Nonfiction Books

In this book there are such apt descriptions of the stunning land and the people...My family and I have had the good fortune to travel in northern parts of Pakistan twice, once in the Hunza Valley and once to a base camp on Nanga Parbat. We'll never forget the hospitality we experienced. I really appreciate Mr. Mortenson's sensitivity and efforts in working with the various peoples. My husband and I have taught abroad for the past eleven years in three different countries (including Lahore in Pakistan for four of those) and have a real appreciation for the inherent challenges. Keep it up. The book struck an in-tune chord.
Deirdre Roberts

Certainly gives one alot to think about. Mr. Mortenson's effort is nothing short of heroic

I don't have anything profound to say about the book, only that it literally changed my life - that one man could be both so driven, and so completely humble and gentle with the cultures he was servicing...
...a truly amazing man, one I desperately wish the US government would study carefully and start modelling their foreign policy after - around a philosophy of genuine 'aid' where it is most needed, thus eliminating the allure of terrorism for the young.
On a nice side-note, it not only an account of an amazing man, its an AMAZING account of an amazing man - his time in Pakistan, as you can imagine, has been pretty bumpy, and the result is nothing short of a one-in-a-million read: a 'Charitable Page-Turner', a soul-satisfying action epic!
Read it - it'll correct your vision.

This book tells an incredible story, and gives a fierce glimpse into this area of land that is shown (at a distance I am sure)on the news with only information about the conflict. This is a very good example for how we build relationships and seek the hearts and minds of people not only living in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan but also in America.

This book is a MUST read.

It goes without saying that Greg Mortenson is an amazing human being blessed with such compassion and love for the entire human race. To accomplish a good deed, he not only dared to do all he could but did not even think twice before putting his life into danger. Such dedication and perseverance is hard to find and that too for a good cause.

The book not only talks about great human spirit but has also lifted veils from the actual picture of the war that was raged in Afghanistan. Bombing the country and then offering help to re-build it was absurd enough on its own but, then to learn that the help promised never even reached the masses is the height! Mortenson and co-author Relin bring to light the day-to-day issues faced by the masses in the two countries i.e. Pakistan and Afghanistan and the shady politics surrounding them which, makes their survival even more difficult.

Mortenson's account has even helped clear confusion about the wrong picture of Islam and Muslims that has been sprawled across the world. Mortenson is another genre of the human race, on his own and any accolade is not sufficient enough. His sheer grit to help people in trying times, in a country which, had presumably raged war against his, is commendable.

Kudos to Mortenson, his family and all the people in Pakistan and Afghanistan who had the courage to STAND UP!

This book allows people to realise that stagnant sciences like economics in this case do not necessarily need to be boring / repetitive. Some really 'out of the box' explainations have been provided for some really important questions. Reads more like a story then a book on economics.

I give this book a negative review mostly because of another reviewer's title statement: "Smarter for having read it"; the book consistently criticizes experts in various media, and then proceeds to engender the deplorable "expert" mentality in casual readers, like us, who are really not good judges of what's going on. There is so much at stake in their claims, which they hasten through, that to consider yourself more learned after the fact may be only the process of self-blinding. Dubner and Levitt aren't necessarily wrong, but to read them without severe skepticism is to throw your mind into a vast pool of questionable correlations and grossly vague statistics, where some people may never escape their own illusory intelligence and sophistication.

Very good book. Full of insights and interesting topics. I liked it because it presents the facts with a brief opinion, but still lets you make up your own mind weather you believe it or not. I, personally, believed about half of what they said, but its still interesting to read through all the topics. It may all be true, but the facts they presented convinced me only sometimes.

I enjoyed this book. It blows your mind when you take everyday scenarios and throw in economics. This book is entertaining all the way through and you learn things you didn't know. For instance, Why did Murder rates drop in New York City....was it the police - NO....You must buy the book to find out.

Seeing how succesful this book has become, economics is becoming to the eyes of society less dry and more understandable. I have always seen economics like that, permeating everything and not just covering GDPs and inflation.
In one chapter that will shock and evangelist and hard core christians, will explain the reasons why crime dropped in the US in the 90s. In another it will show how the economics principles are also watched carefully by criminal organizations.
What you might gain with this book? Entertaiment at least. Perhaps you will question more the flawed statistics we read and many assumptions. And maybe you will began liking economics.
I think this book will be very imitated in the future, maybe its already happening.

The Tipping Point was a very, very, good book. The only thing that kept it from being perfect is that there's really only a half-book's worth of material here, so the author basically expanded what could have been written in 100 pages to a longer book format, just so we would think we're getting our money's worth. Very considerate, but probably not necessary.

There are few books that introduce a new idea that can be applied to multiple disciplines - The Tipping Point is a thought-provoking and well-written book in that category. This book contains more than an idea: it introduces a new way of understanding what often seems like major changes that appear to come from little or often unknown effort. It attempts to answer an obvious question: Why do some ideas, products, fads, and behaviors just seem to explode into popularity, while others-- which may be equally worthy-- just don't? Malcolm Gladwell's answer is that "epidemics" of popularity are the result of the operation of three agents: The Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. He delivers the evidence that backs up what he is saying, and he makes everything clear and entertaining. He uses concrete examples that really bring home his points, even the ones that at first just don't "add up" because conventional thinking tells you the opposite must be true. As a whole, this book is one of those rare gems that make you truly THINK about the world around you in a whole new way. It has simple ideas about certain kinds of people and psychological truths that spread "epidemics" of change and trends that can be applied to many complex situations. It can give you insight that you never had before on baffling or "roadblocked" issues.

This book is absolutely great; you won't be able to put it down. Gives very interesting insights into social phenomenons. I highly recommend this book!

Nutshell review - This is a great book. Lots of interesting insights and discussions about how social phenomenon can transition from one state to another, more extra-ordinary state.

This book asserts that the best way to understand popularity and social behavior, such as the rise in popularity of a book, teen behaviors, or word of mouth phenomena, is to model them as epidemics. The author suggests that ideas, behaviors, and the popularity of products spread like viruses, and that changes often occur quickly and unexpectedly. Small changes often result in larger changes and spread until a critical mass or "tipping point" is reached, thereby causing a larger more dramatic effect than might have been predicted.

Why is it that some people seem to have more power to influence mass thinking than others? The author says that word-of-mouth epidemics are stimulated by people with certain personality types: 1. sociable people who bring others together are called Connectors, 2. people who are adept at disseminating knowledge are called Mavens, and 3. people able to persuade are called Salesmen. Some people have more than one quality. This book brings to mind for me how frightening it is that we as humans are so easily manipulated by social dynamics and crowd mentality. The book will make you think about social dynamics, fads, and group behavior, and give you insight as to how these can be manipulated. Author of THE 3:00 PM SECRET: Live Slim and Strong, Live Your Dreams

we really have to embrace the message of this book. we have all been robbed of much through the culturally promoted "kick back, do nothing but live and let live years" of teenagerism. I am very thankful for the book and its message.

No excuses....young or old can benefit from doing hard things! Easy to read book, but then wisdom doesn't have to be complicated, does it? Too bad Nike already has the "Just Do It" slogan...would fit nicely here, but "Do Hard Things" fits better! Just read it!

How do we put our kids on the right path? We let them try hard things. We expect more. We want them to be bold in the right direction.
This book tells about some high achievers, but it's good for everyone.
So many children (and adults) schlepp through life trying nothing and achieving nothing, living a life of unsatisfying ease.
This book encourages us to launch out. Do something good. Dream.
Do something hard, difficult, challenging, complicated, frustrating. Work it out. Don't give up. Stay up late. Sacrifice. You wind up with a peace of mind, a satisfaction with yourself, confidence in your life.

The teenage years are arguably the most crucial and impressionable years of one's life. A person's future can often be decided by decisions made during this period. Many come undone while others go on to greatness. Teenagers need advice and guidance to set themselves up early for a happy and prosperous future.

Do Hard Things urges teenagers to push themselves, expand their boundaries, go after goals, resist limitations imposed upon them by others. We should all have this mindset, but teens need this advice even moreso.

Excellent book. Highly recommend.

Real Life Dramas - Volume One

Darren G. Burton

I was ironing in the laundry room when I saw 19 year olds Alex and Brett Harris, authors of the new book "Do Hard Things" on The Harvest Show, on WHME-TV. I immediately thought of how well they carried themselves. Their enthusiasm and love of God seemed genuine and impressive. I set my iron down to carefully listen to them explain the premise of their book, and was hooked. After all, I have nine children, including four teenagers, and what they were saying to teens their age rang true--Go above and beyond. Do more than expected. Challenge yourself. Love God. Do hard things. I ordered a copy of their book the next day.

Being a bona fide book lover (and God-lover too), I couldn't help but open the book and start reading it before the mailman had even left my driveway, even though at 40-something I am far older than the intended target audience. I was immediately surprised. In the opening pages the Harris brothers describe "an imaginary abbey of Dundelhoff" ... "on the outskirts of a small town in Germany" whose monastic inhabitants "eat colorless, tasteless sludge--once a day. (and) They only drink lukewarm water". The Harris brothers criticize the imaginary monks who "believe that the more miserable they are the holier they are and the happier God is." That seemed like a slam on real monks, and was also a misrepresentation of what the monks I've read about believe. Is it coincidence that these authors chose this example for an illustration of what kind of hard things not to do, or did they know that Martin Luther, who led the protestant break from the Church, was a defected German monk? Further, framed in this way, a monks' life was presented as a folly. I got what they were trying to say--God doesn't want us to be miserable when we do hard things for Him-- but the way they said it seemed like criticism of what real, holy monks do, and the Catholic Church indirectly.

As one would expect from Protestant authors, Martin Luther is presented as a hero in "Do Hard Things". Harris and Harris write, "Neither Wilburforce (a British philanthropist and politician who led a movement to abolish slave trade) nor Luther could have stood against the evils and injustices of their time if they hadn't first learned to stand against the evil in their own hearts." Implied, of course, is that slavery and the Catholic Church were similar *evils*. Catholic parents should take note of these subtleties and point them out to teen readers of this book.

Another criticism of "Do Hard Things" is the Harris brothers' advice to toss out caution when witnessing Christ to others. In the book we are introduced to Grace Mally, a nineteen year old girl who "promised God she would witness to whomever she found at a park near her house. As the story is told, she found "four burly construction workers" painting. Grace said, "I knew I couldn't allow fear to take over," and she approached the workers (who were "surprisingly friendly") to witness to them. This deviates from faith and treads upon being foolish. One young girl alone with four strong, burly strangers in a park is not smart, and it is naïve to think otherwise. Sometimes God gives us healthy fear--hesitation, to keep us safe. I hope young girls reading "Do Hard Things" don't take the Harris brothers' implied suggestion to approach strangers alone and without fear. Again, I get the authors' point--be brave and not afraid to witness Christ to others, but doing so in this instance seems foolhardy.

On the other hand, "Do Hard Things" contains excellent challenges for teens. The Harris brothers encourage their peers to go outside their comfort zones, go beyond what's required, tackle things that are too big to accomplish alone and that don't necessarily pay off immediately. Finally, they encourage teens not to be afraid to go against the crowd. These are good challenges.

The book has other fine attributes. I have to applaud the Harris brothers on their zeal and ambition. The book is well-written, and clear in ideas and examples. Particularly touching are some teens' testimonies, including that of Brittany Lewin, 18, who successfully ran the campaign of Bob Shaffer in the fourth congressional district of Colorado (incidentally a Roman Catholic who was awarded the Benemerenti Medal by Pope John Paul II.) According to the book Brittany states, "I believe the doors God has opened for me and the lessons he has taught me through politics are only preparing me to be the wife and mother He wants me to be. Going from campaign manager to home manager sounds great to me. Being a wife and mother is a higher calling than politics." It is amazing and uplifting to read that this young woman successfully managed a political campaign. It is even more impressive that her priorities are in order and she values the important task of raising children for God. "Do Hard Things" highlights well what various outstanding teens are doing to make a difference in the world.

Overall, "Do Hard Things" has all the right heart. The authors' intent is good. While the framework of the book is distinctly protestant, Catholics can safely share this inspirational work with properly catechized teens. The message "Don't accept low expectations--strive higher" is a good one. I'd like to see Catholic youth explore this idea in the context and beauty of the authentic apostolic Faith. I'm sure we can find a few saints as examples of people who also weren't afraid to do hard things.


Theresa Thomas
Catholic writer and home schooling mom since '94

Good info good pictures to back everything up and I even got this book right after "the sex talks" came. I came use and me and my friends laughed at the illistrations in 4th grade=]

I bought this book for my 9 year old daughter after we had "The Talk". She reads it every night and loves it. We sometimes read it together, but if not, I always ask her if she has questions. It is perfect for her age. I'm really glad I bought this book for her. It's just one more way we share time on such very important subjects. She thanked me today for helping her to become a lady. I felt so proud.

I bought this book for my 10 year daughter and she refers to it often. It goes in to detail of importance of keeping your body clean and talks about all the changes your body goes through in easy to understand and not scary text. alot of my friends bought this for their girls too!

I reviewed this book quickly then gave it to my 9 year old daughter. She had it read within an hour. We sat and discussed it and it seemed to answer all of her questions. It made her feel more comfortable about the changes that her body would be going through. Sometimes your kids have questions and you arent quite sure how to answer them, this book definitely steers you in the right direction. I would recommend it to any little girl around 8-9-10. They can read it in private then discuss when they feel comfortable. Great book!!

This is a great book! It touches on important subjects in a gentle yet informative manner. My daughter is soon to be 10 and we are reading it together. I wish I had this book when I was growing up!!

...outdated, very few useful ideas, centered around elementary education, and an absurd tone of cheerfulness mixed with condescension.

When I was a new teacher I really hoped this book would prepare me for running a smooth classroom but it just steered my thinking in the wrong direction and ultimately it probably did more harm than good.

This books "popularity" is simply due to the fact that it is a fad book within administrative circles. This is because Wong goes out of his way to argue that teachers who criticize inservice and professional development activities are just bad teachers.

Very eye-opening. A truly great read for any caring educator. Time-tested and researched techniques, procedures, and rules. Even a chapter on dressing the part. Well worth every penny. I have two copies.

I would purchase a product from this seller again. This came in a timely manner.

Thanks for the book. I've searched book stores for a while and they never had it in stock. It was nice to find a new book still in it's package cheaper than any book store.

It was shipped fast and was brand new in the plastic wrap like I ordered.

After 26 years of marriage, I recently found myself living with an alcoholic-and it is a FAMILY disease. This book clearly outlines how codependency manifestes itself in your life. This book not only describes symptoms but prescribes solutions and is the best read on the subject. If you need clarity, focus and are ready for recovery...start here!

I am the wife of an alcoholic and this book really helped me see my part in our marital problems. It will help you realize your own worth and how to set boundaries to protect yourself.

My counselor suggested this book. So being the good "student" I went out right away and purchased it. I can tell you I would gladly pay a million dollars for what's in this book (if I had it). Although, it mainly deals with people coping with alcoholics/drug addicts, it spoke to me. Each night I couldn't wait to read it and almost immediately I was able to start applying some of the suggestions. It has made such a difference in the way I'm starting to think, about myself and everything around me. It's also helped to lift the heavy despair that has been keeping me from enjoying my current relationship. I'm here on Amazon to purchase the next book, Codependency and Beyond (I think that's the title). I'm even going to give it to my partner, so that she can finally see what I've tried so hard to explain. I can't say enough good things about this book. I'm planning on writing to the author to tell her just how much this has helped me...in fact, it saved my life.

Codependency is far more prevalent then one is aware. My many years in Al-Anon were very helpful but so many unanswered questions were found when I looked at my codependancy issues, that I was unaware of. Many thanks to Melody Beattie's books.

I was given some insight while reaing this book. I don't agree with everything in here, but no one is going to be completely satisfied with everything. I do not like the format or the"beatin around the bush" persay. I felt there was a lot of babbling and many tims when I thought I was getting somewhere she goes on to say...Later on in coming chapters...that is annoying. If I am on the subject now I want the meat and potatoes now, not later. She looses me a few times in each chapter with a lot of useless information I believe. The other thing is this book is reallygeared towards people who have relationships with people with many issues. I am in fact codependent, but I need a book for codependents who aren't enabling an alcoholic or sex addict, drug abuser, etc. etc. I didn't quite get that from this book. I will say it was a goo staring point and did put me in the right direction to finding out what many of my issues are and gave it a name so I may do further research on my own...mybe I'll write my own book on codependency.

I have enjoyed this book tremendously. I really don't have to feel guilty by saying no. We all have limits, and especially in the Christian community, we have to be careful. Some would call us selfish and other names, if we have to say no to money, time, etc. requests. I really needed this book at a critical time in my life! I'm fed up with others thinking that my husband and I are at their beck and call. We cannot save the world from all the problems of others!!! This book goes into reaping and sowing. To learn and grow, we MUST reap and sow. We all MUST be responsible for our own knapsacks-daily cares. Read the book and you will know the difference between something catastrophic and other's daily woes and cares. We can't handle everything that is sometimes thrown at us. THANK YOU for this book!

Excellent ! Boundaries were totally lacking in my life. This is a Christian book that clarifies how to be a Christian and have strong boundaries instead of confusion and chaos. Too many Christian ministers preach against boundaries knowingly or unknowingly and boundaries are NOT unbiblical--this book saved my life from depression and ruin. I now understand how my destructive patterns in relationships got me in my messes and now I know how to prevent the messes. I am happy, emotionally healthy, and those around me are no longer guessing. They know who I am and can trust me. When I say something, I mean what I say. No more games. BOUNDARIES set me free. I was raised in my family of origin without any healthy boundaries, but it is NEVER too late in life to develop healthy boundaries. I was yearning and so hungry for this information. THANKS BE TO GOD THAT THESE AUTHORS PROVIDED BOUNDARIES.

Everyone should read this book. Whether you grew up in a stable loving home or in the exact opposite we all need help in setting and keeping boundaries. I was skeptical when my pastor first recommended this book. I thought it was going to be just another self help book that I would read and never really use. I was very wrong. Boundaries has helped me to not take on more than God wants me to, in life in general but most importantly in my church. It is so easy to feel obligated to fill needs when they arise but when we fill needs that aren't ours to fill we are hurting ourselves and those people God really intended to fill them.

I have also learned to identify boundary and character problems in others. I can't tell you how much trouble that will keep me out of in the future. Most importantly I have learned how to teach my children proper boundaries so they can avoid some of the mistakes I and so many others have made simply because we didn't know what good boundaries were.

A book everybody should read. This is one the best books I have ever read, this kind of education should be given in elementary school and distribute copies for free for grown-ups. Thanks many.

The materials in this book are helping me sort out the relationship problems affecting my life, particularly with my teenage son.

I bought this book when I was first learning Spanish and actually never touched it in my beginner stages. The book contains useful phrases that you'd need to know; however, they way they translate them into Spanish is almost overly proper and polite and if you were talking to any native Spanish speaker using these phrases, you would just seem awkward. I will say, though, that if your intention isn't to learn Spanish, but just to learn some phrases to get you by while traveling, this book might be ok...just expect some strange looks with some of the phrases.

This is a helpful book in many ways, however it is out of date. I wish I had checked when it was printed, so I would have known that many of the phrases that were commonly used then, are quite awkward now. However, much of the information remains useful. Also, I planned to use this book when working in a third world country, however it would be much more useful in a tourist's back pocket.

I've been reading and studing Spanish for a while now. Useful phrases. Some of them forgot to put the pronunciations under some of the kinda important sentences. It's not a real thick book.

This book is compact and it is easy to find a lot of common Spanish phrases quickly and accurately.

As someone who knows almost no Spanish, I thought this book was helpful. Though my husband, who is a pretty good Spanish speaker, said that some of the phrases in here too formal and aren't really used by people who speak Spanish as their first language.

After reading "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," by the same author, and reading/hearing comments about "Tuesdays with Morrie," I really thought this was going to be a great read also-- but it wasn't. Reviewers make it seem as though there are so many revealing thoughts and lessons to be learned through this book, however, I found most of them to be common sense based. It was interesting to follow how this elderly man degenerates, yet keeps a positive attitude all throughout. Nonetheless, it wasn't as engaging to read as "The Five People You Meet in Heaven."

Tuesday With Morrie is a wonderful book. It sits by my bedside and I constantly pick it up and reread a chapter or two upon going to bed at night. My husband read it and Morrie inspired him to change his life. He wanted to be more like Morrie. A book that helped him do this and continues to is Why Men Die Before Women and How to Prevent It. Read both of these books.

As a class we read the book Tuesday with Morrie by Mitch Albom. Tuesdays with Morrie is an incredible novel about a professor who becomes very ill and happens to connect with Mitch Albom an old student of Morrie's when Mitch found out Morrie was ill. Mitch is an average working man who is very involved with his work and gets wrapped up in things that dont really matter in life. In this book you learn a lot about yourself and the courage and bravery behind death. By reading this book you realize what matters in life and how important family and friends actually are. Its not about money and the nicest cars its about love and happiness. After reading this book I had a whole new outlook on life. Also you begin to notice what happens now wont effect you in the future.
I suggest this book for anybody who is looking for a good read, or anybody that needs that extra push when they are in a time of need. This book opens up a lot of doors for many different people and I hope that this book has the same affect on people as it did on me.
Enjoy :)

Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I read this as part of a college assignment. It was one of the best assignments ever. This book taught the class so much about living life, and living it to the fullest. If you are facing difficult times in your life, this is a MUST READ. Perhaps someone you know is facing family sickness, or having a difficult time with family relationships -- if so, this is a great book to help overcome those problems. It will help you focus your energy into something more positive, therefore not wasting it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Morrie was mentally strong, though he suffered from the terminal disease, ALS(=amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), I'd say. He was eager to tell the meaning of life to his ex-student, Mitch Albom, who is also the author of Tuesday's With Morrie. I would only worry about my terminal disease,if I were in Morrie's shoes. I mean, all I could do would be to be apathetic or pessimistic about my future. " The truth is once you learn how to die, you learn how to live." - that'd be the last thing I could say.
Certainly, it WAS sad that Morrie passed away because he was respected by lots of his students and graduates. However, every Tuesday when Morrie told Mitch the meaning of life must be very precious memories for Mitch, that's for sure!