Book Reviews/Psychology/ Self Help

Good Reads For Your Adventure Travels

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Please Note: The books and Audios reviewed here are my honest opinions. I received these unsolicited and free for promotional purposes, but I simply do not review the ones I do not believe to be review worthy.

A Life Worth Breathing by Max Strom is an excellent book which would make a wonderful guide for anyone's life practices, not only for yoga but for most importantly, for healing the heart and body of past hurts and traumas. By these practices the author, who was born with severly handicapped feet, found himself cured from the traumas of physical and emotional pain caused by his many surgeries as a child. zMax became a teacher to help others and for years has been a world-respected teacher of yoga, emphasizing breathing practices. His new book is well written and explains not only the way to do the breathing practices at home or within yoga classes but also why it is important to our life experience. The book is one you will read again and again and be so thankful you found it because your life WILL be better, happier, at peace if you follow his well documented advice and words of wisdom. By all means, GIVE YOURSELF THIS WONDERFUL GIFT!

What's Your Tribe by Lee Kingma is a different way of deciding what your personality type is through an Enneagram guide to human types at work and play. Enneagrams were considered a holy guide in ancient times when the spiritual and the physical were studied simultaneously. Through observation and study this simple to understand version from South Africa has a few pages of characteristics of each of the nine basic personality types, so you can read and determine which applies to you and your family or friends. Then the author tells positive and negative ways each personality type generally behaves by nature and how the positives can be the wiser choice of ways to act. Kingma also tells how the basic types usually interact with each other, giving helpful solutions for conflicts. I found the book very interesting and illuminatinng.

You Are The Reason by Jonathan Craig is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. You can read it in about an hour, and what a difference it will make in the life of anyone who has great obstacles to overcome in life, (and who hasn't!) The author has overcome many: being severely abused and molested as a child, developing HIV as a teenager, and living daily with the thought that he could find his health severely compromised at any given time. Yet Jonathan chose not to pity himself but to make his burdens become the inspirations for millions around the world to overcome theirs. He is a gifted and authentic author and motivational speaker, who speaks from the heart and only with the intention to help others decide to make the most happiness possible for themselves and others every day, and to find the courage and energy to keep on keeping on in spite of difficulties. December is the month of AIDS recognition, so it is a fitting month to order and read this book or to engage the author as a speaker for your group or your schools. He has been named the ambassador of Goodwill in Swaziland and had made numerous trips all over the world to encourage people. He has been living with HIV for more than 27 years.

Forty Two Rules For Driving Success With Books by Mitchell Levy is simply stated. Levy realized through personal success that becoming an author greatly enhances your audience appeal and makes you more widely known as an authority. He recommends that anyone wishing to achieve success in his or her field write a book and then publicize it through speaking engagements. He tells anyone who believes he or she cannot write how to do so successfully. The book is full of good ideas of how to make your dreams of success come true.

Daydreams At Work: Wake Up Your Creative Powers by Amy Fries is the book for anyone who wants to tap into their creative or meditative powers. Amy takes the guilt out of being a day dreamer (How many of us have been told to get up and do something productive?) by making the reader realize that daydream time can be the most productive of all because it is where ideas are born and mature. Artists, musicians, writers, inventors, discoverers, and all the people who have changed the world are inspired by daydreams. And the author tells you how to encourage your best daydreams, how companies have achieved great success by allowing dream time for their employees, and how you can make your daydreams come into fruitful reality. This book is a tool to making your dreams become reality and to achieving a totally fulfilling life, reaching your imagined potential. Get it today!

Rock To The Top by Dayna Steele, an awared winning rock radio personality and successful entrepreneur, tells the tips for success that she has learned from working with top rock bands and rock stars through the years. The book has many of the same pointers for success that are tried and true and listed in other How To books, but this one is more fun to read and is filled with fascinating stories and quotes from bands and stars whom we have followed for decades as their success just keeps growing: Bon Jovi, Bono, Scorpions, The Kinks, U2 and many, many more. There are chapters that demonstrate the success of the succinct advice such as "Always give a quality product or service." "Set an example as a leader." "Work as part of the team." She also stresses the importance of keeping up with the latest technology and using it to enhance your efforts. Networking and believing in and helping promote yourself are vitally important. The book is an interesting and inspiring read for success in any venture and for everyone's successful living. I highly recommend it.

Luck By Design by Richard E. Goldman is a timely book by the man known as the mastermind behind the marketing for one small clothing store that turned into the vast chain known across the US as Men's Wearhouse. Goldman identifies the terrible wrongs that exist in the world because of the greed and mismanagement of the Boomer generation, but he also tells how everyone, especially those just starting out in the business world, CAN correct those wrongs and make this a better world and a successful, cooperative, helpful, thriving business climate. That makes this a VERY important book today, with the discouraging news about the economy bombarding us daily. Goldman stresses that good luck does not just happen but it is consciously created by setting goals, treating other fairly, listening to ideas of others and helping augment them, getting our own egos out of the way. He teaches that it is important not to wait for someone else to teach you or tell you what to do but to dig in and teach yourself, because you 'll learn better. Believe in yourself and your abilities. Don't ask favors from others but create your own opportunities. Remember that synergy created by working cooperatively with others is greater than one person's energies working alone. This is a very helpful and positive book for any stage of life, and especially for young adults just entering into what seems a discouraging world.

The Problem With Women is Men by Charles J. OrlandoThe author is a self proclaimed reformed womanizer who took advantage of many women by using them for his selfish desires until he had a transformative religious experience. Now he has become the perfect husband and wants to share his new joy in appreciating women as equal partners. He has many ideas of how to show your life partner that you respect and love her. He describes how living in this way is much more rewarding in ways that last instead of momentarily using a woman for pleasure or prestige and then forgetting her. This is a good guide for the Promise Keepers groups. Men, take notice. This is a good how to if you are a pig with women! Women, get someone your husband or lover admires to give him this book!

Kick Up Your Heels Before You're Too Short To Wear Them (How To Live a Long, Healthy, Juicy Life) by Loretta LaRoche

Her name is synonymous with tongue in cheek, satire that makes you chuckle or laugh out loud, and this book about women aging with grace and acceptance and fun is a good one. Her advice is sage and cloaked in humorous stories, as she pokes fun at herself, and all aging women can identify. Her husband and her home don't escape her satirical and hilarous stories either. Get this one for a good laugh and to ease the frown wrinkles of sagging faces.

ANY DAY WITH HAIR IS A GOOD HAIR DAY BY MICHELLE RAPKIN, who is herself a cancer survivor, is a great book for anyone who has just been diagonosed with the Big C. The book is a handbook of what to expect during treatments and how to cope on physical and psychological levels. She suggests many ways to avoid depression and discomforts and to endure the long process in the best ways possible. She also gives many helpful suggestions for the loved ones of the cancer patient, including gifts that are helpful, what is good and what is not good to say or do, and what is truly helpful to the patient. This is an EXCELLENT and unusual and really needed how to book.

Our Lady of Weight Loss By Janice Taylor

Our Lady Of Weight Loss has Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal…written and illustrated by Janice Taylor. This vividly and imaginatively illustrated book depicts the patron saint most Americans wish would help cure obesity or simple over eating. Taylor describes the saint's warnings and advice in humorous fashion. However, the author, who had for years fought the battle of ping ponging many pounds off and on again, shares very useful tips and tricks that have helped her achieve her weight goal and maintain it. I have read and followed many diet books through the years, and this one is refreshingly new and has sound ideas with terrific whimsical illustrations that stick in your mind and help keep you on track and away from the refrigerator at midnight. Read the book, stare at the cute pictures, and voila! you'll have a diet angel sitting on your shoulder warning you about what you eat. A good one!!

Idiot's Guide to Sleep Training For Your Child by Melissa M. Burnham, Ph.D., and Jennifer Lawler, Ph.D. is well worth buying. Dr. Burnham is an Early Childhood Education and the book is highly acclaimed by Dr. Judith Owens, director of a Childhood Sleep Disorders Clinic. Using the unusual approach of considering all the options thoughtfully and with great insight, the authors discuss the pros and cons of every method of helping your child sleep through the night naturally. Of course, every parent is aware there are many different "experts" who tout different methods, and these guides come and go almost as fads, but this book discusses each and how and when it might be useful, while stressing the importance of selecting one method that works for the parents' philosophy and the household and then sticking to it so as not to confuse the baby or young child. There is also a special section dealing with special needs children and a section on using Yoga, Massage, and other physical techniques. The book is organized with easy to find selections that are pertinent to each situation and Melissa's own note about each method is highlighted. The book is excellent and would make one of the best possible new baby gifts.

THE BOOK OF NO: 250 WAYS TO SAY AND MEAN IT AND STOP PEOPLE PLEASING FOREVER BY SUSAN NEWMAN, PH.D. This is a book we all need to read to learn how to give ourselves permission to take charge of our own lives and how we spend our time. Newman, a social psychologist, has written many helpful books dealing with problems common to everyone, and this is no exception. When was the last time you agreed to do something you really didn't want to do and it left you tired and regretting that someone talked you into it? Sound familiar? We only have a given number of days to live and we should be in charge of how we spend those days. Read this terrific little book and learn how to say NO! and not feel guilty about it!

Creating Your Dream by Christopher Dorris

CREATING YOUR DREAM: CONFIDENTLY STEPPING INTO YOUR OWN BRILLIANCE BY CHRISTOPHER DORRIS is a very well written self help book with many excellent ideas of how to identify and fullfil your dreams. You can use the strategies and tools in this book to completely re claim your dreams and re invent your life, learning self confidence and trusting your abilities. The dreams and fantasies you'll learn how to create and fulfill with the aid of this book are not only for business or financial success but also apply to developing the body you wish you had, the travels you wish you could take, the friends you want to find, and the joy of life that has escaped you. Dorris has some well laid out steps he will guide you through in discovering your dreams and taking direct steps toward their fulfillment, as well as developing the tough mental strengths to get you there and to achieve consistent peak performance after you achieve your goals. This book is a valuable tool for anyone

STOP IT! QUIT SABOTAGING YOURSELF AND START LIVING BY CAROLE LEWIS is a quick read with much helpful advice about how to stop bad habits that undermine what you want to do and to be in life, whether it is losing weight, reaching goals, establishing a better business, family relationships, or your prayer life. Her advice is simple and filled with Christian admonitions and Bible verses. Lewis is the national director of First Place.

WEEKEND ENTREPRENEUR: 101 GREAT WAYS TO EARN EXTRA CASH BYMICHELLE ANTON AND JENNIFER BASSYE SANDER . This little book ischock full of great ideas for turning extra time and energy into extra cash or even a full time job or career. The authors have endlessly excellent and imaginative ways you can take what you are skilled at doing, what you spend your free time doing anyway, or what you most enjoy into a lucrative pastime of business . The book is divided into sections which inspire you to get started and what to do before you actually announce your business. It teaches business basics and how to promote your business in up to the minute ways that work and cost almost nothing. There are several sections giving you creative job ideas from being a personal concierge to manure sales. There are many suggestions for products you can make or create, a section on making money via a website, and ways to sell your knowledge of your favorite hobbies. With their excellent strategies for success the authors are sure to make you lots of money and fun while you are doing it. The book is geared for any age, so get your kids started on their own summer business!

THE BALANCED MOM: RAISING YOUR KIDS WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SELF BY BRIA SIMPSON, M.A. is a must read for all moms. This book calls a spade a spade, on the sacrifices mothers make, never paying enough attention or giving enough time to their own personal needs. This is the cause of burn out, depression, and many personal and family problems. In giving too much of themselves to their family, moms suffer silently. This book is the step by step formula for getting yourself out of that rut and learning how to take good care of yourself first so that you can take better care of all the others...family and job demands and necessities. I not only recommend this book for moms, but a version of the very same advice should be written for dads also. It is a great book!

FREE GULLIVER by Tripp Friedler is an excellent little guide to Life Planning. The author is highly qualified to write the six lessons, as he is a former insurance agent, a lawyer, a counselor, and an entrepreneur. He has helped hundreds of people creat a successful plan for achieving their dreams, both financially and personally. In this little book, which has far more good information and help than its small size would indicate, he tells how to figure out your vision of success, assess where you are in your life today, rekindle your passion about your vision you might have lost, live (not just leave) your legacy, and retire early and be happy and successful. We highly recommend this book!

101 Exercises for the Soul by Dr. Bernie S. Siegel

101 Exercises for the Soul: "A Divine Workout Plan for Body, Mind, and Spirit" By Dr. Bernie Siegel

is another excellent book by this award winning, best selling author. Siegel reminds us that exercising our soul is as important as exercising our bodies, yet most of us forget or don't know how to do this. It does not require meditating on top of a mountain, or going on a silent retreat, or even attending church, but it does require attention and regular mindfulness. And exercising your soul yields tremendous rewards of living and loving with enthusiasm and joy. In simple exercises Dr. Siegel suggest things you may never have thought to be nurturing your soul and increasing your deep happiness. Such things as keeping your baby picture nearby to admire and appreciate, adopting a pet and playing with it every day, keeping a dream journal, creating a personal altar in your home, facing the fear that has always hindered you and experiencing and embracing it (even doing a daring sport), taking fun or beautiful photographs, or breaking out of your daily rut and doing something fun and unusual. These are some of the simple but joyful things Siegel suggests and then tells how you are nurturing your soul and exercising it in doing these. This is a little book which can be opened to any page and savored, trying the things that appeal to you and leaving the others for someone else. We highly recommend keeping this book by your bed and savoring it like chocolate for your soul by trying one exercise each day

Too Busy To Live: The Addiction America Applauds by Dr. Rick Fowler and Cassie Findley is an astute commentary on the Western concepts of achievement and success. The book breaks the barriers of acceptable thought and language to decry the message tha t we are teaching our children: that achievement and success are measured in how much you can make, whether it be grades in school, scores on the ball field, ranks in the beauty contest, or promotions on the job. Thus our children are being taught to be either robots who never question what they are told to do and learn how to dot all the I's and cross all the t's obediently in the exact way requested instead of being independent thinkers. Those children who are independent thinkers are put down for being problems since they refuse to conform, and they are forced to become rebels in order to be heard, often rebelling in incideous ways. Thought provocative and sound advice.

Everything I Ever Did That Worked By Leslie Garner

EVERYTHING I'VE EVER DONE THAT WORKED BY Lesley Garner. This little book contains a mammouth amount of wisdom in tried and true, tested and refined personal formulas! Lesley does not tell us how to mend a tear in a dress, but has great advice for mending tears in relationships or in your own soul. She does not give recipes for cooking dinner but recipes for happiness. She does not tell how to build a house, but she gives great advice for building a life and making it happy and successful. And best of all, she does it in 60 chapters of two or three pages which can be read in less than five minutes. You can pick up the book anywhere anytime and find something to help you for the day and something to ponder for a long time. It is a great little book of wisdom. .

THE POWER OF PERSONAL ACCOUTABILITY By Mark Samuel and Sophie Chiche is a book that teaches you how to achieve the things that really matter. The authors explain how an “accountable” life becomes a deliberate life when your actions accomplish the things you determine are important.

The basic premise for this book is based upon a very effective visual tool called the “Personal Accountability Model”. This model outlines all the necessary behavioral and emotional tasks to intentionally or deliberately operate and function with a life of accountability and not victimization.

When we choose accountability, we choose to explore our own reality which positions us to effectively address challenges and actualize our own visions to get the results we want. This book helps you learn the importance of taking ownership of your actions and emotions without the old trap of self blame or blaming others.

You will discover the empowering freedom of self examination and overcoming common fears. You will learn the relationship between accountability for your life, experiencing positive emotions, feelings of control over your life, and personal freedom. Learning personal accountability will take you down an enlighten path of knowledge, self awareness, and actions that will align yourself with achieving your goals.

This is a must read if you want a life based upon well planned and thought out intentional actions to achieve your goals of personal freedom for an accountable life.

ELDER RAGE Or TAKE MY FATHER PLEASE By Jacqueline Marcell: This is a book on how to survive caring for your aging parents. The author describes her personal experience with the day to day perils of this extreme challenge. As her parents aged and became frail, the author became the primary advocate and caretaker for them.

As you read this book you immediately feel the author’s warmth and compassion. She writes this book from the heart; humorous and down to earth. She describes her childhood memories, and even discusses the childhood and adult psychological development of her raging parent. She addresses the emotional exhaustion of shifting and redefining the relationship with her parents.

Elder Rage can provide significant insight and affirmation to someone who, much like the author, is in the throws of this difficult and challenging responsibility. The personal history provided is very interesting. Yet, the two most valuable parts of this book seem to be:

1) the tactics or strategies the author found herself creating along the way. Such as when her father continued to loose his keys and the author bought small, lightweight pet tags to place on the keychain with her phone number on the tag. Or when she discovered she could use a large plastic bag to help slide her mother into the car seat.

2) the “Valuable Resources” list at the back of the book. This list is ten pages of resources all of which can inform and support a family going through this difficult time.

For the person going through this challenge and trying to navigate through all the frustrating medical and professional systems, this book while loaded with detail, provides exceptional insight and affirmation for the caretaker.

(Reviewed by Rose Wehrman, BCD, LCSW. We are delighted to welcome Rose Wehrman, as one of our Book Reviewers. She is a highly qualified professional and experienced family and relationship counselor.)

CALMING THE FAMILY STORM, Anger Management for Moms, Dads, and All the Kids by Gary D. McKay, PhD and Steven A. Maybell, PhD is an insightful and encouraging book that helps both families and individuals learn practical coping methods for dealing with the inevitable conflicts and frustrations of everyday living. Finally, we have a guide that really digs in and talks about the “A” word ANGER.

This book is written by two highly qualified and experienced psychologists. They present information that is straight forward and relative to our daily life experiences. The book clearly discusses forms of frustration, anger, and confrontations, then gives the reader techniques for managing and taking charge of these volatile emotions.

The reader is taken all the way from learning how to identify productive anger as opposed to unproductive anger, to learning the early warning signs of a brewing anger storm, to assessing anger, to diffusing the anger.

After reading this book, the reader will have logical and practical suggestions and strategies for dealing with those difficult and real life interactions.

Life is Short: Wear Your Party Pants by Loretta LaRoche is as delightfully funny as she herself is in her speaking engagements all over the country. Loretta learned early in her painful childhood to be the clown in the family to boost the spirits of the rest of the family members. Learning to deal with her own problems in a healthy way through laughter, she became an expert in helping others with her Ten Simple Thruths That Lead To An Amazing Life. These truths include resilience, living in the moment, optimism, acceptance, humor, creativity, moderation, responsibility, meaning, and connection. In each chapter she gives fun and resourceful ways to learn how to handle life using these great tools, with laughter being the key ingredient that helps relieve stress. You'll laugh at her and with her and at yourself as you read and practice her simple truths. And life WILL grow less stressful and lots more fun as you learn from her that when you turn your patter of being "stressed" around you get wonderful "desserts!" .

Slow Down, The Fastest Way To Get Everything You Want by David Essel has seemingly an oxymoron for a title. However, the author, a Lifestyle Coach, speaker and TV/radio host on motivational programming nationally syndicated, shares his personal experiences of pushing too hard and working too many hours before discovering how slowing down can actually help you accomplish your goals and realize your dreams much more effectively and rapidly than stressing yourself with overwork and undue demands. He leaned to quiet his ego and realize that accomplishing more did not always equal success. By forming new habits of daily prayer and meditation, regular exercize and strength training, eating and sleeping correctly for good health and energy, he was able to build his life to be far more satisfying to himself and with time and energy to serve others and to form loving relationships. In his book and his coaching he streese the three keys of manifesting what you want are Intention, Gratitude, and Action. This book is a wealth of lifestyle secrets for success for anyone who wants a do it yourself help plan. An excellent and easy book to read and follow. .

Women For Hire's Get Ahead Guide To Career Success by Tory Johnson & Robyn Freedman Spizman is a woman's BEST guide for total career success. The authors take you step by step from preparing your resume, preparing for the job search, going through the interview process, but they don't leave you there just getting that job you really defined and truly want. Now you want to keep it and climb up to be hugely successful in achieving your goals both at work and at home and creating a happy balance between work and the rest of your time. This book guides you all the way, through the joys of the perfect job and workplace and how to get away from the drudgery job you hate. Excellent advice is given by example of real job experiences for handling duties and problems and joys in the workplace, for mining your opportunities, cultivating your contacts, creating your network, and working with mentors. This is an absolutely INDESPENSIBLE book for any working woman or any woman just entering or changing positions in the job market. The best graduation gift you could find for a young woman! .

You Can Beat Depression By Dr. John Preston is a thorough discussion of the causes and signs of depression. The book is in lay language to help you determine if you yourself or your loved one are experiencing a natural sadness which will pass or if the depression is clinical and need's the treatment of a physician. Dr. Preston discusses the reasons many times depression is not correctly diagnosed because it seems simple to pop a pill and feel better. However, Americans are over medicated and proper diagnosis of depression will give real help, not just a cover up. Sometimes talking with a loved one or a counselor will solve the problem, and sometimes an illness needs to be treated. Whatever the root of depression, this book will help you interpret the signs and causes and seek the proper help and cure. You don't have to live with depression. This book offers the hope and help you need. .

Herbal Home Remedies By Jude C. Todd, CH, MH, is a household guide to living more simply and benefiting from what our earh and our garden provide us naturally. The author is a master herbalist with her degree from Dominion Herbal College and is widely respected as an authority in the subject which has been her focus for forty years. She explains which plants can be used for health and healing and how and where these should be found or grown. The book is easy to use as the alements and treatments are listed in categories, often with several different natural treatments suggested. She also gives many recipes which have been time tested and proven. You will also find natural and effective cleaners, air fresheners, laundry aids, insect repellent, as well as some tasty uses of herbs in foods. At the back of the book you'll find drawings of many of the plants used in the formulas for safe identifications. This is a fascinating book for those of us unfamiliar with the territory and a must for the serious herb user. .

Love, Jean is co authored by an interesting trio. Dr. Jean Ayres, a renowned Occupational Therapist who pioneered treatment of sensory integration disorder; her nephew and patient Philip R. Erwin. Zoe Mailloux, Director of Administration at the Pediatric Therapy Network in Torrance, CA. provides pertinent commentary in each chapter for parents of children who have learning differences, giving excellent information about what to watch for, how to cope, and how to help the child around the obstacles the learning disorder creates. But the unique and endearing quality of the book is that it is composed of selected letters between loving Aunt Jean and her nephew in New York. Young Phil's letters express, sometimes painfully, the injustices and emotional trauma he experiences from fifth grade on, as he struggles with his inability to do math, physical education, and his feeling of frustration and social isolation. His Aunt Jean's perceptive and compassionate letters encourage and inspire Phillip as he experiences these traumas of growing up with a learning disability. She offers professional advice as to what to do to help his brain learn to re wire itself so that he can function successfully in the world. These letters began several decades ago when Aunt Jean was a pioneer in this field of psychology and learning as she encouraged Phil. The triumph of his life story, through its poignant struggles, is a great victory, proving Phil's determination, his parents' support, and Jean's therapy successful beyond imagination. Ultimately thousands of children have reaped the benefit and thousands of parents are given hope and directions of how to help their children. This is a must read for anyone who suspects a child has a learning disability. .

I'd Rather Do Chemo by Fran Di Giacomo is an amazing approach to living with the big C. The author is writing from her experience of ten surgeries and many years of intermittent chemo therapy. She says that in trying to come to terms with her perpetual condition of illness she rebelled against the sappy, optimistic, think positively books and videos after so long and continued to be depressed. Then she discovered that laughter is the very best medicine and surrounded herself with anything that made her laugh...her own therapy. When she found how much better she was able to cope with her illness this way, she decided to write this humorous book, which takes every aspect of the traumas a cancer patient faces and gives a whimsical but realistic twist to them, in order to help other patients survive with laughter. Poking fun at the surgery experience she says she had the idea that with so much paraphynalia in the O.R., she might just disappear and hide under the gurney and see if the doctor's noticed. She also arrives in the O.R. with an autograph book for anyone who has had their hands or instruments in her gut to sign. She tickles the funny bone of her readers over the casserole and chocolate scenarios and what to do with the many flowers friends send. From hair loss to memory loss, she bravely laughs through it all. This book provides therapeutic laughter for cancer patients and is a good read to give insight to their care givers, family and friends. An excellent gift book for anyone whose life is affected by cancer. .

Luck is No Accident: Making the Most of Happenstance in Your Life and Career by John D. Krumboltz, Ph.D., and Al S. Levin, Ed.D

"Whether you're 21,51,or 81, it's never too late to create a satisfying life for yourself" and this book tells you how in a quick and easy read. The book encourages you to follow your dreams, not to feel stuck in your present situation, to be open to changes and to watch for circumstances and happenstances that are life changing opportunities. Don't take the attitude of having to decide what you'll do the rest of your life...you'll change and so will your opportunities. Watch for them and mine them. Day dream and learn from yourself what you want to do and where you want to go in life. Don't allow yourself to remain in situations, jobs, or relationships that you don't enjoy. "Put yourself in charge of creating a satisfying life." If you can't say " I love going to work," this book gives you many, many guides to changing that. The author offers numerous ways to make contacts, to try new ideas and situations and people, and to get excited about your life again...by first removing your fear of failure and by recognizing that no one's life goes "according to plan" because circumstances always change and unexpected events occur. Learn to view these as opportunities and they will lead you to a better life than you could have planned, if you learn to stop sabotaging yourself by your expectations or those of others. In the book you will learn how to overcome obstacles and to know that "failure is a normal part of life and learning." The book is a valuable tool for people at any stage of life, and especially for students about to graduate and look for a job in this dismal job market. A perfect gift book.

Make It So You Don't Have To Fake It
by Patricia Fripp

Get What You Want and Make It So You Don't Have To Fake It are just two of the many books and CD's by the excellent author and fascinating international speaker, Patricia Fripp. In all her offerings she is candid, funny, and brilliant in sharing the secrets of public speaking and becoming a successful entrepreneur, which she learned, not in the long, tedious process of earning an MBA, but as a hair dresser in San Francisco for fifteen years. She asked pertinent questions as she cut the hair of successful business men and women, and she figured out how to apply them to her own life and dreams. And you can too, as she takes you, step by-encouraging step into the How To of fulfilling your own dreams. She is currently the first woman President of the 4,000 member National Speakers Association. As the winner of every one of the awards the Association offers, she is designated a "speakers' speaker" and generously shares her tips of the trade in her fascinating books, CD's, speeches and on her website. No public speaker should miss her works, and you'll love her charming British accent.

The ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing edited by Timothy Harper, is an amazing collection of priceless tips from many of the most successful freelancers in the United States. American Society of Journalists and Authors is a highly esteemed association of published writers, many of whom derive their total income from their "pens." Instead of carefully guarding the practices and methods that have made them successful, twenty eight of these writers have written a chapter of the book, each with a different focus for writing success: from office tools to methods of writing, gathering ideas, selling to each type of media, researching, finding help, law, taxes, and so much more. The Appendix is also a wealth of important nuggets of wisdom and tips from many more ASJA members. As a long time member myself and a journalist with over 30 years' experience, I thought I might not need the book, but I have found prized helps and new ideas on every page of this wonderful book. It is now my office reference, like friends and teachers gathered around me all wishing me success in my writing endeavors. This is the tool you need if you ever want to be a published writer, and even if you have been a published author for years.

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The American Gentleman by Michael James Hall, M.D. has the very appropriate sub title A Contemporary Guide to Chivalry which is an interesting approach to what used to be just plain, good, old fashioned manners for a gentleman in Europe and in former generations in America. However, with the advent of women's liberation, men have become confused as to what their proper approach to women should be and many "proper" manners have been lost in the muddle. The author gives excellent instructions for any young man interested in nearly every aspect of personal development: from character, code of conduct for dating and interpersonal relationships, dancing, appearance, cleanliness and civility. It is an excellent book for older teens with one exception: be aware that, since the author is a physician, the book gives explicit details of human sexuality and arousal and discusses what a man should know about a woman and about his own body and how he should conduct himself during sex. This is a well written book I highly recommend.

Personal Notes: How to Write from the Heart for Any Occasion by Sandra E. Lambhad thought many times of writing a book on how to write personal notes, a nearly lost social art form; however, I'm glad I never got around to it because I could not have written the book nearly so insightfully as Sandra. She combines the “how to's” of polite and pertinent note writing with wisdom of the spirit and heart of both the sender and receiver of the notes. Not only does she guide you in how to write notes, she also guides you in the psychology and empathy required to write from your heart. You'll learn how to put yourself in another's shoes in order to know how and when to reach out witrh a note. A very helpful and knowledgeable book for every home, a great tool for teachers and parents, and important skills for business and interpersonal relationships. This would be an excellent graduation or wedding shower gift. Personal Notes is really worth having

Life is Hard, Food is Easy by Linda Spangle, RN,MA, is a new and highly successful approach to dieting..., or rather learning to eat in a new way for optimal health. Linda is the founder and director of the highly successful WINNERS For Life: Wellness and Weight Loss Clinic. She observed how difficult it is for people to keep off the weight they work so hard to lose. She identifies the emotional factors, different from hunger, that make people eat and helps us establish new patterns to monitor our feeding habits. Her five points explained in the book include: What's going on? What do I feel? What do I need? What's in my way? and What will I do? In learning to seek these answers readers will discover a new way to keep weight at the desired level, create new habits, and feel good about their bodies. A very good companion to any diet!

THE HANDBOOK OF MASCOTS & NICKNAMES by Peter J. Fournier: What a unique subject for a book to cover, and what a companion for travelers going to football games this fall or watching on TV! It's the perfect gift for sports trivia enthusiasts. You can learn about all the colleges, junior colleges, and community colleges in the US and Canada and their mascots.

Master Your Panic and Take Back Your Life, Third Edition, by Denise F. Beckfield,PhD. , written in lay language instead of "medicalese" is a step by step, straight forward how to help yourself if you suffer from panic attacks, anxiety, or agoraphobia. Explaining what constitutes a panic attack, the doctor shows what causes the frightening attacks to happen and how to trace and ammend their root causes. She details the warning signals to become alert to in order to sense an attack coming on before it really kicks in. Then Dr. Beckfield gives excellent yet simple methods of what to do to prevent the panic attack from occurring. The book helps the sufferer to analyse attack triggers and how to challenge catastrophic beliefs, how to practice situations that cause panic while learning the steps to prevent the attack. Her methods include his SRB formula which, when practiced can become automatic and restore the calm state of life which the panick attack sufferer has lost, giving back one's ease and control. The book has some excellent methods and is helpful also for family and friends to read in order to understand what the panic attack victim is experiencing and to help him or her conquer these overwhelming experiences. A very helpful book and an easy and interesting read. .

Nobody's Baby Now by Susan Newman, PhD. is Dr. Newman's twelfth book and a great help for working out personal conflicts between generations. As a family counselor Dr. Newman saw the need for this book, the only one which covers the problems between parent and adult children, dealing with the relationships from the point of view of the adult child. She offers many case studies and interviews which she documented over several years and which cover almost every conceivable relationship difficulty between grown children and their healthy, independent parents. (Other books cover problems with parents who need care and are dying.) These generational relationship problems are common to all adult children, and Dr. Newman offers numerous solutions which the adult child can use to develop a happy, appreciative, loving relationship with his or her parents in their older years so that they won't suffer regrets after the parent dies. This is an excellent book for every young adult to own and for every parent of adult children to read in order to make the best of this closest of all bonds, learning to treasure each other as peers and friends and letting go of old tapes and practices from childhood which are no longer appropriate.

10 Timeless Principles of Professional Success by Steven R. Webber is a good book for business travelers to read on the plane. Steven's ten principles are well thought out and simply, convincingly presented. An easy read, this book offers advice and guides to help take you to the next level in your business relationships and practices. But more than just in business, the principles in this book are a good guide for living in general, and are a good set of principles for parenting. A young mother or father can read this with the idea that the family is the corporation, apply the ten principles, and achieve much greater success in motivating the children and the family as a group. These are excellent principles to teach teens as a guide for achieving in school and in their life dreams. Webber's book has much sage advice and could be called a guide for living successfully. So whether you are trying to succeed in business or in the daily business of life, read and follow Webbers ten principles for SUCCESS in any endeavor!

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