Resources Books

I purchased this book when first released and utilized the techniques to assist in solving some performance issues at the office. I've seen some amazing results. So amazing, I purchased copies for my management team and we're working our way through the book now. Tremendous results. Kudos to Douglas Walker!!

I loved reading "A-ha Performance" and can definitely use all the wisdom in it to motivate not only my employees, but myself. I learned so much about management and my workplace environment and can see the positive results already.
Choose to Be Happy: A Guide to Total Happiness

Using this as a textbook in Managerial Motivation Class at local college. Interesting format with logical real life scenerios. Great discussion forum.

A-HA! Performance provides a very clear method for understanding what makes your employees tick and how to manage the process so that you end up with a win-win situation. This book is great for new managers and a wake-up call for those of us managing for many years who thought we already knew how to manage. I will keep this book behind me at work to refer to regularly and to help remind me what type of manager I want to be. Good stuff!

Before reading A-HA! Performance, we focused on motivating the workforce based on what the company thought employees should be motivated by. Now that we understand how to find their Intrinsic Motivation Points, it gives us tremendous insight about what Really motivates each individual. We have magnetized employees to the company's goals.

Gien Karssen is timeless in her presentation of the women of the Bible. You will love how she brings to light ideas and images you seldom hear. I have taught from her two books, three times and each time, new insights are revealed through her commentary.

Theis book includes relevant Scripture passages and questions about famous-and not so famous-women of the Bible. Among the women covered: Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Potiphar's wife, Miriam, Rahab, Peninnah, Hannah, the Queen of Shebah, the widow of Zarephath, the Shunammite, the Jewish maid of Naaman, Esther, Job's wife, Mary the mother of Jesus, Elizabeth, Anna, Mary and Martha of Bethany, the woman at the well, Dorcas, Lydia, Priscilla. Foreword is by Corrie Ten Boom

I picked this book up in conjunction with a Bible study on women of the Bible I was evaluating, but ended up just reading the book on its own. Overall, it was a good read. Mrs. Karssen's book serves well as one part of a two-part encyclopedia of some women of the Bible, and can either be read devotionally (there are Scripture readings at the beginning of each chapter), in conjunction with a Bible study, or just as one would read an average book.

In this day of confusion about the biblical view of women, with lots of people misreading and feeling pity for those of us who joyfully and gratefully accept the role God has given us in our homes, society, and His Church, Mrs. Karssen takes care to explain Jesus' view and treatment of women in one of the chapters about Mary, Martha's sister:

"He started by giving His friendship...Up until that time a wide gulf had existed between men and women. After all, didn't the Jewish men thank God every morning in their prayers that He had created them 'not as a slave, nor a heathen, nor a woman?'... 'It would be better that the Articles of the Law be burned than that their contents be revealed to a woman publicly,' said their rabbis.

"He had introduced a new respect for women. He had offered her possibilities that had been unknown until then. He had lifted her to His plan.... The purpose of her existence had become clear in listening to this Man. A conviction grew within her, 'I am created for God. I exist because of Him.' (pp. 168, 175)

As I read through HER NAME IS WOMAN, as often happens with Bible lessons, there were some characters that resonated more strongly with me right now than others. Some were reminders to me of what I ought to be doing; some were cautionary, showing me the end result if I continue in some sinful path or other. Some chapters contain my highlights throughout, some chapters aren't marked up at all.

While I'm not sure I enjoyed the book as "a good read" like many other books in my library, it is an invaluable resource to keep on hand, and I look forward to using it for many years to come.

This has to be the most practical Bible study ever written. When I first became a Christian I felt that there weren't many women to identify with in the Bible. There are, in reality, so many! Their lessons are as timely now as they were in Biblical days. I feel as if I understand more how God wants me to live my life, and how I can glorify Him as only a woman can!

This book, is of superb literary reading. Wonderful for the theology student, the woman's group leader (a study is contained at the end of each chapter), and also for personal reading. You realise how important women were, and still are to God. Women are becoming more recognised... and through this book, you understand how, whether you work, are a Mum at home, a female church leader, a young or older woman YOUR personal importance to God... Gien Karssen is wonderful in the range of women she chooses. The only conclusions she draws are with the use of Biblical evidence, and not hear say or traditional beliefs. The only downfall? That there is no book 3.

Sherrie Gong Taguchi's Hiring The Best And The Brightest provides instructions on MBA recruiting methods. Managers are advised not to just look for top new MBA talent, but to run a dynamic MBA recruiting program. This tells how the most successful companies find and develop MBA talents.

Ms. Taguchi has clearly done her homework and come up with a practical and thought provoking gem. What comes through clearly is that she knows her stuff, having experienced MBA recruiting from multiple angles including corporate HR and MBA career management director at Stanford.

I approached this book with modest expectations. As an MBA with years of experience in the career development and HR fields, and having hired MBAs as CEO of my own software company, I didn't expect to learn much that was new from this book. I was more interested in the book as something to refer others to. Ms. Taguchi's intelligence and pragmatic expertise jumps off the page from the very beginning and fills the book with many practical ideas that even the most experienced in the field would find thought provoking.

The book is nicely organized and does not assume anything about it reader. It is brilliant in covering all the basics in recruiting with precision and insight to appeal to both long time recruiters and new team managers. It first covers the four major phases of MBA recruiting, from preparation, to pre-recruiting, interviews, second rounds, and offers. An extremely useful section is best practices and worst mistakes. As I was reading them I couldn't help but catch many of the mistakes I had made myself and wonder how much time and money I would have saved if I had read this book at the time I was running my company. I could see how the powerful lessons of this section could become a classic foundation for training recruiting and hiring managers.

Ms. Taguchi then proceeds to cover profiles of top 20 schools. I checked my own school for curiosity and discovered she had nailed it on the head. The information is quite specific on each school, including top 3 Dos and Don'ts for that school.

A particularly brilliant section of this book is the chapters covering the specific perspective of established as opposed to smaller companies. The strengths and weaknesses of each are analyzed from the perspective of the cultural upheaval that recruiting has undergone in the post-dot-com period. This analysis should help the reader in coming up with an effective positioning, pitch, and strategy that would appeal to the psychology of today's skittish MBA.

An entire chapter is dedicated to helping you leverage your own website and other commercial sites for recruiting. It is a very comprehensive and thorough section. The final chapter reminds us all of how important it is to spend some effort in retaining the great talent which we have gone through such length to hire. This is a critical lesson which is too often ignored, relegating retention to others in the company. Ms. Taguchi wisely implies that as recruiting and hiring managers we would be in the best position to ensure that our efforts result in a more lasting impact in our companies. Her advice, once again, is quite practical.

In short, my hat is off to Ms. Taguchi for a job well done. This is without a doubt the best book written on the subject and bound to become a classic.

Having been a senior manager in a strategy consulting firm and later a CEO myself, I applaud this book for its strategic yet accessible insights. The best I have seen on the market. Nothing like it.

The author knows has lots of firsthand experice to offer and a unique integrated perspective having been a Stanford MBA, recruiter, and head of a MBA career center.

I am also recommending it to friends facing the on going tough job market. It will help them understand the recruiting process and prepare for interviews.

This book is full of great ideas on recruiting. However, it is much more than that. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of valuable HR info and the people issues; so important for managers. I will use it as I recruit employees and associates for my Practice. Enduring stuff for those who want to manage and mentor others.
I will also recommend this book to friends and family as a tool for them to help understand the hiring process as they seek to advance their career.

As this review is written, America is still in a recession. Layoffs abound. Hiring is down or frozen at most companies. Employers who recruited on college campuses have cancelled the offers made to graduating students. Employers have hunkered down for a tight period that may last a few months or, as some pessimists forecast, for years.

While campus recruiting is down dramatically, wise employers will still visit top colleges and universities looking for the best and the brightest. If they're just going to hire a few people, it makes sense to go for the cream of the crop. The question becomes just how to do this kind of specialized recruiting in an employment market that was highly competitive, then became quiet, but that will pick up again. Hiring top MBAs-and other highly desirable candidates-is now a strategic issue. To maintain a competitive advantage now and later when the pace picks up again, it's essential to gain the knowledge and insight that fosters high performance and stunning results. There hasn't been much written about this specialized field. Now there's a book that will teach you how. Whether you're a neophyte at this kind of recruiting or an old hand, you will learn from Taguchi.

Some things change; some remain the same. Taguchi presents a wide range of accepted protocols that have not-and will not-change. All of these elements are important for recruiters to fully understand if they are to gain the needed cooperation and support of the career professionals at their targeted schools. One thing that is changing is that "compensation may have won out in the past, but nowadays it takes a whole lot more to attract and keep top talent." This is a job that must be done well, since so much is riding on your success.

Reading this book, I learned that there are four phases to MBA recruiting: up-front preparation, pre-recruitment, interviews, and second rounds and offers. Cutting corners won't work; each of these phases must be handled carefully. Each of these phases is explained for the reader in chapters 3, 4, 5, and 7. Chapter 6? Page after page of lessons learned by 15 experienced recruiters, a treasure in itself. This author has done her homework. The chapter on Best Practices and Worst Mistakes brings out more lessons to learn from.

Chapter 10 is by far the largest: School Profiles of the Top Twenty Picks. For each school, the book presents an overview of the MBA program and what degrees are granted. On campus recruiting at that institution is explained, with advice, followed by a school-specific list of dos and don'ts. Other recruiting options and key go-to people are included. While this is incredibly valuable information that will save recruiters a considerable amount of time, the personal resources could become outdated quickly. Hint: use this information now!

Other helpful chapters cover advice for established companies and for start-ups. The chapter on recruiting on the fly may be particularly valuable if you simply don't have time to plan and design an elaborate recruiting program. If the economy heats up quickly or you have a fast-growing company with immediate needs, this chapter will be a vital resource. Web recruiting is explored in chapter 14, followed by a couple of chapters on retention. There is no question that developing and keeping the MBAs you hire is critical, but the title of the book is specifically hiring. It's nice to have the obligatory retention chapters, but the book is strong without them. The three appendices provide some metrics and additional resources.

Bonus insight: Sherrie Taguchi's experience glows in this book. She gained experience as Vice President of University Relations for Bank of America and Director of Corporate Human Resources for Dole Packaged Foods. Now she's on the other side of the desk as Director of MBA Career Management and Management Communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Her conversational writing style gives the reader the feeling of sitting in a big, comfy chair in front of a warming fire, chatting away about how specialized college recruiting really works . . . the inside story.

College leaders would do well to ensure that a copy of young Professor Trinkle's "The History Highway" is on the desktop of each faculty member, and then interview him or her a month later on what they discovered when navigating around the "new literacy". In pointed contrast, I remember too well a much older and "very retiring" professor at a highly ranked college recently insisting that "this Pen is My computer".
A journey through knowledge begins with but a single, small step --as ancient seers would remind us. "The History Highway" offers anyone (older or young) a "roadmap" to their own choice of any of 2000 or so stepping off points. For example, "images taken from the Bayeaux Tapestry [embroidery 230 feet long; the original story document presented to an illiterate population] make this a visually appealing and useful site (Norman Invasion of England, 1066)". But wait, there's more: "Periodic updates to the text are available online."
Our new digital lifestyle can (will?) transform Academia "before you can say Great Scott!" Or at least, for certain, a lot more quickly than the Gutenberg effect transformed schooling and culture.

As a history student I am constantly looking for sources and articles for research purposes. This book puts the most important internet history sites at my finger tip. When I teach my history classes in a few years I will require all of my students to purchase this book.

If you are at all interested in history, this book is indispensable. It offers an exhaustive guide to the reliable and worthwhile historical materials available on the Internet. The entries have been sifted by an international team of subject experts, and there is a resource mentioned for every lover or student of history.

Everyone who has ever stared in awe at a search engine result listing 1 million hits on some subject owes Drs. Trinkle and Merriman a debt of gratitude. This book will take you to the materials you really want to use or explore. It is not only worth the time and money you will invest--it will save you time and pay handsome dividends.

What else can one say--it is this history student's new best friend.

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, The History Highway 2000: A Guide To Internet Resources continues to provide the most extensive and reliable coverage available. Reflecting the swift growth of the Internet, featured are more than twice as many entries (2,500) and many new sections (Australian, New Zealand, Greek, Western History, Agricultural History, Rural Studies, Psychohistory, Historiography, Historical Population Databases, and Historical Book Dealers. The History Highway 2000 is further enhanced with a detailed cross-index offering instant access to every subject and every entry; an expanded glossary of multimedia and web-format terms; as well as periodic updates to the text which are available online. The History Highway 2000 is an invaluable, highly recommended resource for history students, teachers, researchers, librarians, authors, and the general public.

At 600 pages this behemoth is more than twice the length of the first edition. And every page of this guide to history related internet resources is worthwhile. The detailed Table of Contents lists a diverse range of site categories, such as General History, Early American History - 1783-1860, Jewish Holocaust Studies, Geneaology, and Archives and Manuscript collections.

The introductory chapter gives internet startup information, so the book is useful to newbies and experienced web users alike. Later chapters list specific websites along with a paragraph or so of information about the site written by a historian or specialist.

Of particular interest to family history researchers will be the genealogy section, which lists a variety of sites. Instructors and researchers of American History will find useful the 101 pages (expanded and updated from the 33 pages in the first edition) devoted to a chronological list of sites on specific segments of United States History. Also expanded in the new edition is the Women's History segment, which is now 17 pages long and contains a more diverse range of websites than the first edition.

Finally, entries are cross referenced in the index, with internet sites listed in italics. This work is both a useful and enjoyable reference title, and well worth its price.

So I'm at work, waiting for my scanner to do its thing, and I picked up "Hold Your Water" and started to read the introduction. As soon as I got to the sentence about Ralph filling his water balloons and taking retribution on his sister, I knew that eventually, I would read every word. Wasn't really planning on doing that. This book is not preachy at all. The writing is fun and fresh, and of course, the ideas are things we all should be doing.

(From the Lakeland Ledger newspaper, Lakeland, FL)

Book Tells of Everyday Impacts on the World's Water Supplies
By Tom Palmer
Oct. 24, 2006

If you're concerned about water, but don't want to do a lot of heavy reading, there's a recently published book that could fit your needs.

It is "Hold Your Water! 68 Things You Need to Know to Keep Our Planet Blue" by Environmental Artist Wyland and Steve Creech (Andrews McMeel Publishing, Kansas City, Mo., $9.95 185 pages ISBN 040756826).

This book is a collection of short narratives.

The topics of the narratives include simple explanations of the world's water supply (hint: most of it isn't fresh and drinkable), the impacts of everyday activities -- getting your oil changed, fertilizing your lawn, taking a shower -- on the water cycle (one of the new terms you'll learn) and other useful bits of water trivia.

Let me share a few that come right out of recent headlines.

* In an area with a 100,000 population such as Lakeland, the canine population produces 2.5 tons of animal waste every day. An estimated 40 percent of the pet owners don't clean up after their pets, which means the waste has a good chance of ending up in a local lake.

* If you want to stay cool and hydrated during the hot weather, use a reusable water bottle rather than the throwaway plastic bottle. Even after a plastic bottle breaks down enough to seem invisible, the petrochemicals (you did know plastic was made from oil, didn't you?) that make up the plastic remain in the environment and pollute it.

* With the high cost of prescription and nonprescription drugs these days, throwing them away seems like a waste of money. However, it you must get rid of your meds, don't flush them down the toilet. Pharmaceuticals are showing up in increasingly high concentrations in water bodies and appear to be affecting fish and other aquatic life in unhealthy ways.

The last item emphasizes the fact that this book not only speaks about water in terms of its usefulness to people, but also recognizes that water is the main habitat for many of the earth's plants and animals.

That's a point that sometimes would otherwise be overlooked in water planning and is certainly one of the limiting factors in the plans to siphon water from rivers and lakes to feed the demands of new development.

For an element so basic, water's looming on the horizon as the big issue of our times. Strangely, it hasn't been addressed much or weighed much on the public consciousness. I've been a fan of Wyland for a long time, so I have to applaud the artist's growing concern for raising awareness about the future of this precious resource. Hold Your Water covers a large amount of information territory in one of the most accessible, and dare I say, funny, ways I've seen in a book of this type. the graphics were clever, and some of the sources suprised me (George Bush, Sr?), but it appears that addressing environmental issues is going to require big efforts on both sides of the aisle. It still seems weird to hear from the Bushes and Mahatma Ghandi side by side. But the point is well taken. The water issue isn't going away. The question now is: will we prepared to handle it before it becomes too large to address.

If you have ever felt like you are in over your head when it comes to environmental issues, "Hold Your Water" is a book you must read. It gives you the information you need to know about clean water (and the environment in general) - and is actually fun and entertaining. Plus it provides easy tips for you to make a difference, for your local water resources and those across the world.

What can you do about the environment and clean water? Lots of things!

Did you know that helping improve the environment can be as easy as...

* Changing your dinner order at a restaurant.
* Fixing a leaky faucet.
* Putting off your laundry for one more day.

This book is serious, but surprisingly upbeat. The storytelling helps to simplify complicated environmental issues. The facts, checklists and simple math make it easy to see how each of us can make a difference.

By changing little everday habits, I will save 360,125 gallons of water this year! Wow...I feel better already.

This tremendous book was providentially placed on my path several years ago as I struggled to come to a biblical/reformed view of sanctification after floundering through a men's Bible study in Rick Warren's "purpose-driven" dreck. What a breath of fresh air this work is--grounding our sanctification in the finished work of Christ. Thank you, Dr. Chapell, for a work which glorifies our Lord and Savior.

What a fantastic read. I couldn't breeze through it like I can most other books. There was just too much meat. I could only handle a half dozen pages at a time just because I had to sit back and ponder what I had just read.

This book excels where other books on Sanctification fails. Some authors focus so much on our doing that they neglect the Cross and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Chappell puts the Cross back into focus and grace as the only means of Sanctification, but at the same time does not neglect our obedience in walking it out.

This book destroys any concept, realized or unrealized, that you might hold concerning a Law of Merit or Attainment. Instead, Chappell goes into detail on the unmerited favor of our Lord toward us and the Law of Love that compels us.

You ever just want to throw up your arms and give up when other believers tell you that in order to conquer sin in your life you just need to do the right things....read your Bible more, pray more, etc? This book totally dispells that notion. Instead, Chappell shows how we have been delivered of these things already through the Cross of Christ and that the doings we do now are merely the outward reaction to that. It is freeing to come to the realization that we don't have to live defeated lives...that Christ took care of it all and created in me a brand New Creation who is thoroughly empowered through His ressurrection life to live out this life....pursuing that Holiness that is had by Grace.

This book has a similar theme to books by Jerry Bridges and Steve Brown on the grace of God, but is much bigger and more thorough than the others. If you want a quick and to the point rundown on grace try "Transforming Grace," by Bridges, or "Born Free" by Steve Brown.

But, if you have the time and desire to soak in the depths of the Bible's teachings on God's grace, I heartily recommend this book. It is best taken slowly. I think I read it too fast and will need to go back and re-read some portions of it.

Chapell has a great writing style. He mixes teaching with illustration very effectively. His illustrations range from the mundane things of everyday life to quotes from famous theologians in the Reformed and Puritan tradition.

The title of the book shows the theme clearly - holiness comes by the grace of God. Too often Christians treat grace as the thing that gets them into the Christian life, and holiness as the thing that gets them through the Christian life. The fact is that grace gets us into the Christian life and grace produces the holiness that characterizes us throughout the Christian life.

The author does a wonderful job of displaying the grace and mercy of God without making it a license to sin. One of my favorite chapters was the one on mercy. We Christians often forget God's mercy after awhile, and our daily need of it.

He shows that, rather than being an excuse for sin, grace helps us live above sin. The grace that saves us from the penalty of sin saves us from the power of sin.

Thanks to the Sonship ministry of World Harvest Mission and the writings of Bridges, Brown, Max Lucado and others grace is now high on the radar of many Christians. But Chapell reminds us that grace is not just a new fad for the church, nor is it a mere reaction to more oppressive types of fundamentalism. Grace is the path we walk throughout the Christian life.

If only everyone could read and understand the full message of the gospel. A great read for non-Christians who want to know what living as a Christian is about and Christians who want to be reminded that Holiness is attainable only through the acknowledgement of God's grace, not on our own merits. This is a beautifully written discussion of God's amazing grace and what effects it should have on us.

If you ever read a Christian books, and you actually have a conscience that is displeased with your sin, this book will mean the most comfort to you, apart from reading the Bible yourself. Chapell takes us away from our delusions that we'll never be able to be holy, to the hope that we can be holy--a hope that only comes from the love of Jesus and the power of grace given by the Holy Spirit within. This book will transform not only your erroneous theological assumptions, but also the dread you feel in your heart towards God's standard of holiness. Read it! It is worth every penny...

Hydrogen is THE solution to our pathological greed, planetary trespasse, and cruelty to other species.
This book shows how to get there: not in thirty years, but in a few years.
It comports with the most recent scientific accumulation of
data which argues that with national resolve we can make a profound difference.
This safe, virtually emissions free alternative to oil
can and must wean the feckless consumer off petroleum, each and every one of
us, whilst providing a future, after all,
for our grandchildren. We urge you to read this book
carefully and commend its stalwart authors on a well-balanced,
brilliant, gorgeously produced and
seductively accessible book. No other work on hydrogen
has so trenchantly brought together the up-to-the-minute data,
the chorus of informed voices,and the readable prose to transform
what was an engineering conundrum into an everyday addition to our lives. And at relatively
minor cost to the planet. Zero, by comparison with fossil fuels.

"The Hydrogen Age" is an exciting illustration of where we are headed in our quest for energy independence. We as a society are so caught up in an environment of scarcity and limitation that we in the general public fail to literally see the "forest for the trees." This book points out there are so many alternatives to solving our energy challenges which are well within our grasp. Petroleum is a wonderfully useful commodity, but is not the be-all or end-all for our energy source. The sources pointed out in this book are unlimited and are not somewhere in the distant future, but are available here and now. We are in need of nothing but the truth and this terrific book shows us how we may accomplish our energy independence. When enough of us are determined to make a change the market place will take care of the doing, and the change will come so quickly we will all wonder why we dallied so long.

This wonderfully researched book is truly a way-shower to the future and should be a must read for the general public and especially for those who are teaching our young people. I am very proud of the authors' dedication to telling the truth about energy and illuminating the prospects for the less developed economies of the world.

I highly recommend this book.

The authors did a fantastic job of writing a book on hydrogen that is thorough and accurate. There is so much misinformation that is spread about hydrogen that it is refreshing to finally read material that covers the issue fairly.

I happen to work for a hydrogen company and have learned a lot about this issue over the past three years. But I can tell you that the level of detail in this book is beyond what I have ever seen. It obviously took many years to write.

Furthermore, the writing style is similar to what you would find in a really good magazine article which makes the book very readable. I also liked all of the pictures the book contained.

Although "The Hydrogen Age" is not likely to get the credit it deserves right now due to a few very vocal and misguided critics, it will get more and more attention as time passes and people realize hydrogen is one of the primary solutions to our energy problems.

Greg Blencoe
CEO, Hydrogen Discoveries

Any who would understand civilization's energy history and needs should have THE HYDROGEN AGE in their collection, whether it be for an easy college-level introduction or for the general-interest public. Here is a guide to civilization's passage from a carbon to hydrogen era, considering how such an age will foster new developments and how moving to water-based energy offers new hope and alternatives for the continued progression of civilization. It's an excellent pick for any who would understand the technology and applications of hydrogen, written in a manner any lay reader can understand.

It is far too common place these days to find books without any intention of providing a well-rounded and well-researched perspective to its readers. As many of us have experienced, it is far too easy to polarize over increasingly divisive issues like energy, its implications and its solutions. There are zealots on both sides of the fence using outdated and often outrageous statistics to bolster their claim for one technology or another; however, The Hydrogen Age does a good job of avoiding this trap. It is optimistic, yet realistic, providing a good sense of what is happening today and the role hydrogen technologies can/will play in our future. Remember that the "Silver Bullet" is a myth. Although there is no single solution, The Hydrogen Age provides excellent insight into one of the tools already being utilizing to meet the developing/developed future energy challenges. - Matthew Burks - President, Hydrogen Energy Center (www.hydrogenenergycenter.org)

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (7/06)

"I Can't Hear God Anymore" is the story of Wendy and Doug Duncan. In this first person narrative, Wendy relates the couple's experiences in an abusive religious group.

At a time when Wendy was hurting, confused, and feeling rejected by her church, Wendy met Doug who invited her to attend Bible studies and services led by Ole Anthony of the Trinity Foundation in Dallas, Texas. Doug had joined the group during college as an eager, idealistic, and vulnerable youth. "I Can't Hear God Anymore" is Wendy's first person account of their spiritual journey.

The Trinity Foundation gained national recognition for their work with Diane Sawyer, in exposing TV Evangelists, Robert Tilton, W. V. Grant, and Larry Lea on ABC's "Prime Time Live". Charismatic leader Ole Anthony was recently featured in the New Yorker magazine and is frequently interviewed by the media as an expert on religion. Duncan uses her experiences as a member of the Trinity Foundation to alert the reader of the peril of blindly following charismatic cultic type leadership.

The book includes insights from Margaret Thaler Singer, Ronald Enroth, Stephen Arterbaum, Len Oakes, Judith Lewis Herman, William Sargent, and other well known writers on cultic personalities, manipulation, scripture twisting, psychological and emotional abuse. Her research includes general information regarding cults or abusive groups, psychological profiles of cult leaders, recovery issues, brainwashing and mind control methods.

Wendy's research included listening to dozens of former Trinity Foundation taped Bible messages of Ole Anthony and other recorded sources and documents to introduce the basic teaching of the Trinity Foundation. Rites and practices of the group are introduced or confirmed through interviews with former members of the group. These sources have been included to illustrate the danger of theological distortions, prevalent in some quasi-Christian groups and to point out the inconsistency in following their own tenets.

In today's atmosphere of political mistrust, questions regarding business ethics in an unstable economy, and sex scandals in the church, Wendy Duncan has written this book to alert the American public of another area of concern, that of spiritual abuse by church leaders. This is a timely and important contribution to resources available on the danger of cultic and abusive personalities and organizations.

Wendy's research includes mind control methods that cause members to be so crushed and shamed that they lose their personal identity. She likens the aftermath of separation from the cultic leadership and community to that of the grief process. In her last chapter "Hope for the Hopeless" Wendy gives encouragement to the reader as she discusses an understanding of thought reform techniques and the recovery process.

The book is well articulated and documented. Duncan has a keen sense of observation and has demonstrated courage in confronting and exposing Trinity leadership in the face of criticism and humiliation. Duncan writes with understanding, conviction, and intellectual honesty.

Wendy's purpose in writing this book is to enlighten others who find themselves in similar situations and to help them avoid some of the same pitfalls.

I highly recommend this book to recovering former cult members who are struggling to regain their identity and move on with their lives.

I had a strange reason for purchasing this book. I had seen Ole Anthony on TV giving reports of various televangelists and knew he did research on them. I was thinking of contacting his organization to see if they could help me find some information on a certain ministry.

Fortunately, first I "googled" Ole Anthony, and this book came up. The idea that Ole Anthony could be the head of something he himself has appeared on TV purporting to be against was just too intriguing. So I purchased this book.

Although I didn't enjoy Wendy's descriptions of Anthony's doctrine, because it so clearly is wrong, and although I can't identify with someone who would willingly place themselves in the situation the characters in the book did and do, still, the story is very well written, and the explanation of Anthony's doctrines are needed to "get" the story. The story was convincing enough that I believe it!

I'm glad this book was published, it's a variation of the all-too-oft story of abuse by people in authority, or pseudo-authority, and the very worst kind is a religious figure who abuses his flock in the name of Christ!

So, thanks to this book, I don't need any information that Ole Anthony might be able to provide me. That would be like asking Don Corleone (The Godfather) to help me because my neighbor's dog barks too loud. It just wouldn't be worth it!

I first heard of the Trinity Foundation and Ole Anthony back when they exposed Robert Tilton on ABC's Primetime Live. I contacted them with the inside "scoop" of another televangelist. Unfortunately, because I did not have the good sense to keep the information to myself, the Trinity Foundation did another expose using my information, on a national television program. I became a good source for the Trinity Foundation. I was acquainted and spoke with Doug Duncan, who was later to be married to Wendy. After I learned of Anthony's arrogance and his willingness to play God with "exposing" the sins of others rather than be truly biblical in his approach, I had to renounce Trinity Foundation's and Anthony's tactics. I regret having had anything to do with them even at a distance. The book is a valuable read, and shows that anyone can be suckered into trusting a domineering cult authority figure.

This book gave me alot of insight into religion and how it would be so easy to fall into the hands of a heartless leader. This book was organized perfectly and flowed smoothly from one topic to the next. I smile on the good that came out of it.... Wendy and Doug becoming one!

I finished this book in one sitting. It carefully explains the writer's path into, through, and out of a real evangelical cult hidden away in plain sight. OMG, this is about her earnest quest for a spiritual life and the abuse she was handed in the name of God! I cried as I listened to her amazing ordeal and cried again as she explained her painstaking path back to God. This is a "must read" for anyone who is now, or contemplating a religious life outside the organized church... "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves (Matt. 7:15).

I liked the IEP Tips for Parents and Teachers because it was easy to use and wasn't too wordy. The book addressed topics and issues that were relevant and gave good ways of handling specific scenarios.

Very informative. Gives a practical scenario on parents and teachers handling children with special needs.

This book is an easy read and contains lots of practical suggestions. I particularly like the way it is organized, making it easy to refer back to important points when you need them. Prior to a meeting, parents can use the checklists provided to make sure they have all the information they need to be fully prepared. It's an ideal resource for parents whose children are just beginning public school as well as for more experienced parents who are looking for new ideas. As a preschool teacher, I have already added it to my school library.

I just wanted to say this is a very concise book full of great tips for parents. The format also makes it an easy read. The author went to great lengths to boil things down to get to the important information we need to know. Thanks. Nancy

As an inclusion consultant who needs to recommend to families and teachers user-friendly, thorough and up-to-date resources, this book is at the top of my list. Both authors have experience as advocates and parents and as such, their insights and tips will prove invaluable to anyone and everyone involved in educating all children.

Great book I would definitely recommend it to anyone trying to improve themselves and there walks with the lord.

Incredible that the same principles taught by Jesus Christ became the passion of Robert Greenleaf, Chuck Swindoll, Peter Drucker, Ken Blanchard and numerous others.

Chuck Swindoll is a great story teller. Probably would have been a great television personality like Cronkite, but chose to follow the real call on his life.

If you want to be challenged to face your pride/ego, pick up this book and read it cover-to-cover. Ouch!

Once again, Swindoll has written an excellent book addressing a problem in the Christian community: this one focuses on the challenge of refusing to live like the world and serving others in Jesus' name.

Among the important points covered in the book include:

1. Two tests of true humility.
2. A great proof of true servanthood is giving anonymously.
3. Servants who refuse to be bogged down in the past are seldom petty people.
4. Humility, a character trait greatly cherished by God, is sadly lacking in today's world.
5. The dangers of being a servant.
6. Jesus described Himself as a servant and 3 aspects of obedient service.
7. God's servants will be attacked and abused - nothing we experience has not first gone through God.
8. An eternal perspective of the servant's rewards.

Unfortunately, the church all too often copies the world - lording it over others instead of serving others, expecting to be served instead of serving, and not wishing to serve unless we receive recognition.

Swindoll's book is an excellent challenge to serve in Jesus' name. Read and be encouraged and challenged!

I read this book a few years ago, and it radically changed my life. The first book that I ready written by Chuck was The Grace Awakening, and my eyes truly were opened and my mind enlightened, as to how very easy it is to be legalistic and judgmental. In reading Improving Your Serve, I felt smaller and smaller, and realized how Big God really is and what it really means to "be like Jesus." Thanks Chuck, your books The Grace Awakening, and Improving Your Serve, have done for me what being at church Sunday after Sunday was not able to accomplish. In reading these two books in particular, I realized that being a writer is a powerful tool to use as a witness to the truth of Jesus Christ. Continue to operate in this ministry wisely. May God's blessings continue to be on your ministry.

Let me begin by saying that this book has truly shown me the inside of my heart. Before reading Improving Your Serve,by Charles Swindoll, my "serve" was more for me than it was for God or for anyone else. I had considered myself to be loving and caring of others, but after reading this book I realized how much more I could be doing. I love the many stories that are put together to teach lessons on humility, forgiveness, giving, influences...etc. I have truly learned where my heart needed to improve and I am really working toward serving others and loving others no matter what. I am beginning to get the heart that Christ would want me to have, and not so much the heart that the world expects of me. If anyone longs to get out of the selfish world that we live in, and would enjoy the pleasure of giving back to their community and the people they love, I suggest reading this book. Chuck has truly shown me to see the good in all people and to love and forgive others as Christ has forgiven me.