"Out of the Darkness" is indeed the perfect title for the long-awaited telling of these events. For the past 50 years, only students and professionals in the child protection field have learned the profound significance of Mary Ellen's story. This, the first book entirely devoted to this landmark case, brings Mary Ellen to life along with all those who helped her survive.

The story opens in May 1864 on a battlefield in Cold Harbor, Virginia, as Thomas Wilson receives word of the birth of his little girl in New York City and dreams of returning soon to his wife, Fanny, and their child. Shortly afterward, however, he dies in battle.

Amid the hustle and bustle of New York City life, Mary Ellen's mother attempts to care for her little girl, but poverty soon forces her to abandon the child. We learn of Mary Ellen's stay in an almshouse for a time before being taken into a foster home where she is beaten, locked in a closet, burned, and permitted no contact with the outside world. She remains in this home for 6 long years.

Shelman and Lavoritz accurately and poignantly describe the New York City of the 1860s and 1870s, allowing the reader to experience the overcrowding and the sounds and smells of the infamous Hell's Kitchen area of NYC where Mary Ellen is finally found and rescued.

The story follows two threads, first told separately, and then woven skillfully together. We learn of Mary Ellen's plight, while at the same time in NYC, Henry Bergh is working to found the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). We are with Bergh as he enforces the new animal protection laws in NYC. He fights to protect them all --from turtles to horses. He is often ridiculed as he charges, "Turtle abuse!" But he persists. Amazingly, in 1874 there was no agency to aid mistreated children. When Etta Wheeler, a dedicated social worker, appeals to Bergh and his animal rights society to take the lead in the child's rescue, he and the ASPCA's talented attorney, Elbridge Gerry, conduct the then famous trial that ultimately brings Mary Ellen freedom and a new home and results in the founding of the New York City Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, still in existence today.

The story culminates in the standing-room-only trial where Mary Ellen's foster mother is charged on several felony counts. The authors effectively recreate the circuslike atmosphere that prevails throughout the trial at which witnesses from all walks of life testify about what they have seen and heard. The transcripts of the trial are complete and authentic.

While most will read this book as a novel, a complete index at the back provides access to the wealth of factual material carefully researched by the authors. An epilogue tells what finally happened to Mary Ellen as an adult. Adding to the authenticity are a number of previously unprinted photographs provided to the authors by relatives of the principals.

An invaluable reference for those interested in the history surrounding child and animal protection, "Out of the Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson is also just "a good read."

Child abuse is a subject many people would prefer not to think about. This account of the life of Mary Ellen Wilson will change that way of thinking. This story will open your heart to a little girl who, for much of her childhood had no friends, no hugs, no kisses, no bedtime "I love you" moments. The book will take you from the beginnings of a love story, through death, child abuse, hate, compassion, rescue, and survival. It's a must read for anyone who thinks that one person cannot make a difference in the life of a child. Thank you, Mr. Shelman and Dr. Lazoritz for bringing Mary Ellen into our lives...may the doors of our hearts be opened as a result.

I bought this book having met Eric in a Californian hotel two weeks ago - we were both on business trips. Towards the end of our time talking he mentioned that he had written a book and I told him I would buy it from Amazon.com and read it. I kept my word and sat by the pool and read it.

I have dealt with child abuse personally and have read other books on the subject. I found that Out of The Darkness had been written in a way that did not read like social workers case notes, like I have found some other books. It does not dwell on each beating this poor child received, it gives you the facts in a beautifully written way that truly inspires. Mary-Ellen's story proves how just one person like Etta has to care to rescue a childs life. I am sure anyone who reads this book will not think twice about reporting a suspected case of child abuse. Eric - you are a gifted author as well as a really nice guy.

This comprehensive book is a "must have" reference for those involved not only in Water Distribution Modeling but also in the field of Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering. The coverage is extensive and the book is written in a very "easy to read" style. My congratulations to Haestad Press for another outstanding publication.

This is definitely a must-have for any civil engineer involved in hydraulics, especially water modelers. I had been surprised by the quality of the previous Water Distribution Modeling book, but the Advanced edition succeeded my expectations. Its writing is very understandable and it is full of creative illustrations. The chapter about Geographic Information Systems is very well written, and after realizing who were involved in its review (ESRI's staff), I don't wonder about its content anymore.

Highly recommended.

I highly recommend this book. I found it to be very useful. It is great to have all the information that I need in one place. The chapters on Integrating GIS and Hydraulic Modeling; and, SCADA are very informative and timely. Plus you get the added bonus of a lot of New Yorker Magazine Cartoons.

I have been a user of Haestad Products now for less than a year, yet Haestad has had a huge impact on how I do engineering. Their software, discussion groups and publications are all tops. I can't recommend this book and everthing else that Haestad does enough.

Behind bars is a quick, easy, useful, and enjoyable read. Though this book is being used as a college text book, don't let that drive you away. This book is useful to everyone, not just criminology students. Richards and Ross give you the truth about our prison system, this book is written from their experiences dealing with the system. No one plans on going to prison, but you never know, it's better to be prepared than to get ...(pardon the pun). Read the book, trust me, you won't be able to put it down.

Behind the Bars is a criminal justice survival manual for the innocently naïve and felonious savvy alike. As Ross and Richards point out, it is just as easy for law-abiding John/Jane Q. average citizen to unwittingly be ensnared in the complex system of criminal justice, as practicing felons. Behind the Bars contains practical advice on how to survive the legal and correctional system. This book is a quick read that will have you running the gambit of emotions from lighthearted humor, to incredulous disbelief, to horrific shock. Above all, the book serves to remind us how vulnerable we are to systematic governmental victimization.

Behind the Bars begins by instructing the criminal justice system novice on the difference between constitutional rights in theory and constitutional rights in practice; the difference between misdemeanors and felonies; and breaks-down, for easy consumption, a convoluted system of incarceration (jails, state prison systems, and federal prison system).

Ross and Richards then take a realistic and humanistic approach to providing the "low down and dirty" on the prison experience. Most media sources, when discussing the prison experience, provide an austere or sensationalistic approach to explaining the prison experience, by regurgitating information provided by administrative resources and scholarly work based on distal information. Such resources may lead (and have led) the public in general, and criminal justice students in particular, to wrongly believe that prisons offer a wide array of personal amenities medical/vocational/educational services, and recreational facilities, making it appear that convicted felons are being treated to a taxpayer funded vacation in a modified version of a health spa. Ross and Richards provide the naked truth on the reality of the prison experience, and discuss in detail the difficulties of prison life for both prisoners and guards.

Based on personal experiences, Ross and Richards provide practical first-hand guidance that just might prevent the reader from being caught off-guard by the criminal justice system. As a criminologist and a participant in a prison ministry program, I found Behind the Bars to be insightful and disturbingly realistic, and would be a perfect ancillary text for academic courses on Corrections, Criminology and Introduction to the Criminal Justice System. Thanks to Ross and Richards we now know the rest of the story!

Criminologists Drs. Ross and Richards (respectively, a former guard and a former federal inmate) provide a cogent and accessible look at the brutal reality that is our criminal justice system. Their humanistic and jargon-free coverage of what it's like to be taken into custody, processed and incarcerated is a refreshing departure from the stale, emotionally distant (and of often apologetic) coverage that has sadly become the standard fare in the academic coverage of the correctional system. Located both in the world of experiential closeness and scholarly rigour, Ross and Richards expose the harshness and inhumanity inherent in America's incarceration industry. - Finally, something that I can comfortably fit between Sykes' "Society of Captives" and Irwin and Austin's "It's About Time" on my book shelf. Interested in what life in prison is like? Turn off Oz, and open up BEHIND BARS.

This book for me personally was a real page turner. I wanted a book to help me understand the mind of a serial killer and also to relay to me in more detail the crimes of Ted Bundy. This book did indeed give us an insight to the serial killer's mind and indeed gave us the unanswered questions to those girls Bundy robbed of their lives. I found this book informative without going overboard on statistics and the like...I felt the style of writing and pace of the book had me gripped from the description of the weather in Florida at the beginning of the book and I was not dissapointed from then on in. I felt regret when I finished the book as it had stimulated me intellectually and made me do my own thinking as well as educating me. I came away with a sense of loss and waste not only for the families of the victims but also for the family and friends of Ted Bundy who it seemed were duped with his innocence until the last confession. A brilliant brilliant read!

There have been many volumes published about Ted Bundy over the past twenty six years, but this outstanding book written by two experienced investigative reporters stands the tallest. Why? Because of their compassion for the victims and the fact that they haven't included the exact graphic, lurid details of Bundy's devastating carnage in order to increase book sales. This book isn't exactly light reading, nor is it fun to read, but for young women like myself, it is a NECESSARY read. The messages it contains will save many lives - it could even save our own. One can also guess that Bundy's reasons for co-operating with the authors Michaud and Aynesworth weren't exactly altruistic either, for, locked away from vulnerable would be victims, exposed for the monster that he was, Bundy must surely have experienced great pleasure during his "speculation" sessions, because it was during these that he could fantasise and happily relive each of the brutal murders that he committed. Anyone who says that capital punishment is barbaric will surely have their opinions changed after reading this book, for the electric chair was exactly what Bundy deserved. You also have to wonder what good things his victims would have achieved had their lives been allowed to continue.

The good news is...you will never forget this story, and the bad news is...you will never forget this story. An astonishing study of a real life "wolf" a monster. I'm a little embarassed that I'm closely related to a well known criminologist (sociologist) who doesnt believe in the death penlty (and has written many books on the subject). This book will convince you that serial killers should fry and I believe that I could have personally pulled the switch Ted Bundy after reading this story. I read this book nearly 18 years ago and although I forget lots of books I've read, but there hasn't been a time when I washed my car that I havent thought back to this book (you'll find out why when You read it). It will haunt you forever..I highly recommend it to all and I will have my own children read it someday so they will understand that one can never be too careful. I came away from this story feeling a very deep sorrow for the victims and their families. The author will take you to a dark world that few ever experience, and will forever change the way you think, the author (through painstaking interviews) succeeds in writing a book about the Devil himself that will not soon be forgotten.

You'll start reading this and get a tale of many cities - it's not a true crime story, it's a stunning cultural tour of science, emotions, fads, murder and self promotion. Like all the other reviews say, it's a lengthy book - the first 100 fly, then you'll slog through another 100 or so but then it will fly and rivet your attention. Read it and then think about the latest flaps about autism, gulf war syndrome, whatever - you'll really get a sea change in views. I'd give it five stars but for the following reasons - 1) the "sag" in the second 100 pages and 2) the authors seem give blank acceptance to some people and statements and partially reconstruct some conversations, 3)They question multiple SIDS deaths in one family (murder?) but shy hard away from the single death, and never challenge the emptiness of the either the SIDS diagnosis or murder presumption (i.e. calling a death SIDS simply because there's no explaination or calling multiple deaths in one family probable murder because SIDS "doesn't run in families"). But still an excellent book - highly recommended.

This book is a must read for those in the forensic pathology field. A physician, through falsified data, single-handedly brought about the multi-million dollar infant apnea monitor movement, inflicting untold damage to the truth in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome while at the same time aiding those parents who murder their children!

I have read many true-crime books, and this one really stands out from the crowd. The authors did an amazing job of researching not only the crime, but the history and politics of SIDS and apnea.

This is one of the few books that I told friends about, starting with "I'm reading the most interesting book ..."

Peter Pan is a good adventure/fantasy that kids and adults can enjoy alike. With much exaggeration, it is something kids can enjoy and read into. It's a page-turning book that once you started you can't stop.

This isn't like the Disney movie! I loved this book but at the same time I was shocked by the violence of the fighting between Hook and the Lost Boys and the Indians. I don't think I'll be reading this one to my nephews and neices, not until I have edited out the violent bits. It wasn't that In-Your-Face violence of the Hollywood movies, it was more insinuated and there was definetly a menacing atmosphere surrounding Wendy's, Peter's and Michael's adventures in Never Never Land. I do recommend it though, just not for easily frightened youngsters. This is definetly in need of a PG rating on the cover. PARENTS: This is no Disney Peter Pan!

My 10 year old daughter found this book in the school library. She read it one weekend and has checked it out several times. The classic story along with the beautiful illustrations by Eric Kincaid have made this one of her favorite books. When I surprised her with her own copy that I had found on Amazon she was thrilled and commented on it's excellent condition.

Has anyone heard of Eschatology? I hadn't until my writing instructor used that word in a letter he sent to me. Baffled, I looked it up in the Webster's Dictionary, but didn't find it. I checked with The Synonym Finder, but it wasn't listed there either. Finally, I turned to this book and found it in the table of contents. Eschatology is the study of afterlife.This book has been a godsend for me as a creative writer. There were times when I was writing a scene and couldn't think of a word to describe something or a term I couldn't remember. Most of the time, I found what I was looking for in these pages.Word Menu is broken down into four parts. Part One deals with Nature­­The human body, living things, and the earth. Chapter One (The Human Body) is then divided into five subcategories­­Anatomy, Medical Problems, Health/Fitness/Enhancement, Hair and Grooming, Phsyical Appearance. Under these, you will find hundreds of definitions, terms, and cross-references.This dictionary covers everything from everyday items, customs, religions, etc. to the obscure and strange. For example, Eschatology. Word Menu is an indespensible tool for any type of writer, student, or anyone who wants to learn something.

This is the book to use if you don't know the name for an object but know the general category to which it belongs.

The idea behind this book is to group words into menus just like computer commands are grouped into menus. Glazier implemented this basic idea fairly well when he arranged this book.

The book is split into seven parts (Nature, Science and Technology, Domestic Life, Institutions, Arts and Leisure, Language, and The Human Condition). Each of the parts, in turn, is split into three or four chapters (a total of 25 chapters in all). Each chapter contains one or two levels of subject categories. The words contained in each subject category are listed in alphabetical order.

For example, you need to know the name for a phobia. Look up Part 3 - Institutions, Chapter 13 - Social Sciences, Psychology, Phobias. You can then skim the alphabetical list of phobias for the phobia you're looking for.

While this book is useful, I found it to be very entertaining as well. Flipping through its pages is like going through a linguistic museum of curiousities. (Just reflect on what words you may find under the subject category "Insults, Slurs, and Epithets", and you may get an idea of what I mean.) It is perfect for people who think that vocabulary study is boring.

Two things to consider, though.

1. To get full use out of the book, you must have a feel for how the book is organized. The learning curve is slight, but it is there.

2. Because you are required by the book's format to scan through lists of words, this book was formatted to make it easy to scan. This means that the definitions are sketchy and and there is no pronunciation guide. This is OK so long as you have an excellent dictionary to fill in the gaps left by the Word Menu.

I do not write without it. Together with J.I. Rodale's The Synonym Finder and DK's Ultimate Visual Dictionary it completes the Trinity of word desk references. If you are trying to decide between this book, Facts on File's Descriptionary, and Writer's Digest's Flip Dictionary, go with this book. I have all three and I use Word Menu 40 times to every one time I use either Flip Dictionary or Descriptionary, both of which are trying to do the same thing. Flip Dictionary comes close, and tries to do things a little differently, but Word Menu is my preference.

THE BEST AVAILABLE GUIDE TO LUCID DREAMING!

Although this inspiring book presents a new model of dreaming and consciousness, its approach is primarily practical, covering methods for inducing lucid dreams, and a variety of applications. LaBerge also includes a brief history of his scientific research; all is presented in an engaging and comprehensible manner. Reading the book gave me an appreciation for his dedicated pioneering in the field of mind/body mapping and the ingeniousness of his lucid dream induction methods and devices.

This book offers the most extensive collection of step-by-step techniques for increasing consciousness during sleep. It also includes accounts of what a variety of lucid dreamers have done with their dream lives. For me, the most important point was how the same skills and mindfulness developed through learning to lucid dream can also deeply enhance one's waking life.

Why sleep through dreams (and sleepwalk through waking life) when lucidity is a learnable skill? This excellent, easy-to-follow guide is essential reading for dream explorers of all levels of experience.

Lucid dreaming, i.e. dreaming with full awareness, is one of the most ecstatic experiences open to human beings. Yet creating this state of bliss has traditionally been difficult - the naive approach of autosuggestion produces only very low success rates.

In "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming", Stephen LaBerge discusses far more efficient techniques, including one pioneered by himself - MILD, or Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams. He explains how to create conditions conducive to lucid dreaming, how to prolong a lucid dream once one has one, and how to use lucid dreams for creative problem solving, health, entertainment and spiritual growth.

I should point out, however, that there is no miracle method for having lucid dreams instantanously. The techniques that this book offers still need to be exercised, patiently and diligently over a period of weeks if not months before results will start to materialize. But if you are willing and motivated to invest the necessary work and effort, this book will be one of the best guides there is. For those readers who prefer a simple, step-by-step approach, I would also recommend "Lucid Dreams in 30 Days" by Keith Harary and Pamela Weintraub.

I have to admit this is the best book for the price on the market with scientific proof and probability of occurences for lucid dreaming. I have been trying months to have out of body experiences/partial dream ones and/or lucid dreaming and have to admit this book is very detailed explained and I have accomplished it with this book which many other books failed. I have looked at other books on awareness exercises, this one even talks about it in depth more and not to mention the WILD/MILD techniques are worth the price alone cause I had a lucid experience with those tehchniques atleast once every second day after reading their FAQ, I had to buy the book to support this author and found out there are many more treasures/techniques in this book which I can't wait to try out. This is my second best book on the market I will cherish and come back to many times, the other one is power of the subconscious mind by murphy, two of my favorite psychology books.

"H.M.S. Surprise", the third installment in Patrick O'Brian's magnificient Aubrey/Maturin series is set aboard Aubrey's favorite ship, the slender ex-French frigate Surprise, during a mission to Indian waters. Here O'Brian demonstrates again his great affinity for natural history, portraying Maturin as a fictitious predecessor to the likes of Charles Darwin and Alfred R. Wallace. Meanwhile both he and Aubrey must ponder how they can thwart a French flotilla from seizing the China fleet. Readers will treasure O'Brian's elegant prose and mesmerizing descriptions of natural history and sea battles.

I read the first two in the Aubrey/Maturin series (Master and Commander and Post Captain) a few years ago and liked them. In an idle moment, I recently picked up HMS Surprise and glanced at the first page. Thirty minutes later I was still reading and within the week I had finished the book. Unfortunately my vocabulary cannot do justice to describing just how good this book is. The characterizations are sympathetic and acute, the descriptions of seafaring are hypnotic and the battle scenes are wonderful. These books are not pulp fiction, but finely wrought and accurate depictions of the world nearly two centuries ago. Some of O'Brian's observations are so good, I felt like applauding at times. These books require some patience and discipline, but the pay-off is immense. I'm only sorry that it looks like I'm on the slippery slope that will lead to reading the 17 or 18 other novels in the series. I'm just too busy to read them right now, but there may not be anything I can do about it. If you want books to truly transport you somewhere else, this is the series.

Like the preceding Aubrey and Maturin books by O'Brian, this is a beautifully written, meticulously realistic tale. In this, the third book of O'Brian's seafaring saga, things take a painfully tragic twist.

In the setting of the sea voyages, the dual romantic dramas of Captain Aubrey and Doctor Maturin continue to unfold. What reader can truly care that the bold and dashing Diana Villiers has been subjected to all sorts of low, nasty gossip, when Maturin has realised that his love for her has survived it? And will Aubrey's fiance, Sophie, break their engagement in the face of his long and silent absence at sea? Especially with a charming new minister in the neighborhood...

Always before, in spite of rivalries and breaks, the good captain and doctor's fortunes have risen and fallen pretty much together. But in this book, only one will win through to joy.

Aside from the poignant human drama, this book holds the most dramatic description of a storm at sea that I have ever read. O'Brian's prose drove my heart rate to amazing heights for the usually non-athletic pursuit of reading! His gift for succinct description is purely wonderful.

Another wonderful book in a series of wonderful books.

If I only had room for one book on my boat, this one would be it. I have yet to find a subject not extremely well covered. My wife and I are preparing for long-term cruising, including a circumnavigation. Calder's books, especially this one, have been great resources for learning how to install and maintain nearly every major (and minor) system. Most importantly, a lot of manuals for installed equipment were missing when we purchased this boat (a Tayana V-42), and Calder filled in many needed blanks. Having this reference on board, I feel very confident in being able to handle the inevitable problems that Murphy's Law predicts.

I dont have boat but I bought this book. it was great deal. you have to buy this book before buy boat also you have to buy it if you have a boat. this book helps to you everywhere and everything in your boat. including lots of pictures and lots of problems and their solves, it is realy bible of sailors. thank you Nigel Calder
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I don't give out many 5 star reviews. But this one definitely qualifies. If you have an electrical or mechanical problem start here. Lots of good, well explained information for those of use who are not experts. This book was a great help in redoing my electrical system, as well as helping me understand numerous systems on my boat. Calder covers how things work, limitations, purchase and design considerations, integration with other systems and practical pros and cons. Would I buy this again? ABSOLUTELY-I can recommend this book with no limitations.