Associations Books

"Defending the Brand" is the definitive work in the field of protecting your brand presence on the Internet. I have read several books on Internet Security, site hijacking, and other problems of the Internet and even hold a security certification. I am not aware of any other book on the market today that explains so well the problems of malicious hackers and pranksters and how quickly they can destroy your brand name. The book is full of example after example of real-life problems that others have faced and solid advice on how to handle each of the various situations. Of course, it also has sound, positive steps you can take to help protect your brand from problems to begin with. Author Brian Murray doesn't give basic advice that is supposed to fit every situation but helps the reader to determine what factors make a situation warrant action, which ones are better off left alone, which ones might require legal action, and which ones trying to get a legal letter so they can further defame your brand name. Every business with an Internet presence should have a copy of this book. Using the Internet it is now possible to lose many years of positive customer relations in a matter of just a few days. You are responsible for knowing how to protect your company and yourself and this book will open your eyes.

Our company has been the victim of phishing attacks and it has been hard finding books that can help. Def the Brand was recommended to me by a friend and it has been very useful for some aspects. Defending the brand is not only valuable for marketing and legal professionals but I would call it a must read for security professionals given the changes in what we are dealing with. The book does a good job covering the different ways that other people on the Internet can use/abuse your corporate identity.

Wow, this book provides a tremendous amount of insite into the world of online brand management. New technology has created a new set of issues for brand managers and IP counsel. Ten years ago cybersquating, meta tag abuse and typo-piracy certainly weren't in my vocablulary. This is very informative book from someone who is very knowledgeable of what is going on in the online area......

Mr. Murray has changed my strategy on protecting our image and reputation in the marketplace. I knew that we had to closely monitor the use and licensing of our brand in the off-line world but this book opened my eyes to the on-line marketplace. There is nothing more valuable than our companies reputation and as a result of the great examples given, I've changed the way our digital marketing group operates with the Internet. Thanks Brian for this valuable contribution to preserving our shareholders investment.

Just a decade ago, defending your brand essentially meant ensuring that sidewalk vendors weren't hawking knockoffs of your goods. That has changed drastically with the explosive growth of the Internet, which has revolutionized retailing, but has also made it easier for thieves to hawk counterfeit product.

Leading brands are finding the Internet to be a perfect vehicle for reaching out to their existing customers and finding new customers. The flip side is that for every Internet marketing method there exists a nefarious online activity that exploits the power and goodwill of established brands. For example, rumors and fictitious product information can hurt companies' brands.

Never before have companies faced such a siege on their intellectual property and brands, so the publication of Defending the Brand is timely. In a fascinating depiction of today's threats, the book explains in lay terms how an organization can develop a strategy to fight brand thieves.

The eleven chapters are replete with real-world examples of how companies such as Home Depot and Disney have struggled to protect their brands online. The author furnishes effective advice on how companies can better deal with situations ranging from digital brand abuse to illegal distribution. At 250 pages, Defending the Brand is a quick and fascinating read.

Reading this book makes you wonder why futurists didn't foresee the need for it earlier. But then, that's one of the major purposes of Future, Inc.: to de-mystify futures studies, so that people stop thinking of it as a way of predicting the future, with all the negative, crystal-ball charlatanism that evokes. I read futurist magazines and attended futurist conferences during the 90's, but was turned-off by two things: 1) the boring predictability of most of the speakers/writers, and 2) the irrelevance of their methods, most of them seeming to have been devised in tremendous isolation from the real world. Garland's book cuts through all that ingrown navel-gazing and gets straight to what most readers (especially business readers) care about: is there any way I can get a better handle on what might be coming down the pike, as it relates to my work? This should be on every executive's bookshelf (AFTER being read, of course).

Fantastic book!
Very interesting and well written. Connects directly "future studies" with "strategic planning". Introduces the concept of System Thinking, analizes trends and go through scenario generation, all ilustrated by good cases.

After hearing the author speak on a panel about the future, I decided to buy his book. And what a fabulous book it is! Displaying in-depth knowledge, and conveying it in an entertaining and clear manner usually don't go together. That is what makes this book a great read.
If you like ideas, thinking about them, exploring them, etc., then you will love this book.

Highly recommended reading for anyone. It contains important ideas. I think about its relevance, particularly in light of the news [daily] about an upcoming Recession. While this may tend to put us in knee-jerk reaction-mode, thinking about what we have to do presently in reaction to the possible conditions of the next 12-18 months; it is actually now more than ever that we need a framework for thinking about what is on the 10-20 year horizon. If you could effectively do that [i.e., build the scenario for 10-20 years out, and alter your current plans accordingly], imagine how far ahead of your competition you would be -- in business and in life.

I think knowing about trends and anticipating the future is an invaluable skill for consultants and senior HR people. This is especially true for the latter if they want to be a strategic player. If you truly want to make your "place at the table" being a "business futurist" is one way to do it. I just finished reading Eric Garland's Future Inc.: How Businesses Can Anticipate and Profit from What's Next and I think it is excellent. Garland steps you through the process of viewing the world as a system, recognizing trends, developing scenarios, drawing pictures to make those scenarios easier to communicate and then actually communicating the future to your target audience. One tool that I found to be very helpful, in fact I have already applied it to one consulting situation, is what he called the STEEP model. It is a model that you can use to think about all the potential impacts on your situation, as an example, your current recruiting method. STEEP stands for:


Society
Technology
Economics
Ecology
Politics
Thus, if you were trying to determine what future recruitment for you company might look like you would consider these areas and what their impact might be on recruiting. For example, society might include, Gen Y considerations, talent shortages, demographics, migration patterns, and educational shortages. Technology might include the impact of Internet recruiting and video resumes. Economics might include inflation, cost-of-living, and relocation expense. Ecology might include "green" considerations and your company's reputation. Politics might include federal and state legislative changes that would change discrimination definitions. If you get nothing else out of this book other than the use of this tool it will be well worth the price of the book.

Garland then finishes the book with his take on what he calls the "Drivers of the Future." He discusses: Aging, Information Technology, Health Care (versus what we do today which is 'sick care'), Biotechnology, Energy, Nanotechnology, Media and Communications, and Ecology and Sustainability. All of them are important, but for the HR professional the first three are of particular importance.

The key point of his book is to view the world as a system and to realize that there are multiple impacts on whatever you are working on and to be effective in anticipating the future you must consider this system. That is why the STEEP tool is so effective. This can be put to use today in ALL HR departments and it will have an immediate impact on how you view the strategic aspect of your job and how you are viewed as a contributor to strategy.

I just completed Laugh and Learn and found it to be a helpful resource.

I have used humor in my training programs for a long time, but with some inconsistent results. The author's advice to focus on having fun (instead of trying to be funny) was a breakthrough for me and has resulted in improved instruction.

We teach a graduate class at Western Michigan University entitled "Humor and Fun: The Brain's Best Learning Strategy." After much deliberation, we made LAUGH AND LEARN the required text for the course. We love the sound and accurate science on humor and brain function, and meanwhile it is a genuinely funny read. In short, the book both proves AND demonstrates the central point of the course: that fun really is the best learning strategy.

Our students include pre-school, middle school, high school, and college teachers, and even administrators. In spite of the fact that LAUGH AND LEARN was written primarily from a trainer's point of view, we find that it offers good stuff for all. We're delighted to report that the response to the book (and the class) has been excellent. We highly recommend this book for virtually any teaching professional.

As a corporate consultant and trainer, I'm always looking for ways to increase my effectiveness in helping clients really learn the material at hand. Like many, I don't consider myself particularly funny, and worry that I could do more harm than good by trying too hard to incorporate humor into workshops.

Doni Tamblyn does a terrific job not only showing the reader how to easily and safely insert humor, she also references fascinating research that clearly supports why humor is so critical to the learning process. The book is written in a friendly, approachable style that makes it a fun read, and I appreciate the handy index to the "95 Ways" listed at the beginning of the book for quick reference.

I highly recommend this book not only to other professional trainers, but to speakers and presenters of all types. Personally, after trying some of Tamblyn's strategies, I not only feel more confident in front of a room, but hey, I'm having more fun too. You can't beat that!

As a corporate consultant and trainer, I'm always looking for ways to increase my effectiveness in helping clients really learn the material at hand. Like many, I don't consider myself particularly funny, and worry that I could do more harm than good by trying too hard to incorporate humor into workshops.

Doni Tamblyn does a terrific job not only showing the reader how to easily and safely insert humor, she also references fascinating research that clearly supports why humor is so critical to the learning process. The book is written in a friendly, approachable style that makes it a fun read, and I appreciate the handy index to the "95 Ways" listed at the beginning of the book for quick reference.

I highly recommend this book not only to other professional trainers, but to speakers and presenters of all types. Personally, after trying some of Tamblyn's strategies, I not only feel more confident in front of a room, but hey, I'm having more fun too. You can't beat that!

"Laughter and Learning"

I'm reading this book, and I sense it is what I have been waiting for. I believe Doni Tamblyn has really nailed it. She's given structure to what seems to be the very complex art of effective teaching. I'll start giving her methods a try by using the "smooth" vs "crunchy" approach for initiating group/team work, and by finally using some of those cartoons I've been accumulating for years.

I'm also thinking about how I could apply some of her ideas to my online distance learning courses, where teaching and learning are not in a traditional classroom. This environment lacks the needed spontaneity, but I could see what would happen if I divided my online class into small discussion teams competing for bonus points for "fabulous prizes" to be awarded at our once-per-week lab meetings.

I appreciate that Ms. Tamblyn has combined her comedic experience with Dewey's ideas, theories of motivation, accelerated learning, and optimal/compatible brain learning, the
Koran, the Talmud, famous quotes, tips on psychology and comedic delivery, and has taken the time to share her synthesis of them in a book. Her Laugh and Learn is not only a great how-to book, but also a scholarly piece of work. I don't usually find how-to books with an index, references, endnotes, so many examples, and a case study! (Her "anatomy of a creative learning module" is precious.) Thank you, Ms. Tamblyn!"

The Payroll Source is the best payroll book available in the market today. I use it for reference material almost every day. Practically every payroll issue is covered and if you need to see the IRS regs involved, just look at the bottom of the page. What could be more efficient? Try it. You will be thrilled. How did you ever live without it?

I wouldn't have it out of arms reach at my desk! I use it every day and would be lost without it.

This is THE book to have if you are at all involved with payroll. It is a comprehensive resource and provides information in an easy to read and understand format. It goes well beyond the basics of paying employees and handling taxes by including information on recordkeeping, accounting, technology and management. A truly complete reference that I reach for again and again!

I wouldn't have it out of arms reach at my desk! I use it every day and would be lost without it.

This book has been my life blood as a payroll professional. It explains complicated regulations which are often incomprehensible when viewed as code and states them in a concise and useful manner.

Michael O'Toole's book has saved my day on many days!!!

A smart, fast read, but also practical and frank. Usable advice on query letters, proposals, networking, when to self-publlish and how to negotiate.

This is a nice place for prospective non-fiction writers to start investigating the process of what it takes to get published. A quick and easy read, the book's main benefit is as a reality check to knock the naiveté out of prospective authors. To be sure, pretty much everything Brown discusses is covered by other books on the topic, however, these often spend far too much time getting to the point and/or offering various bits of writing advice that aren't really germane to the nuts and bolts of getting a book deal. Quite properly Brown assumes you can write; and while his brevity is often a good thing, sometimes the rapid pace and flip tone leads to broad generalizations that can be slightly misleading.

He comes at the topic with a wealth of personal experience, having published some twenty or so books with a variety of major publishing houses. Despite this, his perspective is rather limited -- as a former financial writer (for Inc. and Forbes), all but one of his books are business titles. And the reality is that business non-fiction is a slightly different beast, and the lessons learned there can't necessarily be extrapolated to other nonfiction genres. Business books tend to be what Hollywood calls "high concept", that is, all about a central, easily grasped premise, and generally not particularly nuanced. So while much of this "insider's guide" is certainly useful for all prospective writers, some of the advice is very hard to apply to other nonfiction genres.

Similarly, Brown downplays the extent to which his existing position as a journalist smoothed the path to the book world. He advocates a stepped process to approaching editors with one's pitch: start small with a query letter, then if you get a nibble, send a brief (around 3 page) mini-proposal, and then, only as a last resort, put together a proper full-scale proposal. While there's certainly logic to avoiding the substantial work of putting together a full proposal, a writer with his background (especially when working with a "name" co-author) can get away with the approach. whereas 99% of the readership for this book cannot. Probably the worst advice in the book is on page 52, where he argues against sending a full proposal even when an editor has responded "tell me more in writing." If an editor tells you this, you'd better come back with as complete and polished a pitch as possible, because if they're not impressed, they may not give you another chance.

The other aspect of full-blown proposals Brown doesn't acknowledge is that the process of creating the proposal will help you immeasurably in honing your idea and pitch -- and may well lead you to realize you can't write the book. Which is not to suggest that Brown doesn't like proposals -- he includes a complete one of his, and has annotated it with copious footnotes pointing out areas for improvement. This "peering under the hood" is a very strong part of the book, and is well worth examining (even though I actually don't like some of the proposal's arrangement).

Generally, whenever I read a book on this topic, I will jot down the few ideas from it that I found particularly unique or compelling. I didn't do that once with this book -- but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I've already read a lot on the topic, and thus have a good store of material. But this would make a great first book to read on the topic, as long as one recognizes its limitations and reads a few others for more perspective and depth.

I bought this book last Friday afternoon, and had read it entirely by the late evening - I could not put it down.

Not only is it filled with information to help get your first non-fiction book published, it is written in a thouroughly approachable and enjoyable style.

That "memo" is mentioned in the appendix about how this particular book came to be, and I thought it was cool to title a review like that.

Not mentioned in the above little summary is the "snide editorial comments by Ellen Kadin" (on the cover) which are dispersed throughout the book. Ellen Kadin is AMACOM's editor, an independent (and funny) voice to let you know how accurate Paul B. Brown really is. Most, but not all of them are affirmations...but they are all funny. If someone (like me) got the book from a library right next to all those traditional Chapter 6-1/2 books, you might want to skip the her annotations if you are actually reading it _in_ the libary, because you are likely to make enough noise (laughing, cussing, or both) to get dragged out by security...fortunately, I am good friends with my library's security.

With insight and irreverence Paul Brown lays it all out for aspiring writers. He takes you from book proposal to agent to publisher to promotion.

That's all that a would-be nonfiction author could want. He'll tell you things you don't want to hear, but must know in order to make your foray into writing a success.

Brown has endured book ideas that were rejected and books that didn't sell, along with a perennial best-seller Customers For Life.

If nothing else Brown knows his trade when it comes to publishing nonfiction books.

I'd like to point out errors in his 'Nontraditional Approaches' but from my observations, Brown is correct more than I'd like to say.

And, when he has a question, he knows where to go to find the answers, which, of course, he shares with readers.

If you don't like the idea of pitching book ideas to publishers, then maybe being an author isn't for you.

If you don't like the idea of a 40 to 50 page book proposal, Brown will explain why it's in your best interest to get through it, or scrap your idea of a nonfiction book deal.

If you want a bigger advance - and why you should try to get the most you can (besides the obvious reason) - are nailed by Brown in Publishing Confidential.

If your idea is to write a nonfiction best seller, then Brown's book will save you a lot of time, and serve as your tour guide.

You may not write the next top selling business book, it's not a guarantee, but Brown's book will help you get through it with his `insider's guide to what it really takes to land a nonfiction book deal.'

Brown delivers.

Excellent book on the training of all breeds for a difficult task of search and rescue. Easy to read and follow with many diagrams and pictures. Many of the suggestions are still use today by trainers in obedience classes. Well written

An excellent book on the role of dogs in rescue. Differentiates tracking dogs from the wider term rescue. Very well written.

This book was great, it helped me be able to learn how to trian my dog to track using the air scenting method. It gives step by step instructions on how to succeed in training you dog to become certified in Search and Rescue. Published by the ARDA you know that the material it contains is up to date and current. The other great feature in this book is that is specializes in ground tracking, air scent tracking, disaster search, avalance search, cadaver search, and water search and rescues. Can't speak more highly of this book, the only book that compares with this book is Search Dog Training by Sandy Bryson.

This is a really good book. But, if you don't have a German Shepherd than you still might want to look elsewhere. The book can absolutely teach you a lot but the concentration on GSDs will likely grate on you. The bias is such that there is no mention of the fact that the public tends to be frightened of German Shepherds, and that Labradors and Goldens can do the work just as well without the unfair but widespread stigma of Shepherds. Or that Retrievers excel at this work BECAUSE they are retrievers and because they genuinely adore people! Anyway, it REALLY does have a lot of good information, I just can't give it five stars because there are lots of great breeds in the world, many of which are suitable for SAR work. Why discount and ignore them?

In training any dog, the biggest challenge always is how to 'connect the dots' in the dogs mind for what you want to see repeated and ignore what you don't want repeated. You then move on to giving the dog space to make his own choices based on what you taught him. This book fits perfectly into the philosophy.

I have owned two purebred dogs. Field Springers and Border Collies. Both breeds I had to trust to make their own decisions at one point as both had to ultimately operate off a lead. Establishing that connection is key with any dog to keep them safe, and to keep the enjoyment factor high. I give high marks to this book for making this point.

I disagree with a previous reviewer that this is only about German Shepherds. Certainly the pictures are, but anyone who has ever trained a dog should know that personality, drive, and disposition are all factors in training and that trumps breed every time. If the dog is interested he/she is limited only by his ability to smell.

The strongest part of this book is that it begins with simple puzzles for the dog, then offers more complex puzzles as they gain confidence. Like the writers, I agree that the dog has to want to do this. For my border collie it is now a passion. What I used to call 'hide and seek' with my dog has now jumped to a different level thanks to this book.

I'm grateful to the reviewers of this book who gave this such high marks. It made all the difference in choosing the right one. AND, I chose the right one.

This is one of the best books I have ever read on the Christian walk. I would highly recommend this book to any new Christians. It is deep without being overwhelming. After reading this book, I immediately began ordering more Ellen White books. I haven't been disappointed with any of them.

Without a doubt, once one has read this gem of a book, it will be confessed that Steps to Christ is one of the Greatest Christian Classics of all time! One of the greatest things that the author, Ellen G. White, has done, is take the complexity out of a relationship with Christ that has been portrayed by too many who do not clearly understand. She shows a clear and steady path that can be followed by any and all who sincerely want to come close to Jesus. Because the author had such a great understanding of what it means to surrender, trust, and to follow Jesus, she is able to give in simple, easy to understand language, step by step guidance to bring the child of God into a life of humility, repentance, forgiveness, prayer, and service! As I was recommended to by my University Professors, to read this book at least once a year for the rest of my life, I have found over and over again deeper and deeper insight to my relationship with Christ, bringing me closer to His desire for me! My hope is that you will pick it up and read it too, that you may know the Sweet Jesus that I have learned of!

This is one of the best Biblically-based books that I have read on the lift of Jesus! I absolutely love it and would highly recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about Jesus Christ. It's a must buy, in my opinion.

Of Ellen G. White's many astounding books, this is probably her best seller. Literally in the tens-of-millions. A beautiful guide to understanding and personally accepting Jesus Christ and His Grace. The perfect gift for anyone even considering following the Son of God. And despite false accusations from many, after reading her inspired works you'll better understand why she is America's all-time best selling female author, and most widely translated of any gender. A beautiful light to the real Biblical Jesus.

"Steps to Christ" is a wonderful book! If you could just read one book, this would definitely be the best one to read indeed! It brings God's love closer to you than you could ever imagine. It opens your eyes to just how much God really loves you, a love that none of us deserve. This is a must-read classic! I would highly encourage anyone to get this book and read it and pass it on! You'll never be the same. It opens to the heart the great impact of the Gospel and shows the way, the only Way, to salvation-Jesus Christ.

Understanding by design was recommended to me by one of my teachers. This book helped me understand how to approach lesson planning. Backwards design is an excellent way to design curriculum. The templates are very helpful, and almost mindless even. You just have to know what your goals are, and the templates help you do the rest.
I think they should come up with a computer program to make it even easier, but hey, writing is good practice. I rated it four stars, because I haven't found some of the information int he back too helpful- of course I haven't thoroughly read it. I guess it's there for something, but I'm a stickler for not including unnecessary information.

Clear user friendly guide for effective use of UbD for planning.
Understanding by Design: Professional Development Workbook

This book not only provides clear examples of the work that it supplements, it is effective for planning beyond lessons alone. It enables one to plan for school wide or system level comprehensive approaches. An excellent application of the "Begin With the End in Mind" as advocated by Stephen Covey's work.

I have used this resource again and again when working with teachers who are either just starting out with unit design in a UbD framework, as well as with those who are quite familiar with the model. The templates and other tools are user-friendly and make the application of UbD much more straightforward than using the original text alone.

This book complements in practical form the ideas presented in Understanding by Design (UbD). I am using this book as a guide for the design of courses online in higher education. Both have been a wonderful aid to rationalize the amount of resources that I must include in the courses online that I am developing. They are effective tools to determine in concise form and practices the synchronous or asynchronous activities that must make the learners as it demonstrates the intentions reached from the "big idea". I recommend them widely to obtain the deep learning.

As a long-time PR professional and M.A. graduate in mass communication, I've read a number of publications highlighting best practices. Mark Weiner's book, Unleashing the Power of PR: A Contrarian's Guide to Marketing and Communication (J-B International Association of Business Communicators), is by far one of the industry's most powerfully informative.

Public relations professionals tend to be measurement agnostic -- an unfortunate occurrence for practitioners who answer to P&L-savvy organizational leaders. Weiner's book addresses this issue, detailing practical analysis techniques that both improve the impact of communication programs, and reliably measure the effects of those programs.

For example, Chapter 1 details research, initiated by AT&T, which measured the interaction and effect of public relations within the marketing mix. The study revealed a surprising finding: public relations generated as many new customers as mass-market advertising -- at a fraction of the cost. Further, positive news about AT&T enhanced the effects of other marketing mix components. Such findings offer practitioners a powerful argument when competing for finite budgeting dollars.

In summary, I highly recommend this book for practitioners committed to powerful PR. For communication professionals, the book is a literary workhorse.

I have been in marketing communications and public relations for years, and shortly will have a doctoral degree in public relations, and I have to say, I have never read a more concise and valuable book for public relations. There are things in this book that years in public relations did not teach me, and every public relations professional, whether executive or new practitioner, should read this book.

Too many practitioners get into public relations and think it's about writing press releases, getting media coverage, and planning publicity. In this book, Mark Weiner goes beyond the alleged "secrets" of good PR to provide the kind of holistic strategic perspective of public relations that most organizations overlook. And yet, his information is extremely practical and accessible to even the most neophyte practitioner.

Mark Weiner is one of the most talented and intelligent public relations executives in the world, and this book is testament to his simple genius.

This is the only professional business book I have used in my university teaching...and it's the first book I recommend for anyone interested in succeeding in public relations.

Mark Weiner brings a refreshing and much needed viewpoint to the public relations field with his in-depth book about the need to measure results and the value it creates. He provides the public relations professional with insights to help place him or her directly on the playing field as a strategic business advisor to corporate leadership. Mr. Weiner shows how PR professionals can be "change agents" by identifying mutually agreed upon objectives, measuring the results of PR efforts to accomplish those objectives and then making recommendations to improve overall corporate performance.

As Mr. Weiner points out, proving value can be a great challenge, but he shares several steps to make it a relatively simple undertaking. PR professionals will benefit from Mr. Weiner's perspective on how PR measurement demonstrates proof of performance and can result in bigger budgets to work with, earned respect for the profession and opportunities for personal advancement.

This book is a valuable resource as Mr. Weiner provides cost-effective tips on measurement strategies based on three types of "PR-ROI" which should create an "aha" moment for many PR professionals. In addition to covering the unintentional and intentional mistakes that can occur during the measurement process, Mr. Weiner has a wealth of information for the PR professional who wants to become a strategic thinker and have a place at the corporate decision making table.

Mark Weiner's book is a "must read" for PR, marketing and any communications professional working today. It's chock full of great examples as well as great advice. Mark's research background gives him a unique vantage point -- one we can all learn from. And, his experiences represent real life, not an academic approach. I highly recommend it and keep it on my desk as a resource.

Although hardly the "contrarian" of his book's title, Mark Weiner correctly identifies two problems common to public relations practitioners: They fail to set objectives, and then they fail to measure what they have accomplished. Weiner explains an uncomplicated way to correct these tendencies. He tells PR managers and their clients why taking a scientific approach can improve the professionalism of PR campaigns and gain respect for them in the marketing world. He uses examples from his own experience to buttress his arguments about the benefits of PR. Occasionally, the book is repetitive, but it is eminently practical. We recommend it to corporate communicators, PR consultants and their clients.

I purchased this book on the advice of a friend who has diabetes. It is great for making careful eating and food shopping choices. I highly recommend it. I can use it when making a shopping list or choosing meals out in a restaurant.

Very informative, has helped alot with my eating out. Didn't realize how many calories foods have.

I have to watch my starch and sodium intake-This book was a great reference. Especially because it listed alot of the brand names. It has saved me alot of time reading labels. I just wish it were bigger -large print with a binder binding. The paperback is handy for my purse, but I loose my place alot, and have alot of post-it note markers.

This book is endorsed by The American Diabetes Assn. & The American Dietetic Assn. It should also be endorsed by The American Heart Assn. Not only does it help give the reader information needed for a diabetic, it also gives information needed for a person with heart disease.
My husband has diabetes, high cholesterol, quadruple bypass, heart disease, stroke, 100% occluded carotid artery on one side and 60-70% occluded on the other side, just to mention a FEW of his problems.
This Guide not only addresses the diabetes & carbohydrate issue, but also addresses the cholesterol issue. I use it in conjunction with several Diabetes/Cholesterol Cookbooks. For every item, 11 columns of information as follows are listed: Serving Size, Calories, grams of Carbs, grams of Fat, % Calories of Fat, grams of Saturated Fat, mg. of Cholesterol, mg. of Sodium, grams of fiber, grams of Protein, and # of Servings/Exchanges.
The foods are grouped according to category. There are 28 categories. The categories are presented in a logical, systematic way, making this book an easy reference guide for a clueless novice like me.
I highly recommend this book not only for diabetics but for people with heart disease, for people on Weight Watchers diet and especially for the rest of us making up the majority of America who are overweight.
According to John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Human Nutrition, by the year 2015 ---- that's only 7 YEARS FROM NOW ---- 75% of American adults will be overweight, 41% will be obese and nearly 24% of U.S. children or adolescents will be overweight or obese.
In 2004, 32% of Americans were obese. Forty years ago, in 1964, only 13% of Americans were obese.
At risk are women ages 20 - 34 years old, regardless of race or ethnicity; 80% of black women age 40 and above are overweight while 50% are obese.
Wake up, America and do it now, not 7 years from now. The Diabetes Carbohydrate & Fat Gram Guide, 3rd Edition, used as a starting point gives you basic information needed BEFORE you go to the grocery store. Buy a few good cookbooks in addition to this book you're good to go.
This book gives you 4 meal-planning approaches: carb counting, fat gram counting, food exchange system and calorie counting. So if one approach confuses you, you have other options. What a deal!
Buy the book. Use it. Don't end up like my husband.

Having lost over 130 pounds and keeping that weight off for almost 4 years, I thought I had all the useful resources I needed to maintain that weight loss. That was until I opened this book!

I follow the exchange program as a means to monitor my food intake. Not only does this book include the exchanges, it also lists the nutrition information for the following: calories, carbohydrates, fat, % of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, fiber and protein. It lists the serving size so there is no confusion on the amount you should be eating.

The list of foods featured is extensive. This book has featured EVERY item that I've researched from beverages to frozen foods, canned soups to fast food and even ethnic foods.

Anyone following a weight loss program that uses portion control or the exchange program (such as TOPS - Take Off Pounds Sensibly) should not be without this book!

If you are debating purchasing this book as a means to lose weight, you might the following item useful as well:

The choice is yours: A practical guide to take off and keep off pounds sensibly

Healthy eating!

Angela