Resources Books

I think it is a much needed and valuable item that every Internet connected animal lover should own. This book gives greaet Internet addresses. It has everything you need to spend many hours of fun and discovery on the Internet with other animal lovers!

The Animal Lover's Guide To The Internet includes nearly 600 Web site addresses and decriptions. In addition, Bonnie included several chapters in the book to help newcomers. The first time I attempted to get on the Net, I felt like I was lost in the twilight zone. Nothing made sense and the books I read on the subject just confused me more. This book is written in simple, easy to understand language and is focused on getting you up and running quickly and painlessly!

An excellent reference guide for animal lovers to the world of Internet in six easy steps to the site of general interest, health, chats, newsgroups and on-line publications about birds, cats, dogs, fish, rabbits, reptiles, horses and even dinosaurs.

First of all, the cover illustration by Bonnie Shields is adorable. Aptly depicted animals gathered around a computer monitor are a visual treat. Look for the cat that is curled around the monitor's base. He is shown rather true to form. The inside illustrations by Sharon Redfield are charming and show an eye for detail. This is a great gift for the animal lover in your family or circle of friends. More so if that animal lover is yourself. Happen to have one or more grandchildren or a niece or nephew with a computer? Animal lover or not, this book would constitute a wonderful study tool. As a comprehensive, yet easy to understand manual for everything from choosing the right computer, accessing the Internet, to fossil hunting, this book excels. The author's words are friendly, warm and serve as the wisdom of a knowledgeable friend. I feel this makes for a perfect package. Well organized, with more than 500 Internet addresses for you to explore, you will find the material broken down into easy to understand classifications. Have fun reading and exploring. I did!

This is without a doubt one of the best books on church growth I have ever read. Everything Hemphill mentions is basic fundamental church growth strategy. He takes us back two thousand years to help us get a clear picture of what Jesus had in plan originally when he said, "upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it".

The Antioch Effect is a balanced church growth book, which emphasizes the spiritual condition of the church without discounting the importance of methods and strategy. Using the church of Antioch as his model church, Hemphill examines eight characteristics of an effective church. They are supernatural power, worship, prayer, leadership, fellowship, vision, evangelistic passion and discipleship. The book is written from the perspective of a Southern Baptist church consultant who combines the experience of both a practitioner and a consultant. At times I thought the book bogged down but it was worth the read. The Antioch Effect contains solid growth principles to learn and practical methods to implement.

Dr. Hemphill's book is certainly valuable to pastors, college and seminary ministerial students. It was greatly accepted as a textbook for my class in church growth at Temple Baptist Seminary. All pastors who are interested in a Bible base for church growth will find this book very helpful.

Hemphill has written an excellent book which focuses on biblical principles, not church growth strategies or techniques. This powerful book assists the reader to examine what kind of church has the power of God in it. As a former pastor, church growth consultant, and current seminary president, Hemphill is very qualified to write a book on church growth.

Pain should not, and cannot, be separated from anger, anxiety and depression. This is the message of an excellent monograph by Dr Fernandez. The book is comprehensive (800 references to the primary literature) and argues succinctly that emotions are an integral contributor to the concept of pain. Aside from an excellent review of the literature and an excellent treatise, the book offers methods of clinical treatment and assessment.

This book is timely and deserves a place in every University Library and on the shelves of clinical psychologists that deal on a daily basis with people suffering pain.

Highly recommended

This is an excellent book not only for medical and psychological professionals involved in the treatment of pain and associated mood disorders, but also for members of the public who wish to keep informed about the latest state of the art research into pain and emotions.

The book is comprehensive in scope, and goes considerably beyond anything that has previously been written on the subject, with over 800 references to previously published work in the area.

A range of clinical treatments are discussed including hypnosis, biofeedback, cognitive reappraisal, cognitive behavior therapy, systematic desensitization therapy, muscle relaxation, and so on.

The significant role of anger in pain is highlighted, as well as its treatment via cognitive behavioral affective therapy (CBAT).

This book also elucidates the dynamic interrelationships between pain and emotions such anxiety, depression and anger. In doing so, the book examines both physiological as well as psychological variables.

Furthermore, the author's discussion of the diathesis-stress theory of pain and disease is very illuminating.

This is the first book to comprehensively address the important role of affect in pain, and Dr Fernandez has clearly established himself as a leading pain researcher and clinician. This book is a must for all those interested in knowing more about the complex interrelationships between pain and emotions.

I've been waiting for this release! Fantastic! It's not for the simple-minded but it sure does elevate your understanding of how these three emotional disorders interact with pain. The answers in this book are based on hard evidence and expert opinion. The information will be appreciated by health professionals, but it's not off limits to anyone who wants scientific backing for claims made about pain, anxiety, depression, and anger.

I have read books on pain and suffering but this one is especially refreshing. Dr. Fernandez points out why anxiety, depression, and anger cannot be ignored any longer when trying to figure out a person's pain and medical illness. He goes through great depths to explain exactly how emotions can interact with physical problems -- and it's not just about simple cause and effect but much more. Importantly, he provides options for the treatment and assessment of these problems, and I feel confident about these because they are backed up with scientific evidence. It is reassuring to know that the conclusions in the book are supported up by extensive research in the field.

I remember reading H. Allen Smith's "Three Men On Third" years and years ago, and Salisbury's product is in the same vein. I enjoyed it tremendously: great choices, fun trivia, and the constant reminders that sports heroes are, after all, inestimably mortal. It is really too bad that Salisbury's stuff (see other titles on Amazon.com under his name) don't get a wider appreciation.

With dry wit and solid research, Luke Salisbury tackles that American creature known as baseball. He looks at why stats make the game so special, and how people get fascinated with quirks such as hitting streaks. Famous figures abound--Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Ty Cobb, and of course, the Babe. There are lesser-known ones as well, such as Louis Sockalexis, baseball's first Indian, whose hot career fizzled due to alcoholism. Salisbury answers questions you'd never thought of before: who was baseball's first Polish player and how did "Dummy" Hoy get his nickname?

"The Answer Is Baseball" is packed with interesting facts for baseball fans of all ages!

This is a great book about baseball. The author does not ask stupid questions that anyone could look up for themselves. He doesn't treat baseball trivia like it is an answer to be found in an encyclopedia. Why is this book not in print?

If you have any interest in baseball--or if you were ever a devotee of H. Allen Smith's THREE MEN ON THIRD--you'll have trouble putting this one down. Yes, you will add tremedously to your factoid collection and probably never again pay for another glass of whatever you drink at your local watering hole. But that's only half the story of this book. Salisbury loves his subject and that sympathy for facts is contagious, reminding us that "fan" does come from "fanatic." Yes, some of the collection tells stories that are not very happy, and Boston fans are going to struggle reliving the part on Conigliaro, but Salisbury does an excellent job throughout. I finally forced myself to a chapter a night just to prolong things.

This book was very helpful in showing me the ins and outs of a 360 degree review system. Has the basic theory, how to implement the system, and ways t work around the resistance to change.

The book is excellent for development of policy for 360-Degree, why it should be implemented, and what steps to take before and after the feedback.

This is not an instructional book in the development of a 360-degree questionnaire.

The book provides excellent knowledge on what, where, who, when, and how. Highly recommended for knowledge, but not for building of the questionnaire.

Lots of ideas that can be transferred into one's real life situation easily.

"We wrote this book", write R.Lepsinger and A.D.Lucia, "with three audiences in mind. The first consists of 'human resources professionals' who are just beginning to look at 360-degree feedback as a means to address the business needs of their organizations. These are people who have not had much experience using 360-degree feedback to solve business problems and have many basic questions that require answers if they are going to use the technology successfully. The second audience consists of 'line managers' who have heard a lot about 'this 360-degree feedback stuff' and want to understand it well enough to determine if it is the right approach for their organization. The third group consists of 'more experienced HR professionals' who would like a compherensive reference work on 360-degree feedback that makes it easy to access the information they are looking for without having to skim through dozens of magazines and journal articles and textbooks."

In this invaluable study, authors organize their book into two parts :

(I). Preparing to use 360-degree feedback.

In this part, they :

i. offer basic information, including a definition of 360-degree feedback and a brief overview of its history and evolution.

ii. illustrate how a diverse group of companies (real cases) has successfully used 360-degree feedback to address different organizational issues, such as achieving business strategy, supporting cultural change, fostering individual development, enhancing team effectiveness, and identifying training and selection requirements.

iii. discuss and compare the two most common methods for collecting 360-degree feedback- interviews and questionnaires.

iv. focus on the use of interviews alone to collect data or as a supplement to the data provided by a questionnaire.

(II). Implementing a 360-degree feedback.

In this part, they :

i. focus on how to administer a 360-degree feedback process in a way that increases people's enthusiasm and ensures a high degree of confidence in the results.

ii. describe and compare three methods for delivering the feedback- group workshops, one-on-one meetings, and self-study.

iii. review what needs to be done after the feedback is collected and reviewed to ensure that recipients absurb the messages they have been given and take appropriate action.

iv. discuss the benefits and obstacles to using 360-degree feedback in HR management systems.

I highly recommend this invaluable study.

This is one of the better leadership/management books I have come across in the last few years. The best high school, college, and pro coaches are those that are able to help players visualize success and winning- while fully engaging their hearts. Many leaders today are skilled at strategy development and planning, but if they are not capable of facilitating the right dialogue, creating accountability, and executing their plans, they will never reach their goals.

Jim Haudan and the folks at Root Learning have provided great insight into the skills and tools needed to help leaders understand the importance of "the common line of site," and how to create the critical conversations and visual images that lead to results.

Human capital is a concept that has been evolving to explain a major portion of the intangibles underlying market valuation of a company. Jim Haudan is providing the key to leveraging human capital. Investment of financial capital is routinely justified by monitoring the return on investment. Investment of scarce resources in human capital can deliver outsized returns, as Haudan clearly illustrates.

There is a difference in performance between a company whose employees routinely deliver discretionary effort and a company whose employees are marking time until the end of the work day, work week, or retirement. The contrasting depiction of engagement and disengagement in this book shows the path to energizing employees, who then deliver results.

The Art of Engagement offers an abundance of wisdom in how any organization can benefit from the hearts and minds of its membership. These incredible resources are all too often wasted, but the chances of that will be far less for those business leaders who embrace Haudan's lessons of engagement.

One of the most daunting accomplishments to which any one organization can aspire is breaking the code on how to create an environment where employees enthusiastically not only pour their minds and bodies into their work but also their heart and spirit as well.

Providing employees the opportunity to understand and influence their work and how they contribute to achieving the overall mission of the organization is highest form of recognition any company can give.

The Art of Engagement provides a terrific framework to begin thinking and acting on those participative management practices that if done well can elevate an organization to a whole new level of performance.

I recommend Jim Hauden's book to any entity who truly believes the people within their organization deserve the opportunity to understand and feel inspired about their job and the organization for which they work.

For executives searching for innovative ways to execute strategy effectively, Jim Haudan's "The Art of Engagement" is an excellent field guide for that journey. Many will want to keep it as a deskbook, especially for those dark days when strategy stalls, or never gets off the ground.

Haudan offers a refreshingly practical approach to executing strategy by engaging people to think and act much differently about strategy. It is about how to use strategic conversations and visualization of systems to accelerate strategy execution through people.

Loaded with innovative ideas and lessons learned from Haudan's 20 years of helping executives in some of the world's largest companies bring their strategies to life, the book also offers readers an opportunity to test some of Haudan's proven methods through free downloads of strategic learning applications discussed in the book.

Here is a caveat: Don't buy this book if you think you can execute strategy despite your people, and not through them. Quite frankly, it will waste your time.

But if you want to learn about proven methods to engage the hearts and minds of your leaders, managers and front line to execute a shared mental model of strategy, then grab a bunch of copies for your team and test the concepts.

While the ORID method is reviewed here, it's presented in an easy to follow, pratical approach. Great sample conversations and questions are included in appendicies, bibliograpy is rich with great additional reading references.

Brian Stanfield and colleagues have written a meaningful book that provides a profound, yet simple method to help groups effectively grapple and address any kind of issue.

In the book, they say, "For whole systems to operate effectively, information must flow in every direction, up, down, sideways, and diagonally." They go on to describe leaders as askers of questions and state that "the participatory principle requires the art of asking questions."

Canada's Institute of Cultural Affairs developed the focused conversation method as part of its Technology of Participation, which leads people through certain phases of reflection, enabling them to process their experiences as a group. A leader/facilitator asks a series of questions to elicit responses that take a group from the "surface of a topic to a topic to its depth implications for their life and work."

The focused conversation uses questions at four levels:

1. The Objective Level- questions about facts and external reality. 2. The Reflective Level - questions to call forth immediate personal reaction to the data, an internal response, sometimes emotions or feelings, hidden images and associations with the facts, when we encounter an external reality (data/objective) we experience an internal response. 3. The Interpretive Level - questions to draw out meaning, values, significance, and implications. 4. The Decisional Level - questions to elicit resolution, bring the conversation to close, and enable the group to resolve about the future.

The first third portion of the book provides an understanding of the concept of focused conversation and is followed by 100 meeting topics with specific examples of questions at the four levels that would be appropriate.

The book has helped me to re-think the types and the order of questions that I address to a group.

Ultimately conversations are the working process of most leadership. This book expands upon the conversation techniques presented in "Winning Through Participation". The model is simple and useful. When distilled down, a focused conversation proceeds through four stages:
- objective / data
- reactional / feeling
- interpretive / meaning and
- decisional / action.

The model takes about 50 pages to explain and is followed by about 150 pages of examples of its application. Many will find that the 10 pages in "Winning Through Participation" had enough information to get going.

I like books that are practical and have real-world application. This book does that. You get 48 pages of enough explanation that you can learn how to use the Focused Conversation model. Then, you get the skeleton of 100 conversations that you can adapt and use. If you want to know more, read on.

In the 21st century, those workplaces that share information to create value for themselves and their customers have a competitive advantage. On page 14 Stanfield writes "These days most people are tired of blaiming and demanding; they want to solve problems. They want to go beyond input to push an innovation through and take responsibility for making the desired change." The focused conversation model is a technique for capturing the wisdom of a group and helping it become accountable for doing more than complaining or "giving input."

The model's four parts consist of asking and answering questions. The questions at the "objective" level begin to uncover facts about the topic being discussed. The "reflective" questions uncover how the group is relating to the facts discussed in the objective level. The "interpretive" level allows the groups to discuss implications and options. The "decisional" level then creates action based on the discussion. This book also contains hints and guidelines for leading focused conversations: what to do when someone gives a long answer, or when people start arguing, or when someone dominates teh conversation...and more.

I've used several dozen of the 100 conversations in various work settings. I have gotten especially good value from the conversations on evaluating a seminar, planning a study group, coaching a colleague, mediating a difficult situation, reflecting on a choatic meeting...well, you get the idea.

If you're interested in moving toward gathering, processing, and taking advantage of group wisdom, this book provides excellent tools. Its straight-forward, gentle manner and high practical value earn it five stars.

This was the most useful book I've ever read. I learned more about myself and ways to make myself a better leader from this book than from any other. Many helpful and enlightening excercises to complete and reflect over. I'd recommend it highly.

This was the first time ordering college textbooks for us, and the book came in early, and in excellent codition. Thanks!

An excellent book that should be on every leaders/managers/supervisors desk. It provides great basic material that should be learned in college leadership/management courses. The concepts and practices are covered at an appropriate depth.

It would be best used in the classroom or with a small group of current or prospective leaders, but is a little difficult for the person who is used to reading and learning because of numerous learning exercises.

Again, the basic leadership concepts are there, better than most publications. On the other hand it is difficult to use as a reference source because the index is overly populated with names of authors and not to content material.

Book is very expensive!

My two suggestions for improving the book would be to help new and existing leaders assess their competencies so they understand where they should focus their learning. The book is probably overwhelming to most readers when observed in total without understanding I am strong in this area and need to learn more in this area. Secondly, leaders/managers/supervisors must understand that leadership/management is a process that draws on this learning at different times as needed. Until they understand this they cannot apply this material or any of the broad array of books, concepts or strategies for managing on the market. I feel we confuse leaders/managers as much as we help them without helping them understand how and when to apply the vast array of leadership/management learning and concepts. When one understands the process of management and the need for various competencies and skills to address particular situational issues, the the material becomes invaluable.

You may think from the critique above I would not recommend the book, but I do recommend it. Again, it is a great book and worth the money if studied and the concepts applied to the process of leadership and management. A great book for classroom or group learning!

Leadership is a tough subject to teach. There are plenty of books with 'leadership' in the title and as many definitions of leadership as there are authors writing about leadership. This book will be a big help to the professor looking for an integrative solution for the classroom.

Manning and Curtis do a wonderful job for the teacher looking for a comprehensive, engaging tool for teaching students about the 'art' of leadership. In the process, Manning and Curtis offer a variety of interesting and involving exercises, essays, examples, and ideas about the practice and profession of leadership. Over sixty people assisted in the review process to develop the book.

Manning is a psychology professor and Curtis is a professor and coordinator of leadership and organizational studies, both at Northern Kentucky University.

This is a 368-page workbook, with more than thirty exercises designed to illustrate various aspects of leadership. The book is divided into nine parts and 28 chapters, including parts on vision, ethics, empowerment and performance management, among others. Leaders are portrayed as teachers, heroes and rulers. Chapters include self-assessment and end-of-the-chapter summaries with answer keys. There are sixteen pages of current endnotes and a lengthy glossary.

This book is so real!!! I MEAN REALLY REAL to life. I LOVED it and so will you...Get it for a seminarian, student, pastor, laymen, their family, etc...It is rich in wisdom and I suggest reading it over and over again as the years go by.

EUGENE PETERSON said: "This is the freshest and most honest book on pastoral work you're ever likely to come upon." I agree. Hansen helps us pastors consider what is essential for us to be pastors. Prayer, presence, scripture are central. Stories drawn from Hansen's contemplative fishing experiences help the reader appreciate the value of paying careful, quiet, patient attention in ministry. Not a "how to do it in X steps" book, but a book about being. This is a simple but deep book; it's hopeful and encouraging for a too busy pastor.

I could say a lot about this book. A whole
lot in fact. But I am just going to say this:
if you are a pastor or a family member of a
pastor get this book! It is rich, deep,
honest, Christian, Christlike, and so much
more. I am glad it came across my path
and am thankful the author shared his life
with us.

I had to read this book for a Ministry Practice and Polity seminary class, and it was probably one of the most enjoyable books that I read in my whole seminary career.

At the most basic level, this is sort of a 'day in the life' kind of book about David Hansen's experience in the role of pastor. The book is refreshingly honest as he discusses his struggles, victories, and overall experience of being a pastor in all the different compacities. I don't plan on being a pastor myself, but I would definitly recommend this book to anyone who is feeling called in that direction, as a 'window into the life of a pastorate.'

I had the opportunity to speak to the author and he is a very intelligent and humble person. During our phone conversation he gave me valuable information that he'd normally extend during his seminars. Additionally, the book is a must-have if you want to advance in this very aggressive and challenging world. As you know, we are constantly matched up against those to have an intellectual edge as well as acute (s)wordplay, to your advantage this book will give you the necessary verbosity to handle various situations you make face. Overall, if utilized properly one will characterize you as being well-informed, polished, articulate, eloquent and intellectual. Bottom-line, your words are symbols of ideas and represent you and of course- define you! -Leon B.

This book is a definite must have for anyone seeking to bolster their vocabulary and communication skills. I have recommended it to several of my friends and co-workers.

The Articulate Professional is a book that should be owned by anyone seeking to enhance their communication skills. It is not just a vocabulary book. The pages serve as a comprehensive easy to use guide with a strong focus on commonly used words in the business world. I especially liked the format of the book. Examples are provided for each word with its main, formal/semiformal, workplace and casual usage. I have recommended this book to other managers in my company as well as friends. I give this book the highest rating possible. It is an excellent tool.

I've been trying for several months to find a resource book that would assist me in developing a much stronger vocabulary. Having purchased 3 other books, I can say this one is a proven winner. Unlike typical vocabulary material that provides the standard definition and possibly the phonetical spelling of the word, this book also incorporates the word into several, not one or two, real life sentence structures. They include the formal definition, work place examples, casual usage and then other examples. The book also groups similar words together. Although these words are not ubiquitous, they have day to day applications. I found the book so helpful that I have purchased it for my employees. The only suggestion would be to include synonyms for the words. Otherwise it's a great book.