Docstoc feed for: DocStore->Books

From Chaos to Coherence by Peggy Holman

BerrettKoehler — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:10:21 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Thursday, December 17, 2009

Berrett–Koehler PublishersFast Fundamentals The BK Whitepaper SeriesFrom Chaos to Coherance: The Emergence of Inspired Organizations and Enlightened Communities Peggy HolmanExcerpted from The Change Handbook (2nd edition)66peggy holmanFrom Chaos to CoherenceThe Emergence of Inspired Organizations and Enlightened Communities

Golden State Equity Investors, Inc. Complaint

backgroundnow — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:14:37 GMT

shared by: backgroundnow on: Saturday, November 28, 2009

Golden State Equity Investors, Inc. Complaint

American Express Centurion Bank Settlement & Order to Pay

backgroundnow — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:23:41 GMT

shared by: backgroundnow on: Monday, November 23, 2009

As part of the settlement, American Express Centurion Bank stipulated to a cease-and-desist order and agreed to pay a civil money penalty and, together with its affiliated thrift institution, reimburse more than 14,000 convenience check users for possible bounced check fees.The bank declined to pay some convenience checks sent to card members and, thus, caused consumers monetary losses from returned check fees. As a result, complaints were filed with the FDIC’s Consumer Response Center about convenience checks issued by American Express Centurion Bank.In December 2008, American Express Centurion Bank improved its disclosures to make customers more aware that the convenience checks may be dishonored, and it subsequently discontinued its convenience check program until the bank can offer a program that does not raise these concerns.The FDIC has reason to believe that American Express Centurion Bank’s program for offering convenience checks violated the prohibition of Section 5 of the FTC Act against unfair practices in or affecting commerce. To settle such violations, the bank has agreed to pay a civil money penalty in the amount of $250,000.American Express Centurion Bank has also stipulated to a cease-and-desist order requiring cessation of violations of FTC Act Section 5; implementation of satisfactory procedures for reviewing credit limits prior to marketing and issuing convenience checks; clear disclosure of a customer’s established credit limit in convenience check offers and specific marketing materials; and implementation of procedures proposed by American Express Centurion Bank whereby a customer can obtain preauthorization to use a convenience check for a specific dollar amount within a specified period of time.In addition, American Express Centurion Bank agreed to reimburse affected customers $160 per dishonored check; set up procedures to handle proven damage claims in excess of the reimbursement amount; and send a letter to impacted customers co

Vampire Children’s Story

DocstocPremium — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:00:34 GMT

shared by: DocstocPremium on: Thursday, November 12, 2009

Children’s story (ages 9 and up) about two vampires who try to do more good than harm.

Christmas & New Year’s Children’s Story

DocstocPremium — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:59:54 GMT

shared by: DocstocPremium on: Thursday, November 12, 2009

This is a short children story about a holiday tale for younger readers about the annual gathering of holidays. Reading age is 5-15 years old.

Your Business Speech

PodiumNotes — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:17:24 GMT

shared by: PodiumNotes on: Wednesday, November 11, 2009

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Eulogy Speech Book

PodiumNotes — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:43:35 GMT

shared by: PodiumNotes on: Wednesday, November 11, 2009

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We Are All Self-Employed: How to Take Control of Your Career

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:35:55 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

This is not a book about starting your own business. Then again, it is. By now there is ample evidence that an "employed" attitude-believing that you work for an employer and acting as though by doing your work your job will be secure-is defunct. An employed attitude is the antithesis of what you need now to endure and prosper. In this revised edition of his prescient bestseller, Cliff Hakim shows how to replace your employed attitude with a self-employed attitude."We are all self-employed" is an empowering belief that you can steer your own direction and influence the quality of your life. You're the boss--a self-leader-- whether you work inside or outside of an organization. You are the decision-maker and ultimately, the onus is on you to imagine, plan, explore, and create the worklife that you want.

Lean and Green: Profit for Your Business and the Environment

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:34:01 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

When it comes to believing that business can be profitable and environmentally sensitive, cynics abound on both sides. But in Lean and Green, Pamela Gordon proves that capitalism and environmentalism are not mutually exclusive-quite the contrary. She shows how "green" business practices enable organizations to save millions, even billions of dollars each year.Lean and Gree chronicles over one hundred examples of how people in twenty different organizations around the world-from clerks, farmers, and city employees to chemists and executives-have strengthened environmental practices and the balance sheet. She details waste-saving, profit-building acts as basic as Linda Gee at LSI Logic digging out usable pre-worn shoe covers to wear in the clean room, and as broad as the city of Santa Monica paving residential streets with white top to reduce urban heat and increase surface longevity.Drawing on her background as a leading business consultant, Gordon shows readers precisely how to sell their environmental ideas to management. She describes how to make the case in no-nonsense business terms, set concrete goals that the new practices will achieve, measure the economic results of the new practices, and make sure the right people hear about the results so that environmental initiatives continue. Each chapter includes a "Making It Easy" list of action steps for implementing lean and green improvements in the workplace easily and immediately.Lean and Green will inspire employees and employers alike to explore creative ways to simultaneously save the planet and bolster the bottom line.

Time and the Soul: Where Has All the Meaningful Time Gone -- And When Can We Get It Back?

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:30:37 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

In Time and the Soul, Jacob Needleman uses stories-of a middle-aged psychiatrist going back in time to encounter his younger self; of a mysterious meeting in the Central Asian desert; of the mystic master Hermes Trimegistus; as well as stories from the Bhagavad-Gita, the Bible, and other wisdom traditions-to illuminate the great mystery of time and to help us resolve our increasingly dysfunctional relationship to it.Nearly everyone feels stress and anxiety over what's become known as time poverty. "Time management" techniques treat these symptoms by making our busyness more efficient, but not the underlying cause. Needleman shows that we can get more out of time by breaking free of our illusions about it. He helps us experience time more purposefully and meaningfully. He provides parables, reflections, and a unique mental exercise to give us a new understanding of time. By transforming the way we understand and experience time, this powerful book gives us the equanimity and perspective we need to make the most of the time we are given. "A tranquil heart," Needleman writes,"is never defeated by time."

The Power of Failure: 27 Ways to Turn Life's Setbacks Into Success

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:28:47 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

The fear of failure is enough to stop many people in their tracks and lead them to give up without even trying. But best selling author Charles Manz shows that failure is an essential component of personal and professional success. Using real-life examples and stories, Manz shows that:-Challenges are disguised opportunities-Competition spurs positive change-Setbacks catalyze creative coping skills, and-Collaboration with failure can be an ongoing part of being successful The Power of Failure offers both inspiration and advice on how failure can provide us with the foundation for long-term success. This book is loaded with inspiring real-life examples and stories, and filled with practical strategies that you can put to use immediately to fulfill your dreams.

Getting to Resolution: Turning Conflict into Resolution, Second Edition

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:26:32 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

Our current models for ending conflict don’t really work. They waste incredible amounts of time, money, and energy and take an enormous emotional toll on participants. The parties remain embittered, relationships are destroyed, and often the conflict just reappears later in a different form.In this second edition of his classic book, Stewart Levine offers a revolutionary alternative approach that goes beyond compromise and capitulation to provide a satisfactory resolution for everyone involved. Marriages run amuck, neighbors at odds with one another, business deals gone sour, and the pain and anger caused by corporate downsizing are just a few of the conflicts he addresses. The new edition has been thoroughly revised with new examples, new tools, new material about building trust and virtual collaboration, as well as a more global outlook.

Be Your Own Brand: A Breakthrough Formula for Standing Out From the Crowd

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:23:49 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

The art and science of brand building is typically identified with businesses, products, and services, but this book explains how personal and professional relationships can also be seen-and managed-in this very practical and effective light. The authors present "personal brand management" as a real-life professional development tool that creates and reinforces strong, enduring relationships fueled by each individual's core values and beliefs. McNally and Speak show readers how to conceive, convey, and manage a distinctive, relevant, and consistent personal brand-an accurate reflection of who they really are, not an "image"-in ways that will enrich them professionally and personally. Readers will gain a more effective way to communicate, practical tools to understand and build powerful relationships in all aspects of their lives, and advanced personal brand management guidelines to help them stay on course as they continually refine and improve their unique personal brand.

The Blind Men and the Elephant: Mastering Project Work

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:22:06 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

If you work, you probably manage projects every day-even if "project manager" isn't in your official title-and you know how frustrating the experience can be. Using the familiar story of six blind men failing to describe an elephant to each other as a metaphor, David Schmaltz brilliantly identifies the true root cause of the difficulties in project work: "incoherence" (the inability of a group of people to make common meaning from their common experience).Schmaltz exposes such oft-cited difficulties as poor planning, weak leadership, and fickle customers as poor excuses for project failure, providing a set of simple, project coherence-building techniques that anyone can use to achieve success. He explains how "wickedness" develops when a team over-relies on their leader for guidance rather than tapping their true source of power and authority-the individual.The Blind Men and the Elephant explores just how much influence is completely within each individual's control. Using real-world stories, Schmaltz undermines the excuses that may be keeping you trapped in meaningless work, offering practical guidance for overcoming the inevitable difficulties of project work.

Smart Videoconferencing: New Habits for Virtual Meetings

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:20:07 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

Smart Videoconferencing is the first book to show people how to participate effectively in videoconferences, rather than just how to set them up. The authors offer dozens of solid, easy-to-implement tips and real-life examples showing how to:* integrate videoconferencing into your business communications,* express yourself effectively,* look and sound your best while on camera,* make videoconference equipment your friend, and more. The authors show that just like traditional meetings, mastering a few tricks and simple skills can mean the difference between a successful videoconference and an unsuccessful one.

Change Is Everybody's Business: Claim Your Change Power!

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:17:56 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

Change Is Everybody's Business challenges readers to realize the power they have to make things happen-to support, stymie, or redirect change. Pat McLagan draws on her thirty years of experience consulting on change projects worldwide to outline the beliefs, character traits, and actions that will enable anyone to welcome change and take advantage of it rather than fear and resist it.Taking a conversational approach to a serious subject, she uses stories, examples, and illustrations to drive home the message that everybody in an organization has the power to make changes for the better. And she includes questionnaires throughout the book that enable readers to evaluate how ready they are to make the most of change.Change is happening all around us, both planned and unplanned. How we react to change determines personal success and self-esteem, and ultimately the success of the entire organization. Change Is Everybody's Business will show readers precisely what they need to know to become more conscious participants in determining their own destiny at work-and in life.

Identity Is Destiny: Leadership and the Roots of Value Creation

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:15:48 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

In this time when "change is everything," leaders and people at all levels of organizations need guideposts to live, work and grow by - unshakable principles that can be relied upon implicitly, irrespective of how much technology and globalization drive people to change. Today, organizations and individuals alike need a compass with which to set a course that is true and that they can believe in no matter what.In this groundbreaking book, Laurence Ackerman reveals that identity - the unique characteristics that define who we are-is such a compass. Surprisingly, Identity Is Destiny shows that organizations who are best able to adapt to change are those whose leaders understand and "invest in"-rather than change-their companies' unique identities. It is when leaders align strategic development and day-to-day operations with their company's unique, value-creating capacities that identity truly becomes destiny.

The Courageous Follower: Standing Up To and For Our Leaders

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:13:33 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

Many significant failures—from FEMA’s response to Hurricane Katrina to the recent economic collapse—could have been prevented or mitigated if those lower in the hierarchy were successful at communicating to leaders the risks they saw in the system. Ira Chaleff’s Courageous Follower model has facilitated healthy upward information flow in organizations for over 15 years. The Harvard Business Review called Chaleff a pioneer in the emerging field of followership—this new edition shares his latest thinking on an increasingly vital topic.The updated third edition of The Courageous Follower includes a new chapter, “The Courage to Speak to the Hierarchy.” Much of Chaleff’s model is based on followers having access to the leader. But today, followers can be handed questionable policies and orders that come from many levels above them—even from the other side of the world. Chaleff explores how they can respond effectively, particularly using the power now available through advances in communications technology.Everyone is a follower at least some of the time. Chaleff strips away the passive connotations of that role and provides tools to help followers effectively partner with leaders. He provides rich guidance to leaders and boards on fostering a climate that encourages courageous followership. The results include increased support for leaders, reduced cynicism and organizations saved from serious missteps.

The Power of Collective Wisdom: And the Trap of Collective Folly

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:09:56 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

If we are to disentangle the extraordinary challenges that we face today in organizations, communities, and nations we must transcend our divisions and develop solutions together. But what enables us to collectively make wise choices and sound judgments instead of splintering apart?When human beings gather together, a depth of awareness and insight, a transcendent knowing, becomes available. Based on nine years of research The Power of Collective Wisdom shows how we can tap into the extraordinary cocreative potential that exists in every group. Collective wisdom is elusive and unpredictable – it can’t be willed into being, but the authors describe six commitments people can adopt that will increase the likelihood of its appearing. Stories and historical examples throughout serve to illuminate and illustrate how collective wisdom has emerged in a range of settings and through the lives and traditions of varied cultures. Equally important, the authors describe how to recognize the pitfalls of polarization or false agreement, either of which can lead to collective folly – a phenomenon with which recent history has made us all too familiar. And they offer a set of practices to help readers maintain the key lessons of the book.The Power of Collective Wisdom is a foundational book for an emerging field of study and practice relevant to everyone seeking more effective and satisfying ways of working with others.

Responsible Restructuring: Creative and Profitable Alternatives to Layoffs

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:06:45 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

Firms that restructure through downsizing are not more profitable than those that don't, and often end up hurting themselves in the long run. Responsible Restructuring draws on the results of an eighteen-year study of S&P 500 firms to prove that it makes good business sense to restructure responsibly-to avoid downsizing and instead regard employees as assets to be developed rather than costs to be cut.Wayne Cascio explodes thirteen common myths about downsizing, detailing its negative impact on profitability, productivity, quality, and on the morale, commitment, and even health of survivors. He uses real-life examples to illustrate successful approaches to responsible restructuring used by companies such as Charles Schwab, Compaq, Cisco, Motorola, Reflexite, and Southwest Airlines. And he offers specific, step-by-step advice on what to do-and what not to do-when developing and implementing a restructuring strategy that, unlike layoffs, leaves the organization stronger and better able to face the challenges ahead.

The Appreciative Inquiry Summit: A Practitioner's Guide for Leading Large Group Change

BerrettKoehler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:04:05 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Friday, November 06, 2009

Over the past decade Appreciative Inquiry (AI) has rapidly emerged as one of the most significant advances in the field of organization development and change. This book is the first to provide a comprehensive practitioner's guide to the AI Summit-the preferred method when applying whole-scale change to large groups. The authors - four of the leading experts on Appreciative Inquiry - explore the theories of organization change and large-group process on which the AI Summit is based; walk the reader step-by-step through the process of planning, conducting, and following up on an AI Summit; provide a series of case studies of the AI Summit in action; and share essential success factors - what they have learned in their work with AI and large-group processes that contributes to success in large-scale efforts. This book is an essential resource for anyone who works with Appreciative Inquiry, large group interventions, or whole-system change processes.

How to Make Fortune in Real Estate

BusinessAndMarketing — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:41:56 GMT

shared by: BusinessAndMarketing on: Wednesday, October 14, 2009

This e-book will take you on a step-by-step path on making a fortune in real estate. It will cover the most important areas of real estate. This is a must have for novices and professional!

Google Adsense

BusinessAndMarketing — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:18:48 GMT

shared by: BusinessAndMarketing on: Wednesday, October 14, 2009

This powerful training course contains everything you need to know - and we do mean EVERYTHING - so you can start making dramatic profits from Google AdSense...FAST! You'll learn: How YOU can get Google to stream ads onto your website for free, How Google AdSense ads are specially selected to match your site's topic, How YOU earn money every time a visitor to your site clicks on one of the ads, The difference between putting ads where they'll be seen on your site and where they'll be overlooked-would you believe it can make the difference in a click-through rate of 2.3% versus 40%? How YOU can get killer content for your site that you don't have to write yourself, How YOU can use a few simple tools to direct massive amounts of traffic to your site, How YOU can automate your content, yet avoid being blacklisted by the major search engines for doing so, The secrets of keyword-rich content-what it means, what it does, how to get it! How YOU can figure out which keywords will bring you the most money! Plus, much, much more!

Eating Healthy

BusinessAndMarketing — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:52:49 GMT

shared by: BusinessAndMarketing on: Monday, October 12, 2009

Healthy eating is essential to your health and well being. In your great grandparents' days, healthy eating was easy. Food was grown on nutrient rich soil without herbicides and pesticides. It was whole, natural and unprocessed. Meals, breads and desserts were cooked or baked in the home from scratch, not produced in a laboratory from chemicals not intended for human consumption. Most American and European adults face obesity and health related problems. With changing lifestyles, adults fail to pay attention to their nutritional needs. We eat either too much or too little. We are malnourished. A majority of us loses that perfect balance of diet and proper eating habits in the competitive world, where our focus is towards greater earnings. This has affected our lives, and filled it with physical stress and mental pressures. It is high time now that we all give healthy eating first priority and spend our time in better living. Increasing responsibilities requires one to intake more nutritious and healthy food. With so much to do, your body should get all the essential minerals and vitamins, since improper diets lead to weakness, fatigue and stress. Take precautions and have proper meals at the right time, since having very little food will not fulfil the bodys needs, leaving you sick and tired. This is a good example and a warning for your kids as you keep telling them repeatedly to eat healthy to keep fit and trim.

Reduce and Burn Calories

BusinessAndMarketing — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:15:49 GMT

shared by: BusinessAndMarketing on: Friday, October 09, 2009

Have you tried some or all of those diets? Are you sick and tired of being pushed, shoved and pulled in 10 different directions when it comes to finding a diet that works?Your Search Is Over! Once you understand why, you can begin to set the proper behavior in motion. When you do, we've got the tips for you. Great stuff like:A great substitute for butter or margarine, how to remove the fat from cheese, what you can do with water to suppress your appetite, how to eat fast food and still lose weight, the truth about reduced fat claims, how to order when eating out, how to spice up and burn calories, why a veggie sandwich may not be the best choice

Powerful Tips to Improving Your Credit Score

BusinessAndMarketing — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:18:02 GMT

shared by: BusinessAndMarketing on: Friday, October 09, 2009

Who Else Wants To Boost Their Credit Score To Repair Financial Damage Constantly Hanging Over Your Head? They're smiling but they don't trust you. A polite nod here, a chuckle there. Meanwhile they're anxiously waiting for your credit report. You know it hurt your chances of getting the loan when you had to admit to some small financial mistakes in the past. As you leave the office with that sick feeling telling you you've already lost, they state the inevitable, "We'll let you know." Less than perfect credit is not a permanent situation. If you've made financial mistakes in the past (and who hasn't), it's not too late to start repairing your credit today. When you know the little tips and tricks you can use to convince the credit bureau's your trust worthy, you can leave the loan officer's chair confident that the deal will have a happy ending. It's all about knowing how to play the credit game.

Cooking Tips

BusinessAndMarketing — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:10:40 GMT

shared by: BusinessAndMarketing on: Friday, October 09, 2009

101 secrets of great cooks. This E-book goes over and gives helpful tips to people who want to step higher in cooking and to accomplish the art. The E-Book will teach you to: add a little zest, to not be afraid to experiment, to explaing salted butter vs. unsalted butter, and many more exciting tips.

Wedding Tips

BusinessAndMarketing — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:03:50 GMT

shared by: BusinessAndMarketing on: Friday, October 09, 2009

101 Tips to have your dream wedding on a budget. This E-Book goes over 101 different ways and tips to improve and make your wedding a beautiful day and event.

Ways to Keep the Kids Occupied.

BusinessAndMarketing — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:00:04 GMT

shared by: BusinessAndMarketing on: Friday, October 09, 2009

No one ever told me to ask the kids what they wanted, what they enjoyed, what bothered them and what I could do to help them feel better. My kids are people. They're individuals with feelings, desires, interests, you name it... They're just like you and I. Once I had figured out this one simple thing quickly started to put together a journal of what I was doing and how the kids were responding. Based on that journal I jotted down the most effective ways I had found to keep the kids happy and attentive, and ended up with this e-book.

Golden Keys To Success

BusinessAndMarketing — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:47:08 GMT

shared by: BusinessAndMarketing on: Friday, October 09, 2009

Most people want to be successful in life. There are goals set and then the hard work begins to reach those goals. The question is what is success? Actually, success can mean different things to different people.For example, a person that owns their own oil changing service for vehicles might set their level of success at servicing 50 cars a day while someone who loves music might consider success as cutting their own CD. In addition, success does not always have to involve money. Success could be getting a good grade in a difficult class or learning how to bake the perfect chocolate cake.Success comes in all different shapes and sizes with one common denominator. Success is important and it takes work to reach.Regardless of what your specific success is, there are ways to surpass your goal. I've put together 101 tips that can be used for any success. These are ways to better yourself as a person, proven methods you can apply to reach success.

100 Favorite Weight Watchers Recipes

BusinessAndMarketing — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:14:07 GMT

shared by: BusinessAndMarketing on: Thursday, October 08, 2009

In a medium saucepan, stir together water and pudding mix. Heat to a boil. Remove from heat andimmediately add the Jell-O. Stir until dissolved. Set the pan aside and let the mixture cool to roomtemperature.... AND MUCH MORE!

Organizing your Home

BusinessAndMarketing — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:12:40 GMT

shared by: BusinessAndMarketing on: Thursday, October 08, 2009

Do you shudder when you think of people coming over to visitunannounced? Do you panic when you get a message on youranswering machine that family is coming—and they left 4 hours ago(and it’s a 5 hour trip)? Do you try to “clean” before your cleaninglady comes? Can you not afford a cleaning lady and try to do ityourself, ending up discouraged, frustrated, and thinking it’s justimpossible?The real key here is to take it a step at a time. Take it at your ownpace. This IS a fight that you CAN and WILL win! You will have tocommit to having less “stuff” if your home and letting go of the sacredcowsyou’ve hung on to for all these years (but please note that thesecows haven’t lifted a finger to help you get organized or clean—theyonly collect dust and take up space!). This isn’t having “Clean Sweep”come to your home and do the work for you—it’s all *your* work.

Change Your Questions, Change Your Life

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:02 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The first edition of Marilee Adams’s book introduced a surprising, life-altering truth: any of us can literally change our lives simply by changing the questions we ask, especially those we ask ourselves. We can ask questions that open us to learning, connection, satisfaction, and success. Or we can ask questions that impede progress and keep us from getting results we want. Asking “What great things could happen today?” creates very different expectations, moods, and energy than asking “What could go wrong today?” Many readers reported that they found themselves asking better questions before they even finished reading the book!

Be The Hero

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:02 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

A victim mentality is rampant in organizations today. My boss is a jerk. This is a dead-end job. I can’t change anything here. The result is lost productivity, lack of creativity, departmental in-fighting—a toxic atmosphere.But nobody has to be a victim. The truth is people make themselves victims. It’s just an interpretation of reality, a story they tell themselves. People can choose a different story. They can stop seeing themselves as helpless victims and instead discover how to put themselves in charge. Anyone can choose to Be the Hero.

Dreamcrafting

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:02 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Many people set out to achieve a dream-starting a business or learning to play the piano or publishing a book-but they don't succeed, and the dream fizzles away. In many cases, these people have lots of skills and expertise, such as deep knowledge of the business or career they are interested in, so why don't they succeed? Paul Levesque and Art McNeil have discovered that making a dream come true requires cultivating skills of a higher order-macroskills-that inevitably spell the difference between success and failure no matter what the specifics of a person's dreams are. These are the skills Dreamcrafting outlines in detail.

The Trance of Scarcity

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:02 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

In her own life and through her work with others, Victoria Castle has repeatedly encountered the tragic theme of "not-enough-ness"--both the "I am not enough" and "There is not enough" varieties--and witnessed how it cripples even the most buoyant and passionate people among us. Castle calls this blight the Trance of Scarcity. It shows up in a hundred personalized versions, but the results are always the same. Instead of expressing our brilliance and creativity, we show the world only the by-products of oppression, isolation, exclusion, and defeat. We spend our time lamenting the way things are, justifying all the reasons they can't be different.In this inspiring and very personal book, Castle shows that there is life on the other side of the Trance -- a life characterized by vitality, fulfillment, and efficacy. She shares specific practices you can use to change your story--to identify and interrupt negative, constraining patterns and replace them with more positive and liberating ones to achieve greater freedom, fulfillment, and satisfaction.

Living in More Than One World

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:02 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

How can we have a rich and fulfilling life? For Peter Drucker, one of the most influential thinkers of modern times, the secret was “living in more than one world”—enjoying a diverse set of interests, activities, acquaintances, and pursuits. Drucker was able to do this despite extraordinary demands on his time, and now Bruce Rosenstein shows how the man who transformed organizational management can transform the way you manage your personal and professional life.Rosenstein shares Drucker’s advice for, first, honing in on your core competencies—developing your main talents, clarifying your values, and managing your time. With this firm foundation established he uses Drucker as both source and example to show how to enrich your life by developing parallel and second careers, making a difference in the lives of others through voluntarism and service, and using teaching and lifelong learning as complimentary ways of staying engaged and up to date.

Lift

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:01 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Just as the Wright Brothers combined science and practice to finally achieve the dream of flight, Ryan and Robert Quinn combine research and experience to demonstrate how we can elevate ourselves and the situations and people around us to greater heights of integrity, openness, and achievement—the psychological equivalent of aerodynamic lift.Solidly based in the social science literature—with special focus on recent advances in the study of positive psychology and strengths-based leadership, as well as Robert Quinn’s groundbreaking work on organizational effectiveness—Lift identifies four mindsets that will enable us become a consistently positive influence in every aspect of our lives: being purpose-centered, internally-directed, other-focused and externally-open. Separate chapters explore each of these components in depth, analyzing the psychological and social factors that keep people from applying them and what we can do to overcome those obstacles.

Making The Good Life Last

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:01 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

So many of us are beset by anxiety, depression, loneliness, and spiritual malaise, tense and unhappy despite our gadgets and goodies. Michael Schuler, leader of the nation’s largest Unitarian Universalist congregation, says it’s because, urged on by an aggressively materialist culture, we too often opt for short-term gratification and long-term denial. In this thoughtful and deeply honest book, he helps us find a life path that leads to treasures of perennial value: a beautiful and healthy earth home, enduring relationships, strong communities, work that contributes to the common good, and play that restores our bodies and lifts our souls.Deconstructing the assumption that consumption, stimulation, and constant motion comprise the good life, Schuler urges the wholesale embrace of sustainability as both an operational principle and a life-sustaining core value. His book presents sustainability as a coherent frame of reference that can ground us spiritually, heal us internally, and deepen our relationships. Schuler identifies four behavioral principles for living sustainably—Pay Attention, Stay Put, Exercise Patience, and Practice Prudence—and shows how to apply them in our daily lives. He uses stories from his own life to illuminate the rewards and challenges of sustainable living and shares insights from environmentalists, social commentators, writers, poets, businesspeople, and spiritual leaders.Sustainability means more than mere survival—for individuals, just as for natural and social systems, it’s the key to thriving rather than burning out. For those seeking a more profoundly satisfying way of life, Schuler’s heartfelt explorations offer a counter intuitive answer: the sustainable life is the good life.

Trauma Stewardship

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:01 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Working to make the world a more hopeful and sustainable place often means having to confront pain, suffering, crisis, and trauma head-on, day in and day out. Over months and years this takes an enormous emotional, psychological, and physical toll, one that we’re often not even fully aware of until the day we feel like we just can’t go on anymore. And our well-being and the work we’re doing are too important to risk that happening.This book is for all those who notice that they are not the people they once were or who are being told that by their families, friends, colleagues, or pets. Laura van Dernoot Lipsky takes a deep and sympathetic look at the many ways the stress of dealing with trauma manifests itself: feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, diminished creativity, chronic exhaustion, cynicism, and a dozen more.To keep from being overwhelmed, we need to respond to suffering in a thoughtful, intentional way—not by hardening our hearts or by internalizing others’ struggles as our own but by developing a quality of compassionate presence. This is trauma stewardship. To help achieve this, Lipsky offers a variety of simple and profound practices, drawn from modern psychology and a range of spiritual traditions, that enable us to look carefully at our reactions and motivations and discover new sources of energy and renewal. She includes interviews with successful trauma stewards from different walks of life and even uses New Yorker cartoons to illustrate her points.“We can do meaningful work in a way that works for us and for those we serve,” Lipsky writes. “Taking care of ourselves while taking care of others allows us to contribute to our societies with such impact that we will leave a legacy informed by our deepest wisdom and greatest gifts instead of burdened by our struggles and despair.”

Answering Your Call

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:01 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

So many people today feel "called" to find more in their lives beyond the usual definitions of success, to live lives of purpose and meaning. Answering Your Call is aimed at people who know they are on the planet for a reason and want more than encouragement-they want to get precise about it.Answering Your Call provides exercises that appeal to our practical side as well as inspirational examples from history and literature. It is a spiritual how-to book, not on how to pray or meditate, but how to discern what it is that the world needs you to do.

Aligned Thinking

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:01 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Too much to do! I never get anything done! I have so little control over my life!These were thoughts Ray had as he headed home later for supper, confident his wife, Carol, would be sympathetic to his problem.One sentence into unloading his problems on her, he heard, "Too much to do? Tell me about it!" Her problems were as big as or even bigger than his.When they went to a friend for help, they discovered more than hope, "That sounds like us several years ago. But Coach Eric's Aligned Thinking not only solved those problems, it helped us to do what most people believe impossible: align every action to what we really want.With mild hope and huge skepticism, Ray and Carol visited Coach Eric and gave him a description of their ideal professional and personal life. Coach Eric assured them that Aligned Thinking could help them enjoy each item on their list. However, when he asked them to add to their list "make every moment count so life becomes a celebration," Ray and Carol became even more skeptical.Join Ray and Carol as they discover the proven power of Aligned Thinking.

How to Get Ideas

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:01 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

How to Get Ideas shows you--no matter your age or skill, your job or training--how to come up with more ideas, faster and easier. You'll learn to condition your mind to become "idea-prone," utilize your sense of humor, develop your curiosity, visualize your goals, rethink your thinking, and overcome your fear of rejection.Jack Foster's simple five-step technique for solving problems and getting ideas takes the mystery and anxiety out of the idea-generating process. It's a proven process that works.This expanded edition of the inspiring and enlightening classic features new information on how to turn failures to your advantage and how to create a rich, idea-inducing environment. Dozens of new examples and real life stories show that anyone can learn to get more and better ideas.

The Living Universe

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:01 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Science has traditionally regarded the universe as mostly made up mostly of inert matter and empty space. At one time this point of view was liberating, part of the Enlightenment-born rationalism that helped humanity free itself from superstition and fear and achieve extraordinary intellectual and technological breakthroughs.But this paradigm has outlived its usefulness. It has led to rampant materialism and environmental degradation—if the universe is essentially dead and we are alive, then the inanimate stuff of the universe should be ours to exploit. But we now know that not only is the view of a dead universe destructive, it is also inaccurate and misleading.In The Living Universe, Duane Elgin brings together evidence from cosmology, biology, physics, and even his participation in NASA-sponsored psychic experiments to show that the universe is permeated by a living field and that we are always in communion with that field of aliveness whether we are conscious of it or not. This is a world-view that, as Elgin explains, is shared by virtually every spiritual tradition, and the implications of it are vast and deep. In a living system, each part is integral to the whole, so each of us is intimately connected to the entire universe. Elgin eloquently demonstrates how our identity manifests itself on a whole series of levels, from subatomic to galactic. We are, he writes, “far more than biological beings—we are beings of cosmic connection and participation.”To confront our ongoing planetary crisis of dwindling resources and escalating conflict, we need to move past an ideology of separation, competition, and exploitation. Duane Elgin asks us to see humanity sharing in the same field of aliveness, to discover how to live sustainably and harmoniously within the living universe.

Three Deep Breaths

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:01 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

These days all of us lead hectic, stressful lives. And most of us react to difficult circumstances by struggling against them, which only creates more tension. Three Deep Breaths provides a welcome alternative--a simple technique that you can use, no matter how busy you are, to transform tough situations into positive, energizing experiences. It is a mind/body technique that combines the "cognitive-restructuring" capability of the brain (the ability to change our attitudes and perceptions of the world) with the calmness and presence of an aligned, centered state of being.Thomas Crum illustrates this radically simple technique through the story of Angus, who is struggling to break through the negative habits that lead to anger, exhaustion, and poor performance. We follow Angus as he learns to use the Three Deep Breaths to maintain clarity and purpose in the midst of seeming chaos, to redirect negative energy to more positive purposes. By working with our breath, by being aware of it and using it as a focusing tool, we can open up a whole new world of possibility.The quality of our lives depends not on whether or not we have conflicts but on how we respond to them. All it takes to change your life is Three Deep Breaths--which you can do in an instant, anywhere, at any time.

Right Risk

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:00 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

We must take risks if we are to grow personally and professionally. Risks are a part of a fully-lived life. But in the commotion of today's fast-paced, technology-driven world, people have become disconnected from the wise counsel of their inner resources, hampering their ability to make meaningful choices. Consequently, risks are increasingly being taken in an impulsive, haphazard, and often reckless way. In Right Risk, Bill Treasurer draws on the experiences and insights of successful risk-takers (including his own experiences as a daredevil high diver) to detail ten principles that readers can use to take risks with greater intelligence and confidence.Right Risk is about taking more deliberate and intentional risks in an increasingly complex world. It aims to answer such questions as: How do I know which risks to take and which to avoid? How do I balance the need to take more risks with the need to preserve my safety? How do I muster up the courage to take risks when it is so much easier not to? How do I confront all those people who keep telling me what a mistake it would be to take the risk? And, most importantly, How do I make risk-taking less of an anxiety-provoking experience?Right Risk will help readers take risks with greater discipline, focus, and maturity-to confidently face life's challenges and take advantage of life's opportunities.

Turning to One Another

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:00 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

"I believe we can change the world if we start talking to one another again."With this simple declaration, Margaret Wheatley proposes that people band together with their colleagues and friends to create the solutions for real social change -- both locally and globally -- that are so badly needed. Such change will not come from governments or corporations, she argues, but from the ageless process of thinking together in conversation.Turning to One Another encourages this process. Part I explores the power of conversation and the conditions-simplicity, personal courage, real listening, and diversity-that support it. Part II contains quotes and images to encourage the reader to pause and reflect, and to prepare for the work ahead-convening truly meaningful conversations. Part III provides ten "conversation starters"-questions that in Wheatley's experience have led people to share their deepest beliefs, fears, and hopes.

Blind Faith

BerrettKoehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:00 GMT

shared by: BerrettKoehler on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The risk of investing in the stock market has increased remarkably over the last decade. In this period we've seen tremendous volatility in stock prices, a market bubble and its subsequent pop, a parade of corporate scandals, the demise of a leading accounting firm and proven deception by many so-called investment analysts employed by major brokerage firms. In addition, the realities of ever-increasing geopolitical risks contribute to an uncertain economic future.Blind Faith offers a cleverly simple yet revolutionary approach for managing investments in this perpetual high-risk environment. Corporate America and the investment industry have little to gain and lots to lose when investors decide to stop playing the traditional game that can -and has - destroyed trillions of dollars of individual wealth overnight. Readers will be equipped with both the strategy and the tools for success in virtually any economic environment while ending their participation in a system that has taken full advantage of their blind faith and misplaced trust.

The Power of Purpose