Best Books

Struggle for Intimacy Adult Children of Alcoholics series

The struggle for intimacy is part of a life-long process for those who have grown up with alcoholism or dysfunction in the home. To be intimate, to be close, to be vulnerable, contradicts all the survival skills learned by Children of Alcoholics.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Struggle for Intimacy

This book is very well laid out and answers many qestions based both on past experiences and present. It also provide a excellent strategy to survive in a “real ” world.Great book for the person looking for insight into a “healthy relationship”

RW

5 Stars this is my second-favorite Janet Woititz book! (read to find out my first!)
I love and recommend Janet’s “Adult children of Alcoholics” to my counseling clients…but I must say, I love this book too! And I love the John Bradshaw’s “Healing the shame that binds you” book.Healing the Shame that Binds You: Recovery Classics Edition (Recovery Classics) …… and the “Getting Them Sober, you CAN help” book by Toby Rice Drews (this book is a real lifesaver— my counseling clients tell me that Toby must have had a crystal ball in their living rooms! And that they read it and read it again, and sleep with it under their pillows, it helps so much.) Getting Them Sober: You Can Help! (Getting Them Sober)

4 Stars Good resource for a married ACOA client
When I am dealing with a married ACOA client, I follow giving as homework the basic ACOA text the author wrote with this volume to help him/her understand how their lack of intimacy skills may have thwarted their reaching the deeper level of attachment with the spouse that they desired. It has always proven helpful to my clients as they move into a healthier spousal relationship.

4 Stars Good starter book on intimacy issues
I didn’t grow up in the typical alcoholic household Janet constantly portrays in her books, so I didn’t have all of the ACOA myths as expected – which she stated you may not have all of them. I did see a few lines that I connected strongly with (the actual “Myths” did not ring true, but rather her detailed description fit better). For example, not knowing how to get angry or what is appropriate enough to get angry. I see this in my relationship, and it wasn’t until others who cared for me would say “Why are you putting up with that crap? I would never let that fly!” Alot of things seemed to roll of my back. It’s not because I’m easy going and forgiving (well maybe!), but I didn’t know when it was appropriate to be angry, or how, or what good getting angry would even do! The scenario about the security guard who turned off the lights and one person was angered and the other was not really hit home. Good starter book, you may not fit every myth, but it’s an informative read nevertheless. If anything I understand my own parents even better as they are ACOC too.

5 Stars Struggle for Intimacy
The book I have read over and over. I slip back into my old patterns very easily and this keeps me on track.

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Brain Quest Kindergarten

If only all children had someone as friendly and daring as red-haired Ryan the Lion to guide them through all the new learning necessary for successful kindergarten days in the classroom. Cheerful, slightly daffy Ryan can be found on nearly every question card in these two Brain Quest decks–whether he’s eyeing some delicious red licorice as he demonstrates numerical concepts (“Which will buy more candy: the penny or the nickel?”) or cautiously approaching a bird’s nest as he skydives into treetops (in a correct-the-narrative-sequence episode).

While kids are bonding with Ryan (and enjoying the cool construction of these slick, bound decks), parents will thrill at the range of fundamental academic skills and common-sense information that their children will pick up from these fun-to-guess cards. It’s all here: questions about the alphabet, spelling, vocabulary, counting, spatial concepts, the physical sciences, as well as demonstrations of right from left, safety rules, and names of computer equipment. There also seems to be the perfect balance of “easy” and “hard” questions in this huge sampling. Kids feel both capable and challenged with Brain Quest, and thus stay with these decks for a long time. (Ages 5 to 6) –Jean Lenihan

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars cute “game”
I just bought this today for my three year old and we played with it for a little while and she seemed to enjoy it. Many questions were a little too easy, but there are some thing she doesn’t know yet–right from left, money, and counting by twos–but she will learn it quickly once I show her. My only worry is that after one or two times through the cards, she will know them. Granted, she is a very advanced child who could read and spell a fair amount of words at two, but I still think this will be fun for us, and I do think she will learn some things from this set.

5 Stars Great for Kids!!!
Great for Kids!! My daughter is in pre-k and I got her the kindergarten series. I got both by daughters a grade up. Keeps them entertained. Great way to pass time in a restaurant. My friends’ kids were so entertained that they went out and bought the brain quest cards and workbook.

5 Stars Easy does it!
I have been buying the cards from this Series for my grandson since he was 2 years old. I just bought him this last set for his 5th birthday.

This series is a great way to start a conversation with a little one and to teach them simple things grown-ups take for granted.

This particular selection will prepare my grandson for kindergarten this coming school year. He enjoys not only to be tested by other adults but also after he becomes familiar with the set, he likes to “test” his relatives.

The cards are portable enough to take along on long trips, visits to grandparents and just for fun. They are durable and easy to clean.

The cards are a great Christmas, birthday or just small present any time of the year for a small child.

I highly recommend parents, grandparents and just adults to buy them for the love ones.

5 Stars Perfect age appropriate fun activity.
This is our third Brain Quest purchase and the family loves all of them. Age appropriate so that the child can answer most of the questions but not all so there is some learning involved. Sometimes even Mom and Dad learn something new. Fun family activity for airplane trips, in the car or a great alternative at bedtime instead of books.

5 Stars great cards, okay for 4.5 year olds
My kids are 4.5, the preschool cards were a little easy. the kindergarten cards are about right. Now usually with them I find the age ratings on toys are accurate, like other reviewers said the brainquest products are rated a little too old. Some of the concepts are beyond them but about 80% of the cards they are able to do at this age.

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What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow And 36 Other Key Financial Measures

Formulas that make the difference between making profits and losing equity

The only way to win the real estate investing game is by mastering the numbers. This revised and updated edition of the popular reference shows how to target the best investments in the present market. It answers all your real estate questions, and provides new discussions of capital accumulation and internal rate of return. This book’s basic formulas will help you measure critical aspects of real estate investments, including

• Discounted Cash Flow
• Net Present Value
• Capitalization Rate
• Cash-on-Cash Return
• Net Operating Income
• Internal Rate of Return
• Profitability Index
• Return on Equity
  

  User Ratings and Reviews

  5 Stars Excellent Resource
  An excellent resource for those interested in evaluating real estate investments from a mathematical standpoint.

  5 Stars Simple, Straightforward and Powerful
  This is the best book on the market covering real estate finance. Gallinelli teaches you how to ‘run the numbers’ with a fair amount of good humor and practicality. He never talks down to the reader, nor does he assume that the reader is a rocket scientist. Indeed, most readers, especially those who cringe at math, will come to see how easy the financial figuring side really is after reading this book.

  This is the book to read BEFORE you read all those other formula-laden tomes. After reading this book, I now have a much better understanding of REIT financial statements. If you are serious about real estate investment, start with this book first. In it, you will learn the four principal ways money is made in real estate, how to convert features of a property such as location and size into cash flow, how to comparison shop between different properties, and most important, the key questions to ask when presented with all of those rosy financial statements for properties. He also takes you through a very thorough and comprehensive explanation of cash flow, the time value of money and internal rate of return- all of which are important and inter-locking aspects dealing with the proper valuation of commercial real estate.

  Once you are done with this little gem of a book, consider picking up a copy of his other book on financing commercial real estate purchases. In my opinion, that one is somewhat better than this one in one key respect: in that book, he not only imparts a sound investment approach to purchasing commercial real estate for the novice investor, he also gave a clear and crucial warning about the dangers of ‘no-money-down’ investing. I believe that both books are a good form of positive reinforcement.

  5 Stars Don’t even think about investing in Real Estate without reading this book
  I used to work for a commercial real estate brokerage firm. When I first started, I could not believe how clueless some of the brokers and owners of income-producing properties were about cash flow. Most of the mom and pop owners of real estate do not even understand what a cap rate is. If you are serious about real estate, you must read this book and memorize everything in it. The book is written in simple English that anyone can understand. Paying $16 for a book that can save you thousands of dollars in mistakes seems like a deal to me.

  - Mariusz Skonieczny, author of Why Are We So Clueless about the Stock Market? Learn how to invest your money, how to pick stocks, and how to make money in the stock market

  5 Stars Great book…delivers exactly what it claims
  Rarely does a real estate book get into the business and financial evaluation of real estate. Instead they talk about techniques at best or imposible to believe real estate “war stories” at worst. This a great primer for properly understanding cash flow and rate of return…the true bottom line.

  I have encountered may property owners who are actually losing money by focusing on the wrong metrics or no metrics at all. They think they are making money, while actually lowering their long term net worth. The author does try to pitch his programs to readers and visitors to his website, but the book does a good enough job explaining how to do your own calculations.

  The first part of the book builds up your understanding of financial concepts from the basics to the advanced. The second part is more a reference index to each concept or measure described in the first section with examples and commentary.

  5 Stars Seminal reading
  For everyone even THINKING about RE investment – from an agent’s perspective to that of the investor, it is required reading. I’ve been back to it 20 times and 99% of the time, the answer I was looking for was there.

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