Organizations Books

If you want to buy the book, go ahead, just be careful of superbookdeals, they take your money but don't deliver and don't answer emails. Caveat Emptor.

The Stock Trader's Almanac has already helped me with my trades.

What does it do?

It tells you what has happened in the Dow and Nasdaq in the passt so that you can predict with fairly good accuracy what will happen in the future. It also tells you in very plain English what the seasonal trends have been and what trends have been in pre and post presidential elections.

I would highly recommend this book.

The Stock Trader's Almanac tells you what has happened historically in the market so that you can predict with fairly good accuracy what will happen in the future.

For example: The Day after most holidays are almost always great for the market. An exception is the day after Easter which is almost always a down day in the market but the Tuesday after Easter usually surges. I read that information, checked my charts, and placed my orders accordingly. Guess what? The market performed exactly as it's historical record predicted.

This book is a wonderful source of seasonal trends and historical data. After all to ignore the past is to go blindly into the future.

I would highly recommend this book.

I've been investing and trading for 24 years and it's just been recently (in the last 5 years) that I have discovered how well it pays to be a historian when it comes stocks. The almanac is an essential tool for any serious market historian and is packed full of useful information relevant to minor to major market trends and statistics that should be in the minds of anyone who wants to make money trading stocks. This book costs you nothing. It will pay for itself.

A reasonably good reference book on historical stock market data. It was never designed to teach derivatives trading, long/short executions or day trading. It is historical reference data to be taken and used as you wish.

Mr. Twain was far too harsh on the book and makes one wonder if he has ever invested serious money ( $ 500,000.00+ ) ,in the markets whether he was long, short or day trading. Crabel and Rashke advocate short term trading, not strategic or tactical investing. The Stock Trader's Almanac is better used as an investing tool for those that like to revisit historical perspectives, I have used it on occasion myself. The book is well worth $ 13.98 especially as an educational tool for the novice.

I am a professional stock investor / trader and average a net profit income of $ 250,000.00+ yearly from a total investment of $ 750,000.00 in the markets. I go long, short, equities, commodities, etc. I still refer to the Almanac on occasion and likely will continue to do so.

I have consulted this book at least once a month since buying it. The book is full of practical insights that I have directly applied to critical projects. I have bought a copy of this book for every manager in my division. I recommend this book to anyone engaged in creating or managing change.

As the CEO of a high growth company, I have to periodically change our strategies to meet new challenges. We have a great team of people, but still it takes my team longer to adopt to the changes than I would like. I was struggling with this problem for years. I have paid lot of money to consultants, but results have not been there. I received Theory ZYX book as a gift from a friend who is also a CEO.

As I read Chapter nine, a light bulb turned on; it was as though this chapter was specifically written for my company. Now I know the root cause and the solution.

I highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with change.

Using the framework of Theory ZYX my organization has been able to change the culture without disruption to our business. The total buy-in on the part of all team members to our initiative to change the culture was key. With Theory ZYX we were able to succeed at change.

A book for any manager responsible for successful change.

The guidelines in this book helped my team through our change program. We were successful beyond our hopes. My team will get the bonus. My team kept focus on the project while using the road map outlined by Mr. Arora. The benefits of Theory ZYX are wonderful.

I found this book extreemly helpful in managing our change initiates. The examples are excellent. It reads like a story with humor. This subject can get real dry, but Mr. Arora takes the horror out of reading about change management. If you have a project of any kind where you are directing more than one person this book can help you succeed. I highly recommend it.

This is a great book that we can all apply to our home life and our worklife. The method taught in this book is simple and if the parties are disciplined and share a common goal success will definitely be the result. I'm anxious to get started.

I have always been a fan of Lencioni's work and I was so excited to see this new book. I have experienced great success in implementing Lencioni's models in the business world. The notion of taking the best of his simple, yet potent business models and applying them to the family is genius!

Families all over are doing too much and are not being able to focus on what's really important. Having the chance to really determine what makes your family unique is a powerful process to engage in.

Using the Thematic Goal (an amazing way to get things figured out and accomplished) is an easy to understand and powerful thing to use in families. It is a great way to "rally" the family under one common goal.

Finally, I really loved Lencioni's treatment of the whole concept of meeting together. This is so important for families to do in the vexing world we live in. We hold "family council" on a weekly basis. It is a must for our busy family where we are always going here, there, and everywhere.

I really think that the family is the most important organization is the world. The family is the place where the most important things can be accomplished. Having these clear and concise tools will have a great impact on any family that is wise enough to read, learn, and apply.


Good stuff!

My wife and I have really grown with the simple steps outlined in The 3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family. Our 7 year old is totally involved as well.

I'm a successful business professional, and have always been experiencing mixed feelings during personal life because of the chaos.

At the times our family is disappointed when things aren't living up to our idea of the "perfect day," or month, or year, I have many feelings including:
- Sadness the family is disappointed - seeing the long faces of my wife and kids. I want us to be happy.
- Hopeful since I wait for my family to "finally" realize a little bit of team communication can go a long way to producing the results we want.
- Openly excited that maybe there will be some family buy-in to my desires to focus on teamwork now that we, once again, feel the pain of "what we are doing is not working" - so how about a change in how we do things around the home?

Patrick Lencioni's book has changed that! I read the book first, being a huge fan of all of Lencioni's books. By reading excepts to my lovely spouse, she became interested enough to read the book herself. Soon my wife was saying, "that's me! that's us!" and she read the book as fast as she would read her People magazine!

We are actively participating in the three steps as a family and the results are amazing. Short meetings, once a week, limited to 10 minutes, and our family is so much happier and functional than ever before.

This is a wonderful book for any family. Lots of books have "the right stuff" for families, and what sets The 3 Big Questions apart from other books in my mind is that the story of the fable format will appeal to people who ordinarily wouldn't read a book like this.

I hope to some day meet Mr. Lencioni and thank him in person. Our family life has gone to a whole new level around here!

This book has it all - theory, practical application and the inspiration to believe every family can and will implement the ideas!

Patrick Lencioni does it again with a quick, common-sense, and easy to understand story that drives home an important point. Why do we spend so much effort on our careers, often at the expense of our family life? This book can help you get your home life back on track. Be sure to go to the website at www.thefranticfamily.com and download the worksheets. Good stuff!

This book is filled with dark truths about our federal government. If we are to believe one of the reviewers who knew Gurudas, he died under mysterious circumstances, and a new book that he was working on was confiscated from his computer. We can only surmise what he was writing about in his last book. Perhaps, he was going to reveal what really happened on September 11, 2001. In "Treason, the New World Order", Gurudas created a tour de force describing how our federal government actually works and who controls it. The book is loaded with footnotes and references and has excellent recommendations for further reading. The main concepts of the book are that the U. S. government is owned by large corporations and that the mass media are owned by large corporations. We no longer have a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people". The executive branch keeps usurping power from the legislative branch and the states {by Unconstitutional Executive Orders, and Unconstitutional laws like the National Security Act and the Patriot Act} so that, eventually, martial law can take hold in our country and the fascist, secret rogue government can establish their "New World Order". At the end, Gurudas strikes an optimistic note however. He thinks that the New World Order is doomed to fail. No evil entity or individual is greater than the law of Karma and God's laws. This is a fantastic book. Buy it while you still can. I doubt if it will ever be reprinted.

Book is a Tour de Force in revelations ! I can understand now why he was executed. This man was a brilliant writer and this book is a crowning achievement. This book triumphs None Dare Call it Conspiracy !, which should be the 1st conspiracy book you read.

10 thumbs up on this one !

Mr.Gurudas has created a very informative decription of the corruption of america.Bush is not impeached because the coporate state,big and small business do not have to pay tax,or be regulated.This includes anyone who benefits from the selling of america.The supreme court,senate,congress are corrupt and bought by industrialist and commercialist.Big and small contractors less not forget.Free Trade circumvents the laws of the U.S. and the constitution.The senate and congress let this happen.CAFTA fast tract vote.Dubai 6 ports,sell oil company to china,sell technology to china that can be used by military.The coporate state and our representatives are in violation of the constitution they are commmitting treason,violating the security of U.S.Illegal immigration,violation privacy act,and allowing coporate to get around the constitution,also not following constitutional law for the congress resulting in subverting the U.S.for Greed and corruption,blackmail,etc.The war we are in is illegal because there were no weapons of mass destruction.The war is for Isarel,U.S.,England,for security profit and control of oil.Coporates benefit at expense of the people,senate and congress support the coporate state which buys them.This is update since Mr.Gurudus wrote this book.The book title Treason The New World Order is appropriate and the references are available for research 833 foot notes.The statements in this book are true.The coporate state is a thing of the past,but does not know it.They will not succeed in the NWO.Federal Reserve is in violation of constitution,we would not have deficit if the government was in control.We would not be paying interest.The bank of england is a city unto itself.It rules.We have a constitution.Why did they let the feb be private,so
they could ripe us off the elite and rich.it works for them.Thats why.People are affraid to say anything.Power corrupts.The governments need to take back their banks.International bankers need to stay with their merchant banker friend.International bankers are the controlers of the world.They control by shares and front men puppets.

Mr.Gurudas uses term multiculturelism,which means immigration legal,elegal.He states that this is used to destroy our culture.One of the means to overthrow the constitution for the new world order.Education another The U.S. is amoung the lowest in the west in science and math.Student today do not know their history.They do not know who they are.Civis,physical education,english,being proud to be an american are not encourage especially if you are western european.Mexicans say they are taking back southwest.We have foreigners from all over the world telling us what we can do in our country,and the U.S.government supports them,they have more rights than a U.S. citizen.Welfare benefits,school,elegallly working.Protected by police.The tax payer pays.You have company unions,jewish organization,protestant,catholics,bishops,and others crying let them come in even if it cost your job, security,culture,and bankrupts the states.We should be ashame to be western european.

The banana republic are the fault of the coporatesThe coporation exploit these countries so they come to U.S. to work.These people who come here gererate 25 to 35 percent of revenue for their country.You the tax payer subsidize the elegals country,and support them when they need help here.Look at outsourcing by U.S. to boarder towns.At last count there was only 10 million industrial jobs left in U.S.El salvador contra were given green cards and now are worst gangs in LA.Compliments of U.S. governmentThis is the way you destroy the european culture in U.S. and western europe.Immigration.

Back to education.we have to go back to prior 1963.If a person does not have the ability to learn there is no point in keeping them in school.They need to go to tect school or to work.This can be done in government programs age 14 8 years of school.They can work in programs to help the country until 18 yrs.50 percent probably do not have ability to finisn high school.Allowing people to be in school that cannot perform is crazy and a disruption to those who have ability.Everyone has the right to opportunity,and to be treated fair,but,you are born with your IQ,and it will influence your life greatly.This does not mean you have to do demeaning jobs.All should do what they do best.The military uses IQ test,and the have been proved to be a good gage of ability,there are always exceptions,you can retest at a specified later date.

Multiculturelism is not working,and everyone knows it,but greed pravails.Third world people need the world bank and IMF to help them at home.The coporates have to be regulated.We support dictators all over the world.Shell oil in Africa now with uprising of people that shell totally exploited,gave the country nothing.Slave labor.General Butler in thirties stated that the coporates are criminal.It is worst now.Those university grants,and rich families,no wonder the educated are worthless.Brainwash and stupid like the rest of us.They have the knowledge to change the government.Batra The great Depression 1990.Gives method to control the coporations.Alternatve energy,a just distribution of the wealth.Take care of the environment.Did someone say I love those excessive profits to much,let them eat cake.That is what the King and Queen of France said,the aristocracy took a fall too.You know last man standing,with elite every body can go down.

Westpoint Mr.Gurudas hopes you will help us you are suppose to uphold the constitution.The other military schools as well,you are not stupid,you are well educated now.Of course the elites buy those with potential.It could be necessary to kill your family,and friends.Mr.Gurudas says government people a military installations were tested and ask if they would fight for UN ,and do what they were order to do.No UN forces should be in america that have authority over our own military,or for any other reason.The UN will be the international army,and you will do its bidding.Are you getting alot of floride in your drinking water.Marine base San Diego,NOV,DEC 2005 had dangerous amount of lead or some poison in their water,Maybe it help the jarheads.WE need a draft for brotherhood.Let everybody do two years no university exceptions.

Mr.Gurudas wants us to form organizations,join the minutemen,
boycott,have marches,report elegals,form unions,voteout those who support immigration,Free Trade,out sourcing,importing,and selling the U.S.

HR4437 stop immigration and take back america.The coporate say they have to have slave labor,the upper classes need them to,baby sitter, maid in the garden.Do not feel sorry for anyone.The coporate will hurt if it can.It is infantile.It needs to go to the wood shed for a talking to.The gang of four B,C,R,L should be in jail and Blare,straw,Isarel has to stop being on land that is not theirs.Fox guards hen house,bring in U.N. troops .A terroist is a terroist.Stop spying on U.S. Start paying back all that money you owe U.S.POllard,USS liberty.Who is a racist,anti,Dubai.we are racist because we do not want 6 ports.Veto.

Brainwashing police tactics coporate games,NWO end.There are people that imply that we are quilty even if not born.A nation is quilty for what the government of their country brainwashed them to do.These people use this tactic to stop any criticism.There are laws to stop people from talking about the subject.These people commit acts every day that are criminal,yet it is okay.The UN said they were racist they had it remove with help of U.S.What do you see on TV,they say stop the terroist,which ones,which side.No you are not responsible for the past crimes of your country,if that were so we would all be in jail.Human nature is bad,pain is the normal state,pleasure is abnormal,happeness is very temporary.Hobbs said we are liberated in the second we acknowledge our wrong,and are sorry.Hume said character is fixed,and to change it would cause damage,and when you were not on guard,the old self would return,mans nature is one.We are of the same making.Do not expect other wise.WE know that if Hitler was in charge we would do what he said,he would be the authotity.Cornel University,or other proved that people will on a percentage do what authority says.Also they will kill you if you do not do what they want.Would you say kill me,or would you comply.Do you want to go to Russian Front,or be hanged.

Mr.Gurudas talks about government,military experiments.Biologica
l,chemical weapons,radiation exposure.He gives many authenic cases.Aids,smallpox,Gulf war illness,agent orange.LSD,and other mind experiencements.many of these studies were without consent,or they were not given correct information.They also put agents in the air in towns no warning.Hypnosis and drugs to have a fall guy,VA has cause many veterans problems,refusing to acknowledge the problem,agent orange which resulted in many defects,and long term suffering,as did the Gulf war illness that is causing same suffering.Gulf war injection was past by FDA without before full trail was completed.People who did not want injection and refused were in trouble.They did not follow up in many programs so they did not no ramifications to individuals.

Restoring Constitutional government.Democratic socialism is solution.The government has to have power over the coporation,they must be regulated.The people have the right to full empoyment with a decent living wage.Free medical.Government
car insurance,and pensions.The reason why you do not have this now is your stupid.The profits of the coporates and business you would not believe.It an employer cannot pay decent wage he should not be in business.Did you not know that France the work 35 hrs maybe 6 weeks vacation,Germany very good benefits.England and U.S are worst for social benefits,and england has socialize medicalEngland the want them to work long hours.Has anyone wanted to know why germany is doing okay now,but was in a depression.The vote no for EU did the bankers and coporates depress the economy until the no vote.They will do anything.They want slave labor.The elite care nothing for the people,we should treat them in kind.The governments have the money,or they can get it start taxing the coprations and make the rich pay there fair share.Stop free trade,immigration.The coporates will fight,but we will win,if they violate the laws they can go to jail,they can get out of the country and stay out.International Bankers these are not the people we want in our government.

Mr.Guruas talks about the CIA,FBI,NSA,ets These are the police for the elite,Police work for business interest all over the world and do the dirty work.There are no limits.morality does not exist.There is no compassion,explotation is the game.What mr.Gurudas says about them is sufficient,the real world.

Mr.Gurudus would tell you hr4437,stop immigration,no free trade.No compromise,SAVE AMERICA,VOTE THEM OUT

Brilliant synthesis of hundreds of books detailing the Establishment's deadly war against the American people, their liberties, and their families.

My highest recommendation!

I ordered it 5 months ago, and STILL haven't received it.
It MUST be good!
I'll give it a 5 star rating, since apparently it's inaccessible.
I mean if Amazon can't get ....
THAT tells me something!

Carl is an inspired writer *and* a good writer. If you want to read something that shows you the way AND inspires you to go there, this is it. Get the book!

Don't shy away from this book because you feel "partnership" has been overused. This is a refreshing look at the state of our relationships. "True Partnership" provides a powerful and practical roadmap for transforming personal and business relationships. The "In the Drift" vs "In True Partnership" tables are a concise yet revealing look at common situations and the benefits of dealing with those situations from the partnership perspective. Read this book and follow the principles. Challenging relationships will improve, good relationships will be great.

Great relationships, whether in our business or our personal lives, take courage, compassion, wisdom, honesty and skill.

Carl's book provides the skills - and encourages the other qualities!

Using TRUE PARTNERSHIP principles as a basis, I have negotiated through several challenging conflicts, and have referenced Carl's book in seminars I've presented on Conflict Management, Negotiation and Leadership.

TRUE PARTNERSHIP should be in every library! This book truly has been an investment in my future.

Those of us in the change and transition business are vocal, loud and some would say, obnoxious advocates for recognizing the human side and impact of change. Too often our words fall on deaf ears...with "True Partnerships" we finally have a text that deals with NEW principles for relating to others during, before and after change. We finally have a text that deals with the potential destructiveness of autonomy, power, scarcity mentality and victimhood. Instead this book awakens a call to action for relationships that produce extraordinary results by shifting our philosophy to one of connection, communication, expansion and creator/observer. It is powerful, beyond words and is guaranteed to cause you to examine your own approach of "drift" versus "true partnership." It can shake you up and transform your relationships at work, at home and everywhere inbetween. Read it and begin relating differently today.

Carl Zaiss makes the bold statement in his new book that "there are things we can do to build a stronger relationship no matter what the other person does." In this fantastic book, the author contrasts "The Drift," his term for traditional ways of thinking and relating to other people, with "True Partnership," in which efforts are focused on enhancing the relationship itself. If things aren't going your way at work or at home because of "those other people in your life, who won't do what they should do" then take heart - this is a very encouraging book that shows you how to stop trying to change other people (and yourself) and instead focus on changing the relationships themselves. Techniques include connecting with others by realizing the interdependence of us all on each other; communicating with intent to constantly improve the quality of communications; expanding from an "either/or" mentality to a "both/and" orientation; and observing not from one's initial "gut feeling" point of view but trying out different points of view to see if a new one helps resolve an old conflict. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it for those looking for a new communications, team building, or conflict management tool.

New Board members and Old will gain new Ownership of their organization using the ideas in this quick read. What an orientation and eye-opener of their fuduciary responsibilities! No more Bored Members!

This is a good book, but the title is misleading in that it is written for the non-profit board member. A good basic review regardless.

Thank you Kay for reminding us that this is noble service. This easy to read guide is a must for any board member, new or experienced. Kay's straighforward, non-nonsense style helps the reader understand the importance of their work and the value it brings to their organization and to their community.

This is the most essesntial companion a board member could ever want. Its the best quick reference filter I've seen for leading, governing, and advising. Powerful, simple, concise, and 21st century relevance. Bravo Kay Sprinkel Grace !

We give this book to all our Board members at Board Retreats. It is a quick read and our Board members rave about it. Yours will, too.

When God Builds a Church: 10 Principles for Growing a Dynamic Church is Biblically solid and has the potential to revolutionize the way we do church...if we will apply them. Russell is easy and entertaining to read and will connect with anyone who is in the trenches trying to allow God to lead them in ministry and church leadership.

Our church purchased 40 copies of this book for an adult study group. We wanted to take a close look at the principles for growth as outlined by Mr. Russell and compare them to our local growth potential. We have been pleased with the discussions and results of that study. We have been encouraged by some of the things we have been doing and challanged to do better in some areas. We recommend using this book as a base to take a look at your local church and see how God might use you to reach others more effectively for His kingdom.

This book reminds us that a church can grow with out compromising spiritual values. This book is not a management book. It provides 10 principles that have worked for South East Christian Church, and can be adapted and used by any one. In fact we are encouraged not to try to use a cookie cutter approach. If I were to recommend two books for church growth, they would be The Purpose Driven Church, and When God Builds a Church.

This book, "When God Builds a Church," contains biblical principles and real-life examples for building a strong, evangelistic church. Although I am opposed to the mega-church model and much of the church growth movement for doctrinal reasons, I recommend this book because the general principles it advocates are sound and can be adapted for use in congregations anywhere, without necessarily embracing the big church idea. As a missionary in Brazil, South America I found this work to be encouraging, and hope to implement many of its ideas in a new church work here.

In this interesting and highly readable book, the author identifies and discusses "ten principles for growing a dynamic church." They are:

1. Truth: Proclaim God's Word as Truth and Apply it to People's Lives
2. Worship: Worship God Every Week in Spirit and in Truth
3. Leadership: Develop Christ-Centered Leaders Who Lead by Example
4. Excellence: Do Your Best in Every Area of Service
5. Faith: Be Willing to Step Out with a Bold Faith and Take Risks
6. Harmony: Maintain a Spirit of Harmony
7. Participation: Expect the Congregation to Participate in Every Area of Ministry
8. Fellowship: Continually Practice Agape Love for One Another
9. Stewardship: Give Generously of God's Resources as a Church and as Individuals
10. Evangelism: Commit Enthusiastically to Evangelism as Your Primary Mission

The author devotes a separate chapter to each of these principles in which he describes its scriptural basis and discusses its implementation in real life settings. This discussion includes a wealth of very practical information and advice on how to apply the principles effectively, and how to avoid or overcome stumbling blocks and problems.

Although one may disagree with the precise way in which the principles have been applied in the author's own "mega-church," the principles themselves appear fundamentally sound and can profitably be adapted in other congregational settings.

The moment I put this book down, I wished that I had found it befor emy Senior year. "Where's My Stuff?" contains nearly every little bit of study and and organizational wisdom I've picked up throguh my high-school career, and it would have been helpful going into it with all that knowledge condensed in one book, whick I'm quite glad this book does. The practical, step-by-step instriuctions on how to organize class materials were incredibly helpful, and this book does a great job of preparing you to manage your time and your personla space. With its diagrams, charts, and overall utility, I would recommend "Where's My Stuff?" To anyone entering high-school. I'm definitely keeping it for college.

This book has helped me to the extreme. I used to be the kid that turns up in class with the math homework from last week when the teacher is asking for the essay on stonehenge. Which i forgot about becuase my planner gets washed off my hands every time i took a shower. This book outlines easy and practical strategies that allow you to take control of your backpack. Worth every penny.

I am messy, theres no denying it. My mom is always on my case about my room or the kitchen or the living room and so on. But as a high school student I have so many more IMPORTANT things to do than to spend my time trying to clean up my house, only to have it get messy again. This book had so many good ideas about how to be organized, not only at home, but at school too! Now my mom doesnt yell at me anymore, and I have more time to focus of my life. This book rocks!

I got my 12-year-old son to read this by assigning little parts of it that applied most to him. We talked about what he read, and it seemed to really be opening his eyes and giving him ideas. We were able to get right to what was hindering him, both in attitude and in his physical space. It's a simple book to read, very basic, but full of basic truths and fun ideas that work.

This spiral bound book is a gift for our grandson. It is perfect for the teen who could use a little help organizing themselves at school as well as at home. I particularly like that is mentions teen on the front of the book so young people feel it is written with them in mind. Lots of good ideas that might click with a teen and ultimately prove to be beneficial without making a big deal of things.

a friendly and ever-illuminating exploration of the founding tenets for success within a special company. From the tenets explored, one gleans practical and proven methods that can be employed within a variety of organizations.

The message is resoundingly clear: though the methods are not complex, it is crucial that organizational members consistently apply them (methods) on the road to success. Success will follow. There is a lot of competition out there, so DO IT RIGHT!

The author writes with a flair for personal stories, which makes the message easily digestible and subsequently applicable. He endears us to the characters in the story. I call it a story because it evokes a mystery: who was Brennan Frederick Newell, 1974-2000; how did he possess such wisdom at a relatively young age; and what company is Diamond?

After reading such an intriguing book that offers so many valuable tips AND evokes such mystery, the reader feels compelled to hire Bud Bilanich as the consultant for her/his company and ask him all the relevant questions. Tip to CEO's out there: read the book and then hire Bud to come out and revamp your company. Ask him the aforementioned questions for me and e-mail me the answers!!!

Bravo to Mr. Bilanich for offering us a highly readable and engaging book that imparts truly valuable lessons. Best book I've read from this publisher.

Doctor B has done it again! This is the third of his books that I've read. In each one, he has demonstrated a complete and thorough understanding of his subject, boiled the concepts down to the core ideas and presented those ideas in an easy to understand (and easy to enact)manner. His common sense approach, both in his books and in person, plays well in all settings, from corporate headquarters to the factory floor. And more importantly, it drives business results!

Mr. Bilanich's book says it simply and with useful tools for any size organization. Not the latest fad, just practical and easily incorporated 'secrets' that are the fundamental basics of achieving a high performing organization.

This book was easy to ready yet full of very good suggestions that can be used on a daily basis. I found myself trying his methods before even finishing the book! It's concise, practical, and a sensible approach to the many issues that face us in our daily business lives. I would recommend it to any manager that wants to increase productivity and motivation with their staff.

I have known Bud for 20 years and we have worked on projects together, discussing why things worked and why they didn't. This book shows that he's been tracking his own organizational learning and is making that body of knowledge available for others to shorten their own learning curves. If you are a manager, consultant, or trainer, I'd take advantage of the real-life experience reflected in this book. It's an easy way for you and your people to gain a personal edge on high performance through a relaxed, storytelling approach; and, all of the situations will look and feel very familiar to managers and supervisors everywhere.

Like many of the people taking a retreat to the Abbey of Gethsemani, I went in search of finding the "Heart of Thomas Merton [Father Louis O.C.S.O.]" and I found so much more than I ever imagined. I spent part of the retreat reading this wonderful book and I found more. This is a book about the Heart of Gethsemani, the Heart of Peace and the Heart of God. An excellent read which will be read again and again and again ......

This coffeetable book about the history of the Abbey of Gethsemani, the nation's largest and oldest Trappist monastery, is a marvelous resource for anyone interested in the monastery's history. Aprile puts a human face on that history, looking at the human people who built and loved the Abbey from its inception. We hear tales of tremendous courage and faith, but also read about some of the all-too-human flaws of Gethsemani's leaders, including a turn-of-the-century sex scandal involving the Abbey school (now defunct).

The photographs and illustrations are wonderful, stretching back to the monastery's earliest days in the 1840s. These photos give readers access to areas of the Abbey that are off-limits to visitors and retreatants.

I very much liked the way Aprile weaves her own experiences with the Abbey into the book. It's obvious that she is not only a researcher but also a pilgrim who loves the place and its people. She writes with a journalist's eye for detail and a historian's careful depiction of change over time. (In the case of this monastery, the changes over the last 150 years are astonishing.)

Another thing I liked about the book is that while Thomas Merton is certainly discussed, it's not the all-Merton-all-the-time approach that some other authors have taken to Gethsemani. She puts Merton in historical context as part of the postwar Catholic boom, discusses his writings and his complex relationship with his abbot, and leaves it at that. Merton would have liked this: to be one among the many monks who is billed as making a contribution to Gethsemani, but who is not singled out as a lone star.

A terrific book for those who love this place.

History of the 150-year-old Trappist Monastery in Kentucky, just 40 miles south of Louisville. Made world-famous by its most famous monk, Thomas Merton, who died in Bangkok. Full of archival pictures. Beautiful, coffee table type book, but not too well-written. Confusing at times. Aprile tended to not always be cohesive; she rather jumped around a lot. Am so sorry they did away with the farm. Poignant remark by its current abbot, that the celibate life needs something to care for. It did propell me to spend a week there last summer, and what a wonderful place it is. I need not worry about its survival; you must call four months in advance to go there on retreat.

A great book! Not at all a "book about Thomas Merton", as the person casually acquainted with Merton and Gethsemani might expect. Rather, this book tells the history of Gethsemani, of which Merton was just a part. This book works well as a coffeetable book, a bedtime read, or a material for quiet contemplation. All in all, a beautiful book, well made, well written, and fun to browse or read.

About a month ago, I visited The Abbey of Gethsemani for what I officially said was a retreat, but like so many people who have visited the abbey, I loved THE SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN and wanted to see where Thomas Merton lived and wrote. The tourist in me wanted to see Merton's hermitage, which I did not see. It was in use at the time-the nerve of those monks for actually using it for the intended purpose. Well, I didn't have to see the hermitage to experience the special qualities that make Gethsemani a place like no other. History, tradition, beauty, simplicity and complexity all combine to create the spiritual life at Gethsemani where God's presence is found.

Dianne Aprile's book is a coffee table sized book that tells the story of Gethsemani, the good as well as the not so good. We see a monastery that survived against the odds, hit its peak during the years of Thomas Merton, and still has a mission and purpose today. The book is somewhat sanitized in comparison with other works available, but unlike many of the other works which tell of visits to Gethsemani, the author was writing an official history of the Abbey for its one hundred and fiftieth had unprecedented access to photographs and documents which makes this book indispensable for anyone interested in Trappist life in general and especially to people interested in the Abbey itself. The book begins with a general introduction to the Trappist life and then tells the history of Gethsemani during each abbot's governance of the abbey. We see how the life in the abbey in many ways reflects life in the United Stets and the fabric of Catholicism in America.

I read most of the book while I was at Gethsemani so I could ask questions and discover the behind the scenes story. I finished it when I got back home and since that time I've reread passages as a means of revisiting the monastery, if not in person, at least vicariously. I'm sure I'll treasure this book in years to come and encourage anyone with even a remote interest in Trappist life to consider this book.