Performance Books

Tom Wilson's premise: Employee incentives are just as important to corporations as they are to employees. Why? Because a company that aligns its own achievement with that of its employees is well on its way to success. Wilson uses a wide range of case studies to bolster his common- sense advice, including reminders that your employee rewards plan should be simple to understand, geared toward the kind of people you want to attract and should frequently vary. Even the most experienced manager can stand to learn a thing or two from Wilson's keen analysis of Amazon.com, Southwest Airlines, Saturn, and a host of other successful businesses. We from getAbstract think that you owe it to yourself - and to your employees - to read this well-crafted book.

Tom Wilson's new book is even better than his last, which I found to be one of the best reward systems books written. Rewards that Drive High Performance is a rich and easy reading collection of case studies from some of the country's leading organizations, including Amazon.com, Starbucks, Genzyme and many others. It is a book that I, as a manager, found to be very practical -- a compensation "text" for line managers because it shows what works and why, not just theory.

I really liked the way the cases were grouped, because it shows that reward systems need to be defined differently for different applications and company cultures. Best practices are useful to study, but Wilson's book goes beyond this to show how and why the best companies do what they do and align their reward systems with their business objectives.

It's refreshing to see a book from a leading consultant not geared to "provide just enough" to entice the reader to want to know more -- this book truly tells the whole story, and does it in a way that proves to be a compelling read.

In the modern economy, organizations that compete for the best people must learn to design reward systems that drive performance. The author argues that in today's marketplace, more and more companies are seeing employee benefits not as an expense, but as a tool for achieving particular goals. The author further explains that with loyalty gone, workers need a reward system that works, or they will leave the company.

Author Thomas Wilson explored many different reward systems from different firms. As he reviewed the most successful firms, he started to notice similarities. The author noticed that regardless of the individual goals of each organization's reward program, they all shared these 10 key factors:

· Reward systems play a crucial role in performance.
· Measures give rewards relevance, rewards give measures meaning.
· Alignment with the company's philosophies and values, along with consistency are essential.
· How people are paid is often more important than how much they are paid.
· Build programs with a vision, improving them over time.
· The value of the reward, including psychological value, should exceed its cost.
· Recognize that the program does not become real for workers until the first payment.
· Translate measures into action guidelines for employees.
· Make rewards more meaningful by combing financial with non-financial rewards.
· Use rewards as strategic management systems used to support the strategy, goals, and values of a company.

"This book provides a series of stories that offer a window into today's organizations. While the focus is on the reward systems that these organizations devised and implemented, the true picture goes much deeper. Each story reflects an organization that was facing a need to change the way it coducted its business and developed a process to support and reinforce change. So, the reward systems are manifestations of a new set of values and practices within organizations...The case studies in this book were developed with representatives of these organizations. They are true, real-life descriptions of what goes on inside these companies...While this book can be read from front to back, it was not written to be read in a traditional manner. It may be useful to take a non-linear approach, jumping from one section to another...This book is not intended to represent the best practices of the best companies, although it often does. It is a book about reality. It may not include the design for the perfect reward system, but it should give you ideas and approaches that will change the way you think about, develop, and manage rewards (pp.1-7)."

In this context, Thomas B. Wilson focuses on:

* How does an organization such as Amazon.com instill or retain the entrepreneurial spirit that it had when it was small?

* how companies such as DuPont, Coca-Cola, and Cisco Systems seek to create a bridge between the requirements for success and each individual.

* how companies retain a customer focus so that people collaborate and strive to perform better.

* how companies such as DuPont, Cumming Engine, and K/P Corporation encouraged people to collaborate and provided a share of the benefit if improvements could be achieved.

* how companies retain their critical talents.

* how companies such as Allied Signal, and Harvard University Health Services have integrated a variety of quality management processes into their organizations.

* how companies have changed their reward systems to support new business strategies.

Finally, he writes that "to aid you in developing your own approach to change, I have summarized the 10 key factors that seem to most accurately determine what makes reward systems successful. While this list summarizes common characteristics, the true significance is in applying these principles to your own situation and to learn from the direct application of experience."

1. Reward systems play a crucial role in performance.

2. Measures give rewards relevance; rewards give measures meaning.

3. Alignment and consistency are essential.

4. How people are paid is often more important than how much they are paid.

5. Build programs with a vision, and then improve them over time.

6. The value of the reward should exceed the cost.

7. The program begins after the first payouts.

8. Translate measures into action.

9. Make rewards meaningful.

10. Take a strategic, systemic, and holistic approach.

Highly recommended.

This book provides insights into some of the most talked about companies in America. It helped me understand their situation, and how they developed an effective reward system. It also gave me specific tools, and hundreds of ideas. It is clear, well written, and well presented. Thanks.

This book will save you time digging up newsgroups and mailing lists for answers regarding tuning sendmail. It's surprising to know after years of being a postmaster with a happy system I've never thought various info mentioned would help anticipate future mail problems. This will not only help you configure sendmail but understand what's going on inside it.

i never knew there was so much under the engine of sendmail.

sendmail Performance Tuning is a great book and a lot of help.

Nick Christenson delivers exactly what the title promises, all the way through this book. Every paragraph is completely on topic and packed with the sort of information that would be hard or impossible to find anywhere else. Furthermore, you know that unlike something scrounged off Usenet, you can trust this information thanks to Nick's considerable experience in the field, which he shares frequently.

I'd say this book provides a major strategic advantage to anyone whose business depends upon e-mail performance.

When I first picked this up I really didn't expect much. I expected that this would be a rather ordinary rehash of typical performance tuning advice. How much could you possibly have to say about sendmail specifically?

Boy, was I wrong. Nick Christensen has a lot to say about tuning mail systems. The attention to detail here is simply wonderful, and his clear writing style makes it enjoyable too.

You can learn a lot about sendmail here, but you'll also gain a deeper understanding of how complicated performance tuning really is; how seemingly unrelated factors can really affect performance. Nick covers it all- nothing left out, nothing glossed over.

If you are interested in sendmail, you'll want this book. If you are running any other Unix mail system you still will want it because much of the advice and discussion is relevant to other systems. In fact, f you are just interested in performance tuning on any system, this is a worthwhile read.

Eric Allman (the original author of sendmail) says "This book is great". Eric is wrong. This is much better than that. This is an impressive work, and I've enjoyed it thoroughly.

When I first picked this up I really didn't expect much. I expected that this would be a rather ordinary rehash of typical performance tuning advice. How much could you possibly have to say about sendmail specifically?

Boy, was I wrong. Nick Christensen has a lot to say about tuning mail systems. The attention to detail here is simply wonderful, and his clear writing style makes it enjoyable too.

You can learn a lot about sendmail here, but you'll also gain a deeper understanding of how complicated performance tuning really is; how seemingly unrelated factors can really affect performance. Nick covers it all- nothing left out, nothing glossed over.

If you are interested in sendmail, you'll want this book. If you are running any other Unix mail system you still will want it because much of the advice and discussion is relevant to other systems. In fact, f you are just interested in performance tuning on any system, this is a worthwhile read.

Eric Allman (the original author of sendmail) says "This book is great". Eric is wrong. This is much better than that. This is an impressive work, and I've enjoyed it thoroughly.

As the title says, it's about racer's psychology and how to improve it, it covers many aspects of the human to help him perform better in racing.

As other Speed Secrets Books, it's well written with a lot of examples and illustrations.

I think racers who want to really accomplish in racing should get this book, and it's recommended to read the first books, and after doing some racing, this book should be read.

WE SPEND ALL THIS MONEY ON IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR CAR AND FORGET ABOUT THE MOST INTEGRAL PART OF THE PACKAGE, THE DRIVER. THIS BOOK ADDRESSES THAT ISSUE FROM A VERY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE. THE OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES DEAL WITH DRIVING TECHNIQUES. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT THE MIND GAME INVOLVED WITH GOING FASTER. I FOUND IT VERY INSIGHTFUL. THE TECHNIQUES USED IN THIS BOOK ARE BENEFICIAL NOT ONLY TO DRIVING, BUT TO EXCELLING IN ONE'S DAY TO DAY LIFE! A QUICK READ WITH A LOT OF POSITVE BENEFITS!

Race car drivers can be, and must be continually developed beyond the capabilities of their car. Inner Speed Secrets clearly explains the mental engineering of today's winning drivers. If you are serious about your racing---this book is a must. Don Kitch Jr. Chief Instructor ProFormance Racing School Seattle International Raceway

What a revelation! We have been told for years that our mind harnesses the power to overcome all. In Ross and Ronn's book, these principles are succinctly laid out with techniques and exercises directly related to race driving. I recognized many situations in my own racing and have used their exercises to improve my performance and confidence on the race track. This book is a must read for anyone in racing (or in life)who wants to ensure consistency. For those who think racing is all guts - you are missing the boat (or shall I say the checkered flag) by not reading this book! PS - They also have a wonderful seminar too!

In the olympics, studies have shown that those who practice mentally (visualization, psychology, self-talk, etc) as well as physically (actual physical training) do better than those who just grind it out on the training field.

In a sport where there is a fusion of man and machine, it is even more important to "Maximize Your Racine Performance" by adhering to the strategies such as what Ross Bentley has outlined.

If you're a driver who has reached a plataeu and can't seem to improve, there's a great likelihood that it's not more practice or track time that's needed -- but more mental practice. And that's cheaper, too!

Ross outlines great mental techniques in this book that are easy to follow, and very applicable to the sport of race car driving.

For a bigger picture on Mental Training, I urge to to also look at Ken Baum's The Mental Edge. Then make sure you have this book by Ross to have mental training specific to race car driving.

Highly Recommended!

The amazing benefit of reading and understanding Mago's book is the ability to apply the lessons to daily activities within your business. I often refer to a specific chapter in Strategy, because it will offer a simple avenue to take when resolving a sometimes complex challenge.

Luis Mago has carefully crafted a masterful reference book for all those interested in gaining a competitive edge in business and everyday life. This book is a valuable resource for emerging leaders.

Luis Mago's new book is a treatise that shows that "executing the strategy" is the most important priority to long-term success. Whether in business, technology or in life, this is a must read today for any executive or entrepreneur that want to excel to the next level. Luis Mago's approach to strategy tells you what, how, and when to do, regardless of how much change you may be confronting. I strongly recommend it!

Ramon Trujillo
Information Systems Operations Manager
Champion Solutions Group
Boca Raton, Florida

This book is by far the best book on strategy that I have ever read. Not only is it a very easy read, clear and concise to understand but is speaks of strategy in practical terms. It is an outstanding reference book for everyday life and business. The charts in the back are especially helpful. I have seriously applied Mr. Mago's strategies to both life and business and it
has changed in both measureable and unmeasureable ways.
In life,finding the wonderful partner I have been looking for for a long time and for business, increasing our financial
success three-fold and our brand awareness to great levels.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for success,love, peace, or abundance in their life.

Sincerely,

Marc Geftman
President/CEO
Turnkey Concepts, Inc.

This is a Strategy Execution Masterpiece for the business leader that cares about putting an execution culture in place...

Luis Mago finally brings clarity to the vision, mission and strategy fundamentals. This is not just a book about how to apply Sun Tzu's teachings in life and business. It is a must read for leaders that want to understand the real meaning of strategy and how to execute it on a daily basis.

As an experienced IT operations executive, I know how hard it is to make difficult decisions on the spot. This book gave me the tools to make principle-based decisions in accordance with the strategy of my business.

Pedro Hermida
CTO
Innovate iT

I am amazed by the sheer volume of information Justin provided in this book.

When I first opened it and saw that it was so long I thought there would
be fluff and filler. To my surprise it was concise, well written, and to
the point. There was no information that wasn't important to making money
online.

Justin separated the book into sections that actually made sense! In each
section he explained the concepts thoroughly and in a way that even a
beginner could understand.

I wish that I had a resource like this when I started online. It would
have shortened my learning curve by many months.

Even now, I keep it handy so that I can refer back to certain sections as
I am faced with a dilemma or problem. You had some resources in here that
even I hadn't heard about!

I think my favorite part though is the section on driving traffic to a
website. It is easy to read and understand and has more tips and tricks
than I've come across in many other more expensive books.


I implemented just two of the online traffic generation techniques he
talked about and I doubled my traffic in just a couple of weeks.

Thanks so much for putting such a significant amount of time and effort
into a resource that will be valuable for a long time.

Gail
PLR-Health-Wizard

The book is about 300 pages and talks about a lot of different subjects of Internet marketing. From website and content development, email marketing, paid search to affiliate marketing.

This is a lot of ground to cover and a lot of books that are as long as this one and only cover one of the subjects are often considered "too general".

This is not necessarily a bad thing, if you see the book at what it is. A brief introduction to the aspect of Internet marketing. An Internet marketing 101 so to speak.

Good for newbies, but nothing for marketers with average or good Internet marketing experience.

Once you got the general picture, go ahead and invest into books that are specific to the subjects you are most interested in.

I've had months where I've made 5 figures online selling info products, so I didn't really expect to learn much when Justin sent me a copy of this. I was really pleasantly surprised with is. The quality of the info is outstanding, it kept me up reading all night. I highly recommend this book for anyone no matter what stage you're at in the game.

J Hamilton Kelley

Justin Michie's Street Smart Internet Marketing is by far one of the most comprehensive and straight to the point books on the subject of internet marketing I've ever read. Really great stuff...

I've followed his suggestions on email marketing on several campaigns I've sent out to my lists and I've seen an increase in my average sales conversion of over 80%.

"Street Smart Internet Marketing" includes everything you need to know to effectively use the Internet to market your company or your products. Most books on the topic either talk down to the reader or use the insider jargon as a password to the elite club of Internet Marketers. "Street Smart" hits just the right note. Everything from the basics to advanced techniques can be found between its covers. Do you want to know about search engine optimization, shopping cart software, or email autoresponders? You'll find the answers here. Should your business have a website or newsletter? Should you split test? Do you need an ebook? The answers are in "Street Smart." Well organized and well thought out. "Street Smart Internet Marketing" is the only book you'll need.

Dee Power is the author of several nonfiction books, including "The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories from Bestselling Authors and the Editors, Agents, and Booksellers Behind Them." Her latest is Business Plan Basics

I think this book is absolutely great. As someone new to karate (3 months practice),I find the series of pictures for each kata excellent. By viewing the pictures closely, you can observe the individual details of the stances and postures etc. as a kata is performed. I find I am forever reaching for the book as I practice the katas at home. Money well spent.

Owen Evans, UK

The 5 volumes of Higaonna Sensei's traditional karate-do is the most extensive and well researched manual I've ever read. Each volume contains step by step bunkai of each kata as well as thoroughly researched history of Chojun Miyagi Sensei and of karate itself. Each move is described in japanese terminology plain and simple. Having just joined okinawan goju-ryu from Shotokan, and currently san kyu, this book is a must for any karate-ka. The detailed step by step kata pictures actually help you in your kata when you need to know certain moves or are learning new ones. I highly recommend these manuals.

M. Higaonna's work is a high quality technical manual of an Okinawan Martial Art known as Goju-ryu Kara-te. Higaonna's book is one of a VERY few which are of sufficent quality that it COULD temporarily assist a practitioner (or someone merely curious re: Gojuryu Karate's technique (of a very popular exercise: Sanchin Kata) until a teacher can be found. The ONLY problem with the book is two fold. 90% of the book is photos, postage stamp sized photos ! Publishing Insanity !!! Secondly, the book is written in english, and yet at CRITICAL points in its description slips into Japanese. Un-necessary & poorly planned in this readers opinion.

A really excellent book that shows a beginner exactly what he needs to know in terms of stances, blocks, punching techniques etc. I bought this book after 2 or 3 lessons at my dojo. I felt confused by the blocking and strikes movements, my arms where all over the place. The book identifies eack block and strike in a series of pictures that help to pin point each step involved. This book is well worth the price.

Owen Evans, UK

This is a description of the four-volume series by Goju Ryu Karate mavin Morio Higaonna. In it he details the complete Goju Ryu syllabus as passed down to his teachers, Ei'ichi Miyazato and Anichi Miyagi. Miyazato and A. Miyagi in turn learned directly from the founder of Goju Ryu Karate, Chojun Miyagi, a distinguished student of Kanryo Higaonna who learned martial arts in Fukien Province and also on Okinawa. This is simply the best series of books out there on Goju Ryu in any language! The photography is incredible, all techniques are shown with stop-motion photography, and there are many transitional photographs showing the complete execution of every technique. This series is the "bible" of Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate-do. I'm going to give you a break down by volume since all four seem to get put together here...

Volume 1: Fundamental Techniques
Higaonna demonstrates Miyagi's original Junbi Undo (warm up), completely goes over all topics such as stances, traditional exercise routine with the chiishi (stone weights) shown in 187 photographs, Nigiri Game (gripping Jars) shown in 109 photographs, how to train on the Makiwara, how to construct a Makiwara, training with the Ishisashi (stone padlocks) is a sequence shown in 118 photographs, also covered are tan (barbell), tetsu geta (iron sandals), tou (bamboo bundle), jari bako (sand training), and an implement unique to Goju Ryu, the kongo ken. The depth with which all of these are explained and covered is phenomenal!

Next is the section on fundamental technique with complete coverage of stance work, striking and kicking. Then a treatis on Kore-ate (2 man forearm training). For those who believe that all karate is stiff and unbending, this book may change your mind. There is a section on tai-sabaki (movement, and a special treat in the last chapter--the COMPLETE SANCHIN as passed down from Kanryo Higaonna to Chojun Miyagi to Anichi Miyagi to Morio Higaonna. This is the original turning Sanchin Kanryo Higaonna brought back from Fukien Province in China. Researchers believe this particular sanchin came either from White Crane style, or from Fujian Tiger Gung Fu. Morio Higaonna demonstrates the complete for in the traditional (for men at least) shirtless manner. 162 photographs with complete description illustrate this Foundational form of the Goju Ryu Karate School.

Volume 2: Performances of the Kata
Higaonna goes over the charicteristics of Okinawan Goju-ryu, and then the demonstration of the first kata, the Chojun Miyagi Sanchin (different from the Kanryo Higaonna Sanchin in the first book). Included after this are in-depth renderings of kata Gekisai-dai Ichi, Gekisai-dai-ni, Saifa, Seiyunchin, Shisochin, and Sanseiru. Bunkai is shown separately in successive volumes....

Volume 3: Applications of the Kata Part I
Opens with an introductory note from Xing Yang-ling, Morio Higaonna on Bunkai, and then the remainder of the Goju Ryu Karate Kata syllabus: Sepai, Kururunfa, Sesan, Sanseiru, Suparinpei, and Miyagi's personal kata thought to have been influenced by Fukien Crane, Tensho Kata. This volume ends with the inclusion of the complete Bunkai (applications) for kata Gekisai-dai Ichi and Gekisai-dai Ni.

Volume 4: Applications of the Kata Part II
Contains the complete bunkai of Goju-ryu karate founder Miyagi Chojun for the 8 main kata of Goju: Saifa, Seiunchin, Shisochin, Sanseiru, Sepai, Kururunfa, Sesan, Suparinpei. Also includes sections on Iri Kumite, Shiai Kumite, and Yakusoku Kumite. Finishes off with Historical accounts of Kanryu Higaonna and Chojun Miyagi.

A phenomenal series, the Karate World and Goju folks everywhere NEED this to be back in print again. Higaonna's effort is really in a class by itself.

This book gives trainers and managers the broader skills and knowledge they need to provide solutions (beyond training) to improve workforce performance. It is easy to read, practical, and has exercises and case studies to reinforce learning. Everyone on my team is reading - and using - it.

Stolovitch and Keeps have again (after their wildly popular Telling Ain't Training)demystified all of the processes and procedures for moving your organization from one that is mainly concerned about training to one that is focused on performance. Training is an activity. Performance is an activity coupled with the result of that activity and this book provides all of the methodology for getting valued results for your organization. Its fast paced style and fun to do exercises will make this book the one book on your professional book shelf that just ain't going to gather dust.

Like the other reviewers, I find this book to be exceptionally clear and well-written, and provides a great introduction to the key concepts of human performance improvement (also called human performance technology). It's deceptively simple, because the book has a rigorous intellectual base, and cites key theories, authors and research in the field (not surprising, because Stolovitch and Keeps also co-edited the definitive handbook in the field).

I used the book as a text in my graduate course in human performance technology. It offers many benefits as a textbook. It's readable, so it invites students to read it. It's interactive as well, which makes the reading experience more of a learning session, rather than just an absorption session.

Through these activities, the book makes the abstract and admittedly difficult-to-grasp concepts of human performance improvement concrete.

It also helps me model a key performance concept: build on small successes to create effective performance. Because this book is accessible, my students--many of whom are new to both the field and graduate education--can demonstrate success early in the program and that inspires them to greater success.

Once again, Harold and Erica have co-authored a book which is practical, content rich and great fun to read. This book is a "must read" for anyone who wants to learn more about training, about performance and how they are different. All the worksheets, case examples and key points that are identified ensure this book will be a valued resource and not just a book to store on the shelf.

This book provides practical ideas and insights about how to best manage performance in the workplace and best invest your training dollars. Too often, we use training as the panacea to resolve workplace performance issues. Harold explains when training is really necessary and when other interventions are best suited to resolve those issues. This book should be read by business owners and managers, not just by trainers or human resource professionals.

This is a book that every bank board member should read. Sure, any board member worth his/her salt will be familiar with Basel II and risk measures such as VaR, but how many think of Basel II as a cost or imposition, and VaR as just another piece of information? Mr Belmont's easy to follow approach should allow readers to examine the way in which they can differentiate their own institution by using the investment in regulatory risk management to create, rather than just protect,shareholder value.

Thankfully, Mr Belmont strikes a good balance between theory and reality, both in his explanantion of market behaviour and in the presentation of his arguments. This is a book that the "mathematically challenged" like me can still enjoy and benfit from.

This book is a gem - very timely and well-thought out. David Belmont obviously has a lot of experience in this area, but also has put in a lot of thought-leadership into this book. He traces the Basel II accord to its roots in M&M economics, and convincingly argues why bank risk management is a critical function. He then traces a thread from risk management to capital management and shows why and how banks can make use of Basel implementations to achieve a high degree of control and positioning of their operations.
The only knock on this book is that I found several typos and simple editing errors - it is clear that deadlines won over editorial quality. Hopefully the next edition will be cleared up in this regard - nevertheless I highly recommend this book.

Even without the incentives provided by the upcoming Basel 2 guidelines, this book is timely and convincingly puts forth the proposition that active risk management is in itself a valuable component in the creation of shareholder value. Returns on investment in more sophisticated tools for risk quantification will be enhanced when the information is not only used for performance measurement, but also for such shareholder value-added activities such as capital allocation and balance sheet structuring.

I recommend this book for all practitioners of risk management.

Belmont has done an exceptional job at communicating the importance and practical application of risk measures for today's business environment. The book offers the reader a thorough assessment of what banking executives face everyday and how best to manage these risk and regain the control necessary for any banking executive to grow its business without putting into jeopardy the best interest of its shareholders, which in no small measure is a testament to Belmont's clear understanding of the challenges faced by most executives and the demands they face in terms of managing near term performance goals with long term stability.

Given the dual pressures banks face from regulators and investors to address the challenges of Basle 2 and create shareholder value, this book is highly relevant and timely. It provides practical, concise and real world guidance to any senior bank executive seeking to add value in his institution by optimizing the usage of economic capital. Economic capital based performance measures are clearly presented and illustrated with real life examples. Additionally, anyone implementing Basle 2 must ask how this can be done and what value it creates for the organization. This book provides the answers.

The book quickly gives a real world context the value of risk management information to bank CEOs, CFOs, institutional security analysts, and investors. It then goes on to demonstrate theoretically and practically how risk management information can be used to address key strategic decisions faced by senior bank management.

Any risk manager, CFO, or CEO in a financial institution should find this book valuable if they seek to create shareholder value in their institution. Similarly, anyone seeking to rise to the executive suite must understand the issues addressed in this well written book.

SpiritSong is hands-down the most helpful practice in my life for freeing personal power. I'm not sure that I recognized how constrained my voice was, and yet, the practice of SpiritSong truly did free it, and it continues to deepen and mature that opening. Not only am I delighted to be singing more freely, but there are positive influences in all areas of my life. It's easier to express myself, to perceive with clarity, to follow my helpful inner signals, and to simply be and enjoy. I've found it a powerfully effective tool for personal growth, particularly with respect to being in touch with my authentic feelings and to processing the difficult ones. SpiritSong also does indeed connect me with my inner spirit. Being essentially a joyful practice, SpiritSong therefore facilitates a healthy self-awareness while having fun at the same time.

I began singing in a group, and got the book a year later. The book was easy to read and a faithful and complete reflection of the practice as I learned it. I've never been a great one for following "programs" with consistency, and so the 8-week guide in the book isn't really my thing. However, Shawna's gentle encouragement, and her wisdom about the real foundations of discipline, have been instrumental to me in building my own regular practice. In the end, it turned out that the book did help me acquire a daily practice, just not quite in the way it outlines.

This is a companion kind of book that becomes a good friend upon re-reading and has many uses. While brief, there are layers of wisdom woven into it that are interesting to ponder; I seem to find something new each time I read it. I began teaching my own SpiritSong groups this year after training with Shawna, and the book was a great support for me once I was on my own. Furthermore, it's a helpful coach that inspires me to keep singing, and keep digging for the many benefits that this marvelous practice can bring.

The Way of Song teaches a fabulous and accessible tool for anyone who wants greater freedom, love and joy in their lives.

A clear and uplifting look at a process that is both moving and inspirational. Easy to read and yet profound, the author manages to provide an accessible way into a path for healing and personal expression that is potentially life-changing!

I ordered this book from a book club, and I'm glad I did. The title was interesting enough, and then I read it and couldn't wait to start my Spirit Singing practice! I've always been very inhibited, but this book shows you how to break through the barriers and open up and you learn how to express yourself and let your true voice come through. I'm interested in singing, and even though this isn't a voice training program, it shows you how to let go and not be afraid to sing. I also am interested in writing, and she does have a chapter on using this practice to write your own music. If you ever read "The Artist's Way" this is like Morning pages with sound! I just wish it came with a CD.

The book gave me a new and deeper understanding of the role of sound and song in health and healing. It is an easy and engaging book to read with very simple and powerful exercises that I have enjoyed using.

I sat down for just a minute to see what this book was all about and two hours later was totally caught up in it. It's a wonderful weaving of experience, personal stories, and instruction on a truly transformative topic. This book provides a balanced combination of creative explanation and practical suggestions. Compelling to read and even more powerful when you follow the outlined practice. Just open up and begin the journey to your song.

This book takes a giant step forward in our knowledge of what children really need. It is based on a wealth of practical experience, but provides a profound theoretical basis for our interactions with children. And is easy to read. It has been available in Scandinavia for some time, and has been used by people I knew while living in Denmark in kindergartens and home environments with great success. (I read the Danish original.)

Fundamentally it declares that all children should be treated as unique human beings of equal value. It does not provide strategies or recipes for success. But encourages us to be ourselves when interacting with children, and to actively support them in developing their own sense of self. It explains that there is always a message in children's actions and reactions. And that it is by carefully listening to these underlying messages that we can support our children and find their true needs, and the reasons for apparent problems. In particular this applies to behaviour patterns that we may label as challenging, inappropriate or dysfunctional. The book is well-written, and reveals Jesper Juuls deep wisdom, love and understanding for both children and parents, as well as a good sense of humour and perspective.

There are not enough superlatives to describe how helpful this book has been to our family. With tremendous wisdom and a warm, pragmatic eye, Mr. Juul helps us redefine the ways we look at a child's behavior and our relationship to our children and ultimately, each other. This is a book that doesn't offer easy answers or 'tricks' to help in the raising of your child. This is a book that helps you see with a child's eye, hear with a child's ear, and feel with a child's heart in ways that feel so natural and obvious, you will wonder why you haven't thought of them before. But trust me, you haven't. It is a book that offers day-to-day skills along with the thinking that helps generate them, leaving the reader feeling smart and well-satisfied. This groundbreaking book should be on the shelf of all parents everywhere. If you read only one book on raising your child, this is the one.
I cannot recommend it highly enough.

This book offers a very intuitive approach to child rearing. Your strongest tool as a parent is the model your own behavior provides. None of us hesitates to take credit when we can see ourselves in our children's good behavior. This book gently shows how their bad behavior is probably also a reflection of something they're seeing us do and shows ways to correct that.

One of the few liberal parenting books that offers concrete help with older kids rather than saying simply "If you raised them differently, they wouldn't be acting like this now."

Jesper Juul provides parents with such an amazing, simple, and absolutely vital approach to raising children that it rings true on every page. Some of what he suggests we as parents do is difficult - as it is against our "knee-jerk" reactions we may have learned from our parents, but all of it is right on about how we can raise confident, healthy, whole humans, right from the start. Juul suggests that we listen to our children, we trust them, respect them, and approach family as a unit all together, rather than view it as a political structure. As I read the book I was constantly saying to myself "but of course, this makes so much sense", and I was thrilled to have discovered a book that allowed me to see different possibilities with child raising. Anyone with a child will gain immensely from reading this book, seeing themselves (as I did, over and over again) in his numerous examples, and learning how to move on from there. Without reservation, I am grateful for this book and highly recommend it.

This is an amazing book that will surely turn upside down any thoughts you ever had about raising children. Even though you may not agree with all the views in this book, there is so much food for thought and new ideas that you will return to this book again and again for interesting and mind blowing advice.

The book encourages parents to take FULL responsibilty for the family, but in a way that ensures that the child is respected. It offers a new way to raise kids that is not based on power (the oldfashioned way) or democracy (the way of the 70's). I highly recommend it!