Cross Books

An eye opener! I never understood other cultures until I read Ms. Lane's book. I highly recommend this book!

I have been in a dozen intercultural classes in college and graduate level and I would recommend this book for anyone with cultural questions. There are practical questions at the end of each chapter that actually make the reader think and research in their own situation. There is a wide variety of examples used and the book serves as a helpful guide for intercultural interaction. It is easy to read and fun to see how I "should have" related and will in the future.

As a text, or a professional resource, this is the one book on gifted education that you should own. From definitions and models of giftedness, through identification and at-risk populations, to teaching and beyond, Being Gifted in School contains everything the education professional, whether teacher or administrator or counselor, needs to know to be a valuable asset in the world of gifted children.

Though it's full of advanced discussion on gifted children and gifted education, Being Gifted in School offers much for the "newbie" as well. Don't be intimidated!

Beyond the classroom, counseling and guidance issues and ideas are offered; along with administrative solutions, program prototypes and more. If you teach or administrate gifted children, you should have this book, and READ IT.

Being Gifted in School by Tracy L. Cross and Larry J. Coleman. Prufrock Press, Waco, TX, 2000.
This is a very comprehensive book about research, theory and practices in gifted education. While it is a general text, it is probably not for newcomers to the field. The book is very rich in research and resources. Chapters cover theories of giftedness, identification, the gifted child's families, counseling issues, curriculum, instructional theory, teaching methods, etc. The authors give not just the research about each issue or practice they present, but the assumptions underlying them. The chapters on the family, the lives of gifted individuals, creativity and theories of giftedness are especially thought provoking. This book would be most appropriate for educators who have some experience in the field and have done some reading of literature and research in gifted education.

I want to thank you for the "beneath the cross" series. The response has been great, not only because of the little take home handouts, but because of your gift of bringing the message alive through the letters. We began using it the Wednesday after Ash Wednesday. I asked a member who has a strong voice to read and not what one would call a "warm" or one to show emotions woman. She took the material home and asked me a couple days later if she could cry during the service because that's what happened reading it at home.

That has been the case to date - each of the readers has been overwhelmed themselves during the reading -

I can't wait for next year's follow up J

Thanks! And blessings as you share Jesus in Pittsburgh

Earl J. Pierce, pastor

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Valley

Bullhead City, AZ

When I opened my box that came today, it contained not a book but a whole assortment of goodies. First was a plastic-encased set of 15 loose pages: the "book." This contained the scripts for 7 letters and suggestions for discussion of them.

Then there were 7 "prop" letters: a sympathy card on which was written a letter from Mary the Mother of Jesus to HER mother; a scroll from the Centurion to his commander; a suicide note on 6-column accounting pages written by Judas Iscariot; a memo in an inter-office mail envelope from Caiaphas to the Sanhedrin; a letter from Simon Peter to the Acme Fishing Supply Company; a note on purple paper from Mary Magdalene to her sister; and a letter from Joseph of Arimathea to his brother, explaining why he had allowed an outsider to be buried in the new family tomb. It would be very effective, though not necessary, to have the person reading the letter be costumed as the sender or recipient.

Also in the box was a packet of miniatures of the letters, meant to be given to people to take home to engender more discussion. You would have to order additional ones of these in order to use them, as they are not reproducible. And there were a couple pages of explanation.

The letters are very imaginative and promote discussion of all sorts of issues that we normally don't think about. We can only imagine: What did Mary's own mother think of Mary's pregnancy and her grandson born of that? Did Judas expect Jesus would die as a result of his betrayal, or did he have other ideas? In so imagining, we can discover more about our faith and about ourselves as the biblical characters come to life in a new way.

The point of all of these letters is to show what a difference the resurrection makes. Since all were "written" between the time of Jesus' death and resurrection, they were written from desperation or despair or deep grief; however, the whole world changed a few days later. It is now a world of hope.

I can't wait till till next year when the opportunity will come to share these wonderfully written, thought-provoking "letters" with the people in my church. They would be good as part of a worship service as well as in a class or other type of discussion. The box I opened was actually a treasure chest.

This book has some beautiful alphabet charts and great ideas for using them. I use it as a reference when adapting poems into cross-stitch. Please tell Better Homes and Gardens to bring this book BACK to printing.

I have this in hardback plus dust jacket in perfect condition and despite what it is worth I could not bring myself to part with it. It has beautiful alphabets and borders for every occasion and is laid out in sections for various life events such a birth marriage etc.The charts are large and easy to use with wonderful ideas of how to display your stitching to the best effect. Truly a book to drool over with an american slant.

I was looking for some small, simple, appealing designs to cross stitch on some baby booties & this book has them. Here are the project themes and motifs:
A Touch of Country (sheep, cottages, ducks, trees) , Victorian Florals (roses, a bow), The New Arrival (teddy bears, rocking horse, pull duck toy, baby carriage), Special Occasion Borders (birthday cakes, balloons, rosebuds, pumpkins, ghosts, christmas trees, easter baskets, chicks), Floral Alphabet, A Special Day (simple wedding sampler), A Victorian Christmas (candles, sleigh, doorway, wreath), Traditional Borders (vines, roses, chains), Finishing Touches (roses & posies), Antique Bears (teddy bears).

It looks like this book was published only in the UK, so it may be hard to find, but it's worth adding to your cross stitch library. Most designs have little or no backstitching and are quite adaptable for small projects or for creating borders.
Now if only there were a book of cross stitch alphabets that was this appealing....

Gail Bussi's designs are classic and elegant as well as delicately beautiful. This book is full of her signature borders and small motifs. It's worth the cover price for her alphabet alone.

What can I say? This is powerful stuff!! At the end of every chapter I found myself saying "Thank you, Lord Jesus!!!"

I enjoyed reading this book. It added more dimension to my relationship with Christ. It opened up my heart to what He did on the cross and what God has available for me in life. Easy to read and follow, not boring.

I think this is one of his best albums. Some of the songs are funny, some are not, but they all have a moral. Much of Mike's songs have a deep spiritual meaning. I love "Chicken hawk" and "Bounty Hunter".

Mike and Pam

Having seen Mike in concert many times in the mid '70s I belive him to be one of the most talented musicians around. Next to the Bounty Hunter, the Prodigal Runs a close second to being his best. I wish I could get another copy of that on cd too. My son took mine off to the Persian Gulf this week.

This book was recently (1998) recognized by the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport as the best book of the year.

I met John Sugden in 1997 whilst he was guest lecturing at De Montfort University on FIFA and ethnographic research methods. John is a sport sociologist at the University of Brighton. His three case studies of boxing gyms were conducted during his stays at the University of Hartford, Belfast, and Cuba.

His comparative ethnographic approach to these case studies reveals that boxing clubs are sanctuaries for inner city youth. Almost as if these boxers were Shaolin monks, the drug dealers and gangs have an unwritten code in their conduct toward boxers that allows boxers to concentrate on their craft. In addition to insights on boxing and prize-fighting are revelatory examples of Sudgen's participant observation research techniques, which call to mind the likes of Jack D. Douglas and perhaps Elliot Liebow.

Students of Anthropology and Sociology should find this volume to be very useful to conducting their own field research, as well as providing a sound example of writing up results. An intriguing book on a neglected sport topic, this book will be useful to all who are writing a thesis or dissertation based on social research.

Last year, when I first heard about this book -- Business Across Cultures -- I couldn't wait for its availability. My copy arrived in the post and I am not disappointed. The authors - Fons Trompenaars and Peter Woolliams - along with Charles Hampden-Turner have been the leading proponents that value is not added but rather value is created by reconciling values of contrasts and conflict. This is commonly referred to as dilemma theory, was first argued in Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 1998) and expanded in Building Cross-Cultural Competence (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 2000). In 21 Leaders for the 21st Century (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 2001), in which Woolliams was a major contributor, it was shown that dilemma theory could also be extended to corporate-wide, strategic business units (SBU), divisional, departmental, team and other organizational levels. This book also provided a new definition of leadership -- the recognizing and reconciling of dilemmas among contrasting cultural values.

Business Across Cultures thus builds upon an impressive and extensive body of literature. It is grounded in the research that underpins a unique database of cross-cultural profiles derived from the input of over 60,000 managers working in more than 60 countries.

As business becomes more global and diverse, culture becomes the defining issue for leaders and managers. Ever thought provoking, Business Across Cultures provides a new framework for dealing with the business implications of culture. It is the first -- the keystone -- in a four book series that will deal with marketing and managing people across cultures, as well as corporate culture.

The authors refer to culture as an onion consisting of layers that can be peeled off. Using this illustration, I suggest that in this book the authors reconstitute an onion of their own, providing additional practical layers to the established core of dilemma theory. Two of the strengths of dilemma theory are its simplicity and robustness. It's easy to comprehend, makes sense and is practical. This simplicity can be seen in the sketching of contrasting values in a virtuous circle throughout this book. In Business Across Cultures, Trompenaars' and Woolliams' use of stories and accounts of global leaders and companies is illustrative and their concept of leadership is validated by the many examples of dilemma reconciling by real leaders. This evidence is convincing. The implications for leaders and strategy are substantial.

In this book, the authors provide executives and managers with a new toolkit to help in developing a new mindset - recognize, respect, and reconcile -- in working in diverse cultures, not only across nations but also within an organization. Building upon their extensive body of literature, the authors present chapters dealing with corporate cultures and managing change and continuity, marketing, and HR dilemmas across cultures. Even finance and accounting dilemmas across cultures are addressed, as are the quest for a new paradigm of international leadership and the need for reconciling organizations. For those familiar with dilemma theory, Business Across Cultures provides a welcome `how to' practical side of dilemma reconciliation. This book will be immensely helpful for the practitioner, providing the next level of understanding.

Business Across Cultures is outstanding!! The book truly does raise one to the next level of competency. I recommend it for business leaders, strategists, marketers, HR professionals, and managers of all stripes as it provides a valuable resource on the navigating the challenges and opportunities they face. If you fall into this category, this insightful book deserves a place on your bookshelf. Moreover, it needs to be read and put into practice. I look forward to the rest of the series.

Trompenaars, Fons and Peter Woolliams Business Across Cultures. Capstone Publishing Ltd. Chichester, England, UK: 2003.363 pages soft bound.

I think that we should consider this book to be a primer for the Business Culture Series coming out from Capstone Publishing by the Trompenaars/Hampden-Turner Group. It truly sets the framework for their Marketing Across Cultures, Managing People Across Cultures, and Corporate Cultures texts.

Additionally, it demonstrates the evolutionary growth and development of the T/H-T authors from their earlier innovative and insightful Riding the Waves of Culture, The Seven Cultures of Capitalism and 21 Leaders for the 21st Century books.

Trompenaars and Woolliams have set a new framework from which to look at the dimensions of culture in organizations. They see culture as the contextual environment defining much of the essence of the relationships between an organization and the environment in which it operates. This new thinking removes culture as a topic per se and allows companies and organizations to place dilemmas within their contextual configuration.

Such dilemmas relate to values which are expressed in behavior, communication, attitudes, and key decision making. Reconciliation of dilemmas seeks to restore the harmony which is requisite for synergistic solutions to enhance the effectiveness of the organization. However, as the authors state, before reconciliation there must come the recognition of the dilemma and the respect for the opposing views.

As a primer for the Business Culture Series, the authors address the organization as a cultural construct and look at the organization of meaning and its integral role in the development of the key value dimensions that are essential elements of Trompenaars research. We also get insights into the authors' perception of corporate culture and the techniques for managing change and continuity across cultures.

Three chapters provide us with the tip of the iceberg for their subsequent books on marketing across cultures, managing HR dilemmas across cultures, and finance and accounting across cultures.

The penultimate chapter presents the integration theory, an approach that allows us to determine the propensity for the individual to reconcile dilemmas which they see as a direct measurement of leadership. They call this "trans-cultural competence". They see managers as working to accomplish specific objectives with leaders dealing with dilemmas of seemingly opposed objectives which they continually seek to reconcile.

The final chapter is a documented "proof of the pudding" chapter with examples of how the reconciling process actually works in practice. It provides both techniques or reconciliation as well as insights to its practicality.

While reading this book is not a prerequisite for reading the rest of the books in the series, it is an extremely valuable and helpful overview of the thought processes of the THT group and is an excellent guide to the paths that they are following.

David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D., an interculturalist, is an international management and organization development consultant with D.C.W. Research Associates International, 2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, Texas 77339-2476 USA. Tel: 281-359-4234; Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net

God Speaks To Those Who Listen!

If you close your eye's, ears and your heart, you will never know what God has in store for you, for you won't be able to see what He wants you to see, you won't be able to hear when He speaks to you and you won't be able to feel God's love in your heart.

This author, Charles Humphrey Muller, makes you sit up and take notice, he lets you know that you don't have to stay in your hum-drum every day routine. Just because every one else says it's the only way, doesn't make it so.

This is an author that is very much in touch with his own feelings and has been able to transfer these feelings over to the reader..What a remarkable talent God has blessed this man with..

Charles H.Muller has a way of taking the reader, you and I to different levels of time and you never notice it until he brings you back to the present. You sit back and say Wow! because you never knew you left!

Once again I have given this author 5 stars and I'll tell you why..

Each one of his books is a 5 star in it's own right..each one very different from the other, each a 5 star for different reasons..( though one of his books that I can think of off hand, "The Twist in Time" should be no less then a 10 star!.)..I have read 5 of his books now and have enjoyed each and every one of them. His books have touched me in many different ways. and I plan on getting more of his books and you will again hear from me..

The book The Cage and The Cross is an elegant book..it's soft and loving to God.. It's strong on finding the True God!..

It shows the courage of a man willing to give his time to the less fortunate of men, the men in prison.

The character Harry is preaching things that he himself has a hard time to believe. To many set rules that don't amount to anything!
Harry needs more then what is at hand..He realizes that you really can have a personnel relationship with God and he finds himself with having to move on to have just that..A personal relationship with God!

This is a very good story, the things that were said that were taken out of the bible and sometimes put into his own words were beautifully written and one can't help but think that maybe the author has had some kind of real connection with preaching himself?..one can only wonder....
God Bless You Mr. Muller..

The Surprise of my life!

I held this book in my hand and read the title, "The Cage And The Cross".
I said oh boy, I wonder what this one is about?.So I guessed, maybe this or maybe that. This book was written by Charles Humphrey Muller, I defiantly wanted this book because I so enjoyed his others.

I sat down and started to read, well let me tell you that I got the surprise of my life. Nothing that I thought it would be like..I was relieved, glad, sad and upset to where it was happening. I knew then to what the Cage was and anxious to read about the Cross. What we believe here is the same as what they believe across the ocean. To name a few things, life, love and worship..As for worship it has to be what makes you more in the faith. You can't tell them that they are wrong and they can't tell you that you are wrong either, the bible says it all.

I was in this book very deeply and being involved in a strange way of life, I've been there done that. Writing so many letters and receiving as many back.

This is a very well written story that will help you decide what path you will have chosen for your life.

Mr. Muller, I have enjoyed every single book of yours that I have read and hope that you write many more!