Services Books

This book is very helpful when you are trying to learn how to use Second Life.

I love this book!! It rocks!! It really helps you get around in Second Life (SL) as a struggling "Newbie" those first few days and weeks. The book is beautifully presented, with high quality illustrations, great tips, and the author's Avatar; "Ansel Gasparini" is a cool dude : ) It really enhanced my whole SL experience.
After you read the book and get on Second Life, go visit the in-world site where you can see some of the stuff in Brian White's book. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to start their Second Life adventures..! Let's get this party started... let the adventures begin!!

See you in Second Life!! : )

I've read many books on Second Life but none come as close to being the perfect book as this one in terms of helping a newbie understand this exciting virtural world, and how to make the most of the environment, the community, and the economy. Each chapter starts with an overview but quickly gets down into practical applications of the chapters topic and then adds a step-by-step tutorial on how to use that feature or principal to get real stuff done inside of Second Life using common building tools already available to most residents. I just wish I had started with this book instead of having it be the last one of many. A must read for anyone wanting to get the most positive experience out of Second Life. And technical enough for even those who have been residents inside of SL for awhile to learn new concepts and how to apply them.

I highly recommend reading this book if you are even the least bit interested in finding out about Second Life and how it works. And for the verteran an overview but also practical steps to making your experience even richer inside Second Life.

If you want only one book to read for Second Life this is your book.

This is an excellent first book for those who have signed on to Second Life, fooled around some, and have lots of questions. My advice is put a few hours into Second Life, then read this book. The presentation level was just right for me as an intro. But start by going on Second Life, THEN read the book.

A good intro that is well illustrated. Almost all the tutorials work like they are supposed to. Much better than the Official Guide.

A practical book on important topics to make money through services.
Pertinent examples and well designed links between Employees satisfaction/loyalty, customer satisfaction/loyalti, growth stability, operating strategies: to put it bluntly, results don't come by chance!
A bad point: the Typographical Structure is not good as the contents and a cross topics index would have been welcome.

A must read book if you are working in the service industry. Heskett, Sasser and Schlesinger all from the Harvard Business School, have put together a great book. The service profit chain model at first glance seems simple enough. Make employees happy, who in turn make customers happy, who in turn give you more business and you have a great top and bottom line. Simple? Yes, but the book takes you on a journey, using similar methodology to the balanced score card to show how to design service delivery processes, which targets to target, and most important of all, how to deal with service failures. Numerous other models and their use are depicted. To top it of, there are numerous examples from the airline, hospitality, insurance and other industries. Exec or MBA level readers will really appreciate this book. Jim Kayalar is a certified management consultant and has consulted for tourism development organizations, hotels and resorts. His corporate web site can be found at http://www.biztuneup.biz

This should be everyone's bible. 6 stars! It is the best business book available . . . If you're going to read one book this is it...forget "one minute manager" or "good to great", "freakonomics" or "world is flat". Read this and know it and undersand its implications.

In "The Service Profit Chain," the author uses extensive case studies and empirical data to demonstrate how successful companies can achieve customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and at the same time, profit and customer growth. Too many companies are focused on the next quarterly earnings release that they don't ever see the lifetime value of their customers. Finally, managers at service industries won't have to keep trading off employee satisfaction in order to achieve customer sastisfaction, and customer satisfaction won't be viewed as a cost factor and a drag on profit growth. Service companies that just don't understand these concepts won't be around for long! As we embark into the e-commerce age, service and technology companies that can quickly apply these concepts within their business models (where there is no direct, face-to-face, contact with the customers) will build a truely competitive advantage. Let's review the successful ecommerce companies in 5 years, and see how many have adopted the principles in "The Service Profit Chain."

I think the authors provide a powerful and empirical approach to designing and analyzing a service organization for success. The recommendations are not always intuitive nor easy to implement, but, based on my experience in several industries, I think they are nearly always correct. With a partner, I am starting a own company and have read this book twice very carefully, with lots of notes in the margins, to make sure we do the important things well.

This is the second episode in Alison Kent's tantalizing 5 part series. In THE SHAUGHNESSEY ACCORD, we meet Tripp Shaughnessey, the quirky jokester of SG-5.

Tripp is positioned in Manhattan, on a 24 hour watch of the supposed efforts of a diamond merchant's unlawful commerce with none other than the enemy Spectra IT. His stakeout spot -- the corner sandwich shop that the SG-5 men frequent for lunch. The owner of the shop, Glory Brighton, has had Tripp's attention for awhile, and he doesn't understand what it is about her that makes him weak in the knees. From his station he has complete surveillance of the ins and outs of the shop, hoping to nail the crooks as they attempt to do their dirty work.

The minute he decides to take a break, and works up the nerve to go and see Glory, disaster strikes. Good guy, right place, wrong time. While he flirts and gets to know her in ways that make the both of them hotter than a tea kettle, the criminals that he is supposed to be keeping a watchful eye on, sneak their way in through the front and hold all the customers and employees hostage.

Unbeknownst to the criminals for the latter part of their malevolence, Tripp manages to keep Glory and himself secure for some time and send out a code to the men of SG-5. But their refuge is quickly stripped away when, Danh Vuong, the chief of the crime committing thugs, discovers them and binds them up, making sure that their plans flow accordingly.
Through this ordeal, Tripp and Glory get to know each other better, thus resulting in an action packed love story.

Though I feel Tripp and Glory's love story wasn't fleshed out as much as I would have liked it to be. I still enjoyed the book, and am anxiously awaiting my third installment to come in - The Samms Agenda. This series just keeps getting better and better.

Alison Kent brings another hot and exciting story in The Shaughnessey Accord.

SG-5 Agent Tripp Shaughnessey is a man all women love and the bad guys fear. He has had the hots for sandwich shop owner Glory Brighton for months now. He comes across her in her storeroom and makes his move.

Glory Brighton hasn't had the best of luck with men. She has lusted after the funny and sexy engineer from the offices above her store. Just as Glory decides to tempt Tripp all hell breaks out in her store.

Tripp, Glory finds out is more then what he appears to be on the surface. She must put her trust in him to survive.

Once they believe the danger is over, Glory and Tripp fulfill their desires. Glory and Tripp are a perfect match of wit and chemistry.

Looking forward to the next book in this steamy series.

In Manhattan Tripp Shaughnessey of the Smithson Group is bored and a bit envious that his friend and fellow member of the elite five, Christian Bane, has had success with covert operations against Spectra (see THE BANE AFFAIR - I will). Perhaps the only thing he is enjoying at the moment is flirting with Glory Brighton, owner of a sandwich shop.

While Tripp obtains a delicious kiss from the restaurateur, Danh Vuong leads other thugs on a raid of the sandwich shop. His boss believes that Glory has something he needs in his war with Spectra. The police arrive before Danh and associates finish their assault. They take hostages, but had not reckoned that Tripp, an alleged engineer, turns into a super operative, which is what he is for the mysterious Smithson Group. Tripp vows no one will harm Glory, the woman he loves.

THE SHAUNESSEY ACCORD is a humorous erotic romantic suspense novel that grips readers whether the lead couple are going at it or battling bad guys. Somewhat tongue in cheek (literally and figuratively), Tripp is a delightfully dangerous man including to his enemies and to his beloved; his kisses stir the all-American wisecracking heroine. Fans of the Die Hard movies will shout Brava to Alison Kent for a fabulous Smithson tale and look forward to the next novel in the series.

Harriet Klausner

My only complaint...The story was too short!!! Tripp was a great character and I would have liked to see him and his relationship with Glory more fleshed out...still this was a great amazing read that you won't want to miss.

Glory owns and runs her own sandwich store. The fact that she has the worlds worst record with men, and the fact that her parents worry about this keep her from being over the trees happy. That and the fact that Tripp Shaughnessey has set her on fire with no chance of having that fire extinguished anytime soon doesn't help. At least that's what it looks until he shows up in her storeroom and lays a kiss on her nearly takes the roof off. Then everything comes apart, and her store is being held hostage, and Glory finds out that Tripp may be a little more then he seems.

This was a great read. The chemistry between Tripp and Glory is beyond hot, and Ms. Kent manages to package a lot into a little bit. This is a great edition to her new series and I look forward to the next. I only hope that it's more then 117 pages long.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

I love Alison Kent and she writes the best loves scenes bar none. And she writes great characters as well. Tripp was..well, a trip. The Shaughnessey Accord is lively, clever, suspenseful, sexy and fun, but when I say it's too short, I don't just mean I want more. (which I do) It is novella length which means when it comes in an oversized book it looks really thin. And quite a bit of that is previews at the end. The story was great but it just kind of...stopped. There seemed to be much more here that needed to be told. I doubt it will be rehashed in upcoming books. And the biggest complaint is that at 7.99 I really don't see the value I'm accustomed too. I expect a thick meaty book for that price and this, I'm sorry to say, was just overpriced. It still gets 4 stars because I love what's there... just be warned.

Irene Kelly visited my daughter's school last week, to speak with the kids about her experience as an author and illustrator. My daughter came home inspired by Ms. Kelly and enthralled with this beautiful book! This true story is remarkable on it's own, but the writing by Ms. Kelly (as well as the stunning artwork) is wonderful. I highly recommend this book for any child who loves dogs, history, exotic places, or just a great story.

This book is an exciting adventure that will make kids smile and think and want to talk about Owney and the places he visited. The illustrations are wonderful -- each page is a world of its own -- and the letters are filled with great information. My son loved this book. He also enjoyed reading the author's note at the end. Highly recommended.

In addition to a wonderful, exuberant story that has a strong educational component, this lovely book has illustrations that are compositionally strong. As in her other works, Ms. Kelly does not water down her art when creating for children. The expressive use of color and design provide an experience far beyond the usual cartoon-like children's illustrations! Clearly an artist in her own right, Ms. Kelly has a gift for fusing material which is at a child's level with lovely small "paintings" which glow and resonate thorughout her work.
My kids and I all love this new story as well as her earlier books!

I bought A Small Dog's Big Life for my daughter, but I loved reading it as much as she did. Ms. Kelly wrties a story about a fascinating dog and his adventures, and illustrates it with whimiscal, yet beautiful watercolors.

Owney is a lovable character, and children will enjoy reading about his travels. After finishing the book, a young reader will also have learned a great deal about geography and 19th century life.

I highly recommend this book!

I bought this book for my nephew because, browsing through it , I was struck by the beauty and whimsey of the illustrations. I was unprepared for his reaction. He was enthralled with the way the story unfolded through the fictionalized correspondences and was carried away with the spirit of adventure so thrillingly conveyed. I have ordered this author's book on Hummingbirds and must commend her on her inspired artwork.

In the field of chaplaincy and spiritual care there are lots of studies out there. Many of these studies in the field of spiritual care and chaplaincy services happen in very specialized institutions and in research oriented healthcare settings. This study is remarkable. It offers tools for every day to day chaplain who may not have research background and experience. The study provides lots of data and references.

Providence Health System I believe has been able to deliver a product that was long overdue in the field of spiritual care and chaplaincy services.

Chaplains and Providence Health System should be very proud of such leadership and strength. I commend the authors and all the people that participated in this cause.

The book is well done and it meets the objectives of the empirical study.

Rev. Noel Brown, Clinical Pastoral Care Education Supervisor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL says, "For the first time, we can safely say that we have data which is reliable about the everyday work done by chaplains in their contemporary ministries, across a significant number of institutions in the US."[1]

Stephen Kliewer, Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR says, " This book is a must for pastoral care directors who desire to understand the dynamics of care and participate in effective strategic planning. It is also an outstanding resource for chaplains who desire to understand the dynamics of pastoral care and improve their own efforts. It might be useful to nurses, physicians, and others who wish to understand the nature and impact of chaplaincy services."[2]

Rev. Richard B. Gilbert says, "Spiritual Needs & Chaplaincy Services,[3] the book under review here, addresses the situation confronting health care chaplains today. We chaplains can no longer rest on the assumption that everyone appreciates and understands our work; that hospital budgets will always facilitate that work; or that, in an age in which even the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations requires hospitals to provide it with strong evidence of high-quality spiritual care, we chaplains will be in place to provide that evidence. To state it another way: We chaplains have a story to tell-but the chaplaincy story is not the only story out there, even concerning spiritual matters. If we don't reclaim our story and tell it in ways that demonstrate its effectiveness, we may soon be out the door. Our future, incidentally, seems no less threatened in religiously affiliated hospitals than in secular ones.

The authors of this book provide an invaluable service for all of us in chaplaincy and in health care administration. They give us tools and a rationale with which we can address these core questions:

What qualifies us to do this work?
Who defines our work and workplace?
How do we best provide spiritual care in the workplace?
How do we determine if our care is effective in meeting the needs of patients, staff, and the workplace as a whole?
What do we do with our data? How do we tell our story? What is our story?

Spiritual Needs & Chaplaincy Services is a tool, but one that comes with a promise from its authors to work with you, the pastoral care reader, to apply the gifts of this study to your work, so that you can in turn be the "gifts" you were called and trained to be. How do you track the nature of a chaplain's visit? What are the key spiritual care factors/stressors in life and how do you identify them? How do you identify spiritual care interventions within the context of faith, hope, and belief systems, as determined by the patient?

Yes, this book offers more work, even though you chaplains already have too much to do and too few "troops" to help you do it. However, Spiritual Needs & Chaplaincy Services will enable you to look clearly at what you do, how you do it, and how you can make your work more effective-and will do so at a time when your presence and ministry are needed more than ever."

________________________________
[1] Pastoral Abstracts, The Orere Source, Issue 55: Nov/Dec, 2000, p.9.
[2] The National Association of Catholic Chaplains, VISION, May 2001, Vol. 11, No 5. p.12.
[3] Health Progress, The Official Journal of The Catholic Health Association of the United States, September-October 2002

This is a great book! JCAHO looks for data and outcomes. This book provides the tools needed for any healthcare organizations. It is a study that can be replicated in any healthcare organizations. Chaplains can provided the data utilziing the tool available in the book. The data can help jusify the need for chaplaincy in any healthcare institution.

This is an excellent resource for hospitals that have pastoral care departments and who may be struggling to justify chaplaincy services. If people around the oval table (decision makers) are asking chaplaincy to show them the numbers--here is a book that can guide and help those pastoral care departments. The authors have done a remarkable job. The tools and the study can be replicated. Very pragmatic indeed!

It is one of the studies we as chaplains can replicate and use in our institutions. The authors have done a remarkable job by providing us the tools and data analysis which can be utilized in our institution. JCAHO always looks for data. This study provides the data and the analysis. Great job! We would like to see more. Sounds like this was the first national study conducted by chaplains! Keep up the good work!

This is a very good book for people who want to become, or who are already are ministers. It gives alot of insightful information on how a church is run, as well as how to run marriages and funerals.

Some things never get out dated. This handbook/manual has surpassed the the test of time and will always be helpful to those in the ministry and or evangelism.

Excellent book. I also found The Minister's Crucible by Fred C. Rochester a great book for ministers, want to be ministers, and those already in ministry. Book books are a must read.

This is THE book to own of its type. Highly recommended to new and old ministers alike. It should be in every ministers library. I always refer back to mine.

The Star Book for Ministers is a wonderful reference guide. It is jam packed with information yet small enough to discreetly and easily carry with you. If you are new to the ministry or someone who has been in the ministry a while, it contains practical helps and information.

Topics covered include: Entering the Christian Ministry, Preaching the Gospel, Pastoral Care, etc. There are almost 100 pages of scripture one can refer to by topic (Confession & Forgiveness, Christian Love, Grief, Comfort, Beneditions, etc). This is most helpful when counseling someone.

Finally there are practical guidelines for dealing with others during weddings, funerals and baptisms as well as suggestions for ceremonies. Indispensible!

service throughout the day, throughout the month, throughout the year....100 stories of giving...the notes at the end of each story to jump into service in your community are a link to giving. .My favorite story was Christmas in April---I must admit I cheered for Frances as she conquered the steps--I read later that she and the writer are enthusiastic pen pals...what inspiration. Thank you to the 100 stone soup writers. You gave me a taste of who inspires you.

......one of the chapters in this book, these stories reflect movements that we should let sweep the nation!!!! Read and be inspired...told simply, the 90+ writers for this book brought these community heroes home....

such a pleasure to read these stories... such an opportunity for all involved with the project to share their words...you never know, maybe someone was inspired to do something today...by simply reading...as long as Stone Soup for the World is available to America's youth we know we have a bright future ahead... My favorites: The Forgiveness Party, Table for 6 Billion Please, and Peace for Their Grandchildren....and there are 97 more to read and pass on....

On occasion one of those books comes along that I can't put down. This collection of short (3 - 5 pages each) true stories are of people about whom, after I have read the story, I consistently say, "Why didn't I know that before reading this?" This book is truly an insight into past and current history through the prism of what stirs the heart and spirit.

Stone Soup for the World is a set of 100 stories about compassion and volunteerism. From the intro by Colin Powell to the story of Ms.Larned's young brother, the whole book was a joy to read. I especially loved the Nelson Mandela and Paul Newman stories. This book has stirred me to be a better person and to help others. I recently walked in honor of my aunt who passed away from cancer and raised money doing it. It felt good just as these stories felt good. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to people from 9 to 99.

I loved this book! A great resource for horse lovers, this book features all the expected popular breeds as well as several wonderful but rare breeds that I've never seen mentioned in any other book of horses. And the photography is simply glorious. Bravo!

This book was just what we were looking for. The photographs are gorgeous, and the text is informational, including topics such as breed characteristics, conformation, gait, color, breed registry, history of the breed, and additional interesting facts about each breed. This book is a "must-have" for anyone's equine book collection.

Judith Dutson's 96 Horse Breeds Of North America pairs stunning color photos by Bob Langrish with a fine survey of each of the 96 horse breeds of North America. Sidebars of information include height, place of original and special qualities for at-a-glance reference, while more extensive paragraphs on breed characteristics, history, conformation and color provide in-depth details. Perfect for any with an affection for horses and an interest in the breeds.

I agree with the reviewer who said that this is not a very good title. A better title would be Horses of NA or American Horses, or some such. But a great book with a bad title is still a great book, and THIS is a great book. The photographs are marvelous -- a word I rarely use. They're National Geographic quality. And the price! I would have guessed a hardback would be $60 at least. I don't know how they can sell it for so little. If you're a horse buff, you'll want this book.

This is overall a great book, with a really stupid title, don't let it deceive you if you are looking for a great book on horse breeds. Without seeing the book, I even thought to myself, "How did they ever come up with 96 breeds from North America!? I can't think of that many." As it turns out, the book is filled with breeds, the majority of which DO NOT originate from North America at all...strange. For example, Dutch Warmbloods, Halflingers, even Arabians, you get the idea. I suppose they really mean 96 breeds which are popular among horse owners in North America, but that doesn't make a really good title. The book contains a great deal of lovely photographs, but the format is nothing exceptional compared to breed books I have seen before. However, it's merit is featuring many breeds, exclusive to North America, which are often excluded from the books, such as the Shackleford, Sulphur, Pryor Mountain, Nokota and more.

I am hoping that this book will encourage victims of rape to come forward no matter how intimidating it may seem. It is important particularly in the black communities to come forward after being victimized by sexual abuse. Someone very close to me was sexually assaulted several years ago and never went forward. In fact, she has attempted to move on with her life as if nothing ever happened. It cannot be an easy thing to be violated and try to forget about it. This book is important for those who have suffered from rape, family member of rape victims, friends of victims, or spouses. This book is the first step toward healing and is a guide for those afraid to come forward. Buy this book, it is worth every penny.

It is incredibly powerful and intense. The end of each chapter, where Pierce-Baker responds to the survivors draws the stories together in a meaningful way. Also, this is the first book I have ever seen that gives voice to the men who support survivors of sexual violence. I read it in two days, despite work and classes, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the effects of sexual violence.

This is a wonderful, well-written, honest book. I especially appreciated the author's inclusion of the voices of young people and of adults who were raped when they were young. Most rape in the US happens to people under the age of 25, so these voices need to be heard! I am strongly recommending this book to everyone I know who works against sexual assault. The author's openness about her own experience over time is very helpful and moving. She indicates that some parts were written years before other parts. There were places where I wanted to insist "don't blame yourself for that, the rapists are responsible for the fact that you and your family are dealing with this." This books adds greatly to our understanding of the long term impact of sexual assault.

This is one of the most important books I have read in my struggle to recover from the harrowing effects of rape. I have found several books on this topic, but this is the first that addresses my specific needs as a Black woman trying to heal from sexual violence. Charlotte Pierce-Baker and her fellow witnesses are people of immense courage who offer hope and strength to other survivors and their loved ones everywhere. I highly recommend this book to all members of the Black community. It's fluidly written, carefully structured and filled with painful truths and hard-earned wisdom about individual and communal healing. If you want to share your own story of survival and healing or to discuss this book, please join me in one of these online forums: Black Survivors of Sexual Assault Forum (Delphi) and Black Rape Survivors (Yahoo). Feel free to contact me for more information.

This book has helped me in ways too numerous to count. I have purchased copies for friends and recommended it highly to others. As African-American women we have the dual burden of sexual and racial violation. Our African-American men are suppose to protect us - not rape us! White men and society has been raping us for years and justifying it. Charlotte Pierce-Baker and the other survivors have laid the foundation of healing. From each of the stories I found Strength. I learned that I was not 'going crazy.' I learned that this inner turmoil of racial responsiblity, societial perceptions and the deeply embedded history of rape toward African American Women was not an uncommon pandemonium of thoughts. I listened and felt the pain and suffering. I discovered that the death of my former self 'REALLY DID HAPPEN' and this new Woman I have become must once again discover her strength. My strength. As my 1 year anniversary approaches, I am re-experiencing the symptoms. Yes, I am dealing with this unbearable pain, once again. But the worst part is over, because I survived! Loud and clear. I SURVIVED!

Also recommended: Can I get a Witness, Black Women and Depression; Yesterday, I Cried; Too Blessed to be Stressed; After the Silence;

If you want to learn about Ericksonian hypnosis this is a must have. It covers major important skills that a hypnotherapist should have. most books out there justgive you techniques after techniques but this one does more, sharing the inside states, attitudes, beliefs a therapist should have. People just don't understand that it's not knowing the techniques that makes a great therapist but it's more of the characteristic and personality of the therapist that makes the techniques work. the same applies with all fields of interactional service. you will learn about flexibility and treat each client anew base on their needs and to be in the moment with the client and not recite scripted inductions like most schools teach you. this books sure is worth getting if you are seriously into hypnotherapy. It covers so much more important areas for a hypnotherapist that isn't emphasized in most schools. you'll learn more about being a hypnotherapist from this book then from any other book. Another cool thing about this book is that stephen is a great writer who is clear,concise and organized, not fluffy. i've gotten books from great hypnotherapist but was very dissapointed because they couldn't write. stephen isn't one of them. you can tell he cares about people learning about hypnosis and he don't hold back like most people.

If you are tired of the sparse explanations of how to induce confusion to facilitate hypnotic trance, you are in for a treat here. The entire book is rich with new insights in hypnosis and hypnotherapy, but the section on confusion is stellar.

The focus of this book is The Coopration Principle in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy. Gilligan first points out the differences between authoritarian method of using hypnosis, which was common before Erickson entered the picture and the permissive method, indirect hypnosis used by Erickson. The focus of the book is on what distinguishes Ericksonian hypnosis from traditional hypnosis, namely UTILIZATION of whatever state the client is in to help to liberate the client from the limitation that is at the core of the problem.

Instead of forcing the client to fit the hypnotist's modus operandi, the therapist becomes flexible and shapes his approach according to the personality, background, understanding, preferences of the client - thus the therapist co-operates with the client, working together with the client toward facilitating the solution.

The main purpose of the hypnotherapist is to help the client to access his inner resources. Erickson had great faith into the resourcefulness of the client's unconscious mind, and rather than insisting on any particular method, used his skills to help the client draw the resources from within. This principle was later popularized through one of the NLP presuppositions which states that "everyone has all the resources he may need to reach the desired outcome". These resources may not be obvious to one's conscious mind, but they are there - within the individual's unconscious.

The reason that the traditional hypnosis sometimes worked and sometimes didn't is because hypnotists learned one method, one script and then used it indiscriminately on everyone. This unfortunately is still the case with the common hypnosis training which is based entirely upon the methods used in traditional hypnosis.

Traditional hypnotist may run into a lot of client resistance, because he is attempting to force one method upon everyone. Ericksonian hypnotist will utilize the resistance to guide the person into a trance - thus Ericksonian hypnotist cooperates with whatever the client presents and uses that very same thing to help the client.

Utilization also implies using the client's model of the world. If the client's model of the world is limited to the point that it is causing the client to experience the problem, the hypnotist will enter that model of the world and use it, to help the client out. In order for a hypnotist to be able to do this successfully, he may have to be very flexible and at least temporarily accept the client's model of the world, rather than forcing his own world-view upon the client. By meeting with the client in client's model of the world, the hypnotist establishes rapport with the client. Rapport is the most crucial aspect of hypnosis - without it hypnotist won't get anywhere.

Learning Ericksonian hypnosis will sky-rocket the success-rate of any hypnotist's practice.

If you are interested in Ericksonian Hypsosis, you have to read the work of Stephen Gilligan. If you haven't heard of him, I'd be surprised. Stephen's reputation travels even more than he does. Amongst NLP scholars he is known as Milton Erickson's "best" student, the person that went farthest in deep trance identification with Milton. He really started modeling Erickson at the point that NLP left off. I first heard of him in 1993 but only met him in 1997 at the modeling and epistemology class at NLP University in Santa Cruz. His current work is still very compatible with what you'll read in this book. He maintains a private practice in San Diego and is an internationally known trainer.

This book explains the therapeutic use of trance states. It synthesizes the approaches of Erickson, Bandler & Grinder and Bateson and brings a new perspective that goes even further. In short the basic idea to "cooperate": a therapist explores how his client constructs his reality, and then helps to construct new experiential realities, which expand the client's map, with respect for the customer's unconscious thinking. In other words, the therapist helps the client transform a problem into a solution.

Given we consider Stephen as one of our examples, we asked his to write the foreword of our book "7 Steps to Emotional Intelligence" and we were glad that he accepted.

Patrick E. Merlevede, M.Sc. -- co-author of "7 Steps to Emotional Intelligence"

This is a must-have book for anyone who uses Ericksonian principles in a therapeutic setting. The author has a profound grasp of the use of hypnotic techniques to bring about change. I would give this book 6 stars (*******) if that were possible.