This is the friendliest book on cognitive therapy I've found. Though quite short, it covers all the basics, and without the excessive detail or the repetition of many of Albert Ellis's books. Initially I was surprised that Franklin didn't offer many techniques for learning to think rationally, but I've since come to find this part of the book's appeal, as it makes it feel less like a textbook, and more like simple good advice.

This is an outstanding book, which teaches that how you feel results from what you think. This is the essence of the rational-emotive/cognitive approach to psychology. It teaches how you make yourself afraid/anxious, depressed/worthless, or angry based on how your mind inteprets your environment (or from spontaneous thoughts). It does all this while also being easy to read and grasp. It has delightfully humorous illustrations. (I laughed out loud at the picture of the man being tortured by disco music.) There is also a chapter on the fallacy of asking "What is my purpose in life?" As the author explains, we each create our own purpose. But the main fallacy the book focusses on is the self-worth fallacy, which causes untold suffering to millions. The concept of worth is not applicable to human beings. It is a concept stolen from a different context. Yet people make themselves suffer needlessly over it. Any reader with this or other fallacies (everyone?) will be greatly helped by reading this book. This book can transform your life for the better without anything mystical. After reading it, I now see people differently. Somehow, I used to think that I caused someone to be angry, for example, when they became angry in my presence. I now see that they are doing it to themselves. I cannot "make" anyone angry any more than they can make me angry. There is a lot to digest in here for such a small book. Each chapter is an adventure. This is one of those rare books that I wish I had read years ago because it would have saved me so much grief. I cannot imagine anyone being sorry they bought this book. It has so much to offer between its bright yellow covers. Finally I do reccomend getting the books in the very short reccomended list contained in this book. They are also very good and may bring a different perspective to your situation.

CARL SAGAN, in The Demon-Haunted World, entitled his chapter ten "The Dragon in My Garage." I was intrigued by the main point of the chapter, especially the way Sagan introduced it. Sagan said his approach was one created by Richard L. Franklin in Overcoming the Myth of Self-Worth. I promptly bought Franklin's book and found myself unable to put it down once I had started it. Since then, I have read the book at least six times. I can truthfully say I have not seen the world in quite the same way since reading this eye-opening work. It's rare to read a book that transforms one's entire world view, but that's what this book did for me. After I had read it two or three times, it was as if a mist had been lifted and I could see my personal reality clearly for the first time in my life. I now keep it at my bedside and read from it nightly.

Return to Kalevala is a fast pace odyssey of an unlikely hero in a land from an ancient mythology. Richard Worth has created a fantastical story to be enjoyed by old and young alike. His story telling technique is unmatched by any contemporary writer. The adventures of Surikki as he outwits monsters and battles gods to save his village from the evil witch Louhi and the minions of Kalma, Death, is a must read!

Return to Kalevala is a fast paced oddyssey through a land of monsters and gods from an ancient mythology. The unlikely hero Surikki must save his village and all of the land from the evil witch Louhi and the minions of Kalma, Death.

Richard Worth creates a story to be enjoyed by readers of all ages. His story telling is unmatched by contemporary authors.

You must read this book if you are a fan of mythology, fantasy or just great stories.

This is an excellent history of Fort Worth, Texas. Founded in 1849 as an army outpost in what was then the western frontier of Texas. The soldiers were there to protect settlers. The book features original architectural drawings of what the original fort probably looked like. The illustrator researched the fort through the National Archives and other records and came up with artist's views of the frontier outpost. The accompanying text explains the history of the fort and how it grew into one of the country's great cities. This is a great "coffee table" book, and would appeal to anyone interested in the history of the old west.

Have you ever listened to a presentation that was so boring you wanted to fall asleep? Have you ever given a presentation that was so boring your audience went to sleep? I have been in both situations and it is not fun. So how can you make your presentations better? "Great Speakers Aren't Born" will answer the question for you. It was written after I had gained considerable experience as a speaker and conducted thousands of seminars on presentation skills. The concepts in the book will make it easier for you to organize and deliver the best presentations you have ever done. It covers all of the elements to take you from your current level to a much higher plane. Organization, visuals, dialogue, questions and answers, and delivery are some of the important topics discussed. You'll enjoy the journey of enhancing your presentation skills and seeing how powerful this information can be in influencing your audiences. Have a good read!

Good use of diagrams to illustrate how specific techniques would work out. A good conceptual overview of various techniques. Sufficient info on each technique to allow you to decide which ones are likely to work best for you. Prepares you for a more meaningful discussion of alternatives with your estate planner.

Shadowdad displayed a vision from the heart. Well written and moving, the book certainly touched my heart. A definite read especially for those with aging parents. Rick says it all beautifully.

Rick's story about his family's experience with his Dad following several debilitating strokes must have been an extraordinarily difficult story to write. But I'm glad he did it. He discusses honestly the very difficult decisions and emotions families of "no hope, no quality of life" patients face. It is thought provoking and would be an excellent vehicle to facilitate a discussion on assisted suicide/living will issues. We are kinder to our pets at the end of their lives than we are to our family members.

Watrous's book contains a moving account of both the author's relationship with his father and the gradual deterioration of his father's physical, mental and emotional conditions following a stroke. Watrous examines his family's experience with a living will in New Hampshire and details his own struggle with the Death with Dignity isssue. Also discussed: resident care, assisted suicide, euthanasia and the rights of humans not to suffer.

This seems to have a listed every nation that existed during the entire time frame of the conflict (1939-1945). They are listed in alphabetical order of the Nation. From there an overall review of the fleet, the weapons, and then Naval Aviaton. At
that point it lists the combat units of the fleet from BB(or CV if the fleet had them) down to the MTB's that served the fleet. Prior to the listing of the units the author gives an overview of the building projects and how then changed over the course of the war. When the Author talks about the class he lists them by the first name of the class followed by the rest that were built with the class. Also listed is the hull numbers(or Pennant #'s), displacement, Main and secondary battery's, size of torpedos carried, number of aircraft(if carried), speed and when the class was first built. EXAMPLE:LEXINGTON,SARATOGA (CV2,3:36,000tons;eight 8-in,twelve 5inDP guns, AC
90, 33knots 1927).

Followed by that will be a review of the pros and cons of the class when compared compared against some stables of the world. (example the author considered the Yamato Class BB's to be too heavy and drastically inferior to even the S. Carolina Class of BB's or the Nelson class BB's.). Some of these comparisions are based simple things like the age of the units at other times these comparisions are down on the preformance of water tight integtriy and the main batterys performance on things like Velocity of the round and weight of the round fired.

There are some down points to this book. The author decides not to mention what units did what major fleet actions or were in theater during major campaigns. This information would of been nice to compare at a glance the units that were avilable during operations like the defense of Malta Convoys or fight for Gualdalcanal. That the fact that the author for some of the lesser navies or those navies of nations that surrendered to the Axis at the start of the war the listings and review of the class are noticably shorter. The biggest chapters of the books are for the navies of the UK,USSR, Japan, Germany, and the USA. For some of these nations there are reviews in passing of some of thier planned building (like the US and thier Montana Class of BB's) at other times he dives into a serious review of the projects and plans (like the Germany Graf Zepplin CV) but the
author seems selective on which projects he covers and which he just glosses over.

The other point though this book has some pictures it only has pictures of the main or major representive units of a type of ship. They may show the Essex as a representive of American carrier or the Bismarck as an example of the German Battleships. That is it for pictures there is no line drawings or even siloheuttes of the ships.

Like most others have written this is a decent book to start with for research. But not the end all that it might of been. There is serious room for improvement.

The notes on the inner flap of the dust cover promise more than this book delivers. For instance, it says, "The British engaged in a wartime flurry of ship production - but did they build the ships they needed for victory". The question goes unanswered. There is virtually the same comment on every British destroyer: " should have had DP guns". Well duh, sure. It is pointed out that there was a lack of such guns and mounts, but there is no comment about how well they were apportioned, given that lack. There is no discussion about the types of propulsive machinery. The allies had a lack of both engines and reduction gears. This had a strong choice on the ships built, but there is no discussion.

If your library is to have only one book one the subject, this one would not be a bad one to consider. It certainly has breath and touches on many minor types. It has interesting tidbits, but you have to look through out the whole book to find them. This is a pleasant book to browse. I took it on a trip recently and enjoyed opening it up at random and reading a short article on a random ship type.

I expected this book to be another "mass merchandising" book on WWII warships, but it was surprisingly refreshing in its insightful comments. It is written like a "Consumer Reports" of warships; each entry consists of brief, standard specs (w/ many abbreviations) and concise, lucid and short critical commentary describing the fighting capabilities of the class. For example, it described the Bismarch as overrated (built on WWI battleship design concepts); the Hood as outdated (built on pre-WWI w/ Jutland retrofits) but unmodernized; and the Iowa class as the definitive U.S. battleship (best overall). When appropriate, the book explores, with surprising insightfulness, the armor scheme & torpedo protection, main gun selection, dual purpose vs. tertiary gun scheme, and other characteristics that make a successful design or a subpar design. The general theme is that this is not another "narrative" type book, and it almost goes out of the way to find a major fault with every class (since every class is a compromise of size, cost, technology, etc.). It is brief, with no more than an equivalent half page-column for major ships but as noted by other reviewers, covers a complete range of ships; I think only the major or interesting ships are accompanied by a photo. Here is the downside: (1) the author is described as a freelance writer, so his background and credentials are atypical, i.e., how authoratative is he compared to a John Roberts, Alan Raven, Norman Freiedman, etc.??; (2) there are no line drawings, so this is not a "technical" book; (3) the photos are newspaper-like, dark & lacking detail (they are better than the Jane's reprints of WWI & WWII fleets which were essentially photocopies; and (4) the book paper is similar to softbound book paper; it has a low production value & newspaper feel to it (by a non-military book publisher). At a list price of $[money], it is worthwhile book. If only this material was combined with a Lenton or a Whitley book, it would be standout. The book also has a rebel feel to it; it's almost like the author is saying "You can't get this material from the others - - they're too busy repeating the known stuff. . ."

Selcer has produced an historical account of Fort Worth's early years, and the relationship of vice to its growth. I found the book difficult to put down until I had read each sordid detail.

You want the truth about the good old days, back when times were simpler? Selcer will give it to you, in spades, enjoy them, and reflect on the lives of our great grandparents.

"Through Navajo Eyes" examines the question of documentary filmmaking as catalyst for social change. Sol Worth and John Adair's study of the Navajo made a simple but brilliant innovation. For many years, documentarians had pointed the camera at those being studied in order to create an audiovisual representation of their world. Worth and Adair instead handed over the camera to see what kind of record would result if the Navajo themselves were in control. They taught tribal members to use cameras and editing equipment, then set them out on their own --- without suggesting specific topics for filming. The results were fascinating, and remain seemingly immune to definitive interpretation to this very day. The "experiment" has been repeated many times, and in many places, which is perhaps the greatest testament to the power and originality of a simple, yet ultimately radical, shift of control from documentor to documentee.