Yoga For Americans: A Complete Six Weeks' Course For Home Practice

My first introduction to yoga was with Indra Devi's book, Yoga for americans. She has truly hit on the relevance of yoga within anyone's life and this book is a nutritional, physiological and spiritual guide to wellbeing that is as informational and useful now as it was when she wrote it.

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Suzanne Somers' Fast & Easy: Lose Weight the Somersize Way with Quick, Delicious Meals for the Entir

I am very impressed by this book. As usual, the plan is laid out very well. It's made easy to understand, and the most up-to-date medical information supporting Suzanne's plan is included.

But best of all, the recipes are MUCH better than her last books. In her last books, the recipes were more gourmet and "haute cuisine". They were good, for the most part, but my husband really didn't want to eat chicken stuffed with goat cheese no matter how elegant the presentation and my budget didn't allow for the expensive ingredients in most of her previous books.

These are recipes that families can enjoy, and she's tried to make most of them fast & easy to prepare. I am soooo happy!

She's included fabulously "somersized" recipes for a shake & bake type mix, ketchup, barbecue sauce, tartar sauce, chicken nuggets, "fries" made from zucchini and "tater" tots made from cauliflower. She's got chili, ribs and even a recipe for "Green Eggs & Ham." She's got boston cream pie, "pink kiddie" ice cream and chocolate cupcakes. (my toddler is in heaven already!) There's even cinnamon bread with an orange icing so I can make cinnamon buns!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Suzanne! This really is food families can eat!

How would you like to drink red wine, eat rich chocolate, suck down creme brulee and still wear size S or M?

Wouldn't you love to have a thick porkchop smothered in mushrooms with creamy sauce? Or how about fried chicken wings with bleu cheese dip?

But no you can't eat any of this because you are (pick one or two or more) counting calories, counting points, drinking weight loss shakes or whatever.

Well guess what? You can eat rich fatty foods. (Fat is your best friend on this diet!) You can drink wine. You can eat chocolate, cheese, and other foods you may have given up in order to lose weight. You really CAN have your steak and eat it too!

The secret is Somersizing. Somersizing is a method of eating foods in certain combinations so your insulin levels stay on an even keel and fat is not stored. When you eat this way, you can enjoy creamy sauces, steak, and cheese and not gain weight.

"Suzanne Somers Fast & Easy" is a book by Suzanne Somers that explains this weight loss method and how it works. This book like her previous books explains in detail how to "Somersize". And like her previous books it continues to refine and develop the program. I feel that many of Suzanne's original ideas were based on the work of French weight loss guru, "Montignac". There are so many similarities in his diet and hers. But many diets are based on others and Suzanne has greatly developed the plan.

In this book Suzanne recaps the weight loss method and then gives information on how to make the program work faster and easier! To make the weight loss faster, Suzanne suggests eating fewer meals with carbohydrates. To make meal planning simpler, Suzanne includes a number of family friendly foods that are quick to prepare that everyone will enjoy. There are over 100 new Somersized recipes in the book.

"Suzanne Somers' Fast & Easy" also includes information on supplements to take to enhance health and weight loss. The book has an extended question and answer section.

Her books are carefully written with a lot of detail. The photographs are lavish. She makes the "diet" a sensuous pleasure.

"Fast and Easy" begins with an introduction by Michael Galitzer MD praising Suzanne's work. He discusses why he thinks her plan is safe and effective.

Next the book gets into Somersizing information. With Somersizing you don't have to worry about counting points or calories, you just combine correctly. Suzanne explains all the combinations. Exactly what you need to do to lose weight. She also tells you how to "cheat" once you have lost your weight.

When I started on the program it was like manna from heaven.

I never dreamed I could nibble on cheese, eat full fat dressings and suck down mousse and lose weight! But I did and so can you, if you follow the Somersize rules.

Most of the weight loss information is a repeat from her other books with some surprising updates. She now says a potato a few times a week is ok for level 2 (the level after weight loss). She also covers in detail, healthy habits to develop as a family.

The section on health supplements is written by Paul Schulick. Schulick is President of a company that will be making supplements for Suzanne. Some of the ingredients in her supplements like green tea and cola nut contain caffeine (a no no for Somersizing) so I am not sure how they will fit these in with the Somersize program.

The next chapter deals with frequently asked questions. Most of the questions deal with the nitty gritty of Somersizing, if certain foods are allowed, differences between level one and level two etc.

Suzanne has a lot of products she sells at her website and at a home shopping site.

Suzanne's products include salad dressing mixes, a bread maker, jam, creme brulee (my favorite) chocolate truffles, pasta sauces and more! These are all available as a convenience to the avid Somersizer. And Suzanne refers to their availability frequently throughout her book.

Another section in the book is the extensive recipe section. A lot of family favorites here. Mac and Cheese, Fish and Chips, Pinwheels, Chicken Nuggets and Taco Salad. More sophisticated fare is also included. Scallop Kabobs, Chilantro Lime Grilled Tuna and Raspberry Meringue Cake.

She also includes recipes for her Somersize secret sauce, ketchup and tartar sauce. These are items she sells at her website. I have been buying the delicious secret and tartar sauce and now can make them for much less.

The last section of her book includes a summary of the program for quick reference. An index is included so you can easily find information or a recipe.

Though food combining is not the way most of us are used to eating, it appears that it can be very effective for weight loss. Members of the Somersize list I am on have lost hundreds of pounds! And it's obvious that the lowfat diets Americans are following today are not working as obesity rates are higher than ever. Once you get used to the Somersize method, it becomes second nature. Many people, like myself prefer to give up some starches in exchange for the rich, creamy delights we can now enjoy.

The food combining is described in detail in her book, but a summary is below.

1. Eliminate all Funky Foods.

2. Eat Fruits alone.

3. Eat Proteins/Fats with veggies.

4. Eat Carbos with Veggies and no fats.

5. Keep Proteins/Fats seperate from Carbos

6. Wait three hours between meals if switching from a Pro/Fats to a Carbos meal or vice versa.

7. Do not skip meals.

The book is nicely bound, with lovely photographs and clear typesetting. I do think the cover could have been better. On the cover Suzanne is jumping in a black bathing suit. The back of the book includes a full index and a handy reference guide.

The bottom line is if you want to decrease your "bottom line" and you are tired of low fat diets that leave you hungry and deprived, if you want to try a lifestyle plan that offers plenty of support in the form of books, her website and yahoogroups,

if you want to eat rich, healthy foods till you are satisfied and feel fit..then you should check out Somersizing and Suzanne Somers' Fast & Easy!

Buy Suzanne Somers' Fast & Easy: Lose Weight the Somersize Way with Quick, Delicious Meals for the Entir Now

on this program...I just sort of follow along...she has been very successful, losing 30+ pounds in a year and lowering all of the "bad fat/cholesterol" levels in her blood while raising the "good colesterol" levels, lowering blood pressure, and generally just feeling a lot better.

I watched her effortlessly lose weight...and finally thought that I'd better start doing something, too! Once I started this program I learned that it isn't truly "effortless" but it is easy enough to follow, and is the first diet program where, if you eat out often, you have a fair chance of finding a good meal that still meets your needs.

We both find it difficult to get the "carbos" meal into the daily routine...so usually have puffed wheat, shredded wheat or grape-nuts for breakfast. (The upper midwest is a poor place to live if you're looking for whole grain breads without sugar added...but there are some cracker/breads that have no added sugar or starch, so work pretty well.)

I love bacon and eggs...so this diet is right on target!

Giving up caffeine and my daily beer was hard...but I don't miss either (well, maybe the caffeine) most of the time, now that I'm "over the hump" and broken the habit.

For people new to the diet plan, remember when buying food in the store to read the ingredients list, not the nutritional panel, when determining what, if any, sugars/starches have been added. Once I got that through my thick skull I found a lot more food that fits into the program.

Since January, 2003, I've lost 24 pounds...I was wearing 36" waist pants (and kept having to pull them up because my belly sagged over the waistband)...now I'm wearing the 32" slacks that I last wore in February of 2000 (and they were TIGHT back then!)

So...nearly 60 pounds gone between us! If you're thinking of this plan, go for it. But I encourage you to commit, wholeheartedly, to following it for at least a month. And don't cheat! Read the labels of all food products...don't "just assume" (as others have pointed out, things such as pickle relish, catsup, barbecue sauces, marinades, etc. nearly always have a lot of sugar in them. And a warning flag should always go up when you see a product is advertised as "fat free" or "low fat" (such as salad dressings, etc.) because they for sure have starch and sugar added!

Good luck

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I purchased this book in 12/02 and followed the "Somerisize" eating plan for the past few months. For those unfamiliar with the plan, Somersizing is a hybrid of controlling carbs and food combining.

THE GOOD: The food is delicious! There are outstanding recipes for onion rings, flourless pancakes and Coq Au Vin (chicken in wine.) The food is diverse and full of flavor.

THE BAD: Cooking these fantastic dishes is not cheap. Eating fresh meat, chicken and seafood really adds up. Also, without a deep fryer, the onion rings aren't as good. The Coq Au Vin will take hours without a pressure cooker. You could make her ketchup from scratch (over an hour of cooking time) or buy two bottles from [the website] for [$$]. There are plugs all over the place for everything from Somersize marinara sauce to Somersize coffee ice cream. Without her pricey products, the cooking is not nearly as Fast and Easy. It is the book's biggest flaw.

THE UGLY: I followed the plan quite strictly for two months. I jogged four times a week. I lost less than 8 pounds. I found for myself, eating tons of eggs, heavy cream, olive oil and beef was too many calories for my body. For many people like myself, the only way to lose weight is to take in less calories than are expended. It's not as chic as Somersizing but it has been a thousand times more effective.

That said, this book has helped lots of people lose weight. I'd never say it's not for everyone. I firmly believe there's no single path to dropping pounds. If you've been thinking about cutting sugar and starch from your diet this may be for you. Just be careful, you could really put a dent in the family food budget making a lot of these treats.

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Suzanne Somers' latest book is the best yet, I think. The recipes are better, faster and easier and the book is full of useful information. Not to mention that this kind of diet does work and is much easier to adhere to. What I didn't like was the fact that this book is used to sell certain items at her website, such as somersweet, which cannot be found anywhere else. However, as revealed in another review, that can be rectified by using other ingredients.

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Ultimate Physical Fitness in 5 Minutes: The Worlds Shortest, Most Intense Bodyweight Workouts Ever!

This book has pretty much changed the way I look at fitness, It's been kicking my butt and I love every minute of it. I've been doing workouts out of it for my entire special forces battalion and we can't get enough of it. Johnny Grube has pretty much designed the best work-outs I have ever seen. I just made my entire section bear crawl for an entire mile today, never reliazed how under rated the bear crawl is...great core exercise.

Gruber's philosophy of "training as a lifestyle" was a paradigm shift to me. Rather than spending 30 minutes in the gym, I will do a few minutes several times a day. Two minutes before having a shower, one minute before lunch, three minutes ... you get the idea. This is TOTALLY different to committing 30 minutes to going to the gym. Living, working and training become one. It's much easier to follow when leading a busy lifestyle. I'm not stressed thinking "oh, I need to go to the gym today." I can workout out almost anywhere. No need for tools. My body is my tool.

(-) The subtitle is useless and misleading. Grube doesn't need a catchy subtitle: he holds 10 world records. 10!

(-) He needs dearly a proofreader and an editor.

(+) The following sentence that summarizes his philosophy very well: "You can bench 300lbs and not be in shape, but you can't do 100 straight push ups unless you are in shape."

(+) For a strong body and lean body, he advocates fast and short training. It makes sense. Compare the bodies of a long-distance runner vs. a sprinter. The former tend to look fragile while the later looks strong.

(+) I love this: if you eat natural (i.e. eat clean), it makes sense to train natural (i.e. only bodyweight exercises).

(+) The book is thin and can be read quickly. Nobody needs another 300 page book.

(-) He is against jogging/running, but forgets the "mental benefits." After 10 hours sitting at a computer, I love to go for a run of 30 minutes, listen to music and switch of my brain. Running can be very therapeutically.

(+) He doesn't ask his readers to do sit-ups. That's great. That means, that he understands the futility of sit-ups.

(+) Grube keeps it very simple. I strongly agree with him, that it's much easier to follow a simple plan continuously. Every day. All year round.

(+) I love this: if you eat natural (i.e. eat clean), it makes sense to train natural (i.e. only bodyweight exercises).

(+) Few people think of pushups as a fat loss exercise. We need to re-think pushups and incorporate it in our daily life.

(+) While there might be no "perfect exercise", the Burpee comes close. You can do it almost anywhere. I'll incorporate Burpee's in my daily life. One minute of Burpee's a few times a day gets you far.

Kudos to Johnny Grube

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The contents of this book will provide all the information and workouts you will need to get more fit than you ever thought possible unless you are a veteran of some exotic Special Operations unit. The content is straight forward and the variety of the workouts will prevent boredom and the infamous mythical plateauing.

One caveat, Johnny Grube needs a good proofreader and competent editor to clean up the errors and syntax in his writing. It is all readable but the errors grate on this writer's sensibilities.

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First off let me just say, I'm after the hard functional muscles. I thought this book would be good for me based on the reviews.

My problem with the book is that it reads like a rant. The author is VERY full of himself. Its his way or you're wrong. Some of what he has to say, from my perspective is insulting, which really makes me dislike this guy.

There is a section in the book where he talks about fat lazy Americans. He claims that these fat lazy Americans aren't men. He says they pour gallons of booz down their throats which also makes them drunk stupid Americans.

I bought the book because I'm out of shape. He has insulted me by saying "I'm not a man". I have a drink from time to time (much less now days). He has insulted me by saying I'm drunk and stupid.

Tips for Grube #1: Don't insult your customers if you wish to keep them as customers.

Tips for Grube #2: Target your material at your audience, not yourself. In other words, tailor it to the people who will be reading it, not to people who are like yourself.

There is also a serious lack of professionalism throughout the book. Poor editing throughout, bad spelling, grammar, punctuation. A lack of effort in editing makes me wonder how much effort/scientific research he puts into his "program".

Tips for Grube #3: Don't skimp on public appearance or people will easily be able to question your legitimacy. Finish the book before releasing it.

Thank you for reading my review! If you enjoyed it, be sure to rate it as helpful.

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This book, minus spaces, is less than 80 pages. How do short leaflets like this keep getting written--and sold? I guess the fact that this slim, uninspiring "you-can-find-it-free-on-the-internet" trash is self-published should tell you something.

I can tell you right now that most of the 5 star reviews here are from this "experts" friends and family. For a start, the book is appallingly badly written, from start to finish. I won't even get into the poor writing ability of the author: I would be astonished if he finished kindergarten, let alone high school, based on this garbage.

That would be okay if the content were great, but the author puts forward very basic, boring workouts. Intensity is a great thing, but I can tell you to do squats until you collapse and although that's intense it's not very enlightening or interesting to read about.

The book is crap. Avoid.

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Living Well in a Nursing Home: Everything You and Your Folks Need to Know

i picked up this book because i'm a fan of the author, and boy am i glad i did. while i am not, currently, in the position to be thinking about either of my parents transitioning to an assisted living facility--or to transition myself--this is the type of book that it pays to read *before* you need it. vosen's experience coupled with dickinson's ability to address complex emotional situations is a one-two punch that makes this book a knock-out. not only is everything you could possibly need to know about assisted living covered, but it's done so in a way that is engaging and will make you feel like you've just read a self-help book (and i mean that in a good way!). moreover, while this is intended as a informational book, the real-life "case studies" are so compelling that i found myself reading to the very end to see what happened to this delightful cast of characters. even if you never find yourself in need of the practical information related to long-term care facilities, you'll benefit from the information related to aging, the elderly, family and interpersonal relationships. buy extra copies of this book to send to your siblings and friends.

This is the kind of book everyone with aging parents or other loved ones should read. You never knows when you might find yourself having to make the decision to place a loved one in a long term care facility. Better to know ahead of time what you are getting into so you can plan accordingly. If there is no time to plan, this book can still give you some nuts and bolts advice. Benefit from the writers knowledge, and learn from the characters situation.

By Susan Berg author of, Adorable Photographs of Our Baby: Meaningful, Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones, and Involved Professionals

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Lacking any current need for such information, I picked up this book just to see how it was organized. The contents seemed so well thought out I decided to read a little so I could recomend it in the future to family or friends when the need arose. I was hooked from the start and couldn't put it down! Who would have thought a book on Nursing Homes could be so compelling!! Not me. But it is. I love the straight-forward, no nonsense approach to the subject and found the information to be in line with the things I've learned from my own experience in dealing with aging parents and dying loved ones. And, it prepares us for our own aging. It should be read by everyone; there's no need to wait!

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I purchased Dickinson and Vosen's "Living Well in a Nursing Home" with an open mind. As a clinical psychologist with geriatric training, I found that this was an excellent book that covered most all of the relevant topics in a professional manner. As a person with an aging parent, and as one who suffers from multiple sclerosis, my mother and I never know which one of us may first be in a nursing home. Having this resource, both of us having read it, along with caregivers, such as my wife, it is an outstanding and fairly comprehensive, yet very readable book. I strongly recommend reading this, probably a bit more geared for users than professionals, but, I think that it's an outstanding resource for both!!!

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A very good, elderly friend of mine has suddenly required more care after an injury. A small group of friends are caring for him, and have been dealing with our own emotions towards his care, along with his needs. This book came along at just the right moment. We're still in the decision process of how best to care for our dear friend, and the book is proving to be very helpful. The whole first section is about the decision making process regarding how to care for your loved one. What surprised me is how helpful the book is in dealing with my own emotions in what it means to be put in a nursing home vs being able to stay at home with full time care. The book brings up many important points to consider, is well structured and easy to browse through to find just the right section. I'll continue to use it as a resource, and pass copies along to friends in similar situations with their parents and elderly friends. I highly recommend this book!

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Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye: A Do-It-Yourself Mouth Care System for Healthy, Clean Gums and Teeth

Ellie Phillips, DDS has written a book detailing the dental care regimen she recommends for her patients. Contrary to the eye catching title, she is not suggesting people stop seeing their dentist, but rather proposes a more preventative approach to keep dental problems to a minimum.

Her focus is on a series of rinses that adjust the mouth's chemistry, creating a healthier environment to facilitate the destruction of bad bacteria that cause plaque on teeth and contribute to gum disease, and encourage the growth of good bacteria that help bolster the natural rebuilding capabilities of our teeth.

Dr. Phillips explains why, although faithfully brushing and flossing, individuals may still have serious dental problems, but what is particularly helpful is her clear and non-technical explanations regarding why our current methods aren't working and why this system has good results. The book is actually interesting to read. There is a wealth of information for both adults and children along with some revealing material on the effect bleaching has on tooth health.

Trying the Dr. Phillips' system is not difficult or time consuming. The products are all available over the counter and on the internet with most being moderately priced. I am a cautious person and do not try every new fad that comes along, particularly when it comes to medical matters. I was interested in this book because I want to keep my teeth, not harm them. Dr. Phillips has been using this system for many years in her practice with success. What I read in her book makes sense to me, so I have started the program. It has been two weeks and entirely too soon to be reporting on my progress, but I can say my mouth has never felt cleaner.

I am not a dental professional or a chemist, and I haven't been using the system long enough to provide definitive proof of results, so this review isn't an endorsement of the Dr. Phillips process. That said, I am impressed enough to encourage anyone else interested in the subject matter, to read the book. I read it in one sitting and learned a great deal about teeth and gums. That information alone is valuable to me and made the book worth my time.

Update 6/12

Well, after faithfully using her system since reading the book I have had absolutely fabulous results. My last dental check-up (for a cleaning) was perfect and my dentist actually thanked me for taking such good care of my teeth and gums.

Oh how I wish I had access to a book like this twenty years ago when my dental challenges first began! This book not only helped me understand the cause of my dental challenges, something no dentist has taken the time to do before now, but also gives a very easy to follow mouthcare system to prevent dental disease.

I didn't realize that our teeth are built to naturally repair themselves as long as the mouth chemistry is healthy mine wasn't. I had a very acidic mouth. It took reading this book to help me realize that fact and understand this was the cause of my continued dental problems.

I've been on the mouthcare system for a few months now and can say that it works! My mouth feels healthy and I'm starting to see signs of improvement with my teeth and gums.

I highly recommend this book.

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Lots of good details on how acidity works in the mouth and overall dental and mouth chemistry is about 80% of the book. Her recommendations detailed in the end.

Is good reading to understand why she recommends the specific products she does. Her online site also sells but its common stuff and all can be purchased on Amazon at same price or less than her zellies site.

Amazon also has some of their products like the Listerine Pump same price.

My Dental Hygienist recommended Closys oral rinse years ago and have been using. But her combination with other products makes a lot of sense.

Closys available at many local drug stores and on her site. But on Amazon get 2 for the price of 1 on her site and most other places.

Is nice she doesn't have some secret ingredient you can only get from her but rather very common stuff, which enhances her creditability.

Have also researched her main ideas such as Xylitol and find plenty of back up support and not just from those trying to sell it. Just ordered Orahealth Xylimelts, 80-Count Boxes from here (Amazon) as well as Phyrion Diagnostic Ph Test Strips, 80ct -2

Read Best Reviews of Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye: A Do-It-Yourself Mouth Care System for Healthy, Clean Gums and Teeth Here

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Update after three months on the program:

It has been great the results far exceed my expectations!

* My teeth are noticably lighter in color. They look less yellow, less stained now. Relatives (who don't know about my new mouthcare routine) have started mentioning that my teeth look whiter.

* I have not had any tooth sensitivity since the moment 3 months ago that I stopped using Sensodyne and started using Dr. Ellie's system, which is amazing since I *needed* to use Sensodyne for the previous 12 or so years (and during that time, I still had some sensitivity that the Sensodyne did not take care of).

* I have not had a dental checkup since I started this, so I don't know about any changes to the condition of my gums and tooth surfaces, but they seem to me to be healthier than before.

* I would encourage anyone to give this inexpensive, easy, free-to-learn-about program at least a one-month trial.

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Kudos to Dr. Ellie, who created a simple (and relatively inexpensive) process that improved her patients' health, and then published the entire process online, for free. I am grateful to her.

It is odd that there aren't very many dentists out there in the US (at least as far as I am aware) who speak to the general public in so honest and freely a fashion as Dr Ellie does about what they think does work and does NOT work in their area of expertise.

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My review here is mainly about her program.

In the comments section under my review, I will post the website address for Dr. Ellie's free pdf overview of her program.

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A note about the book it seems as if the book does not contain all the pertinent information that it could have, because greater detail (often quite helpful detail) on several of the key points is introduced piecemeal in the author's blog. It takes a lot of time and patience to sift through the blog archives to find topics of interest to oneself to see if there is any further information on the process that might be important.

Perhaps if a second edition is published, it could be rounded out with a lot of this extra information from Dr. Ellie's various websites.

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The process

I gleaned the following steps from the online information that is freely-offered by Dr. Ellie. It is an accurate reflection of her current procedure (summer 2012), as far as I know, but I *have* found some conflicting information that was written by her at different points of time, so possibly this isn't the exact procedure anymore.

1. rinse 60 seconds with Closys antiseptic oral rinse (she recommends NOT adding the optional flavor drops to the Closys), making sure to bathe any areas of gum problems well with the liquid

2. brush for 2 minutes with Crest Original Cavity Protection Regular Paste using a soft toothbrush and a good brushing technique

3. rinse with Listerine original formula (or a diluted form of it if the full-strength is too strong for you; even a couple of drops in water is okay to start off with) for 30 seconds

4. rinse with ACT original alcohol-free anticavity fluoride rinse (she recommends the green one/mint flavor) for anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes (she said in one blog post that for whiter teeth, 60 seconds seems to be ideal for the ACT rinse perhaps longer than this might impart a slight stain to the teeth).

At no time in those steps are you supposed to rinse your mouth out with water. (A lot of people seem to be rinsing with water between some of the steps, but that will lessen the effectiveness.)

Do this process in the morning and the evening the ideal time span is at 12 hour intervals.

If you can, leave the mouth undisturbed for an hour afterwards so the ACT has time to work on the teeth. (Dr. Ellie says that she actually does her morning routine after she's been awake for quite a while and has had a few cups of coffee first.)

Additionally, expose mouth to xylitol 5 times a day. This can be by xylitol mints, gum, dry xylitol powder/crystals (1/4th teaspoon each time) mixed with one's saliva, or a xylitol powder/crystals + water solution. You don't have to swallow the xylitol if you don't want to, but for most people it doesn't cause any harm if they do swallow it. The best time for xylitol exposure is after eating or drinking.

If you don't have access to xylitol after meals or drinking acidic beverages, one thing you can to do to help the teeth recover is to eat a little bit of a dairy product like cheese or yogurt.

On her blog, she has recently written that you can floss if you want to, if you feel that you are good at flossing and are not cutting into the gums. Her initial recommendation not to floss was based on many of her patients who first came to her *already having bad oral health* and she discovered that if they did floss, they were flossing so awkwardly that they were doing more damage to their gums than was worth it, and she told them to stop doing it.

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My main concern before starting Ellie's system:

I've had sensitive teeth for about 15 years and have been using sensitive toothpaste (Sensodyne Extra Whitening, which does not have sodium lauryl sulfate, is the best I've tried) for all that time on the recommendation of dentists, and I was afraid to let go of the Sensodyne to switch to Ellie's old-school Crest, because of the pain that surely would be lurking just beyond the analgesic-sort of magic that the potassium nitrate does on the nerves. Even if Ellie's process lived up to the hype of reversing the tooth sensitivity, it seemed logical that there might be an interim period during which time the Sensodyne numbing would taper off before the new process' healing would reach a threshold of potency.

Update after 3 months: I have not had even one tiny problem with sensitivity after stopping the Sensodyne and starting Ellie's system. Amazing!

My secondary concern:

I'd like to naturally whiten my teeth if possible (simply by following Dr. Ellie's process), because my love of hot tea (which is non-negotiable!) has stained them. If any whitening happened, it would be a great bonus.

Update after 3 months: My teeth are lighter and smoother. People have started to ask me if I have used something to lighten my teeth. They are still a bit yellower than I would like, but are whiter than they've been in 15 years.

Dr. Ellie says to just give her system a try for a short while, even just for a month, and see for oneself if there is any improvement or worsening. I am glad I did.

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Notes on purchasing the products:

Xylitol

The research into the power of xylitol shows beyond a doubt that it's worth using the gum/mints and rinsing with the powder occasionally.

I looked into the available xylitol gums which don't have aspartame and other unnecessary chemicals, and I settled on Xylichew gum and mints which are made in Norway out of birch wood. The peppermint is a nice flavor and the gum lasts for the 15 minutes that I chew it. The spearmint flavor is also fine. Their products are available on Amazon.

I ordered a 16-ounce package of powdered/crystal xylitol from Swanson Vitamins because their large package is made out of birch in the USA and is a good price. (Note that Swanson's other xylitol product, individual serving-size packets, is made from corn, I think, and I don't recall whether the xylitol in those little packets is imported from China or not.) This item is available on Amazon, and also on the company's own website.

Dr. Ellie also sells her own line of xylitol mints and gum. She sources her xylitol from Finland birch. I had a look at these items on her retail site, but in the end I decided to go with the Xylichew products. Update: I have noticed recently that her xylitol products are listed directly on Amazon too.

Closys

The Closys website offers a $1 off coupon (it had been $2 before September) for purchasing Closys from a bricks-and-mortar store, and you can print it twice per month.

Closys isn't stocked at a lot of typical American bricks and mortar retailers, but it is at most CVS and Walgreen's, apparently.

I found Closys online prices to be much more than I could get it for at local stores, considering store discounts like CVS' frequent 25%-off-everything and the Closys printable coupons.

However, I found that the packages of Closys rinse at all of my local stores were really old (even though the rinse bottles don't have expiration dates on them which I think they should, the free sample of toothpaste that is included inside the packages of rinse expired over a year ago, so those products were manufactured quite a long time ago, since toothpaste has a shelf life of a couple of years. You can read more about that on my customer review on the Closys listing here at Amazon.) Anyway, I decided I'd rather get fresh Closys by ordering it from Amazon.

If you just want to try it for a few days and/or want to have a handy travel-size of Closys, a mini-bottle of it is an Amazon "add on" product now for only a couple of dollars.

ACT, Listerine, Crest

These are available at most general retail shops, supermarkets and drugstores in the US.

The manufacturers' sites don't seem to have coupons at the moment, but there are coupons once in a while in the coupon booklets that come in Sunday newspapers.

Usually these products on sale at one store or the other, so it's worth checking around if you need to buy a new supply. (I got my first bottle of the Listerine for ninety-nine cents at CVS, on sale from three ninety-nine.)

Per ounce, the very large bottles of Listerine are a much better deal than the smaller ones. If the very large bottle is unwieldy to use with your daily Dr. Ellie routine, you can buy one small bottle of it to keep with your toothbrush etc., and periodically refill it from the large bottle that you keep stored away.

Usage rate

I find that I need to use less of all the rinses than is indicated on the bottles' instructions. In order not to swig directly from the bottles (to keep things sanitary), I use a little cup that I pour a small amount into for each rinsing step, and rinsing with about 1/3rd of the quantities recommended seems to be adequate for me.

At the risk of sounding pretty nerdy-after 2 months of doing the procedure twice a day, I checked out the quantities I had left of the 4 items. I had used:

about 1.5 ounces of Crest (25% of a 6.4 ounce tube)

about 28 ounces of Clo-sys (90% of a 32 ounce container)

about 500 ml/17 ounces of Listerine (an entire 500 ml/17 ounce bottle)

about 400 ml/14 ounces of Act (75% of a 532 ml/18 ounce bottle)

I do try to measure out the same amount of each liquid, but obviously have used them up at different rates. If they all had the nifty built-in dosing device that the Act bottle does, it would be easier to pour out less of the others. The unwieldy nature of the large Closys bottle encourages over-pouring.

Because of various sales and coupons, I got my first supply of the 4 products for about fifteen dollars total. So, if they lasted for 2 to 3 months, that wasn't too bad.

The Xylichew gum and mints are kind of expensive, so I use the Swanson xylitol powder for most of my daily xylitol exposures, and have 1 or 2 pieces of gum and/or 1 or 2 mints per day.

---

Other info

Apparently she's not a working dentist now she lectures, sells her product line, writes, and helps run her family's restaurant in New York state -I learned this in an online article about her from her local newspaper which came up tonight when I did a yahoo search for "Dr Ellie review".

-

The complaint posed by some reviewers here that she has not researched the effects of this system experimentally/scientifically is perhaps a bit naive about just how expensive and difficult such an undertaking is, even for university professors, unless it's supported by government or corporate research grants. It would require a lot of money, time, willing patients, and paid research assistants. Dr. Ellie (even though she used to be a professor at the University of Rochester, apparently) is just a lone dentist and would presumably not have at her disposal the resources to do such testing. This dental process, even if it worked amazingly well, would not provide the kind of profit streams to corporations to justify their funding proper studies into it. It might behoove the government to fund research into this kind of inexpensive, low-tech process, if it could dramatically improve the health of millions of citizens, but there are probably hundreds of promising ingredients/procedures/exercises that are in the same boat: unfortunately, that's the way our modern health system/society works.

-

One interesting negative review that I read about her system by an actual dentist (it seems surprisingly hard to find online other dentist's comments on her ideas) was by a Florida dentist who says on his website that he is the personal dentist of one of Dr. Ellie's parents, and that he had met Dr. Ellie personally and spoken with her about her system. In his blog post, he said that he was not very happy with parts of her system, and spelled out what he would advise patients to do instead, if they want to remineralize their teeth. (Do an internet search for Mark Kraver at Cape Dental in Florida, then do a search on his site for "Ellie", and the post I mention here will come up.)

-

If you don't live in the US and can't find the exact products she recommends, Ellie sells the supplies for the entire program on her site and will ship internationally. When I checked to see how much it was, the set of 3 rinses + toothpaste that I got for 15 dollars (admittedly, on sale and using coupons) was I think about 45 dollars on her site, but if it's your best way to access them, it's probably worth it.

-

Because Dr. Ellie says not to use the Closys flavor drops with the Closys rinse, I decided to be a little "fancy" with the xylitol crystals that I swish around in my mouth a few times a day. I put about 1/2 cup of xylitol into a small glass mason jar (that has a lid) and then dropped about 1/3rd of the little Closys mint oil on top, stirred it up, and now I have a minty/refreshing flavor to pop into my mouth after meals, instead of the super-sweet taste of plain xylitol (which I find too sweet to be pleasant).

Update on the Closys flavor drops (which is just pure peppermint oil plus mineral oil, or something like that): I've found another use for them I am putting them in the melted chocolate of my holiday "peppermint bark" candy as a mint flavor booster, and it's very tasty! However, although this tiny amount of mineral oil is apparently FDA-approved for rinsing the mouth with, I don't know if it's approved for ingesting, so please check that out for yourself if you are thinking of using the Closys flavor drops in cooking!

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The author ( a dentist ) espouses her "system" of dental care based on her many years of experience in the practice. However, if you want to sum up the book in a few short words, it is thus:

Do the following twice a day in this order:

1. use Closys mouth rinse

2. brush with Crest Cavity Prevention toothpase using a small head

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The Naturally Clean Home: 150 Super-Easy Herbal Formulas for Green Cleaning

This book contains recipes for any cleaning product a person could ever want to use around their home, including carpet shampoo, laundry soap, garden and pest control (even deer), potpourri and sachets, tarnish remover, wood cleaners and polishes, computers and office equipment, oven cleaner, BBQ grills, wicker, cars, exterior siding (including stone and brick), and garden tools! And all of the ingredients are completely nontoxic. Not only that, it teaches you HOW to do the jobs and properly care for your home and items you own. It is an excellent all-around instruction book for green housekeeping in every sense.

I purchased this book in order to make my own natural cleaners rather than buying the commercial ones at the healthfood stores in order to save money. Initially you'll have to spend some money on buying essential oils(these cost the most) and so forth.

I have tried several of the recipes. The Tough Dirt & Grease floor cleaner works great. I've also tried a couple of the different copper cleaners on my Revereware pots and both worked great.

The castille based dish soap, I'm not too crazy about for several reasons, 1. the water turns white 2. it doesn't suds up much and 3. if you don't towel dry your glasses they look cloudy. I used Desert Essence castile soap with tea tree oil the first time and the second time I use Dr Bronners and both had the same results. My hands don't dry out but that didn't really balance out having to towel dry every dish. So I guess I'll be using BioKleens' dish soap again.

The overnight toilet bowl cleaner was just the same as adding plain borax, letting it sit for an hour or overnight and scrubing with a brush it just smelled nicer due to the essential oils.

Basically it came down to this: borax, washing soda, baking soda, white vinegar and castile soap, which all of us green cleaners keep on hand this book just tells you what essential oils to add to the mixture.

The author also has a section about drying your own herbs to make scouring powders and such. Baking soda is a fairly good scouring powder on it's own.

It does have very handy tips on how to clean everything in your house except for leather furniture.

You can find almost all of these recipes online on different green sites, but it is nice to have handy in a little book that tucks nicely away in the cleaning cabinet.

The index is rather confusing, if you are looking for say scouring powder it won't be listed under scouring powders, you would have to look under bathroom cleaners for them.

Overall the book is okay, but I guess I was hoping for more than just adding essential oils to everything.

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I love this book. Super helpful without being over the top. Easy to find ingredients and the cleaners really work!! Every recipe that I've followed in this book has worked better than anything I find in the store, and they're a ton cheaper too. I would highly recommened this book to anyone who wants to save money and not give up quality cleaning products.

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Having read that the indoor pollution is far worse than the outdoor pollution because of toxic chemicals present in many of household cleaners, I wanted to switch to using more eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaners. I thought this book might teach me how to make effective cleaning formulas other than mixing baking soda and vinegar. The book does have many formulas for cleaning everything in the house, but so far it hasn't worked well.

Here is an example from the book (word for word);

No-Scrub toilet bowl cleaner

Use this one in toilet bowls that have an everlasting ring around them. (Like the kind you find in the bathroom of your vacation cabin after six months of nonuse.) You can employ this recipe just before going to bed; by morning, even the toughest of stains will have disappeared.

1 cup borax

1 cup vinegar

10 drops pine or lavender essential oil

5 drops lemon or lime essential oil

Combine all ingredients in a plastic bowl or bottle and pour all at once into the toilet bowl. Allow to sit overnight. In the morning, just flush!

If this formula works for you, then this book is probably right for you. As for me, I flushed the toilet in the morning and the stains were still there, clear as ever. I ended up cleaning with baking soda and vinegar and it did much better job getting rid of the ring.

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I got this book for Christmas and have been putting the recipes in it to use ever since. You really can't beat the cleaning power of items like vinegar, baking soda, borax and castile soap. My house gets really clean with these recipes, and I feel good about using natural cleaning products that are safe for my children and pets. I now feel comfortable letting my 4 year old help me with cleaning I'm not exposing him to toxic fumes or harmful abrasives. It's also brilliant to only have a few things in the pantry for cleaning everything in the house (laundry included). I bought most of my supplies online (there is a list in the back of the book for online retailers who sell supplies). I began making the recipes in the book exactly as each recipe indicates. After a couple of months, I was able to eye-ball amounts and can mix things quickly on the fly now. I have also had a lot of fun playing with my own essential oil blends. When I finish cleaning, my house smells like the woods or like a citrus orchard instead of smelling of synthetic chemicals. This book is definitely a well-thumbed resource in my house!

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15 Minute Total Body Workout (+DVD)

This book is perfect, exactly what I've been looking for, and the best thing is the DVD. It's incredible! It's so easy to follow, and so quick I'm done in 15 minutes and on to the rest of my day. There's no stress on me to take 15 minutes a day to spend on my body. I can easily spend this much time experimenting with a new lipstick color. Everybody can find 15 minutes to exercise!

There are 4 different workouts and the variety keeps things interesting. The format is the same for each one: You warm up for 3 minutes, do 10 minutes of a really good routine strength training plus heart-pumping intervals and then cool down for 2 minutes with full-body stretches that remind me of Yoga. You can do it at home with just one set of dumb bells or a fitness ball.

And it's not just for women. My husband could do this and should do it! He thinks that if you can't spend 4 hours working out it's not worth it; but that's overwhelming, so he doesn't do anything. The 15 minute workout is a good way to get started and be consistent. You can always add on and do more...

Many people do not have time to go to a gym or do not like the gym-atmosphere. This book has the solution to these problems. Instead of trekking to the gym three times a week, spending the money on gas, this book enables you to work out in the comfort of your home. Pagano, a personal trainer for more than 20 years, starts the book by introducing basic principles of fitness, including the healthy range of bodies, the BMI, fitness testing and the benefits of cardiovascular fitness.

This easy-to-read book is very colorful, filled with glossy pictures. In order to exercise the whole body, various exercises are introduced that target specific parts of the body. Each pose or move is artfully demonstrated using an actual photograph. Hence, those using this book have a clear visual of the expected pose and chances of error are lessened.

The author also provides short descriptions of the procedure so that those moves not demonstrated in the photographs can also be executed. A live action DVD is also included in this book, making it even easier to follow the steps. The best part of the exercise regimen is the fact that not many types of equipment are required to get the full effect. A body ball, two dumbbells and a mat is all that is needed.

This book will enable anybody to get real results without leaving the comfort of their home. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting a more healthy and fit lifestyle.

Armchair Interviews says: Nice solution to the time-related problem of gym use.

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I have a huge collection of exercise videos, and this dvd-book combo has got to be the most effective one that I own. Each unique 15 minute segment is superbly crafted into a cardio and weight training combo. I feel that, at last, I am doing exercises correctly with the proper form. The production quality of the dvd and book is excellent. I have been alternating these exercises with Alycea Ungaro's "15 Minute Everyday Pilates" which I also highly recommend.

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I am a woman in my 70s who has fortunately discovered this remarkable exercise book, The 15-Minute Total Body Workout. While I do own other exercise books, I find Joan Pagano's current publication of greatest value to me. The included DVD makes it easy to follow each routine. Starting slowly, I've now used the first section, Step-Touch, for two weeks, alternating it with twice a week exercise sessions at my local senior center. Now I'm ready to become familiar with the other routines.

In addition to the DVD, each section in this flexible book offers wonderful photographs for easy-to-follow moves. For all senior citizens interested in staying fit, let this become your exercise Bible, as it's becoming mine. What 15 minutes of exercise can do to enhance your energy level is truly remarkable.

N. Keefe

Salt Lake City, UT

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I am 24 years old and looking to get in shape for my sister's wedding this spring. I wasn't looking to lose weight, but to tone. I want to have nice, defined arms and a taught tummy for her big day!

This book/dvd is awesome. It can be done in your living room with 2 sets of weights and a medicine ball. I was skeptical about a 15 minute workout and how much I would feel, but you sweat! I normally do 2 15-minute workouts at a time and end up huffing and puffing by the end. But it's not like the other 8-minute workouts where the first 2 minutes aren't bad and then the last 6 are impossible. It is done at an even pace that is manageable throughout all 15 minutes. And you cover it all: you warm up, do cardio, do weights, and cool down.

The voice-over on the DVD is great. She tells you how to do it, what your other body parts should be doing/feeling, how to breath, where you should feel it, and how to slow it down or speed it up depending on your comfort level. The video also references the page the move is on in the book so you can look it up if you are having difficulties with it.

I'm really glad to have this book/dvd. It isn't too time consuming or too much of a hassle to do, but yet you feel it and notice a difference. I've been doing it for a month and people have already commented on my newly trimmed hips. I highly recommend this book for all ages and all levels of fitness. You won't be disappointed.

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The After-Death Room: Journey Into Spiritual Activism

HIV-positive journalist Michael McColly travels through South Africa, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Chicago, and Senegal to document the lives of activists, sex workers, and people living with the AIDS. He also tells his own story, humanizing the disease and making it accessible in an intimate and compassionate way.

McColly's careful crafting blends scene and internal observations in a way that moves the vantage point from a feeling in the body to the exterior world, then out to a global perspective, taking the reader with him. Imagery and perception combine to make this not only an important sociological study of multiple struggles (sexuality, AIDS, poverty, healing), but also a literary work. He incorporates facts so that they become a part of the story without losing momentum, allowing the reader to step away from this book with a greater understanding of the scope of the AIDS pandemic.

Posing poignant and at times painful questions throughout his memoir, McColly challenges the reader to confront complex issues.

The book is both disheartening and inspiring as McColly's journey deepens. In Chennai, India, he interviews a man heading AIDS education for sex workers who says, "We are trying to make the young men ... into a cohesive, self-sustaining community. It's the only way they are going to survive not only this disease but this life." This becomes a subtle theme through the book: those who become active in helping others find that reaching out gives them a way to cope with the disease. At times, the story is devastating. Multiple viewpoints and approaches toward the treatment of AIDS help to put the struggles of various countries into a very real perspective.

The After-Death Room is a modern portrait of the diverse spectrum of the AIDS landscape. But the ultimate message does not just apply to AIDS. It is universal: the importance of connecting, understanding, loving, and helping others--which, in this world, is harder than ever to realize, is certainly a thing worth living for.

McColly's writing is elegant and urgent. I rarely find books that combine political relevance and artistry as deeply as this book does. I couldn't put it down.

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McColly's 2006 memoir of his personal fact-finding mission about the worldwide AIDS epidemic remains inspiring, enlightening, and eminently readable. It's a book about the practice of journalism--a lesson in how to tell the truth.

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We are privileged to be working on publicity on this amazing book. Michael doesn't hold back and is brutally honest in his latest book. We highly recommend it.

Michael is also creating a Prostrations for Peace on July l5th that is spreading throughout the country. It's a demonstration against the continued war in Iraq and the continued suffering and killing of our own and Iraqi people.

Sherri Rosen Publicity, NYC

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The Secrets Of Going Natural: The Ultimate Guide To Loving Your Natural Hair

A book that provides strong perspective and encouragement by approaching the subject of natural hair from a foundational education. The author gives understanding of past history, current reflection, and future goals that ensure the kind of success that only a depth of knowledge can provide.

Love love love this book. I am more excepting of my journey and I know and feel that it's going to be great. I learned that I cannot always compare my hair to other "Queens'" hair. I also like that this book has reflections at the end of the chapters. This is a must read....You will not be disaapointed!

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The New Age Herbalist: How to Use Herbs for Healing, Nutrition, Body Care, and Relaxation

When a friend of mine handed this book to me, I looked at the title and groaned. It looked like another flaky little herb book. However, when I flipped through the pages I found full-color photos, detailed write-ups, and Latin names. This book gives the chemical constituents of each herb, lists its uses (medical, culinary, etc.), and even warns of any sort of interaction with others. The quick reference section in the back makes it fast and easy to find a treatment for many common ailments.

From novice to well-learned, every herbalist should have a copy of this book in their personal library.

Why is this my favorite?

* Full-color illustrations of all herbs listed (200+)

* Actual scientific information, including chemical constituents & the results of scientific research to back/refute claims made for herbs

* Excellent information on various potential dangers

* Information on many uses: Medicinal, culinary, dyeing, etc.

* Information on cultivation and growing of various herbs

* Advice on companion planting

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If you're into herbalism in the least this book is absolutely and totally essential. It has full-color photographs of most of the major herbs in both their natural and harvested (dried/powdered) states. It also lists a wealth of information on each herb from it's Latin name, common names, basic plant and chemical characteristics, homeopathic uses and quite a bit more. There are priceless reference charts in the back of the book with outstanding information about herb harvesting and cultivation in other sections. It's a bit pricey but it's full-color and WELL worth it. I NEVER loan my copy out. It's that valuable to me.

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I believe that anyone caring for themselves ought to have at least 3 books on herbal actions. For studying the herbs more broadly, one would need a number of herbals (herb books) A general book is good for an overview, or quick reference, but doesn't give enough depth on any subject. "New Age Herbalist', for me, is the best for herbal indentification because it contains actual colored photos of herbs, not tiny drawings. It has an impressive amount of color plate pages for the price.

I don't think of it as a "new age" book because it would impress a scientific mind with its listing of active chemical ingredients of each herb. The rest serves as a fine overview guide also, and has a great section on homemade bath products.

I feel a need to have a book for quick reference,several for deeper knowledge on each herb, several for identification, several for historical uses, at least one for gardening and drying, a mini quick reference for traveling. When you have a headache, you don't want to be reading about how to get rid of soil bugs. Hope this helps.

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This was the first book I ever got on herbs almost ten years ago. It's definatly time worn. I still use it has a helpful reference, and recommend it. As others have mentioned, it has color photos and illustrations, as well as accurate information on the uses of plants and possible side effects. It also has information on how to use the plants, and general information on the human body and what plants are useful in specific instances. It's not a handy pocket size field guide, for that, I suggest a Petersons.

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Partial Seizure Disorders: Help for Patients and Families

Anyone whose life is significantly impacted by partial seizures, whether directly or indirectly, should own this book. This is the only book that I have come across that specifically addresses partial seizures (simple and complex), and as such it is tremendously valuable to parents, friends, family members, and people who have Epilpesy themselves. It seems that books on Epilepsy are either very cheap (and broad and shallow in scope) or extremely expensive (and bordering on encyclopedic), but this book falls nicely in the middle. It weighs in at a reasonable price and provides a wealth of information that an interested person might otherwise only find by sifting through a large volume.

I have read this book twice and I was still learning as I read it the second time. It includes lots of personal accounts, both by people who have seizures and caregivers (mostly parents of children with seizures). I think that these varied accounts provide a great deal of insight, particularly for those who don't themselves have seizures but must face its issues. The book includes lots of resources in terms of books, addresses, websites, and organizations, and also includes a good section on insurance issues. If your life is affected by partial seizures, you should have this book.

This is THE BEST book to come out for epilepsy in a long time. It is great for both adults or parents of children with epilepsy, covering everything from medications, complimentary medicine, the various types of seizures and possible causes. I found Ms. Waltz's information is very up-to-date (writing this in June 2001). The reference guide at the back of the book is a helpful resource for finding various support resources, including oversea pharmacies. I highly recommend this book to anyone whose life has been touched by seizures.

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This book is informative on all aspects of partial seizure disorders, from discovery to diagnosis and treatment. I loved how easy it was to read. I read this book in less than 2 days! My only disappointment is that the book didn't touch a little more on the psychological impact of the disorders (and subsequent consequences).

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Partial Seizure Disorders: Help for Patients and Families by Mitzi Waltz is now the second book I've read about seizures since having another seizure last month. This book is an excellent complement to the first book I read on living well with epilepsy.

While this book does not have some of the details that the previous book I read has, this book has more information overall which is why I found them to be complementary.

The author begins by distinguishing between the different types of seizures, explaining the parts of the brain, and explaining how seizures work. She ends the first chapter by talking about what to do when you have a seizure or when you see someone having a seizure. This information was very enlightening to me because I didn't know that seizures are rarely harmful. If a person is kept away from anything harmful, and people around them, make sure that they do not suffocate on food or anything else in the mouth, unless a seizure goes on for a prolonged period of time, the best thing to do is be with the person and try to help them relax (15-16).

In the second chapter, she explains how to diagnose the type of seizure if it is a seizure that one has experienced. She incorporates first-hand accounts to flesh out the doctors and procedures that are used. She also discusses things which may look like seizures which are not.

The third chapter deals with how to live with having a seizure disorder, and she discusses ADA, discrimination, rates, and limitations that one will have to accept. She discusses how important it is to have support from professionals and family and/or friends.

The fourth chapter deals with seizures in children and has a wealth of information about how to deal with the school system and help that is available to children in schools. She not only talks about schools in the United States, but what help is available in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

The fifth chapter deals with medical intervention. She discusses antiepileptic drugs and has a detailed description of the most used ones, their side effects, and tips about them which is immensely helpful when you're first trying out drugs. Whether it be this book or the PDR or some other drug handbook, it is important for the patient to do his or her own research and be able to discuss with the doctor what different drugs do and do not do. Some doctors will not like to be questioned, but it is the patient's right to understand what's going on and what might happen. The chapter continues looking at blood tests, EKGs, as well as other tests, surgery, and ongoing research.

In the six chapter she looks at dietary treatment, environmental triggers, vitamins and supplements, herbs, and general care of the whole person.

In the final chapter. She deals with issues of health insurance and again she looks primarily at the United States but also looks at benefits and Canada, the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. She also looks at alternatives to insurance. These issues become very important, especially when treating chronic condition and because most health insurance policies have very limited mental health options.

The book ends with an appendix of resources where one can find information about epilepsy, seizures, the ADA, support and advocacy, medical references, drug company assist programs, and on and on. This appendix alone would be worth the price of the book.

Second appendix includes an example of a seizure diary which can be helpful in keeping records as one diagnoses and treats seizure disorders.

Finally, there is an extensive glossary of terms, which will be very helpful for reading this book, talking to one's doctor, and reading other books on this topic.

This is an excellent resource, and I have found it helpful as I am learning about what is going on in my brain and how to cope with it.

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.......with basic factual info. A must have if you were recently diagnosed with partial seizures.

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Collins Gem First Aid

There is NO use having a complete First Aid manual, sitting on your bookshelf, when accidents happen around your car, at work, at the beach etc. and not by your bookshelf.

The Collins First Aid book is tiny enough that you can actually have it around for an emergency. I put one in the car, one in the backpack that I carry around with my toddler, and one at home by the phone. Its diminutive size means that a woman can easily keep it in a purse, or a man in a larger organizer.

I BUILD FIRST AID KITS FOR FRIENDS. THEY MAKE EXCELLANT GIFTS. I ALWAYS INCLUDE A COPY OF THIS BOOK. WHAT GOOD IS THE KIT IF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO USE IT DON'T HAVE A REFERENCE SOURCE. FOR IT'S SIZE, IT IS CRAMMED WITH AN AWESOME AMOUNT OF INFORMATION. THE BOOK IS SMALL ENOUGH TO NEVER BE LEFT BEHIND IF GOING ON A DAY HIKE. YOU CAN ACTUALLY FORGET YOU'RE CARRYING IT. I TRY TO KEEP A COUPLE OF COPIES OF THIS BOOK ON HAND. IT IS SIMPLY THE BEST BASIC FIRST AID BOOK ON THE MARKET.

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I purchased more than one of these. The books are ideal for putting into your first aid kit, and I keep the other in the car.

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The Bible Cure for Thyroid Disorders: Ancient Truths, Natural Remedies and the Latest Findings for Y

This is a great little book with a good amount of information packed in. It will definitely give you some background knowledge and point you in the right direction if you are having thyroid issues. If your thyroid problem comes from Hashimoto's disease, an autoimmune disorder, I would also reccomend Dr. Colbert's Bible Cure book on autoimmune disease...an excellent companion book (which also goes into other autoimmune issues such as lupus, etc.). If you do not know if you have Hashimoto's, your doctor can check your antibody levels....it is worth checking as this is one of the main causes of hypothyroidism. Generally doctors do not treat this but the bible cure book on autoimmune diseases can give you some advice on natural things you can do to help your system.

This is a highly informative book, explaining in easy to read language the condition of thyroid disorder, as well as dietary and medical treatments. Best of all, it includes prayers as you read along. God is the true healer and we are reminded of that as we read along. This book is a blessing to me.

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This book surely balanced all the info I read elsewhere about curing hyperthyroidism. The added bonus: Biblical scriptures that kept me focused on being cured once and for all.

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I have a lot of books for natural cures. This one seems right on with the advice

i've received over the years and from different references. I like having a simple

notation of supplement and dosages. I bought one for a friend too.

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The credibility of this doctor is outstanding... all of his books are filled with wisdom... I recommend any of his books highly. He writes with much authority, knowledge through his many years of experience and in simple verse that is easy to comprehend. He does not talk down to the reader, but uses many visuals to relate what he is presenting. His Bible Cure series is awesome!

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Men's Fashion Illustrations from the Turn of the Century (Dover Fashion and Costumes)

This must be one of the most extraordinary publications on men's dress history available even if it only covers the Edwardian period in American. The sheer imaginative depth displayed in the subtle details is quite stunning. The illustrations were intended for use by customers to show to his tailor to draught a pattern off them. As a result, details of construction are shown, usually from front and back.

Sack Suits: Differing from the British lounge suits by the lack of a dart in the coat, they were starting to gain widespread acceptance as business wear in this period. The rather conservative illustrators takes pains to show them being worn only at the seaside and country resort. Striking variations in the cut are shown, often much more daring and tastefully imaginative than anything seen today.

Cutaway Coats: Every conceivable variation of them is shown as a more stylish town wear, although it was still being worn as a more informal alternative to frock coats which were the standard form of daytime 'full dress' for the period.

Full Dress: in the form of evening dress coats as well as frock coats for daytime wear are all displayed. Fascinating variations such as casual frock coats with check/plaid fabrics are on display along with tail coats with shawl lapels fascinating if you know anything about men's dress.

Overcoats: Some of the cuts shown are truly stunning to behold for sporty day wear, day time full dress and evening full dress. The most fascinating thing is the profusion of overcoats cut with a waist seam including overfrocks, as well as variations on the Ulster overcoat and Inverness cape.

Footwear: even this is shown in some detail. Button boots are ubiquitous as are the occasional pair of Oxford boot, and riding boots in the country equestrian scenes.

Accessories: cravat, ties, cravat pins, hats, riding accessories, as well as walking sticks are all shown each example a shining example of how a well presented Edwardian dandy would dress.

This is a treasure trove for anyone with an interest in dress history or Edwardian/ late Victorian period costume, but it is more than that for the dashing cuts of many coats make the cuts of modern menswear seem dreadfully uninspired and mass-produced by comparison. Any tailor will tell you that the level of skill required to realise some of the more difficult styles is extremely high.

Anyone who does costuming knows that there are plenty of pictorial resources for women, primarily drawn form Harper's Bazaar. What has been lacking is a comparable resource for men. This book fills that need nicely.

Since these are period illustrations, they show not only the main articles of clothing, but also good detail of accessories, such as shoes, stickpins, collars and cuffs, hats and canes. The style is fairly realistic, with a wide variety of clothing types, from formal to casual. Since the poses are intended to be natural, they are more useful that period photos, which are frequently only of formal wear, and always stifly posed.

The only thing that keeps this from being a perfect resource is that these are drawings, and may not exactly reflect actual colors and clothing details (showing construction and finish). They do an admirable job of showing fabric patterns and finishes, however, and is the most useful refernce work for this subject that I've found.

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Men's Fashion Illustrations from the Turn of the Century (Dover Pictorial Archive Series) has a prominent place beside my computer. I am writing about the first decade of the twentieth century. The pictures in this book are an excellent study of not only the clothing of the period but also the mannerisms of the time. The book gives a good idea of the attitudes of men over one hundred years ago.

I was disappointed that the book had a limited amount of descriptions of the clothing. This problem was not the fault of Dover Pictorial Archives. Instead I should have paid more attention to the description of the book. The introduction by Jane L. Druesedow offers some valuable information, but I still need to look farther into information about men's fashions at the that time in other sources as I write.

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There are many out there like myself who quickly scan the description of an item and fail to gather the facts. In this case I didn't take into account the title clearly indicates coverage STARTS with the year 1900. I was looking for U.S. mens fashions of the 1890's.

There is one page of text, no information of what changed fashion-wise from the 1890's and 1900. The widely accepted idea that mens fashions did not change "much" betwwen 1880 and 1920 is FALSE. Details such as spats, sloped/non sloped welting on the pockets, creased vs uncreased trousers can make or break your 1890's "re-enactment garb".

If you want coverage of mens fashions of the 1890's then this is not the book you seek...

However, this publication isn't that costly and therefore serves as an affordable research source (i.e. "What is not 1890's" in this case) worth having.

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I used this for research for the Play OUR TOWN. It is wonderful for understanding the styles of this period.

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Restoring, Tuning & Using Classic Woodworking Tools

I only recieved this book this morning, I began reading and can now thouroughly recommend this book to anyone who, for example has ever seen Norm Abram at work and thought 'Hey that's not fair. He's got $10,000 worth of power tools at least' Well this has to be the guide for those who wish to find, restore, and use old tools. I grew up with quality handtools around me and can tell this guy knows what he's talking about. The majority of this book is dedicated to planes but I never realised just how many kinds there are! A must for anyone you know who heads for the 'rusty tool box' at flea markets and yard sales. I'd love to know what you think about this book too. Happy reading!

After searching for books in this subject, I was very pleased to finally find a book that went into the depth of not only restoring, but plane and other tool usage. This book was intended for the antique tool collector who chooses to use their tools not place them on a display shelf and accept them "as is." If you are looking for old tools needing repair for many more years of use, then this is the book for you. Michael Dunbar has done an excellent job putting his knowledge on paper for the reader's benefit.

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Dunbar's book is one of the best when it comes to repairing just about any antique tool. He patiently and thoroughly describes how to repair most any hand tools you'll come across. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn how to restore antique hand tools. It should be noted that Dunbar now uses a different method to sharpen plane and chisel irons, etc. However, this is widely available in magazines. Highly recommended.

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The tools being old, not necessarily the collectors. The vast preponderance of space is taken up with hand planes. While some attention is paid to other tools, if you do not have a plane collection, this is a costly book for topics that are covered in tons of books. The general info on sharpening and cleaning is not unique to this book. But the coverage on hand planes may not be equaled elsewhere.

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good and detailed, the major part talk about planes of every kind and type with ideas to evaluate it. Nice book

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The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth (Sears Parenting Lib

I'm a mother of two, a critical RN and certainly not a Luddite. If I had to choose one book to have prior to the birth of my first child, this one would be it. (I'm here to buy one for a family member as a gift, I already own this book!)

I could write my own book with my thoughts and feelings about childbirth, childbirth prepartion, and postpartum recovery. I'll just say this,however...

Childbirth hurts. Take all of the classes, read the books, get drugs, it still hurts. Go to a hospital and expect them to hold your hand during labour and you'll be disappointed, they're too busy to do that. Have someone there with you to support you through the whole thing. Preferably at least one person that has done this before. Could be a doula, could be your best friend or mother... Interventions DO lead to more interventions. Less is better for the birth, the mother,the baby and your recovery (I've done both types). If you can swing less, do that.

Reading books like these, taking classes to practice positioning techniques and exercising your body actually does HELP. Having some ideas on things to try when the going gets rough HELPS. Not everything will work for everyone,but many things will work or at least help you cope. Everyone should be prepared for natural childbirth, regardless of whether or not they are planning to have drugs, even major ones. You can't get an epidural until you are at least four cm or it can stop your labour. I wasn't four cm with my first child until I was 24 hours into labour. And both times I tried an epidural, and it didn't take the first time at all, only took partially the second time. The only type of medication that will give you total relief from childbirth discomfort is general anesthesia. Having a list of things that I could do to cope made all of the difference in the world to me. The first birth I was much more passive. The second birth I was much more proactive and had a much better time of it. My recovery was night and day too.

I respect Sears and his wife as both parents and healthcare professionals. Their series of books are not perfect, but I would say, after reading reams of drivel or hyperbole on the subject at hand, they actually do the overall best job for a basic book. Most folks read one, max two books pre-birth, so if you have to choose only one, this would be it. And their book "The Baby Book" is also the best one out there regarding babies.

Btw, regarding the comment about the AFP test. It is famous for false positives, which can cause unneeded stress to parents. I don't have an opinion about having the test, either way beyond that. As to Down's Syndrome, some parents want to know in order to terminate the pregnancy. Looks like termination is not on their list of things to consider, so why should they have the test? (I had an amnio, much more accurate.) The way the review was written, it sounded like they had done something irresponsible. Some parents want to know, others don't. Knowing or not knowing neither causes Down's Syndrome (a chromosomal abnormality apparent at conception), nor will change the outcome of the pregnancy.

I wouldn't just read this book. I'm the type of person that reads everything that I can get my hands on, both on a professional level and from the mainstream press. But this is certainly a book for my short list. Read it.

I have to STRONGLY disagree with other reviews that this book guilts you into a natural childbirth. The book is filled with examples of women who chose epidurals and other intervention and had satisfying births.

The overwhelming theme in this book is that it is the expectant parents' responsibility to educate themselves about their choices in childbirth, discuss their wishes with their caregiver, and write a birth plan to help convey these wishes to hospital staff (if they chose hospital birth). The Sears believe that if the parents are the ones making the informed decisions, rather than having decisions made for them, they will have a joyful, beautiful start to their family.

The Sears clearly lay out the benefits of natural childbirth, and do discuss in detail the risks of the various tests and interventions, as well as when they are justified. My favorite part is in the back, where mothers and fathers have submitted their birth stories. It is wonderful to read first-hand accounts of the emotions and sensations of birth. As I said, all kinds of births are included: planned C-sections, home births, epidurals, birth centers, high risk, etc. What is emphasized is that when the parents are informed and able to make their own choices, they are at peace with the outcome. It is when the parents feel that their wishes were not respected or that risks and options were not explained to them that they feel angry and bitter at their caregivers.

This is a great read for parents who know they want natural childbirth and for parents who want to consider it. You will never regret knowing your options. The birth and the child are your responsibility. It can be a time of joy and empowerment or a time of fear and helplessness. Having those choices, wouldn't you choose the former?

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If you are pregnant for the first time and don't know much about childbirth, READ THIS BOOK ... and don't be afraid to make changes to your birth plan (birth plan?!?) if some aspect of your care doesn't sit well with you. Do whatever you can to have a wonderful birth experience it will live in your emotions and memory forever and may even affect how you bond with your child.

I was six months pregnant with our first child when I did the craziest thing ever. I changed my caregivers and I changed my hospital. Here's how it went: During my pregnancy, our kitchen was being remodeled. Attempting to escape the paint and glue fumes, I spent long days at our local library, reading books about pregnancy and childbirth. I stumbled upon "The Birth Book" and of course, in my swollen condition, I devoured it.

THIS BOOK ROCKED MY WORLD.

It opened my eyes to how insane birth really is in this country how over-medicalized it is. It really put the fear of God into me, so to speak, with regard to "routine" procedures such as episiotomy, forceps/vacuum use, epidurals, C-sections, etc. I was set on a path for the typical "hospital-epidural-medical" birth, without much thought that it could be any other (better, more satifying) way, until I read this astounding book.

Thanks to this book, I scrupulously questioned my OB and ultimately switched from my OB to a Certified Nurse Midwife, I switched to a hospital with a very low C-section rate and a very pro-natural birth attitude and appropriate facilities, I hired a doula, and my husband & I took a Bradley class and cancelled our Lamaze class. BECAUSE OF THIS BOOK, I had a glorious, natural (drugand intervention-free), waterbirth in the "Alternative Birthing Center" of a hospital. (Read our birth story in the upcoming book, Beautiful Births, due out in 2005! =)

Of course, my husband initially thought I was stark raving mad for wanting to make so many drastic changes so far into my pregnancy, but after reading this eye-opening book, it seemed even MORE stark raving mad not to! Even if you have no intention of making any changes (some women like having fetal monitors and epidurals, and that is their prerogative!), read it. Whether you desire to birth naturally or more "medically," or if you're not sure, it is very empowering to be well informed about everything that happens within the birthing community.

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I use this book as a "text" for my childbirth education series. It is far superior to the best-seller, "What to expect when you're expecting." The information is objective and promotes an empowered birthing woman and family. I only wish more women were aware of it's superiority as a resource. If you are pregant or looking for a baby shower gift, this is the book for you. I have been deeply involved with childbirth for over 20 years and heartily recommend this book.

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This is a fantastic book for preparing for Labor and Delivery. It is very thorough and gives the birthing couple all the information they need to make informed choices about their birth. I would say this is one of the best books available for preparation for Labor and Delivery and understanding all the decisions and issues Birth entails.

I do have a few complaints about the book, however.

1. The book glosses over the pain most women experience during childbirth. For most women [not all, but most], labor and delivery IS very painful. A mother who is preparing for an unmedicated birth needs to be aware of this so that she can adequately prepare herself. The Searses make birth sound more like "pressure" and "discomfort". I just don't think this is true for the majority of women. For psychological preparation for the true *reality* of birth, I recommend _Birthing From Within_ by Pam England. She does a much more honest job in preparing women for what the birth might really be like. [She does not include much of the information the Seares have included here on the 'medical' side of birth & the issues involved however; combining these two books would give the reader a very complete education].

2. I must agree with previous reviewers that this book is somewhat biased against any medication during birth, as well as against hospital birth with an OBGYN in attendance. However, that doesn't make the information in the book any less useful it is wonderful and very complete.

3. I also agree with other reviewers that the book is becoming a bit dated now. It is time for a revision that would include and reflect the progress that many hospitals have made in the last decade.

Those issues aside, I still think this is one of the best books available on birth. Its worth having for any pregnant woman.

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