I am an FOM. (Friend of Meg [Wheatley]) I am also a person who flourishes in a world of dreams, dreams that lead us to realize greater potential in ourselves. With that said, I must admit to the following: Reading Meg's new book felt uncomfortable. Not because I thought I wouldn't like it, nor did I worry about what Meg would think about how I experienced the book. I actually felt apprehensive about the subject matter. What could she say about something as ordinary and matter of fact as talking with one another? Well, I threw out my anxieties and opened myself to whatever might speak to me. Isn't that what a friend would do?

I read Meg's book in one sitting. Actually, it was a train ride from Seattle to Portland. I was grateful for the confinement of the train, leaving me undisturbed to delve into Meg's world, save for a few pre-dusk glances out the window, taking in the natural beauty of our WA state coastline. turning to one another holds nothing new, as Meg would admit. However, when read in light of this past calendar year, her words hold all things new. Meg Wheatley has posited for her readers what I experience as a charge for all storytellers: How do you take what is common knowledge, retell it in light of what makes meaning in your life, and then let it go, out to the universe, praying it will be read with new eyes and heard with open ears.

turning to one another does just that, for me, its reader. And, without speaking in generalities, I feel this book will play its revelatory tune loud and clear to all who look inside its pages. Meg has asked us to put aside our technological armor, turn it off and sit. Sit with the silence, with the uncomfortable feelings of being silent. Sit with the many who are silent, too. Waiting. Perhaps then, in the silence of our hearts, we will rise to a place where we can speak. And if so moved, then we will do what Meg encourages us to do, "turning to one another, in simple conversations to restore hope to the future." Our future.

Meg Wheatley asks nothing more than a willing reader, compassionate eyes, empathic ears and the voice to speak new words. Words of hope, words of vision, of dreams for the future. Telling our stories. Not such a daunting task. Or is it?

A wonderful new-age sort of book that truly is soothing to the mind. In a world of chaos, Meg brings us a reality check. Simple solutions and questions to rediscover humanity. I loved it.

What a precious book! For those already well engaged on their path this book offers many heartfelt and truthful reminders for the work we are already undertaking. For those looking to break into their "own life" it offers a satisifying sense of the tools and work at hand. I can not think of anyone I know that could not find this a useful book.

This deliciously wry fairy tale is a tasty treat for readers from 6 to 106. This is no "leathery pastry with a fibrous middle," no mere chest protector for snoozing fools, but a first-class rip-roaring read, bursting with insight and good humor. As unpretentious as a buck-toothed, skinned-knee, ugly third princess, but likely to rise slyly into poetry at any moment. Where day is "pale and unconvincing night," and lightning-bolt pompadours lick the ceiling, and clam-digging godmothers know what's best. Only a foolish fool indeed would miss this one!

This is a breath of fresh air -- a genuinely different (better!) story that delights everyone who picks it up in our home. Written with a playful zest that keeps us all coming back again and again.

This is a wonderful book for princesses of all ages. I enjoyed reading every word and only wish I had a ten-year-old to read it to.

Nice addition to our 'train' collection.

My 2 year-old loves this book. It flows so nicely that I often sing the story to her, with her bouncing along to the "beat." Within no time, she had the book memorized. Its a fun story and the illustrations are lively and colorful.

We stumbled upon this book at the California Train Museum in Sacramento about 5 months ago and have been completely entralled with this masterpiece ever since. Not only are the illustrations vibrant and entertaining, the text offers a very special attribute: the rhyme actually has a train rhythm. Pulling out of the station the train clicks along at a slow pace, "The little black train goes down the track. Clickety clack, clickety clack." As the text tells who is on the train (yaks, acrobats, ducks, elephants...) and what they are doing (talking, singing, quacking, stomping...) it builds to a frantic speed until "two mice light fireworks" and give Driver Zach a "headache attack." At that point the "rhythm" of the "train" begins to slow as the passengers calm down and behave themselves and the train settles into an even-paced canter and leaves Driver Zach with a smile on his face. My then pre-2 year old had this book memorized within the first week and still asks for it daily. Another thing we found fun is to read it while whispering -- the rhythm is accentuated when you whisper and my son thinks it is especially funny. I cannot give this book more than 5 stars, unfortunately, but think that one that includes great artwork, catchy rhyming text, and incorporates a train rhythm to boot should be at the top of any train and/or rhythm and rhyme lover's book list.

I very much enjoyed this delightfully personal and emotional journey through the backroads of a France not previously known. The beautiful illustrations by one of my favorite artists gave the reader vivid images of this gorgeous landscape. For a non-artist, it was especially interesting to experience the journey through an artist's eye...an artist very worthy of the invitation to paint Monet's gardens. The book is a wonderful collaboration by a gifted painter and a talented writer.

Already in love with Margaret Hall Hoybach's painting style, I should have known that once I opened her book, both the words and the brush strokes would carry me, faster and faster, through to the very last page. Margaret enables the reader to see, hear, smell, taste, and experience her weeks traveling and painting across France.

Feasting and fasting, reflection and spontaneity, fellowship and solitude - all the elements of a pilgrimage are contained in this intimate account of Margaret Hall Hoybach's journey to paint Monet's gardens. Her sketches and paintings convey the wonder of her journey. Joan Brown captures the creative spark that propels an artist forward and the moments of conversion that await those willing to embrace their dreams. Colors of France is filled with rich, inviting textures arrayed for any traveler, regardless of destination. Hoybach's willingness to share her experience leads me to examine my own path. A good book to share with a friend.

If you thought DES was a thing of the past - guess again. DES is alive and well. All you have to do is look into the faces staring up from the pages of this book and listen to the personal stories of the people exposed to this drug to know you are in the presence of a powerful force. No, I'm not referring to DES, although its impact is profound. I am referring to the miraculous ability of the human spirit to survive and transcend experiences most can only imagine. I know. I'm one of the survivors.

While you will not find my story contained within the pages of this book, I am there. I am a DES daughter, a cancer survivor. I am also a psychotherapist specializing in health psychology. Through my work, I hear a lot of stories, but few compare to those associated with the widespread medical mistake of DES.

Despite the scope of the problems created by this drug, those of us who live with the aftermath are in danger of being forgotten, or at least overlooked. Upon seeing a new physician recently, he said, "I was told in medical school that we wouldn't be seeing any more people exposed to DES." I informed him that I certainly hoped he wouldn't see any new cases of DES exposure, but there were plenty of us still walking around to tell the tale of DES and of our experiences with it. This book does precisely that - tell the tale.

Many thanks to Margaret Lee Braun and Nancy Stuart for a well-written and graphically poignant book. It is tasteful, respectful, and a much needed reminder that we are still here.

HI folks - thought those of you who have not read "DES Stories" would enjoy these little excerpts re how I felt and others felt when they read it, and a bit of why Margaret wrote it. Please tell me what YOU think:

My response:
Reading this brought back to mind my experience reading your book. The first friend who gave it to me, a male, left it on my doorstep on November 6th last year, my 39th birthday, as a surprise little gift.

I remember being hugely excited as I unwrapped its package and I remember thinking that it was 21 years before on that same date when I found out I had cancer for the first time, on my 18th birthday.
(A nurse from the clinic at Balboa Hospital had come by and left her card with my roommate, reminding her that I must see the doctor again and why - she had left 2 previous messages the week before that I did not return, because it was my first day on the job at the Bank where I was then on that date, a full-fledged employee, instead of an intern. And I had not called back because I was busy preparing for that day and thought it was about more volunteer work, anyway.)

Anyway, what a gift. The first thing I usually do when I get home is run to the bathroom... I remember reading practically the entire book right there on the porcelain goddess.
(I had part of my bladder resected when the cancer spread the 1st go-round. It's fine now - all that delicious balloon stretching that I adored so much (yea, right!) had done a good job...I still drink a LOT of fluids.)

I know one woman who had cervical, vaginal and ovarian cancer and along with the clear cell adenocarcinoma they found choriocarcinoma when she had ovarian cancer. She had her cervix, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, lymph nodes and spleen completely removed. She has had 1/3rd of her bladder removed and reconstructed, 19 inches of her intestine and part of her omentum removed and my vagina reconstructed two times. She had 7 surgeries, external and internal radiation therapy and 4 separate mutli-round sessions of chemotherapy - all encompassing eight years of her life (18yrs old-almost 21 and 30yrs-37).
Today, she still has two tumors in her lumbar vertebrae - one the diameter of a quarter and the other a dime.
BUT - she is healthier than most anyone she knows! (Can you guess who "She" is?)

I remember the tears rolling down my face and rejoicing at the same time, that now the world would know it's true, it's still true and it still will be true and true anew for many yet to come, unfortunately. But now, it was in writing and not just in medical journals or my own doctor's handwriting. There were documented "others" and I was not alone. I, and my DES sisters were validated. And, if any MD dared mention to me that it was a long time ago and nothing of consequence today, I would have something in hand to proudly show him or her before I quietly walked out of their office forever.

The feeling of AWE that sticks with me today continues to amaze me. I brought it to a family picnic around Thanksgiving time last year to give to my mother who was visiting from out of town, and my oldest brother picked it up and read the whole thing right there. My mother picked it up and began reading it very shortly thereafter and even asked me questions! My boyfriend read the entire book the night I gave it to him to read.

What continues to strike me is how this book appears to magnetize the reader, pulls them in and keeps them there all the way through. I've never come across that before or seen someone else experience that either.

Why is that? I believe it's because the book is so subtle. From the colors on the cover to the pictures on the pages, the message within speaks loudly, yet softly of a quiet strength, of endurance. The details are not of morbid skeleton bones found in a closet or of gross deformities or fantastic miracles. Depicting man, woman, child - they successfully link all humankind. Which, combined in this wonderful book, induce the quiet force, revealing the present triumphs of real-life people. "DES Stories" chronicles each individual's rising to the purpose, of finding the answers with mastery of oneself and of circumstance.

It is a peaceful, very special honor to have something in common with these very brave human beings. They are prevailers. We are prevailers! For we are NOT victims, which is what the word 'survivor' connotes to me. We have overcome and become stronger and yes, better.
Love, Suzette

A beautiful book for anyone you know touched by DES-women, men, family, friends, lawyers, and physicians. DES exposed people deserve acknowledgement and information about the drug they were exposed to before they were born. DES Stories does this while also bearing witness to the massive disruption of people's lives, which chemical exposure and drug breakthrough can cause. Get this book to feel empowered. It helps speak the truth.

I can not believe something so awful could happen to so many children. I could not put the book down, cried from cover to cover. My blood ran cold with the horror stories.
I am grateful that Margaret Humphreys found out about this and did all that she did, God Bless her. May her work still go on and be successful.

i just could not put the book down,it took me just over 24hrs to read from start to finish.iwent through every emotion whilst reading the book ,tears were shead,anger ran through meand admeration for all the staff and margaret humphreys.
the emotional roller coaster that she was on and the strenth she and her family showed was amazing.
how she managed to stay sain during it all,and to help so many families and befreind them allis trually amazing.margaret is a fighter ,afighter for truth and for justice.

a truly remarkable book.

Margaret Humphreys with her book "Empty Cradles" bravely took on the plight of the Lost Children, those poor souls shipped from the overcrowded orphanages of Britain to all parts of the then British Empire. My own destination was Australia.

Margaret, undaunted by possible repercussions from the collusion of the governments involved, tells our story with heartbreaking compassion. Thanks to her tremendous efforts, some of us now will meet family we never knew we had.

For all who are concerned with humanity, with simple human dignity, this book should not be omitted from your reading list.

Visitors to Nepal are frequently young trekkers. A Balcony in Nepal gives us a heartwarming, compassionate view of village and homelife through the eyes of two older women. They describe the unique beauty of the mountains and the people with whom they have interacted in repeated visits to the village of Badel in words and sketches that will remain with you. It is a very touching personal account that goes far beyond most travel books.

There's more to Nepal than climbing, trekking or the teeming streets of Kathmandu. Through thoughtful writing and lively drawings, Sally Olds and Marge Roche invite us to share their involvement in the life of a remote Rai village. We learn about joyous festivals, meet fascinating people and become part of the struggle to live daily life without the amenities we consider necessary. The freindships they make stir our imagination. And by recording their thoughts and reactions to what they've seen, they raise interesting questions on the effect tourists are having on the village and Nepal itself.

The author, Sally Wendkos Olds, has brought experience and talent to use in telling of her experiences in a remote village. Marge Roche's illustrations enhance the story and stand alone as beautiful works. I highly recommend this book to any who would like to experience a very different way of life. Beautiful book!

Dr. Margaret Paul's latest book provides a blueprint for integrating spirituality into daily life. Unlike many other self-help books, Do I Have to Give up Me to Be Loved by God? takes on the deeper and more challenging questions that speak to the attachment to old patterns and resistance to change that so often prevents genuine transformation. Dr. Paul provides the reader with practical tools, offered in a step-by-step process that is designed to neutralize the negative conditioning that blocks the ability to access spiritual connection. She offers a model that if conscientiously followed will lead not only to the kind of self-acceptance that is the goal of psychotherapy, but to the deep and profound spiritual connection that is the goal of all religions.

Dr. Paul's illuminating new book, DO I HAVE TO GIVE UP ME TO BE LOVED BY GOD? looks at the disconnection we feel within and with others as a result of (in the broadest sense) "spiritual abuse" that we have suffered. As Dr. Paul says, "Giving children anything other than love and compassion is spiritual abuse because all unloving behavior toward children creates an ongoing problem in their relationship with God. Any behavior that teaches children that they must be different (smarter, more polite, more obedient) IN ORDER TO BE LOVED [emphasis mine] by God -- or by their parents -- is spiritual abuse. Any behavior by an adult which disconnects a child from God is spiritual abuse. And any behavior that undermines a child's belief in God as an infinite source of love and compassion and wisdom that is always available to that child is spiritual abuse" (p.18). I particularly liked learning more about the false beliefs we have about God and our relationship with whatever term we each use to name our Higher Power. The Inner Bonding definition of loving intrigues me: Loving behavior is that which contributes to our own and others' spiritual and emotional growth. Often, what looks loving is just codependent, and in our addictive society, much confusion results when we act out the belief that if others really loved us, they would do what we want. If you read this book, you will learn about a new way of looking at behavior -- not in terms of judgment (a major controlling device of many religions) -- but in terms of the good reasons that parts of us have for our behavior. Life, according to Dr. Paul, is a journey about learning and loving for everyone, not about hellfire and damnation and the chosen. I know that just about every person on a journey thinks that s/he has just the right tools and resources for healing and personal empowerment, but in my experience there are few, if any, approaches and processes that are as encompassing, simple yet profound, practical, and portable as the Inner Bonding process. DO I HAVE TO GIVE UP ME TO BE LOVED BY GOD? builds on Dr. Paul's other 6 books that have so much to teach about one's relationship with self, others, and Spirit. Yes, there are many books and people and therapies and techniques out there promising us love, success, happiness, etc., but my whole world -- self, family, friends, career, spirituality -- is different because one of Dr. Paul's books literally dropped in my path 8 years ago. We live in times that are often filled with much conflict and pain, but also have so much potential for soul growth with new ways of learning to bring the best of ourselves to ourselves, to others, to the planet. Margaret Paul's work is a powerful tool for transformation. You owe it to yourself to read this book!

I have been using Margaret Paul's tools consistently for over 9 years. If you have parts of your life that you want to change, you can choose to use this simple set of tools every day and change your life profoundly, often faster than you could have imagined.The tools are simple enough that you can teach children how to do them. Yet powerful enough that unwanted patterns that have persisted for a lifetime can lose their power and go away.

The other thing that comes with using these tools is, that by implementing the connection process, one seems to be able to draw on deep, limitless power. I know of no other process that brings the same sense of innate strength that helps you persist and carry out the tasks that need to be done to transform your life. Thus batteries are included.

What will make the difference here, is whether you can make a time every day to work the six simple steps Margaret presents. It doesn't take a lot of time. It takes consistency and growing an awareness to know when it's time to use the simple tools. Once you get the basics down, it's something you can do driving in your car, waiting in line at the grocery store, or lying in bed at night before you go to sleep. For me it's become as natural as eating and breathing. Her latest book ties together all her earlier works and focuses on the spiritual dimensions of this connection process. One does not have to believe in God to do this work, or FOR IT TO WORK. I can guarantee that. I've seen many people use the tools without focusing on the spiritual aspects. I can also tell you that if you value or seek a realtionship with God/a Higher Power, this connection process will greatly enhance that relationship. Personally, as I have been able to work with and deepen the connection process, I have directly experienced God to a greater and greater extent in my everyday life.

Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved by God is a beautiful work for those that want to heal the parts of their lives that hurt. For those that want to take that a step further and reap the spiritual rewards of this connection process, this book is a wonderful guide.

For those familiar with Dr. Paul's work, this book takes it deeper. I had wonderful Aha's, as the lightbulbs turned on deep in my being. This book describes the tools, that if practiced with consistency, can be the best gift you ever give yourself!

The Watcher by Margaret Buffie is not to be compared to that of James Howe's. In this watcher, a young girl (who never quite belonged) finds out, after a series of troubling events, that she is a watcher. A character in a deadly game in another deadly world. Margaret Howe has an excellent sense of creativity and originality, as shown in this storyline. But the bright story is somewhat dulled by the characters and the setting. But the storyline is not one to be sneezed at --- while I was reading this book (though I found myself skipping through certain boring descriptions) I was held by the story itself, and the fact that this author had the creativity to dream up such a marvelous plot. With alternative universes of purple sands and orange moons, Buffie holds the readers eye and never fails to let go. So indeed this is worth a read or two (despite the open ending), especially if you've read her other works (considering Buffie's writing style is evident in all her novels).

In The Watcher, 15 yr old Emma finds out that she, like others of her kind, was literaly bred to watch over important children; hence the name. In the begining of the book, Emma thinks she is an ordinary teen with a weird family. Then she gets strange dreams about diferent worlds, and a child;the niece of the dead king of some wierd world. While taking care of an elderly neighbor, she finds out that she is not who she thinks she is. Things only get wierder when a classmate, Tom Krift, starts geting interested in her fathers plexiglass henge. It is Tom that tells her that her sister is wanted,as is she.

I just got this book recently and it was fantastic, in all senses of the word. I hope the next one is as good. Emma has a lot of fixing to do to make her family safe again. Looks like the next one in the series is called The Seeker. Hope I'm right! I can hardly wait for it to come out.

I loved this book! I think that is has everything in that goes on to make a great mystery. There is a complex plot, lots of suspects and a surprise ending. The main character is Charlotte Willet, a young widow living in a small New England town in 1763. She finds herself in the middle of a perfect riddle and manages to come out of it with grace.

The supporting characters include her neighbor Rich Longfellow, an aspiring scientist with a Holmes quality to him; his sister Diana, a Boston, pampered lady who is smarter than people think and Lem, a young boy who works for Charlotte and wants to go to Harvard one day. The whole cast is wonderful and they add color to the overall story.

The mystery: a man who just flashed some gold in a local tavern seems to burst into flames and disappear! This is spotted by a local who begins to weave a strange story. This whole novel had a old-time flavor to it and is one of the best modern mysteries that I have read. Oh, by the way, the history is accurate and really places the story in time and place. I highly recommend this to anyone.

It is a fine line which Margaret Miles successfully treads, crossing a lively and well-paced mystery with a text that is historically accurate. The command of her scholarship is evident in the everyday details she provides about life in 18th century Massachusetts, yet her character development is modern, which is a major reason that the story is so riveting. This is a complicated murder mystery with none of the modern conveniences available in either weapons or forensics. Yet, again, due to the author's bone-deep scholarship, the whole premise is compelling and believable. A wonderful read, can't wait to get the next one in the series!

Ms. Miles has done a superb job of capturing the atmosphere of early America - furthermore, the images of New England fall ring wonderfully true. Those images of leaves turning, cool nights and harvest end offered some small relief to this reader suffering through a blazing hot Kansas August.

Charlotte Willett, the main character, is intelligent and self confident, without undermining the realistic treatment of her place as a widow in colonial society. I was much impressed by this balance as achieved by the author.

The developing political pressures between the colonies and England are present, and offer hope for additional volumes set in increasingly turbulent times. All in all, well researched, convincingly written and with well paced plot turns. I am seeking out the additional volumes immediately.