In 1996, an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Social Work co-founded the International Paruresis Association (IPA). That professor, Steve Soifer, is also a co-author of this book. It is the first monograph on Paruresis or Shy Bladder Syndrome: the inability to urinate in a public restroom or in the presence of others....Classified as a social phobia in DSM-IV-TR (300.23), it is associated with impairment in multiple functional domains: employment, education, and social relationships. This debilitating condition thrives in a climate of shame and secrecy (on the part of paruretics) and ignorance (by health and mental health care providers). This deceptively slim book may help you identify paruresis in yourself, a loved one, or a client/patient. One section helps the reader rule out other conditions (pp.16-18). The brain-body connection is clearly described in Chapter Two, and includes both a diagram of the human urinary system and a chart of the human nervous system. The authors present a ten-step approach for Graduated Exposure Therapy, the treatment of choice at present. Appendices include a literature review, a synopsis of "the evolution of the bathroom and its impact on paruresis", and resources. A seven page bibliography is included. There is no index, and it is hoped that future editions will remedy this. This thoughtful, sensitive book breaks the silence which has hitherto dominated the subject. For that, and for the prospect of relief it holds for over 17 million sufferers, we may all be grateful.

This book is the most comprehensive guide to the suffering paruretic. It defines and provides a self test to determaine your level of severity. It relates numerous stories and experiences that you can identify with. The President of The International Paruresis Association, Steven Soifer speaks of his own suffering and eventual triumph. Some of the topics include How Paruretics Cope-Isolation and Avoidance and The Causes of Blashful Bladder Syndrome: Unravelling the Mystery. It also outlines the working of the urinary system. It offers methods of self treatment through Graduated Exposure Therapy and addresses the topic of The Medical Community and Paruresis. Have you ever thought about telling others?. Why not start your own group?. This book will show you how step-by-step. Need to tell a friend or loved one. This book can help. Each page is clearly written is easy to understand terms and is finished with a summarization of each chapter. All you ever wanted and needed to know is found in this book written by four of the leading Avoidant Paruresis research specialists. This book is the first step to treating and conquiring your Paruresis. Don't suffer alone anymore. Begin the road to recovery.

Raise a gallon jug of Spring Water and toast the best (and only?) book on Shy Bladder Syndrome to ever hit the shelves!!!

If you ever thought that you were alone and that no one else in the world suffered from a shy bladder - or paruresis, this book is for you. After living with this problem since junior high, I was amazed at how much information this book book contained on how to finally get your life back to normal.

The nine chapters contained in this book are well written in easy to understand language that is a must read for anyone that suffers from paruresis. Starting with a brief overview of how the mind and bladder work (or don't work), this book leads you down a carefully laid path that shows how to regain control of your life.

Filled with true stories and first hand accounts from real life paruretic's, this book puts a very human face on something that is usually shrouded in secrecy and shame. If nothing else, simply reading this book will make anyone living with paruresis feel human again -- and not so alone. Thousands of people will read these stories only to be amazed at how similar their situation is to those in the book.

The best part, however, is that this book offers a successful plan to overcome paruresis that has been tested and successfully used in workshops around the world. After using the methods in this book, I've seen a dramatic improvement in my ability to use public restrooms with success.

If you're reading this review, you probably need this book or know someone that could benefit greatly from its priceless advice. Get this book...get it now...get on with life!

Looks like a plan !!!

I am a total JTT fan, and when I read this book, it really informed me evern more! I loved how it was so complete with stats, quotes, color pics, and everything from a-z! I couldn't put it down until I was done

Congratulations to Michael-Anne Johns! He has written a fantastic fun and fact-filled book on the life of Jonathan Taylor Thomas on and off-screen. Unlike some biographies, Johns uses more words than pictures, so you learn a lot more about what they're like, rather than what they look like. He has done a lot of research and included a nice review at the back of Thomas's favorites and quick facts. Every Jonathan Taylor Thomas lover should read this great book. Hopefully Johns will come up with a new JTT book to talk about Wild America and his new roles. Congrats again Johns

It gave me lots of information on JTT.
I learned so much about him!
If only I was able to meet him!
:-)
Everyone should read it!

This popular tale is a delight even 70 years later. The reader gets to know very well the primary characters in this social comedy. Benson does a superb job of describing the genteel battles between the two ladies in Tilling,concerning Lucia's much coveted lobster recipe, and invitations to dine. The men are, of course, secondary to the plot.They hover around the ladies like courtiers. I think that Georgie, Lucia's devoted and platonic friend, is my favorite character-perhaps the most genuinely nice person in the book. I sometimes even feel sorry for Miss Mapp when Lucia takes over social affairs so thoroughly! I wonder what would happen if Lucia and Miss Mapp were both interested in Major Benjy!

This is the highlight of the series, pitting Lucia against her less able, but equally ruthless counterpart, Elizabeth Mapp - two ladies who both consider themselves social queens of the village of Tilling. The ensuing war includes Fete's garden parties dinner parties and climaxes with the crafty Miss Mapp attempting to steal the recipe for Lobster ala Reisholme and being caught by Lucia, they are then caught in a flood and whisked out to sea on a kitchen table. Oh my!

I cannot say enough about this adaptation. Prunella Scales produces the voices excellently. For those who do not know Lucia and Mapp - They are Elizabeth mapp and Emmeline Lucas - two ladies whom both consider themselves social queens of the village of Tilling. The ensuing war includes Fete's garden parties dinner parties and climaxes with the crafty Miss mapp attempting to steal the recipe for Lobster ala Reisholme and being caught by Lucia, they are then caught in a flood and whisked out to sea on a kitchen table - it's hilarious when listened to. The conflicts between these two are scarier than Snipes and Stallone in full flow.

This pair of novels certainly don't exude coldness, in any way. They represent the 'autobiographical' novels of Nancy Mitford, and she spins her tales in a very warm and hysterically funny manner, demonstrating her unique skills as a novelist in a period when men tended to dominate the best-sellers lists. A contemporary of writers such as Waugh, Huxley, Greene, and other important names in the 'canon' of twentieth-century literature, Mitford's novels are far too often neglected. Which is a shame, as her richly coloured fictional tapestries reveal a great deal about the lives of the upper-classes, and from a genuinely humourous standpoint.

These novels will be enjoyed by readers who like the light social novels of Wodehouse, and more importantly, those of Evelyn Waugh. Waugh and Mitford were very close friends, and in his later years, Mitford was Waugh's primary object of correspondance, and their letters have since been collected and compiled in a single edition. Waugh's influence on Mitford is obvious - as her work is indeed in the same satiric vein as much of his - but less obvious and more intriguing is her influence on his work. Mitford's sharpness and quickness rival that of Waugh, and in these novels she almost outshines him, in the warmth and jollity of her satire.

Recognized by most devotees of Nancy Mitford as her two best novels, Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate are irreverent and delightful evocations of English upper-class life in the first half of this century.

Miss Mitford was never strong on plot -- some of her lesser work are disastrous in this department -- but the characters are unforgettable: the sulphuric Uncle Matthew, the hypochondriacal Davey Warbeck, the effeminate Cedric remain in the reader's memory long after the inadequacies of the plots have been forgotten.

The Pursuit of Love is the stronger of the two works, not surprisingly as it is for all practical purposes autobiographical. The Alconleigh family, with its excesses of emotion, its spartan lifestyle and its lack of any apparently useful role in a modern society, is Nancy's own family to the life. And behind the bitter-sweet romance between Linda, the heroine, and her French lover lie Nancy's own, sadder relationship and her highly biased preference for France over England.

Love in a Cold Climate is a more uncertain work; there is an unexplored darkness in Polly's emotional waywardness which a better writer would have made more of; the plot seems aimless until the arrival of Cedric, and stops dead in the grand Mitford style at the book's conclusion. Once again, the work is saved by the characters -- the exuberant Alconleigh brood, the deliciously awful "hell-hag" Lady Montdore, and of course the startling and unforgettable Cedric.

Not great books, and occasionally something of a trial to readers who are distressed by Miss Mitford's attachment to the comma, they nevertheless remain deservedly popular among lovers of England who do not take life too seriously.

This combined edition of The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate are Nancy Mitford at the top of her form. Mitford was the eldest daughter of Lord and Lady Redesdale, British aristocrats whose ancestry stretched to the Middle Ages and beyond and whose relatives included Winston Churchill. Mitford began writing in the early 1930s, but her early works are, while amusing, trivial and dated. The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate were produced in the late 1940s, after Mitford had made a loveless marriage and begun a long, frustrating love affair with a Frenchman. These adversities sharpened her insights and her pen, so that the two novels are as pleasing today as when they were first published.

The Pursuit of Love introduces us to the Radlett family, the children of Lord and Lady Alconleigh (thinly disguised and exaggerated versions of Lord and Lady Redesdale). The heroine is Linda, a romantic and lovely girl who dreams of perfect love. She marries a dull young man, leaves him for a handsome zealot who has no time for her, and finally finds love (and tragedy) with an urbane Frenchman. This is obviously a semi-autobiographical sketch of Nancy Mitford's own early years. The other Radletts are composites and exagerrations of Nancy's own sisters and friends.

Love in a Cold Climate focuses on the viccisitudes of Polly Hampton, a neighbor of the Alconleighs who has similar troubles in love. It features a couple of obviously gay characters (which must have been pretty controversial in the 1940s)and continue's Mitford's theme of the search for love.

Both novels are narrated by the Radlett's cousin Fanny Logan, whose own placid life and happy marriage make nice contrasts to all the troubles she sees going on around her. The writing is sparkling and bright but not shallow, and while both novels have somewhat sad endings (Pursuit more so than Cold Climate), you will enjoy and want to reread them many times.

My first impression of this book was that I was reading an English professor's view on writing. If Nancy Kress isn't an English professor she certainly should be but, unfortunately, that particular profession is more of a hindrance than help to a writer of good popular fiction.

On finishing the book, this suspicion was sustained by her constant reference to works of classical literature in examples. 'Classics' are, by my definition, works others think you SHOULD read, rather than those you would actually be likely to enjoy reading. Here are the other impressions I got from Beginnings, Middles, & Ends:

* There are several helpful hints and gems of writing wisdom in this book... but you'll have to wade a lot of slush to get to them.

* There is something inherently vague about her instructions for story writing. Apparently, this is because she is a 'go-with-the-flow' writer rather than someone who plans carefully beforehand. Would you buy a house from a contractor who planned to 'wing it' and then yank out all the plumbing and wiring if it didn't fit properly? Would you want to waste time and effort writing that way?

* I learned much more about the author from reading this than I did about writing fiction. Even though I am an avid fan of science fiction (30+ years of reading it) and that is apparently her genre of choice, after reading this book I feel quite certain I would not enjoy her style of writing... without ever having read a word of her SF.

In short, if you are looking for a real road map through the forest of fiction writing try 'The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing' (Evan Marshall) and 'Characters & Viewpoint' (Orson Scott Card) instead. If you are a sensitive connoisseur of literary art 'Beginnings, Middles & Ends' is definitely your book. But don't expect me to read your efforts.

I found this book to be extremely useful. I have many books that I look through in an attempt to improve my own writing, and of all of them, Kress' was the most useful. Even as I read it, I was able to think of ways to apply it to my own writing. Kress acknowledges that different writers do things different ways and takes that into account. She uses one example consistently throughout, which makes it easier for readers to understand how to apply what they are reading. She makes sure to use other examples as well, to show why it is important to do something a certain way, instead of simply stating that it is important and giving an all too brief explanation. I found this book so useful that I am going to look for more of Nancy Kress' books on writing technique.

After reading "Beginnings, Middles and Ends," any beginning writer will have many of the tools needed to put together a good story or novel. Kress takes the reader through a step-by-step process that makes you think, "It's so simple. Why didn't I think of that?" It's so simple because Kress has expertly targeted the areas that most writers have trouble with and has offered workable solutions. Her writing is very clear and readable. The examples and exercises alone are worth the price of the book. If you are interested in writing fiction and can only buy one book, this is the one.

I couldn't believe how helpful and insightful this book is! I not only bought a copy for myself, but after reading it, I also bought copies for two of my friends. I'm sure this is the kind of information that agents will HATE having their clients know -- all the secrets and tricks. But it is imperitive that every actor and writer know the information that is in this book in order to best take control of their own careers, whether they already have an agent, or are currently searching. "How to Agent your Agent" is not only enlightening, but entertainly written and full of great real-life stories and examples.

This book is wonderful. Humorous and informative; my favorite combination. I am not an aspiring actress, and have only delt with Two Literary Agents in the sale of my first 4 books; however, I found Ms. Rainfords book an excellent resource. I would recomend this book to anyone who has an Agent; is thinking of getting an Agent; wants to become an Agent; or is thinking of leaving her Agent. Or anyone who is going to HOLLYWOOD to PITCH anything.

It's hard to believe Nancy Rainford hasn't written more books. Perhaps a humorous novel about her business? The book flows with the ease of a best selling novel!

5 stars to this one!

Marsha Marks

This is a great book, I couldn't put it down. My husband and I are both actors, and we actually fought over who got to read it first (we alternated). I have already recommended this book to all of my friends who are actors. It is that valuable and should be required reading for every actor in Hollywood.

The book is not just a primer on the Hollywood protocol and pecking order, but "How to Agent Your Agent" goes into such wonderful detail so as to demystify how an actor should handle his/her agent. So many actors are constantly in a quandry of how to handle a situation with their agents, or they are downright dissatisfied with their agents. This book helps an actor to define what you have control over and what you can change. Years of experience are in this book to help keep actors from making mistakes when it comes representation.

Thank you, Ms. Rainford, for telling it like it is (and being such a great storyteller).

Need help on the job, at home, and with your finances? Then this book is for you. The book is a comprehensive guide for saving money and becoming a better person in the process. The book offers six secrets like determining what you want in a career, investing in intangibles like family and friends; paying off debts and getting into a 401(k); keep learning new skills; managing your own money and owning a business of your own. The book goes on to tell you how to negotiate to get the best price on just about anything, including motel rooms and used cars, and gives the lowdown on turning your kids into savers and investors, controlling college bills, cutting home buying costs and planning for retirement. This book will show you the way to make a difference in the way you approach money, work and life in general. In relation to life and financing I found this entire reading very inspiring. The book provides the only road map you'll ever need. Enjoy it.

FinancialNeeds.com

"Our goal for Invest in Yourself is to motivate you to take charge of your life and make the most out of your time, energy, and money." That's a novel and valuable perspective that's worth five stars for this book.

Too many self-help books focus on helping you get more money or more out of your money, but ignore the costs in terms of the time, attention, effort and stress involved. Invest in Yourself looks beyond that overly-narrow focus. That's the good news about this book.

The bad news about this book is that it has taken on more than one book can hope to fully deliver on. I hope the authors come out with sequels that expand and magnify what is here.

The six secrets are:

(1) Make your own lifestyle decisions.

(2) Put your family first.

(3) Wherever you work, be in business for yourself.

(4) Make the most of the money you bring home.

(5) Turn your debts into golden investment opportunities.

(6) Map out your financial future.

The three authors have an unusual perspective. They have dropped out of the "get ahead at the office" rat race and "shop until you drop" lifestyles much more than most. As a result, they have lots of money-saving ideas based on their own life experiences. Much of what is in the book, Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge would approve of. If you are like me, you will find money-saving ideas that would never have occurred to you, otherwise. My parents have always shopped are yard sales, but it had never occurred to me to use these routinely for the kind of around-the-house items that I will seldom use like unusual garden tools.

One of the strengths of the book is that it is not a "one size fits all" approach. They realize that each person will have a different set of life goals, and the advice is couched to accommodate that.

I also liked the way that the book challenged the automatic assumptions that many make: Career comes first; job comes first; exciting consumer experiences are a main reward for success; and only the best will do.

By having three authors, the perspectives and ideas were much more varied than I have seen in other, somewhat-similar self-help books. That also was a strength.

The weakest section was the last one on mapping out your financial future. Almost everyone will need more guidance than is here. That's the bad news. The good news is that there are lots of books about creating financial plans that you can use to supplement this one.

On the other hand, those who buy into the traditional American Dream and will happily pay the price for economic success will find less in this book than will those independent souls who listen to their own intuition for guidance. Despite ideas for making penny-pinching fun, it's not going to be fun for everyone. I do applaud pointing out how saving money for essentials is far more valuable than expanding income due to the income tax effects on progressive income. The advice about paying off your expensive debt is pretty standard, but I liked the way it was couched in terms of thinking of it as a high return investment.

I hope you will not only read this book, but apply its lessons. As you do, I encourage you to expand your perspective even more broadly than the book does. What other areas do you have important values in, besides time, money, and energy? How can those values be honored in your tradeoffs? The more you do this, the better life you will have . . . the richer your life will be in terms of its effect on those around you.

Enjoy, live long, and prosper!

It's hard to gain control of your life these days--if things are going well at the office,then you've got some personal crisis to deal with. That's what so appealing about INVEST IN YOURSELF. It offers a fresh approach to figuring out what's important and then includes financial strategies that will help you keep your life in balance. I urge everyone who wants a handle on their finances to read it!

I loved this book! I was unable to put it down for the 2 days it took me to read it. Even read it at work!

The journey begins with Zabelle as a little Armenian girl in Turkey, who must remain strong enough to survive the massacres without the help of her parents. She finds two friends who help one another through the terrible time.

As the novel continues, the reader sees Zabelle mature into a young woman, then into a mother, and grandmother respectively. When she is still young, her "guardians" help arrange a marriage for her to an Armenian man (a few years her senior) who lives in the U.S.A. Once she moves to America, Zabelle then gets to deal not only with learning English, but also with his mother-in-law, who cannot stand her!

You'll laugh and cry while reading this book. Zabelle is an incredible woman, who makes the best of tough times. A sub plot to her life story runs continuously through the latter part of the book--what happens to Armenian children growing up in the U.S. (or any "foreign" country). Zabelle must struggle with seeing her children rejecting the values and traditions she'd grown up with.

The best part about this book was the ending, but I can't comment on it. I don't want to ruin the surprise. I'm sure you too will enjoy it. It's a magnificent read!

I loved this book! Zabelle is an inspiration to us all. An orphaned survivor of the Armenian Genocide, this amazing woman never loses her dignity, her strength, or her sense of humor. This book is not only about surviving oppression. It's about rebuilding one's life in a new country (Zabelle marries an Armenian grocer and moves from Constantinople to Watertown, Massachusetts). It's about coping with an overbearing mother-in-law. It's about unrequited love. And it's about finding one's center through family, friends, and community. Nancy Kricorian's wonderfully crafted story will remind you what's important in life. It will also make you laugh, cry, and wish you were Armenian.

Zabelle is really an amazing story. I am a Bulgarian-Armenian American teenager growing up in Washington, but the story of Zabelle was really touching. Zabelle is a character that transcends time and space, and hers is a story that was shared by many other Armenian American women coming to the New World after the Genocide of 1915. My favorite episode from Zabelle was when she quarelled with her mother-in-law, the domineering Vartanoush Chahasbanian. Really, a domineering mother-in-law is one of those things that Armenians all over the world know about. The story of Zabelle is truly one of the best novels on Armenian American women, and perhaps the only one currently available, that spoke to me directly and Ms. Kricorian did an excellent job of making the words speak for themselves. I enjoyed reading this book greatly and it encourages me to read other books about Armenian Americans. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This book is just delightful. Jesse Bear, the toddler protagonist, spends his day "wearing" different items -- from a shirt to sand to his chair (my son's favorite). The story is told in rollicking rhyme with gorgeous illustrations. I'm a fan of board books for this age group -- they tend to be a little hard on the paper versions. A definite must-have!

My daughter has loved this book since receiving it on her first birthday. We like that Mommy, Daddy and Jesse bear are interactive in the story.The ryhming text makes it easy and enjoyable to read after a nonstop day.

We love Jesse Bear. My husband and I are touched by the way our now 15 months old baby loves this book...she likes to hear the story over and over (like is normal for all kids at this age) a lot more than she like to hear other stories, she knows many words and acts out (in her very own way) the things that Jesse Bear is doing. When Jesse Bear's pants dance she dances, she touches her toes and screams TOES! when Jesse Bear is playing with a rose in his toes...She waits excited for the part about Jesse Bear wearing his CHAIR! and for the carrots and PEAS!, she loves the blanket that's blue and plays peek-a-boo and gives "bear hugs" to us...She just totally loves it. The illustrations of the book are beautifully done...Although I did notice that the papa bear comes home at night just for bath and bed time I don't consider that to be incorrect at all...the story portraits a very loving papa bear who -in this case like for many real life families- is working out all day. The mama is home taking care of Jesse Bear...I think this story could represent any happy family's normal day, whether is the mom or the dad working out of the home or both, the story has a main caregiver with the child all day and a loving parent who comes later on. The rhyme is nice, sweet and musical. My daughter can spend a long time just browsing through its pages and mumbling with joy things about Jesse Bear's adventures. This book is MUST HAVE for babies and young children.