5 comments about Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life.

1. Practical adaptation of eastern wisdom to western culture. Easy to read and fairly realistic approach for beginners like me. I was able to put some of these methods to use right after reading and enjoyed some peace and relaxation that surpasses what I usually get from expensive vacations.



2. this book is one of the best books I have read on peace and mindfulness.
   I have brought so many copies for my family and friends.
   Su Ong Nhat Hanh is my favorite author, and I highly recommend all his books :-)



3. Thich Nhat Hanh's book Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life is an enlightening read!
   
   The author does a great job of showing the inextricable connection between the mind, the body, and the environment. Mindfulness is an awareness of our living right now. It helps us to become and remain mentally and physically healthy and to live harmoniously in our symbiotic relationship with each other and our environment. Our survival on this planet depends upon it.
   
   Hanh encourages us to be mindful in everything we do--for example, when we peel a tangerine eat it mindfully. He encourages us to feel the spray as we peel it. Smell the fragrance and feel the texture of fruit. Enjoy the taste and nourishment. Think of the mother of the fruit--the tree, its leaves, its blossoms and our connection with it and the environment.
   
   The author encourages us to slow down, breathe, and live in the moment. Instead of being frustrated by the obstacles--red lights, traffic, layovers--that prevent us from getting from one place to another quickly, use those moments to practice Mindfulness.
   
   I recommend this book to people of all ages and backgrounds. The author's writing style is simple and insightful. His aim is to promote peace, happiness, health, and wisdom. He did a great job!



4. A gentle reminder of who we really are and why we exist. A must-read, at least once a year.



5. Peace is Every Step takes you into a world of peace and happiness, and you need nothing to get there but your attention. In the simplest everyday tasks, the author shows us how to get the most out of our lives and experience true enjoyment. We don't have to do or have different things, we just need to pay attention to what we have and what we are doing now. Nhat Hanh gently leads us to this practice. This book has changed my life for the better. I will keep it and read it over and over.

4 comments about Gardening at the Dragon's Gate: At Work in the Wild and Cultivated World.

1. This book springs from rich earth. It digs into an era through the gardening and Buddhist practice of Wendy Johnson. It's so detailed and beautifully blended that, after a session of reading, I would marvel at the mere undertaking of writing this part-gardening, part-spiritual-journey and part-history of the times memoir. A real joy to be relished slowly.



2. Just a great book I felt I was walking in the garden with her. You just have to read this one.



3. This book is simply amazing, I could not wait for next time I could get into bed with it and a cup of tea and follow along with Wendy Johnson on her rich path of discovery through the garden and through life as a Zen person. The writing has a few too many words at times, but the fact that this was simultaneously a how-to book on gardening and a spiritual memoir full of deep Zen teachings makes it something very special. Wendy Johnson shows herself to be the real deal here, willing to take chances with her life and willing to get her hands dirty for the benefit of others and for the benefit of the planet.



4. This beautifully written book is full of wisdom and good information. It is an inspiring work that has had me smiling as I read and looking forward to getting my hands dirty in the garden.

5 comments about Mindfulness for Beginners.

1. I bought this CD at the recommendation of a social worker. I'm a perfectionist, which frequently leads me to experience anxiety. I've lived this way for 50+ years but it's not healthy. However, it has been the norm for my life. Yes, I've done some counseling over the years, which has been extremely helpful but I constantly battle with trying to do too much, making it all perfect and then dealing with the anxiety that follows.
   
   Although I've tried relaxation techniques in the past, I learned that Jon Kabat-Zinn's information is more than relaxation. It is learning to incorporate "mindfulness" into my busy, waking day. I found the information in this CD to be very informative. I've only listened to the CD two times and will need to repeat several more times to better learn this technique. Kabat-Zinn is the narrator and his voice is excellent as a reader or narrator. I highly recommend this CD, as well as the follow-up CD I am now listening to, "Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Mediation in Everyday Life".



2. I needed something, especially non-religious, to get my mind off of where our country is headed.



3. I have been lucky enough to take two Mindfulness courses and they have changed my life. Both were run by excellent course leaders but nothing compares with hearing Mindfulness founder Jon Kabat Zinn discuss the philosophy and methodology behind it. His wit, compassion and way with words themselves make CD1 compulsive listening as well as explaining the reasons for CD2 which are the practices themselves. I cannot recommend this highly enough to anybody who wants to learn about themselves and especially those seeking release from troubled mind states such as anxiety and depression. Buy it- Mindfulness practitioners will tell you honestly that they make no promises to 'fix things' but it might change your life too...



4. While going through classes to try and grasp this concept I still could not grasp the practice. This CD made things so clear. It is extremely helpful & informative. I appreciate the authors tone and easy to follow language!
   I will probably purchase follow up products from this author.



5. A very useful program to help each one of us get in touch with what's real and important. It makes a lot of sense when you think about what John says. And you can't help but relax listening to his voice.

5 comments about Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life.

1. This book is a classic. I often give it to friends who are struggling or are just looking for a new way to live more freely. I also give them FREE YOUR MIND by Sensei Anthony Stultz. His book makes all of Kabat-Zinn's ideas more clear and in a how-to fashion that is really pragmatic. I highly recommend them both (I read Free Your Mind while in the UK where it is a bestseller).



2. In the introduction to his classic mindfulness book, author Jon Kabat-Zinn writes, "This book is different. It is meant to provide brief and easy access to the essence of mindfulness meditation and its applications. It is offered particularly for those who resist structured programs and for people who don't like to be told that to do but are curious enough about mindfulness and its relevance to try to piece it together for themselves." In exquisitely austere prose, this text describes the rationale for mindfulness practice in daily life, enumerates formal meditation exercises, and introduces applications and perspectives on incorporating mindfulness in daily living.
   
   Kabat-Zinn is lightly witty throughout the text. In `Keeping It Simple' he writes, "every time you get a strong impulse to talk about meditation and how wonderful it is, or how hard it is, or what it's doing for you these days, or what it's not, or you want to convince someone else how wonderful it would be for them, just look at it as more thinking and go meditate some more. The impulse will pass and everybody will be better off--especially you."
   
   The 10th anniversary edition of Wherever You Go There You Are is a durable paperback on heavy paper stock with jacket flaps meant to be used as bookmarks. I made notes in the wide margin of my copy, highlighting the "TRY" paragraphs with specific meditation or reflection practices of appeal to me. I enthusiastically recommend that you pick up this book from your local library. You will be buying your own copy soon enough. Each of Kabat-Zinn's three books (of which this is the second) is also accompanied by a set of audio CDs that can be ordered from the author's website.



3. People consider this book a contemporary classic on meditation for good reasons. It's lovely and accessible. Jon Kabat-Zinn tackles the difficult task of explaining the nonverbal practice of meditation, which many find alien or even threatening, and makes it accessible, useful and even homey. He explains meditation not only with references to classic texts, but also by recounting his own experiences, drawing parallels with Thoreau, and discussing work and family contexts. The chapters are brief, some as short as a page, each focusing on a single topic. Many are accompanied with prompting questions or simple exercises you can try immediately. getAbstract recommends this book to people interested in reducing their stress, deepening their self-awareness and sharpening their focus.



4. While I recognize that the power of some books rest only in that they come along at the right time of one's life...this book was simply beautiful. From the first chapter until about 3/4 of the way through, I was completely drawn in and found most of what Kabat-Zinn wrote to be compelling, relevant and so totally perceptive. He spends the first half of the book building the case for meditation and what it means for live life in the present moment of everyday. He then goes into detail about how to effectively meditate. I also purchased the tape companion meditation tapes and have used them to great effect. The book and the tapes have been a great introduction to the power of meditation in one's life.



5. Definitely among my most treasured possessions. This is my introduction to meditation that wasn't too drastic. It offers an approach to serenity that includes and coexists with the routines and distractions of daily life. The language and layout lend themselves well to the kind of practical advice that is evenly parceled out at the reader's choosing. The steps are easily implemented which naturally leads to sustainable practice, important if you have work duties or family obligations to fulfill amidst the search for inner peace. Whether you read it through in one go or take time reading parts out of order, this thing works wonders. You will always get as much as you put in, which is better than a lot of other pursuits.

5 comments about The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living.

1. This is a fabulous book. I almost didn't buy it because of some of the negative reviews. I read it pieces at a time because there is a lot to mull over. Yes, a lot of the concepts are simple, but they are useful.
   I've found a lot of food for thought in this book, and being a westerner, I really appreciated the compare/contrast of many of the Dalai Lama's ideas with the western concepts I was brought up with.
   I highly recommend this book.



2. At first when I started to listen to this audio book CD. The reader put me off a bit, but I got used to his style.
   I really enjoyed the content of these CDs.
   Dalai Lama has a unique but a very straight forward way of explaining the simple things that matters in life. He recognizes everyone's desire, and need for happiness from an open perspective. I think this can benefit from people of all sort of beliefs, and walks of life.
   
   I've been recommending this to all of my friends.



3. You just have the like a book of interviews and reflections with the Dalai Lama where the interviewer/author acknowledges falling asleep during one of the Dalai Lama's talks, thinks some of the Dalai Lama's answers to his questions are off track, argues with cab drivers in India, and passes summary judgment on people he meets at dinner parties.
   
   Dr. Cutler is deeply respectful of the Dalai Lama and at the same time very honest about his own actions and reactions, warts and all. Even though the DL is on the cover this is very much Dr Cutler's book. What you get is an enjoyable and accessible internal and external conversation about living a life with more happiness.
   
   Dr. Culter weaves current physiology research, mostly in the field of positive psychology, and clinical practice together with the Dalai Lama's intro teaching on happiness. Intentionally missing are complex structural Buddhist principles that are the underpinning of the teaching.
   
   If the easy to digest descriptions of how to increase happiness in your life are appealing then this book might point you to more in-depth Buddhist readings, or it could equally point you to more readings in the field of positive psychology.



4. Excellent book. Gave it to my son and wife with great results. WOrked on me too. I am content.



5. I am not a big one for inspirational books but this one struck a chord! Not only is there insight from the Dali Lahma but the Dr. who interviews him asks all the questions I would ask and plays an excellent Devils' Advocate. Anyone who reads this will surely come out being a better person. It gives you a lot to think about. Although I think the DL is naive in some ways, you must take from the book what works for you and keep it all in perspective.

5 comments about When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times.

1. I am coming from a Religious Science and Eastern POV. I find Pema writes clearly and simply. A quick read that is a rereader. I found my thoughts, feelings and emotions shared and clarified by Pema. She accomplishes this sometimes in just a sentence or two several times throughout this book. Spiritual Practice assumed to be part of readers consciousness.



2. Pema Chodron writes this book with great clarity for everyone to understand her philosophies behind living a life of mindfulness. This 140 page book touched a part of my consciousness that has never been touched. Chodron does a wonderful job emphasizing the most practical, yet necessary introspective of Buddhist philosophies/teachings into everyday life. She compliments these introspectives with her personal stories as well as lessons/stories from her guru teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Chodron eloquently emphasizes and identifies everyone has a maitri (Buddha nature), and in order to awaken that maitri one must take necessary steps of clearing one's mind. Chodron examines a series of human emotions such as fear, death, suffering, anxiety and suggests to the reader these feelings should not be avoided. Avoidance such as grasping, blaming, denying are feeding into the philosophy of Samsara in Tibetan Buddhism (wheel of death). In fact she suggests for individuals to deal with these emotions because in essence these emotions are illusions. Nonetheless, this book is very instrumental in helping one clear their mind, and in doing so it will empower one to prolong their life through meditation, yoga, and perhaps this will provide insight and answer the question of "What or Who is God"?



3. You might think, because this is a slim book, that it will be a quick read, but my advice is to really take your time with htis book. Chodron's advice is straightforward and simple, but it has a lot ot offer and some meditation will certainly make it sink in deeper.
   
   Take your time and really appreciate the words, the advice.
   
   I know this book has helped me through some difficult times, as well as helping me forgive myself. Things fall aprt, but eventually they come together again and fall apart again.



4. When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
   This book must be digested slowly. Every sentence is valuable. It's helping me.



5. "When Things Fall Apart" gave me some really good insight into meditation for calming chaotic life episodes. "To stay with a broken heart, with a rumbling stomach, with the feeling of hopelessness and wanting to get revenge -- that is the true awakening....learning not to panic -- this is the spiritual path." I took these words to heart but it still took time to learn it and live it. Like Pema, I do not choose to run, but turn and face the demons that I will no longer allow to chase me. This is a wonderful, gentle guide to living the best we can. Elaine Williams

5 comments about The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.

1. The colors of Tibet come alive, and Dharamsala rocks (quite hilariously) into clarity. Iyer brings us into the orbit and inner sanctum of the 14th Dalai Lama -- possibly the last in a long line of Dalai Lamas -- and creates a profoundly thoughtful, intelligent, skeptical, provocative and moving portrait of the most beloved spiritual leader of our time and also a breathtaking bird's eye view of what has become of Tibet and its people in the last 50 years.
   
   The thing that's rare here is the perspective and intellectual honesty: Although he has known the Dalai Lama for thirty years, Iyer isn't a student, a follower, or even a Buddhist pracitioner. There are no overwrought feelings or needless demonstrations of somber respect, or attempts to please a big daddy figure. Iyer asks the hard questions -- has the Dalai Lama done enough for his people? -- and guides us perceptively through a rich assortment of encounters with the spiritual leader, both public and private, while skillfully revealing to us the wild projections we cast upon the smiley icon of Tibet.
   
   I can't imagine a more deliciously highbrow yet gentle-hearted portrait of anybody, much less a human being who has come to play such a huge role in our imaginations but of whom we know (and expect) so little.
   
   Pico Iyer's books are all so good -- I hope you've read The Lady and The Monk -- that I am reluctant to say this is his best work yet, but I feel it is.



2. Iyer has spent years interviewing the Dalai Lama, going along with him on his travels to the West and to Japan, as well as interviewing those close to and critical of the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala,India the home of Tibet in exile. Viewed as a god and as the leader of a nation now occupied by China, this book explores the pressures upon this man who teaches non-attachment, no-self and peace while his people live under the yoke of a brutal oppressor. This is a fascinating look at this holy man's public and private personae. The author states that he is not a Buddhist. I couldn't help but wonder how he felt about Buddhism and since he is not a Buddhist what drives his fascination with the Dalai Lama. These questions remain unanswered.



3. To a skeptic steeped in Western tradition, the Dalai Lama is a puzzling figure. A celebrity created and exploited by the media? A shrewd politician? A religious icon transcending strife and ambition?
   How "authentic" a spokesman is he for Buddhism, for Tibet?
   
   The almost simultaneous visits of the Pope and the Dalai Lama in the U.S. invite comparison. The Pope, obviously, addresses himself primarily to Catholics of any nationality or ethnicity. His speeches are circumscribed by Catholic doctrine, although he attempts to reach out to other religious faiths.
   The audience of the Dalai Lama, on the other hand, is meant to include everybody, regardless of religious affiliation. He does not try to convert people to Buddhism.
   
   Pico Iyer, by birth and education a wanderer between East and West, is uniquely suited to shed some light on the problem. His close relationship with the Dalai Lama gives him easy access, his journalistic training allows him to keep a certain distance. He clears away some of the misconceptions: the Dalai Lama is not a mystic; not a "living deity". His word is not gospel - he encourages debate and criticism. He emphasizes selflessness and compassion, the interconnectedness of all human beings. But what foreigners are usually drawn to is the exotic, spiritual side of Tibetan Buddhism - the images of skull-headed creatures riding monsters and of strange, copulating deities.
   Iyer attempts to reconcile these different aspects: the rational and the irrational, the daylight side and the nighttime side, as he puts it, of Tibetan Buddhism. And he gives us a taste of some of the divisions inside Buddhism, of competing factions (such as the followers of Shugden) and rival candidates put forward as incarnate lamas.
   
   The Dalai Lama insists that he is a "simple monk", a student as well as a teacher. Meditations, prayer and reading take up most of his day. But his rigorous training in Tibetan philosophy does not serve him well when he is confronted with tourists eager for a spiritual adventure, or impatient youths seeking a fast and efficient way to enlightenment. Therefore his message has to be watered down to what often sounds like simple tenets you might find in a Boy Scout manual. You could even buy a T-shirt displaying purported sayings of the Dalai Lama....
   
   Iyer's vivid description of Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, puts you right in the middle of the rather chaotic goings-on, and you understand that the vision of a "global village" is still far from reality. When the Dalai Lama admonishes the displaced Tibetans to "build a home within" he knows it's an idea that is hard to implement; and it is not made easier by the hippies and drifters crowding the scene.
   
   There is growing tension between the Dalai Lama's message of non-violence and increasing restlessness among younger Tibetans who are calling for political action. As I write this, the Chinese government has received emissaries of the Dalai Lama, who advocates "meaningful autonomy" for Tibet. A glimmer of hope for the Tibetans?
   
   "The image of the Open Road speaks for a perpetual becoming" writes Iyer. His own struggle for peace and clarity is reflected in these pages - an attempt, as he sees it, "to bring the Dalai Lama out of Tibet and Buddhism and into the larger community of ideas and thinkers".



4. Mr Iyer provides a tender, yet seemingly detached view of the Dalai Lama himself and the context in which he lives and has to try to balance his spiritual and political duties. Very insightful and without some of the spiritually breathless language that sometimes obscures accounts of the leader of the Tibetan people. Eminently readable!



5. This book is ok. I feel the author could have written in a more personal manner about the Dalai Lama then about his own interaction with him. I feel he was talking about his own feelings instead what the Dalai Lama is really about.

2 comments about The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology.

1. This wonderful book makes the timeless teachings of Buddhist psychology explicable and accessible to all.
   With explanations and exercises that are not culture specific and with a healthy helping of Jack's great stories that further illuminate the psychological wisdom of the Buddha, this book opens the deep understandings of Buddhist thought for all to use for their own benefit and for the benefit of all beings.
   
   As the Dalai Lama says, "Buddhism isn't a religion. It is a science of mind"
   
   and IMHO, a science of mind that can help bring healing to our own lives and to our wounded world.



2. There's an irony that at times Buddhists can become stuck in ideology, clinging to their ideas of what they believe the Buddha intended as THE right way. Jack Kornfield avoids this. He has the soft touch, open heart and discerning wisdom that comes from his own struggles and decades of meditation, practicing therapy, and teaching. He knows there is no such thing as a formula for happiness. Kornfield generously quotes from a wide range of thinkers, mystics and disciplines, knowing Buddhists don't have a lock on insight.
   
   Still, Kornfield is steeped in and dedicated to Buddhist practices; his goal is to transmit what may at times be difficult to discern insights from Buddhist psychology to a wide audience. As he writes:
   
   "At this moment, a winter rainstorm is drenching my simple writer's cabin in the woods above Spirit Rock.On my desk are classic texts from many of the major historic schools of Buddhism: the Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, the eight-thousand-verse "large version" of the Heart Sutra, with its teachings on form and emptiness, and a Tibetan text on consciousness by Longchenpa.
   
   Over time, I have learned to treasure these texts and know that they are filled with jewels of wisdom. Yet the Abhidhamma (or Abhidharma in Sanskrit), considered the masterwork of the early Theravada tradition and the ultimate compendium of Buddhist psychology, is also one of the most impenetrable books ever written. What are we to make of passages such as, "The inseparable material phenomena constitute the pure octad; leading to the dodecad of bodily intimation and the lightness triad; all as material groups originating from consciousness"? And the Heart Sutra, revered as a sacred text of Mahayana Buddhism in India, China, and Japan, can sound like a mixture of fantastical mythology and nearly indecipherable Zen puzzles. In the same way, for most readers, analyzing the biochemistry of a lifesaving drug might be as easy as deciphering some of Longchenpa's teachings on self-existent empty primal cognition."
   
   Happily, Kornfield succeeds at making the translation from traditional Buddhist texts accessible to everyone--from clinicians to those new to Buddhism. For those who are familiar with his previous books, they won't find this surprising.

5 comments about The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness (purchase includes audio CD narrated by Jon Kabat-Zinn).

1. Many of the materials that are available for working with depressive clients are most successful with Moderate to mild depression. I have found this book helpful for those with more severe depressions. The methods don't require battling negative thoughts so much as seeing them as "noise in the background". After the depression begins to lift, the more traditional cognitive therapy methods can be used in combination with the mindfulness strategies.



2. Very good research has been done on the use of mindfulness meditation in the prevention of repeated episodes of depression. While the use of classes to teach this is great, try finding them for you, or your clients if you're a therapist! This book becomes a gift then to all those who can't find the classes, or don't have the time to go. My only criticism is that it's a bit wordy and slow in the first two chapters, which might lose some people (almost lost me!) After that, though it is wonderfully written, and the CD very helpful.



3. This book is a great introduction to mindfulness meditation and it's benefits, especially with depression. It provides practical exercises and case studies to help you be more compassionate with yourself and aware of your feelings, thoughts, body sensations and behaviour, and use this awareness to live more fully in the present.



4. 5 stars for the book and 1 star for the CD...the intro was nice and then, silence, more and more silence....I'm not sure if this is a defective CD or some bizarre thing where it's supposed to be comforting to have the CD run in silence? Any hints about getting a new CD or others experience of the CD would be greatly apppreciated. I have to admit, I am very disappointed.



5. A therapist recommeded this book to me. And I couldn't be happier with it. All too often it is easier to ignore feelings, run from them, and then end up with anxiety and depression. This books helps me find a practical way of being with thoughts and feelings and learning kindness towards myself.
   
   The book is really for someone who is open to trying something new (if you don't already do meditation practices). If you want a quick fix to depression, there is probably no such thing and this book definitely isn't that. But it gives a great way to start to really live life moment by moment.

5 comments about What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful.

1. I received my delivery on 25th of March, so I didnt have the chance to read it yet. This can show the time length of shipment.
   Thanks,



2. Successful people are often asked what the secret of their success is. Often it is no secret; it's a combination of hard work, opportunity as well as the ability to reflect and learn in order to improve. "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" provides a roadmap for self-improvement. Marshall Goldsmith paints a clear and vivid path for readers to think about where they are now and what they must to do to get to wherever they want to go. Sometimes that means letting go of the past. Other times it means becoming a more attentive to the needs of others. This book illuminates the path of self-improvement so that an individual can become the successful person he or she desires to be. Full of good stories and good advice, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking to increase his or her opportunities for personal growth and development.



3. This is one of the most down to earth, easy to read, and genuinely helpful business books I've read in many years. If you are upper management or even middle management looking to make that next move up, you owe it to yourself to read this engaging book.
   Given this book by my boss, I thought "yea, why not". But now I have a couple lists of self cautions on the wall in my office where I can see them every time I'm on the phone or when someone is in my office to talk to me. I've even bought copies for my brothers and best friend.



4. 
   This book is a "great gift" from Marshall Goldsmith to his reader. How so? In the Coda, he suggests this exercise:
   
   "Imagine that you are 95 years old and ready to die." By then you (i.e. the reader) understand what is really important and what isn't, what matters and what doesn't. "What advice would this wise `old you' have for the `you' who is [receiving the advice]? Take your time and answer the question on two levels: personal advice and professional advice. Jot down a few words that capture what the old you would be saying to the younger you. Once you have written these words down, the rest is simple: Just do whatever you wrote down. Make it your resolution for the rest of the current year, and the next. You have just defined your `there.'"
   
   Everything Goldsmith provides in this volume can help his readers to develop or reactivate what he aptly characterizes as "a built-in GPS mechanism" so that they will "be blessed with [both a map and] an internal compass that orients them automatically. They will [always] make the correct turn and end up where they intended via the most economical route...[because they possess] an exquisite sense of who they are, which translates into perfect pitch about how they come across to others."
   
   It sounds easy, doesn't it? All you have to do is read this book and (like a magic carpet) it will get you from where you are now to where you want to be. On the contrary, for most people who read this book, the challenge is formidable. First, they must accept the fact that Pogo was right: "We have met the enemy and he is us." Then, they must focus on correcting those faults and breaking those habits that currently control their interpersonal behavior. And then they must focus each day, each moment, on avoiding those faults and habits. They cannot do it themselves. With all due respect to the value of Goldsmith's counsel, those who commit to this difficult process of self-improvement must seek the assistance of members of their family as well as associates in their workplace.
   
   Goldsmith identifies twenty of the most common flaws, none of which is a flaw of skill, intelligence, or personality. (That's a key point). "What we're dealing with here are challenges of in interpersonal behavior, often leadership behavior. They are the egregious everyday annoyances that make your workplace more noxious than it needs to be. They don't happen in a vacuum. They are transactional flaws performed by one person against others." Throughout the narrative, Goldsmith cites dozens of real-world examples to illustrate key points but, for obvious reasons, changes the names of those involved. It should be noted that, for several decades, Goldsmith career has primarily involved providing executive coaching services to senior-level executives and he does so on a one-on-one basis. To the extent possible, he establishes the same relationship with each reader. To his credit, he has a clear sense of who he isn't (e.g. a judge of others' behavior) and what he doesn't do (e.g. define anyone else's "there"). As Goldsmith frequently acknowledges, it remains for each reader to determine which flaws are most detrimental to her or his interpersonal relationships. He also points out that many people are either unaware of their faults or unaware of the extent they are resented by others. Hence the importance of continuous feedback from family members and business associates.
   
   The first portion of this review identifies the "there" to which the title refers. It is important to understand that you can get there only if you fully understand both what your "here" is and why. (It may not be where you think it is.) Read the book, then complete the exercise briefly described earlier so that you can obtain "wisdom" that you already possess. "Use that wisdom now. Don't look ahead. Look behind. Look back from your old age at the life you hope to live. Know that you need to be happy now, to enjoy your friends and family, to follow your dreams.
   
   "You are here.
   You can get there!
   Let the journey begin."



5. This is the most complete waste of time for anyone who wants to learn anything. It is so bad that I cannot even finish it!