Injuries Books

"Truth and Consequences" is an honest portrayal of the unraveling of a marriage after one spouse becomes a caregiver for the other. Some marriages would have survived, so the question becomes why did this particular marriage unravel. I believe too much of the previous success of the marriage was because both partners had been a "good catch" for each other. The husband is self centered, but the wife is also calculating and superficial in her way.

What makes the novel fun to read, and more than merely competent, is the character of Delia Delaney. She is an egoist, emotionally crippled by her upbringing, yet she has vitality, warmth and charisma and can be very insightful, so she ends up doing more good than harm, promoting one man's artistic talent, and fostering a successful relationship between two other superficially very different people (the economist and the administrative assistant).

This is a wonderful little book. Its context is the malaise of boomer generation academics, as characterized by Alan, who is "...pale, fat, weak, greedy, and demanding", whose incessant back pain is a metaphor for his creative emptiness and self-centeredness. He gives up solid, if unglamorous, academic work and turns to the pursuit of celebrity, which Lurie captures well in his relationship with the shamelessly exploitive and selfish Delia. A notable aspect of the novel is the generally positive treatment of Jane, the type of middle American who sense of duty actually makes the world work, who recognizes Delia for what she is.

As other readers have commented, there is little need to rehash what the book is about, thanks to other reviews. Unlike other Lurie novels, which I feel were quite original, Truth and Consequences seems repetitive and boring in parts. What starts with a strong beginning line, and compelling first twenty pages, ends predictably. The relationships are too obvious. The inner narratives-- especially Jane's-- become mildly annoying. In addition to all of this, the editing seems to be a bit lacking. There are missing punctuation marks, a misspelling of Alan's name, entire sentences that are repeated, and an overuse of the word "clearly". It's a quick read, but not an especially good one.

This is less a review than a reaction--others have "reviewed" the tale well. I found the book ultimately disappointing. The characters were either fairly "stock" or minimally explored, and the story seemed to progress almost on automatic pilot. So predictable in places, and so "surface" in others. Some symbolism was almost ridiculous in its transparency. It seems to me that not a lot of effort was spent on this fairly formulaic novel. Some reviewers loved the character of Delia, but I found her kind of revolting, actually. Because I had some time to read over the holidays, I finished the book, but not with enormous pleasure. This is not one of Lurie's finest efforts.

TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES by Alison Lurie
March 10, 2007

Rating: 4 Stars

TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES was my introduction to Alison Lurie, and I was very impressed. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Lurie has a knack for words. And for such a short novel, I felt she did a great job in writing about a complex set of people whose lies and lives are entwined in such a way that one can only imagine disaster awaiting all four of them by the end of the book.

Jane Mackenzie is the wife of an older man, a distinguished professor and scholar who had recently injured his back. His pain is so great it is debilitating, and now she deals with his new life, that of a handicapped man, who can barely move and expects his wife to be at his beck and call. Jane fell in love with his body and his mind, but what she sees now is not the man she married. But she carries on, knowing that she must be loyal to him, a man that gave her such love and pleasure for the past sixteen years.

Alan Mackenzie feels that things will not get any better. He's lost interest in his work, although he has just been accepted as a University Fellow where he teaches and Jane works. Coincidentally, Jane is an administrator for the Matthew Unger Humanities Center where Alan is to be working, and to compound his problems with his back, one of the new fellows will be Delia Delaney, known throughout as being difficult and somewhat of a diva. Upon arrival, she covets the office that Alan will be occupying, and hence the drama begins.

Delia's presence causes trouble for Alan and Jane's marriage, but Jane is unaware of the relationship that begins between the two of them. She thinks that Alan looks upon her with disdain, not realizing that he's actually lusting after Delia. On the other hand, Jane is befriended by Delia's husband Henry, a poet who no longer writes. Alan and Jane now live double lives, never letting on to the other what is going on. Jane's unhappiness in her own marriage, however, does not cause her to stray at first, but she does realize how horrible her relationship with Alan is once she develops a true friendship with Henry, a man that truly seems to care about Jane.

Readers will root for Jane and hope that Alan gets what's coming to him, and for me, the book ended on a note that I thought resolved all the relationships. Not everyone gets a happy ending. TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES was a wonderfully written book, short but to the point. I will definitely look for more by Alison Lurie.

This book shipped fast and was in great shape. This book is mostly shelf help infomation.

I found this book very useful in understanding Active Release. Because of it I found a solution for my Carpal Tunnel that actually worked. I nearly had to end my carrier. The first surgery did not work. This book lead me in the right direction. The exercises were also very helpful.

I never recieved the right order so I can't tell you wether I liked the book or not. You all keep sending me the wrong books and now I have three of the same ones............

This book is nothing more than a lengthy brochure written by chiropractors to promote the sale of continuing education seminars to other chiropractors. As one of the prior reviewers stated, there is NO INSTRUCTION on how to provide or perform an "ART" technique. The bulk of the book is simply a review of common repetitive strain injuries and treatment options which are common physical therapy techniques.
"ART" itself does not appear to be anything specifically special other than a type of manual technique designed to release adhesions in soft tissue, of which there are many. All that is presented here is a treatment technique that has been labeled as something specific so that is could be legally protected as a specific type of treatment, then marketed and sold to other chiropractors. Indeed, the foreward is written NOT by a neutral third party but by the actual chiropractor who markets and sells the technique via seminars. The actual authors are people that have taken his course, become instructors and have basically written a text to support the marketing of the continuing education classes. There appears to be no actual scientific studies that prove "ART" techniques are any more successful than other manual techniques. The only supporting evidence provided in the book is done through case studies. Other than the promotion of "ART" and how is it "superior" to other treatment options, the remaining information in the book is again, actually common physical therapy treatment techniques (which is the books only redeeming quality). This book and others like it would like you to think that "ART" and other "patented" techniques are something new. Most, if not all of these type of treatments, are nothing more than modifications of existing tried and true techniques that have been renamed, repackaged and sold to newer generations of clinicians. Indeed, as some chiropractors are moving closer to mainstream medicine, they are incorporating techniques used commonly in physical medicine/physical therapy but most chiropractic schools/chiropractors would never admit this, so the end result is that existing techniques are given new names so that they can be marketed with a chiropractic twist from whomever is promoting it at the time.

I read this book and it gives no information about how do you do this technique. I have been to numerous frauds for my soft tissue problems and this book adds to my list. In fact it gives a bad start
to someone who may want to get ART done on them. Sometimes people want to make a quick buck by writing a book in the hopes that some sucker will fall for it!

This book is really too simple for someone who's already known what means technique. The content is only suitable for the ones who don't know classical music with the whole function of a grand piano. This is not useful in improving technique; only can call it an introduction of technique.

Ever the skeptic, I was wary approaching this book, promising its "breakthrough approach" to building piano technique. After thinking about it for months, I finally ordered the book. Let me begin by qualifying this review: While I have read the book, I admit that not enough time has elapsed for me to work on the prescribed exercises in earnest. Therefore, the elusive breakthrough may indeed lurk around the corner. Also, while I disagree with some of Mr. Prokop's conclusions, I am willing to give his exercises a fair chance. On to the review.

The idea of setting the text up like a quasi-mathematical treatise, with "theorems" proposed and "proven," is indeed interesting. However, Mr. Prokop often does not construct cogent arguments to support his claims, and his "proofs" are anything but, completely devoid of logical rigor. When one's aim is to debunk myths about piano technique, it is indeed sufficient to present what mathematicians call counterexamples, which contradict hypotheses, thereby disproving them. However, when making conjectures that form the crux of one's method (such as Mr. Prokop's claim that the extensor muscles, those responsible primarily for the up-stroke of the fingers, are almost exclusively responsible for well-formed technique), much more care should be given toward their support. The end result is that his system is based on rather unconvincing ideas regarding what is responsible for good technique.

That said, there is indeed some worthwhile material in this book. The system Mr. Prokop uses to test certain fingers to determine their development, or lack thereof, seems sound. A brief discussion on the "illusion of speed" is interesting for what it suggests, as is the premise that sub-standard technique is usually due to "problem fingers" bogging down passages. As for prescribed exercises, there are remarkably few to be found in this volume. The bulk of the notated exercises are essentially scale passages and some interval work, which may be useful, but are much more affordably obtained in an inexpensive Hanon volume.

There are some away-from-the-piano exercises, again focusing on the extensor muscles. I again say that I have not given these an adequate trial, so I cannot attest to their usefulness or uselessness.

In short, had this book been about $15 cheaper, I would consider it a fairly sound purchase. However, for its brevity (just over 100 pages) and relative paucity of new information, I believe its price to be unjustified by its content.

I have been playing the piano for most of my life. Since recently resuming serious piano study, I have been searching for the seemingly elusive secret to improving my good-but-not-great technique. I believe I have found it in the remarkable "Piano Power." Mr. Prokop's explanations of how to achieve better technique are refreshingly simple. His theories make sense, and more importantly, his exercises really work. At first, I was a bit skeptical about his argument that piano technique can be improved by doing certain exercises away from the piano, but after incorporating them into my routine, I am convinced that my technique is improving rapidly. Friends who have recently heard me play have confirmed this, with no "fishing" on my part. For those of you who are already satisfied with your technique, this book would be of little interest. But for we pianists who are still travelling the long road to superior playing, "Piano Power" is indispensible.

This book revolves about the theory that finger control and independence is achieved by strengthening the muscle groups that LIFT the fingers. I think this idea is fundamentally correct. It also contains other useful observations, generally derived from a physiological investigation of the hand and arm, how the various muscles perform various movements, etc. Many of these are also valuable.

To me the best part of this book are the diagrams of muscles, bones, and pictures of the resulting types of movements. I think sooner or later every pianist needs to look into these things. Also good are the ideas on how to improve practicing efficiency. Not all of them are applicable to all people, but certainly most will find at least some of them useful.

On the negative side, I find that the semi-mathematical approach taken (proving and disproving theorems) does not add much to the book. I suppose at best it gives some structure, but it also confuses the reader (at one point he manages to disprove both SITTING LOW and SITTING HIGH at the piano, so that leaves the student with ... exactly WHAT option???).

The idea in this book is not new. In fact, all of HANON, Cortot, Donanhyi, and others, advocate the same method of practice - if you read the instructions under the exercises. Donanhyi (the Hungarian virtuoso) produced a ton of nasty exercises to strengthen exactly the extensor muscle group. What IS new is the physiological reason for practicing in this manner, and this is something worthwhile knowing.

Overall I think the book may be useful for beginning to intermediate (adult) students that have very specific finger strength problems, or more advanced students that want to know more about the anatomy of the hand and arm.

I do, however, think that the price of this book is outrageous. It should be no more than 15 dollars. Also I think the title is misleading. Although it is potentially useful it does not contain a miracle cure for technical difficulties.

Some years ago, when I was around 16 and just started playing for a year, I had a very bad technique and wanted to improve. I practised for a long time exactly the same kind of exercises as in this book. But my technique does not improve at all -- sometimes it seems to improve a bit, but in the long run it doesn't help-- because these exercises are working against our goal! I regret about the time and effort I invested on these exercises. Let me explain the truth about this book (and many others).

The book stays on the surface of the vast pool of piano techniques we find in the literature. And even on that surface it stays with the classical finger school-- the school is not altogether bad, but simply imcomplete. Indeed you find some successful cases, but the matter is: how many, in terms of percentage? Horowitz did not follow this school. He did not even practise technique separately. He did not practise techniques by intentionally strengthening his fingers-- these are simply not necessary. Yet he is one of those pianists famous for his virtuous technique. When he is 70, he can play much better, and produce a more powerful sound, than most young pianists with very muscular hands.

The finger school is not bad in theory, but it lacks practical value. Its practises ruined many pianists and flourished some. Their point of view is incomplete and sometimes wrong. But this book further over-simplifiy things!

Indeed there are some minimal requirement for your hand, but practising the way described in this book is counterproductive-- for example, while lifting fingers do happen in playing piano, doing so intentionally or even forcefully as encourage in this book may create unnecessary tension in the hands, or making the structure collapse. This will hinder you from playing smoothly and powerfully, largely weakening your "piano power". Finger-lifting exercises can be useful, but not in such a simple way this book suggests.

The crucial part of piano playing is the organizations of our body parts. An old man without strong muscles can still play well(like many old pianists) , while I know some men with strong fingers cannot play a simple scale well with some years of practising. Our fingers muscles needs to be activated, but exercises like those in this book can only help you very little, if at all. For many people, they are harmful and can ruin their technique.

As a graduate in mathematics, I would also like to point out the author's attempt to convince its reader by pretending to be proving some "theorems". The author is simply using these mathematical terms to scare those who are either afraid of or admire mathematics; and to cover his problematic arguments with such terms. Some assumptions (which is sometimes only implicitly stated) in his argument are simply wrong. In fact, we cannot "prove" an empirical fact in a mathematical way, (namely deductively.)

The best book on piano technique, so far, is written by Alan Fraser, "Craft of Piano Playing: A New Approach to Piano Technique", especially for those who treat piano playing seriously. There you could find the required exercise for activating the muscles in your hands, which are created with a reason. And more importantly, you will learn the real technique, the real secret between a good and bad technique, not the external movements or the simple-minded "muscle-building" appraoch described in this so-called "piano power". You can learn the external movements easily -- everyone can-- but it doesn't help much for you to really play well.

Nowadays there are more and more such boasting (with title like "improve your IQ/reduce 20 pounds in 7 days", etc) but unpromising books appearing in the market. Buy this (and other similar) book if you are satisfied just with reading useless and unproved "theory"; and get excited about a never-realizing dream of getting a power technique.

I recently borrowed this book from a colleague of mine. From my experience I believe this illusion of psychosocial sensitization prevents the patient from understanding the true causes. It becomes a sort "badge-of-honor." We need to quit allowing every person in America to believe they are messed up in their heads. I believe this is just poor doctoring.

I am always disheartened when physicians become pawns of the insurance industry, sometimes unknowingly. Dr. Malleson appears to have prostituted himself in this way quite knowingly, however. Like one of the reviewers from Barbados (who can be found easily using a Google search of his name--he is an insurance company executive), Malleson is yet another representative of the automobile insurance industry whose views of whiplash-related disorders are not only biased, but quite outdated. Malleson appears to be second-guessing the millions of injured persons in the United States and abroad and accusing them of secondary gain. However, several scientific studies have clearly shown that litigation has absolutely no effect on the long-term prgnosis and outcome of whiplash-injured persons.

Malleson, in a very predictable way, places a grossly distorted emphasis on studies which support his preconceptions about whiplsh injuries. These studies, such as one which looked at demolition derby drivers (Berry, 2000) subjected to multiple impacts over the span of their careers, or one that supposedly simulated a rear-end collision (it didn't) using fear tactics to intimidate and frighten research subjects (Castro et al., 2002), actually have very little to do with the phenomenon of a rear-end collision in the real world, where significant forces are produced in unaware and unbraced occupants who are struck by 3000-lb. objects.

Malleson, and many physicians, especially those in neurology and psychiatry circles, attribute chronic pain after a rear-end, whiplash-producing collision, to be purely psychological or societal. This theory, a "psychosocial" theory of chronic pain after whiplash, not only has never been proved, but has never even been studied or tested.

I suppose that if you want to treat whiplash as a psychiatrist, it probably helps to couch a diagnosis in the psychiatric realm. But the lack of quality of research for a psychosocial theory in whiplash is glaring, and this paucity has not been commented on by Malleson. This is a great flaw of this poorly-researched book.

The proponents and founders of the "psychosocial theory" of chronic pain after whiplash, Drs. Robert Ferrari and Anthony Russell of Canada (where funding for pro-insurance research has reached a worldwide high), have called their theory instead a "biopsychosocial" one. That is a misnomer, however, since Ferrari and Russell allow for no biological explanation for chronic pain after whiplash. In other words, they do not believe that chronic pain after whiplash is possible from damage to injured human tissues such as cartilage, ligament, muscle or muscle tendon, brain, spinal cord, or other nervous tissues. Unfortunately for injured persons, Dr. Malleson also subscribes to this psychosocial theory, although there is no good scientific evidence for it.

What Dr. Malleson's book ignores are the monumental studies from medical and engineering journals in the past few years. The reviewer who states that Malleson misses the mark is correct. Kaneoka and Ono and their colleagues from Japan have indeed changed the way we look at the biomechanics of a rear-end collision with their brilliant studies using human subjects and cineradiography. What is amazing is that their work supports and agrees with data coming from other studies, both clinical and medical, and other engineering studies.

The Japanese researchers have shown us that the cervical spine takes on an "s-shaped configuration" where the lower neck hyperextends, and the upper neck hyperflexes beyond normal physiologic ranges. The possibility that cartilage in the neck is permanently damaged is very high. This cartilage has also shown to be damaged in clinical whiplash studies performed by Australian research (Bpgduk and colleagues). That the auto insurance industry and its representatives should so easily dismiss the overwhelming majority of studies in the last decade comes as no surprise to me. However, when a physician ignores the importance of this research, or ignores the research altogether, then that is surely disheartening. It is also surprising to many in the lay public (although not as surprising to those of us in medicine).

The doctors who work for the insurance companies and testify in court are clinging desperately to a very small number of studies (less than 30) which deny the existence of chronic pain after whiplash from a biological (that is, injured human tissue) source. The vast majority of studies show the opposite is true: chronic pain is not the result of secondary gain, litigation or cognitive difficulties (over 50 good studies support this), but are the result of good old-fashioned tissue injury (studies number in the thousands in support of this).

Yet, voices like Malleson's, Ferrari's, Berry's, and other physicians, especially neurologists, will continue to bark the loudest, as if by barking louder they will be able to somehow overturn the majority of scientists and researchers in both the medical and engineering worlds who disagree with them. Malleson's views simply do not hold up in the face of the research which he conveniently either ignores or distorts in his book.

There is a great advantage to writing a book like this: your future as a physician working for the insurance industry is virtually guaranteed. You will be able to reap great profits from defense (insurance company bought-and-paid-for) work, performing "expert" testimony for a fantastic income, and insurance medical exams (so-called "IME" exams) at a handsome profit. One doctor I know (most physicians I know refer to him as the local insurance company whore) literally made over $250,000 last year on Wednesdays performing these exams. He's got a lot of time left over for golf!

Nice work schedule! A quarter-mil on Wednesdays, looking for nothing in these patients, and surprise--not finding anything. Since he cannot find anything (he doesn't look for anything wrong), there must not be anything wrong with these patients! The insurance company, based on its own incestuous representative (or its representative once-removed), gets to legally deny payment for any further treatment to the injured patient! It is gone this far, don't let the supporters of this book lie to you any more. Thay all work for the insurance industry.

I wonder how Dr. Malleson's golf game is...?

I would rather prefer that those denying the science behind Dr Malleson's statements would declare their conflict of interests, as it is usually done in scientific papers. Maybe we could have a broader view about their opinions.

This book clearly illustrates the true nature of whiplash injuries - as a vehicle to help ne'er-do-wells exist without actually contributing anything to society.

Well done!

I have only read the synopsis of the book and the customer reviews. I have 11 years experience as an Industrial Nurse Case Manager. I wholeheartedly assure the secondary gain issues listed are quite true from 3rd party liability cases, workers' compensation cases and medical malpractice. There are a lot of unethical physicians who will causally relate anything to everything, continue treatment when none is warranted, (one case of mine had physical therapy for 15 years and never improved) and keep persons out of work for no objective reason. This is blatant fraud. Other physicians may innocently do this because they lack knowledge of secondary gain and/or symptom magnification. I try to stay away from this type as well as the hired gun physicians who do reap the financial benefits from insurance companies and are not objective either. The plaintiff attorneys coach their clients to drive up medical costs for increased settlement. All claims are greatly increased when pre-existing psychological conditions/disorders (i.e. depression, anger issues, borderline personality disorder) are present. There is a very significant direct cost to the taxpayer (i.e. federal workers' compensation cases,such as postal workers, shipyard workers, any civil service, etc.)and indirect cost, by our increased purchase costs due to the burden of risng insurance premiums which the company or individual must pay. Thus this affects all of us in a very direct way both monetarily and psychologically (decreased co-worker morale when they see a co-worker getting away with this, increased false claims, again because others see how easy it is for false claims, and anxiety caused by job loss when the company closes because they can no longer afford their premiums). I also think other factors color this situation as the general population's work ethic has spiraled downward while their sense of entitlement has sharply increased. This is the real world, not embellished opinion.

I found the book incomplete for my purpose. I had bought several books about this to SETTLE MY OWN CLAIM. There was not as much information on property damage or what to do when you have a CAR ACCIDENT.

I had more valuable information from the Car Accident Secrets book. I was able to settle my claim easily by following the steps right out of that book. It was also less expensive !! The website for Caraccidentsecrets.com is (http://www.caraccidentsecrets.com) It had a lot more valuable information which helped me a lot more. I used the book on that site to help me settle my claim without a lawyer. It also teaches you more do's and don'ts and also has REAL examples of claim settlements. The book also gives you FORMS and simple steps to follow. I would recommend that one instead plus its a lot cheaper.

After much difficulty, I finally feel prepared and secure about handling my insurance claim. The book provided detailed information about my responsibilities and about all materials I need in order to negotiate and settle my claim. The book is easy to read and the author makes you feel as though he is sitting there talking to you. I recommend this book to anyone who is presently involved in a claim or anyone who carries insurance and may one day be involved in an accident.

Good if you need a "cheerleader". There are no forms or checklists to help you with your task so you are still on your own. Wording the claim letter is the big task and this book provides no help.

I just finished reading 'Claims, How to Collect Insurance Money Without a Lawyer' and wish I had read it sooner. I am a single parent school teacher and a couple of years ago one of my sons was involved in an accident that was totally the other driver's fault. I relied completely on my insurance salesman to advise us on what was fair, just and due my son. Now, after having read this book I discover that we settled considerably short. Both physical recovery and financial recovery were challenging for my son, and I know now it should not have been quite so difficult.

Actually, the greater value of this book to me is that it serves as a wonderful primer for understanding my own insurance. I had no idea how truly uneducated I have been. At this time I am not involved in any insurance claim nor litigation, but should I be involved in an accident, I will certainly have a strong foundation in understanding what I should do and in the terminology being used. Also, the next time I renew my policy I will do so with a great deal more intelligence.

The book is a fast read and is organized in such a way as to make returning to look up any particular topic quite easy. As soon as I finish typing this review I plan to call some friends of mine to recommend the book to them.

Mr. Smith gives good information on how to negotiate for the best car claim, but he is very misleading on how to settle a personal injury claim. He also is very biased for the insurance industry and only tries to steer you toward a small claim. If you want to know about a personal injury claim, this book in't for you.

Mills' analysis of domestic abuse (and, by extension, the criminal justice system's response to such abuse) is fatally flawed...

I got it. By making an effort to skewer Mills' scholarship and to spam the review cited above, the feminists believe they can suppress an ugly truth: women do commit domestic abuse, and the social and legal systems in many developed countries are an impediment to female abusers coming to grips with that fact.

Mills' scholarship is sound enough to back up her thesis. This alone should compel those who are concerned about the larger issue of domestic violence to ask: why aren't the treatment regimes and criminal sanctions developed over the last 30 years making our society safer for everyone? Mills steps beyond the question of violence against women and looks at the larger issue; she provides what I believe is a good framework for addressing the core issue behind domestic violence, which is getting individuals to take personal responsibility for their actions. No man has a right to hit his wife, and no woman has a right to "defend" herself.

Unlike many Mills' critics, I am writing from experience. Regrettably, my family had a pattern of mutual abuse, and eventually it came to a head. I watched the mechanical processes of the social and judicial systems run roughshod over my dignity, my financial well-being, and break apart my family. During this process, the victim's advocates and the prosecutors patronized my wife and insulated her from the ugly truth that she bore responsibility for her actions.

I bought it for a college class and found it pretty interesting to read. If you would like to read about the ineffectiveness of the criminal justice system towards domestic violence, this is a great book.

this book is nonsense. it seemed to me that the woman who wrote it is very conservative, privileged, anti-feminist. she also goes out of her way at the end of the book to talk about how she left her abuser to go be with his best friend. why that is relevant, i have no idea. bleh.

anyway, waste of time and money.

I do not recommend this book. I feel it is not intellectually rigorous, and makes dangerous parallels between the author's relationship (as a white, college educated woman with financial resources) and the relationships in which women in poverty may experience physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Also it was insensitive to the fact that race plays a role in these dynamics - perhaps the author didn't feel she could speak to this personally; but then her approach should have been much less grandiose and over-arching.

Instead on intimate partner violence, I recommend:
America's Dream. Esmeralda Santiago.
The Turkish Lover.
Black and Blue. Anna Quindlen
Trash. Dorothy Allison
Bastard Out of Carolina.
Push. Sapphire.
Chain, Chain, Change. Evelyn White.

I don't agree with reviewers who say Ms. Mills 'doesn't get' feminism. The problem with people who spend their careers 'getting' feminism (which judging from some of her jargon may include Mills) is that they tend not to 'get' anything else. I think some of the previous reviewers are likely to have this problem. They can quote us 10 types of patriarchy, but have no suggestions for how women can juggle professional and personal satisfaction, or other thing that actually matter.

Unfortunately, most people who laugh at the '10 types of patriarchy; argument leave the conversation right after that, denying women the insight of someone who sees the idiocy of the 'mainstream feminist' approach. Enter Mills, who has clearly spent plenty of time soaking in the petri dish of elite academic feminism but is sharp enough to realize that helping women get what they want starts with listening to them.

In this book, she addresses the unspeakable fact that domestic violence often involves two parties - both are often unhappy, but both are still there. It's earth-shatteringly obvious, but earth-shattering all the same. Mainstream feminists can't bear to face it, but the fact is that often abused women not only stay in abusive relationships and try to keep the cops from being called, but then bail their partners out and refuse to press charges.

You can wonder why, but Mills deals with a bigger question - how can the criminal justice system handle domestic violence in a way that addresses the actual needs of the parties? This doesn't mean sending women back to the wolves, but just realizing that they can speak for themselves and must be listened to.

Contrary to mainstream feminist orthodoxy, the 'violent stranger' approach to domestic violence has not done anything to make women safer, and it needs to be re-examined. I haven't found anyone else talking about this but Mills. If you're at all interested in domestic violence (as a serious problem to be addressed, not a grievance to flagellate the patriarchy over), you have to read this book. Even if you're not particularly interested in domestic violence, but are interested in seeing a discussion about 'women's issues' that deals with issues that actually matter to real women - as opposed to leftist academics married to male versions of themselves - you will find this book enlightening and intellectually exciting.

I saw this book in a library and thought, Gosh, sounds inspiring, I'll take a look. I read it. What a waste of time. Why do publishing houses allow aggrieved hack writers to sob and take shots at the rest of the human race for 280 plus pages? Don't make my mistake. Save your time for another book.

Being a spinal cord injury survivor, I found this book indispensible to my recovery and have recommended it to others who have been severely injured.

The book has been criticized for the fact it implies if you are willing to work hard enough you can walk again after a severe spinal cord injury. As has been said many times, if hard work were all it takes, many people in wheelchairs would be running the Boston Marathon. I think the readers who only see the above point of view are missing the author's message and the whole purpose of writing this book. The explanation of the title of the book within the book is the key to the entire book.

I recommend the book very highly to the recently injured and to their families.

This book was an impulse buy for me -- so much for trusting your instincts. Somewhere in the author's life is a good, inspirational story, I think, but it didn't seem to come out. The truth is that after awhile I really came to dislike this man -- how he treats people, how he holds petty grudges, how he uses the buddy system (from his father's business connections to NY Times columnist Ira Berkow) to win advantages in life. It was really bothersome after awhile. Typical is how he sneers about an old female friend, whom he -- oh, his mother does the speaking -- labels as a "user" and then he pouts when she can't afford to travel to his father's funeral. I wanted to slap him. He is so petty and so unforgiving of other people's human flaws at times that it overshadows his good points and what should be the heart of his story -- that he doesn't whine about his injury, that he does bust his butt to rehabilitate himself, that he does have a heroic spirit. Rather than a book about Fiffer, I came away wanting to read one about his mother, who put up with him and probably a lot else he didn't see, or Dick Woit, the trainer who helped him. They came away as people I wanted to meet, the real heroes of this story.

I want to train with Dick Woit! What a great character. I loved this book because the author doesn't portray himself as a superhuman martyr. Publishing this straightforward autobiography must have taken at least as much courage and guts as rebuilding his body did.

I read this book aboard an airplane, not knowing the first thing about it, but being intrigued by its title. It turned out to be a coming of age story like none other I have read. The author's charmed, sixties' adolescence is drastically altered by a high school wrestling accident. The prognosis regarding recovery is anything but encouraging. The events through which Fiffer is led to his rehabilitation make a riveting account. Besides his own journey, we are also treated to a poignant look at a family -- especially a father -- coming to terms with an unforseen challenge. This is all told from the unique perspective of one who finds he must adapt during a period when a society must also adapt to a dizzying array of upheavals. How Fiffer takes his first and then ultimate steps on that road is what makes such a compelling perspective. The writing is clean and skilled. At all times, I felt like I was in the hands of somebody who had an unfailing instinct for what needed to be delivered to the reader. I recommend this book for anyone who is in the mood for an intelligent, well-told story, free of cliches and without a hint of self-pity. That's probably due to the fact that by the end of it, Fiffer seems to have achieved the kind of strength and enlightenment of one who has looked tragedy in the face and told it to take a walk.

A very good book by Ms. Henderson. A very enjoyable read. Ms. Henderson continues to produce wonderful tales. She is a very good author. Enjoy

It was wonderful story with turns I did not expect.
I read it in just a few days!

Kay of Oregon

James Graham's dream is falling apart. A mysterious illness has ravaged his body, taking away his ability to continue building clinics on the African mission field. With pain consuming him, James is sent home to Chicago to recuperate.

When James arrives home, he finds Rachel (Rae) Ashcroft sitting at his mother's table. A Good Samaritan, Rae is dubbed Rachel the Angel by James's co-workers for the thoughtful parcels she sent out to the mission field. James is drawn to the woman whose face is shadowed by sadness.

His attraction to Rae is at first cautious, knowing he will soon return to Africa. But as Rae's group of friends involve him in their lives, the attraction can no longer be ignored.

Rae struggles with mixed emotions. She's loved and lost once before, and the sense of loyalty is still strong. Although attracted to James, she realizes there is little room in her overworked life for love, and can she risk her heart to another man?

GOD'S GIFT is a heart-warming story revolving around two people who face lost dreams. No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, we can trust that God is in control, and Henderson shows this beautifully throughout this romance.

Dee Henderson first captured my attention through her O'Malley series, and later with the Uncommon Hero's books. I was eager to read her earlier work, and this, my first dive into her pre-O'Malley writing, didn't disappoint. If you're looking for a fast paced romantic suspense, like the O'Malley's or Uncommon Hero's, then you could be a little disappointed, but if you are looking for an inspirational romance, then this is the book for you.

I read the book in the time span of a couple days, which should say the most about this book. Generally Dee Henderson's books are so gripping I can't put them down, but not so with this one. The story was cute as most love stories are, but it really lacked the WOW factor that the O'Malley series had. It's a good read on a Saturday afternoon if you don't have much to do, but it's not one that you'll forever remember like you do with her other books.

This is a really sweet and touching book, but lacks the punch of her later books - the O'Malleys and others. Its not a suspense and not meant to be, but a little disappointing when you know what she can get into a book now! But definitely a good afternoon read.

I purchased this book while in college, as a required text, and I still LOVE this book. For those who are visual learners, this will help a lot. Technically some of the tests within the book, I've been told, are not great 'clinical' tests. However, that's not the point. If you want to know how to perform a specific test (or one related to it) this is the book to have!! The book is wonderfully indexed per joint/location and typically have at least one photo to follow with simple directions, and results to look for (positive or negative, clinically).

Covers most clinical joint tests, including some I had not heard of before. Gives tips on positioning, testing, and interpreting the results, with helpful photos for each test.

This is a great book for othro tests. All the tests come with
large pictures and exaxt directions on what to do.
It also tells what the + and - signs are when doing a test
It is a wonderful reference and reminder of quick ortho tests for out-patient rehab places. Easy to understand for both PTA's and PT's.

I bought this book in preparation for the NATA certification exam. This book is concise and has fairly good pictures for the orthopedic tests, however it lacks detail in explanation of tests. For example, on the Trendelenburg test it states that a positive finding indicates a weakness of the gluteus medius on the supported side. Even though this is accurate, it does not indicate that since the glut medius is innervated by the superior gluteal nerve from the L5 nerve root, a lesion to either of these structures will also cause a positive finding. In addition, and most noteably, there are serious errors in the cranial nerve assessment section which would indicate that the text had not been properly reviewed before publication. I would strongly caution anyone purchasing this book to ignore this chapter in the text and seek other references for neurologic assessment.

ordered it on 1/17 and still have not received it on 2/19. They ran out of books and told me that it would be shipped out sometime between 2/1 - 3/17. Would not recommend this buying from them unless you know for sure that it is in stock!!!

I am a licensed massage therapist who has been in practice for two years. I was looking to get more specific help for those (including myself) with tendon and ligament injuries. While the author is obviously very knowledgeable on anatomy and physiology, he seems to assume the reader is well-learned with the various modalities that he incorporates into his therapy: Visceral Manipulation, Cranial Rhythmic Impulse, Zero Balancing, acupressure, Facial Release Technique and Body-Mind Centering.

I am familiar with what they are, but have not had the money or time to study them in-depth, yet. Weintraub explains what each is and its purpose in his therapy model, but his description of incorporating these modalities within his therapy model seems general and sweeping, going from one modality to the next, assuming the reader knows what he is referring to within that modality. Not everyone is practiced in those modalities.

His chapter on The Nature of Tendons & Ligaments is the most informative, including standard views and new research findings. Well written with bibliographic citations. It is also a good review for me, as it has extra, detailed information on tendons and ligaments than I have in my anatomy and physiology texts from school. The rest of the book seems rushed.

The Self-Help Strategies chapter is somewhat helpful, but only seven pages long! More in-depth suggestions would have made this book worth the money had I bought it.

I was not able to get the newer edition of this book from the library, so perhaps my criticism for this edition will be moot if I ever read the next edition(s). I hope so, because I would have appreciated a specific, step-by-step guide or protocol, especially for those modalities I have not studied in-depth yet and which other readers may not be familiar with either.

Weintraub certainly knows his way around the body. I am moderately well versed in medical terminology and anatomically I am fairly astute having studied both in college and independently. I work in a medical laboratory. The man (or woman) on the street will be quickly left in the wake of unfamiliar terms. Further, his knowlege does not translate well if you're looking for a way to heal yourself... The chapter titled "Self Help Strategies" runs to all of seven pages. Neither, does the book offer any clues as to how to contact a practitioner versed in his methods (he seems to be the only one), nor does it contain any contact information for the author.

The citations are numerous and the book is well referenced: something that is often lacking in similar books. He has definitely done his homework. Unfortunately, the unique array of talents which he purports to bring to his method, would be unlikely to occur with any regularity in the general population of manual therapists. I am skeptical of his claim to be able to palpate electrical and magnetic fields. Possible, I suppose, but I remain unconvinced.

In all a well written and documented study. Hopefully, it will lead others in this direction. A lot more work needs to be done, and a modality developed which is widely accessible

I'm a licensed massage therapist (3 years) and massage instructor at a local school. When I bought this book, I thought I'd come away with some practical information that I could apply to my practice immediately. Well, after reading it I don't feel that at all. In fact, I feel that it may be another 10 years before I can become proficient in all the modalities that Weintraub combines to achieve his reported results. Among the courses I'll need to certify in are Acupressure, myofascial release, Body-Mind Centering and visceral manipulation. He's been doing this for 30+ years and I don't feel he has been able to write a book that can teach this method, though he successfully describes the myriad skills needed to practice it.

I'm a licensed massage therapist (3 years) and massage instructor at a local school. When I bought this book, I thought I'd come away with some practical information that I could apply to my practice immediately. Well, after reading it I don't feel that at all. In fact, I feel that it may be another 10 years before I can become proficient in all the modalities that Weintraub combines to achieve his reported results. Among the courses I'll need to certify in are Acupressure, myofascial release, Body-Mind Centering and visceral manipulation. He's been doing this for 30+ years and I don't feel he has been able to write a book that can teach this method, though he successfully describes the myriad skills needed to practice it. ...

Weintraub's book provides unprecedented help and hope for people who suffer from sports, overuse, or accident injuries. It is extremely informative in its clear accessible descriptions of the cellular, neural, electrical, and biomechanical levels of injury and healing and how manual therapy can assist complete recovery. I am a 20 year practitioner and teacher of hands-on modalities. My interventions are more effective because of his specific explanations of how to work precisely with the microstructure of the tissue. I highly recommend this book to health professionals, sports and movement trainers, and everyone interested in an innovative method of enhancing recovery from serious injury.