
Title : Goals! How to Get Everything You Want - Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible
Author : Brian Tracy
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Insightful!
The author grins, distinguished, gray-haired, gray-suited, from the dust jacket of this book, looking like everything a hokey, hustling confidence man should be. The book's subtitle, promising "everything you want," seems designed to provoke skepticism. But, hey, it's the new age: give this the benefit of the doubt - the confidence at stake here is yours. The core recommendation is simple and undeniably effective: define your goals, write them down, make a plan to achieve them and work on the plan every day. How could you fail if you really did this? Whether you would achieve "everything you want" is another matter, but you can't fault the method. Putting it to work is the hard part. To preview the gist of the book or review the meat of it, we recommend the convenient bullet charts that concisely repeat: take charge of your life, set goals, plan, implement and progress. If the message is repeated often enough, you might even write something down and just do it.

Title : Sink Reflections
Author : Marla Cilley
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Get rid of your clutter and your cleaning lady...
Discovered the Flylady.net website last year, and bought the book soon afterwards. Since then, our house (and world) has been turned around. A simple system to keep the house clean and uncluttered. Nothing extraordinary, not rocket science, just common sense. But it makes keeping house fun and easy - never thought I'd say that!!! The system might sound a bit crazy at first (drying/shining your sink every night), but give it a shot for a week and you'll be converted. Buy the book to keep by your bedside, but make sure you sign up for the (free) e-mail service, to get you truly on your way. www.flylady.net

Title : The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens: The Ultimate Teenage Success Guide
Author : Sean Covey
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : A Book For Teenagers and Adults!
Whilst this book is written for teenagers, it equally applies to adults. It is written in plain english, is easy to understand and full of pictures/stories. Most of all its FUN to read. It is like reading a textbook without evening knowing it!! It covers habits that we all need to develop - whatever age we are -taking responsibility for our lives, defining what you want to do in your life, prioritising, adopt a win-win attitude, listening to people, working togehter and taking care of yourselves. I loved it - would recommend it to teenagers, their parents, trainers or just anyone looking for self development.

Title : Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time
Author : Keith Ferrazzi
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Connect for the Joy of It All!
Never Eat Alone is a rare, detailed glimpse into how those with no special access can connect to those they want to meet. For many people who are good at connecting, this activity becomes a way of life. It's a profession and a hobby. As such, connecting can become all consuming. Many will find that aspect of Mr. Ferrazzi's story to be unattractive. But I found his candor in this regard to be refreshing.
If you step back from his enthusiasm for connecting, the mental attitudes and processes he describes are just what everyone needs to use who wants to be better connected and accomplish more.
All of us know more than any one of us. If you take two equally talented young people in any field, the one who is better at connecting will live a more successful life than one who tries to go at everything as a lone ranger.
I have known dozens of master connectors. They all do some variation of what Mr. Ferrazzi describes in this book. Here is how I would distill those lessons:
1. Decide who you want to meet to further your objective of accomplishing more.
2. Learn more about the person.
3. Find what you can do to help that person in an area where they care.
4. Develop a strategy to meet briefly face to face.
5. Share what you want to do to help when you meet.
6. Stay in touch with more ways to help.
7. Attend events where other master connectors attend and link into fields which are not naturally yours by becoming acquainted with these master connectors.
8. Study those who are very good at this.
If you keep in mind the sheer pleasure of making a difference as you do this, you'll soon be a superb connector. I recommend undertaking this task on behalf of something you are passionate about such as a charity you support.
One of the best parts of this book is that Mr. Ferrazzi is generous in sharing his mistakes. The world doesn't end for you as a connecting queen or king if you offend a poo-bah. You just pick yourself up and do better next time.
I liked his humility about his limitations in other fields. Peter Drucker would have approved of Mr. Ferrazzi's decision to work on what he has a talent and love for, connecting, rather than try to become more competent at things that are difficult and unpleasant for him . . . like quantitative analysis. The story about how he got his start at Deloitte is worth the price of the book.
Another strength of the book can be found in the excellent description of why people find President Clinton to be so compelling in person.
Skip books about networking and relationship building. Read Never Eat Alone instead!

Title : Motivational Interviewing: Preparing People for Change
Author : William R. Miller
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Wonderful book
I found this book very helpful indeed and many of its techniques have been successful in my practice.

Title : A Lifetime of Secrets: A Postsecret Book
Author : Frank Warren
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Heart-Wrenching Glimpses of Excruciating Emotional Pain with Some Humor
Have you ever told a stranger something that no one else knows about you? I often think that's the main purpose of sitting on long airplane flights: Confiding in strangers makes secret burdens emotionally lighter.
Frank Warren obviously understands that point and provides a needed outlet for those who can't even tell a stranger . . . but feel comfortable sending in a postcard with their secret on it. I'm sure thousands of people are walking a little lighter.
Much like watching a film of a disaster, you'll be counting your blessings as you review these often deeply painful admissions. In that way, your own secrets won't seem so heavy. I suspect that those with unshared secrets can benefit from both sharing and reading what others have shared. Many thanks to Frank Warren for coming up with this unique form of self-therapy.
It would be fascinating to ask people in a few years to send in another postcard to describe how sending the original one affected their lives.
One of the last postcards in the book explores that point: "i used to write my secrets on postcards that were never posted now i tell them to real people that know and care about me thanks, postsecret and goodbye"
My main caution is that I'm not sure how someone who is severely depressed and suicidal might react to this book. Some of the postcards reflect that condition, and someone inclined that way might find encouragement in reading what others have said.
From the point of view of wanting to understand others better, I was glad to learn about some secrets people hide that I wasn't aware of. I'll be more careful in the future about what I say on those subjects.
As I read the postcards, I was reminded of a seminar I attended two years ago where I met a man who told me his family had never celebrated his birthday and no one had hugged him in almost 20 years. Naturally, everyone took turns hugging him, and we held an impromptu birthday celebration. He looked like a new man.
I pray that those who sent in these postcards will enjoy years of unexpected hugs.
It's not all sadness. Some of the secrets are meant to be humorous. Others aren't all that serious . . . but will touch your heart nevertheless.
Other Related Resources:
1: http://creativevisionbooks.com/blog/2007/09/03/are-you-committed-or-over-committed/
2: http://hargism.com/motivation/traffic-sucks-motivation-technique/
3: http://scottish-rscs.org.uk/newsfeed/?p=3779
4: http://www.dr-smith.info/selecting-the-right-coach/
5: http://www.tjwalker.com/2007/12/28/why-is-motivational-speaking-so-hard-to-do-well/