Resources Books

This book provides great insight to being a successful team member/leader. If you have aspirations of becoming a manager of any sort or even if you are one and are looking to improve, this book is a valuable collection to your bookshelf.

Wachter's book has had a tremendous impact on my business. It uncovers the truth about teamwork. As a result, my teams have grown exponentially more productive. In addition, my staff and I have learned how to better manage and support teams. A must read!

As a recent MBA graduate (and one who's landed a job in this market), I found 8 Lies an excellent source for "real world" examples. Wachter's book is filled with useful anecdotes from his years of business experience. I'd recommend this book to any business school student as an opportunity to learn valuable management techniques that are not often taught in the classroom, nor practiced in countless inefficient organizations. Wachter's insight will open your eyes to a refreshing different perspective not offered by more traditional textbooks - an excellent tool for spurring on discussion in the classroom!

Michael Wachter's book reveals the magic you need to release the full power of teamwork. This book is a "must read" for everyone from Executive Sponsors to each team member who is charged with achieving results. It reveals ways of removing barriers and freeing team members to succeed. These essential concepts need to be shared throughout the organization. Refuse to work on any team if the Executive Sponsor has not read this book!

Wachter's'8 Lies.. is to Teamwork, like Realistic Job Preview (RJP) is to hiring systems, both improve the results for the organization and the participant. This book is written in a clear and accessible format. Mike provides useful operational definitions and case examples that drive home the key points of what makes Teamwork work. While the Lies perspective captures one's attention, the value to the reader resides in the Truths offered as the actionable items to raise the bar of team performance and hold at bay those forces seeking to sabotage team productivity.

Having danced with lip service support for quality circle teams who's' mission was to "pick low hanging fruit" in the early Eighties, I have both spread lies and worked to reverse their legacy. Anyone working in team based business processes will find this a book to make you cry, make you smile, and most importantly, make you question the culture and expectations you hold for your teams. It holds the opportunity to take your efforts up a notch.

Joseph P. Murphy
Principal
Shaker Consulting Group
Business Results, People Solutions

I'm glad I bought this book, it is very informative and it applies to anyone. The web links on the sides of the pages are very useful and can be put to good use. Searching for a job can be daunting and overwhelming, but with the advice and the skills learned in this book you can persevere and be successful. This book is very well thought out and gets right to the point, I would recommend this to anyone who is searching for a job, including skeptical people.

The Internet and Web keep changing, and as [...] Job Search editor since 1998, Alison Doyle knows what is going on and she shares her knowledge in this book. This book is up-to-date and extensive, and Alison's advice is straight-forward and practical (just like her section of About).

The book is an easy read - points and additional resources are highlighted in the outer margins, chapters and sections are clear and logical. It covers everything from "Choosing Career and Job Options" (Chapter 1) through resumes and cover letters to interviews and evaluating offers (Chapter 14) and more.

This is an excellent book!

I am about to leave a career that I've worked at for 38 years. This wonderful book arrived just in time for my second career search. When you only know one job it can be hard to know how to find a new career. I can honestly say that now I have several opportunities that I'm ready to explore. This book offers help and advice for everyone, no matter what their age or work situation. I am going to purchase several copies for my friends, some want to work for the first time, and others would like to start new careers. This is the book for all of us!!! Sandy ( a retired teacher from NJ )

The author expertly integrates a solid print presentation of job search strategies with specific references to helpful online resources which will support job searchers those various phases in the process.

The book is clearly written in simple, jargon free language yet it reflects the sophisticated perspective on an experienced professional in the career devlopment field.

The About.com Guide to Job Searching should be an instant classic in the world of job searching books. What makes the book special is that the writer, Alison Doyle combines her years of experience as a career services professional with current, solid Information Technology knowledge. That's a winning combination for today's job searcher who is Internet savvy and technology-oriented. Unlike some of the long selling job search manuals that seem to have added online job searching as an afterthought, Doyle's book makes online tools, job boards, e-mail, and cell phones an integral part of every aspect of job searching.

I write the Human Resources site at About.com so I have first hand experience of the job searching site which is fully integrated with this job search guidebook. The book really does cover everything you need to know to conduct a successful job search - quickly. And, as an added advantage for the reader, it provides links to all of the rest of the best online resources for job searching.

As an employer, I'd advise job searchers to follow the book's advice. It's on target, demonstrates common sense, and will get your resume and application looked at by potential employers. Written in an engaging style, job search advice is offered with lots of stories from Doyle's years of helping people job search. Doyle's been covering job searching online since 1998 and job searching, in general, for over fifteen years. After reading Doyle's guide, I'd highly recommend it as your one stop guide for job searching.

I bought this book because my little brother decided that he wanted to enter this crazy industry and become an actor. I bought it because it never hurts to have a guide to look back at, plus, maybe there was some info in regards to kids that I already did not know. This is a great book. That only reason I gave it a four is because I did not really learn something new, but then again, I plan on working in the entertainment industry once I graduate so I already know alot in regards to breaking into it. But it is a great book. Also, it's an easy ready. Seriously, I read it in less than 45 minutes (and that's with me watching tv at the same time).

I Have been in show buisness for over 20 years, and my greatest fear has always been parents [paying too muchy for] acting teachers, photograghers and agents. This book will prevent that from happening. And save you many hours of frustration and regret. If your starting out, and even if you've been at it a while, this book is a MUST. Simple and straight forward.

As the mother of a young performer and a producer and performer myself, I am familiar with all the pitfalls, perils and pluses of having a child in "the biz". Lucia has accurately addressed the most important issues and then some. This is a MUST READ for anyone contemplating getting their child started in the business. Run, do not walk and buy this book. This book is easy to understand and covers all the major topics needed to make good decisions. Thank you Lucia it is about time someone wrote this book!!

This great "how to" book provides the information you need to get your children into show business. Clear, succinct information....and forms to walk you through your own experience.

This is a great resource for parents whose kids are eager to tap into their talents. In detailed and nicely organized chapters, it covers everything from how to deal with your child's aspirations and dreams in the business world to how to find and deal with representation. It's comprehensive, easy to follow and most importantly, stresses the "fun" factor for kids. Stage moms beware! This is a MUST READ for every parent with a future star in the family or a very expressive child.

What I love the most about Jeff Wilhelm's reading strategy books is that I always come away with ideas I can use the next day in the classroom. This book has ideas you can use in the classroom on EVERY page. Teachers, myself included, don't have all the time in the world and can't read all the articles and books on new research that we wish we could. But make the time to read this one. It is worth every minute!

This book arrived in excellent condition. It arrived much better than I thought it would. Thank you so much.

I have not found a better book to help students really get into literure and LOVE IT!!!

It is exciting, informative, and has great ideas for teaching literature!

Wilhelm's book, Action Strategies for Deepening Comprehension is one of the most valuable teaching resources I own. I've had phenomenal success with the hotseating and tableaux activities, only two of the terrific resources in this great book. Kids of all ages love hotseating in particular because it's so much fun. In a nutshell: one kid gets in front of the room (I drape a piece of red fabric across the stool) and "becomes" the character. He/She may have a "helper" of their choosing by their side. The rest of the class are "reporters" who ask the character any question they choose. The student in the hotseat may confer with his "helper" in order to answer as the character would...and therein lies the beauty of this. As the questions and answers unfold, everybody is thinking and when an answer doesn't ring true, the majority
will know it and question it.

We've done this with multiple characters as well as the "author." The questions are nearly always completely authentic; as kids, most would feel stupid speculating about motive, etc., and asking questions, but as
"reporters" it feels completely natural. I love to see the light bulbs go in everybody's head when new ideas--synthesis!--occurs.

One of my best hot-seating moments was after reading "The Gift of the Magi," a difficult work for my 8th graders. We'd hotseated the two main characters as well as O. Henry, and it was the question to O. Henry that did it. A girl who had a real problem with making inferences asked him why he'd written the lines about Della being afraid that her new short hair made her look like a Coney Island chorus girl. My student, Tony, clearly had paid no attention whatsoever to that description--in fact I was surprised that anyone had-- and he really had to think. Finally, he answered, saying, "I wanted Della to be a little bit afraid that maybe she didn't look like a (and he stressed thsi)nice girl."

The book also offers a number of other "action" activities that you can use. For my money, these are terrific
for any age! I encourage you to check this out. I also had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Wilhelm present his research and findings on his new book, Going with the Flow, and I was wowed to hear him in person as well.

I took a workshop with Wilhelm this summer. He demonstrated these techniques and I quickly bought the book.
This book has revolutionized my teaching and I am going back to school this year incredibly excited about using it in my classroom. I teach kids that struggle and this is going to be great for them.

Wilhelm is a dynamic speaker. If you can, snag him for your school's professional development or run to any workshop he is giving.

Enjoy!

We really need more children's books like this one. A truly inspiring and captivating story with a wonderful message! It nearly made me cry the first time through, it was that beautiful! A treasure!

I purchased Aunt Gussie and Grandfather Tree to share with my grandchildren though it's an excellent story for all ages. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and the message that we CAN make a difference is uplifting and inspiring.
I look forward to more books from this talented author.

I have had this book for over a year. I enjoy reading it to my nieces and nephews and re reading it myself and to my children. this book beautifully illustrates and describes the importance of tradition, environmental preservation and the value of story telling. I highly recommend Aunt Gussie and the Grandfather Tree for all ages!

This is a wonderful book for folks of all ages! It provides a great opportunity to teach children (and perhaps adults) about the importance of community involvment and multiculturalism. Best of all, it is based on a true story of a beautiful woman who has a dream to make a difference. In this day of cynismn, it is important to pass on to our children the message that they can make a difference!
Kudos to the author!

Kay Brown Gustafson's book Aunt Gussie and Grandfather Tree is based on the true story of a 150-year-old tree (named Grandfather) in Eagan, Minnesota that had to be moved in order to save it when the city decided to build the community center where it stood.

Aunt Gussie wasn't so busy anymore and she could do whatever she wanted. One day she bakes, on another she takes care of her niece, Gloria, then she waters her plants, paints her toenails orange or maybe goes to bed early to have time for her dreams.

One night Aunt Gussie had a dream that directed her, along with encouragement from her niece, Gloria, to save Grandfather Tree. With help from the community and the powerful spirit of Chief Wambdi Tanka (who protects the trees), Aunt Gussie and the community saves the old tree from being cut down.

Brown's true story is delightful. It shows the power of cooperation and emphasizes the importance of nature in our lives. The watercolor illustrations greatly contribute to the story.

Armchair Interviews says: Aunt Gussie and Grandfather Tree is an inspiring story for all who are interested in the environment.

Hi, when I heard about this book, I said I worked so hard with parenting links on my online Baby to Toddler store, when this book would be also a great resource too. Every new parent should have it by their computer-side! The thing is, new parenting sites happen all the time, so don't be complacent, buy the Next Addition(s) too, if you can*! or visit regularly the Publisher's website to see the New sites to be Listed in the next addition!
* My experience it sells pretty quickly! ...

If you have a baby, or need to purchase baby items, or need information about babies, then this is the RESOURCE to get it from. Gretchen Nalley has carefully placed all the websites that pretains to babies, from baby gifts, to parenting to care of baby and everything in between. A quick reference guide to take you to where you need to be without having to search and search. Thank you Gretchen for a job well-done!

I am one of the unfortunate ones who had their kids too early for this book, if only it had been around when they were younger. But that hasn't stopped me from buying this book - I have given it as gifts! The time saved in not having to search the web for the websites & information that is in this book is invaluable for parents that already find their time at a minimun with the demands of a new baby.

This is a must have!

Never has a book been more useful! This directory is a parent's dream. Have you ever looked up "baby" in the yellow pages? There sure isn't much there. My only regret after buying The Baby Web is that it wasn't available with my first two kids! I love it, and the pictures are adorable! No new parent should be without The Baby Web (I keep mine in my purse!).

Everyone knows that the Internet is a great resource for information and a great alternative to traditional catalog shopping. Unfortunately, weeding through literally millions of sites can be both time-consuming and frustrating. Since time is a precious commodity when you have young children, getting someone else to do the weeding is a welcome shortcut, and that is what this book delivers. Think of this book as the yellow pages for baby websites.  The 1,200 sites are listed by category and also in an alphabetical index. Categories include: Announcements, Baby Care Products, Baby Gear, Baby Names, Bedding & Furniture, Clothing, Food & Feeding Supplies, Gifts and Gift Baskets, Health & Safety, Parenting Advice, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding, and Toys. Many of my favorite sites were listed, and some new ones that I have since bookmarked.  This book is a great starting point for a new parent or someone new to the web, but it is also a good resource for anyone interested in finding new websites for parenting tips and products on the Internet.  There are a couple of sites that I probably would not have included if I were making a list since they offered only one or two items or were intended for dealers rather than consumers, but out of 1,200 sites that's a pretty good track record.  You will need access to the World Wide Web and a basic understanding of navigating the web to get the full benefit of the book, although many of the sites listed also include a customer service phone number.  --Reviewed by Teresa Burgess

Mr. Ward's book is pleasantly free of theory and psychobabble and, instead, provides sound, practical guidance for dealing with the challenging people and situations that often trip us up. The "tools" section is especially helpful in providing specific solutions to a well-selected range of issues. Kudos to Mr. Ward for giving us what we need most -- practical tools for all levels of employees.

This book was great! Practical applications for problems all of us in business encounter on a regular basis. I would recommend this book to every manager as a guide to handling those bad behaviors, problem people and sticky situations which, if you haven't had to deal with, you most certainly will. The case studies will be a great source of training for the rookies in my company and I think every training department should look at this as a 'basic' text for new supervisors and managers! Great book and great information.

This book provides managers with excellent, clear advice that is useful when seeking to remedy staff-related issues. A basic premise of this book is the application of workable solutions that ensure the on-going success of both managers and staff alike. The earlier sections address the basic principles of staff management and leadership while the latter sections provide case studies that are pragmatic, relevant, and readily applicable. The index is well constructed readily guiding the reader to those sections that are most pertinent for resolving specific issues. The material reads well and is logically presented. Gregg's writing style is energetic, candid, and to the point. I recommend this book to all who lead and manage staff.

This book provides managers with excellent, clear advice that is useful when seeking to remedy staff issues. A basic premise of this book is the application of workable solutions that ensure the on-going success of both managers and staff alike. The earlier sections address the basic principles of staff management and leadership while the latter sections provide case studies that are pragmatic, relevant, and readily applicable. The material reads well and is logically presented. Gregg's writing style is energetic, candid, and to the point. Finally, the index is well constructed to guide the reader to those sections that are most pertinent for resolving specific issues. I recommend this book to all who lead or manage staff.

A valuable read for all employees. An opportunity to target your communication shortcomings in the workplace and respond at a higher level for more satisfying results.

I am a reader on the tail end of the boomer generation, yet I found the information provided in the book very helpful in assisting me when trying to place my grandmother in a nursing home. It guided me through the process as well as helping me to understand what she might be experiencing both mentally and physically. I completed the Crisis Information Checklist provided in the book in order to get my affairs in order. I also checked out the author's website and found it to be most useful! I applaud the authors for creating such a valuable reference guide both in text and online!

Highly readable with copious references to useful websites. The authors have cut through the chaff by prefacing topics with condensed but substantive overviews. Overall, I found the book to be a good practical resource. A good read.

I have relied on WHAT TO EXPECT DURING PREGNANCY, WHAT TO EXPECT DURING THE FIRST YEAR, and now there is a book to tell us what to expect for every year after that! Great resource. A must for your home library.

I have spent countless hours worrying about my aging parents and what the future holds for all of us. This publication has given me answers to many questions and explained where to go for additional information. It also hit upon areas that I had never considered before. I want to thank the authors for providing such a valuable resource. The Boomer Basic crisis information checklist is great.

Great book. Very useful tool. The book really talks to the issues I face today. A must for the library. The website and the website references really make for a complete one stop for issues facing my generation.

"Breakfast of Biodiversity" by John Vandermeer and Ivette Perfecto is a critical analysis of the myriad forces that are driving the destruction of the world's tropical rain forests, with particular emphasis on Central America where the authors have been engaged for many years of hands-on research and field work. The authors write in this, the 2005 second edition about the important insights and lessons that have been learned since the book's first edition published in 1995. Presenting knowledge gained through both scholarly research and their own practical experiences, the authors help us understand that narrowly-focused solutions to solving environmental problems will inevitably come up wanting in the absence of wider, more meaningful socio-political changes. The result is a sobering but ultimately empowering text that allows us to better understand both the challenge and the promise of saving the earth's remaining rain forests.

The authors explain how rain forests are neither fragile nor stable, discussing how rain forests can recover relatively quickly from short-term disruptions such as clear-cut logging operations but can suffer long-lasting damage from industrial agriculture and, of course, urbanization. We come to appreciate the wide variety of rain forest types as well as their common characteristics, shedding light on how humans might be able to make better strategic use of the land and live in harmony with the rain forest.

The idea that managing land under cultivation in a sustainable and socially equitable manner appears to be a surprisingly effective proposal when compared with the oftentimes ineffective method of land conservation that has often been favored by mainstream environmental groups. In fact, the authors compare the fate of rain forest lands over time to make their point: in Nicaragua, more rain forest had been saved as a result of the progressive land redistribution policies of the Sandinista government that in Costa Rica, where market forces have compelled the poor to convert so-called protected areas of the rain forest to farmland. Unfortunately, when the Sandinistas lost power in the 1990s, the neoliberal policies favored by the succeeding administration quickly unraveled these gains and resulted once again in an accelerated loss of rain forest lands.

However, the authors are hopeful that the anti-globalization movement can help to unravel the dense web that connects international capital with third world indebtedness, arguing that if inequality can be minimized then the poverty that drives desperate people into the rain forest can be curtailed. Therefore, the authors hope that their book will compel environmentalists to unite with social and political activists in an united effort to call for meaningful change in the world economic system. While this may be a tall order, the penetrating analysis contained in this exceptional book suggests that such a strategy is the only credible solution to solving one of humankind's most formidable problems.

I highly recommend this accessible, informative and enlightening book to everyone.

Wonderfully researched, if sometimes dryly written. If you like this book, then you'll likely find something interesting in the coffee-table book, Costa Rica: The Last Country the Gods Made.

The essays, " New Conservation in the Costa Rican Parks System" and "House Made of Rain" touch on many of the things discussed in Vandermeer's text.

A slim volume that pack a punch.It highlights the global nature of the problem, stressing that rainforests can and indeed do regenerate, but not if the disturbance is too great.
Food insecurity and lack of land tenure are cited as important driving forces, and conventional, purist models of conservation, while satisfying the hopes and desires of lobbies in the wealthy developed world, fail to address the human dilammas that are so important.
A 'Political Ecological Strategy' if offered as a solution that takes heed of all the strands of the 'web of destruction' both in a local and a global context, and although not suggesting that the future is 'rosy', it does offer a glimmer of hope.
A book to be thoroughly recommended to all those who are interested in the future of the rainforest, its people and the planet.An excellent read.

As a professional in the environmental area in Central America, I applaud Vandermeer and Perfecto's explanations of the workings of man in the humid tropical forests of our region. These are not easy issues, yet they manage to leave the reader with a sense of the urgency without oversimplifying or becoming preachy. This book is best for someone who is really interested in the political ramifications of US policy in the tropics, or for someone interested in working in the environment overseas.

I was drawn to this book because of the foreword by Vandana Shiva. I kept reading it. It does a good job of looking at several of the different variables causing rain forest destruction and keys in on land and food as major factors. Clear and easily read. Not to long or overly verbose.

This information-dense book will give you an important start on dealing with any security issue likely to arise in your business. Had a mugging in your parking lot? Here's how to make your employees and customers safer. Had a customer skip out on a large debt? This is where to go and what to do to get your money back. Want to do a background check on someone? Look here and find out how.

I have been dealing with keeping my companies' employees and funds safe for decades. I still learned a quite a bit from this book, and will be keeping it handy for future reference. Buy it. Read it. Apply it. If even one technique is needed, you will have more than repaid your time, money and effort.

Having been in the pool business for 25 years, I know how busy and hectic daily routines can be. Reading a book is the last thing I have time to do. Business Security is loaded with great subjects that I can look up and read only a few pages to learn what I need to know. I feel safer with the knowledge I've collected from the many different articles offered in this realistic, post 9-11 based book. I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether business related or not, to use as a "security dictionary" whenever the need arises.

As a security consultant and author, I found this to be a great reference that I refer to again and again. This is a great read for both large and small business owners who understand their responsibilities in a post 9/11 world. Nice Job!! Robert Siciliano

The scenarios in this book are very helpful in protecting yourself from a lot of grief. Things you don't ordinarily think about is pointed out to alert you of potential safety risk. It my be titled Business Security, but some of the safety measures can be taken for the individual and ordinary person. The book is an interesting book to read and entertaining. Some items are even good for group discussions. I gave it 5 stars because the book is easy to read and there is useful informantion in it for everyone whether you own a business or not.

This book can be regarded as a very useful manual for business
persons, especially also working international about avoiding
problems in their daily activities, also using modern media,
incl. the Internet.
M. Enchelmaier