Sins and Needles (Needlecraft Mysteries)
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Missing Betsy and the Gang
  • Good read, but not typical
  • Some secrets shouldn't stay buried...
  • Twists & Turns
  • Fun to be in Excelsior though fiction.
Sins and Needles (Needlecraft Mysteries)
Monica Ferris
Manufacturer: Berkley Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000NIJ4BU

Book Description

FREE KNITTING PATTERN INCLUDED!

When adoptee Lucille Jones comes to town researching her roots, Betsy notices that she bears a remarkable resemblance to local Jan Henderson. Betsy introduces the look-alikes, and they quickly hit it off. But then Jan's wealthy great-aunt is found dead in her bed, and Jan is the prime suspect. Lucille begs Betsy to help clear her new friend's name.

And while going through her aunt's effects, Jan finds an old embroidered pillow featuring a flag with 49 stars-an odd error for a woman so sharp at figures. Stranger still, the lining is stitched with a map of Lake Minnetonka. Betsy intends to follow the threads. Who knows-it could just possibly lead to buried treasure. Or, perhaps, to a secret that someone would kill to conceal.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Missing Betsy and the Gang.......2007-10-06

I was disappointed in this installment of the series. While it was good to try writing the story from the new family's view there wasn't a good balance between the new characters and the old favorites. The murder was clever and fit with the needlework theme. It just seemed a little grisly and mentioned a little too often for my tastes in a cozy mystery. It took me a long time to get through this one and I usually read this fun series quickly.

3 out of 5 stars Good read, but not typical.......2007-09-30

While I enjoyed the story, it was not typical of this series. The absence of the usual cast of characters would be alright if Betsy had a meatier part. If readers had no experience with the earlier books of this series, they would wonder who is this Betsy person and why does she get credit for being such a sleuth? I don't expect past mysteries to be rehashed, but Betsy's past successes might have been explained a lit more fully, possibly in dialog if the missing characters had been in the store to talk to Lucille, or if Betsy's role had been fuller and readers could have watched her deductions along the way. As it stands, Betsy seems to come in at the last minute and wrap everything up without her usual involvement.

4 out of 5 stars Some secrets shouldn't stay buried..........2007-09-05

It's mid-June and Betsy Devonshire and Godwin DuLac are planning the Halloween and Christmas displays for Crewel World. Things have settled down since Betsy cleared Goddy of murder.

Lucille Jones and her husband Bobby Lee are on vacation and when Lucille stops into Crewel World, Betsy mistakes her for Jan Henderson. In fact, the two women look so much alike they could be sisters, maybe even twins. Lucille and Jan hit it off in a sock knitting class and are on their way to becoming friends when Jan's Aunt Edyth Hanraty is murdered. Aunt Edyth's will was a strange one leaving her estate to the college for business scholarships for women and to the female descendants of her sister Alice -- which means Jan and her mother Susan. Jan looks like the murderer unless Lucille is there to get the money because she's related to Jan. Betsy steps in and helps to pull some of the clues together.

Once again, we have a large cast of characters in and about the area of Michigan where Crewel World is located. Many of the characters not featured in this book are mentioned in passing so we can keep up with some of our favorites. Ferris manages to keep her characters distinct and interesting and yet not predictable.

The mystery is convoluted and while the murder and its reasons are fairly typical the delving into the history and social background of women in the 1960s was interesting to me though I grew up in that era. I'm hoping that more young women reading this book will get a sense of the barriers that women faced in those days and the lengths that some women went to in order to overcome the stereotypical role they were expected to take up and play. In today's society where it seems that women have "come a long way" it's hard to remember what it was like just 40 or even 30 years ago.

Nothing is the same as it was in the 60s. Now it's much more difficult to claim a relationship with someone. Papers and documents are all well and good but anyone with any science background at all will require a DNA test. Ferris manages to take a time honored plot and update it to the 00s. Well done, considering the science of the issue.

If you've enjoyed Monica Ferris' Needlecraft Mysteries you'll certainly enjoy this one. If you haven't give it a try you can jump in with any book and enjoy a good story. The people will not be familiar but she puts enough backstory in to bring you up to speed without an info dump.

5 out of 5 stars Twists & Turns.......2007-08-24

Having not read this author before, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I found this book hard to put down. I read a lot of mysteries and with many of them, I have most of the plot (and endings !) figured out before I reach the end of the book. This was a pleasant surprise ! Just when I thought I had it -- I get to the end and find out I don't ! I LOVE that in a book. A book that can suprise you and throw you some curves -- and give you a good story all at the same time is worth reading.

5 out of 5 stars Fun to be in Excelsior though fiction........2007-08-13

I'm not going to tell you the story, that's why you read books. I will tell you that having family in Excelsior, MN makes this series especially fun for me to read. I know most of the areas they are talking about although not as clearly as the writer does. I was pretty sure who the bad guy was going to be because everyone else didn't seem to have enough motive but it was fun getting to the end and there were some interesting turns. As always the new characters were fun to try to figure out and the old characters, nice to revisit. I didn't really want anyone to be the guilty party because they were mostly nice people but I was glad the villain was who it was. I wouldn't mind a follow up on this story because a family connection that was the center of the mystery held real promise. If you have enjoyed the other books in this series you will not be disappointed with this addition. There aren't deep or serious, just fun to read.
Sins and Needles: A Story of Spiritual Mending
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Real life
  • An Artistic Genius Revealed
  • Try Fiction
  • A very uplifting tale of both despair and love............
  • Overpriced
Sins and Needles: A Story of Spiritual Mending
Ray Materson , and Melanie Materson
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Artists, Architects & PhotographersArtists, Architects & Photographers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
AuthorsAuthors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
CriminalsCriminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Drug DependencyDrug Dependency | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
NeedlepointNeedlepoint | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
PenologyPenology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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  1. The Accidental Masterpiece : On the Art of Life and Vice Versa The Accidental Masterpiece : On the Art of Life and Vice Versa

ASIN: 1565123409

Book Description

Ray Materson wanted to be a priest when he grew up. He was an A student and sixth-grade class president.

But in college Ray began drinking, which led to drug experimentation, which devolved to an addict's life of living fix to fix. Finally, petty acts of theft and the end of loans from friends led to carjacking with a toy gun and a sentence of twenty-five years behind bars.

One miserable day in prison, Ray remembered an image of his grandmother sitting on the porch with her embroidery. At about the same time, the University of Michigan was to play in the Rose Bowl. Improvising a needlework hoop, Ray made a maize-and-blue Michigan M so he could officially cheer his team to victory. Soon Ray was sewing small flags and emblems using threads pulled from socks for pieces commissioned by fellow inmates, who paid him with cigarettes. Over time his work became more intricate-miniature masterpieces that told stories from his past and illustrated his dreams for the future. In stitching his artwork, Ray found hope and salvation.

Enter Melanie, a woman who sees Ray's work in a local exhibition and writes him a fan letter. Ultimately she marries him while he's still in prison. With Melanie's encouragement and perseverance, Ray's artwork gains national attention and is a smash hit. To this day, his work is represented by the American Primitive Gallery in New York.

Illustrated with fifty pieces of Materson's artwork, SINS AND NEEDLES is the riveting story of Ray's journey-of how a broken man manages to put the pieces of his life together in a most unexpected way.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Real life.......2005-10-23

I enjoyed this book because it is a story about real life. It is an unexpected and very atypical story about a person whose life is, for some time, dictated by the disease of addiction. It was a difficult book to put down because the story is compelling and so human.

It is likely that the negative reviews of this book stem from an inability of the reviewer to appreciate the struggle of addicts and the people in their lives and/or an intolerance for folks who write that aren't "writers". Materson is an outsider artist and this book, like his art, lack pretense. It's a great story.


5 out of 5 stars An Artistic Genius Revealed.......2005-07-05

Ray Materson was born with the gift of being an artist- a person highly sensitive to pain and to pleasure who could convey these feelings to others. Even when locked up in a jail cell, with nothing to work with, he created his own materials- ironically one of them being a needle (a paraphernalia of the drug trade) and sock threads to create incredible stunning detailed works of depth and beauty of a definite style, snapshots of memory overflowing with feeling. Fortunately an appreciator, who was to become his soulmate and wife, came along and tells his life story with its suffering and its pleasures.
The glossy pages show the embroideries at their very best. This book is a MUST read for all interested in art as a whole, particularly in embroidery, "Outsider Art", "Raw Art", in teaching, and in realizing how important artistic expression is and how important it is to be there for others as an Appreciator.

1 out of 5 stars Try Fiction.......2003-12-20

My good sense tells me that writing this book made the Matersons feel better about themselves. My mind tells me to thank God I never went the way of abuse or criminal activity. My experience tells me we all have a life story to tell. Reading this book showed me most of us do not tell our story to make money or a movie. If the Matersons want money and fame here's some advice: try fiction or learn how to write without being so self-serving.

5 out of 5 stars A very uplifting tale of both despair and love...................2003-12-17

I thought that this book was very well written and quite captivating in that I never put it down until all was read. A peek into a personal life can be very educational and enlightening and I truly believe that this book has helped me to better understand lifes many possible ups and downs and just how important both freedom and love are in a persons life. I very much look forward to the next book by the Matersons and hope that it is soon! I wish them the best in their new life and a hearty pat on the back is in order!

1 out of 5 stars Overpriced.......2003-09-26

The book and the art pictured in the book are overpriced. It's a good thing the Matersons can sell this art because their first attempt at book writing is disappointing. The moral of this story is that while it's good to save oneself from being a criminal others are just not that interested. I suppose the poor sales of the book are due to the fact that either a bad reputation will come back to haunt you or your karma will. Now, that's a high price to pay.
Needles & Sins
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Needles & Sins
    John Everson
    Manufacturer: Necro Publications
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback
    ASIN: 1889186740

    Product Description

    Roses scented with bitter deception, Oracles redolent in hidden redemption, a body-mod-obsessed ingenue with an amputee fetish and a demon gone soft on a bitter angel. Dreamcatchers, an alternate Nativity with a pimp God and a non-compliant Mary, Stupid Bitch the three-legged cat and the secret explanation of how Germany almost won the war with the devil on their side. These are just a few of the provocative sets in these 19 stories rife with "Needles & Sins"...
    The selected works of Michael Arnzen: Needles and sins (The selected works series)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      The selected works of Michael Arnzen: Needles and sins (The selected works series)
      Michael A Arnzen
      Manufacturer: Dark Regions Press
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Unknown Binding

      United StatesUnited States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      ASIN: B0006R68C6
      Needles and Sins - The Selected Works of Michael Arnzen
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Needles and Sins - The Selected Works of Michael Arnzen

        Manufacturer: Dark Regions Press
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback
        ASIN: B000I96TU8
        Sins and Needles (A needlecraft mystery)
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Sins and Needles (A needlecraft mystery)
          Monica Ferris
          Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover
          ASIN: B000SIVPXU

          Post Mortem Journal: Communications from T.E. Lawrence
          Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
          • Lawrence of the Second Plane
          • A believable preview of life after death.
          Post Mortem Journal: Communications from T.E. Lawrence
          Jane Sherwood
          Manufacturer: The C.W. Daniel Company Ltd
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          ChannelingChanneling | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
          ReincarnationReincarnation | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
          ASIN: 0852072538
          Release Date: 2004-12-03

          Book Description

          Communications from Lawrence of Arabia through the mediumship of Jane Sherwood.

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars Lawrence of the Second Plane.......2003-04-11

          This is the best-written (no surprise if the communicator is indeed T. E. Lawrence) and most interesting book I know in this genre. I would not say it tells us about heaven, hell, and the meaning of life, but it does claim to describe what are sometimes called the first and second levels (the second being the "summerland" where most people first land) and to give Lawrence's musings about the meaning of it all. The discussion of emotional bodies and their problems, the means for overcoming them in the post-mortem state, and the introspective self-analysis, is quite remarkable, and conforms to what we know about Lawrence.

          4 out of 5 stars A believable preview of life after death........1997-02-15

          Through the medium of automatic writing, Jane Sherwood has written a gripping account of T. E. Lawrence's experiences following a fatal motorcycle accident. The natures of hell and heaven are explained, as well as the purpose of life on earth. If you ever wondered "what does it all mean", this is a fascinating book. Although recently published, the book was written at least 25 years ago - it is not the product of "New Age" philosophy, or trendy religions. As an RN, it confirmed my observations of peoples' experiences as they died, and it explained some of the mysteries around that process.
          Past Mortem
          Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
          • Miles above the average thriller
          • Funny but an easy whodunit
          • A predictable and preachy bore
          • Ben Elton's worst book
          • An American Reviewer Mouths Off
          Past Mortem
          Ben Elton
          Manufacturer: Corgi Books Limited
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
          Police ProceduralsPolice Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
          SuspenseSuspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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          1. Dead Famous Dead Famous
          2. High Society High Society
          3. The First Casualty The First Casualty
          4. Popcorn Popcorn
          5. Blast from the Past Blast from the Past

          ASIN: 0552771236

          Book Description

          In romantic desperation, mild-mannered detective Edward Newson logged on to the "Friends Reunited" website searching for the girlfriends of his youth. As his old class begins to reassemble in cyberspace, the years slip away and old feuds and passions burn hot once more. A school reunion is planned, and as history begins to repeat itself, the past crashes headlong into the present. Past Mortem is both a heart-stopping thriller and a killer comic romance.

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars Miles above the average thriller.......2006-08-16

          When will America discover Ben Elton? As far as I know, none of his books have been published here and they are only available as imports. "Past Mortem" doesn't quite reach the heights of "Dead Famous," but it's a first rate page-turner with heavy dollops of wit and style, and characters who leap off the page. If P.G. Wodehouse wrote sexy serial-killer thrillers, he might have come up with something like this. It's miles above the godawful tripe being served up by American hacks like James Patterson, whose junk stares out at us from every airport book rack.

          3 out of 5 stars Funny but an easy whodunit.......2006-01-12

          You can always count on a few good laugh-out-loud one-liners in a Ben Elton novel and you'll get a few from Past Mortem, but the "mystery" won't exactly keep you guessing. The killer's motivation and identity become obvious fairly early in the piece.
          As usual, Elton has picked an atypical hero - in this case "ginger shortarse" Ed Newsom. But, despite the fact that Ed is consistently described as funny, he's actually only given a handful of funny lines. As mentioned by a few other reviewers, the "bullying is bad" message does get repetitive and you do feel like you're getting beaten over the head with it (much like one of the unfortunate murder victims!). Also, there were a few irritating editing errors, eg "throws" instead of "throes" and one plot point that didn't seem to work - one of the murder victims is supposed to have missed meeting a friend at the pub, but then only his family turns up for his funeral and he's described as being universally hated. What happened to the friend?
          But these are minor quibbles. All-in-all, this is a fun enough beach/plane read.

          1 out of 5 stars A predictable and preachy bore.......2006-01-04

          Ben Elton can certainly write -- but this one's a dud.

          If you're an Elton fan, you'll already know that his "formula" relies on taking a controversial issue, and presenting it to us sideways, through the eyes of some unforgettable characters. In previous novels, he's dealt with drugs, the environment, and traffic, (High Society, Stark, Gridlock) and they were all great reads.

          In this novel he slips up, because the "issue" he chooses is bullying -- which of course is an issue that no-one "disagrees" on. Unlike drugs or the environment or even driving around in cars, we all agree that bullying is bad and should be stopped. Elton has stepped away from his winning formula, and the results are substandard.

          Not even Elton's trademark quirky characters can save the story, his "socially inept but brilliant detective" and his "emotionally damaged but brilliant social worker" are straight from central casting.

          And then there's the "crime novel" format. If you haven't guessed "whodunnit" by page 130, then quite honestly you're not paying attention. Out of the twenty-two people I know who've read the novel (the members of two book groups) only one didn't guess who the serial killer was well before the end. Guessing the ending completely destroys the last half of the book, and makes finishing it a chore.

          I enjoy Ben Elton's work -- I'll buy his next novel if it's not another attempt at crime fiction -- but this one's a predictable and preachy bore.

          2 out of 5 stars Ben Elton's worst book.......2005-10-19

          I have read all of Ben Elton's previous books, have enjoyed his stand-up comedy, his play Pop Corn and his musical We will Rock You. All that stuff was great and tremendously funny! When I read this, his latest work I was really disappointed. It was truly his worst, and would recommend to anyone who has not read any of his works: Do not start with this one!

          Although it was witty, it was generally too far-fetched and simply very predictable. I knew how the murder mystery would evolve one third into the book.. Please Ben, stick to funny, stick to temporal fiction and your hilarious vocabulary, but stay away from murder mystery, as the genre clearly does not become you.

          5 out of 5 stars An American Reviewer Mouths Off.......2005-10-17

          I don't know much about Ben Elton, but I've read a few of his books before, including the last few detective novels. The novel about the BIG BROTHER house I've reviewed for Amazon, and this one is almost as good as the last. Technically speaking the previous book DEAD FAMOUS took more chances, was more daring in conception and in execution. And this one has, for some reason, a fisting scene in the middle of it that's explicit enough to warrant an X rating, if books still carried such, and yet all in all I prefer the present nook, if only for the charm and wit of the central romance.

          Edward Newson is a detective inspector for Scotland Yard, the youngest ever in such a post, even though everyone he meets doubts he's cop because, well, "er . . . isn't there a height restriction?" Apparently not, because Ed is only about five foot four, more of a Hobbit than an Inspector Morse. His second in command is a lovely police sergeant, Natasha Wilkiem whose personal life is a bit of a mess. She has a boyfriend called Lance who's not averse to beating her up a little, when he doesn't get his way. Ed doesn't know how to proceed with Natasha, who occupies all his thoughts day and night. If he says anything, he's afraid she'll laugh him down, for she's way out of his league in terms of looks and sex appeal; and also he's afraid if he leans on her, not that he would, she would have grounds to complain about him for sexual harassment. However, all of this becomes moot when Ed is assigned to what becomes the biggest case of his career.

          It seems that the ones getting murdered are all (or were, years ago) horrid bullies as teens. Are the victims finally striking back and torturing the bullies as they were tortured when only children? And what does the Friends Reunited web site have to do with this? Here in the US, I'm not familiar with the Friends School phenomenon which must, if the evidence of this book is to be trusted, be sweeping the country, and all old schoolmates must know now where all their fellow alumni are living and what all of them are doing. I suppose there are similar organizations and websites here in the States, but not on such a scale.

          Elton keeps you guessing and, despite the claims of other reviewers, the culprit is a surprise. You'll guess everyone else but the right one! I hope that our police love birds return for another case, but I don't know if Elton has the patience or the steady hand to create a series detective. He's a wild card that one, and that's the way we like him.
          Half-Past Mortem
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Half-Past Mortem
            Robert Leslie as Saxon, John A. Bellem
            Manufacturer: Mill
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            ASIN: B000GLQD68
            Half-past mortem (Mill Circle mysteries)
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Half-past mortem (Mill Circle mysteries)
              John A Saxon
              Manufacturer: M.S. Mill Co
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Unknown Binding
              ASIN: B0006ARE80
              Past Mortem
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Past Mortem
                Ben Elton
                Manufacturer: Bantam Press
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback
                ASIN: B000N78R28
                Past Mortem
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Past Mortem
                  Ben Elton
                  Manufacturer: BANTAM PRESS
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover
                  ASIN: B000O5TXPO
                  Past Mortem
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Past Mortem
                    Ben Elton
                    Manufacturer: BLACK SWAN (TWLD)
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback
                    ASIN: B000K2SHG2
                    Past Mortem Audio
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      Past Mortem Audio
                      Ben Elton
                      Manufacturer: Random House Audio
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Unknown Binding
                      ASIN: 1856869385
                      Past Mortem X12 Dumpbin
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        Past Mortem X12 Dumpbin
                        Ben Elton
                        Manufacturer: Bantam Press
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Unknown Binding
                        ASIN: 055276955X
                        Past Mortem X24 Dumpbin
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          Past Mortem X24 Dumpbin
                          Ben Elton
                          Manufacturer: Black Swan
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Unknown Binding
                          ASIN: 0552770116

                          Spider-Man: Death Of Captain Stacy TPB
                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                            Spider-Man: Death Of Captain Stacy TPB
                            Stan Lee
                            Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback

                            GeneralGeneral | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
                            MarvelMarvel | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
                            Spider-ManSpider-Man | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
                            ASIN: B000LSBSDE

                            A Hospital Handbook on Multiculturalism and Religion
                            Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                            • Good little review
                            • Excellent ready reference
                            • A Decent Introduction to Multicultural beliefs and health
                            • A Decent Introduction to Multicultural beliefs and health
                            • A must have for all hospitals!
                            A Hospital Handbook on Multiculturalism and Religion
                            Neville A. Kirkwood
                            Manufacturer: Morehouse Publishing
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback

                            MinistryMinistry | Ministry & Church Leadership | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                            Pastoral CounselingPastoral Counseling | Ministry & Church Leadership | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                            GeneralGeneral | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                            Comparative ReligionComparative Religion | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                            GeneralGeneral | Nursing | Medicine | Subjects | Books
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                            5. The Basics of Hospital Chaplaincy The Basics of Hospital Chaplaincy

                            ASIN: 0819221848

                            Book Description

                            In our religiously pluralistic society, clergy, medical, and nursing staffs in modern hospitals are confronted with caring for people with varied beliefs and customs. Since the overall care of a patient, and not just the surgeries performed or medicines given, affect an individual's recovery, it is vitally important to be familiar with cultural and religious understandings and expectations around hygiene, pastoral care, autopsies, transfusions, and even the practices associated with death itself.

                            A Hospital Handbook for Multiculturalism and Religion is a succinct guide to the care of patients from a variety of faiths. The original version included Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Baha'i. In the revised edition Neville Kirkwood has added chapters on Taoism, Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism, Chinese Buddhism, and Jainism. Each chapter examines not only the customs of adherents to various faith perspectives but also the significance of certain rites and attitudes, supplying health-care workers and chaplains with the information they need to provide the best care possible.

                            Customer Reviews:

                            4 out of 5 stars Good little review.......2004-12-14

                            Had some good information for such a little pocket sized book, but pretty limited as far as the number of cultures/religious groups that were covered.

                            5 out of 5 stars Excellent ready reference.......2001-11-06

                            Very useful for health care practitioners and Hospital Chaplains who need an easily assessible answer to common areas of Spiritual concern for various faith groups. I showed my fellow Chaplain Interns this book and they are all ordering it.

                            3 out of 5 stars A Decent Introduction to Multicultural beliefs and health.......2001-03-29

                            I am a hospice chaplain and pastor. I have found the book to be helpful in providing a very basic overview of some of the major cultural customs and beliefs regarding health and illness. Kirkwood, a protestant Christian chaplain, touches on the surface of some of the major facets of a broad sampling of religions and what they believe about health and illness. My main criticism of the book is that it does not give a thorough, or entirely accurate portrayal of all the different religious cultures that Kirkwood claims to address. There is such a plurality of beliefs and customs- even within one faith tradition, that a book of this scope is grossly inadequate, even for lay readers. You WILL learn some basic, very general guidelines- for instance general dietary concerns, attitudes towards autopsies and transfusions,etc. My greatest fear with this book is that healthcare professionals- or even chaplains will pick it up or another book like it and after reading it think that they know what a patient or family member would want based on what religious background they are affiliated with. Your best resource for understanding a patient or family member's needs- religious or otherwise is still TO ASK THEM. The best way to understand another person's cultural beliefs is to allow them to educate us. Anton Boisen, the pioneer of modern Clinical Pastoral Education, once said that we are all "living human documents." In other words, general cultural knowledge is well and good, but it can NEVER relieve us, as caring professionals of the responsibility to properly inform, and learn the needs of those whom we serve- namely patients and family members. Ask them what their needs are, inform them properly, and give them the autonomy and respect they deserve.

                            3 out of 5 stars A Decent Introduction to Multicultural beliefs and health.......2001-03-29

                            I am a hospice chaplain and pastor. I have found the book to be helpful in providing a very basic overview of some of the major cultural customs and beliefs regarding health and illness. Kirkwood, a protestant Christian chaplain, touches on the surface of some of the major facets of a broad sampling of religions and what they believe about health and illness. My main criticism of the book is that it does not give a thorough, or entirely accurate portrayal of all the different religious cultures that Kirkwood claims to address. There is such a plurality of beliefs and customs- even within one faith tradition, that a book of this scope is grossly inadequate, even for lay readers. You WILL learn some basic, very general guidelines- for instance general dietary concerns, attitudes towards autopsies and transfusions,etc. My greatest fear with this book is that healthcare professionals- or even chaplains will pick it up or another book like it and after reading it think that they know what a patient or family member would want based on what religious background they are affiliated with. Your best resource for understanding a patient or family member's needs- religious or otherwise is still TO ASK THEM. The best way to understand another person's cultural beliefs is to allow them to educate us. Anton Boisen, the pioneer of modern Clinical Pastoral Education, once said that we are all "living human documents." In other words, general cultural knowledge is well and good, but it can NEVER relieve us, as caring professionals of the responsibility to properly inform, and learn the needs of those whom we serve- namely patients and family members. Ask them what their needs are, inform them properly, and give them the autonomy and respect they deserve.

                            5 out of 5 stars A must have for all hospitals!.......2000-03-28

                            As a director of nurses, I found this book to be an invaluable tool when teaching staff about cultural diversity. I attached this convienently pocket-sized book in nursing manuals on all of our patient care areas. This book covers most of the demographic populations that we serve. I highly recommend this book for healthcare workers in today's ever changing climate!

                            Books:

                            1. Slim and None
                            2. Something Dangerous
                            3. Stardust of Yesterday (Haunting Hearts Series)
                            4. Stephen Coonts' Deep Black: Payback (Deep Black)
                            5. Streets Of Laredo : A Novel
                            6. Surface Tension: Problematics of Site
                            7. Tandia
                            8. Tender Triumph (Sonnet Books)
                            9. The Art of Doing Nothing: Simple Ways to Make Time for Yourself
                            10. The Big Love: A Novel

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