Education Books

This book is awesome! If you have a child that receives special education services you NEED this book!! This book is full of the answers I have been looking for, for the last 4 years.I have read it twice and will read it again. This is an easy read it is broken down into 5 sections that everyone can understand. My favorite is section #3 The Parent as Expert. I used this section along with the others to get my son ESY services and 1:1 reading remediation.

Here is my success story, thanks to the knowledge I gained from this book......

I read section 3 while attending the Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy 2 day Boot Camp .When I got home I looked through my son's file and found 2 woodcock reading mastery test. I immediately requested a meeting with the school and requested that they give him another one this year, and give me the results before our Annual Review Meeting in May.

Well, I got the results and used power point as the book suggested and designed a graph using the Standard Scores from the test. I was not sure what cluster score they used to determine regression so I did one for each of them. In our Annual Review meeting they started talking about how well my son has done and how much progress he has made this year.( I knew what was coming next because it is the same thing they have said for the last 3 years, almost verbatim) Well before they said he did not qualify for Extended School Year Services (ESY) I asked them to explain how it all worked and what cluster score they used to make these determinations; so they explained it to me. I then pulled out my graph and said " well I had to put it in a graph because I am such a visual person and this data is so confusing and It just looks like a bunch of numbers etc etc....but what you explained to me is that we use this cluster and when I plugged in that Standard Score he has really show significant regression not progress like you were just saying. They said, "well now that we see it like that we see what you are saying, it has never been presented with that sort of twist to us before."

Well, he will be receiving ESY this year,using an Orton-Gillingham based program. I just got the Notice of Conference Decision copy in the mail and I found this statement quite amusing....

" The school presented data that indicated (child's name)did not qualify for extended year services. Mrs. Graves presented data that showed (child's name) has not made significant gains in reading during this school year and is thus further delayed by his grade placement than he was last year. The committee agreed to accept this conclusion and provide summer services."

Knowledge is truly power, This book along with the Wrightslaw Special Education Law and advocacy Boot Camp helped me get my son the help he has needed for the past 4 years!

As if being confronted with the diagnosis of a learning or developmental disability in your child wasn't stressful enough, upon diagnosis and classification, a parent is thrown into the ocean that is special education and the bureaucratic nightmare that goes along with it. This book is a treasure trove of strategies - everything from managing your paperwork to managing your emotions with respect to special education is covered. "The best way to avoid due process is to assume and prepare for due process" and "treat your relationship with the school personnel as a marriage with no possibility of divorce" are two of the most powerful "Wrightisms" I came away with and have served us well in advocating for our children with autism.

If you have the opportunity to attend a Wrightslaw boot camp in your area, bypass the purchase of this book and wait until you attend the conference - this book is often included in the conference fees.

Very simplistic language makes this a good primer for parents new to special education. For those with some experience, I found this book to be too rudimentary. However, I will lend it to parents of children just diagnosed.

This book is a wonderful asset for parents who are advocating for their kids. Many times I have let my emotions control my dealings with the school and this book explains why that is detrimental to your childs education.

FETA will help you understand why it is so critical to control your emotions and use them as a source of energy.

Chapter 5 explains obstacles that parents encounter (misinformation, school culture, etc) and how to overcome. It gives examples of several personality types and strategies for dealing with them.

Chapter 6 is about resolving conflicts with the school. It acknowledges the frustration many parents feel and gives you excellent advice on the best way to handle yourself. It describes common reasons for conflict and recommends solutions.

The other chapters are just as wonderful. I cannot say enough good about this book. It has saved me from much embarrassment with my child's school - since I am a bit outspoken (understatement!)

The book also discusses the importance of record keeping. It details how to create a file for your child, obtain confidential school records under the FERPA act, the importance of effective letter writing ("Letter to the Stranger") and it even has sample letters in the appendix.

I have an autistic son and this book has been my savior. It is a must have for anyone entering into the "world" of special needs. I have many other books but I constantly refer to this book in the end. It walks you step-by-step on how to write letters requesting information from your child's school and provides templates for many other well written letters you may need to use.

This book is not a complicated read..it reads fast and is easily understandable. I bought the Wrights Law book also and was able to read this book and refer to the Law book at the same time. As you delve into the special education system you will want to get books that help you write more complex IEP goals..but trust me you will be digging into your stack of books reaching for this book over and over again

i really love this boook, since Liz is my fave character, i love how she and conner ended up together.4 all liz coner fans, u must have it

at first it was about Liz n Conner heading back from the party, n they kissed again, Conner showed a lot of concerns n care bout her. Unfortunately, Mr Wkefield caught them on the door, Liz n her parents argued, and Liz stormed to her room.

Jess told Will bout the situation on the phone, and he felt grateful to have sum1 laike Will.
the next morning, before class, Conner walked over to Liz,asking, again with concern how was she doing, and kissed her on the hallway.

when Liz worried that Conner would just back up again from her, it wqas told bye megan that las night, Conner came back from party all happy, goofy face.

Conner thought that he was about becoming Liz's bf, at 1st he was not happy, but "and for the fisrt time in his life, that seemes not bad at all"
at lunch, jess asked liz n conner 2 do double date, n the gang teased conner n liz bout being couple.

conner didn't want to go on double date, but Liz succeed to sweet tal;k him, and it seems like Conner takes Liz seriously.

in the other hand, Jess started to feel irritated that Will always tells her whta to do, n she had to do that
oh ,d wakefields forgave liz n gave liz second chance.

The doulble date was horrible, but we could see that conner put much efforts there, showing how sweet he can be after he falls for liz.

Will Jess had a fight, Will left Jess in the mexican restaurant.
the next day,conner was invited to big mesa party, at 1st he thought it would be a great escape from liz.
but he ended up asked liz to come.

while he pick up liz,who brought jess, mr n mrs W wanted him to stop by 1st and said hi.
it was awkward n hard 4 conner, but again, he did nice job, just 4 liz.

at d party evrybody was talkin bout conner going on an item now, and has "taken" sign all over his attitude. he also held liz hand to show his buddy that liz was his.
at the end, liz n conner make out at empty room, and jess danced w/ jeremy.

If you love Liz and Conner together, you've got to read this one! It's by far the best one in the series so far.

"All About Love" picks up where the wild party in the previous book left off--with a prim-and-proper Elizabeth Wakefield getting drunk and unexpectedly being rescued by a chivalrous Conner McDermott. After that knight-in-shining-armor scene, it appears that Conner is half-man enough to get involved with Liz once again, where before he was too commitment-phobic to even speak to her, for fear of being tied down to one person.

Will Simmons and Jessica Wakefield are obviously having some problems in this book. For starters, Will repeatedly compares Jessica to his long-term ex-girlfriend, Melissa Fox; and Jessica thinks Will is being too possessive and pushy for her taste--plus she's not entirely over her ex either. Things get worse, though, when they decide to double date with Conner and Elizabeth, and one of them walks out during the meal.

Personally, I've never cared for Will. He's obviously not over Melissa, and I still can't excuse his previous spineless behavior concerning the rumors about Jessica.

Meanwhile, Andy Marsden, the joke-cracking slacker (one of my favorite characters in this book), is trying to get "serious" (if you can ever call him that) about raising his GPA and SAT scores for college--but fails miserably. It's amusing how easily he's distracted, like when he finds his old Game Boy hiding on the floor of his closet.

Overall, "All About Love" is another great addition to the SVH Senior Year series, though the title is a little misleading if you're expecting an in-depth explanation on love or expect everyone to be happy with who they're currently with--and that just won't happen, because where would the fun be in that? The unknown ghostwriter (Francine Pascal is just the creator of this series, not the actual writer) continues to generate enjoyably fast-paced stories that are barely printed fast enough for her(?) hungry fans, who can usually devour one or more of them a day. The chat room conversations, short stories, and journal entries certainly make this series more hip and popular than other teen romance series out there.

wow, i really loved this book. id have to say that this might be the best one in the series. I have been waiting forever for conner to finally admit that he does care about Liz and then freaking not dump her after a week. Thank god that didnt happen, like maria and all his other "conquests". although, i did feel bad for maria for a splitsecond about them getting together...since she was so crushed before. oh wait, shes dating Ken. nevermind, i guess this is a good book because my favorite couple finally admited that they were in l-o-v-e and are happy about it. :) doesnt it make you wish there were a conner for everyone?
makes me wish that...;)

The thirteenth book in the SVHSY series is no disappointment. Big things are happening between Will and Jessica and Elizabeth is recovering from her stint as a bad girl.
Jessica and Will are fighting more often because Will is acting like a total pig. Melissa has noticed this and has come up with a plan to get Will back. Instead of trying to break them up Melissa is ignoring Will in the attempt to make Will see what he is missing. After yet another fight Jessica spends the night with Jeremy at a party and Will goes back to Melissa!
Andy is in a frazzle as he realises he has no career plan or college mapped out after seeing the guidance counsellor. He gets even more panicked when he sees the average SAT and GPA scores that will get you accepted into the college(he sees this in The Complete Guide to Colleges!) He really wants to work harder but he keeps getting distracted.
Elizabeth, meanwhile, is in a whole lot of trouble after sneaking out while she was grounded. She also went to Cherie's party and consumed a bit too much alcohol. Her parents aren't too happy but Elizabeth and Conner look to have a stronger relationship even if Conner still hates the word 'couple.'

This is a good book like all SVHSY books. You will like it if you like teen books. This even has stories, e-mails, diary thoughts, lists and more from each character. THe books are short and they make a fun, interesting read.
Happy Reading:)

This book is a must have for people starting a business. I haven't entered ANY business venture without first consulting with this book. I also had the wonderful opportunity to learn with Ed Rogoff himself, he is a very knowledgeable, straight-forward man, and his book is 100% reflective of his real life traits and experience. Great Job Ed!



Elkin

Ed Rogoff has written a must buy for those planning on starting or expanding their business. He takes you through a step-by-step plan from your initial idea to your grand opening. Examples, forms and common pitfalls are all covered in an easy to follow system. If you want to make your dream a reality, "Bankable Business Plans" will get you started.

Chapter 10 in this book opened my eyes to a publication produced each year by the Risk Management Association (RMA). It's called the "Annual Statement Studies - Financial Ratio Benchmarks" and is a compilation of information supplied by member banking institutions that get their information from small business loan applicants. The author of Bankable BPs says a sound business plan must favorably compare to the information in the RMA publication, or it probably will not help the loan applicant get her funds.

I recommend after reading Bankable BPs that anyone creating a business plan will do themselves a favor by examining the RMA publication to use as a guide for creating meticulous financial projections included in their business plan. Don't write the business plan first, and then compare it to the RMA publication figures. Instead start with the figures and then write the business plan.

Another similar (but not as good) publication you might want to look at is called "Financial Studies of Small Business" written by Financial Research Associates.

Besides the impressive information contained in Chapter 10 of Bankable BPs, I thought the book was a great read on the subject of putting together a business plan. The author is an associate professor at one of the CUNY schools in New York. I would have liked the book better if he had not emphasized that a business plan was a tool to help raise capital. But he does point out that a business plan is an important tool for running a small business, too.

The author listed 10 action steps necessary to create a business plan:

1. Define the business
2. Figure out initial needs
3. Outline how the business expects to make money (business model)
4. Perform market research (study industry, competitors, and potential customers)
5. Write a marketing plan
6. Describe sales effort as it relates to marketing
7. Systematize operations & team building
8. Decide on capital requirements
9. Put together pro forma financials
10. Write the business plan in an acceptable format

I'm pretty sure the author felt the action steps were meant to be done in the above order. I tend to agree with the list of action steps, but not the particular order. I think #8 and #2 should be sequenced just after #9. I find it hard to believe it is possible to decide on capital resources BEFORE you have figured out the pro forma financials. And, without knowing the capital resources needed, it seems to me it is hard to determine what the initial needs of the business will be.

All in all, this was a very informative books and I am sure it will be a very helpful book to anyone who has to put together a business plan. 5 stars!

Ed Rogoff gives an in depth but workable plan for developing a new business. "Bankable Business Plans" gives you what you need to go from your initial idea to your financial source. Examples, forms and step-by-step instructions are included in this comprehensive book. This book is a must for business owners of any size business.

This book is terrific because it directly addresses the issue that probably undermines more business plans than any other: unrealistic assumptions. After 20 years as a banker and financial advisor to growth companies, both large and small, I believe that professional equity investors judge entrepreneurs by their ideas, their ability, and the reasonableness of their assumptions. Aggressive business plan assumptions raise significant doubts in the minds of investors, who don't just want 25% IRRs but want 25% IRRs that are achievable. Rogoff wisely advises entrepreneurs to ground their plans in reality, using solid industry data and benchmarking techniques. He teaches you to think like an investor or banker before writing your plan. Very solid advice. A must-read before going to market with your plan.

Buy this book. Enough said. Doesn't get any easier.

While confirming many of my already developed ColdFusion skills, this amazing book tough me a few new techniques that have brought me to the next level. An excellent book!

I have been programming in Coldfusion for over a year now but with this book, I've discovered more techniques in creating an efficient code.

Although I haven't taken the exam yet, I'm pretty sure that what I've learned would be a great help in passing it.

Once again the pen of Ben comes produces a gem! This book is the perfect capstone to any introductory level book for developers that not only want to study for the Cold Fusion certification exam but take their knowledge of Cold Fusion to the next level. This 378 page tomb has more higher level tips and tricks than his equally well written 1000 page+ giants. Several tips and tricks have saved me hours of time and helped me produce better code. Now all that I need to do is pass the exam and I am sure that this book will indeed do the trick. Keep em' coming Ben...

I have been working exclusively in cold fusion for a bit over 1yr. Just when I thought I knew everything there is to know to pass the CF certification test, reading this book was a humbling experience -- I learned something new in every chapter.

This book was a quick read, it took about 20 hrs +/- to complete all 38 chapters. By the time I was done with this book, it only took me 25 minutes to complete the 60 questions (90min) exam. Best of all, quite a few of the questions on the exam came straight from the book.

The only flaw, if that's what it is, is that it was written with CF 4.5 in mind -- Did not cover things such as CFFLUSH, CFGRAPH, and other new tags.

Even if you think you know all there is to know, you can still learn a few things from this book. It's a MUST GET!!

This is a sweet little book that will appeal to the engineers and scientists among us. You, too, can change! Or, Love conquers all! The illustrations are fun, and the writing intelligent and clever.

Enjoy!

I was given this book as a teenager, and never forgot it. I used to ask other people if they knew about it, but few seemed to have ever heard of it. I am an artist, and in spite of the use of 'math' in the title, thought this book was about art.
I missed ALL the math info and puns. (It was interesting reading the reviews of the math and science readers.) I can only tell you that the cleaver drawings tell stories that are universal. They work as well for art and life as they seem to work for math.
I have now given this book to many people. Every one of them has thanked me.
This is my favorite gift to give away for Valentine's day.

I purchased this book as a companion to the same named academy award winning animated short (1966?) by Chuck Jones. It was out of print until now. The short was recently released as a bonus feature on the DVD release of the Glass bottom boat. Bought the DVD, never have even looked at the main movie. It's enjoyable to watch a clever book come to life and be even more unforgetable then the written word.

I was given this book in 1980 by a college friend when it was in print in a smaller format. I am so pleased to see it again. If I could only own 100 books, this would be one of them.

Norton Juster wove more than puns and visual gags into this short book. Not to take an ounce away from those fantastic double entendres ("drawn and on edge").

There are references to social commentary "they all look the same anyhow," "freedom is not a license for anarchy," "why don't you find a nice line and settle down." There is amazing (for kids) vocabulary: quintessence, vector, potent, paralleliped. If you want to go there, there is also out of date vocabulary "Oh, what a head!" This book is rich.

Most of my high school math classes read "The Dot and the Line" at some point during the year, often as a read-aloud before a holiday. We find the puns, I explain the jokes, we discuss (briefly the social commentary), someone looks up the hard words, and they read a little boy-girl love story. It's the best kind of learning, the kind that happens when they think they are having fun!

Exploring the TITANIC is a very profound read. Robert Ballard (author of this book) is an avid diver, with the dream of finding and exploring the TITANIC. He joined a bunch of French explorers, and traveled far into the deep of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland where the TITANIC sank in 1912. Ballard used Argo (an advanced water-safe camera) to take pictures of the TITANIC until he found that he could not use Argo anymore because the rough waves were pounding against it. Minute after minute, hour after hour, the Knorr (the submarine Ballard was traveling on) floated in a sea of darkness because the only light they had was the light from Argo. About ten hours went by before Ballard decided to use Angus. Angus was an older camera that Ballard had used in previous explorations. In an hour or two, Ballard had found the TITANIC. Somehow he was not satisfied. He wanted to take clear pictures but did not know how to get them with the technology that he had with him. He pondered this for days. He knew that he was about 13 feet above the TITANIC. Then it came to him that he just needed to go down 13 feet more to get his pictures. Ballard convinced the Captain to go down the 13 feet. When they reached their target, they were able to get their pictures.
Ballard's dream was still not fulfilled because he had not yet explored the TITANIC. About a year later, Ballard and two other divers went underwater to explore the TITANIC. They had traveled down four or five times to complete their mission of exploring the TITANIC. Ballard's dream was fulfilled.
I would recommend this book to any reader that is NOT sensitive. This book told about people on the TITANIC who died. I think the author told us too much about people's lives and made us care about them too much. It was sad when you found out the person died. If they weren't killed, then one of the person's loved ones was killed. For example, Jack Thayer was talked about very much in the beginning. I became fond of him because the author gave so much detail about his life. When Ballard told us that Thayer had survived the crash, he did not stop there. He went on to tell us that Jack's father and his friend did not make it. This made me very emotional. If you would like to learn about Robert Ballard and his exploration of the TITANIC, then by all means, read this book. If the sad parts about the people who died bother you, just skip those pages and you'll still learn a lot about exploring the TITANIC.

I first read this book almost 15 years ago, at age 5 : I loved it, and read it uncountable times. Today it is still just as fascinating. Beautifully illustrated and clearly written, it was the first of many Ballard books that I read. I would also recommend the Discovery of the Bismark and The Wreck of the Isis, just as interesting but less well known. A great way to start reading about the great ships of the past.

Goes behind the Titanic. Why did the Titanic sank, why it was built, how they came up with the name Titanic etc. It has everything you need to know about the Titanic. Even has real actual pictures taken of the Titanic in the water and above.

Do you like old ships? Well, I know the right one for you. It is the Titanic. It is about a ship that hit an ice berg and went down. So go under water with Dr.Robert Ballard and explore the Titanic. Good Luck! This book is recommended for 8 and up.

It's a true story about the Titanic and what things Robert Ballard and his team find in the Titanic.

Advice or information given in this book may not work for all students?
What may work is worth knowing!
About a 3.9 Star buy!

Great how to guide. I bought it for my daughter who will be a Freshman this Fall. Lots of the same things I've been saying (with greater impact coming from someone else other than Mom), plus a whole lot more. Knowledge is power and this guide offers hints from study habits, avoiding weight gain in the dorms, to dealing with roommates - even an appendix on common errors in English! I also appreciated that the proceeds from the sale of the book go to the Boulder Valley Humane Society. Bravo Mr. Kennedy!

This book helped me get over $11,000 of free financial aid. Obviously to say it paid for itself would be an understatement. The book not only shows you how to get good grades at the college level with less studying, but also shows you how to get free financial aid and scholarships, which I found the most beneficial.

The author shares his tricks for applying for and getting all kinds of scholarships, grants, and loans and also low-interest Federal Student Aid (FSA). The amount of free college money out there for you to get is amazing. For example, the book talks about one little-known scholarship for students who are left-handed called the Frederick and Mary F. Beckley Scholarship lol.

Long story short, this book is a great investment and will pay for itself hundreds if not thousands of times over. My total haul amounted to over $11,000. Not too shabby I'd say.

Everyone at OU is talking about this book!! I just got a $3700 scholarship with the help of this book and am so encouraged I'm now going to go for more!! The key is knowing where to go to get it and persistence. I'm here to tell you it PAYS OFF BIG TIME! Great advice about college success too. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

Im a high school junior and got this book. I've applied a lot of the tips to my high school life, and my grades are doing a lot better!

I recommend this to anyone in any level of school, from high school and onward.

This is really a lovely book. The story is sweet..a nice extension of the original Twinkle, Twinkle song. The illustration are just lovely, and somehow shiny on the page, making my one year old love to touch them. My only caveats are that some of the lyrics/words are written in gold ink, and that makes them difficult to see in certain lights. Also, when you sing it, make sure to set a fast enough pace, or else it is a LONG book! Because it's so sweet and serene, it's easy to start off slow and cuddly, but by about the 4th page, you're losing their attention and your patience. Overall I'd recommend..it's just beautiful to look at. I also like that the pages are paper, but a little thickier -- sturdy enough for little hands to turn and thumb through without tearing.

I have this book that I have read over and over to my children when they were little. both kids are in school now and they still love the book. i would highly recommend this book to any parent with little ones whether they are babies or toddlers even up to 2nd grade.

The author does it again with this production. My children and I love her extended versions of these old children's songs. And, as usual, it includes the music on the last page, which is a nice addition and teaching tool. It is wonderful!

We have many Iza Trapani books and my daughters and I usually love them. My 3 year old asked me to read this last night and I decided this is my least favorite. Some of the pages are difficult for me to read in a dim bedroom because of the gold text on blue pages. To me, it drags on more than others and the story isn't as fun. My daughter was concerned about a little girl going out without her mother. I think it is an OK book but was surprised at how many reviewers thought it was wonderful. I just don't think it is as good as "How Much is that Doggy in the Window", "I'm a Little Teapot" or some of the others ( I think we own at least 6 of her books).

This is a great everynight bedtime story. This is actually my second copy because reading it everynight to my boys wore it out so I had to get a new copy for my daughter. It is so precious when they say it back to you as you read it and because they hear the song a lot it makes it easy for them to learn. My 2 1/2 yr old says it almost word for word already. My favorite is the last line... "What a special star you are!" It is a great way to send your child off to dream land.

As a teacher with my first child, I wanted to be sure to know the best techniques for simulating my little one's mind and helping him through the developmental stages. This book combines research with practical suggestions for developing attention, bonding (for emotional stability and security), and communication. It is written in parent friendly language and the activities are easy to implement. Many of them come naturally to parents and it is great to know that you are already doing the right things to help your child. Reassuring and informative!

I had checked the book out from the library, read it, and enjoyed it. I later decided I wanted to have it on hand as a reference as my daughter grew, so I purchased it. It is full of information about brain development and how you can help your child grow. Do not mistake this for a "how to build a Superbaby" book. The key word in the title is "nurture".

As a new mom and a kindergarten teacher, I love this book!! I really wanted to know how to take every opportunity to interact with my little one in ways that were beneficial to his development. The book is very reassuring in that as parents we do most of these things already. As an educator, the science information is facinating! I also love that this book is not about teaching your child to read (not a pre-requisite for kindergarten...), but it is about cultivating your child so that they can make the most of their future learning experiences.

Simply put -- this is a fabulous book. It has the perfect mix of scientific research and practical easy-to-use suggestions. The author also brings to the book her experiences of a parent to a special needs daughter, providing a compassionate and insightful touch. (Not to fear -- she does not delve into overly personal and sappy anecdotes -- but rather gives the reader further evidence that she really does know of what she speaks.)

There is a lot here for parents of infants to take away. And as someone who is very interested in how the brain learns and develops, I was definitely not disappointed. The book is well researched and the science is explained in a way that is interesting and easy to understand. The organization of the book also makes it a quick reference for those that just want to know "what" to do (and not necessarily all of the "why"'s behind the activities). There are plenty of charts and tables that get right to point and offer quick reminders for parents. A very valuable resource all-around!

From the point of view of a new and inexperienced parent, this book is a fabulous find. Some other books espouse the writers opinion on what's best for your child, this one is based on scientific findings on how the brain develops and delivers this information in a very user-friendly and entertaining manner. It's just very well done.

I have read lots of books and articles about coaching, but no one like this.
The way the content is presented forces you to learn, to keep reading and feel confident.
After every chapter you can read an inspirational thought.
The way the book has been constructed, to use a visible expression, shows author's interest of teaching in a simple fashion way. The graphs are very good and the content very well organized.
Every coach should have this book.

This book is great book to whom is working and coach, also I sure that if I new about this book before, when I was a learning coaching it could be very good learneing book, and in the far past when I was a manager at HP it could help me to manage differnet peolple and co-worker.
Ami Gabay
IsraelCoach Anyone About Anything: How to Help People Succeed in Business and Life

Coaches, Leaders, Parents, Teens, Educators, Employers, Employees, Anyone with a Pulse:

If you genuinely care about your success or the success of another...If you or someone you love desires better...You can save yourself the frustration of trying to figure out which book will deliver results.

Chapter Six is my favorite. By itself, it stands above the crowd and shows the way to achievement by teaching how-to:

+ Improve Knowledge
+ Sharpen Skills
+ Build Confidence
+ Motivate - Others & Yourself
+ Discover why most people don't take the action they need to succeed.
+ Who wouldn't want to know this?

Though the utility of some of the charts are not immediately obvious, they quickly become useful tools because the authors present solid substance and real-world examples over fluff and fiction.

This book is easy to read and the proven methods are easy to implement.

For yourself or someone you love, I highly recommend is as an opportunity to grow into the life you desire. You can make a difference. Will you?

If you want to know what coaching is all about, this is a great place to start. I've read other coaching books which were long on theory and short on practicality. This book stays useful and reasonably easy to read throughout. There were legitimate takeaways and I have a couple of the exercises book marked. The end gets a little off subject, but anytime a book provides legitimate takeaway value, it's worth a shot.

If you think on starting to coach co-workers, family, friends, team, thumb around and look for another book. The authors start mentioning you can read the book from cover to cover (what I did). I would recommend reading it upside down.

Writing is not clear enough, and, unless you are an experienced and enthusiastic coach, nothing will make sense for you.

On their defense I have to say the version I read was translated into Portuguese and some of the essence may have been lost in the process.