Resources Books

This much-needed book fills a gap in intelligent Christian thinking about being male and being Christian. Herbert Anderson is a highly regarded pastoral theologian who was invited to write a book about men. He accepted, as an opportunity to reflect on being a man in the midst of a gender revolution. Then two significant things happened which deeply influenced his thinking without distorting the book from its original focus: he became a grandfather, and was diagnosed (and successfully treated) for prostate cancer. The book is readable and practical, drawing on many men's experiences. The title refers to Jacob's wrestling with God and subsequent lifelong wounding. Anderson draws on events in Jacob's life and relates them to themes common in men's lives (such as disappointment, vulnerability, and aggression), and develops perspectives on themes underplayed in most men's lives (such as nurturing, grieving, and sharing power). Although published four years ago, it is strikingly relevant to the lives of Christian men and women, and a mighty contribution in the true Herbert Anderson style. Fr James McPherson, Anglican priest in Australia

I met Herbert Anderson at a men's retreat sponsored by my church and he spoke on just one chapter of this book. I purchased a copy that weekend and read it cover to cover in a day. I found myself moved by his story and the connections his words, and the story of Jacob, made in my life. I heartily recommend this book to every man who is a father, grandfather, husband, friend, colleague. It is an insightful and compassionate book that will help you along your spiritual journey. Well done Herb!

There is no other book like Jacob's Shadow which addresses the unique issues of a masculine practice of faith. Among so much "trendy" books on the subject of spirituality, Anderson shares himself as man, son, husband, father, and pastor in a way that is disarming, authentic and penetrating. Built around the Biblical narrative of Jacob, son of Isaac and brother of Esau, the book sensitively help us all lower our defenses and enter more fully what it means to be a male created in the image of God. This book is without peer!

I read Jacob's Shadow on the recommendation of a friend and came to it with the scepticism that a man who in fact needs a book like this might be expected to bring to it. I found myself seduced by its clarity and was grateful for its lessons. In ten chapters the book covers ten areas of living in which men might well encounter challenges and benefit from wise advice gently offered. The need for men to acknowlege vulnerability and then confront that vulnerability with courage is both a chapter and an overall theme. In fact, in writing Jacob's Shadow Herbert Anderson made himself vulnerable and in doing so has given the reader a gift which is more than mere words.

Anderson does an incredible job of reflecting on the many facets of being a man and a man who loves and serves Christ. He challenges men to delve deeper into their lives exploring relationships,emotions, loves and friendships and their impact on self and others. He challenges common notions of "Christian Man" and their behaviors, feelings and reactions. He examines everyday events that happen to men and opens up a new dimension on how men can learn and interpret from those experiences. It has truly challenged me to examine myself, my relationships and the fullness of being a man, and a man who serves Christ.

In this book Carol Hacker has given the job hunter a powerful tool - true knowledge. Unlike many dense books on job search, she made the book easy to read and to understand. It's very much like sitting down over a cup of coffee with a senior executive and finding out what's REALLY going on. Whether you are an experienced executive or entry level newcomer, there is a lot you don't really know about job hunting and won't until you read this superb book!

I lost my job and found this book to be invaluable in helping me figure out what I wanted to do from this point on. It's practical and filled with lots of information that I could put to use immediately. Now my wife is using it in her job search.

This book gets to the heart of what it takes to get the best job available. I was enouraged by the information offered to the reader. I don't read a lot because I don't like to read, but this book was recommended to me by my brother and I found it to be very valuable.

I recently purchased this book and found it to be well-written. The author appears to know what she's talking about. I got some valuable ideas that helped me in my job search. I started a new job 3 months ago and attribute some of the good decision-making I made, especially in the area of negotiating salary and benefits, to Job Hunting in the 21st Century. Happy reading!

I bought this book and several others on this subject as I'm looking for a new job. This book is by far the most comprehensive and useful. It's easy to read and has a lot of ideas that I hadn't thought about. I know that my college-age children will benefit from this book as well. I'm happy to have it as part of my personal library.

In my opinion this novel, Last of wanderers, that I bought from local shops, knowing author of it famous for his political thriller, hesitantly I bought though the subject looked so unfamiliar, when read I found it astounding. I hail from rural areas and now is in metropolis for my higher education, I could identify my own past with this novel that talks about primitive times. I too had to suffer same psychological pains while adjusting with urban societies in an attempt to learn strange customs that never did prevailin my rural life. Same time I never wanted to break my lineage with my past...and so brutally this novel reminded me of what I did lose in my endeavor to become a urban man and then a global man.

I think this is strength of any literary work. Sanjay Sonawani does the magic skilfully in this novel and in so simplicity.

To say the least this novel is not only poetic the way Sandra says, but in fact is brutal in its ability to rake up forgotten past.

I enjoyed this novel. Sonawani excells contemporary authors. He is light of India.
Looking forward to read more of this author.

I loved this book. It is poetically brutal. Reminds me of dark era when mankind was yet to settle. This book takes us in that era. And so contemporary and relevent it is even today.

In my opinion this novel, Last of wanderers, that I bought from local shops, knowing author of it famous for his political thriller, hesitantly I bought though the subject looked so unfamiliar, when read I found it astounding. I hail from rural areas and now is in metropolis for my higher education, I could identify my own past with this novel that talks about primitive times. I too had to suffer same psychological pains while adjusting with urban societies in an attempt to learn strange customs that never did prevailin my rural life. Same time I never wanted to break my lineage with my past...and so brutally this novel reminded me of what I did lose in my endeavor to become a urban man and then a global man.

I think this is strength of any literary work. Sanjay Sonawani does the magic skilfully in this novel and in so simplicity.

To say the least this novel is not only poetic the way Sandra says, but in fact is brutal in its ability to rake up forgotten past.

This book starts out with a warrior in flight, whose thoughts, physical and emotional pain, and surroundings are described in a liesurely, almost poetic, detail. But, once the reader has been introduced to a nomadic tribe, the Kushans, and their leader (the warrior in flight), the book gradually picks up speed until the tribe's journeys across vast distances and expanses of time are sometimes covered in only a few pages. The narrative, however, does pay careful attention to the thoughts and motivations of two tribal leaders--the leader of the Kushans, and the leader of a sometimes rival tribe, the U-eches. Since these tribal leaders are obsessed with revenge, or with the survival of their tribe (so that revenge ultimately may be achieved), it is tempting to dismiss this book as a light fantasy. But it will give serious readers more insight than they ever bargained for.

Most people have a vague familiarity with the wandering tribes that inhabited much of the Eurasia land mass from the bronze age until the middle ages. For example, the words, "Barbarians at the gate", will, in most people, invoke images of ferocious Goths and Visigoths about to pour through the gates of a decadent and corrupt Rome--its citizens somehow still in total denial. Or they may see, in their mind's eye, waves of Mongols sweeping across the steppes of Russia, penetrating deep into the heart of Europe, or the barbaric Dorians sacking, and overrunning, the cities of bronze age Greece.

But these are vague images. In books and in films there is almost no effort made to provide insight as to why these people were the way they were. There has been two dark ages: in the wake of the crumbling bronze, and classical, ages, respectively. But one question that is seldomed raised is this: Who were these wandering tribes of warriors that overwhelmed the centers of civilization, and why were they willing to accept such heavy losses?

We are told that a civilization decays from within. That may be true as far as it goes, but what is the conceit that allows a civilization to underestimate its adversaries? Is it it's belief that it's citizens are stronger? No, because it is known that the lot of a primitive people is hard lot, and it is one makes them strong. Is it a civilization's collective belief in it's advanced technology? It is not even that, because history tells its citizens that a backward people will someday build everything they have--and more.

The conceit of a civilization is something even more fundamental: It is an unshakable belief in it's own moral superiority. And it is this conceit that the author deftly and skillfully punctures.

Civilized people see themselves as above certain barbaric practices (such as hacking to death), and more enlightened about the rights of individuals. But a civilization requires the dividing of its citizens into a 1001 subdivisions. This results in striving, shadiness, and citizens carving up each other in civilized ways--and then trying to kill the pain by immersing in petty vices. Thus, a civilized people becomes weaker and weaker, all the while believing they are morally superior.

Mr. Sonawani brings together, not as enemies but as allies, the respective leaders of two decaying civilizations and two nomadic tribes. An alliance is formed between a corrupt local Greek ruler and the leader of the U-eche tribe (which is by now struggling to survive as a people). And another alliance is formed between a reformist Hindu King and the leader of the Kushan tribe (which is also struggling to survive). In this way, each of these four leaders is able to objectively look at the good, and the bad, in another way of life.

And, not so incidently, the reader is provided with four perspectives that he or she probably never had before.

Author: Truskie, Stanley D.
Title: Leadership in high-performance organizational cultures / Stanley D. Truskie.
Publisher: Westport, Conn. : Quorum Books, 1999.
Edition Date: 1999
Language: English
Physical Details: xv, 147 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
Subjects: Leadership.
Corporate culture.

If you are an executive, business owner, or manager, this book will help you. I always believed company culture was important, but I had no idea about how to create the right culture. This book provides an easy model to follow that makes sense, plus it offers leadership guidelines to make it happen. I have already instituted some of the ideas presented in the book and I have seen significant positive performance results already. I would definitely recommend this book to any leader who wants to improve the performance of his company.

"I have really been struggling with how to shape my company's culture to ensure I am building an effective organization until I read Dr. Truskie's book. His culture model is so clear and makes so much sense that its logic jumps out at you once you realize that there is a "right" organizational culture. I have heard so often that there is no right or wrong culture, but this book's compelling argument clearly dispels that notion.

I have read other books on organizational culture, but quite frankly, they created more questions than provided answers. I did not know whether I wanted a strong culture, an open culture, a sales culture, a driving culture, or a friendly culture. Plus I did not know where to start. Dr. Truskie helps you understand that as a leader, you must establish the direction first, then shape the right culture to achieve your strategic goals and objectives .

At least now I have a model that will help guide me in creating an effective culture ( Dr.Truskie calls integrated and balanced) within my organization. He also provides excellent examples of unbalanced cultures and explains how they negatively affect performance. The changes we now have under way within my company have already resulted in positive performance improvement. But as Dr. Truskie points out, this is a journey, and not a destination so we are still working toward building our high-performance culture.

This is definitely not a "quick" read book but one you should read a chapter at time, think about the message, then read on to the next chapter. But I can tell you it is well worth the time...one of the more meaningful books on leadership available in a crowded market."

I teach Organization Theory and Organizational Behavior. Teaching leadership has the challenge of finding a way to put the theories into practice. Dr. Truskie meets this challenge and offers a reasonable solution to this decision maker's need.

At various points throughout the book, Truskie cautions that there is no one "ideal" style, nor an infallible "model", nor any single combination of leadership traits, characteristics and behaviors which are most appropriate to all organizations in all phases of their development. He urges his reader to absorb and digest the contents of Leadership in High-Performance Organizational Cultures with care, of course, but also with some degree of critical detachment. Then, correlate his observations and suggestions with the specific circumstances of the reader's own organization.

Truskie suggests that "there is a direct link between leadership, organizational culture, and performance." According to his research and analysis, the most effective leader has an impact on "forming the culture of an organization, which further can have an enhancing effect of improving the level, ensuring the consistency, and sustaining the organization's continuing performance improvement." Truskie believes that many leaders are preoccupied with identifying and then manifesting an "ideal" style of leadership when, in fact, no such style exists. That is to say, even the most effective leaders have significant human imperfections; however, they are aware of these imperfections and make every effort to ensure that these imperfections do not have a negative impact on their respective organizations.

For this reader, one of the greatest benefits of Leadership in High-Performance Organizational Cultures is Truskie's explanation of the potential, beneficial implications of the L4 Strategy with specific relevance to creating and then sustaining a high-performance organizational culture. Leaders as well as those whom they lead must constantly monitor the balance of four aforementioned cultural patterns. Imbalances are inevitable. Although Truskie does not discuss it, he would probably agree that an early-warning system of some kind is highly desirable. The model he provides suggests all manner of ways by which to recognize and then respond effectively to symptoms of such imbalances. For the foreseeable future, change will be the only constant. Given that reality, Leadership in High-Performance Organizational Cultures can be of even greater value as all organizations (regardless of their size or nature) proceed into an otherwise uncertain future.

Kennison's book on the Fruit of the Spirit is the best one I have found on this subject. He does a great job of showing how the Fruit fits into the overall Biblical storyline, what cultural and personl obstacles exist today to seeing the Fruit grow in our lives, and some practical ways that we can see the Spirit cultivate this Fruit in our lives. I've taught it in 3 different groups (college, Young Adults, and middle-age couples) and it has been very well accepted in each. Highly Recommended!

Kenneson in Life on the Vine, does more than simply define the fruit of the Spirit, he engages in the art of bilingual theological reflection; enabling us to learn how to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in a culture that wants to squeeze us into its mold. Kenneson helps us to recognize the grammar of the dominant culture and the grammar of God so that we can better embody the good news in the context of the United States. He wisely uses Raymond Williams working definition of culture - that of shared practices, convictions, institutions and narratives that order and give shape to the lives of a particular group of people - to help us understand the ways in which the dominate culture inhibits the church in bearing the fruit of the Spirit. But he doesn't stop there. He also becomes a capable guide in helping the community of faith to cultivate love, so that the church might embody the fruit of the spirit and thus be a faithful sign and foretaste of God's kingdom.

Life On The Vine is a deeply layered and thought-provoking book which gives significant insights into how Christian fruit would be distinguished from the norms of the dominant culture in North America. The book systematically "unpacks" each of the nine examples of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, then details how each fruit will draw one out of oneself, to live a life that is centred both in God and in others. Kenneson refers to this as the "displacement of the self". Each chapter further provides examples of how the dominant culture in North America creates obstacles to the cultivation of the fruit, and how each fruit may be developed in this context.

The purpose of the book, however, seems unclear. On the surface of it, Kenneson has the concern that the Church has become too far assimilated into North American culture. On closer analysis, however, he writes that "God is in the process of restoring the created order to a state of harmony and order", and that He has a "plan to restore harmony and order to all of creation". This raises the question: what "process" is he referring to, and how does this relate to the fruit of the Spirit? Kenneson would appear to be suggesting that fruit-bearing is significant to historical progress. Further, he by and large does not refer the fruit of the Spirit back to Jesus Christ or to the Holy Spirit - in particular when it comes to his treatment of an ABSENCE of fruit in people's lives. As an example, he surmises that Christians who "abuse their spouses" do so because of the way they are "schooled to think", and because of their "view of justice". Thus he routinely refers people's behaviour back to culture and worldview, rather than the standing of their relationship with Christ.

This having been said, all told, the emphasis of the book is a welcome one, since the subject of the fruit of the Spirit is often marginalised in favour of other aspects of the Christian faith. Also, Kenneson's analysis of the Spirit's fruit is deep and rewarding. If one can overlook the insufficiencies of the book, it does provide a very valuable resource concerning the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

I used this book as the text for a lesson plan I developed on the fruit of the Spirit. While I had preconceived notions about the nature of each fruit, I was unsure of what they 'looked like' in everyday life. Although Kenneson has been castigated by some Evangelicals for his pragmatic tendencies, I found his insights and practical applications to be VERY insightful and well within the pale of orthodoxy (although Reformed Christians will take issue with his synergistic view of sanctification). This book helped me to realize that cultivation of Spiritual fruit is not merely a Pauline concept to be deciphered by exegetes, but is meant to be a lifestyle fleshed out in everyday life. Kenneson's applications of each fruit serve to give cues for further application and cultivation of each fruit for our time. As with every book, it's best to eat the meat and spit out the bones. Here, the meat is so tasty, you won't mind feeling around for a few minor bones. This book would be an ideal text for any retreat, Sunday school class, or small group that wants to study the application and cultivation of the fruit of the Spirit in contemporary life.

This book takes upon itself to critically reflect American society and its relationship to the difficulty of cultivating the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. In each of the fruits of the Spirit -love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control- Kenneson shows how bearing each fruit will not be without difficulty, as each fruit has something that is trying to choke it out in American culture.

The book as great as it is, has some short comings. Kenneson doesn't really like the term "self-control," and akwardly struggles to define it and look for a better word in the English language. He prefers to call the last of Paul's fruits of the Spirit "continence" instead of "self-control." Kenneson's find's the word "self" a little too bitter for his tasting, thinking it takes away from the work of Christ in some fashion.

However, I think the word "self-control" works just fine if the Christian realizes that "you are not your own." So, if we say "self-control" as a Christian, we simply must understand that it's not that we control ourselves, but rather, we yield control of ourselves over to Christ. Kenneson's alternative translation of "continence" in place of "self-control" I don't believe is warranted, and is too close of a synonym to hardly be considred better replacement.

Also, a somewhat minor beef I have with this book is that while it tries to refrain from being overly academic, it is still academic enough to be "over the heads" of many readers. I admit that as a Jr in Bible college, I had some difficulty reading the book at times because of Kenneson's superior command of the english language (even though I did read the book in about half a week). I had to use the dictionary enough to be minorly annoyed (maybe I should go read again the chapter on patience!). I fear that this book will not have the impact that it could because many people will not be able to read it.

However, this book could still be a useful tool for any church bible study on the fruit of the Spirit, and I would highly recommend it. This is the second book I've read by Kenneson (previously read the must-read "Selling out the Church"), and am amazingly refreshed to see that there are still good Christian reads out there. I look forward to reading this book again.

This book is unique in that the author did a great job of honestly talking about his successes AND failures owning and running an amazing diversity of businesses and what he learned along the way. The experiences described in the book range over many years and many different businesses including day care, plumbing, dentistry and lawn care. All of the stories are written in a light-hearted self-deprecating style and are a quick enjoyable read. Every one of stories has at least one important business lesson. Unlike so many other business success books, this one gives you the good, the bad and the ugly and is next best thing to having a wise, experienced business adviser at your side. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to start or buy a business or someone just interested in being entertained with a few business war stories.

Whether you are just starting a business or are a seasoned entrepreneur, this book is a must read. Within its short, often humorous stories it is packed full of knowledge and learned wisdom from an experienced business man. The tools presented in this book are a must for anyone in the business world. Entertaining and insightful, I highly recommend this book to anyone in the high paced world of entrepreneurship.

The author's vast knowledge through experience not only highlights the practical aspects of finding, starting, maintaining and exiting a business venture, he also demonstrates the personal strength of character that is needed to weather not only the successes but also the failures he encountered on his journey. The journey is 'Inspiring'! A truely 'American' story!

The real bonus the author has provided to those who purchase this book are the appendixes. The appendixes provide a logical proven blueprint to help evaluate, operate and exit a business venture.

It is so refreshing to read a book about an entrepreneur who is so candid about his successes and failures. I like to hear stories about what it takes to make a business work and some of the pitfalls. Lee is not above speaking about his mistakes. The great thing is that he learns from his mistakes.

Since most new businesses that are being created today are going to remain a small business for their lifetime, this book speaks directly to those business owners, like myself.

This is a wonderfull book and the perfect give for the budding entrepreneur.

This book is a great example of learning through stories. If you are a manager, employee, entrepreneur, or looking to learn more about business and working with people, this book will teach you the secrets. Written in sequence with the author's life story, the reader gets the tips that will save your career and business. Definitely the things they don't teach in colleges today. Lee Thomas is a true entrenpreneur and tells not only how to succeed but what not to do with fun, fast moving, and true life stories.

This book also has a great list of quotes from about 20 of the best books on these subjects, and will remind you of what you already know, and give you the insight and the confidence that you can control your life, and be a part of your own business.

I have given 3 copies as gifts and this book will appeal to everyone that wants to better themselves and doesn't want to make BIG mistakes in the process.

I can't say enough about this book. It truly has changed my life. I have tried christian counseling and numerous bible studies on stress, depression, anger,etc. trying to figure out why I was having emotional problems. I could find no answers because everything was just surface studies. This book goes deep and I am finally understanding myself. I am understanding my past and how it has effected me now. It has given me the tools to move beyond the past and focus on changing myself now. I would not recommend doing this study alone. The past can be painful and it has been so helpful to have the other ladies in my bible study to discuss each issue and also the prayers and support by safe, caring people is invaluable. If you are not having problems yourself this book will help you to understand friends and family better. I have had tremendous change in my heart too concerning family members and friends that I didn't get along very well with.

I have had the privilege of participating in a support group where this book was used, and now have facilitated three other groups. I plan to continue to facilitate these groups using Tim Sledge's Making Peace with Your Past, because I have found nothing on dysfuntional families so insightful and penetrating as this study. Tim Sledge has allowed God to make good of evil in his life, by using his own dysfunctional family experiences to create a life changing study. No matter what you have read before or how much counseling you may have had, you will gain tremendous insight from this study. I have experienced this personaly and have witnessed many others' lives changed by God through this book.

This book was a tremendous catalyst for personal growth and breakthrough for a small group of women. Over the holidays we each gave a hand-made gift to another member of the group whose name we drew. The gift was to affirm them in the issues they were dealing with. We each gave it to the person in front of the whole group. It was like dynamite. We cried and laughed together. Overall, this book has produced tremendous results for us and I thank Mr. Sledge for writing it!

My counselor recomended this book to me to help me heal my past of growing up in a dysfunctional family. It has been a life saver!! I have read many books and not one of them has helped me as much as this one!! I feel as if this book was wrote especially for me. It was written beautifully and with the grace of God I know it can help you too! I highly recommend this book!

Awesome book...this book has changed my life. God has used this book as a tool to help me learn about my feelings of my past and how it affects me today. I have learned that I don't need to be perfect, only God is and that the things that happened in my past don't have to make me who I am today. The author recommends doing this book in a group setting so that you have the support of each other when working through very difficult issues. However, I had chose to go through it on my own relying on God to teach me how to change and give me the courage I needed. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is struggling with their past and would like to have a more joyful life. It is possible!

I spent my summer researching mentoring as an independent study project for my PhD program. This guide incorporated much of what I found to be essential in an effective mentoring program: incorporation of adult learning theory, focus on the responsibilites of the mentee, practical exercises and reading for the mentors, and much more. I have used the exercises with great success and highly recommend this book to anyone considering implemeting a mentoring program.

This book provides the best definition of a mentor that I have come across thus far with the statement "...and at there best they inspire us to reach beyond ourselves; they show us how to make a positive difference in a wider world". It is an easy to read reference tool filled with applicable information about how to prepare for and what to watch for during your journey as a mentor. The author does an excellent job of inspiring a can do attitude by giving the reader the ability to use this book as a workbook to be able to work through real life experiences. This book is a must have for anyone desiring to be in a mentoring relationship.

I just finished my thesis on mentoring child care center directors. The Mentor's Guide was the best resource. My thesis quotes many authors but there was non better than Lois Zachary. Her book is the easiest to read and she puts into words what I was thinking. I can't say enough about the wealth of information, ideas, quotes and straight comments that I found useful in this book. If you are embarking on a mentoring relationship this book is a must read. Thank you Lois.

This book provides mentors the tools they need in order to develop and maintain a mentoring relationship. In order to develop a successful mentoring relationship, it is important that the mentor have a good foundation in the purpose of the mentor/mentee relationship and then how know how to develop the relationship. The Mentor's Guide, by Lois J. Zachary, gives mentors this foundation and provides them with support in developing the mentor/mentee relationship.

Lois goes on to provide mentors with the information they need in order to be successful. Learning, according to Lois, is the primary goal of the mentoring relationship. In order for learning to occur, the relationship must be learner centered. The book provides guidelines on creating a learner-centered environment.

The book provides information as well as worksheets that help mentors develop their mentoring skills. Worksheets on developing goals and priorities, confidentiality, boundaries, planning, cross-cultural mentoring, assessing the quality of interactions, skill assessment, as well as strategies to develop successful reflections are a few of the worksheets provided by the book.

This is an excellent book that provides mentors will the tools they need in order to be successful.

This book provides mentors the tools they need in order to develop and maintain a mentoring relationship. In order to develop a successful mentoring relationship, it is important that the mentor have a good foundation in the purpose of the mentor/mentee relationship and then how know how to develop the relationship. The Mentor's Guide, by Lois J. Zachary, gives mentors this foundation and provides them with support in developing the mentor/mentee relationship.

Learning, according to Lois, is the primary goal of the mentoring relationship. In order for learning to occur, the relationship must be learner centered. The book provides guidelines on creating a learner-centered environment.

The book provides information as well as worksheets that help mentors develop their mentoring skills. Worksheets on developing goals and priorities, confidentiality, boundaries, planning, cross-cultural mentoring, assessing the quality of interactions, skill assessment, as well as strategies to develop successful reflections are a few of the worksheets provided by the book.

This is an excellent book that provides mentors will the tools they need in order to be successful.

As a Training Manager for a large wireless company I was charged with rolling out our online learning system. As you would expect, I and my company, did a good deal of research before we purchased our system. Michael Allen's book was very helpful in identifying the questions we needed to identify, as a company, before we took the step.

I highly recommend this book. Even though you will likely experience some frustration in your search for the most effective online learning system, his book will make the process less painful.

The book really focuses on the "how to" of developing and designing your online courses. It honestly lays out the pros and cons of online learning. You will find it helpful.

This book is a must have for the aspiring e-Learning developer. It reviews enough theory to make the point and directs the reader quickly through the logic and science of good e-Learning design.

This book takes e-learning to its core mandate, that of engaging and involving the learners, so that they learn the key skills and knowledge required.

An excellent and easy read, with lots of good examples and non-examples, nicely compared side by side.

Dr. Allen is a champion of learner-centric design - and has written a refreshingly reader-centric book about the topic. He understands that learning is an "internal, personal, and ultimately individual act." His words reveal his passions and opinions in such an authentic manner that you can quickly understand his perspective, and extract points of meaning that can directly apply to your work. As a producer and designer of interactive media, I continually find his insights an inspiration.

I purchased this book as I was beginning to design an eLearning curriculum for my company. The book was a great jumpstart to helping me structure the program, consider ways to involve the learners in eLearning, and remember to find ways to make the course material memorable. I found the accompanying online and CD-based demos to be good stimulators, too. Although I won't be using an authoring tool like the one Michael Allen invented, it was easy to take and apply several of Allen's ideas to my project.

This is a fantastic book. I have always felt a little inadequate as a writing teacher. I can write, but I don't know where to begin on the road to teaching children to write. This is a step-by-step plan and it is fantastic!

I have reviewed many books about how to teach children to write stories, and this one is by far the best! To begin with Mariconda is the only author I've read who distinguishes between character-problem-solution stories and what she calls "personal narratives." Personal narratives are more about an experience than a character, are usually heavily descriptive, and there is no "problem." The character-problem-solution mantra had always bothered me, because we all know that there are wonderful stories that are more "mood pieces" than solutions problems.
More importantly, the book consists of specific lessons on teaching the elements of story writing, in isolation. It can be done! Look at the Table of Contents to see exactly what is covered. These lessons are explained so well explained that you feel fully equipped to teach them, now!
Additionally, the author herself writes with "voice," unlike the usual dry, anonymous style of textbooks. When I leafed through the book and saw an entry that said something like, "getting students to elaborate with detail is the bane of most English teachers' existence," I bought it then and there. What we all need is to hear about teachers' experiences, not just "programs" that seem to spring from nowhere.
Lastly, her approach works! When this program was implemented at the school she taught at, the percentage of students passing the state writing assessment rose from 47% to 92% in four years. That is amazing! I am planning on using this book for my high school students as well as elementary and middle school!

I used this book to teach 3rd and 4th graders in Watts how to write. This book has lesson plans that teach step by step. All kids have wonderful ideas but sometimes do not know how to express these ideas on paper. This book shows you how to teach them. It was incredible to read the stories my students wrote after learning the techniques in this book! All my students became amazing authors! They were so proud of their stories and I was so proud of them! Thank you for writing this amazing book!

I have used this book with 3 schools in two states to help teachers teach writing and to help students prepare for state writing tests. This book shows you many simple ways to help kids understand narrative writing. The diamond graphic organizes the students's thinking and writing. The mini-lessons are great, and the test prep advice, the paced prompt, works. why should anyone take a test they aren't prepared for? the paced prompt shows the students how to organize their time and thougths, and the scores showed it. If you or your teachers are using Write Traits this will fit beautifully, but the book also stands alone. I've bought copies for all my teachers!

A book that, incredibly, lives up to its title! This is my 13th year of teaching elementary school and this book does what no other book has been able to do: it works! I found myself reading the entire thing in the teacher's store where I first found it. I suggested to my entire 3rd grade team that we implement it and they whole-heartedly agreed. If you want to teach kids to write narrative that A. makes sense, and B. is interesting, you cannot go wrong. Haven't you tried the formula of character, setting, problem, solution, one too many times and not been satisfied with the results? I know I have. This approach is much better, and shows you how to teach beginnings, elaboration, suspense (the best part), main event, resolution, and satisfying ending. The beauty is you teach it by parts using real literature examples, modeling, and then students practice. You will find yourself nodding your head as the author relates the same kinds of frustrations you have when reading elementary school writing and shows you how to change them. This book is the best I've ever seen to help you teach writing. There is no fluff and many great insights. Your students will write amazing stories and you'll never teach writing the same way again!