CLARA'S WAR: One Girl's Story of Survival by Clara Kramer

Clara's War : One Girl's Story of Survival   left me absolutely humbled.


Once in a great while you come upon a book that will completely change your perspective on life. This book certainly taught me how much in life is taken for granted.


With the skilled writing of Stephen Glantz, Clara Kramer shares her story with simplicity and humility.


I could not put this book down... and I continue to think and talk about Clara's story. I do not want to give anything away.


Suffice it to say... this book needs to be on every person's Must Read list.

5 out of 5 stars


Clara's War on sale at You Are What You Read Book Store






note: I read the hc edition which included photographs from the past, as well as, current photos of Clara and some survivors.

The Angelic Way by Rami Shapiro

There are times when I am so grateful to receive advanced reading copies of soon to be published books.

This is one of those times.

The Angelic Way: Angels through the Ages and Their Meaning for Us by Rami Shapiro is a scholarly work that is highly readable and quite thought provoking.

How fascinating was this work?

Let's put it this way... I wrote 18 pages of notes to myself about topics from Shapiro's text. I am not parting with my copy of this book, no way.

Rabbi Rami Shapiro defines angels as a metaphor (or symbol) used to describe the human ability to transecend our "ego-centered mind" into a "God centered conciousness".

Being that I am a Catholic reader I could not accept Shapiro's stance that angels exist only as myth.
Yet, not once, did I take issue with his thesis. In the end the emphasis is placed upon each individual's ability to let go of the self (ego) and embrace joining with the Divine.

Shapiro's approach is ecumenical or what you maycall interfaith. He opens the doors for addressing the history of angels from a wealth of knowledge from many religious perspectives. His work is firmly rooted in the study of mythology with reference to the powerful work of Joseph Campbell.

Unlike the overflowing miasma on book store shelves of pop culture angels compartmentalized into simplistic explanations used to serve  authors '  needs to appease a reading population that wants quick fix spirituality...

Shapiro's text is a fine work of scholarship that appeals to the reader's intellect.  The Angelic Way: Angels through the Ages and Their Meaning for Us  is written with such clarity that it encompasses complex concepts that are accessible to the unitiated theological reader.

And with that being said, I am going to hit my notes and start exploring the new worlds that author, Shapiro< has introduced to this avid reader.

ENJOY!

(4 out of 5 stars)

The Angelic Way available at You Are What You Read Book Store

Publication Date: 10/30/09



Learn More:

AUTHOR'S BLOG:   Rabbi Rami

Mayo Clinic Guide to Living with a Spinal Cord Injury

Patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI) are now having shortened hospital stays. The result of this circumstance is less time in hospital for patient education. The Mayo Clinic Guide to Living with a Spinal Cord Injury: Moving Ahead with Your Life is an outstanding educational resource for patient and family use that offers the extensive information needed to help a SCI patient on the path to recovery.

Anyone who has had a major health crisis with permanently life altering effects can attest to the mind numbing shock that occurs immediately after the doctor shares the news. Patients are deluged with information in an effort to start the healing process promptly.

Speaking from my personal experience from the day I was newly diagonsed with systemic lupus... I can vividly recall all the overwhelming changes occurring with no time for my mind to catch up. I was seeing numerous specialists, being prescribed medications, having to make abrupt lifestyle changes and being recommended books to purchase, websites to visit, handouts to read... everything getting lost in a clutters of papers because I was too confused by the immediate situation.

I wish I had had a manual like Mayo Clinic Guide to Living with a Spinal Cord Injury: Moving Ahead with Your Life . This manual takes all those informational handouts and gathers them together in a highly readable and organized manner. The emphasis for SCI treatment is patient AND family involvement for a successful rehabilitation. The handbook is written to include the patient's caregivers (who usually are family). The writing is concise and addresses topics that I would think many patients would either be too embarrassed to discuss... or wouldn't even had thought to ask questions about.

Beyond the educational value for patient and family, this book would definitely be beneficial as an instruction manual medical social workers. The book outlines a multitude of social and emotional challenges that a SCI patient and family will face. As a social worker I would definitely use this book in counseling sessions as a springboard for discussion.

(4 out of 5 stars)

Mayo Clinic Guide to Living with a Spinal Cord Injury is available at LBL Book Store

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Mayo Clinic

http://www.mayoclinic.org/spinal-cord-injury-rehabilitation/

Paralyzed Veterans of America http://www.pva.org/site/PageServer

A GENTLE RAIN by Deborah Smith

I am not prone to reading love stories. I like surprises and unconventional characters and the such that I usually find lacking in the "romance" formulas of pop fiction.

But, now I must jump off of my reading snob soap box and admit that GENTLE RAIN by Deborah Smith was a pleasant literary visit. I found the story to be predictable, but comforting in its predictability.

I think what captured my attention was the author's inclusion of two major adult characters who have developmental disabilities. The characters were treated with dignity and the book successfully addressed the rights of adults who have intellectual challenges.

Will I read more love popular fiction love stories?

Probably not, but if I see Deborah Smith's name on the cover...

I think I will pick up the book and take a leisurely time out from the world.




( 3 out of 5 stars)


A Gentle Rain available at You Are What You Read Book Store

HOW (NOT) TO BE A DOMESTIC GODDESS by Deborah Ross

Award winning columnist, Deborah Ross, has a club, and I desperately want to be a member.
She calls her organization the NDGC (GB)… that is the Non-Domestic Goddess Club of Great Britain.






Assuming that you can get motivated enough to attend a meeting (a true Non-Domestic Goddess will shiver at this point at the thought of a meeting), you will be welcomed with a cup of Nescafe’ made from tap water and a store bought cake (if anyone bothered to buy one).






Fortunately for U.S. readers, Ms. Ross’ delightful anti-Martha Stewart approach to home making has crossed the shores and is now available:






How Not to be a Domestic Goddess: ...always go to bed on an argument






One could say that the Non-Domestic Goddess motto is encompassed in one simple statement, “Nature abhors a vacuum and so do we.”






Hey, I’m all for that! And apparently there are plenty of other women who agree.









I brought my copy of How not to be a Domestic Goddess to the doctor’s waiting room and had to fight my way out of a horde of Non-Domestic Goddess wannabes trying to pry the book from my hands.






Well, okay that really didn’t happen.






No one who aspires to be a true Non-Domestic Goddess would dare to make such a concentrated effort to obtain a “How To’ book on anything…






But, the office nurse thought the title was funny and told me so.






And I agreed with her.









The title is great and the book is even better.






ENJOY!




(2 out of 5 stars)



How (Not) To Be a Domestic Goddess available at You Are What You Read Book Store