As a student who wants to work for agencies to prevent crime on the internet, I wasn't sure how much "Family Law and Practice: The Paralegal's Guide" was going to do for me. It turned out to be an incredible resource, not only of how the system works, but also of the workings of families in suboptimal conditions.

I could have done without the "Figures," which were mostly illustrations and seldom court forms; but on the whole, the book was well-written and obviously well-researched.

This book seems to portray very realistically family breakdown AND how the attorney and paralegal fit in. If "Family Law and Practice: The Paralegal's Guide" isn't a part of every business school's paralegal program, it should be. I got a LOT out of the course, and might not have if it hadn't been for the wonderful text.

This is a wonderful book for both students and people interested in family law. It covers everything from the history of family law to current events, such as Roseanne and Tom Arnold's marriage. The cases are more like soap operas than the dry cases one usually associates with law. These cases will inspire great conversation in the classroom and will hold the students' interest from start to finish.

Grace Sandness has done a remarkable job of showing the real heart of real adoptions in her work. This is a must-read for anyone considering adoption, especially if they are considering adopting a child that doesn't "match" their family, isn't the perfect child, or is no longer an infant. Adoptions are a work of heart, and the information families need involves emotions, not just statistics. Grace has the ability to get straight to the heart and soul of adoption with true stories and great insight.

Grace Services book is not only an amzing account of an important period in modern Chinese history, it is also an important personal, first-hand account of how foreigners worked and lived in pre-liberated China. Set during the late Qing and early Repebulican period, the book tells the story of a family who goes to China committed to serving the Chinese people and how they stand strong in that commitment through wars, civil unrest, and personal tragedies. This book is a must for anyone interested in the pioneering spirit that led foreigners from around the world to settle and live amongst what most westerner at that time (stupidly) considered an "uncivilized" people. The book is made more vivid through detailed historical and personal footnotes added by Grace's son, the noted dipolomat and "China Expert" John S. Service. A wonderful contirubtion to history and a wonderful read!

If you are preparing to take the NATA Certification Exam, this book is a must have! This book breaks down the entire test taking procedure, explaining what to expect, describing the different portions of the exam, and how to study for each one. It also includes where the questions come from, and how to approach each one. After you read and understand the test-taking process, it provides a mock test with example questions which are very similar to those found on the actual exam. Answers are provided in the back of the book along with explanations, so you can obtain an idea of how the question should be correctly answered. I found this book to be extremely helpful in my studying and preperation for this exam, and I believe that you will be as satisfied and confident in your test taking skills.

This book is richly intense with the tragic conversations of daily life from residents of South Bronx, New York. The book does not over dramatize life's realities. It gives the reader an honest view of reality of the lives of many children and adults that somehow go beyond surviving their rigorous obstacles of their environment. It does not describe life in a third world country nor the lives of people that lived in another century. It discusses the present day lives of children and their families. Kozol embarked in a journey of interviews and conversations that did not merely describe the mundane lives of residents from the South Bronx. In his writing he does not overwhelm the reader withhis own personal opinions regarding the political arena that keeps the poor at risk residents, poor and at risk. On the contrary, he brings voices to life in a manner that is respectful and validates those that take the time to share their story. I am not proficient in the art of interviewing nor in the degree of listening that Kozol takes to truly present these stories honestly. He shares exactly what is presented to him. I was impressed with his own self acknowledgment of how these stories and experiences have changed his own perspective of people and their sturggle for daily survival. The stories are from children, mothers and grandmothers who have ended up living in the neighborhoods of South Bronx. The neighborhoods visited are described as grotesquely infested with gangs, drugs, prostitution and homicide. Yet, in the middle of these illicit activities, there are sanctuaries that share in protecting children of the community. Amazingly these children show a strong sense of hope and caring that touches the heart of those around them. Their resilience is remarkable and encouraging. It should motivate us to listen more and honor the many stories children carry with them everyday.

Kozol never loses the reader's interest in that he not only refutes ultra-conservative theory through his own observations, but allows the underclass to refute such theory through his interviews. Kozol is sensative to those he interviews, but shows no reluctance to seek the truth about life in the South Bronx. The reader will find it difficult to read this book with a low eyebrow as Kozol describes the conditions in poor New York City hospitals, the daily occurance of substance abuse, violent crime, and the harsh words spoken by politicians and "educated" theorists. The author does not bore the reader with excessive theory, but uses dialog to show the gap between theory and real life. This is a book which can understood and appreciated by populations from all reading levels and backgrounds.

I read this book because Jonathan Kozol was coming to speak at my university. In person, the concern and affection he has for the children he wrote about was even more evident. He also made the important point that poor children that have no opportunities for an education and the hope it can give them don't just live in the ghettos of the inner city. They can be found in every state, in every city, town and rural area. You don't have to go to New York to find them, it is just a matter of paying attention to your own backyard. As I read this book I thought about all of the creative and brilliant ideas we would not have the chance to benefit from because poor children are not given the chance to properly learn and grow. As a country, we don't seem to understand yet that each person, regardless of who they are or where they came from, has something to teach us. If the children and adults like those Kozol describes had the chance to write, sing, do scientific experiments, start businesses, etc., just imagine what we could gain.

Was a bit disappointed in the content of this book. While well-written, it missed the excitement and ideas of other "...for Teachers" books. For a better overall look at the subject, check out "The Internet for Teachers".

I am a teacher in an elementary setting and I found this book to be very helpful in my classroom computer center. Jasmine and Jasmine really presented some great sites and I loved the activity ideas. I also liked the resources for educators. My team has used it too.

Here's the disclaimer: My father is the author.

So I'll keep this brief -- folks who are interested in the facts of hard living in an era of urban decay will enjoy this book and find it quite informative -- drifters, homeless men and women, mentally disabled people about to get evicted... they all get an honest and fair hearing in this book. If you're interested in theology and religion, he provides much to think about. But there's no dogma in these pages. I would honestly reccomend this even if I weren't related to the author but I also honestly wouldn't have picked it up on my own. I guess I'm doubly lucky to be his son.

I was glad to read this book AFTER adopting two older children but would hesitate to recommend it right away to individuals considering adopting older kids. The author adopted 3 older children herself and interviewed 17 other adoptive families for this book. Her book is full of true scenarios about family life with older adoptees, and many of them are horror strories about kids with severe behavior problems. (Some of these stories are repeated more than once in different sections of the book, reinforcing the problem aspect of older child adoption.) I had to wonder if the author, Robinson, has described her own experience under the pseudonym of "Hope Walker," a case example in the book, whose 3 adopted children all needed extensive residential care. It would seem her purpose in writing the book is to make a case for the necessity of strong/er supports for people who adopt older children (a stance with which I agree), rather than to provide basic info. for prospective adoptive parents and offer the hope that at least some older adopted children heal and begin to thrive in their adoptive families. (Robinson suggests that kids adopted by their first or second set of foster parents tend to do much better than kids having more placements.) It would have been helpful to find out how Robinson drew her sample of other adoptive families. It seemed to me to be less representative of the gamut of older child adoption experiences than it was cautionary of potential dangers. I also would have liked a summary at the end of the book, indicating how the kids described in the book are functioning currently, or as adults. That kind of info. might have provided a balancing factor, showing that issues treated in childhood or adolescence can lead to healthier functioning in the future. Chapter 8 was outstanding, offering advice on the educational and therapeutic needs of many older adopted children. I'd like to see it used as part of the required training for prospective foster and adoptive parents. We've come a long way from the days of Claudia Jewett's book on older child adoption, which presented ideal (and fictitious) case studies in which problems were not severe and fairly fleeting. Robinson's book may be more realistic, but I found Adopting the Hurt Child by Gregory Keck more helpful and reassuring, and more representative of the spectrum of what one may encounter in adopting an older child.

Grace, paints a rather grim picture of what is to come, however, I think many of these are some worst case issues. If the Parent or Parents are informed on the child's issues and have done the needed research on each issue, as well as on what they want and need then it can work out great. Esp if you put the child's needs first, and that is one thing Grace does touch on! The child must be the most important thing in your life at that time. How many parents would hold a 12 yr old and give her a bottle, but with RAD, that is one of the bonding issues, and a way to help the bonding... If this book did not scare you away, then take the next step and start the process of adpting an older child.

Wow.....my husband and I just started our home study for an older child adoption, and this is the first book we read on the subject. Grace Robinson is very discouraging. She provides NO redeaming reasons why anybody would want to adopt an older child. However, the book prompted us to have many long conversations about this searious endeavour we are undertaking, weather our marriage and extended family could handle adoption, etc. It encouraged us to look for even more books on the subject, and seek an adoptive parent's club for more perspective.