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The Power of Story gives you the opportunity to challenge your current story and decide how you will define your story from this point forward. If the traditional self-help books have not produced results, perhaps it is now time for you to consider digging deeper to create the story of your life. Well...are you ready to write the next chapter...your way?? If you are willing, you will be guided by author Jim Loehr who has worked with Olympic and Professional athletes and the Captains of industry.
Why not take the next step...and see what happens!

I have been aware for some time that the way we think about ourselves and the decisions that we make is based on a programming of our sub-conscience mind. This programming has been established from the time we were born through today by a filtering system that we have through our relationships with customs, culture, family, friends, peers, colleagues and education whether thru Academia or Hard Knocks.

Dr. Loehr, in Part One, not only identifies these filters that make up what he and others have called `My Story', showing that if our story is not changed, we are destine to continue on with our life as it is. This "Slow Death", as he calls it, is made up of questions we ask ourselves:

"How did it come to this?
What am I doing?
Where am I going?
What do I want?
Is my life working on any meaningful level? Why doesn't it work better?
Am I right now dieing, slowly for something, I'm not willing to die for?
WHY AM I WORKING SO HARD, MOVING SO FAST, FEELING SO LOUSY?"

This is not just for the individuals themselves, it includes the business we own or work for, showing `Your Story' around; work, family, health, happiness and friends.

After showing the process of identifying `Your Story' now, through writing it down, Dr. Loehr, in Part Two, presents `The Resources, Procedures and Practices' that enable one to write, indoctrinate and live `Your Best Life' possible.

Jim Loehr's writing style is not only involving for the reader; the examples (Including his own.) are those that most everyone can relate to. It is an informative, magnetic, yet easy to read volume for self evaluation and improvement.

This process is not without work and accountability, yet gives a person a whole new outlook on who they are and what they are here for, should they follow through.

This book is not only for those who are oblivious to this phenomenon of how story controls our lives. I also recommend this information and instruction for others who are aware of it (Like Me.), to have a better understanding and procedure on `How To Make My Story Better'!

Dr. D. P. Gatten [...]

What stories do you tell yourself about your life? That you must spend every waking hour at the office? That you have no time for exercise? That self-fulfillment is an impossible dream? If this is your internal dialogue, then you should not be surprised if it is also your external reality. Acclaimed performance psychologist Jim Loehr spells out a program that will enable you to discard your old negative stories and develop new positive ones that will make your life better. He shows you how to turn these new stories into your new reality. Plus, he explains why physical energy is crucial in this changeover, and what you must do to stay constantly energized. getAbstract believes that anyone who is stuck in a rut will benefit from reading Loehr's inspirational book and putting his transformational principles to work.

Jim Loehr's latest book is one of a handful of recent, great books dealing with the issue of how the stories we tell ourselves (and others) so shape our lives. Debbie Ford, Steve Chandler and Joe Caruso are authors whose writings on this subject I have highly recommended in previous reviews.

All of these books are convincing as to how our stories shape our lives. All make clear that we can change our life by changing the stories we tell ourselves. Loehr's tops the others by laying out a series of very specific exercises to help readers rewrite their stories. Loehr's deep background as a trainer shines through in his thoughtful exercises.

Now doing self-work is generally a much bigger challenge than merely reading about self-improvement. Loehr's exercises take time and thought....something for which the author (rightly) offers no apology. Few worthwhile things in life are gotten without effort.

Not yet ready to buckle down to change your story and your life; then grab the audios by Ford or Canuso to get some added motivation. Then, use Loehr's process to change your story for the better.

Outstanding book, full of extraordinary potential for those who follow Loehr's prescriptions.

This is a very thought provoking and life changing book. Jim Loehr first brings us face to face with the stories that we tell ourselves. Your first reaction is that you don't tell yourself stories. But you do. We all do. And often the stories we tell ourselves are crafted to fit our excuses for why we do or don't do things. As long as we are telling ourselves stories that are not based in reality, we will continue to live according to the story line we are telling ourself.

The book is not just about stories, it is actually a step by step manual for finding out your old story, discovering where it is wrong and then developinig a new story based around your purpose in life.

When most people list their priorities in life, they go something like this: God, family, work and other. But when they really examine their lives, they have made their career the most important thing in their lives. They devote most of their energy to their career and never have enough left for the other things in their lives. They tell themself one story but live another.

There is another very important lesson in the book. We all think that time is our most important asset. As Jim points out, it is not time but the energy we bring to the time we devote to any activity. He gives countless examples of people spending time with family but not fully engaged. The energy is not there.

If we are not physically fit, we do not have sufficient energy to accomplish the tasks we set out to do.

This is not theory. Jim runs the Human Performance Institute in Orlando, FL and the book is filled with examples from the work he has done with thousands of people.

The book is well written, easy to read and a real eye-opener.

There is a step by step plan for the individual to come face to face with their old story, write their new one and change their lifestyle so that they bring their life into harmony.

Well worth reading. You will never be living your ideal life until you get your life aligned with your story. This book tell you why and shows you how. The rest is up to you.

Thank you for this book. It was exactly what I was looking for. My husband and I will travel to Senegal and Ghana early 2008 and we will be touring those places associated with the slave trade. I am also researching our family trees and am looking forward to returning to the Motherland.
The part of the book that gives a snapshot of each country on the west coast of Africa, things to take with you and proper behavior in each country was helpful. We would not want to do anything to offend our African brothers and sisters.
Continue doing what you are doing.

Sincerely yours,
Hazhin

This book opened my eyes. I was brainwashed about Africa and did not know it. It was if the book was speaking directly to me. This is a great book easy to read but alot of information

Roots Recovered is not only a practical travel guide, but also a valuable guide for tracing African-American ancestry! The resources and references in this book are extensive and the writers have traveled to these places--making it a treasure trove of information. The traveler can trace one's roots to specific African tribes. The book contains bits of history and is informative, as well as educational and helps Blacks with the misrepresentations about Africa. As a bonus, the reader learns how to travel for free or on a budget. I especially enjoyed these sections: useful phrases, watch you back, women travelers, photography etiquette and places of interest (not your ordinary ones). This book is a must read for anyone planning to travel to Africa.

I really like this book. The resources and references are fantastic and the author proves that he knows what he is talking about. His experiences were exciting, genuwine and informative. In addition there are individual chapters on various West African countries and what you might expect during your visits, plus great information on embassy offices, cheap air seats and safety. A must have for the traveler.

This book is very different. It is a travel book yet it touches upon history and brainwashing of African Americans and how travel to Africa can change the brainwashing. I love Africa so this book did not directly concern me but people who have a bad image of Africa should buy this book. This book is not what I expected but it was a pleasant surprise. This book will make a Black person not be afraid to go to Africa to see it because it informs you of all the misrepresentions.

I purchased the book to plan my tax strategy when selling an investment property that incurred significant gain. The sections on CRUTs, Installment Sales, and 1031 Tax Free Exchanges were very helpful and thorough. It is somewhat technical information, but written in a manner that a layman (non-CPA) can understand. My only complaint is that he doesn't address the implications of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) anywhere in the book, and it has become a VERY significant consideration for selling highly appreciated property. The other thing I noticed is that his evaluation of TIC 1031 Exchanges covers some of the risks, but neglects to mention that the vast majority of 1031 TICs include HUGE fees or loads. One I examined had a 20% profit to the sales company when the property was flipped to the 1031 investors. Most have 8% - 12% commissions to the salesman. Otherwise, I thought this was an extremely helpful book and I would recommend it...with the caveat that the reader get additional advice on the AMT.

Is a tremendously informative resource and well written so that a novice in real estate can understand and must have. It was so helpful, I purchased 4 more to give as gifts.

Understanding the tax implications of your investments is one of the most important things you can do as a current, or aspiring real estate investor. While Mr. Williamson's book will not make you a "tax expert" it will give you the foundational knowledge you will need in order to intelligently converse with your attorney/accountant, and to make wise investing decisions.

Chapters include information on: capital gains, tax basis, exclusions, exchanges, installment sales, and trusts. I have personally given this book to new agents in my company in order to familiarize them with the tax implications of real estate investing.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I should say that I am an attorney, real estate broker, investor, trainer, and author of another unique and highly readable book on real estate investing that can also be found here on Amazon -- The WealthLoop Series Beginner's Guide to Building Wealth Buying Houses: The Foolproof Roadmap to Real Estate Riches Without the Risks and Hassles of Landlording. Unlike many real estate investing books, it is written to be a genuine "How To" book that "takes you by the hand" and walks you through a step-by-step process for getting started in real estate investing -- investors across the country are giving it rave reviews. The book also includes sample leases, forms, and checklists, so that you can actually go out and implement the investing strategy it teaches as soon as you're done reading. You might want to check out the companion CD too -- The WealthLoop Series Beginner's Guide to Building Wealth Buying Houses (Combo Audio/Data CD): Author's Audio Commentary Plus Downloadable 32-page Marketing Manual, Checklists, Spreadsheets, and Forms.

A related program that's well worth checking out is:

The WealthLoop Series Beginner's Guide to Personal Wealth Creation (Combo Audio/Data CD): Audio Seminar With Downloadable 40-Page Action Manual and Active Link Library.

I believe that Williamson has written an informative book that's worthy of your time. Buy it if you are serious about making a success of real estate investing.

I have read a number of books about real estate tax planning, and this is by far the best. It is clear, to the point, and very readable. The author goes through the basics of how a capital gains basis is calculated, rules about stepping up basis, primary residence exclusion rules, etc. He then discusses various ways of deferring or eliminating capital gain consequences via 1031, installment sales, private annuity trusts, charitable remainder trusts and Roth IRAs. The chapter on private annuity trusts is one of the least known, yet most valuable strategies that exists. Buy this book!

This book answered all my tax and property questions quickly and precisely. It was well written and perfect for someone who is not a CPA or property specialist. Highly recommended.

The book begins with a foreword titled: "It's not supposed to be this way." The authors outline the problems and issues that many people have with performance appraisals. Then they make two key points. Here's the first one.

"Rather than a painful yearly event, performance appraisals can be viewed as a discussion, a culmination of small meetings held throughout the evaluation period."

In other words, performance review grows out of supervision. The rest of the book assumes that those "discussions" are going on. They're necessary to the process, but they're not the subject of the book.

The authors also make the point that: "In one form or other, performance reviews will continue to be a fact of our work life. This book is designed to cut through the anxiety and make the process, or series of discussions, more pleasant and productive."

Even though there are some people calling for the abolition of performance reviews as we know them, that's not likely to happen on a large scale any time soon. If the place that you work has a formal performance appraisal process now, you can count on having to deal with it for years to come.

I assume that if you're considering purchasing this book you will either be looking for ways to make your company's performance review system better or you will be looking for ways to make the process of actually doing performance reviews with your subordinates less daunting. For that reason, I'll split my analysis and recommendations into two parts.

Designing the Performance Review System

If you are responsible for designing or re-designing the performance review system in your organization, this is a book you should read. The research that's referred to matches up well with research I've done and read. The authors do a good job of presenting it and drawing conclusions.

They're also thorough. There's discussion of the current state of performance reviews, supervisor-employee relationships, scorecards, compensation, and much more.

Working Managers

If you are a working manager who has to do appraisals within your organization's system you will find some helpful material here, too. There's good discussion of how appraisals go off track. The authors cover different kinds of rating errors. And, there's material on actually conducting the appraisal.

But this part of the book is not as strong as the part about designing formal appraisal systems. There's not much depth or reach to the material on face-to-face discussion of behavior and performance issues.

That's because those are peripheral issues for the authors in this book. If you want more on face to face discussion, read my book, Performance Talk: the one-on-one part of leadership, which deals specifically with that aspect of supervision.

That's a quibble, though. Stress-Free Performance Appraisals is a solid, well-researched and well-written book that can help you improve the performance review process in your company.

Everyone, it seems, hates performance appraisals. Some corporate cultures compel managers to "grade on the curve," which means that even good employees may have to fail. Even in less draconian corporate cultures, performance appraisals require supervisors to tell people about their shortcomings, an uncomfortable exercise for both the appraiser and the appraised. Meanwhile, lurking in the not-too-distant background is the threat of litigation instigated by an employee whose appraiser lets slip an awkward reference to race, sex, age or some other legally proscribed subject. This book tells you how to avoid the stress and anxiety of appraisals by focusing on a few basics. Authors Sharon Armstrong and Madelyn Appelbaum provide valuable counsel - albeit not terribly well organized - for people on both sides of the desk, both the supervisor and the employee. We recommend the authors' useful potpourri of advice, role playing exercises, case histories, evaluation forms and observations about appraisals to everyone who participates in a performance appraisal system and certainly to anybody who runs one.

Sharon Armstrong is a known expert in the field of performance appraisals and human resources training and her latest book does a fantastic job of covering a critical issue for any manager. This is a must read for any manager or would-be manager - its well-written, easily readable, and has the capacity to improve any workplace. Strong reccommend!

This is a great resource for HR consultants and practioners who are creating innovative performance management systems for their organizations. It addresses the underlying issues that prevent organizations from successfully managing performance and delivering candid and constructive feedback. I highly recommend it to all of my clients.

As an experienced human resources professional, I have dreamed of the day when I could create a succesful performance appraisal program. And I had concluded that there was absolutely no way to please everyone. Cheer up -- Stress-free Performance Appraisals offers a fresh perspective to this tired, worn topic.

The text is, surprisingly, useful for human resources professionals, managers, and employees. It is visually attractive and chocked full of valuable questions, extensive documentation, great examples from well-regarded organizations, and ideas to cover a variety of cultures and performance appraisal philosophies. As examples of their recommendations, the authors weave -- chapter-by-chapter -- the scenarios of three fictional employees with varying performance levels. The book is an easy read in about three hours.

My trainer turned me on to this cookbook and I am glade he did. He is a former Mr Maryland and he is VERY nutritional conscious. I highly recommend this book for any athlete, be he novice or be he pro .... this is the one to use.

I am a new fitness competitor, and I had a hard time adjusting to the "off season". I didnt know how to eat, and how to cook! This book has become my staple. I have made soooo many recipes in here and have yet to be disappointed. The fact that she breaks down the macronutrients is wonderful for those of us that need to watch them closely! I even think it would be great for someone who wants to learn about a healthy lifestyle.
The banana fudge cake is wonderful!!!!!

Variety of recipes, easy (fast) prep time, and nutrition breakdowns for the recipes are the highlights that make A Taste...a worthy purchase

I finally picked up both of Laura's cook books and I was especially pleased with the variety in this one. The recipes are generally, full meal types- a combination of both carbs and proteins and, of cource, low in the fat department. So far, I have tried 6 different recipes and all have really impressed me. I also liked the fact that she lists the calorie information on each recipe. Thats helpful in planning my diet- and saves a lot of time looking up calorie counts in books.

I am a female lightweight bodybuilder and fitness enthusiast. I really needed to learn more about low-fat/healthy cooking that my family would enjoy and eat. (I already know how to make the fattening stuff!) This book has wonderful recipes. The cheesecake is so good people don't believe it is low fat, the tuna dip is excellent for parties. I am really enjoying everything I have tried. I thought the use of fat-free products would be bland and not appealing at all, but I was very wrong. The recipes are very tasty. One drawback is that some of the recipes are confusing, ie. the cheesecake ingredient list calls for fat-free yogurt, then recipe states "to add lemon yogurt". So be sure to read the recipe entirely before shopping so you can be clear on what you really need to buy. Also, the nutritional information is not always accurate. (I plugged some of the recipes into a nutritional software program.) But it is a good book with great recipes nonetheless. I am buying it as gifts for all of my friends.

I "met" the author, Denise Michaels online just about two years ago. In that time, she has helped me grow from starving artist to successful artist, as well as develop a new career in information marketing. Her book, "Testosterone-Free Marketing" reveals the ingrained cultural blocks and obstacles that women have been taught from infancy and teaches how to get past them in order to take your business to the next level. Humourous and easy to follow, "TFM" is a brilliant self-help book for women entrepreneurs.
Bev Hanna, S.C.A.
(...)

I thought I was the only woman out there who felt confident about everything else EXCEPT my ability to market my own business. Denise's groundbreaking "Testosterone-Free Marketing" helped me understand why I had difficulties with marketing and gave me concrete tools to make lasting changes. This awesome new book should be recommended reading for every woman who owns her own business.

Denise Michaels has got some great ideas and approaches in this book that really do bring a fresh new perspective to marketing. Sometimes she's just changing a word or two in order to create a less aggressive marketing mindset; sometimes she is bringing in new and untraditional approaches.

Don't expect a list of steps or marketing action items; she does have exercises to complete and approach-changing action items, but not marketing actions. This is intentional, since you're expected to take her concepts and apply them to your own marketing program and your specific business goals.

The only reason I give this a 4-star rating instead of 5-star is because I found some of her woman-oriented language a little annoying (frequent references to shopping and clothes, for instance, don't appeal to me since I hate shopping and usually wear jeans!), but that is an extremely minor quibble about a very useful book. If you're a woman trying to succeed in marketing, whether for your own business or as a profession, I highly recommend it; likewise, if you're a man seeking a new approach, or a man trying to market to women, I also highly recommend it!

What a relief to discover just how painless marketing can be! Not only can I market without all the hoopla -- but I can market with integrity -- in ways that suit me personally. Denise has a wonderful gift for breaking things down into fun and do-able bites. Her book, Testosterone-Free Marketing has given me back my excitement about marketing. Thanks, Denise -
no more fear of the unknown!

At age 61, I started a new business. Yet, I reached a point where I was so
frustrated with marketing I was unsure if I wanted to continue. I was
searching for answers, then I read Denise Michael's amazing book,
"Testosterone-Free Marketing - The Yin and Yang of Marketing for Women."
What an education in marketing and in why I kept holding myself back! One of
the many things I discovered was, I can be me - a woman - and market my way!
From here I'm finally ready to really move mountains! Get the book and
you'll get where you want to be with your business!

The discussion of geologic events by Dr. Behnke, which explain how certain fish species became dispersed is most interesting as well as fascinating.
The paintings of the various fishes by Joseph Tomellari are worth the price of the book alone. All presented on high quality print and paper.

Awesome book. The CSU professor is the best authority on trout & salmon. Period! Also best illustrations you will ever see by Joe Tomelleri. A must have book for any trout & salmon lover!

Wasn't sure this book was still in print and as usual, Amazon came through and I had my copy in 5 days. You can't beat the Amazon Customer Service, delivery, and follow-up, Regards, D.K.Madison

This book is a wonderful piece of work, with great illustrations of the various species of coldwater species found in North American waters. Behnke writes in great detail on the various species of trout, salmon, char, grayling, and a few other coldwater species, and includes much detail on sub-species distribution in a current and historical context, often down to the watershed. He also includes sub-species that have gone extinct in historical times. An excellent introduction discusses such topics as the origins and evolution of Salmonids, as well as their classification, taxonomy, biology, morphology, and anatomy.

The only mild criticism I have is that more could have been written on the distribution of brook trout sub-species in the Midwest and East, along with lake trout of the inland lakes of the Upper Midwest.

The book should be in the library of every serious trout or salmon angler.

Behnke's reputation is international, and this book lives up to his reputation. Not only are the paintings by Joseph Tomelleri magnificent, but Behnke's scholarly descriptions are without equal. Maps showing ranges of trout are accompanied by information about the habits of trout, their characteristics, and historical information that sometimes goes back to the ice age. Put this alongside James Prosek's collections of trout paintings from across the U.S. and around the world and you've got three gorgeous books filled with information every trout aficionado needs. Russell Hill, author, the Search for Sheepheaven Trout and Robbie's Wife.

As a middle school English teacher, I deal with young people and their struggles to understand themselves and focus their lives daily. What Do you Really Want? is the perfect resource to help teens do just that! Presented in an easy-to-read and manageable format with a positive, upbeat tone, the book makes the lofty and overwhelming task of "getting what you want" a simple, sytematic process that untimately leads to personal satisfaction, self-esteem, and, of course, happiness. I plan on using the book and its many wonderful activities, quotations, empirical examples, inspirational quotes, and self-reflection techniques in my classroom on a regular basis. This book is an outstanding resource for any teen, but as I read the book, I couldn't help but think that Ms. Bachel may have marketed the book incorrectly. It's down-to-earth tone and empowering message is as relevant to adults as it is to kids! I wish that I would have discovered it sooner to help me in my daily life. I have recommended (and will continue to recommend) the book to friends and students alike!

Bev Bachel's friendly book helps teens -- even adults -- understand what it takes to get what you want from life. She shows how to decide what you want, determine what steps you can take to achieve it, and cheerleads you along the way. A must for any teen -- or anyone -- who wants to be more successful but has doubts about their ability to achieve.

I find this book to be a practical, no-frills guide on Goal Getting for teens. There are only 100 odd pages. Paragraphs are inter-laced with inspiring quotations as well as personal anecdotes.

The author goes straight into the jugular. No fancy theories...Just what you need to get started. There are also nineteen useful, reproducible forms for goal getting. 'Think It & Ink It' journaling exercises are also included to help you think more deeply about what you want & how to get it.

At the back of the book are some goal-getting resources.

This wonderful book comes from Free Spirit Publishing. Please check out their website if you are seeking useful resources for teens & kids. Parents, please take note.

In What Do You Really Want?: A Guide For Teens, motivational and communication expert Beverly Bachel, shows adolescent and young adult readers how to set a goal for themselves and effectively pursue whatever they have targeted! A down-to-earth, "user friendly" self-help guide which is written in simple, direct language, What Do You Really Want? is as practical and effective, as it is informative and inspiring. Enhanced with self-tests, resources, and exercises, What Do You Really Want? is a superbly presented and highly recommended introduction to focusing one's life and contains numerous lessons for that could profit readers of all ages!

As a father of three teenage girls, I'm always looking for ways to help them reach their full potential. What Do You Really Want has really given focus to my daughters' everyday lives. Like so many teens, my girls have great hopes and dreams but aren't sure how to make sense of them. The book's fun worksheets and journal exercises helps teens decide what's truly important to them and takes them step by step through the goal-setting process to help them achieve those goals. What's more, it's a book they can carry with them for the rest of their lives and continually turn back to for guidance. I recommend this book to any parent or teacher looking to bring direction to teens they care about - or even themselves. I was surprised at how much I've incorporated what I learned about goal setting in my own life!

The beautiful thing about May's book is that it is so hard to define. It is part psychology, part theology, part poetry, part philosophy. The book is empirical and lyrical. It vibrates with the author's warm heart, his brilliant intelligence, his down to earth common sense. It is a book that describes the spiritual journey many of us yearn to undertake and in so doing clarifies it and makes it easier to proceed. The journey of spiritual transformation that May describes is the journey of surrender to Mystery. May describes this process of transformation as the proces whereby our ego acquires its proper and helpful place in the orbit of our being. No longer the willful king concerned with preserving its self importance at all costs, the ego is transformed into an ally in the service of True Life. But the process of transformation is fraught with obstacles ranging from inner fear to the many illusions that pass themselves as the ultimate good to external evil. May looks at each one of these obstacles, patiently, comprehensively. He does not leave any questions about the internal life unaddressed, even if his response is simply to delineate the unknown. It is a book that I will take notes on and read often. As you read it, you will feel as I did, that behind its ease and clarity there lies a monumental effort on the part of the author. Like the other reviewers here, I am profoundly grateful to the author for this effort as well as for his openness to the inspiration that informs his work.

I found May's book encouraging. I particularly was drawn to his disclosure of the sexuality involved when your spirituality is expanding. The physiology of the Spiritual/Sexual response is not often spoken about. I am thankful for those disclosures.

This is one of those rare books that excites you as you read. May speaks of contemplative prayer and spirituality as both a long time practitioner and a psychiatrist. This is neither a book of inspiring piety not a book of the mechanics of prayer. Rather, it describes the dynamics of the human mind as it comes into contact with the transcendent in contemplative prayer. As I read through the book, I was frequently saying "Yes, that's it exactly!" The section on the defenses the self comes up with in "protecting itself" from unitive experience especially impressed me.
May has spent much of his professional career focusing on the area of spiritual direction. Rather than building his psychological model on experience obtained from treating pathology, May builds his model on "unitive experience" in the context of contemplative prayer. The model is especially helpful in understanding what goes on in us as we attempt to practice the methods of contemplative prayer. It gives a practical look at the obstacles to prayer, why they arise, and how to understand and work through them.
May's pivotal concept is the role of willingness and willfulness as life attitudes and the critical standards for our spiritual lives. He presents willingness as an openness to God's will in all circumstances. This attitude is critical, as it allows God to work through us. The real danger to our relationship with God and with one another is an attitude of willfulness. This attitude places our will as the standard. It is dangerous because there is no room for God in this attitude. It is especially dangerous when the person thinks that he or she is God's gift to humanity.
When I read anything other than novels, I underline important ideas. My copy of Will and Spirit is so filled with yellow from my highlighting marker that at times the pages almost seem to be printed on bright yellow paper.
This is an excellent book on the topic of contemplative prayer and the spiritual life. It is not an easy book. It requires serious reflection as you move through it. It provides practical advice that is available only from one who is experienced both in contemplative prayer and providing direction to those who are trying to follow the contemplative path.

I read this book so many years ago I can't remember. It is heavily underlined, and parts of it still stay in my mind nearly word for word. This level of thought is a gift for a long time. Now I'm ordering another copy for a friend. It's worth sitting down and thinking with this man-- get ready to underline.

WILL & SPIRIT is a difficult book to review. Any review is likely to reflect more of my own bias than the quality of the book. Readers will probably either love or hate this book. Therefore the best service I can render is to list a few of the things that might draw or repulse potential readers and let them make up their own minds. I gave the book 5 stars because ideas in this book are sure to stay with readers long after the book is finished. Many may read it more than once.

THINGS THAT MIGHT REPULSE READERS:

Writing style. Many contemplatives are drawn to mystical or poetic works that non contemplatives barely comprehend. Some contemplatives are repulsed by technical or scientific writing styles. In this book May comes across as a psychiatrist who writes about contemplative spirituality. The style is difficult to read, professional, and deep. In some ways he reminds me of M. Scott Peck.

Ecumenicism. May writes from a Christian perspective, but that perspective includes insights gained from all humanity and all religious traditions. One gains the impression that he believes Christianity is A way to God, but not necessarily THE way. There is enough of this tone in his writing to bother some readers. This is a book of Contemplative Psychology, but not necessarily Christian Theology.

Be forewarned. If you purchase the book and have these complaints, it is your own fault.

THINGS THAT MIGHT DRAW READERS:

True Spirituality. May does an excellent job of contrasting willfulness and willingness to submit to God. As with many contemplatives, he declares selfishness to be sinful, whether it is acted out in socially unacceptable ways or more respectable self-righteousness within the religious community. Three cheers for piercing the façade of the self-righteous.

Silence and Meditation. May will comfort many people who believe that contemplation requires sitting cross-legged on a bed of hot coals for several hours each morning. He even goes so far as to suggest that hyperactive people might gain more from brief periods of silence than those who are able to go to extremes. This pierces the bubble of contemplative elitism.

Unitive Experience. I don't know if this will be viewed by readers as a positive or negative, but May's description of unitive experiences will cause readers to think. He labels these as the most common of all spiritual experiences, but declares that most people shut them out because they challenge our desires to have total control of our own spirituality, and in the process total control of our own God.

Attachment. While acknowledging that all humans have desires, May challenges the selfish ways in which our desires quickly become attachments that stand between us and God.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Read through this review and decide. Is this a book for you?

When you sensibly order this deal of a book, don't be surprised to find yourself promising to make EVERY SINGLE RECIPE as you flip through. The pictures are delectable, and the recipes easy to follow. They also include sidebars with both general information and that which is specific to the dessert at hand. I also enjoy their suggestions for alternate flavor additions. There are 6 sections of recipes: The Classics, Simple Desserts, Summer Fruit Desserts, Holiday Desserts, Special Occasions, and Chocolate Decadence. There are 7 recipes per section, and the book ends with basic dessert tips, glossary, and index.
Note that they use chocolate rather than cocoa in the chocolate-based desserts. I have a double boiler, but still generally prefer to use a metal bowl sitting atop a saucepan with gently boiling water. The bonus is that you can then use that as the main mixing bowl for zero chocolate loss.

I really love this book! The pictures are great and the recipes are what I was looking for! I highly recommend it!

Excellent book for anyone interested in desserts. I can't cook, but for some reason I can make excellent desserts. The berry fool is very easy to make and you can change it up a bit and put it in individual graham cracker pie plates. This book is loads of fun. Read the whole thing first though.

Most of the recipes in this book are suitable for bakers of any level.

What makes this book a standout, is the fact that even the simplest recipes look expensive and difficult, when complete. For example:

The Poached Pears With Raspberry Coulis, is simple. It looks like a million bucks when properly plated, though.

My boyfriend made the Lemon Curd Squares in the middle of the night. He isn't known for his cooking or baking skills (unless Noodle Roni counts). They came out perfect. From the way he carried on, you would think he solved cold fusion.

If your baking challenged, significant other, reads this book and is motivated to make just one recipe, then your money was well spent.

This book is a must have.

I have not even tried a recipe yet but I've read it cover to cover. You can usually tell a good cook book by how well it's written. The authors explain in great detail each recipe which is very easy to follow. To top it off a picture accompanies every dessert so you know exactly what to expect. In the back of the book is a guide for baking novices, like myself, on the importance of preparation before baking and some other tidbits as well.

The same day I received my copy I watched a program that aired on the Food Network: Good Eats w/ Alton Brown. He made Crème Brulee, Pear Coulis', and a Soufflé. His method followed the book to a tee. As you can see I highly recommend this book.