A. Merritt Books

The basic premise (cf. Len Sperry) stated in the first few pages of this book is not the premise or ethic held by myself or my peer executive coaches: "coaching does not require a deep level of self-disclosure on the part of the executive nor is there a need for a close personal bond coupled with confidentiality."

Confidentiality is the primary ethic to which we subscribe and is what allows the necessary self-disclosure.

Another flaw of this book is that it wavers between coaching as a peer relationship and a professional (external professional) one. No doubt one peer could provide support and expert advice to another, but that is not the essence of executive coaching.

This book also uses and renames models developed by others without credit to those others. eg. the Johari window and Situational Leadership.

On the positive side, Appreciative Inquiry is a valid way to approach coaching, and not utilized often enough. We coaches have traditionally tended toward assessments which seek to identify flaws and deficits.

I would be concerned if this book were seen as a guide to executive coaching, especially for executive coach wannabes (and they are numerous these days). It is, at best, a very abridged primer or collection of readings for OD (Organization Development). OD skills are prerequisite to executive coaching, but only part of the skill equation. Psychological training and business experience are the others.

There is much controversy among coaching professionals today about executive coaching, and numerous "certification" programs that have none of the above prerequisites.

For another view of executive coaching ethics and practices, email me for our (Executive Coaching Forum of Boston) handbook available electronically at no cost. Given the concerns about qualifications, ethics, and practices of executive coaches, our group wrote and distributes this handbook as a service for executive coaches and clients alike. judyotto@mindspring.com

Whether you are an executive with a Fortune 500 company, a Human Resource manager, or an entrepreneur, you have become aware of executive coaching. It is nearly impossible to go to a conference or any business meeting and not come across some discussion of coaching. Many consider coaching as the helping relationship for management in the postmodern corporate and business world.

Executive Coaching: An Appreciative Approach, is more than a book about the methodology of coaching with executives. Although it is that, too, it is about being a coach almost as a way of being. It is not quite the Zen of coaching that John Whitmore speaks of in his book, Coaching for Performance, but, note the less, it is a philosophy about how to approach the coaching experience with executives. Even though it is basically written for the "want-to-be" executive coach, its depth will add important new material for experienced coaches as well. Most importantly it provides for coaches, leaders, managers, or supervisors, a way of relating to their colleagues and clients who want a coaching relationship.

The authors look at how adults learn and emphasize that coaching focuses on developing awareness through questioning. Questions compel attention for an answer and focus attention for reflection and feedback. Instruction does none of these. The coaches' use of questions are to raise awareness and responsibility for transformational change. Coaching becomes one of the more formal ways that learning can take place along with counseling and consulting. The authors differentiate between coaching, consulting, and counseling in providing learning experiences for the executive. Although there is a great deal in common between the three disciplines, the key differences are made explicit, one of which is that in coaching you can easily switch places the your colleague or client whereas in counseling and consulting that role shift cannot take place.

In difference from other books on coaching (Whitmore, 1997; Stowell and Starcevich, 1998) they emphasize that an "appreciative perspective" must undergird any executive coaching program. They state that in essence an "appreciative perspective" concerns a willingness to engage in dialogue with another person from an assumption of mutual respect and the mutual search for the discovery of distinctive competencies and strengths. This becomes the theme of the entire book and is imbedded in their three models for coaching. A manager who has not become familiar with Appreciative Inquiry, or has not developed an appreciative approach my find their models too non-directive. Traditional models of management, where confrontation and feedback directed at deficits are the basis of learning, would be antithetical to this approach. The quote David Cooperider's suggestion, "People and organizations do not need to be fixed. They need constant reaffirmation." In this approach, compassion and real caring for a colleague are expressed within the appreciation of their values, goals and intentions. This does not imply a loss of discipline nor a loss of boundaries between one's own problems and perspectives and those of another. Every counselor is familiar with the dangers of over identification and enabling the avoidance of responsibility, and every coach needs to be aware of this as well.

In this book readers will not only learn about three models of coaching but also about a model for viewing executives and organizations. The writers present four executive styles and organizational cultures that provide the coach with a frame of reference from which to examine executive functioning. These four styles of executive functioning (assertive, inspiring, thoughtful and participating) are said to "...represent quite different notions about the purposes, functions and values associated with executive functioning in today's organizations." These are based on assumptions about ways in which executives can be effective in leading an organization. They suggest that each can be effective in certain situations and ineffective in others. Their illustrations suggest that for a style to be effective the executive must have the ability to relinquish his "home base" or preferred style and assume a less comfortable style in order to succeed. A preferred style might be considered a strength but if exaggerated it becomes a weakness. It is clear that no one style fits all situations and it behooves the coach to be aware and assist the executive in developing the options and choices necessary for effectiveness. The appreciative approach again comes to the rescue as the coach uses inquiry to assist the executive toward increased awareness through self-reflection and responsibility. The book provides some "preliminary guidelines" for helping the executive discover his/her "preferred style." Strengths in each of the non-preferred styles are needed for the multiple contexts that the executive might find himself or herself dealing with. The reader will find explanations of appropriate and inappropriate uses of the strengths of each style. It is important that the coach be as nimble and flexible as the "coachee" in order to move from one style to another, and be willing and able to engage another colleague who has the appropriate style needed for change.

The formulation of the executive styles and the offering of models for coaching is unique to this work and offers the "budding coach" as well as the experienced one a new and exciting perspectives on executive coaching. Within the context of their three models, Reflective Coaching, Instrumental Coaching, and Observational Coaching, the work guides the reader through basic skills and the obstacles that block the process. There is a great deal more to this book than the outlining of skills and methods because it offers a way of being a coach and a philosophy of leadership. Even though their discussion of the models contained familiar material, some of which can be found in other books on coaching, much of the material is new and will enlighten the most experienced coach. This work is a must read for anyone entering the field and equally so for the experienced coach.

I was extremely dissappointed by this book. The heroine was ridiculous and annoying. I loved Zane and felt he deserved someone better than an ungrateful, suspicious woman. Unfortunately, you'll have to read it to conclude the baby snatching mystery. (Wrapped up too neatly in my opinion.)

This book was a classic Cinderella story. Poor widow with three kids falls in love with the rich handsome Fortune. She of course doesn't want to love him believing they are too different. She of course gets some advice (and his determination), she feels better about their love. Its the classic fairy tale ending for all of the Fortunes.

This book is painful to read.

The heroine is one dimensional and difficult to empathize with in her constant baseless and ludicrous fights over nothing.

And in all my life, living around America, I've never heard anyone speak like she does. The colloquialisms intended to lend flavor and accent to the country western character were cartoon-like and unbelievable. It's as though the author created her heroine after watching Doris Day's portrayal of Calamity Jane, not realizing it was intended to be an amusing caricature for a 1950s audience.

Yosemite Sam in a dress would have seemed more authentic as a contemporary American woman.

Come to think of it, the author *did* describe how short the character was. Sufferin succotash! It *was* Yosemite Sam!

Favorite scene with Maddie-
Putting a stop to Nurse Connie Adams.

Favorite scene with Noah-
Being asked to join the hospital board.

Together-
The ending after Maddie puts a stop to Nurse Connie Adams.

What did you like about Maddie-
Her love for her horse.

What didn't you like about Maddie-
Her selfishness. Only thinking about herself and taking stupid risks.

What did you like about Noah-
Putting up with someone like Maddie, although I did question why.

What didn't you like about Noah-
Not telling Maddie about Felicia, at least not yet. Being a loner and complaining about having to check up on Maddie.

Actually, this is a wonderful book. While yes, stating several obvious, key ideas through out the book, some people actually need to be told that 'duh' stuff (hello, have you seen the state of our children recently?). And this book is about believing in the power of words... NOT using them as a cure-all for everything but rather believing your attitude and your outlook on life has a huge impact on what happens in it.(And for the record the child in the book with the flu merely used an affirmation for good health and noticed a decrease in symptoms and seemed to be rid of the bug quicker than normal). The reason it's broken down into a more simplistic dialogue is because we're using it as a tool to communicate to our kids and help them communicate for themselves, and having it in a simple language makes it that much easier to put into practice. Quite frankly, this book speaks to me and I wish a parent of mine would have cared enough to have picked it up when I was young (I'm sure many parents out there aren't as in tune with their children and their feelings as others... and maybe their kids are the ones who will wish their parents would have given a book like this a chance some day)

If you've ever seen Stuart Smalley ("I'm smart, I'm good, and damnit--people like me") on Saturday Night Live, then you know all there is to know about this book. The authors do nothing but state the obvious by saying that we shouldn't tell our kids things we might have heard growing up, like "You're a loser." Thank you, Captain Obvious. There is some comedy here, though I don't think they intended for readers to laugh. For instance, he says that when he starts feeling sick (eg, with the flu!) he just says "My flu bug is gone. I am healthy and well." Mr. Bloch gave this advice to a twelve-year-old, never mentioning the value of a flu shot. Even worse, the authors carry this simplistic theme throughout the book. They actually believe that kids need only repeat positive statements in their heads to solve complex problems, like making new friends. Apparently, by saying things like, "I can make new friends" over and over in one's head will bring instant popularity. The underlying complexity of the social fabric and the individual characteristics are never discussed. I did learn one thing from this book, though--anyone with time and money can get a master's degree.

When Abraham Merritt died of a heart attack on August 21, 1943, at the age of 59, the world lost one of the greatest writers of adventure fantasy of all time. He left behind a number of novels in various stages of completion, including the first quarter of "The Black Wheel." Hannes Bok, an artist and illustrator who did almost 150 covers for assorted pulp magazines, starting with the December 1939 issue of "Weird Tales," took on the formidable task of completing Merritt's story. Bok was the first artist, by the way, to win a Hugo award, and went on to pen several other novels of his own. I must say that he does a rather good job at pastiching Merritt's style; were it not for the copyright lines at the front of the book, one would never know that Merritt's writing concludes at the end of Chapter 7, and that Bok then added Chapters 8-27. He admirably copies the densely written, hyperadjectival purple prose of Merritt's early period. Unfortunately, what he fails to do is get Merritt's feel for pace and suspense. Much of this novel is overwritten, wordy and slow moving. The story is a fascinating one, but somehow Bok, despite all his $2 words and flair for language, doesn't give the tale a sense of immediacy and creeping dread. Still, the reader's interest IS engaged, for the most part, and the book's final 50 pages or so are quite thrilling.
The story concerns a young doctor, Ross Fenimore, who tells us of his adventures after he signs on for a trip on the Susan Ann. This sailing ship is owned by a millionaire lawyer who has gathered an oddball assortment of friends and crew for a Caribbean pleasure trip. A hurricane maroons the lot on a deserted isle, where the wreck of a 200-year-old ship is discovered. The ship contains the mummified remains of a white man and half a dozen Africans, and before long, their spirits are (seemingly) inhabiting the various members of the Susan Ann. I say "seemingly" only because, despite the reader's certainty that the strange occurrences have a supernatural origin, Fenimore insists on rationalizing everything away materialistically. These unwanted explanations eventually become tiresome (for this reader, anyway); like Dr. Lowell in Merritt's "Burn, Witch, Burn" and Alan Caranac in "Creep, Shadow, Creep," Fenimore refuses to accept anything that hints of the otherworldly, even when the evidence is overwhelming. The entire middle section of the book is taken up with the various characters telling of their dreams and visions, and Fenimore explaining them away. There are some other problems that the reader will face, also. The eye color of one of the characters keeps changing from violet to blue and then back to violet. A Scottish woman on board speaks the pure Scot to the extent that a reader will need a good, UNabridged dictionary to follow her. Worse still is the inclusion of a Stepin Fetchit-like character, with all the embarrassing black stereotypes that one can imagine. I might also add that the McTeague character in the book, an Irishman with the gift of second sight, is a wee bit too much like the fey Irishman Larry O'Keefe in Merritt's first novel, "The Moon Pool," but that may be carping. Fortunately for "The Black Wheel," things really DO pick up during those final 50 pages, which include another monster storm, a lost race of albino cannibals, and the deaths of most of the book's characters (that last is NOT a spoiler; it's mentioned on page 1!). But I still feel that this book, the longest of any Merritt novel, could have been edited down by at least 50 pages. There is one seemingly endless section, for example, in which Bok needlessly gives us what seems to be every bit of historical and cultural lore regarding the mystical uses of wheels and circles, from the Egyptians to the Druids to the Buddhists, all of which, despite its interest, will probably make most readers want to scream "get on with it!" Still, "The Black Wheel" IS an interesting read, and certainly a must for all Merritt completists.

The title of this book, 'Body Of Evidence', led me to believe that there was some suspense or mystery to these somewhat weak tales of romance. I was wrong. The murder is simply the means to bring the two lovers together. The attempts at detailing any investigation are very superficial and would never lead to an arrest in the real world. Then there are the characters, particularly in Jackie Merritt's tale. They are actually annoying. Who would ever love someone who always wimpers and tells you she is not attracted to you? Justine Davis' selection is well written but cannot save the book. I will apologize to Pickart because I was too bored to start her episode. The idea of following a murder from the beginning of the investigation until the verdict was compelling, but it was too hastily thrown together for my liking.

IT WAS INTERESTING BUT VERY LENGTHY IN DETAIL. I THOUGHT IT WAS UNNECESSARY TO HAVE ALL OF THE EXTRA STUFF. OVERALL I THOUGHT IT WAS OK.

I have just finished reading this book and I loved it. All three stories were great and romantic. I enjoyed reading how these three irresistible bachelors suddenly found themselves in the world of fatherhood. If you love reading about love stories then you will enjoy reading these three stories as i did.

There are a couple of fragments of not completed books in here, as well as a bunch of supernatural and horror stories.

Fox Woman : The Fox Woman - Abraham Merritt
Fox Woman : The People of the Pit - Abraham Merritt
Fox Woman : Through the Dragon Glass - Abraham Merritt
Fox Woman : The Drone - Abraham Merritt
Fox Woman : The Last Poet and the Robots - Abraham Merritt
Fox Woman : Three Lines of Old French - Abraham Merritt
Fox Woman : The White Road - Abraham Merritt
Fox Woman : When Old Gods Wake - Abraham Merritt
Fox Woman : The Women of the Wood - Abraham Merritt


Suicidal woman and shapeshifting vixen.

3 out of 5


Explorer gets horribly lost.

3.5 out of 5


Boxer rebellion acquisition of otherworldly artifact vistas.

3.5 out of 5


To be werebee.

3.5 out of 5


Robot sound machine massacre.

2.5 out of 5


Dancing dead dullness.

2.5 out of 5


Fragment.

3 out of 5


Fragment.

3 out of 5


Forest slayage.

3.5 out of 5

Mitch Conner is a very proud and independent man. Sometimes he lets that pride and independence get in the way. Mitch is doing well at Armstrong Construction and knows that his future with the company looks very good. Mitch wants to keep moving up in the company, but only if he succeeds on his own. The one thing that Mitch did not count on was finding himself attracted to Kim Armstrong, the boss's daughter.

Kim has never felt for any man what she feels for Mitch. Kim has a hard time understanding why he insists on pushing her away. Kim hates that she is practically throwing herself at Mitch, but she cannot see any other way to keep him in her life.

Mitch and Kim love each other and the only thing standing in their way is Mitch's job. Only, his job is not standing in the way, except in Mitch's head. This is a great story with loads of potential, but its one problem was the major focal point of the story. Mitch's pride and independence were constantly overshadowing everything including the love between Mitch and Kim. At one point I wanted to smack Mitch for being so paranoid. I cannot believe that Kim hung in there as long as she did. Pride and independence are nice, but too much of it can be a bad thing.