangled, complex relations that have built up around one woman's decision to leave a marriage many years before. Those who like lots of action and plot surprises will hate the book. Those who adore nuanced dialogue and story development will find this a subtle treat.

The Distinguished Guest revolves around the visit by Lily Maynard, who became a literary superstar in her 70s for her memoirs of a failed marriage and her fiction about the challenges of integration in the 50s and 60s. She is suffering from Parkinson's Disease and needs help. Plans are being made for her to move into a nursing home, but there is a wait for a place. In the meantime, she is staying with her son, Alan, and his wife. The house is constantly filled with visiting writers and scholars who want to consult with and interview the famous Lily. Each character is strongly alienated from each other character based on an incomplete understanding of that character's perspective and experience. None of them make much of an attempt to bridge the communications' gaps. The book provides a useful perspective on the problems of achieving closeness among adults, and adds helpful insights into family roles.

The book has an unusual and rewarding style. It shifts seamlessly among literary snippets, old letters, internal thoughts, dialogue, and visual images to provide a broad perspective on the issues.

The Distinguished Guest also addresses the philosophical issue of what one's responsibility is towards fostering racial equality and integration. The book has a lot of useful observations about that issue that will be especially informative to those who missed the civil rights struggles of the 1960s and 1970s. Those perspectives launch themselves forward into providing insight for today's society.

I had the pleasure of listening to the book be read in an unabridged version by Frances Cassidy. She does a marvelous job of capturing the essence of each character, their directness or wiliness, with her easy shifts in accent, pacing, and pauses. I felt like I was listening to a great one woman dramatic performance on Broadway. I suspect that the book is harder to understand without the benefit of this outstanding reading, available from Books on Tape.

After you read this story, I suggest that you write a series of letters to those you care about to explain your feelings about them, and what your own motivations are in life. These disclosures can be a healing balm that soothes the chafing caused by misunderstanding your pursuit of your convictions as representing a lack of love for the person. By revealing what you meant, you can overcome negative presumptions that create a hurtful distance.

Enjoy being closer, even if that means feeling less distinguished in the process.

Sue Miller's novel is captivating. I read it in one night because it was so good I couldn't put it down and go to sleep. I literally stayed up all night with this novel. The characters, Lily and her son in particular, are well drawn. The relationships are interesting. Miller really made me think with this book. I have read a few of her novels, and this is by far the best.

I watched the movie to this book when it aired on TV in 1993. I really enjoyed it and finally I have gotten around to reading the book. Usually the book is much better than the movie, but I have to say I was very disappointed with this book. Sue Miller, from what I have noticed has different styles for some of her books. I enjoyed For Love & Distinguished Guest. Family Pictures, just kind of threw me. Her books are hard to get into when you start reading them. And as I also noticed in the distinguished guest, when she begins to introduce you to the characters and stories, it seems like she doesn't know which direction she wants to go in. She will mention characters & then never again (and as in the d. guest, they were close family members!). Then you never know from which chapter to the next whose eyes you are looking through. There is no pattern. I'd have enjoyed the book more if there was a sequence. Also, I do agree with the other person who mentioned that she doesn't get into the characters feelings & thoughts as much as she could. Don't get me wrong, she does spend time on this, but her efforts fell short for me. I do enjoy the fact that miller probes into the family life. Her characters are complex & interesting. However, the book should have been taken from the movie, they had the right idea there.

Sue Miller does such a wonderful job with characters. There was nothing in this novel that could have stood by itself. It was all in the characters. Miller tells the story of a large Chicago family from the late 1940's to the 1980's. Although this book is described as a family whose lives focus around the autistic son, I felt as though it was more about everyone else. Miller lets us into the lives of all of the family, from the parents to the children. It seems to linger more on those who are deeply effected by the happenings within the family, and leaving some as intimate outsiders.

Although there isn't a huge plot, just the going's on of a family, I flew through this book.

Sue Miller's story of a family divided is told through several voices. The Eberhardt family is made up of Lainey the mom, a stay at home Mom of the late 40's, her husband David a psychologist, a doctor in a field just beginning to be understood and their six children Their children were conceived in two groups. The two oldest before their autistic son and the 3 youngest after. Six in a family that was divided by this one autistic child.

SEVERAL VOICES PAINT DIFFERENT PICTURES:
The four voices you hear in this book are that of the Mom, Dad, eldest son Mack born before their autistic son Randall, and their second oldest daughter Nina born after. In this family, birth order is everything. Sue Miller's magnificent writing portrays how different a home can be from different eyes. Randall is the focus point and from him the whole family pivots. It is amazing how much one person can affect an entire family.

STORY IS TOLD THROUGH RECOLLECTION OF SIMPLE EVENTS, THE ONES THAT SHAPE LIVES
Sue Miller's vivid writing makes you feel what her characters are experiencing as they recall these events in their lives. Remember times when you felt your life just changed or when a routine defined you? It can be a simple thing, but it signals to you that all things in your life had just changed or just a little bit about you was revealed, that you didn't even know. That simple moment, when you felt like a grown-up, one with decisions to make, responsibilities to act on. That moment when something you never noticed before became significant. All these factors build a life. In this book you can see how these individual factors seen from different eyes can mean so little or so much.

A SIMPLE STORY
This book has no profound insight or sweeping moment when the characters get on with their life in a different fashion, but it does show how events shape each person differently. It is a simple story of a family and the events that shaped their lives. It makes us all think about the big and little things we recall as a kid. Given an adult perspective they take on all new meanings. Toss in a different perspective and they are more different still. When you read this book you think a bit differently of your parents and your children and their lives in respect to you.

Great writing, a simple story of complicated lives.