PLEASE TAKE THIS ADVICE- IM EXPERIENCED WITH THIS
591077
i play cello, and also violin and piccolo- i purchased this cause i wanted a easy and cheap violin to carry around and not damage...IT was great at first...as soon as i put on the bridge.....it went downhill from their. Their Rosin wasn't even rosin(no joke), it didn't work. I realized that there were small cracks inside the interior(looking through the F holes) but i didn't take that serious considering that it was a cheap violin. But as soon as i played, the instrument was unresponsive, it wasn't because of the bow(i ended up using my expensive bow)- it was because of the horrible bridge and soundpost. I thought to myself""no worries"" and kept moving on. When i tried finding my mute that i ordered. it wasn't even their. AND THE WORST PART...i sent a email to them and their was no RESPONSE...its been almost a year and half and heck...still non. Worst crap i ever spent. i felt pretty bad, cause my friend got a violin for the same price on amazon, and it was like a regular intermediate-advanced student model vilion. he was happy-but i never told him how mine turned out cause it was so bad. And also, my strings snapped by the third week, and i barely plucked on it(it was the E string)
if u want to get this violin as a toy for 1 to 8 year olds go ahead...they can play and break it all they want...but still their won't be a difference/
if u want to get this for anyone who wants to GET READY for violin, but not quite yet play, i would give this for a gift, and maybe if ur lucky- it might last u for  a year in begginers
TRUST ME, most of the other reviews are from inexperienced parents who have no idea what their dealing with and go along to pretend that their a part of something...just don't listen.
 I KNOW Im being so rude, its just that just a week ago, my violins frame and every part except the scroll and finger board came apart and it wasn't cause i left it out somewhere in a harsh enviroment, and ofcourse all the strings came off- and not to mention the bow had half of its hair left.
OK JUST REMEMBER...buy this as a toy for a child to get ready to learn violin...SO, if u have a child that is about to enter 6th grade- where he/she will learn to play violin..buy this violin to learn the basics in 5th grade, so buy 6th grade he is exerienced...then UPGRADE TO SOMETHING THAT WILL CARRY HIM ON FOR ATLEAST 4 YEARS...then buy something worthy of his skil($$)
please please take this advice, this will probably be the best on here trust me
4744841
Read this book, think about this book, try to understand this book...  Or just  bend over and take it.

And be aware you're making you're children bend over and take it too
2638959
It simply isn't going to work, Friend.  I know what you are doing.  You are a being who is reading this review.  But there is something that I know about you.  You have a body.  You are breathing.  You have a mind.  What is this mind?  Your real problem is that you think that you are somebody.  A concrete entity that is cut off from what surrounds you.  This book along with the author's "The Joy of Wisdom" is probably the closest thing that you will come to truth.  Not only is this book encased in Buddhism; it is also encased in neuroscience.  I have read and studied this book and "The Joy of Wisdom" several times.  When you look into your mind; you are looking into the past.  These are the mental habits that you have created.  If you try to get rid of them and shoot them out of your brain; you may only make things worse.  Why not accept them?  Why not use them as part of your path.  Worried about your health?  Worried about your kids?  Worried about money?  Why not use these worries as healthy fuel.  Don't buy these books and expect to GET something.  You have what you need right now.  Use these books to point you in the right direction.  So you don't continue to fight your mind.  Thank you.
3032762
Sure, be the trusted advisor, someone who never gets anything wrong. LOL The philosophy is good, but quite hard in practice. The other key take away is that you always work for your client's best interest. That's how you build trust. I'd say more important than that is you SHOW how your actions benefit them even at your own expense. Otherwise, they won't even realize how good they have it
4095752
This is a book that requires action, and my personal experience with any book that requires taking action (especially action you've neglected to take for years) is that you're inclined to push off reading the book to a later date (the 'when I have the time to follow the advice in this book' date). Do your best not to fall for this trap.

Here is why you should read the book (without being inclined to take action right away):

- You will get familiar with the methods, so when you do have time to take action, all you'll have to do is review concepts.

- You will get a sense of how much time you need to set out throughout the week/month to do what you wish to do (some things can be done in an hour, while other things need a couple of days). Having read the book, you'll know that you can take action according to the time you have available.

- You'll know which parts of the book are relevant to you. (Andrew includes a ton of useful tips in this book, but some - or many- might not be relevant to your needs. So on your second read-through, the general 400 page book that requires a lot of action will turn out to be a very useful 75 pages that require less action).

- You'll minimize (or completely avoid) 'analysis paralysis' because having done the reading you'll know where and when to start.

- You'll feel better and you'll chase that feeling. Many times just reading about being organized gives you a glimpse of the joy of being organized. After getting that small glimpse, you're much more likely to make time for getting organized.

I read the whole book once. All I did (and no, I didn't originally plan to) is organize my closet. That's it. (And yes, I do love my new 'useful' closet much better than the previous  'everything goes in here' closet that I had). I think I'll take care of my office space next.
2549348
The reality is that these days, there are many things to take into account when trying to lose weight and get healthy. There are environmental factors such as pollution and chemicals used in farming;  there are food factors such as chemicals and antibiotics used in the rearing of animals we eat, genetic modification, heavy processing, and harmful additives.

I agree with Dr. Hyman's advice to first eliminate these things from your life as a first priority. If you eat a fair amount of processed foods and sugar, you will be amazed at how much better you'll feel by making the following changes to your diet:

1. Eat as much organic food as you can.

2. Eat as little processed food as you can. (If you're not sure what qualifies as "processed" food, do a search on Google for "what are processed foods" and read up for 10 minutes--you might be surprised.)

3. Eat only hormone- and antibiotic-free meats.

4. Eat as little sugar as possible.

5. Eat no more than the recommended level of sodium each day (2,000 mg per day according to the FDA).

6. Eat as little genetically modified foods as possible (If you're not sure what foods are usually genetically modified, Google "what are genetically modified foods" and read up. NaturalNews is a particularly good resource for this kind of information.)

7. Do not eat anything with aspartame.

8. Drink nothing but water. Work up to 1-2 gallons per day.

These changes alone can drastically change how you look and feel. No exercise. No restrictive dieting. Doing this is not cheap, and it might require some financial juggling, but what is your health worth? Would you pay 20% more on food to feel 500% better in terms of energy level, mental clarity and alertness, and your overall sense of well-being?

This book goes over the importance of vitamin supplements as much of our food is nutrient depleted, which I fundamentally believe in. I think a good multi-vitamin is beneficial for general health, but if you buy every supplement recommended by experts, you'll be spending a fortune and swallowing pills all day. I am a bit of a minimalist in this regard.

This book talks about the importance of exercise in weight loss and overall health, and this is common sense. The human body is built to MOVE. Our genetics didn't mold this body to sit in a chair all day munching on Doritos.

One area of the book that might turn you off is the detoxification phase, which takes restrictive dieting to the next level. He wants you to eliminate all sweeteners, artificial and natural, all gluten, all flour products altogether, all grains, all dairy, all processed foods, all starchy vegetables, all fruit except for 1/2 of a cup of berries per day. I'm a bit of a health and fitness nut that is completely desensitized to eating nothing but "boring" food, but WOW--even I would have trouble doing that.

Now, that being said, the purpose of such restriction is to detoxify your body, which I believe is helpful if you've abused your body for so long that it's just a cesspool of harmful poisons. Unfortunately, many people are in this position--it only takes a few years of eating too much bad food, and your body will be brimming with toxins. The diet prescribed to handle this situation will be mentally grueling, but ultimately rewarding.

Once you've detoxified, Dr. Hyman lets you start introducing certain foods back into your diet, but you need to ensure you listen to your body's feedback. You then find a happy medium wherein you're mainly eating nutritious carbs, proteins, and fats, with the occasional indulgences of "bad" foods, which then have no real affect on your body.

All in all, this book teaches you the factual, unsexy truth of what it takes to be in shape and healthy. This will probably be too hard for some, but for those of you who are wiling to give up the unhealthy garbage foisted upon us by Madison Avenue and return to the fundamentals of nutrition and health, then you will like this book and ultimately the results you get from applying it.
1137678
As with any piece, I suggest you read this book and make up your own mind.  Do as he suggests, have an open mind.  After all, how else do we learn?
2283610
Ok, guys. This book is full of basic advice that will make you look like a champ instead of a chump. For example, buying candy for your lady? Do not, repeat, do NOT run into the convenience store while gassing up your ride and pick up one of those mass-market produced boxes of chokkies. "Gas? Done. Gift, done. Time expended, 4 minutes! Impressing your date? Priceless!" Uh, no, that is not happening. Take heed, young swain, you must cruise on over to the department store and procure a box of top-shelf confections, you know the kind. Get a gold-foil box that conceals a pitifully few dainty sweets nestled in flocked plastic, like jewels in a velvet-lined coffer. Despite the inconvenience and a purchase that seems outrageously expensive, you will find that your lady will react in quite a different manner than to the drugstore sampler. As a member of the female gender, I personally aver this to be absolutely true.

There is also advice for what to bring for a weekend away; a raspberry scented candle, and a CD. But not one of those CD's you find in a certain class of hotel, instead, author Knight suggests you bring Sade.

There is also advice on what to cook for a intimate dinner at home (paella, or chicken with wild rice, and for heaven's sake, know something about wine) but I don't think this is a good idea. If your typical night's cooking will be warming up Hot Pockets with a side of leftover takeout from lunch, it's best to make this clear at the outset, and also find a woman who likes to show off her culinary skills as a way of showing you she cares. Much more honest. You'll save on legal fees, too.

There is lots of advice on the touchy side of the relationship, as in sex but little on the feely side, and by "feely" I don't mean sex, I mean how to avoid the boggy areas of argument and misunderstanding that accumulate during courtship, are ignored and then come up as a huge issues that each side felt "would change" after you've hatched a kid and are now wondering if you should get married. This sequence seems completely out of order to me, but it is a popular chain of events these days.

Sad to say, her annoying habit of texting her ex-boyfriends while out with you isn't going to stop, and you have no intention of checking with her in by cell phone every 15 minutes or quitting those five-day hunting outing twice a year. No, it's best to get these issues on the table early and to learn how to judge character before you choose a more permanent mate, let alone create a couple of helpless new lifeforms who will be drastically affected by your eventual breakup and creation of a new and better family.

There is no advice on picking a suitable mate and treating your chosen one with true kindness. So this is really just a "how to coax a lady" book and getting past second base. For success in making dating the art of courting, judging and choosing your right woman, you'll have to find a deeper source. I suggest this book for you if you are going to get serious.
193780
Here's the premise in one sentence: Learn to embrace change instead of fearing it, and you'll be more happy/successful/productive, etc. in your life. If you STILL choose to read the book, it should take you an hour. Maybe you will appreciate being reminded of the obvious-- there are many books like this that do a good job of articulating things that you've already known intuitively. Readers over 30 probably won't get a lot of mileage out of it, but I recommend it to kids in their late teens through early twenties. ...
4949196
This is amateur stuff.  If you want to get really useful and ground-breaking stuff, read The Art of Seduction:

[...]

I know that it's long and a bit academic in tone, but it is the last word on Seduction in the modern age.  True seduction is not just a one-shot, get-laid-tonight approach (although it can certainly include that).  Read The Art of Seduction, and you will be well on your way to having women desire you to a degree that is truly shocking.  I am a true believer, and I owe the author Robert Greene a debt that cannot be repaid.  It is mind-boggling how much women really want to be carried away by their desire.  Arm yourself with an understanding based on Greene's book, and you'll be well on your way.
4182296
There are many approaches, but I'm sure you can learn something different here. Many tries and different flavors. Just try something different
1994439
Solid parenting advice on discipline and instilling values in children.  However, when he starts talking about dating, just skip the entire chapter.  He actually advises not dating at all until your kids are in their early 20s.  And if you do date, no sex which he thinks is challenging for the men who are 'used to regular, marital sex'.  He also advises men to avoid trading off financial and social status for an attractive woman.  Excuse me?  We live in an era where women have equally high sex drives as men (because we are allowed to express them) and are just as likely to be tempted to be a 'sugar Momma' trading off our financial and social status for a pretty boy.  Get with the times.  Women go to college/grad school/med school/law school now and have real careers and income.  We need real advice.  And please... sentencing single parents to no affection, no romance, no connection, and certainly no sex for 15+ years while they raise their kids as martyrs seems like a steep punishment for getting left by your spouse and becoming single when a parent.  It's clear he's never been single long, much less a single parent.  Take your advice on this topic from someone who has a clue.
1929566
Funnish - great new/old relaxation tool for adults. BUT find one somewhere else. Tell kids RATED X ADULTS ONLY not 4 Show & Tell. Otherwise, be prepared to be "that mom" and don't answer the phone for the next week/month OR if confronted USE your favorite saying and thank them for approaching you instead of participating in all the gossip the other women have- ESPECIALLY if you know the mom who approached you one of the Trailblazers who started it and won't t drop it. . GO BOLD!
Have a sense of humor, assess your children's feelings, and  negotiate as to your kids wants/feelings and what you are willing to change and do it. Do not make this any larger or messier than it needs to be. Your kid doesn't need you to always be right. They need to know how and when you are wrong and how you fix it. They need to know you love them unconditionally which does NOT  mean saying yes to everything- which is WHY u said no. One day at a time...
3581705
I should send Suze a check (in addition to the funds she'll receive from ordering a copy of her book) because in the first 10 minutes of looking through it, I saw the wisdom in her advice to open up a home savings account, change my 401k contribution (down, not up, as you might suppose), check credit ratings from all 3 bureaus and find out that I have the power (!) to call all of my credit card issuers and ask--no, change that to, demand--that they reduce the interest rates on every card, immediately (well, I'll say it nicer than that). Suze offers solid financial advice and she's not kidding: if you're not in the market to find out how to make your money work better for you, then you may find yourself old, not so fabulous, and broke 20 years from now. Listen to Suze, she's smart.
694876
Ty and all his team of experts, cancer survivors and health professionals each give invaluable advice. You are not told you must do X, Y or Z, just given facts. Its up to you. But this is empowering stuff and 100% recommended. Read, think, watch the seminars, reflect and find your way.
1511114
Good advice.  I'm "older" now and find it easier to follow.  But it's better learned at a younger age.
3360781
Right away you are likely to have problems with Hell Week by Erik Bertrand Larssen. Who, after all, wants to go through the kind of terrible experience associated with such a title?  Larssen, is Norwegian, a former paratrooper who served in some of the worlds worst trouble spots, and is now a performance consultant, meaning that he helps people and organizations improve their performance largely through mental processes. Central to his approach is the idea of making a commitment to live and experience just one week as your best self. The book is divided into three parts. The author starts with the idea that you can accomplish more in life than you think. Part one is titled Planning and Preparation and focuses on a seven step plan that includes the following:
1. Embrace adversity.
2. Get mentally prepared.
3. Strengthen your mind.
4. Gather feedback.
5. Define your goals.
6. Use visualization.
7. Devise a program.

Part 2 covers the seven days and focuses on mental aspects. Monday is concerned with your old habits, Tuesday, with developing a new habit, Wednesday with managing your time, Thursday with getting out of your comfort zone, Friday with rest and recovery, Saturday with controlling your inner dialogue and Sunday with putting your life into perspective. Part 3 covers actions after Hell Week.

The problem with Larssens ideas is that they are largely an adaptation of his military training experiences, which for most people are irrelevant and can even be harmful. For example, he says you should get up at 5 am and go to bed at 10 pm. This schedule might not work for a lot of people. What is a better idea is to have a specific time you go to bed and get up and that you get sufficient rest.  Another of his recommendations is to stay up all night (on Thursday) and then rest on Friday. This idea might work for college students who pull all-nighters to cram for an exam but clearly will not work for people who have to go to work on Friday. A final example is his advice that you engage in strenuous physical activity well beyond your normal level. Doing so could result in serious injury or at least make exercise so unpleasant that you are unlikely to continue it. A better idea is to gradually increase the intensity of your exercise and as your body adapts you will find you can perform at a higher level. For example I want to run a 5 K in under 30 minutes. My starting point was to walk one mile in 15 minutes. I can now run a mile in 11:13 and will continue each week to build on that pace and extend the distance until I reach my goal.

In sum, the value of this book is in the ideas relating to mental preparation, not the specific physical actions. Making a commitment to change, creating a workable and realistic plan, persistence in following and adapting that plan, keeping records and analyzing the results are all critical to behavior change. The hardest part of this process is getting started. (To have begun is half done.) Thus taking a week to focus on the change you want to make in your life and implementing a plan to achieve your goals is a good idea and using the mental processes suggested by Larssen can be a valuable way to begin this process. But a better name might be Transformation Week and a better idea is to focus on the long term. Thus I recommend this book for its emphasis on mental processes, while at the same time cautioning readers about the behavioral aspects.

Finally, it is interesting that all the previous reviews for this book have been either 5 star or 1 star, I think that my review provides an explanation for this difference. The people who love the book most likely are people from similar backgrounds as the author. The others most likely are not. My point in my review is to take the positives from the book and adapt the behaviors to your personal situation.