Training Books

We recently got our first dog, a cute little black mix, named Blackie, for our young boys Welsey and Paul. They will probably have many pets in their lives but since they are only 3 and 5 now they will not remembers many of the special moments of their first pet Blackie. My husband and I are using The Book of My Pet to capture the life of Blackie so our boys can look back on the joys and responsibilities of caring for their first dog and share it with their kids when they grow up. Great book idea for pet lovers.

I wish I had copies of this book for every companion animal I ever had! Right now, I have three copies I'm keeping memories in -- one for each of my three dogs. I will be sure to purchase a new copy for each new furry friend that I adopt in the future. The "memory joggers" are very helpful while making entries from a pet's birth to crossing the Rainbow Bridge.

I know lots of pet owners who would get into this. The design is handsome, not overly cutesy like some. The memory-jogging prompts are v. good...some funny, some reflective, some factual. I like the way they are organized into chapters with subsections: 1. How to Write Your Pet's Story 2. Starting Out (Getting Ready, How We Met, Family Tree) 3. The First Year (Settling In, Getting to Know My Pet, Making & Breaking the Rules) 4. The Prime of Life (Personality, Pleasures, Habits & Health, Talents) 5. The Advanced Years (Winding Down, Maturing Ways) 6. Saying Good-bye (The Passing, Looking Back)

When I was a child and then a young mother, keeping a "baby book" of those born into the family was common. It was a way of documenting the events of the life of this important person and celebrating his/her uniqueness. The Book of My Pet offers that kind of possibility for the beloved animals who become significant parts of our families. This book evokes those memories you might forget by asking thoughtful questions in many categories. The whole family can participate in creating this remembrance at anytime in the life of your pet. It is also possible to mount pictures in the book to make it a visual as well as verbal story of your shared life with this mysterious, special being. I am using it to tell the story of Gray, our cat who has graciously taken us into her life.

I am so pleased with this book -it helps me to plan lessons with my speech-language kids by using the children's books that they already know! I get so much help from this source, I don't what I would do without it! I use it with my own child, too. The activities are so fun and creative, there is never a dull moment. Hats off to J. Gebers for giving both teachers and parents such a great reference tool!

This resource catalogs hundreds of low-text children's picture books that are ideal for promoting interaction and conversation with children while reading aloud. A brief synopsis, suggested interest levels and methods for use coordinate for each book listed. Suggestions are given on how to use a particular children's book to enhance language development and other oral communication skills.

Originally written for speech-language pathologists, this revised edition is suitable for regular and special education teachers (from preschool on up) as well for parents who want to maximize their read-aloud times with their children in order to stimulate good language development. Many listed books are classic, familiar favorites, and most are currently available in school and public libraries, at bookstores, and on-line.

Do you want to encourage a particular language skill? Just look up what you want to enhance (whether it's vocabulary building, grammatical structures, critical thinking and more) in the easy-to-use Skills Index (p. 317) and find the book in 1, 2 or all 3 catalog sections. (One catalog for preschool through kindergarten, one catalog for children grades 1-5, and another catalog for children grades 6-12.)

Parents will find suggestions for selecting picture books that build good oral language skills as well as suggestions for how to read aloud to stimulate interaction and good communication skills in their children.

Teachers will find this a timesaving resource that includes reproducible handouts for parents (ideal for suggestions at parent conferences), books organized by thematic units (see Topic Exploration Index on p. 303) as well as loads of classroom activities for each book listed in the catalogs.

This is an all-around, time saving resource that gives a reader the extensive background needed for tapping the bounty of children's literature. It has been a popular best seller in its publisher's line of educational materials for many years.

The price of this book is high. As an educator, I found it well worth the cost. I can link all language goals with literacy. Ideas for articulation, pragrmatics, social skills, etc. are included. Gebers provides an excellent resource for language rich books. I have used her lessons with Eleanor and Ameilia go For a Ride, The Wolf's Side of the Story, The Cremation of Sam Magee and many more. I have worked on the topics of seeing other's perspectives, making inferences, articulation, pragmatics etc.. Content rich book. Highly Recommended!!!

This book is so very helpful in planning speech and language therapy. The books suggested have been well researched, the plans explicit and easy to implement. I loved this book so much I used it as the "bible" of a group study another speech therapist and I did last year. She had never used literature as extensively as I have. As we delved into the wonderful children's books and how to use them, she found it to be an approach that is fun for both therapist and child, motivating and effective in bringing about significant change in children's speech and language.

My enthusiasm was so effervescent about this book that my daughter, now a grad student in speech and language is using this book to help her plan for activities with her clinical literacy group.

a good book, illustrated examples not just text, easy strait foreward advice. I've bought this book 4 times for myself, friends and family. Anyone can follow this book.

My only complaint is its not long enough, it covers things so indepth but in a way that anyone can understand it I only wish there was more to it.
it has several different solutions for each issue, which helps because each dog, household, situation, person is different.

This book cured my dog of moderate Separation Anxiety. I would highly recommend it. The chapters are organized according to the kind of problem, so you can find what you're looking for fast. The directions given are concise and easy to follow. Finally there are tons of pictures to help you along.

After adopting an out of control dog a couple of months ago, I have purchased many books on training. Most books say the same things, how to train basic commands. That would be easy if the dog would listen to you in the first place, but many dogs have behavior problems that make training impossible. Every chapter in this book was VERY helpful and informative. I would HIGHLY reccommend this book to anyone who is at their wits end with their dog. My dog behaves much better now and I am able to have guests come to my home again.

I purchased this book to help with socialization and separation problems of my beloved Morkie. Mr. Tenant's ideas helped with both these problems AND I ended up using many of the tips on other dog behavior topics as well. Since reading this book, I have a better understanding of how dogs think, which means that I now have a better behaved dog. The book is well organized, so it is easy to find information on particular dog behavior problems. The pictures complement the text extremely well. This book is by far my FAVORITE "dog behavior" book out of the many dog "how to" books that I own. I would highly recommend this book as a "must have dog book" for any dog owner.

I first received the older black-and-gold edition of Breakthrough! when I was starting out in this industry 12 years ago (has it been that long??). At the time, despite a good background in corporate sales, I thought it was the best-written most substantive industry-specific sales book I had ever read. As a new person, the chapters on identifying, qualifying and developing my client base were probably most important, and have given me a proven system for keeping a continuing stream of good clients throughout my career. Later on, the sections on dealig effectively with candidates and clients sunk in. At some point, the chapter on slumps got me out of one..and kept me out. And when a recession rolled around, the extensive sections on dealing with one saved my (business) life!

I recently finished the new and completely revised 2008 Breakthough. Wow! It is probably 25% added or new material, but it is so fresh and up-to-date that I just got completely different things out of it. My time management skills had decayed due to the internet. The straightforward new ideas in this book have got me working effectively again. I am so grateful that the chapters on dealing with a recession have been expanded.I go to industry conferences, and newer speakers there were in high school or college at the time of the last recession,or in a completely different industry. Steve Finkel offers not wacky theories, but real facts and serious personal experience.

I just cannot speak too highly of this new edition. Even if you have the old one, buy this. And highlight it. Do it whether you are highly experienced or new. It WILL "explode your production". It's that good! I'd give it ten stars if I could. So will you.

I just finished reading Finkel's newly revised Breakthrough and was very pleased. Each chapter was well worth the price of the entire book. His detailed discussion of how to survive and prosper in tough times was very real world stuff. It's obvious this guy has worked a desk. He KNOWS the business.

I am a well-trained high producer with fifteen years on a desk, the best possible franchise and independent training, and exposure to every speaker and program in the industry. But frankly, I was beginning to think my days of great improvement were behind me. However, after hearing Steve Finkel's brand new 2008 book Breakthrough! spoken of so highly by some other top producers, I decided to purchase it.

I was shocked! It seemed as though this book was speaking directly to me. And I guess it was.

For serious executive search/recruiter professionals, this is the best most comprehensive and up-to-date product on how to dramatically increase your production you will ever find. The 2008 edition addresses the industry as it is today with 381 pages of specific effective information to improve your skills and income. I Know!

The chapter on "The Plateaued Recruiter" got me up and working again to improve my skills. The sections on "Coaching the Client"(not just the candidate) got me much more cooperative clients, and I know some hires have definitely resulted. Really,I can't speak too highly of this sophisticated modern book for recruiting professionals. But as the previous reviewer said, highlight it.For sure!

Next step for me. Steve Finkel's DVD series "The Art of Recruiting". The best producer I know said it was terrific. After this wonderful book, I'm sold!

I first was given the original black-and-gold edition of this landmark book many years ago as a new recruiter. My manager did his best at training,but this was absolutely my day-in-and-day-out reference at my desk,and I attribute my success in large part to it. To pick just one example, the three chapters on client development alone have kept highly productive for well over a decade,showing me how to obtain more than enough searches to work on in all markets.

I've just finished this brand-new and totally revised edition, and it is even better. Measurably, it's over 30 pages longer,but there are many more changes than just the page count. The chapter on time management is much expanded and includes highly valid sections on the internet; the portions of achieving consistent production in a slow market (talk about timely information!) is much more thorough. Steve Finkel's whole training career has been about increasing the production of already-good recruiters, and the chapters about keeping yourself on a fast learning curve are specific and VERY effective. My whole office of grumpy veterans is "rocking on" after our owner got a copy for each of us.

This new updated edition gets five stars. Six if I could do it.If you're a genuine search consultant/recruiter or want to be, buy and highlight this book. Don't just "read it". It is the Real Deal from the best in the business!

And is it worth getting this revised updated version if you already have the old one? Absolutely!

A very good book which i found by chance at book liquidation table at the local mall!! It's very simple to follow and will give you a good workout without leaving you wiped out. Johnny begins with a novice program and then follows it with a high school, college, and advanced program. He provides summmer, fall and in-season programs. The olympic-style lifts are done primarily in the "hang" position.

I found that following his Novice program will pack on some muscle and get you strong in a hurry. In fact it can be used for as long as you want!
All of the programs are full body programs with plenty of illustrations.

This book is alot better than most of the weight-training books out there.

After I started this program, I got huge. Helped my overall performance in the martial arts. Good descriptions of sports-strength related lifts. Lists programs for beginner, high school, college, and pro. Also, some good motivational reading.

This is the best workout guide I've ever used. I expereienced major strength gains -- too bad I discovered it after my high school football years. The power-lift moves are ideal for building the type of power necessary for football specific techniques. Don't just blindly follow the programs -- Read what Johnny has to say. He provides the best education on weightlifting. I would especially recommend this book to high school football programs and players.

I purchased this book when it first came out (right after the 1986 Giants SuperBowl win). Although the graphics are a bit simplistic (including cover) Coach Parker put his expertise in this book. Coach was one of the first to study power lifting in the former USSR and applied what he learned here. He takes a complex program and breaks it down to a level a reader understands. I am a former SemiPro player who benefitted greatly from these workouts. The first benifit I noticed was how explosive I was off the ball (Def. Lineman). These exercises are olympic style lifts and he modified them for the football player. He trains you up to 80% of your max but leaves you strong and powerful for the game. He accounts for the entire season and has levels for HS, college and Pro. Although this is a football workout, a non football athlete will benifit as well. Although pictures and that Giant team is outdated, the principles to get you in best football shape are not. Highly recommended for High School level and up.

For the starting cadaver dog handler this book is a must. I recommend it to all my students. It does an excellent job of detailing the scent imprinting training, establishing a readable alert and the advancement of training. Not only does it cover the handling and training of the dog but discusses in depth the handlers responsibilities and information useful to any agency wishing to deploy the cadaver dog. Excellent information in a basic readable form. Not much experience in scent work needed prior to implementing these techniques. A wealth of information.

The book was sent on time, and it cost less then other places that I looked at. Nice shape, and a great place to buy from. Kudo's!

This is an excellent book! Great for the civilian SAR Dog Handler or a person jutst doing research on the subject.

Tremendous resource book (especially for the Novice and/or Advanced SAR Dog Handler) for trouble shooting Handler/SAR Dog problems and maintaining a training program/profile.

Could also be utilized in conjunction with a qualified/competent instructor.

I found this handbook well written, organized and thorough. A must have for anyone interested or involved in this specialized field of cadaver dog handlers.

I AM 53 AND HAVE SUFFERED FOR YEARS WITH A BAD BACK. I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING INCLUDING THERAPY. NOTHING WORKS AS WELL AS CALLANS BACK EXERCISES! I BOUGHT THIS BOOK USED RECENTLY. I WISH I WOULD HAVE FOUND IT YEARS AGO! IT WOULD HAVE SAVED ME YEARS OF PAIN! WHAT A SHAME ITS OUT OF PRINT.

The first few pages of this book are devoted to emergency relief of lower back spasm. If you've ever had to get out of bed by rolling out onto the floor, getting onto your knees, then slowly & painfully rising to your feet by supporting yourself by leaning on the nightstand...you know what I'm talking about. Her emergency exercises work.

The long-term stretching & toning program is a lot like some yoga exercises...but with some very important--and seemingly subtle--differences that will protect your back from some of the dangerous stresses that certain yoga positions put you into.

It's a shame this book is out of print. Haunt your local used book stores until you find it!

This book should not be out of print! I have been a low-back-pain sufferer most of my adult life and have tried everything from weightlifting to yoga with little or no positive result (in some cases, very negative results). But this book, with its common-sense approach to both back therapy and overall exercise (making it clear that, yes, back problems are no barrier to staying in shape) got me from 80% of the time in back pain to 95% of the time pain-free, strong, and able to hike, bike, and do all the other things that would in the past have gotten me into painful trouble. Also, but just incidentally, it toned and slimmed my entire body, a selling point for Callanetics for women, but believe me, this man doesn't mind losing his "love handles" on the way to a better back, either! Callan Pinckney is some kind of miracle worker, maybe because she used herself and her own back as the laboratory for the program she created. Simply amazing!

I found the book and 2 sets of audio tapes of Callanetics for Your Back years ago. I purchased 5 sets and only have one set left. Is that version still available? Callan Pinckney's easy lying down back exercises are the most valuable and helpful found anywhere. Help me find more copies, please! I'm searching for friends.

I agree with the earlier reviews; this book is great. We've used it in our church setting, and the men who are going through it (many being trained for the first time) have said often how much they like it. They do say that it is a "workout," but none of them would subtract any part or chapter.

There are a few typos and such that will no doubt be fixed in the future editions. Regardless, I highly recommend this manual.

Several of us had the opportunity to use this book for our officer training in preparation for becoming elders and deacons last summer. For many of us who were not raised in the reformed tradition of our Christian faith, much of the material was new and greatly needed. The material is comprised of 16 chapters written by different individuals and covers material such as our Biblical calling, history of our Reformed Doctrine and several chapters of practical guidance on how to fulfill our calling. I find myself referring to it often over this last year. It would also be useful for the Congregation at large to better understand the goals behind the Elders and Deacons responsibilities as they shepherd God's Church while we are serving in these capacities.

As an elder in the United Reformed Churches in North America, I have found Called to Serve: Essays for Elders and Deacons as an indispensible resource and training tool. The book divided into 16 well written chapters by various reformed authors, each knowledgeable about the history, duties and responsibilities of elders and deacons. The book also contains vital essays on church government and church discipline. Not only has it increased my knowledge of my church office, it has also reminded me of the scriptural mandate for these offices. As such, the book has underscored the important role that Christ has established for these offices in his church. My Council is using the book for officer training at our monthly meetings and it has been a blessing to all the men. We use the questions written in the back of the book for a 10-week officer training course. These are excellent for review and discussion during our meetings. I highly recommend it to other church councils for use as a training tool or to church members interested in better understanding one of the marks of a true church.

Called to Serve is an excellent resource not only for training officers in Reformed and Presbyterian churches, but also for expanding one's own understanding of the New Testament's teaching on the subject of ministers, elders, and deacons.

Though the book is written by and for officers in churches within the Dutch Reformed tradition, I would highly recommend it for use in PCA (the denomination in which I pastor), OPC, and other Presbyterian denominations as well.

One of the best and most challenging chapters, written by editor Michael Brown, addresses the question of whether people with baptistic theology should be allowed to join Reformed churches. Though the Dutch Reformed answer this question differently than do Presbyterians (the former say "no," the latter "yes"), this question is nonetheless a crucial one with which all potential officers should wrestle, regardless of their denominations' take on this issue.

As a church planter in the Presbyterian Church in America I am in the process of training elders and deacons, and after having searched far and wide for quality curricula, I was thrilled to come across this well-written and accessible volume. I commend it highly.

Rev. Jason J. Stellman
Exile Presbyterian Church
Woodinville, WA

This was a quick read...not too wordy like most of the other books about pet care out there. I like the fact that a veterinarian wrote it too. Answers all questions from training to behavior and medical problems. A great book for anyone who owns a dog or cat... if you thought you knew everything about owning a pet, this book is sure to prove you wrong!

My boyfriend purchased this book along with the mastiff puppy he got me for christmas....I thought I knew all i needed to know about dogs until I read through this incredible book! It covers everything from basic training to health issues and behavioral problems. Even the most experienced pet owner should have a copy of "Canine and Feline 101". I found it to be a quick ,informative read, -I highly recommend to anyone looking for some insight on choosing and adequately caring for a four legged friend!

Being a first time puppy owner (a beautiful 6 month old pit bull mix), I found this book to contain all the information I need to raise her properly. With regards to raising my puppy, I have discovered in this book proper housbreaking techniques, effective yet gentle obedience training, and preventative health care. As I read ahead, I see that the rest of the book seemingly has a wealth of information guiding me through every step of mine and my dog's life together, honestly explaining which situations call for which vaccines, and how to recognize that my dog might be in pain or sick. I highly recommend this book to dog and cat lovers alike.

As a cat breeder and cat enthusiast, I find this book to be a must have for all cat lovers. Written in easily understood lay terminology, the author takes you through every stage of a cat's life, offering great insights eash step of the way. I will recommend this book to all who adopt my kittens.

While this book is a great resource for parents of young athletes, or young athletes themselves, I have found the recommendations on nutrition extremely helpful. The information in Branner's book persuaded me to make changes in my eating habits and I have more energy and feel better as a result. It's an easy read and full of good advice for anyone, not just athletes.

Although the title indicates that this book is useful only for the caregiver of an athlete that is incorrect. The emphasis on proper nutrition is something that all people should learn and practice and the advice on activities such as how to properly warm up, train and work out is applicable to all serious physical activity. Finally, the discussion of the value of athletic competitions in building social skills, responsibility, a sense of achievement and how to deal with failure is an additional positive aspect of the book.

Note: Branner is also the author of two others book with the titles "The Care and Feeding of a Soccer Player" and `The Care and Feeding of a Dancer." A lot of the text in those books is identical to this one, so if you buy one you for some practical purposes have the other two.

Toni Tickel Branner has three books out on the "Care & Feeding of ...". While there are differences in this book (the quotes and some non-soccer advice) a lot of the language is exactly the same. My first review was of her book for the soccer player. So, I don't think you need all three. Just pick the one that is most focused on what it is you do. Just as she has adapted her text, I have only slightly altered my review.

We all know that exercising our bodies is good for us. We also know that real life is full of competition and there is winning and losing in all that we do. Athletics lets us exercise, have fun, and learn about competition when the stakes seem big, but are usually small. Organized sports consume more and more time in the life of many American children and young adults. As the author notes, "you learn to push yourself to your fullest potential, learn to take criticism as a compliment, and learn to gain confidence from each experience."

The author takes a responsible approach to fitness, nutrition, and competing to enhance your child's life, not consume it. Besides her own experience as an exercise physiologist, she has a board of medical and exercise experts who, I assume, looked over this material.

She also realizes that kids play sports differently and have different skill requirements according to age or grade level. Her advice for playing, learning skills, and warming up take all this in mind. I particularly like her discussion of common injury types and what you can do to prevent them. She also discusses the mental and emotional aspects of the game, including handling stress. Her food advice is quite good; if a bit too vegetarian for my tastes, but nothing here will be anything but good for you. She also deals with body image and distorted eating.

The author also guides you through getting the most from sports camp, how to be good sideline parents, and what to think about to become a successful and happy sports family. She also has a chapter on life lessons that can be learned from sports.

Good stuff.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

Too many kids and parents are pushing themselves to hard on and off the field. Branner teaches kids and parents how to take care of the young athlete and make sure they are around and healthy for those all important college years. Fantastic nutritional advice maximizes health and shows the importance of water, anti-oxidants and proper eating as a vital part of a young athletes road to collegiate or professional sports success.