Koncocoo

Best Adoption

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person
The mega-talented creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away With Murder chronicles how saying YES for one year changed her life―and how it can change yours, too. With three hit shows on television and three children at home, the uber-talented Shonda Rhimes had lots of good reasons to say NO when an unexpected invitation arrived. Except… except that Rhimes, the creator/producer of such intelligent TV shows as Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal is not only wiser, funnier, and cooler than your average therapist – she’s also been there, if “there” is the land of the angry, scared and emotionally dysfunctional. She also discovered that self-acceptance doesn’t always go smoothly: as she pithily observes, sometimes the people who loved you when you were angry, dark and “twisty” don’t like to hang around when you lighten up. “There’s real value in the experiences Rhimes shares… When, for example, she discusses learning to take better care of herself, the memoir feels honest, raw and revelatory.” — The Washington Post. She's warm, eminently relatable, and funny… Like a cashmere shawl you pack just in case, Year of Yes is well worth the purse space, and it would make an equally great gift. Rhimes opens up, and inspires, discussing her personal experiences as a sister, daughter, mother, friend and boss tempered with biting insights on societal expectations of women…[a] blend of biography and badassery.”. — Ebony.com. “Rhimes guides the reader through her transformative yearlong experiment, each chapter dealing with a different personal challenge for herself, and she lets us deep inside her brain, carefully laying out all of her fears and self doubt…candid and friendly, almost as if the two of you were catching up over drinks.”. — Slate.com. “A self help book dressed in casual clothes, lessons for living a better life told through relatable personal essays from the woman who set out to, in the course of a year, make her own better… There’s an uncanny familiarity to the journey Rhimes goes on… Never do you feel preached at while reading Rhimes’s book. This woman of huge fame and fortune is speaking directly to you, and she’s doing it with familiarity, humor, and earned wisdom… Year of Yes is an awakening as much as it is a reckoning. “Shamelessly entertaining…an antic, funny and surprisingly funky portrait of what it’s like to be one of the most fascinating forces in contemporary network television.”. — Buffalo News (Editor's Choice Review). “This memoir/call to arms from the one woman force behind Grey’s Anatomy , Scandal , and How to Get Away With Murder is basically a New Year’s resolution between two covers. “Brilliant…a peek into Rhimes' wise, funny, surprisingly candid brain, which contains opinions on everything from accepting compliments and balancing showrunning with single motherhood to, yes, the recent weight loss that's been (unfairly) making the most headlines.
Reviews
"And this is a praiseworthy, life affirming, sister-centric, love filled, thank you Jesus!, Where-has-this-book been-all-of-my-life kind of read. Let me count the ways: 1) First off, unlike a lot of authors, she did not pre-seed Amazon with preselected reviewers hitting up all 5 stars and offering formulaic praise. 3) In addition to being funny, she's pitch perfect in her capacity to convey authenticity, vulnerability, and confidence all within the same paragraph. 5) Her year of living fearlessly by fully stepping into her life and saying YES inspires because it shows that even a Shonda Rhimes can suffer from the "Who Me?" Granted, Shonda needed to say yes to things like hanging out with the Obama's or being honored as a Human Rights Boss, but she brilliantly shows that despite the loftiness of her life, like many of us she too struggled with stepping into her well earned right to "stand in the sun" without fear or apology."
"Willing to keep trying the reviews were great I guess I just don't have patients to wait that long for a book to get good."
"Her writing is candid, hysterical (I would frequently smile and giggle while reading on the subway), and enlightening. Even Shonda Rhimes has experienced anxiety, fear, & denial regarding herself and packaged it in such a way that reminds you that we all are human and get afraid and lie to ourselves, but we can all pull ourselves up and out from the trenches if we open ourselves up to life. Living life means saying yes to it and if you are already on your path of gaining deeper awareness of yourself and the world, this book will strengthen that spark and encourage FIRE!"
"I've recommended this book to my book club members (it's not even time for is to choose a new book) and to many others who would listen."
"Somewhere after the initial bunch of pages i dint quite frankly feel like going ahead with completing it...but i am not a quitter lol so i kept on and to my great pleasure the book just got more interesting to me after the initial 20% and i totally LOVED it to the last page."
"This titan of television tells us how one word completely changed her life and level of enjoyment and participation in her own life."
"This book seems to be the product of people telling Shonda Rhimes to write a book, and her agreeing to do it for the money."
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Whisper My Secret: A Memoir
Eventually, rescued from her despair by tall, dark and handsome George Rowley who fell in love her, Myrtle started a new life and had seven more children. Desperate to know how such a thing could happen to a devoted and caring mother, JB went on a journey to find out. It was a long time before JB was able to work out that her mother kept her early life and her first family secret out of misplaced guilt and shame. After years of research and searching for people connected to my mothers' story, I finally had enough information to have a fair idea of the circumstances that led to her forced separation from her first three children - the half siblings I had never known about. I also write the Dusty Kent murder mystery series under the pen name Brigid George . Where facts and evidence were not obtainable the author has used supposition, imagination and personal knowledge to bridge the gaps.
Reviews
"I'm sure if I hadn't read this, I would have put it down close to the beginning, but this was an enjoyable read, and a look at such a different time -- with such a different set of rules that it's hard to believe it was just a few generations ago."
"More information about who raised her first three children would have been appreciated, but good to know they did not seem to resent her."
"I had no problems following the true parts of the book and the written (made up, (for lack of a better word) parts...The end result may be acceptable to most who knew Myrtle, but imagine the pain she felt deep down inside and carried all of those years.....You can have 50 children and they will never replace the one who was taken...This poor mom.....This was heart wrenching...Her children being taken away....Back then you had no recourse, to prove you were a fit mom...If your husband said you weren't, then their word was law...How horrible...I cannot say how angry þis makes me...I wonder if Agnes ever felt remorse for her role in this...I wonder was it she, who raised the kids?....Who did they end up going to?"
"I enjoyed reading this story, even if some of it was written as to how it could have been."
"She was rebellious in her day, but she undeniably was an unselfish, loving mother who wanted the best life for her children."
"Ms. Rowley has written a beautiful story, based on the little evidence she discovered, about the tragic events of her mother's life before marrying Rowley's father."
"No money, no voice to be heard."
"This memoir was well written and shared with me the determination of a beautiful woman."
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A Long Way Home: A Memoir
This is the miraculous and triumphant story of Saroo Brierley, a young man who used Google Earth to rediscover his childhood life and home in an incredible journey from India to Australia and back again... At only five years old, Saroo Brierley got lost on a train in India. A Long Way Home is a moving, poignant, and inspirational true story of survival and triumph against incredible odds. “Amazing stuff.”— The New York Post “So incredible that sometimes it reads like a work of fiction.”— Winnipeg Free Press (Canada)“A remarkable story.”— Sydney Morning Herald Review “I literally could not put this book down...[Saroo's] return journey will leave you weeping with joy and the strength of the human spirit.”— Manly Daily (Australia)“We urge you to step behind the headlines and have a read of this absorbing account...With clear recollections and good old-fashioned storytelling, Saroo...recalls the fear of being lost and the anguish of separation.”— Weekly Review (Australia) Born in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, India, Saroo Brierley lives in Hobart, Tasmania, where he manages a family business, Brierley Marine, with his father.
Reviews
"It is the real-life story of Saroo, a five-year-old child in a village in central India, who gets lost and finds himself transported all the way east to Calcutta, some 1800 kms away. However Saroo always wonders about his origins, with clear memories of his birth mother Kamala, his kid sister Shekila and elder brothers Kallu and Guddu, whom he looked up to as a child two decades before. Gradually, over five years, with incredible patience and perseverance , Saroo, at age 30, using Google Earth's satellite images and Facebook, miraculously locates the train station with the identifying features of his childhood. Saroo soon goes to India and reconnects with his birth family to the great delight of his elderly mother Kamala and his siblings Shekila and Kallu, who are now married with children. It is a great tribute to these wonderful technologies which make it possible for the adult Saroo to sit ten thousand miles away in Hobart, Australia and exactly locate the water tower and overpass of his childhood memory and find out the correct name of his village. Going through the early chapters where Saroo survives for six weeks as a five-year-old in Calcutta, I had palpitations as I felt anxious that nothing terrible should befall young Saroo!"
"While it was heartbreaking to hear how Saroo became separated from his brother and family, it ended with much goodness."
"This is a unique story about a boy who became lost in India, adopted, relocated to Australia and his, eventual, return back to India in search of his birth mother and family."
"This is one of those rare stories in which "truth is stranger than fiction.""
"I thought it was excellent."
"This story is both incredibly terrifying and wonderfully heart-warming."
"Thoroughly enjoyable read; how incredible that this little boy had such strong survival instinct in a city swarming with millions of people, and an impressive memory for detail which has resulted in an evocative rendering of his becoming lost."
"I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to learn about this remarkable Journey."
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Best Single Parenting

On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep
For over 20 years, On Becoming Babywise has been the de facto newborn parenting manual for naturally synchronizing your baby's feeding time, waketime and nighttime sleep cycles, so the whole family can sleep through the night. Practical discussions then focus on broad and niche topics including feeding philosophies, baby sleep problems, baby scheduling challenges, nap routines, sleep training multiples, baby sleeping props, Colic and Reflux and many other dimensions which impact breast feeding schedules, bottle feeding tips and baby sleep training. 1) Taking care of baby and mom. 2) A timeline of what to expect and when. 3) Baby Sleep Training Problems and Solutions. 4) Monitoring Your Baby's Growth. 5) Healthy Baby Growth Charts. It can help any parent develop a plan that meets both the needs of a new baby and of the entire family. Instead of being in baby bondage, I was liberated to be the mother God wanted me to be. We highly recommend ONLY purchasing the newest and most current version of On Becoming Babywise (isbn 1932740139). In becoming one of America's leading infant management guides, On Becoming Babywise has continued to improve its methods and practices throughout its 24 years and this latest version is the result of all the best over the last two decades. and co-author Gary Ezzo in this book helps parents successfully and naturally synchronize their baby's feeding time, waketime and nighttime cycles. Happy, healthy and contented babies who sleep through the night on average between seven and nine weeks of age. The best evaluation of any parenting philosophy, including Babywise, is not found in the reasoning or the logic of the hypothesis. Rather, our larger objective is to help prepare minds for the incredible task of raising a child. Your baby will not care if his head rests on designer sheets or beside Disney characters, nor is your success tied to his wardrobe or bedroom accessories, but rather to the beliefs and convictions that will eventually shape your parenting experience. It is our opinion that the achievements of healthy growth, contented babies, good naps, and playful wake times, as well as the gift of nighttime sleep, are too valuable to be left to chance. We realize there are a number of parenting theories being marketed today, most of which come gift-wrapped with unrealistic promises and unnecessary burdens. Spend time with relatives and friends who follow the Attachment Parenting style of infant care. The principles contained within the pages can help parents develop workable strategies that meet the needs of their babies and the rest of the family. However, your pediatrician or family practitioner should always be consulted when questions arise about the health and welfare of your baby. Because the principles of On Becoming Babywise are so effective, I consider it part of my extended health care for the family. They consistently produce babies who are healthy, content, and who sleep through the night at an early age. ". As family physicians and a husband-wife team, we are often asked questions related to parenting and the general care of children.
Reviews
"On Becoming Babywise taught me to tap into my God-given parental instincts while providing me medically-sound advice to equip me in teaching my infant to sleep through the night."
"Good book and easy read."
"Some of the information is good, but there are better sleep books out there."
"I didn't get it until my daughter was six months old, and you are supposed to start it when your baby is a newborn, but I was still able to implement the recommendations."
"We really like the advice and it's very sound advice, but it's particularly preachy."
"Very helpful in helping daughter get my granddaughter on a sleeping and eating schedule as a newborn."
"I read through this book and there are a lot of things I don't like about it...however...I followed it somewhat loosely and our baby slept through the night the second day of following the feed, wake, sleep schedule...I do believe there is some truth to this book."
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Best Parenting

What to Expect the First Year
Some things about babies, happily, will never change. But how moms and dads care for their brand-new bundles of baby joy has changed—and now, so has the new-baby bible. Announcing the completely revised third edition of What to Expect the First Year . The comprehensive month-by-month guide that clearly explains everything parents need to know about the first year with a new baby. With special sections on the older sibling; selecting the right physician; seasonal concerns and traveling with baby; managing childhood illnesses; and nurturing the adopted baby, the low-birthweight infant, and the baby with specific problems. She is also the creator of WhatToExpect.com and the WhatToExpect app, which reach over 11 million expecting and new parents, and the What to Expect Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping underserved families expect healthy pregnancies, safe deliveries, and healthy, happy babies.
Reviews
"Love this book, it is an absolute must-have resource for every parent."
"Mrs. Murkoff is a great author, woman, and encourager to all mothers."
"Reading this and looking up things like how to treat an infant's cold helped me as a brand new mom a lot!"
"I chose the Kindle version as one of my Amazon registry perks."
"It also helps me keep reality in check when other offer "advice"."
"Large book that seems somewhat daunting but quick read and able to skip over things that don’t apply (circumcision if your having a girl for example)."
"I bought this book for my pregnant sister, if it's anything like the edition I owned during my little ones first year than it's a must have for new moms."
"This book is very helpful for first time parents and even parents who are not beginners!"
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Best Fertility

Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health
Enjoy highly effective and scientifically proven birth control without chemicals or devices Maximize your chances of conception before you see a doctor or resort to invasive high-tech options Expedite your fertility treatment by quickly identifying impediments to pregnancy achievement Gain control and a true understanding of your gynecological and sexual health. A fully revised and intuitive charting system A selection of personalized master charts for birth control, pregnancy achievement, breastfeeding, and menopause An expanded sixteen-page color insert that reflects the book’s most important concepts Six brand-new chapters on topics including balancing hormones naturally, preserving your future fertility, and three medical conditions all women should be aware of. Taking Charge of Your Fertility has helped literally hundreds of thousands of women avoid pregnancy naturally, maximize their chances of getting pregnant, or simply gain better control of their gynecological and sexual health. A fully revised and intuitive charting system A selection of personalized master charts for birth control, pregnancy achievement, breastfeeding, and menopause An expanded sixteen-page color insert that reflects the book’s most important concepts Six brand-new chapters on topics including balancing hormones naturally, preserving your future fertility, and three medical conditions all women should be aware of.
Reviews
"Every woman should know exactly how their bodies work and this book def opened my eyes. I also find that charting both bbt and cervical fluid works better than any ovulation app or period tracker. Its also a very helpful tool for your gyno so they can better pinpoint if there is an issue with ttc or another reproductive problem."
"Extremely informative book, good to use as a reference."
"I’m learning so much about my body and can’t stop raving about all the insight!"
"This book is so educational."
"So much great information, presented in a very clear and easy to understand way!"
"The book to get AND read."
"It's a really great book very informative very easy to read very easy to understand I would suggest it for anybody that's either trying to get pregnant or prevent pregnancy the natural way."
"I have LOVED this book."
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Best Family Relationship

Spilled Milk: Based On A True Story
Brooke Nolan is a battered child who makes an anonymous phone call about the escalating brutality in her home. When social services jeopardize her safety condemning her to keep her father’s secret, it’s a glass of spilled milk at the dinner table that forces her to speak about the cruelty she’s been hiding. When jury members and a love interest congregate to inspire her to fight, she risks losing the support of family and comes to the realization that some people simply do not want to be saved. Several colleges and high schools have incorporated the novel into their lesson plans and I've received tons of feedback from my voracious fans- I knew I needed to come out with a more polished and professional edition that was appropriate for the education system, my fans, and in general. Randis, author of bestselling novel Spilled Milk and thePillbillies series, started journaling at the age of six and had shortstories and poetry published by the time she was thirteen.She is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and a certifiedexpert in the field of domestic violence. Randis engages audiences on a local and national level to raise awareness about child abuse, serving as a frequent commentator to media outlets.
Reviews
"A lot of us close our eyes and turn our backs to frightening things that were written about in this book."
"Sometimes bad things happen to good people and that thought breaks my heart."
"I think anyone that has or is experiencing domestic or sexual abuse should read Spilled Milk."
"A story of courage of a young child in a very dysfunctional home."
"It's surprising that his mum was such a friendly, helpful and understanding person given that her son was the complete opposite."
"there were times I had to put it down and collect myself because I could feel tears forming in my eyes."
"I just know after reading the conclusion that she has not only written a best seller but has helped save many lives by writing her story."
"Concisely written, she moves swiftly into illustrating her rise from a hell ruled by her father into an adolescence marked by determination to change the dynamic; she forges a life for herself in spite of her father and mother who want her to remain dependent."
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Best Family Activities

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2018 (The Unofficial Guides)
The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2018 explains how Walt Disney World works and how to use that knowledge to make every minute and every dollar of your vacation count. "If a restaurant serves bad food, or a gift item is overpriced, or a certain ride isn't worth the wait, we can say so, and in the process we hope to make your visit more fun, efficient, and economical." And because they've found that "spontaneity and self-discovery work about as well at Walt Disney World as they do on your tax return," The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is packed full of essential advice for anyone braving the frontiers of the mother of all theme parks. "Indispensable". ― The New York Times.
Reviews
"Recommend, if you are going to Disney."
"You don't want a rained on Kindle (God forbid ) It seemed as thought there was a lot of "filler" in this book, I understand this is a subjective book , but just my opinion."
"However, many rides in WDW have been closed (Maelstrom, Backlot Tour, Pirates of the Caribbean, the sorcerers hat in DHS, etc) that are so significant they need to urgently put out a revised edition."
"So informative, it's insightful, and it's the go-to book for how to successfully navigate Disneyworld."
"Just got back from my first trip to Disney, information made the trip much better."
"I have used this book every time to help plan my trip. I have learned that if you do not plan a WDW trip as a "type A" personality, you will lose out not only on time, but money, and in the case of Walt Disney World....time equals your money spent."
"This fantastically organized and well-researched book includes attraction details for all four Disney Parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios), plus the same level of attraction details for both Universal Parks (Universal Studios and Universal Islands of Adventure). We admittedly went during the slower season, but following the touring plans in the book (with my modifications due to our interests) prevented us from having to ever wait in line for more than 10 minutes - and we got on most rides and attractions within about 2-3 minutes of arriving at the attraction. The Kindle version works great for how I use the book, but if you want to be able to have a hard copy of the park maps and touring plans with you, the paper book would be better. While older versions of this book would work in a pinch, I will likely continue to buy the latest edition of this book each time I plan a trip to Disney - the parks are constantly changing. I then use the touring plans in the back of the book to get an order in which to view the attractions in. Because we can ride things like that at any county fair in the state, we don't ride those sorts of rides at Disney - a fact which inevitably means the touring plans I used won't work for families with young children, as those are the rides they most want to see!"
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Best Family Health

On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep
For over 20 years, On Becoming Babywise has been the de facto newborn parenting manual for naturally synchronizing your baby’s feeding time, waketime and nighttime sleep cycles, so the whole family can sleep through the night. Practical discussions then focus on broad and niche topics including feeding philosophies, baby sleep problems, baby scheduling challenges, nap routines, sleep training multiples, baby sleeping props, Colic and Reflux and many other dimensions which impact breast feeding schedules, bottle feeding tips and baby sleep training. 1) Taking care of baby and mom. 2) A timeline of what to expect and when. 3) Baby Sleep Training Problems and Solutions. 4) Monitoring Your Baby’s Growth. 5) Healthy Baby Growth Charts. My residents report a positive difference in the confidence of new mothers who work with this plan compared to those who do not. They consistently produce babies who are healthy, content, and who sleep through the night at an early age. "Since being introduced to the principles of Babywise, I have been convinced of its effectiveness in establishing sleep patterns and in decreasing the frequency of problems associated with infant feeding." This is the current and completely revised & updated version of On Becoming Babywise (the 5th edition, February 2012). It has a new chapter, several important revisions, the latest in medical updates, and is 19% longer than the former version. In becoming one of America's leading infant management guides, On Becoming Babywise has continued to improve its methods and practices throughout its 30 years and this latest version is the result of all the best over the last three decades. The Babywise method continues to gain global recognition for its common-sense approach to parenting a newborn. and co-author Gary Ezzo which helps parents successfully and naturally synchronize their baby's feeding time, waketime and nighttime cycles. Rather, our larger objective is to help prepare minds for the incredible task of raising a child. Your baby will not care if his head rests on designer sheets or beside Disney characters, nor is your success tied to his wardrobe or bedroom accessories, but rather to the beliefs and convictions that will eventually shape your parenting experience. It is our opinion that the achievements of healthy growth, contented babies, good naps, and playful wake times, as well as the gift of nighttime sleep, are too valuable to be left to chance. We realize there are a number of parenting theories being marketed today, most of which come gift-wrapped with unrealistic promises and unnecessary burdens. Spend time with relatives and friends who follow the Attachment Parenting style of infant care. The Appendices section in On Becoming Babywise contains charts, worksheets, and additional information relating to infant care. And while 70% of our mothers are still breast-feeding after six months, the national average encourage to follow demand feeding without any guidelines is only 20%. The authors demonstrate how order and stability are mutual allies of every newborn's metabolism and how parents can take advantage of these biological propensities. In particular, we note how an infant's body responds to the influences of parental routine or the lack thereof. Examine carefully the alternative theories and approaches, and specifically observe the end results. The best evaluation of any parenting philosophy, including Babywise, is not found in the reasoning or the logic of the hypothesis. " As family physicians and a husband-wife team, we are often asked questions related to parenting and the general care of children.
Reviews
"On Becoming Babywise taught me to tap into my God-given parental instincts while providing me medically-sound advice to equip me in teaching my infant to sleep through the night."
"My baby was sleeping 8 hours at night at 8 weeks old thanks to this book."
"Followed this sequence for my first child and he was sleeping through the night with a few weeks."
"Very informative book, looking forward to putting into practice."
"The tips in this book are great."
"Good book and easy read."
"Good guidelines like the pattern of "feed, wake, sleep" but I could have used more guidance like, how long do we let our 4 week old cry in her crib before picking her up to soothe her?"
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Best Parenting Reference

What to Expect the First Year
Some things about babies, happily, will never change. But how moms and dads care for their brand-new bundles of baby joy has changed—and now, so has the new-baby bible. Announcing the completely revised third edition of What to Expect the First Year . The comprehensive month-by-month guide that clearly explains everything parents need to know about the first year with a new baby. With special sections on the older sibling; selecting the right physician; seasonal concerns and traveling with baby; managing childhood illnesses; and nurturing the adopted baby, the low-birthweight infant, and the baby with specific problems. She is also the creator of WhatToExpect.com and the WhatToExpect app, which reach over 11 million expecting and new parents, and the What to Expect Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping underserved families expect healthy pregnancies, safe deliveries, and healthy, happy babies.
Reviews
"It guides you through each phase: breastfeeding, diapering, nursery furniture purchase, buying baby's clothes and gear. I can skip through it, focus on the sections I am interested in the moment, and this is where Kindle version comes extremely helpful - click on the links - get connected to WTE website or app, check reviews, product recommendations and ratings, all from my Ipad."
"This book saved our lives.. even some of the smallest things are covered here."
"Easy to read, not boring, not judgemental, and 100% informative, this is a MUST read for any new parent (or even parents that are going for the 2nd or 3rd time)."
"Love this book, it is an absolute must-have resource for every parent."
"This helped tremendously. *by facilitating great and well-informed conversations before a Dr's wellness check-up visit. *gave peace of mind on minor incidents. Chapters are categorized and indexed well so I did not have to read everything in one sitting."
"I chose the Kindle version as one of my Amazon registry perks."
"I have three kids and this book was like a Bible to me for the first one."
"I wish there was more space for each daily entry and also other areas like doctors appointments and questions, but overall it is the best pregnancy journal I have found."
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Best Aging Parents & Eldercare

The Glass Castle: A Memoir
Now a major motion picture from Lionsgate starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts. MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST The perennially bestselling, extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, “nothing short of spectacular” ( Entertainment Weekly ) memoir from one of the world’s most gifted storytellers. Jeannette Walls's father always called her "Mountain Goat" and there's perhaps no more apt nickname for a girl who navigated a sheer and towering cliff of childhood both daily and stoically. In The Glass Castle , Walls chronicles her upbringing at the hands of eccentric, nomadic parents--Rose Mary, her frustrated-artist mother, and Rex, her brilliant, alcoholic father. As Rose Mary and Rex, motivated by whims and paranoia, uprooted their kids time and again, the youngsters (Walls, her brother and two sisters) were left largely to their own devices. Walls describes in fascinating detail what it was to be a child in this family, from the embarrassing (wearing shoes held together with safety pins; using markers to color her skin in an effort to camouflage holes in her pants) to the horrific (being told, after a creepy uncle pleasured himself in close proximity, that sexual assault is a crime of perception; and being pimped by her father at a bar). While Walls's father's version of Christmas presents—walking each child into the Arizona desert at night and letting each one claim a star—was delightful, he wasn't so dear when he stole the kids' hard-earned savings to go on a bender.
Reviews
"“We take a chance from time to time. And put our necks out on the line. And you have broken every promise that we made. And I have loved you anyway”. -- “Like a Fool” - Keira Knightley/ Lyrics - John Carney/“Begin Again” Soundtrack. Dysfunction and crushing poverty are at the heart of this memoir, but love is there, as well. Readers might find it difficult to accept these things in the casual “this was my life” presentation, as though it had no effect on her, as though she is used to having others feel that one must choose to either love and embrace or cast aside the person who inflicted the craziness upon them. Nothing about this memoir seeks pity, or condemnation of those who raised her, or even of the way she was raised, it just is the way it was, and now her life is different."
"This book deserves its status as a bestseller because it's fascinating and enlightening and because the author so masterfully tells her story without leading the reader to judge her family way one or the other."
"It is truly a fascinating exploration into the complicated dynamics of a lower class family struggling with alcoholism and mental illness, and is similar in many ways to the highly lauded Hillbilly Elegy."
"It's not often that I read the first few pages and I'm hit with a scene so enthralling that I'm scrambling to find the time to get to the end of the entire book."
"Then I saw where there was a movie made from this book."
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Best Special Needs Parenting

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism
It’s truly moving, eye-opening, incredibly vivid.”—Jon Stewart, The Daily Show NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY. NPR • The Wall Street Journal • Bloomberg Business • Bookish. Written by Naoki Higashida, a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine. Using an alphabet grid to painstakingly construct words, sentences, and thoughts that he is unable to speak out loud, Naoki answers even the most delicate questions that people want to know. In his introduction, bestselling novelist David Mitchell writes that Naoki’s words allowed him to feel, for the first time, as if his own autistic child was explaining what was happening in his mind. “It is no exaggeration to say that The Reason I Jump allowed me to round a corner in our relationship.” This translation was a labor of love by David and his wife, KA Yoshida, so they’d be able to share that feeling with friends, the wider autism community, and beyond. Andrew Solomon is the author of several books including Far From the Tree and The Noonday Demon . David Mitchell: Autism comes in a bewildering and shifting array of shapes, severities, colors and sizes, as you of all writers know, Dr. Solomon, but the common denominator is a difficulty in communication. While not belittling the Herculean work Naoki and his tutors and parents did when he was learning to type, I also think he got a lucky genetic/neural break: the manifestation of Naoki's autism just happens to be of a type that (a) permitted a cogent communicator to develop behind his initial speechlessness, and (b) then did not entomb this communicator by preventing him from writing. Language, sure, the means by which we communicate: but intelligence is to definition what Teflon is to warm cooking oil. I guess that people with autism who have no expressive language manifest their intelligence the same way you would if duct tape were put over your mouth and a 'Men in Black'-style memory zapper removed your ability to write: by identifying problems and solving them. The only other regular head-bender is the rendering of onomatopoeia, for which Japanese has a synaesthetic genius – not just animal sounds, but qualities of light, or texture, or motion. DM: Their inclusion was, I guess, an idea of the book's original Japanese editor, for whom I can't speak. But for me they provide little coffee breaks from the Q&A, as well as showing that Naoki can write creatively and in slightly different styles. DM: Naoki has had a number of other books about autism published in Japan, both prior to and after Jump . This involves him reading 2a presentation aloud, and taking questions from the audience, which he answers by typing. (I happen to know that in a city the size of Hiroshima, of well over a million people, there isn't a single doctor qualified to give a diagnosis of autism.). It’s truly moving, eye-opening, incredibly vivid.” —Jon Stewart, The Daily Show “Please don’t assume that The Reason I Jump is just another book for the crowded autism shelf. This is an intimate book, one that brings readers right into an autistic mind—what it’s like without boundaries of time, why cues and prompts are necessary, and why it’s so impossible to hold someone else’s hand. This book takes about ninety minutes to read, and it will stretch your vision of what it is to be human.” —Andrew Solomon, The Times (U.K.). [Naoki Higashida’s] startling, moving insights offer a rare look inside the autistic mind.” — Parade. With about one in 88 children identified with an autism spectrum disorder, and family, friends, and educators hungry for information, this inspiring book’s continued success seems inevitable.” — Publishers Weekly “We have our received ideas, we believe they correspond roughly to the way things are, then a book comes along that simply blows all this so-called knowledge out of the water. Once you understand how Higashida managed to write this book, you lose your heart to him.” — New Statesman (U.K.) “Astonishing. In Mitchell and Yoshida’s translation, [Higashida] comes across as a thoughtful writer with a lucid simplicity that is both childlike and lyrical. Higashida is living proof of something we should all remember: in every autistic child, however cut off and distant they may outwardly seem, there resides a warm, beating heart.” — Financial Times (U.K.) “Higashida’s child’s-eye view of autism is as much a winsome work of the imagination as it is a user’s manual for parents, carers and teachers. “ The Reason I Jump is a wise, beautiful, intimate and courageous explanation of autism as it is lived every day by one remarkable boy. Naoki Higashida takes us ‘behind the mirror’—his testimony should be read by parents, teachers, siblings, friends, and anybody who knows and loves an autistic person. I only wish I’d had this book to defend myself when I was Naoki’s age.” —Tim Page, author of Parallel Play and professor of journalism and music at the University of Southern California “[Higashida] illuminates his autism from within.
Reviews
"I read a lot of books about autism because my brother is severely autistic. I am very thankful to Nagoki Higashida for answered questions that I have about my brother's behavior and the way that he thinks. His voice came through this book as very genuine and I have recognized some of the same feelings in my brother as Nagoki Higashida. I have read quite a few books written by Asperger's but this one by a boy who has autism rings home for me. I received this book as a win from FirstReads but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in the review."
"Naoki-san repeats several mantras including “striving to do his best.” The book does challenge you to appreciate differences. “The conclusion is that both emotional poverty and an aversion to company are not symptoms of autism but consequences of autism, its harsh lockdown on self-expression and society’s near-pristine ignorance about what’s happening inside autistic heads.” As Naoki-san confirms, “I can’t believe that anyone born as a human being really wants to be left all on their own, not really.” Most telling for me was his confession that he wouldn’t want to ‘become normal.’ As he wisely states: “To give the short version, I’ve learned that every human being, with or without disabilities, needs to strive to do their best, and by striving for happiness you will arrive at happiness."
"I have a grandson with Asperger."
"The book gave insight into the struggles of a severely autistic person."
"Would recommend this book with anyone who has a child who sees the world differently to most."
"We all need to remember that any issue a child has, as Autism does not end at the age of 18. Before we judge someone, ask ourselves if there isn't something going on that we do not understand."
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