Book Description
“BERG KNOWS THE HEARTS OF HER CHARACTERS INTIMATELY, showing them with compassion, humor, and an illuminating generosity.”
–The Seattle Times
“BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN . . . [Ginny Young] crosses the country for a reluctant reunion with the mother she has not seen in 35 years. During the long hours of her flight, she returns in memory to the summer when she turned 12 and her family turned inside out. . . . What We Keep is about ties that are buried but not broken, wounds that are dressed but never heal, and love that changes form but somehow survives.”
–USA Today
“COMPELLING . . . Reading [this] book is like having an intimate conversation with a friend who is baring her soul.”
–Charleston Post and Courier
“TOUCHING . . . WHAT WE KEEP IS SOMETHING OF VALUE.”
–San Antonio Express-News
Customer Reviews:
This wasn't supposed to be literary hugs and kisses.......2007-03-25
This is my first and only book read by Elizabeth Berg so far and I enjoyed this book a lot. The ending is a bit abrupt, but people like resolution, I guess. It's unfortunate that some people were expecting the same from EB, which I believe would be a huge sign that the author isn't creative and/or is in a rut. She could really take me back to her childhood and EB capturing the sisterly bond between Ginny and Sharla was a nice read. I read this novel in a women's lit class in college and approached it from a feminist standpoint. The dad wasn't the greatest by any means, but consider what time period this was written for. Martha, the woman seated next to her on the plane, notes to Ginny that "people like 'differentness' in everything except their mothers." If you approach the novel like that, you can empathize with both sides of the story and makes for a much more interesting read.
One of my favorites!.......2007-02-25
I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to this story, but this is one of my favorite books! Maybe it's because I'm an only child and envious of the sisterly relationship between Ginny and Sharla. I love how they're always trying to be the "cool" one and vying for the upper hand. Anyway, I don't have any deep insight to offer, just that I think this is a wonderful book!
Loved the book, not the ending.......2006-10-23
This is my first EB book and I know I will read more of her books simply because I liked this one. The story line held my interest well. Her language dripped with memorable imagery that brought me back to times when I was young. I felt like a spectator in the girls' private world while reading this book. I thought the story ended too quickly without benefit of the fine, descriptive story telling Ginny provided throughout the rest of the book. I was hoping for a more emotional ending.
A Different Take.......2006-09-24
I usually enjoy reading EB's books as I find them insightful, humorous and easy to read in a leisurely fashion. I've read quite a few of the reviews of this book and have a completely different take. If I'd managed to raise two selfish, self-centered monsters who insisted their mother wait on them hand and foot, I'd be like Marion and lament going astray in parenting skills. How anyone could have compassion for these little manipulative twits is beyond me and only wonder why Marion didn't bail sooner. Not only are Ginny and Sharla obnoxious pieces of work, dear old dad is a major loser. Stiff, cold, inflexible, that's dad. I'd rather hang out with Marion than any of these other characters. I'll continue to read EB's books and hope they're more believable than this offering.
Wonderful story.......2006-08-20
I loved this book. The complexity of the relationship between the mother and her 2 daughters was extremely realistic.
Unlike some other readers, I thought the anger/hatred toward the mother was totally justified.
I was disappointed when the book ended, and that is rare for me.
Product Description
Faith Strong takes you on a personal Journey helping you to reach your full potiential as creative passionate and Committed human beings. she inspires us to confront our "Distractions"
Book Description
This is the first book on a fascinating new field in biology -- zoopharmacognosy, or animal self-medication -- and its lessons for humans. When Rachel Carson published SILENT SPRING, few people knew the meaning of the word "ecology." Even fewer people today probably know the meaning of "zoopharmacognosy." But that is about to change. In WILD HEALTH, Cindy Engel explores the extraordinary range of ways animals keep themselves healthy, carefully separating scientifically verifiable fact from folklore, hard data from daydreams. As with holistic medicine for humans, there turns out to be more fact in folklore than was previously thought.
How do animals keep themselves healthy? They eat plants that have medicinal properties. They select the right foods for a nutritionally balanced diet, often doing a better job of it than humans do. Animals even seek out psychoactive substances -- they get drunk on fermented fruit, hallucinate on mushrooms, become euphoric with opium poppies. They also manipulate their own reproduction with plant chemistry, using some plants as aphrodisiacs and others to enhance fertility. WILD HEALTH includes scores of remarkable examples of the ways animals medicate themselves.
- Desert tortoises will travel miles to mine and eat the calcium needed to keep their shells strong.
- Monkeys, bears, coatis, and other animals rub citrus oils and pungent resins into their coats as insecticides and antiseptics against insect bites.
- Chimpanzees swallow hairy leaves folded in a certain way to purge their digestive tracts of parasites.
- Birds line their nests with plants that protect their chicks from blood-draining mites and lice.
In other words, animals try to keep themselves healthy in many of the same ways humans do; in fact, much of early human medicine, including many practices being revived today as "alternative medicine," arose through observations of animals. And, as WILD HEALTH, animals still have a lot to teach us. We could use a little more wild health ourselves.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Read: Healthy Living using "Nature's Pharmacy" .......2007-06-09
Have you ever wondered what happens to a wild animal that breaks a leg? What does it do if it gets infested with parasite worms, or if there is are many infectious bugs around?
Read this book to find out.
The author takes a very scientific approach explaining how there are important differences between romantic notions about animals magically knowing exactly what they need to stay well vs. hard scientific evidence of an animal intentionally seeking and engaging in self-medication.
In truth, animals don't magically know what is good for them, for when animals raised in captivity are let go in the wild, they can die from eating poisonous plants that no one taught them to avoid. It is also exceptionally difficult to meet a scientist's rigid definition of self-medication which entails a observation in the wild of 1) an animal is visibly unwell 2) it starts eating things that it normally does not eat 3) it goes out of its way to find those things to eat 4) it becomes visibly better after consuming the unusual `food' in a reasonably short period of time and 5) there is a clear cause and effect link between the treatment and the condition.
Such observations are hard to make because most animals are healthy and fit most of the time just by living a naturally healthy lifestyle with varied diet, plenty of exercise etc. If you get plenty of vitamin C in your diet, you will never get scurvy. Similarly, many animals from mice to primates to elephants eat clay on a regular basis - it seems to prevent many forms of disease.
Yet such examples do exist. A most interesting one is the widespread consumption of rough textured bitter leaves which are carefully folded up accordion-style before eating by primates. The texture and folding is used to catch and mechanically expel worms.
Animals have been observed chewing on the root of a specific tree known to protect against malaria, during times of heavy infestation. Animals watch other animals to see what is safe to eat, or to see what they are eating when sick.
Native people have watched what animals eat to learn how to treat human ills. Bears are a particularly good source of information. Western societies have in turn, learned much from native peoples about medicine.
There is a lot to learn from this book, both in terms of what we can apply in our lives, as well as just remarkable facts from nature. Like: why do so many animals seemingly intentionally get drunk on fermenting fruit? Could it be that alcohol reduces stress which is keeps animals healthy and thus has an adaptive benefit?
Did you know that when a giraffe starts eating leaves from a tree, the leaves turn bitter in 10-15 minutes. Furthermore, the nearby trees sense this is going on, and their leaves turn bitter as well. Yet this only happens to the leaves that are in reach. Those that are higher up in the tree out of reach, remain succulent. The trees are not wasting any more energy than needed. The giraffes have learned that after they graze on one tree, they need to go quite a distance (45 minutes or so) to find trees that did not get the signal from the last feeding.
Highly Recommended Reading!
Excellent review.......2007-01-12
Since I was writing a literature review on zoopharmacognosy I wasn't sure if this book was going to be too "light". It was in fact a lit review in itself with many interesting insights from the author and known scientists in the field. Although it could be more critical the points made are still valid. A must for the study of zoopharmacognosy!
great book--fascinating.......2002-09-16
This is a totally fascinating, wonderfully illuminating book--it's become a favorite for me. Cindy Engel is a superb writer.
More than Common Sense.......2002-07-14
This is the book I have been waiting for! Herbalists and other behavioral scientists such as nurses who have encouraged the public to look at their health behaviors will be buoyed up by Engel's research and ability to deliver the "message". This is a must for all health science collections both personal and institutional. Timely.
Interesting book for Wildlife's vets and animals lover!!.......2002-05-06
I have recently received this book at home and I started to read it. At the moment, I finished the chapter one and I started the second one and I can tell you that this book is very interesting. I had not listened about other similar book with this topic.
Really, I recommend that Wildlife and Zoo's vets read this book, in order to learn more about the means to be healthy in the wild.
We can learn more of Wild's medicine and probably to be able to use it in a captivity environment.
Congratulations To Cindy for this book!!
Average customer rating:
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Informing America's Policy on Illegal Drugs: What We Don't Know Keeps Hurting Us
Manufacturer: National Academy Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Drug Dependency
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| Health, Mind & Body
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Substance Abuse
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Social Services & Welfare
| Poverty
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
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Social Policy
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Criminology
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U.S.
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ASIN: 0309072735 |
Book Description
How should the war on drugs be fought? Everyone seems to agree that the United States ought to use a combination of several different approaches to combat the destructive effects of illegal drug use. Yet there is a remarkable paucity of data and research information that policy makers require if they are to create a useful, realistic policy package-details about drug use, drug market economics, and perhaps most importantly the impact of drug enforcement activities.
Informing America's Policy on Illegal Drugs recommends ways to close these gaps in our understanding-by obtaining the necessary data on drug prices and consumption (quantity in addition to frequency); upgrading federal management of drug statistics; and improving our evaluation of prevention, interdiction, enforcement, and treatment efforts.
The committee reviews what we do and do not know about illegal drugs and how data are assembled and used by federal agencies. The book explores the data and research information needed to support strong drug policy analysis, describes the best methods to use, explains how to avoid misleading conclusions, and outlines strategies for increasing access to data. Informing America's Policy on Illegal Drugs also discusses how researchers can incorporate randomization into studies of drug treatment and how state and local agencies can compare alternative approaches to drug enforcement.
Charting a course toward a better-informed illegal drugs policy, this book will be important to federal and state policy makers, regulators, researchers, program administrators, enforcement officials, journalists, and advocates concerned about illegal drug use.
Product Description
Short essay on law and order by noted professor at University of Chapel Hill school of law.
Book Description
The probability of attaining life-time financial success among middle income families and individuals ranges from being extremely challenging to virtually impossible. Why this is true has not been adequately explained. "Swindling Middle-America" thoroughly examines the issues related to this worsening situation, while exposing the largest obstacle to achievement of financial success by the middle class -- the various government entities of the Unites States. The book's analytically supported conclusions will permit the reader to fully understand the lack of opportunity afforded the average American in their search for long-term financial security. Importantly, the book transitions from "problem" to "solution" by conducting an examination of how the United States should proceed to change its political process to return the prospect for meaningful financial development to the average citizen.
Average customer rating:
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What We Keep
Elizabeth Berg
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OW06LC |
Average customer rating:
- Understanding the news
- Speak up!
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Who Stole the News?: Why We Can't Keep Up With What Happens in the World and What We Can Do About It
Mort Rosenblum
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Communications
| Skills
| Business & Investing
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General
| United States
| Americas
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Media Studies
| Mass Media
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Newspaper
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ASIN: 047158522X |
Book Description
An eye-opening look at how the top media covers world news. Explores the pack mentality that drives reporters and how it distorts what we know about global news, economics, wars, human rights and more. Vividly illustrated with incisive anecdotes, it argues that while individual reporting is at its peak, the system is less reliable than ever. Analyzes coverage of recent hot spots such as Iran, Somalia and Eastern Europe. Features interviews with media stars.
Customer Reviews:
Understanding the news.......2001-01-17
For anyone who wishes to understand the process of news gathering, this book is the best available. I use it in all my international news classes at Scripps School of Journalism. Rosenblum extracts from his lifetime of journalism a clear, logical and comprehensive explanation of how the story you read got there, and what influences affected its selection and presentation at every stage of the process. It's also a fascinating and exciting read, by one of the world's most prolific and professional journalists. He introduces you to individual correspondents, both as individuals and as types. He explains how geography, economics and sheer prejudice can determine what you learn about the world. He tells great bar stories -- the kind of thing journalists tell each other over a beer. And he does it all with skill and style. Worth reading by anyone -- a must for anyone interested in news.
Speak up!.......2000-05-31
A great book. Even though it focuses primarily on american media, it's lesson can be applied in all parts of the world: We need to start making demands on the media, instead of letting it dictate what we need to know. An eye-opener.
Book Description
The wait for a new take on werewolf romances is over.
It is said that werewolves roam the woods around Wolfram Castle--but Elizabeth Stanwycke, newly arrived tutor to the Count's niece, is not a child to be frightened by bedtime stories. Of more pressing concern is her attraction to the mysterious Count.
Customer Reviews:
Surprisingly Good.......2007-08-06
I had this book for more than six months, and had just read it. Now I can't fathom why I hadn't read it sooner, as it is good.
The setting is 1795, at a remote castle in Germany. The tension and suspense start from page 5, while Elizabeth is on her way to Wolfram Castle - she sees a naked woman running into the forbidding forest, being pursued by a horseman - and this is just one of the four major mysteries that swirl in and around the castle. The author handled the secrecies well - plenty of the hints and red herrings - which put me right at the edge of my seat and keep me turning the pages, until the mysteries are unravelled in the end.
The castle's residents are a mysterious and unusual bunch. The head of the family is Count Nikolas - sexy, remote, burdened and tormented - he comes and goes often in the dead of night. Living with him are his immediate and extended family, friends and servants. Some of them, at one time or another, appear to be galvanized by some sinister motives and one is not quite sure who is to be believed.
There are wolves in the forest surrounding the castle. But what about werewolves? Nikolas' villagers sure believe in their existence and are set on killing some. Nikolas' adamant refusal to let them into his forest when the moon is full only adds to their fevered agitation. And this frenzied mob may be the catalyst to expose Nikolas' most closely-guarded secret.
Nikolas and Elizabeth's chemistry is clearly sensuous. From the first meeting, one can feel the magnetism that pulls them together. Even when Nikolas is at his most forbidding and aloof, one still feels his yearning for Elizabeth.
Nikolas is a classic gothic hero. Apart from his complimentary physical attributes (you know...tall, dark and handsome), what makes me care for him is his absolute honour in carrying all the burdens, and his care, for his family. His is a weary and tormented, but resolute, soul. He yearns for what he thinks he cannot have, a sacrifice for his commitment to his family. He wrenches my heart.
Elizabeth...beautiful, poor and orphaned, she gladly accepts the offer to tutor Nikolas' niece. She is a woman ahead of her time - too bold, too inquisitive and not afraid to speak her mind, and to contradict her employer. I have some problems with Elizabeth's character. Considering that she desperately needs this job to start a new life, she is wilful in her disregard of explicit warnings. I am torn between admiring her fierce bravery and wanting to smack some sense and circumspection into her.
As for the werewolves, there are merely hints in the first three-quarters of the book. The whole truth as to whether they actually exist or are just a folklore is only known toward the end.
This paranormal gothic tale is told using the third-person narration, with the point-of-view switching between the hero and heroine. It relies on the mysteries and human relationship tension to drive it forward. The gothic mood and atmosphere, while not strongly evocative, are adequate.
I've enjoyed this tale a lot, and think the author has done a marvellous job.
Very promising.......2006-07-09
This was great!
Certainly takes a chance by exploring dark themes along the lines of Edgar Allen Poe, and it feels nice not to be mollycoddled and spared from such disturbing ideas as it just intensifies the eroticism.
I find it good that the author uses cold language occasionally, it serves to keep you slightly distant from the action so you get drawn in even more to the scorching encounters between Nik and Elizabeth.
The undercurrents that lie between the family and friends are captivating. Surely, this book works so well because it is shaped by it's characters, not what happens to them. Far above many other paranormal romances, you shouldn't regret spending your well-earned bucks.
Sensual Gothic Paranormal.......2006-06-16
All I can say is that if the first line of the book doesn't hook you, "I'VE HEARD that werewolves roam the woods of Germany," Elizabeth Stanwycke said, peering out of the carriage window into the dark wintry woods, the snow on the ground gleaming in the moonlight." Then you're obviously not a fan of paranormals and should definitely stop there, as the rest of this luscious well-written novel is a rare treat for werewolf paranormal genre lovers.
Elizabeth had made the heart wrenching decision to leave England after her scandalous affair had been exposed and the man she'd loved and given her innocence to turned into a cad. It wasn't as if being the poor relation and acting as governess for spoiled cosseted children was such a wonderful life, but at least it was familiar. Now in a strange land and barely speaking German, Elizabeth's introduction as she approached Wolfram Castle was to see a naked woman running across the frozen ground with a man on horseback pursuing her. Instinctively Elizabeth attempted to follow and help the woman but was hauled back into the carriage by the coachman under orders from her companion and mentor, Frau Katrina Liebner who warned that she must never go into the Wolfram forests alone at night. This was only the first of many warnings and directives she would face when introduced to the eclectic group of inhabitants at the castle, but it would be the master of the house, Nikolas von Wolfram who would prove to be the most enigmatic. Handsome beyond belief, his very presence raised not only the hairs along Elizabeth's back but melted the heart that had been frozen by a cruel betrayal.
*** Oh my, a return to the gothic romances I cut my reading teeth on! Only this one had the added bonus of giving a delicious paranormal twist and fabulous sensuality that was a pure delight. I thought the heroine a very brave and resourceful young woman who was ready to bend over backwards in trying to gather the good will of her recalcitrant young charge. Nikolas was the typical brooding dark and mysterious master of his domain, both frightening yet giving the aura of dark temptation to our intrepid heroine. Suffice it to say, that both leads were fashioned very well for one another and perfectly matched. A healthy abundance of secondary characters added even more depth to the story giving the reader a tremendous amount of choice as to who the villain in the story was. Historical aspects including the setting of Germany and the uneasy relations between France, Germany, Russia, and England added even more zest to robust the plot. The high level of sensuality was a boost in keeping the pace racing along as well as this reviewers blood pressure. With a definite feel of the old fashioned gothics but with a highly charged level of sensuality and a wonderful taste of the paranormal this is sure to please most fans of the genre.
Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization
Yes, Yes, Yes!!!!.......2006-03-29
I absolutely loved this book and found the attraction and love between Nikolas and Elizabeth to be something truly beautiful to behold. A host of quirky characters added to the pot just made it a more delightful reading experience. Although I desperately wanted to find out the mystery of the plot, I regret that the book had to end.
Elizabeth Finds Love Amidst Werewolf Madness in 18th Century Germany.......2006-03-25
I very much enjoyed AWAITING THE MOON, a gothic paranormal romance by Donna Lea Simpson. This was the first book I've read by the author, and I was impressed by her characterization and plotting, as well as her easy-to-read writing style. The gist of the story is that young Elizabeth leaves her homeland of England, reputation in tatters, to become a tutor to a young countess in Germany in the year 1795. Once there, she discovers herself insatiably attracted to Count Nikolas von Wolfram, the head of a troubled family and a man of many secrets.
Elizabeth was a delightful heroine in that she was both self-conscious, yet courageous, with both a strong backbone and sharp intelligence. Plus, her forward nature and natural curiosity are both her biggest strengths and greatest weaknesses, as she well knows. She is not a character who needs a man to do everything for her, nor is she the type of heroine who stupidly stumbles into trouble every five seconds, needing saving. I liked reading about her, and I liked how she dealt with her feelings for Nikolas and his family.
Nikolas was also a good hero. He was dark and brooding, but he wasn't a jerk-off and the secrets he kept were good secrets, nothing to make me roll my eyes about. I also liked the way he handled Elizabeth in that he was straightforward (except for his secrets, of course) and respectful. He was also a very creative bed partner, and I thought the love scenes in this book much more sexy and refreshing than the same-ol', same-ol' you read about in other romances.
Germany as a setting was a great choice, too, for this was the first romance I ever read that had Germans in the lead and dealt with German issues and culture. I loved it.
That said, there were a few negatives about the book, but nothing major. One, the author's phrasing and diction were awkward at times, and I wondered if it was so formal because she was trying for a gothic effect. Also, there are a lot of characters in this book, and I found myself trying to remember who was who at a couple points. Oh well.
Regardless, I enjoyed the book immensely and read it in one setting, refusing to go to bed until I'd finished it. The storyline was intriguing and mysterious, and the supernatural part kicked in just when I started to wonder if I had tricked myself into thinking - just like Elizabeth - that there were logical (and not paranormal) reasons why things were happening the way they were.
I highly recommend this book. By the way, it has a sequel called AWAITING THE NIGHT. Also, if you are interested in other gothic paranormals, GENTLE FROM THE NIGHT and THE WOLF OF HASKELL HALL are also nice reads.
Customer Reviews:
Part of the review from Gallery.......2007-08-24
KAGEDO JAPANESE ART Awaiting the Moon
Seattle, Kagedo Japanese Art, 1998. First Edition. Folio. Cloth. Fine. Fine. 171 Pages, 160 items illustrated in colour, including 2 large gatefolds. This beautiful catalogue presents a selection of Japanese art offered by the Kagedo Gallery of Seattle. The objects include a wide range of categories, including bronzes, ceramics, ivory, costumes, painting, natural root carving, basketry and lacquer
Books:
- Windfall (2 Novels in 1)
- Wolf's Hour
- A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul: 101 More Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit
- A Cold-Blooded Business (Kate Shugak Mystery)
- A New Leaf (Cape Light Series #4)
- A Story Like the Wind
- Against the Tide of Years
- Alex Haley's Queen: The Story of an American Family
- An Hour To Kill: A True Story of Love, Murder, and Justice in a Small Southern Town (St. Martin's True Crime Library)
- Another Man's Wife: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need
- Pretender
- Fra Angelico
- Le Petit Nicolas
- History: Fiction or Science
- On the Move
- My Life With Sylvia Browne
- Studio of Her Own, A: Women Artists in Boston 1870-1940
- Is Your Voice Telling On You
- Herbaceous plants of Maryland
Never Change
The Pull of the Moon
Until the Real Thing Comes Along (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Range of Motion: A Novel
Talk Before Sleep: A Novel
