California Books

Swami Kriyananda is a modern renaissance man, and in "Swami Kriyananda: As We Have Known Him" tells of author Asha Praver's nearly four decades of experience with Swami Kriyananda, a spectacular man who has written over eighty books and composed over three hundred pieces of music, all while being viewed as one of the leading lights in the spiritual world today as the last living direct disciple of the great master of yoga, Paramhansa Yogananda. "Swami Kriyananda: As We Have Known Him" is enthusiastically recommended across the board for spirituality, religion, and biography community library shelves alike and anyone who just wants to learn more about such a great man.

I received my book Swami Kriyananda: As We Have Known Him through a book club. I picked the book up at home just to glance at the beautiful cover and skim what was inside. Time just flew by. One hour later I was still reading and feeling very inspired. The stories shared about Kriyananda's life not only uplift and inspire but make you feel you have been touched by the life of a saint.

When I first began to read this book, I was surprised by a joyful feeling, coming from nowhere and everywhere, that seemed to wash over me. It was a strong experience; perhaps the most intense I've ever had from reading a book.

It was so pronounced that, a friend, walking by at that moment, gave me a curious look, as if to say, "What on earth has got into you?"

The stories in this book are very special: some are humorous, some are profound, some excel in giving us an example to model our lives on, but they are all inspiring. This is a good book not only for someone interested in Swami Kriyananda, or in disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda, but also for anyone who would like to know what it is like to be with a saint.

The book is well written, and, because of its short-story format, is something that you can benefit from reading even if you only have a few minutes. A warning, though: I found it easy to pick up and hard to put down.

If you listen to his talks, or read his books, Swami Kriyananda seems like almost a normal person: wise, intelligent, clear, and kind, but not *that* different from everyone else.

This book gives another perspective! It can give you an experience of what it is like to be with a great lover of God, as it seemed to give me the first time I read it. Having met Swami Kriyananda, I can say: he is a step above anyone else I have ever known.

If you long to know what it takes to be a true saint and how one lives his life, this book is the key to that understanding. One such as Swami Kriyananda never speaks openly about himself but always draws the listener's attention and devotion to God and his guru, Paramhansa Yogananda. It is therefore, incumbent upon those who have lived closest to him to reveal to others the sanctity of his life. Asha Praver has done a remarkable job of revealing, through the stories of many who have lived close to Kriyananda, what his life of discipleship to God and Guru has been like. The writing is done with clarity and great sensitivity, appealing to both the mind and the heart. If you are sincerely longing to know the truth of life, this book can shed light on one who has found truth and has spent his life sharing it with others. The only challenge I had with the book is that it ended too soon. I hope that others of its caliber will follow!

I found the lecture 'new agey' and boring!
from the book:
p. 316: "Except for Swamiji's voice, the room was silent, the audience spellbound, hanging on his every word. Suddenly, the inward mood was shattered by the ringing of a telephone. ... Sternly, Swamiji asked that the phone be turned off. ... Still the ringing persisted. `Would someone please do something about this matter?' Swamiji said again. Then, with a look of sudden comprehension, he reached into his own pocket. `Oh!', he said, `It is my phone.'
......SO MUCH FOR HIS INTUITION IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION!!!!!!

A massive forest fire swept through eastern Minnesota destroying almost an entire county in one day in September 1894. Several towns were leveled, several hundred lives ended, and hundreds more altered. The story is full of daring railroad escapes, awful suffering, and surprising heroism, and Daniel James Brown's vivid writing relays the drama. His narrative details the stories of over a dozen victims of various backgrounds and fates. (This is enough that effort is required to keep track of who is who.)

In the endnotes, the author mentions one witness was particularly useful, because he "tended to note the kinds of details that bring a scene to life." Indeed, the main text is full of details and even dialogue recorded in various survivor accounts. Brief asides about the region's history, the science of forest fires, and burn treatments are scattered throughout and add much to the book. The overall product reminded me of David McCullough's The Johnstown Flood, though with less socioeconomic tension.

Author Daniel James Brown is to be commended for his knowledge of the incident and his chronicling of it. What an emotional read! There was so much drama, so much carnage and human suffering, that I sighed sometimes as I put the book down to take a break. This author knows his subject, and he knows how to write about it to please his readers. I've never seen the monument to the fallen pioneers but I plan visit it soon. I've read books about the great Chicago fire, and the Peshtigo fire, but never have I felt the riveting force as I did in this book. Now I feel it. The dissection of a firestorm of this magnitude along with the destruction it brought, and the lack of medical knowledge at that time about burn treatment showed me what a scholar Brown is. I learned an immense amount. Thank you, Daniel James Brown, for such a glorious textbook and tribute to those who lived in Minnesota during this era.

I grew up in Sandstone, MN and happened to find this book on the "Noteable Reads" table at BN. Picked it up and couldn't put it down. I had, of course, been taught the history of the Hinckley Fire, but never realized the total horror those people went through or what a monster of a fire it actually was. This book had chills running up and down my back as I read it. I'm sure I have one up on most people reading this as I have actually seen the places in the book (though altered now) for example the Sandstone Quarry (Robinson Park now) is one of my favorite places. I have a personal thanks for Mr. Brown for writing such an amazing book that really touched home for me(no pun intended.)

This book is an easy, informative read about a horrific disaster. It follows several people before, during and after the fire. It was much like reading an enjoyable fiction book. I plan to use portions of this to teach my junior high students about the causes and effects of forest fires.

"Under A Flaming Sky," by Daniel James Brown, is an intense, enthralling book detailing the events of the 1894 Hinckley firestorm. The event itself has been buried in our national memory, part of the great fires that happened at the end of the 19th century, like Peshtigo and others, unlike those of Chicago and major cities. Occasionally it is brought up at its anniversary in Minnesota by the local media. As Brown points out, though, the same kind of horrific incident that happened at Hinckley can still happen today.

Brown builds the chronicle of events from the night before the fire, augmenting it with conditions that built the firestorm, through the day of the fire and the events afterward. In the book, many characters are introduced - it was a bit confusing sometimes to trace who was with which family - but in being caught up with this tragedy and people, one would wonder who would survive, how they would survive, who would not and how they would die. The human interest stories that Brown creates an almost fiction-like story - but you know that it is a true story, and you want to know how it ends.

There are also three parts of the book where the story is interrupted, something that may seem to be an annoyance in most books, but extremely useful in this book. The first takes several pages to explain fires and the creation of firestorms, where conditions build swirling winds that may reach hurricane strength, heat the melts steel and throws fire and gases to instantly burn oxygen and set fire to things miles away. Another impressive detour has to do with burns and their effects on humans: how the body has difficulty dealing with burns, in fighting infections, the process of fighting bacteria, and more. Add to this the perspective of the technology of the times, and one gets further insight to the evolving disaster. Brown has written an excellent book on an American tragedy, and done it in engrossing style.

It's a neat book.But I need to work at doing more stamps more often.

If you are interested in learning how to carve your own art rubber stamps then you need this book as well as The Weekend Crafter:Rubber stamp carving.

Both books provide clear cut instructions on how to carve your own stamps to make artistic and fun stamps that are one of a kind. But this book is much better of the two and I'd suggest this one if you can only buy one book on the subject of stamp carving.
The projects in this book are lovely, artistic and not cutesy or cookie cutter similar to everything out there. You will easily be able to begin carving right away with this book alone. Well worth the 15 bucks here on Amazon! I recommend it.
5 stars!

This book is my new stamp carving bible! The projects are inspiring and there are no hard to find tools required. Thanks to the detailed instructions carving a stamp from an eraser is easier than carving a pumpkin. A great book.

If you need some inspiration, I strongly advise reading this book. Before reading the book, I didn't understand and was very intimdated about carving. After reading Art Stamping Workshop, I am now carving and printmaking!! I also teach this form of art in various schools and art stores.

One of the reasons I advise my students and online members to read this book, is because it is both teachable and progressive. It is an excellent book to study for classes, workshops, and personal study. With each technique, Gloria Page teaches in a way that you are bound to understand, and you are not left in the dark or in confusion in any way.

In an online group that I host -Artists of the Round Table- we read this book from cover to cover, and tried each of the projects. "ALL" of the member LOVED it.....adults, as well as the children!!! Gloria Page was kind enough to make herself available during the workshop to answer any questions, and to give advise and commendation. What an "encouragement" this was to the members studying her book!

Loving author.....AWESOME book. A perfect combination!

Sincerely,
~Jacqueline F. Graham
President, Artists of the Round Table
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArtistsOfTheRoundTable/

I have always wanted to make my own art stamps but never knew how or where to begin. Thanks to Art Stamping Workshop, all of my questions have been answered! After reading this fabulous book, I was able to create a stamp from items I had around the house. Gloria's instructions are easy to follow and the photos clearly show how each step is supposed to look as you go along. Gloria Page makes stamp carving easy and FUN! The variety of projects in this book are different from anything I have seen in other stamping books and are easily adaptable to any style.

The book never arrived at 3 weeks, so canceled the order and hope the charge is reversed on my card. Woody's books was nice about the problem and sent me a $5 check to aid in buying the book at a higher cost in a local book store.

This is a fantastic book for the newly-diagnosed breast cancer patient. It was given to my by my surgeon's office. It does a great job explaining things on a level that the average person can understand. It also has great diagrams, lists of questions to ask your medical team, glossary of terms, websites to check out and comments from breast cancer survivors and/or significant others of survivors. I highly recommend this book.

We give this book to surgeons in our area to distribute to women diagnosed with breast cancer. Before purchasing it, we had a group of 4 breast cancer survivors review and rate 3 separate books on breast cancer. This book "won" hands down, based on numerous criteria -- everything from its explanation of breast cancer treatments, to its index and glossary, to its discussion of life after cancer. It is clear and easy to read, provides comprehensive information on types of breast cancer and corresponding treatment alternatives, has wonderful graphics and photos, and provides interesting anecdotal stories of actual patients in its sidebar. Highly recommended!

I was introduced to this book at work and am now giving it to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. I am on oncology certified nurse in the radiation oncology department of my cancer center. In January 2007 I also became our Breast Cancer Patient Navigator. I find this book gets excellent reviews from patients and their families alike. It is a great source of information, covering all the topics from diagnosis to living life 'after cancer'. I only wish I would have had this book when I was on my personal breast cancer journey! I highly recommend this book for someone newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

"Many experts believe that Herceptin represents the future direction of breast cancer drugs, because it targets a particular protein on the cancer cell, rather than attacking all cells at random. As research progresses, scientist hope to make all anti-cancer drugs as specific as possible." ~ pg. 97

Designed to compliment the book, the DVD provides an environment of understanding with explanations for all the procedures and various situations that will occur after a diagnosis. New treatments like Immunotherapy are discussed and there is an extensive resource section with additional CD options, including a CD-ROM program that is an interactive guide to treatment.

Helpful up-to-date information about why you may not need a mastectomy and only a lumpectomy is encouraging and gives hope. Radiation and Chemo is also discussed in detail. Throughout both the DVD and book, women tell their stories and that gives a sense of the range of experience. There are over 150 color photographs and graphics to illustrate important points.

A variety of questions are given in each section so you know what to ask your doctor. The stages of breast cancer are given so you know exactly what your doctor is talking about. The main sections include:

Facing Breast Cancer - Your feelings, support groups, healthcare teams and overview of treatment options.

Breast Cancer Basics - Types of Breast Cancer

Diagnosis and Staging - Tumor Testing, the Pathology Report, Additional Tests, How Stage is Determined

Surgery - Reconstruction, Lumpectomy and Mastectomy options, Lymph Nodes

Reconstruction - Choosing a Plastic Surgeon, External and Internal Options

Radiation Therapy - How treatment is given, Brachytherapy

Chemotherapy - Side Effects, Common Chemotherapy Drugs

Hormone Therapy - How Treatment is Given, Who should be Treated, Side Effects

Immunotherapy - Future Therapies and Herceptin

Clinical Trials - Participation Ideas and getting the newest treatments...

Life after Cancer - Emotional Recovery, Physical Recovery

The Guide for Your Partner is a special section your partner can read. If possible, watching the DVD together would be ideal because it explains all the basics in the book.

Be a Survivor is an excellent resource because it gives you all the questions you need to ask and answers a number of pertinent questions any woman will be asking the moment she is diagnosed.

Vladimir Lange, MD is one of the most respected doctors in this field of study and this book came into being after his own wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.

~The Rebecca Review

I can also recommend "Reconstructing Natalie" by Laura Jensen Walker.

An excellent book on an excellent group. The author has meticulously researched his body of work and provides wonderful details together with photographs and links.

I do not order much from the internet, except I do find Amazon to be great. I have ordered serveral book, and they have all arrived in a very timely manner. The purchased have been very easy and there has never been a mix up on payments, they have also been prompt in emailing to let me know when we can expect our merchandise. I thank you for providing such a wanderful website were we can get great prices and good service too. JML California

You could build a library with all that's been written about The Doors over the past 40 years. This makes it hard to find anything new, but Ben Fong-Torres has done that here. Several never before published photos (including Jim dressed as an Indian for Halloween at age 7!) and interviews with Jim's father, brother & sister (his mother was unfortunately too ill to participate) make this a must for any Doors fan. Also has lots of commentary from Ray, Robby & John and others who were closely involved with the band.

Rock writer nonpareil Ben Fong-Torres has done an excellent job in this very fine work about the Doors. Lots of never seen before pictures and what a great treat that we finally heard something from Morrisons relatives, especially the rear-admiral. Im pretty sure those fat royalty cheques that started pouring in from 1974 has mellowed the old warriors heart over the years, but still you believe that somewhere deep inside, he was proud of his son achievements. It's a book that you can't put away, so if you start reading it early, you most likely will finish it the same day.

The Doors by The Doors and Ben Fong-Torres

Hyperion Books

Forty years ago The Doors broke on through and romanced the public with poetic nightmares combined with a jazz influenced brand of blues driven rock and roll. We all know about Jim Morrison, the bands wildly erratic front man who lived either on the edge of a stage or at the edge of his own mortality. The three remaining Doors members John Densmore, Robby Kreiger and Ray Manzarek give their take on what it was like to ride the ascending success and ultimately the burn out and downfall of comet Morrison. Ben Fong-Torres has the daunting but enviable task of coordinating the vast treasure of photos, interviews and fresh quotes into a time line narrative that takes the readers from the beaches of California to the graveyard in France. What Oliver Stone got wrong in his 1991 movie, "The Doors" Fong-Torres is determined to set straight in this retrospect. Even though it was Jim who gained the most publicity as charismatic singer and lyricist he was the first to correct anyone that would garner him with more than one fourth of the credit for the bands success. The corresponding biographies of each member help to re-tell the now famous stories but also add a more personal insight and explanation of these now legendary tales. It's always been my contention that actually being in such a famous band it is impossible to truly appreciate or understand your own impact. The Beatles never had "The Beatles" to appreciate or enjoy like the public did and the same thing goes with this remarkable group. The Doors were just trying to write some songs and score with the ladies of Venice but after these four individual and creative elements combined a funny thing happened resulting in pure rock and roll legend. It's all here in beautiful detail and imagery, from the band's first rehearsals and the ground breaking shows at the Whiskey, the Ed Sullivan snub, Miami madness to Jim's controversial departure from the United States and ultimately the planet. This is a beautiful coffee table styled book that chronicles all of The Doors phenomenal successes and internal struggles. Just as with The Beatles "Anthology" book the surviving members have assembled to tell their remembrances and share some never before seen photos and antidotes. This leaves Jim's creative and prophetic lyrics along side his infamous quotes behind as both his contribution towards the book and his path to or bread crumb trail back from the other side.

Matt Parish

Initially I borrowed this book from a friend and read it at bedtime. The short chapters are perfect for a quick read at bedtime, while waiting at the doctor, etc. Phillip Gulley is fabulous at taking the "normalcy" of life and applying Biblical principles to deepen the experience. His humor causes me to laugh out loud repeatedly. This is a fun and fresh way to look at the Eccelesiastes text. After devouring my friend's copy, I purchased this one to share with my dad. He is loving it as well!

Philip Gulley uses the words of Ecclesiastes, "For everything there is a season", as a springboard for essays on life. He happens to live in the small town of Danville, Indiana, where he grew up, so his stories have to do with the people and customs of his small town. Gulley is a Quaker pastor who holds to traditional values and the sovereignty of God, but this doesn't hinder his sly wit or wry observations on the absurdities of modern-day life. His choices of stories range from the addition of a screen door to his home under "A Time to Build" to a list of his prejudices and pet peeves under "A Time to Gather Stones Together". This is a good book to read a bit at a time as each chapter stands alone. It's also a good way to escape from stress and to get a laugh and a new perspective on life.

I was given a copy of this book by my sister, Mrs. Fruits, who is featured in the "a time to let go" chapter. I also have a signed copy. This is a wonderful book (along with Phil's others) to pick up when one needs a spiritual "pick me up". I have circulated these delightful books through the membership of my Episcopal church and have incorporated some of his stories into sermons. I am a Hoosier from Hendricks County who now lives in Washington State and it is often a nostalgic trip for me when I travel the roads and streets of Indiana in Phil's books. But anyone could benefit from these stories about every day people dealing with every day life.

This is an excellent book, as are all of Philip Gulley's. They are "feel good" books, and I enjoy them all. Although this particular book is not a story evolving around the local townspeople, as are many of his, it is still an inspiring read. I hope Mr. Gulley continues to crank out his particular type of humor/inspiration for years to come!

What a great book about the sweet simple side of life. It made me want to move to the author's small town and settle in with my family. I have enjoyed everything I have read so far by this author.

This book is very helpful along with good counseling. Anyone can benefit from this book. It's about all relationships, not just marriage. And any personality type will relate to it. It's worth the money.

Having problems with your marriage? Need to know why you act the way you act? This book is for you if you answered YES to any of the questions above. Buy This Book...YOU WON'T REGRET IT! How We Love is an excellent tool for learning about your life and why you are the way you are.

This is one of the most brilliant marriage books I've read. Rather than oversimplifying marriage problems as a lack of love or respect, Milan and Kay invite the reader to go deeper than surface issues and explore patterns of relating that can often be traced back as early as the first year of life. Drawing from Harville Hendrix's Imago Relationship theory, Milan & Kay frame How We Love within a Christian context and lay out practical interventions that couples can integrate into their relationships. I also highly recommend the workbook to help readers internatlize on a practical level what they are reading in the book. The caring, helpful tone of the book almost makes it feel as if you have your very own therapist walking with you every step of the way. Brilliant. A must-read not only for couples, but also marriage therapists and lay counselors.

Also recommend: Soul Healing Love by Tom and Beverly Rodgers (also based on Imago Theory)

I've probably spent hundreds of dollars on self-help books over the years looking for answers I couldn't seem to find. My husband and I have been together for over 18 years - many of which felt like banging our heads against the wall in frustration and three of which were spent separated. We were blessed to have survived the separation. I heard about this book on the radio (kkla) and knew it was the book we needed. By far, it is one of the BEST and most effective books I've ever come across. I admit, it was a bit daunting at first as the workbook made us dig pretty deep within ourselves, (I think the workbook is key!) but God really helped us to persevere! This book was a catalyst in helping us to undersand each other and ourselves in ways we never thought possible. Your book and workbook helped to promote real communication between us and helped to give us the best relationship we've ever had -- so much that my husband and I renewed our vows on December 31. We are recommending this book to all of our friends! Thank you, Milan and Kay!

I've read books before that "categorize" your personality type, etc, and I have never heard anyone describe me... until I read this book. They nailed my personality or "love style", based on how I was raised. It really gave me insight into WHY I do things the way I do. And not only that, but it showed me HOW to work on those areas that need work. Great book... I am buying a copy of the book and workbook for some friends who are getting married. What better way to start off marriage, than to understand yourself better, before trying to understand someone else?! This book has also helped me understand my husband better too and be more compassionate and understanding of him. :)

This is one of the better first-person accounts I've ever read. I highly, strongly recommend that you take the time to read it. It's well-written, relevant, and hard to put down.

A great day in an day out story about the war. No hype, no frills. Just the story of what the days were actually like for a foot soldier in WW II.

I had to read this book for a course on WWII. Neil does an excellent job of "putting you there" as the cliche goes. The complexities of battle, to the horrid conditions to the mindstate of men about to die are all covered well in this novel. Neill really does a good job of keeping the reader attached to the book, and helps bring to life something that many people have only read about in history text books. I recommend this novel to anyone interested in War in general, and of course in WWII.

George Neill presents a front line soldier's view of what it was like to be part of the WWII American infantry. While reading the book, I almost felt the cold and fear that were the soldier's constant companions. while the rear echelon soldiers got the winter boots, and the generals got heated quarters, Neill and his fellow soldiers tried to survive the cold, boredom and attacks. I felt like I was there. This book gets my very highet recommendation.

The ASTPer's were the brightest, most intelligent young citizen soldiers of their part of the World War II generation. Originally deferred from military service to be allowed to attend college, they were thrown into the battlefields of Europe when America needed bodies to make to final push to Berlin, just in time for the Battle of the Bulge. Infantry Soldier: Holding the Line at the Battle of the Bulge is an accurate account of the fighting and front-line conditions facing the common infantry rifleman during one of Europe's coldest winters. Neill not only served as one of these men, he has done the research and interviews needed to complete the picture, not just of the men on the ground who knew little beyond the events of their immediate foxhole, but events on the German side and U.S. Army rear echelon and high command decisions. Included is an excellent description of the destructive power of a German artillery barrage, and the problems encountered when supply lines are stretched and items desperately needed by the front-line soldier for survival are being diverted to rear-echelon personnel. Neill also takes an intelligent look at war in general, and the conclusion is that we should never forget the horrors and untold human suffering caused by war.

The Irresistible Growth Enterprise: Breakthrough Gains from Unstoppable Change, by Donald Mitchell and Carol Coles, is an excellent book, completely different from the other business books because it does not simply give to the reader a simple idea or practice as a recipe to apply to a company and achieve astonishing results. It goes further... The purpose of this book is to change the reader's way of thinking and to teach a way of achieving irresistible business success. It is divided into two parts; the first part contains ten chapters in which the causes of and solutions to irresistible force stalls are determined, while the second part contains eight chapters in which the authors explain irresistible force management and the 8-step process of identifying and aligning ourselves with irresistible forces to maximize our advantage. It is an excellent choice!

The authors lay out a pattern of all the ways companies choose to deal with "irrisistible forces and unstoppable events" in their businesses. As the phrase implies, these events happen in all businesses, and the authors explain how, if leveraged correctly, these can often be a catalyst to greater growth in your business.

They describe irrisistible force stalls and their causes - useful if your small business isn't performing as you'd hoped - they offer solid advice that will give you a plan of action and get you back on track.

They detail common stalls and how to deal with them - "stallbusting" they call it. The stalls they find most common (and certainly these sound like familiar "stalls" used by some of my small business marketing clients when they come to me for help) are:

The directionless stall
The wishful thinking stall
The helplessness stall
The defensiveness stall
The independence stall
The overoptimisim stall
The cover up stall
The underestimation stall

As a means to understanding what could be stopping your small business from achieving its full potential, and what actions to take - I highly recommend it. It's packed with information, so it's not a quick read, but well worth the time investment for the success of your small business.

This book, with the significant stall busting tools and theories, enabled me to understand stall busting and develop new habits. It enabled me to understand the process of irresistible force management and importance of measuring performance to achieve exponential success. It helped me to develop 2000 percent solutions for the organization's future best practice to become the world's leading company in delivering its product at low cost.

Irresistible forces are unstoppable events and forces that shape our opportunities and callenges. This remarkable resource will enable you to move rapidly ahead of competitors by utilising powerful trends to best advantage. Learning to be flexible is one of management's toughest challenges. The Irresistible Growth Enterprise shows you how to be adroit and energised by unexpected changes. Tomorrow's leaders will be those who excel at using all irresistible forces to best advantage. The Irresistible Growth Enterprise offers you the key to grasping your full potential for immediate and sustained breakthroughs. Rather than living optimistically in the vague hope that neither negative job events will happen to you, you should always be prepared to see the events for what they are - opportunities for you to flourish. The fundamwental premise of the book is that no matter how successful you and your organisation are, you are performing at a modest level compared to the potential you can unleash through adopting the irresistible growth enterprise. The barrier to irresistible growth is not unstoppable, uncontrollable external changes, but fixed and frequently unexamined ideas of how to respond to these changes. Companies that have ridden such forces well in the past have grown from start ups to billion dollar sales corporations in ever-shorter periods of time. Making quick and best use of rapid changes in powerful conditions noone can control is the key to becoming an irresistible growth enterprise. By utilising the processes presented in this book, you can learn to catch the full benefit of today's volatile and rapidly changing forces and spur your enterprise on to greater and rapid growth than ever before.The Irresistible Growth Enterprise has a serious and important purpose: to make you and your organisation much more successful by having you ask and answer new and better questions than you have been using to analyse and plan your activities. Unlike most business books the Irresistible Growth Enterprise on what new things to do rather than on how to improve existing practices. This book shows you how to harness the key lessons and other useful concepts and tools in one integrated process, that will improve your performance across a broad range of activities from creating a vision to leadership and implementation. Changes is an inevitable consequence of staying in business these days. This book leads you to an understanding of the drivers of that change and provides guidance in turning changes into sustainable competitive advantage.

The authors lay out a road map for managers that, if followed, will permit them to take advantage of forces beyond their control. The book explains and teaches how senior managers can benefit from flexibility when they confront irresistible forces and provide a set of principles for shaping vision, strategy, tactics, management process and organizational structure. You will be able to identify external factors and obsolete ways of thinking that may be limiting your progress and success.

This is a brilliant and thought-provoking book that discusses the nature of irresistible growth enterprises, that is, those able to routinely employ the momentum of unstoppable external forces, such as technology advances and shifts in markets. Such agile organizations can use these forces as sources of power or energizers for creating and implementing 2 000 percent solutions, namely ones that produce 20 times or more the benefit or speed of the average person.

This isn't a great book for the experienced wire jewelry maker because there isn't much in here that's new. The book doesn't teach a lot of techniques or new style, except towards the end. She uses some unique findings, and makes pretty jewelry, but I was definitely disappointed, especially given the other reviews.

I'm fortunate enough to have quite a large number of books about beading, jewelry making, etc., but there are only just a handful that I return to time & time again for inspiration. I know for certain that Jean Yates' Links will absolutely be one of those chosen few! Her way of easily prodding you into finding inspiration is nothing short of genius. Her designs are just beautiful, and I am grateful that she has shared her talents with us in this fabulous book. This title is an absolute MUST-HAVE in your studio library collection!

This book has something for everyone! The projects are interesting, with a good mix of materials and the techniques are varied and useful. The majority of the pieces have a modern, funky feel with a little vintage thrown into the mix. As a beader, I really liked this book, I found the way different colors and textures were used to be particularly inspiring. I found it well worth the money!

This is a very nice book, but somehow I had expected more from it, given the other reviews. The best part is in helping people to see where inspiration comes from, and to encourage them to find and let loose their own creativity. I did not find the projects to be particularly interesting, except for the chain maille, since that's next on my list to learn. The photos are very clear and I think that they will be helpful. I feel like this would be a great book to have on hand at the bead shop where I work at weekends, because it is so approachable that even those who protest that they have no talent will find something worth trying. So, I'll probably be taking it into work and leaving it there.

I fell in love with Jean before I even knew she made jewelry. Her son attends our school and in reading her daily communication logs eight years ago I grew to love, admire, and respect the mom she is. She has an incredible family and I am a long-time fan of her parenting skills.

Jean donated a byzantine bracelet with screwball clasp to a fundraiser our school was having some years ago. This time, I fell in love with "Jean-the-jewelry-designer". I just had to have this bracelet. After I purchased mine (and showed it off), many of my co-workers did the same. This peaked an interest in what other gems she might be creating. I set up a jewelry show with her at our school. WOW! The response was incredible. Many pieces were sold and I started adding to my own collection. I am now an official "Jean Jewelry Junkie".

I finally purchased Jean's beautifully illustrated and well-organized book. I am not a jewelry designer but am so pleased to have this book in my collection. I am also incredibly honored to be a part of it. Jean, your book has inspired me to make an attempt at jewelry design. This is a first for me. I thank you.

-Nancy