The Feeling Good Handbook

Author : David D. Burns Edition : Rev Sub Number of Pages : 768 Publisher : Plume List Price : $25.00 Amazon Price : $13.71 Used Price : $6.92

Product Description

Customer reviews

Truly helpful by .. B Flynn (Scottsdale, AZ)
I won't write a novel here, but I wanted to say a few things about this book. I have started countless self-help books over the years, only to get bored and never finish them. This is the first one that I have read cover to cover and it has made the most sense to me. Many of the situations and case studies he describes relate directly to me, and it made me feel like I was not alone in my self-esteem issues. A few times I was overcome with emotion, feeling like for the first time, someone truly understood how I felt, that I was not the only person in the world who processed thoughts this way, and was there to help me make changes that would improve my quality of life.

I highly recommend this workbook version (there is a regular book), as the exercises make all the difference if you take the time to do them. I can't say I'm a totally new person, but my way of thinking and perceiving has altered for the better. It's a long process...a ship doesn't turn on a dime in the ocean. This is an excellent place to start.

Try it, and take the first step to a better life.

Feeling Better by .. RNT (Memphis, TN USA)
I had read this book years ago in a different version. At the time, I found it a very helpful point of view. Now cognitive therapy is not so new and I am accustomed to realizing that my attitude toward unfortunate situations are in my control, whether the situation is or not. The exercises are helpful to put your events in perspective. Even if you think you know the things that are suggested, putting your own problems on paper and practicing the steps, is more enlightening than you might expect. If you have not encountered cognitive therapy before, this book, the ideas that are outlined, and the exercises, if you will do them, are essential for your well-being. You may not feel "good," but I bet you will feel "better."

Depression be gone! by .. Christina M. Zarbaugh-Brown (Texas)
I bought this for myself over a year ago and cannot say enough good things about it (this purchase was for a dear family member). This book has opened up my eyes and the dark clouds that surrounded me for years...

Feeling Good Workout Book by .. W. M. Pidwerbecki (Rancho Cordova, ca usa)
If you just want to read "Feeling Good", do not buy this handbook version of the book.

The author uses imperative statements and not so subtle naratives to coerce the reader into doing the exercises. The objective... teach in simple practical terms Cognitive Behavioral Therapy methods for reprogramming out thinking.

Plan to read a few pages and then work on some exercises and ponder over your beliefs and values.

This is not a book for speed reader rabbits. It is more for the the thoughtful, consistent tortoise.

Michael P

A Critical Analysis of the Feeling Good Handbook by .. Anthony Centore Ph.D. (www.ThriveBoston.com (Cambridge, MA))
Abstract

The following study investigates the text, The Feeling Good Handbook, by David Burns. Specifically addressed are issues regarding the cognitive-behavioral model of twisted thinking, moral relativism, and the denial of objective truth. It was found that the text provides an inadequate definition and application regarding moral and objective truth issues. Recommendations for revision of the model are included.


A Critical Analysis of the Feeling Good
Handbook: Its Usefulness in Counseling Practice

In addition to the popular text Feeling Good, which became a national bestseller, and The Therapists Toolkit, a resource developed for mental health practitioners, David Burns released The Feeling Good Handbook, a 729-page (including index) guide to cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques. Semantically speaking, the text is well written, in simple (approximately 8th grade level) English, and is specifically marketed as a self-help text, though its usefulness for counselors is evident in that throughout the text the reader is often asked to assume the roll of the counselor, and after Burns describes a therapeutic technique, the reader is asked in a presented milieu, to implement that technique (for example, responding to a hypothetical client in a vignette empathetically).

In beginning to review this text, it is noticed a review can be accomplished in two ways. One, the text can be analyzed in respect to how it communicates the points it attempts to make (presentation), how it facilitates the ability in the reader to implement what is learned into his/her life or practice (application), and it can be reviewed in regards to how accurately the book delivers the ideas of cognitive therapy, mood therapy, empathetic response, etc. In all these aspects the book veers well--quite well--for even Albert Ellis (who holds a reputation of not being impressed with others' therapeutic approaches) critiques the text as "Clear, systematic, forceful."

The second approach to analyzing the text, the approach that will be taken, involves an investigation of one can trust as a suitable methodology the tenets from which the text is written, the tenets of cognitive therapy. It will address where the tactics disclosed by Burns are believed to be useful, and when it is hypothesized they would falter in a counseling practice.
Understanding Your Moods

Burns begins discussing moods by stating the fallacy clients often share, which is "I just can't help the way I feel" (Burns, 1999, p. 3). He then states a grounding premise of cognitive behavioral theory, which is that one's thoughts create moods. Quoting Ellis, the acronym A + B = C is stated. In this formula, A is the presenting event, B is the thoughts of the client, and C is the way the client feels. This formula is to show As do not create Cs--that is, what happens to a person does not effect that person's mood. The thoughts the person maintains affect the person's mood.

However, in reading the text, it is found that the true formula used in the text is not A + B = C, it is B = C, A = 0. The point being, the book extremely minimizes the effect of A. A, in essence, is described as a force that is prone to trying to manipulate one's B to produce unpleasant C's, but is in itself generally insignificant. More clearly, the situations, trials, relationships, and anything else external a person confronts merely challenges a person's thoughts. If the thoughts can be changed, or maintained as healthy thoughts, the person will always report a pleasant mood (C).

According to Burns, "sadness and depression result from thoughts of loss," "Anxiety and panic result from thoughts of danger," and "Guilt results from the thought that you are bad" (Burns, 1999, p. 5). To Dr. David Burns' credit he does state the following, which he titles a disclaimer: that there are times when negative feelings are appropriate and healthy, and that "learning when to accept these feelings and how to cope with a realistically negative situation is just as important as learning how to rid yourself of distorted thoughts and feelings" (p. 7). The reader must ask him/herself at this point, if Dr. Burns believes this amazingly astute point (i.e. equal importance), why then is only one line spent addressing that As are relevant, while 728.5 pages are spent denying their relevance?
False Sincerity of the Empathetic Response

A rebuttal to the statement that Burns' methodology denies all relevance of coping with a negative situation would probably include the premise that such is accomplished with the use of the empathetic response. The problem with this premise however, is the use of the empathetic response validates nothing. The therapist agrees to none of the truth that the client speaks. The empathetic response simply makes the client aware that the counselor is aware of his/her hurtful thinking.

Reading the text a reader might be perplexed with the question, when is there objective truth in thinking? More specifically, can not hurtful thinking (i.e. I have been a terrible father) be accurate? And if it is accurate, who is to say disposing of this accurate--though hurtful thought--is in essence better for the client than allowing the client to maintain this thought until the client changes his/her behavior so that the client can display another more healthy, and accurate, thought, (i.e. I am no longer a terrible father). However, by Burns' model, the man who states he is a terrible father, even if it is true (by all ability to quantify what a terrible father is), will be handled in the following way.

One, the client would be empathized with: "You are telling me that you are not a very good father, and you are clearly upset with that." Two, the counselor might disclose an "I feel" statement: "I would definitely not want to feel like I was a terrible father. That must be a horrible feeling." Three, it would be suggested to the client that he has twisted thinking which include "Should Statements" (You are wrongly telling yourself you should not be a terrible father), "Labeling" (there is no such thing as a terrible father, just persons who act the roll sometimes), "All-or-Nothing thinking" (surely you have done something that was not terrible--for example you are in therapy), "Overgeneralization" (Being a terrible father is a general simplification. Burns states "there are no Jerks in America" only persons who act like jerks from time to time), "Mental Filter" (you are pretty upset over this whole fatherhood thing. Lets think on things you're not terrible at), and the list goes on.

Burns' model provides no basis for determining what is "twisted thinking" and what is thinking that is the downright painful truth. He states, there are no Jerks in America--just those that act like Jerks. But if a "jerk" does not exist, then from what basis can one state an action as jerk-like? Furthermore, in the 700 plus pages of text on how to handle clients, not once does Burns confront a client because his/her thinking was pleasant but skewed. Therefore, it is a safe conclusion that--though Burns may briefly claim otherwise--to Burns pleasant thinking is correct thinking.

This is further evidenced in text when Burns addresses confrontation. Choices of words include "it was unpleasant when" or "I felt uncomfortable when" (Burns, 1999, p. 156). Both are notoriously relative remarks. There is no claim to objective truth; there is no "what you did was wrong," or "I was treated unjustly." Such relativism can be no more apparent than in the following excerpt:
You may have difficulty with this idea [that there is not use for shoulds]. You may insist that there's nothing wrong with using the word "should." You may think that it's your duty to clean your desk or to study hard. You may feel it is something you should do!

There are actually [only] three valid uses of the word "should" in the English language. One is the "moral should." You "should" not intentionally take advantage of someone, because this violates your moral code. The second is the "legal should." You should not drive at 90mph because it is dangerous and you'll probably get a ticket. The third is the "laws of the universe should." Things "should" happen because the forces of nature make them happen. For example, if you drop a pen, it "should" fall because of the force of gravity (p. 179).

The enormity of the errors in the thinking above is staggering. First, the only two claims of truth presented above are (one) that it is wrong believe one ought to believe there are moral shoulds or shoulds caused by one's duty, and (two) that the English dictionary agrees with David Burns. Both claims are false.

It is very possible that someone could have a duty to study. A physician being paid to study the effects of a rare disease infecting his/her patient, for example, is an explicit instance when there is a definite "should" due to duty. One would concur that the situation would not have to be so dire (matter of life and death) to still constitute a legitimate should. Though Burns--in the quote above--states that one "feels" shoulds, and does not know them or objectively understand them (lines 3-4).

Next, Burns' first definition of a true should is logically meaningless, in that he states it is truth that one should not take advantage of someone (a valid should) because it violates the person's moral code. Therefore, Burns is saying, as long as one is not violating their own relative moral code, he/she can take advantage of anyone and not be violating a "should." Burns' second definition, regarding the legal should, is quite depraved in that he states speeding violates a legal should (true) because one could hurt him/herself or get a ticket. In reality, Burns is not addressing a legal should at all for legally the should would remain constant whether on not the violator injures him/herself, or receives a ticket for the violation. What Burns is really stating in his example is the claim that one should not partake of behavior that may cause As that could instigate unpleasant Bs.

Lastly, Burns demotes the laws of physics, to the shoulds of physics! If one drops a pen according to Burns, it should hit the floor. According to the law of gravity however, if one drops a pen, it will hit the floor.
Discussion

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is effective. Burns does a fantastic job of describing how to implement cognitive principles into one's personal life, even into one's counseling practice. The ideas are useful for healing. However, the theory is weak in that it does not provide the practitioner, nor the client, correct direction regarding what is twisted thinking, and what is true--though painful--thinking.

Final Note: Telephone and Online Counseling may be a good way to provide quick and effective care to clients. Learn to provide Telephone and Online Counseling with this very well done book: The Therapist's Clinical Guide to Online Counseling and Telephone Counseling: The Definitive Training Guide for Clinical Practice

Ultimate Handbook (Pokemon)

Author : Cris Silvestri Number of Pages : 304 Publisher : Scholastic Inc. List Price : $9.99 Amazon Price : $6.00 Used Price : $7.10

Product Description

Customer reviews

Gerald's Favorite by .. Christine M. Gagne (The Great State of Maine)
My son reads and reads and reads this book. He is seven and is a bit of an advanced reader. This book is a MUST for any young Pokemon fan. My son did find a few errors (evolved forms or photos mis-named); perhaps he'll be an editor someday! Anyway, there is a great variety of words and reading it together gives him the opportunity to discover some new "big words"!

ultimate handbook pokemon by .. JCS (Ohio)
Great timing on shipping and very good price. Item arrived within 2 days! Thanks for great service!

My boys LOVE this!!! by .. Book Lover ()
My kids have spent so much time reading this, I wish we had sprung for two. It's not the chapter books I wish they were reading more of, but it sure holds their attention!

It's pretty good, in fact, not too bad by .. ()
It does give info on all species of pokemon, and it's new and up to date. It has all the new pokemon from diamond and pearl. The only reason why it did not get 5 stars is because they could have given a little more information, such as what level pokemon evolve into what, where you can find it in the games, and what national dex number. But it is a good handbook nonetheless, it is just like the national pokedex on paper! very informational along with colorful pictures and large, fun to read text. good for kids who like pokemon

Gotta catch 'em ALL! by .. Michael Jandrok (Lockhart, Texas)
Allrightythen...first things first. For those parents who might still not be in the know, Pokemon is Nintendo's blockbuster videogame/TV series/movie/book/toy mega-multimedia franchise. Debuting in the mid-90's, Pokemon (short for Pocket Monsters) has become one of the most thoroughly developed and complex alternate-reality worlds in multimedia gaming. Both of my kids (ages 7 and 12) can't get enough Pokemon, so when my son saw this guidebook at his elementary school's book fair, it was a no-brainer purchase.

What you get here is basically a print version of the National Pokedex, a running index of each and every known Pokemon. An online version can be accessed on the official Pokemon website. This book carries more detail than the online version, though, so it's very handy to have. The Pokemon are listed in alphabetical order, and you get a great amount of detail on each character, including possible moves, weights, heights, regions found in, and so forth. All of the listings are accompanied by full-color illustrations and as a bonus you also get the evolution paths for each Pokemon, making for easy cross-reference. Might have been nice to have a master index in the back of the book that gave page listings, but the alphabetical ordering makes it pretty easy to find specific characters without too much trouble.

All I can say is that I can't recommend it enough if you have kids that are into the Pokemon phenomenon. It's way worth the 10-spot IMO.

Bill James Handbook 2009 (Bill James Handbook)

Author : Bill James Number of Pages : 512 Publisher : ACTA Publications List Price : $23.95 Amazon Price : $16.29

Product Description

• Exclusive! Fielding Bible Awards
  
• New Relief Pitching
  
• Manufactured Runs Analysis
  
• Young Talent Inventory
  
• Manager's Record
  
• Baserunning Analysis
  
• Career data for every 2008 major leaguer (and a few bonus players) with more statistical categories than any other book
  
• Pitcher Projections
  
• Hitter Projections
  
• Team Efficiency Summary
  
• Player Win Shares
  

Customer reviews

The first baseball annual of the offseason is a great one by .. Eric Simon (New Jersey)
Kim: Looks like you got another !@#$ing book in the mail.
Me: The new Bill James Handbook is here! The new Bill James Handbook is here!
Kim: [not quite under her breath] Loser.
Me: ::grinning like a goon::

That conversation may not have actually taken place, but it might as well have. I've nearly filled an entire bookshelf with baseball annuals, including six separate editions of the BJH. In a vast sea of baseball annuals, the BJH distinguishes itself from the pack by -- among other things -- hitting the streets just after the World Series ends. This year's edition was available on November 1st, and I think I may have received my review copy a day or two before then, even. I'm still not sure how they get it finished and shipped so quickly; I think it has something to do with elves.

First off, the Fielding Bible awards are back, and Carlos Beltran was honored as the top defensive centerfielder, beating out former Mets Carlos Gomez and Mike Cameron, among others. A panel of ten "experts" voted on the awards, including Bill James, John Dewan, Joe Posnanski and Rob Neyer. David Wright finished tied for fifth at third base (Adrian Beltre won), Jose Reyes finished tenth at shortstop (Jimmy Rollins) and Johan Santana was the sixth highest-ranked pitcher (Kenny Rogers). The voting was somewhat subjective, though I suppose each panelist reached his conclusions using whatever means he considered the most meaningful. The objective counterpart to the awards are Dewan's plus/minus leaders, which would seem to cut into his profits on the forthcoming Fielding Bible 2009. Jose Reyes appears on neither the leaders nor the trailers list, so we may actually have to wait for the FB2009 to know how he actually rated. From the "Kinda Looks Like a Misprint" department, Chase Utley was 47 plays better than average at second base, which is mind-boggling. Also mind-boggling: Pat Burrell was -73 in left field from 2006-2008. Do. Not. Want.

As usual, the BJH devotes near 300 pages to the career registers of every player who was active in 2008. I understand why they include it, and it's theoretically handy to have that kind of information on hand, but in practice I just find it negligibly useful. All of that information -- and much, much more -- is seconds away on the internets. I've got a desktop and a laptop (and an iPhone), so there's rarely a time when it's more convenient to look up a player's statistics in a book instead of hopping online. Maybe I'm on an island here, but I'd prefer they save some trees, cut the career register, and maybe add a few more Bill James articles about the prior season in order to flesh things out a little bit.

The time I save by not looking at the career register I can spend on the 2008 baserunning statistics, which are just fascinating to me. If we can accurately measure runs created on the basepaths, there's no reason they shouldn't be included in a player's total value when we're quantifying his contributions to the team. Offense is X, defense is Y, and baserunning should be Z. The BJH's baserunning stats measure each player's ability at:

* Going first-to-third on a single
* Going second-to-home on a single
* Going first-to-home on a double
* Advancing on outs
* Not getting doubled off
* Not grounding into double-plays

All of those factors are thrown into a mixer which spits out a base runs gained/lost. That number is combined with stolen base gain/lost to arrive at a total baserunning gain/lost, expressed in runs. Carlos Beltran cracked the top ten with +35 base runs, which you can add to the list of things he does extraordinarily well. Jose Reyes was at +32. Derek Jeter was -13. Willy Taveras led all big leaguers with +70 base runs. Dioner Navarro trailed everyone at -39. As a team, the Mets were fourth in the majors with +85 base runs. The World Champion Phillies were first overall with +114 base runs.

The relief pitching section is also neat, as it breaks down saves into different types (easy, regular, tough), and also includes things like stranding inherited runners, pitching on consecutive days, high-leverage situations, long outings blown save/win situations, and some other stuff. A "tough save" is defined as one in which a reliever comes into the game with the tying or go-ahead runs on base. Tough saves were only converted successfully 22% of the time in 2008. The Mets' bullpen served to drag that number down a bit by going 0-for-8 in tough save opportunities.

We've also got a section on manufactured runs. This goes a bit beyond productive outs by determining actual runs that scored as a result of "productive" outs. A manufactured run, per the BJH, is "(a) any run on which two or more of the bases come from something other than playing station-to-station baseball, or (b) a run that scores without a hit, or with only infield hits". They're further separated into deliberately manufactured runs (runs that involve a stolen base, a bunt, or a pinch-runner) and non-deliberate manufactured runs (one that don't include the aforementioned managerial decisions). For whatever it's worth, the Mets manufactured more total runs -- 207 -- than any other National League team, and just shy of the 213 manufactured by the Twins. Yay! Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran are the top two manufacturers in the NL, craftily assembling 42 runs and 37 runs, respectively.

The book goes on and on. We've got managerial records, park factors, comprehensive ballpark statistics (Shea Stadium suppressed RHB batting average more than any NL park outside of San Diego), lefty/right splits for batters and pitchers, esoteric stat leaderboards (David Wright had the second-highest NL OPS among players under 25; Mike Pelfrey led the NL in GIDP/9 with 1.30; Oliver Perez was the most extreme flyball pitcher in all of baseball;), career win shares, and the Young Talent Inventory (Wright and Reyes are both among James's top ten players under 27). We also get 2009 projections for batters and pitchers.

If that weren't enough, there's also career targets (formerly known as the Favorite Toy), which evaluates the likelihood of certain players hitting certain milestones. For instance, Jose Reyes has a 31% chance of reaching 3,000 hits and a 5% chance of reaching 4,000 hits. Alex Rodriguez dominates this section, and has a 49% chance of breaking Barry Bonds's career homerun record.

There's really just an astounding amount of information in here, and it's very easy to get lost within it for hours at a time. I urge you to pick up your own copy and support the folks that make this and other great baseball books possible.

The Bill James Baseball Handbook 2009 by .. Stephen Lombardi ()
I'm a raving fan of the Bill James Baseball Handbook.

This year's edition has everything that you would expect from the Bill James Baseball Handbook - plus some new wrinkles, including: career post-season stats (through 2007) and a new section on relief pitching.

Some interesting facts and figures from the Bill James Handbook 2009:

Did you know that Joe Girardi had Yankees runners moving with a pitch 173 times in 2008? That was tops in the majors - and the tops in the A.L., by far.

Yet, this past season, the Yankees were 62/230 in terms of going "1st to 3rd" on the bases - and 110/192 going "2nd to home."

For a point of comparison, the Rays were 60/199 going "1st to 3rd" and 105/185 going "2nd to home." And, the Angels were 85/235 going "1st to 3rd" and 121/202 going "2nd to home."

And, in terms of "manufacturing" a run - in terms of producing a run where a stolen base, bunt, or pinch-runner was involved, the Yankees "manufactured" 52 of these types of runs in 2008.

For a point of comparison, the Twins had 95 of these runs, the Angels had 65, the Red Sox had 57, and the Rays had 62.

O.K., that's just a taste of the sort of stuff that you can find in the Bill James Handbook 2009.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys baseball stats. You can sit with it for hours and enjoy it. I know that I will...in fact, that's why I'm not writing more about it now...as I'd rather be reading it at this moment that writing about it.

Still Indespensible by .. JagBag (Chicago, IL)
The book sells itself. See the Key Features. If those appeal to you, you should buy it. The book is as good as ever. The question is whether the book is necessary, given the raft of other excellent sabermetric books that will be on the market this winter. The other books, by and large, are focused on fantasy baseball or prospects. The Handbook is different. No matter how much baseball you watch or read about during the season, it's impossible to keep up with all of it. And there's not enough time during the daily grind of the season to assimilate what's happening, if you're interested in how this season fits into the broader perspective of past seasons. The Handbook allows you to experience the season with the benefit of hindsight, to catch up, and to learn some things about how managers really used their personnel. On every page you'll probably see something you didn't know, or that corrects what you thought you knew. In addition to the stats, you have unique sections on base running, bullpens, lineup efficiency, small-ball tactics, etc. With a lot of other books, the emphasis is on the bottom line answers. With Bill's book, the journey matters as much as the destination. The Handbook allows you to spend the winter reconstructing the journey of the past season in a variety of ways, and to make sense of it for yourself. If you want to do your own thinking, the book is as relevant as ever.

One of the best off-season books for a baseball fan to pick up by .. Patrick Lagreid (Seattle, WA)
So assuming you haven't been hiding under a rock for the past 30 years or so, and you have even the slightest interest in statistical analysis and/or fantasy baseball, you know who Bill James is. Hopefully you've picked prior versions of this book so it isn't a completely new topic to you.

But If it is your first encounter with Mr. James' work - don't do yourself the disservice of just picking TBJH2009 up and flipping through it. The majority of pages contain statistics and you'll probably just dismiss it as being an encyclopedia of players' performance. Not that this isn't entirely true...but the real key is to understand why the book contains all this data.

James has been at work for 30 years trying to figure out the correlation of numbers to winning. He knew that it wasn't all about the "traditional" statistics - batting average, win-loss record, and ERA to name a few...he sensed that there was something more out there that could be used as a gauge of a player's ability to contribute to his team's ability to win ballgames.

It's James' thinking about the relation of statistics to winning that is what deliver the punch of the book. Even though it only occupies a dozen or so pages, his analysis and introduction to certain statistical categories give the numbers context and meaning, and turn them into things that should be thought about as opposed to just looked at.

The first thing that really captured my attention - and this is on page 321, mind you - is his article on bullpens, specifically his assigning of positions to the pitchers who comprise a bullpen. It's not fair to compare a utility reliever to a closer - yet the current mainstream thinking does just that. Each pitcher in the bullpen comes into the game in different situations, and James argues that we need to look at their performance on an individual basis while in the context of their role. The Bill James Handbook 2009 provides the tools and instructions for doing just that, and the result is a smarter and more educated fan.

In the same vain of understanding what affects success, James and the crew at Baseaball Info Solutions have provided a tremendous amount of data on managers - how many lineups they use, how quick they are to pull their starting pitchers, and one of my favorites - how successful they are when they call for an intentional walk. Managers tend to be either overlooked or somewhat unfairly criticized, and James reminds the reader that he is there "trying to pollute the discussion of managers with actual facts."

To James, it's one thing to suppose something, it's quite another to actually have numbers and facts that can be used to support tendencies.

What James and his collaborators ultimately are trying to do with The Bill James Handbook 2009 - besides sell books, of course - is to challenge your way of thinking and to take the shackles off your brain and allow you to look at statistics and numbers in a whole new light and not only learn what they think, but possibly discover your own correlations.

For instance - James suggests the possibility of MLB teams "employ(ing) platoon players like Las Vegas employs comedy acts." He takes two players at the same position who have such polar opposite lefty/righty splits that combining them would be a dream come true - and he subsequently renames the tandem to elicit a decent chuckle from the reader.

The book concludes with two sections that ultimately challenge the reader the most - league leaders and 2009 projections. The former encourages you to look at the top 10 leaders in an array of statistical categories and see which tend to have the most influence on winning; while the latter gives you a glimpse into the future through the eyes of James and his team. You can't argue with the leaders, yet you can debate the projections until everyone is blue in the face - that is a big part of the appeal.

Not to be left out are the Fielding Bible 2008 awards and a realtively new project that Mr. James has shared with his readers - his Young Talent Inventory, where he attempts to rate the best young players in baseball as well as which team has the best young players in their system. Depending on how your team came out, it could either be a bright spot for the future, or signs of conern if you believe in developing talent and bringing up the future from within your organization.

The Bill James Handbook 2009 is another heavy hitter, particularly when it comes to off-season reading both to recap the 2008 season and look ahead to the 2009 campaign. I'm glad to have my copy ready to go, knowing that it's assuming it's rightful position on my desk's reference shelf.

The Read-Aloud Handbook: Sixth Edition (Read-Aloud Handbook)

Author : Jim Trelease Edition : 6 Number of Pages : 432 Publisher : Penguin (Non-Classics) List Price : $15.00 Amazon Price : $8.00 Used Price : $8.42

Product Description

Customer reviews

Outstanding book - even if you already read aloud to your kids by .. busymama (atlanta, ga)
Let me start by saying I've become thrifty since I had children. Given that I don't work outside the home as much as I once did, I've been getting my books from the library at least as much as I've been buying them, but this is a book I have to own!

Jim Trelease is "preaching to the choir" with me, as we read to our children before they were even born, and then continued since the day they were born. My husband and I are both big readers, and we enjoy reading to our children every day. I initially got this book (from the library) to look at the list of suggested titles to read aloud. I wanted suggestions that would make sense for my children and their respective ages/abilities, including titles I might not otherwise come across....I thought I'd skim quickly through the front half of the book (the research which is meant to inspire parents to read to their children) since I was already motivated to do so. I wanted to get to the list of titles. But I found myself stopping to read the research with excitement and added motivation.

I picked up tips about the types of books to choose, the fact that we can read (and should read) aloud to our kids until they are teens (my sister whose children are 9 and 12 had mistakenly been thinking that she shouldn't read to them much anymore in order to force them to do most of it themselves....she was thrilled to hear that she should continue to read aloud to them and went immediately to the library to get some books), the ways to present even more opportunities to our children to read, etc. For example, this morning I read a section in The Read Aloud Handbook about how to get a 12 year old to sit still for a reading, and the author suggested reading to the child while the child is washing the dishes. The book shows a photo of the author doing this with his own son when the son was 12 (the son is now ~40). The author goes on to say that when he suggests this to parents, he gets some funny looks, and he points out to them that if there is a 12 year old in the house who doesn't have to do the dishes, then that child has a higher IQ than the parent ! :-)

This morning, my husband read a little to my son, who is 5 1/2, while he was eating breakfast, and when I wanted to motivate my son to come brush his teeth before school, I lured him with the book. I got no complaints about coming (which I usually do), and between my husband and I, we knocked off a chapter in the book!

There are so many little tips in the book, and the book is an incredible source for suggestions of books to read aloud. The author has a website which includes many of these book recommendations, I think, and even updated ones since the book went to print in 2006.

Yes, I got this book out of the library, but thrifty as I am, I am going to have to buy a copy of this book as it has so much information for the many years to come that I know I'll want to reference it again and again as I choose books to read to my children.

Parents Start Teaching Reading Now by .. coach ()
A great book and resource for parents. It is so important to get children involved with books early on. No better way is to read to them and interact with them and at the same time teach them reading skills.

Attention Parents and Educators (Yes, Even Educational Administration!) by .. Lit Chic (The Lone Star State)
Just like some things can only be learned through experience, some books cannot be summarized. They must be READ. Trelease's Read-Aloud Handbook is one such book. There is no short-cut.

This book is chock-full of "Wake up, America: We're killing our readers!" statistics and anecdotes. Parents and Educators of all levels need to read and, in the words of Kevin from Freak The Mighty (Scholastic Signature): "Be Amazed."

The gist is, nothing in education is more important than the goal of creating lifelong readers. Besides the duh-factor of not being able to do anything else in academics if one is not truly literate, for the good of society, for the good of our posterity, for our own personal gain, nothing replaces lifelong reading. And yet, in Chapter 1, Trelease demonstrates to the readers that "By twelfth grade, only 19 percent read anything for pleasure daily." In Trelease's own words: "Any business that kept losing that much of its customer base would be in bankruptcy."

I am a parent. I am a teacher. From both standpoints, I can tell you that Trelease is absolutely, completely and totally correct. Education must be built on the foundation of true literacy, and Trelease's argument is that true literacy cannot be attained without voluntary reading.

Therefore, once again, it is the moral and societal obligation of education to create lifelong readers.

I am only touching on one part of this significant work. Besides being monumentally important for parents and educators, it's actually a fairly interesting read. Trelease throws in the perfect balance of anecdotes and statistics to keep the reader entranced. And while the bibliography for recommended read-alouds is in now way comprehensive, it is certainly a great place to start.

This book is on my Top 10 list. If you're a parent, read it, and then ask the principal of your child's school to read it. Our future as a society might well depend upon it.

This is the book! What's more important than reading?! by .. Laura A. Janiszewski (Arvada, CO)
This book is appropriate for every caring parent. I am a homeschooling mother of three and I can't recommend it highly enough. After reading the library's copy I had to buy my own copy, plus several for friends and family members who have kids. It is full of high-quality info and ideas about reading to children, and about them ultimately reading to themselves. There is also an organized and valuable "recommended books" list in the back. Wonderful!

Great guidelines by .. David Allen Zeigler ()
Suggested by our daughter's teacher. Wish we could adhere to the guidelines regularly. The argument is sound and definitely gave us food for thought about how we teach our kids to relate to books and think about the written word. Recommended if you wish to share your passion with reading with your kids.

The Grief Recovery Handbook : The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death Divorce, and Other Losses

Author : John W. James Edition : 2 Revised Number of Pages : 192 Release Date : 1998-06-23 Publisher : Collins Living List Price : $13.00 Amazon Price : $6.77 Used Price : $4.15

Product Description

Incomplete recovery from grief can have a lifelong negative effect on your capacity for happiness. Drawing from their own histories, as well as from others, the authors illustrate what grief is and how it is possible to recover and regain energy and spontaneity. Based on a proven program, now extensively revised, The Grief Recovery Handbook offers grievers the specific actions needed to complete the grieving process and accept loss. For those ready to regain a sense of aliveness, the principles outlined here make this a life-changing handbook.

Customer reviews

The Grief Recovery by .. Sheri E. Scarafiotti (Durango, CO)
This is a fabulous book. I have recommended it to many during their time of grief, not only from death but also from divorce and loss.

This book will help "clot" your emotional "bleeding". by .. Cookbook Collector (USA)
The death of my loved one only happened 12 days ago. My heart is broken and I feel like I'm walking around with a figurative wound and all my insides figuratively bleeding out of me at every moment, the emotional pain is so great. But I know intellectually that I could not be frozen in time and sadness for the rest of my life. Easier said than done - - but this book is helping me in the process of separating saying goodbye to my loved one and completing my grieving - from still loving and remembering my loved one all the time. All while being able to still take comfort in my religious belief that we will be together again someday. This book is very respectful of that no matter what your beliefs or non-beliefs, etc.. It's not an easy fix - but this will give you the tools to use and remember the rest of your life when you do have sad moments and other losses. I still have to put things away and have been avoiding washing certain things - and that will be very painful - but I at least know what I am going through is normal and not something to be hidden or ignored or suffered in silence.

I only wish I could have read this book when I went off to college - it would have prepared me to handle so many things in life better - what a disservice we do to young people by only teaching them about acquiring things in life - not the inevitable losses that will occur as well - excellent point by the authors.

The Grief Recovery Handbook by .. Deborah Johnston (Clinton Township, MI USA)
I have received many books on grief since the sudden death (by suicide) of my 23 year old son in 2007. THIS BOOK IS EXCELLENT and has been the most helpful book to me!

Please consider getting this book - if not for yourself, than for someone you may know who is dealing with grief as a result of ANY loss. My mom died when I was 12 years old, and my father's way of "handling" his grief was to become engaged one month later to a woman that he only knew for five days. He thought that he had to find a new mom for my younger sisters and me. We were never allowed to speak of our mother! My father became an alcoholic, and later became estranged from all of us. These actions still impact my sisters and me - decades later.

Through this book, I have learned not to "rush" through my grief. It has literally been a life-saver to me.

A Different Look on Grief Recovery by .. Stephanie Manley (Eau Claire, MI)
This is a hopeful book that can help you work through your grief even if it is a death, divorce, job loss, or other major loss. If you are over 40 there is a 1 in 3 chance someone close to you will have died during that year. Our society celebrates life, and de-emphasizes grief and the death of our loved ones. Well meaning people say things like this was meant to be, they are out of pain now, and you will find someone else.

Your situation is unique. Even if you find someone with what is on the surface a similar loss, for example, the loss of a child, your situation is dramatically different than their situation and your recovery will be equally as unique. This book offers ideas different than keep yourself busy, and life goes on, it addresses how you feel and how to work through your feelings. I would recommend this book those who have lost.

Grief Recovery Handbook by .. D. Hubbard ()
The Grief Recovery Handbook: A Step-By-Step Program for Moving Beyond Loss The service from the provider was excellent. I wanted only the original because I have my own copy. This is helping numerous people 3000 miles across trhe country, thanks to you.