Organizations Books

If I were to recommend only one book on marketing for nonprofit organizations, this would be it. After reading this book by Katya Andresen, you will think differently about how to engage your target audience. Everyone doesn't think like you (or me) and Katya does a great job describing how to get the attention and actions of others.

We all have causes. These are the good things in life that make us human and happy. Most times, we want to do the right thing for the right reason. Often this involves spending our time and talent - not to mention hard earned money - for our cause. Robin Hood Marketing presents a keen look at the moments where we make the decision that a cause is just and that it deserves our attention. What I really enjoy about the book is the lessons it teaches in sharing our passions. The most important lesson I took from the book? It is the power of telling a story. The author grabs the reader from the very first chapter. Second most important? Its not about the cause itself...its about the people who find it valuable. In other words, its not about "me"...its about "you".

The author has done a great job in distilling the marketing principles of the for-profit sector and applying them to the non-profit world. This is not a light over easy marketing for dummies book but is written by someone with real expertise and experience. That said, it is a not complex read and provides clear principles, compelling examples and great side-interviews with other non-profit marketers.
It is focused more often than not on social cause-related marketing which not all non-profits are involved to the depth described in this book. However the principles and practices described are applicable to all non-profit environments. An excellent read and a valuable resource.

The practical advice in this book, told so elegantly and supported with fascinating case studies and interviews, makes it a "must have" for every non-profit marketer. It's one of those books you highlight, turn down pages to come back to, and put front and center on your bookshelf. One of the takeaways that has helped me see a new way to connect with our non-profit's audiences: "the goal is to show targets new ways to get what they already want or value." In other words, make it easy to see how our cause connects with what they already value, not necessarily educate them all about our mission.

Katya Andresen has done the nonprofit sector a favor and put nonprofit and Social marketing concepts into plain English everyone can understand. Two quick helps from Andresen: 1. Move your organization beyond the big picture of your mission and focus on getting people to take specific action. 2. Stop talking to yourself in your marketing, align your communication with your audience's values and you will see greater response. This book lays out the "Robin Hood rules" for using big money marketing principles and turning them into affordable practical wisdom.

Cynthia Friedlob helps us to relate to her cluttered life and her attempts to overcome clutter and become more organized in a delightfully funny way. You will be laughing out loud and thinking, "Oh good, I am not the only one who does that!" Get some great ideas on how to de-clutter and un-stuff your life.

With a generous dose of humor and practical advice, this book outlines how to declutter our homes and why we clutter up in the first place. While other how-to manuals explain technically what to do, this book explains in a very simple, straight-forward manner how to unclutter our homes and how to stay uncluttered. With several stories of her own comical initial efforts to unclutter her home, this author provides inspiration, hope and optimism no matter how little or how much your home is plagued by runaway collections of things. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (7/06)

American people have a great deal of difficulty throwing away useless stuff. If we get too much stuff to keep in our house, we rent a storage unit. And if, heaven forbid, we get even more stuff, well, we can always rent another unit. As silly as this statement sounds, it's the truth. We make all sorts of excuses for keeping stuff; I need to clip out that recipe, it's only a little nick in this cup and I can sand it out, etc, etc.

The truth is, most of us could probably fill a good sized dumpster with stuff we have lying around, unused, in our homes.

Cynthia Friedlob tackles the monumental job of helping us see this stuff as...stuff. Stuff cluttering up our lives, causing anxiety and stress as we sort through all the useless stuff looking for something we need. Why do we have six pairs of pantyhose with runs? Do we really need to fill up the living room with wall-to-wall furniture so that we have somewhere for everyone to sit when the holidays arrive?

Sprinkled through this book are little tidbits: little extra nudges to encourage you to de-stuff your life.

There are also True Confessions: fact-based horror stories. I can guarantee that most people have experienced one of these stories in their lives.

Behind the humor, however, is some sound advice. Without getting preachy, Friedlob shows us how to decide what to keep and what can go, along with several options for disposing of our stuff.

I know that I myself cannot throw away a book unless it's a paperback and even then it has to be damaged. Otherwise, if it won't fit on the bookshelf, it goes into a plastic container that I pile in the basement. After reading this book, I called my sister, who can throw away anything, and we cleared out fourteen 35-gallon plastic containers of books. Most we gave away, some we sold in an on-line auction and some that we couldn't even give away, were pitched. It was one of my proudest moments. Thank you, Cynthia.

Written by self-confessed clutter sufferer Cynthia Friedlob, Sorting It Out: One Disorganized Woman Solves the Problem of Too Much Stuff is part memoir but mostly a self-help guide drawn from personal life experience to expunging excess clutter from one's life. Chapters address how to free oneself from the trap of identifying oneself through one's possessions, how to exercise appropriate restraint when buying new stuff, means of disposing or even profiting from extraneous stuff, humorous anecdotes, and much more. A wonderfully friendly, down-to-earth, and much-needed antidote to the clutter indigestion induced by too much consumption.

"When you clear out your plentiful assortment of excess stuff and things, you not only straighten up your home, you also clear out space in your head." ~ pg. 149

If you feel that excess "stuff" around your house is distracting you from your life goals, many traditions promote organization as a way to also declutter the mind and clean out the cobwebs of your daily existence.

Many people, especially artists, can live in chaos and function on a normal level, but most of us want to be able to find things so we spend less time searching for our keys, looking for the ingredient we just know is in the kitchen someplace and living in fear of looking under the bed. I create very well in chaos, but then I have to take a break and organize myself for the next creative impulse.

Organizing can seem intimidating at first, but with "Sorting It Out" you will let go of old possessions in exchange for new ideas, a less complex lifestyle and a renewed spirit.

`It turns out that the less stuff you carry with you, the less you have to think about." ~ pg. 107

Do you feel overwhelmed by your possessions?

Do you dread coming home from work to find the house is still not how you'd like it to be, so you can relax?

Are you constantly looking for items you know exists but are buried someplace in a pile on the desk?

Do you have time for a garage sale or would it make you feel good to donate your items to a charity?

What do you do about items with sentimental value? Some tricky questions...

Don't give up yet! Help has arrived because Cynthia Friedlob has been there and decided that all that "stuff" was limiting her existence and standing in the way of the life she envisioned. Through her witty advice and humorous tales you can take on household clutter with flair. She also has advice for how to save time by setting up your bank account to automatically pay bills. This has worked very well for me over the past few months. She addresses the issue of "paper" in regards to bills, magazines, catalogues and newspapers.

I now have five big black garbage bags full of stuff to donate to charity and I will say someone is going to find a few good books to read! It really comes down to the decision to buy more bookshelves or help the books I've read find new homes. This year I had spring and autumn organizing and without so much stuff around the house, it is even easier to clean the carpets.

Whether you are taking on one room or one drawer or closet at a time, this book can help you clear out the chaos and find out what is truly valuable.

"Don't get caught up buying storage containers to organize your stuff until you've tossed out everything that you don't need." ~ pg. 38

~The Rebecca Review

Think of megachurch pastors and names like Bill Hybels, Mike Breaux, Rick Warren, and Joel Osteen come to mind. Rarely does one think of Bob Russell. Now that I have had the chance to get to know Bob Russell personally, I bet that doesn't bother him a bit.

Russell was at the helm of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, one of the largest churches in the nation for more than 40 years. His book, When God Builds a Church: 10 Principles for Growing a Dynamic Church tells the story of Southeast Christian, while distilling principles from Scripture for implementation in other churches.

When God Builds a Church unveils Russell's philosophy about church growth, as much by what it says as by what it doesn't say. It is rare that a pastor can give so much practical, godly counsel without his advice devolving into formulas to be replicated everywhere else.

Russell's principles for a dynamic church begin with Truth (he argues strongly for biblical authority, conservative theology, and a Bible-centured focus) and Worship (he avoids the "worship wars" by calling for selflessness). In the chapter on Leadership, he lays out the biblical case and practical rationale for a plurality of elders.

As one who has frequented Southeast on occasion (and even taught there several times), I appreciated the chapter on Excellence. Say what you may about the mega-church movement. No one can deny that everything at Southeast is done with a spirit of excellence. Would that more churches seek to honor the Lord by offering excellence in every part of church life!

Interspersed throughout the book are Russell's recollections from his forty years of ministry. In the chapter on Faith, he recalls the sacrificial giving of the congregation. In the chapter on Harmony, he tells of tough moments when the church exercised discipline (highly unusual for a megachurch). Two other chapters (Participation and Fellowship) outline practical ways to get members involved.

Perhaps the most unique part of Russell's contribution to church growth is his insistence on preaching the truth, even when it makes people uncomfortable. In the chapter on Stewardship, he argues for more preaching on money, even if people do not want to hear it. Russell constantly cuts against the prevalent megachurch mentality that avoids confrontation at all costs.

In the final chapter, Evangelism, Russell explains that being seeker-sensitive does not mean crafting a worship service with the seeker in mind. Instead, it means we should genuinely worship God and grow in our walk, while welcoming seekers into our midst. Southeast does this by having sermons crafted with Christians in mind, and also by serving Communion and baptizing new converts every Sunday.

All in all, When God Builds a Church is the best book I've read from anyone associated with the megachurch movement. It is practical and full of sound wisdom and its author is one of the godliest men I know.

When God Builds a Church: 10 Principles for Growing a Dynamic Church is Biblically solid and has the potential to revolutionize the way we do church...if we will apply them. Russell is easy and entertaining to read and will connect with anyone who is in the trenches trying to allow God to lead them in ministry and church leadership.

Our church purchased 40 copies of this book for an adult study group. We wanted to take a close look at the principles for growth as outlined by Mr. Russell and compare them to our local growth potential. We have been pleased with the discussions and results of that study. We have been encouraged by some of the things we have been doing and challanged to do better in some areas. We recommend using this book as a base to take a look at your local church and see how God might use you to reach others more effectively for His kingdom.

This book reminds us that a church can grow with out compromising spiritual values. This book is not a management book. It provides 10 principles that have worked for South East Christian Church, and can be adapted and used by any one. In fact we are encouraged not to try to use a cookie cutter approach. If I were to recommend two books for church growth, they would be The Purpose Driven Church, and When God Builds a Church.

In this interesting and highly readable book, the author identifies and discusses "ten principles for growing a dynamic church." They are:

1. Truth: Proclaim God's Word as Truth and Apply it to People's Lives
2. Worship: Worship God Every Week in Spirit and in Truth
3. Leadership: Develop Christ-Centered Leaders Who Lead by Example
4. Excellence: Do Your Best in Every Area of Service
5. Faith: Be Willing to Step Out with a Bold Faith and Take Risks
6. Harmony: Maintain a Spirit of Harmony
7. Participation: Expect the Congregation to Participate in Every Area of Ministry
8. Fellowship: Continually Practice Agape Love for One Another
9. Stewardship: Give Generously of God's Resources as a Church and as Individuals
10. Evangelism: Commit Enthusiastically to Evangelism as Your Primary Mission

The author devotes a separate chapter to each of these principles in which he describes its scriptural basis and discusses its implementation in real life settings. This discussion includes a wealth of very practical information and advice on how to apply the principles effectively, and how to avoid or overcome stumbling blocks and problems.

Although one may disagree with the precise way in which the principles have been applied in the author's own "mega-church," the principles themselves appear fundamentally sound and can profitably be adapted in other congregational settings.

Within the last few minutes, I finished reading this extraordinary book. I am currently employed and trying to upgrade myself so at first I didnt think the first part of the book i.e. job hunting would interest me much. Boy was I wrong! This book is so comprehensive and entertaining, I couldnt put it down. The sequence of the book could not be laid out any better. Upon completion of the book I already feel armed with a new sense of knowledge and empowerment about the whole interviewing and job changing process, that I am acutually quite anxious to start practicing. Even for someone brand new to the job hunting and interviewing process, this book is worth it's weight in gold. I honestly didnt know how much I didnt know about this thing called interviewing until now. And the worst part is I have conducted many interviews. Hows that for an oximoron. The section in the back of the book has several different tools for the reader and future interviewee to use as preparation for success. Its as if all a person has to do is connect the dots and the doors of knowledge will fling open. I will be wearing the pages of this book out over the next several days as I personally have what I consider one of the biggest interviews of my life coming up. And trust me I am already planning on how to make this one a great one. I will be updating this review as I practice and learn more. Which brings up another amazing point about this book. It provides the reader with a scope of reading that you can refer back to again and again. Anyone looking for a great interview/job hunting resource book. This is absolutely the one to get. Happy reading.

This book is very helpful if you are going through the interview process and have not done so in a while. Very insightful and real world.

I've been on both sides of the job interview process: as someone doing the hiring and also as a candidate for a job. It is amazing how being on the job hunt alters your view of the interview process. Did I develop some kind of "interview fever" which made me overly nervous and forget what it was like to hire someone? Maybe. But reading Winning Job Interviews allowed me to step back and put it all back into proper perspective so I could ace the interview and get the job. How cool is that?

Clear, direct, concise.

The first 40 pages will tell you what you really know: how you feel. And how to deal with it. With an upbeat language helps you decrease your anxiety and depression. And further, MOTIVATE you.

Then clear clues on how to behave, conduct, and win interviews.

I wish he could avoid some areas of job searching and closing to have more material on the topic.

But IT IS A MUST READ.

This book was definitely money well spent. I have interviewed and accepted jobs previously in my career (10yrs in my profession), but have never been as prepared as I was after reading this book. I used it from the start of the job hunt process to accepting the best overall offer. Reading the book helped ease pre-interview anxiety, and also helped me prepare for interviews by providing a good idea of what to expect, how to prepare, and how to answer difficult questions, etc. The sections I found most helpful were on generating multiple offers, and negotiating after the initial offer. I used Dr Powers advice on both, and was able to generate multiple offers and negotiate significantly higher salary and vacation time. Well worth the money and I would recommend this book to anyone currently on the job hunt.

This is an excellent read for the lay person trying to either understand what the steps are to plan her disposition wishes or confrm that she has put everything in the proper order. The author writes in clear easy to understand language and neatly summarizes the key points of each chapter at the end of each chapter. Women need to take more care of their financial life and reading this book can be the first step.

As an author and a practicing attorney in the field of estate planning, I am always on the lookout for materials, particularly readable books, that clearly, simply, and accurately explain some of the unfortunately complicated issues that clients must understand in developing and planning their estates. This concern is a bit compounded when one is dealing with women clients, since in many instances their circumstances are often unique. Thus, I was positively thrilled with the publication of Attorney Annino's book, "Women & Money." In a clear and accurate way, Patricia covers virtually every issue that women face in planning their estates. I cannot recommend the book more highly, and in fact I am planning to purchase a supply of copies to give to my own clients.

Alexander A. Bove, Jr.
Boston, Massachusetts

As an attorney practicing in the field of estate planning, I read Patricia Annino's book hoping to find it a good resource for my women clients. Not only will I be reommending Women & Money to my clients, but am giving a copy to my mother for Mother's Day this year! The book presents a lot of complicated estate planning, financial, and tax matters in easy to understand terms with clear and realistic examples that women can easily relate to whether they are single, married, divorced, or widowed. In addition to explaining the legal aspects of planning, Patricia gives great tips, hints, and practical advice throughout the book. I definitely recommend it.

Here, at long last, is a book that provides women a roadmap of the financial world. No matter how hectic your life might be, this book is worth the time to read. Patricia Annino's depth of expertise is demonstrated through storytelling. She makes it easy to face financial questions that are so often emotionally intimidating. Whether you are single, married, divorced or widowed, whether you are living alone or responsible for others, this book is a gem precisely because it raises the right questions and provides a menu of answers. This book stands to become a classic. Mothers will sent copies to their daughters with notes in the margin. Young single women will read the book in their 20's and go back to it again and again as their life unfolds.

Annino's book provides the basic legal knowledge women need to deal with problems such as caring for elderly parents or young children, preparing for death or disability of self or spouse, whether to buy insurance, etc. However, there is no dry legalese: the advice is straightforward and abundantly illustrated with interesting stories from her law practice. In chapters aimed at women in various stages (divorcing, single, married, etc.) Annino seems to be having a personal conversation directly with the reader, offering lots of practical advice. Even has a fashionably pretty cover! Ladies: start your studies with this book.

ALL OUR RELATIONS by Indigenous Activist Winona LaDuke is a must read for everyone who cares about our earth. LaDuke presents the state of the environment focusing on several land, treaty rights and toxic exposure struggles on reservations across North America and in Hawaii. Since I met Winona when she was an economics student at Harvard, she has been at the heart of struggles and gains made by indigenous communities, always bringing a keen intellect, diligent research, unswerving commitment, and a broad vision of the whole circle to community and tribal issues.
Because I've known many of the people involved in the essential work LaDuke describes in ALL OUR RELATIONS, it was a personal pleasure to read this book and catch up with what Susannah Santos and her cousins are doing on the Columbia River, be updated on Luana Busby and Melani Trask and the Hawaiian indigenous movement and to get the inside details of the complex political fight Winona's son's father and his people are up aqainst at St. James Bay. But this book will fascinate anyone who cares about our earth, families and communities. It is one to read from end to end, then keep around to re-read again and again.
LaDuke calls the work these tribal communities do to protect their people and landbase from pollution and corporate greed, "soul-retrieval." It is work that we all need to do whatever our ethnic background, since as LaDuke's reportage on the presence of PCBs in mother's breastmilk in the Northeast attests, everyone is affected by what we are doing to the earth. Winona is a mother who has no illusions about how the choices we make as consumers affect the earth and our communities' health. What is most inpiring about LaDuke's writing and life is that she offers solutions. Each chapter not only outlines the problem, but it talks about solutions that are being implemented and suggests others that should be employed. Winona walks her talk. LaDuke has been a strong proponent of wind energy and has worked to engage major corporations like Ben & Jerry in developing wind energy projects on Indian Reservations in South Dakota. Native Harvest and White Earth Land Recovery Project have reclaimed White Earth land and developed sustainable reservation businesses that employ and train White Earth tribal members. Winona LaDuke would be a great President because she is the only public figure who has a sensible plan for economic self-sufficiency, the clarity to explain it to the American people, and the discipline and steadfastness to enact it.

If I could, I would thank Winonah LaDuke in person for writing such an important, informative and engaging book on the travesty that is the North American government's view of native land and those who inhabit it. The numerous tribes who make the land their home are forced to co-exist with the insensitive, selfish and literally toxic decisions made by government and corporations who dump tons upon tons of toxic pesticides in their water and on "abandoned" land. These lands are also subject to divebombings from military jets. These are illegal decibel levels that drive those within hearing range to points of mental instability, as well as potential hearing loss.

One of the most important quotes from this book that I remember (since I read this book a couple of years ago in a Native/African-American Women's Studies course) was from a Seminole leader who said, "Selling your land for a price is like selling a piece of your mother." [I paraphrase this.] I couldn't agree more. When I remember that quote, I think about all of the animals, vegetation and tribes (consisting of families and friends) who have lived off of the land of the United States, as well as Canada. How can one possibly put a price on something that can't truly be owned by anyone and is its own autonomous entity. Even if people have the illusion that they can occupy land as territory (because of treaties, as an example) does not mean that it is ever their to keep. LaDuke makes several strong examples of this in the book. We can't continue to pollute, abuse and neglect land without paying a price environmentally or in terms of human quality of life and mortaiity. I believe everyone should read this book, regardless of occupation, national origin or territorial location. We need to face the damage done before more of it goes unacknowledged. Thank you, Winonah.

Winona Laduke ran as vice president alongside Ralph Nader. It would be truly amazing if this woman had become our vice president (for many reasons). It is my hope that some day she will be our vice president (or president). Her views on the environment and its effect upon animals and people (particularly babies, children and pregnant/nursing mothers) are exactly how I feel. She expresses these views eloquently in these quotes by Lil'wat grandmother Loretta Pascal, "Where did you get your right to destroy these forests? How does your right supercede my rights? These are our forests, these are our ancestors."(p.5), by Ted Strong, "If this nation has a long way to go before all of our people are truly created equally without regard to race, religion, or national origin, it has even further to go before achieving anything that remotely resembles equal treatment for other creatures who called this land home before humans ever set foot upon it...."(p.5), and by Katsi Cook, "Why is it we must change our lives, our way of life, to accommodate the corporations, and they are allowed to continue without changing any of their behavior?"(p.12). Reading this book you will feel sorrow, and be inspired to action. Most of what was said in this book I already knew a little about, but through this book I understood the depth and complexity of all the factors. I can not recommend this book enough. She tells the truth of our world with a powerful clarity. She tells the stories of many Native American Tribes throughout North America (Canada and the United States, including a chapter on Hawaii). She ends the book with the optimism that it is possible for us to make change, but it is up to us.

Spoon-fed news by large media corps, few were aware that Winona LaDuke ran for the vice presidency under Ralph Nader in the 2000 elections. Even fewer know that she is also a Native American eco-philosopher with a critical perspective on the health and future prosperity of America. All Our Relations is particularly instructive, in that LaDuke surveys the entire American landscape (and by landscape, I am not merely referring to the political landscape), showing the deep connections that exist between local cultures, their environments, and the corporate-governmental giants that often compromise their health. Although LaDuke has specifically focused on Native American communities, the stories are engaging and instructive for Americans in general. Informative, powerful, and transformative, LaDuke here provides an antidote for our increasing alienation from the land and biota that sustain us. A must read for any conscious American.

To think this woman could be our Vice President today. Most people don't even know that Winona LaDuke ran for Vice President on Ralph Nader's ticket. An articulate and passionate writer, LaDuke presents an awareness of the plight of America unsurpassed by any other. She knows what's wrong. She knows what needs to be done. She knows who is doing the work, how and why. She presents her advocacy as human, heartfelt and real. I learned things about what is happening to this country that I would never have known otherwise. You certainly don't see it in the news, and you don't learn about it in school. We're in trouble, folks, and it's not too late to do something about it. With more power she could have made such a difference! But she continues to work on the issues, and it is so important that more people are aware of her work. Please, please, please read this book. It is the most important book you will read all year.

Thayne Davidson Miller, III, is, to his way of thinking, the very self-embodiment of "the poor little rich kid." As the only child of billionaire parents, he has been afforded every advantage in life except one - the ability to actually be a child and do the things other children do every day. His parents take him with them wherever they go, and he has already mastered such subjects as law and medicine by the time he becomes a teenager, but he hates being isolated and allowed to interact with only a few select adults. Life as he has always known it changes irrevocably on the day of his thirteenth birthday, however, when both of his parents are killed by terrorists.

After a year of mourning and isolation alongside his only friends (Jacque, his "gentleman's gentleman," and his dog Chopsie) Thayne is determined to do what any other teenager would be doing - attending school with students his own age. Not just any old school will do, of course; it has to be a school where his advanced intellect is allowed to soar. While he considers the Scorsos International Academy and University, it's really a foregone conclusion that he will choose GODA (Global Optimum Development Academy) on the island of Demeverde, for it and the mysterious man who runs it played an important part in his parents' lives. GODA is much more than a mere school - even calling it an academy of learning is to do it a disservice. Only the best and brightest are accepted there, each with a special talent all his/her own, and learning is an active, all-encompassing endeavor.

With his parents' killers still unidentified, Thayne's personal safety is paramount, so he can't enroll as the famous Thayne Davidson Miller, III - in fact, Thayne really can't leave home at all. Fortunately, one of his family's businesses is able to build a lifelike robot to assume the role of Thayne, while "Arnie Carver" jets off to Demeverde. He quickly makes the first real friends of his life and loves the challenges and opportunities the school provides for him. His new life would be ideal were it not for a rare and terrible sickness that comes to be associated with the island. At first, it's just a child here and there across the globe that becomes sick, each of them having visited Demeverde at some point in the previous couple of years. When the disease strikes one of Arnie's friends, however, the Demeverde connection can no longer be dismissed out of hand. That's when Arnie and his friends set out to discover the source of the plague for themselves.

Undoubtedly, Arnie Carver and the Plague of Demeverde will be compared with the Harry Potter series. After all, you have these extraordinary kids going away to this extraordinary school to learn extraordinary things, they play an invented game called coca that elicits the same sort of excitement as Quidditch, and the main character is a young protagonist with a dark history that robbed him of his parents and perpetually dangles a potentially deadly threat over his own young head. Arnie Carver isn't Harry Potter, though, and this novel forges a story that is really quite its own.

I loved the book. Thayne is a wonderful, sympathetic character, and I warmed up to his new friends and classmates just as quickly as he did. The wonderful technologies employed at GODA are a treat to visualize, and I have to believe older children and young adults will find such extraordinary things as SlipDiscs fascinating. I would even go so far as to call the book inspirational - were I a couple of decades younger, this is just the kind of story that would have gotten my intellectual juices flowing. It never hurts to see true friendship put on display in front of you, either.

On top of everything else, author Kenneth R. Besser lays a solid foundation for future books in the series, leaving us to wonder what the real story behind the unsolved murder of Thayne's parents' might be, question the motives of the man behind Scorsos International Academy and University, and yearn to know more about Unius, the mysterious, seemingly all-knowing, head of GODA. This has all the makings of a great series.

Arnie Carver and the Plague of Demeverde is the well-told tale of a boy named Thayne Davidson Miller III, a genius and the heir to a fortune. He's the richest kid in the world, who has everything in the world, but needs "to learn how to be a part of the world."

After his parents are murdered, early on in the book, young Thayne has his chance. Although grief-stricken by their deaths, he is looking forward to a few changes in his life. For the first time ever he is now allowed to attend classes (under the assumed name Arnie Carver) with other kids - although the school he chooses turns out to be quite different from the schools you and I are familiar with!

Besser writes with the confident ease of a good storyteller. The wit, the humor, the adventures, and the legal hi-jinx will delight precocious young readers and teens. Combining elements of sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, and political thriller, the author at times seems to parody these genres as he relates the adventures of his young hero. And because of that it's a book that adults can enjoy as well.

By the end of this first in a series of books, the bright young protagonist has not only become a part of the world, he has helped to save it. But there is still more for him to do and discover, and I can't wait to find out what will happen next!

Reviewed by Braine Plach (age 10) for Reader Views (1/08)

Have you ever thought it would be terrific if you had all the money that you ever wanted to have? Can you imagine not having to wait until Christmas or your birthday for presents? For some kids, this would be a dream come true. But Thayne Davidson Miller, III, doesn't think it is very much fun. Instead of being a blessing, it is a curse.

Thayne is constantly being surrounded by security guards. Thayne's parents are billionaires, so having a normal lifestyle as a young boy is impossible. He is a normal boy who would enjoy playing soccer or football with other boys, climbing trees or just hanging out with his friends. Instead he has to fly on his parents' jet to all kinds of far-off places. It's not like he gets to see anything when he goes to these other cities. He is constantly being watched.

When Thayne turns thirteen, his life takes a drastic turn. He has now inherited the 50 businesses that his parents owned. He is an orphan! The murders are unsolved, so Thayne takes the matter into his own hands. He attempts to discover what really happened to his parents.

He has a very brilliant mind and uses it to his advantage. He creates a life-like robot and a personality to live out his dreams of being normal. Arnie Carver is born. Will this make Thayne any happier or only add to his misery?

Kenneth R. Besser is a master at storytelling. "Arnie Carver and the Plague of Demeverde" is just one of a series about Arnie Carver. The twists and turns throughout the story will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Books like this, with its science-fiction twist, will have kids anxiously awaiting their next Arnie Carver book.

Is being wealthy really worth it all or is it a sure fire way to ruin your life?

Part of the beloved Arnie Carver series of novels for young adults, Arnie Carver and the Plague of Demeverde follows the adventures of Arnie Carver, once Thayne Davidson Miller III. The child prodigy of billionaires, he hated how airtight family security protected him at the expense of keeping him away from other children his own age and everything a child might want to do. But on his thirteenth birthday, he became a billionaire orphan when terrorists allegedly killed his parents. No evidence of Thayne's parents' supposed murderers could be found, though - what really happened to them? To solve the mystery, and experience life unsheltered if not entirely unprotected, Thayne replaced himself with a lifelike robot and took on a new alter-ego, attending an international high school named the Global Optimum Development Academy as Arnie Carver. Just as Arnie gets settled in, a deadly disease starts plaguing the island and the school - what could be causing it, and why? A gung-ho adventure featuring a young protagonist who respects schools and books as well as learning through experience, sure to engage young readers to the very last page.

To those around him in this futurist world of cool gadgets, Thayne Davison Miller III has it all. His parents are the richest people in the world. He travels around the world, and best of all, he is dearly loved. The one thing missing from his life is being around kids his own age. That might sound like a simple thing to ask, but Thayne isn't your average kid. Kidnapping is a real threat and his parents fear for his safety to the extreme degree. So his parents with the help of Jacques Marquis, Thayne's man servant and only friend, decided long ago on home schooling.

On his thirteenth birthday, what was meant to be a delightful surprise turned tragic as Thayne's parents were assassinated on the way to his birthday party. With the exception of his beloved dog and friend, Jacques, he is all alone in the world, but with an added problem. The killer or killers were never caught. He too could be a target.

Thayne devises a plan to set a trap for the people responsible for killing his parents. He sends a life like double called an intellitron as decoy to the local school. In the meantime, the real Thayne attends the Global Optimum Development Academy on the island of Demeverde under the name of Arnie Carver.

Just as Arnie and his friends settle in for the school year, a mysterious and deadly disease plagues the school. At first, no one believes the disease is related to the island until one of Arnie's classmates comes down with it. Now it is up to Arnie and his friends to find out what is causing this disease. And if they do, will it be in time enough to find a cure for Arnie's friend? Kenneth R. Besser kept me guessing until the very end as it should be!

This colorful cast of children with special abilities, keeps the story upbeat and smiling. One of my favorites is Steven "Tinker" Schocken. He has a special knack of fixing things. Then there is Bernadette Rogers who senses what people are feeling. That's not all. With her mind, she can get you to see things her way, unless you know how to mentally block her. (Way cool!) Another unusual person in the book is Choi Guihah, who has an uncanny ability to do things with her muscles, which includes making a soft landing from twenty feet. These are but a few of the characters making this a truly appealing story.

Review by J. Kaye Oldner

When it comes to success in school, children cannot do it alone; they need the assistance of their parents. This book consists of many ways that parents can help their child thrive in school. It covers students from pre-school to high school. Areas like study skills, homework, math, reading and writing are covered.

Read aloud to your child. Find books that explore your child's interests. Buy your child an age-appropriate magazine subscription. Check out your local library. Challenge your child with mental math problems. Help your child develop common sense. Establish a homework routine. Require that your child keep a homework assignment book, and check it nightly. Don't neglect your child's need for help because you feel she should be able to do it alone. Teach your child to think. Help your child investigate projects for extra credit. Honor your child's opinions. Join the PTA and attend meetings regularly. Keep lines of communications open with your children's teacher. Allow enough time in the mornings. Know your child's friends. Kiss or hug your child each morning.

This is an excellent book. Even if the parent can do only a couple of things mentioned here, that can only help the child. For any parent of a school-age child, this is very much recommended.

After many years of working with children of all ages in school settings, I commend the author on making the "secrets" of school success so doable. This easily readable book should be a must for parents at the beginning of the school year. It holds many practical applications to help a child be a successful student. If parents were to follow only a portion of the suggested "tips", their children's 180 days in school each year would go much smoother.

This little book is a real gem for parents. I have used it as a gift for parents of children just entering school. It speaks to the issue of learning and assisting your child. It is written for parents, not for professionals and it allies the fears of many parents who try to help their children. The personal anecdotes help parents to identify.

This wonderful little book is filled with practical ideas that you will be anxious to try out with your child. Designed to help your child succeed in school there are tips for helping them feel good about themselves and their unique abilities. There are ideas that let them learn as they play and suggestions for working through problem areas. If your child needs some work or study tips there are some truly great pearls of wisdom here. The book is very reader-friendly with short, easy to read and understand ideas, which parents really appreciated.

Beyond the Bus Stop: 180 Ways to Help Your Child Succeed in School has been selected to receive The National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval.

Before anyone sends their son or daughter off to school, they should read this book. Reading Weyhmuller's book gave me a more confident attitude about being the parent of a school child. There were specific steps that I could easily do to make my child's experience in school a more positive one. Most parents want to do the right thing about helping their kids with school. Weyhmuller's book provided a wealth of advice on how to be such a parent. It was the best book that I had bought in years.

This thorough but not exhaustive work (like the bible) of the flow of biblical history in the book of Genesis is hard to put down----it's that good. All main areas are covered. Where Schaeffer brings in controversy he gives us fair warning. This book should be read as a unity with "No Final Conflict". "If we won't listen, we won't understand."

There is a basic mystery that holds true, that we came into being: 1. from nothing to something 2. everything began with an impersonal something 3. everything began with a personnel something, or 4. there is and always has been a dualism; there are no other choices, and 1,2, and 4 quickly erode when analyzed. The bible gives us structure, without it we are only left with an "existential leap"----a blind faith. Schaeffer says, "we who are finite can never exhaust the finite". Yes, even the finite.

Wish you well and blessings
Scott

This was my first Schaeffer book, so I was unsure of what to expect. I consider myself rather picky with regard to religious subject matter. Mr. Schaeffer's book was enjoyable, and I will try another one. While "Genesis" did not really have any significant new ideas, it was well communicated and easy to follow, even for laymen or the casual reader.

If you are unfamiliar with Genesis and the conservative approach to its interpretation, this is a good book. It is not scholarly or philosophical, in my opinion, but it remains substantial - which many people will find refreshing.

This is a great book for all Christians to read. It puts creation back into perspective and establishes all the solid biblical proof for why creation had to exist in both space and time. Unbelievers will scoff but in this book believers will be reminded of who they are and where they came from.

Francis A. Schaeffer (1912-84) was an American Evangelical theologian and philosopher whose works were very influential on Evangelical thinking. In this fascinating book, Dr. Schaeffer takes a look at the first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis, which many Christian thinkers seem to find irrelevant to a truly Christian worldview. On the contrary, Dr. Schaeffer shows that the early history of man, as contained in the beginning of Genesis, is crucial to understanding why man is the way he is, and how God works with and through man.

I must say that this is a truly mind-expanding book that goes a long way towards giving the reader a truly Christian view of the man and the world that he inhabits. I mean, how is man "fallen," and what was and is his relationship with God? These are crucial questions to understanding the very foundational concepts of our religion, and the answers are contained in this book.

This is a great book, and a true classic of Christian thought. I do not hesitate to say should be read by all believers.

One of Schaeffer's best that I have read.He looks at the start of time for us not God, since God is eternal.It really made me stop and think. Also to look at Genesis in a whole new way

I have managed teams for the past 15 years, and I recently read several books about the enneagram. This one is definitely a must read for all managers but also for anyone working! It gives great pointers on communicating effectively, tips on how to give feedback, how to resolve conflicts, how to create high-performing teams... Beyond the real-life examples, there is also a summary of what you can do that will work well with all types, since we don't always know what type our team members or coworkers are. I also liked the recommended daily activities.

Very easy to read, and yet exhaustive on the subject, it has become one of my favorite management books.

This book has helped me in ways that I never imagined. The information in this book has been extremely useful in my quest to better understand myself and others. "Bringing Out the Best in Yourself at Work" is very much a must read for anyone interested in improving their relationships at work and in life in general.

I love this book. I am an executive coach and I find this very useful for helping my Enneagram-aware clients apply the model directly and quickly to work situations -- to help debug relationships, communications, conflilct, etc.

I especially like Lapid-Bogda's distinctions and examples around "Pinch" and "Crunch" for each of the types.

I don't know of any other books except Michael Goldberg's "The Nine Ways of Working" that fill this business-application niche quite so well.

Highly recommended for those who need a practical, hands-on way of using the Ennegram in day to day work interactions.

The genuine nugget in this book is its use of the Enneagram to move forward the original Center for Creative Leaderhip research about what derails successful professionals. Lapid-Bogna's gift is to communicate the most profound and deeply thoughtful insights with deceptively casual language. I agree it needs to be read twice: Once to understand the techniques it describes, and a second time to appreciate how she builds on her hard-earned understanding of what works and doesn't work in OD and career development. Then, consider reading it a third time to appreciate the Enneagram for the doors it opens to truly deep personal growth. Not just another book written as a practice-building marketing piece for the author. It contains enough material for at least two books.

Finally a groundbreaking book on the 9 ways of working that can be handed to your HR director! Enneagram Personality System books started being published in the 1980's; not until now has there been one that systematically applies this system to organizations. As an organization development consultant, I have always found the enneagram to be essential to my executive coaching and development. Now, in a practical and most excellent way, Lapid-Bogda applies the system to all key areas of organization life-- including employee feedback, conflict in teams, leadership and team development, etc. You can take the applications and use them immediately on the change initiatives you already have underway in your orgaization-- such as your 360 degree feedback sessions.

Not only does Lapid-Bogda make it easy for you to apply this system, but once familiar with her book and work, the reader can order tailor made tools that go with each organization topic that will further assist your ease of application.

If you are "stuck" in your own personal career development or trying to lead others in theirs-- and looking for a breakthrough-- then buy this book!