Books

Average customer rating:

Compelling, Informative, More Relevant than Ever
An Amazing Read
1987 or 2007?
An interesting and educational read
Accurate Depiction of CIA Operations

Agents of Innocence
David Ignatius
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Mystery & Thriller Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Body of Lies: A Novel
A Firing Offense
The Company
American Agent: My Life in the CIA
Bad Luck and Trouble

ASIN: 0393317382

Book Description

Now back in print: the "superlative spy novel" (New York Times) by the author of the red-hot forthcoming thriller A Firing Offense. A national bestseller in its hardcover edition, Agents of Innocence is the book that established David Ignatius's reputation as a master of the novel of contemporary espionage. Into the treacherous world of shifting alliances and arcane subterfuge comes idealistic CIA man Tom Rogers. Ordered to penetrate the PLO and recruit a high-level operative, he soon learns the heavy price of innocence in a time and place that has no use for it.

Customer Reviews:

Compelling, Informative, More Relevant than Ever.......2007-06-22

CIA operative Tom Roger's work in Lebanon (from the 1960s to the 1980s) is this book's basis. It is no wonder that this is reputed to be required reading at "The Farm" due to the author's understanding of Lebanese politics, his apparent understanding of a case officer's acitivities, and the continuing grim relevance of terrorism.

Two downsides to the book: some of the substance is offset by gratuitous sexual content, which in parts makes it seem more like a trashy summer romance novel than a potential intel classic. Also, there could have been some more character development, especially with some of the major players.

An Amazing Read.......2007-04-27

I thought this was a fantastic book and agree with others about the letter at the end. I think that letter speaks volumes about our current situation in Iraq. Was David Ignatius a CIA officer before becoming a great author?

1987 or 2007?.......2007-04-19

Read the review of author's newest book in WSJ and bought a used paperback of "Agents of Innocence" last week. LeCarre's works top my lists, and former CIA Director Woolsey's quote in the review about his two favorite spy novels being "Spy Who Came in From the Cold" and "Agents of Innocence" was enough for me to track it down.

It is a fantastic read with a blending of history, fact and fiction. The author's knowledge of the Middle East, the players, and their ancient battles for this ancient land was very similar to LeCarre's grasp of the Cold War.

What struck me over the head was the powerful letter from the agent to a former case officer at the end -- although the book was written 20 years ago, it could have been written yesterday!

An interesting and educational read.......2006-08-28

I really enjoyed reading this book. Surprising in it's quality and reality without the "fireworks" that some authors go for in trying to sell their books.

Accurate Depiction of CIA Operations.......2003-06-25

I was first turned on to this novel by an actual CIA recruiter. He said that it was the most true to life representation of the lives of CIA operations officers. Ignatius' extensive research really rings through, and allows the reader to become immersed in a world of espionage, deceit, and betrayal. Highly recommended.

The Taste of Innocence: A Cynster Novel (Cynster Novels)

Average customer rating:

Sorry Charlie, but you didn't cut it.
Fourteenth in the Cynster series
disappionted fan
Not that Bad!!!
I couldn't finish it !

The Taste of Innocence: A Cynster Novel (Cynster Novels)
Stephanie Laurens
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Australia & New Zealand | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Romance Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Simply Magic
Beware a Scot's Revenge (School for Heiresses)
What A Lady Wants
What Price Love? : A Cynster Novel (Cynster Novels)
To Distraction (Bastion Club)

ASIN: 0060840862
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Book Description

For no gentleman is this more true than Charles Morwellan, the eighth Earl of Meredith. Although he's seen the many successful unions of his Cynster connections, he has also watched his father's obsessions nearly destroy their family and fortune, a mistake Charles will not repeat. But as Lord Meredith he must marry, so he offers for Sarah, the daughter of his neighbors Lord and Lady Conningham. She's intelligent enough to run his social life, beautiful enough to grace his arm, and old enough to know the value of his offer.

For most young ladies of the ton, the right marriage is the culmination of years of training, perfect deportment, and intricate plans that would impress a general. But as a lady of independent means with a life of her own, Sarah is unwilling to wed unless it is for unbounded love.

But Charles always gets what he wants. He convinces Sarah to give him two weeks to win her; if he succeeds, they will marry immediately. And so begins an intense courtship. By day, Charles and Sarah are models of decorum indulging in innocuous walks, polite conversation, sedate waltzes. Each night they steal away to the lush, moonlit gardens, where sensual embraces turn to searing kisses, and much, much more. Both are swept away on a tide of passion and feeling neither can resist.

And yet, after the wedding, despite nights of insatiable passion, Charles remains aloof, as if the near-sinful sweetness of their nights exists only in a dream. Sarah battles to prove that true love is a force that can't be contained, a gift worth fighting for, but it's only when she's engulfed in a web of increasingly dangerous incidents that Charles discovers how much he's willing to surrender to protect . . . the taste of innocence.

Customer Reviews:

Sorry Charlie, but you didn't cut it........2007-06-26

I really tried to give Charlie the benefit of the doubt but come on. How long did Charlie think he was going to have a hot time in the bed at night while he treated his new wife like dirt during the day? And the "I'm afraid to love" was a real turn-off. He never even seemed man enough to me to rate as a hero. At least the Cynster men could kick some serious a** so their struggles with love seemed macho. Charlie just seemed like a whining baby. Just because his father made bad decisions hadn't a thing to do with love in my book. He was just a weak man and left Althea to run the family. Sorry, Charlie, you just aren't grown up enough for me to lust after.

And what was it with this book saying that Portia and Simon aren't married yet? The Perfect Lover (their book) came out FOUR years before this book. That was an editing mistake that really bothered me.

I love the Cynsters but maybe this series is just tired.

Fourteenth in the Cynster series.......2007-06-10

This is the fourteenth novel in the Cynster series but it works very well as a standalone book with just occasional glimpses of characters from the other books. It gives an interesting insight into the wooing and the early days of a marriage between an Earl and a woman whom he has known his entire life. Sarah Conningham is a 23 year old woman who is part of a happy family and whose nature is warm and loving. However the reason that she has turned down several offers of marriage in the last few years is because she believes that marriage without love isn't worth it - she's only going to marry for love. The inconvenient attraction she feels for Charlie Morwellan, eighth Earl of Meredith, is something she has to ignore as he has no interest whatsoever in her.

When Charlie offers for Sarah it is because he knows she will make the perfect countess. They have grown up together and although they don't know each other well he knows that she is just what he needs. However he's surprised to find that she doesn't instantly accept his proposal but instead asks for two weeks to get to know him. Charlie decides to use the time to persuade her into the marriage and goes about this with traditional wooing mixed up with sensual experience. A lot of the first section of the book is details of their kissing and more but it's well written and it gives an idea of the characters, their thoughts and how they are getting to know each other.

The second part of the book follows their early days of marriage when Charlie realises he has fallen in love with his wife but is afraid it will cause him to make bad decisions, as his father did, and so he tries to withdraw. Although whilst reading the story this makes some kind of sense, subsequently it all seems a bit unlikely. However, Charlie and Sarah's relationship has its troubles and there are also some unfortunate events taking place at an orphanage of which Sarah is the patroness. Is there a deeper plot against the owner of the orphanage? Will Charlie come to his senses? What is the link with the railway scam and their troubles?

Stephanie Laurens' writing style is very good. Although there's a fair amount of sex in this book it's written in a pleasant and loving style and it is part of the overall plot. The characters grow and change as the story progresses, Sarah coming into her element as countess and understanding more about her husband than perhaps he does, Charlie realising that his priorities in life up to now haven't been right. The 'baddie' in this story is a rather half-hearted one and it was fairly easy to guess who it was but the plot about the attacks on the orphanage added some interest to the story. Overall it was a very enjoyable read and although sometimes Charlie seemed to speak in a rather modern American manner about emotions, it was good to have a happy ending without too much heartache in the middle.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, www.curledup.com. © Helen Hancox 2007

disappionted fan.......2007-06-09

Let me start by saying that I am a true Laurens fan. I have every book she has written and this is the first time that I was truly not interested. The characters were really boring and almost seemed like robots to me because they had no depth. The plot was fine, I know people complain about the similarity to her other books, but I find comfort in the familiarity.

Now the reason I am truly not happy is because this book lacks passion. There I said it and I am not ashamed! I read Stephanie Laurens books because they tell a story about characters that usually have a sizzling heat between them. Her books are always well written, rich with detail, and that only adds to the romance. However, this book is all detail and very little romance....much less passion.

By the end of the book I felt like I was reading about my grandparents. I feel like Mrs.Laurens has grown almost clinical in her writing. I wish she would go back and read some of her older books like "A Rakes Vow", "All about Passion", or even more recently "A Gentleman's Honor". Not only do the characters really really like one another in those books.....I know why they do.

I have seen a trend in her most recent books leading to this one and I do not like it. I want my romance back, I want to know why the main characters like one another. There was internal dialog in this book, but that was the problem....I did not know what they were thinking because it was basically completely internal.

Most of all I want my passion back, the fiery discourse. I have always loved the exaggerated interactions in her older books....romance novels are fantasy and they give so much inspiration!

Not that Bad!!!.......2007-04-25

The other reviews were a little harsh. Even though this book was a little longer than Laurens previous cynster novels, I still liked it. It was a love story with a mystery thrown in. If this is your first Lauren's title, I wouldn't recommend it, but it was a great continuation of the Cynster stories!!!

I couldn't finish it !.......2007-04-20

I tryed to finish it - and thank goodness I didn't buy it - terrible. Don't waste your time.

If you are looking for a good historical romance check out Secrets of a Duchess by Kaitlin O'Riley ,From London With Love by Jenna Petersen and The Lady Lies by Samantha Saxon.

Average customer rating:

Excellent - well developed characters
I didn't see it coming...
NORA IS JUST WONDERFUL AND SO ARE HER BOOKS
Cant get them out of my mind.
Provocative Title, Wonderful Book!

Carnal Innocence
Nora Roberts
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Romantic Suspense | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Romance Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Romantic Suspense | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Brazen Virtue
Genuine Lies
Sweet Revenge
River's End
Sacred Sins

ASIN: 0553295977
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Amazon.com

Old favorite. Bestselling author Nora Roberts grabs her readers from page one. Innocence, Mississippi, isn't innocent for long when a murderer strikes the sleepy town. Concert violinist Caroline Waverly has returned to her deceased grandparents home to escape high-pressured concert tours. She is soon caught up by the irresistible charm of Southerner Tucker Longstreet. The dark secrets of Innocence soon begin to surface and together Caroline and Tucker not only face a murderer but discover secrets from the past.

Book Description

In the small town of Innocence, Mississippi, days are long, nights are fragrant, and secrets are hard to keep. But when a brutal killer starts claiming the lives of the town's most attractive women, lifelong neighbors are forced to wonder if the culprit is a stranger lurking in the bayou...or someone right next door.

Burned out by a whirlwind career, world-famous concert violinist Caroline Waverly arrives in Innocence looking for a little peace and some time to think. She hopes that a stay at her late grandmother's house--the one with a covered porch just made for soft summer nights--will provide the tranquillity she needs. But Innocence has something else to offer Caroline: handsome, charming Tucker Longstreet.

Tucker is known for keeping his romances short and shallow. But one look at Caroline, and Tucker realizes that she is unlike any other woman he's met. The coolly reserved Caroline feels an unexpected thrill at his ardent advances. But when she discovers a third murder victim in the murky waters behind her home, her summer liaison threatens to become much more. Because there's just one small problem with her new romance: Tucker is the leading suspect in the killings.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent - well developed characters.......2007-05-12

I bought the audiobook of this book and thought it was excellent. The characters were extremely well written and I laughed out loud several times listening to the audio book. Highly recommended.

I didn't see it coming..........2006-06-24

I pride myself on being able to figure out the culprit in the first few chapters of a mystery. I was completely surprised as to who the murderer turned out to be in 'Carnal Innocence'. This was the first book I've ever read by Nora Roberts and after reading it I have to say that Nora Roberts is one of my new favorite authors. I just loved the smalltown Southern atmosphere that the book revolved around and the characters were so greatly developed that I actually miss them now that I've finished the novel.

NORA IS JUST WONDERFUL AND SO ARE HER BOOKS.......2006-06-13

This book about caroline who is a world know violinist and is taking a break from it to vist her childhood home in innocence,mississippi. where she going to get more prombles then she can handle and one of those prombles is a charming, rick, lazy southern lady man name tucker. he's the prombles of all her prombles because he suppose to be a suspet of his lastest girlfriend murder, he's the one who the death girlfriend father is looking to kill, he's the one who wants her and she don't want a relatonship because her last one was not to good. he's to stubborn and patient and will wait until she can want him back. she's giveing some thought to him when things are about to become deadly and dangous and hot.

Cant get them out of my mind........2005-10-21

I absolutely loved this book. The characters are wonderful, the story is so intense that I could not put the book down. I read this book about 3 weeks ago, and still find myself thinking about the characters. I truly recommend this book.

Provocative Title, Wonderful Book!.......2005-05-18

Ok, I'll admit I thought that CARNAL INNOCENCE had a very strange title and didn't understand the implied reference until I was actually reading the book. Innocence in this case is actually a town in Mississippi. The main female character, Caroline Waverly, is a famous violinist who decides to go to Innocence, Mississippi to get away from a much-publicized break-up with her fiancé. She retreats to her family's quaintly charming old bayou home and begins to learn to relax and enjoy life, something she has never had the opportunity to do.

What she doesn't know is that this town is full of deceptions and people hell-bent on revenge. When a murder victim is found, she begins to question her decision on moving to Innocence. Is the killer the one she's fallen in love with - charming, handsome Tucker Longstreet (ever notice how romance novels always have charming and handsome characters - no ugly, rude ones!). As Caroline tries to figure out her feelings while keeping out of harms way, many things come to light.

CARNAL INNOCENCE is a very good book and definitely worth the price! It's full of suspense, romance, and unexpected twists and turns. I highly recommend reading this book, but make sure you have plenty of free time, because you won't want to put it down!

Average customer rating:

Sophisticated art.
Self-Censorship from the land with no First Amendment
As complex as its subjects
Beautiful Subjects
Barely Misses the Mark

The Age of Innocence
David Hamilton
Manufacturer: Aurum Press, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Reference | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Portraits | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Art Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Jock Sturges: Radiant Identities
At Twelve: Portraits of Young Women
Jock Sturges: Notes
Immediate Family
Pretty Baby

ASIN: 1854103040

Customer Reviews:

Sophisticated art........2006-08-15

Lectori Salutem,

In the Beauty of young human beings, lies the hope of the world.
Those photographs are like classical music.
Some people are afraid of the power glowing from the portrets ,
and start a witch hunt. Don't do it. Never lose an opportunity to seen anything that is beautiful: For beauty is God's handwriting.(R W Emerson)

Ferdinand Huismans.

Self-Censorship from the land with no First Amendment.......2005-11-12

Doubtless going to rattle a few cages here, on *both* sides: the people who consider his stuff impermissibly naughty, and the people who wax rhapsodic about this particular work. But it has to be said.

Britain, the land that pioneered imprisonment without charge before we did, the land that criminalizes self-defense against burglars in your own home, is also the land without a First Amendment; and this has seemingly scared Mr. Hamilton into self-censoring and mutilating his own product. This is a first-rank tragedy, as he is arguably the best-known and most highly respected photographer of this entire genre, and therefore the most likely to prevail in a frontal assault against the philistinism which equates nude photography with pornography.

Instead, however, he has in this volume essentially raised the white flag and abandoned *nude* photography in favor of topless photos which won't arouse the ire of the British police. An astonishing number of his photos are awkwardly cropped for legal, rather than aesthetic reasons, so what was clearly shot as an integral figure study gets published as an amputated torso. This phenomenon was *not* present in his early works, including his films and his photos for the Spanish edition of "Playboy"--it manifested itself only when the world got uniquely psychotic about "child pornography".

Even in the USA, where a 17-year-old Marine who carries a machine gun for a living can be considered a "child" if photographed wrongly, Sally Mann and Jock Sturges haven't thrown in the towel (or draped the model in it ;-). Nor, of course has Bourboulon or Ionesco.

So I say: Boycott! The guy's got a right to protect his hide, of course, and even Galileo recanted when the Inquisition threatened to murder him for saying the Earth goes around the Sun. But would you spend your money on a book that says it's the other way around?

As complex as its subjects.......2004-04-30

This is possibly the most beautiful set of photo portraits I've ever seen. Like the subjects, though, the beauty has a scary side to it.

There's a lot more to say. The pictures are intense, and more intense as a collection. I'm sure everyone who sees it will have more to say, and everyone will say something different. For that matter, I could discuss this in three or four contradictory ways. This time, I prefer to let the pictures speak for themselves and to let the readers form opinions of their own.

Beautiful Subjects.......2004-04-03

Physical beauty is something that we have for only a brief period in our lives. It is a temporary stage during our lifespan. Unfortunately, we discourage young women from sharing their physical beauty with others who can appreciate it. It really is quite a shame that we try to enforce modesty. David Hamilton gave us this gift so that we may be able to share his admiration for the young, female physique. I am grateful to the young subjects, who were gracious enough to share their beauty with us.

This is a remarkable book. It is obvious that David Hamilton is very passionate about his subjects. He has taken his appreciation and admiration for young women and shared that enthusiasm with the world. I highly recommend this book.

Barely Misses the Mark.......2003-12-10

If I could have rated this book 4 1/2 or 4 3/4 stars I would have. It certainly is a beautiful artistic endeavor. However, it fails the mark of perfection because of a few (VERY FEW) photos that are too suggestive for girls of their age, and a few comments by the author that would seem to provoke dangerously misleading thoughts in the minds of young people who might get their hands on this book. As the step-dad of a teenage girl I have experienced first-hand the confusion of an easily influenced child, who lacks the full capacity to reason and misperceives what she has seen and heard. Too many (pre-teen and teen) children think they are supposed to be sexually active, and there are certainly a few paragraphs and photos in this book that would help contribute to that pattern of thought. There is some mild homosexual content in a few frames and some of the writings. Otherwise this is a finely crafted work.

Many of the photos are soft, muted, elegant, and almost dream-like, while others are sharp and rich in color and contrast. There are full figure studies and a variety of portraits. Some of the girls look confused, content, generally happy, thrilled, curious, and some disgusted. Unlike similar works by other photographers, the majority of the models do not appear to be emotionless, melancholy, or tormented. There are no portrayals of violence or mishap. The quotes from classic poetry are at times provocative but still tasteful and refreshing, especially if you are one who enjoys traditional Western European poetry. The author/photographer makes several attempts at poetic verse but they do not work so well.

I do realize that the entire theme of The Age of Innocence is the psychological tumult experienced by young girls who are approaching womanhood, so the sexual element does have to be "taken with a grain of salt." As an artist and photographer I do highly recommend this book and treasure my own copy, but I strongly suggest caution when selecting an audience to share it with; teenage boys are not a proper audience.

Overall this is quite a clean representation--with a few exceptions--of the human form and psychology of young women.

The Right to Innocence: Healing the Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Therapeutic 7-Step Self-Help Program for Men and Women, Including How to Choose a Therapist and Find a Support Group

Average customer rating:

The Right to Innocence: Healing the Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A therapeutic 7-Step-Help Program for Men and Women, Inclu
Wonderful! Great Healing Book!
Great overview...good starter book that offers hope for recovery
best self-help book i've ever read
Very Helpful if your just getting started

The Right to Innocence: Healing the Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Therapeutic 7-Step Self-Help Program for Men and Women, Including How to Choose a Therapist and Find a Support Group
Beverly Engel
Manufacturer: Ivy Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Abuse | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Child Abuse | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

Dysfunctional Relationships | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Parenting Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Secret Survivors: Uncovering Incest and Its Aftereffects in Women
The Courage to Heal - Third Edition - Revised and Expanded: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
Outgrowing the Pain: A Book for and About Adults Abused As Children
Repressed Memories: A Journey to Recovery from Sexual Abuse (Fireside/Parkside Recovery Book)
Allies in Healing: When the Person You Love Was Sexually Abused as a Child

Accessories:

philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

ASIN: 0804105855
Release Date: 1990-01-29

Book Description

"A practical and powerful must-read book for all who have suffered childhood sexual abuse, their family members and loved ones, and for all mental health professionals."
Harold H. Bloomfield, M.D.
Author of MAKING PEACE WITH YOUR PARENTS
As a trained therapist and sufferer of sexual abuse herself, Beverly Engel knows that there is probably no trauma a child can suffer that makes her or him feel more alone than sexual abuse. This helpful book offers hope for recovery with exercises, visualizations, and techniques that support you through a seven-step program, that will aid you in: facing the truth, releasing your anger, confronting those responsible with facts and feelings, forgiving yourself, and more healing advice and information.

Customer Reviews:

The Right to Innocence: Healing the Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A therapeutic 7-Step-Help Program for Men and Women, Inclu.......2006-04-22

This is the first book, and after reading many, still the best book I've read about incest and childhood sexual abuse. I am a survivor of both. The name jumped right off the cover and grabed me; the truth of the title hit me right between the eyes. The pages of the treatise itself do not disappoint, it is filled with words that resonate in the hearts and minds of those of us who have been sexually abused. We all are endowed with a RIGHT TO INNOCENCE! How it is stolen from us and the horror stories that abound in the aftermath are compiled in this "wonderful" book that explains so much for those of us who have been "keeping the secret" (for me, over 50 years!!) I read it in the beginning of my therapy. I still refer to it and have given several copies away. I highly recommend this book for those who have treated themselves so badly for years, because they have come to believe that they must have been to blame for what someone else did TO them. There will be so many things about yourself and painful problems that you have been enduring for years, that you will now understand are "part and parcel" of the incest/child abuse survivors experience. You will find youself saying, "oh yes, of my God, that's me". That the only thing "wrong" with you is that you have been trying to deny and bury the horror and the problems and the pain for TOO LONG! I remembered every detail of my incest/abuse, and the aftermath of it's effects have lasted a lifetime. I did not seek help or talk to a single soul about it until I was 55 years old!! The problems that it caused me are mirade, probably preventable, if only I had saught help sooner. Please know you will be glad that you ordered this book.

KMEG, Sellersville, PA

Wonderful! Great Healing Book!.......2005-08-04

I had be a victim of child molestation for many years. I was victimized by 14 different abusers including family memebers. I was so depressed most of my life. Full of Rage, is was the therapist told me. After reading this book my life began again. When I seen Beverly Engle on The Opera Show I was so happy to see her sharing her book. I followed this book & told my story to my Pastors. What a wonderful life I now have. No longer drepessed & released from anger. The Pyscholgist said he couldn't recommend this book. Well then he doens't understand what a victim is going through. I was a victim from age 6yrs to 13yrs. and carried this burden with me till I was 35yrs. old. Don't wait read it now! God bless you beverly because I'm a whole person today.

Great overview...good starter book that offers hope for recovery.......2005-07-02

It's clear that Dr. Engel knows what she is talking about here. The exercises and visualization techniques are excellent. Her seven-step program will aid in healing.

Also recommended: Miss America By Day (Marilyn VanDerber)

best self-help book i've ever read.......2005-01-29

How do I even start? I honestly don't know what i would've done without this book. This book, along with professional counseling helped me recover from depression and anxiety attacks. To be brief, I had been sexually abused by 2 family members: an older male cousin and my father. This book helped me to finally realize that it was never my fault, and I know that now. It's been about 10 years since I've stopped counseling, but I still have this book, and every once in a while when I start to have those feelings of guilt surfacing, I grab this book and start reading. Recovering from childhood sexual abuse, I believe, is a lifelong process, and I'm sure we need all the help we can get. I recommend this book to anyone who has been sexually abused, and also to anyone who knows of someone who has been sexually abused. Maybe they can be a great help and support to them.

Very Helpful if your just getting started.......2004-05-13

I was first introduced to this book by my psychologist. It is very important to understand that you are a victim, and this book really helps you accept that. It also doesn't push you to hurry up and get through each stage of healing.....you definately have to go at your own pace.

Average customer rating:

OUTSTANDING
Journey to Justice
A wonderful Co-compainion to The Innocent Man
Harrowing and Important
A wonderful read

Journey Toward Justice
Dennis Fritz
Manufacturer: Seven Locks Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Biographies | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Dreams of Ada
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town
Actual Innocence: When Justice Goes Wrong and How to Make it Right
Chasing Justice: My Story of Freeing Myself After Two Decades on Death Row for a Crime I Didn't Commit
Actual Innocence: Five Days to Execution, and Other Dispatches From the Wrongly Convicted

ASIN: 1931643954

Book Description

Dennis Fritz was an ordinary middle-aged man leading an ordinary life, when, on May 8, 1987, he was on his way to jail on charges of rape and murder. An overzealous prosecutor bent on winning relied on flimsy circumstantial evidence and Dennis was convicted and sentenced to life in prison while his co-defendant, Ronnie Williamson was sentenced to death. After twelve years of incarceration, with the help of Barry Scheck of the Innocence Project, and DNA testing, Dennis and Ronnie were exonerated and the real killer is found guilty. On April 15, 1999, Dennis and Ronnie walk free from prison.

"The story of the unwarranted prosecution and wrongful conviction of Dennis Fritz is compelling and fascinating. After serving eleven years for a murder he did not commit, Dennis was exonerated and had the strength and courage to put his life back together." —John Grisham

"As I write these words, there have been one hundred eighty-one post-conviction DNA exonerations in America. The exonerated, many crime victims and their families (including the Carter family from the Fri and Williamson case) are the heart and soul of this movement. In this unique and brave community of survivors, there is no more decent and dignified a man, nor a more gentle soul, than Dennis Fritz. For eight years he has unstintingly supported our work in every way possible, re-living what are often very painful memories in service to a just cause. And now he has had the fortitude to tell his whole story. As always, I am in awe of his courage and humbled by his efforts." —Barry C. Scheck Co-Director The Innocence Project

Customer Reviews:

OUTSTANDING.......2007-02-23

What a great man to be able to go through so much, and yet have the faith and the fortitude to continue day after day pursuing JUSTICE in this tragic case, and then to go on and relive the horrors by writing such a fine book about it. Amazing, I would highly recommend this to anyone who has an interest in non-fiction, and and interest in learning more about our horribly flawed system of justice in the United States.

Journey to Justice.......2007-02-19

Dennis has written his harrowing story in a manner that is easy to follow and hard to put down. To read about the total injustice that was inflicted upon himself and his friend Ronnie, is nothing short of unbelievable. He has written about an inner strength and courage that carried him through the years of being incarcerated unjustly, and came out the other side with the support of his mother, aunt, daughter and the innocent project. Highly recommended read, along with Dreams of Ada, and Innocent Man by John Grisham

A wonderful Co-compainion to The Innocent Man.......2007-02-02

When I read The Innocent Man, I wondered what life for Mr. Fritz really had been since It did not go into much detail about his stay in prison, but after reading The Journey Toward Justice it just shows how strong of a person Dennis really is. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Fritz at a Tulsa, OK book signing and he is trully a wonderful and greatful person to talk to. If you have read The Innocent Man then you will have to read Journey Toward Justice it trully is compelling.

Harrowing and Important.......2007-01-20

JOURNEY TOWARD JUSTICE is an important book because it shows how the "winning is everything" attitude of our society in general has infected our criminal justice system as well. Dennis Fritz is a hero not just for persevering in seeking justice for himself, but for continuing to champion justice for the countless imprisoned innocent men and women who were just another notch in the belt or statistic in campaign literature for conscienceless prosecutors. This is a great story of the triumph of love, faith and endurance over careerism, cynicism and indifference. I highly recommend this book, not just for those interested in the criminal justice system, but for every American who naively believes that we have the "greatest system of justice" on earth just because those who run it keep telling us so.
D. W. Linden
author, SAND CREEK

A wonderful read.......2007-01-07

I was amazed at the writing ability and found this to be an incredible read. I hope they will make him the center of the movie for Grisham's book when they make it.

Fall: The Rape and Murder of Innocence in a Small Town

Average customer rating:

One of the top 10 true crime books in the last decade
Five stars are not enough.
FALL, a review by Robert L. Bacon, author of FACES IN THE TREES
FALL Review
A gripping recount of a horrendous crime.

Fall: The Rape and Murder of Innocence in a Small Town
Ron Franscell
Manufacturer: New Horizon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Stolen in the Night: The True Story of a Family's Murder, a Kidnapping and the Child Who Survived
The Good-bye Door: The Incredible True Story of America's First Female Serial Killer to Die in the Chair (True Crime Series (Kent, Ohio).)
Lethal Embrace
Killer Dad
Too Late to Say Goodbye: A True Story of Murder and Betrayal

ASIN: 0882822799

Book Description

On a chilly autumn night in 1973, Casper, Wyoming’s picturesque steel bridge was the scene of a horrific crime. Two young half-sisters, Amy Burridge and Becky Thomson, were abducted, raped, and thrown from the bridge into the swiftly flowing waters 110 feet below. Author and Casper native Ron Franscell was just a child when the crime shattered his close-knit community, brutally ending the life of one friend and neighbor and forever changing the life of another. Unable to shake the demons of that night, Franscell returns 30 years later to examine the widespread effect of evil and its poisonous effect on the people and town of Casper. A gripping, poignant, and intensely personal narrative, Fall also explores the broader issues of survivor guilt, community justice, and crime’s lingering impact on society as a whole.

Customer Reviews:

One of the top 10 true crime books in the last decade.......2007-06-08

Ron Franscell has produced an outstanding true crime book. The story of how Amy Burridge and Becky Thompson were thrown off a 110 foot bridge will infuriate you. Becky was raped, Amy thrown away because she would have been a witness. As stated in other reviews, the author grew up in Casper, Wyoming and knew the two girls. He makes the reader feel the place and see the crime as it is occurring. As the author of three true crime books, I know what a difficult task it is to make an event come alive. Franscell does this admirably. The fact that the murderers were able to escape the death penalty was frustrating and an indictment of the criminal justice system.

Five stars are not enough........2007-05-22

They say you can't go home again, but Ron Franscell did. He had unfinished business. His memories of the evil that had befallen two of his childhood friends needed to be faced and examined. The story had to be told for the sake of the victims, the town and Ron himself. And tell it he does....from the heart. With his unique ability to take his readers along on the journey with him, he shows us not only what happened that night 30 years earlier, but also how the events of the years that followed kept the wounds from healing. The story is heartbreaking , but is written with compassion and excellence. Well done Ron.

FALL, a review by Robert L. Bacon, author of FACES IN THE TREES .......2007-04-13

FALL reaches out to everyone who cherishes the unique attributes of life in a close community, and to those who understand and accept that relationships which develop over generations--don't simply end, regardless of the circumstances. And FALL speaks just as powerfully to those who practice law anywhere in the criminal justice system in America, as well as the legislators who enact our statutes at both the State and Federal level.

FALL provides a hard-hitting yet poignant chronical of a senseless event perpetrated by two sociopaths who outdistanced an overburdened and often too lenient system. Ron Franscell avoids aggrandizing either the victims or the criminals, but focuses on the impact of this tragedy on the community where he grew up, and the people, like he, who--three decades later--are still conflicted by the terrible act.

The manner in which FALL is written is a tribute to the author's integrity, and the reader reaps all of the benefits. FALL goes beyond a must read. It should be placed in our homes in a prominent location to remind us of everything that is right with our system of justice--and everything that isn't.

FALL Review.......2007-03-30

Absolutely amazing, amazing book. Franscell is an incredible writer. As someone who lives in Casper, WY where this horrific crime took place, I never really knew the whole story until now. I would suggest this book to anyone! You will not be able to put it down.

A gripping recount of a horrendous crime........2007-03-25

Ron Franscell draws you into the story of a tragic crime from the first few opening pages all the way to the last words. It was a book that I completed in two nights because it was hard to put down. Ron is able to allow you to feel, see, smell, hear all the events happening with his descriptive writing. He brings you into the lives of the victims as well as into the lives of the two sociopaths who committed an unspeakable crime against two innocent children. Fall is a remarkably well-written book, fully deserving of a 5-star rating.

Mean Justice: A Town's Terror, a Prosecutor's Power, a Betrayal of Innocence

Average customer rating:

Humes an advocate as much as a journalist
Power gone awry
It's about time
Spin, spin and more spin
A Must Read.

Mean Justice: A Town's Terror, a Prosecutor's Power, a Betrayal of Innocence
Edward Humes
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Law | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Actual Innocence: When Justice Goes Wrong and How to Make it Right
Mississippi Mud: Southern Justice and the Dixie Mafia
NO MATTER HOW LOUD I SHOUT : A Year in the Life of Juvenile Court
America's Courts and the Criminal Justice System (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac )
The Prosecutors: A Year in the Life of a District Attorney's Office

ASIN: 0684831740

Amazon.com

Bakersfield, California, has earned a reputation for being tough on crime. District Attorney Ed Jagels took much of the credit for the incredible conviction rates in Bakersfield courtrooms, from high-profile child molestation ring busts to cases like that of Pat Dunn, a retired high school principal who was found guilty of murdering his wife--despite a disturbing lack of evidence linking him to the crime. Mean Justice tells Dunn's story compellingly, from his childhood in Bakersfield to the trial that would put him away for life. It chronicles his solid belief in justice and authority and his gradual disenfranchisement with the system that railroaded him for reasons that could only be political.

Humes's exhaustive account also covers prosecuting attorney Ed Jagels's rise to political power and influence and the juggernaut of prosecutorial misconduct that caught many others, along with Dunn, in its fury. But it is at its core the horrifying story of an innocent man who had faith in a system that would eventually destroy him. It's not an easy story to digest, and it is apparently not an isolated incident: Humes brings up case after case where seemingly innocent people were arrested, prosecuted, ostracized, and jailed for crimes that may or may not have even occurred. Mean Justice is a gripping and fascinating book that deserves to be read on many counts. --Lisa Higgins

Book Description

Deep in the heartland of California lies a city on the cutting edge of the nation's war on crime. Besieged by spectacular crimes in which pillars of the community were accused of murder, rape and the most vile conspiracies, Bakersfield found its saviors in a band of bold and savvy prosecutors. They descended on the courthouse like avenging angels, winning their cases, forging sweeping new laws and creating one of the toughest towns on crime in America -- a model for the rest of the country.

There is only one problem: The people who were arrested, tried and imprisoned in those landmark cases were innocent.

In Mean Justice, award-winning author and journalist Edward Humes embarks on a chilling journey to the dark side of the justice system -- the powerful true story of one man's battle to prove his innocence. It is a story both deeply personal and sweeping in scope, for Humes shows how the individual injustice done to one man is part of a disturbing national trend, in which innocence becomes the unintended casualty of the war on crime, and the immense new powers of prosecutors -- from Main Street to Wall Street to Pennsylvania Avenue -- are dangerously unchecked.

Combining the investigative reporting skills that earned him a Pulitzer Prize with the gifted storytelling honored by a PEN literary award, Humes tells how retired high-school principal Pat Dunn was prosecuted for killing his wife to inherit her millions. As taut and exciting as a suspense novel, Mean Justice reveals how Dunn's case was tainted by hidden witnesses, concealed evidence and behind-the-scenes lobbying by powerful politicians. More horrifying still, there were many such cases in this All-American town, where a well-meaning desire for public safety led to something dark and terrible and unjust. Finally, Humes asks whether the mean justice dispensed in Bakersfield, California, may be fast becoming the norm for the rest of the country, where, in our zeal for order, we are increasingly forgiving prosecutorial misconduct. American cities are enjoying their lowest crime rates in decades. But at what price? Mean Justice provides an answer both compelling and frightening.

Customer Reviews:

Humes an advocate as much as a journalist.......2005-01-15

There are early parts of this book that can seem comically one-sided. By the end, the reader is persuaded by the overwhelming evidence that Dunn cannot possibly be guilty. But in the opening pages, Dunn's behavior is so bizarre, so eccentric, so plain weird, that it seems perfectly understandable that the police consider him a suspect. And when Humes tries to explain away Dunn's behavior as ordinary and natural, it diminishes his credibility throughout the rest of the book.
However, I'm a great admirer of Humes. His writing is amazing and his books are smart and readable. Like 'Mississippi Mud,' this one cries for an update. Check his Web site if you want to read more.
This is also a good jumping-off point for reading further about some of the shameful Bakersfield scandals of the '80s and '90s.

Power gone awry.......2004-04-25

I've been interested in issues of criminal justice, particularly those of the witch hunts of the last several years. You know, there was the McMartin trial, a joke of astronomical proportions. Then there were "recovered memory" cases, and those of the alleged Satanic conspiracies. It seems the Prince of Darkness has emissaries here on earth abducting our kids, eating those he's forced us to abort, and on and on and on. Trouble is, as even senior FBI investigators have admitted, there's no evidence to suggest that these atrocities ever took place. No bodies, no dark rooms, no blood. Hmm. Makes a guy wonder.

Then I talked with an acquaintance who's interested in some of the same subject matter. After our discussion, I looked at Amazon.com and found this volume.

First, allow me to confess that I nearly gave the book four stars. I did so only because there is so much detail as to be almost overwhelming. But then I had to give it five (or more, if it were possible!) The detail is more than necessary for reasons which follow.

The text is ostensibly about the trial of Pat Dunn. He was a former high school principal whose wife died under mysterious circumstances. The prosecutors in Kern County, California, were so zealous that they performed what was the TRUE subject of the book: prosecutorial misconduct. That is, indeed, where the subject digressed from merely Pat Dunn. It seems the law enforcement apparatus of that county has a reputation for being "tough on crime." So tough, alas, that there were countless people going to jail. First that was the massive--yes, Satanic Conspiracy trial. Hundreds were sent to jail for a long, long time. The prosecution used dubious questioning tactics of children, social workers who should have been in the local home for the bewildered--again, on and on. Then a young black athlete was convicted under equally dubious circumstances. Then others. I could get tired of putting, "on and on" here so assume it's a phrase I'd use more if I even had to.

By the way, most of those convictions had been overturned; all, so far, except Pat Dunn's, despite the lack of any evidence to convince a sane court of his guilt.

Then there's the issue(s) of the convicted criminals whom the prosecutors made deals with to convict the accused--while the prosecutors kept details of such deals out of views of the defense and the juries. (I add something the book barely mentioned: if there are obviously innocent people in prison because of prosecutors more intent on winning then on finding the truth, then there are the guilty who are still among us! That alone is a criminal offense for which the prosecutors should be prosecuted!)

Among the conclusions of the book is that such misconduct seems to be happening all over the US. Indeed, the accused are losing their right to appeal; in G.W. Bush's Texas, the state with the greatest number of executions, exculpatory evidence was not permitted after a limited time so that evidence enough to free a convicted murderer could no longer be presented as evidence. So an obviously innocent men was put to death.

There's so much in the book I'm not even sure where to go with it. The text certainly affirms my acquaintance's observation that probably 15 percent in prison haven't done anything. (That proportion is suggested by the book too to apply to the death penalty. Many on death row have been freed over the last few years due to the misconduct of the prosecutors and the courts. And that doesn't even include the many whom the state has put to death who were not guilty.)

Who is criminal given those stats?

The second of the book's appendices consists of several pages of convictions obtained through the prosecutorial misconduct that is the real subject of the book. That itself is an eye-opener. (The first appendix, incidentally, is a list of the convictions and how many are still in prison after retrials or the cases having been thrown out in Kern County itself--many after the accused have spent incredible times in prison after bogus convictions. That information alone should cause the impeachment or resignation, and conviction of those parties to the courts of that county!)

The author concludes that the system is rigged to sustain itself. Try to find courts who've overturned convictions even when the prosecutor was exposed as a fraud who should have been jailed for his/her performance in the trial. They exist but they're few and far between.

To me the point of the book is that there MUST be a price to pay for the prosecutors and even judges for the sort of misconduct the book so amply demonstrates. I mean, these people are supposed to be public servants. Instead, they're public menaces, making a sham out of anything remotely "just." (Ironically, the Kern County DA, who claims to be a Republican, is more akin to a Soviet bureaucrat than most in positions such as his!) I think, in fact, that the most severe punishments should be reserved for those who abuse their authority like those described by the book.

Read this important book and make your own decisions as to how to punish these criminals, who are more a "lead" in the book than Pat Dunn. But be prepared to have your assumptions of American criminal "justice" challenged.

It's about time.......2002-06-30

Ed Jagels is a crooked person. It is about time someone told what he is like.

Spin, spin and more spin.......2002-04-16

I couldn't wait to read this book. I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Humes' earlier work, "No Matter How Loud I Shout." I found NMHLIS to be balanced and thoughtful. Interested in reading more from this engaging author, and as a Southern California transplant originally from Bakersfield, I was immediately drawn to this book. Unfortunately, in "Mean Justice" Mr. Humes appears to have lost the reasoned approach that provided NMHLIS a ring of credibility.

"Mean Justice" presents an overtly biased perspective of the Kern County Sheriff's Dept/D.A.'s office. The tendency of the author to portray evidence indicative of Dunn's guilt as "unfortunate setbacks" to the defense case is hypocritical; especially since any minor inconsistency between prosecution witnesses' accounts are depicted as some blatant attempt to railroad an innocent man.

What a disappointment this book proved to be! There was a great deal of repetition as Humes attempts to bully the reader into accepting his flawed perspective of things. I think the truth is probably somewhere between the two extremes represented in "Mean Justice," but we will never know the truth from this book. Humes zealously advocates for his version of the "truth" in this biased presentation of "evidence".

Mr. Humes is a gifted storyteller, and I found the book engaging as pure entertainment; however, Mr. Humes' trustworthiness as a reporter of the facts was delivered a fatal blow by "Mean Justice."

Enjoy the story, but read this book with a critical eye for its inherent bias.

A Must Read........2001-11-15

It's been a while since I've read the book, but I wanted to share some of the general impressions that I had of this book when I read it. By showing the example of inadequate police work in one community, the author is able to raise many questions about the legal system in America. Plenty of evidence is given in this book which shows that a person was convicted for murder and likely sits in prison unjustly. Anyone who believes that justice is always served in our court systems should read this book to learn how various factors can come together to work against possibly innocent persons. This book is important, intriguing, and difficult to put down.

From Innocence to Entitlement: A Love And Logic Cure for the Tragedy of Entitlement

Average customer rating:

More than about "fixing" your kids
A great weapon against the disease of entitlement!
"I think" you shouldnt waste your money.

From Innocence to Entitlement: A Love And Logic Cure for the Tragedy of Entitlement
Jim Fay , and Dawn Billings
Manufacturer: Love & Logic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Parenting Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Parenting With Love And Logic (Updated and Expanded Edition)
Helicopters, Drill Sergeants & Consultants: Parenting Styles and the Messages They Send
Parenting Teens With Love And Logic (Updated and Expanded Edition)
Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood: Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years
Meeting the Challenge: Using Love and Logic to Help Children Develop Attention and Behavior Skills

Accessories:

philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer
Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 1930429746

Book Description

Every parent needs this book! * Never hear, "It's not fair," or "But I want it" again! * No more giving into your kids demands * Have the courage to say "No" * Stop stealing your child's potential for future happiness * Create the happy family of your dreams

Entitlement...the ruination of a generation

Does your kid expect every new electronic toy and gadget, every new game, every new fashion trend, and when old enough a new car? Are you stealing your child's potential for happiness, respect, appreciation, imagination, and joy?

Entitlement has become an epidemic. Yet parents think they are giving in to this disease out of love for their children. In From Innocence to Entitlement: A Love and Logic Cure for the Tragedy of Entitlement the legendary Jim Fay, and entitlement expert, Dawn Billings, take an in-depth look at the devastation and destruction of entitlement and provide techniques for preventing and curing the problem.

Customer Reviews:

More than about "fixing" your kids.......2006-12-16

If you believe parenting is about protecting, rescuing, or ordering and controlling, this book will not appeal to you. If you are willing to step back and examine what you are doing and the results you are getting AND might be willing to try something different, you will really enjoy this and other Love and Logic books.

This is an interesting book that sketches out how as a culture we have allowed the "disease" of entitlement to creep into much of what people, and especially children, expect to receive. It's filled with some great quotes about taking responsibility for yourself that left me inspired.

The authors also weave application of the Love and Logic philosophy into the solutions to the problem of entitlement. It's fascinating that many of the managers and leaders I work with are also dealing with entitlement (although they don't call it that). Rather than blame the person, Love and Logic sets up a framework to help him or her grow into responsibility. Sound a bit like effective management? Of course the techniques for adult to adult conversation are different, yet the underlying care and support is really exactly the same.

A great weapon against the disease of entitlement!.......2006-10-19

As a strong supporter of the Love and Logic philosophy, I loved this book! The author used the philosophy to help teach parents to teach their children respect, responsibility and problem solving skills. The focus is on the problem of entitlement, what perpetuates it, and what can help cure it.

As a teacher, I have seen the attitude of entitlement in too many children. These poor kids have been taught that their happiness is dependent upon the actions of others. Moms bend over backwards to make their kids happy, and the plan backfires. As a result, their self-worth is 0, and they are very unhappy kids.

Through the use of a "Love and Logic Game Plan" Dawn Billings and Jim Fay deliver 10 steps for parents to use for success at raising responsible, happy children. Through this game plan, kids understand that they alone are in charge of their choices and happiness. They make good things happen instead of waiting for someone else to make them happy.

Many parents mistakenly believe that it is important to "protect" children from the consequences of their actions. The message this is sending to them is that Mom or Dad will bail them out if they make a mistake, so why think about what they do before they do it? As kids grow, the consequences of their mistakes get bigger. Some consequences not even Mommy will be able to protect their kids from, i.e. DUI. This book emphasizes this idea and other important ones!

Please, for the sake of your child, and anyone else who will have to deal with the consequences of your child's actions (good or bad). Read this book and help remedy this "tragedy of entitlement."

"I think" you shouldnt waste your money........2006-05-11

I found this book to be just awful. It seems like a how-to manual on mind control, where the parents show their immaturity is far greater then thier childs. The authors advocate allowing your child to get beat up in order to prove you are right. You say "I don't think its a good idea to go out there and bully those big boys" and then when they do, and get their butt kicked, they think "Gee dad is really right, I should listen to him". Except, kids do not think that way. You child will end up with a black eye and a feeling you aren't going to protect them. Yeah, maybe they wont go out and pick a fight again, but they aren't going to trust you as a result.

The authors also suggest that you give your child a chore and a deadline sometime in the future. If they don't do that chore, without being reminded, then you might as well go sell their bike in order to pay the neighbor boy to do it. Talk about heavy handed, fear based parenting.

Also, when a child gets into trouble you are suppose to put off dealing with it until later. Yes, it gives you time to think it through and cool off if you are upset. but the ultimate and intended outcome is to convey to the child "Your actions are not important to me"

The bottom line is that you must believe children are miniature adults to employ these tactics.

Actual Innocence: When Justice Goes Wrong and How to Make it Right

Average customer rating:

A Must Read
Great book but not the best edition
Frightening butTruthful
A Terrifying Look At The Criminal Justice System
A Must Read

Actual Innocence: When Justice Goes Wrong and How to Make it Right
Barry Scheck , Peter Neufeld , and Jim Dwyer
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Legal System | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Criminal Procedure | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Actual Innocence: Five Days to Execution, and Other Dispatches From the Wrongly Convicted
Wrongly Convicted: Perspectives on Failed Justice
Journey Toward Justice
Surviving Justice: America's Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated
Bloodsworth: The True Story of the First Death Row Inmate Exonerated by DNA (Shannon Ravenel Books)

ASIN: 0451209826
Release Date: 2003-12-02

Book Description

Here are the stories of innocent men and women-and the system that put them away under the guise of justice. Now updated with new information, Actual Innocence sheds light on "a system that tolerates lying prosecutors, slumbering defense attorneys and sloppy investigators" (Salt Lake Tribune)-revealing the shocking flaws that can derail the legal process and the ways that DNA testing has often shattered so-called solid evidence that condemned American citizens to death.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read.......2007-02-07

If you are at all involved in the criminal justice system or simply like watching Law & Order, this book is a MUST read. The authors are the founders of the Innocence Project, which strives to exonerate the wrongly convicted. Each chapter examines aspects of "what went wrong" in the convictions of people who are completely innocent. The authors also give detailed accounts of people they have helped to exonerate. As a soon-to-be law school graduate, this book is truly an eye-opener, and will certainly guide me in my future career. It's shocking at how easily the innocent can be (and have been) convicted of heinous crimes, and at how difficult it is for them to gain even a chance to prove their innocence.

Again, this book is a must read. It's a quick read, but will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression.

Great book but not the best edition.......2006-07-23

Every person should read Actual Innocence to see how 1 in 4 cases are prosecuted against innocent people. This edition omits a graphic which says 50% of these cases involve police and 50% involve prosecutor MISCONDUCT. The other paperback includes this significant information.

It's too bad a more current edition hasn't been written. The book inspired several law schools across the nation to set up Innocence Projects to retry cases for free. Important new information was shared by one of the authors on CNN who stated 20% of DNA tests also have erroneous results. This includes lab error.

God led me to Harvard Business Review, Jun 01 which has an article citing a study where it was shown that decisions made with 90% confidence were made incorrectly 20%-30% of the time, the exact figure cited by the Innocence experts. I emailed that author to ask if the research covers court cases and he indicated positively. So people's lives and reputations can hang on natural human errors, as well as intentional errors described in Actual Innocence. I wasn't able to locate an email address for Actual Innocence authors to forward this information to them.

One of the most striking revelations DNA testing has provided is 25% of rape cases are dismissed indicating it's likely the same figure holds for all cases in which DNA isn't a factor. That means every public record of tickets and crimes you see is likely to list 1 out of 4 who are actually innocent. And everyone pays for it.

This also means the old cliche' that everyone in prison says they are innocent is not something that should be ignored as 1 out of 4 statistically are innocent. I've personally seen a case where the perpetrator was guilty for part of the charges but was also given points and jail time for charges that he wasn't guilty of. So I'd also love to ask the authors if their figures include that kind of error.

Frightening butTruthful.......2006-06-26

I read "Actual Innocence" a few years ago, it was well written and informative. However, I found the stories frightening; I could not believe incidents as these really happen. I have spent the last two years doing research on several cases about false imprisonment and wrongful execution, from my research I discovered these stores are based on fact.
I guess what is terrifying in another book I read the author states that these incidents never happen; but did not site any information proving her point.
I recommend "Actual Innocence" to everyone; because it can happen to you. This is not a scare tactic or a conspiracy theory but fact.

A Terrifying Look At The Criminal Justice System.......2005-02-24

What does a person do when he/she has actual innocence, but he/she is convicted of a crime? Let's explain actual innocence. We are talking about the cases when a person has nothing to do with a crime and is not connected to the crime in any way, not about a technicality, but about a person just like the reader of this book who has absolutely nothing to do with a crime. This is, you must admit, a terrifying situation. However, it happens again and again. Read the book "Bloodsworth" as a good true story on how this kind of thing happens.

How does this happen? Unfortunately, it happens too easily. One reason is because eyewitness testimony is incredibly unreliable and almost never reaches the quality of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. But this is not properly explained to juries by the judges or prosecutors because too many cases rely on eyewitness testimony and if the truth be known then prosecutors would not be able to get enough convictions to satisfy the publics thrist for revenge when a crime has occurred.

One way out of this mess is DNA, but only when DNA is available and only when the lead is pursued. In the case of Bloodsworth, mentioned above, who was 100% actually innocent, he finally got out of the mess after almost ten years of living hell and only because a good lawyer found a small amount of DNA.

How many innocent people are in prison because of ridiculous eyewitness testimony and where there is no way out without a good lawyer and some DNA?

A Must Read.......2003-08-07

This book is a must read for attorneys and non-attorneys alike. It is a terrifying glimpse at the criminal justice system. However, it is not without hope. The authors have several suggestions about improving the sad state of affairs, and if the book is read by enough people involved in the criminal justice system, it may work!

Books:

Books