Performance Books

Just what you need to start with this way of thinking.

All of the points are not new, but the experience and the cleariness
make the book a great and enjoyable starting point.

Another plus: it is short enough that you'll be sure to... finish it

Dr. Davis's book is an excellent tool for personal and professional use. With managed care limits on sessions, I am utilizing this book in both my private and State EAP (employee assistance program) practices as a means to "cut to the chase" for clients. The book provides a framework for self improvement based on cognitive psychology theory, and fits beautifully in my coaching model of services. I highly recommend this book to individuals seeking positive changes in their lives, as well as to professionals as an enhancement tool for coaching and/or therapy. Terri Gorman, LCSW

I 100% reccomend this book. It is extremely helpful for a healthy mind and life in competitive sports, as well as every day life. It is very well written and is excellent for teens and adults!

Wow! What a terrific book! As a Figure Skater, I gained tremendous strength from Dr. Davis' words and I was amazed at how simple it was to understand her "filing system". After reading this book, I cannot wait to compete in my next championship.

High Performance Thinking is an excellent source for anyone who wants to start using their thoughts to create success in any area of their life. It is was so easy to read, I felt as if Dr. Davis was speaking to me in a casual conversation. If you want to think your way to success, this is the book for you!

This book presents some interesting concepts on Process Design and Performance.

Don't let the date this book was published influence your decision to buy - it is timeless. I am on my second copy of this book and would characterize it as the best book on business process management that has ever been published. This is "The Book". Everyone I know in the Business Process Management field has this book. I recommend it to every client and every business improvement team member that I work with.

The information contained in this "gem" can help anyone involved in process improvement. Consultants, executives, managers, process team leaders, process team members - it doesn't matter whether you are working in manufacturing, finance, logistics, sales or human resources. It also doesn't matter whether you are new to BPM or have been in the field for 20 years. This book will change the way you think about organizational structure and approaching business process.

Trying to characterize what parts of the book were best, would be like trying to dissect what parts of the blue sky you like best. It is all great stuff - each chapter is better than the next, and will help you understand what needs to be done to make business improvement initiatives work. It is well written, easy to understand the concepts, with hundreds of useful illustrations and models to learn from.

I would give this book 6 stars if I could ...

This book will survive the trends, since most of the trends are based on the principles in this book. The names will change (Quality Circles, Just In Time, TQM, Re-engineering, Six Sigma, ...), but these principles and how well they are implemented will determine a companies' efficiency and quality.

As a business process and systems analyst, I have used the techniques in this book extensively to document existing and proposed processes and systems.

The diagramming techniques ensure thorough identification of all relevant interfaces and will assist in identifying those frustrating and toxic business processes that defy verbal description, but once diagrammed, seem to become clearly understood. I cannot count how many "Ah-ha" moments I have seen when confused managers, too deep in the trees to be able to see the whole forest, finally see the problems with their business laid out in clear pictures drawn with the techniques taught in this book.

This is by far the first book that dealt with process improvement and change from all angles. This book provides examples that will help the novice in preparing and implementing change. Packed with examples and worksheets to guide the reader thru the whole process. However, since it was written in 1995, this book does not cover prevailing technologies but is still useful in understanding the foundations for change. If you are looking to implement business process change/improvement, read this book in conjunction with a more recent book by Paul Harmon "Business Process Change" who happens to be a student of Mr. Rummler. Paul Harmon's book cover such topics as CMM and Six Sigma when implementing process change.

This is an entertaining, informative, and very unusual book. The author has actually written two books, one about NASCAR technology and one about elementary physics; however, she has melded them seamlessly into something rare: a serious academic book that is so entertaining that you forget it's serious.

On one level, the book is about how NASCAR race cars are engineered, constructed, and adjusted to enable them to achieve two often contradictory goals: safety and high performance. On another level, the book is about the basic principles of physics and chemistry, including motion, fluid dynamics, combustion, materials science, etc. The uniqueness of the book derives from the way she combines the two, using car racing to illustrate the scientific principles.

I'm a NASCAR fan, and I have a pretty good background in science. I found this book engaging on both of those levels. At the same time, I think it would be a very valuable book for a casual fan-- or even a non-fan-- to read. It makes the sport come alive as something much, much more than just a bunch of guys who stomp on the gas and turn left.

I thought this was a valuable, enjoyable book, and I recommend it most highly.

I would consider myself a die-hard NASCAR fan. I have followed this sport for more years than I care to admit. But there were always those unanswered questions about why cars behave the way they do. After reading this very engaging book (one I couldn't put down till I read it cover to cover), I have those answers - answers that I can explain to others in ways that make perfect sense.

If you love NASCAR like I do, buy this book. The author makes complicated principles come to life in down-to-earth ways.

I found the book very informative. I know the sport well but found the book going into details that I never
considered. It is easy reading and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in NASCAR!!

I'm a forty-something, female, liberal arts graduate who works in healthcare marketing, but I felt like the book was written just for me. It was entertaining and educational; and now I have a new appreciation for a sport I've barely noticed. But my new heros aren't Jeff Gordon or Dale Jr....it's the hundreds of men (and the occasional woman) to design, build, and manage the cars.

I'm not a NASCAR fan by any stretch of the imagination. But this book's title intrigued me. Browsing through it and seeing all the interesting diagrams convinced me that I should buy it and read it. I did and I was not disappointed. The author, a physicist, is a gifted expositor of scientific principles at a level ideal for the general reader. She explains, using many useful analogies (and no mathematics), the finer points involved in building an automobile suitable for racing the NASCAR circuits. The book could just as easily have been entitled "The Science of NASCAR" since sciences other than physics are also involved and explained, e.g., chemistry, metallurgy, aerodynamics, engineering, biology, etc. In addition to the science, the author gives a fascinating overview of some of the dedicated people who are involved in building and racing a potentially winning car as they do their work before, during and after a race. The writing style is clear, authoritative, very accessible and quite engaging. Based on the way this book is written, it can be enjoyed by absolutely anyone, not only science buffs or NASCAR fans.

This book must be read by everyone! Tom & Birgit have creatively told a story that everyone will embrace and learn from. I thank them for defining the only way to live! Your life will change if you put these strategies into action!

Who Will Do What By When is a stellar little book with a BIG message we ALL need to hear and act on: Live in integrity and commitment and you'll achieve your every goal....it's that simple. Thank you Tom and Birgit for this easy but powerful read...a must for anyone who truly wants to go to the next level in life!

The Hanson's book is a great book for managers and team members. It focuses in on accountability, team playing and the importance of commitments. The book is a must read that applies to organizations big and small even to families. The authors offer many insights into interpersonal behavior and explain the need for clarity in communications as a way to help have expectations become realities. I would recommend this book to friends, family and colleagues.

Some books have a way of teaching important lessons in a pleasant and enjoyable manner, without judgment, while clarifying otherwise complex and disruptive issues, and this is one of those books!

In clear and simple language, with well illustrated examples, the authors demonstrate how the little things we overlook each day, compound until one day things go wrong. If we are not aware of these little things, we probably won't even know what happened.

By gently informing the reader of the subtle ways that we damage our lives, we feel like someone should have told us sooner!

I highly recommend this book for your personal life. If you read it for your business, you will enhance your business relationships. Virtually everyone in a business is accountable, and therefore they can benefit from this book. If you make it available to your key employees and sales teams, who probably have to meet many expectations, they will see the benefits.

J.D. Salem
Tampa, FL

This book allowed me to understand how damaging it is to not keep a promise. These things happen and when they do, the book clearly explains how to repair the damage. I was so impressed with this book that I have purchased copies for all of my employees and extras to give to special people as a gift. "Who Will Do What By When" is life changing. It very simply explains how to word requests such that everyone understands what they must do by when. This provides accountability. It is an exceptional book, easy to read and short.

A good way to spend a little while--or a little longer while is to jump into these human interest stories.

A wonderful touch by a writer who knows his craft. Anytimre reading.

This book is amazing! Hurley's dazzling, normal, starving artist lifestyle is an inspiration. His book's style is kind of chicken soup for the soul meets Dear Abby. Snaps to Dan Hurley, the sixty second novelist.

Everyone's life has a story to tell. Dan Hurley, the author of "The 60-Second Novelist," does an excellent job drawing out stories and writing about the people he meets all over America. The fun part about reading this book is that Hurley writes the stories in roughly 60 seconds!

Some of the stories will make you laugh, others will make you cry, and some will make you smile or laugh aloud. The 60-second novel may inspire you to write a 60-second novel about yourself or someone you know.

Dan Hurley Does Planet Earth . . . Oh wait. That's his NEXT book. I found The 60-Second Novelist to be very real, and easy to relate to. Dan's gentle psychological approach to people brims with humor, yet gets to the point. It is good storytelling, yet a unique take on very real people and situations. The spontaneity factor makes it all the better. And though I am partial to Dan's Evil Twisted Twin and his absurdist humor, I do enjoy Dan's warm and fuzzy side. I found the biographical element of the book to be especially fascinating.Dan followed his dream of being a writer, and set up his Remington on a Chicago street, eventually creating a wonderful success story. 'Just DO it!' his behavior seems to encourage us. It is difficult for me to choose a favorite story from The 60 Second Novelist. I especially enjoyed the romantic stories (Donna's Dream Lover, Walk Along The Ocean)and the absurdist (I Like Eyes, The Reclamation, Fly By Night Monkeys). In the book design, I really liked the copies of Dan's original stories, typos and corrections included, peppered throughout. But two questions remain. Who will play Dan in The Dan Hurley bio-pic? I suggest that we take a poll. And when is his next book coming out?!

His uncanny ability to look into a person's eyes and see straight into their soul is nothing short of magic! His ability to then share with the reader, through the written word, what the soul has shown him makes the enchantment complete. From page one, I was utterly under his spell.

Each story is as different and varied as we are as human beings. Each evoked a strong emotion. Hurley's insight and compassion, mixed with his wacky sense of humor, makes this book a treasure to be read over and over again. A rollercoaster ride for the heart.

The 21st century has witnessed the shrinking of the world into one global village. Today, businesses and financial markets are irrevocably interlinked. The internet has spawned a remarkable revolution which enables people from around the world to communicate for free with one another through email and online messengers.

As national boundaries become less important, people from all over the world have to interact with each other. Cultural clashes can be inevitable unless people learn to understand how other cultures think and behave.

Thomas Zweifel's book is a must read for today's global managers, diplomats, students, world travellers - infact just about anyone who wants to be a part of the globalized free world.

You cannot truly talk about multinational business issues much less work in a international professional space without understanding the cultures in question and the many pitfalls associated with "diving right in" with possible good intentions but little cultural knowledge. This small yet information heavy book is essential in understanding and navigating Culture Clash.

This book is a must read. For anyone in business looking to climb the corporate ladder this book offers very valuable insight. The author shares his broad and fascinating experiences working with different cultures. I couldn't put this book down. It was a real eye opener.

What is particularly great about this book is that it has so many telling examples, which allows the reader to compare them with his or her own culture.
Reading this book has made me think a lot about the characteristics of the Danish culture (my culture). The qoute on the Germans "But how do we do this? I can't see that this can be done" - that is so Danish!
Such insight is very helpful, because knowing intellectually that your own culture is "a set of rituals and norms" as all other cultures is one thing, but actually being able to see the specific characteristics of your own culture is so much more!

Helle Vincentz Jørgensen, journalist and writer, New York.

Thomas Zweifel's "Culture Clash" is a must-read for anyone embarking on his/her first ventures into the global economy, with valuable tips on how to proceed and, perhaps more significantly, how NOT to proceed. This applies to senior managers as well, including CEOs, especially those anxious to grab their share of the exploding global market without having experienced or learned about its complexities and nuances. Mistakes can be very costly. But it also is valuable for veteran multinationalists for its insightful reminders of what we went through during those formative years of emplaning to a foreign destination on business; the excitement, the formalities, the wisdom of listening, of modest presentation, of respect for ingrained customs, and what can go wrong as well as what did, indeed, go wrong. Beynd all that, its content is amusing and chock full of fascinating mini-case histories that help the pages fly by at a delightful clip. William Schechter
President
William Schechter Incorporated
New York, NY

After reading the other reviews, and looking inside the book, I knew this wasn't going to have as many different postures or routines as other books. I hoped to get some motivation to practice more regularly and I did get that. Just reading about the many benefits to making a yoga routine a regular part of your life got me motivated to practice almost every day. Right now I'm lucky of I do 30-45 mintutes a day, six days a week, but even with that little practice, I'm seeing a difference in the way I feel.

It feels good to be getting looser. I don't know whether I'll ever be able to do the lotus or even half lotus, and to be honest I'm not ever going to try crossing my legs behind my head. (I am trying to talk my wife into that one, however.)

Anyway, Real Men Do Yoga is a good book if you are looking for motivation and for proof that it is possible to get strong using yoga although not the same kind of strength you get from lifting. It is not a book with comprehensive routines.

I purchased this book for my boss. He was a little thrown in the beginning, knowing that he isn't able to compete at the level these men are, but....he's still happy with the book itself!

It's tricky to learn yoga from a book, especially when limited to sporadic black & white shots every other page. the book does a good job of taking someone mildly athletic who has never done yoga (me) through a few good stretches. There are some great flexibility-improvers. Plus, I liked the quotes and inspiration from the top jocks.

Plus - how did they get Eddie George on the cover?!?! What a great selling idea. If he and his atlas quads can do this stuff, I ought to be able to . . .

Even though the title is Real Men Do Yoga, and I am a female, I found it greatly interesting. Being an athlete, playing tennis 3 hours a day, and working out with weights another 1 hour, my body gets a lot of "beating". I discovered that doing yoga helps to balance my body and stay injury free (or heal injuries that happened before yoga). This book is great on describing the importance of athletes doing yoga, for increased performance, focus, balance and many other athletic benefits. I also like that it agrees that all training aspects are important: weight room, yoga, sport specific training. It's well written and easy to follow. I love the examples from real life.

a useful contribution to those learning about Yoga. As the Amazon.com in-house reviewer notes, the author seems obsessed with pointing out that men do Yoga, hence the title. Unfortunately, this is based on the ridiculous assumption that men never did Yoga. Can we say Iyenger? Or Baptiste, Yee, and many others. Silly, stupid, and insulting!

Having said that, the author seeks to "mainstream" Yoga (similar to the great Beth Shaw), by using non-Sanskrit names for the asanas. I sincerely feel that this helps someone new to Yoga. Mr. Capouya also spares the reader the preaching about the eight "limbs" of Yoga (non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing...) and the horrors of eating meat.

The book is poorly laid out. It bounces around from pose to pose interspersed with quotes from professional athletes and alleged Yoga practioners. Sadly, they mostly aren't true Yoga practioners because they only do Yoga 2-3 times a week (often in a class). Yoga is not weightlifting: it is not mean to done every other day, but rather daily (talk to a Yogi about how terrible they feel if they are unable to do at least a 30 minute session). Moreover, most Yoga books (Baptiste for example), advocate a 90 minute daily practice. This book seems to feel that 60 minutes is adequate. I disagree. Anything less than 90 for me is inadequate. But the use of the athletes quotes serves to perpetuate the notion that "real men" do Yoga, so I guess that don't need to do it that long.

Unfortunately, the book leaves out the variations inherent in all Yoga poses for beginners. This is a grave disservice to Yoga. Yoga is perfect for ANY-BODY. Fat, thin, weak, non-flexible etc. By using professional athletes as examples, Mr. Capouya may unwittingly intimidate someone less physically gifted.

It's worth a look, but I prefer Hatha Yoga Illustrated, Journey into Power (Baron Baptiste), and Liz Lark's (egad, a woman!)Power Yoga and Yoga for beginners.

I have read many books on self-help and I find this book to be one of the best. Reading and allowing the message to filter through is an enlightening and eye-opening experience. Thank you Aretta and Ian for giving us the message to love and to be patient with the most difficult and simplest of challenges in everyday life.

The principles in Heart of the Soul are timeless and are for everyone who wishes to open their heart to express them. I felt uplifted and filled with joy while reading this book. It is not a preachy book, but states universal truths in a very warm, readable manner. I plan to place these principles in my life starting right now.

This is the type of book one reads and rereads, finding something new in each fresh encounter. Since it's values are eternal, it can never be outgrown because life is constantly providing fresh materials for us to practice the principles on. I highly recommend this wonderful book. It is a gift to our hearts from the hearts of the authors.

Aretta and Ian showed unusual courage through this book. While it is simple, it is also simply profound. Few of us dare share our experiences with the world. Few of us expose our vulnerability for everyone to see. They have. Through "Heart of The Soul," they give, to everyone who reads it and is willing and wanting to change their lives, down to earth everyday examples of spirituality in daily life. Reading this opened my heart to the simplicity and meaningfulness of the seemingly mundaneness of life. I congratulate them for their courage to put on paper the wisdom and insight that flowed through them from the Inspiration of Divine Spirit! Aretta is truly keeper of the Sacred Heart.

I had the pleasure of knowing Aretta during the time in her personal life when things weren't working out well. I witnessed how she transformed herself away from the unhappy and unsatisfying life she was in to a free spirited soul who had finally found Love. As the book states, there are many paths we can choose to follow and she choose the better one. Thank you Aretta for sharing some of your wisdom with me. I will cherish you forever.

Dear Aretta: I met you at a bookstore presentation and would like to say Thank You for the book "Heart of the Soul". It is kept right next to my chair in the living room. The biblical verses and quotes are really meaningful in the book. I also enjoyed your life and other people experiences. There are so many people that could use this book. My way of thinking is now changed for the better! This book has me changing my negative way of feeling about myself. I will use this book many times to develop a positive way of thinking. Thank you Aretta!

This book is like a SQL SERVER 2000 bible for me. It has the most wonderful information in it, clear and easy to understand. I needed to interview for a job and I looked to this book for clarity and knowledge and boy was I enlightened. A must read for a beginner DBA like myself!!!!!

I have been a DBA for a bunch of small sites for many years. Recently I committed to a job w/ a large, online OLTP retailer and needed to fine tune my knowledge of the SQL Server engine.

I was shocked at just how flawed/lacking my knowledge was after reading this book.

Let me first state this sucker isn't for people looking to get by using the Enterprise Manger GUI. This book dissects the inner most workings of the db engine and it's under lying theory. Their is a lot of TSQL. I found myself limited to reading only a small number of pages at a time and then needing a break. The book is that intense and I have a Masters of Science degree as well as MCDBA and MCITP certifications.

Probably my favorite feature of the book is its small size, under 400 pages from tip to tail. I'd suggest this book to anyone wanting an understanding of what they are actually doing in SQL Server when they issue commands from EM. This book should be a requirement for any DBA or DB Designer in my opinion.

This is the best book ever written on performance tuning. Excellent text and very well written too. Thanks a lot.

I have been working with SQL for several years and always felt a bit weak in my understanding of best practices. I have only absorbed a few chapters so far on index structure and execution plans but already I feel like I have fast tracked into the clever peoples class. The layout is excellent and the language unambigous.

I am a SQL Server performance consultant to many large corporations and government agencies. I have read and re-read this book so many times I should know it by heart. Still, I carry it with me on consulting engagements everywhere I go. There is almost always someone at my client's site who wants to improve their performance tuning skills. I show them the book and tell them this is where you start.

I don't know if there will be a version specifically for 2005, but it really doesn't matter much. The central concepts of the book have not changed for SQL Server 2005.

Ken England's writing style is clean and lucid. He can explain complex issues in a remarkably understandable way. His explanation of indexes and strategies of indexing is a great example of readable technical writing. He also has a good understanding of what is important and what is not.

This book is accessible to anyone who has some experience with SQL Server or any relational database. Someone with little experience may not get it all in one pass, but they will be much better prepared for real-world SQL Server performance tuning.

The author's personal experiences and those who own these awesome cars adds volumes to the appreciation of the marques, models and even the era they hail from. To illustrate, I am "into" cars and drive a 1968 GT Mustang California Special everyday (not qualifying as a million-dollar car just yet) yet most of my friends and family are not "car people". Since leaving this book in the lounge I've found many people, those you would least expect, engrossed in the tales of these truly legendary cars. This book bridges the divide with universal appeal. Scary to think that it will probably introduce more filthy rich to the collector car market... next edition: billion dollar cars!

Great book.Colin does a wonderful job on this book with his insight & knowledge of muscle cars & there world.Colin has a unique & fun way of writing about these cars which really gets your emotions going.Great photos too.My favorite muscle car book!

How refreshing it was to finally read a muscle car book where the author lives and breathes the stuff and the book is not filled with factual errors. The book reads effortlessly and without really knowing it your educated on the history of the cars as well as the current market for significant cars. This book is muscle car 101 for anyone considering the purchase of a muscle car. Must read for anyone who calls himself a car guy.

The best car book for non car guy. I look the photographs and history of each vehicle. It may you go out on the web to purchase a muscle car to cruise. When is the next follow up book coming out.

At last a muscle car book written by a true car guy, actual collector and muscle car lover instead of a hired gun who writes about whatever car the publisher tells him or her to write about. This author lives and breathes muscle cars and it shows in the writing. Funny insighful and packed with real world experiences and stories from a guy on the front lines on the muscle car era/ Plus as a bonus the author has his finger on the pulse of the market and gives real world honest insight on up and coming cars as wellas the truly significant ones. Must read for anyone who loves muscle cars.