Future Books

I will admit, this is a good book. From the at times harsh skepticism of the introduction (the skepticism, of course, is well founded), to the interesting tidbits of the final chapters, this is a pretty good book about Forex. It skips the obvious BS I've seen in most volumes, and gets right to the nitty-gritty.

But is it a 5 star book? Nope. Not at all. In fact, I would give it 3 stars if it weren't for the fact that there is such a dearth of good reading in the Forex arena!

I will admit that there are some good tips in here, and it is well written and features some actual setups and examples. A little pricey for what it is, but then that's pretty common in the world of trading books. Note to fledgling Forex authors out there: Get to work! We'd love to hear from you!

Before you even think of trading the forex market, read this book. Augustin has revealed what really goes on in most of the retail trade for the day trader. I loved every part of it.

Finally, somebody has some, and told the truth about many of the retail dealers in this industry. Even better, he shows you how to overcome a lot of their shoddy practices. A true "eye opener" that will bring tremendous clarity to your trading style.

Ignore the dealers that will ultimately give rebuttal reviews here. They do the same thing in the forums to keep the unknowing traders off their backs. They're always giving lame excuses and trying to fix their so-called platform issues. What a joke.

This is a great book for traders on any level. One that you will thoroughly appreciate and enjoy.

This is an outstanding book, particularly relevant in this time of turmoil in the markets. Is a type of book which you very seldom find. The author is on your side and this is very helpful during this unique period of such an incredible volatility. The book help you to better understand how the market works and how to take advantage of that.
BM

Other reviewers have already well articulated my sentiment and I just want to echo what others have said in that:
"DO NOT TRADE FOREX BEFORE READING THIS BOOK!"

This book should be a must for every intraday trader that already has some knowledge of the forex market,although you will not get a clear cut trading strategie out, you will find out what goes on behind the scene at your broker and how to avoid their pitfalls

The "Left Behind" theology to the contrary, Jacque Fresco writes that we can't depend on "the divine intervention of mythical characters in white robes who descend from the clouds" to solve our problems because they are "illusions." It doesn't follow, however, that the kind of systematic social engineering Fresco advocates will work, either, because it's not taking into account some relevant facts of reality.

One, Fresco assumes that humans are born as the blank slates assumed by radical behaviorist ideology, instead of having neurological predispositions for all sorts of nonrational, reproductively-driven behaviors as shown by the rapidly growing field of evolutionary psychology. We have "politics, poverty, & war" partly because there is a hard-wired human nature that social engineering as such can't change. Supplying people's physical needs through a conjectural "resource-based economy" won't necessarily make them more sociable; they're likely just to devote more time towards noneconomic status-seeking as they go about forming dominance-submission hierarchies to show off their relative reproductive fitness, and violence can't be ruled out as a possible strategy. The history of well-provisioned aristocracies suggests that growing up in a state of affluence & leisure doesn't always bring out the best in people.

Two, in the real world property rights have demonstrated their value as a social institution for getting people to manage their resources and tools properly, giving them incentives to work hard, defer gratification, plan for the future, etc. Declaring the world's resources a "common heritage" is a guarantee for disaster, even though it sounds good according to socialistic ethical theories that aren't based on real human behavior. Fresco's plan is just a nonstarter in the sort of world we live in.

Three, Fresco doesn't seem to appreciate that in the money system we have now in the U.S., access to property ownership is available to everyone. A proper way to view one's relationship with the American economy is to find ways to get the balance of payments going in your favor. If you pay Federal income taxes, buy bonds and Treasury bills so the government has to pay you interest in return. If you buy a lot of things from a profitable, publicly traded company (current scandals aside), buy stock in the company so that it pays you dividends while the stock appreciates in value. You don't really benefit from our system as a consumer and a debtor, but as an owner of equity and a creditor, and you can leverage yourself into that position through some planning and self-discipline.

Perhaps because of his advanced age, Fresco seems not to have upgraded his worldview all that much since the late 1960's, when he and Kenneth Keyes published _Looking Forward_. Back then his vision of the 21st Century presented many futuristic ideas that were progressive in the context of its time, but his current proposals have a kind of "retro future" feel to them. Someone well read in the history of borderline sciences can detect in Fresco's book ideas derived from General Semantics, Technocracy, Inc., Buckminster Fuller's "design science," radical behaviorism, proposals for a cybernated "leisure society" and other early and mid 20th Century intellectual fads that never got very far because they couldn't make the case for their validity, necessity and real-world effectiveness. The fact that we've avoided disaster with the money system despite Fresco's warnings decades ago suggests that his proposal for social reconstruction is a solution for some other planet's problems.

The history of ideological utopianism the 20th Century shows that we have to be extraordinarily careful before we conduct another social experiment where we jettison a system that works tolerably well in favor of one that merely sounds good. While Fresco's vision of life in the latter 21st Century does address some of my concerns, in general the frontier of advanced thinking about the future seems to have passed on to where the Extropians and Transhumanists are doing their thing these days.

The Best That Money Can't Buy - Beyond Politics, War, and Poverty. In the context of these troubled times, the title itself seems the epitome of Utopian thinking. Within these pages, however, are not the meanderings of well-intentioned dreamers, but straight-forward analyses of, and solutions to, many of the troubles that continue to plague the world, in spite of - and often, under the present scarcity-oriented distribution system of advantage, because of - the vast technological achievements of the modern age.

Even the term Utopian rankles Fresco, who sees stagnation in the notion of a civilization that feels it has "arrived" at some sort of ultimate state of being. Rather, The Best That Money Can't Buy takes Utopia beyond an unattainable (and undesirable) dead end to an exciting, dynamic, and perpetual quest not for perfection, but for the next step in social development, pulsing with all the vitality of the unquenchable human spirit. The Best That Money Can't Buy takes all the most admirable, humane hopes and aspirations of humankind, dovetails them with known and developing technologies, and comes up with a comprehensive design for the future that surpasses any that have been offered thus far. Fresco's work doesn't just break new ground; he fuses it into glass viaducts to provide fresh water to the whole world.

Fresco's unique, streetwise background in behavioral science eminently qualifies him to identify the roles of culture and physical environment as shapers of much of humanity's past and present situation - and the surest footing for establishing a new direction for civilization, based on manageable data and enhanced communication, rather than the vagaries of philosophical remnants of an age of ignorance, scarcity, and superstition.

Fresco even takes into account the tendency of some humans to establish a pecking order of advantage by, for the most part, taking them out of the loop when it comes to making decisions based on their inevitable prejudices, psychological limitations, and an inherent lack of a sufficient knowledge base to render objective decisions that favor all members of society equally. Instead, Fresco leaves the arrival at (not "making" of) decisions to computers. An intimidating prospect to some, no doubt, until one considers the major roles computers play in things like landing jetliners safely or transporting one's messages across thousands of mile.

Particularly notable is Fresco's prescription for a new incentive system based on personal achievement and satisfaction, rather than on the shallow, socially divisive, and ultimately environmentally disastrous value system based on a ceaseless quest for exclusive access to ever more consumptive material possessions. The environmental impact (or lack of) under Fresco's proposed "resource-based economy" is profound, as are the social benefits. Producing the highest quality, most durable goods for common use by all not only guarantees the most efficient allocation of natural resources and energy, but has the potential to eliminate the vast majority of social ills born of the inequities of distribution so highly touted by champions of the present monetary system as one of its chief motivators of "incentive

A resource-based economy, as envisioned by Fresco, transcends the need for property and proprietary "rights" that present monumental roadblocks to cooperative endeavor. One need only consider the millions lost to the AIDS epidemic due to the refusal of pharmaceutical companies to allow the affected nations to develop their own, more affordable treatments; or the 13,000 who die each day from water-related diseases while private industry privatizes access to fresh water, to realize the inherent failures of the present property-oriented system to meet the basic needs of the human family

Any new line of thinking is bound to find its detractors in those who have found a measure of advantage in the current social arrangement, or even those who haven't, but remain culture-bound due to societal pressures and influences - especially those who hold onto the archaic notion that money is a viable instrument for rewarding contributive effort and distributing goods and services on the basis of whomever "deserves" them. Fresco's proposals are certain to raise the eyebrows, if not the hackles, of anyone who holds onto the notion of the "dignity" of work - a dignity which business, above all other spheres of human activity, has always been willing to forego in the name of faster production and expanded sales. Indeed, much of the psychological stress we see today is the aftershock of seeing one's usefulness rendered impotent by advancing technology.

The net effect of the Machine Age has been to elevate humans beyond the drudgery of arduous, dangerous work. Fresco simply extends this trend to the next level. While Fresco's work may appear threatening in its tendency to strip the human animal of its functionality, the trend is not of his making - but the proposals to manage technological change for maximum social benefit with minimal environmental damage are.

Good fences don't make good neighbors. They make selfish and uncooperative ones that in this age, where even one's thoughts are subject to copyright, can be a detriment to the information sharing essential to human betterment and progress. Fresco's thinking is not only out of the box; it's not even in the same warehouse. He cuts through the dilatory and inhibitive system of proprietary "rights" and leads the reader into an oft-mooted, but hitherto unrealized, distribution system in which all are not simply offered a chance for a leg up at someone else's expense, but afforded an equal footing simply because it's there for everyone.

The Best That Money Can't Buy is not for the faint at heart - but then, neither are the inevitable challenges of an increasingly complex world. Humankind can simply sit idly by and let a handful of elitists direct technology for their exclusive benefit, or they can themselves be the pioneers of a culture in which no one, and everyone, is elite. Perhaps bold works like this will dissipate some of the fog of scarcity thinking and embolden, and empower, more people to reach for that next level of understanding.

After reading the The Best That Money Can't Buy, I had to meet Jacque and Roxanne. Off to Venus I went! Without a doubt this is one of the most important books that any individual can read. Lets just hope that your mind is not in a straightjacket.

Global peace is so very important as a goal we must leave no stone unturned in exploring the possibilities of making it real. Too many of us are trapped in the box of complacency and denial. Any American citizen should have enough common sense to realize that business as usual is not working, never has worked and never will work to develop world peace. Any Economic paradigm built upon a class system is inherently flawed. Capitalism, deceptive though it may be, is built upon a class structure. Just ask the indigenous native, the Hispanics, or descendents of the slaves in The USA.

No human being is a second class citizen whether they are a citizen of a nation or the world. No human being will ever accept second class citizenship status. How can any rational human being in this day and time not understand this?

The use of monetary economics is, practically, as old as human civilization and although peace has endured as the most common dream of humanity it has never been actually attained. A popular definition of 'insanity' is doing the same things over and over expecting different results. Capitalism is the epitome of monetary economics. Communism, socialism, Fascism all use money to regulate resource distribution and are but variations of monetary economics. Monetary Economics is manmade - Not God given - and it is flawed like any other creation of mankind!

Capitalism is most compatible with a Plutocracy (a wealthy minority controls government) and it is rational because the wealthy are the most adept at monetary policy and practice. We know it is a ruthless affair. In a system that thrives upon competition, and Capitalistic competition is dog-eat-dog at best, the winners rule. A Plutocracy just inevitably emerges within such systems. A plutocracy is not what the citizens of the United States admit to desire. Such systems divide the general population, creates strife and gross inequities. Deceit, fear and violence are required to maintain order is such societies. At some point in all of our lives we have probably wondered, "There must be a better way to live1". There is . . . but we must escape the trappings of thinking within the box constructed and maintained for us by the gatekeepers of our Economic establishment and the media. "The Best That Money Can't Buy", takes us outside the box and revives our dreams of world peace with a virtual guide to world peace that was relatively impossible much of the twentieth century.

Democracy demands an economic system of different stripes. Democracy cannot thrive in a Capitalistic society. It is just incompatible. What is wrong with our systemic methodology for determining who gets how much of what and what is our best alternative for a systemic adjustment that makes everyone a winner and allows democracy to thrive? . . .

Jacque Fresco's work breaks it all down and lays out a virtual blueprint for the kind of society we dream about the most. Don't give up on your dreams of peace. Dreams are what makes our world whatever it is and whatever it is to become. If we can imagine it - we can create it! Believe that and prepare to embrace a new strategy for peace, the end of needless human suffering and an abundant world with no losers.

Remember what they said about: the Airplane, electricity, space travel, and breaking the sound barrier? Ignore the nay-sayers and make peace real.

C. Dickerson

The Best That Money Can't Buy: Beyond Politics, Poverty, & War by futurist and inventor Jacque Fresco is a seminal, ground breaking vision of a grander, more humane future borne of the advantages of science and technology as well as human concern for the well-being of other people and the planet. Individual chapters address how to help basic human nature evolve beyond enlightened self-interest for a better tomorrow in this wondrous, compelling, superbly illustrated, hope-filled, highly recommended treatise.

This book touched me on an intellectual and emotional level. Such a basic principle and yet it contins a meaningful message in an easy to read format.

Biokind speaks with a passion that should be felt by every human being. It reminds us of where we've come from and our oneness with every living creature in the pyramid of life. As a former science teacher, I taught my students to learn through reading and exploring nature on field trips. Only by using all the senses can the true meaning of life be understood and appreciated. Biokind will awaken a reality deep within your heart and soul. A reality that all life is sacred and deserves the same respect, honor and dignity we wish for ourselves.

Captain W. K. Miller created the concept of "biokind" and draws upon her more than twenty-five years of experience to present the reading public with Biokind: Rhetoric For A New Paradigm. This exceptionally well crafted affirmation that human beings are one with the ecosystem we inhabit, and coins a the word "biokind" reflects how we should best live in harmony with the natural world that sustains us. Faith, kindness, conservation and ecosystem-friendly behavior bring physical and spiritual renewal. Highly recommended reading for students of metaphysics, environmental concerns, and Gaia compatible lifestyles, Biokind speaks from the heart and soil of the Earth itself.

This book is a must read in todays changing times. Especially in the wake of Sept l1/01 and all its leading events.We have come to
the threshold of the Biokind Path experience Biokind in all levels
of our existence, inwardly and outwardly.
Take this knowledge gleamed from this book and apply it to your life in todays ever changing world . Take our children by the hand of knowledge and
lead them into Biokind.

Biokind is a word that houses a concept that is central to the continuation of life on this planet.Captain Miller has encapsulated the thoughts and visions of naturalists, mystics and people of good will in a short, accessible form. "The wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask." Nancy Newhall, Biokind p45 and Biokind creates a terminology and a context that man needs to recognize the inter-relation of all life. In this time of fear, confusion and violence, Captain Miller's book provides a blueprint to shift our cultural conditioning from one of exclusion to one of inclusion. Study this book and begin to manifest true harmony.

Fish roe comes from any fish and varies wildly in taste and texture. Caviar however is the lightly salted roe of sturgeon prepared from a freshly caught female. And it is fast disappearing.

Saffron (what a name for an epicurean!) starts off with a description of how sturgeon are caught today and how caviar is prepared. Because makers can pack it in vacuum sealed tin cans, the roe doesn't need to be salted as heavily as it did two hundred years ago to be turned into caviar. What began as a dish Russian peasants would eat with bread soon became a delicacy. Cossacks, free men who recognized the Tzar but refused to remain serfs, were given exclusive rights to produce and sell caviar in Astrakhan and the surroundings of the Volga delta where the river throws itself into the Caspian sea.

When the communists took over, caviar became a source of hard currency so they promptly took over the industry, guarding it as jealously as De Beers did the diamond trade. It worked up to a point, and poaching could never threaten the sturgeon under communist rule. However authoritarian regimes do not foster debates and when Stalin decided to dam the Volga he destroyed the sturgeon's spawning areas. The canals built to help the sturgeon swim around the dams didn't work and the population began declining.

When the communist system fell apart, free wheeling capitalism was in and caviar was big money. Poaching was rampant involving private homes and shady Russian mafia type characters. (Saffron's description of the illicit international caviar trade was particularly interesting to me because of the last book I reviewed, "Illicit" by Moses Naim, which is all about how world trade is being almost hijacked by crooks and thugs.)

Caviar prices fell, catches increased, but the population was not renewing itself and the Caspian population decline turned into a collapse. The best caviar no longer comes from Russia, but from Iran.

The sturgeon as a group of species is safe, but the species living in the Caspian, such as the Beluga, are fast disappearing. They cannot survive without help. Caviar is a luxury and we can certainly live without it, but luxuries give our life meaning and purpose. Losing caviar would be losing one of those little things that makes life worthwhile.

Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

I know nothing about caviar or sturgeon, but subject matter aside, this is one of the most well-written boutique histories I've ever read (and I've read many of them). Saffron's writing is fantastically engaging. This is no dry academic text; I felt as though I were reading a book of fiction in terms of its readability and sense of adventure. I was constantly laughing or smiling or worrying along with the author. Let's hope Saffron continues to write boutique histories!

I have been served red, black and gray caviar at "Slava", possibly the best restaurant in Moscow...and I STILL didn't like it. (Our Russian friends gladly accepted our serving like it was gold.)

This is a great, little story about caviar and the history of this delicacy and the great fish that supplies it. The sturgeon, of which there are several varieties, is an ancient animal, predating the dinosaurs. It has remained essentially unchanged because there was no reason for evolutionary modifications. It can grow to incredible sizes and the eggs sacs are astounding.

In Russia, though, the sturgeon nears extinction as the race to capture as much caviar as possible continues. In that country, it is an art - the capture, gutting, creating, selling of this product. THe author gives us first-hand experiences as we fish with the natives, suffer their increasingly declining catches and commiserate in their gloom. Then there are history lessons on both biological and cultural paths. The ending is not upbeat.. For the fish to regenerate we must rethink our ideas about what constitutes a delicacy. One problem is the low price of caviar - so low it no longer constitutes a "delicacy". A good and timely book.

I had the mixed fortune to read this book in a Puerto Rican resort, about a million miles away from where caviar is bought or sold, but Saffron's vivid description of this delicacy more than compensated for its physical absence. Caviar is one of those few foods which changes form when put in the mouth - the fish eggs pop like bubbles as soon as they're on the tongue - and in this sense it is not unlike chocolate (which melts in the mouth) for its sensual appeal. Caviar goes back to the Black sea, wherein beluga has been farmed for thousands of years (Herodotus gets quoted along the way). Sadly, the actual stocks of Russian caviar are so badly depleted that they are close to extermination; for decent, ethical fish eggs one has to go to the American farm-raised sturgeon or, as a further compromise, for lesser stuff such as salmon eggs. There are interesting chapters on the cultural emergence of caviar as a delicacy; sadder ones on the sudden eruption of strip-farming in the early 1990s. Best enjoyed with a glass or two of champagne.

A reader does not have to have the infatuation with caviar the author has, nor for that matter even have tasted the roe of various fish to enjoy this book. You must have a serious gastronomic love, or perhaps lust, for a given dish to even begin to match the writer's rapturous relationship with a food that persons either love or find impossible to understand. The extreme reactions to the food are easier to classify once you have read how the food is prepared and how much of what is passed off today as various forms of caviar is fraudulent, or worse, likely to make you ill. The days of sturgeon that weigh as much as the car in your driveway are forever gone. What has replaced these mammoth living fossils are a few hapless fish that have survived destructive fishing and pollution, and finally farm-bred fish that are meticulously cared for in massive tanks.

The irony of caviar's longevity is that is was maintained well in to the 20th Century by the worst practitioner of production, The Former Soviet Union. The same persons that could not match wheat production during the time of the Czars, build a car, or produce the correct number of bicycles managed to keep the cash crop of caviar healthy for decades. This food that is largely thought of as Russian has been on tables for centuries and did not find its home in the Caspian Sea until after the sturgeon had been decimated elsewhere. Germany was once a large source and The United States was the foremost producer internationally until the turn of the 20th century, when after a scant 30 years with ruthless efficiency the fish stocks were destroyed here in the US. Another irony is that as the fish are being relegated to farms they once again are finding their homes in California.

Inga Saffron does a wonderful job of explaining the history of the fish and the world as it existed as sturgeon populations waxed and waned. She shares stories of major caviar producing areas on the shores of New Jersey that are so broken down as to not even qualify as ghost towns, nature having reclaimed those areas that once were internationally known. She also shares the roles of scientists who attempt to develop methods to protect fishing stocks, identify smugglers, and keep these fish that were once a plentiful behemoth from becoming extinct. There are also interesting consequences that result from the work of science. Using the same methods to identify the caviar sold in New York City in the 1990's as they use to track smugglers, science documented that one third of the caviar being sold was not what it claimed to be. New Yorkers had a one in three chance of being defrauded.

The same economic incentive that has lead to the near extinction of the sturgeon is what will keep the species alive. What is a new danger for these fish is that they are no longer the most important economic interest in areas of production as they historically were. Where once they were as valuable as gold they know have lost their place to oil. One scientist suggested embryos of the fish be frozen and reintroduced to the planet in a century after the oil has been exhausted.

Hopefully for the benefit of these remarkable creatures caviar will keep its mystique and its cachet. There are no longer artificial market forces to keep the roe rare just as DeBeers keeps diamonds precious by their monopoly. It costs a fortune to produce sturgeon on farms; hopefully people will continue to buy caviar at prices that persons who don't share the author's passion will ever understand.

I read this book in the hardback edition when it was called FACING DEATH (AND THE LIFE AFTER), and all these years later, I still myself talking about it.

Around that time, I attended a wedding where a member of the bride's family died of a heart attack at the reception (it was as bad as it sounds, believe me). But he didn't die right away. And he spoke before he was gone. It was obvious by what he said and how he said it that he was telling us what he could see: what lies ahead.
Billy Graham, a man who has presided over many deathbeds in his long career as a preacher, writes of his experiences at such moments. And it was stunning to me to read of the similarities.

I've read several of Dr. Graham's book and I've been struck at the depth and complexity of his writings. As an evangelist, he keeps his messages simple and straightforward, but as a writer, he can delve into his subjects more deeply and more thoughtfully.

It's a great book that gives you so much to think about.
And find comfort in.

Death and grief are difficult to understand and to deal with.
I lost my father and knowing that we will see him again in Heaven is what gives me comfort. We have lost many in the family to heart attacks and cancer. We do wonder why? We also know that God is taking care of us. He doesn't take our trials away he is with us through our trials. Once again Billy Graham has penned a book full of wisdom. I also found that a Christian grief journal, Write from Your Heart, A Healing Grief Journal, is helping me to get all of my thoughts and feelings organized and I am reaching the point of acceptence and making moves to grow spiritually, mentally and physically.

This book is not about the hereafter in the sense that it doesn't go into extreme detail as to what life will be like in the hereafter and then from there, to the New Heavens and the New Earth. For that sort of details account and examination, always within a literal Biblical point of view, I would suggest Alcorn's Heaven. This book, another masterfully explored book by Billy Graham, focuses on the here and now in such a way as to examining out outlook toward that day when we die (or even better, thank the Lord, when He comes and Raptures the church). What does it mean in this, now, 21st century to live and to die? What are we to make of the culture of death that we see in the media and across the United States--from the tragedy of the late Ms. Shiavo to abortion on demand and on to euthanasia for our elderly for any old cause or reason? Basically such deaths come about because they are convenient, not based on literal Christian point of view toward the meaning of life and the dignity of dying and death. Graham asks and uses the Bible to answer questions such as "what does it mean to die as a Christian" verses "what does it mean to die without hope" (i.e. without Jesus Christ in your life as your Savior and King). For those who are dying with Jesus as the Savior, as examined by Graham, there is peace even if the death is in the face of persecution by those who do not see the light. For those who are dying without, well, there is only a slow decline into darkness, as Graham explains using the truth of the Bible. Thus, Mr. Graham is not afraid to ask questions nor is he afraid to look for answers through the written words of the Lord and through those He has touched through the ages to be His messengers, great and small. I would suggest anyone to take this book and seriously read it, examine what it has to say about death, dying, and eternity...work it into reading such books as Deadline and Heaven by Randy Alcorn...and really then falling on your hands and knees for a true talk with the Lord. Here and now you need to understand the eternal truths of living and dying and eternity. Graham points the way for the reader to go on and to use the Bible so that it shows the reader the foundations of truth and of forever.

Billy Graham takes a gentle yet uplifting look at death, loss and the afterlife, offering biblical advice and insight into this process we all must face at one point. Sadly I have had to face it sooner than I ever ever thought I would have to when I lost my wife of twelve years to liver failure in September of 2003. Reading this book after the fact offers little help or solace with my grief and one should really read it before facing the supposed Great Unknown. This is an ounce of prevention, what I am in need of is a few pounds of cure. Perhaps a re-reading of A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis is in order. Nonetheless, I recommend it.

I was blessed to be with my mother during the last 3 weeks of her life this past October. She loved the Lord with all of her heart. During those weeks, I saw so many awesome things happen. The biggest one was the peace of God that was in my mother's room on the morning of October 5th (the day she went home to be with the Lord).
I had so many thougths running through my mind during those 3 weeks and this book answered all of them.

I could go on and on with all the many things that I learned about my mother during this time, but what got to me the most was how Mr. Graham describe his mother's "home going".
Now I understand why my mother was reaching toward heaven on that great morning.

I thank God for the journey, for being there with my mother to share and see the power of God move and very peacefully call my mother from Labor to Rest.

God Bless You Mr. Graham.

This is the best book available on making diversity work!

Dr. Michael Beitler
Author of "Strategic Organizational Change"

Each chapter begins with a question: "What is diversity in the workplace?", "How do I begin to improve my understanding of people different from me?", "In today's environment of political correctness, it's too difficult to know what to do. Isn't it easier just to treat everybody the same?" After every heartened answer, she ends the chapter with practical tips.

I recommend this to everyone migrating or moving into North America.

I just read The Diversity Advantage. It was packed full of great ideas and easy to read. In a short time I gained useful knowledge and ideas for diversity training activities.

A short and concise guide to learning about the diversity that makes the United States the richest country in the world in more ways than monetarily. The excercises help to learn about diversity. Enjoyed the chance to read it.

This book represents a conversational approach to sharing critical information. Common sense steps to digging into our head regarding the value of tolerance and inclusiveness. I had the feeling of "being there" in a true teaching session. The analogy of The Wizard of OZ was delightful. The exercises are thought out and well organized. Thank you for providing steps on "how to make a difference"!

I so enjoyed James Malinchak's book, 'From College to the Real World!'
Not only was the information useful and applicable, but the overall book was incredibly inspiring for those preparing to work in the REAL WORLD when college is over. My son, Jordan picked it up and couldn't stop reading it! He actually took notes for his future and he's now only beginning high school. Keep up the good work James!
Tamra Nashman- author of the 'Shoes For The Spirit' book series

This great book has taught me the value of being yourself and how TO land that perfect job. Matching your "I will" to your competitors "IQ" is a task that is sure to lean future employers into your direction. This book not only gives you step-by-step instructions to follow when getting ready for an interview, but also how to write a resume, and possible interview questions that you will be asked but more importantly, those that you should ask! Also, this book shows you competitive ways to overpower the competition in job interviews, to set yourself apart from the rest of the pack including those with more experience, qualifications, etc. You too can land that perfect job with a little help from James and his book. I used James techniques to help me to be elected to an elite board of directors that normally takes 2-3 generations to be involved with, but I did it in less than 6 years. I have also used these techniques to help me be awarded thousands of dollars in college scholarships, just by following a few simple tasks. This book is awesome, not to mention Jame's motivational speaking events. James is a talented individual and he is putting his talent to work in today's society. He will stop short of nothing to achieve his goal and he will help you to accomplish YOUR goals. This book is a must for anyone looking to land their dream job, not just college students. An enthusiastic TWO-THUMBS UP!!

James Malinchak has put together a great source of information for anyone on the search for a career. The inspirational quotes were especially helpful to me every day. Malinchak's use of his own personal experiences makes every page very accessible to readers. I love this book!

This book should be read by all college students preparing to enter the real world. It will give you strategies that will help you land the job of your dreams. The book is easy to read and the author does a great job of relating to students.

As a college professor and education consultant, I've read many career-focused books for the "college student." And most are good, but all of them fall short of Mr. Malinchak's "nuts-and-bolts-think-outside-the-box-here's-how-to-REALLY-do-it" book of strategies and ideas. He not only gives you information you WON'T find in other student-focused books, he speaks from experience. What a concept...an author who has actually DONE was he writes about in his book. This book breathes integrity, and it doesn't hold back on any punches. This book is good food without the fluff and fillers. I've recommended this book to all of my students, and I will continue to do so until someone can show me one that's better. Way to go James, it's about time someone let the SECRET out!

Bought this book and was very pleased. I felt I learned alot, but still wanted to know more.

Gelek Rinpoche is a wonderful teacher, with a joyful humor. Rinpoche has a great understanding of the american mind. This book is on the Tibetan Buddhism ideas of reincarnation and karma. Reads like a introduction but even the most practiced student would benifit. Anyone interested in Tibetan Buddhism would benifit from the teachings of Gelek Rinpoche.

This is a life-changing book written by one of the finest living teachers of Tibetan Buddhism - written in a humorous and easy to read fashion it is an excellent introduction for anyone with or without an interest in Buddhism

Although the book is about Reincarnation, it is just as much about how to live a good life in the first place - so that you have a fortunate rebirth or go on to that better place. I have a feeling that I'm going to be referring back to it as much as I do The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva or the Book of Proverbs in the Bible.

This is a distinctive, accessible and very worthwhile book by an exquistely well-qualified (as emphasized by H.H. the Dalai Lama in the Foreward) Tibetan tulku. Rinpoche is a tremendously gifted individual, with insight into the Western perspective as well as an unsurpassed, encyclopedic understanding of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. This book will inform readers new to Tibetan ways of viewing life and death, as well as reward long-time students of the topic. I am fortunate to be a student of this reincarnated lama, and recommend this book to anyone who has questions regarding death.

Exceptional insights from the former vice-president of the World Bank. It presents a succinct and thoughtful perspective on the challenges we are facing...and...how we can solve them. ..and along the way highlights the need for different thinking and a different education for our young people if they are to solve these problems of the 21st century.

J.F. Rischard does a fabulous job of compiling his knowledge into a great introduction of twenty global issues that the world is currently facing. As the subtitle indicates, these issues are steadily becoming problems that we, as a global community, must reckon with. Rischard says that they must be solved in the coming twenty years.

Most of the twenty problems are not surprises, but some are. The author spends time mentioning that his list is not all-inclusive, and that certainly other issues could have been added (or taken off). But his list is all-encompassing and includes the following classifications and then the actual problems:

Sharing our planet: Issues involving the global commons
1. Global warming
2. Biodiversity and ecosystem losses
3. Fisheries depletion
4. Deforestation
5. Water deficits
6. Maritime safety and pollution

Sharing our humanity: Issues requiring a global commitment
7. Massive step-up in the fight against poverty
8. Peacekeeping, conflict prevention, combating terrorism
9. Education for all
10. Global infectious diseases
11. Digital Divide
12. Natural disaster prevention and mitigation

Sharing our rulebook: Issues needing a global regulatory approach
13. Reinventing taxation for the 21st century
14. Biotechnology rules
15. Global financial architecture
16. Illegal drugs
17. Trade, investment, and competition rules
18. Intellectual property rights
19. E-commerce rules
20. International labor and migration rules

Yes, this list is QUITE long and extensive! But Rischard does a wonderful job of giving a brief (3-5 pages) introduction on each issue. If you are looking for a more in depth study of these issues, then you should look elsewhere. But note that the footnotes are great places to look for sources on these issues!

In the end, the purpose of the book is to present a brief summary of these problems, then propose a method for world leaders to use in solving the issues. The author's method is a good one, and he does a nice job explaining it simple terms with "pretty" pictures, charts, and graphs. My only complaint is that -- although the method is somewhat sound -- the book left me wondering what I could do (an average American citizen) to help solve these problems. I would have liked a chapter on what types of careers -- or even small daily tasks -- can be pursued to help fight these issues on a grander scale.

This book is recommended to any individual interested in economics, finance, environment, health, etc. on the global scale.

I bought this book as a requirement for a conference and I expected it to be another boring political/economical book that was going to make me yawn, but truly, after finishing the first chapter I was hooked onto it. The writer's style makes this book very interesting and I enjoyed it very much.

Edit of 21 Dec 07 to aadd comment and links.

Comment: This is still the best strategic overview and a book I would recommend all. See the others below.

Having read perhaps 20 of the best books on global issues and environmental sustainability, water scarcity, ocean problems, etc, over the past few years (most reviewed here on Amazon) I was prepared for a superficial summary, political posturing, and unrealistic claims. Not this book--this book is one of the finest, most intelligent, most easily understood programs for action I have ever seen. The book as a whole, and the 20 problem statements specifically, are concise, illustrated, and sensible.

The author breaks the 20 issues into 3 groups. Group one (sharing our planet) includes global warming; biodiversity and ecosystem losses, fisheries depletion, deforestation, water deficits, and maritime safety and pollution. Group two (sharing our humanity) includes massive step-up in the fight against poverty, peacekeeping-conflict prevention-combatting terrorism, education for all, global infectuous diseases, digital divide, and natural disaster prevention and mitigation. Group three (sharing our rule book) includes reinventing taxation for the 21st century, biotechnology rules, global financial architecture, illegal drugs, trade-investment-competition rules, intellectual property rights, e-commerce rules, and international labor and migration rules.

The author's core concept for dealing with these complex issues intelligently, while recognizing that "world government" is not an option, lies with his appreciation of the Internet and how global issues networks could be created that would be a vertical complement to the existing horizontal elements of each national government.

The footnotes and index are professional, but vastly more important, the author's vision is combined with practicality. This is a "doable-do" and this book is therefore my number one reading recommendation for any citizen buying just one book of the 360+ that I have recommended within Amazon. Superb.

See also, with reviews:
The Future of Life
Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming
Society's Breakthrough!: Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People
Green Chemistry and the Ten Commandments of Sustainability, 2nd ed
Ecological Economics: Principles And Applications
Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution

This book is a very solid, creative and refreshing proposal for new ways to look at Global problems. He modestly proposes real solutions and processes. These ideas seem equally applicable at the regional and local level where institutional change can be slow but problems need a response without years of debates and institutional resistance.

I just bought this book a few days ago because of the glowing reccomendation on the front cover by Joan Borysenko, and because it claims to contain "the world-famous technique that empowers you to forgive your past, heal your present and trasform your future." I have been on a healing path for 5 years and I've read many books---and there's nothing new contained in this book. It's a pretty typical primer for basic life healing. If you are brand new to any form of therapy, or self-help techniques you will probably find this book helpful, but if you are already on the path or you have particularly agressive ego defenses in place---this book will feel (and be, because I have already done everything the author suggests) simplistic.

For example, the author described a long-term smoker who wanted to quit, who had lots of reasons and was clear that he hated the habbit, but who just couldn't do it. The author suggested that everytime he had a cigarette, he sit and explore the circumstances that triggered his desire to smoke. After a few days the man realized he wanted to smoke whenever he felt nervous or socially uncomfortable. The smoker then decided to start throwing dinner parties to counter his social discomfort and as a result he soon quit smoking. Just like magic. Does that sound liek something that might help you? If so---this is your book.

The author basically lays out the process like this: Figure out what you want to chang in your life and what your personality defect are (he has a list to choose from if you're coming up short). Analyze where you got the problem to begin with (the book assets point blank, your parents) forgive your parents, forgive yourself, decide what you want for your future, visualize it, give back old habbits to the people who taught them to you via declaration that you don't want them anymore, and you will naturally change. There is nothing more than this.

The author writes, "when we are finally able to come to terms with blocked or unhealthy emotions and to replace them with loving acceptance, the healing process will have worked deep within us. We will be able to love and accept love, the untimate lesson of our lives." --Not what I would call a profound statement, but this is the depth of advice you should expect from reading this book. Lots of feel good, catchy little quotes from other authors (the author is not a therapist or guru) who seemed like their books would be better, and generic advice meant to cover a broad spectrum of issues, and to make you feel better about yourself. But transform your future? I don't know about that. But I do know that if I had not hi-lighted a few sentences in the begining of the book, before I realized it was not going to address my issue with any depth, I would have returned it for my $$ back.

I did the Hoffman Process almost three years ago and have referred many people to it since then. I can, with an open heart, honestly say that doing the Process was the biggest gift I could have ever given myself, my parents and all the people I love. If you have a voice within that is searching for something and you just don't know what it is -then consider the Process. The only way I can describe it is as the imperative missing link to the million piece puzzle that made up me and my life. The Process is loving and very powerful and was the key to organic lasting change for me.

I recommend this book all to my clients and friends. It is a must read for parents who honestly want to be the best parent to their children and who really want to show up in this life as the best they can be. I always keep a few extra copies on hand to give away.

Have you ever noticed that no matter how much you know ... it doesn't make a difference? Have you struggled with very long-standing childhood-based hurts that no amount of seminars, workshops, support groups, or counselling has been able to help resolve 100%?

If you find yourself on a seemingly endless search for healing without permanent measureable relief then the Hoffman Process may be for you. The Hoffman Process has been described as the world's best kept secret. Presented in an 8-day residential retreat around the world, the process has been endorsed and advocated by many medical doctors, psychologists, and others in the healing profession. Known for its breakthrough results and ability to gently "crack the hardest nut (no pun intended)", the Hoffman Process helps participants achieve a connection with self by releasing decades of hurt, anger, resentment, vindictiveness, and other destructive negative emotions and behaviors. People from all walks of life have benefited from this remarkable loving program.

I am a graduate of the Hoffman Process and truly believe this is the only method that fully releases people of the roots of pain, anger, and the torture of negativity. The beauty of the process is that it connects the head and the heart while removing destructive self-sabotage patterns that one has believed ingrained in themselves. Hoffman produces a powerful relief. It is not a cure-all, and one has to do the work to get the benefit, but nothing else I have tried has brought to me such a sweet place of serene tranquility and joy. For those of you who have tried all sorts of healing methods and still are plagued with inner struggle ... I highly urge you to consider the Hoffman Process. The Institute in the US offers scholarships and there are financing options in both Canada and the US. There is a fresh air of sincerity, open-hearted, and authentic realism in the Hoffman Institute staff and its teachers.

Unlike some programs of positive thinking or human potential peak performance, there is no hard sales tactics, no manipulation to take more courses, no fostering co-dependancy, no coercion in getting your friends to do courses, or any other uncomfortable tactics.

Hoffman is a a gentle, loving, cleansing, mind-body-soul techniques endorsed by some of the most prominant names in medicine and psychology today. There is a freedom of choice and a freedom to be, that in itself is a journey of gold!

This is a must read for those committed to self-growth and/or are Hoffman graduates.

Isn't it time to be free of unhealthy core issues rather than just successfully coping and palliating them?

Funny thing is it works. A few simple questions and BOOM! Clarity, honest to God!