K Books

Life Skills: Improve the Quality of Your Life with Metapsychology
Marian K. Volkman
Loving Healing Press (2005)
ISBN: 1932690050

Self-help books are abundant, and I have read a good many of them. Marian Volkman's "Life Skills: Improve the Quality of Your Life with Metapsychology" is one of the more practical and useful self-help books in the marketplace. While not a book about metapsychology specifically, "Life Skills" includes several practical applications of it.

Metapsychology is the science that unifies mental and physical experiences to discover the rules that apply to both. In "Life Skills," Marian Volkman teaches us how to apply metapsychology to our experiences, and especially our relationships, so we can live with greater awareness and feel more fulfilled.

"Life Skills" is not designed to resolve one issue for a person but to give practical skills, primarily on how to be more aware of oneself. A major focus of Volkman's book is the emotional scale introduced in the third chapter, taken from the work of Frank Gerbode. I have seen discussions elsewhere of the emotional scale, and I have always thought it a useful tool. Volkman describes the scale much as others have--with different levels of emotions on the bottom such as fear, grief and apathy while the top of the scale includes cheerfulness, enthusiasm, and elation. The purpose of the scale is for people to understand where on the scale is their current emotional state, to understand what that feeling means, and to realize how people react from and to that feeling. Volkman takes us through exercises to help us determine what emotions other people are feeling when we meet them, and she presents basic techniques for us to help that person raise his or her emotional level, as well as making us aware when best not to confront a person based on his or her emotional place on the scale.

Volkman is an advocate of Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR). She discusses how people need to figure out what things trigger them to experience negative emotions and how TIR can help them overcome their past pain and control their emotions so healing can take place. She provides practical suggestions for how to overcome trauma such as centering oneself in the present rather than focusing on the past traumatic experience.

Much of "Life Skills" is focused on relationships, both with oneself and with other people. Volkman encourages readers to understand the domains in their lives, domains being spheres of influence or groups we belong to, the first domain being oneself, the second being immediate friends and family, the third being groups or acquaintances, and then outward to the greater domains of humanity and the planet. She challenges us to realize the affect we have on others and how we can positively influence each domain in simple and practical ways.

What I found especially helpful was the book's focus on Awareness enhancers. Volkman begins with the Dalai Lama's statement to "Be kind to each other." She then encourages the reader to be present with other people, to give another person undistracted attention, even if for only a few minutes. Everyone needs attention and affection, and by giving people this attention, it will help heal them and encourage them with needed confidence. Volkman suggests we do the same not only with a friend or family member, but with ourselves, each of us giving himself the attention needed, the love we each deserve. From there, the reader is encouraged to give attention to the workplace, culture, and social groups.

Volkman concludes the book with helpful recommended reading and referrals to websites to learn more about metapsychology, Traumatic Incident Reduction, and additional information on life skills not included in the book.

While reading "Life Skills," I frequently paused and concentrated on the exercises, many of which I had not encountered in other self-help books. Volkman's exercises reflect wisdom and a lifetime of learning and teaching others how to learn about themselves. "Life Skills" is a useful and practical book the reader will return to many times and will want to share with friends. If everyone read this book and practiced its exercises, people would relate better to one another and humanity would achieve the greater potential Volkman believes possible. "Life Skills" is highly recommended to anyone who wants to live a happier, more rewarding life.

- Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D., author of The Marquette Trilogy

Everyone wants to improve the quality of their life. In Life Skills, Ms. Volkman helps us to determine what our values are, what goals we are looking for in our life, and how we are going to reach them. I had never heard of Metapsychology before reading this book, and found it to be very interesting. This book will help you feel better, happier and more accomplished. I think everyone who reads this book will learn and gain something from it.

Life Skills: Improve the Quality of Your Life with Metapsychology is a book in the Explorations in Metapsychology Series edited by Robert Rich, PhD. The books in this series focus on the healing of the mind and the spirit using Metapsychological philosophies and methodologies. Several of these books have looked at the philosophy and therapies associated with Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR). These methodologies are particularly useful for individuals suffering from the aftermath of traumatic experiences and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders. Though good research resources for individuals suffering from such afflictions, the information within these books focuses on educating therapists about such philosophies and techniques.

Life Skills: Improve the Quality of Your Life with Metapsychology also aims to focus on healing the mind and the spirit. Though this book has a chapter on TIR, this book looks at a wider range of subjects to improve quality of life. These subjects include topics such as the definition and realities of quality of life; the predicting and understanding of emotional levels; relationships; the idea of success; understanding the negative aspects of human behaviour; and becoming more aware of yourself and the world around you.

Likewise, though this book will serve as a good resource for therapists, the general public will also find this book helpful. Topics are discussed in everyday language and explained without jargon or hidden superior attitudes. Furthermore, readers will find that the exercises that accompany each section of this book will not only help further solidify the concepts explained but will also allow the reader to tailor his or her new findings to his or her life and particular situation. This aspect makes takes this book beyond just an excellent reference book Metapsychological philosophies and techniques and brings these methodologies into the realm of self-help for all individuals wanting to improve the quality of their life.

Marian Volkman has created an excellent tool for inner growth. She presents simple, practical, and extremely useful skills anyone can use to improve one's self, relationships, and environment around them. Highly recommended.

On a daily basis I utilize an excellent concept I picked up from this book: I am able to embrace and appreciate the beauty in objects, people, and things around me without having to make them my possessions. This one concept has provided a great deal of serenity and peace. Just this one practical tool has changed my life. Practice all the exercises and reap the benefits that are in store for you.

This book is another in the Loving Healing Press "Exploration in Metapsychology Series." In "Life Skills" Marion Volkman provides models and tools for improving life toward a theoretical ideal. The author introduces and develops studies on the quality of life, traumatic stress, the emotional scale, understanding and improving relationships, a useful life model, success, the dark side of force, and awareness enhancers.

Each chapter contains exercises for contemplation and consideration. These exercises can be used in a group, with another individual, or alone. The time spent working with any or all of these exercises are well worth the time invested. You will begin to see positive changes in your life, your attitudes, and your relationships. The exercises offer practical ways to apply and assimilate the material personally.

The chapter summaries become a valuable tool for an immediate review of the core material of the chapter and for reference at a later time. The charts, sample worksheets, tables, and illustrations are excellent visuals to reinforce significant points or concepts. The book is carefully researched and well documented. The format is well organized and the text presented in an easy to follow natural flow.

On a personal note, I particularly appreciated the chapter on relationships. I now have a deeper understanding of relationships as well as how to strengthen and nurture them. Frequent use of the excellent glossary enhanced my understanding and the enjoyment of my reading.

This book should be read by therapists and their clients. It is also excellent reading for anyone seeking a higher awareness or for someone who is facing life changing decisions.

This is absolutely one of Rendell's best. A rapist who accidentally shoots a policeman emerges from jail 10 years later to make amends. How he makes amends, and what happens because of his "remorse" is bone-chilling and remarkably suspenseful. Clue here - the motive behind the shooting has something to do with the name of a restaurant. Rendell loves to pull the rug right under you just as you thought you had sure footing.
Highly recommended. Also read Judgement in Stone, possibly her best and most brilliant!

Though I must admit I might not have made it through this book if I'd read it (I need constant action), listening to it was a real experience. It was slow at the beginning, but I quickly got swept into Victor's world, and felt his humiliation, cringed at his perceptions, and rooted for him . . . for awhile. And then I absolutely hated him. Which, I daresay (can you tell I've been listening to too many British books?), is just what the author intended. Or at least she won't mind.

I thought the book was well read and all the characters were convincing. My favorite was David Fleetwood. I felt I knew him very well, even though only one chapter was from his perspective.

Rendell has written many wonderful books, and this is one of the best. I highly recommend it.

Ruth Rendell books are the scariest there are - not because of blood, gore and mutilation, but because they expose the infinitely greater menace of mental trauma. The number of Hannibal Lecter's in the general population is small - the greater threat comes from the more 'unremarkable' people, like Victor Jenner, this book's main character.

Victor has just been released from prison for shooting and crippling a young policeman. Coping with the changed world without and terrifying rages and phobias within, Victor is resentful, totally amoral, and feels he is entitled to whatever he can get - or take. Unbeknowst to the police, he is also guilty of a number of violent rapes, for which he has never been charged. The 'normal' side he can present to his social workers and employers is countered by the crashing and tortured screaming that others hear coming from his room, and he hears within his head.

Envious of the public admiration for his victim David, whose stoic acceptance of his paralysis has won him high regard and accolades, Victor can't stop himself making contact. To his surprise, David and his girlfriend Clare welcome him, assuming his motives are benign - that he, also, is trying to make sense of how the incident has affected his life. Victor manages to act normally long enough for them to become 'friends', but the tension of his scheming, David's skepticism and Clare's naive belief in Victor make you feel something awful is just around the corner. Away from his friends, all sorts of things in Victor's mind are starting to surface, and go out of control...

Ruth Rendell never writes a bad book, and this is one of her more original plots, no normal whodunnit. From the first pages Victor's incipient violence is so well portrayed, yet what happens is still a complete surprise. Rehabilitation of violent offenders, and their integration back into society, is a very low priority of governments today. The thought that there are people like Victor on the streets around us is all the more worrying for probably being true. A discomforting and somewhat disturbing story.

This is an absorbing story that could only have been crafted by Ruth Rendell, the doyenne of the quirky murder mystery and chiller killer thrillers. Here, she takes a look into the socio-pathic mind of the amoral Victor Jenner, released back into the world after serving ten years in prison for shooting and paralyzing a young police sergeant.

He tracks down the now wheelchair bound officer, meeting both him and his beautiful, devoted girlfriend. You see, in Victor's skewed world view, it was the officer's fault that he got shot, costing Victor ten of the best years of his life. Victor just wants to set the record straight. Who would have thought that they could all be friends? Therein lies the tale.

"Live Flesh" is not the usual crime mystery/thriller. It is, however, a thrilling psychological study of a rapist, Victor Jenner, who suffers from chorea, a disease of the nervous system marked by involuntary, jerky movements of the arms, legs, and/or face. Sometimes this illness is called "live flesh." Victor also has a severe phobia of tortoises, along with a multitude of other neuroses. Throughout the novel, he feels a need for psychiatric treatment, but never follows through. Typically, he blames the system for not providing him with therapy. He does understand that he has serious problems, though, and more often than not knows the difference between right and wrong. The inimitable Ruth Rendell thoroughly explores Jenner's motives, secrets, and complex emotions. She paints a chilling portrait of a man doomed by violence he cannot control. This is obviously much more a book driven by characters, and their development, than by action. The heart of "Live Flesh" lies in the complexity of Victor Jenner's personality and how he interacts with others, two characters in particular. These people are all steeped in a web of consequences stemming from one single event, a gunshot, which alters their lives forever.

Victor Jenner was convicted of shooting a young police officer in the lower back and permanently crippling him. He had been holding a young woman hostage in her bedroom, after breaking and entering her home, while escaping from the scene of an attempted rape. David Fleetwood, the officer, had been trying to gain the woman's release. Victor was not tried for the attempted rape, or the numerous other acts of sexual violence he had successfully committed. The police probably had no idea he was responsible for the crimes. After ten years Jenner is released early, for good behavior. He has serious problems adjusting to life after incarceration. But then, he always had problems adjusting. His irrational thought processes cause him to blame everyone but himself for the events leading up to the shooting. Underneath, however, he feels tremendous guilt for giving in to his irresistible urges which cause so much harm to others. The author allows the reader to enter Jenner's mind, his very thoughts, throughout the novel. He constantly constructs false scenarios which absolve him of guilt. Primary among his rationalizations is that if David Fleetwood had not taunted him by saying that the gun was a fake, a replica, then he wouldn't have had to fire it in order to prove that it was real. Other rationalizations include: if the girl hadn't screamed, then he wouldn't have had to hold her hostage; and if his uncle hadn't owned a gun, which he had easy access to, he never would have had it in his possession. Victor is also firmly convinced that he is incapable of restraining himself because of the chorea, which acts up when he is stressed. He believes that his behavior is as blameless and uncontrollable as the involuntary twitching which torments him.

The plot takes an unusual twist when Victor looks to meet the man he maimed, now wheelchair bound. His delusions allow him to think that, for the first time in his life, he has found true friendship. I must say that I really empathized with Victor, right up until the conclusion - which is a stunning one. His crimes are heinous, but so is the life he has to live with himself. I don't absolve him. I just feel terribly sorry for him - which is all Ms. Rendell's doing. Her characters are rich and so believable. And her narrative is spellbinding. This is a brilliant analysis and portrayal of a deranged man.
JANA

Ms. Cunningham does a terrific job of succinctly summarizing the concepts and cutting through some of the complexity of this section of the Internal Revenue Code.

This little book was passed on to me by a friend a few years ago. The 3rd eddition is even better. Anyone who is interested in Partnership taxation should start their studies with this with its clear explinations and examples.

Marty Burbank, JD, LLM

If you've been reading your partnership tax textbook scratching your head and wondering where they got this number or that number, this book will be an immense help as you go through the rules and try to understand them. The Logic of Subchapter K goes through the subject matter in a very organized and well-presented fashion that makes it much easier to tackle. I am currently an L.L.M. student in Taxation, and I've found that, in combination with a textbook and lectures, this book makes it possible to not just memorize the rules but to actually understand and be able to apply them. Great book.

Update: got an A in the class!

An absolute must for any tax professional working with partnerships. Like the title indicates, it is very logical and gives an overview of the complex details before diving into the details.

This is an excellent, excellent book! I am law school student struggling my way through partnership tax (with no desire to practice tax law). I have purchased everything under the sun that I thought might give me a better understanding of the subject. This is the first book that I have come accross that really helped. It gives you the "why?" behind the mechanics. I cannot imagine why my professor recommended the Nutshell book as opposed to this book. I cannot recommend it enough!

UPDATE - I got an A in the class and I am positive it was due to this book.

This book contains a lot of Buddism and Buddist dogma. There's nothing wrong with that, if you're interested in Buddism. However, as a book on MEDITATION, I expected to learn about meditation, not Buddism. The subtitle, "A Step-by-step Manual for Buddist Meditation", is more accurate. However, once again, there's little actual information about meditation techniques, and much more about how to meditate from the Buddist perspective. Meaning, that the focus is on the philosophy and not techniques. For instance...

The section entitled, "How to meditate", is 4 pages long. The majority of the book (just over 80 pages!) concerns the "Twenty-one Meditations", which are things to meditate ON - essentially ideas - which are presented as a sequential process of meditative enlightenment. Thus, if you want to learn HOW to meditate, I cannot recommend that you purchase this book.

This book helps us Western people to focus on the important things while meditating. In a very clear and easy speach it explains us step by step how we get a clear view beyond all our daily activities through to what really makes our life as human beings so very precious. I can recommend this book to anyone trying to approach meditation or trying to get further into meditating on a regular basis.

The Lamrim is the "Graduated Path to Enlightenment." It is a total map of the Buddhist Path. And it is distilled, without any loss of flavor or potency, into these 21 meditations. I
completed these meditations in 1997. I made more progress than
I ever had in any spiritual or psychological program. So I naturally started to do the meditations for a second 21-days.
I treated my family as myself or better. I felt that life had meaning. I felt part of you, the reader of this review, as well.
That there was a connection to everything else. Then my brother
asked me what program I was doing. I told him that it was the
Lamrim meditations of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. He told me that the
Dali Lama was angry at him for worshipping a protector deity named Dorje Shugden. So I quit. Until now. I did a one month exhaustive investigation of this affair. I have found Geshe Kelsang Gyatso blameless. And the Dali Lama was trying to keep his country intact because a book titled "The Yellow Book" was
dividing it. This book portrayed Dorje Shugden as a hero entity that was protecting Tibet and driving away the Nyingma influences. I am back. And this book is the best. It may not be the best for you. But it is the best for me. The 21 meditations are a concise psychological map for mental health. I have known lamas and swamis who are quite mean-spirited. But how
can you be mean if you are meditating on love? The mind takes the form of whatever it is paying attention to. After you have this book, you will see that the first meditation involves meditating on your Spiritual Guide. Don't be frightened. You can meditate on Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Or you can meditate on the Dali Lama.
Pick one of them as your Spititual Guide if you don't have a teacher of somekind. The next problem that you might encounter is the meditation on Tranquil Abiding. I just called The NKT
Center in Los Angeles to get an answer. You can achieve tranquil abiding (the ninth stage) at home and in the evenings.
Students have done so. This book is such a tremendous achievement. You will have such great joy. I am sorry that I quit. And I wish you the very best of happiness.

This book is essential for anyone who wishes to quiet his or her mind, reduce stress, and cutivate a peaceful frame of mind. Easy to read, written in plain English, this book provides you with evrything you need to know and is presented to you in a way you can quickly absorb and use immediatly. I LOVE THIS BOOK!

This is a very short introduction to Tibetan Buddhist meditation by a very credible author. This is complicated territory and this book illuminates the path, especially for Westerners.

I love Joanna Trollope's books. She's perceptive and literate. I think her understanding of children in complex families is very well portrayed. My only quarrel with this book is that she let Mark off the hook. Kate's relationship with those in the shelter, especially Helen, should have led to real action instead of the acceptance we saw. Is shelter the only way to help victims of violence? I think not. I hated that part of the book!
Give this book to a friend.

Joanne Trollope is one of the greatest - very poignant, well-written novel.

I greatly anticipate each new Joanna Trollope novel that comes out, and this one did not disappoint. I re-read it for the third time recently.

I don't always like Joanna's characters. Some I can't stand. But I get so caught up in their lives, I honestly feel as though I know these people. She has a talent for drawing you in, without you being aware of it. Ups and downs of daily lives, menial and/or dramatic things we all experience. She has a talent of making it all so interesting. Of making her reader care for even those characters that aren't very lovable. And each character is so uniquely different, Joanna does not rely on cliches or tired character development. No two characters in any of her books are alike.

My advice is to be sure you have plenty of time when picking this book up. You won't want to put it back down until you're finished. I can say that about all of her books.

I read this book years ago, but it's one of those that lingers. Trollope knows the human heart and it comes through in this tale about lonely people who form a bond and a home together. I became a Trollope fan after this, but Men and the Girls remains my favorite J. Trollope novel.

I have read nearly all Joanna Trollope's books and this book is one of her best. The story was complex without exaggeration. I especially enjoyed the intergenerational weave of relationships.

Born into a country beset by chaos and wars--both civil and world II--Dr. Ryu overcame it all through sheer courage and determination.Immigrating to America,Dr.Ryu faced a different set of challanges--discrimination and institutional indifference to patient care. Through it all he maintained his integrity and his sense of justice to ultimately win in the end.

An engrossing story of how the interplay of character,integrity,determination and courage can lead to both personal and professional achievement.

An engrossing story of how the interplay of character,integrity,determination and courage can lead to both personal and professional achievement.

An engrossing story of how the interplay of character,integrity,determination and courage can lead to both personal and professional achievement.

Dr. Ryu gives a rare peek into Korean life before, during, and after Communist occupation of North Korea. Beginning with a personal account of the uprooting of his family, the ensuing saga that developed once he decided to immigrate to the U.S. gives us all a new perspective on American culture as well. His idealistic dreams of success and a peaceful life in this "land of opportunity" remained steadfast despite obstacles and unfair practices that threatened to sour his attitude. But "inspiration, aspiration, and perspiration" kept this man of integrity unshaken and optimistic. His unconventional choices included marrying a feisty Italian woman, and together creating a whole new world that surmounted all cultural barriers and embodied the American dream. An emotional, exciting, and thoroughly satisfying reading experience.

This book is responsible for my love of Dick Francis. The story of an up and coming jockey who finds himself in a slump, who is responsible and how he gets himself out of it is riveting.
He writes beautifully and gives such good characterizations that his books are a delight to read.

This is one of Francis' very first books. Written in the early 1960's and set in England, 'Nerve' concerns the exploits of a young and aspiring top steeple-chase jockey. If you haven't read Francis before, you are in for a very nice and enjoyable low-key thriller. Its hard to point to another author and say that Dick Francis is like him or her, because his work is so unlike other writers. Every one of Francis' books has pretty much the same plot outline, but in a strange way, this is not at all bothersome. One reads a Francis book to enjoy the characters and the inordinant amount of plot laden tension that is somehow packed into such a mild mannered little book.

Every time I pick up one of Francis' books I think of the Jean Cocteau movie from the early 50's I think called Orphius. Its based on the old greek myth where some guy goes to hade's (the ancient greek underworld) to rescue his wife who was stolen from him by a god. He gains her freedom on the condition that he not look at her on the way back until they are out of Hade's. Only at the very last step, he does turn around and she is turned into a pillar of salt or something like that... Anyways, in Cocteaus version of the myth, he has the main characters cast as poets, and they drive around the French country side being flocked by admiring fans and lovely young women. The poets there are the rock stars of that fictional society. Well, Francis creates a world very similar to that with his horse racing books, where the entire country of England revolves around the going ons of different aspects of racing.

One interesting aspect of this book, discussed by other readers in this review forum, is that of the human condition known as 'Nerve.' Rob Finn is made to look as though he has lost it over the opening chapters of the book and the mystery revolves around why this was done and exactly who is behind it.

I would highly reccomend this story to anyone... Its a short novel that has with held the test of time though it is entering its fifth decade since publication. It's not the greatest mystery ever written if only because Francis never really took a risk as an author. But this is also one of Francis' very best efforts and will entertain you in a mild mannered way.

This book starts with a bang and never lets up. Dick Francis' novels are admittedly formulaic, but it's a winning formula for sure. The ending is a bit unrealistic, but so what? In life there's a time for being serious and a time for losing yourself in an exciting story with an interesting main character.

This is the second book that I've read of Dick Francis's (currently reading "Blood Sport"). The plot seems to be shorter than Francis's other novels, but still enjoyable nonetheless.
Story tells about a beginner jockey who takes advantage of a chance to race on a good horse. That chance takes him to the winners' circle. However, all this success is envied by some of those around him, that cause him to suffer loss after loss. The jockey starts an investigation that leads him to learn of his enemies. The hero's character is explained piece by piece as the story unfolds and becomes more interesting, especially with his love for his cousin.
Whether you're a horse-race fan, or not (like me), you'll still enjoy this novel. The ending is missing a bit of closure, in my opinion, but still has style and reveals more of the jockey's character.

Dick Francis has written so many bestselling mysteries, it's mindboggling. He excels in crafting enormously engaging, civilized whodunits, which go down smooth as cognac. Mr. Francis has a habit of introducing elements from the racing world into his novels (for those not in the know, Francis used to be a jockey). Yes, it's true that his heroes all come from the same mold and the stories do contain certain formulaic elements, but I think Francis's magic lies in the humanity and empathic nature with which he cloaks his protagonists. His heroes are all too human, all too flawed, and uniformly unassuming and Britishly reserved. Yet, without exception, they all have unexpected pluck, hidden strength, and the inner fortitude to do the right thing. In four decades, Mr. Francis has written some of my favorite mysteries: Forfeit, Rat Race, Reflex, Hot Money, The Edge, The Danger, Decider, and To the Hilt. And then there's Nerve.

Nerve holds a special place in my heart. I first stumbled across Dick Francis's mystery books years ago when I was a kid thumbing thru a Reader's Digest book. That book contained a condensed version of Nerve, which I went thru in a flash. As soon as I could, I went to the public library and borrowed the full-length version and tore thru that one, too. Since then, I've read everything that Dick Francis has ever written and I've enjoyed every one tremendously (even his anthology Field of Thirteen), but, thru the years, I've come back again and again to Nerve and its charismatic hero Rob Finn. It's just such a darn good story.

Nerve, published in 1964, was only Francis's third novel at the time. Yet, even back then, he had what it took to tell a captivating, suspenseful story. The quick plot breakdown of Nerve: Rob Finn has started to make a name for himself as a jockey when he is kidnapped, tortured, and left for dead. Torn up and bleeding, he manages to escape and get help. He then coldly plans his revenge on the bloke what did him wrong. Sounds like a simple plot, but Francis uses his narrative skills to lure the reader into following Rob Finn as he attempts to get back at his disturbed tormentor. It's gripping stuff. Francis's detailed breakdowns of Finn's pain-filled efforts to get back to racing form so soon after he was tortured will make you cringe, as you wholeheartedly pull for the fella. Our hero is very human, vulnerable, and very relatable. Yet, Francis is talented enough as a writer that, by the end of the book, you'll feel some sympathy towards the dastardly villain. And, as an added bonus, Francis throws in one of those unrequited love subplots, as Finn, who has been eternally in love with his beautiful, talented cousin, Joanna, bittersweetly continues to carry his torch. Joanna, alas, does not reciprocate.

I don't know how Dick Francis does it. I'm not into horses or horse racing. Yet, his books never get old for me, and the horse racing elements actually become interesting stuff. I really, really believe Dick Francis's gift, when it gets boiled to its essence, is how well he's able to make the reader relate to his lead character. Every one of 'em is immensely rootable. Before I read Nerve, I mostly read fantasy and sci-fi novels. Nerve introduced me to the world of mystery novels. So, for that reason and also because it's a crackling good tale, Nerve will always be one of my favorites.

Also, glad to hear that Dick Francis has a new book (Under Orders, starring Sid Halley) coming out in a few weeks. I cannot wait.

No More Blue Mondays helped me in the transition to move on...I was really having terrible mondays, i didn't want to go to work anymore...This book was great, help me a lot with my decision (I made a change in carrer), this was 1 year ago, and i can truly say it help me to take the best decision and make the transition smooth. Also it is a very easy to read and apply book. The price is nothing in comparison with the benefits...i did not need any professional help...this book was enough.

No More Blue Mondays helped me get out of the rut of unproductive, self-examination and moved me to begin researching what I really wanted to do with my work life. This book very practically and very specifically guided me from frustration, feeling 'too old' or 'not qualified' to real empowerment in choosing my new direction. Sheerer very pointedly tells you to 'get over it' when feelings of self-pity become obstacles to your appreciation of your own talents and possibilites. Action plans get you moving and involved in discovering the next career step way before the process of applying for specific positions even begins. This book really helped me to know my own heart which moved me to a career path that I have always wanted. No More Blue Mondays and no more switching jobs every three years out of dissatisfaction.

Thank you, Robin, for the wisdom, practical guidance, and down-to-earth nature of your book. It had an immediate and profound impact on me personally.

Two weeks ago, I ordered your book for what I thought would be a resource for my career coaching clients. Yet I quickly realized that I was really reading it for my own benefit. I had insight after insight for myself, saw clearly how off track my business had become, and what I wanted to do to redesign it.

Your four keys to finding fulfillment at work enabled me to quickly get to the core of what was going on for me and brought to the forefront the actions I needed to take to get back on course. I highly recommend your book to anyone who wants to find more satisfaction and fulfillment in their work. In my eyes, "No More Blue Mondays" is the best career book on the market!

I always knew this was a truly great book. Now, it appears, everyone agrees with me! No More Blue Mondays was just given a Ben Franklin Award. This means that this is the top book for the year in the Career area as rated by publishing industry professionals. Read it and find out why!

I've been a career consultant since 1979, and this book is fresh! Most of the career books I've seen are filled with theory and instructions, but show little proof that it works. Here, finally, is a book that is not only right on the money, but it's believable. What I mean is that Robin's book is full of real-life examples; person after person, example after example, story after story. You get it: her "four keys" are not dreamt up in some ivory tower -- they are practical, applicable, powerful, field-tested tools to accomplish a successful career transition. They really work.

When I read other career books, my mind often says, "Well, that's nice in theory, but how do you do that in the real world?" Well, it's clear that Robin's "four keys" have played out, time and again, in real-life people. By aptly illustrating the theory, these stories activate a different part of my brain -- they get me motivated, thinking, "Hey, if so-and-so can do this, so can I!" It's not pie in the sky, happily ever after, career fairy tales. Robin's people are real. You feel their pain. You hear their discouragements, wrong turns, applaud their persistence. You follow their paths of doubt and courage, you see how human and fallable they are (just like you), and you also see how the "four keys" have guided their way out of the toughest career predicaments. And you believe those keys work for you, too!

If you're looking for a book that will have you cheering for others, and, then, soon, cheering for yourself, this is it.

I have 3 favorite novels which I reread every couple of years. Like old friends, I know that I can always turn to them and be sure of several hours of deep pleasure. This is one of those novels. PASTORAL was written during World War 2 and concerns two young people who are serving in the military, but as the title indicates, this is not your typical war novel. Peter Marshall is a veteran pilot of an RAF Wellington bomber, even though he is still a very young man. The flying scenes are excellent, filled with suspenseful atmosphere and excitement. But when he is not in the air, he is the kind of person who takes delight in the simple pleasures of life, rambling over the countryside and fishing with his crew. And after he meets a lovely WAAF officer, Gervase Robertson, who has just joined the signals staff at his airbase, it doesn't take him long to fall in love for the first time. The love story of these two rather innocent and ordinary young people is as real as you'll find in literature, perfectly tracing the progress of their attraction and growing feeling for each other, all intensified by the immense conflict in which they play their small part. True to that time, this does not mean that they are in bed by the second date--no, these are typical, decent youngsters who accept the idea that that sort of thing must wait until marriage. Gervase does not want to give up her part in the war effort to get married, and the tension begins to affect Peter's flying and his relationship with his crew. As one of the senior officers complains exasperatedly, "The great adventure on this station isn't bombing Germany. They don't think anything of that. Falling in love is the big business here." Eventually we see that maybe falling in love is the big business after all, as the young people come to exemplify all that is best, all that is worth fighting to preserve. Nevil Shute wrote several excellent novels, but I believe that this is his best. It is a shame that it is so hard to find, but used copies are available--and well worth the hunt.

Nevil Shute seems to be a very underrated author. After his On the Beach and A Town Like Alice, the rest of his works are almost totally ignored by both the critics and the public, which is a pity as almost all of his works are finely written and have something worthwhile to say.

Pastoral was written during WWII, and from a purely British viewpoint, unlike so many of the war books that were written long after the conflict by so many Americans. As such there is a totally different atmosphere to this book, a quietness, an acceptance of the conditions and requirements of the war as just something that is there, part of the daily routine. And it is within this atmosphere that Neville constructs a fine love story between the very experienced bomber pilot Peter Marshal (at age 22!) and a W.A.A.F signals officer, Gervase Robertson.

As perhaps is typical for war-time love stories, the war itself provides the conflict, the friction between the lovers, as Peter is duty-bound to continue flying bombing missions, and Gervase believes her own duties are important to the course of the war, and should not be given up merely to get married. Her decline of Peter's offer of marriage sends Peter into a mental tail-spin, seriously impacting his efficiency as a flyer. How this conflict is resolved and the events that happen because of this conflict form the main portion of this book. Before reaching that point, however, we are treated to a view of English morality and customs of the day, a code that says one mustn't go off alone with a member of the opposite sex, that married woman are expected to keep house, not have jobs, where the woman must defer to the man. A view that might seem dreadfully stifling and old-fashioned to a reader of today's world, but it shown in such a non-obtrusive way that the reader can accept it without question. Until, that is, the reader finishes the book, and realizes that Neville has been quietly showing (and mildly satirizing) both the good and bad qualities of such a code. This is typical of Nevil's writing - his points are made far more by showing, rather than telling, always a mark of a fine writer. Also noteworthy is the attitude towards the war that is displayed by all the characters here - that death is an everyday happening, but it won't happen to me, it only happens to someone else. An attitude that seems to belong to every young person.

Nevil's prose style tends towards the descriptive, especially of the countryside and everyday actions. His dialogue in this book is loaded with English slang, very typical of actual speech patterns of the day, but this does at times make it somewhat hard for the poor modern American reader to decode what is being said. And some of Nevil's expertise as an avionics engineer shows in his descriptions of the aircraft and the functioning of various parts of these machines, at times obviously assuming that reader knows more about aircraft than is normally the case. These, however, are very minor negatives, almost totally subsumed by the engagement of the reader in the story of these two very well realized characters.

One decided negative that has nothing to do with Nevil's writing ability is the production quality of the hardbound reprint edition. The typeface used is very close to an old typewriter font, with thin serifs and a fairly small point size, and the printing press seemed to have severe difficulty with maintaining an even ink flow - at places the print fades to near illegibility. This all makes for a very rough impact on your eyes. A pity that this fine work has such a botched job of production.

Regardless of the quality of the printing, however, this book deserves a look, if nothing else just to see how a romance really should be written, as opposed to the material that passes for 'romance' on the book racks of today.

What is most remarkable about Pastoral is the way it manages to blend love and tragedy in an almost seamless manner. What would have been a rather conventional love story is transformed into something very different by the ever-present risk of death. RAF pilot Peter Marshall and WAAF signals officer Gervase Robinson go through an awkward and sometimes amusing courtship seemingly unconcerned about the fact that each one of his bomber missions over Germany could very easily be his last - indeed, some of the characters we meet during the story are lost over Germany. That they are able to function in a reasonably normal manner in the most terrifyingly abnormal of circusmstances is a tribute to the strength of the human spirit. In a way, this foreshadows Nevil Shute's much later book On the Beach, in which people are able to function day-to-day despite knowing that the world is soon coming to an end. A lesser writer than Shute probably would have made Pastoral heavy-handed and preachy, but there is almost none of that. All in all, a superb book, a truly timeless story despite its setting.
As an aside, the last few paragraphs of the story make me wonder whether it is based on true events.

... and bringing it to the flight station marks the unusual beginning of an exquisite and delicate love story between RAF pilot Peter Marshall and flight officer Gervase Robertson.

The story takes place in the midst of world war II terror and describes, in spellbinding detail, the flight missions over Germany, the dangers of cross fire and courage, during times when others have fear.

Peter's cockiness (not always at the right times), competence (in dodging enemy fire and bringing his crew home), and courage (in face of danger) win the reader's heart and make him a hero at his home station, even though he comes very close to losing is all: his aircraft, his crew and Gervase.

A marvelous story, despite its unusual start: catching a fish!

Perhaps this is Nevil Shute's best; his detail about the cold technicalities of cockpit war activity, set against the depths of an unforgettable love story makes "Pastoral" stand out above anything to be imagined. He just never ceases to surprise his readers!

This is, in my opinion, Nevil Shute's best book, surpassing even such justifiably popular titles as "On the Beach" and "A Town like Alice". With restraint and a simple, moving style Nevil Shute brings out the best in human spirit by telling this story of young people rising to the dangers and challenges of war and prevailing through dedication, comradeship and love. Why is a book like this out of print when bookstore shelves are full of stories about addicts, perverts and criminals? We desperately need more people like Nevil Shte's characters to serve as role models.

Personal Balanced Scorecard is excellently on time and on target. It is one
of the first tangible and useable means to provide for a person the
opportunity to create, follow, measure and improve his own agenda. With
PBSC, we start the long way towards a society in which the person will
become the central focus point, with a responsibility that will be larger
than ever before. In a world that will be more complex and tougher than seen
and experienced so far. PBSC will make the current but more so the next
generation better and stronger for the "personal age" that is about to
arrive to all of us.-- Professor Roel Pieper, Chairman Favonius Ventures and
former Vice President of Philips Electronics and Compaq Computer Corp.

In the world of organizational development and organizational change, many
theorists have provided models and guidance on attempting to change the
culture through leadership development and instilling a sense of personal
responsibility in all employees. However, no theorist has provided an
infrastructure such that the process that will change the culture is
embedded in the organization. The Personal Balanced Scorecard process is
integrally linked with organizational goals within individual performance
plans for every employee to ensure change actually occurs and far richer
outcomes are realized. It is critical in this time of globalization to take
advantage of the intelligence of every employee and find ways of engaging
them as a whole human being. We have used the PBSC ourselves and we have
used it with clients and we've seen it work.-- Regina M. Bowden Ph.D. and
Eleanor Lester ABD, Organizational Change Managers, Michigan

Personal Balanced Scorecard provides a roadmap for the organizations of the future! Hubert Rampersad is one of the great thought leaders that is both helping organizations increase effectiveness and helping people have better lives. He is helping make the world a better place, and is one of the few consultants who look at the entire picture - not just a small part. --Marshall Goldsmith, recognized by the American Management Association as one of 50 great thinkers and leaders who have impacted the field of management over the past 80 years. He has appeared in: The Wall Street Journal - as one of the top ten executive educators, Forbes - as one of five most-respected executive coaches and The Economist - as one of the most credible thought leaders in the new era of business.

Personal Balanced Scorecard offers individuals a sense of hope and a pathway
to get there. Ultimately, all change is individual and personal and this
book offers a practical guide for helping people turn personal missions into
personal improvement actions. The frameworks and questions focus attention
on the right issues in the right way. --Dave Ulrich, author HR Value
Proposition, partner The RBL Group, and Professor Ross School of Business,
University of Michigan, USA.

Personal Balanced Scorecard is an outstanding contribution to the field of
self- mastery and personal transformation. Written from a pragmatic
viewpoint, this book is likely to help set your agenda for a radical shift
from systems-driven change to selfled change. I often ask, if livelihood is
for life, what is life for? Dr. Hubert Rampersad's work explores that
question deeply and comes up with startling answers. ---Professor Debashis
Chatterjee, Head, Centre for Leadership and Human Values, Indian Institute
of Management, Lucknow, India and author of Leading Consciously.