Poignant, honest, beautifully written, this is the story of a woman of 40, her father of 80 and her daughter who is not yet 1. Elizabeth Cohen is truly in the middle as she struggles to care for both her father and her child, while working and trying to maintain some sort of life in an old farmhouse in rural New York. (Her young husband has found the stress too great and has taken off.) The author, who is used to viewing herself as the kind of person who receives help from others, does receive kindness and help from her neighbors, but also develops into a strong and loving person who can cope with life's hardships. As she struggles to keep things going, she stands back occasionally and watches with awe as her father and daughter cross each other in their own journeys, her father backward to a time of knowing/understanding very little, and her daughter forward to a place of knowledge, competence and understanding. The way the little girl and the old man love each other and help each other is also poignantly expressed. This book is unsentimental but emotionally powerfully, and told with a truth and honesty that grab the reader.

Every day in my work as a Long-Term Care Insurance Specialist I work with families as they try and develop a Strategy to deal with the the potential for a love one or themsleves needing long term care. In most cases until something happens to one's own family most people are in deniel. "It will happen to someone else but never to me or our family."

I always try to paint a picture for potential clients by using my own families experiences with needing care to make the issues more real. From now on I will just give them a copy of the book. It will do a much better job.

I read the "House On Beartown Road" in one sitting on a rainy Sunday with tears in my eyes as I finally understood how lucky my own family was to have had my mom as a fulltime caregiver to both sets of grandparents as well as my father over a period of years. People like Elizabeth Cohen and my mom are great examples of loving family members that did what needed to be done with grace, dignity and a sense of humor. I didn't understand or fully appreciate the concept of being a caregiver while running around in my on life and watching my mom from a distance but after reading the book I sure did!

I strongly suggest that every adult with aging parents read the book today as tomorrow may be to late. It will make you think in many different ways. For some reason I really think the author wrote the book to help the rest of us to be better prepared to deal with this growing national crisis of aging parents. Thanks to Ms. Cohen.

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How do you comfort a friend whose parent is slipping away to Alzheimer's Disease? Can you truly know how one feels when your friend tells you her mom forgets her birthday, her name, her parent-child relationship? That's what I was looking for when I bought this book as a gift for my friend. Maybe it would give my friend a glint of hope and humor with all she is going through. I couldn't give it to her without reviewing its potential for gloom and sadness so I began reading it and couldn't put it down.
Elizabeth Cohen had a way of connecting to me with all the "mind chatter" about her daily living.... mind chatter that we all have....... the worry about our parents, our spouses, our children. I feel I have found a friend in Elizabeth from her writing. I have been given the "Beartown Road" view of coping with a parent who is slipping away. Elizabeth has shown through her writing that with one memory, one tiny memory, there is hope and love.

Bev Cobain has written a concise and informative book on mental illness that most teens will find easy to understand. The book is mainly about depression, but also explains other mental illnesses that are often experienced with depression, such as bipolar disorder, addiction and eating disorders. She presents the basic facts about mental illnesses including their possible causes and effects, different types of treatments, excellent tips on how teens can help themselves and some important resources for additional support and information. Cobain also includes short autobiographical stories by young people who have successfully dealt with these problems. Teens may find these stories easy to relate to and, hopefully, inspirational.

Although the book is informative, I don't think that it lives up to its subtitle that indicates it is a "Survival Guide." When a teenager reaches the point where he or she truly believes that nothing else matters, this book doesn't hit hard enough to invalidate that opinion.

This book extends a compassionate, knowledgeable, hand to teens trying to understand the complex and frustrating dynamics of living with depression. Author Bev Cobain demystifies mental health terminology with staightforward explanations about the various kinds of depression and the difference between "the blues" and more serious kinds of depression that need attention.

This is an interactive book where teens are shown how to take an active role in doing things to help themselves stay healthy. Young readers will find themselves in one or more of the stories told by eleven teens from many walks of life as they describe their struggles with depression. The stories demonstrate that young people can do something about depression and have hope for the future.

Parnts, school counselors, mental health providers, physicians and others who work with depressed teens, will find useful, practical, information in this book. Any depressed teen luckly enough to receive this book from a caring, concerned adult will find comfort. Indeed, it may save a life.

A great starting point for teens who are going through unipolar or bipolar disorders (whether they are currently receiving treatment or not), Bev Cobain presents the complex issues at hand in very understandable terms and constantly reiterates the important points that depressed teenagers or teenagers who know friends who suffer from depression must take to heart. The little footnotes at the bottom of most pages are very helpful, just in case the reader decides to skim through or jump around the pages so that every necessary information is readily accessible. The useful diagrams and tips also give depressed adolescents a great way to take action immediately and perhaps feel some sense of accomplishment and progress (in fact the mood chart was something two of my past therapists used). The anecdotes, which represent teenagers each coping with different circumstances, put real faces to the more clinical aspects of the book and serve as examples of points made in the previous pages. There are a few holes in the book, however. Perhaps more information on the specific medications will have a reassuring effect on teens who will be taking them. Also, the issue of hospitalization was covered, but more facts about what actually goes on in them may have helped (although, yes, the experience differs with the quality of the hospital itself). Finally, a small section on the various personality disorders may help those teens who suffer from them because they share similar symptoms. Despite these questions, however, the book is an excellent aid for teens who go through what is often described as the "downward spiral."

I really enjoyed this book because I live in Northwest Washington and I love reading about local things...also I loved the way the story turns around at the end and Meg finds her Thomas...I laughed and I cried and I immediately recommended it to everyone

I just love a good "bodice ripper" novel and 'Enchanted Time' fits the bill with bells on. It's a great read for the person who just wants to sit down and enjoy a sparkling love story with a bit of a difference. The plot follows Ivy a young American bookstore owner who is transported through time when she reads from a book of spells a sweet little old lady sells to her one day. Ivy finds herself in 17th century England where she catches the attention of Julian Ramsden, a young man struggling to survive with his family under the puritanical rule of Oliver Cromwell and his Roundheads. Of course Ivy and Julian fall in love but not before all sorts of strange and wonderful things happen to them both. Without giving too much of the story away, 'Enchanted Time' is a fun book, with some genuinely witty moments, a lot of delicious love scenes between Ivy and Julian and a delightful plot that includes a time-hopping Granny, a mute child, and a very nasty Witch Hunter General who goes by the name of Josiah Feake. This is a great book to take on holiday as it doesn't tax your brain cells and has the added bonus of being fun to read as well.

This is the second romance novel that I ever read. Not that this release is a rerelease, I read the book in 1995, or 96. Despite the fact I first read it so many years ago, I reread it many times.
The historical settings of the novel are done really well. By the end of the book you have grown to love the characters. The way Ivy travels back in time is when someone gives her a book and she reads a spell from it. The person who gives her the book is her future love's grandmother who is searching for her own love. The book ends with Margarethe (Julian's grandmother) finding her love and a happily ever after for everyone except the witch hunter general who most likely ends up in Bedlam because of his foray into the future.

Many of the books for writers will repeat what other books about writing have said about point of view and what to do about writer's block--so if you've read one how to write book, you've read them all. Sin & Syntax gives the aspiring writer tons of examples of top fiction, true, it is arranged by grammar, but that makes it even better to get down to the bones.

It's not often that a grammar book causes grins, giggles, even guffaws, but Constance Hale's Sin and Syntax is not an ordinary grammar book. The entertaining examples, from sources as diverse as Mark Twain, the Bible and wine bottle labels, illustrate the "bones," "flesh," "cardinal sins," and "carnal pleasures" of each grammatical point. After Sin and Syntax, I read children's books from a new perspective. Good preschool books are often peppered with action verbs, strong adjectives and elegant simplicity. Best of all, this grammar book inspired me to start writing again! Choosing the right word is now a puzzle to be solved, and creativity oozes from every email I send.

This book is a basic grammar guide for those of us who may have been out of school for a while, but it's as much about writing style as it is about grammar. The reason I like this book so much is because it is filled with a range of writing examples, from remarkable to awful. The examples of bad grammar, many taken from students papers, had me laughing out loud. The only thing this book is lacking is a reference section where you can easily look up grammatical terms, although the index is thorough. I personally didn't miss a reference section though. This is the sort of light, readable book I wanted.

I LOVE this book. It seriously helped me through a rough breakup. I guess I should be grateful that the breakup happened around Valentines Day because that is the only reason I found this book. It was on a table full of other mushy poetry books, but I was drawn to the 'little black book' with the candy hearts on the cover. It hooked me from the beginning.

The book is broken up into different sections (anger, moving on, false hope, and eventually real hope)... feelings you actually go through during a breakup. And they are perfect. The poems for the ANGER section were exactly what I needed when I was so mad at the world.... and my ex.

The sections at the end, the real healing chapters, truly helped me. To know that someone else (and great poets at that!) has felt what I was feeling and that there is hope even when it does not seem like it, comforted me.

I really believe this book helped me through one of the hardest times of my life. I have recommended it to many friends who have also enjoyed it. Buy this book if you or someone you know needs help through a breakup or divorce!

A charming collection whose only problem is the title. The title implies that the authors are angry and loveless when in fact they demonstrate a depth of understanding the full gamut of emotions surrounding the commitments people make to one another. My 20-year-old daughter (who knows less about poetry than I do) handed me me this book with the off-putting caveat "You probably won't get it, but I loved this!" I loved it too -- for the breath of the collection of poems, the witty and incisive commentary before each chapter, and mostly its affirmation of the beauty and bounty of finding love at any age and at any cost. I highly recommend that mothers give this to their daughters, fathers to their sons for Valentine's Day, but tell them first that this nifty book is, despite the cautionary title, a wise and witty book about how careful they should be to find and keep someone to love.

This book is hilarious, profound, accessible, and absolutely perfect. Esselman and Velez break down break-ups into all of the stages you've experienced but never had the guts (or the sanity, at any given moment) to name--stages like rage, self-hatred, relapse, and moving on. Their commentary for the poems in each section is as intelligent and down-to-earth as the poems they choose. Read this, if you've ever even THOUGHT about being in--or out of--love. You'll find yourself entranced by the good poetry and comforted by the fact that no matter how you are trying to deal with a love lost, you aren't alone, or crazy: William Shakespeare, John Donne, Lucilie Clifton, and Billy Collins have all been members of the same lonely hearts club at one time or another...and, it seems, they've all come out laughing on the other side.

Required to read Henry for my AP English Language class, I came into the play with a bias. I honestly felt that it would be a boring political play. I was utterly wrong! A huge fan of Shakespeare, I found Henry V to be a formidable match for the Bard's more critically acclaimed plays, such as Hamlet and Macbeth. Henry has it all! Shakespeare's attitude toward Henry the King is certainly one of admiration. By communicating the fact that an effective monarch must have a complete understanding of the common subjects (Pistol and Bardolph and Quickly), Shakespeare sets up Henry to be the ideal Christian king. The controlled language of Henry's speeches, particularly his response to the Dauphin's idiotic insult, also glorifies Henry. I certainly recommend this play to anyone, fan of Shakespeare or not.

Written by Shakespeare for Queen Elizabeth I amidst a time of Irish rebellion, Henry V more than adequately serves its intended purpose of galvanizing nationalistic fervor. It proved itself to be an unwavering and unfaltering impetus of patriotism in Shakespeare's day, during WWII, and still today it continues to resonate and reverberate this provocatively telling tale of the most gloriously revered monarch in English history.

Henry V's stirring orations prior to the victorious battles of Harfleur("Once more unto the breach") and Agincourt("We few, we happy few, we band of brothers") astonish and inspire me every time I read them. Simply amazing. Having read Henry IV Parts I&II beforehand, I was surprised Shakespeare failed to live up to his word in the Epilogue of Part II in which he promised to "continue the story, with Sir John in it." The continuing follies of the conniving Bardolph, Nym, & Pistol and their ignominious thieving prove to be somewhat of a depricating underplot which nevertheless proves to act as a succinct metaphor for King Harry's "taking" of France.

Powerful and vibrant, the character of Henry V evokes passion and unadulterated admiration through his incredible valor & strength of conviction in a time of utter despondency. It is this conviction and passion which transcends time, and moreover, the very pages that Shakespeare's words are written upon. I find it impossible to overstate the absolute and impregnable puissance of Henry V, a play which I undoubtedly rate as the obligatory cream of the crop of Shakespeare's Histories. I recommend reading Henry IV I&II prior to Henry V as well as viewing Kenneth Branagh's masterpiece film subsequent to reading the equally moving work.

On D-Day British officers read Henry's famous words to their men as they approached the beach. When Churchill needed material for his famous "Few" speech, his thoughts turned to the pages of Henry V. From "once more into the breach" to "we happy few, we band of brothers" this play resonates with Shakespeare's paen to England's warrior king. Oh, you'll be a bit confused at the start if you haven't read Henry IV parts 1 and 2, but this is primarily the story of Henry V's victory at Agincourt. Whether the play glorifies war or just Henry you will have to decide. There is much food for thought here for the perceptive reader. But then Shakespeare is always provocative.

I owned this book as a child, having gotten it out of a pile of withdrawn books at my library. I read it more times than I could count and absolutely loved it. Alas, when I was about 13 or 14 I had the stupidity to give it away when I decided I had outgrown it. It didn't take me very long to realize that I was wrong, and I've spent the last several years looking for it. It's admittedly written for children ranging from about 8 to 10 or 12, but it's one of those classics that anyone can enjoy.

I still have the copy that I swiped from my sister more than 40 years ago. It is pleasant and fun, not an insult to the intelligence as are so many kids books today, and not a tract on recycling or global warming. Recommended for parents who want their kids to grow up to be something besides politically correct automatons. These days, to read a book merely for pleasure is a revolutionary act. (You know, I'm sure, that they have rewritten Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to make them politically correct. Yecch!)

Get this one, and also "Mrs. Coverlet's Magicians," and then really do the kid a favor and buy her the new "Annotated Huckleberry Finn." Watch out, though, the child might learn to think for himself, and then what will his teachers do?

I was read this book in the first grade by one of the world's best teacher's who was one of the most encouraging ladies when it came to reading. When she read that book to me six years ago I was enchanted. I loved every moment of it. Although I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy in six or seven years, I still remember it to be the best book ever. It has such a rare humour that you are sure to love it at any age.

A great reference and entertaining read for any Mac user, from beginner to advanced. I'm a voracious reader of books about Mac hardware and software, and I still picked up some great tips and insights. Best of all, the book is written in a lively, friendly style. Highly recommended.

The Macintosh Bible series has been excellent, but this edition is wonderful. So much so that I had to buy a 2nd copy; it's heavy to take to work every day and then home every night. But the detail is what even experienced Mac users need to deal with almost every relevant topic, day after day.

Virtually all facets of Macintosh operation are covered sufficiently to overcome some of the (alas) now-expected roadblocks even in my favorite computers; for example, Ms. Aker and I agree that when it comes to providing a trustworthy, loyal, helpful, accurate, obedient, friendly, and kind installer for a new operating system, the folks at Apple Computer have, as is the nicest way to put it, have made progress, but there's lots of room for growth. She ably steers you around the icebergs.

The book is quite thorough for people using up to Mac OS 8.0 or 8.1; also, there's more on OS 8.5 than I'd have expected, given the publication date. Many thanks to Apple for assisting this, providing enough material on the newer OS to let her deal effectively with it.

This book is not only elegant in terms of describing the use of an excellent computer; it is also written beautifully. If the author had shown it to our former College English Composition Board, she'd have scored at an enviable level. Making technically complex procedures easy is very difficult, but she succeeds admirably.

The jokes, brief historical anecdotes, and other details make it a pleasure to read and use. It sets a standard, in my opinion, not only for the present present but for the future.

Excellent book! Well written and superbly done. This book takes you from the very beginning user all the way through to being able to find problems. The most helpful areas are the ideas and links to products. Great tips and shortcut ideas. Super for both the beginner and the expert. A must have for anyone who plans on using the MAC. Easy to read and follow, this book is not "boring" like so many computer books. I would recommend this to anyone.

I finished this book in 2 sittings; I found it riveting and touching without being the least bit maudlin or far-fetched. The heroine, Marie, still subjected to the torturous memories of her past, has the chance to make a difference in the life of a young child; her determined actions force the plot to move as rapid and dangerously as whitewater and simultaneously flood hope into her own life and that of an interested young police officer. Quite good!

Reserve this one for an otherwise quiet evening!

Marie Kenning, while sitting innocently in a cafe having her morning coffee, witnesses the brutal kidnapping of a little, red-headed girl. The experience recalls all too vividly memories of Marie's own tragic loss of husband and child. Determined to get away and try to forget her nightmares, Marie accidentally stumbles on the kidnapper. Without hesitation she determinedly puts her own life on the line in an attempt to rescue the little girl. Elizabeth Delisi has crafted a truly compelling novel. The characters are well-crafted and multi-layered. The plot is realistic and fast-paced. I literally could not put the book down. I recommend Since All Is Passing to anyone who wants a thrilling, unforgetable read.

If you're looking for a fast-paced read that will engage your heart as much as your mind, then Elizabeth Delisi's Since All Is Passing is the book for you! Marie is a heroine to cry for, cheer for, and bite your nails to the quick for. Rebecca, the little girl whose kidnapping hurtles the story into overdrive, seizes your heart and won't let go. As for the kidnapper, he is terrible in the very banality of his villainy. Unlike so many of the overblown and poorly motivated bad guys that appear in thrillers today, this monster is both understandable and all too human. And that makes him all the more terrifying.

Since All Is Passing is an exciting and emotionally-satisfying read.