We’ve posted reviews of 100 books on this blog so far. The most recent 25 are listed below in alphabetical order by title.
1089 and All That by David Acheson
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Tested by Time by James L. Garlow
The Ancient Engineers by L. Sprague de Camp
Are You Dumb Enough to be Rich? by G. William Barnett II
Don’t Grow Old—Grow Up! by Dorothy Carnegie
Einstein’s Clocks, Poincare’s Maps by Peter Galison
Getting Started in Consulting by Allen Weiss
The Great Bridge by David McCollough
How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? by Dorie McCubbrey
How We Got Here by Andy Kessler
IBM and the Holocaust by Edwin Black
The Millionaire Maker by Loral Langemeier
No More Christian Nice Guy by Paul Coughlin
The One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen
The Pinball Effect by James Burke
Positive Imaging by Norman Vincent Peale
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
Sea of Glory by Nathaniel Philbrick
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
Self-Love by Robert H. Schuller
Simple Pictures are Best by Nancy Willard
Starting from Scratch by Wes Moss
The Success Principles by Jack Canfield with Janet Switzer
University of Success by Og Mandino
You Can Write for Magazines by Greg Daugherty
Additional Reviews:
First 25 Books Reviews
Reviews 26-50
Reviews 51-75
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query millionaire. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query millionaire. Sort by date Show all posts
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
What I Read (6)
Date: October 31, 2005
Title: Einstein’s Clocks, Poincare’s Maps: Empires of Time Author: Peter Galison
Thoughts: It’s amazing how many things, ideas, philosophy, technology, science, can come together within people to revolutionize our understanding of the world.
Date: November 2, 2005
Title: How We Got Here
Author: Andy Kessler
Thoughts: Tongue in cheek. Readable. Interesting.
Date: November 16, 2005
Title: Sea of Glory Author: Nathaniel Philbrook
Thoughts: A great adventure turned cautionary tale. Wilkes certainly had determination, perseverance and dedication. He lacked character, integrity and patience. With what he had he accomplished something great, and by sad display of what he lacked he denied himself the fame he sought.
Date: December 4, 2005
Title: The Power of Positive Thinking Author: Norman Vincent Peale
Thoughts: I’m going to improve my thinking and keep at it. I’m going to do what it takes to have the good life I desire.
Date: January 1, 2006
Title: Simple Pictures Are Best
Author: Nancy Willard, illustrations by Tomie De Paola
Thoughts: Possibly my favorite book. It has influence me more than any book except the Bible. I am a firm believer in simplicity.
My parents got me a copy as a child and I’ve always remembered it.
Date: January 3, 2006
Title: The Millionaire Maker Author: Loral Langemeier
Thoughts: I’m looking forward to being a millionaire. Even more, I’m looking forward to financial freedom.
Date: January 10, 2006
Title: IBM and the Holocaust
Author: Edwin Black
Thoughts: Heavenly Father, keep me always aware of the eternal value of righteousness and justice.
Date: January 16, 2006
Title: No More Christian Nice Guy Author: Paul Coughlin
Thoughts: “God is an odds-breaker—He loves that game, and when you flex even a small amount of faith, he’ll open doors for you” (quote from the book).
Date: January 16, 2006
Title: Starting from Scratch
Author: Wes Moss
Thoughts: I’m starting a successful business, too.
Other parts of What I Read:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Title: Einstein’s Clocks, Poincare’s Maps: Empires of Time Author: Peter Galison
Thoughts: It’s amazing how many things, ideas, philosophy, technology, science, can come together within people to revolutionize our understanding of the world.
Date: November 2, 2005
Title: How We Got Here
Author: Andy Kessler
Thoughts: Tongue in cheek. Readable. Interesting.
Date: November 16, 2005
Title: Sea of Glory Author: Nathaniel Philbrook
Thoughts: A great adventure turned cautionary tale. Wilkes certainly had determination, perseverance and dedication. He lacked character, integrity and patience. With what he had he accomplished something great, and by sad display of what he lacked he denied himself the fame he sought.
Date: December 4, 2005
Title: The Power of Positive Thinking Author: Norman Vincent Peale
Thoughts: I’m going to improve my thinking and keep at it. I’m going to do what it takes to have the good life I desire.
Date: January 1, 2006
Title: Simple Pictures Are Best
Author: Nancy Willard, illustrations by Tomie De Paola
Thoughts: Possibly my favorite book. It has influence me more than any book except the Bible. I am a firm believer in simplicity.
My parents got me a copy as a child and I’ve always remembered it.
Date: January 3, 2006
Title: The Millionaire Maker Author: Loral Langemeier
Thoughts: I’m looking forward to being a millionaire. Even more, I’m looking forward to financial freedom.
Date: January 10, 2006
Title: IBM and the Holocaust
Author: Edwin Black
Thoughts: Heavenly Father, keep me always aware of the eternal value of righteousness and justice.
Date: January 16, 2006
Title: No More Christian Nice Guy Author: Paul Coughlin
Thoughts: “God is an odds-breaker—He loves that game, and when you flex even a small amount of faith, he’ll open doors for you” (quote from the book).
Date: January 16, 2006
Title: Starting from Scratch
Author: Wes Moss
Thoughts: I’m starting a successful business, too.
Other parts of What I Read:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Saturday, May 16, 2009
What I Read (3)
Date: April 24, 2005
Title: The 6-Day Body Makeover Author: Michael Thurmond Thoughts: Completed the program yesterday. Measured today. Lost 7 pounds and 5 ¾ inches (1 ¼ inches from the waist).
Date: May 2, 2005
Title: Write it Down, Make it Happen
Author: Henriette Anne Klauser
Thoughts: I wrote down more than 100 goals while reading this. It will be neat to see how many come to pass.
Date: May 6, 2005
Title: The Millionaire Real Estate Investor Author: Gary Keller, Dave Jenks & Jay Papasan
Thoughts: Whatever I invest in, it is time for me to start thinking like a millionaire.
Date: May 13, 2005
Title: Why Aren’t You Your Own Boss?
Author: Paul & Sarah Edwards & Peter Economy
Thoughts: Why not?
Because I haven’t had faith in God or myself.
Date: May 23, 2005
Title: God and Ronald Reagan Author: Paul Kengor
Thoughts: It is encouraging to se what great results can come from simple, enduring faith and vision. What is not possible for man is possible for God. When we stand up for what is right and call evil evil, we don’t stand alone. We stand with God.
Date: May 25, 2005
Title: Selling 101
Author: Zig Ziglar
Thoughts: As a business owner, I need to sell my services. I can sell. I will sell. I am a salesman and I am getting better at it every day.
Date: June 1, 2005
Title: Developing the Leader Within You Author: John C. Maxwell
Thoughts: According to Maxwell, most people don’t know how to succeed. Wouldn’t it be cool to learn and teach others?
Date: June 22, 2005
Title: The Gospel of Matthew (The Holy Bible, NKJV)
Thoughts: “Then behold, they brought him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you’” (Matthew 9:2).
Other parts of What I Read:
Part 1
Part 2
Title: The 6-Day Body Makeover Author: Michael Thurmond Thoughts: Completed the program yesterday. Measured today. Lost 7 pounds and 5 ¾ inches (1 ¼ inches from the waist).
Date: May 2, 2005
Title: Write it Down, Make it Happen
Author: Henriette Anne Klauser
Thoughts: I wrote down more than 100 goals while reading this. It will be neat to see how many come to pass.
Date: May 6, 2005
Title: The Millionaire Real Estate Investor Author: Gary Keller, Dave Jenks & Jay Papasan
Thoughts: Whatever I invest in, it is time for me to start thinking like a millionaire.
Date: May 13, 2005
Title: Why Aren’t You Your Own Boss?
Author: Paul & Sarah Edwards & Peter Economy
Thoughts: Why not?
Because I haven’t had faith in God or myself.
Date: May 23, 2005
Title: God and Ronald Reagan Author: Paul Kengor
Thoughts: It is encouraging to se what great results can come from simple, enduring faith and vision. What is not possible for man is possible for God. When we stand up for what is right and call evil evil, we don’t stand alone. We stand with God.
Date: May 25, 2005
Title: Selling 101
Author: Zig Ziglar
Thoughts: As a business owner, I need to sell my services. I can sell. I will sell. I am a salesman and I am getting better at it every day.
Date: June 1, 2005
Title: Developing the Leader Within You Author: John C. Maxwell
Thoughts: According to Maxwell, most people don’t know how to succeed. Wouldn’t it be cool to learn and teach others?
Date: June 22, 2005
Title: The Gospel of Matthew (The Holy Bible, NKJV)
Thoughts: “Then behold, they brought him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you’” (Matthew 9:2).
Other parts of What I Read:
Part 1
Part 2
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Mr. America by Mark Adams
Benarr
Macfadden was named Bernard McFadden by his parents; he chose the modified
name to suit himself. He was born into severe poverty in the Missouri Ozarks shortly after the Civil War. He would become a self-made millionaire famous for his physique, his stunts
and his opinions. Mark Adams recounts his story in Mr. America.
Macfadden became
fascinated with health and bodybuilding as a youth in St. Louis, where is visited a gym with his uncle. He had been sick much of his childhood, which is not surprising given the poverty,
malnutrition and undeveloped medicine of the time. With hard work and a
knack for self-promotion, he was eventually able to afford to join the gym (it
cost $15 for an initial membership, close to $400 today).
Macfadden pursued a lot
of jobs as a kid and young adult, spending very little time in school. In bodybuilding and training he
found his way into a career. Particularly, he started to follow a
career path that had been blazed by another strongman, Eugen Sandow. Mcfadden saw Sandow’s performances,
organized by Franz Ziegfeld, Jr., at the Columbian Exhibition in Chicago. He began doing a version of Sandow’s
act and even took it to his distant mentor’s adopted homeland, England.
When he returned from
his year in England, he brought back another idea borrowed from Sandow. He
began publishing a magazine titled Physical
Culture. The
magazine was an outlet for him to sell exercise equipment and promote his ideas about
fitness, diet, sex, nudity, marriage and other topics related to health
and happiness. It was the foundation of what grew
into a publishing empire in which Macfadden helped to pioneer true confession (long before Jerry Spring and Oprah Winfrey), celebrity culture and tabloid journalism. He is promotion of health
information set the path for American health experts that followed with a
mix of quackery and sound notions that turned out to be ahead of their time.
I’d be glad to go on
about Macfadden, his accomplishment and his sometimes strange life. Instead, I
should just suggest you read Mr. America.
Actually, I had been
looking forward to reading Mr. America.
I’ve seen Adam’s book referenced by other who have discussed Macfadden in the
context of fitness, health culture and popular publishing. Macfadden led and
interesting life suitable for a novel. Adam’s biography doesn’t quite read
like a novel, but it is entertaining and approachable, and I recommend it to
those interested in Macfadden or in the popular culture of the early 20th Century.
If you’re interested in
this book, you may also be interested in
Thursday, June 25, 2009
What I Read (5)
Date: September 6, 2005
Title: Fortune’s Formula Author: William Poundstone
Thoughts: I can see how the Kelly criteria might help one allocate assets for investment. However, it seems to require computing and special knowledge that an individual is unlikely to have access to. It is a game for fund managers.
Date: September 16, 2005
Title: Secrets of the Millionaire Mind Author: T. Harv Eker
Thoughts: I will have a net worth of $1 million by October 2, 2008. (Unfortunately, this did not come to pass.)
Quotes to remember:
“Simple pictures are best,” the photographer in Simple Pictures Are Best by Nancy Willard.
“The man who gets married has the daring of Jesse James, the courage of a wounded rhinoceros and a disposition to gamble besides which the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo was a poor-spirited piker,” Dorothy Carnegie in Don’t Grow Old—Grow Up!
Date: September 20, 2005
Title: The One Minute Millionaire
Author: Mark Victor Hansen & Robert G. Allen
Thoughts: I will be squeaky-clean, rose-scented rich.
Date: September 22, 2005
Title: Are You Dumb Enough to be Rich? Author: G. William Barnett II
Thoughts: There are two things in this book I could put to work quickly. Plus, I’m going to be squeaky-clean, rose-scented rich. Woo-hoo.
Date: October 14, 2005
Title: University of Success
Editor: Og Mandino
Thoughts: I wish I had been put through a course like this again and again in youth. Now I not only need to learn the good lessons, but unlearn the many bad lessons. Thank God, I can make a start now.
Date: October 27, 2005
Title: The Ancient Engineers
Author: L. Sprague de Camp
Thoughts: The author is so opposed to religion he refuses to even use the conventional A.D. and B.C. on his dates, though they are otherwise from the Gregorian calendar. Otherwise, I enjoyed it. Much like Hill and Landels.
Other parts of What I Read:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Title: Fortune’s Formula Author: William Poundstone
Thoughts: I can see how the Kelly criteria might help one allocate assets for investment. However, it seems to require computing and special knowledge that an individual is unlikely to have access to. It is a game for fund managers.
Date: September 16, 2005
Title: Secrets of the Millionaire Mind Author: T. Harv Eker
Thoughts: I will have a net worth of $1 million by October 2, 2008. (Unfortunately, this did not come to pass.)
Quotes to remember:
“Simple pictures are best,” the photographer in Simple Pictures Are Best by Nancy Willard.
“The man who gets married has the daring of Jesse James, the courage of a wounded rhinoceros and a disposition to gamble besides which the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo was a poor-spirited piker,” Dorothy Carnegie in Don’t Grow Old—Grow Up!
Date: September 20, 2005
Title: The One Minute Millionaire
Author: Mark Victor Hansen & Robert G. Allen
Thoughts: I will be squeaky-clean, rose-scented rich.
Date: September 22, 2005
Title: Are You Dumb Enough to be Rich? Author: G. William Barnett II
Thoughts: There are two things in this book I could put to work quickly. Plus, I’m going to be squeaky-clean, rose-scented rich. Woo-hoo.
Date: October 14, 2005
Title: University of Success
Editor: Og Mandino
Thoughts: I wish I had been put through a course like this again and again in youth. Now I not only need to learn the good lessons, but unlearn the many bad lessons. Thank God, I can make a start now.
Date: October 27, 2005
Title: The Ancient Engineers
Author: L. Sprague de Camp
Thoughts: The author is so opposed to religion he refuses to even use the conventional A.D. and B.C. on his dates, though they are otherwise from the Gregorian calendar. Otherwise, I enjoyed it. Much like Hill and Landels.
Other parts of What I Read:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Friday, March 25, 2011
Women’s History Month Links
I’m coming a little late to Women’s History Month. Here is a selection of books by and about women.
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
The Big Necessity by Rose George (also here and here)
The Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
Doing Work You Love by Cheryl Gilman
Don’t Grow Old—Grow Up! by Dorothy Carnegie
Dreams of Iron and Steel by Deborah Cadbury
The Emotional Energy Factor by Mira Kirshenbaum (also here)
Finding Your Writer’s Voice by Thaisa Frank & Dorothy Wall
Girl, 15, Charming but Insane by Sue Limb
Good Dog. Stay. by Anna Quindlen
Gratitude by Melody Beattie (also here)
The Great Stink by Clare Clark
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? by Dorie McCubbrey
How to Write a Manual by Elizabeth Slatkin
How to Write Mysteries by Shannon OCork (also here)
Idea Mapping by Jamie Nast
Keeping a Journal You Love by Sheila Bender
The Last Taboo by Maggie Black and Ben Fawcett
The Lighthouse Stevensons by Bella Bathurst
Little Shifts by Suzanna Beth Stinnet
The Man Who Loved Books too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett
The Millionaire Maker by Loral Langemeier
Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
The Relaxation Response by Herbert Bensen with Mariam Z. Klipper
Simple Pictures are Best by Nancy Willard, illustrated by Tomie de Paola (also here)
Stories for a Man’s Heart by Al and Alice Gray
The Success Principles by Jack Canfield with Janet Switzer
True Blood by Charlaine Harris
Walk Away the Pounds by Leslie Sansone
Why Aren’t You Your Own Boss by Paul & Sarah Edwards & Peter Economy
Why Good Things Happen to Good People by Stephen Post & Jill Neimark (also here)
Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klaus
The Vulnerable Fortress by James R. Taylor and Elizabeth J. Van Every
You Can Write a Column by Monica McCabe Cardoza
I don’t consider the author’s sex when picking books to read or review for this site. I just read what I like. Almost 19 percent of the books I’ve reviewed so far have a woman author or coauthor. They are represented in all the major areas covered on this blog, but seem to be a little more common in fiction and the nonfiction topics of writing and self-help/psychology.
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
The Big Necessity by Rose George (also here and here)
The Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
Doing Work You Love by Cheryl Gilman
Don’t Grow Old—Grow Up! by Dorothy Carnegie
Dreams of Iron and Steel by Deborah Cadbury
The Emotional Energy Factor by Mira Kirshenbaum (also here)
Finding Your Writer’s Voice by Thaisa Frank & Dorothy Wall
Girl, 15, Charming but Insane by Sue Limb
Good Dog. Stay. by Anna Quindlen
Gratitude by Melody Beattie (also here)
The Great Stink by Clare Clark
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? by Dorie McCubbrey
How to Write a Manual by Elizabeth Slatkin
How to Write Mysteries by Shannon OCork (also here)
Idea Mapping by Jamie Nast
Keeping a Journal You Love by Sheila Bender
The Last Taboo by Maggie Black and Ben Fawcett
The Lighthouse Stevensons by Bella Bathurst
Little Shifts by Suzanna Beth Stinnet
The Man Who Loved Books too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett
The Millionaire Maker by Loral Langemeier
Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
The Relaxation Response by Herbert Bensen with Mariam Z. Klipper
Simple Pictures are Best by Nancy Willard, illustrated by Tomie de Paola (also here)
Stories for a Man’s Heart by Al and Alice Gray
The Success Principles by Jack Canfield with Janet Switzer
True Blood by Charlaine Harris
Walk Away the Pounds by Leslie Sansone
Why Aren’t You Your Own Boss by Paul & Sarah Edwards & Peter Economy
Why Good Things Happen to Good People by Stephen Post & Jill Neimark (also here)
Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klaus
The Vulnerable Fortress by James R. Taylor and Elizabeth J. Van Every
You Can Write a Column by Monica McCabe Cardoza
I don’t consider the author’s sex when picking books to read or review for this site. I just read what I like. Almost 19 percent of the books I’ve reviewed so far have a woman author or coauthor. They are represented in all the major areas covered on this blog, but seem to be a little more common in fiction and the nonfiction topics of writing and self-help/psychology.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Make Miracles in Forty Days by Melody Beattie
Beattie, Melody. Make Miracles in Forty Days: Turning What You Have Into What You Want. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2010.
Melody Beattie doesn’t guarantee that her book Make Miracles in Forty Days will deliver definitive miracles in that exact timeframe. Readers would rightly be skeptical if she did.
Beattie can sound New Age-y, referring to God, a Higher Power, and Life almost synonymously. This may be a way to acknowledge some sort of god without being too sectarian, in the manner of twelve step programs. Even so, she presents her method as something that operates on universal law, independent of religion or belief.
Her perspective on miracles is a little different, too. Miracles aren’t necessarily big. Miracles aren’t supernatural; they're natural in the sense that they are the results of universal laws. They are extraordinary, however, because they are beyond our power to bring about on our own.
These things don’t put the book too far out from its kindred on the self-help shelves. It’s not typical, though, in that Beattie turns some typical self-help concepts on their heads. It is far from your typical gratitude list. It is certainly not positive thinking. If anything, it may seem like an opportunity to indulge in the type of thinking proponents of The Secret and their ilk would have you avoid.
The heart of the method is this: express gratitude for the things for which you are least grateful. All the stuff that hurts you, negative feelings, and the things that make you nuts are candidates for these expressions of gratitude, even if you don’t feel remotely thankful.
You may have things for which you can’t say you’re thankful. That’s okay. Beattie writes about those issues.
How does this create miracles? Beattie doesn’t explain. She doesn’t seem interested in picking it apart. It came to her in a moment of inspiration, at a low time in her life, and it worked for her. It has always worked for her since. She has taught her method to a few others and it worked for them.
Part of the miracle method is that it provides permission to acknowledge and release emotions. The relief that comes from that may be a miracle to many. Maybe it provides perspective. Maybe it reveals what we truly want and don’t want so we start making better decisions. Maybe it’s magic.
There are many examples in the book. She draws on her own story and on the experiences of others. It may be hard to say they had miracles. They seem to be happier, and if gaining happiness was something beyond their own power, it fits the definition Beattie uses. Many might find happiness to be miraculous.
Melody Beattie also wrote
Gratitude
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
365 Thank Yous by John Kralik
The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
Thanks! by Robert A. Emmons
Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klaus
In contrast to this book, here are some more traditional self-help volumes
Acres of Diamonds by Russel H. Conwell
Positive Imaging by Norman Vincent Peale
The Secret of the Ages by Robert Collier
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
The Success Principles by Jack Canfield with Janet Switzer
You Can if You Think You Can by Norman Vincent Peale
Google
Melody Beattie doesn’t guarantee that her book Make Miracles in Forty Days will deliver definitive miracles in that exact timeframe. Readers would rightly be skeptical if she did.
Beattie can sound New Age-y, referring to God, a Higher Power, and Life almost synonymously. This may be a way to acknowledge some sort of god without being too sectarian, in the manner of twelve step programs. Even so, she presents her method as something that operates on universal law, independent of religion or belief.
Her perspective on miracles is a little different, too. Miracles aren’t necessarily big. Miracles aren’t supernatural; they're natural in the sense that they are the results of universal laws. They are extraordinary, however, because they are beyond our power to bring about on our own.
These things don’t put the book too far out from its kindred on the self-help shelves. It’s not typical, though, in that Beattie turns some typical self-help concepts on their heads. It is far from your typical gratitude list. It is certainly not positive thinking. If anything, it may seem like an opportunity to indulge in the type of thinking proponents of The Secret and their ilk would have you avoid.
The heart of the method is this: express gratitude for the things for which you are least grateful. All the stuff that hurts you, negative feelings, and the things that make you nuts are candidates for these expressions of gratitude, even if you don’t feel remotely thankful.
You may have things for which you can’t say you’re thankful. That’s okay. Beattie writes about those issues.
How does this create miracles? Beattie doesn’t explain. She doesn’t seem interested in picking it apart. It came to her in a moment of inspiration, at a low time in her life, and it worked for her. It has always worked for her since. She has taught her method to a few others and it worked for them.
Part of the miracle method is that it provides permission to acknowledge and release emotions. The relief that comes from that may be a miracle to many. Maybe it provides perspective. Maybe it reveals what we truly want and don’t want so we start making better decisions. Maybe it’s magic.
There are many examples in the book. She draws on her own story and on the experiences of others. It may be hard to say they had miracles. They seem to be happier, and if gaining happiness was something beyond their own power, it fits the definition Beattie uses. Many might find happiness to be miraculous.
Melody Beattie also wrote
Gratitude
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
365 Thank Yous by John Kralik
The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
Thanks! by Robert A. Emmons
Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klaus
In contrast to this book, here are some more traditional self-help volumes
Acres of Diamonds by Russel H. Conwell
Positive Imaging by Norman Vincent Peale
The Secret of the Ages by Robert Collier
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
The Success Principles by Jack Canfield with Janet Switzer
You Can if You Think You Can by Norman Vincent Peale
Thursday, August 13, 2009
What I Read (8)
Books I want to read:
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway, Susan Jeffers
The Aladdin Factor, Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen
The Success System that Never Fails, W. Clement Stone
Work Less, Make More, Jennifer White
Multiple Streams of Income, Robert G. Allen
A biography of Beethoven
A biography of William Wilberforce
You Were Born Rich, Bob Proctor
Skills for Success, Adele Scheele
Getting Business to Come to You, Paul & Sarah Edwards & Laura Clempitt Douglas
Mentored by a Millionaire, Steven K. Scott
How to Make Millions with Your Ideas, Dan S. Kennedy
Date: November 4, 2006
Title: The Difference Maker
Author: John C. Maxwell
Thoughts: “If you’ve done the best you can—if you have done what you have to do—there Is no use worrying about it, because nothing can change it,” Harry S Truman.
If your interested in The Diffrence Maker, you may also by interested in The 21 Irrifutable Laws of Leadership Tested by Time.
Date: January 9, 2007
Title: The Way of the Wild Heart
Author: John Eldredge
Thoughts: “Be decisive. Every time a man makes a hard decision, the Warrior in him is strengthened” (quote from the book).
John Eldredge also wrote Epic and Walking with God and co-wrote The Sacred Romance.
Date: January 20, 2007
Title: The Club of Queer Trades
Author: G. K. Chesterton
Thoughts: “’Truth must of necessity be stranger than fiction,’ said Basil placidly. ‘For fiction is the creation of the human mind, and therefore must be congenial to it’” (quote from the book).
Date: February 12, 2007
Title: Tortilla Flat
Author: John Steinbeck
Thoughts: A beautiful, funny, sad, wonderful book.
Date: February 16, 2007
Title: The Dangerous Duty of Delight
Author: John Piper
Thoughts: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him” (quote from the book).
Date: March 19, 2007
Title: The Innocence of Father Brown
Author: G. K. Chesterton
Thoughts: “’All right,” said Father Brown. ‘I never said it was always wrong to enter fairyland. I only said it was always dangerous’” (quote from the story “The Sins of Prince Saradine” in the book).
Other parts of What I Read:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5,
Part 6, Part 7
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway, Susan Jeffers
The Aladdin Factor, Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen
The Success System that Never Fails, W. Clement Stone
Work Less, Make More, Jennifer White
Multiple Streams of Income, Robert G. Allen
A biography of Beethoven
A biography of William Wilberforce
You Were Born Rich, Bob Proctor
Skills for Success, Adele Scheele
Getting Business to Come to You, Paul & Sarah Edwards & Laura Clempitt Douglas
Mentored by a Millionaire, Steven K. Scott
How to Make Millions with Your Ideas, Dan S. Kennedy
Date: November 4, 2006
Title: The Difference Maker
Author: John C. Maxwell
Thoughts: “If you’ve done the best you can—if you have done what you have to do—there Is no use worrying about it, because nothing can change it,” Harry S Truman.
If your interested in The Diffrence Maker, you may also by interested in The 21 Irrifutable Laws of Leadership Tested by Time.
Date: January 9, 2007
Title: The Way of the Wild Heart
Author: John Eldredge
Thoughts: “Be decisive. Every time a man makes a hard decision, the Warrior in him is strengthened” (quote from the book).
John Eldredge also wrote Epic and Walking with God and co-wrote The Sacred Romance.
Date: January 20, 2007
Title: The Club of Queer Trades
Author: G. K. Chesterton
Thoughts: “’Truth must of necessity be stranger than fiction,’ said Basil placidly. ‘For fiction is the creation of the human mind, and therefore must be congenial to it’” (quote from the book).
Date: February 12, 2007
Title: Tortilla Flat
Author: John Steinbeck
Thoughts: A beautiful, funny, sad, wonderful book.
Date: February 16, 2007
Title: The Dangerous Duty of Delight
Author: John Piper
Thoughts: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him” (quote from the book).
Date: March 19, 2007
Title: The Innocence of Father Brown
Author: G. K. Chesterton
Thoughts: “’All right,” said Father Brown. ‘I never said it was always wrong to enter fairyland. I only said it was always dangerous’” (quote from the story “The Sins of Prince Saradine” in the book).
Other parts of What I Read:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5,
Part 6, Part 7
Monday, September 1, 2014
A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen
It was big news back in 2006
to 2007
when a Kansas
City church challenged its members, and the eventually the world, to stop
complaining. The pastor, Will Bowen
who authored A Complaint Free World,
appeared on Oprah. The method was simple. Wear a
purple bracelet; every time you complain, switch the bracelet from one wrist to
the other. When you manage to go 21 days without speaking a complaint (it will
take months for most people), you form habits that reduce even your complaining
thoughts. A rubber band, a token you switch from pocket to pocket, or similar
reminder will do the trick.
Complaining is talking about what we don’t want instead of what we
want. This is important in Bowen’s view because our words are a reflection of our
thoughts and, as Earl Nightingale
put it, “We become what we think about.” Complaining creates in our lives more
of what we complain about. When we start thinking more about what we want,
we’ll get more of what we want.
Why do we complain? We do it to get sympathy, to avoid something we
don’t want to do, to demonstrate our sophistication, or even as a way of
bragging.
Bowen gives several reasons to quit complaining. One is health.
He cites a study that indicates complaining makes us sick; as much as
two-thirds of illness is psychological in origin. In addition, complaining
about others (criticism) is rarely works to change them; people respond to
appreciation. Even great social movements that started in deep dissatisfaction
moved forward by showing a positive vision of the world as it could be.
I visited the web site established for the movement, AComplaintFreeWorld.org. It
looks like they no longer give out free purple bracelets, but you can order
them or get a free widget.
The notion of becoming what you think is in line with Bowens faith.
This is a teaching of Unity,
a religion
founded in Kansas City. (Incidentally, I used to work in Lee’s Summit
a short distance from the organization’s headquarters in Unity Village.)
Though Unity expresses esteem for the Bible and Jesus Christ,
it’s teachings about the nature of God, the Bible,
Jesus, the notion of Christ, and the relationship of man and God is very
different from traditional Christianity.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Secret of the Ages by Robert Collier
Collier, Robert. The Secret of the Ages. 2nd ed. 1948. New York: Tarcher, 2007.
The secret of the ages, according to Collier, is that Mind is all and all is Mind. It is through our thoughts, for good or bad, impressed upon the stuff of the universe that brings what we have into our lives.
Collier teaches there is a Universal Mind. The universe itself and everything in it, including us, are part of and expressions of this Universal Mind. This mind conceives only good and perfection, so all we need for successful living is available to us.
We relate to the Universal mind through our minds. We have the conscious mind of our thoughts. We have the superconscious mind, part of the Universal Mind. We have the subconscious mind.
The subconscious mind is the workhorse of the system. It operates our body and accomplishes our desires effortlessly through its own intuitive genius and by drawing on the infinite knowledge and wisdom of the superconscious mind.
Though the subconscious mind is the master of achievement, it is the slave of the conscious mind. Whatever result we hold in the conscious mind the subconscious achieves through its ability to solve problems, control our bodies and impress our desires on the universe.
Therefore, the secret of the ages is the control of our conscious thoughts and faith in the subconscious and superconscious minds to accomplish our good and perfect desires.
Collier quotes and alludes to the Bible frequently, but very narrowly. I think it is fair to say that his philosophy and view of God are not Biblical. He equates God with the Universal Mind. It is an impersonal force, a mirror that reflects back to us in the material world the images we hold in our minds. I think one can reason from the Bible and experience the plentiful providence of a benevolent God. However, the God of the Bible has a personality and His own purposes and plans.
Though the book is over 80 years old (its first edition was published in 1925 under the original title of The Book of Life), it lessons are indistinguishable from the teachings of many modern self-help gurus. You’ll find the same viewpoint in the 2006 film and book The Secret (produced by Rhonda Byrne and popularized by Oprah Winfrey).
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Acres of Diamonds by Russel H. Conwell
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
The Success Principles by Jack Canfield with Janet Switzer
Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klaus
The secret of the ages, according to Collier, is that Mind is all and all is Mind. It is through our thoughts, for good or bad, impressed upon the stuff of the universe that brings what we have into our lives.
Collier teaches there is a Universal Mind. The universe itself and everything in it, including us, are part of and expressions of this Universal Mind. This mind conceives only good and perfection, so all we need for successful living is available to us.
We relate to the Universal mind through our minds. We have the conscious mind of our thoughts. We have the superconscious mind, part of the Universal Mind. We have the subconscious mind.
The subconscious mind is the workhorse of the system. It operates our body and accomplishes our desires effortlessly through its own intuitive genius and by drawing on the infinite knowledge and wisdom of the superconscious mind.
Though the subconscious mind is the master of achievement, it is the slave of the conscious mind. Whatever result we hold in the conscious mind the subconscious achieves through its ability to solve problems, control our bodies and impress our desires on the universe.
Therefore, the secret of the ages is the control of our conscious thoughts and faith in the subconscious and superconscious minds to accomplish our good and perfect desires.
Collier quotes and alludes to the Bible frequently, but very narrowly. I think it is fair to say that his philosophy and view of God are not Biblical. He equates God with the Universal Mind. It is an impersonal force, a mirror that reflects back to us in the material world the images we hold in our minds. I think one can reason from the Bible and experience the plentiful providence of a benevolent God. However, the God of the Bible has a personality and His own purposes and plans.
Though the book is over 80 years old (its first edition was published in 1925 under the original title of The Book of Life), it lessons are indistinguishable from the teachings of many modern self-help gurus. You’ll find the same viewpoint in the 2006 film and book The Secret (produced by Rhonda Byrne and popularized by Oprah Winfrey).
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Acres of Diamonds by Russel H. Conwell
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
The Success Principles by Jack Canfield with Janet Switzer
Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klaus
Thursday, June 25, 2009
75 Book Reviews Posted on Keenan’s Book Reviews
We’ve posted reviews of 75 books on this blog so far. The most recent 25 are listed below in alphabetical order by title.
6-Day Body Makeover by Michael Thurmond
Developing the Leader Within by John C. Maxwell
The Faith of JFK edited by T. S. Settel
The Feud that Sparked the Renaissance by Paul Robert Walker
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Fortune’s Formula by William Poundstone
Girl, 15, Charming but Insane by Sue Limb
God and Ronald Reagan by Paul Kengor
The Gospel of Mark
The Gospel of Matthew
How Full is Your Bucket by Tom Rath
How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read by Pierre Bayard
How to Write a Manual by Elizabeth Slatkin
Into the Depths of God by Calvin Miller
The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller, Dave Jenkins & Jay Papasan
The Road to Serfdom by F. A. Hayek
The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge
Selling 101 by Zig Ziglar
Stan Lee by Jordan Raphael and Tom Spurgeon
Steam by Andrea Sutcliffe
Toxic Success by Paul Pearsall
Why Aren’t You Your Own Boss by Paul & Sarah Edwards & Peter Economy
Winning with People by John C. Maxwell
Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klaus
You Can if You Think You Can by Norman Vincent Peale
Additional Reviews:
First 25 Books Reviews
Reviews 26-50
6-Day Body Makeover by Michael Thurmond
Developing the Leader Within by John C. Maxwell
The Faith of JFK edited by T. S. Settel
The Feud that Sparked the Renaissance by Paul Robert Walker
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Fortune’s Formula by William Poundstone
Girl, 15, Charming but Insane by Sue Limb
God and Ronald Reagan by Paul Kengor
The Gospel of Mark
The Gospel of Matthew
How Full is Your Bucket by Tom Rath
How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read by Pierre Bayard
How to Write a Manual by Elizabeth Slatkin
Into the Depths of God by Calvin Miller
The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller, Dave Jenkins & Jay Papasan
The Road to Serfdom by F. A. Hayek
The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge
Selling 101 by Zig Ziglar
Stan Lee by Jordan Raphael and Tom Spurgeon
Steam by Andrea Sutcliffe
Toxic Success by Paul Pearsall
Why Aren’t You Your Own Boss by Paul & Sarah Edwards & Peter Economy
Winning with People by John C. Maxwell
Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klaus
You Can if You Think You Can by Norman Vincent Peale
Additional Reviews:
First 25 Books Reviews
Reviews 26-50
Sunday, August 28, 2016
You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
Jen
Sincero believes you can live the life you really want. She writes about
how in You are a Badass.
Much of what you’ll find in Sincero’s book can be found on other self-help
works. Sincero admits as much. Her tone, which is often humorous,
is skeptical of the religious-tinged
“woo-woo” stuff you’ll find in much of the self-help ouvre. Even so, she
desparately wanted to change her life and was willing to try things that seemed
silly to her. She wanted in badly enough to spend hard-earned money on books,
seminars and workshops at which you whack pillows with bats. It worked.
The basic principle is the law of
attraction. Your thoughts attract or create from the stuff of the universe
by some means the life you have. If you want a better life, you need to change
your thinking so that you are clear about what you want, have a willingness for
action and keep a positive mindset. This concept has been around for a long
time, though it was popularized anew a few years ago by the widely popular book
(and related media) The Secret.
Sincero branches off in many directions from this central idea. Each
chapter presents a related idea and tools for implementing them.
The good life starts with a decision. Decide what you want and that
you’re willing to do what it takes to achieve it.
She encourages readers to love themselves. Appreciate that you are a
unique person with a special place in this world and treat yourself with some
respect.
She says people should do what they love. You only live so long and it
is important that you enjoy life. In addition, don’t get hung up on a single
purpose for your whole life. As you grow and you circumstances change, your
purpose will change as well.
Your relationships
with other are important, too. Surround yourself with people you want to be
like. On the other hand, don’t compare yourself to others; it is a recipe for
disappointment. Forgive others and yourself so your past doesn’t drag you down.
Even though it can be corny, do some of that old-fashioned self-helpy
stuff. Use affirmations. Visualize your ideal life. Make a vision board.
What set’s Sincero apart from others is her tone and humor. She
presents herself as a person who is not interested in mysticism. She’s
interested in making a better life and she is concentrating on what works. If
it works, she doesn’t care if it’s advocates are a little freaky. She sprinkles
her book liberally with humor and spices it with a little foul language.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Sincero, Jen. You are a Badass: How
to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life. Philadelphia:
Running
Press, 2013.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero
Making money
starts in your mind according to Jen Sincero,
author of You are a Badass at Making
Money. Your wealth,
or lack of it, has a lot to do with your mindset.
The things we think and say, even and maybe especially in your subconscious
mind, affect our behavior related to money. If you’re making less than you
want, you probably have beliefs and
thoughts that are holding you back.
Fortunately, you can change your mind. Much of Sincero’s book is
focused on ways you can get a new perspective on money and change your habits of thought.
New behaviors and more money should follow.
Of course, changing deeply ingrained beliefs and habits that you’ve
practice for years can be difficult. It requires persistence and determination.
It also requires action. At first, you’re unlikely to know how you’re
going to make more money. You’ll have some ideas, and you should act on them.
You’ll have questions and you should seek out answers.
Sincero suggests you’ll have help along the way. This is where things
get a little far out. She says there is a universal intelligence trying to give
you what you want. Our consistent thoughts tell the universe what we want and
how much we want it. If we want positive things, like being rich enough to do a
lot of cool stuff, we should have strong positive emotions as much as we can
right now.
This notion of universal intelligence is common to self-help
literature, especially related to wealth. Sometimes the power is ascribed to
the subconscious mind, as in the case of Maxwell Maltz,
but often this power is seen to rest in some outside or all permeating force,
which is some people’s conception of God.
Actually, a lot of the ideas you’ll find in Sincero’s book are common
to the genre. The humorous
and entertaining way she presents the material is unique. Books like this are
sometimes dense, brow-beating or far out there, but Sincero’s humorous,
easy-going tone and straightforward style makes for easy reading.
Jen Sincero also wrote You are a Badass.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
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