Works Books

A great book. The title is a little decieving at first because it is more of a story and not the typical "how to" book. I definetly think this is a must read for those interested or unfamiliar with the subject. It's much more of a spiritual approach than physical. A very good book.

This book is essential reading for anyone on the journey of self discovery through the practice of Yoga. It presents the concepts of the Yoga Sutra in easily digested chapters with a heart opening story of love and triumph. This is a wonderful, and powerful book!

Brian

I have read a lot of books that have stirred both my intellect and my heart. This book is amongst some of the best I've read. The translations and explanations of the Sutras in a story form is genious.

A group of teachers in our yoga organization are currently reading and discussing this book. I have found this book to simply, but eloquently describe the lessons to be found in Pantanjali's sutras by providing a fable-like tale to wrap them up like a beautiful package. In fact, I have found it to be quite inspiring; I'm now musing over ways to plant new seeds in my life. The book references each sutra by number as it is introduced so one can use a more academic approach by going to your favorite sutra reference book and researching more fully each one as it comes up.

To try to read and understand Patanjali without knowledge of context and purpose, without a living teacher and community which can show this wisdom incarnated, is almost invariably to invite frustration. The authors of this book use the conceit of a story in the course of which the wisdom of the sutras is unfolded. The translation of the sutras in the story is fresh and accessible. The commentary on them -- in fact the conversation between characters -- expands the reader's understanding. Certain aspects of the story, particularly its closing chapters, require a rather large suspension of disbelief as the tone becomes increasingly like that of a fairy tale. At times, too, the plot plods forward slowly. Although some may cavil at the fact that not all of the sutras are presented and that those that are are not unfolded in order of their appearance in Patanjali, the overall presentation is certainly faithful to the spirit of the whole. No one is likely to regret having read the book and some will surely benefit from it.

The first time I ever stumbled on the word "numinous" was in a doctorate that proposed to analyse vampires as "numinous entities". Then, reading CS Lewis, I again crossed that word's path, and eventually, I decided to read the real thing.

In very short, the numen (from which the word "numinous" is based) is the mysterious, overpowering, and terrifying aspect of the Deity. It is "non-rational" in the sense that it is not to be grasped by concept and ideas, but something to be felt in one's flesh and soul, like actual fear, awe, and majesty.

Otto focuses on that aspect too often neglected by some religious people themselves: the mysterious and unknowable. Fanatics have a tendency to consider only that, to the expense of the rational side of the Deity. But both similarly denature It.

While this book is a classic, and a worthy reading for anyone interested in the subject of God and the studies of religions, I will say that, personally, I seem to have missed out on some of the things mentioned in the book. Maybe I badly read certain parts, or maybe the book is complicated and dense enough that a second reading is required to clearly understand it all. Or both.

In a way, Rudolf Otto gives mysticism the kind of analysis it deserves, and re-establishes those more obscure areas of religiosity as something worthy of our consideration, and undeserving of our scorn.

Like Schleiermacher, Otto wants to theorize a religious faculty completely distinct from the rational, moral, and aesthetic faculties. The object of this faculty is the "holy," which is fearsome, mysterious, and fascinating. Most importantly, it remains essentially distinct from the rational, moral, and aesthetic, which means that any language we use to talk about "numinous" reality will always be analogical. This is important because "the religious" as a distinct category has been under threat since the 18th century (or since Spinoza) by other discourses that effectively explain it away. Otto's contemporary, Freud, was about to deal the religious yet another heavy blow by reducing it to a vestigial remain of infantile narcissism. By only allowing an analogical relation to other discourses, Otto wants to preserve the religious from this encroaching secularization. Of course, it is not certain that his own theory is not a secularization. He does not, after all, make room for miracles (in the strong sense).

I'll admit I was a little surprised at the heavy Christian turn at the end, only because Christianity seems to tame the wildness of the "tremendum" and the "mysterium." All in all, a fascinating and useful read.

The best way to read this book is to HAVE READ IT in a state of obsession years ago and find that its general mood and the texture of its ideas exert a subliminal and subconcious influence on one's concious thought. Taken in parts it contains many assumptions or assertions that are actually quite disputable but in general, as an aesthetic device, it is necessary reading for any spiritual seeker. It is certainly a welcome anti-dote to those spiritual guides that make God out to be a divine butler waiting on his chosen humans beck and call. It also suggests a wilder and more flamoboyant spiritual universe than the one portrayed in so many lesser works. God, if he or she exists, is a wild, ecstatic, and uncontrollable force that transcends the vulgar, petty humanizations we force upon him or her.

The student of human religion is generally confronted with a serious problem; unlike say, science or philosophy, religion is much more strongly dependent on the subject and the social and cultural beliefs in terms of knowledge, practice and belief. It is harder as a historian of religion to divorce any 'essence' of religion or religious knowledge from its context and practice, especially given many of the leading lights of the world's religions seem to emphasize ineffable and unrepeatable subjective experience. Yet it is vital to try and understand religion and what role (if any) it plays in the human quest to understand the universe, and also ourselves.

Otto, a Protestant theologian, offered a concept he called the 'holy.' Also often called the numinious, this was a sense of something being sacred. Holiness gave Being a special set of qualities which set it apart from the universe and its furniture as we 'ordinarily' experience it. This experience is often one of terror and fear in the prophets of monotheistic religions (Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Moses, Abraham, Jesus and Mohammed) while in native and Eastern religions, it can be a sense of power or awe. In this work Otto applies the idea of the Holy to Christianity and other religions, and would later form a critical tool in the phenomenology of religion and religious experience.

This book is essential reading for any scholar of religion or philosopher interested in religion and questions relating to religion and religious experience.

Rudolf Otto(1869-1937) presents the idea of the Holy as that profound, overwhelming feeling of awe that can sometimes strike you regardless of your particular culture and/or religious affiliation, a feeling that's been a part of us since pre-historic times. He calls this feeling the "mysterium tremendum" or the "numinous" and proceeds to describe it in great detail, with examples. I liked the way the idea is first developed in a more general sense before emphasis is made of its Christian aspect, making it accessible to all people interested in the idea of the Holy and God.

This is a great book. The girls of my girlfriend love the book. As soon as I sit down, they grab a book and jump in my lap.

I stumbled on this with my daughter one night and she quickly fell in love with it.

It's one of the lessor known books but I think it's a great story. Dr. Seuss did a great job with with his words as it easy to get into a flow while reading and it also allows the story teller to play ring master and have fun.

This is a great bed time book and my daughter declared that only I can read it to her.

"If I ran the circus" starts off with a boy and an empty lot. I had a lot similar to this near my childhood home. This book played perfectly into my wild imagination of what one could make out of a seemingly uninteresting place. It made me see things in a different way, the possibility that was in every place and every thing. This book is wonderful. Calm Sneelock is worked into the plan. (Isn't it just typical that kids think of shopkeepers as friends?) This book is a big part of my childhood and now I am happy to share it with my kids to help them see the potential in everything. One just needs to use a bit of imagination -- a lesson for young and old.

My daughter and I love love love this book. It is so creative and everytime we read it (which is seriously twice a day) she finds something new in one of the pictures. The cadence and flow of the sentences is almost mesmerizing. Really delightful to read!

this book is great for kids because they get to see whats at a crcus. it broadens their vocablary. its an easy book to read with great pictures and fun rhyming!

by:
laura r.

This book is so helpful in reminding me that I am NOT alone in this !! It is not written from a medical standpoint such as Papols' work, but is written by a PARENT for other PARENTS. Includes examples of behavior that you find with bipolar kids and some of the examples are from the kid's viewpoint. Fascinating ! One of the most important things I gained from a practical standpoint is that out insurance company should be viewing my son's bipolar diagnosis as a MEDICAL condition not a MENTAL HEALTH condition. This would increase our benefits about 10-fold. Highly recommend this book !!

"According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 3.4 million children and adolescents suffer from depression in the United States, and up to one third of those may actually be experiencing the early onset of Bipolar Disorder...Left untreated, Bipolar Disorder can lead to suicide, and the suicide rate for children age 10-14 has more than doubled over the last 15 years."

"If Your Child Is Bipolar" is a results of the author's own family experiences and the result of hundreds of stories from parents sharing the frustration of raising a child who is Bipolar. There is also information from mental health professionals and empowering information to allow parents to understand a diagnosis.
I have personally come to believe that many people feel suicidal because they do not feel loved or they feel lost in a complex world that does not recognize their many unique gifts. There are also mental disorders which a person can't control and a child who has violent tantrums or severe mood swings can make life rather difficult for any parent. When a child starts to talk about killing themselves at the age of six, there is definitely a problem.

Through this wonderful book, you can learn about the causes of this disorder and get the support and information you need to make your child's life a more pleasant experience. Not to mention give you some needed peace of mind.

There are six main sections:

Figuring Out What You're Dealing With
Adjusting to the Bipolar Diagnosis
Helping Your Child Get Treatment
Having a Bipolar Child in the Family
Taking Care of Yourself
Helping our Child Live with Bipolar Disorder

This book will be especially helpful for parents who are trying to figure out why their child reacts very negatively to even the best parenting skills. Bipolar children have problems with extreme anger, frustration and seem to be highly intelligent. There are stories of children who cry all day or show extremely inappropriate and sometimes harmful behavior. There are quotes from parents throughout the book to give an idea of the wide variety of symptoms. I had no idea children were going through some of these extreme symptoms and this was highly enlightening.

I was especially interested in the ODD symptoms because I've personally been around a child with ODD and the "actively defies or refuses to comply with adults' requests" is so true. The authors also discuss Conduct Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Sensory Integration Dysfunction and ADHD. Often a child is misdiagnosed or a child is given the wrong medication because a professional does not realize there are other symptoms involved.

I'm not overly enthusiastic about medicating children, but after you read some of the more extreme symptoms, something has to be done to give these children a chance to attend school. I've seen medications calm a child and I've also seen overdosing. If you need to get more than one doctor's opinion, do it. Schools also play a role in medicating children (in the nurses office), so it is important to stay involved and find out what is going on at school.

A glossary at the end of this book provides terms and definitions to terms used in this book. I found this book to be extremely informative, helpful and written in a down-to-earth manner.

Highly recommended for parents with difficult children, psychologists, counselors and anyone dealing with family psychology. This would make an excellent textbook for psychology classes because it presents so many real-life examples.

Also look for:

The Guilt-free Guide to Your New Life as a Mom
Win the Whining War & Other Skirmishes
Survival Tips for Working Moms

~The Rebecca Review

I purchased this book on January 1, 2004, when I accidentally stumbled upon it at The Tattered Cover Bookstore when I was searching for additional books to add to my own library on the topic of early onset bipolar disorder. This book, is by far, the easiest to understand, makes the most sense, especially to the lay person who may not be a Psychiatrist or Psychologist, and as a parent and a health provider ( a retired Registered Nurse) I found the language appropriate for anyone who lives with and loves a bipolar child. I honestly feel that this book saved my sanity regarding my experience with my bipolar child. I have read and reread this book many times, highlighting in green, yellow, pink and orange with each new read. I have suggested to everyone that I know, personally involved with a bipolar child, to buy and read this book. It makes sense to own it for me as I am constantly looking for pieces of the puzzle or reminders that I may have forgotten since I last read it. This truly is a MUST read for all families with a child that they love who happens to be bipolar. I cannot thank Cindy Singer and Sheryl Gurrentz enough for putting their hearts into this book.

Child and adoelscent psychiatrists are still debating clearer definitions of pediatric bipolar disorder. While we are working this out, we are still faced, here and now, with very complicated, difficult children; Children who tax the energy and resources of schools and families. Faced with diagnostic ambiguity, you can end up with "true believers" on either end of the spectrum: Those who have a very broad definition of bipolar disorder, and those who feel that these difficult, emotionally labile children have other diagnoses.

I liked this book because it is not political either way. The book is by a parent. She is more focused on dealing with the realities of these difficult children. This said, she also believes in being a strong advocate for the child when the parent feels that professionals are missing the child's symptoms and special needs.

Each section includes informational material interspersed with personal vignettes from the author and many other parents. I liked that she included stories from so many families, because each family encounters different professionals, schools and social situations. With so many voices, parents will find some that reflect their own experiences.

Figuring out what you are dealing with: Children with bipolar disorder and other related conditions often go through many different diagnoses, therapies and school settings. Diagnosis and treatment are often an ongoing journey, even if you have excellent clinicians and a good school. She provides solid information to help parents ask intelligent questions and challenge opinions that do not seem to fit.

Adjusting to the diagnosis: She talks about the emotional rollercoaster that most parents experience when they are trying to come to grips with the fact that their child has a severe, probably chronic disorder. How do you love this child? How do you deal with your own anger and grief? Sometimes stressed, grieving parents do make mistakes.

Helping your child get treatment: She talks about interactions with therapists and school systems. this section is useful for parents who need suport in feeling empowered to speak up.

The sections on taking care of yourself and on having a bipolar child in the family are my favorites. I hope that clinicians read these sections. Ideally, children with bipolar disorder should have two parents in the house and a supportive extended family. Too often though, marriages fall apart under the strain. When confronted with a difficult child, clinicians should immedately do whatever they can to support the family structure and build in comunity support. The author talks about how she and other families found outside support, even when marriages were failing and extended families did not understand.

Helping your child like with bipolar disorder: Finally she discusses how you talk to your child and help him or her develop a positive self esteem. It is difficult to determine how you teach the child responsibility for his or her actions.

It is wonderful to read a book for parents that is written by a parent. This is someone who understands my daily life. This is a practical guide. I wish I had this book when my son was diagnoised 2 1/2 years ago! I would suggest this book and "The Bipolar Child" as manditory reading for a parent (or family member) whose child has been diagnoised with bipolar.

Suffering is the proper word. Anthropology should be totally, completely fascinating -- it's the study of human cultures, for heaven's sake -- but it's often a dry-as-dust class for college students.

This book is not dry. In fact, it's probably the only anthropology book that can bring the reader to tears of laughter.

Which is not to say that the book is a comedy. It's not. The book is a sympathetic and interesting take on the writer's study of the Dowayo people. But the Dowayo people -- like any other ethnic group or people -- have quirks that the people themselves cannot see. Nigel Barley lives among the Dowayo and documents their lives, tells how he does anthropology, and manages to do so in a way that makes the book one I sometimes pick up, open at random, and enjoy.

Stumbling upon this book was total luck! The only motive I had to get this book was a desire to learn more about Anthro as informal as possible- yet have it be completely nonfiction.

I just want people to know that this is my first actual review. That being said, everyone who reads this review should understand that I liked this book SO much that I not only sent it from my house in Japan to a friend in the states, but I also came back here to write a short blurb on it.

I promise any future reviews won't be such a waste of everyone's time! Take a chance and get this book!

I borrowed this book in the early 90s from a British friend (thanks Mark!) and it fast became one of my favorites (a close second to Brave New World). Witty, touching, and hilarious - I would love to have Nigel Barley over for a dinner party! I just wish he had written more books like this one!

Nigel Barley is a social anthropologist and this is his account of his first fieldwork, a year living and studying the Dowayo people of Cameroon. Social and cultural anthropologists (also known as ethnographers) travel to exotic locales (sometimes in our own backyard) and live among a group of people for a year or more in order to come to know their way of life intimately and write about it. Most every Ph.D. student in the field will face this "rite de passage" in order to become "a real anthropologist," and is generally given precious little guidance in the matter, which seems cloaked in mystery and is therefore commonly a source of considerable anxiety. In recent years, the situation has been partially remedied with the publication of some texts on methods and techniques, as well as the development of courses on field research methods, but there is still little written on the human dimension - namely, what is life like "in the field"? This book joins a small club, which includes Malinowski's diary and Return to Laughter. What sets Barley's book apart is his wit. He faces some serious problems but - in retrospect at least - laughs at them. It is a very entertaining read. You will learn a lot about what to expect in the field. It will also be useful for anyone who will be living in Africa and possibly other developing regions, such as Peace Corps volunteers and missionaries. I was, however, uncomfortable throughout the book because the author seems to be very distant and detached from the people he lived with and studied. It is hard to find anything very positive about the Dowayo, and the book therefore serves to reinforce negative stereotypes about Africa and bolster Western superiority. I prefer the eloquence and wisdom of Return to Laughter.

This is a budding anthropologist's account of his experience with an obscure and previously unstudied people in the Cameroons. If you thought you might want to be an anthropologist, this will either inspire you or turn you to some more comfortable calling. The innocent Englishman describes in hilarious detail his dealings with bureaucrats, missionaries, village chiefs, and rainmakers, while trying to maintain anthropological distance. You learn a little bit of anthropology from the book; you learn much more about the anthropologist. He may have embellished his story in places, but he probably didn't need to. It would make a great film, but don't wait for that. It's one of the funniest books you'll ever read.

Intrinsic Motivation is one of the better books on leadership and management that I have read recently. Thomas targets both managers and employees, arguing that salaries and other extrinsic rewards are neither the sole nor the primary source of motivation in modern organizations. In fact, monetary compensation is only a factor when making major life decisions (e.g., whether and when to change jobs) and when there is a question of fairness. The best a manager can hope for, says Thomas, is perceived equity - that those doing the most and the best work are the best compensated. Absent major life decisions and inequities, it is intrinsic rewards that will motivate employees.

Intrinsic motivation, according to Thomas, means giving employees an understanding of the purpose of the tasks they do and giving them whole tasks whenever possible. Today's workforce is more highly educated than its forerunners. Competition and the need for quick decision-making have reduced the reliance on middle managers and bureaucratic rulebooks. In this environment, employees must be self-managing and they must have a sense of meaningfulness, choice, competence, and progress in the work that they do. If they feel that they have all four of these factors, employees will feel a great sense of job satisfaction, be highly motivated, and perform well.

Thomas offers managers and employees suggestions on how to improve in each area if it seems that that factor is lacking. In fact, if an employee is feeling unmotivated, Thomas suggests the employee consider which of the four "vital signs" is weak and address it accordingly. It is important, for example, for employees at all levels to have a personal vision to boost their sense of meaningfulness. Feeling that you have no choice in how you do your work? Negotiate with your boss for more authority or, if all else fails, consider moving to another job that provides more choice. A sense of competence comes from training and learning, but it also comes from patting oneself on the back for a job well done. Progress can be measured in a number of ways, but one of the best is through contact with customers.

Thomas's book is only an overview into each of these areas. He intends Intrinsic Motivation to be an all-encompassing model of employee motivation, and he generally succeeds. Those seeking more details would need to use Thomas's notes to find articles and books on individual subjects discussed within the book. And it is a shame that while Thomas characterizes outdated management styles as "paternalistic" he uses analogies of parents and children when describing intrinsic motivation. Overall, however, Intrinsic Motivation is a healthy reminder to both managers and workers that there are many steps we can take to improve employee morale and productivity. More money is better than less, Thomas agrees, but a true sense of purpose and worth can be priceless.

I purchased Dr. Thomas' book to assist me in my research in leadership behaviors and stakeholder empowerment, and what a great help.

However, the best part of reading this book, I was forced to remember much of my past training and reignite many of the qualities I had forgetten to practice.

What a great book, would recommend to anyone interested in understand how and why motivation works.

This is the first book that I have read that provides me with the information to confront the problems associated with instilling intrinsic motivation in those that I manage. It is often the problem that people show little concern for their work. The rule seems to be something like this- Do just enough to get by while exerting the least energy as possible. I like this book because the information is not a story of what a good manager has as an opinion as to what works best but it is a scholarly book in the sense that it provides information based on research that is proven. This is to date the best book that I have to reference when dealing with teams that act out of extrinsic motivation or no motivation at all. I applaud the author for this work.

This book deserves more than five stars.

Prior to Intrinsic Motivation at Work, management books often referred to the need for intrinsic motivation or sources of thta motivation (such as an inspiring purpose or interesting work). This book takes those isolated thoughts and connects them into a systematic method of improving overall motivation by increasing internal motivation and connecting with external sources of motivation. This book will be a landmark in the field of human resource management for decades to come.

The book contains many helpful elements to help you understand its message. One that I particularly liked was the management tale. In one connected example, it showed how management attention has shifted in the last 120 years from making people perform more effectively at predefined tasks (the rational approach as defined by scientific management) to creating passion and fulfillment from work, by focusing on the emotional side of a person. You get an overview of management practice and theory in very small and easy-to-digest doses. For example, one of my favorite sentences was "So the executives crafted Vision Statements that emphasized Contribution to Customers and Quality . . . but often [they] rang hollow in time -- like unkept promises."

The author distills the relevant sources of intrinsic motivation into meaningfulness, choice, competence, and progress. These ideas are nicely developed in several dimensions. For example, it is explained how these affect the worker (or associate, if you prefer that term). You also find out what the leader or manager has to do to help create those factors for the worker. Then, the author also exposes how the four areas are connected in a system of postive (or potentially negative) feedback. Further, you are given five elements of each one to develop.

Basically, the model calls for the meaningful purpose of the organization as the starting point. The next step is to give people a choice of actions to implement that purpose. Then activities are performed, and these are monitored for the competency shown (which may generate the need for better choices to pursue the object or to enhance the competency of those involved). After the activities are completed, you also look for progress and relate this back to the original purpose and your choices for fulfilling that purpose.

The book goes on the explain how to integrate intrinsic and external sources of motivation so that they reinforce one another.

There are several points to keep in mind when considering this book. First, you will get even better results if the organization picks a meaningful purpose that offers the potential for more intrinsic motivation. Some purposes have more potential to be accomplished and some are more exciting to more people. I find that most people latch onto an organizational purpose with too little consideration of the alternatives. Second, any on-going organization has a perceived purpose that attracts and retains employees now. You should find out what that is before changing it. My experience has been that you get better results by building upon that assumed purpose than by striking off in a totally new direction. Third, simplification (see Simplicity) is a related thought process that should be employed with this one. A lot of demotivation along intrinsic lines follows errors in making things too complicated and difficult.

Although this book is about work, its principles apply just as well to volunteer activities. I suggest that you share the book with those you volunteer with and then discuss how to employ its lessons to fulfill your empowering purposes.

Kenneth W. Thomas presents a model for using intrinsic motivation in the workplace to assure a more committed, self-managed workforce. He advocates leading for meaningfulness, choice, competence, and progress. He emphasizes the need to use this approach to give employees the greater independence and decision-making authority they need as bureaucratic management models break down. While many of these themes are presented in other books on leadership, motivation, training and worker empowerment, Thomas pulls them together in a well-organized, clearly written presentation that gives readers clear directions. The succinct style of writing is easy to understand, even though it is directed toward the serious reader. We [...] recommend this book to executives, managers, trainers and management consultants, as well as to employees, who will find helpful ideas for exercising greater self-management.

I adore David LaChapelle's work! I love how he uses colors, and his interesting subjects. His photos are beautiful. Does he have a website?

this book is badass. its great if your looking to be amazed...(or showing little kids when they wont shut up!)uhh try it youll like it...too bad he didnt take pictures of me!

He is so creative and each one of his works are a break from reality. LaChappelle finds beauty in the most awkward places. Each picture looks like a mini-movie.

Not many photographers can put together the camp, kitsch, gloss and lustre that this man can. Even the gaudiest of pictures can envelope you mind's taste buds... Its beautiful, erotic and camp at its best!

Lachapelle is one of my favorite contemporary photographers. His use of color is outstanding. Between the excellent technical quality of his work, and the whimsical (and sometimes arousing) subject matter, there is nothing about this book that is unenjoyable! I find the fact that not one of his images was digitally created or even enhanced to be a testimony to his talent and artistic vision.

The book title was very attractive to me, where I read many books on Law of Attraction. Some detail the concept and make it very theoretical, some will just make you read and read and you lose your focus but this book is totally different. This book is very simple and focused on the same time. Many tools and techniques have been described and made available for the immediate applications.

The author defined affirmation, its magic in enhancing the attraction process of any goal or desire. Also, similar treatment of other tools and techniques like visualization, feelings and meditation to speed up and amplify getting the goals and desires were offered.

I used it for my work and for my own life and I found miraculous results.
This is the book that I was looking for and it has just arrived.

This book is a masterpiece! I couldn't stop reading it. Many limiting believes, many wrong images, many uncomfortable moments held me back on the past. I learned from this book multiple techniques on how to go beyond the boundary and have more choices, select the right images and enjoy every single moment of my life.

It talks about Law of Attraction straight to the point without any unnecessary stuff that consumes time and distracts the focus.

My experience with this book simply can be summarized as if I have been given the correct combination to unlock a world of infinite possibilities or to live an extraordinary life.

Again the author has created a quick and easy to read handbook. He provides common sense options for changing the way we think about our outlook on life in general. Each chapter contains a consolidation of practical information and ideas that helped me with a difficult time my son is having in his life and ways I may be able to help him get out of his rut. I like this book, it is easy to read and really helps me think before acting on a situation. I have sent my son a copy of the book in hopes that it will help him find peace.

I have always been a little cynical when it comes to books that promise to help you become rich, or a better person, or successful in anything you want. Most books in the genre tend to be pretentious, long winded and occasionally make very little sense.

The Law of Attraction Handbook, therefore, came as something of a surprise. A self help book that comes in at under a hundred pages, has short and concise chapters and a small easy to follow collection of exercises for readers to carry out in order to make their dreams come true.

The Law of Attraction Handbook explains the theory and practicality behind the whole concept of mind over matter leading anyone to achieve anything. Al-Maimani opens with a preface based on his own experiences when dealing with the failures of his life and how this changed thanks to some very simple changes to his thought process.

The chapters read easily, very easily for a book dealing with a kind of science. This is not like a text book where the reader has to frequently pause to check the dictionary for meanings, or where hours are lost in research and assignments with very little outcome. This book seems different. It doesn't preach, or expect the world from its readers, all it offers is a step by step guide on how you could change your life for the better.

The book ends with a short series of tasks that should take no more than a couple of a minutes a day over a three week period. The exercises are as simply explained as the theories of the book, and can easily be carried out by anyone.

The most important thing this book asks for is a little belief. If you are willing to give it that, then is definitely a book worth seeking out.

Reviewer: Anthony Lund, Allbooks Reviews.

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (7/08)

An old concept recently revived by creators of "The Secret" encourages people to start believing they can manifest and create whatever they desire in their lives. Al-Maimani's handbook is supplemental to many of the books in the market proponing the same ideas. His concise, easy-to-read handbook skips over long drawn-out explanations and gets right to the point.

One of the primary beliefs within the Law of Attraction is put into words by Al-Maimani "...what you put out into the universe comes back to you - whether wanted or unwanted." Using personal experiences Al-Maimani explains how the Law worked in his life. He also references specific books and teachers that encourage the same belief.

"Law of Attraction Handbook" offers three simple exercises with a basic step one: Declare Your Desires. Personally, I believe a large amount of people find this the most difficult and often can't focus on what their actual desires are. This is because we are expected to know what we want. Al-Maimani encourages us to write what we don't want first. He emphasizes, by writing what we don't want first clears the way for what we do want. Once this list is made, Al-Maimani gives steps two and three in a simple manner. Believing you can manifest the true desires makes steps two and three an easy way for the desires to come to fruition.

Al-Maimani questions the readers, which allows them to look within themselves to find the answers. One of the questions is `So what is going on in your subconscious mind?" He then briefly explains to find out what is going on in our subconscious mind is to check the emotions and feelings that are going on at that time. This is a very hands-on, experiential book.

Furthermore, what makes this book appealing are the Twenty-One Day Exercises in the back of the book. I haven't completed them because of the timely submission of this review; however, I know this system works. I look forward to continuing the exercises.

"Law of Attraction Handbook" by Aiman A. Al-Maimani offers sound steps on achieving desires and goals, as well as guidelines on developing a successful, fulfilled life with steps that actually do work, if you work them and believe.

I have seen the stage production of the Lion King twice--in Toronto and East Lansing, MI. Vendors offered a souvenir photo brochure for $20. For only a few dollars more, I purchased Julie Taymor's book from Amazon describing one of the most amazing creative achievements I have ever seen. Get the book! See the show!

I came home from a production of The Lion King staged in Appleton, Wisconsin, and was so enthralled I immediately set out to find out "How did they do that?" This book met and exceeded by expectations. I am an amateur costumer and puppeteer and this just the stuff to bring a smile to my face. Before this book I was not aware of Julie Taymor by name (Sorry, from a small town, don't get out much) but I will be looking for her work from now on.

...is seeing the show live. From intellectual concept, to extensive and authentic research, to development with constant referral to the physical, metaphysical, intrinsic, to the workshop...to the stage. One will see that Julie Taymor was THE RIGHT visionary to not only help in the translating an animated film to live theater, but to also retain the human moral behavior and lessons that are paramount for the existence of all people.

This book shows the "creation story" of the Lion King musical. Photos of the workshopping teams in their studio/s, sketches of early ideas, through to finished costuming displayed on the artists themselves.

A pity this book was not available in Australia, but thanks to Amazon I received it in about 3 weeks total.

The Lion King on broadway is by far the best most amzing show ever created. Whats so amazing is that the book is as good as the musical. Without Julie Taymor the lion king would not be such a huge success as it is and you find all about this in the book. Some of the pictures of the show itself and the costumes are just wonderful which makes the presentation of the book even more wonderful. I dont even read books but am findin it very hard to put this down and read it over and over again. If you require any info, or are just curious email me simba262626@yahoo.com to discuss this amazing book.

A well-written and coherent overview of the web design process and the specific requirements of web application design.

Some of the useful features of this book are
- well-selected examples
- a description of the product development process
- an excellent description (with examples) of how to develop and use "personas"
- guidelines for when and how to use specific models of interaction in a product
- simple, bullet-pointed summary guidelines for solving interaction and display design problems
- case studies at the end which are evaluated using criteria the author has developed throughout the book

I am a designer working in this field and this is the guide I would recommend for exploring and understanding the practice of web-application design.

Mr. Baxley has an insightful perspective illustrated in his "Universal Model of a User Interface." He simplifies the process of moving from conceptual to concrete interface design by deconstructing applications into two separate layers. The top layer contains the structure, behavior & presentation & the bottom layer contains more granular aspects of the top three. By explaining the key factors in designing each of these layers he makes it easier to understand & integrate all the aspects critical to interface design. If you don't have time to read Rosenfeld & Morville's Information Architecture, be sure to read this book as he covers a lot of key IA issues too, though he prefers to call it the "organizational model" behind an application.

This book is tattered from referencing it and has many passages underlined. Unlike some usability books it is organized in a manner that moves you through the design problem space. It begins with setting definitions and examining the possible forces behind these projects. Then Baxley dives into the meat of the design process through a 3 layered approach. He covers all the bases - from the user point of view to navigation, Help systems, forms, layout and shows how it alI fits into the models within the layers. It is well written, making points clear without repetitive passages. I would recommend this book for beginners and old hands. It is a great book, written following the usability rules he is propounding.

The back cover of the book states: "Most people involved in the design and specifications of Web applications, whether they're visual designers, engineers, or product marketers do not have a method for understanding or prioritizing design issues." I agree - however, I would add that those of us who are involved in usability testing / user research should also be added to the list. As a consultant working in the field of user research, I give my clients this book - the main reason being that it gives us a common vocabulary and way to think about how to conduct usability testing or user research at any stage of the Web development process. While not written to do so, the book actually provides a "template" for what needs to be tested / researched at each stage. This type of organized thinking can only help those of us in the trenches provide meaningful feedback. One request of the author - a sequel entitled "Applying the Principals of Making the Web Work to User Research" - (while not necessarily the best title - you get the idea!)

An impeccably-organized encyclopedia of web design.

If I had to base an entire web design class on a single book this would be the one. Bob Baxley's "Making the Web Work" is easily the most comprehensive manual for applying good design to create a great user experience on the web. This book has both breadth and depth-just look at the table of contents. Regardless of your level of web design proficiency you will find more than your money's worth of useful insight here (even if you have already read just about every other web design book!).

One thing I especially like about this book is that Bob doesn't provide a single solution for a design challenge, but takes time to present and evaluate (pro/con and why) several alternatives. He doesn't just feed you the "right" answers the way Jakob Nielsen does in his "Designing Web Usability." Bob's approach will help you gain a thorough understanding of the options and make informed design decisions.

The two case studies of Amazon and Ofoto included at the end of the book are the most comprehensive I have seen: they're about 30 pages each!

About the only gripe I have is that Bob takes the liberty of using lesser known versions of some terms without providing their more known synonyms. For example, while Lou Rosenfeld and Peter Morville have all but established the terms "ambiguous" and "exact" for the two types of classification schemes, Bob prefers to call them "subjective" and "objective," respectively, without providing the alternative terms. Similarly, "organization scheme" is replaced by "classification scheme", and "organization structure" with "model of association." My IA students have enough difficulty keeping one set of terms straight!

Overall, however, this one serious web design book. Highly recommended. Other books I liked: "Interface Design for Ecommerce Applications" by Paul Gokin (search for this one on the web), "Designing Web Site Interface Elements" by Eric Eaton, and "Submit Now: Designing Persuasive Websites" by Andrew Chak.