Lead

This book kept me up so many nights - I would find myself awake at 3 AM, forcing myself to put it down. The first third reads like a novel. A thriller, a mystery, a horror novel. All the more painful because it is true.

It became a more difficult read for me after the first third- because the names keep coming - becoming one long horrible blur of awful abuses of faith and spirit.

I wish this book could be required reading for Catholic parents- so that they don't miss the signs.

Interesting, informative book about the pedophile scandal in the Catholic Church. The author points out that the true problem lies in the cover-up. Pediphiles occur in many areas of society, but other agencies, such as the Boy Scouts, do not try to protect and hide them. The Catholic Church does.

Jason Berry is to be commended for his courage, reporting and investigative skills in bringing this tale to the public. As a fellow Catholic I know it must have been a painful experience. It is truely a "must read" and I would just like to say "Thank you" to Mr. Berry.

This is a marvelous book. 46 case studies are woven into the book to illustrate the seven principles of the Maneuver Warfare. Creatively and convincingly, the authors show how these seven principles are also keys to the success of business. I find a rare combination of theoretical elegance and managerial relevance.

The book is extremely readable. I do not know much about warfare, but thanks to the authors' great work, the seven principles are clearly defined and explained, and I can appreciate their applications in business immediately through the cases that follow up.

I would recommend the book to anyone who has interest in business strategy and management.

As a former Marine Corps officer, I applaud the authors for their superior characterization of maneuver warfare and USMC leadership philosophy. As a brand manager for a leading marketer of retail food products, I was equally impressed with their ability to translate these lessons into "business-ese" that everyone can understand and appreciate. I have read many military-to-business books, and this one does by far the best job on the business side of the equation - primarily because there are twenty or so business case studies to illustrate the main points.

The authors talk at length about "breakthrough" results, and I think this book is particularly effective because they have translated "best practices" from one environment - military - to another - business. Normally, business books simply take lessons from one successful company and generalize them. While I believe this approach to be effective in stimulating incremental ideas, it does not lead to breakthroughs.

The value of this book should not be underestimated - the authors' USMC leadership experience yields unique, powerful insight while their business acumen facilitates the articulation of these ideas for practical application. A must read!

I did not serve in the military, but I was at Wharton getting my MBA when Vince Martino and Jason Santamaria started introducing these lessons to the student body. They first helped bring in distinguished speakers from the Marine Corps and then organized a creative hands-on leadership event at a real Marine Corps base that was wildly popular with students, many of whom said it was the best leadership instruction they received at the school. The program is a critical part of the Wharton experience and complements Wharton's lecture based coursework with hands on, practical leadership lessons.

So it was with great interest and high expectations that I read this book. The authors delivered: the lessons they pass on are commonsense, easy to understand and insightful. I really feel for once that I have a set of tangible lessons learned that I can apply in my organization. I work in an acquisitions group for an Fortune 500 services company and the skills and case studies that are highlighted in the book have impacted the way I evaluate both our competition and potential acquisition targets. I have recommended the book to my peers and direct reports, and I highly recommend it to all.

This is an AWESOME book! I bought this due to subject, and reviews. Keep in mind I LOVED my social anthro. class in college! LOL! But seriously, it reinforces our "attachment" choices, but not based on someones opinions, but based on evidence based research! It shows our culture verses more contact oriented cultures. We are suffering. Or, actually, our children are! I love Dr. Sears, but this, well, this is exactly the reinforcement I needed. I read so many "co-sleeping CAUSES problems" or you NEED to start a loose schedule, or your children will not be well adjusted", that they were clouding my decisions-making me doubt my choices. But OK, here is a concept, we ARE animals. And yes, many moms have jobs, but that doesn't mean you can't make better choices that will benefit the child. Time for America to stop thinking in the vein "oh, if you hold that baby too much, you'll spoil it". Uhm, DUH! You'll feel better if you need reinforcement for current "contact parenting" and you will get some solid knowledge about how you are attached to your child can affect it socially, emotionally and physiologically. This, I think is a MUST read for anyone wanting some true knowledge about the basics in the way we conect with our children.

I am a psychologist, specializing in work with children and families. I'm currently not working, because I'm staying at home with my two daugthers. I have read countless books on the subject of babies, children, families, etc., and have found this book to be the most incredible I've ever read. I truly believe this book will make a difference in your life, and the lives of your children. It's worth every penny, and then some.

Part 1: The Power of Touch
Chapter 1 Parenting in the Machine Age
Chapter 2 Newborn Harmony
Chapter 3 Holding Holds Babies Together
Chapter 4 The First Connection
Chapter 5 Rock of Love
Chapter 6 Sensory of Nourishment

Part 2: Out of Touch
Chapter 7 Container Craxy
Chapter 8 Sensory Overkill
Chapter 9 The Body Forbidden
Chapter 10 Breast or Bottle?
Chapter 11 Co-sleeping Taboos
CHapter 12 Crybabies

Part 3: Getting in Touch
Chapter 13 The Self-Reliant Supermom
Chapter 14 Finishing Touches

Some of the many topics discussed in this book:
Independence vs. Interdependence
Bonding
Touch and Growth
Why Massage Creates Magic
Attachment: THe Mother
Father's Role
Influences on Attachment
Newborn Sensory Preferences
Childhood Sexuality
Breastfeeding Benefits

Authors Cafi Cohen and Patrick Farenga have addressed the "getting into college" questions raised by parents schooling their older children at home, like, "How do we work up a set of transcripts?" "How do we get them into college without a recognized degree?" and "What choices in education do we have?"

The sub-title of the book might be misleading. Although a portion of the book talks about getting a child into the "best" universities and colleges, this book will be helpful to homeschoolers concerned about getting their children into any (or not necessarily the best) college.

We purchased the book several years ago and have followed its procedure. We had no trouble getting our daughter enrolled in college. The book provides clearcut and specific direction that alleviates the fears many of us home-schooling parents experience as we begin the high school years. It is helpful even if your children are not the frequent "home schooled genius types."

Since working up a transcript is best done on a year by year basis, the best time for parents to read this book is probably just before they homeschool their (first) child in the 9th grade.
The information on transcripts is worth the purchase price of the book itself.

I especially appreciated the authors' description of getting into local colleges through the "side door" approach by home-schooled teens taking a college course or two during the high school years.

Mentioned but not detailed in the book, there are colleges that are especially predisposed to homeschooled students. Many evangelical Christian colleges would be included in that number.

The book will not only create confidence in parents, it will also provide answers to all those nagging questions that friends or family might ask, as demonstrated by the title, "And What About College."

With a college-bound son who just turned 15, I find myself returning to this book again and again for advice, solace, detailed information, guidance. Cafi Cohen has been through it all. Her son attended the Air Force Academy and is now a test pilot. Her daughter attended an excellent college. AND she did a non-traditional, loose hs program with her kids. I wrote up a transcript for my son this week, using her book, and was truly heartened to see how beautifully it all came together. This is one of the best homeschool advice books I have ever read. A real gem.

I want to thank Cafi for the wealth of information contained in 'And What About College?' We used it for all aspects of the process- from early planning when Shauna was 13 to the final stamping of the five college applications... We are happy to report that Shauna is accepted at Brown University under early action, and awaits word from the other four. Cafi's guidance, humor, clarity and ideas were invaluable... and the sample cover letters were a helpful prompt for this homeschool principal! I look forward to her new book and wish her the best!

Sugar of Lead is a phenomenal read. It delves into the life of a gangster who seeks revenge for the death of his blood brother while trying to save the life of his widow. It asks questions about the value of life and death while confronting the ongoing battle between good and evil. It is intriguing and a fast read. Sugar of Lead is one of the few books that actually cover the life of Asian gangsters. It compares to The Godfather in its richness of detail and excitement. I highly recommend it people of all ages.

Sugar of Lead is one of those novels that provides a deep, rich tale of one man's introspection after trying to survive in this world, as well as a deep, rich context for its setting and background. This reminds me of novels written by some guys named Hemingway and Bellow. In true fashion as a story in this postmodern era, Sugar of Lead tells of a white male trying to find his place in the Asian gang world, which no other novels offer. The reader is left in introspection of his own identity, as well as with the satisfaction of finishing a good book. People of any ethnicity or age will be able to enjoy this book, which is much more than a gangster novel. It is a classic just waiting to be deemed so, and a must-read.

It's been a VERY long time since I've been able to pick up a book and put it back down after reading it all in one sitting. The book played out like a well-planned movie. Every moment, every character, and every line of dialogue had me feening for more. It is one of the most accurate potrayals of the Asian-American gangster scene. Expect no boring cliches filled with typical Asian-American strereotypes. I cannot wait until this author churns out another book. Pick up this book today.

The Love Compatibility Book offers the reader sophisticated guidelines to choosing a soulmate based on sound research of 12 personality traits . It helps to understand and match similar traits with your own personality style.
Written in contemporary and easy to read style, the authors Drs. Hoffman and Weiner offer practical advice based on their combined knowledge,professional and life experience of qualities that enhance loving relationships.
Dr. Lenore Powell, author of Alzheimer's Disease:A Guide
For Families and Caregivers

Drs Weiner and Hoffman devoted 7 years to compile the research necessary to complete this book...they have integrated their information from a number of fields, including biology, developmental psychology, and personality theory. A more subtle undercurrent of the book has to do with spirituality, and gaining further insight into the Self. I believe this book will be extremely helpful to other professionals in the field of psychology, as well as those looking to meet their spiritual and practical counterpart...if you are looking for love and haven't found it, this book will help in illuminating why and will assist in self-enlightment, the first step of finding true, lasting intimacy and love. Highly recommended!

At last, a more reasonable approach to sorting out Mr. Right from Mr. Wrong! It's an amazing book and very empowering. I learned so much about myself and why some of my past relationships just didn't work out. Now my love life won't be left totally to chance. Thank you, authors Bakur-Weiner and Hoffman for your help!

Good attempt at writing about sales management, and Skip makes some very solid points in the opening chapter. He points to the need for Leadership as a key element of a good sales manager. Unfortunately, I think Skip knows more about sales than leadership, himself, so he is not great at explaining HOW to be a good leader. He spends a lot of time on how to hire good people, which I agree is important. This might lead some rookie sales managers to fall back on the excuse of inheriting weak sales reps, and worry more about replacing them, than fixing them.
Read the first chapter in a book store somewhere, and save the $$$

Managing salespeople is very hard. Contrary to coventional wisdom, being a successful salesperson has very little to do with being a successful sales manager. Too many organizations put good salespeople in management roles with little preparation, and then they wonder why the failure rate for new sales managers is so high.

"ProActive Sales Management" is an indispensable guide for any professional sales manager, from the newest to the most seasoned. This is a practical, actionable blueprint for building and managing a winning sales organization.

The core of "ProActive Sales Management" is a set of tools that can be immediately applied to a variety of sales management challanges, regardless of size of sales force, type of industry, or even geographic region. Our own organization has successfuly applied these methods in the US, Europe, Asia, Canada and Latin America.

The key strength of this book is its common-sense approach. This is not about dogma or ideology, as so many sales and sales management books are. This is about getting the job done, and doing it well. If you manage salespeople, or if you aspire to being a sales manager, you must read this book!

I always thought that all my years of sales success would transfer to my job as a sales manager -- well, it has been a 2 year roller coaster ride. Until, I read skip's book.....my game plan was to manage the people the way I used to sell, however, ProActive Sales Management showed me that you must "Manage the process, not just the People!" I love the fact that Mr. Miller uses "tools" in his book, so this way I am able to pick and choose the right tool for any given situation. Sales have been climbing since we started implementing these metrics and we are not looking back!

Reading Shirley Peddy's book has truly been an engaging learning experience. By practicing the art of story telling, Shirley is able to captivate her audience and naturally become a mentor to all who read her book. Before I knew it I was deeply engrossed in the book and identifying with each character at various levels. Rachel (the Mentor in the story) focuses heavily on the importance of environment in relationship to performance among employees. After working within the same work space for a number of years and having experienced challenging times within our group, I can recognize the absolute importance of environment in relationship to performance. I wish I had been able to read her book in the beginning of my career. While reading about and experiencing what the characters were going through in my mind, I also learned important tools for starting mentoring relationships, identifying a mentoring spirit, understanding the role of a mentor, and working through problems.

The story had a happy ending for each of the characters. Although this may not always be the case in real life scenarios, I completely appreciate the focus on how effective, positive, mentoring relationships can turn about happy endings to otherwise difficult or impossible situations. I highly recommend this book to all who are interested in dealing effectively with other people as well as those who play key roles in helping others succeed.

Shirley Peddy addresses key mentoring skills, not in a sterile antiseptic way, but in real-life, 'it could happen', situations. In fact I found myself associating each mentoring challenge with a situation in my own environment. When skills are outlined and discussed, often it is the 'nitty gritty' of how would you really go about saying that to someone, that is not addressed. Not true here. You experience not only the dialogue, but also the toss and turn nights and the talks that don't end with the desired outcomes. I found this book entertaining as well as a keeper for referring back to for various mentoring issues. Peddy's work and family parallel story lines added to the picture of what mentoring is and isn't.

The title itself is very telling and helpful as a masterplan. I would recommend this book to anyone who's goal is to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Susie =>

Mentoring is so important in the world today. Having a mentor, as this book details, helps people reach the next level in their careers. Mentoring is truly invaluable. A tough thing though is finding a mentor. Where does one look? Well now there is a place to both find a mentor and also be a mentor to share your knowledge. The site is Advance Mentoring, www.Advancementoring.com

You can search to find a mentor in any industry, or to be a mentor, or even both. Now the job of finding a mentor has gotten much easier. The site offers over a tremendous number of members from over 40 countries, so you are sure to find a mentor or a mentee. Good luck. http://www.advancementoring.com

Noah Cirincione, CEO
Advance Mentoring
http://www.advancementoring.com

Author Anthony J. Alessandra identifies the four basic business personalities: Directors, Socializers, Relaters and Thinkers. As you come to appreciate the strengths of each of these styles, you also learn to put them to use. You will read about the drawbacks of each style and you will see how you can help people overcome them. The book is generally for managers who want to get more out of their employees. The authors include a section on how to apply The Platinum Rule to selling, which makes the book quite useful for anyone in a sales position. We [...] recommend this book to sales or personnel managers, and to other executives who want to understand and motivate people.

This book gives the student of human persuasion something to think about. Although not discovered by the authors, they outline four distinct personality styles. Knowing the style of your customer is a great advantage. They give numerous examples and insights on how to talk to and interact with the various styles. These examples and insights are very useful for a salesperson.

If you want to understand others first understand you. This work assists you in understanding what style personality you are. After understanding where you are coming from, you begin to understand where other people are coming from. This makes you an excellent communicator.

One of the most difficult areas of personal selling is figuring out what the customer really wants. This endeavor needs good communication skills on the part of the sales representative. Opening a window of communication with the customer is critical. And, you don't want the window to close when you have your neck out the window talking with the customer. Understanding how certain customers think about the world and other humans, helps with this window of communication. The authors give specific examples of how to talk to each personality style and what types of behaviors to expect.

The book is practical and the reader is immediately able to go from book to the field and use the techniques. If you are in the sales trade study this book. But we all need to sell ourselves and thinking about the techniques and concepts of this work will benefit anyone.

Over the years there have been many books written to explore human personality, some by academics and some by laymen. This work stands out among them as a superior learning tool written by two academically trained experts who are also actual practitioners of their messages. It is solid material and a downright good read. Dr.s Tony Alessandra and Michael O¹Connor are the leading authorities alive today on the subject of Behavioral Styles. Alessandra is a professional speaker and trainer who has specialized in the application of behavioral science in the business world. As a former college professor he taught sales and marketing for several years. As an individual he has practiced what he preached. Alessandra spent several successful years in sales and sales management positions and now counts among his closest acquaintances the top thought leaders in the worldwide business community. His experience as a professional speaker to over two thousand audiences shows up in the book, it is very entertaining and motivational.Dr. O¹Connor is the brains behind many works on behavioral style, most notably the Performax materials published by Carlson Learning. His scientific mind and technical training make this a well structured and highly accessible work.The book offers readers immediate insight into their own relationships and their personal behavior patterns. Real world examples are peppered throughout and do a great job of keeping the reader engaged. Examples are well balanced among various life situations and industries. Business people will especially enjoy the practical and entertaining nature of the book.The Platinum Rule addresses a basic human truth: the fact that we are all alike in many ways and we are all different in other ways. If we will take the brief time necessary to notice our differences then we will instantly see how to better connect with each other. The book shows how to easily observe the four most common ³styles² of behavior. It goes on to show you exactly how to deal with each style. Readers will instantly know from their own experiences that the suggestions will work. Once you have read this book, solutions become obvious and tension between people disappears. This is one of the most practical and enjoyable books ever written on this topic.Respectfully submitted by:Jim Cathcart, author of The Acorn Principle, Know Yourself-Grow Yourself, and Relationship Selling. President of the Cathcart Institute, La Jolla, CA. Past president of the National Speakers Association.

Caring Enough to Lead was an easy to read, interesting, thought-provoking book. By sharing personal experiences and perspectives in his book, Dr. Pellicer helped me begin to understand what it means to be a leader and to focus on some of the attributes and attitudes of an effective leader. The questions at the end of the chapters caused me to stop and reflect on my role as a leader in my school and in my classroom. The short chapters in the book enabled me to read one or more chapters at a time depending on how much time I had available.

Leonard Pellicer posed many questions in his book, Caring Enough to Lead. By using questions as chapter titles he captured my attention as an educator. I found myself writing comments to myself throughout the book because of the thought provoking questions that he presented. In Pellicer's book, he quotes Autry(1991)"...proper management involves caring for people, not manipulating them." This sums up to me how caring is the most important leadership quality. As a special educator, one of my favorite quotes was "...a leader without the capacity to give away love and caring is seriously handicapped!"

Pellicer's book was an excellent book for anyone in the education field. Through short essays, he gives a clear, sometimes humorous, always honest view of what it takes to be a successful leader. While reading this book, I was able to personalize many of the experiences he speaks of and apply the lessons that he has learned through the years to my own life and career goals. Because of the way it is written, the reader has the ability to "skip around" and read the chapters that seem the most pertinent at the time. As a classroom teacher, I found this book to be a source of inspiration to me--inspiration that I desperately need at this mid-year point! After reading his thought-provoking, encouraging essays, I think I might just be able to make it until the end of the school year after all!