W Books

This is an extremely inspiring and amazing tale of a woman and her quest be a missionary to China.
She indures many hardships and successes that can only be attributed to God. One of the best books I have ever read and it is an amazing adventure. Both my boys ages 9 and 10 and I throughly enjoyed this book. It held their attention on every page.

I love this book. It is down to earth and very clear for the younger children to understand. It gives a clear picture of Gladys' life. I definitely recommend this book to all young readers. The life of this missionary is exciting and leaves you feeling inspired!

I read this to my children a few weeks ago, and I found it incredibly moving. I am not one to get sentimental over books, but I found this story so inspiring and really incredible. The book begins with Gladys being told by the head of a missionary school that she would never make it on the mission field. She isn't cut out for missionary work. She is urged to go back to being a professional housekeeper. Instead, Gladys stubbornly chooses to pay her own way to China. God uses her in a mighty way, eventually bringing the mandarin (similar to a governor) to faith in Christ. I was so touched by how God was able to use her in spite of what others thought that it brought me to tears.

I've come to the conclusion that any book by these authors is worth reading -- every book I've read of theirs is excellent.

Gladys is my heroe. I was spellbound by not only her difficulties but her tenacity to stay the course when circumstances said to throw in the towel. I've never had a book grab my heart like this one. I immediately bought two other versions of her story and the movie, 'Inn of the Sixth Happiness' based on her story. Lord help me to be as focused as Gladys was.

It is incredible to think that a single young lady could accomplish so much in such a short lifetime. Only someone sold out to God could be used in wonderful ways like this. Thank the Lord that people like Gladys Aylward do answer the call to spend their lives serving Him. She gave up all of the normal comforts of western life and totally followed God's will. She even sacrificed the hope of a husband and family, but God gave her a bigger family than she could have ever imagined! She dared to head off into the unknown with nothing but her faith in God. It proved to be more than enough and God blessed her with spiritual fruit beyond our understanding. You must read this book! It is so well done and inspiring! It would be great for the whole family. I pray He will call out many more people like Gladys Aylward into the dark corners of the world.

I have read this Manheim's translation many times. It is almost perfect and true to the original. As for the book, two things are certain: (1) Grimms' tales are not just so stories and (2) they are not for kids. It is probable that such stories may have been inspiring to Freud, Bergman or could offer food for thought to Edward Witten as they are full of dream or nightmare stuff and lots of inexplicable things. They are an illustrated version of depth psychology and a quantum or string theory at the same time. They are truly authentic folk stories, many of them being incomplete in their logical development and many completely absurd in the existentialist sense of the word. They are sure to leave a hole in your head. Therefore, if you want to have a nice time, do not read them, because they are not nice stuff. However, if you want to get a bad fright, if you want to be haunted by them for weeks on end, read them one after another, and do read them after dark. And take my word for it: these stories will make you scared. You can take the Juniper Tree for a good start (by the way, does not the song of the devoured child (birdsong) remind you of Gretchen's song at the end of Goethe's Faust Part I?

I was expecting a bit more maturity and depth I suppose. Many of the stories seem repetitive and more like a rhyme or a sing song than a tale. Other than reading some of these stories in elementary school and watching Disney's and Hollywood's portrayal I have had no experience with these stories and have no idea about all the translation stuff. I suppose the fault in disappointment is mine. For the most part it is an enjoyable read.

This not only contains every story the Grimms wrote/recorded, it keeps them in their original state, so that you aren't reading the cleaned up version that keeps out the parts of a story that modern middle class parents might find "too scary". Children enjoy hearing a story told to them without a book, and this is a great resource for stories to learn and tell orally or while they are laying down for nap time, they can hear you as you read to them. If the story gets a little too scary and they tell you, you can yourself gloss it over but usually, I find the kids can handle it and enjoy hearing a different version of a tale they already know.
The only problem for me is that the type is a little small and the stories are crowded together. But all of the stories are there and it's already a pretty thick book so unless You want The Oxford Dictionary Like collection of Grimms Fairy Tales, you make do.

How oft we remember dreaming - day dreams as a child and letting our imagination run wild! The Grimm's Fairy Tales are all *Five* Favourite Stars in my Read and Make Read collection in my Library. Some of my fav stories are:
1. Hansel & Gretel
2. Red Riding Hood
3. Snot White
4. Rumpelstiltskin
5. Cinderalla
6. Sleeping Beauty

Many More...you name it and these stories make your dreams sound true! Children love to read and listen. Even write reviews. This book is a famous collection of German Folk Tales by two brothers Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm. The first volume contained 86 tales and the second 70 and the last around 210 tales. The translations are perfect in this book and and took minute care to language details. The Grimms had taken pains to collect the tales mainly from friends and acquaintances who lived in and around a place called kassel in Germany and printed as expression of the spirit of german people. These retold stories with their own versions, the brothers have come out to suit public taste and their ideas about telling tales effectively. The translator Ralph Manheim has taken pains equally in translations! I recommend a 'Sure Sure Pick' whether one is a kid or a teen or even an Adult. Nothing like these stories will ever take you on a trip to wonderland! My Choice, of coz!

Before this book, I had only known the juvenile -"G" rated versions of Grimms. As I had to read this for summer reading, I have to say, it's a bit of an eye opener. This book is great for analysis- you can see why my English teacher picked it (guess he thought we needed a challenge as we already speak English) One fault I do find is in the title: Grimms' Tales...for YOUNG and Old? I would not recomend anyone under the age of maybe thirteen to read this book. I doubt they would understand it very well.

Joni Eareckson Tada is an amazing, courageou lady and her writing is inspiring. Leaves you with the impression that we must all have hope, faith and keep working to be better Christians in order to get to Heaven.

This book and Anne Graham Lotz' book are two of the best I've ever read. Joni has a unique view of Heaven. This is definitely one to get!

Very informative book on authors beliefs and thoughts. Hard book to find locally and our bible study class has had to share books.

This is a wonderful book that provokes us to think and look forward to our future in Eternity, and ponder the amazement of what awaits us there. Joni's sufferings in this life give her a glimpse of what most never see because of being caught up in this life and all its' busyness. God draws near to those who draw near to Him.

After reading Mary K Baxter's book, I was skeptical about purchasing anymore books about the afterlife. But after watching the Heaven/Hell documentary, it inspired me to purchase this book. I must say that this book is biblical! Joni doesnt conjure up any false visions or dreams about heaven. She sticks strickly with the scriptures, and also adds her real life experiences to express her thoughts of the heavenly realm.

I was given this book by a friend while having trouble with my husband. Neither of us has really had much of an example of a healthy marriage - we're sort of making it up as we go.

I expected this to be a surface-level "christian book," with little practical advice and a lot of good-sounding fluff. Not even close!

In this book, Walter Trobisch narrates the conversations he has and lectures/sermons he gives over the course of a week in Africa. The many different troubles couples experience in the book cover many of the possible problems seen in a typical marriage. The explanations he gives of how God designs marriage - what it means to leave, cleave and become one flesh - really make it clear what my role is as a spouse.

Until reading this book, I had no clear understanding of what it looks like to be a wife (or husband). What is my goal? What balance do we take in terms of being ourselves / being a couple? What do we do when it seems impossible? Why should I put in the effort to resolve conflict?

Now I know. I now feel confident that I am able to continually become a better wife for my husband, that when I have no strength I know what I want God to help me with, and that it is possible for a broken person like me to be a good wife for my lover.

Especially in a world where many marriages fail, where people give up too quickly, where we receive very little support from our families and friends, and where we have few examples of healthy marriage, this book is necessary.

A requirement for engaged couples everywhere. A necessary example for married couples everywhere. This book is so universal and honest, I cannot fault it in any way.

my husband and i were instructed to read this book, as were many of our peers, during our engagement (1980!). more than just a moving story, it offers practical issues to think about as you're considering spending your life with someone. it weaves the personal stories of several couples with a series of sermons given by a traveling pastor on the subject of marriage. though until i saw it recently on amazon, it was a little tough to find, we have given it as a gift to several engaged couples. definitely worth it!

The reason why I value this book as a precious treasure is because it holds such truths and such valuable lessons. It gives real answers, even sincere "I don't know"-s, to all questions that young people have.
I have read the book three times, twice when I was single and once as a married woman. It truly is touching and deep. The Lord has spoken through this man, and may he be blessed for making His word audible.
Wheather in a relationship or not, married, single, with a boy/girl-friend, fiance, ... friend, please read this book.

This is an amazing book I recommend anyone from any culture. It's not a book that tells you Dos and Dons, rather a journey of an American pastor who was preaching about marriage, sex, love and God in Africa. I am especially impressed towards the end of the book when the good Christian African man, Maurice, asked weather if he was wrong as a 30 year old virgin to dumb his ex girl-friend because she was not a virgin. Good for Maurice to stand firm before God against temptation. But there are too many Maurice, justifying women who have a different path of life, which might be so wrong, but in needed for forgiveness and acceptance. The books raises a lot of tough and true questions, which sometimes is hard for us to even form. For me, it was tough for me to explain to my boy friend why I think it is problematic for him to not think about marriage, and keep saying that he will seek God first. It's contradictory. Do you not love a child because you want to love God first? Both can come as a practice. Practice how to love God and humble ourselves in marriage. To serve one another, the best way to display our love for God.

In the book, another character, Fatma, a beautiful young women, just like the Samaritan woman who met Jesus on the way to the well written in the New Testament. She and her 6 ex bf/husband, and still living with another man, non of them is her husband. This beautiful woman could not see a way out, do not find a place in God even though she was searching. This story of Fatma is also true to many women who became a Christian later in her life or was lost on the way as a Christian. How women like that may think the best way out is to commit suicide, because her body and soul are wounded, so wounded and dirty, that, abandoning it is the only way out. This is the best book so far I have read about sex, forgiveness, marriage, love and God. It's not a self help book, but I would recommend to anyone in any age.

The only book on marriage I have read that I thought worth keeping and periodically re-reading.

It is told as a (true) story of a marriage counseling couple helping people with marriage or marriage-like problems - a man looking for a woman to marry, an unmarried woman feeling trapped in a relationship, a pastor's wife feeling neglected because her husband puts church members' needs ahead of his family's needs.

This is the only book I have read about marriage that considers single people not merely as "not-yet-married" but as complete people in their own right. Singleness, then, is as wholesome a choice as marriage. Marriage, then, is the uniting of two already complete people, who together create something new - regardless of whether or not children result.

His explanation of how the Bible's statement that two people leave their parents, cleave to each other, and become one flesh is a picture of Jesus's relationship to each of us, is awesome, and goes way beyond anything I have heard preached elsewhere on marriage as an image of God.

The diversity of themes in this collection provide a great deal of satisfaction while you're reading. I found almost all the stories incredibly compelling and they all touched upon an aspect of life that I haven't thought about in a while. I'm currently disabled and I haven't been able to go to school as I'd planned, but I'm going back next year, and I feel that this book is an excellent tool for preparing me for critiques, analysation, and the challenging environment that Cornell is going to offer.

IN FACT is an anthology of personal narrative stories. The stories are well-written and powerful for the first reading. The story about celestial navigation is my favorite.

But after reflection, the stories seem histrionic and melodramatic. Take the celestial navigation story for example. The writer packages the navigation as life & death magic that snatches the lost sailor away from boat killing rocks and shoals in the nick of time, but he had a GPS (satellite) locator in his pocket. The thrill isnt real. He was never in peril.

I dont care for Annie Dillard's commentary about the state of publishing. It may be true that young girls in New York City decide what all of us read, but enough good stuff gets into print inspite of them. Annie comes across as a bit of a wet blanket.

The stories are well-written and interesting, but the drama is inflated.

In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction is a triumphant statement about Lee Gutkind's original goals in 1993 for Creative Nonfiction, the journal. This collection of essays shows the depth explored in the journal in its first 11 years, and could also be considered a history of the genre's current incarnation.

Beginning with Annie Dillard's introduction, a collection of pearls of wisdom for young writers, In Fact takes readers on a sometimes-jolting ride through the creation and development of both the journal and the emerging genre. These essays explore the issue of exclusion from society, either because of one's personal actions ("Shunned" - Meredith Hall) the color of one's skin ("Looking at Emmett Till" - John Edgar Wideman), and the state of one's mind ("Three Spheres" - Lauren Slater, "Gray Area: Thinking with a Damaged Brain" - Floyd Skoot). The environment takes center stage in essays about endangered species and hunting ("Prayer Dogs" - Terry Tempest Williams, "Killing Wolves" - Sherry Simpson), and scientific matters are explored with a personal twist ("Adventures in Celestial Navigation" - Philip Gerard, "Chimera" - Gerald N. Callahan).

Families are typically considered the cornerstone of society, and their dynamics and histories are explored here as well ("An Album Quilt" - John McPhee, "Dinner at Uncle Boris's" - Charles Simic, "Being Brians" - Brian Doyle, "Leaving Babylon: A Walk Through the Jewish Divorce Ceremony" - Judyth Har-Even, "Joe Stopped By" - Andrei Codrescu, "In the Woods" - Leslie Rubinkowski, "Mixed-Blood Stew" - Jewell Parker Rhodes, "Why I Ride" - Jana Richman, "Delivering Lily" - Phillip Lopate).

Showing Gutkind's contention that creative nonfiction is related to journalism, at least in the goal of reportage, social issues often found in the news, and accounts related to former "front-page" material are represented as well ("The Brown Study" - Richard Rodriguez, "Finders Keepers: The Story of Joey Coyle" - Mark Bowden, "Notes from a Difficult Case" - Ruthann Robson, "Sa'm Pèdi" - Madison Smartt Bell, "Going Native" - Francine Prose). Finally, literature, and the writing process are explored ("Language at Play" - Diane Ackerman).

These terse classifications would suffice for general indices of these works, but they each have their own depth beyond the general subjects they explore. James Wolcott's theory (mentioned in Gutkind's Introduction) about the nature of creative nonfiction being too personal is decidedly false; these works offer much more than overly personal prose. Wolcott's declaration that Gutkind is "the Godfather behind creative nonfiction" is perhaps his only accurate comment made on the subject. In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction is an excellent cross-section of both the journal and the genre. It is a necessary volume for any writer, and for any reader who enjoys real stories.

This volume is a brilliant collection of extremely well written short stories. The subject matter varies with the author and the selected works are engaging. I enjoy creative non-fiction and find this collection is an excellent example of the genre. It also offers information about the authors and mentions the workshops, colleges and universities they attended. Many of the writers currently teach creative non-fiction writing at university level programs throughout the United States.

I love the book, thank-you. It also got to my university in time for the beginning of the semester. I was the only person that had it with such a low cost. Thank-you Amazon. You will be seeing me again.!

This is a well-above-average Star Trek novel; it has good pacing, good characterization, smooth writing, and a fair to middling plot. It almost fell into the trap of being just another of the many Star Trek novels with the "crazy, out-of-control admiral" plot, but managed to more or less mostly avoid that pitfall. It puts a somewhat different spin on the usual "genetically engineered supermen" plot, too. Since I don't really care for the first of these plots, even seeing a near-miss cost the book a partial star, and while I don't mind the other and found the twist to be interesting, I still feel that the basic concept is overused, so that was a small negative, too. And the suggestion that Riker might be descended from the followers of Khan is rather dubious. So all in all, I'll give the book four stars for a very good effort, but not five. It has too many overused plot points for that high a rating.

"Infiltrator" is a very impressive book for being one of the numbered novels in the Star Trek The Next Generation line of novels. Sadly enough, this novel is the second and final Star Trek novel written by W.R. Thompson which is a shame considering how well this novel and the author's first novel, "Debtor's Planet" were written. It would be nice to see this author make a return to the Star Trek genre.

"Infiltrator," from beginning to end is an extraordinarily intriguing story, written with an excellent premise, superb plot setup and execution and very fast pacing, all combining to make for an excellent read in the Star Trek genre.

The cover art for this novel is good, but still merely standard for the time in which this novel was published.

The premise:

As authors in the Star Trek genre are often want to do and most successfully carry out, this novel draws from the "history" of Star Trek by furthering the legacy of Khan Noonien Singh, the leader of the Eugenics Wars.

During the height of Khan's reign on Earth, several of his followers left Earth to colonize the planet Hera and continue their experiments in selective breeding. After several centuries, the Heran's are ready to launch their plan for universal domination through genetics. The Enterprise comes into the picture and we soon learn that a Heran expatriate named Astrid Kemal is dubiously on board. We also soon learn that is it solely up to Captain Picard and the crew of the starship Enterprise to stop this plan before it comes to fruition.

As stated above, "Infiltrator" is one of the more intriguing and better written numbered novels to be released in the STNG line. I highly recommend this novel to any and all fans of Star Trek fiction! {ssintrepid}

I read this book several years ago while stranded in an airport with a six hour layover. We all remember "Khan" the super genius that enslaved half the world was resuced by Kirk ect ect. What if there was an entire planet of such super geniuses? It is a very interesting premise for a book and even when I read this book it impressed upon by the facts of why the federation so feared someone or something genetically enhanced. I also liked the fact(being 14 at the time) that a 14 year old was the key leader of the oppositions peace negotations. Also the whole "What if Riker is a desendant of these people" was very cool.

This book provided just the right balance between action and humor. I particularly liked the character of Astrid Kamal, a genetically enhanced woman descended from Khan. She handled her fear of being "a lab animal" quite well, and even managed to save the ship (surprise, surprise). Her attempts to learn proper insult technique were quite amusing. ("Go pet a tribble... just the thing to say to a kill-crazy Klingon. Damn, she really is your kind of woman, Worf!")

Star Trek-The Next Generation: Infiltrator written by W.R. Thompson is a book about a selective breeding experiment on the planet called Hera.

At the time when Khan Nooien Singh was being a tyrant on Earth, some centuries ago, a few of his followers decided to leave Earth and start anew. Thus, we have a race of genetically alter humans wanting to reek havoc across the galaxy. Now, enters Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the U.S.S. Enterprise as the foil in the Federation plans to stop this insanity.

Captain Picard enlists the help of an expatriate called Astrid Kemal to defeat this the plot hatched by these other superbeings. This book gives us a good look at what can go wrong with all good intentions, even those of superhumans.

We see Number One, William Riker in the thick of things to stop the brink of galaxy-wide eugenics war and gives us a good look of what he is made of. With Geordi and Wolf things get pretty dicey and grim, but I can't tell out how this gets all resolved or I'll ruin the book for you.

The narrative moves quickly and the character development grows, while the plot is forming and we get a well-planned adventure that will keep you engrossed till the ending. This is one of the better ST-TNG books where the lesser bridge crew do most of the action and clean-up what could be a galaxy-wide Khan on the universe.

The Inner Game of Work is the best book I've read yet on creating an environment in the workplace for optimal learning and productivity. Thanks to this book, I now see how the 8 hours each day I spend at work can be personally fufilling instead of a chore. He points out how I can actually integrate my experience at work to acheive my personal development goals. This book provided the tools I need to maintain my quality of life at work independent of the negative situations that inevitably occur in the workplace. I have shared this book with many people at work. Some have remarked that they are feeling the culture at work beginning to shift. People remarked that they are feeling more purposeful and less stressed. I highly recommend The Inner Game of Work.

The true achievement of Timothy Gallwey is his 'putting his finger on the exact, right spot'. Not only the spot where our barriers in achieving our full potentials lie, but also on how to evade and avoid these barriers. His book on Work (after his books on Tennis and Golf) is very well written. Through his natural flowing writing style he is able to establish a paradigm shift with the reader. Then, throughout the book, he keeps the reader firmly attentive to 'the inner game' paradigm and makes the subject come alive using theory and stories as building blocks. Once you have read this book, you will never look at achievement the same way. Not for yourself nor for anybody else. This book is an absolute must-read for all modern workers providing understanding of how true fun, learning and achievement works from-the-inside-out. Do not be surprised though when this book will also positively impact your view on, and handling of, many other aspects of life outside your work. Get it; you will not be disappointed.

This book is unique from the many others on how to succeed at work, management, leadership, even life. All of the rest either give you great "principles" and urge you to pursue a higher purpose at work, or they are "packed with great ideas" for doing it better. This book is different because it is not preaching a principle or trying to sell you on the newest work fad.

This book gave me the insight, in simple terms, to learn my way of living up to any principle I choose, and then to determine if it really is a good principle for my work or the kind of leader I want to be.

The book teaches you how to work with your own best inherent desires and abilities in order to develop all the ideas, successful habits and best practices you will need. Not someone else's that they self-righteously prescribe for you, but your own genuine best.

So this is not about trying to implement the latest fad in how to be a highly successful professional and leader. This book is about a simple, elegant way of discovering and learning to be your best.

This book presents a fundamentally different view on working and learning. This other view leads to more pleasure, better performance and more effective learning in work. The ideas in this book are so powerful and relevant and Gallwey describes them so clearly that it seems virtually impossible nót to apply them. Gallwey's core message is: the traditional way in which we try to improve ourselves and our performance -through (self-)instruction and supervision- blocks what we try to achieve. To be more specific: an instructive, controlling approach to performance improvement does not lead to better but to worse performance!

After Gallwey finished his English study at Harvard University in the nineteen seventies, he went to work as a tennis coach. Doing that, he discovered that nearly all his pupils tried very hard to improve one aspect of there play that they did not like, for instance their backhand. They expected Gallwey to give them the remedy for their problem. First, this was exactly what he did: "hold your racket like this, stand there, hit the ball then", etc. He instructed pupils but noticed that they showed resistance to his instructions and that their learning did not go well. Then he noticed, to his surprise, that the performance suddenly was better when pupils stopped trying so hard to correct their mistakes but instead just played tennis for fun. Based on this observation that the 'forced mode' of learning was less effective than the `natural' mode Gallwey built his approach. His book `The Inner Game of Tennis' became a bestseller.

Gallwey proposed that the ineffective, instructive dialogue between coach and pupil also existed within the head of the pupil. While playing, the pupil continuously gave himself instructions and comments: "that was really bad, hold your racket like this, do this, don't do that" etc. Gallwey called the coach inside the pupils head SELF-1. In Gallwey's words: SELF-1 is the collection of internalised voices from the outside world. To whom then did this internal coach speak? According to Gallwey it spoke to the person him or herself. He called this spoken-to self the SELF-2. The best learning took place when SELF-1 was turned off. How is this possible? Gallwey's answer: While SELF-1 is busy giving vague and (too) simple instructions, SELF-2 is doing something infinitely more complex and precise: computing the curve of the ball, instructing muscle groups, taking into account the wind speed, the speed of the ball, etc.

Gallwey concluded that SELF-1 was a from of interference that led to nothing else than an underutilization of the person's potential. In other words: Performance = Potential - Interference. In still other words: don't let SELF-1 distract you from your task and goal!

Gallwey formulated a different, more effective and more elegant way of coaching aimed at achieving three things: 1) Awareness: by letting SELF-2 do its work the pupil can focus on collecting information on the critical variables in the task (where is the ball landing? How fast is it going? How is it influenced by the wind? etc) which leads to a greater awareness of the task; 2) Choice: it is essential that the pupil determines what he or she wants to achieve. Without this choice there is no direction and focused attention is impossible; 3) Trust: trust yourself. This goes for both the coach and the pupil. This refers to the confidence that SELF-2 will be capable of fulfilling the task.

Galwey gradually started to apply his approach to others field that tennis: golf, skiing, music and ...work. He noticed that the effects were the same. For instance: a salesman who stopped instructing and commenting himself became more effective. In seminars Gallwey draws a triangle with on the corners the words: performance, learning en enjoyment. Gallwey claims that each of these are of great importance in work and that they are dependent on each other. When you neglect enjoyment, this will eventually also lead to performance problems. What Gallwey says about the relationship between performance and learning is interesting. Performance leads to an observable change in the external world. Learning, however, establishes a change within the person who learns. It is precisely because of this that learning results are hard to measure. Enjoymentis important according to Gallwey because it refers to the relationship the person has to him or herself. If you appreciate yourself, you won't deny yourself enjoyment for a prolongued period.

Since his discovery Gallwey's most important ambition has been to let himself and others enjoy the freedom to express in their work who they really are and what they really want. He says that human freedom is nowhere more constrained than in the world of work. Nowadays, the most prevailing experience of work even seems to be: someting I'd rather not be doing if I had a choice. Gallwey says that striving for freedom at work is not the same as wanting to avoid responsibility or bosses. It is about choosing a way of working which shows responsibility to oneself. A way which is aligned with your choices and values. Gallwey uses the word 'conformity' to describe the situation when an individual gives priority to extranl demands above his internal fire. Doing this brings the security of doing and being like others but it puts out our internal fire and it diminishes our chance of satisfaction. If life decisions are based on external demands instead of internal demands, someting of the greatest value can be lost. The conflict between external and internal voices seems unfair. There is constant pressure from the outside world to conform. Sanctions, corrections, instructions, rewards, etc. are everywhere. The external world is so large and the internal so small. But the internal has one advantage: it is always there. An important step would be to understand why conformity is so attractive to us and how it affects our way of working. As an alternative to conformity Gallwey names its opposite 'mobility': the freedom to move in any direction without self-restriction.

The central idea in this book is that there is a better way of thinking about working and learning that comes down to giving more priority to our inner capacities and whishes and less to external expectations, norms and instructions. I think this is a valuable book. The author gives good and convincing examples of the inner game, for instance applied to the field of sales. In this time of extreme change good and new ideas about how people can learn and perform are wellcome. Gallwey delivers this.

This book deserves more than five stars, because it explains how you can be most effective in learning, gaining experience, and achieving higher performance. The principles are based on Mr. Gallwey's earlier successful coaching experiences and books about the inner games of tennis and golf. That may sound like an unlikely way to approach becoming more effective at work, but it is unusually effective for those who have ever played tennis or golf by providing a visceral point of reference.

I could immediately relate to the book's ideas, because both my tennis and golf performances are hindered by the critical stream of commentary that flows in my head as I play these sports. Occasionally, I quiet the criticism and I play much better.

To me, the explanation of how to help someone improve their tennis or golf games, or do their work better was a real eye opener. If you encourage someone to simply notice what is going on during the performance of the act (where they strike the ball relative to their feet in tennis, the lie of the ball in golf, or the important circumstances of the work environment), the person will quickly and easily find their own solutions to becoming more effective. That made sense to me because I have been operating without taking golf lessons for about a year and a half now, and many parts of the game have improved in major ways. I have taken charge of making my own diagnoses of what I need to do differently, and have learned a lot that I did not grasp from taking lessons. That experience validated the author's approach for me.

The other reason it made sense is that in my own coaching activities with business executives about their work, I always find that people know the answer to their own issues if you can give them a more helpful focus to open their minds and help them recall information that they have observed in other contexts. That is exactly the coaching method that Mr. Gallwey describes in this book.

The model here is that our conscious minds tend to focus on harmful criticism that provides limited useful information about what we should be doing. On the other hand, our subconscious minds are very good at directing us when we let loose of the chatter from our conscious minds.

Mr. Gallway takes that observation and builds methods to help you set inspiring, authentic, and meaningful goals for learning, gaining experience, and becoming more productive. He gives you tools to shift you focus away from the concerns of the conscious mind, and how to coach others to do the same in their learning. He then links all of this to creating conscious choices to change your direction and behavior in ways that serve you better. To make this last step easier, he provides several alternative perceptual analogies to encourage you. The book has a series of effective exercises you can do to pursue those analogies. The book also provides many examples drawn from the author's consulting experiences to help bring the points home. I am sure that many of these will strike a familiar bell with you.

I plan to cite this book in my future writing, because it is an important contribution to how we can reestablish the wonderful learning capability we all had as children, in a way that is appropriate for adults.

Be sure to share this book with others you care about so you can learn to coach each other, as a way to reinforce your progress toward nonjudgmental learning. That will be a 2,000 percent solution for you both!

I also suggest that you reread this book from time to time . . . especially if you find that you are not accomplishing things as easily and as joyfully as you would like.

The book is in perfect conditions! brand new as the advertise said.
I would recomend it...

2005 Edition:

Great book! However, it is the SAME as the old edition... save your money, buy a copy of the old edition.

I guess Ebeling is trying to supplement his military retirement pension.

Chuck... if you release a new edition and don't change anything, at least mix the index up so it's not so obvious!

A great text. Readable, understandable, practical and current. Highly useful for industry application. Mr Ebeling's clear and concise writing style really makes this book a "must have" for any serious reliability engineer.

The book was brand new when received and in excellent condition and hard bound.. Delivered quickly and efficiently.. will do business again with seller..

This book will help all beginers who want to learn about Reliability and Maintainability Engineering.
This book has a lot of not only very kind features but also good examples. This book is one of my treasures in my book shelfs.

"The Key" explains Zen concepts in beautiful simplicity. I like that it was hand written (not typeset); it seems truly personal. This book was my introduction to Zen (and to the rest of Cheri Huber's books). What a joy! Zen is so clear and so simple that it almost seems complex. "The Key" contains so many pearls of wisdom that I find myself re-reading it. Each time I revisit the book, I find a new insight.

"Acceptance" is a lofty goal and yet a difficult one to achieve, especially when one's life has been fraught with challenges. Sometimes words like "fair" creep into thinking and push acceptance out of the picture, yet in doing so robs one of her chance for serenity.

My Twelve Step sponsor suggested this as a first stepping stone toward a spiritual awakening, but it took years of beating my head against the brick wall of "should" before I had the willingness to let go and just accept in the way this book suggests.

I have a hard head, so it took nearly ten years and a lot of painful life lessons to find that acceptance, and I sometimes wonder if I would have found it at all had it not been for the gentle, loving message in this book. It tells me things, reinforces that which I learned elsewhere, helps guide me along the path toward lasting inner peace.

I reread The Key from time to time, and I continue to find new layers to its message. Everything I experienced, realized and accepted since the previous reading has never failed to reveal some new, more clarified meaning than before. Like any spiritual experience of the educational variety, it keeps growing over time.

Very simple, direct and practical way to approach life. If you are new to this kind of thinking, this book does an excellent job of discussing the issues and challenging you to rethink where you are.

This is one of those books that one reads and reads again over the course of time. I have had a copy this book for over ten years now and have read it at different seasons of my life. Every time I pull it from the bookcase I see and learn something new. I highly recommend this manual on living and put it near the top of my list of ten most influential books. Enjoy.

Very nice, simple read. Friendly little reminder that the world is perfect just the way it is if we would only let it be, but then again, that is what we are doing after all. Learning how to be conscious of this is our challenge. This book will put you to the test.

For everyone who has run into the brick wall of legalese and juvenile court, this book is a great guide. We passed it around to our youth group and juvenile justice committee. Lots to learn; good manual to have. Should be on the shelf of anyone who deals with kids.

From PBS TeacherSource review:
The author, an attorney specializing in juvenile law and youth advocate, has prepared a guide to the juvenile justice system. The book's three sections examine what is done by kids, what is done for and to kids, and the future of juvenile justice. An appendix covers Federal involvement in juvenile law. A glossary is included. This book would make a good resource for civics classrooms.

from Struggling Teens website review:

The book divides the law as it relates to consequences of a child's actions, criminal law, and into the legal consequences of actions of adults around him/her (Divorce, abandonment, abuse and kids being drawn into the system), the author systematically explains in easy to understand language the concepts and specifics of what the law is trying to do for the good of the child.

This book would be helpful for any person that might have any contact with the law as it relates to juveniles, and that includes just about everybody. It would be helpful as a first reference on any specific situation as to the general gist of how the law might apply.

In the book KIDS LAW, Attorney John W. Biggers combines years of experience and a passion for children to make a once difficult topic transform into an easy-to-understand, enjoyable read. Biggers explains everything from the crime to the arrest and from the trial to incarceration. Includes a comprehensive glossary of terms. I would recommend KIDS LAW to anyone who is hoping to navigate the complexity of the Juvenile Justice system. Intended for students and those who work with them, KIDS LAW makes an excellent addition to any school library, classroom, or in the home as a study resource. A teacher's manual is also available. Jackie Igafo-Te'o, Bridges4Kids.org

From The Critics /
Voice of Youth Advocates Review - Linda Roberts

Although minors are considered "persons" by law, the legal system has often denied them the basic rights automatically accorded to adults. Only recently has there been consistency in the way minors are treated by the courts. Biggers, a lawyer and youth advocate who has spent many years working in the juvenile justice system, wrote this book as a guide for adults and youth who want to understand more about the juvenile courts or who might be facing some involvement with the law. The book is divided into three major sections: what is done by youth, what's done for and to youth, and the future of adolescent law. In clear and easy-to-understand language, the concepts are explained by using a case study in which the characters interact with the juvenile justice system in different ways. Any new term is printed in bold typeface and is included in a glossary at the end of the book. New concepts are introduced by section headings. For anyone who wants to know more about the juvenile justice system, the book is interesting to read. It can also be used as a reference book, facilitated by the index. With the plethora of crime shows and legal thrillers shown on television and in the movies, teens will be familiar with many of the concepts and terms and might find this book interesting just to find out how they are specifically affected by the law. It should be included in any school or public library. The information is relevant and unique in its suitability for youth and adults.