New Books

This monster book is fun, not scary at all. It tells about all the loving things Mama Monster does for her Monster children. When I was an elementary school librarian I used it for Story Time. And now my grandchildren--ages 2 and 4, love this book too!

My kids (ages 3-7) all love this book. It has a great rhythm and after reading it regularly for five years, they still giggle through the entire book. Because of that, we have given this book to many friends who have loved it as much as us.

I bought this because my son has been waking up scared of "things" in his room at night. He has been waking up a lot less lately, since we started reading this and another book. I really think this among other things has helped. It insinuates that monsters are scared of little boys and girls which is just what he needed to hear!! It is also very cute and makes monsters seem just like people!

My little boy is 19 months old and this is one of his favorite bedtime stories. The illustrations are bright and colorful and the story makes us laugh every time we read it!

I loved this book and read it to my precious grandson, Connor. The book is written in rhyme and it is very sweet and interesting to kids.

This is certainly a beautiful Bible. The calf skin feels just like a Bible should feel (it is no Highland Goatskin Allan, but nice nonetheless). I have no qualms about the margins, although it is not as wide as a Cambridge Wide Margin. It has adequate space for sermon outlines and notes. The biggest issue I have with this Bible, and the reason I can't give it 5 Stars, is because of a common complaint. The pages wrinkle far to much for a Bible at this price point. It's especially bad along the center of the page. It makes the Bible look already pre-beaten up before you've done anything to it. If you can overlook these things then you will be more than pleasantly surprised by this Bible. Especially the cover.

I purchased the black leather edition and I am very pleased with the Bible. The leather is very soft and I love the smell and feel of this very well made Bible. It compares very well with my Cambridge NASB Wide Margin Bible in feel and quality. I love the size and clarity of the print and the quality of the paper. I was expecting the paper to be stiffer, but if this paper is truly "bleed through" proof then I will be happy with the paper also. There is only one minor issue that I have with the paper; there is some crinkling of the paper at the bottom of many of the pages (closer to the binding) that is sligthly annoying to a perfectionist like myself. That aside, this is a wonderful representation of the NASB and ultimately of God's Word. I enjoy the NASB translation (even though I like the ESV translation better) for its clarity and ease of understanding. You won't be disappointed with this Bible unless you are the supreme perfectionist and cannot overlook the crinkled paper issue. Otherwise, buy it, read it, devour God's Word and "praise God, from whom all blessings flow". Amen

I have found the NASB update in touch ministries wide margin edition, top grain cowhide; blue bible to be one of the best made bibles I've seen. If you are looking for a top-quality bible that will last this is it. I enjoy the straight text, large print, and wide-margins; Along with the translation. The WORD is forever! Read it, Memorize it, Meditate on it, Obey it, Hold it dear to your heart! Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

This is a review of the NASB In Touch Wide Margin bible in Burgundy Calfskin, ISBN 1581350708.

PROS
The calfskin is absolutely gorgeous. I've handled the black and the blue calfskin editions of this bible but they do not compare to the feel and grain of the burgundy edition. Compared to the Crossway, Nelson, and Cambridge leather I also prefer this one in particular and it is worth owning nearly for this reason alone. The ribbon markers are of exceptional quality, wide, and long enough to use easily. The paper quality is very nice, and the binding is sewn so that the bible lays absolutely flat from the first use. Everything about the materials here is very high quality and among the finest that you can find. The translation is the Updated (1995) NASB which is very literal and excellent for study. Additionally, this is not a red letter edition which is a huge plus in my book. The concordance and maps are nice enough, and the layout of the pages is very pleasing and facilitates easy reading of the text. As others have mentioned, the only appearance in this bible of In Touch Ministries or Charles Stanley is in an elegant single-page dedication at the beginning of the bible.

CONS
Some of the pages are slightly wrinkled near the inside seam. For an expensive bible this is something that shouldn't be there, however it doesn't affect the ability to read the text or write down notes in the margins. Speaking of margins... The outside, upper, and lower margins are very generous and easy to mark in. However, the inside margin is not very wide and I find that I can only easily write in cross references and one or two words. I've started using the lower margin for notes on the inside column, and the outside margin for the outside column because of this. Also, there are no cross references in this bible. I would prefer to have them for convenience however I am hopeful that I will gain more by researching and writing them down for myself.

Summary
This is hands down the nicest bible I own and it is very pleasing to handle and use. I love the quality construction and hope that it will last for decades so that I can have a lasting bible to write down my notes as I study the word of God. If you are looking for a wide margin bible for note taking or a well crafted calfskin bible you can't go wrong with this bible.

I echo all the other reviews on the beauty of this bible. It is the perfect Bible for taking to church - soft, easy to read, lots of room to take notes and a joy to hold. It is also perfect for just reading the word. For bible study you would want a good study Bible such as The MacArthur Study Bible or Life Applications Bible. This bible if purely for reading and writing in and for that it is the greatest Bible I've ever owned.

This book should be read by anyone not just girls. It teaches
people that if they are molested or abused it is not their fault
especially if they are kids. They didn't do anything wrong. I would recommend this book to anyone who can read.

Jesus, Nina sure wen't through alot! My blood ran cold when her uncle said they were going to adopt a child! Luckily, Nina spoke up. i would have been afraid to tell. Let's hope what Christopher was doing didn't mean any thing. Anyway, it was great!

Nina won't tell is an excellent book from the series Making Out, all written by Katherine Applegate.

It deals with 2 separate topics that Nina won't talk about:

1.) Her crush on her sister's ex, Ben. He happens to also be her best friend's brother.
2.) Her uncle molesting her when she was much younger.

With the help of her friends, Nina is able to confront her past and come out ten million times stronger. By the end of this book, you will be so proud of Nina, even though she is a fiction character.

Nina Won't Tell is basically 2 stories about Nina.

One is that Nina loves Ben, Claire's old boyfriend. Nina has loved him for the longest time, but she hasn't got the guts to tell him. She's afraid that if she tells Ben, he won't love her back and she'll be embarrassed and alone.

The other is a deeper problem that Nina experienced while staying with her Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Mark in Minnesota after her mother died. The problem probably wouldn't have come to anyone's attention if her Aunt and Uncle wouldn't have come out to Maine to visit them. Nina lives in fear until the end of the book.

By the end of the book, you'll have laughed, cried, and mentally said, "You go, Nina!" millions of times!

Somebody should have told Christopher, if he is going to play the field. You do not do it on a small island wherer everything is accessible by foot. He should have kept that on the mainland. I was so glad when Nina blew the whistle on her slime ball Uncle, and when she finally told Ben how she really felt. I like Nina and Ben.

When I started out reading this book, I was very skeptical, and I did not want to read something, that was set in the 1800's. I was pleasantly surprised though, because of what I learned about those times. I loved the characters and thought that they just fit together, especially Lorna and Jens. The book was romantic, but definitely had tragic and horrible moments, as well. This was a great novel, with an expected ending, but I really did enjoy this book a lot.

and this book proves she is at the top! I enjoyed this book even though it was a tear jerker.

Levyrle Spencer can just make you feel what her characters are feeling so effortlessly that you laugh and cry with them and almost forget that they are not real.
Lorna and Jens are one of her most real characters and their situation is also so real. The way they are helpless against their attraction to each other even after knowing it would be disastrous was so beautifully written that you could feel the sexual tension yourself whenever they were together.
Lorna was a rich girl but not spoilt at all. And Jens was poor but too ambitious and proud to become one of the servents in house for Lorna. Their attraction, like it always happens in Levyrle Spencer's romances, grew with each of their meetings to an extent that it was almost unbearable for me(and i suppose all the readers). It became something too strong and inevitable to ignore anymore. I especially liked the scene when Lorna asked Jens if he was ever going to kiss her, "I have considered ordering you to, but it didn't work before." How sweet!
People like Lorna's parents could make something so beautiful and rare into something cheap and dirty. Her mother was so convincing that she made Lorna question her own feelings. Her mother used her shame and guilt as a weapon against her love for Jens and made her give up hope. Jens was angry with her for giving up and i don't blame him.
The ending was Great! It warmed my heart to see Lorna stand up for her love and her child without any shame or guilt.
This is one of those books that you have got to read again and i definately will.

I LOVED this book!!! It is the love story of Lorna, a rich girl (though not spoiled at all), living in the high society of Minnesota in the late 1800s, and Jens, the kitchen handyman, hired by her father to build him the fastest boat possible. The characters come to life in this book - LaVyrle Spencer at her best, so very well written that you can feel their pain, etc. Heartwrenching and very romantic. Reminds me of "Titanic" with the whole upper class/lower class theme. I can't say enough about this book. I just couldn't put it down, it is really that good!!! It is definitely one of my favorites and I recommend it to everyone!!!

The setting of November of the Heart is Minnesota, 1895. Lorna Barnett, the central figure, is the beautiful eighteen-year-old daughter of Commodore Gideon Barnett, a proud man who's a member of the White Bear Yacht Club. The Barnetts are high on the social ladder, and the Barnetts expect Lorna to marry the handsome, well-off Taylor DuVal. However, one summer at their lake house, Lorna unexpectedly falls in love with the kitchenhand, twenty-five-year-old Jens Harkens, the Norweigan, and they begin a passionate, risky relationship. They both know that if they are discovered, Jens will be banished from the lakehouse. Gideon Barnett is passionate about racing boats, and after bitterly losing a race, Jens suggests that he knows how to build a better boat (after all, he is a Norweigan), so he is commissioned to build a boat for the next race. However, his tenure is cut short as his and Lorna's relationship is exposed, and Lorna's life is almost ruined with scandal.

A poignant, passionate read that deals with love at its cruelest and at its heartwarming best, but a lot of times, I felt like the plot was too stagnant and uninteresting. There are not a lot of driving moments/action that make the plot move forward, and the ending is resolved a little too neatly. However, if one does not mind the verbiage and the intense sexual scenes (if one is not comfortable with these kinds of things), then one can enjoy this cute "coming of age" novel for Lorna Barnett and her undying love for her Norweigan.

I could not put the book down.....fast reading and great stories and lots of humor.....one heck of a story teller....

Marty Appel served in the Bronx Bombers' public-relations office for nearly nine years, and was the PR director during the tumultuous early George Steinbrenner years (from 1974 to 1977). Appel's "Now Pitching For the Yankees" recalls the turmoil of that period -- and Appel's ability to function under pressure --with wit, a keen eye for detail and sensitivity.

None of the long hours Appel spent at the ballpark, the turmoil he witnessed, or the high-pressure tactics of owner Steinbrenner have dimmed his appreciation for his colleagues and bosses. It comes through in the pages of this warm, often touching memoir.

The boldface names are there -- including Steinbrenner, Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, Joe DiMaggio and Reggie Jackson -- along with less-famous but pivotal Yankee characters like clubhouse man Pete Sheehy, team execs Michael Burke and Gabe Paul, and Appel's mentor in public relations, Bob Fishel. (It even mentions the writers: Appel's anecdote about one scribe's losing battle with bladder control in Boston is priceless.)

Appel also reflects on his vibrant post-Yankees career, including a bittersweet period with the Atlanta Olympics and a still-thriving stint as a baseball author (subjects include early baseball star King Kelly, former Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and former Yankee captain Thurman Munson).

"Now Pitching for the Yankees" is a good find for anyone who loves baseball, cherishes its history and appreciates the people behind the scenes who make it happen.

As a Red Sox fan, I was ready to read this and get whacked in the face with the hubris usually shown by anything Yankee. I was surprised by the balance shown. Marty Appel knows more about baseball than a lot of people running the game now. He was born about 30 years too late as people like Epsteil, Beane and Riccardi get to run ballclubs, while Mr. Appel 30 years ago had to come up through the ranks with Steinbrenner's Yankees no less. Mr. Appel also wrote an excellent biography on one of the first superstarts of baseball back in the 1800's--King Kelly. I recommend both books highly.

Only if you really know your New York sports would you realize that Marty Appel's in a much more unique position to write a tell-all book about the 1970s Yankees than many other athletes. During his progression over 10 years from Yankees' fan-mail gopher during the Horace Clarke years, to PR director during the 1976 World Series, Appel had once-in-a-lifetime encounters (with the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Mike Burke, Gabe Paul, George Steinbrenner and ... Oscar Gamble) every single day.

"Now Pitching...", finally out in paperback, shows Appel's origins as a Yankees fan when everyone else was rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and how he turned his love for the game into a career (when everyone else was watching the NFL). Most of the book covers the Yankees from 1968 to 1976, Appel's reign. Although many of the stories are familiar to baseball readers from what seems like 100 other books, only Appel is giving you the inside view. Nowhere else will you get such insider detail about Oscar Gamble's infamous haircut, Sparky Lyle's theme music, or George Steinbrenner's management style.

The book flags a little -- only a little -- when Appel leaves the Yankees and makes his mark in other ventures, such as team tennis and local NYC broadcasting. The most interesting part focusses on Appel's brief fish-out-of-water turn with the 1996 Atlanta Olympics organizers.

Marty Appel's been a very lucky guy -- who else gets to be friends with both Mickey Mantle and Billie Jean King? "Now Pitching for the Yankees" is several cuts above your standard baseball autobiography.

Posted 5:49 p.m., December 12, 2001 - Bruce M.
If I may add another book to the list. The best baseball book that I've read this calendar year is Marty Appel's Now Pitching for the Yankees. Marty worked in the Yankees' public relations department from 1968 to 1977, and shares loads of funny and insightful stories about the CBS Yankees and the Yankees of the Steinbrenner Era. The book is well-written, flows smoothly, and strikes me as honest without "hatcheting" people in and around baseball. I'd recommend the book to both Yankee and non-Yankee fans.

In my opinion its hard to grow up in the 80's and not know "Frog and Toad" it was so popular when I was a kid I don't know anyone that didn't read it and with that I had the name Arnold Lobel branded in my mind since. So when I saw this I had to give it a try. "Owl at home" is made up of a handful of little short stories which i find really useful at bedtime cause I can zip through them quickly yet they don't feel rushed and yet amazingly evoke alot of thought and questions afterward. My daughter is the type to pull out 15 books at bedtime so these are a great way to wrap up the night or read something light. "Tear water tea" is my favorite (I find it to be incredibly creative yet true to what you imagine little minds would find sad) cause the images he uses to make himself sad (in order to cry and collect enough tears in a pot for tea) are so cute like spoons that fell behind the stove and are to never be seen again and mornings nobody saw cause they were too busy sleeping! I just love it love it love it I couldn't recommend a beginner book more!

This Arnold Lobel classic should be a fixture on every child's bookshelf. Owl is a gentle soul with whom children can identify, even as they laugh at Owl's silly responses to mundane events in the world around him. Humor ensues when Owl goes too far in anthropomorphizing (tytomorphizing?) winter and the moon, and when he mistakes his own feet for scary bumps under the bed. These stories are a natural for bedtime on a cold winter night, cuddled up under the blankets just before drifting off to sleep.

I originally purchased this book when my children were young, and it was nearly worn out from the numerous readings. My children loved the "bumps" and I always used the "tear water tea" to remind my kids when everything seemed to be going wrong in their world. It is a great little book for children...and some of us adults as well.

My 2 1/2 yr old daughter loves Lobel books and when I moved "up" from the ones in the Easy Fiction area of the library to the Easy - Reader ones I was very pleased as was she. Very short, simple stories with a very clever and imaginative storyline. Like Mousesoup and Mousetails, the stories are just simply good reading stories that my daughter loves hearing over and over and I dont tire of reading.

This book is marvelous. All the stories in this book are so charming, innocent and beautiful. I dont believe my own eyes. Now, all the illustrations are also absolutely wonderful. They are incomparables. As I said, I dont believe my own eyes, because in today's book market (dominated by emptiness, futility and commercial [...]), it is like a glass of pure water in the desert. More, it is a miracle! I read it every night to my children, and cannot put it down myself. I am sad on only one point: I cannot give it 6 stars. Please, buy this beautiful little book to your children. It is a wonderful gift they wont forget. One of these few wonderful souvenirs we all love so much to remember from our childhood.

Roses for Mama is my distinct favorite of Janette Oke's Women of the West books. Angela is so sweet she is just about perfect. Yet, there is enough story to move along. If you read nothing else by Janette Oke, choose this book. Enjoy!

Angela Peterson was only 14 years old and her older brother Thomas was only 16 when they were both left to care for their three younger siblings after their both parents died.
Angela's family moved to the west because their mother wasn't feeling very well and the doctor said that the cooler air might be better for her lungs. Their father sold their farm and they were searching for a new land to build another farm in a region with clear air that would improve their mother's health. Their mother felt better for a while, but when the winter cold made her feel sick again, she knew that she had only months to live. Nobody knew that their father will die even faster.
Now three years had passed. Angela is now seventeen and with the help of her nineteen year old brother Thomas, she worries that she won't be able to raise her siblings to be good people and struggles to teach them what they need to be taught, as her mother would have. Angela also worries that Thomas might soon get married and she'll be left on her own to take care of the children. Angela wishes her mother was still there to guide and help her, but she trusts God and relies on him.
Angela begins to think about her future too. Meanwhile her neighbor's son, a wealthy man from the city moves in and begins to court her. As she begins to know Carter Stratton more and more she realizes that he's not perfect for her, and marries Thane who has been Thomas's best friend ever since Thomas and Angela were little.
I think this book was very interesting and touching. It was also very easy to read. The author described beautifully every point in the story. It's a wonderful story of how God changed their plans, but at the end everything turned out to be even better for them.

This is the third Janette Oke novel I have read, and her books have been consistently good. I think I especially liked this particular novel because the romantic male leads were introduced early, and there were two of them vying for the heroine's attention, which made for a more exciting read. The story begins with Angela and her older brother Thomas running the farm, managing the household, and raising their younger brother and two sisters. Their parents have previously passed away. Enter romantic lead number one - Thane is a good friend of Thomas and the family who works at his father's store in town. It's obvious to the reader Thane is interested in Angela, but she just doesn't seem to see past the old friendship and familiarity to recognize it. Enter romantic lead number two - Carter is the very rich and sophisticated gentleman from back East who comes to town after his estranged father has suffered a stroke and is on his death bed. Angela is taken with Carter's fine appearance, and he makes it know that he is quite taken with her. Obviously, she ends up with one of them, but which one will it be? Finding out is a entertaining read.

My only real complaint about the novel is that it gets a little preachy at one point when Angela explains the salvation process to an elderly neighbor, Charlie. In my opinion, this interupts the flow of the rest of the story. I don't understand why Christian authors feel the need to preach in their novels. Isn't their primary audience already Christian? Wouldn't that audience already understand the basics of the salvation process? It makes me wonder to whom they think they are preaching. I wouldn't expect a casual reader to select a Christian romance novel. Perhaps I am mistaken, and I think this is probably my own little personal irritation anyway. Overall, Roses for Mama is an easy and entertaining read, and the quality is consistent with the other Janette Oke books I have read. I think most readers who enjoy Christian romance novels will enjoy this novel as well.

Janette Oke is a wonderful author and this is a well written series. The reading level is for ages 4-8. My concern is whether it is wise to introduce romance to girls at such a young age? I don't think so and hence my lower rating.
There are plenty other excellent historical fiction series and clsssics for that do not contain romance that I would rather see my daughter reading.

I first read "Roses For Mama" when I was 13 (many years ago), and was completely "hooked" on this story from the start. I have read it over and over and keep thinking about the characters and events even though it's been about a year since my last read. This is excellent fiction for readers of all ages - particularly for teenage girls, as it provides good moral lessons that are strongly needed today.
Though I do agree with some reviewers that Angela is a bit on the perfect side, you can't help but love her. The love that gradually develops between Angela and Thane is very sweet and memorable. One of my favorite scenes between them is after her birthday party, when Thane gives her the necklace (swoon!).
This book is really a page-turner. Thank you, Mrs. Oke, for this story...I wish there was a sequel!

I was given this book by a friend years ago when struggling with seemingly everything. Many of the concepts at that time flew over my head but through the years, they return in poignant, aha-like flashes. The idea of having a warrior's heart-able to withstand great joy and great pain and accepting both as reasonable in life-is the concept that stands out most. I love this book and just bought another copy for a friend looking to be more present in her life. I recommend it for anyone who is truly serious about living life openly and honestly, not just being herded along.

Dispite Chogyam Trongpa's controversial lifestyle, this is the best Spiritual book I have ever read. I agree with the sentiment that I would like to have this book if stranded on an island.

Quoted from the back cover -- "In this practical guide to enlightened living, Chogyam Trungpa offers an inspiring vision for our time, based on the figure of the sacred warrior. In ancient times, the warrior learned to master the challenges of life, both on and off the battlefield. He acquired a sense of personal freedom and power -- not through violence or aggression, but through gentleness, courage, and self-knowledge."

In his view not only was individual enlightenment not mythical, but Shambhala Kingdom referred to an enlightened society that could actually be realized. The practice of Shambhala vision is to use mindfulness/awareness meditation as a way to connect with one's basic goodness and confidence, as well as with that of others and the world. Shambhala vision is described as a secular approach, rooted in meditation, but accessible to individuals of any, or no, religion. In Shambhala terms, it is possible, moment by moment, for individuals to establish enlightened society. source: wikipedia

also a must read Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism

Enjoyable read. Easy to relate with examples book provides. Author draws out ideas presented in the book pretty well. Reading is light but entertaining.

This was the most inspritional book I have ever read. I give as a gift to everybody I haven't already givin it too. BUY this book and if you don't like i will buy it from you!

This book makes a unique contribution to the quest for sanity and significance, for ourselves and our world. It stresses our essential goodness and authenticity. and charts out how we can achieve a standing beyond fear. We can re-focus from fear of death to the "Great Easern Sun vision," appreciating ourselves and our world: a very gentle approach. Written in an approachable and comfortable way, it can help us to reframe our lives, move us to a standing in bravery and tenderness, an orientation so vital to the planet now.

Richard S. Levick and Larry Smith have delivered the definitive book, at least for now, on crisis communications and litigation PR. (Brief disclosure: I have met and chatted with both of them, but this review is, I hope, unaffected by any personal contacts.)

Levick and Smith don't hold back in describing some disastrous public relations gaffes by major companies, and they also give credit to corporations that understood how important the "court of public opinion" can be. These authors also know how to write: the book is free from marketing and PR jargon, and is easy and even fun to read. As a media relations professional and former reporter and editor, I have put this book on my desk next to my computer.

The authors also recognize the importance of blogs - both as tools that a company or law firm's opponents can use and as tools that are well suited to defense as well.

The recommended use of "message points," though hardly original with Levick and Smith, reaches a high plateau here. Their recommendations for pharmaceutical companies, antitrust defendants, even asbestos makers, are not merely plausible but convincing.

Sometimes a firm needs to stand tough and fight the battle in the media. Sometimes it needs to stand down. Levick and Smith help explain the difference.

This would be a five-star review except that the authors' constant use of brief stories -- in a different and jarring typeface -- as sidebars in the text is off-putting and even a bit amateurish. Sometimes, it's even hard to follow. The fact that they must put "continued" lines into their book ("See page 147") should have been a tip-off that the typography here is not ideal.

Still, this is a terrific book.

Don't buy this book for your PR department. Buy it for your attorneys.

Levick bridges the gap between the need for an organization to speak publicly during a crisis and its legal department's desire to keep the corporate yap locked tight. An attorney himself, Levick understands perception trumps fact, and that at crisis time the real battle won't happen in a court of law; it's already happening in the court of public opinion.

Filled with insights and strategies for short-circuiting a media assault from newspapers still in print to online bloggers, "Stop the Presses" is a must-read for those who think they know crisis communications.

Levick also explains the critical need for advance preparation, on-going media awareness and outside legal and communications counsel in a crisis, three steps lacking in too many organizations.

A clear winner.

Dennis Dean
The Dean Group

It's rare that a book can serve as an "insurance policy," but Stop The Presses comes as close as any I have read. Nobody relishes the idea of a crisis situation befalling them or their business--but crises do strike--and by definition, they are unexpected. If a company's management has read, or even browsed those neat little gray "So Don't Forget" boxes at the end of each chapter of Stop The Presses, it will have taken the first step on the road to preparedness.

Ricard Levick and Larry Smith make this sometimes frightening topic eminently readable, and fill the pages with useful, do's, don't and "don't forgets." Their experience is evident all through the book. No book is a substitute for the right advisers and advice, but this one covers many of the crises and legal/regulatory troubles with just enough explanation to start readers on the path to the right kind of actions.

As I stated at the start: it isn't quite an insurance policy, but for $30, it might just save your reputation or your company. And that's probably the best $30 you could spend. Buy it; read it; and hope you never need it. You'll sleep better at night.

After having devoured this book, I can highly recommend reading it.

It is easy to read and offers lots of very practical advice on how to master or even prevent crisis. Richard and Larry have apparently broad experience in helping troubled companies in times of difficulties; and they share their knowledge with a good portion of humor, many real world references and examples, and very helpful appendixes.

Their emphasis on "prevention" made it clear to me how important it is for nearly every company's "survival" to anticipate the potential for crisis and to set up early the required structures. I liked in particular the reminder - or wake up call for many of us - on how important it is to become part of the blog community.

This book should be bed side lecture for everybody who manages communication on behalf of any size and type of company, in particular outside counsel, members of legal and PR departments. It is a great 1x1 on crisis management but also offers lots of depth.

I immediately thought of British Airways' management who should have read this book before opening Heathrow's new terminal and entering into disaster. They would most probably be better off today!

Stop the Presses (2nd Ed.) is a reference book, but it can only be considered a primer for anyone needing to respond to crisis and litigation. I especially like appendix. Most readers will find them helpful.

If you're looking to unravel a twisted up, convoluted, complicated, and painful relationship this is the book for you. It saved my 25+ year old marriage and has enhanced many other relationships as well. My friends got so tired of hearing me rave about the book that they bought their own copies and found their lives transformed as well. It ain't easy work dismantling a lifetime of armour--and don't let anyone tell you it is. But it's welllll worth the effort!!! And really, if you get just ONE thang from the book it will be worth the purchase price...and there's LOTS of thangs to get from the book. This is one you can read over and over again over the years and get something new from it each time. If you're looking for ONE book that hits all the nails on their heads THIS is the one...I've read soooo many books about following your bliss, passionate pursuit of one's dreams, making the impossible possible etc etc and this book is at the core of all of them. You dive into the work of this book and you too will see your life transformed--it's truly amazing. Go for it! peace love & joy Coco

This book really helps you uncover yourself to reveal your inner beauty. People all around you will seem more peaceful. You will be able to be responsive instead of reactive. It is the most uplifting feeling in the world.

I have just finished this book for the third time and decided to buy it (I had borrowed it from my local library at first). I wanted to keep it close at hand so I could read it whenever i needed support in transforming from using my survival behaviors to living from more of my essence. The real life stories make it a personal read and the authors' descriptions of both our "cracked identies" belief systems and our compensating behaviors are both non-judging and clearly stated. Their understanding of the journey from "cracked" to whole seems to come from a universal belief that we humans can and do want to transform old traumas rather than believe in the enculturated view that we are discardable, unloveable victims, living largely unmanageable, tight,fake lives. The authors use very easy to read and remember descriptions of the common "cracked" identities that we all hold and of the compensating behaviors we have taken on to hide these "inherent defects". It is their belief, and now mine after reading their book, that these beliefs can be transformed if we are willing to plumb the depths of the unconscious to identify the identies and their voices that run us. Their "techniques" are simple and straight forward, requiring little more than a commitment to living from the essence of who we are, not from the overlay of beliefs that were thrust upon us in the formative times of childhood. This was not just another "self-help" book; it was a warm and inspiring piece of writing, that is both practical and inspirational. It distinquishes with fine discernment the difference between the vulnerable, whole-hearted way of relating from our essence and living from the tight, practiced, forced, defended facade we all have taken on to protect ourselves from feeling that we are "defective" no matter what.
I highly recommend this book to anyone... those just beginning the exploration of who they are down under all the compensating, survival behavior or those well along in their quest for living from essential self. elisabet skyhawk

This book was recommended by James Flaherty, author of Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others Coaching : Evoking Excellence in Others as well as founder of New Ventures West, the Professional Coaching School I attended. And now I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to deepen their relationship to self and others. I have shared the book with coaching clients as well as friends and family. One of the comments I hear over and over is how people want to read it over and over to really incorporate what they have read into their lives.

What I appreciate about this book is that it is as much about self understanding as it is about understanding our most intimate relationships, perhaps even more so. In our many attempts to change others, it is only when we finally commit to looking deeply within ourselves that we begin to see the world in a new way. Undefended LoveUndefended Love is very clear about this distinction between the work of the self and the work of the relationship.

The other thing I appreciate about this book is the distinction between our essence and the personality we have all been building since we were little ones. This built personality is what the authors Psaris and Lyons refer to as the defended self. Instead of searching outside ourselves for the fulfilling relationships we desire, we must instead look inside and begin to uncover our true essence.

The perspective presented in this book has been invaluable not only in my coaching work, but in my own personal life. You definitely want to read this book if you want a deeply fulfilling relationship for the long haul!

My last relationship was the most beautiful gift I have ever received. It scared me to death and turned me into a little child. I got dumped, and started reading.

I just finished this book, and I must say that I have identified so much about myself that contributed to the demise of this relationship. I am taking steps to heal my cracked identities and reconnect with my essential self.

I am even starting to detach from the outcome of my relationship status. I was dumped with the possibility of reconnecting at a later time. This possibility was the initial spark to my journey inward, but it is that journey that is becoming it's own reward.

Read it and internalize it! I also recommend anything by Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks (authors of the foreword). I did a training with Katie, and she is amazing!