Best Esl Books For Adults (2024 Updated)

WOW!! I am so impressed with this book I am not sure I can cram how I feel about it in a short review. This book has certainly taken me to new heights in my prayer life and made me think about the areas it has been lacking as well as develop new strategies for prayer.

Most importantly though Priscilla has re-enforced a truth I so easily forget – We have an enemy!! That enemy is not our family members husband friends church leaders co-workers – That enemy is Satan – the devil himself – who will do everything in his power to destroy what is precious to us and the Lord – our testimony our marriages our children our church and the cause of Christ.

While we fight our battle with earthly weapons and continue to fail stumble and fall over and over God is calling us to warfare with a different set of weapons. Those with heavenly power a power only the Almighty God can give but one guaranteed to win the war every time!! Have you been feeling defeated discouraged down? Does life seem hopeless fearful and depressing? Do your past sins continue to bring guilt and shame even though you know you have been forgiven? Is your marriage a battle zone in itself? Are your children or grandchildren wayward living the life of the prodigal? God is calling you to War!! Not with earthly weapons of words backbiting bitterness anger or strife but with heavenly weapons that tear down strongholds take thoughts captive and are able to defeat all the fiery darts of the evil one.

He is calling you to leave a legacy of answered prayers for your children and generations to come to witness. He is calling you to PRAYER! This book will encourage your spirit teach you new strategies for battling the enemy and help you overcome even your weakest points.

What will you be praying about? Your identity your fears your purity your marriage your children and other areas of life you may struggle with. Priscilla surveyed a panel of women and asked what areas of life they felt defeated in.

She took the top ten and used them as a jumping off point. But you don’t have to stop there. It’s just a starting point. Once you have learned to successfully strategize your prayer life – you will be off and running.

Prayer will be a constant part of your day and you will see GOD do miracles! We still serve that kind of GOD! Get started today!! I was blessed with this book in exchange for an honest review.

I learned so much from this book! Right from the very first page, I gained a new perspective about prayer and spiritual warfare. Shirer uses a perspective similar to Screwtape Letters, saying “If I were your enemy, I would.

” and explains ways Satan works against us. More importantly, she then presents truth and the Scripture verses to back it up of how we can and should fight back in prayer. If you saw the movie War Room, you will want this book.

If you didn’t see the movie, rent and watch it, and then buy this book! Warning: you will want to buy your own copy because I guarantee you will find yourself underlining and highlighting the truths and insights she brings forward.

If you have seen the movie War Room and are longing to implement what you saw on the screen through Priscilla Shirer’s character then you need this book. I loved the movie but this book just takes it over the top.

If you’ve ever experienced a Bible study by Priscilla you already know what I mean. If not let me give you a little glimpse of what is to come. The opening of the book sets the stage so you will have no doubt about what is expected.

Here’s the opening paragraph to prove what I’m saying: Just so you know what you’re getting into. By the time you’ve finished reading (and working) through this book the front cover shouldn’t be able to close neatly back over on itself.

It should be noticeably disfigured. Ski-ramping up from the spine at such a scooped angle that even if you laid an old-school telephone book on top you still couldn’t smooth out what’s become so harshly permanently misshapen.

From heartfelt use. War torn. An impossible option for regifting at Christmastime. (pg. 1) Now that’s the type of study I’m interested in. One that compels me to dive in and dig deep. One that I beg the Lord to ingrain upon my being.

This study is all of that and more. You’ll be walked through the process of beginning a plan to commit your life to prayer for yourself and those around you. Once you’ve reached the end I think you’ll feel empowered to take on the difficult situations in your life on your knees.

This is one of those books that if I were independently wealthy I’d buy by the caseload and hand it out to my loved ones. (And probably total strangers as well!) If you are looking for a way to take your prayer life to the next meaningful level get yourself a copy of this book.

I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.

I’ve been on a journey of spiritual enlightenment and have been soaking up all of the books I can find! This book did not disappoint. It’s 140 pages so it only took me a few days to read, but it is filled with with useful information that really makes you think about how we as humans are programmed to think the way that we do and how to change those patterns for our own good.

I would recommend this book to anyone that is trying to dig deep and find the out who they are at their core.

This book is difficult to categorize. Is it a book: about a philosophy a member of the ‘Self-Help’ genre a ‘spiritual’ basis for Bowanian Theory a mythological history of Mexican enlightenment or a memoir of a man’s recollections of a beloved Grandfathers teaching? Any of these designations would be correct at points and all of them (plus a few more) would be needed to accurately describe this slim non-fiction ‘booklet’ that is right at home in a New Age library.

Don Miguel Ruiz survived a near-death experience that led him to study the ‘wisdom teachings’ of his ancestors. As his grandfather was a nagual (teacher/leader/shaman) of the Toltec one could say he was drawn into the family custom and has followed the teaching of the Toltec tradition since the early 1970’s.

At the root of that tradition are four agreements but the reader is given background and is given a short tutorial in the language of this discipline before being exposed to those ‘agreements. ‘ The author suggests that the adherence to those four ‘agreements’ will bring internal direction and peace calmness to one’s household and would lead to world peace (if enough people followed those teachings).

Mr. Ruiz does an excellent job of quickly familiarizing the reader with a long tradition that lead to the development of the agreements. The 1st Agreement: Be Impeccable with Your Word ñ as the words one speaks become powerful (‘magical’ is how the author describes them) speak only truth let only positive things be spoken and live by what you say.

The 2nd Agreement: Don’t Take Anything Personally ñ what is spoken to you is about the speaker not you unless you ‘make it about you’ (take it personally). Practice detachment in relationship allowing others to know you without a need to be accepted by them.

The 3rd Agreement: Don’t Make Assumptions ñ ‘The problem with making assumptions is that we believe they are the truth. ‘ Everyone makes assumptions and once they are pronounced they must me defended.

Real love is accepting others and self as ‘they are’ not needing to change others and changing ourselves as we desire. The 4th Agreement: Always Do Your Best ñ perfection is a delusion whose pursuit only leads to misery.

Life is fluid and ever changing learning to do one’s best and accept that limit opens one to the ‘magic’ of a more full life. None of these agreements is earth shaking new revelation nor are they limited to the Toltec teachings.

They are also words that merit repeating as most (all) major religions (and many effective psychological treatment modalities) use these teachings in some form as the basis for personal peace and healthy community living.

Having them gathered in a volume such as this one causes these ‘reminders’ to be freshened and a point for reminding caring and ‘loving’ people how one is to act that will affect one’s community in a positive way.

Reading this book straight through will take a matter of an hour or two; READING it will require: a fresh highlighter space for reflection a sounding board for ‘spouting off’ against and a willingness to hear truth without surrendering one’s Self to another’s opinion.

This book is Amazing! So amazing I read half of it in one night. It opens doors to the beauty of Living a life filled with love. Not only to your self but to the rest of the world. It helps you understand the power we each have as people.

If you want the keys to express love and live a life filled with positivity buy this book.

This is an excellent book that has condensed love mismatches into 5 easy to absorb ways of seeing people and what they are trying to do. Love and be loved. Simple as. It’s a great way to drop old stories and change an overly analytical view of the world into a simple and powerful one based on receiving and giving love.

There’s a few Jesus ‘quotes’ in here that could easily be ascribed to people that came before him but that aside, as a non Christian, they at least were pertinent. If anything, I’d suggest Gary edit out the religious quotes thereby spreading the love and appealing to a larger and as broad an audience as possible.

A secular version of the book would be easier to gift to people without necessitating the “As a non Christian, I loved this. It’s got a few Jesus references but it’s Universal. ” The text is overall very easy to read with excellent real life examples told in a story format.

I consider this book to be an excellent addition to anyone’s life, in relationship with themselves and others. I have already shared the information with others orally, gifted the book on several occasions and use the knowledge and new comprehension in my work as a nursery nurse.

It’s fabulous. As a person who was abused in a previous relationship, this has helped me see the love languages that were damaged and see them in a new light. Changing any feelings of subservience into love in the moment – what it always would have been.

It’s been just incredible. If you want to know how to meet yourself and anyone with love:This is the book to read.

I love this book. It’s a great guide for people to learn their own love language and then discover their partner’s love language. The book provides excellent tools to help each person learn how to communicate their needs to each other.

When you know how your partner expresses their love language, then you’ll be able to show them. Often times we love a certain way and expect others to love us in the same way. But that may not be that person’s love language.

They have to be intentional in learning your love language and the ways you need to receive it. Excellent book! I would highly recommend it to others.

A fabulous self-help book that helps you with your primary relationships-you can improve any relationship once you know how to show love and what you want when you receive love. Read the book and discuss it with your partner.

You will be amazed at the way it will make you feel to know you and your loved one or loved ones can finally communicate in the most basic way. Being loved is great but when your partner knows how to show you that you are truly loved is THE BEST! And you can reciprocate! WOW!.

If you are looking at life or at the world and wondering how to stop suffering, read this book, give it as a gift to anyone and everyone. It has the power to shift world consciousness. And if you read it and don’t feel its power, put it on the shelf and reread when you are ready to hear it! This book and Eckhart Tolle’s book – A New Earth are just what this world needs to evolve into something greater!!! A Must read! Best books I ever read!.

Eckhart Tolle’s book, The Power of Now, has become so popular it is almost perceived as pop-literature (or “new age”). This is both good and bad. The good is that many people are finding the message.

The bad, is that many in academia and religious communities are not recognizing its value. By its popularity, it has become almost too pop culture. The Power of Nows important message runs the risk of being marginalized as a temporary cultural phenomenon.

” The Power of Now’s message is that many people have broken the barrier of fear and discontentment; they have rediscovered or reconnected with their deep sense of peace and joy. In our lack of understanding, we often refer to these people with terminology that may not really be accurate: “enlightened,” “awakened,” “mystics,” “gurus,” “holy,” etc.

These terms are too loaded and create an impression that such a state is unlikely to occur to the average person. Similarly, Christ, Buddha and Mohamed come to mind as three who have delivered monumental messages and effected history greatly.

But there is a tendency to believe that these religious figures obtained peace and joy from God’s grace, and we cannot. There is a misconception that we have to spend our days on earth with discontentment and suffering with the hopes to be reconnected with peace and joy upon death.

The message of Tolle and so many others is that this is wrong. We can find our peace and joy and find it now. We are not discriminated against when it comes to God’s Grace. Tolle aids the process of coming home to ourselves.

He provides us with an age-old message and road map to achieve this. The road map is simple, yet so profound. The message is simply: we need to quiet our minds. So, how do we quiet our minds? How do we realign with ourselves? How do we take off the onion layers to our minds and reconnect with that joyful and peaceful part of ourselves? The term meditation is probably not what you think or have been taught.

Meditation as it used here is more a way of life that can be used in any and every activity you do for the rest of your life. Eckhart Tolle talks about different ways to get reconnected with ourselves.

What is interesting is that many of the methods are somewhat mechanical, and the process is less spiritual than one might think. The end result, however, is certainly deeply spiritual. Some of these methods are: 1.

Breathing and being aware of your breathing; 2. Being the witness of your thoughts without judgment — allowing thoughts to flow without identifying with your thoughts — deeply acknowledging that you are not our thoughts; 3.

Feeling your physical body and allowing it be without judgment; 4. Feeling your emotional body (including the emotional pain) and allowing it be without going on thinking tangents about the pain — just being there with the raw physical emotional pain.

5. Getting in touch with the silence and stillness that is ever present; (so as you listening intently to the world around, you pay attention also to the silence that is behind all sounds); 6. Being totally present where you are and allowing that which happens to be; 7.

Acknowledge and avoid the traps of time — with a deep understanding that in reality what happened in the past is no longer; and what happens in the future is not now (basically time really does not, from a physics perspective, exist); 8.

Accepting what you are at any given moment; 9. The simple act of asking God to allow you to feel His presence/His Grace, and then, the act of you feeling God’s presence; 10. To go deep inside yourself and realize that innate joy that is ever present — God.

11. Feeling the stillness within yourself.

To be frank, Ive started avoiding fiction novels centered around women that are written by men. I had hopes this would surpass the usual cliches but sadly it fell into most all of them. Spoilers ahead.

It falls straight into the cheating wife storyline I feel is in every novel. All the women of worth to the author are described as vivacious and beautiful or maternal figures to the main character. I cant find any depth even to our tittle card silent patient to validate her outside of being a tragically attractive woman.

Of course she gets a backstory involving sexual assault to attempt any depth to her character and past. The author tries to show how happy her marriage is by having her write constantly about how every argument end with them in bed.

Its cliche and shallow to no end, and the author doesn seemed to have ever gotten to know a woman who wasn’t their mother or romantic partner. Im just disappointed.

Storyline/Overview – Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist and he is interested in Alice’s story who has murdered her husband. He is determined to get to the details behind the crime. Even though the patient (Alice) is Silent throughout the narrative, the story progresses to spotlight her complex characteristics.

“Unexpressed emotions never die. They are buried alive, and will come forth later, in uglier ways” BEST Psychological Thriller I have read in a long time! My opinion – Very well researched topic and the quotes at the start of every part of the book make sense at the end Every scenario described feels so realistic and I was amazed how much engrossed I was in this book Nice pace and a very easy to understand and read kind of language used The plot has a nice edginess and it wants you to keep turning pages to figure out what happens next! I was amazed at the flawless development of the characters, outstanding buildup and curiosity maintained and in fact increasing as pages turned! The final twist is the unique climax and no matter how much aware you are of the story, you’ll still not be able to predict it and I was mind blown by that sole fact The chapters are well divided and the engrossing fast-paced read makes it a page turner for sure! I enjoyed this wonderful psychological drama ride and cannot believe it is debut novel by Alex.

Kudos!! Conclusion – It is definitely a clever and intriguing story with a mind-blowing twist to enjoy! The Silent Patient SPEAKS a lot 😉 It is for sure one of my favorite reads of 2019!.

“As you will see, it’s an incredible story-of that there is no doubt. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. ” All that glitters is not gold, and nothing is truer than the story of famous painter Alicia Berenson.

To the outside world, she and her fashion photographer husband, Gabriel, live the perfect life. They are perceived by all as a loving couple that live in a beautiful home in one of the most upscale areas of London.

But one night, the perfect picture is shattered in the form of 5 gun shots and the death of Gabriel by the hands of his wife. Refusing to utter a word in her defense, Alicia is sentenced to the Grove, a private mental health care facility.

Years pass, and psychotherapist Theo Faber is offered the opportunity to treat Alicia, and work towards solving the mystery behind why she so brutally killed her husband and remained silent ever since.

Some stories just grip you from page one, and The Silent Patient certainly did that for this reader! With a heart stopping didn’t see that ending coming conclusion, this mystery/thriller is one of my top reads of the year! Loved and highly recommend!.

As I continue my self healing journey through this pandemic I thought I’d give this book a read. What I learned was more than what I had bargained for. This book was life changing for me and really should be talked about more.

In this crazy thing we call life there is no manual on how to love not only ourselves but each other so this book was very insightful and will be for anyone trying to build a solid and healthy relationship with not only themselves but with a future boyfriend/girlfriend.

This book, like all the others from this author, is presented to reach a variety of readers through a swift, in depth but light read. I read this book seeking to better understand how I love and if I was doing it “right.

” What I came to realise is that there are so many forms, none the right way or best way, but it is all in how you approach every given relationship with your best intentions. This book won’t teach you how to “master love” but more so, how to understand your relationship with yourself before connecting it with others.

Dig your nose into this book if you are ready to embark into a self love journey.

I make no exaggeration when I claim that this book is one of the most important books of the last five hundred years. The universal truths and wisdom contained within it are everywhere from beginning to end and changed my attitudes about spirituality.

The author certainly writes compellingly and convincingly with each word. My views are forever influenced by the author. All of them. Buy this book. Start an inner exploration that will never end.

“As you move through the experiences of your past, know that no matter what happened, your being here, vibrant and alive, makes you worthy. You alone are enough. ” Sometimes a book will come into your life at exactly the right time.

Traumas, both from childhood and more recent times, have been making themselves known to me with an urgency I haven’t experienced before, at a time that seems more inconvenient than pretty much any other time in my life.

Although I’d love to push it all to the side, with a ‘Not now! Can’t you see I’m busy reading?’, there’s also a knowing that there’s never going to be a good time and that maybe, just maybe, there’s a reason it’s all coming up for me now.

So, here I am, trying to figure out what healing will look like for me and having conversations with people who are seeing my resilience from the outside in vastly different ways than I’m perceiving it from the inside.

Then this book, which covers the trifecta of what my brain has decided is my priority right now (trauma, resilience and healing), makes its way into my world. The shift from asking ‘what’s wrong with you?’ to ‘what happened to you?’ is something I’ve yearned to hear for most of my life.

Western society is so fixed on labels, which I know have their place and can be useful, but all too often pasting a diagnosis (or multiple diagnoses) on someone marginalises them more than it helps them.

If we don’t get to the core of why a person behaves the way they do then we’re really missing the point, and the opportunity to best support them. “All of us want to know that what we do, what we say and who we are, matters.

” Dr. Perry’s work in understanding how the brain’s development is impacted by early trauma helps explain why we behave the way we do, for example, why some people lash out in anger and others withdraw into themselves.

There’s science in this book but it was explained in a way that made sense to me, someone who hasn’t formally studied science since high school. Even if you don’t understand a concept the first time it’s mentioned it’s okay as it will be referred to in later conversations.

If words like ‘brainstem’, ‘diencephalon’, ‘limbic’ and ‘cortex’ make you want to disengage, I’d encourage you to hold on because how the science relates to someone’s life will be explained. This, in turn, will make it easier to apply what’s being said to your own life.

You’ll read about people Dr. Perry has worked with, people Oprah has interviewed and about Oprah’s own experiences. Knowledge truly is powerful and simply having an understanding of why a smell or sound (‘evocative cues’) can cause people with PTSD to have flashbacks, making them feel as though they’re right back in that moment, feels like half the battle.

If you’re not caught up in judging yourself for your brain responding the way that it does, then it frees up so much energy that you can use to regulate yourself. I learned about how our view of the world becomes a “self-fulfilling prophecy”, why self harm makes so much sense to the people who do it (even though it baffles the people who don’t), the importance of rhythm in regulation, how vital connections with other people are to healing and why I need to learn more about neuroplasticity.

I gained a much better understanding of flock, freeze, flight and fight. Dissociation, which I thought I knew all about from personal experience, make much more sense to me now, as does why I find reading so helpful in my everyday life.

I love facts and there were some that really put what I was reading into context for me. “During the first nine months, fetal brain development is explosive, at times reaching a rate of 20,000 new neurons ‘born’ per second.

In comparison, an adult may, on a good day, create 700. ” This book isn’t about blaming anyone for your trauma and it’s not giving you an excuse for bad behaviour. It does explain why you react the way you do and can help silence the voice inside you that tells you there’s something wrong with you because of it – your reaction is reasonable given your history but there is also hope; you can heal.

I would recommend this book to so many people. Before I’d even begun reading I’d recommended it to my GP and would not hesitate in recommending it to anyone who works in a profession that brings them into contact with young children and their families or trauma survivors.

“To this day, the role that trauma and developmental adversity play in mental and physical health remains under appreciated. ” I would recommend it to trauma survivors, although with a few caveats: that they stay safe while reading (some of the content is bound to be triggering), read at their own pace and make good use of their support system as needed.

Loved ones of trauma survivors will find explanations for why their friend or family member behaves the way that they do and ways they can help. I’m not someone who usually listens to audiobooks but if there’s a book that would be more suited for that format than this one, a series of conversations between Dr.

Perry and Oprah, I can’t think of it. Of course, having grown up with Oprah, I heard everything she said in her voice as I read anyway but I’m definitely planning to reread via audiobook. “It takes courage to confront your actions, peel back the layers of trauma in our lives and expose the raw truth of what happened.

But, this is where healing begins. ” Content warnings are included on my blog. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bluebird, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a self development book that really opened my eyes to understanding myself and the brain a bit better. For anyone that has experienced some serious trauma, I highly recommend this book. I would also recommend it to anyone to gain the perspective and knowledge of how the brain works, especially during traumatic situations.

Before judging others and asking “what is wrong with you?”, we must rather shift our perspective and ask “what happened to you?”, to begin the journey of understanding and healing.

I now have a better understanding of why people behave the way they do. I wish that I had know about this book when I was working with children and adults who had behaviour problems. I have learned so much.

This book is the key that unlocks everything – the pieces to complete a jigsaw. Very well written,with understanding and compassion.

This is a fantastic book! Chris Voss, is an expert negotiator for the FBI. He explains how to negotiate in any realm of life. So prepare to take notes. I found myself using techniques immediately after reading this book.

So many insightful stories from Chris’s experience out in the field, makes this book hard to put down. I highly recommend this book if you find yourself at a crossroads of having to handle your own negotiations.

There’re also lessons on how to smooth out rough conversations with your spouse.

My daughter is high functioning autistic and unfortunately she is also type one diabetic. Our home has become a bit of a conflict zone, every day. I was sick of the arguments over food, so i was telling my martial arts tutor about it and he recomended this book to me.

The book has shown me how to deal with my daughters emotions from the inside, as well as the night time radio voice and listening for cues. This is just like a hostage situation, you have to know what they are thinking.

We love our daughter, however the conflict has took my wife and I to the edge, the book thought has helped to pull us back and to calm our daugher down. Thank you Chris Vos.

I am currently going through a messy divorce where I am finding it hard to negotiate w me ex. I have recruited a lot of the tools and techniques offered in this book and I have seen an immediate change in results.

I feel empowered to be able to negotiate w unreasonable people after reading this book. I will use its concepts in work, social interactions and general life. I have never read a book that, through the application of its principles, has so directly And positively changed the tenor of my predicament.

It is an amazing book and everyone who is “negotiating” life should read it.

Have actually read this webcomic and wanted to know how the paper feels like. Not going to give away any of the story. The author Rachel Smythe did an excellent job on her take of modernizing Greek drama.

If you like Disney’s Hercules you can look at this as a Young Adult version take on Greek Mythology with its center a on the story of persephone and hades. The transfer between media was very good and feel of reading as a graphic novel in your hands was very good.

If you tend to resize when using your phone some of the pictures may be abit small for you. But then again if you want to relax and get away from the electronics this is great. also looks good on the shelf :).

The mythology of the Greek gods set against a modern backdrop, bursting from the page with beautiful illustrations. I immediately formed an affinity for Hades and Persephone, eager to see how their relationship would play out.

Even after reading the online version, I was keen to have a hard copy volume and have already preordered the next two. Keep ’em coming Rachel. I can’t wait to see how you unfold the intricacies, manipulations and challenges of the highly dysfunctional family of Olympus.

This is a lovely story written with beautiful prose. I adored the writing style and the flow of the book. This is a contemporary young adult which I absolutely adored. Warning for transphobia in the book which I did not feel was handled well or necessary to the plot.

The author has since written a sequel which contains biphobic and transphobia and was handled very poorly. The author has also expressed transphobic statements publicly since the books release.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe tells the story of a young teenage boy named Aristotle, beginning in the summer between his sophomore and junior year of high school. Ari doesn’t feel like he has any friends, and he always seems to be angry, yet he doesn’t understand why.

One day he meets Dante, a boy with a personality that is the complete antithesis of Ari’s. Dante is happy and easygoing, he cares deeply about animals, and he is able to make friends everywhere he goes.

We follow these two boys through the next year of their life, through happiness and sadness and injury and heartache. Typically I am really not a fan of contemporary novels, but I am so glad that I finally picked up this book.

It is a book that celebrates and embraces diversity wonderfully. Benjamin Alire Sáenz has a beautiful, lyrical writing style that made all of the characters seem to jump off the page. The cast of characters felt so real, like normal teenage boys dealing with normal teenage boy worries, while their parents were trying to help them navigate through their teenage years.

Something very unique and wonderful about this book is the presence and involvement of the boys’ parents in their lives. Healthy family units are very rarely seen in young adult literature, and it was so refreshing to see both of these boys interacting with parents who genuinely cared about what was happening in their sons’ lives.

These families were not perfect, cookie-cutter households by any means, however. But that is what made their presence so special – the families had problems but they dealt with them together and supported each other.

I am so used to reading about teens dealing with their problems all alone due to the absence of any kind of parental figure. Or, if an adult character is present, they are often portrayed as completely useless and not helpful to the teens at all.

It was so nice to see parents that actually played a large role in the progression of the story.

After reading this book I was not very impressed. Jim Collins started with a template and tried to find companies that would fit into his template. His leadership idea is nothing new and he could have taken all the leaders in the world and found stories that fit into his mold.

His revelations are obnoxious and he spends about half the book talking about the good to great concept instead of using deep analysis to uncover some hidden truths. One of the greatest flaws of this book is how he took a good look at certain companies through interviews but he failed to study any of the accounting changes that effected some of the businesses he discusses.

One of the most notable is Walgreen’s and circuit city who were able to structure their leases in such a way that they did not have to disclose them on the balance sheet as assets or liabilities. Walgreens and Circuit City grew because their bankers didn’t get the full picture of how much debt the company was able to take on under the table and not disclose.

Now that these companies are forced to disclose that information they appear less solvent and their stock price has adjusted to reality. Additionally Circuit City tanked when the new accounting practices and bad economy showed how insolvent they really were.

Other things Jim Collins failed to mention involved the establishment of right to work states that ended union control on companies and allowed NUCOR to establish one of the most efficient manufactures in the world.

Most of the companies Jim talks about have fallen apart in heaps and are bad to average. He should have written a book about how little research he had to do to write a book that would get praise from the entire academic sector but be a complete bad to worse book at best.

Don’t buy the book! Save your money and take some accounting classes and you can then uncover what takes a company from good to great!.

This is a good book if you are interested in the concepts of good leadership. It is also interesting to see what happened to some of the companies that were profiled that either continued to succeed or completely failed.

Jim Collins Answers the Social Sector with a Monograph to Accompany Good to Great. 30-50% of those who bought Good to Great work in the Social Sector. This monograph is a response to questions raised by readers in the social sector.

It is not a new book. Jim Collins wants to avoid any confusion about the monograph being a book by limiting its distribution to online retailers. Based on interviews and workshops with over 100 social sector leaders.

The difference between successful organizations is not between the business and the social sector, the difference is between good organizations and great ones.

The older version is clearer and easier to use. Still this is the BEST book for foreign students who want to better understand how the English language works.

The book is brand new and good value (though slightly smaller than expected).

The book is amazing!!! Even with that pages that was smashed, but was just 4 or 5 pages. Didn’t compromised the book. Thank you so much

“Am I barreling toward the sun, or away from it? It’s almost academic. I’m either on a collision course with the sun or on my way out to deep space with no hope of returning. Or, I might be headed in the sun’s general direction, but not on a collision course.

If that’s the case, I’ll miss the sun. and then fly off into deep space with no hope of returning. ” Project Hail Mary is the third novel by American author and self-confessed space nerd, Andy Weir. When he first emerges from the coma, he has no idea where he is, or how or why.

It seems to be a spaceship, he’s the sole survivor of a crew of three, and the onboard computer is insisting he proffers his name before allowing access to certain areas, but he can’t remember that either.

“This is like being in a video game. Explore the area until you find a locked door, then look for the key. But instead of searching bookshelves and garbage cans, I have to search my mind. Because the “key” is my own name.

” His memory is spotty, coming in fits and starts; gradually, the fact that he’s a junior high science teacher reveals itself; he’s Dr. Ryland Grace, formerly a microbiologist who spent his career working up theoretical models for alien life.

And he’s a long, long way from San Francisco. The “what” Grayson remembers fairly quickly: a dire problem facing his home planet, and the importance of his mission is clear, a mission to save mankind.

The “how” poses a challenge that his scientific mind relishes. When Grayson recalls the “why” that has placed him on the Hail Mary instead of a highly-trained astronaut, he’s dismayed and angry. What is quickly obvious is that he is facing a suicide mission.

All alone. Except it turns out he’s not. More is difficult to reveal without spoilers, but Weir has neatly constructed a narrative in which flashbacks/memories slowly reveal the exact how and why, but also just what the ship is equipped with and can do.

Weir gives the reader sci-fi that doesn’t get too bogged down with dense sci-facts but is interesting and thought-provoking. Weir’s protagonist is a delight, smart and resourceful; his ever-inquiring mind and excellent deductive powers see him maintain his optimism that he will complete his vital mission.

Ultimately, Grayson surprises himself. He’s also got a great sense of humour, so his inner monologue, asides to the computer and other conversations entertain: “The computer finishes its boot process and brings up a screen I’ve never seen before.

I can tell it means trouble, because the word “TROUBLE” is in large type across the top. ” This is a tale with an action plot, twists and surprises, featuring a planet Earth where greenhouse gases are welcome and the Sahara is covered in foil.

There are philosophical discussions on behaviour and intelligence, lots of space walks, vodka, beetles and five-legged spiders, laugh-out-loud moments and the odd lump in the throat. Brilliantly funny, clever and original sci-fi.

This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone.

Fans of The Martian will devour this book! The Martian is one of my favorite books of the last few years and it’s movie adaptation was brilliant, so I was absolutely thrilled to get a copy of Project Hail Mary.

On the whole, I absolutely loved it. I flew through it despite some sections that were very heavy on the science which is not my forte, Fans of The Martian will appreciate the similarities and enjoy the differences.

The idea is similar but the specifics are unique. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was the sarcastic but loveable attitude of the main character. He had his flaws but you never hesitate to root for him.

I thoroughly enjoyed his sense of human and wit. I also truly enjoyed the way this one was put together with flash backs explaining how the project came together and how he personally ended up where he is.

I was shocked by the reveal of specifically how he came to be one of the people on Project Hail Mary. I also loved the Stratt character. Her overwhelming dedication to the project is both admirable and frightening.

The whole alternation between past and present is brilliantly spun together. There were one or two things I struggled with. First, I found Rocky’s physical description very distracting. While I understand the desire for him to look drastically different from humans, the way he was described, which is sort of similar to a bear or a dog but one that has no eyes or ears and who poops from his hidden mouth and also eats through it was a little out there for me.

In the beginning Grace estimates him at 800lbs, then when he has to move him he says he’s about 400 pounds, either way it made it every difficult for me to take seriously as I was picturing a blind deaf Alf and it was just an odd contrast between the serious science and doomsday plot and a completely off the wall alien being.

The other thing I struggled with was the ending. I found the decision that Grace made at the end hard to believe given the way he ended up on the mission. And while I do think the very end was fitting, the section just before that become a little out there for me.

Both of these things just made it hard for me to picture how this movie could possibly merge the insanity and high-sci-fi with the down to earth (no pun intended!) nature of a doomsday book. All of that being said, over all I really truly enjoyed reading it and I think fans of The Martian will absolutely crush this one in a day and love it.

I read through the book in a day. Could not put it down. There is lots of science to devour, and it’s a great romp into apocalyptic sci-fi. All the details of how humanity reacts to a dawning ice age are fitting and realistic—revealed in flashback throughout the adventure.

In The Martian, poor Watney was the scientist AND engineer. In Project Hail Mary, our hero is a solo scientist on an all-or-nothing mission to save humanity—his commanding officer and engineer died on the trip.

So now he has to do it all alone. or does he? Pacing and language are all on point. Very few swears, if any, because our hero is a middle school science teacher thrust into greatness. Great ending, too.

I totally understand his choice, the character has grown so much, and love the way it ended.

I bought this item for my young daughter. I thought it would be light and fun. The interactive pages are a blast! I realized after going through the book however, that it’s a little more serious about wizardry and spells than I thought it would.

There is a two page spread on divination that comes with a small pack of cards. It then gives you instructions on divination. In my opinion, this is something not to dabble with so I did not find it appropriate for impressionable children.

I would say it’s better suited for kids 13 +.

“If you are unshakable in your desire to learn Wizardology, then in the absence of a wizard of flesh and blood, this book will offer you the assistance and encouragement you would receive at my hands were I standing before you as your master.

” Merlin, 1577.

The information within the book is priceless,if a person is interested in becoming a wizard. Very educational. Lots of pictures an excellent book

Actual rating 4. 5 stars. I really enjoyed this. It had a certain type of interconnected symmetry. Some of Colleen Hoovers past novels have been gut retching, destroying – but wonderful. ‘Confess’ was beautiful without being soul crushing.

It was palatable, artistic and heart-warming. With alternating POV’s between hard working yet untrusting Auburn; and struggling artist Owen, as they both struggle to come to terms with events from their past and the feelings they share, it had a laid back narrative style which I read in two sittings.

Auburn was a great protagonist, she persevered. So many heroines possess strength and special talents, where Aubrun simply survived and battled on in any means she had. An understated kind of strength that not many see (especially in novels) today.

It was a pleasure to share her journey and see her grow. Owen was a little bit cliché – the quintessential hipster artist, but luckily we got to see more than just this trope. I have to say his sensitivity is what impressed me the most: but it was more about compassion for fellow creatures than being emotional (or emo).

That too, has a special kind of quiet strength. Trey, another person connected to Aubrun’s life, annoyed me from the first line I read about him – I can’t say entirely what it was that had me forming that opinion, but there it is.

He also fell into a bit of a predictable cliché – but with Colleen Hoovers expert writing, she manages to breathe life into the story despite my first impressions of the cast. As expected Hoover weaves an interesting narrative, slowly revealing secrets to uncover layer upon layer of complexity between the characters.

I have to marvel at the reveals she performs in ‘Confess’ – I was literally gagging for more. I also liked the occasional instances of humour that had me laughing out loud. I picked this up on a whim because I couldn’t get into another title and ended up finishing it in two days.

I couldn’t put it down for long. It is so compelling and had me caring about Auburn and Owen. Best contemporary that I’ve read in a while. And an added bonus was pictures of Owen’s artwork included in the middle of the book.

A great novel to bust me out of a reading slump.

This is one of the best Christian non-fiction / inspirational books I have studied this year! Lysa TerKeurst is a Christian woman, wife, mom, ministry leader, book and Bible study author who found herself in three major life crises in a short time.

The situations highlighted in this book to show the power and love of God when we endure similar – or entirely different – circumstances that just weren’t supposed to happen. Circumstances that He can and does use for our good.

The author takes us through her feelings and faith challenges she experienced as a result of those situations, and how she wrestled through with scripture, prayer, and reliance on the Lord. Her vulnerability is refreshing, her wisdom inspired by the Lord.

“Disappointment isn’t proof that God is withholding good from us. Sometimes it’s His way of leading us home. ” (pg. 5) Lysa doesn’t mince words. She does not minimize the Lord in any way, rather, He is everything! She is honest, showing that bad things do happen to Christians even while believing that God is good.

She writes in a manner that someone who has been a Christian for any length of time, whether new or seasoned, can grasp when in the midst of a trauma. There are stories of people from scripture, and parts of her own life.

The wisdom imparted comes from serious wrestling in a walk with God through painful disappointments. I could see myself in some of her feelings and reactions – not in circumstances like she was experiencing, but things going on in my own life.

It isn’t the situations that are front and center, it is how we can learn to respond despite times that simply weren’t what that should have been. Those responses may sound overly simple to those not going through a trauma but are profound to the person who is trying to put one foot in front of the other for one more day.

There are two ways we can get through – with God, or giving in to our flawed desires. One quote that is important is “We must set our minds and our hearts on things above by choosing to remember God’s words, repeat God’s words, and believe God’s word about us.

” (pg. 65) I listened to the audiobook and read the print copy while doing the associated Bible study (and purchased the e-book), and I feel it is a valuable resource to the person going through struggles or the friend of someone struggling through hard times.

Don’t compare the author’s situations to yours; instead, compare your reactions, feelings, and responses. I very much like the writer’s approach to seeking God, wrestling, praying, and getting into scripture.

Our responses in times of crisis are vital to how we live our lives from those times forward. Regarding the audiobook, it is read by the author. I felt in many ways as if we were sitting in her kitchen over coffee or tea from the writing style and simply hearing her word sin her voice.

Why did I get three formats? Because some things I learn better by repetitive hearing. Other times it is easier to open the book and search for the relevant pages, including chapter endings of “Going to the Well”, “Receive (a scripture)”, “Reflect”, and prayer.

Back sections include scripture and helps for situations. I highly recommend this unique and timely book to Christians who are going through trauma of any kind and want to know that God is still in control and appreciate solid biblical teaching.

Opening a Lysa Terkeurst book is always life-changing and mindset-shifting. It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way” takes it to a different level though. It’s emotionally rich, raw and so real. As I read, I felt Lysa’s pain, turmoil and struggles and I related! I haven’t walked her path but the heartful emotions, the doubts and fear, I’ve walked that! Lysa has a gift at framing the tiniest, but crucial, moment in a way I can understand and learn from.

She is in fine form here, this book is full of transformational insights such as: “When you suffer, slow becomes necessary. Slow becomes good. One of the best parts of this season of suffering for me was a life that doesn’t require shoes.

When your wear no shoes the sun has access to your feet. ” Lysa’s life during the writing of this book has had so many highs and lows. Each chapter connects the reader with a different point in her life and, it’s an emotional rollercoaster, so of course I had to read it flat out til the early morning! Let this be a warning, this is a jam-packed, mile-a-minute, challenging and faith-building book to begun in a morning with a Bible beside and the understanding you may need to read it twice to fully comprehend it! Central to the book, is Lysa’s framing our time here on earth, between gardens.

She speaks of those who have learnt to live this life in its fullness! I love this vision of how we can be: “It’s those clothed with garments of understanding. They have personally experienced that this life between two gardens can sometimes make it excruciatingly painful to simply be human.

They keep in mind the Bible’s instructions, as we rub shoulders human to human. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

” (Colossians 3:12)” To highlight, share or discuss more of the book would disrupt the amazing experience Lysa has created. All I can say is, the end is amazing, it full of hope and it’s fantastic!.

Having read Lysa’s previous books, I had an inkling of what I was in for: Biblical expository, real life experiences and a down to earth style. What I didn’t expect right away was for this book to change my view on hard times and suffering.

Because of this book, my perspective on dealing with life’s struggles–some of which may be life altering– has totally changed. I’d say that makes “It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way” a book we each should read sometime in our lives.

Lysa not only shares her own personal struggles: from dealing with marital infidelity on her husband’s part, to facing two challenging health diagnoses and her eventually learning that her life of comfort zone living was about to drastically change.

I was moved by her personal stories, as well of those of close friends and associates who faced things some of us consider a nightmare scenario. I loved the imagery created and idea of “the life between two gardens,” referencing the Garden of Eden and the Garden mentioned in Revelation.

The idea is fleshed out in each chapter, and at the end of each, Lysa gives the recap of the high points of the subjects discussed, in a portion called “Going To the Well. ” This is further broken down into three subheadings: “Remember, Receive and Reflect.

” I found much great encouragement here, and it draws the reader to follow up with their Bibles to learn more about the topics discussed. Because of its timely topic and the sensitivity with which it is handled, I truly applaud Lysa for this book.

I received an advanced reader copy and chose to review. All opinions are my own.

The author is not happy with his life and tries to stop being in a hurry. Personally, I felt he should just stop trying to be everywhere at once. It seemed as though he was going through mid-life crises and wrote a book about it.

(If he was tired of having too many phone calls, he should have turned the phone off!).

highly recommend this book!! our fast paced society has thrown out much of what is reminded in this book. this book will challenge your current lifestyle, as well as your mental, spiritual + physical well being.

highly recommend for anybody, but especially type A personalities in need deliberate living the condition this came in was perfect as well. no issues.

This book is a life changer. For a long time the church has preached Jesus as the “truth” this book presents him as the “way”. Honestly, I’m trying to apply this to my life and I’m having the best time doing it.

His writing style is conversational which is good but can also be a little annoying at times, however, it’s super challenging and I would encourage anyone to get it and do what it says.