As far as I'm concerned, Dr. Stark is the most gifted writer in the field. She's a teacher! I understand that her courses are in demand, and I can see why. She's a graduate of Harvard Medical School and the Boston Psychoanalytical Institute who can write for people who aren't!

Synthesizing the major theories in psychotherapy, she normalizes the process of healing which tends to go, well, like the illustration on the cover of the book. We fight those who caringly try to change us, and we fight ourselves. It's a struggle!

As a professional coach (personal, not sports), as a parent, as a friend, I've relied on the depth of understanding this book gave me about a phenomenon which can be pervasive and frustrating in relationships with others. It helped me see my own resistances and helped me see how to work with others'.

Through the book shines Dr. Stark the therapist -- there's not one hint of the arrogance or patronization one finds in some therapy books, but rather the sincere compassion, tact and respect of a seasoned professional who loves her work.

It takes patience to deal with resistance, and you have to understand the nature of the beast. "Back and forth," she says, "back and forth, over and over again. Systematically, repeatedly, again and again. This is what is meant by working through the resistance. It is a process requiring that the therapist demonstrate to the patient the same thing again and again, at different times, and in various connections. Here too. Here now. Here also."

As one of the reviewers on the cover of the book said, "Martha Stark ... is able to clarify without sacrificing complexity." Read this book for the best description of working with resistance you're likely to find, and it is through working through the resistance that healing takes place.

Working with Resistance is a book that clearly outlines the theraputic process and it's impact on both the client and the therapist. The book is targeted to a theraputic audience, but Dr. Stark continuously defines the clinical language she uses making the work accessible to anyone. This book has been immensely helpful to me as a client, giving me a road map to help me understand where I have been with my therapist and where I have yet to go. A must read for anyone interested in how therapy heals.

This is a beautifully illustrated book for children. The story takes place in France, and is about St. Martha and how she tamed the terrible Tarasque, a very bad dragon. She brought him to the town of Nerluc, which he had terrorized for so long, and to her dismay, the villagers killed him. Then the citizens changed the name of their town to Tarascon in memory of the dragon.

Roth presents the Sumerian and Akkadian texts of the various law codes from Mesopotamia, translating clearly and indexing by legal categories. Chapter on Hittite laws (Asia Minor, c. 1650 BC) was written by Harry Hoffner, whose recent scientific edition "Laws of the Hittites. A Critical Edition" is published by Brill in 1997. Separate indexes for the Hittite laws. Excellent background for understanding Biblical laws.

Transforming a Rape Culture, by Milkweed Editions is a book that has input from thirty-seven active feminists; twenty-five women and twelve men, who all play different roles in life. Their occupations range from book and article writers, to psychologists, speakers, teachers, parents, and more. Having many authors, instead of just one, gives this book an advantage over one author's opinion. It was definitely written to spark an emotion in everybody to make change. The book's topic effects and influences everybody in some way in life to make a change, even if it's just within themselves. It succeeded in doing so. The book analyzes the factors in our culture, which promote and support not only rape, but also sexual assault, and harassment. It also presents ideas and methods to end it. All the sections throughout this book are linked nicely together giving it a strong analytical flow from all the authors - all seeking nothing less than a fundamental culture change with a method achieve it through the change of power, gender, race, and religion.

This is a compilation of essays written by many prominent (female and male) feminist activists against sexual violence. I was inspired by all of the essays. A few of them were presented in a way that I did not particularly agree with, but even then I still strongly agreed with the essence of what they were saying (and found it extremely important and eye opening). If you are a survivor of sexual abuse, rape, any kind of sexual violence (we all have experienced some aspect of the sexual violence that pervades our culture), or you care about ending sexual violence then this book will help. Transforming a Rape Culture was published in 1993, I was fifteen, I wish I had read it then (it would have been late, but it would have educated me on protecting myself, and that I was worth being protected). This book is original and truly ground breaking. These writers are saying extremely important things that have often been overlooked; they are opening our eyes to our entire society, and they have real solutions. I found validation for what I believe in. The message of these authors speak to both men and women, but it is also intended to help men see the importance of these issues that have previously been considered only part of women's agenda. The point is clearly made by this book that the most important aspect of the women's movement has not yet been achieved, but it is possible to achieve if it is given the priority that it deserves. I believe that it is possible for the day to arrive that acts of sexual violence would be a shocking anomaly, and people will talk openly about it without shame or fear.

This is one of the most brilliant anthologies I have ever read. Each of the essays contributes to the overall point, which is that we live in a culture where sexual violence is a terrifying companion to too many women and children.

I first encountered Martha Roth as the author of the very moving novel, Goodness (Spinster's Ink, 1996). Reading Goodness hardly prepared me for Arousal. Goodness made me feel good; it is a novel about good people, good love, good sex. Arousal is not a novel. Arousal aroused me. Stimulated me. Asked difficult questions for which I had no easy answers. At the same time I had a sense of playfulness, of fun, a sense that the author enjoyed writing this book. And there was courage too. To display erotic images in words, that takes courage. And to not be prurient, that takes art. And to wrap it up in a grand theory linking reading (symbolization) to erotic pleasure, now that takes a kind of courage cum ambition that takes my breath away. To sum up: I am glad I read Arousal. It provided the stimulus for some rousing good conversations with the man in my life. Britomar Lathrop, PhD Psychologist Rockford, Illinois

What a disappointment after a moving beginning! We meet Cora, who discovers she has breast cancer; I liked her and I cared about what was happening to her. Then one by one we meet her friends in a section devoted to each speaking of both the present and the past, interweaving the life experiences shared by these women and men. I found the shift in time spans distracting and sometimes confusing. But my biggest problem with this book was the characters! I actively disliked them and wondered how on earth these women formed any bonds, much less ones that lasted decades. What was the "goodness" of the title? their friendship, their lives, their protests? I don't know. At the end of the book I still wondered what point the author was trying to make.