Language Arts Books

I bought these books for my granddaughters and we have enjoyed them together. It's a wonderful way to encourage young artists to expand their talent. My daughter is a teacher and is excited to use them also.

These books are incredibly helpful for teaching art, and for a supplement to science and history. We use something else for handwriting but no matter - they are a huge asset even if you just use them for learning to draw. I highly recommend splurging and buying the whole set at once as it makes the cost of the books only $7.50 each (at $60 for a set of 8) and then you have a wide variety of subject matter handy when you need it. I must say that for whatever reason though, this item took forever to get to me. I love Amazon and had never, and have never again experienced such a long delay, but of couse it was well worth the wait!

We love these books. We home-school and have been using these books since the beginning of the school year. My two boys are older, 3rd and 5th grade, but we still use this to practice cursive writing and to work on basic drawing skills. It has really helped the boys to break down their drawing subjects in simple shapes. The kids really like the animals in the last few books. We would recommend these for any family.

This book set is engaging and fun for children. The books show pictures that were drawn by other children. Each lesson has an object or scene for drawing and writing. The lesson includes a picture which has about six to eight consecutive and detailed steps to help the child complete the picture. The child is encouraged to look at the whole picture and then focus on the simple and common shapes that are arranged together to complete the picture. There are teaching tips that are easy to implement. The writing portion of the book is suitable for younger, early elementary aged children, however the drawing portion of the book is suitable for older children as well as younger. It is easy to adapt the writing portion to meet the needs of the older child.

This is a well-rounded approach to developing fine motor skills and an inspirational resource for learning how to draw better. The only critical remark I have is that IMO it would have been better to have the handwriting samples in slanted 'modern' manuscript (a.k.a. d'nealian), rather than the standard manuscript. Graded levels of difficulty in handwriting copy work would also help. As it is, it seems that the drawings are relatively more complicated than the writing.

I have just started to write plays and bought this book based on customer reviews. The reviews were right on, for this author gets his points across in a clear and concise manner. All of his suggestions are so valuable and useful not only for playwrining but fiction writing also. Mr. Catron has a passion that he realtes to the reader, giving them the incentive to start up and keep going to completion. Great book!

I only have one negative thing to say about Louis E. Catron's "The Elements of Playwriting," so I'll get it out of the way right off.

In various spots in the book, he makes critical remarks about both soap operas and the "Perry Mason" TV series that make me wonder if he's ever actually watched them. The writing cautions he connects with the remarks (respectively, always make sure your characters' emotions are motivated, and avoid a "deux ex machina" ending) are absolutely legitimate, but using these as illustrations are simply untrue.

In most other books such false reporting would seriously damage the writer's credibility in my view, and indeed it's the one thing that keeps me from awarding a full 5 stars. The one saving grace in Catron's case is that every other piece of advice is illustrated accurately, if not explicitly in the text. He shows quite well how to make your story appeal to directors, actors, and audiences, not only explaining what they look for but illustrating how to achieve it.

As with any book on writing, this is meant to be a book of ideas, suggestions, and recommendations to empower us as writers rather than restrain us. Where an accepted "rule" goes against the story we want to tell, we're expected to be true to the story rather than the rule. Every other book on this topic has taken this attitude, but Catron consistently takes the next step and cites plays that illustrate how nearly every rule has been broken by a successful play, and why that play succeeded in spite of breaking that rule.

Catron is a completist in other ways as well, taking the reader from the conception of a story all the way to a list of playwright's resources (such as directories of literary agents).

Whether your playwriting is a hobby, a sideline, or a prospective career - or even an established one - I highly recommend this book.

The Elements of Playwriting is a great book for anyone who wants to understand what it takes to write a play. Catron goes over everything a person needs to know including creating characters, building a plot, and constructing dialogue. I really liked the chapter on What Makes a Play.

Even if you are not a Playwright, but you are involved in the theatre in another capacity, such as an actor or stage manager - you would still benefit greatly by reading this book. It will give you a great understanding of what a Playwright must accomplish in order to get his play to the stage.

I completed the first draft of my play "American Brass" back in 1999. It was pretty awful. Then, I found this wonderful book by Prof. Catron. Following the guidelines and inspiration contained in his book I eventually transformed the draft into a stageworthy script.

Before reading his up front advice "Don't show anyone your first draft", I had given a reader a look at the play. The reader, an experienced theater person, tried to be helpful with constructive comments, which I came to understand after reading Catron's book meant - I had no plot, my characters were flat and I was writing narrratives rather than dialogue.

This book provides a clear understandable guide to the structure and dynamics of a successful play and how to write one. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.. and before each rewrite review Caron's book for insight and inspiration.

There's also practical advice - look to get your play on stage not necessarily on Broadway. So I had a high school do a reading and then a church group and now I have the area community theater interested in a full production.

Thank you Prof. Catron

I am a Midwestern physician by day and fledgling playwright by night. One year ago I decided to take an idea to paper and wrote my first play. The story was clear in my mind so the writing went easy. Within six weeks I had completed a rough first draft. At this point I ventured over to the local bookstore to see what books they had on playwriting. There were several, but Louis Catron's The Elements of Playwriting caught my immediate attention. Standing there, I skimmed the contents then read a few pages. The book was full of pearls gleaned obviously from a lifetime of experience in the theater. I bought the book and ordered a coffee to read more, (isn't that the way it always happens?)

Catron goads our left and right brains into action in ten chapters that range from how to get the play started, formatting the text and incorporating Aristotle's six elements of live theater into the work, to suggestions on getting your work published and performed. Various exercises to get the point across are used along the way. The book is a joy to read; a superb "nuts and bolts" treatise for the novice and veteran writer alike. I pick up something new each time I read it. I particularly enjoyed the discussion on how to be a playwright, involving as much with how one "thinks" as what ones "does."

In my opinion, Louis Catron's The Elements of Playwriting is the best book on the subject out there. It helped me complete my play and make it a more polished work. The book would be perfect as the main textbook in any college playwriting class. Louis Catron's "Elements" certainly "plays in the heartland!"

Wow! I'm so glad this book is still a hit. I still have the one that was issued to me in 1975 in ninth grade English. I have used it ever since, including for my bachelor's and two master's degrees. The spine is faded pink from sitting in the sun on my reference bookshelf for the last 33 years. This book is single best source you can find for grammar specifics; language structure; expository writing; or tweaking your writing for the essay section on the SAT or a back-to-school paper. A true treasure that is as useful today as it was long ago.

This book was issued to me in my senior year in high school in 1976. I have kept it by my side, has helped me through my college years and then with my children, and now that I have decided to go back to school and am studying translation, I have taken it out of the bookshelf once again because the books we were assigned do not even come close to the perfection (in my idea) of this book. It has traveled with me through the different countries that I have lived in. It is truly a jewel of a book as far as how it is organized, explained and the exercises are very helpful to reinforce what you are trying to learn.

I purchased this book to add to my library after reading several reviews on Amazon. The book has some valuable information, but you can obtain most of the same information from Strunk & White's "The Elements of Style."

I have the 1965 (!) version of this book! I used it in GRADE SCHOOL. I used it as a reference in HIGH SCHOOL. I used it as a reference in COLLEGE. I used it as a reference in GRADUATE SCHOOL. My daughters used it (as a reference) in GRADE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE and now GRADUATE SCHOOL. My son is now using it! During homework, there was always a call for "Dad, can I borrow that red English book?" There isn't anything else like it, not today. It explains, illustrates and gives practical examples of English like no other textbook. it's built as a REFERENCE TEXTBOOK, something few books do today. Textbooks used to be like this once. I was on Amazon and wondered by chance if it were still available, I'd like to get an updated copy. I was stunned to not only find one, but find that every single reviewer felt that same way about this book! You absolutely MUST have this as part of your personal reference along with you home medical books and such! When your child asks, "So, dad, mom- is it "lay" or "lie?" - you'll go running for this book, I guarantee!

I picked up this book after it was recommended by Stephen King in his book "On Writing" pages 121-122 (hardback). Mr. King was right, this is a good book and it has everything you need to become a good writer. I have not reached that point yet, but I know I will eventually get there with the help of this book.

What a delicious book! From the juicy pomegranate art on the cover to the final writing prompt, this book is a feast for women writers. Structured around the growing cycle--seeds, roots, trunk, branches, leaves, buds, flowers, fruit, and seeds again--each section begins and ends with a meditation centered on a particular fruit that will provoke a new level of sensual writing for participants. As much a celebration of life in the body as it is a writing guide, it offers a fresh and succulent approach to what can become a rote exercise for those who journal a great deal.

Gayle Brandeis is an award-winning author and poet with a gift for choosing poems and quotes which insist on a response from the reader. When I pick up this book and thumb through it, I HAVE to write! If the poems don't get you, then her questions or examples from her own life will. For instance, this poem by Marge Piercy, followed by Brandeis' prompts:


In her bottled up is a woman peppery as curry,
a yam of a woman of butter and brass,
compounded of acid and sweet like a pineapple,
like a hand grenade set to explode,
like goldenrod ready to bloom.

What woman is bottled up inside of you? What woman is ready to explode or bloom under your skin? Write from the voice of the woman who simmers inside you, the woman who hasn't been fully born, fully released yet. What does this woman want to tell you? How can you help her find her way into the world?"

Have you grabbed a pen and notebook yet? This distinctive, unique approach to journal writing is bound to jolt you out of your complacency and drudgery--and you will never look at fruit the same way again! Let Gayle have the last words, from the final paragraph of her juicy book: "What seedlings are sprouting inside you? Let them grow; continue to nourish them as they push their way into the light. Keep listening to your own inner impulses. Let yourself be witness to your own gorgeous unfolding."

Indeed.

by Carolyn Blankenship
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

I was given this book as a gift several months ago - and it's languished on my Bookshelf of the Unread. I picked it up 2 days ago, read it, and figuratively ate it up. Very much a woman writer's book, Fruitflesh uses the growing cycles of flowers and fruits as metaphors for the structure of writing, a unique approach that will appeal to those of us who struggle with the writing muse each and every day. As in other books for writers, yes, there are writing exercises, and yes, there is advice, but here's the difference: Brandeis offers lush and bountiful suggestions for medications that will help bring to fruition the prose we KNOW we have within us. This book is designed to help us find the true sources of our creativity
It's a feast, and halfway through Fruitflesh, you can almost feel the juice of a peach running down your chin.
Excellent. It's easy to see that the author is also a poet.

Collected poems from diverse writers celebrate deep connections between body and earth. The common thread here is imagery concerning fruit, in all of its seasons. With suggestions and writing prompts, and meditations on the nature of imagination and growth, this volume is a welcome companion to the writer's life. Seeds of Inspiration for anyone, not only female, who wants to explore connections to earth's cycles and elements. Recommended as a resource for teachers at all grade levels (adapt examples to your student's level).

I bought this book because I had read some great reviews about it on another web site. Truth be told, I am not even much of a writer - I am a mixed-media artist and visual journaler. The book sat on my bookshelf for a month and a half, waiting it's turn in my reading queue. I started to read this book last night and could hardly put it down. I was hooked by the introduction alone! I rarely can finish an introduction much less will I pull out a highlighter to mark drops of wisdom found in the beginning pages. The language is engaging, poetic and very visual - as a visual artist this is probably a huge part of the appeal to me. If you are a writer, an artist or a woman - I really recommend that you put out the $16 for this book - it is worth every penny and more!

Unlike many writing books that offer random topics and one-liners to inspire your creativity, Fruitflesh takes your mind into your own life, mind and body from the perspective of a fruit -- organic, raw, growing, changing. On days when I think there is nothing to write about, I open Fruitflesh. If I don't find something new in myself to explore, I at least find a new way of seeing the writing process and how my life is very much connected with it. Fruitflesh sits on my writing desk, constantly waiting to be thumbed through and explored.

This book has lots of good ideas that can be implemented in writing workshops for any age.

This book gives great ideas on how to stimulate your child's interest in writing it's ideas are so practical and user friendly that anyone can start to apply it right away.

This is a great book. I just received it and have put it to good use with my students. I look forward to using it with my own children too!

I wish I had had this book when my son was younger. He learned to read and do math at grade level, but not writing. After I read this book in the library I decided to purchase it so I could work with him in the summer on improving his writing skills. This is a great book if your child is not having other learning disabilities, but struggles with writing.

This is a wonderful book for the homeschooling environment. First, the author is a tutor for children struggling with public school methods, so she offers enjoyable, imaginative alternatives to the plug and chug kids get in school. Second, as a tutor, the author works with children primarily one-on-one. These games, therefore, lend themselves naturally to the experience of home schooling. Third, the author provides meaningful explanation of the kinds of writing and thinking skills each game addresses; in this sense, these games are more than games. Finally, many of these games can be tied in easily to whatever other content you may be covering at the moment. For example, I found a wonderful game in here that I plan on using when my son and I cover the artistic concept of "line". I also appreciate the chart in the back of the book that categorizes each game according to grade level.

On the whole, the author takes a "bottom up" approach to writing. Ditch the spelling tests and grammar grind for now, and teach kids to love writing by providing writing exercises that they'll love. She respects and celebrates the kidness of kids.

You can really get several years of use out of this book, even with no other writing book.

Who doesn't like Cliff Notes? We used them to help our kids do several projects for Language Arts class. Teachers assigned a lot of projects and they were difficult...this helped a great deal for different ideas and angles on the story.

This is a book for all ages. Although the book is at a low reading level, it has a universal concept of difference and the effect on the world today, that is better used even as a high school student or adult. The Giver is undoubtedly one of the best books I have ever read,and it has educated me on how differences are so important, although cliche, this brings a new meaning to conformity and a world without differences. The first word that comes to mind about this book is beauty, although in this case, that comes to me with the unsettling feeling of this perhaps a truth of the future.

I have always wondered what this book was about, and I finally found the time to read it for a LA project. The author used a lot of imagination and was very creative when she formed the perfect world that Jonas lived in. This book has some good morals behind it, but I think it is rather dull and could use more suspense. I was very disappointed with the shortness of the book and the ending. Even though I do enjoy making up endings on my own, Lois Lowry has stopped the book right at the climax. I believe that she should have elaborated and given more information that would help bring the story to a wonderful ending. Over all this book is a great book to read for pleasure.

I like the book it is different, because of the way she uses the different world how they can't make different choices. I thought that she used new words to express the feelings about Jonas and The Giver. I also thought that she used the advantage of them not having choices, because it made them realised that "Elswhere" really exixted.
I didn't like the ending it was making me hang of the edge of my seat. It made me think about the ending and how Jonas got to elsewhere. She needs more of the ending or the sequel to the book. I do agree about the way she described about not having a sequal though.

My teacher read this book to us in English class for a unit. I really liked this book because it makes you think or imagine what could have happened to Jonas and Gabe. I know in my class when we finished the book, my teacher asked us what we thought happened at the end, so we all gave our ideas. Some kids said that he got a job or got married or died. Anything could have happened to them. Thats why I liked this book.

Do you remember Golden Books as a child. Do you still read them to your children? Then you won't want to miss this fascinating history.

If the names Poky Little Puppy, Tawny Scrawny Lion and Tootle bring a smile to your face, than this book might just be for you. Golden Legacy is extensively illustrated with a detailed history of the writers, artists and publishers of the Golden Book series. As a Disney fan, I especially appreciated the piece on Mary Blair's Golden Book work. I would have given this book 3-4 stars if I were just interested in the illustrations, but it is definitely a 5 star book because of the extensive history of the books.

I ordered this book because I worked for the company for 5 years and so I had a special interest in the subject. Honestly, I can't imagine why anyone else would have a burning interest in the subject. Too bad I wasn't able to read the book before I went to work for the company...I would have known who was most important there and why. In any case, I liked the book but am not sure I would recommend it.

If you grew up reading Little Golden Books, you will likely find this book very worthwhile. Along with it being an enjoyable trip down memory lane, it's full of interesting "behind the scenes" information. 2 things prevent me from giving it 5 stars: narrative is not the author's strong suit, so it's often difficult to keep track of the various people and logistics of the company, and the book ends rather abruptly. The other minor aggravation is that the captions for all the pictures on any 2 facing pages all appear under one picture. Nevertheless, I'm glad to have this volume in my library.

For the last 65 years, children have grown up on The Poky Little Puppy, The Color Kittens, The Saggy Baggy Elephant, Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever, dozens of other Golden Books titles. To celebrate the legacy of this innovative publishing venture, Leonard S. Marcus has released the art book "Golden Legacy: How Golden Books Won Children's Hearts, Changed Publishing Forever, and Became an American Icon Along the Way." The collection is not only an exquisitely beautiful celebration of our collective childhood, but the rich history of the publishing company that changed the face of literacy in America.

The first Golden Books, published in 1942, were distributed through supermarket chains at a retail price of 25 cents. At the time, paper shortages had increased the average cost of children's picture books to $2, putting them financially out of reach for many consumers. Librarians initially resisted the mass-produced books with a place to draw your name inside, but parents could purchase a title a week, children could devour the books on the go like any other toy, and television and cartoon marketers quickly seized cross-promotional opportunities. Golden Books succeeded at their goal of democratizing reading and personal book ownership for families across America.

Given that this title was published by Golden Books, the overall tone is rather celebratory, but author Marcus does not censor all detractors. He covers the controversial flat fee payments to the creative talents behind early titles. Those authors and illustrators have received no residuals from books which are still bestsellers today, 65 years later.

A 2007 copy of The Poky Little Puppy is nearly identical to the original 1942 edition that launched a publishing empire. After reading Golden Legacy, the reader may well be inspired to seek out copies of both for his or her personal library.

I haven't tried to get my script published yet, so I can't honestly say if this book "works" or not. Also, it's the first book on script writing/selling that I've read. So that said, while I don't have any comparisons to other books that I can make, I can say that this books was a good introduction to a world I was pretty unfamiliar with.

I liked the easy to follow format and structure of the book, as well as the authors' realistic but optimistic approach. I was pleased that the authors' presented varying points of view regarding various topics (i.e. sending scripts vs. query letters). Also, the resource list in the back, and glossary at the beginning, are wonderful for someone (like myself) who doesn't know where to start.

An interesting and fun read, and a seemingly practical approach. I felt like I learned something!

It is a ggod book, but in the entertainment word it is not what you know, but who you know.

Writing a screenplay for the movies or for television is only the beginning of the process. Once the script is written it must be pitched (sold) to a studio executive or a production company producer. Expertly co-authored by veteran script writers Lydia and Joan Wilen, "How To Sell Your Screenplay: A Realistic Guide To Getting A Television Or Film Deal" provides an informed and informative introduction to how the script writing business works, what the components of a professional-looking screenplay are, and how to format a script to make the best impression. "How To Sell Your Screenplay" then goes on to explain the role and importance of agent and managers, producers, lawyers, directors, and actors. Enhanced with the example of an effective query letter, "How To Sell Your Screenplay" also features the 'Square One System' for submitting scripts with a minimum of time, cost and effort, while achieving a maximum of success. Of special value is the up-to-date listing of resources, the advice for improving pitching skills, and avoiding common mistakes in pitching a script. Simply stated, "How To Sell Your Screenplay" should be considered 'must reading' for all aspiring script writers seeking to establish themselves professionally.

There are endless how-to volumes that skirt the necessary information needed to break down the vaulted door to Hollywood. Between the covers of such books are topics ranging from the author's personal brilliance to trivial and irrelevant sidebars. If you like that sort of thing, good news! There's plenty to choose from.

However, Lydia and Joan Wilen have written the authoritative book for beginning scripters. The Wilens have actually had their material produced. That in itself is a feat most screenwriting "experts" can't boast of. So, when they have a suggestion, I pay attention. And what they have to say has led me to a legitimate producer who has requested my script. In fact, favorable suggestions were offered, which I've incorporated into a revised draft that's being read even as this is being written.

The point is, none of this would have occured had I not purchased How to Sell Your Screenplay. My dog-eared copy has helped open a door for me not previously accessible. Buy this book, read it, then read it again before embarking on a journey as treacherous as writing a script - selling it!

Despite the authors' distance from Hollywood and lack of produced experience as screenwriters, they've done a fabulous job--partly because of the excellent rubrics of the SquareOne Writers Guide series--of putting together a solid overview of what's involved in making a screenplay sale. The book contains invaluable sidebars--from sample collaboration agreement to sample query letters--that alone makes it worth the cover price. The systematic approach to marketing, glossary of industry terms, along with advice on containing your ego and controlling your emotions-all add up to making this a must in the Hollywood storyteller's library.

Within a few minutes of reading Inner Drives, I intinctively knew it was going to give me unlimited potential to improve my process forever, both in acting and screenwriting. That was over a year ago and I still read and reread it everyday. An old soul trapped inside me has been set free to create the art I need to show the world. If you have a burning desire to contribute stories that inspire caring, sharing, and growth--BUT ARE LOST AND FRUSTRATED-- Inner Drives will give you an amazing base to start working from. Pamela Jaye Smith's perceptions are like food for the brain and she's tailored the learning process to allow any reader's process to thrive in the mix.
If you're an actor lost in finding a process that works for you, this book will hone your imagination razor sharp and rescue your passion for the craft. Acting classes stress the importance of homework but what does that mean? Where do you start? What is homework? Does creating character biographies seem like guesswork? Do you say your lines a million times in your room hoping for magic to pop out? If so, I urge you to read and reread Inner Drives. Use it like a workbook and watch what starts coming out. Centering your characters using the Chakras will open up a whole new creative world you did not know existed.
If you're a screenwriter who's stuck staring at a blank page, take some time out and start reading Inner Drives. Soak up the Chakras centres, swim in the duality of Sliding Scales, and play with the Pairs of Centres. Feed your imagination to find out what motivates your characters and how you need to test them. Pamela Jaye Smith gives you a map to find the hidden treasures in your storytelling. Mythological archytypes resonate deep within the human chord allowing rich characters, both flawed and fantastic, to show up on the page.

Sean O'Brian,
Actor, Screenwriter
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1694574/

And I thought I knew about acting. You know nothing until you apply this book. You can forget the first two chapters. Go back and read them later for a "wow" crash course in philosophy. Just accept that the chakra system works as viable structure (and how) start at chapter three and apply to your craft. Ms. Smith knows her stuff. I get so excited with this stuff.

So many books on the acting craft never get down to the fact that you are an actor helping tell a story; a story that you tell with other people onstage and offstage. This book will show you you where you fit in to the ensemble and what you need to do so your character is true to life. Like Michael Shurtleff's "Audition," it takes a subjective art form, acting, and makes it objective. You get to view your work from outside yourself, and where to apply everything else you have learned. Not until now have I found anything that helped me do that. I have tried Inner Drives and am having a blast. You will be making choices that people will want to see and keep coming back to you for more. You will never read or act a script the same way again.

Plus, it's a damn good read about movies.

There are some basic principles to writing good characters into novels and dramas and with them the aspiring screenwriter or novelist can produce powerful, three-dimension figures. Inner Drives: How To Write & Create Characters Using The Eight Classic Centers Of Motivation surveys these principles from the world of mythology, using plenty of examples teamed with exercises to help writers structure characters, devise subplots, make logical connections and more. Chapters discuss 'inner drive centers', link art and writing to New Age concepts, and survey archetypes and classic examples.

I don't understand why the consensus rating is 5/5. I found this book extremely wordy and it reads like a history book. If you want dozens of pages on the historical aspects of (insert your favorite chakra here), then this book is for you. If you want to see the same movies quoted and re-quoted over and over as examples of (insert your favorite chakra here), then this book is for you. If your idea of fun is combing through over one hundred pages dripping with hippy-isms looking for the "meat" you can use, then this book is for you. However, if you want a book that gives you a fair amount of background on a subject, fresh movie examples, and then leaves you with concrete ideas and examples of how to leverage the content matter to improve your characters and stories, then this book is not for you.

Notice how many times I repeat "this book is for you" and you'll get the idea of how this books reads. I am disappointed, especially given the 5/5 rating. It's more a 2/5 in my opinion, I got almost nothing useful out of it.

Wow. This is a great screenwriting book -- but it's so much more. Not only does it give you a better understanding of character, but it gives you a better understanding of human nature!

Pamela Jaye Smith has written one of the most intelligent, thought-provoking, and in-depth explanations and explorations on the key motivational centers of human beings. You won't ust learn how to build better characters, you'll discover how to develop your own character. No kidding. This is not just a manual for better writing -- it's a manual for better living!

Buy it. Devour it. Apply it. And read it again...and again...

"Just Be Honest" is a great resource for home and for work. It's a little book that provides a punch right from the start. You don't have to read page after page of filler. I found it useful immediately.

The company I work for paid for our entire division to attend his seminar. It's simply amazing how much we don't know about effective communication. Just last night I utilized his strategy and it worked flawlessly. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this!

Steve Gaffney has captured the essence of communication and he shows, in simple terms, how to effectively deal with the most common problems that affect our professional and personal relationships. His vivid examples and practical suggestions come together in an easy-to-read book full of helpful information. I would recommend it to anyone who regularly communicates with others!

This book is awesome!
We'd have a lot less problems in this world if everyone read this and implemented the simple steps Steven points out.
The book will help you in all facets of your life!

With this new book Steve Gaffney takes a quantum the leap from run-of-the-mill, motivational, cheer-leader to foundation shaking visionary. The chapter on Columbo should be required reading for anyone interested in succeeding in corporate America. Using Mr. Gaffney's easy to understand strategy I was able to obtain a position in my company that I was woefully underqualified for. As an added bonus I have been able to parlay Gaffney's "Authentic Communication Strategies" into a very active sex-life. Needless to say my "calendar" is full...With quite a bit of variety...If you know what I'm saying.