health Books

This was the first book I've ever read about addiction. Mikael tells his story with humor, total honesty, and great detail. There were moments when I was reading I would laugh out loud and moments when I'd feel butterflies in the pit of my stomach as he candidly describes what his life was like when he was totally and utterly lost in a world of drugs. I applaud Mikael for the courage it took to write this book and for his desire to help others by sharing his story. This was a great read. I highly recommend it to people of all ages.

I thought the book was entertaining. but that is really abouth the extent of it. He spends 95% of the book telling "war stories" about his debauchery and drug use, but really not his drug addiction. There is very little information about what his family goes through and only mentions them as characters in his exciting stories. He definitly is not a great writer but, that also confirms for me that he wrote it himself, which is a positive. He could of summed up what took him hundreds of pages in the following, I got caught up in a party scene, with an endless stream of hardcore drugs, drug dealing and women, which eventually led to numerous arrests, a baby out of wedlock and several visits to rehab and then spent ample time on how he has changed and how he did it instead of the endless detailed, blow by blow stories of how he got high on this or that. He really seems to be fresh out of that world and it is hard to get a frame of reference of how long he has been in recovery and what the steps are he took and is taking so as not to fall back into this dismal existence. I'm wondering if he really has enough time to have been authoring a book on the subject of recovery. I just dont get the vibe from him that he is neccesarily standing on firm ground as he still seems to resonate a character of self, which is the underlying character flaw of addiction behavior. Also, I am irritated at how he just jumps into a marriage with a new girl and has a new baby with her and sort of seems to just forget about the first child he has. overall an entertaining read but I would not recommend this as a tool to educators and parents to understand how a good kid goes bad. Try, "Broken" or a "Beautiful Boy" for that subject.

This excellently depicted story of Mikael's descent into the dark world of drugs is a wake up call to all of those out there who never thought that it could happen to them. He candidly shares the most tumultuos and low points in his life while giving a good lesson at the same time. This book is well written and easily reads in conversation format. Mikael has a unique writing style that processes truth behind the words and emplores you to learn from his mistakes while telling his story. Overall, a good read!

Attention parents, educators and teens -- this book is a must read for all of you. This is the one book that parents who think "Oh, not my kid... " must read, to get a real grasp at the fact that EVERY kid has the potential to spiral into drug addiction and destroying everything of value -- just like Mikael. Unfortunately, unlike Mikael, many will not be able to brake out of their prison of addiction.
I applaud Mikael Luman for sharing his story, and for founding Generation Free - advocating proactive education.

It is hard to imagine how deep of a hole a person can dig for themselves, only to fall into the dark abyss of nowhere. Rarely do those people find their way out, but somehow Mikael did. Many others were not so fortunate.....I knew many of these same people. This book teaches a good lesson when it comes to drug use, friends and making good or bad choices. Read the good with the bad in this very honest account of a roller coaster ride from hell.......and back. Highly recommended for anyone thinking that drugs won't change their lives....

If you are looking for a life changing book, here it is. I suffer from Fibromyalgia with chronic pain. This book is one of the "text" books I use to lean into my life, yes life is in session and Bacci has built for us a guide on how to better take all of it in no matter how complex things can get. I spent over 26 years of my life in a high pace driven corporate world as an International executive with a family of 9 at any given time, this number varies depending on the circumstances. Today at 52 I am a registered Yoga Instructor with my own small studio in the middle of Texas on my way to getting my Certification in Yoga Therapy and soon start my studies for my licence in Massage Therapy to continue my education in Cranio Sarcal Therapy. The later I fell in love with after reading the Art of Effortless Living" By Ingrid Bacci PhD. Thank you, Ingrid!The Art of Effortless Living: Do Less, Let Go, and Discover Health, Emotional Well-Being, and Happiness

"The Art of Effortless Living" by Ingrid Bacci is a quest for personal empowerment and transformation through meditation and yoga.

Ingrid Bacci provides well developed practical approaches to creating an 'effortless' lifestyle.

Connection to the Higher Self is important along with various practices to develop physical and emotional awareness.

Also read:

Nexus: A Neo Novel

Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao

a must read for dealing with your own health and finding your true pleasure in life.

Ingrid's book is about learning to live your life from an inner place. A place that allows you to access your inner wisdom and get in touch with feelings and feeling your body. She talks about how we have gotten to a place of stress in our lives and informs us on how to let go of that. She mentions the fact that not only are our minds, thought and actions so stiff and so frozen, but it also effects our health.

I highly recommend this book it is a jewel and will guide you on a new path of effortless living that brings joy and well being into each moment. I hope that she writes another book, her input and the way she writes is like listening to a dear friend who has your best interest in mind. Awesome book, I have highlighted it and will treasure it and go back to it for inspiration many times.

This book was suggested by a friend and it was exactly what I needed at this time. It is a great resource for making work and life transitions with ease. I have always been looking for a book like this one, and I finally found it. It is a truly wonderful book.

I felt it had some very good ideas. It's a short read and to the point.

This is tops in my book. I am purchasing one for each of my child's teachers. Boy did i learn a lot!

I have struggled since Kindergarten to find a book that teachers at my son's school would actually read and this is it. I bought it after printing pages from the internet for his teacher so that she would understand his needs better. He is mainstreamed but has difficulty with authority. She has done wonders in just the first month of school. She is willing to learn and accepted the book without hesitation and has actually shared it with other teachers and duties in the school. The book is well written - very easy read and doesn't take up the precious time of teachers, it is informative and well explained. I highly recommend this book to anyone even supporting staff at schools especially elementary schools.

I was very impressed with the straight forward and direct approach of this book. I read this book in less than an hour and picked up some good tips. Before I found this book, I was trying to search the internet for info to print off for his teacher. I was having a hard time finding a site that described AS, it's symptoms, what to expect, and how to help. This book covers it all, plus has tips of things to add to the IEP. Since no one in our school district has ever dealt with AS before, this book will be a big help. I bought a copy for my son's teacher, and am trying to get the school to buy copies of their own.

I love this book because it's short enough that the teachers will actually read it, and practical enough that they will actually use it. We have given a copy of the book to each of my son's teachers every year - it is a critical part of laying the foundation for good communication for the school year, and for helping the teachers see and understand his behavior in the right context. I would highly recommend this book!

I found "Backwards" to be very well written but have some major issues with the message put forth:


(1) The SOURCE (GOD) finds all kinds of human experiences interesting. Does this include rape, murder, child abuse, etc?

(2) Light-beings (souls) enter into a contract with a human entity before hand and are aware of their future
parents and experience thousands of lives via reincarnation. I just read yesterday about a 5 week old baby that was murdered by his father because he would not
stop crying. What could a dormant soul learn from this experience except that it is better to exist in the
afterlife than this man-made hell on earth? If the soul is just there as a voyeur recording the experience for sharing with other light-beings, then we come off as empty hosts inhabited by parasites who get their jollies from out misfortune.

(3) We manifest reality. I could see a possibility of being able to manifest our own reality in the afterlife, as proposed. But a small paragraph says we are already generating or manifesting reality here. Who but an insane person would generate this reality? Our reality is filled with pain and suffering, not to mention that imposed by us on our fellow creatures sharing our reality.

I may be delusional but I will stick with my ONE life philosophy. The alternative is too depressing.

Nanci Danison's book is my new bible. As an avid reader of NDE material, her work is the most comprehensive analysis of such an experience as I have reviewed. She is in no ways bound down by traditional religious dogmas. After reading "Backwards", I feel much less fear of the unknown future, more relaxed about being on the right path with my life, and more hopeful than ever about the human race. You will probably enjoy this book if you have read and enjoyed any of the following authors/works: Raymond Moody's "Life After Life", Dannion Brinkley's "Saved By The Light", anything by PMH Atwater, and especially Neale Donald Walsh's "Conversations with God". At times the text is difficult to follow but if you hang in there, it gets easier. Also I found that the book can be read from any place. Ironically I started reading it's last chapters and began working my way BACKWARDS before I went to the beginning!

Having finished reading the book "Backwards: Returning to Our Source for Answers" by Nanci L. Danison, to say this book is merely an 'important read' would be insufficient. I've read many books on the NDE, its aftereffects, and the received messages from the nonphysical realms beginning with Raymond Moody's book in the 1970's. I can say 'Backwards' is a timely evolution of every previous book on the subject. It is very well written, and the author takes you through her experiences in a way that makes you feel as if you are right there with her.

The descriptions and messages conveyed by Nanci L. Danison 'ring true' for this reader. There is a 'knowing' within me that what she reveals describes all of our interconnected paths back to Source. I can't recommend this book enough.

Nanci Danison's Near Death Experience (NDE), as described in Backwards, is the most detailed NDE I have ever read. And I have read thousands of NDE's, since being riveted by my first one in 1977 from Dr. Raymond Moody.

Nanci was a successful lawyer in a large law firm in the Midwest when she crossed over to the other side. She had not spent 10 years in an ashram wondering about the meaning of life. Rather, this "death" happened unexpectedly and changed her life forever - which in many ways makes her book all the more evidential. And for the skeptics, she did not die alone but in a major Midwestern hospital under a physician's care.

Nanci confirms what I have known for a while now; there is no death. Death and dying are a process. What we call death is no more than stepping through a doorway back to our real home. We leave this dimension at death and go back home. There we evaluate our recent life and our recent progress and get ready for another learning experience. Such is the real nature of light beings, she writes.

She confirms what thousands of NDEs teach. We come to this dimension to learn, to teach, to serve our fellow humans and to make a positive difference. The rub is that we come here with free will. Free will allows us to live a life of service or turn and serve ourselves with a dark, selfish, self indulgent evil lifetime.

Nanci confirms, in no uncertain terms, that our "purpose" here is to learn how to love and to give and receive love. Our real purpose is the antithesis of our materialistic "grab all you can get," world we inhabit; yet it is true. All of my travels through various belief systems (religions) confirm what Nanci learned in her grand tour on the other side.

Backwards is not merely a book, but rather it is a journey. You travel with Nanci to the center of the Universe and discover again why you came here in the first place.

I am thankful for Nanci Danison's insightful recall of her personal NDE which resonated deeply within me; and, as I read her account, I had the sense I was hearing truth spoken, finally! I was recently privileged to hear Ms. Danison speak in person and found her personal account of her profoundly life-changing experience surprisingly candid and honest, thus, very credible - a woman who needed to do something with the knowledge she was given during her incredible journey and in so doing, she's become God's Messenger. This is a book I will return to over and over again.

I was a semi-cripple when I started reading her book and listening to (and working with) the tape that accompanies the book. I am not 100%, but I know I'm getting there!

Suesan's book had every argument I used to use against working out and her sense of humor drove me straight to her class. When I miss a class I get depressed!! I am almost 40 and am recovering my 20 year old body!! Totally recommend the book -- but, once read, prepare to get in shape!!

Suesan's workout simply works! Her book and tape provide a clear, practical guide to her program, which I have found to be the most effective and beneficial. My improved level of fitness, health and overall well-being are a direct result of using the Tone-Up method developed by Suesan as she describes it in her book.Her exercices help me with my strength, balance, and coordination and shape my body in a most satisfying way. She is one of the best kept secrets of Santa Barbara, but not for long, that's for sure.I highly recommend her book.

Suesan Pawlitski's book, "Be your best body",is simply the best routine anybody can follow any where you are. I am an avid work out addict and found Suesan's work out to be effective and "core " strengthening as well as allowing me to be more flexible, even without the benefits of Yoga. I'm fortunate to live in Santa Barbara and am able to take her classes three times a week along with my other work outs, and even though I have considered myself to be in great shape, her classes are still a tough work out. You too can follow her classes by simply following along with her book, the routines are all in there and are the absolute best. They are clear and concise and so easy to follow. The benefits are unbeleivable!

The author has an incredible ability to teach and motivate. I highly recommend this book for anyone that thinks it's too difficult to achieve a great looking body... it's awesome!

Many thanks to my friend Erik who recommended this book to me. I really enjoyed it. Being a twin myself, I found many similarities between my life experiences and theirs. Some of the stories reminded me of the love and joy found in having someone so much like one's self, my twin sister Judy McKinny. In fact, this book influenced me into becoming a climber. Read this book.

The Ganz twins were able to capture all the different feelings that twins feel - from a special oneness to feelings of jealousy - and they did it beautifully. Finally there is a book out there just for us (the twins of the world) about us. And, best of all, it was written by twins!

THIS IS AN AMAZING BOOK I GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION AND SIMILIAR THING THAT I HAD NO IDEA OTHER TWINS FELT LIKE EMOTIONAL AND NON EMOTIONAL THINGS . THIS IS A GREAT BOOK FOR ALLL AGES IT INSPIRES PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUALITY OF A TWIN!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading and re-reading this book. The bond and special relationship between twins is felt as you read the individual stories. These stories were extremely well-written and they generated both tears and laughter as I read each of them. The book provides an informative and entertaining insight into the world of twins. The photography was equally superb. This is a beautiful "table top" book. All ages will enjoy it.

As a mother of twins I have read a number of books about twins, this one is different. I took it to a Mothers of Twins meeting one night and you would not believe how many women wanted to look at it. Of course we all have something in common, twins! Everyone in the room was warmed by it's beautiful photos and stories. My copy sits out in our living room where my ten year old twin sons can enjoy it. No one can truly understand the special relationship a twin has, but this book puts it all in to prespective. I recommend this book to all.

If you have a mother, you should buy her this book. If she doesn't need it today, she'll need it one day.

This book was very uplifting and fun, not to mention assuring me I'm not alone during these strange years!

I loved reading the short stories. Some hit the nail on the head so to say and others I just laughed out loud.

A book that validates the numerous mental and physical signs and symptoms of menopause in a gentle and humorous way. A must not only for the soul im menopause but for her sons, daughters, and husbands! It's my Christmas gift to all my forever "50" friends this year! Karen Alexander

I am still in my child-bearing years and I thought I'd get the book to learn more about Menopause and boy did I!! It is informative. It made me dread menopause and not want to look forward to the future of aging.

It may be funny to menopausal & post-menopausal women but it isn't for those who haven't gotten there yet. It seems sad and scary that we have to go through these changes. It's like reading about people who have gone through the horrors of their Wisdom teeth removal and you're dreading your turn!

My mother who already went through menopause did not have any of the symptoms listed in the book so I'm hoping I'll be lucky and escape the horrors of the symptoms.

In all, the book was informative with alot of details of what happens during menopause. Those who already went through it or are going through it will enjoy it better because they can relate to these stories and that they aren't alone during the 'change'.

After spending years in 12 step programs, I find this a unique, effective way to deal with and improve my emotional and spiritual standard of living. This book by Melody Beattie is eye-opening and right on the mark.
This book helped change my life!Codependents' Guide to the Twelve Steps

I was skeptical at first about reading a book on the steps. I wasn't sure if it could help me. I had attended a few meetings and thought I knew some of the concepts, but this book opened my eyes. I think that Melody Beattie is very personal and caring in the mind of a codependent. She made me feel like I wasn't a bad person and I could recover from the out of control way my life has been. I'm only on step three, but I feel like I understand more than I have my whole life about who I am and my own needs. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with codependency or with the addiction of a loved one. I never even knew I was a codependent, but the book has taught me that I am and its ok, I just need to start making changes.

If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired - this is the book for you. I have struggled with people-pleasing, victimization, saying yes when I want to say no, etc. This book has taught me how to take care of myself, and life a happier life!

It was hard for me to keep interested. Lots of info, and I am sure it can help some people. But I lost interest in finishing it.

If you have read "Codependent No More" and though "Oh my gosh, that's me!" This is the book to get you on track to rid yourself of the pain and frustration in your life. Be ready to be honest with yourself, and answer some difficult questions...

This wonderful book has been a perfect tool for my group of women friends who enjoy getting into in-depth conversations on personal growth. The author touches on topics and situations that seem to be pertinent to every one of us. Her manner of communicating through print seems to open up long-locked doors, helping us look inside and discover who we really are...and how very "worth it" we are to know. On a personal level I really enjoy the journaling section. I can look at a situation in a totally different light when I reread my entries. Through my written words I finally "say things out loud" that have been rattling around in my brain, undefined and without direction. It's a great book for group or individual exploration.

I loved this book. It helped me to find a sense of peace within. I never knew what that meant until I started practicing some of the techniques in this book. One of my favorite quotes from the book, and there are many is, "Every woman needs two things": her own money and her own room. This book is filled with little gems like that. This is a must read. You'll love it!

This book really helps me on my journaling journey. I appreciate all of Jan's anecdotes that I could relate too. It sounded like she was writing about me, which I will think anyone who reads this book may also find. Jan has a real sense of how we can go inward and "come home to ourselves" through journaling. I love the stories as well as the blank pages with the wonderful quotes that gets the creative process flowing. I appreciate the "tools" this book provides for my journey through life as well as my journaling process. A great gift for anyone going down a similar path.

I feel "Coming Home to Ourselves" is an important tool for the novice as well as the more seasoned wife, mother, daughter, worker, etc. Jan gives very helpful suggestions for assessing just where we are in our self-nurturing, which is an area we neglect in our increasingly hectic lives. She then unfolds how we may begin to better care for ourselves, that in so doing, we can offer better care, not to mention empowerment, to all around us. We don't need to be over-achievers; we must take time for us. Jan, and her book, is a blessing for us all to enjoy.

For thousands of years, woman has been the primary caregiver, not only to her children but to everyone in her world as wife, daughter, sister, neighbor and friend. We were taught to suppress our own needs in order to have more to give to others. In Coming Home to Ourselves, we discover that in fact the opposite is true. When we give from a place of emptiness we just become more empty. We must first create and maintain a reservoir of love and life energy from which to draw. Then we can give to others with joy and love, from a place of abundance. Jan Forrest shows us that by making small changes in our daily lives we can find the time to reawaken the spirit of joy within by giving ourselves the gift of ourselves.

I am only halfway through this book, but I already know I will recommend this book to my family and friends. I was not excited to read it as an assignment - I thought it would be another boring book on eating right. It is much more than that and very interesting to read. The author has done us a favor by reading through hundreds of studies completed on different aspects of health. He presents the results of these studies in an honest, unbias, meaningful way. I thought I knew all about what to do and not do, eat and not eat, but reading this I am understanding how a body reacts to foods and the environment. It is full of information that the marketing departments of food producers will not tell you and would rather you not know. A main theme of the book is that all of these health-related items are directly related to the amount of serious diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes that cause most of the deaths in our country. As a society, we focus on the symptoms, rather than the causes of health problems. While we are pouring billions of dollars into finding a cure for these diseases, they are in many cases symptoms of our unhealthy lifestyles. By eating and living healthy, we can prevent the risks of most of these diseases. And you have to start now. As he points out, most people wait until they start seeing symptoms which in many cases, it may be too late. This is a must read for everyone interested in living a long, healthy life.

I really enjoyed this book! My friend sells corporate health benefit packages for a major insurance company and gives this book to his clients, so he gave me a copy.

What's so refreshing about this book is that it is NOT a diet book and is NOT about weight loss. Weight loss is just a happy side effect of a healthy lifestyle. The focus of the book is improving your health by making what really are pretty simple lifestyle changes. When you learn about what healthy and unhealthy foods do to your body, it really motivates you to improve the way you are eating. The same is true for the discussion of exercise and what it does for the cardiovascular and other systems.

Yes, we all know fruits and veggies are good for us, but I look at them in a whole new way now and you will too if you read this book!

This book is extreemly jam packed with information. I enjoyed the authors' sense of humor. Be warned this is deffinately not meant for a quick read. Slow and steady will win the race here. I found the book very motivating because the evidence was taken from actual studies performed.

This book was referred to me by my dietician after I tried to find that 'perfect motivational type book'. Let's just say I couldn't put it down the second I opened the cover. This book is amazing. I can't tell you how much it has changed my life, my perception of food and most importantly, the motivation it gave me to make the change forever. It's educational, realistic and not filled with gimmicks. I highly recommend this book to anybody looking for the motivation to get off the couch and moving! I'll never live the life I had before this book. I am up off the couch and getting healthy because now I understand the benefits of eating right and having an active lifestyle. This one is a must have in anyone's library!!!

The Culprit and the Cure is an all inclusive guide to healthy living. The premise of this book is that poor health is the primary cause of disease and early death. The author states that poor health is generally caused by improper diet, inadequate exercise, and the use of tobacco products. Thus, in order to become healthier, individuals must address these deficiencies and make permanent lifestyle changes.

To this end, this book examines various aspects of healthy living as studied in various nutrition, physical fitness, and psychological case studies as well as through real life examples. The author then translates this information into simple, inexpensive, realistic solutions for real people wanting to undertake permanent healthy lifestyle changes. This book also features many easy to understand charts and various interactive exercises to help the reader tailor his or her current lifestyle to become healthier.

The Culprit and the Cure is a unique guide to health as it examines the need for healthy lifestyle changes in nutrition and exercise. This book does not promote fast weight loss by undertaking fad diets. Instead, this book looks at the greater benefits of healthy living and more realistic aspects of making lifestyle changes to achieve a healthier way of life.