Resources Books

Hello everybody.I think this book is very good because it's pretty cool and the author did a good job writing this book.This book is about Nat and her bike.Nat and the gang were riding a trail and a tree fell over and Nat got hurt.It was pretty cool in the middle.You got to read the book to find out the whole story!

this was one of the best books in the 8 book seires i really liked it because it had a very hard mystery to try to solve and when they would describe when they where riding the trails was reall tight (i think that is one of the things that laban does best) but i think there are two better books in this series those are the first book deep powder deep trouble and the last book in the series total whiteout but this was one of my favorites.

Hello everybody.I think this book is very good because it's pretty cool and the author did a good job writing this book.This book is about Nat and her bike.Nat and the gang were riding a trail and a tree fell over and Nat got hurt.It was pretty cool in the middle.You got to read the book to find out the whole story!

this book was a action and adventure that was fun to read

Contrary to what the recent University of Chicago found about clergy satisfaction being so unrealistically high, this book tells the real truth of how clergy are doing and what to do about it.

Crushed is the kind of book you don't enjoy reading, because it hits home and brings out the realities of things pastor have to go through. Gary has done an excellent job sharing experiences and heartaches, and even gives solutions to the problems.

Every church leader should read this book, from pastors, deacons, elders to the layman sitting in the pew!

Dr. Pinion's experiences and research come through in his book. He has pinpointed significant reasons why pastors leave the ministry. An especially good read for the lay leader in the church

Crushed is a book about pastors of American churches in this generation. It is filled with stunning statistics and heart wrenching stories. The author is a seasoned veteran of pastoral ministry for three decades and is now the founder/president of a ministry to people in ministry called, Encouragement Dynamics.

The prime directive of Encouragement Dynamics comes from the heart of a pastor and his wife who love other pastors and their wives now laboring in God's harvest. Gary and Georgia Pinion have dedicated themselves to care for the shepherds and their families of today's churches.

The heart of the book is wrapped around the experiences of pastors interviewed by the author who have been "crushed" by cruel circumstances and unrealized expectations. Citing from no less than three dozen published sources and from numerous personal accounts derived from correspondence, Dr. Pinion takes the reader into a quiet corner of silent sorrows and private pain. It is no wonder that he has picked up the cause to expose the crisis and encourage the survivors. It is not an easy journey to serve with a calling from on high but most are unaware of the losses incurred in the pastoral ministry until books like this confront those issues.

I think you should read The Cut-Ups by James Marshall because when Mary Frances puts them in Mr. Spurgle's yard and Mr. Spurgle gets mad at them and they try to run away, but Mr. Spurgle's battery died down so they got away. I am in 2nd grade.

because they are really funny and silly. They do silly things. My favorite part of the book was when Mr. Spurgle was the principal again. I am a 2nd grader.

I think you should read The Cut-Ups by James Marshall because it's a good book for me and it's funny, too. I like the book a lot. When they're being so funny because of that girl in the car, that's the best part of all for me. I am a 2nd grader.

The Cut Ups is one of the best children's books that I've ever read. It has a moral, but it is not heavy handed. It's something that my kids and I have read repeatedly - laughing every time.

Dr, Mccorry offers a very foundational insight in this wonderful book: People of faith often look to their Church as a rock in times of change. But, what happens when their Church, their rock, changes? An easy read, Dancing with Change invites one to pause, reflect and pray with its many provoking questions and thoughts. Whether it is personal, familial, workplace or Church changes, Dancing with Change is, no doubt, an invaluable resource and practical guide for times of change.

With 39 years of priestly ministry, "change" has been my "constant" experience as a leader within the church. Yet, while reading Dr. Richard Mc Corry's new book, "Dancing With Change - A Spiritual Response to Change in the Church," I still found personal nurture, additional insight, and new respect for the power of change in our experience as believers.
The imaginative title, "Dancing with Change," invites the reader to explore and embrace an engaging, personal response to inevitable change, which can be chosen to enhance life and relationships. The author explains a practical process accessable to any adult to facilitate such a choice. I highly recommend the book to all adults who experience inner struggle when confronted with change in their church.

The opening chapter contains this very nicely-turned analogy, which sums up the concept of the book perfectly: "What is it about the nature of change - including change in the Church - that causes us almost instinctively to rebel against it, to insist on marching or standing still when, in fact, we are invited to dance?"

It sets the stage for what is to come, and is a strong way to begin. (It's also nice to see that the author is comfortable enough in his subject to even quote Buddha as part of his narrative! That alone shows that the author is open to positive change.)

The opening chapter and the narrative flow in a perfectly organized fashion until the strong and upbeat conclusion. Readers will find the subject of change discussed from a variety of viewpoints, which all add up to a cogent argument that has the potential of changing lives-both of church leaders and of those people they serve.

It's all done in an even-handed way, so there should be no one who feels under attack for being uncomfortable with change. Instead, the positive approach may help some of those folks consider taking a few tentative steps toward embracing the inevitable changes in the church-and in society as a whole.

The organization of the book makes perfect sense, with the focus always being on various aspects of change, and coming at the subject from a variety of viewpoints, which makes for an interesting read and should prove especially intriguing for the target audience, within the Roman Catholic Church itself.

The chapter headings are catchy and descriptive enough to offer meaningful clues as to what each chapter will discuss, which is nice, since it's possible that readers will want to refer back to specific sections after the first read through.

There is an impressive array of additional materials and supporting documentation in this work, all of which service to back up the author's contentions, chapter and verse, throughout the manuscript. The arguments are always supported by authentication, and the Bibliography itself comprises more than 10% of the book's pages, which demonstrates the remarkable amount of thought and research that was put into the book.

Yet the text itself isn't ponderous and scholarly, which will make it more accessible to a greater number of potential readers-those who would have been turned off by a drier type of approach. This more readable style doesn't mean that the research is slipshod, however. The book is filled with bible verse information, footnotes, and the amazing information at the end of the book, for those who want to delve even more deeply into the subject matter.

The subject itself-change-is, of course, both timeless and timely, but with the changes that are swirling around the church, and especially the Roman Catholic Church, this book is quite timely, indeed, and may fill a need for many readers who are trying to get a handle on those changes.

The Conclusion is equally strong, perfectly summarizing the material, yet offering positive encouragement, even for those readers who have been gritting their teeth throughout the manuscript, but were brave enough to stick it out to the end. It's meaningful, positive, enlightening, and satisfying, offering a genuine sense of both closure and hope for the reader.

All in all, this is a strong effort, filled with rock-solid research, presented in a positive, loving way, which should enjoy significant appeal to its audience, and the author is to be congratulated on a worthwhile effort., summed up in the final sentences: "Change and transitions in the Church offer us much. They offer us the possibility of building up the perfect body of Christ right here on earth; dancing our way gracefully and joyfully into a future filled with exciting change, bringing us ever closer to the kingdom of God."

Dr. Richard J. McCorry in DANCING WITH CHANGE, A Spiritual Response to Change in the Church, invites readers to transform change from a dragon that must be slain, into a dance partner to be embrace. The embrace of change that is discussed and tools provided encourage the persons going through change in the church to understand the dynamics of change, to recognize normal/healthy responses to change; and to make the choice to dance with change, rather than view change as a force to battle.

DANCING WITH CHANGE, is a refreshing, transformative, approach to responding to the reality to change in the church. The insights offered and the "LEAP of Faith" spiritual approach to change, which is outlined in the book, is sure to keep readers from getting their toes step on as they "dance with change."

I am a youth pastor and decided to use this book as the basis for the girls portion of a Disciple Now weekend. The results are fantastic! We now have ladies desiring to use this book for ongoing girls discipleship.

It seems that Ava Sturgeon has put into practical words what all ladies, young and old, want to know for themselves.

This Bible study is a wonderful gift for teenaged girls. I've given several to friends' daughters and to the babysitter of my children. I have a copy for my six-year-old daughter for when she becomes a teen. I've read the book and would highly recommend A Daughter's Worth.

I did this Bible study last year, my senior year in high school. This study has a lot of amazing things to say about what we go through as a teenage girl. It really helps that the author was a high school teacher so she really knows what is going on in current teenage lives. This book is very encouraging and it is not so overwhelming that you feel like you don't have time for it. I highly recommend this book!

I am currently leading a girl's Bible study using this book with girls aged 13-18. They are loving it and are providing me with 100% participation! The book is written in such a way that the girls are challenged to think about the relevant topics and are encouraged to write down their thoughts. It is a great tool to spur discussions and is helpful in pointing girls to scriptures for dealing with real life situations that are important in this generation. It is fabulous and I recommend it for any teenaged girl.

This book, "Dawn After Dark," is a discussion between an acclaimed French art critic, writer and expert on French painting, René Huyghe, a member of the Académie Français, and an international Buddhist leader, Daisaku Ikeda. The dialogue aims at gaining an overall perspective on humanity's current predicaments and the reforms needed to move forward and avert disaster.

To paraphrase Huyghe's introduction, never before has humanity had to face problems on so vast a scale as those confronting us today. Until recent times, human groups had no interest in knowing anything but their own needs, customs and beliefs. Rejecting or ignoring the beliefs of others, they attempted to enforce their own set of values wherever they went. Today, a more universal awareness is emerging. Humanity has come to realize that it is essential to examine the characteristics, causes and effects of current problems and to establish reforms to avert them.

In this book, Huyghe and Ikeda bring together and compare ways of thought from opposite sides of the world, France and Japan. Through an objective comparison of traditions, cultures, and religions from East and West, they provide us with a global view of problems at hand.

Their discussion is divided into five parts. In the first, the nature of the varous dilemma we confront is exposed and shown to be first and foremost a moral crisis. The second part points to its historical roots, and the third investigates the changes that humanity is now undergoing, the social tasks before us and what is needed from within ourselves to build a new, more peaceful society.

The fourth part turns to solutions - the key to harmony in life and the means to reform the inner lives of human beings. Part five discusses major resources for peace that are uniquely human, art and religion, which are linked by a sense of the sacred. With their distinct but complementary viewpoints, Huyghe and Ikeda take different paths that eventually converge to illuminate the increasingly complex world in which we live with clarity and profound optimism.

Tina Turner is the reason I found this book, and all others by Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International. After hearing Tina Turner speak about her Buddhist practice in interviews, and hearing her give credit to Buddhism for her happiness and in life, I decided to look further into it myself.

Tina mentioned Daisaku Ikeda as the person who brought Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, the practice of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, to America. This is the Buddhist practice to which Tina attributes her spiritual fulfillment and strength. Thanks to Tina's explanations, I was able to locate the Soka Gakkai International and from there I discovered many profound, inspirational and educational writings by Daisaku Ikeda. This book is just one of Mr. Ikeda's many contributions to further the understanding of Buddhist principles and their application in every day life.

I highly recommend that anyone interested in the Buddhist practice of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo read the writings of Daisaku Ikeda to learn more about Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.

In this book, Rene Huyghe, writer of dozens of books on Art, Art History and Collections, one of Europe's great intellectual masters of the Art World, meets with Daisaku Ikeda, writer of dozens of books on philosophy and Buddhism, one of the world's great Buddhist leaders.

Throught their exchanges, we learn not only about each man and his fields of expertise, but about the wisdom each has gained by their keen observations of life itself - through their fields of expertise, and well as their incredibly rich and diverse sets of experiences. Both men have lived through the untold horrors of war, both know that Art and Culture holds keys to leading humanity toward a new "Dawn After Dark."

In this book, Rene Huyghe, writer of dozens of books on Art, Art History and Collections, one of Europe's great intellectual masters of the Art World, meets with Daisaku Ikeda, writer of dozens of books on philosophy and Buddhism, one of the world's great Buddhist leaders. Throught their exchanges, we learn not only about each man and his fields of expertise, but about the wisdom each has gained by their keen observations of life itself - through their fields of expertise, and well as their incredibly rich and diverse sets of experiences. Both men have lived through the untold horrors of war, both know that Art and Culture holds keys to leading humanity toward a new "Dawn After Dark."

Minister Redd has done a superb job breaking down a subject that is not often taught or preached in our churches. This book is filled with the Word of God and it will allow you to search the Scriptures for yourself. It is imperative that leaders and layman alike get this book and read it personnally and then use it to glean information that can be taught in small or large groups. Well done!

This book will change your life forever. For new revelation knowledge it's a must read.

This book is very informing. It may be used a great tool for bible study and discussion. It has plenty of scripture to support the statements of the author, which is GREAT because it keeps you in God's Word. Unlike other books of this genre, it is less opinionated but presents the truth in an interesting manner. A MUST READ!!

If you are looking for a book that will provide you with nothing but the truth, then this is the one. There are a lot of books out there written by many people that are good, but this is one written by someone on the ground (so to speak). Min. Redd is a true man of God who holds nothing back when it comes to what thus sayeth the Lord.

I like the book because it isn't written in the typical format of spoon feeding you the material, in his book he provides you with the scriptual emphasis, giving you the referrence so you can open up the Word of God and see it for yourself.

Yes, Robert Finch writes with an intensity that comes with his passion for his life on the Cape Cod peninsula. But many of these essays describe creatures and natural phenomena that take place in other locales as well -- it's just that we're too busy or too apathetic to observe them. He sees. And then he tells us about his encounters, just as easily as if we're sitting across the table from him at a casual eatery.

My favorite passage is beach-oriented and describes a old cottage being overcome by natural forces: "Sand sifts slowly, like age, over everything, softening, obscuring, and finally obliterating each distinct thing into a semblance of itself and the next thing. In this sense, sand is the ultimate progressive poet, whispering, 'This chair is like this table, is like this bed, is like this sink -- and each thing is, more and more, like all the others, until finally they are all -- like me'." (p. 153) Of course! Why didn't any of the rest of us think to say or write that?

Save this volume for a time in your life when you need the peace of Nature to drape itself over you and slow down your blood pressure. These stories are worth savoring. Then go out and "see" for yourself.

Robert Finch's words not only portray the flora and fauna and geography of Cape Cod, he shows the reader what the Cape really is. Those of us who've only visited during the season and thought we "knew" the place should be ashamed. Mr. Finch is a part of the Cape, and the Cape is a part of him, and this reader can only stare in wonder at the majesty and beauty of the world he describes.

What a remarkable year this has been for writing about nature in New England. First the dazzling debut Bullough's Pond, now this thoughtful collection of essays. Can't wait to see what the fall lists have in store.

This is Robert Finch's finest work yet. His rich, visual observations of everyday nature enlighten and entertain us--- from the tiniest observation of a spider's web to the adventure of saving beached whales off the seashore. Each piece shows the how nature can connect to our often busy, technical lives and how we can not and should not ever try to break that connection.

This engaging and practical book can serve as a guide not only for trainers, but also for consultants and vendors who may lack the organizational savvy needed to navigate complex organizations. The author's emphasis on easing the entry process, building a partnership, soliciting ongoing feedback, and developing a clear evaluation plan provides a very useful framework for ongoing collaboration. The section on how to conduct interviews with potential consultants and vendors fills an important need in the field, and will undoubtedly help both trainers and contractors assess the potential for their work together and develop more meaningful and effective contracts over time.

This comprehensive handbook on outsourcing offers important prinicples and practical advice and includes a full toolkit of worksheets, checklists and charts. There is plenty of contextual background material and insightful vignettes to illustrate key ideas. The book is well organized and easy to read and follow. It is a valuable professional development resource to anyone in the training field -- novice and experienced alike.

Because of the title, Demystifying Outsourcing, I incorrectly assumed that this was a book narrowly targeted to Corporate Training Directors who are replacing in-house staff with contractors. In actuality, this book is about high level collaboration in the increasingly virtual world of business. It is equally about the art of exercising influence both internally and externally, without over-reliance on power associated with purchasing clout.

The book is logically structured so that it is both an easy read as well as a ready resource book. The author has included short, compelling case studies to illustrate her points, and the book is loaded with sample forms, checklists, and exercises such that it is a packed toolkit. As an author, Friedman shows her true colors as training professional. She ends each chapter with a review of key concepts and then encourages reflection and application through a series of prompting questions.

This book should be required reading for any professional in the HR Development industry, whether on the client or consulting side. My OD consulting career has spanned 15 years with numerous Fortune 500 companies. As I reflect on those select few client relationships where my contributions were most highly utilized, and I was most invested in my client's success, it was because of the collaborative partnership that I was able to cultivate with the client. Friedman clearly defines all aspects of such client-consulting relationships in a way that is clear and actionable. If I ever end up teaching a graduate program in HR Development, I will build around two books: Friedman's Outsourcing and Block's Flawless Consulting.

Whether you're a new Training Director - or a salty, experienced pro doesn't really matter. This is a "must have" in every Training Director's library. It clearly documents step-by-step processes associated with identifying, interviewing, contracting, and building outsource relationships. Great worksheets, thoughtful and detailed checklists - everything you need. Eliminates overlooking important details. The CD-ROM enables you to create your own tables and spreadsheets - great time saver!

This book is designed and written for higher education institutions which are considering or are engaged in distance education as a new education communications channel. The book's greatest strength is that it contains perspectives from many different individuals who are actively involved in distance education. The topics cover many different areas such as: defining distance education, implications for higher education, attraction of online distance education, future of distance education, faculty perceptions of distance education, teaching effectiveness, strategies for success, service providers for distance education, quality assurance issues, success factors, and many others.

Those in higher education will often adopt a new technology without fully investigating the potential and cost of the technology. This book has an excellent section on the benefits and disadvantages of using distance education. It is noted that distance education is not a panacea but it is another useful technology that can be used to enhance learning and meet needs of students who are not able to attend a traditional class-learning environment.

The reader was very impressed by the excellent end of chapter references. This will allow anyone who desires to investigate more fully the issues raised in the book to do so. The chapters dealing with various distance education delivery models and implementation will be useful to those who wish to move forward with this technology in their organization.

The reader highly recommends that those interested in distant education take the time to read this book before they embark on distance education. The book will help to minimize "re-inventing the wheel" and thus save time, money and effort.

This book provides an outstanding range of ideas, research, and insights into distance learning programs. The book is enlightening about how to improve distance teaching and learning, the design of these programs, their successes and failures, and how they are impacting institutions of higher education,

This is a great book for anyone considering setting up a distance learning program. The authors are even-handed in their treatment of issues that must be dealt with and provide practical advice for implementing a distance learning program.

The eyes of University Presidents and Vice-Chancellors all around the world light up as they think of those hundreds of millions of potential students out there, just waiting to pay money to study at their Universities - "If just 1% of them came here.... $$$$!!! Information Technology via the Internet and on-line delivery of our courses - will that provide the answer?" As Universities (and other educational institutions) rush to establish a presence in the "virtual" education market, often building Internet classrooms that in many cases resemble the "Field of Dreams" model - "build it and they will come" (they don't, and won't, of course) this book is a welcome steadying contribution.

Let me declare an interest before going any further - I am the author of a chapter in this book. That said, the book provides a serious collection of research articles aimed at making some early sense out of this fast-growing area. It is important to remember it is early days yet and much of the research conducted to date, and the practice, is preliminary - a problem compounded by the rapidly changing technology.

While most of the chapters in the book paint a generally optimistic picture, there are many problems, pitfalls and dilemmas identified. These range from restrictions and difficulties involved in state financing of education, through the difficulty of authenticating student work and testing of students, technological limitations, special dedication and skill attributes required in students, the suitability of some courses to remote delivery, to library strategies. This suggests that at least in the eyes of these practitioners (and most of them are) it will be far from plain sailing. Somebody needs to tell those Presidents!

There are several chapters that provide guidance in (very early) "best practice" and these present a useful if somewhat disjointed guide for those considering running such courses. Perhaps a future work could attempt to establish a "best practice" manual, although as the courses come to conform to a standard blueprint the competitive edge will blur.

For academics the book identifies many areas for additional research. These include further work in the potential take up of on-line education by both students and Universities, the influence of the isolation effect, measurement of learning achievements, and interaction of students with the technology.

Overall the book offers a very good collection of experience and research. There is much more work to be done and many more experiences to be had. Uninversity management (and many academics ) will push to move ahead - there could be a lot of fallout, but in the end is it just possible this could be the University of the future? For a small percentage of students - maybe.