Resources Books

It's about time! In all the years I've been dealing with children, I have never found a book that explains childrens' behavior in such a clear and understanding way.
The book takes you through a number of chapters, each dealing with a different aspect of behavior. Bilmes does a wonderful job illustrating these in a clear manner while providing the reader with charts and tables.
My favorite part is that she is understandable. She doesn't try confusing the reader with "big words." She gets to the point and the point gets to you. You don't need to read and reread sentences to decode them, which I found very helpful.
I could not be happier to have purchased this book. It is a lifesaver in the classroom.
Stephanie Anderson- California

I am beginning my first year teaching this fall, and I will have a kindergarten classroom. When I got this book I was so excited because it aligns very closely to my philosophies on behavior management. It addresses a wide range of issues that may arise and gives detailed, systematic information on dealing with those issues from a social/emotional standpoint. Besides that, the book is so easy to read and packed with valuable information--not a lot of filler material and redundancy. I literally completed this book in one sitting, because as soon as I began to read, I couldn't put it down! Since then, I have re-read several pieces from the text and appendices. I plan to use this as the cornerstone of my management system this fall.

I have found this book to be very insightful in reading the behaviours of children and young people. I am a high school teacher and it is very obvious when students don't have a chance to develop these six life skills. The ideas for activities to promote the skills were fun and easy to implement and made a lot of common sense. I feel inclined to send this book to all the local small people schools. Very easy reading too. Some generalisations were made however at the end of each chapter were lists that made it easy to research further if you need to.
Definitely a great find

This book is amazing! I have been looking for a book like this to guide me in teaching children the social/emotional skills they need to thrive in my classroom and in life. It is packed full of information, sample scripts, and activities that will help you successfully implement its ideas and principles in your classroom. Although it was skillfully written for use in the classroom, parents could also learn a lot from it. It is a must read for all preschool/kindergarten teachers. Read This Book!

This is the book I've been waiting for! It demonstrates such a wise and compassionate understanding of children and the root causes of their behavior, AND it gives loads of practical suggesions on how to actually work with kids in ways that are productive and respectful. I am a preschool director, and I bought a copy of this book for every one of my teaching staff. Jenna Bilmes goes way beyond stickers and charts and explains how teachers (or parents and other adults) can speak to children and frame activities to elicit very different responses and build social and emotional skills kids (and adults!) need to be successful and enjoy life. Thank you, Ms. Bilmes, for writing this book!

This book provides a powerful example that thinking out of the box can open up a new perspective on a conflict that had seemed to be unsolvable. And this book is an example that academic research can lead to applicable and practical results.

The conflict between work life and family life is as old as the industrial age. We all know it and we all experience it in our daily life. The four authors, all of them experienced researchers, have or most of their lives tried to better understand this conflict and its underlying story. But with this book they went a step beyond traditional approaches. Based on case studies they unveil a number of assumptions on which this conflict is based. They challenge norms and traditional thinking. Career choices, life opportunities, values and reward structures are based on a specific western type of thinking that historically has been shaped by white, married, middle-class men. The result is a system that dominates most of our work-life and effects our private life, that of men and women. The authors question this system from two angles. First, they analyze the often painful struggle between having a life and a career, and how individuals are trying to balance the two. Second, they show that the widely believed assumption: "this system is bad for us but good for the organization" does not hold true. Organizations and work processes are often inefficient and the individual behavior that is based on these norms don't move the whole organization forward.

This book does not make the mistake of ending up with an easy answer. The authors identify leverage points for significant change in organizations. The book has helped me to rethink basic assumptions about work and organizations in the industrialized world and to see new potential for change.

This book provides a powerful example that thinking out of the box
can open up a new perspective on a conflict that had seemed to be
unsolvable. And this book is an example that academic research can
lead to applicable and practical results.

The conflict between work life and family life is as old as the
industrial age. We all know it and we all experience it in our daily
life. The four authors, all of them experienced researchers, have
for most of their lives tried to better understand this conflict and
its underlying story. But with this book they went a step beyond
traditional approaches. Based on case studies they unveil a number
of assumptions on which this conflict is based. They challenge
norms and traditional thinking. Career choices, life opportunities,
values and reward structures are based on a specific western type of
thinking that historically has been shaped by white, married,
middle-class men. The result is a system that dominates most of our

work-life and effects our private life, that of men and women. The
authors question this system from two angles. First, they analyze
the often painful struggle between having a life and a career, and
how individuals are trying to balance the two. Second, they show that
the widely believed assumption: "this system is bad for us but good
for the organization" does not hold true. Organizations and work
processes are often inefficient and the individual behavior that is
based on these norms don't move the whole organization forward.

This book does not make the mistake of ending up with an easy answer.
The authors identify leverage points for significant change in
organizations. The book has helped me to rethink basic assumptions
about work and organizations in the industrialized world and to see
new potential for change.

As a coach and consultant to attorneys struggling to make
the business case for effective and usable work-life practices, I found this book to be an invaluable tool and resource.
Law firms are bastions of gendered assumptions about ideal
workers. The insatiable demand for ever-increasing billable hours makes developing and maintaining a normal life outside of work an extraordinary challenge, particularly for women attorneys. "Beyond Work-Family Balance" clearly articulates the tacit gendered assumptions underlying current law firm work practices and effectively establishes the connection between gender equity and workplace performance.
I wish the managing partners of every law firm would read this.
I'll refer all of my coaching clients to it. At least it will
confirm that it's the system - not them - that has the problem.

This is a book we have all been waiting for. After decades of reflection and debate about how best to develop innovative, high performance organisations, on the one hand, and how to enhance gender equity and work-personal life integration on the other hand, this book tells us that the two are not only compatible, but mutually dependent. Written in a non technical and thoroughly engaging style, the book argues that work practices and norms which are inequitable are also ineffective. The authors have the rare knack of presenting a deep and thoughtful analysis in such a clear way that their argument seems simple and obvious.

The heart of the problem lies in the gendered assumptions that underpin many everyday working practices . The authors point out that assumptions based on traditional masculine values and life situations include the defining of commitment in terms of long working hours that preclude time for family or personal life, and the valuing of stereotypical male competencies, such as heroic action and firefighting, above interpersonal and other competencies regarded as more “feminine”. Drawing on action research in a range of organisations they demonstrate how these assumptions and the practices that follow from them, undermine effective performance, but are so taken-for-granted that we rarely question them.

What really distinguishes this book is that the authors go beyond identifying problems to provide a well tried method for bringing about meaningful change It does not offer one size fits all solutions but does provide a process for reaching tailor made solutions. Their method of Collaborative Interactive Action Research (CIAR) includes examining working practice and the assumptions that sustain ineffective practices and gender inequity and then thinking collaboratively with work teams to come up with innovative solutions to what they call the “dual agenda”. The case studies used throughout the book are based on experience in a wide range of organisations so that everybody should be able to identify with at least some of the situations described. This should leave limited room for the traditional cry of “it won’t work here”.

For all those readers who are interested in organisational performance and change and in gender equity, whether or not they have already made the connections between the two, this book will make compulsive reading. Even the most cynical will find it difficult to totally disregard the central message that gender equity and effective performance go hand in hand.

The long-awaited, "Beyond Work-Family Balance," is finally out! Many of us have been waiting for
the better part of a decade for a full treatment of the worklife
integration experiments at Xerox and elsewhere, and this is it! If you are
looking for a book to get you charged up about the business case for
work/life programs, go elsewhere. If you want the most honest, detailed
account of attempts to make the business case successful in practice, this
is the book for you. The basic argument starts with integration: we cannot
improve things unless and until we are willing to bring the public sphere
of employment and the private sphere of home together, a process that can
range from embarrassing to painful. The second ingredient is the dual
agenda of improving business performance and gender equity. The tightrope
involved in carrying this dual agenda into the workplace is what makes the
book interesting, powerful, and realistic. The authors argue that an
interactive research approach is required to make the dual agenda work,
with the researchers listening and learning almost as much as the
participants in the business world, a process that requires constant
feedback, reflection, and communication. Indeed, an entire chapter is
devoted to lessons for research teams wishing to pursue research while
applying a dual agenda to themselves. Sometimes the dual agenda succeeds,
and employees and managers learn how to improve the functioning of
workplaces for all participants (yes, stockholders even benefit). But the
fundamental honesty of the authors leaves us wondering: is it worth it?
Fortunately, I think the answer is yes, but the authors leave us in no
doubt as to the incredible amount of work required.
The one question left hanging concerns unions, since the parallels
between many labor-management cooperation initiatives and the integration
approach are multiple (if not perfect), but unions are not mentioned.
Well, that leaves something for the next book. Incredibly well-written,
brutally honest, and extremely insightful! A must-read for academics and
practitioners alike.

Previous reviewers have called this volume "thorough", "passonate", "eloquent", "inspiring", "useful", and "comprehensive". It is all those things, but it's also:

Funny!

For example, the description of Old Dad Mountain area states that "The Barnstow-Vegas dirt-bike race passes through the northern end of the area ... Soda Lake has obligingly swallowed several vehicles whole." There are unexpected one-liners like this throughout the book.

Foreman and Wolke have compiled a thorough catalogue of big wilderness in the United States. More than just a catalogue, though, with typical passion, the authors state their case for expanding and interconnecting the wilderness we have left.

This book is for anyone who loves wilderness and wants not only to preserve what we have, but wants to see the expansion and rewilding of landscapes that can be salvaged.

Highly recommended.

I've had this book since 1992. In fact, I'm here browsing because I'm debating whether to get the 1998 edition. It is a very well-written, state-by-state description of the large wildernesses in the U.S. -- and the problems facing each. Excellent and eloquent descriptions of each area's topography, wildlife, flora, etc. provide inspiration and high-level overview for early stages of trip planning. National coverage expands usefulness as a reference. Get it!

I've had this book since 1992. It is a very well-written, state-by-state description of the large wildernesses in the U.S. -- and the problems facing each. Excellent and eloquent descriptions of each area's topography, wildlife, flora, etc. provide inspiration and high-level overview for early stages of trip planning. National coverage expands usefulness as a reference. Get it!

This book provides the reader a glimpse into the remaining wilderness areas in the west over 100,000 acres (& smaller ones in the east). It is comprehensive and provides details of the history of the US Forest Service's accomplishments and failures to protect wilderness on public land in this great country we call America.

I have had the honour of reading numerous papers by Vernadsky and find as always with genius, a hidden underlaying dimension of truth. The Biosphere is without hesitation a work of scientific spirituality as well as pure scientific genius! In a time when environmental destruction is ramp, and politically controled scientific stupidity proliferates, logical hope and science is at hand. With Vernadsky science personifies a bridge between life and its meaning. Science is indeed the search for truth, and Vernadsky biosphere is a must for youth!!!!!

I'm very happy that Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky becomes little by little known for the English speaking public. Although his "Biosphere" has been written over 70 years ago, even now its ideas remain fresh and actual. Indeed, the "Biosphere" provides a new level of thinking which permits us to consider Vladimir Vernadsky as a deepest naturalist of our century. And now I'm looking forward to the time when they will be translated and published his subsequent books - first of all the book on the noosphere: "Scientific thought as a planet phenomenon".

I have read this Vernadsky's books in Russian - his works is the cornerstone of modern culture. Vernadsky's work will be as important for human civilization in new millennium as books of Newton, Darwin, Einstein and Plato now. I'd like to read English Edition. Vernadsky's works are important for EVERYBODY, not only for biologists. Semyon D. Savransky, Ph.D. (Physics & Materaials Science, TRIZ)

A biology graduate studying under Lynn Margulis, I was fortunate enough to be involved in preparing "The Biosphere" for publication; and even the raw typescript I transferred onto disk was impressive! Let me eagerly recommend V.I. Vernadsky, as the unsung Charles Darwin of geological and ecological science. In his time, Academician Vernadsky was a groundbreaker: the first to appreciate the vast scope of life's chemical influence upon the Earth ... this planet, which owes its own uniqueness to the very "living matter" of which we, just as all other organisms, are a part. To the readers of today, Vernadsky's own words tell us the historic beginnings of the discipline this brilliant, long-uncredited scientist's ideas founded. No student or advocate of global ecology should miss this thought-provoking, eye-opening book!

It's hard to read this book without coming away with the impression of a powerful, original mind at work. Many of Vernadsky's ideas remain unappreciated to this day. In particular, the idea of life as a cosmological phenomenon, as a means by which energy is stored and transformed on a planetary scale, should become increasingly important as the science of astrobiology develops a rigorous intellectual basis.

Robyn Ochs and the Bisexual Resource Center folks who took on this project should be commended... It's got lists of bi-themed movies, non-fiction and fiction, websites, national and international listings of bi organizations. An invaluable resource for queer folks, bi-friendly organzations, businesses, schools and churches!!

The new edition of the Bisexual Resource Guide is very informative and useful. I particularly enjoyed the "Why Bi?" section, with personal accounts of why people identify as bisexual. If you identify as bi or know someone who does, this may be a tremendous personal resource, as just knowing that there are other bis and resources out there can be very important. If you work in human services, or if you work or volunteer for a BGLTQ organization, the listings section is also an excellent source for referrals and networking.

This book has EVERYTHING! Quotes, comics, of course the comprehensive listing of groups -- and I mean comprehensive. All 50 states are covered as well as 65 other countries. There are articles on safer sex, personal stories about why people identify as bisexual, bisexuals in films, bisexuals on the web. It's the perfect addition to the Bisexual Resource Center's web site.

This fabulous book is a treasure for anyone who has ever wondered how and where to meet like-minded individuals, support groups, professionals, etc. in their region. It is thoroughly researched and exhaustive, and what's more - it is genuinely fun to read! I laughed over the comics by well-known cartoonists like Roberta Gregory, and learned a great deal about safer sex in the updated articles on playing safe with any gender. This book should be on the bookshelf of anyone in the helping professions, as well as anyone who identifies as bisexual. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

This latest and newest edition is much more than a listing of the 2000+ Bi organizations and how to get in touch with them. It also contains information about bisexuality itself, how to find speakers, consultants, etc. It even has a fiction section. A great book indeed

Henty is wonderful, and his storys are engaging enough for reluctant readers.
This book is great at helping you or you child select a Henty title from a specific time frame.

Need a book to add to your learing on the crusades? Find the title.
Winning His Spurs (Large Print Edition): A Tale of the Crusades

Other Child studing Ancient Rome? Find a title.
Beric The Briton: A Story Of The Roman Invasion

Grear timesaver, or would help so you can read the books in chronological (Historical) order

HOME EDUCATORS: If you are trying to put together a history-based curriculum, this volume is very helpful! You can gauge which time periods in your student's course of study need some bolstering up (or livening up) and search in this book for the proper Henty novel to introduce. For example, to bulk up our study on "Ancient Times," I needed a novel about Hannibal. This terrific reference book tells me to get Henty's "The Young Carthaginian" to meet that requirement.

Another problem it solves is that sometimes a history-based curriculum can get predictable. Everyone seems to be covering the same things and the only variance is how deeply they're studied. This guide covers all of Henty's books and makes it easy to locate his books on obscure subjects and events which you can tantalize your children with. Children seem to love citing these forgotten tales and bedazzling their peers and family with them!

This volume will also prove invaluable to PEOPLE EDUCATING THEMSELVES. As an adult who is battling her "learning gaps," I just page through this reference until I find something that doesn't ring ANY bells! By reading a Henty, I enjoy a terrific adventure (which I can later discuss with my children), educate myself and, if I want to, pursue the subject more deeply later on.

When you open this book you will see: one book title and an introduction, per page. It's good if you want to sample a complete list of Henty books.

This is a great book for any Henty collector or inquirer. The book gives a brief synopsis of many of Henty's works in chronological order. I find it invaulable in picking the next book I want to buy and read. Henty is a great author for home educators, history buffs, and action adventure readers. The books contain excellent morals and are historically accurate.

G.A. Henty wrote arround 144 books. Many of the books revolve around a fictional character who interacts with real persons from that historical period. Heroism, honor, courage, and leadership are integral characteristics of the main protagonists. I have trouble putting down a Henty story. I highly recommend this resource.

This Book has the most information that I can find on G.A. Henty!

In this important book, the authors tackle an old issue in a modern context. We might recall that Victor Hugo, in the Hunchback of Notre Dame, discussed the moral and cultural implications of the printing press. Burniske and Monke bring this discussion to the 1990s by studying the implications of Internet technology on education. The fundamental question centers on what it means to be educated in the first place. Burniske, for example, makes a distinction between being trained, the language of technology, and being educated, the language of the humanities. This book walks us through specific efforts by the authors to integrate Internet technology into their classroom teaching, but what clearly galls both of them is that deeper questions about how to properly educate students are getting lost in the hype over equipment, technical wizardry and on-line chatter. There are plenty of kids out there who can create web sites, hack into complex systems, and master the language of technology, but do these same kids know right from wrong? Can they critically read a text, or relate to the deep emotions revealed in a play or novel, or even treat fellow classmates or online correspondents with respect? These issues are the real test of education, and if they get lost in the hype, we are building a Brave New World every bit as pernicious as the one described by Huxley. Burniske is an innovator who is trying to find ways to correctly use technology in the classroom, that is, without surrendering human issues or context. Monke is more skeptical, perhaps, but a willing participant in the dialogue -- how can teachers be empowered and liberated to properly educate their students.

Students, by the way, are the real concern of these two teachers. They do not see them as products or consumers, but as a community of people who need to be nurtured, cared about and finally led to a deeper and wiser understanding of their place in the world. Burniske and Monke are teachers in the best tradition of that word. They are about shedding light on the human experience, not simply walking the beaten (and often failed) paths of traditional educational discourse. Whether you agree or disagree with their arguments, you will find the discussion worth the effort. The final chapter is riveting, but the rest of the book provides a rich context for an important, humane and caring dialogue about some very important issues confronting humanity.

I heard one of the authors, Dr. Burniske, speak at the Odyssey Bookstore in Massachusetts in July. He gave such an impressive and thoughtful talk that I decided to buy a copy of this book. I'm not an educator, but I am a parent and I found this an extremely thoughtful and thought-provoking book. I don't think you have to be a teacher to understand the stories that Burniske and Monke tell or the ideas that they develop. It helps, however, to understand some of the problems that teachers face with respect to their own professional development. If you've not been in a school recently this book will certainly help you understand why so many teachers struggle with new technology -- and why we all should be asking more questions about its place in the curriculum. As some of the other reviewers have suggested, I think this should be required reading for every parent and teacher who wishes to take part in the discussion of technology in education.

I believe this book will greatly help educators to find practical and very effective uses of this emerging technology. With the guidance of this book, educators should lose their confusion and the trepidations that I believe many of us have in the use of this potentially excellent tool. With a bit of help from their teachers, students can learn to focus their efforts and perhaps for the first time, realize they can take part in making positive and profound changes in their lives and in the lives of others that they will touch. The deep insights revealed by this book, and the practical ideas presented by Burniske and Monke will reduce or eliminate much stess by educators that do not wish to repeat the mistakes of those who have gone before us.

I am a high school (Gymnasium) teacher from Germany and I picked up a copy of this book at an education conference. We have been using computers in our school for two years now but have received little training in how to use them to aid our teaching (we have received only technical training). By looking at the case studies in this book I finally have a good, practical guide for me that I can use to help teach my students using e-mail and the Internet. This really opens up a whole new world of learning for me and my students. It is nice to finally read *by teachers* about how teachers are actually using the technology, and not just a bunch of theories on how you *could* use it. Highly recommended.

As a secondary school English and social studies teacher, I found "Breaking Down the Digital Walls" to be inspiring, thoughtful and helpful. I would like to embark upon a telecollaborative project with my students, and use the Internet for something more than research, but until now, I hadn't felt prepared to do so. This book provided me with ideas and support, and it was interesting to read - thank you!

Anne Bruce has her thumb on the heartbeat of human nature. Her latest book "Building A High Morale Workplace" transcends corporate walls and infiltrates any business environment that demands human interaction, which in today's society is all of them.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants an instant surge of energy and posses the desire to implement techniques that will engage and inspire your team.

Thank you Anne Bruce, you have helped me to see the limitless opportunity, for the first time all over again!

Anne Bruce is a great author who has written a book that has a message that is both easy to digest and also easy to apply to the modern workplace. Her style is smooth and all of her chapters build towards helping the reader understand the importance of improving morale in the workplace. Her examples are interesting, her teachings meaningful and her conclusions insightful. Morale building made easy .... what a great thought. I heartily recommend this well-written book to all Managers!!

This book flows great. I've read all of Anne's books and, just as I am with her others, I'm very impressed with this one. It flows great. I really feel like, as the author, Anne is sitting across the table from me talking me through each step. It's practical, real-world (just like all her work)and completely relevant for any manager who is committed to making "high morale a high priority".

Anne Bruce is a great author who has written a book that has a message that is both easy to digest and also easy to apply to the modern workplace. Her style is smooth and all of her chapters build towards helping the reader understand the importance of improving morale in the workplace. Her examples are interesting, her teachings meaningful and her conclusions insightful. Morale building made easy .... what a great thought. I heartily recommend this well-written book to all Managers!!

Anne Bruce's "Building A High Morale Workplace" is a must read for anyone truly interested in making their work environment a happy and productive place. Her use of the Management experiences of others together with specific steps for implementing morale building procedures will prove to be an invaluable resource.

This book is full of wonderful ideas about every aspect of Pervasive Developemental Disorders and sensory integration tactics for any and all situations at home, school and in Therapy (ABA, Speech, OT, etc.).

This is great for professionals or for parents of children with PDD or Autism. It gives some fresh strategies for dealing with challenging situations and behaviors as well as arming one with more knowledge to better meet the needs of children with whom one works. As a friend of a mom that has a child with PDD, I know that this book has been useful for them. As one that is trying to figure this disorder out, I then read the book and it definitely gave me a greater understanding him and even ways that I can interact with him when we are together.

I am a parent of a child with regulatory disorder. This book was very helpful to not only describe the theory of his behavior, but helpful strategies for our family and him. This is a must read for all teachers and physicans, also any family with a child sensitive to sensory stimuli.

As a physical education instructor, I've always got my eyes open to ideas for working with my kids that have PDD. This book gives ideas and activity suggestions that I can use modify our activities so that they can participate as well. It gave me a much better understanding of their needs.

There are other books that give more comprehensive details on the inner workings of sensory integration problems, and more complete lists of the hundreds of ways they can manifest in a child's daily behaviours. But this book beats all when it comes to ideas you can try and therapeutic activities you can do with minimal equipment and expense. The emphasis is on fun, and tailoring the program to your child's preferences and needs. Absolutely the perfect book for someone whose child has been diagnosed with SI issues, and is saying, "Okay, now what do I *DO*???" And highly useful for others who haven't even come quite that far on the diagnostic journey. I love that it addresses every aspect of the child's day, from bathing and dressing to school and other out-of-the-house events.

The explanations of SI problems and SI needs are compact, readable and simple enough that you can lift them and use them when giving your "What is SI?" speech to teachers, friends, sitters, whoever.

Accompany this book with Carol Stock Kranowitz's The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun, and you will never ever lack for fun, therapeutic, low-cost activities to do with your SI-dysfunction child!!!

This book is filled with eye opening information. Workplace violence and bullying is on the rise, and unfortunately it is done is such an environment that it is hard to forsee. Too many employees find themselves in a situation that escalates because they feel helpless. Many times the victim is accused of being a trouble maker, or a cry baby or not a team player and their complaints are not taken seriously.
This book shows how bullys identify and target their victim, and equally important this book gives concrete information to help someone identify a bully and protect themselves. Or what to do if they find themself already being victimized.
A must read, not only for employees, but for management to identify what to watch for in bullys. Most bullys are insecure and use their bullying to make themself feel important. When management recognizes this behavior in an employee, they can take a proactive step to keep the bully from being in a position where they can potentially damage the moral of their other employees and the success of the company.

This book describes the many facets of supervisory bullying behavior in the workplace. Mueller cautions often disbelieving employee victims that bullying bosses consciously calculate, select, and plan attacks on them. When attacks occur, targeted employees are shocked, confused, humiliated, and naturally seek to respond emotionally (e.g., fight or flight). Mueller asks that potential victions stop, step back and self-consciously maintain their emotions sufficiently to pursue more rational ends by using indirect tactics and activities that can generate coworker allies, support, resources, witnesses, and documentation advantageous to them. Employees are urged to stay focused on politically acceptable and legal objectives when interacting with and around workplace bullies.

The author offers an ideal model of employee survival and a guide for becoming a proactive, competent, resilient, life-changing Workplace Warrior. Mueller uses case examples to support the assertion that regular use of the guide can strengthen employees psychologically, strengthen their anti-bullying behavior, and limit the net demoralizing effects of scape-goating behavior and victimization in the workplace. The author will suggest key roles for coworkers, managers, therapists, counselors, and, of course, lawyers in the process of helping employee recovery, self-transformation, behavioral decision-making, and, ultimately, life changes.

I highly recommend this book to any one suffering from bullying behavior and to any responsible person who seeks to help empower workers in the attainment of safer, healthier, and more creative workplace settings.

David L. Johnson, Ph.D. Health Psychologist
Senior Author of Stop Smoking and Chewing Tobacco
for LIFE CHANGES

Bullying Bosses: A Survivor's Guide (How To Transcend The Illusion Of The Interpersonal) by Robert Mueller is a remarkable introduction to the complex world of counter-balancing the relationship between oppressed employees and their oppressive bosses. Logically analyzing the psychology of the belligerent and hostile superiors, Bullying Bosses offers readers a means for analyzing and responding to an employer's bullying behavior. Robert Mueller covers such issues as who challenges employees, support in the workplace, building a case against the boss that management can respect, collecting potent data, identifying patterns, crafting a simple strategic plan, grow beyond workplace turmoil into a clarity, strength and grace. Bullying Bosses is very strongly recommended for all readers searching for a "user-friendly" guide in dealing with the difficulties involved in poor employee-to-boss relationships.

It is rare that a book of reference and self-help should read like an edge-of-the-seat John Grisham thriller. But this significant contribution to the study of bullying in the workplace often does. Robert Mueller, in his own words, is a "former attorney who represented a couple thousand employees suffering adverse employer actions, many involving bullying." He sure introduces the drama of the courtroom and the rudiments of the adversarial system into the 300 pages of his survivor's guide.

The author calls on managers to become aware of the dynamics that turn many workplaces into simmering stealth infernos. Employees should protect employers from bullies. Mueller leverages court cases and case histories into a cogent and methodological analysis of bullying tactics and strategies. Parallelly, he weaves a tapestry of legal, psychological, social, and cultural dimensions as he analyses the victim's mentality and reactions. Strewn among the pages of this rich presentation are highlighted tips and quotes.

Mueller's message is simple: targets of bullying have to face down their tormentors. They have to become "workplace warriors" with "shields and swords". Easier said than done - but, still, can be done, argues the author. The target has to discover and groom potential supporters, build a case against the bullying boss, collect potent data and identify patterns of misbehavior, craft a plan, and implement it. It's all about empowerment by regaining control over situations that frequently and falsely look hopeless. The author takes the victim by the hand and convincingly shows him or her how to do it.

I recommend the book to anyone who has ever been involved in on-the-job harassment, stalking, and bullying because it is both deep and practical, accurate but never arcane, eye opening and thought provoking and challenging - but never loses its empathy and compassion for the victims of this widespread and under-reported phenomenon. A gem. Sam Vaknin, author of 'Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited'

This book is a must read for anyone who has ever worked, has a job now or is thinking of entering the workplace. Knowledge is power and this book provides just that. `Bullying Bosses, A Survivor's Guide' is actually two books in one: Part I, provides an overview of Workplace Bullying and its components. Part II is a manual to aid Targets to become Workplace Warriors.

Part I provides an excellent summary of international knowledge on Workplace Bullying and additional information gleaned from Robert's practice working with Targets and organisations. He cleverly uses a descriptor, the `Ring of Fire', to describe how isolated Targets can become. He brings to life the specific false and unfounded criticism directed at a Target and skilfully cultivated by a Workplace Bully. It is easy to see why team members withdraw and leave the Target to eventual isolation. Robert explains the nuances of each act well and introduces specific descriptors about bullying bosses and their colleagues, who through doing nothing, collude with the Workplace Bully. Robert's depiction, of how the diverse facets of organisations work together to attack a high performer and bring him/her down, is very real.

Part II is a life line for Targets. It describes how to beat the Workplace Bully at his or her own game and become a Workplace Warrior. Robert describes the knowledge, skills and abilities a Target needs in order to take on a Workplace Bully. This is particularly pertinent in small cities and towns and highly specialised environments where jobs are not always plentiful and available and people cannot typically walk away and get another job. People do not speak out because they are afraid of being black listed; rather they stay quiet and tolerate the Workplace Bullying. `Bullying Bosses' describes ways of managing these situations from a position of strength. The book gives action plans for reaction and planning and outcomes to strive for.

This book is a necessary read for senior managers and human resources professionals who truly wish to prevent Workplace Bullying. They will learn what constitutes Workplace Bullying and how it works to break individuals emotionally and therefore impacts self esteem and consequently productivity.

The book is an excellent reference book for Targets who want to fight the silent epidemic and expose Workplace Bullies for the chaos and desolation they cause and the lives they ruin.


Andrea W Needham
`Workplace Bullying, The Costly Business Secret'
2003 Penguin NZ
January 2006