The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Good way to get prepared
  • Practical and Actionable. It is an excellent book on the subject of management transitions.
  • *****First 90 Days
  • A Must Read
  • Some great tips, but often not well developed or organized
The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels
Michael Watkins
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1591391105

Book Description

Whether challenged with taking on a startup, turning a business around, or inheriting a high-performing unit, a new leader's success or failure is determined within the first 90 days on the job.

In this hands-on guide, Michael Watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions, offers proven strategies for moving successfully into a new role at any point in one's career. The First 90 Days provides a framework for transition acceleration that will help leaders diagnose their situations, craft winning transition strategies, and take charge quickly.

Practical examples illustrate how to learn about new organizations, build teams, create coalitions, secure early wins, and lay the foundation for longer-term success. In addition, Watkins provides strategies for avoiding the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter, and shows how individuals can protect themselves-emotionally as well as professionally-during what is often an intense and vulnerable period.

Concise and actionable, this is the survival guide no new leader should be without.

"Few companies develop a systematic 'on-boarding' process for their new leaders, even though this is a critical function with major organizational implications. Michael Watkins's The First 90 Days provides a powerful framework and strategies that will enable new leaders to take charge quickly. It is an invaluable tool for that most vulnerable time-the transition."


-Goli Darabi, Senior Vice President, Corporate Leadership & Succession Management, Fidelity Investments

"Every job-private- or public-sector, civilian or military-has its breakeven point, and everyone can accelerate their learning. Read this book at least twice: once before your next transition-before getting caught up in the whirl and blur of new faces, names, acronyms, and issues; then read it again after you've settled in, and consider how to accelerate transitions for your next new boss and for those who come to work for you."


-Colonel Eli Alford, U.S. Army

"Watkins provides an excellent road map, telling us what all new leaders need to know and do to accelerate their learning and success in a new role. The First 90 Days should be incorporated into every company's leadership development strategy, so that anyone making a transition in an organization can get up to speed quicker and smarter."


-Suzanne M. Danielle, Director of Global Leadership Development, Aventis

"Michael Watkins has nailed a huge corporate problem and provided the solution in one fell swoop. The pressure on new leaders to hit the ground running has never been greater, and the likelihood and cost of failure is escalating. Watkins's timing with The First 90 Days is impeccable."


-Gordon Curtis, Principal, Curtis Consulting



"The First 90 Days is a must-read for entrepreneurs. Anyone who's been the CEO of a start-up or early-stage company knows that you go through many 90-day leadership transitions in the course of a company's formative years. In this groundbreaking book, Michael Watkins provides crucial insights, as well as a toolkit of techniques, to enable you to accelerate through these transitions successfully."


-Mike Kinkead, President and CEO, timeBLASTER Corporation, serial entrepreneur, and Cofounder and Trustee, Massachusetts Software Council


Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Good way to get prepared.......2007-07-04

It just makes sense, and is very thorough. Many things I would not have thought about, or gotten around to thinking about - we live in such a fast paced world that it would have been a challenge to do. Luckily, I had a cross country trip, so this gave me the time to read this book and compile my "list" of notes and apply them to my upcoming job change. Bottom line - many good new perspectives that I simply would not have thought of. Highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars Practical and Actionable. It is an excellent book on the subject of management transitions........2007-06-22

As a human resources professional, I have seen a great deal of management transition. Many succeed but some do not. Unfortunately for our people and our organizations those that do not leave a stream of damage in their wake.

Recently I wrote a review about Scott Eblin's, "The Next Level" and I called it a real disappointment. This book is not and it is a far more actionable and practical approach to managing transitions.

One of the reasons this book is so practical is that each section not only provides you with clear direction but each section also ends with an action checklist. This make creating a 90-day transition plan doable and improves your prospects for success.

Lastly, the steps from this book create a framework that a company can use to create a "transition strategy" for all its new and upwardly moving managers. This alone will enable a firm to increase their odds that a new hire or promotion will be in the "win" column.

5 out of 5 stars *****First 90 Days.......2007-06-10

I only ordered this for a superior and he is VERY VERY happy with the book...he asked for it by name so we ordered three copies! Thank you for the great service you provide.

4 out of 5 stars A Must Read.......2007-05-30

Great book for all business leaders who are advancing to a new role or coming from the outside into an organization. Simple, easy to read with pertinent lessons for a successful transition.

2 out of 5 stars Some great tips, but often not well developed or organized.......2007-05-28

We bought this book along with the "New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan" and read them side by side.

Pro:
-"STaRS" concept is excellent. Start-ups, Turnarounds, Realignments and Sustaining success are all different scenarios that you might be thrown into, and the environment you join directly affects what you need to do.
-Checklists are helpful, when available, to boil thoughts down to the most essential elements
-There are many good tips interspersed throughout the book that are good reminders of the basics you need to adhere to in order to be successful
-Breaks the "sink or swim mindset" often associated with starting a new position

Con:
-Does not really address the time opportunity BEFORE you start a job and in my experience is a major lost opportunity that I've been able to surprise and delight. Set up pre-meetings, arranging for email/phone and a place to sit, etc. as a chance to listen and learn without the pressure to perform. Any items that can/should be done ahead of time appear to me as afterthoughts, underdeveloped, and often out of sequence in this text.
-Would not serve as a handy reference... better chapter summaries and a stronger introduction with time lines and meaty chapter outline would have been helpful both now and in the future
-I think that many good concepts like "STaRS" were underdeveloped or under leveraged... I sense more detail that was perhaps omitted
-To me, many of the illustrations were filler and did not offer additional information
-Sometimes poor or awkward word choice or idea sequence (e.g. rather than "Promote Yourself" why not just call it "Prepare Yourself" as this is what you are really saying, so why not just say it that way?)
-Real life examples were unnecessarily detailed, consuming time and space that I think could be better used by the author as he's clearly brilliant and has some great observations
-I think that the scope is too narrow, picks up after you've started the job (day 1) and neglects the opportunity (and chaos) beforehand of the interview, moving, doing "pre-work" to get your basics at work set-up

Bottom line: While there were some interesting moments, I was disappointed. The book does offer several cautionary tales of CEOs who crashed and burned, and if nothing else serves as both warning and motivation to be smarter about your transition.
Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Great content, awful format
  • Interesting Read
  • As Good as Everyone is Saying...Just Buy It!
  • Better than the 7 Harry Potter books together
  • A Mars Bar for your Soul
Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days
Jessica Livingston
Manufacturer: Apress
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1590597141

Book Description

For would-be entrepreneurs, innovation managers or just anyone fascinated by the special chemistry and drive that created some of the best technology companies in the world, this book offers both wisdom and engaging insights—straight from the source.

— Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine, and author of The Long Tail

"All the best things that I did at Apple came from (a) not having money and (b) not having done it before, ever." —Steve Wozniak, Apple

Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days is a collection of interviews with founders of famous technology companies about what happened in the very earliest days. These people are celebrities now. What was it like when they were just a couple friends with an idea? Founders like Steve Wozniak (Apple), Caterina Fake (Flickr), Mitch Kapor (Lotus), Max Levchin (PayPal), and Sabeer Bhatia (Hotmail) tell you in their own words about their surprising and often very funny discoveries as they learned how to build a company.

Where did they get the ideas that made them rich? How did they convince investors to back them? What went wrong, and how did they recover?

Nearly all technical people have thought of one day starting or working for a startup. For them, this book is the closest you can come to being a fly on the wall at a successful startup, to learn how it's done.

But ultimately these interviews are required reading for anyone who wants to understand business, because startups are business reduced to its essence. The reason their founders become rich is that startups do what businessesdo—create value—more intensively than almost any other part of the economy. How? What are the secrets that make successful startups so insanely productive? Read this book, and let the founders themselves tell you.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Great content, awful format.......2007-09-20

There's plenty of great information here, as all the other reviews said. But this interview format is really excruciating to read. Casual speech is very hard to transcribe in such a way that it becomes readable. This is why journalists and other writers are trained in how to reduce a long, tangential speech into something meaningful and clear. These interviews tend to run on and on and on, with the subjects jumping around, sometimes contradicting themselves, or misspeaking; all the stuff we do when talking, but which doesn't really matter in conversation, where other cues like body language make up for it. It really takes a lot of work to read this stuff, you're constantly having to hear the subject "out loud" in your head for it to make sense.

This book's easily twice as long as it could be if these interviews were edited down to a few really useful pages each. Or better: rewritten as short essays.

4 out of 5 stars Interesting Read.......2007-09-19

Founders at Work is a fairly interesting read but lacks some depth. I'm the founder of a startup at the moment and am always keen to learn more about other founder's stories. The structure of this book is more like an interview with the interviewer rarely delving into the deeper human emotions, problems, issues, feelings etc of the founders. This really gives a basic "guided story" approach about each of the founders without any "pearls of wisdom" or "lessons learned".

Good for a single read or the average person who has an interest in technology startups from a founder's perspective, not worth being made into a hardcover.

5 out of 5 stars As Good as Everyone is Saying...Just Buy It!.......2007-09-16

Loved this book. The interviewer asked a similar set of questions for all participants yet improvised when needed to follow an interesting train of thought to it's natural conclusion. All of the participants were refreshingly candid. Almost as if they were unloading on a therapist. Each interview is just long enough to feel complete but not so long as to feel redundant. On another note, I'm pretty anal when it comes to the physical presentation of a book and this one passes all my criteria: Decent margins, pleasant type face, good line space and font sizes, flexible spine stays open easily without trying to close itself, and easy to browse logical organization. If you're an entrepreneur working on tech start up this is one of the few "must read" books.

5 out of 5 stars Better than the 7 Harry Potter books together.......2007-08-12

Better than the 7 Harry Potter books together (wich is a bad comparison as I didn't like them that much). The book is a collection of interviews with founders of famous technology companies about what happened in the very earliest days and later. Within each interviews, you'll catch dozen of interesting infos. Believe me , when you start it, you'll finish it within the week.

5 out of 5 stars A Mars Bar for your Soul.......2007-08-02

Hey, maybe I'm just an old-fashioned chocaholic but books like this are what I turn to to get a lift.

In the same way a quick snack on a Mars Bar gives me a physical energy boost, I get a spiritual boost from reading about other people's struggles. An author needs a special style to pull off this kind of book and Jessica Livingston deftly steers the reminiscing. Maybe the book is just well-edited but there were many times when I think she asked just the perfect next question to keep the stories flowing.

I wish I'd been in the room.
The End of Days: Armageddon and Prophecies of the Return (The Earth Chronicles)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Awesome FICTIONAL work.
  • A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING...
  • A Keeper
  • Creative
  • A little disappointing ****** SPOILER ALERT *******
The End of Days: Armageddon and Prophecies of the Return (The Earth Chronicles)
Zecharia Sitchin
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
ProphecyProphecy | Divination | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0061238236
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Book Description

Why is it that our current twenty-first century a.d. is so similar to the twenty-first century B.C.? At a time when religious fanaticism and a clash of civilizations raise the specter of a nuclear Armageddon, many ask: Is history destined to repeat itself? What does the future hold? Will biblical prophecies come true, and if so, when?

Ever since Zecharia Sitchin, in his first trailblazing book The 12th Planet, brought to life the Sumerian civilization and its record of the Annunaki—the extraterrestrials who had come to Earth from their planet Nibiru, fashioned mankind, and gave us civilization and religion—questions have abounded. Are the ancient gods still here, or did they leave? Will they return? What will happen then? Will there be another Deluge or Apocalypse when Nibiru meets Earth? What about “Planet X” and the Mayan 2012? What about Jesus?

In The End of Days, a masterwork that required thirty years of additional research, Sitchin dares to give the answers by presenting compelling new evidence that the Past is the Future—that mankind and its planet Earth are subject to a predetermined cyclical Celestial Time.

Tracing historical events from the messianic fervor and use of nuclear weapons in the twenty-first century B.C., Sitchin resolves ancient enigmas like the Nazca Lines or the origin and significance of the Cross, the Fishes, and the Chalice, places in context the events of the Last Supper and hidden clues like those in Da Vinci's painting, explains the space-related reasons for the everlasting centrality of Jerusalem, and—following in the footsteps of Sir Isaac Newton—deciphers the Time Code in the books of Daniel and Revelation and of the Day of the Lord and the End of Days prophecies.

In this remarkable and relevant conclusion to his bestselling The Earth Chronicles series, Sitchin shatters perceptions and uses history to reveal what is to come at The End of Days.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Awesome FICTIONAL work........2007-09-26

What a great story! From a purely fictional point of view that is. But please don't take Mr. Sitchin seriously. Yes, he's done a lot of work and he's very passionate and I believe HE believes all that's in his books. But if you want facts, follow the work of true scholars.

There are plenty of reviews on this book and even more opinions I'm sure.

What's more important than a review is a call to reason. People - please... Just because you want or need to believe something is true doesn't mean that it is. When dealing with history and languages, I would highly recommend reviewing the work of true and accomplished scholars. Do this and you will likely get complete (as much as is possible) and the most accurate picture of the past as one can.

His credentials in no way qualify him to make such claims. If nothing else, look at his credentials and ask yourself how is this man qualified to make such claims?

I drive a fancy sports car and can give you the exact specs on the engine and body, from top to bottom. I could WOW the best of them with all the tech talk about the engine, transmission, suspension, etc. I could even carry on a detailed conversation with the mechanic if I had to. But I can tell you with certainty that if I was given a shop full of tools all to myself I couldn't fix my fancy sports car if it broke.

If you take your car into the shop be worked on, do you want the guy who talks like he knows what he's doing working on your car or do you want the guy with all the certificates on the wall that's PROVEN he knows what he's doing working on your car?

This is the case with Mr. Sitchin and his books. He talks a good line but has no credentials to prove he's anything more than just a fanciful talker.

Mr. Sitchin graduated from the University of London, majoring in economic history and he was a journalist and editor in Israel. How does this make him an expert in ancient Hebrew and the old Testament? In Sumerian culture? IMHO, this is a classic case of someone learning enough about an ancient language "to be dangerous". He absolutely sounds like he knows what he's talking about and sadly that fools a whole lot of people.

Like many, I was very taken initially with his ideas. But too much didn't add up. After months of research I was quite disappointed to realize that the basis of at least some of his theories (the ones I researched anyway) were too full of holes to be true.

There is an upside though - this a GREAT fictional story!

Real seekers of truth will check multiple sources and validate claims from many different sources. Do this and in time you will find the truth.

If you are looking to be entertained, look no further.

3 out of 5 stars A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING..........2007-09-13

The book somewhat confused me because of some claims. The author also states that the reader should read his other books to understand this book clearly. Nevertheless, I still admire Zecharia Sitchin for all his efforts.

5 out of 5 stars A Keeper.......2007-09-06

Buying a book is one thng haveing it be worth the storage space another. This is worth the storage space.

1 out of 5 stars Creative .......2007-08-27

Sitchin can spin a tale of fiction that is inspired to say the least. He is universally hated in the astronomical, archaeological, and historical communities for his attempt to pass pseudo science off as fact. If fact is not what you are after, then buy this book and invest in a tinfoil hat.

3 out of 5 stars A little disappointing ****** SPOILER ALERT *******.......2007-08-21

I've read all of Sitchin's books and was always pleased at the conclusion of each one. They were like adventure quests of hidden knowledge with the worst case scenario being a nice scifi story (and what a story!). This one left me wanting. I believe he just wanted to put his two cents in about 2012 even though he doesn't think it will be a date that anything significant happens. I think he's got a better theory floating around in his head but didn't want to share it for whatever reason. The beginning of the book is a bit boring as he has to tell the back story. The middle is more interesting with more detail about the tales of the annunaki and their petty power struggles. The end was a bitter disappointment to me. His theory on the davinci last supper painting, in which he thinks the space between jesus and mary/john is where elijah should be and the missing cup being the grail that elijah took, is just lacking. To me the alternate grail theories make more sense and have better documentation. Obviously this book is a must read if you've read the rest of the series as how can one not read the supposed last one but it doesn't hold up to his prior standard. When does Sitchin think the annunaki will return? Sometime in the age of pisces .... and that only leaves up to anywhere from 100 years from now to about 800 years from now depending on if you are going by the math or by sight.
On the Day You Were Born
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Lovely!
  • Magical!
  • Wonderful gift for first time parents!
  • On The Day You Were Born
  • Book is AMAZING, CD is so-so
On the Day You Were Born
Debra Frasier
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152579958

Amazon.com

Inspired by Debra Frasier's enormously popular On the Day You Were Born, this charming photo journal invites families to celebrate the arrival of their loved one into the natural world. A star-spangled blue sky, crossed by a swath of sunshine yellow with gold birds, introduces the reader to "the very first day you arrived." Baby's picture and name go right in the middle of all the cheery yellow. Turn the page: "You were born on the round planet Earth. Was it day, or was it night?" is printed with another space for a picture and a line to write the date and time of birth against the backdrop of more starry sky with that old blue and green globe plopped in the middle and a figure of a child frolicking across the ocean. On another page, the jubilant child dances across a beach: "On the day you were born waves washed the beaches clean for your footprints. How little were your fingers? How tiny were your toes?"

By adding eight photographs and filling in a few details, parents can create a very special journal for their child, rejoicing together in all the natural wonders of the universe. Here is an ideal gift for the new parents with a vibrant connection to nature. --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

In simple words and radiant collages, Debra Frasier celebrates the natural miracles of the earth and extends an exuberant welcome to each member of our human family. Accompanied by a detailed glossary explaining such natural phenomena as gravity, tides, and migration, this is an unforgettable book. “A book filled with reverence for the natural order of the world and the place of the individual in it.”--School Library Journal

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Lovely!.......2007-09-05

I got this book because it was on sale and I am so glad that I did. Seeing it now I would definitely pay full price for it.

It is well-made, adorable, and will make a great keepsake to share with our son.

5 out of 5 stars Magical! .......2007-09-03

This is a book I've given as a birthday gift many times - to new arrivals and those celebrating more birthdays as well. The text is simple yet beautiful and the illustrations provide a warm, magical layer of feeling when reading this book. Highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful gift for first time parents!.......2007-08-31

I received this book from a good friend when my baby boy was born (our first). I thought the poetry of birth and the natural world was amazing. And the ending where a circle of loved ones welcomed the new baby whispering "We're so glad you've come," reminded me of all the love our family and friends showed our new baby. I can't read it without tearing up. It's a wonderful reminder that all life is sacred and beautiful.
While the art is tribal, not fluffy, and some of the language is advanced for a developing child, I still love this book. Not every board book should be pastels and one syllable words. But I hope this book will be a keepsake that we can read together and remember what a miracle it was that he was born. I want to foster in him the spirit of this book... that all life is connected and we need to try to live in balance with the environment that sustains our lives.

5 out of 5 stars On The Day You Were Born.......2007-07-27

This is a wonderful book to give to any new child or to the grandparent of a new child. I was given one for our new grandson and immediately bought three to give as gifts. The book is something that can become a family tradition to be read on each child's birthday!

5 out of 5 stars Book is AMAZING, CD is so-so.......2007-05-15

I bought this for my son before he was born, and I read it to him all the time - and never with a dry eye! I always buy it as a baby gift for anyone I know who's having a baby of their own. However, unless you find this set for a good price, I might just get the book. My husband calls the CD "hippie music" and he's right - the music is a little, um, groovy and repetitive. Though if you have a sappy friend, get it - books like this and the Giving Tree always make me cry, and if I can have the CD finish the story for me when I get choked up, so much the better.
Weight Watchers New 365 Day Menu Cookbook: Complete Meals for Every Day of the Year
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • OK
  • Great WW Recipes
  • Not the book for my family
  • Great book but...
  • Doesn't Taste Like Diet Food!!!
Weight Watchers New 365 Day Menu Cookbook: Complete Meals for Every Day of the Year
Weight Watchers , and Inc Staf Weight Watchers Internati
Manufacturer: MacMillan Publishing Company.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0028610156

Book Description

One of the biggest challenges in weight loss and maintenance is planning new menus that keep you on a healthful food plan, and that are also varied and appealing. Now the experts at Weight Watchers serve up an entire year of delicious menus that will help readers enjoy the process as well. The book features a main dish recipe for every day of the year, and a full day's menu built around that recipe, plus complete nutritional counts and Weight Watchers Selection Information. Designed to give readers more freedom of choice, Weight Watchers New 365-Day Menu Cookbook will make healthful eating easier and tastier than ever.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars OK.......2007-04-21

does not give the current information. I have to figure out points myself, Yuck

4 out of 5 stars Great WW Recipes.......2006-04-09

If you're a fan of WW, you should love this book. It was written before any of the POINTS systems, so you have to do some calculations on your own. The nutrition info is provided for each recipe. This book is an especially good value because as another reviewer noted, for each main recipe, you get additional recipes provide a day's worth of meals.

I give this book four stars because I've always had to doctor my WW recipes. They tend to be on the bland side for me, but they are always good starting points. I also enjoy light cookbooks that provide tips for cutting fat and calories and this book does not. It's just recipes.

1 out of 5 stars Not the book for my family.......2005-03-06

Way too many of the recipes in this book have ingredients I have never heard of! Also, the ingredient lists are often very long. I am donating my copy to the public library and will use "The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers" and "Quick Meals for Healthy Kids and Busy Parents" to help me provide sensible meals for my family.

4 out of 5 stars Great book but..........2003-12-18

I just recieved this the other day and have yet to make any recipes from this cookbook. But I have now tried several of the WW cookbooks and they always have great recipes, so there is no doubt that I will find some more healthy ones in this book.

I love how each page has a main recipe on it and then they have built a whole day of eating around that one recipe. Sometimes, there are smaller typed recipes in the daily menu area on each page. For example, on one page, the main recipe is for Grilled Chicken Caesar salad. Then to the right of the recipe, they have built a whole day of meals around this recipe. They have suggested what to eat for breakfast (banana and cereal), a light meal (beans and franks, carrot/celery sticks, whole wheat roll, yogurt), the main meal (which includes the Chicken caesar salad, creamy brocolli soup--provides the recipe, a peach and Italian bread) and an evening snack (3 cups of plain popcorn).

This is perfect for someone who needs to follow a strict menu to stay on track. Not everyone has the self discipline to make their own healthy menus and stay within the WW guidelines, so this would work well for those people. And each recipe/daily menu is different so you don't have to worry about being bored and eating the same things over and over.

The only real complaints I have about this book is that it is outdated compared to the newer WW cookbooks. It doesn't have any of the point values in the book, so you need to use the WW calculator to figure the point values out for each recipe. And the other complaint that I have is the book does have a few pictures in it, but most of the pictures are very unappetizing. They look like they just threw the recipe together and didn't worry about presentation. The more recent WW cookbooks make the pictures look very yummy, unlike this one.

Also, we all know that not everyone can eat the same amount of calories and continue to lose weight, so its unclear as to who this cookbook is geared towards. Someone who needs to be eating 1600 calories and actively losing weight still or someone who is maintaining their goal weight and need to eat around 1200 calories per day.

This cookbook looks like its worth a try, even just for the recipes and not the daily menus. But it't not as nice as the newer cookbooks that WW has put out in the last few years.

5 out of 5 stars Doesn't Taste Like Diet Food!!!.......2002-03-11

This cookbook is the best I've ever tried! I had a pretty good selection of cookbooks before buying this one so I didn't really think a 'healthy cookbook' would be able to compare... but the recipes are really great! There's a large selection of tastes for simple to complex meals.

Plus for each day/page the book does not just give you one recipe. You'll be given a full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Side dish ideas and drink ideas that will go good with your main dish are suggested! It's deffinatly a unique and helpful cookbook. You'll love it!
The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • What the Gospels Really Say About Holy Week
  • Contradictions, Assumtions, False Statements, Omissions..
  • A Holy Week Reader
  • Excellent Book
  • Jesus is reduced to a Jewish Che Guevara
The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem
Marcus J. Borg , and John Dominic Crossan
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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  1. Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary
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ASIN: 0060872608
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Book Description

Bestselling authors and Jesus experts John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg come together to explore the last seven days of Jesus's life. Using the best of biblical and historical scholarship, they rediscover a new way of understanding the Passion Week and its monumental events. True to form, they turn the traditional understaning of Passion Week on its head to reveal its true significance in history and for faith.

Jesus's kingdom message was revolutionary in that it questioned people's basic loyalties at a time when those loyalties were jealously guarded by the Roman Empire. Jesus knowingly entered his last week knowing he'd be directly challenging the Romans. For example, the first day of the last week of Jesus's life (Palm Sunday), there were two triumphal entrance parades that occurred. One was a peasant rabbi with a revolutionary message, the second an imperial Roman army escorting the Roman governor to Jerusalem to oversee the holiday festivities. This initiated a week of growing tension in which people were asked to chose which way they would follow – the current Roman empire, or Jesus's revolutionary way of love, forgiveness, and grace.

These brilliant authors reveal the moving story of someone who dared to face imperial wrath to bring a new way of life.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars What the Gospels Really Say About Holy Week.......2007-07-06

Borg and Crossan, in this slim readable volume, set out a simple proposition: to understand Jesus and what was important to him, it is vital to understand the week leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection. And the only way to really understand that week is to read what the Gospels actually say, not what we've been told they ought to say.

In some ways Borg and Crossan are biblical literalists. They try to sweep away traditional interpretations that have accrued to the Bible stories and instead try to read them in the context for which they were written. To do this they bring to bear a knowledge of biblical history that makes clear some parts of the Gospel story, which appear opaque to modern readers who don't know the milieu. Especially when Jesus is preaching in the temple, this explication really helps clear up common misunderstandings associated with Christian teaching.

There are times when the authors veer from the strictly literal, however. This is most apparent when they write about the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter. Since the Gospels slide over that day with only a fleeting mention, the authors fall back on legends of the Harrowing of Hell. There's nothing wrong with this in principle, but when the authors bring in references to the Gospel of Peter, which is little more than a late anti-Semitic forgery, they risk descending into silliness.

Also, many readers may object to the strongly political aspect of this book. Though the authors don't blow their noses on the spiritual importance of Jesus and his teachings, their emphasis in this writing lies on his anti-imperial politics. Some readers may balk and think the authors are devaluing the spiritual teachings; I think the authors are just shining a spotlight on a theme they believe has been neglected.

On balance this book is, for the most part, eye-opening. By peeling away later doctrine to couch the Holy Week story in its historical context, this book makes it possible to cast a clear eye on the spiritual and the social importance of Holy Week. For instance, I've never had anybody previously explain that Jesus' peaceful entry into Jerusalem on a donkey was a deliberate contrast to Pilate's military entry on the same day from the other direction. But I have seen many preachers who wrongly think the worshipful crowd on Palm Sunday is the same bloody-minded crowd on Good Friday.

This book is not without its flaws. The authors sometimes get caught up in trivia and lose sight of their central thread. And the authors' liberal politics may put off some potential members of their audience. But this book is definitely worth reading for both clergy and a lay audience. Not only is it a concise overview of Christian theology, it is also helpful to peel back the myth and obfuscation that has fallen over what the Gospels really say about Holy Week.

2 out of 5 stars Contradictions, Assumtions, False Statements, Omissions.........2007-05-27

Here is my main objection: The authors first adopt an idea and then reconstruct their story to fit that idea. I divided the authors' "misdeeds" into four classes: Contradictions, Assumptions, False statements and Omissions.
A) Contradictions:
1)In preface pVIII we read: ..."We intend [a much simpler task:] to tell and explain, against the background of Jewish high-priestly collaboration with Roman imperial control, the last week of Jesus's life on earth as given in the Gospel According to Mark.
1a) However in a subtitle is printed: "What the Gospels REALLY Teach About Jesus' Final Days in Jerusalem".This "deceit" allows them to use other Gospels when the authors can support their claims. But it is worse, when they omit the passages in Mark which do not support their claims.
2)Throughout the book Pilate is described as a sovereign ruler having the Jewish hierarchy
under his control.
2a) However in Mk15:9 we read: "Pilate answered, " "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?"" and in v.12 "... Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?" These perplexed questions are NOT what one would expect from a supreme commander...
2b) If Pilate were convinced about Jesus' role as a leader of an actual political insurgency, he
would have executed at least some of his disciples.
B) Assumptions:
On p.2 we read :"Two processions entered Jerusalem on a spring day in the year 30".
However Mark's gospel says NOTHING about this coincidence or a planned thing. Moreover, there is NO support elsewhere that it happened the same day
On p.4 authors write about "...a planned political demonstration."
The only scientific support is the following sentence: "As one of our professors in graduate school said about forty years ago,.."
C) False statements:

1) p.144 reads "Both Barabbas and Jesus are revolutionaries. Both defied authority. But the first
advocated violent revolution and the second advocated nonviolence."
1a) From the other reliable historical documents we learned that Romans were rather tolerant
occupants with regards to the religious beliefs; they even accepted Greek gods. Therefore
we can assume that only violent uprisings were recognized and considered dangerous for
the Romans. The itinerant rabbis proclaiming nonviolent utopias were probably taken
for "religious cranks" and to the Romans posed no danger.
D) Omissions:
1) Mk 14 chapter tells the story about Jesus being anointed by an unknown woman, about apostles complaints of wasting money. But Jesus answered in Mk 14:7 (p.85)."....For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me..."
We ought to agree that Jesus's answer deserves a deeper analysis.
2)On p.150-151 the authors regard imperial centurion's words "Truly this man was God's Son"
simply as an "empire testifying against itself"..
2a) However, this centurion entrusted to lead the execution squad must have had a very
deep spiritual awakening besides a simple change of political view.
3) p.154 "It is common to refer to Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohandas Gandi , Oscar Romeo, and
Dietrich Bonhoffer as sacrificing their lives for the causes they were devoted ."
3a) Ignoring the heroes fighting the "domination system" of communism is more than a
simple omission.


Conclusion: The authors proposed to discuss the last Jesus's week according to Mark's Gospel. However, by focusing on the Jewish high-priestly collaboration with Roman imperial control they lead us to see Jesus mainly as an earthly revolutionary, although a non-violent one. This is in my view a dishonest simplification and selling Jesus short. We know that according to the MARXIST philosophy we were born into two certain antagonist social ranks, rich and poor and the history is progressing through this irreconcilable class struggle. However, Jesus gave us an example NOT to follow so called "history necessity", but to "die to ourselves", to be "born again" and that way to transcend that class awareness and to build the "Kingdom of God " regardless of the class, race, nationality AND religious differences.

3 out of 5 stars A Holy Week Reader.......2007-04-09

I just finished reading The Last Week as a daily reader during Holy Week. Unlike some readers, I really did not find it to be great. Borg and Crossan do a great job in unearthing the political tensions behind the events of Holy Week. This sheds a new light on Jesus' final week in Jerusalem. However, I kept wondering why a rebel against the Roman authority should be the center of our Christian belief. In overemphasizing the political Jesus, I really felt that Borg and Crossan de-emphasized the spiritual Jesus to too great a degree. If Jesus was no more than he is made out to be in The Last Week, he is not worth following.

I am glad to have a deeper understanding of the political Jesus, but am equally glad to experience the spiritual Jesus in the services of Holy Week - Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the great Easter Vigil and finally Easter Sunday. These act as a counterweight to The Last Week.

The book is worth reading, but it is limited by the fact that it only speaks to a part of What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem (the subtitle of the book).

5 out of 5 stars Excellent Book.......2007-04-06

The authors bring a new light to the Gospel of Mark. What did the Gospel of Mark say to the people in 90 C.E.? Jesus' story becomes even more powerful when studied in the time period it occurred.

3 out of 5 stars Jesus is reduced to a Jewish Che Guevara.......2007-04-03

I am in full agreement with the main premise of this book:
Jesus' last week was laden with the tension between 'The Kingdom of God' and Empire's Domination System.
On this point, the book is a good one. What is most disappointing about it is the writers' aversion to the miraculous.

The multi-dimensional Jesus is flattened out in order to fit their political-historical-rational mindset:
Jesus is reduced to being no more than a Jewish Che Guevara.

Jesus did/does embody the full spectrum of being-human, and that includes
his opposition and resistance to power-over-the-other; be it political, religious or personal.
By stoping there, the book falls short;
there is a lot more to this story and thus it is lamentable
that so much of that is left out or just simplistically explained away!

Good history, weak theology, nothing mystical.

For the whole story of the 'Politics of the Cross':
Jacques Ellul (The Politics of God & The Politics of Man) and William Stringfellow (Conscience & Obedience);
Dorothee Soelle (The Silent Cry) and John Howard Yoder (The Politics of Jesus);
Richard Rohr (Hope Against Darkness) and Walter Brueggemann (Peace);
Simone Weil (Gravity and Grace) and Christopher Blumhardt (Salt and Light), to name just a few.
The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus's Final Week in Jerusalem
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Not be confused with the facts...
  • Useful for Bible teaching, preaching
  • A Loving account by non-believers
  • Interactive Christianity: transcendence through service and justice
  • Jesus's last eight days
The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus's Final Week in Jerusalem
Marcus J. Borg , and John Dominic Crossan
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060845392
Release Date: 2006-02-28

Book Description

Top Jesus scholars Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan join together to reveal a radical and little-known Jesus. As both authors reacted to and responded to questions about Mel Gibson's blockbuster The Passion of the Christ, they discovered that many Christians are unclear on the details of events during the week leading up to Jesus's crucifixion.

Using the gospel of Mark as their guide, Borg and Crossan present a day-by-day account of Jesus's final week of life. They begin their story on Palm Sunday with two triumphal entries into Jerusalem. The first entry, that of Roman governor Pontius Pilate leading Roman soldiers into the city, symbolized military strength. The second heralded a new kind of moral hero who was praised by the people as he rode in on a humble donkey. The Jesus introduced by Borg and Crossan is this new moral hero, a more dangerous Jesus than the one enshrined in the church's traditional teachings.

The Last Week depicts Jesus giving up his life to protest power without justice and to condemn the rich who lack concern for the poor. In this vein, at the end of the week Jesus marches up Calvary, offering himself as a model for others to do the same when they are confronted by similar issues. Informed, challenged, and inspired, we not only meet the historical Jesus, but meet a new Jesus who engages us and invites us to follow him.

Download Description

"

Top Jesus scholars Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan join together to reveal a radical and little-known Jesus. As both authors reacted to and responded to questions about Mel Gibson's blockbuster The Passion of the Christ, they discovered that many Christians are unclear on the details of events during the week leading up to Jesus's crucifixion.

Using the gospel of Mark as their guide, Borg and Crossan present a day-by-day account of Jesus's final week of life. They begin their story on Palm Sunday with two triumphal entries into Jerusalem. The first entry, that of Roman governor Pontius Pilate leading Roman soldiers into the city, symbolized military strength. The second heralded a new kind of moral hero who was praised by the people as he rode in on a humble donkey. The Jesus introduced by Borg and Crossan is this new moral hero, a more dangerous Jesus than the one enshrined in the church's traditional teachings.

The Last Week depicts Jesus giving up his life to protest power without justice and to condemn the rich who lack concern for the poor. In this vein, at the end of the week Jesus marches up Calvary, offering himself as a model for others to do the same when they are confronted by similar issues. Informed, challenged, and inspired, we not only meet the historical Jesus, but meet a new Jesus who engages us and invites us to follow him.

"

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars Not be confused with the facts..........2007-05-28

My main objection: The authors first adopt an idea and then reconstruct their story to fit that idea. I am aware that we are dealing with a popular, NOT an academic book, but still I consider that unfair, since most of us are learning from such books.The authors made several contradictions, assumptions, false statements and omissions. They contradict themselves by writing in the preface that they will use Mark's Gospel only and they present good reasons for it. However, in the subtitle it is printed: "What the Gospels REALLY Teach About Jesus'...".This contradiction allows them to use other Gospels when the authors can support their objectives. What is worse, they omit the passages in Mark which do not support their objectives. Throughout the book Pilate is described as a sovereign ruler having the Jewish hierarchy under his control. However, even from the authors' quotes taken from the Mark's Gospel the Pilate's questions to Jesus are NOT what one would expect from a supreme commander. Furthermore if Pilate were convinced about Jesus' role as a leader of an actual political insurgency, he would have executed at least some of his disciples. Among the farfetched assumptions: :"Two processions entered Jerusalem on a spring day in the year 30". However, Mark's gospel says NOTHING about this coincidence or a planned thing. Moreover, there is NO support elsewhere that it happened the same day. Among the false statements I would classify the authors' conclusion that Jesus had to be executed since he was a revolutionary, although a non violent one. It is well established truth from the other reliable historical documents that the Romans were rather tolerant occupants with regards to the religious beliefs; they even accepted Greek gods. Therefore one can assume that only violent uprisings were recognized and considered dangerous for the Romans. The itinerant rabbis proclaiming nonviolent utopias were probably taken for "religious cranks" and posed no danger to the Romans.Indeed such a view was taken by Pilate at the beggining of the trial, as recorded by all four Gospels.
In conclusion one can say that the authors by focusing on the Jewish high-priestly collaboration with Roman imperial control lead us to regard Jesus as an earthly revolutionary, although a non-violent one. This is in my view a dishonest simplification and selling Jesus short. It is well known that according to the MARXIST philosophy we were born into two certain antagonist social ranks, rich and poor and the history is progressing through this irreconcilable class struggle. However, Jesus gave us an example NOT to follow so called "history necessity", but to "die to ourselves", to be "born again" and that way to transcend that class awareness and to build the "Kingdom of God " regardless of the class, race, nationality AND religious differences.

.

4 out of 5 stars Useful for Bible teaching, preaching.......2007-05-13

A scholarly, but accessible treatment of the biblical account of Holy Week. Well worth it: either to read straight through, or to use it as a reference book.

5 out of 5 stars A Loving account by non-believers.......2007-05-07

Two deep friends and New Testament scholars combine to review this last week of Jesus. Both have previously written extensive scholarly works clarifying their non-belief in the supernatural story of Jesus. In this work they are not challenging the main account in Mark, but adding simply written expansions of what happened. While denying the divinity of Jesus, they clearly love the man and are advocates for his intent to establish "The Kingdom" on earth--a wish for fairness and justice.

4 out of 5 stars Interactive Christianity: transcendence through service and justice.......2007-04-08

"The Last Week" by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan address several problem areas in the traditional interpretations of the Passion of Jesus Christ and the events of Easter Week. Rather than seeing his teachings and purposeful orchestration of his last week as metaphor, most Christians have come to accept Jesus himself as metaphor. His suffering, death and resurrection have become a "passion" sacrifice or atonement for the failings of humankind. Crossan and Borg re-examine this metaphor. These authors describe the passion as an intensely and profoundly fundamental belief that the current, normal societal norm of political and economic dominance of government (legitimized by religious authority) be challenged and replaced. What Jesus offers in its place is human compassion and human service -- resulting in a transcendence of humanity itself. It is a solution that replaces man's kingdom and priorities with those of God and his kingdom, stressing that the work is not done by Jesus alone, but by Jesus as he inspires and transforms others to be him. As transformed, humans recognize "the dominant life of human normalcy versus the servant life of human transcendence." Focusing on Mark as the earliest and "cleanest" version (before the elaborations added by Matthew, Luke and John), Crossan and Borg stress a second theme: to quote St. Augustine, "We without God cannot, and God without us will not." The key to the mystery of Easter Week is identification of God as within humans and the acceptance of responsibility by humans to take on Jesus' role. No doubt, this is a radical interpretation and one that requires the most of our time and effort on this earth. The one drawback of the text (why it rates a four and not a five star standing) is that points made are often repeated. Perhaps, however, they need to be restated to bring full attention to them.

4 out of 5 stars Jesus's last eight days.......2007-03-15

In this simple exposition written for a general audience, two leading New Testament scholars use the Gospel of Mark to explain what happened to Jesus during his final week. They use Mark because most scholars consider it the earliest of the four Gospels, the primary source for Matthew and Luke, and because when you read carefully you see that Mark details the last eight days of Holy Week, from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. He even specifies "morning" and "evening" for three of these days:

Palm Sunday: "When they were approaching Jerusalem" (11:1)
Monday: "On the following day" (11:12)
Tuesday: "In the morning" (11:20)
Wednesday: "It was two days before the Passover" (14:1)
Maundy Thursday: "On the first day of Unleavened Bread" (14:12)
Good Friday: "As soon as it was morning" (15:1)
Holy Saturday: "The Sabbath" (15:42, 16:1)
Easter Sunday: "Very early on the first day of the week" (16:2).

Mark even describes what happened at five three-hour intervals on Good Friday (pp. ix-x). The book, then, consists of eight chapters, one for each day of Holy Week.

For Borg and Crossan the gospels are not records of straightforward historical facts remembered by the author, but stylized interpretations of the believing community. There's an element of truth in this, of course; you could say the same about nearly all written history. But I'm sometimes dubious about historical reconstructions two millennia after the events that claim to know more and to know better than the first witnesses, or that do not give compelling explanations about how and why the first recorders got things so badly wrong and yet attracted the allegiance of so many converts (who must have known they were "wrong" about the literal facts).

Borg and Crossan do a wonderful job of illuminating the religious background of first century Judaism and especially the centrality of the temple, and the cultural and political background of the Roman empire, showing how the Biblical texts and these two contexts interact. If you've read any of Borg's many books, it will come as no surprise that the authors understand the "passion" of Jesus not as a sacrifice or substitution (as it has been understood by much if not most of Christendom), but as an incarnation of God's justice which subverts the status quo of political oppression, economic exploitation, and religious legitimation. The 2007 edition of this book has the sensational sub-title What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem.
Driven by Eternity: Making Your Life Count Today & Forever
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Driven By Eternity
  • A must for anyone desiring to mature as a Christian
  • Very impressive - with one MAJOR flaw
  • EXCELLENT 5 STAR BOOK
  • Wow
Driven by Eternity: Making Your Life Count Today & Forever
John Bevere
Manufacturer: FaithWords
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0446578665

Book Description

Most people would be left destitute if they planned their futures as carelessly as theyve prepared for eternity. Drawing on the principles in 2 Corinthians 5:911, John Bevere reminds us that all believers will stand before God and receive what they have earned in life. In building their lives to be ready for that day, and maintaining an eternal frame of reference, readers will develop significant lives. In keeping sight of the goal, readers will learn to labor for rewards that endurefor timeless eternity.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Driven By Eternity.......2007-08-05

This is an eye opening book. It is not only well written, but it hits home on a topic that many people today need to reevaluate.
I loved it and recommend it highly.

5 out of 5 stars A must for anyone desiring to mature as a Christian.......2007-07-23

Before I read the book I heard Brother Bevere preaching. I then bought a set that included this book, the CD's for "Affabel" as well as video presentation and one of his novels. I was impacted by his message from the beggining.
The whole subject of this book is that our present life is nothing when compared with eternity. Based on this premised, we must do our best on this life to first, to be save, and second, to ensure that we secure the rewards that God has for us in his Kingdom.
These rewards are not just "spiritual" but real they are promised in the Scripture. Bevere starts his book by presenting the allegory of the Kingdom of Affabel, which he uses as an allegory of this life and the coming Kingdom of Christ. The characters of the story represent various forms on which people approach the Christian faith, both voirtous and others fallacious as they do not adhere to the Scripture. At the en of the allegory the chareacters face King Jalyl, and receive what they deserve for how they lived their lifes.
Bevere goes on and makes a case for how most of Christians -and obviously those who are not- waste most of their lives building and working on things that are not of etenrnal significance. By using the Affabel allegory and using the holy Bible to support his teachings, Brother Bevere demonstrates what the Bible says about eternity, how people are actually living it, and how really we should see it. He also tell us what God expect from us and the benefits of us following His Will and Plan.

I found this book life changing. I recommend this book to anybody and everybody, whether you are a believer or not. If you are a believer, you will shape up and start to put something in your "account" with God, otherwise all your hard work will be gone when tested by God's purifying fire. If you are not a Christian, well, you need to "open" an account, becasue otherwise everything there will be nothing left for you, other than eternal punishment.

3 out of 5 stars Very impressive - with one MAJOR flaw.......2007-07-21

There is a lot to recommend in this book. Bevere makes a compelling case for filtering all of one's thoughts, words and actions through the light of eternity. Good stuff! And he writes better than most. Why just three stars, then? For a major doctrinal flaw. Bevere devotes one entire chapter to his conviction that it is possible to lose one's salvation by one's actions. His "proof" of this contention is utterly unconvincing, as any teaching outside Christian orothodoxy would be. I was flabbergasted - if he's wrong about this, what else is in error? It's difficult to recommend for this reason alone. The book with the offending chapter excised would be worth five stars, easily.

5 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT 5 STAR BOOK.......2007-07-20

John Bevere earns nothing but praises- this may be his best book yet. If you are looking for some "meat" to chew on, once again John Bevere provides it in this AWESOME book. You cant put the book down- A must for
every serious Christians library.

5 out of 5 stars Wow.......2007-07-04

very good book,makes you think, makes you reevaluate your life, makes you want to do the right thing. You want everyone else to read it too.
Mastering Astral Projection: 90-day Guide to Out-of-Body Experience
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • frieghteningly good book. This stuff is for real!
  • astral projected...never came back!
  • Simply the best WOULD GIVE IT 6 STARS IF POSSIBLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • The book is misleading.
  • My amazing out of body adventure!
Mastering Astral Projection: 90-day Guide to Out-of-Body Experience
Robert Bruce , and Brian Mercer
Manufacturer: Llewellyn Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0738704679

Book Description

2005 Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR) 2nd Runner Up of Interactive Sideline category! Projecting out-of-body requires a delicate balance of mind, body, and spirit. Mastering Astral Projection offers everyone the opportunity to explore nonphysical dimensions and learn more about their spirituality.

This practical guide to achieving conscious out-of-body experiences is based upon Robert Bruce's extensive knowledge of astral projection, Brian Mercer's methods for personal success, and valuable feedback from volunteers who have tested this program. Presented in an easy-to-follow workbook format, the thirteen-week program introduces astral projection methods and provides daily exercises that progressively prepares and trains readers for this incredible, life-changing experience.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars frieghteningly good book. This stuff is for real!.......2007-08-28

Take heed to this book's warning not to jump ahead and skip chapters. Also psychic self defense would be a good companionship to this book.

1 out of 5 stars astral projected...never came back!.......2007-08-22

This book is so powerful it will cause you to astral project-but then like me,you may have trouble getting back into your body! I was out for 3 days!I was terrified!! I saw monsters and demons. One demon said he would keep me prisoner for 1000 years. DONT try this! My girlfriend,Lulabelle,projected and has never returned! I keep looking for hereverywhere! Lulabelle,where ARE you!!?? Look behind you--QUICK! Is that my Lulabelle???

5 out of 5 stars Simply the best WOULD GIVE IT 6 STARS IF POSSIBLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-08-10

I had read over a dozen so called do it yourself manuals on astral projection. I came to the conclusion that it was a fable and just fiction. A friend gave me this book and challenged me to read it. In less than two weeks , I had my first real exsperience.
WOW!!!

1 out of 5 stars The book is misleading........2007-08-07

I got the first top 5 astral projection books from Amazon, and this is the first book I got, I afraid --this book is 'misleading.'

Author thinks, what he believes is astral projection, but what it actually is... combining 'meditation' and 'remote viewing.' Author admitted himself, he is doing meditations. Astral projection is not meditations, author obviously cannot tell the difference, and misled many of his followers. Author cannot see his own astral body, and does not believe in astral body, and does not believe in higher dimensions.

Astral projection is a way to exit your soul from your human body, and 'NO'. ..you cannot project while you are standing nor working in the office and project the same time. The book is totally misleading.

There are the actual astral projection books out there, awaiting you to explore. Then you will realize how unrealistic this book is.

4 out of 5 stars My amazing out of body adventure!.......2007-08-05

Ok, this book worked amazingly well. Too well. Here goes. First of all I rose up out of my body and saw the Patriarch, your's truly, laying there. That was crazy. But I had seen myself in the mirror all the time so this was nothing new. I decided to fly around the neighborhood.

This was pretty cool because I could get a bird's eye view of all my neighbor's houses. I saw the Johnson's dog and had to mess with him, because everyone knows animals can see your spirit. Again, this was nothing I hadn't seen. I flew across the ocean then, it didn't take long, and I ended up in Iraq and, get this, I actually saw George Bush, Dick Chaney, and Donald Rumsfeld and they were like shooting Iraqis left and right and drilling for oil. This was way too scary so I decided to fly up higher. So I go higher and higher and I reached this, higher plane of existence kind of thing and there was these other spirits there and they talked to me.

They told me they were called the...ennui or something like that. And they were telling me the craziest things but, they made sense at the time. The only bad thing is I can hardly remember what they told me but it was really important. The most important thing sounded like nonsense though.

It sounded something like this:

Tfel sraey evif sah ylno htrae.

I wonder what it meant... Well, I woke up then and I was back in my body. This was a really enlightening experience but I will never do it again. Try this out but make sure you know what your getting yourself into.

In the end I give it 5 stars because it works but I take away two stars because it kind of messed me up. I gave it one extra star though because the author has a first name for a last name.

Bye now.
The Essential Qigong Training Course: 100 Days to Increase Energy, Physical Health & Spiritual Well-Being
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Excellent overview
  • The essential Qigong training course by Ken Cohen
  • Wonderful Qigong Explanation
  • This is SO worth the money! Ken Cohen offers a valuable tool
  • A Solid Introduction
The Essential Qigong Training Course: 100 Days to Increase Energy, Physical Health & Spiritual Well-Being
Ken Cohen
Manufacturer: Sounds True
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1591790905

Book Description

Now for the first time, qigong training is available in a comprehensive home-study curriculum. You will learn more than 70 qigong practices for harnessing the massive power of qi to create vitality, spiritual balance, and physical health. Complete kit includes: a 100-page, weekly workbook of original material that directs you step-by-step on this classical, life-changing course. Qigong DVD workout offers you a complete, 90-minute programmable workout. 5 audio CD training course covers every phase of qigong theory and practice. Qigong Healing DVD includes three hours of essential teachings and exercises to learn how to direct the healing qi energy to others effectively and safely.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Excellent overview.......2007-08-25

This course is well organized and easy to follow. The 100 day progression is nice, and the material is organized such a way as to allow you to progress at your own pace. There are some nice guided meditations on the CDs, and the video is very easy to understand. Note that this is not like an exercise DVD. You're not going to do your Qigong along with the DVD except for to learn the moves. I would recommend learning a few techniques at a time from the DVDs, and then practicing elsewhere at your own pace and for as long as is comfortable. There is so much information out there on Qigong. This course is a great way to start!

5 out of 5 stars The essential Qigong training course by Ken Cohen .......2007-08-23

The course is a compilation of previous CD's and DVD's and a condensed version of his book ,The Way of Qigong. This course is the best value for money program that i have found and is jammed full of useful information .
Althought this course is is aimed at the beginner i have found it useful as an experienced qigong learner to gain deeper insights into Qigong. Ken brings to the course rational perspective and a balanced approach to the learning of this subject.The whole approach to learning Qigong is beautifully presented incuding the packaging .A lot of thought has gone into developing this program . The DVD on External Qigong Healing is exeptionally good and gives the learner a great introduction to useful techniques that can be incorporated into any healing situation.
This program would be of particular benefit to massage or bodyworkers who wish to incorporates aspects of Qigong into their practice. In summary one of the best products that has come out on this subject .
Peter Farnsworth -Australia

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful Qigong Explanation.......2007-07-03

This cd and dvd collection takes qigong seriously enough to treat the practice as a discipline. There is a wealth of information and excercises included. Cohen introduces the exercises and meditations slowly, with solid foundational explanations. More exercises are introduced gradually allowing the student to at least feel familiar with each discipline before a new one is introduced. Suggestions for variations are also made, allowing people of different physical abilities to work with the exercises. Although I did not initially feel the qi energy as I did the exercises, after a couple of weeks I began to feel it and then gradually felt it every time I did the prescribed meditations, etc. The introduction of new exercises keeps this 100 days course from becoming boring. An excellent resource for anyone interested in qigong as a form of energy practice for healing.

5 out of 5 stars This is SO worth the money! Ken Cohen offers a valuable tool.......2007-03-18

This is THE QiGong toolbox to have. I am studying Oriental Medicine and want to learn more about Qi Gong and Tai Chi, and after trying a few dvd's and single books, found this package deal.

Ken Cohen makes it possible to learn QiGong when a teacher for daily/weekly classes isn't available. Dvd's, cd's and manuals--it's all here. I have only been using mine for a few days, but I can tell it's going to be an amazing learning experience!

5 out of 5 stars A Solid Introduction.......2007-03-09

This set seems to be a solid introduction to qigong. The print book ties the approach together and offers various ways to practice qigong. The DVD and CDs provide step by step coaching through the meditations and forms included in the practice. I am still using this set to good effect several weeks after starting it - this is the first time I have been able to sustain such an effort.

It helps to spend an hour a week with a teacher who has taken workshops with Ken Cohen (as well as other qigong masters).

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