Safety-Issues Books

This book shows how to cope with the difficult but all too common problem of being bullied by a so-called "friend." A must-read for children (and their parents) who have--or know someone who has-- struggled with this experience.

Great book. It's about time this subject was brought to the forefront. Bullying starts so young and the younger kids are when parents and teachers talk to them about being a bully or being bullied, the better. What a wonderful way to start a discussion at home or in the classroom.

This book helped my daughter tremendously. It strikes a chord regarding "friends" that are subtle and some times not so subtle bullies. It helped my dauther see some friends in a different light and to deal with the problem in a better way. A must for any child who is bullied or maybe a help for the bully too.

Again, well done. Too often children, and even adults, are affected more than we realize by bullies. I bought all three of her books after seeing the author's school presentation. Thank you Amazon for having these books available through your many book dealers. My copies were in good condition and arrived quickly.

Literature like this is invaluable to teach children about this ever-present issue of bullying.It is so empowering for children to know they are not alone. Read and do the activities with your child. Additionally a must-read for every parent or teacher of a school-age child...even pre-schoolers is Bully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullying...filled with stories, scripts, classroom -tested lessons and activities to raise empowered children who will not became bullies nor victims!

As a person with an autoimmune disease I thought this book was very interesting and thought provoking. It is a read for everyone, to see how our environment can affect our health, and steps we can take to help our bodies stay healthier.

This is a well researched book giving the scientific explanation about what is happening regarding our immune systems.

The reason for the 4 Star rating - I considered to whom the information would be most useful.
For physicians, healthcare persons: I give this book 5 stars
For lay persons: I give it 3 (see bottom of review for other reading suggestions)


Best Audience: Physicians and others wanting the technical information behind autoimmune disease.

Additional Audience: Lay person wishing a more in-depth knowledge behind autoimmune disease.
Nakazawa uses engaging case studies to illustrate her points.

Chapter One: The Red Flag Disease
Discusses the rising statistics of autoimmune disease diagnosis

Chapter Two: The Invisible Invaders: The Driving Force Behind This Epidemic
Links our increased exposure to man-made chemicals to the increased diagnosis of autoimmune disease.

Chapter Three: Dirty Little Secrets: Cluster Epidemics from Buffalo to Texas
Details the struggle of area residents and concerned citizens to the high rate of lupus cases that cropped up near a toxic site. Also shows the difficulties of proving a cluster.

Chapter Four: A Potent Package: Viruses, Vaccines, and Heavy Metals
Ties together the role of global warming with autoimmune inducing viruses.
Also covered: The role of heavy metals and vaccines
The autism-autoimmune connection
The Allergy Connection

Chapter Five: The Autoimmune Disease Detectives: Era of the Mavericks
Focuses on predicting the likelihood of autoimmune disease onset. Mostly high-tech or pharmaceutical solutions.

Chapter Six: Shielding Your Immune System: Rethinking Food, Stress, and Everyday Chemicals

I consider this last chapter to be most useful: Mentioned are steps to take to prevent and/or treat autoimmune disease.

First and foremost is the food connection. Most important: how to find out what foods are triggering you Autoimmune disease symptoms.

Finally: simple everyday suggestions are included such as green cleaners (home and body) and basic hygiene.

With the exception of the 6th (and last chapter) - this is not a how-to book.

For more detailed help with autoimmune disease I recommend the following:
1)The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Anti-Inflammation Diet (Complete Idiot's Guide to) - 2006

2)The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book: Protect Yourself and Your Family from Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies - and More by Jessica K. Black, ND; P - 2006
125 recipes with suggested substitutions
Examples of foods to eat and foods to avoid
Week of sample menus for summer and winter

3)Diet for a Pain-Free Life: A Revolutionary Plan to Lose Weight, Stop Pain, Sleep Better and Feel Great in 21 Days, ADA...sound nutritional advice...do-able, delicious..a godsend to pain sufferers. by Harris H. McIlwain - 2006

As a holistic physician, I wanted to see how the author made her argument that the increasing number of people with autoimmune disease is due to a toxic environment. She interviewed a number of respected scientific researchers whose research links the various toxins we all have in our body with the diseases that afflict so many people today. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to begin to understand how they may have come down with their illness. The good news is that a educated and committed patient and a physician who looks for the causes of these illnesses can develop treatments that enable healing to occur. The use of pharmaceutical drugs to suppress symptoms of the illness should be temporary because the underlying problem is not being corrected. The toxicity of the drugs is an additional burden on an already dysfunctional body. One take home lesson from the book is that we all can reduce our exposure to toxins by looking for and buying nontoxic body care and home care products.

In my health care practice, I look for the toxins that throw our bodies out of balance as Donna so aptly describes in her book. We live in a sea of chemicals and if a health practitioner chooses to go looking for them, they will find them in a patient's body. Just look around at the average American today. It is obvious the medications that simply treat symptoms are not enough.

It seems so basic to clean up our bodies, our environment. Thank you, Donna, for writing such a comprehensive, truthful book about our state of affairs in health and industry today and its impact on all of us.

What is causing the unprecedented and alarming increase in the number of people with autoimmune diseases in recent years? What is causing the frightening rise in the number of children with autism? In this painstakingly researched and thoroughly documented book, Donna Jackson Nakazawa makes the case that pollution is the culprit. She argues convincingly that levels of pollution below those allowed by government standards enter our bodies and confuse our immune systems into attacking our own cells.

The case is not however proven by scientific standards. Although the circumstantial evidence is persuasive, it may take many years for the scientific proof to manifest itself. But you and I do not have to wait that long. A question that might be asked is, what else can it be? The rise in autoimmune disease is clearly correlated with the rise in man-made and man-delivered chemicals into the environment. What we need to do now is elect representatives who will enact legislation that will sharply reduce the number and amount of chemicals being dumped into our rivers, streams and oceans, that will stop the feeding of noxious substance and hormones to our animals, and that will switch from burning fossils fuels to more sustainable and non-polluting alternatives. We need to make the transition from Big Agriculture with its pesticides and its weed killers to small cooperative organic farming methods. The health costs to our people are now enormous and growing. We cannot expect bottom-line driven corporations to voluntarily give up besmirching the environment and poisoning our children. They have to be stopped through the force of law.

Meanwhile, we as individuals need to reject highly processed foods and being super-sized. We need to reward close to home organic farmers and think slow food, not fast food. We need to stay away from MacDonald's and the Burger King. We need to give up the automobile and embrace mass transit and the bicycle. We need to leave the asphalt jungle and return to the Garden of Eden. We need stop stock-piling armaments and use our resources to fight disease and poverty. We need to reduce the sheer numbers of humans on this planet and allow not only more open space but more wild and agrarian space. We need to wake up in the morning and look out over greenery and clear, flowing waters, not concrete and steel, asphalt and the brown haze.

But wait. How can we do this? We can't. At least we can't do it anytime soon. It will take a gargantuan effort, greater than the resources put into World War II, into the space race, and into the Cold War combined to bring about the kind of changes that will stop the epidemic. First we will need to educate the general populace about what needs to be done. The vast majority of people have no idea what is happening. Most of us are living in a kind of willful ignorance about what we are doing to the planet and ultimately to ourselves. We need to get the short-sighted to see the world through the eyes of their grandchildren. We need to wrest power from pathological corporations, and put it in the hands of people who care.

Again, how do we do this?

It is a race between understanding and ignorance, between the side of human nature that uses its intelligence to see the present objectively and to imagine the future, and the side of human nature that is blind and fearful, that yields to the authority of special interests and wallows in ignorance.

Can we win this race? Nakazawa thinks we can and presents a strategy in the concluding chapter for shielding our immune systems from noxious chemicals and from stress and negative emotions. But what about that dark cloud drifting over the Pacific Ocean from the coal fires and the dust storms and chemical dumps in China? What can we do about THAT?

We, to our shame have elected know-nothings like George W. Bush, who has installed in his government legions of people dedicated to the increase of pollution and the wanton use of weapons and armies and gas-guzzlers to continue the destruction of the planet. We can only hope that our children and their children do a better job at governance, because at most we have perhaps two generations left before the world falls into a kind of horror of nature out of balance and of people at each other's throats to save what little is left for themselves.

The autoimmune epidemic is the canary in the coal mine. Unless we change our ways, it's going to get worse, much worse, so that on a clear day we will be able to see the smoke along Lincoln County Road as it leads to Armageddon.

this book follows the lives of teenagers in the middle of a war, there is a lot less emotions in this novel, but a lot more action, and violence. more action then violence i think. it follows their new lives and nver lets you down.

Part five of the Tomorrow series keeps the action going. Ellie and company pull off their most daring attack and escape yet. Marsden keeps doing a masterful job of writing from Ellie's point of view, letting the reader experience the weariness and drive she's going through at this point in her life. Now, it's time to seek out the next volume.

The Tomorrow series of books by John Marsden got me through High School (as a lucky New Zealander, I have had the books since the 1990's). I awaited every new instalment with excitement and trepidation. `Burning for Revenge' was no exception and it delivered everything I was hoping for and more. `Burning for Revenge' is a nice return to the action, gunfire and explosive situations after a more sober `Darkness Be My Friend'. One book from the Tomorrow series features a warning quote: "do not start at night". This is completely true in `Burning for Revenge' - the reader is urged on to continue reading until the last page is turned, and is left gasping for breath and reaching urgently for the next instalment.

If you have enjoyed the Tomorrow Series, be sure to catch the Ellie Chronicles ( While I Live (The Ellie Chronicles) )that continue the story of Elle after the peace settlement.

Burning For Revenge will keep you up all night, that's for sure. There is a lot of non-stop action packed in this book, more than any of the previous books. Marsden makes you visualize the fear felt by the characters while escaping constant pursuit. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.

this is the best series i have ever read. i am currently reading the other side of dawn and i am sad that i am almost finished. i have not found any books that are as great as these so i might as well just read them over and over again. i just hope there are other books as mesmerizing as these out there...

As the non-offending parent of a three-year-old who was molested by her biological father, I have tried to find the best materials for my daughter and myself. Although this book is intended as a tool to help prevent abuse, I believe it is also good for opening the door for "talk" with a toddler who HAS been molested. That is a good thing when you know you are not supposed to ASK the child, or lead them, but yet you are instructed by the "professionals" to seek counseling and to TEACH THEM ABOUT GOOD AND BAD TOUCHES. I recommend this book. My daughter's play therapist felt the art was "dark" but I think it is fine, that it kind of goes along with the subject it is dealing with, and my daughter really LOOKS at the pictures because they are different than most of her books.

I absolutly loved this book!!! As with other readers, I also felt that it was a bit "much" for my 5yr old. I mean, it does say stuff like "a man putting his hands down a little girls panties..." However, even though it is a bit much, I believe that I would rather teach my daughter about these things now rather than end up with her being abused later because she didnt know what was going on. Just telling her to respect her body isnt enough. She needs to know what kinds of things to look out for and needs to be able to recognise that something bad is happening. I found this book to be tasteful and my daughter was attentive to it. I especailly like that this book points out that Mommies and Daddies should be respectful of her body too. So often you see on the news that children have been abused by their own parents. It's terrible. I loved that this book noted that EVERYONE shoudl respect her body and that only SHE has the right to share it. WAY TO GO!!!!!

Excellent on teaching children that their body belongs to them - and no one else. Discusses appropriate & inappropriate touches. Provides an example of a trusted neighbor who tricked and tried to inappropriately touch a child - all in child-friendly language and drawings. It also discusses when it is okay to be touched - bathing or when at the doctor's for a check-up. It is not scary, but matter-of-fact. We read this to our 4.5 & 3 year old daughters and have them practice saying STOP with an outstretched hand at appropriate parts of the book. Highly recommended.

I bought this book because I wanted help teaching my daughter why she needs to keep her privates covered and the reviews said this book was great for children as young as three years old. I personally felt this book was a little much for my five year old daughter so I decided against reading it to her. I wasn't comfortable reading about `a man trying to put his hand down a child's panties while sitting on his lap.' I'm pretty surprised I am the only one who feels this way. I also bought `Your Body Belongs To You' by Cornelia Spelman and felt that book was much more appropriate for her so that is the book I read with her. I think The Right Touch is better for children a little older or any child you might suspect has possibly been abused.

This book is tastefully written, not scary, but led to good discussion about boundaries- with anyone he knows or doesn't know, and serious thought by my 3 1/2 year old son. He asks for the book about once a month, and refers to "touching problems" occasionally in general conversation, saying something like "you don't keep touching secrets and you say 'Stop it! I don't like that!' if someone tries to put their hand in your pants, and go tell Mom!"

It's a little shocking when your baby gets a grasp of something like that, but I'd really rather that be the case than the first time he knows of it is with a previously trusted person that betrays that trust. It's not graphic or detailed and doesn't attempt to explain why a pervert would do such a thing. It appears serious to him and has caused him to talk with me and plan his response (just like what to do if he became lost in a store), but it's no more scary to him just from reading about it and talking about it than a toothy shark or scary shadow in another book. I highly recommend this for parents brave enough to tackle this subject before your child starts attending birthday parties alone or going to neighbors' houses to play.

This is a great book!It is written in secret code and is very hard to understand.But it is still an excellent book with a good plot!

This is a great book!It is written in secret code and is very hard to understand.But it is still an excellent book with a good plot!

I read this book 2 years ago, and still I can not forget how good it was and how much it helped me understand there are other people out there going through the same things as I do and worse. I am now 14 years old, and couldn't image going through what Julian went through in this book, AFTER the death of my mother.

Although the book was kinda confusing in the beginning, I caught on. Deciphering each and every messaged coated with numbers and codes until I cracked each and everyone one of them and recorgnized them once I spotted them.

Author James M. Deem is without doubt the most amazing author I've ever read books from. Since this book, I look and look for his books and read them and never I repeat NEVER has he let me down. I think that everyone who reads his material should cherish it, and hold on to his thoughts [ they are amazing ] just as I have done, because he's simply...the best. <3 James!

-Ashley

Julian is an abused child. His mother is dead, his demented stepmother starves him and locks him in his room and makes him do all the chores in the house, and his father lets her. The story is told in diary form of Julian's three notebooks, or "Nbs" as he calls them. The notebooks are written in code so that if his father and stepmother should discover them, they would have difficulty reading. The reader also has difficulty at first, as it takes some detective work to decipher the code.

The thing I liked most about the book is Julian's strength of spirit. With the support of his English teacher and a classmate, he is able to get a job, run away, and make a new life for himself. When I looked at James Deem's website, it says the story is based on the author's own experiences. And you can tell. It's really good, though the code can be a bit annoying.

This book seriously defies the mind. When I picked up this book + read the 1st page I knew that it was going 2 B like no book that I have ever read. I had some knowledge of pager code before hand so it was not as difficult for me as it would B for someone who hadn't. I was intrigued w/ 16 y.o Julian who's life + everything in it couldn't be described as anything but [the underworld]. This book kept me turning page after page determined to find if he gets away 4rm his abusive parents or ever meets this "U" th@ he obsesses himself over.
This book is a puzzle and unraveling it is only half the fun. I recommend this book 2 everyone. I thought it was a great story + if u take the time 2 sit down + read it, I'm sure you will think the same thing 2.

not a bad book but since i already knew most of the information in it, it wasn't as interesting as i hoped. Yeah, FDA is joke, most doctors prescribe antibiotics without even considering your illness or your medical history, sort of like free candy. Modern medicine became a sham since there are plenty of "alternative" or "natural" cures that work as well as most of medications that are being supressed. I have also had a negative reaction to antibiotics before and because of it stopped taking it altogether. Nothing new there.

This book begins as a personal story. One day journalist Stephen Fried was forced to rush his wife, novelist Diane Ayres, to an emergency room, when she suffered a severe seizure. She turned out to be suffering an adverse reaction to an antibiotic, Floxin, which she had been instructed to take for a minor urinary infection. "Bitter Pills" grew out of Fried's attempts to understand what had happened to his wife.

Fried, and his readers, soon discover that Diane Ayres' case was not unique, or even rare. Floxin is only one of legions of prescription drugs which can cause severe adverse reactions, which cause at least 45,000 deaths per year in the US (some estimates go as high as 200,000). It is a tribute to Fried's excellence as a reporter that he is able go beyond his dramatic personal story to give a comprehensive picture of what he calls " the hazardous world of legal drugs."

Fried reviews the history of drug regulation in the US, and ably documents the shortcomings of the current regulatory system, as well as the inordinate influence drug companies have on the process. Two of the many specific "hazards" he identifies are the desperate need for doctors to have an independent, reliable source of information on the drugs they prescribe (almost all the informatin they currently have comes from drug manufacturers), and the equally crying need for an effective system for reporting and cataloging adverse drug reactions.

I put this book down very impressed with Fried as both a reporter and a writer. He has clearly immersed himself in an important issue long enough, and deeply enough, that he has mastered it. He has then turned around to convey the complex issues involved to readers very effectively and without losing their interest. I look forward to work of similar excellence from Fried in the future.

"Bitter Pills" is the real-life version of "Strong Medicine" by Arthur Hailey. With a very personal beginning resulting from his wife's near death and slow recovery from taking ONE PILL (Floxin), author Fried went on to find whether there were other victims (many), and why the drug was approved in the first place. Interviews in profusion show why the FDA has its problems. Examples are given of the tendency of drug companies to defend their drugs at any cost regardless of evidence. The end of the book contains addresses of many drug companies, organizations to whom to report adverse drug reactions, and a sample form to send to the FDA. Well thought-out advice for patients (or their helpmates) to investigate drugs are given. A number of other good books on the subject are listed.
Fried is to be congratulated for doing a very accurate job with a minimum number of accusations. I did not find a single technical error in the entire book, and I have about 12 years exploratory drug development and teaching about it as a professor of medicinal chemistry.
Even Fried may not have realized how many drugs not discussed in his book shorten life, because they are tested and accepted based on surrogate endpoints for short periods. This may not be so bad for antibiotics that are taken for two weeks, but can be very destructive for drugs intended to be taken for 20-40 years.

I didn't know about Stephen Fried and "Bitter Pills," much less quinolone antibiotics, until I myself was, like Mr. Fried's wife, "Floxed," just a few weeks ago. I began my search for information on reactions to quinolones after four days of gatifloxacin (brandname Tequin) left me with tingling and weak arms and legs, difficulty swallowing and breathing, visual disturbances, headaches, dizziness, and more. I seriously thought I had a stroke or Guillain Barre syndrome or rapid onset multiple sclerosis, I was so sick.

Let me say that first, Stephen Fried's book is an excellent overview of the circumstances of adverse drug reactions to quinolone antibiotics. And with the increased visibility and use of Cipro, and the ease with which doctors dispense heavy-hitting antibiotics like Levaquin and Tequin, I'm sure I'm not going to be the last person to suffer a reaction and end up being "Floxed" and needing the information and reassurance provided by this book.

But it is also much much more. It's an expose of the pharmaceutical industry's fast and loose way of dealing with drugs, drug safety and the American public. This is not a rant -- it's an impeccably researched and detailed presentation of the intricacies involved in drug approvals and tracking of adverse reactions that exposes the limitations of the system, and the dangers those limitations present to us as patients and consumers.

As a patient advocate and spokesperson for thyroid and autoimmune disease patients, I know all too well the feeling of being held hostage to big pharmaceutical companies at the expense of my health and wellness.

Stephen Fried has finally exposed and explained -- clearly and without rancor -- how the drug industry really works, and his book, including the excellent appendix on how to contact pharmaceutical companies, report adverse reactions, protect yourself against bad drugs, and generally protect yourself as a consumer -- is must-reading for every empowered patient or health consumer.

I highly recommend this book to doctors, patients, and anyone who prescribes or takes prescription drugs.

I am another victim of a Fluoroquinolone, just like the author's wife. Take this book very seriously, because what doctors tell you is 'rare' is in fact extremely common. Levaquin (one of the fluoroquinolones) caused me to develop Fibromyalgia. For a time I had to use a walker. I was in constant pain for nearly one full year. Although the doctors say this is 'rare', three other women in my office of 30 people also developed Fibromyalgia after taking one of these pills. In my realm of family and friends, I have discovered nine others...each and every single one had a doctor telling them they did not know the cause of their pains. Each and every single one took a Fluoroquinolone pill before getting these terrible pains that never go away. No doctor will admit to it, and so therefore it goes unreported, and continues to falsely be considered a 'rare event'. There is a group of victims on yahoo that number more than 1600 from all over the world. Some have died or have family members who have died from these pills. Others are permanantly in wheel chairs or confined to bed from the pain. The pain these pills can cause is not like anything else you have ever felt. It's new and extraordinarily tortuous. I have been suffering for almost two years because of ten Levaquin pills. I am only in my 30s and before Levaquin was in great health. The information in this book is worth reading, because the Fluoroquinolones are the most prescribed antibiotic out there, and chances are you will be handed a prescription for one. You need to know the truth about these pills before you even take just one. The first pill nearly ruptured my eyes! The third pill decayed my ankle. The list goes on forever, even long after I stopped the last pill, and you can never be entirely the same after you're affected.

chicken soup for the teenage soul letters is a book that has a lot of volumes. i really liked this book because it was very interesting. some of the stories were really sad and some of them were really happy.some people would talk about how their life was really bad and how they didn't want to live on this earth anymore and some were really happy love stories. this book was a book talking about real people and real things that happen to kids in their teenage year. when i read this i didn't get bored because it was very eye catching. it's like when you start reading it you just can't stop.
so i give this book 5 stars because i like it so much. if you read this book you will not regret it because it's that great.

I often wonder if other people have the same response to something that I read. This book lets me know that people do.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: Letters is a collective book of responses to the first three novels of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Each story is just as heart warming as the stories in the original book, but this time the stories are ones that occurred due to the previous books in the series. Each story delivers a heart felt lesson of an "oh well, I guess that my life isn't that bad after all, " or a "maybe I should change my life too". Many of the writers were going through times when they thought suicide was the best option or that there was no option at all, each writer then expressed their own reaction to the book and how their life was changed and put back on the right track. Within the contents of the book, I found some truly amazing and uplifting stories; one was about a girl suffering from the loss of her only sister and how each section of the book brought her to overcome her devastating reality. Another was about a girl who got copies of the book for the grieving students at Columbine. Each story was compelling, up lifting, and really let me see what living is all about.
On a scale from 1-10 I would give this book a 9, because of it's mysterious ways to make me feel better about my self or just put me in a better mood. One of the most important reasons to pick up this book is because it lets me know that no matter what I do I am not alone and that where ever I go, I can make a difference if I am compelled to help.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: Letters is a collective book of responses to the first three novels of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Each story is just as heart warming as the stories in the original book, but this time the stories are ones that occurred due to the previous books in the series. Each story delivers a heart felt lesson of an "oh well, I guess that my life isn't that bad after all, " or a "maybe I should change my life too". Many of the writers were going through times when they thought suicide was the best option or that there was no option at all, each writer then expressed their own reaction to the book and how their life was changed and put back on the right track. Within the contents of the book, I found some truly amazing and uplifting stories; one was about a girl suffering from the loss of her only sister and how each section of the book brought her to overcome her devastating reality. Another was about a girl who got copies of the book for the grieving students at Columbine. Each story was compelling, up lifting, and really let me see what living is all about.
On a scale from 1-10 I would give this book a 9, because of its mysterious ways to make me feel better about my self or just put me in a better mood. One of the most important reasons to pick up this book is because it lets me know that no matter what I do I am not alone and that where ever I go, I can make a difference if I am compelled to help.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: Letters is a collective book of responses to the first three novels of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Each story is just as heart warming as the stories in the original book, but this time the stories are ones that occurred due to the previous books in the series. Each story delivers a heart felt lesson of an "oh well, I guess that my life isn't that bad after all, " or a "maybe I should change my life too". Many of the writers were going through times when they thought suicide was the best option or that there was no option at all, each writer then expressed their own reaction to the book and how their life was changed and put back on the right track. Within the contents of the book, I found some truly amazing and uplifting stories; one was about a girl suffering from the loss of her only sister and how each section of the book brought her to overcome her devastating reality. Another was about a girl who got copies of the book for the grieving students at Columbine. Each story was compelling, up lifting, and really let me see what living is all about.
On a scale from 1-10 I would give this book a 9, because of it's mysterious ways to make me feel better about my self or just put me in a better mood. One of the most important reasons to pick up this book is because it lets me know that no matter what I do I am not alone and that where ever I go, I can make a difference if I am compelled to help.

This book had so much great information I could not believe it. It is easy to find virtually any subject matter that is related. While, during and after reading this book I went through my house and eliminated many bad things that I never knew could be harmful to my family. I has really helped us change our lives in a very positive way. If you have anyone you love in your home including yourself read this book and get educated for your own safety! I leave it on the kitchen counter and refer to it often. Some times I even shock a friend or two that visits with some of the information in there and they have gone on to change the way they live as well after having some very important facts given to them. Awesome and worthy of a read and the cost. This ones a keeper :)

This book covers a wide range of topics, from building/remodeling materials to cleaners and personal products. Mine is already earmarked, underlined and highlighted, and I've purchased more as gifts for family and friends. Debra Lynn Dadd is an expert and her work is also very readable; succinct and not dry.

This book is a great read for someone who wants to learn about environmental issues in the home without the fear factor. It's factual and articulate, without being overwhelming or emotional in a way that makes you doubt the information.

This book had a lot of info in it. Worth the read.

This book was a real eye opener for me during my first read--EYE OPENER!. I went through every chapter with a fine tooth comb and to tell you the truth I was shocked. Shocked because I have been assuming, up to this point, that the products I was using, in my household, in my hair, on my skin (the stuff I grew up on, the stuff Grandma always used--oh ya during WWII maybe...) were safe. Now I know this is USUALLY NOT the case. I learned later on that most of the crap I was used to using belonged right in the trash can. That is where everything eventually ended up. The next day I decided to start from scratch. I have used this book as a continuous reference, a Bible if you will. I have also purchased a cosmetic dictionary to help me understand all of the chemical yahoo they put in body products as well. The best thing I learned to do is read labels--READ THE LABELS! Now I know that I am doing the best for myself and my family. If the FDA cannot protect me--by George I am doing something to protect myself and those around me! This book changed my life and gave me an excellent education about how toxic our homes and body products REALLY are. Now...I rather dislike the companies who make toxic cleaning products, makeup, body produts and food. My hope is that someday this world will stop supporting the bad stuff and move on to the good.

This book is added to our preschool library as one of our "just in case" type books. If there was to be a traumatic incident that a child experienced, this book would be perfect to use. The 'terrible thing' is not specified, thus it could be used if a child witnesses parental arguing, abuse, an earthquake, etc. Animal characters are indirect and easy for children to relate to, and there are suggestions at the end of the book for adult intervention with the child/ren.

I have not had a chance to use this book yet, but I have read it, along with many books on domestic violence and I think this will prove extraordinarily helpful to children who have witnessed and overheard the terrible things adults are capable of.

This book is stunningly, beautifully wrought, heartbreaking yet perhaps allows for the slightest opening of a door. I believe it can open a dialog when used appropriately.

Used this book with a girl who was not very verbal about her witness to domestic violence. She seemed to relate to the story and, even though still didn't talk much, drew pictures about the trauma, like the character in the book did. Because it never identifies what he saw, you can use this with all types of trauma experiences.

Young children who have witnessed various types of violence or suffered a trauma of any kind can be helped by this book. The book is written in language children understand, using loving animal characters that they can relate to. It shows them that there is hope if they don't lock their feelings inside, and it teaches them to find some caring person to talk to.

Another reason I like this book is because it teaches adults the signs to look for in disturbed children, and what to do to help the children who need counseling.

It's not only a great resource for parents, it's wonderful for professional counselors as well.

Highly recommended. - Betty Dravis, August 2007

I've been using this book in my practice for the past four months, incorporating it into my play therapy with child abuse cases. I've found that my clients can truly relate to some, if not all parts of the story. It is also a great way segway into art therapy for some small children. Additionally, because the story discusses how counselors help children, I've found that the children are more likely to trust in you more quickly as the helping professional.

This book is a must have for every mother. It provides evidence, research, statistics and facts about vaccines being given to our babies and the damages they really do cause. I am raising a vaccine free child and I am constantly put down for it but once you know the truth, it doesnt matter what others think because you know that you are giving your child the best start. Hopefully you get ahold of this book before your baby is born so you can avoid these dangerous vaccines altogether.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is the most informative book I have ever read. The forward alone is worth the cost of the book, it is excellent! Seriously, before you take your kids back to the pediatrician, read this book. You will be thankful that you did.

This book is packed with research, statistic and lots of valuable information that I didn't see in any other vax related book.
It should be a must read for any parent

My wife and I are going to be new parents soon, so the subject of vaccine safety is important to us. With all of the information on the Internet (pro vs. con), it's hard to find a good resource in one place. Mr. Miller's book answers the mail, as this book is a well-researched and invaluable resource to have at your disposal. Miller has clearly done his homework, citing hundreds of studies, documentation and personal testimonies. He clearly cares about getting to the truth of this debate and in the process, has done his readers a great service.

As concerned parents, we have been researching the safety and effectiveness of vaccines for many months. We participated in a presentation were the speaker was one of my favorite researchers and authors on the topic, Neil Z. Miller. He is a medical research journalist and natural health advocate and author of numerous articles and books on vaccines. Miller is also the director of the Think Twice Global Vaccine Institute. He has a degree in psychology (with an emphasis on statistical analysis) and is a member of Mensa.

The presentation was about two hours and only touched the surface on the extensive amount documented data he has discovered through government, medical and scientific journals. He started researching vaccines before his son was born over 23 years ago. What began as a parental endeavor for information turned into a public awareness crusade.

He tells us most of the vaccine information that the public is told is misinformation and propaganda. Accurate data is not released through regular media outlets.

During the presentation they polled the audience on various questions. We learned that the U.S. has more vaccinations than any other country in the world and we also have the 42nd worst infant mortality rate in the world.

Dr. Baylock, a well known neurosurgeon has documented damage in children's brains due to toxic overload from vaccines. He wrote the compelling foreword of Miller's latest book.

The "idea" that vaccines will keep our children safe is like playing russian roulette. Miller advocates parents being fully informed and know that they have freedom of choice, especially when it comes to the health and well being of their children. "Don't count on your doctors to give you all he information." Miller warns. He suggests looking at each vaccine independently and that is exactly was he has presented for all people in his book: Vaccine Safety Manual for Concerned Families and Health Practitioners.

We live in a pill popping society where there is a drug for every ailment, but we have more chronic conditions and diseases than we have ever had before. Drug companies continue to make drugs and vaccine manufacturers will continue to make vaccines. They will put pressure on the FDA to say that they are safe and the CDC to recommend them to the schedule. Currently families that follow the recommended schedule are giving their children 36 drugs by 18 months of age. "We are injecting healthy people with unhealthy substances." Miller said.

Miller says, "There are more vaccines in the pipeline". The next big push is for adolescent and adults vaccines, even vaccines for those with addictions. There are no studies done on combination vaccines and how they react with one another. Not to mention any reactions with other environmental, drug or food chemicals or toxins.

"This is not hearsay. I have documented all of this information." Miller says. The FDA and CDC have a 12-15 member panel. The FDA determines what will be licensed and the CDC will then recommend it to the schedule.

Congressmen Dan Burton held congressional hearings to investigate these committees. There were clear conflicts of interest including, members that owned stock or patent to a vaccine or they were paid consultants to the vaccine manufactures.

In June of 2000 there was a `secret' meeting of top officials from Big Pharma, FDA and CDC. There they discussed the evidence that vaccines were harmful and instead of alerting parents they spent the rest of the weekend on how they were going to cover it up. Robert Kennedy Jr wrote and article about this story for Rolling Stone in 2005. Click here to read article.

Miller also addressed some common questions including mercury being removed from vaccines. In 1999 AAP said mercury was going to be removed from vaccines; however it was not required for the current stock of vaccines to be returned or destroyed. Three years later to balance that out, it was mandated that children get multiple flu vaccines that had high concentrations of mercury (thimerisol the chemical that contains 50% mercury).

Many parents choose to space out vaccines or create their own schedule. Miller thinks there may be some merit to it. He gave a drinking analogy. The reactions are different if you have shot after shot of tequila or have 1 tequila shot that night out with your friends. He still warns that if you decided to space out or do single shots the vaccines still come with significant reactions. There is no testing or screening to know if a child has a predisposition or may have a reaction.
We do know that more and more children are having reactions and autism is on the rise. The good news is for parents that choose not to vaccinate there are either religious or philosophical exemptions available.

Miller tells us that Autism rates surpasses cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined. This is a true epidemic. He also mentions the flu statistics are false. "More people die in this country from asthma and malnutrition than the flu." Miller also spoke of the link between vaccines and asthma, mercury and autism but was very clear that mercury is not the only problem. "All of this information is documented information," he repeats.

We are conditioned to believe that vaccines are safe and vaccines are effective. If this was true children would not be having reactions and dying and people that were vaccinated would not get the disease. This is clearly not the case.

Another astounding bit of information was about the Polio Vaccine. There is an industry that raises monkeys and then kills them to use their kidneys to develop the polio vaccine.
Monkeys carry several viruses and one in particular, SV-40 is known to cause cancer. Numerous people were infected and cancer rates have increased 20-30% around the world.
This virus is also transmitted similarly to AIDS.


The Vaccine Safety Manual is the world's most complete guide to immunization risks and protection. It includes pertinent information on every major vaccine: polio, tetanus, MMR, hepatitis A, B, HPV (cervical cancer), Hib, Flu, chickenpox, shingles, rotavirus, pneumococcal, meningococcal, RSV, DTaP, anthrax, smallpox, TB, and more. All of the information, including detailed vaccine safety and efficacy data, is written in an easy-to-understand format, yet includes more than 1,000 documented citations. More than 75 charts, graphs and illustrations supplement the text. This encyclopedic health manual is an important addition to every family's home library and will be referred to again and again.