Dean Books

This is a great tool to assist any student in Microbiology. It will definately increase your retention ability.

This set was helpful in preparing for my undergrad microbio course. It basically covered the human diseases in an easy-to-read format. Recommended. I used this instead of a text book.

Used flash micro for my UCLA microbiology course. The only review needed for human pathogens. Excellent!

I used these flash cards to review micro for USMLE and was very impressed by the excellent format and comprehensiveness of the cards. Excellent and highly recommended!

Flash micro is the best study aid on the market for microbiology. I used them to rock the USMLE. I hope that the author will come out with flash cards for other medical subjects.

I read this book when it first came out and found it to be very accurate. My sister was recruited by this group 30 years ago and remains a member. It is true that Jim Guerra's care for current and ex members is genuine. He wrote without vengeance about a subject that nearly cost him his life. The contents should be shared far and wide as this group's tactics are like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Jim Guerra's book gives the reader an excellent view of a Bible based cult from the inside out. If you've ever wondered how an intelligent young man or woman can be duped into believing what seems to you to be obviously twisted scripture, this book tells the story quite well. You are the proverbial "fly on the wall" watching Jim's true story unfold. This book tells the story of how a God-fearing, Bible reading, practicing Christian can, in a true attempt to do what is right and serve his God, be led into a counter-culture lifestyle that causes confusion, denial of emotions, and in some cases irreparable psychological damage. Jim's writing style, for the most part, is easy to read and follow. There is plenty of dialogue and the reader is able to see the story as it is told from his first person point of view. It should be a "must read" for all young people from junior high through college age ... all prime targets for the hundreds of cults that exist in our country today. All parents and grandparents should read it to educate themselves on the very real danger of cults. If you do not think such cults can touch your life, or the lives of those you love, Jim's book is an excellent educational tool that will teach you otherwise. There are many books published on and about cults, but Jim's book and those of Steven Hassan are some of the best for giving the reader a true picture of what goes on in such groups. As an experienced educator of junior high and high school students, and as a parent, I highly recommend this book.

Jim Guerra isn't throwing stones over a wall when he speaks out against the manipulation and abuse of false christian teachers. He has been there. This book is powerful in that it has more of a personal, spiritual base from which it draws the reader into sympathy and grief of its author. More than that, the author found the truth of his faith in the process of losing his religion--he found the faith of the Lord Jesus when the heavy yoke of man's religion let him down.
Far from being a polemical spewing venom, the book illustrates the rationale behind selfish fear, and the wrong motivations for pursuing life in Christ. Jim Guerra's affection for his former members is as strong as ever, and comes out time and again through his progressive discovery which he attempts to awaken the others with for freedom. He would be pleased to know there is a renewal ministry in Colorado that consists largely of liberated ex-members from this cult. ...

If you are a Christian parent, I highly suggest you read this book. To be sure, there is great danger the "normal" folks on campus these days: hedonists, atheists, agnostics, materialists, cynics, environmentalists, and the like. However, as this book reveals, there is also danger (particularly to sincere young people) from those who appear like they are super sincere followers of the Truth and the Way, but who are fanatics in the worst sense and keep their followers from marriage, home, work, and many other activities not only lawful for Christians, but essential to living out the Christian life.

I teach a high school boys Bible study and, as a result of reading this book, I plan to include a section on the dangers of fanaticism in the study.

My son was recently recruited into this group (the Brethren) while he was attending the University of Hawaii along with his girlfriend. This book and it's author were recommended to us. It was an invaluable help in learning about this group and how they operate. Jim has spelled out in detail not only the day to day life of a cult member but the phsycological processes involved in turning open-minded, independent, bright young people into conformist, sheep-like followers of a radical preacher. If you don't know about mind control and its unethical use this is one great example of what it can create. I recommend it highly to anyone, especially if you know young people that are out in the world trying to find their way.

The book Harlem Summer by Walter Dean Myers relates one summer in the life of 16-year-old Mark Purvis. Mark lives in Harlem and dreams of being a famous jazz saxophonist. Mark is exposed to the "New Negro" during a summer job at The Crisis, a famous African American newspaper, where he meets the likes of W.E.B. DuBois and Langston Hughes. After Mark gets into hot water with the police and some notorious gangsters, he has a better idea of who he wants to be as a man. This one summer impacts his life in hilarious and moving ways. The book incorporates real people that played major roles in the Harlem Renaissance. It's a history lesson told in a very entertaining format. I would definitely recommend this book to all readers, young and old!

Mark is at a crossroads in his life in Harlem in the 1920s. He has the dream of becoming a great saxophone player but doesn't have the discipline to practice. His hero, Fats, cons him into loading bootleg liquor onto a truck, and when the truck goes missing, a gangster threatens them. Mark isn't terribly worried, at first.

He goes with the flow and dutifully starts a summer job, arranged by his aunt, at The Crisis magazine, headed by W.E.B. DuBois. Mark encounters many other greats such as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Ethel Waters. He attends a glamorous party at the home of publisher Alfred Knopf and just misses hearing Marian Anderson sing.

In a marvelous twist ending, Mark is freed from a life of crime, and inspired by great writers and singers, he comes to appreciate hard work and his own community. Walter Dean Myers gives us the Harlem Renaissance as seen through the eyes of a tremendously likeable main character. It is a treat to read the conversations between the young Mark and Langston Hughes. (Photographs of the real famous and infamous characters, during this time period, are included in an appendix.) Mark is a teenager that other teens can relate to; he doesn't have quite enough drive until he finds the right role models. Harlem Summer is filled with humor, glamour, and danger and recreates an important era in the twentieth century.

It's 1925 in Harlem, New York when readers are transported into the life of Mark, the main character of HARLEM SUMMER. Told from his point of view, this coming-of-age story features Harlem Renaissance figures such as Langston Hughes, Jesse Fauset, and Fats Waller.

As the book opens, summer has arrived, Mark, an aspiring sax player who wants to make it big. He gets an opportunity to work for Fats Waller, an already established and widely sought after musician, hauling crates. Though the job with Fats is a one day thing, it has a lasting impact on Mark's summer and introduces him to a number of unsavory characters and exposes him to life on the "shady side of the street." Around the same time, Mark lands a job at The Crisis magazine (the NAACP publication). He would be working under the supervision of Jesse Fauset as more or less an errand boy. At the magazine office, Mark learns about the "New Negro" for the first time, meets a virtual who's who of that movement, and experiences what life on the "sunny side of the street" was like. Mark is at a crossroads in his life, trying to figure out what he wants to be and how to live. The experiences with Fats, The Crisis, and the ensuing dramas force Mark to make decisions about how he wants to live his life.

HARLEM SUMMER is a wonderful book that pairs historical fiction with the day-to-day struggles of a teenager trying to find his place in life. Mark's character has a universal appeal, and his voice is genuine and humorous. At the end of the book there are brief biographical sketches and photos of many of the famous people who find their way in the story. Walter Dean Myers has written a funny and engaging tale that reminds us that all of our decisions have consequences and that life on the shady side of the street isn't always what it is cracked up to be.


Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

"As soon as the news got round
The folks downtown,
Came up to Harlem,
Saw everyone Truckin'

It didn't take long
Before the high-hats were doing it,
'Park Avenuing' it,
All over town,
You see them shufflin,' shufflin,' shufflin' down."

--"Truckin' " written by Rube Bloom and Ted Koehler, and performed by Fats Waller

These days the course is listed as, "Afrocentric Perspectives in the Arts." Back in the spring of 1975 it was titled "Black Experience in the Arts." A couple of guys in my dorm at the University of Connecticut had heard that "Black Arts" was an easy class, if only because the lectures were of a civilized nature, being that their frequency was but once a week and they were held IN THE EVENING rather at some ungodly hour that might involve having to wake up in order to attend class.

My dormmates persuaded me to tack the class on to my already full schedule for that semester. That way, if they were too busy to show up on a particular evening, they'd be able to copy my notes.

Back in the spring of 1975 I was a teenager who owed so much of my sensibilities to having grown up tolerant in lily white northern suburbs and having spent the 1960s watching the horrific news on television of white "Christians" engaged in the beating, maiming, and slaughtering of Negroes and Negro sympathizers during the Civil Rights era.

But while I knew a lot about what American citizens of color had endured before and during my childhood, I hadn't a clue at the beginning of my semester in Black Experience in the Arts of the existence of the Harlem Renaissance, nor any knowledge of the colorful characters whose work defined this rich cultural period in American history. But my knowledge base changed rapidly. Structured in large part as a series of guest lectures, my fond recollections of that course involved evenings of hearing first hand accounts of those lives and times. A particularly memorable highlight was listening to the late George Houston Bass who had been Langston Hughes' personal assistant and who served as the executor of Hughes' literary estate.

These experiences came roaring back (as in Roaring Twenties) as I read Walter Dean Myers' exceptionally fun romp, HARLEM SUMMER.

"C. Cephus Carter owned the House of Palms Funeral Home over on Lennox Avenue, down from Freddy's Fish Shack. Now, whenever you talked to that man he only had one thing on his mind, and that was how good the undertaking business was.
" 'Everybody you see is a potential customer!' he liked to say. And he said it again and again. 'People dying today ain't never even thought of dying before!' "

At the center of this HARLEM SUMMER is a sixteen year old young man of color named Mark. It is 1925, and Mark is an aspiring sax player who knows neighborhood star Fats Waller and dreams of jamming with the famous and beloved musician (who would have been twenty-one that summer). But the summer of 1925 gets much hotter than Mark could ever have imagined, thanks to his getting a summer job at the downtown office of THE CRISIS (which was and still is the official publication of the NAACP), and also thanks to Mark's finding himself --through events involving Fats Waller -- in serious trouble with the infamous Prohibition-era gangster Dutch Schultz.

As Mark deals with moms and mobsters dishing him out some serious grief, Walter Dean Myers succeeds in bringing to life the mid-Twenties Harlem summertime neighborhood as well as the cast of Harlem Renaissance musical and literary figures whom I'd learned about back in 1975.

(Of course, what is great fun --and what we couldn't do in 1975 -- is going online and listening to 30 second snippets of Fats Waller between chapters. This is certainly a book that begs for an accompanying CD of tunes and poetry readings.)

"I've known rivers:
I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow
of human blood in human veins.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers..."
--Langston Hughes

"Mr. Dill made out the checks for the May issue. Langston Hughes got two dollars for a poem that had only twenty-five words. That was eight cents a word! The writing business was starting to look better."

The root of Mark's troubles is his desire for money -- the easier the better. While most readers know Walter Dean Myers as the author of some pretty intense award-winning stories, many readers are going to be thoroughly surprised by HARLEM SUMMER because of its being so dang funny. For instance, when Mark figures that writing poetry might be a road to riches, he asks Langston Hughes about it:

" 'You think I could learn to write poetry?'
" 'Sure. I used to copy other people's poems and rewrite them,' Langston said. 'That gave me a feel for what it was like.' "

The poem that results from Mark's taking that advice had me rolling.

So download some Fats Waller tunes, shuffle on over into a shady spot, and check out HARLEM SUMMER.

It's the summer of 1925 in Harlem, a summer that sixteen-year-old Mark Purvis will never forget. In just a months time, Mark will get to meet the best and the worst people of New York City.

Mark gets a job at The Crisis, a magazine that promotes and encourages "New Negroes." The magazine was part of a movement created during that time with a mission to discover talented persons of color -- poets, novelists, and musicians -- and show them to the world.

But Mark is not so sure that he wants to become a "New Negro." What he really wants to do is become a famous jazz player and play the saxophone with his band. So when "Fats," a well known piano player who made records, offers him and his friend, Henry, what sounds like an "innocent" job loading trucks in New Jersey, Mark and Henry don't think twice. This could be the opportunity they were looking for, their big break, a golden chance to be with "Fats" and tell him all about their jazz band. Maybe he could even help them get a record deal.

What Mark didn't know is that the job was actually for the most dangerous man and leading bootlegger, Dutch Schultz. And Mark didn't know that what they helped load was illegal alcohol, and that the truck driver was going to drive away, all of a sudden, with the merchandise. And now Dutch Schultz wants his money back, and he wants Mark and Henry to pay for it.

Will Mark get the money for Dutch Shultz? Will Mark become a "New Negro?" Will he be able to keep his job at The Crisis? Or will Mark end up traveling the wrong path? You'll have to read the book to find out.

Every single word in Walter Dean Myers' book flows effortlessly in this entertaining novel. He makes writing look easy.

HARLEM SUMMERS is a book that will strike a chord with all readers. Parents will love the lack of cursing and sex often seen in young adult literature. (Although, to be honest, I think that the author could have used some more cursing to make the dialogue sound a little more realistic.) Teachers and librarians will LOVE this novel that complements perfectly what we studied in 8th-grade social studies. I'm sure that this book will soon be part of many recommended summer reading lists. And teens will love the story, because after all... who wouldn't want to meet the head of a notorious gang?!

The end of the book contains a section with biographical information of real individuals that appear in the book and lived in New York City during that period, like Alfred Knopf, Langston Hughes, "Bumby" Johnson, and others.

Reviewed by: Christian C.

Jennifer Kennedy Dean does a great job in revolutionizing your view of prayer. She refocuses you on the originator and provider of prayer and off of the ordinary view of prayer. I recommend this work and also the workbook and study guide, Live a Praying Life.

The forty-day retreat that this book guided me through led me into a much deeper relationship with God. It challenged me to go beyond my comfort level and to give myself daily to God's will. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to renew their daily walk with God.

I am amazed at the anointing that is upon this book. Not only my life, but the lives of several people I know have been changed into lives immersed in the Spirit. Not only does this book challenge you and your perspective on your walk with Christ, but also LEADS you into that deeper walk.

This book was a watershed experience for me. It opened my eyes to what is missing in my Christian walk. I have been so hungry to understand how to let God fill this ache in my soul to know Him. I asked Him for something and He gave me this book. I can't say enough.

This book truly brings you into a closer relationship with God/Jesus. It makes you search your soul and reminds you daily of the Spirit's power in a believers life. I liked it so much I am getting it for a Christmas present for a member of my family!

Dean -- Love the book -- especially the pictures of Gavin and me -- but you know that. To anyone else who reads this: Dean knows whereof he speaks: He's a good hiker and builds a good, environmentally sensitive campfire. Hope you don't mind my using this avenue to try to get your e-mail address.

We just used this book as a primary source on a recent trip to Southern Alaska. The book's description of hikes was extremely accurate and helpful. We particularly enjoyed the very accurate directions to trailheads and the elevation profiles, which gave a good sense of the hikes' difficulty. The book's focus on issues such as the clarity of trail markings and the variation in the hike experience during different times of the year gave the book extra value.

I spent 3 mos. in Alaska and I had this book as well as Jim DuFresne's Backpacking Alaska (Lonely Planet). I used this book more for short day hikes and overnight backpacking trips whereas DuFresne's has more multi-day backpacking trips. The one thing that I really loved about this book was the elevation diagrams, DuFresne's book had none. But again, I used this book to fill in my gaps of time for short day hikes out of many of Alaska's more accessible towns. Good book for the "Hiker". DuFresne's book is good for the "Backpacker".

The book has great general info. on the numerous trails in our nation's biggest state. The information on trails that I hiked in the Palmer and Seward areas were right on the money, and I hope to use the guide on future trips up north.

This is probaly the best hiking book of any such types. truly informative. The pages seem to be made of a light density papyprus product...making it ideal for backpacking. The Author has truly captured the essense of hiking out in the Alaska Booneys.

If you are looking for a slick, glossy paged guide with pretty pictures, professional layout, and flowery descriptions, then this book is *not* for you. What you will get is a directory of hotels, B&Bs, museums, galleries, stores, restaurants, schools, etc. with notes from the author on each item. Some things, such as hotels, are grouped by cost and rating, others are not. It makes a good reference book.

This is without a doubt one of the finest, most thorough and reliable city guides we've ever had the pleasure of using. And, believe me, we've relied upon quite a few. Some of them made us wonder if the writer had ever eaten in the restaurant he recommended, others were adequate, and many quite good. The Insider's Guide To San Miguel is tops!

Archie Dean, a resident of San Miguel, knows his city like the palm of his hand, the sights, sounds, comfortable lodgings, and where to find the most fabulous food. It's guide for those staying a few days, a few weeks or a few months as it covers every requirement from apartments to doctors to supermarkets to galleries to Spanish schools.

Thoughtfully arranged so your need or interest is easy to find, each listing is succinctly and clearly described. Also included is a can't-get-around- San Miguel- without-it map that is indispensable. Plus sections are devoted to nearby Dolores Hidalgo and Guanajuato.

We heartily recommend a visit to San Miguel as it is a charming community filled with beautiful architecture and friendly people. But, don't go without The Insider's Guide!

- Gail Cooke

This is a terrific little guide. I was in San Miguel for a week and used it every day. One day, just before noon, I was sitting on a wall by a church, looking for a place for lunch and Archie Dean came by. He gave me a personal recommendation and the lunch was great. Later I needed a large carton to ship my purchases home and bu using this book found a small shop selling just what I needed. You can rely on all the stores and vendors recommended by Dean.

I spent a month in SMA in 2004 and used this guidebook all the time. It's full of information on everything you need to know about all the sites you want to see, as well as all the everyday tips you need if you are going to be staying in town for more than a few days.

Well written, well organized and several people I know who live in Sam Miguel think it is the best of the guides. So far I agree.

While looking into becoming foster parents, I ran across this book. I am so incredibly impressed with this book! The ideas not only make sense, but THEY WORK. Children are our most precious resources and should be treated as such. Life should not be full of punishments no matter how troubled any person is. This should be required for anyone that has or plans to have children. Crisis' are a part of life, and don't have to be life threatening to be life changing. Thank you, Ross!

What a great book! Ross not only tells us how to deal with tough kids, he helps us prevent the situations in the first place. If every kid knew they were special for something, society wouldn't have any troubled kids.

What a wonderful book- a wealth of information and a sensible, progressive way of thinking. This is a book of ideas and strategies, not a fix all. Even though I don't have a child that would be described as "in crisis", I do have three teenagers, and we have occasional "crises"- short lived as they may be. This book is a wonderful help for our usually good/occasionally-not-so-good functioning family. Thanks Ross and Dean for a great reading and educational experience!

I read KIDS IN CRISIS this afternoon and couldn't put it down. As the stay-at-home mom of a four year old and a one year old, I found the principles to be just as useable for me as they are for foster parents struggling with seemingly hardened teenagers. Everywhere I turn (sigh), whether it's church, the pediatrician's office or the playground, I have to dodge popular parenting theories that lopsidedly embolden parents to "reach for a bigger hammer" (a term Ross frequently uses in his book). I know this only intensifies power struggles and disempowers children and young people, stripping them of dignity and worth, and often causing them to either become rageful and destructive or simply emotionally flat and "compliant." So I was excited to read this book which offers a brilliant, sound, tried and true, individualized, paradoxical strategy for parenting every age group: instead of reaching for "a bigger hammer" (read: becoming more punitive and emotionally distant), consider the developmental and temperamental needs of each child and work WITH that rather than against it. Using the analogy of a bank account, Ross encourages parents to make personalized deposits into their chldren's emotional bank accounts (love, compliments, understanding, grace, quality time) before making withdrawals (discipline, correction, requiring behavior change, etc.).

Citing real-life examples from decades of personal experience not only as an RTC/foster agency professional, but also as a parent, Ross will win readers over with his authenticity, expertise and sense of true compassion for even the most troubled youth. Without sounding preachy or clinical, Ross not only lays out sound and balanced theoretical framework (which he calls Love to Nurture), drawing from the developmental theories of Erickson, Piaget & Kohlburg, but he also provides practical tools to help any parent successfully integrate these ideas into everyday life by using the STAR principles. From the expectant mom to the seasoned foster parent who's at a loss with an especially disturbed teenager, every parent can benefit from this fresh approach to parenting challenges.

A few years ago, I sat speechless when a "mentor mom" at my MOPS group spoke and told a room full of young moms (of the 0-5 age group, mind you) to "never let them win." In that same speech, she told these moms to "strap" their one-year olds in time out if they wouldn't stay put. I walked away disturbed, saddened, and sickened that dangerous ideas such as these are being lapped up by desperate parents looking for answers to disciplinary dilemmas. But Ross's book provides a welcome respite from some of these punitive, emotionally bankrupt methods by teaching parents how to cultivate and maintain an actual relationship with their children--no matter how difficult--while optimizing the kids' development of their God-given interests, passions & gifts, leaving kids feeling empowered and motivated to rise to the task of giving their personal best.

As a veteran youthworker of ten years, and the father of three, I was so refreshed to read this practical guide to, not just parenting, but caring for young people. Society has in many ways sytematically abandoned our youth. I throughouly enjoyed this helpful easy read and I think it is a vital and neccesary tool for parents and youth workers alike.

Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc's A Man of Two Worlds is another beautiful book that the Mistress of Macabre has written. It's a story about a man who's becoming bankrupt during the production of a movie, bankrupt because of a pesky ghost. The main character, Robyne, meets a friend at a local gothic nightclub, and when the friend asks if he wants some help . . . The help isn't exactly what he was looking for, especially when they end up being of the supernatural.

I am amazed with Andrea's way to write a good story. Usually you find the supernatural books of today to be boring, dull, or with such a slow start that you can't even get through them. But Andrea's books are not like that, not at all. Andrea is very good at writing what she writes, which is chilling horror, beautiful romance and dramatic suspense. I don't think there's any other way to describe A Man of Two Worlds. It's a book that you pick up and you don't want to put down until you finish, it's really that good.

For those of you who haven't heard or read anything of Andrea's, you need to go pick something up. A Man of Two Worlds is the Preditors and Editors award-winning novel, now do you want to go buy it? Even if it wasn't an award winner, it still should be bought. It's a beautiful, chilling story of what happens through curses and the supernatural, and if you don't pick it up you're cheating yourself out of a real good read.

I just finished weeping as I completed the reading of this book. I am not sure which character I am more in love with. I couldn't help but feel compassion and a deepened love for each character as their stories unfolded and their beginnings learned. While some of their realities were harsh, I never once saw evil or gore in any of them. All of the characters did what they had to and as a survivor of a similiar reality myself, I completely understood. Not one time have I read a horror book and not come away without having the creeps but with A Man of Two Worlds, I came away feeling a deep understanding, compassion and an almost kinship with every character. I keep saying characters, although to me, they were all larger than life.

`Man of Two Worlds' is an exciting and in depth journey through the lives of the undead, guided by the detailed pasts of over a dozen characters. Some of the characters you will love, others you will hate, but with each one you will be drawn further into the recesses of the author's crazed mind. This is a tale of an unlikely love match between a mortal man and an immortal, beautiful and cool zombie man who first met in a chance encounter along the roadside. Though the main plot of the story takes place in today's time, this story still has plenty of `old world' appeal through flash backs and even a surprising new-meets-old twist that the author plays upon with practiced flare. The end of the story is `all wrong' in all of the right ways, leaving the reader yearning for a sequel. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys creatures of the undead, character driven stories, and twisted tales of love.

A Man of Two Worlds is an interesting story about young movie producer/director that falls into the dark underworld of mythical creatures and ghosts.

Have you ever believed in things that go bump in the night? They all live in the worlds created between the pages of Mrs. Van Scoyoc's newest novel... characters with such vivid backgrounds, and personalities that jump off the page

From the first page, I found myself enjoying this story. The theme of this book intrigued me and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I enjoyed both the vampire and zombie characters, but wished I'd heard more about the ghost that is terrorizing the film stage. The story is well-told and moved along at a good pace. The characters are appealing and the concept is absorbing.

There are more than a few errors either in spelling or punctuation, but don't let that dissuade you from reading this story. It is well worth the time spent and I didn't put it down till I was done!

I gave it a 5 / 5 stars :)

I recently finished reading "A Man of Two Worlds" and must say if Andrea has proven anything to me after her widely acclaimed novel "The Two", it's that lightning can strike in the same place twice, but the only thing comparable between the two stories is that when you begin reading, you are "in the story".
There isn't ten pages of introduction or backstory to go through before you get in the thick of it.

After the first ten pages, I had a voice in my head saying, "This concept has been done to death in books and movies." Thank God I didn't listen to that narrow minded voice and stop reading, plus, I was already hooked! Then later, I couldn't put it down if I had wanted to.

I love the way this lady tells a story, and am sure in time she will be able to make her grocery list into a #1 best seller!

This book, in my opinion, was money well spent,and I would recomend it to any adult reader as it runs the gamut of emotions, just make sure and strap yourselves in tight.....it's a wild ride to the end!

I ordered this book in July, 2007. This's an amazing book! Today, I got an email from the author asking if I got the book. I think they not only did a great work on this book, but also concern everyone who are interested in this book! That's so nice! So, don't hesitate to order this book! You will get more then what you thought!Mobile Persuasion: 20 Perspectives of the Future of Behavior Change

We love the do-everything gadget that is always with us. The mobile phone will be the most effective instrument of persuasion in the coming decade, says co-author and Stanford professor B.J. Fogg. My handset can play the roles of concierge, coach and court jester. Linkage to the Web 2.0 world is a precursor to its ability to augment my social reality.

The book consists of 20 perspectives offered by speakers at 2007 Mobile Persuasion, a conference hosted by Fogg's Persuasive Technology Lab. The chapters may not all describe applications and techniques that strike the reader as "persuasive" or even that useful, but consider that it is just the early crop. I was convinced that, equipped with ever-improving services, the ubiquitous gadget will most definitely be an instrument of change.

Early Movers

* Using Technology to Promote Sexual Health - Delivering critical sexuality information to teens on-demand by text message.
* MyFoodPhone: The Start of a Mobile Health Revolution - A photographic diet logger and coach.
* Persuasive Games on Mobile Devices - Multiplayer games that change thinking.
* Simply Persuasive: Using Mobile Technology to Boost Physical Activity - Cheaper than a personal trainer.
* Managing Chronic Disease through Mobile Persuasion - Virtual assistant for diabetes patients

Under Development

* Augmented Reality: Using Mobile Visualization to Persuade - Plant identification provides an example.
* Transforming the Mobile Phone into a Personal Performance Coach - Tracking conversations to improve effectiveness at the office.
* Personal Health Assistant in the Palm of Your Hand - How to combine virtual and live assistance for a compelling service.
* Mobile Persuasion for Everyday Behavior Change - Sensor technology allows tracking personal activity and environmental conditions.

Design Insights

* Designing Engaging Mobile Experiences - Strategies for overcoming the UI limitations of the mobile device.
* The Four Pillars of a Successful Mobile Marketing Vision - Consumer preference, marketing as service, personalization and relationships.
* Pervasive Persuasive Play: Rhetorical Game Design for the Ubicomp World - Serious games aim at inspiring educating and training their players.
* Mobile Persuasion and the Power of Meaning - MySpace, for example, is successful because of the meaning it has in user's lives.
* Mobile Persuasion Design Principles - How mobile is different from the desktop.

The Bigger Picture

* The Need for Simplicity - Simply put, KISS.
* The Jetson Kids Reboot HealthCare - More opportunities in health.
* Ethical Dangers of Mobile Persuasion - Things to think about in a society with billions of surveillance cameras.
* Redefining Persuasion for a Mobile World - Co-author Dean Eckles offers a different view of persuasion based on the augmentation the mobile provides its owner.

In the last chapter, "Increasing Persuasion Through Mobility", Fogg notes that effective persuaders always control the time and place for their message. With the mobile always at my side and aware of my location, I'm optimally receptive to right message, reminder or suggestion, delivered at the right time and right place. With enough software, it can predict what I might need and how to help me. It's almost like we're married.

Adhering to the principles of mobile persuasion will make a service successful.

* Kairos. Offering suggestion at just the right time and place.
* Mobile Loyalty. A successful service will fill the needs of the device owner first before providing value to the provider.
* Mobile Marriage. Positive, frequent interactions for a long time.
* Information Quality. Current and accurate.
* Social Facilitation. Allowing observation of owner's performance by others increases effectiveness of persuasion.
* Social Comparison. Everyone likes being on the leader board.
* Competition. Cooperation and Recognition. All strong motivators.

This book gives insight into the swiftly growing world of persuasive technology in the form of the mobile phone. Throughout the book, you are taken through the perspectives of 19 different experts on the topic, whose specialties range from persuasive games to managing a chronic disease to the ethical dangers of mobile persuasion. The book is incredibly easy to read and has a surprising 20th chapter that inspires the reader to look at his/her own experiences.

With the ubiquity of mobile phones, the huge influence mobile persuasion can have on the world is unquestionable. Have you ever gotten a text message or a call on your cell phone asking you to add extra preferences to your plan, try a new product, or pay your bill? Then a form of mobile persuasion has already touched your life. Pick up this book and stay on the cutting edge of what will prove to be a huge part of everyone's lives in the near future. This book and Stanford University's Persuasive technology Lab will make it easy, and you won't regret it.

I am a soon to be a graduate psychology student by the University of Tromsø. I am doing some research this summer and then I bought the "Mobile Persuasion: 20 Perspectives on the Future of Behavior Change" from the folks by the Persuasive Technology Lab by Stanford University.

The book gave me a very good introduction and an overview of this research field in a clearly and understandable manner. As a a reader you get to know what happens in the field of mobile persuasion right now, what is under development and the psychological principles behind mobile persuasion.

I will recommend this great book to all professionals and students working with technology and behavior change.

Stanford's Captology group has done something amazing with this book. (First - a little disclosure - I'm Eric Holmen from SmartReply, the author of the Mobile Marketing chapter of this book.) This book takes academic and industrial thought leaders, and compresses their real-world experiences, marketplace results, and tested views into about 2,000 words for each of 19 chapters, with a surprise 20th chapter. Rarely will you find a book with such breadth of content that is focused on such a misleading simple device as the mobile phone. This is a snapshot into the future.

Covering topics as diverse as augmented reality, mobile marketing, health, and social living improvements and the persuasive methods and effects therein - the reader will find a view into the future in his or her area of interest, and undoubtedly be exposed to a world of new concepts.

From a contributors perspective, the Stanford Captology folks were able to take this very fresh research and turn it into a book in about two months time - unheard of from a publishing standpoint. This means that the reader will find content that is happening today, not aged or suffering from the typical 18 month long publishing delays.

I thought the book would be the success story of Hobby Lobby but it is much more. The author's principles of retailing are solid practices that all retailers should adopt. That is the reason the store is a delight to shop.

My wife "discovered" Hobby Lobby while I was training for my job in Oklahoma City several years ago. We were newly weds at the time, and my wife was far from home with no friends, and was very homesick. She enjoyed going in and looking around the store as an escape, and eventually took some classes there.

After a couple of weeks, we went to a local church to visit, and the most pleasant woman came up to us and greeted us. She was kind and charming, and was one of the very few that morning that truly made us feel welcome. She was Barbara Green.

At the time, we did not know that the Green's were the owners of Hobby Lobby. We learned later what you get a great sense of in this book. David and Barbara Green are genuine, good folks. Everything that Mr. Green espouses in his book is true, and he actually does live what he believes.

It is refreshing to read a book that goes against the grain of the cut-throat retail business and the politically correct landscape of America today. I enjoyed reading "Not Just a Hobby" very much, and did so in an afternoon. The book is very engaging and well written, in my opinion, and is just like sitting across the table from Mr. Green as he reminisces about his past and the lessons that he learned along the way. As a bonus, you get some sage advice for living, that you would do well to consider!

This book is good for anyone who likes to read a book where the good guy wins! I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone with a teenager who will soon enter the job market. If everyone would set their goals as high as Mr. Green did, and as he expects his employees to do, it would be a greater pleasure to go shopping.

Thanks, David, for writing this book, it is an inspiration. God bless you also for being a father and grandfather of principle, and for building God's kingdom in ways no one will ever know about but Him.

I found Hobby Lobby when we lived in Atlanta, Georgia and shopped in the Gwinnett store. When we moved to Chicago, I was thrilled to find Hobby Lobby in Vernon Hills and Round Lake, Illinois.

Now, however, we are moving back to New Jersey and I am dismayed to learn that there is no Hobby Lobby even remotely close to my new home. I wrote to the Headquarters and found that they do not build new locations more than 1000 miles from their headquarter location. I know that the east coast would be a good market for the store and am hoping that they will take the chance and give to rest of the nation the opportunity to enjoy the Hobby Lobby experience.......

There is no way I could express what Hobby Lobby has meant to me over the years. I have never worked for Hobby Lobby but I think of it as "my" store. My first HL was the Tulsa store on Mingo. Now I live in Georgia and my store is in Buford. I can only describe it as a sanctuary. It came as no real surprise to me that David Green is a Christian and applies his ethics to his business. This is apparent in his stores, from the merchandise to the music that doesn't assault you when you enter.

I read the book in one sitting and since I wasn't expecting it to be an edge-of-the seat gripper, I enjoyed every page. Mostly I appreciated learning how it all came to be.

God bless David Green, his family and his business. Some people quietly choose to live their lives with real purpose and in so doing make a real difference in this world, others just make noises and spend their lives compromising. How refreshing to see that commerce can be ethical.

First things first, keep in mind that I'm an employee of the company for 3 years. My thoughts and opinions are slightly biased. Also, a lot of the information in the book is only interesting to me because it's company related material that I knew little to nothing about.

This book is pretty much a brief history of Hobby Lobby and Mr. Green's "Unorthodox" methods of business. If you are at all captivated by the workings of the retail world, this would be a descent read. If you frequently browse the aisles of Hobby Lobby and the book caught your eye, you MIGHT be able to read it all.

I am far from an avid reader, and really have no business critiquing a book but it's not very well written. Mr. Green often repeats himself and the company's history gets spread all over the book.

Ultimately - An employee of the company. A lover of the store. A "business world" fan. Buy it. Read it. Otherwise, proceed with caution.