Training Books

Why is this book is out of print?
Why did it never go paperback?
I'm a fan of nearly all Bill James' work; but this is his best. I found it in the public library and had to buy my own copy online for about $30, used.
This is absolutely Bill James' most effective integration of numbers and age-old baseball questions. He must have been very pleased to write this and very disappointed that it didn't find a more enthusiastic audience.
Let's hope he ignores the sales numbers, goes with his gut, and puts out a new edition.

The five stars I give this book is more impressive when you understand I can't stand the opinionated stat cookers who are trying to take over the game. And Bill James is the worst. But fortunately there aren't a lot of meaningful statistics that relate to mangagers (other than wins of course) and that forced James to do some real research and writing. He's acutally a pretty good writer. His analysis of John McGraw is some of the best baseball history available. If only he'd put his statistical obsessions aside and take another look at baseball greats he might produce more books that are based on reality rather than a manuipulation of numbers to justify irrational prejudices.

This was a good effort from Bill James, butit left me wanting more. There were a lot of key managers that could have been addressed in greater detail

Without a doubt, Bill James is THE man who can best shed light on those forgotten heroes of yesteryear and today along with focusing on what or who are the greats. By tackling the subject of mgrs. he's added another feather in his cap regarding baseball history. The book is simply chock full of astute observations, great stats, and even better off-the-wall stories. The way the book is laid out also does not overwhelm you because it covers the entire history of the game. James breaks it down by decade and gives you a good feel for the eras and the managers who made them. I can hardly wait to see what James tackles next.

There are a few other books that deal exclusively
with baseball managers and I've read most of them.
None deal with the subject as objectively or with as
much detail and enthusiasm as Bill James' new offering. Besides the
celebrated managers of baseball history such as Stengel,
McGraw, Mack and others, there are great pieces on lesser
known managers such as Bill McKechnie, Fred Haney, Spencer
Abbot and Billy Southworth. James also details a few objective
ways to discuss and evaluate a manager's accomplishments.
The book maps out the trends of various managerial strategies
such as the sacrifice bunt and the use of a bullpen. Anyone who
loves baseball will find this book hard to put down. And it'll make
you think. As James says "managers are fascinating people" and this
book makes for many hours of fascinating reading.

Every horse-owner, and especially those who aspire to train horses, should read this book from cover to cover and keep it handy by your nightstand!

It's a "must-read" if you really want to progress as a rider and become one with your horse. My guess is that far too many people buy bits because they look pretty without ever giving thought to the type of mouthpiece, length of shank, etc. If you dream of a truly responsive horse, then you must learn the mechanics of a bit!

Although it's true that when I was a girl, I did a lot of western-style riding and read every horse story ever written, I'm a far cry from a horse expert. In fact, back surgery twenty-five years ago, removed me permanently from the saddle.

A person who knows that I continue to have a deep appreciation for animals, horses in particular, who also knows my walls are covered with high quality photographs, and who is aware that I make my living as a writer perhaps realized that "Bits and Bridles" by Bennett and Lynch might feed all of these predilictions, and so he gave me the book as a gift. He couldn't have been more right.

The book is extraordinarily well written by authors who are highly knowedgable and humane and who consider both the horse and the rider in relationship to the all the information they impart on bits, bridles, and their relationship to the opimum horse-care and horse-riding experience.

I, who will probably never need to put Dr. Bennett's and Ms. Lynch's "best practices" into place and who,in fact, could not have cared less about what was in a horses mouth or around his head during my years as a young equestrian, was impressed by the clarity and communication impact of writing that made even me realize the critical importance of the proper hardware to both the horse and his care-taker/rider. The writing was suitably and quite beautifully augmented by outstanding, full color horse-photography.

This book is just what I've been looking for. It's a huge reference on the science of bitting for horses, and covers both English and Western bits and techniques. It's filled with tons of clear color photographs showing the various types of bits available out there, and long discussions about the whys and wherefores of choosing the proper bit for your horse.

The following chapters are included: The Language of the Bridle; Anatomy and Bit Selection; Dentistry and Mouth Care; an Introduction to Bits and Bridles: Fundamental Principles of Bitting; Snaffle Bits; Mouthpieces; Leverage Bits; Trade Offs; Gag Bits; Going Bitless; the Traditional Hackamore; the Spade Bit; Bit Accessories and Training Aids; Bit Progressions and Soft Mouths; Developing Soft Hands; Problems, Solutions, and Safety; Bitting and Competition. There is also a great glossary and effective index at the back.

All in all this book is a must-have for any intelligent rider who wants to work effectively and humanely with their horse. It's well worth the purchase price, don't hesitate to buy it!

This book is the most comprehensive book I have found regarding bits and their effect on the horse and his performance. It is extremely comprehensive, including information on how conformation, bit, bridle, horse health, rider, etc. affect the horse's performance. It covers all types of bits, from snaffles to spades, as well as bitless options (mechanical hackamore and traditional hackamore). It is extremely well-written and features beautiful pictures.

Most importantly, it has helped me understand how my bit and related equipment affect my horse's performance. I found this information very useful as I am currently transitioning out of the snaffle, and I now have a better understanding of what is happening physically and mentally with my horse.

I highly recommend this book to both english and western riders. The book does lean towards the western rider, but the english discipline is also completely covered.

I've been very proud of Bits And Bridles by Dr Bennett and Betsy Lynch, and how well it's been received by the equine community. I use the words "proud of" because it was my priviledge to design and layout the book for publication.

I have been a horsewoman for 30 years, and I was impressed with the manuscript from the first time I read it. I will be the first to acknowledge that I do not know everything about horses or tack, but I personally could not disagree with a single statement in the book. I learned a great deal as well, during the design process. I have recommended (or given) this book to most of my friends and acquaintances in the horse industry. As a horsewoman, as far as I am concerned Dr. Bennett and Ms. Lynch are the foremost authorities on the science of bitting. While I never had the opportunity to meet them while designing their book, I am honored to have been part of the process.

Blueprints is a great review book for your third year rotations. It does not have too much detail, but enough so you know you've covered all of your bases. If you need more detail, you can always go to the web or to a textbook from the library.

I've only used med and peds so far, good questions in back in shelf/usmle format. Highly recommend for clinicals, only downside is med was a little thick to get through by the end of my rotation.

I really enjoyed reading the Blueprint series. These books are easy to read and give you a great overview over each topic. The more motivated student might feel that some subject is not very deeply covered. Still the essentials you need to know are there. In general USMLE don't ask beyond that. Illustration are excellent and extremly helpful. Also a quick summery with key points helps you to keep important things in mind. In addition the question section is very helpful to estimate your level of knowlege. Overall a series very concisely written, consistent and very good in terms of didactics. Recommended especially for foreign medical graduates.

The Blueprints series in combination with UCV, first aid step 2, NMS question helped me ace step 2 and make a score in the high 90s. Must start with a sound step 1 base though. Highly recommended. Mastering the material is a must though.

I used Blueprints as my primary study guide during my third year of medical school for all rotations. They have all the information you need to know for shelf examinations. Really! I scored well above the 90th percentile on all shelf exams by diligently studying this series. A must have for clinical rotations.

Iowa Orthopaedics Resident

Thirty-three years of teaching experience has given Carol Keeney a bit of insight into classroom management. In BRAND NEW TEACHER: HOW TO GUIDE AND TEACH THE EARLY GRADES USING SCRIPTS, Keeney outlines an approach using scripts, as an actor would. Directed toward new teachers just entering the school system, Keeney provides a plan for capturing the class's attention from day one and maintaining it throughout the year. It is essentially a handbook for first-year teachers who tend to be left to their own devices and with no guidance are expected to instantly take control of a class of young children. The advice Keeney provides has been accumulated through her own trial and error process, in hopes that new teachers can manage to avoid some of the pitfalls that inevitably come before discovering a niche in the education world.

Part One is composed of two chapters that introduce the teacher to the value of scripts and emphasize how children seek approval in the expressions and mannerisms of the adults around them. Part Two is an organizational tool, four chapters providing lists of materials that may be needed, strategies for classroom layout and tips for creating effective bulletin boards. In this section, the teacher is building an engaging "set" for their "audience." Part Three contains some basic projects and games that can be adapted for different themes and subjects. What I found most helpful was that Keeney lists the instructions for the projects, then relates the benefits of each activity and the specific skills the children will learn. Each section begins with a list of comprehension questions to reinforce the information taught in the activity. The teacher can use these to get an idea of how well the lesson was received by the children and what is actually being retained.

Part Four brings us to the scripts. After creating an objective, setting the stage, and choosing some activities, the teacher must decide how they will execute the assignments in the most effective way. Keeney provides scripts for some essential lessons for early grades. The teacher can use the scripts exactly as they are provided to become familiar with the method, then use them as an outline for creating their own need-specific scripts. Keeney provides a full week's worth of scripts as a primer for teachers to begin building their own. Just as a script for a play or movie provides the actors with specific lines and motions, Keeney's classroom scripts provide the teacher with the same careful instruction. Keeney follows up with a chapter on challenges that might disrupt the script and ways to handle them.

Because the majority of Keeney's experience has been in early elementary grades, specifically first grade, all of the lessons and activities are created specifically for that age group and skill level. This makes it more difficult for teachers of higher grades to adapt the exercises to the abilities of their own students, but grasping the concept of scripts is a tool that can be used by instructors of all ages. It is no secret that children learn best when they are interested in the subject matter. Scripts allow the teacher to grab the students attention and build interest in the curriculum for optimum retention.

As a home schooling mother, I can personally attest to the value of scripts. When my own enthusiasm begins to falter, so does my children's. Even with a class of two students whose full attention should not be difficult to gain, boredom and distraction can set in. Scripts can rejuvenate the appetite for learning and serve as a blueprint for both teacher and student.

This is a delightful book for first year teachers. It is extremely helpful for that new teacher ( or even seasoned teacher). "Brand New Teacher" is filled with confidence building ideas presented in a unique way that keeps you smiling. This is a great gift idea for the new graduate or something for a new teacher to think of purchasing to help with the first year teaching jitters!

This book is filled with great ideas and words of wisdom to help you in your classroom. I would recommend it to both seasoned and new teachers. It is a great addition to any teacher's library.

"Brand New Teacher" has really helped me in preparing to be a great teacher. If your elementary education read this book! It helped me to discover the art or teaching. I think it will help new and experienced teachers in the classroom. I'm new to the profession and have found it very helpful. I have read lots of elementary education books. This text seems to be the most practical I've found. It is also an easy read. I highly recommend this book.

This book is visually appealing and filled with ideas to help the new teacher feel comfortable and confident in the classroom. The way the text and graphics are placed on each page, makes the reader want to continue reading the book. Any page you turn to in the book has another idea that could be very helpful, especially when the teacher is first starting out. I, a seasoned teacher, have found ideas in this guide that I would use in my class!

This is an excellent book. Lito is a great writer. I felt like he was talking about me when he described what intermediate skiers do. Reading his book is like having a conversation with him, and I could easily visualize his explanations. Even more important, he is so enthusiastic, he got me excited about skiing again, and eager to get out there and try his techniques. I have been an intermediate skier for years. Lito's book has convinced me that I can break out of the intermediate rut. My husband and I were fighting over the book so much, I got him his own copy.

Reading is a hard way to learn to ski--but this book can help you do it. I have read numerous books on ski technique and almost none help when you actually get to the mountain. This one does. It stands apart as a teaching tool. Apart from working as a technical matter, it has quite a decent style for a sports book.

This book takes nothing for granted except for an interest in skiing on the newly shaped skis. Therefore there is little risk in carrying forward any bad habits attributed to old methodology. His treatment of the subject is interesting, very focused and sometimes humorous. I wish I can take a private lesson with Lito someday. This book is well worth the read, and for me was hard to put down.

Lito's obviously been around the ski teaching game for many years, and he has picked out the basic key moves for good skiing and put them in a folksy prose and the result is a fantastic little ski book.

He's not exactly cutting edge, but it doesn't matter because he provides a great foundation of technique that will immensely improve the quality of turns for beginners and intermediates, which in turn (heh) will increase those skiers enjoyment of the hill.

He also throws in a lot of useful side information that answers many questions you might direct at a ski instructor during a ride on the lift.

Experts or heavily experienced skiers should look elsewhere, but everyone else will get a ton out of this gem of a book. Highly recommended!

I am not a great skier - maybe not even average. I learned to ski in middle school and maybe went skiing 5-8 times during the teen years. Fast forward 14 years and the wife and I decided to take it up for a couples activity. We went 3 times last season and it was fun, but I was extremely tired after each 4 hour session. I knew this should not be since I am not in that bad of shape. I grabbed this book and after reading 70 pages I hit the slopes the following day. It was the most fun I had ever had on skis. The way he explains the proper form and motions is great. The way he describes the poor techniques of the average skier almost described me perfectly and gave insight as to why I was working so hard instead of enjoying it more. For a total beginner this might not be the best book, but if you can already get down the blues and single diamonds OK but it feels more like work than fun - this book is for you. The deeper in the book you get the more expert the material. I would have enjoyed better pictures, but the ones used got the job done. Overall a great resource.

This poetic and vividly written book is a gift to all people of faith. For those who are involved in ministering to rural people, you can find a connection in Father Schmitmeyer's experiences. For those rural people, it can give you a sense of how important you are in today's world, and for those who aren't directly involved with rural life, this book will give you an understanding of what life is like out there. This book was exactly what I needed. In it I found a connection I have been searching for, namely: another heart concerned for the people and places which surround it. I am a seminarian studying for the Diocese of La Crosse, WI and I am a farmer at heart like Father Schmitmeyer. In my recent studies of rural life, I have been getting disheartened. Reading this book re-enkindled the passion I have for the family farm and sustainable agriculture. I had the opportunity to meet Fr. Schmitmeyer at the recent National Catholic Rural Life Conference Annual Meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, where he was a keynote speaker. I was able to get to know Father Schmitmeyer there, but in this book I was able to understand why he is a priest in rural Ohio.

When the hustle and bustle of living in Silicon Valley becomes overwhelming, I reach for this book. Fr. Schmitmeyer's essays give me a feeling of peace and tranquiliity. His skillful writing style grabs and holds my imagination. I never tire of his sensitive descriptions of life in North Star and Osgood. This historic region of our country is his ancestral homeland and he gives enormous insight into the lives of its wise and spirited people. This book is a tribute to them and to the rare sense of community they have created. A Calendar of Care gives me a vivid image of what life is now like in these two neighboring towns. This is one priest who is not afraid to get his hands dirty. He works alongside his human and animal flock, literally. He isn't afraid to speak out and teach others about unjust agricultural practices. His essay, "Harvest Prophets", is pure genius. It digs straight to the core of the current trend towards rural nostalgia and offers a unique perspective on it. Fr. Schmitmeyer writes, "...abandoned homesteads make me ask disturbing questions, such as 'who lived here?' and 'why did they leave?' " He educated me about the dismal outlook for the future of family farming in the United States. He made me aware of how all of us are affected by how our food is produced. He writes, "The biblical wisdom that says that the way we treat the land determines how we treat one another, is again proving itself true in our culture of ultra-efficiency and social decline." Profound observations abound in this book. Fr. Schmitmeyer has the uncanny ability to even confront mortal violence head-on. He gives a powerful account of the worst form of man's inhumaity to man and yet in spite of the madness, he gently provided a sense of stabilty and resolve for this reader. His description of current unjust agricultural trends prompted me to write to my elected officials and to newspapers to voice my concern about this moral issue that affects all of us. (The problem is "concentration," where too few businesses control the market, and it is also the reason gasoline prices in California are the highest in the country.) In this sense, Fr. Schmitmeyer's care is far-reaching. A Calendar of Care transcends a reader's religious denomination and geographic location. I highly recommend this book for everyone. It's a must read!.

Father Schmitmeyer is an excellent author, who has a very descriptive and beautiful style of writing. He can place you at the scene, time and mood of church's many community activities. You will feel like you have experienced all of these events first hand and you know the characters in the book. As you read this book you will see why living in the North Star and Osgood communities is so important to it's residents and parishoners. You will be let in on why Rural Life and the church are treasured by all who have the good fortune to experience it first hand. Thanks for being a good friend, family and priest always Father Jim.

With a literary style and contemplative spirit akin to Wendell Berry, Fr. Schmitmeyer reveals the extraordinary sacredness found in ordinary rural life, or life lived deeply with other human beings and earth's creatures, for that matter. In a high speed, fairly fragmented world where we long for concrete experiences of community, creation, and conversion, Schmitmeyer illustrates these experiences in ways that no mere church walls can hope to contain. Readers will find his writing to be a tonic that can renew the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless--yes, even the most tired and skeptical souls.

In 1988 Fr. James Schmitmeyer, an American priest in the archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio, left a faculty position at a graduate school of theology to take on the responsibilities of two rural parishes and a small farm. A Calendar of Care is an affecting collection of stories that attempt to "capture the grace" he has experienced in this new work. He clearly loves the communities of North Star and Osgood with a love only a man who has spent considerable time in academia can have. "Instead of attending symposiums on globalism, I now go square dancing at weddings, get sunburned in the fields and bless rosaries and animals and seeds." For Fr. Schmitmeyer, Christianity is about real things. It is about the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection. It is also about parades, processions, grandmothers in shawls, old barns, oddly shaped trees, carpentry, sheep and square dances. For him, it seems, there is little division between his faith and his daily life and his work. In everyday and ordinary things he notices glimmers of the sacred and holy. And while there is this joy and peace there is also sadness in these tales. "There was a time when people in towns like mine were secure and prosperous." In America (and even more so in England) farm and family based communities are endangered by economic forces that militate against the small scale. "The Goliaths of agribusiness and food production industries would make even the stones in David's hands glisten with sweat." His own parishioners have sometimes had to make difficult choices in the face of threatening competition. Some have followed current trends by expanding their farming operations. Others have been forced to seek demanding work in the neighboring cities. There are also painful stories of the deaths of loved ones and the prayerful and compassionate response made by parishioners. For Fr. Schmitmeyer, the choice to become a country pastor was not a paranoid flight from modernity or a romantic hearkening back to bygone days. Rather, it was a choice to put himself in a setting in which life takes on more healthy and also more demanding aspects. It was really (it seems to this scribbler halfway across the world) a choice for greater service and self-giving. Cynicism and selfishness got you down? Put on a cowboy hat and pick up A Calendar of Care.

We rely on the expertise of others who take their work as seriously as we take our own, because we cannot be experts at everything. Krista Cantrell is the expert I (as an educator) recognize: Learning Styles evaluation for dogs-well, duh, of course! Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) for individual dogs-How lucky could your dog get to have this quality educational attention, learning diagnosis, and training consultation! How lucky you and I are to have found such an organized master trainer who is so able to communicate practical exercises, so that our dogs are safe in our often unsafe human world. So that we don't worry so about them. So our dogs become family members who are better loved and welcomed than we imagined possible. It's all in her book. Catch Your Dog Doing Something Right is THE book to read.
Review by Sheron Steele, VA

The techniques really work and are simple to implement. Krista even explains how to evaluate your dog to help you understand how your dog learns. Her writing is easy to understand, and she uses real life stories.

The training is broken down into five-minute lessons and even shorter ten-second sessions that reinforce the behavior. Each lesson is step-by-step reinforcing basic commands such as sit, down, stay, etc. but played like a game. My dog loves our "training" time since she just thinks she's playing.

Krista includes help sections throughout the book to help you get the dog's attention. She also provides techniques to change a dog's unwanted behavior such as excessive barking.

I really recommend this book for the fun-loving, busy person who wants a well-behaved dog for a companion.

I love this book.
It is easy to read and understand. It starts with evaluation of the dog and assesing the strenght and weakness of his/her learning abilities. Training...or better called teaching-is set of games, what dogs love.
I really appreciate the teaching strategy of looking at owner and paying attention- without jerking collar or using prong collars! That's an absolut must in training.
There is also part about bad habits. And some Earth energy massage for your dog, if you are into "chi".

Excellent book! I bought it directly from Krista in AZ, she really knows what our animals are thinking! This will help the novice and those just touching up on dog communication skills. The breathing, centering ideas are similair to TTouch principles and REALLY work!

Krista's technique takes a common sense approach and a gentle way for our animals to learn "acceptable" behavior. I have brought 3 of my dogs to her classes - based on this book - and have seen dramatic differences in their behavior. Mostly though, this book helps the human companion learn how to work with and listen to their animals. I hope more people take on this progressive approach to non-violent training.The energetic healing chapter adds a new dimension to behavior therapies.

For most businesses or coaches, simple actionable tools and ideas are what you need. Most people who read a book will never have the chance to make a massive, organization changing process.

Championship Team-Building is easy to read and filled with basic ideas and concepts that are useful when teaching. The ideas in this book are beneficial to anyone from middle school teachers and coaches on up to business departments and groups.

Championship team building is an excellent source of information for coaches, business leaders or anyone who is a team leader. If you are a coach who is looking for that one item to help your team go to the next level in 1999, I would suggest purchasing this book! As a coach, I have always believed that positive team chemistry is the number one reason for the success of my teams. If you are like me, the question was always, "How do you get positive team chemistry?" This book will show you how! I highly recommend Jeff's book!

This is one of the most beneficial books I have ever read. it is easy to follow, it is fun to read and I was eagerly awaiting the next page. If you are serious about coaching, this is a must have book.

I can assure you that team chemistry is an important part of a team success and this book really addresses the issues around this.

I am both an experienced girls basketball coach as well as a psychiatrist. I HIGHLY recommend this book to coaches of any team. The strategies are effective and important. It can be easy to overlook importance of the mental aspect of athletic performance. Mr. Janssen does an excellent job of clarifying the role coaches have in this aspect of the game and gives practical advice on how to acheive better team performance.

This book is awesome. It gives you a virtual roadmap that is easy to follow. I am now in the process of using it with my son's team. The evaluation forms are informative and the exercises are easy to do. I would recommend this book to all coaches and players who want to take their teams to the next level. It is also very good for parents to help them understand the role and the need for the role that their child plays on the team. It will be interesting to see how this affects the play of our team that traditionally plays well against really good teams, but then reduces the level of its play to not so great teams.

I am a senior citizen, and have always tried to watch my weight, and to tone up, not only for looking good, but also to feel good.When I discovered this book, I immediately found that it
explained every exercise in detail that I could understand, and the illustrations were exceptional. I am constantly told that I look at least 15 years younger, and this is without plastic surgery. I highly recommend this book to every age group. It's wonderful!!!

If you want to get fit this is the book for you. The concept is simple and Chris & Sally detail the guidelines for the average individual to follow. Counting calories is a bit time consuming for the first 2 weeks, but after that it's second nature. The program truly works - I'm back down to my healthy weight range after only 7 weeks (and 20 lbs lighter!). But, most importantly, I feel great. This book comes highly recommended.

I purchased this book in 1997. I did the program and I had wonderful results. I lost 20 pounds in the 10 week program (which I stretch to 14 weeks) and I did feel vibrant and strong. I did however find the program hard to maintain. It is a great place for a novice to start; an invaluable tool for those of us that have always been intimidated by exercise and fitness. Realize that the results will come and that once they do - you will have to change your plan and approach to exercise. Chris will walk you through the first 10 weeks but after that - your on your own.

This is a great book (and workbook) for anyone who is or is not in shape and wants to get into shape and become healthy. You get muscle definition, a strong heart, and good eating advice all packed into a 10 week program. It helps to buy a heart monitor, but you don't need to. What is great about the book is that it's a workbook that helps you keep track of your own fitness levels, and eating plan and measurements. For anyone who wants a place to begin, buy this book!!

I now have a health club and a personnal trainor right here in my home. Chris Imbo, tells you why he believe his program will work for you and help you achieve personnal health and well being. In a non condesending way he explains why he feels this plan will help you become fit and healthy. He explains the science of why we burn fat or not burn it, and gives us the formula to make our bodies burn fat effectively. He reminds you about "slow and steady", "easy does it" and "listen to your body". His daily assignments,(one for each day of the ten weeks) is wonderful. Each day he has planned out what stretches, warm-ups, and exrsices you should do to help you achieve your goals, along with words of wisdom and ispiration. A must for anyone who wants to change thier body and thier outlook on food and exercise. You will not be alone. From start to finish, Chris Imbo tell's you what he, as a fitness trainer as learned and how it works. Everything is described and pitcured

Anderson's book shows us how to use an untapped resource - the homilies and sermons of the Church Fathers and Scholastics. Despite preaching in a different day and age and to a different audience, their goal was the same as any modern preacher, teacher, or catechist. They were attempting to communicate the Word of God to their audience in a persuasive way through the use of rhetoric. He shows us how, by imitating them and learning from them, we can discover new ways to bring Christ to others through words as well as actions. It's great to have on the shelf as a theological/historical resource as well as a homiletic aid.

Anderson's book has changed my outlook on preaching and given me more confidence in preaching. Anderson discusses the different styles of preaching and how to best implement these styles. The classical preachers that are examined in this book are very helpful and practical. The explanation of their backgrounds and the approaches that they used in preaching was very insightful. Another aspect of this book that was very useful for me was the emphasis of the spirituality of the preacher and how important this is in actual preaching. I would recommend this book to students learning the art of preaching, but also to those who have been preaching for years. If you are up for the challenge of improving your preaching, read this book.

If you are a seminarian, priest, pastor or minister:
DO NOT PASS THIS BOOK UP- This is the best resource I've found concerning Homiletics. It has really given me a foothold into the world of Patristic Preaching. Anderson deftly opens up the methods and presuppositions that the Church Fathers and other great saints employed in their preaching, making them accessible and relevant for contemporary proclaimers of the Word. After reading this book, I see myself after ordination being enabled to turn to the wisdom of all the great preachers throughout the rich tradition of the Church in the writing of my homilies. This is one of the most inspiring books you will read, since it offers a doorway to many other countless sage works beyond itself.

This is an excellent book. Of particular value is the chapter on John Colet's Convocation Sermon, delivered to a group of English bishops and priests in 1512. The courage, and bluntness, Colet used in addressing the English clergy is a good example for anyone who wants to respond to current scandals and abuses in the Church. This and the other sermons whose texts are included in this book are an amazing resource in and of themselves. The sermons in this book, and Dr. Anderson's analysis and commentary on them, show how reform can truly be Catholic.

This book has been a tremendous resource for me as I prepare for my ordination as a priest this coming June.

If you find that your priest, pastor, or preacher is getting to be borring, dull, or uninspiring you might want to give him or her a copy of this book. Verry easy to read, the guidelines on how to know your audience and how to delight and challenge them are very simple. Dr. Anderson makes very accessible the method of various great preachers in the Christian Tradition.
If you yourself want to become a better preacher this book is very accessible and great for the priest, pastor, deacon, seminarian, etc.