Victoria Costello
Psychology and Health Author, Ghostwriter
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TWO GUIDE BOOKS OUT IN 2011 from Alpha Books, a division of Penguin USAMy How-to for Aspiring Memoir Writers
(Dec/2011) Writing a memoir is more than making a list of life’s big moments. A good memoir tells a true story in the same way as a novel tells a fictional one. Therefore, memoirists must employ the same tactics as novelists to tell a unique personal story. The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Writing a Memoir enables readers to learn to: • Select a focus—the period of time or series of events on which to concentrate and explore the theme that arises from this pivotal time in their lives. • Invoke and recreate essential pieces of conversations and scenes that took place long ago in order to accurately recreate them in a narrative with a beginning, middle and end. • Hone their craft—plot, dialogue, setting, pacing, and point of view are the essential ingredients for writing a compelling memoir. • Add a pinch of drama • Write, re-write, edit and consider the possibility of publication Through prompts, exercises and inspirational examples from published memoirists, this guide will help readers learn and refine their personal writing in order to create a memoir they’ll wish to share with others. ____________________________________________________________________________
The Complete Guide to Child & Adolescent Psychology, coauthored with Jack Westman, MD (Jul/2011) Reviewed by Linda A. Jansenn If you're afraid of dull, tedious textbooks, have no fear of reading The Complete Idiot's Guide to Child and Adolescent Psychology. I was thrilled to find a comprehensive, well-researched and highly readable introduction to the history, current research findings and up-to-date trends in child psychology. I especially appreciate how co-authors Jack C. Westman M.D., M.S. and Victoria Costello have organized the book in such a way that makes for very accessible and reader-friendly use. Beginning with Discovering Childhood followed by Foundations of Personality, this textbook flows naturally into A Child Is Part of a Family before addressing The Big Picture (outlining emotional, moral and cognitive development). If interested in specifics you can then focus more in-depth on Ages and Stages. Finally, they highlight important challenges in the section Issues in Child Psychology, and how to deal with them in Therapeutic Approaches. Key definitions are described in simple yet effective terms; the co-authors also offer specially highlighted sections for insights and complications surrounding important developments. Another great feature is 'Least You Should Know' – succinct snippets of key chapter points, ideal for the busiest of readers. How I wish such a welcoming textbook were available all those years ago when I was in college! Linda A. Janssen is a writer and American expat living in the Netherlands. She writes primarily on expat issues, and blogs at www.adventuresinexpatland.com ; she is currently writing a book on the importance of emotional resilience in expatriate life. lindaajanssen@aol.com Download: Self Esteem: What it is and Isn't (38.0KB)
from the book Child & Adolescent Psychology More about this book...
Explains Basics of Child and Adolescent Psychology Child and adolescent psychology is a complex field that includes developmental psychology, biology, social psychology and various schools of theory and therapies. The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Child and Adolescent Psychology is a book that provides insights for parents, students, teachers, social workers and other professionals, it includes: · The psychological development of a child from birth through the teenage years · How psychological theories about children are tested and applied to education and parenting · How parent-child attachment affects emotional, moral and intellectual development · A full discussion of psychological challenges such as autism, bipolar disorder, learning disabilities, and schizophrenia · Insights into the effect of digital media on the psyches of children · Role and effectiveness of child psychotherapy and family therapy I was privileged to write this book with Jack C. Westman M.D. M.S. (Madison, Wis.), Professor Emeritus in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Westman served as Director of Child Psychiatry for the University of Wisconsin Hospitals. He has published 9 books and over 140 professional articles and continues to work nationally for greater recognition of the unmet needs of children, adolescents, and their families. The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Child and Adolescent Psychology ISBN: 9781615640638, July 2011, $19.95 ______________________________________________________________________________________ 
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