5 comments about Trying Hard is Not Good Enough.

1. "Trying Hard is Not Good Enough" and the Results Accountability framework are proven and effective tools for all federal, state, local and non-profit organizations looking to improve conditions of well being for the clients they serve. Having trained or provided technical assistance in the implemention of Results Accountability to leaders in all sectors, including undergraduate students, I have found that the concepts in the book are easy to grasp by all. The book also shows how to effortlessly get from talk to action on the issues that matter most.



2. Interesting book, hits you over the head with the point. could have been more and less at same time.



3. This is a short, easy to read book that gets right to the heart of performanace measures in government agencies. A absolute "must read" book for anyone working in the public service.



4. Common sense? Lack of jargon? Plain, understandable language? Minimal paper? Humor? How can this be in a text on managing social change?
   The writing shows the broad span of Mark's expertise and interests. The structure of the approach reflects linear logic that can only come from a mind trained in math. No mushy thinking here! The style shows some experience with teaching, and the humor shows a person who is comfortable with himself and who has no need to impress. Very useful!



5. great book; we have had the author working in the netherlands many times now; his model is great for the public arena; we have introduced his work in cities, agencies and so on; worthwile for every worker and manager in the public sector; the book is easy to read with many practical tips and exercises; this is all about how you reach your customers and how you organise your agency!

5 comments about Since Strangling Isn't An Option... Dealing with Difficult People -- Common Problems and Uncommon Solutions.

1. You should really read this no matter what your disposition. Everyone gets to a point when they want to strangle someone, the title in itself tells how light hearted this book is about a very oppressive subject. Controlling your anger is something most would like to avoid. I advocate this book during my workshops. Take the time to get this one and read it.



2. This book has a user friendly approach and avoids concentrating on defining the "difficult people" by style, type or category. There are several interesting approaches offered for changing your behavior when dealing with difficult people because, as the author points out, the only behavior you can really control is your own.
   
   The author includes a number of scenarios, some carrying over from chapter to chapter, which aid in understanding the process for dealing with difficult behavior and the predicted, or actual, outcome. While the process suggested by the author may not work for you, and may not work in every instance where you are dealing with a difficult person, there is certainly enough wisdom and information to justify the time spent reading the book.



3. Some greet perspectives, and provokes great thought and can be very helpful for anyone looking to gain knowledge to help them gain insights that will help give confidence when dealing with others.



4. Very Helpful to me.
   Helps me relate/understand why I get annoyed with people because of my already-always-thinking process from my past. I have begun to hear other in a more understanding way...when I am in a good mood that is..some days, if I am not thinking I revert back to my other thinking and lose my patience..!



5. This book was not what I thought it was. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it not only defines the types of difficult people and how to deal with them, but it had the reader take a look at how he/she reacts to the difficult person's behavior. I was under the misconception that the problem was inherently theirs, but Sandra Crowe points out that there are things I may be doing to provoke or instigate the situation. This book is surely an excellent resource for those dealing with difficult people - especially when you must maintain relationships with them and cannot avoid them.

1 comments about Sex Machine: A Man's Guide to What Really Pleases a Woman in Bed.

1. I really liked this guide. It was informative without being silly or condescending. The author takes the subject to a new level, by stating that men, in an effort to please their lovers, need to be more sexual and in various capacities. From start to finish, this was a quick, easy read and one of the best guides on sex I've read.

5 comments about Get It Done When You're Depressed.

1. As we would expect from Julie Fast, this book is very simply written and points are aptly illustrated and accompanied with charts and checklists. "50 Strategies for Keeping Your Life on Track" is the subtitle and is what she teaches in this book -- simple tips and easily understood and applied as you work through your depression. Her main point is that you can still be productive, even though you are feeling depressed.



2. *****
   This book is incredibly helpful because it helps you to learn practical methods for coping with depression. The subtitle is "50 Strategies for Keeping Your Life on Track", and each strategy is thoroughly explored. First it is explained, then there is a short exercise you can do to apply the strategy to your life. Next the strategy is illustrated in a story from someone's personal life. Lastly, the author shares a story about applying that strategy in her own life.
   
   For example, one strategy I found very helpful is "Accept the Limitations Caused By Depression". I expect way, way too much of myself every day and then feel bad when I can't accomplish what I want to. This strategy (and the book in general) helped me to see that I will feel better and get more done in the long run if I don't beat myself up about what I can't do, and if I work the other strategies diligently to do what I can.
   
   It really helped that the author is successful and accomplished despite her depression, and the stories show how many, many people work with their illness to make valuable contributions with their lives instead of just giving in to depression and using it as an excuse for failure. It truly made me feel like I wasn't alone---that many others feel this way, and that they organize their lives so that they can still succeed.
   
   I have to say that it's the most practical book I've ever read for actually coping with depression.
   
   Highly recommended.
   *****



3. Depression doesn't have to completely shut down people's lives - part of overcoming it is not letting it take over the sufferer's life. "Get It Done When You're Depressed: 50 Strategies for Keeping Your Life on Track" is an encouraging and helpful treatise to help sufferers overcome clinical depression to keep them going and get over it so they can continue leading healthy, productive lives in spite of it. Inspiring readers to continue creativity, overcome their own mind, and allow for time to pass to get what they want, and dozens upon dozens of other tips to getting through day to day life under depression, "Get It Done When You're Depressed: 50 Strategies for Keeping Your Life on Track" is highly recommended to self-help community library collections, for those who have been in the unending funk with the intimidating news that life still needs to be lived.



4. I was quite impressed with this little book. I think that some people will relate to the 50 different strategies more so than others. But I can't imagine a depressed person NOT taking something valuable away from at least ONE of the 50 methods.
   
   What I liked even more than the specific strategies was Julie's clear and honest explanation of what it is like to have depression. She does a great job illustrating how the depressed brain operates differently. She includes personal examples from her own life for EVERY strategy.
   
   I did think her personal stories became a bit whiny and annoying by the end of the book, but I understand why she included them. I figure any frustration I have with her is the same frustration I have with my own depression. No-one wants to be whiny and self-absorbed, but when you're depressed, it happens.
   
   This is one of the better books for depression out there. Even if you aren't depressed, it's a great read because it will help you interact with and understand those who are.



5. this book was helpful for me because it offered very hands-on, tangible solutions to managing my depression. fast emphasizes the fact that tasks will not necessarily be the most enjoyable to complete while depressed, but it is the feeling of satisfaction you receive after "just doing it" that is the great reward...after all, you will only feel worse doing the alternative, which is nothing.
   
   great format, highly recommended for those dealing with depression.

5 comments about Swinging for Beginners: An Introduction to the Lifestyle.

1. Although this book has been around a while, it is still a great book for beginners and those just curious about the Lifestyle. For those who are trying to determine whether they want to take the plunge and test the waters of swinging, it gives information about many of the important things to consider. This book is highly recommended for beginners, along with two more recent offerings, Swinging: Shared Pleasures Between the Covers and Doin One for the Team: Years in the Swinging Lifestyle. These three books will provide newbies with everything they need to know to decide whether swinging is right for them and if so, how to take the right approach that best suits their individual situation.



2. This is a great book if you are considering entering the swinger lifestyle. Answers lots of questions and gives great advice. Gave me and my wife a different outlook. Very easy and quick to read. Very glad we bought.



3. Excellent book, well put together and very informative. Covered all aspects of swinging that a beginner would need to make an informaed decision about the lifestyle. I personally enjoyed the personal stories touch. Thanks, Fred



4. Learned alot of information on the Lifestyle. I thought I knew alot, but I only knew a small part of it. Even if you aren't thinking about actually getting into the liefstyle, it has a lot of information to open your mind to new things.



5. We purchased this book in addition to another one on the same subject.
   
   Though both books were excellent and similar in content, this particular book had some different perspectives.
   
   In fact, there are first hand accounts of many different scenarios that have happened to people in the "Lifestyle".
   
   The book answers many of those doubts you have about whether this way of life is cut out for you and your spouse...the author pulls no punches and speaks from first hand experiences as well.
   
   I highly recommend this book for those nagging questions in the back of your mind.

5 comments about Keep It Simple: Daily Meditations For Twelve-Step Beginnings And Renewal (Hazelden Meditation Series).

1. I purchased this reader for someone just starting out with a 12 step program. I couldn't get this person to attend daily nor weekly meetings BUT, I could get them to read this daily reader. After just a few weeks of committing to this reader, they have now found the courage to start attending meetings. I can speak rather highly of most if not all of the Hazelden publications!

   Another great book is "The Language Of Letting Go" by Melody Beattie. This too is a wonderful daily reader that, can help with those times when life just seems too heavy. I've lived under the tree of therapy professionals now for 23 years so, trust me when I tell you, you can't go wrong with either of these books.




2. This is a wonderful book for daily use in recovery. Daily meditation is powerful in the healing process and can act as a guide through our 24 hours sober. Remember thats all sobrity is is 24 hours sober. Best of wishes and enjoy your daily journey of recovery one step at a time. Highly recommended.



3. I find reminders and inspiration in the pages of this book. Giving me information to continue on the road of recovery.



4. The truth is that a newly-sober alcoholic named William Griffith Wilson -- a down-on-his-luck former Wall Street hustler who put on airs of having once been a prosperous stock broker -- just sat down, in December of 1938, and wrote up twelve commandments for the new religious group that he and fellow alcoholic Doctor Robert Smith had started. Those commandments were simply a repackaged version of the practices of a cult religion that was popular at that time, something called "The Oxford Group", or "The Oxford Group Movement", and later, "Moral Re-Armament" -- a religious cult that was created by a deceitful fascist renegade Lutheran minister named Dr. Frank Nathan Daniel Buchman -- a nut-case who actually praised Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler.
   
   Bill Wilson described the writing of the Twelve Steps this way:
   
   Well, we finally got to the point where we really had to say what this book was all about and how this deal works. As I told you this had been a six-step program then.
   
   The idea came to me, well, we need a definite statement of concrete principles that these drunks can't wiggle out of. There can't be any wiggling out of this deal at all and this six-step program had two big gaps which people wiggled out of.
   
   Notice how Bill Wilson considered his fellow alcoholics to be a bunch of cheaters who will "wiggle out of this deal" if they can get away with it -- which Bill won't allow.
   
   And note how Bill Wilson made himself the leader who was entitled to dictate the concrete terms of other people's recovery programs.
   Also notice how Bill Wilson considered 'spiritual development' to be a business deal, with a contract that you can't wiggle out of, something like selling your soul in trade for sobriety.
   
   Nowhere in the Twelve Steps does it say that you should quit drinking, or help anyone else to quit drinking, either. Nowhere do the words "sobriety", "recovery", "abstinence", "health", "happiness", "joy", "love", or "love", appear in the Twelve Steps. The word "alcohol" was only mentioned once, where it was patched into the first step as a substitute for the word "sin" -- Bill Wilson wrote,
   "we are powerless over alcohol and our lives have become unmanageable",
   instead of the Oxford Group slogan,
   "we are powerless over sin and have been defeated by it".
   And then the phrase "especially alcoholics" was patched into the 12th step as a suggested target for further recruiting efforts:
   "...we tried to carry this message to others, especially alcoholics"...
   (But regular non-alcoholic people were still fair game for recruiting into Bill's "spiritual fellowship"...)
   
   The Twelve Steps are not a formula for curing or treating alcoholism, and they never were.
   The Twelve Steps are not "spiritual principles" and they never were.
   The Twelve Steps are cult practices that work to convert people into confirmed true believers in a proselytizing cult religion, just like Frank Buchman's so-called "spiritual principles" did.
   
   1. The Twelve Steps do not work as a program of recovery from drug or alcohol problems.
   The A.A. failure rate ranges from 95% to 100%. Sometimes, the A.A. success rate is actually less than zero, which means that A.A. indoctrination is positively harmful to people, and prevents recovery. Some tests have shown that even receiving no treatment at all for alcoholism is much better than receiving A.A. treatment:
   One of the most enthusiastic boosters of Alcoholics Anonymous, Professor George Vaillant of Harvard University, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (AAWS), showed by his own 8 years of testing of A.A. that A.A. was worse than useless -- that it didn't help the alcoholics any more than no treatment at all, and it had the highest death rate of any treatment program tested -- a death rate that Professor Vaillant himself described as "appalling". While trying to prove that A.A. treatment works, Professor Vaillant actually proved that A.A. kills. After 8 years of A.A. treatment, the score with Dr. Vaillant's first 100 alcoholic patients was: 5 sober, 29 dead, and 66 still drinking.
   (Nevertheless, Vaillant is still a Trustee of Alcoholics Anonymous, and he still wants to send all alcoholics to A.A. anyway, to "get an attitude change by confessing their sins to a high-status healer." That is cult religion, not a treatment program for alcoholism.)
   The A.A. dropout rate is terrible. Most people who come to A.A. looking for help in quitting drinking are appalled by the narrow-minded atmosphere of fundamentalist religion and faith-healing. The A.A. meeting room has a revolving door. The therapists, judges, and parole officers (many of whom are themselves hidden members of A.A. or N.A.) continually send new people to A.A., but those newcomers vote with their feet once they see what A.A. really is. Even A.A.'s own triennial surveys, conducted by the A.A. headquarters (the GSO), say that:
   81% of the newcomers are gone within 30 days,
   90% are gone in 3 months, and
   95% are gone at the end of a year.
   That automatically gives A.A. a failure rate of at least 95%. But the GSO does not count all of those people who only attend a few meetings before quitting -- they don't qualify as "members". (That amounts to "cherry-picking".) If we included them, then the numbers would be much worse.
   
   First there is the propaganda technique of "everybody's doing it": "AA or a similar Twelve-Step program is an integral part of almost all successful recoveries".
   That is a complete falsehood. The vast majority of the successful people recover without A.A. or any "support group". It's what "everybody" is doing.
   Then they use the propaganda techniques of use of the passive voice and vague suggestions: "It is widely believed that not including a Twelve-Step program in a treatment plan can put a recovering addict on the road to relapse."
   It is widely believed by whom? And what do those unnamed people know? What are their qualifications? Are they doctors? Medical school professors? Or salesmen for a 12-Step treatment center? Why should we care what some unnamed invisible fools allegedly believe, anyway?
   The authors also use the propaganda technique of fear-mongering: you will be "on the road to relapse" -- you will probably die -- unless you practice Bill Wilson's Twelve Step cult religion.
   And then the fluff-headed Pollyanna attitude is outrageous: Just going to the wonderful A.A. meetings is supposedly all that is needed to fix some alcoholics.
   But since A.A. has a zero-percent success rate above and beyond the normal rate of spontaneous remission, that cannot possibly be true



5. If you see a review for this literature (which is helpful in maintaining a daily spiritual focus) that denounces AA, just know that there are many ignorant people who oppose AA and call it a cult. It actually does not qualify as a cult by definition. The real fact is that the cult-like focus on sobriety is a good thing for those who have become enslaved by substance abuse. AA is the "milk" that brings them to the "meat" of the issue-spirituality. The Big Book of AA talks about God a great deal of the time, prepares people to have an encounter with Him, and says that is the purpose of the book. Drunks will otherwise never encounter God. This book helps those of us who are staying sober also stay mentally healthy, unlike those who would criticize the thing that is helping us. Do they also not believe in doctors?

4 comments about Letting Go of Anger: The Eleven Most Common Anger Styles And What to Do About Them.

1. I was pleased to find out about this book from a review in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It categorizes anger into anger styles and tells what to do about them. A quiz with 30 yes or no questions helps you figure out your style.
   Many of us have learned unhealthy ways to deal with our own anger or that of others. The book advises letting go of our anger, and to clearly express our wants and needs. Don't just vent your anger, channel it to make needed changes. Maybe it's road rage or seething over an injustice or whatever triggers your anger, you don't want to lose control and let the anger rule you.



2. I read this book in 2 days. It was amazing and I highly recommend it for anyone 15 and older. The content is succint, thorough, and insightful. It addresses many types of anger and provides you with cues to when you might blow your temper and how to control rage. Then it will cover issues like hate and resentment found in people who bury their frustrations over time and how they start to resent someone becuase they are not releasing that anger. This book is excellent and my comments are trivial compared to the insights. Pick it up and you will be surprised. It is the one anger book I would recommend out of the numerous choices available.
   
   Enjoy and learn!



3. On the advice of a friend, and during a particularly stressful period of my life, I read "Letting Go of Anger: The 11 Most Common Anger Styles..." I found it helpful to be able to identify what I was feeling and what to do to make me not feel that way any more. Since being angry (afraid?) is proven to have an effect on a persons overall health, I found this book to be very helpful in returning me to a homeostatic place. I have already loaned my copy of "Letting Go..." to another friend. This author has other helpful books on the same subject out there. I highly recommend them all.



4. I found the book very helpful. It's always nice to be able to read something and say that you see yourself in it. Makes you realize that you're not the only one and that there is hope. After reading this, I have decided that I'm going to follow some of the suggestions and see if I can learn to change my anger problems.

5 comments about Acts Of Faith.

1. This book has inspired me. I have found several meditations that apply whole heartedly to my life. I have retyped and copied several of the quotes and taped them to my refrigerator or put them on my bulletin board at work. This is a book I needed years ago.

   This book has given me insight and inspiration on several different topics. Since I bought it a few years ago, I have yet to put it down. I'm always reading this. I have become more pleasant in certain circumstance because of something I've read here.

   For anybody facing lifes highs and lows or debating whether or not to start meditating this book is one you should have. It's so nice to have a book that focuses on the daily ins and outs of being a person of color.




2. Excellent collection of opinions and advise for inspiration and reflection for all aspects of life.



3. I had read several other books by Iyanla before I started with this one and I have to say that I have never read another book that give's one so much information and yet is so accessible. Iyanla has a way of making seemingly esoteric issues very relatable and very understandable, and very easy to apply to your everyday life. "Acts of Faith" is definitley in that vein. I would also recommend 'Until Today' by Iyanla which I believe is a more developed version of 'Acts of Faith' in that the daily passages are longer and she give daily affirmations and activities to complete on each day.



4. I have been reading Acts of Faith for several years and find it to be the perfect morning read. It sets the tone for my day and helps me remember how blessed I am and how much I need to grow. It often reminds me of lessons that I have forgotten.
   
   I lost my copy at a hotel a few months ago and missed it tremendously, so I had to reorder.
   
   If everyone could learn these lessons, we would be a better world.



5. GET THIS BOOK! READ THE MEDITATIONS! We need inspirations and meditations and affirmations...THIS BOOK IS A TRIPLE HITTER!!!
   I purchased this book when it first came out (Over ten years ago) and at that time I read each meditation daily and FAITHFULLY. Over the years I have had to tape the cover to protect the cover from wear and tear. I also marked the dates of my affirmations, and as I re-read the meditations/affirmations (yes I continue to read the daily affirmations-life doesn't change, there will always be stuff to go through)
   I had a chance to see how God has moved me through the various situations I found myself confronted with and also to reflect on how I have grown. I thank God for this book and for giving us Iyanla, who had the wisdom and discernment and OBEDIENCE to write it. I often give this book as a gift when I see folks who are at a place of contemplation; So I recommend this book 100%. Don't be afraid to use it during the happy and not so happy days that will come to past. I have two copies one at home, and one at work. Enjoy!

3 comments about Great Speeches For Better Speaking (Book + Audio CD).

1. 'Great Speeches for Better Speaking' is a guide to oratory and, in this capacity, serves as a good tool for educating readers about what rhetoric meant, means and should mean in a democratic society. Through the chosen speeches and the author's analysis of each speech, the book persuades the reader that rhetoric is an art worth studying, a craft to be mastered and practiced because of its power and influence on human belief and behavior. The author did a good job supporting his ideas by way of example, through historical backgrounds, and brief biographical introductions to each speaker. Overall the book offers a good learning experience and it is worth reading.



2. This is a good book. The style is informative but not stuffy. It has contributed to my speaking skill. This is not for those new to presentations due to it's lack of exercises. You'll have to design your own exercises to apply what you've read.



3. Herds of Toastmasters and orators alike will call "More, More, More" after reading "Great Speeches for Better Speaking." Its engaging style, organization, and content (text and compact disks) are a refreshing break from the "blah, blah, blah" of books about public speaking. I eagerly await its sequel.

2 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Law of Attraction (Complete Idiot's Guide to).

1. I have all the law of attraction books and this one works best for me.
   Ahlquist tells the reader up front that this is no new theory. She also addresses the other books before her's and lets us know that some presentations work better for some people. Her book makes it simple and fun to understand. She talks about prayer, God, and compassion which is not in the other books very much. It is more logical than some of the others and is already working in my life.
   Since I read her book I have started to change my work situation around and am on the road to a new relationship.
   I love the book and her humor makes understanding more fun.



2. After being swayed by the clever marketing techniques of The Secret. I felt there was more to the Laws of Attraction but wanted a book without the distraction of layers of pyscho babble and glamor. This book is it - using terms such as "lets get down to the meat" makes reading and more important, understanding simple. Its not a glossy over-optimistic book, and as a primer is edcuational. Also there are explanations and examples of how Laws of Attraction don't work