Resources Books

This book was by far the best book I've read in the past ten years. I read a lot of books and some make a difference in my life and some don't. No other book has had as much impact on my life as WINNING HABITS. It reminded me to get back to some very basic principles I thought I had outgrown, and taught me a few new secrets as well.
In WINNING HABITS Dick Lyles reminds us that there are certain behaviors we should never outgrow and that by making them a permanent part of who we are, we can virtually guarantee success even in the most trying of times. I highly recommend this book to anyone of any age, but I especially recommend it as a graduation gift. It may prove to have more compounded value over the years than any other gift you can give. You'll be giving the gift of timeless wisdom.

Although this book is categorized in the business sections of bookstores, I found it extremely valuable as a junior high school teacher. Teachers must interact with all kinds of people. As I continue to deveop relationships with parents, faculty and students, I will now be able to use this worthwhile advice and continue to develop winning habits! This book was fun, easy to read and easy to understand! Now, after identifying with Albert and Jennifer, I can apply their lessons to my own life!

Winning Habits wraps the 4 habits it talks about in a parable. The good news is the parable is easy to follow and helps to gets the habits across. Better yet the author provides suggestions in the parable for introducing these habits into you daily routie so they stick and take root.

Here are the 4 winning habits. They seem to be very common sense, but in reality how many really do these things on a regular basis with discipline?

1. Be first on, last off and add extra value

2. Never trade results for excuses

3. Solve problems in advance (good problem solving approach in this section)

4. Always make those around you look good.

There are some really good templates that are highly leveragible from this book. In fact the templates are really the value of the book, since they are tools to allow you use the template to reach life change. The problem solving template in the Solve problems in advance section is excellent and the format for recording what was done well and what could be improved makes a lot of sense.

It never ceases to amaze me how the best teachers and philosophers can take a tremendous amount of wisdom and distill it into a compact sentence or two so it is easily remembered. In "Winning Habits" author Dick Lyles has done an excellent job of doing exactly that. A whole philosophy of life is distilled down into just four sentences which, when they become habits, will propel you forward in life no matter what your goals.

The book doesn't read like a typical self-help book but like a fictional work. The reader sees life through the eyes of Albert and Jennifer as she gets regular promotions at work and he is left wondering why he does not. Albert works hard and does his job well but he keeps getting passed over for promotions. His emotional despair over the situation leads him on a search for answers. The end result is a journey into discovering how to be a success at anything you want in life. Through the storyline Mr. Lyles clearly shows the reader not only the secrets to success but also exactly how to use them to change your life. No complex philosophy or convoluted ideas here, just plain simple truths of life. "Winning Habits: 4 Secrets that Will Change the Rest of Your Life" is a highly recommended read.

This amazing self help book seems to answer Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson and Kenneth H. Blanchard being Dr. Covey of Seven Habits fame. Dick Lyles uses fictional characters to bring across his messages that will remind readers of a cross between the two books above. The characters Albert and Jennifer make it much simpler for readers to follow, apply and adhere to Mr. Lyles four not so secret guidelines through their trials and tribulations that will enable the user to improve his or her group dynamics. The secret foursome is obvious yet often ignored whether it is on the job, with family, or with a social religious group. Mr. Lyles suggests the "winning habits" that successful people foster are

- "Be first on, last off, and add extra value" - If you fail to add worth why does the group need you. My spouse always talks about negative man-hours and vampire employees sucking the energy and time of teammates. Don't be one.
- "Never trade results for excuses" - Don't rationalize failure, go out and get the job done.
- "Solve problems in advance" - Be active not reactive.
- "Always make those around you look good" - People will want you on their team if you help make the group look good and not just hog the glory.

WINNING HABITS: 4 SECRETS THAT WILL CHANGE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE is fun to read due to the parable writings that are easy to use in business, in the community and at home. Now if I can find myself a team, I can double my review production.

Harriet Klausner

The future of work for many of us will be in our home--and we need to prepare for it. This book is the Bible for what it will be like, what we need to think about, and how work at home may be a part of our future.

It's not easy trying to stay focused and motivated while working at home. Sandy Anderson's book provides the necessary tools to not only stay focused and motivated, but to maintain your sanity too.

This book should be the foundation of everyone's work-at-home resource library. My wife bought it for me so that I could understand the true "ins and outs" of what's involved in working from home with kids under foot. (My wife has been telecommuting from home on a part-time basis for about two years, and I must admit, I've been less than supportive.) Recently, I decided to make the plunge to start a home business and take on a good portion of the child care responsibilities. We searched high and low for resources that could help. "The Work at Home Balancing Act" was the *only* book we found that addresses ALL the issues and challenges of working at home from both a MALE and FEMALE perspective. It's been our lifesaver because we can both relate to it, and it teaches us how to communicate about complicated issues that arise when you work from home. It's written in a reader-friendly style with great quotes and stories from men and women--very realistic and motivational. Lots of nuts and bolts strategies--everything you need to know to set up and run a successful home business or telecommuting arrangement, and then some!

Dr. Anderson's extensive research interviewing work-at-home parents is a must for anyone with children and the desire to work from home. You get tried and true, both common sense and creative, ideas from the many parents who have "been there, done that" and know what works for dealing with children of all ages. It also has an excellent chapter on issues for couples. You will find yourself among kindred spirits. Easy to read, encouraging and engaging, this book is excellent! Barrie Jaeger, Ph.D.

Sandy Anderson addresses the key issues facing people who want to work at home or are currently engaged in enterprise at home. For those looking for a home career, Anderson's chapter on choosing the right business is very informative and guides people through the most difficult part of starting a business-"choosing the right one for yourself." Plus, her insights on managing a household along with a home business are worth re-reading several times. Finally, Anderson's interviews with many different types of homeworkers gives the reader a great insight into the TRUE benefits and challenges of working at home. Tina Egge Family@Work Editor, Work@Home Magazine

Energized training strategies respectful of the multiple intelligences and learning styles flow throughout the book. Content features key strategies for instructors from building the course, to igniting anticipation from learners, to understanding why a variety of well-placed and appropriate activities--including the use of music-- build retention of the training content. Practice segments invite the reader into interaction with the ideas suggested in each chapter. From instructor self-reflection, to comprehensive planning and delivering the course, Russell builds elements of Instructional Design into an Accelerated Learning process with the learner, retention and performance at the center.

and didn't know who to ask!

As a seasoned practitioner of brain-based learning techniques, NLP, and accelerated learning, I was intrigued by this book - it was the book I always thought I'd write!

I'd recommend it to my friends who've decided they want a cool job like mine.

It covers the A-to-Z of learning - business reasons, contract for learning, learning styles, memory, you as trainer, environment, music, development of learning events and marketing. It even provides usable examples and activities.

The best thing - Lou models what she's writing with the use of illustrations, tables, etc. If you want to be a trainer who does more than lecture, this book is a must for your briefcase...it may never make its way to your bookshelf!

This is the most useful training book I have ever read. The format is easy to read and it is easy to learn the concepts. I have been doing training and psychotherapy for twenty-two years and I am an NLP practitioner. I learned many valuable new things. Especially the importance of teaching all the types of intelligence's. I now realize that when I get all excellent evaluations except for one or two I may not be hitting that persons intelligence. The marketing ideas are a very welcomed addition. This book has helped my training and business immensely.

Outstanding presentation on the theory and practical tools to enahnce any learning experience. I found that the book answered many questions I had, and solved many dilemmas I face facilitating behvior change in organizaitons. Lour orgainied the material very well, and ends each chapter with a personal plan place. Her work exemplifies the methods she illuminates.

I have adoped the field book for use in the Corporate Trainer Certification program being offered here at San Antonio College Continuing Education. The text is up to date. It combines a very well written text with review exercises, case studies, and personal actions through out. The students love it! But, what I like best about the book is my instructors' USE IT! They use the music CD as well. Their coments to me are that "it's user friendly." Thank you very much for this great teaching tool.

Looking for a soup-to-nuts primer on small group ministry? For most churches, Activate: An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups by Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas will neatly fill that need. Unless yours is a large church (average adult attendance of more than 1,000), this will be a resource that will fill in a lot of blanks.

Covering the Journey Church methodology very thoroughly in 223 pages, Activate guides you from philosophy to implementation in a semester based approach. Is it an "entirely new approach to small groups?" No. Does that make it any less valuable? No again. Incorporating concepts from a variety of sources, the Journey approach is a neatly designed system that will work in most churches.

If you've attempted to construct a small group system the way you'd select food at a buffet, the wisdom of implementing a system will be immediately obvious. As the authors challenge in the introduction, "Read and digest this book. Grab a highlighter and work your way through the following pages. Make notes in the margin. Disagree with us, laugh at us or raise your eyebrows. We don't mind. Over the next 200 pages, we are going to show you a small group system that can consistently accomplish the goals we mention above."

I like the concrete, step-by-step approach of this book. If you're looking for a systematic approach, this is a good one.

I like the concepts in this book - semester based small group experiences, definite start and finish date, clear timelines for recruitment, leader development, content planning and promotion/sign-up months. They certainly make you think if you've only read a handful of Small-group books, and take on some assumptions that are incorrect about the how-to and why of small groups.
The only things I didn't like were the sometimes infomercial style of writing, a couple of places where they seemed to explain things that didn't need explaining but left off things that needed more expansion, and the belief that the concepts were an "entirely new approach" to small group ministry - unique would perhaps be a better word(agian infomercial wording).
All-in-all, I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about small group ministry.

This is by far the best book I have ever read on building authentic and meaningful community in the church (and as a Pastor of 11 years - I have read a lot). After reading this book I bought four more copies for other people in my church to read.

This semester based system that Searcy and his staff has come up with makes complete sense and is something that any church no matter what the size could implement. Also what I like about this system is that it looks to take care of both the "attendees" and the leaders. Also, the focus on spiritual depth and being missional, makes the small group system very healthy.

I got the opportunity to spend a week at this church with Nelson Searcy for a Masters class and he is the real deal. If you are looking for something fresh in the area of small groups and a system that is simple and not overly complex, you need to check this book out.

This book is awesome. The first chapter alone is worth it's weight in gold. I found myself having a continual "A-Ha" moment. It has been a complete paradigm sift for me and my staff. It's so obvious and yet almost exactly opposite of anything I had been taught before on Small Groups.
Our entire staff had been through Nelson's small group seminar and we totally revamped our small group ministry. We immediately went from dozens in small groups to Hundreds literally. The book goes into so much more detail and explanation than the seminar.
I would strongly encourage anyone who is serious about Small Groups to get this book. You will be glad you did

Searcy and Thomas have written an outstanding book on starting or developing a small groups program within the local church. The material presented demonstrates a depth of insight that only comes from experience - it's easy to see how Journey Church in New York City went from a handful of people to over 1100 in worship attendance and over 1200 people in almost 100 small groups in just a few years. The book is easy to read, very well organized, very practical, yet gives the important `why' behind each of the main ideas presented. (I would characterize his other book Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church in the same way.) The material is covered in several sections within two parts: the Activate Mindset, and the Activate System. The first half talks about several novel principles and shares some solid insight in sidebars and examples. The second half is really nuts-and-bolts on how to apply this approach not just as a set of disconnected ideas, but as a complete system that can be put in place. It doesn't tell the reader what needs to be covered or try to set an agenda for the groups, so there is still a lot of freedom for application and customization of the system to best match the needs of the church.

Part One: The Activate Mindset
* Rethinking Small Group Methodology
- Think Inside Out... Not Outside In
- Think Larger... Not Smaller
- Think Friendship... Not Intimacy
* Rethinking Small Group Structure
- Think Short-Term... Not Long-Term
- Think Promotion Months... Not Ongoing Sign-ups
- Think Church of small groups... Not with small groups
* Rethinking Small Group Strategy
- Think Easy... Not Hard
- Think Ahead... Not Behind
- Think Full Staff Participation... Not Staff Specialist
* Rethinking Small-Group Leadership
- Think Apprentice... Not Expert
- Think Decentralization... Not Staff Control
- Think Leader Multiplication... Not Group Multiplication

Part Two: The Activate System
* Focusing Your Groups (with 5 Focus steps)
* Forming Your Groups (with 3 Forming steps)
* Filling Your Groups (with 11 Fill factors)
* Facilitating Your Groups (with 5 Principles)

Some may be put off by the subtitle `An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups'. That type of marketing line seems to be best left for readers and reviewers to decide, but the material in the book is not as self-promotional as the title. I had previously read several books by Donahue and others stressing being a Church of Small Groups (not with). What I particularly liked about Activate was that several foundational principles were in common with these other books, while several aspects of the approach were quite different - and Searcy and Thomas discuss the reasons why. (For example, the approach to sign-ups and promotion is different in the Activate system, but with a good rationale.)

I would strongly recommend that pastors and/or those responsible for starting or growing a small groups ministry read `Activate' in addition to the excellent books from other successful practitioners in small group ministry (e.g. Bill Donahue and Andy Stanley, including Building a Church of Small Groups: A Place Where Nobody Stands Alone and Creating Community: Five Keys to Building a Small Group Culture).

I really like the content. I like the photos, I like the way it's written and most of all, I like the fact that I can understand it. I would say that this book belongs on every horse owner's bookshelf as a reference guide.

Dr. Loving has done it again with this comprehensive horse owner's "survival' guide. There is nothing left untouched and every horse owner needs to have this book in their library. I read it cover to cover and have dragged it out on many occasions for answers to questions. Dr. Loving converts equine science into lay terms with outstanding photographs illustrating the topic of discussion. I can't thank her enough for her concern for the horse and the years spent compiling this amazing book. I just wish I lived closer to her clinic in Colorado to utilize her vet skills 'hands-on'.

This book I have found to be very valuable as a reference book particularly for people who take their horse sport seriously. I myself am into endurance, and have found absolutely everything I needed to know about what can possibly go wrong with an endurance horse, whether it be training techniques, nutrition, lameness, etc etc. The detail is immnense, and I have not found any veterinary condition not written about, and yet it is easy to understand, and very readable. There are photos and diagrams on almost every page, and the book is 565 pages long, plus has a huge appendix, and bibliography section at the end. I would strongly recommend this book to any competitive horse owner.

This is an exceptionally good reference book, a must-have for horse owners. The photographs are extremely well done. Many are by Dr. Loving herself, and illustrate exactly the points made in the text. I gave this book only 4 of 5 stars because the information on infectious diseases and vaccines is not up to par.

Every horse owner should have a copy of this book. And with the price being less than a vet's farm call, it will pay for itself many times over. What I really appreciated about the book was that it isn't so technical that you need a medical degree to understand it, yet at the same time it is very thorough and the pictures, wow the pictures! For example not only are you told how to care for a deep wound, but how it should look at various staging of healing. How many times have you treated a wound and called the vet daily wondering if it's healing o.k. or getting worse?

The only thing that I was a tad disappointed in was most of the hoof shots showed shod horses and I am practicing natural hoof care and barefoot trimmning. But if you want a book on Barefoot Hoof Care, you should order a book specific to that topic. This book, it covers everything else you will ever wonder about with your horse and health related problems.

I don't call many of my 1000 books a "bible" of whatever subject, but this is my "bible" of horse health.

Finally a book out there that is easy to follow about getting online. It is well-written and clearly organized. I was already able to email friends, but "Wired in a Week" taught me how to do even more -- like checking my stocks, instant messaging and so much more. Buy it--it's worth it!

This book is a must have next to your computer. It tells you how to get started online and how to use AOL for checking stocks, sports scores, email and getting pictures online. I refer to it all the time.

This book was the answer to my prayers.....I have felt "left out" on the new internet wave and Regina Lewis's book brought me "in"!!.I had no idea how helpful the internet can be!.....Thank you ...Thank you!.......Now I can "really" join in all the conversations with my adult children. It feels great to be "connected" !!

This book was really helpful. I learned a lot about AOL that I didn't already know. Illustrations were very helpful too.

Finally a book out there that is easy to follow about getting online. It is well-written and clearly organized. I was already able to email friends, but "Wired in a Week" taught me how to do even more -- like checking my stocks, instant messaging and so much more. Buy it--it's worth it!

excellent insights into the difficult tasks of being a pastor of a church

This is a book that I have used, loaned, lost, bought and loaned again. Now I just give it as a gift to any friend in pastoral ministry that seems to be giving too much. It is a book that will quiet the noise of constantly trying to be more than God calls one to be.
I highly recommend it to anyone beginning their ministry.

I have used this book for personal as well as community meditation ever since its first publication by CTS several years ago. As many others, I sincerely wish it were required reading in seminary and by corporate-type lay leadership who want a pastor to be a CEO rather than a pastor. I must disagree with the reviewer who faulted the book (modestly) for its lack of stress on the prophetic aspects of ministry. After all, wasn't Thomas Merton a contemplative who had a great deal to write concerning the prophetic issues of peace and justice, let alone racism? This book has been formative in enabling my continuation in ministry.

This simple book has been an important tool in helping me recover a sense of peace and serenity in parish ministry. The challenges and struggles of ministry are intense. The answer for me has been found in returning to a place of quiet, listening, and trust. The Art of Pastoring is a MUST READ for anyone in full-time parish work.

After 30 years in parish ministry, I wish I could have read this book slowly each year. I would have been more relaxed and focused. Martin takes the best from Eastern (Taoist) thought and puts it into a Christian framework. It's soothing. It's therapeutic. Especially for Type 'A' pastors like myself. We need these grace-filled thoughts to reflect on. My only caveat is a theological one. A few of Martin's reflections seem to blunt the edge of prophetic ministry--the concern for justice and equality in the world. It's that "everything is already perfect" Eastern notion. I realize the paradox involved in accepting "what is" in order to change or be changed. I wonder what Amos or Jeremiah would think about "everything is already perfect." That being said, I recommend this little volume for its peace-evoking words. I have used it in daily prayer to help me "let go." These words on page 24 keep ringing in my ears: "If you want to be a wise and true minister of the Word, work a modest number of hours each week, then go home." Amen.

This is probably the best book ever written on the subject of waterbaptism. Thorough, complete, liberating.
A minor comment one could make is the confusion with baptism with the Spirit at some points, but the writer's monumental explanation of the sacramental value of believer's baptism makes up for it for sure.
In short the writer is saying that baptism is a expression of saving faith that perfects that same saving faith - with all the wonderful blessings of salvation! (James 2:22)

I came to this book needing questions answered about biblical baptism. I got that and so much more. The author not only deals with the issue in a comprehensive way, but in the wider context of the church and the Holy Spirit, and in doing so deals with many other issues aound confirmation, laying on of hands, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the church. Essential reading for anyone pondering the complexities of such matters.

G. R. Beasely-Murray (B-M) set out to write a book on his full understadning of baptism, and the results are amazing. I would warn you that this book is not easy reading, but is necissary reading for those who are truely interested in God's word. It seems like B-M did not leave any stones unturned in his quest to understand baptism. He brings anthropology, history, literature, theology and many years of knowledge out in this book.

B-M starts with a pre-christian history of baptism and cerimonial washing, including the Baptisms of the essenes, John, and the baptism of Jesus. He then looks at the formation of Christians baptism in the bible (broken down into each book starting with acts). Then he does a topical look at what Christian baptism means and theology about baptism: icluding grace, repentence, and faith which are almost always overlooked in modern discussion of baptism. The book ends with a look at infant baptism.

B-M is thorough in his quest to figure out baptism. He rest his arguments on facts and logical conclussions instead of assumptions (normally a problem with modern theologins). Instead of writing a book to support his denominations theology, he has the courage to challenge it (and other denominations as well).

Although this in not meant to be an "easy reading" book on the vast subject of baptism, "Baptism in the New Testament" is well worth a careful read by the serious Bible student. This scholarly book is written by a Baptist, but as the back cover says (and I agree), "his discussion transcends denominational lines." Baptism is a vital part of the Christian experience, yet it is so often misunderstood, especially when it comes to any possible role baptism has with salvation (specifically, justification). Beasley-Murray concentrates much attention on the historical aspect of the doctrine and shows how baptism has been practiced and believed in the last 20 centuries. I would heartily recommend this book to the person who is serious about his/her study.

I found the author while trying to research Baptist views on baptism, and found Beasley-Murray far different from the faith-only Calvinism I was expecting. Later in a seminar, he spoke of undertaking a project to address the Eschatological Discourse of Mark 13, saying that scholars had for too long "played ducks and drakes" with the passage. Surely the same applies to this subject!

I found many of my own views supported (baptism has a salvific role) and had other views thoroughly changed and elevated by this important book. His understanding of the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" was enlightening and convincing, causing me to depart from the dominant view in my fellowship.

Other reviewers have, however, noted the author's inconsistency on some points. Most disturbing was the treatment of infant baptism which was upheld in spite of earlier insistence on the sole suitability for believer's baptism as an application of Scripture on the subject of baptism. In his seminar, the author also attributed salvation to non-baptized, wrongly-baptized among the denominations on the visible activity of the Holy Spirit among them. Could not a similarly false argument be made for non-Christian religions?

In the seminar he also addressed the puzzling matter of why many evangelicals dodge the plain meaning of Scriptures relevant to baptism. He suprised me again by declaring that Baptists of Europe differ from their American counterparts by upholding baptism's role in salvation. Why not in America? He suggests the current standoff goes back to debates with Alexander Campbell and others from the 18th century on who were intent on throwing off denominational entanglements and restoring the NT church. Many evangelical scholars are now acknowledging the error and accepting the truth, even if filtering this down into their churches remains problematic.

Baptism's salvific role should cause no affront to Reformed believers. We see nothing meritorious, and have no pretentions of saving ourselves or adding to the finished cross-work of Jesus. Baptism is salvific along with other required "works" (believing, repentance, confession of Jesus's Lordship, calling on the Name, etc.) only because they are the means of ushering people into relationship with Him. Salvation is found in Jesus, and in the relationship with Him.

All 3 of my children (boys and a girl) loved this book and we read it endless times. I give it as a gift to every new mother. Extra fun at the end when all the bears are on 2 pages together and we played "find the blue bear ... find the thin bear etc... Entertaining for ages 2-4.

In my kindergarten class, my 5 year olds adopted this book as a favorite. After reading it through once, many of the children were 'reading' it on their own. They were so excited! As a mom of 6 pre-school kids, I find my OWN children love it just as much!

My daughter has many, many books. We both love this one. The words are lyrical and fun, the pictures of the bears are interesting for all ages. She has started to pick up the words and "read" the book herself. Our original copy came used and we will be replacing it.

All three of my sons love this book. I have an older hardcover edition of this book my older 14 year old son enjoyed when he was younger. Now I am reading it to my twin boys that are 20 months old. They truely enjoy all the bears in this book. It even has twin bears in it! If you are looking for a book for the under 5 group this is it. Kids love it.

Children adore teddy bears, and this book is just full of them. Bears of every imaginable description! It is a subtle "teaching tool" helping with colors and sizes, plus much much more. I purchase this book for friends 4 and under. My daughter wore out 2 books! We enjoyed it beary much. Hope you do too!

This book is informative and ENTERTAINING- And when you close the last page, you are INFORMED. Now I listen to the so-called experts and I have a BS meter to evaluate what they are telling me. Our leaders will have to take a hard look at energy policies & solutions once this contentious election is over- this book clarifies confusing issues so that you can be intelligently involved in the dialogue and actions that will effect all of us.

This book should be required reading for all legislators, senators, congressmen, etc. Better yet by all voters. Our leadership has been asleep at the oil company wheel while we have missed opportunity after opportunity to lead on the issue of energy production. Thomas Friedman has recently updated his forward-thinking book "The World is Flat" and is now more direct in his criticism of our current President and his administration. Read these books then pass them on. If they don't make you mad and scared, then hopefully they will make you look for opportunity.

I"m a little intimated to follow Mr. Dal's treatise but what the heck. I am compelled to share my enthusiasm for this important, profound book. Not least because it is a fast, relatively easy and often humorous read. To find a non fiction book that is so timely, educational and enjoyable is rare.

Mr. Shuster makes a compelling case for how energy truly is at the heart of all of the US problems. I would highly recommend BFF to any one who is looking for a thorough understanding of the energy crisis we are facing. Especially as we watch the debates and evaluate who will be the next president, I have been grateful to have such a detailed understanding of what is at stake and what our options are.

No, WE CANNOT "DRILL BABY DRILL" OUR WAY OUT OF THIS CRISIS. It is irresponsible for certain political leaders to suggest we can. After reading BFF, I realize that such simplistic solutions are short sighted and idiotic.

I am also thrilled - THRILLED - that at last Mr. Shuster has written a thorough overview on energy for the every day consumer who hears so many conflicting messages shoveled by mainstream media that are often served up as truth. Indeed, one of BFF's great strengths is that it acknowledges and examines the MANY different points of view surrounding this subject (including a host of scientists, political and business leaders) and while it offers the author's opinions, the reader is also invited to think for herself and told plainly what is certain vs what is speculation or opinion.

Overall, it is a HUGE wake up call. One can hardly believe the govt - both dems and republicans - have allowed the US to get into such a ridiculous crisis. it's hardly snuck up on us.

But given the current financial crisis we are in, I am convinced that it really is as bad as Mr. Shuster predicts - that the govt has been asleep at the wheel, has truly been negligent and incompetent - and that URGENT action is required. Mr. Shuster does a good job being non partisan and assigning equal blame.

Thankfully he is not just a doomsayer but offers up some very exciting solutions. in fact, as an entrepreneur, i am excited to see that not only can we get out of this energy crisis, but that we can use it as a source of growth, strength and innovation. with strong leadership, successfully solving the energy crisis is within our grasp.

but we can't simply rely on our govt to get the message on its own. if enough of us make enough noise, the media will get it and eventually the govt will too. plus there is plenty that private individuals and enterprise can do that will make a big difference. while it will ultimately require govt action, govt action is not sufficient. its in our individual interest to take steps now - from turning off lights to driving less to investing in alternative fuels etc.

I have also bought several copies of this book and sent them to friends, as well as NGOs, energy professionals and media personnel.

Read and heed this book!!

The function of imagination is not to make strange things settled, so much as to make settled things strange.

-- G. K. Chesterton


"Yes, it is possible," says Joseph M. Shuster. Mr. Shuster is a chemical engineer, a successful entrepreneur, and a grandfather. The latter led him to write the book Beyond Fossil Fools: The Roadmap to Energy Independence by 2040 (Beaver's Pond Press, Inc. 2008).

Mr. Shuster approaches the goal of energy independence the way a good engineer would: By studying how our current energy practices will quickly bankrupt us if projected forward, by choosing an alternate path that is realistic and doable, and then showing us that it will be very profitable to do so.

There are many ways to reach the goal of energy independence. Some of them are less controversial than the path proposed by Mr. Shuster, but they will take longer, and be more costly. There is a heavy emphasis on nuclear energy in Mr. Shuster's proposal, and my state of Minnesota has prohibited any nuclear expansion of its power needs since 1994. So this book more relevant for the 49 other states that can act on his proposal.

Mr. Shuster begins with the obvious: Sooner or later, we'll run out of all fossil fuels. All fossil fuels: Oil, gas, coal, tar sands, oil sands -- you name it, and Mr. Shuster will tell you that nothing can stop its depletion. Conservation just postpones the reckoning. So do more efficient cars, better coal- and gas-powered plants, improved appliances and more comprehensive public transportation systems. For the world, he estimates that oil and gas will last less than fifty years, and coal less than seventy-five - forecasts that assume very modest economic growth. The more we procrastinate with changing our energy sources, he writes, the higher the cost will be.

What will be the quickest, cheapest and most sustainable strategy? It will be the one that will not run out, will produce few or no toxic emissions, and will be safe.

Wind is included in Shuster's plan, although he points out that windmills work only 35% of the time, requiring a backup system.

Solar is included as well, but the sun does not shine at night; thus, solar power, too, requires a backup system.

The 24/7/365 backup system he recommends is nuclear energy.

Currently only 6% of U.S. energy comes from renewable sources. Biomass is the greatest of these, providing more than all 75,000 U.S. hydroelectric power plants put together. Together, biomass and hydro produce 92% of all renewable energy (but only 6% in all, as noted in the chart below), hydro providing 2.6% of total U.S. energy usage.

All other potential renewable energy sources cannot contribute much to solving our immediate energy problem, but may eventually become part of a long-lasting solution -- in places where they can safely be exploited. Hydrogen is a special case, but currently costs more to produce and store than the energy it delivers.

Mr. Shuster covers all known energy options in his book: Solar, wind, bio fuels, hydro, tidal, waves, geothermal, hydrogen, oil, oil shale, oil sands and other forms of energy generation. Each approach is carefully considered in light of the urgency of the problem, the cost of conversion, and the potential damage to the environment. He deals with potential nuclear contamination in depth, and I urge you to read about it.

He describes the sources of energy for the U.S.:

U.S. Energy Inputs from All Sources (2002)

% of Total
Energy Generated % of Total Electricity Generated
Nuclear 8.2 21.3
Hydro 2.6 6.6
Biomass and Other Bio 3.3 2.4
Coal
Domestic 22.8
Imported 0.4 23.2 52.5
Natural Gas
Domestic 19.7
Imported 3.6 23.3 14.9
Oil
Domestic 15.0
Imported 24.4 39.4 2.3
TOTAL 100.0 100.0


How our energy is used:

Residential/Commercial 27.6%
Industrial 26.8%
Non-fuel 8.3%
Transportation 37.3%
TOTAL 100.0%

And how much is lost in the system:

61.5%

Currently, satisfying our demand for energy draws 85.9% from fossil fuels. These are the fuels that will either be depleted (oil and gas) or cause massive environmental damage through pollution and greenhouse gasses if they remain our focus for energy generation.

Building upon that set of premises, Mr. Shuster proceeds to electrify the economy through nuclear energy, solar and wind in order to reach his goal of energy independence in 2040. He suggests that the other energy sources like bio-fuels, tides, waves, geothermal and hydrogen may be part of the solution to varying degrees, but not within the time or cost frame that we must follow if we want to avoid early catastrophic results.

Here is what Mr. Shuster thinks we can achieve by 2040 -- and what it will cost:

Transition Capital Costs through 2038

Source % of Total U.S. Energy Production Cost
(in 2008 Dollars)
Nuclear 80 $1.1 trillion
Wind 10 $0.5 trillion
Solar 10 $1.7 trillion
Transportation N/A $0.5 trillion
TOTAL 100 $3.8 trillion

He proposes collecting surcharges on the use of fossil fuels and electricity amounting to $4.8 trillion over 30 years, leaving a surplus of $1 trillion for investment or refund.

What will be the payback to the American people over the 30-year transition from the investments in all renewable energy?

Mr. Shuster calculates fuel savings and electricity savings of $8.3 trillion, which leaves a net benefit of $3.5 trillion from an investment of $4.8 trillion -- a return of 72.9%.

To that he adds a cleaner environment, stable energy prices with savings projected at $500 billion per year, an improved balance of payments, a resurgent dollar, and a prosperous and sustainable economy.

If this plan is extended to the world, he sees that oceans will recover, mercury will dissipate, acid rain and toxic gasses will disappear, and human-caused global warming will no longer be an issue.

Finally, he suggests that an energy-independent world will have lost a major cause of conflict, violence and war.

This is Mr. Shuster's plan. I applaud his initiative, although I know it will be a controversial proposal. And it is true that there are many alternative routes towards a self-renewing energy solution for the U.S. Here are some thoughts about these opportunities:

* I have seen a Russian gamma ray reactor that supposedly could reduce the half-life of nuclear waste to twenty-five days. Nuclear energy produces no CO2 greenhouse gasses. If nuclear waste can be stored safely or rendered harmless, nuclear energy can meet all of our baseload energy needs for more that 100 thousand years.

* In South Africa, the most advanced, and most safe nuclear reactor is being built, using small spheres of uranium oxide and graphite. Put enough spheres together and a chain reaction will start. Safety is assured in that the system shuts itself down if it overheats.

* I've listened to researchers who believe that the oil economy could be replaced by a glucose economy. The U.S. could harvest plant matter in the amount of 1.3 billion tons peer year without affecting food production. That is enough to replace 65% of current petroleum consumption. Add algae and new and more genetically appropriate plants and better technology, and tropical countries could join us in the next industrial revolution.

* I've seen the potential of geothermal in Iceland. It is an invisible form of energy, ready for the taking, and my late friend, Dr. Curt Nicolin, heated his home and pool with it in southern Sweden.

* Windmills were virtually absent a decade ago -- soon they will supply up to 25% of the energy of a state or a country. They dot the landscape of the Midwest "wind tunnel." Using intelligent grids and intelligent user technology, the variations in supply may be accommodated so that demand and supply are a seamless fit.

* Solar power technology improves every day -- now a system of concentrated sun energy applied to solar cells has driven costs down to 5¢ per kilowatt hour -- matching the cost of the use of coal in energy production.

* Geographic luck offers certain locations special energy advantages. Waves and tides supply coastal homes in Norway with energy. Abundant waterfalls drive turbines throughout that mountainous country. And under Norway's continental shelf, there are considerable reserves of oil and gas.

* In the Sahara, they have just begun to harvest energy from the sun; the deserts of New Mexico are perfect for solar farms. And Saudi Arabia is sometimes referred to as the "Saudi Arabia" of solar energy.

Those who would like another route to energy independence should propose a plan that will be better than Mr. Shuster's plan. That may not be easy, because I think Mr. Shuster may have underestimated the possible savings from his approach, extraordinary as even those numbers may seem.

Here is why: The moment the U.S. commits to this plan, OPEC will know that oil and gas will be marginalized as future sources of energy. Energy independence is the greatest threat to the power of the cartel.

Immediately, oil prices will start to fall as oil producers scramble to compete for diminishing demand, both current and projected. There are about one trillion barrels of known reserves in the ground; if you were holding them, what would you do between now and 2040?

Prices will need to fall in order to sell the overhang of excessive supply of oil in a rapidly energy converting world.

But, the U.S. must tax gasoline in a more imaginative way than what Mr. Shuster suggests. He proposes a 50¢ tax per gallon of gasoline. A better way will be to guarantee a $3.00 price of gasoline, and pocket the difference between what is likely to be a $1.00 per gallon (or less) market price and the $3.00 guaranteed price. The difference will then finance the conversion costs of changing to an energy-independent economy instead of fueling the profits of oil companies and the OPEC cartel.

The falling market price is likely to generate $280 billion per year in surcharges on gasoline. Add this to the other fees on electricity production (2.5¢ per kilowatt), coal ($50 per ton), gas ($1 per 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas burned) and gas guzzlers, and the annual take will be $450 million per year - enough to finance the entire cost of conversion in only 7.2 years.

I don't know if it is possible to build 277 nuclear power plants per year over those 7.2 years, or 361 thousand 2-megawatt windmills, or the equivalent in solar energy plants. Engineers will have to come up with drawings, technologies and time lines to make it happen.

I do know that it would be the kind of effort that could define our generation. I believe that leadership and steadfastness will be the critical factors in such a gargantuan project, and I believe that we can do it.

I am a grandfather, too.

I read Mr. Shuster's persuasive and brilliant book with a critical eye. I am not a nuclear scientist. I know nothing about fast neutron reactors or the reasons why they are considered to be environmentally sound.

But I know that the ideas underlying the book are simply derived by applying the principles of productivity to perhaps the most challenging problem of our time. And because I know productivity, I took the liberty to speed up the transformation by 22.8 years (317%).

Even I am probably underestimating the gains from succeeding in this extraordinary quest; the returns from having our children grow up in a clean, safe and just world, a world in which they are educated and cared for, will exceed any projections Mr. Shuster and I could dare offer.

Mr. Shuster is 74 years of age. Consider his perspective when he sat down to write this book. He wrote it as a message to a future that he thought he would never know but that his grandchildren would. And that fueled his efforts.

Now, we both might live to see it.

Will the leader of this all-important energy quest please step forward?

Shuster has hit the nail right on the head! We have to get our heads out of the Arabian sand as quickly as possible. This book is the alarm clock ringing a wake up call to Americans specifically, but to all humanity in general. It should be a must read for all our political leaders.

He succinctly describes our current energy consumption problems, describes "clean" and "popular" alternatives, explains why these will not and can not play more than a minor role in our energy independence and then talks in detail about THE solution.

THE solution is nuclear power. Not the nuclear power that the media likes to demonize but new, safer technology using Fast Neutron Reactors. Reactors which use existing nuclear waste as fuel and are 99% efficient rather than "Light Water Reactors" which are only 1% efficient, virtually eliminating the existing waste. These reactors also emit NO carbon dioxide, mercury, nitrogen oxides or other harmful pollutants. He also brings to light the important new agency called the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) which has as it's agenda the nonproliferation of weapons grade nuclear material and the sharing of Fast Neutron Reactor material for power generation.

He offers a "timeline" and costs for implementation, which always seems to be missing in books of this nature. The sources and details are very well researched and documented. The bibliography reads like a "Whose Who" of the scientific and engineering world.

A remarkably important book arriving exactly at the right time. Read it. Call your Congressional Representative or Senator and demand a nonpartisan "Call to Arms," for the sake of our country and its future.