Renewal Books

Living in Detroit in 2009 I find the book quite relevant since we are now on a journey to remake the city.

I bought this book as a required reading for school. It was very easy to read and covered many interesting topics. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in learning more about the urban environment.

In an age when architects and planners were spouting all kinds of brave-new-world nonsense (or mindlessly absorbing it, or even worse - building it), Jacobs burst onto the scene with an incredible dose of sanity mixed with common sense and wisdom, carefully observing the urban environment and drawing a host of remarkably sensible conclusions. For some reason we architects seem always at risk of believing our own nuttiest fantasies. Jacobs is a perennial corrective.

Still relevant, still useful....and still ignored by the common city engineer. Our city's planners need to re-read this sucker.

This is a book that relates to designers, and city planners as well as the "un-educated". Reading this book will certainly inform one on the purpose and importance of city planning.

IT is what you need in your leadership. It is choc full of good advise and good examples plus it is written in such a way that it is a very entertaining to read. Filled with funny stories and good examples that should keep the reader glued to the pages.

Check out my new novel: His Calling

This is one of the most contemporary looks at spiritual balance in churches written today. Few churches really have IT, all churches want IT. What is the difference? Groeschel explains in simple, understandable terms. A must read for every church in America!

If you are a church leader, or a leader who is a Christian, you must have this book. The book is an observation of churches who have "it". If you are looking for a formula, don't look here. Formulas don't contain it. The book shows you what it takes to have it. Don't go without it.

Craig Groeschel has it absolutely correct in his study of "IT" and how churches have it, lose it, and can get again. Great read and eye opener for the church body, staff, and everyone involved.

Craig offers no "easy 1-2-3 steps" to church success, but is right on target.

I've been a minister for almost 40 years in churches of all sizes and have found that the "IT" that Craig talks about does come and go. Often as ministers and church leaders we were so busy that we didn't realize "IT" had left.

Fun to read as well as thought-provoking.

This is an excellent resource for those who already volunteer or want to and don't know exactly where to start. Even if you don't volunteer with any of these 202 examples, you'll certainly be inspired to find your niche to help others. The contact information about each group is very helpful. John's last chapter, 20-point Front-End Alignment" was an added bonus of inspiration.

I'm a retired manager from one of the major automakers. The business community has changed greatly over the past 35 years and has become more socially conscious. A Global Force of one provides practical and feasible ideas to implement projects with meaningful results.The bigger the company the harder it is to implement company wide programs this books shows how individual plants and offices can make a difference. Easy to read and well organized it can be read and re-read almost anywhere. I recommend this book to all management trainee's and middle managers.

I teach a social problems course at a large urban community college where practicality is of the essence in designing a course syllabus. This text introduces students to practical, exciting ideas for combatting the social problems of our communities and is a touchstone for a generation of young people entering society with a desire to do something worthwhile with their lives. I highly recommend this book for teachers, parents, and those interested in persoanl growth.

John Boal's BE A GLOBAL FORCE OF ONE is one of the best resources I have ever found for community service learning projects. As a teacher of CSL, it's important to know what other projects are going on and how to modify them to fit your own school, agency, or club's needs. This should be used as a regular textbook in any formal CSL program on either the middle or high school level--it is in my program!

I would like to thank the author for writing a book to inspire people and create a more caring world.

I think my most telling response to this book is that while it is supposed to get you excited about getting involved...I read it, put it on the shelf, and don't feel any more empowered than I did before I read it (which says just as much about me as it does about the book). While I agree with the intent of most of the highlighted programs, I don't feel ready to start a community program so I would just move on to the next page. Nothing really jumped out and made me say "Wow, that sounds amazing. YES! I want to support that program!".

Some similar books that I enjoyed more are: (1) How to Make the World A Better Place and (2) The Better World Handbook which discussed how you can integrate your values and actions on a daily basis and make a difference in many areas of your life (e.g. money, shopping, community, food, politics) instead of just through volunteering or helping to set up a new community, business, or school program (like most of Global Force of One did). If you want to read a book to inspire you and combat your cynicism I would also recommend Soul of A Citizen. After reading it I immediately went and volunteered in my community.

These books are more accessible to the amount of effort you are willing to put in and did a better job of meeting me where I am and encouraging me to taking positive personal steps to improve the world and live a more fulfilling life.

Good luck improving the world and living a life worth living!

This is a beautiful book and I feel it is so wonderful for family caregivers who have just "gotten the call." It has so many personal insights and helpful tips, and I feel it gives a lot of strength and empowerment to caregivers. Please read this. You will be so glad that you did.

Beth has been there for all of us as the head of our "Caregiving" support group. Her experience and knowledge has helped us through, and her beautiful book has helped us know, why she is so caring of others. A must read for all CAREGIVERS.

Beth Witrogen McLeod's book Caregiving The Spiritual Journey of Love, Loss, and Renewal is a must read for any person taking care of an ill loved one, whether they are a child, spouse and/or aging parent. My interview with Beth revealed a strong woman with a fierce detrmination to help other caregivers make the most of a very painful situation. Beth includes her own personal journey along with the stories of hundreds of people she has met online in her chat groups or in person during her many public appearances in her incredible book. As the creator and editor of HotFlash! a woman's online perimenopause/menopause magazine and online support group, I have found women in the same place as Beth. She has described so well in her book the guilt, the pain, the sorrow and yes, at times, the joy of taking care of a sick loved one. In attempting to find hope and love in a truly difficult situation, Beth guides us to make good decisions not only for the person needing care but for the person herself. She pulls back the curtain on this often overlooked yet important topic.

This is a must read for anyone taking care of a loved one and for the rest of us who will one day be in these extraordinary shoes.

In an ideal world, we'd all have parents who we would want to help in old age, and it would be our honor to help them in their old age as they have helped us in our youth.

However, for the children of substance abuse parents and/or mentally ill patients the answers do not come easy. Things are much more complicated than simply finding a place to live, and deciding how much time you can spend with said loved one.

I'm not trying to over simplify, because all decisions dealing with older loved ones are difficult, but I was kind of hoping it would have given me more direction as to when its important to protect yourself as well. Its easy to get caught up in the caretaker role, feeling like a matyr without thinking about wheither or not this is the best desicion for you and your immediate family. Especially, if its puts you at risk for other health issues.

This is a fascinating book. I highly recommend it, although I was hoping it would have more concrete ideas for caring for an elder. I would recommend something like the Fourteen friends Guide to Eldercaring if you are looking for comcrete suggestions and a unique support group.

Every person I know who has read The Guide loves it and has made positive changes because of it. The chapters are so short and easy to read that even the busiest of moms can easily get through it. The ideas and action steps are so simple to implement that everyone can make quick and lasting change immediately. If you are a busy mom who is ready to have more while doing less then definitely get this book and consider joining a group for additional support and comradarie.

Renee's book is great for empowering moms, who often get lost in the shuffle of their own busy lives. It teaches and encourages moms to remember who they are, trust themselves, deeply nurture themselves, and get the most out of mothering and womanhood. It also offers women a way to learn about her groups, and even start one of their own. A great book!
Mary Burgess - bellinghamdoula.wordpress.com

This book validates what many mother's feel. It was refreshing and inspiring. After I read it, I knew immediately I needed to become a facilitator for the Personal Renewal Groups. I wanted to share this book with all the mom's I knew. It's a simple book with guided journaling exercises and great tips. Renee shares her personal stories freely and they are easy to relate to. Renee is able to put into words what I've been trying to explain to my hubby for years--just how wonderful yet challenging it is to be a mom. I had him read it and now he's my biggest supporter in my quest to share this. It's a very empowering book...helping moms realize that we're doing the most important job out there, but that it needn't be all-consuming. When we practice self-care we are happier, stronger and calmer, which makes us better moms, friends, and spouses.

This book is organized into 12 chapters that cover topics such as the power of self-care, tapping into your creativity, and improving life balance. The list of creative ways to say no (and thus manage your energy) is worth buying this book! As a busy professional and mom, I love the fact that the chapters can all be read quickly, and then returned to when I have time. Each chapter includes thought provoking questions for journaling or group discussion, and concrete suggestions for implementing new ideas. The wisdom and support in this book is an invaluable asset to any mother navigating the myriad challenges of parenting while trying to maintain a healthy sense of herself. This is a book to savor and share. As a licensed psychologist and group psychotherapist, I lead groups that focus on this book and I regularly recommend it to my clients. I read it regularly, and always get something new from it. Buy this wonderful book, you will be grateful you did. [..]

I purchased this book last summer after reading about it in a women's magazine. I was very impressed with the chapter topics especially the one on self-care for moms. I enjoyed the book so much that I am now a Facilitator for a Personal Renewal Group for Moms and I use the book as a guide. The mother's in the group also love the book and the exercises included in the book. You can learn more about the book and how to become a facilitator on the website reneetrudeau.com. [...].

This is one of the most important pastoral books written in the past few years. It fairly and quietly sets out for reflection areas in which the pastoral care of those in the institutional Catholic chuch have failed properly to serve and nurture the Catholic community. It is positive - recommending ways in which these failures can be remedied. It blames where blame is both necessary and urgently in need of recognition, so that wrongs can be righted. No one who was disturbed by the recent reporting of sexual abuse by the Irish institutional Catholic church can afford not to read this book. People like it's author are precisely those who should be given authority - especially in Rome - to tackle the ills it exposes.

Essential reading for any thinking, mature Catholic who is dismayed at the current efforts to downplay Vatican II, consolidate power of the hierarchy, and limit the development and active participation of parishioners.

An honest, mature and authorative view of our church today: how we got here; what we have brought with us; our current situation; and a hopeful look to our future. An aid to answering some basic questions: what did Jesus show us and what does Jesus expect from us: sing a new song to the Lord with Me.

Pope John XXIII said "Open The Windows." Bishop Geoffrey Robinson is the clearest and most reinvigorating breath of fresh air through the windows of the Catholic Church since Vatican II. He properly balances the bible, the Church, and our present life circumtances allowing one GROWTH within the Church. It relieves false guilt giving some perpective on attitudes of purity and obedience, without relieving one of our responsibility. This book gives the most integrity of understanding I have had in sixty years; it is a gift to those of his own or any faith group.

An excellent and very readable book that has provided me with much needed insight as a very troubled Episcopalian at this time of our schism over the ordination of an openly gay bishop in 2003.

From someone who has had to take a hard look at her life a few times this is an excellent resource. I found it to be easy to understand, clear and provided a great approach and roadmap. I highly recommended it!

Not only is this book very readable and enjoyable, it offers practical steps for anyone dreaming about changing careers!

This book reads easily and like others, I love the clever Chapter headings, sub-titles and Route 66 markers, full of quotes and lines from songs...you may even find yourself singing. The book clearly describes the reasons we are ready for change as well as the reasons we get stuck and have trouble moving forward. A great book both for those retiring as well as those ready to do something different for other reasons! Makes a great gift for a friend~

Changing Lanes is perfect timing especially for the baby boom generation. I have so many friends, colleagues, and family members contemplating a big life change, especially toward service to others or creativity and the arts. This book is just the thing to help readers think through how they want to spend the rest of their lives, and then actually go out and do it!

The organization and practical information of this book make it useful as a reference, but the use of song titles throughout make it fun as well! The "real" people and their stories add a depth to the book that sets it apart from so many other career evaluation books. I've already given several to friends considering mid-life changes.

Having been to Beijing in 2005 and horrified by the destruction of most of what is old, I found this book fascinating. It weaves the authors experiences living and teaching in Bejing into a larger historical, cultural and "political" context. I highly recommend it.

Michael Meyer has constructed an engrossing book about life in the traditional lower class communities of Beijing. The courtyard houses are subdivided into small one or 2 room dwellings clustered around narrow lanes, hutong in Chinese. They do not have plumbing or even proper kitchens. There are public latrines and bathhouses for taking care of the necessities of life. This is not an easy way of life, at least to Westerners used to a higher standard of living. However, these hutongs thrive with a communitarian spirit that is absent anywhere else in the city. Meyer chronicled his two years of living like no other Westerner, among the poor in the hutong. Despite initial apprehension, his neighbors accept him as their own. Meyer alternates between life in the hutong, teaching English at a neighborhood elementary school and describing the rapid destruction of hutongs, especially in the run up to the Olympics, in the name of "progress" and the loss of the lifestyle associated with them. He also puts it in the context of the greater history of Beijing, and attempts at preservation in China and around the world. This fascinating book gives a realistic view of the hutong life that is rarely seen, even in modern Chinese literature, but in a way that is very approachable for the Western reader. Meyer excels when describing the lives and the travails of himself and his neighbors in the hutong.

Many foreigners go to Beijing and take a tour or go walking in the hutong lanes in Beijing, thinking they are quaint, charming places to look at. Many of these foreigners do not seem to realize most of the hutong homes lack modern bathrooms, central heating and often have quite small rooms.

Michael Meyer writes from a credible perspective, having actually lived in a hutong home. He does not overly romanticize the hutong, as some foreign visitors seem to. I was very impressed by the strong empathy Meyer has for the people living in his hutong and some of the people he befriends. I especially enjoyed reading about "The Widow." How unfortunate was her experience in moving from her hutong home of many years to temporarily relocate, by choice, to another hutong, where there was less safety and sense of community, reflecting that not all hutong neighborhoods are as apparently tranquil as where she and Meyer lived. Overall Meyer is much less judgmental and paternalistic than most foreigners who write about their experiences in China.

He justifiably, in my opinion, is very critical of the rampant destruction of the hutong, especially since the early 1990's. People are evicted from their homes, often with inadequate compensation, most relocating to high rise apartments, frequently of not so good construction quality, in the suburbs, usually quite far from their previous homes in the hutong. Relatively few hutong homes are modernized, but usually gentrified, with wealthy Chinese or foreigners displacing the previous residents.

As Meyer writes, some hutong residents do not mind moving to modern apartments having modern bathrooms and central heating, but often do not like moving to outer suburbs. Many though bitterly resist being removed from their homes, missing the strong sense of community and being near or in the central city.

One of the only relatively minor quibbles I have is it often seems as if Meyer's book is two books in one, an overview of a history of architecture in Beijing and writing about his experiences living in the hutong. The chapters vary in style and perhaps should have been two separate books. The chapters about his experiences in Beijing and the people he became close to, I enjoyed most. The chapters about the history of architecture in Beijing had some interesting information I did not know, such as about the "modernization" of some neighborhoods during the Nationalist regime, but seemed somewhat superficial. I recommend "Beijing: from Imperial Capital to Olympic City," as a better overall book about the history of culture, including architecture, in Beijing.

Meyer also, in my opinion, seems occasionally to share the common assumption of most foreigners that they know best how to preserve and restore the historic architecture in Beijing, as well as other cities in China. As I said above though, he is less judgmental than most foreigners, visitors or residents, about China and the Chinese people. Overall, this is a very good book though, especially for those people who know little about hutong in Beijing.

Mr. Meyer's interesting and engaging book transports the reader into a time and place that few of us will ever get to experience, even if we visit Beijing and walk through the hutongs ourselves. Mr. Meyer captures the frantic pace of destruction and redevelopment and the variety of attitudes towards this changing landscape, and the costs associated with these changes - both physical and emotional.

If you are planning on spending any time in China or Beijing this book is a required read because it effectively captures the spirit of China today. There are any number of great books on China but most of them capture a different time in China's life and so are less effective in helping a prospective visitor or future resident of China prepare for their time there.

Just south of Tiananmen Square, past the city's old front gate, the past is under siege. The buildings and lives that crammed together for centuries here, in the legendary, lively neighborhood of Dazhalan, have all but lost out to the old imperative to be modern. A drive that began with Mao, arose again in the 1990s under more capitalist pressures, and accelerated with the Olympics has demolished thousands of traditional courtyard homes and uprooted their residents. Taking their place will be upscale apartments and a pedestrian shopping mall where international brands will be fronted by ersatz Qing dynasty facades. The story of urban redevelopment may not be new, but in Mike Meyer's fantastic The Last Days of Old Beijing, it gains a valuable sheen that comes with intimacy and worldly perspective. His book isn't just an excellent, loving paean to a neighborhood imperiled by Beijing's Olympic-era makeover, but one of the best portraits of any city in the throes of modernization.

At home in the hutong, Meyer is able to chronicle its extinction like a preservational linguist might do with a dying tongue. His subject is not just the grammar of its architecture but the intonations of the personalities that live in it. The effortlessness of Meyer's snapshot belies his exhaustive collection of contemporary ephemera ("make a tremendous contribution to the 2008 Olympic Games" urges a relocation notice) and excavation of arcane historical details. In one of a smattering of history sections, we learn of the short-lived American occupation of the neighborhood after the Boxer rebellion, one defined, refreshingly, by such goodwill that locals begged the troops to stay. Another poignant chapter brings to life the architect Liang Sicheng, whose Cassandra-like visions of Beijing's transformation in the '50s and '60s haunt city planners today, and inspire writers like Meyer.

But it is the people, not the architecture, that is his account's greatest strength, and the hutong's most convincing argument for survival. In his unsentimental account, neighbors like The Widow, Soldier Liu and Recycler Wang come alive with a familiarity that doesn't sink into stereotype. At the local school where Meyer takes a volunteer teaching job, and as Olympic clocks count the seconds until the city's coming out party, small talk about weather or food gives way to the hutong's concerned refrain: "Do you know when our school will be demolished?"

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I've read many books from self-help to Christian instruction. This book most definitely ranks at the top of my list for spiritual growth and also healing, both emotionally and spiritually. Leslie's devotion to serving the Lord is very apparent. That combined with her own personal experience has made this an invaluable tool for those seeking to really know the Lord better. It's a "best-seller" on my list! God Bless!

every since i started my aunt leslie's book, the truth principle, i have noticed changes in my life. this book also tells me a little more about my dad and his siblings' lives at home. (my dad is leslie's sister). i love this book and would recomend it to anyone.

Rarely will you find a book that helps you analyze the way you respond to struggles such as this. Leslie's process helps you rationally identify the way you respond to struggles and personal weaknesses and then use the truth of God's Word to change. This book is a helpful, hope-giver.

Rarely will you find a book that helps you analyze the way you respond to struggles such as this. Leslie's process helps you rationally identify the way you respond to struggles and personal weaknesses and then use the truth of God's Word to change. This book is a helpful, hope-giver.

This is a must-read book for peer counselors and for anyone in therapy or those who "should" be in therapy! Everyone has troubles and trials in life. But our response to them ... that's what gets us in trouble. Leslie Vernick has a wonderful writing style that shows how to look for the root of the problem and how to learn responses that are more affirming instead of destructive. Her gentle TRUTH principle approach is easy to remember and apply. I love this God-centered method of counseling/therapy/self-help and highly recommend it. I believe you'll find it to be a powerful gift in your life.

I struggled with the concept of second innocence (still do); however, the premise is that we can maintain or recapture a sense of wonder, delight (whatever you want to call it) throughout our lives. And it is this sense of wonder that keeps us growing and allows us to become truly wise. I'm old enough to know wisdom when I see it and young enough to appreciate that innocent wonder in children. Izzo takes us through various aspects of our lives and shows how a sense of wonder keeps us young while allowing us to truly grow older with grace.

Author writes about rediscovering the wonder and joys of life. Based on his own experiences including death of his father, first love, a family suicide and other compelling stories, Izzo cheers you on to reconnect with and learn from your own life stories. It can be difficult at times to maintain optimism and grace in a world filled with cynicism but Izzo's inspirational book certainly helps you down the right path.

At first, this book seemed to me to be trite, full of little aphorisms and such. By the time I reached the end, I finally understood the underlying message. As with our personal relationships, what counts in our daily living ARE the little things. The author presents this insight with a gentle hand that matches the mood of the message. Thank you, John Izzo, wherever you are.

"John Izzo has written yet another fantastic book that has profound impact on the reader's daily life. Upon finishing the first reading, I turned the book over and began reading it all over again. A few weeks later, I picked it up and read it a third time and I just could not stop talking about it! This truly is a book that will not stay on a bookshelf for long.
Written in such a way as to remind us what we already know, but do not practice, Izzo's simple views on life can help the reader realize the full potential of their lives. His compelling stories are useful tools to view our own lives, jobs and families with more kindness, while discovering the peace that was always within our grasp.
A rich, thought-provoking book such as this could very well make the world a better place - one reader at a time." ~ Lillian Brummet, co-author of the book Trash Talk - a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment. (http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

Just wanted to thank John for writing inspiring words that convey wonderful foundational thoughts and feelings. I too am a great believer in an abundance mentality and try to live and act in the "now" every day.

If the population of our world would take the time to slow down enough to contemplate and realize that we all (most?) really want the same simple things from life, what a great place this world would be.