Hill Books

This book is a great overview for someone just beginning to think about starting a business venture, but it seemed to be more focused towards the needs of a large venture, rather than a small business. It covered a lot that I thought would not be applicable to the type of business I want to start -- a small town retail shop where I plan to run the business myself and will not hire executives or get funding from investors (other than probably a local bank or the SBA). Perhaps this just shows my ignorance of what owning a small business is about, though!

I also have to express my disagreement with his comments regarding attorneys. (Disclosure: I am currently an associate at a big law firm.) It sounds like he happened to get some bad attorneys. For what it's worth, my thoughts, based on my own observations of attorneys at large and small firms (my own firms and opposing firms), are this: (1) I don't think his experiences reflect the services provided by all large law firms -- I think the quality of services you get depends on whether you hire a good INDIVIDUAL attorney, not law firm, (2) you are much more likely to have someone "learn on your dime" at a small firm than a large one simply because attorneys at large firms do a lot more business and specialize in certain areas and therefore become more experienced with matters that arise in those areas, (3) most small firm attorneys will NOT be as great as the ones he found, and (4) most partners are so distracted by bringing in business and a million other things that associates are much more likely to focus on your deal, keep things moving quickly, and actually pay attention to the details. I think the ideal arrangement for a small business owner is to find a good associate who has a good partner to ask for guidance on big issues when needed. I just don't think it's fair to generalize that all big firm attorneys are terrible and negligent with small clients, or that associates are all clueless and learning on your dime. (I can provide proof in the form of reviews from my large and small business clients!) That all being said, there are some fantastic attorneys at small shops and if you find one, you will pay much less for their services. My best advice on finding a good attorney (whether at a large firm or a small firm) is to get referrals from other business owners.

The Entrepreneur's Notebook by Gold offer an enthusing reading for anyone interested in knowing the fundementals of starting a new business venture with the least amount of mistakes. This is why I liked this book:
1. Uses real life examples from the author's own experience to explain entrepreneurship and the mistakes not to make when starting a new business.
2. Uses very simple analogies (I love the chapter on cash flow).
3. Very easy to follow and explains the different entrepreneurial personalities in great detail.

I did not like this book for the following reasons:
1. This book is not universal and most of the chapters apply to entrepreneurship in the US only. Although the first chapters are applicable to any entrepreneur, the ending chapters are rigid and US specific.

Final Verdict: Still a valuable buy but more applicable to US entrepreneurs rather than Entrepreneurship in general.

Steven gives great illustrations to drive home his insightful advice for entrepreneurs. As he's "been there, done that," we can take his advice to heart in the hopes of becoming a success like him!

Great book for getting ready to open a new business. Would refer to anyone thinking about opening a business.

Gold goes far beyond the typical "here's the difference between a C Corporation and an LLC" to explain not only the nuts-and-bolts of finding business partners, forming a company, marketing your products/services, and writing a business plan, but also--and perhaps even more importantly--how to *think about* being an entrepreneur and how to make the critical decisions that can make or break any new venture in its early stages. And he does this not only from the point of view of someone who has studied and taught business (although he does fit the bill on both of these fronts), but as someone who has successfully started and run several businesses.

For example, he not only points out the need to put together a team, but explains how to recognize your own strengths and weaknesses and how to identify complementary team members who are most likely to work together as a cohesive unit. He not only explains the importance of finding the right corporate lawyer for your company, he also provides concrete--and nonintuitive--advice for how to avoid picking the *wrong* one. He doesn't merely repeat the mantras of "find your niche" and "focus on your core competency," he explains how to translate your "big idea" into a finely-honed business plan based on analysis of both your company's strengths and weaknesses and the market in which it will operate.

I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about starting a business who wants to avoid common pitfalls and start off on the right foot with the "entrepreneur's mindset" and plenty of concrete strategies for success.

This is yet another book about dieting!!

It says that Diets are bad, they don't work etc etc etc etc but then offers it's own opinions on how to cut back which effectively make this a diet!

I found the tone very pretentious and the lady clearly has her own problems which she is pushing on the reader.

The fact is if you eat less calories you lose weight, if you eat more calories you put on weight, there is no secret!! So when the writer starts labelling everyone then people start believing that they have a problem whereas most of the time they haven't.

A painful read and I recommend you spend the money on a book with some healthy low fat recipes and lose weight properly!!

If your ready to say no more dieting and say hello to No-Diet Fitness.. this book is for you. Its a must read!!!!!

I own every diet/weight loss/fitness book known to man AND I've wasted thousands of dollars on various diets, prescription diet pills and alternative treatments for my weight. I've battled bulimia, starved myself, gone on all liquid diets, acupuncture, weight watchers - you name it! Nothing has worked long term. Now I know why. Pyatt lays it all out for you in plain english. I felt like she had witnessed my entire life and wrote this book especially for me!

Everything is addressed in this book - Unrealistic expectations set up by the media, medical issues, how not to pass the food obsession on to your children. She helps to take away the guilt without giving excuses. No more diets doesn't mean more weight gain. So don't worry. She's not trying to make you be happy with an overweight and unhealthy body.

Even though she does say that MY medical condition (PCOS) does require a diet with certain restrictions to achieve any kind of weight loss (bummer), I wish I had this book when I was 13 years old. It would have saved me alot of grief and I'd probably be a healthier more fit person today.

I'm planning on buying a copy of this book for all my friends and loved ones that have been and are going through the same thing. I may even buy an extra copy to give to my doctor and a few to leave in his waiting room!

Heck, I might even take up a collection to hire a fleet of helicopters to drop a few copies over every junior high and high school in the United States!

My fiance bought this book for me as a gift and I have been grateful ever since.I am on his account so the review will appear with his name, which is why I signed underneath.

This book changed my entire outlook on life, not just my weight. I was trapped in a vicious cycle of dieting that was causing me severe depression and a general lack of appreciation towards my entire existence. This book taught me to look at myself in the mirror and know that I am beautiful, and that there is so much more to life then food.

I think the best piece of advice is to really tell yourself that you can eat, anything you want whenever you want, then you just stop craving food and start having a healthy relationship with it.

I don't know what to say, now that food is slowly taking up the space it should be in my life (less space!), I have so much more energy and passion towards a lot of other things, so thanks wendy. one of my wishes in life now is; may every girl or guy who has struggled with their weight read this book and start to love themselves like they should!!

and wendy...thank you

-dalia

I first read a blurb about Dr. Pyatt's book in a fitness magazine. I was intrigued and, as a medical writer, wanted to learn more. So, with an editor's blessing, I arranged an interview with Dr. Pyatt and wrote a feature story about the work she has done throughout her life to help both men and women find their way back from the chaos created by dieting and disordered eating in response to the messages society bombards us with every day. We can never be thin enough. Thus, we are not "good enough." It's a vicious cycle, and difficult to break.

Dr. Pyatt's voice, in person and throughout her book, is encouraging, gentle, supportive, and wise. She does NOT ignore nutrition, potential medical problems, or the necessity for regular exercise. Neither does she leave readers feeling that if they DON'T exercise, they are "bad." In a world full of diet- and weight-related myths, "Fed Up" is a volume of common sense.

The method may be frightening at first to those of us who have been "brainwashed" from our youngest days--admonished for being overweight, perpetually dieting, falling prey to the promises of every new "program" that comes down the pike. It's hard to let go of the fear of NOT dieting, and Dr. Pyatt knows this. But by turning to her book again and again, readers will find that they gradually learn to accept their bodies, to set more realistic goals, and to stand up against the impossible expectations of a society obsessed with anorexic ideals.

As for myself, I have lost and gained weight time and again. I have re-read this book three times. Last night, I completed the questionnaire in Chapter 4 for the third time, and was extremely happy to see that my highly negative body image and damaging weight obsession has significantly decreased in intensity. I don't expect 40 years of brainwashing (and dieting from the age of 7) to go away overnight. I just want to live a life free from constant obsessing about food and weight and how I look. This is the peace of mind that Dr. Pyatt offers, through the process she outlines in "Fed Up."

I cannot recommend this book highly enough to any man or woman who 1)is tired of endless, futile dieting; 2)wants to lose (or gain) weight; and 3) wants to take a stand against the unrealistic messages and expectations of our weight-obsessed society.

I bought this book based on the raving reviews I read on Amazon from other users, but when I received it I found some MAJOR issues. This book is a true and utter disappointment for any intermediate or low-intermediate designer.

The Good
- This book is very comprehensive and good for TRUE BEGINNERS as it covers the basics of html, xhtml, php, javascript, and image editing.
- The only mildly useful bits for the hobbyist web designer are the PHP and Javascript chapters... but you can find the same, or better information on the basics of these two technologies posted for free on the net. You don't need to pay 40.00+ bucks for this info.

The Bad
- This book is extremely, extremely outdated. Most of the design tips date back to the time when IE 5.5 and 6 were the cutting edge, and the examples are aimed at IE and Netscape Navigator users! Hence, the tips & techniques are virtually useless now that IE 7 is standard, IE 8 on the horizon, and FFox 3 about to be released.
- This book is filled with statements such as "PNG-8 and PNG-24 formats have only recently received FULL support from the most used-browsers, Netscape Navigator 6 and Internet Explorer 5"(pg 290). THAT's how old this book's tips are.

DO Buy This Book...
- If you have NEVER built a web page before
- If you want the basics to build a personal web page, a hobby web page, a static site with less than 10 pages and no functionality other than a mailto form.
- If you don't mind building your site for primarily for IE users.
- If you don't mind your web page looking like the Geocities Sites of back in 1999.

DO NOT Buy This Book.
- If you know how to style a paragraph using CSS.
- If you have ever used an editor like Dreamweaver, or Adobe Golive, or even FrontPage.
- If you want a site with any sort of interactive functionality like wikis, blogs, discussion boards, etc.
- If you are aware that the world has moved on from Netscape Navigator 6.

In summary, I found this book to be a giant pile of rubbish. In the future, I would strongly recommend NEVER buying a Web Design book that has been published more than 1 or max 2 years before your actual date. Its 2008, DON'T buy anything written prior to 2006 in order to learn basic web design. You'll end up wasting your time, as I did.

This book is outstanding. It covers everything you need to know about web design. It was highly detailed, explaining everything you need to know. And it's well written.

Inside the chapters are small sections that they refer to as Tips, such as Explaining the Uses of a Table as a layout tool. With the tips, it makes it a lot easier to go back and look over something you forgot or don't understand.

Overall, exellent book, and I highly recommend it as a resource

A friend of mine recommended this book to me. I read it in about a week. It was very simple and understandable. Plus I learned some very intresting things I never knew about CSS.

The best coverage of PHP that I have found. Excellent discussion of tweaking server, appl, and session variables. Security discussion was very easy to apply.

I found this book to be excellent. It is very rare today to find a computer science book that is thorough, logical and well organized, yet brief and to the point. This can be said for all of the chapters in this book. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn about web programming.

...purchase this book. I was looking for web sites to enjoy with my nieces and younger cousins and decided to purchase a book which could "direct me" in the right places. This book is a wonderful addition to have if you have younger children and younger visitors and need a way to "keep them occupied"! Buy this book. It is very well put together! It is also worth every cent. The only thing it doesnt have that I would give it 5 stars is a CD ROM directory for the electronic version...otherwise go for it if you dont mind typing in the sites yourself!

The Internet Yellow Pages is a "must have" book for students, adults, schools, teachers, and public libraries. Parents, teachers, and libraries should have access to this fabulous resource. After all, most homes and offices have at least one telephone directory. Let your fingers do the walking with this fabulous Internet directory which includes over 800 pages of carefully alphabetized, categorized, and graphically appealing subjects that can be used for research and information gathering. Does your child or someone you know need to write a report? Possibly a state, gold rush, science, animal, or other type of school report? Look no further. Just get out the Internet Yellow Pages, type in the URL and you will be instantly connected to quality web sites without wasting valuable time using various search engines.Each site is full of great information that has been carefully reviewed as "kid safe" by the author, Jean Armour Polly and her staff.

In addition to the excellent educational locations there are also many sites that are fun to visit, such as, jokes and riddles, toys, sports, games and fun, rainbows, boating and sailing, to name a few.

The final section of the book is dedicated to parenting and families. This section includes subjects such as entertainment, movie, video reviews, education, baby-sitting, health and safety. All the information is carefully referenced in the final index and the bonus CD-ROM includes tutorials, for safe and fun surfing on the net. This is a wonderful book and a very good investment. It is a reference guide each home, school, or library should have at their fingertips.

C. Mendenhall Teacher Deer Creek School

Customers may be confused by the way this book is listed. There is a NEWER edition of this book out, I should know, I am the author! It's available here at Amazon. Look for the one that says 4th edition. The ISBN number of the new edition is 0-0072121858. It is also called the Millennium Edition.

Our Girl Scout/Brownie International Day was a smashing success thanks to this book. Our troops were able to find information, recipes, songs and dances quickly and easily. We kept it at the Headquarters for a few months and everyone turned to it to find out about every country from Haida Nation to Iceland. The girls loved the website activities and the leaders loved the ease with which they could retrieve information. I also used her editorial blurbs to entertain the crowds between performances.

The 2002 Net-mom's Internet Kids & Family Yellow Pages directory offers kids and their entire families a number of refreshing, entertaining, and informative Websites. After a brief introduction readers are treated to Net-mom's top hotlists, top Websites, and safety tips for surfing the Internet. Then the real fun begins!

This 587-page yellow page directory covers hundreds of topics of interest to kids and their families. Websites offer information about animals, art, buried treasures, coin collecting and money, computers, food, foreign countries, American history, insects, interesting facts, the Internet, music, scouting, ships and shipwrecks, space missions, sports history, toys, transportation, weather, world leaders, and much much more. I took the time to visit some of the Websites listed in the book. Here are several that caught my interest:

Students will be in for a real gooey education at Silly Putty University. Here they will learn about the history, composition, and many uses of this still-popular toy - the toy with only one moving part. Students will also learn about the many varieties of Silly Putty currently available - the original pink, the 50th year anniversary metallic gold, glow-in-the-dark colors, temperature sensitive color changing colors, and an assortment of bright colors. When ready, students can elect to take the final exam in order to receive their Silly Putty degree!

After viewing the Silly Putty Website I moved on to Coin World , to look up some information about my favorite coin - the 1943 steel pennies. During the second World War copper was needed for the war effort so zinc-covered steel pennies were struck. However, some rare 1943 copper pennies and even rarer 1944 steel pennies were made. At least one 1943 silver-bronze penny was made! I performed some additional online research and ended up placing bids at eBay for some steel pennies - and I won!

As with any child-age educational material, parents should become seriously and creatively involved with the upbringing of their children. They should take the lead to protect their children at all times while they surf online. To her credit, the author advises parents to review certain Websites that contain sensitive material. Topics such as religion, politics, child development, environmentalism, and the creation-evolution debate sometimes touch upon controversial issues and require responsible parental involvement.

The author provides brief and concise summary descriptions of each site mentioned in the book and creatively relates topics of interest to encourage readers to dig deeper in their online researching. As I've found out for myself, visiting Websites like the ones listed in this book can be a good educational experience, as well as a bunch of fun for the whole family. Parents can sit down with theirs kids and have many hours of fun and adventure. This book is ideal for babysitting, daycare, home-school, and public school use!

I was raised in Southern California and now reside in Indiana. I could not be happier that Coach Wooden also called both places his home. Though he clearly is a midwesterner at heart---as am I now---his legend truly grew in Los Angeles.

As my title indicates, we need more coaches like John Wooden here in 2008. Can you imagine what the current crop of college ballers would be like if they had a mentor and role model like Wooden? He had depth, insight, was spiritual, a reader, a thinker, etc. This was not required, but he knew all these attributes were necessary to grow "student athletes" into successful players and adults. Even a hippie like Bill Walton, the antithesis to a noble, mature person like Wooden---respects and admires "Coach." Wooden knew how to reach all. His quotes---taken from other coaches, his father and his own mind---are ones to heed. I have the Pyramid of Success on my wall at work.

He hated dunking, showboating, selfishness, hedonism, etc. He'd loathe the brainwashing and lack of civility rampant on today's college and high school campuses.

This bio spans a wonderful, rich life, leaving no stone or thought unturned; no mind or theory unchallenged or ungrown.

A remarkbale living legend, G-d bless Mr. Wooden (who is still alive at the age of 97) and all he has done for the game and collegians everywhere.

John Wooden has figured out some of the secrets of life. And he passes them on directly, in a way that can be transformational for a reader.

John Wooden is a hero of mine. His own heroes include Abraham Lincoln and Mother Theresa. Like them, he is a treasure for all of us because his life and lessons demonstrate what it means to live to "our personal best" in a way that is simple, profound and so clear.

This book should be required reading in "Human Being 101".

We grow up hearing about the importance of developing " good character", not always knowing what it is, or just how to obtain it. All of Wooden's books give his personal guidelines for developing character and living a decent life, whether we are athletes, musicians, teachers, or anything else.
Wooden's teachings have stood the test of time. His life and those he has influenced are proof of that.
I use his wisdom for myself, and I pass it on to all my students. They all know who John Wooden is. His life blesses us all.

This is a great book to help any coach of any sport get a good feel for the right way to coach young players. Teach them good life lessons and skills. It gives an insight into a great coach and even greater man.

John Wooden is one of my heroes. When I was growing up, his teams were dominant, but more importantly, they made the game beautiful to watch. After he retired at the peak of his game, he quietly stepped off the stage. With the rush of books on leadership in the 1990's through the present, it was inevitable, and overdue, that folks take time to examine Coach Wooden's approach to leadership. This has led to a cottage industry in Wooden books.

This book is short, personal and focuses on life lessons learned from the narrative of Coach's life. It doesn't attempt to be weighty, just a good read, that imparts wisdom without hitting you over the head with it. It touches on each chapter of Coach Wooden's life, and particularly shows the infuence of his father, his high school and college coaches and his growth thru experience

This is a fun, easy read that leaves the reader wiser. Highly recommend

I really loved this story. I loved the way Ms Hill allowed us "the reader" to read each character from their own view point. I was very sad at the start of the story,if you have read " A Private Affair" you will understand what I am saying. But I did see where it was needed in this story, I guess it would not have had the same effect if the story line was different. I love all of the books that I have read by Ms Hill! Keep up the good work and much love to You!

I really loved this story. I loved the way Ms Hill allowed us "the reader" to read each character from their own view point. I was very sad at the start of the story,if you have read " A Private Affair" you will understand what I am saying. But I did see where it was needed in this story, I guess it would not have had the same effect if the story line was different. I love all of the books that I have read by Ms Hill! Keep up the good work and much love to You!

i really liked the style this book was written in. I liked readin the book threw Quinn's view point. Great book

I was so profoundly touched by Pieces of Dreams. It was excellently written. From the moment I read the first page, I was engrossed in this book all the way to the end. A Private Affair was also a good book, and Ms. Hill could not have written a better sequel. This book teaches you what real love is really about. Some parts of the book made me cry, and some made me aware of my own love life. This just only tells a few reasons why you should read this book.

To the 1 year old reader from Wisconsin. I couldn't agree with you more. Although, I love all three characters. I didn't like the fact that Maxine and Quinn somewhat wound up together at the end.

I also didn't like the fact that Nikita had to die in order for Quinn to realize where she was comming from all along. I believe
if they had a child, Nikita's death would not affect him he way it did. Quinn felt lost after her death. All he had left was some wonderful memories. Nothing else.

From the beginning of the series, I felt that all three characters needed closer. Maxine and Quinn was attracted to each other. But, didn't know exactly what they really felt, until they got involved. Nikita on the other hand, loved Grant. But, wasn't very pleased with him sexually.

As sad as the story may be, the author was being realistic. Unfortunately, those things happen in the real world. And that's why I rate it 5 stars.

Once again, another great one. Keep them comming Donna.

Arthur Hughes is a database guru. This books teaches you how to start and develop a customer database and how to use is it as your most powerful marketing tool. The author is world-renowned and has created concepts such as "lifetime value" which is essential to any business owner. This book is the database marketing bible.

I love this book. Working as a data analyst in the CRM department, this book teaches me all the practical caculation/ideas for my work.

So far, this is the only book on the market that view database marketing from a quantitative point of view. On the other hand, it also instills the relationship marketing mind-set to the readers. For the rest of books avaliable in the markertplace on CRM/Database marketing, either it's too theoretical or IT. This is the best I read so far.

My approach to marketing was totally changed by reading this book; I was able to refine a jumble of thoughts into a clear, cohesive strategy. If you are at all exposed to marketing at work, Hughes will give you the ability to prioritize what is most important in your job.

Hughes has just released a new edition of this classic. It is thoroughly updated to include developments of the last half decade (the failure of CRM in many applications, advancements in Web and e-mail marketing, etc). Every marketer and entrepreneur should read this book to learn how and why lifetime value is so important and how to build your company's strategy around it.

The best thing about this book is that it covers the technical details adequately, but is still readable enough that you do not need an MBA to understand it.

For anyone who's looking for a well-written reflection on state-of-the-art direct marketing, this is not the right book. Yet, Arthur Hughes' 'Strategic Database Marketing' still has its merits.

It's a straight-forward introductory text that covers many aspects of direct marketing - mostly from an old-economy point of view. The good thing about this approach is that Hughes explains many procedures in detail that have proved to be useful over many years of practice (as he lets the reader know on many occasions, he has worked in direct marketing for a long time). And while the dull writing-style occasionally makes the content of the book seem dated, most of the ideas discussed in the book still apply. For example, Hughes does a good job explaining lifetime-value calculations, the Recency-Frequency-Monetary approach, regression analysis and other useful tools for anyone involved in direct marketing.

Unfortunately, it's not an enjoyable book. The biggest drawback is that Hughes doesn't come across as an agile intellect. He's good at explaining procedure, but rather clumsy in discussing ideas. Adding to that is his over-reliance on examples taken from his own private life (you'll learn many things about his wife that you never wanted to know) and his strange need to praise the superiority of the American economy whenever possible. If you can look past that, 'Strategic Database Marketing' may well be worth reading for any professional marketeer.

Hughes makes it exceedingly clear why customer loyalty and lifetime value are such critical marketing concepts. Hughes helps marketers understand why our hyper-focus on customer acquisition needs to be adjusted to consider retention and upsell as well.

In particular, Hughes explains:

* What Lifetime Value (LTV) is, why it matters, and how to calculate it
* The importance of testing programs and how best to go about it
* Segmenting your customer base by loyalty and LTV
* How tactics should differ for each segment
* Practical tips for creating a successful database marketing campaign.

Case studies and ROI numbers are used throughout the book. A must read for marketing proessionals.

I'm the mother of an 8-year old daughter diagnosed with OCD. This book opened up new doors for us in treating this disorder. It has been perfect for her, and she actually wants to sit down with me to read it. I believe that giving her obsessions/rituals an actual name and introducing her to a child who struggles with similar issues is a major step in our road to living triumphantly over OCD. I strongly recommend What to Do When your Child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to go along with it--I ordered both and, along with my Bible, they have a home right next to my bed and already have worn pages!

We were told by a Doctor, who hadn't even met my son, that he thought my son may have OCD. He was referred to the Child Mental Health offices in our local town and there was a 14 month waiting list! I decided to see what I could do as a Parent and I bought this book. I left it on the table and my son picked it up and read it - his initial reaction was "do you think I have OCD", I replied by telling him that I was interested in the subject as I didn't want to label his condition. Since reading the book he has come along leaps and bounds and his teachers said there has been a remarkable improvement in his confidence and his anxiety has gone!

We got this book the weekend my kids were going to their grandparents. I read it on the way to their house and it captivated their attention, both of them (ages 3 & 5). They listened to every single word intently and quietly. They loved the story of the boy and riding his bike up and down the worry hill. It is quite long though and my voice got a litte sore reading aloud for so long. At the end of the book, my son asked, "mommy who's book is that?" and I said "It's yours". He asked if he could write in it. The pages are black and white pictures like a coloring book. I told him he could color the pictures but not to color over the words so that I would be able to keep reading it to them. Unfortunately at Nana & Papa's house there was an accident involving water and the book so only half the book made it back. The cover was torn off and everything. I was so mad! I will probably re-order the book just because he enjoyed it so much.

The book was OK but not great.

It was overly simplistic and not too meaninful for a teenager or parent. It really only skimmed one aspect of OCD, compulsion, and did not address at all the cause of the compulsion, obsessions.

May be more meaningful to younger children...

As a clinician specializing in the treatment of OCD, I highly recommend this book as a resource to clinicians and families with a child with OCD. I've used in in my practice and found it to be a wonderful resource. Clinicians can buy several copies and loan them out to their clients or recommend that their clients get this book.

Larina Kase, PsyD, http://www.TheSuccessfulTherapist.com

It is inspiring to see the growth in the main character's walk with the Lord. I enjoy the characters in this book and love reading about their lives and journeys. Book four, here I come!

The Yada Yada girls just keep getting better with each book. I can totally relate to several of the characters and what they are going through. A great and easy read.

I bought the whole series at one time and read them in order. They are delightful and I began to feel like I really knew this mixed up group of gals. Thanks for the marvelous read that left me wantint to pray more and keep God in the middle of my day. Peggy Touchtone Sholly, Award winning author Down Home Delicious, the cookbook that has made homecooking in vogue again. Buy yours today at[...]

This is my third book of the Yada Yada series. Great story, great price, and the book arrived in good time and in excellent condition. I've just ordered book four from the same sellers.
Thanks from a pleased customer.

I had enjoyed the first two Yada Yada books in this series and this book was just as good. I feel as if I have participated in their prayer group through the first three books and am looking forward to #4!

There are already a number of views outlining what this book is about, how it works, which books are included. I will skip doing that and try to think now of some of the 'lessons' I learned from reading the author's summaries of these works ( which so far as I can tell are done in an excellent way)
One lesson which seems to be paramount is the importance of attitude. 'Trust yourself, every heart vibrates to that iron string" says Emerson who is I believe one of the fathers of this whole yea- saying business. The 'trust yourself' also extends to having a positive attitude towards others, avoiding argument and criticism. An important lesson is to smile and be upbeat in dealings with others. It is also recommended to be honest and forthright in dealing with others.A third great lesson is the importance of 'seizing the opportunity when it is there' having the courage to do so. A fourth lesson which is repeated more than once is in finding 'opportunity in adversity' and in some transformation in life. The idea is here is that life is changing all the time and some of that change is certainly not for the better. And one has to be continually ready to change with it.
I could go on listing the different pieces of advice here, and they truly are various and interesting.
What I am thinking about is about all those like myself who will never take much of this advice, and probably never be 'successes' in the way the people who write here are.
I too am not sure that the sense of what success is here (It is as I understand it by and large- success in business )is the kind of success a considerable body of people truly long for.
I too think of a different attitude towards success,held by those who long for success, and will not attain it. And the fact that not succeeding may in some ways and in certain ways prove a more valuable experience than success itself. Perhaps this is best expressed in these lines of Emily Dickinson.

"Success is counted sweetest
by those who ne'er succeed
To comprehend a nectar
Requires Sorest Need.

Not one of all the Purple Host
who took the Flag today
can tell a Definition
so clear of Victory

as he defeated dying
on whose forbidden ear
the distant strains of triumph
burst agonized and clear. "

This book among the other 3 excellent categories (see below) had a profound impact on my success and level of awareness in jump-starting my career.

Working at a large bank, my level of stress and the resulting time deprivation made it almost impossible to finish ONE book per month.

Now, I enjoy reading, analyzing, and integrating the wisdom of ONE book per day thanks to Tom Bowdon's excellent book summaries.

In short: Read ... @High Speed ... & Succeed !

Here are the other 3 book summaries that I highly (!) recommend:

50 Self-Help Classics: 50 Inspirational Books to Transform Your Life

50 Spiritual Classics: Timeless Wisdom from 50 Great Books on Inner Discovery, Enlightenment and Purpose

50 Psychology Classics: Who We Are, How We Think, What We Do; Insight and Inspiration from 50 Key Books

50 Self-Help Classics: 50 Inspirational Books to Transform Your Life, From Timeless Sages to Contemporary Gurus
50 Success Classics: Winning Wisdom for Life and Work from 50 Landmark Books
50 Spiritual Classics: Timeless Wisdom from 50 Great Books on Inner Discovery, Enlightenment and Purpose

In the first instance, I have bought these three books in one go because I have been fascinated by what the author had done: He has practised what is known as the highest level of reading. Mortimer Adler, in his classic book, 'How to Read a Book', written in the forties, had called it 'syntopical reading'. It's actually reading a number of books of the same genre, more or less simultaneously & then synthesising the key points.

Secondly, the author, who is a graduate of the London School of Economics, somehow impresses me with his ability to synthesise the big picture of each of the books that made up the entire collection. For apparently a left-brain thinker i.e. economist by training, this has been a very remarkable feat, as his synthesising endeavour has been essentially more of a right-brain activity. Well, I must compliment him for a job well done.

Before my final decision on buying the three books, I have been thrilled by the prospect of reading three books, which in turn will give me access to one hundred & fifty books.

For each book, the author has very artfully as well as skillfully selected fifty books to made up one collection. I may not agree with his selection, but I must admit that I can't default him at all.

Take the first book, '50 Self Help Classics', with timeless wisdom, as an example. Out of the fifty books he has selected, I have read only seventeen of them. I have those books in my personal library.

For the second book, '50 Success Classics', I have read & still own sixteen of the landmark books on winning wisdom selected by the author.

For the third & final book, '50 Spiritual Classics', covering timeless sages & contemporary gurus, I have read only & still own three of them, namely 'The Tao of Physics', 'The Way of the Peaceful Warrior' & 'Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'.

For those books I have read previously, totaling thirty-six of them (probably stretching over three decades of my life), & upon revisiting them again in the trilogy, which actually took me one whole weekend to complete, starting on Friday evening & finishing on Sunday night, I must say that the seemingly marathon reading experience has been very refreshing & uplifting. It has also given me the opportunity to check & verify whether the author has captured the key ideas or essence of those books. I don't think I can find fault with the author in this respect.

Not only that, in the first book, I am very impressed that the author has cut through the bewildering array of choices to bring the essential ideas, insights, and techniques from the `literature of possibilities'. In works that span the world's religions, cultures, philosophies, & centuries, he summarizes each work's key ideas & finally makes clear how these legendary classics can educate, affirm, & motivate anyone searching for the inspiration to make a meaningful life change.

In the second book, the author is back with his wide-ranging collection of enduring works from pioneering thinkers, philosophers, & powerful leaders, like Napoleon Hill, Stephen Covey, Kenneth Blanchard, Baltasar Gracian & Christopher Maurer; from the inspirational rags to riches stories of such entrepreneurs, like Andrew Carnegie, Warren Buffet & Sam Walton to the leadership lessons of Sir Ernest Shackleton, Eleanor Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln & Nelson Mandela, just to name a few.

In the third book, I believe the author has captured the very best in spiritual writing: They include personal diaries & compelling biographies of such diverse figures as Gandhi, Malcolm X, & Black Elk & Eastern philosophers & gurus including Krishnamurti, Yogananda, Chögyam Trungpa & Suzuki; & Western saints & mystics such as St. Francis of Assisi, Herman Hesse & Simone Weil. For each book in this volume, the author offers insightful commentary on how these classics can help spiritual seekers everywhere bring personal beliefs, values & practices squarely into the center of their every day lives.

Reading the three foregoing books has been quite a breeze because the meaning of each work is initially captured 'in a nut shell' at the onset, coupled with a representative quote as well as cross-referencing to similar work. In each work, appropriate sectional headings in bold print make it really easy for the reader to follow the author's train of thoughts over some six pages. There is also a short biographical sketch of the author of the respective work.

I must admit that the third book in the trilogy has been the most challenging for me to read as I normally do not go for such stuff. To put it bluntly, it's not my cup of tea. On the other hand, the curiosity streak in me has been too overwhelming, since I relish the thought that I could read fifty spiritual classics in just one book!

Overall, & for all those books I have not yet read at all (some of which I have not even heard of), I really enjoyed digesting the author's bite-sized summaries (in actuality, they are only the main ideas, context & impact of each title, to give a taste of the literature, so to speak) in the three collections or volumes, even though some of the titles are relatively esoteric for me. The entire reading journey has been enlightening, inspirational & yet humbling in some areas. Best of all, there are useful tools & practical techniques to take away from each collection!

For the first & last book in the trilogy, namely, '50 Self Help Classics' & '50 Spirtual Classics', the author has respectively provide a list of additional 50 books. The titles are certainly enticing! Well, all I can say is this: I wish the author will repeat his syntopical reading exercise covering these books & add two more volumes, that will make a quintulogy, for all the readers out there, including me!

As usual, all my three books are now scribbled with my own hand-written marginal annotations as well as my fancy colour marker symbols. Additionally, there are also colourful sticky notes in between selected pages. My next personal assignment is to transfer all these notations into mindmaps with Mindmanager Pro.

To end my review, I have one last humble comment to make. Out of the one hundred & fifty bite-sized summaries, I still don't quite get it from 'The Bhagavad-Gita' as outlined in the author's '50 Self Help Classics'. I have not read this work before although I have heard about it. [J Y Pillay, former Chairman of Singapore Airlines, who is credited for building the airline to what it is today, A Great Way to Fly, has vouched for this ancient Hindu scripture as an inspiration for his leadership success during an interview.] However, in the same vein, I found that I could relate quickly to Deepak Chopra's 'The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success' but simply not this one! I may have to explore other avenue.

In site of the above minor short-coming, I strongly believe that the three books in the author's trilogy are really an intellectual treasure!

Butler-Bowdon is my guide through the literature of inner -development. His books have helped me grow as an individual and continue to help in my research for the books I choose to write to help humanity. His knowledge is exceptional and his choice of books is perfect. He truly is an expert in this area. I recommend his entire series and genuinely cant wait to get Psychology Classics. Thanks for helping humanity with your writing Mr. Butler-Bowdon.

10 stars

Author, Your Daily Walk with the Great Minds and Upcoming Release of Eastern Wisdom for Your Soul.

Truly, this is a great condensed volume of success advice. Butler-Bowden does the hard work for you, and in one volume you get the "meat" of 50 books. And, these 50 are some pretty hefty books. Some contemporary, some classic, but all contain valuable kernels of information that Butler-Bowden has already sussed out for you. The author includes a brief biography of the authors of the books he has chosen, and in many instances, those stories are just as inspiring.

I really enjoyed being reminded of "The Inner Game of Tennis". I read that book a long, long, time ago and 20+ years later, I have used the information time and again. Perhaps this little book helped make me a lifelong self-learner. I'm pretty sure it helped me be a better parent, teacher and manager.

For fans of success and achievement books, some of these selections are like old friends you need to get in touch with, and many will probably be new stories you'll grow to love.

If, on the other hand, you are a new student of success, seeking a meaty source for success education and information this is definitely bang for your buck. It might inspire you to read some of the "whole" books, but even this condensed "cram session" will leave you inspired and informed.