1. ISBN13: 9781401927097
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

Customer Review :

Add This to Your Must-Read List

Recently I received in the mail a free copy of "The Shift: Taking Your Life From Ambition to Meaning" by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. I had responded to a Facebook query regarding individuals who were willing to review new books published by authors under the auspices of Hay House. As a metaphysical teacher and Law of Attraction disciple, I am a long-time fan of Louise Hay, and as such I am always interested in the works published through Hay House.

I recommend this book highly to anyone who desires real change and transformation in their life. I especially recommend this book to anyone who is addicted to "doing." If your doing results in feelings other than peace, contentment and happiness, then you probably are experiencing some level of stress on the emotional, mental and physical level, and you probably are looking for a way to change that.

This book can help you with that.

I received this book at the perfect time in my own awakening and transformation. As of the end of February, I officially stepped into the "to" phase of transformation (the book is divided into four phases ~ "From," "Ambition," "To," and "Meaning" ~ and the feelings of clarity, peace, relief and optimism that I experienced while reading Dr. Dyer's words, are indescribable.

Each of us comes from a place whose essence is pure "Being." Yet, we live in a world that over-values "doing" and under-values "being." This contrast can cause a lifetime of pain, struggle, and illness. Dr. Dyer's book characterizes this contrast through personal and anecdotal examples of relatable life situations. I was able to see myself in his words, to measure the choicepoints that I have experienced in my own life, and to measure my progress (to use a very "doing" term) in my own deliberate and conscious inner transformation.

In my opinion and my experience, this book illustrates beautifully how to get back to our Authentic selves, and as a result, we can do, be and have a life experience of our dreams.

I highly recommend this book. It is on my personal "Must Have" listed, and I have added it to my "Wisdom Tools" list on my web site ([...]).

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Inspirational Short Read: Companion Book to Movie, Yet Self Sufficient

The Shift is a companion book for the movie with the same title, both of which are self-sufficient. Nonetheless, I recommend reading the book before seeing the movie, as it will help you grasp much of the significance. The book doesn't give away the plot of the movie, though it refers to it once in awhile.

Like the other 30-some books by Wayne Dyer, this one is filled with inspirational quotes from famous spiritual teachers and classical holy texts, personal stories, and parables. This one, however, is only 112 pages and can be read easily in a day or two. It can be read several times and you will still get something out of it.

The original title of the book and movie was "From Ambition to Meaning," and interestingly, there are only four chapters, each with one of these words. The first chapter, "From," discusses the void where we came from and how in the womb, we are doing nothing but being lived by "all creating energy that seems to do nothing, and at the same time leaves nothing undone." Wayne cites quantum physics to validate the nothingness from whence we came. We are reminded that everything in the material world is truly like what it came from. Ergo, we are truly spiritual beings having a temporary human experience. And "our real self is the loving observer of our sensory experiences." He leads us to the conclusion that "nonbeing and love are synonymous." We are given tools on how to get back to the Nothingness, such as meditation, feeling the oneness, and surrender. We are even challenged to give away one item a day, anything we do not use on a daily basis!

Before we realize that, however, nearly all of us get sucked into "Ambition," which is the title of chapter 2. Here we learn how our false self develops as we identify with the ego. This entails beliefs such as "Who I am is what I have, what I do, and what others think of me." This "somebody training" involves learning more lies such as "I am separate from everyone else, from what's missing in my life, and from God."

In chapter 3 ("To") we make the U-turn back to our "fromness." There comes a time in everyone's life when they see that the inauthentic self is a lie. This doesn't mean the loss of ambition, but rather that our drive is now directed toward a life based on meaning and purpose. Some signs that we may be ready include: the ego's "mantra of more" becomes less attractive; we find ourselves doing less; we shun the spotlight to work in the shadows; we believe in unity more than separateness; we begin to realize we're connected to Spirit; we begin to trust the wisdom that created us. Next, Wayne tells us what to expect and gives a 7-point summary of our U-turn. He describes four qualities of the shift from ambition to meaning: surprising, vivid, benevolent and enduring.

In the final chapter, "Meaning," Wayne tell us how he told his buddy Ram Dass many years ago, "All of my life I wanted to be somebody. Now I finally am somebody--but it isn't me." All the fame and wealth did not satisfy him and he didn't feel fulfilled till making the shift back to his authentic self. Wayne describes the four virtues that constitute our original nature: reverence for all life, natural sincerity, gentleness and supportiveness. "Today," Wayne declares, "my life is almost 100 percent devoted to service in one way or another. Each day begins with a prayer of `Thank you.'" He describes the three most important things to watch for during the shift: the shift from entitlement to humility; the shift from control to trust (in yourself, others and God); and the shift from attachment to letting go.

Great little book packed with inspiration and encouragement! With the tendency we are heading in for shorter books at smaller prices, this makes a really great gift to yourself or to someone who is over 30 and perhaps beginning to question life's meaning and his/her purpose.




Rating :

1. ISBN13: 9781439167342
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Review :

This book is great.

There are plenty of reviews about this great book.

I recommend you buy it and read it, it is very helpful.

Rating :

Classic Awesome Book

I love this book. It is a must-read for every salesperson. I'm not a salesperson, but I immensely enjoyed this book. I borrowed it so many times from the library, I decided to buy a copy. I loved all the old stories about Lincoln and other famous figures that may have been common knowledge when this book was written (in the 1930s) but I had never heard them. This book changed my son's life. In one day, he got the phone numbers of all the people who sit at his lunch table - just by following the advice in this book. It has certainly rocketed him to success in high school. (All this popularity didn't do much for his grades though.) I can't say enough good things about this book. Oh, one more thing - the guy who reads it has an excellent voice.

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The book turns you into a self righteous know it all.

I'll keep it simple. The book is told from a perspective that always believes that self is right. Sure it's got some truthful points, but it's all told from a perspective that treats all exterior forces as being in the wrong. This writer has no humility, and I'm afraid that anyone who reads this book will believe that the world is at fault, that self is always right, and that you have to be sly and manipulative in order to overcome the obstacles of all the dumb people out there. The truth is that everyone has a story. No one is trying to be malicious. This book would almost be good if it weren't told from the perspective of self-righteous know-it-all.

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Great book

It's a great book, but 8 CD's is overkilled. Actually, 1 CD could do the job.

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Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

I am at the end of one of the best books I have read, and I can't help but write of it. `How To Win Friends and Influence People' is a classic self improvement/management book with total sales of a staggering 15 million.

It is important to quickly note that the name makes it out to be far more Machiavellian that it is. The suggestions of the book would not be out of place in the sermon of the mount.

The author, Dale Carnegie, was born into poverty in Missouri towards the end of the 19th century. He was a young farmer turned salesman, salesman turned actor, and actor turned lecturer. He observed, at a still young age, that no universities of his era offered courses on public speaking or interpersonal relations. These two topics became his obsession. With his assistant he researched perhaps a thousand books (include over one hundred biographies of Abraham Lincoln.) He weaseled interviews with an extraordinary array of successful businessmen and politicians. He refined and he revised. And somehow, quoting everyone from Woodrow Wilson to Rockefeller, he produced an instant classic.

The result is a most counterintuitive book. I expected a book encouraging brash, domineering, overconfident behavior, and the careful machinations of such politics. Carnegie discovered the opposite. He suggested that praise trumps criticism and that humility beats bravado. The best way to get someone to do something is to for them to find joy in doing it.

The secret of influence is:

Do not criticize, condemn or complain. Give regular and sincere appreciation. Become interested in the lives of the people around you and become a good listener. Talk about the other person's interests and in some way make them feel genuinely important. Smile, and remember that a person's name is to them the sweetest sound in any language. Avoid arguments, respect the opinion of others and admit mistakes quickly and emphatically. Attempt often to see through the other's point of view. Arouse noble motivations in the other person. Convince people that your ideas are indeed theirs, and persuade through dramatisation. Correct the perceived faults indirectly, beginning and ending with praise, and with questions that allow the saving of face. Praise improvements and give them a reputation to live up to, making them indeed happy to make the changes that you desire.

It all sounds rather idealistic. Rather unlike the Henry Ford style popular at the time. The appeal to noble virtues seems vaguely religious. The question that I continue to ask is, does such high mindedness actually work?

Two recent books would agree. Dan Pink's `Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us' suggests that financial incentives can in many cases reduce performance. Most employees are motivated primarily by a desire for independence, mastery, praise and a higher purpose.

Jim Collins in the brilliant text, `Good to Great,' suggests that successful CEO's combine `personal humility with professional will'.

I have completed little study on management theory and management research. So I am ready to stand corrected. But it would seem that a consensus exists that the way to manage is to `do under others as you would have them do unto you.' How unexpected.

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Editorial Review :

Perhaps one of the biggest issues all women face is their own insecurity. Beth Moore, one of today’s most admired and trusted Christian writers, wants women to be free from the insecurity trap. So Long, Insecurity will strike a chord with women everywhere, as Beth speaks truth into the lives of readers, showing them how to deal with their innermost fears, rediscover their God-given dignity, and develop a whole new perspective—a stronger sense of self. Women of all ages and backgrounds will resonate with this message of security and discover truths that will free them emotionally and spiritually and lead them to a better life as they walk with God.

Customer Review :

Great

This is a very honest and practical look at our insecurity. Easy read and very helpful.

Rating :

Fantastic!

This is like I wrote it about me, is absolutely fantastic and insightful. Beth Moore opens up her heart and shares so much of herself. I find myself driving down the highway thinking she is describing me. Her deep faith in God and her strong belief that He can lead us to wholeness. It is never too late....to start believing in yourself because God does.

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So Long, Insecurity

I am reading this book along with blogging on the Living Proof Ministries (Beth's site) and have found the book very insightful. I never have considered myself insecure, but have found by reading this book that my insecurities are covered by my control issues. I would suggest this book to anyone.

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Okay but not fantastic!

I set out reading So Long Insecurity with an open mind because, although, I do love Beth Moore bible studies I find them quite cumbersome. She is a fantastic teacher of the Word and has a beautiful anointing in women's ministry. Yet sometimes I feel things a bit wordy and I find my mind wandering off to things like my grocery list.


The truth on which this book is founded I wholeheartedly agree with. That truth being how so many believers know nothing of their identity in Christ and therefore seek to find that identity in other places. One of the entrapment's to living fully in our Christ-given identity is insecurity. We spend a lot of time feeding into it and staying bound by it. When what we really need to do is get set free! Beth does a great job pointing you back to your identity in Christ. Also by helping you to see some of the ways you get caught up in your insecurity without even realizing it.


Although I think the book is quite a bit longer than it needs to be it's still a great read. (Particularly Chapter 8) This would be a great book to give to a friend who may have never been exposed to Beth Moore or her ministry.


For additional support and encouragement you should check out the website for readers of the book.


This book was provided at no cost for review purposes by the publisher. The above is my honest review of the book in my own words.

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Bible Study Book

I have only glanced at the book so far, but it seems like it is really going to be helpful. I bought it to go along with a Bible Study that I'm going to be attending with a simulcast of this book. Great price!

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1. ISBN13: 9780140280197
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Editorial Review :

Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this piercing work distills three thousand years of the history of power in to forty-eight well explicated laws. As attention--grabbing in its design as it is in its content, this bold volume outlines the laws of power in their unvarnished essence, synthesizing the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun-tzu, Carl von Clausewitz, and other great thinkers. Some laws teach the need for prudence ("Law 1: Never Outshine the Master"), the virtue of stealth ("Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions"), and many demand the total absence of mercy ("Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally"), but like it or not, all have applications in real life. Illustrated through the tactics of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry Kissinger, P. T. Barnum, and other famous figures who have wielded--or been victimized by--power, these laws will fascinate any reader interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control.

Customer Review :

What you actually want to know before buying the Kindle edition.

My review is based solely on the quality of the Kindle edition. For the most part it is great. There are a few little errors in spacing, spelling, and general format issues. I'd say you get 2 or 3 for each "law". The bigger problem is that there are a few spelling errors so egregious that you have no idea what the word is supposed to be. That happens every 3 "laws" or so. I gave it 3 stars because these mistakes are annoying enough that they should create a new Kindle edition, but not so bad you'd demand your money back. If you are reading this, these are the types of reviews you should be writing for Kindle books.

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Fantastic book!

Good things:
The book was in perfect condition and the price was really cheap.

Bad things:
1) I don't like being charged before I have the product in my hands.
2) It passed a month from the day I ordered until I received the book. I've already ordered other books to the USA (I live in Spain) and it didn't take so long.

Rating :

Great book

Excellent book to help assess the behaviors of others. Rereading chapters over the years has helped in many ways. If you enjoy history and are an industry leader or entrepreneur, this is a great book to have on hand.

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A great read...

The 48 Laws of Power is worth the money. If you want an edge in business and in life, I recommend this book. Use this book with, the book of five rings, the art of war and the 33 strategies of war. Never mind what others think about the books or about you reading them. They laugh because they don't have the knowledge to apply the reasoning/stragies these books provide. Employers from all works of life want leaders that can lead, not talk B.S. and take two (2) hour lunches. It won't happen overnight but, applied and practiced it will happen and you will get noticed. But, don't take my word for it, get it and see for yourself.

Rating :

Great Book, Terrible Kindle Edition

The 48 Laws of Power is a fascinating journey through human history. Its means of breaking up the lessons to be learned into "Laws" makes it both entertaining to read and a fascinating treatise on the nature of how people manipulate one another to achieve their goals. I would hope anyone reading The 48 Laws of Power quickly figures out that this is not an instruction manual on "How to Conquer the World, All By Yourself"--it's entertaining, it's informative, but it's far from a get-rich-quick device.

That said, one of the areas in which I am lacking in life has been the ability to truly understand and anticipate people's actions. I can tell you that this book has greatly helped me to understand human nature a little better, and has even been useful helping me figure out when someone is trying to manipulate me. I've been surprised at how much more I seem to be picking up on when it comes to others' personalities. It also amazes me how across cultures and across the millenia, human nature stays very much the same.

Unfortunately, the Kindle Edition of this book (which is where this review was written) is dreadful. Typos are not a problem, but there are whole sections of this book that somehow got mangled in translation and it's clear no one took the time to proofread it. The print edition of this book (which I also own) contains sidebars along the margins of many pages. For the Kindle edition, these side pieces are ungracefully dumped in the middle of a passage. The mangled portions of this book are often unintelligible.

I contacted Amazon about this and they responded that they unfortunately do not have any control over how well the publisher converts their products to the Kindle Edition. It's cut back on my desire to purchase Kindle products unless and until the quality improves, and I do not recommend the Kindle edition of this book for this reason. The print version, however, is certainly well worth the read.

Rating :

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1. ISBN13: 9780743269513
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Review :

Highly recommend!

Great book, read or listen. A must read for any driven person trying to seperate himor herself from the pack, at work, school or in general.

Rating :

Life changing!

To put it simply, this book is life changing. Buy this book now, and become a more productive, effective person.

Rating :

A catalyst for my quest to just 'be better'

Here is an excerpt from my blog post about working on Covey's 2nd Habit. I hope it will encourage others to take the time to really think about and work through the lessons in this book. I'm not sure I am a more confident or effective person as of yet, but it feels good to 'Be Proactive' (a la Habit #1) and feel like I'm working towards making progress. -- Evonne
[...]

Begin with the End in Mind (Part 1)

I tried writing my obituary today. No, I haven't already decided to give up. It was an exercise suggested by the enduring classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It's not a book about `confidence' per se. It is about being an effective and successful person. The philosophy Covey teaches to achieve this end is known as the Character Ethic. The Character Ethic attributes success to fundamental and underlying human characteristics such as integrity, honesty, courage, potential and growth. This is in contrast to the Personality Ethic which calls its followers to focus on personality traits, skills and maintaining a positive attitude among other things to be an effective person and according to Covey this latter approach been unduly popularized throughout the latter half of the 20th century. I don't know which ethic is more correct and I'm not sure that I believe there are only two ways to approach effectiveness. But I think we can all agree that feeling effective and successful are important to feeling in control and confident and I hope to explore both approaches (among many others) in this blog.

In Habit #2: Begin With The End In Mind, Covey suggests that you take a moment to think about what you would want a member of your social network, your family and a community organization that you're involved with to say about you at your funeral.

"Now think deeply," he writes, "What would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life? What character would you like them to have seen in you? What contributions, what achievements would you want them to remember? What difference would you like to have made in their lives?"

And now here's the real clencher... "Before you read further, take a few minutes to jot down your impressions. It will greatly increase your personal understanding of Habit 2." Damn't.. sigh.. and so I was stuck jotting ideas on a napkin..

(By the way, if you're wondering what happened to Habit #1: Be proactive a.k.a. "work inside your circle of influence" and "if you think the problem is out there, that's the problem". Well, you're looking at it.)

I had heard of this eulogy/obituary exercise before and to be honest it never really resonated with me. I understand that it should highlight what you truly value and help you work backwards to prioritize your life and work towards those goals. But in addition to being, well.. morbid, I also tend to think it gives too much weight to what you want people to think about you. While beginning to ponder the questions, it put me into a manipulative mindset, asking myself how I get my friends/family/etc to say what I want them to say about me. But perhaps this says more about me and my tendencies than it says about the merits of the exercise.

Here are my napkin jottings. Please read as if there is a question mark after every statement because that was the tone of the voice dictating each line in my head. And I apologize in advance for all the cringing you are about to experience...

She was happy. (Remember, read: "She was happy?") She felt lucky.She was surrounded by people she loved and who loved her. People wanted her in their lives. One of the most interesting people I've met. Never dull. You'd never know what she was going to say. She made life interesting. She was brilliant, but almost just as notably, she was curious. People wanted to be around her. She had a way of making people feel comfortable and wanted and accepted. She wanted to understand everything. She wanted to be involved in everything. She was a mathematician, a business woman, a chef and food critic, a planner, a writer, a thinker, a philanthropist, an anthropologist, a strategist, an explorer, an adventurer, a curiosity, a language prodigy, a wonderful friend and loving mother. She had no regrets.

Okay, so I took some liberties here, but be proud of me for actually uploading my unedited scribbles. It's actually (even more) embarassing because I don't think I would've written something much different in 3rd grade.. how far I've come. Don't worry, my ego is not actually this big (and misdirected/delusional) but the exercise instructions didn't say to limit by my actual level of intellect, skills, behavioral tendencies, etc so I ran with it.

While I feel it did point out quite a few of my insecurities and to some extent some of the things I want or think I want in life, again I didn't feel like I was getting to the core of it. I actually wanted to come up with a few things I could feel proud of and live by and work towards instead of taking a 5-minute stab in the dark with my pen and a napkin. But how do I do that? Keep in mind you're asking a 26 year old what she wants in life...

So here is my plan, to be tackled this week (and diligently written about next Sunday, of course). Instead of daydreaming and musing, I am going to take a more systematic approach. Obviously from my scribbles you can tell I have no real idea what a eulogy or an obituary might sound like. And given my limited life experience I haven't had exposure to the breadth of life experiences and character qualities that can be highlighted therein. And just generally I don't know what makes for a meaningful and interesting discussion of a person's life... I've never attended a funeral and if you can believe it, the obituaries are not my `flip-to' section of the NYT. In addition, I have no idea what I could write in a mock obituary for my future self that would feel uplifting and satisfying to my current self right now.

I know I've flipped past countless examples in the obituaries section of the NYT, The Economist, The Atlantic... so I've decided to go back and actually read them. While perusing the web editions of these publications, I found troves of obituaries that I can't wait to read: David Foster Wallace, Bobby Fischer, Laurence Urdang, Yves Saint Laurent, Mary Garber, Charlton Heston. Obviously these lives were selected by these journals because the people who led them were luminaries and pioneers in their time and I don't expect to hold myself to quite as high a standard. But I think this will provide some good fodder and am very interested to learn what will stand out to me, what I will and won't want people to say about me and to eventually help me realize at least a few ideas that I want to internalize and make my own.

Will report back shortly...



Rating :

Probably the best out there on the subject

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey is an excellent motivational book for businesspeople or anyone for that matter. There is a multitude of phony, puffy, cheesy and fluffy "self-help" books out there in this department, but I feel that this book really stands out as the one to get. If you read this book and utilize the strategies in it, you WILL see an improvement in your life. Nuff Said.

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Great Condition/Great Book

The book was in really good condition. It's a great book. Anyone who likes to read should check it out.

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