Practice Management Books

I admit to more than a bit of bias since many of the authors are colleagues of mine; however I urge you to look at this book. It's the only one on the market, I believe, with diverse contributors and methodologies. The commonality among the authors is that they are all highly experienced and successful executive coaches, and I doubt that there's a "certified" coach among them. Some of these authors are also contributors to The Executive Coaching Handbook: Principles and Guidelines for a Successful Coaching Partnership, January 2004, third edition. It is written by The Executive Coaching Forum, (TECF) whose charter is to advance the highest standards and best practices of executive coaching with all members of the "coaching partnership" (Executives, Coaches, HR Professionals, and others interested in Executive Coaching). The Handbook is available to read or download at no cost at TECF's website: theexecutivecoachingforum.com

This book really is what books on coaching should be. Solid, theoretically-based and applicable. Beats most of the other executive coaching books hands down. One of the best books on coaching around.

Executive Coaching: Practices & Perspectives, is an excellent and timely text consisting of 16 chapters written by 20 contributors, the editors also being contributors, providing a wide breadth of information and references. It provides a rare opportunity to shadow many experienced coaches from diverse backgrounds and learnings. I applaud the editors for what is a very successful attempt to weave many different "essays" into a coherent book. The writing styles and approaches are different for each of the chapters resulting in many practices and theories, and many modes of learning for the reader. Executive coaching is still a fairly new profession and this book provides a wide variety of perspectives not typically shared among peers.

Although titled Executive Coaching, it indirectly explores the diversity of individual and organizational learning and change with a keen appreciation for the complexities of the human mind. For executive coaching, as in organizational development consulting, one size does not fit all. The diversity of approaches from the respective authors reflects the strength of belief in their own methods when dealing with the complexity and diversity of the human mind; and reveals the many barriers to individual learning and ultimately organizational learning. In many ways the book is about organizational development and organizational learning brought to an individual level.

Most of the contributors have psychology backgrounds; however, the editors have made a good attempt to look at executive coaching from a variety of lenses, with a noticeable influence of Carl Jung and Robert Kegan. As an organizational development consultant and executive coach, I find some bias toward the need for a psychology or psychotherapy background in some of the chapters. Does one need a degree in psychology to have an understanding of a variety of perceptual views through intentional, behavioral, cultural, and social dimensions, for example? I don't believe so.

There are many issues that emerge when we have conversations at personal and sometimes intimate levels. Do we dare go where no non-psychotherapist has gone before? I believe the human psyche is much less fragile than most psychotherapists, and even psychologists, might have us believe. And as organizational change consultants, how much damage have we inflicted because we dared not to tread, or even look, in those heretofore-protected domains?

Where is the line drawn between learning and repair, or between personal growth and cure? The authors have drawn their lines and they are in different places. I do believe, when coaching Executives, it is essential to have a greater depth of knowledge and abilities as an observer and guide.

I believe executive coaching can increase the potential for profound change. Peter Senge, in his book The Dance of Change, describes profound change as "organizational change that combines inner shifts in people's values, aspirations, and behaviors with 'outer' shifts in processes, strategies, practices, and systems ... In profound change there is learning." (p 15) W. Edwards Deming said, "Nothing changes without personal transformation."

Executive coaching allows us to further shift the learning paradigms of our clients. We are beginning to apply to individuals what we have applied to organizations. Coaching appears to be the natural progression to double-loop learning at a personal level, in addition to the organizational level, and further progression to triple-loop learning. Double-loop learning is a concept developed by Chris Argyris and Donald Schon based upon the work of Gregory Bateson. The term "triple loop learning" was used by William N. Isaacs, in Taking Flight: Dialogue, Collective Thinking, and Organizational Learning. "Double-loop learning encourages learning for increasing effectiveness. Triple-loop learning is the learning that opens inquiry into underlying 'why's.' It is the learning that permits insight into the nature of paradigm itself, not merely an assessment of which paradigm is superior." Effective coaching includes the practice of Dialogue at a one-to-one level. This "third" level of learning can be called transformational learning. As such, this book could be about transformational learning.

A noticeably missing piece was a chapter on distinguishing coaching from therapy, and addressing some of the boundaries to be considered and what resources the executive coach should have available in assessing and dealing with those boundaries.

Another missing piece was the role our body plays. Recent studies suggest a more holistic approach is needed in our learning - the integration of language, emotions and the body. I am referring to more than the traditional concept of "body language." Albert Einstein said, "My primary process of perceiving is muscular and visual." Richard Heckler, a psychologist and director of the Rancho-Strozzi Institute, says in his book The Anatomy of Change, "An education that connects us with our body would teach us the difference between what we are experiencing and what we are thinking and fantasizing about." (p 12)

Full awareness goes beyond what we are thinking. The body can reflect what we are thinking and feeling and the body can support what we desire to think and feel. Stuart Heller, mathematician, operations researcher, and psychologist, says in his book Retooling on the Run, "To make a change in any part of you, you have to change all of you." (p 10) "Your results are a function of the way you organize and use yourself. By studying your patterns of reaction, belief, tension, feelings, and posture, you learn how you both hinder and help yourself." (p 17)

I highly recommend this book to anyone involved with coaching and executive development. In addition, it offers many insights to any organizational change consultant wishing to search deeper in the psyche of an organization. Many organizations, and individuals, are struggling to find ways of breaking free of traditional thinking and modes of operation to enhance continuous learning. At a minimum, these insights may help forge better partnerships with clients and help facilitate greater awareness, reflection, and ultimately learning.

The editors, Catherine Fitzgerald and Jennifer Garvey Berger, came up with a high quality, lucid and readable book which is a diverse collection of contributions from an elite group of experienced and knowledgeable executive coaches. I was excited to go through the different perspectives and methodologies which should appeal to a wide readership.

Those wishing to develop their coaching skills will find the book fascinating and enlightening. I believe that this is one of the most important coaching related books on the market.

The book is excellent reading for coaches, executives, human resource professionals, trainers, consultants and others with an interest in executive coaching.

Organizational consultants Catherine Fitzgerald and Jennifer Garvey Berger offer a collection of articles by 16 executive coaches, including themselves. The essays cover executive coaching perspectives, practices and management. This book examines the range of managerial and psychological approaches shaping this emerging field. These expert articles provide a diverse overview, varying in complexity, practicality and therapeutic philosophies. The hazard of anthologies is the mix of voices, so there is some blurring between what is coaching and what is therapy, and some drift about exactly who is being spoken to, the coach, the manager or the executive. The book seems to focus primarily on the analytical, psychological and tactical tasks of coaches. However, we from getAbstract suggest that if you are hiring a coach for yourself or your organization, you may find this very practical in understanding what coaches do and in being sure you select a good one.

The title of this book says it all, "Finding the Deep River Within." Author Abby Seixas accompanies the reader on an adventure inward, providing practical tools for navigating the journey, while holding space for the mysteries that unfold. Abby's heart and soul and passion to support women in reclaiming balance and meaning comes through powerfully in this beautifully written book.
Corrie Woods, author of The Woman's Field Guide to Exceptional LivingThe Woman's Field Guide to Exceptional Living: Practical Steps for Living a Big, Bold, Beautiful Life!

Abby's book is so well written and full of wisdom, yet never preachy. I give it 5 stars!!
This is a book I'll continue to refer back to for encouragement and sustenance as I look for support in living soulfully. I had the benefit of sharing it in a group setting and found it helpful to digest the different suggestions over weeks. May I suggest getting your book club to spend some time with this gem, or gather your sister or auntie, or dearest friend to companion you on "Finding the Deep River Within".

After reading Abby's book, "lowering" is now "taming" expectations which makes such a difference in how I view the situation at hand. I find myself correcting my thought and saying aloud to friends who say they're "lowering" expectations (especially those of us who are new parents). I'm able to relax the perfectionist voice in my head that takes over every once in a while and even get a laugh out of the situation of chaos at my feet : ) This is just one example of many reasons I recommend and appreciate Abby's book!

FINDING THE DEEP RIVER WITHIN has been a powerful resource both for me personally and for clients in my psychotherapy practice. Over the last several years, I have gained much insight and support from the work of Pema Chodron. So, it was a delight to discover this very practical psycho-spiritual guide for women, with a similarity to Chodron's teachings. The author has a down-to-earth, gentle approach to self-awareness, self-care and learning to take life as it comes. Abby Seixas' work is an invaluable guide to living life with more aliveness, richness and depth. I highly recommend this book!

As the newness of 2008 wears off, many of us have returned to our old ways. Our to-do lists tyrannize our days, and it seems twenty-four hours simply aren't enough to `get it all done'. Enter Abby Seixas, a smart thinker who's devised a plan to help us women stay on track without falling into the trap of too-much-doingness. Finding the Deep River Within: A Woman's guide to Recover Balance and Meaning in Everyday Life, fulfills on its promise. In six simple steps, freedom from the tyranny of our busy lives is ours. Ms. Seixas advises us to take time in, create boundaries, befriend feelings versus the rejection we often bring to negative emotions; reduce high expectations of ourselves; practice being in the moment; and, my favorite, doing something you love.

How much time do we spend each day doing the things we think we have to do? What compels us to complete these despised rituals? There's safety in misery, if it's familiar. Ms. Seixas allows us to break free of the chains that have bound us. Through gentle, guided exercises and a victory log to record our triumphs, this book offers a wholesome perspective on the insanity to which we subject ourselves. Finding the Deep River Within is a quiet place of the soul. It's nice to know there's someone who's found it for herself and wishes to share that joy we all carry within.

Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of Diary of a Mother: Parenting Stories and Other Stuff and Sahm I Am: Tales of a Stay-at-Home Mom in Europe, lives near Munich, Germany, withh her husband and two children.

I am a major fan of the hardcover edition of this book and plan to order paperbacks as gifts for my friends. Author, Abby Seixas, tackles the subject crucial to all of us living in this culture of rush: how to slow down and live more effectively, enjoyably, and unselfishly. She provides practical tools on how to quiet your racing thoughts, live in the moment, and realize the life you were meant to live. Too often, we are slaves to unnecessary stress which limits the lives we were meant to lead. This book will help you not only to stop and smell the roses but to feed and nurture the whole garden that is your life. The price and the time you will spend on this book will be returned to you 10 times over in the rewards you will reap in your daily life.

I previously used earlier edition of the book. Not much of a difference. Orthopedics have their own way of dealing with fractures. This book is entirely intended for primary care providers. An excellent reference I can keep in my office. I think Essentials of MS offers more compare to this book. It features an easy to read box of what one ought to do. Highly recommended.

A great resource book to have on fractures. I am using it frequently in practice

I am an Internist who bought this prior to deployment to a Level 2 BAS in Iraq. This was very helpful not only in terms of diagnosis, but management. It lets you know just when to refer, so you are not taking up medical evac resources, or placing soldiers on the road unnecessarily. I highly recommend this book as part of your packing list if you are a non-ortho battalion surgeon.

This is an excellent reference to rapidly give you the plan of treatment for any fracture in a table form as well as a longer written discussion. It states when orto MD must be seen and when. Perfect as a ready reference!

Great photos of fractures plus this manual gives a description of how to treat - what the best type of casts or splints would be and what they look like as well. Excellent resource!

"The Great American Jobs Scam" is an aptly titled book. Greg LeRoy explains in detail how corporations get tax breaks and related fiscal incentives to relocate or build in predominantly suburban or rural areas. One major ill-effect of that process is lower funding for infrastructure and schools.
Sprawl is another adverse side effect.

Mr. LeRoy descibes the competition between states and cities for businesses.

He detailed how Sykes scammed states and cities to get subsidies for call centers that they would close after short periods of time while outsourcing call center work overseas. They took the money and ran.

The author also offers insight on:
+ A critical, but helpful analysis of Single Sales Factor(SSF). How it works and what the major flaws are with it.

+ One of the lures of exporting jobs and income to foreign nations- businesses pay little or no income tax to state or federal governments. Corporations also hide income made in specific states through loopholes.

+ Explains the concepts of "Nowhere Income" and the "Delaware Holding Company Loophole".

+ The "demalling" of America as big box retailers reap the rewards of large incentives. The author poses this question on that issue. "Why are we paying to kill downtowns and shutter malls and susidize companies through the back door for their poverty wages?"
"When we say no to WalMart Supercenters, we protect our Main Street merchants and the community life they foster. We also protect the jobs, wages, and health care of grocery store workers."

In addition to detailing many of the scams that corporations use Mr. LeRoy describes how the tax burden falls on the middle class and poor, while schools in poor areas also suffer as a consequence of the giveaways.

The author suggests some sensible reforms, some of which are already in use and proven. One being public disclosure of the details of incentives.

To read in-depth about an angle of corporate greed and how governmental officials fall prey to it this is the book to read! Documented and written very well.

Starting in the 1980's with the election of Ronald Reagan, the balance between government and big business has slowly shifted back into the hands of the latter. This book examines two manifestation of this shift in power. First is the manipulation of tax codes at the behest of corporations in order to maximize corporate revenue, but which has the unintended affect of reducing taxpayer revenue. Second is the use of government subsidies to corporations. All of this is done under the guise of job creation, but it often ends up being a shuffling of jobs from one locale to another. The author of this book is a career grassroots leader who travels around educating labor groups, governments and NGO's on how to watch out for corporate lies and half-truths.

The book does a great job of examining the legal framework through which these schemes are done; things like free trade zones, tax rebates, tax credits, single-sales factor taxes, and a host of acronymns that only a lawyer could love. The book also cites numerous case studies from multiple states that show how giveaways to corporations often do not lead to job creation, or if they do, they create jobs at the lower end of the wage range. Guilty companies include Walmart, Costco and other big-box retailers; Home Depot, Sears and other specialty stores; Boeing, Motorola and other manufacturers. The author also cites numerous studies to prove his point, including many other books.

I think this is a great book, and should be read by all legislators and voters in America.

I find this fascinating book, an expose on communities providing incentives to attract business, absolutely 100% correct, and also absolutely 100% immaterial.

Mr. LeRoy writes with a great deal of rage about communities giving tax breaks to businesses. Yup! Suppose I want to build a factory to supply something to Los Angeles and San Francisco. I could locate the factory in either of these cities, or I could put it in some smaller town inbetween, or perhaps even in Nevada or Arizona and balance the shipping costs vs. manufacturing cost (which includes the cost of the factory, the land it is on, the prevailing wage rates, the local tax structure, and everything else). If the factory is going to cost me $100 million and Nevada lets say will give me $300 million to move there, do I really have a choice? Should I not ask what incentives they will give me?

He seems angry at companies for playing off businesses. Businesses owe their stockholders to cut the best deal they can. During the presidential debates, the candidates all talked about bringing jobs back to the mid-west, especially Ohio. They never mentioned the cost. I guess it was supposed to happen like magic.

He's also right about the sports stadium. The Dallas Cowboys wanted a bigger, better stadium. Irving (where the stadium is located now) and Dallas, said no. Arlington said yes. There were protests. A bond issue was passed by the voters. My brother who lives in Irving is very happy, the game day traffic which totally plugged up the freeways will be moving to Arlington. The people in Arlington don't need to go anywhere on game days anyway.

Yes, Mr. LeRoy, this is the way it is. Thanks for letting us know. Don't let the rage get to you so badly that you have a heart attack. It works the same the world over, China will incent you to build a factory, so will England, Russia, or Arlington, Texas.

At one time or another, we have all been enticed by the prospect of a major retailer, manufacturer or financial services company building a new facility or relocating to our community. As the story goes lots of new jobs will be created and the tax base will be greatly expanded. But rarely are we given all of the facts. As concerned citizens and taxpayers we are at a huge disadvantage. What we are up against in a complex network of corporations, regulators, public officials and consultants. These people know precisely how the game is played and have perfected the routine over the past 50 or more years. The end game is to extract as many concessions from a community as possible. These folks know how to pit one community against another and how to carefully cover their tracks. They are extremely adept at keeping the general public in the dark about what is really happening. It is the ultimate shell game. But author Greg Leroy in on to them. He is been monitoring these issues for more than two decades now. He knows who the players are and where the bodies are buried.
"The Great American Jobs Scam" shines the light on just what has been going on and explains why huge taxpayer subsidies in the name of "job creation" rarely make sense. Essentially, our public officials have given away the store and the rest of us have precious little to show for it. Greg LeRoy cites example after example of these programs and giveaways. He explains what terms like SSF and TIF mean. He illustrates why subsidizing so called "big box" retailers like Wal-Mart, Target and Home Depot is very poor public policy. He explains how these and other major corporations are successfully evading taxes. And he points out that poor and middle class taxpayers are forced to make up the difference. This is an increasingly intolerable situation that needs to be addressed immediately.
"The Great American Jobs Scam" is an extremely thoughtful and well-documented book. We can simply no longer afford to pursue such innane and unsound policies. I will be donating my copy to the local public library in the hopes that many more will read it and begin to spread the word. Highly recommended!

LeRoy reports that job scams cost governments about $50 billion per year in lost revenues. The most common scams include:

1)Create a bogus competitor (another town or state) vs. wherever the company wanted to locate in the first place.

The intent is to create a "bidding war" over the freebies offered.

2)Job "blackmail" in which a company threatens to move (or locate elsewhere) unless it gets the subsidies/tax relief it wants.

Easily enhanced by overestimating the job increase - LeRoy cited examples from Connecticut in which only 9% of forecasted jobs materialized, leading to a cost of $367,910 per new job. Exaggerations are typically followed up by failure to track or publish actual results.

3)Entice a firm that pays "poverty" wages, and stick the taxpayers with hidden costs (eg. employee and family healthcare).

Wal-Mart is the most notable example.

4)Exaggerate "ripple effect" benefits - eg. the number of supplier jobs, and those created by employee spending.

(LeRoy cited an example where one city used a low multiplier to downplay jobs lost when a company left, and a high multiplier to play up the potential gain from another moving in.)

5)"Bust the union" in which the company uses Federal funding (eg.

CDBG grants from HUD) to move, and thereby break an existing union.

Obviously any and all these machinations can be combined.

Mayor Giuliani was cited as a prolific scam-"victim" - giving up $350 million in tax revenues between '94 - '01.

Small wonder N.Y. also ended up with a large deficit.

LeRoy points out that "nobody wants to be the mayor/governor who lost ______," and that fear impels leaders and legislatures to succomb.

In reality, however, taxes make up only 4-5% of location costs according to a consultant cited, and only 1.2% of total costs according to the IRS.

Similarly, convention centers are oversold (overall convention business is DECLINING - thus, new centers being built are extremely unlikely to be financially successful), and sports stadiums.

Meanwhile, LeRoy points out that a recent survey of civil engineers found that America's infrastructure needs greater funding. (My life as a truck-driver provides daily evidence of the substantial repairs and enhancements needed for our Interstates.)

The "bad news" with this book, like many others, is that to justify book printing, it ended up considerably longer than necessary - at least 2X, and probably 3X.

Easy reading, great suggestions, and it was exactly what I'd been looking for.

I was not looking for this particular book when I went into my favorite bookstore/coffeshop. But, there it was! How could I resist the title? Inner Peace for Busy Women--this book HAD to be written just for me, I thought!

It is not often that I find it necessary to comment on the actual physical components of a book when I sit down to review it. This time, however, I feel I must share my delightful discoveries. First of all, I am naturally drawn to "little books" as I call them. You know the type. They are slim little volumes that carry messages far deeper than their sleek size could possibly seem to hold. This is one such book. The 179 pages speak not only to me but to many women I know. Now it is my mission to introduce them to this book so that they can have the same delightful experience I had.

Paying for my coffee and newfound book, I settled into a quiet little corner of the shop. The quality of the paper is exquisite. Smooth pages of a soft, subtle white color are inviting. But it was hard to ignore the striking difference from most books, even those "little books" I so enjoy. The delicate shade of green ink is a relaxing and welcoming change from the stark black print we have become accustomed to in most of our reading. I am fairly certain it is no accident that this was the chosen print color. It beckons the reader into a cool, peaceful and calm domain. While inside those pages, I felt as though I had stepped into another world where someone understood what I felt, what I feared, what I needed to hear, and what I already knew. The book and its author made me feel as though I was in the company of good friends once I opened these pages.

Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., is the bestselling author of this work as well as many other publications. She is a well-known expert on stress, spirituality, and the mind-body connection. She has ten other publications to her credit and is a nationwide speaker on women's health and spirituality and integrative medicine. She also hosts a website where visitors can browse, sign up for a free newsletter, and get the latest information on seminars, speaking engagements, books etc.

The moment I turned the page to the book's preface, "I Am Woman Telling the Truth", I was hooked. As I read on, I found myself thinking that in some ways, reading this book felt as good as sharing a cup of tea with a dear friend.


"If there's one thing I know for sure, it's that a busy life is hard. In spite of our best efforts to have successful careers, raise happy families, enjoy a rich spiritual life, and make a difference in the world, many busy women carry an unspoken burden of grief inside themselves,"

writes Borysenko.

I couldn't get enough of this book. Nor could I read it fast enough. Yet, at the same time, I knew that the first read was only to whet my appetite for more. I sipped my coffee and read the volume from cover to cover, then headed home to wait for a bit of peace and quiet to REALLY read the book a second time. Its message was just too rich and too personal to be read once and put aside.

"Women's wisdom has traditionally been passed down through story. In sharing these stories of our lives with one another, we leave road maps that detail treasures and traps, paving the way for the generation that follows."

Has Ms. Borysenko been to Story Circle Network? It would seem so from those powerful and true words! Her philosophy is so in sync with that of our own organization that I couldn't help but notice how closely her words mirrored our beliefs about our writings.

This little volume with its five parts contains essays of three types: (1) woman-to-woman stories, (2) essays dealing with research, and (3) spiritual principles on aspects of inner life. With an invitation to join the author, readers are offered a chance to "discover some ways to finally find some balance, wholeness, and peace in our lives."

Looking for some uplifting and encouraging words about stress, guilt, or the busy-ness of life? They're here in this little book. Part of the sandwich generation? Read "Taking Care While Caretaking." Struggling to "Come Back Home to Yourself" (the title of part III)? Spend a little time pondering "Mindfulness: The Lights Are On, and Somebody's Home."

I am fairly certain that once you begin this little treasure, you will find it difficult to put down. When you come to the end, you will feel blessed, renewed, and perhaps a bit sad that the time spent with this new good friend has drawn to a close.

In her afterword titled "Sisters on a Journey", Borysenko bids her readers farewell with these words: "I wish that we could sit together and talk about our busy lives over a cup of tea." (I KNEW IT !! I knew that was what this reading experience felt like!!) "...Looking deeply into each other's eyes, we'd realize that we've held the wisdom in our hands all along. What is there to search for? The answers are already ours... As women have from the beginning of time, we would recognize oursleves in our respective stories." (Are we SURE Ms. Borysenko isn't part of Story Circle Network?!) "...Even though we haven't had the chance to sip tea together, pehaps you will do just that with a friend or a group of friends and talk about your lives..."

This book resonated with me in a way no book has done in a long, long time. I intend to share copies of it with several dear friends and family members. Its message is profound, timely, and deeply personal.

by Lee Ambrose
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

I was looking for trustworthy and very useful advice for my too busy daughter as she tries to balance her work, her family, and her own inner or soul needs. I knew that the author is well respected, and so I chose this book in the hope of offering her a gift that would ultimately bring her more inner peace. I'll have to let you know how it has worked, but I was particularly grateful for the format...an audio tape, which she could listen to in her car on long commutes to work. Thank you for having this available.

Listening to this audiobook in my car driving kids to and from lessons and on my i-pod commuting to and from work was as comforting as a one-hour full body massage. Although much of what she discusses would be familiar to anyone who has dabbled in New Age, the way that Dr. Borysenko frames this information specifically in terms of the anguishes and rewards of a working woman's life made it uniquely digestible and gave me much food for thought.

Inner Peace For Busy Women By Dr. Joan Z. Borysenko is a very nice surprise in that it is not a lot of advice about how to meditate, although this is one of her prime suggestions as a daily practice for gaining inner peace, but this 2 - CD set is her private sharing of the demons she has faced throughout her career as first a medical student/mother/poor housewife and through the years through divorce, single parenting, and balancing a demanding career as a doctor. The pain she experienced and the wisdom she gained she shares openly and especially deals with the persistent guilt of the working mother who is told by society that she can have it all, but in reality she is living a juggling act that kills relationships and individuals. She and her children succeeded through it all and have a loving adult relationship, although her marriage did not. She gives sage advice and encouragement to any woman walking this tight rope. EXCELLENT!

excellent product, to get me started. I appreciate having it as a permanent fixture in my arsenal of references.

I received this book 2 day shipping as requested. I have had it for about a month now. It is easy to ready and goes well with the Kaplan course. Most importantly I am sure I will get a lot of use out of it as a reference. Great book!!

I received this product in a timely manner and in excellant condition. I have been very pleased with the sevice from Amazon and vendors.

this is a great essentials book for anyone interested in legal nurse consulting. i have read through some of it and will surely be using it even more as i am launching my new business. i got a used copy and it came to me in great shape!

This book is a great at home teaching tool on how to become knowledgeable in the field of LNC and how to start your business.

"Been there, done that, and here's the proof". Not merely anecdotal information, this book leaves you wishing that Scott Berkun worked down the hall from you. Straight to the point, he defines what works, what doesn't, and why. He lays out the real world examples that create the framework to support his teaching. For a book on project management, this is an easy read. Better yet, the information is easily applied to your current project.

This gives some great insight, not only on how to do project management well but on how to manage people in general. I wish more of the managers I have worked with over the years had had this available.

If you are not a manager, but work in IT this is still worth your time. It gives a great look into just what project managers are dealing with, and how you can best help them succeed.

The concepts and advice are all things that I would want every team member to know well, with any team I was on. And it is all born out of hard work and excellent experience. This isn't a bunch of purely idealistic advice - it is grounded in reality.

I've read first edition of this book and Scott's other book - Myths of Innovation. Was very happy about both of them.

So when time came to recommend good book for my manager I had no doubt. After that he was screaming everywhere how this book is :)

[...]

In these last days of vacations, I've managed to finish reading this really cool book on project management. Even though I'm not a project manager, this was one of those books I've heard lots of good things about and I can tell you now (after finishing reading it) that I wasn't disappointed with it.

Besides being fun and easy reading, you'll find lots of great tips on this book. For instance, I'll be using some of the ideas presented on the Skills and Management parts on my work from now on. If you ask me, I'd say that the last chapter (Powers and Politics) is more than enough for justifying the book's price!

Overall, I'm giving it 9/10 and I'm putting it on my special reference shelf, where I've already got Peopleware (ok, I've just noticed that I haven't publish a review on this book on my blog. I'll do it on the next days), The mythical man-month, etc. So, if you haven't read this book and you're on the development business, do yourself a favor and pick a copy and then read it from cover to cover! You should to be a better professional after reading it!

Scott does a great job again in the new edition of this book of providing well-organized, practically useful guidance on how to work on and run a project. Even if you're not actually in charge of a project, I'd recommend this as a book to help you understand what should be getting done on it. The three biggest areas he focuses on are how to ensure a project has proper focus and clear priorities, how to run meetings and do feature-level design, and how to handle a project as it moves from start to finish.

The key to proper focus and clear priorities is the tie between the mission, goals, features, and tasks in a project. Scott provides a great framework for tying them together, ensuring they're created, and ensuring the team understands them.

The advice on running meetings and doing feature-level design is the only area that might not work as well for those outside of Microsoft. While I highly identify with it, and think that he's clearly stated the best practices for our environment, your mileage may vary.

Finally, he does a great job of talking about the difference between the start, middle, and end-game. Many people try to use a single process throughout and either overburden the start of the project or allow the end-game to spin wildly out of control. Scott's very clear about how to apply the right level of touch and raise the process bar at safe but necessary increments as a project goes on.

For this new addition, he addressed all of the negatives of the original - honestly, it's so good that if you have the first I recommend buying the second! I particularly enjoy the exercises, especially the reflective ones, as they help to cement all of the lessons I should've learned when I read the first version...

You don't have to be a gardener to appreciate all the similarities between getting back to nature in your own back yard, and finding inner peace. Eva not only gives you many fresh ideas to cultivate your own garden sactuary but she dually shows you the steps you need to truly enjoy the sanctuary you have built. This book makes you realize how much nature can soothe and revitalize our tired souls. With all the books on the market that promise self help and inner peace, I have never seen one put these ideas to such practical use. Eva gets her message across with humor and knowledeable advice you'd oly get from a good friend. Do yourself a favor and read this book from cover to cover.

Eva's done it again. Imparting her down-to-earth good sense, she talks with her reader - never at them - as only a friend could. A perfect book for these turbulent and unsettling times, Eva reminds us what is good in life. And, she encourages us to take the time to enjoy it, too. A must-have read for all gardeners - or those who want to garden.

To borrow from a popular credit card commercial: Shovel It : Nature's Health Plan, $16; gardening gloves, $5; a pack of seeds, $2; Eva's words of inspiration, a mitt full of soil and endless hours of soul-soothing enjoyment - priceless.

Eva Shaw's Shovel It: Nature's Health Plan is loaded with good ideas for gardeners and would-be gardeners. It inspired me to start a garden journal(one of her many suggestions), and caused me to come up with some new and exciting plans for my garden this spring. Eva helped me remember that a garden is a tremendous source of pleasure even when it is a lot of work!

Eva Shaw has created a wonderful way of living through gardening in her book, Shovel It: Nature's Health Plan. But, more importantly, this is a book for everyone to read - even if gardening is the furthest thing from your mind. Eva Shaw keeps her book uplifting with a wonderful sense of humor and beautiful quotes. This is definitely a book you will want to share with everyone.

Reading Eva Shaw's book was like sitting out in the garden having a heart to heart chat with a best friend. Shovel It came about b/c the author was curious as to why gardeners appear happier and healthier. She's done her homework and now even reports in the AMA state that gardening could improve your life, maybe even save it per Dr. Shaw and her research.
The subject matter is wonderful, chock full of ideas and suggestions at growing a garden that is perfect JUST FOR YOU.I loved the "gardening personality" test and so will you. But what I especially loved is Eva Shaw's no nonsense, down home friendly way of writing.I just love this book...it is upbeat, positive and downright funny at times. But it also hits on the truths of the ups and downs we ALL experience in life and how the simple act of gardening can and will restore us. I've already given my sister a copy and I want to order 10 more for gifts. If you're a gardener already, you will defiitely smile and relate to these pages. If you're not, read it because I bet you'll be a gardener before you're done. Thank you Eva Shaw!

Best business humor book I've read. You want to know about the mix of personalities inside that big sky-scraper down the street? Then read this book. Odds are, you already know some of these people.

There should be more books like this! A funny look at the corporate world from someone who actually worked for a corporation. Could not put it down. My highest recommendation.

I've been searching for a real world story about the corporate world and this is it! Chuck Noranel has a great ability to inform and educate in a very entertaining way. Great story about how executives build their careers. Unbelievably funny.

A real page turner. Don't read if your ribs hurt, cause you'll be laughing a lot. You'll also get a real inside view of how a big company works. Entertaining and informative.

This is truly an entertaining book, with some mouth dropping information about a major credit card issuer(s) in Delaware. If you're an insider to the company who you think the writer is talking about, the fictional character names, are only some true behaviors of the real deals. Can't put the book down, once you start reading it. Excellent wit in the writing of this. Wish I knew who the 'real' Chuck Noranel is......

The book arrived in a timely manner and its condition was better than described. Great price too! Thanks

"Keeping Found Things Found", is a must buy, an essential tool, as we all struggle to keep on top of, rather than be buried by, information. The book's premise is excellent, explaining as it does how to organize web information into our lives in ways that help rather than just adding to the clutter.

In today's frenetic pace, when we are swamped with information, this book gave me highly valuable suggestions. But, as importantly, it also gave me some very useful questions to ask. It seems as though every day I run across new Web initiatives or gadgets or software tools. Which are worth my time and trouble (and money)? The book gives a checklist of questions to consider.

"Keeping Found Things Found" is thorough and extremely readable.

This book is a great introduction and a consummate summary of the field of personal information management. Its comprehensive nature makes it useful for people familiar with the field, while at the same time it's a great primer for someone new to this area.

When the author of this book invited me, based on some of my web illustrations, to create some illustrations for this book I was interested in the project because it spoke directly to my own experience. I teach design for instructional media in a university setting and struggle every day, not only with my own deluge of personal information and how to manage it -- but with helping my students recognize that the end result of their own design efforts will be contributing to the personal information overload faced by their clients and their students. This book maps out the dimensions of our current personal information problems, and should be a required read for everyone who is engaged in adding to those problems, trying to solve them, or studying them in any detail. In particular, students of Information Technology, Information Design, Informatics, Instructional Systems, Human Performance and any other discipline with ties to personal information management -- and Jones makes clear how many of us that really is! -- needs to view the complexity of users' lives in this kind of comprehensive detail. Too many of us only think about what we are asking people to use or to do or to remember. This view of their lives may be daunting, but it is critical!

I'm a college dropout(Information Studies), now working in IT as a Systems Admin at a fair sized hotel. When I left college to pursue other at that time more interesting things. I couldn't really see the big picture in why we had to learn what they wanted us to.
Now I do, thanks to this book.

I keep feeling inspired about the management of my information. Both as PIM in my own department, but mostly also for my users. I can suddenly see some meaning in the way they manage their PIM. I as the IT department have to facilitate their professional PIM. I have to give them the tools to make sure they don't lose stuff, but also so they don't drown in information. Suddenly I have a much more nuanced view of my job. Being the geek who loves his tech stuff, can do everything to keep servers and computer running, is not really enough. I have to know my place in the business of managing information and information flow in the company.

This book could teach many programmers, much on how they can make their products more usable to the users. Make them understand some of how people look at the information being processed, stored, shared, pushed by the programs they write. We have to facilitate more styles of PIM than just our own, not everyone works like we do.

I have to stop myself, I just love this book and the ideas it keeps inspiring to pop up in my head.
There is so much for so many people in this book..