Carey is the first of the three to choose an un-traditional route.  She forgoes waiting for the perfect man to drop into her life to co-parent with…instead, she purchases sperm from a donor at a sperm bank.  Does she follow through with her plan to become pregnant by an unknown man?

Pam and Beth are also on the path towards changing the course of their future.  How does this decision to go forward with a plan to parent, change their lives?  Is the road smooth; or is there heartbreak for any of the three women?  This story brings into question the idea of whether we as individuals are in control of the direction of our lives or is there a force outside of ourselves that steers the ship?

I found the book, Three Wishes, interesting enough to finish reading.  It is thought provoking…how far does one go to become a parent?  Oh by the way, the story is about real women…and, is a true story!  Read it and see how things turned out for each woman.

Three Wishes was published in 2010 by Little, Brown and Company; Hachette Book Group.

Jessica Stern is an expert on post traumatic stress and terrorism.  She has made a career out of those subjects and yet, she appears to be just now as she writes this book to begin to see that both of those subjects have shaped her inside and out.  Her relationships with her father as well as others in her life has been formed and limited by her past experiences.  I think that you will find this book enlightening as the subject denial is often woven through many of our lives in layers without even understanding it’s root cause.  See how Jessica Stern ties all of these ideas together as it relates to terrorism of any kind and how she begins to understand how denial was both a nemisis and a comfort from the time of her rape to the completion of this book.

Denial, A Memoir Of Terror was published in 2010 by ECCO, a imprint of Harper Collins Publishers.  Their website is: www.eccobooks.com or you can visit the author’s website: www.JessicaSternBooks.com

      Often I think society tends to think of those in prison as people who are unworthy of consideration; after all, they did the crime and they must do the time, right?  Lock ’em up and throw away the key until they have served their time, right?  Well, part of that is true in the sense that criminal behavior must have consequences otherwise we would become a world of continual chaos with little accountability for our behaviors.  However, what many people dismiss or never even consider is that there are so many layers of issues that cause a person to do the things that they do to find themselves in the position of becoming incarcerated at all.  Not everyone who ends up in prison is hopeless or unworthy of a future of freedom; even though there are some prisoners who should not again be turned loose on society.

        Then, also consider this…for each person incarcerated; there is a mother/father/sister/brother/son/daughter/aunt/uncle/cousin/grandparent/                         friend/neighbor, etc who is affected by what takes place when a person they care about enters the prison system.

         A prisoner’s world is turned upside down when their basic freedoms are taken from them.  Rules and expectations are different; and relationships must be forged with strangers out of necessity, in what is probably the most stressful time in that person’s life, just to be able to survive their prison term.  Fear, frustration and anger are part of the package as well as loneliness and shame.  How a person chooses to proceed can affect the rest of their life.  Do they keep former relationships alive or close off to those people who knew them before prison?  Should they form friendships with other prisoners or try to be invisible?  How long is their prison term and how do they best navigate all of the changes in their life once they  have been convicted?

          It is no small thing to maintain a relationship with someone who is behind bars.  After all, there are limited opportunities to visit in person, talk on the phone, exchange letters with one another.  Add to that, someone has to “hold down the fort” no matter how long that person is jailed.  Life never stops changing and that includes children who grow up, people within relationships with the prisoner who become ill, pass away, or are hospitalized.  Don’t forget the financial hardship on innocent family members who must struggle to maintain a place to live, jobs, child rearing, pay legal fees, and handle all things pertinent to paying the bills and helping everyone “left behind” as they struggle with the emotional implications of having a loved one incarcerated.

        I think Piper Kerman does a fine job of shining a light on all of these facets of life, and more, when a person is convicted of a crime.  Of course her book is about her experience as she went through the system.  How decisions she made as a young women impacted her future with her friends, family and future mate.  The shame, the frustration, the acceptance of her fate as well as her determination to make the best of the prison time by learning what she could from the experience and turning it into a personal development of sorts.

         While her journey into this phase of her life is not something I would recommend to a person searching for a deeper understanding of the criminal justice system and it’s impact on American society; I would recommend this book to anyone who wants, or needs, to know how to navigate the most challenging shock to the loss of freedom when they or a loved one is facing a prison term.

          Piper’s book is the next best thing for learning from the experience besides having to go through it personally.  I think it is an eye- opening book, and one definitely worth reading.  I will warn you that there is some rough language in places…however, because of the nature of the book; I would expect most people could understand the context of it’s use.  This book will challenge you to think about how you view the prison system and those who are a part of it. 

             You can learn more about Piper here on her website: http://piperkerman.com/ and her book was published , in 2010, by Spiegel and Grau, which is an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group.

All military troops face challenges in war circumstances; but the precept behind this book is the particular challenges that face the women soldiers who are far outnumbered in ratio to their male counterparts. There are issues for these women in the performance of their duties due to issues with race, gender, personal space issues, health issues, respect of their fellow troops, sexual assault and sexual harassment issues.   The isolation that the female soldier experiences in dealing with these issues is compounded due to the fact that there has not been a large number of women in each troop.   In some cases, resentment is rampant and a lack of organized leadership seems to prevail, causing ongoing harm between the enlisted men and women, as well as their leadership.

The fact of the matter is that this war in Iraq is like no other that this nation has ever fought. Women are not “allowed” to fight on the front lines…and yet, because of the nature of this new kind of war fought in ways previously unknown to military personel; women are serving on the front lines under the guise of support services.

Post tramatic stress disorder affects both men and women and the rate of homelessness that seems to shadow our service people after their time is served is a disgrace. Services are not readily available without a fight. There is much between the covers of this book that will shock you, sicken you and terrify any parent or loved one who knows that their loved one has signed up to serve what used to be an honored job of service in the armed forces. It is alleged in this book and in the media that our service men and women are used in a careless fashion by shots that have not been proven to be safe health-wise.   During the time that many of these women served, our troops did not even have adequate protective equipment due to mismanagement at a high level…much of which has been addressed in the media.

Getting follow up care for the trauma that these women soldiers have experience is almost non-existent. It is a shame that our military women (and men) are not being properly trained, cared for nor are they being taught appropriate boundaries between the sexes. It is an outrage that suffering in silence is encouraged over addressing these issues to create a healthier and safer military force.

This book was written by Helen Benedict and it was copyrighted in 2009. The publisher is Beacon Press and this is their website:  www.beacon.org .

          Part of understanding the how and why of the success of the Barbie doll that we have come to know and love as part of American history is grasping the extra-ordinary strength and persistence of the woman who came up with the concept of Barbie.  Ruth was a very complex woman.  She was all about following her instincts; even going against conventional wisdom in the world of business when it suited her purposes.  She was wise enough to give the impression of her husband being the head of the business when in fact, he was a designer at heart…he really didn’t have the drive or the desire to be in control of the business aspects.  Ruth and Elliot her husband chose to grow their business from the ground up…the poured so much of themselves into it that their children came to resent certain aspects of the business.

        As the children grew under the shadow of the business and formed their own personalities and strengths & weaknesses…so did their mother Ruth.  She grew up as the youngest of 10 children born to Polish Jewish immigrants.  She was actually raised by an older sister and her husband…they became her surrogate parents and Ruth’s business role models.

          Ruth was direct, some say ruthless in how she dealt with others; and yet, she was mother- henish about some of her employees.  She was both fiercely loved and disliked by many.  Ruth had a deep love for her husband.  She says that she hated being a stay at home mother, that she was no good at it.  She did appear to be born to be a businesswoman in a time when that just was not common.   She seemed to have a natural knack for understanding how to fill a gap in the toy market and make it profitable. 

         There were many challenges in her life.  She was not raised by her birth parents, she fought to marry the man she loved, she fought against traditional male and female roles in business; not by being a militant woman, but strictly by being who she was …an entrenpeneur.  She battled breast cancer, the legal system and a disease that took the life of her son…AIDS.  Ruth Handler was an interesting woman, she became a pioneer in the field of women’s prosthetics after having breast cancer surgery; this was to be one of her biggest contributions to the world was her desire to design something to give women back control of their appearance after having a breast removed. 

         This book was printed in 2009, by Collins Business; this is their website:  http://www.harpercollins.com.  The book was written by Robin Gerber.  The author’s website is:  http://www.ROBINGERBER.COM

          Mary Ellen holds very little back as she gains experience, wisdom and skills in sharing the caregiving responsibilities, with her mother, for her father.   I found the book to be very interesting as it stretches the heart, the mind and the soul of the reader to understand the range of care that is involved in caring for a loved one throughout all the stages of Alzheimers.  The book is not only a personal journey of discovery it is also a good guide book on common experiences of what to do and what not to do for those in the same situation.   The book is an important text on taking daily stock of what is working today, and what is not, to allow the most amount of independence while balancing the safety and well-being of the patient.

          As the children and spouses, of those affected by Alzheimers, struggle to provide a safety net of love and support…it is important to recognize what they also give up in their quest to provide family based care.  The daily losses are a sad reminder to make every moment count with those that we care about.  But the real nuggets of gold seem to be in finding the small moments of joy when something works, when a special memory comes forth just at the right moment…when a caregiver begins to wonder whether what they are trying to provide their loved one with is really worth the effort and the sacrifice.   For those who are in more of a combative situation with the loved one (usually in the latter stages of the disease) it is important for the caregiver to constantly remind themselves that this is the disease talking and acting out…not their loved one!  It is important not to take things personally when there are disagreements, accusations and verbal outbursts. 

        More importantly, it is extremely imperitive that the caregiver have back up help that they trust.  You must find “me” time…because it is easy to lose yourself in the grind of meeting the other person’s needs 24/7.  Taking care of oneself when you are a full-time caregiver is a must; caregivers often loose their own health and well-being in trying to give so much to another human being.  It is an act of love and commitment to care for your own well-being; because if you aren’t well balanced physically and emotionally…you will have nothing left to give.

          What Mary Ellen and her mother have been able to provide her father with, is dignity.  They do this even though the web of the disease tries to remove the basic components of who the alzheimers patient really is.  Their memories and their daily habits seem to vanish one by one until there remains a shadowy shell of the original personality.  But, the strength and courage of families faced with this disease is of heroic proportions.  They fight tooth and nail to bring him back to them daily, through his lifelong loves of tennis and music.  Music is the connector for “Woody”, Mary Ellen’s father.  He is able to sing lyrics from songs that he sang with an acapella group for most of his life; that is an achievement for someone who struggles to remember associations between words and objects during conversations.  This is the magic that allows Woody to connect with people and events that otherwise would be lost to him and his family.

       In a way, Woody’s caregivers use music like others would use medication.  It is their umbilical cord to the wandering soul of the man they love.  This book will make you laugh, cry, and it will make you joyous for each moment of overcoming and connecting.  It is eye opening to those who face a future of caregiving.  It is encouraging for those in the midst of commitment to caregiving for another.  And it is a life lesson in determining how far you are willing to go to keep someone with you who may or may not remember who you are…even though you remember all about your relationship.   Memories become both a blessing and a curse as it can wound you as a caregiver, to no longer have the same intensity of connection in the patient’s mind to mutual people, places or events from the past and present. 

         Measure of the Heart was published in 2008 by Springboard Press. You can visit their website: http://www.HachetteBooksGroupUSA.com .  Or, you can visit the author’s website here: http://maryellengeist.com/content/index.asp . 

       There is much insider background that he shares from the last two or three decades in the industry.  It is informative since we are still struggling to save the big three from financial ruin.  This, at present time, is a place in history where the government is going to have to work hand -in-hand with business to have a positive outcome in these difficult financial times.

        Mr. Iacocca shares his years of hard won wisdom with us.  I like the fact that he talks about the qualities that a person must have to be an effective leader.  He talks about mistakes and failures and how you can learn from them to be a better leader.  With the automotive industry making the news daily in their efforts to survive…it would be a positive benefit for our new President elect Barack Obama to tap into the knowledge that Mr. Iacocca has in the automotive industry to try to strengthen their stake in the business world.  If President elect Obama did that…he would begin to illustrate the kind of effective leader that the United States of America needs right now.

         Where have all the leaders gone was copyrighted in 2007 and was published by Thorndike Press.  You can visit their websites at:  www.gale.com/thorndikepress or www.thomson.com.

       The hopes and dreams that she had for her child were fading before her eyes…but, she didn’t recognize the fact that he was unable to connect with others in a typical way that most children do.  She found herself making excuses for his lack of involvement, she found herself rationalizing his excitable little habits such as flapping his arms as “cute”, she found herself isolating him from normal play dates with other children because it became too painful to compare his more slowly developed milestones.  This is very normal for parents of special needs children. 

         But, once her son was diagnosed…Jenny did not just accept the diagnosis without searching for answers to the unexplained health crisis that her son faced with his compromised immune system.  She trained herself to research the answers so that she could help to pull her son “through the small window of time” that she had to help minimize the damage to her son’s well-being.

         This book is one example of encouragement…to other parents of special needs children.  Find support groups…share information…learn all that you can…and try not to just accept a label. 

          There is a word of caution that i will impart here:  Jenny does use quite a bit of angry, vulgar words throughout the book.  I would say that she definately was under some difficult stress during this time…but, i do know that she does use the language often.  She is a talented writer and communicator…but, i did want to give a bit of warning to those who have not read her other books that the language is present between the pages. 

            Jenny is the epitome of a mother bear…fighting to protect her young cub.  Her son is blessed to have a mother so determined to go to any lengths to help her son…he is very loved; you can tell from reading the book.  And because of that mother’s love and dedication, her son has been able to improve.

            The book is scattered throughout with many words of wisdom.  There are tips for parents to wade through the rounds of doctor appointments and advice.    Again though, Jenny is a celebrity…and not everyone is so blessed to have connections.  The problem with the diagnosis of Autism is that there is a rash or epidemic of diagnosis’s right now…so, there are long waiting lists for therapists, doctors, specialists,nutritionists and so on.  Jenny was able to cut through some of the red tape…but, the real message here is to be persistent.  Noone knows your child like you do…and noone will fight harder for his/her well-being than you will! 

      Most of the slaves who are caught up in the world of prostitution have been bought and sold many times over…sometimes, in more than one country.  There are coerced with violence, and depravation and threats against their loved ones.  Many of them are runaways, some of them have been kidnapped off of the streets.  Some of them have been tricked into giving up their passports/visas; they often have no way home.

       It is a life of misery…some of them have been drugged and beaten.  Once addictions and abuse have been heaped upon them…they no longer have the strength or will to escape…and are forced to “pay off” their debts to their captors.  As you can imagine, being bought and sold many times over, their debt is not within their reach of ever paying off…they have little hope of ever attaining freedom again.

       The stories will haunt you.  The human will to live will inspire you.  The desperation and dedication of those, who have seen the damage of human trafficking; those who try to abolish the business of slavery or human trafficking will inspire you to demand that our leaders help to end such behaviors.

       The value of human life demands respect.  This book was written by E. Benjamin Skinner.  He has opened many eyes to the illegal, immoral and dehumanizing conditions that are taking place, wherever human trafficking is allowed to flourish.  I pray that the book has touched the right people who are in positions to make a difference and to get the word out about what is happening.  Spread the word to others…this cancer upon the world is not dead, slavery still exists.  It should never be tolerated in any form.

         Do you think that this issue doesn’t affect you?  What about all of those “missing persons” that we hear about on the news every week?  Missing children, missing men, women who have disappeared without a trace; what if it was happening to one of yours…a friend, a relative, maybe a neighbor?  This issue affects us all.  It could be your child, your sister, brother, mother, father, or friend.

          What about people who patronize prostitutes?  They are subsidizing the human trafficking industry…some of those people are forced to perform as prostitutes against their will.  It is not fun and games.  People who travel over to world hot spots for “sexual tourism” are feeding the machine that enables human trafficking.  Dont laugh it off…call it what it is…slavery.

           Maybe you know someone who has hired an worker from another country to work for them as a domestic hire…are they being forced to work in conditions that are unsafe, unsanitary, for a wage that doesn’t allow them to be free; or maybe no wage at all?  This too is a form of human trafficking.  Please express your outrage…pass on the knowledge that slavery must be stopped.

            This book was published by Free Press…a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.  It was copyrighted in 2008.