Depression Books

This book gives the reader wonderful insight into the day to day and long term impact of mental illness on family. It offers personal insight from several people who have first hand knowledge and experience coping with this issue. It also offers excellent resource information and tips and information about how to cope with this challenging problem that impacts so many lives. As a social worker, I would definitely recommend it to people with family members struggling with mental illness.
Iris in Chicago

Hit with a dilapidating illness, a family's journey to unite and overcome is a harrowing and trying time. Although many believe the road leads to more sorrow and devastation, this book will prove the old cliché "where there's a will, there's a way."

In "Silent Heroes", you will read one particular family togetherness and how they overcame and helped one another when their mother was diagnosed as a schizophrenic. Told through the daughter's point of view, you will find inner strength and answers to guide you if in a similar situation.

Silent Heroes, as the title states, celebrates those who do not seek glory, or recognition but stand by as their vows or compassion direct them; to be there and help a family loved one.

The author's easy to understand and straight to the point explanations on mental illness fully captures the catapult one is thrust in when mental illness strikes.

The book is told through the daughter's viewpoint, allowing us to experience her highs and lows growing up with a mother who was schizophrenic. There are very few in life who display this determination and perseverance, but more importantly- compassion. This embodiment comes out, as well, in small snippets of other case studies.

This book will guide you in better understanding the hardships felt by members of one afflicted by a form of mental illness. Miss Focht offers several links to learn more about schizophrenia, depression, and bi-polar. She also points out signs of detecting a mental illness.

An encouraging read for all whether or not you personally have experienced this affliction or know of someone who is going through it; it will help give you an insider's look. A very good and thought-provoking read.

Silent Heroes is a Finalist Award Winner for USABest Books-2005, in two categories: Social Change, and Psychology/Mental Health. I am most proud of the Social Change, because that is what is needed: much more awareness and education about mental illness, to erase the stigma for families and their ill loved ones. thanks for reading this. The Author, Maureen Focht MS

I admire Maureen Focht tremendously for having the courage to speak out about what it is like to live with family members with mental illness and dispel old myths in the public mind. While she dedicates this book to her Dad as the silent hero who stood by her mother who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, Maureen is also a silent hero. She has interviewed other women who offer their stories on living with depression and schizophrenia. All of the stories offer coping skills for children, partners, and friends. Frank discussion about the need for support, speaking up, getting information and more are covered here. I read the book from cover to cover, and found that the stories touched my heart. By speaking up, Maureen informs the public about how to understand and adapt to the needs of all family members when one has a diagnosis of mental illness. Bravo Maureen. I was so interested, I sat down and read it from cover to cover and I highly recommend it to all!

It's not often that a book about profoundly personal issues can both educate and inspire. Ms. Focht puts into perspective the internal conflict that is felt in dealing with a loved one with a mental illness, against a backdrop of a love story. She lays bare the feelings and longings of a child seeking the presence of her mother who is simply unavailable - even to herself. It is a revealing journey that brings to life the silent hero of the story, the father who is present, courageous and like each of us - quite human.

Specifics about these illnesses are detailed through multiple interviews as well as the author's own story. I was moved by how similiar and universal feelings can be amongst those who have a family member or friend who experiences an illness. The examples are provocative and sound a clarion call for understanding through education and sharing of information.

The author states: "Educating ourselves provides us with the armor and the weapons to assist us and our family members through the maze of ignorance, public perception, and the social systems we need to support our loved one with mental illness."

A much needed book for educators, grown family members and children seeking understanding and tools to gain support.

A poetic, autobiographical novel, Smiling Thru the Tears- a Breast Cancer Survivor Odyssey is filled with suspense, humor, danger, and a plot that worked.

Kudos to Ms. deLeon- Lewis for serving breast cancer an Eviction Notice, and creatively getting an Order of Protection against her stalker- DeMon. Each poem is more beautiful than the prior one as she defiantly tells her story that gave me hope and courage.

Smiling Thru the Tears got my undivided attention from page one to page 174.

I was inspired by the author's attitude and conviction. Clearly, breast cancer met its match when it entered Ms. deLeon- Lewis' life. She would not be intimidated by this vicious disease. Her humanization of Breast Cancer, DeMon provided her a means to battle this vicious disease victoriously. Her faith, her hope, and her determination shone throughout this book. I especially liked- I Fought the Fight.

I strongly recommend this book to everyone...it motivates, inspires, and entertains the reader and would make a wonderful gift for all. I give this book five stars.

Pamela deLeon Lewis has written a powerful book of poetry titled SMILING THRU THE TEARS A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR ODYSSEY. Very rarely does a writer let you deep inside their soul and give you a deep insight into their struggles. This book runs the emotional gamut from sadness to anger to happiness .

Pamela's book is a book of poetry about her struggle with breast cancer and she takes you from the emotional discovery, thru remission and up to now. Some of the poems are very personal and you can see that they are directed at someone. I read several books a year and very rarely do I read a book of poetry that I want to finish right away. With most poetry books all the poems start to read the same because there was one writer. Not so with this book, there are more than 150 poems each one distinctive from the next. My favorite poem from the book is "It Better Not Be You" about the possible return of her cancer. to me this poem reflects the inner strength of it's writer and her refusal to give in to cancer.

This by far the best book of poetry I have read this year, hell it's the best book I've read this year even better than the masterpiece I wrote and that ain't easy . In case you haven't figured it out yet I highly recommend this book.

George Cook
www.letstalkhonestly.com

I was captivated by Smiling Thru the Tears, a wonderfully written autobiographical book. The courage and determination of Ms. Pamela deLeon-Lewis is only rivaled by her faith, humor, and dignity as she defiantly stands her ground against DeMon, Breast Cancer.
I know this is a book of poetry but it reads like a murder-mystery novel. Smiling Thru the Tears, is very cleverly written and Ms. deLeon- Lewis bares her soul to her readers. The concept of writing a novel in poetic form is a nouveau and exciting literary idea and the author's poetic style is fresh and compelling. I have never seen this style before but I was eager to read this book from cover to cover because I was hooked, I wanted to know what happened next. I was not disappointed. This book left me in awe of the author... her self-assuredness and her attitude toward this dastardly disease gave me hope.
I highly recommend Smiling Thru the Tears. It is a life- affirming book that will inspire and motivate you while it re-activates your faith. This is a definite must have for your library; however, you will keep it on the coffee table/night table for regular reference.

Pamela makes a powerful testament in this book about her
survival of cancer. This journey through tears was a spiritual one with God in charge and an ever present help in times of trouble. This heartfelt, thought-provoking book will have you crying, praying, activating your faith, and rejoicing with her. This is a must read book.

This is the most insightful, uplifting, and well-written book I've read in a very long time. It is a collection of inspirational and spiritual poetry. It is the story about one courageous woman's hope, determination, winning spirit, and faith in God. Pamela's very personal thoughts, written in poetry form, takes readers through the unfolding of a remarkable turning point in her life. The author's inner beauty and keen sense of humor shines brightly in the midst of the physical and emotional pain she endured. She describes her very real cancer, which she has creatively named "DeMon". This is a book filled with optimism and would make a thoughtful gift of cheer, as well as a keepsake for your own bookshelf.
- Debra A. Warren

...and I have read many. The author discusses aspects and causes of depression ignored by mainstream psychiatry and offers compelling solutions with integrity, honesty, and compassion.


Also worth looking at:
When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life

The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness

This book is much more than a self-help book--the issue is bigger than any one individual. All of us, whether we're depressed ourselves or not, have been touched by depression through friends, family, and colleagues. This book helps make sense of it all and offers suggestions about how, collectively, we get on the road to recovery. I am recommending this book to people at every opportunity. Dr. Levine hits the nail on the head.

The reviews here for this book so far have been pretty detached and impersonal. I'm now going to provide a personal account. I do not say this lightly: This book saved my life.

Last year I picked up Bruce Levine's "Surviving America's Depression Epidemic" at Barnes & Noble as a sort of impulse buy. I was scouring the self-help/psychology section during what was probably my worst depressive episode of my entire life. I don't know what possessed me to pick this particular book. I seriously wasn't expecting much. I wasn't actually familar with the author and the title itself is sort of hokey-sounding. I was prepared for nothing more than a superficial rewording of stuff that I'd already heard a million times or some crackpot theory. However, as soon as I got past the title and started on the introduction, I realized I was reading something very, very different. Dr. Levine's book is well-written, well-researched (the last 24 or so pages of the book consists of copious bibliographical notes), and well-designed. But it isn't just rehashing of old information with a new wrapper. Levine culls much insight out of the available research on not only the nature of what we call "depression" but also into the way we live.

What most struck me was that Levine absolutely refuses to oversimplify the problem of depression. He tackles the issues from an expansive sociological framework that puts what clinical psychology labels as an "illness" into a wider historical, social, and personal context. His thesis is as follows (quoting from the Introduction itself):

"Americans live in the age of industrialized medicine, and everyone - inside and outside of health care - is now in the same boat. Doctors are financially pressured to be speedy mechanics, and patients often recieve assembly-line treatment, which can be a painful reminder of their assembly-line lives. While most Americans manage to go to work and pay their bills, more than a few struggle just to get out of bed, and growing numbers feel fragile, hollow, hopeless, and defeated.

"In 1998, Martin Seligman, then president of the American Psychological Association, spoke to the National Press club about an American depression epidemic: '[W]e discovered two astonishing things about the rate of depression across the century. The first was there now is between ten and twenty times as much of it as there was fifty years ago. And the second is that it has become a young person's problem. When I first started working in depression thirty years ago... the average age of onset was 29.5. Now the average age is between fourteen and fifteen.'

"Despite the unparalleled material wealth of the United States, we Americans - especially our young - are increasingly unhappy. What is happening in our society and culture? How is it that the more we have come to rely on mental health professionals, the higher the rates of depression? And are we in need of a different approach to overcoming despair?"

Levine tackles these questions with tenacity and wisdom I've never seen in any other book on depression. He redefines depression itself as a coping mechanism to shut down the anguish we feel. He offers hope to those who feel sensitive and misunderstood by relating historical examples (from Abraham Lincoln to Kurt Cobain) and offers insights into how we as individuals can find ourselves at odds with the society we grew up in. Depression is not a disease to be anesthetized with drugs, but a vital cry of our own humanity calling out to us in a largely dehumanizing world. Doctors no longer treat us as individuals just when we truly need it, but rather we become a list of symptoms and a consequent prescription.

This all may sound at odds with the current research on depression as a biological disorder organic to the brain. However, Levine reveals that this isn't at all at odds with the current RESEARCH (which has never supported a purely chemical genesis for depression) but rather the current THEORY of biological depression as popularized almost exclusively by pharmaceutical industry propaganda. It's interesting that Levine wrote this book several months prior to the widely publicised findings earlier this year (originally made public by The Wall Street Journal in January 2008) of a survey of studies submitted to the FDA that were never published. (The survey revealed that the alleged efficacy of antidepressants may have been highly inflated.)

Levine's plan of healing is empathetic, wise, and liberating. Unlike most such book there are absolutely no exercises or tedious worksheets or charts to fill out. Instead, Levine weaves in a hugely comprehensive list of approaches to healing including nurturing emotional openness, fostering friendships, using artistic expression, exercise, community activism and even ritualism as a means of coping.

A good portion of his approach is influenced by Buddhist psychology, with a particular emphasis on mindfulness and forgoing ego-attachments. This application of Eastern meditative traditions to depression has also recently been expounded upon by another group of psychologists in The Mindful Way through Depression, which also came out last year. That book provides excellent advice and tools for preventing relapse of depression, although it lacks the social/emotional insights that Levine elaborates on quite eloquently. That said, it is still an excellent resource.

I must state here and now that this book is not for people who have already made up their minds about depression and already decided they are "cured." If, however, you are like me and have not been helped by the current mental health industry and still feel numb, hurting, and lost in your life, I urge you to give this book a chance. One other point that I actually found quite refreshing was his criticism of talk-therapies such as CBT, and the clinical patient-therapist relationship. He acknowledges that such a relationship (a kind of "paid friendship") may not be the most conducive to healing and, in fact, may actually exacerbate the problem.

Had I heard what the book was about before I had the chance to actually read it, I might have dismissed it. However, several months after finishing it, my life has been completely transformed and I no longer feel so "broken." The term life-affirming gets thrown around a lot these days. But I cannot hesitate to call this a life-affirming read for anyone who is still struggling.

Levine also takes an interesting angle that I was not aware of when I first bought it (but apparently is in concert with the publisher's - Chelsea Green Publishing - credo). Levine posits that the society of consumer culture that contributes to depression cannot be sustainable in the long run. This is interesting and, although it may seem irrelevant when you just want to feel better, it actually helped me get out of my own head and see depression as a cultural problem as well. In other words, it helped me stop taking depression so personally. (This is an important point, and Chapter 5 deals with the dangers of "Self Absorption.") It is truly liberating to realize there may not be anything really wrong with YOU if you are depressed, but there may indeed be some things very wrong with the society you live in.

And, if all that wasn't enough incentive to buy a copy, for the environmentally conscientious among us, Chelsea Green publishes all their books on recycled paper! You can't go wrong.

This is my favorite medical-debunking book of late, very related to the topic of end of empire, which is why I put it in my listmania of that topic, along with books on climate disaster, corporate/imperial/military-industrial complex overreach, peak oil and etc!). Levine is an erudite genius and skillfully and wholistically weaves anthropology, history, sociology and art in with his vast knowledge of orthodox medicine. Especially fascinating are his little known revelations, such as: during antebellum times in the USA, a slave who was a chronic runaway or disobedient would be diagnosed with a mental illness. Levine ties this in with current diagnosis of rebellious teenagers with their very own dysfunction to be medicated, ("compulsive anti-authoritarianism" (?) Well, I can't recall the term right now, had to return the book to the library, alas, but I suspect I will check it out again and again and eventually break down and buy it, which is a rare occurence. That just shows you how much I admire this book and find it valuable, especially coming from a large family full of misfit artistic melancholic, indigenous anti authority types).
~ Lesley Thomas, author of award-winning arctic shaman eco-novel Flight of the Goose

The rate of depression in the U.S. has increased tenfold in the last fifty years, indicating an underlying social issue as well as a health challenge. Surviving America's Depression Epidemic: How to Find Morale, Energy and Community in A World Gone Crazy surveys the roots of these issues, discussing how to revitalize depressed people and a depressing culture and offering insights on how to change ideas and behavior patterns. Both college-level holdings strong in psychology and general-interest lending libraries will find this a most accessible account identifying the foundations of societal depression and offering plenty of insights on how to combat it.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Eleven-year-old Tennyson Fontaine and her younger sister Hattie are sent to live at Aigredoux, an old plantation, after their mother deserts the family during the Depression. While at Aigredoux, Tennyson has dreams of what the old plantation was like before the war. She sets out to write these stories and hopes to get the Sophisticate magazine to publish them in order for her mother to come back home.

I really enjoyed this story. The idea of an old Southern plantation revealing it's secrets to a young girl is fascinating. Blume's descriptions of the South are lush and rich.

I especially liked Tennyson and her desire to write the truth even when her Aunt Henriette still clings to the past.

A must read for those who enjoy historicals that deal with the South.

Lesley M.N. Blume's TENNYSON is set in 1932 in the Depression era in the South, and tells of Tennyson Fontqaine and her sister Hattie, who live in a rickety shack with their family and dogs. When their mother vanishes one day and their father leaves home to find her, the girls find themselves in a relative's Louisiana mansion - now a ruin - and it's up to Tennyson to uncover the secrets beyond the mansion's history - and perhaps save her family.

In 1932, the Depression weighs heavily across the entire country. But for 11-year-old Tennyson Fontaine and her eight-year-old sister, Hattie, life goes on as normal in their simple shack home near the banks of the Mississippi. They spend their days playing hide-and-seek in the surrounding forests, staying out of their mother's way while she writes her stories and poems, and pass the evenings reading stories and history books with their father. When they're not partaking in these activities, they're swinging on the rope swing hanging in the kitchen.

One time, and one time only, Tennyson makes the mistake of fixing one of her mom's stories; she has the natural writing talents that her mom only dreams of having. But her mom gets jealous and angry when she fixes the story so easily, so she never attempts to help again. One of Tennyson's main responsibilities is trying to keep her mom happy.

However, one evening her mother never returns home. Her father goes out to search for her, but returns empty-handed the following morning. Not knowing what else to do, he packs up his daughters and delivers them into his sister's care while he continues the search. Aunt Henrietta and Uncle Twigs live in the Fontaine family home, an old southern Louisiana plantation house called Aigredoux. Though rich in history, Aigredoux is falling apart and overgrown with vines. Aunt Henrietta and Uncle Twigs seem to be stuck in the past as well, clinging to their rigid southern manners and outdated way of life. From the moment they meet, Aunt Henrietta and Tennyson's personalities painfully collide, and the future appears bleak and lonely.

Then Tennyson has an idea. She will write a story and get it published in her mom's favorite magazine. Her mom will see it and then feel compelled to return home to her family. But what to write? Tennyson starts having vivid dreams about the history of Aigredoux, dreams that are startlingly close to reality. As Tennyson writes her stories in order to call her mom home, she gradually grows closer to the dilapidated house, despite all of its dark family secrets being revealed.

Lesley M. M. Blume successfully displays her immense writing talents once again. She reawakens the past with vivid descriptions and careful research, taking readers on a personal tour of the Deep South and the stains humanity has left on her soil. The colorful characters leave a lasting impression, bringing the story to life with their funny quirks, deep-rooted lifestyles and distinctive individualities. And then the author weaves the entire tale together with her incredibly poetic, heartfelt and sincere writing style:

"Trees grew on either side of the driveway and they reached across and intertwined branches to make a long, dark tunnel. These trees were as lazy and heavy as the air. Instead of reaching up toward the sky, the bottom branches of Aigredoux's trees lay across the ground. Tennyson almost expected them to yawn and wake up and stretch their branches toward the sky where they belonged. But they didn't wake up; they just kept sleeping their drugged slumber. Thick gray Spanish moss hung from every branch, sullenly drinking up the light and looking like ghost clothes that had been flung up there to dry."

TENNYSON is a wonderful book!

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

This is the novel of Tennyson Fontaine. Tennyson is an old soul in an 11 year old body. The setting is the deep south, mostly during the depression, though we do have flashbacks to the civil war.

Tennyson and her sister, Hattie, have been left in the care of their aunt in a delapitated plantation manse. Their father has gone off to find their mother, a selfish cow of a woman who is only a mother in the biological sense, because she has run away in pursuit of her writing muse.

Tennyson doesn't have to run off... she has plenty of muse. She attempts to bring her scattered family back together by telling the story of the history of her family and the house they treasured. Both stories - the one in the nineteenth century and the one in the twentieth - are full of the details that bring a picture to life in your head.

The characters - from the precocious Tennyson to the narcissist-turned-empathetic character, Bartholomew - are well drawn and full of life.

This is an excellent read for an adult or a young teen. There are moral lessons a plenty, and, at the same time, a child hero who just gets it right (even though she does make some mistakes.)

(*)>

The year is 1932, and the Depression is running as deep and wide as the Mississippi. Tennyson is eleven, her younger sister Hattie eight, and they have never known nor needed anything outside of their home at Innisfree. They have stories and schooling from their gentle, loving father Emery. Their mother Sadie is a frustrated writer and poet. A wild dog named Jos comes in and out of their house whenever he pleases. It is a happy house.

The girls often play hide-and-seek in the woods, the soles of their feet thick as hide, the sound of their laughter filling the air, but they always come home at dusk. One night, their mother doesn't come home. Just like that, she is gone, having left by choice for parts unknown. Tennyson doesn't know where her mother is, but she knows why: "Because she's like Jos . . . She's wild and she doesn't really belong to us." Tennyson, also a writer, has been aware of her mother's discontent for years, so though her leaving hurts, it comes as no surprise.

So that he may search for his wife, Emery must leave his daughters with his sister Henrietta at a colorless Louisiana house called Aigredoux (pronounced Aag-reh-do). He tells them to pretend that they are actresses in a play, to mind what Aunt Henrietta says, and to be brave. He promises that he will be back soon with their mother. And then he, too, is gone.

Aunt Henrietta has little tolerance for her nieces' dirt-and-tear-streaked faces, appalled by their old clothes and lack of manners. She considers herself to be a lady and her crumbling, faded house a castle. Her husband Thomas, aka Uncle Twigs, is more concerned with his role as the president of the Louisiana Societ the Strict Enforcement of the Proper Use of the English Language than his supposed job as caretaker, and their housekeeper Zulma is as no-nonsense as Henrietta. The young sisters get by, for they have always been thick as thieves, with Tennyson looking after Hattie since they were little.

Tennyson begins to dream in detail. She sees her ancestors' tragic wedding take place on the same grounds she now lives, then later scribbles down the entire story on the back of old sheet music. If she could just get this published in her mother's favorite magazine, The Sophisticate, she knows her mother will read it and come back home. The only person who knows of her new plan is Zipporah, the gentleman at the local post office. As Tennyson continues to have these big dreams, readers will be drawn further and further in, turning pages until they reach the impactful conclusion. Afterwards, the book's appendix offers a family tree and history as well as song lyrics and poems noted in the story, including some by the protagonist's namesake, Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

In her third novel for young readers, Lesley M.M. Blume has woven ancestral tales together in one finely-spun Southern story. With the Gothic elements illuminated by history and known to be dreams, this is not a horror story and will not frighten young readers. Rather, like young Hattie (who finds Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass to be more interesting than history), the dreams will make them curious and keep them reading. Instead of being outright haunted by ghosts, Aigredoux would appear to be haunted by memories, by the loss and destruction seen by the previous generations. Their faces are captured in portraits on the walls, their lives in Tennyson's dreams, and Tennyson's story is just as important as theirs. This is how and why and when she transitions from an intelligent child into a young adult.

This book is an excellent guide for beginners, spelling out CBT techniques clearly and in a practical way for each disorder. Treatment plans are easy to follow. CD with extra information is brilliant with many useful client handouts.

Thanks for the book - it was in excellent condition and arrived in good time.

I wish that I had found this text years earlier. I especially liked the CD that accompanied the book.

I am a second year MSW student who works in a mental health clinic. I have found this book to be extremely helpful and practical in the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders. My supervisor even purchased a copy of this book after she saw my work. Clients respond well to the interventions suggested, and they feel like they are finally being understood. It also forces the worker to be thorough in their work.

Essential material and systematic paths of therapy by the experts' experts.
Dr. Leahy is simply the best in his field. And it is a very important field indeed.
Thank you for this book.

This book works on many levels:
1. OK, if you just want a good read, Clancy tells the story of his growing up with his long suffering mother, Jennie, in a humorous, compelling, self-deprecating and insightful way. He evokes urban life in the poverty-ridden Depression many would have liked to forget, but which, for Clancy, seems to have been the most alive time of his life. But aside from that -
2. History
(a) A must have for the Chicago Historical Society library. A detailed description of life in one particular Chicago neighborhood in the 1930's Depression and WWII years. Clancy describes life as a working-class, street kid where the neighborhood and his fellow adolescent (by today's standards fairly harmless) gang members are a whole world and all a guy needs.
(b) Also a must for students of Jewish American history. An on-the-ground, day-to-day account of what it was like to be a very secular Jewish American kid at the time and how he, his mother, their friends and their world tried to define their Jewishness.
(c) For political history you get mother, Jennie, and usually absent father, Leo, who are both hard core labor organizers with a commitment forged by the often life or death pre-WWII American labor movement. It is also a reminder of when America had real Socialists and real Communists, who were bigger enemies of each other than of the capitalists.
3. Sociology/Psychology
(a) Jennie, a Russian immigrant, ostracised by her Communist, New York family when she ran off with the faithless socialist, Leo. Single mother of an illegitimate child working as a seamstress and covert union organizer to support herself and her child. Clancy thoughtfully observes and analyzes the stresses and social pressures his mother and similar women of the era suffered and how these shaped Jennie's, and their, characters.
(b) Clancy also tells, again with much self-deprecating humor, the effect all this had on him, not only growing up but how it shaped his future life, and how it is still shaping the next generation, his son. (See also Clancy's novel, Zone of the Interior, based on his experiences with psychiatrist R. D. Laing.)

Clancy Sigal's seeringly honest portrait of his lefty mother, Jennie, and himself brings alive a time now lost forever to Ipods, computers, and cell phones.

Clancy's childhood as the sidekick of a passionate labor organizer mother often working undercover, slipping into town and skulking out when the jig is up is both hair-raising and thrilling. Even when she settles temporarily in Chicago, a secure home life is not an option for his mother, Jennie, and his on-again, off-again father. Jennie's commitment to lifting up the plight of exploited workers while bringing up Clancy is the ultimate juggling act. Lots of dropped balls but a virtuoso performance nevertheless. Clancy was mostly left to his own devices, a street kid whose aspirations were hardly more than rough and tumble fun with his little gang of misfits balanced with an instinct for survival.

Ultimately, Jennie was his salvation even after he left home because she had implanted in him a moral compass more powerful than any microchip that always corrected his course throughout his crazy life journey. He's a lucky boy/man.

This book is a tribute to an extraordinary mother and a rollicking good read at that.

This is Clancy Sigal's best book. His work has always been autobiographical from his novel Going Away (the ultimate 'road' book for my generation of politically aware readers who shunned Kerouac 's egowanderings), to Weekend In Dinlock, his account of Yorkshire miners. In his latest, a memoir, Sigal gives us a funny, moving memory of his relationship with his mother - a fantastic character - set in Depression era America. It's an account of an education that is unsentimental and and profoundly moral. There isn't anything like it around. This is a real book of virtues.

A terrific story well told. I don't know when I've ever read such a robust and intimate description of the tensions in a relationship between a strong sexy mother and a hormone-soaked adolescent boy. Although the background is exotic - Chicago in the turbulent shoot-first days when cops, criminals and union activists fought in the bloody streets - anyone who has ever dealt with an teenage boy will recognize the minefield of emotions Sigal reveals. Besides drawing a pungent likeness of a remarkable woman - his mother - he makes his own street gang life accessible to the reader when he talks about why he cherishes his lawbreaking friends from the old neighborhood. It's a vanished world today, and yet it's strikingly here and now. Good writing too - loose, easy and graceful. I'm a long-time fan of Clancy Sigal's memoirs-as-novels (GOING AWAY, ZONE OF THE INTERIOR). This is memoir that just happens to read like a novel.

Clancy Sigal made me fall in love with his mother Jennie in his unsentimental memoir of a sometimes violent and crazy life. She's the mother I wish I had: passionate, irreverent, protective and smart. The pain and love Sigal feels for his mom hits you like a punch in the gut.

Dynamite scenes of young, street-tough Clancy's roller coaster life with his mysterious and powerful mother are punctuated by glimpses of his current relationship with his 10 year old son Joe. Together, they invoke the spirit of Jennie as they visit her grave, throw a baseball around or jog together, and she, in turn, surrounds them with her tough, maternal love. She lives again, through Sigal's gritty and ironic style.

Capone gangsters and cops-on-the-take are a normal part of the lives of this compelling mother-and-child team who, as they travel from city to city, often take false names. Always on the edge of the law, forever skipping out on landlords and creditors, they're a magnificent reminder of what it takes to stay alive in hard times: guts and guile.

This memoir led me to Sigal's other books: Going Away, Weekend in Dinlock, Zone of the Interior (re-released this year - an insanely brilliant semi-fictionalized account of his time with the famous/notorious `anti-psychiatrist' R.D. Laing) and The Secret Defector. Do yourself a favor and discover this provocative author - funny, authentic, political and deeply moving.

I thought all this time that seeking old fossil material in some hot dry place would be boring but this book took away that idea. Its really entertaining, besides being full of facts about the part of Africa where we might have started being human.
I would recommend it to any one who wants to chuckle and learn at the same time...

The geology is a bit daunting, but the book is quite readable for anyone with a smattering of earth science background.

The inside poop on competing researchers is funny as hell. Kalb shows SOME restraint in detailing Johanson's efforts to block his (Kalb's) access to the Afar, more restraint than was called for if Kalb's claims are true...

Insights into the politics and history of Ethiopia abound.

Great stuff overall. Well written.

Kalb takes a subject which could be as dry as old bones in a desert and makes it living and fresh. He combines real life drama with an informative tour of the competitive worlds of geology and anthropology. A fellow member of the Texas Coalition of Authors told me, "He is the personification of Indiana Jones."

I have read many books and many soon become a weariness of the flesh (Ecclesiastes 12:12) but not this one. It is fascinating reading; informative and entertaining.

Wow! If you like science, this book has it all. Kalb gives a serious accounting of plate tectonics, geology, anthropology, paleoanthropology and politics. Both the politics of Ethiopia and of hominid anthropology.
This is the second book that I have read where Don Johanson, discoverer of the Lucy fossil, is lambasted. I am beginning to believe that Johanson left alot of people in his wake, including Kalb, on his way to fame and fortune. Kalb even gives details of Johanson's marijuana smoking exploits. Scandalous!
It is Kalb who worked behind the scenes to elucidate the geology of the Afar region of Africa and set the stage for the advancement of many discoveries in the field of paleoanthropology. And he did it while dodging the bullets of a communist revolution! Kalb survives even though he is suspected of being a CIA operative planted in Ethiopia under the guise of his scientific mission. Kalb suspects that it was his falling out with Johanson that caused this little tidbit of doubt to be planted in the minds of the Ethiopian government. Kalb spends alot of effort over a few years fighting this charge, but he eventually loses and is expelled from Ethiopia.
Kalb's story includes his sometimes angst ridden dealings with the Ethiopian government, who it seems are caught in the middle of a struggle of competing groups to exert dominance over the rich fossil beds of the Afar triangle. The struggle is not just between competing organizations of American science, but also between the Americans and a French team that comes close to stealing the show.
The only flaw in the book is the way that Kalb weaves the recent history of Ethiopia into the book. That could have been a book in and of itself. Kalb is best when discussing geology and anthropology. The Ethiopian revolution and subsequent war with Somalia and Eritrea is distracting to the reader. Kalb's first hand journalist account of the struggles of the Ethiopian government is superb, but it would have stood on it's own. Kalb tried to write two books in one and almost pulled it off.
One of the reasons why I read this genre of books is that it always offers surprises. One of Kalb's characters, Doug Cramer, assists in creating a couple of interesting fireside stories. Cramer taught Anatomy at NYU medical school. As an alumnus of NYU medical school, I remember Cramer well. We used to call him "The Viking" for his looks and demeanor. Cramer used to tell us that he was a "pastist", and now, twenty-five years later I understand what he meant. I am sure that Kalb could easily have written a book solely dealing with Cramer's antics.
This is a must read for any armchair paleoanthropologists like myself. I am now inspired to read "Lucy" again given all the information I have about Johanson. The book was a page turner for me and I think that you will enjoy it.
Thank you, Jon Kalb, for your contribution to paleoanthropology. I hope that you can get back to Ethiopia to make some of the discoveries that you say will eventually be unearth there.

This is a book about exploring for humanoid fossils in the Afar Depression of Ethiopia from 1967 to 1976 during the overthrow of the Haile Selassie government and the beginning of the Derg--Mengistu Marxist regime. Rare indeed is the book that gives a good sense of the ambience along with immense readability. It is mostly about the geology and anthropology of the Ethiopian Rift Valley, but anyone interested in science will find this book fascinating because it is really a story about "doing" science: the fun, the people, the jealousies, ambitions, dirty pool, and and an exceedingly fine discussion of why the digging and excitement occurs in Ethiopia.

This book must have caused its publishers agonies of indecision. It doesn't fit usual categories: It is a personal memoir; an account of Ethiopian history; an overview of the geology of the rift valleys and a thorough discussion of the activities of anthropologists searching for human ancestors along with explanations of how they know where to look for these goodies. the whole thing is interspersed with amusing and exciting anecdotes. The geology part of this book is as fascinating as anything you are likely to read. Partly this is because the Afar Triangle is such a formidable place, parts of which are among the lowest and hottest areas on earth. But don't think that this is a geology text book--far from it. I could say a whole lot more in favor of this book, but you get the idea that I think it is superior--well worth a good look.

An excedllent overview of the CCC with an excellent state CCC history as well are included in this book. This is one of the better state CCC books and an excellent read.

I enjoyed each and every chapter of "At Work in Penn's Woods." The author did a tremendous amount of research and it was very thorough. He covers the CCC from its inception until its death. Despite the fact that it is an historical book, it is very readable and not at all boring.

He does an excellent job of describing what the purpose of the CCC was; the politics involved in administering it; the role African-Americans took (had to take) in the CCC; the role of the CCC during the Depression, when the Corps began, through to the buildup to, and beginning of, World War II, when the program was finally shut down; tasks that the CCC men (boys) performed; as well as other topics.

Although there are some statistics and charts in the book, they are interesting and needed, and most are contained in an appendix.

As mentioned in other reviews, Dr. Speakman's inspiration for the book came from the fact that his father was in the Pennsylvania CCC. My father was also in the Corps, hence my interest. Unfortunately, my father's time and work in the CCC was a topic that we didn't really talk about, so I have no oral history from him about his experiences. On the bright side, my sister does have the documentation of my father's service in the Corps, so at least I know the Camp, Company, and time that he served. That's a start.

To those who have had a relative in the Pennsylvania CCC, this book is a must read. To those who did not, or don't realize that they did, it is still very highly recommended for the fact that you will be amazed at how many projects these men worked on throughout the Commonwealth. I'd be willing to bet that there's one close to where you live - most likely still in existence.

Very informative information about Pennsylvania and its history. Would like to see more of the same type of books. Would recommend this to any one who enjoys the State Parks in Pa.

This well-researched and authoritative book will be of great interest to anyone with an interest in Pennsylvania's history, and a love for the state's outdoor resources. The Civilian Conservation Corps program during Roosevelt's New Deal was especially successful in Pennsylvania, due to the presence of tens of thousands of unemployed young men during the leanest years of the Great Depression, plus the need for statewide conservation work to repair forests and natural lands after the logging era. Visitors to any number of Pennsylvania State Parks and Forests will make use of facilities built by the CCC, and backpackers will not have to hike far to find remnants of the widespread tree farms that CCC workers planted in previously denuded or clear-cut areas. Speakman untangles the confusing administrative history of the CCC, as the program was set up during an economic emergency and had conflicting goals and priorities. We learn that the CCC truly benefited thousands of young men during hard economic times and vastly improved Pennsylvania's natural environment, but also that the program was marred by political infighting in Washington, poorly-planned administration and logistics, and creeping militarization during the war years. Speakman also digs deeper into some unexpected aspects of the CCC program, as some companies worked on private farms or in city parks, and there is an outstanding chapter on the inequality faced by African American CCC workers. While the CCC ultimately proved to be a temporary outgrowth of the New Deal, the evidence of the program's usefulness can be seen all over Pennsylvania. [~doomsdayer520~]

A great look into the history of our state. The CCC not only provided work but also hope in our countries darkest times. Why can't we have programs like this for todays youth? One of Roosevelt's great legacies.

I searched the web for some of the terms and concepts my therapist was using and came across this book. Cheri Huber's approach is the same one employed by my therapist and I've found it very helpful in keeping me motivated during the week between visits. Many of the things my therapist and I talk about are echoed and expanded upon in this book, so it was like a bunch of little therapies throughout the week, reinforcing my desire to become better and motivating me to practice daily the things I learned in session. And since I could read it and re-read it at my own pace, outside the contraints of one hour weekly sessions, many things which I didn't have the time to fully understand or appreciate became crystal clear. Like other people have pointed out in their reviews, I found the author amazingly insightful and relevant in my own life and path to wellness.

I'm not sure the book could be that useful by itself, outside of any professional therapy--I don't think any mere book could be--though it's an interesting read in any context. I would urge anybody fighting depression to seek professional help first and foremost, and read Huber's books for supplemental insight and motivation.

See my review of the book. The audio version of the book is very good, as well

and finding your way out of darkness. Deeply affecting and calming these tapes proved of immediate value to me. Cheri's simple sounding, but incredibly powerful message of self-discovery and compassion while in the midst of this darkness called depression is a must-have. Different from other books on the topic, Cheri Huber's approach offers tools for immediate change. Powerful Stuff.

Cheri Huber, in her other books, talks about meditation as a spiritual practice, and the meditation she describes is basically sitting zen.

In this book, she describes these concepts and the practices as ways of coping with depression. For instance, the slogan, "it's not that you're depressed, it's what you're depressing," is a profound, useful insight. And "Being present in the darkness," itself, is simply sitting and watching your feelings without trying to encourage or squelch them. I've found that this practice has given me insights of the form, "OH! It's not that I want *x*, it's that I'm afraid of *y*. That's what's really going on."

I highly recommend this book and the audio-cassette version of it. It's an easy to understand, well-written, short, helpful book that don't admonish the reader to "Feel Better NOW NOW NOW" but rather help the reader to understand why they feel bad, and how to address those bad feelings constructively.

I spent most of my life in the numbing fog of depression. Unless you've experienced the horrors of chronic depression you have no idea how debilitating it is. There were times when I actually got to the point where I thought, "That's enough. I can't do this anymore," and wished I would get hit by a bus to save my family the heartache and embarrassment of having a suicide in the family. Thankfully I was able to stick it out. I learned to turn inward and rely on the strength that was part of me. There were people who helped me do this. And there was this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is depressed and is ready to kick the habit. It's not a quick fix, there are no quick fixes. All I can say is that it helped me. Maybe it could help you.

Highly recommended reading, Beyond The Lie: Finding Freedom From The Past by Alice Smith is an outstanding guide for Christians caught up in terrifying feelings of shame and distrust, and who are searching for an escape to a personal world less susceptible to the all consuming evils promoted by the broader culture of the world today. Providing an informed and informative mapping of the proper pathway to a spirituality healthier lifestyle, Beyond The Lie helps the reader to avoid being victimized or otherwise lapse into behaviors that would disgrace themselves and their families. Above all else, Beyond The Lie gratefully speaks to Christian readers of the glorious sacred love of Christ redeeming them from the bonds of their past, the temptations of the present, and the promise of the future.

All people, including Christians, have traumatic events that keep them in spiritual and emotional bondage. Alice Smith is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and trauma. She began her life journey as a victim, but through the healing power of Christ, she emerged a victor.

Smith's book, Beyond the Lie: Finding Freedom from the Past offers help to all who struggle with past abuse experiences. Through personal and victim stories, biblical stories, statistics, a bibliography of suggested reading and victim resources, Smith provides readers with the necessary information to rise up, gather hope in God and walk out of the darkness.

Smith's book is laid out in a manner that makes it easy for the reader to gather the information necessary to help themselves. She discusses forms of abuse and typical responses by victims, systems of thought that can impact how you view yourself and the world, warning signs that victims send out, positive self talk and healing through Jesus Christ.

Armchair Interviews says: If you, or someone you know has suffered abuse, Beyond the Lie: Finding Freedom from the Past is a valuable gift to give.

I really liked this book. It's easy to read and her stories are real clear. Alice shares in a way that hurting people of this world can be set free of their past. First Alice shares how as a child she was victimized and how she struggled with her abuse for years. But she doesn't stop there she goes on to skillfully explain how we can be free from the torment that has kept us bound all of our life. It really is a lie you know, we don't have to remain a victim! We can be set free. This book will help change your life.

I am thrilled to recommend "Beyond the Lie" to anyone who has suffered at the hands of others, experienced traumas or ever asked the question of how to turn suffering and difficulties into something better vs years of repeated pain. The transparent stories, biblical principles and step by step instructions are the result of over 35 years of counseling and ministry.

In almost 15 years of working alongside Alice's ministry, I have seen thousands of lives impacted and changed by the insights shared in "Beyond the Lie". Personally my life is completely different than where I was years ago when I first met Alice. "Beyond the Lie" can make a difference in your life as well!

Debbie Walker
Houston, TX.

No wasted words here! I found this book easy to read, succinct and to the point. It demonstrated how childhood rape or molestation can be overcome through prayer, with graphs and charts that were very helpful. The author made clear how to overcome a victim mindset. Especially helpful were definitions of spiritual warfare terms, how demons find ways to attach themselves, and how to get rid of these parasites. ("you've got worms?") Yes, this book helped me gain confidence and put away fear. Highly recommended!