I have worked with criminal offenders for the last 10 years and have found this approach outlined in the book extremely useful. The book is easy to read and follow. I have used the information with Batterers, sex offenders and substance abusers. The only offenders I have found it not appropriate for are "diagnosed" psychopaths.

The basic premise of this book and indeed that of Motivational Interviewing (MI) is that we as individuals have problems and issues and furthermore that given the right circumstances we as individuals have the tools to resolve those issues and problems. Thus although the counsellor/therapist can enable change by creating a conducive environment that supports and sustains the process, it is the client who must be responsible for such change.

MI has a grounding in Rogerian therapy but it is more directive rather than non-directive. Commenting on this Miller and Rollnick write " ...the motivational interviewer proceeds with a strong sense of purpose, clear strategies and skills for pursuing that purpose, and a sense of timing to intervene in particular ways at incisive moments."

The book is split into three parts: Background, Practice and Clinical Applications. Thus there is an excellent balance between theoretical considerations and practical implications.

The authors outline five principles which underlie MI, these are:

1. Express Empathy

2. Develop Discrepancy

3. Avoid Argumentation

4. Roll with Resistance

5. Support Self-Efficacy

The book is clear and detailed in how these principles are to be put into practice at differing stages of the change process. It is this clarity - which incidentally runs throughout its pages - which makes 'Motivational Interviewing' such an easy yet, I feel essential read.

I work for a counselling service for those with alcohol related problems and this text is the one, which I encourage new members of staff and students on placement to read. Similarly, if you are interested in the subject matter of the change process, whether in terms of addictive behaviour or other more non-specific areas, I do recommend that you take a look 'Motivational Interviewing'.

A couple of years ago I attended a conference that Bill Miller had been addressing. It fell to him to make the closing comments. These were pertinent and to the point, however the most notable thing about the closing notes were that Miller sang them in a Country and Western style. A book by anybody that barmy deserves a read!

Although they emphasize substance abuse, the authors' system applies to almost every problem. It can cut your stress as it helps you become more artful and effective in helping clients actualize thier motivations toward success. Very clearly written, systematic, and enjoyable to read. Special populations are covered. Research is increasingly supporting this approach.

Once upon a time, there was such a thing as courage. It was at the center of all our stories. Now there are no more stories worth telling and all human beings are weak. At least we still have the stories and this book has some great ones, and true. For example, there's the one about the American GI on the Italian front who "charged" an enemy position on one knee and the stump of his other leg, shot off at the knee.

I had the privilege of studying the dynamics of the blood feud culture under Professor Miller. After the class I began reading some of his literature. Miller's historiography and use of primary sources is gripping, and his frank admiration and identification with honor cultures of the past is refreshing in this time of stifling political correctness.
Professor Miller has an extremely rare gift: He sees both himself and others as they really are. His self-examination is as important to his work as his historical analysis and philosophical musings. If you are honest with yourself you will recognize many aspects of your own psyche from Miller's writings.
"The Mystery of Courage" can tell you more about yourself than a thousand psychotherapists. This is a must read- you will never think of honor, bravery, fear, life or death the same way again.

This is a scholarly work that gives real insight into the nature of courage. It's very well-written. The book draws on soldier's stories from ancient Greece to Vietnam and shows how the concerns about measuring up "when the chips are down" have not changed much despite the passage of thousands of years.

I have found this book to be very insightful to the problems and challenges for not only those who travel but for the families of those travel. It gave me a new insight to BOTH sides. I am ordering more books to give to my co-workers!

I've always had pains of guilt when I would travel to some great place and have room service and maid service..... and leave my family behind. The cover of the book says more to the truth of trying to stay connected to our families than any human resource manual from work. When you take a job that travels... h/r doesn't tell you the effect on your marriage!

This book had such great insight to the biz traveler and the effects on their marriage! We BizTravelers think we have it hard while on the road but the family you leave behind is in a hard spot too! This book helps address the biz traveler's concerns as well as the family left behind.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to a new biz traveler. This book could save your patience and marriage! The author tells it like it is.

As I read this book, I kept thinking, how does this guy know all this? It's right on the money page after page! I gave 20 copies to friends who travel, and they all loved it!

While the previous reviewer is correct, that Strauss's "history of political philosophy" is more in-depth, one benefit of this book is its lack of a Straussian angle. Not that Strauss's views are bad or wrong, but it is a bias.

This work's sheer amount of entries is very useful. While some articles are somewhat brief, it is a good starting point for students of political philosophy. Done by among the best minds in the field, any political philosopher who wants to have a handy reference to terms and authors should order a copy of this book.

Very useful book for the students of political philosophy, together with Strauss' _History of Political Philosophy_, which is richer in content (but less entries). (^^;

Phil Heitman has accomplished in plain language what many authors try to embelish -- the basics of learning to fly! He does it in a style that is easy to read and understand. He writes like he teaches; he pays attention to those things that are important to us!

This flight-training text is the only book, on learning how to fly an airplane, currently approved to be sold at the site of the Wright Brothers' National Monument in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

It must be frustrating for an author such as Williams to have written a very good and useful book, only to have another author (Lewis Turco) become the standard reference. After you own Turco, then you should pick up Williams. Williams uses the traditional marks for meter; an advantage for some readers - others will find it less intuitive than Turco's notation.

What Williams provides that Turco does not is more information on the current use of the form. His introductory elements of poetic forms is short and limited to the topic at hand - poetic forms. His arrangement of forms provides a more useful structure to learn and understand forms; while Turco gives the forms in alphabetic order, Williams provides the following organization (in chapters): 1) fully defined traditional stanza patterns 2) Loosly defined traditional stanza patterns 3) Traditional poems of set length 4) Traditional froms of indefinite length 5) Nonspecific forms and formal elements 6) Variations on the stanzas 7) Variations on the poems

His appendices have fascinating material relating structural linguistics to prosody, some observations on line breaks and a glossary of terms.

In a classroom setting where teaching the forms as a basis for literary critique, I would reach first for Williams. For writing poetry in forms, I would reach first for Turco. The best solution is, obviously, to own both.

Turco's Book of Forms has pretty much become the standard encyclopedia of poetic forms. And for good reason. But you shouldn't overlook Williams' Patterns of Poetry which is just as good, and in some way superior. It's well written and Williams chooses great example poems, and he divides the book seven sections, three appendices, and a glossary, which makes the book very accessible for the reader. While I would never say not to get Turco's book, I do think that you should also add Patterns of Poetry to your library.

If you have grown weary over the glitzy, tacky cruise ships sailing the high seas today, buy this book and step back in time when ships were ships. No neon here, just lots of polished woods and brass, the way God intended. Mr. Miller's commentary complements the stunning interior photographs of most of the great liners and cruise ships of bygone days and up til present time. The NORMANDIE, REX, QUEENS MARY and ELIZABETH, even the infamous, tragic TITANIC. The high point seems to be the 20's and 30's, when Art Deco was the range, and the low point, IMO, the 50's and 60's, with that horrible Scandinavian Modern.

If the book has any flaws, it is that it focuses too much on transatlantic liners, and not enough on liners from other routes. Still, it is a must for ocean liner fans. Perhaps Mr. Miller will update this book and include some other liners.

Well illustrated with black & white photos illustrating stunning interiors from many ships. The text, though informative, tends to be repetitive and not as extensive as it could be.

...through the wonderful pictures in this resource. The book includes photos from beloved ocean liners throughout the 20th century. For those of us too young to experience more of the golden era of ocean travel than the Queen Mary, this is a great way to catch up vicariously.

Fallen Soldier is a portion of the Civil War diary of Andrew Roy. It is interesting as a portrayal of what happened to badly wounded men both on the battlefield and in later life. It certainly works as a story of medical incompetence (the result of low medical technology, not necessarily doctors' negligence). It really isn't particularly gory or harrowing to read -- very few Civil War memoirs are and this is consistent with the genre. What I found annoying about this book was the editing. The text has been cut down so as to only mention Roy's wounding and medical treatment, but the original document, as the editor admits in passing, was much longer. Some segments are given as appendices. Why not just give the entire diary as it was written, or at least include all the material not related to the wound as one appendix?

What a pity that Miller was so narrowly focused that he did not even mention the important reforms brought about by this early proponent of mine safety and the formation of labor unions in the United States. Roy, the first mining inspector for the state of Ohio, was the author of A History of the Coal Miners, The Coal Mines, and the Practical Miner's Companion.

This self-taught Scottish immigrant went on to change the face of coal mining in America because his wound gave him the time to write and speak up for his friends underground in the mines.

I am not generally a reader of Civil War books, but found this work to be an amazing insight into the life of a soldier, and into the human condition. Highly recommended.

A young boy wants to play golf but can't because he is black. The author tastefully takes us back to a time when segretation was a relevant part of life. The story follows a young boy's dream of playing golf after discovering a rusty club and basket of balls in a garbage can. He practices and decides he wants to play at a real golf course. When he gets to the course he sees that he can't play, but he can caddy. While caddying he meets George, another caddy. George teaches him how to play golf in the dark. The author does an excellent job of displaying the young boy's drive and determination. The illustrator also displays beautiful illustrations that highlight the author's text. The author has told such a rich story, there is no doubt it will lead to wonderful and insightful discussions among children. This book would be a delight to read aloud to all children.

It's very refreshing to read about a golfer, especially a young African-American, who is not on the grand scale of the top-ranked players. This story illustrates beautifully how this wonderful game can be accessible to anyone who cares to play. The illustrations are very well done. The story seems a bit long for the age category, however.

I really enjoyed this story about the secret world of Night Golf. It is touching to hear about such an important social issue through the story of one young man. People don't think about how change is achieved in American society. This story makes you think about the world of African-American golfers, the barriers they faced to play a simple game, and their eventual acceptance into the world of golf excellence.

I think it is very important that people get to the originals works and ideas before listening to what others say about them. This Pilates works are the core of his Philosophy and must be undertood to fully comprenhend what many Pilate instructors or authors, men and women, are writing or teaching in todays world.
Here Pilates expose his thesis. This method of exercises are looking to re-integrate body and mind into a whole by re-teaching our bodys to be natural again, just as it was meant to be before human enter in the new slavery of modern times.
Don't expect pretty words, poems or trascendental meditation. Expect an argument, a philosophical statement and a contribution to a debate about the role of excersices on human well been. Read it and discuss it on gyms, ballet or dance classes, martial arts schools, with personal trainers, physical educational teachers, family and friends.

This book is a great introduction for beginners and will teach pilates veterans a thing or two. It focuses on the body, mind and personal aspects of finding the perfect pilates workout and understanding how each element of the prgram works. This book is alone enough to teach you about pilates and assist you with your home or gym pilates routine. Pilates is not easy - it takes focus and discipline but the mental spiritual and physical results beat any other exercise program out there. This book will help you help yourself.

Joseph Pilates relates his original exercise set and his original philosophies of fitness in this double volume containing the only two books he ever personally published. Edited and updated for the new millennium, the instructions in this book represent the official backdrop of Pilates' writings against which all the newest books by students and teachers must be measured.