Customer Reviews:
This Book Changed My Life.......2007-07-21
I continually was fighting suicidal feelings and had gained 60 lbs in just over a year on prescription anti-depressants when I saw this book, A Remarkable Medicine Has Been Overlooked, by Jack Dreyfus, in Barnes and Noble and bought it in March 1998. I had just turned 48 years old.
After reading the book I gave it to my psychiatrist, who read it and agreed to let me give low-dose Dilantin a try. I take low-dose Dilantin to this day, and by the time the first script needed renewal my family doctor agreed to prescribe it as I no longer was seeing a psychiatrist.
Without Dilantin I don't know where I'd be today. Low-dose Dilantin has had only side-benefits for me. For instance, in addition to brightening my outlook with no other medications, it cured me of cold hands and feet, a lifelong problem, and I lost 50 of those 60 extra pounds easily. It also allows me to sleep a normal 7 to 9 hours a night instead of the 14-16 hours I had been sleeping for nearly a decade prior to finding out about low-dose Dilantin.
Jack Dreyfus is one of my heroes. Thanks, Jack.
Snake oil?.......2005-11-16
I find it interesting that Jack Dreyfus had his own severe anxiety / depression / insomnia cured almost immediately by use of Dilantin. I find it even more interesting that Mr. Dreyfus is STILL going strong at age 92 (yes, he turned 92 this year).
It seems apparent that this particular reviewer did not fully read the book - or didn't understand it??? (In fact sounds like one of those in the "medical profession" whose very attitude has stonewalled legitimate extensive testing and education regarding this clearly remarkable medication). I say this as the doses recommended for use in this book are far below that used by epileptics and side effects at those levels have been very minimal. In fact, Dilantin is beginning to be thought of (in low dose formulas) as a component of antiaging medicine.
I also find it amazing that there's an admission that "proven nothing short of miraculous for millions"... and yet is then immediately described as a very unsafe medication (???).
Hmmm... who now seems to have a specific agenda here?
Did this particular reviewer even bother to check out the huge number of studies and trials done on PHT (Dilantin)? Or was this more a matter of "don't confuse me with the facts"?
A pharmacist specifically should have known that the fact is that PHT (Dilantin) has considerably fewer side effects and less serious ones than most of the more "modern" medicinces being pushed today. And at the doses recommended for non epileptic uses, those side effects are even much less of a problem. (At a well-looking age 92, it doesn't seem that the PHT / Dilantin has hurt Mr. Dreyfus to any noticeable degree)....
What is even more ironic is that most educated people today know that most people in the medical profession obtain a significant amount of their "education" of pharmaceuticals from drug company sales reps (whose agenda is clearly to push the latest patented versions of whatever the "flavor-of-the-month" happens to be).
Finally, Jack Dreyfus - nor ANY of his organizations - have ANY financial interest in Dilantin (PHT) in any form whatsoever. And his ongoing foundation (the Dreyfus Medical Foundation)? It is strictly a charitable medical organization.
A Remarkable Medicine.......2003-06-11
This is a remarkable story, a remarkable man, and a remarkable medicine. A Dr. first gave this book to me 14 years ago - it changed my life. Like Jack Dreyfus I lost interest in things I once enjoyed and like Jack Dreyfus I lost perspective and couldn't watch the news which is full of so much horror and sadness. People would tell me I needed to keep well informed, but it created panic attacks and I couldn't get it out of my mind. Drs. experimented with all kinds of medications that made me very ill and some that are habit forming nightmares. ONE INFORMED Dr. gave me this book and with Dilantin helped me get off all the "expensive, helpful medicines" that were making me worse. This book is written from the heart - just as the research was conducted. Thanks Dr. Roberts - Thanks Jack!!!
Miracle drug or snake oil?.......2002-01-31
As a pharmacist, I found the book to be very inaccurate. Dilantin has proven nothing short of miraculous for millions of epileptics for the past 65 years, and has proven useful for peripheral neuropathy and (to a very minor extent) bipolar disorder, but it has side effects that are often very unpleasant and is notorious for producing drug interactions.
I believe that many alternative and off-label therapies have legitimate use, but this is a vanity publication that has about as much merit as supermarket tabloid advertising.
I am grateful that people have not bombarded their doctors with requests for this "miracle" drug.
Miracle drug or snake oil?.......2002-01-31
As a pharmacist, I found the book to be very inaccurate. Dilantin has proven nothing short of miraculous for millions of epileptics for the past 65 years, and has proven useful for peripheral neuropathy and (to a very minor extent) bipolar disorder, but it has side effects that are often very unpleasant and is notorious for producing drug interactions.
I believe that many alternative and off-label therapies have legitimate use, but this is a vanity publication that has about as much merit as supermarket tabloid advertising.
I am grateful that people have not bombarded their doctors with requests for this "miracle" drug.
Average customer rating:
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The Gentle Giant: The Chris Taylor Story
Lynn Marr-Moore , and
Harold J. Nichols
Manufacturer: McMillen Publishing
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ASIN: 1888223219 |
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The story of a true athletic hero, dedicated to becoming the best. Competitive wrestler, Chris Taylor, journeyed through humble beginnings in Dowagiac, Michigan to a college wrestling career with Iowa State University, and finally on to win the bronze medal in the 1972 Olympics. His extensive career was ended early due to an untimely death at the age of 29.
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Beyond Caligari: The Films of Robert Wiene
Uli Jung , and
Walter Schatzberg
Manufacturer: Berghahn Books
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ASIN: 1571811966 |
Average customer rating:
- very graphic
- O bicho pegou!
- An Excellent Anthropological Work -- Worth the Read
- Another book equating transgenderism with prostitution
- probably the only Anthro book to make you laugh...
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Travesti: Sex, Gender, and Culture among Brazilian Transgendered Prostitutes (Worlds of Desire: The Chicago Series on Sexuality, Gender, and Culture)
Don Kulick
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
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ASIN: 0226461009 |
Amazon.com
It is wonderful and weirdly fitting that one of the jacket blurbs for this work of social anthropology is by sex educator and former porn star Annie Sprinkle. Just as there is nothing dry or remote about Annie Sprinkle's delivery, there is nothing dry or remote about Don Kulick's. In fact, this may be the most readable and engaging study of transgenderism to surface in years. For seven months in 1994, Kulick lived in a household of "travestis"--Brazilian male prostitutes who live as women. He constantly tape-recorded their casual conversations, whether on the street soliciting customers or in their small rooms in the ghettos of Salvador, and has been able to trace the motivations behind their behavior and body modifications with plausibility and compassion. So absorbing are the details of the travestis' lives, as recounted by Kulick, that the reader can easily miss the author's equally acute analysis of their often bizarre transformations and of what travestis, with their exaggerated performance of "femininity," suggest about the construction of gender in Brazil. --Regina Marler
Book Description
In this dramatic and compelling narrative, anthropologist Don Kulick follows the lives of a group of transgendered prostitutes (called travestis in Portuguese) in the Brazilian city Salvador. Travestis are males who, often beginning at ages as young as ten, adopt female names, clothing styles, hairstyles, and linguistic pronouns. More dramatically, they ingest massive doses of female hormones and inject up to twenty liters of industrial silicone into their bodies to create breasts, wide hips, and large thighs and buttocks. Despite such irreversible physiological changes, virtually no travesti identifies herself as a woman. Moreover, travestis regard any male who does so as mentally disturbed.
Kulick analyzes the various ways travestis modify their bodies, explores the motivations that lead them to choose this particular gendered identity, and examines the complex relationships that they maintain with one another, their boyfriends, and their families. Kulick also looks at how travestis earn their living through prostitution and discusses the reasons prostitution, for most travestis, is a positive and affirmative experience.
Arguing that transgenderism never occurs in a "natural" or arbitrary form, Kulick shows how it is created in specific social contexts and assumes specific social forms. Furthermore, Kulick suggests that travestis—far from deviating from normative gendered expectations—may in fact distill and perfect the messages that give meaning to gender throughout Brazilian society and possibly throughout much of Latin America.
Through Kulick's engaging voice and sharp analysis, this elegantly rendered account is not only a landmark study in its discipline but also a fascinating read for anyone interested in sexuality and gender.
Customer Reviews:
very graphic.......2006-04-14
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up Travesti. All I knew was that I would be in for a treat just by looking at the cover. Kulick who is an anthropologist who studied the lives transvestites in Brazil as he became friends with them he got all of the inside scoop and included it in his book. He talks about the travestis that come from Italy to do business in Brazil where these things are more acceptable. Some of the people he interviews talk about how they started in the business, they talk about the ups and downs of their jobs. I found some of the stories to be very graphic. The lives of these men are sometimes beyond their choice of living. Some of them believe they were born into it. The stories are very realistic and in some cases tragic. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone whose clsed minded. However if you find it initeresting to read about the harsh realities of the world then this is the book for you.
O bicho pegou!.......2004-12-21
I found this book to be very well written and, in several instances, it made me long to return to my anthropological studies at NYU. Had I only been a curious reader I probably would have found this book brilliant, but my reading was shaded by the fact that I personally know many travestis in Salvador (Peruco, Xuxuca, Kit Mahoney, Angelica) and therefore found the exclusion of several things to be particularly odd.
The importance of having a basic understanding of the language and culture of a country in order to do fieldwork and understand anything in that country cannot be overstated, and the fact that Professor Kulick went into the "field" totally green must have put him at a significant disadvantage. This disadvantage would explain his cultural missteps and failure to see his "subjects" within the larger Brazilian context. The lack of contextualization is akin to discussing America's obesity problem without discussing the automobile, the microwave, women in the workforce, lack of school physical education programs, etc. A population teeming with 300-lb. people seems very strange indeed when not seen in context.
Though far more thorough than most researchers, it's incomprehensible to me that he barely discusses race/ color and class at all. It's important to note that nearly all travestis are negra (black) and mulata/ morena (brown) and come from the lowest social classes and everyone knows that, in Brazil, the primary contribution that negras and morenas are thought to offer society is their sexual services (mulata e pra transar, branca e pra casar).
It's also strange that there is hardly any discussion of religion and, being a gringo and all, Professor Kulick seems to look down on Candomble and tries to defend his new travesti friends by asserting that they are not "devotees" of the religion. All of the travestis that I know practice Candomble, but would never admit it to a prejudiced gringo who doesn't seem to understand the religion anyway. In fact, by ignoring Candomble, Professor Kulick missed a crucial element in understanding the place of the travesti in society. It is in the terreiro that Brazilians become accustomed to seeing men dressed as women and learn to respect their special status.
This book, though thoughtfully put together, lacks an understanding of Brazilian norms which would have made the work more complete. The knowledge that, for instance, Brazilians are used to mixture (e.g. being culturally/ racially mixed, practicing Candomble and Catholicism simultaneously) means that travestis are one of many hybrid classes in a highly hybridized nation.
Further, knowing what I know about baiano travestis, I am certain that they would not have allowed Professor Kulick to hang out with them if they didn't consider him to be one of them. It's clear to me in his writing that he greatly enjoyed spending time with the bichada and was "se sentindo" just as much as they were.
An Excellent Anthropological Work -- Worth the Read.......2004-07-04
Don Kulick provides an excellent example of anthropologists dealing with the tough issues of gender and sexuality research. He demonstrates how connected anthropologists become to those they study; and further challenges us to consider closeness, concern, and friendship with our informants as methodologies that speak not only to our own humanity as anthropologists but also to the humanity of our communities of study. I have used this book to teach introduction to cultural anthropology course and it is a perfect blend of theory, narrative, and insight which keeps students engaged and asking the difficult questions of conducting cultural anthropological research. I applaud Kulick and thank him immensely for his work! GET A COPY :) !
Another book equating transgenderism with prostitution.......2004-02-02
The editorial review says it all: "In fact, this may be the most readable and engaging study of transgenderism!" THIS BOOK IS NOT A STUDY OF TRANSGENDERISM. It is a study of TRANSGENDER PROSTITUTION. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THING.
And anyway, haven't we written enough about transsexual hookers? Possibly an interesting subject, but how about the TS lawyers, doctors and scientists? Give us a break! Make some effort, skip over the easy score! Please!
probably the only Anthro book to make you laugh..........2000-01-14
the disparity between prof. kulick's earnestness towards his subjects and their bleak, frightening world make for great, grand humor, however unintentional. though i have some reservations about kulick's lack of scientific conclusions, i applaud his efforts. i found the descriptions (& gasp, photos!) of the travestis shooting industrial sillicon into their ahem, "pundas" memorable.
throughout the book i kept wondering what did the prostitutes think of Kulick? The author gives a few clues, but jezzus!
Book Description
This full-color art book enters into the studio, process and inner world of California artist Miriam Wosk. The featured collages are highly patterned, ornamental, and colorful her constant theme, is the marvelous abundance of life in all its forms, whether human or animal, biological or botanical. The dazzling large scale, thickly encrusted paintings depict a unique world reflecting Wosk's visions, dreams, and metaphysical imagination.
Customer Reviews:
Wildly provocative.......2006-03-30
This is a wildly creative and provocative book by one of the greatest artists of our time. Wosk's work is unique, authentic and exquisite. Every mixed media artist or collector should have this book.
Book Description
Top speakers such as Anthony Robbins and Lou Holtz reveal how they work their magic. Using the same winning formula that propelled her Secrets of Successful Speakers to sales of over 85,000 copies, best-selling author Lilly Walters examines what makes the cream-of-the-crop motivational speakers stand above the rest. She interviews or does detailed profiles 19 superstars--including Maya Angelou, Les Brown, Jack Canfield, Deepak Chopra, Stephen Covey, Sir Winston Leonard Spenser Churchill, Elizabeth Dole, Mark Victor Hansen, Lou Holtz, Vince Lombardi, Sr. and Jr., Earl Nightingale, Norman Vincent Peale, Christopher Reeve, Anita Roddick, Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Dottie Walters, and Zig Ziglar. Perhaps more importantly, she interviews hundreds whose lives have been changed when they heard the words of these superstar speakers.
Customer Reviews:
Absolutely wonderful book - congratulations on a masterpiece!.......2007-06-20
I've been a professional speaker, trainer and consultant for over 20 years now, and this has got to be one of the best (top-3) books on pro speaking I've ever read. I wish I'd picked it up years ago.
Inspirational and moving, the hundreds of paragraphs of tips from top speakers like Brian Tracy, Mark Victor Hansen, Tony Robbins and of course the Walters are absolutely vital, extremely helpful (even at this stage in my career - this one will really help me!), and a wonderfully valuable book.
I've bought virtually every book on public speaking available, and this one is the one that touched me the most. Think of it like an "inspiration for those who speak", sharing the deep, personal insights from some of the world's top speakers.
This one's a must-get if you are a seminar presenter or speaker. Bravo!
Thanks,
Ken Calhoun
Not a book to buy if you want the basics.......2005-08-12
I really wasn't as enthused about this book as the other reviewers. And I'm writing my review because I based my purchase of this book on the many glowing reviews preceding mine.
I bought Secrets of Superstar Speakers thinking I would learn the tips the superstar speakers used so I could use them myself. But Walters only superficially goes into those tips. And many of these tips were obvious and seemed to be "filler". For instance, one section tells you how to stay motivated in the lean years, and tips from "superstars" include: loving what you do, hanging in there, there's no quick fix, and having faith. This advice sounded trite and isn't much help to a reader who's looking for simple speaking tips.
When Walters finally touches on practical and useful superstar tips, she delves into them only superficially and often advises the reader to read her other previously published books to learn more. In fact, Walters plugs her other books quite a bit throughout.
I was also disappointed that the only superstar speakers Walters discusses are motivational speakers. I hadn't realized this was going to be the case, despite the subtitle "Wisdom from the greatest motivators of our time." I thought this book would include great businesspeople, salespeople, lecturers, who are also talented motivators (they motivate you to buy, sell, do, etc.). If you've got more than Tony Robbins-type motivation to talk about, then this book is not for you.
I also felt that Walter's advice was repetetive. She would suggest a tip only to repeat it again on the same page and the next page and the next. Funny enough, the tip to repeat your message was repeated ad nauseum.
The grammar and writing skills were sorely lacking, which was distracting and detracting. To wit, on page 226: "As you put all of these skills on the platform, remembering to appear natural and unrehearsed, takes a great deal of preparation and practice." Sentences like this had me shaking my head.
Only when you get to the last 40 or so pages, you get good meaty tips, which is why I gave this review 2 stars instead of just 1. But the rest of the book is really just superficial filler about motivational speakers.
Finally, I have to say that I also found it offensive that the author managed to squeeze in references to God, religion and Christianity on practically every page. It doesn't seem to occur to her that her readers might be of another religion or might not be religious at all. And since this is not a book about religion, I felt the vast number of religious references were entirely unwarranted.
Another Great Book by Lilly Walters.......2004-03-17
I love this book! Reading how the greatest motivational speakers motivate themselves--gets me motivated!
Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated
PS I am a big fan of Jack Canfield. There is a lot of stuff from him and Mark V Hanson in this book. For example, here is a little excerpt from Jack:
"At my seminar I do a section on `discovering your life's purpose'. We start off by hitting it from the external, then we eventually approach it from the inside. We get them to answer questions like: Who are you envious of?
I was envious of Kenny Rogers, the singer. I had to ask myself, what is it I am envious of? One, he brings pro-athletes down to his ranch in Virginia. He's got a football field, a baseball diamond, a basketball court, tennis court, all built in. He brings in John McEnroe from the tennis world, Larry Byrd from the Pacers, football players. They divide up into teams and have a mini Olympics type event all week. They play all day, then at night they get massages and have gourmet meals. Kenny is also a great portrait photographer, so he takes pictures of everyone. I thought, what is it that I envy about that? I realized it is that I love hanging out with people who are the best at what they do. It helped me realize my passion is for information, for sharing, for generosity, for making a difference.
I start with the envy question, then I ask, 'Think back in your life, when did you feel most alive? When did you feel most happy? When did you feel most loved? What was your greatest success? What was it about that success that made it a success?' As they answer these, people start to see some patterns
.
Finally, we ask, 'Who do you admire most on the planet alive or dead? If you could be anyone on the planet, who would you be?' If someone says Tony Robbins, that is a real different statement than Mother Teresa. It helps define what they want to express.
With their eyes closed I have them imagine they are climbing a mountain, they go into a temple, and this wise person comes and brings them a gift. As they open the gift, it will symbolically represent their life's purpose. People open it and get things like a children's book, this because they are supposed to write a children's book. Some get little poor kids looking up a them with hope, this because they are supposed to go empower those kids. People get in touch with their passion and their purpose." --Jack Canfield
Super Book.......2003-05-14
Book has great ideas and ways to become a better public speaker. Very good overall.
A Good Read!.......2001-04-27
Lilly Walters focuses on the success stories of 19 top speakers and their hints for speaking well. She highlights their backgrounds, turning points and key sayings, and then provides tips on becoming a top speaker using their methods for developing and giving effective presentations. Hearing what these speakers say about the principles of good speechmaking is interesting, but their "insider" tips are pretty obvious, even to an outsider. Most of their advice is widely known within the speaking industry and is presented here repetitively. Don't be put off by the "read this resume" nature of the initial introductions, because they put the speakers in context and show their success. We [...] recommend this book to virgin public speakers or those who want a refreshing booster, to those who book big-name talkers, or to those who like to read recreationally about celebrities and their ideas.
Books:
- A. W. H. Phillips: Collected Works in Contemporary Perspective
- Adam and Eve: The Bible Story
- An Unlikely Revolutionary: Matsuo Takabuki and the Making of Modern Hawai'I (Extraordinary Lives)
- Anatomy of Greed: The Unshredded Truth from an Enron Insider
- At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life
- Bad Boy Ballmer: The Man Who Rules Microsoft
- Beer for Pete's Sake: The Wicked Adventures of a Brewing Maverick
- Ben & Jerry's: The Inside Scoop: How Two Real Guys Built a Business with a Social Conscience and a Sense of Humor
- Bernard M. Baruch: The Adventures of a Wall Street Legend (Trailblazers, Rediscovering the Pioneers of Business)
- Best Face Forward: Why Companies Must Improve Their Service Interfaces With Customers
Books Index
Books Home
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- Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning
- Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Vol. 1
- Oaks of California
- Package X, 1988: Informational Copies of Federal Tax Forms/Stk No 048-004-02275-3 & 048-004-0227
- Just Get Out of the Way: How Government Can Help Business in Poor Countries
- Kenya trees & shrubs,
A Remarkable Medicine Has Been Overlooked
Written in Frustration (H)
The Story of a Remarkable Medicine
