1 comments about DRAMATIC Success at Work: Using Theatre Skills to Improve Your Performance and Transform Your Business Life.

1. Dramatic Success! Theatre Techniques To Transform And Inspire Your Working Life is a unique guide to improving one's performance and success in the business world by learning theatrical skills. Individual chapters knowledgeably instruct the reader on just how to enhance their ability to communicate, how to motivate and coach effectively, the skill of earning trust and empathy, helping to reveal the talent in others, how to better be able to take change in stride, producing a "high performance culture", and more. Dramatic Success! is recommended as being a truly first-rate supplement for dedicated professionals seeking to improve their business relationships with co-workers and contacts alike.

5 comments about Introduction to Anthony Robbin's Personal Power II.

1. I do not own the Personal Power 2, Yet! But, when I first saw his Infomercial at 1 o clock in the morning I was hooked! Now, at night I wait for his infomercial to come on! And I am disappointed when it doesn't.

   My point is...he is the REAL Thing! Just watching his Infomercial made me motivated to go do what I set out to do!!!

   Attend his Seminars, Buy his Products, Visit his Website, and Watch his Infomercials!!! Soon you will be on your way to Great Successes!!!!




2. I heard this book on tape from the local library during a time when I lost my job and broke up with a woman whom I dearly love. Couldn't be at a worst time. Robbins helps me to re-focus on my priority. Reinforced my value and stayed on course. I plan to buy the entire Personal Power II 24 cassette tapes. I am also looking to sign up for his Power Talk Series. By the way, I was a big skeptic of Tony Robbins and used to laugh at people who went to his seminar.



3. This is a very intense personal mind training program. It is not a brain washing. It is all about you. You make the choices. You answer the questions. You make it happen. But you must stick with it. If you can get through this program, you can do just about anything you want. If you have 30 minutes a day for a mnoth, this is for you!



4. Anthony Robbins Personal Power home study program is simply the best personal development program going. I bought it after reading Unlimited Power and Awaken The Giant several years ago.

   This intro to personal power will give you an overview but to really appreciate the program you have to pick up a copy of personal power or Robbins new program The Edge which includes Personal Power.

   There really is nothingelse like this. Tony is the best.




5. If you spend much time at all in your car, you should check out some of the Personal Power II CD's. I have bit by bit collected pretty much the entire Personal Power II system. This is not only very motivating material, but very practical and useful. Plus its just plain fun to listen to Tony, he's just so dang....EXCITED! Plus you could be planning your conquest of the world during your commute and I can think of many less productive things to do! (He's right up there with Rush Limbaugh on my list of "enjoyable personalities to listen to in your car while driving)

5 comments about Toxic Success: How to Stop Striving and Start Thriving.

1. This is a brilliant book that weaves psychological research, Hawaiian philosophy, and moving anecdotes into a compelling treatise on the meaning of success. I recognized myself (and most of my friends and colleagues, for that matter!) in so many of his descriptions of toxic success. I've only been "detoxing" for a few months but I already feel like a new woman. If you've accomplished a lot but lack the sense of fulfillment you thought success would bring, or if you'd just like a new perspective on life, I urge you to buy this book!!



2. I was lucky enough to be awarded a trip to Hawaii through my company this year. On the second day of the trip Paul Pearsall (the author) spoke to our group and he forever opened my eyes to the really important things in life. The rest of the trip was better than I ever thought it could have been. I bought his book through my phone (Amazon), and it was waiting for me when I arrived back home.

   This is definitely a very life-affirming and eye opening book. Dr. Pearsall will show you many things which have the effect of changing the way you view the world and live in it. His book is firmly grounded in the philosophy and beliefs of the Hawaiian culture. This is not a self-help, "you can do it" "rah-rah-rah" book. This is a real book, of real substance.

   I recommend this book for anyone who wants to live a longer, fuller, and more meaningful life. Dr. Pearsall will show you how to be content, calm down, and connect always.




3. This book is about living in the moment and is based on Hawaiian philosophy. It gives many comments from cancer victims, and what they say about what they would do over if given the chance, versus those with Toxic Success Syndrome (TSS) who feel increasingly dissatisfied with life. Those comparisons were very informative, as were the many useful hints and suggestions. The approach to a more value-based, collective philosophy was very appealing.
   
   I appreciated that the book has lots of references. But, I wondered why the author doesn't seem cite his own publications based on his "10-year study of TSS".
   
   Ultimately, at 309 pages, I found the book too long and repetitive. The author says that this is a product of his Hawaiian philosophy and that anyone bothered by it is suffering from "denial of Toxic Success Syndrome" (pg. 222). For me, this was like being taken to a huge feast and then being told I had to eat the whole thing myself in order to avoid starvation.
   
   Further, the author's defensiveness about this seemed contradictory to his Hawaiian philosophy (e.g. pg. 279). Similarly, his criticism of those with TSS as being unable to filter out "every bit of information" (pg. 58) seems to exemplify his own excessive length. He couldn't avoid telling us everything he knows.
   
   Overall, I couldn't decide whether these lapses were due to poor editing, or whether the author hasn't truly incorporated the ideals he espouses. This left me feeling uncomfortable in ways that others, like Ram Dass, Deepak Chopra, and Thomas Moore do not.



4. We all want to be successful and we are sure that we know how to achieve success. It's all about hard work and sacrifice. If we just work a little harder, a little faster, a little longer, or if we become better at multitasking we'll get that promotional, earn more money, and our lives will be perfect.
   
   The problem is that the more we focus our efforts on becoming successful, the less we remember the reason we wanted to be successful in the first place. Success, at any cost, becomes our focus and we forget all about our health, our friends, our family, and actually enjoying life. For those that actually achieve this pinnacle, their focus becomes staying on top so winning the game isn't really possible.
   
   Toxic Success states that the real success doesn't come from how much money is in your bank account, how many cars you have, or how impressive your job description. True success comes from feeling content and spending your time how and with whom you want. The key to this type of thriving is neither easy nor a quick fix. In fact, you have to completely change your attitude. You probably won't earn as much money or have as much stuff to impress other people with but really connecting to those around you and feeling like a success is well worth the difficult journey



5. Of all the resources I've experienced towards the purpose of improving the quality of my life, this is the best. The information led me to conclusions that were vastly different and vastly more useful than any book I've ever read. This book is not only far and away the best "self help" book I've ever read, it would also be fit for anyone living in "western culture." It contains fundamentally important information that is not in any other book I know of. Relative to other books of its genre, this book is unique in its content and a pinnacle of achievement toward creating happiness... All via well supported arguments.

5 comments about The art of selfishness.

1. This book has sat on my Dad's bedside table for many years. I can always remember seeing it. My Dad is now 77 years old. It travelled with him from the UK to Jamaica, where he and my mum has returned home and retired. He kept money, reciepts, papers etc in this book. I was visiting my parents over the weekend and wanted something to read, I asked him if I could read it. I have read Susan Jeffers and Iyanla Vanzant and many others, but this book is brilliant. As old has it is it, it has not dated in my opinion. The concerns that one had when this book was written has not dated. I said to my Dad I could not have read and understood this book if I did not have some life experiences of my own. It is a very deep and profound book



2. Profound! A pearl of wisdom outlining strategies for managing external negative influence. It provides a strategy for improving your life through a knowledge of self.



3. My Mother and Father said it the wrong way. They told me to share and not be selfish.
   What they should have said is share don't be greedy. Because of the way it was put I have had a negative outlook at the word selfish.
   It made my life hard to fulfill, and being raised as a Catholic it was compounded even more. The Catholic Church pushes its impression of the Bible, and is always telling us to give more then we do, to dig deep and give more.
   I met a woman in my church; her husband is in the Army Reserves and is serving over seas. She has a small child and is living in a place with holes in the walls and not sure where her next meal is coming from. She gives more then she can afford each week for collection, keeps enough money to light a candle some times. She needs to just keep all the money and take care of her family and herself first. I believe God does not care how much you sacrifice, but how much you believe in him. Self sacrifice is to me a lot like suicide and that is one thing that will definitely keep you out of his grace.
   This book helped me to look at the some of the stories that made me think I was selfish, and see them in another light. For example the last days of Christ, after the last supper he went in to the woods and prayed to his Father to give him strength to do what he had to do, instead of what the Apostles wanted of him, spend his last hours with them, By doing what he wanted, and not what they wanted, this gave him the strength to fulfill his destiny. He then gave to us so much more then could have ever been thought of.
   People would describe me as the kind of person that would give the shirt off my back for someone I don't even know. This book has shown me this is self destructive and hurts me and the ones I care the most about. I found out taking the shirt off my own back would only weaken me. I should just go get a shirt out of the closet, give it to them, one I don't need, not the one I was wearing. When I take the shirt off my own back, I could get cold and can get sick, then the ones I care about have to give of themselves to help me get better, and the one I gave the shirt to now needs a coat. It is good for me to give but not when it hurts me or the ones I care about.
   I have found myself in the past in a relationship for 18 years that was destructive to me, because it was with a taker, and she was greedy and kept taking and only gave back the least amount as possible just to keep me around so I would keep giving to her. Looking back, most of the things she gave me she did not give me at all, she just let me get it myself.
   An old saying is when you smile the whole world smiles with you, what a wonderful gift, a smile. This book has helped me to see something, the only way to smile is from the inside out; the only to do that is to remember I am the most important person on this earth. If I want to give to the ones I love I have to have something to give.
   I hope you will get out of this book as I did. If so and it helps you to start being happy, then when you are done give it to someone you care about we all know someone like me and hope they can start being happy inside of themselves, by keeping what they deserve, not giving it all away.
   I have learned it is not all about just giving, but sharing, sharing is taking too. I had a relationship with a giver, a wonderful person; I believe I messed some things up by not knowing how to receive, except gifts, take.
   So for me I believe life is give and take, balance. I am going try taking, as well as giving, but keep enough for myself, hope I never get greedy, and to keep the takers out of my life, I want to be happy too.



4. Ignore this book at your peril.
   
   TAOS by David Seabury may be the greatest pop psych/ self imp. book ever written.
   
   Read it along with Bertand Russell's 'Conquest of Happiness.'(I dont agree with all of Russell's ideas, yet the golden ones along the way make it worth the read.)
   
   Even if you aren't literary, get a copy of William Carlos Williams' 'Paterson' to keep on your shelf til you can warm up to it.
   
   Marjorie Greenbie is good too ('The Arts of Liesure,' harcover) and she is sane, yet humorous/ lighthearted. She hits very few bad notes. Another of the best pop psych books.



5. I would rank this book as one of the most influential books that I have ever read, upon my own life. Mr. Seabury's elaboration on how to solve the most complex and challenging problem of living that a human being faces--that of interpersonal relationships--is absolutely priceless. A bonus, his prose is lucid and succinct. Some of his examples are dated, as you would expect from a book originally published in the '30s. But his psychological principles are still sound, and his philosophy of the "higher selfishness" is probably the most beneficial one that any human being could ever adopt for him/herself. This should be required reading for every human being on this planet!

1 comments about Be the Life and Soul of the Party: Socialising for Success.

1. Basic instructions for building self confidence and understanding yourself. Good techniques for leaning and then showing genuine interest towards others.

5 comments about Pout or Purpose? A Simple Approach for Understanding Your Purpose Pie and Improving Your Life.

1. I found "Pout or Purpose?" to be an excellent guide - not only for finding my purpose, but for putting it into words, and creating an action plan to help me get there.
   
   This book is really a fun read, as it's put in the form of a fable (much like "Aesops Fables", which I read in my youth). Each of the characters has a catchy name, such as "Fixity Fox", "Pouting Pig" and "Creative Cat" - and it's highly likely that you will notice yourself in at least one of them...
   
   Through the two main characters (Fox & Pig), you're led on a journey to learn about the four main "life aspects" - which are relationships, career, spirituality and self. From here, you are led to take an online assessment (it's quick & easy, and free!). After taking this assessment, your results are shown right away - and with these results, you are then ready to write your purpose statement, and develop an action plan.
   
   I found the assessment to be a real eye-opener! Through your answers, it determines what is most important to you, as well as what things need the most work for you to get to where you want to be. This information was a great help to me in determining my purpose, and priortizing what I needed to work on.
   
   Overall, I found "Pout or Purpose?" to be a great resource for helping me learn more about myself, and creating an action plan for accomplishing what is most important to me at this time. Because of this, I would highly recommend it to anyone wondering just what their purpose might be - this is a great way to find out!



2. One can go into any bookstore or browse online and find hundreds of self-help titles purporting to make the meaning life a simple task to find. Most of these books have some merit amid the fluff, but some take some real slogging through to find the kernel of truth buried in the pages. Not so with this short text. Written by Harold Kerr and illustrated by Jay Mazhar, 'Pout or Purpose' is a brief, creative text that shows some basic patterns, and offers worthwhile observations about how to get more out of life.
   
   This is in many ways a children's book for adults. Kerr makes the apt comparison to both Aesop's fables and totem poles (one might also include fairy tales of different cultures, as well as some parables in this) - the use of animals as characters to illustrate points is a wonderful device for making the meaning memorable, while at the same time making the critiques (particularly self-critiques) a little less threatening. Cats, dogs, foxes, owls, horses and of course, pouty pig, all figure into the mix.
   
   Kerr was a consultant (uh oh, I can hear you say), but had what one might consider a revelation or conversion experience after doing some volunteer work during a time of crisis in his community. He decided to turn his consultancy skills inward and see what was working and what wasn't in his own life, and in many ways this book comes out of those kinds of reflections.
   
   Kerr avoids the most obvious clichés while drawing together time-honoured truths - figuring out a purpose in life, particularly one that extends beyond one's own self, is an important step - how can one get anywhere if one doesn't know where to go?
   
   There are exercises in the book - these are directive questions designed to enable the reader to focus and deepen the kinds of thinking needed to develop a good purpose in life. There are no set answers here (so you can't cheat by looking in the back of the book), and few wrong answers, either, so long as honesty is involved. This book is a book for you and about you, ultimately, if you will let it be so.
   
   Perhaps the most important piece of advice in the entire book comes near the end, on page 100 - after all the thinking, soul-searching and planning, there is one thing that is required above all for success - Do what you said you will do!
   
   This book is good for organisation and for inspiration.



3. I found Pout or Purpose to be an eye opening, informative, entertaining and very touching book to read. And to top it off, it did all of this in about 100 pages! Because this book was written as a story, it didn't become dry or sterile. The author keeps the reader moving right along the journey of self awareness at the same clip of Mr. Fixity Fix's travels across the farm. BUT as entertaining as it is, I found it very important to do the exercises at the end of each chapter because the PURPOSE of the book after all is about SELF DISCOVERY and ACTION! This would be a great book to discuss in a book club or pass around the office.



4. ...life alone is a task that some of us find difficult. No matter what path one shall follow, one should always seek ways to improve one's life. In this book, the author details the various paths of commitment one should make, in order to understand the purpose of our lives. This book has shown the reader; the various methods one could achieve happiness and a feeling of satisfaction. If you're ever in need of guidance, I highly recommend this book. It's the perfect book for the high school student, for providing guidance, the most important nutrient for our children, in order for them to survive in this cruel world.
   
   To the author, I encourage you continue writing and sharing your thirst for teaching. Our younger generation depends upon people like you, in order to make a difference in this world in which we live in.



5. There is not doubt that my "purpose" in life goes in and out of focus. And right now, I am unfortunately in one of those lost periods of my life. I have tried many times to write myself through this process, making lists of goals and areas of my life that need improvement. But it is hard for me to deal with how trite my goals look on paper and, as I found out from reading this book, I stop before I completed a critical step in this exercize.
   
   For the majority of the book, Kerr does not offer advice that the reader hasn't heard before. But this is actually very helpful, since he presents things in a clear and earest manner. I was won over. He even got a cynic like me to reconsider the wisdom of advice like, "Show others that you appreciate them." And he offers suggestions on how to work on some of these principles. This is a very helpful little book.

2 comments about The Habit of Living.

1. Dr. Mastria takes the reader on an enjoyable and fascinating journey as he details his personal search for a way to relieve thousands of people from the torment of psychological problems affecting their ability to life fully and happily. Working over 20 years to find a single cause for psychological discomfort, Dr. Mastria has uncovered a single method of treating anxiety, depression, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and many others. His theory, as well as his simple, four step method of treatment, which he refers to as Attention Training, are unique in terms of the theories and intervention available from today's experts, and are detailed here in easy to understand language. The book provides the reader with all the tools they need not only to understand the cause of their symptoms, but to end them forever. I have personally benefited from this book and feel it's the only book out there with all the answers.



2. I read a review on this book here and it sounded good. When I received the book and began reading I couldn't get far, for it seemed to me like another formulaic approach to mental health and formulas don't work. Each individual must discover what s/he needs to let go of that is interfering with healthy, balanced living. In spite of the training workshops this book has spawned I find it of limited usefulness.

5 comments about The Play of Your Life: Your Program for Finding the Career of Your Dreams--And a Step-by-Step Guide to Making It a Reality.

1. If you are looking for a fresh approach to that drama we call the job search, this book is it. The metaphor that provides the theme of this book is that of performing on a stage. When you think about it, this metaphor is more than just a little appropriate.

   When you look for a job, don't you feel you are putting on a performance, in the hopes of pleasing the hiring audience? Don't you dress for the part, and even rehearse your lines? If you are like most job seekers, you even bring a program (resume) to the interview.

   Many job seekers study their lines, but deliver stiffly or play to the wrong audience. Or, they audition for a role they just aren't cut out for. If they do get the part, they find themselves miscast. This book helps you avoid those mistakes and others.

   While the thespian theme makes this book interesting and engaging, you begin to real value right away. In the first few chapters, the book presents extensive self-assessment tools. In using these, I was impressed with their accuracy. I also found them fun to use. According to a wide selection of literature on the subject, few job seekers properly address this area. One reason for that is it's a tough area to address. Most of us find it too much effort, and so we skip it and hope for the best. Which we seldom get. However, Sabatino makes that self-assessment work seem effortless.

   The book would be well worth its price, even if it stopped as early as its third chapter. But, that's only Act One. In Act Two, Sabatino offers hard-hitting, practical advice on everything from landing the interview to negotiating the salary. Her advice on networking is something the career-minded would do well to re-read quarterly.

   Throughout, the book contains case histories and examples. So, in addition to providing information in an interesting way it also provides you with a glimpse into what others have done. You can draw lessons from these examples as you walk through the experiences of others.

   If you follow this book from start to finish, you will have a well-choreographed job search. You will have addressed all the vital points, leaving nothing to chance. And in today's job market, such an approach can make all the difference.

   I give this book a standing ovation.




2. As a person exploring a career change I found the book extrememly helpful in evaluating different career paths. It also facilitates the integration of your values, past work experience and personality into new career decisions through various exercises. I found the worksheets especially helpful as well as the tips on creating professional resumes and cover letters. The format of the book is easy to follow and the metaphor for the play is one that we can all relate to as we search for the "final act" of our professional lives.



3. The book is ok and does a great job in consolidating all the elements required to implement a good job search. However for those that have already organized their career search, have a plan of attack and taken "Myers-Briggs" or "Right Path" assessments, it may not bring enlightenment but help in attaining focus to your previous efforts.



4. Using a unique format to help you find the career that will make you happy, author Colleen Sabatino approaches a career search like it is a play. The first act is career exploration. The base on which the rest of the "play" will rest is finding the right career for you. Act two is implementing a successful career search so you can actually get the job you want.
   
   For many people the hardest part of finding the right career is deciding what that career should be. Colleen A. Sabatino addresses that problem in the first part of her book by providing several questionnaires for the reader to fill in. From the results of the questionnaires you determine many of the most critical factors to finding the career you want. Some of the factors examined are your values, personality type, talents, interests, and fascinations.
   
   The next part (beginning of Act Two) is to develop a great resume and tailor it for the audience to whom you will be presenting it. Of course the final part of the play is the actual production. In this section she covers networking, the open job market vs. the hidden job market, and the interview process.
   
   For those who are seeking their first job or seeking to make a career change to a career where they can feel more satisfied this is a book they will want to look at. The Play of Your Life is highly recommended to any career or job seekers.



5. What a waste of time and money. There is absolutely nothing in this book that you could use. It is a joke.

1 comments about How to Make Your Life Work, or Why Aren't You Happy?.

1. This book changed my whole life, best self help literary work I have read.

2 comments about Art of Supportive Leadership: A Practical Handbook for People in Positions of Responsibility 2nd ed..

1. This book brings humility to the leadership ranks. It contains common sense insight that is rare to this topic. A quick and poignant read.



2. The Art of Supportive Leadership is a guide to be a better leader. This book shows, not tells, how to become a better leader through others. Leadership is the toughest attribute to perfect and the toughest to come by when it is being used correctly. To be able to work with others where everyone feels equal in power and involved while one is delegating is what a true leader is made of and what this book conveys.