I came into this book assuming a book on the history of Jack Welch's early years with GE. It ended up being much more and I was pleasantly surprised at the overall educational value of the book.

The book is broken down into three "acts" which recount the years of Jack Welch - when and how he was made the CEO with GE, the early years of layoffs, the early resistance to his ideas, reorganization of GE, the need for globalization, and eventual acceptance of his ideas as he empowered GE's employees. Welch's ideas of empowering the employee encompassed such things as "boundarylessness", strong values, leadership, simplicity, and productivity. As the book progresses, the reader is provided with the real world GE examples that qualified Jack's ideas and their results. Nor does the book hold back from describing Jack's missteps and describes the lessons learned.

Overall the book was a good read. The examples read as stories that both entertain and educate. Welch's ideas, as presented in Control Your Destiny, are probably now considered common sense business practices. The ideas seem simple today, yet were revolutionary for that time as you'll read.

The end of the book provides a manual that can be used to carry out a similar revolution with your business and employees. I didn't really work my way through it - it seemed more appropriate for larger organizations.

Tichy is a guru of all gurus and he has a winner with this book. Highly recommended.

'Control Destiny or Someone Else Will' is deeply insightful and comprehensive examination of GE's transformation. It contains detailed, valuable lessons for all those interested in Jack Welch and his GE, as revolutionaries.

Noel M.Tichy and Stratford Sherman write, "The old way, exemplified by Henry Ford's production line, calls for top managers to analyze the work that needs to be done, then devise rules even an idiot can follow. Managers, divorced from the actual work, become bureaucrats, while their frustrated subordinates tighten the bolts...The new way-GE's way-breaks the intellectual framework that defines the limits of traditional management...Instead of seeking better ways to control workers, Welch says he aims to liberate them. As he explains, that goal is based on self-interest: The old organization was built on control, but the world has changed. The world is moving at such a pace that control has become a limitation. It slows you down. You've got to balance freedom with some control, but you've got to have more freedom than you ever dreamed of" (pp.19-20).

At this point, after outlining basic characteristics of old and new ways, Noel M.Tichy describes the difference between them in terms of sports:

1. Old Way-Machine Age: Hierarchical, control-focused, and bureaucratic. He notes, "The old GE resembled a football team: Each player had carefully prescribed roles, yielding a carefully orchestrated pattern. The coach called all the plays. Even the strategic-planning guidebook that governed GE policy were like the playbooks in football."

2. New Way-Information Age: Networks, flexibility, knowledge, and creation. He notes, "The New Way GE is like hockey; roles are blurred, play flows uncontrollably from one side of the rink to the other, there are no timeouts, players adjust to new situations almost every moment and think for themselves while looking out for the team as a whole."

In this context, throughout the book, Tichy and Sherman show GE's process of corporate transformation as three-act drama.

I highly recommend this business classic to all revolutionaries of the new century.

So many books, so little time. Which one should I read? Which one should I invest in with my precious time? I know one book for sure that is worth your time, your money, your commitment. It's Pat Croce's new book---'I Feel Great'.

Revealing, rewarding, riviting.

When you spend time with Pat through this book, you come away energized, determined, motivated and enlightened.

Many people TALK a good game, Pat WALKS his.

I have always been a fan of GREATNESS,trying to understand what makes each one of them so incredibly different. This book was a real education. There is so much entertainment, information, creative thinking, desire and much more. Pat is fascinating and most of all...REAL. You will not be able to STOP reading it.

He combines with noted columnist Bill Lyon to present insight into and a look behind the scenes of his incredible journey from physical trainer to CEO. Bill Lyon is a five time PULITZER PRIZE NOMINEE and it shows on every page.

I promise you will really enjoy this book.

Fun, inspiring and motivational read! I couldn't put it down until I finished. I am not a big sports fan myself, but quickly realized that I didn't need to be. Great tips that anyone can use in their everyday life. Thanks for the positive encouragement Pat!

This book it alot like Pat Croce himself, engaging, interesting, and high-energy. I usually shy away from books like this becuase they tend to be preachy. That is not the case here. Mr. Croce has made a life for himself by thinking positivly, and there's no doubting what he has been able to accomplish. Being a Philadelphia-area native, I remember his radio show and morning spot on the news. I remember getting ready to go to high-school in the morning, and while I can barely get myself out of bed, Croce is on live TV, full of vigor and life few of us can experience on our best days. This book will no doubt motivate and inspire, all without talking down to you. This is a book for the people, by one of the biggest person in the world. We're talking about a man who gave some poor kids a lift to a sixers game when they didnt have any other way to get there. Or the man who flew down from the rafters on a harness when the sixers were in the playoffs. Read this book, you will take alot more from it that you'd expect.

Steve Chandler has hit the mark with "17 Lies That are Holding You Back & the Truth that Will Set You Free." This is a gem of a book. The reading of the book is easy; ah, but putting Chandler's advice into practice is the hard part. His views are all the more credible because he cites how he had to apply these same principles in his own life.

Frequently Chandler reminds us of things that seem familiar, but which we have effectively hidden from our selves. Much of the book may prompt a response from the reader of, "Oh yeah, I already know that." Then the insight comes and you recognize that the real challenge is one of implementing these steps. If you are prepared to make some changes, do some growing and be happy, get your hands on this book and follow through on what you read.

This book certainly has a bold title, but Steve Chandler makes it work. One reason 17 LIES is likable is because of Chandler's positive attitude that recognizes its positivity. There's no hyperbole here, no trickery, just common sense delivered by an aware and incisive writer. Chandler has no "fear of taking a stand for greatness," as many of us do, and he shreds those weak-minded or uniformed lies we tell ourselves all the time: "There's nothing I can do," "That's just the way I am," and "What does not kill me makes me stronger" are my three favorites.

Chandler has a pleasant, open, straightforward style that draws the reader in. He clearly is in the self-improvement line for the right reasons and enjoys helping other people stop deceiving and deluding themselves. He sincerely and passionately wants to help. And help he can. In a world where enthusiasm is suspect (and rightly so, as anyone who channel-surfs past the plethora of infomercials can tell you), Chandler makes an admirable and instructive new effort to restore enthusiasm.

Cliché coming: I almost never read self-help books. My soul needs a lot more than chicken soup, but what it does not need is me lying to it. When I received the very short 17 LIES as a gift I had no trouble reading it slowly in less than two-and-a-half hours. Chandler is economical and rich at the same time. I'm sure if he wanted he could find 17 more lies we tell ourselves (a sequel, perhaps?) and make it just as useful. A worthwhile read!

I received 17 Lies as a gift from a friend. I found it a quick and easy read, and was surprised at the amount of substance that was contained in the chapters. I've studied Albert Ellis and Rational Emotive Therapy before cognitive therapy was fashionable and found Chandler's book to be somewhat similar in tone. 17 Lies helps to clarify the idea that we truly are own own worst enemy, no matter what is going on in the external world. Our limitations and unhappiness seem to stem from the usually negative interpretation of events; it is this that proves to be the most damaging and limiting factors in our life. I like the way Steve talks about his own life. He is a human and doesn't hold himself up as a guru or wise man, just a man who has experienced this in his own life. He brings into focus so many of the self-defeating patterns we enforce, simply by being intellectually lazy and comfortably entrenched in our little habits. I recommend this book to any one who gets nauseous at *chicken soup*, but who wants insight into the strength we possess if we have the courage to see it.

I've reviewed many books on influence and persuasion and this is one of the top books in the category. Easy to read, excellent writing style, it is a hard book to put down and begs you to read it slowly so that you don't miss something important. One of the fun things about reading it is when the author makes a point and you can look back and realize that you have dealt with someone who used just that technique to get you to buy that candy bar, car, or change your mind about something.

Persuasive speaking is an important part of what I do and I am very successful at it. The ability to persuade others has been very hard to pass on to employees and other speakers who have asked me how I do it. This book allowed me to look at what I do and see how I can transfer that ability to others. It has also helped me see some of the tricks of persuasion that snare the unwary and how they are used by unscrupulous people.
Cialdini not only makes his case by carefully presenting the techniques and the experiments on which they are based, but also details how they are used and how you can use them. For each technique he also indicates how to know when it is being used against you and how to resist the influence.
A highly recommended book and one of the best on this subject, Cialdini's work is often quoted in other books on influence and persuasion.

Robert Cialdini discusses six ways of influencing people - reciprocation, commitment, social power, authority, contrast, and scarcity. The principles are easy to understand and are intuitive. Due to the complexities of modern life, we have built "short-cut" reactions to these influences. Most of the time, these short-cuts are fine; however, folks can sometimes create events that "trigger" your short-cuts and may be able to unduely influence you. Robert discusses the theory of these principles, practical situations where these principles are often unscruplously applied, mechanisms to better become aware of these influences, and ways to counter them. You will gain better insights into your past behavior when you fell for sucker deals. Hopefully, reading this book will help you avoid / reduce future bad deals.

For my school work, I've had to do a TON of reading on persuasion and influence. Cialdini is THE expert, so I knew I'd have to read his work. What a joy to find that he writes in a lively, personable style -- I could scarcely wait to get to the next chapter! The book has thorough cites and is based on hard-core academic research, but it's written in a flowing, fun style that is normally reserved for those trashy pop-psychology books. As for the reviewer who thinks Cialdini is on the side of the manipulators -- he must not have read very far. In each chapter, Cialdini covers how you can mitigate or block the effects of these persuasive triggers. An ethical, easy-to-read academic? WOW!

In this book a familiar character returns in Billy Baggs. He has discovered his great skill in baseball however he can't play on the city team. Together he and his mom decide to make flyers and bring kids in from around the countryside. For one night kids can play baseball with each other for fun. On one of theses nights the coach from the town team comes over and Billy challenges the town team to a game. Using skill and ability the town team is defeated by Billy's squad of country players. I enjoyed reading this novel and certainly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good sports novel.

Come one, come all to explore the exciting sport of baseball in the fun filled novel Farm Team, by Will Weaver. This fiction novel takes place in the small town of Flint, Minnesota in the 1970's. Since Billy Baggs's father was thrown in jail for violent conduct, Billy is stuck doing all of the work on the farm over the summer. Because Billy is engaged entirely in chores and helping out his mother, he has very little time to play the game he loves most, baseball. After long hours of work, Billy's mother suggests making a baseball field in the cow pasture and inviting kids from all over the neighborhood to create a farm team. After many days of practicing, the team decides that they should try out their talent by playing the city team. Finally, when the day comes, fans from all over the city come to watch the down to the wire game. If you want to find out who comes up victorious, you will have to read the book.

This novel was written to show that all kids need to enjoy their childhood and not be occupied in labor. I believe that the author wants to entertain the reader by showing his love for the game of baseball. I recommend this book to anybody who enjoys the game of baseball, and wants a quick read. Be prepared, however, for some expressive and sometimes profane language. So step up to the plate and hit a grand slam home run with Farm Team. Until then, play ball!

This is a good book to read that is hard to put down.
Billy Baggs like to work on the farm and play baseball on the Town Team when Billys dad has to go to jail Billy doesn't have time to play baseball play in the town any more so him and some of the neiborehood farm kids make up their own team called the Farm Team.Then the big game comes when the farm team plays Billys old team the Town Team who will win the big game you will have to read and find out.
I think that this was a great book to read and I would reacommend this book to any one who likes to read sports books.
But before you read Farm Team you should read the first book which is called Stiking Out then go on and read the thrid book when you finish Farm Team the third book is called Hardball.

I just read this book and -- though it it's right on the money in its attitude towards childrearing -- it doesn't describe the mechanics of how the "listening" and "talking" skills work as well as Thomas Gordon's Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.). P.E.T. has a chapter called How to Listen so Children Will Talk and another called How to Talk so Children Will Listen. I wonder how the autors of this book got away with borrowing the title for their book straight out of some chapters in another (the original P.E.T. was published years before -- the one at stores now is a new edition).

Lest it sound like I'm slamming this book, truth is it's not a bad read at all. But for an in-depth explanation of how these skills can be put to daily use, I'd go for P.E.T. Better yet, read both.

Even better yet, first read Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman to get an idea WHY these skills are so important to a child's development, then follow it up with P.E.T. and this book.

As a preschool teacher and parent, I found this book to be the major influence in forming my communication style with children. In fact, this book has given me the skills to communicate more effectively with everyone... my friends, my husband, my boss, and even my mother-in-law! When I changed my approach in how I spoke to them, they often changed their behavior. The logical, respectful strategies really work! My only criticism is that the format of the chapters does not always fascilitate quick 're-read' referral. For example, when I recently wanted to quickly look up a whining, or biting, or mealtime strategy for three of my preschoolers, I became frustrated and confused as to where in the book I had seen the information. These topics were not listed in the index and I began to flip through the pages trying to find the stories and suggestions that I thought I remembered seeing somewhere. Therefore, I would also like to recommend another wonderful new book with the very same philosophy that is organized differently...for quick use on the spot for very busy parents. THE POCKET PARENT is literally a pocket-sized A-Z guide exclusively written for parents and teacher of preschoolers (2's, 3's, 4's, & 5's). It is loaded with hundreds of easy to find quick-read bullet answers (called 'sanity savers') to 40 common behavior problems of 2- to 5-year-olds. I recommend these two books for every mom and dad with a 2- to 5-year-old. Both books are permissive with feelings, but strict with behavior while preserving the dignity of both parent and child. Both books are full of humor and compassion from authors that have 'been there,' too. For help on the spot as well as long term understanding ...keep both books handy!

I have read a lot of different parenting books but if you only had time to read one this would be it! It is very easy to read and has lots of specific examples on how to change the way you talk and think during certain situations. The moment we started using these particular techniques we saw an enormous difference in our relationship with our child. She responds so well because we are respectful of her as a person and of the feelings that she has.

It's amazing after you take a good look at how we've been taught to see children that it really is such a poor way of treating them. Our motto is if *you* don't want to be treated that way then your children certainly don't.

Read it, you won't regret it.

Blue Avenger
Norma Howe

Would you ever change your name? What would you change it to? Would you change it to a character you like drawing? You probably wouldn't but David Schumacher does. Then simply by changing his name to Blue Avenger things start to happen......

He meets a beautiful girlfriend named Omaha, saves a school principal from a swarm of killer bees which gets him 2,000 dollars in return!!! Everything has gone perfectly, everyone knows his new name and Blue avenger is rich.

Blue Avenger
Norma Howe

Would you ever change your name? What would you change it to? Would you change it to a character you like drawing? You probably wouldn't but David Schumacher does. Then simply by changing his name to Blue Avenger things start to happen......

He meets a beautiful girlfriend named Omaha, saves a school principal from a swarm of killer bees which gets him 2,000 dollars in return!!! Everything has gone perfectly, everyone knows his new name and Blue avenger is rich.

This book is SO much like 'Holes' But that doesn't mean that once you've read one that you've read the other. Adventures of Blue Avenger is about a sixteen year old boy who decides to change his name to Blue Avenger. Taking on his new identity, he also gains a new strength. He befriends the girl of his dreams, Omaha Nebraska Brown, invents the ultimate recipe for a 'weepless' meringue pie (which I have yet to try), and does a whole bunch of other super hero stuff. I thought this was a very good book and I think that you all should go and get it and read it because it is definitely worth it.

Burroughs' first book is an autobiographical tale of how he first came to try heroin and his travels across North America as, to paraphrase the author, junk became his life. To those who know Burroughs as only the writer of Naked Lunch, the straight-forward and precise prose of Junky may come as a surprise at first but, upon careful reading, all the same concerns and motifs are here. Basically, Junky tells what was happening in the real world while Burroughs was hallucinating the junk-fueled world of Naked Lunch. While it may deceptively appear to have no real structure, its meandering style instead perfectly embodies the drug-fueled lifestyle of its protaganist. Its a fascinating read that reveals that, despite beliefs to the contrary, there has always been a drug underground in the United States where junkies remain easy scapegoats for other societal problems. While Burroughs does't condemn drug use, he can hardly be accused of promoting it either. Instead, in the best libertarian tradition, he promotes only the freedom of the individual to be able to determine his own fate.

However, beyond any possible political or philosophical interpretations, this is a fast-moving, informative book with a dry wit hidden amongst the deadpan prose. What is often forgotten is that Burroughs' first known stories were all parodies of other genres and in many ways, Junky is a dead-on imitation of the hardboiled, pulp novels that were also prominent at the time.

Junky mainly takes place in New York where William Burroughs spent many years. The book describes the main part of Burroughs life, heroin. In the book he talks about his start with the drug, trying to sell the drug he had such a hunger for, and trips he took out of the city to try and kick his habit. I enjoyed the book greatly because of the way it was written. It was a smooth read and easy to comprehend. It lets you look into the reality of a "junky".

Burroughs writes pro-actively and this book is no change. Following Ginsburg 'Semi-compiling" Junky and Queer from letters whilst Burroughs was Opiated up, I knew what to expect. Mexico, The law, Drunk with Guns, Farming cotton, shooting up and New York with the hustlers and pimps in Bars. It's easy to note that Burroughs had an interesting life but experienced through the eye of Junk hazed addiction and vision. Noting anti-estblishment view on matters (namely 'The Junk') which he had first hand experience was not a matter to be taken lightly in 1950's America. This book is accessible and easy to read, the world in Burroughs head is clear and concise. Written in the first person, yuo travel to beat junk time and life with a detail for details. A drugs journey only to be rivaled by Hunter S. Thompson's 'Fear and loathing In Las Vegas', but with a much darker wit.

After being devastatingly dumped by a guy I thought was "the one," I picked up Susan Page's book. It totally changed the way I looked at dating and relationships. I realized I had been settling for alot less in men than I wanted and alot less than I deserved. I read and reread the book, and became more focused on what qualities I was looking for in a man. I got up the courage to join a dating service and I stuck to the principals in Susan Page's book. After dating for a year, I met a wonderful man that I've happily shared my life with now for five years. Frankly, it wasn't "love at first sight" and because of Ms. Page's book, I quickly recognized that this man had all the qualities I was looking for. I gave it a shot and am glad I did! We have been married for two years and I look forward to our future together. Aside from the practical relationship advice, I also like the spiritual undercurrent of the book.

Despite a title that makes you want to cover the book in brown paper, I found this book to be one of the most insightful on the subject. It helped me clarify what I'm looking for in a mate and has helped me avoid "Better-Than-Nothing" relationships. I highly recommend it for the recently divorced, as it will help them understand why they married as they did. The subject of hidden ambivalence was the most insightful. Now that I've resolved my own ambivalence, I can usually identify it in others. I especially found the straightforward and pragmatic approach to dating to be results-producing. If every single person read this book, we'd have more well-suited marriages!

This book leads you through some examples and exercises that if you really take the time to consider, could change your life. Its not a lot of mumbo jumbo saying the same thing, over and over again, just a different way. It makes YOU do the work examining your choices and your preferences. I recommend to many women AND men that arent getting what they want out of relationships.

This is one of those rare books that excites you as you read. May speaks of contemplative prayer and spirituality as both a long time practitioner and a psychiatrist. This is neither a book of inspiring piety not a book of the mechanics of prayer. Rather, it describes the dynamics of the human mind as it comes into contact with the transcendent in contemplative prayer. As I read through the book, I was frequently saying "Yes, that's it exactly!" The section on the defenses the self comes up with in "protecting itself" from unitive experience especially impressed me.
May has spent much of his professional career focusing on the area of spiritual direction. Rather than building his psychological model on experience obtained from treating pathology, May builds his model on "unitive experience" in the context of contemplative prayer. The model is especially helpful in understanding what goes on in us as we attempt to practice the methods of contemplative prayer. It gives a practical look at the obstacles to prayer, why they arise, and how to understand and work through them.
May's pivotal concept is the role of willingness and willfulness as life attitudes and the critical standards for our spiritual lives. He presents willingness as an openness to God's will in all circumstances. This attitude is critical, as it allows God to work through us. The real danger to our relationship with God and with one another is an attitude of willfulness. This attitude places our will as the standard. It is dangerous because there is no room for God in this attitude. It is especially dangerous when the person thinks that he or she is God's gift to humanity.
When I read anything other than novels, I underline important ideas. My copy of Will and Spirit is so filled with yellow from my highlighting marker that at times the pages almost seem to be printed on bright yellow paper.
This is an excellent book on the topic of contemplative prayer and the spiritual life. It is not an easy book. It requires serious reflection as you move through it. It provides practical advice that is available only from one who is experienced both in contemplative prayer and providing direction to those who are trying to follow the contemplative path.

I first discovered contemplative spirituality when I read Evelyn Underhill's "Mysticism" -- a book that introduced me to many great historical spiritual writers, such as Julian of Norwich, Meister Eckhart, and John of the Cross. I found the great mystics of old to be deeply nurturing to my spiritual practice -- but I had a wistful relationship with the mystical books I read, for it always seemed mysticism was something that happened "back then." Where were the profound mystical explorers of our time? Then a friend recommended I read "Will and Spirit," and so finally I discovered a powerful and beautiful expression of mystical spirituality as practiced today. For May writes squarely in the tradition of the great Christian mystics, with insight, humility, and devotion that characterizes the best spiritual writing. His premise is simple: most human beings live their lives from a posture of willFULness ("I'm in control here"), but the mystical journey is a radical call to enter into the spirituality of willINGness (not my will, but thine). From there, May considers the limitations of much popular spirituality, and celebrates the promise and possibility of a deep practice of meditation within the context of western religion and culture. I now count this as one of the two or three most important texts on spirituality I've ever read. I quote May in my own books, and I still turn to his words for inspiration and guidance.

I found May's book encouraging. I particularly was drawn to his disclosure of the sexuality involved when your spirituality is expanding. The physiology of the Spiritual/Sexual response is not often spoken about. I am thankful for those disclosures.