Resources Books

First MacArthur book I read, which changed my life. Well studied and saturated in The Word of God. Thank you, Sir!

I was looking for books that would explain some of the criticisms aimed at CGM churches, such as Willow Creek and Saddleback. This book, published in 1993 doesn't name either of these by name and I thought it would give a relatively objective view having been written earlier than most others of this type.

MacArther takes aim at CGM churches and may be one of the first authors to do so. Of special interest to me is the appendix that gives some insight into Charles Spurgeon and the Downgrade Controversy. This is probably the best part of the entire book, and takes up a substantial portion of it. This is a good commentary and brief biographical treatment of Spurgeon for those of us who are not very familiar with him but only through some very good quotations.

However, MacArther's treatment of CGM churches begins to wear thin about midway through the second chapter. Some of his arguments start to make him sound more like a pharisee than someone bringing in the light. He objects to the forms of worship, the subject of worship, the absence of substance, the user-friendly message, the seeker-friendly concept...and these are all well and fine, but most of these arguments can be found for free all over the internet. He seems to go on a bit long in order to flesh out chapters that could be shorter, but of course this is sort of par for the course with most preachers!

MacArther makes his point but as a champion of institutional churchianity, he must draw up short of pointing out that these megachurches are merely the next logical steps for an institution where the clergy is always more exhalted, more revered and more siognificant than the laity "sheep." So while the reader may be freed from a downgraded institution, the person will still be in bondage to MacArther's brand of institution which puts them in a pew, staring at the back of the heads of others and viewing things going on at the front. As long as the preacher and the Sunday preaching remain the staple diet of people who call themselves Christians, it will continue to be a movement that is in decline, no matter the size or flavor.

I find this to be one of MacArthur's more compelling book. His awareness of the threats to the pure gospel is sharp; his use of Scripture to expose the dangers is on target; his exegesis is truly admirable; the relevancy of this book speaks volume.

I told a pastor friend of mine that he MUST read this book. Everyone who is in ministry or getting ready to answer God's call to ministry ought to read this book. It will safeguard you from a lot of dangers that lurk, wearing the robe of evangelicalism or falsely so-called.

I especiall like the last few chapters that emphasize the sovereignty of God in salvation and the building of his church. The church belongs to the Lord. He purchased it with his own blood. He is its rightful head. He knows how to build it and what it should look like. He has commissioned us to preach the pure gospel. Thank Lord, for the likes of Spurgeon and MacArthur.

The brilliance of John MacArthur's book, "Ashamed of the Gospel" is that it was written long before Rick Warren and Bill Hybels were household names. MacArthur, like Spurgeon a century ago, is one of our generation's leading apologist for defending the faith and the intregrity of biblical doctrines.

The evangelical church that I knew (until about 1995) was a place where the gospel was upheld and the bible was looked at as the infallible, inspired Word of God. This evangelical church largely arose because of the apostasy that invaded the mainline denominations some 80-100 years ago. Now that same apostasy has invaded Evangelicalism and the term "evangelical" no longer has any firm meaning in my mind.

Blame it on many factors. One key factor are pastors who figured out they could obtain larger churches, prominence, and prestige by preaching a "partial Christianity" that contains bits and pieces of the truth, and downplays or ignores the other doctrines that don't appeal to the masses. Rick Warren is especially dangerous as he surveyed his potential audience to discover what they wanted preached. Of course, that model works in today's consumer mentality. Rick has placed man's needs above God's words.

Another blame is on people themselves. They don't want to hear truth and the marketplace has rewarded pastors who placate people's needs to be "churched" but not taught anything controversial or difficult to believe. Mixed together, [heathen pagans plus limp-willed pastors] and you get a pretty good understanding of what evangelicalism has become.

God will never be denied a witness in any generation and John MacArthur is one of a diminishing number of sound bible teachers today who dares to take an unpopular and difficult stand when communicating God's message.

Especially powerful in this book was beginning on page 121 and Paul's exposition of the gospel in the Book of Romans. Paul's approach to the gospel begins with the bad news of man's sin and God's wrath. It is hard to appreciate the good news of the gospel unless one fully understands just how wicked and needing of a savior we are. The seeker-sensitive movement always ignores this point and immediately jumps to the good news. Consequently we have many people in today's seeker-sensitive church who are getting "saved", but they have no idea from what.

Another chapter of note is Chapter 7 on Paul preaching on Mars Hill in Acts Ch. 17. MacArthur makes the case that many church leaders read more into the text about pragmatism than is there. Paul did not compromise his message while preaching in the open marketplace of the day; today's preachers are compromising right and left. Paul was direct; he didn't win many converts. Look at the seeker-sensitive movement today attracting millions. One thing we know about biblical truth is that if the masses are running to some book or teaching, be cautious. That is a flashing warning sign that deception is nearby.

I can't wait to read MacArthur's new book, "The Truth War."

John MacArthur deals with the subject of Pragmatism in such a powerful way.

The following is a condensed version of what this book revealed to me:

Pragmatism is the view that meaning or worth is determined by practical consequences.
The error of pragmatism simply put: "if it works, it must be right"!

The pragmatic approach to doing church is to determine what attracts people and makes the church grow. We are far too human. We are limited in our perception and understanding. We are prone to believe that good results are necessarily indicative of faithfulness to Scripture. This is not true. A man centered gospel is always full of error and compromise and "good ideas." A man centered church is a glorified country club and although a man centered government seems good, it will always make its decisions based on what is good instead of what is right.

Get this book and read it over and over, if need be. This is a message that can not be overlooked, as many of our "modern" day churches would have to be considered "pragmatic". This book warns of the danger of pragmatism! Heed the warning.

Of the dozens of books I have read on the subject this one is the only one that I feel was well worth the purchase price.

Ideas backed by facts not opinions.

Notice the last two words in the title -- 'Written Word.' Writing something that is intended to be read is different than writing for television, radio, or anything else that is to be spoken. There are different techniques for the two approaches, and Mr. Sugarman is a consumate master of the written word.

The concentration in this book is intended to be mail order writing -- sometimes in letter form, sometimes in the form of a brochure. Mail order advertising has a lot of advantages over other types of writing. The biggest one is that you have an almost instant measure of its success -- how many responses do you get. Then you can change the mailing package - any part of it, the writing, the typeface, the color of the envelope - and again you get an immediate response. There's no room for BS. And the successful people have to be good.

Most of the orientation here is for direct response mail order. The interesting challenge of the next few years, or maybe the next few decades, is to convert this writing style to the web. At first glance, most of the techniques given here would seem to apply. Using them and taking into account the special characteristics of the web is going to be fun.

I think it was about the second chapter, maybe earlier where he mentioned the 'magic stat thermostat'. Well, back when I was a kid in the early 80's (read like 10 years old), my dad used to get tons of mail order catalogs (like Hemmachler, sharper image, etc...), and liking technology at a young age, I used to look through them. Well, JS&A must have been one of them as well, as I specifically remembered this ad! I recalled the ad tearing the product to shreds before recommending it (I even remebered what the thing looked like). It was that substantantial, that as a 10 year old (roughly), I recalled it today. At the same time, I recalled another ad that I thought was odd - some handheld game that was supposed to be some big conspiracy. Sure enough, that was one of his ad examples at the end of the book.

This alone should be a testament to exactly how powerful his ads are. Not too mention, his writing style as an educator in the field of written ads is astounding - I could not put the book down.

Although geared toward catalog sales, the techniques clearly can apply to the web as well. So, if you are interested in selling anything - order this book now!

Joe Sugarman is a copywriting and marketing genius.

Probably known best for his "BluBlocker" sunglasses ads, Joe has provided aspiring (and experienced) copywriters with a treasure trove of useful information, tips and step-by-step techniques.

During the 80's Joe held annual Copywriting and marketing workshops and smart marketers willing paid thousands to learn his "secrets".

As far as I can tell, Joe has shared every last one of those million dollar secrets in this must have manual.

This one is a "no brainer". Buy it. Read it. Use it.

I have never been so impressed by a copywriter
like I have been with Joe. I saw him speak a long
time ago at a Mark Joyner event and bought this
book. I have had it by my side ever since.

I couldn't recommend it enough!


Matt Bacak
Author of Secrets of the Internet Millionaire Mind
and The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan

After reading the stellar reviews I purchased this book for my 13 year old sister. All I can say is "Blah". This is some of the lamest young fantasy I have ever read, needless to say she never got this book. Falling prey to a host of storybook and fashion cliches Emily the spunky loveable red-head, Adriane the quiet and mysterious raven haired guide at the Raven's Wood Animal Preserve, and Kira the blonde valley girl princess tromp about in a terribly typical manner discovering magic from another world and befriending a host of magical animal companions. Perhaps I've been spoiled by J.K.Rowling, but Rachel/Shelly Roberts writes as though the young women reading these books are stupid. Upon reading "Circles In The Stream" I was a little surprised that it was considered appropriate reading for a 13 year old!

On a less negative note, if you have a little girl about 7-10 that enjoys reading- this will be right up her alley. Certainly not a classic novel but one that is a "safe" fantasy book that younger readers can handle with ease. For all you not so little girls out there try "Howl's Moving Castle"- a charming fantasy novel and love story- or if you prefer a series Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums are an excellent age-appropriate set of fantasy novels.

This book is the best I have read ever!
The book is mainly about, friendship,magic, and the love of Animals, for those parents out there if you want to know more about this book and the series, go to....

http://avalonclubhouse.piczo.com/

This book a no put down, something to treasure. Shelly Roberts has a true talent for book writing!

Highly recommanded to Magic lovers everywhere!

this book is awsome!! Right now I'm middle of reading trail by fire but anyways this is a must read! I love all the magic in the book and friendship. Every thing is so magical. If u lov magic well this is a book for u!!

this book is the best its nice and thick and super interesting i wish i had the auctal book i took it out of the libray if you cant decide to buy it or not buy it you wont be disaponted also another good seires isw w.i.t.c.h.

I loved it! Emily is this new girl in town and is lonely but doesn't mind as her mom is a vet so spends most of her time with animals. As she gets adjusted to the town one day this sick animal comes with these brutal green gashes that everybody thinks is pioson. Not just that but dogs are soon found dead by the wildlife perserve. Emily decides to explore until she finds a stone that later turns beautiful like in all differnet rainbow colours. She later meets a girl Adriane and becomes fast friends. They learn to except the magic that entered their lives and most of all they learn that magic is strongest when your friends are there to help, and not to mention a magical world with evil lurking everywhere.

I thought this book was so sad. Mary Anne loses everything- only a few things survied. Mary Anne is woke up in the middle of the night by her cat Tigger. She didn't even cry about it. Finally at the very end, she decides to cry. I would have to say, if you are like Mary Anne, and you cry allot. Don't read this book.

I cannot believe Mary Anne's house burned down! She and Dawn were VERY upset. But I can't figure out why Mary Anne could not cry. She normally cries right when she SEES something sad or cute. Or even HEARS about it. Finally one night she is able to cry. Dawn cried when she got one look at the house. I was glad they got to save A FEW things even if they weren't worth very much. I an VERY glad Tigger woke Mary Anne up. She might not have gotten out in time if he hadn't. I loved the book.

I know just how Mary-Anne feels. Our house burned down a year ago. I lost everything-including old letters (I'm like Mary-Anne and, the worst, pictures and things of my older brother, whom died when I was 7. So I know it was really hard for Mary-Anne. I cry when I read this book and I feel like Mary-Anne and I are crying together.But life goes on and changes happen-to Mary-Anne and the whole BSC (And We Love Kids Club too!)

In this book, Mary Anne's house burned down due to faulty kitchen wiring. She's very upset and in total shock. She loved the colonial farmhouse she moved to with her father after his marriage to Dawn's mother. Mary Anne loses almost everything during the fire. Her clothes, books, diaries, letters, pictures, etc. are gone, but she found some jewelry, her mom's picture, and her recent diary. Even though I've never liked Dawn, I'm glad she came to CT to comfort her family. Dawn was pretty upset about the fire. Even though she mostly hated CT, she loved the old farmhouse, the barn, and the secret passage. (the barn didn't burn down, but the secret passage from her room is gone!) I'm glad that Mary Anne finally cried about the fire, after her long shellshocked spell and she's hoping for some positive changes in her future. She doesn't want to move to Philidelpia, where her dad was offered a new job there. It's great that Kristy and her family took in Mary Anne and her parents and that the club and other neighbors comforted and donated lost items from the fire. It was a great book, but I cried my eyes out when Mary Anne lost her house and felt lost. I think she's a strong, brave girl who dealt with a lot of tough events in her life. I'm glad that Mary Anne, her dad, her stepmom, and her cat Tigger got out of the house safely. During a house fire, the number one thing is to get people out of the house and not try to save possessions. I give this book a 10.

Mary Anne's house burned bacause of wiring. Mary Anne almost loses everything like clothes, books.... Dawn was pretty upset when she heard that Mary Anne's house burned. Where Will Mary Anne live?. Will the Baby Sitters help her?

Any edition of this masterpiece is a must-have for any teacher, parent, or human being connected with reading in any way, shape, or form. Mr. Trelease presents a convincing argument for the importance (and joy!) of reading aloud, with plenty of case-studies and touching stories to give an emotional and logical edge.

Trelease says that reading aloud is something that should continue beyond the early childhood years of bedtime reading; just because a child can read on his own does not mean reading aloud is a bad thing--quite the opposite! Reading aloud is a pleasurable activity for people of any age. After all, who does not love to hear a good story? Reading aloud also shares a correlation with improved individual reading skills and overall intelligence. Maybe we can't prove anything, but there are absolutely no down-sides to reading.

This book extends the read-aloud concept to all aspects of learning, from childhood to special education.

Another bonus is a list of recommended read-aloud books.

This is a well-researched and very convincing book that is written with a sparkling syntax. Heck, it's just as fun and fascinating to read as anything else. Definitely a keeper.

This book is a must have for every parent, grandparent, teacher, administrator out there! I went to a seminar in our area that was based on this book and immediately ordered it. I read this wonderful guide and talked my school into having the speakers come to our school district for a Family Night to spread the word about this book!

The parents and teachers who attended our school's program loved the presentation and we gave out copies of the book. Sometimes we know we should do something (like drink 8 glasses of water a day and exercise 30 minutes/5 days a week) but how many people do it until someone, something really drives the message home? Everyone knows or should know that as parents we are supposed to read to our children. It's common sense right? But how many people actually do it regularly and at what point do parents stop reading TO their children? It isn't surprising that most parents QUIT reading aloud to their children as soon as they themselves can read. This book shows the benefits of continuing to read to our children as they mature into teenagers. It does a great job in showing how much children who are read aloud to throughout the grades benefit and how the children who are left behind are usually the children who never were taught how to appreciate the art and pleasure of reading.

It is frightening to me as a parent that alot of parents leave it up to our schools to do it all. We as parents need to take up the responsiblity of helping our children succeed by arming them with the best tool known to education--- READING! If parents can't help their own small brood at home how on earth can they expect a teacher to succeed with a classroom of 20 children?

My family started a Read Aloud program in our home the very evening I attended the seminar and we have gained so much. Not only does it help our son learn but it gives us family time that we will always remember fondly as we grow older.

I recommend this book most definately! ENJOY!

I always carry this book in my minivan so that I'm never without it in the event of an impromptu stop at a bookstore or a library. And I always give it as a gift at baby showers (along with some board books recommended by Jim Trelease as well). Clothes get outgrown, toys break, but books are gifts that just keep on giving --- especially this one. My three sons and I have been introduced to authors and illustrators we would never have even heard of if it wasn't for good ole J.T. Highly recommended; you won't be sorry!

What a wonderful book!!! And what a fantastic resource!! I am so glad I found this while my children are still babies. Their father is grateful as well since this book has inspired him to take an active part in reading aloud to them.

I do wonder if I read the same book as some others!?!? Trelease isn't against phonics. (He says over and over that he's not suggesting we do away with worksheets entirely.) Nor does he push whole language instruction. He simply suggests that the traditional methods of piling worksheets in front of children be balanced out with reading aloud and sustained silent reading. Perhaps some people will find that a scary or threatening proposition. In that case... BEWARE! I for one find it quite refreshing though I don't agree with every one of his social positions. Even if I'm wrong about his positions on phonics, I'd still recommend this book. Regardless of how you choose to teach your child to read, reading out loud to them is STILL a wonderful, vital, bonding thing to do. Kudos to the author for driving that point home.

I have been reading to my babies since the day they were born and I plan to continue through the grades. I thank Jim Trelease for an inspiring and wonderful book.

I read to my kids and I read for pleasure (a lot!)but this book rocked my world. Someone loaned an older copy to me and I thought "Why do I need this? I already read to my kids." I did need it and every parent and teacher needs it too. This book does far more than telling you to read to your kids. It shows you how to do it the right way and it shows you what reading can do for everyone, the very poor, the prison population, special needs children, etc. I have never been so moved by a book. I am not sure how or where but I feel a calling to start or participate in a read-aloud program. This is an excellent book for parents and teachers. I plan to give it again and again.

Gregerman has put together a unique array of narratives from the cheetah to Lockheed's rocket science program to delineate key attitudes and mindsets toward maximizing both the potential of your business and value to your customer. I see value in this book for both non-profit and for-profit entities/professionals. Highly recommended.

Surrounded by Geniuses is a delightful read that imparts a very important lesson: genius surrounds us if we choose to see it. In his book, Dr. Gregerman gives insights on how to create compelling value for our customers by applying innovative, yet intuitive, approaches drawn from the diverse worlds of business, entertainment, science and ...even selling Girl Scout Cookies. For me, one characteristic of a good book is my tendency to pick it up again and again. Surrounded by Geniuses is such a book.

Instead of the typical business books that tell us to spend more resources on Public Relations or work harder, Dr Gregerman has the ability to delve into the heart of businesses- individuals. He helps us to capitalize on our assets, especially our creativity, and work from there. This is a must read for any leader because it provides a framework to capitalize on the individual.

of what it takes to get the most out of yourself, your employees and your organization. As someone who has spent a good deal of time in a number of start-ups and established brands as an employee as well as consultant, I am never surprised by the things (even basic) that companies do not do to take care of their customers - much less their best customers. Gregerman provides some practical strategies for reaching higher ground. Another good read with tons of practical advice for breaking through barriers.

Dr. Gregerman is the real genius. I just finished reading this book and can't wait to apply his suggestions to our medical practice office. I am confident his practical, insightful, innovative and fun ideas will go a long way in providing added value to the experience a patient will feel in our office.

wow... I was leading a new contract negotiation with one of our clients who takes pride for being a tough negotiator. The deal was complex and the negotiator had interests that were not in sync with the rest of his organization. Needless to say, I felt defeated and frustrated at the end of the negotiations. So, I got on amazon and started researching books on negotiations and after reading many reviews and learning about the author, I picked this book. I read it in one weekend and could not put it down.
I applied the principals of this book during a recent difficult situation and amazingly they worked! All parties interests were met.
We have a team meeting next week where everyone on my team will be getting a copy of this book as gift.

What would you do if you face a big NO during negotiation? This book trains you well to handle such challenges. The techniques are very practical. I felt that this book is lot more better than the hypothetical Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

The author teaches 5 simple negotiation techniques - Get perspective of the situation by 'going to the balcony', step to the adversary's side, re-frame adversary's thoughts and beliefs, build them a golden bridge. If any of the above 4 techniques don't help you - use power to educate your adversaries. The author has cautiously avoided using the word 'adversary'. He recommends everyone to take a 'co-operative' approach and not a 'manipulative' approach.

If there is one thing that is more important than any of the suggested techniques - it is PREPARATION. "The best place to make mistakes is in rehearsing with a friend or colleague, not in negotiating for real". This echoes Jim Champ's "Practice sessions provide you an environment to fail safely" theory.

The importance of having a BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) is re-enforced in this book. Overall, this is a very good book to read to improve your negotiation skills.

I purchased this book for all of my sales people! I personally have read it twice. It must read.

ASIN:0553371312 Getting Past No. This is an easy to read book for those who wish to understand more than the 'Win-Win, Win-Lose, etc, type of negotiation. It gives great background when one is trying to iniate a student into the area of negotation. I was able to give short, clear explanations to my daughter, who periodially wanted to know what book I was reading. If negotiation is taught in schools, this one should be a text book.
]]Getting to Yes Is definitely the partner to Getting Past No.

Getting Past No is the follow up book to Getting To Yes from William Ury. The book provides a simple negotiating method that is easy to understand and follow. Simply put, Ury's method is to

1) "Go to the balcony" - basically remove emotion from the negotiating process to ensure you can look objectively at the issue.

2)"Step to their side" - dig deeper into why the other side is saying no and brainstorm solutions to solve the underlying issue.

3)"Reframe" - instead of making the negotiation an "us vs. them" scenario, make it a "we" situation where you're trying to solve the problem together.

4)"Build them a golden bridge" - in a nutshell, let the other side save face.

5)"Use power to educate" - once you've gotten this far do bully you're way to close the deal. Instead, answer the other sides questions and help them build consensus with their stakeholders by educating them how the deal is good for them.

Overall, this is a very quick read and is not intended to be an all encompassing book on negotiating. It is great for beginners to learn this type of negotiating and it is highly effective for all types of situations. It is a must have in your business library!

There are three "chunks" to this interesting book. The main one sells hard about why the US must become energy-independent from the oil people who also wish our destruction. Following on this are very good engineering discussions of energy, where it comes from, what will and will not work, why global warming is not an urgently immediate threat (but will be so as the rest of the world justifiably wishes to catch up to us in living standard), and how methanol and flex-fuel cars in particular is the right-now answer to getting unstrapped from the oil kingdoms. The third chunk consists of how the past century's history was determined by oil. All three chunks go together extremely well, oddly enough, even though it would be hard to find many agreeing with every single bit of what Robert Zubrin writes.

There is considerable humor in Energy Victory, and even that which borders on the sarcastic is still quite funny. After all, you will see pure "engineering humor." An example might be Zubrin's warning that if we wish to mine hydrogen for fuel cheaply from the sun, the temperature on approach is so hot that we should consider going at night! It is best to ignore the many external blogs about this book. You will find scores objections (some downright nasty) to Zubrin's claims about using hydrogen as a transportation fuel base, about producing methanol from any organic matter, and about sources & uses of various fuels. Most of these miss the point. "Energy Victory" gives what engineers for centuries call "rough estimates" of all the above claims. A rough estimate is not a wild guess, it is a ballpark statement of reality. E.g., his statement of 9 gigatonnes of carbon being added to the atmosphere is probably off, but not by deal-breaking amounts. His estimates should be taken seriously for what they are - first-order estimates that give an excellent indication of what needs to be DONE. Refinements will naturally follow.

This book serves personally as a reference, both for current use in climate change research, and for future use to see how the numbers really turned out. Buy the book, because the library will not enjoy your marking the thing up, nor will they like you to monopolize checking it out of your system!

I think this is a brilliantly argued book. I think he does well in establishing the link between petrodollars and Islamofascist terrorism. Of course, the problem created by our heavy reliance on imported oil goes beyond that in our huge balance of payments shortfall. Our reliance on imported oil also slowly drains away our defense and strategic power. Meanwhile, this generation's strategic "wise men" are all on the Saudi payroll.

Most importantly, Zubrin thoroughly debunks hydrogen as a vehicle fuel. I already knew that based on an investment I made in the 1990's. When the consulting engineers said that it would take 22 hydrogen tanker trucks to replace 1 gasoline tanker truck, it was time for me to bail out. According to Zubrin, it only gets worse: it takes more energy to produce hydrogen than the hydrogen reaction produces. The road to hydrogen leads nowhere.

Zubrin punctures a criticism of alcohol fuels that is currently being made. Ethanol made from corn is not causing food shortages. Most of the corn produced in America is used for animal feed and the alcohol extracted from the corn still leaves the corn mash available as animal feed. But alcohol fuel, especially methanol, can be made from practically any plant life. The argument against corn based ethanol is not that it causes food shortages but that it requires heavy federal subsidies when there are other less expensive alternatives available.

The key to his argument is the Flex Fuel vehicle which, with $150 worth alcohol compatible hoses and sensors, can run on various alcohol-gasoline mixtures: E85, M85. These are vehicles you can buy right now with well tested technology. You can buy the vehicles, but in most parts of the country, you can't buy the fuel. Zubrin argues that a federal law is needed to make all vehicles flex fuel vehicles. Zubrin made the argument to the Bush Administration, which declined to support him because they opposed additonal vehicle mandates.

Zubrin didn't make this argument, but I think if flex fuel became a requirement of all vehicles, then the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) requirements and the Air Quality waivers could be phased out. I can't understand why, unless I'm unaware, the domestic auto companies haven't made that argument. It would make their life much easier and less expensive.

Zubrin does make the argument that the CAFE is irrelevant in any event because we will never be able to gain control of fuel prices through conservation. OPEC can set the spigot up and down at will.


Two final notes: Zubrin makes a good case for coal based methanol. Since we have large reserves of coal sitting in the ground because of the sulphur burning problem and acid rain, methanol extraction would allow us to use that resource without the enviornmental damage caused by burning coal. Zubrin also recounts the Brazilian experience with ethanol, which was a very bumpy road when oil prices fell in the 1990's. Getting free from OPEC may require imported oil tariffs because alcohol fuel mixtures are only competitive when the price of oil is about twice as high as the price per gallon of alcohol due to alcohol's mileage penalty. Of course, widespread production and distribution of e85 and m85 might become much more economical than current prices would suggest.

I think these ideas are worth pursuing.

This is an excellent book!! Buy this book! Zubrin has a convincing solution to most of the problems confronting America. and the world. He advocates a Federal mandate that all cars sold in the US should be flex fuel . He shows that this would solve the problems of energy dependence,terrorism, global warming, third world poverty, and illegal immigration.This is a very practical book written by a nuclear engineer with an elegant practical solution to most of our problems. If you don't believe me read this book and make up your own mind.

Zubrin's argument is beyond compelling, and quite effectively brushes aside all the objections to alcohol fuels you see bandied about.

In short, we must mandate all cars sold from now on in the US be flex-fueled (ethanol, methanol, gasoline) or biodiesel (diesel, biodiesel, or straight-vegetable oil). This will crush OPEC's monopoly power and unleash a billion farmers to become mini-oil tycoons. The potential to alleviate poverty in Africa alone makes this extremely worthwhile.

Sure there will be some undesirable side effects to producing so much methanol/ethanol, but the fact is we have no other choice. Corn/soybeans are not the answer. Sugarcane, coal syngas, and random biomass are. Brazil is 100% energy independent, and we can be too. Granted, they don't have a great record on protecting the Amazon, but this is not either/or, they just need to manage their land better and use efficient crops like sugarcane.

We cannot be supplicants to OPEC any longer, and this book shows how to break free.

Warning: the book becomes a bit of a polemic toward the end, but that does not diminish the power of the basic arguments. It's a very entertaining read in any case.

After his push to colonize that utterly useless world called Mars (the real wealth of the solar system is in the Asteroid Belt and icy moons, easily available and not at the bottom of a gravity well), Zubrin moves on to another political boondoggle, ethanol.

His arguments fail on nearly every point. The argument about unused farmland is especially irrelevant. Even if all of the arable land in the US were dedicated to alcohol production (including switchgrass, cellulosic ethanol, and methanol), the most we could ever hope to achieve is to replace about 15% of our gasoline usage (representing at most about 10% of our total oil imports dedicated to gasoline production). Let's see, starve the world to replace ~1/10 of one's oil imports? Don't think so.

Most seriously, the energy balance is not there. It takes about 11 barrels of oil to produce the ethanol energy equivalent of 10. That's an energy return of about 1.1 to 1. Actually when one factors in storage and transport issues it's much lower, maybe down to 1 to 1 (breakeven) or even lower (net loss). If you have a company that you are trying to save from bankruptcy, do you pour your resources into a division that breaks even or loses money? Not if you hope to remain in business for long.

Pointing to the success of Brazil provides no solution for the US either. Brazil straddles the Equator and receives about 22% greater solar energy flux than the US does. That, along with a more efficient crop (sugar cane) and a year-round growing season, gives Brazil an energy return of about 5 to 1. One unintended consequence of this "success", however, is that rainforest destruction (remember the rainforest?) has accelerated at an alarming rate due to more and more acres of it being turned into fuel.

Ethanol and other bio-fuels, far from providing an energy "victory" for the US, will only lead to an energy "defeat", and starve the rest of the world in the process.

This was one of those really excellent experiences. Shipping was done within the days specified. The shipper sent notification the book had been shipped and the book arrived within a week. Above and beyond expectations!!

Great Amazon Seller! Would buy from again. Received book exactly as described in great timing.

Don't you just love Beth Moore?!? What an inspiration Beth is to ALL Christian women across this world. God has used Beth in such an awesome manner - don't you wonder what it's costing her? To whom much is given, much is required. This book flows just like her Bible study with the same title. This book will help you to find areas in your life where you are being held back and weren't even aware you were being held back! There are so many things that we as humans accept as just a part of normal life. Beth shows us in biblical terms why that is just not true! Just because it's a common 'side effect' of living in this sinful world DOES NOT mean that we have to accept it in our lives! I strongly urge you to find a church in your area that offers Beth Moore Bible studies. Read this book - it will set you free!!!

Several of my friends and I are using this book for an e-mail small group Bible study. It is well suited for that with its short chapters and review questions.
I ordered 3 items at exactly the same time and had to pay 3 separate shipping charges. I probably would not do that kind of shopping again.

This is a fantastic Bible Study. I would recommend it for every woman no matter what their experiences are in life. Each of us deserves to be totally free.

With Martha Finney, Libby Sartain has written a book that is, in her opinion (as of 2003), the first one written "by an HR practitioner for HR practitioners about managing your own unique career as well as dealing with the special challenges of daily life in the world of human resources." As she explains, most of the stories she shares are taken from her 13-year tenure as Vice President, People at Southwest Airlines. Since 2001, she has served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Chief People Yahoo at Yahoo! Inc. This book was published in 2003.

She is a staunch advocate of what she characterizes as a "fully empowered" HR career, viewing it as a "calling" and asserting that it can - and should -- provide a competitive advantage to any organization, especially now when competition for human talent is almost ferocious. Those equal to the challenges of such a career in HR possess both highly-developed business acumen and what Daniel Goleman defines as emotional intelligence. Sartain insists (and I wholly agree) that a corporate culture "based on respectful treatment of all the company's employees is essential to the company's long-term success...The most successful companies are the ones that make it their business to help their employees achieve their highest potential and use their gifts and talents most fully." It is no coincidence that on Fortune magazine's annual lists of those companies that are most highly admired, most valuable, and best to work for, several of the same names appear on those lists year after year after year. Presumably each of exemplary company has "fully empowered" HR resources and capabilities.

With regard to Sartain's advice to those already embarked on a career in HR or who are now preparing for one, she focuses on "six essential ingredients of every great HR career" in Chapter 3. She commits a separate chapter to each and they are best revealed within her narrative, in context. Throughout her book Sartain addresses just about every conceivable issue relevant to those "essentials," helping her reader to consider all plausible options and then make decisions appropriate to his or her own talents, experience, goals, and concerns. She also suggests a number of "dos" and "don'ts" based on what she has learned throughout her own career thus far. She seems by nature to be an enthusiast, one who would prefer (as the old bromide states) "to light a candle rather than curse the darkness," but she also reveals an abundance of street smarts.

She is passionately committed to helping HR executives to establish and then sustain a "fully empowered" career, in terms of both personal and professional development, one that is fulfilling and thus satisfying to them but also in terms of how much value they can add, not only to the given organization but also to the personal as well as professional development of those whom they are privileged to serve. I use the phrase "privileged to serve" deliberately and presumably Sartain concurs.

If empowered with sufficient resources (including the support of senior management) and if properly prepared and fully committed, a HR professional who is both competent and compassionate can help to achieve objectives such as these:

1. Continuous recruiting of those who have the talent, experience, and character that may one day be needed

2. Interviewing and hiring procedures that are rigorous, thorough, and cordial so that each candidate is given every opportunity to "shine," of course, but is also treated with utmost respect

3. Orientation that accelerates the process by which each new hire becomes an integral part of the given organization and its culture

4. On-going formal and informal training that develops in participants the leadership and management skills that are needed at every level and in all areas of the given enterprise

5. Performance measurement conducted formally (at least quarterly) and informally (each day) that is based on criteria that are clearly explained, mutually understood, and consistently applied

One of Sartain's key points is that hearts as well as minds must constantly be nourished. In many (too many) organizations, HR professionals have been "so distracted by the need to be taken seriously that [they have] been tempted to jettison any discussion of how [their] personal feelings and principles are factored into the business equation. As a result, the HR profession has been cultivating a reputation that I am tempted to say it often deserves - that of being a single-minded administrator with a big, red, rubber stamp that reads: `No! Against Policy and Procedures!'" Sartain is convinced that in human resources, indeed in all relationships within and beyond the workplace, head and heart should not be mutually exclusive. "That's what it takes to build a great business." In the concluding chapter, "How Do We Get There From Here?," she suggests nine "major points" that must be covered to reach that destination.

Bon voyage!

Those who share my high regard for HR from the Heart are urged to check out The New American Workplace co-authored by James O'Toole, Edward E. Lawler as well as The HR Scorecard: Linking People, Strategy, and Performance co-authored by Brian E. Becker, Mark A. Huselid, and Dave Ulrich. Also, two of Fred Reichheld's books (The Loyalty Effect and Loyalty Rules), David Maister's Practice What You Preach, two of Jac Fitz-enz's books (The 8 Practices of Exceptional Companies: How Great Organizations Make the Most of Their Human Assets and The ROI of Human Capital: Measuring the Economic Value of Employee Performance), Dean R. Spitzer's Transforming Performance Measurement: Rethinking the Way We Measure And Drive Organizational Success, and Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution co-authored by Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Weill, and David Robertson.

I had seen Libby present at a conference and bought her book there. I read the book on the plane ride back and dog eared several pages. It is a good no nonsense book on what HR professionals do. I liked it so much that I purchased a copy for our entire HR department and we used it as a discussion during Business Partner meetings.

The group loved it...you will too.

Writing this book as an HR professional's guide is a tragedy! Part 2 (HR is Your Company's Best Asset) is a truly enlightened guide on people management and should be read by everyone who is in, or who aspires to be in, a leadership position in any organization. Including Part 1, (Your Own Career is Your Best HR Asset), this from her heart advice guide by practitioner Libby Sartain (Southwest Airlines) is not just well written, it is superbly written - the thanks for that may go to Martha Finney; but the thoughts are surely the wisdom of a hands-on expert in people management.

Focusing on Part 2, let's look at a few examples of what Sartain has to say: Hire the Person, Not the Resume - hire for fit; Don't Forget the Stars You Already Have in Your Ranks - promote from within; Start Your High-Potential Employees in Customer Relations - they carry an understanding of customer needs ...throughout their entire career. And, her "Show Them the Money!" and "Using Benefits to Build Relationships" chapters may be the best ever for understanding compensation's role in engagement. But, it gets better; Chapter 32 is titled: Recognition, Rewards, Fun: The Triple Crown of Employee Engagement. I could go on, but you get the picture; this Part 2 of the book contains wisdom for anyone in a management role. The whole book is recommended as a must read for HR professionals, Part 2 is recommended as a must read for managers.

Dennis DeWilde, author of
"The Performance Connection"

HR from the Heart is an amazing guide for HR professionals who genuinely want to serve their companies. Lifetime learnings and analysis of human behavior have been compiled in this book.The book is wholistic and it is a guide for all aspects of the HR function. Today's companies need to have unique recruitment, orientation, learning, developmental and performance systems. Great people attract great people, and great people want to work for great people. Companies mission must be a cause around which everybody is motivated and energised. The companies need to have a differentiating culture and all leaders in the company must promote the culture. All leaders must embrace new attitudes and conduct themselves in new and different ways. The language of communication is important as it give the company it's edge over the competetion. The workplace should be friendly and people must have fun doing their duty.Lastly, HR's job is to serve others and to humanise the work.

I have been involved in the HR field for some 21 years. Like any HR professional, we have a lot of stories to tell. In this book, Libby Sartain has a way of melding her stories with solid HR theory. At times, the book is simple and colloquial but more often than not it weaves its simplicity into a picture of HR I think and practitionaer would want to establish at their workplace.

A lot has been said about HR "at the table" and being a "strategic partner". This book shows how that is accomplished not so much by providing means to that end but by showing how doing what is right and good can get us to that end.

Judging from its Amazon sales rank (88,428 at the time of this writing) the book hasn't made it into too many hands. But don't let that stop you. If you are in HR (or someone who wants to be) this book is essential for giving you the big picture and getting you started on the path to achieving your end.