Review of At Home in the Park: Loving a Neighborhood Back to Life (Paperback)

The title of my review explains exactly how I felt from the moment I started reading. It was as if I had crawled inside her book, her neighborhood, her life. Her words came alive
when she talked about the crisp autumn mornings, the aroma of food, the feeling was so strong, it was if I could smell, feel, and be a part of every page of her book.
A wonderful writer, I hope to be seeing more books from her soon.
Glenda K Schlueter

Product Description
What's the difference between a group of houses and a real community? Author Lola L. Lucas explores this question in At Home in the Park: Loving a Neighborhood Back to Life.

Lucas chronicles the rebirth of Enos Park, a section of Springfield, Illinois, just north of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Like many cities, the area went through a period of urban decay before rebounding. The Enos Park Neighborhood Improvement Association (EPNIA) was largely responsible for this change.

Lucas's columns about Enos Park have appeared in the EPNIA Banner since 1992. With wisdom and wry humor, she shows why it's worth the effort to reweave a neighborhood's social fabric in order for residents to once again enjoy their homes. Lucas writes about community policing, ice cream socials, neighborhood patrols, and evening strolls on tree-lined sidewalks. Through the efforts of the EPNIA, the citizens of Enos Park reclaimed their streets and loved their neighborhood back to life.

About the Author
Lola L. Lucas earned a BA in English, an MA in management and an MBA in human resources. She works for a state agency as a research economist and teaches part-time at the University of Illinois. She and her husband, Kevin Brown, live in Springfield, Illinois, with their two standard poodles.

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Review of Nature's Prozac: Natural Ways to Achieve Peak Mental and Emotional Health (Paperback)

I've been looking at books on natural alternatives to Prozac, and this is the worst I've seen for that purpose.

Believe it or not, the dozens upon dozens of ailments, symptoms, and therapies in this book are not organized in a logical order, but *alphabetically*. It really takes some digging to find what you need.

For instance, to get information about "depression," look in the D's. On the other hand, if you want to know about "the blues," look in the B's. "Sadness/despondency" is in with the S's. "Grief"--check the G's.

For that matter, if you're depressed, you might also want to check out "affirmations," "agitation," "alienation," "behavioral therapy," "cognitive awareness," "drowsiness," "escapism," "fatigue," "guilt," etc.--each in their own separate listings. You will not have the patience to do this, because this book is 500 pages long. Don't you think they might have organized this book better?

The title "Nature's Prozac" suggests that this book covers natural alternatives to Prozac, such as St. John's Wort. Discussion of these is inadequate almost to the point of being nonexistent. (St. John's wort is mentioned in a list on p. 217 and there are three sentences about it on p. 74.)

If you're looking for an encyclopedia of entries on non-medical therapies, buy this book.

If you're looking for medically sound advice for people with depression, the best book I found at my library was Murray's Natural Alternatives to Prozac (a bit old). I am also about to check out Bamuel's Dealing with Depression Naturally and Knishinsky's The Prozac Alternative.

Product Description
Can you remember one day in your life-or perhaps just one hour-when you were content and unworried? For most of us, that's hard to do, and many rely on powerful mood-altering drugs to just get us through the day.If you've been searching for natural alternatives, NATURE'S PROZAC is your definitive guide to achieving peak mental and emotional health with nature's medicines."More than anything in the field of mental health, we need lots of creative alternatives to drugs. Judith Sachs' book makes a major contribution in this direction."~Peter R. Breggin, M.D., author, Talking Back to Prozac and Toxic Psychiatry



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Review of Insider Secrets to Home-Buying Success: Turning Everything You Ever Thought About Home Buying Upside Down! (Paperback)

My house is all I've ever dreamed of. Who knew a college drop studing micro-econ could ever live so well? Those Jersey boyz....what else can I say.

Product Description

Buying a home is part of the American Dream. But high down payments, credit concerns, conflicting real estate advice, and a confusing array of experts - all wanting a piece of the pie - can take what should be one of the most exciting and fun experiences in life and turn it into a nightmare!

Now, for the first time in print, highly successful real estate entrepreneurs Joseph M. Farella and Earl Myers take everything you ever thought about buying your first home - or your fifth - and turn it upside down with the Insider's Secrets that have helped thousands who have attended their standing-room-only Homeownership Now events.

Learn:

• Why you should never just call a realtor's name you see on a For Sale sign
• How to set up your own team of experts who will be looking out for only you
• The fallacy with spending years saving for a down payment
• How to discover dozens of mortgage programs your bank will not offer
• The key to being competitive and successful in buying the property you want
• AND ... 22 Insider Secrets that will take you from just wishing for a house...to making that dream a reality!

About the Author
With more than 30 years combined real estate investment experience, entrepreneurs Farella and Myers have guided more than 13,000 people into successful home ownership. Founders and keynote speakers of the award winning Homeownership Now event, they serve on multiple government and professional boards and have been featured on network television.

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Review of Nora: An Ordinary Girl from Inchicore (Paperback)

Nora's story is the perfect story for those of us who think we have problems and for those of us who know we do. Either way, it takes us out of ourselves and lets us see that their are problems worse than ours and that there are people who handle them with her spunk and bravery. It's all about attitude and Nora's story shows how far the right attitude can take you. I hope she has more stories in her as I'd like to read them. Thanks Nora, for sharing your story with us.

Product Description
NORA-An Ordinary Girl from Inchicore is a poignant memoir of growing up in Inchicore, Dublin in the 1940's and 50's. With humor and pathos Nora tells of the day-to-day drama in a large Catholic family and the interaction with her nine siblings. She tells of the discipline in an all-girl Catholic school and the kindness and sometimes cruelty of the good nuns.

Nora takes us with her through the streets of her beloved Dublin as she cycles to work or takes the bus into town. We absorb the unique atmosphere-the sights, the smells and the colorful speech of Dubliners.

We go dancing with her in 'The Golden Years' of ballroom dancing and follow her romance with a handsome student from Trinity College.

We hear of the adoption of a baby and the circumstances that led her to immigrate to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Later we join Nora in England where her plans to marry her student prince go awry.

We follow her to Toronto, Canada where she meets and falls in love with her life partner, Frank.

NORA-An Ordinary Girl from Inchicore will delight those who love all things Irish and who believe the Irish are the most fascinating people on earth.

About the Author
Born in Dublin, Nora Szechy was one of ten children. Her daughter's gift of a blank journal with the request to write about her life gave her the impetus (at 72) to recapture her memories.

She lives in Downey, California with her husband Frank. They have three married children and seven grandchildren.

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Review of Divine Appointment: A Caregiver's Guide (Paperback)

I foundDelores Thornton's book very informative, and on the money, when it comes to what you should do and who to contact if a loved one becomes unable to care for themselves, or dies. It's full of resources for those who don't know where to turn in case sudden tragedy strikes or before it happens!

I look at this book as if it were my Guardian Angel guiding me on what to do next during family crisis, which are inevitable.

Product Description
Divine Appointment: A Caregiver's Guide will help to smooth the roughness of a tedious journey. Readers will find resources to aid them in caring for a loved one and places to contact while making end of life arrangements. There are stories from caregivers in their own words, handy guides, informative lists of support agencies, and pages for daily inspirational messages. This book is for those who have been through, those going through, and those who will go through!

"Delores Thornton offers a long overdue Christian devotional handbook for the adult caregiver. With warmth and honesty she shares her struggles as she cares for her fiancé. The advice provided is not only priceless but very vital information. Thornton does an outstanding job--not only educating people about caring for a loved one with special needs--but encouraging them through the difficult transitions. This book is a blessing!"

--Tyora Moody, DOEnetwork.com

About the Author
Delores Thornton, a lifelong Indianapolis resident, belongs to several writing organizations including her own Marguerite Press (www.margueritepress.com), founded in 1996; Marguerite Press Promo, founded in 2003; and Black Writers On Tour. She is the host of ?A Round 2 It,? an Internet radio show on www.deloresthornton.com. Thornton is a columnist for the Indiana Herald newspaper and for The HYPE Magazine.

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Review of Aloe Vera The New Millennium: The Future of Wellness in the 21st Century (Paperback)

I was skeptical at first, but this book is legitimate.It has the potential to change ones life, and has dramatically impacted mine. Robert Ahola is a true genius.

Product Description
The First Complete Book on Aloe Vera in this Young Century.

Aloe Vera
The New Millennium

Every once in a while, a book comes along that redefines the genre. This special 2003 edition of Aloe Vera/The New Millennium is such a work. In it you will find a wellness wellsource of new breakthroughs in Aloe Vera research and technology from the last thirty years.

•Aloe Vera's pivotal role in the new global wellness movement.
•"Aloe All Stars." Aloe Vera in the new world of Athletics.
•Aloe Vera's role in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
•AIDS, Cancer and the Aloe Answer. How Aloe Vera has broken through to these persistent dragons of world health.
•New Paradigms in Personal Care. What bold new inroads Aloe Vera has made in cosmetology, skin care, aesthetics and plastic surgery.
•Millennium Veterinary Breakthroughs. How many modern vets are using Aloe Vera to help our creature companions, both large and small.
•Personal perspectives by the man who is acknowledged worldwide as the "father of modern Aloe Vera."

If you could only have five complete wellness guidebooks for the next dozen years, this should be one of them.

About the Author
Bill C. Coats, R.Ph. C.C.N is one of the worlds foremost experts on Aloe Vera and is the founder and CEO of Coats Aloe International. In his capacity as lecturer, teacher and world authority on the healing plant, he often tours and lectures annually in several countries, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Spain, Portugal, Mexico and Canada. Nominated by the Society of Cosmetic Chemists three times for its prestigious Merit Award, he has also co-authored five books on Aloe Vera, including, Aloe Vera/The Inside Story, Creatures in Our Care and The Silent Healer. Aloe Vera/The New Millennium marks another milestone in Mr. Coats career as a pioneer in the wellness movement.

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Review of A Home From the Woods: Adventures and methods restoring and building authentic log cabins (Paperback)

It has been a long time since I've enjoyed a book so much as to pick it up and not be able to set it down until I had read it from cover to cover.The author and his family had so much determination in the success of there projects that most any other individual would have given up long ago. I too live in a log home hand built by our family but with mill purchased logs.
But the inspiration I've recieved from this book has inspired my husband and I to attempt to build a log cabin of round logs up on the hill of our property unless we can find an authentic log cabin to relocate here. We plan to use many of the methods mentioned in the book .

Product Description
If you've ever dreamt of building your own log cabin, or wondered if or how it could be done, you'll find the answers and inspiration here. Half personal narrative, half how-to, A Home From The Woods details the methods used for four different log cabin projects: Uncovering and Restoring A Standing Cabin; A Hand-hewn Cabin; Building with Rounded Logs; and Taking Down and Recreating An Original Log Cabin.

That straightforward advice is countered with a first person narrative as the author relates his young family's experiences and misadventures completing these projects. With little finances and less know-how, but plenty of determination and a little creativity, they proved again and again that if you long for that idyllic cabin of earth and wood, it can be achieved.

And, even if you'll never set first foot in the forest you'll be entertained reading what some people will put themselves through for "the simple life" in the country.

About the Author
Michael Antoniak is a freelance writer. A native New Yorker, he and wife Liz have called the Tennessee hills home since 1977, where they live with their six children. His previous books include Lifemaps, How To Start a Home Business, and How To Open Your Own Retail Store.

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