Reviews Written By: ADEVBXUS0RSIRprovided by Amazon.com |
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 | Why We Want You to be Rich: Two Men - One Message | |
 | "Read it to stimulate thought" | 2009-09-16 |
| "Why We Want You To Be Rich: Two Men - One Message" by Donald J. Trump and Robert T. Kiyosaki (along with Meredith McIver and Sharon Lechter) is not my favorite of Donald Trump's books, nor is it my favorite book by Robert Kiyosaki. However, I did enjoy this collaboration of the two financial giants, and found the book made me think about some things that will help me in my future, and that is what I believe the two set out to do.
If you want a book where Trump and Kiyosaki say, "Do A, then do B, and then do C, and you will be rich like us," you will be greatly disappointed with this book. I think many negative reviews are from people who wanted that cookie-cutter advice and promise of riches. The book's title even says "why" not "how" when it comes to making wealth. I think the best way to read the book is to read one chapter at a time, and then actually think about the questions asked at the end of the chapter and how what they wrote could apply to your own unique situation. Or maybe, read the book through, and then go back chapter by chapter and think about the questions they pose. Parts one and two are motivational with chapters such as: Our Shared Concerns, Why We Want You To Be Rich, Winners Take Control, and Think Big - Think Expansion. Some of this has appeared in similar ways or the same ways in some of the other books by these two, but, but it was still motivating and helps get you to think creatively. Parts three, four, and five are interesting because the chapters are questions and you get Kiyosaki's and Trump's responses to the questions. Such as: What did you learn from your mother and father, what did you learn from school, what did you learn from business, what should I do regarding different life situations, what things to invest in such as real estate and network marketing. None of what they write is earth shattering and once reading the book you can apply it and become wealthy over night. However, if you think about what they write, and then think about yourself and what you have learned and what you can do going forward, I think you may be surprises at just how useful this book can be. I like Donald Trump, I like Robert Kiyosaki, and I liked "Why We Want You To Be Rich." Again, it is a motivational book and a book to make you think, rather than a "how to." So if you want to think about your life and future a bit, read this book to be stimulated on what to think about in a positive way. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Making a Living Without a Job : Winning Ways For Creating Work That You Love | |
| "Motivational book on making a living without a job" | 2009-09-16 |
| "Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways for Creating Work That You Love" by Barbara J. Winter is an interesting and motivational book about working for yourself rather than punching the time clock for someone else. For the person who wants to start their own business, there are a lot of things to learn that this book does not cover. However, what this book does very well is address the "why" of working for yourself and it also provides the stimulus to find your own passion, even if lost, and follow that passion and your dreams toward success.
Part one covers topics regarding being your own boss. Why be jobless? Doing first things first, and finding your lost passion. Part two tells you to do your homework with topics like uncovering your assets, overcoming obstacles, and taking care of the boss (you!). Part three address the exploration of options and has you think about multiple profit centers and considering possibilities. Part four continues on with turning passions into profits and looks at starting small but thinking big, getting ideas, and marketing on a shoestring. Finally, part five covers the creation of your world headquarters. If includes making the transition, enjoying your spaghetti days (those early years before the big money starts to come in), and taking your dream and making it real. I think the best part of this book for me was the motivating factor of, "you can do it." Second were some of the practical tips and suggestions to get started with making a living without a job. There are also some additional resources listed at the end of the book, and if you really do want to make the transition to making a living without a job, you will need additional resources. This is a great start, and it may just help you discover a whole new direction for your life and career. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | The Choice | |
 | "I liked it, but...." | 2009-09-12 |
| I've enjoyed Og Mandino's positive messages throughout the years, so I was looking forward to "The Choice." I'll admit, I enjoyed reading it, especially the first part. I think this is mostly due to the fact that I recently left a job to work on several writing and speaking projects. That part of the story, where the main character quits his job to write was my favorite, and being a book person, I really connected with the author's huge library, and sort of wished I had a lighthouse that could serve as my library and writing den.
The part I did not care for in the book was the actual "choice." Personally, while it was a choice, I don't think it was a very difficult one. As a father, if I was ever given a choice between my life or the life of my daughter, there is no choice. I would do anything for her, and if that meant me dying for her to live, so be it. I sort of have a problem with a supreme being asking such a choice of someone as well. So while I found a lot of the book enjoyable and even motivational, with other little gems tucked in places throughout, I didn't like the main "Choice" that was the title and largest "point" of the book. And it was just too convenient at the end for the supreme being to decide he didn't have to die after all. For those reasons I have mixed feelings about "The Choice" by Og Mandino. I liked parts of it, but didn't like the "choice." It's a short book, barely over 100 pages, so it was a very quick read. I would lean toward enjoying it, because the parts about him leaving his job to write what he felt he needed to get out really resonated with me. And some of the life lessons are worth reading for as well. I just wish he would have gotten those lessons across without having the main character choose between having his son die of something or him having to die. I didn't care for that at all. Since I have mixed feelings, I guess I'd say it is about a 3 out of five stars. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life | |
 | "Incorporate mindfulness practice into your life" | 2009-09-12 |
| "Wherever You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation In Everyday Life" by Jon Kabat-Zinn is not your ordinary "how to" meditate book. Through short passages, the author helps you cultivate mindfulness, in essence, wakefulness, in one's own life.
Regardless if you are new to mediation or a longtime practitioner, I feel the passages in "Wherever You Go There You Are" will resonate within and assist you in reclaiming the richness of all of your moments. Some of the concepts you may know, but have you really thought of them? Do you apply them? I liked that Kabat-Zinn points out that there really is no "right way" to practice, since mediation is a personal thing. However, there are practices that can assist you with getting more from your mediation. There are over 70 "Chapters" or passages in the book, and I'd recommend not reading too many at a time so that you can fully digest what the author is communicating. I believe you will get much more from the book if you not only read it, but contemplate on what the author is trying to get across. I know this helped me. This moment is all we really have to work with, and this book helps us realize that and regain touch with ourselves in the moment of now. The suggestions and instructions in this book will help a person's meditation practice as well as help understand the purpose behind meditating in the first place. Part one explores the rational and background for taking on or deepening a personal practice of meditation. Part two explores some basic aspects of formal meditation practice. And part three explores a range of applications and perspectives on mindfulness. Many of the chapters end with explicit suggestions for incorporating aspects of both formal and informal mindfulness practice into one's life. If you meditate, or want to meditate, this book has many useful suggestions and I'd recommend adding it to your meditation library. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life | |
| "Incorporate mindfulness practice into your life" | 2009-09-12 |
| "Wherever You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation In Everyday Life" by Jon Kabat-Zinn is not your ordinary "how to" meditate book. Through short passages, the author helps you cultivate mindfulness, in essence, wakefulness, in one's own life.
Regardless if you are new to mediation or a longtime practitioner, I feel the passages in "Wherever You Go There You Are" will resonate within and assist you in reclaiming the richness of all of your moments. Some of the concepts you may know, but have you really thought of them? Do you apply them? I liked that Kabat-Zinn points out that there really is no "right way" to practice, since mediation is a personal thing. However, there are practices that can assist you with getting more from your mediation. There are over 70 "Chapters" or passages in the book, and I'd recommend not reading too many at a time so that you can fully digest what the author is communicating. I believe you will get much more from the book if you not only read it, but contemplate on what the author is trying to get across. I know this helped me. This moment is all we really have to work with, and this book helps us realize that and regain touch with ourselves in the moment of now. The suggestions and instructions in this book will help a person's meditation practice as well as help understand the purpose behind meditating in the first place. Part one explores the rational and background for taking on or deepening a personal practice of meditation. Part two explores some basic aspects of formal meditation practice. And part three explores a range of applications and perspectives on mindfulness. Many of the chapters end with explicit suggestions for incorporating aspects of both formal and informal mindfulness practice into one's life. If you meditate, or want to meditate, this book has many useful suggestions and I'd recommend adding it to your meditation library. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Budo:Art of Killing | |
| "Peaceful and Beautiful documentary about Japanese martial arts" | 2009-08-19 |
| I really enjoyed "Budo: The Art of Killing." I usually watch and review instructional videos, and it was a nice change to watch this documentary on the martial arts of Japan. One thing that really stands out is the beauty of Japan that is shown throughout the film. Seeing some of the scenic settings reminded me of places I visited while living in Japan, and how there are so many beautiful and peaceful places in the land of the rising sun. It's not a fast paced DVD, with some scenes in slow motion with slower music, but that added to the beauty of the film.
Peace and beauty in a film about the art of killing? Yes, and I found the relationship between the two to be calming and reflected on some of my own training. Seeing some of the masters train with Mt. Fuji in the background, on beaches, or in other aesthetically pleasing places (most dojos are simple elegance) or the scenes in fields or forests, made me think of how often it is my training in martial arts that calms me and becomes the most serene time of the day. Meditation and physical training go together. The training scenes in the film are not instructional. You are not going to learn how to do the things you see from this film. Nor does the film elaborate on the training that got the people in the film to that point other than saying it takes a long time and much dedication. However, watching this can motivate one to pursue their training to reach the higher levels. For those interested in the various martial arts of Japan, this DVD serves as a nice introduction. You get to see people training in Judo, Karate, Sumo, Aikido, and more. The section with women training with the naginata will be interesting for females to see the samurai art practiced by women of all ages. There was also a lot of time spent on the sword, which the Japanese samurai are known for. Besides seeing some masters of the sword, the film shows a blade being made as well. I was surprised that the Ninja and Ninjitsu were not covered. Overall, I enjoyed this DVD, just as I enjoy reading the older Samurai writings that have been translated to English, and books about the samurai, ancient Japan, Korea, China, and related works. If you are interested in an artful film about the martial arts and beauty of Japan, you will enjoy this film. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | IRAs, 401(k)s & Other Retirement Plans: Taking Your Money Out | |
| "For anyone with a retirement plan who wants to take their money back out" | 2009-08-13 |
| There are many books on investing that include chapters on IRAs, 401(k)s, and other retirement plans. However these books usually give the advice to ensure you are contributing to these plans and offer suggestions on what investment vehicles to use to help save a nest egg for a person's retirement years. This book is different. "IRAs, 401(k)s & Other Retirement Plans: Taking Your Money Out 9th Edition" by Twila Slesnick and John C. Suttle is not for the person wanting to invest for retirement, it is for the person who has reached retirement, or about to, and wants to take money out of these types of accounts. There are various rules, and this Nolo legal guide helps the reader navigate them. Nolo calls this book a retirement companion, and in a sense, that is what it is. It is a very good guide on a subject that is becoming more important all the time as more and more people look to use the money they have been saving. Chapter One covers types of retirement plans. Included are qualified plans such as profit-sharing plans, stock bonus plans, and money purchase pension plans. Individual Retirement Accounts such as Traditional IRAs, Rollover IRAs, and Roth IRAs are among those included. There is also a little on almost-qualified plans and nonqualified plans. Good brief overview of the plans. Chapter two contains an overview of tax rules. While it won't take the place of your professional tax preparer, this chapter does provide some general guidance on the tax rules. Retirement plans are all about saving and using as much of your money as you can with as little taxes being paid as legally possible. To do this, you want to know the tax laws that are relevant, and this chapter does give the basics related to your retirement plans and funds. To get some of the benefits certain retirement plans provide, you must keep funds in them until you reach a certain age. What if you need the money before that? Chapter three discusses early distributions and taking your money out before the law allows. If you need your retirement money early, this is a good chapter to read before talking it over with your financial and tax advisors. Chapter four covers substantially equal periodic payments. This is a complicated exception to the early distribution tax. It is something some people may need when taking an early distribution. This again is a good chapter to read so you have a basic understanding of the concept before discussing with your financial and tax professionals. While retirement plans have stipulations on when you can withdraw funds, they also have certain required distributions. Chapter five covers these and taking money out when you have to. Things such as special rules for Roth IRAs, penalties, and waivers are covered in this chapter. Chapter six continues with required distributions during your lifetime. This is a good chapter for everyone to be familiar with since it discusses when you are required to start taking money out of your retirement plan or IRA. Unfortunately, not everyone lives long enough to use their retirement money. Chapter seven focuses on distributions to your beneficiary if you die before age 70 1/2. Distribution methods, spouse beneficiary, nonspouse beneficiary, and no designated beneficiary are some of the topics in this chapter. If you don't care what happens after you die, this chapter won't mean much. But if you want to know what will happen with your accounts if you pass on without using them up, this chapter provides that information. Chapter eight continues with distributions to your beneficiary if you die after age 70 1/2. Yep, it matters how old you are when you pass away as to what might happen with your funds. This chapter explains the differences. Like chapter seven, read it if you want to know what happens with your money if you die. These two chapters can help you prepare and plan to ensure your money goes where you want it to. Chapter nine focuses on Roth IRAs. The book calls the Roth IRA one of the biggest sugarcoated carrots out there to encourage people to save for retirement. Personally, I believe them to be a great investment vehicle for many people. If you have a Roth IRA or are thinking about one, this chapter provides some good guidance and advice. Chapter ten covers Roth 401(k) plans. If you have one and are under 59 1/2 years old and want to withdraw money from it, this chapter has some useful advice. Appendix A contains some IRS forms, Notices, and Schedules. Appendix B has life expectancy tables. These are things to be familiar with when planning, and are included as a reference. This is a very good reference for those that have this kind of investment and want to know the rules regarding getting their money out and using it, while minimizing taxes and not incurring penalties. It is especially important for those nearing retirement age as they prepare to transition from earning and saving to withdrawing and spending. There are some very good strategies and suggestions regarding what to do before and after retirement with your retirement plans and saving vehicles. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | One Minute for Yourself | |
| "Take care of yourself so you can take care of others" | 2009-07-29 |
| "One Minute For Yourself: A Simple Strategy For A Better Life" by Spencer Johnson will take more than a minute to read, but not much more, and it is time well spent. It is a short book of just over 100 pages, and a number of those pages only contain a quote. So yes, it is quite simple to read and won't take you long at all. However, the message Johnson shares in this little story is a very good one, and for those that act upon it, you will most likely notice the benefits from doing so.
The book was originally published in the 80s as "One Minute For Myself." In the 90s, it was released as "One Minute For Yourself." Now, nearly 20 years after the second edition was released and over 25 years since the original, this little book's message is still as relevant as it ever was. I know I enjoyed reading it, and it made me think about the times I forget to take care of myself and how that effects others around me. The book is written in story format and it is about a man who goes to learn the secret to happiness from his uncle, a man who seemed to enjoy everything. Through conversations with his uncle and a few others, the man learns the importance of taking care of yourself so you can then be a better person and take care of others. There are four parts of the lesson. Taking Care of Me, Taking Care of Thee, Taking Care of We, and The World Benefits. For the three most important lessons Taking Care of Me, Thee, and We, there are summary pages at the end of those chapters. These are nice to review the lessons contained in the story. If you have a little time, reading "One Minute For Yourself" is a good use of it. Especially if it makes you stop and think, and then implement some "self" time into your life to reduce stress and enjoy living a bit more. Do this for yourself, and then share with others and maybe the last chapter is right, the world will benefit. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Separation of Power | |
| "First time I've read Flynn but not the last" | 2009-07-14 |
| I was at the library when a gentleman saw me with one of Lee Child's Jack Reacher Novels. He commented that it was a good book, and then told me if I liked Child, I should read Vince Flynn, and held up the Flynn novel he was carrying. I decided to take his advice, and I picked up "Separation of Power." I enjoyed the book, and look forward to reading more of Flynn's novels. Since this is the first of Flynn's books I've read, I missed some of the back story regarding the hero Mitch Rapp and the other characters in the novel. Reading those first would probably been best, but this story stands on its own, and so I still had a good read and enough was provided here that you didn't have to read the earlier works. That tells you it was a good book. Not only do I want to read the books that come after this one, but I want to go back and read those earlier tales even though I know part of the outcome. Additionally, the story is dated regarding the plots includes nuclear arms possessed by Saddam Hussein. So I had to ignore the actual circumstances surrounding Hussein, and just enjoy the story. And enjoy it I did. It had action and suspense all the way through. I found myself really liking Mitch Rapp and really disliking other characters. I liked the way Flynn told the story, and I will definitely read more of his novels. In fact, I already picked up a couple to read and will do so in the very near future. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Separation of Power by Vince Flynn, ISBN 0743509307 | |
| "First time I've read Flynn but not the last" | 2009-07-14 |
| I was at the library when a gentleman saw me with one of Lee Child's Jack Reacher Novels. He commented that it was a good book, and then told me if I liked Child, I should read Vince Flynn, and held up the Flynn novel he was carrying. I decided to take his advice, and I picked up "Separation of Power." I enjoyed the book, and look forward to reading more of Flynn's novels. Since this is the first of Flynn's books I've read, I missed some of the back story regarding the hero Mitch Rapp and the other characters in the novel. Reading those first would probably been best, but this story stands on its own, and so I still had a good read and enough was provided here that you didn't have to read the earlier works. That tells you it was a good book. Not only do I want to read the books that come after this one, but I want to go back and read those earlier tales even though I know part of the outcome. Additionally, the story is dated regarding the plots includes nuclear arms possessed by Saddam Hussein. So I had to ignore the actual circumstances surrounding Hussein, and just enjoy the story. And enjoy it I did. It had action and suspense all the way through. I found myself really liking Mitch Rapp and really disliking other characters. I liked the way Flynn told the story, and I will definitely read more of his novels. In fact, I already picked up a couple to read and will do so in the very near future. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life : A Kick-Butt Approach to a Better Life | |
| "Great Kick in the Pants to Motivate People Toward Personal Responsibility" | 2009-07-14 |
| Larry Winget, the self-proclaimed "Pitbull of Personal Development" wrote what he calls "A Kick-Butt Approach to a Better Life" and called it "Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get A Life." What the book really is, is a text full of common sense and motivational advice to get you off your butt and into life. It's a healthy dose of in-your-face "be responsible for your own life" and some lessons that unfortunately not everyone learned when they were a kid. It's a book that I really enjoyed reading. I couldn't help myself from saying, "yep, that is so true," and "it's so sad people don't know this," over and over again as I read the blunt but accurate advice Winget writes about. My wife probably got tired of me reading passages out loud when they resembled things I've said before.
Winget starts his book out by saying it is tough, and it is meant to be. He wants to make readers mad so they will take action. I personally don't think it's that tough, but then again, I relate things to my military and martial art background, not sitting on couches being pampered to. Growing up with a father who was career military probably influenced my perceptions of tough too. Regardless, most "self-help" books are not as in-you-face as this one, and I can understand how some people would be quite insulted and would get mad. Great. If you are overweight and Winget makes you mad and you lose some pounds and become healthier, he has accomplished what he set out to do. If he makes you mad because he does not like unruly kids and yours run amuck without any discipline and you now decide to teach them manners, courtesy, and responsibility, great, he accomplished something. Winget admits he is not an expert on everything he writes about, but he has read a vast amount and has made a lot of mistakes. I found it refreshing that he shares some of his follies in order for readers to learn and maybe not make the same ones. He tells readers it is okay to get a divorce if you can't fix a relationship, he tells readers you must read and keep learning, he insists that if you want financial success you must work and then spend less than you earn, he writes that love is the key to prosperity, he teaches that the more you give, the more you get, and one of my favorite lessons, a deal is a deal. Winget is one of the first to write that he isn't sharing anything new. Heck, he even writes it at times. It's common sense with his spin on it. It is practical down-to-earth advice giving with his in-your-face style. Personally, I like it. I think he is right on with a lot of it. I don't agree with him on everything 100%, but more often than not I think he nails things and hits them out of the park. I think that anyone who reads this book with an open mind, who actually does the exercises Winget tells you to perform, and makes the lists Winget recommends you make, will undoubtedly be in a better place in regards to succeeding in life than before doing the above. Hopefully, by reading this book it will get you motivated to do more and achieve more, and to keep with it. If the book accomplishes that, and I think it will for many readers, then Winget has done something very good with his pitbull style. Now I'm looking forward to "People Are Idiots and I Can Prove It!" Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Separation of Power | |
| "First time I've read Flynn but not the last" | 2009-07-14 |
| I was at the library when a gentleman saw me with one of Lee Child's Jack Reacher Novels. He commented that it was a good book, and then told me if I liked Child, I should read Vince Flynn, and held up the Flynn novel he was carrying. I decided to take his advice, and I picked up "Separation of Power." I enjoyed the book, and look forward to reading more of Flynn's novels.
Since this is the first of Flynn's books I've read, I missed some of the back story regarding the hero Mitch Rapp and the other characters in the novel. Reading those first would probably been best, but this story stands on its own, and so I still had a good read and enough was provided here that you didn't have to read the earlier works. That tells you it was a good book. Not only do I want to read the books that come after this one, but I want to go back and read those earlier tales even though I know part of the outcome. Additionally, the story is dated regarding the plots includes nuclear arms possessed by Saddam Hussein. So I had to ignore the actual circumstances surrounding Hussein, and just enjoy the story. And enjoy it I did. It had action and suspense all the way through. I found myself really liking Mitch Rapp and really disliking other characters. I liked the way Flynn told the story, and I will definitely read more of his novels. In fact, I already picked up a couple to read and will do so in the very near future. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Separation of Power (Mitch Rapp Novels) (Reprint Edition) | |
| "First time I've read Flynn but not the last" | 2009-07-14 |
| I was at the library when a gentleman saw me with one of Lee Child's Jack Reacher Novels. He commented that it was a good book, and then told me if I liked Child, I should read Vince Flynn, and held up the Flynn novel he was carrying. I decided to take his advice, and I picked up "Separation of Power." I enjoyed the book, and look forward to reading more of Flynn's novels.
Since this is the first of Flynn's books I've read, I missed some of the back story regarding the hero Mitch Rapp and the other characters in the novel. Reading those first would probably been best, but this story stands on its own, and so I still had a good read and enough was provided here that you didn't have to read the earlier works. That tells you it was a good book. Not only do I want to read the books that come after this one, but I want to go back and read those earlier tales even though I know part of the outcome. Additionally, the story is dated regarding the plots includes nuclear arms possessed by Saddam Hussein. So I had to ignore the actual circumstances surrounding Hussein, and just enjoy the story. And enjoy it I did. It had action and suspense all the way through. I found myself really liking Mitch Rapp and really disliking other characters. I liked the way Flynn told the story, and I will definitely read more of his novels. In fact, I already picked up a couple to read and will do so in the very near future. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Persuader | |
| "Another fun action tale!" | 2009-06-26 |
| "Persuader" is the third Jack Reacher novel I've read by Lee Child. After reading "One Shot" and "The Hard Way," I went backwards a bit and read this earlier book. I really liked the bad guys in this novel, especially the behemoth Paulie. You knew his demise would come, and I liked how Child did it. I also liked how Child wove the back story of events from ten years previous into the present day happenings of Jack Reacher. I was a little surprised when I started reading the book that it was in first person, since the two others I read were not. I was also surprised to see Jack Reacher looking at his watch for the time. In "The Hard Way," he always knew what time it was with his internal clock that he really couldn't explain. The story being told in first person was still very well done and I enjoyed it. The bit about the watch was no big deal, just something I noticed and thought "hmmm" to myself. Overall, I'm still very happy I discovered Lee Child and the Jack Reacher novels. I am enjoying them and find them to be brutal action tales with a great lead character and interesting bad guys and supporting characters. They are fun to read, keep you attention, and make you not want to put the book down because you yearn to find out what happens next. Great suspense, interesting characters, tough-guy hero, mean bad guys, and a very entertaining story make "Persuader" a fun action tale and an enjoyable read. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Persuader: A Jack Reacher Novel | |
| "Another fun action tale!" | 2009-06-26 |
| "Persuader" is the third Jack Reacher novel I've read by Lee Child. After reading "One Shot" and "The Hard Way," I went backwards a bit and read this earlier book. I really liked the bad guys in this novel, especially the behemoth Paulie. You knew his demise would come, and I liked how Child did it. I also liked how Child wove the back story of events from ten years previous into the present day happenings of Jack Reacher. I was a little surprised when I started reading the book that it was in first person, since the two others I read were not. I was also surprised to see Jack Reacher looking at his watch for the time. In "The Hard Way," he always knew what time it was with his internal clock that he really couldn't explain. The story being told in first person was still very well done and I enjoyed it. The bit about the watch was no big deal, just something I noticed and thought "hmmm" to myself. Overall, I'm still very happy I discovered Lee Child and the Jack Reacher novels. I am enjoying them and find them to be brutal action tales with a great lead character and interesting bad guys and supporting characters. They are fun to read, keep you attention, and make you not want to put the book down because you yearn to find out what happens next. Great suspense, interesting characters, tough-guy hero, mean bad guys, and a very entertaining story make "Persuader" a fun action tale and an enjoyable read. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | One Shot | |
| "My first Jack Reacher novel, but definitely not my last!" | 2009-06-10 |
| "One Shot" by Lee Child is the first of his Jack Reacher novels I've read and it definitely won't be the last. In fact, I finished "One Shot" yesterday and went out and found "The Hard Way" and started reading it this morning. I plan on picking up the earlier books of the series as well as the newer ones. The story involved a military sniper, and as a former Army sniper, that is what initially drew me to checking out the book. However, it is the character Jack Reacher that I thourouly enjoyed and made me want to seek out the others in the series. I'm very glad I decided to check this book out. Jack Reacher is a hero I want to know more about. He's tough, smart, with yet a bit of vulnerability. The book was suspenseful with good action, but it also had you thinking along with Reacher as his investigatory skills and keen observation unraveled the mysterious circumstances surrounding the shooting spree that opened the book. It had good bad guys, a critical element in any action story, and enough plot twists and turns to keep you guessing at what was coming next. It is the kind of book you don't want to put down because you just have to see where things are going. Over all, this was a very fun read full of action and suspense. Lee Child has created a great character and I now see why these books are so popular. I wish I would have discovered them earlier, but the good thing is I can read them now and not have to wait so long between them. Highly recommended for a good action story! Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | One Shot | |
| "My first Jack Reacher novel, but definitely not my last!" | 2009-06-10 |
| "One Shot" by Lee Child is the first of his Jack Reacher novels I've read and it definitely won't be the last. In fact, I finished "One Shot" yesterday and went out and found "The Hard Way" and started reading it this morning. I plan on picking up the earlier books of the series as well as the newer ones. The story involved a military sniper, and as a former Army sniper, that is what initially drew me to checking out the book. However, it is the character Jack Reacher that I thourouly enjoyed and made me want to seek out the others in the series. I'm very glad I decided to check this book out. Jack Reacher is a hero I want to know more about. He's tough, smart, with yet a bit of vulnerability. The book was suspenseful with good action, but it also had you thinking along with Reacher as his investigatory skills and keen observation unraveled the mysterious circumstances surrounding the shooting spree that opened the book. It had good bad guys, a critical element in any action story, and enough plot twists and turns to keep you guessing at what was coming next. It is the kind of book you don't want to put down because you just have to see where things are going. Over all, this was a very fun read full of action and suspense. Lee Child has created a great character and I now see why these books are so popular. I wish I would have discovered them earlier, but the good thing is I can read them now and not have to wait so long between them. Highly recommended for a good action story! Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | No Time to Clean: How to Reduce & Prevent Cleaning the Professional Way | |
| "Highly recommended if you want to clean faster, better, and cheaper!" | 2009-05-28 |
| Don Aslett is THE guru when it comes to cleaning. His books on cleaning, time management and "decluttering" are as enormously popular as they are entertaining and educational. (I also really like his books on other topics too). "No Time To Clean! How To Reduce & Prevent Cleaning The Professional Way" is Aslett's new approach to cleaning for a new day.
The book is written in Aslett's easy to read and entertaining style and is accompanied by the artwork many of his texts are know for. I personally find the style, layout, and artwork enhance the reading experience, but make no mistake about it; Aslett's books contain a lot of meat with that sizzle. His down home practical advice is right to the point. This book on cleaning is just under 200 pages long and contains 10 chapters. They include: Intro: No Time To Clean! Aslett knows you don't have time to clean, so he points out that he will show you how to prevent cleaning as well as other strategies to solve your "no time to clean" worries. One: Modern Cleaning's Biggest Mystery: The Time to Do It. Three page chapter with the focus of if you are cleaning more than a couple of hours a week, you are cleaning too much or inefficiently. Quick motivation to get started now! Two: Adjusting Our Standards and Schedules. If it isn't dirty, don't clean it. Among the great tips in this chapter include advice on how clean things really need to be and how to set standards rather than cleaning by charts or schedules. Three: Cleaning on the Run. Aslett shares some "whys" regarding cleaning and some tips on doing things before they become bigger. You might also be surprised at what you can get done in a very short amount of time, and the chapter shows you how to clean faster and ways to make things stay clean longer. Four: The Best Way of All to Cut Cleaning: Prevent It! This chapter is all about preventing those down-the-road problems. Aslett provides some great suggestions on how to do just that. Five: Too Much = Too Much Time Cleaning. Aslett is known for getting rid of junk. This is a very short chapter because he focuses on this topic in several other books. "Clutter's Last Stand" and his other clutter books are great if you need more help with clutter. Six: Do Your Housework With a Hammer. This is an interesting chapter on designing your house, or parts of it, to make it easier to clean. Seven: Other Hands That Can Help. If you are going to hire others to help you clean, you will benefit from reading this chapter first. Aslett provides some good advice regarding getting others to help with your cleaning needs. Eight: The Big One: Getting Kids to Help Clean. Aslett suggests this might be the most important topic in the book. Besides the help you get cleaning your home, it will help young people late in life. He has some very good suggestions for getting kids to help out. Nine: Quick Cleaning Room by Room. Tips and strategies for cleaning every room in the house as well as the garage and outside. Just implementing some of these would make a big difference. Ten: Quick Cleaning Guide. This "guide" is 68 pages long and covers a ton of professional cleaning tips from dusting to pet messes. If you want to clean like the professionals and get more done in less time, Aslett shows you how. Face it, cleaning is a big pain. It's one of the necessary evils. We have to do it, but none of us really enjoy it. (well... maybe a few do...) Cleaning is not a topic that you leisurely read about either. So pick up this book, read it (it won't take long) and implement the advice so you can clean more in less time and then get on with the better things in your life, after all that's what living is about. Highly recommend if you want to clean faster, better, and cheaper. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | We Got Fired! : . . . And It's the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us | |
| "Very motivational!" | 2009-05-16 |
| I thoroughly enjoyed reading "We Got Fired! And It's the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us" by Harvey Mackay. The book is extremely motivating and full of great advice and tips to help you drive toward success no matter what has happened with your current or recent job. It's not a how to book regarding what to do if you lose your job, it is a motivational book to let you know it is not the end of the world and there are many possibilities out there to look toward. Mackay interviewed twenty-eight prominent figures that have been fired only to go on and succeed and do much better after losing a job. Some of these people include Muhammad Ali, Michael Bloomberg, Donald Trump. Mark Victor Hansen, Lou Holtz, Billie Jean King, Larry King, Robert Redford, and Jesse Ventura. Mackay relates all of their stories in an entertaining, interesting, and educational manner, and always ends with his own personal moral to the story. Between these twenty-eight case studies, or interviews, Mackay includes short little one to two page sections sharing information about others who have been fired, wisdom, anecdotes, and aphorisms, often with his moral at the end of these too. Morals such as, "Every event in life always has two sides. Energize yourself by picking the proactive one!" or "Some people rebound from a firing setback because they are destined to. Most people rebound because they are determined to." Sure, some of the quotes and morals might sound cliché, but that does not make them any less relevant. For any person who has been fired or recently leg go for whatever reason, this book is an uplifting, motivational read that will brighten your spirits and show you that many people have not only overcome a firing hardship, but went on to greater success than they would have ever known without losing the previous job. I think this book will also be motivating for those that have not lost their job, but are unsatisfied and looking for change. This book may be the push needed to overcome the fear to leave. One of the good things about getting fired or laid off is that it forces you to pursue dreams you maybe wouldn't have due to a fear of the unknown and not wanting to leave security. But as we are all seeing these days, and as this book illustrates, what is security? I think business people and entrepreneurs will also enjoy this book for the success stories, even if they have not lost a job. It makes you feel good reading about success, and helps light sparks of your own creativity. I think Mackay did an excellent job of telling the stories of those he chose to profile. It was fun to read, made me feel good, and prompted some creativity regarding some of my own writing and plans. This is an excellent book for the troubled times many are facing right now, and will be a motivating book for years to come. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | We Got Fired! : . . . And It's the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us | |
| "Very motivational!" | 2009-05-16 |
| I thoroughly enjoyed reading "We Got Fired! And It's the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us" by Harvey Mackay. The book is extremely motivating and full of great advice and tips to help you drive toward success no matter what has happened with your current or recent job. It's not a how to book regarding what to do if you lose your job, it is a motivational book to let you know it is not the end of the world and there are many possibilities out there to look toward. Mackay interviewed twenty-eight prominent figures that have been fired only to go on and succeed and do much better after losing a job. Some of these people include Muhammad Ali, Michael Bloomberg, Donald Trump. Mark Victor Hansen, Lou Holtz, Billie Jean King, Larry King, Robert Redford, and Jesse Ventura. Mackay relates all of their stories in an entertaining, interesting, and educational manner, and always ends with his own personal moral to the story. Between these twenty-eight case studies, or interviews, Mackay includes short little one to two page sections sharing information about others who have been fired, wisdom, anecdotes, and aphorisms, often with his moral at the end of these too. Morals such as, "Every event in life always has two sides. Energize yourself by picking the proactive one!" or "Some people rebound from a firing setback because they are destined to. Most people rebound because they are determined to." Sure, some of the quotes and morals might sound cliché, but that does not make them any less relevant. For any person who has been fired or recently leg go for whatever reason, this book is an uplifting, motivational read that will brighten your spirits and show you that many people have not only overcome a firing hardship, but went on to greater success than they would have ever known without losing the previous job. I think this book will also be motivating for those that have not lost their job, but are unsatisfied and looking for change. This book may be the push needed to overcome the fear to leave. One of the good things about getting fired or laid off is that it forces you to pursue dreams you maybe wouldn't have due to a fear of the unknown and not wanting to leave security. But as we are all seeing these days, and as this book illustrates, what is security? I think business people and entrepreneurs will also enjoy this book for the success stories, even if they have not lost a job. It makes you feel good reading about success, and helps light sparks of your own creativity. I think Mackay did an excellent job of telling the stories of those he chose to profile. It was fun to read, made me feel good, and prompted some creativity regarding some of my own writing and plans. This is an excellent book for the troubled times many are facing right now, and will be a motivating book for years to come. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | $30 Writing School | |
| "A comprehensive tomb of information for the aspiring writer!" | 2009-03-28 |
| "$30 Writing School" by Michael W. Dean is a comprehensive tomb of information for the aspiring writer. It's not a get rich type of book promising you a world of riches as an author, but more a down to earth, nuts and bolts instructional manual regarding many aspects of writing. Along the way, Dean also includes quite a bit of motivation for the new writer as well as sharing much of his own journey and experiences. Dean writes in a conversational manner and includes many of his own personal anecdotes regarding living as a writer. He acknowledges that some people do make a lot of money writing, but many don't. While he is a full time writer, he doesn't have expensive cars, mansions, and the like. He also admits he would not trade the writing life for any other. Some readers might not like Dean's mentioning of his previous drug use and multiple girl friends on numerous occasions. Equally, some might not like his frequent references to his other works. I personally did not mind them, and felt it helps you get to know Dean a little better. Maybe some don't want to know about the girls he's dated, especially two cute girls in their 20s at the same time while he is 40. However, I think if you let this detract from some excellent advice regarding writing as a career, you will be missing the forest due to a few trees. The book is almost 500 pages long and contains information about many aspects of writing. Chapters topics include: English basics, outlines, more English rules, how to write, more on writing such as why, working with editors, hardware used for writing, software for writing, selling your book, more on the business of writing, writing on the road, self-publishing, copyrights and rights, promotion, in-store appearances and touring, Dean's closing remarks to motivate you to write for the sake of art and contribution - not just money. The book also includes some interviews with other authors, a recommended reading list, some websites, and a CD-ROM that contains more interesting and useful information, including book proposals, reviews, press releases and more. Again, I must say this book contains some excellent advice on writing. Dean offers practical suggestions on writing and selling, and illustrates the process with his own experiences. Do you think just showing up at a book store to sign your newly published book will draw thousands of admiring fans lined up around the block? Read Dean's chapter to find out what many book signings are like, and how to make the most of them. Thinking of self-publishing? Dean has some good advice to go along with other self-publishing books you might pick up. Dean recommends a few writing books besides his, and one is "On Writing" by Stephen King which is an excellent book. I mention this to illustrate some of the great advice Dean provides. Editing is extremely important and Dean provides good guidance in this area as well. Just as he does with the chapters on hardware and software. I could go on, but you are getting the point. This is a very good book for the aspiring writer. If you want to know what the life of writing is like, at least for Michael Dean, and gain some valuable insight into the world of writing, "$30 Writing School" is a great book to teach you just that. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Ultimate Guide to Mental Toughness: How to Raise Your Motivation, Focus and Confidence Like Pushing a Button | |
| "Excellent Guide To Using Triggers To Increase Motivation" | 2009-01-27 |
| The book "The Ultimate Guide To Mental Toughness" by Daniel Teitelbaum was not what I expected. Being a former military sniper, I think of mental toughness as the grit and determination to succeed at your mission, no matter what. I think of mental toughness more as discipline and focus to get things done. However, if you read the subtitle, you get a better indication of what this book is about. It states, "How to raise your motivation, focus, and confidence like pushing a button." This is a book on increasing your motivation to achieve goals by using triggers. If you have read books by Tony Robbins such as "Awaken the Giant Within," or have listened to any of the multiple audio programs Tony Robbins has put out, you may know about triggers already. Tony uses them, and they are a common part of NLP which Tony studied and uses in his teachings. (I personally really like Tony Robbins and have learned much from him, including some on triggering.) "The Ultimate Guide To Mental Toughness" goes much further into the area of triggers. Teitelbaum's book may be the most complete and user friendly book on triggering techniques out there. He explains why they work in a simple manner, and does not get too bogged down with the why. I felt he gave enough information on why they work, and then spent the rest of the book teaching the triggers and encouraging the reader to actually go through the exercises and develop personal triggers that the reader can use to motivate themselves and keep their energy level high while pursuing and achieving goals. The author uses different ways to emphasize points and motivate the reader to actually perform the exercises and develop personal triggers. It is through actually doing the visualizations and other exercises that you will find out how powerful these techniques can be. The more emotion you put into them, the more realistic and precise your visualizations, and the more intense focus you use, the more these triggers will change your state to positive emotions and "trick" your body into being more energetic and productive. Many people will not actually use these triggers. In fact, some will say it is a bunch of nonsense. That's okay. Others will find that these triggers help them stay in a positive state, which enables them to do more and thus achieve more. Some of the triggers will work for some people better than others. One good thing about this book is there are many different triggers to chose from. After experimenting with them, a person can choose to use the ones that work the best for their situation and personality. I still don't know if I'd call this book "mental toughness." That term still means something different to me. However, if you want to learn triggering and visualization techniques to keep your motivation and focus high in order to pursue dreams and goals more effectively, this book is a great resource to learn those skills. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | I Feel Great and You Will Too!: An Inspiring Journey of Success With Practical Tips on How to Score Big in Life | |
| "I Feel Great is a Great Book!" | 2009-01-20 |
| I first got to know Pat Croce from that invention reality show a while back called "American Inventor." He was on the panel of judges, and I found myself liking him and the comments he made to the competitors. So when I saw "I Feel Great and you will too!" by Pat Croce with Bill Lyon, I decided to check it out. The subtitle is "An Inspiring Journey Of Success With Practical Tips On How To Score Big In Life," and I found the book to be just that. I have to admit, this was one of the most enjoyable "self-help" or "success" books I have read in quite a while. I found Croce's story inspiring and educational. Maybe it is the martial art connection we share, or that similar brashness and proneness to trouble, I'm not sure, I just know that I related to Croce and enjoyed his stories and found much wisdom in his advice. Croce's enthusiasm for life shines through in this text, even when he discusses his disappointments and challenges. In fact, it is his enthusiasm for life and his ultra positive outlook and attitude that helped him get past those hurdles. Throughout the book there are little bold quotes titled "Pat Croce Pointer." Some of these are old sayings and some are modifications of things your mother may have told you. Others are unique to Croce. All of them are practical and make sense if you adhere to them. Reading Pat Croce's story was uplifting and motivational. His passion is contagious and while reading this book you can't help but feel great and motivated to get out and take action on your dreams and goals. Croce is a fascinating individual that I would thoroughly enjoy meeting for a drink and a discussion on how to conquer all obstacles in the path toward greatness. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants an uplifting life story and the encouragement to feel great! Read it and let Croce's passion for life motivate you toward greatness. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | I Feel Great and You Will Too!: An Inspiring Journey of Success with Practical Tips on How to Score Big in Life | |
| "I Feel Great is a Great Book!" | 2009-01-20 |
| I first got to know Pat Croce from that invention reality show a while back called "American Inventor." He was on the panel of judges, and I found myself liking him and the comments he made to the competitors. So when I saw "I Feel Great and you will too!" by Pat Croce with Bill Lyon, I decided to check it out. The subtitle is "An Inspiring Journey Of Success With Practical Tips On How To Score Big In Life," and I found the book to be just that. I have to admit, this was one of the most enjoyable "self-help" or "success" books I have read in quite a while. I found Croce's story inspiring and educational. Maybe it is the martial art connection we share, or that similar brashness and proneness to trouble, I'm not sure, I just know that I related to Croce and enjoyed his stories and found much wisdom in his advice. Croce's enthusiasm for life shines through in this text, even when he discusses his disappointments and challenges. In fact, it is his enthusiasm for life and his ultra positive outlook and attitude that helped him get past those hurdles. Throughout the book there are little bold quotes titled "Pat Croce Pointer." Some of these are old sayings and some are modifications of things your mother may have told you. Others are unique to Croce. All of them are practical and make sense if you adhere to them. Reading Pat Croce's story was uplifting and motivational. His passion is contagious and while reading this book you can't help but feel great and motivated to get out and take action on your dreams and goals. Croce is a fascinating individual that I would thoroughly enjoy meeting for a drink and a discussion on how to conquer all obstacles in the path toward greatness. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants an uplifting life story and the encouragement to feel great! Read it and let Croce's passion for life motivate you toward greatness. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | The Gemini Man | |
| "I enjoyed it, and that's what novels are for" | 2009-01-20 |
| With the tag line on the cover of "He was trained to be our deadliest weapon. Now he's our worst nightmare...." I expected more action. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this novel. It is the first book of Steinberg's I've read, and I'll read more from him. I liked the premise, and I liked the main character, however, like other people here have pointed out, I would have enjoyed knowing more about the main character and what he was thinking and what was driving him toward the actions he took. But maybe Steinberg wanted us to fill in those gaps ourselves, after all, this was more psychological than action oriented. While I did enjoy this book, one thing bothered me. Steinberg, not once, but twice in the text, used the old myth of driving nose bones up into the brain. The one time he suggested it, and the other time he killed a person this way. This is a myth that I wish would not be perpetuated in different formats. To Steinberg's credit, the martial art TV show Human Weapon said the same thing in an episode last year, so if a martial art documentary can't even get it right I won't fault an author too much. Personally, I'd enjoy a sequel to this novel. I'd like to see where Newman goes next. I'd like to see more into his thoughts. I'd like to see the others like him. I think there is potential to go deeper into this story and add more psychology and more action. Bottom line, I enjoyed it and that's why I read novels. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | The Gemini Man | |
| "I enjoyed it, and that's what novels are for" | 2009-01-20 |
| With the tag line on the cover of "He was trained to be our deadliest weapon. Now he's our worst nightmare...." I expected more action. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this novel. It is the first book of Steinberg's I've read, and I'll read more from him.
I liked the premise, and I liked the main character, however, like other people here have pointed out, I would have enjoyed knowing more about the main character and what he was thinking and what was driving him toward the actions he took. But maybe Steinberg wanted us to fill in those gaps ourselves, after all, this was more psychological than action oriented. While I did enjoy this book, one thing bothered me. Steinberg, not once, but twice in the text, used the old myth of driving nose bones up into the brain. The one time he suggested it, and the other time he killed a person this way. This is a myth that I wish would not be perpetuated in different formats. To Steinberg's credit, the martial art TV show Human Weapon said the same thing in an episode last year, so if a martial art documentary can't even get it right I won't fault an author too much. Personally, I'd enjoy a sequel to this novel. I'd like to see where Newman goes next. I'd like to see more into his thoughts. I'd like to see the others like him. I think there is potential to go deeper into this story and add more psychology and more action. Bottom line, I enjoyed it and that's why I read novels. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | How to Outnegotiate Anyone (Even a Car Dealer!) | |
| "Great Price for a Great Primer on Bargaining" | 2008-10-24 |
| "How to Outnegotiate Anyone (Even a Car Dealer!) by Leo Reilly is a great little book on basic negotiation. It is simple and straight forward and contains chapters that include: The Power of Patience, The Power of a Positive Relationship, Deadlocking, Offers and Counter-Offers, Status and the Negotiator, Buyer vs. Seller, The Power of Information and On Intimidation. The short chapter on intimidation has some excellent advice regarding not rewarding intimidation tactics. Reilly quickly points out that there is a difference between win-win negotiation that may be appropriate for certain conflict resolution situations and the type of negotiation he focuses on in this book which is bargaining. There are times when you are buying a product or negotiating a contract when you must be skilled in bargaining and obtaining the best deal for yourself. You can be certain that in some negotiations the person you are dealing with will be looking out for number one and not interested in your win-win options. Because of this, bargaining type negotiations skills should be learned, and that is what Reilly teaches in this manual. As an attorney, I agreed with some of Reilly's observations on lawyers and negotiating. Lawyers are not always the best negotiators, and he is correct that at times lawyers can create as many problems as they solve. Thinking before you engage an attorney is great advice. "How to Outnegotiate Anyone" is a very good primer on negotiation, and would be an excellent selection for the novice negotiator. It is also a very valuable addition to the experienced negotiator's library. The book's Bibliography provides many further titles for study. Many people know nothing about negotiation. In fact many people are afraid of the bargaining process. They rather pay sticker price for a new automobile than even think of negotiating a better deal. The reality is that bargaining is a part of all of our lives and it does not have to be scary, difficult, or destroy relationships. You can learn to be an effective negotiator and Reilly's book will help you master the bargaining process instead of being afraid of it. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Ready, Set, Organize: A Workbook for the Organizationally Challenged | |
| "Great Lists, Worksheets, and Advice to Get Organized!" | 2008-09-08 |
| "Ready, Set, Organize! A Workbook for the Organizationally Challenged" by Pipi Campbell Peterson with Mary Campbell is just what it claims to be, a book of useful, entertaining, and quick advice for work and home. If you are unorganized, you don't want to read a huge length text on what you need to do. After all, time is something you are most likely short of, that is part of the problem! One thing I really liked about "Ready, Set, Organize!" is that it was a quick read. Being disorganized wastes time. This book takes no time at all to gain advice that you can put to use now. If you like lists, you will especially like "Ready, Set, Organize!" The book contains numerous list and charts to assist you with your planning and organizing. While you could just fill them in, I would recommend photo copying the pages and keep the book where you can make additional copies as needed. Or, you may wish you use the forms and lists in the text as guides to make you own on the computer so you can print them out when needed, or even keep your planning on the computer entirely. The book is organized with nine chapters divided into three parts. Each chapter is simple, to the point, and relevant to get you organized right away. Part One focuses on taking the time to find time. It is the planning before the organizing. This is a very important step. If you are someone who already writes out your priorities, your mission, and your goals, this part might not be as beneficial. There are more complete texts on these topics. However, if you have never completed exercises such as these, do them. This is a great little primer to start. Chapter one gets you thinking about what your priorities are, how you use your time, and determining what your goals and objectives are. Chapter two then goes into determining what you want to accomplish with annual, monthly, and daily agendas. This leads to the third chapter which focuses on using a planner to organize your days. Part Two focuses on your stuff. Chapter four gets you looking at what kind of belonging you have and what places you have to store them. And just like the rests of the book, there are lists and ideas to help you along. Chapter five covers a problem that many people seem to have with their clothes. No room to keep them all! If your clothes are unorganized this chapter will help! Chapter six goes into one of the biggest areas of clutter for just about everyone. The paper chase. Short chapter on creating files from piles. There are entire books on this topic, so if you need more help it is out there. But this chapter will give you a good start, and may be all you need. Part Three focuses on organizing your household. Chapter seven will help you organize your home office, both for personal and business activities. Chapter eight has suggestions and ideas on organizing children's stuff and how you can get them to assist you with the organization. If you have kids, there are some good tips here. Chapter nine is the last chapter and it teaches you how to organize personal and family records, personal property, financial information and your final wishes. Most of this chapter is forms and worksheets to assist you in organizing. Photocopy them or use them as guides and you'll be able to get your things in order. Read this book and get organized today. It is a quick read with loads of practical advice. It contains numerous lists and worksheets to assist you. If you really want to succeed in life and get the most out of your time, being organized is a must. This book will help you get started and more importantly, keep you on track. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Create Your Own Future: How to Master the 12 Critical Factors of Unlimited Success | |
| "Practical Advice on Success!" | 2008-09-04 |
| "Create Your Own Future: How to Master the 12 Critical Factors of Unlimited Success" by Brian Tracy is one of his numerous titles full of practical advice on succeeding in not only your career, but life.br /br /I enjoy Tracy's works due to the solid practical advice he imparts through his products. However, sometimes his books can be a bit dry compared to some of the other books on the same topics. Nonetheless, if you implement the lessons Tracey teaches you will increase your success.br /br /Another criticism would be that sometimes the material in Tracey's books overlap, and if you have read a lot of his books, you find some of the same things just presented a little bit differently. While you can criticize this, you can also look at it as a way to reinforce the information to ensure you learn and implement the strategies to succeed.br /br /With that said, I did enjoy Create Your Own Future and found it to contain some valuable lessons. These lessons include:br /br /1. Your Potential is Unlimited. Tracey advises you on how to take control of your mind and learn to unlock the powers to attract whatever you want for your life.br /2. Clarity Is Critical. This chapter teaches the reader how to be clear about the things the reader wants to achieve and to determine what kind of person they want to become.br /3. Knowledge Is Power. You must learn, and Tracey shows you how to become an expert in your field. It takes work, but it will be worth it. I could not agree with Tracey more, you must read and take courses to stay ahead of your competitors.br /4. Mastery Is Magical. This chapter focuses on resolving to be excellent at what you do. Tracey offers advice on how to develop your skills and resolve to be in the top 10 of your field.br /5. Attitude Is Everything. This is obvious, but still so many people are not positive. Take Tracy's advice and think and talk positively and don't think or talk about negative things or things you don't want.br /6. Relationships Are Essential. Learn how to expand your network and improve relationships in all parts of your life. br /7. Money Matters. Tracey teaches the basic but time tested formula of how to save and strategies to build wealth.br /8. You Are a Genius. You don't need Tracy to tell you this, but his advice on unlocking your creativity will help you achieve more.br /9. Results Determine Rewards. Take Tracy's advice and concentrate single mindedly on getting the most important results possible in everything you do and you will undoubtedly create more success in your life as you create the future of your dreams.br /10. Seize The Day. You don't need Tracy to tell you this if you are reading a book on success. But he still offers great advice on being action oriented. This chapter will help you make things happen every day.br /11. Character Counts. Why succeed and create a future if you are not a good person? I agree with Tracy that character counts and that the better a person you are on the inside, the more success you will obtain.br /12. Fortune Favors the Brave. You must have courage and persistence to succeed. Tracy helps you resolve in advance that you will never give up.br /br /These twelve factors, combined will assist you in becoming a positive, future focused, energetic, likable, talented, skilled, intelligent, and optimistic person who will undoubtedly succeed. br /br /I do believe that each of us has the power to create our own futures. Brian Tracy offers a lot of practical advice on how to do just that. Add this book to your success library and more importantly, incorporate the 12 principles into your daily life and your future will be one that you create.br /br /Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
 | Kishido: The Way of the Western Warrior | |
| "Enhance Your Journey!" | 2008-07-10 |
| I thoroughly enjoyed "Kishido: The Way of the Western Warrior" by Peter Hobart. The book can be read pretty quickly. It contains 50 short chapters in 161 pages and then includes a short Glossary of Japanese terms used in the book as well. While the chapters are short, the contain some very important lessons. The book is a series of lessons that Hobart's martial art master passed to his students while not only teaching martial arts, but teaching virtues embedded in all traditional martial ways. The instructor taught through example that conduct is just as important as ability. He exemplified integrity, dignity, courtesy, chivalry, truth, trust, benevolence, and wisdom. He passed these lessons to his students, and now Hobart has written them down so the reader can blend the philosophical and spiritual concepts found in martial arts with the physical and technical training of their specific art. The lessons include: Part I: Foundation 1. Kishido The Way of the Western Warrior 2. Bumon Lineage 3. Shoshin An Open Mind 4. Junshin A Pure Heart 5. Fudoshin A Determined Spirit 6. Ihtaram A Civil Code 7. Enkyoku The Winding Way 8. Ganshiki Insight 9. Discretio Mater Virtutis Restraint 10. Noblesse Oblige Obligation Part II: Range 1. Bangei Versatility 2. Bunbuichi Sword and Brush 3. Bokuden, Ima Anachronism? 4. Koji The Master Texts 5. Nihongo The Lingua Franca 6. Shika, Doka, Renga Expression 7. Heiho Strategy 8. Koan Mumonkan 9. Kanpo Healing 10. Garyotensei The Eyes of the Dragon Part III: Strategy 1. Yohei Mercenaries and Merchants 2. Gi Right Decision 3. Yu Bravery 4. Jin Benevolence 5. Rei Right Action 6. Makoto Truth 7. Meiyo A Matter of Honor 8. Chugi Loyalty 9. Ichigo, Ichie The Power of One 10. Hanare Time to Let Go Part IV: Harmony 1. The Dao Interconnectedness 2. Docere Versus Ducere Instructors and Educators 3. Primum Est Non Nocere First Do No Harm 4. Chaqun A Son Gout Horses for Courses 5. Shojin Demagogues and Curmudgeons 6. Stare Decisis Tradition 7. Girei Professional Courtesy 8. Kiki Opportunity 9. Kouhei No One is Above the Law 10. Tatsutoriatowonigosazu Leave Things a Little Better Than You Found Them Part V: Void 1. Kotan Elegant Simplicity 2. Heisei Serenity 3. Fuga Refinement 4. Enryo Reserve 5. Panache A White Plume 6. Gyakute The Unexpected 7. Hokosaki Advance and Be Recognized! 8. Okunote The Other Hand 9. Matsunen The Final Days 10. Renzoku Passing the Torch As you can see, there are quite a few topics with quite a range of lessons. I think some of the most important are illustrated in the final chapter, those of gi, yu, jin, rei, makoto, meiyo, and chugi; or Right Decision, Bravery, Benevolence, Right Action, Truth, Honor, and Loyalty. The book is full of stories and examples of how the master not only taught the lessons, but lived them as well. I'll say again, you can read through this book quite quickly, but it will mean more if you savor each lesson and look to see if you are applying it to your own life. I know I related many of the lessons to teachings that I've had from my instructors and I looked for ways that I could better live by the code outlined in this book to make me a better teacher as well. I hope to be an example of these traits to my students also, and I truly believe if you are going to teach someone skills that can hurt or kill someone, you must also instill the positive character traits so that person will only use those skills if necessary and will never misuse the teachings. I highly recommend this book. I believe the teachings Hobart has shared from the wise master will enhance your own martial art journey. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. | ||
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