Professional Resources Books

This short book was written by Professor Paul Swingle while he was on staff at Maclean Hospital at Harvard. It is published by a company which specializes in books for professional psychologists. It is a serious, professional effort aimed at helping the professional health care provider become more informed about the use and application of subliminal approaches in healing and helping individuals to change.

Dr. Swingle, now in Vancouver, BC, Canada, is also a well known and respected biofeedback practitioner who creatively integrates biofeedback, CES (Cerebral Electrical Stimulation) acupuncture, electromagnetic therapy and other new technologies. He also has a series of audio subliminal products published by Tools for Wellness.

Dr. Swingle has been a regular speaker on the above topics at the annual Winter Brain conference I organize. His thinking is always original and right at the cutting edge.

Another, older book that is relevant to Subliminal stimulation is Dickson's book PRECONSCIOUS PROCESSING.

Seasoned IT project managers will gain many insights from this book. Don't expect to find mechanical techniques such as how to develop a WBS or use earned value to control a project - those are not within the scope of this book. What is within scope is advice backed by cases and examples for keeping a project on track and within budget. While the techniques covering the mechanics of project management are missing, the techniques covering strategies and tactics for ensuring project success are in abundance.

What makes this book invaluable to seasoned IT project managers is the focus on organization, meeting stakeholder needs, and overcoming barriers - especially political barriers. In addition, the author approaches project delivery in a structured, methodical manner that places the role of an IT project manager and the task of project delivery into a clear context. Most books on project management either gloss over these important areas, focusing instead on PM techniques, or avoid them altogether.

Key features I especially like are:
- Section I (Preparing the Organization for IT Projects), which illustrates common problems associated with IT project management (and there are many) with actual cases. In addition, Chapter 2 is one of the best summaries of aligning IT to business during project inception and maintaining that focus throughout the life cycle of the project. The material in the subsequent chapters in this section go into additional detail in key areas.

- Section II (Planning for Success) is rich with advice and supporting real life examples for developing a viable business case, managing risks, avoiding common pitfalls and engaging stakeholders.

- Section III (Design and Development) contains material that is not unique to this book. Most of the material is included in most of the better books on software project management, although the case studies are interesting. I would have liked more focus in interaction between the project team and the operational support team, such as assuring reliability and supportability are handled in this phase. Also, addressing the big picture of how the design and development fits into infrastructure and service level management would have distinguished this section.

Section IV (Project Delivery) is somewhat weak because it stops with testing and does not address making the transition from project to production in the depth. This is a critical milestone in any IT project and deserves more than the cursory treatment it was given.

Although I think there are gaps in Section IV, this book is still one I highly recommend because it does address topics that most other IT project management books do not. More importantly, it is filled with excellent information and advice that can be put to immediate use, and will change your thinking about how to properly approach and manage an IT project.

Over the past year, I have accumulated several books about starting a private practice in preparation for diving into the fray early next year. Dr. Pepping's book is by far the best one. Although it's specifically aimed at neuropsychologists, I believe that any psychologist considering private practice would benefit from this book. I have several of the "APA Practitioner's Toolbox Series" books. They are good, but very dry (they double as sleep aids when you become anxiety-ridden about starting a private practice). I also have a couple of private practice books written by MFTs/therapists. These books have also been helpful, but they're on the other end of the spectrum from APA: These books tend to be fluffy, and much of the information that's provided requires only good common sense. Additionally, these books are aimed at masters' level practitioners.

Dr. Pepping's book is "weighty" yet written in an easy-to-read and enjoyable style. Her own personal experiences abound throughout the book, making it seem like one is having a structured interview with her. Besides being a treasure trove of practical nuts-and-bolts information, Dr. Pepping also shares a wealth of information about creative possibilities for practice. She provides questions & exercises at the end of each chapter that are necessary & thought-provoking.

At the suggestion of a friend who is a marketing consultant, I am also using a workbook called "The One Page Business Plan" by Jim Horan. Many of the suggestions in this book are aimed at business & industry; Dr. Pepping's book is providing me with the info I need to tailor Horan's workbook for a private practice.

Overall, this book contains all the necessary ingredients for good advice: Practical knowledge, creative solutions, and personal experience. Thank you, Dr. Pepping!

I thought this book was one of the best books I have read on teaching adults with learning disabilities. The book is clearly and simply written. It provides insight into a variety of learning problems, along with compensations and strategies that teachers and tutors can apply effectively in lesson planning.

This is an excellent book about research skills for elementary. I would suggest using the Big 6 with upper elementary, but with a little bit of innovation I used the different tools in this book even with my 2nd graders. A great tool for a step by step process of research skills using the computer, powerpoint, etc. A must have for classroom teachers or librarians.

An effective team leader is needed for any team to function fully and effectively - "Teams Work: A No-Nonsense Approach for Achieving More Together" is a excellently composed instructional manual to get the most out of your team and the work it can produce and how to reduce the confusion and complications that so often plague these workers and how to unleash the collective IQ - putting the heads together - the reason that teams are so often put together to attack problems in the first place. "Teams Work: A No-Nonsense Approach for Achieving More Together" is highly recommended for business shelves and anyone whose about to be in charge of a team and wants to maximize their output in both quality and quantity.

This is the workbook companion to the manual by the same author. The materials are well-designed and the directions for the children are clear. The drawings are pretty cute as well, which helps engage the child in the activities. This is a good start for a therapist's toolbox for CBT activities.

I have purchased a number of CBT Guides to expand my repertoire of therapeutic activities in my practice and this one is excellent, when purchased with the companion workbook. The workbook has nice reproducables to use in sessions. The explanations of how to include the activities in your counseling sessions is very clearly written. I would recommend this product for psychologists working with elementary-aged students.

As a graduate social work professor and psychotherapist licensed in both psychology and clinical social work, I can attest to the usefulness of this practical guide for graduate students, beginning professionals studying for licensing exams, practicing clinicians who wish to review or increase their knowledge and expertise, educators, and even program administrators seeking to improve the quality and comprehensiveness of their services. The clearly written, usefully structured format makes looking up information easy and helps clinicians develop relevant treatment plans that can be communicated effectively in multidisciplinary and managed care settings.
The great strength of the book lies in the author's ability to gather current research information and organize it in a manner which does not simplify the complexity of substance abuse and its treatment. The first of five sections reviews the social contexts of substance abuse, highlighting issues of prevention and consequences, a sobering reminder of the core importance of this topic. DSM IV diagnostic categories are described and issues of comorbidity are introduced. Substances are described in detail, with information about drugs presented in user-friendly form. The assessment section which follows includes methods of gathering essential information, prioritizing data, reviewing for crisis issues, reducing harm, and attending to special populations and legal problems. The author selects from well-researched instruments, offering pragmatic tools to the clinician. Notable here are the inclusion of effective questions to ask and not ask the troubled employee or teenager, in order to reduce defensiveness and avoid enabling the client, as well as specific guidelines for conducting interventions with the substance user. Treatment is addressed next, with emphasis on multidisciplinary communication, planning treatment in stages so as to maximize success, utilizing eclectic, effective theoretical orientations as well as self-help groups and multisystems approaches. Practical interventions that work are explored more fully in the fourth section on solution-focused therapies and special populations. Here the author elaborates on behavioral, strength-based interventions, and on the needs of groups such as disabled persons and adolescents, suggesting techniques to increase motivation and cope with inevitable slips. Especially impressive is the final chapter, focusing on skill-building and the dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental disorders. Family and relationship problems, cultural diversity issues, the complications of HIV/AIDS, gender, and aging are presented, and the reader is offered an appealing array of self-monitoring tools, concluding with an up-to-date list of national helplines.
This is a wonderful resource manual and educational tool, which condenses scientifically based current research and clinical lore into a pragmatic format accessible to physicians, practitioners, students, and educators.

This is a fascinating book that offers valuable information to anyone running a business. Davenport presents a unique strategy which will yield the greatest performance from knowledge workers in our companies today.