Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts

Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God Review

Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Monday, February 8, 2010
Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God by Sheila Walsh
The opening illustration of the book is quite personal, as the author thinks of herself as a child on a swing, being pushed by her mother higher and higher. Oh, how she loved to go so high! One day at the park through unforeseen circumstances, the neighborhood bully began to push her on the swing. He wasn't pushing her any higher than she had gone before, yet she was terrified. It wasn't about the swing or the experience. It was completely and totally about WHO was pushing. This is defined as trust and is what I felt to be the foundational premise for the book.Sheila Walsh provides twelve chapters with topics such as fear, pain, and darkness; then gives us a Biblical glimpse of how God turns them into courage, prayer, and vision. A few of the Bible characters discussed in the book are Moses, Gideon, Joseph, and Abraham. The author outlines how each character's trust in God or lack of was displayed in their lives through different avenues and circumstances and then God's revelation of beauty in their walks with Him is unfolded.My favorite quote: "We don't always see it, are tempted not to trust it, but the fact remains that God is always making a way for you that's according to His grand plan." This book spoke to me personally on so many levels. I loved every minute of reading it.
In the conclusion, the author returns to her example of the swing and lists some amazing insights. I'll not list them here; you need to read the book!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God



Buy NowGet 32% OFF

Click here for more information about Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God

Read More...

Blood Red Sunset: A Memoir of the Chinese Cultural Revolution Review

Blood Red Sunset: A Memoir of the Chinese Cultural Revolution
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This is an absolutely phenomenal book. There's so much about the Cultural Revolution and the early days of Communist China that just gets glossed over in history classes and general books about the country. Ma Bo was on the inside of it all, and despite his unflinching belief in Communist ideals, was nonetheless punished by the very system he had so much faith in.
I was worried that this book would be tainted by the stain of moralizing one way or the other. What a relief it is to read on such a charged subject and not be preached at. Ma Bo simply tells his story, and you take away from it whatever you will. There's deep understanding of what motivated the Chinese then (and to one degree or other still motivates them today), and there is much to be learned from this tale.
Whatever your thoughts on Communism, I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is at all curious about this major chapter in modern Chinese history.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Blood Red Sunset: A Memoir of the Chinese Cultural Revolution



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Blood Red Sunset: A Memoir of the Chinese Cultural Revolution

Read More...

Dancing With Fear: Tips and Wisdom from Breast Cancer Survivors Review

Dancing With Fear: Tips and Wisdom from Breast Cancer Survivors
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)

This book is a major contribution to the literature on cancer, not only because it provides exhaustive and accurate information and survivor testimonials but also because it employs an artistic structure that lets anyone into the "dance" and shares with the public the "steps" that accompany it. This integration of content and structure brings us into the world of breast cancer survivors like no other book I have read, either popular or academic. One feels as if one is living the experiences with these women who speak so eloquently.
Ms. Peltosaari chooses to dance (act creatively) with often unspoken fears and thus has created an exceptional work of art as well as a superb resource for all cancer patients.
In my 25 years as music therapist at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, I have not come across a work on cancer that integrates clinical information, patient testimonial and literary art as well as Dancing with Fear. I highly recommend this book to all the people I see in my work and commend Ms. Peltosaari for her wonderful work.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Dancing With Fear: Tips and Wisdom from Breast Cancer Survivors

Tips and wisdom from breast cancer survivors. 125 women share their real-life experience through treatments, recovery, aftermath, and reclaiming life after breast cancer. Sections include: > Finding the tumor> Dealing with doctors and surgeries> Lymphedema> Chemotherapy and radiation> Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors> Fear of recurrence> Complementary and alternative treatments> Optimism and pessimism> Support and humor> Spirituality and facing death

Buy Now

Click here for more information about Dancing With Fear: Tips and Wisdom from Breast Cancer Survivors

Read More...

Their Eyes Were Watching God Review

Their Eyes Were Watching God
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
"There Eyes Were Watching God," by Zora Neale Hurston, is widely acknowledged as a beloved classic of American literature. This novel is truly one of those great works that remains both entertaining and deeply moving; it is a book for classrooms, for reading groups of all types, and for individual readers.
In "There Eyes," Hurston tells the life story of Janie, an African-American woman. We accompany Janie as she experiences the very different men in her life. Hurston's great dialogue captures both the ongoing "war of the sexes," as well as the truces, joys, and tender moments of male-female relations. But equally important are Janie's relationships with other Black women. There are powerful themes of female bonding, identity, and empowerment which bring an added dimension to this book.
But what really elevates "Their Eyes" to the level of a great classic is Hurston's use of language. This is truly one of the most poetic novels in the American canon. Hurston blends the engaging vernacular speech of her African-American characters with the lovely "standard" English of her narrator, and in both modes creates lines that are just beautiful.
"Their Eyes" captures the universal experiences of pain and happiness, love and loss. And the whole story is told with both humor and compassion. If you haven't read it yet, read it; if you've already read it, read it again.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Their Eyes Were Watching God



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Their Eyes Were Watching God

Read More...

Surpassing the Love of Men: Romantic Friendship and Love Between Women from the Renaissance to the Present Review

Surpassing the Love of Men: Romantic Friendship and Love Between Women from the Renaissance to the Present
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Recently I was asked for a list of books for "an adult who is just beginning to explore whether or not they may be bi or lesbian". As someone who went through this many, many years ago and has written extensively on this topic, Faderman's book was one of the first that came to mind.
As individuals exploring our own sexuality - regardless of what that is - gaining historical context and perspective is a critical part of self-discovery. This is not the only book I'd recommend and it has a scholarly aspect which borders on clinical for a woman (or man or other) on the road to self-discovery.
I cannot count how many copies of this book I have purchased over the years, highlighting various passages which held out special meaning or purpose for me, and passed on to others. In the end, we all have our own paths and Ms. Faderman's book manages to cross most of them.
For those on a personal path, or those looking to understand the concerns and needs of a loved one trying to understand their place as a lesbian and bisexual in today's world, this is an excellent text for reading and gaining historical perspective. Bravo to Ms. Faderman for not 'updating' a historical text but letting her original research prevail.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Surpassing the Love of Men: Romantic Friendship and Love Between Women from the Renaissance to the Present

A classic of its kind, this fascinating cultural history draws on everything from private correspondence to pornography to explore five hundred years of friendship and love between women.Surpassing the Love of Men throws a new light on shifting theories of female sexuality and the changing status of women over the centuries.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about Surpassing the Love of Men: Romantic Friendship and Love Between Women from the Renaissance to the Present

Read More...

Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival Review

Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Two Old Women
by Velma Wallis
This is a wonderful little book with a moral that is timeless and timely. With more elder care being left to institutions families are no longer what they could be. We lose so much when we are no longer in daily contact with our elders so that they can continually pass on the lessons of experience. Without that we are left to go it again for the first time and that often means failure.
It also teaches us not to cease working hard just because we can get away with being lazy when others will do for us. Stop doing something and you lose the ability to do it. A muscle needs to be used to remain muscle. A mind needs to be used to remain a mind.
Thank you Velma for passing on your stories to us.
I would also like to point out to those that did not like this book that half of the equation is what you bring to the book. Our interpretation and appreciation of something results not only from what that is, but from who we are.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival



Buy NowGet 27% OFF

Click here for more information about Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival

Read More...

When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace (Plume) Review

When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace (Plume)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The book follows the first twenty years of Hayslip's life, beginning in the Vietnamese village of Ky La. The United States/Vietnam war begins early in her life, and she discovers that her centrally located village is stuck in the middle. By day the villagers are technically controlled by the U.S./Republican force, and threatened to ensure their loyalty, but by night the Viet Cong attacks and claims the village for their own, a process which is reversed the next day. The villagers try to pacify each side, and many are destroyed by both. Hayslip tells her family's story- they alternatively first for and are attacked by the Viet Cong, depending on the changes in the wind.
Quote: "The least you did- the least any of us did- was our duty. For that we must be proud."
I liked this book very much. Although I sometimes found it difficult to keep abreast of the movements back and forth in time, it generally fit together fairly well. Hayslip does not blame either side for the war- in fact, she is attempting to make both sides understand one another better- despite the fact that she suffered brutally from both. Instead, she tells her story to share the futility of war to get the average person what they really want in life: family around them, lasting love, watching children grow old- peace.

Click Here to see more reviews about: When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace (Plume)

Hayslip's childhood was dominated by devastating violence and the realities of war. A haunting memoir of the Vietnam War and the basis for Oliver Stone's film Heaven & Earth. 2 cassettes.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace (Plume)

Read More...

Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen (Weldon, Fay) Review

Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen (Weldon, Fay)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)

I treasure this book. Reading Fay Weldon is like having a very best friend who's read everything you love, has brilliant insights into literature and life, and is absolutely hilarious. She meets that need the passionate reader feels at the end of a wonderful book, to discuss it with someone whose opinion is worth having.
"Letters to Alice: On First Reading Jane Austen" takes the form of letters from a writer to her niece, Alice, who's complained of being forced (!) to read Jane Austen. (I remember how utterly lame I thought PRIDE AND PREJUDICE was when I was 13--nobody had explained to us that it was supposed to be funny! Thank God I tried it again years later.) In the course of trying to make Austen (and all literature) accessible to her niece, the writer takes her on a marvelous journey into the city of the imagination.
I keep starting sentences and then deleting them, because writing accurately about this book is tricky. Its genius is perhaps that the book illuminates the relationship of writer to reader without being dry or academic--it is, in fact, thoroughly entertaining.
If you LOVE books, if you spent half your childhood curled up in some corner reading, if you try to foist books onto your friends--you will recognize the city into which Weldon leads you, and you will feel welcomed and at home.
All in all, a fab read. Treat yourself!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen (Weldon, Fay)



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen (Weldon, Fay)

Read More...

Have Him at Hello: Confessions from 1,000 Guys About What Makes Them Fall in Love . . . Or Never Call Back Review

Have Him at Hello: Confessions from 1,000 Guys About What Makes Them Fall in Love . . . Or Never Call Back
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Rachel Greenwald's latest, "Why He Didn't Call You Back", is the book that could have been written by any number of men, but wasn't. What she learned after meticulously interviewing 1000 guys on "exit interviews" is the very information that can change women's lives on a dime. It's the stuff that guys talk about with each other about why they REALLY don't feel a connection - and a lot of it is hard to hear. As they say, the truth hurts - especially when some of it seems unfair and hypocritical.
But as the author of "Why You're Still Single: Things Your Friends Would Tell You If You Promised Not to Get Mad" and as a dating coach whose primary clients are smart, successful single women from 30-65, I can tell you that every single thing in Greenwald's book is a potential teaching tool. These are the same issues I hear from my amazing women clients day in and day out. Men don't respond to bossy women, gold-diggers, downers, desperation, high-maintenance, or women who are all about themselves - their jobs, their friends, their accomplishments. Yes, they want attractive, but they also want want intelligence, kindness, fun, and nurturing.
This isn't really news. You may think this only applies to other women that you know. It does not. In fact, the big statistical take-away I got from this book is that 78 percent of women surveyed believed that a man hadn't called her back for reasons beyond her control - "chemistry", "he's just not that into me", "he's intimidated by me". The truth is, 85% of men felt the exact opposite - that there were very specific things that women did which created a negative impression that men couldn't look past.
While this can easily arouse indignation, Greenwald encourages you to recognize that you probably the same thing when you're on dates with men. Dissecting the way what he wore, where he took you, how he reached for the check, how he talked about his ex or his job or his family. So why isn't there a book called "Why She Didn't Call You Back"?
Because, like I wrote in "Why You're Still Single", men wouldn't actually read it. 90% of the self-help market is for women and since neither you or me or Greenwald can change men, all we can do is create self-awareness by laying out, once and for all, what men REALLY think.
And while a lot of it isn't pretty, Greenwald doesn't just tell you what you're doing wrong, but gives subtle course-correction hints on how to get it right. She truly cares about women and doesn't demonize them in this book. All she does is shed light on the dark corners of the male mind so that you can either adjust (or not adjust) accordingly.
The other real eye-opener is what she suggests to women in the future. Exit interviews. In other words, it's impossible to get present to the unintentional signals you're giving off if you never hear what they are. Imagine if MEN did this - if they actually asked for specific feedback on how they could improve on their dates and what they did to turn you off. Imagine how shocking it would be - and how it might impact their efforts on their next date.
Unfortunately, in real life, we don't have this feedback loop. He doesn't call, you wonder why, you move on with little clarity. Greenwald suggests asking him for an Exit Interview after the fact - a slightly embarrassing but greatly empowering tool for your self-growth. She even suggests that you could ask friends or hire dating coaches to handle this delicate process for you. The point is to do SOMETHING instead of burying your head in the sand and lamenting what's wrong with men. There's PLENTY wrong with men - but you can't change them. You can only change yourself.
To sum up, if knowledge is power, "Why He Didn't Call You Back" is one powerful book. As a dating coach for smart, successful, single women, I couldn't give a more enthusiastic endorsement for a very eye-opening and fast read.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Have Him at Hello: Confessions from 1,000 Guys About What Makes Them Fall in Love . . . Or Never Call Back



Buy NowGet 32% OFF

Click here for more information about Have Him at Hello: Confessions from 1,000 Guys About What Makes Them Fall in Love . . . Or Never Call Back

Read More...

When One Door Closes: Reflections from Women on Life's Turning Points Review

When One Door Closes: Reflections from Women on Life's Turning Points
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The first sentence of each of these essays is a jewel. How can you not be hooked with opening lines such as, "I got the call on a Friday afternoon from a Washington D.C. detective, telling me in a very gentle way that David's body had been found;" "When you get married at 46, you can wear whatevery you want;" "Once you've been a mom to six children, there's not a whole lot else;" "I think I have developed feelings for another man;" "A monster is living inside of me;" "She recognized him at once and stilled, mid-sentence, to consider this stranger who exuded a glow of inevitability;" or "By the time news came that Mom had dided, she had been dead for years"?
Share with good friends and the women you love!

Click Here to see more reviews about: When One Door Closes: Reflections from Women on Life's Turning Points

We all have times in our lives when we find ourselves facing a crisis, a difficult choice, or a life-changing event. From educator and psychotherapist Terri Spahr Nelson comes a remarkable anthology, When One Door Closes: Reflections from Women on Life's Turning Points, which offers the personal stories of fifty-three women from diverse backgrounds describing crucial decisions or profound shifts in perspective that changed them or their course in life. This book reveals the scope of women's lives as heard through the voices of those who have dealt with issues common to most-love, relationships, marriage, divorce, parenting, career choices, illness, grief, and loss. When One Door Closes brings forth touching accounts that offer readers an opportunity to make a connection, engage in reflection, and find encouragement on their own journeys and to discover that even in the most difficult of circumstances, compassion, hope, forgiveness, or peace can be found.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about When One Door Closes: Reflections from Women on Life's Turning Points

Read More...

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment Review

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The central premise of Steve Harvey's book is that women are not setting stringent enough standards in their romantic dealings with men. As such, he posits, they are giving away their social power and selling themselves short on their dating/mating goals.
Steve is partially correct, but he misses the central point. It is true that women do tend to settle for less than they truly want when dating, but the damage they're doing to themselves is not ultimately a result of letting men get away with murder, so to speak. Rather, the problem originates from the fact that women are choosing the wrong men. Decent men don't look for any opportunity to take advantage of women. They don't take that mile when given the proverbial inch. The men who do are the players, chiselers and con artists, the kinds of men who may look good in the store window but fall totally apart when you get them home from the mall.
'Act Like a Lady' ultimately is a rehashing of the familiar 'men are incorrigible dogs' theory of gender. It's a tired story that I'd hope we had moved past, but here it is again in a new package. Yes, men like sex. Yes, men like to look around. But decent men are able to control their urges, especially when they know that not doing so will cause great pain to those around them. Steve's theory doesn't stand up to real life, where if you spend any time, you quickly realize that uniqueness is a defining human personality trait.
Most women do have high standards--that is, until they run into a man who knows all the right things to say to circumvent their defenses. A woman can absolutely KNOW that she's worth all the trouble, but she'll totally drop her guard when a skilled player comes along saying all the right things. He's selling something she didn't even consciously realize that she wanted, and in the end she's a sucker for it. Some guys get very good at this because they practice deception from an early age with girls. It's up to women to see these men for who they are and to look the other way when they pour on the insincere charm.
Women need to realize that the adage 'all that glitters is not gold' applies to men as well as minerals.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment



Buy NowGet 43% OFF

Click here for more information about Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment

Read More...

The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine Review

The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This book is not getting enough notice. People need to read this book!!! There should be hundreds of reviews for it, but there's only a total of 24 including reviews for the hardcover as well. Someone needs to market the hell out of this book like RIGHT NOW!!! I have recommended it to all my friends and co-workers, in hopes to just get people to know about the horrors that are happening in Cambodia, and all over the world. This book was an eye-opener into a world that I was completely ignorant about. It's despicable that people exist to have brutal sex with poor innocent young children. Somaly Mam's book details the horrors in graphic detail and really makes you think! THINK!!! Here I am sitting and browsing online book reviews while a dozen innocent young girls are being brutally raped every minute in some filthy brothel in Cambodia or other countries. Is this what the world is coming to? The sex slave trafficking industry is one of the top three earning billions of dollars illegally....yet somehow, all governments are turning a blind eye to it. People like Somaly are trying to their best to help but the situation is just so daunting and out of control, I really don't know if it can ever be stopped or fixed. That's the horrible truth behind it. Young girls as young as 4-years-old are sold into brothels and savagely gang raped over and over again by men who are demons from hell. Pimps torture the poor girls to make them submit and to kill their spirit. People in the US need to seriously sit down and THINK. Quit complaining about what you don't have and how we suffer because of a bad economy. We have it 1000 times better than 99% of the world, yet we want more and we whine and complain. Americans need to educate themselves and not turn a blind eye to the horrors around the world. Ignorance is NOT bliss!!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine

A riveting and beautiful memoir of tragedy and hope–by a woman named to Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the worldBorn in a village deep in the Cambodian forest, Somaly Mam was sold into sexual slavery by her grandfather when she was twelve years old. For the next decade she was shuttled through the brothels that make up the sprawling sex trade of Southeast Asia. She suffered unspeakable acts of brutality and witnessed horrors that would haunt her for the rest of her life–until, in her early twenties, she managed to escape. Unable to forget the girls she left behind, Mam became a tenacious and brave leader in the fight against human trafficking, rescuing sex workers–some as young as five and six–offering them shelter, rehabilitation, healing, and love and leading them into new life.Written in exquisite, spare, unflinching prose, The Road of Lost Innocence is a memoir that will leave you awestruck by the courage and strength of this extraordinary woman and will renew your faith in the power of an individual to bring about change.

Buy NowGet 32% OFF

Click here for more information about The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine

Read More...

A Walk on the Beach: Tales of Wisdom From an Unconventional Woman Review

A Walk on the Beach: Tales of Wisdom From an Unconventional Woman
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Joan Anderson follows up (or expands) her story of a year alone by the sea with this engaging, easy read. It chronicles in more detail her friendship with Joan Erikson, whom she meets one foggy morning on the beach at Cape Cod. Joan Erikson is such a beautiful, inspiring, and thoughtful woman. It really makes you take stock, live every day to the fullest, and give back what you can. Though I did find it a bit slow in some places (such as Anderson's trip to Macchu Pichu), overall this book is a quick read you won't want to put down. You'll feel as though you've spent the day with a remarkable friend.

Click Here to see more reviews about: A Walk on the Beach: Tales of Wisdom From an Unconventional Woman



Buy NowGet 20% OFF

Click here for more information about A Walk on the Beach: Tales of Wisdom From an Unconventional Woman

Read More...

Simply Irresistible: Unleash Your Inner Siren and Mesmerize Any Man, with Help from the Most Famous--and Infamous--Women in History Review

Simply Irresistible: Unleash Your Inner Siren and Mesmerize Any Man, with Help from the Most Famous--and Infamous--Women in History
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
After reading this book I feel my siren skills needs some much brushing up. This is was a fun and enjoyable read. I tore into it and finished it within 2 days. All the women selected were fasinating case studies and there is definitely something to be said about becoming an unique or an irresistable woman. One thing that has often been repeated to me by my male friends that it is often a woman's attitude and or confidence that capture their attention and I think much of that is reflected in this book. Highly, highly recommended.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Simply Irresistible: Unleash Your Inner Siren and Mesmerize Any Man, with Help from the Most Famous--and Infamous--Women in History

It's said if you want to succeed, watch successful people and do what they do. Simply Irresistible is a humorous manual of case studies that show how the greatest sirens of history did what they did and got what they wanted, nearly all the time. Our role models-many of whom are still weaving their charms today- include Eva Peron, Greta Garbo, Coco Chanel, Nigella Lawson, Angelina Jolie, Edith Piaf, Lucretia Borgia, Anne Boleyn, Mata Hari, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Simply Irresistible gives practical, sexy, and sometimes downright outrageous advice on modern seduction. It exalts the siren archetypes of the Companion, Competitor, Goddess, Mother, and Sex Kitten. The cheeky histories of the iconic real-life women are paired with a fun array of quizzes, quotes, photos, tongue-in-cheek captions, and personal stories of triumph and tragedy. (Mata Hari and Anne Boleyn were, after all, both executed.) The wisdom of these famous sirens is fleshed out with the contributions of everyday, lesser known charismatic women. The conclusion? All women have an inner siren-the ability to bring men to their knees-just waiting to come out. Now they'll know how.

Buy NowGet 27% OFF

Click here for more information about Simply Irresistible: Unleash Your Inner Siren and Mesmerize Any Man, with Help from the Most Famous--and Infamous--Women in History

Read More...

Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture Review

Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
First of all, I'm a new father. Of a girl. Naturally I find myself wondering how on earth I am going to raise a confident, considerate and well adjusted girl in these complicated times. I also noticed that sometimes people's eyebrows would raise as they saw me reading this book in public. Trust me. This book is a worthwhile read for mothers AND fathers.
What this book has proven to be is an alarming expose of the numerous pitfalls our culture has created for girls. Orenstein humorously and cuttingly tackles issues such as the marketing schemes of the "disney princess brand", "pink explosion" of products marketed toward girls, the pattern of teen-icon role-models who go from "wholesome" to "whoresome" as they mature (even the seemingly incorruptible Miley Cyrus succumbed to it as she got older). AKA don't pose for Vanity Fair. The book is well researched and makes a compelling case for all parents to be concerned about the future of their daughters.
Orenstein's agenda is liberally slanted with an anti-consumer agenda, and you can tell because there's some obvious HRC/Palin comparisons in the book, but what would you expect from a lady living in Berekely, California? A Santa Cruz resident, myself, I didn't find these insertions bothersome, but to the politically conservative I advice a grain of salt.
At times the narrative seemed to get overly alarmist, raising red flags about things which I personally wouldn't worry very much. I understand why, but parts of the discussion seemed to over-stress the dangers to our nascent daughters. I just don't buy it. Meanwhile, the book offers a great amount of commentary/critique about these challenges, but provides very little of substance in terms of how to address these issues on the parental end. There are some gems scattered throughout but I found myself wishing there was more guidance for those who are struggling here. Maybe the answer is that there is no real answer, because the parenting experience is so different for everyone.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture



Buy NowGet 38% OFF

Click here for more information about Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture

Read More...

Gift from the Sea: 50th Anniversary Edition Review

Gift from the Sea: 50th Anniversary Edition
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
After watching _The Spirit of St. Louis_ one afternoon, my boyfriend (who is also a pilot) told me that Anne Morrow Lindbergh had written a book, which, as he was told, "every woman should read." The next time I went to his house, _Gift from the Sea_ was waiting for me.
What amazed me about this book was its timeliness, or should I say, timelessness. That a middle-aged Caucasian woman, writing during the 50's, could strike such a deeply-felt chord of sisterhood with me, a 30-something African-American woman living at the brink of a new millennium, is truly the mark of a gifted writer. We "enlightened, liberated" women of the year 2000 think, with a fair amount of condescension, that we have "progressed" so much from that time period. And yet, the issues Mrs. Lindbergh addressed are still very much with us today: how does a woman fulfill the roles of citizen, artist, wife/partner, mother, career person, friend, sibling/relative, and balance all of that with the time and self-commitment for spiritual/emotional nurturing?
I have a quote from this precious gift posted on the wall at my workstation; it is a state of being I seek as a humble pilgrim on life's journey:
"...I want first of all...to be at peace with myself. I want a singleness of eye, a purity of intention, a central core to my life that will enable me to carry out these obligations and activities as well as I can. I want, in fact - to borrow from the language of the saints - to live "in grace" as much of the time as possible...By grace I mean an inner harmony, essentially spiritual, which can be translated into outward harmony...I would like to achieve a state of inner spiritual grace from which I could function and give as I was meant to in the eye of God..."
This is a must read for women everywhere!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Gift from the Sea: 50th Anniversary Edition

In this inimitable, beloved classic—graceful, lucid and lyrical—Anne Morrow Lindbergh shares her meditations on youth and age; love and marriage; peace, solitude and contentment as she set them down during a brief vacation by the sea. Drawing inspiration from the shells on the shore, Lindbergh's musings on the shape of a woman's life bring new understanding to both men and women at any stage of life. A mother of five, an acclaimed writer and a pioneering aviator, Lindbergh casts an unsentimental eye on the trappings of modernity that threaten to overwhelm us: the time-saving gadgets that complicate rather than simplify, the multiple commitments that take us from our families. And by recording her thoughts during a brief escape from everyday demands, she helps readers find a space for contemplation and creativity within their own lives.With great wisdom and insight Lindbergh describes the shifting shapes of relationships and marriage, presenting a vision of life as it is lived in an enduring and evolving partnership. A groundbreaking, best-selling work when it was originally published in 1955, Gift from the Sea continues to be discovered by new generations of readers. With a new introduction by Lindbergh's daughter Reeve, this fiftieth-anniversary edition will give those who are revisiting the book and those who are coming upon it for the first time fresh insight into the life of this remarkable woman.The sea and the beach are elements that have been woven throughout Anne Morrow Lindbergh's life. She spent her childhood summers with her family on a Maine island. After her marriage to Charles Lindbergh in 1929, she accompanied him on his survey flights around the North Atlantic to launch the first transoceanic airlines. The Lindberghs eventually established a permanent home on the Connecticut coast, where they lived quietly, wrote books and raised their family.After the children left home for lives of their own, the Lindberghs traveled extensively to Africa and the Pacific for environmental research. For several years they lived on the island of Maui in Hawaii, where Charles Lindbergh died in 1974. Anne Morrow Lindbergh spent her final years in her Connecticut home, continuing her writing projects and enjoying visits from her children and grand-children. She died on February 7, 2001, at the age of ninety-four.Reeve Lindbergh is the author of many books for both adults and children, including the memoirs Under a Wing and No More Words.

Buy NowGet 43% OFF

Click here for more information about Gift from the Sea: 50th Anniversary Edition

Read More...

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex Review

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Before writing this review, I spent some time looking over many of the other reviews on here. The spread is interesting, and I think it comes from a misunderstanding of the very limited scope of this book.
First off, if you're looking for a book to explain the innate differences (if there are any?) between men and women, this is definitely not it. Further, if you're looking for a book that dives deep into communication theory and has profound statements regarding the nature of good communication, this is equally lacking. The title betrays the purpose. This book is a badly written collection of common sense ideas and tactics to use when communicating in a relationship.
Why 4 stars? Because common sense is not as common as people think. I am amazed at the 1-star ratings by "intellectuals" who charge that this book stands on very shaky philosophic ground, and that it does not live up to the high caliber of true scientific studies into communication fundamentals and/or gender differences. Get a grip! That's not the purpose of the book!
This book is equivalent to an "Idiot's Guide to Listening, Respect, and Communication, with Easy-to-Remember Examples." Intellectuals charging that the common person should read XYZ's scientific study about the fundamentals is missing the basic point -- I don't want to know the fundamentals of communication (at the moment), I just want to know why my last girlfriend got offended when I offered solutions when she was complaining about work. Sounds simple? Not for all of us.
I have a degree in rocket engineering and I am very confident that I could tear a book about "Physics for the common person" to ribbons for making vast over-generalizations and ignoring (what I consider to be) key details in the trade. I could easily humble half the readers of this review if we were talking about rocket dynamics. But would I criticize a beginner's physics book if it generates interest in my favorite subject? Of course not! You can't mock a beginner's book for not addressing the advanced issues.
Further, it is hard to argue with the couples who say their marriage has been saved by this book. All idealism and charges of misogynistic text aside - if it works, it works. Period.
I find it kind of humorous that those most offended by the generalizations made in this book are the ones most quickly to generalize. You must remember: Not all stereotypes are false, or even bad. When I go to China and sit down at a restaurant, I'm going to ask for chopsticks, and not forks. Why? Because I stereotype all people in China as eating with chopsticks. Is this bad, or just efficient?
Many men and women fall into the stereotypes as described in this book. Whether or not you agree with those stereotypes as being "right" or "acceptable" is really irrelevant to the point. Further, the stereotypes are just a method of conveying the information. Gray is just trying to document the two different most common reactions to stress, and labels them "male" and "female" according to stereotype. He might as well have labeled them "North" and "South" for all I care -- the point is not the male/female generalizations, the point is understanding BOTH ways of dealing with stress (talking about it or receding into thought) and how to correctly handle it when you or your partner starts doing either.
Last, but certainly not least, let's get off the charges of women-hating. The book is almost literally a mirror within itself, as every paragraph generalizing women has its counterpart generalizing men. While you can charge that he mislabels both equally, those who look at this evenly stacked book and somehow derive a women-bashing lean are simply playing up their own insecurities, opinions, and political stances regarding the genders. The book is an almost word-for-word split between the two (if you don't believe me, go back and look!). If you can only see the women-bashing side of things, while nonchalantly accepting all the male generalizations, then you are reading through your own mental filter, and should take a moment to consider that.
I recommend this book to those of you who may not have the common sense that the elitist intellectuals profess, nor the ludicrous sensitivity to one side of an equally balanced portrayal of (admittedly overgeneralized) gender roles.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex



Buy NowGet 40% OFF

Click here for more information about Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex

Read More...