King, R. August. Night Shift Diary.

Dorrance Publising Co., Inc.. 2010. c.47p. ISBN 978-1-4349-0665-6. $9.00. ISBN 978-1-4349-5439-8 (e-Book). $5.00.

In this very brief publication, King (LPN, RN, M.B.A.), a critical care nurse for eighteen years and now involved in healthcare business and finance, remembers working as Licensed Practical Nurse on the Intensive Care Units in several hospital settings while she was studying to become a Registered Nurse. She publishes her memories in the form in which she found them while “spring cleaning” the storage space under the roof of her garage, her diary that she kept from June 1975 until April 1982 in which she recorded personal and professional milestones, the latter in the form of “nursing notes.” Honest and insightful, King’s entries recount what it was like to be a nurse as well as care for critically-ill patients on a regular basis. Covering diverse topics with much humor, signs of growth, and increasing confidence, she describes being rotated from one unit to another, becoming an ICU nurse, caring for her sick mother, interacting with her coworkers and doctors, patients’ families, administering treatments, observing various operations, and more. Lacking a glossary of terms, abbreviations, and acronyms, which would be helpful for readers unfamiliar with some of the medical terminologies used by the author, this book, nevertheless, will be of interest to general readers and those individuals considering healthcare careers, perhaps in nursing. It is recommended for some public libraries as an enjoyable, supplementary resource. Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team. Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.. Availability: Amazon.com, Dorrance Bookstore

Slack, Ed. Two Legged Snakes: Understanding and Handling Manipulative People.

Simple Truth Publishing. 2010. c130p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 978-0-9825514-1-7. $12.95. ISBN 9780982551424 (e-Book). $7.99.

Most of us probably do not like reading about troublesome situations and/or people, but every once in a while a reality check is a good thing, particularly if it can help us avoid bad experiences. In this humorously- and generously- illustrated (more than eighty illustrations), self-help publication, Dr. Ed Slack (B.S., Psychology, & M.S., Clinical Psychology, California State University, Sacramento; Ph.D, Clinical Psychology, Sierra University, Sacramento), a psychologist with more than 25 years experience working with people who are both manipulative and gifted, discusses a kind of person you may have encountered with disastrous consequences, the “two legged snake.” According to the author, the two legged snake (TLS) or bipedal snake (BS) is a manipulator, who comes in all forms and from all walks of life. Slack describes this kind of individual in terms of various categories, not limited to the Primary and Secondary (pp. 7-10) as well as the Day to Day (D2D) and Public Level. (p. 23) Beyond the aforementioned classifications, Slack discusses the 13 different forms or types of two legged snakes: the Charmer, Backstabber, Bombast Entertainer, Bilker, Decorated, Misdirector, Rhetorical, Situational, Media Maven, Lost, Lifer, Justified, and the King Cobra. (pp. 24-38) Intending to help readers and non-readers identify the various kinds of manipulators, the author also presents the types of people or “fans” who surround them, the persuasive techniques used by bipedal snakes, and their biting styles. He offers advice and tips for handling and dealing with TLS and for “making the world a less snaky place.” Addressing persons who are going through difficulties as well as everyone, since we all have “snakes in our heads,” the author sets forth keys for perceiving and overcoming deception. He suggests how readers can make good choices, not be deceived, and gain the skills to realize when they are being duped. Helpful and thoughtful, albeit on levels that may be superficial to some individuals, this humorous, fast-paced guide on a serious subject by an experienced expert will interest general readers and others. Offered for purchase with a back-of-the-book, selected bibliography and a reproducible two legged snake spotters’ checklist as well as with a downloadable bonus chapter and a money back guarantee on the book’s website, it is recommended for many public libraries as fun, supplementary, introductory, self-help manual. Review Book. Availability: Amazon.com, Twoleggedsnakes.com

Barash, Susan Shapiro. Toxic Friends: the Antidote for Women Stuck in Complicated Friendships.

St. Martin’s Press. 2009. c.288p. photogs. bibliog.. ISBN 978-0-312-38639-9. $24.99.

In this noteworthy study drawing upon popular culture and extensive personal interviews with 200 women of various backgrounds and ages as well as with experts in the fields of psychology and counseling, Barash (Professor, Critical Thinking/Gender Studies, Marymount Manhattan College, 1992- ; M.A., Writing, New York University; B.A., Writing, Sarah Lawrence College; bestselling author of Tripping the Prom Queen; author of eleven books including this one; www.susanshapirobarash.com), a nationally-recognized gender expert, explores the ten types of female friends—the Leader, the Doormat, the Sacrificer, the Misery Lover, the User, the Frenemy, the Trophy Friend, the Mirroring Friend, the Sharer, and the Authentic Friend. She helps women recognize and understand them as well as develop means for assessing them and moving forward with problematic female relationships. Barash accomplishes the aforementioned tasks, by dividing her book into three parts based upon a continuum of types of female friends: female friends that are tolerable, intolerable, and worth keeping. According to the author, most women may be able to tolerate Leaders, Doormats, Sacrificers, and Misery Lovers, while they may decide to ditch Users, Frenemies, and Trophy Friends. Women may keep Mirroring Friends, Sharers, and Authentic Friends. Covering each type of woman friend in a separate chapter, while noting how the types may overlap, Barash sets forth the characteristics of each, first hand accounts of the natures of the type of friend, examples drawn from newspapers, books, and movies, current research, the pros and cons of staying in the type of friendship, and more. Including the questionnaire she administered to her interviewees as well as its percentage results by answer, Barash further references her work with a bibliography. Nicely- presented and sufficiently- well documented, even though it lacks footnotes, an index, and some “characters” are composites, this in-depth exploration of female friendships and useful, self-help guide will interest women readers, students, scholars, and others. Accessible, easy- to- read, with a reader’s guide at the end of the book, and scholarly, it belongs in large, public and undergraduate, academic library book collections. Highly recommended. Review copy. Availability: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com