Deborah Norville Books

I thought it was an autobiography about her struggle in the world of journalism, but it turned out to be a self help book rather than a story about her. Definitely a book to have when "your life throws you a curve".

Back on Track tells how to handle the unexpected troubles that life can throw at you. Deborah Norville shares her experiences with the listener, from being on top as television's new "Golden Girl" to being unfairly vilified by nearly everyone in the media. Ms. Norville sheds light on what really happened on the Today Show with dignity and class and avoids giving others the nasty, hurtful treatment that was given to her.

Because this is an abridged copy of Back on Track, it lacks some of the details that are included in the hardcover. What it lacks in detail, it makes up for in its presentation. What I like about this (and other audio books) is that it is read by the author. Having the "book" read by a "celebrity" gives the personal touch, that just adds to the enjoyment for the listener. You'll love this audio book from this wonderful, intelligent and inspirational woman.

The Proverbs 17:22 tells us that "A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength." Author Deborah Norville inadvertently expands on this verse and the many others in Proverbs about the benefits of having a "merry heart". This book is filled with stirring stories and research indicating how important it is to have a positive attitude and a grateful spirit; according to Norville, it will make us happier, healthier, and and better able to handle life's stressors.

This book is a good reminder to us to have a more positive attitude and to look at the happier side of life. Dwelling on the negative has no benefit, while dwelling on the positive can add to our healthy and give us prolonged quality of life.

Kudos to Norville for this timely reminder that being grateful does not only bless others but benefits us as well.

This short book (just 10 chapters) puts you in a better mood just for reading it - and it's practical for life. If you do the easy exercises suggested to implement Thank You Power, the book really comes to life in a meaningful way. It is well written, with numerous stories from individuals demonstrating the benefits of Thank You Power, so the book is interesting and holds your attention. Most of us, and society at large, would be happier by developing the skills to be more grateful and observant of the good in life, particularly as a way of counteracting the effects of 24/7 news of the horrible. I highly recommend this book.

We are always on the lookout for stories of Extraordinary Comebacks, to share with others, and collect (some day) in a volume 2, and this book doesn't stint in providing them.

She could have recounted her own story as well, the dust-up some 20 years ago with NBC, and her resurgence as host of INSIDE EDITION.

Deborah is a Christian, and she lets you know, but to her credit, she doesn't beat you up with it, making it easy for readers of all stripes to make their way through the text without having a reaction.

At 150 pages, a slim volume, and goes down easy. A pleasing palette of anecdotes, science (lots of studies are cited) and Deborah, the personality.

Couple criticisms, and very small ones at that: I didn't "get" the story about Norville's tip to a stage manager she meets in Dayton to wear high heels to boost her self-esteem, seems kind of antiquarian and anti-feminist, no?, but I suppose it's a "girl" thing, and we'll give the author her space on that. After all, she is a TV celeb and Georgia Junior Miss (1976). Minor thing. Also, the book needs an index. A little less minor.

But here's the bottom line: if you're grateful for what you have, instead of grieving for what you don't, you're going to change your brain chemistry. More effectively than with Prozac or any of the other drugs on the market.

Hats off to Deborah Norville for reminding us of this simple and powerful medicine available to everyone without Rx and without charge: gratitude. Let's all try it together for 21 days....and make it a habit.....

PS DN ends the book with a tip to take the test at [...] to find your "signature strengths." Should say "tests"-- they offer 17! at this writing. Very interesting, worth doing....

PPS Oh, and one last thing: "thank you" for reading this.

A must read for everyone. Life is short, and this book helps you enjoy it.

We all know that we need to live with an attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude, and this book shows us how to do it.

Norville provides many examples and stories of people who used a positive attitude to overcome adversity and be resilient during tough times. She also demonstrates how science has proven that being grateful invites more positive things into your life. The book also shows that gratitude can lead to a longer life, being more alert, having a stronger immune response, and being more clear-headed in danger or crisis situations.

This book would be especially great to give to someone just starting life, someone like a high school or college graduate.

We originally received this book as a gift for our 9 year old when she was two and it was one of her favorite stories 7 years ago. I pulled it out again for our two year old and it quickly has become her favorite too! We have read this book every night for the last 7 months. The rhyming is wonderful and my 2 year old daughter is able to tell me what the next line is due to this. She loves lifting the flaps and pretending she is scared. This book has helped her understand that monsters are only a part of her imagination. Our family loves this book and would recommend it to anyone with children ages 18 months to 10 years!

Not only did I stumble over the text in this poem(?), but it gave my 5 1/2 year old nightmares. Why give children more places to think they see a monster? I concentrated more on finding the flaps than the reading content until we got to the end. The I realized it wasn't the story I had intended to send my son off to dreamland with!

I liked this book immensly, and it is one of my 3 year old's most requested read-alongs. If you want to teach your child the value of reading, that it's ok to shutoff the TV and the video games, this is the book for you!!

I'm a children's librarian and bought this book to use at storytime because of the positive review it got. I knew the book would be too fragile to check out to patrons, but planned to keep This book is so shoddily constructed that the last page ripped the first time I flipped through it the pop up on the last page tore.

This book fails in virtually every respect. The language is flat. The meter and rhyme are awkward. The sexual stereotyping in the second half is offensive. The anti-television message is overly pedantic.