Techniques Books

Not just psychobabble and a soapbox for the writer, which a lot of these type books are--- a very enlightening read for anyone--- from teenagers up.

I cannot speak to how this book will impact others but for myself I found that with each passing chapter I found MYSELF in those pages. I kept thinking over past relationships and how I had done almost every single thing WRONG. This book does not come off as some "new agey" kind of "I'm OK, you're OK" cra*. It just asks you to look at yourself; Look at how you are relating to the world and then suggests a different way of relating.

Ask yourself, "Am I happy with my life, my relationships?" If the answer is no I think this book is worth a read. It gets especially useful if you can get family and friends to participate. That can really help you get through barriers you thought were sealed for life.

After reading Radical Honesty I quite accidentally came across this book in the library! And while I found Radical Honesty compelling and challenging, I also felt uncertain of my ability to truly practice the skills Brad Blantoon proposed.
Susan Campbell presents many of the same challenges to her readers, but gives such powerful concrete examples that I found it easier to understand and begin to apply in my own life.
The Truth Skills are clear, very comprehendable, and while simple in that way, for me living them will be a challenge.
I scored high on all of her self-assessment quizzes - and yet I did not read the book and come away feeling like I am some sort of failure as a person, just that I am indeed like most of the people roaming this earth. What makes me different is my desire to change and grow. Where I see myself failing most significantly in my life is in the area of communicating and relating in healthy ways. Learning to live in "what IS" and not what I imagine, learning to relate and not control, and to listen closely to my self-talk, to feel free to communicate and to be ABLE to communicate and to be real, for example, for me will be life changing.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

Getting Real is an honest and straightforward book about freedom. Many of us, perhaps most of us, learn from early childhood experiences that it's not safe to be ourselves. We take on false beliefs that become part of our adult lives. This book shows us, step by step, how to free ourselves from the need to control how others view us and find the
freedom that comes from "relating" as opposed to "controlling."

The book is organized around 10 truth skills that help us learn to communicate authentically and discover that "we are most loveable when we are most transparent." When we speak from our own experience instead of from our judments and interpretations, we enter the realm of the here-and-now. We learn to communicate our honesty with presence and compassion, instead of trying to prove ourselves right.

Dr. Campbell, a corporate consultant and seminar leader, has found that when people practice these skills, their fear of speaking honestly dissolves. They develop an unshakeable sense of inner safety and security, so they no longer need to control other peoples' opinions or reactions.

Indeed, Getting Real teaches us everything from how to experience reality and how to be transparent (feeling good about revealing your true self) to how to assert your wants and how to embrace silence in a relationship. Dr. Campbell writes, "Profound things happen when two people sit face-to-face and openly explore their feelings toward each other in the present." Susan Campbell, Ph.D. has, in this reviewer's opinion, given us the ability to see and appreciate our true selves!

This is an excellent and very practical book on authentic and effective communication. It is written in a very readable style and presented in a way that is logical, coherent and easy to assimilate. Many of the ideas put forth in this book are not the standard fare ones sees within this genre. When the ideas are what you may have encountered in other readings, they are presented in a fresh light. The one minor criticism I have is that I found the book a bit heavy on case histories or stories. For me, this is somewhat of a weakness, but I know for others this can be a strength. If they had a 4.5 star category, I might lower my rating a bit because of this. Two books that I have found complimentary to this one are Crucial Conversations and Difficult Conversations. I would consider both of these to be excellent books for dealing with family or relationship conflict and they build on the philosophy and concepts presented in this book. This book is more heart centered than the other two and go more deeply into specific conflict resolution concepts. All of them, however, assume a principled, authentic and heart-centered approach to dealing with others.

I have a tendency to be too wordy in my writing, so to learn more focus and control, I have been studying (and writing) haiku. The Haiku Handbook has been an engaging resource for me in those efforts. Each of the book's five sections contains a wealth of ideas and information that both challenges and inspires:

Part One: Haiku Old and New [A great introduction to the experience of haiku and to Japanese Masters. The "Why Haiku" is helpful in clarifying one's purpose for writing such brief poetry.]

Part Two: The Art of Haiku [Natural themes, the form and craft of haiku; this is the section that I like best, and I repeatedly refer back to these pages. I especially enjoy how the author discusses the difference in Japanese and English languages.]

Part Three: Teaching Haiku [How to teach haiku writing to children, lesson plan included]

Part Four: Before and Beyond Haiku [Haiku and its uses]

Reference Section [With Season-Word List & Glossary]

Overall, this is a worthy product for anyone who wishes to delve into haiku more deeply than the introduction that most Westerners receive.

I love this book, as a matter of fact I love it so much I purchased two. One for my desk and one for my purse. Great info for Haiku writers.

The perfect volume for fans and writers of haiku. Indispensable.

Blyth's Haiku Seasons books and Higginson's guide to reading and writing "haiku" in English are two of the necessary books to begin to understand what haiku is all about. I have a difficult time with the idea that a tiny poem written in any of the Romance languages--esp. English-- could be called a "haiku," even though the author might include season words and even the 5/7/5 syllable count. I would much rather call them epigrams, because they simply cannot give you the effect of a Japanese haiku. Anyone who argues otherwise is simply fooling themselves, and you. Given all of that, however, Blyth and Higginson are good books to have on the shelf. Blyth, I believe, is the better writer/translator and his sense of chronology and history is stronger. In addition he gives hundreds of translated gems to admire from Basho, Issa, Buson, and others. He also doesn't try to convince you that haiku can be written in English. Higginson is the warmer writer and his generosity to the reader is apparent from the beginning, so practioners will find him perhaps more useful than Blyth in a practical sense. I disagree with Higginson's history of English language "haiku"--there are some important people he simply leaves out, but he more than makes up for the omissions in other chapters. Both writers impart an enthusiasm for the subject to their readers. If you're building a haiku library and would like a great start, Blyth's four volume set and Higginson's Haiku Handbook are the way to go.

There are very few books on how to write in any idiom. This book explains the hows and whys of haiku. What it takes to get started and to continue to write. I have found this useful in my writing that is not associated with haiku or poetry. This book is a lot of fun to read, and is not stuffy and boring as text books are. It will serve all writers well.

'Guide to watercolor paints' is one of the best books I have ever read on color. Never will you have to buy any brand of color and not know what its made of. From Manufacture to color its all here...

I am giving myself three pats on the back for buying this book and Hilary Page, ten star's for writing it!! Nancy

I recently purchased Page's Guide and I'm delighted that I did. Firstly, the book came autographed and with several appended additions to information. Page's dedication to accuracy and clarity is impressive. Secondly, the book has a remarkable amount of information about all the brands of watercolor paint available in the U.S. relating to lightfastness, transparency, granularity, opacity, and so on, and the colors are actually shown in the book. Unlike other writers of watercolor paint guides, she uses all the colors in her book, which makes it sigificantly more interesting to review and read. Lastly, I take painting lessons from a nationally-known artist who has also published books relating to watercolor painting and color, and she recommends Page's book over others. I had already purchased Page's book, so I was thrilled to hear another expert give it praise.
I rate Page's Guide with four stars because I believe there is always more we can know about art, and Page may decide there's a more detailed edition she needs to publish, and also because actual publication printing inks are not as accurate in depicting colors as seeing the actual watercolor paint on watercolor paper. But for anyone contemplating purchasing Page's Guide, I highly recommend it.

I've read dozens of books on watercolor pigments. This is by FAR the best out there. Complete and unbiased information on all the leading manufactures pigments. This is the only book I keep on my studio desk with me at all times.

"Hilary Page's Guide to Water Color Paints" is a necessary book for anyone doing watercolor. Her coverage is very through and she also has a web page for updating the information. She compares every well-known brand of artists' watercolors from Holbein to Winsor and Newton and her observations will save the artist, whether professional or rank amateur, both frustration and money. What's more, she tested every one herself! I liked the index, which first lists the company and under each company the colors sold. It makes it very easy to check up on the paints that interest you. Her short introduction on pigments and paints is also quite informative. If you work with watercolor you simply cannot afford to be without this book!

By the way my copy was given to me by my daughter for my birthday and was autographed by the author. The author had also neatly written a correction inside the book. This is a dedicated person and her work is much appreciated!

This was the first, and is still the definitive book on the chemistry of watercolor paints. Hilary Page is a fine watercolorist, but her main contribution to the industry has been her copious analysis of the characteristics of various manufacturers, brands, and qualities of watercolor paints. I became interested in the stability of paint in the early 80's while trying to find the most fade-proof pigments available for my own watercolor paintings. I did many of the same tests Hilary did, but no where near as complete. When her book came out much later, I purchased a copy and still use it today. My copy is marked up with notes that I refer to constantly. I feel this book should be on the shelf of any serious student of watermedia.

I received the book in fine condition in a timely way.
Outstanding!

This book comes recommended by Margaret Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World which in turn inspired Robert Buckman, CEO of Buckman Labs, to write Building a Knowledge-Driven Organization. These two books, and two others, Clayton M. Christensen & Michael E. Raynor, The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business (Collins Business Essentials) and Steve Denning's The Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations (KMCI Press) combine with this one by Don Maruska to offer a perfect small library for any person desiring to advance "collective intelligence" and "smart teams."

Some may consider the book simplistic, but I do not. It has just the right amount of text and white space, and its organization as well as its points are compelling.

When the author itemizing the obstacles to cooperation and information sharing: battling egos, conflicting styles, lack of commitment and follow-though, office politics, knee-jerk actions, seemingly irreconciliable differences, an atmosphere of defeatism (or a culture of unfounded arrogance), and a legacy of distrust, he is talking about the $70 billion a year U.S. Intelligence Community that I am so familiar with, and he is probably also talking about the Department of Homeland Security, every local, state, and national organization associated with the catastrophic failure to cope with Hurricane Katrina, and just about any corporation or other organization out there.

His ten easy steps merit listing here, not to rob the book of its punch, but to emphasize that each chapter on each of these steps is hugely sensible, implementable, and profitable: 1( enlist everyone including secretaries and maintenance folks; 2) discover shared hopes rather than differing problems; 3) uncover the real issues; 4) identify all options (in ignored foreign opinion, the US foregos most really implementable options); 5) gather the right information, and all of it; 6) get everything on the table; 7) write down choices; 8) map the solutions; 9) look ahead; and 10) stay charged up.

These are NOT as simple as they sound, nor are they easily implementable without an understanding of the context and the methods that the author lays out in his coherent, concise, and comprehensible manner.

His emphasis on full information, and exploring all the options ("look at the whole tree, not just the limb you are on" all resonate when one thinks about how badly the US has screwed up the so-called "Global War on Terror." First we cut taxes, gutted the Treasury, installed political cronies in key organizations that in turn drove out all the experts long ready for retirement; then we alienated all our allies, provided special tax deductions on gas guzzlers, and invaded Iraq under false pretenses. Now we are creating more terrorists every day than we are able to kill in a year.

For a specific sense of how pathetic our national-security decision making is, see my review of David J. Rothkopf's Running The World: the Inside Story of the National Security Council and the Architects of American Power In New Orleans we had a mayor that left town ahead of the crowd; a governor in denial; a head of FEMA with no clue; and a President on vacation not to be bothered. Not a single one of these have any idea how to actually do reality-based decision-making, or even how to guide a sound inclusive non-ideological decision dialog (not a debate, which the author stresses over and over will destroy the ability to be open-minded).

America is facing some very serious challenges at all levels, from family, neighborhood, and schoolhouse, to statehouse and White House. This book is much more serious than The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and much more likely--when read with the other books I mention above--to help serious people arrive at serious decisions.

EDIT of 12 Dec 07: See the books below for evidence that neither the Executive nor Congress practice decision-making in the public interest:
Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency
The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11
A Pretext for War: 9/11, Iraq, and the Abuse of America's Intelligence Agencies
Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq
The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track (Institutions of American Democracy)
Running on Empty: How the Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It
Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders
Broken Government: How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches

"Don Maruska has provided an excellent blueprint for decision-making success. His book, How Great Decisions Get Made, is an indispensible tool for anyone involved in leadership, in both the public and private sectors. I have had the good fortune to watch Don use these principles firsthand, and I marvel at how he has translated his 10 easy steps into a clear, straightforward guide. This book is one that is destined to be pulled off my shelf for guidance, time and time again." Dr. Steven M. Ladd, Superintendent of Schools.

Don Maruska is a genius. His 10 Steps to reaching agreement are a simple process that any group or organization should use to deal with complex issues. This simple system removes ego from the decision making process and avoids the "me too' speeched that drag out a meeting, polarize the participants and add nothing to resolution of the issues. Don's system enables the group to reach quality agreements quickly and harmoniously.

I think Don's work is one of the most useful "life affirming tools" I have encountered in my 35 year career. It is useful not only in business, but also in family life with spouse and children. I highly recommend his book and methodology to all who want to simplify their life but also be responsible for their actions. I loved it!

Saw this book at my daughter-in-law's and couldn't put it down! I think I've found the perfect engagement/shower gift for the new bride!

I borrowed this book from my local library and looked through it and realized that I had to have a copy of my own. It is a book with very clever ideas on using kitchen equipment, fruits, veggies, you name it. It even has answers to questions that I've always wondered about like.....Why will potatoes and onions spoil more quickly if you store them together?

I like to cook more now because I'm more informed about foods, utensils and equipment. This would be a great wedding shower gift for any young woman starting her own family and who isn't very experienced in the kitchen. I don't know if it would be useful for more experienced cooks because I'm not one. Hopefully that helps.

I've been cooking for more years than I like to count, but this book gave me a lot of tips I never came across before, plus a handy color photographic section on de-shelling lobsters and shrimp and pitting various fruits. However, the tip on shelling hard boiled eggs, one of my cross-eyes bears, didn't work for me. For any home cook, though, this is wonderful recreational, as well as useful, reading.

I love to pick this book up and just read a few pages (I always learn something!) It has also helped me several times when I had a question about how to keep something fresh or how I can substitute ingredients. I gave it to one of my best friends for Christmas and she was thrilled. I have to admit that I am a great fan of Fine Cooking magazine and cookbooks.

This is a must have book for even a professional chef / cook. It is filled with all kinds of great tips that I doubt even a master chef knows.

This book is gift for humanity by Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj. Its simple & practical approach of Meditation appeals everyone. A step by step guide for fruitful meditation & making the life better.

Very easy reading, very practical. A must for seekers after peace, it is food for the soul. Looking foward to reading his next book.

Clear, concise, inspiring chapters present the many benefits of meditation. Simple exercises at the end of each chapter guide readers through a process of personal transformation, with the goal of contributing to outer peace and the raising of global consciousness as well. The foreword is written by H. H. The Dalai Lama. Edited by Paul Cash

This book is very dear to my heart. I enjoy it because it is so simple and easy to read. In plain and uncomplicated language it lays the foundation of WHY to meditate. And, it beautifully describes some exercises we can do now so that we can know ourselves better. It includes simple instruction for beginning meditation technique which has helped me and my friends immensely.

This is the book I most often give to friends and relatives when they tell me they are interested in learning to meditate. I highly recommend it.

Here the author explains clearly each and every aspect. It is Mind touching and makes us to think as what we are doing and how are we living. ONLY an highly experienced person can come with such a book.It covers good exercises for us to think of.

Kornfield has an amazing way of helping to understand meditation and how it can be relevant and practical in the "real world" in which we live. His delightful stories and guided meditations make this book a real joy!

If you are new to meditation this is a must have for anyone taking the first step. It answers all the questions you may have, as well as serving as a guide for this lifelong journey.

Very good way to learn meditation or, specifically, Vipassana meditation. An experienced Zen meditator, I wanted to learn Vipassana, so my teacher suggested I look for CDs by Jack Kornfield. This is an excellent set which can be listened to once a week, with practice in between, just as the workshop was originally given. Each class session includes a meditation period where you use what he has been talking about. Jack Kornfield is clear, funny, and compassionate - a really good teacher.

it was by chance that i discovered my first jack kornfield's cd for meditation.

since then i have been talking about him to everyone.......

anyway, i just ordered this second 6 / 7 cd set, expecting it to get here in anout 4 to 6 weeks.

it came in 5 days.

when you meditate with JK, the force is with you

way to go man

dharma

I had this set of cassettes out from the library - following a 12 week course in the course of 14 days, I had to do one week a day.

I found myself excited to go home & sit on my cushion & examine my mind.

I was already quite familiar with meditation when I got this, this is what jumpstarted my practice into a regular practice that has stuck now 10 years later...

This is a great book on kayaking. William Nealy does a great job of explaining basic and advanced techniques through a combination of words and illustrations. He does all of this while adding a great dose of humor at the same time. Even though this book is a few years old, it is the best book I have found at explaining how rivers work and what is going on under the surface of the water. William Nealy explains how to roll, brace, self-rescue, and rescue others. He explains many concepts that are difficult to explain. As someone just starting to kayak, I have found this book an invaluable asset to have in my aresenal. If you find this book available - get it - you will not regret your purchase.

Great book! The best book I have found for those looking to understand whitewater.

Most introductory paddling books begin with equipment and clothing, run through basic strokes and present a couple of simple moves, eddying out and peeling out, for example, with some fundamental river information thrown in at the end. The assumption is that you will learn what you need to know on the water.

This book is different. It may very well be the best introduction to flowing water on the market. Though it is supposed to be for advanced paddlers, the information and techniques it imparts are useful to boaters of all skill levels. It teaches you to approach a rapid and to figure out how it works, and what it will do to you when you get into it. Nealy's cartoons are humorous and engaging, and offer him a visual means of explaining a sport that doesn't generally translate well into print.

I generally re-read my copy a couple of times a year.

For ANYBODY interested in Kayaking ... this is THE book!

I found it very informative, while also being highly amusing. The illustrations in this book are very entertaining.

Nealy does a great job of conveying his to-the-point descriptions in terminology that even the most novice of paddler can understand. Keep in mind that this book is geared towards the paddler that has been in the water a few times, but it is still a great book if you have never even sat in a kayak. As far as a read, it is great. This is a real page turner with tons of diagrams. I had absolutly no question about what the author was trying to say. Overall, it is an excellent book and well worth the money

This is must for true RMS Titanic robust person who is in love with story that is Titanic.
Ken's artwork is always great and much sought after for a reason. One look at this fine book will squelch all doubts about a pictoral Titanic history. Even in the book his early in life drawings of the Titanic are better than most accomplished artists. It focuses some on his fascination with his favorite subject Titanic. It even gives a fictional look at what the Titanic was cheated out of --- a New York welcome. The book is also one that will capture anyones imagination of the true, and fiction of Titanic. If your a true lover of White Star Lines, or Titanic buy the book!

Ken Marschall reveals a stunning display of beautiful Titanic artwork AGAIN!!!!!!!!Ken also shares with ushow his interest started with Titanic and his amazing paintings. Packed with excellent imformation, but do not get this if you are a beginner historian on the "unsinkable ship", stick with books that you could learn until you're up to my and tons of other's levels of Titanic knowlede on the ship.

Ken Marschall reveals a stunning display of beautiful Titanic artwork AGAIN!!!!!!!!Ken also shares with ushow his interest started with Titanic and his amazing paintings. Packed with excellent imformation, but do not get this if you are a beginner historian on the "unsinkable ship", stick with books that you could learn until you're up to my and tons of other's levels of Titanic knowlede on the ship.

I discovered this wonderful book at a Titanic Historical Society convention and it is one of my most prized possessions of all my books on the subject. Ken Marschall is not only a foremost Titanic historian, but a maritime artist of great talent. Like many, he fell in love with Titanic legend as a child and his passion for art soon combined with his passion for the "unsinkable" ship. This book is a presentation of his love, from art he did as a young boy, to his later paintings. There is art of Titanic in her moments of grand triumph when she was the "ship of dreams" -- and then heartwrenching ones of her in her final moments that freezing April night. We see detailed, haunting Marschall works of how she is now in a watery grave, based on photographs taken by Dr. Robert Ballard, the oceanographer who discovered the wreck site in 1985. Near the book's end, however, is one of my favorite Marschall drawings, one of a scene that never happened, a beautiful Titanic entering New York harbor as her maiden voyage ends. This alone is worth the price of this magnificent book that belongs in any Titanic buff's library.

Ken Marschall has become the definitive artist of the Titanic, and his art has the reality of the photographs we so often lack. This book includes much of his Titanic work, including his very first painting of the great ship, and as a bonus includes some of his other liner artwork, of the Lusitania, Mauretania, Queen Mary, Normandie, and the Andrea Doria, as well as Titanic's two sisters Olympic and Britannic. The Titanic was simply the most beautiful ocean liner ever built - her lines are absolutely perfect - and Marschall captures her with love and respect. Very highly recommended.

I bought this book for my wife's birthday which was in May. She loves to read all of Doris Kerns Goodwin works. The book was in excellent shape just like it came off the shelf. The shipping was very fast and within reason. I will buy more books from Amazon and your reccomended suppliers.
Thank You, William D. English

Beautiful photographs of family weddings. Nice of the Kennedy family to share the photo's of their private moments.Obviously there are 3 photographers who do their weddings and they had permission to run these photos. One of the photographers was Jay Mulvaney and another man called Mr. Reggie took JFK JR and Carolyn's pictures in addition to Arnold and Maria's pictures and the reason I would imagine he is so discreet as his sister is the second wife of Ted Kennedy, Victoria Reggie.)These photographers would make a small fortune if they ever released pictures not previously seen. It would be nice to see more than one of John and Carolyn's wedding, but I guess that is up to the Kennedy's and the Bessette's and they would have to be in agreement. Knowing how much Caroline Kennedy hates the press I doubt it will ever happen.

I love this book on the Kennedys! Definitely it is my favorite Kennedy biography and one of my favorite books ever! Includes many beautiful pictures and great details.

Although rather voyeuristic in its concept, this book is a lovely scrapbook of the nuptials of America's most famous political family.

The photographs are poignant and artful, and the text, while syncophantic, is illuminating with all sorts of wedding minutiae.

The only error I've found in the book is the omission of Robin Lawford in the family tree at the front of the book; all other Kennedy cousins are present in the tree, but Robin must have flown the coop.

You'll enjoy this book, if such books are your sort of thing.

I loved this wonderful collection of stories and photographs about the weddings in the Kennedy family history. In a way, they are America's family (warts and all!) and to see a hundred years worth of fashion, fashions and celebrating was a joy from cover to cover.

I read Mr. Mulvaney's other book, JACKIE HER CLOTHES OF CAMELOT and bought this one as well...it's a complete delight and will make a lovely gift to my friends as they get married.

Well done Jay Mulvaney!