Adoption Books

Excellent lesson in pet care without the homework feeling! 9-10 year olds will enjoy reading and younger children enjoy having the book read to them. Doris obviously knows both children and greyhounds. Also a fast read for adults wanting more information about retired racers and the adoption process.

This is a touching and cute, as well as informative, book on greyhound adoption.

With a fourth grade hero, Ms. Ahrens covers not only the world of greyhounds, but the everyday struggles children have with good manners, clean rooms, homework, family and friends. It's a smooth read, with a happy ending!

Even if you've never thought about adopting a retired racing greyhound, you and your children will want to read this book.
Doris gives a wonderful explanation of the adoption process, from submitting the application to the home visit to matching the greyhound with the family. When you finish this book, you'll want to go out and meet a greyhound. And I think that is exactly what Doris intended. This is a wonderful book to share with your children/grandchildren during summer vacation. I give it 5 stars but the five greyhounds at our house give it 20 paws!!

I like books about animals. It was neat to hear how people are helping find homes for greyhounds when they can't race anymore. I learned a lot about greyhounds. The pet show was fun. I would like my school to have one too. I am in the fourth grade. Kids my age will like this book.
Katie (age 9)

Adoptee Janine Baer provides those interested in the adoption with definitive documentation on the history of the sealing and falsification of birth records, making this book invaluable. Most of the historical research was done between 1992 and 1995, while Baer was social science M.A. student at San Francisco State University.

Baer digs deeply and provides documented insight into conflicting opinions regarding the stated reasons for perpetrating secrecy in adoption practices, including attitudes toward illegitimacy and the financial responsibility of raising orphans, abandoned children, and those of the indigent.

While the book focuses primarily on her home state of California and clearly each state has its own timeline and varying means of handling adoption records access, the attitudes underlying the policies are fairly common. First, The U.S. Children's Bureau sought to enact laws to record births, which led to problems regarding naming of a father. So, records were initially sealed from the public to protect against the stigma of illegitimacy. Rather than to "protect" mothers from shame, as became the argument in the 1990's (p 82), Baer notes that "[s]ecercy punished women by preventing birthmothers from learning anything about their children as time went by" p 25). "At the least," she notes, "sealing reassured couples who might otherwise have been reluctant to adopt a child that the birthparents could not find them" (p 90), their invisibility legalized.

The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) never advocated for original birth records to be sealed or hidden from adoptees. "The only confidentiality the organization recommended in the 1930s was to protect adoptive families from being contacted by birth families..." (per CWLA's "Minimum Safeguards in Adoption" 1938, Baer, p 12). The 1933 California statutes appear to have followed this guideline of disallowing only public access in providing that vital statistics (including birth records) "shall not be accessible to any one except upon request of the child or his foster or natural parents upon order of a court" (p48).

"Some agencies sought to protect the reputations of birthmothers at a time when unmarried parenthood could result in social ostracism" Baer states (p 15). Yet, this seems to be the one speculation the author makes that is unsubstantiated. Her research, in fact, verified that it was not a consideration in sealing the records from all parties in California in 1935 (p 20). In fact, California passed sealed records laws in 1935 to protect adoptive parents from being blackmailed -- allegedly in deference to their not wanting their children to know they were adopted (p 14, 19-20). "The rationale by the 1935 bill's sponsor in California was protection of the adoptive family from interference by others on the sensitive topic of a child's adoptive status" (p 23).

In 1938, The CWLA's Minimum Standards divided concerns and safeguards into three categories: the child, the adopting family, and the state (p 57). The first safeguard mentions preserving "kinship ties" with biological families if possible. Yet the document also "encouraged adoption agencies to keep the names of adopting families confidential from birthparent" (p 72) while in 1847 it was clear that in California--as in many other states--those adopting "had the option to obtain birthparent names just before an adoption was finalized" and "birthparents did not have a similar privilege" (p 74). This practice remains true today in many states, undermining claims that secrecy in adoption serves to "protect" parents who loose their children to adoption.

A 1936 book entitled The Adopted Child adamantly professed the reverse practices, advocating protecting secrecy and lies by both adopters and agencies when adoptees might return with questions. Quite astonishingly, it appears the advise written by this lay volunteer was held in higher regard and adhered to over that of the professionals, because it provided what adopters and agencies wanted to hear. Another early proponent of secrecy was John B. Watson (Psychological Care of Infant and Child, 1928) who also advised parents to "[n]ever hug and kiss them, never let them sit on your lap." Both of these books validated adopters desire to hide their secrets, and against the advise of adoption and child welfare professionals, "[s]ealed records policies provided a cover under which people w committed the crime of baby selling were able to do so knowing that their practices could not easily be discovered" (p 82).

Baer's research leads her to conclude that by the 1950s, as "telling children they were adopted was becoming more common...their access to original birth records became less common" (p 76). By 1988, the CWLA revised standards "noted that confidentiality could not be guaranteed to birthparents because of changing laws, court orders to open records, and successful searches by adoptees and their families" (p 78), yet more fuel to oppose NCFA claims. The CWLA 2000 Standards of Excellence in for Adoption Services repeats an admonition on promising confidentiality to parents whose rights had been terminated, and calls for agencies to allow adoptees access to identifying information (p 79).
If you work or live with adoption, you cannot afford to skip this book. Everyone seeking to reverse outdated sealed records laws should also provide a copy of the slim paperback to their legislatures.

Mirah Riben, member of the Board of Directors, Origins-USA, The Stork Market: America's Multi-Billion Dollar Unregulated Adoption Industry author "The Dark Side of Adoption" and "The Stork Market: America's Multi-Billion Dollar Unregulated Adoption Industry"

I found Janine M. Baer's book "Growing in the Dark" fascinating. Her writing is beautiful. I felt that she hit all the right notes as she researched "adoption secrecy and its consequences," taking readers along with her on her quest to understand what led CA and other states to seal previously open birth and adoption records. Perhaps Janines greatest contribution, though, is that she speaks with the kind of genuine, experience based authority that only an adopted person can have. I recommend this book to anyone seeking to better understand adoption's aftermath.

Growing in the Dark is a capsule of adoption history from 1851 when Massachusetts passed the first adoption law to 2000 when Oregon's Measure 58 came into effect. It's chock full of information and very readable.

Janine Baer, who was adopted in California, focuses on the California law enacted in 1935 sealing original birth certificates. Contrary to the popular perception, the intent of this law was not to protect the privacy of birthmothers.

Rather, these records were sealed to protect children from the stigma of illegitimacy, to protect adoptive parents from intrusions by birthparents, to allow adoptive parents to keep the child's adoptive status a secret, to create the illusion that the birthparents did not exist, and to prevent adoptees from finding their birthfamilies.

Sealed records laws also helped unscrupulous adoption officials cover their crimes. One of the proponents of sealed records was Georgia Tann operator of the infamous Tennessee Children's Home.

Ironically, these laws damaged those they were intended to protect. Sealed records became the remaining vestige of their illegitimate status, setting them apart from other people by uniquely forbidding them from knowing their origins.

This is an excellent book for birthparents, adoptees, and adoptive parents who want to know how we got to where we are.

When you read a book, do you highlight the important stuff? If you're like I am, you always keep your highlighter handy. When I read Growing in the Dark, my pages turned yellow. I realized that I was highlighting almost every single sentence of every single paragraph. That's because this book is so chock full of fascinating information, I wanted to remember it all.

Long ago, when I first timidly set foot into the adoption reform arena, a fellow adoptee/law student advised me to first read every law in my own state that concerned adoption. "After all," she told me, "These laws are about YOU." It was the best advice I have ever received.

That's why I love Ms. Baer's book so much. It takes me beyond the borders of Illinois as it chronicles the history of adoption laws throughout the country. And that's about ME too.

Ms. Baer studies her own state of California, but not in isolation. She integrates the changes in California law with the broad philosophies and social mores prevalent throughout the country.

Growing in the Dark is also a history of the consequences of adoption laws; how keeping secrets has affected adoptees. Ms. Baer reveals the shame-based consequences of secrecy laws through the eyes of psychologists, child welfare advocates, adoptive parents, birth parents, feminists, and baby sellers.

In the first chapter, we're hit squarely on the head with a most ironic and largely unknown fact - the first step in adoption was KEEPING records, not sealing them. At the turn of the 20th century the movement to register all births was intended to curb the dangerous and often fatal fate which met "foundlings" or "abandoned children." Too often, these children were abused, sold, and even killed, with no one being the wiser. With the advent of mandated birth registrations, disposing of a child unseen became much more difficult.

In the early years of the Great Depression, legislatures began to pass laws forbidding the word "illegitimate" to be used on birth certificates. Children presenting their birth certificates to enter school would no longer have to face the public humiliation of illegitimacy. Also at this time many states began sealing adoption records to everyone BUT the parties of record. The legislative intent was to keep the records away from public inspection.

In 1935, California quietly passed a law that removed that exemption; it made adoption records available only by court order. Other states were not far behind. The era of state enforced identity change had begun! Why??

At this time, private adoption agencies had much to gain by keeping records sealed. They could pretty much do as they wanted and no one would ever know. The Cradle's Eleanor Garrigue Gallagher, in her 1936 book The Adopted Child, recommended to adoptive parents that curious adoptees be told that no records existed. Shades of Georgia Tann!

The Adopted Child also counseled adoptive parents to tell their children that their birth mothers were the ones who believed that secrecy was best for their children. This subtle "twist" seems to me to have been a turning point in adoption policy. The agencies were now slyly slipping their secrecy plans into the mouths of unknowing birth mothers. No one would know what birth mothers really thought because the records were safely sealed. She who holds the secrets holds the power!

During this same time period, The Child Welfare League of America was developing its own policies. They were mostly supportive of adoptees accessing their records and learning more about their birth parents but they were also concerned enough about the stigmas inherent in adoption to recommend some degree of secrecy. They suggested, in their 1938 Guidelines, that birth records be "revised" to avoid the embarrassment of illegitimacy to the adoptee.

Somewhere along the way, the Child Welfare League of America's voice became muted. The post World War II years saw sealed records become the norm all over America.

It wasn't until the 1970s that people began challenging these laws. Organizations such as CUB, AAC, and ALMA were some of the first to advocate for change. Bastard Nation: The Adoptee Rights Organization was born in 1996 and was instrumental in bringing about the 1998 historic ballot measure, Oregon's "Measure 58," opening original birth certificates, unconditionally, to all adult adoptees.

Now grab your favorite color highlighter, settle down in your easy chair, and begin reading Growing in the Dark. You won't be able to put it down.

Beautiful things don't grow in the dark, they grow in the light, so we should all be very grateful that adoption is finally emerging from the shadows. Baer assists us with this book, which is thoroughly researched and meticulously documented.

Adopted people have been searching for their families much, much longer than current adoption stories would have us believe. Baer's work is centred in California, the state in which she lives. She documents searches in the 1920s and the sympathetic portrayal by the Child Welfare League of these searches. She documents the lack of birth certificates at the time due to shoddy social work practice which prevented individuals from ever travelling abroad as one example of the difficulties those adopted faced. Baer examines official records, newspaper accounts and literature to find that in California, social workers and their organizations had never argued for closed adoption records between 1925 and 1945. The only confidentiality mentioned was confidentiality for adoptive families, to prevent them from being contacted by the original families of the children they raised. Social workers also wanted to be able to ensure their clients (mostly middle class, white prospective adoptive parents) that they were getting white children who were not feeble-minded, to use the terminology of the time.

Because of the shame of unmarried motherhood, adoption practice seemed to choose between hiding babies or hiding records. That is, until every child was recorded on a birth certificate, it was easy to transfer children with no one the wiser. Bills to seal records then appeared from the 1930s to the 1990s in the US. Newspaper articles of the time make clear that legislators enacted these laws in some cases to prevent 'unscrupulous persons' from obtaining 'access to the adoption records' and blackmailing 'the adopted parents by threatening to tell the child it was adopted.' (p. 19) Thus, sealing adoption records was a way to ensure adoptive parents could lie to the children they raise with impunity.

Baer also documents how sealed adoption records allowed 'baby farmers' like Gerogia Tann in Tennessee, Gertrude Pitkanen in Montana, and William and Lila Young in Nova Scotia to operate with impunity. In some cases, more babies died in their hands than were adopted. Baby selling and baby stealing operate more easily under closed adoption records: how can one track what happened 20 or more years later without any records? Indeed, Georgia Tann could possibly have been one of the people to support closing records in California. If someone of her ilk thought closed records are a good thing, then one has certainly to ask why. She certainly made money from her baby farming operations. How can the current push for 'Safe Havens' not lead to the same thing that these operations did: babies taken from mothers and 'given' to a safe haven to allow adoption without strings and without possibility of reunion, and large 'legal' and agency fees to those making arrangements?

Clearly, closed adoption records and the secrecy they generate do not benefit those adopted or the mothers, fathers, and family members who have lost them. Those who benefit are the baby brokers and agencies, and they benefit financially. This should tell us something about the inherent immorality of this practice and those who support it.

i like this book. it gave me a sense of suspence and eagerness to see what happens next.i like how each character had their own fears , likes, dislikes, and feeling. it also let the reader know what was inside the mind of the girl who was "cursed" by the gypsie and how it affected her.

THIS BOOK IS ABOUT A ORPHAN NAMED MEGEN. WHEN SHE WAS CURSED BY A GYSPY. SHE BLAMES HERSELF FOR HER FAMILYS MISFORTUNE.FIRST HER FATHER DIES. THEN HER BROTHER MIKE GOES TO JAIL. HER MOTHER MUST SEND THE CHILDREN TO AN ORPHAN TRAIN. A NICE YOUNG COUPLE BUYS MEGEN. WILL MEGEN'S NEW FAMILY HELP MEGEN UNDO THE GYPSY'S CURSE? READ THE BOOK TO SEE!

MAGDALENE

This was a great book because it told you about orphan kids getting new families and better lives. It was also interesting because you learned about the orphan train and how the little kids lived in that period of time.

The book I read was mostly about a young girl who was put up for adoption with her brothers and sisters. Then she was adopted by the Browder family who was exspecting a baby.
She enjoyed her new family very much. Before the baby was born she got a new puppy. This book has a very good moral to it. I reccomend this book to people who enjoy old timey stories.

I thought that this was a great book. after I read A family apart (book #1 of the series) I decided to read them all I thought this one was the best of the 7 books.

Although I knew that Lynn and her husband were finally able to adopt their daughters, I simply could not put this book down. I kept reading to find out what struggles they had to endure next. I was so happy when the adoption was finalized.

We also adopted a child from a former state of the Soviet Union and Ms. Doxon's story brought back many memories of that experience. We thought what we went through was grueling and trying, but their experience was far worse. We have given this book to friends who are trying to adopt currently from Ukraine. We want them to go in armed with the knowledge, insight, and courage that was so accurately portrayed in Rainbows From Heaven. This is a must read for anyone who is thinking about adopting from overseas. This book shows that with God & the desire to adopt that all things are possible.

This true story of a family's struggle to adopt three girls from the Ukraine was capitivating from page one! I laughed, I cried and I prayed for this family thoughout this book. What an inspiring story of faith, love, and determination. Truly, one of the best books I've read in a long time!

I felt inspired by the perseverence of the author. I enjoyed reading the perspective of the young children. I was moved by their journey as orphans prior to their adoption by their American parents.

Lynn Ellen Doxon's book about the adoption of three girls from the Ukraine is truly a story about faith, courage and persistence in the face of difficulty. Lynn Ellen and her husband, Robert, are proof that with God's help, the impossible can be accomplished. This is a fine piece of writing, and will fill the reader with hope and joy.

The Search of a Lifetime is a must read for searching First Moms. I lost my child to adoption many years ago and the search for my son many years later was a roller coaster ride of emotions, frustrations and fears. There were many times when I thought I would never find him and I did not know if I had the strength to continue. Kathy's insightful account of the struggle to find her child touched me deeply as I saw myself in her! And her story moved me and gave me the strength to continue with my search, which ended up in contact and reunion with my son. This is an informative and helpful book for any first Mom who decides to embark on a journey of search for her child lost to adoption. Her sister Teresa's light-hearted account of the search for a place brought a feel of whimsy to the otherwise serious work. I recommend this book to all searching Moms!
Sharon Darwent

I was touched by Ms. Denton's search for her daughter, as I, too, am a natural mother. I know, all too well, the trials and tribulations of the adoption search process and Ms.Denton outlines these in great detail, giving the reader the validation that is so desperately needed while in the search process. She also offers many very helpful ideas for searching - something that is very much needed in the adoption community.

This book is complimented by the addition of "Spynet" written by Ms. Denton's sister, Teresa Cummings. I found this part of the book to be lighthearted and enjoyable while Ms. Denton's account of her search was much more serious.

"Spynet" offers a much needed break from the seriousness of the factual account of an adoption search. Ms. Cummings seems much more comfortable with fiction writing and her writing is the perfect compliment for Ms. Denton's true, heartwrenching story.

This book is a MUST read!

The search of a Lifetime is an excellent book and a MUST read for anyone who is searching for a loved one lost to adoption. I, myself, am a birth mother and I read this wonderful book when I was searching for my son (now found!)- to know someone else felt like I did, had gone through a similiar experience was awesome and really helped me to continue my search for my son. I literally had Goosebumps as I read Kathy's words - I knew exactly how she felt!!

Bless Kathy Denton for her fresh honesty and openess about her search and the adoption issue in general. Also her sister's contribution, "Spynet", was truly a perfect addition to this book - her humor is refreshing and helps the reader take a break from the very emotional story of Kathy's own real search for her daughter. I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone who is searching and to those who would like to know more about adoption from a birth mother's point of view.

The Search of a Lifetime was well written and really touched on the feelings and struggles of a birth mom who wants desperately to find her child who was lost to adoption. I couldn't put the book down and highlighted areas to go back and read again. I was at the point of giving up my search for my lost child when I read this book. The author has given me the strength to go on and has enlightened me in the fact that my daughter desearves all the information she can get about family heritage. I found the humor in the Spy- sections of the book to be different from anything I have ever read. I couldn't help laughing out loud while reading these sections of the book. It put a lighter perspective to a very deep issue of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrone and the gathering of pieces of information that was lost in the depths of the mind as we struggled to do what we were told to do. To forget.....as if this were possible. I would recommend this book to anyone beginning a search and also to ones who are running out of time and strength to go on.

This was literally two books in one! Kathy Denton's account of searching for, and finding, (though not meeting) her daughter was very detailed and she provided excellent search tips on finding missing people along the way. Her sister, Teresa Cummings, added a lighter side to the book in her contribution of "Spynet, A Fable", a search for a missing town. It is interspersed throughout the book, providing a step-back-and-breath break from Kathy's emotional search. Kathy includes many internet sites and all kinds of other places to go to aid in your search. It really is a handbook for searching!

Many young adult books cannot be compared to the technique and writing style of Lori Aurelia Williams. In her sequel, Shayla's Double Brown Baby Blues, Williams gives her characters conflicts in which many readers are able to relate to, or can understand based on human emotions. Williams heroine, Shayla, is a bright beautiful young lady who has a strong sense of self and faces many problems to determine her self worth. I would recommend this book to any and everyone, espcially young adults, because its a comming of age book and many young people can relate to Shayla's problems.

In this sequel to When Kambia Elaine Flew in from Neptune, Shayla's father has a baby daughter with his new wife. The baby is born on Shayla's birthday and has Shayla's eyes. As Shayla is learning to accept the new baby, Gift, she is also dealing with Kambia, who is getting threatening messages from someone while she is trying to recover from what happened before. Also in the midst of everything, Shayla meets a boy named Lemm. Lemm is a gentlemen who does a lot of sweet talking, and really likes Shayla, but he has real problems too. This is a great book, and anyone who liked the first book will really like this one too.

this was a great book, just as good as Lori Aurelia Williams's first book. it focuses on friendship and growing up. shayla must deal with some really difficult issues. her father has a new baby that she fears will take her place and someone begins sending Kambia packages that remind her of her childhood, sending her into her own little world for hours at a time. i can't wait to see what else williams writes.

Shayla Fox's life seems to take turn after turn for the worse. First, her estranged father left her mother for good. Then he remarried a woman Shayla does not like in the least. But worst of all, he has a new daughter named Gift --- a daughter born on Shayla's birthday! Shayla feels as if she has nothing of her own any more, not even a special day. Her grandmother, her sister, and her mother all try to help Shayla. Grandma Augustine is a wisecracking wise woman. Although Shayla feels like her drama is unbearable, Grandma Augustine constantly reminds her to be thankful that she is alive and whole and smart. Grandma Augustine knows that Shayla can be melodramatic and so she gently tells her grandchild that her life, like most people's, will be filled with a little rain, but it's up to Shayla to make sure her sorrows don't turn into a big, overwhelming storm.

A girl who does have a stormy life is Shayla's best friend Kambia. (Their friendship was detailed in author Williams's first book, WHEN KAMBIA ELAINE FLEW IN FROM NEPTUNE by Lori Williams.) As this second novel opens, Kambia's life has only gotten more complicated. A year prior, Kambia was found wandering, alone and amnesiac. Adopted by the Dreyfuses, Kambia is caught in a search for her identity as well as having to find a place for herself in the world. Shayla must help Kambia heal, even as anonymous notes and packages start to plague her friend and bring her to the edge of sanity.

In another subplot, Shayla befriends Lemm, the new boy at school who's lost most of his family in a tragic accident. Lemm struggles, feeling as alone and hopeless as Kambia and Shayla. Lemm also has severe problems with substance abuse, and even as Shayla tries to gain some control in her life, she finds she wants to help Lemm with his issues. Most of the time Shayla feels as if she's caught up in a world full of problems whirling about her, just waiting to reach out and snatch her.

SHAYLA'S DOUBLE BROWN BABY BLUES presents a harsh picture of contemporary life in the African American community. The families are strained nearly to the breaking point but held together by a web of women. These woman show their strengths and vulnerabilities while keeping life going, despite upheavals, dangerous events, and secrets from the past. Women like Grandma Augustine carry with them the promise of a brighter future, even when that promise seems to be withheld by violence and uncertainty; they never allow hope to become totally eaten away. By sharing her enduring strength with her granddaughter, Augustine demonstrates that it is possible to bear the shocks of life and, in time, overcome them.

This isn't the kind of book you can say you enjoyed; "enjoy" simply isn't the right word. But it does tell a powerful story in tight well-crafted prose that lingers in the mind and in the soul long after the story has ended. Lori Aurelia Williams's characters are so solid, they seem as if they've been hewn out of rock instead of the airy stuff of imagination. It's the kind of book that makes you want to hold your own family just a little nearer, just a little dearer. See for yourself.

--- Reviewed by Cassia Van Arsdale

Shayla is young, black, and feels that now that her father's new wife has given birth to a baby (born on Shayla's own birthday!) that she has been replaced in her father's affections. Shayla can't even confide in her best friend, Kambia Elaine, because of not wanting to diminish Kambia's own happiness at finally being part of a loving family in her own right. Nor can Shayla confide in a new friend, Lemm, when she discovers that he has his own troubles and tragedies that he is trying to keep secret. Lori Williams' Shayla's Double is a superbly written, emotionally articulate novel of unconditional love, human heartbreak, and family relationships. Highly recommended for young listeners 10 through 18, this 10 hour, 30 minute Listening Library unabridged production is flawlessly produced and aptly narrated by heather Alicia Simms.

It's been months since I read this book, but I still think about it all the time and am constantly recommending it to people. My mother-in-law sent it to me and I opened it not knowing what to expect. It was my son's first day of leaving him at pre-school and I sat down in the waiting area and cracked open the book. I had two hours to wait and was done with the book before that time was over. It was an easy read, but so powerful!

I don't even know how to describe the inspiration the people in this book offer. Their unconditional love shows us how we all, especially Christians, should live our lives and care for others.

I loved the book so much that I loaned it to a friend. She, in turn, passed it along to another friend who is in the process of adopting two children! I'm not sure where the book is now, but I am confident it is in someone's hands changing their life.

My sons are adopted and I thought we were probably finished. But after reading this I don't know how we can NOT reach out to more children and give them the home they dream of.

I love the stories in this book. I expected it to have more on the scripture references to adoption. However, it is primarily testimonial & an introduction into the lives of the children & the families who took them in. Great book!

This book was recommended in Focus on the Family's magazine. I immediately purchased it and loved it. I took it when I served jury duty! :-)

This book is amazing. The Martins and their town and church have adopted the most needy children in Texas, and have built a beautiful community because of it. Their story is amazing, I found their website which tells more about the community. [...] I definitely recommend this book!

We'd all make fun of a place called Possum Trot and why not? What a silly name for a tiny little no-where place. But wait, this is just the type of place that Jesus shows up through people that believe Him and give their lives away in service to others.

Small Town, Big Miracle is a commendable effort to document the selfless acts of incarnational Christian living that we must all rise too. Too oft we sigh about the world's woes. "Who, oh who can come calm the storms of the lives of the broken in our midst"? Big Miracle, a Focus on the Family resource, offers the answer but I won't even make you read the entire book to find out the answer.

Its you and me and the Martin family and their loving friends and church family show us how.

Its easy to read and very encouraging. Adoptive families will see a model of stick-to-it examples in parenting tough kids. Others will see the great need of the orphans all around us and perhaps take the initiative to get involved.

So I Was Thinking About Adoption... is an informative, helpful and straight to the point book. Small enough to fit in your purse, but packed with questions and answers to help may an informed decision. I love the journal areas and inviting images.

This attractive book is practical, personal and powerful to any woman considering adoption as a parenting choice. Written in a compassionate and straight-talking voice, it asks relevant questions and provides trusted resources to assist her in exploring adoption. This guidebook not only helps her navigate personal thoughts about adoption, but it also helps her talk to her family, friends and the father of her baby as well. To offer a realistic view the book highlights personal stories of others who have chosen adoption for their baby. Pregnancy resource centers, counselors and even Obstetricians should make this resource available to all of their clients experiencing an unplanned pregnancy.

I like that this book is short enough to read in one sitting and is very easy to understand! It has honest answers to the difficult questions that women facing an unplanned pregnancy may have. The author provides women thinking about adoption with the resources to make an informed decision. I would definitely recommend it to a friend considering her pregnancy choices!

This book is a beautifully crafted guide for women with an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy who wants to consider adoption... and I do mean CONSIDER. This book doesn't push or even guilt anyone into choosing adoption, but rather gives the facts and encourages women to make their own choice.

Adoption is defintiely a choice, and should be more included when we are discussing pro-life or pro-choice approaches. Adoption is a beautiful third option that lets a woman who is abortion minded choose life for her child but not have to be a mom at this time. So truly, the best of both choices.

This book is a wonderful guide and I hope that it receives the wide distribution it deserves.

[...]

Not everyone is ready to be a parent. "So I Was Thinking About Adoption: Considering Your Choices" is for women who are faced with the life changing situation of an unplanned pregnancy. Outlining everything a woman needs to know, guidance for dealing with one's family and the father, and a step-by-step walkthrough for the process, it leaves nothing out. "So I was Thinking About Adoption" is a must for any woman who is facing a tough decision in nine months or less.

In my opinion, this is the best book on UNIX programming I have seen. If you already know C and want to learn how to program on the UNIX os, this is the book to get. This is what taught me. I usually always have this book with me. I even like the color!

This book gives an excellent introduction to systems programming in unix. Within a couple of weeks of buying this book, I was able to design and implement a multi-process client server (socket based) application from scratch. The author also discusses the common C library functions used and the caveats there of. (for instance, the gets() function is a dangerous one!) Although I program a lot in windows NT, I still find this book to be a good reference, especially when porting applications from unix to NT. One thing that I wish the book had is a discussion on remote procedure calls (RPC).

This book isn't just a handy reference for programming in C in the UNIX environment; it's a useful reference for any C programmer. For example, the discussion of file I/O is very clear.

This book is written in a very easy and understandable way. It explains main concepts, system calls and their parameters and how to use them. It lays an excellent ground for a quick start in UNIX systems programming and prepares for more in-depth material like books by R. Stevens. I would say that this book is a must-read for all starters.

If there ever was a book that was badly advertised, this one is it. If we're to believe the cover and even the reviews on Amazon, it's just another book on Unix, when actually it's an essential Unix System V C libraries reference for C programmers. I haven't found anything remotely similar out there. I only bought it after flipping through the pages in a bookstore. It covers everything from file I/O through IPC. It contains tons of code that clearly show how to use each function. As it's a little dated, It doesn't cover pthreads or IPV6, but hopefully the author will make a second edition soon...and make sure that C programmers know that this book is what they're looking for!

I was hooked from the first chapter. This book is well written and I had to control myself from reading so fast to get to the next parts. I love that Mr. Livingston did not leave us to gather our own ending conclusion. I love books that give the entire story. Most books only have one or two intense moments and in this book you are offered more than a fair share.

I can't wait to read Part 2.

A must read for all ages. Great story line with lessons to be learned. I was unable to put the book down until I was finished. Can't wait for a sequel.

i loved this book. i was froced to read this book by my teacher so i was thinking this would be no fun b/c i do not like to read at all. but this book made it fun so fun that i lost what time it was we i was reading the book.i have never read such a good novel. mr livingston way to go.

"Having read "The Wishing Well" twice allows me the right to loudly proclaim that it is a great book! It is a book that you don't want to put down until you've seen to it that the children are safe. My adult son read the book over Christmas, really liked it, and his daughter is now enjoying the privilege. I rate it easily a 5."

"'The Wishing Well' was truly a pleasure to read. I found myself wanting to reach out to help Timothy and Lisa as well as wanting to strike out against Hennigan and Mathews. The underlying human morality depicted in this story forces the reader to ask himself the tough question of 'what would I do?' I give this book a solid 4.0 rating and look forward to reading future works by this author."