Economic-Life Books

Drs. Van Ness and Donohue have focused on a subject that can devastate an individual. Their message is one that we all should embrace. In this day and age, we need not fall victim to corporate circumstance. We can prepare, strategize and manage for inevitable change. Any company that has the unfortunate task of laying people off should distribute this book. Beyond that, however, lies an opportunity for the rest of us to enhance our way of thinking, and become self-empowered. To do so, we need a solid game plan, and this book provides a just such a plan.

Life After Layoff is a 'must read' for anyone who is experienc ing being laid off from his or her job, especially for the first time. It provides an insightful look at the emotional as well as practical aspects of being laid off from work and how to overcome a frequently paralyzing fear of being out of work. Dr.'s Van Ness and Donohue present real people in situations that we can all relate to and practical advice on how to move on with your professional and personal life. I was particularly impressed with their chapter on how to think outside the box with career alternatives. Instead of just looking for a "job", they teach you how to create work opportunities that are more fulfilling and rewarding, including starting your own business doing something that you love.

Life Afer Layoff gives you the tools to begin your next career move. The authors take you step by practical step to help you restart your career. And just as importantly help you emotionally adjust to your currect situation, an area that is rarely discussed and written about during your "between engagements" status. The authors provide case studies of people you'll identify with and take heart from as they enjoy a new self-awareness. Both authors are experienced professionals, highly regarded in their field, and have written a valuable book.

If you've ever been affected by a layoff, you've felt the fear, shame, anger, self-pity and maybe even relief. You've also experienced a certain helplessness. You craved some direction like a roadmap to recovery.
Life After Layoff will come to your rescue. Drs. Donohue and Van Ness have laid out a path for you to follow...a step by step approach that will guide and comfort you throughout your transition. Read the stories of others before you. Learn what they did, how they succeeded and how you can follow in their foot steps.
Read and re-read. First thing in the morning and last thing at night. In no time, you'll look back on another accomplishment in your life.

George Gilder is one of the new media visionaries who saw that television is really about screens and interface and content -- the big three not about programming or about Networks or about producers or even about writers. This truly one of the bibles of the new media industry although it was published many years before the Internet took off. I've enjoyed it and we used it as a reference for my book Multimedia: Gateway to the Next Millenniumand it's still a fascinating resource for those of you who are creating new content to cash in on the $12.5 billion dollar personal development industry as I am with the launch of my own book The Vision Board: The Secret to an Extraordinary Life

As former Director of Broadcast Engineering for Alabama Public Television, (America's oldest PBS Network) I can say that my 38 years of Telecom, Technology, and Broadcast experience strongly suggests that everthing I've ever read by George Gilder is excellent. George's books and Forbes /ASAP articles are an excellent reference for anyone concerned in how technology has and will continue to affect the economy of the U.S. and the World. James Foley -- Alpha Communications & OMNI Telecom

Fiber and wireless, he is amazingly correct in predicting the technology trends, can't wait to see what he is going to talk about in his next book.

George Gilder has been hailed as one of the foremost science and technology writers for Forbes Magazine. His book, Wealth and Poverty, was one of the "Bibles" of '80s supply-side economics. Although I may not totally agree with his economic views, his extensive research of telecommunications and how this vast and intertwined conglom of industries affects humanity is unquestionably thorough, thought provoking, intellegent, and timely. Some craggy rocks which potentially ground Gilder's predictions of a tidal wave on the technoscape are FCC auctions; mis-directed consumer advertising; lack of consumer education on what cell phone towers "really" are (you know, fear of radiation, cancer scare, etc.), and the inability of competing telecoms, cable companies, computer megopolies, etal to install fiber-optic cable and satellites at a break-neck enough pace. All I know is, wherever TCI has tried Internet services, the "Alpha Test" consumers not only wouldn't give it up after the test was over, some people would not move to an area where they couldn't purcase the service! So readers: Ride premiere prognosticator Gilder's technowave, and be one of the first to hang ten in a prospective post-Mellenium promised land! And be sure to pick up his other books, such as Microcosm. I believe he is updating this for 1998, and he's "write-on" in his first edition. Surf's up!

This is the best (and shortest) refutation available of the idea that violence against abortionists is either permissible or required. And naturally, North argues from Biblical law, and does so until he pretty much can't be refuted. Much needed today.

I have had several discussions with Paul Hill at Florida State Prison. I was very sympathetic to his philosophy of "defending the unborn" through the use of force. However, after reading North's refutation of Paul Hill's philosophy I can no longer subscribe to the philosophy of defensive force as espoused by Hill. North does such an excellent job of showing the Scriptural context of the various passages that Paul uses to defend his position that you cannot help but to see that using violence against abortion "doctors" has no support in Scripture. He further demonstrates that such violence actually hurts the cause of pro-life. One more thing about North's work is that after you have read his work you walk away with a much greater reverence for God and His ordained societal hierachies. Paul Hill's position paper on defensive force leaves you with little regard for God's appointed authorities-- which of course is anarchical and thus anti-Biblical.

In this book, Dr. Gary North sternly refutes the murderous philosophy of Paul J. Hill in the scholarly but uncompromising manner for which he is so loved. His position is well defined Biblically and stands on a rock-hard judicial foundation. This book is an absolute must for any Christian that has believed, even for a moment, that Hill's position was misguided but understandable.

Dr. North clearly refutes the idea that violence against abortionists by individuals claiming to be pro-life is in any way justified biblicly. His argument makes it clear that violent actions such as this only hurt the pro-life cause.

An award-winning director, producer, and screenwriter, John Ryan (Chip) Duncan wrote "The Magic Never Ends" as a companion book to his PBS documentary by the same name (www.duncanentertainment.com). It's the first full-length documentary on C.S. Lewis ever produced in the U.S. and features narration by Sir Ben Kingsley as well as interviews with the various people quoted in this beautiful volume. Duncan has the unique gift of allowing the people he interviews to speak for themselves and then finding the themes or threads that emerge. The book reflects this commitment. It also contains rare photographs of Lewis and his family, as well as more in-depth discussion of the major themes the film explores. A great read and a beautiful coffee-table gift for Lewis fans.

This book, along with Kilby's "C.S. Lewis: Images of His World" and Hooper's "Through joy and Beyond", is essential for those Lewis fans who like to see the actual photos of where is used ot lecture, walk, talk, etc, along with the other key places in his life. With high quality paper and binding, the text is made up in large part by interviews of those who knew Lewis. This is the best book on Lewis to come out in years. Well worth the purchase! Enjoy!

As a newcomer to the works of C. S. Lewis, I'm thrilled with "The Magic Never Ends". Recently, I've read "A Grief Observed", "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", and
"The Screwtape Letters", three very diverse examples of Lewis's ability to offer spiritual magic to all age groups. John R. Duncan said it best in his introduction: "The greatness of C. S. Lewis's writing comes from his ability to simplify an intellectual or philosophical concept and to assist readers on a spiritual journey of their own." With input from other Lewis scholars, Douglas Gresham, Walter Hooper, Dr. Dabney Hart, Dr. Lyle Dorsett, Dr. Christopher W. Mitchell, and Colin Manlove,"The Magic Never Ends" provides a "rainbow overview" of one of the 20th Century's most influential writers, C. S. Lewis.

This book is magical. I have been reading C.S. Lewis for quite a few years now. The authors have captured something of why Lewis' books have never gone out of print. The chapter title "The True Myth" alone is more than worth the price of the book.

I was looking for a book that was full of information that I could use - not someone's memoirs. This book saved me hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in research and hard knock lessons. I was on the wrong path - and thanks to the incredible information in this book, I'm now on the right path. For anyone who has an idea for a product, or has a product and is looking for how to market it - this is the book for you. Whether you are looking for the QVC market, the mass market, or a niche market - this is the book for you. You will find the information you need to get on the right path.

You know this book was ok. I guess it depends on what you are looking for. The author gives a good effort to get you to understand how to find a good "QVC Product". But really that is up to you.

You will get a glimpse at the steps it takes to get on QVC and what happens once you get there. But be realistic. This or any book will not be the magic bullet that will make you rich.

This book is a step-by-step roadmap to successfully understanding the path you need to follow to get your product on QVC. Because the book is not long, it provides succinct information on virtually all aspects of what you need to do and - most importantly - what you must avoid doing to successfully launch your product on QVC.

I recommend the book to all who believe in their product but don't mind spending a little time with someone who walks the walk.

Who among us has not dreamed of seeing our product making thousands of dollars in a few short minutes on a shopping channel? This book and a good product are all you need. The secrets of how to do exactly that are shared by someone who has "walked the walk". Nick Romer's entire book is a goldmine, but I found two chapters in particular to be worth the cost of the book: the chapter on how to find or create hot products and the chapter on common mistakes and how to avoid them. Nick explains how marketing works in this country and he drives his points home with examples from his own experience or from that of others he knows. This book is the real deal! ~Mary Russell Sarao, co-author of, The Everything Inventions & Patents Book and Inventing on a Shoestring Budget as well as co-columnist for 2 for the Money column in Inventors Digest Magazine.

Jacques' story is one of both overcoming obstacles and of having the fierce passion to pursue something you love. It's a fantastic reminder of doing everything possible to tap into your potential despite challenges and setbacks. You need to nothing about soccer to be inspired by this book. A must read.

I started the book thinking it was only about soccer and looked forward to reading about life as a profesional player and the insider's view of the US National team in the 80s. But I was pleasantly surprised it delved beyond the sport and what emerged is a very inspiring and real story about a boy beating the odds, overcoming struggles, and ultimately succeeding. Readers, sports and book fans alike, will enjoy many interesting vignettes about his experiences both on and off the soocer field. It is more a lesson on life and striving to achieve success. A real good read.

I read this book in just a couple of days, I didn't want to put it down. Jacques shows that no matter what our background, we can take our life to new heights. From the streets of Port Au Prince to professional soccer! Any dream can come true if we keep our mind focussed!

Jacques' life story is truly remarkable. His dreams, hard work, determination and love for God are very inspiring. It all starts with childhood dreams that never die. He had proven that when you have dreams, you'll achieve greater things in life. Easy reading, I couldn't put it down.

Making Peace With Your Work is a generous and gentle invitation to think about your relationship to work and the relationship of your work to your life. In addition to the exploration about creating more satisfying work, the book provides practical action ideas for taking steps to make peace with your work. It encourages us to see and appreciate what's working and to see, reframe and change what's not working. This is the perfect book for any individual who: wants a more satisfying work experience; is considering a work/career change; is experiencing challenges with people or with tasks at work; wants to stop being a workaholic, or wants to balance a satisfying work life with a satisfying personal/family life. It will also be a great resource for coaches and leadership development consultants in their work with others. Dr. Ambrose masterfully guides us to more meaningful work and more meaningful lives. It's a great read.

So many of us work for the paycheck rather than to satisfy a deeper need. The result is millions of miserable people whose frustration spills out onto every aspect of their lives. In clear, vivid terms, Dr. Ambrose offers eight choices anyone can use to either make peace with the work they already have or resolve with calm and purpose to seek greener pastures. There are many books about success in the workplace, but this is the first one I've read with so much simple yet profound and practice advice.

Making peace with your Work describes the inner journey involved in integrating our spirit--our soul--into our work life so we are not separated from we who truly are when we are at work. Delorese Ambrose offers practical ways for all of us to live undivided lives. Every chapter contains not only rich concepts but examples of people who have put that idea into practice. She herself experienced a steady rise to success, after which she grappled with the loss of meaning in her work. That experience brought her to a more authentic way of living and working. Her story is inspiring and challenging. I found the last four chapters to be especially helpful guidelines for finding depth of meaning and challenge in my life.

Delorese Ambrose hits the mark with her musings about how our work defines our life and how we can better define our work. Whether we get a paycheck or not, we all work. If we are lucky and persistent, we discover the work that manifests our life purpose. It feeds our souls as well as our bodies. When you reach the last page, you will have been changed for the better by the insights and the questions for further discovery - and the book may call you back again and again to accompany you on your life journey.

This book is a wonderful reference for women who work with men, especially those in the corporate world. I work in corporate finance for a large, international corporation and there are very few women in my world. Reading this book gave me a great deal of insight on how men see work situations differently than women, and, by putting this knowledge to work, I've already improved several relationships. (By the way, I first read this book in a bookstore - spent the afternoon sipping lattes and reading - and am now buying my copy from Amazon.)

Throughout eight chapters, Swiss suggests how women can "add swagger to their step, put on a game face, balance feminine and masculine traits, maneuver adversity and adversaries, cope with mixed signals and the great gender divide." She also offers reasons men why like working with women, secrets of strong leaders, and concludes with suggestions as to how to open "the gender lens. "Here is a woman's guide to working with men. (It could also serve as a man's guide to working with other men as well as with women.) Based on extensive interviews, Swiss offers some insightful comments and practical suggestions which, in this male's opinion, will help women to improve (or at least clarify) their relationships with men. Of course, not all men think and act alike; nor do all women. We all know abrasive and aggressive women as well as gentle and acquiescent men. Each possesses a unique combination of what are perceived to be masculine and feminine traits. Men and women often approach quite differently a broad range of career issues such as hiring and firing, conveying confidence, facing competition, participating on a team, building business alliances, saying "no" and setting limits, dealing with difficult people and difficult situations, managing and motivating others. Sound familiar? I agree with Swiss that there are certain "valuable truths about the male psyche" which, properly understood, can reduce (if not eliminate) problems many women have with that psyche in action. (Many males do not as yet understand, much less appreciate these "valuable truths.") This book will be valuable for anyone who seeks a better understanding of the male mentality, not only at work but everywhere else.

Though I didn't feel that there was any shocking bit of new information, I did enjoy reading the candid comments of many CEO's regarding their perceptions of women. No surprise that many are intimidated by the very smart women that have risen to their level. I did feel that at times the differences between men and women were exaggerated somewhat, but the author does provide helpful pointers at the end of each chapter that are meant to help the reader put theory into practice. Most interesting is the idea that many top CEOs cite graciousness at the top quality they think makes them a strong leader -- I think men have learned something from women here as women are more likely than men to share the credit. Humility and graciousness go a long way, both in the business world and out. A good read with some useful information.

This book is incisive and helpful. As a woman in a male dominated field, I can attest that Swiss' advice is entirely on target. In addition to offering effective ways to succeed, it's also a good read. Very entertaining. If you are a women who wants to work more effectively with male colleagues--read this book.

Managing Brand You really provides one a different perspective about oneself that I had not thought of previously. It is an easy and very productive read that I would recommend to everyone.It really does help one to analyze oneself, how other's view you to then potentially re-position yourself if you so desire.

Love the concept and these fellows really deliver on the description and the ideas around the theme of developing your brand. We all have been doing this, but here is an organized way to think of ourselves as brands to represent to colleagues, customers and in general our outside world.
Terrific read, entertaining examples and would recommend this book to anyone, but especially business people thinking through how to manage their careers and customers.

Managing Brand you is a monument of development discipline designed to encourage anyone who is willing to ignite their talents of higher learning and prosperous living. It is a unique read displayed for the entry level individual as well as the corporate mega leader. Not only is it a great tool for the workplace, but an ultimate guide for one who wants to grow and enjoy life to the full. It invites you to revisit you and see what changes you can make in your own life, your career, and the things around you to experience a life of change. Being the best advocate of your own development is the strength found in reading Jerry Wilson's "Managing Brand You." I encourage you to get a copy for yourself, your children, and your closest friend. Spread the wisdom and knowledge of a successful leader into the life of someone very special to you. That's the difference you can make in someone's life today. I am inspired and you will be too.

Dorothy Hart-Manuel

Managing Brand You is an intriguing concept of thinking of one's self as a brand. I found the chapter on the brand audit to be especially insightful when I thought about some of my experiences from the five stages in life, from childhood on into adulthood, and how those experiences helped create the person I had become. This helped me to understand how I needed to position myself, set goals for myself, and then implement those plans. I know now that personal branding is a critical element for me personally and professionally - how I see myself and how others see me. After reading the book and following through on the exercises, I found myself energized and refocused on myself and my goals. There is a great deal of substance in this book and it would be very helpful to all who read it.

This is a true story about how Mary Kay started her business, as well as how she lived her life. However, I could not do all that selling - I couldn't do any at all, but obviously it didn't bother her at all. It is inspiring and encouraging to know that she put God first, family second, and then career. It is also awesome to know that she treated her employees so good, that there is a long waiting list to work at her company headquarters, and that people can come there just to get away from it all.

Mary Kay Ash lived her philosophy of god first, family second, career third. I had the honor of meeting her as a Sales Director with Mary Kay and was priviledged to attend one of her leadership workshops at headquarters in Dallas, Texas. She was a brilliant leader. An inspiring teacher and most of all a woman who walked the talk. Her series of books when read closely reveals a business plan that is bold and forward thinking. It is simple in its application and most of all her plan is doable. I would advise women who want to become consultants with Mary Kay cosmetics to read all of her books. Listen carefully to the plan. Follow the plan, never ever giving up. She used to tell us that "its always too soon to quit!" Great book with great advice from a woman who made it to the top and beyond..........

This is a must have book!

Mary Kay has it right - Faith, Family and Career! You can't go wrong with this philosophy. This book really helps put things in perspective.

Highly recommend this book to everyone!

Mary Kay tells her story, from being a poor little girl with a mother who worked outside the home full-time and a sickly father to being a saleswoman who never felt appreciated by her male bosses. Learn the motivational story behind Mary Kay Cosmetics. This book completely expresses what a wonderful, amazing woman Mary Kay was. Very inspirational.