Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel

Book Description

In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together, they endure the agony of foot-binding, and reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.

Download Description

Lisa See is the author of Flower Net (an Edgar Award nominee), The Interior, and Dragon Bones, as well as the critically acclaimed memoir On Gold Mountain. The Organization of Chinese American Women named her the 2001 National Woman of the Year. She lives in Los Angeles.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

fantastic story.......2007-10-11

I loved this book - I am a fan of novels that weave historical information, or cultural information thru the story, and See did a fantastic job with both. The characters were so well done and the imagery was fantastic. I only wish it was longer!

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: What an amazing book!.......2007-10-10

My favorite book in my 2 year book club. I love the way she writes and describes a world and lives of strong women who have no choice, no love, no life but yet have each other, dreams, and and hope.

It makes me want to burn my bra!.......2007-10-09

I thought this book was very well written and the story was very interesting. However, it doesn't change the fact that it infuriated me to no end. I am so thankful I am an American woman, even a Western woman, where women are valued and important to society. It makes me sick to think how little value women have and that they see themselves that way, no better than a slave. And then whent these young girls move into their new home, their mother-in-laws treat them so abominably, even though they had gone through the same things. Women become subservient in every possible way, mentally, emotionally, and of course, physically because of that accursed foot-binding tradition. YUCK! This type of culture is just so alien to me. Wow! What a great story, though. It really got me thinking.

A Beautiful Story!.......2007-10-08

This book was effectively able to intertwine a story about lifelong friendship between two women and many historical details from Chinese culture such as food binding and the role of women in society. I loved how the author was able to look back on her life and point out her flaws, and the strengths of her friend. I highly recommend this book!

Page turner!.......2007-10-06

This book will make you both sad and happy and both love and hate the characters at the same time. Very interesting to learn about chinese traditions of arranged marriage and wrapped feet. I couldn't put it down.

J.K. Lasser's Your Winning Retirement Plan

Average customer rating:

Lasser Let Me down
Financial Realism in Retirement
Good stuff
Thinking of retirement
Sage advice that will keep you on track

J.K. Lasser's Your Winning Retirement Plan
Henry K. Hebeler
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471411248

Book Description

AT LAST, SOUND, INFORMED, REALISTIC ANSWERS FOR RETIREMENT FINANCE

Use the simple, step-by-step guidance in J.K. Lasser's Your Winning Retirement Plan to double your money for your golden years. Whether you're forecasting how much you need to be saving for retirement or are deciding how much you should be spending once you're there, acclaimed planning expert Henry K. Hebeler can get you the results you need. You'll analyze your investments and start getting the highest possible returns--with the least amount of risk; take a real-world look at your total financial picture, without inappropriate planning assumptions; and make use of a new concept called the Retirement Autopilot, which can help you budget more wisely today and ensure that your investments will last a lifetime.

Key coverage will help you:

Beat reverse dollar-cost averaging so your money will continue to grow
Make use of modern feedback theory to secure your finances today--as well as tomorrow
Find solutions to different retirement scenarios, including early retirement and when only one spouse is retired

Customer Reviews:

Lasser Let Me down.......2007-08-26

Lasser is a known name in the consumer 'financial' publishing business. This book about retirement planning is very outdated and even misleading in some areas. The calculations it asks the reader to do are with pencil and paper. As my daughter used to say "A,DUUh!" There are a myriad of easy PC based tools in the market that are far superior. I would have returned the book the next day if I bought it at a local book store.

Financial Realism in Retirement.......2007-05-10

This is what happens when a highly qualified person writes a book to help others understand their retirement finances so that they can realistically plan and feel as comfortable as is possible with their present and future financial well-being.
It is based on realistic historical and mathematical facts. The planning methodology is as good as it gets. I can't say enough about how useful this book has been to me to say nothing of the confidence I now have in my personal finances. It's not enough to say that Mr. Hebeler is to be congratulated!

Good stuff.......2007-01-11

This book is different that others I have read and makes much more sense. Just wish I had it 30 years ago.

Thinking of retirement .......2006-06-28

JK Lasser's Your Winning Retirement Plan was very informative. If you are thinking of retirement you may want to read this book first. I found it helpful, and more than ever realize that I need to hire a Financial Advisor, because this is a big step. My money is going to have to get me through my golden years, hopefully for a long time.

Sage advice that will keep you on track.......2003-03-26

Hebeler's approach answered for me my most challenging questions: 1] Will my retirement assets allow me to spend what I need (want) to spend each year during my years in retirement? 2] Can I grow my assets at my desired rate while simultaneously lowering the risk of my portfolio? 3] How can I evaluate my financial health each year in a meaningful and action-oriented manner?

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

fly germs
Great for music class
Shoo Fly! Shoooo
Not for my 2 yr old
I know an old lady...

Old Black Fly (An Owlet Book)
Jim Aylesworth
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805039244

Book Description

Nothing drives a family crazy faster than an old black fly on a hot summer day, especially when the family's a little crazy already. And this fly is as bad as they come. He knows every low-down trick in the book--and won't rest until he's gone through them all. He ate on the crustof the Apple pie.He bothered the Babyand made her cry.Shoo fly!Shoo fly!Shooo.

Customer Reviews:

fly germs.......2007-09-27

I think the most wonderful part of this book (in response to a 2 star review) is that, after reading it, you feel like there are "fly germs everywhere!" When we read this aloud in my preschool class, the kids loved pointing out the yucky stuff on every page and when I banged the book shut to "squash" the fly and quietly opened up the book, hysterical giggles abounded. This book is great for eliciting student participation (repetition in "Shoo fly...") and for developing inference abilities at a VERY early age ("What do you think happened to the fly?" after I slam the book shut).

Whether you happen to "like" the words, flow, or illustrations, in my experience, young children do and gain a lot of out reading this book together.

Great for music class.......2006-08-28

I was an elementary music teacher and used this book in the lower grades. The children loved the pictures and singing the words of the first page periodically throughout the book. I used it to demonstrate alphabet, singing skills, steady beat, dynamics (loud and soft), etc. We laughed hysterically at Mama's hair, the parrot's belly button, Grandma's face, and the baby's drooping diaper. This book was great for making learning a game.

Shoo Fly! Shoooo.......2006-01-23

Every year I read this to my first grade students. The silly antics of the fly are enjoyable. My kids are encouraged to chant out The "shoo fly" part through out the story. Stephen Gammell's illustrations are colorful and energetic and grab your attention.

Not for my 2 yr old.......2005-10-29

This book has a few good points, but more bad points. I liked how the alphabet is bolded throughout the book (my 2 yr old identifies each letter right off) and I like the repetition of "Shoo Fly Shoo". However, the book really doesn't have a good 'flow' and I was NOT impressed with the illustrations. The family in the book is haggard and sloppy.

This book seems more appropriate for elementary-aged children. I would imagine that classroom teachers could use it quite often. I appreciate the comment of one person saying, "for those older kids who don't know their letters, this is a more age appropriate book." I agree with that.

After reading the story, I feel like there are fly germs everywhere . . .

I know an old lady..........2004-02-08

It's like the germs are flying off the page. If human eyes had the ability to see the diseases that flies spread, then this book is a fairly good indication of what the world would look like. This is, in essence, an alphabet book. On each and every page the naughty little fly (looking more like a Searle creation than anything else) bother and annoys every woman, child, and beast that crosses its path. This is not your sweet little baby alphabet book. No, this is an alphabet book of their nightmares. And it's pretty darn good.

Book Description

Cognitive aging is a flourishing area of research. A significant amount of new data, a number of new theoretical notions, and many new research issues have been generated in the past 10 years. This second edition reviews new findings and theories, enables the reader to assess where the field is today, and evaluates its points of growth.

The chapters are organized to run from a consideration of the neural correlates of age-related changes in cognition, through the "mainstream" topics of perception, attention, memory, and language, to more applied areas, and finally to reviews of cognitive changes in the contexts of emotion, motivation, and personality. This edition has a broader scope than the first, progressing from structural changes in the brain to a consideration of changes in the self concept and in social cognition.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent overview of current theory and empirical evidence.......2000-03-29

This is a concise review of the aging and cognition literature. Topics are relevant to a wide range of interests and pull together a vast amount of information into 13 meaningful chapters.

The Tower Treasure/The House on the Cliff/The Secret of the Old Mill/The Missing Chums/Hunting for Hidden Gold/The Shore Road Mystery (Hardy Boys 1-6)

Average customer rating:

Loved this series
My boys love this!
Classic young peoples novels
Best book every
Loved it

The Tower Treasure/The House on the Cliff/The Secret of the Old Mill/The Missing Chums/Hunting for Hidden Gold/The Shore Road Mystery (Hardy Boys 1-6)
Franklin W. Dixon
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0448416719

Customer Reviews:

Loved this series.......2007-10-10

I grew up reading books like the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, The Three Investigators and the Danny Dunn series. I loved these stories and now my children read these old favorites in addition to many of the new offerings. It was my love for these stories that shaped my own children's book.John Fastramp and the Dakota 3000 Challenge

My boys love this!.......2007-07-12

This set of books has caused quite a stir in our home! My boys (8 and 6) love to hear us read to them so much that bedtime has often been delayed because of "just one more chapter!"

Classic young peoples novels.......2007-07-06

For a wonder, I never read a Hardy boys novel when I was growing up, probably because they weren't on the shelves at the librarywhere I got most of my books. Of course I saw the Disney versions and the tv series, but I never read one of the books until I was sixty one years old. Then while shopping online I found this boxed set and decided to buy it and read what the books were like.
The first thing I found was that these are not the original versions of the stories written in the late twenties and early thirties. The giveaway was when some of the villains stole a case of transister radios, which were not even invented til long after the forties. So this is the series rewritten in the sixties.
That said, the stories were ingenious and well written. Also, I liked the group of friends that were always ready to help the heroes with their adventures. Television lost out on a good thing when they did not mention these guys and girls on the shows.
After reading through the books, I passed them on to some of my friends, who are eagerly reading them, too.
These books are a good read and a fine memento of a time when it was considered possible for a pair of teenagers to take on a gang of criminals and not get killed out of hands.

Best book every.......2007-05-26

Lost books from my childhood. The writing is very clever and witty, with that old 1950's charm.

Loved it.......2007-05-17

My [...]son loved these books. I've always had a hard time finding books that keep him interested all the way through. He picked up the first book and read it cover to cover.

The Secret of the Old Clock/The Hidden Staircase/The Bungalow Mystery/The Mystery at Lilac Inn/The Secret of Shadow Ranch/The Secret of Red Gate Farm (Nancy Drew, Book 1-6)

Average customer rating:

Revisit the best of the 50's.
great product
Books
classic!
The perfect gift for granddaughters

The Secret of the Old Clock/The Hidden Staircase/The Bungalow Mystery/The Mystery at Lilac Inn/The Secret of Shadow Ranch/The Secret of Red Gate Farm (Nancy Drew, Book 1-6)
Carolyn Keene
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0448416735

Customer Reviews:

Revisit the best of the 50's........2007-08-26

If you like the simplicity and good manners of the 1950's with a bit of fashion thrown in for good measure then these fun and gentle mysteries are a treat waiting for you. They are quick and easy to read and will make you smile at the innocence of the characters. Get your teens to read them, if only so they can roll their eyes in disbelief at the sweet, well mannered girls. Enjoy.

great product.......2007-08-23

I purchased this product for my grand daughter. She was thrilled to be introduced to Nancy Drew. I remember these from my childhood, even the covers looked the same. As soon as she finishes this set I will be looking for the next one. Thank you.

Books.......2007-07-16

The little girl that I bought the books for loves them. She has not put them down since I bought them for her birthday!

classic!.......2007-07-10

I enjoyed these books. I am re-reading them as an adult and I find them entertaining. In today's "entertainment-age" these books don't hold up in comparison to what else is out there (i.e.Harry Potter (which I don't like), and others....) but they were written in a simplier time and with a trusting mind-set. (I think?) Either way, I recommend these books to any pre-teen and teen reader, they are worth it!

The perfect gift for granddaughters.......2007-07-03

I loved reading these as a kid so much so that I could not wait to give the boxed sets as gifts to my granddaughters. The girls just started a reading club with them. Being that they are the first five in the series, it is a great way to collect them.

Average customer rating:

I loved this book
Fabulous, enlightening Book!
Your Six-Year-Old: Loving and Defiant
Have never failed me yet...
Helpful but outdated

Your Six-Year-Old: Loving and Defiant
Louise Bates Ames , and Frances L. Ilg
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0440506743
Release Date: 1981-04-15

Book Description

The six-year-old is a complex child, entirely different from the five-year-old. Though many of the changes are for the good -- Six is growing more mature, more independent, more daring and adventurous -- this is not necessarily an easy time for the little girl or boy. Relationships with mothers are troubled -- most of the time Six adores mother, but whenever things go wrong, it's her fault. It used to be, at Five, that she was the center of the child's universe; now, the child is the center of his own universe.

Parents need the expert advice of Drs. Ames and Ilg during this difficult year, to explain parent-child relations, friendships with peers, what six-year-olds excel at, how they see the world, what it feels like to be entering the first grade. Children need patience and understanding to help make this transition easier.

Customer Reviews:

I loved this book.......2007-08-30

This book was recommended to me by our pediatrician, and it helped me greatly. Like others have mentioned, there are some outdated references in the book, but it really doesn't matter. I found this book to be highly reassuring that most of the so-called crazy things my son had been doing are, in fact, normal six-year-old behavior. Reading this book is like having a chat with a wise, elderly relative. I am so grateful to the pediatrician for recommending it to me, and I have recommended it to countless other parents, all of whom love it too.

Fabulous, enlightening Book!.......2007-05-13

I recommend this book and any other in the series to those parents who want to know their children better. These books afford you the opportunity to view the world through your child's eyes and reassures you that he/she is on track and just "going through a phase"!
Well worth the read and the money!

Your Six-Year-Old: Loving and Defiant.......2007-05-13

I have read all of this series of books beginning with Your Two-Year-Old: Terrible or Tender by Louise Bates Ames and Frances L. Ilg. (The books start with the one-year-old.) Their insight into the characteristics, behavior, and development of children is awesome. It seems sometimes that my daughter changes overnight from a loving, caring child into a "monster." I then go back and re-read and find comfort as she goes through this difficult or demanding stage that it is all very "normal"--that other children behave in the same way. The techniques given are so helpful and have worked every time when addapted to my daughter's personality. Dr. Ames states very clearly in the Foreword of each book that "ever child is an individual, different in many ways from every other child living--even from his or her own idential twin," and that no child is truly "average." Techniques are so simple, but in the heat of the problem something hard to think of on my own. Because of the difference at which children reach certain stages, I recomment that each book be read before the child reaches the age of a certain book. I urge every parent of one-year-olds through fourteen-year-olds to read these books and keep them handy for quick reference.

Have never failed me yet..........2007-04-30

I found a few Gesell books in my MILs storage shed when my now [..]daughter was about three. I thought they were hilariously outdated, but read them anyway. However, they were DEAD on accurate about where she was developmentally and where she was going to be. Consistently, I found myself coming back to "You're Three Year Old" and "Your Four Year Old" and then finding and buying the other books as they went along.

Yes, much of the informations and attitudes are outdated, but understanding that some behaviors are age appropriate and better to deal with at another time is invaluable. Additionally, some advice never gets old.

My younger child is now about to be 6, and I've misplaced my books, but I value the information enough to buy it again.

Helpful but outdated.......2007-01-10

The number of references to nose drops was kind of comical. The number of references to the mom staying home and the dad trying to make a man of his boy was less comical. Overall, I found the information very helpful, but I felt like I was getting advice from my grandma or something. Reading this in conjunction with "The Brat Stops Here" have helped me feel much better about the way my 6-year-old behaves. I don't know if I'll buy the book about Sevens.

Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life from the Landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development

Average customer rating:

Really good read...
Great Study ...
Very Good
Aging Well is helpful
Vaillant, George E. (2002). Aging well. Boston, Little, Brow

Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life from the Landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development
George E. Vaillant
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

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ASIN: 0316090077

Amazon.com

"Here you have these wonderful files, and you seem little interested in how we cope with increasing age ... our adaptability, our zest for life," one of these subjects wrote to Vaillant, a researcher, psychiatrist, and Harvard Medical School professor, about how he was using this information. Vaillant took this advice to heart. In Aging Well, he presents personal narratives about people from these studies whom he interviewed personally in their 70s and 80s. He describes their history, relationships, hardships, philosophies, and sources of joy. We learn their perspectives and what makes them want to get up in the morning.

We also learn what makes old age vital and interesting. Vaillant discusses the important adult developmental tasks, such as identity, intimacy, and generativity (giving to the next generation), and provides important clues to a healthy, meaningful, satisfying old age. Health in old age, we learn, is not predicted by low cholesterol or ancestral longevity, but by factors such as a stable marriage, adaptive coping style (the ability to make lemonade out of life's lemons), and regular exercise.

Vaillant is empathetic and sometimes surprisingly poetic: "Owning an old brain, you see, is rather like owning an old car.... Careful driving and maintenance are everything." He freely includes subjective observations and interpretations, giving us a richer picture of the people he interviewed and insights into their lives. Aging Well is recommended for readers who are interested in learning about the quality-of-life issues of aging from the people who have the most to teach. --Joan Price

Book Description

"We all need models for how to live from retirement to past 80--with joy," writes George Vaillant, M.D., director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This groundbreaking book pulls together data from three separate longevity studies that, beginning in their teens, followed 824 individuals for more than 50 years. The subjects were male Harvard graduates; inner-city, disadvantaged males; and intellectually gifted women. "Here you have these wonderful files, and you seem little interested in how we cope with increasing age ... our adaptability, our zest for life," one of these subjects wrote to Vaillant, a researcher, psychiatrist, and Harvard Medical School professor, about how he was using this information. Vaillant took this advice to heart. In Aging Well, he presents personal narratives about people from these studies whom he interviewed personally in their 70s and 80s. He describes their history, relationships, hardships, philosophies, and sources of joy. We learn their perspectives and what makes them want to get up in the morning. We also learn what makes old age vital and interesting. Vaillant discusses the important adult developmental tasks, such as identity, intimacy, and generativity (giving to the next generation), and provides important clues to a healthy, meaningful, satisfying old age. Health in old age, we learn, is not predicted by low cholesterol or ancestral longevity, but by factors such as a stable marriage, adaptive coping style (the ability to make lemonade out of life's lemons), and regular exercise.Vaillant is empathetic and sometimes surprisingly poetic: "Owning an old brain, you see, is rather like owning an old car.... Careful driving and maintenance are everything." He freely includes subjective observations and interpretations, giving us a richer picture of the people he interviewed and insights into their lives. Aging Well is recommended for readers who are interested in learning about the quality-of-life issues of aging from the people who have the most to teach. --Joan Price

Customer Reviews:

Really good read..........2007-06-13

I bought this book as a textbook for a college class. It is very informative and the style is good. It's perspective is interesting and it puts a lot of pieces of the aging puzzle together. There are a lot of tips and tasks and things to think about and plan for for aging well and the book is worth it for that. But if you despise long drawn out personal narratives, this one's not for you.

Great Study ..........2007-05-26

Found the book to be both interesting and informative. Happier is better...and should be the goal for our seniors.

Very Good.......2007-03-08

The book is very good, in fact it's the best review of how to get old well ever wrot, the amazon work well , was perfect in everything.

Aging Well is helpful.......2005-09-08

The most useful information I found was the four areas listed for seniors to follow in later life. The recommendations were based on several comprehensive studies which followed people throughout their lifetimes. I did find it odd that in the beginning the author completely overlooked work done by Abraham Maslow many years ago, and instead insisted that he (the author) had been the first to study healthy people. This, however, was a small thing overall and didn't take away from the relevance of the information.

Vaillant, George E. (2002). Aging well. Boston, Little, Brow.......2005-01-01

George E. Vaillant is well qualified to write this book. He is a psychiatrist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, a professor at Harvard Medical School, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, and a respected researcher. Harvard Medical School professors have been studying the basic elements of adult human development for more than five decades. Three separate cohorts of 824 individuals were selected as teenagers for different facts of mental and physical health and studied for the rest of their lives to observe the adult life cycle and to provide a theoretical framework for understanding how older people become fulfilled or not.

Harvard men were studied. In 1940, men who went to Harvard were rich, privileged, white, born to American born grandparents, and expected to equal or exceed their natural ability.

In 1939, Sheldon Glueck obtained funding to do a prospective study of 500 youth sent to reform school and 500 matched school boys who had not been in any legal trouble
at age 14. His wife restudied the groups at ages 17, 25, and 32. The control nondeliquent group had the same social risk factors that helped doom the delinquents-had repeated two grades or more in school, had foreign born parents, lived in blighted neighborhoods, and were from families known to five or more social agencies and more than two-thirds were on welfare. Valinti inherited the study when the subjects were 40, and subjects continued to have physical examinations every five years. At age 60, all but 2 of the 456 subjects were known to be dead or alive.

For the Terman Women Sample, Terman tried to identify most of the brightest children in his three city area. He asked teachers to indentify the brightest in each class. He learned that the unattractive and shy children tended to be overlooked so that he only captured about 80 percent of the bright children. He used the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test to identify 1 percent of the California urban school children with IOs greater than 135 to 140 most of whom were born between 1908 and 1914. Four generations of investigators have followed the Terman men and women by questionnaires about every five years and by personal interviews in 1940 and 1950. The Terman women were not asked to provide regular physical exams. However, when compared to classmates, they had better nutrition, more humor, common sense, perseverance, leadership and popularity among their classmates. By age 80, they had half the mortality of white American women in their birth cohort.

In comparison, at age sixty-eight to seventy, the inner city men had the same physical decline as the Terman and Harvard cohorts at seventy-eight to eighty. The difference was attributed to less education, more obesity, and greater alcohol and cigarette abuse among the inner city cohort.

These cohorts seemed to demonstrate that it is social aptitude or emotional intelligence rather than brilliance or parental social class that leads to a well-adapted old age. Vaillant concluded that individual life style choices contribute a greater role than genetics, wealth, race, or other factors in determining how happy people are in late life. He found that " It is not the bad things that happen to us that doom us; it is the good people who happen to us at any age that facilitate enjoyable old age. Healing relationships are facilitated by a capacity for gratitude, for forgiveness.... A good marriage at age 50 predicted positive aging at 80. But surprisingly, low cholesterol levels at age 50 did not. Alcohol abuse -unrelated to unhappy childhood-consistently predicted unsuccessful aging, in part because alcoholism damaged future social supports. Learning to play and create after retirement and learning to gain younger friends as we lose older ones add more to life's enjoyment than retirement income. Objective good physical health was less important to successful aging than subjective good health.... It is all right to be ill as long as you do not feel sick" p. 13.

This research report can help us understand that we can do little to changer our genetic make-up, but we can change our habits so we avoid alcohol and smoking, eat a healthy diet, exercise to maintain a healthy weight, develop loving relationships, and continue to learn. These are important lessons for all of us wanting to age well, but it takes a sophisticated reader, knowledgable about research and willing to wade through research findings to read this research report. The book has 12 chapters, 11 appendices, notes, acknowledgments, and an index.

Little Old Big Beard And Big Young Little Beard: A Short And Tall Tale

Average customer rating:

Great to read to kids, fun for adults too
our favorite book of all time

Little Old Big Beard And Big Young Little Beard: A Short And Tall Tale

Manufacturer: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0761452885

Customer Reviews:

Great to read to kids, fun for adults too.......2005-05-08

After I heard about this book on NPR, I had to get it. It was just as good as promised. The story is heartwarming and humorous, taking the reader on a journey with two cowboys who lost their favorite cow. It is also wonderfully paced so that after a few readings, children can chime in to say the cowboys' favorite meal ("Guess what?" "Beans!"). There is just enough text on each page so that children with short attention spans don't lose interest, and for children with longer attention spans, the beautiful and kid-friendly illustrations contain many fun details to discuss as you are reading. It's also typeset in big block letters that are easier to recognize for kids who are still learning the alphabet.

I bought this for my favorite nephew, but before giving it to him I ended up reading it through many times just to enjoy the story and pictures. I only managed to read it to him once, but in the thank you letter my sister wrote, "No one here reads the story quite like you do," and that makes me think he might have asked to have it read to him again.

our favorite book of all time.......2005-03-08

this story is wonderful and so are remy charlip's warm illustrations. it's nice to read a book about cowboys where the cowboys are really nice guys and good friends and cry when they lose their beloved cow, grace. so sweet, especially the very last page where charlip has re-worded the song amazing grace to sing about grace the cow.

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