health Books

I read this book in adolescence and it has stayed with me since then--over 20 years. I have thought of Eric's story many times over the years, especially now that I have my own son. I think that I will read this book again and add it to my permanent collection. It is very touching albeit very sad.

Eric is the heartbreaking, inspirational true story of Eric Lund, a seventeen-year-old boy who is diagnosed with Leukemia just days before he is set to leave for college. This book is a memoir written by his mother, Doris Lund, about Eric's unwavering will to survive, and about how his cancer affects not only himself, but everyone around him.

When it's a story about a terminal illness, there can be no unexpected twist. As soon as I read the description on the back cover of the book, I knew basically how it was going to start and how it was going to end. But it's what happens in between that makes Eric Lund's life so interesting. What makes him different than many whose lives have thrown seemingly indomitable obstacles at them is that Eric refuses to give up. Even when the doctors, despite their greatest and heartfelt efforts, can offer only ominous warnings, it doesn't prevent Eric from living his life to the fullest. In this way, Eric isn't just the tragedy of a boy whose life deteriorates little by little. Instead, it is the motivational story of a man whose confidence, positive outlook, and exceptional will to live bring hope and joy to everyone around him.

Of course, Doris Lund doesn't leave herself out of the picture. A lot of the book is focused on her own hopes and fears instead of Eric's, on which she can only speculate in many instances. She is also honest about her rocky relationship with Eric and the difficulties that they sometimes had communicating, which is something that most teenagers and their parents can relate to. I couldn't help noticing that there are places in the book where Doris Lund interrupts the flow of her writing, perhaps with a misplaced or awkward metaphor, but then she quickly remembers that this story is beautiful and memorable on its own without too many fancy words and phrases to distract from it.

Even if you don't usually read this kind of literature, I still recommend Eric. It may be depressing, but it's not cynical, and it leaves you with the kind of hope that Eric held on to his whole life.

I have probably read this book 8 times since it first came out. The first time I read it was shortly after my brother had been diagnosed with a form of leukemia. This book is a wonderful tribute by Doris Lund to her son, and I highly recommend it to anyone.

This story is just a good read, and such a testimony of a young man struck with lucemia, his spirit his valor...emotions are stired to beyond words.

I hate to be the skunk in the five-star garden party, but I remember reading, or rather trying to read, this book when in high school some *cough* 20 years ago. I could barely get through it. Apparently I wasn't alone, because someone else had graffitoed on the (soft) cover, "This book sucks. Don't read it."

Sometimes I think there should be a moratorium on grieving parents writing about their dead offspring. Aside from one brief moment when Lund catches her son checking out girls in a hospital corridor or waiting room, I don't remember a single aspect of Eric's personality aside from "Mama's Little Angel." And although my memory is vague on this, I seem to recall the book contains a fair amount of delusional mumbo-jumbo about "God's will" ('scuse me while I barf).

If you want to read a superb book by someone who lost a child to cancer, read "Death Be Not Proud" by John Gunther. That book preserves every quirk of his late son Johnny's wry sense of humor and considerable intellect, and actually makes you regret that the son didn't live to take up the father's pen. Not only that, but Gunther deals with hard questions of mortality and loss without resorting to the kind of sticky sentimentality you'd expect from Oprah or the "women's channels" on cable TV. Cripes, even Marie Killilea's books about her handicapped (no, NOT "differently abled") daughter Karen are better than Lund's book.

The entire genre, for obvious reasons, is for the most part manipulatively mawkish, but that's what sells, I guess. If you have an "I Believe in Angels" bumper sticker on your car, Thomas Kincaide "paintings" on your walls, and every CD Whitney Houston ever recorded in your music collection, go ahead and order "Eric." You'll cry your eyes out and write a five-star review.

I wrote a review for this book on 12-28-08. The review was somewhat unfavorable. Two days later it was gone. It kind of explains why this book only has reviews 3 stars and above. Apparently, REAL reviews have been omitted.

To this book I attribute so much!! It really led me to thinking about
things a litte differently.... My daughter and myself are much better for
having been directed into a different direction in her path to healing.
This book was really the kicker, ... a starting point... to get us off
and running again down the path to recovery. Things were starting to
get a little ho-hum and hopeless, Now we are full of hope again.
I highly recommend this!

When it comes to our health and the health of our family members, sometimes western medicine offers few answers. Unfortunately, many people give up in the face of medical challenges because they don't know where else to turn.

This inspiring and hopeful story walks you through the devastation of an untreatable disease, the frustration and necessary perseverance to find treatment, and all the way through to the happy ending where alternative medicine and healthy living meet. If you or a loved one is struggling with any disease (not just autism), this book offers new and different ways to think about healing.

This book shows how doctors can totally misdiagnose patients. It shows the benefits of use of natural herbs. This is what the Native Indians used for curing their ailments, it is what the medical research community utilizes to create their synthetic medications to imitate what herbs do.

Tenna Merchent's honest account of her efforts to recover her little boy "on the brink" of autism addresses the many elements necessary for recovery when a family is confronted with the trainwreck of metabolic causes and issues that underlie this disorder which the medical community still overlooks in diagnosing autism as a whole-body disorder (as opposed to simply a "behavioral problem"). For any parent starting out on this rocky road, I would recommend this book. Merchent's relentless and brutally honest inquiry led her to some unconventional cures. Her faith, courage, and trust in herself as the trailblaxer of her child's return to health demonstrates clearly what it takes to get the job done. For other parents starting down this path, this book is a warm companion. You will no longer feel that you are alone.

I came to this book already a fan of Louise Hay after reading You Can Heal Your Life. I have since purchased audio affirmations and I find Ms. Hay's voice calm and relaxing. She's like a gentle grandmother talking kindly in your ear!

I Can Do It covers different aspects of life and well-being and Louise Hay discusses with the reader why our thoughts block and ruin good that comes into our lives. The book and CD are the same reading (this can be confusing because Louise Hay sells subliminal mastery cd's that include affirmations and actual subliminal messages). This CD is for using in your car or during your daily chores, to help remind you to stay on track with what you have learned in the book.

I love the inspiration it brings as Ms. Hay reminds you of all the different ways you can reinvent your life, at any given moment. She mentions a new infancy at 49, for the later stages in life. That particular focus makes this book all the more special for someone who thinks their life is stuck because they are older, but the lesson is a wonderful influence for any age.

I keep the book at hand for flipping through, I keep the cd on a playlist in my iPod for listening to, and I keep gifting this book out to friends and family for the promises of a new life it affirms. All the best.

Great book. I started to browse through the book before listening to the CD. The CD in the back of the book is 99% the same as the book. A few words off here and there but not a big deal. I have it in my car right now. I love the daily affirmations for each chapter. (Prospertiy, self esteem, work etc.)

Great gift for yourself or for others.

I love this book! Louise Hay has a peaceful, joyful way of writing and speaking. This book comes with a CD, with Louise reading the book. It is great to listen to in the car. I also enjoy reading from this book everyday. I like the way it is divided into important life issues so it's easy to go right to the one that will help you in any particular situation. This book gives you positive affirmations to help you in all areas of life. I love Louise's message and her loving, quiet way of getting it across. It's a small book so you don't get bogged down in a long read. I am very pleased with this book and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in improving their own self-talk and improving their general attitude towards life.

This is a great little book and CD. It has helped my husband and I so much. I really recommend it! :-)

Louise is an incredible teacher. I love the cd that comes with this book, and the power and assertiveness in her voice and message. She suggests a 30 day listening regimen, and I'm doing it.

Highly recommended! Thank you, Louise!

I bought this book while still pregnant and it prepared me for what to expect when I finally came back to work. Everything from choosing a pump to the logistics of pumping between meetings are provided. Not to mention some comforting advice for those hours you'll spend in your office's mothers' rooms and you feel like you are a million miles away from your sweet baby.

I read this book while breastfeeding my baby in bed. Since I am a working mother, who found it extremely difficult to combine work and nursing, I found this book absolutely helpful. It had great advice on most pressing nursing issues and also lifted up my spirits and confidence. A must read for all nursing working mothers.

This book will make you laugh, cry and everything in between. A huge inspiration and motivation for working moms wanting to breastfeed. Thank you to the authors for publishing this!

I've bought a lot of stuff from Amazon, but this is the first item I'm reviewing, because I really liked this item. Being a working mom is tough in so many ways and this book shows us that there are alot of women who are experiencing the same feelings as I am experiencing or have experienced before. Pumping can be such a tedious task, but most of us are doing it just for the sake of our little ones. Pumping at work is no fun at all, but seeing the comradery these women shared inspired me to seek the same sort of support circle in my own company. Also, this book shows us that there are different ways of doing things (timing of weaning, etc.) and there are different viewpoints on being a working mom...and that there are lots of options for working moms -- and that you just have to go after it once you've analyzed your options. This book is a good resource and it's funny, too. I highly reccommend it!

This book is a "must have" for any nursing mommas going back to work and hoping to continue the breastfeeding relationship. I wish I had had this book when my first daughter was born and I went back to work. I felt so alone in my extremely challenging endeavor of pumping and working. If I had had this book, I would have felt supported, vindicated, inspired, and most of all, would have had the collective wisdom of other women who've learned how to make it work.

I now plan to buy this book for all my friends who are having babies and planning to continue their careers out of the home. I would also recommend Working Without Weaning but if you're only going to buy one book, this one will tell you most everything you need and it's so darn affordable! It's also well written and backed up by research.

Hurray for a couple of super-moms who managed to pump AND work AND somehow find time to write a book! Most books are written by stay-at-home moms who could never understand the pump/work dynamic. (No offense to them but even my local LLL leader couldn't help me because she has never experienced working out of the home 40 hrs/wk, away from her baby, dealing with pumping and storing milk and all the rest.

This book covers everything from starting the breastfeeding relationship on the right foot, introducing bottles, buying the right pump, negotiating time/space with your employer, sleep-deprivation, anxiety about being separated from your baby, the challenge of juggling career and family priorities, the challenge of being perceived as "less productive" at work now that you're juggling everything else. It has a nice balance of informative narrative from the authors, interspersed between the journal entries of the "Milk Mamas" group sharing the lactation room at IBM. I wish I had colleagues in my workplace to share this kind of journal with but reading their comments made me feel like I was not alone in my struggles.

Unlike other books I encountered, this book does not start from the premise that new moms should consider quitting their job or giving up their careers. It starts with the understanding that you are going back to work, either by choice or necessity, and aims to give you all the tools you need to successfully continue providing your baby with breastmilk for as long as you want to. Towards the end, it addresses the potential alternatives such as flex schedules, part time work, or putting your career on hold. But it doesn't start off making you feel like you're a bad mother if you go back to work.

Now that I've read this book (and a couple others), I just know I'm going to be more successful with pumping and working this time around with my second baby. In retrospect, it helped me see that I actually did a pretty good job the first time around (100% breastmilk until 6 months; daughter weened herself at 9 months when my milk supply dried up). I just felt like such a failure and like I lacked the kind of support I needed.

Definitely buy this book NOW and read it cover to cover if you are going to be a working mom! You'll enjoy and appreciate it.

This is the book for anyone who has a blood sugar problem. This blood sugar malfunction may manifest itself in weight gain, alcohol abuse, overuse of sugar, or simply in sinking energy levels. The author of this book gives her own personal story, and she gives some amazing, yet easily understandable details on how our bodies handle sugar and what our bodies need to function well. A practical plan is laid out that helps each person learn about his or her individual body reactions to the food we eat. Of all the diet or health books that I have read, this one has helped me the most. (It is not a diet book, it is a plan to maximize your body's ability to function in good health.)

Reading this book, my wife has realized that she and our daughter have sugar sensitivity. Though the recommendations in this book are not necessarily easy to implement, they're much better than many other approaches we've tried in the health and diet genre. Going through the steps, after some withdrawal symptoms similar to caffeine withdrawal (headache but not as severe) getting her body cleansed, my wife is reporting much higher energy levels.

The potatoes thing seems to work. Pleasant dreams!

This book is changing my life. To overcome twenty years of craving chocolate and bingeing on sweets--twenty years of wondering what was wrong with my willpower--by simply following the seven steps outlined in this book: well, it's nothing short of a miracle. Here I am, someone who could never imagine life without chocolate, actually embracing cutting sugar out of my life. My daylong grazing has been replaced by planned snacks, I'm less cranky, I rarely battle mild depression anymore, and I can now stay up till 9:30 or 10 PM without petering out (a biggie for me). And it all began with getting enough protein for breakfast.

One of the best things is that you don't have to believe this eating program will work. If you just do the food, the changes will happen by themselves. It's straightforward (no complicated calculations), simple (though not always easy), and cheap (once you buy the book, there's no big outlay of money). Plus, there's a wonderful and caring online community to support people each step of the way.

I also highly recommend Kathleen DesMaison's eating program for children, outlined in LITTLE SUGAR ADDICTS. Through this book, my four daughters' lives are changing in wonderful ways as well.

The original version of this book gave me my life back. Depression gone, cravings gone, crazy thoughts gone, self-loathing gone, PMS gone. All through the simplicity of eating the right foods for my body. I gave up sugar without shedding a tear, something I thought I would never be able to do, and I don't miss it at all. This edition has all the newest, updated info that Kathleen and the Radiant Recovery community have discovered since the first edition came out. This book will change your life, will give you a life you might only have dreamed of otherwise. Thank you, Kathleen.

I suspected that I had a problem with sugar when I tried to get rid of it and couldn't. I also noticed that I tended to increase my sugar intake every day for several days and then go off of it for a while and then start again. I used it like a drug.

The first edition of PNP changed my life. All of DesMaisons' books are great, but PNP is the best. It explains the science behind the theory in greater depth than the other books, which gives the theory more power in my opinion. The second edition is sort of a different book. It has a lot of updated information based on what DesMaisons' has learned by working with the online community. It's worth reading both, but if you only buy one, get the second one.

Visit her website if you want to know more about the theory before you buy. There is life after sugar addiction and it is a great life!

In my opinion, a lot of care went into making this book very easy to understand and encompasses all the essentials about Reiki.

What I liked best about Pamela Miles view of Reiki is that self-practice/awareness comes first and then Reiki becomes a lifetime journey not an overnight event.

I am a reiki teacher/master and give this book to my level I students as a reference guide. To me, Pamela's book captures the heart of reiki and reflects her deep understanding and practice of reiki. I also especially like the language she uses that speaks to my scientific nature (I hold two M.S. degrees) without detracting from the mystery that unfolds as you practice reiki on yourself and others. I highly recommend this book and suggest you check out Pamela's website. I also recommend the book "Practical Reiki" by Richard Ellis to my students because it is full of beautiful images and photographs.

As as a devoted student, and one who practices Reiki, I was initially impressed with the elegance, scope and reliability of this beautifully written book. It is absolutely authoritative, but reads in a very personal way. I literally have stacks of Reiki books that seemed compelling at first, but "Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide," has risen to the top and withstood the test of time. It is the only Reiki book that I refer to regularly on an ongoing basis. As my practice grows, I find new things to explore in this book, and I am always rewarded with solid and soulful insight and guidance.

Excellent book on Reiki. I just purchased in last week and have already recommended it to several clients of mine...a few of them western medical doctors. It demystifies the subject in a language anyone can follow and more importantly it will not turn off the most closed-minded reader.

I've lost 24lbs in 5 weeks so far on the Sonoma Diet and my palate hasn't been bored yet! The recipes in this cookbook are well written, easy to follow, contain ingredients easy to find in most grocery stores, and produce great results. Although most of the recipes feature cilantro, parsley, marjoram, rosemary or cumin as flavor enhancers, you'll find a variety of flavors in this book. In fact, no two recipes taste alike - which is more than I can say for many other "diet" cookbooks I've tried.

My family has particularly enjoyed the soup recipes in this book, our favorites being the spicy black bean chili and tomato with bread soup. Also good are the flavorful, hearty salads. This book features a lot more fish recipes than the original Sonoma Diet book does, but it is still pretty light on Vegetarian items. Some of the vegetarian items just did not turn out at all (barley risotto, for example, never cooked all the way despite adding more than 10 minutes to the suggested cooking time). However, the great recipes far outshine the not-so-great.

Bottom line: Well worth the money, nice variety of flavors, sound nutritional advice. A little light on vegetarian dishes, but overall a great cookbook.

I just received this book and can't wait to try the recipes in it. I have the Sonoma Diet Book and my husband and I both LOVE the recipes. We don't necessarily use it to lose weight, but to make good healthy meals that we both can enjoy.

The Sonma Diet gets you the results you want, and the food tastes great. Happy Cooking and Happy Eating...

So many yummy, healthy recipes that you don't even miss the butter or gravy! I refer to this cookbook constantly, and the whole family never even realizes that they are eating so healthy. I'm waiting for the author to come out with part 2.

I have been a cook and pastry chef for 20 years. This is the best cookbook I have ever used. I use it daily and have recommended it to several of my friends. The food is amazing. Taste and flavor just explode from each wave. Easy to find ingredients and easy to prepare recipes. After 7 weeks, I have lost 22 pounds and am still enjoying every meal I prepare from the book.

Jean is an amazing woman and an inspiration to all. She is someone who has walked the walk. Her advice is on target. She is compassionate but shoots straight. Follow her plan and your life will change, along with your weight. I should know. I have been following her plan for a year now. I have lost 50 pounds, in spite of losing two important people. I dealt with the grief the right way -not eating my way through it. Thank you for everything, Jean.

WHY THE WEIGHT? DARE TO BE GREAT! is like reading a Bible for those who want to lose weight. It is so inspirational that it should be kept out on a table to read and reread when one needs to be reminded of the multitude of ideas offered the readers. For those of us who have weight problems, it should be in a obvious place to use as a way of life.
Its contents are more than any reader could ever expect, without a page of disappointment.
Connie Nanasy, author of: Roamin' Around Planet Earth and
Love and Betrayal in Texas

This book helped me soooooo much. It's a spiritual approach to weight loss, and it's like nothing out there. Thank you, Jean

In this book, Jean Krueger talks about eating in response to "loss". She has had some profound losses in her life including the deaths of both parents and 3 brothers......but she expands the concept of "loss" to other areas as well.

A second point is Krueger's philosophy that weight loss is not only about the pounds. It is about adding things into your life. When you are overweight, you have no energy. No zest. No joy of living. She urges you to examine your life. Take on new challenges and make a list of things you want to do and start doing them step by step.

In my own life, I suffered "loss" of self esteem when I was unable to balance the stress of being a perfectionist at work and trying to be a wife and mother at home. I ended up taking a transfer in order to survive and felt embarrassed and ashamed because I hadn't been able to handle it all. My self esteem fell to an all time low. Eventually I retired and again felt the "loss" of an exhausting but exciting career.

Later, I fell from a ladder and suffered a debilitating injury which put me on medication and laid me up for more than a year. Food was an easy solution to both losses. Besides, I deserved it and it made me feel better..... temporarily.

I reached a point when I felt my life was over. I became depressed and discouraged and withdrew from friends and activities.

Weight has been a problem all my life. I have tried many weight loss programs and the scale has yoyo'd up and down. But when I found this book and started reading it, I wrote in my journal, "could this really be the time?" In other words, could I not only take off the weight but resume a meaningful life?

My mantra has become, "I am determined to take back my life." I have lost 10% of my body weight, am about half way to my goal and am doing more things and enjoying them more than I have for years. I am again in touch with old friends and am helping to plan a reunion of current and retired employees. I eat out all the time...and make good choices much of the time. I walk alot and go to the gym several times a week and my husband and I have completed several 5K fund raisers. I have joined a quilting guild and taken an adult education sewing class. I am in training as a volunteer for the American Red Cross.

I have been fairly diligent...but not perfect. For me, I no longer look for the "quick fix" to lose weight. Weight control is now more a change of mind set and life style and I owe my motivation to Jean Krueger and her insightful book.

Just attended a workshop featuring Jean Krueger and was sincerely motivated after hearing her speak that I purchased this book. She is truly a inspiration and I look forward to reading more about her method of weight loss. I would encourage others that are looking for a postive way to approach weight loss to hear her message.

Chicken soup for the cat and dog lovers soul is a wonderful book that warms my heart and gives me a happy feeling reading thru the stories and the love people feel for there pets. When I recently lost my beloved siamese cat it helped me to feel better about my "furry baby" passing over the rainbow bridge because I knew he had a wonderful life and he knew he was cherished. All the books in the chicken soup series are very uplifting and spirtual and make people smile, I highly recommend them.

I have bought many books from this series and found this one to be my favorite. This book is a must for the animal lover. I will read a few stories before bed every night. Some stories bring tears to my eyes and others make me simle from ear to ear. Great book that people of any age will love!!

My 10 year-old son tried reading it,and thought the stories were too sad, but I adore this book. Very sweet, humbling stories about good people and good animals.

I really enjoyed this book. The main reason I liked it is because it is all about cats and dogs, and I am a hardcore animal lover. Another reason I liked it is because the stories are not made up in someone's mind. These stories are real stories that real people lived through. The last reason I liked this book so much is because you don't have to read it like an ordinary book. You can read it like I did and just jump around to stories that sound good to you, instead of reading the book cover to cover.

In this volume, Mr. Canfield and crew have compiled a smorgasboard selection of short stories about pets who fortify us and make life bearable. Especially poignant to me was "the medicine cat" as I, too, had one named Tosca. She gave up the ghost a few months ago at the age of eighteen years, as I had no way to get to her when she needed support of the kind she gave to me several years ago. They recognize the special love and devotion of animals to bless our hearts and homes.

"Cat lovers will tell you that felines are 'poetry in motion,' living sculptures at rest, and that the warm weight of a purring cat...is a surefire cure for all that ails you."

It is the physical acts of love to bring the gift of life as expressed in "The Healing Touch." I cried as I read "The Language of the Heart" about an unusual rabbit and his healing the hurt of a little girl who'd turned inward and no longer could talk. Something had died in that child which this loving rabbit cured. His innocence and trust had rekindled the same qualities in the child. The loving presence of an animal can heal where words have no effect. Alas, Roger Rabbit bit the tip off my little finger one day, which led me to the ER for a Saran-wrap bandage (to stop the bleeding -- a bandaid wouldn't work) and a tetanus shot. Needless to say, I found him another home.

"A small gesture -- the insistent tap of a cat's paw" about Jack, an adopted stray kitten (like Dante in Troy, Alabama), who grew into Ellen's savior. He woke her from a daydream of tragedy; Star woke me up with that same gesture over and over so that I would not strangle from Acid Reflux. Pets do love and care for their owners. This volume is one I will treasure for years to come. It is full of memories about pet owners' animals, not just cats and dogs.

Very inspiring. It really helped me finish my book, "My Vow of Silence - the roughest 3 minutes of my life"...

Great for writer's block. Read one essay per day and call me in the morning.

[...]

This notable volume of "Chicken Soup" consists of eighty stories within ten chapters to thoroughly inspire and give voice to the value of writing, whether for profit and as a career or for the sheer joy in the outlet of creative expression.

Each true-life story was written by a professional writer within some genre of the field, and I found myself turning the page to find any familiar to me. Regardless of familiarity of name, each story will inspire, even if you have no inclination to write. And if you do write, you will find helpful tips, comradeship and motivation along with the encouragement.

As with all books of the Chicken Soup series, this one can easily be book-marked and read at leisure. I enjoyed every page and every story.

I love the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul is no exception. What a great idea, to have published authors encourage other writers, by telling their stories.

Did you know that Dr. Seuss's first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected by twenty-seven publishers?

Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind was turned down by more than twenty-five publishers?

Fifteen publishers and thirty agents turned down John Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill. His first book has sold over 60 million copies.

I never tire of hearing about Richard Paul Evans, and how he published the bestselling book, the Christmas Box. The book went on to create a phenomenon with grieving parents flocking to the Christmas Angel statue in Salt Lake City.

I love the story about Clive Cussler, who tells us of the power of persistence. He quit his job as a prestigious director for a national advertising agency, to work as a clerk in a dive shop. He wanted to learn all he could about diving, to help with his underwater adventure series. His family struggled, living on his wife's salary as a police dispatcher, plus his $400 a month, but he would not give up on his dream. It took Clive Cussler eleven years before his books were successful.

If you are a writer, or want to be a writer, this book is a must read. I have read it twice. Since discouragement seems to come in the night, I read one or two stories before going to sleep.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood
author: Through the Rug
Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)
Stowaway: The San Francisco Adventures of Sara, the Pineapple Cat

Sometimes this series seems wussy but this particular book is absolutely great. You get to read about authors during their struggling years and times of doubt, and, it's all across the board in writer types.

Enjoy.

I'm going to admit it. I love the books in the series CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL. I became an addict almost from the beginning. I even remember the first time I read a story in one of the volumes. I was having a terrible day, and all I wanted to do was complain, but no one was listening. It was suggested I sit back, relax, and enjoy a fire roaring in a fireplace. I grabbed the first volume in the series, the only one available at the time, and read a story at random. It was about a little boy battling cancer who dreamed of being a firefighter. I read the first paragraph, figured it was going to be sappy, and if it was too gooey, I'd throw the book in the fireplace as kindling. Well, that's not what happened. The child did not survive, but the local firefighters made his frame come true and as I read, I became emotionally involved in the story, almost feeling as if the kid was my own son. But it did more than just make me realize I was getting a bit to cynical in my not so old age, it reminded me of what writing can do for a reader: make a connection to a person's heart in a way no other medium can. Over the years the books in this series have made me take a few moments to reflect, appreciate life, and see the good that is out there even if we don't always realize it. No, not every story moves me, but I do believe that every story in the series moves at least one reader, and if writers claim to be pouring out their heart and soul on the page, isn't this the point? In some ways I have this series to thank for reminding me of my dream to write something that will be published. As I read many of the stories in this series, it reminded me that we may all have a story to tell, but writers take that story one step further and put it on paper.

Now, while I love the books in the series, I wondered if CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE WRITER'S SOUL would have enough of an edge. I guess I believe books on writing should be challenging in order to be credible. I've read the books on writing theory by people such as Eudora Welty, John Gardiner, Anne Lamott, and Brenda Ueland as well as the "you can write a best selling novel in thirty seconds" type of books. Of course I read the former as an artist, but the latter for research purposes. The main character in my novel in progress is a popular writer so I need to know how popular writers write, right? Right. I wondered if the CHICKEN SOUP volume would have the critical push I need, or whether it would be enjoyable stories without a bite, so I avoided the book. Then I remembered something. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen are two of publishing's most successful writers/editors, and the first volume was rejected by publishing houses that thought the idea would never succeed. I'm willing to bet they regret rejecting Canfield and Hansen now, but it also reminded me, these two people know the ins and outs of writing and publishing, and they may know what writers need to read.

Obviously I purchased this volume, and I've read it as I do most of the books in this series. I look for a story that interests me and read it. Usually I take something with me. This volume shows the variety of people who take words and put them together in an attempt to find meaning. Some of the writers with stories in this volume include esteemed authors such as Ernest J. Gaines, best selling writers such as Clive Cussler, and writers from the world of entertainment such as Garry Marshall and Art Linkletter. Most of the stories are written by lesser known names that may not have the notoriety but have the same desire to put words to paper.

I'll admit, most of the stories in this book I use in teaching, usually when teaching junior high students about the importance of pursuing dreams or having confidence in one's abilities. Yet as I teach these lessons and remember where the stories come from, I am reminded of my own desire to write, and since that's the purpose of the book., it succeeds.