number two

Early Start Mandarin Chinese with Bao Bei the Panda, Volume 2: Numbers and Fruits
$19.95
This product leaves a lot to be desired. Too much English being spoken is my main gripe. I would like to know if these people have any experience teaching a language because there is no reason to give a small child TRANSLATION, which is what they do most of the time. "Ni hao - that's how you say hello in Chinese" is unnecessary to a small child, just show children greeting each other and the viewer in context and saying Ni hao. That's how YOU learned to say hello. Also they waste about 5-10% of the very short DVD with some really repetitive piano music with no talking at all. Sometimes they just shift the scene so you have no idea how it relates to anything. I could go on and on but it's true that kids will watch it, because they use colors, kids and a puppet - all things kids like. But it's way too sparse. It's too bad they wasted a great opportunity with such a below average product - BUT it's better than nothing and there's not much out there so if you have extra money just buy it. But people should stop saying this is a great product. Please.

Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital
$23.99
The stories are astonishing. Honestly, I'm still processing them. She may not have been out there fighting, but she was doing her work at the point of conflict, running on adrenaline, compassion, determination, and nothing resembling normal sleep. Plenty of others here have discussed one or another tragic, traumatic, challenging situation, so I won't do that here (though so much of what she wrote is unforgettable).

I think this is a great book for anybody who wishes to help vets in a sophisticated way. We'll NEVER be able to understand what our troops go through during war, though this book paints an extraordinarily poignant picture. With her stories, the author clues us into a world of well-meaning attitudes and strategies -- some that she found were helpful and some that decidedly were not.

I bought this book out of sheer interest (the esteemed alum gave a talk to SDSU while I was teaching there; she used to work at the VA hospital in La Jolla), and out of my own desire to be a better therapist for vets. I think the book will help therapists better understand their clients' experiences in combat. Moreover, it shares the rare perspective of a deployed psychologist. Kraft had all the standard cognitive-behavioral training and experience, but found that the research-based, textbook approach didn't give her what she needed to do her best amidst the chaos. Her "case load" was huge and cut deeply into her psyche. If nothing else, this book will help one understand the "traumatic transference" that therapists can experience. The mere exposure (albeit second or third hand) is part of what makes this book a gem. (This paragraph is such an understatement...)

Highly recommended.

Another book that I'm finding helpful with vets is "Strategies for Managing Stress After War: Veteran's Workbook and Guide to Wellness" by Whealin, DeCarvalho and Vega. (It is an educational text for vets, not a collection of stories...)

Jackass Number Two (Unrated)
$14.98
More stunts from the Jackass gang. Nothing socially redeeming here. Nothing to be proud of. Just a lot of farting, puking, pooping, and general mayhem. When our descendants unearth this film, they will conclude that we were a hopelessly lost society. But they will be laughing their behinds off.

Public Enemy Number Two (Diamond Brother Mysteries)
$6.99
I purchased this book for one of my grandchildren (13 years old). He had read all of Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series and enjoyed those books very much. He has just finished this one (part of Horowitz's Diamond Brothers Mysteries Series and has asked me to obtain some more. So, obviously, he has found the book entertaining enough to want to go on reading the series.