Resources Books

As an educator I found this book to be a "must read" for students of all
ages. The reader gains a better understanding of what positive business
gains can be made when hiring within the disabled community. Further, the
author writes the book in a manner that allows you to know the "heroes"
within the company and gain a personal appreciation for what each one brings
to the work place, ultimately allowing a better understanding of the talents
a truly diverse workforce brings to enhancing the business and the lives of
each individual.

I hope this is only the beginning of Nancy Henderson Wurst's career in book
writing. Her ability to help the reader know and understand the lives of
the people she writes about is a true gift to the reader. This book is for
everyone willing to learn.

This book inspires people of all abilities to appreciate one another's differences. There are many interesting stories related throughout the book. It's a must read for all organizations.

I am lucky enough to know David Morris personally, he is an inspiration in my life. Nancy Henderson Wurst captures in this book what David brings to the world, and we all need to know that compassion CAN live in the successful business world. I've also been lucky enough to meet some of those who David hired, persons who were "unhirable" by traditional standards. Wow, what a thing it is to see ABLE where others see "disabled". Just imagine what that does for that person. David brings compassion, harmony and ease into the bigtime corporate world and into the lives of everyone around him. Seeing David live his life, run his business and accept others is a major catalyst for the creation of a new business venture I am bringing to the world. Just last night I figured out how to also involve ABLED persons into the mix! It took 2 months of brainstorming but now I get to also try to make a little difference in the world, and I feel great ..thanks to David! No kidding, if you are a business person who has a yearning to also contribute to the world AS you do business then you should read this little book, I bet you WILL find some possibilities in there that will bring beauty to your life ..and to others. Have a good day.

I've worked with the disabled for many years and I am in fact able myself after having suffered a broken neck seven years ago.
Nancy Henderson Wurst has captured the essence of compassion and understanding in this population as she introduces you to a man who has totally embraced our differently abled friends to his advantage as well as to their own.
David Morris at great risk and with tremendous courage creates a workforce consisting mainly of disabled people and turns his business into a gold mine.
Hiring people that no one else would have is a story that touches the soul and will enrich, enlighten and change the way you think of these precious souls you once thought DIS - Abled.

This book should be read by every C.E.O. who cares about his employees and wants to improve his company profitability; and should be required reading in every H. R. Department and business School. Mr. Morris has shown great courage and vision. He and Ms. Henderson-Wurst deserve to be given as much prime time publicity as possible to showcase the people in their book. I am 53 years old, born with Cerebral Palsy, trained as an Attorney, in London. I have never met an employer, with the vision of Mr Morris.

This job hunt system is designed to make for a speedy job search which narrows the field and locates the best position in a minimum amount of time. From using lead sources and creating master applications to networking and creating a job where none may exist, this provides important guidelines for serious job-seekers.

This is the book I've been waiting for. No hype, no cheerleading, just a book that shows you how to find your job very quickly. Unemployment is very expensive, and Dr. Ford shows you how to minimize it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs that next job yesterday.

This is an excellent job search manual for anyone who wants to get it done right. It takes years of experiences and nets it down to simple, directed steps. If you are looking for a book that is "fluff reduced" this is the book for you. Highly recommend it!!

Bookstall 99 is proud to add "The Accelerated Job Search" to our list of recommended business and professional books. We look at many books, recommend very few, and our reviewers must be in total agreement before we issue our approvals. This book we felt was exceptional in it's use of resources, in-depth research, timliness, and ease of reading. It is the only book on job search we are recommending. Dr. Wayne Ford has done an excellent job in producing a complete text for the job hunter, regardless of the level of experience. He logically lays out a sequential approach to getting organized, setting up an effective strategy, and following proven methods in achieving success. A particularly well thought out book with the reader in mind.

The system and techniques laid out in this book really work. The proof is that it helped me find a very good job in a short amount of time. It gives you the best techniques available step by step. I admit I bought 7 books when I started looking for a job. This is by far the best one. Everything I did improved, from my resume to time management to organizing. I am enthusiastically recommending this book to any and all job hunters.

Alcohol Can be a Gas is the book to have if you want to be ready for the future. The future is here and now. Be ready early.

This book showed me EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.
Let me start by saying that I don't work for the author, he doesn't work for me, he doesn't owe me any money, and I haven't invested in any of his companies.
Onward: this book shows you exactly how to produce your own ethanol or buy it at the pump and switch your vehicles from OIL..also known as gasoline.
After reading the book, I know how to make ethanol on a farm...and NOT FROM CORN... but I learned how to make ethanol right in the city.
I found that the book shows you how ethanol can make you money in a business or save you money when you just put it in your tank.
I guess if you just want to read about the topic, this is the definitive reference book on the subject. The book has, uh, let's see: history, politics, business models, business strategies, agricultural analysis, agricultural advice and techniques, engineering, design, strategies for succeeding with zoning and permits, environmental analyses galore, and everything you could possibly want to know on the topic.
I mainly stuck to the D.I.Y. stuff, but his documentation is superb and overwhelming on all those other topics.
As to the vehicle conversions, I speak as an ASE-Certified mechanic and one who has a college education IN Auto Repair, and I can say that the instruction in this book is superb. For example, it's a thousand times easier to understand than "Auto Repair For Dummies".
This book could save our once-proud but ever-weakening country. I urge you to get the book, read the book, and use the knowledge it will give you.
Remember, the day may soon come when ethanol fuel is the only choice you have. What will you do if the book is out of print? You can make things better for yourself with this book immediately, but I also recommend that everyone should have this book on the shelf and at the ready, in case that day comes.

David Blume's opus, Alcohol Can Be a Gas, is the definitive guide to weaning America from the oil habit via biofuels. In great detail, it thoroughly debunks the myth that ethanol production takes nearly as much energy to run the process as it produces, and shows how America can thrive by sustainably growing both an abundant food supply and biofuels at the same time (they can actually feed each other synergistically!). Blume shows us the pathway to personal and national energy independence! David Blume has been an alcohol pioneer since Buckminster Fuller, one of America's foremost visionary geniuses, coached and coaxed Blume in the 70's to continue to pursue their united dream of energy independence through biofuels. Blume is a hands-on kind of guy, having been an organic farmer, inventor, permaculture teacher and alcohol pioneer over the past thirty years. This book is encyclopedic in scope, and is for everyone from policy makers to consumers to the back yard tinker who wishes to make his own ethanol and convert his existing gasoline powered car to run on ethanol fuel Highly recommended!

This book gives me hope that not only can we survive the coming troubles (Peak Oil, climate change, pollution, corporate globalism), we can actually make the Earth into a really nice place to live. There is so much good plain common sense in this book, mixed with visionary genius, plus very detailed instructions, for breaking free of the need for gasoline. It is a blueprint for taking control of our energy future. It describes how combining sustainable agriculture and alcohol fuel production can solve most of the Earth's most pressing problems in elegant, simple ways, starting with you and me and our family and neighbors. And the author is no Pollyanna - he looks all the problems square in the face and shows what we can do. He answers all the myths about ethanol (which are fueled by oil companies), and, as far as I'm concerned, exposes and explodes them. The book has over 400 footnotes and is the most credible thing I've seen in ages.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3V37JPLRFC4QF

This book I have found to be very valuable as a reference book particularly for people who take their horse sport seriously. I myself am into endurance, and have found absolutely everything I needed to know about what can possibly go wrong with an endurance horse, whether it be training techniques, nutrition, lameness, etc etc. The detail is immnense, and I have not found any veterinary condition not written about, and yet it is easy to understand, and very readable. There are photos and diagrams on almost every page, and the book is 565 pages long, plus has a huge appendix, and bibliography section at the end. I would strongly recommend this book to any competitive horse owner.

This is an exceptionally good reference book, a must-have for horse owners. The photographs are extremely well done. Many are by Dr. Loving herself, and illustrate exactly the points made in the text. I gave this book only 4 of 5 stars because the information on infectious diseases and vaccines is not up to par.

How could it be this comprehensive? How can it be this beautiful?
This book should become a milestone in the equine veterinary literature for the horse owner. It is visually gorgeous. The photographs clearly depict the subject matter, and the detail of discussion is stunning. Dr. Loving manages that rare art of describing highly technical subjects in an understandable way. Yet, she also seems to address the horse owner as a colleague, capable of understanding and impacting his or her horses' well-being. So often, when I have read these sorts of books, they either stop short of telling me the details that really interest me, or they tell everything, but in Latin.
I have never seen laminitis illustrated and explained so clearly as it is in this book. Dr. Loving addresses its varied causes, as well as prevention, therapy and how to recognize it. She shows photographs of laminitic hooves, horses rocked back off their forelegs, detailed diagrams and x-rays of coffin bone rotation.
Every section I have read in this book shows the same level of clarity, detail and respect for the reader that is found in the section on laminitis. At every step, Dr. Loving shows us photos of horses, diagrams, X-rays and ultrasound images to reinforce and illustrate the written discussion.
I have ridden, cared for and lived with horses at home for nearly fifty years. I rode dressage and evented when I was younger, happily relax and ride trails now. No matter your level of equine insanity, this wonderful book will support and guide you well. In my view, it is an absolutely indespensible addition to every horse owner's library. I bought one for myself, and now I am going to buy one for each of my two sisters.

Every horse owner should have a copy of this book. And with the price being less than a vet's farm call, it will pay for itself many times over. What I really appreciated about the book was that it isn't so technical that you need a medical degree to understand it, yet at the same time it is very thorough and the pictures, wow the pictures! For example not only are you told how to care for a deep wound, but how it should look at various staging of healing. How many times have you treated a wound and called the vet daily wondering if it's healing o.k. or getting worse?

The only thing that I was a tad disappointed in was most of the hoof shots showed shod horses and I am practicing natural hoof care and barefoot trimmning. But if you want a book on Barefoot Hoof Care, you should order a book specific to that topic. This book, it covers everything else you will ever wonder about with your horse and health related problems.

I don't call many of my 1000 books a "bible" of whatever subject, but this is my "bible" of horse health.

If only one comprehensive horse care 'bible' were to be chosen for a library, it should be the extensive and well-illustrated reference ALL HORSE SYSTEMS GO: THE HORSE OWNER'S FULL-COLOR VETERINARY CARE AND CONDITIONING RESOURCE FOR MODERN PERFORMANCE, SPORT AND PLEASURE HORSES. Written by a horse vet specialist, it packs in not only the anticipated horse care and health solutions chapters, but includes tips on fitness, conditioning, and much more. Small color photos throughout add interest but the meat is in the chapters of medical insights backed by a practicing vet's long-time experience: chapters which can save a horse's life whether consulted quickly in an emergency or used as preventative points. Over 600 pages of facts and a clear organizational structure makes it quick and easy for horse owners to gain immediate access and insights - or for library patrons to use it as an instant reference.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

Despite the naysayers, Bennett has been proven right by the recent behaviour of the Anglosphere in two major events. First in the Iraq war most of the Anglosphere banded together to get rid of a vicious genocidal tyrant, while more recent events showed how the Anglosphere could band together to help a region in dire need of aide. Much like Clash of Civilisations, Bennett has written a book that will be refered in positive terms for many years to come.

For more than two decades, Jim Bennett has been one of the country's most acute thinkers on the frontiers of technology and cultural/political trends. The Anglosphere Challenge shows the strengths of civil society responses to growing state incapacities and failures. Emerging "networked commonwealths", he foresees, will advance universal values of freedom while accelerating innovation across new realms of human endeavor. This book is a storehouse of wisdom and hope for not only for those in the Anglosphere, but for people of all heritages and backgrounds seeking to live in an open world.

James Bennett popularized the term "Anglosphere", which refers to those communities which speak English and share in the cultural practices and institutions inherited from England, e.g. common law, parliamentary democracy, highly developed civil society, private rather than communal notions of property, entrepreneurial rather than state-led economic development, relative openness to innovation and to immigration. These characteristics have been developing in the English-speaking world for at least a millennium, and represent a distinct sub-civilization within the larger West. Bennett draws on the work of Alan MacFarlane and David Hackett Fischer to demonstrate the uniqueness of the civilization which developed in England and which it in turn passed on to its daughter polities, most importantly the United States. This Anglosphere civilization has been the path-breaker for modernity, initiating modern democratic institutions and the industrial and subsequent economic revolutions. Note that Bennett does not offer this analysis in any spirit of triumphalism. This is not the old "Whig theory" of history, since Bennett correctly sees that these developments were the result of fortunate historical contingency. Bluntly, those of us who live in the Anglosphere are not better than anybody else, just lucky to be here. Bennett predicts that the Anglosphere will continue to be the cutting edge civilization in terms of economic and political developments into the future. In particular, the existence of the Web and cheap air and sea transport has already created a unitary Anglophone economic and cultural space, which will develop further as the highest value-added products become increasingly information-intensive, placing a premium on linguistic and cultural commonalities. Bennett offers predictions concerning the institutional form that this new economic reality will call forth, which he labels a "network commonwealth". Bennett believes that this future political form, and a dense and robust underlying civil society, present the best hope for coping with the hazards presented by emerging technology, and obtaining the maximum benefits of that technology. Moreover, Bennett offers numerous, concrete policy proposals to further the development of this emerging Anglosphere network commonwealth, in the areas of trade, immigration, defense procurement and military cooperation. Bennett's book is the result of years of reflection on these historical and contemporary issues. This short paragraph does not even scratch the surface of a book that has many novel insights and profound ideas, and which opens up numerous lines for further inquiry. Five stars is really not a sufficient rating. This is one of the three or four most important books I have read in recent years to understand the world we are living in, why it is the way it is, where we are going, and how we can create a future worth living in.

Any serious discussion of the central role of English traditions in Canada is fraught with twin perils: mindless claims of racism/imperialism and founding-nation chauvinism. The Anglosphere Challenge is something very different. It's an exciting exploration of a new way to look a modern global culture and its Canadian flavour, keeping both perils at bay. Leading off with a chapter on the dynamic and converging nature of modern technology (cf. Vernor Vinge's The Singularity), the author makes the case that cultural dynamism and flexibility will be at a premium in the 21st century. His claim for the future pre-eminence of the common law countries (irrespective of their citizens' personal origins) is based on the Anglosphere's history of adapting successfully (and first) to technological and political change.

Bennett shows how respect for the individual, and the effective separation of religious, political and economic powers have a very deep roots in the English-speaking world. Before the creation of Canada and the United States. Before the English Civil War. Before the Protestant Reformation. Perhaps even before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. In the roots of the English common law, we can find the fundamental principle of equal treatment before the law: male or female, lord or commoner. A virtuous circle ensued, freeing individuals from the constraints and predation of the powerful ... in ways impossible in continental Europe let alone other parts of the globe.The history (as opposed to the myths) of this era are eye-opening. And the great strength of the Anglosphere Challenge is the firm grounding in modern scholarship. The book's annotated bibliography is a gem.

Using the metaphor of concentric rings, Bennett sees the Anglosphere as an inner ring (the industrialized common law countries), an outer ring of countries strongly influenced by English language and law, and finally, a periphery of countries exposed to the language and law indirectly, through the international institutions (in trade and politics). A second major contribution is Bennett's outline of the "cultural nations" of the Anglosphere. These "cultural nations," often identified in the turmoil of 17th and 18th century England, cross modern national borders. They provide a more effective tool for understanding the politics and behaviour of modern Anglosphere countries. Finally, Bennett offers the term "network commonwealth" to describe the economic, social, and intellectual connections between Anglosphere nations that will largely overtake (but not replace) the current sovereign nations. Anglosphere nations like Canada, especially in the Internet era, will find themselves quickly and easily co-operating to handle the innovations and challenges of the 21st century.

Canadians will find their past, present and future discussed in the chapters of this book. Our lives have been profoundly affected by the two titans of the English-speaking world, the UK and US. Bennett provides a cultural context for this influence that readers from this country will find fascinating. A book that will make you think. A companion website offers sneak peek at the book plus updates on concepts and sources: anglospherechallenge.com.

James C. Bennett explores some reasons for why English speaking names with an English heritage have done so well over the last couple centuries, and why they will continue to do well. The author points out that history is a pretty good indicator of the future. If we can understand why certain cultures have been successful, we may be able to understand which cultures will do well in the future.

This book is full of interesting ideas and observations. One of them is there are two types of problems, bounded and unbounded. Bounded problems have clear answers. A simple bounded problem is what is "2 + 2" with a clear answer of four. There are more complex bounded problems, like how much fuel with a 747 use carrying 187 people from Chicago to Atlanta. The problem is well defined, and the issues are all pretty much all known. Unbounded problems do not have clear definitions, let alone clear answers, at least in the beginning. Which video format is going to dominate, VHS or Beta? Who is going to win the next presidential election? What recent technological developments will become important in the future? This reminded me of "The Wisdom of Crowds" by James Surowiecki. James Surowiecki says that under certain situations a large group of people can make better decisions than a few experts. James Bennett points out that often the private sector does a much better job of dealing with unbounded problems, and that the culture of the Anglosphere tends to promote private sector solutions.

Another interesting idea builds on the economic principle that specialization with trade allows greater economic development. If an individual had to depend on everything he produced he would have to be a subsistence farmer and/or hunter. But as families, communities, cities, and nations develop, along with the ability to trade with others, people can increase their productiveness by focusing on specific areas of interest or expertise. Adam Smith used showed the value of this when talking about a group of manufactures who each focused on a single step in the production of sewing needles. James Bennett says that by increasing the level of trade and trust to include other nations, there can be greater economic growth. Those nations in the Anglosphere have an easier time trading with each other, which allows even more specialization. It is hard to trade with those who you don't trust, or those who have different cultural expectations. So the Anglosphere has a great advantage in having a large network to work with.

The book explores the idea of separating physical space, from transportation space, and from communication space. We measure the physical space in miles. But transportation space is largely influenced by how easy it is to move from one place to another. Historically moving by ships over rivers and the ocean was much cheaper than traveling by land. Communication space really started to become its own space with the development of the telegraph, and exploded with the development of the internet. Now it is almost as easy to communicate with someone anywhere in the world, as it is to talk with your neighbor.

James Bennett says that in general those with an English Heritage, or who are largely influenced by Anglo ideas, are more flexible and will be able to react quicker than European Nations, Japan, China, India, and so on. They have a greater ability to trust each other, and take initiative on a personal level. His sees the development of organizations which support each other that transcend national boundaries. There are a number of libertarian ideas here.

If you are into books which explore the big picture and deal with new and fascinating ideas, this is a good book to read. I don't think everything James Bennett talks about here will happen, but he does provide some interesting insights into what may happen over the next fifty years. This is not a quick read. This book is meant to be read slowly and thoughtfully, and pondered over time. This book is well worth reading

This book provides practical answers and ideas for helping children with sensory integration challenges to be succesful in the classroom.

People on the autism/Asperger's (a/A) spectrum contend with a wide array of sensory issues, one of which is sensory integration. For many people on the spectrum, sorting out relevant stimuli from the extraneous can be difficult. Imagine being in a classroom and being distracted by the odors in the room, such as those from people and materials. Imagine having heightened sensory modes so that fire drills and alarms, as unpleasant as they are, are amplified. Dr. Temple Grandin equated fire drills to "dental drills in the ear," which is a very apt and accurate description.

Many people on the a/A spectrum often have trouble using multi-sensory modes, e.g. looking at someone while listening to them speak. The multitude of sensory input can be overwhelming, which in turn can lead to melt downs. This book does an extraordinary job of explaining these things and providing tips and resources for responding to sensory issues. The book also has some good information about how sensory distraction affects learning and strategies and techniques in working around this.

Former Beatle George Harrison unwittingly described the a/A experience with his stellar gem, "It's All Too Much." The lyric "it's all too much for me to see...it's all too much for me to take..." aptly describe sensory overload. It is not uncommon for people on the spectrum to close their eyes or go someplace private to come even after being bombarded with sensory input.

Be sure to read "The Out of Sync Child" and "The Out of Sync Child Has Fun" by Carol Stock Kranowitz. Those books are excellent companions to this one in exploring this further.

I highly recommend all books by Carol Stock Kranowitz on this topic. This book is another winner. Some of her books have been translated into Spanish as well.

I purchased a copy of this book to give to my SID kids teacher. There are good descriptions of the types of behaviors that many SID kids experience. In addition there are many fun activities that a teacher can use with all types of children in their classes that benefit all of the kids. My son's teacher appreciated getting this guide.

Sensory integration is well worth understanding because it is estimated that 20% of all students in the U.S. are affected by sensory integration issues. There is little offered to teachers who might have to work with children whose ability to learn is often clouded by affects of stimuli. Carol Stock Kranowitz is the author of one of the best books on the topic called "The Out of Sync Child." Stacey Szklut, occupational therapist, discusses practical advice on how to assist learning for children with sensory integration problems.

The book outlines how problems in sensory integration can adversely effect learning and how to develop useful strategies to help struggling students focus and absorb. The book also includes simple advice on how to improve educational and social success for kids with this particular LD and how to network with other teachers who have used various techniques to help their students engage. The book is geared toward preschool through high school teachers of all subjects.

This is a great book on hydrology, the author is very famous in both hydrology and hydraulics area.

This is a well-written and fairly comprehensive textbook for the science and engineering of hydrology, suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses. I used it for a class taught by one of the authors (David Maidment), so it was a natural fit for the class, but I believe that any competent teacher could make good use of it. The example problems are useful and the explanations are clear.

I took a hydrology course taught by one of the authors (Larry Mays) using this book. Advantages of this book lies in (1) the arrangement of the contents is very logic-oriented, you don't feel aburpt jump from one chapter to another one, (2) the theory addressed in the text is concise, easy to read and understand, (3) the examples used to illustrate the theories are very correlated. Other books may be good too, however, in terms of "hydrology" alone, I haven't seen a better one. It is a useful reference for your understanding of hydrologic design manual, creteria.

A must have reference for those of you guys in the field of Applied Hydrology. If you are tackling the task of modeling some particular hydrologic process, you will find the detailed descriptions and flow charts very handy. Step by step derivations of equations, excellent referencing and convenient chapter setup makes this book a first-to-look reference. Although it is a 1988 print, you will hardly feel it unless you really dig into details like flow routing in meandering rivers.

I believe you will enjoy reading this book...

I use this text to teach a first-semester graduate class for civil engineers who are targeting a graduate degree with emphasis on hydrology. I've been using the text for nearly ten years. It might be a little advanced for undergraduates, but certainly is in the grasp of advanced undergraduate students.

Applied Hydrology is the text I wanted way back when I was in graduate school. Chow was still alive but had not finished the book. I was introduced to his writing in his open-channel hydraulics text, which I thought (and still think) is the best. Applied Hydrology was assembled posthumously by Maidment and Mays, who did a good job putting together whatever remained of Chow's work. I'm very glad they undertook the process and published the work. It's an important text for my discipline specialty.

Part 1 of the text covers the basics and does it well. This material is timeless and will not change much as new research comes available. Part 2 covers analysis and shows its age, just a bit. Unit hydrographs and lumped-flow routing are old technologies and while updates are inevitable, the basic technologies will not change. Chapters 9 and 10 are a bit dated as substantial work has been done over the last 15 years. They're still good, but require supplementation. Chapters 11 and 12 again contain great fundamentals but the technology is changing. The theory of linear moments (L-moments) is working its way into hydrologic statistics for fitting distributions to datasets. Furthermore, there is a trend toward using resistant statistics (median, inter-quartile range, and others) for description of the statistics of hydrologic datasets. Part 3 on hydrologic design is still good, but is also showing its age just a little. Again, the basics are great and well-explained. However, as new data become available and new analyses of those data are accomplished, new interpretations also become available. This is true especially with precipitation atlases and the estimation of n-year precipitation events, and hence n-year hydrologic events.

My observations are not an indictment of Applied Hydrology; it remains my favorite engineering hydrology textbook and I will continue to use it to teach engineers about hydrology. In my opinion, this is the best upper-undergrauate/graduate engineering hydrology text available. Like all textbooks, it is beginning to show its age because technology is not stagnant. But its descriptions of core concepts and the application thereof remains top notch.

I'm getting my Doctor of Ministry degree in preaching, and so I've read lots of books about giving sermons through the years. This is one of the best. Dozens of scholars have written articles divided up into different categories (style, delivery, preparation, application, illustration, introductions, conclusions). Timothy Warren has several articles defending the topical expository sermon. He is strongly committed to expository preaching, but he doesn't necessarily feel that this always has to be from just one passage per Sunday.

Haddon Robinson has a convicting article warning about plagiarism, and he also has a great article about planning your sermons ahead of time.

Rick Warren has a good article about purpose driven titles for your sermons. The title should clearly communicate what the message is about without giving too much away.

John Ortberg discusses the use of illustrations, and there are also articles about outlining and discovering the main point of the scripture passage you are preaching on (frequently referred to as "The Big Idea").

Don Sunukjian has some contributions to the book, and one article warns about using too much alliteration, which is often the result of the preacher forcing his outline on the text.

You could read this book straight through, or you could pick out the articles that interest you at that moment in time. Many of these articles were first made available only to those who had an online membership to a certain website. But now these sterling pieces have been compiled into this thick volume. The book also comes with an mp3 cd. Highly recommended.

This is an A-1, first class book. Very inspiring and worth every bit you pay for it. We need better preachers and this book will for sure help you be one!

this was an excellent book on preaching. it taught me so many things. i do not agree with everything, but most of it was excellent. i would strongly encourage you to buy it.

I recently received a copy of The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching: A Comprehensive Resource for Today's Communicators, and have been browsing through it from time to time. Whether you're a full- or part-time preacher or even if you spend any time at all speaking in front of others as a Christian attempting to bring others to a better understanding of the Bible, or to bring them to a point of decision, you need this book on your shelf. It is the finest compendium of useful preaching/exhortation articles I have ever seen.

I've only just started to browse through this tome, but every article I've glanced at or read has excited me, filled me with ideas on how to improve my preaching and prep-time, and given me already useful techniques to make my delivery more effective. Many of the articles were repurposed from timeless Leaderhip journal articles, some were culled from the Preaching Today website's "Skill Builder" articles, but there are a ton of new articles written fresh just for this project.

About the two editors: Haddon Robinson is considered by many to be one of the finest preachers alive today. I've always enjoyed the interviews and teaching I've heard from Robinson, and he has a clear, fatherly style of teaching. The blurb from Preaching Today Audio says, about him:

"Dr. Robinson has been named one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world. His text, Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages, is used in more than 100 seminaries and Bible colleges in North America. He is also host of Discover the Word which airs on 400 radio stations across the world."

Craig Brian Larson is pastor of Lake Shore Church (Assembly of God) in downtown Chicago, and is the managing editor of Preaching Today. He's well-known in the world of sermon illustrations, having compiled several illustration compendiums (see Movie-Based Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching, volumes one and two, for example), and coauthored a guide for helping preachers add journalistic impact to their messages (see Preaching that Connects).

If you preach or teach at all, you really owe it to your listeners to pick up this book and refer to it from time to time. It will be a resource you refer to for years, and it will challenge you at every turn. This book is truly a gift to the Church!

Rich.

This is a thoroughly exhaustive resource in the toolbag of the pastor. The multitude of author's writing on a variety of topics from one end of the field of homiletics to another adds a fresh view to bringing a Holy Word for God to affect the "Fallen Human Condition."

The reviewer had to read the book for a seminary preaching class. It was somewhat tedious reading this long book cover to cover. This is expected when there is such a vast number of author writing, but this cross-over isn't necessarily bad. It does give weight to techniques that are shown to be pragmatic. None of the authors are claiming that "their-way-is-the-best." They are merely showing what's worked for them and what is tried and true. They are passing their perspective on...because everyone has something to learn.

So from the lay minister to the scholar, this is a worthy resource to be in your homiletical arsenal.

This book gave me the next steps to what I needed to make winning commitments. I knew all the analytical information to promote myself and business but I was lacking a way to engage the heart and spirits of my prospect. This book has helped me move in that direction.

We enjoy well organized books that get to the point: this is one of them. In a nutshell, the work, based on interviews with leaders, offers practical wisdom and highlights 10 essential competencies of effective leaders: 1) seeing what is, in a new way; 2) vision; 3) storytelling (conveying a compelling message); 4) fostering hope (creating a sense of the possible through optimism); 5) rendering significance (connecting vision with each person's life goals); 6) mobilizing (encouraging right actions, setting high expectations, letting go, encouraging the best in others); 7) self awareness; 8) emotional engagement (empathic connection); 9) enacting beliefs; and 10) centering (developing centering consciousness and improvising). These highlights don't do justice to the book. In its content-rich pages, it delivers an abundance of insights about the meaning of leadership, as well as revealing an inspiring spirit.

To be an effective leader, one must inspire a broad and deep genuine commitment to a team's mission, vision, desired results, and members. A number of books have been written on ways to get people to sign on, to agree, to perform. Applying the principles they promote will generate performance, adherence, and a certain degree of loyalty. Full commitment is a different issue.

Richards presents an approach that is balanced between intellectual commitment, emotional commitment, and spiritual commitment. Emphasizing the art of leadership, he shows how leaders can craft deeper relationships that generate genuine commitment to produce meaningful achievement and fulfilling satisfaction.

In the area of intellectual commitment, four chapters present the elements of insight, vision, storytelling, and mobilizing. Under emotional commitment, the chapters address self-awareness, emotional engagement, and fostering hope. Rendering significance, enacting beliefs, and centering build the understanding of spiritual commitment. The wrap-up chapter is titled Towering Conclusions and Further Strategies. A brief list of resources (interviewees and websites) and an index complement the text. Each chapter concludes with a handful of questions to stimulate contemplation.

The entire text stimulates contemplation. Using a wide range of people and their experiences and philosophies, Richards engages the reader in an introspective and educational journey. In chapter after chapter, I found myself inspired and enlightened, motivated to apply what I was learning in my work.

You will find this book to be a sort of combination of a walk in the woods, a comfortable soak in a hot tub, and time in a classroom with an energetic professor scribbling concepts rapidly across a white board while his writing hand struggles to keep up with his mind. Plan on reading this book twice; you won't get it all the first time. Margaret Thatcher's quote will help you understand that opportunity.

I had always viewed myself as a pretty successful leader, but the insights I gained from reading this book have caused me to step back and review aspects of my leadership style that have evolved over a 25 year period. This excellent book calls on leaders to honestly assess the way they lead and communicate with their people in areas that for some are in uncharted waters - i.e., the emotional and spiritual dimensions. The book is not only insightful but is written so clearly and simply that its messages are very easy to grasp. I recommend this book for any leader who wants to raise her or his performance to the next level.

So much business literature is mind-numbingly and illogically recursive, suggesting that breakthroughs for your business will stem from imitating the techniques of other business people.

In a departure from this tired and arguably broken premise, consultant and coach Dick Richards provides lessons from leaders operating outside of corporations: in not-for-profits, the arts, sports, religion, education, government...

In drawing insights from his interviews with these leaders, Richards argues that leaders succeed by securing follower commitment. He posits that this happens when leaders work on, if not master, ten competencies in four interrelated domains: political, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual (defined as, "the sense of a calling from some source larger than one's self").

When a leader's capabilities coalesce in these four main areas of competence, she becomes, in essence, a fuller, richer human being. As a result, others positively respond to the improved leader by choosing to invest more of themselves in pursuing the leader's mission.

~~~ Familiar but..., Soft but... ~~~
In this framework, Richards proffers a cogent, integrated way of *thinking* about your own leadership. Drawing on historical and personal anecdotes, quoting philosophers, researchers and leaders, Richards both echoes and transcends conventional business literature (including the recent spate championing "emotional intelligence").

It would be fair to argue that there is little new here. But that would be off the mark. As Dick Richards himself candidly points out, there is more than plenty of literature and seminars traversing the broad, overly worn leadership field. Fortunately, the intriguing whole that Richards has woven is more than the amalgam of its recognizable threads.

Likewise, it would be patently unfair (to both reader and author) to dismiss this thoughtful, occasionally lyrical work as too soft, too philosophical, or too New Age-y. By moving past the sterile Insert Tab-A into Slot-B mentality that underpins so much prescriptive management literature, Richards elevates his readers, helping them to transcend the heartless transactional world so many work in. (Still, while there's more than a modicum of practicum in the book, readers probably will want more guidance on how to translate the principles into action. Perhaps Richards is at work on a "field guide.")

Dick Richards proudly writes, as his title suggests, of the *Art* of leading. One senses that Richards thinks as an artist, a world-savvy poet reflecting on leadership. One could mistake the book for a wizened corporate shaman's love letter to meaning-starved managers.

~~~ Bottom Line ~~~
Dick Richards' THE ART OF WINNING COMMITMENT is more gestalt than how-to, more fresh synthesis of the known than breakthrough. It should ignite your little gray cells, kindle your interest in self-development, inflame your own commitment to fostering commitment in your colleagues. And help you become a better person in the process.

Don Blohowiak, Lead Well® Institute; editor, The Leader's Letter

I work in Brazil catalyzing a movement of mentoring pastors with the intent that they in turn will mentor their principal leaders. Hendricks book was recently published in Brazil. I gave a copy to each member of my executive team and other key leaders who work with me. It is the most practical tool I have yet found, both for those wanting to be mentored as well as those wanting to mentor. This book has done more to provoke, challenge and channel my thinking and practice of mentoring than any other book. I hope that those who read it will find themselves not just finding and improving mentoring relationships, but also spreading a mentoring movement, both inside and outside the church. We need mentors in our churches and we need them in the marketplace.

Main Purpose: The purpose of this book is to enlighten men of their responsibility to mentor or share knowledge/experience, both practical & theoretical with other men in a constructive manner.

Content Description: The majority of the content of this work shows that through Biblical as well as a few secular texts that men throughout history have helped to mentor the youth of their culture in positive ways. Audience: In my own opinion this book is aimed at all adult males who have grown up in social environment that stipulates that all men are to be a "Lone Ranger" figure. There is nothing wrong with these qualities per se as I to was raised this way; however, one must realize that to better society as a whole, men with experience and skills need to impart their knowledge in a mentoring relationship to other men or young adults to better promote values and skills which are constructive and build a better individual and thus society.

Special Features: This book's target market is men. Men who are Christians or at least know of the Christian Bible. The skills taught in this book remind me of Special Forces cross-training methods. That is to say that each squad of 12 men learn their particular skills then impart their knowledge to other members of their squad. The squad (society) then grows from each individual learing these skills. This is the mentoring process.

Warnings of Weakness: This is not really a weakness; however, if one equates a Biblical reading Christian man as a mind controlled lab rat there could be a hesitation to the acceptance of the overall message. If one is not of an open mind, and only looks to secular texts this may not be the book for you. However, if you can read a Biblical-based text as well as secular texts without suffering from cognitive dissonance I think you would enjoy the message of this book.

Subject: Re: Self-Selected Mentoring Book Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 21:29:56 -0800 From: "Bryan D. Souza" Organization: Clovis Unified School District Newsgroups: pep.gsep.ed639.chaka References: 1

Mike Menchaca wrote:

As you all know, your first reading assignment was to self-select a mentoring book from Amazon.com. You can thread your postings from here.

It will be very helpful to the class if you'd include the following: 1. Author and Name of the Book 2. Three Major Important Points emphasized by the book. 3. Why you liked the book. 4. Why you didn't like the book. 5. Overall assessment of the book.

QUESTION #1: Howard and William Hendricks (Father and Son Team) Building Character in a Mentoring Relationship: As Iron Sharpens Iron - 1995 (270 pages)

QUESTION #2: This book is addressed specifically toward men and is broken in 2 major parts with a Mentoring Action Plan located in the back of the book. Its release was scheduled to coincide with the 1995 schedule of the national Promise Keepers conferences.

Part 1 is for men who want to be mentored.

This part helps the reader to understand what character traits he should look for when trying to find a mentor: someone who is real, creative, and captures your heart. The book focuses on the mentoring that leads to spiritual maturity with numerous analogies and examples of what character traits a man needs to nature our souls. Hence the title which is derived from the Bible: "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens the other." (Proverbs 27:!7)

It identifies on p.63 "Ten Marks of a Mentor" The ideal mentor is a person who... 1. Seems to have what you personally need. 2. Cultivates relationships. 3. Is willing to take a chance on you. 4. Is respected by other Christians. 5. Has a network of resources. 6. Is consulted by others. 7. Both talks and listens. 8. Is consistent in his lifestyle. 9. Is able to diagnose your needs. 10.Is concerned with your interests.

This part of the book explains the benefits of having a mentor: helps you reach your goals and provides a role model. Where to find a mentor: at work, at college, or your church. How to cultivate a mentor relationship. The differences between a formal and informal mentoring relationship. The expectations both realistic and unrealistic. And taking personal responsibility for growing a mentoring relationship.

Part 2 is for men who are willing to serve as mentors.

This part of the book cites several examples of Biblical men (Paul and Barnabas) who felt inadequate about leadership, yet were very influential to the lives of numerous men. It explains the benefits of being a mentor: relationships, personal growth, and making a difference in the lives of other men. The roles of a mentor are clearly explained and "analogized" with several examples. On page 159 the book defines the mentoring relationship by using these practical keys to serve his protégé.

A Mentor... - is a source of information - provides wisdom (as guided by the Bible) - promotes specific skills and effective behaviors - provides feedback - coaches - is a sounding board - is someone to turn to - helps devise plans - nurtures curiosity

Then this part of the text goes on to state how to find a protégé, what to look for, and how to properly cultivate the mentoring relationship.

The Mentoring Action Plan found in the third section of the book is designed as a workbook to help develop Mentor / Protégé relationships in a thoughtful and practical manner. It focuses on the art of mentoring in a reflective way with discussion and activities that can be used a a primer for mentoring relationships.

QUESTION #3:

I enjoyed the many practical examples presented in this book. It is straightforward, easy to read, and can be life changing. It is one of those books that you want to go back and reread for insight and direction.

QUESTION #4:

This book is targeted toward a very specific audience. As a man and a Christian, I had no complaints with this book. However, if I was neither this book probably would not be very useful or convincing to me.

QUESTION #5: Overall, I would recommend this book to other men who are wondering how to create meaningful, Godly relationships with other men.

I have yet to be disappointed with anything written by Howard Hendricks. In this book, he does a superb job of presenting the tremendous worth and transforming power of a mentoring relationship between two men. While these principles would also apply to a woman-to-woman relationship, Hendricks is writing to provide support for the Christian men's movement "Promise Keepers."

There are two sections to this work: how to find a mentor, and how to be a mentor. Hendricks emphasizes there are many more men seeking mentors than there are men who are willing to be mentors. He discourages actually using the title of "mentor" when establishing such a supportive relationship, for fear it will intimate one of the parties. Instead, he promotes referring to the interaction as what would occur between two friends. Hendricks also describes how to spot a mentor or a protégé, then how to avoid common pitfalls of such an arrangement.

For anyone seeking to learn from a respected male friend, or for someone seeking to invest his life-lessons of experience in a younger man, this book is simply invaluable.

Prov 27:17
17 As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend
NKJV

Here, we have the example of keeping our friends in the light of God and this book elaborates on it. Discipleship is the key to good fruit in our life.
I am sure many of you know discipleship from the New Testament but do you realize it is as old as Time? God wanted to disciple Adam and Eve and in return, they would disciple the World. This book relates specifically to the "Men" doing the discipling.
I was pleased to see how much my life and Ministry changed after reading this book and listening to the voice of the Spirit of Truth. If you are a man in need of a closer walk, pick up a copy of this book and see if you too will be changed.