A good read for the Internal practitioner at any level
354214
A nice perspective of a Yang style martial artist. Being an Internal Arts instructor for many years now, I always enjoy the thoughts of Mindful beings, to give me fresh ideas on my studies and teachings to others. Rick Clark
3102758
I recommend this book to people at several levels. First from the personal development level, the practice of both the meditation practices and his description of how to apply mindfulness in everyday interactions is great.

On the business level these skills when applied gives you the added edge of distance even in the most tense of times. This is critical in today's ever changing world where what we expect is often very different from what we get, you can view it not as a personal attack by the world but for what it is...life.

Finally from the spiritual level; regardless of your faith, it provides you with the tools to enrich what you have though meditation and the blending the "self" with your beliefs.

In all this is a very well written, fun, and easy to read book. Grab a copy and relax.
4038851
An enjoyable and thought provoking read comparing sport and business performance. Louis has brought together his passion and experience of sport and business to explore how the mind works to gain success as an individual or as a team. The connection with sport really helps with exploring the psychology, making it an interesting read especially as Louis has used many recent examples across different sports to support his views. An easy read that can be taken at many levels. I like the use of "ponder points" at the end of each section, again a good way to provoke thought as an individual or part of a team review. I would recommend reading, due to the structure of the book, its reasoning and learning can be easily transferred into the workplace. No psycho babble here, Louis uses clear and concise reasoning to support the many aspects of the mind, motivation and maximising business performance
822323
I think this is a very good book for those who are doing the transition from manufacturing to office/transactional processes.  The author describes the VSM in a clear and structure way, takes you step by step with good keep of detail without overwhelming you with unnecessary information.
One of the points I found interesting, it's her approach and preference for narrow VSM's.  Many of us are often tempted to to map wider processes and end up with a lot of "if" situations and a VSM too complex to make any ground breaking desicion, resulting in a mediocre VSM and a disappointed team.
I did find this book as worth reading and a must read book for any lean practitioner.  Good enough for me to buy other books from the same author.
2368095
This is Jay Earley's 2nd Volume in his series on learning and practicing Internal Family Systems, also known as Self Therapy.  Earley's books are targeted toward therapists and coaches looking to learn and deepen their skills and for people looking to use the principles for themselves.  I am a therapist using IFS daily so my review is from that perspective.

There are several very good books written about IFS, but Earley's books have been particularly helpful to me.  Earley is a natural trainer and this is reflected in his books,  His writing is very clear and his examples and case vignettes illustrate the principles he is teaching very effectively.

This review is for Volume 2 - To a therapist who is looking to begin the practice of IFS, the first volume in this series is essential.  This Volume 2 builds upon those principles from the first volume.  To the seasoned IFS practitioner, this Volume 2 provides teachings that can deepen our understanding and skills. Although this is not a manual, it is filled with tips and steps that has allowed me to understand and apply to my practice immediately.

For example, Earley provides a very unique section on tracking the client's "parts" in our progress or case notes, helping us to organize and prepare between sessions; very helpful.  Also in this volume, Earley provides detailed steps and techniques for dealing with all-too-common roadblocks to our clients' progress, like inner conflicts (polarizations) and several other types of defenses that derail our efficacy.

This Volume 2 and the first volume in the series are essential to any therapist or coach wishing to introduce or deepen their skills in the practice of IFS.
2091343
Interesting reading, Good for anyone in the business world
2655151
This book presents a systematic approach that begins with identifying your internal needs and moves through the process of research, proposal development, and outreach to funders. Myths are addressed along the way; for example, grants are not "something for nothing," but rather "rational deals between colleagues." A good read filled with specific, hands-on advice.
4064153
I really liked how Bronwen Stiene brings clarity and perspective to some of the philosophical concepts underlying the practice of reiki. Being a reiki practitioner is a way of life, growing and healing and takes dedication. For anyone who wants to hone their skills and develop their personal practice, this book could be a good guide for establishing your foundation. I have it four stars because I would have likes to read more about the hands on practice and energy balancing.
151336
I really appreciated reading Ran's approach to Homeopathy, which seems unique as well as holistic given the mind-body connection.  For a mental-health practioner who is interested in chronic illness, I found this book is helpful in understanding a clinical interview and what to look for and assist your client with in describing their bodily sensations.  For a Homeopath, I would think this book would be essential to understanding this form of one's practice that, as shown through descriptive case studies, is effective. For anyone, it can open your mind to disease and treatment.  Highly recommended reading!
2099347
Today's doctors and wellness practitioners are very busy, with hectic schedules.

They have paid a "huge" price, in time, effort and money (bank debts!) to receive their professional designations and certifications.

These dedicated, heart-centered healers are very well trained in the CLINICAL side of their practice - but most often, the BUSINESS side is a different story.

This book, by Steven Hacker, M.D., is the perfect read for them because it addresses from his own experience, in a concise way - the ENTREPRENEURIAL side of a private practice - and what it takes to achieve success. He has made it an easy read, with step-by-step tips on what should be done on everything "from soup to nuts" :>)

CHALLENGES - Health "practice management" is more difficult than clinical services and therapies for most providers because of a lack of good BUSINESS and MARKETING skills (usually not taught to any extent in university). As well, there are severe time constraints at play. The fledgling practice owner painfully discovers that attracting patients, managing staff, handling technology, maintaining compliance, and most importantly - getting paid well, in full, and on time - are challenges they are often unprepared for.

As a Financial Advisor and a Business Consultant to health care professionals myself, I've witnessed some of the realities. Even with successful health care professionals - it is tragic to see those who work tirelessly for 30+ years - only to end up either in poor health or with little financially, to show for it.

These professionals are among the hardest working individuals in our society. Often, they take better care of their patients than they do of themselves. Because of punishing hours, constant government red tape, high taxes, soaring malpractice insurance, poor investment decisions, high divorce rates, maxed out credit cards, etc - many are unable to enjoy enough (well deserved) rest & relaxation with their families. Instead, they endure heavy stress, or worse - encounter serious health challenges and/or face burnout. There is a better way.

SOLUTIONS - Despite the fact that many health providers and wellness practices struggle to "balance" all of the necessary components to running an efficient (and hopefully, successful) private practice BUSINESS, such skills can be learned. And if you don't have the time for an MBA program, and you don't have access to trustworthy consultants or reliable outsourced service providers, this book by Dr. Hatcher is for YOU.

For students / new & seasoned practitioners / academia - this book is well worth purchasing.

I give it a 5-STAR rating

Sincerely,

Peter Arnold, CLU, CFC / Founder
AcademyGroupOnline.com / Canada
3566717
I found this book helpful to remind me of the processes involved in "talk" therapy.  The author offers a clear and precise description of the brain process that makes talk healing in our lives. He also offered suggestions of things to present to patients a as ways to aid the internal and external healing process. It's a good book for the novice as well as the seasoned therapist
4583048
At this time I have not read the entire book, but so far the material seems sound and the book seems to constitute a fairly good introduction to MBCT.

The author writes in an easy to read  style, and the material does not presuppose you are a counseling psychology graduate student or therapist, so the book is a nice read for both professional and non-professional. Could be used in a class or seminar dealing with Mindfulness, CBT or Dialectical BT. Can also be read in conjunction with other materials for courses in Transpersonal or Humanistic-Existential Psychology. Not a bad read for any student of therapist who does not have a background in CBT and wants to add this dimension to your approach.

Very congruent with therapies which emphasize staying in the moment or in the now whenever possible ...

For those who do not have such experience a decent into to the notion of living or doing therapy "in the moment" or "in the now".  For me, I find the book a worthy addition to my mindfulness library ...
405234
I found this to be a good high level view of the PM discipline, its concepts, and processes.  The section on Risk Management provided a good overview.  All chapters are "overview" level, but the book has a  good reference section for further reading.  I'd refer readers to Lewis'  The Project Managers Desk Reference" for more detailed reading.  I do  find I refer to this book and am glad I added it to my library.
1289563
I am about half way done and so far it is an excellent book. It covers the authors journey with various teachers of the internal arts, goes into historical information about each, and describes the teachers lives and experiences. The book is probably appropriate for all skill levels, although mid level to experienced practitioners would get the most out of it.
4338135
This book won't offer tons of new insight, but it offers practical and personal examples in an applicable way. Great read!
4786779
This book is an invaluable reference to all those in the internal auditing field, especially for all those who are now managing an internal audit function.  The internal audit has been evloving constantly over the past 20 years to become more and more suitable for the modern business, with increasing focus on business strategy, consultation, control system designs and implementaion etc.  This book is a very timely addition to the profession, given the increasing awareness of the need for internal control as required by the new legislation (i.e. Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002).  A wealth of information is packed inside with lots of flowcharts and graphical presentations, which make the readers all the way easy to understand and able to grasp the author's core concepts.  There are many useful suggestions as well.  Practicability has always been a subject of debate for an internal audit function and this book is no less to clear the myths about it.  The relationship between internal and external auditors is also covered in depth.  I am particularly interested in two of the chapters on behavioural aspects and marketing of auditing services.  They show how the author assimilated his experiences with theory.  The content on auditing over information technology including techniques and relationship with business operations demonstrated the book's comprehensiveness as ever as it could be.  The subject is a niche and nobody wants to be checked and balanced.  But you'd  find advices on how to reconciliate the differences between the businesses and controls.  This makes even more valuable to all those managers who are at the operational frontline realize how important to carry out their daily supervisions with sufficient controls. Overall, a highly recommended item.
1472954
I wouldn't quite call "How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life" by the Dalai Lama a primer on Buddhism, because I feel that someone with no foreknowledge of Buddhist philosophy and practice might quickly get lost amidst the vast amount of information contained in this little volume. However, if you understand the basics, His Holiness presents the details of how to practice, in the Tibetan way, in a very clear and concise presentation. I found myself coming to several new and exciting revelations as I read this book, things I will be working on in my own meditations for some time to come.

I did have a few issues with this book. As with most books intended to teach a way to practice (whether it be religion, philosophy, or even sports) there is a certain amount of repetition. By the third or forth time the same thing was repeated I was ready to just skip over it, which would have been a shame because intermixed with some of them were a few wonderful stories about the Dalai Lama himself and his own journey toward Buddhahood. I also found some of his examples to be distracting, especially when they were taken from traditional teachings or contained particularly difficult names. I plodded through these sections and gleaned what I could from them, but feel a less traditional approach might have translated better.

If you have more than a passing interest in Buddhism or the ways of meditation, then you can't do much better than this book by the Dalai Lama himself!