Groups Books

Bell, Book & Beyond debuts over twenty new talents who feature tales of witchcraft, from comic scenes to witches dark and brooding. Readers interested in fiction stories of witches will find this an involving, revealing guides which will prove hard to put down. S.P. Somertow provides an foreword.

Hattie's Head was very crafty, weaving suspense with humor, and the present with the past. The last sentence tied it all up in a neat little package and left me dumbfounded! I felt as though I were beside the boys on their hunt for Hattie. Kelli Campbell told the story so cleverly that I could see everything clearly and isn't that what a good writer does? They let you "see" what you read. I'm anxiously looking forward to more of this writers' stories in the future. She's on her way to success as a well known Horror Writer.

Hattie's Head was very crafty, weaving suspense with humor, and the present with the past. The last sentence tied it all up in a neat little package and left me dumbfounded! I felt as though I were beside the boys on their hunt for Hattie. Kelli Campbell told the story so cleverly that I could see everything clearly and isn't that what a good writer does? They let you "see" what you read. I'm anxiously looking forward to more of this writers' stories in the future. She's on her way to success as a well known Horror Writer.

Don't consider this book to be just another collection of Wicca lore or black-hatted crones, there's much more on the menu than your typical witch tales. Ranging from the fantasy genre 'The Child's Tale' to a modern mom in 'As Promised', to the creeping tingles of 'Le Bete Est Morte' to the comedy of 'That Old Black Magic', this book offers up some of the best, most witchy tales on the market today.

Table Of Contents:
· The Child's Tale by Carole Nomarhas
· The Power Lunch by Janet L. Hetherington
· Six Guns & Six Spells by Paul Victor Wargelin
· A Dichotomy Of Belief by Michael Oliveri
· Spiders Grace All Of Me by Michelle Scalise
· As Promised by Walt Jarvis
· Madly, Deeply by Greg Kishbaugh
· Le Bete Est Morte by Nicholas Kaufmann
· That Old Black Magic by John R. Platt
· Stadium Square by Eric Gregg
· Elena by David A. DeFalco
· Hattie's Head by Kelli Campbell
· Her Place by Joel Ross
· Endemoniada by William O'Donnell
· The Nice House by L.H. Maynard & M.P.N. Sims
· Heavy Sybil by Bob Beideman
· Harm None by Dean H. Wild
· The Island by Whitt Pond
· Trailertrash Annie by Peter N. Dudar
· The Power Doctor by Ward Parker
· Celia by R. Michael Burns

At the end of the book are brief biographies of each writer. All (at the time) were affiliate members of HWA, though many had previous publications and many have gone on to grace us with further proof of their writing skills in other anthologies, novels, and edited collections.

My favorites would be 'The Child's Tale', a fantasy type story of bitter revenge; 'As Promised', the story of how far a witchy mom will go for the daughter she loves; 'Le Bete Est Morte', a creeping story of the witch next door and "it's" ticklish, old time habits; 'That Old Black Magic' which brings a tone of comic relief to witchcraft; 'Heavy Sybil', another semi-comedic tale of an idea that turns on a young heavy metal fan when he drops his girlfriend; and 'The Power Doctor', which will surprise you with its grisly ending.

Ancient and new witchcraft, spiders, spells, love potions, westerns, fantasy, modern, unbearable beauty and hideous ugliness - it's all here in this fantastic collection. If you love witchy tales, don't miss out on this excellent anthology! Enjoy!

Whether your just dabbling in the lore of witchcraft, looking for a great read, or trying to find some great authors; this book is sure to please! It contains a bountiful collection of some of the most talented non-mainstream horror story writers to date. This anthology contains enough laughs, gasps, and feelings of dread to accomidate even the toughest of critics. I've found myself running into work late from lunch on more than one occasion due to my unrelenting need to fit in a couple of extra pages despite my tardiness. The characters and settings are quite colorful (if not vibrant) in each tale, making you an invisible bystander to these events..........even if you wish you weren't!

I first heard of Bill Irwin threw my sister and her husband as they are great friends with the Irwins. I got the book blind courage and read it , it was the most awesome book I have ever read and I have since met the Irwins and had Thanksgiving Dinner with them at my sisters and they are such a great couple with the love of God and life. Bill being blind is not a handicap at all to him , and those around him, he is the most sincere and god loving man Ive known. The book is great, I encourage everyone to read it and there is also a book called Oreint Express for the little ones.

Bill Irwin and Orient leads us down the trail over the mountains and into the forest unlike any other author. We see what he feels and senses around him. With every step we walk along with Bill and Orient, and we camp along with them and met some wonderful people along the way helping Bill and Orient along the trail. Wonderful story. Would love to meet Bill and Orient.

The story told in this book is truly mind-boggling, on several fronts. First, there is the adventure of hiking the Appalachian Trail. Secondly, there is the story of a BLIND man doing it! Third, is the whole topic of seeing eye dogs and the bond that develops between them and their owner. It blew me away, that this dog was able to do what he did, thus enabling Bill to complete this hike. Last but not least, it shows what is possible if we put our faith in God. Most of us rely on our own selves--Bill put his faith and trust in God in order to complete this journey. The book is easy to read, short chapters (which I like--makes it easier to pick up and put down), written from the heart. A great gift book!

I just finished reading "Blind Courage" for the second time. Bill Irwin's story offers a timeless story of courage, faith, and a triumphant spirit as he was the first "blind" person to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. I write "blind" because Bill may not have the sense of eyesight, but throughout the book has great insight into persons he meets along his walk, and relates the greatest insight into his own self and his strengths and weaknesses, on a hike (he was not an experienced hiker) all possible by his enduring faith in our Lord and his confidence in his Seeing Eye dog, Orient. The book flows well,doesn't sound "preachy", and reads quickly--almost too quickly as we want to hear more. This is a great story by a great man who spent his first almost 50 years in turmoil, broken relationships, and losing his eyesight, but he finds himself and encourages and uplifts others along his hike. By the way, if you have an opportunity to hear him speak, Bill Irwin is an outstanding public speaker with a great message and is a very friendly individual. In summary, read this book if you are looking for modern heroes and uplifting people of faith doing the "impossible" regardless of whether you enjoy "outdoor/hiking/camping" books or not.

My review of this book is one of pure joy and inspiration. From the moment I laid eyes on this book I knew it had a great message written in it. I meet Bill and Orient when they came to the Lititz Grace Brethern Church. Even after reading his story and hearing his testomony it was totally indescribleable. Bill is a wonderful speaker and Orient is just the most lovable dog you could ever know. To have a dog like that which leads you over that terrain from Georgia to Maine is a true friend.

They both had a good friend in the Lord and he truly lead them on a spititrual path and from all of this a remarkable story. Again I personally give this book FIVE STARS.

This is a really effective authoritative publication of Hunter's lyrics. Robert Hunter had a big impact on the lyrical imagination of 60's rock, and this book bears witness to that fact. It presents the lyrics with minimal distractions, which causes my only complaint with this book. Hunter's notes/comments are sparse and usually very brief. Some additional explanations and background information, while perhaps being somewhat distracting from the lyrics, would make this more interesting.

Hunter's words, the inspiration, soul, and backbone of the Grateful's Dead's songs, are here collected in all their subtle grace. His songs read like poems, and his poems burst like songs. Vital reading for dead-heads and poetry lovers alike.

Driving around a curve on a mountain backroad, I saw what looked to be a book lying in the middle of the road ahead. I stopped, opened the door and reached down to pick it up. Must have fallen out of someone's car and then been run over: the cover pockmarked by gravel, the pages loose.

The title instantly grabbed my awareness: A Box of Rain - Almost 40 years of a prodigious poetic output, the sculpting of over 250 songs.

This collection of lyrics represents most of what the Grateful Dead performed - along with many songs either done by other groups or sung by Hunter himself. This book is a superb fusion of the mystical and the mundane - If Garcia's music was the skeleton of the Dead, these lyrics surely must be the flesh.

Would the Dead have acheived anything near their anointed state without these lyrics? I truly doubt it. Robert Hunter and Bob Dylan are in a class by themselves; these writings bear witness to that fact.





Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

... one of the greatest poets ever. in my opinion. reading his poems as oposed to listning to them on a album is a vastly differnet experiences. his words touch me like no other. this book is absolutly amazing, especially reading the things the dead never played. "jack o roses" the seventh section of "terrapin station" is the most beautiful thing iever read ( you can hear hunter sing it by going to the hunter archive at dead.net". everyone should read this, and for the few that really get it, it will be a transcendant experinece.

...and my tunes were played on the harp unstrung would you hear my voice come through the music would you hold it near as it were your own?' Part of the experience of a Grateful Dead concert (and now The Other Ones, Ratdog, Phil Lesh and friends, and Mickey Hart's band) was listening to the words of Robert Hunter dance and twirl in your head. Hunter probably isn't the greatest American poet of the second half of the 20th Century, but he does know how to turn a phrase, borrow a line, and mix a metaphor. And his strange mix of phrases went well with the strange mix of American music written by the late Jerry Garcia. Box Of Rain is a must reference for anyone interested in the lyrical end of rock and roll. The book will clear up many an on going debate on just what Jerry was singing all those nights so long ago. And for all those people who can't understand why the Grateful Dead was so successful, this book will let you in on part of the secret. 'If you get confused, just listen to the music play....'

This book was riveting. I found amazing revelations about my own childhood while reading this book, and I quickly discovered I have some background in common with the author. Never before has any psychology, non-fiction or self-awareness book kept me in such profound awe or has unlocked the key to understanding the emotional, mental and physical impact of my being one of a half million children of Holocaust survivors raised in America.

As the child of a survivor, this book talks about many of the things our family kept silent. Just reading that even one other person out there had similar feelings, experiences, and views was so very comforting. It is important that society acknowledges the 2nd Generation's special status. May the memory of all who perished, of all who survived, and all who have come after them be ever for a blessing.

I purchased this book for a friend who had been unable to get a copy here in Australia.

As an 'outsider' to the experiences described I find this book remarkable in its bredth and depth. Epstein manages to convey as much in between the lines as she does in her sensitive, unjudgmental tellings. She has allowed her subject to expand and flow without careful categorisation and containment so that I have the sense that most children of survivors would find something to recognise in this book.

What a humane and remarkable writer she must be I would like to read more of her work.

I read this book many years ago. I was greatly moved by it, and through it understood the special burden children of survivors have to live with. Helen Epstein was the first to really explore the feelings and situation of the children of survivors. The secretness she writes about it, the things which were in the air but never spoken about play a large part in this.
I do remember having one point in which I felt the author did not do enough. While she deals with the individual psychological of problems effectively she does not really consider the ' collective side' of the disaster.
The imperative to keep the Jewish people alive after such a great disaster is not a subject she dwells on intensely.

As a daughter of Holocaust Survivors, when I first read this book (over 15 years ago), I was astounded. This author was the first to raise the issue at all: how has the Holocaust affected those whose parents survived it? When I was growing up, not only was the Holocaust itself practically a taboo subject, but no one ever, ever discussed the children of Survivors. This author had the courage, the foresight, and tenacity to do just that - and to do it in the most sensitive and articulate way.

When I first read the first chapter, I was so astounded that I stood up, and read that chapter standing up! She describes exactly, to the letter, how I felt growing up: that the Holocaust was a locked black box in your household, and that its secrets were more secret than sex, or anything else you can possibly imagine. Finally, someone has put on paper what I always felt, but could never describe. Everyone I have ever given this book to, no matter what his or her background, said he couldn't put it down. To anyone interested in the Holocaust - you must read this book!

This story of one man's life journey, is a compelling read--couldn't put the book down and finished in two reads. His comfortable writing style draws you in and is emotionally evocative--found myself moved to tears at several points. Highly recommended!

Mark Hyde uses this book as a tool in which to deliver his heart and soul. In reading it, we see the incarnation of a genuine, loving and fearless spirit.

I loved this book, couldn't put it down. It was a moving and inspiring account of one person's struggle against invalidation and judgment. I so admire the author's courage and the strength it took for him to make some hard choices in order to live his truth. This is not about being gay or straight, black or white, male or female, so much as it is about being human and living your own truth. A great read that will inspire!!!!

This is truly an inspired book. Mark has captured the essence of how to be true to your real self and live your best life. Once you start this book you won't want to put it down. And after you have read, it you will know what it will take to live the rest of your life to the fullest with spirit. Gay or Straight this book is for everyone.

It only took me two evenings to finish this book. I didn't want to put it down. What an amazing life story. He has had a fare share of what life can give us. And to have so much intelligence and poise to become such a strong, warm and kind individual is admirable.
I came away with wanting to do everything I can to be a better person, for me.
This book really touched my heart!
Thank you Mark. Can't wait for your next book!!! :)

Dangerous Faith: Growing in God and Service to the World written by Christian leader Joel Vestal is an excellent recounting of the many ways God is moving around the world in dangerous and tough places.

Vestal, director of ServLife International, has pulled stories from his vast experiences overseas and weaved in vital truths from the Word of God. His official bio reads:

Joel Vestal has traveled to more than seventy nations, often working to improve living conditions in some of the world's least-developed countries. He has conferred with Mother Teresa, has worked in Sudan during the height of its catastrophic civil war, began reconstruction after the devastating tsunami hit near his home in Thailand, was interrogated by secret police in Cuba, and was part of a team that started the first Christian church in northern India.



So you can imagine he has a lot of great stories, but more importantly he has had a lot of encounters with Christ throughout the world. It is from those encounters where I learned the most from this book. His hope for us the reader is that the book will "leave you ready to risk, step out in faith, and live the adventure called Christianity." (p 17) There are many great quotes and excerpts I'd like to share but that'd take a lot of time and energy that could be better spent reading the book!

One great challenging quote is found on page 35:

The central issue, as I see it, is that our missionary efforts should not be reduced solely to proclamation and evangelism; instead they should focus on whole-life transformational discipleship. After all, we are not commanded to make converts; we are commanded to make disciples. (emphasis original)

He ends each chapter - with names like The Bride is Bigger than you think and Jesus, the Singer from America? - with a set of questions to help guide your thought process or to lead a small group with.

I took several pages of notes while reading Dangerous Faith and would highly recommend that you take a few hours to challenge yourself and your faith.

Be prepared to be shaken with new perspective. Joel writes with such passion and conviction about real life experiences that the readers can't help but be pushed to examine their own experiences. This book is a great, practical tool for living the Gospel in a broken world.

This book is a must read for anyone that is considering any mission work. Whether you are want to go to the far reaches of the earth or help those in your community you will be truly inspired by Joel's words. If he is on a plane in the Sudan and meeting Mother Teresa Joel truly follows an dangerous faith!

Joel Vestal shares just small portraits of what it is like to make a difference in so many varied and needy areas of the world. What touches me most is to hear the valuable nuggets of truth he is learning from people he meets near and far - and how we can directly be involved in the response. In fact, it is Jesus' instruction to us - to BE His followers. Jesus spent time with people - asking them always what it was they were in need of. He valued people - He saw with eyes of compassion and He touched their lives with love and effective actual answers to their needs. Joel lives this - and by reading his book thereby inspires and challenges us to also partake in our destiny on earth. We only have a limited number of days.

I also appreciate the value he highlights of working with our brothers and sisters who are actually in those nations and who can best reach others in their own environment. May we have teachable hearts to learn wisdom from them wherever we go or are involved!

Having participated with Joel in a prior trip - I know first hand that what he shares is a very real actual experience he lives day to day - and a passion he cannot quiet about.

I highly recommend this book. It IS a dangerous faith - demanding our all...it is also at the same time the most fruitful, rewarding and fulfilling endeavors to live for. May you be inspired to action as I am by this book.

I appreciate Joel Vestal's approach to Christian serving and mission. He neither goes to the extreme of only social justice nor merely just sharing the verbal gospel - he shares through personal experience both sides. The chapter on justice was especially poignant and powerful detailing the journey of helping those involved in human trafficking and slavery. Not only does it give practicals on what Christians can do, put it also shows how we can prevent such grievous crimes in humanity. I highly recommend this book for Christians who want to really live out their faith.

Dangerous Men helped me re-think some of the central tenets to my faith as a Christian. Identity, forgiveness and grace, accountability and community, and spiritual warfare are all addressed in fresh, balanced and edifying ways. All that and it's a book written to address sexual issues, so aside from helping me re-order my thinking about and practice of sexuality, it has given me a paradigm to approach any issue with. The book is great for small groups or individuals. The type of community that it fosters is unprecedented, in my experience, and I'm grateful that this book found its way into my hands.

Dangerous Men does what no other Christian mens' book about sexuality has done: provide practical and effective advice on fighting spiritually for sexual purity. Lowell Seashore spares his readers euphemisms and double-talk and instead provides frank, honest wisdom on the issues of identity, lust, pornography, masturbation, spiritual warfare, and freedom in Christ. Unlike other "every man-type" books, Dangerous Men diagnoses sexual sin as a symptom and then addresses various causes: demonic lies, mis-placed identity, failure to fight spiritually, etc. This book is for men who want to break the cycle of sin-confess-sin-confess and claim their identities as free children of God.

One word of caution: to get the most out of this book, go through it with a group of other Christian men. I don't think it was designed as a stand-alone tool. I went through it with a group, and it seemed to work best.

Dangerous Men is not about formulas or useless encouragement to "just try harder" at seeking sexual purity. The study highlights the truth about who we are in Christ, the spiritual battle we face and how we need other men in our lives to fight together to live lust free. This is nothing new to what the Bible says, just truths I easily forgot and honestly couldn't handle alone. Furthermore, Dangerous Men does not just offer the same defensive techniques common in other Christian purity books/guides. Defense is good and necessary, but how do you actively fight to renew your mind? How do you get up when you stumble? Is it possible to live lust free in our current sex-crazed culture without installing blinders? How do I equip myself with the Armor of God from Ephesians 6? Answers and personal examples are found within.
I found this material 5 years ago and God's work through it and my choosing to remain in accountability has changed me from feeling defeated and lost to knowing my true identity in Christ and embracing the goodness of my sexuality - without lust. I know if I read my review here 6 years ago I would be very skeptical - after all, I'm an engineer. It took a risk to step out towards freedom. It hasn't been easy and I'm still growing. But beginning to talk about my struggles with other men and walking together through the material presented in Dangerous Men was the best decision I've made. This book helped make that initial decision easier, as well as the continual choice to take up my cross daily - whether in fighting for purity or other struggles in life.

Dangerous Men, as well as the ministry that stems from this workbook, has been one of the most influential set of principles in my life and adolescent development. I have benefited from and worked with the LFL ministry for several years now and seen many confused, bogged down, beat up, and shameful good Christian boys pick up their swords and become dangerous men for the Kingdom of God. There is no special power or aura to this book, when treated as a solution or program it fails to yield any result. The power is in Jesus and his victory at Calvary, this book presents Christ's love in an approachable manner undistorted by the false pretenses that usually filter out the authenticity of the truth of God's word. I would encourage anyone to look into this book and seek to align their paradigms with that of Christ Jesus.

Dangerous Men is a book that opened my eyes. I grew
up going to church and not talking about sex.
Dangerous Men talks about sex. Sex is good. God made
sex. Dangerous Men reminded me that God loves me and
made me sexual. I would recommend reading Dangerous
Men only if you have balls. If you don't, you should
read the women's book.

When I discover an author I enjoy, it's not unlike making a new friendship - you look forward to your next meeting. I so thoroughly enjoyed A Death at Bennie's that I can't wait for my next visit with GG Robins.

This is very impressive first novel, and it is a page-turner from start to finish. Robins' protagonist, Keith Brett is a likable everyman who happens to find himself at the wrong place at the wrong time and then is forced to flee for his life.

If you get to know this promising new author, you might discover a new literary friend.

A page burner! Great beginning. Great ending. And in the middle is a guy with no combat or survival skills, running for his life. Good guys are after him. Bad guys are after him. Every step takes him deeper into the broiling Mexican desert and every time it looks like he's going to catch a break, another plot-twist you never saw coming gets him in even deeper dodo. I couldn't put it down.

"A Death at Benny''s is a fun ride. My attention was snagged at the Prologue and I couldn''t seem to untangle myself until the end. What a fantastic offering from Robins. It is hard to believe this is his first novel! I look forward to the next and would pay for a ticket to see the movie version of ... Benny''s."

A Death at Benny's is a fast, fun, exciting read. I spend a lot of time on airplanes and this book ate up the miles. It moves like Cussler with the twists and character-depth of Ludlum. If you like action-adventure with narrow escapes, you will not be disappointed. I felt what the characters felt. I'll be in line for this author's next one.

A DEATH AT BENNY'S


Robins' major character, Keith Brett, witnesses a murder in his
favorite bar next to his vacation trailer on the Sea of Cortez. He becomes an unwilling witness trying to hide in a foreign country with few skills and fewer resources; being pursued by corrupt cops, honest ones, the Mexican Mob, and plenty of locals seeking a reward. He ends up part Everyman, part Job, and ultimately part accidental Rambo.

Robins moves him quickly and has you turning pages as fast as Brett finds himself in a new dilemma, which is often. And not once during the 500 pages of chase does Robins strain credulity on what or how or where his hero is or how he reacts. Robins even works in a couple of subplots involving corruption on both sides of the border, and gives you everything from honest Mexican cops to crooked gringos. And every time you think you got the next move figured, Robins hits you with a new plot twist you never saw coming.

Those who travel into Mexico often, particularly Arizona regulars to Rocky Point/Puerto Penasco will never be able to do so again without thinking about this book.

EMIL FRANZI

KVOI Radio, Columnist/Reviewer, Explorer Newspapers, Tucson

In case you are unfamiliar with the Elfquest series, I highly suggest reading some of the past graphic novels in print starting with Fire and Flight and The Forbidden Grove before tackling the Hidden Years.

Wendy and Richard Pini, despite being well known in the fantasy circle, are still relatively unknown comic book artists. Which is a SHAME because their timeless Elfquest stories are extremely well-written. Often, Elfquest fans (such as myself) are very loyal and devoted fans that have been reading their stories for years (in my case 15 years).

In the Hidden Years, we get to see the years in between with Cutter and the Wolfriders after Rayak whisked the Palace of the High Ones into the near future along with his family: Leetah, Ember, Suntop. There are also stories that take place during different time periods like when Bearclaw was still chief and Cutter a mere boy. The stories are heartbreaking and center around the importance of family and finding a place to belong. Cutter somewhat adopts Tyleet, in place of Ember, and she becomes the "daughter of the whole tribe." The best story, as most have already indicated, is Tyleet's rescue of an abandoned human baby (sadly, due to his scar) and raising him. The second best story is the tragedy of Skywise's parents.

As always, the artwork done by Wendy is breathtaking. No other artist can draw Elfquest like she can. Richard is a master storyteller leaving the reader always wanting MORE. By far, this was my favorite graphic novel out of all the stories. Flawless artwork, and inspiring story telling.

Wendy Pini has certainly outdone herself! Her artwork has always been versatile, changing to fit the mood of the story. In this graphic novel, she used vivid watercolors to tell the tale. It's amazing! The stories are also superb, in the honored tradition of Elfquest. My favorite story is the one about Tyleet and her adopted human cub, Little Patch. Wendy Pini is definetly my favorite artist! :)

A collection of short stories, _Hidden Years_ fills in some missing spots in the storyline, mostly from the time period before the 'Shards'and Kings of the Broken Wheel timeline. It was really nice to see that a story could indeed be covered in the equivalent of one issue of a comic book. My favorites are the story depicted on the cover and the origin story for Skywise. No spoilers here, just go out and get it.

Wendy is arguably the best comic book artist of our time, and this little gem has got to be her greatest work ever. This is the very first book by the Pinis that I bought. (Which may I recommend that you don't get this first. You will be very confused, even though the stories are great in themselves.) This one book started the Elf-mania in my family. Now, I buy all of them, even the off-the-wall side stories that are more humorous than anything (see "New Blood" and "Worldpool"). It's really great artwork and rich color are the best. And Strongbow is a heartthrob.;)

In a slightly smaller format than the original paperback volumes, the Elfquest tales that occurred between the great espiodes of the elfin adventures on The World of Two Moons are all presented in full, glaring colors that really blinds your eyes which are more accustomed to the gentler tones of the colorized comic-book collections. Here you meet Strongbow and his wolffriend, Kyavek and her winged boyfriend, Ember and her coming-of-age discoveries, Tyleet and her foster kid, and Skywise and his ill-fated parents. Personally, I feel that the gentle little Tyleet had inherited her mother's child-hunger, so she had a chance to fulfill her aching maternal instincts with an abandoned infant from a nearby human camp. Pretty sappy, in my opinion. But all the Elfquest fans get to unlock even more mysteries about their most favorite elfin characters as well as color-saturated new stories to boot!

Customers prefer to deal with companies whose employees demonstrate empathy, tact, humor, and eager helpfulness. To offer that kind of superior service, your employees need to willingly work with their emotions. Scripted politeness is not enough; your customers crave your employees' genuine emotional involvement, tempered by a sense of professional etiquette. This requires that your employees must perform emotional work. But how can you ensure that your employees put their hearts into this effort?

The authors suggest that you should not only ensure that your employees have the requisite people skills through careful hiring and training, but you should also foster a working environment that is conducive to performing the necessary emotional work. And they explain how.

Notable among the authors' advice is that while complaints may seem annoying, they should in many cases be considered attempts by your customers to continue doing business with your firm. Customers who do not care enough to complain will simply leave and may spread bad word-of-mouth instead. So rather than setting complaint reduction targets or brushing aside complaints, you should encourage customers to voice their concerns, and train your employees to handle complaints effectively. For example, since your customers are likely to feel emotional to some degree when making complaints, your employees should be trained to respond first with emotional words that express empathy, before handling the practical details of the complaint. Moreover, your employees should be taught to assume responsibility for educating your customers sufficiently to ensure that they are able to derive full satisfaction from the products and services you offer.

Personal interactions are what put a human face on your business. They are crucial in building the emotional bonds you want to cultivate among your customers, in order to retain their long-term loyalty. This is undeniable. Yet so many firms still squander their opportunities to build loyalty through superior customer service. One can only assume that their managers have not yet read this book.

Paul Francis Musgrave, author of Indispensable Marketing Strategies - How to Outwit Your Competition, Attract and Retain Customers, and Multiply Your Profits - Marketing Strategy Secrets for Profitable Small Business Management

Perfect, this book is a perfect tool for all the managers in a mid positions, it helps to understand emotion and their value in a business. Should be read not only by the customer service people, but also by the all rests

Janelle Barlow and Dianna Maul go a step beyond most consultants (those who write business books to drum up customers). Instead, they offer a wealth of scholarly research and sources in their in-depth, colorfully written book, which successfully tackles the enormous role that emotions play in business and customer behavior. They explain and document it, and provide practical applications. We at getAbstract recommend this important book to all business people, whether they offer a product or a service, from CEOs through every level of staff.

Since Howard Gardner first popularized the idea of multiple intelligences, thinkers and authors have been noticing that there is a vast difference in the "emotional intelligence" that people have for noticing others and responding appropriately to them. Daniel Goleman wrote a wonderful book developing that theme. He argues that emotional intelligence can be learned. In Emotional Value, Janelle Barlow and Dianna Maul take that one step further and identify what needs to be learned and how it should be learned.

Their point is simple and profound. "Both staff and customers tend to stay with organizations that enable them to experience positive, meaningful, and personally important feelings, even if the organizations cannot always provide everything they want or solve all their problems." Few will disagree. The conclusion builds on the work of Jeffrey Pfeffer in The Human Equation.

There are many important consequences to that observation. First, it costs a lot of money to get customers. It's much more profitable to keep the ones you have than to get new ones (see The Loyalty Effect). Second, if you can deal with the same customers and employees, the results usually are better. Third, with lower staff turnover, costs of hiring and training are lower . . . and operating costs are lower, too. Fourth, bonding can be created among customers and employees that will allow them to derive more value from being involved with the company. Fifth, these improvements are critical in many industries. Most people shift from one supplier to another because dissatisfaction with service, not price or produce offerings. (See The Customer-Driven Company). Sixth, in this stock-market-driven economy, the economic advantages will translate into a higher stock price which can be used to add more and lower-cost resources for the company.

Basically, improving emotional value can be the start of creating a virtuous cycle of self-reinforcing improvement for an enterprise.

I would be remiss if I did not point out that those who emphasize the importance of values and corporate culture are dealing with some facets of emotional value. What is brilliant about this work is that it transcends this earlier excellent work to take it to a higher plane. You can have great values and a wonderful corporate culture, and still have an emotionally damaging work environment for many of your people and customers.

The authors identify five key elements for making this virtuous cycle a reality:

(1) Build an Emotion-Friendly Service Culture

(2) Choose to Develop Emotional Competence

(3) Maximize Customer Experience (see The Experience Economy -- "positive, emotional, and memorable impact") and Empathy

(4) View Complaints as Emotional Opportunities

(5) Use Emotional Communications to Increase Customer Loyalty

As you can tell from my references to many other works, this book builds on excellent studies done by others. Yet, the synthesis here is new and improved. Essentially the book is "a call for civility, empathy, and authenticity in dealing with customers." That goes well beyond the familiar concept of "The customer is always right." That concept usually is applied to mean that the employee who works with the customer must be downtrodden and suffer. Burnout is a major problem among frontline service employees, as a result.

Ms. Barlow and Ms. Maul see beyond that current stalemate. They realize that the interaction between company and customer can be uplifting for both. Mother Teresa drew great pleasure from helping poor people die with dignity. Doing our work with civility, empathy, and authenticity can add a similar sense of worth to our labors, as well as providing a wonderful, emotionally-rewarding experience for customers.

I especially liked the call to action: "It is the service providers' responsibility to manage the emotions in service exhanges." How many CEOs, executives, and managers are thinking about that? Wow! Before you leave that point, consider that 80 percent of all U.S. jobs are expected to soon be service jobs.

The appendices and notes are unusually good in this book. Be sure to take time to review them.

The primary weakness of the book is that the sections that allow you to assess where your company or organization is today could be more detailed and specific.

When you have finished the book, take some time to imagine the ideal emotional exchanges that could be occurring in your business and organization every day. Then start to design them and teach others how to make them easy, authentic, memorable, and enjoyable to provide. Have a ball!

Reading "Emotional value" has been an excellent experience and an eye opener in many ways. The book pinpoints and explores one of the key criteria of working competitively in the "experience economy" - having a workforce that is skilled in emotional competencies.

I particularly enjoyed the debate "emotional labour" vs. "emotional competence". It is a real live debate in many service organizations with management trying to control the customer experience by stipulating that service-providers should be able to smile pleasantly (i.e. grin and bear) through all customer encounters. And yet grin & bear by the rulebook is often not what the customer wants, but rather genuine empathy and emotional competence on behalf of the service provider. It takes much more than "grin and bear" and "the customer is always right" rhetoric to satisfy today's eclectic customer.

"Emotional Value" has reminded me of personal examples where service providers have competently turned my dissatisfaction, anger or frustration into a positive feeling of gratitude. And in doing so they have won me over as a loyal customer. However creating loyal customers by adding emotional value cannot be left to chance. Here the book proves to be a gold mine of practical applications and exercises that can be used to develop emotional awareness and competencies throughout the organization.

Thus the book is a valuable blend of inspiring concepts and very practical techniques. I have recommended the book to several friends and colleagues.