change Books

obviously it would be hard to write a book about god and have everyone happy. everyone has such a different perception. that is one reason i hated the book...it didnt fit with my god. the biggest reason however that i hated this book was it was written poorly and i found it extremely cheesy. i couldnt stop thinking who in their right mind likes this. to each his own i guess.

This is a wonderful read for anyone who is the least bit interested or curious about God or wants to deepen their understanding and relationship with his/her creator. Young paints a beautiful picture of words as he recounts the story of his friend, and although I am sure it is not half of what Mack experienced, the penmanship is to be appreciated. This is not a "churchy" "religious" or otherwise "Christian" book in the way that many would think--it is about real tragedy and a real God who may not alway be what we think. Well worth the time and a book I will re-read!

A beautiful parable about God's love. It was so helpful in understanding God, His love, and the trinity. Also, it helps take away the fear of death and also of evil. I want everyone I love to read this book. Thank you, William P. Young for sharing your gift of insight.

The Shack is a beautiful, painful, heart-rendering story about how God feels, how He loves to love, how He hurts more when bad things happen than we can ever realise, and how He created us for one purpose - relationship. I don't generally read Christian fiction because it seems to be so 'end-times' based but halfway through this book, I actually felt as if I had stopped reading and instead God was speaking to me. It's a masterpiece. Ignore any comments about it being theologically incorrect. Instead, celebrate this book for what it is - a story of how God loves us, YOU, me, and how He created us to be in relationship with Him.

I sincerely love this book, it has really touched me and I feel so much closer to God since reading it.

A few years ago, the company I was with purchased copies of Good to Great for managers. I was blown away by the information the book contained. The book went against my thinking at the time. In quick order, I changed my mind-set about several topics and found my `new ways' were more productive to my employer and my career.

Perplexed, I wondered why the executive management of the organization didn't practice the theories advanced in this book. They were after all, the ones that had purchased copies for their managers. Sad to say, the company began a downward spiral and several divisions were sold - myself included.

To my surprise, my new CEO was a huge fan of Good to Great and referred to it often. Outside of his office was a copy of the book permanently resting on a coffee table. In my good fortune, I learned that this CEO and the organization, took the lessons from Good to Great to heart. The company grew and my career grew.

I highly recommend this book to anyone in management. I have included it on my Amazon lists and my Amazon guides. I have stated this is, quite simply, the best book on management available. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs

The book arrived much sooner than expected and in great shape. Very pleased with the service and product.

Working in Church leadership, I found Mr. Miller and team's work challenging and appealing. What seems obvious in being great is actually the antithesis of 'conistent greatness'. I would recommend this book for any organization. A+ for those of us in ministry!

I had never purchased anything at Amazon .com The book I bought was in pristine condition and it was delivered promptly. I will continue to buy items from this website . thanks

This book by Jim Collins is one of the most successful books to be found in the "Business" section of your local megabookstore, and given how it purports to tell you how to take a merely good company and make it great, it's not difficult to see why that might be so. Collins and his crack team of researchers say they swam through stacks of business literature in search of info on how to pull this feat off, and came up with a list of great companies that illustrate some concepts central to the puzzle. They also present for each great company what they call a "comparison company," which is kind of that company with a goatee and a much less impressive earnings record. The balance of the book is spent expanding on pithy catch phrases that describe the great companies, like "First Who, Then What" or "Be a Hedgehog" or "Grasp the Flywheel, not the Doom Loop." No, no, I'm totally serious.

I've got several problems with this book, the biggest of which stem from fundamentally viewpoints on how to do research. Collin's brand of research is not my kind. It's not systematic, it's not replicable, it's not generalizable, it's not systematic, it's not free of bias, it's not model driven, and it's not collaborative. It's not, in short, scientific in any way. That's not to say that other methods of inquiry are without merit --the Harvard Business Review makes pretty darn good use of case studies, for example-- but way too often Collins's great truths seemed like square pegs crammed into round holes, because a round hole is what he wants. For example, there's no reported search for information that disconfirms his hypotheses. Are there other companies that don't make use of a Culture of Discipline (Chapter 6, natch) but yet are still great according to Collins's definition? Are there great companies that fail to do some of the things he says should make them great? The way that the book focuses strictly on pairs of great/comparison companies smacks of confirmatory information bias, which is a kink in the human mind that drives us to seek out and pay attention to information that confirms our pre-existing suppositions and ignore information that fails to support them.

Relatedly, a lot of the book's themes and platitudes strike me as owing their popularity to the same factors that make the horoscope or certain personality tests like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator so popular: they're so general and loosely defined that almost anyone can look at that and not only say that wow, that make sense, and I've always felt the same way! This guy and me? We're geniuses! The chapter about "getting the right people on the bus" that extols the virtue of hiring really super people is perhaps the most obvious example. Really, did anyone read this part and think "Oh, man. I've been hiring half retarded chimps. THAT'S my problem! I should hire GOOD people!" Probably not, and given that Collins doesn't go into any detail about HOW to do this or any of his other good to great pro tips, I'm not really sure where the value is supposed to be.

It also irked me that Good to Great seems to try and exist in a vacuum, failing to relate its findings to any other body of research except Collins's other book, Built to Last. The most egregious example of this is early on in Chapter 2 where Collins talks about his concept of "Level 5 Leadership," which characterizes those very special folks who perch atop a supposed leadership hierarchy. The author actually goes into some detail describing Level 5 leaders, but toward the end of the chapter he just shrugs his figurative shoulders and says "But we don't know how people get to be better leaders. Some people just are." Wait, what? People in fields like Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Organizational Development have been studying, scientifically, what great leaders do and how to do it for decades. We know TONS about how to become a better leader. There are entire industries built around it. You would think that somebody on the Good to Great research team may have done a cursory Google search on this.

So while Good to Great does have some interesting thoughts and a handful of amusing or even fascinating stories to tell about the companies it profiles (I liked, for example, learning about why Walgreens opens so many shops in the same area, even to the point of having stores across the street from each other in some cities), ultimately it strikes me as vague generalities and little to no practical information about how to actually DO anything to make your company great.

After the reviews I read I thought for sure this book would be a cure-all for the problems with my 3 year old. Unfortunately, many of the examples set & ideas to follow are aimed at older kids, and are mostly common-sense. I would still recommend this book to anyone with kids older than 6, and anyone lacking common sense in raising your kids.

Dr. Leman deals a dose of practical parenting advice I knowo I needed to read. In Have a New Kind by Friday, you will get the real scoop on how to change you kids' behavior instantly with actions, not words.

Most of all, you will learn that their behavior has a purpose, and that if you can stay emotionaly distant from the anger you may feel, you can handle just about any issue you may face.

As a mom of 4 ages 12 to 5, I needed this book! I was doing some things right, but like all parents, I needed some help as well. And this book was just the shot in the arm I needed to get it right.

I encourage you to get a copy of Have a New Kid by Friday now - Don't wait! Your kids are counting on you.

Trish Berg
Author, Book Reviewer
www.TrishBerg.com

Rattled: Surviving Your Baby's First Year Without Losing Your Cool

A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts: Stories to Warm Your Heart and Tips to Simplify Your Holidays

The Great American Supper Swap - Solving the Busy Woman's Family Dinnertime Dilemma

I recently saw Dr. Kevin Leman on Fox and Friends and I immediately went out and bought Have A New Kid By Friday. After reading this book, the whole atmosphere in my house has changed. I used to have kids who were disrespectful, and mouthy, but now I have kids who listen to me-- I almost fell over the other day when my son asked me what he could do to help.

I liked the book so much that I am buying a few extra copies for my friends and family. And I am also purchasing Dr. Leman's Birth Order Book.

This is a book for any parent.

This book is excellent for younger kids. For older kids 12-18, I like the following two books. The Edge Effect: Achieve Total Health and Longevity with the Balanced Brain Advantage and Don't Like to Read, Then Don't, Listen!: How to Turn Any Type of Text Into Audio Files That Can Be Read to You!

What a letdown! Listen, if you think your kids are "hedonistic little suckers," then maybe this book is right for you. There is very little content; it's the informational equivalent of junk food from McDonalds. An example of the kind of advice you'll get: if you ask your child to take out the trash and they forget, then let them guess why you won't take them to the store sometime in the future. The Guess Why I'm Not Happy Technique has never worked with my dear husband; why would anyone expect it to work with a child? I wouldn't call that Assertive Parenting, would you? I'd call that Passive-Agressive parenting, and who needs a book for that?

The claim that this book makes is a little misleading. Sure, the book itself was very informative about the physiology of each part of the brain and their functions. But the suggestions on how to regulate these brain functions were not life changing. 80% of the book was one story after another after another about how Dr. Amen saw a patient, preformed a SPECT study to diagnose their problem. Don't get me wrong, I believe in the validity of these studies and think SPECT studies should gain more credibility, but then all his patients were ultimately prescribed medication for their issues. How does this help me as the reader?

Take the insight you learned about each section of the brain, and use this book as just a stepping stone to finding the answers you're searching for.

I found this book helpful in understanding the functions of the different areas of the brain and the causes behind the effects of a malfunctioning brain. Not only did it give causes and effects but remedies to change these difficulties into positive solutions bringing a healthy approach to healing, increased function and over-all improvement in quality of life! If anyone you know demonstrates anxiety, depression, obsessiveness,(eating disorders, etc.) anger, or impulsivity, this is a must read! Not only is there light at the end of the tunnel. . . you can be guaranteed to get out of the tunnel once and for all!

Dr. Oz is about as real as it gets. Despite a Masters in Human Behavior and my life-long search to understand my mood swings and how to handle life as it comes, I am once again energized and hopeful that there might be a biopharmacological reason for the unexpected and unwelcome bouts of immobilizing depression that I have struggled with for over 60+ years. I have had little or no success with traditional talk therapy and physician prescribed anti-depressants. I am determined to seek out a "Specto" image of my brain to determine the best course of treatment for a burden that has severely impacted my own and the lives of my family and friends.

The guy on the back cover - Martin H. Stein has lost his credentials to practice medicine repeatedly since the book came out - overall the "science" in this book is NOT proven. If you need help with your life / thinking, etc. - often getting MUCH MORE SLEEP, and cutting way down on the stress in your life - along with exercise and eating right is enough to solve the majority of peoples problems (along with increases earnings - ha!). This was told to me by a MD who testified against Dr. Stein. TRY THAT FIRST! ...

To recap - The featured "doctor" who wrote a blurb on the back cover isn't allowed to practice medicine anymore.

This book(I listened to the cd's.) is an amazing insight into the human brain, how it works, and explains so many misconceptions about thinking in regards to our present mindset about behavior. It explains each part of the brain and behaviors that are represented by each part in a way that is easy to understand and connect to. It also gives great detail and information on behaviors, why we use them, and strategies to help us control or stop them. One very important idea that I appreciate is that the author, Dr. Amen does not believe in a one sided approach. He looks at each person/brain as unique and deserving of an individual prescription whether it be one prescription or a combination of approaches such as therapy, medication, awareness, diet, supplements, biofeedback, and other methods. Dr. Amen also emphasizes that most people do not purposely exhibit odd behaviors/thinking patterns. He shows through specific examples in his book that sometimes no matter how hard we try to make ourselves change/alter a certain behavior, there is often a medical reason why we cannot. Through his brain SPEC images he has shown this to his patients and their family members.

The book has helped me to see others whose behavior I was so frustrated with in a new light and now that I better understand it, I am able to improve my feelings and relationships with them. If there is someone you know that uses certain behavior/ways of thinking that impact their life or yours in a way that makes living very difficult, then reading this book is a must. The brain is an organ in our body, and when things go wrong in it due to genetics, head injuries, childhood trauma, neglect, abandonment... it effects how our brain functions. There are checklists, helpful hints, information, behavior modification techniques, and so much more that can be helpful to anyone whether you think you need it or not. So don't go on thinking that you or a loved one is "crazy" and nothing can be done. Read the book. Though it is filled with loads of information, you will take away from it what you need and can use.

Read this on the beach. Loved it. Kept picturing Diane Keaton as main character.

If you are a white, upper middle class, female 30- or 40-something from New England who is going through a divorce, this book may be cathartic for you. However, if you fit another demographic group, this book is probably a waste of money and time. If you can stick with it past the halfway point, it is somewhat more readable (but not great). The stream of consciousness style combined with omniscient narrator style (sometimes both in the same paragraph!)is annoying , as are all the run on sentences and bad punctuation/typos (plurals where she means possessive), etc. But primarily it's simply unpleasant to read all the whining and soul searching of every character in the book as white upper middle class marriage after marriage breaks up, combined with the absence of action (other than to pack up and travel to the beach house). A much better use of your energy would be Anita Diamant's "Last Days of Dogtown" or "Red Tent." Chick books too (although my husband also likes them), but extremely well written and researched. Diamant's fluid and lovely writing style, historical perspective, thoughtful observations, action, and the interaction between characters is gripping.

This book kept showing up as a recommendation, so I finally decided to get a copy and take it with me to the beach last week. I'm glad I did. It's a breezy read, painting a summer picture of Nantucket and filling it with an array of colorful, well-drawn characters. I couldn't help but fall in love with the central character, Nan, a kooky old broad who rides a bicycle around town and helps herself to flowers in her neighbor's gardens. The additional characters revolve around her as she, determined to keep her landmark home, ventures into an innkeeping business. I read this in two afternoons.

If you like character driven women's fiction, I also recommend: Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA, It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club, and The Jane Austen Book Club

I'm struggling to get through this book right now. The first chapter hooked me. I love the notion of Nan and her free spirit. But after chapter one, this book is hurdling downhill like a bus with no brakes. Each subsequent chapter is full of "introduction" dribble - boring. I find myself flipping the pages to the next chapter just to see if it gets back on track with anything exciting to say. Sadly, it doesn't. This book is a big, wad of love mush gone astray. For example, "She loves her daddy so much it hurts." Ugh. Can Jane Green not do better than that?

Very entertaining, though somewhat predictable. Great light summer read. Made me want to visit Nantucket. Enjoyable.

With 900 other reviews, I'll keep this one short. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell is an enormously interesting read. It tries to answer the question why and how certain ideas 'tip'. How they spread and become popular. Malcolm uses a huge amount of interesting stories from different domains to try to make his points. For me, the collection of stories was probably more interesting than the points he tried to make. The stories were well written.

Related to tipping, he argues that there are three rules related to an social epidemic. The law of the few (a few people can have a huge impact), the stickiness factor (a message can be constructed to be more sticky) and the power of context (the context can influence the message which is being spread enormously). The rest of the book contains chapters related to each of these rules. Every chapter summarizes the rules and tells stories of where the rule applied.

Tipping Point is extremely well written and easy to read. The bunch of amazing stories make it fun and it's no wonder that it's one a major best sellers in the world. I found the message the author tries to communicate less interesting, though. Never the less, I'd recommend the book to everyone for the sake of the stories and the learning that can be taken out of every individual story.

I've heard Malcolm Gladwell speak, and he's superb! In this innovative book, whether he's referring to the Maven, or the Connector, it's relatable to all individuals. If you're looking for a light leadership book that brings up very INNOVATIVE topics, this is it! For additional tips on leadership, I'd also recommend taking a course at www.corporatetrendsetters.com.

With social networking and user generated content (UGC) flooding the web, businesses are struggling to find ways to harness and direct this power. There exists an extensive collection of blogs, books, news articles and podcasts that offers advice about techniques to jump-start user adoption and gain stickiness, but these tend to focus on execution and not on concept. The dialogue generally advocates creating new communities, controlling messages within existing communities, and monetizing concepts, but fails to answer the fundamental question, "Why do people adopt certain ideas and not others?"

Enter Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point. This is not a new book. It was published in 2002 and doesn't mention a single Internet technology or concept, instead focusing on how "epidemics" spread - From Paul Revere's success in his midnight ride to why kids love Blue's Clues to syphilis' spread in Baltimore in the mid-90's. Gladwell dissects the masses and exposes the population segments that serve as the kindling for raging success.

Connectors - The people that know everyone and revel in making mutually beneficial introductions. These are the catalysts or accelerants that help bring the key components together.

Mavens - The experts. These are the people that know everything about certain topics. Everyone has friends that they trust when it comes to food, music, sports, electronics, etc., the friends that are almost freakishly knowledgeable and passionate about their interests.

Sales people - These are the people that sell ideas and visions - the evangelists. They get people excited and spread the word - like the sales person mentioned in the Holiday Inn commercial that once had a heart attack and within an hour had sold the paramedics 12 sets of steak knives.

If you can come up with a great product or offering that has amazing value for those that take advantage of it, you're off to a good start, but the challenge is just beginning. The Tipping Point presents some of the foundational relationships and interactions that must occur to be successful. Coupling the above personality traits with a discussion of the various adopter types - from Innovators to Late Adopters - and you have a powerful recipe. Blending together the right mix of Connectors, Mavens, and Sales People with Early Adopters sets the stage for success... then all you need is a phenomenal idea. Easy right?

I recommend the book.

Marcel Crudele
innerEcho - Atlanta, GA

"The Tipping Point - How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference" by Malcolm Gladwell gave me insight into trends as seen through his eyes. I loved it!

Gladwell caught me off-guard when he discussed the racial tipping point that affects the real estate market of a neighborhood. But that was not the most surprising. What surprised me the most was how low a percentage of new property owners could influence the change from a sellers market to a buyers market.

There were many times when he seemed to veer off his subject and I started wondering where he was going with the point of the story. Then he would pull it all together and I could see exactly why he said something the way he said it.

Gladwell points out common traits in typical public interest/popularity and how that relates to sales and marketing.

In each example, he explains the patterns that show the slow beginnings, the steeper climb, to the sharp growth in popularity to the hesitation at the top, then the crash and (except for a few examples) a sudden end of all growth.

His intention is to provide enough information to duplicate or create a path towards a tipping point in your business. And, with the proper actions, manipulate how long your business is able to remain at the top of the sales chart.

I was surprised that Gladwell used stories about the popular children's show Sesame Street in his examples. But, once I read his in-depth, behind-the-scenes stories, I realized how complex and how much innovative thought went into producing that very successful television show.

Now, I find myself paying closer attention to eye, face, and body position and movement when I discuss business (and personal) matters. And, I am noticing the signals I (un-intentionality) send to others.

Gladwell is able to describe and chart the same patterns of tipping points in every example he gave. He investigates the how, why, where, and when of his research. Then he presents it to his readers in easy to digest pieces.

His description of Connectors, Mavens, and Salespeople is clear and fascinating. It is easy to visualize how the traits of connectors, mavens, and salespeople live in each of us.

One of the most interesting viewpoints Gladwell shared, was that there are only three elements that create change. The first element is "The Law of the Few." You'll have to read his book to find out Gladwell's other two agents of change.

By the way: It was fun taking Gladwell's Manhattan Phone Book Test. I scored eighty-seven points the first time around. After thinking about it, I believe I could add another ten to thirty surnames to my known contacts list.

I strongly recommend you read and then use Gladwell's information to create your own (series) of tipping points for your business' growth.

And while you're at it, get involved in replacing broken windows, painting walls and cleaning up areas in need. (Read the book and you'll understand.)

Little things can make a huge difference when properly executed/initiated.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

The concept behind this book is what makes it such a phenomenon. It was not only great concept-wise, but it was an engaging read. I wouldn't call it pure entertainment (some portions could be dry) but it was definitely easy to get through the whole thing and actually enjoy it. I recommend this book to anyone looking for more info on the idea of how things that seem obscure, go on to gain enormous popularity and spark trends or fads.

The analogy of mice and little people trapped in a maze is a sadly accurate, insulting, and condescending one. An unintentional commentary on the fuedal system that is corporate America. So the moral of the story is, the powerless need to stop whining and accept whatever those in power choose to do to them. Don't think. Don't question. Don't hope.

Don't buy this book.

this is a great little book that has many applications in life
who isn't aware that change is our only constant? but this book makes you reflect on how we deal with the changes makes the difference!
i liked it so much -i ordered the kids version for my grandkids

This is a great book to give you perspective on change. I highly recommend it.

Forget the little red book by Mao, We have a new mind numbing, thought control written device out there pushed among the working class. As it has been stated before..it truly is sobering that an American of any socio-economic status, level of wealth or educational background would be INSPIRED by this corporate tripe. Here's a thought for the cheese heads out there, has it occurred to you to move the " cheese provider " out of the picture and therefore the total dependence maze?..make your own cheese on further discovery out from the maze that was made specifically to control you? OR...perish the thought...maybe have more choices in your actual consumption other than cheese?

I understand that the book only addresses the need for accepting change but doesn't one's thoughts automatically leap to then who is the change maker?? Part of my offense to this little book is it's simplistic approach to life modifying decisions by OTHERS. Stepping back however, this book speaks volumes for the contempt corporate America has for redefining intelligent thought, decent & breaking linear either/or thinking, coupled with a current generation that turns out more votes for some lounge singer element on TV than in some civic elections in this nation. Unbelievable

I am grateful to all the reviewers that tried to save money and anxiety and anger for other people or potential readers of this book, by advising against buying it. I find all such comments are very interesting and very inspiring, which are elements you would never find in this book. In particular, I am grateful to the review entitled Show Me the Cheese by Bruce Silveman. It is such a wonderful review which should be published by major newspapers like New York Times and Washington Post. And we can read here for free! This book is an attempt to trash our culture, to put everything valuable we inherited from the past in a dumpster and sell some real garbage as the latest invention of once in a life time. This book and many other books such as the Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Shack, and the book insults God which I don't want to mention here, are all part of effort to show that man can be better off by themselves without the divine guidance of Jesus. Everything in the Western society in the last two hundred years are part of the development of that ideology. Just wait, you will read things worse than this!

I think this is an excellent book that makes you think. Mr. El-Erian certainly has a very deep understanding of the current economic and financial environment and is able to convey much of this understanding to his readers. I enjoyed the book very much.

This book was awful. Part of the problem is that the author couldn't decide who his audience was and, as such, probably bored the pants off finance people and left regular folk scratching their heads at his absurdly opaque writing "style".

A couple quick points if you are considering buying this book:

1. It you read the newspaper most days, are reasonably intelligent and realize there is a big world with lotsa money beyond America's shores, this book will give you no new information on "when markets collide".

2. If you have some (I mean A MINIMAL AMOUNT) of investment knowledge, you will be painfully disappointed by the lame chapter on how to profit from future "collisions". Really, the author just lays out a pretty mundane asset allocation plan (which is available for free on any number of websites) and then fills a couple dozen pages with worthless blather. Seriously, that's it.

3. The writing really sucks. Others have commented on this so, rather than gives examples, I'll just reinforce what others have noted: the writing sucks. Whatever happened to editors?

4. If you really want some ideas about investing internationally, try The World is Your Oyster by Jeff Opdyke (2008). Heaven forbid, he writes in plain ole' English and gives a lot of worthwhile advice. If you really want to understand where the world is headed, read Billions of Entrepreneurs, How China and India are Reshaping Their Futures and Yours, by Tarun Khanna (2008).

5. If you really want some ideas about investing in general Peter Lynch's classics are still every bit as instructive (and humorous...and nicely written) and the biography of Warren Buffett, "Buffett", is incredibly instructive. Jeremy Siegel's "Stocks for the Long Run" is also pretty handy, although el-Erian makes some snide comments about it...but never quite gets around to justifying them...hmmm...some petty Harvard - Wharton rivalry?

6. el-Erian's shout-outs to colleagues here and there get more tedious as the book goes on, particularly as he never seems to articulate how the work of these experts is relevant to creating an investment portfolio. Gee, thanks.

7. Let me say it one more time: When Markets Collide is a worthless read.

I do not believe that this book is worth buying or reading
because of three factors:

1. It contains minimal advice for investors wishing to
change their investment strategies.

2. It is written for an audience for professional economists
with advanced degrees.

3. The editing of the text is very poor. Each chapter contained
multiple references to something "that I will deal with in
the next chapter" or "that I covered in previous chapter."
A few of these references is understandable, but the text
is so poorly written and edited that these references quickly
became a distraction and a nuisance.

I would strongly advise prospective readers to avoid this book.

This booke seemed to be a mosthy a discussion of emerging China and its interaction with the ecomonies in the developed countries. I believe that the book has increased my understanding on this subject a lot.

This book got my attention after I saw Alan Greenspan had commented on it on the back cover. Surprised at first as he rarely recommends books publicly, I decided to check into it. Sadly, the book was terrible. It is very convoluted and difficult to understand and didn't not present any non-elementary insight. Mohamed's book reminds me of a prof I had in college who would love to use big words but say absolutely nothing. Nothing is new here.

Basically Mohamed El-Erian is a Oxford graduate turned PhD who late in his career entered the Investment Management game(he freely admits that). He managed the Harvard University's endowment fund and then recently quit and moved to the bonds management company PIMCO as a Co-CEO (seriously, who still thinks Co-CEO is a good idea). I suspect all of those people on the Back Cover who reviewed his book are his buddies from Harvard or PIMCO and probably everywhere else he works, knows, or pays. Even Alan Greenspan who now consults for PIMCO. I am willing to wager Mr Greenspan never even read his book but got paid a lot of money for "consulting" with PIMCO and now recommends the book of they guy who is paying his salary. Boy, Alan was a good economist. His book was excellent...

This book should really be titled "When I wrote a book to impress my Harvard colleagues: Nothing new but noone will know because noone can understand it, sucka"

Wow best book I have ever read. The characters are interesting the plot is compelling ad the plot has a nasty turn at the end. I would rate this billions of stars if i could. Im 15 and this book made me BAWL. I loved it it has scientific and medical aspects, lovey dovey aspects, and touches upon things like the fragile mother daughter relationship and the big choice a daughter must make. READ IT!

I listened to this on the road and it made the time fly, while giving me plenty to think about! The audio version is perfect for this book - since chapters are each written from a different characters perspective - and they use different voices for each one. This made them just come to life!

I've rated this higher than some - because I enjoyed the surprises Piccoult built into the story. While the ending does come a bit out of the blue --- it left me thinking even more about the theme of the book.

Kate is 16 and has been living with a rare and aggressive form of Lukemia her whole life. In fact, she is already years past her anticipated life expectancy. But thankfully, for her, Kate's parents had her 13 year old sister, Anna, genetically engineered to be the perfect organ donor. It started with the contents of the umbillical cord, and has continued, until now, when a kidney is the needed organ. But Anna has thrown a wrench in the works by filing for medical emancipation so that she does not have to donate her kidney. The novel spans the next two weeks in the Fitzgerald family's life as they wrestle with the medical, moral, and familial issues that arise when faced with life and death choices. But as Anna knows, winning in court is not winning at all if it means Kate will die.

This book is moving and thought provoking. It is impossible to read this story and not attempt to put yourself in the character's positions to determine what would you do given the same set of circumstances. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the main characters which gives the reader fantastic insight into their thoughts and motivations. As a result, the characters completely come alive and are people you can feel for and sympathize with. Except for the mother, Sara. I was never able to relate to her at all. I found her to be selfish and single minded. But that doesn't make her character unbelievable at all, just hard to comprehend in many ways. Despite this, the pages fly by as you read to discover how both the legal and medical dramas will resolve themselves.

This book will make you laugh and cry. It will make you question yourself and your relationships with loved ones. It will likely surprise you at the end. But overall, while sad, a tremendous joy to read.

This book was really amazing! It is a very emotionally powerful book and well written. I would highly recommend this book to all my female friends and family.

This was the first book I read by Jodi Picoult. I picked up a signed hardcover edition on clearance at Borders by dumb luck. Her writing is simple but very powerful, and the story seemed to be ripped from the headlines. I couldn't put the book down and I couldn't quite guess at the ending, which is a rare treat for me. I have come to read many of Picoults novels, and though I have a little trouble with the metaphysical and suspension of disbelief, they are all well-written. Picoult does meticulous research into her subject, and I always learn a lot reading her.

This is a life changing book. I recommend it to anyone who needs some positive influence or needs to learn how to be more positive.

I have read at least 20 "personal growth" books in my life, but this book, which I read when I was a cancer patient 20 years ago, was the single most transformational book I've ever read. I was given a 20 percent chance of survival in 1987 and I can say with confidence, the wisdom I gained from this treasure of a book, contributed significantly to my recovery. But more importantly, it taught me not to just to survive, but to truly thrive... I am forever grateful to Louise Hay, and all these years later I still use it as a reference book.

Erin Gill Reilly

This is a great book.I read it every spare moment I had.I already believed in the [the law of attraction] and this book made me understand it more.If you are wanting to know about [the law of attraction]this is the perfect book.

Dee

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the authors message that if you choose the right thoughts you will choose that life you want. By using Affirmations you will affirm that. This is the Law of Attraction and her presentation is wonderful....Another book on this subject which is worth reading in a workbook format is Living The Secret Everyday: My Secret Workbook also inspiring to read.

Full of Wisdom and Healing opportunities. I highly recommend this book. Louise Hay is full of Spiritual Love and Wisdom.