Personal Pages Books

To all of those readers who are incredibly unsatisfied with this book: LIGHTEN UP!!!! This book is what it is and to hold such high expectations to the point of letting it ruin your day is absolutely missing the point of the author's message. Paul Arden is simply providing his insight in small passages and if that approach works for the reader all is well but if it does not: "stop, drop and roll"! Simply put this is a great and easy read that accomplishes it's goal: to make us think!

The author starts off with the following:

"Firstly you need to aim beyond what you are capable of.
You must develope a complete disregard for where your abilities end...
Nothing is impossible."

The author provides some tips for sales and advertising profession. But most of the tips are of vague and general sort (Don't be Afraid to Work with the Best, Accentuate the Positive, If you can't solve a problem you are playing by the rules, Getting Fired Can be a Positive Career Move).

This book, which contains at least one picture (or a drawing) per each page, allows one to think out of the box. I have found the visual approach to inspiration to be quite refreshing.

Yes, the book is short. It probably contains less than 3000 words. But, somehow, I came away more satified and motiviated by its message than its wordier counterparts.

As a pro trader who read a lot of books on creativity, self improvement and contrarian thinking/trading, I found the author's ideas familiar, but not his interesting presentation through extensive and interesting use of graphs, pictures and page designs. I dare not recommend it to any serious self help book reader or creative professional. Nevertheless, it's a good choice for a 30 minute leisure reading.

p.s. Below please find some of my favorite passages for your reference.

Do not seek praise. Seek criticism. If, instead of seeking approval, you ask, "What's wrong with it? How can I make it better?", you are more likely to get a truthful, critical answer. pg 26

If you cant solve a problem, it's because you're playing by the rules. pg 49

There is nothing that is more certain sign of insanity than to do the same thing over and over and expect the results to be different. Einstein pg 51

Fail. Fail again. Fail better. - Samuel Beckett pg 53

It is very difficult for him to imagine anything else if what you show him has such detail. Show the client a scribble. Explain it to him, talk him through, let him use his imagination. Get him involved. pg 81

Different strokes for different folks. pg 82

All these lines (slogans) won the business because all of them made the chairman and staff proud to represent the company they worked for. pg 107

The first thing to decide before you walk into any negotiation is what to do if the other fellow says no. Ernest Bevin
Those who lack courage will always find a philosophy to justify it. Albert Camus
Some people take no mental exercise apart from jumping to conclusions. Harold Acton
What the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve. Clement Stone
We dont see things as they are. We see them as we are. Anais Nin
Going to church doesnt make you a christian anymore than going to a garage makes you a mechanic. Laurence J Peter pg 122-3

I was very disappointed in this book after reading the multiple reviews of it on Amazon.
Arden advocates that "it's wrong to be right" and "it's right to be wrong", arguing that being right contradicts creativity since you're "not open to new ideas." I heartily disagree with his stance here because people that are searching for the "right" answer MUST be open to considering multiple points of view and opportunities in order to find the right answer; therefore the very idea that a person has come to a right conclusion presupposes that they are (or at least have been) open to new ideas.
When he talks about being wrong, he presents it as if it were a worthy goal to achieve. This section starts out with "Start being wrong and suddenly anything is possible". Pretty erroneous in my opinion, but then again he would probably consider that to be a compliment.
I am sure you could get some benefit out of this book if you tried hard enough, but it would take some concentrated effort as the whole 126 pages contains similar low-content nonsense (like, "You don't have to be creative to be creative"). I wouldn't recommend spending actual money on this book, let alone taking the minimal amount of time required to read it.

Typographically interesting, but corny graphics. Just when I started to think "oh, this is interesting, what gem will he have to say on this?" he pulled the rug out and moved on to a completely different thought on the next page. I am not happy this man got my money, but commend him on the cover advertising that tricked me into thinking this was worth reading.

This is not really a book about professional wrestling.

This is a book that is partially set in the world of professional wrestling. The subject of the book is really positive thinking.

It's out of print, and it may be hard to get, but if you are into human potential and the power of change - combining discipline with positive thinking - then this is a VERY good book.

If you know (or if you are) a wrestling fan who needs to hear this message, then this may be the PERFECT book.

Some people think that Dallas Page is a relentless self-promoter, but they're the ones who haven't been listening. He believes that anyone can do anything that they really want to - if they're willing to work hard enough for it. He uses his own life as the example.

It's worth a read.

I guess everyone and their mother decided it was time to write their gripping life story. This poorly written book is yet another discredit to the wrestling business. This is a business where so many people have given pride back to the business and then Page Falkenberg produces a book written on a third grade level full of wrongful facts.

The question is obvious, why does Diamond Dallas Page even have a book? I can't answer that one. If he has a book then why doesn't Marty Jannetty, Pat Tanaka, Buff Bagwell or even Scotty Riggs? Why don't they? Because with all due respect nobody would want to read a full book about these wrestlers. Certainly one shoot interview on video or 4 page one on the Internet would be enough for a fan. Just like Bill Goldberg, Page is another guy who was convinced by Eric Bischoff that they were a star and even though he is by the way one of the worst champions of all time according to the ratings, Page bought it.

This book was the fire back from WCW to the WWF at the time for having Mick Foley's book. Well if that is the case, that is a bigger joke of a fireback then the debut of the Maestro. If you are looking to buy a good wrestling autobiography, pass on this one at the bookstore. It is a terrible book!

It is a well known fact that DDP is a no talent in the wrestling business who got to the top by kissing Eric Bischoff's ass. They were next door neighbors for godsakes. DDP's book is full of crap. He never drew flies. His workrate sucked. He was over, but not to were he drew money. The book itself is bad. 400 someodd pages of his life. 200 of it on wrestling. He writes about how he was a bar manager for 200 pages. This was incredible dull. He puts himself over so much that it is tiring and he positively sucked. He was a product of the WCW Bischoff era and we now know why WCW went under. DDP you will never be in the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame. And that's not a bad thing, that's a good thing.

good book and all, ddp's a cool guy and everything, but none of the books compete to foley's 2. but hell, ddp still made a good read. get foley's 2 first (like you haven't) then get bobby the brain's second.

All the History comes flooding back with each word. The times and places so easily parallel life and it's many hits one takes, leading to a the ultimate take-down. We all wish the best and try our best, some deal with the injuries better than others...some will always keep the bag of ice handy so the swelling doesn't show. We can all take a lesson and hope that our trials will bring us back to the same familiar places so near and dear someday. Here's to happy summers on the shore with those we'll always treasure. One Jersey girls' dream.

I enjoyed this book because it forced me to take a long, hard look at myself and what I have been doing to get in my own way. If you are serious about changing old patterns get this book.

Very interesting hints and points how to meet people who match with your intrests and needs.

This book was recommended by a psychologist I met while traveling in southeast Asia. Even though the title is a strong, the book is amazing. It is an easy read and really helps you look at yourself. This book does NOT put the blame of being single on others or your environment. Each chapter focuses your issues/hangups with relationships. You will need a small notebook or a few sheets of paper to do the exercises at the end of each chapter.

In addition to looking at your issues/hangups, it also helps you realize what you are looking for in a partner and reflecting on past relationships.

Now that I have finished reading it and have talked about it with my friends, they want to buy it too.

I found this book too be a little depressing and misguiding. The author gives many examples and discussions of realtionships that went wrong which may be helpful in deciding to get out of a relationship but doesn't do much to help find a good one. The viewpoint is definitely biased towards the female side of what intimacy should be like which I feel is unfair to men and not helpful. Men are men, thank goodness. The author also prescribes to the idea that no one will love you unless you love yourself, that you have to get past your fears of intimacy before you will find the right person and that commitment phobes are people with "issues" (as opposed to being just your standard every day jerk). In general the book is unmotivating and not real world.

If you have ever wondered why you're single, this is the book for you. It surpassed my expectations and is something I'll be recommending to friends. The book deals with the complexities in personal relationships and causes you to analyze your own behavior and confront some of your issues. It is LESS about men and their behavior and more about you: Which is the way to find healthy love by having happiness begin with you. Some great topics it covers are: examining your hidden ambivalence, how to say no when you're in the wrong relationship, how to detect and avoid men who aren't going to commit, and the best part: how to identify and say no to "BTN's", which are better than nothing relationships. A pivatol point in the book was when she discussed how you can be with a really great guy, but there might be one thing missing. And if it's something big then you have to walk away rather than settle for someone who is "almost" Mr. Right. I think many people settle and this book will show you how not to.

This well written book covers Lauren's entire life, from her childhood in the 1920's through the new century into 2004! She writes with beautiful emotion, and shares her innermost feelings and fears with her readers. You really get to learn a lot about her as a "real" person, instead of just the stunning face we see up on the screen. She was very career driven, but also had a family. She does not write much about her children or grandchildren. I am not sure if that is because they are not very close or not too involved with her life because she was so career driven, or if she thinks we want to mostly know most about her career, or because she wants to keep those relationships private, it's hard to guess.
I think this book is a must read for any fan or hers, or Bogarts, or anyone interested in acting, or in Hollywood's Golden Age.

As for the reviews here that complain about her putting in sections about her political views... She was active in politics all her adult life. That is part of her life, why wouldn't she put that stuff in her book? And as for the end of the book where she talks about all her friend's funerals and deaths... well, if you are lucky enough to live a long and healthy life like she has, you unfortunately have to endure the deaths of all of your closest lifelong friends. Those deaths will effect a person greatly. Of course she wrote about them, that is what has been happening in her life in these later years. She was kind enough to tell us about the pain she went through and how she happily remembers those friends. I think it is beautiful how she trusts the reader with such openness. So, I am very dissappointed with the reviews that are negative for that reason.

A book that just goes on about herself and people she know's --if you are a Fan this is a must to own ..

I had read Miss Bacall's previous book, so thought to myself,for the price that Amazon was selling it at, so be it. I'm buying! What else could this great legend say however? A lot. The book was filled with many more personal stories and interests than I suspected it could be. It is an excllent book on one of the last of the great legends in Hollywood. I loved the book. Got her to sign it too, she was most gracious.

Follow Betty Bacal, the shy daughter of a Rumaniam immigrant, as she becomes stage struck, trains as a actress, has an overnight success modeling for Vogue, and is transformed by director Howard Hawkes into Lauren Bacall, the newcomer who sweeps Humphrey Bogart off his feet.

Bacall's tale is irresistible, and she tells it well. The story of her transformation at Howard Hawks's hands into the Slim of "To Have and Have Not" is all the more delicious because Bacall remains, while the cameras are not running, an inexperienced teen who misses her mother and her family in New York. Bacall's off-screen innocence contrasts strikingly and delightfully with her knowing on-screen persona.

Bacall's account of her romance and marriage to Humphrey Bogart is graceful and moving. Bacall quotes Bogart's letters to her during their courtship: these reveal his stunned incredulity at finally finding love after a lifetime of romantic failures. Their marriage is a sweet reward to Bogart after years of domestic strife, and his gratitude at finding happiness and fatherhood in midlife is tremendously affecting. Bogart's gallantry and courage in his final illness reduced me to tears, as did Bacall's despair at losing the love of her life.

By her own account, Bacall's second marriage to Jason Robards was not a success. She cares for her children (two by Bogart and one by Robards), but they do not appear central to her life. The great loves dominating Bacall's post-Bogart years remain her mother and the acting profession. Bacall's dedication to her craft is evident, both on stage and on screen, and she remains ever grateful for a good role-- a gratitude that grows more poignent as she ages.

Any weaknesses? A few. Then Some, penned 27 years after By Myself, doesn't live up to the magic of the first installment, although one must admire Bacall's spirit in producing it. And Bacall's rather cursory depiction of her children leaves the reader wondering about the status of her relationships with them. But these criticisms are minor ones when measured against the charm and drama of Bacall's story.

Lauren Bacall is now in her 80s. Her memoirs span over 60 years of cinema and stage history. Her story is well worth reading for those who appreciate American theater and film. Highly recommended, especially for those interested in the private side of the Bacall-Bogart saga.

I am someone who did not read the first book. As such, this was all new to me. I can honestly say that the beginning of this book was the BEST autobiography I have ever read. Never, have I gained such insight into the things I longed to know about a "star" and their associates.

When Lauren Bacall describes her growing up in New York I can see and feel all of those locations. I picture her handing out programs in the theater. I am in the room with her, and nervous, when she is meeting Bette Davis. I fall in love with Humphrey Bogart, just based on her descriptions of the early romance. She truly taps into my first love. As such, my spirit is crushed with her during his last days. I feel her upset, joy and bravery all through the book. This is outstanding, personal, and descriptive writing.

I do agree that the last chapters of the book bring the book to a terrible halt. Still, this book is unfairly rated by those who read the earlier book without the stale ending. 75% of this book is still the earlier book-- the 5 star book. The ridiculously low ratings are especically unfair, when most are based on the Bacall's statements about our current president and have nothing at all to do with her book!

I am giving 4 stars, and recommending the earlier (5 star) book simply because the ending of this one reads like an endless obituary. I will pass this one on and pick up the first one as I know I will want to read it again. It is wonderful!

In fact, I dare you to try and read it without revisiting a Lauren Bacall/Humphrey Bogart movie and feeling like you are there.

I came to this book with considerable experience in ASP, and with fair experience over the past year with ASP.NET, mainly in C#. I also have some experience with Java and object-oriented programming. I wanted to learn how to create custom web controls, and this is one of the few books on the subject. The authors are members of Microsoft's ASP.NET team, so they know the inside story, and technically, they show their knowledge of the topic.

However, the book basically assumes not only that you know C# thoroughly, but also that you understand the event model that is more along the lines of desktop applications. Chapter three hits you with an abstract discussion of component and event programming that is difficult if you're not already familiar with the topic, and the book never really looks back after that. I struggled through the first thirteen chapters before giving up, not feeling like I have a grasp of how I could build controls. At this point I'll either have to painstakingly go back through much of the book again, hoping to catch on, or else find another resource.

The other problem is that when introducing a topic, the text rarely gives a good explanation of why the topic is important; instead, it jumps into details of interfaces and methods. A good example is in chapter nine, when the book turns to processing postback data. Sure, it's important that the control be able to interact with the data in a form, but what does that mean for the control? An example of how this would work and be important would be key here, but instead, the authors open the section with:

"We'll now look at the postback data processing architecture that enables a control to retrieve form data submitted by a user, update its state, and raise events in response to changes in its state. To participate in postback data processing, a control must implement the IPostBackDataHandler interface and render elements whose HTML name attributes have unique values on the page" (p. 203). The discussion continues with the technical details of implementing the interface. By the time they get to the code sample, it's tough to see how the snippets of code added to the previous example helps handle postback data.

I expect that if you are an experienced C++ and C# applications programmer, you'll find the book a great help and reference. If you're fairly new to programming, or most of your experience is with Web applications, I would look elsewhere (perhaps the O'Reilly book by Lowy, though I haven't read that one so can't endorse it either). I realize that topics like event handling are more advanced, but there should be a book that can convey it understandably to the intermediate-level Web programmer.

This is the de-facto "advanced" book on authoring ASP.NET server controls and components. I read a couple other "for dummies" books to get up to speed, but I still had quite a few unanswered, nagging questions. Well, this is the book to take your development of ASP.NET controls and components to the next level by removing the veil for some of the magic going on behind the scenes.

It may be a nice reference but in no way it is a good explanation of how to get things done! The authors wrote the book without thinking of what readers might want to see.
This is technical writing not a tutorial. I've read great tech books (like .NET Framework by Jeff Richter) where one doesn't have to read a paragraph twice. This book is not one of those.
It is also very difficult to trace how things are related to each other and where they come from.

If you are a proficient ASP developer and are familiar with advanced C# progrmming topics like events and delegates, this book gives you a thorough knowledge about server controls. After looking into many ASP.NET books, this is the first book which doesn't waste the reader's time to describe non-related topics.

I have been a C++ (Visual / MFC/ WinAPI) developer for nigh on 10 years and I think this book is extremely confusing.

I've written my own navigation control in VB and wanted to learn more, in depth, about how to create controls and implement design-time behavior. This book just kills me.

I read the first 3 chapters with a question mark imprinted on my brain. In those first 3 chapters the authors explain (I guess you could call it explain) delegates, page programming model, and event-handling and none of it sinks in. I've read the chapters 2 times and still I'm staring at a question mark.

And, after 3 chapters I expect a sample relating to a control, but here I have nothing.

And I really like Jesse Liberty's books and I see his compliment above. I guess this book is for PURE GENIUSes. So if you're a PURE GENIUS, then you may like this book. Otherwise, keep on searching. Maybe chapter 4 will be better.
I can only hope the question marks go away.

This has to be the worst computer book I have ever read. It is very confusing, badly explained and full of mistakes.

It starts off with an overview of the .NET architecture which is totally meaningless. Nothing is explained, jargon is thrown about without clarification and there are some obscure diagrams which are not explained and don't mean anything.

The book is supposedly aimed at Classic ASP programmers (amongst others), yet spends a very dull chapter giving an overview of ASP.NET, without bothering to point out that almost everything explained is EXACTLY the same as Classic ASP.

The chapters on controls are really badly explained. He doesn't bother telling you what's going on, just gives some code (which is as full of mistakes as the text) and doesn't explain most of it. He throws in new controls and code without saying why or what it does.

Most of the text is self-contradictory and confusing. It swings from stunningly basic explanations of simple concepts to complex ideas that just aren't clarified. You are elft in total confusion.

The book is supposed to have a companion web site, but it doesn't exist.

In short, this book is not worth receiving as a present, never mind paying good money for. Given the normally high standards of Que's books, I can't imagine how they allowed this one to be published, especially with so many errors in it.

Don't buy it. Don't even steal it, it's that bad.

I would mirror the concerns of many reviewers above. Code samples contain frequent errors, including this gem:

void page_load(Object Sender, EventArgs e)
{
Dim myDataSet as DataSet;

... switching between language mid code-segment is obviously incorrect - and demonstrates to me that the author hasn't bothered to test the code he's written. This suspicion is further evidenced by his habit of leaving out crucial lines such as includes in other code segments.

Add this to his amusingly frustrating behaviour of referring to important concepts in an introduction to a section then never elaborating, I can't help but think this entire book is some sick joke written out of some sort of psychosis he developed as a child.

It says in the introduction the author lectures - I pity his students.

That this book was written in beta is very unfortunate indeed. That it has gone this long without an update is tragic. And that the publisher will not accept a trade-up for a more recent book is downright dirty.

The book is not worth its price. There is no CD and the book is laden with beta code that often times does not give the beginner the slightest hint as to what to try to make it work.

Yet this piece of work has its qualities. Not able to get anything to work past page 150, I put the book down and began reading two other books on .NET. At a certain point, the .NET light clicked on in my head. And now, a year later, I've returned to this book to find many valuable gems that my other books never mention.

This book is best suited for the intermediate .NET programmer, who has grasped the major differing concepts between ASP classic and .NET. Until then, the book is a jumble of listings that seem like you'd never use them. I've found this book to be a helpful (albeit inaccurate) resource when I need to quickly acquaint myself with a new object or class (the only reason I give it TWO stars instead of ONE)

If you're a beginner to .NET (or programming) I highly recommend "ASP.NET for Web Designers" by Peter Ladka.

The book has no coherent structure. He never relates the abstract information to a practical application or to specific examples of code.

If you don't have a background in programming, you're not going to be able to make sense of what he's trying to get at when he talks about programming languages. This is a pattern indicative of the entire book. If you don't have a background in what he's taking about, you won't understand him, but if you do have a background in what he's talking about, you don't need the book. Classic catch 22.

The examples include 99.5% of the code needed to work, and the author assumes you can figure out the remaining 0.5%. If you can't, the entire example won't work.

This is by no means a reference book on any kind. So often when reading through the book, the author will say that x, y, and z are the most common features/attributes, leaving me scrambling for information on all the features/attributes he left out, which happen to be the ones I need to use.

I don't know why I'm getting such a radically different opinion from the other reviews, but I certainly did not link this book.

This book understandable unlike another book I have on ASP.NET. I don't know why, but authors love to show you their programming prowess at the expense of the material. Leinecker doesn't fall into that trap, but delivers unencumbered content that's understandable.

This book changed my life. It only took five years. I now have $0 bills and a nice nest egg. Just follow the advice in the book to the letter. I give this book to everyone I care about.

Her style is annoying and smarmy, but that's the least of it. Claiming it came to her "out of the blue," Mary Hunt stole her newsletter idea (and story ideas and some illustrations) from Amy Dacyzyn's Tightwad Gazette (Dacyzyn has records that Hunt subscribed to her newsletter from Dec 91 - 93; Dacyzyn corresponded with Hunt regarding obvious "copying" of ideas and illustrations but Hunt did not reply or attribute the source).* First called "Cheapskate Monthly" and now "Debt-Free Living," the preview issue on Hunt's website likewise presents unattributed ideas as Hunt's own (Heloise's vinegar hints, for instance). She advises you to buy a house at half the price that you can afford, make double payments so that you can pay off the mortgage in "about five years," and then sell that home and buy the house of your dreams. This is a program outlined in Ted Carroll's LIVE DEBT FREE (published 1991), which she cites (amazingly!) in "Complete Cheapskate" but claims as her own idea on her website. "Owning your home free and clear," she says, "...is what Harold and I are working on now." (Cough, cough! She's had plenty of time to put her plan into action, plenty of dollars to do it, and she's "still working on" it?!?) Meanwhile she has churned out an armload of books and regurgitated her ideas for every TV camera she can find. She doesn't have to practice what she preaches because she hauls in the dollars of the faithful through coaching seminars, books, and her newsletter (a $29.95 value, she claims, but if you check it out, you'll see it is a compendium of links to other sources, outdated quotations, and self-promotion).
I'm afraid that with the current economy, a lot of people will be tricked into shelling out for this kind of warmed-over hash. Check it out at the library, if you must, but don't buy it. I've found Ron Blue's Master Your Money to be a more practical, Christian and truthful resource. Amy Dacyzyn's work is the original (which is why she is so widely copied). Flylady.net has budgeting and checkbook hygiene advice; googling will provide more information than you can ever process. Why doesn't Mary just admit that the way she got out of debt and broke free from money worries was not by being a cheapskate, but by being a plagiarist?

*Sept. 1996, Issue 76, The Tightwad Gazette

This is a great primer for those getting started on a path to living debt-free, living on one income, or just trying to be fiscally responsible. Hunt talks about attitudes about money that can be helpful to take on, strategies for thinking about and reducing your debt, and lists a number of weighty cheapskate tips that I found very helpful.

The only odd thing about this book is that it mentions God a number of times and suggests titheing and other activities and attitudes that have to do with God, yet it does not mention God or Christianity anywhere on the front or back cover - I don't know why. I am not a Christian and so I just skipped over these parts, but I would have liked to know that I was reading a book based on Christian beliefs before I bought it, since it wasn't just the odd mention.

Other than that surprise, this is a book I'd recommend to those new to frugality.

Being the ultimate cheapskate I went to the library to look at this book to see if I would want to buy it. I am so glad I didn't buy it first. Everything in this book you can look up in the net for free. There are no suggestions that I haven't seen before.
If you are brand new to the frugal experience, save your money and do web surfing instead. You are already paying for that.

Loved this book. So many practical ideas for getting out of debt. Especially her rapid debt repayment plan. I appreciated Mary Hunt's inspirational story for motivation. It's a very useful book!

I wanted to read this book because I thought it might give me some ideas about coaching others on how to organize their lives and businesses. I never even considered that I myself might be a clutterer, but the more I read STOP CLUTTER FROM STEALING YOUR LIFE by Mike Nelson, the more I came to realize there are areas even in my life where I have allowed clutter to take over.

When my wife and I married 8 years ago, I had a house full of stuff, she had a house full of stuff, and now we have a two and a half car garage full of stuff. 8 years! This book has made me realize it's well past time to take action and rid our lives of some of this stuff we will never use! I also found many other useful ideas such as better organizing my own office, even finding ways to make better use of our closet space.

Clutter is all around us. This book will help you get things under control again. It's the old AA mantra of first admitting you have a problem. Often things we don't even realize put our lives into a state of turmoil. For instance, after reading this book, I realized when returning home from a business trip, it takes me much longer to unpack (sometimes up to a week) than it took me to pack! Putting something like that off just disrupts our lives.

There's a lot of information here. Some you will find useful, some not so much. But there is no doubt you will find something that applies to you and ways to make your life or business run smoother.

This book is different from other decluttering books in that it focuses on finding balance in your life and helps you get to the root of problem. This way you begin to become healthy instead of just throwing your junk away and later accumulating more.

I've discovered my need to keep stuff around, particularly books, knitting supplies and old clothes, stems way back to my childhood when my mom threw away my stationary, sticker, toy & book collection. Often I'd come home from school to find my stuff gone, either given away to a cousin or friend or thrown in the trash, because she went on a crazed cleaning frenzy while I was away. This makes sense to me but I never put two and two together until reading this book. Fortunately this is one of the easier "causes" of cluttering to overcome (especially since I dealt with mom issues years ago), unlike compulsive shoppers or people with serious depression, anxiety or OCD conditions which I'm thinking this book won't do much in the way of helping without some therapy and medication.

This book gives me hope that if I can just do a little at a time, he recommends working in 15 minute increments, one day all of the junk will be gone and I will actually be able to park my car in the garage!

The one section that I disagreed with is the one about dealing with clutter you may one day inherit. The author recommends confronting your parents, grandma, etc. and pretty much forcing them into weeding through and getting rid of their junk (with your help, of course) so you don't have to deal with it later. To me that sounds so invasive if not insulting. Getting rid of your junk has to be a personal decision you make, not forced upon you by someone else and the author is a bit contradictory here. I'd rather hire one of those gotjunk places and have them haul it away instead of alienating and offending my relatives to save me some work when they die.

There's a bunch of info. here for businesses dealing with clutterbugs and home office clutter, etc. that I didn't find particularly useful because I am strangely organized at work but I'm sure it would be helpful for others.

A big bulk of the book focuses on the emotional issues which cause clutter and features true stories written by real people struggling with their clutter problem. I don't know about you but it sure makes me feel less strange to know there are others out there who have more clutter than me!

This book is jam packed with information and is a very helpful starting point for those just beginning their decluttering lifestyle change. And as the book states many times, it is a lifestyle change.

Stop Clutter
From Stealing Your Life
Mike Nelson
ISBN: 978-1-60163-008-7
New Page Books, 2008
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 07/2008
Not your typical de-clutter book... 4 stars
I have read a lot of de-clutter and organize-your-home-and-life books. Stop Clutter is different. The focus of this book is on why we hoard and clutter our lives. Nike Nelson is the founder and executive director of Clutterless Recovery Groups. He delves into the why we clutter and why we hoard. The difference between a hoarder and a person that clutters is distinct. A hoarder "can't tell trash from things of value." A person that clutters has a "this might come in handy later" attitude.
Stop Clutter is a must read book if you are or know a person that clutters or hoards. It helped me to understand the behavior of others. The information within the pages of Stop Clutter is insightful. If you need a book to help you organize your home, look elsewhere. Nelson does not tell you how to organize your home, but does help you to understand why you behave the way you do.

Because I have been a leader in a local simple living group since the 90's I have also amassed a nice selection of books on decluutering, zen living, feng shui and other simple living ideas.

This book however is the first to have an entire chapter (9) devoted to the subject of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention Deficient Disorder (ADD), Hoarding, Depression, and other mental and physical health issues. All from a medical standpoint, complete with factual information from the medical experts.

And very informative on how much this is costing society as a whole. Even more so and very timely when one looks at the economic concerns so many Americans are having in 2008, and the rise in depression rates as well as according to some experts a rise in the number of people who are stuck in a clutter mode, afraid to move forward or backwards.

Mike Nelson writes, "Whatever your religious affiliation, you'll find something that will help you get closer to your God through decluttering." (p. 189)

He's not kidding around, and by golly, I believe him. If cleanliness is close to Godliness, as we have been taught, then neat and organized is at least saintly.

Personally I think Nelson is on to something profound. He opens the book with these words of wisdom: "This book is about more than just decluttering. It's about balance. A cluttered household is an unbalanced household. It's about not recluttering. It's about not having to buy more and more stuff to fill a hole in our souls. It's about learning what's really important in our lives and not using stuff to hide from life. People and pets are important; stuff is not...."

Nelson digs deeper into clutter than I thought humanly possible. Frankly I'm amazed. He asks first of all, "Are You a Clutter?" (Chapter 1). He makes a distinction between "hoarding" and "cluttering." "...[H]oarding is more dramatic...If you're a hoarder, it's unlikely that even a book as good as this one, by itself, is going to help you much...A clutter's mental attic at least has more lights on, so you can see your way around the boxes of mental eddies." He adds, "Hoarding is a medical diagnosis. Cluttering is a layman's term." He quotes John P. Zak, who is a psychiatrist, to the effect that the distinctions are not entirely clear, but "A hoarder finds it very difficult to get rid of the stuff without the occurrence of severe distress unless it is done in a very systematic, well-planned-out, therapeutic approach." (p. 143)

I would like myself to make a distinction between cluttering and polluting. Cluttering only messes up our own lives and those who have to live with or very near us. Pollution can destroy far and wide. So relax, fellow clutterer, you are not a polluter, at least not in my view. By the way, I'm known as neat, but I know the hidden truth: you should see the files on my computer!

Nelson gets down to the nitty-gritty of getting rid of clutter in Chapter 4 "40 Ways to Leave Your Clutter" (with no apologies to Paul Simon, or to those used to an ordinary 12-step program). First there is kindness and understanding in the guidance: "Be kind to yourself...Start small. Make small, reachable goals...Your goal is to have a home where you feel comfortable...Think locally, not globally. Try decluttering in 15-minute increments...." (pp. 54-55)

One gets the sense that Nelson has been up against it for a long, long time (and he has). But is he getting soft? Well, no. Consider some more of the 40 ways: "Make cluttering an area you've decluttered a crime in your house...Shopping is not a sport. The less you buy, the less you have to declutter...You're allowed to have more than one shredder...Never, ever, ever, ever give up. I have enough faith in you for both of us." (pp. 55-57)

Here's an answer to the joke question, "how do you know you're a redneck?" "The new TV sits on top of the old TV." More probably this could be a clutter joke-on-the-square. I've seen it, and I've heard the excuses for it. "Better height this way. The new TV isn't broken in yet. You never know..."

Nelson understands all this and a lot, lot more. There's even a chapter on "OPC--Other People's Clutter." You think you're doing your surviving relatives a favor by leaving all that junk to them so they can go through it after you're dead? Forget it. You are just giving them a burden. Nelson emphasizes that it can be very emotionally painful for your loved ones to go through all that junk. Shape up and ship it out before you go-go.

Chapter 7 is on paper clutter, and paper clutter leads to computer filing, and yes, you can be (I am! I've already confessed) a file clutterer and an email clutterer

I'm going to work on it. I promise. Yahoo gives me unlimited space (ah, the riches), so why should I delete a single email? Well, because I can't find anything. Nelson's advice is succinct: "Read, respond, delete." (p. 225)

Chapter 7 also includes a little multiple choice test to find out what kind of learner you are, so you'll know how to go about learning to clean up the clutter. I'm a "D," a logical learner with A (visual) tendencies. C's (emotional learners) declare, "I can't breathe. I'm drowning in clutter." D's state firmly that they'll start "at the left corner of my desk and work to the right." Yeah, but how about the procrastinator learners?

Nelson also guides us on how to live with clutterers. He makes this salient point (among many others): "Cluttering is about control. In a household with a clutterer and non-clutterers, the clutter always wins." (p. 162) He adds, "For clutters married to each other, each one sees the other's clutter as "a real mess," and will be sure to point that out." (p. 163)

Dang! This is a good book! I could go on and on. Fortunately Amazon has a word limit... Well, one more thing. Nelson ends the book with affirmations and promises. Here's one of the best for clutterers: "I live in a clutter-free environment, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally." (p. 245)

This book is helpful if you are a lost soul. It lets you see many ways of viewing your self. Of course you have to be an open minded person to consider many of the ideas here.

Fertile Prayers: Daily Fertile Prayers

Learning about yourself is an indirect way to connect to many, many other people. Reading this book gives an understanding about how gypsies, psychologists, and many, many cultures figure out meaning of life, and who each of us are as well as how we fit into a schema.

I am connected to this author, by example, by the autoharp. Stephen Hawkins was at one time proficient in autoharp. I also just read a book about many facets of India called Karma Sutra by Menen on the subject of sex workers. The connection we each have is to each other.

Gathering together so many different ways of seeing oneself, this book reflects how much emphasis has been placed on the self in our times. Playing with all of these ways does help one "see" different perspectives, but perhaps not all of them. Keep this book handy to dislodge yourself from a static position. However, if we're looking for more dynamic information, we would be better served to look beyond these mirrors and see the mystery of others outside of ourselves. Then, upon reflection, we will recognize the mystery of ourselves more readily and more deeply than these 101 ways.

This book is a conglomerate of 101 "tests" ranging from physical appearance, to customs, things you do, like or dislike. It's funny to find out that how you see yourself sometimes differs a lot from how people see you. This book is for those who are looking to have a fun and good time finding out how you see yourself and how those around you see and value in you. Great tool to objectively become a better person and showing you your areas of improvement.

I think the book should come with a disclaimer.. Do not take these tests as serious psychological assessment! I think the book has wonderful entertainment value (5 stars worth). The tests are catalysts for introspection, which ultimately help in figuring out who we are. All I'm saying is don't go jump off a bridge if your 'Are you stable?' test brings less than desirable results.

The book and chapters looks great, however it is impossible to run the samples, I got a lot of wrong messages. I tried a lot of time without result. Do not buy this book.

I was allotted money by my boss to get books to learn ASP to expand our websites capacity. I got the SAMS Active Server Pages 3.0 and this book based on reviews I'd read. I ALMOST NEVER USED THE JUMPSTART BOOK! Any time I flipped through for an answer to a problem, I found the book wasn't really laid out to help me. I was greatly disappointed. I threw this book away and learned all I know from the SAMS book.

It's really a very very useful tool for the people who want to master ASP.NET through specific examples. The book works like you have a live teacher who understands your thoughts and questions. The writting is extremely clear and focuses on what you expect to learn. I know Ken from the past (I own all Acces Dev. Hand Book series) and Paul from Access VB Adv. Mag. Here simply they continue a successful tradition. Congratualtions!

As a co-author on this book, I feel compelled to respond to Andres' review. I've never done this before, but this review is so slanderous as to cause both Paul and me great distress.

Every book has typographical errors--that's the way the business is. If we're alerted to them, we're That's the great part about not having a CD--the samples can be updated "on the fly".

As opposed to Andres' comments, the samples DO work, if installed correctly. Getting ASP.NET up and running prior to installing the book samples is crucial. Many, many readers have used the samples without incident, and have told us so.

In addition, either Andres contacted other authors, or sent email to the wrong addresses--both Paul and I respond to each and every email we get--usually, within minutes, if not seconds. Implying that we ignored his email is, to us, quite painful. One might accuse us of many things, but not answering email is NOT one of them.

We welcome user comments and questions, and have corresponded with many readers of the book. Our email addresses are prominently displayed within the book itself, and in many other places online. Please, if you're one of the very small minority who is having trouble installing or running the sample applications, let us know. With ASP.NET and Visual Studio .NET set up correctly, the samples install and run without a hitch.

Obviously, this is not the correct forum for discussions involving these reviews, but being incorrectly accused of ignoring a reader's email is inexcusable.

I think that Getz and Sheriff's reputations in the VB community are peerless. Their countless magazine articles and numerous books have helped me personally over the past decade, and their names are ones I look for and know I can count on.

This includes ASP.NET Developer's Jumpstart. I admit that getting the environment to sit up and beg is tricky, but I'm pretty sure I read in the Introduction that the basics wouldn't be covered. There are many texts and KBs to help with that.

If you have ASP.NET installed correctly, the samples run as described. This text was a big help to me, especially with its treatment of VB.NET in ASP.NET. The ADO.NET treatment was equally valuable. I couldn't recommend this book more highly.