Instruction Books

---I'm sorry to do thid to you, but the previous review was actually meant for a book of the same title. (Pose File volume 1). I do not own this particular book you are researching, but If I get a copy, I will be sure to get back to you on this.--I am not saying that this book is good or bad, just that I cannot speak for it personally...

Cobalt

This book has one unusual strength: most poses are shown from many angles, up to about two dozen in some cases. This gives extra insight into unusual foreshortening and into how the figure articulates.

The weakness of this book is that, in order to show so many different views on a page, each figure photo is relatively small. This is especially disappointing because the models are all Japanese, where most pose books show only European features and figures. This book never meant to document details of faces, though, so I really can't complain,

From moderate shadow to deep chiascuro effects this is a beautiful addition to the Pose File series. The other books excellently describe the figure, in proportion, motion and moving through space, but mostly in an even tonal scale. This volume emphasizes the extremes of that scale, making it a necessary addition to the set.

---You may be wary of the idea of buying a japanese book, where 99% of the text is in Kanjii. Rest assured that this book is as useful in the states as it is in Japan, because the main body of these books are beautiful photographs of female models taking every pose one could imagine in any studio.--Being a fellow who works in cartooning and graphic novels more than any fine art. I find this series endlessly useful as an excersise in my spare time.--Just pick a page and draw all it's figures until your arm is sore, and you will be all the better than trying to glean useful practice from old Playboy Magazines.--Pose File books are for, and will always be about fine artists who have a passion for the ultimate machine.

Cobalt

PS. THIS is the right review for the right book Sorry about any confusion

I'm trying to learn how to draw, and the books in this and similar series would be really helpful--if I could afford any of them. I found this book in a store where I live and decided to buy it until I checked the price tag that the store had stuck onto it. because I lived in Japan for a while, I'm used to the printed price that appears on all books, so I had just looked there. I have decided to wait until Christmas when I can buy it myself for a decent price. Blah.

My mother just loves Egypt stuff and this was bought as a mother's day gift. I previewed it (just to see) and it is beautiful. I even caught myself reading it, as it was full of information and details. I've never seen an Egyption book like this before, and don't think I will ever come across one again.

If you want a succint and fascinating guide to understanding Egyptian art then this is for you. Arranged in a most unique style, Wilkinson's book captivates the reader and moves him into a richer understanding of Egypt's language and art. Richly illustrated, this masterpiece for the layman traces the impact that the Egyptian language had upon the ancient forms of art. It provides the reader with some basic information as well as specifics which will assist the layman in understanding and appreciating this great civilization. It moved me to purchase the companion volume which I cannot wait to read. Having been to Egypt twice, I can only say that this book is a MUST for anyone who is planning to travel there. I only wish that I had discovered this book before I went there! The only thing better would be if the author himself led you on a tour to this enchanting land!

Art language, the signs by which we interpret the meaning of art, is a specialized study. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to approach Egyptian art on a deeper level than a simple visual feast. Prof. Wilkinson has explained many of the common themes used by ancient Egyptian artists in simple terms, so that anyone who cares to read will be able to understand and appreciate the work in depth. I have found this book invaluable. The book is richly illustrated and the line drawings by Troy Sagillo are exquisite. Wilkinson has opened a path for me that I knew was there, but could not find.

Wilkinson is a professor at the University of Arizona (or was) and I believe may still be directing that institution's work in the Valley of the Kings. As he points out in this volume, one of the things often missed in regards to Egyptian art is that it is intended to be "read". Even paintings and objects in the round are often constructed using hieroglyphs. The author gives a well written, organized overview of the rudiments of learning to see into Egyptian art more of what the artist intended the viewer to see. Very nicely illustrated with an excellent selection of examples.

What a wonderful book!

The author takes 100 of the hieroglyphs used in writing Egyptian, and used in Egyptian art. (Symbols are identified by the Gardiner code number.) He dedicates 2 pages to each symbol - the right-hand page gives an analysis of the meaning and uses of the symbol, and the left-hand page, through line drawings and photographs, illustrates how the symbol is used.

Whether you study it page by page, or just dip in and browse, this book can be used, with profit, by anyone interested in the language or art of ancient Egypt.

Ready for Romance is a great way to keep your love life alive with your partner on many levels. Its a book you can read together and actually talk about candidly with your significant other when wanting to spice up your love life and break away from your daily routines. Each story is strait and to the point and gets the readers mind ready to think about how he/she can act a certain way or do a certain gesture to show their special someone how much they actually do care. This book also shows how geography and social status is irrelevant and that all you need is a little creativity and genuine affection. You really get a lot for your money in this book. I thank the authors for putting this out on the market!

Ready For Romance is a book for all who are in a relationship, or hope to be in one . It provides tips and ideas to keep ones love, exciting, and the passion alive. It should be read by each couple one a year. I wish I had read this book years ago. I have learned new techniques and inspirations that will help me for the rest of my life. I highly recommend it to all!

The book provided unique ideas and thoughts for keeping passion and love alive! It is so easy to loose or forget that original passion and love a realtionship has in it's early stages. This book can extend that passion with tips, ideas, and ways, possibly for a life time. A must for lovers that want to stay fresh. It opened up a whole new serries of activities and goals to keep that warm feeling alive where a couple can grow together. I wish I had this book in past relationships, it could have made a difference! I feel strongly that what I have learned from what I have read, it will in the future.

We thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is exactly what this world needs today... We highly recommend it to those people seeking more ways to "connect" in a relationship. Humor, sexcitement, tips, recipes for adventure - its all there in a concise, fun, easy-to-follow format. ...

The ideas in the book to add Romanticism to your
relationship and marriage were very enlightening
and entertaining. The main insight I got from
reading this book is how little effort my wife and
I put into adding a different level of excitment
and intimacy into our marriage with creative ideas
of surprise an newness(is that a word)?
I am surprising her tonight with dinner and dancing
for Valentine's day which is the first in the
eight years of marriage. Sure flowers show up
once in awhile butg never to the extent of the
ideas in this book. My wife and I have become
familiar and comfortable with our daily routine,
which does not mean it isn't great, but this
book has given me ideas on how to take it to
another level. Hold on to your hat (or skirt)
here I go.

This collection of original ads and the subsequent exercise done by at least 4 different design firms is a very interesting approach to an art book. I enjoyed the accompanying "interview" with each designer so you could align the feeling you got from the rework with their explanation of the approach.

I work as a designer myself in an advertising agency and have only had this book for a short time, but really enjoy looking and reading through it. It has givien me inspiration and motivation in my own work. Also it has been a good way of seeing how other designers and artist percieve the same idea or concept. This book is great for anyone who wants to see or learn how other designers work, it's a good motivational tool.

Right when I opened this book I already knew that I would be hooked. The idea that certain design work would be redesigned by other designers helps me to see that there is never one way to solving a problem. If you want a new perspective on a project you are on, perhaps this book will help!

I highly recommend this book for your library. As a graphic design student, it helps me prepare myself for what my competition will be. I love how it shows the original piece and re:designs from other designers. The interviews are so captivating it is hard for me to look at just the piece alone without reading the interview. It will help you become a stronger designer, and as a student, it will help you become less intimidated. Great book!!!

Quizás lo que aprendí en este libro es que cuando estamos trancados en un diseño, es mejor empezar desde cero, como si nunca hubieramos trabajado alguna idea sobre el mismo desde el comienzo.

Really great classic artwork..One of the finest illustrators for many years. If you enjoy this type of art, this will be a fine book for your art collection with an insight into the head of Mr Griffin. Two thumbs up! 5 Stars, and a big YEE HA for this book! mondocain

One of the Best in his field, and respected among his peers, Rick Griffin ruled. Great book and just a sample of the great work that came from this man.

This book was out of print for a while and ebay prices were not cheep. To get it for under $20 seems like a steal. It is exactly as I remember from the late 80's. Beutifully reproduced on nice paper.

This is an excellent printing on heavy stock of some of the finest works from a master of poster and comic artist from the San Francisco Haight Ashbury era. I think it is a wonderful addition to any collection of psychedelic ephemera, and an admirable part of my own art library.

This is a fabulous treat for the eyes.
Griffin perfected the late 60s San Fran poster art style in his work for the Dead and others (cover of Aoxomoxoa, for instance, or the immortal surfing eyeball poster for the GD with It's A Beautiful Day), and he was also a phenomenally gifted painter, spraybrush stylist, and pen and ink man. He takes the art deco influence of the SF school and melds it with a classicist's sensibility, creating a beautiful synthesis of mind and Mother Nature.
There is no doubt that Michelangelo or DaVinci would smile in appreciation at Rick's Omo Bob Rides South, a six-page black and white masterpiece where each page is an absolutely perfectly composed gem that stands on its own as a true work of art. He exhibits the total control of a master, and his eye for symmetry is astounding, as is the depth of his chiaroscuro. Griffin is also one of the great letterers of all time; it's a real joy to read words written in his inimitable script (but imitated ever since, including almost every decent graffiti artist).
To top it off, his writing is genius in Omo Bob, reflecting a deep understanding of life's many paradoxes. If you've never experienced this work, get good and ready in your favorite way (RG was an early fan of Dr. Hof, and that influence is clearly felt) and then spend at least ten minutes on each page, letting your eyes bathe in the serpentine brilliance; you will be endlessly rewarded. I still enjoy it at least once a year, decades after my first exposure to it, and never tire of its mellifluous lines and incredible detail.
The book also highlights some of his early surf work (a surfer through and through, Griffin's work embodies the grace and flow of a true waterman; no one has ever visually conveyed the joy of a wave like RG), his album covers, his paintings, and various pieces.
But it is Omo Bob and a couple other pen and ink pieces here that ensure his artistic immortality. Griffin was by all accounts a wonderful friend and a very spiritual man, and those qualities shine through in his art.
It is somehow very comforting and reassuring to gaze upon his work;
there is proof here that a deep and perfect form lies beyond the seeming chaos of the physical plane.
What more can you ask from art than that?

This book is very interesting, we took it on our last vacation and will probably take it with us again. Playing in the sand is fun for everyone. We learned a lot, but a weeks vacation is not enough to learn everything, so we'll be using it for years to come :)

I finded this book very usefull to persons (like me) who really want to start in a seriously way the construction of sandcastles: ggod and usefull tips, instructions that take you step by step in to this hobby.

Try "Beach Lover's Guide to the Perfect Sandwich" This book would go great with Sandcastles Made Simple. After all you'll be working up quite an appetite making all those sandcastles.

This is a great book if you are a budding sand castle enthusiast. It tells you what kind of sands are best, even for a backyard sand box. Detailed and well photographed so you really grasp what they are telling you. Even includes sand creations you can make with children.

This book is so fun I can't stop reading it. The descriptions of techniques are excellent, and the illustrative photos are even better. I'd say it's the next best thing to taking a live lesson in sand sculpture! It's really going to enrich my weekends this summer. I recommend this book to anyone who is going to be spending any amount of time on any beach in the near future.

I think that this a really nice introduction to a career in graphic design field. Mostly it seems to be directed at someone who is in the middle of the road, so to speak, but I think that newbies will also find some nice tips on how to avoid headaches and pitfalls of this specific business.

This is a good guide for those designers who are thinking about going freelance. The book summarizes basics of the business, financial topics and absolutely necessary ethics. ALL freelance web designers without a formal business education should read and learn these fundamentals for being a professional.

I've never bothered to give a review before, but this book is so helpful I had to put it down for a moment and give my two cents. I've been in the industry for four years and am in the process of going freelance. This book gives excellent advice for drumming up business. Not vague at all.

It would also be extremely helpful for people looking for their first job after design school.

Well, here I was, too distracted to write a proper raving review because I was busy absorbing in all of the wonderful, easy to follow and sometimes downright humorous advice from a long awaited book that is refreshingly geared towards design professionals of any level. Novices will definitely appreciate the start-up tips from the perspectives of a virtual plethora of experienced design communicators from all over. More experienced designers will find helpful suggestions on effectively managing and growing their career. And of course, what good resource is complete without detailing some very useful advice about avoiding pitfalls and other related issues along the way.

With an abundance of references and resources that include contracts, networking, self promotion and more importantly, a guide on how to realistically rate your services, The Savvy Designer's Guide To Success delivers on an even more important level; raising one's awareness on the often underrated value of the Creative Communications Designer.

I was browsing the graphic design section of Barnes & Noble the other day looking for a different book on the same topic. I couldn't find the title that I was looking for, so I picked this one up, grabbed a cup of coffee, and started leafing through it. I read a few bits of the beginning chapter, where Fisher details the advantages and disadvantages of different traditional and not-so-traditional educational paths for would-be designers. As a freshman at a liberal arts college majoring in graphic design, I was immediately intrigued. I temporarily forgot about the book I had been looking for and bought this one instead. As a testament to how great this book is- I finished it in just 2 days. In fact this is one of the few books where I can honestly say I "couldn't put it down." Fisher writes in an informal, easy to read style. His approach to giving advice is very open-minded but very no-nonsense and practical at the same time. Most importantly, this book covers it all: everything from the initial education of the designer, to starting out in the industry, to self-promotion, legal issues, and dealing with one's mistakes and screw ups. Throughout the book Fisher draws on the experience of nearly 100 designers and deign firm owners and the pages of this book are dripping with references to other books, magazines, and great online resources for designers and other creative professionals. This book gave me some great insights on getting started as a graphic designer and has me even more excited about my career. Five stars, without question!

All I'll say is, this purchase was/is well worth it. You won't need any artificial drugs, just this book, your imagination and a willing partner. You both win!

I like books about sex that are helpful and exciting. But I also like insights into human nature and not just the obvious visceral activity. This book is plenty smart going deeply into why we are the way we are and not just the what. It had me saying Ah-Ha as much as it had me saying Oooo, cool

I do not normally review more than one book by the same author, unless there is a really good reason for doing so. In the case of Sex and the Erotic Lover there is.

This book is a wonderful complement to her earlier Sex and the Perfect Lover and the more recent The Love Diet. What I really like about her work, and why I recommend it so whole heartedly, is that in all three books Mabel has demonstrated that she sees pleasure, sensuality, sexuality and spirituality as a seamless whole. There is no reason at all why things that are enlightening and enlivening should not also be fun. Having unselfconscious fun and being able to laugh at ourselves are sure signs that we are on the right road toward getting our life in order.

So many sexual problems are the result not of physical difficulties, but of energy and fatigue, attitude, expectation, upbringing and needless guilt. Of course, that is not the whole list, but it covers the lion's share of the issues that can cause much needless unhappiness. And Mabel has some good advice on how to deal with them.

As an indication of some of the material in the book, and Mabel's approach, she has a list of "Ten Revelations for Being Happy." You can read the whole list in the book, but in short, they are:
1. Faith
2. Attitude
3. Exercise
4. Live for the here and now
5. Goals
6. Smiling
7. Forgiveness
8. Gratitude
9. Relationships
10. Love

That looks like a pretty good start!

This book, like her others, is highly recommended.

This book is a clear, systematic and organized approach. Mabel Iam helps with this book many couples become better lovers that prevents true insights and emotions to develop a real relationship.

Mabel Iam is an author unlimited fervent about love, sex and spiritual grow. You can tell and feel these characteristics in all her books.
"Sex and the erotic lover and Sex and the perfect lover and the kamasutra" have helped me and my girlfriend. Its tips are easy to follow with her recommendations to experience pleasures together and reach orgasm at the same time. NOW, we are happier and more confident couple.

A simple technique to understanding the work words do in poerty and song writing. The practice is gentle and not difficult to perform.
Of all the praise I could heap upon Pat Pattison, the one bonus dimension is that of nuances, which are able to enhance poetry through the use of subtile qualities that words may possess, such as, shades or implications or reflections as to a more appropiate choice of words for a greater Songwriting experience: Essential Guide to Rhyming: A Step-by-Step Guide to Better Rhyming and Lyrics (Songwriting Guides)]].
I have sent this book to collegues and students to share the potential for skill enhancement.

This book does an excellent job of explaining the types of rhymes available to songwriters. How to choose the appropriate rhyme, and where to find it in a rhyming dictionary. I have had no previous experience in lyric writing or poetry and it was very easy reading, yet there is enough depth to last a very long time. You will need a rhyming dictionary for the exercises in this book, Pattison recommends 'The Complete Rhyming Dictionary' by Clement Wood. Overall this book is excellent for beginners, with enough content to assist more advanced lyricists.

This book explains rhyme and its importance to writing and inspiration. The author lays out the approach to writing much differently than I have been approaching it for years. This has opened up a whole new level for me in lyric writing - inspiration is much less of an issue because of this book. I highly reccomend this book for beginners, but it can improve even the best lyrical writings. This book is filled with exercises to improve your writing, and if you take the time to do them, you will be a better writer.

You will need a rhyming dictionary to use this book, as it is primarily an instruction on getting the most from your rhyming dictionary. This book explains how you can put a complete idea together using only a rhyming dictionary.

I happened to mention to a couple of friends of mine that I was reviewing a book on rhyming this month and one of them said, " What a dumb thing to write a book about, dude, I mean, a word either rhymes with another word or it doesn't...so you don't need a whole book for that, duh!?!"

My other friend was shaking his head in affirmation of this noble theory.

This confirms that I really need to do whatever it takes to find some smarter friends.

Songwriters need to be expert rhymesters and despite what the rest of the world might think about it being the most natural thing in the world, it's an ability that's got to be developed to the extreme for us to be able to write great songs to the extreme.

Enter: the book!

Songwriting: Essential guide to Rhyming by Pat Pattison.

Pat begins this book by describing the number one "rhyme crime" in the business, transitive verbs. It's the rhyme that you find when a good rhyme doesn't show up so you flip the sentence upside down and jam it into your song like, "My love for you is not a fake, your heart I will now pledge to take".

By the time the listener gets to the verb "take", they have to try to remember that the "heart" was the object. It forces the listener to think backwards as they listen forward and this confusion will not attract your listener to your work.

Yoda, from Star Wars speaks almost exclusively, using transitive verbs like, "Much to learn, you still have". This may work for Yoda but it has no place in a song, so unless Yoda suddenly gets a major label deal...

Back to the book.

Pat offers some great solutions for transitive verbs and also solves the other problem that goes along with them which is how to express universal themes without cliché rhymes. This will be amazing stuff to check out.

Pat also deals with a problem that I have whereby, I don't really like to write with a dictionary and a thesaurus and a stack of grammar books on my piano but he writes convincingly that a good rhyming dictionary is good to keep at arms reach since rhyming is a purely mechanical thing and may help find you the word you need fast enough to keep your muse on track. This now makes a lot of sense to me.

Through the remaining chapters, Pat shows you all the types of rhyming available to you and if your anything like me and don't know all that much about; masculine and feminine rhymes, identity, mosaic rhymes, perfect and imperfect rhymes, additive and subtractive rhymes, assonance and alliteration then you need to get your hands on this book.

The real point of the book, really, is to lay out the rhyme types and let them expand you opportunities to BOTH say what you mean AND rhyme. The book presents the rhyme types in descending order, from the closest to perfect rhyme to the most remote rhyme types. And better, the book shows you how and when to use the different rhyme types.

This is the last of the three books by Pat Pattison that I have had the pleasure of reviewing in these last three issues of The Muse's News. They were, "Songwriting: Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure", "Writing Better Lyrics", and "Songwriting: Essential Guide to Rhyming".

I have almost run out of superlatives to express the value of the material in Pat Pattisons books but I would have to say that his books actually define lyric writing for me and have impacted my work like no other outside influence. If this is what you want to bring to the table for your next songwriting project, hit a good bookstore...

I think this book is the greatest, but practically on the
first page, the author proves to his readers that they must
use a rhyming dictionary to create. Going it alone is pure
"silly". He says "finding rhymes is almost never a creative act. It is a purely mechanical search."
Well, I have a small rhyming dictionary by Webster, but this is
not a good one at all. I need specifically The Complete Rhyming Dictionary, edited by Clement Wood (Doubleday) because "it divides rhymes into Masculine, Feminine, and three-syllable rhymes."
Once I get that, then I can really work with Pattison book and
learn.
So if you are buying this book also buy the Wood Rhymer right away and save postage.

Stop Smoking and Chewing Tobacco for LIFE CHANGES
David L. Johnson, Ph.D. & Carole A. Johnson, I.D.
Infinity Publishing.com, Haverford, PA (Paperback)
Copyright December, 2000, 206 pages

LIFE CHANGES by David L. Johnson, Ph.D. & Carole A. Johnson is a book
anyone addicted to tobacco will wish they had found it years ago. As a motivational speaker that stresses results, I was happy to see that Life Changes had a similar orientation. The authors use a number of powerful techniques to help a person beat tobacco addiction. Techniques and strategies that have proven to help people make personal changes with affirmations, reasonable goals, daily plans to achieve them, visualization, relaxation, and appropriately stated aversive and positive suggestions.
All of the more than 120 techniques and strategies put together form a supportive, personal framework that empowers one to focus on short-term, then life-long results.
The key principles and skills provide more ways to use setbacks, when necessary,
to learn more about ourselves and enable us to use them to bounce back quickly
with less fear of relapse.

Life Changes uses a self-instructional, self-paced approach that anyone can use,
with an emphasis on taking personal responsibility to learn the skills you need.
You can start at any point in the book, and implement the steps in the order you
feel most confident with. I love how the book relies on the reader to be imaginative
and use their creativity to apply the program to daily life and adapt the skills to
their goal of beating tobacco for life.


Life Changes is a self-instructional, self-paced program that works in proportion
to the time and attention you give to learning how to use the program skills daily.
You may have tried to beat tobacco many times, but this time buy a book to use
that builds on what you know for life changes. I highly recommend it!

Edward W. Smith
Author, Sixty Seconds To Success
ISBN 0-9754164-0-5
www.brightmoment.com

In our modern-day addictive culture, it is no small wonder that the quick-fix approaches to stopping tobacco use are so often ineffective. Typically, these approaches are reflective of the instant gratification orientation of our society. People pay big money for patches, pills, programs and purges, while expecting an intractable addiction that may have taken a lifetime to develop to just suddenly go away. For those who have come to understand that ending tobacco addiction is not like having results served like fast-food, there is a powerful option that offers a high predictability of success.

Stop Smoking and Chewing Tobacco for LIFE CHANGES, by David L. Johnson, Ph.D., and Carole A. Johnson, ID, is the definitive manual for those who truly wish to recover from their tobacco addictions. Written with candor, erudition and wit, the book takes the smoker (chewer, or dipper) by the hand and authoritatively walks him or her through a comprehensive but doable process that not only fleeces the person of a life-threatening habit - but builds in life enhancement skills that surpass any rewards they may have perceived in their tobacco use.

The 206 page quality paperback pursues a step-by-step process that begins with an orientation to the program, including a convincing review of current knowledge pertaining to the health and economic consequences of tobacco use that should strip away every last vestige of motivation for tobacco use in any sane person. We then find preparations for stopping use which cover every aspect of an individual's lifestyle that supports use and that might undermine the stopping process. Here, and throughout the book, the Johnsons have included worksheets that facilitate insight, individualized understanding of the process, and personalized application of the program to ensure success. The comprehensiveness of their approach is also found in their explanation of every strategic option that can be included in a person's individualized program, including the responsible and effective integration of nicotine-replacement products like patches, gums, inhalers, and other cessation pharmaceuticals that are less effective when used alone.

Once understanding, confidence and a sense of competence have been established in the reader, the book moves into program strategies involving exercises that include powerful hypnotic imagery to undermine attraction for tobacco products and replace destructive behaviors with life-enhancing ones. Indeed, just reading the exercises - without taping and playing them in a relaxation/induction process - is enough to sicken the reader against the use of tobacco products for life! However, it is recommended that the reader individualize the exercises, as specified, and follow through with the authors' expert instructions. Incidentally, without going into detail regarding current research, the design of the exercises - including content and strategies - reveals a sophisticated understanding on the part of the authors with regard to subconscious learning processes and the power such processes can have on behavior change.

Finally, knowledge, process, and competence are blended into a creative integration that serves to develop a lifestyle that leaves no openings for a return to tobacco-using behavior. This leaving-no-stone-unturned approach to tobacco cessation impresses me as the most comprehensive and reliable option available.

Throughout, self-defeating thinking patterns are broken down and replaced with positive, life-enhancing ones in a process that makes this book a hallmark in the annals of stop-smoking strategies: it takes a total lifestyle approach to the problem. This total lifestyle approach demonstrates the Johnsons' understanding of what is necessary to tackling tobacco addiction in the way a surgeon understands the approach to cutting away a cancer - every part of the threatening tumor (thinking/feeling/behavior) must be removed or the life-threatening condition will spring anew and attack with a vengeance.

Unlike the less predictable, quick-fix, approaches to tobacco cessation, the Johnsons' Stop Smoking and Chewing Tobacco for LIFE CHANGES offers lifestyle-oriented strategies that address the unique needs of every user in a warm and readable format that offers the best of what's out there. Unlike other approaches that require a full commitment before purchase, this book has such powerful introductory content that I would recommend it to those who are only thinking of stopping their tobacco use. At a modest $19.95 retail (US), I cannot suggest a more economic, powerfully effective, approach to stopping nicotine addiction and saving lives.

Granville Angell, EdS, LPC, NCC
Licensed Professional Counselor
Author of The God-Shaped Hole

Stop Smoking and Chewing Tobacco for Life Changes
By David & Carol Johnson
Reviewed by Billie A Williams
ISBN # 0-7414-0481-8
2001 (206 Pages)

Stop Smoking and Chewing Tobacco for Life Changes is more than just a healthy read. It is an activity book that will take you step by step through some very positive life style changes that can help you cease to use tobacco products.
With the Johnson's help you identify the problem situations where you would use tobacco. Then you develop specific plans for each situation so that you can visualize yourself dealing positively with the situation. By mentally rehearsing the plan, success is more likely. They stress that you should reward yourself when you do well, but also to not be afraid to modify your plans when necessary.
Dr Johnson addresses the principles you need to adapt to focus on your plan for action; these include Confidence, competence, commitment and creativity which he calls "4-Cing the future". Key principles in Life Changes makes it a book of crucial strategies that provide effective cessation tools with skill-based exercises, scripts, options and resources while also outlining specific activities that can you can use to target issues you define, and strategies you design to cope with the issues. Johnson then provides reinforcement of those actions through his scripts and scripts you record to personalize the program.
Dr Johnson inspires and re-enforces with his poetry and quotes from other sources. Stress relief through laughing, re-focusing, relaxation and affirmations provide a failsafe for those wishing to cease the habits of tobacco use. Johnson also touches on the use of hypnosis as an aid in his program. He defines the use of hypnosis by first defining the term as he sees it: hypnosis spontaneously occurs when we relax, focus attention, and engage in imaginative activity.
Then he walks the reader through some guided imagery that helps to focus attention on positive images. The imaginative/creativity exercises that follow involves exercises with word association, squiggles and shapes you turn into "stuff", headlines that are laughable, and other humorous one-liners.
The Johnson's never say they are the only or the best solution. They say *you* are the only solution; *you* are the best solution to cessation of tobacco use.
The back of the book is a veritable tome of resource places to further your education and find additional help. There are even worksheets to develop a maintenance program for yourself and one in the event that you slip.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a way to end the habit of tobacco use. Other uses of the program's strategies Could include weight control, stress management, and any one going through any life stresses, losses, or who has needs for more stability, resolve, and confidence.

"I was very ready to quit smoking many times in my life. When I began to read Stop Smoking and Chewing Tobacco for LIFE CHANGES, I realized I was reading something very new and different! This book appeals to anyone who needs a fresh approach to "just quitting" Through the use of LIFE CHANGES, I was able to really look at my motives and emotional needs surrounding smoking. The program put me on a path filled with information and humor which I could understand and build upon, using my own creativity. I was amazed at how enjoyable it was to participate in the planning and management of my own program. You will find everything in this book you need to know to finally end this "awful" dependency!"

I have been studying tobacco addiction and helping patients quit for over 25 years...Cessation has every thing to do with packing the brain with reasons to quit and techniques to help accomplish the goal. Each person has to decide which reasons apply personally. LIFE CHANGES is packed full of reasons to quit and exercises to help you take control of your life back from tobacco. It exposes tobacco not as a friend that settles you down and keeps weight off, but an enemy that robs you of over a decade of what should be golden years. I like this book and whole-heartedly recommend it to my patients. Congratulations to David and Carole Johnson! Through their book they will save and touch more lives than they will ever know. This book helps develop tools that, if achieved, will be far more powerful forces to combat tobacco addiction than any patch or gum could be.