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2 comments about Taking the Fear Out of Changing.

1. An easy reference book for any topic you may wish to find, due to its format and extensive Table of Contents. Also written so that each chapter stands on its own - a MUST for busy people that struggle to find the time to read. I also enjoyed the interactive nature of the point/counterpoint and quiz at the end of each chapter

   My wife and I have personally used this book as an on-going reference during two job changes, the construction of 2 new homes and a 550 mile move. As a matter of fact, we each have our own copy.

   When I made the first job change, I gave a copy of this book to each of my reports when I left. They have used and appreciated it.

   I highly recommend this book, whether you fear change or enjoy it! Makes a great gift for someone you care about. And it truly keeps on giving!




2. A REVIEW OF "TAKING THE FEAR OUT OF CHANGING" BY DR. DENNIS O'GRADY

   
   I'm thinking of buying a second copy of this book. Like a favorite pair of tennis shoes, this book doesn't just sit on the shelf, I use it often. I've taken the book to work, copied favorite sections, and loaned it out to friends.

   
   I first read this book five years ago, when my husband and I had identity crises at the same time. We separated, changed careers, and then reunited. Talk about changes! I read many self-help books during that time, but this book was, and continues to be, the most useful.
   In essence, "Taking the Fear Out of Changing" has become a mentor that I consult often, to relearn a lesson, to check my progress, and to inspire me to continue changing.

   
   As a psychotherapist in independent practice for more than 20 years, O'Grady is well-qualified to write this book. He has helped couples, families, and businesses, such as AT&T and the U.S. Air Force, with the processes of change. The Dayton-based author is also a professional speaker and columnist.

   
   Most importantly, O'Grady is a comforting and knowledgeable writer. With a refreshingly honest writing style, O'Grady delineates five stages of change: Crises, Hard Work, Tough Decisions, Unexpected Pain, and Joy and Integration. Each chapter presents information, advice, and relevant questions to help the reader navigate the tricky waters of change.

   
   O'Grady also trusts the reader with his own stories of change crises. He describes his struggle to quit smoking, and his fears when he became a new parent.

   
   In one of my favorite passages, he states, "What to do when faced with the unexpected pain of change? Throw up high a prayer to the God of your faith. Then look toward the horizon of your heartfelt goals and crawl forward."
   Not many psychologists would admit or advocate crawling. But isn't that what we do?
   O'Grady inspir!es real change because he accepts the honest truth or us, the messy, imperfect, change-reluctant people we are.

   
   You don't just read this book. You participate in it. There are checklists, quizzes, quotes, and tips in this user-friendly book. But what I found the most helpful were affirmations, such as, "Take responsibility for your happiness." I cut out that list and taped it to my desk at work. It took time, but by reading O'Grady's book, I learned that, in my case, the fear of change, was really the fear of anger and the fear of being different.

   
   I can honestly say that this book helped me grow up. It helped me grown into myself, "Taking the Fear Out of Changing" taught me to appreciate who I am, and that appreciation turned, slowly but surely, into confidence. And a confident person can handle change.

   
   -- Kristina Onder

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4 comments about H+ (Plus) A New Religion?: How to Live Your Life Positively Through Happiness, Humour, Help, Hope, Health.

1. I bought this book recently - a very novel concept wherein he advocates a new way of living that will make one feel more happy (we all are seeking happiness aren't we) and have a sense of achievement and fulfillment.
   
   The book is written in a very simple style - which is both good and bad. It makes very easy reading (and easy implementation in one's life) but at the end, leaves you with a sense of incompleteness in terms of content of the book - very unlike some of his earlier work.
   
   Around the basic concept, he has woven an external jacket of a religion which he calls H+. Health, Humor, Happiness, Help and Hope are pillars of his proposition.
   
   The book gives URLs where you dont get anything. :-)
   
   Amazon showed the date of publication as Jan 23, 2007 ???!!!



2. I bought this "book" on e-bay unseen and wasted $20 (including postage). This must be one of the silliest non-fiction books around. If anybody (apart from de Bono) submitted this as a manuscript to a publisher, they would laugh their heads off ... Would not even make an interesting article, but streched out as a "book", all 80 or so pages of it, written double-spaced, really meaning that as a normal book it would have only 40 pages! Total waste of paper ... Stay away ...



3. In "H+" DeBono proposes a new belief system based on positive energy. He calls his new religion: H+. H stands for the six principles Human, Happiness, Humor, Help, Hope and Health. Halfway his book he defines the term PON as the opposite of a sin. A pon is a positive action done on the spur of the moment. He believes that if everyone would try to do as much pons per day as possible then the positive energy would improve the world. A nice idea.
   
   The book is very thin, just about 100 pages. There are not much words on each page, so I finished reading it without about half an hour. The language is simple and sometimes I'm not sure whether DeBono is serious or he just wrote this book based on the Humour principle (and thinks that people who buy it are enormously funny, especially people who then still spend time writing an Amazon review!).
   
   I didn't found the book very special, but I found it worth reading still. Not because of the H+ religion, though the idea is interesting, but just because of a couple of sentences and chapters. I really liked the hapiness chapter, which was one of the first. Simple, well formulated statements like "Hapiness needs to become a deliberate habit and not just the feeling when everything is perfect" and silly ideas like the Hapiness rating for movies is what, for me, made the book worth reading (considering that it didn't take me more than half an hour).
   
   So, when you're a DeBono fanatic or just need an interesting read for half an hour. Pick up this book. When you want a really good book or something more serious. This is not the book for you.



4. In his book H+ Edward de Bono suggests a new religion that proposes focus areas that might make people lead richer lives.
   
   He draws from his many years of experience talking to a wide variety of people, and this comes out in the book because he does not get overly concerned with minor details or single issues.
   
   Some people will feel threatened by the simple, positive message and some will be inspired by it.

5 comments about How To Talk To Anybody About Anything 3rd ed: Breaking the Ice With Everyone from Accountants to Zen Buddhists.

1. This is the single most useless and dissapointing book I have ever purchased. No one, who could have a chance to even flip through the pages would ever buy this book. If the author had any ethical integrity, she would immediately get this book off the market. Those of you who think that this book would have any redeeming value as a "reference"- dream on! Here's an opening line that she forgot to put in her book, "Hello, please wait while I set up my teleprompter".



2. The way the book is laid out, it would be a heck of a lot to remember. It would be like something out of a comedy if you asked what each person did, then looked it up in the book! The only people it will benefit are certain kinds of salesman, who are looking for an "in" with a potential client. They would need to buy it. I gave it three stars, because it is good for the folks it should be serving, but not for everyday people.



3. The other people who wrote scathing reviews of this book are buffoons. This is a very helpful book and here's why: No, it doesn't tell you "how to communicate." Get Dale Carnegie for that. What it does do is list "key words," general explanations and various other ways to *make others think that you're a part of their group*. Every closed group of people (accountants, athletes, the rich, filmmakers, etc.) have their own jargon that they use to recognize each other. Once you learn these key-words and are able to have even a minimal discussion about someone's special interest, you're in. They suddenly see you as a "kindred spirit." This is a book for people who are glib and interesting already and simply need a reference regarding a ton of specialists. Tremendous resource!



4. PROS: This is a 4.5 star review, but I don't get that option. I found the content of this book to be an excellent resource for establishing rapport and understanding with people I meet. Yes, it's true that you won't memorize every single question that's in the book. At least though, when you meet someone like a pilot or musician, key phrases will pop into mind and jog your memory. You will understand where they come from, and you will be able to have honest conversation about THEM without the blank stare. As a martial arts instructor, I can instantly tell if someone understands slightly what I do based on their questions in conversation. If someone asks "What style do you practice?" or "What's your training lineage," I know that I'm talking to someone educated about it.
   
   CONS: My only qualm with this book is that its title is too close to Lowndes' other book, "How to Talk to Anyone." The title for this book should be "How to Break the Ice with Anyone: 150 questions to get people talking." It would have also helped if each section had a paragraph on what subjects and "outsider questions" to avoid. For me, nothing says "I don't know anything about your craft" like the question "How many boards can you break?" or "Hapkido? It's Karate right?"
   
   Overall, I highly recommend this book as a supplement to "How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Steps for Big Success in Relationships."



5. I've never read anything like this. It's the magic potent for sounding like an insider in every crowd -- even if you have nothing in common. It gives the right words and the right questions to ask everybody. And it's written very tongue-in-cheek. The book is a MUST for salespeople or anyone else in a job where they need to establish fast rapport with people.
   Suppose you have a customer who is an Astrology buff, a Bird Watcher, a Bowler, A Rock Climber, a Hang Glider -- even a Bungee Jumper. Du'h. Whadda you going to say to them?
   This book gives you the answers.
   Or suppose you're intimidate by a beautiful Model, Actress, Dancer, or Flight Attendant? This book helps you over the hump and gives you just the right thing to say to sound like a knowledgable big shot.
   Suppose you're at a party and find yourself intimidated by speaking to a highly respected and intimidating Doctor, Lawyer, Scientist or Brain Surgeon? Don't worry. You can sound knowledgable and very cool.
   At first I was astounded that the book got such bad reviews on Amazon. Now I understand why. The title is misleading. Those readers thought they were getting the techniques to talk with anyone. (For that, buy Lowndes' much more recent book with a similar title,, "How to Talk to Anyone." Definitely get that one if you want techni ques for conversing and communicating. It's fabulous for that.)
   So, concerning this book, don't make the same mistake those other readers made. This one is NOT the one general communicating advice. But it is a fabulous and list of things to say to a wide variety of people. It's the answer for feeling speechless in any occasion.

No comments about Raising Your Self-Esteem (CD).

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2 comments about Life - Be There at 10 'Til.

1. Every story within this collection offers something to learn, digest, internalize and grow from...there's humor, poignancy and wisdom that will leave the reader wanting more...I think the South may have discovered it's own David Sedaris understudy!



2. Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (10/06)
   
   Author R. Dean Johnson gained a lot of insight into human behavior by always observing what was going on around him. He calls it "homegrown wisdom." He shares his homegrown wisdom with us to teach us to look for these kinds of life lessons in everything. Johnson's writings made me feel like he was someone that I wished I knew personally. He looks at life very basically and offers his musings with a touch of southern class. He offers a lot of common sense. In his book, he takes each chapter and muses about an experience he had and what he learned from it. He talks about the importance of having our basic needs be met. For example, if we have known true hunger, we learn to really appreciate food. If we haven't known true hunger, then we need to appreciate this fact and be grateful for the abundance in our lives.
   
   Johnson also writes about how the process of change is important and necessary for us to grow. But he also says that constancy and familiarity feed our souls. Each chapter is enjoyable to read and is a welcome respite from the current times that we are in where people seem to forget about personal accountability and get so caught up in materialism that they lose a sense of the importance of belonging.
   
   "Life. Be There at 10 `Til" is really an enjoyable book to read. It would make a wonderful gift for all ages. I think that older people would enjoy it for its simplicity and that younger people could learn a lot about life in general from it. For me, I enjoyed being able to sit down with it and take a break from all the stress going on in my world. Johnson's reflections made me realize that I take too much in life seriously and that I need to slow down and learn to appreciate the lessons that are offered to me in each experience.

No comments about Shape Shifter: Transform Your Life in 1 Day.

2 comments about Como creer en mi mismo (Believing In Myself): (Believing in Myself).

1. I would definitely recommend this book because most of the daily meditations can be applied to your life at one point, like when you are feeling down, depressed and you need some words to lift up your spirits. I liked it so much that I bought one for my friend and will buy another one as a gift.



2. Muy bueno. Me he identificado con algunos de los textos y sobretodo he aprendido como incrementar mi autoestima, así como sentirme mejor conmigo mismo y he aprendido también que debo evitar o mejorar para crecer cada día. Aunque presenta una meditación por día, lo he leído de un tirón pero lo llevo conmigo a todas partes para estarlo repasando, pues creo que entre más lo leo más aprendo o mejor me siento. Lo recomiendo ampliamente!