Spellbinding and insightful
924687
Being both a doctor and having ADHD I found this book both informative and insightful.  The concepts of both nature and nurture are seemlessly interwoven to provide an excellent perspective on causality as well as direction for treatment.

Having a past personal interest in child psychology lent me familiarity to many of the concepts the author brought forth in his book.  If his ideas seem 'cooked up' you are mistaken.  The author is quoting cornerstone teachings of well known developmental psychologists.

One must realize that research into ADHD is still evolving.  Whether or not causality can be determined in each specific case, it does not detract from the author's direction in treatment (whether through family therapy, psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy).  More specifically, ADHD may in fact arise in 'functional families' but the requirement for ongoing support/'unconditional positive regard' remains pivotal.

But one should realize this is not a 'How to Book' nor a brief synopsis.  With all that aside...... an eloquent book which made me laugh, cry and take heart.
1603929
Max Boot provides a informative and engrossing copy. I appreciate his insightful and gripping narrative that is based on an unusual grasp of the subject and an ability to clearly express its many avenues of meaning. He breathes life into a well-worn subject. I am glad I purchased this book.
561432
This book is a spellbinding read. It reads more like a novel than real life. You are left wondering if Missy was honestly trying to protect a baby or if she was just a scorned woman seeking revenge. Obviously, the jury felt she was trying to save a baby's life.
It is the story of a con man, a scorned ex-wife, two SIDS deaths of babies, coroners that reversed their autopsy decision years after the fact, and a man that was convicted because of insurance policies and reputation.
The case put SIDS evidence, or the lack of it, on trial as much as anything else. Experts refuted each other and presented conflicting studies and statistics. It was an interesting debate.
I found the entire book fascinating and highly recommend it.
2683203
God's Choice offers insight into the heartache and victories of the day to day life of a family's journey through a high risk pregnancy and premature birth. It showed me how an unwavering faith in God supersedes expert advice and logic. It is heart rending and inspirational at each turn of the story. I found myself eagerly devouring page after page.
4682495
This book is truly spellbinding. All of the members of the book club enjoyed it. I couldn't put it down once I started.
2771259
A captivating insider perspective, over the course of two days I only put down "In the Lion's Den" out of necessity, and wished there was more when I finished.

"In the Lion's Den" offers an unparalleled view on life in modern Syria: the oppression of citizens and foreigners, the corruption, the changes to the system under Bashar, the "Damascus Declaration" and the rise of the opposition, and significantly, Syria's relations with the United States. Tabler makes clear that one cannot fully understand the situations in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, and the wider Middle East without having a firm grasp on Syrian politics and Syria's foreign endeavors.

Tabler's privileged position as an adviser to an NGO under the patronage of the President's wife - we learn that some consider deceased President Hafez al Assad's wife to still be the "First Lady" - allows him unprecedented access to the powerful actors defining Syrian life from 2001-11. He meticulously charts the specific dates on which events occurred that shaped the history of a nation and region.

Bashar Assad's reign begins with hopes for reform and change, but positive political change never comes. Repressive laws written generations ago remain on the books, and even Asma al-Assad's NGOs exist in legal limbo. Tabler slowly comes to understand the myriad forms of power the state exerts on its population and the factional balancing act the president must play to remain in power during particularly challenging times.

Tabler chronicles the plethora of techniques the regime uses to psychologically imprison its population and to keep foreign powers guessing. As in Ryszard Kapuscinski's works, Tabler elucidates the seemingly trivial but critical details that keep the Syrian people constantly guessing. Casual looks or the lack thereof from the President's wife reveal an employee's closeness to power. Gossip is disproportionately influential. Cryptic comments from powerful individuals cause nervous breakdowns.

Despite having myriad sources within the regime, Tabler is still left unknowing. In experience after experience, Tabler realizes that one of the most powerful instruments the regime uses to control its population is to leave people in the dark. Knowledge is rarely forthcoming. Rumors and conspiracy theories abound with claims that an "old guard" is preventing Bashar from taking action or trying to overthrow him, or that certain figures close to Bashar - like Assef Shawkat and Maher al-Assad - have enough power within an alleged close-knit power circle that he cannot oppose them.

Regardless of the Sopranos-like drama within the ruling family, the people are left in what Tabler describes as "the Blackness." Incredible violence occurs, assassinations take place, officials are replaced, but no one knows why. It is amazing that Tabler survived in that environment for so long - likely a testament to his canny reading of the subtleties of the regime, but he finally finds himself unwelcome in the country that hosted him for nearly a decade.

Despite political stasis, Syria dramatically changes under Bashar's reign. A demographic boom in the 1980s, a drop in oil production and smuggling, US sanctions, the end of control over Lebanon - a regime cash cow, and a free trade treaty with Turkey all force the regime to make dramatic economic changes simply to stay fiscally afloat. Tabler masterfully describes how President Assad uses the new economy to empower himself over other state actors, becoming the chief arbitrator in a system without rule of law and predicated on bribery.

The Bush and Obama Administrations craft policies to counter the regime's deleterious effect on Middle East stability succeeding in some areas and making mistakes along the way. Tabler provides sound advice to policymakers for future encounters with Syria, and helps his audience understand the political, religious, and economic conditions that led to the Syrian uprisings during the Arab Spring.

"In the Lion's Den" is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding Syria during the 2000s.
4817789
Get ready for a very intriguing, intelligent and spell-binding read. It is a historical journey into a land and time seldom ventured, and one not soon forgotten.
4906264
Poignant account of coping with a family disability. Fascinating perspective from the eyes of a bitter husband, written by a female author with so much tenacity and flavor that you'll be checking your face and arms for scratches and bruises just at the thought of happenings in this book. Multi-dimensional accounts covering the aspects of child disability, marriage stresses, mental health breakdown, nutrition, child education, child imagination, positive parenting, teen social isolation, attempted suicide and many other topics pertinent to today's adolescents and youth. Empowering to allow a spouse to walk away from cruel badness, and alarming to see how much one person's love and tenacity can forge until broken beyond belief. Uncanny insight. It appears that Olivia Mason-Charles lived another life before this one, as a man. I don't know how she otherwise wrote this book but by divine insight. It's that real. Give it to your family and friends, spouses living with disability. Filled with the magic of insight, this is a gift, on every imaginable account.
896680
I have to admit to some bias here as I know the author, Arshay Cooper, personally. I wasn't prepared, however, to be as wowed by this book as I was. He is a compelling storyteller with amazing insights. Page after page, you keep rooting for him to push forward and hurdle all the obstacles in his way. Weaved in here is also a beautiful tale of unrequited love for a girl, where Arshay bares his soul in a simple and profound way that everyone can relate to. Antwone Fisher, you have some company - Arshay Cooper is here to inspire you.
3401229
Very well thought out, insightful, and spell-binding. Couldn't put it down until I could learn, like the two main characters around whom the story revolved, what what had happened to cause the mystery evolving in their respective lives.
Highly recommended.
4021758
Although at times, I found the author's prose a bit overly dramatic, she weaves an incredible story of analysis and discovery through the work and exploration of three incredible people who she represents with due respect and honest representation.  I found myself hooked throughout the book and amazed at the brilliance of the individuals and grateful to the author who explained the problem and process in decoding a script when you don't know the alphabet nor the language.  I loved it!
4460235
I have been entranced by the author's ability to capture the emotions of each character.  She shows a particular knack for the sort of stream of consciousness thinking that is so literally human.  A spell-binding book.
1076727
Flying Blind is spellbinding from beginning to end and shows the reality of human struggle wrapped in adventure, commitment and love. Seeing the main character's growth in God to fully trust Him was a living example of how God works in us when we let Him. The book also brought me face to face with the poverty and despair in some third world countries and the sacrifices many missionaries make and the violence they often endure to spread the Gospel. It is an excellent book and a real page turner. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
4601879
This book is exceptional in that it interlaces a rich scholarly analysis within a captivating narrative account, allowing you to feel as though you know this women and her family.  I recommend this book for anyone interested in human rights issues and women's issues in particular.

There are strong, resourceful women throughout this world who face seemingly insurmountable odds everyday of their lives and yet still find a way to survive. Dr. Kamen's book allows us a temporary glimpse into the world of one such woman and her continuing struggle against class, caste and gender hierarchies in India.
3676772
This book held me spellbound. The portrait of Adams and his family, especially Abigail, made me feel as if I was traveling through life with them.  The portrait of how Adams interplayed with the beginning of the United States supplied so much information that the book became more than a biography; instead, it provided a clear chronology of the events and additudes of that time.

Yes, as some really, really smart people have observed, the book includes a lot of personal correspondence (there were no archives then), but the book is about the Adams family and how it felt, how it believed, and how it lived through the period.  When the personal information became turgid, it was not difficult to move ahead. The book is well worth the time spent reading it.
4011593
This excellent book ties together the financial and social realities we currently have with an outcome that is thought provoking and riveting.
It has a writing style that puts you directly in the narrative and a reading experience that is suspenseful and fulfilling.  While it is a work of fiction the reality of our precarious situation as a country is something that we all should understand better.  Both the action sequences and the development of the characters paints a mental cinema that will keep you engaged page after page. Buy this book -- you'll be glad you did and will remind you that God is in control.
1116741
Jill Barker is in an automobile accident with her family. While in a coma, she experiences her alternate destiny. In this coma, she experiences a life she sometimes had wished for. The struggle becomes real when she must choose between staying there or coming back to her life. As she begins to realize, both destinies have problems, she must choose. This is a spellbinding book with twists and turns on every page. Then when you think you have it figured out, the ending will just shock you. I look forward to what this author does next.