2 comments about Learning to Dream with Your Eyes Open: A Survival Guide for Inner City Youth.

1. LEARNING TO DREAM WITH YOUR EYES OPEN by Melanie D. Geddes is a usable blueprint on how to dream and remove oneself from the dire straits inner city youth may find themselves in. The book is structured in an easy to read manner and each chapter ends with "Lesson Learned" activities to begin the journey. It begins with "Why Dream?" and ends with "Quiet Confidence." In between, the chapters deal with issues such as "Beating the Odds", "Changing Lanes" and "From Impossible To Possible", just to name a few. What I found interesting is that the chapters are no-nonsense, straightforward and if taken seriously, could actually alter a young person's life, no matter the situation.
   
   As I read I realized this book is not only for inner city youth, but youth and adults from all walks of life. Techniques are given on how to set attainable goals, improve academic performance and take ownership for one's actions.
   The author herself was raised in an inner city and she shares some aspects of her story, which fosters believability with the reader.
   
   My favorite chapters are "Changing Lanes" and "Decisions, Decisions, Decisions." "Changing Lanes" highlights the necessity of altering your goals when the realization hits that your stated goal is not what you really want. The author also discusses how our lives can lead to nowhere and how fear and the need to feel safe allow us to accept our current situations. Chapter 8, titled "Decisions, Decisions, Decisions," deals with responsible behavior and how to change a situation, correct mistakes and learn from the mistakes of others. The author cites some real life examples of bad decision-making and the consequences of those decisions. Other reading materials are cited, which are excellent and motivating reads as well. This is a wonderful tool for all to use, whether you are a child, parent, educator, human service worker or volunteer; all will find something useful to help our youth succeed in life. My favorite quote - "circumstances can impact your starting point, but they don't have to necessarily determine your ending point."
   
   Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves
   of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers



2. I teach at an inner city school in Miami. Ms. Gedddes' first hand account of growing up in an inner city environment was illuminating and moving. The questions she poses at the end of each chapter were not only helpful to me but have helped me in working with the children at my school. I have already passed my copy of her book along to one of our counselors. Ms. Geddes' book should become an anthem for all of those who who seek to find their way to a better life. No excuses, no nonsense.

No comments about Conquer Yourself: The Way To Self Confidence.

No comments about A Thousand Paths to Zen (1000 Hints, Tips and Ideas).

1 comments about On Life & Other Paradoxes: Aphorisms and Little Stories from Bert Hellinger.

1. This book is a kind of small philosophical manual. Nice parables, teachings and poems that make of this book a jewel you shall have always beside your bed.

1 comments about Dating, Mating, And Relating: How to Build a Healthy Relationship.

1. Don't let the title fool you. This book has very little to say, if anything about dating.
   
   The authors wanted to revise their earlier book about marriage, but for various reasons decided to write a whole new book instead.

4 comments about Rainbow Connection: How to Use Color and Energy to Transform Your Life.

1. Ms. Carlino provides an almost mystical insight into our most personal thoughts. Not only are Ms. Carlino's words inspirational, the author provides examples and tools that help the reader work through a process of self-understanding and self-improvement. The imagery provided by the seven colors of the rainbow serves to underscore the differences each of us have in measuring the importance of work, play, family, and God in our daily lives. At the same time, the rainbow underscores our common need to keep them all in balance if we are to live happy and productive lives. It is only through a merging of these colors that we are able to truly fulfilled.

   The Rainbow Connection offers something of value to everyone who has the pleasure of reading it, regardless of age or background. Ms. Carlino speaks to the importance of our spiritual needs and how we must attend to them if we are to be complete human beings. The message is clear: don't just read The Rainbow Connection, act on it. The author shows us how.

   This is a must read for anyone who cares enough about themself to want to grow healthy in mind and in body. The attentive reader will recognize the author as an immediate and caring friend.




2. What a treat.The journey of self discovery aided by thought provoking images and ideas. Ms Carlino lets the reader explore their own feelings with out being preachy. A wonderful book to give as a gift to someone you love.



3. If you're feeling lost in a world spinning increasingly out-of-control, reach out and grab "The Rainbow Connection" --- a self-help/awareness book like none other that leaves you not only feeling better about yourself, but your future as well. This book will help you find your own unique path to lead you into the new millenium with a renewed faith and confidence that you never thought possible. What ever your color, you'll find it in "The Rainbow Connection".



4. This book invites you to take responsibility for your own life. It helps you to see how past hurts influence the negative choices we make in our lives in the present. By learning how to forgive and love, who we are right now, taking God as our partner; is all part of the healing journey. The workbook pages are nice. It's introspective and spiritual but people of all faiths can read this book..it is not for "one" religious faith. It's really univeral to all people.

3 comments about A Healing Touch: True Stories of Life, Death, and Hospice (Thorndike Large Print Health, Home and Learning).

1. i bought this book on sunday and was so very moved by the stories in it. i lost my husband on dec. 6 2007. it was nice to read about local people and how hospice helped them with their grief. i to am going to hospice and am amazed at the people there and their commpassion for helping others.i started to read it and could not put it down. it is very well written and i was also very glad to see local people writing it. i really enjoyed the book and would highly recommend everyone to buy it. it is not a long book but it is worth every penny. i also would like to see more of these books written. there are so many people out there that have amazing stories to tell and i really feel that people should be reading about them and all the help that this wonderful group of people have to offer. thsnk you



2. As one of the writers who contributed to this book, I feel I have to add to the description above. This is not a sad book; it is truly an inspiring book. I say this having been moved by the experience of interviewing my subjects-- a couple who lost their eldest son in a car accident, plummeted to the absolute depths of despair, and emerged, because of a hospice group for grieving parents, better people.
   Reading these six essays will leave you encouraged about the strength of people who are just like us. It's a hopeful book and a powerful one. So excuse the five stars (are authors supposed to do that?), but I feel strongly that this is very much worth reading.



3. If you are looking for a book that offers hope, inspiration, some tears, lots of smiles, and then leaves you wanting more, this is the book for you. A Healing Touch is a collection of six stories, and though written about people who live in Maine, they could be about anyone, anywhere life happens. The stories are written by six talented authors who craft their respective words with compassion, keen insights and skill. I personally know each of the subjects in this book - some I have known for many years - and in reading A Healing Touch I learned more about their struggles, hearts and souls than all of my time and conversations with them could begin to convey. They each shared their journey with amazing grace, honesty and with the genuine hope their sharing would help others who are faced with what seems like insurmountable odds for survival following a loss. Upon reading the final page and closing its cover you will no doubt, as I did, feel the need to simply sit and hold the book to your heart.

4 comments about How to Love the Job You Hate: Job Satisfaction for the 21st Century.

1. This book helps you understand the elements of your unhappiness, and find ways to change the situation for the better. It is filled, from cover to cover, with sensible, practical ways to make change one of the biggest parts of your life: your career.

   This book would have helped most of the unhappy workers I have known. There is also a section for employers that might prevent many people from needing help, if its suggestions are applied. If you are ready to fix the problems that are making you less happy than you could be, or if you know someone who might be ready to take charge of their happiness at work, then this is a good book to begin with.




2. The title of this book (How to Love the Job You Hate) is somewhat of a misnomer as the book covers many aspects of the working world, both from the employee's side and the employer's side, including job duties, personality conflicts with bosses and co-workers, self-esteem, generation gaps, employee safety, performance evaluations, and work-life balance.

   With such a range of topics, the material on each tends to be necessarily light and rather general. For that reason, as a human resource director, I would not recommend it for HR professionals with more than five years of experience or for the senior manager unless intended as a refreshing reminder of what we can all forget too easily.

   With that said, I would recommend the excellent section on performance evaluations for even the senior professional. Performance evaluations are widely misunderstood and very seldom done well. I found myself underlining several tips Boucher put forth, such as, "Think of your managers as detectives, charged with discovering how your employees can be more productive" (now that's a useful performance evaluation!) and "Allow [your managers] to buy-in to the accomplishments of the employee." (Small and mid-sized employers, take heed; nothing motivates like money, and management of staff-too often viewed as a chore-is no exception!)
   
   I would strongly recommend this book for all newer HR professionals as well as for low- and mid-level supervisors. It is especially essential for the first-time supervisor. Some of Boucher's insights are simple common sense (though it never hurts to be reminded of the basics), but many are excellent and occasionally very creative. Boucher's suggestions to employees disillusioned with their jobs to do something different (reorganize the order in which tasks are done, take an aerobics class during lunch or otherwise get out of the office), trade unwanted tasks with a co-worker, avoid complainers who can bring one further down, and get involved in your company's community service activities are all sound, though some of her suggestions (rewrite your job description, take on special projects) may not be available to all readers, depending on their situations. The section on personality types is an excellent reminder that differences are not always bad-and that there will be people in every workplace different than you. (If not, you'll have a very one-sided, and likely less successful, company!) I do wish Boucher would have included a more extensive questionnaire for personality type in an appendix, perhaps, rather than the short and generalized chart provided, as I found it be less accurate than true personality tests.

   The book also includes occasional well-placed examples where readers can see a piece of advice used in a real-life situation. The results in these vignettes are not always perfect (and I do appreciate the realism, very much), but the situation often does improve. (However, I should note that I did not appreciate the example on page 79, which praised a person who offered a highly unethical idea that subsequently doubled the sales of his employer.)

   Self-talk is also mentioned in the book. I can't emphasize how important that can be, not only on the job but in life in general. Boucher says, "If you make a mistake... be as understanding with yourself as you would be with another person who made an honest mistake. ...You would never say, `I can't imagine how you could be so stupid as to have made that mistake' or `Only a complete idiot would do that.'" Boucher also reminds us, "Our society tells us we must be perfect, fast, strong and always say yes." While we would like to always be so, the fact is that we necessarily have limitations, and it does no good (in fact, it does harm) to berate ourselves for it.

   There are two sides to every coin. Employers should take note, not only of the performance evaluation section, but the section on employees' needs. Boucher rightly observes, "There is a fine line between pressing for better productivity and expecting your employees to work long hours for little pay just to slice a thin line of profit." Yes, business is business, but one should never forget what that business is made of-people. Also, the goal-setting section in chapter 16 will be helpful for employers and employees alike.
   
   As Boucher reminds us on the first page, "What happens at work affects every other area of our lives." Find out how to make it better.




3. How To Love The Job You Hate: Job Satisfaction For The 21st Century by business consultant Jane Boucher is especially recommended for anyone dissatisfied with the conditions or circumstances of their employment, unhappy with the nature of their job or the limitations of their career options. How To Love The Job You Hate features twelve ways to renew enthusiasm and satisfaction with your job; three key strategies to get along with irritating bosses; eight effective methods for coping with difficult co-workers; five ways to deal with dysfunctional corporate cultures; more than twenty specific techniques for handling job loss, leaving a bad job, and deciding just when to strike out on your own. Of specific value for employers and managers is the section devoted to retaining good workers. How To Love The Job You Hate is an invaluable addition personal, corporate, or community library reference collections.



4. For a variety of reasons, everyone seems to hate their job these days. This book shows how to discover just what the problem may be, and how to fall back in love with your job.
   
   What sort of personality do you have? Are you a detail-person, interested in analysis and interpretation of information, who finds yourself in a people-person job? Are you a support-person, best suited for a backroom job, in a command-person position? Delegate the things you don't like to do. Build a good relationship with your boss and co-workers. Try learning something new. Understand the temperament of your boss. Listen to, and communicate with, your co-workers. Take a hard look at yourself; consider the image you present to your co-workers.
   
   Stress is a part of daily life; learn how to reduce it, both physically and emotionally. Perhaps Mr. or Ms. Rotten Co-Worker is experiencing personal problems that are negatively affecting their ability to do their job. Also consider the sort of company that you work for. Someone who is more accustomed to a buttoned-down, structured environment might have a hard time at an internet start-up, and vice versa. There is a right way, and wrong way, to leave your job, if you have decided that quitting is your only option. The author also looks at criticism; how to give it, and receive it, along with the dreaded performance review. There is a separate section in this book just for bosses. It looks at subjects like personality clashes with employees, dealing with their needs, and how to keep them motivated.
   
   This is an excellent and eye-opening book. It is easy to read, and can certainly reduce rampant job dissatisfaction in America. Before you quit because you "hate" your job, read this book.

5 comments about False Roads to Manhood: What Women Need to Know, What Men Need to Understand.

1. I read your book, "False Roads to Manhood," and think it would be helpful for those struggling to be a good man in today's society, and to know that they are not alone in their struggles. Thanks for the great thought-provoking book.



2. This book has been very instrumental in the healing process and maintenance of the men and women I have shared it with. It has taught the women how to Wake Up from the Eve spirit that we so often operate in and for the Men to Wake Up and be the Modern day Adam that we as women so very much need. This book is a must for singles and married alike! Thank you Frank, for not allowing us to remain asleep during a Great Revolution!



3. Excellent book!!!!!!!!!!!!! I enjoyed this book very much It has elevated me completley. It is a must read for all but especially for men in dealing with the false identity most men have and don't even know it!!!



4. "False Roads To Manhood, What Women Need To Know, What Men Need To Understand is in essence an analytical study of the journey of manhood. Provided with meticulous precision the author Frank Chase walks the reader through many pitfalls that often times lead to brokenhearted men. This is a compelling message that provides an unmasking of false roads as Mr. Chase articulately depicts them as the
   T. R. A. D. I. T. O. N. s. of manhood."
   
   "This book is provided as a fundamental guide that will generate thought, encouraging movement to expose those hidden painful experiences that ultimately shape men. Causing them to become angry men who feel rejected, abandoned, discouraged, uncomfortable with expressing emotions, uninformed about the trueness of manhood and a host of other issues that plaque our men today. Robbing them of the chance to live the lives that they were predestined to live."
   
   "Understanding and following the six steps of manhood, which are provided in detail in this noteworthy book will be the catalyst to setting men on the right path to healing their brokenness. This is an opportunity for men to redefine their lives and get back on the life track as healed men, mind, body and soul. A chance to break free of the false traditions and reach authentic manhood. Mr. Chase has provided an excellent tool that can be utilized by men and women alike. It is indeed a wealth of knowledge that is well expressed and definitely a must read."



5. I'm still working on the last half of the book in preparation for a full review, but I've read enough to share a few thoughts.
   
   Frank Chase has some good things to say. Several times he mentions that a relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way to ever know how to "be a man." Scripture defines manhood and womanhood and without its blueprint we will always fall into error.
   
   However - Mr. Chase, when he uses Scripture passages at all, rarely interprets them correctly. He appears to have decided what's wrong with men and how to fix it, and then set out to find some Bible stories that help make his point.
   
   Also, though he does occasionally mention our reliance on Christ, most of his recommendations come in the form of self-help. Many of the chapters contain "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" kind of language that will not ultimately struggle. Even when we encourages men to rely on other men for support (a good thing) he does not explain the limits of this kind of help apart from a relationship with Christ.
   
   The author is clearly writing out of his own experience with a bad, absent father. Most of the examples of men he uses in the book also had bad or absent fathers. While his goal, of making men better fathers for their own sons, is most certainly commendable, far too much time is dedicated to blaming our dads for our current condition. Mr. Chase projects the "father wound" on to all men who fail to live up to their biblical duties.
   
   For the sake of brevity I'll leave out other criticism except one: the book is poorly written and poorly edited. Lots of typos (including chapter headings!) abound and the writing style is rambling and often unclear. The author picks a favorite word ("truancy" in the first few chapters) and bludgeons the reader with it.
   
   If you're looking for a book on this subject that is far more grounded in the Bible, easy to read (shorter!), and well-written, get a copy of "Federal Husband" by Douglas Wilson.Federal Husband

No comments about Psychology of Self-Esteem.