5 comments about Three Deep Breaths: Finding Power and Purpose in a Stressed-Out World.

1. This is an outstanding book! The story helps the reader to see the benefits of adopting the Three Deep Breaths as part of their daily regimen. As for me, I have begun using the technique described in the book to improve my ability to focus during bowling events. The results have been fantastic; I have won a tournament and placed second in another by using the three breaths to reduce stress and stay focused on my goal. I bowled my first 279 during a qualifying event because of the second breath. I look forward to my first 300 and am confident that the Three Deep Breaths will be a factor in that accomplishment.



2. With stress levels at an epidemic high and businesses shelling out more than $300 billion a year, businessman/corporate speaker/marshal arts expert Thomas Crum offers a technique for coping with anxiety. Breathing, to be exact.
   
   Written with very simplistic prose as a parable about a businessman who learns Crum's breathing system and thus changes his entire life, this new age tome supposedly teaches people how to achieve a "centered state" using three simple breaths. It's earnest, but naive. If only life's problems were so easily solved! Unfortunately, this book reads far too much like an infomercial to have broad appeal.



3. This is a great story! Using a parable-like format, Tom Crum has identified "every person's" delimma...finding balance in a world that seems to be spinning out of control. We often look for solutions outside ourselves, while Tom reminds us that the real answer to our time-challenged life resides within us. Our task is to delve inward to determine what is of greatest value. The three deep breath concept is a simple, yet powerful tool that helps the mind and spirit settle down. In doing so, we are able to clear the clutter, see our best self emerge, and focus on possibilites that are aligned with our intrinsic needs and lifelong desires. Give the book (and the breaths) a chance. You'll be glad you did -- and so will the people you live and work with.



4. As the third of Tom's books, Three Deep Breaths is a refinement of the others. Readers who are familiar with Aikido, as well as those who are not, will appreciate the simplicity of the parable.
   
   I have recommended it to family, friends and co-workers.



5. Tom, and his words, have always been an inspiration to me. Who wouldn't sign up for what this book offers to deliver?
   
   I loved this book. It won't win any awards for literature, but the parable is engaging enough to keep you reading to learn how things turn out with Angus, and it's a tremendous vehicle to delivering some of Tom's best stuff in so very few pages. There's tons of good to take away from this, things we can all put into practice every day, and if it lights a fire under you, it serves as a great jumping board to learn more about centering, purpose, conflict, and more from his other two books. The Magic of Conflict: Turning a Life of Work into a Work of Art goes into great detail about how these techniques can be applied to manage conflict constructively in our lives, and Journey to Center: Lessons in Unifying Body, Mind, and Spirit uses stories to reflect on the concept of center and how it permeates our entire lives.
   
   The solution is that simple (just breathe!), but that doesn't imply that it is easy. Letting go of all of our garbage and becoming centered is major work, something to work at every day, all day, for our entire lives. At the same time, using our breathing (which, hey, we gotta do anyway!) as a trigger or reminder to take just a few seconds - right now - to practice that crucial life's work, is all that it takes to help us move along our own path toward becoming the selves we all want to be.
   
   
   (If you really want to experience something amazing, check out one of his seminars. I promise you, they are like nothing else you've ever encountered!)

5 comments about No! How One Simple Word Can Transform Your Life.

1. This is a no-nonsense "how to manual" on how to hold on to those hours you are losing to other people because you don't know how to say "no". We all do it. "Yes, I'll start on this project in the morning.", and what you want to say is, "I already have more projects than I can handle! Hand this one off to someone else." Or, you say, "Sure I'll watch your son this afternoon." What you really want to say is, "I've got too much on my plate already, how about asking someone else?" Those are lost hours.
   
   As an HR professional, "yes" seemed all I could say...until I started reading, and working through the exercises offered in this book. I've learned to say "no", my clients are still with me, and I have more time to provide them better service!
   
   Time. The one thing we can't replenish... This book helps us get back our lives.
   
   Go ahead, pick up the book, open it to any page, and you'll understand how useful a tool it is. Then purchase it and start on the road to having more time for...yourself!



2. As the President of BoldApproach.com, a business acceleration strategy and marketing firm, it seemed a little counter intuitive to read a book about saying no since my whole job is based around getting people to say yes. But I dove in and boy am I glad I did.
   
   No is one of those books that you simply must read. It isn't a book about assertiveness or any of the other things you've read, but a powerful book about taking and maintaining control of your life personally and professionally.
   
   Ask yourself these questions:
   
   Do you say yes when you really want to say no?
   Do you ever feel bad when you say no?
   Do accept invitations to be on boards and committees even when you are already wildly over committed?
   Do you wish there was a way to say no without hurting people's feelings?
   Have you ever wondered how and when to fire a customer?
   
   If you answered yes to even one of those questions, then there are literally dozen's of other situations that this book will help you overcome with efficiency.
   
   I highly recommend this book.



3. Intrigued by the title of Kemp's book, I purchased a copy for myself and a few colleagues after a particularly hectic work week. To be honest, I was not sure if there would be any value in reading a book about how to say "no." To my surprise the book was as much about saying "yes" as saying "no." Its value is in helping you learn about yourself, your values, and situations such that you recognize when saying "yes" and when saying "no" makes sense for you.
   
   The book includes situational stories and questions that help you contextualize the concepts presented. There are hundreds of examples of how to say "no" for those who sometimes are at a loss for how to do so. Each chapter has a theme and suggestions that build on each other through the book.
   
   I think most who read this book will find the message and its delivery worth it. I certainly did. After reading this book you will have a better understanding of when, why, and how you will want to say "no."



4. This book benefits those who face exhaustion from overwork, stress and overuse of the word 'yes' - and that includes almost everyone. No matter what level of employment or management you are in, where you work or what your responsibilities are, most people have a natural propensity to say 'yes' far too often. Jana Kemp's book will help if you sometimes say 'yes' when you don't want to, or even when you are not fully capable of committing to and delivering on the promise you are making. She offers tools and advice for timely, sound decision-making. Even though the book's self-assessment mechanisms, introspective exercises and checklists can get a bit repetitive, reinforcement is the best way to change your automatic responses. The habit of overcommitting can harm your relationships and your physical and mental health, including your stress level. Kemp finds that people want to please others so much that they overcommit in every venue of their lives. We say 'Yes!' to this book for anyone who needs to learn how to become comfortable saying 'no' and how to do so in a direct, gracious manner that refuses the request without rejecting the person. (By the way, if you don't need to learn this skill, you can always just say 'No!')



5. It seems like a contradiction, 'tell your boss no and get ahead in life', but that's the advice Kemp offers. Kemp is really saying 'be honest' and 'look past your nose and see the implications of your choices'. The fastest and most elegant way to do so often involves being a master of `NO!'
   
   The book is full of exercises, which inventory your moods and habits. There are three personality types: 'Masters of NO', 'Wafflers' (putting off a NO) and 'yes-ters' (at best an 'always helpful' type). By reading the book, you can be a Master of NO!
   
   More could have been done to review the motivations of the always-helpful types. Additionally, several genetically based instincts encourage many to be 'helpful' as a matter of course. These 'helpful' instincts provide con-men with a good living. There isn't anything provided on these subjects.

No comments about Your Surviving Spirit: A Spiritual Workbook for Coping with Trauma.

5 comments about Goddess Gift: Discover Your Personal Goddess Type with Mini-Quiz.

1. We all could use a little help in finding the balance we need in our lives -- personally, nationally, and globally. Goddess Gift provides a unique perspective on the issues facing modern women. In reading this book, and taking the quiz, I learned that I'm a Mystic Maiden and discovered how this influences many of the dynamics in my interpersonal relationships.
   
   It dawned on me how few women are aware of their own gifts. This book shows us how we can use those gifts to empower ourseselves to improve our personal lives and the world around us. This book contains information that can inspire us all to heal ourselves and bring some powerful feminine energies into a world that is starving for them.



2. I highly recommend this book to any woman who's interested in finding a path to self-improvement or personal transformation by getting in touch with her inner goddess and manifesting the goddess traits in her own life.
   
   The Goddess Quiz in the book is a good way to get started, helping personalize the experience. The stories of the goddesses are well-told and highlight their personal strengths and limitations, making them seem very human and approachable. Meditations, affirmations and activities are provided that can help modern women connect with the ancient goddedsses to apply their lessons and qualities in our everyday lives.
   
   I especially enjoyed the author's unique view of the world and her conversational style of writing. The experiences she shared and those of the women she described in case studies were truthful and thought-provoking. Everything she said seemed to relate to my life or those of my women friends. I laughed, I cried, I learned a lot of important things about myself.
   
   Such a fabulous resource for women!



3. Dr. Sharon Turnbull's book "Goddess Gift" -- together with the 100-question Goddess Quiz on her Web site -- makes a marvelous avenue for personal discovery and growth. I loved both the book and the quiz and I can honestly say that they changed my life.
   
   Through the book and quiz (a mini version of which is included in the book), I discovered that my personal goddess archetype is Rhiannon, a Celtic goddess of endurance and inspiration. Rhiannon is one of numerous goddesses of various cultures discussed in the book. The stories, themes, and traits of each goddess are discussed in detail, along with affirmations, mantras, and activities to evoke the power of each goddess.
   
   For example, Dr. Turnbull tells (in an extremely engaging style) the beautiful story of how the divine young Rhiannon married Prince Pwyll to become princess in Wales. She gave birth to a son, only to have the infant abducted by her rejected suitor. After Rhiannon was unjustly condemned for killing the child, she was severely punished. It was only after Rhiannon had bravely endured her humiliating punishment for seven long years that her innocence was discovered and she was restored to a place of honor among her people.
   
   Rhiannon's story is incredibly moving and inspirational because of the way the goddess maintained her self-assurance and persevered through her trials until she achieved her goals. Dr. Turnbull suggests that we can draw on Rhiannon's strength by asking her to lend us her ability to recover from setbacks. She recommends such activities as forming a mental image of the beautiful Rhiannon on horseback with her hair flying in the wind -- an image of pure freedom that will help lighten our burdens.
   
   The story of Rhiannon in "Goddess Gift" and the identification of Rhiannon as my personal goddess archetype were profoundly inspirational for me. It led me to more closely examine my own life, particularly certain heavy burdens that I have endured for far too long. This examination, in turn, led me to make certain changes and improvements in my life, including getting professional therapy and resolving to finally solve my problems! That's why I say that "Goddess Gift" changed my life!
   
   The book might do the same for you as you identify with one or more of the other goddesses described so well by Dr. Turnbull (with acknowledged help from her daughters Elizabeth and Sarah). Among the other goddesses whose stories are told in "Goddess Gift" are Aphrodite, Freya, and Bast (among the lover archetypes); Hecate, Isis, and Psyche (among the mystic archetypes); Pele, Artemis, and Kali (among the warrior archetypes); and Yemaya, Demeter, and Tara (among the queen archetypes) -- and many more.
   
   The book concludes with descriptions of five paths to the Goddess (involving ritual, play, wisdom, solitude, and action) and ideas on how to become the goddess you were meant to be.
   
   This book set me on the path to discovering the Triple Goddess in my life -- a quest that promises great personal fulfillment for any woman who embarks on the journey. As "Goddess Gift" makes clear, all women are a mix of many goddesses, each of which has the power to reveal wonderful secrets. I urge you to buy this book, take the Goddess Quiz, and discover your personal goddess types -- and change your life for the better



4. On my path towards self-discovery rarely have I come across a book so full of both insight and humor. Dr. Turnbull's book, Goddess Gift, was a pleasure to read.
   
   Examining the archetypes that reflect the many aspects of our personalities is a tremendously valuable tool in understanding the facets of our own individual selves. Getting in touch with these archetypes can promote understanding an compassion for ourselves and others and can be a catalyst for change. By presenting these archetypes through myths that have helped shape our culture and that reflect aspects of the human condition, some familiar and some more obscure, the author has provided a path by which we can strengthen our connection with humanity, across borders and across the ages.
   
   Whether you're interested in mythology or just in examining your true self to find understanding, motivation or a sense of peace with yourself and the world, I highly recommend Goddess Gift. I'm sure you will find it as inspiring and delightful as I have.



5. Very straight forward information to finding out your Goddess type. She is a very good writer and I personally found this book very informative and helpful for me, I highly recommend it!

No comments about Best Friends Forever.

5 comments about The Fat Girl's Guide to Life.

1. I think every woman over the age of 13 should read this. first for Wendy's down to earth take on the diet industry and what "healthy" is and second for the homerun she hits in reminding us that there are different defintions of beauty and we are ALL beautiful in our own way. She makes so many great points about what it means to be overweight in the world today and offers a fresh take on loving who you are.



2. I'm certainly not skinny, I've had times where I've certainly been in much better shape, but I have always had the body image problem that is spoken of in "The Fat Girls' Guide to Live" by the very funny writer, Wendy Shanker.
   She tells it like it is, and she knows she is fat, and she isn't going to let anyone get her down. She lives life in the fat lane but that doesn't mean she is going to slow down. NOt wanting to conform, she stands up for herself, and tells the readers about her experiences with diets, diet book camp, shopping, dealing with comments from pretty much everyone, and you know what? I related, laughed, and loved this book.
   It was a sudden suggestion for my book club and i read it in just a few days. I will probably read it again and again. It made me feel better about myself and not want to lose weight to please someone else.
   It's one thing to be fat and not happy with it, but if someone is comfortable in their own skin and body overall, good for them!
   I recommend this book to girls of all ages who has ever felt looked down upon cuz of a mere 15 pounds over her high end of the weight watchers range. I recommend this to anyone who has a bad body image. The way media has worked us all over the past few years, I can imagine there are many of us out there with a less than good image of ourselves and our bodies alike.



3. Wendy Shanker has a great message in this book: What else could you be doing with the time and money you are spending obsessing about your weight? This book is funny and insightful but mostly practical! You are practically ticking the moments of your life away worrying about your thighs or butt or ____ . I would recommend this book for anyone that wants to get off the diet rollercoaster and learn to love your unique body and what it can accomplish.



4. I took this book out from my local library several times and decided that it was worth adding to my permanent collection. I love this book! It discusses so well how so many women beat themselves up throughout life to be thin and fit into a certain "standard" of beauty. I highly recommend this book to ALL women. It's reads as though you were talking to a close girlfriend with a very witty sense of humor.



5. I read this book some months back with a reading group that I was in. I hadn't heard of the book prior to this. On the whole, I'd say I found this book to be a good read, one that I'd recommend. There are some good sections relating to self-esteem, exercise, quirks in the weight loss industry, and other important issues. The main reason I rate this book at only 3 stars is mainly the ranting and railing the author makes towards the concept of losing weight. She does make an excellent point that those of us who are heavy (and yes, I am one of 'them') need to learn how to love and respect ourselves for who we are today, but at the same time seems to dismiss the motivation to lose weight. She spends a lot of time railing against organized weight loss programs- and some of it IS warranted- but fails to realize that what she herself does is essentially the maitenance component of a major nation-wide weight loss program.

5 comments about 110%: 110 Strategies for Feeling Great Every Day.

1. The follow-up to Pat Croce's inspiring (if that word even describes it) "I Feel Great... and You Will, Too", "110%" offers a daily--no, minute-by-minute--dose of the enthusiasm Pat delivers to the people and projects he encounters. Each page offers two famously motivational quotes related to each page's individual subject, upon which Pat and co-author Bill Lyon then expand on in once-again inspiring diction. The pages are packed with short paragraphs on topics that effect our daily lives-- and Pat tells us how we might personally effect each of our own days and lives. Pat tells us to "walk barefoot on the beach", "mark the miracles", "volunteer", "heed the sweet tooth", "sing in the car", and of 105 other ways we can add enthusiasm and brightness to what can otherwise be mundane days. This is the ultimate motivational calendar, without the dates.



2. I think the world of what Pat Croce has accomplished but this book is beneath him.It was co-authored and I wonder just what part Croce played in the writing and content. Reading it I had the feeling I wasted my money, finishing it I had a feeling of great disappointment. I read a lot of motivational books and this is a light weight. Purchase his first book it was a lot better.



3. Pat Croce did a wonderful job writing the book 110% he is a master motorvator and always look at things in a postive way. I couldn't put the book down once I started to read it. Since I have red the book 110% I have started to have the same attitude that he does. When I ask people how they are doing they say good and why they ask me I am doing great. this is a must read book and one that you will enjoy trust me!!!!!!
   after reading this book you will say I FEEL GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



4. This book is very easy to read, very funny and offers some practical advice for every day living. I loaned the book from my library and left it in the bathroom in hopes that the rest of my family would read it and get hint or two about enjoying life. Pat Croce is a very colorful and inspiring man!



5. Who else but Pat Croce can motivate the way he does. The problem most people have - myself included, is maintaining that feeling in your day to day life. With 110 strategies and positive stories, surely even the most miserable of the bunch can use at least 1 strategy to stay positive.
   
   I feel this book is not a guide to a better day as much as it is a reminder of how great life really is, and that we all should stop and smell real fresh cut roses once in while.

5 comments about Better Single Than Sorry: A No-Regrets Guide to Loving Yourself and Never Settling.

1. Life for single women today can be rough. It is very easy to cave into pressure to settle down quickly. Our friends, family, and society tell us that pairing up as soon as possible is a marker of success. No wonder there is such a huge divorce rate in the United States.
   
   The author points out two very big mistakes we make. First, we do not love ourselves and secondly, because of that we settle for guys that are less than ideal for us.
   
   She uses some hillarious anecdotes from her own personal life to illustrate some dating mistakes she has made and how it affected her. She points out that had she not tried to settle, she could have avoided having her heart broken so frequently.
   
   What makes it good, is that it is true to life. All of us girls can relate to dating the types of men mentioned in this book and the results. She also helps us to remember that the right man is worth waiting for regardless of the pressure exerted on us.
   
   The message is: Enjoy your life, do things you love, pamper yourself, and do not ever settle!
   
   I cannot however agree with all the advice offered in the book. She suggests that having a one-night-stand might be a good way to get over a broken heart. This seems to be dangerously bad advice.
   
   However I do recommend this book because the concepts of enjoying you life and implementing suggested tactics to avert pressure placed on you by others to marry the wrong person.



2. So, overall I really enjoyed this book. I am not a fan of self-help books usually, especially those about relationships. However, I remember Jen from 'The Bachelorette" and I admire her bravery for not settling. This book is great for single girls like me who see their friends getting married and having babies left and right. I'm only 25 and in no mood to settle down anytime soon. So, it was refreshing to hear that I'm normal and that is totally okay to be single and loving it. However, towards the end of the book it veered off into a book about relationships- how to meet and snag a man and how to keep the relationship going. Wait? I thought this book had the word 'Single' in the title. It was great advice, but belonged in a different book.
   But, overall I recommend this book for all those single girls out there who are seeing their friends "drop like flies", but refuse to settle themselves.



3. This girl has no idea what she's talking about and she's trying to give relationship advice? Her problem is that she doesn't know the difference between settling and compromise! See, in a real relationship, you need to make compromises. But to her, she'll call it settling. Don't waste your time or money on this book, this girl is just plain confused.



4. I just recently purchased "Better to Be Single Than Sorry" and I have to say I really enjoyed the book very much. I am 42 years old, single, no children, and not involved in a serious relationship (I chose my marital status by both choice and circumstance). In my twenties, I always thought about marriage, havng children with the "perfect man". I used to get jealous because all of my friends got married with kids and I was always the one left out. Now that I'm older and much wiser, I've come to realize that it's okay to be single and will never settle for less. Jen's book is truly an inspiration for me! This will help me and other single women all over the world avoid getting involved in a meaningless relationship/marriage.



5. I never received my book, it was lost in the mail. I still haven't seen it almost 2 months later. Please let me know how to file a claim. This is the first time I've ever had a problem, but this just makes me mad.

4 comments about Love Your Body.

1. I belived that this book was written in collaboration with James A. Michener. Michener writes all of his works with great detail and research of facts and information. This book has none of the Michener style and substance. Instead it lacked quality, depth and information. Every part of the body ends with "I love and appreciate my beautiful [teeth, gums, neck,spine...]" This was my first ever purchase online, and I feel that I was misled as to any Michner involvement in this book (not even an introduction which would have indicated his feeling of quality).



2. No, Michener had nothing to do with this book. What a silly person that only reveiwer so far is! This book is a series of postive affimations for every part of one's body. yes, she even has it for loving your rectum and saying it's beautiful. All these may help people appreciate their bodies and think positive during any illness with certain body parts. The power of positive thinking...it works!



3. This book takes self-appreciation to a level of its own. Louise Hay offers a very unique tactic for appreciating your body. She looks beyond the normal features that people generally tend to complain about and reminds readers to affirm the beauty of all areas of the body, including fingernails, gums, scalp, the spleen, and yes, even the kidneys.
   
   This book is geared towards giving readers a body that works as a "harmonious whole." I can't say that I myself have become a harmonious whole as a result of reading the book. I certainly have had a few laughs, though.



4. I have owned "Love Your Body" audio cassette before and I used it so much I wore it out. I have searched all day on the Internet to find her original audio version, which was published in 1988/1989. I believe her newer audio version of "Love Your Body" uses subliminal messages. I prefer this version because Louise Hay speaks each affirmation to you. I use to listen to it while I was rollerblading. I couldn't believe how good I felt about my body and it made me want to exercise even more. The more I exercised the better I felt and looked. I rate this a 5+ and would recommend it to anyone.

5 comments about 101 Ways to Help Your Daughter Love Her Body.

1. Few parents with teen-aged daughters escape the frustrations of dealing, at least on occasion, with a daughter who feels she should look like the image on a fashion magazine. At this trying point in a girl's life, a great many insecurities can arise ranging from peer pressure to lack of confidence and self-esteem about appearance. Through the media, i.e. television, movies and fashion magazines, teens are often programmed to think only thin is acceptable and unless we have a the face and body of a fashion model, we will never be accepted and never be noticed.

   This book is an excellent source for working with your daughter to help her understand that true beauty lies within, not on the surface. Each of us has our own unique beauty and style and rather than try to cultivate what others have achieved, we should be individualistic and cultivate what we have been given. This is a book where Mom's and Dad's can both play an active role in dealing with the often frustrating day-to-day problems of a teen-aged daughter, and by doing so, helping her feel more confident, happy and healthy, both emotionally and physically.




2. This Author is Fantastic and an inspration to us all as mothers and as women!
   Way to go Elaine you've hit it out of the park on this book! I recomend it to all mothers!

   Your Friend Desiree A Make-A-Wish Volunteer whom you have inspired even more! ;-}




3. I read about this book in People magazine and thought it sounded good. Wow! I want to buy this book for everyone I know who has a daughter. Starting from babies and moving through each stage of a girl's life, this book gives sound, quick advice in a very easy to read format to help girls love their bodies. There is also a great section for Dads too. If you have a daugher. Get this book. It is a must read.



4. I have never rushed to my computer upon finishing a book to write a review, and I hardly think a book that's been profiled in PEOPLE magazine needs my help, but I feel compelled to RAVE about this inspiring and hugely helpful book. There are so many of us who understand that bulimia, anorexia and morbid obesity, while frightening problems, are but the tip of the iceberg of the eating disorder that seems to have ensnared all modern females. The notion that a life-long battle against the body is a given MUST be combatted, and authors Richardson and Rehr have pulled out some brilliant tools to help us win--or, rather, stop--this war. With language that reminds us of a smart friend at our kitchen table, they shine a flashlight in the corners, tackling issues that other books on this topic ignore. What to do with the heavy girl whose mother is thin? How does adoption affect body image? How can we emphasize to our daughters what's important, without denying the pull of pop culture? I came away from this book with not only incredible insight, but at least a dozen practical ideas I can use right now with my daughters ages 7 and 10, who are both already struggling with this issue. I thank my lucky stars that these two women met at their daughters' schools, and got around to talking about more than playdates and homework. Any mother with a daughter needs this book!



5. This book should be read by every mother who has a daughter. Who knew we could have such an impact on our daughter's self image. What an awesome responsibility!