Living-Wills Books

well any book that makes me cry I consider to be pretty good, and this book had me crying. It's a sad story, but it's beautifully written.

This book was one of the, if not the, saddest books I have ever read. The characters and plot are very deep, and the book keeps you hooked all the way to the end. I cried. a lot. Very sad, but highly recommended.

I liked this book a lot the first time I read it, but not so much the second time. When I read it the first time, I didn't know what was going to happen so it was a surprise. However, when I read it the second time I knew what was going to happen, so it was kind of boring. I did like it a lot though because it was a really sad book and I love sad books.
Sammy and Julie were the best of friends. They loved to go to parties together, they loved to dance together, and they loved to all around spend time together. They are in the middle of a dance class when Julie all of a sudden feels really sharp pains in her hip and back. Her mother has to take her to the hospital but they are no help at all. Julie goes through 13 different doctors before she even knows whats wrong with her. She then finds out she has a really bad cancer and it is spreading very fast. Julie has to drop out of school and dance class just to recover. Sammy is really upset that she can't see or talk to Julie! Julie gets worse and worse over time until one day she goes into a coma. Shortly after Sammy gets a call from Julie's mom and rushes over to say good-bye. Shortly after Julie slips away!
I recommend this book to teenagers that love sad books like me. This book is really sad!

This book made me cry! I think everyone should read this book. It is touching, upsetting, and happy. language is beautiful. Note: for children under 10, has lots of bad words.LOVED IT!

I think this was a very good book. It teaches morals about how to deal with life. Not just normal day stuff a girls goes through, that along with having cancer. It shows how important it is to have a best friend, and what it is like to be a good one. I like how is portrays the two young girls life, it makes it so you can relate to them more. I like how it changed the side of the story, from Sam and Julie. It showed how hard it is to have cancer, but than also how hard it is to have your best friend go through it also. It takes the negatives of the book (cancer) into a positive impact on life. Too live your life with not regrets and to live life to the fullest. It is a very touching book. I almost cried. This book seems similar to the books by Lurlene McDaniel. I suggest this book to anyone who likes sad, life changing stories, who is also about 12 or older due to bad language. Even with that to though, it shows what the girls lives were like and gave more emotion to what was happening in there lives. This is definitely a must read and to add it to you collection, or school library!

This is a really good book but I found it a little hard to read and I enjoy reading medical books. I do like that it's entirely about the mental aspect of thryoid disease unlike most other books that just explain all the symptoms in a basic way. This devles into so much about depression and anxiety and the changes relative to your thyroid hormones. I was shocked how much the two relate to each other and was happy to know I'm not crazy...it's my thyroid! :)

What a book! I am a slow reader, but on Chapter 9. I have learned many things about thyroid that I did not know. Very good subject to read about. I highly recommend this book!!!!!

This book was very easy to read and understand. It had a wealth of information in it. I would recommend it to anyone who has any questions and wants answers about the thyroid gland. The book gives some great programs for you to follow.

After 11 years with hypothyroidism, this book finally answered all of my questions. If your lab tests say you're normal, but you don't feel normal, this book explains it ALL. Highly recommend!

I was very disappointed in this book. Didn't feel that I learned anything that I didn't already know.

If you have lived thru what Ms.O'dell is writing about, you will appreciate this book more. However, if you haven't you can still love it.I have lived it and she is so honest--she put into words all the ambivalent feelings I had caring for my mother. I would not have traded the experience for the world but no one understands like someone who has been there. I laughed and cried and exorcised my guilt. Thank you Ms. O'dell....my mom's spirit was right there with me when I was reading. The only thing that that would make it better would have been our moms writing a chapter from their point of view. I often looked in my mom's eyes seeing her lost but unable to tell me what was in her brain.

Carol wrote a very heartbreaking memoir..she says on the cover Mother Mother a daughter's humorous and heartbreaking memoir..I did see some humor but I also saw a very vibrant picture of Carol's Mother. I read some--reflected--read some more--as I got closer to the end of the book I read it straight through. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has a loved one that has Alzheimer's--the beginning, middle or end of the disease and I recommend this book to anyone that has a loved one that is dying. Carol has a list of recommended reading in the back of the book and a list of many organizations that might help someone who is looking for help.

Caring for a parent with Alzheimer's must be devastating. The disintegration of personality, the abusiveness, and the confusion. It calls into question the whole notion of sanity. When Carol O'Dell's mother adopted her, she insisted that Carol would be taking care of mom when she got old. As the Alzheimer's set in, so did the promise. As mom becomes more abusive, this commitment feels almost overwhelming.

As the disease advanced, O'Dell became more immersed in her mother's daily care, but with less and less emotional reward from a mother who no longer recognized her. And what about O'Dell's husband and kids who also wanted her attention? It is strange going from the craziness of caregiving for mom to the normal concerns of kids and husband.

While most of us who are not in the situation would probably rather not think about it, this strange stew is part of the human condition. One of the reasons I read memoirs is to put myself in another person's shoes, and experience what their world is like, and Carol O'Dell's book has given me that, an intimate look at this most disturbing experience.

In addition, she has offered me a sort of hope, in a surprising direction. Carol O'Dell faced the painful situations, she used writing, both to eloquently communicate to the reader and also to contain and absorb some of her own experiences. She talks in the book about walking out to the river to center herself after an especially painful bout. I also can feel her retreating to her room and writing in her journal.

I believe the act of writing is the opposite of Alzheimer's. It doesn't cure the disease, certainly, but it helps establish or re-establish the sanity and purpose of life, so that we can stay alive, energetic, and hopeful despite such horrific and confusing setbacks. Writing about inhumane situations creates a sort of humanity of its own.

I thought "Mothering Mother" was enlightening, encouraging, humorous and heartwarming. I read excepts from it out loud to my husband and he asked me if Carol O'Dell was writing about her mother or MY mother! My Mom, the Ancient Toddler, has quite a few of the traits that Carol's Mother had. Carol doesn't pretend to have all the answers, but she does a terrific job exploring and writing about the many emotions a caregiver goes through. I'm SO glad I read this book!

I can't tell you how much of an impact this book has had on me. I'm also a daughter caring for her mother and it was almost like I was reading my own thoughts. It was just so extremely comforting to know that I'm not alone with the thoughts and emotions I'm experiencing as my mom fades further and further away from me as Alzheimer's takes over. She's in the later stages of that dreadful disease now. This book was written with such honesty and raw emotion. It has greatly heartened me to know that maybe some of my own thoughts aren't so bizarre after all, and that maybe I really can make it through this without completely losing myself along the way. Thank you so much, Carol, for sharing this part of your life with us. You are truly a gem! I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it is very informative, and accurate. we just started to apply these principals to our diets, and we have been eating healthy and feeling great.

Dr. Russell writes in a way that, to be consistent, one would have to become a 7th Day Adventist. He takes extinct Old Testament references regarding what Jews were supposed to eat and what they weren't supposed to eat, and acts as if they compose God's universal, timeless law. Poor exegesis. If he stuck to the scientific pros and cons of food I would have received him better (even though much of his data is controversial/speculative). There have to be better written books out there (I know Richard Foster does a much more thorough analysis of health and fasting).

The title of the book really says it all. God created us and gave us specific instructions on what to eat. We would be wise to follow them. I've given copies of this book to my whole family.

I have found this book to be very insightful about my eating habits. Putting biblical boundaries around my eating choices actually gives me the freedom I've been needing to say no to all types of junk food. It has also helped me learn to trust God's guideance in other areas of life. God knows His creation and wants the best for us.

This is the best book I have read with clear, easy to follow advice that will show you Bible references for all of it's tips. It has a page of foods with Bible verses to look up where the food is eaten. There are references for the unhealthy foods, too. If you want a straight forward book without a lot of the authors own "reasons why", you will be very happy. You will come away with the answers you were seeking.

I am suggesting to use more serious images.
Take off the dwarf from the images.

Easy and fun to read with a good-size text.
The information presented is very useful and more detail can be found on the author's detailed website.
The book also lays very flat for easy reading while walking on my treadmill.

As noted I love anything Dr. Oz has to say. As a doctor's daughter, I relay on these books and find them a great read. He and his partner have truly made me look forward to a healthy long life ahead. I only wish my dad could have benefitted from their wisdom and his heart disease could have been curred.

There is so much information about our body, diseases & fitness on the internet that most of us would think that we do not need to read another book on our bodies, hmm, well think of it again - do you really understand what and how does our arteries get clogged, what might cause cancer, or did you know that exercising more could actually do more harm ...

I used to think that I am well read about my body, not until I read this book - some of the most common ailments and body functions are so well explained with diagrams that you will never get this information on the internet - not on wikipedia, not on webmd - you may find lots of information, but not in a way in which we can understand.

The book may seem silly at times, grouse at times, but a very informative and helpful book if you are planning to be live a healthy life on this planet for a couple of years/decades to come.

How did this book help me:
- Understood more about heart diseases & cancer
- Importance of flavinoids in our diet
- Importance of drinking good amount of water for many common ailments
- Controlling stress is a more important than anything else and cannot be stressed enough
- Exercising more can be bad (limit to 30 mins per day) - alternate between cardio, stretches & weights
- Importance of deep breathing
- Free weights are better than machines

& lots more

I'm having a very hard time with this book. I've started and stopped reading it about dozen times already in the past 2 weeks. My problem? There is a lot of good information in here (really!) but it gets lost in the constant barrage of sarcasm and jokes inserted by the authors to (apparently) make it "entertaining". For me, the sheer number of jokes starts out as annoying, and finally becomes so distracting that I usually have to put the book down after about 20 minutes.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about from page 176 under a heading of "Mouth":

"The food-consumption process starts right here--in your body's food processor. Though opera singers, politicians, and courtside fans are known mostly for what comes out of their mouths, what makes our mouths so special is how we handle what goes into them. For starters, consider you mouth to be like the guy who buckles you in on a Ferris wheel--it's there simply to prepare the food for the journey."

The paragraph then goes on to describe crocodile teeth and elephant teeth, but I'm so distracted with thoughts of "what do opera singers and Ferris wheels have to do with MY mouth?" that I'm no longer learning, I'm ruminating on low ratio of information-to-jokes in the text. (Out of the 7 sentences in that paragraph, I felt the relevant information could have been boiled down to 2.)

Like I said, the book has a LOT of good information. If you are someone who can filter out all of the "noise", you'll get a lot out of it. However, if you're like me, and find all the sidebars distracting, it's a grind.

In my view, essentially Dr. Tuttle's research answers the question "Why are humans behaving so violently on Earth?" The World Peace Diet also answers the question of "What did humans eat before they invented tools and discovered fire?" He refers to humans, who we all know first lived in the tropics, as frugivorous herbivores. This is consistent with the Natural Health practioners with whom I study, and logic in my view.

After reading this book with an open mind, (keep in mind I had to get past my bad habit of criticizing), I realized the countless dollars tax payers could save just by collectively learning to think through a vegan paradigm of non-violence. This book has answered so many of my most burning questions. I feel like I can move on now to live my life with such a remarkable understanding of what's going on here!

I love how this book defines the word "veganism" as intended by the man who came up with the word in 1944. This definition is on page 27, and when you read it, regardless of what you eat presently, you will likely find yourself thinking "That's me; I am that way."

This book will change your life and eating. Will Tuttle is so thorough and convincing I can't see how anybody good read this book and not go vegan. This book is so important for our world and should go hand in hand with "A New Earth" by Eckart Tolle.Sp

Tuttle feels very strongly that veganism is the answer to many, if not all, of the world's problems and he argues passionately that all humans should adopt a vegan lifestyle. His basic thesis is fairly straight-forward: that by beginning to raise animals for food and other products, humans came to view animals as commodities to be exploited. This situation led to desensitization and a disconnection that humans have transferred to one another over the centuries and is the reason that human beings are capable of committing so many atrocities against one another.

It is a bold thesis and perhaps unique in its effort to so concisely explain why violence amongst human beings exists in the world, but it is also rife with oversights and gaps. Most of what Tuttle argues is more opinion and belief than "fact."

In a chapter on the dairy industry, Tuttle describes how cows are artificially inseminated, kept perpetually pregnant, and almost immediately separated from their calves. It is a powerful and sensational description. Tuttle goes on to argue that a cow's milk is not intended for human consumption, that it is biologically intended only for its calf and that, therefore, humans should not consume dairy products. This statement is specious. For if this logic were applied to plants, one would come to the conclusion that humans should not eat fruit or vegetables either. Of course, this would be preposterous.

Tuttle identifies many of the problems facing human beings today, but arguing that if all humans became vegans these problems would cease is going too far.

Chances are a reader who is already vegan will feel vindication after finishing this book. A reader who is vegetarian will likely feel some pang of guilt for not being vegan and contemplate taking that next step. An omnivore who reads this book is likely to be put off by its self-righteous tone, but may find it thought-provoking if he or she can get past that. A die-hard meat eater is highly unlikely to make it past page two before setting it down.

What sets this book apart for the many fine books about veganism is that it really gets to the spiritual roots of the issue. Dr. Tuttle writes eloquently and passionately, about the karma of eating. He challenges the reader to expand their compassion to every creature on this planet, and in enacting this in our daily lives via the food we eat, we can begin to experience a taste of limitless, transcendent love. It is a book about the transformation of our consciousness, and thus the transformation of the world. He shows how food choices are not a small issue, or a mere lifestyle choice, as they are sometimes made out to be. But rather, our food choices lay the foundation for the violence and exploitation rampant in this world.

He also exposes the culture's deep aversion to looking at this issue and sheds light on why it is so difficult to get others to see the brutality that composes our cultural diet. I was finally able to make sense of why people just seem to shut down when it comes to really looking at where meat comes from. It is our culture's dirty little secret. Deep down we have guilt over it, and we deal with this by either becoming aggressively defensive ("no one is going to tell me what to eat!") or just turning away from the truth and lulling ourselves into a state of denial. When we do this, we numb our basic capacity for empathy and kindness thus creating a more violent world.

Operating from the belief that everything is interconnected, he shows how when we treat animals in barbaric, exploitative ways it lays the foundation for the other ills in society. There is no compartmentalizing. The atrocities in the slaughterhouse don't stay in the slaughterhouse. The energy of the violence and suffering ripples outward like circles in a stream. He shows how human beings who work in slaughterhouses are turned into monsters by the violent work they do all day. One can only imagine how many families are destroyed, how much alcoholism, depression, domestic violence, and suicide results from the dehumanizing work of slaughtering animals.

This is one of the best books I've read, and a must-have for anyone looking to help alleviate the suffering of the world. There is no way I can adequately represent Dr. Tuttle's beautiful, compassionate book, so just buy it and read for yourselves!

According to Tuttle, everything connects and stems off of our cultural and inherited belief systems, of which we were born into. The fact that we never question or test these beliefs, rather just accept them because it is easy and comforting to do so, is a core factor that he is forcing people to attempt to step out of the box and acknowledge. His desperate plea is for people to begin to recognize that what we "do unto others" is ultimately what we in turn do to ourselves as a culture. By inflicting harm, fear, forced obesity, forced pregnancy, robbing animals and their babies, forcing ill health, as well as brutal methods of confinement and killing, we are creating the stage for the exact same devastating problems to be bestowed upon ourselves as a human culture. It is a very deep and powerful message, with astounding accusations and connections, which most people would never even consider linking together on their own. However, with careful analysis and consideration, these accusations all begin to seem completely realistic and perhaps hold much truth.

The best way one can prevent themselves from becoming a burden on their families as they age is making sure the money they saved for their retirement stays saved for retirement and is only used for that purpose. "Alive and Kicking: Legal Advice... for Boomers!" grants legal advice so you can keep your money so when you finally do go and kick that bucket, your family has something other than massive debts to remember you by. Tips on Living wills, scams and identity theft, caring for your own parents in your own advanced age, issues involving age discrimination, driving, sex, and more are covered. While treating itself as a law book first, "Alive and Kicking: Legal Advice... for Boomers!" isn't afraid to crack a joke or bust out a poem now and again, giving a different and attractive flavor, making it highly recommended for anyone who is rapidly approaching retirement age and wants to be prepared for it in the modern world. Also recommended to community library law shelves.

What I liked about the book is the vast amount of useful information on all areas of planning for ones over age 50 years. And its a book that my son who is under age forty, found interesting, because it discusses issues that many people may never have thought about. It also is a book that dispells the notion that becoming sixty or older, means getting 'old' and unable to do many of the things we love doing in our forties or fifties. Cannot recommend the book enough.

Who would have thought that serious and important legal and financial matters could not be dished out with generous helpings of humor? This book clearly proves that theory wrong. An easy read, the authors never skip a beat when it comes to thoroughly discussing what readers need to know about boomer legal matters. I've recommended this book on many occasions.

This book is a humorous treatment of the serious business of the legal aspects of aging. Chock full of useful information and every page is entertaining.

Whether your reading preference is poetic, humorous, pragmatic, or just plain down to earth, Hegland and Fleming cover difficult legal issues in a way that makes you want to keep reading! This information is must to have in every home, whether yet boomers or not!

As a student at Yale Law School planning to go into estate planning, I found this book very helpful. Highly recommended for anyone who needs to plan their estate or for law students taking estate tax or planning courses. This book is easy to understand, well organized, and provides a good amount of detailed information, not just vague ideas. Highly recommended.

This book provides an easy to understand overview of estate planning plus easy to understand detail on many special circumstances. It is very easy to understand which estate planning techniques are right for you, and there are many examples that illustrate how the techniques work. Approximately half of this book is relevant to everyone. The other half gives clear, common sense explantions of advanced planning techniques that are typically reserved for those fortunate enough to be planning a high net worth estate (lets say $1M+). The advanced techniques are not for do it yourselfers, but the book gives you a good understanding of the issues and lets you converse intelligently with an attorney.

Now in a newly updated and expanded seventh edition, Plan Your Estate is a resource provided by attorneys Denis Clifford and Cora Jordan which is packed from cover to cover with everything anyone needs to know to ensure their worldly goods are promptly willed to loved ones. Written in no-nonsense terms that the non-specialist general reader can readily grasp, individual chapters clearly address wills, how to avoid probate, living trusts, property-control trusts, naming guardians for children and leaving property to children, estate taxes, living wills, how to reduce estate taxes, and much, much more. Especially recommended for individuals who own a business or who have children from a former marriage, Plan Your Estate is a "must-have", "do-it-yourself" legal resource, which is applicable to all American states except for Louisiana. Even those who prefer to let a professional handle the whole process of estate planning would be well served to read Plan Your Estate cover to cover, before stepping into an attorney's office where time is money and the clock is running.

Great for law students taking an estate planning course or an estate and gift tax course. Also good for people wanting to learn about estate planning in general. I would recommend this book.

This book is a must buy resource for persons interested in estate planning. Whether you are planning to do-it-yourself or use a lawyer, it is good to know what your options are. I am much better informed after reading this book.

This book has been uniquely encouraging for me through recent difficulties. I have given away several copies to friends who are facing different types of trials. They, too are finding encouragement and passing copies of this valuable book along. I originally heard of the book in Chondra Pierce's book about battling depression, Laughing in The Dark. God used the book to help her through difficult times. This book is easily digestible in devotional-like paragraphs and chapters. It's not as intimidating or heavy as many books that seek to encourage, but tend to overwhelm, seem to be.

i liked: these 10 promises can be lived by during both challenging times and good times. author does an excellent work of outlining god's desire of moving us out of weakness away from him to boldness near him through his promises. each chapter begins with a red sea rule, a promise, then quotes a bible passage from exodus as its foundation. then through the chapter and sub-chapters you are taken on a journey of experiences and stories to illustrate the meaning of each promise. every chapter and sub-chapter is filled with scripture quotes and quotes from historical persons. a wonderful little book packed with great reading. i disliked: none found.

God used this book to bring me thru a hard time in my life. God showed me that,when there seems to be no way thru or around a problem, He will make a way. He did just that for me. I have given about 2 dozen "Red Sea Rules" books away, most of the people I give them to come back and say "God did a wonderful work in my life thru this book" Jackie Wolf

This is a wonderful book. Following the biblical pattern of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea the author helps you look at life's difficult problems in a new light and gives you guidelines for "getting thought" tough times.

I keep this book by my bedside and read it whenever I am troubled.

I shared this book with a couple that were going through a crisis. They liked it so much they gave my book back and bought their own!

It's a must read for any christian.

Well, being a French trained cook, I didn't believe there was life without butter, creme fraiche, or triple cream cheese. A wake-up call of high cholesterol made me look for a tool to help reduce my numbers.

This appealing book has certainly helped me change my lifestyle into a healthier one. Her book, with excellent food resources and recipes has kept me interested and satiated for over a year! I have dropped 50 points and plan on giving a copy to my primary care physician for her office. I don't even miss those high fat ingredients of yesteryear. (ok, maybe a little!) Thanks, Catherine for your creativity and meticulous and delectable recipes. I await volume 2!

Following the advice in this book reduced my total cholesterol by 30 points, and my waistline by 15 pounds! No other book has been able to deliver like this one. I'm never bored by the recipes, and Jones makes it easy to shop, eat, and live a healthy life. Totally delectable and worth every penny.

We're discovering this cook book and we're just loving it. Last night we did a vegetarian meal that featured the Healthy Lentil Salad with Tomatoes and Radishes, Hearts of Palm, Tomato and Asparagus Salad, and the Romaine Lettuce with Chickpeas, Feta and Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette.... DELISH and totally filling.

We're also big fans of:

Chicken, Arugula, Sun-Dried Tomato, Olive, and Feta Cheese Pasta Salad
Chicken Fajitas with Homemade Guacamole (YUM! - Served it at a dinner party and it was a huge hit)
Feta and Fresh Basil Chicken Burgers
Turkey Loaf
Southwestern Breakfast Burrito

The recipes are very easy to make. The ingredients affordable. And the taste is something everyone in the family will appreciate!!!

I have loved all the recipes so far. Recipes use some of the same ingredients so that you don't have to spend tons of money. Nice information sections of foods to stay away from and why. I feel heart healthier already.

This book has a very good introduction on how to change the way you cook and eat. The recipes are simple and easy to prepare. Basically shows how to replace high calorie ingredients with low-fat, non-fat ingredients. Quite good overall.