Customer Reviews:
Practical gems for the ambitious worker.......2007-07-01
After reading Richard Templar's The Rules of Life: A Personal Code for Living a Better, Happier, More Successful Life, it seemed like the logical action to take and pick up his second "Rules" book because his first one contains common sense trinkets of pure wisdom that are immediately practical and usable.
The Rules of Work is also a collection of jewels to be learned and practiced.
We spend most of our lives at work therefore it makes sense to find methods to do our job more efficiently with less effort and better outcomes. However, this book isn't about working more efficiently but more effectively, seemingly rising to the top of the business, company or corporation (to our fellow workers at least) effortlessly, reaching our intended outcomes and goals
But what does the author mean by "rules"? Doesn't a job description, company policy or even the type of industry you're in already have rules to follow? The answer to this question is yes and no. These rules will not be found in any "starter kit', informing the new employee about break times, dental plans and where the bathrooms are located. These rules are about creating a new persona, the right attitude, being committed, putting in 100% without letting your fellow workers know how hard you really work.
Some of these "rules" appear like `work givens', for example taking care of one's appearance, dressing well, smiling, developing your own style and learning to speak well and write well. Similar to other `motivational business books', Templar also stresses the importance of having a stated plan, short term and long term, anticipating threats and spotting golden opportunities when they arise. This book really is about being smart, alert and always one step ahead of everyone else.
The key to any sort of success is actually naming what you want and creating a workable plan to attain that particular goal no matter whether the goal is becoming a millionaire, a better sales manager, teacher, doctor or priest. The second most important ingredient to any success is one's "desire". Ambition, drive, willingness to work effectively or one's will to simply become better at what we do and who we are comes down to how bad you want it. It doesn't matter how many courses you take or how many books you read, you have to really want something in order to attain it.
The Rules of Work contains many guidelines to help the ambitious worker get where they want to go, and if you have that necessary basic desire, this text will certainly help you along the way.
Read it - Think about it - Do what's right.......2007-03-25
The book is an interestingly crafted tool to get one to think about one's personal-corporate behaviour. The other reviewers, particularly Matthew Dodd, have described it well.
No tool is perfect, but it's far better than most.
Great book!!!!!!!!.......2007-03-16
Okay.. The best part about this book is that each chapter represents one of the rules of work. If you don't feel you need to read in depth about one rule, just move on to the next chapter.
75 percent of the rules in this book are right on the money, like avoiding the gossip of work and knowing who the bosses favorites are and befriending them.
This book should come free with your college degree if you're going into the corporate business world to work.
Highly recommended!!!
Hope this helps!!!
An Average read.......2006-07-01
The Rules of Work provides regular advice to would be managers/bosses however in my opinion it is not a fundamental read. It's basically a "How to" book with simple ideas. The reader will find that most rules are quite obvious.
Worthwhile Words on the World of Work.......2006-06-13
If you are looking for some good insights and perspectives from an experienced business manager about how to use the unwritten and unspoken rules of your workplace to your advantage, then you should read this book. Templar's 100 rules cover the gamut from what to wear and how to act to get noticed, to developing a career game plan. If you have never worked in an office environment, this book will help prepare you for what you will likely experience. If you have spent any time in an office environment, you will find many familiar situations to which you can relate.
The book is divided into ten parts (Walk Your Talk, Know That You're Being Judged at All Times, Have a Plan, If You Can't Say Anything Nice--Shut Up, Look After Yourself, Blend In, Act One Step Ahead, Cultivate Diplomacy, Know the System--and Milk It, Handle the Opposition), each with ten rules, that cover many important and sensitive aspects of virtually any work environment. Each rule is presented in two pages in a very conversational writing style that is generally easy to read.
I liked most of the content of the book. However, the book had way too many distracting spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors (including a 115-word sentence!) that detracted from the main points. Also, I found too many shady or questionable passages that seemed to contradict the rules they were describing or other rules:
-"You have to look as if you gossip without ever doing it." (from Rule 31--Don't Gossip)
-"But if in doubt--never lie or embellish if you can't think fast on your feet." (from Rule 44--Never Lie)
-"You don't need to volunteer information unless it directly helps you to do so...Sometimes it pays to be a little editorial with what truth you are giving out." (from Rule 47--Know the Difference Between the Truth and the Whole Truth)
-"If you need information and someone asks you why you need it, invent something entirely bogus...Don't lie, but you can be circumspect, devious, inventive, creative, eccentric, and you are allowed to set up a decoy." (from Rule 95--Don't Give Too Much Away)
Despite the book's shortcomings, I found many worthwhile points that either reinforced what I already knew or did, or that I am adapting into my overall style and behavior:
-"There is no bad karma in trying your hardest to be pleasant, cooperative, helpful, friendly, kind, and honest in your dealings with others around you." (from Rule 24--Develop a Game Plan)
-"Remember though what we said right from the outset--you have to be able to come up with the goods, you must be able to do the job--and do it well. That is the bottom line. If you can't do the job leave the stage." (from Rule 67--Walk the Walk)
-"You must work to live, not live to work. Don't take stuff home with you--learn to be assertive and say no. Put your family first. Spend time with your children--they will grow up so fast you will miss their precious childhood if you work your way through it...." (from Rule 80--Put Things in Perspective)
-"There are no bad jobs, only bad attitude to jobs." (from Rule 99--Capitalize on the Career-Enhancing Moments)
Book Description
Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree—experts in the field of church leadership—have written a nuts-and-bolts guide to developing a succession plan for smoothing pastoral transitions. Filled with strategies and solid advice, this handy resource is based in solid research and the authors’ many years of experience working with churches in a wide variety of denominations. Weese and Crabtree clearly show that leadership succession should be part of every church’s planning process.
Customer Reviews:
Great help for church leaders.......2007-01-04
This book was very helpful in guiding our church leadership to begin thinking about pastoral transitions. I think it is written broadly enough to apply to many denominations and situations.
Average customer rating:
- I WAS DISAPPOINTED
- Bathsheba brought to life
- Poor Condition
- Wonderful
- Powerful !!!
|
Unspoken (Lineage of Grace Number 4)
Francine Rivers
Manufacturer: Tyndale House Publishers
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The Warrior: Caleb (Sons of Encouragement)
ASIN: 0842335986 |
Amazon.com
In award-winning writer Francine Rivers's five-book Lineage of Grace series about women in the family tree of Jesus Christ, perhaps the most compelling installment is Unspoken, the love story of David and Bathsheba. This Old Testament saga of adultery, power, and battles fought both on the field of combat and in the human heart touches on the cost of poor choices, the need for forgiveness, and finding ultimate fulfillment--themes that are relevant today. Rivers writes poignantly of how Bathsheba falls in love with David as a little girl, and of her bitterness when she comes of age and is given in marriage to Uriah, one of David's mighty warriors. Love cannot be commanded, however, and it's not long before the sexual tension between David and Bathsheba reaches its logical conclusion, with disastrous results. Rivers adeptly brings the biblical account to life, portraying the difficult struggles of good people, the corrupting influence of power, and God's love for those who make mistakes--even big mistakes. --Cindy Crosby
Book Description
The compelling story of Bathsheba and David as told by award-winning author Francine Rivers. Readers will see the familiar biblical account unfold in a whole new light through the eyes of Bathsheba. This timeless story has contemporary meaning for today's readers. A study on the biblical text is included for personal or group study.
Customer Reviews:
I WAS DISAPPOINTED.......2007-06-13
I READ THE FIRST BOOK ABOUT TAMAR (UNVIELED) AND I REALLY ENJOYED IT, I THOUGHT IT WAS TASTEFULLY WRITTEN AND REALLY MAKES US UNDERSTAND WHAT PAIN TAMAR WENT THROUGH AND WHAT DROVE HER TO DO WHAT SHE DID. I WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN UNSPOKEN. I BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOU TAKE A STORY FROM THE BIBLE YOU CAN ADD SOME THINGS THAT ARE UNKNOWN TO US TO COMPLETE THE STORY, I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT IN THIS CASE, I THINK RIVERS WENT TOO FAR, THE STORY HAS WAY TOO MANY DETAILS THAT IN MY OPINION SHOULDN'T BE THERE. I FIND THIS BOOK TO BE CLOUDING OVER ME WHEN I READ THE STORY FROM THE ACTUAL BIBLE. ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS MOSTLY FICTION. IT PORTRAYS BATHSHEBA AS THIS INNOCENT WOMAN, WHO DREAMT OF DAVID ALL HER LIFE AND WHEN LUST HAD CONTROLED HIM AND HE TOOK HER TO THE PALACE "SHE COULD'VE SAID SOMETHING TO HIM BUT SHE KNEW THAT IF SHE DID HE WILL SENT HER BACK TO HER HOME". AS IF SHE COULD'VE PREVENTED IT FROM HAPPENING, BUT HER OWN LUST WAS DRIVING HER AS WELL. ALSO, I DIDN'T LIKE HOW DAVID WAS PORTRAYED IN THIS BOOK. DAVID IS A BIBLE HERO, BUT HE SINNED AND WHEN WE READ THE BIBLE (BOOK OF SAMUEL 2) WE ARE DISAPPOINTEAD AND IN SHOCK WHEN A PERSON THAT WAS SO LOYAL AND DEVOTED TO GOD AND HIS PEOPLE WOULD SIN LIKE THAT. I FIND THIS BOOK PORTRAYING HIM TOO HARSHLY. YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A REASON GOD DID NOT ALLOW MANY DETAILS ABOUT CERTAIN STORIES TO BE WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE. THERE IS DEFINITLY A REASON. AND MAYBE THIS IS THE REASON, THAT IT WILL NOT OCCUPAY OUR MINDS TOO MUCH AND WE FOCUS ON THE REPENTANCE PART THAT HE EXPIRENCED. OVER ALL I HAD A REALLY BAD FEELING WHEN I WAS READING THE BOOK, I WAS NOT AT EASE. AND WHEN I STOPPED HALFWAY, IT FELT LIKE THE RIGHT DECISION. I THINK GOD WAS TELLING ME TO LET IT GO, AND NOT FILL MY MIND WITH ALL THESE DETAILS THAT MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT BE TRUE.
I KNOW EVERY PERSON FEELS DIFFERENTLY ABOUT EACH BOOK. I AM WRITING THIS JUST TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT WAS MY EXPIRENECE WITH THIS BOOK. AND PLEASE DON'T DISREGARD THE AUTHOR AND HER OTHER BOOKS. FRANCINE RIVERS IS A GREAT AUTHOR, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHY THIS BOOK DIDN'T APPEAL TO ME. I ONLY READ ONE MORE BOOK IN THIS SERIES AND IT WAS GREAT (UNVEILED).
Bathsheba brought to life.......2007-05-19
Francine Rivers has the wonderful ability to take a character from the bible and bring her to life, by adding context and details. Although the additions are fictional, they are well researched and give great insight into the culture and the times, and make for a fascinating story. You will have a new understanding of Bathsheba, and won't be able to put this little book down!
Poor Condition.......2007-05-14
This book was in poor condition when I recieved it, alot of tape and plastic all over, written in some parts.
Wonderful.......2006-03-28
I enjoyed this fictional tale of King David and Bathsheba. Their love story was one for the ages. David, as God's chosen leader of the Isrealites, is painted in very human terms. We can understand his motivations as well as those of Bathsheba. Even though their love for each other was very real, the acts they committed to enable their love, caused them to sin.
Their betrayal had many unintended repercussions: her husband's death, her disownment from her family, their son's death. It really showed how one sin can cause the innocent to suffer.
Their story also allowed the reader to see that although they sinned, when they repented God forgave them and blessed them. Their story is one of love, redemption and hope. The Seek and Find section also offered additional insight into how reconciliation with God offers hope for all sinners.
Powerful !!!.......2006-03-06
This book opened my eyes to the devastating consequences of adultery and the impact it must have had on Bathsheba, something I never really thought of before reading this novel. Much of the teaching I have heard regarding the interaction between David and Bathsheba has been focused on David. This is the first book I have read that describes what Bathsheba must have felt and experienced. How she could have been treated by her family, the people in the King's palace, and by others in Jerusalem. Under the law, Bathsheba should have been stoned since she was an adulteress. People most likely despised her.
One of the things that caught me off guard in this book was how Francine Rivers portrayed Bathsheba & David knowing each other before the incident. How Bathsheba's grandfather and father were soldiers and close friends with David. Bathsheba, who was 8 years old when the book begins, had a crush on David. David even attends her wedding with Uriah. Although it is evident that when David witnesses Bathsheba taking a bath he does not realize who she is. Francine Rivers clearly takes creative license in including this in her book. It is something to ponder.
God's mercy and grace extended to both Bathsheba and David are wonderfully portrayed. That God would use an adulteress who was probably despised by her people in Jesus Christ's lineage shows that God is much less interested in the sins we commit (since everyone of us sins greatly against God), but much more interested in repentance.
I highly recommend this series. It helps one to understand some of the women in the bible who are typically over looked. The entire book series is very well written.
Average customer rating:
- Appreciation for doing a good job
- Sizzling suspense
- fast pace romantic suspence
- Great mystery, but flat characters
- Couldn't even finish!
|
Unspoken (Zebra Books)
Lisa Jackson
Manufacturer: Zebra
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0821764020 |
Customer Reviews:
Appreciation for doing a good job.......2007-05-24
I recieved my book very quickly and the book was in excellent condition.
Thanks The book lived up to Lisa Jackson, and was an excellent read.
Sizzling suspense.......2006-05-25
Shelby Cole fled her aptly named hometown of Bad Luck, Texas ten years earlier, and settled in Seattle. When she receives a mysterious package in the mail containing pictures of a child bearing resemblance to the one that she was told she lost in childbirth, she returns home to confront her meddlesome father the judge. While there, she runs into Nevada Smith, the man she has always loved, and who may be the father of her child. Nevada is the town bad boy and former deputy, unaffectionately referred to as a "no good half breed" (far too often-it got so redundant). He never felt deserving of Shelby, but together they vow to find their daughter and find their way back into each other's heart.
A witness in a murder comes forward to recant his testimony on his deathbed, which frees Ross McCallum, the man who vied for Shelby's attention, brutally raped her, and could also be the father of her child. With Ross free, and Nevada the arresting officer, Nevada is soon being sought for questioning by the police who suspect that he did the deed then framed Ross.
Jackson adds sizzle and plenty of suspense as Shelby and Nevada seek justice for the relationship and child that was denied them. It is an emotional story with the requisite happy ending, but they experience plenty of anguish along their road to happiness.
fast pace romantic suspence.......2006-03-03
This was a great book. The story was great the charaters were great. The only thing about the book that was bad was the repetitve words.
There is a woman, Shelby Cole, who gets a strange package in the mail and hightails it back to Bad Luck, Texas. The town were she grew up. The plays she had vowed to herself she would never return to. She needed to confront her father.
Then there was Ross McCallum who was about to be a free man after he was convicted of murdering Ramon Estevez ten years prior.
Nevada was at home when he heard the news from Shep, the deputy who was planning on running for sherrif the next year. Nevada and Shep had never gotten along. Now he was here telling Nevada to watch his back because of Ross.
Then there is Lydia, the Cole's maid. She had practicaly raised Shelby. She knows all the family secrets and won't tell. Well at least that is what Shelby and Nevada think as they work together to find out the secrets of the Cole family.
Then there is a reporter who is writing an artical on the Estevez murder. But she seems to have her own personal reasons, besides the story, to be in Bad Luck, Texas.
If you want more, I recommend you to pick this book up. You will not be sorry. There is so much going on through out the story that you never get bored. You just keep turning the pages.
Great mystery, but flat characters.......2005-11-01
I always enjoy Lisa Jackson's contemporary romantic suspense novels, and I thought this was perhaps one of her better. As other readers have said, it hooks you from the first page, and only becomes more suspenseful the longer you read.
The mystery aspect was very well done. Jackson does a great job of creating a suspensful small town atmosphere and the reader, along with the characters have the uneasy feeling of waiting for the villan to be revealed.
However, despite the fact that I found this to be a complete page turner, I can't give it five stars because the characters were so one dimensional. We got to know Shelby, the heroine, more than any other character, but I frankly found her to be snappy and whiney. Yes, horrible wrongs have been done to her, but she took them out on people who were not to blame. How often did we have to see her "jerking/hitching" her thumbs towards her chest while saying "I have rights!" There just didn't seem to be a whole lot to her. Nevada had the potential to be very likable and endearing, but unfortunetly descriptions of him were pretty repetitive. The same is true of all descriptions in this book. I often felt like I was reading the same section over again.
I think part of this may be due to poor editing. I've noticed more grammar/spelling problems in Lisa Jackson books than any other author. In this book, there was a particularly obvious mistake, in which the main character is shocked by a new piece of information that is "news to her." Several pages later, she "relearns" this information in a scene nearly identical to the preceding episode. It's like the first one never happened. Not the end of the world, but as I start to notice a pattern of editing problems in her books, it because increasingly annoying.
Still, as others have said, this is great for a fun, quick read. I'd definetly recommend it!
Couldn't even finish!.......2003-10-21
I am in disbelief of all of the positive reviews here. Someone lent this book to me and all I can say is that it is awful. The whole Texas cliche - please don't get me started! I tried to keep reading just to see if it got any better but this is one seriously laughable book. Great if you are into trashy romances and soap operas.
Book Description
In our talkative Western culture, speech is synonymous with authority and influence while silence is frequently misheard as passive agreement when it often signifies much more. In her groundbreaking exploration of silence as a significant rhetorical art, Cheryl Glenn articulates the ways in which tactical silence can be as expressive and strategic an instrument of human communication as speech itself.
Drawing from linguistics, phenomenology, feminist studies, anthropology, ethnic studies, and literary analysis, Unspoken: A Rhetoric of Silence theorizes both a cartography and grammar of silence. By mapping the range of spaces silence inhabits, Glenn offers a new interpretation of its complex variations and uses.
Glenn contextualizes the rhetoric of silence by focusing on selected contemporary examples. Listening to silence and voice as gendered positions, she analyzes the highly politicized silences and words of a procession of figures she refers to as “all the President’s women,” including Anita Hill, Lani Guiner, Gennifer Flowers, and Chelsea Clinton. She also turns an investigative ear to the cultural taciturnity attributed to various Native American groups—Navajo, Apache, Hopi, and Pueblo—and its true meaning. Through these examples, Glenn reinforces the rhetorical contributions of the unspoken, codifying silence as a rhetorical device with the potential to deploy, defer, and defeat power.
Unspoken concludes by suggesting opportunities for further research into silence and silencing, including music, religion, deaf communities, cross-cultural communication, and the circulation of silence as a creative resource within the college classroom and for college writers.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting and New Ideas.......2007-05-31
The back of the book calls Glenn's work "groundbreaking," and in the field of silence, it certainly is. Although more and more scholars writing about silence now, it is an "undertheorized" area so this is really one of the first explorations of the topic in book form. Glenn offers a formulation of silence as a method of exerting power in a way similar to speech that is very generative, especially for rhetorical or literary scholars, although I imagine social justice and feminist scholars would find it useful as well as she spends a full chapter on "Real Indians" (silent Native Americans) and considerable time on women figures like Anita Hill, Lani Guinier and all of Bill Clinton's "women." These last come across at times as slightly sensational but stick with it - you will be rewarded with a very interesting take on the power of silence. A couple of things to know:
1) Silence is broadly defined here as "not speaking" - Glenn, unlike some critics, does not consider gesture to be silence, or at least she doesn't talk about it in this book.
2) Glenn's style of writing is easy to follow. She does not rely heavily on "theory" although she does mention some theorists in the beginning.
3) Most of Glenn's work here consists of case studies which make for a convincing argument.
4) It's a quick but thoroughly engaging read.
Overall, I'd recommend this book highly. I don't think this is the last word on silence, or even as comprehensive as I would like it to be, but it's an excellent opening exploration.
Average customer rating:
- Invaluable
- There are no words...
- Thought provoking and life changing
- Helpful, encouraging, inspiring, practical
- INCREDIBLE BOOK!
|
Unspoken Sermons (George MacDonald Original Works)
George MacDonald
Manufacturer: Johannesen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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George MacDonald
ASIN: 1881084485 |
Customer Reviews:
Invaluable.......2006-08-16
George MacDonald's collection of sermons has profoundly influenced my spiritual life.
Buy this book. At first you might be intimidated by the paragraph-long run-on sentances and slightly antiquated language, but after reading a couple of sermons you'll grow accustomed (read: learn love) to his verbose yet eloquent style of writing. This collection of Christian writings will edify, challenge, and inspire you regardless of your doctrinal background or spiritual maturity.
There are no words..........2005-09-27
This book quite possibly saved my faith. I have never found a more beautiful, yet simultaneously intellectual and thought-provoking book. After reading this, I have been devouring any George MacDonald text I can lay my hands on, and in all of them, I find a picture of God that is beyond any other I have enountered. MacDonald seems to understand (or at least articulate) better than any other author I have discovered God's character, how God relates to us, and vice versa.
I find myself wanting to give examples of what I mean, but I don't believe any summary I could provide would do his thoughts justice. You'll just have to read the book! You will be amazed, enlightened, and filled with joy, faith, and perhaps relief that there is a deeper way to look at Christianity than we often find in Christian writing.
One specific note: The sermon titled "The Eloi," on Jesus' cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" is perhaps the best single piece of writing I have ever read. No, not perhaps. It IS the best single piece of writing I have ever read. If you find yourself in the midst of the proverbial "dark night of the soul," and are not able to find God or feel his presence, I would make this first on your reading list.
Be blessed by this book. I have been.
Thought provoking and life changing.......2005-08-15
Having worked my way through much of MacDonald's fiction and by recommendation of my son, I just recently purchased a copy of "Unspoken Sermons." Needless to say, this book will have a permanent place on my nightstand.
I wonder, has there ever been another man in history who thought as deeply about spiritual things as MacDonald did? I marvel at his ability to see into things. For example, in discussing the third recorded temptation of Christ (in the book of Matthew) in which the adversary offers rulership of the world if Christ will only bow down and worship him (satan), he notes:
"Could it be other than a temptation to think that he might, if he would, lay a righteous grasp upon the reins of government, leap into the chariot of power, and ride forth conquering and to conquer? Glad visions arose before him of the prisoner breaking jubilant from the cell of injustice; of the widow lifting up the bowed head before the devouring Pharisee; of weeping children bursting into shouts at the sound of the wheels of the chariot before which oppression and wrong shrunk and withered, behind which sprung the fir-tree instead of the thorn, and the myrtle instead of the brier. What glowing visions of holy vengeance, what rosy dreams of human blessedness--and all from his hand--would crowd such a brain as his!--not like the castles-in-the-air of the aspiring youth, for he builds at random, because he knows that he cannot realize; but consistent and harmonious as well as grand, because he knew them within his reach. Could he not, transfigured in his snowy garments, call aloud in the streets of Jerusalem, "Behold your King?" And the fierce warriors of his nation would start at the sound; the ploughshare would be beaten into the sword, and the pruning-hook into the spear; and the nation, rushing to his call ... Ah! but when were his garments white as snow? When, through them, glorifying them as it passed, did the light stream from his glorified body? Not when he looked to such a conquest; but when, on a mount like this, he 'spake of the decease that he should accomplish at Jerusalem'! ... 'Thou shalt worship the Lord they God, and Him only shalt thou serve.' Not even thine own visions of love and truth, O Saviour of the world, shall be thy guides to thy goal, but the will of thy Father in heaven."
Although I have read of the temptations of Christ numerous times and heard sermons preached on the subject, NEVER had I thought or heard about what those temptations might have encompassed as MacDonald writes. True, we cannot know for certain just what thoughts Christ had in those temptations, but we do know that they were not insignificant. They were TESTS and as such MacDonald brings meat and bone to them and allows us to experience the depth of them. Yet, in these temptations, Christ chose the will of the Father; that is, he resisted his own desire and chose to be totally obedient to God's plan, step by step as it unfolded, perhaps not understanding the whys but always knowing obedience was his duty first and last.
This is the model and inspiration every Christian needs, and MacDonald brings these things to our understanding so that we can fully relate them to our own lives.
There is no author who has so positively impacted my life the way MacDonald has, and I am forever grateful for the person who first introduced me to his works. Get this book! Read it slowly and carefully and think about what you read as it relates to your own life. You will be forever changed.
Helpful, encouraging, inspiring, practical.......2004-01-14
There are three series of sermons in this book. In each series, each sermon builds on the preceeding one so that they proceed logically. For example, the first sermon ends with the words, ".....written upon that dark wall of his imprisoned conscience, the words, awful and glorious, OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE." The second sermon is titled," Our God is a consuming fire," and the book continues on in that format.
While MacDonald is most well know for his fiction (Phantastes) his non-fiction is incredible. It is inspiring and written almost as poetry. And I have found that the truths that he demonstrates about God have worked/are working their way into my actual life.
The thing that I most admire about MacDonald is his fearlessness in asking the difficult question and his confidence that God's perfect character will be revealed in all things. He covers a wide variety of topics: heaven, hell, the "atonement", prayer, the unforgivable sin, the temptation of Jesus, etc. He truly believes that God is light and there is no darkness at all in him, and this seems to me to be the overriding theme in the writings here, and of all of his writings as a whole.
Simply put, this is a wonderful book. It may take some time to get used to the language (it isn't super contemporary English) so be patient. If you haven't read MacDonald before, be prepared to be challenged and changed. His emphasis is always on doing, not merely thinking. The one titled "The Truth In Jesus" has become very important to me. I have struggled with reconciling the mercy and wrath of God, and for me, MacDonald has shown how they coexist, and how ultimately, God is love.
INCREDIBLE BOOK!.......2001-01-27
I'm not sure what moved me to buy this book, but I'm thankful beyond words that I did. This man's depth and spirit are truly amazing. I completely lose myself while reading Unspoken Sermons. And I'm afraid that MacDonald has now spoiled me; I can't imagine coming upon another book or writer, other than the Bible itself, that will move me like this does. Read this book!
Book Description
Why does the modern-day search for romance so often end in disappointment– especially for women? Is it something women do? Something they don’t do? Are women missing important information about the opposite sex–or about themselves? Is there something wrong with them that they long so desperately for “’til death do us part”?
Sadly, many women today see their ongoing singleness as a weakness or lack of worth. In truth, women’s dreams go unfulfilled not because they do not deserve for them to come true, but often because of wrong assumptions–assumptions that can be corrected by learning a few key truths. In The Unspoken Rules of Love, authors Michelle McKinney Hammond and Joel Brooks seek to clear up these misperceptions, giving women the information they need to succeed in long-term, lasting male-female relationships and teaching them how to find satisfaction, value, and fulfillment in their relationship with God, both while they wait and after the wait is over.
Drawing on both the perspectives of its male and female authors, this book deals with the hard issues and the questions women ponder as they consider the dilemma of how to obtain lasting love. The Unspoken Rules of Love will help women adjust their desires, redefine what they are attracted to, set their values in order, and determine their goals–freeing them at last to pursue the loving relationships they desire.
Customer Reviews:
What's Love Got To Do With It?.......2007-06-17
Helped get me back on track. Would highly recommend this and ALL of Ms. Hammond's publication.
Necessary Lesson for the Millenium Woman.......2007-05-27
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I was impressed with the savvy, wisdom and wit of both writers. What an awesome combination of intellect, experience and just plain old truth. The short anecdotes offered quality reflection time and the honest assessment of the way women pursue men like food when one is hungry was ON POINT! I couldn't be happier with the sage advice, strong yet purposeful rebuke and sincere testimonies of both Joel and Michelle. I am quite a big fan of Michelle and I know that because of her writing I am a better suited female, willing to wait and work for Jesus both now and after my husband "finds me."
Advice for Single Women.......2007-05-26
I loved the encouraging and practical advice, based on the Scriptures.
Wonderful.......2007-01-10
I loved this book. You don't have to be single to benefit from this book. It is helping in my current marriage and this book is helping me to guide my daughters in relationships. My oldest daughter (22) bought it. I wish I had read this before marriage and remarriage. I also highly recommend Michelle's other book Get Over It and On With It!
Wow God is so on time!!!.......2006-08-02
i recently picked this book up at Mega fest.... i actally met the author and got it signed not knowing what to expcetd i started to read it on the plane ride home and it def change my mindset about my currently relationship i def recommend this book to EVERY WOMAN it will help u to understnad what u were blind too... im ending my relationship because God used this book to speak to me... i plan on reading it again and again until i can get the concepts down in my mind... praise the Lord for the way he uses other people when we are so blind to what we are doing ... enjoy this!!!!!
Book Description
In today's increasingly diverse and ever-changing work environments, the old rules of conduct often don't seem to apply anymore. Customs vary, and language and cultural differences, not to mention evolving office hierarchies, are among the many factors making interaction an increasingly complex challenge.
The Etiquette Edge offers a clear, commonsense approach to making courtesy, etiquette, and respect for others a competitive advantage in the workplace. Rather than dwelling on dry, nitpicky "rules," the book emphasizes appropriate, effective communication and behavior as a means to get ahead. Simply written and containing quizzes, checklists, and sidebar examples, the book shows readers how to:
* Recover from a major workplace faux pas
* Handle sensitive e-mail and phone communications
* Make a great impression on bosses, and get along with "enemies"
* Deliver unwelcome information, including condolences
* Manage confrontations with courtesy
Customer Reviews:
All I needed for being friend with everyone is this book.......2006-03-28
This book is such a treasure when you make people yours. With very witty stlye of writing, I read this book easily & plesantly. After I applied some of rules in this book to some of people, I could see my another success is coming from them. A must have item for every businessman!
An Impressive Guidebook for Today's Business World.......2005-09-17
Dr. Langford's book is an excellent guide to what should be common sense, but all too often isn't. In clear, forthright terms, she covers areas as topical as cell phone usage, casual Fridays and e-mail, along with downsizing, restructuring and making a graceful exit from a job. Courtesy is not an outmoded concept, but plays a direct and vital role in career success or failure. This book gives clear, situational advice in virtually every aspect of the business world. It would be an excellent resource for a manager to provide to his or her staff.
Amazon.com
Only 3.6 percent of men will remain faithful to their women. At least according to the controversial "Smith and Doe," two guys who wish to remain anonymous except for revealing that they work in the motion-picture industry and live in Southern California. A sampling of their "unspoken truths" aimed at turning women into "Smith and Doe-educated women":
--"If a man is given the opportunity to engage in sexual relations with an attractive female, with no fear of getting caught and little risk of transmitted diseases, he will do so. Always. Without fail. There are no exceptions."
--"Man spends his life in one of two basic states: loaded or unloaded."
--"A prostitute is the perfect one-nighter."
--"Men are attracted to beautiful young women.... If you saw your man at the office when you are not present, you would become physically ill."
Also included are detailed guidelines for monitoring your man's financial activities (see third item, above), "surefire methods" for getting your man to confess to cheating (past or present), and a 75-question fidelity test ("Does your man play his answering machine messages in front of you?"). They conclude with a "condensed guide to training your man," a more sexually focused takeoff on the ideas in How to Make Your Man Behave in 21 Days or Less Using the Secrets of Professional Dog Trainers.
Book Description
If you are a woman who deosn't want to know the truth about the men in you life, then put this book down immediately. Don't even think of reading further. But if you are a woman who believes that knowledge is power, that to be forewarned is to be forearmed, then Smith and Doe are here to give you an unvarnished, no-holds-barred, unadulterated first-time look into the mind of male animal. You will learn about their sexual fanatsies (the real ones), the secrets they keep, and the lies they tell when it comes to sex, love, and fidelity, and what they will and will not do to hole on to the women in their lives. But take heed. As Smith and Doe reveal : "Our sexual fantasies are everything you pray they are not. Our deepest desires are darker than your darkest fears. Our wet dreams are your worst nightmares." This is the book men pray women won't read.
Customer Reviews:
Every Woman Should Have This Book.......2007-06-11
A lot of the things mentioned in this book didn't surprise me, what did surprise me was how common it was.
Most men and I say MOST, not ALL would cheat if they could. It's inherent in their nature.
This is not a man bashing book. It's two men telling how things REALLY are. You can stick your head in the sand and pretend men don't think differently but you'd be doing yourself a disservice.
This book has given me some great tools in my next relationship to see things as they really are.
What Women Don't Want Men to Know.......2007-01-23
Entertaining but puleez. At one point the authors assert that women only fantasize about their partners while men will fantasize about other women, celebrities etc. Guess what guys? Women fantasize all the time about gorgeous movie starst etc. Did you ever think that is why lots of women like the lights out? And, maybe if you knew how much we fantasize you would take care of your appearance the way we do!
On another topic, I hated the fonts etc. used to make points. Let's just use one font and maybe some bolding. It gave me a headache.
Even though it is not so great when it tries to portray women - it was not half bad in describing the strong sex drives of men. THere is some reality there.
authors were in a vicious business, buying into its toxic lifestyle.......2007-01-10
I know one of the authors, who is now completely changed and embarrassed about having co-autored this book. He left Hollywood, spent years in meditation and now leans towards Buddhism and community service. The ideas expressed in the book are true for those in the self-destructive world of power characteristic of Hollywood, where appearance is the prime value and excessive drug use common. It almost killed him.
(please do not publish my name)
The Truth Shall Set You Free!.......2006-11-08
When I first started reading this book, I thought to myself that all women who have a man in there life are stuck with cheaters and liars! I wanted to burn this book! Men can't all be like this, can they? Well, for the most part, they are. They're human and they're different from women. There is GOOD NEWS! Smith and Doe actually inform you on how to keep your man happy and faithful - all you really need to know is that you need to keep them "unloaded" :-) Read this with an open mind and read it to the end. It's not their fault - they're just men.
Garbage in Print.......2006-04-27
Leave it to Hollywood to tell us every guy cheats dispite all the polls that show men and women cheat at about the same rate now and its only about 50%.
Maybe in their loveless, pathetic existence sex is what they live for. But at least in middle America, people still have values and ethics. All this reveals is the culture they live in.
For the rest of us, we know it is offensive nonsense.
Granted, if almost any guy were a rock star, traveling the country, alone, without his wife, and gorgeous women of all ages kept throwing themselves at him, almost any guy would give in eventually.
But thats an extreme case. Most of us don't look. Have a conscience. And though we may go through our lives wanting to sleep with various women, as women do George Clooney, or Brad Pitt, we also go through life thinking about how much money is in the nearest bank. Wanting money doesnt make us bank robbers. Some don't for fear of retribution. Most just know it is wrong.
The authors apparently lack any moral compass. And they are in no position to speak for me or the majority of men in American.
They are bottom feeders. And if it was written by women, it was written by bitter, stupid, or delusional women.
Customer Reviews:
Natural Approach without intellectual BS.......2004-09-30
This book was able to really teach me without the normal intellectual BS I have found in other NLP type information. It is practical and aligns well with most people. It has helped me get results. I have had numerous NLP trainings and this book got to the bottom line. It was great and I would recommend that some of the NLP experts read it and learn how to relate more respectfully with the average working reader.
Psychological selling - the dumbed down version.......2002-06-13
Despite the complimentary "Foreword" by Rodger Bailey - whose LAB Profiles material provided the basis for this book, I personally found this to be a distinctly "dumbed down" version of the source material.
For example, the authors mention "Convincer Strategy" (how *often* does the evidence have to be presented to the client in order for it to be convincing) but give no space at all to the equally important "Convincer Channel" (what *kind* of evidence do you need to present - demonstration, reports from satisfied customers, product brochures, etc.).
What this suggests *to me* is that the authors of this book don't really understand the material they are writing about.
The one positive feature of the book should have been the wealth of dialogue included in the book, showing how to elicit a client's position in regard to the various "meta programs" (mental filters) described in the text. Yet even here, the approach is so utterly basic that only a reader with absolutely NO prior knowledge of NLP could be impressed.
If you want to REALLY get to grips with the material discussed in this book you may prefer to forget about "Selling the Way ..." and get yourself a copy of Shelle Rose Charvet's book "Words that Change Minds" - also based (with far greater understanding, IMO) on the same source material) instead.
Because that's a book that REALLY delivers the goods!
Easy to follow and understand.......2002-04-29
This book does a good job of covering some of the basic meta programs in NLP. I have taught this material in trainings I have done and enjoyed the authors additional insights. The book is structured nicely in that it explains each program and then gives examples at the end of each chapter. It's lack of theory and depth will not be missed by those who just wish to understand how to use these techniques
Great Book.......2001-11-12
Great book for developing rapport with you future clients. The points in this book will allow you to become more credible and likeable in the eyes of your prospects. Likewise, your sales will increase.
Great!.......2000-03-29
This book is great at teaching you how to elicit people's values (ie, what they want, and how they know when they get it). This allows you to much better understand people with whom you are dealing, and gives you the power to please and connect with them in ways that most people would miss. The techniques are simple, involving asking a number of targeted questions. The best thing about the book is that it includes many examples, so you can really "observe" the techniques working.
Books:
- The Secret
- The Shunning/The Confession/The Reckoning (The Heritage of Lancaster County 1-3)
- The Sword of Truth, Boxed Set I, Books 1-3: Wizard's First Rule, Blood of the Fold ,Stone of Tears
- The Templar Legacy: A Novel
- The Truelove
- Treasure of Khan
- Unafraid: Mary (Lineage of Grace)
- V for Vendetta
- We Need to Talk About Kevin: A Novel (P.S.)
- When the Wind Blows
Books Index
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