2 comments about Chicken Soup to Inspire a Woman's Soul: Stories Celebrating the Wisdom, Fun and Freedom of Midlife (Chicken Soup for the Soul).

1. This book, Chicken Soul to Inspire a Woman's Soul is geared towards women at midlife...but it truly is a great read, it consists of inspiring true stories for women of all ages. All the authors in this book are shining examples to all that read it. Afterwards, you'll want to reach for the stars -- I felt revitalized -- I have a new lease on life...goals...my dreams will be fulfilled.



2. A very inspirational book. Jack and Mark Victor Hansen are my fav writers and I never miss out grabbing a copy as and when I can. This one is full of inspirations and values that can tranform life. Attitudes always do matter and here's a book to recommend every women - this means, parents of younger kids too coz the chapters cover up very useful message in overcoming obstacles, friendship, parenting and across generations. Life is ever a twist and a turn but books like these always stand by in our thick and thin. A good pick. Enjoy!
   
   - ilaxi

3 comments about Chicken Soup Stories for a Better World (Chicken Soup for the Soul).

1. This book contains heartwarming, touching stories about people who had the courage to face their problems, engage in positive behavior, commit acts of kindness, and teach us the lessons of a lifetime. These are relevant stories about overcoming adversity and finding a better way of living. This is a highly inspirational and engaging book that encourages the reader to trust their innate abilities, intuitive wisdom, live a life of integrity, honesty, and dedication to family and community. It helps readers overcome self-limiting fears and achieve their potential. Some of the stories might bring readers to tears and others illustrate passion and courage.



2. As with all the Chicken Soup books, you'll feel satisfied and content when you've finished this serving. Personally, I found this "Better World" edition to be one of the best. The stories are uplifting, inspiring and moving but without that "too sweet" feeling that I've occasionally experienced in other CS books. In these times when we're all hoping for a better and more peaceful world, this book is a welcome offering. Enjoy its many soul-satisfying courses.



3. Accounts of other people's stories of their real life events in this world makes me see my problems in a different light and sometimes helps me work them out. That is why I think this book gives a valuable insight. I think it is a must for all who enjoy the Chicken Soup stories and want another view.

5 comments about Law of Attraction - How to Attract Money, Love, and Happiness (Guide for Living).

1. If you are looking to make some changes (no matter how big or small) to your life, this book is a fantastic resource. I highly recommend it. It is a must read for anyone that is not happy with how their life is working and wants to enrich their life further.



2. I read the Law of Attraction and found the information and recommendations pertinent yet repetitious. Once you decide to make personal changes in one facet of your life, it seems easy to follow and believe that those same applications can be affective in all facets of your life. I am a firm believer in the strength and power of positive thinking and incorporate my philosophy in the classroom. This book has reinforced my thinking and I have shared it with friends. I do encourage anyone willing to try to change their personal language to include more positive affirmations and to note the changes and benefits that come to be.



3. This book was good. The workbook is even better. It gets you started. I really like the questions in the workbook. They helped me see things in new ways.



4. Listen folks this isn't some hokas pokas fairytale stuff. You don't even have to believe that it works. It doesn't care if you believe... it works anyway. It's working right now in YOUR life whether you believe it or not.
   Look at everything you have in your life right now. THAT'S THE LAW OF ATTRACTION!!!. YOU ATTRACTED IT. So if the stuff you have is not the stuff you want, including the type of person you long to be, READ THIS BOOK! It will tell you exactly what you need to do to turn your life around. I can't stress enough how absolutely powerful this information is.



5. These guidelines really work! I had trouble with my 16 year old son and I started to follow the guidelines and things have improved so much~and in such a short period! If you are stressed and find that you are at your wits end, try these principles and see for yourself. It really does work. It is also so straight forward and easy to follow. Do it for yourself, do it for your family. Your life will be happier.

No comments about The Power of A Single Thought: How to Initiate Major Life Changes from the Quiet of Your Mind.

5 comments about The Acorn Principle: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself.

1. Most self-help business books are a rehash of tired and familar cliches. If you're looking for some fresh insights and practical advice, I highly recommend The Acorn Principle. Jim Cathcart has written a classic. I read over 100 books annually, and I've been recommending this one ever since I first read it. It is small in size but big in ideas.



2. This book changed the way I think about myself, my life and my potential and it could do the same for you! Cathcart writes in a clear, friendly, easy-to-understand manner and his principles are so brilliant you'll find it hard to sleep while you're going through the exercises. What a great service he has done us all by putting these thoughts on paper! It's a must-have for the serious student of personal transformation, for those "just having a rough spot" and for anyone who wonders what they really could become. Magnificent!



3. In the year 2000 this book was released as an ebook by Palm Digital Library. Out of 2000 titles, it came in as #2 behind Stephen King and ahead of Tom Peters and Robert Ludlum's ebooks.
   As a regular book in hard and soft cover it has been changing lives around the world. One company who booked me to speak for their convention had bought 7,500 copies. When I gave the speech to over 6,000 people in the Sacramento Arco Arena I received a standing ovation just from being introduced to speak! At the end of the speech hundreds of people lined up to have me autograph their copies and to tell me stories of how it had enhanced their lives and their relationships. The books were dog-eared, highlighted and underlined. These were working books, not just library decorations. I'm very proud of how this book is serving readers. May it be a blessing in your life as well.
   The author, Jim Cathcart
   11-8-2001



4. Jim Cathcart has written a great book detailing what it takes to discover and develop your hidden potential. He states that every person has a certain kind of unlocked talent (like the acorn) inside of them... a certain genius, and to be happy and successful all you have to do is discover and develop it. "The oak sleeps within you"

   This book guides you through some detailed questions and exercises to help you in finding your "highest and best use". I took the time to actually write down answers to the questions he puts forth in my journal. It was interesting and well worth the time spent.

   I must confess... I have read many self-help books of this type over the past five years. I cannot say that I was blown away by the originalty of this book. However, had this been the first book of its type that I ever picked up, it would have easily ranked near the top of my list. His ideas are clear and concise, but mainly focused at the 'beginner' so to speak.

   So, if you are unhappy in your current situation, job, life... try to look inside and see what is going on in there. What lies dormant within you is just waiting to grow into something big. Jim Cathcart's book can certainly help!




5. Definitely on my recommended book list. A must read for women in business.
   
   Susan Bock
   The Success Coach for Women in Business
   www.SusanBockSolutions.com

5 comments about No Excuse! I'm Doing It (For Network Marketers).

1. This is a book with solid ideas, ideas that have worked for others and will work for you. If your into self-betterment, Read This Book, it is the only one you'll need. I've read it once and I'm reading it again.



2. After seeing Jay Rifenbary at a recent conference in Newport Beach, and crying through the entire speech, I purchased the book. This is the most exceptional man and he will change your life by the words in this book. I no longer will live my life with excuses for every bad moment and blame everyone else for what I alone created. This is a must read for professionals and families. No Excuse! Buy this book!



3. Jay's message needs to be heard and read by everyone, NO EXCUSE! I wish he would write another -- there MUST be more he has to say!



4. nevertheless. I found myself unable to relate to a lot of the military examples but the lessons taught are powerful. Good book but I think my husband would enjoy it more then I.



5. Author Jay Rifenbary is a former West Point cadet, sales professional and corporate manager. As a professional speaker, consultant and president of a training and development center, he has a powerful message for readers of this book. Stop making excuses and begin to accept responsibility for everything you do. No Excuse! is enjoyable to read because of the raw energy and enthusiasm that it imparts. Rifenbary writes well and provides his personal philosophies to help the reader discover their ability to achieve success and fulfillment. His philosophy is a variant of servant leadership principles including the deep desire to serve others, accountability and valuing people more than wealth or power.
   
   No Excuse! begins with one of the most dramatic prologues I have ever read. It not only introduces the book extremely well, but the author returns to his "special experience" in the epilogue also. The underpinning of his philosophy is borrowed from his days at West Point when "No Excuse, Sir" was one of the few answers a plebe was allowed to utter as a response to an upperclassman. Rifenbary exclaims, "We may get down on ourselves and use certain excuses to relinquish responsibility. That's exactly what excuses are used for; to avoid doing something or to "pass-the-buck". I dare you to make a list. Then when you hear yourself or others making an excuse, simply say, "No Excuse!''"
   
   The book is divided into 2 parts comprised of 14 chapters. Part 1 lays the foundation of the author's no excuse philosophy with a discussion of the principles of self-responsibility, purpose and integrity. He considers this an important preparation for what he coins the Staircase-of-Success or THESAURUS factor presented in Part 2 of the book. Rifenbary takes each letter in the word THESAURUS and uses it as a step to teach an important point or principle. A total of 9 steps take the reader up the Staircase-of-Success. For example, the first step is "Totally Forgive" (Chapter 5) and it ponders the liberating influence that complete forgiveness allows when we forgive others and ourselves of faults and transgressions. When someone embraces total forgiveness there is no longer room for complaining or blaming because the person takes charge, and gains greater control over their life. No Excuse! is not simply a book to read, but it employs many tools to stimulate thought and action from the reader. Rifenbary uses many parables or stories to highlight his points. He also provides an Action Plan at the end of most chapters along with some charts and his own personality indicator.
   
   No Excuse! is an enjoyable book to read. It may not break new ground or provide a radical new leadership philosophy, but it is certainly encouraging to read. As a result of Rifenbary's gift of clarity and printed energy, you will believe and know that change is possible in your life. If you are interested in discovering servant leadership principles presented in a dynamic and motivational book, you have no excuse... you will want to read this book.

1 comments about Making Marriage Work.

1. I've been married 7 months and while most of it has been up, there have been downs too. Whenever I am frustrated with my husband, instead of taking in out on him, I read a section of this book and inevitably, the exact frustration I am experiencing is addressed in that section. Usually, the solution is I need to show grace to my husband and humble myself, which is not easy to do as a very independent woman. ( I was 39 when I got married and this is my first and hopefully only marriage.) After God brings it to my attention through Joyce's writing, I'm much more willing and able to do those things for both my husband and me. God has blessed Joyce with a gift of frankness in her writing and God has blessed me and my marriage through reading this book and applying it to my life. I pray for the same to you. :)

5 comments about When Bad Things Happen to Good People.

1. Even though I am Methodist, I basically agree with Rabbi Kushner's philosophy. He takes a very ecumenical view. The book gives you a lot to think about, and is well written; although it may help if one has at least a little bit of Biblical literacy. Kushner references Genesis and the story of King David. He uses the book of Job as the central Bible lesson that connects to the theme of the book.
   
   Over all, though, I would say that it is fairlt easy reading (much easier than theological complexities by someone like Albert Schweitzer, who holds a similar view).
   
   The book gives one an explanation to a most profound and perplexing question. I appreciate that the author shares his personal experience and his heart with the reader. I too, have experienced the loss of a child and have also seen some things that were quite terrible working in the fields of nursing and inner-city high school teacher.
   
   I only wonder about something the author writes towards the end of the book:
   
   "'[W]hat good is God? Who needs religion, if these [bad things] happen to good people and bad people alike?'...I would say that God may not prevent the calamity, but he gives us the strength and perseverance to overcome it."
   
   My issue is that many people do not overcome calamity. Millions who died in wars, famines, genocides, natural disasters. They did not overcome anything-they just died and in many cases, the whole family died with them. Other people who experience calamity just go nuts; they face finacial ruin; they lose their jobs and families; they become so depressed that they are forever dead inside. Some people commit suicide, or eat, drink and smoke themselves to death.
   
   to an extent, I overcame calamities but I'm not the same person I was. I am more forgiving, more tolerant, and more philosophical; but I am also more melancholy and less idealistic.
   
   While I can be thankful to still have enough mental health to maintain work and family life; I know a whole of other people who lost their mental health, work and family life. What about them? Why didn't God give them the strength to overcome? Am I to believe that some people are favored by God by being blessed with a higher constitution?
   
   No, I think, rather, that some people overcome because they are LUCKY. Rabbi Kushner and I are indeed the lucky ones who can now talk rationally and philosophically about the deaths of our sons. I believe that God wants us lucky ones to turn around and help the others who weren't so lucky in any way we can. Obviously, that's why Kushner wrote the book.
   
   Still, a great book, though.



2. I chose to read this book because my Dad was diagnosed with Brain cancer and i found it to be extremely helpful, without being too 'religious'. I am not a church person, but i do believe in God. This book just seemed to wrap it's arm around me and let me think and feel exactly as i needed to, without offering any of that unhelpful help that others tend to, without thinking their words through first. I LOVED this book and it will most definitley be closely treasuerd by me, and pulled off the shelf everytime life gets a bit challlenging for me or someone i love. GREAT book!!



3. Kushner argues that God is too weak to stop the bad things of life.
   
   He writes, "If God can't make my sickness go away, what good is He? Who needs Him? God does not want you to be sick or crippled. He didn't make you have this problem, and He doesn't want you to go on having it, but He can't make it go away. That is something which is too hard even for God."
   
   That's not logical. How can the God be too weak to change the physical world that He created? Jesus heals the blind and crippled, changed water into wine, walked on water, and was resurrected -- all things that Kushner would say God is too weak to accomplish. Of course, Kushner is not a Christian, but a Jew, but does that mean he doesn't believe in any of the miracles of the Torah, such as the parting of the Red Sea?
   
   And this statement is outrageous: "Are you capable of forgiving and loving God even when you have found out that He is not perfect, even when He has let you down and disappointed you by permitting bad luck and sickness and cruelty in His world, and permitting some of those things to happen to you? Can you learn to love and forgive Him despite His limitations ...?"
   
   Yes, Kushner's God is weak. But Kushner's God is of his own creation. The true God of the Bible and of Truth and of the Universe is strong and perfect. He is Creator and Savior.
   
   Buy "Mere Christianity" or "A Grief Observed," both by C.S. Lewis, to get a true understanding of God and suffering.



4. Another great book by Rabbi KUSHNER. Readable and a solace of comfort for all beliefs



5. After reading this book I found my relationship with GOD better! Written simply and using his experience and that from the bible the author opened my eyes! No longer do I see GOD as the creator of pain and misery, but as the source of strength and courage to face the challenges that life presents to us!

3 comments about Acting for Real.

1. I will first disclose that I was the Design and Editorial Director of this book (please do forgive a few mistakes using the wrong quotation marks in the intro (it was hot off the press when I noticed)-but other than that, the book is a clean edit!).
   
   My review is not a biased one, as when I first met Thom, he gave me a copy of a draft of his book. I read it before working with him and I would not have worked with him if I did not enjoy his book. His book gives you a good, swift kick in the *** to get you on the ball with your life! I knew working with him would be inspiring. There are not many books I can read upwards of five times, but this one I had to, and I enjoyed it every time! With each reading I gained some new knowledge or perspective, where my attention focused on specific chapters that stimulated my imagination and impelled me to take charge of certain areas in my life. Thom has some insightful tidbits that he explains so fluidly that they make sense. Much of it is stuff you have heard before but did not know how to put into action. In Acting for Real, Thom gives you the tools to put what you already know in action and he explains why it works. He also has some interesting information that you probably didn't know that makes perfect sense-giving you an "Ah-ha!" moment. His sections on commitment, pacing, and driving yourself-all in correlation with his "Creative Wheel of Behavior" (the six components that drive human behavior) are some of the most interesting, but I am sure each individual that reads this book will find meaning in the chapters that apply to his or her own life. This is a particularly stimulating read for the creative person, as Thom uses tips and techniques from his established background as a character actor working with some of Hollywood's A-list celebrities and shows. An actor might find this book particularly useful to use to boost both his/her acting career as well as his/her own life. This is not to discount the layperson, as I think there is something everyone can get out of this book to help them kick-start in new, more positive directions in their lives. Check out Thom's endorsements and his impressive career at www.imdb.com.



2. This is one of my favorite books. I recommend it to all. I love the exercises.



3. ActingForReal may be the most unique, inspiring, and groundbreaking success-oriented books I've ever read. It's honestly like nothing I've ever seen before, and has helped me tremendously in only a few weeks.
   
   Thom strategies are so specific and easy to follow, and he's so engaging, that I was actually excited to put the techniques into practice.
   
   Thom seems like a great person (he gives away a percentage of every sale to charity), and he's clearly made a name for himself in Hollywood.
   
   Hopefully, he'll also make a name for himself everywhere else, as I really believe he could help so many people.

5 comments about Life Lessons For My Sisters: How to Make Wise Choices and Live a Life You Love!.

1. Natasha Munson's book Life Lessons for My Sisters is a compilation of poetry, insight, and lessons based on the author's real life experiences. Munson describes in a unique, yet simplistic manner how to succeed in life and in love with an emphasis put on first knowing and loving one's self. I enjoyed that each point was often enhanced by a poem and after each topic, there was a summary to show the main points.
   
   Life Lessons for My Sisters tackles all aspects of life in an informative and inspirational manner. Although the book seems to be geared toward a teenage/young adult audience, it contains information that women of all ages need to heed. I highly recommend this book for any girl or woman who needs guidance or positive affirmations in their lives.
   
   Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
   APOOO BookClub



2. This had everything from poetry to insight and it was all spoken from real life experiences the author lived through. Like another reviewer said, all the topics was followed by a summary that showed a outline of the main points. This book was informative and inspirational and gives teenage girls the best advice they could ever have, to love themselves before they can love others.



3. I have literally read this book 4 times and each time I re-read it I gain new insight into my life. A good gift for any girlfriend and or teenager going through life's difficulties.



4. Life lesson # 120: Share your knowledge.
   
   The first thing I thought when I finished this book was that I wish I had money like Oprah to buy a copy for every woman that I know and meet. It is ageless and colorless in it's message. I'm in my 30s and I felt like the book was written just for me at this exact moment in my life. I plan to start 2008 with a new perspective and this book is will be a constant reference. Thank you Ms Munson!



5. Yes Natasha wrote this book and with me being a young adult her book really inform me on alot of things us young women need to know! I'm glad that I found this book. I was just walk down the aisle in the nonfiction section at the public library looking for good book to read and this book caught my eye. I'm glad that I read it and many other women should to also. Its show alot how to love yourself, be yourself, and create a life that you will love. I've learn that now for myself!!!!