Works Books


Books-Under-Review-->Arts-->Literature-->Authors-->G-->Gaskell, Elizabeth-->Works-->76
Related Subjects:
More Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250
Works Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Works
Hope in the Dark
Published in Paperback by Relevant Books (2006-06-27)
Author:
List price: $19.99
New price: $8.48
Used price: $8.48

Average review score:

Good
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-30
I bought this book along with "Vanishing Africa" and I am pleased with its quality. I am happy I bought it, because I feel it brought me closer to Africa.

Stirring
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-08
This book is amazing. It draws the reader into the lives of the African people! It stirred my heart to prayer and made me love them even more!

AMAZING.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-26
There are few words to describe Cowart's work and Jenna's commentary. If this book made it's way into every household in America, Africa would look like a completely different country, because we could not help but be moved to action.

passionate. brilliant photography.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-19
i reccomment this book to anyone passionate about AIDS, who cares about people living in destitution or just enjoys great photography.

Africans at first sight: dignity and hope
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-01
The pictures are beautiful; some of them are only templates begging for words, but they convey the stuff that Africa is made off: the wood, the mud... The children's faces are smiling, always innocent and beautiful. The older people show resilience, dignity, and an expression that seems to say: 'It's done, I'm almost there'. The more enigmatic faces are of those in between, the young and middle ages; they are going through it. Most of these people dress clean clothes, specially the women. The book does a good job in that it makes the pictures alive, and their protagonists almost speak to us (although whatever they say depends on the listener).

One gets an idea of what Africa looks like. The landscapes under ominous skies, the muddy lanes, the water streams in front of the doors threatening with floods. I felt, however, that I wanted to know more about specifics in these people's lives. Their problems are mentioned as in headlines. I know it wasn't meant to be for this book but, still, I feel I would have liked to know even just a little more about those people in the pictures, from themselves, in their words.

Works
How to Probate an Estate in California
Published in Paperback by NOLO (2008-03)
Author: Julia Nissley
List price: $49.99
New price: $27.50
Used price: $22.56

Average review score:

Great, great help to me.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-27
My Mother passed away and we thought all the paperwork was in order and it was not. I got this book from Amazon and it has outlined every detail and possible stituation. I went and got all the forms and and in the middle of probate right now. Very, very well written for a simple probate case and non complicated estates.
If there are people who will contest the will or complicated properties, business deals; most likely, you will need a lawyer and probating yourself will not work. But if it is very clear and simple, you can probabe yourself. Great book, worh every penny spent on it.

Excellent Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-22
This book really helped my wife go through the probate process for her mother's estate. Highly recommended book!

practical book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-05
This is a great book for going through the probate process. It takes
you through the entire process and explains all the jargon. The only
problem I had with it is that if your probate includes anything which
is a little out-of-the-ordinary, e.g., heirs/beneficiaries who may contest the will, it does not help. However, one book cannot cover 100% of
the possible cases. This book probably covers 95% of the probate cases
and is helpful even if you are one of the "odd-cases" and you are not familiar with the probate process.

The BEST book on probate in California
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-04
If you can only purchase one book on probate in California, this book should be your first stop. I am in the process of probating my mother's estate and I will save at least $20,000 by using this book. There a dozens of forms, tips and tons of information on the subject. If you are motivated and organzed, this is the guide to help you avoid the high cost of attorneys in probate. I cannot urge you STRONGLY enough to use this book as your guide to probate in California.

Indispensable. Beautifully written, thoughtfully compiled, and will save you a fortune.
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-01
After my mother passed away and I was named executor, I discovered something: California's probate system is a massive, elaborate joke designed to make lawyers rich. It's incomprehensible how convoluted the process is, and how absolutely ZERO help is available. (The court clerks I turned to answered every question with this: "I can't tell you! I'm not a judge!" And, of course, it's not like you can contact a judge.) Imagine trying to file the tax returns for Microsoft without any training or instructions: that's just a hint of what you're in for here.

Armed with this book, though, I got through the process. And -- against all odds, and despite the ridiculous restrictions and obfuscations this laughable legal system imposes on people WHOSE PARENTS JUST DIED -- I got all the way through probate, saving something like $10,000 in legal fees.

So, if your estate doesn't have much money -- or the legal system just bugs the heck out of you, and you refuse to fling hard-earned money at those charlatans -- get this book and thank your lucky stars it exists.

Works
How Yoga Works
Published in Paperback by Diamond Cutter Press (2005-09-25)
Authors: Michael Roach and CHRISTIE MCNALLY
List price: $19.95
New price: $11.25
Used price: $8.40

Average review score:

how yoga works
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-29
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.

Essential Reading
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-29
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

How yoga works:Healing Yourself and Others with the Yoga Sutras
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-09
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.

Fable-like tale explains the sutras
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-11
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.

Easy access to the Sutras
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-09
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.

Works
If I Ran the Circus-Pa
Published in Paperback by Random House Books for Young Readers (1980-08-12)
Author: Dr. Seuss
List price: $3.95
Used price: $0.15
Collectible price: $10.00

Average review score:

Dr. Seuss at the Circus
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-07
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.

The remarkable foon!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-29
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.

the potential in every thing
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-04
"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.

Wonderful, Imaginative Book!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-15
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!

great kids book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-10
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.

Works
If Your Child Is Bipolar: The Parent-to-Parent Guide to Living with and Loving a Bipolar Child
Published in Paperback by Perspective Publishing (2003-07-01)
Authors: Cindy Singer and Sheryl Gurrentz
List price: $18.95
New price: $7.16
Used price: $4.85

Average review score:

Support Group in Print
Helpful Votes: 18 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-14
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 !!

Helpful Guide for Parents of Bipolar Children
Helpful Votes: 24 out of 25 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-28
"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

If Your Child Is Bipolar: The parent-parent guide to living
Helpful Votes: 26 out of 26 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-06
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.

Practical information, heartfelt empathy
Helpful Votes: 38 out of 38 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-16
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.

Pediatric BP from a parent's view
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-09
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.

Works
The Innocent Anthropologist : Notes from a Mud Hut
Published in Paperback by Waveland Pr Inc (2000-09-01)
Author: Nigel Barley
List price: $15.95
New price: $15.95
Used price: $11.25

Average review score:

If you ever suffered through an anthropology course ...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-12
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.

Brief but Satisfying
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-21
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!

One of my favorites!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-08
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!

An irreverent account of fieldwork
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-07
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.

So you want to do anthropology?
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-18
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.

Works
Intelligence for Your Life: Powerful Lessons for Personal Growth
Published in Kindle Edition by Thomas Nelson (2008-03-11)
Author: John Tesh
List price: $19.99
New price: $9.99

Average review score:

Good Stuff
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-19
John Tesh has written an easy-to-digest little book which covers the basics of a happy life. He's a very down to earth man, adn his stories are both touching and credible. I hope this book is just the first in a "chicken soup" type series.

A Very Readable Read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-22
John Tesh puts together a great book full of heart and inspiration to encourage anyone who reads it to take back the passion and purpose in thier life. This is a great self help book for anyone and just an all-around great read to keep at your nightstand. To be composed of so many segments, it really flows well and is tremedously readable and enjoyable. John shares many lessons from his own life and encourages others to turn up the volume on thier lives. The book is not preachy and is written in a very warm, conversational way. John has this ability to connect with his listeners that really carries through to print. I believe that anyone and everyone will benefit from reading this book.

Solid Common Sense!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-14
Lots of short little self-motivating lessons from finding passion in your life to taking care of others, taking care of yourself, taking care of business, etc.

One of my favorite suggestions dealt with the constant urge to check e-mail, a big time-waster - Tesh suggests instead dropping down for 10 pushups. That's a great cure! Digesting a "lesson a day" will help brighten your day, and build better tomorrows.

Makes you really think
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-02
The book "Intelligence for Your Life" is a must read. John Tesh challenged me to really evaluate my passions for life. He encouraged me to create a plan to fulfill my dreams.

Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-20
This is a wonderful book, I recommend it highly. I listen to his radio program and his book is the icing on the cake. It gives you something to think about and goals to strive for.

Works
Intrinsic Motivation at Work: Building Energy and Commitment
Published in Hardcover by Berrett-Koehler Publishers (2000-04-15)
Author: Kenneth W. Thomas
List price: $24.95
New price: $12.57
Used price: $3.94
Collectible price: $24.95

Average review score:

A great help in my personal research
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-19
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.

Money Isn't Everything
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-05-16
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.

Useful information with research-based foundation
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-25
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.

Great Lessons for Increasing Motivation and Effectiveness!
Helpful Votes: 30 out of 30 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-11
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.

Highly Recommended!
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-17
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.

Works
Lachapelle Land: Photographs
Published in Hardcover by Simon & Schuster (1996-11)
Author:
List price: $50.00
New price: $499.99
Used price: $18.81
Collectible price: $125.00

Average review score:

This book is the awesomest!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-06-12
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?

i wanna go to the carnival.....
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-26
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!

LaChappelle Land is such eye-candy
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-21
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.

Glamour and Glitz is David's Calling...
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-01
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!

David Lachapelle Rocks!
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-07
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.

Works
LION KING, THE: PRIDE ROCK ON BROADWAY
Published in Hardcover by Disney Editions (1998-01-30)
Author: Julie Taymor
List price: $40.00
New price: $13.19
Used price: $2.31
Collectible price: $40.00

Average review score:

Perfect!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-13
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.

Better than this...
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-25
...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.

Just what I was after...
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-29
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.

Amazing
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-22
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!

Brilliant
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-27
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.


Books-Under-Review-->Arts-->Literature-->Authors-->G-->Gaskell, Elizabeth-->Works-->76
Related Subjects:
More Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250