As family counselors, we say buy it!
344925
Research is 75% of what we do, and no book on breast cancer tops this one.  There are many books and literary compositions that address recovery better, but to gain an understanding of your body and what is going on  inside your body, we give this one five stars.
4235171
This is one of the most useful resources for families who have a loved one suffering from a Substance Use Disorder I've ever found. In my addiction counseling practice I work with both individuals and families and "prescribe" this book to every family who comes to me seeking support. There is wonderful practical information as well as thought-provoking exercises designed to guide loved ones through the dizzying world of addiction, treatment, and recovery, with an important focus on the family's own recovery and wellness.
1442763
This is book is a mush have for all educators, counselors, doctors offices, hospitals and those with young children. Focuses on topics such as self-esteem and acceptance! Purchase your copy today!
1932225
I read this every two years ago and without fail, it "resets" the way our family behaves.  As so many people have stated, it's a lot of data and common sense compiled in one place with surprising results.  But here's what so many people are not mentioning.  This book is loaded with information about the emotional baggage/freedom that money can provide.  Do you want to learn about how families use "Economic Outpatient Care" aka financial gifts as a way to control & influence each other?  It's in there.  What about how financial gifts can dampen your children's motivation?  That's in there, too.  Many of us are brought up to not discuss money, yet money issues are everywhere and we're often left to educate ourselves on the matter; rarely do we receive formal financial training.  You can't help but notice that so and so must have money because of the way they display it.  Conversely, we never notice (or know) that the older gentleman driving the 15 year old Dodge has seven figures in the bank.

My husband and I read it 10 years ago and here's what we've changed-  The book heavily influenced where we bought our home and how big (or in our case, small) it is.  Cable went out the window (we use digital bunny ears that cost $50 for local channels and got Netflix).  Saved $2,000/year.  We haven't purchased a new car since.  We try (and often do) save at least 10% of our annual income and we're slowly trying to invest it- not as impressive as many in the book but it's a start.  We negotiate like crazy for our annual propane purchase and save $1,800/year.  I clip coupons.  We buy name brand clothes but absolutely never at full price.  Frequently clothes will be purchased for next season for the kids while they're on sale at the end of this season.  We are surgical about turning off the lights when we leave a room and every week our menu is planned so we don't waste food.  Do some of these things sound extreme?  Maybe they are, but here's what we haven't changed after reading this book...

We still take great vacations, usually two a year.  We go out to eat once a month but rarely more.  We drive one nicer car and one beater.  We like really good food so despite all the coupons, we don't compromise on the quality of meats or fruits & veggies.

In short, The Millionaire Next Door has been a defining part of our lives.  Whenever I start to feel myself slip into a mode where I want to spend more we remind ourselves of the freedom financial stability provides.  At our age (34) people are flashing money everywhere- Wow, hot car!  Love the house upgrade- we all need 4000 sq ft right?  Ohhhh, the beach house is tempting.  Expensive camps for the kids.  Expensive weekly dinners for the parents.  A tree exploding with presents.  I could go on and on and on.....

We've developed a keen eye for detecting people that we think live "The Millionaire Next Door' lifestyle....but we'll never know for sure.  If nothing else, this book has taught us to be cognizant and aware of every penny we spend.
3206735
As a family therapist,  I readily and heartily recommend this book to my clients.
It is an excellent resource for parents and ANYONE who wishes to improve communication skills.  Its enjoyable, lighthearted style makes it easy  to read; even teens may want to read this book (as long as their parents aren't looking).
4718857
Pastors and Christian counselors you must get this! All too often we counsel married couples as if the emotions and desires of wives are infallible. They are not. Both husbands and wives need to be sanctified, but sometimes the wife needs it more than the husband, a truth all too often neglected to the great harm of families everywhere.

The Abusive Wife touches on a topic that the church is reluctant to handle. Thanks to Dr. Edgington, this need not be necessary any more. His brave and pioneering book gently holds sinful wives to God's standards and lovingly illustrates the path to recovery. Such advice may be the only hope some families have. Not only this, he offers gentle advice for both counselors and husbands on how to lovingly deal with such a wife. There is no other book like it and it is sure to set the standards for like-minded authors to come.

BUY IT. READ IT. READ IT AGAIN.
2436471
I bought this wanting to help a family member out who was going through a rough time.  After 20 plus years of marriage it looked like he and his wife were about to head down the path of divorce.  He wanted counseling, she did not.  I read this book and shared it with them.  They agreed to read it.  All I can say is the results were remarkable.  The tips and advice presented here helped far more than any counseling would have. They are back on track now after following much of the advice learned in this book. I have to add that even though my marriage is pretty solid, I learned a few new things in the book that will help my marriage get even stronger.
3005768
Bought this through the advice of our family counselor and it has been a great asset to our communications even after 30+ years of marriage.  My daughter also uses it when she teaches parenting classes.
3943223
Good business means delivering more than you promise--and the Aspen group has certainly done that! The Aspen Group is a highly skilled group of International Family Business advisors who offer their clients a wide range of relationship and business skills. They have collaborated for several decades, supporting each other while counseling multi -generational family businesses. They share their collective breadth and depth of knowledge and experience in their newest book "The Keys To Family Business Success".
The combination of family and  business can be the best or the worst way to run your business and your family. The dynamics necessary to create a healthy, successful business are very different from the dynamics necessary to create a healthy, loving family. Exclusive focus on family can destroy a business. Exclusive focus on business can destroy the family. How does a family manage itself successfully in both venues? "The Keys" provides insightful examples of typical family business problems, and offers clear tools and processes for overcoming  these difficulties.

For those who want to avoid the common family business trap of "shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations", "The Keys" offers valuable ideas to both DIY family business members and the family business seeking outside help. It is written in non-technical language with examples illustrating many common double binds and their solutions.
Clear explanations and solid examples are supported with valuable work sheets for problem solving.  It is written in sections that allow you to read just what you need.
The authors offer a hopeful, positive message. By following the advice in "The Keys To Family Business Success" the best is available for both family and business. With this information put into action, one need not suffer for the success of the other.
As a family business consultant and family relationship coach, I heartily recommend this book for every family business. Both the very new and the seasoned family business will profit greatly by understanding this wise advice and taking action to avoid the many potentially painful pitfalls ahead. I will certainly recommend it to all of my family business clients.

Thank you Aspen Group for a job well done! You have provided a classic work whose truths are here to stay. Technology changes daily. Human nature and family systems continue to replay themselves through the ages. Your clarity and insight helps families doing business together be able to take the high road to success in all parts of their lives together.
Karen Calcagno, PCC, ORSCC
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788914
Vicki Hoefle, through her parenting program, Parenting on Track, and her book, Duct Tape Parenting, guides parents and those who offer direct services to families down a life-altering path toward peace. Vicki is changing the world one parent, one child, one family at a time.
Pre-Vicki, I was preoccupied with how my family looked on the outside. Was my kid the bully? What did my sons' behaviors and choices say about them or about me as their mother? If my five year old hit me in public, my response came from a place of anger, shame, worry, self-doubt. I might grab whatever he hit me with. I might yell. I might lecture. Post-Vicki, though, I take a deep breath. I enjoy my kids instead of enduring them. I realize that my sons' worth is not the sum of their actions. I see "misbehavior" as an opportunity to learn, to change course, to reconnect with my boys. There is work to do. A lot of work to do. But, change comes not from the reaction but from the preventative actions taken to connect with our kids and help them grow into the people they were meant to be.
Parenting is as timeless as human civilization. In an age where bestsellers include titles such as Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety (Judith Warner 2/7/2006) and Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (Amy Chua 1/11/2011), we continue to be a culture obsessed with getting it right by our kids and, more precisely, discerning what "right" is. With so many "expert" voices to turn to, how do parents determine what program, book, or philosophy might really hold the answer to how to cultivate and maintain deep, connected relationships with their children? No matter how busy our lives become, no matter how constant the stream of external influences, parenting remains one of the most important jobs to do well. Parenting with grace and parenting with respect may not offer a guarantee against childhood depression or any of the other ails our kids may face. But, it certainly promises the greatest potential at safeguarding ourselves and our children against whatever may come our way.
Duct Tape Parenting is NOT a quick fix. It's a well-researched program that asks huge things of us as families. Vicki asks that we give up praise, time outs, bribes, lectures, nagging, counting, and more. She strips parents of all their destructive tools and then lays new track for us to follow. Her program is about parents embarking on a process of self-discovery that allows them to parent from their best selves. The process is not easy. There is no end. Once you are on this track, it is a lifetime journey. There are always more discoveries to be made, as our children are forever changing.
We began with the program in August, 2010, and our lives, thankfully, will never be the same. Duct Tape Parenting offers a quick accessible reference to turn to any time. I'm thankful that those who live in places where they can't see Vicki live will now have her voice in book format.
The cost of Duct Tape Parenting: $19.95
The absolute sheer joy of seeing my seven year old look my four year in his eyes at Family Meeting and say, "I appreciate that you play Legos with me in the basement, because I don't really like to be by myself down there, and I enjoy having you with me": PRICELESS
Buy it. Read it. Do it. Your lives will never be the same!
1191077
We received this book as a "gift" from my MIL. "Swell, a self-help book from your mother," I said to my husband. Humph! It sat on the shelf for some time. Then I picked it up and read it in a few days and quickly stuck it under my husband's nose. Wow! That was that. Husband read it and we were on the plan. Signed up for Financial Peace University and we are on our way to debt-free(dom). We have since sent it to friends of ours, loaned our copy to two more friends and it might become our default wedding gift.  My husband and I communicate more than ever. Our future is bright and hopeful now, not scary and burdensome.
1460326
I like the accessibility of the information and helpful set of tools each page offers. As you read the ideas are reinforced. The content is something the entire family, all ages can use. How often are you grumpy because you need a snack? The idea of letting the child choice the tool to help themselves is very powerful. A great message!
365124
Looking to buy more family and freinds see and wantw
3406416
Very good! Helps you to see the complicated dynamics in family matters.
  It was recommended to me by a counselor at my church. She uses it in
  her practice.
3803854
I give out many of this book as a counselor.  The basic parenting skills within are priceless and they work!
172232
The state of our families in our culture today is in terrible shape. Half of marriages end in divorce and many children are growing up with a weekend parent at best. Many men are growing up not knowing what it means to be a man, a husband, or a father. We desperately need to recover the meaning of marriage and family. In their new book, Tom and Kim Blackaby, "The Family God Uses: Leaving a Legacy of Influence," seek to show their readers what a Godly family looks like and how we can model our families as God would have us to do.

Overall, the Blackaby's offer a pretty sound book. There is much to learn from them. I particularly enjoyed the repeated connection they made between the family and the church. As a husband, father, and pastor this filled me with great joy. It is imperative that the local church become central to the life of the family. One cannot miss this connection in Scripture. God and Israel were described in marital terms. This explains why God says that on account of Israel's harlotry (their idolatry), God was about to issue a certificate of divorce. Likewise, the Church is described as the bride of Christ.

I further enjoyed the practical aspect of the book. The authors do not seek to present a theory, but practical truths taken from Scripture. The authors frequently give practice advice, study helps, guiding questions, and real-life applications to make the truths of Scripture become more alive. The issue of the family is a very practical issue. Unless one take the text and place it into the readers real world, then they have ignored the reality of what the Bible teaches on the subject.

But I must say that as one who has read countless books on the subject, there isn't much here to chew on. The authors essentially repeat what has already been said. The authors remain on the bottom shelf and go no deeper than that. Quit simply, they write nothing that couldn't have been written by the average pastor or the seasoned Christian.

This is both a strength and a weakness. For those new to the faith and new to the subject, this book can be a helpful tool. Though I would probably send such a person elsewhere first, this certainly would not be a bad place to start. On the other hand, this is a major weakness. There just isn't much here to chew on. The stories are great and the advice is practical, but everything is on the bottom shelf. For those who want a deeper relationship with their spouse or a better understanding of their children, this is not the best place to turn to. This doesn't make it a bad book, just a simple, straight-forward book that is more targeted to a different audience.

The Blackaby family is well known in the Christian market and their ministry continues to impact many. This is yet another book to add to their resume. It is fairly solid, very simply, and extremely practical.

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3426545
If you want to buy a single book to help a prospective or already involved family care-giver to sustain herslf or himself, this is it! I have found it especially helpful with people anticipating the call for help from a loved one and worried about how and what are the contacts they will need. It is a powerful potion to treat pre-caregiving anxiety!