Resources Books

You will not be sorry if you buy this book. The book uses a straightforward approach to some of the complicated as well as simple issues. The book is very well organized, and explanations are very clear. I would not recommend it for the beginners, but even if you are just getting comfortable with Java, this book would be an excellent value. CD that comes with this book is also very helpful.

This is an excellent book. There are many topics covered in a straightforward manner that you won't find anywhere else. Many clever solutions - I learned a lot from using this book and I've been programming in Java for a while. One of the few computer books worth the steep price.

I really liked this book. It deals with very important topics from basic to quite advanced in a very straightforward manner. I use it all the time.

This book delves into some of the tough real world issues you will run into when building a java application, not just an applet with cute animation. I especially liked the CORBA ORB demonstration to deliver real multi-tiered client/server applications in java. In addition to this being a fine book by itself, on the CD-ROM enclosed with Hacking Java, you receive the complete text of another good java book Special Edition Using Java, plus 4 other books AND a "publisher's edition" of Microsoft Visual J++ Java development environment. This book is a great value

An intrigueing book - and one that is much needed in the world today. The author goes to great pains to take the reader through the issues of the day and how Christ can bring back the fallen leaders. I love the premise of the book and the process the author takes us through in explaining the problem, what we can do about it and how Christ will restore the fallen. There is a central message that Christ doesnt give up and we shouldnt either. Good read.

This book is easily read and captures a personal side of the author as well as introducing scripture to the reader. It is directed toward fallen leaders but has a great message for any lay person who has had problems in life and needs some uplifting in his or her spiritual being. Chapter 13, "Perils From the Past" was one of my favorites. It points out how important our pasts are and the value of learning from our pasts, be they wonderful or be they sorrow filled. I am proud to own this book and I will read it over and over again.
Monie Jones

The author, through his own experience, does a great job of showing the twists and turns involved in a restoration process for a leader. It is not shown as quick and easy path but, one that must be walked through for a leader to return to his leadership role.
He shows that restoration is not only possible but needed for both the leader and the Christian community. A great book for any fallen Christian leader who needs the encouragement and help this book provides.

I was excited to find this book online. This book is a much needed resource for leaders all over the world. Mr. Baldwin did a great job writing. His passion and humanity comes through the pages. What is so inspiring about the book is the progression of the theme. He begins with such encouragement to those who have fallen. He gives hope! But as you continue reading, he does not dodge the true issues of sin and failure. He hits the problem head on, but gives hope for recovery.

If you know a leader who has lost his position or integrity because of a failure, whether in the church or in secular society, HE RESTORES is an excellant book for them.

I hope we hear more from Mr. Baldwin. He is an excellant writer. I'll be looking for other books in the future. 5 STARS FROM ME!!!!

In "Heal the Ocean", Rod Fujita details the catastrophic state of our oceans as a result of global warming, overfishing, pollution, deep sea mining, military interests, and poor land use. More importantly, he describes the many ways that we can work together to protect and restore ocean ecosystems. As somebody who loves the ocean but has never before taken a marine biology course, I appreciate Fujita's accessible writing style. Thank you, Rod Fujita, for this educational and inspiring book.

A must-read for anyone who visits a beach, lives near a coast or loves the ocean (and who doesn't?). A marine ecologist at Environmental Defense, Rod Fujita unravels the mystery of the sea, revealing its web of life and how we humans are woven into it -- and have shaped it, for better and worse. At the heart of this beautifully-written book lies Fujita's belief in the ocean's resiliency and unwavering faith that we can turn the tide against ocean decline. He shapes the complex science of ocean ecosystems into a tale as mesmerizing as the ocean itself.

Heal the Ocean: Solutions for Saving our Seas
by Rod Fujita
New Society Publishers
227 pages
www.newsociety.com


Championing the Seas
Dr. Rod Fujita does not write with the detached voice of a scientist, although he is one. He writes with the passion of a champion for the cause of sustainable development and he believes it is possible.
Some fisheries such as California's near shore waters collapsed through over fishing. The solution: California's Marine Life Management Act of 1999 that strives to protect whole ecosystems through marine reserves where no fishing is allowed. Fujita calls it "fish in the bank."
"Present economic activities should not compromise our own future need for resources or those of future generations," and according to Fujita, it is a view that is gaining acceptance all over the world. It is a view that makes sense.
Although the author shows numerous scenarios for environmental disasters, he is no prophet of doom. After showing how ecosystems can and do collapse, he shows solutions, and sometimes brilliant solutions that have worked as well as ideass that have not been tried, but should be. Solving problems with scientific knowledge and political know how makes Heal the Ocean: Solutions for Saving Our Seas an important book.
Some of the engineering solutions that Fujita shows are ingenious, yet there is not a single solution that fits all situations. Each problem, each place on earth and in its oceans has unique features that call for creative solutions. Each problem must balance human needs with the conservation of natural resources.
Rod Fujita's enthusiasm for his subject shines through. He provides a toolkit full of savvy solutions, some tried and successful and some waiting to be used to remedy modern day assaults upon the seas and their living ecosystems. His book draws upon a body of recent scientific discoveries and provides a wealth of fascinating details about the connections among rivers, oceans, land forms, mangroves, reefs and the life that is interdependent in ways that are understood, and ways we have yet to discover. This alone would make it an interesting book, but Dr. Fujita goes takes his subject further. He shows us a future full of possibilities for healing the oceans.
Dr. Fujita gleaned his knowledge from close observations under water and his scientific work at Woods Hole, (he received his PhD from Boston University's Marine Program), and his work as a Senior Scientist with Environmental Defense, an environmental activist group. He has served on many state and federal commissions and review panels. He looks at the big picture drawn from his experience of work on many environmental issues such as protecting marine ecosystems, global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain and new discoveries in the deep ocean abysses. Here is an authoritative author who opens our eyes to the beauty, intricate ecological relationships, and threats to our ecosystems as he raises our awareness of what is happening to the interconnected waters of this planet and the life in them. The book is interdisciplinary as books of this type must be.
He shows the importance of non-governmental organizations and what they can do to influence how state and federal funds are spent. By using examples, he shows the importance of local solutions. "People will protect what they love and can love what they understand...we too are part of the matrix of the coastal zone and the sea." He gives examples of commercial fishermen on the East Coast working hand in hand with the scientific community to find good solutions to conserve natural resources. Peoples such as native Hawaiians, who have lived on the land and gone to sea for generations, are wise in their knowledge of their particular environments. He shows where some government programs designed from afar have produced the opposite results than were intended.
He has documented losses of salmon on the West Coast through the damming of wild rivers. Pacific salmon are anadromous fish that migrate between oceans and freshwater rivers. These losses are disheartening but may be reversible. Scientists are using the concept of pysis, a Greek word that means self-healing. To reverse environmental damages, rivers can be returned to their natural states without levees and dams and with natural features such as wetlands and trees on their banks so that fish and wildlife can return to their intricate patterns of feeding and spawning in habitats that sustain.
Donning mask and flippers, Dr. Fujita has explored pristine reefs up close and observed how their ecosystems work as opposed to coral reefs damaged by global warming, pollution and destructive fishing practices. He advocates marine reserves as a way to study and preserve ocean species before it is too late.
The scope of the book covers various ocean zones from the near shore areas to the practically unknown abysses while revealing surprising new information insights and fresh ideas. Minerals in the deep ocean are there to be exploited by nations that need them; deep ocean mining needs to be regulated to protect deep water ecosystems that scientists are only beginning to study.
In the last chapter, "Creating A New Ocean Ethic," Dr. Fujita states that reasonable accommodations of competing interests-economic development and environmental protection can often be made. "True economic development is an increased quality of life, wherein people prosper not only in financial terms, but also in aesthetic and spiritual terms, sustained by natural beauty, wildlife and health ecosystems."
Hercules, hero of ancient Greek mythology, was given twelve seemingly impossible labors to accomplish and found ways to overcome enormous difficulties. There are lessons in this. Today, Dr. Fujita champions the Herculean tasks needed to heal the oceans of the world. With the precision of a careful scientist and the drive of a committed activist he has written a book that should be in every library and bookstore. Heal the Ocean: Solutions for Saving Our Seas makes complicated issues clear to scientists as well as the general public and writes with a fine style.
Review written by Barbara Spring, author of The Dynamic Great Lakes, a non-fiction book about the history of changes in North America's Great Lakes and The Wilderness Within, a book of nature poetry and essays from around the world.

Dr. Fujita's highly readable book is full of positive examples of changes we can make to improve the environment. It is a realistic insight into the science of environmental change. The book takes the time to present the problems facing our oceans but also shares success stories for change. This is a wonderful book for a non-scientist, non activist but interested reader.

This book is so full of great information that it is a definite keeper in my reference library. After only 1/3 of the way though, I've gotten my money's worth!

I'm new at reading about energy healing modalities, so I have little to compare it to. I found this book to be a really nice book to learn more about Healing Touch and how to be a practitioner. It has some wonderful stories, some that even made me cry. I still have a long way to go to make this work for me, but it's the beginning of a new awareness in my life.

An excellent, readable, knowledgeable text book that will be referred to again and again. It contains so much information, and is indexed accurately so that you can find the relevant answers quickly. Diagrams are informative and useful.
To me this book is recommended for those already practicing H.T., or for those interested in gaining insight into Healing Touch with a view to entering the H.T. program. The Healing Touch program encourages people to participate in continued, life-long learning, and this book is a valuable resource.

No need for 1,000 more words. The above says it all. I loaned my copy to a client, forgot which one, and now must buy another. Can't practice without it.

When a person first starts through this workbook there is a temptation to think that it's mostly about Henry Brandt and his advice. However, careful and thoughtful study, coupled with the workbook questions and activities by Kerry Skinner, can bring about realization and permanent changes in the reader's life. I believe this book is carefully written and the stories and scripture can be used by the Spirit to expose area(s) of our life that require repentance and not just relief. I have personally found this book to be a very effective help when dealing with a difficult situation.

Apart from the Bible, this workbook is the best tool available to show people how to know Christ and how to live the Christian life in the power of the Holy Spirit. It teaches people what sin is and how to deal with it. I have used this book for 20+ years with individuals and groups and it is the best tool I have found to help people live the victorious Christian life.

Do you want to learn how to cope with a problom or would you rather find a solution to your problem? If you are searchng for real answers on how to live in this very busy and hectic world you need to read this book. Dr. Brandt will give you wonderful insights on how we can live life to the fullest.

This book is great in cutting through all of the psychobabble, helping us get to "The Heart of the Problem", and discovering God's powerful life-changing solutions from the Bible. This book is not secular psychotherapy with a thin veneer of scripture, it is scripturally based from the beginning. I use it as a workbook for those I counsel with great success. I have never heard anything but praise for this book from anyone who has used it. It is worth far more than the current price!

I have a ten year old son who does not enjoy reading, but he got all of the Herbie Jones books that I could find for Christmas and he loved them. He had read them all by the end of January. There seems to be much more out there for girls so I was thrilled to find something for boys.

(...)We just read Herbie Jones and we think it is the best book on Earth! We don't like reading usually, but we liked this book and we hope you do too. The main character is Herbie Jones. (...) He lives in Connecticut just like us. He has a big sister Olivia just like one of us.

Herbie loves to read but he doesn't do well on his assignments. He can do anything if he puts his mind to it, like moving up to the next higher reading group, "The Chargers." Herbie's friend, Raymond, also wants to go up to the higher reading group, but it's really hard for him. The other characters in the book include his friend Raymond and Annabelle, Margie and his teacher, Miss Pinkham. His parents and sister are also in the book. Herbie also made two spider friends in his bathroom at home. He always comes home after school to tell his spiders, Gus and Spike, about his day.

The author did a good job describing Raymond's cheeseburger because it made us want to eat a cheeseburger too. There are some gross parts, like when Herbie found bones in the boys' bathroom and the girls found blood on the bathroom mirror. It's a mystery who put those things in the bathrooms. The girls in our reading didn't like that but the boy in our group thought it was cool. Herbie is brave when he has to help Annabelle by going in the girls' room. One of the chapters is called The Murder, but we will not tell you anything about that chapter. One of our favorite parts is when Herbie and Raymond get back together as friends.

We wish there was a movie of Herbie Jones. We would like to read other books of Herbie Jones.

Herbie Jones is an awesome book. Herbie Jones is about a kid and how he is. He is brave because he snuck off and got a hamburger. Herbie is funny because he is trying to get on honor roll. At the beginning he got a 100 on his spelling test. Raymond bought Mrs. Pinkham a purple magic marker because he likes her as a teacher. At the end of the book Herbie's sister killed his pet spiders because she was cleaning the house. Herbie's mom got a new job. You should try reading this book.

In the same genre as Junie B. Jones, this book is easy to read and funny. My third grader, who has a learning disability, liked it, and we have found very few books that he likes. Example: the boys in the book think that RSVP means "remove shoes very promptly," so they wonder why they're the only two who took their shoes off at a birthday party. Because it's a clever book, I don't mind listening while my son reads it aloud to me.

This book was very encouraging to me because I felt that the author was my own mentor, as I am preparing to be a pastor's wife. She shared so many personal life expereinces, which I can tell will be relevant in my own life. I am thankful for her incredible encouragement to women and the transparency of her spiritual walk. This book will encourage you too!!

Even for someone not in full-time ministry this book really shows an example of what one could face when you committ your life to God's work. I would recommend it anyone either in ministry or considering it. And though it's for women, any man, either married or engaged to a woman who will be involved in ministry would find it useful to see what she will be dealing with.

"Even in those cheerless time which will come, we can affirm that they are neither the terminus nor the norm of experience. Instead, they are points of growth from which can emerge a clearer vision of how to reflect the splendor of God and the joys of personal relationships. God means for us to finish strong."

This quote is from the introduction to Gail MacDonald's book-High Call, High Privilege: A Pastor's Wife Speaks to Every Woman in a Place of Responsibility. I like this quote because "finishing strong" is something that I think about and pray for often. At the end of Paul's life he writes to Timothy,

"I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith."
(2 Timothy 4:7)

I remember reading this verse in a Bible class my first year of college and being inspired by Paul's confidence. I talked about it with my professor after class because I was baffled that Paul could say "I have," I asked my professor if that was a little arrogant and assumptive of Paul. At the time I thought most people should say it this way, "I've tried to fight the good fight, I've finished as much of the race as I could, I've done my best to keep the faith." The professor explained to me that through God's power, Paul was able to accomplish all that the Lord had called him to do in this life. God had saved Paul and then had completed the good work He had started in him. He said, "God can do this work in your life too, so that one day you could say these things with confidence."

High Call, High Privilege is a testimonial/autobiography of MacDonald's journey through life in church ministry. Her statement "God means for us to finish strong" is a theme that stood out to me throughout the book. Even when she faced disappointment, testing, pain and brokenness, she viewed them as "points of growth" in her walk with the Lord and was able to find joy in them. Her story was a huge inspiration to me of an example of a supportive wife, loving mother, and gentle and nurturing friend to all around her.

This book is brimming with practical lessons. As I read it I began to put in to practice some of MacDonald's disciplines that have shaped her life and ministry. MacDonald writes in such a personal way-weaving Biblical thought throughout her story-I began to think of her as a mentor to me. Some of things the Lord taught her were so encouraging-

Tend The Fire Within

In the first chapter MacDonald presents this concept of "time at the fire." She tells a story that as a new Christian, she heard an old missionary speak and he said, "Untended fires soon die and become just a pile of ashes." He said that the fire burns in the heart of the one who follows Christ and this flame cannot go unmanaged or it will dwindle into ashes.

MacDonald writes:

"My life was altered by that simple statement...It all begins with the fire within and your heart attitude. Tending the fire within is another way of talking about being open to the presence of Christ. It is what makes me long for his likeness, offers direction and stability, established proper motives and responses. Here is is that the real issues of the Christian faith are thought out and pressed into action." (p. 2)

I really liked this analogy of my relationship with Christ as a fire. John gives us an account of Christ with His disciples that made this concept poignant for me. In John 21 Christ is risen and the disciples see Him and make their way to shore. When they get there He is sitting with a fire and breakfast. This idea of us meeting Jesus at the "fire" to eat and learn is profound. Spending time in prayer with the Lord, studying His Word is vital and this is where life starts. Until this is understood and actualized all we are doing is in vain.

MacDonald closes her thoughts on this concept by writing:

"It takes time to come to the fire, it takes effort to keep the fire burning, it takes a willingness to become quiet enough to hear what God might be saying and it takes courage to snuff out the competing sounds and demands that attempt to shorten or neutralize the effect of the fire time.

But here is the great choice that must be made virtually everyday. Do I give priority attention to tending the fire within, or do I surrender to the alternatives of busyness, hurry, people pleasing, or the seemingly urgent that slowly starves my spirit and my resolve to be the woman God wants me to be? If that fire burns brightly, I share the experience of the disciples; of it dwindles unattended, I am gradually surrounded by a chill marking the onset of weakness and confusion." (p. 5)

Be Hospitable

Romans 12:13 commands believers to "practice hospitality." Hospitality is a spiritual gift (1 Peter 4:9) and one I have seen the Lord develop in my own life. I really gleaned from MacDonald's thoughts on this-

"We decided to use our home as a tool...Gordon and I wanted to know people better and to serve them. We were hoping that people would be drawn to one another as a result of being in our home. Those nights added a warmth and an acceptance in many people's hears that would not have happened had we not developed such close contact."

What a beautiful lesson. This so resounded with me, that I immediately talked with my husband about making our home open to people so that we can know and serve them. I desire those same things MacDonald shares for my home. Too often we feel disconnected and distant from people in our church bodies, even friends, because we allow ourselves to become too busy and closed to be bothered with having to straighten up the house and fix a nice meal. I hope this is something the Lord will continue to work out in our lives as we make ourselves more open to people by being hospitable to them!

What is your sermon?

If you are a wife of a husband who teaches, you know the rigors that a pastor puts into his sermon. Each week I try to devote myself to helping Bobby prepare his sermon. That doesn't mean I'm sitting with him going over Greek verbs and Bible commentaries. But I try to do what it takes to help him prepare a sermon that will be a tool in God's hand to work in the lives of our students. MacDonald writes about supporting her husband in this way and shares about an insight her husband had about her asking,

"What is Gail's sermon? It's the home she prepares for the children and me. Gail preached her sermon when she cooked a meal...kept the house neat, and planted flowers in the front yard."

I really related to this concept of a "home" sermon. MacDonald writes about how her husband wanted to hear and enjoy the "sermons" in her life. This point was particularly motivating for me because I asked myself, "Do I give myself rigorously and carefully to what God has called me to do?" God has called my husband to preach sermons. He has called me to do something for Him. Am I working diligently to deliver those "sermons" in my life?

I have benefited from numerous other lessons from this book. MacDonald writes about marriage, children, relating better with people, being a godly friend. If you read this book, do so with discernment, as you should respond to everything. Some of her conclusions I did not share-she writes a lot about the temperaments. In chapter ten she reveals a dark time in her life when she struggled through the pain of her husband having committed adultery. For a couple of weeks I couldn't finish reading because I had come to respect this couple so much and then was bulldozed by the grueling reality that this pastor and husband had not kept his calling. I was very disappointed, not by the fact of sin, but that the two of them kept this secret for a time while he still held the position he was no longer qualified to hold. Later they even returned to the position of pastor, so the book's end was not as high as it started.

I would recommend this to any woman who's life is devoted to ministry, not just a pastor's wife. I was sharpened and encouraged by MacDonald's journey and I hope that someday I will be able to look back over so many years and see God's hand at work in my life and our ministry.

This book is thought provoking, encouraging, and convicting. I was changed in the reading of it. Buy it, read it, again and again.

All too often, meetings are dominated by two or three people who are more interested in hearing themselves talk than in maximizing the productivity of the group. Furthermore, how often have you left a meeting feeling frustrated that nothing got accomplished?

This book contains a number of systematic recommendations on how to handle these and many other pitfalls. The authors offer dozens of insights, some of which are common sense (for example, no personal attacks) while others are very creative methods to keep meeting attendees involved and accountable. One such idea is to recognize how the group makes decisions - consensus, chair's discretion, voice vote, or secret ballot - and rotate these techniques so that no single personality type is always in control.

Be warned that there are no eye-catching graphics or hip cultural references here. But if you want a no-nonsense, no-frills, textbook-like primer on how to get the most out of your meetings, check out this material.

My team and I at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society are proud to be highlighted as a case study in the book. Pat Sanaghan's direct work with us, which started with the effective meeting profile survey, established a clear base line for us to better utilize our strengths and understand our challenges regarding meeting management. We are putting our learnings into practice and have become a model team in the organization as a result. The book is an valuable tool for any business or organization that is "meeting driven". Thanks Pat!

I highly recommend this book to any group who wants to uncover opportunities! It helps break down group interactions into manageable parts that are not too overwhelming to understand. Once the opportunities for improvement are identified, the book helps to guide a group through next steps. It doesn't just identify the problem areas, but provides solutions as well. This book is very valuable.

This meeting inventory has taken our meetings to a new level of productivity. It was so easy to administer and score, plus it gives ideas for how to improve the areas that we needed to work on. I recommend this meeting survey to any leader who is serious about having meetings that are both enjoyable and productive. A great find for our organization.

Hiring Great People provides an excellent, common sense approach to handling some of today's more challenging staffing issues. From recruiting to orientation and everything in between, hiring managers can depend on the sound advice presented by Klinvex, Klinvex and O'Connell.

Whether in your briefcase or on the bookshelf, this is a must have for the human resources professional or for any professional involved in selection and hiring. This book is really appropriate for any audience. I have used it as a textbook with my graduate personnel selection classes.

Hiring Great People is a well-written, easy to read book. At the same time, it presents highly technical information in a format which demonstrates how such information can be turned into practice. There are may useful hints, guidelines and forms in the book. As I have indicated above, I have used this book as a text in graduate courses. It is more valuable than books which cost five times as much.

This is not a book about fluff or fads -- it deals with the latest research and technology in the practice of personnel selection in a highly readable fashion. I find myself turning to it repeatedly for advice on topics such as interviewing and competency assessment.

Kevin C. Klinvex, Matthew S. O'Connell, and Christopher P. Klinvex present a guide to creating a more effective hiring process. They cover each step, from defining the job to hiring the best person. The book provides techniques for attracting the right employees through advertising and promotion. It also covers effective use of applications, interviews, testing, and background checks. This book is clear, well-organized, and easy-to-read. While some of the suggestions may be obvious to those who are experienced at hiring, they are presented in a careful, step-by-step way. We at getAbstract recommend this book to those involved in the hiring process in larger companies, from company owners and top managers to human resource professionals. Small business owners who wish to use more sophisticated hiring techniques may also find it useful.

Not another book on hiring! Enough! Can any more be said that hasn't been said already? Can the same information be presented any better than it has before?

I'll admit that I opened this book, part of McGraw-Hill's Briefcase series, with a bias to dismiss the publication as just another also-ran. Surprise! Hiring Great People caught my attention right away and held it for most of the book. Starting with the three-page detailed table of contents, the book was easy to read and easy to use. A Manager's Checklist at the end of each chapter offers a good summary for reality-checking and later reference.

I liked the way each chapter begins with a scenario, usually including dialog, that catches the reader's attention and focuses on the problem to be solved by the chapter's content. Nicely done. An abundance of examples aid in understanding of the authors' points and in the practical application of the knowledge presented. A common feature of the Briefcase books is effective use of icons to call out sidebars and boxes that highlight and amplify the text. The boxes are categorized as Smart Managing (tactics), Caution (warnings), Tricks of the Trade, Key Terms (jargon explained), Examples, Tools (proven procedures), and Mistake Proofing (how to minimize the risk of a bad hire).

The book begins with an emphasis on competency-based job descriptions. Helpful information includes definitions of competencies and advice on conducting a competency analysis. The second chapter jumps right in with the legal stuff that employers must be wary of today. A number of pertinent laws are carefully explained so the reader knows what to do and how to avoid costly mistakes. The chapter on attracting the right employees (note: not just warm bodies) addresses recruiting as well as what today's workers are looking for. The table on page 47 provides information on over a dozen internet sites that can be used for recruiting.

So now we have all these applications coming in. What should we do with them? Chapter 4 shows us how to use those applications as screening tools in our efforts to find the right people to bring in for interviews. Chapter 5 does the same thing with resumes. Frankly, I was astonished at the volume of advice; I learned about tools and procedures that opened my eyes about my own hiring. The next two chapters on interviewing was equally valuable; again, I gained knowledge that I didn't have before. Just when you think you know it all, this kind of book comes along to remind you and give you some more.

Do these applicants really care about working here, or are they just looking for a job? Chapter 8 shows us how to evaluate how motivated that applicant is to perform. The interviewing approaches are most useful, as are the charts and score sheets to help the interviewer focus on what's most important. Testing and background checks were discussed next-good sequencing of chapters. I thought the chapter on testing got a bit too deep in testing methodology for a book like this, but the information is interesting.

The chapter on making the hiring decisions and notifying applicants includes a weighting system that helps put appropriate emphasis on the most important characteristics. I liked the advice about sending polite rejection letters promptly. There are so many applicants that wait a long time-nervously and needlessly. Chapter 12 advises wise ways to bring new employees on board with the right kind of offer of employment and the subsequent orientation process. The final chapter on blended workforces highlighted the alternatives that employers have today, using part-timers, job-share, and contingent workers to get the job done.

This book takes you into the daily life of the author and shares the difficult things that can happen when you have a child who has special needs--and of course all the difficult questions that you will want to ask--or shout at God. She shares how she processes God through this experience. She reaches across the page to truthfully share her grief with parents so they too can know that the grief they feel is not a problem to be solved and not a goal to be worked through, but rather something that we live through and adjust with while God works on us along the way. She speaks about how these experiences relate to belief in a loving God and how over time God can help you process and shape a new reality with your child. Most of all, this book provides hope...seeing how this author has come through her difficulties--not with pat answers--but truthfully asking some very difficult questions and finding strength in meeting the challenges that have come along the way. I'm anxiously awaiting her sequel...

If you want to know how you can really help someone who has a family member with disabilities, you must read this book. It is funny and sad. Mrs. Bolduc transforms her feelings into easily read words. You will want to meet this special mom and child for yourself!

I have finally found a book written by a mom who was a Christian before the birth of her son Joel.This mom tells of her journey of
of raising her son(from birth) to be included in her church family and of the rejection of that same community by their indifference. Finding a church when you have a child with special needs is still a challenge in the year 2001! I have met Kathy and know that her journey with her son and finding a welcoming church are not over but,she is hopeful. This book will affirm anyone else who has been here. Her other book A Place Called Acceptance is also another five star read.

Dyer Bolduc brings the reader into her family and her heart as she tells the story of her son's autism and retardation. Her scriptural references and prayers add to what is already a deeply spiritual journey. I didn't turn a page without learning something new or being touched. Any mother can relate to her struggles.