Tools Books

This is an excellent, if not comprehensive book for everything from TQM to Six-Sigma. I give it four stars for value and five for price. All in all, an excellent overview.

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I keep this book nearby because it serves as an encyclopedia of quality techniques that span the full spectrum, as well as a step-by-step guide to using each of the tools listed.

The entire collection of tools contained and described within are put into context in the first chapter that covers the continuous quality improvement story and its five steps - reason, current situation, analysis, action plan and results. Subsequent chapters are devoted to classes of tools: the basics (flow charts, check sheets, facts vs. inference, and how to construct tools such as Pareto diagrams, histograms, and control charts). Supporting tools, covered in the next chapter, include pie and bar charts, frequency charts, Likert scales and related diagrams.

Basic quality improvement techniques given in the next section go beyond just tools, and include vision and mission statements, group interaction techniques, problem classification and concepts. Among the tools are development charts, force-field analysis, checklists.

Advanced techniques, covered in the next chapter address process ownership, and some fairly substantial tools such as quality function deployment and Taguchi techniques, both of which are explained well in a surprising few pages.

The remainder of the book discusses quality improvement systems, such as JIT, ISO standards; and brief bios of Deming, Crosby and Juran and their approaches. Selected readings on various quality standards round out this book's treatment of the subject.

What I like about this book is the way a large number of topics and associated tools are thoroughly covered in a relatively short book. I also like the way you are clearly led through the construction and use of various charts, and how to effectively use tools in a step-by-step manner. This is clearly a useful introduction to quality tools and techniques, as well as a desk reference.

I am just learning about Continuous Improvement and the tools that are available to make that happen in the workplace. Our company is considering implementing a Six Sigma program and this book provides me with a related and large tool set to add to my tool belt.

I have found this Reiki book to be a really good reference guide. It is full of lots of handy hints...even things I have not been taught, although I have just completed Reiki 1 and 2. I have stuck post-it-notes throughout the book..it's like a bible for Reiki Practitioners. I would highly recommend this book for beginners or more advanced as it has alot of useful information in it, and it is written well, easy to read.

EXCELLENT book! As a Reiki practicionter...this added book of tools and techniques is a realy benefit.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in using Reiki to it's utmost.
An excellent tool with methods not just for healing but for manifesting, using Reiki on for healing the past and the future, clearing rooms and a huge variety of methods for emotional healing. Of others certainly but these methods can be used for healing oneself, now, in the future and as so many of us need, the past. We can't change the past but with Reiki and several of the methods in the book we can heal it.

I love the room clearing technique and the Reiki fountain. But there are so many here, you can have a great time with new ways of healing.

After searching for books in this subject, I was very pleased to finally find a book that went into the depth of not only restoring, but plane and other tool usage. This book was intended for the antique tool collector who chooses to use their tools not place them on a display shelf and accept them "as is." If you are looking for old tools needing repair for many more years of use, then this is the book for you. Michael Dunbar has done an excellent job putting his knowledge on paper for the reader's benefit.

I only recieved this book this morning, I began reading and can now thouroughly recommend this book to anyone who, for example has ever seen Norm Abram at work and thought 'Hey that's not fair. He's got $10,000 worth of power tools at least' Well this has to be the guide for those who wish to find, restore, and use old tools. I grew up with quality handtools around me and can tell this guy knows what he's talking about. The majority of this book is dedicated to planes - but I never realised just how many kinds there are! A must for anyone you know who heads for the 'rusty tool box' at flea markets and yard sales. I'd love to know what you think about this book too. Happy reading!

Dunbar's book is one of the best when it comes to repairing just about any antique tool. He patiently and thoroughly describes how to repair most any hand tools you'll come across. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn how to restore antique hand tools. It should be noted that Dunbar now uses a different method to sharpen plane and chisel irons, etc. However, this is widely available in magazines. Highly recommended.

OUTSTANDING ILLASTRATIONS AND DESCRIPTIVE CONTENT

An excellent introductory book on the skills, techniques, and dangers of rock climbing. All the fundamentals are covered.

I own nearly all the newer rock climbing books. This one, by the Managing Editor of Climbing Magazine and veteran climber/writer Duane Raleigh, has to be one of the best. It has been recommended by Kurt Smith, Lynn Hill and Bobbi Bensman. I found it very well written and hard to put down. At $11.95, it's hard to go wrong with this one as your first choice

For open minded people who love music for healing you will love this!
Each track is for a certain position. You go to what ever track you need at the time! Again Iasos's website is great to hear samples and find great art and information on metaphysical stuff. It also includes a book with a description of each track and colorfull pictures. I have to say that every single album Iasos makes is pure gold!

This Rx for modern living has been a valued part of my life. An idea tool for massage therapists who want to compose a tailored experience for their client. Music that invites you to live more fully without telling you in words what more fully is for you. The table of sounds provides a quick reference to address your immediate needs. Outstanding photographs grace the tools write up. It's been a valued part of my life since 1998.

Heart-felt appreciation for this wonderful book and CD. I had been putting it out to the Universe recently that a collection of healing sounds in one place would be in order. My answer came in this form! This contribution to the sonic world is truly unique and extremely valuable.

This book has it all. I LOVED IT!!! It has helped me realize the areas in my parenting that I can change to help my kids grow to be great adults. It is easy to read, direct and to the point; not alot of complicated stuff that dulls the brain. It is geared to help the homeschooling parent, but will help anyone who wants to cultivate great kids. It will give you perspective to what is really important when it comes to teaching our children. KUDOS TO ZAN TYLER on a book I will read again and again.

In spite of the unique title of this attractive book, and regardless of your age or station in life, here is a combination life story/practical advice/devotional book which is guaranteed to hold your attention. To give you a taste here are two quotes:

P110 "America has gone from a country that once welcomed God (and His Word) to one where His Word is unwelcome outside the church. When a Christian view of the world prevailed in our society, being able to define worldview was not so important. Now that we live in a society that prefers to view the world apart from God, Christians must educate themselves on what a biblical worldview is and why it's important. As Christian parents, we must commit ourselves to understanding worldview issues for our children's sake because they are confronted daily with peer pressure and a pop culture that are often openly hostile to their values. If we choose to remain ignorant, our children's faith will suffer."

p.119
"We must communicate to our children that each of them, in God's economy, brings important gifts to employ in this world for God's glory and our neighbor's welfare. That is why we work. The engineer, the doctor, the mother, the lawyer, the car mechanic, the writer all serve God by dong their work well--by using their gifts to solve problems and improve the world. This idea of improving the world at every level is what God told Adam and Eve to do in the Garden of Eden."

The end result of reading this lively piece of writing will be that you will get a glimpse of the value of any learning derived from "home" and an appreciation for the involvement of all parents, and grandparents, as they complement whatever style of schooling the children may be having.

Tyler's thoughts are consistent, the illustrations are down-to-earth. This book is great for the family that is considering the possibility of homeschooling as well as the family who has homeschooled for years and needs an extra push.

It's a shame the world is full of too many prudes who can't appreciate a good story involving sex, drugs, and power tools, because Ed Lee is in top form here. This book combines two of Lee's better known novellas from years gone by with a brand new story to make one of the newest additions to my top five favorite of all time list.

First is "Header". I'd heard for years about this Lee story called "Header" and always wondered, "What's a header." I can see now why this story's gained so much recognition. Ed Lee does what not a lot of writers of this type of horror can do--he makes you forget what initially got you into the story--the header--and soon you're involved in the story under that one--the REAL story. Header is a story of desperation and revenge. You come in meeting Travis Tuckton, learning about headers, and soon you realize, Hey that's not even what this story is about. Travis isn't the main character. Who's this cop, Cummings? He's the one to focus on. Header is nothing more than a cop story, turned up to eleven.

Then "The Pig". My only complaint about "The Pig" is the last 15 pages or so. And that's Ed's fault because he did such a great job building everything up, my expectations were high. All Leonard wants is to make his low budget movie and win the Sundance Film Festival, and he knows he can win because his movie, based on his own college-written short story, "The Confessor" is great. So, where does a guy fresh out of prison and with no prospects go to get funding for a movie? Thank God for Rocco who loans him the cash. Well, thank God until Rocco comes back a few days later looking for his money back. To pay the debt, Leonard is put to work, and this is where the story kicks into gear. I read this story in just a couple of days, grabbing whatever free time I could find to get through another couple pages, feeling sorry for poor Leonard and knowing I would never want his job. Remember the movie "8mm"? Same subject matter, but "The Pig" doesn't have Nicolas Cage moping around the screen and boring anyone.

And again, my only complaint here is that, with the kind of buildup Lee gives us here, I was expecting some big action-packed climax, a showdown between Leonard and Rocco (and Knuckles), but Lee chose the "let's give them something they weren't expecting" route and surprised me.

Last is "The Horn-Cranker", a story that should be winning some kind of award for Lee sometime. Dean Lohan, South Dakota Horn-Cranking champion and basic redneck, lives in Seattle now with his "loving" wife. But when his father goes into a coma, Dean has to go back home, where he finds something has been killing children by the dozens. This was my favorite story and a first-class job by Ed Lee. My wife and I were talking about this story last night, trying to decide who would make good cast members for "Horn-Cranker" the movie (I'm sticking by my vote for Bruce Campbell, but then I think he should be in everything), because it seems such a perfect choice for one of those independent horror movies that is able to go beyond what Hollywood will do . This is a story that could take Ed Lee to new heights in his career--well it seems from what I've read that his novel "City Infernal" might just do that, but this story could, too. I hate to use a King comparison when reviewing another horror writer, but this time I have to. because reading "The Horn-Cranker" it was like Lee has taken the best elements of a Stephen King novella, the stuff that makes King's novellas the great things they can be, and given them new strength, new life, and new intensity, to make the perfect combination of horror and humor in a long time.

There's a different level of energy to these stories that I don't often see in horror anymore. Some of today's horror seems more interested in style over substance, while some horror seems more concerned with what's going to gross out the reader. But Ed Lee's on a different plain from the rest of us and there's nobody else who does what he does quite like him. He's quickly proving, with each new book I read from him, that he's just a step or two above what the rest of us are doing these days.

Sex, Drugs & Power Tools is a collection of three lurid, hardcore, sex and violence turbocharged horror novellas by Edward Lee in the tradition of the most infamous pulp fiction. The novellas include: Header; The Pig; and The Horn-Cranker. Not for the faint of heart, these sensationally written, mesmerically compelling, extensively vicious thrill rides of the mind fully and completely capture the reader's total attention with hideous intensity. Highly recommended -- but not for the squeamish.

Necro Publishing does it again by teaming up 2 old Lee novellas, "Header" and "The Pig", while adding a new one, "The Horn-Cranker", in for good measure. Edward Lee goes 3 for 3 with this collection. For hardcore horror fans only. You've been warned.

The word play in this book is delightful. A hammer named Mike, a pick named Tracey, and a hoe, named Don are just some of the tools in this book. In addition to the fun names, there are fun puns as well. But there is also a more serious side to the book. Mr. Slater is a teacher and has produced a book that will help children to discuss feelings of not being accepted by their peers. It would be an excellent book for elementary school children as a conversation starter on this very important topic. Joel Keelan

This book is a surefire winner for parents who read to their children for both entertainment and instruction. It is filled with delightful puns and word play for sharpening little minds or just enjoying the whimsy of English.

Nick the saw has a hard time impressing his fellow tools until he shows them how to be a hero. The story's great fun and the wordplay will be enjoyable for kids (and the adults who will read it to kids). The other tools are named after celebrities (such as Mini Screwdriver), exemplifying the wit and humor of the book. This story will have kids fixin' to smile.

For anyone serious about facilitation, this is THE book to read, read again and use often as a reference. Each chapter is a gem; core values and groundrules are invaluable when working with groups. And the chapter on difficult conversations will change your experience when the issue is divisive. This isn't a "read it and put it away" book; this is a "put it where you can get your hands on it" critical tool for facilitators.

Central to this work is the Skilled Facilitator approach (TSF), a systematic, values-based approach to group facilitation; at its core is the idea that the way we act and the consequences we create begin with the way we think. Chapter one delineates the 10 key features of TSF approach. It is used to help groups and entire organizations address issues and make significant change, as well as in coaching, training, and conducting HRD/OD initiatives of all types.

This ambitious resource is bursting with 62 contributions clustered into seven parts:
1) Understanding the Skilled Facilitator Approach-main focus: summarizes the approach and describes its major principles and features (8 chapters)
2) Starting Out-main focus: using TSF in a variety of basic ways (12 chapters)
3) Deepening Your Practice-main focus: refining intervention and diagnosis skills, and increasing personal awareness (7 chapters)
4) Facing Challenges-main focus: dealing with the most difficult situations (5 chapters)
5) Seeking Your Path-main focus: integrating the TSF approach in practice and life (5 chapters)
6) Leading and Changing Organizations-main focus: creating major change in leadership and organizational functioning (15 chapters)
and
7) Integrating the Skilled Facilitator Approach in Your Worklife (and Non-Worklife)-main focus: shows how to integrate TSF with other approaches and roles (coach, trainer, consultant, leader, parent) (10 chapters)

The book is further enriched with: definitions; key points; examples; tools and techniques and samples of the outcomes they produce; reflections; model conversations; and resources.

As a consultant in organizational analysis, design and change, as well as a reviewer, I was particularly drawn to Chapter 51, "Do Surveys Provide Valid Information for Organizational Change?" by Peg Carlson. She concludes what we have found to be true of surveys-they are useful for spotlighting likely issues but they do not deliver the depth of analysis and meaning required in organizational consulting, nor the motivation for learning and deep change. This chapter is emblematic of the books' quality of content. In a nutshell, this book is outstanding! I highly recommend it.

I've read this book almost cover to cover and I've gained a lot of insight in using Skilled Facilitator approaches as a teacher and a minister. Mostly, it's given me insight into how to develop myself as a creative listener, and how to control my inner thought processes, and turn that back around into positive leadership for the good of the group. I find it particularly helpful to keep the RULES foremost in my mind as I interact with students and parishioners. And it's true that the more I model these rules, the more my students and the others around me absorb them and begin to use them in their own interactions.

No surprises, just a useful book from Haynes. I have used their manuals for years as they have pretty comprehensive coverage of whatever you would need to know to keep, in this case, a lawnmower engine running.

It had many details and step by step how to rebuild the lawnmower. Provides all the necessary info of what could be wrong and how to find out if it is. Great buy!

My husband wants to take a course in small engines and wanted this book. He has been very satisfied with the purchase.