Resources Books

This is an incredible book. The author articulates the dynamic of abuse in the most understandable language. Helpful to victims, as well as professionals.

"APPLICABLE TO BOTH JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES. The coping strategies and intervention techniques that are outlined provide guidance in pinpointing the sickness at its source and restoring felicity and order to religious leadership and the community."

Reviewd by: Adolescence

"Dr. Benyei's perspective expands the conceptualization of clergy sexual misconduct beyond the individual . . . to an occurrence within a community that is affected by a wide range of community issues and dynamics. . . . AN UNFLINCHING LOOK AT A TOPIC THAT IS CONTROVERSIAL AND PAINFUL. Highly recommended reading for both clergy and laity."

Reviewed by: Christine A. Courtois, PhD, Author, Healing the Incest Wound: Adult Survivors in Therapy and Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse; Clinical Director, The CENTER Posttraumatic Disorders Program, The Psychiatric Institute of Washington, Washington, DC

For the last decade or more an item often landing in the news has been the misconduct and abusiveness of clergy. In the late eighties this often had to with scandals surrounding TV evangelists, but lately much attention has been focused on the sexual abuse scandal within the Catholic Church. However, clergy abuse and misconduct have no boundaries as far as denominations, and unfortunately there does not seem to be a denomination yet with a good track record for dealing openly and truthfully when these things occur. The web site "Pokrov" for Orthodox victims of clergy abuse and misconduct stated:
"Over the last three years we have received several copies of letters our readers have sent to their churches to tell about their abuse -- letters that never received any response from the hierarchs. Some of our readers have even met with bishops in person. Many of our readers find that their letters and pleas to authorities come to a dead end because the bishop or hierarchs ignores them or discredits them. They end up feeling even worse than they did before. These stories have prompted us to write the Pokrov guidelines which are from a victims' perspective." This web site warns victims not to go alone to their church authorities to report abuse. This is disheartening to say the least.
A significant book that addresses the issue of clergy abuse and misconduct is Understanding Clergy Misconduct in Religious Systems: Scapegoating, Family Secrets, and the Abuse of Power by Candace R. Benyei, PhD. This vital book demythologized spiritual leaders and helps the reader to see the negative effects of placing them on a pedestal. It is an incisive look at the outrage of abuse from the perspective of victim, perpetrator and counselor.
In most churches and religious systems when abuse or misconduct occurs, it is generally covered-up and kept silent. Though there may seem to be good reasons to do this, Benyei documents how this secret keeping is destructive to the victim(s) and the congregation, whether they know it or not: "The keeping of the secret produces more pain to more people than the original insult itself"(Pg 104).
"The secret may be closely held by a few main players; the secret may be vaporous and no one may know anything for sure. . . nonetheless, a great deal of energy is used in keeping the lid on Pandora's box, which includes not only the secret but the resultant rage, anger, loss, fear and shame" (Pg 106).
One of the worst results of abuse or misconduct is the fact that the victim often becomes the scapegoat. Benyei notes, "Because it is unbearable to believe that the beloved spiritual leader could commit such acts, since that would shatter the fantasy that one had at last found the ultimate caregiver, victims are often unforgivable." (Pg 95).
It would be an advance if the clergy and hierarchy and spiritual leaders of churches and religious systems would make it their responsibility to inform people about abuse and misconduct they themselves might commit, but this is highly unlikely. Therefore it is incumbent on lay people to educate themselves and others when it comes to abuse in religious systems. So often we portray the Church as a safe place to come, a sanctuary, a haven. It often is a place of healing. However, it can also be a place of deep wounding and sin. As Mother Gavrilla of blessed memory once said, "The Church is like a huge ship full of sailors, biting each other in the throat, tearing hair, punching, but the wonder is that the ship is coming into port because Christ is at the helm." This side of the Church must also be revealed if it is ever to be healed. For healing to happen, we must understand the illness. I highly recommend Benyei's book as a place to start.
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Using systems theory Dr. Benyei presents a balanced and fair approach to clergy misconduct. She astutely outlines the power dynamics in a church and the difficulty a lay person will have when bringing a complaint against a minister. She challenges us to give up our idealization of ministers and see them as the flawed human beings they are. This will not only help prevent abuse and hold ministers accountable but will also free ministers to be more genuine and receive the help and support they may need. In her final chapter she presents specific proposals to reform our churches and promote safer communities. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone concerned with building better, healthier church communities.

A wonderful book - easily the basis of study and devotion. I used it as the basis for devotionals with a teaching team in China. We really did want to walk with, through and like Jesus. This helped unpackage all of His character.

This is a must-own book. As a pastor of a small church I used this book to lead our congregation weekly on how to walk as Jesus walked. It proved very fruitful. The chapters were concise and insightful and the author brought much contemporary application. Highly recommended.
Mark LaCour, Pastor of Grace Bible Fellowship, Baton Rouge, La.

I just finished a 16-week study on Wednesday evenings based on Walking Like Jesus Did. I speak on behalf of the congregation when I say that it has been a fascinating study! As a pastor, I had been looking for a study guide that points the believer to our Master as the example par excellence for Christian living. Walking Like Jesus Did is that study!

One can't help but admire the life of Christ. Many different religions claim him as a man to emulate. This book gives good biblically-based insights into his core character that help us walk with the same principles 2000 years later. Simple, practical, and easy to read (yet insightful)--this is a great book for all ages, all religions, and all cultures.

McCall's book is without a doubt, one of the most beneficial books I have ever read. The simplicity with which he writes makes it an easy read, but with a powerful, lasting impact. He points us to none other than the living Lord, Jesus Christ. Yet, McCall approaches the Savior with a hands-on, bird's eye view of how to walk in the very footsteps of Christ in everyday situations of life. He makes Christ-following very applicable, desirable, and easy to understand. He clarifies the purpose of why we should follow Christ, and makes a very persuasive case as to the benefits and duties of doing so.

In each chapter, he lays out small, digestable portions on the table in order that we may eat of the fruit of Scripture and have it begin to take root within our very own lives. His book, from the very beginning, sets the tone--what a Christian "claims" must line up with what a Christian does--"conduct" (1 John 2:3-6). The book is unlike many secular sources, it is saturated and held together with the glue of Scripture. These are not the ideas of a man, but rather a reiteration of Scripture as found in the Living Word. No argument is made without the support of Scripture and context!

I have personally benefitted from this book and highly recommend it to every believer who desires to grow in their relationship to God. For God created us for the purpose of glorying Him by becoming more like Christ (Romans 8:28-29). This book is an essential tool in helping us to understand and do that! Most notably, McCall has a reputation for being a man of deep convictions with impeccable character. Simply stated, he practices what he preaches. And he follows hard after the heels of Jesus, even at the cost of personal reputation, comfort, and convenience. In light of those difficult choices, he has often made the statement, "I would rather be called a fool FOR Christ than a fool BY Christ." Now, to me, that is Christian leadership worth following. To seek the admiration, love and devotion of Christ above all else, will lead us to being mirror-images of Christ. And this book has no doubt been written with the help of life experiences and convictions of a man trully seeking to be more Christ-like and instilling the same passion in those around him! In my opinion, based on what I read in Scripture, he is the essence of a Christ-follower, and reading this book will give you more of a glimpse into the life of Christ by studying the very best source, Christ. For if God intends, by his very purpose, to make us more like Christ, what better example to study than Christ himself? McCall never wavers or misses the mark as he pounds the nail square on the head in this heart-gripping account of the life of Christ as an example to His followers. This book will point you to the King of Kings who was in the same breath a man who faces the everyday challenges you and I face. Christ will show us the way, and in this book, McCall reminds us to open our eyes and look to Jesus!

I've had trouble with my prayer life on and off like a roller coaster. I thought it would be that way forever, until I was given this book as a gift. The way Beth breaks down prayer and her explanation on what prayer could-should be, has helped me to focus and stay on track with my prayers. It's truly remarkable and the best prayer aid I've read. The only slightly negative part is that I usually run out of room when writing my prayers.

There are some excellent gems packed in there. The photography alone is breathtaking.

This is a wonderful book for all of you who would really like to have a dynamic prayer life, but don't know what to do or how to start. Beth Moore is an inspired teacher and will guide you in developing a deep and passionate prayer life with God. Highly recommend.

Beth Moore is one of the most down to earth, God-seeking woman I have had the pleasure to learn from through devotionals and bible studies. Whispers of Hope is a great daily reminder of how to connect with the Savior- reminding us to always start with praise. Her daily thought-provoking devotionals are really good and make you want to dig deeper into the Word. I am really enjoying this.

Beth Moore's book divinely entered my life during a public crisis. By sharing with me, through her book, her insights to prayer and to actually "hearing" God's whispers, I was able to reconnect with my own spirituality and to objectively and positively manage the crisis I had to endure. I grately appreciated her insights, her humbleness which so awesomely shines through in her writing. Her ability to convey to the reader a keen sense of the importance of both the study of prayer and the practice of prayer can truly change your life! I am grateful for the "Journal" format provided in Beth's book. This feature enables one to look back and track the answers to prayer ensuring an enhanced daily spiritual commitment. Whispers of Hope can certainly be used as a tool to help one grow in faith and grace.

If you're looking for clues on how to solve your people problems at the office, Work it Out may provide just the help you need. Hirsh weaves workplace difficulties into mini mysteries to illustrate our different communication, data gathering, time management and decision-making styles. Written with humor and candor, Work it Out is sure to provide you with valuable lessons learned from easily recognizable workplace situations.

For an independent free-lance consultant like me, Work it out is a must ! It is an extremely useful book providing case studies which are clearly laid out and diagnosed in a comprehensive and enlightening way. They are great guidelines for professionals. Furthermore, Sandra Hirsh offers some useful guidelines on the team-building and coaching processes that are also extremely interesting and practical.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is not only involved in the Human Resource field, but for those who are responsible for managing teams or for the curious among you who find the human complexities fascinating.

If you're looking for clues on how to solve your people problems at the office, Work it Out may provide just the help you need. Hirsh weaves workplace difficulties into mini mysteries to illustrate our different communication, data gathering, time management and decision-making styles. Written with humor and candor, Work it Out is sure to provide you with valuable lessons learned from easily recognizable workplace situations.

For several years I facilitated workshops using the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and found them very rewarding. When I picked up a copy of Work it Out, it greatly broadened my scope. This book gives wonderful, real-life examples of situations that we can all relate to and understand. Sandra discusses many different cases and scenarios in the text that will shed light for many of those who are stuck and wonder what is going on in a relationship with a fellow worker. There are valuable sections on team-building and coaching that have been especially useful to me and "type clues" throughout the book that are great "aha" moments for even a seasoned MBTI user. Wonderful text to understand and appreciate differences in anyone we work with! Should be on the shelf of every MBTI user.

I employ 10 folks in a computer development "geek" shop. A long-time student and user of Temperament or Type -- I was pleased with this book in that it presents the premise of Type in an easy to read style that represents realistic work environments; situations that I believed my staff would understand. I bought a copy for each staff member -- and as a team, we are working our way through the book chapter-by-chapter; one chapter each week. 30 to 45 minutes of each Monday morning Staff meeting are devoted to discussion of the issues in the "current" chapter; what each person's "type" value is, and how those values contribute and frustrate the values of others. We are six weeks into this project. Conflicts issues between staff that used to cause friction and frustration are simply melting away as the chapters drop away. Staff openly discuss disagreements as conflicts in Type; and allow each other to have different views. Staff that would never read anything ... are reading this book in advance, usually over the weekend on their own time, to be prepared for Monday staff meetings. Team members that were often late to staff meetings in the past ... are "on-time". Whether the excitement will sustain itself after the book is completed is clearly a "management" issue -- but this book has captured the interest of a diverse group of computer "geeks", administrators, and managers. And while the company's profits are determined over sustained selling and development cycles ... the productivity output of the staff is up and we've not missed even an internal delivery commitment in the past three weeks; a virtual impossibility in years past. The book is proving to be a very powerful tool for my company.

\\ Richard Eastman
The Eastman Group, Inc.
www.eastmangroup.com

I truly enjoy the knowledge that I receive from this book. It goes beyond surface knowledge and encourages the reader or class (as it is used as a Sunday School book at my church) to discuss what the Biblical principles mean to us here and now in today's society.

I have found this to be one of the best commentaries available.
It offers in depth explanations of each verse. It also gives the essentials, such as the lesson setting, who is speaking and who is being spoken to. The questions,applications and suggestions for the student activities are also very useful.
I highly recommend this book.

I recommend the Standard Lesson Commentary for biblical knowledge and spiritual growth. It is consistent with International Sunday School Lessons, and its commentary is loaded with sound doctrine, current events, true stories and testimonies, that will take you from milk to meat in your spiritual walk with God.

The lessons were better than I thought they would be. The shipment arrived earlier than I expected. My church was very pleased at the price and the literature.

I have always enjoyed this commentary as a valuable aid in studying the lessons.

Whether you're an avid traveler or a dreamer, this book has something for everyone. Plan your trip online or simply look at places across the world-no matter what, this book makes navigating the web easy. I especially loved the sites on currency conversion, ATM location, subway navigation, the translators, and the speed trap detector. It was all so useful and had so many sites I had never dreamed of. Thanks for making my travels so much fun to plan!

This incredible travel guide is like no other I've ever seen! With sites offering limitless possibilities on how to pick the perfect vacation spot and the best way (and price) to reach your destination, this book is a must have. I've been in the process of planning a trip of my own, and I honestly don't know how I would have ever survived without it! I've been able to find sites offering everything from theatre listings on Broadway to music festivals all over the world--not to mention a site offering all the best secrets from seasoned travelers who are available to help you with any travel question. Even if you have no travel plans in your near future, this book is a guarantee to have you packing you bags! Thanks and happy traveling!

I haven't done a great deal of traveling for the last two years but after perusing the book "300 Incredible Things for Travelers on the Internet" I am definitely more excited about traveling! I disagree with a reviewer who stated that some of the links in this book are inactive. Yes, some may be have been in accessible when he tried to click on them but what website isn't from time to time? I found that each one I clicked on worked beautifully.
Thank you so much for giving me that extra boost to get out there and travel! I can hardly wait now!

This incredible travel guide is like no other I've ever seen! With sites offering limitless possibilities on how to pick the perfect vacation spot and the best way (and price) to reach your destination, this book is a must have. I've been in the process of planning a trip of my own, and I honestly don't know how I would have ever survived without it! I've been able to find sites offering everything from theatre listings on Broadway to music festivals all over the world--not to mention a site offering all the best secrets from seasoned travelers who are available to help you with any travel question. Even if you have no travel plans in your near future, this book is a guarantee to have you packing you bags! Thanks and happy traveling!

Whether you're an avid traveler or a dreamer, this book has something for everyone. Plan your trip online or simply look at places across the world-no matter what, this book makes navigating the web easy. I especially loved the sites on currency conversion, ATM location, subway navigation, the translators, and the speed trap detector. It was all so useful and had so many sites I had never dreamed of. Thanks for making my travels so much fun to plan!

All people, team members as well as their leaders, simply want to feel appreciated and recognized. Everyone wants to feel important. We want to know that what we do makes a difference that goes beyond the numbers on the financial reports. This book can show you how to do that. Because the fundamental truth is, it's not the money you spend on rewards, but your ability to connect with your employees in a meaningful way that really makes the difference. This book can help you do that. You may also want to see Motivation at Work: Transform Your Business in 6 Extraordinary Steps

365 Ways to Motivate and Reward goes the extra mile in providing an understanding of the difference between the Band-Aid approaches to employee motivation and the understanding of true motivation from the employees' perspective. Podmoroff provides statistics from studies that looks at the employees reasoning behind needed recognition, acceptance and that good ole pat on the back. Inspired and motivated employees from management to the janitor foster a highly motivational workplace and this resource provides example after example of tips and techniques that help to create the motivated employee.
Helping the employee to claim ownership in his/her, organization is paramount to creating the positive workplace environment necessary for healthy, growing organizations and Podmoroff has provided 365 ways to do this.

Excellent book! Dianna Podmoroff's book "365 Ways to Motivate and Reward Your Employees Every Day: With Little or No Money" is a must have more every organization. I would recommend this book to everyone in management. As someone who has to watch the bottom line very closely in my company I found that Dianna's book has several excellent ideas to tap into peoples feeling of being acknowledged and rewarded. I have already passed this book on to my Executive Team for us to get started on some of Dianna's great ideas.

'365 Ways to Motivate and Reward Your Employees Every Day--With Little or No Money' is a terrific book for all managers and business owners. This book teaches you how to think like an employee, rather than thinking like a big wig. Then it gives you all the suggestions you need to motivate your employees and keep them motivated for an infinite amount of time. And that last part is really the key to this book. You don't want to motivate your employees for a day or a week. You want to keep them motivated for as long as they work for you.

I enjoyed reading the parts of the book that explained the importance of motivation, but I was even more impressed by all of the great techniques. This book is written in a fun, easy manner that made me excited to get to the `good stuff.' The gift ideas are all very clever (like supplying morning coffee for a year) and so are the suggestions on how to make the office fun (like adding a "Whine Cellar"). I especially liked all of the ideas on how to give employees time off of work, because it honestly never even crossed my mind to reward productivity with down time.

Overall, I think this is a terrific book and I can't wait to implement these ideas in my workplace. If you are a business owner or manager, I strongly recommend that you read this book. Even if you only follow a few of the suggestions, I think your company is bound to improve.

This is one of those books where you expected one thing and are pleasantly surprised to receive something else. Well, not entirely something else, there certainly is a list of 322 (not 365!) ways to motivate your employees, but that's the last half of the book. The first half is a great business book on motivation and the necessity to create a motivational work environment.

In fact, I found the fist half of the book more interesting than the second half and I say that without knocking the second half whatsoever. 365 covers motivational theory, internal and external motivational factors, management methods and also provides a series of motivational questions to ask employees and new hires to ensure you are able to provide the best motivational environment for their needs.

The second half of 365 covers a number of easy-to-do motivational rewards. While most businesses won't be able to do all of them there are a number of cheap and easy ideas that every business should implement. Not stopping with their own list, the book concludes with a monthly calendar of special days that will allow you to make your own motivational rewards.

Regardless of your work environment, every company can use a few motivational tips. 365 provides 322 of them and a framework to create hundreds more of your own. This is a book that won't be put on my bookshelf, but will remain close by as a reference for things I can do to reward my employees.

I'm a private math tutor and am using this book as a Friday reward for two sixth grade girls who are studying algebra one with me. It is challenging in some interesting ways. It is full of story problems to be unraveled, about two kids who are detectives. I had given it to my daughter, who was the first year teacher and she said her kids loved it more than any other part of math. They can be solved alone or in groups. I really recommend this book.

This is a book your kids will enjoy, as far as you would ever expect your kids to enjoy a math workbook. The puzzles do build up a bit of suspense, and I like the problem solving approach. Recommended!

Nice and challenging. My kids are happy with it. I give them one challenge from this book on the drive to school every morning and give them 10-15 mins to complete. It's nice to have books like this. They're only 8&9 but they cover most of it.

I used a couple of these mysteries in my 5th grade classroom. The students enjoyed them because it was different then the way they usually practiced problem solving. The only downside to this book is that I think it is more challenging than the ages suggested. There were only a few stories that were appropriate for my 5th graders and those were still very challenging for them. I wouldn't reccommend this book to someone with a general ed. 4th grade classroom but it is perfect for junior high (6th, 7th, 8th) students!

This product helped my grand daughter who was having math difficulty better understand math concepts. She was having fun at the same time.

Pretty basic stuff, but nevertheless, it's a good read, perfect for the recent graduate or others who are new to the work force.

This is Anita Bruzzese's second book (her first was Take This Job and Thrive) and it is one of the funnest I've read all year. On my blog I tend to focus on getting a job (or, as one reader recently wrote, bashing job seekers :p) and don't really go into what you do once you got the job, or how to keep the job. That's where this book comes in.

Anita breaks her book down into five sections, and has a bunch of the "things" that drive bosses crazy under each section.

A few foundational principles that come out of Anita's book include:

Bosses don't hire you to fire you. They want to keep you around. It's a pain to find new employees and always try and make the team as productive as it should be. If you are the right hire they want you around!

You need to make your boss look good. Your boss has a boss. What you do (or don't do) will make him/her look really good or really bad. Your boss wants to look really good!

Don't be a dork, or stupid! A lot of the things in this book are things that *I would never do* ... ! Even though many of them, to me, are "common sense," I think about my past jobs and can't believe how many people violated so many of these 45 things! Just amazing. There really is a need for this book.

Reading a list of the 45 things is okay but Anita makes the case for each point and it's really worth the read. I definitely recommend this to anyone that is just starting their career (yes, even the Gen Y folks :p). Consider leaving a copy on the desk of that coworker who kicked the copy machine (I've seen that, to the point of being scary), or the coworker who thinks that an industry conference is a family vacation (I've seen that way too many times), or the coworker who always seems to get out of certain meetings to get her own work done, or the coworker who doesn't know how to delegate, or the coworker who always seems to be sleepy, or not dress well, or... man, the list goes on and on!

An excellent book, a fun read, and very inexpensive.

Anita Bruzzese presents her readers with rare gifts: the tools and the coaching to take control of their own careers. Employees will prosper and bosses will smile wherever "45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy" is required reading.

"In her writing style that engages millions of readers ever day, Bruzzese reveals the most important strategies to keep your career on track. It's loaded with practical advice, and it will help you build a better career as you laugh along the way. If you don't read this book, I hope you enjoy watching everyone else get promoted."

I have worked in the business world for over 30 years - and never realized that everyone faces the same weird, annoying, and maddening problems at work every day. The rules for behavior at work are covered - and solutions to help you deal with those who don't follow the rules - or even know the rules exist - are also covered.

This book was written in a down-to-earth manner - a very easy read!

I am a parent and bought this book for use with my children. I would recommend it to all parents. You never know when it would come in handy.

This book is a great resource for any teacher, of any subject. I had it recommended to me in a grad class on reading recovery, but after purchasing it, it's quite apparent that these organizers can be used for any subject and grade level or skill level. The book has some fabulous graphic organizers, as well as suggestions for designing your own organizers, encouraging student-designed organizer use, and more. It also gives some good ideas on how to raise or lower (by grade or skill level) the organizers in the book. Well worth the money!

This was a handy little teacher's aide. I used several of the organizers and it was nice to use something premade rather than make them up myself.

As a reading teacher, I use graphic organizers a great deal with my K-6 students. Although I own several graphic organizer resource books, this is the one I use most often. The organizers are unique, fun, and very easy to use. If you are going to purchase just one graphic organizer resource, this is the one I most highly recommend.

I must say that this is one of the better graphic organizer books that I have purchased. I have many of them but this one seems to be one of my tried and true graphic organizer books. I have used it for different stories, different subject areas, and different grade levels. This is a book that will not have time to collect dust! I recommend this book!