Services Books

Very good, very concise, especially with radiology. Get it - I think it is out of print but you can find it used. Good luck studying!

I found this book to be pretty good review for Part III. It helped with summarizing all the stuff I learned in chiropractic school. It gave good reviews of the clinical impression or diagnosis, physical examination, neuro examination, etc. I also used the following which was just awesome for showing me the type of questions to be prepared for on the Part III and Part IV chiropractic Boards:
National Board of Chiropractic Part III Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations by Patrick Leonardi
National Board of Chiropractic Part IV Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers (Volume 1) and (Volume 2) by Patrick Leonardi.
In fact, Dr. Patrick Leonardi's and Dr. Jeannette Gibson's study guides helped me to pass the boards. I advise getting these four study guides. It's better than taking these boards over again.

I agree that this book is a great asset, and would recommend it to anyone in Chiropractic school, having previously stipulated that it will not prepare you for part IV. The book does indeed review Part III is great detail, but the part four review - with the exception some medical stuff, abdominal exam, thorax, etc. and some others, does not fully prepare you for Part IV. I found the last section on technique extremely lacking, there were no pictures, and very little on the method with which National Boards test you on (vertebral malposition listings [national listings]) since most of us were taught Gonstead (at least at Life West).

In conclusion, I recommend the Irene Gold review seminars. They may help more than this book will. It is a great book, but let's be real here, with the expense of Part IV National Boards ($850), it is cheaper not to buy this book and go to a review and get a passing grade, than to save in the beginning and fail the exam. That's the opinion of someone who used this book and studied in detail and failed the first time around.

4 Stars!

Buy it, study it, and then take some time to relax while the rest of your class tries to learn that which you've mastered. This text allows you to optimize your time studying. No more wasted hours organizing; it is already done for you. Great book. Worth much more than the price tag. I can't endorse it enough. I gave it to my son, a chiropractor for Christmas, and it proves as useful in practice as it is in school. Much thanks to the authors for writing this book. Well done.

At first I thought this was too much information, then I realized it was everything I needed to know for my clinical studies as well as my academic studies. It is hard to understand how this book was written by doctors. I think professional editors would have a hard time negotiating this level of complexity. You both made it look simple and easy to follow. The amount of organization it contains is awesome. I am finishing up school now, and I only have one complaint about this text. It should've been handed out to the students on the first day of class with a schedule of which sections to learn for each year of study. It should be a required text for everyone. My life, my family, and my peers all would have benefitted from the decreased stress associated with a properly organized course plan. I probable could have saved thousands on coffee and actually slept instead of cramming this information for hours on end. This is an entire education between two covers. Thank you, thank you, thank you. My younger brother starts school in September and he is studying this book already! His life will be so much simpler because of it. I not only studied this material for boards, but due to the ease of which it is laid out I actually had time to learn it. You should write a business text next!

This is a charming book on aromatherapy, written in a conversational style. You can imagine sitting with a friend in a tea-shop where she is telling you how this or that essential oil helped so and so with such and such a problem. This makes book very easy to read and the stories make it easy to remember what essential oil may be helpful for treating particular issue. While the focus of the book is on essential oils which are helpful for issues related to women such as pms, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, it covers many issue related to both sexes, such as weight loss, skin care, hair care, sexually transmitted diseases and general ailments like headache, stomachache, infections, etc.

At the end of the book there are about 16 pages with recipes related to issues mentioned previously in the book. This is a rather small book, perhaps more geared toward newcomers to aromatherapy, though the anecdotal stories make it for an informative and fun reading for anyone.

I picked this book up after leafing through it at a salon that I go to. I literally refer to it at least once a week. I have found the instructions to be very easy and the remedies to be quite effective. It's really one of my favorite books.

This book is great! Not only does she provide and excellent source of information for beginners, but she also conveys her passion for aromatherapy through her writings,and her total faith in the use of essential oils for healing the body, and the soul. Deals alot with issues for women and children. She also provides a long list of companies that sell quality oils,and even schools in the U.S. and U.K. where you can receive education in the field. Overall her passion for the oils and knowledge of their uses can give alot of confidence to the beginner. I do have one caution though,because she lives in the U.K., some of the words she uses for different maladies are different from the ones used in the U.S. So if you don't know what it is she's talking about, make sure you ask or look it up.

This book should be a staple to any aromatherapy library. I always refer to this book first whenever there is problem. I also give this book to my sisters and friends when they get pregnant. It is a great starter reference that helps from early pregnancy through high school and beyond. I started using this book when I was single, and I have actually used some of the various blends on my pets. Basically, if you are a woman, know a woman, know children, know animals, or are even a cloistered monk, this book is a great start.

This was one of my very first aromatherapy books, because it is relatively inexpensive, and likewise relatively small and non-threatening. It has more the feel of a friendly guide than some obscure textbook. I still use it on a very regular basis, even though I've also added a number of more advanced books to my repertoire.

It is, on the whole, indeed very useful for women (and can be for men as well, of course!) It covers a wide range of women's-interest subjects, from home and body care, to pregnancy and infants ailments. The information for men is not as prevalent (as indicated in the title, of course) but many things that apply to women apply to men as well.

Most of the information is very thorough, but it can sometimes be hard to get to the 'meat' of what you are looking for. It is written in a very 'friendly', anecdotal style, which although easier reading than more 'technical' books, can make it difficult to find the key things you are looking for. The recommended essential oils are always in bold text, however, so that does at least partially negate this problem.

Another issue I had with it was the fact that some of the subjects she speaks about, there is NO essential oil information at all. This would not trouble me nearly as much, except for the fact that part of the title of the book is 'Guide to Essential Oils'. It is still good information, but if there is no essential oil information, I don't feel it belongs in an essential oil guide.

Despite these problems, however, I would definitely recommend it for any aromatherapy/essential oil library.

I found this book to be incredibly helpful in understanding ADHD and how art therapy can be especially effective in treating this disorder. I recommend it very highly, especially if you or someone you know has an ADHD child in their family.

I found this book to be incredibly helpful in understanding what my child was going through -- it really helped me better communicate with my child and we are now working through her issues together. It also helped me better understand and work with her therapist. All in all, I found this book to be extremely helpful and recommend it very highly, especially if you or someone you know has an ADHD child.

This book should fall into the hands of professionals and families whose lives have been affected by contact with this illness.

The methodology of art therapy is an insight not only to expose repressed feelings as well as helping to define the perspectives of those with antisocial behavior patterns.

The clarity of this easily read book and the dedication of the author's efforts should give impetus to new hope for those who have struggled with this neurological problem.

This reviewer's first hand encounters with the symptoms of ADand HD,hyperactivity, distractibility and impulsivity which evoked only a loving empathy found the contents of the book a hope-filled horizon.

By teaching and giving vent through physical expression in art forms many more senses are engaged leading to awakenings, the author encourages, thereby moving all concerned to more pragmatic and redeeming stages of self regard and social responsibility.

Ms. Safran's studies and conclusions may well repave many paths filled with frustrations and heartbreak for families while providing a seemingly simple method to self discovery for the
ADandHD affected.....at any age.

This is a very good resource for therapists working with children with AD/HD, families with AD/HD and adults with AD/HD. Written in a down to earth style the book briefly reviews the history of AD/HD,tells how to assess children,families and adults and suggests appropriate assessment tools to use. Though the book is not geared to individual work, it coaches the reader in how to set up groups for children, families and adults. In addition, the book includes an excellent resource appendix for the therapist and parent education.

In this book, Diane Safran clearly demonstrates her knowledge and skill as a highly qualified art therapist. More importantly, in this work she brilliantly demonstrates the efficacy of this discipline in diagnosing and treating this disorder.
What is most impressive is her sensitivity to and the awareness of the pervasive impact this disorder has on the whole family. Regardless of whether the patient is a child or an adult, once the diagnosis is made, Safran and her team are prepared to address individual, family and environmental issues impacting on future progress of the patient.
The text is well written, the format easy to follow and the case studies and illustrations excellent.
As a pioneer in the field of art therapy education, I recommend this book not only to those teachers and mental health professionals working with ADHD populations, but to students in all fields of mental health who need to be informed about the value of this discipline as an adjunct to their practice and as a significant modality that may be a treatment of choice.

A very good introduction into astrology, mixed in with alot of humor. This is great for a begginner and just as informative for thoose who have dabbled awhile. Enjoyable to read, as she gently walks you through each understanding, having you laughing all the way.

This book is a nice little addition to my personal library collection.
I found it to be very amusing to read and it taught me some new things as well. You won't regret reading this book.

Astrology for the Light Side of the brain is a great read. Rarely is a book both informative AND fun -- this book is just that. Kim Rogers-Gallagher's writing is colorful and vibrant, and I couldn't put the book down.

i find some of the astrology books which try to take on a playful and funny tone can be dumb, and fall short of the mark in terms of content. not so with Kim Rogers Gallagher! she is the master of "light-hearted" astrology.. this book is informative and very insightful!

there is a part of AFTLSOTB which pops into my head all of the time. Pets.... and where they belong. As both and astrology and pet lover myself,I would like to weigh in on this issue. Intuitively, I'd say the 5th, where loves, children, creativity, and play goes. Pets in my family are like little friends/ family, and my dog definitely sparks my creativity. Also, the after work walk is what breaks up my day -- right in between work (6th house) and home (4th house): the 5th house.
I think the single down-side with pets is that their lives are too short, so we can only have them for a limited number of years. This would also be the down-side of our other 5th house experiences -- childhood, love affairs, play time.

anyway, if you are looking for a fun and funny beginner's astrology book, this one is tops. i also like the sequal, which deals with transits.

This is the best book I have ever read about astrology. It is so interesting I couldn't put it down until I was finished with it. She puts astrology into a language that everyone can relate with and therefore it's fun and easy to understand.

"This is a story of what one man did to Bring people to Christ-- a man whose efforts were directly responsible for the conversion of perhaps not less than 500,000 souls, heard by millions." this in a time before electronics ,TV, etc. Charles G. Finney an autobiography is the story of the the Second Great Awakening 1825-1845. A (USA)spiritual revival with the first Great Awakening 1740-1750. AS George Whitefield was the primary traveling Evangelist in the First Awakening (though many people were and must be involved for revivals of this magnitude) Finney was the D.L. Moody, the Billy Sunday, The Billy Graham of his day. The Holy Spirit used him to have a major impact in turning our nation back to God and His paths. This book will encourage you to pray, share the gospel and to practice yielding to the Spirit and the Word of God. It is an American book of acts of the Holy Spirit through a yielded man in his own time. This is a great look at our spiritual heritage. Evangelist John R. Rice is said to read this book once a year to remind him to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Finney was a well known abolitionist of his day though that is not in this book. His reputation as a man after God's own heart was undiminished all his days. [[ASIN:1556610629 Lectures on Revival, is probably the most important book on Revival apart from the Bible ever written] God bless you as you read this book. (The quote is from fly leaf of my 1908 copy ) Note: Finney was not a be reconverted over and over preacher. He did believe it was possible for a person to choose to forsake Christ the same way you choose Christ not that you accidentally sin your salvation away. I believe this to be wrong doctrinally but Finney's Auto Biography does not reflect this nor was it a doctrine he taught in his early years. This book will encourage you to attempt great things for God. The works of Finney have all recently been republished and are available on DVD as well as print.

This is probably the greatest Christian biography in print. What a man of prayer and holiness! There are some on the Web who attack Finney - and I don't agree with some of his theology - some of it is pretty much incomprehensible - but on the subjects of prayer, holiness, revival, faith, preaching, sin, sanctification, salvation, the Holy Spirit, soul-winning, zeal, and committment - he is without peer. A conservative estimate is - that without TV, radio, magazines, mailings, PA's, microphones - etc... That over 500,000 people were converted under his preaching - and over 80% were Christians until they died. The figure in modern evangelism is about 5% stay "saved" or in church for over 1 year. Finney's sermon, "Moral Insanity", is considered by several Christian leaders to be the greatest statement of truth, outside of the Bible. Every preacher in America should be made to memorize Finney's, "How to Preach So As To Convert Nobody", before being hired. This is his amazing life and ministry in his own words. This book is life-changing material. Please read it prayerfully. I have over 15,000 Christian books in my personal library - and this is one of the top 10.

If you ever wanted revival in your own life or ministry, this book is the most clear representation I have ever seen in print anywhere. It is a riveting book that has kept me up at night for hours until I could read no more. Many people talk about revival and many people desire it, but until it is seen personally, it is difficult to comprehend. This book comes about as close to really "seeing" revival as possible. Once you see that as Finney uses the same techniques over and over and gets the same results, you come to the realization that maybe we can do it, too. These are not some mystical "techniques", but good old-fashioned bible techniques like prayer, fasting, faith, humility, etc. You must read the book. Don't criticize his theology until you have read his work. As one preacher told me, "They criticize his theology, but they can't match his power!" See for yourself. Then, after you get inspired about doing this in your own life, then read "Lectures on Revivals" by Finney to see how to incorporate it in your own life, and then "Systematic Theology" by Finney to understand the theology behind it.

After reading "Finney's Systematic Theology," I read this book. Of course, I could not stop there, and later read the entire autobiography. This book is a great beginning to learning more about and being inspired by Finney and his prayer life! Beginning in 1980, I published 16 books of Charles Finney's writing, and only "Principles of Prayer" remains in print, so I am happy this autobiography is still available!

I believe those of you who enjoy Finney and Andrew Murray will also enjoy "Prayer Steps to Serenity," which teaches truths that I learned from studying Finney and Murray for many years. The book follows a 12 Steps and Serenity Prayer format. It is available through Amazon, with ISBN 0595313043. If you know of anyone who is looking for a 12 Step devotional that will help them walk in the power of the Holy Spirit according to the scriptures, you can heartily recommend this book to them. "Prayer Steps to Serenity" was not published by Bethany House, and it is a larger than a trade paperback (a 9 inch by 6 inch paperback) that includes devotional readings, prayers to encourage you to keep on praying as the Holy Spirit leads, a personal Journey Guide (or workbook), and a Group Journey Guide for prayer and support groups. "Prayer Steps to Serenity" is also supported by two websites that offer a lot of free guides and resources for those seeking more information about Christian recovery and starting Serenity Groups. Go to PrayerSteps.org or SerenityGroups.org for more information, or to write me about Finney.

Thank you for reading!
L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.

This is one of the books I continue to recommend after all this time. It is the portrait of a life that seemed successful but remained directionless until entered the Truth. A powerful conversion led to Finney's preaching ministry to more people that we can fathom without the benefit of modern mass media.

Ms. Sheridan really brought this book into my heart. She knew exactly how to make me feel for these brave men and after I was done reading I really wanted to know more because I truly felt connected with them. Excellent book and I do recommend anyone wanting to read a book about the FDNY to read this book first!!!!!

This is a truly heart-wrenching story of the pipers and drummers pf the FDNY pipe band. Written in a strong journalistic style, the suthor really conveys the strength of these men and their close relationships.

While she gets a few details of uniform (shawls for piper's plaids) and piping (puffing on their pipes) wrong, she's really captured the feelings of these men who face danger and death on a daily basis.

From the first page, I was hooked. I felt like I was living that day all over again. This time, I wasn't sitting in my home in Seattle in shock and horror, I was in New York with an emotional connection to the families mentioned in the book and those not mentioned. I have a new found respect for all fire fighters. I already have a great deal of respect for those who put there lives on the line for any job but now it's impossible to put into words the level of respect I have for them.

This book WILL take you on an amazing emotional journey.

This book is very powerful. I picked this book up and thought it would be an interesting read then I could not believe how moved I would become. It is well written and allows the reader to get close to the men and their families. The readers anxiety grows as the date of September 11 approaches. I had to put the book aside a few times and remind myself of the gratitude I feel toward the brave men who gave their lives to save others and inspiration from those who survived and went back to look for family members, friends and complete strangers in order for those who were murdered to be laid to rest properly. The unity and brotherhood of the elite group of bagpipe players is inspirational. Thank you to the author for allowing readers to gain a new perspective of the days following September 11 and what the FDNY suffered. I felt as though I knew these men personally.

Bagpipe Brothers: The FDNY Band's True Story Of Tragedy, Mourning, And Recovery is the true story New York City's Emerald Society Bagpipe Band, who used their instruments to mourn in the and show their respect at the funerals for the victims of the 9/11 attacks, including the 343 firefighters who died and those who were unearthed from the rubble at ground zero. The band itself lost one of its own from the attacks, as well as the brother of a member; Bagpipe Brothers recounts in vivid detail the emotions, experiences, terrible grief and striving to help any way one can in the wake of tragedy. A profound and powerful tribute to both the lost and the survivors struggling to cope.

Valuable insights into the world of the disabled from many angles by a respected professor with progressive spinal cord disease. Highly recommended to persons with disabilities and to the general public who often encounter them.

As a graduate student in anthropology, I came to know and respect Bob Murphy more than any other scholar. Of the texts he wrote, The Body Silent, stands apart in that it says much about the man, anthropology, disability in American society, and life itself. It will deeply touch a wide variety of readers, and for those that knew him, will bring tears to their eyes. As to its impact on what is now known as disability studies, it put the discipline on the academic agenda. As such, it is a seminal text and is a must for anyone thinking of entering the field.

This is one of my books that I bought and put aside to read later. I don't remember how long ago I bought it but I am certainly glad that I gave it a second chance to read it before discarding it. I am now not planning to sell this book, as it is too important a volume on disability in society, and it certainly applies to the bioethical and eduethical work I do on the side of my 'regular' job of teaching and writing.

Murphy is unlike me in that he came upon his disability later in life, while I was born basically deaf and remained that way for the first 13 years of my life before getting a hearing aid at the age of 13. Murphy had to deal with a slow-growing tumor that entwined itself into his spinal cord. Unlike many tumors that can be excised with surgery, his was such that the possibility of removing it also came with the possibility of losing everything else, including his life or the ability to continue to do his important work. Like many of us who have chosen not to take the risk of surgery and who don't believe that to be disabled is worse than to be dead, Murphy worked with and around his progressive disabling and was able to give the world another 15 years of his wisdom in cultural anthropology.

This book is a must-read for any person with a disability, no matter when they became disabled. Murphy had the background of an academic anthropologist, with many years of successful teaching and writing for major journals in anthropology and culture. He had also written major books, one of which continues to be used in most universities on women and gender in primitive societies. So in coming into the genre of disability studies, he brought to the field a first-rate mind and ability to write so others can understand difficult concepts.

Murphy's book is not the usual autobiography that one usually expects, but rather explores disability (specifically his, but he introduces others and also the culture) without a single shard of either self-pity or 'hey, look at me' attitude that is so often written about in media (where the media puts someone with a disability on a pedestal that is unrealistic of the very real problems that those of us with disabilities face daily). He writes presenting his disablement as a fait-accompli, dealing with the problems as they arose...and in some cases, he ignored his health situation to the point of putting him at risk for infection from bedsores because he was too busy teaching. Like Murphy states, that wasn't courage as often as it was just not wanting to take the time to have his physical body get in the way of what he was trying to do. In treating his disablement with this attitude, he did become the courageous person that he presented to the public...and I wish so badly I had had the opportunity to meet him and hear him speak. Like so many others such as Michael Fox and Christopher REeve, Murphy was a non-disabled person whose close encounters with his own disablement led him to become a voice in a minority that has long been voiceless. He died much too soon, but in giving his last fifteen years of work to physical disabilities in society, he has provided us with an ongoing voice. I certainly intend to use his words and his writing in my work in hopes that it will inspire others as it has inspired me.

Karen Sadler

Bob became paraplegiac at a late age, after having enjoyed a long, brilliant career as a professor at Columbia and an anthropologist who, with his anthropologist wife Yolanda, lived among Amazonian Indians and Saharan camel nomads. He was too clever to be overwhelmed with self-pity. This book was written from the perspective that he loved most: what you'd think is true is probably just the opposite. We expect paralyzed people to get better, like other "sick" patients, but the problem is, they don't: they're damaged selves. Hey--just like everybody else. We all have to come to terms with life's damages and our isolation and loneliness as we attempt to cope with it. Who would ever have thought it possible--we can all learn something compelling about our normal selves, viewing life from the wheelchair! Ironically (and this is the kind of twist that styles Murphy's ideas) the disabled are a mirror for the rest of us: "The paralytic is, quite literally, a prisoner of the flesh, but most humans are convicts of sorts. We live within walls of our own making, staring out at life through bars thrown up by culture and annealed by our fears. . . .[that] induces a mental paralysis, a stilling of thought." Murphy has never sold his soul to an illusion: he speaks candidly as a participant observer of his own encounter with symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and transformation. Always the fox, he transcends the smoke screen that our cultural prejudices force upon us, and hears his own body and its message with astounding clarity and patience. This is a book that students read eagerly, in both anthropology and sociology classes, because its message is provocative, and its ethnography is true. It teaches us all to listen to the sound of our own struggles with personal identity and mortality, and to smile with the knowledge that we are not alone.

Ten years ago since the American Disabilities Act went into effect, the disabled still feel that they are isolated from the real world. Former professor of anthropology at Columbia University Robert F. Murphy examines from his personal perspective the life of a disabled person in a world where he was independent and zealous of life. The reader will discover what it is like for a disabled person to battle besides the inability to carry out everyday function we take for granted. The Body Silent is unlike other books written by the disable. The Body Silent is an excellent book full of prose and not journal entries of how fortunate the non-disabled really are. This book (recommended to me by anthropologist Dr. James Trostle) will change your perspective and outlook on how it is like to grow up again and learning how to walk, one step at a time.

Want a beach book? Vincent Joyce's novel about intrigue in and around Istanbul is a gem. Fast-paced, loaded with humor, tragedy and insights, it's a romp thru the shadow world of international chicanery. It will appeal to anyone with an interest in a humorous glimpse into the world behind the scenes in the mid-east.

It's a joy to read a well written story about an area that the author obviously knows well.

Like Le Carre's Berlin, Vincent Joyce's Istanbul is a Cold War crossroads -- only without the checkpoints. Nothing is as it seems, no one is who he or she pretends to be, and the stakes couldn't be higher: the balance of thermonuclear power. Rich in atmosphere, this cloak-and-dagger tale will take you to the Istanbul of the late 60s-early 70s, when the skyline was still a forest of minarets and the city was undoubtedly crawling with U.S. and Soviet agents. Apparently, one of them -- one of ours -- wrote this novel. Joyce has given us a fascinating glimpse into what it must have been like to get caught up in a great game between superpowers. Well-written, well-paced.

I really enjoyed the book. The setting is great, and the author knows the territory. I could see the Bosphorus waterfront and hear the sounds and smell the smells. Author Joyce, in taut prose, paints word pictures while telling a gripping story of intrigue, deception and daring. The love story is there, too, and delightful. I recommend this book.

It's rare in a spy/adventure novel that a male author gets his female lead character right, but Mr. Joyce made Suzan Lokman as real as any fiction heroine can be.

Loved this book! Makes me want to visit Turkey. Who has the movie rights? Can I be the casting director, please?

Our book club selected Both Hunter and Hunted as a light summer read (of course, there's neither light nor summer in San Francisco). It's a bit off the usual type for us, but this spy novel was appreciated by the group as a refreshing change. The characters are realistic and engaging -- even when not necessarily admirable. The principal character and narrator reflects a combination of unabashed ego and awkward humility that rang true as a genuine and complex personality. One example is the narrator's generous use of sexual imagery (who knew about brushing ones teeth?) while demurely cutting away from actual love scenes ("...and he tasted the sea on her lips."). While we most enjoyed the character development, the rather intricate plot also makes for fun, with at least one surprise twist that genuinely surprised the whole (jaded) lot of us.

What a book! I recently saw Mr. Deming's presentation at a national conference in Dallas. After his presentation, he did a book signing and I bought The Brand Who Cried Wolf. I had it read from cover to cover by the time I got home the following day! This is one of the most inspirational and TRUE books I've ever read. Mr. Deming has not invented anything new here. What I mean is, the processes and ideas are already out there, but the way in which he explains them - with the stories and the humor and the compassion - it's just incredible. I found myself captivated by his style and message during his presentation and the same thing happened reading the book. It's just full of wonderful ideas that you can immediately apply to your personal and professional life. I am buying a copy for every member of our customer service department. Whether you're a professional wanting to improve your organization, or an individual wanting to improve the relationships with those around you, this is the book! I highly, I mean HIGHLY recommend it!

This book reads more like a fast paced, New York Times best selling story, rather than a business book. Don't get me wrong, this is definitely a business book. In fact, probably one of the best business books I've read in many years. But it doesn't read like one. It's fun, full of incredible ideas and processes, inspirational and incredibly transfomational. When reading this book, I felt like I was having a conversation with the author. That's how he writes. As if he's standing there having a one on one discussion with you. Because of Mr. Deming's ideas and unique processes, I have already changed the way I approach situations and relationships, both personally and professionally.

My favorite chapter is chapter eight. This is where he teaches the reader how to truly understand their own brand. No faking, no veneer as he puts it. No pushing hot buttons to make a sale. Just understanding who you are and then creating sincere and unique interactions with those around you. This in turn will get people to trust you forever and become your evangelists. I also love his take on the ripple effect. As he writes "Your actions generate far reaching ripples." He tells about the real effects of our actions, both positive and negative, then he gets into a true story about Sears that is both eye opening and absolutely hilarious!

This book is going in every office in our organization. It's a fast read and one you'll want to read over and over again. I highly recommend this book to anyone with the sincere desire to improve their personal and professional image. Or as Mr. Deming puts it- your Brand.

Deming's message is a must read for anyone who has competition. How do we make our competition irrelevant? How do we create customers for life? The Brand Who Cried "Wolf" delivers a proven and effective approach to develop lifelong customer relationships. If you want to create a leadership position in this experience economy -you must read and re-read this book and then act on the wisdom Deming skillfully presents!

Chandler

Wow! What a great book. It arrived this afternoon - never intended on finishing it this evening. After reading the first chapter, I was hooked. It's that good! This is the second book on branding I've read this month. The first was "Footnotes" by Kenneth Cole. That book, also excellent, shows the finished product. In "The Brand Who Cried Wolf", Deming shows you how to get there... and stay there. Whether you run a large corporation or a home based business, you will learn a great deal from this fun read. Just like Disney, Deming understand the power of a good story. Each of the ten chapters cleverly starts with a brief fable to illustrate a key point. Deming then follows up with countless up to date examples of how companies succeed, and more importantly, fail to achieve success in branding and customer satisfaction. Deming really hits the nail on the head with his comparison of Costco and Walmart.
This is a very well written book filled with stories to inspire. The type of writing that obviously comes from years of experience and a passion to help others. As Deming mentions in chapter eight, "you can't fake sincerity".
To sum it up - Don't think you need to be a business owner to buy this book. This is a great lesson of customer satisfaction and communication skills for anybody who interacts with others on a daily basis. Deming seems well versed in what it takes to form a successful relationship - both personal and business. I'm just glad he took the time to share some of his insightful stories with the rest of us.

I'll admit that I was a bit skeptical when I first felt that the title of this book didn't sound grammatically correct to me (I'm the guy muttering "It's 15 items or FEWER" to my wife, every time we're near the express lane at the supermarket) - I thought that the right title should have been "The Brand THAT Cried Wolf." But, Deming quickly and convincingly explains that "The Brand" is more than an inanimate corporate symbol ... it's my company, it's my department, it's me ... and, thus, deserving of the "Who" in his title. Deming uses a pleasing blend of children's fables (which, I will admit, were enjoyable to get caught up on and, in some cases, to read for the very first time), business cases, hypothetical situations and personal experiences and anecdotes to put his principles into meaningful perspectives. I continually found myself playing a mental game of "Can You Top This" with Deming every time he gave examples of unique, emotional, memorable business experiences that caused him to become, as he would put it, a "Brand Evangelist." Likewise, I found myself playing the same game (probably with a little more fervor) whenever he gave his examples of such poor service that caused him to become a "Brand Antievangelist."

Coincidentally enough, just 2 days before reading this book, my family and I rented a movie that seems to be a perfect and real-life exemplification of Deming's "You-Are-Your-Brand" hypothesis: "The Pursuit of Happyness." Based upon a true story, it's about Chris Gardner, a down-on-his-luck salesman who can't buy a break, even after he is given the "opportunity" to compete against 19 other unpaid interns at a stock brokerage for 6 months for one permanent position. His successes started only after he began creating unique experiences for his prospects and clients rather than just those typically provided by such brokerages. His first big "splash" took awhile, but the ripples that resulted got him the business he needed to beat the other 19 and earn the job. (I wish that I had read this book first!)

Definitely a good, fast and worthwhile read. And definitely not you father's book on branding. And that, here, is a good thing.

Breakaway is a refreshing, common sense book that provides fresh, new ideas about performance improvement, and the value of employees. This book describes how important a competitive edge is in today's market place, and provides the tools to help you succeed!

Breakaway lives up to its promise (and premise) of delivering value and expertise fast and clean. No-nonsense, practical, with suggestions of surgical precision to guide organizational transformations.

Don A. Johnson
Principal,
The Clarity Group, Inc.

Breakway was clearly written by an author who has been in the trenches, growing a company and working with people. From its elegant organization to its intuitive set of theories Breakaway reinforces what we all know to be true - that a principled approach to business will achieve the best results. This book should be on every business person's must-read list.

Breakaway is a must-read book for anyone in the corporate world who has responsibility for human resources, employee development, sales and marketing management, and for top corporate executives.

The main theme of the book is that in order to break away from the competition in today's ever-changing economy, an organization must effectively develop employees to deliver value to the customer faster than the competition does. After analyzing how organizations currently train employees and the deficiencies associated with this type of training, Fred goes on to define a new method for bringing employees to proficiency faster and more successfully than traditional training methods.

The first several chapters of the book document a new model for human performance and the three rules for accomplishing peak performance. The first rule - Establish a proficiency threshold - describes how to determine the point at which an employee is equipped to deliver the promised value to customers quickly. Fred clearly describes the questions that managers must ask in order to define the proficiency threshold and discusses the relationship of the proficiency threshold and the value chain.

The second rule - Accelerate the accumulation of experience - includes a discussion of how people really learn, describes the four phases of learning, discusses how traditional training methods leave the accumulation of experience to chance, and how to manage the accumulation of learning. Using an example of training copper splicers to become fiber optic cable splicers, Fred demonstrates how to successfully manage the accumulation of experience in relation to training.

The third rule - Measure the cycle time to threshold proficiency - describes the metrics used to measure the how fast an employee can be trained to arrive at the proficiency threshold. Fred goes into some detail on how to measure the overall proficiency of the organization, and redefines the learning curve as the proficiency curve.

In the last half of the book, Fred describes how to "put it all together". Recognizing that no two companies are the same, Fred compares and contrasts the styles of two very different companies. What emerges is that there is no set of rules for achieving organizational proficiency, rather there are a set of key concepts that managers must be aware of in designing fast, effective, successful development programs.

In summary, this book is very readable, indeed it is designed "...for the business leader, to be read in the time it takes to fly from Chicago to San Francisco or Denver to Miami." True to one of the key concepts, the book is clear, concise and to the point.

About the author:
Charles L. Fred is a thought leader in performance improvement and an expert in learning speed. He is the founder and CEO of The Breakaway Group, which provides seminars and workshops to teach the concepts described in Breakaway. Formerly the CEO of Avaltus, a leading provider of e-learning services, he has also directed major change efforts in both the manufacturing and service industries, has consulted to successful companies around the globe, and has been a frequent speaker to major business forums and groups of senior executives over the past twenty years. Once a nationally ranked NCAA track athlete, he continues to compete in corporate races across the country. He lives in Centennial, Colorado, with his wife, Julie, and their three teenage children.

Review by Richard D. Turnquist.

What has really changed in our world in the last two decades? Time has sped up and surpassed all the other busienss variables in importance. These days time is more important than money.

To win in business, you must break away from the pack and stay ahead by serving your customers extraordinarily well. "Speed-to-proficiency is more than a theoretical advantage; it is the most devastating competitive weapon in a world where the competitive forces of scale, automation, and capital are subordinate to the power of a proficient work force."

I enjoyed this book, right from the first sentence -- "This book is designed for the business reader, to be read in the time it takes to fly from Chicago to San Francisco or Denver to Miami." Breakaway is an easy read with a vital message. Read it.