Resources Books

Taking Note is a fascinating wander into the lives of a small but varied group of people bound by their commitment to Christianity. The author's choice of language and structure is at all times accessible and often moving; it serves to bring the reader into personal touch with those who are seeking to share their love of God. Readers who are looking for insights into the workings of home fellowship will find them here. Those who are looking for direction in their own lives will discover that they are not alone in their search. The author's sometimes reserved, often tentative, but always loving interactions with others can serve as a model for those who still seek a place of comfort and warmth.

This book feels and acts like fiction but is non-fiction. It reads like a mainstream collection of personal essays from an author who seems to be well read, but it is paradoxically Christian. Its structure is reminiscent of "The Canterbury Tales" and "Winesburg, Ohio," but it is fundamentally hopeful and 21st century in tone. It's style is modest--reflecting only a partial claim on its subjects. It gets at one of the most important questions--How should we live?--through the presentation of several ordinary people, people like you and me, who are varied and imperfect and genuine and above all interesting. And the result is quite a surprising, good read!

An interesting read -- short, incomplete sentences as thoughts make the reader feel as though she is inside the author's head. The prose is relate-able and down-to-earth. A fast and easy read.

Taking Note lets the reader slip into the lives of a group of Christians who gather for more than just worship. They offer friendship and support and continuously show by their actions what being a Christian really means. You'll enjoy spending time with these people! This is a very well written and insightful book.

Earlier reviews rightly note the refreshing character and uniqueness of this excellent book. Mr. Elkington has a gentle and surprisingly dextrous touch with language. It had the impact on my spirit and intellect that I imagine a newly discovered coffee has to the enthusiastic connoisseur. Found myself moved to tears in several chapters, marveling at God's emerging presence in the love shared by ordinary people in ordinary circumstances. Find myself expecting to discover the miraculous clothed in the mundane. Find myself wanting to take more careful note of the people with whom I'm at home.

I never tire of the details Beth Moore includes in her studies. This study of the apostle Paul is rich with Jewish insight, giving the student a complete picture of where he came from and why he was so completely sold out to Jesus!

Beth Moore Bible studies are the most interesting and easy to follow for any mixed age group. My church will going into this our second study and we have the older teen to the great grandmothers in out sessions.

This is a very deep, meaningful study about the Apostle Paul. If you enjoy Beth Moore this will be an insightful study of the book of Acts and also into Paul's spiritual strengths. "To Live is Christ" is one of her earlier studies but has been worth doing.

This study gives one a complete, Bibically sound look at the full life of Paul, including his struggles and his triumphs. As usual, Beth Moore reveals insights into our own struggles as how we too can triumph through the same Power than enabled Paul to.

"To Live is Christ" not only sheds insight on the life of a great servant of the Lord, but has led me to a new level of understanding regarding the early church. As she takes the reader through the book of Acts/life of Paul, she cross references the episles Paul would later write. The cross references provide a greater context to scripture as a whole, which I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed. I highly recommend this book!

This is an incredible book. The author articulates the dynamic of abuse in the most understandable language. Helpful to victims, as well as professionals.

"APPLICABLE TO BOTH JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES. The coping strategies and intervention techniques that are outlined provide guidance in pinpointing the sickness at its source and restoring felicity and order to religious leadership and the community."

Reviewd by: Adolescence

"Dr. Benyei's perspective expands the conceptualization of clergy sexual misconduct beyond the individual . . . to an occurrence within a community that is affected by a wide range of community issues and dynamics. . . . AN UNFLINCHING LOOK AT A TOPIC THAT IS CONTROVERSIAL AND PAINFUL. Highly recommended reading for both clergy and laity."

Reviewed by: Christine A. Courtois, PhD, Author, Healing the Incest Wound: Adult Survivors in Therapy and Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse; Clinical Director, The CENTER Posttraumatic Disorders Program, The Psychiatric Institute of Washington, Washington, DC

For the last decade or more an item often landing in the news has been the misconduct and abusiveness of clergy. In the late eighties this often had to with scandals surrounding TV evangelists, but lately much attention has been focused on the sexual abuse scandal within the Catholic Church. However, clergy abuse and misconduct have no boundaries as far as denominations, and unfortunately there does not seem to be a denomination yet with a good track record for dealing openly and truthfully when these things occur. The web site "Pokrov" for Orthodox victims of clergy abuse and misconduct stated:
"Over the last three years we have received several copies of letters our readers have sent to their churches to tell about their abuse -- letters that never received any response from the hierarchs. Some of our readers have even met with bishops in person. Many of our readers find that their letters and pleas to authorities come to a dead end because the bishop or hierarchs ignores them or discredits them. They end up feeling even worse than they did before. These stories have prompted us to write the Pokrov guidelines which are from a victims' perspective." This web site warns victims not to go alone to their church authorities to report abuse. This is disheartening to say the least.
A significant book that addresses the issue of clergy abuse and misconduct is Understanding Clergy Misconduct in Religious Systems: Scapegoating, Family Secrets, and the Abuse of Power by Candace R. Benyei, PhD. This vital book demythologized spiritual leaders and helps the reader to see the negative effects of placing them on a pedestal. It is an incisive look at the outrage of abuse from the perspective of victim, perpetrator and counselor.
In most churches and religious systems when abuse or misconduct occurs, it is generally covered-up and kept silent. Though there may seem to be good reasons to do this, Benyei documents how this secret keeping is destructive to the victim(s) and the congregation, whether they know it or not: "The keeping of the secret produces more pain to more people than the original insult itself"(Pg 104).
"The secret may be closely held by a few main players; the secret may be vaporous and no one may know anything for sure. . . nonetheless, a great deal of energy is used in keeping the lid on Pandora's box, which includes not only the secret but the resultant rage, anger, loss, fear and shame" (Pg 106).
One of the worst results of abuse or misconduct is the fact that the victim often becomes the scapegoat. Benyei notes, "Because it is unbearable to believe that the beloved spiritual leader could commit such acts, since that would shatter the fantasy that one had at last found the ultimate caregiver, victims are often unforgivable." (Pg 95).
It would be an advance if the clergy and hierarchy and spiritual leaders of churches and religious systems would make it their responsibility to inform people about abuse and misconduct they themselves might commit, but this is highly unlikely. Therefore it is incumbent on lay people to educate themselves and others when it comes to abuse in religious systems. So often we portray the Church as a safe place to come, a sanctuary, a haven. It often is a place of healing. However, it can also be a place of deep wounding and sin. As Mother Gavrilla of blessed memory once said, "The Church is like a huge ship full of sailors, biting each other in the throat, tearing hair, punching, but the wonder is that the ship is coming into port because Christ is at the helm." This side of the Church must also be revealed if it is ever to be healed. For healing to happen, we must understand the illness. I highly recommend Benyei's book as a place to start.
* * *

Using systems theory Dr. Benyei presents a balanced and fair approach to clergy misconduct. She astutely outlines the power dynamics in a church and the difficulty a lay person will have when bringing a complaint against a minister. She challenges us to give up our idealization of ministers and see them as the flawed human beings they are. This will not only help prevent abuse and hold ministers accountable but will also free ministers to be more genuine and receive the help and support they may need. In her final chapter she presents specific proposals to reform our churches and promote safer communities. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone concerned with building better, healthier church communities.

Andrea Hess's book was both well written and informative! I had no problem keeping up with her ideas regarding intuition and soul theories. Her instructions for programming, clearing, and dowsing basics were easy to follow. Because you learn early on how to receive "yes" or "no" answers, this book quickly becomes an instruction manual to follow, provides a reference when you're confused, and always points you in the right direction for ways to connect to your intuitive self, while helping you discern positive from negative entities. Being able to reliably access my intuitive feelings gives me a sense of power I never experienced before. I am looking forward to working with my Spirit Guides--those entities who work with us on the physical plane and have a wealth of information to offer. What a positive force this book has been for my personal well-being!

I've ordered hundreds of books from Amazon, the vast majority on personal development, spirituality and success. I am fascinated with possibility and potential. How can we live our ultimate lives?

If I had to recommend one book, Unlocking Your Intuition would be the one. When you are able to understand, use and count on your intuition, you no longer need to rely on sources outside of yourself. You are connected to the ultimate guidance. Potential becomes possible.

What drew me to Andrea's book was her very grounded approach to material that can be very airy and literally hard to grasp. She takes you through a very straightforward, step-by-step process that is easy to understand and follow. She shows you how to get clear answers by using language that is direct and precise to ask your questions. It worked for me because it is practical, yet, I could still feel the magic of the universe at work.

Since implementing the material in this book, my life has opened up and daily, I experience more ease and flow. One of the most powerful aspects of the book is meeting your Spirit Guides, being able to call on them by name and knowing how they can be of help. I've had lots of fun and great results since learning how to unlock my intuition.

Andrea's step-by-step guide is easy to understand and follow, yet it addresses about anything you need to know about intuition. It is well organized and demystifies the process, making it available to anyone.

With her book, "Unlock Your Intuition", Andrea Hess has given us a truly practical way to reach our potential in all areas of our lives. As an Intuitive Consultant and Life Coach, her skills are unbeatable. Now she has put on paper a foolproof, step-by-step method of accessing intuitive skills that everyone can use. I have trained with Andrea as a Soul Realignment Practitioner and can personally attest that the steps she outlines in her book really do work. They are easy to use, yet powerful in their simplicity. I am happy to recommend Andrea's book to my clients and friends.

Andrea Hess is one of my favourite people :). I've been an avid reader of her blog (www.empoweredsoul.com/blog) for a while now, and I can honestly say that Andrea's articles have played a big role in helping me to align with my highest path and purpose. Even though I came to Andrea's site already fairly familiar with my own intuitive abilities, I have had quite a few "a-ha!" moments while reading through Andrea's blog, and my spiritual growth has progressed in leaps and bounds as a result. It was no surprise that I therefore jumped at the chance to purchase Andrea's book when it came out!

Unlock Your Intuition is best used as a workbook. It is full of practical exercises to help you to hone your intuitive ability to the point where you can easily and reliably access it when you need it. I tend to read books straight through fairly quickly when I first get them, as I like to get the framework of the material in my head before I dig deeper into the nitty-gritty of the information. I did this with Andrea's book, skimming through each of the exercises - but since then, I've been going back (and back and back!) to the book, doing the exercises and adding new layers to my intuitive ability each time.

The book begins by focusing on the practice of divination, either dowsing using a pendulum or with a simple muscle testing exercise that you can perform alone. I would encourage you to pay particular attention to these grounding exercises - the discipline learned through this practice is invaluable, and it will stand you in good stead when you do move beyond this. The book's later chapters will help you take your intuitive skills further through receiving accurate information through asking open-ended questions and communicating with your spirit guides.

As with the articles on Andrea's blog, this book benefits from her ability to explain concepts clearly and simply, and Andrea's down-to-earth nature and great sense of humour shine through. This is a well-written and extremely valuable book.

If you are suffering from your manager, this book is for you.

Don't think twice! Hurry up, break the cycle and unleash the real facts before s/he get you into another unbreakable health-related cycle. You could not be that bad, don't ever believe it, it is definitely your manager! This book is very valuable even if you have not yet met a bully manager, which I can't believe because Bully managers can't be clearly noticed as they are very smart people. Do you want me to tell you a secret? this book can't go wrong, it can help you identify them one by one!

Good Luck,
Mouza

Employees who work for a bully face daily and constant confrontation with little recourse - but WHEN YOU WORK FOR A BULLY: ASSESSING YOUR OPTIONS AND TAKING ACTION offers such recourse, from exit strategies to leave an abusive situation to learning how to identify a bully and utilizing self-defense tactics to keep ego intact. From financial concerns to preserving job integrity and seeking government assistance, WHEN YOU WORK FOR A BULLY juxtaposes case history examples with practical tips. Very highly recommended: it provides specifics rather than theory.

Employees who work for a bully face daily and constant confrontation with little recourse - but WHEN YOU WORK FOR A BULLY: ASSESSING YOUR OPTIONS AND TAKING ACTION offers such recourse, from exit strategies to leave an abusive situation to learning how to identify a bully and utilizing self-defense tactics to keep ego intact. From financial concerns to preserving job integrity and seeking government assistance, WHEN YOU WORK FOR A BULLY juxtaposes case history examples with practical tips. Very highly recommended: it provides specifics rather than theory.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I am in the process of doing a workshop and needed material. I reviewed the book and found that it had the information I needed. I know that this workshop will be a help to our participants.

Many, maybe most people identify themselves by their profession or the company that they work for. Many times it is a happy, fulfilling part of their life, but if is isn't, there is a good chance someone at your workplace is making you miserable.
If that person is your boss, who constantly undermines your work to the point you question your very self, and when works becomes a source of stress, causing physical ailments, this book will help you decide the path you need to take.
Bullying is unfortunately very real in the workplace and, at least in the US, a legal (though unethical) way to manage employees. I strongly suggest this book to anyone who is physically ill at the thought of going to their place of employment every day.

What a beautifully written book! Easy reading. Goddess myths chosen to guide and to understand the girl in all of us. I'm 61 and enjoyed every word of it.

I loved how this books has a wonderful balance of mythology that bridges practical application of the stories lessons. There is so much in this book for the young girl. Not only is it a wonderful educational tool in that it teaches about other cultures but it also offers a plethora of stories about strong women throughout the ages. A must read for anyone, young or old, who are interested in furthering their spiritual and intellectual base.

I really loved this book. At first I wasn't going to read this book because of the title and me being a little bit older than what you would call a girl. In fact I was surprised, some of the stories touched a deep inner part of me that was in need of healing and her advice and projects were great.

This book is intended for teens, but I enjoyed it even as an adult. I liked the format, each chapter beginning with a myth starring a heroine Goddess and then continuing with complementary activities and explanations that let the reader explore her spirituality and empower herself, either working by herself or with other young women. The book concludes with a description of the Maiden/Mother MoonCircle, an example of a mother/daughter circle that readers can use to create their own circles. Imagine mothers and daughters, or teen girls, working together to explore their spirituality, creativity, divinity, and empowerment. The world will be a better place. I'm so happy that books like this are coming out for young women today. You can't go wrong with Patricia Monaghan.

This book is an excellent starting point for young up and coming wild girls and for those that should be but are not aware of their potential. There is a little bit of everything you need to know in a fun to follow format. The book contains simplified tales from around the world, augmented with songs, and tasks to make this more than just a reading experience.

This is much better than other literature floating around out there. First of all notice that the publisher is Llewellyn Worldwide; this publisher is well acquainted with the subject in hand. The author (Patricia Monaghan) is a resident faculty of the School for New Learning at DePaul University in Chicago.

Bottom line is the book is a lot of fun for one or many to share and it is main stream.

We used this as a leaders study to understand what mentoring is and is not. This study gives answers to questions and helps to eleviate potential problems before they come up. I would highly recommend it to anyone who was considering mentoring or doesn't think they are qualified to mentor.

This product was in excellent condition. I highly recommend this seller. I will definitely buy from this seller again. Thanks

With all the trendy talk about mentoring these days, Edna Ellison paints a practical yet poignant picture of what mentoring truly is. Biblically based and reader friendly, I highly recommend this book to any woman considering a mentoring relationship.

Best Bible Study I've Done Recently. This is not too hard or bookish. Fun! I love the ARNF's!

The one thing that makes this Bible study different from all the rest is that it gets you involved in a personal way. The theme of the book is "GET REAL!" I love it!

If you're looking for clues on how to solve your people problems at the office, Work it Out may provide just the help you need. Hirsh weaves workplace difficulties into mini mysteries to illustrate our different communication, data gathering, time management and decision-making styles. Written with humor and candor, Work it Out is sure to provide you with valuable lessons learned from easily recognizable workplace situations.

For an independent free-lance consultant like me, Work it out is a must ! It is an extremely useful book providing case studies which are clearly laid out and diagnosed in a comprehensive and enlightening way. They are great guidelines for professionals. Furthermore, Sandra Hirsh offers some useful guidelines on the team-building and coaching processes that are also extremely interesting and practical.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is not only involved in the Human Resource field, but for those who are responsible for managing teams or for the curious among you who find the human complexities fascinating.

If you're looking for clues on how to solve your people problems at the office, Work it Out may provide just the help you need. Hirsh weaves workplace difficulties into mini mysteries to illustrate our different communication, data gathering, time management and decision-making styles. Written with humor and candor, Work it Out is sure to provide you with valuable lessons learned from easily recognizable workplace situations.

For several years I facilitated workshops using the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and found them very rewarding. When I picked up a copy of Work it Out, it greatly broadened my scope. This book gives wonderful, real-life examples of situations that we can all relate to and understand. Sandra discusses many different cases and scenarios in the text that will shed light for many of those who are stuck and wonder what is going on in a relationship with a fellow worker. There are valuable sections on team-building and coaching that have been especially useful to me and "type clues" throughout the book that are great "aha" moments for even a seasoned MBTI user. Wonderful text to understand and appreciate differences in anyone we work with! Should be on the shelf of every MBTI user.

I employ 10 folks in a computer development "geek" shop. A long-time student and user of Temperament or Type -- I was pleased with this book in that it presents the premise of Type in an easy to read style that represents realistic work environments; situations that I believed my staff would understand. I bought a copy for each staff member -- and as a team, we are working our way through the book chapter-by-chapter; one chapter each week. 30 to 45 minutes of each Monday morning Staff meeting are devoted to discussion of the issues in the "current" chapter; what each person's "type" value is, and how those values contribute and frustrate the values of others. We are six weeks into this project. Conflicts issues between staff that used to cause friction and frustration are simply melting away as the chapters drop away. Staff openly discuss disagreements as conflicts in Type; and allow each other to have different views. Staff that would never read anything ... are reading this book in advance, usually over the weekend on their own time, to be prepared for Monday staff meetings. Team members that were often late to staff meetings in the past ... are "on-time". Whether the excitement will sustain itself after the book is completed is clearly a "management" issue -- but this book has captured the interest of a diverse group of computer "geeks", administrators, and managers. And while the company's profits are determined over sustained selling and development cycles ... the productivity output of the staff is up and we've not missed even an internal delivery commitment in the past three weeks; a virtual impossibility in years past. The book is proving to be a very powerful tool for my company.

\\ Richard Eastman
The Eastman Group, Inc.
www.eastmangroup.com

I find myself opening this book up over and over again . I have learned alot from the writer of this book . I would tell anyone who is going to make a documentary , they should have this book on there desk.

There is little in written text that summarise the worth of this book. I was so moved by its detailed and incisive content and direction that I sold my kids to afford the time and space, the peace required to absorb the rivetting content.
As I sat at my video production terminal I realised that the nirvana of books on docudrama had been produced. This is the sort of book that makes you go and get the authors name tattooed on your butt.
Buy , buy , buy ..

This book is a masterful resource for any filmmaker regardless of their expertise.

No one has come close in their summation of the documentary process. It is 2001, the book was released in 1996, it is timeless. The best book on the market, a better book could only be devised by the author.

Four years of preperation in one book. Every student, professional filmmaker, enthusiast should have it. I have even allowed persons/subjects whom I was documenting to read this book. It made the process that much easier. They were extremely thankful. PURCHASE THE BOOK.

Even while reading this book I was able to pitch an idea for an event and documentary project, my first, and gain acceptance for the project. The concepts are helpful as well as practical.
I read a lot of books once I am interested in a subject and I would place this one at the top for documentaries.

In starting something new, the potential making missteps that can derail the whole process is always present. This book helps you avoid those and has advice on how you can develop a quality product that people will want to see. Very worthwhile.

I truly enjoy the knowledge that I receive from this book. It goes beyond surface knowledge and encourages the reader or class (as it is used as a Sunday School book at my church) to discuss what the Biblical principles mean to us here and now in today's society.

I have found this to be one of the best commentaries available.
It offers in depth explanations of each verse. It also gives the essentials, such as the lesson setting, who is speaking and who is being spoken to. The questions,applications and suggestions for the student activities are also very useful.
I highly recommend this book.

I recommend the Standard Lesson Commentary for biblical knowledge and spiritual growth. It is consistent with International Sunday School Lessons, and its commentary is loaded with sound doctrine, current events, true stories and testimonies, that will take you from milk to meat in your spiritual walk with God.

The lessons were better than I thought they would be. The shipment arrived earlier than I expected. My church was very pleased at the price and the literature.

I have always enjoyed this commentary as a valuable aid in studying the lessons.