Editorial Review

David J. Pelzer's mother, Catherine Roerva, was, he writes in this ghastly, fascinating memoir, a devoted den mother to the Cub Scouts in her care, and somewhat nurturant to her children--but not to David, whom she referred to as "an It." This book is a brief, horrifying account of the bizarre tortures she inflicted on him, told from the point of view of the author as a young boy being starved, stabbed, smashed face-first into mirrors, forced to eat the contents of his sibling's diapers and a spoonful of ammonia, and burned over a gas stove by a maniacal, alcoholic mom. Sometimes she claimed he had violated some rule--no walking on the grass at school!--but mostly it was pure sadism. Inexplicably, his father didn't protect him; only an alert schoolteacher saved David. One wants to learn more about his ordeal and its aftermath, and now he's written a sequel, Read more

Reviews (1753)

The Best Book Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a story about a young David.His life was practically perfect and then it all changed.His mother beats him from age 4-12!It's horrible, but it is such a great book.You will cry when he cries, and you will hurt when he hurts, but you will feel his angry and hate for his mother when he does!
A story about a Brave child
I read this book in 2 days, less then 24 hours. I was so touched by David's strength that he had from a very young age. It's hard to believe anyone especially someone's mother would do the kind of things she did to David. It's sickening and sad. I am glad David decided to tell his story, as I'm sure it has helped other people. I am currently reading David'd 2nd book the lost boy and hope to get hid 3rd book as well as his brother Richards books
"A Child Called 'it' " is a good read!
"A Child Called 'it' " is a book about a young boy,David, who is severely beaten by horrible, cruel mother.No one knew the purpose of this,(the beatings) but it maybe she was taking out her anger from her constant fights with her husband or maybe she is just very frustrated with having all the respnsobilities of being a normal,kind, and caring mother to all of David's other siblings.Although it was extremely unlikley for David to survive, his hope & faith kept him alive.
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Subjects:  1. Abuse - General    2. Abused children    3. Abusive mothers    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. California    9. Children of alcoholics    10. Daly City    11. Family relationships    12. General    13. Pelzer, David J    14. Personal Memoirs    15. Specific Groups - Special Needs    16. Child abuse    17. Self-Help / General   

Editorial Review

Essayist and cultural critic Barbara Ehrenreich has always specialized in turning received wisdom on its head with intelligence, clarity, and verve. With some 12 million women being pushed into the labor market by welfare reform, she decided to do some good old-fashioned journalism and find out just how they were going to survive on the wages of the unskilled--at $6 to $7 an hour, only half of what is considered a living wage. So she did what millions of Americans do, she looked for a job and a place to live, worked that job, and tried to make ends meet. Read more

Reviews (979)

Next week on The Simple Life, Barb joins Paris and Nicole for shift work at the local Wallyworld!
She Made It Even Harder To Get By
Ehrenreich is the kind of journalist I despise. One who thinks her insights are so important that it doesn't matter how much she inconveniences others to make her point.
Bring your own grain of salt.
This is not a bad book, but it's not a good one. Although I certainly gained some insight from reading this book, I was disappointed (and surprised) by Ms. Ehrenreich's (or the editor's?) lack of fact-checking/ attention to detail, and/or embellishment.
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Subjects:  1. Government - U.S. Government    2. Labor    3. Labor & Industrial Relations - General    4. Labor Economics (General)    5. Minimum wage    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Poverty    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Sociology - Social Theory    11. United States    12. Unskilled labor    13. Labour economics    14. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (50)

"Poverty" Misunderstood.
Let me start off by mentioning all the positive elements of this work (of which there are not many). In the beginning, the author shares accurate Census figures about poverty along with insight that it is a relative condition which applies to all races and creeds. She also recommends that educators should teach and strengthen rather than praise and condemn. From here, however, the work slips into the abyss. A Great Start
I work in a large middle school which hit the 50% level of students in poverty a few years ago. The majority of our poverty students are white, while the number of African-American students is less than 5%.The percent of Hispanic students in poverty in our school/community is growing.Ruby Payne's description of students and families in poverty fits our school to a large degree.Our entire corporation has been exposed to her materials, we've had Ruby as a guest presenter and our entire middle school staff has studied her book. We continue to incorporate much of what her materials recommend.We are having good success with this endeavor, and like anything in education, it is a work in progress.
A Must Read for any...
This is a must read for all teachers, pastors, doctors, lawyers,who deal with various social levels and just about anyone else who feels they can't understand why poor people are poor and stay that way generation after generation.
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Subjects:  1. Poverty    2. Social Science / Poverty    3. Social Science / Social Work    4. Sociology    5. Education    6. People with social disabilities    7. Poor    8. Social classes    9. United States   

Reviews (18)

Supervision of Police Personnel
Same like the Criminal Investigation book. I needed it so that I can studyfor the Sergeant exam. And Amazon.com was the only place that I could've order the book from. Keep selling the special books.

Must have!Must buy!... but that doesn't make it good...
For promotion exams in my area, this is THE book that the examiners use for the supervision questions.
dry as dry could be
This book was very dry and difficult reading due to the fact the contents could not keep my attention. The 15 questions on the sergeants exam that pertained to this book were lengthy questions that were the demise of all test takers scores. Although everyone passed the exam all test takers complained about the 15 responsibility questions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criminal Law    2. Criminal Law - General    3. Police    4. Police Administration    5. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Supervision of    10. United States    11. Police & security services    12. Political Science / Law Enforcement    13. Political structure & processes   

Reviews (18)

"Lack of feedback is one of the most critical flaws in existing aid." (Worthy of 4 stars if not for author's quirks--see below.)
JFK declared in 1961 that "existing foreign aid programs and concepts are largely unsatisfactory." He then stated his intention "during this coming decade of development to achieve a decisive turnaround in the fate of the less-developed world, looking toward the ultimate day...when foreign aid will no longer be needed."45 years on innumerable people all over the globe are wondering what went wrong. The author of this book, an economist formerly with the World Bank, thinks he has an answer.In his view, "the legend that inspired foreign aid in the 1950s is the same legend that inspires foreign aid today"---"that the poorest countries are in a poverty trap...from which they cannot emerge without an aid-financed Big Push."Western elitist balderdash, William Easterly, calls this notion; arguing that the economical and political complexity of any society "dooms any attempt to achieve the end of poverty through a plan," adding that "no rich society has ended poverty in this way."How then is the West supposed to wipe out hunger, malaria, AIDS, TB, illiteracy, etc. within upwards of a 3,4, or 5 dozen countries around the world, all within a ten or fifteen years, or within any specific time frame.Utopian social engineering has not, to say the least, been particularly successful in living up to its rhetoric.It ought not be a revelation, thus, that "a big problem with foreign aid has been its aspiration to a utopian blue-print to fix the world's complex problems."How many cycles of "idealism, high expectations, disappointing results, cynical backbash" ought it take for us to conclude that some things just cannot be accomplished by planning fiat.It doesn't help matters, either, that "in the typical utopian program, everything is done at once and it is impossible to learn what works and what doesn't."
Masterful combination of rigorous analysis and real-life experience
In The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good, William Easterly does a masterful job of taking the complex topics of international development and aid and making them understandable and accessible to the uninitiated.He does this not through dumbing-down the subject, patronizing his reader, or oversimplification, but through effectively lifting the shrouds of jargon, pretentiousness and mystification that drape most academic and international organization publications.Easterly seems to take delight at poking fun at the reams of incomprehensible babble and acronyms that spew out of most official documents.
This should be required reading, along with Collision and Collusion, the Strange Case of Western Aid for Eastern Europe
I spent 5 years doing a private development project. What I learned is exactly what Easterly says and more.
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Subjects:  1. Developing countries    2. Economic assistance    3. International Relations - General    4. Nonprofit Organizations & Charities    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Poverty    7. Prevention    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Third World Development    11. Social Science / Poverty   

Reviews (12)

Useful Book
I purchased this book for a graduate level course in family therapy.I found it very helpful in explaining the important theories of family therapy.It also highlights therapeutic techniques and provides vignettes of how the theory might apply in a real life situation.I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a basic theoretical background in family therapy.

Required text book
I bought this book because it is a requirement for a graduate level class I am taking in the MSW program where I live, otherwise I don't know that I would have purchased it. However, it is full of good research information and practical applications with clients.

Student review
As a graduate student, I found this book very helpful. It is a perfect introduction to the subject writen with the care that teaches well. I would recommend this for any library that needs an excellent broad overview. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Family Therapy    2. Family psychotherapy    3. Psychology    4. Psychotherapy - Counseling    5. Psychotherapy - Couples & Family    6. Counselling    7. Political Science / Social Services & Welfare    8. Psychotherapy   

Reviews (416)

David's courage story continues
10 stars - As with David's first book A Child called It this book is just as fabulous.It really gives readers an excellent perspective of what's it like to be a foster child.To get attached to people and then have to leave, never really knowing where your going to end up. In this book David thankfully was taken out of his mothers care and ended up a F-Child or Foster Child. In the book we see young David still struggling with what his mother did too him and wondering the biggest question why? We see David over several years go through 5 foster families each who help shape and mold his life for the better. We see him go from a scared little 12 year old to a young man who sees more for himself and has a path planned for his future.

One person's tragedy is another's miracle
Sitting down with this book, I thought it would be just as heartbreaking as "A child called it". However, this book was inspiring and moving. David Pelzer took a tradgedy and turned it into a miracle. None the less, he managed to do this all before the age of eighteen, a challenge most adults could not take on. As David reaches his goals, he teaches all of us an important lesson, reach for the stars and never give up; there is always room for hope, love, and passion.

Heartbreaking, inspirational story - Highly Recommended!
I wasn't a big reader until recently after finishing my Master's degree and not having anything to do with all my free time. I heard about A Child Called It from a friend and read it in 24 hours. It was a horrifying tale and I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to go through that kind of abuse and neglect as a child. Within the hour of finishing that book, I drove to the closest bookstore to pick up The Lost Boy, but I couldn't find it!!! I ordered it from Amazon and the wait was somewhat painful. I just had to know what happened next and I couldn't stop thinking about little David Pelzer until my book finally arrived!
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Subjects:  1. Abuse - General    2. Abused children    3. Abusive mothers    4. Alternative Family    5. Biography    6. Biography & Autobiography    7. Biography / Autobiography    8. Biography/Autobiography    9. California    10. Childhood Memoir    11. Children of alcoholics    12. Daly City    13. Dysfunctional Families    14. Family relationships    15. Pelzer, David J    16. Personal Memoirs    17. Biography & Autobiography / General    18. Child care & upbringing   

Reviews (30)

Military ripoff
If youspent 20 years on active duty, this book is accurate, but you got all of this information when you left the military.If you had combined active duty and reserve/Guard or just reserve/guard experience, this book is misleading at best and just plain inaccurate at worse.Unless you were injured on active duty, there are very few benefits for the reserve/guard until you hit age 60, which the book fails to tell you.Sure, you get to shop in the high-priced Exchanges and Commissaries if you live close to them, and there is a slim possibility of Space Available travel, but the inconvenience makes going commercial, even with security at the commercial airports, easier.
Great if you're active duty or a potential recruit
I was somewhat disappointed by this book. A veteran of three military services (but not retired), I had hoped to find some information about Veterans' programs. Instead, I found about 90% of the book to be useful only for currently-serving personnel or young men contemplating a military career. For those individuals, this book is great. For those not currently serving, I found it lackluster and loaded with information any military man could find on base with little trouble. Would I recommend this book? Not really. Would I recommend the military as a career to most young men? Absolutely. Save your money. Enlist and talk with the on-base career advisors instead for much more current information.

Military Review
Lots of good information for those that are about to retire or have questions concerning benefits. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Military - United States    2. Military Personnel    3. Military pensions    4. Personal & Practical Guides    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare    7. Reference    8. Reference And Information Services    9. Services for    10. United States    11. Veterans    12. Reference / General   

Editorial Review

Celebrated economist Jeffrey Sachs has a plan to eliminate extreme poverty around the world by 2025. If you think that is too ambitious or wildly unrealistic, you need to read this book. His focus is on the one billion poorest individuals around the world who are caught in a poverty trap of disease, physical isolation, environmental stress, political instability, and lack of access to capital, technology, medicine, and education. The goal is to help these people reach the first rung on the "ladder of economic development" so they can rise above mere subsistence level and achieve some control over their economic futures and their lives. To do this, Sachs proposes nine specific steps, which he explains in great detail in Read more

Reviews (14)

At least it got people talking about global economics...
I really wanted to love this book. It came strongly recommended by a good friend who is very interested in development work.Whenever I read a review I always try and figure out what angle the reviewer is coming from, so for the record I'm deeply interested in development work and I have a background in economics and environmental science, but mostly I'm just really well read.
why we lost the poor
The End of Poverty is an excellent book. It shows how economic thinking can provide a better wealth situation in the underdeveloped world. Jeffrey Sachs describes his last twenty years on development economics. He is the driving force behind the mayor developments in Bolivia and Poland. The book contains his experiences in Bolivia, Poland and Russia. If you introduce economic measures in these countries you can take a big step to let the people help themselves. But if you go to Africa, it seams that these measures are really not the first aid you can give them.
Historic Opportunity for Our Generation
Through clear illustrations and calculations, Jeffrey Sachs lays out a very optimistic and compelling argument that extreme poverty can be ended within our generation. Two major requirements of this plan are the rich nation's commitment to debt relief and their honoring of their promises to dedicate a meager 0.7% of GNP to Official Development Assistance (ODA). If properly invested in infrastructure, health, and education (a topic well covered in the book), these funds could put the extremely poor back on the economic ladder towards growth and development. Sachs sites numerous success stories such as the Marshall Plan and the eradication of African River Blindness and Smallpox where sufficient funding and dedication successfully accomplished development objectives.
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Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Developing countries    3. Development - Economic Development    4. Economic assistance    5. Economic conditions    6. Economics - General    7. Economics Of Developing Countries    8. Poverty    9. Public Policy - Economic Policy    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Third World Development    13. Business & Economics / Economic Conditions   

Reviews (6)

Learn from other people and other companies mistakes
Learning from other people and other companies mistakes is better than to gain experience through our own mistakes, especially if those are relate to safety.
A Master Class In Hazard Avoidance And Mitigation
"What Went Wrong?" is a well thought-out book on practical safety in the chemical processing industry. The book recounts numerous actual process plant accidents and incidents, includes causes and effects, and avoidance and mitigation practices.
Itemized Case History of Accidents in the Chemical Industry
What I like most about this book is its index and table of contents. It is easy to find a type of accident. For example, when I turned to page 291, I found an exact, simple description of the dangers resulting from the flow of a non-conducting liquid, i.e., one with a low dielectric constant --- like toluene (2.4 compared to water with a constant of 80). "The danger is that a spark could discharge between a body of liquid and grounded metal." In other words, a high voltage shock will knock you off your feet.
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Subjects:  1. Accidents    2. Business & Economics    3. Chemical Engineering Safety    4. Chemical plants    5. Engineering - Industrial    6. Industrial Health & Safety    7. Insurance - Liability    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Technology & Industrial Arts    10. Total Quality Management    11. Engineering: general    12. Occupational / industrial health & safety    13. Technology / Industrial Health & Safety   

Editorial Review

Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Robert "Buzz" Patterson was a military aide to President Clinton from May 1996 to May 1998 and one of five individuals entrusted with carrying the "nuclear football"—the bag containing the codes for launching nuclear weapons. This responsibility meant that he spent a considerable amount of time next to the president, giving him a unique perspective on the Clinton administration. Though he arrived at the job "filled with professional devotion and commitment to serve," he left believing that Clinton had "sown a whirlwind of destruction upon the integrity of our government, endangered our national security, and done enormous harm to the American military in which I served." Read more

Reviews (471)

You elected him, TWICE!?!
I'm not a very political guy as a rule of thumb, so when I bought this book I was determined to read it quickly.Turns out, that wasn't a problem.I read the book, then read it a second time, then went back and read the parts I had underlined.
A tale of virtue dealing with slovens
This book provides details about the Clinton Administration which are shocking.Indeed, they are horrifying: how could the President have delayed a critical decision because he was WATCHING GOLF?
Clinton helpedterroism flourish
This book shows the real Clinton as eyewitnessed by one of his closest friends.Clinton used and abused his power and the people of this country while he was in office and he is still basking in the limelight.What a shame he was as he led this country down the road to almost obliteration.This is a must read for conservatives and liberals. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1946-    2. 20th century    3. Biography    4. Clinton, Bill,    5. Government - Executive Branch    6. Government - U.S. Government    7. History    8. Military leadership    9. Military policy    10. National security    11. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    12. Political Science    13. Politics / Current Events    14. Politics/International Relations    15. Presidents    16. Public Policy - Social Policy    17. United States    18. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents    19. Central government policies    20. Social welfare & social services    21. USA    22. Warfare & Defence   

Subjects:  1. Cross-cultural studies    2. Economic Conditions    3. Future Studies    4. International cooperation    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare    7. Social Science    8. Social Situations And Conditions    9. Social problems    10. Sociology    11. Sociology - General    12. United States    13. Social Science / Sociology / General    14. Social issues   

Subjects:  1. Evaluation    2. Human services    3. Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare    4. Social Science    5. Social Work    6. Sociology    7. United States    8. Social Science / Social Work   

Reviews (4)

Bridges Out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals
I have not had a chance to read the material yet.

A Powerful Mentoring Model
I was fortunate to attend a workshop one year ago which included this book and two of the three authors, DeVol and Dreussi-Smith. They highlighted the content of the book, to an audience of counselors, social workers, case managers, residential treatment staff for chemical dependency recovery, and prevention specialists.This book spotlights the culture of poverty, and the distinct differences in the way in which the poor, the middle class and the wealthy view the world from their unique vantage points.I was enlightened in learning to understand the frames of references of persons without savings, present time- orientation, and the differences in the way each class views, uses and perfects the resources of each cultural status.
stimulating book/novice reviewer
I'm currently furthering my education as an intern at a Catholic Charities branch whose Outreach Dept. -(small but succinct, assertive & powerfully proactive)- is building an 'Out of Poverty' program based on "Bridges," concomitantly constructing a more narrowily focused faith-based/interfaith version.The OR dept. received intensive & extensive training in a comprehensive & extended Bridges seminar presented -(rather dynamically I am told)- by Mr. Devol, CCDC/OCPC (I am under the impression neither Dr. Payne nor Ms. Smith MAEd/OCPC accompanied Mr. DeVol).Going from manual labor to the social services has involved much paradigmatic & theoretical integration -(& overhaul-and-reintegration)- for me as a professional; as a novice, my ruminations carry little weight.I am, however, surrounded by