5 comments about Frogs into Princes: Neuro Linguistic Programming.

1. I have no background in hypnosis or NLP aside from reading some books. Frogs into Princes had a strange effect on me in a very good way and I can't wait to reread it!



2. the book was excellant.really tought you how to use your brain in a more productive way.it was written in a way that youll be able to remember the text with ease.



3. This book is a little hard to get into because it is essentially a transcript of a Seminar that Richard and John put on to discuss their views on Neuro-Linguistic Programming to other therapists... These are two of the founders of NLP and it was written in 1979, a time when NLP was trying to establish itself in the therapeutic community. This is readily apparent by the stabs the authors make at existing paradigms. The book does not mention which author is talking so it is difficult to get a grasp of who`s viewpoints are whoms, so it is assumed that both authors are in agreement with the concepts presented. If you get out of the mindset of expecting the concept of NLP being presented in an organized easy to understand manner, then one can glean some interesting information and pearls from this book that I will share.
   
   The authors refer to themselves as modelers. Meaning they are masters of modeling others behaviors:
   " We pay very little attention to what people say and a great deal of attention to what they do...The function of modeling is to arrive at descriptions which are useful....We're not offering you something that is true just things that are useful"
   
   They take a certain pride in separating themselves apart from other branches of therapy in that most of the other fields "focus on truth and may or may not get results." However, they re-establish their status in the therapy field by modeling some of the greatest therapists in existence like Virginia Satir and Milton Erickson. There is included a therapy session by Satir with the authors explaining how she intuitively employs NLP by matching the client rather than trying to make the client match them.
   
   They came up with the concept of "if what you do does not work, do something else," which you would think was intuitive. They go on to criticize other therapists who label their clients as "resistant" and accuse the non-NLP therapist that they are shifting the blame of poor results to the client when they should simply be trying something else. To cement this concept they offered discuss an experiment from the eighties where the B.J Skinner did work with rats and mazes. One day, he decided to add humans to the experiment. Over several weeks he performed the experiment where he taught the rats or human to run thru a maze for the reward of cheese or a 5 dollar bill found at the end of the maze. Of course, he noticed the humans were quicker learners as expected. Further results were counter intuitive. When he tried to extinguish the behavior by removing the reward found at the end of the maze, it became interesting. After multiple attempts the rats no longer attempted to run the maze...."however, the humans never stopped!! They are still there! They break into the lab at night looking for 5 dollar bills at the end of the maze." That is the peculiar trait about human beings. "If they find something they can do that does not work, they do it again." Thus the concept of "if what you do does not work, do something else." I could not help but to have visions of Las Vegas and people putting their life savings into the slot machines looking for the reward at the end of the maze.
   
   There was an intriguing sentence on matching where they discussed representational systems and said that to establish good rapport one merely had to match the predicated words of the other person's representational system. But if you want to alienate the other person you could deliberately mismatch the predicates. This skill could be very useful in situation where one would not want to converse like on an airplane.
   
   Another pearl was their view on what words mean. "Words are triggers that tend to bring into your consciousness certain parts of your experience and not others." So you cannot hear a word without having an associative experience. Since everyone's experience is different. everyone's perception of a word will be slightly different. This is called slippage. There is a slippage between the words and a persons experience as well as a slippage between two peoples corresponding experience for the same word. This is their explanation for maps of reality although they do not distinctly label it as such.
   
   The authors went into a great deal of detail explaining to the audience how to attain visual acuity with respect to the eye motions indicating a person's representational system that they are using. They did this with putting several audience members on stage and then asking them questions to see exactly what their body language and eye directions were. They went into greater detail with assessing one audience member as " leads visually, represents kinesthetically and then has an auditory reference system check which tells him that his feelings are valid" I think part of this detail was to impress their audience with complexity rather than present an easily duplicatable system.
   
   They do offer hope in their view of humans. They see people as having only a few strategies. That is why they are good at some things but not others. But by increasing the number of strategies available to a person, they claim that "if any human can do something then so can you." I do agree with this statement as I attribute my life's successes on the ability to successfully model other people's behaviors.
   
   Bandler and Grinder have a unique definition of conscious and unconsciousness. They state that the conscious is defined as whatever you are aware of at that moment in time and subconscious is everything else" Which puts a more tangible definition of what the unconscious mind is, as most definitions quantify it as a limitless entity.
   
   During the seminar the author made a large arc arm movement that startled people. He explained the startled feeling by saying that the hand motion unconsciously told people to process what he was saying auditorily and that it knocked any visual based pictures out of the air. He stated that "if you can determine what a persons lead and representational systems are, you can package information in a way that is irresistible for them" He goes on to say that "the meaning of communication is the response that you get, if you are not getting what you want, change what you are doing." This is similar to Genie Labourde's viewpoint.
   
   The authors site a good explanation for the NLP dictate to not use a negative when discussing a desired outcome. They refer to a child who is instructed "not to fall down." In order for the child to understand the sentence they have to refer to their internal representation of falling down. That internal representation will result in the behavior the parent is trying to prevent. Positive instructions "like pay attention to your balance and move slowly" can yield a more positive outcome.
   
   Concepts from earlier books by the same authors, The Structure of Magic, were reviewed with respect to the metamodel of eliciting more specific responses to questions. The authors demonstrated several examples of metamodel questions. They said to do NLP well one must have mastery over the metamodel questions, otherwise techniques will be sloppy. "Metamodel questions are the questions that really give you the appropriate information immediately"
   
   The second day of the book discusses mirroring and crossover mirroring, gives some example of anchoring and collapsing of anchors and past experiences that the authors had with clients. Overall not as interesting as the fist day as they are merely trying to show the therapists how they have used NLP in their practices.
   
   The third day, discussed states and several organizing principles of states which we find useful. The first principle is that it is better to have choice than no choice. It is the therapist's job to broaden the clients' choices. The second is the notion of unconscious choice. This is where a behavior is exhibited because it fulfills a need even though it is counter to a person's stated conscious desire. For example, overeating as a way of compensating for a failing marriage. The third in that people already have the resources they need in order to change, if they can be helped to use them in the appropriate context. Again, the bally wick of the successful therapist. The forth is that each and every single piece of behavior has a positive function in some context and there is a difference between the behavior and the intention. So when someone exhibits bizarre behavior that is a good signal to you that the person is responding to something that is not available to the typical observers' sensory experience. They are responding to some internal represented thought that is giving them an intended positive experience even though they will not consciously admit it. This is evident when examining unhealthy behaviors that fulfill a secondary gain of some sort. Examples are given on how to reframe these unhealthy behaviors by resolving the conflict between conscious desires and the program that provides a secondary gain. Reframing is accomplished by having the client's sub-personalities talk the situation out and come up with alternative behaviors that serve the whole. If the behavior does not change or reverts, that is a sign that the new kind of behavior was not as effective at fulfilling the sub personalities desires in a congruent way and the discussion must begin anew. Several real life examples are given.
   
   Over all a deep book for my first introduction to NLP. I found myself breezing it rather than reading it because of its more sophisticated intended audience of therapists. After studying Genie Labourde's book a lot of what Bandler and Grinder discussed made more sense than it did when I re-read the book with more knowledgeable eyes. However, I could not shake the feeling that they could have presented the information in a different way and it would have made more sense to all audiences and not been so dry. I got the impression that they were fulfilling the publishers request for this years books and that they didn't write one. The way they spoke in the book, they seemed to be the cowboys of their field. This is evident in the way they buck traditional therapeutics themes and their sometimes irreverent examples of their own therapy experiences with other clients. But sometimes it takes cowboys to rope the existing therapeutic community into seeing a new concept. Bandler and Grinder are perceived to be some of the godfathers of NLP, as such, I am glad to have experienced the book, but aside from its historic perspective, I do no recommend it to the novice NLP student



4. I read this book over twenty years ago. I found the tools I got from the book still valuable in my process oriented hypnotherapy work with clients. The idea of pacing and anchoring were the most valuable. The book describes a workshop in progress, so you get the feeling of being there and involved with the practices. Unlike other hypnotic systems, there is an assumption that people are already in a trance that can be worked with. In a sense, we are always hypnotizing each other, but when we are more conscious of the process then we can make the changes that we want.



5. The first "how to" for NLP. Every time you read it you will find something new. NLP has changed much over the years, yet Frogs remains a classic. A definite "must have" for any NLPer. Also out-of-print so get it now.

5 comments about Awakening the Heroes Within: Twelve Archetypes to Help Us Find Ourselves and Transform Our World.

1. As a software developer and mathematician presently in my early 60's, ever since I can remember I have always been long on technology and short on "people" knowledge Yet from my early adolescence I remember my dad telling me how important it is to know oneself. While I always agreed with this good advice, whenever I explored my soul, I seemed to fail to come up with meaningful, non-judgemental answers - possibly because my questions themselves were not thought provoking.

   Enter Ms Peason and her "Heros Within" book. Her brilliant, accessible review of the 12 archetypes that define our personalities suddenly provided me with a new handle - a key to a better understanding of myself and others. What I particularly appreciated in her book was its combination of a rigurous, scientific treatment of the subject, couched in a language both accessible and devoid of academic circumlucutions. I would reccomend her book to anyone who wants to understand himself/herself better and/or redefine his/her professional and personal life.




2. It's easy to forget the good things and focus on the problems. This is a delightful book that reminds us to seek the best in each other and to live with the intention to create a great relationship.



3. Carol Pearson, co-creator of the Pearson-Marr Archetypes Indicator, explores 12 archetypes "to help us find ourselves and transform our world." Transformation, in this case, seems to be an inner journey of revising our self-concept, deepening and enriching our ideas about others, and gaining new insights, rather than a program for material engagement with outer circumstances.
   
   Purchaser can take the Heroic Myth Index (HMI; I am not sure how this differs from the PMAI, a proprietary instrument) to find out what archetypes are strongest in you. It is an interesting activity. The description of each archetypes tells about its spiritual journey. Self-growth exercises are proposed at the end of the chapter. As well, Pearson includes useful background information about achieving inner balance. The writing is sometimes a bit stodgy, and I prefer more examples. This is outweighed by Pearson's credentials as a professional whose research has contributed to our understanding and use of archetypes as tools for personal understanding and growth.



4. Haven't read it yet, but the the table of contents and a quick review confirm that this is serious and thorough material.



5. This is a god book if you want to understand your personality and how to live with yourself and the people around you. In some ways it is like psychology 101. Some chapters are easy to read and understand but others are the kind that take longer to understand. Helps if you have a friend to compare note with.

2 comments about Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment.

1. This text exposes a political agenda citing "facts" without supporting evidence. Too many examples exist to enumerate but as an example p 206 states that the Justice system in America is an oxymoron since African Americans represent 12% of the population and comprise 50% of the incarcerated population. If this is due to a racist justice system the text certainly does not expose the underlying reasons; nor does it even cite a reference! It acknowledges, only parenthetically, that there is considerable debate as to the extent of racism vs. differential crime rates by race as accounting for the above-mentioned statistical discrepancy.
   
   The text repeatedly emphasizes, and in fact almost singles out, that the United States is a racist country. The text, repeatedly, makes mention that Abraham Lincoln was a racist.
   
   I would recommend 'Human Behavior in the Social Environment' by Longres as a far superior substitute.
   
   This book should have no place in any respectable learning environment.



2. There were no problems in ordering my book. Would buy from amazon anytime. The book is self is very interesting. The chapter are way too long but a good read.

5 comments about 100 Days of Weight Loss: The Secret to Being Successful on Any Diet Plan.

1. I just started this book three days ago but I am already excited about it. My book had a handwritten note from the author and I also received an email wishing me luck and offering support. Just the personal correspondence is great! I am on day 2 and, at the end of the 100 days, will be back to give a full review.
   
   P.S. I have a blog wherein I chronicle my weight loss struggles as well as my daily life.



2. I thought this was a very good book, with quick, easy, practical lessons. I found it motivating and insightful. Not every lesson resonated with me and I found some of the examples to be irritating and irrelevant, but I'm only one part of her audience and I'm sure those lessons and examples spoke to someone else. As far as the lessons go, you can do as much or as little as you want with them. Some days, I wrote a lot. Some days I wrote just a few sentences. If I missed a day, I just picked it up the next day. If you can't commit to that, I'm not sure if you're ready to commit to long-term weight loss or maintenance. The most important lessons, I think, are around managing long term weight loss. It really is a rest of your life challenge!



3. Love this book! I am on Day 10 and I really find it helpful. It offers good sound advice and a chance to reflect of your own personal weight issues. It is an excellent companion to any weight loss plan.



4. I am on day 19 of "100 days of Weight Loss" and look forward to each new day's lesson. Each day touches on important emotional struggles with any weightloss program.



5. I found this book enabled me to recognize some of the main reasons which caused me to fail on previous diets. It was easy to digest, and the daily readings and tasks were easy to follow and kept me focused. The one day at a time approach is making dieting less onerous.

5 comments about Living with the Passive-Aggressive Man.

1. Even though I have described my soon-to-be-ex husband passive aggressive many times, I didn't fully understand all of its complexity and manisfestation. I first learned about P-A in more details in Albert Bernstein's book 'Emotional Vampires', which led me to this book and Pattie Henry's 'The Emotionally Unavailable Man'. This book literally saved my sanity! I had so many Oh-my-god moments: the firm nice-guy persona, the fear of dependency, the denial of anger, the excuses and eventually outright lies. The list goes on. I am by no means perfect in the relationship, but I tried to re-examine myself according to all the rationalization he threw at me, which always implied that I was the reason why he couldn't do x, y, and z. The maddening thing was when I confronted him about how painful this was to me, he innocently and even lovingly explained that it was my trust issue, or misunderstanding--anything but him.
   
   After 7 years of maddening and confusing communication, I finally realized no amount of therapy will work if the P-A is not ready to be open, which is extremely difficult for them because the fear and control are at the heart of their denial. Setting bounary is the only healthy thing to do. In my case, it meant divorce. The way I see it is that it is sad to end a marriage, but having one's dignity and sanity is far more important. This book will give you the insight needed to make the best choice for you.



2. When purchasing a book I usual read reviews and try to read many of them to get a balance of opinions. I must say I was a little concerned with the negative remarks about how Wetzler blames the person with the passive aggressive man for his behavior. But after reading it with an open mind I have had a break through to see my own role much more clear. I am on a second marriage and both men are good men but very difficult to deal with on almost a daily basis. When it's good it good and then something happens and back at the power struggles. Almost like an oxymoron. One part is loving, ethical person and the other is just not available to the point of making everyday life difficult. Having 2 relationships similar says there is something about me that is choosing this type of person. For every good thing I can say about them there is the double edge sword. The most giving/selfish man I've ever met. Thank you for this book, I see my own role in both of these relationships much more clear and hopefully the current one may be salvaged. We should all take a bit more time looking at ourselves not to blame, but to grow. We are the only ones we truly have control to change. My only complaints are the examples are pretty extreme and I do think that sometimes passive aggressive behavior is more subtle. With extreme examples it's sometimes hard to believe it could be your situation.



3. I couldn't have written a better book myself that describes my husband exactly. It took me nearly twenty years to figure him out and thanks to this book, I am now enlightened!



4. I just finished reading this book and to say the least I was emotionally exhausted by the time I reached the last page. The book was incredibly helpful in identifying the behavioral patterns of the PA personality, how they manage to twist or avoid any emotional situation. The sneaky ways in which they are abusive and destructive toward building any meaningful connection toward the people who care for them. The book was incredibly helpful to me in identifing problem issues from a relationship with a PA man. Beyond identifying the PA patterns though I felt that the advice to those who must deal with them was inadequate or at best unreasonable. To quote another reviewer it was "walking on eggshells 101". There seemed to be very little constructive action indicated that we can take as the recipients of this kind of hostile behavior. So much of what was recommended was how to coddle the PA, and check your own needs or feelings at the door.



5. This book made a HUGE impact on my life. I had been in a 7+ year, live-in relationship with a man since High School. The descriptions in this book were DEAD ON. I would frequently jump up screaming after reading passages in the book because they were so accurate it was unbelievable. My favorite was the description of how they often "forget" their wallet in order to get someone else to pay their way. My ex used this one CONSTANTLY. I realized that not only was my ex passive-aggressive, but so was every other man I had ever been attracted to. I then realized that I was co-dependent.
   
   The next man I dated was obviously not passive-aggressive. I was not attracted to him but tried to break the cycle by dating him anyway. He turned out to be a psychopath, felon, registered sex offender, and stalker. So now I've given up, bought a house, and live alone. It's 100 times better than I could have ever imagined (I think I'm cured of my co-dependency now).

5 comments about Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition Of The Mayan Book Of The Dawn Of Life And The Glories Of.

1. Great Book, using it for class right now, and the teacher loves the book too...



2. We are offered an excellent translation of the classic Maya text. The imagery is vivid and memorable. The book transports us into the minds of ancients who created one of the most remarkable cultures on the planet.



3. For understanding the basis of the upcoming My2K event of Dec., 2012, this Dennis Tedlock translation is great. I wasn't expecting the story to be humorous, but it is. Entertaining and enlightening.



4. I highly recommend this book to any one who has an interest in the Mayan civilization.



5. I have read quite a few Mayan books before this one, its a good one. I have a hard time hanging on to and processing the words read in novels, id guess its my slight dyslexia. For some reason scientific books are easier for me. Its a good book and its quite interesting.

5 comments about Influence: Science and Practice (4th Edition).

1. This is one of my favorite social psychology books. It is about compliance. It is about influencing others.
   
   It is probably one of the most important works available to the general public regarding the science of compliance. How to get customers, counterparties in negotiation, etc. to be primed to act in a targeted way (i.e., to get them to say "Yes", or to do something you want, etc.).
   
   The top people on "Madison Avenue" (advertising, marking, publicity, etc.), campaigning, political action, interrogation, etc. know these concepts. You should too. If only to be aware of the subtle factors that could influence you in acting in a manner you are initially opposed to, not necessarily to use them. However, if you are a negotiator, or are in marketing, or involved in campaigning and spreading "messages" or involved in "thought leadership" - you definitely need to read this book and learn its concepts and techniques. Consumers - which these days is basically everyone - should read this - so they don't get taken in or advantage of by advertising and marketing campaigns.
   
   This book is all about influencing behavior - influencing the behavior of others - as well as being on guard from being the subject, or target of, these influencing techniques to your detriment.
   
   Briefly, you can understand these influence techniques by understanding the concepts that Cialdini in Influence elucidates (with multiple cases and examples found in the book):
   
   1. Reciprocation - People tend to help people that help them.
   
   2. Consistency - People tend to act consistently over time. Small moves (especially when those moves - actions or statements - are public) towards a goal are hard to reverse. Small gains thus become leveraged into larger gains (i.e., gains being equal to the subject's behavior moving towards the target behavior). Past behavior can be used to influence future behavior.
   
   3. Social Proof - This is when third-party's lend their credibility (for e.g., "Lance Armstrong uses product x" - the implication is so should you, etc.) or "Everyone likes x" - so should you. This is the "bandwagon" appeal which is also used in advertising and propaganda techniques.
   
   4. Liking - People tend to like their friends and people who are nice to them, people that are ingratiating.
   
   5. Authority - Similar to social proof, but here, this is based on the background of the person making a statement. For example, "Tom Smith is a Ph.D. in economics. He says the economy is going down." Thus you take his advice or conclusion (claims) as true just based on his credentials and not based on his argument and the evidence he provides (if any) in support of it.
   
   6. Scarcity - People think that if something is scarce that it is valuable. This is not necessarily the case. An example: "this sale only lasts for three days, hurry and buy this car". Or another example is an executive or other person who feigns "busy-ness") to influence someone - to feign importance.
   
   This book is very important in our age of mass media. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in advertising or marketing, negotiation, or the general public (i.e., consumers).



2. I did not buy the book to find out how to schnook the unsuspecting, but that's pretty much what I learned. Or learned a -bit- of. After reading Woodward and Denton's far superior Persuasion & Influence in American Life, Cialdini's work seems like densely worded overkill attempting to concretize a mere seven worthwhile, but very simple concepts.
   
   These seven concepts could have easily been dealt with in a magazine article: 1) Conditioned, co-dependent, people-pleasing "reciprocation;" 2) post-purchase "committment" to fend off cognitive dissonance; 3) peer-conscious, approval-seeking, run-with-the-pack "social proof" in place of actual evidence; 4) acquiescence to seduction or "liking the friendly thief;" 5) socially conditioned acceptance of "authority;" 6) anxiety-driven fear of "scarcity" (or not getting what we want because we think it won't be available "next time"); and 7) the "instant influence" created by informational overwhelm and perceived lack of time or resources to examine the evidence for and against a decision.
   
   If Cialdini dealt with these at such length with concrete examples that were more easily grasped, I might have given this -three- stars, but his writing style is so opaque, it flows like molasses in winter on the south shore of Lake Ontario. Hey! It's cheap, but even so, I'm scratcing my head as to why "over one million copies [have been] sold!" ...unless most of them were bought by used car salesmen, stock brokers, real estate agents and telephone solicitors.



3. Its an older book so the information might be a bit dated. Its a lot of what you will learn in an intro psych course or soc psych course.
   
   Good book for lay person though. Its entertaining and well orgainized.



4. What lets some people be listened to while others are completely ignored -- despite saying essentially the same thing? "Influence: Science in Practice" has sold over a million and a half copies is an examination of the concept of Influence and its effect in the world of business. The new and improved fifth edition adds more supportive anecdotes, the effect of popular culture, technological advances, and cultural issues that appear. Now in a newly updated and expanded fifth edition, "Influence" is a must for anyone who wants to be heard in the world of business.



5. I purchased this title for an MBA course, 'The Causes of Corporate White Collar Crime'. It, along with quite a few case studies, makes up our reading content for this course. Cialdini does a thorough job of focusing on a number of topics of influence: reciprocation, consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity. For each of these topics, Cialdini successfully incorporates many real life examples to help flesh out and explain each of these. Instead of some hard to read textbook, it is an enjoyable read and easy to get into and follow.

5 comments about Asperger Syndrome And Difficult Moments: Practical Solutions For Tantrums, Rage And Meltdowns.

1. An excellent book, good practical advice. A must for anyone involved with teaching a child with Aspergers Syndrome. The first few chapters breakdown in simple talk what Aspergers People have the most difficulties with. It points out the areas that are considered "normal" for Aspergers syndrome, and that your child is not the only child having these difficulties. I found this particularly useful to show to teachers and principals who are either too busy or lack the inclination to learn about the Syndrome.
   
   The next part of the book explains the rage process, what to look out for, where the teaching zones are and where it is best left until the child has calmed down.
   
   The latter stage of the book gives solutions to the issues that result in Tantrums and meltdowns.
   
   A must for anyone teaching Aspergers children and a great help to parents.



2. This book was a huge help to me when my son was going through adolescence. I would strongly recommend any book by this author.



3. Excellent resource for classroom and home use. I would recommend it for anyone dealing with the the difficulties associated with ASD.



4. Brenda Smith Myles has been providing families and professionals excellent information on understanding and working with children with Asperger Syndrome for years. This book is very useful to focus on the reasons for the rages, temper tantrums and meltdowns that occur at home and school.
   
   She walks the reader through an explaination of the hows and whys of a child with AS and then provides examples of how to analyze problem areas and develop plans of remediation.
   
   One has to remember that the behaviors she is addressing are the result of confusion, frustration, or a sense of incompetence on the part of the AS child. They don't need more put downs, or criticism from those around, but rather cool, calm, supportive assistance. This book gives help in becoming more like that.



5. As a parent with two boys with AS and two girls with anxiety this is one of the most insightful and supportive books about managing rage and meltdowns I have ever read. Had it been available years ago I doubt things would have gone so badly with my children in school. It provides guidance for teachers and includes issues about unhelpful teaching interventions in very practical terms.

5 comments about Infections and Inequalities: The Modern Plagues.

1. Farmer, a physician-anthropologist and activist, examines both the way that poverty and inequality result in the spread of HIV and TB today and the flawed justifications for inequitable access to treatment. His ethnographic analysis provides a powerful complement to standard epidemiological work, and this treatise on the danger as well as the immorality of inequity in medical care is largely convincing.
   
   Farmer illustrates several broad themes effectively with case studies from Haiti and Peru. One is the idea that most studies overemphasize individual agency, failing to recognize serious "structural" factors, such as the pressure that extreme poverty exerts on people to engage in unhealthy behaviors and the problems introduced by economic inequality. (One example of the latter is that in unequal countries like Peru, second-line TB drugs are available because of demand by the rich, so doctors also prescribe them to the poor who can only afford them intermittently, which generates drug-resistant strains of the disease.) Another theme is that people in rich nations tend to place heavy weight on "strange" cultural beliefs and customs in explaining high disease prevalence, whereas actual epidemiological research tends to show that these factors carry little weight relative to poverty-related factors. While he uses AIDS in Haiti to illustrate this tendency, it applies perfectly to popular Western conceptions of AIDS in Africa: the popular media tend to emphasize cultural practices such as wife inheritance and a strong sex drive, whereas epidemiological research fails to support a major role for these.
   
   A third theme, which Farmer often trumpets but not as convincingly, is that many of the trade-offs voiced by policymakers are ultimately false. One example is the question of whether to treat tuberculosis with drugs or prevent it (e.g., by investing in economic development). He then uses the success of his clinic in Haiti as an example of both treating and preventing TB. The ultimate argument is that the wealthy have no right to withhold their wealth from the poor. However, he gives us no clear sense of how the resources to generalize this to the world at large should be marshaled. While the trade-off may be philosophically false, the practical application is unclear.
   
   But even without a plan of action, Farmer illuminates key problems in the analysis of infectious disease spread and makes a convincing plea to share the wealth (and the technology).



2. By claiming "social reform," Farmer contradicts his stance as an American citizen: Haiti has no money to support its own citizens, that's why the US and others are doing Haiti's job. But, the US has to care for its own citizens as well therefore has to first work on its own AIDS patients within its boundary. If the US does that as its social reform, Haiti instantly dries up.
   
   Irritating mistakes somehow got through inspection: PAligre Dam? PEligre? (P. 174) PuertO Plata? PueltA? (P. 119)



3. Too long . Written with sientific dicipline & detail and burdened by too much specialized medical terminology for the popular reader . The idealism is admerable and the conclusion are justified but it speaks to the medical profession more than to the general public . A slow diffucult book to read . Sombody else should write the same book for the popular reader and for leaders in public policy .



4. An enlightening and insightful book that passionately sets a higher standard for those involved in medicine or any type of humanitarian work. He is passionate about what he says, but careful not to make assumptions that have not been well documented and researched. The book challenged my thinking when it comes to health care, poverty, and our social duty to take action against injustices in the world.



5. The context of epidemics is important. What happens to the poor people who have drug resistant tuberculosis? Market mechanisms do not serve the interest of global health equity. The cost-efectiveness argument is weak. Poverty limits freedom of choice. AIDS education falls short. Arguments about limited resources should not prevail. There is a global web of unequal relationships. Structural violence and cultural difference have been conflated in AIDS studies.
   
   Anthropology and medicine have blind spots. Virchow understood medicine had biologic and social underpinnings. There is not enough high-tech medicine to go around. Inequality itself is a pathogenic force. The author's interpretation of modern plagues has been shaped by work in Haiti and Peru. As scientific and medical communities tried to make sense of AIDS, the author was drawn into the discipline of the sociology of knowledge. World systems theory, one of the newer anthropological theories, could posit that Paul Farmer of Harvard and Haiti is a conduit for resources.
   
   In many instances of disease emergence, social topography is more important than geographic topography. The differential political economy of risk is described. The major risk factor for AIDS is poverty. Personal agency has been exaggerated. From typhoid to tuberculosis to AIDS, blaming the victim is a theme in the literature. Being sick results from structural violence, not from bad personal choices. The author lived in a village in rural Haiti when both AIDS and political violence arrived. Haitian cases of AIDS defied the risk-grouping descriptions prevalent in the 1980's. The Haitian epidemic of AIDS originated in the United States.
   
   Recent circumstances in Haiti include deepening poverty, gender inequality, instability. The author and other physicians and health workers have learned that a belief in sorcery among Haitians does not preclude adherence to a biomedical regimen. Furthermore, high cure rates for tuberculosis, (often a twin affliction of AIDS), are possible in settings of extreme poverty. Juxtaposing treatment with prevention are false debates.
   
   The author has traced the march of inequality as it affects health care in a myriad of ways. Endnotes and an extensive bibliography follow the text of this excellent work. Everyone should buy it, everyone should read it.

5 comments about Use Both Sides of Your Brain: New Mind-Mapping Techniques, Third Edition (Plume).

1. Tony Buzan is not an expert in brain science, nor is he an originator. This is evident in the "facts" he gives to explain how the brain/mind works. The info given is old pseudoscience about the mind, adapted from the extreme views of Sperry, amongst other speculative writers of the 1970s. But I know why Tony Buzan hasn't updated the information to include all the studies that show; mind mapping does not work to any significant level, it is not adopted to any significant level by students, it does not balance the brain any more than other types of note making, and it certainly does not make you smarter.
   
   The reason for this persistent adherence to old and debunked pseudoscience, is that it sells books. Some common mind myths include; You use less than 1% of your brain, the brain is seperated into specific left/right skills, creativity can be increased easily using simple techniques, and just imagining something will bring it to pass in reality. These have all been debunked in the latter part of the 1970s.
   
   The techniques given in the book are extremely limited in comparison with the strategies given in other less glitzy study method/ learning books. That is good enough reason not to buy the book. But the principles given that dictate the use of techniques are so nonsensical compared to more recent science, that they can only be thought of as sales pitch, or an effort to sell other books by the same author.
   
   Mind mapping is a very feable technique compared to other graphic organizers (eg the concept map). Speed reading is so misleading that it tends to result in very successful deception litigation. They have both been debunked on several occasions.
   
   Find a study method book that doesn't just stroke the ego. Probably any book on study techniques will give better methods without setting you up for anticlimax.
   
   G.Gladstone



2. In the State of Texas, there is a comprehensive exam to become a certified school teacher. It's in two parts, given at different times of the semester.
   
   Thanks to Buzan's ideas, I managed to pass both parts of the exam the first time. I used mind maps, memorization techniques he presented and in general, studied extensively. To be sure, I modified his techniques to fit my own style, but it worked. Mind mapping and mnemonics make good partners!
   
   As with many other study techniques, it is still a lot of work and requires effort, and sometimes you'll have to make time to study when you'd rather do something else. In other words, you'll still need self discipline. But in my opininon, it makes the time studying a lot more fun.
   
   Your mind maps don't have to be great works of art -- and they can be revised -- in fact, the process will help you remember better.
   
   It's possible to do well and pass -- even ace -- tests without these techniques. But if you want something that will make the process more fun and probably more efficient, then this is the book for you.



3. This book is fantastic. I have started to use it with my children to help them be more successful in school. The concepts on learning are unbelievable - where was this stuff when I was growing up? Well worth the cost from the information you gain on how to learn more efficiently. Can't wait to buy his book on memory.



4. I found Tony Buzan's book to be priceless. I first started using mind mapping during my sophomore year of college - I am now graduating. I found that studying and remembering what I studied were much easier, and being able to see how everything was interrelated and connected made college much easier.
   
   I even used mind maps for writing essays and large term papers. I found that this made for a good outline. It really helps in writing to organize your thoughts and know where to go.
   
   I am going to give his "Mind Maps at Work" a try and see how well it can be used for everyday on the job situations. I would recommend this book to anyone, it is easy to learn and can be mastered with a minimal amount of effort. I would also recommend adding A LOT of color to your mind maps.



5. This is a good book to introduce you to how your brain works but it doesn't go into great depth. If this is your first read on the subject then I highly recommend it.