family-economics

This is s a good starting point for new moms considering going into home based business. As you develop your business, you'll likely need more specific information, but Mompreneurs will give you a broad range of information to help you get started. I read this book almost three years ago while nursing my first child. I've been in business for two years at ... and occassionally refer back to the book for reminders.

If you are scared or shy about starting your own business and working from home then you MUST read this book. 0ne of the best things about this book are the stories about other mothers, real people you can identify with, who have been successful at working from home. This is a wonderful resource to get you started and answers a lot of basic questions you have about the process. If you don't already have some line of work picked out then you can get great ideas here! I feel that both my business and my family have benefited from this book as there is a lot of information on how to balance the two. You will probably refer to this book over and over again. The $11.70 to buy this book is definitly a great investment!

This book was truly my inspiration for getting off my ... and starting my own public relations/event planning company. I had just graduated from college with a degree in Communications/PR and was working as a marketer when I realized I wanted to be the one deciding what to do with my life. I also couldn't bear only seeing my children for an hour before they went to bed.

I picked this book up on a whim in the bookstore. After reading a tiny part, I knew I had to have it. Just a few months later I have my own business, and am working on my first paying project. This book showed me how to do it, and gave me the inspiration and support I needed.

The authors have identified ten types of difficult people and provided respective action plans when dealing with them. To sum up, the general principle is that you need to be considerate and patient. When you are facing conflict, always remind yourselves: "100 years from now, what difference will it make?"

Although it is a short book, it offers useful advice plus many real-life examples to readers. While it is self-helping in nature, the methods outlined would likely boost your career. It should be used together with Andrew Dubrin's 'Winning Office Politics' for those interested in surviving in office politics.

I'm a felony probation officer. I deal with difficult people. I applied the clear techniques provided with an offender described for years as "a real nasty guy...." by previous probation officers. The technique worked immediately, the man expressed appreciation saying "You are the first person in your department who ever understood me...I'll do exactly what you told me to do." I could relate scores of other times these techniques have helped over the years. Rick & Rick's set of tapes is also extremely helpful. You won't be sorry you learned this stuff.

I was actually required to read this book for a college leadership class. I found it to be an excellent resource and I would recommend this book to anyone. It has many implications dealing with leadership, but you do not need to be a leader to find this book helpful.

I did not finish the book - it is more like a 'workbook' than a book. I was hoping to get some insight into how to deal with people in the workplace - this book is full of material that I consider to be common sense. Little emperical or formal evidence is offered.
I suggest 'The Secret Handshake' by Kathleen Kelley Reardon for readers interested in improving their polical skills in a business setting.
That's my take - loopster - Chicago, IL

It turns out that when you become savvy about other people, or "people smart," you become smarter about yourself, as well. That's the hidden practical message in Mel Silberman and Freda Hansburg's intelligent new book. They bring their considerable expertise and hands-on experience to bear in these lessons on building interpersonal skills. Simply laid out, yet well-written and concise, the book walks you through the sets of skills you need to master. As you learn to understand and apply them, you gradually sense the impact these skills can have on your ability to lead and excel. We [...] recommend this book to those who are interested in improving their people skills (and remember, you're a 'people' too).

Dr. Silberman has finally hit the nail on the head. Other authors have attempted to address the issue of communication and have made it over complicated. Mel has developed a will researched, highly creative and practical approach to interpersonal effectiveness. PeopleSmart is a must read for anyone that has to interface with people on a day-to-day basis both professionally and personally.

There is only a small list of books that has influenced or changed my life, books like the Bible, Dune, and the Boy Scout Hand Book. But this quirky little tome on scavenging would not be on most people's list.

But it's on mine!

This is a hilarious and informative "how-to" guide of suburban survival. The book instructs how to look through a dumpster, what to look for, where to find it, and what you can do with what you find.

The book is also filled with great ancedotes and Ace Backwards comic strips. The stories of the author's psycho brother "Slash" are worth half the cost of the book.

But more than the entertainment value is the information. And once you develop your "diver's eye," you will be surprised just how much stuff we Americans pitch wastefully every day, and that's when you come in. Take it!

I've found some great things in the trash, and this book can show you just what you're missing!

Git divin'! Thar's gold in them thar dumpsters!

John Hoffman's book is not only a thorough "How-To" book on dumpster diving, but it is also chock full of side-splitting stories of his "adventures" while dumpster diving. I would highly recommend this book to anyone pursuing a simpler life, freedom from debt, or those just looking for an interesting (free) hobby. Some of the topics covered in John's book include, proper attire for dumpster diving, proper dumpster diving equipment, useful diving techniques, and where to locate the best most loot filled dumpsters in your town. After reading this book I promptly went out "dumpster diving" to test the validity of John Hoffman's assertions. I returned with "loot" that included a metal 5-shelf unit in perfect condition along with a few other odds and ends. Thanks for a great book John!

I have been diving for about 16 years and I love to do it! I found John's book at Tower Records in Fresno, CA about six years ago. It was perfect! Most of what John said in his book I was already doing. The best excuse I have used is "I'm looking for boxes, I'm moving." And to keep a box or two in your car just to make it look good. I have gone as far as getting gate codes to gated communities. Working as a pizza delivery man helps. With this book and my own experience I have made an easy money and I have had so much fun doing it too. Pick up a book today and I promise you will be amazed!

When I obtained a copy of Crucial Conversations, I had very high expectations of this book having read the authors' outstanding earlier work, The Balancing Act. I must say I wasn't disappointed; in fact, I was delighted! Crucial Conversations is an extremely insightful and very practical book. Indeed, it is a very rare combination to find a book that contains profound ideas as well as provides actionable tools and Crucial Conversations delivers both.

The book addresses a topic that is largely misunderstood and vastly underestimated: high stakes dialogue. The authors define crucial conversations as those where 1) stakes are high, 2) opinions vary, and 3) emotions run strong, or in other words, much of both our professional and personal lives. We're all involved in crucial conversations at home and at work but most of us are not very aware of the interpersonal dynamics at play and/or we're unskilled in how to respond differently. The book helps the reader first understand the principles involved in "crucial conversations" but then also helps the reader develop real skills and abilities to choose or change their communication patterns. The end result is remarkable. The book's impact is a much bigger idea than simple communication--it's all about effective human interaction and getting results with and through people.

The book is highly readable, extremely engaging and actually quite fun. It is filled with illustrations and stories from all walks of life: business examples, personal examples and family examples. The fact that the principles and skills the authors teach can be applied in all dimensions of life--work, home, personal--is very appealing to me and made the book extremely helpful on many fronts.

I benefitted most from this book from a business standpoint and have found that applying these skills has made a real difference at work. I'm more courageous and more considerate at the same time. I understand people better but I especially understand myself better. I'm far more conscious and aware of my dialogue with others and I've greatly improved my skills and abilities to lead effectively. The bottom line is, I'm helping my company get better results and I'm far more effective personally. If more people in business were to apply these principles and skills in the frequent crucial conversations they have at work, they would make better decisions, achieve better results and do it all in a way that would build the trust and strengthen relationships. I couldn't give a book higher marks. Outstanding!

Most books deliver well on the "what." Crucial Conversations delivers on the "how." Those "how to skills" are helping my direct reports and me change the culture of our division. More importantly, it is helping me to generate useful techniques that I can use at work, at home, and during my volunteer work with community service organizations. It has assisted me in identifying what I really want as I dialog with others and lays out the necessary steps to achieve my outcome(s) while maintaining good and positive human relationships.

This book is a "must read" for organizational personnel and individuals who have become casual communicators in high stakes conversations, thus missing out on valuable and collaborative resolutions to problems, assisting in negatively labeling others, and settling on mediocre business and personal relationships.

Thanks for writing this book. Even just reading chapter 1 got my head in a new space and helped me begin to make changes in my life in areas that seemed so difficult before. Better than a book on conversation, this book really cuts to the heart of dealing with tough issues, what you can do about them, and how to get better results at work and at home. I want to meet these guys!

Robert Reich has an amazing mind. He seems to [pull] up information and to organise it into different patterns and perspectives. Every page has something of value. His previous book called the Work of Nations redefined the pitfalls and advantages of globalisation. In this book, which is pitched at a lower level, you sense the same divided attitude toward success. As an unashamed winner in the great global game, Reich has seen the benefits it can bestow a person, while ripping apart a person's life and their community.

I like the mixture of personal and global in his thinking. He comes at problems from many different angles. He shows how global forces penetrate everything and the impact on himself.

Unfortunately, like many analytical thinkers, Reich has no real solutions, but he has redefined the problems of a work-driven society on an individual and a global level. It is a starting point to help society move on.

Robert Reich provides a convincing answer to one of the central paradoxes of modern American life - everyone talks of seeking balance and their willingness to tradeoff less income for more time for family and leisure, and then finds themselves working longer and harder. After reading "The Future of Success" you realize we are not so irrational. Contrary to other Amazon reviewers, I came away from this book lamenting that I will need to abandon recent efforts to focus less on work (at least until Reich is back in power with a Democrat administration).

The first third of The Future of Success struck me as familiar territory, and I almost abandoned the book. That new technology is changing how work is organized and rewarded has been exhaustingly covered elsewhere. I am glad I stuck with it -- this section does lay the groundwork for the new and powerful arguments that Reich makes later.

I found Reich's Personal Choice chapter the most entertaining-- his skewering of time management self-help books is particularly effective. His ridicule of the simplicity movement is amusing, but less compelling - I don't think it is necessary to go so far as trapping small animals for one to make useful choices that simplify one's life.

I believe the time is not yet right for Reich's social policy suggestions to receive wide reception. Popular opinion today is still intoxicated by recent new economy success stories, and worships self-reliance. Hopefully enough people will take the time to read the whole book, and I think we will see these ideas gain influence as political and economic conditions evolve over the coming years.

While reading this outstanding book, even as one of the globally oriented "geeks & shrinks" of Reich's new economy elite, I'm suffering the severe income instability he forsees for most of us. So maybe his words resonate harder with me. But his musings will hit home with many people. Put this book on a pedestal with The Wealth of Nations, 1984, Future Shock, The Age of Paradox.

This book is totally relevant and should be required reading for everyone in a position of power. Even if Dubya rarely reads a book, he should read this one! Forget that Reich is a Democrat. He doesn't bang his drum until near the end -- and by then you're tempted to agree. Just ask Sen. Jeffords.

Dateline 2000: the Seattle riots. The Presidency & Senate split down the middle. Dateline 2001: race riots in Cincinnati, Ohio and Oldham, England. The haves vs. the have nots. It will get worse. And to think we're all responsible for the mess -- and the solution.

If the Unabomber had been as lucid as Reich, we'd have listened. He wouldn't have needed the bombs to get his point across.

Do us all a favor. Read this book! And tell your representatives to.

I wish I had this book years ago! The book is practical and very easy to read. Although the vampire references are numerous, the point is well taken. Special care is given to clarify that the purpose of the book is not to diagnose, judge or label people. It provides practical techniques for the layman to recognize and deal with people that can literally drain a person. Also, it can be used to recognize traits in our own selves that have the potential to drain others emotionally. In short, Thanks Dr. Berstein!

Author, Dr. Bernstein, has descended into the darkest of human behaviors revealing how we can deal with difficult and painful relationships. In his latest book, Emotional Vampires-Dealing with People Who Drain You Dry, even the most reluctant person in the midst of human harm will understand this psychological perspective on human pain. Dr. Bernstein unfolds powerful knowledge in clear and concise terms bringing us to the surface where we can breathe fresh air again. It is truly a self-help book when I am able to carry the concepts into my daily life making healthy changes and gaining control of my life. I will never look at difficult people in the same way again and I'll certainly know how deal with them. This book gives us psychological permission to take action. That's the acid test of a good self-help book.

Dr. Albert Bernstein's book Emotional Vampires gives strategies for managing these personality types. Sometimes it's not practical to run away. It might mean living in a very small world if you are on the lookout to avoid these traits in people. Everyone has these traits to some degree on a continuum, from mild to extreme. The main tool is knowing yourself, esp. in regards to these behaviors. I'm re-reading it slowly.

A second benefit is trying to not inflict pain on others by MY personality.

He describes what it's like inside their minds. In extremes, the best thing he says MAY be to avoid them, especially if you're not willing to manage them in your life. They may represent either gifted and talented people or cranks, depending on the person or situation. He describes the usual reactions people use to deal with them, and why that doesn't work.

He offers a BALANCED viewpoint that seems to carry credibility.

Bernstein had definite strategies for managing my paranoid, jealous ex-girlfriend that would have worked, had I known and not tried to address her fears for her.

I see that I have always been attracted to extreme (and immature) personalities in friendships, and am one myself, though I think I have my own stuff completely repaired and managed by now. (yeah, right)

This book addresses some confusion about people that has baffled me forever. I laughed out loud several times.

This is without a doubt the last word in a book of drug information.

The problem with the exhaustive list of side effects is that they are based on a list of everything that happened during studies... and while almost all are related to the drug being tested...some of the rare side effects *may* just have occured during the trials and may or may not be related to the drug.

The book is expensive to buy and is updated yearly so a volume is outdated almost at publication...that is why I question the people who put so much stock in it. There are so many good alternatives. For example, the internet has many many many drug information sites...including a PDR site. There is a site for people with palm computers called "epocrates" that is free and infinately updateable...and has wonderful features! It is also much more portable than the PDR book. The pharmacies give out drug information and most will give you a package insert if you ask...and if you push your MD you may even be able to get the office to photocopy the pdr page for you. All of these things are probably better because you will be assured of getting the most up-to-date information...

This is without a doubt the last word in drug information. The danger , for me anyway, is that sometimes I have been known to "imagine" side effects if I know they are possible. I think that the PDR is invaluable at times and I will seek to consult it but usually only AFTER I suspect I may be having a problem....that way I am sure I am not imagining side effects because I know they are possible. The book is expensive to buy and is updated yearly so a volume is outdated almost at publication...that is why I question the people who put so much stock in it. There are so many good alternatives. For example, the internet has many many many drug information sites...including a PDR site. There is a site for people with palm computers called "epocrates" that is free and infinately updateable...and has wonderful features! It is also much more portable than the PDR book. The pharmacies give out drug information and most will give you a package insert if you ask...and if you push your MD you may even be able to get the office to photocopy the pdr page for you. All of these things are probably better because you will be assured of getting the most up-to-date information...

Everybody shold own a copy of this reference book. I have had doctors write out a perscription for me that would be lethal or at best land me into the hospital because they are not up on pharmacology.They practice medical care whch often is one dimensional for a condition without taking into the other medications the patients are taking and are in too much of a hurry to monitor medications. I have had pharmacists fill perscriptions ,thinking their computers would red flag medications that should not be mixed, but the pharmacist cannot keep up with all of the medications, and their computers are not programmed to "red flag". I have had to ask for print outs and the doctors resent being called on if meds they ordered were dangerous with other medical conditions. So patients need to cross-reference the medications themselves.This book needs to be kept up to date and at a place of easy accessibility at home for every patient.Mistakes are made too easily and no one wants to take responsibility for the mistakes of pharmacists or physicians. Patients need to become knowledgeabe of every dangerous interaction with conditions they have, or other medications they are taking. The book is very large and bulky, but it has a tremendous amount of information contained in it. There is a section of generic name, as well as brand names. New medications come out every year and a patient needs to know more than the small print out the pharmacy supplies. It is easy for a doctor to use a laptop computer,list medical conditions and information, including medications a patient is on and cross reference. I have seen an excellent doctor do this to keep a patient well. Unfortunately, not many doctors either can be bothered or know how to do this, so patients have needed to monitor their medications and become knowledgeable or they take high risks leaving their trust in a person who has an MD after their name. They take for granted the title has endowments of high credibility. The PDR is essential for a patient to keep themselves out of harms way. Just as in any field some doctors are very good and some more interested in their day off at the golf course.As time goes on, patients have needed to seriosly question the quality of their doctor and the medications that he is perscribing. The patient needs a reference book to read all of the information of the medications, that their doctor has not paid attention to for good medicine. I prefer a doctor that earned a good reputation, not one that is "practicing" on me with medications he is not familar with that a pharmacudical reprsentative gave him samples of, so he orders whatever a salesman told him to order. Get this PDR and think things through before blindly trusting a doctor that has not even considered all of the interactions that could possibly prove fatal. Doctors who are "too busy" to bother are dangerous. Mrs Symmington

Mr. Zelinski's book is dangerous stuff. I was warned by the people who recommended the book to me... don't read it unless you are ready to make a change. I bought the book, and managed to pull myself away from my 4 hours of evening television one night last summer. I finished the book, and I've never looked back. Ernie's book helped me to figure out what it is that I am really passionate about. And from the book I gained the courage to leave the Corporate job that was sucking the life from me. I now have a whole list of active, engaging activities from which to choose. No more vegging in front of the tube. No more letting my career be the defining pillar of my life. Do yourself a favor, and read The Joy of Not Working. But be warned, you'll never look at TV the same way again...

I really enjoyed this book and Ernie just spoke to my heart. The Joy of Not Working is really not the right title for this piece of artwork. Im telling you straight up....Ernie speaks to you in a simple way that gets you to think about the other things that are most important in your life. I found myself "talking shop" all the time and not setting the right priorites with my family. You need to do the things in life YOU WANT TO DO! Why should a corporation and your boss run you everyday. I have purchased this book for many people and my new business partner and myself refer to this book as the "leisure book of your life." Do yourself a favor and purchase this book. The book is well written and its quite humorous at times. Ernie should team up with the author of the Dilbert Principle and go big time with this masterpiece. I have read hundreds of books on business, self help, and motivation......Ernie's book is my favorite of all time.

My brother and I just spent a year on a sabbatical. When we were planning our time off, I searched the Internet for ideas and articles on the subject. I came across Ernie's book and went to Amazon to look it up. The description intrigued me and I ordered a copy. I am glad I did! The Joy of Not Working is a very helpful and funny book. The chapters on Zen and Money are my favorite. I reread them several times. It is full of wit and wisdom with some funny cartoons to keep you laughing. I enjoyed in immensely and recommend it for anyone planning a sabbatical or about to enter retirement.

If you can't stay home with your kids perhaps it's because of your addiction to $50 haircuts and weekly manicures. That's what these authors would lead you to believe.

Although the book did contain some practical advice, it was overshadowed by the authors' condescending tone. They seem to believe that most women are working to buy the latest color in bathroom towels. Their call to action is a whiney, "We're sacrificing life's luxuries to stay home with our children and you should to."

Although the book featured some recipes and advice on cutting your expenses, most of the information was very basic. For example, cook from scratch, buy things second hand when possible, etc.

A much better book on the subject is, "So You Want to be a Stay at Home Mom". It was much more compassionate toward working moms who are considering leaving their jobs and contained useful advice on how to handle the emotional and financial consequences of such a decision.

What I liked best about this book:

1. The chapter on contingency plans. Yes, it's obvious that it's a good idea to have a backup-plan in case the working parent gets laid off, there's a large unexpected expense, etc. Nevertheless, I found it helpful to read the authors' experiences regarding such emergencies which happened in their families and to consider the various ideas and options presented. My own contingency plan was that I worked fifteen months longer than I wanted to and progressively worked up to putting my entire paycheck in savings; by the time I quit, we had enough money set aside to pay our living expenses for an entire year, if that became necessary.

2. The chapter on stay-at-home blues. I appreciated the authors' candor in describing the pros and cons of staying home. A humorous (but true) example they give is that you won't necessarily fall in love with cleaning the bathroom and once home, you may do it more often than you did before. Most importantly, they're honest about the feeling of isolation that can creep up on a stay-at-home parent and how one can deal with it.

3. They "tell it like it is". As they say, unless one of the parents' incomes is completely disposable, it is going to be necessary to make some sacrifices somewhere. Something will have to go in order to keep the family's financial boat afloat. My family experienced this period of adjustment while saving for our emergency fund; by the time I left work, we were already used to managing on one income and it wasn't so difficult.

I address the chapters on the "cons" of staying home specifically because if most people pick up a book like this in the first place, it's probably because they already want to be home with their child(ren). What they want to know is how to achieve that goal and what to expect along the way. I found this book a terrific primer on how to get off the fast track in the smoothest possible manner.

The reason I recommended this book in conjunction with Miserly Moms by Jonni McCoy is that I feel the latter book presents a larger share of nuts-and-bolts information on how to reduce expenses. Jonni McCoy once worked as a senior buyer for Apple Computers, among other firms, and you can see this real-world experience in how she analyzes and approaches the issue of frugality.

I really liked this book because it gave practical advice that seemed realistic and was supported by personal stories and testimonials.