This book held a lot of promise, but was ultimately disappointing. It took a while for me to get involved in the story, but once I was, I really loved the characters and looked forward to a story that I could dig my teeth (eyes?) into. Unfortunately, it never seemed to happen. I'm a great reader but not a writer, so I'm not completely sure what would have helped - I'm thinking that either I would have enjoyed more detail about a shorter time period, or a more sweeping compilation of detailed moments across more years. I was really hoping that the book would take us up to the current day, especially since there are some references in the book that seemed like foreshadowing (e.g., the computer file of publishers). As it is, it is a pleasant book with likable characters and great historical references that is good for a summer read, but not a book for when you really want something satisfying.

What a great read! I've just started reading memoirs, and this is one of the best I've read. The story is fantastic and deeply moving. But what I think sets this book apart is how honest Ms. Erlbaum is with herself - and her readers. On the surface, this is a story about what can happen when one wants to give back through volunteering. But there are deeper truths about human nature, the meaning of altruism, and the unpredictability of life. It's even more incredible that it's a true story. I guess the phrase, "you couldn't have made something up this good" comes to mind. Thanks for selecting me as an early reviewer. I can't wait to read Girlbomb and hope Ms. Erlbaum is writing a new book for us soon.

Living Smart is a user-friendly and simple workbook which aims to assist individuals in their attempts at health behavior change. Like most people, I struggle with my own attempts at behavior change, and so I was very excited to be selected to receive this book as an early reviewer. However, as a psychologist, I was disappointed when I received it. The information in this book is not at all new, and although there is a mention in the preface of one of their primary influences, they do not do a good job of giving credit to those who developed and tested the techniques that they mention here. I was also particularly disturbed by one line on p. 4. The authors ask if the reader is motivated to change, and if the answer is no, "... this book is not for you - but in all likelihood you wouldn't be reading this book if you fall into this category." I disagree with this statement. There are many of us who, despite experience and knowledge, really and truly wish for the magic pill or silver bullet that will fix everything without any hard work. We wouldn't actually SAY that to anyone, because we know that it's foolish, but deep inside we really do want to lose weight by eating chocolate and watching tv; stop smoking by waking up in the morning without cravings, or magically become whomever it is that we dream that we can be. I wish that the authors spent more time talking about how hard it is to develop "true" motivation. There was nothing in that book that I hadn't seen before, show more and in fact, most of it I had used in my own clinical practice. So why am I still 30 pounds overweight? Because motivation is elusive. The authors wouldn't have been able to solve that problem, but it might have helped those of us who don't always feel so motivated to feel like we aren't alone. That said, for someone who is in the "action" stage of behavior change, the authors provide sound guidance and realistic building blocks for movement. There's nothing wrong with this book - It just could have been much better. show less