Practitioners Books

execellent learning tool. If you want to enhance what you've learned in the classroom this is the book to have.

This book is a valuable resource not only for students who are studying to take their state boards but also as a tool to use while in school, I bought this edition for my daughter who is in nursing school, but I browsed through it also, I have one from 2005 and they have made it even easier to read and to use. I highly recommend it to all RN students, it is much easier to read than the standard text books and the CD has great tests and study quiz's you can take that include rational which is always helpful when you get an answer wrong or right.

I am currently in my first semester of Nursing School and wish that I had been told about this book a long time ago. About halfway through the first semester all of us students were struggling with finding relevant outside material different from the textbooks. This book has spread like wildfire through our class and, from what I hear, everyone's grades have drastically improved including mine. A must have!! I also bought the Prentice Hall Comprehensive Review for Nclex-RN and find it wonderful too. I feel as if I do anymore than just reading the chapters out of the assigned textbook is a waste- its all there in a nice outline in these books with a separation of all the sections (ie GI tract, GU tract, sensory, Respiratory, etc.). Although, I don't think the Saunders CD-Rom is good. An all around wonderful, very necessary book!! Thumbs up!!

I use this book for class and it has been a great help the teacher use a lot of information from it.

This NCLEX review book has the most questions, with its CD-ROM, with the most helpful rationales that I've found so far. It covers fundamentals, pediatrics, maternity, med-surg, mental health and more. The CD-ROM is compatible with my Windows Vista operating system. I only wish it had more "choose all that apply" and delegation questions.

The book itself is broken down to help you learn the key elements. The cd worked fine with my computer; and I had no problems with it crashing. The cd questions can be repetitive in some sections and all of the questions in the text are on the cd.

This is a well organized book with all the information you will ever need. Also came with a disk that is very helpful, if the disk crashes like another customer mentioned its your computer not the disk. Diffently a great buy.

I purchased this book to review for the NCLEX-PN. It is well put together and easy to find the topic I am currently studying. The CD has been extremely helpful, as well.

This is a great asset to preparing the the NCLEX. The book arrived in perfect condition very quickly.

I bought a few Review books for the NCLEX-PN, and this is the best. BUY it and you will pass!!! It comes with a CD with over 3000 question exactly like the test.

The manual is very user-friendly. It takes a while to really sift through all the ideas, but the first two parts are designed so that you don't have to re-read the important ideas several times. The main themes are recapitulated in different wordings and contexts to make you understand. The treatment section is extremely clear, with both step-by-step guidance and explanations for the activities. Though the design is quite explicit, the authors urge you to design the treatment specifically for each patient, and even give suggestions of how to do so.

This is a fantastic tool, giving the therapist useful theory as well as specific outlines for sessions. Great for the beginner ACT therapist. The CD contains lots of useful worksheets for clients, and step-by-step outlines for therapists including lots of wonderful metaphors and stories.

This book is an important contribution to therapists who want to increase effectiveness in their work with suffering beings while also learning to incorporate Eastern psychological teachings in their practice. I found it easy to read, practical, enjoyable.

Having been trained in the 70's as a behavior therapist, I moved away from BT in the 80's as I became disillusioned with the mechanistic quality of the approach. Eifert and Forsyth's book beautifully brings the best of behavior therapy together with a more humanistic and interpersonal focus to provide in ACT a truly new paradigm. The so-called "third wave" of behavior therapy incorporates much of the best of other schools while remaining grounded in solid science.
I have found ACT to be a potent weapon in dealing with the anxiety disorders that our clients bring to us. I highly recommend this book for any practitioner of any orientation to wants to broaden their perspective and become more effective in treating these most debilitating disorders.

Startling new way to treat anxiety disorders from a humanistic view aimed at creating a meaningful life despite high anxiety. The book is written very clearly and contains techniques such as metaphors and stories that are excellent and can be used with more traditional therapy.

To use ACT alone in therapy to treat anxiety disorders by just reading the clear instructions of the book and using the CD that comes with it may be dangerous. It is a counter intuitive approach that must be consistantly maintained; the therapist must be 100% present at all times. It is not just a technique that can be applied; the therapist must model this approach in real life or he/she could cause more harm than good. I would love to attend in person some training in this approach and have some live supervision (as is required for EMDR therapy). Definitly worth reading and staying in touch with any new research in this approach.

I'm a solo developer, and without this book i would be refactoring my code every few days still.

Thank you RUP for putting my head on straight to understand iterations of the SDLC and apply them to even small projects with few assets.

RUP gives you the tools to understand your system before you write it by iteratively working with the people who will be using the system! Your customers/Users!

Excellent guide to get up to speed with RUP. Having never worked with RUP this guide proved extremely beneficial to get the project started and will be used through all iterations.

I read 'Rational Unified Process - An Introduction' some years ago and found it excellent. I got 'Rational Unified Process Made Easy' in the hope that it would provide some more substance to the ideas from the introductory book. However it didn't seem to really add that much value.

The sections covering each of the major disciplines are useful, as is the guidance on implementing RUP in projects or organisations. In contrast 'Rational Unified Process Made Easy' misses a good summary of the key artefacts.

All up I felt the book was hampered by the desire not to undermine the RUP product that IBM sells.

This book does a great job of showing steps of practical application of the RUP. The book may seem repetitive on a few points, but I feel the points bear repeating. This book has been invaluable in helping cut through the misinformation thrown around by some who have gotten the executive summary of RUP and know just enough to be dangerous. I recently completed a seven-part online course on the RUP that was based on this book. The book did a far better job of making the RUP understandable.

There is plenty of theory written about RUP, but how it should be applied to your role or your project is often misunderstood.
This book not only provides the overview, but the contextual guidance to make RUP work for you.
As a long-term RUP mentor and user, I highly recommend it.

While it is nice to see someone attempting to write a book that is not a hand book or not a "Wicca 101" book, you have to ask... is this really an advanced study book on Wicca.

In this book you will not find spells and incantations. You will not find rituals, altar tools, calling of the quarters or anything else that most associate with handbooks and "Wicca 101" books. Yet the book calls itself a Guide.

What you will find is one man and his Traditions thoughts on what it is to truly be "Wiccan". The Tradition is the McFarland Dianic Tradition, founded in the early 70s. And I enter the caveat at this point - Your Mileage May Vary - depending on the Tradition of Wicca you practice.

The opening paragraph of chapter one "The Beginning" entitled "What is all this about anyway?" gives us this line: "The best place to start with any explanation is at the beginning, and the beginning of Wicca dates far back into antiquity."

There are those who will "hmmmm" at this point. Again, the caveat. There is more that will give you moments to pause and consider.

If you can get past all this, the book is an interesting read. But I was confused by its purpose. On the one hand, I saw an attempt to explain what Wicca is. But if I am already walking the Wiccan path then I already understand what Wicca is. I return to the subtitle: "Guide for Practitioners, Family and Friends" - and it becomes clear. While trying to work with those who are knowledgeable and appear as more than a 101 book, it still has to revert back to 101 basics to be a guide for those who do not practice.

As a guide in that respect it works. We have basic discussions on the Wheel of the Year, Rites of Passage, Can Children and Teens be Wiccan and more. There is lots of discussion on this Traditions ethics in spellwork, what the Rede means and then we move on to "pointy hats, black cats and brooms... "

It is nice that the book sidesteps the usual cookbook/crafters handbook/basic ritual 101 material. The discussion, in my opinion, has to and does fit into a 101 category. When trying to explain what Wicca is to anyone not familiar with Wicca, you still can't venture too far past the basics.

I came away with the idea that this book would be best suited to give to someone who knows a Wiccan and is interested in learning more. While we don't proselytize (see the chapter "If Wiccans think their beliefs are correct, why don't they try to convert others to their beliefs?") this book might be good to give to someone who is not sure what some of us might be all about.

I think if you find the material agreeable and in line with what you believe, then this book could be an aid to helping you explain Wicca to others. However, as this has been done before and this tradition may not be in line with your own personal beliefs, you may want to review the material before passing it along. boudica

I have recently come out of the broom closet with my family. This is the book I chose to use to explain my spiritual practice to them. They had been reading some very bad things and were very upset. The format of the book with questions and answers was just the thing to settle their fears. I highly recommend this book. Bryan Lankford explains very clearly some of the most pressing questions non-wiccans have concerning our beliefs. It is also very good for a beginning wiccan to learn more about the faith.

Mr. Lankford does a wonderful job explaining what Wicca is and what Wicca is not. He understand the ins and outs of this religion and is able to clearly explain it for anyone to understand. If you are Wiccan and have family who want to know more about what you do, this is the book to get them! This author comes across as a person who knows how scary it can be for someone to hear that a loved one is Wiccan or a Witch. He does a fantastic job of helping them through that fear by providing them with the information for a better understanding of something they've only heard scary stories about. Ignorance breeds fear and this book will definitely put an end to anyone's ignorance about Wicca/Witchcraft!

I found this book very helpful for explaining an often misunderstood religion. If you prefer to get the real story rather than succumbing to commercial imagery when forming your opinions, this is a great source. Similarly, if you seek a clear and articulate way to express your own similar views, this book will empower you with a roadmap for doing so. If you fear for someone who seems to have gone astray and want to get the facts from a credible source, this is a must read. Well written and free of drama sometimes included to sell more books! Very refreshing.

This book eschews commercialized versions of Wicca to deliver frank and truthful information to the audiences needing it the most. It is useful for individuals who are investigating Wicca as a religion, but it is especially helpful for the potentially confused (and scared) friends and family.

An avalanche of stereotypes and misinformation in this society about what Wicca is and who Wiccans are subsequently leaves the friends and families of the practitioners in a bind. They might want to be supportive, but those family members and friends do not necessarily know where to turn for affirming information. Despite Wicca being recognized as a religion (by institutions such as the United States military!) accurate information about Wicca remains to find.

The tone of this book is open-minded, Lankford is able to empathize with his readers own path. He is an advanced witch but does not forget that potential readers and readers are entering with a dearth of information about this religion. Pulling rank on them would have been easy but he is instead empathetic to their own journey towards acceptance of friends, family, and themselves.

If only all my college textbooks were this well written and practical, I would have saved tons of money on coffee! The style of the book is conversational, the organization is clear, and the user research tips are great! This book has been a valuable resource to frame my graduate course in human computer interaction. Each week we cover a chapter and post our reactions to our Shiny Happy People user experience blog. The book has many layers, so that the usability novice to expert can glean plenty of tips and techniques.

I can recommend this book. It is well-written and readable, with practical advice and examples. I am referencing it as part of my daily work as a Usability Analyst in a large government department.

This book rocks! Of all the reference resources I have in my cube, this is the one I lend out to people who ask, "jb, what is user research and how do you do it?" Mike's book has the techniques down - soup to nuts -- useful for the novice and seasoned practitioner.

I'm always recommending this book to my colleagues. This is not a book that is meant to be read cover to cover. It's more of a desk top reference for all kinds of user research techniques. I've found it to be very comprehensive. Buy it, you won't regret it!

This book provided my team with enough confidence and flexibility to design a research project of the right scale and formality for our needs, but gave us enough structure to stay on track.
Kuniavsky's detailed examples and caveats helped us engage with users respectfully and effectively, leaving both parties feeling they had done something to move the site a step forward.

I am still withholding judgement on this seller. It has been a month since I order a book that I am yet to recieve.

Excellent for the nurse practitoner. Extremely comprehensive and presented in a systems format. Definitely recommend.

This book is a wonderful reference for any medical student or professional. I keep one in my medical jacket (that is always with me) and one in my office (in case I misplace my other book). I have shown this book to several colleagues and their consensus is this book IS A MUST FOR ANY MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL OR STUDENT!

There is so much info in this little book, you will not be disappointed! This looks like it will be a great reference for any medical rotation. I was very pleased to see that it had a section on how to systematically review & interpret chest x-rays. Very helpful!

Mr Hancock, time and time again I have spread word as to how efficient your text is for PA's across the country. I have used this book, and given copies of it out to others. Everyone has given it high praise. Thanks for the hard work!

If you're really into organizational learning, defined as the growth of an individual to the benefit of the organization, you'll love this book. It's chock-full of discussions of a wide variety of aspects of the field. If Beitler missed anything in his broad survey of the field, I don't know what it might be. The reader is taken on a virtual encyclopedic tour of the topic.

The book reads like an academic treatise. The pages are filled with annotations and references so the reader can find additional references for further learning...or at least know the author's sources. For the specialist in the field who wants all that, it's there. I found the heavy use of references and abbreviations to be distracting, taking away from the flow of my reading. That's why I use the word "confusing" in my title for this review.

Perhaps the best use of this publication is as a text and reference book. The student entering the field-through a university setting or coming from a specialty area in the corporate environment-will gain a thorough understanding of the what and the how of organizational learning. The doors to further learning will be opened, with abundant connection to opportunities to gain depth in any of the topic areas.

General readers of business books seeking to expand their knowledge and acquire new ideas probably won't be happy with this book. It's designed more for people who are already in the field and want to become more conversant, as well as for those who seek to be practitioners but need to enrich their understanding of how organizational learning supports corporate strategy.

The reviewer is a Certified Management Consultant.

Mike Beitler did it again!! If you have not already read his first book, Strategic Organizational Change, you need to order it immediately. It is one of the best, most practical books on the subject that I have ever seen. It is one of the few books that divulge the secrets of how to actually make a change process happen.

His new one will also will not disappoint. Again Mike treats what could be a boring, stuffy subject with a down-to-earth, entertaining style. I have used both books as part of my PhD program in Organizational Development and have learned more from them then I did from a dozen others. Both books will stand on their own, but I suggest that you buy both now!

This is the second of two related books by the same author, the first being Strategic Organizational Change (This review applies to both books). Strategic Organizational Change seeks to cover all aspects of change management, of which organizational learning is one aspect. Strategic Organizational Learning was written essentially as an expansion of the learning aspects of the first, but was designed to stand alone. In consequence, there is substantial overlap, and some repetition between the two. As the titles indicate, the first book treats organizational learning as one aspect of the wider process of organizational change, while the second focuses on learning, training, and knowledge transfer and also covers issues of cross-cultural operation and learning.

Both are exactly what they claim to be: clear and comprehensive guides for practitioners, whether these are consultants (the primary audience) or managers. They are written in simple and direct terms and bring together summaries of the theories and practice of well-known authorities in the field (Lewin, Schein, Maslow and others) with a distillation of the experience of the author. The emphasis is on the universal basics and there is merciful freedom from hype and faddism. The structure of each book makes for ease of reference and the content will be useful as a memory jogger for experienced consultants as well as being a valuable guide for the less experienced.

In summary, both books are good `foundation texts' and sources of reference in their respective fields.

Anyone with experience in the field will have their quibbles about what is not included or only touched on. My list of useful additional sources include:

* while Beitler mentions systems thinking and its importance, he does not either expand on this or provide guidance to further detail (On organizational change the best sources are Senge et al: The Dance of Change and a range of articles from the Pegasus Communications magazine The Systems Thinker). The Dance of Change gives an extremely detailed analysis of the various forces that reinforce and inhibit effective change. (It is unfortunate that citations to Senge are nearly always to his original The Fifth Discipline and not to the much more directly managerially useful successors The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook and The Dance of Change);

* a related gap is the failure to identify the issues of complexity and the associated importance in change management of so-called `wicked' problems - problems to which there is no final solution so that the choice is between several partial solutions, each of which has a substantial downside. This sort of problem is common in organizational change and a frequent mistake of consultants and managers is to treat such problems as if they were `tame'. Lewin, R. and Regine, B. The Soul at Work provides particularly useful practical examples of managing with complexity;

* I would have liked to see some reference to the use of narrative techniques as a data gathering tool. There is rapidly increasing recognition of the value of these techniques in diagnosis - as well as of story-telling as a fruitful tool for promoting desired culture change;

* while many of the best authors are referenced, other important sources are not referenced. Among my favourites are Howard Gardner (Leading Minds and the later Changing Minds), Peter Vaill (Learning as a Way of Being) and, for an approach more directly based on psychology, Hultman (Making Change Irresistible).


As indicated, these points do not detract from the value of the books as a practical guide. They are very useful, with comprehensive coverage of the basics and a lot of valuable practical experience encapsulated in the text.

This is one of two of Michael Beitler's books I recently read, the other being Strategic Organizational Change. In the most successful organizations, both learning and change must always be "strategic" to ensure that they support initiatives which achieve and then sustain continuous improvement in all areas and at all levels. In fact, as Michael Marquardt among others correctly insist, learning and change must not only be interdependent; they must occur simultaneously. That is essentially what "action learning" is all about and is most valuable when in alignment with an organization's strategy. In this volume, Beitler explains how to do that.

He has carefully organized his material within two parts: Foundations of Organizational Learning (Chapters 1 and 2) and Organizational Learning in the 21st Century (Chapters 3-10). In 2004, the estimated direct costs of training in North American companies (alone) exceeded $60-million and continue to increase substantially each year. When factoring in all costs (including waste), the adjusted total is probably incalculable. Re waste, I am again reminded of what Peter Drucker said in an article which appeared in the Harvard Business Review in 1963: "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all." One of Beitler's most important points is that before formulating and then implementing a strategic organizational learning program, it is first necessary to decide (a) what needs to be learned, (b) why it needs to be learned, and (c) which specific objectives such learning will achieve. Otherwise, worth repeating, "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all."

As Beitler clearly indicates, learning without then taking appropriate action demonstrates what Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton characterize as the "Knowing-Doing Gap"; similarly, action without learning demonstrates what they characterize as the "Doing-Knowing Gap." Many senior-level executives make bad decisions because they do not know what they need to know, or because they are convinced that they know what they need to know...but don't.

Some of the most valuable material in this book is provided in Chapter 6, "Management & Professional Development," as Beitler explains how to use a variety of valuable tools for assessment, development, and performance management. They include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI); FIRO Element B which reveals an individual's preferences for inclusion, control, and openness in human interaction; the Kirton Adapter/Innovator Instrument (KAI) which reveals potential problems between extreme adapters and extreme innovators; the Self-Directed Learning readiness Scale (SLDRS) which helps in designing a customized learning and development plan for an individual; and the Cross-Cultural Adaptability Index (CCAI) which helps to prepare and support expatriate managers and professionals for foreign assignments.

It remains for each reader to determine which of these and other "tools" are most appropriate to her or his own organization's needs in terms of strategic organizational learning. Most organizations probably need more than one of various tools now available. Beitler can help decision-makers to determine which to select, how to use each, and how to coordinate use of them. In this context, I presume to offer two caveats: For those whose only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail; conversely, if every available tool is used indiscriminately, the results are certain to be unsatisfactory.

Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out Beitler's Strategic Organizational Change as well as Pfeiffer and Sutton's The Knowing-Doing Gap and their more recently published Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths and Total Nonsense, Carla O'Dell and C. Jackson Grayson's If Only We Knew What We Know, Thomas Davenport's What's the Big Idea? and his more recently published Thinking for a Living, and other sources provided by Beitler in his Annotated Bibliography, especially Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline which I think should be read in combination with his later work, The Dance of Change.

After working in the field of organizational learning for many years, I can predict that Beitler's book will soon be the new standard in the field.

"Strategic Organizational Learning" has been researched as well as any of the academic books I have ever read, but it is very easy to read. I really enjoy Beitler's writing style. And I appreciate the years of research that made the book possible.

Chapter 4 on Self-Directed Learning is the best summary on the subject available anywhere. Beitler cites the work of every leader in the field (Lucy & Paul Guglielmino, Long, Hiemstra, Brockett, Confessore, Durr, Knowles, and Piskurich). Beitler also cites his own work at Forune 100 companies.

Chapter 5 on Knowledge Capture & Transfer is worth the price of the book alone. Beitler gives you everything you need to know about knowledge management in one well-written chapter.

There are also valuable chapters on leadership development, succession planning, expatriate training, and corporate universities.

As a Practitioner I have been looking for a new perspective in Anger management and I have found it in this book. The book was delivered when promised. I am very pleased with my choice and have been using it in my Anger Management groups for the last 3 weeks, with good results. Thank You, Amazon for the wonderful service you provide. Diane McKinley

I had the great pleasure and experience of having Dr. Raymond Chip Tafrate as my professor at CCSU for the course 'Controlling Anger and Aggression.' This dynamic course was complemented perfectly by this book. Whether you are a student, therapist, or individual who is interested in controlling anger, this book is for you. There are worksheets, handouts, and personal logs to track and control anger and aggression.

To sum up, this is THE book on anger and aggression, unparalleled by any others.

Anger Management: The Complete Treatment Guidebook for Practitioners proved to be an excellent resource for teaching veterans anger management skills. The authors'Anger Episode Model clearly explains that anger does not "come out of the blue" but follows a clear sequence of cognitive appraisal, experience, and emotional expression. The inclusion of both short-term and long-term outcomes of anger expression highlight the notion that anger has long-term consequences on physical and emotional health as well as obvious short-term consequences. The sections on Fostering Cognitive Change and Forgiveness make this book unique and particularly helpful with this population. The inability to forgive self or others and an inflexible view of the world, if not addressed as part of an anger management model, can be a major obstacle in learning and applying anger management skills.

Collaboratively written by Howard Kassinove (Chairperson of the Psychology Department at Hofstra University) and Raymond Chip Tafrate (Associate Professor in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at Central Connecticut State University), Anger Management: The Complete Treatment Guidebook For Practitioners is a straightforward and thoroughly practical guide designed to substantially assist professional psychologists and caseworkers of all fields to help their patients and clients deal with a condition of unhealthy, counter-productive anger. Individual chapters address a model and plan to help people increase their awareness of anger and change their responses, and to police themselves to in order to maintain an emotionally healthier way of life. Anger Management is highly recommended reading for anyone charged with a professional responsibility to deal with and assist angry clients whether the setting is in private practice, an outpatient clinic, a hospital setting, or within the criminal justice system.

Anger Management by Howard Kassinove and Raymond Tafrate is by far the most complete and up to date text for therapists. It is a must read resource for all environments, children, adults and families, as well as the workplace. The authors break down anger episodes into understandable segments in order to assess the client's anger intensity and frequency.

Then they rebuild with techniques that include life skills, problem solving snd step by step ways to change thinking. Among the communication skills the motivated client will learn is how to give and receive criticism without becoming defensive. There is also emphasis on non-verbal communication, including body language and direct eye contact.

The model presented for problem solving skills is very important, because it encourages the client to seek alternative solutions, thus reducing anger and frustration.

Ultimately, Kassinove and Tafrate examine forgiveness as part of anger management. By forgiving, eith within or outside of a religious conviction, a person gains the ability to move on. Anger Management is a MUST have for every practitioner's bookshelf--only after a thorough reading!

My mother passed away suddenly this past january. I was going through so many emotions I thought I was going crazy, so someone suggested I get grief counseling, but Im not the group counseling type. Then someone suggested I get a book and I came across this one and it helped me to understand that everything I was going through was normal. It is amazing how everything in that book pertained to me and exactly how I was feeling. I still have a ways to go but the craziness of it all has subsided and I can better deal with things.

I personally loved this text. It is clear, easy to read and gives you a wonderful plan of action for grief counseling.
Dr. Suzanne L. Lewis R.N., Ph.D., L.P.C.

This book addresses the professionals of psychology, especially the specialists in the therapy of loss and grief.

This book provides an easy to read format, with conscise information and various real-life case examples to help the novice identify important factors impacting a client's recovery and providing a good refresher for the experience mental health practicioner with useful and practical information such as the basics (grief stages) to more detailed (the mourning process; Tasks and Mediators of mourning) and the difference bewteen grief and depression; abnormal grief reactions and resolving complicated mourning among other topics.
This book helps the therapist to recognized that each person grieves very differently depending on a myriad of social, environmental and familial factors; a guide to truly understand a client's grief process and how to provide them with the best "individualized" treatment plan.

It is hard to find an author who is so good that he/she understands that what needs to be said can be done in a short well organized book. This is such a book and not only covers the subject but does so with sensitivity.