As a surviver of childhood abuse, i found this book to be very helpful and insightful. Recovery from such horrendous acts is very painful. Mr. Weiner provides excellent methods to continue with recovery and in a less painful yet productive means. I will forever be greatful to him for his insight and assistance to those of us with backgorounds of this nature. His understanding of MPD/DID was most touching. Thank you Mr. Weiner!

The book is thoughtful and sensitive, and at the same time thorough and informational. I personally went through recovery for childhood sexual abuse and feel that the process is clearly and efffectively outlined. It was most interesting to read the comparison to the Stephen King novel. And some of the imagery in the book is so vivid and poignant. The little girl on the swing...what an image.

Filled with stories, legends, songs, and recipes, The Everything Christmas Book is a fun read, as well as an authoritative reference. The editors observe that the true spirit of Christmas is a sense of wonder and "this book is intended as a celebration of that wonder."

They begin with the history of Christmas and how it "evolved over many centuries, enduring occasional tribulation, scrutiny, and abolishment along the way." Folklore, such as why red and green are Christmas colors, complements the historical facts. They also explain how decorated trees and Santa Claus became a part of contemporary Christmas celebrations.

The chapters on stories and poems include such well-known tales as Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and Moore's "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," in addition to other favorites. Music and complete lyrics are provided for forty Christmas carols. The list of Christmas videos contains more than fifty titles.

Do you know in what year "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was first broadcast or when "Miracle on 34th Street" was first released in movie theaters? These are two of the 106 questions included in "The Ultimate Mass-Media Christmas Trivia Quiz." (Answers are at the end of the chapter!)

If you're up to a little traveling, check out the section on local festivities. Tree-lighting ceremonies, parades, Yule log celebrations, feasts, and lighting festivals are available all across the States. The editors provide times and contact information for each event listed.

No Christmas is complete without lots of good food, and the editors have selected a tantalizing sample of holiday recipes, including wassail and "Special Green and Red Vegetable Salad." Recipes are divided into sections for breakfasts and brunches, appetizers, side dishes, main courses and accompaniments, sweets and desserts, and drinks.

The next chapter offers recipes for gift-giving. And yes, it does include fruitcakes!

The editors conclude with a section on how Christmas is celebrated in other parts of the world and a discussion of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

The Everything Christmas Book is an ideal gift for people of all ages and interests. Be sure to get a copy for yourself also--it will soon become a treasured favorite.

Jackie's Nine is broken down into values rather than chapters. Each is a true value that Jackie Robinson lived by. His daughter, Sharon, also lived by them after his death. Jackie was a great baseball player of all time who fought for his rights to play. Sharon shares his stories and many other people's stories of courage, determination, teamwork, persistence, integrity, citizenship, justice, commitment, and excellence. Sharon uses flashbacks of when Jackie first started playing ball and of her childhood days to explain some of the values. I feel this would be a good book for baseball lovers and young adults. It is a good book that helps people understand what Jackie's family went through when he started to play Major League baseball. This book is unique because it not only tells about Jackie's values, but it demonstrates other famous people who share similar values. I enjoyed this book because I learned a lot more about Jackie Robinson and other celebrities such as Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan. Athletes of all kinds can come to enjoy Jackie's Nine.

It is Jackie Robinson's daughter Sharon who first came up with "Jackie's Nine" as part of an educational program called "Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life," an in school program supported by Major League Baseball, which used baseball-themed activities as teaching tools. These nine values are the ones that Sharon Robinson sees as being instrumental in her father's life, a subject which she has written about previously in her family biography "Stealing Home: An Intimate Portrait of Jackie Robinson." She picked nine because a baseball team has nine players and a game is nine innings long.

As far as I am concerned Jackie Robinson and Babe Ruth are the two most important sports figures of the 20th century from the perspective of their impact on society. My argument would be that the popularity of other athletes like Muhammed Ali and Michael Jordan are separate issues from their social significance. You can claim such stars are, in a way, the Babe Ruths of their day, and while Ali and Jordan may well be more popular around the world than the Babe ever was, Jackie Robinson has a legacy that can not even be approached, let alone be equaled (I remember that Larry Doby was the first African American to play in the American League, but I could not tell you who broke the color barrier in the NBA or NFL.). We can argue about who is "best," but who is "first" is a much easier argument to make.

"Jackie's Nine" is essentially an anthology, which includes autobiographical passages from both Jackie Robinson and his daughter as well as profiles of people she sees as carrying on her father's legacy in terms of each of the nine values: (1) Courage: Elizabeth Eckford; (2) Determination: Christopher Reeve; (3) Teamwork: Pee Wee Reese and David Robinson (her brother, not the basketball player); (4) Persistence: Roberto Clemente; (5) Integrity: Muhammed Ali; (6) Citizenship: Marian Wright Edelman; (7) Justice: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; (8) Commitment: Rachel Robinson; and (9) Excellence: Michael Jordan and Oprah Winfrey. This book also includes the eulogy for Jackie Robinson delivered by the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

"Jackie's Nine: Jackie Robinson's Values to Live By" is what I think of as a nightstand book, where you read a section each night before going to sleep because it is beneficial to mull over each of the values and how they manifested themselves in the public careers of Jackie Robinson and these others. Of course, then it becomes impossible not to consider how your own live exhibits these values (or fails to). This is not a book that preaches, but rather one that tries to makes it point by example. Do not be surprised if after reading "Jackie's Nine" you are not interested in reading all of "I Never Had It Made" by Jackie Robinson, "Stealing Home" by Sharon Robinson, "Still Me" by Christopher Reeve, " or any of the dozen books from which excerpts are drawn for this volume.

but I also seldom read a book this good. With chapters on Courage, Determination, Teamwork, Persistence, Integrity, Citizenship, Justice, Commitment and Excellence, this book can be read in one sitting or by the chapter (as each is an individual story). Some of the writing is Sharon's and some of it is Jackie's. Others contribute, including Roger Kahn, Christopher Reeve & Jackie's wife, Rachel. Baseball fans will enjoy stories detailing Jackie's initial meeting with Branch Rickey, stealing home in the World Series and his relationship PeeWee Reese. This is a great book to read with your children or to your children.

Jennifer Kelly, professional fundraiser, returns home after a five-year absence to confront her father about the family's past. A secret he sought not to have discovered by Jennifer was. Moses and Sarah Kelly, her parents, would rather leave the past alone and rebuild their relationship with their daughter. When confronted by Jennifer, the Kelly's decide that the only way to rebuild the relationship is to seek out the mystery person from the past and move them towards healing.

Moses introduces his prodigy and surrogate son, Michael Wingate, an ambitious senatorial candidate, to his daughter hoping she will work on his campaign. The sparks fly early and they are convinced that neither can work with the other. However, Jennifer, always intrigued by a challenge, agrees to work on the campaign as his fundraiser. During the short time that they work together, the attraction to one another intensifies. Although both are intrigued by the possibility of a relationship, yet neither moves to establish one until passion throws them together.

At the end of a successful campaign for Michael, the secrets of both Moses and Michael's past unfold. The irony of the lives of the mentor and the prodigy are interwoven due to unbelievable circumstances. I cannot reveal this twist in the plot as I do not want to give the story away. All of the characters are shocked in the realization that no secret is a secret if one or more person knows of the secret. Ah, what a web we weave when we choose to deceive!

Still the Storm is an interesting and fast read story set in Connecticut. It was a stretch for me to believe the location, but once past that, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It is a story of deception, triumphs over adversity and, most importantly, forgiveness. The author captured the heart and soul of her characters and makes you want all to be well with them. Overall, I found this a realistic jaunt into the lives of the rich and famous. It was an easy read and the ending was one that will give you a belief in the happy after ever ending â?" even if it took a miracle, jet plane and a ton of forgiveness to get there. But, isn't that what life is truly about?

After a five-year absence Jennifer Kelly returned home to confront her father about the past. Moses and Sarah are Jennifer's parents and they do not know why Jennifer suddenly decided to come home. When Jennifer confronts Moses about the past he became very defensive and angry.

Moses introduces Jennifer to a web of local politics and to Michael who is an ambitious senatorial candidate. Michael's father and Moses were good friends before his death. Moses became Michael's mentor and convinces him to set his sights for Congress.

Jennifer agrees to work in Michael's campaign as his top political fundraiser and they become very close. During the campaign there are some revelations about Michael that are uncovered and his life will be forever changed. Michael himself is shocked when learning about these revelations but amidst all the drama he steps up to the plate and accepts his responsibility.

Still The Storm by Sharon Robinson is a riveting and fascinating story about betrayal, forgiveness and triumphs. The story is set in a Connecticut suburb where the wealthy reside and the plot centers around political issues with black candidates. Overall I found this story to realistic and was drawn in to the lives of the characters. The story flowed well and the ending was excellent.

Reviewed by Dorothy Cooperwood

I mainly bought this anthology for Sharon and Tom Curtis' story but I was really disappointed. The characters were fine and the story was interesting but I just couldn't for the life of me figure out why Henry Lamb would fall head over heels for this girl. One minute they meet, the next he's enchanted. What? Why? She's full of joy? When? I tried to read the other stories but none of them caught my attention --- couldn't get all the way through a single one.

Sorry to be so harsh --- starting to feel like the guy in green. Guess when it comes to this book, my heart was just two sizes too small.

Skip the first story by Jane Feather which is awful. If you don't you may never read the rest of the wonderful stories.

I agree that Feather's story was one of the weakest. However, Sharon and Tom Curtis' THe Natural Child more than makes up for it. It's funny, chronologically accurate in ambience and setting, but so sweet and romantic! The other stories are solid as well. Good reading.

I guess I went into this book with the wrong expectations. I thought this would be a book about Jackie Robinson. But it was almost exclusively about Sharon, his daughter. And though she had an interesting life, I feel like her book didn't go far beyond the surface.

I felt like she really didn't know her father all that well, or at least she didn't express that in the story. I have no doubt that Jackie Robinson was as great a man as the public believed him to be. However after reading this book, it seems like Sharon got parts of her life from reading articles from past newspapers. I don't feel like I understand the workings of her family any better than I would if I had simply watched old news clips.

I wasn't ever bored with the book and I am glad that the Robinson's were a functionsl black family amidst so much external societal strife. Sharon does do a good job of showing the rest of us the priveleages and the tribulations of being the child of a famous African-A! merican in the 1950's and 60's. She also shows that there are still racial conflicts even when blacks and whites are on the same economic level. Overall its a B+, Robinson was not only a premiere ballplayer, but an outstanding father!