Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

Book Description

The New York Times Bestseller!

Learn how to keep your cool and get the results you want when emotions flare.

When stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong, you have three choices: Avoid a crucial conversation and suffer the consequences; handle the conversation badly and suffer the consequences; or read Crucial Conversations and discover how to communicate best when it matters most. Crucial Conversations gives you the tools you need to step up to life's most difficult and important conversations, say what's on your mind, and achieve the positive resolutions you want. You'll learn how to:

Prepare for high-impact situations with a six-minute mastery technique
Make it safe to talk about almost anything
Be persuasive, not abrasive
Keep listening when others blow up or clam up
Turn crucial conversations into the action and results you want

Whether they take place at work or at home, with your neighbors or your spouse, crucial conversations can have a profound impact on your career, your happiness, and your future. With the skills you learn in this book, you'll never have to worry about the outcome of a crucial conversation again.

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Crucial Conversations offers readers a proven seven-point strategy for achieving their goals in all those emotionally, psychologically, or legally charged situations that can arise in their professional and personal lives.

Customer Reviews:

great business tool.......2007-10-01

ordered 15 copies to distribute around our department... received rave reviews from everyone who read it.

Great Insight, Good Tools.......2007-09-21

Wow! It's amazing how often I see my friends, family and MYSELF in both examples and in the strategies (some good, some bad!).

This is a great book to come upon when one needs it. Obviously, some have been forced to read it by a boss... and I'm not so sure that the message gets across that way.

Does this book cure all of the social inequities of the workplace? Of course not - that's not what it even attempts to do!

Rather, it's a series of tools for enhancing communication and, for many of us, these tools are a surprising way of looking at all conversations - particularly the non-productive ones.

Do I recommend this book? 100%!!! Would I give it as a gift to someone who "needed" it? Maybe not. It's best found when the time is right, not forced on someone when the time is wrong.

Very good..........2007-09-18

Very good book for succesful managers, but also for amateurs interested in improving their communication skills. Of course, for some professionals that one may be "just another one".

Ignores conversational reality.......2007-09-06

Do we need a book to tell us that if we and/or our conversational partners are overly emotional or argumentative, create an uncomfortable or unsafe setting, clam up, will not listen, are incapable of adaptation or appreciating other views, or are not overly bright that chances for conversational success are greatly diminished. The author's message is that in the absence of these negativities, that basically free-flowing dialog where all the relevant information is brought into the open will result in effective communication. The emphasis in the book is within business organizations, in particular between employees and employers, although the ideas pertain to all other so-called high stakes conversations between various persons. However, the book absolutely fails to deal with conversational reality.

It is readily obvious that the authors are consultants to the business community (managers), because of their dismissal of the power differentials in the workplace. Their citing of a few brave employees who questioned or contradicted a top manager, serves merely to reinforce the hazards to employees for speaking out in the workplace. Of course, such non-controversial topics as safety, productivity, or where to have the company picnic can be broached. Fundamental topics such as policies, strategies, products, marketing, structures, or personnel are invariably off limits. If the authors wanted to be serious about conversations within businesses, they would propose democratic participation structures, where workers or their elected representatives could freely, without fear of retribution, address any and all issues, not just the safe ones. Bravery or putting one's job on the line would not be necessary.

It is hardly just within businesses where crucial conversations are prevented despite one's best efforts. Bureaucracies and other barriers are often initiated specifically to prevent conversations. Try talking to an insurance company about drug or treatment denial. Try talking to a sales person about a corporate product or service. Try getting through a telephone answering system only to be stonewalled by an "associate." Try talking to a doctor about treatments or, better yet, fees. Try talking to a department head about the nature or conduct of your education. The list is endless where most people do not have a chance of a meaningful or effective conversation.

This book is like so many other "blame the victim" notions. If you are not having good conversations, it must be because "you" don't have the right "tools" to converse. It can't be that the person you are talking to has the power to inflict damage or is within a structure where they can simply ignore you or dispense pabulum. A democracy is based above all on wide-ranging conversation among equal citizens with hopefully widely accepted resolutions. Maybe some day in the US we will try a form of democracy within all of our organizations in which "conversations" are not one-sided with the possibility of punishment for even speaking. Now there is an idea for the authors to grasp.

Excellent Tool.......2007-08-30

So very true....we move to either silence or violence...why not have a tool to charter those waters to resolution without either silence or violence.

Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss what Matters Most

Average customer rating:

Will you ever have a hard conversation? Sure, you will! Read this book first.
Difficult converations
great read
Best Book on Communication
Quality of Life Must Read

Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss what Matters Most
Douglas Stone , Bruce Patton , Sheila Heen , and Roger Fisher
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Interpersonal Relations | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 014028852X
Release Date: 2000-04-03

Amazon.com

We've all been there: We know we must confront a coworker, store clerk, or friend about some especially sticky situation--and we know the encounter will be uncomfortable. So we repeatedly mull it over until we can no longer put it off, and then finally stumble through the confrontation. Difficult Conversations, by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen, offers advice for handling these unpleasant exchanges in a manner that accomplishes their objective and diminishes the possibility that anyone will be needlessly hurt. The authors, associated with Harvard Law School and the Harvard Project on Negotiation, show how such dialogues actually comprise three separate components: the "what happened" conversation (verbalizing what we believe really was said and done), the "feelings" conversation (communicating and acknowledging each party's emotional impact), and the "identity" conversation (expressing the situation's underlying personal meaning). The explanations and suggested improvements are, admittedly, somewhat complicated. And they certainly don't guarantee positive results. But if you honestly are interested in elevating your communication skills, this book will walk you through both mistakes and remedies in a way that will boost your confidence when such unavoidable clashes arise. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

Members of the Harvard Negotiation Project--which brought you the mega-bestseller Getting to YES--show you how to handle your most difficult conversations with confidence and skill.

Whether you're dealing with an underperforming employee, disagreeing with your spouse about money or child-rearing, negotiating with a difficult client, or simply saying "no," or "I'm sorry," or "I love you," we attempt or avoid difficult conversations every day. Based on fifteen years of research at the Harvard Negotiation Project, Difficult Conversations walks you through a step-by-step proven approach to having your toughest conversations with less stress and more success. You will learn:
how to start the conversation without defensiveness
why what is not said is as important as what is
ways of keeping and regaining your balance in the face of attacks and accusations
how to decipher the underlying structure of every difficult conversation

Filled with examples from everyday life, Difficult Conversations will help you on the job, at home, or out in the world. It is a book you will turn to again and again for advice, practical skills, and reassurance.

"Does this book deliver on [its] promise of an effective way through sticky situations, whether 'with your baby sitter or your biggest client'? It does."-- The New York Times

"These talented communicators blend a daunting array of disciplines into highly readable and practical advice."-- Booklist

"Brilliant. . . . I've already re-read most of it. I'm using it. What more could a reader ask?"-- Tom Peters

"Emotional Intelligence applied to life's tough moments."-- Daniel Goleman

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"What is a difficult conversation? Asking for a raise. Ending a relationship. Saying ""no"" to your boss or spouse. Confronting disrespectful behavior. Apologizing. Conversations we dread, and often handle clumsily as a result, are part of all our lives: in boardrooms and family rooms, across the negotiation table and the dinner table. Now, Difficult Conversations teaches us how to handle these dialogues with more success and less anxiety. How does it work? Based on fifteen years of research and consultations with thousands of people, Difficult Conversations pinpoints what works. The authors discovered that regardless of context, the same small but crucial errors are what trip us up--and a few key adjustments can make all the difference. * The role of emotions--ours and theirs * The impact of what is said and what is not said * Why admitting our mistakes will put us in a stronger position * The truth behind the myth that women are better at expressing their emotions than men * How to respond productively in the face of personal attacks Who is this for? Filled with examples from everyday life, Difficult Conversations is certain to be an instant and lasting classic for families, neighbors, bosses, employees, customers, tenants, landlords, psychologists, teachers, and more. Who are the authors? Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen teach at Harvard Law School and at the Harvard Negotiation Project. They have consulted to countless businesspeople, governments, organizations, and communities including all parties to the negotiations on constitutional transition in South Africa; school teachers in Medellin, Colombia; and community leaders and the police department in Springfield, Massachusetts. They lecture throughout the world and have written on negotiation, conflict resolution, and communication. Bruce Patton is co-author of Getting to Yes."

Customer Reviews:

Will you ever have a hard conversation? Sure, you will! Read this book first........2007-09-21

This little book can be a great help. We all have avoided conversations we knew were going to be difficult. Often not talking made things worse, so as things became intolerable we had the discussion and things got even worse. These authors break down the inner structure of difficult conversations and how we often mishandle them. They then show us the ways in which we can turn this into a constructive process that brings more understanding, greater cooperation, and learning that will help avoid repeating the difficulties in the future.

Certainly, I can't recap the whole book in this little review, but I especially like their concept of three conversations happening within each difficult conversation. They are the debate over what happened, the feelings conversation, and the identity issues. In the what happened conversation the problem is that each side assumes it knows the truth, that they know the other party's intentions, and that they know where and how to assign blame. Of course, all this is a fiction and a waste of time. It does nothing to fix the situation or improve the process to avoid the problem in the future. The book then shows you how to have a constructive approach to the same problem. Excellent stuff!

The authors are part of the Harvard Negotiation Project and has a foreword by one of the authors of the famous book, "Getting to Yes". The book is concise, but full of very good information. I recommend it very much.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson - Ann Arbor, MI

Difficult converations.......2007-09-17

this book is well worth the read,
it is easy to get throught, and does not repeat itself.
You want to read the whole book.
nancy carlson

great read.......2007-08-27

This book is used as a textbook at the Harvard MBA. Good tool for those messy conflicts

Best Book on Communication.......2007-08-24

This is the most useful and comprehensive compendium of effective, research validated, communication concepts I have ever seen in one book. Useful for anyone who speaks with other humans, especially significant others, business colleagues and teenagers. If you are a coach, this reading is required. Difficult ideas presented in a way that makes them easy to understand and easy to apply.

Quality of Life Must Read.......2007-08-04

Difficult Conversations, by Stone, Patton, and Heen, is a foundational book in the literature of holding difficult conversations in purposeful ways. I have read it often and use its principles in my teaching and in daily life. Underlying its principles is the simple understanding that we can get better at listening, talking, and acknowledging what is actually going on in our relationships; that we create the reality of our lives by the ways in which we talk about it; and that one conversation at a time, we can choose to work with the energy of conflict instead of avoiding it. There are many good books on this topic. I suggest reading them all, starting here.

Judy Ringer is the author of Unlikely Teachers: Finding the Hidden Gifts in Daily Conflict

Conversations with God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Below normal comprehension
What's wrong with Texas?
Contradictions are good
Can you think of a Better way to live?
Divinely Beautiful

Conversations with God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 1)
Neale Donald Walsch
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399142789

Amazon.com

Blasphemy! Heresy! Who does this man think he is, claiming to speak directly to God?! Jesus did it, Muhammad did it, the Jewish prophets did it, but none of their Gods had the sardonic wit or raw verve of Prophet Walsch's God. Neale Donald Walsch isn't claiming to be the Messiah of a new religion, just a frustrated man who sat down one day with pen in his hand and some tough questions in his heart. As he wrote his questions to God, he realized that God was answering them... directly... through Walsch's pen. The result, far from the apocalyptic predictions or cultic eccentricities you might expect, turns out to be matter-fact, in-your-face wisdom on how to get by in life while remaining true to yourself and your spirituality.

Book Description

Conversations with God Book 1 began a series that has been changing millions of lives for more than ten years. Finally, the bestselling series is now a movie, starring Henry Czerny (The Pink Panther and Clear and Present Danger) and Ingrid Boulting (The Last Tycoon). Produced and directed by Stephen Simon (producer of Somewhere in Time and What Dreams May Come) and distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Fox Home Entertainment, the theatrical release is set for October 27, 2006. The movie is the true account of Walsch (played by Cierny), who went from an unemployed homeless man to an "accidental spiritual messenger" and author of the bestselling book

Customer Reviews:

Below normal comprehension.......2007-10-10

This book is utter dribble. Some passages remind me of text written by hippies high on drugs. When one starts having conversations with themselves that's usually not a good thing. I don't need Mr. Walsch to answer my questions, if I have questions to ask of God, I'll go the original source -- my bible. I have more confidence in the consistency and accuracy of the bible's answers than I do of a man responding to voices in his head.

And why do people assume God does not love unconditionally. Wasn't that the whole purpose of Jesus' sacrafice. Plus He shows his love the way any parent would. Didn't all of our parents punish us if we did something wrong like lie. They disliked that we lied and punished us for it, but that didn't stop them from loving us or continuing to provide for us.

What's wrong with Texas?.......2007-10-08

For the record, I have read the entire series and found all to resonate with my soul and make total sense out of the universe--something I cannot say for many other "spiritual books", including the Bible. If you want to look at an interesting phenomena, check out how many negative reviews are coming out of Texas, home of our current president and death penalty capital of the western world. What would Jesus do with a mentally handicapped person who has had a tough time in life and committed some horrible crime?? Why execute him, of course---nevermind the fact that this breaks one of the very commandments these bible thumpers hold so dear.
Here's the bottom line. If you think the Bible is the end-all and be-all of spiritual thinking you will absolutely HATE these books. You will find them too threatening to the tenuous narrow minded thread that holds your little world together. If however, you would consider the idea that the bible is an unfolding history in the evolution of human thinking about God, and that perhaps IT TOO was written by human hands with good intentions but may contain some fallacies based on ancient primordial fears, then by all means, expand your mind, satisfy your soul and free yourself to be the person you meant yourself to be before you came here.

Contradictions are good.......2007-09-27

The book is an excellent source of information that contradicts everything you have learned about God and about your spiritual reality. It gives you a completely different point of view, which quit possibly, could be as true as anything else you believe in now. I can't say I agree with everything I read but I do believe that a great deal of it did click with my way of seeing our connection with this physical world and the spiritual aspect.

David

Can you think of a Better way to live?.......2007-09-26

The answer is no. Even if you don't buy into all that the book offers, you have to simply ask yourself the question of, is there a better way to live? Than without fear? I personally can't, and this book has been a revelation to me. The journey is not just reading, but living.

Great book I would recommend it to any and all who have any interest!

Divinely Beautiful.......2007-09-22

I love this book, it infuses peace.

I have the audio version which I listen to over and over because it's inspiring. Just when you start getting bogged down by something, Conversations with God offers so many tips on how to jump over any hurdle--and have fun doing it!

The Complete Conversations with God (Boxed Set)

Average customer rating:

The book I've waited my whole life for
Classic new age spirituality, loaded with insight
life changing
AMAZING
A pleasant read

The Complete Conversations with God (Boxed Set)
Neale Donald Walsch
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399153292

Book Description

For the first time, Books 1, 2, and 3 in the multi-million copy bestselling Conversations with God trilogy are brought together in one special gift edition.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the publication of Conversations with God, Book 1, all three of the most essential books in Neale Donald Walsch's seminal trilogy are brought together in one beautiful volume just in time for the gift-giving season.

Conversations with God, Book 1 was the start of Neale Donald Walsch's ongoing dialogue with God. The trilogy contains the most essential truths and lessons for spiritual seekers, and these books are the bestselling of all the author's works. Featuring a new foreword by the author, printed throughout in two colors, and inserted in a fully enclosed full-color box, this remarkable book will be a Christmas gift to treasure.

Customer Reviews:

The book I've waited my whole life for.......2007-10-11

If you are spiritual but not religious, and are either turned-off by corporate church or just wondering about the whole concept of "the meaning of life", this is a must-read. Thank you, God for this message.

Classic new age spirituality, loaded with insight.......2007-09-23

Just like Illusions, Seth Speaks, the teachings of Abraham (via Esther Hicks) and of course The Secret, Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations With God books offer up plenty of the New Age thinking about how we literally create our own reality through how we think, how our patterns of operating out of fear and not love are both personally and globally damaging, etc.

This book is a little different in that Walsch actually refers to God (big 'G') as the source of the information he relays to us. Like other books in this genre, if you get hung up on whether NDW actually DID have a conversation with God or if he made it up and these are his opinions, you're missing the point. There are many, many insights in here that just about anyone can benefits from. Read it and enjoy it for what you can benefit from and how it can change you for the better (similar to reading philosophy or poetry for example). The only thing slightly off-base was calling this a 'boxed set' when in reality, it's all in one book.

In any event, plenty of value in this collection; anyone thinking about their place in the universe and wanting to improve the quality of their lives will get something out it.

I just have one question, if these really are the words of God, did the editors at Putnam have to correct God's English? Wouldn't you feel a bit weird: "Oh, no, no, no ... You cant say that." or "This sentence is too long...You're falling in love with Your Own words."

life changing.......2007-09-19

I have read this book and I was completely touched by it. Donald Walsh is an incredible author, asks the perfect questions and has very clear and clever style. This book has changed my life altogether. Even if you're a skeptic this deserve your attention as it will make you think hard about the way you've been taking life.

I will re-read this book over and have made every conscious effort to live my life by its words. In his conversations Donald exposes us to the other side of traditional beliefs, challenges our ideals and mores and pushes us to look at the bigger picture. Oh boy! how big that picture is...

This is an incredibly enlightening book that will alter any person's small way of thinking. If you understand it and enjoy it, then this book was meant to fall in your hands.

Blessed are the ones that are lead to this series of books. This is a trilogy; all 3 books must be read and preferably bought as a set or as one large condensed book like the one described above.

AMAZING.......2007-09-14

This is such a wonderful book that anyone may read and feel that it is talking to them specificly. It allows you to have a different view on so many subjects. We are trained to think only certain ways. That we ourselves don't relize we have a mind of our own to really explore as to why things are. I enjoy this book so much. It's Amazing to me. This information needs to reach the people. To give them something more then what we have.

A pleasant read.......2007-09-10

A very nice read. I found the writing very well done. Some beautifully simplistic thoughts on life. Of course I don't think anyone really believes this man is talking to God though. God help you if you do, but as a work of fiction this series does really well. Would have been good for the author to preface the books by stating that they are indeed fictional, but maybe it is simply supposed to be obvious from the content. JK Rowlings doesn't need to state that Harry Potter is fiction for example. I recommend this book to believers and pre-believers alike.

Fierce Conversations: Achieving Sucess at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time

Average customer rating:

Outstanding
Very Engaging
An Insightful and Very Informative Approach to Communicating
Transformational
Connect Better

Fierce Conversations: Achieving Sucess at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time
Susan Scott
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0425193373
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Amazon.com

Susan Scott believes that interpersonal difficulties--at work and at home--are a direct result of our inability to communicate well. Fierce Conversations is based on principles from her international consulting practice, in which she teaches executives how to conduct such exchanges more dynamically and ultimately more effectively, thereby improving the relationships they enjoy with their various dialogue partners "one conversation at a time." Using identifiable anecdotes from her experience to inspire and inform, along with a series of practical exercises designed to impart the requisite skills, Scott walks readers through the individual steps she's developed to build better associations through more robust and honest discourses. Addressing all aspects of the process, from several methods for listening more attentively to specific ways she's fashioned to confront and resolve issues "that stand between you and success," Scott offers the type of concrete advice and confidence-building counsel that should help even the most reticent improve their communication skills dramatically. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

The Wall Street Journal bestseller, now with new material.

The master teacher of positive change through powerful communication, Susan Scott wants her readers to succeed. To do that, she explains, one must transform everyday conversations employing effective ways to get the message across. In this guide, which includes exercises and tools to take you step by step through the Seven Principles of Fierce Conversations, Scott teaches readers how to:

€ Overcome barriers to meaningful communication
€ Expand and enrich conversations with colleagues, friends, and family
€ Increase clarity and improve understanding
€ Handle strong emotions-on both sides of the table

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-08-24

Extremely useful in both personal and professional life. I've attended many classes & seminars in the last 30 years but still learned a host of valuable info. Highly recommended.

Very Engaging .......2007-08-14

I settled in for an average book with and interesting title about communication. What I recieved was an invitation to look in my life and my business for fierce conversations. As a trainer and a business coach communication is my my tool.Fierce Conversations gave me tools that work,ways to assess my progress and stories that assist me in seeing what would be possible in my business and in my life if I had authentic, direct conversations with people.If you have to pick one communication book this year, it's this one!

An Insightful and Very Informative Approach to Communicating.......2007-08-08

Fierce Conversations provides an opportunity for the reader to gain information while participating in a self-discovery process. It takes the idea of communicating thoughts and ideas to a new level and challenges us to think before speaking by considering the ramifications of what others will hear. We are reminded that any "single conversation can change the trajectory of a business, a career, a marriage or a life." This is an awesome statement and the author proved her point repeatedly through examples.

I am determined to address my most challenging "Mineral Rights conversation (you'll have to read the book to know what I mean) in the very near future. I will also recommend my writers' group members review this book as an example of quality writing that captures the audience, propels them to action, and encourages completion of task.

Transformational .......2007-05-19

Susan Scott has a way of getting to the heart of the communciations problem. People say what they think you want to hear, and they are rarely authentic because they are afraid to be. They are even afraid to be honest with themselves. An excellent read.

Connect Better.......2007-05-12

It is rare that I read a book cover to cover. I read lots of books; however, I find most books contain little or nothing new. Susan's book is different.

In my line of work, I am only as successful as my ability to connect with others. Having an arsenal of powerful questions and a strong framework for presenting are key to my success. Susan's book contains the best tools I have found to connect deeply with others.

The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways That Jesus Is the Way

Average customer rating:

Living Like Jesus
Perfect for any collection strong in Christian thinking.
The way we follow must be internalized and embodied
Leisurely and enriching
Getter closer to what means to walk with Jesus today

The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways That Jesus Is the Way
Eugene H. Peterson
Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 080282949X

Book Description

A way of sacrifice. A way of failure. A way on the margins. A way of holiness. All of these ways prepared the "way of the Lord" that became incarnate and complete in Jesus. But somewhere along the line, have we lost the way?

In The Jesus Way Eugene Peterson continues the thought-provoking spiritual-theological conversation that he began in Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places and Eat This Book. This third volume, offering more of Peterson's singular blend of probing biblical exposition and keen cultural analysis, considers all the ways that Jesus is the Way compared to the distorted ways the modern American church has chosen to follow.

Arguing that the way Jesus leads and the way we follow are symbiotic, Peterson begins with a study of how the ways of those who came before Christ -- Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah of Jerusalem, and Isaiah of the Exile -- revealed and prepared the "way of the Lord" that became complete in Jesus. He then challenges the ways of the contemporary American church, showing in stark relief how what we have chosen to focus on -- consumerism, celebrity, charisma, and so forth -- obliterates what is unique in the Jesus way.

Customer Reviews:

Living Like Jesus.......2007-07-15

"The Jesus Way" is the third book in Peterson's opus concerning conversations in spiritual theology. The first two books are "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places" and "Eat This Book." Spiritual theology is teaching on how to grow spiritually.

Peterson's latest work reminds one of Dallas Willard's excellent premise: to be like Jesus we must live the way Jesus lived. Peterson fleshes out how Jesus lived by looking at the life of Christ and by looking at Old Testament and New Testament examples of people who lived like Jesus.

For deep insight into spiritual formation into the image of Christ, "The Jesus Way" points the way with biblical precision and relational power.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Soul Physicians, Spiritual Friends, and Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction.

Perfect for any collection strong in Christian thinking........2007-06-09

THE JESUS WAY: A CONVERSATION ON THE WAYS THAT JESUS IS THE WAY draws a symbiotic connection between the ways Jesus leads and the ways people follow, studying those who came before Christ and how they led and comparing these with Jesus' methods of leadership. Chapters challenge the methods of the modern American church and argue against consumerism, charisma and other barriers to understanding the Jesus path, using a blend of scholarship and spiritual insights to push the boundaries of belief and wisdom. Perfect for any collection strong in Christian thinking.

The way we follow must be internalized and embodied.......2007-06-06

Especially in his senior years, Eugene H. Peterson has become a prophetic voice, gently but firmly challenging the American church to be concerned with the way it declares and lives out the Gospel. The title of the book refers to Jesus's statement recorded in John 14:6: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." Jumping off from that point, Peterson quickly delves into a discussion of ends and means. "We cannot skip the way of Jesus in our hurry to get to the truth of Jesus." Put another way: "Only when the Jesus way is organically joined with the Jesus truth do we get the Jesus life." Or: "The popularized acronym WWJD ('What would Jesus do?') is not quite accurate. The question must be 'How does Jesus do it?'"

After an initial chapter about Jesus Himself, which includes Peterson's interpretation of the meaning of Jesus's three wilderness temptations, Peterson presents six chapters based on Old Testament characters who illuminate Jesus's message and meaning for us. (1) Abraham --- a way of faith and sacrifice. (2) Moses --- "the way of language," as receiver of the Torah, in some ways analogous to the Gospels. (3) David, whose "way of imperfection," including prayers that express his need and repentance and gratitude, "provide us with an imagination that is capable of understanding the operations of God to do His perfect work in us." (4) Elijah, who lived on the margins of society: "The essence of the Elijah way is that it counters the...culture's way." (5) Isaiah of Jerusalem, who proclaimed and lived in the reality of the holiness of God. (6) Isaiah of the Exile, who preached "images of the living God of salvation" that were rooted "in a solid sense of creation and history." Here Peterson returns to a discussion of the means of our salvation: the suffering servant.

A much shorter Part 2 looks at three contemporaries of Jesus who show us what the "Jesus Way" is not. (1) King Herod, who plays a role in the Nativity story. (2) Caiaphas, the High Priest. (3) Josephus, a prominent Jew who colluded with Rome against his people. This section includes history lessons, such as background on the Maccabees, Zealots and Essenes.

Though this book stands on its own, it is the third in a series of five billed as "conversations in spiritual theology" (CHRIST PLAYS IN TEN THOUSAND PLACES and EAT THIS BOOK are the previous installments). THE JESUS WAY is not light inspirational reading; yet on nearly every page you'll find a memorable or pithy line that grabs your attention and draws you along, anticipating the next thoughtful insight into what it means to live as a Christian. There's a pastoral engagement in Peterson's writing, including well-placed personal anecdotes (even one about Winnie the Pooh) that transforms these books from academic theology or biblical exposition to spiritual nourishment. Toward the end of the book there's a revealing comment in this regard: "We can only pray our lives into the way of following Jesus.... The way we follow must be internalized and embodied."

For further help in digesting Peterson's spiritual theology, a study guide will be available June 15th from the publisher.

--- Reviewed by Evelyn Bence

Leisurely and enriching.......2007-05-25

Peterson's series continues to inspire and enrich. It's a thoughtful tour of familiar biblical characters and incidents, giving us a new way of appreciating them.

Getter closer to what means to walk with Jesus today.......2007-05-15

I have read this book with great interest and a good feeling inside. The question of what Jesus really meant when he said "I am the way (and the truth and the life)" has bothered me for a long time. After reading Eugene Peterson's book I still have to think it over. Peterson does not give any simple answer. However he does - like what I believe Jesus did - tell anecdotes and supply us with jigsaw pieces that can be put together, approaching an answer.

I have tried to do that. From Abraham's faith and the narratives of Moses, through David's prayers and repentance, Elijah's trust in God, and the emerging gospel partly uncovered by "Isaiah" (of Jerusalem and of the Exile) - from all these we get contributions to what it means to follow Jesus. Even the lessons to be learnt from the encounter with Herod, Caiaphas and Josephus - political and ecclesiastic leaders of their day - contribute to understanding of what it meant to be a Christian in those days. That experience is easily translated into what you can expect being a Christian today.

Spanish in 10 Minutes a Day® (10 Minutes a Day Series)

Average customer rating:

Best Help and Fast Review
Spanish in 10 Minutes a Day
A good Start
Wonderful Product
Good for a traveler, Not for a class

Spanish in 10 Minutes a Day® (10 Minutes a Day Series)
Kristine K. Kershul
Manufacturer: Bilingual Books (WA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0944502598

Book Description

A fun, engaging, 132-page complete language learning workbook. Includes 150 sticky labels, flash cards, a cut out menu, a crossword puzzle and more. Original art and an open format are just two of the many reasons why this is one of the bestselling language series in print.

Customer Reviews:

Best Help and Fast Review.......2007-09-24

I first checked this book out from the library. It is so good , I purchased a copy from Amazon. This book has the normal words used everyday. It is easy to follow and you do it at you own pace. You are learning how to speak in easy short sentences. It has flash cards that speed up the learning process. Of all the reference books I have, this is the one I pick up first. This book will be great if you are going on vacation and only need to know certain things :)

Spanish in 10 Minutes a Day.......2006-08-15

This text is either for the very beginning beginner or a good review for the person who has been away from Spanish for a time.
It is done in a logical manner and in workbook form. It has stickers for nouns and cutouts for flashcards of the important beginning vocabulary in the book. It is fun to do and quick to finish.

A good Start .......2006-04-07

I have read almost all of the book. Along with the CDs I think the set would be very good for a beginner but not enough for adequate conversation. No conjugation rules mentioned. You have to be enrolled in a spanish teaching class to fill in the defecits that this set have. Overall I think my spanish improved alot from 0% spanish to 50% now,which is not bad to a beginner....

Wonderful Product.......2006-02-24

We are a homeschooling family and we were looking for a good beginning Spanish program. This program was recommended to me by several people so I thought we would give it a try. My daughter and I are learning together and we are finding this program easy to use and alot of fun. I think it would be a great program for older elementary (my daughter is 14) - adult. The CDs are a must because they teach you the correct pronouncation for each word. The stickers are a great way to incorporate Spanish into your everyday life. Excellent program. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to learning Spanish for educational purposes and for those who are planning a trip to a Spanish speaking country.

Good for a traveler, Not for a class.......2005-08-12

I began using this as text for a class of mine, but quickly only used it as a supplement. You are to simply copy the words and say them in 10 minutes each day. It's a great theory, but very difficult to absorb any language through this method. The vocabulary is bent toward the traveler - what to pack, where's the restaurant, I'd like to order, that type of phrasing.

The color pictures make it seem like it might be aimed at a younger crowd, but the exercises were a bit stale for anyone under high school age.

Overall, this is a good crash course if you're about to leave for a week's vacation in a Spanish-speaking country. To learn how to truly communicate in Spanish, you need something more thorough on grammar points and practice. The fact that no CD comes with it also makes pronunciation a concern for the novice learner.

For the much younger child, Flip Flop Spanish is a great tool which comes with a CD.

Speak English Like an American (Book & Audio CD set)

Average customer rating:

Excellent choice and explanation of idioms
Homeowner
Unexpectable
Speak English Like an American
Excellent

Speak English Like an American (Book & Audio CD set)
Amy Gillett
Manufacturer: Language Success Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Conversation | Etiquette | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0972530037

Book Description

If you already speak English, but now would like to start speaking even better, then Speak English Like an American is for you. This book and CD set is designed to help native speakers of any language speak better English. Over 300 of the most-used American English idioms and phrases are presented in engaging dialogue, with plenty of usage examples, illustrations, and lots of exercises -- with convenient answer key -- to help you learn the material. The audio CD includes all of the dialogues. Ideal for self-study. A fun and effective way to improve your conversational English!

Customer Reviews:

Excellent choice and explanation of idioms.......2007-06-01

Being a non-native speaker who has lived in US for over 10 years, I've heard of many of the idioms in this book at work, on TV and in every day conversations. I didn't know what some of the idioms mean exactly until I read them in this book. I think the book is very useful for immigrants like me or simply anybody who would like to learn American English.

Homeowner.......2007-02-21

Excellent with a great many up-to-date expressions and words. CDs let you listen while doing other things. The book allows one to read what is on the CDs.

Unexpectable.......2007-01-10

I didn't expect i would have a great book to improve my English.
I'm in my home country now so I've got going on studying since one an half month . It has 25 lessons and I'm on 12th. I can't wait to skip for the next one because I wonder what's going to happen in subject. But I know I need to consume each lesson. The fiction is really set successfully.
I listen to its CD and my pronunciation has already improved.
I appreciate the edition and the author.
Nesibe
PS: sorry about my English if I've done something wrong:)

Speak English Like an American.......2007-01-10

One of the best idiom books out there, and I've tried quite a few. The stories are entertaining and most of the idioms are very common.

Excellent.......2006-06-02

I am really amazed of how much idioms and colloquial expressions you can learn just by listening to the CD. And guess what - these are idioms and phrases you REALLY hear everyday on the street, used by most people in everyday situations. Before, my English sounded a bit "artificial" and somehow forced. Now, the more I used the idioms I learnt here, the more natural and even friendly I sound to the native speakers.
Buy it, it's totally cheap for what it does!

Never Be Lied to Again: How to Get the Truth In 5 Minutes Or Less In Any Conversation Or Situation

Average customer rating:

A painful read with some useful information
Wonderful
Great Book!
Fun and useful
Excellent book

Never Be Lied to Again: How to Get the Truth In 5 Minutes Or Less In Any Conversation Or Situation
David J. Lieberman
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312204280

Amazon.com

When liars are being accused of something, they'll stay calm because they're working on their rebuttal; this is why detectives were suspicious of O.J. Simpson when he didn't express outrage when accused of murdering his ex-wife and Ronald Goldman. Never Be Lied to Again is bursting with tested tips like this for quickly determining when you're being boondoggled. Body language, facial expressions, sentence structure, and word choice can all reveal when someone is lying, says psychologist David J. Lieberman, and he includes 46 of these "clues to deception" to help you, including tricks for framing questions without putting others on the defense. Once you use your newly honed "human lie detector" skills to figure out if you're being lied to, you can then dig for the truth using the specific, influential words and body postures that Lieberman suggests. Written with flair and humor, Never Be Lied to Again is designed to help you get the upper hand in any situation, whether you're trying to figure out if your spouse is cheating on you or if you suspect your coworkers are cooking the books.

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

It's difficult to have honest communication in a world where people bend the truth to fit their needs. Even more difficult is confronting a suspected liar in an open, forthright manner. In Never Be Lied to Again, human behaviorist Dr. Lieberman coaches listeners to face unfaithful lovers, colleagues, and employees. Lieberman introduces the tape and the remainder is read by male and female voices in varied tones. These different voices pinpoint numerous verbal and physical clues that will help you detect when people are lying; "attack sequences" and "silver bullets" allow you to initiate discussions with the guilty party. Although much of the information is geared to personal rather than professional situations, this tape is still a good resource for starting uncomfortable conversations. (Running time: 1.5 hours, one cassette) --Sharon Griggins

Book Description

How many times have you been manipulated or taken advantage of by someone's lies? Are you tired of being deceived, tricked, and fooled? Finally, renowned behaviorist David J. Lieberman shows you how to stop the lies and uncover the truth-- in any conversation or situation. In a simple, user-friendly format, Dr. Lieberman gives you the tools to determine, with uncanny accuracy, if you are being lied to.Utilizing newly developed techniques in hypnosis and psycholinguistics, this book also shows you how to easily influence anyone to tell the truth-- within minutes. Use it in any situation, from casual conversation to in-depth interviews. Never Be Lied to Again is chock-full of colorful examples and engaging scenarios to help you keep from being taken advantage of and give you that extra edge. Use these groundbreaking techniques to take control of every personal and business situation....and never be lied to again.

Customer Reviews:

A painful read with some useful information.......2007-09-14

This was a tough book to get through and failed to introduce much information that I didn't already know. The writing style was painful due to the authors choice to alternate the pronouns "he" and "she". He did this to avoid sounding sexist but pointing it out made it even more irritating. Most of the examples used were nap inspiring: "You think a student was cheating on her exam." Or unrealistic: "You suspect someone of selling you a puppy with a bad heart." Lieberman knows what he is talking about and the cover of this book looks great but the inside presentation could use a major overhaul. You don't have to read "Never Be Lied To Again" to know I am telling the truth.

Wonderful.......2007-09-05

In the past two weeks it has saved me over $200 at the mecahnics (I used one of the techniques in the book and found out he was lying to me about my brakes AND transmission) amd it has probably saved me a lot of heartache. (It turns out that a guy I had just met was married although he told me otherwise. He confessed to being married after about ten minutes when I used one of the advanced techniques on him) I'm not kidding--this stuff works like magic. This book could not have come at a better time. (Although I don't beleive in coincidences)

All in all,of the books I've read over the years,this is the most significant without adoubt. I can't say enough about it.

Great Book!.......2007-09-04

Another new bestseller which I highly recommend - The Exclusive Layguide: When Dating and Having Sex with Incredibly Hot Women is No Longer Mirage Even If You Don't Look Like a Model or Don't Make a Fortune

Fun and useful.......2007-08-07

I have mixed emotions about this book. On one hand, it does cover a lot of signs that you are being lied to, and if you know about them you will pay attention and will be more likely to figure out the truth. On the other hand, some methods for finding out the truth are really disturbing because the author advocates using lies and manipulations for discovering the truth. However, I would still recommend reading it. You don't have to use every suggestion in it - use what feels right for you. I especially found the first part of the book useful - this is where the author lists all the signs of lying (and there are a LOT of them, I think that he probably covered them all). The second part lists the aforementioned "strategies". All in all, I found the book fun to read and very useful, and it is up to the reader to chose to use the book defensively or offensively.

Excellent book.......2007-06-28

He explain the subject very well and he doesn't need a lot of lines for explain each ideias. I bought others books and he is a expert in the others subject too. (I'from Brazil and I recommed him)

Conversations With God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 2)

Average customer rating:

The Best Books I've Ever Read
Amazed
Not as good as book 1, but still has some good questions.
Disappointing
Coversations With God: An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 2)

Conversations With God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 2)
Neale Donald Walsch
Manufacturer: Hampton Roads Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Mysticism | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Parapsychology | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Spiritualism | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1571740562

Amazon.com

In Conversations with God: Book II, Neale Walsch and God resume their discussion and move on to larger topics than the personal issues addressed in their previous dialogue in Volume 1. For an "unedited transcript" of a conversation, Book II is remarkably well organized and articulate, as if Walsch anticipatd our "but what about" questions before we asked them. The peculiar pair discuss time, space, politics, and even kinky sex, but Conversations with God: Book II isn't here for just shock value. It is an honest look at some of the broad issues important to all of us on the planet, and a suggestion of how things might go if we are all willing to open our minds and have our own conversations with divinity. --Brian Patterson

Customer Reviews:

The Best Books I've Ever Read.......2007-10-04

I have read all 3 of the Conversations With God Trilogy and they have changed my life forever. I was raised as a southern Baptist Christian and was always scared of the whole God thing. After reading these books I know that God is a LOVING God and he does not judge and punish people. Written in plain easy to understand english these are a must for anyone on a spiritual journey.

S. Harrison

Amazed .......2007-09-02

I am amazed at the effeciency and customer service on all the products I have ordered. I wish more companies would follow your lead. Thank you and keep up the great work.

Not as good as book 1, but still has some good questions........2007-06-25

I loved book one and went and bought book 2. The beginning was interesting, but I found myself skipping pages around the end. This book talks alot about politics which I found to be pretty boring. It is still and interesting book because of the questions it asks. I read reviews of people saying that these books are satanic. These books are not satanic. These books were not written for a religion, but for an open mind. I believe that satan is not peace, he is not about bringing the world closer to God, and satan is not about finding yourself. Its makes me sick how many Christians focus on Satan and give him so much credit. This is a good book that will allow you to think. And think for yourself.

Disappointing.......2007-06-09

The author seems to have run out of ideas for the second book rather hoping the success of book one would sell this one. I found him struggling in this one and only just managed to finish it.

Coversations With God: An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 2).......2007-03-15

I loved this book as much as the others in the collection. It challenges everything you believe about God and religion. It opens a whole new door to spirituality and hopefully will help you to close the door on some of the things that you have been taught about a vengeful God.

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