Stevens Books

I bought the deck after attending a conference and a Steven Farmer workshop. I use the deck along with my angel oracle cards when reading for myself and others. It has been my experience that these cards are always right on. For example, I just pulled a card for this review and it is...drumroll...Giraffe. Foresight. "You are able to see what is in store for the future." How the world needs more insight and foresight. I highly recommend this deck to those who love animals and spirituality. Or when a workshop rolls around in your area, treat yourself and attend. Great job, Steven!

I've owned many oracle cards and these ones work the best for me. Being a person who is very connected to nature, I feel right at home with these cards and the messages that accompany the cards. I like the fact that the cards aren't vague and that the explanations are thorough. A previous commenter said that certain animals were missing from their book. I don't know if their book was a misprint, but my book is complete with all animals represented.

I think a great companion to this set of oracle cards would be the book "Animal Speak" by Ted Andrews. Signs from nature and animals are around us all the time, you just have to be open to seeing them! :)

A great tool to learn and use. A must for all who are in tune with nature and those who want to learn

Excellent for use in discovering your totem and can be used with a strengths-base approach in counseling.

I really enjoy these cards. The pictures on them are awesome and the book included is pretty informative about each power animal. I only wish it included more on different spreads to use with them.

Dr. Farmer establishes a great repore in teaching the various cerimonies for healing, transitions, and celebrations. He guides you into creating your own ceremony. Easy to read and very informative. I look forward to other books he has written.

*****
This is a great book on all aspects of ceremonies---design, planning, facilitation, and practicalities. It also includes many examples of various types of ceremonies chock full of great ideas and inspiration. I read this book all in one sitting, and enjoyed every minute of it.

If you are planning a ceremony, this book will be invaluable. Or if you are a minister or facilitator of ceremonies, it will also be invaluable.

Note that although typical Christian ceremonies are referred to, this book primarily deals with ceremonies that are creative or different from standard cultural celebrations. It doesn't focus on any one alternative tradition, but includes all---for example, Native American, Celtic, secular, etc. It would primarily appeal to the person who is wanting to design a meaningful and memorable ceremony of their own from any or no religious tradition.

I loved this book---it is definitely a reference book, but also a very enjoyable read. When you're done, you'll definitely understand how to plan and why you'd plan most any ceremony!

*****

This book arrived in mint condition. I have used it already in planning a service; it could have been more helpful if it had more ready made ceremonies in it, but I am happy with it.

Steven has written the ultimate "how to" book for creating ceremonies. I appreciated his clear, easy-to-follow suggestions and examples. This book (the only one you'll ever need on this subject) excites the imagination to create a ceremony for every important event along life's path. As you can tell, I love this book and if I could, I would give it more than 5 stars!

Steven Farmer invites you into the conscious sacred space of ceremonies with an easy and gentle presence. He has done his research and practice and now invites you into his collective wisdom. The grace is that everyone can find an abundance of useful ideas and practices for themselves and others in these celebrations of the sacred. Use it as a foundation and then improvise for all the sacred ceremonies that living and dying has to offer. Steven invites you into his journey of sacred space so that you might learn how to more fully enter your own with others. This book is a gift and blessing. I look forward to reading more of his writings.

First of all, as someone interested in the paranormal for most of my life, I must say that this is a frightening story indeed. However a few things bothered me. This first thing may be small, but I am a stickler for consistency. The eccentric landlord was an old woman in the author's account of his experience when he posted it online. In the book, the landlord is an eccentric old man. Is it a man or a woman?

I looked up this home in some of my most haunted places in America books but none of them contain even a mention of this house. I googled The Screaming House in Union, Missouri among other variations, and the only information that came up was connected to the author and his book or show. DOesn't anyone else know about this? Former tenants who left so fast that their personal belongings had been left there? How about some impartial witnesses outside the author's circle of family & friends? Amazingly, there is absolutely no local lure, like the people that walked on the other side of the road from the house. Did any neighbors hear the loud banging and the screams? Did any neighbors see or hear the hooded dark creatire or the wolf creature? Were the police ever called in to witness any of these phenomena?

I wish the author could have included some photos. Especially when he went back to help the other tenant and put his own fear aside to help her. He spent countless more hours in the house after he moved out and even worked with paranormal researchers - but he did not offer any photos and as far as I can see, did not try to set up a video camera to capture any of these strange creatures.

I applaud the author for getting his kids out of there as soon as he did. He seems like a very good father, and his vulnerability and honesty made him a likeable storyteller. I do believe there was something there, but demonic hauntings need to be dealt with differently than your benign can't-seem-to-cross-to-the-other-side spirits. I thought it was exceedingly dangerous for the author to go back to the house to help the next tenant, even if his intentions were good. Demons like this can attach themselves and go right with you.

I also do not think it was entirely responsible of the author to imply that a person who does not go to church or does not believe in Christianity is more susceptible to be the victim of a demonic haunting. Based on my understanding, it is more a circumstantial event, usually based on something that happened on the property itself in the past as I thought he was getting into as he dug into the history of the location a bit.
The one thing that made me most skeptical however was HOW COULD THE NEW TENANT POSSIBLY STAY AS LONG AS SHE DID?? She too had kids to be responsible for. The brutality of the events - biting, sexual abuse, and extreme dangerous situations, causing eventual possession (and/or mental illness, however you interpret what happened to Helen), would have driven anyone out in days, or weeks, like the author and his family. To stay and endure that sort of haunting for years, and have it destroy your entire family right before your very eyes, is beyond crazy. NO matter how much they "couldn't afford" to move, in my opinion, that family couldn't afford NOT to.

So it was a very intriguing and scary book - but more collaboration with impartial witnesses, as well as possibly some photos or video, would bolster the credibility factor a lot. Three stars.

This book was excellent and is on my list of favorite ghost stories. If you love a good true ghost story don't miss this one.

A great book if you're into reading about actual paranormal events.
It is well written and VERY interesting. These type of books (good ones) are hard to come by.

This is an truly awesome book, I couldn't put it down once I started reading. Although I saw the Fear House episode of A Haunting the book provides so much more about what actually happened in that house. I would recommend this book to any paranormal fan (and non-believers too!).

I collect books in this genre. This book was well written and scary. I don't scare easily if really ever. But the images prtrayed in this book were haunting in a very creepy way.

Great job. I am sorry for the authors obvious distress and at times desperate attempt at getting help. However it makes a great read for the rest of us.

If you are just starting out in this genre or a well read in this genre.... this is the one to go with.

Happy Halloween.

I gave this book to my son, a salesperson, on his birthday and he was pleased to receive it and began to read it right away. It appears to have very pratical suggestions.

I really liked this book. Bill Brooks is a very credible author and I like the fact that there are only 7 concepts to learn/read about. It allows us to focus in on specific items you can address with yourself and/or your sales team. If you are interested in improving your sales outcomes, read, study and practice the ideas discussed in this book. They will have very positive impacts on your results!

Although I read everything published regarding sales, it is rare that I can heap the kind of praise I am about to heap on Howard Stevens and the HR Chally Group's Achieve Sales Excellence: The 7 Customer Rules for Becoming the New Sales Professional.

Not since Neil Rackham wrote SPIN Selling (in 1987) and Major Account Sales Strategy (in 1988), has anyone used sophisticated research methodology to explain what makes some salespeople much more successful than others (in this case, Chally used 210,000 salespeople and 80,000 customers). Most important, Stevens and the Chally Group actually correlated what a customer said on a survey with their actual buying decisions, therefore, making the information much, much more valid and useful in determining what customer want and expect from salespeople.

The seven rules are:

1. You Must Be Personally Accountable for Our Desired Results
2. You Must Understand Our Business
3. You Must Be on Our Side
4. You Must Bring Us Applications
5. You Must be Easily Accessible
6. You Must Solve Our Problems
7. You Must Be Innovative in Responding to Our Needs

This is a book I wish I had written. It is--bar none--the most important work published in the field of sales in the last 20 years. If you choose not to buy and read this book, I promise you will quickly fall behind those of your competitors who do--it is that important! This book will reshape how you think of yourself as a salesperson, and, if Steven's advice is followed, to greatly improve how we are viewed by our customers.

This is one book I wholeheartedly recommend to sales leaders and sales professionals who truly want to understand and value the customer perspective. Insightful, emboldened by superb research, Howard Stevens continues to contribute to the art and science of sales expertise.
I have already purchased copies for my team and I consider it THE sales book of 2007!

Sandi Edwards
Regional Vice President of Sales
American Management Association
NYC,NY

Amazon.com lists nearly half a million books about sales. You get the impression that everyone who ever made a cold call or a sales presentation has written a book about his or her experience. Sales books are often anecdotal, with little or no relevance to the difficult challenges that salespeople actually face. Some present a grab bag of supposedly "can't-lose" sales techniques that sound great on paper but always seem to fall flat during sales calls. Others present compilations of moldy maxims, such as "work smarter, not harder," and "never take `no' for an answer," that make experienced salespeople want to jump off the nearest cliff. This thoughtful and intelligent book by Howard Stevens and Theodore Kinni is a welcome exception. Instead of irrelevant anecdotes or inane aphorisms, it features the results of in-depth surveys of 80,000 business-to-business customers concerning their attitudes about salespeople. It offers an insightful analysis of this singularly informative data, along with recommendations on what salespeople can do to improve their status with customers - and thus increase their own sales. When it comes to the business-to-business salesperson, we cannot recommend this book more highly. Read it to learn precisely what business-to-business customers expect from you, and how you can use this invaluable insider knowledge to close more sales. You'll become the consummate sales professional in both your customers' eyes and your own.

Ahead of the Curve: A Guide to Applied Strategic Thinking (Hardcover)

Are you an active force in shaping your future or simply being on the receiving side of the inevitable "jolt" of change? Stowell and Mead suggest a practical approach to becoming a strategic force in an organization's future. The strategic leader lays the groundwork for future opportunities. Examples of powerful questions set the context for establishing a cultural of reflective and analytical thinking. This starts by "stepping back" from daily activity and discovering what strategic thinking means to each individual and member of any leadership, management or natural work team: how are you adding value to your organization in the long term.

A practical model is presented to help us visualize our work environment from a strategic perspective. Of the four zones described (Operator, Planner, Inventor, Strategist) on a horizontal axis of time and a vertical axis of imagination, the Strategist operates in environment of strategic opportunity, thinking both broad and long term. The Strategist has an uncanny ability to anticipate, recognize and convert changes into opportunities. Strategy is about improving your position to make a difference in the organization. The secret is recognizing how to apply this way of thinking on a daily basis to the most mundane of activities in order to uncover new ideas, proving value and moving ahead of the curve.

What can we do to make this applied approach work? We must find a way to mentally step back and have a conversation about the future with a mentor, team member, supervisor or trusted advisor. Observe how the organization and its parts fit together, gain a perspective of perspicacity. Develop habits that will strengthen the strategic mind: Seek out knowledge and information; be curious; be self-motivated; be collaborative; be playful with ideas; go on a learning journey.

A C.L.E.A.R. target provides a basic rule: Nothing about strategic thinking is all that complex. A good target that is well defined has a certain profile. Controllable, Linked, Energizing, Actionable, Result-Oriented. The importance of this goal model to me is the focus on the energizing and action focus of the entire book. The initiative must be exciting, fun and rewarding, but must at all costs lead to reasonable implementation or you gain nothing. If not result-oriented, then you have wasted finite resources and are simply marking time. Finally, the future is not as far away as you think - so get ahead of the curve and avoid the jolt of running into the wall of change you did not anticipate. This book is worth having at your desk and reviewing in a reflective intentional manner.

Dennis Rogers, Director of Strategic Learning, Division of Strategic Development, Social and Rehabilitation Services, State of Kansas.

As much as this title is about strategy, in my opinion, it is also about being innovative and acting on innovation - what the author might call "strategic thoughts". If you are thinking about how to satisfy the future needs of customers, I think you would like this. It has a plenty of good information.

I bought this book after reading one of the Amazon reviews. After reading the book, I was impressed in the value and concepts it offered towards the idea of strategy. From a Senior Management perspective, this works for both the organization as an entity and those "individuals using it daily" as was mentioned in another review. Strategic gold.

I've read through a number of books on strategy and feel this is one I can put to good use and speaks to me. It discussed how to "apply" strategy rather than just telling you what it is. Most of the other books on strategy are academic and seem to be solely informative. This is something you could give to front line management and senior team who could all relate. If you want to learn how to think strategically, this is for you. If you want a more traditional text book style read on strategy, you might want something else. This could be a good companion if you choose that route.

Before reading this book, I didn't think that the word strategy applied to me and my role as a mid-level manager. But since I've read Ahead of the Curve, I use strategy and apply the strategic priciples I learned in every aspect of my life. It has given me a new outlook on how I can contribute to my organization. Not only does the book guide you through identifying your strategic target, or goal, but then walks you through a strategic process to achieve your initiatives. As a side note, I found the book kept my attention the whole way through with interesting examples, helpful quotes, and eye catching images. The authors did a great job at keeping my attention and securing me as a reader of their other books! Win-Win Partnerships: Be on the Leading Edge with Synergistic Coachin

This is the one and only Baby Face book you need to read to know the truth. Do not bother with the many stereotype Nelson books-buy this and your collection is complete.

This is a very well written book that will not allow you to set it down. Very detailed and descriptive with strong evidence of a very well researched book.
Really the best book I have read in many years.

Unquestionably one of the best biographies I've read of a Depression era criminal in a long, long time. Over the years every published work about Baby Face Nelson has portrayed him as essentially nothing more than a homicidal, trigger-happy, blood-thirsty psychopath to whom killing was barely an incident in a busy criminal career. Finally, a book has hit the shelves which explores beyond the public image and into the complex character of the man himself. Baby Face was violent, tough, and possessed by an explosive temper, to be sure, but he was also street-smart, respected, and held in high esteem by many of his associates - not just a Dillinger follower, as many historians suggest. By no means do the authors attempt to whitewash Nelson's way of life or validate his terrible crimes. They do, however, provide what I believe is an honest appraisal of a man who, in addition to robbing banks and killing people, was a son, brother, husband, and father. Read this, I doubt very much you'll be disappointed.

This is a difficult book to review because it's truly head and shoulders above most books I've read in this genre and if that sounds like a knock against the others - it's not ... this is just a well written book. The subject matter makes it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction and to substantiate identities, locations and time lines. So my hat's off to anyone who tries to make some sense of the sensational headlines, first person accounts and "alibis" of the time. Writing such a book, though exciting, must be a nightmare sifting through all this info. "Baby Face" does an admirable job in bringing all this into a coherent focus. In addition, this book chronicles and brings into focus someone who has been on the periphery in the other books I've read on this time period, (specifically Dillinger, Chicago crime and Depression bank robbers). The book also gives the reader insight into the early workings of J. Edgar Hoover's (F)BI and its personnel and contains the most detailed description of "The Little Bohemia" debacle I've read. Very entertaining and interesting book.

This was a long overdue book, which describes the life and crimes of one of the most infamous outlaws to come out of the Dillinger gang. After Dillinger's death, "Baby Face" Nelson exploded into the public's eye and his crimes were the focus of most newspapers and Detective magazines across the country. Helmer and Nickel have done an excellent job of bringing this bandit's life to light, as well as some surprises never before published on the gangster from Chicago. This is a highly researched volume of work and should be in everyone's library.

Mike Koch, author of "The Kimes Gang"

I received this book as a gift. What a treasure it has become - great recipes for all seasons, an excellent layout, beautiful illustrations, and simple instructions. It is now the first cookbook I go to!

Absolutely a phenomenonal cookbook! Just purchased on vacation in Cape May, New Jersey at Love the Cook. Gorgeous pictures, wonderful recipes......California at it's best! A real winner...a real find.

I originally received this cookbook as a gift. I was so delighted with it, I subsequently ordered four additional copies to give as gifts. The recipients are still thanking me! First, the recipes are creative and delicious -- fully enhancing the flavors of bountiful, diverse, fresh ingredients found in the San Francisco Bay Area and Wine Country. (It's hard NOT to eat well in this region!) Second, the cookbook itself is uncommonly successful in evoking this spectacular setting with gorgeous photos, sidebars of interesting sidetrips, local restaurants and wineries, and mind-boggling facts regarding the abundance of local agriculture. Food preparation tips, background information on local food and wine festivals/events, and delicacies such as Meyer Lemons are also highlighted. While it's fun to simply browse through this beautiful cookbook, it's even better to sample the Junior League's trade-mark "home cooking with flair." Full menus are offered here. My personal favorites are the Baja Guacamole, Savory Polenta w/Asiago Cheese, Garlic-Roasted Chicken, Pork Tenderloin w/Apricot Ginger Sauce, and Cherries & Berries Compote w/Crispy Puffed Pancake. The Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars are worth the price of admission all by themselves! I'm not surprised this cookbook is winning national rave reviews and awards. They are very well deserved! It is so beautifully rendered, it puts most commercially-produced cookbooks to shame.

Received this cookbook as a gift and have since given it as a wedding gift... this is my favorite cookbook hands down... has a great layout with nice pictures... recipes are organized seasonally with focus on fresh local food... recipes have interesting combinations of flavors and spices... everything I've made has turned out to be something I'd make again as a staple meal for entertaining or just for the family.

I received this cookbook as a gift. I must admit, at first I found it so nice to look at that it sat on my coffee table on display. Recently, however, I hosted a baby shower and prepared several dishes which were simple yet elegant. Everyone was so impressed--I felt like Martha Stewart without any of the hassle. Another nice feature of this cookbook is that it recommends menus, which is great, b/c I never know what to serve together. This is one of my favorite cookbooks now!

Do you want to learn really how powerful CSS can be? This book takes you from the ground up and helps you to understand not only the how to use css for layout but also why you use css. Starting off with the basics you get a good feel for how to write css in both the page itself as well as in an external stylesheet. The authors also explain the advantages and disadvantages of each way to include the styles. Then the book takes you through typography, which unless you are already an expert, you will gain a great understanding of exactly how the type settings really work with the text on a web page. Next, it dives into how to use the css to control your page layout with many different known techniques. You also will understand how these designs work so you can review them and walk away with the knowledge of how to leverage existing patterns and modify them to your needs. If you want to know how to design a page using css definitely get this book.

I have seen this book as very good reference for css. I just would like to have CD also with samples. It is must buy.

I had hoped to use this book as an introduction to using CSS and to help me update my online portfolio. While I did learn a good deal about CSS, this book was not nearly as easy to use as I had hoped.
First, a significant portion of the book is dedicated to a lengthy and repetitive sermon on why CSS is superior and should be used for all your presentation needs. It seems to avoid discussing the shortcomings of the system, or point out where you might need to resort to other solutions, such as JavaScript.
I am a person who learns by analyzing examples and learning to expand on the ideas in them. This, I think is where this book fails. The code samples in the book are incomplete and presented as fragments interspersed with explanation. The more advanced examples are so full of hacks to make presentation identical on all browsers, that they become unreadable. And the final straw was when I downloaded the dynamic-looking photo browser pictured in Chapter 12 and found that the dynamic functions simply don't work! (samples available at http://www.friendsofed.com/download.html?isbn=159059231X).
This is probably a good source for a designer already familiar with CSS. For a beginner, I recommend looking elsewhere.

This book does an excellent job of explaining CSS. My main focus is seperating content from presentation being my sites are search engine friendly.

Great for CSS beginers, I found everything here I needed to know to get started.

Reading this book makes you step back to a time when things were simple. I didn't grow up in this time, but have heard story after story of those times. In reading this book you feel that you are there with the author. This is a great book that I plan on buying more copies of for gifts.

Excellent book. I picked this up and couldn't put it down. My only complaint is that it isn't longer. I don't mean that in a bad way I didn't want the book to end. It makes me want to pull up a chair and listen to George Roof tell his stories first hand. From the earliest memories of his outdoorsman life to the harrowing Dall Sheep Hunt in Alaska you go right along with him, you feel like your there. You want to be there. Ethics, morals about life and the life outdoors are discussed and in such a way you'd be a fool not to agree and understand. Highly recomended well worth it. Buy one for yourself and for a friend, they will thank you.

I just finished the reading of this fine quality book. From the beginning of George Roofs hunting career to presnt day, he has been a great example for all hunters to follow. The book is filled with great stories that all hunters can relate to. I found it even more enjoyable for the writer does not fill his stories with unbelievable information, he is true to his word and his writings are all but incredible. Take the time and read the book, from page one you will be entertained and find yourself wandering throught the woods alongside this great hunter and writer.

I bought the book for my 12 year old son. He loves it and hasn't hardly put it down. He says he feels like he is there hunting and wishes he lived when George did. He took the book to school to share with his friends. He also bought one for his school principal who is helping him get started with taxidermy. It is nice to have some positive influences for your kids when there are so many bad influences out there to worry about. I am definitely going to buy more copies for the other hunters in my family. What a great gift.

This book is great! I am ordering another copy to send to my son. The short stories are a joy and easy to read.

tremendous text for classic bugs bunny enthusiasts. brings a new found appreciation for the masterminds behind the character development and the environment they "grew up" in.

Simply put, this is the best book ever written about Looney Tunes, and what it took to make them. Chuck shares entertaining behind the scenes info about the Termite Terrace and the people who worked there. Chuck say's that it was quite normal to see the animators look like they were going to wack each other with a mallet. Chuck also tells stories about those notorious poducers, Leon Schlesinger (whos lisp was used in Daffy voice) and Eddie Selzer. When Eddie said "I don't want any gags about bullfights, bullfights aren't funny!", Jones and Mike Maltise had something. Result: Bully For Bugs. When he said the same thing about camels to director Fritz Freleng, the result: Sahara Hare. Though Eddie is quoted as saying about Pepe Le Pew, "Nobody'd laugh at that s**t!", he happily accepted the Oscar for "For Scent-imental Reasons", a Pepe Le Pew cartoon. That (and many more) hilarous titbits are spread throughout this superb book, including high-quality backgrounds and scenes for "Duck Dodgers in the 24th and 1/2 Century" and many others. Also included are many drawings and many photos of the directors, animators and producers. The most illistruated and well thought out book about cartoons ever made.

The world lost an animation genius recently with the death of Chuck Jones. Luckily, there is a book like this that celebrates the animation genius he was. Arguably, Jones was the father of some of the best Warner Brothers cartoons ever made, including "Duck Amuck," "Duck Dogers in the 24th and 1/2 Century," and my personal favorite "What's Opera Doc?" He also is responsible for giving us such great pieces of pop culture as the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Part autobiography, part instruction, part tribute, this book shows us the man behind the screen, or should I say behind the pencil? We often wonder where a genius comes from - Chuck seems to say from anywhere. His mark on the development of the cartoon is undeniable, and monumental. But just as you cannot appreciate art fully until you know about the painter, so it is with Chuck's cartoons. I have a greater appreciation for the work that goes into developing these 8 minute masterpieces. Yes, it's true that Jones gave us some of the clunkers in the 60's as the Warner Brothers studio (and the MGM studio) animation division gasped what seemed to be its last breath. But it's all the more amazing that Chuck could produce such works given what little he had to work with. The world would be poorer were it not for the gives Chuck has given us, including Wile E. Coyote (super genius!),and the Road Runner, Pepe Le Pew, Marvin the Martian and many others. His style was distinctive, his contributions monumental and behind it all, he was a fascinating and talented man. This book stands as a tribute to this genius now that he's no longer with us.

Rather than an autobiography, this book is more a collection of musing from one of America's greatest storytellers (he just happened to tell his stories with pictures shown in rapid succession!) From his love of Mark Twain to his contempt at studio management, we see not how his life unfolded, but rather how Mr. Jones created his vision. Though there is no drawing instruction, I have to agree with the plethora of lists that this should be on the shelves of every animator, professional or aspiring, as it illuminates what goes into a great cartoon before penicl ever touches paper.

Chuck Jones is one of the best known people in the animation business. He's been in the animation business for over 65 of his 88 years(as I write this review, he'll be 88 on the 12th of this month!).

This book lists all of the cartoons he's been involved with (Warner Bros, MGM, Dr. Suess specials, and many others). Also, he talks about growing up, how real life inspired his cartoons, what it was like working in Warner Bros studio, pays tribute to partners Tex Avery, Friz Freleng, Mike Malthese, and Abe Levitow, and talks about other projects he's done (like his How to Draw From the Fun Side of Your Brain). And as the other reviewers have pointed out, there's an animated cartoon of the Roadrunner and the Coyote on the pages of this book.

Since this book was originally published, he's produced one video in the 1990's (Chariots of Fur) and the historical and whimsical book Daffy for President (available through the US Postal Service).