Book Review: Men and Grief, by Mitch Cohen M. ED, Contributors: Jon Yaeger; Robert Rainey; Dom Caratzas; Derek Scott, RSW, and Stuart Smith, LPC

 

"Life is suffering," is one of the Four Noble Truths in the Buddhist religion. Even though I am not Buddhist, I agree. Suffering is universal because it is an integral part of the human experience. Grieving is one of the few experiences in life we all have in common. Show me one person who has never cried in life. Go ahead, I will wait. Everybody grieves. It is quite common for women to be vocal about grief. For an example, most talk shows are female topic focused. In contrast, it is not common for men to be vulnerable and openly share their grief.  In the book, Men and Grief by Mitch Cohen M. Ed. and Contributors: Jon Yaeger; Robert Rainey; Dom Caratzas; Derek Scott, RSW, and Stuart Smith, LPC, men share their stories of grief and how they found strength to overcome sorrow through family, therapy, community and love. Let's discuss.....

How to Get Away with Murder: In Defense of Michaela Pratt

                  Michaela Pratt from How to Get Away with Murder, portrayed by actress                                                                     Aja Naomi King

How To Get Away with Murder (HTGAWM), rated TV-14, is one of my favorite legal dramas. As of November 2025, it is streaming on Amazon Prime. Peter Nowalk is the creator and Shondra Rhimes is the executive producer. HTGAWM follows the lives of Analise Keating, a defense attorney and law professor, and five of her law students (K5), who are involved in a series of complex murder plots. However, the complicated relationship between the K5 is why I repeatedly watch it on streaming. My favorite character is Michaela Pratt, portrayed eloquently by actress Aja Naomi King, who on the surface is not very likeable until you get to know her. I know her. Let's discuss....Warning, this post contains spoilers.  

Dr. Jack Schafer's Friendship Formula: How to Make Friends or Lose Them

                                                               Courtesy of Amazon 

"Alone, all alone

Nobody, but nobody

Can make it out here alone"

  From Maya Angelou's poem, "Alone"

Dr. Angelou is right. Nobody can make it in the world alone. People need people. Everything is interrelated. Recently, I had car trouble.  My over 300,000k miles sedan needed an alternator, but I did not know it at the time. Yes, my battery light came on, but I kept on driving.  I didn't heed the signs (we'll discuss this in a separate blog). As I sat on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck, I started thinking about the interrelationships of life.  As social beings, we need each other, but not all relationships work out. Sometimes it is challenging to find the right people for us. I took my car to one body shop, but they could not do the job on my schedule, needed to order the part and charged me double the price. So, I took it to another shop who had the right parts, time and price. Likewise, making friends is a hit or miss game. However, according to Dr. Jack Schafer, there is a formula for making friends. After you make them, then you decide which ones to let go of or keep. Let's discuss...