Book Description
We don't usually identify with the author of a great story. Instead we bond with the hero and heroine-the ones that the story is
about. We share in their heartaches and triumphs. We cheer their accomplishments and mourn their losses.
When we think about our own story, we may see God as the author-an omniscient and omnipotent cosmic mastermind-but fail to recognize Him as the central character. In
Epic, a retelling of the gospel in four acts, John Eldredge invites us to revisit the drama of life, viewing God not only as the author but also as the lead actor, exploring His motives and His heart. Eldredge examines the power of story, the universal longing for a "plot" that makes sense deep inside us, our desire for a meaningful role to play, our love of books and movies, and how all of this points us to the gospel itself.
It's a story better than any fairy tale! Our human hearts are made for great drama, and the gospel, with its tragedy and grandeur, truly is epic. Also available as an unabridged audio on CD, as well as hardcover Spanish edition.
Customer Reviews:
Haven't received it yet.......2007-06-01
I don't know why earning "free shipping for orders over $25" should be a penalty. It takes 4-5 times longer to get your order when you do this. I have not received this book.
Great book.......2007-02-22
This is a good book, easy to read, and short. Great as a gift, or for your own personal curiosity. We've given away several.
Life changing paradigm shifts.......2007-02-21
I first saw the DVD, which I recommend watching first and using the book to supplement. Eldredge offers three versions in DVD set--a short 37 minute version, an hour long version, and a small group study version that is just over 1 1/2 hours with commentaries if you watch all 6 parts at once. I highly HIGHLY recommend that the first time you watch it, you go ahead and commit to watching the study version all the way through in one sitting. I got several life-changing insights and they keep coming. After seeing the DVD, I wanted more and read the book. While the book doesn't have quite the same impact, it does offer a little more information.
I've been a Christian for 30 of my 36 years and this DVD (and book) impacted me more than any sermon I've heard.
The Prologue sets up the format. He presents the gospel as an epic--a story and gives us a larger view of Christianity and where we fit into it. It's SOOO not all about us, yet we are a valuable part of it, we have our role to play.
The first "Act" is Eternal Love. It made me see God's nature more clearly. Yes, God is love, as we have all heard. But understanding the Trinity love relationship helped lay a foundation for the overall insight of We can trust the heart of God. That we are invited into something good that already exists and offers a sense of belonging to something greater.
The second act "Entrance of Evil" reminded me that sometimes I forget and see the world (and thus God)as if there weren't a villian. I also see how his biggest lie (You can't trust the heart of God) was being perpetuated long before creation. It was effective with the fallen angels and I fall prey to it sometimes myself.
The third act is where creation began and we currently are. I've heard (even occasionally taught) that God loves me innumerable times. While I knew in my head that this was unmistakeably true, I never experienced it like I did because of this. "The Passion of Christ" gave me a glimmer, but this much, much more so. The way Eldridge describes creation and us made in the Trinity's likeness (an echo) made me feel Psalms 139:13 like never before. I've struggled with feeling valuable and this insight offered a sense of security I've had a difficult time obtaining. Despite what we do (the she-camel verse struck my very heart), God still melts for us and pursues us, without force. Christ's life and death somehow seem more real to me. With love like this, I can trust the heart of God.
Act four talks about Heaven. NOT the typical (unfortunately) view of heaven and endless (i.e. boring) worship and praisefests. (Yes, we will worship God, but not just through song and church services in the sky) This presents a biblical view of heaven that really does sound like heaven. You really need to hear this, it's inspiring and exhilirating.
The Epilogue wraps it up and reasserts our place in the epic.
There isn't any way to convey all the ways or the degree how this DVD (and book) moved me and changed me. It's still happening. I find myself coming back to it again and again. I know Eldredge has written for men, I'm a woman and I don't think this is targeted just for men at all. I think it will speak most strongly to those who enjoy reading and movies a little more, just because he references so many. Each reference, if you're familiar with it, can evoke a feeling or situation in an instant that only adds to the message he is conveying. However, you don't have to know all the references to get an amazing amount out of it.
Good Sunday School Curriculum.......2007-01-04
I just completed teaching a Sunday School class using John Elderidge's Epic along with the DVD as a curriculum. The class was a cross generational men's group.
I must admit I was somewhat concerned about how this material would be received by the over 60 age group. My fears were unnecessay. The Epic served as a springboard for many good discussions. We discussed everything from relationships to the meaning of life. (You do encounter these topics when you ponder your role in the "Big" story.)
I was really blessed by the insights expressed by our group and came away with a greater appreciation for my seniors. The Epic also appealed to the younger members who could more easily relate to the media connections.
As some of the other reviews have pointed out, I agree that the Epic is not strongest work of scholarly theology. If this is your expectation then I would suggest you look elsewhere. If you are looking for a curriculum with broad appeal and is easy to teach this is just the ticket.
Good followup to Wild at Heart.......2006-12-01
I enjoyed as a followup. It helped keep my focus on another way of looking at situations. I think he may be onto something.
Book Description
Every marketer tells a story. And if they do it right, we believe them. We believe that wine tastes better in a $20 glass than a $1 glass. We believe that an $80,000 Porsche Cayenne is vastly superior to a $36,000 VW Touareg, which is virtually the same car. We believe that $225 Pumas will make our feet feel better-and look cooler-than $20 no-names . . . and believing it makes it true.
Successful marketers don't talk about features or even benefits. Instead, they tell a story. A story we want to believe.
This is a book about doing what consumers demand-painting vivid pictures that they choose to believe. Every organization-from nonprofits to car companies, from political campaigns to wineglass blowers-must understand that the rules have changed (again). In an economy where the richest have an infinite number of choices (and no time to make them), every organization is a marketer and all marketing is about telling stories.
Marketers succeed when they tell us a story that fits our worldview, a story that we intuitively embrace and then share with our friends. Think of the Dyson vacuum cleaner or the iPod.
But beware: If your stories are inauthentic, you cross the line from fib to fraud. Marketers fail when they are selfish and scurrilous, when they abuse the tools of their trade and make the world worse. That's a lesson learned the hard way by telemarketers and Marlboro.
This is a powerful book for anyone who wants to create things people truly want as opposed to commodities that people merely need.
Customer Reviews:
Perception is a powerful thing...play along with it.......2007-10-03
'All Marketers are Liars' is a provocatively entertaining book about marketing and human nature. Seth Godin has once again applied his reliable formula for publishing success:
1. Pick a traditional and well accepted marketing concept
2. Write about it from a totally new perspective
3. Make the book easy to read and include a lot of examples
4. Give the book an intriguing title
5. Sell a lot of books
In 'Purple Cow' the basic concept was differentiation (nothing new in itself, after all, people had been talking about positioning and unique selling propositions for decades). In 'All Marketers are Liars' Seth's premise is based on these two well established marketing concepts:
a) It is harder to make something and then try to sell it, than it is to first find out what people want and then give it to them.
b) It is very difficult (and expensive) to try to change people's perception once it is already formed.
The new 'angle' being explored, though, is that most of the time those perceptions are based on emotions that go against objective facts. The recipe for successful marketing, says Godin, is to find a large enough group of people with a particular world view, and offer them a product that caters and reinforces that world view.
Judging by some reader reviews, some people seem to have taken offense to Seth's thesis, implying that it encourages dishonesty in marketing. I don't subscribe to that point of view. Giving people exactly what they want, even though objective facts suggest that they should want something else is not being dishonest.
To illustrate Seth's thesis I'll give you an example: suppose that you have two identical watches, one of them is made in Switzerland and the other one is made in China. If you ask people which one is better, I bet that nine out of ten will answer `the Swiss watch'.
The objective of the Swiss watch maker is to sell watches. Are they supposed to go around telling everybody that the Chinese watch is as good as theirs? Of course not. The Swiss watch maker's advertising will most likely make extensive use of marketing signals that reinforce the world view of the nine people who picked the Swiss watch: their magazine ads will probably display pictures of their watch with a backdrop of a quaint Swiss village surrounded by the Alps and the Swiss cross prominently displayed somewhere on the page.
Now, if the Swiss watch maker decided to relocate their manufacturing plant to China and continued to use the same marketing signals in their advertising their customers would cry foul. If they also intentionally and openly lied about the country of origin of the watch they would be committing fraud. Seth Godin voices a strong opinion against these two scenarios, the first one because it would be "unauthentic" and the second one because it would be outright illegal and unethical.
'All Marketers are Liars' is a quick and entertaining read (you can probably breeze through it from cover to cover on your average plane ride) and it will leave you with a valuable takeaway on which to base your marketing strategy.
fun marketing.......2007-08-24
Such fun to read and all about story. This is a great read if you are marketing any product.
I dig this book.......2007-07-08
Great insight on consumer world views. Godin discusses how marketers can leverage those views to better align their intended audience with their product/service. He focuses on the psychosocial aspect of buying without being overly scientific. He gives good examples to support his points throughout the book - those that have succeeded and those that have not.
This is the second book I've read by Godin. He does a good job keeping a consistent theme and appropriate cross referencing between the two books (there are many others). Coming from a background other than marketing, I feel like these books are helping me (my business) grow as opposed to filling me with trivial information. It's more than just "closing the deal", or "getting the sale" type stuff. His theme is more in tune with developing a mindset based on successful product development and getting those products in the hands of the right people (sneezers, as he calls them). I will continue reading his material.
I do have one question. What are the opaque letters on Godin's head on the cover of this book?
Another good one by Seth Godin.......2007-05-30
The title is a little bit deceptive, it seems bitter and cynical at first. It's actually good sales advice. The basic premise is that people can better relate to a story than marketing hype. So, if you can describe the benefits of your offering in the way of an anecdote, personal experience or third party reference, then you will be able to enable your prospective clients to mentally 'try on' or visualize what you are trying to sell. Seth is a prolific writer who has great vision and foresight, he has been quoted in many other books and generously quotes other authors and great writings as well.
Its not the Marketers that are liars - its we the audience that do the lying.......2007-05-18
I'm a fan! I found Seth's arguement easy to follow and insightful. I normally would never rave about a marketing book. They are all to full of hip statements that really never ring true - just clever. Seth's words do ring true. The truth I found most true is it relates to how the only thing that matters in the current marketing scene is the "story". Once a good story is told the audience takes that story and makes of it what they need to be - this is the place where the lies get told.
My take away from this easy to read, straight up good book as someone developing a start up is - to be authentic is not to race to the middle but instead tell the story even if it pushes on the border. Tell the story loud and proud - but whatever - tell it to be heard.
Book Description
Inspiring stories and practical advice from America's most respected journalists
The country's most prominent journalists and nonfiction authors gather each year at Harvard's Nieman Conference on Narrative Journalism. Telling True Stories presents their best advice—covering everything from finding a good topic, to structuring narrative stories, to writing and selling your first book. More than fifty well-known writers offer their most powerful tips, including:
•
Tom Wolfe on the emotional core of the story
•
Gay Talese on writing about private lives
•
Malcolm Gladwell on the limits of profiles
•
Nora Ephron on narrative writing and screenwriters
•
Alma Guillermoprieto on telling the story and telling the truth
• Dozens of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists from the Atlantic Monthly, New Yorker, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and more . . .
The essays contain important counsel for new and career journalists, as well as for freelance writers, radio producers, and memoirists. Packed with refreshingly candid and insightful recommendations, Telling True Stories will show anyone fascinated by the art of writing nonfiction how to bring people, scenes, and ideas to life on the page.
Customer Reviews:
Essential reading for serious writers.......2007-06-02
"Telling True Stories" belongs on every serious writer's bookshelf. Including insights from many of the luminaries in the narrative non-fiction world, it is not only an essential read for someone working in this field, but a lively and inspiring one as well. Highly recommended!
A rookie reporter appreciates guide to better story telling.......2007-05-08
"Telling True Stories" is 91 outstanding essays on what narrative nonfiction reporting and writing are and how to do both better. The book, described as "a nonfiction writers' guide," features many award winning reporters, editors and teachers who have presented during Nieman Conferences on Narrative Journalism and include Walt Harrington, Jack Hart, Tom French, Tom Hallman and John Franklin. The title could just as easily been "Telling True Stories Compellingly" for these essayists and others clearly describe how fact-based narratives, when employing the story-telling techniques described in detail, can produce truly memorable newspaper pieces, magazine articles and books. As a rookie newspaper reporter very interested in writing stories that will be read, this book is worth at least double the price - maybe triple.
Wonderful resource for a professional speechwriter.......2007-03-21
People love stories. I'm a professional speechwriter working in a large High Tech company. The essays in this book are a wonderful inspiration. I'm always looking for ways to move executive communications beyond PowerPoint slides and boring datapoints. Stories are a key way of engaging an audience. This book shows how the best stories are researched and reported; constructed; edited and published.
Example: Jack Hart's distinction between Summary and Narrative (p. 112) lists how the story emphasizes concrete detail (over the abstract); employs dialog; a specific point of view and occurs lower on the level of abstraction. These are all important points to remember when reviewing a speech or presentation for audience appeal.
Learn the elements of good storytelling.......2007-03-06
Want to write true stories that will still be readable five, 10, 20, 50 years from now? Ever talk to someone who told you something that touched your heart, whether it's an experience they had or just a good yarn that you'll think about long after the conversation's over?
These are the kinds of stories this book will show you how to write. The authors won't tell you exactly. That's a path you'll have to find out for yourself. But they'll give you guides, practical tips to learn how to talk and write like you're having a conversation with a reader who wants to know more about your story.
As a working journalist for a mid-sized newspaper in Southwest Virginia, I've read countless of books discussing the techniques of narrative writing. This one ranks high above them. Many of the authors break down the elements of telling good stories. For example, listen to Susan Orlean talk about having voice in your stories: "You can't invent a voice. And you can't imitate someone else's voice, though trying to can be a good exercise. It can lead you to begin to understand the mechanisms that convey the voice. Read your stories out loud so you can hear how you tell stories. As you read, ask yourself: Does it sound real? Would I have said it that way?"
The editors of the book offer nice introductions to each section and tell you who you'll be reading in the next few pages. It reminds me of a book by Stanley Cavell called "Cities of Words," which is presented as a series of lectures in a classroom.
The way this book is put together is similar. It reads like you're in class waiting for a lecture from folks such as Tom Wolfe, Susan Orlean, Tracy Kidder and others. There is no shortage of ideas, approaches to reporting and writing stories and you can't help but think how you would have tackled a famed writer's story if you were in their position. (Probably, not very well. But better, I'm assuming, than those who don't read this book.)
Writing true stories is not the easiest way to spend your time. It can get very frustrating and confusing. That's why this book is important. It has given me a new perspective on how to approach these kinds of stories and that's why I recommend it.
Book Description
In
Epic, a retelling of the gospel in four acts, John Eldredge invites us to revisit the drama of life, viewing God not only as the author but also as the lead actor, exploring His motives and His heart. Eldredge examines the power of story, the universal longing for a "plot" that makes sense deep inside us, our desire for a meaningful role to play, our love of books and movies, and how all of this points us to the gospel itself.
Customer Reviews:
Epic story...epic book.......2007-09-08
Rising With The Son: A Diary Of A Growing Soul
There is a larger story. John's epic tale of our own story as told in the gospels in a valuable tool for a clear and revealing understanding of why life is so darn hard! Biblically sound and written with a heart for the Lord, this is a great give away book for people who have lost trust in the Lord or curious about the Christian walk.
John's insight is clear and fresh and he delivers another home run with this short book. I recommend you go to his website and roll out the entire curriculum he offers in the DVD and workbooks! Go for it, and take your place in the battle.
Blasphemy.......2007-09-07
The third chapter of this book is of great offensive to me and dilutes any positive attitude I have for this book. In fact, I have little motivation to finish the book because the third chapter was so distasteful.
John Eldredge is fond of making analogies about the Christian faith by comparing Christianity to popular movies... popular filthy, vulgar, profane, immoral, and blasphemous movies!
John Eldredge does make some analogies with appropriate movies such as The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. There are many appropriate stories he could make analogies with, which makes it even more shameful for him to compare Christianity to the likes of The Matrix, The Titanic, and Braveheart!
It all starts in chapter three where John Eldgredge compares God's creation of romance to scenes from Braveheart and the Titanic. It is blasphemous to say that God's version of romance is anything like what is depected in Braveheart or Titanic. Let me begin with Braveheart...
Braveheart is rated R for brutal violence, sexuality, nudity and mature themes. This fact alone should prevent Christians from comparing God's creation to Braveheart! John Eldredge refers to the beauty of God's creation of romance by comparing it to the relationship between William Wallace and his girlfriend... a relationship in which they have premarital sex in a scene involving nudity! This is sinful fornication and Christians should not be watching movies with these scenes. It's bad in and of itself... but to make it worse John Eldredge compares that to God's plan for romance in creation! This blasphemy drags down God's name!
In between Eldredge's Braveheart and Titanic analogies, he compares Christianity to the Matrix. Where do I start? The Matrix is a mix of multiple religions, which results in something clearly NOT Christian. Does the movie have Christian themes? So what? The movies are full of blasphemy, profanity, nudity, and sex. The Matrix does NOT glorify God. Eldridge compares Neo's awareness of the Matrix to Christians realizing that the world is under the dominion of Satan... huh? Eldredge even plays the "find the Jesus" game and compares Jesus' salvation work to Neo setting the Matrix free... The thought of comparing Jesus to Neo makes me gag.
Eldridge goes so far to say that Neo's "death and resurrection shatter the power of the Matrix, set the captives free." Neo's death is just like Jesus' death on the cross? NO.
The most offensive and disappointing part of this book is when John Eldredge compares our relationship with Christ to the relationship between Jack and Rose from the Titanic... their adulterous fornicating relationship! This analogy made me so upset that I don't want to finish reading the book. Eldredge calls Jack a "Hero" and a "Lover" who "lays down his life to rescue his Beloved". This makes me sick! Jack in the Titanic has an adulterous affair with an emotionally unstable engaged woman and has sex with her soon after meeting her, even drawing her nude in a scene that many CHILDREN saw when parents expected to be watching a PG-13 movie! This is what John Eldredge compares to our relationship with Christ? How can anyone justify this? Eldredge describes Rose as a "prisoner to a man she doesn't love," then supports Jack's actions by saying that his adulterous affair "rescued" Rose from an engagement she did not want to be part of. Huh? Rescuing her through adultery and fornication?
John Eldredge ends page 71 by quoting Rose: "He saved me in every way a person can be saved," referring to how Jack "saved" her by having a lustful, fornicating, adulterous affair with her. John Eldredge then makes the analogy that Christ saves in the same way! Are you serious!
That's not all of it. Consider this sentence from page 67: "The coming of Jesus of Nazareth was far more like the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan." Are you kidding me? No! Jesus coming to the world compared to a world war 2 gun battle?
This blasphemous nonsense makes the whole book unbearable to read. If you disagree with me, please tell me how it glorifies God to make the analogies I explained above.
And if you think that it is OK to take "positive" aspects from wicked movies, then I ask you - Would you watch pornographic movies that have "good stories"? I thought so.
master story teller.......2007-08-18
just finished my copy today. and my daughter has taken over.it is christianity in a nutshell!!!
Living a life with passion and devotion to a worthy calling!.......2007-06-26
Eldredge begins this book with a quote from Chesterton: "I had always felt life first as a story--and if there is a story there is a story teller." With that as the backdrop, Eldredge claims that far too many Christians have lost their story, lost the narrative that gives meaning and purpose to their lives - and without the storyline, they are relegated to a role behind stage, out of the limelight of life, destined for insignificance and mediocrity. Eldredge claims that a life of mediocrity is not why God sent His only Son to die for mankind - there must be something more...there is something more!
In a book that feels like you're reading The Chronicles of Narnia, The Epic is a dive into the land of enchantment and mystery where there is a battle and you are a warrior. Eldredge paints the picture for the reader that the great cosmic struggle of the day is actually centered around each person - a battle for their heart and their mind - and, claims Eldredge, too many followers of Christ are relegated to sitting on the sidelines watching as others engage for the cause of Christ. For John Eldredge, the sidelines of life might was well be hell itself - clearly no place for the follower of Jesus Christ, a man of passion, a man of purpose, a man whose life bubbled over with meaning and transcendence - and if He is our model, what should the life of those who claim to be His follower look like? Nothing less, says Eldredge.
The Epic is a great read, very encouraging and powerful, but not for the faint of heart and not for the theologian looking for a biblical discourse on a particular doctrine - it is a book from the heart for the heart.
A MUST READ FOR ANYONE PASSIONATELY PURSUING CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY.......2007-05-31
A QUICK INSPIRING READ THAT WILL BRIGHTEN YOUR PERCEPTION ON THE PLANS GOD HAS FOR YOUR LIFE.
LCPL CURRIE, MICHAEL, S
USMC
FORWARD OPERATING BASE, IRAQ
Download Description
In Presenting to Win: Persuading Your Audience Every Time, the world's #1 presentation consultant shows how to connect with even the toughest, most high-level audiences--and move them to action. Jerry Weissman shows presenters of all kinds how to dump tho
Customer Reviews:
Fundraisers, buy this book.......2007-09-21
In fundraising, the basic exercise is called "making your case." Which is, you make an argument that persuades prospective donors to invest their philanthropic dollars in your particular mission or vision -- you hope. True, Jerry Weissman's book is intended for a traditional business audience; he learned his secrets coaching companies like Yahoo prepare for their IPOs. But don't be fooled by his for-profit credentials: this book is all about making your case effectively. And fundraisers desperately need to know the stuff that Jerry Weissman reveals here: how to tell your story so compellingly that buy-in is virtually guaranteed. If you're a fundraiser entering a capital campaign, save yourself the false starts: buy this book.
The experience of presenting written in this book.......2007-09-13
Excellent book. It's well written, with very good examples. You will recognize your mistakes and as myself you will probably improve your presenting skills.
Best public speaking book ever.......2007-09-03
This book is amazing to me because my employer requires that I read one book on communication skills/presentation skills each quarter. Well, I've worked for for more than five years so I've read more than 20 such books. The thing that shocked me about this book was how much new information it contained that I had never seen elsewhere. This books is really great for the long time public speaker... you'll get a lot out of it.
Loaded with useful information.......2007-05-14
This book is loaded with helpful advice on creating a great presentation. Even if you think you are great at presentations, this book will help you become even better.
The Key To Beyond Bullet Points.......2007-01-13
Do you want to make presentations described by Cliff Atkinson in Beyond Bullet Points but are having trouble with using storyboards and composing Acts I, II, & III? Jerry Weismman in Presenting to Win provides the structure to enable you to do that. Jerry is a craftsman and he presents his concepts very clearly and convincingly - he can actually do what he tells you to do! I provide training workshops some of which span three days. Each workshop is customized and I utilize PowerPoint to provide the visual part of the presentation. I haven't been able to totally eliminate bullet points for a presentation of that length - though I have dramatically reduced the number of them! Jerry's techniques for understanding and improving the mechanics of your presentation cover the last half of the book and have been equally valuable to me as the story telling portion which the first half.
If implementing Beyond Bullet Points is giving you trouble but you are convinced that the concept is the right one; then Presenting to Win is essential. Regardless, Presenting to Win can help you make clear, powerful presentations that enable your participants get to Point B!
Book Description
The first overview of the revolutionary advertising techniques and media needed to successfully reach today's consumer.
Twenty years ago an advertiser could reach eighty percent of the American population with just three television commercials. Today it takes 150. Advertising is suffering because of the sheer amount of it, the lack of innovation within traditional advertising formats, and the power that media fragmentation and technology give to consumers to tune out the noise.
The new buzzwords are guerrilla, stealth, ambush, buzz, viral, grassroots, wildfire, and ambient. This book is the first to harness them into an integrated communications approach, as Tom Himpe explains and illustrates:
• the four driving forces for getting close to the consumer: be personal; go where the competition isn't; make the brand invisible; be unpredictable;
• the eight techniques—from consumer involvement to harnessing the power of the senses—for employing these driving forces, illustrated with campaigns from across the world;
• the four types of campaign that make use of this new knowledge. 435 color illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Ideas worth SIX stars; specific examples worth TWO.......2007-04-23
The book was worth many times its price just for one chapter, "Thinking Outside the Box," which contains many ideas that are simple yet incredibly creative (timelines, "WANTED"-poster styles, blurbs, etc.)
However, if family holidays, babies, and engagements have somehow eluded you, it is possible to feel VERY alienated from your own life by the traditional examples given. (In this case, please check out "On Leaving a Trace" for inspiration on writing and any of Lynne Perella's books for help with artistic expression.)
I am just using this book to dip into for practical ideas (structures), of which it offers plenty. Then I quickly shut it and forget everthning else!
Simple techniques for good scrapbook writing.......2003-02-14
Imagine looking 50 years into the future as your great grandchildren look through your scrapbook. There are plenty of great photos; there may even be notes on the dates and subjects. But beyond that, nothing. Eventually they close the album, having learned little about their ancestors in the early 21st Century.
It was precisely this imaginary scenario that finally prompted me to seek out help for my scrapbook journaling blocks in the form of Scrapbook Journaling Made Simple. This book addresses the importance of journaling the stories and vital information that should be a part of every page in your cherished albums. Even more to the point, SJMS tells you how to overcome these psychological impediments that we all face at one time or another. Among these issue are:
1. Fear of making a big mistake that will ruin the whole layout
2. You hate your handwriting
3. Lack of information about a photograph
4. Not knowing how to write "well"
5. Lack of time (my personal un-favorite)
SJMS guides you through all the excuses, countering them neatly in simple sections that break down the task of writing your personal stories into manageable steps. Much of the process is common sense, but you will also learn getting started, tricks to jog your memory, improving the look of your text, and more. In the process you will discover just what a wealth of lore you have within you to express on paper.
If I had one criticism about this book, it is that SJMS could feature more in-depth examples of outstanding journaling from the real-life examples. The samples they gave tended to be all too abbreviated, IMHO. It also would have been nice to explore the dimension that quotes and various font styles can give to a page.
This book is especially good for those of us who may be starting out new to the scrapbooking craft. SJMS has a very simple, encouraging style that puts the emphasis on the real reason we scrapbook - our heritage to the future - without overwhelming the reader with trends and product recommendations. Basically, it will inspire you to write again.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle
Learn to describe, not tell, the stories in your scrapbooks.......2003-02-13
If you find it difficult to "let go" when you are journaling in your scrapbooks - and by that, I mean using your senses while writing in order to feel the moment, rather than just telling the facts - then you will want to invest in a copy of SCRAPBOOK JOURNALING MADE SIMPLE.
In addition to simple methods of writing down your information (including: bullet, dictionary, timeline, recipe, poetic, and acrostic journaling, among others) you'll get a list of descriptive words that can really punch up your writing, questions to reflect on while deciding what to say about your pictures, interviewing techniques, and ways to overcome writer's block. Also included are ways to use journaling creatively in your pages, journaling without photos, and methods for adding journaling to crowded or finished pages.
Anyone can journal just as well as the artists who produce such amazing and touching pages in scrapbooking magazines. All it takes is the right tools and some practice!
Book Description
In this inspiring book, based on her twenty years of research, highly acclaimed author and teacher Louise DeSalvo reveals the healing power of writing. DeSalvo shows how anyone can use writing as a way to heal the emotional and physical wounds that are an inevitable part of life. Contrary to what most self-help books claim, just writing won't help you; in fact, there's abundant evidence that the wrong kind of writing can be damaging. DeSalvo's program is based on the best available and most recent scientific studies about the efficacy of using writing as a restorative tool. With insight and wit, she illuminates how writers, from Virginia Woolf to Henry Miller to Audre Lorde to Isabel Allende, have been transformed by the writing process. Writing as a Way of Healing includes valuable advice and practical techniques to guide and inspire both experienced and beginning writers. "An exquisite gift of grace. It will help you write yourself out of the wilderness of pain and denial into Wholeness." -Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of Simple Abundance
Customer Reviews:
Very Inspirational.......2006-04-19
Although the book was not quite what I was expecting, i.e. a book that teaches you how to journal, I found it exceptional nonetheless. It was inspirational as it shared stories of other writers who write to save their sanity and souls. It also offered useful techniques to get you thinking about your memories and how to record them.
I highly recommend this very readable book.
Validation Personified.......2005-04-02
My daughter Debbi gave me this book for my birthday. I read Ms. DeSalvo's book when I was in the final stages of confronting the tragic suicide of my father that happened two days before my high school Senior Prom. For nearly fifty years after the day my entrepreneur father put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger his death gnawed at me. By facing what happened to me on that dreary spring day in Boston and trying to make sense of my Pop's state of mind on the day he died I was able to dig down deep into my soul and describe how I felt. I opened up my heart and was able to face a time only years had kept at bay. By writing about my heretofore-suppressed feelings I began to sob over the keyboard and took my first steps to understand why my father died. Desalvo's book validated my earlier conclusion that writing is truly a way of healing.
A motivating book on writing.......2005-03-25
No book can teach you to write, unless it is a formulaic recipe, cookbook sort of guide. Writing as a Way as Healing is exceptional because it has a particular point of view regarding the value of writing--specifically, exploring dis-ease through the written word. DeSalvo focuses on PROCESS, which is the simple idea that through writing one discovers how to write, and what particular story one is destined to write. This alone is invaluable advice since much writing is pre-packaged and pre-determined so that it is predictable. Both experienced and inexperienced writers can take this advice to heart since it encourages one not to feel as though writer's block is not having anything to write about, but rather not finding what one needs to write about. The book is supplemented by both references and quotes from well-known writers who have written about pain and illness, and includes empirical data about the healing power of writing. This is a good book. Period.
Heal Thyself - Write.......2004-10-26
To show how powerful this book is, I write a Barbara Garro Poem as my review--
Your Choices Create Your Life
Sheer will allows life undamaged
Sheer will refuses to allow compromise of your happiness
Sheer will creates freedom of choice
And choice allows life
No one can hold your conversation
No one can take your freedom
No one will create your life
Louise DeSalvo created a book in "Writing as a Way of Healing" to get you to this place of freedom and choice.
Should we do what Virginia did?.......2004-06-12
This book presents Virginia Woolf as an example of someone who used writing for healing. But how much did writing really help Woolf? Woolf committed suicide. To me that indicates that any healing methods she used were inadequate.
When this book arrived in the mail I was excited and hopeful. Then I opened it and almost immediately saw Virginia Woolf's name. My heart sank. I make it a practice never to take the advice of people who eventually commit suicide. Rather, I study their lives to learn what NOT to do.
A better book on the same topic is "Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions" by James Pennebaker. It's based solidly on research, not on the literature of suicides.
Book Description
No matter how much trainers believe that their work is valuable, clients will always want solid, objective evidence that the training they're spending good money on is effective. "Telling Training's Story provides the tools to do just that, allowing anyone to measure a training regime's effectiveness and prove it to customers. The book's central tool is the Success Case Method (SCM), and although the SCM is rigorous enough to convince even the harshest skeptic, it's also easy to understand. The book first explains how the SCM works, and then lays out a five-step plan that shows how to perform an SCM evaluation. Later chapters elaborate on the SCM process, providing in-depth instructions and guidelines. There are also four case studies that show how SCM evaluations were performed by global organizations. Filled with examples and checklists, "Telling Training's Story levels the playing field by granting trainers the ability to prove what they know in their heart -- training works.
Customer Reviews:
Right Up There With "Preparing Instructional Objectives." .......2006-03-30
Brings to the topic of training evaluation what Robert Mager brought to training design. An extremely lucid read about the author's why-didn't-anybody-think-of-this-before "Success Case Method" of training evaluation. Shows how traditional "Training ROI" methods are not only impractical, but wrongheaded in trying to isolate training impact from the work environment. Offers a fast track alternative that helps you improve your training as you prove it, and team better with the business issue owners whose support you require. Not an academic tome, this is a real "how to do it" manual that provides everything you need to know to evaluate your own training projects, illustrated by real case study examples.
Book Description
Telling the Stories of Life through Guided Autobiography Groups, based on James Birren's 25 years of conducting autobiography groups, discusses all the topics an organizer faces while developing a program for adults who want to recall and write down their life histories. This book is ideal for adult education programs, church groups, social workers, psychologists, gerontologists, and others who work with adults who might be interested in exploring, recording, or sharing their personal histories. It helps professionals and trained workshop leaders at community centers, senior centers, schools and other settings guide group participants in exploring major themes of their lives so that they can organize and write their stories and share them in a group with others on the same journey. This exercise is rewarding for adults of any age in a period of transition or with interest in gaining insight from their own stories. Personal development and a feeling of connection to other participants and their stories is a natural outcome of this process. This book provides background material and detailed lesson plans for those who wish to develop and lead an autobiography group.
The authors explain the concept of guided autobiography, discuss the benefits to the group participants, and provide logistical information on how to plan, organize, and set up a group. An appendix provides exercises, handouts, and suggested adaptations for specific groups. The book also explains a systematic method of priming memories, including the history of family and of one's life work, the role of money, health and the body, and ideas about death.
At a time when rapid change has created a widespread yearning to write down and exchange personal accounts, sharing life stories can reveal a great deal about how we have come to be the persons we are. Telling the Stories of Life through Guided Autobiography Groups shows how to organize, record, and share life experiences through a proven and effective technique.
Customer Reviews:
The ticket to success for Guided Autobiography groups.......2001-09-08
September 8, 2001
Book Review by Cheryl Svensson
Telling the Stories of Life Through Guided Autobiography Groups
James E. Birren and Kathryn Cochran
I have led Guided Autobiography groups using, Telling the Stories of Life Through Guided Autobiography Groups, as my guide. The manual has proven to be the ticket to success!.
Guided Autobiography is an ordered, logical process of sequential steps that assist in writing one's life story. Each of the ten week sessions focuses on a theme that explores the important aspects of life and provides sensitizing questions as a guide to uncover the true life story. The purpose is an exploration of one's own life in a meaningful way that is
self-enriching and can also be left as a legacy for family members. The group process supports this end and provides the security and encouragement for self-exploration.
James Birren and Kathryn Cochran have provided guidelines to lead groups from the initial steps of recruiting group members to the final wrap-up session and saying good bye. Complete lesson plans are included that cover every feature of the weekly session. Each of the ten-week sessions includes a specific checklist, e.g., reminders to bring name tags, roster sheet, paper, pens, etc. to ensure success. The sensitzing questions, one of the keys to the Guided Autobiography process, are
included for each life theme. Furthermore, there are additional
suggestions and techniques for each session to stimulate creative writing skills, use of metaphor, and prompts to prime memories among others.
Having the training manual when running Guided Autobiography groups is like having a professional pack your suitcase when you embark on an extended ten week journey; nothing has been forgotten, the proper clothes for each occasion and all weather conditions have been anticipated, everything is mixed and matched perfectly, and all that's left is for you to enjoy the trip.
Telling the Stories of Life Through Guided Autobiography Groups does all that and more. Having the training manual frees you to fully engage yourself in the exciting Guided Autobiography process and grow along with your fellow travelers.
Books:
- Federal Style Patterns 1780-1820 with CD-Rom
- First Things First: To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy
- Fitzpatrick's Color Atlas & Synopsis of Clinical Dermatology
- For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men
- From El Greco to Goya: Painting in Spain,1561-1828 (Perspectives)
- Gardner's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Volume I (with ArtStudy CD-ROM 2.1, Western)
- Glorious Garden Flowers in Watercolor
- Go Long!: My Journey Beyond the Game and the Fame
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Cinderella Man: James Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History
- Those Left Behind
- Saul Steinberg Masquerade
- The Broken Mirror: Understanding and Treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder
- The Flip Side: Break Free of the Behaviors That Hold You Back
- Waiting for Daisy: A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, an Oscar, an
- The Story of Chicago May
- Breaking Designer's Block: 501 Graphic Design Solutions for Type, Color, and Materials
- Sharing Nature's Interest : Ecological Footprints as an Indicator of Sustainability
- Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America: A Field-to-kitchen Guide
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive
The Journey of Desire: Searching for the Life We've Only Dreamed of
The Sacred Romance: Drawing Closer to the Heart of God
Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul
Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul
