THIS BOOK AS THE TITLE STATES "STRAIGHT UP!" IS AN EXCELLENT GUIDE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. THE MESSAGE IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND THE BOOK READS AS IF DR. TAYLOR-GERDES IS PERSONALLY TALKING TO YOU. EACH CHAPTER FOCUSES ON THE TOUGH ISSUES THAT TEENAGERS ARE FACED WITH TODAY. THIS BOOK HELPS TEENAGERS REALIZE THAT THEY CAN BE HIP, SMART AND HAVE THEIR LIFE TOGETHER WITHOUT FALLING INTO THE TRAP OF NEGATIVE PEER PRESSURE.

He was bound determined not to paint people reading and women knitting, but instead to show people who breathed emotions into his darkly suggestive prints. "Death in the sickroom" showed family members at the ages when they were painted, not when his sister Sophie died; it expressed unity in grief as one of death's longlasting effects by seemingly overlapping planes flowing together across bleakly empty areas, starkly B&W contrasts, and stiffly posed mourners frozen in misery. "The mirror" heads of a disembodied man and woman was his first woodcut to give up the Japanese method of printing each color with a separate woodblock; instead, he jigsawed blocks into pieces according to compositional design, linked each piece with a different color, and put everything back together into a multicolored print. He considered his "Sick child II" his most important print: his first color lithograph, it focused on the diseased upper chest and the head in profile facing right against a large pillow in order to gaze with tragically meditative resignation into the flatly patterned looming void on the far right. However, his "Scream" became the most compelling image for the late twentieth century: it expressed terror before the universe by powerfully decorative lines reverberating through the starkly opposed black lines and bleakly white voids of pulsing land and sky. Elizabeth Prelinger and Michael Parke-Taylor have applied reader-friendly illustrations and text to their catalog of the Vivian and David Campbell exhibition. Their SYMBOLIST PRINTS OF EDVARD MUNCH goes down good with PROGRESSIVE PRINTMAKERS by Warrington Colescott and Arthur Hove, PRINTS AND PRINTMAKING by Antony Griffiths, EDVARD MUNCH by Josef Paul Hodin, and THE PRINT IN THE WESTERN WORLD by Linda C Hults.

This is the third Elizabeth Berg book featuring her youthful heroine, Katie. In "True to Form", Katie is 13 years old and struggling with the problems that are so overwhelming to many of that age: feeling unpopular, wanting to fit in, feeling like her father makes too many decisions for her.

I loved the first two "Katie" books and I liked this one too, but less so. I didn't feel like there was as much to it. The storyline is very straightforward and it is more about what is going on inside Katie's head. Also, like so many of Elizabeth Berg's books, the ending felt rushed.

Having said that, I do love the way that Berg is able to portray the thoughts of a teenage girl so well. There were several lines that when I read them, took me back to thoughts and feelings that I haven't remembered having for years.

It is also nice to read a book that gets you thinking things like: "am I as good a friend as I should be?" and "do I give people enough of a chance before I judge them?".

If you like Berg's other books, this is a pretty safe bet. But if you haven't read any before, this is probably not the best one to start with. I would recommend "Durable Goods" (to my mind, her best book), or "Open House" as a better starting point.

I loved the first 2 books about Katie (Durable Goods and Joy School)and excited to see a third. While I read all 3 I got the sweet feel of reading and life in my pre-teen years, but with an adult writing it there is also a mature hindsight feel and almost sympathy for the kids we all used to be. I even think mom's could read this and pass it on to their daughters of this age, it would open amazing discussions (parental communication, friends and loyalty and of course, sex and it's consequences) and show choices and the path they take you on. While I really believe the second of the trilogy (Joy School) was my own personal favorite, this book is still great.

Who else like Berg can write the quirky and touching observations that women and girls feel, our relationships and differences with the men in our lives, and our struggle in constantly figuring out who we are. One paticular line I loved is when Katie cries for all that is going on her life and notes- "sometimes the feelings inside are so overwhelming that our body has to agree with tears.." boy, can I relate! Anyway you will get many great lines like that throughout the entire book of katie and her friends (classic struggle between the popular, rude ones or good, geeky one) and her family (remembering her passed before mother and forging on with her difficult father) and terms she deals with in more issues.

One note- you can read this and very well enjoy it if you have not read the other 2 books. If you are interested in the themes in this book, do not hesitate if yo haven't read the others, you will still get it and will notmiss out at all.

That being said I give it 4 stars for great writing and observations, but due to a somewhat slow plot ( i'm not really sure it needs more, but yet I love a book with that added POW!) I am holding back on one star.

If you've read and enjoyed Berg before- grab this one!

Readers of Elizabeth Berg's books have been introduced to many endearing characters, not the least of which is Katie Nash. First appearing in the title Durable Goods, Katie is a motherless 11 year old living on an army base in Texas. Next we meet up with Katie in Joy School, as Katie moves to Missouri and falls in love with an "older man." Now in Berg's newest book, True to Form, we find Katie feeling the tugs of adolescence as her father remarries and she continues to meet new people and experiences new adventures.

As summer vacation approaches, Katie has all sorts of plans in mind which include getting a great summer job, winning a local radio contest, which offers a trip anywhere in the US, and most of all becoming popular. But her plans are severely altered when her father tells her has has found two summer jobs for her. These are baby-sitting for the rowdy Wexler boys and helping out an elderly couple. As if matters weren't bad enough, her only friend Katie informs her that her mother has become a Girl Scout leader and they expect Katie to join their troop. Now instead of the summer she planned, Katie spends her days breaking up arguments between the three young boys, helping Mr. Randolph care for his ailing wife and spending an overnight in Cynthia's living room with the Girl Scouts. Even winning a trip to Texas and seeing her best friend does little to lift her spirits. But then an opportunity to attend a prestigious private school and invitations from a popular group may turn this into the very best summer, or so Katie thinks.

As we all know life is a series of lessons to be learned and by the end of True to Form Katie learns about some of lifes most important ones. Katie will learn how friends can and do come in all ages, what makes a good friend and how one can even betray a true and loyal friend. In wonderful passages, Elizabeth Berg reminds us what it means to be a young adult feeling their way and learning about life through the eyes of those who have experienced all of this before. Through her ups and downs, though, Katie retains her feisty spirit and a maturity beyond her years. She is Durable Goods, a Joy Scool to learn from and always True to Form.

To many readers, Elizabeth Berg has the uncanny knack of making her readers feel as if they are participants in her books and not merely bystanders. And sometimes I almost feel as though I am the main character of the book so well does Berg capture the moods and feelings of these characters. In The Pull of the Moon, I truly thought Berg was writing about me so closely did I identify with the feelings expressed by the character Nan Martin. And then in Open House, although never divorced, I was Samantha when her marriage failed and she moved onto new relationships and confidence. So it was when I read True to Form that I was Katie Nash baby-sitting, helping out the Randolphs and being accepted by the in crowd. I was Katie Nash learning about life as maturity begins and we take on new and different responsibilities while watching as other people's lives are ending. As one reads the pages of this book one can't help but feel the warm summer breezes, hear the voice of Mr. Randolph talking to Katie and truly feel Katie's longings for acceptance and love. Few authors today evoke such strong feelings for me as a reader as Elizabeth Berg does. And it is because of her wonderful characters, witty dialogue and poignancy that I consider Elizabeth Berg among my very favorite writers today. While any Berg book is cause for excitement, I sincerely hope that she will also continue to let us into Katies world so we can learn more about her life and also more about ourselves.

My book group chose this book by the interesting description here and review. The idea of a spinster leaving her family to become a witch intrigued us all, but we were disappointed in the book. We found the character not very interesting, and the lack of action calmed us all into slumber while trying to read it. It wasn't a terrible book, it had some interesting things to say, but we could not understand all the immensely positive reviews here.

These new little NYRB editions are just honeys--I have yet to read one that wasn't absolutely spectacular (the editors have superb taste), and the editions themselves are little gems--they FEEL so nice in your hands because they're made of gorgeous high quality paper and set in a lovely font.

Warner's novel is fantastic--its rhythms are slow but musical, and it takes quite a while to determine what awaits Laura in Great Mop. A very, very funny book that also comments movingly on the condition of "odd women" in the generation before Suffrage... I couldn't put this down!

Lolly Willowes is the spirited story of a woman searching for herself. The themes in this book are as applicable now as they were when it was written. Thank you to Academy Chicago for bringing us this beautiful edition with an insightful introduction (they also use the original cover art).

I was mesmerised by this book. Of course, one often takes biographies with a grain of salt, but I was most impressed with the way that Taylor handled her career like a man -- how she was able to go on despite the pressures of her situation. The love story between Burton and Taylor shines through, and I think I understand a little more about love, even though theirs was a tumultuous one. She is a role model for people in the performing arts who turn their attention toward great and needy causes, and I respect her immensely. Also, the photographs in this book illustrate the fact that Liz was -- and still is -- the most luminous raven-haired beauty in Hollywood. Long may she rule as the last star of Hollywood.

In the book The Life of Elizabeth Taylor, Alexander Walker captures the extraordinary beauty's life in every way. Fans will absolutely love this book. It is a thorough in depth biography filled with more than 30 amazing photos of Elizabeth throughout the years.
It starts from the beginning of her life in London where her mother's strong willed attitude pushes Elizabeth forward. Alexander focuses on her success in many movies such as National Velvet, A Place in the Sun, and Cleopatra. The Oscar winning performance she gave in Butterfield 8 and the two academy awards that made her a legend are depicted.
Along with all the positive aspects of her life also came the long downfalls that have intrigued us over the years. Elizabeth's eight marriages are uncovered along with her conniving personality that broke apart other people's marriages. Her obsessions of jewelry, clothing, and sex are exposed. The truth behind her ongoing drug and alcohol abuse is revealed. Elizabeth's suicide attempt at age 29 along with the 73 total hospitalizations throughout her life is publicized. This book shows us the real Elizabeth outside of the glamour. The dramatic experiences with facing the public with the on going scandals and personal tragedies is drawn out for the readers.
This book gives a true insight in Elizabeth Taylor's life. From the high points to downfalls, her life is captured by Alexander Walker to its fullest. Elizabeth's life has been an often-tragic fairytale that people have followed throughout the past 50 years.

Who could be better qualified to write about the hearts, minds and souls of dogs than Elizabeth Marshall Thomas? Not only is she the celebrated anthropologist who was the first to chronicle the lives of the Bushmen; not only has she studied and published scientific and popular articles on animals from African elephants to Arctic wolves; but she quite literally grew up among dogs. As we learn in the first captivating sentences of this splendid, surprising book, one of her most attentive caretakers as a child was a Newfoundland dog, whose job, as the dog saw it, was to keep the helpless human child from drowning in the sea while the dog's group, her family, lived at the beach. The dog was actually her nanny, writes Thomas--the sort of insight that at once makes perfect sense and yet takes one's breath away, and the sort of insight that characterizes this book. The Social Lives of Dogs is as wide-ranging and as deep as Thomas' best-selling The Hidden Life of Dogs. That book asked the simple and profound question: What do dogs want? The answer: other dogs. But the social grace of dogs is such that they are capable of forming deep, lasting, complex and highly individualized relationships with many species other than their own (including birds, who are, as Thomas points out, more closely related to dinosaurs than to dogs), and this is the fertile ground explored in this riveting new book. In it, we meet a great new cast of characters: brave, stoic, soldierly Sundog, a former stray; Misty, a victim of AKC breeding who grew up in a crate and didn't understand grass; curly-tailed Pearl, who made an art of barking. The Thomas household is, as she writes, a "churning cauldron" of (at its high point) five dogs, a dozen cats, five parrots and a varying number of people. There's a dog-chasing cat named Rajah and a cat-biting cockatoo named Carmen. These animals don't always behave in the ways we think they "should"--they are far too creative, inventive and individual. And that's the delight of their keenly-observed stories--stories which collectively form a rich biography of their relationships with one another. Although The Hidden Life of Dogs was highly praised by some of the world's top animal behaviorists, including George Schaller, in some circles the book was controversial, as The Social Lives of Dogs will surely be. A few scientists still consider the mere suggestion that animals think is "anthropomorphic." But for the rest of us, who know that non-human as well as human animals may enjoy rich inner lives, this book offers profound evidence that our closest animal friends still surprise us--and have much to teach us about social graces.

For those who are already fans of Elizabeth Marshall Thomas and her fine anthropologist's approach to studying animal culture, THE SOCIAL LIVES OF DOGS may be the finest jewel in her crown of works. This book chronicles an approximate fifteen-year study which included, in the order that they came to live in the Thomas household, Sundog, Misty, Pearl, Ruby, and Sheilah--dogs of varying breeds and mixes. Thomas tells, in her own beautiful and compassionate way, the story of each dog's incorporation into the lives of the other dogs, people, cats, and birds in her home. She succeeds beautifully in her sincere effort always to explain her animal observations and then to try to understand and interpret from the animal's point of view. What more could one ask of an anthropologist/ethologist?

For me, Thomas taps into something very deep and important--something that's difficult to find words for. But I know that it has to do with a message that says it's okay to feel deep emotions about your animals, to talk to them and hear their answers, and to sense and acknowledge their deep feelings. Even though many of us have known and felt this intuitively, it is neither the message that our Judeo/Christian tradition nor our Linnean scala natura science of classification has wanted to deliver to us.

In the introduction she poses the questions: "Can we understand the mind of an animal? . . .[do] animals have consciousness?" and then proceeds to say that for some scientists . . . "the view that animals are incapable of conscious thought, or even of emotion, has acquired an aura of scientific correctness, and at the moment is the prevailing dogma, as if some very compelling evidence to the contrary was not a problem." This reader is happy to say that her own experiences with animals have certainly provided "compelling evidence to the contrary."

On a final note, THE SOCIAL LIVES OF DOGS, even though written around the lives of the canines concerned, reads a little bit like Thomas's personal memoir. She puts a lot into perspective in the excellent epilogue, which I found to be the real icing on the cake. Even as Thomas finds "grace" in canine company, so does she tell their story with much grace. This book is a wonderful read!

This is an excellent book about dogs, readable even by those who do not like them. Elizabeth Maxwell Thomas writes fascinating stories about daily life with her pets, anecdotes both humorous and sad. As I read about her wonderful dogs--the incredibly intelligent Sundog, sweet Pearl, confused Misty, and goofy Ruby--I found myself looking at my dog, wondering why she wasn't nearly as interesting as Thomas's. (If I had to choose a favorite dog from the book, the human-like Sundog would be my choice.) There are also scientific bits about how wolves gradually became domesticated and why, dogs of Third World nations, and so on. This is a great book, one that everyone should read.

I found the idea of a star like Elizabeth Taylor sharing the personal history of her exquisite jewels a truly original idea. As for the person who was offended by the fact that she'd received all her jewellery as gifts from husbands and friends...what's the big deal? The woman has given away millions, she clearly *can* buy any jewel that catches her eye. And when your husband buys you jewellery, technically, he's only buying 50% since you own half of HIM anyway, you're really buying half of it yourself. Back to the book...I found some of the stories touching, some of them just made me smile. The photography is very nice. It's the kind of book you can sit down with at night and savour with a hot cup of coffee. My only complaint was that the text in the book wouldn't fill a chapter of a novel. Perhaps it's best that way, tho. The pictures do speak a thousand words.

Taylor's history on her jewels was an eye-opener for me. I never realized she was the rich, frankly. The stories of her shopping the globe's great jewellery shops was wonderful. What seems to permeate (sp?) the book, tho, is Taylor's gratefulness in being just the keeper of such fabulous rocks. She shows a love for her jewels and desire to share them with others. That fact alone makes the book a very pleasant experience. Recommened for the joy of jewellery; I liked it very much.

This is an absolutely breath-taking book. It has 280 illustrations, 175 of them in color, and many of them from Elizabeth Taylor's personal collection. I cannot stress how vivid and gloriously they capture the beauty of Ms. Taylor and her jewelry. The wonderful stories that go along with many of the pieces portray Elizabeth as a witty, warm ... and yes, cunning woman. I've always been a huge fan of hers, but this book has made me even more so.
Although Ms. Taylor own magnificent pieces from some of the most famous jewelers of all time ... Cartier, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Jean Schlumberger (Tiffany & Co.) ... many of my favorite's were her historical pieces. Like the Duchess of Windsor's diamond brooch, the Taj Mahal diamond, La Peregrina, and a beautiful bracelet from the collection of King Farouk.
The book also has a wonderful index that describes almost every piece in the book, along with who bought it and where. Some of you may be surprised to find that although Richard Burton and Mike Todd sure knew how to spoil a girl, Ms. Taylor did buy a lot of her jewelry herself. I also read from one of the following reviews that Ms. Taylor did not say who or why she sold the 69.42 carat Taylor-Burton diamond. I can't tell you why she sold it, but the index says she sold it in 1978 to a jeweler named Lambert who in turn sold it to Mr. Robert Mouawad in December of 1979.
So, even if you don't particulary care for Elizabeth Taylor and her legendary love affair with jewels, this book leaves little or no doubt that Ms. Taylor is definitely one of the most beautiful women of all time and her jewels are some of the most fabulous.

This is an absolutely breaktaking book. It has 280 illustrations, 175 of them in color, and many of them from Elizabeth Taylor's personal collection. I cannot stress how vivid and gloriously they capture the beauty of Ms. Taylor and her jewelry. The wonderful stories that go along with many of the pieces portray Elizabeth as a witty, warm ... and yes, cunning woman. I've always been a huge fan of hers, but this book has made me even more so.
Although Ms. Taylor own magnificent pieces from some of the most famous jewelers of all time ... Cartier, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Jean Schlumberger (Tiffany & Co.) ... many of my favorite's were her historical pieces. Like the Duchess of Windsor's diamond brooch, the Taj Mahal diamond, La Peregrina, and a beautiful bracelet from the collection of King Farouk.
The book also has a wonderful index that describes almost every piece in the book, along with who bought it and where. Some of you may be surprised to find that although Richard Burton and Mike Todd sure knew how to spoil a girl, Ms. Taylor did buy a lot of her jewelry herself. I also read from one of the following reviews that Ms. Taylor did not say who or why she sold the 69.42 carat Taylor-Burton diamond. I can't tell you why she sold it, but the index says she sold it in 1978 to a jeweler named Lambert who in turn sold it to Mr. Robert Mouawad in December of 1979.
So, even if you don't particulary care for Elizabeth Taylor and her legendary love affair with jewels, this book leaves little or no doubt that Ms. Taylor is definitely one of the most beautiful women of all time and her jewels are some of the most fabulous.

I borrowed this book and it was only when I got it home that I discovered that it was a sequel to "Durable Goods". I decided to read it anyway, and I'm glad I did.

12 year old Katie lives with her imposing father and is uprooted to a new town and school. She is desperately trying to fit in but finds it awfully lonely, until she meets Cynthia, and then another new girl, Taylor sort of 'adopts' her as a friend. But both have their odd values or family life.

Then Katie meets Jimmy and he befriends her, listens to her, and she hears him. It's what Katie needs and she begins to fall in love him, knowing that he's 10 years older, married and has a child. She wants to promise him the world, share his dreams, be his everything.

Unfortunately for Katie, as the story unfolds, Jimmy is hopelessly in love with his wife, would do anything for her and that involves moving away, to be closer to her family. The scene when Jimmy and Katie meet for the last time is very sweet and will stay vivid in my mind for a long time to come. We need more Jimmy's in this world!!!

A Good Book That Should Receive Some Kind of Award

For one project in my English class this quarter, I spontaneously decided to read Joy School by Elizabeth Berg. I could not put this book down. It might as well have been tied to my hand, as it rarely saw the bookshelf, a table, or a desk in two weeks.

This book was mainly about a girl named Katie, a teenager whose mother has died, so now she is living with her father. To make times worse for Katie, she has moved from her Texas home to Missouri. She doesn't fit in at her new school or in her neighborhood. She has one friend, Cynthia, in her new town. One day she goes ice skating at a nearby pond, and falls through the ice. She manages to get out of the water, and wanders to a gas station across the street. The gas station is run by a man named Jimmy, who Katie develops an instant crush on. Jimmy is ten years older, however, so Katie only tells a few people.

Later on in story, Katie meets Taylor Sinn, a new girl at school. Taylor and Katie become friends, and Katie learns some things about Taylor that she would rather not be a part of. For instance, Taylor steals outfits from stores and doesn't pay for meals when she eats out. Taylor also does other things, which I will not go into detail on. I can't say much more without giving away some key plot points, so I'll stop here with the plot outline.

I find this book excellent. On a scale, one being awful and ten being the best thing I ever read, this book is way off the chart and has found its way into the twenties. This is in all probability the best book that I ever read to date. I think that everyone should read this book, unless they are under 13 or 14, due to some (a-HEM) adult language/scenes. Otherwise, this book was excellent and if you are looking for a good book, try this one.

As her readers have come to expect, Elizabeth Berg's book, Joy School, is a wonderful sequel and continuation of the story about Katie, whom we first meet in Durable Goods. And while this book can easily stand alone, I do suggest that both books be read.

Joy School now finds Katie once again living with her father but this time on a different army base and in a different part of Texas. Her sister is still off with her boyfriend and instead of her neighbor and confidant Cherylann, Katie now has a housekeeper who becomes her close friend.

Although Katie has found it difficult to find true friends, after an accident she does meet an older man, and he becomes her main interest.

As Katie forms a serious crush on this 25 year old, it's as if all of the bad in her life is somehow being erased and she thinks to herself that "He will be my joy school."

This is a poignant and memorable story of young love which I imagine many readers will identify with from their own first love experiences.

This book is well done, and a loving tribute to Elizabeth Taylor. The only disappointing factor was that many of the photgraphs were ones frequently seen. It would be nice to see those rare photos of Miss Taylor, and more candids! I also found the book interesting in the fact that as Elizabeth has gotten older,her inner beauty shines through even stronger. Just look at those eyes - they tell volumes!

Thoughtfully and fairly written...gorgeous color and black and white photos of Elizabeth. She is depicted not only as the glamorous movie queen but, as the child star, mother, and AIDs activist.

I absolutely fell in love with this book!
Larissa Branin is a wonderful biographer of a wonderful actress.

Many books I have read on Elizabeth Taylor are too judgemental, and really were just written so that the author could state what was on their minds, and not to portray the actress. Also, they either gush over Elizabeth pathetically, or viciously attack her. But Branin, simply takes us through
Elizabeths life,letting us make our own opinions.

Some books have either too many pictures or too many small, insignifigent details, but this book was perfect, and I was sad when it was over.

An honest portrait of The Queen.
A beautiful Biography!!!