Books – Ebooks – Reviews & More

Reviews

I purchased this journal for a friend who is in prison. I was directed to this company through journals at Amazon when I could not find what I was looking for. My friend can only have soft-sided or paperback books. I searched carefully for a journal that fit this description. Evidently "soft-side" with this company does not mean the same thing as it does at Amazon. This experience reaffirmed what I already knew--use Amazon and Amazon alone. They are a perfect company if there ever was one. I am now the proud owner of a gray, fuzzy, soft-sided journal.

Great journal. It makes me want to take the time and sit down and write. It is a wonderful deal and would buy again.

Reviews

I wanted to listen to the stories before the kids and it was so calming I went to sleep. We use the CD now on a regular basis as a bedtime tool. Kids are 5 and 3 and even the 3 year old tries the relaxation breathing. Gradually buying more of her products. Just love it!

I gave this CD to my 9 year old daughter who sometimes can't fall asleep at night. She says the stories and music relax her and clear her mind. She never gets to hear the fourth story on the CD because she's always asleep by then!!

My kids are notorious for having a hard time wanting to go to bed. I bought this off Itunes originally but my computer died. Just replaced the CD being without for a couple of months and will be excited to actually get a hard copy! I am not a hippie, or a health food coneseuir and was amazed at how wonderful this worked. My kids were asleep in about 10 min. when it normally took over an hour. Bless you Lori! I wish there were better ones with more than just music for adolecents and adults. Oh did I mention I love you?

What a great CD! The story is one in which children can easily relate. The speakers voice is soothing. I find myself also relaxing when listening to this CD.

This CD is wonderful. I am in my 40s and I wish the Lori Lite CDs were around when I was young. I imagine it would have been a big help to me, given that I was a nervous, worried child. I love the stories and the narration is soft and pleasant. I use other CDs for relaxation and meditation that are geared for adults, but I find this type to be a nice change from those. I find it makes for a good balance to switch off between both types. We've all heard the phrase 'inner child' - this makes my inner child acknowledged and happy. The adult Lori Lite CD is another winner as well.

Reviews

These are good, but of you want to listen to Isobel Aura's 22 meditations covering everything from Heavenly Relaxation to Death of a Loved One Meditation with beautiful healing music and a soothing british voice it is far superior to this and you are also left feeling healed, empowered and in control of your life. I would highly recommend Isobel Aura's Meditations.

I love this CD and use it quite regularly. It has helped me through some difficult health situations. I always come away feeling calmer and lighter after I listen to it. The Indian music used as background to Deepak's voice is not the usual and I like it a lot. It really adds to the experience. The CD takes about 45 minutes and you will want to listen to the whole thing.

This guided meditation CD has been extremely helpful to me. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a little assistance to jump start their meditation practice. Deepak Chopra's soothing voice and the beautiful music on the sound track really help to create a peaceful meditative state.

This CD is excellent if you want to be led into the zone and left there like a pet rock in a state of deep relaxation and meditation. It is one of the few guided meditations that doesn't irk by somehow giving verbal directions constantly even as you are trying to tune out everything.

The music is wonderful, taking you from a slowing down to a joyful expression of Divine Love. From watching your breath to an Ode to Solomon, your soul will be healed. From www.dailyom.com "Chopra saves his best for last. The meditations complete, he ends by reciting from the "Odes of Solomon": "You split me/ and you tore my heart open/ and you filled me with love." Over a tambourine, a cooing female voice, and a come-hither electric bass line, Chopra recites this ode in a way that encompasses the listener; perfect love is at work in these words, guiding Chopra's beneficent intent. "I have become like paradise," he notes. "And because I have become like paradise/ my soul is healed." Your soul can be healed too; no effort is required beyond playing this disc and letting yourself be guided by Dr. Chopra's melodious voice."

Reviews

If you only ever listen to one meditation then it should be Isobel Aura's You are Powerful Meditation, which is both calming and empowering all at the same time. There is no single meditation that I have listened to that is anywhere near as good.

I received the Indigo Dreams CD to review for my blog ([...] ) and I was amazed at how great it worked! Indigo Dreams Adult Relaxation is perfect for the end of the day. I have to tell you, it works! I know that there are days that my mind is always racing... You know how it is... you are ready to go to sleep, but your mind is still going and you can not fall asleep. The Breathing techniques and the relaxation techniques help me to focus and not allow my mind to wander. I love how I can listen to the voice and it steady's me to focus. As you focus on what he is saying, you can feel your whole body start to relax and just breathe! This is a great CD and it has brought me so very much needed relaxation!

I love this CD. It has almost every technique of meditation. It is very instructional which I think is great for a beginer to get a taste of what meditation techniques work best for them. LOVE it, let my friends borrow it they love it too!

I am new to these types of relaxation CDs, but purchased three to help with my severe insomnia. I found this one to be an excellent morning starter, before I even get out of bed I play the affirmations and breathing excercises (and the guided imagery if I have more time). I practice the breathing segment when I get into bed. This has a very nice selection of exercises, and I highly recommend this to anyone trying to develop a more relaxed and healthful state. It's not the best one for my insomnia, however.

As a film maker, I appreciate the levels of deep relaxation this well crafted CD brings me to. The passive progressive muscle relaxation track is a method I experienced during a 6 week stress management course I attended. It is a method that takes concentration but is extremely effective. (In the course the teacher actually had us relaxing each finger, each toe, etc. at a time.) I am so very grateful that the track on this CD is a scaled down version of that exercise, making it much more enjoyable but just as effective. I always fall asleep during this exercise and find my sleep to be much deeper. I wake feeling rejuvenated. The breathing track not only gets you breathing, but takes the mystery out of it, breaking the mechanics down so that anyone can do it. I had difficulty breathing as slowly as the speaker at first but with practice I found my breathing becoming deeper and slower, matching the narrator's count. I found that the slower my breathing has become, the more relaxed my overall mood for the day is. I am now also able to take a few deep breaths during the day and I feel an immediate effect. The producer of this CD obviously put much thought into offering 4 completely different techniques, making it more interesting for the listener to change up their routine and selection. The guided imagery and the affirmation track are equally relaxing making my stressful life much more manageable. The affirmations have the added impact of lifting my mood and counteracting the negativity I run into in my line of work. Thank you for this.

Reviews

I was so happy to find these old tapes i use to have it and loved it but my old one broke. Anyways these tapes were in excellent shape when I got them. I love it. thank you for exellent service. Linda

I received the tae-bo VHS and it was exactly as promised. New, factory sealed, and it came within 3 days!

Upon receiving the Tae Bo Basic and Instructional tapes, I proceeded to play them. Neither one worked. They both were faulty. They got caught up in my vcr player and had to be thrown out. So much for trusting Amazon!

When I decided to purchase the tapes it said "Instructional & Basic"; I only received Basic. Not sure what happened but I was expecting both. I hear the instructional basically tells you what to do or how to do it; luckily I've had this tape before and know how to perform the moves; I feel I got cheated as far as my product; but what I did received arrived in a timely manner

I purchased the Tae-Bo workout Instructional and Basic VHS tapes and only received one tape in the mail.

Reviews

Even though this is so outdated, the music is fun to dance to, and it doesn't feel like exercise.

A blast from the past but a good way to work up a sweat to some oldies

This video is fantastic! I am as lazy as lazy comes. I've been out of shape for a few years now so when I first started this video it seemed hard after the warm up. But the 2nd time it got easier, and so on and so on. After a week I have the routine down pat! This video is FUN! It makes you WANT to pop it in the dvd player and get your butt movin & groovin!!!! I highly recommend this to everyone.

I have been dancing to the oldies since I got this. I truly love it!

the product came as expected in terms of condition and delivery.

Reviews

I already work out 4 days a week at the gym so this was too easy for me, besides its also ackward,uncomfortable and hurts your back. Grab something a little more updated instead.

I LOVE this video and need to do it more often! My problem now is I have 2 little boys and when I get on the floor to do it, they want to get on top of me. BUT, if you don't have that problem this is for you. It has different levels of excercises, so there is something for the "new ab excerciser" and those with strong abs already. If your just getting started, workout 1 is the easiest and best for you, but don't be surprised if you can't get through the whole 10 minutes- it's hard, but you will see a significant increase in how much you can do within a week. She is great about reminding you to keep your lower back on the floor and doing the excercises correctly.

I had this tape when it first came out and I wore it out. So I bought another. I didn't expect much for about $2 but I got what I wanted. When it comes to working abs, there just aren't any really valid "tricks". All the newer ab workout tapes seem so gimmicky to me. This tape is perfect for following a basic 15 minute ab workout everyday. It just doesn't get any better.

It took me awhile to get the hang of doing crunches - something about knowing when to breathe and keeping my chin up and focusing the effort on my abs just didn't set in at first. I wish it were on DVD, and I'm not sure why they wouldn't put it out there. This is a really solid video and I agree that there's no need to buy anything newer. Although Buns of Steel is pretty hilarious.

I work out with Tamilee Webb almost every morning. I have her first two abdominal exercise tapes, ABS OF STEEL and ABS OF STEEL, PART TWO. ABS OF STEEL, the topic of this review, will ease you into daily ab workouts and improve both your health and appearance. Tamilee Webb succeeds with ABS OF STEEL because she does not make you feel lazy or out of shape if you can't keep up with her. Tamilee starts with a short warm-up/stretch session to get your blood flowing and muscles ready. Then Tamilee performs the ABS OF STEEL exercise routines in three ten-minute segments. You can do one a day but if ready for more, do a second or even all three, two options I sometimes, tee-hee, exercise. Tamilee Webb varies the difficulty in the three ABS OF STEEL segments. Either she does this purposely or it's a helpful matter of fate, because if you find one or two of the segments too challenging, you can still do the other(s). FYI, the second ABS OF STEEL segment will work you the hardest; the third segment is next most challenging; and the first segment the easiest. But as you work out with ABS OF STEEL, you will note Tamilee reminds you to take a break if you have a difficult time keeping up. Speaking of what she may or may not be doing on purpose, Tamilee Webb wears cheeky French cut workout shorts throughout ABS OF STEEL. In the warm-up segment, the shorts shows off a good amount of her big beautiful bottom when she rests on her stomach and also as she pulls her knees to her chest. But(t) it gets real interesting in the third and especially the first ab workout segments, where we see several close-ups of Tamilee's bulbous behind. Maybe Tamilee doesn't know what she's doing, or she doesn't know what the male director and camera operators are doing! Not that I fault Tamilee Webb for not hiding how attractive she is. At the end of the second workout segment, Tamilee even bounces her ample bosoms and lets out a breathy sigh far sexier than one would expect for an exercise instructor. It is unfortunate that the ABS OF STEEL producers don't value you as much as Tamilee Webb does. Tamilee puts her heart and soul (as well as some other parts of her, as I previously mentioned) into teaching and encouraging you but the budget guys issued the video tape in the cheap, low-quality "SLP" speed, which means poor sound quality and an image that could be sharper. And God forbid they spend a few extra dollars editing. ABS OF STEEL seems to be a "live" shoot. They let Tamilee Webb's mistakes (mostly verbal miscues) fly instead of fixing them with edits or overdubs. Also, at the end of the first exercise routine Tamilee unwittingly continues working when she should instead finish but rather than re-shoot for ten seconds, the ABS OF STEEL producers abruptly cut to Tamilee in a different pose, where she concludes the segment. The title of this tape is ABS OF STEEL, the boss is pinching pennies of copper. Tamilee Webb deserves better.

Reviews

After hearing such glowing reviews on the Heather's Help for IBS webpage (where this audio set is often referred to as a "cure") and many stellar reviews on here, I tried this CD set out. My expectations were high, but there wasn't even a placebo effect for me! All these CDs did was give me some relaxation techniques, which can be a little helpful, but didn't solve the problem at all. I found Michael Mahoney's voice could get really irritating at times, and I LIKE british accents. I found that acupuncture and traditional chinese herbal medicine worked really well for me, with zero expectations of them working. If you're really stressed, and think that it might be contributing to your IBS, then give these CDs a try. Otherwise, its a huge (100 hours!) waste of time!!

Positive: I've been using the program for three weeks now, just before I go to bed. I've found the sessions very soothing--so much so that I have been unable to stay awake all the way through (on average, about 30 min). Per author, this is okay as your subconscious mind continues to take in the info. My IBS is very mild, so it is hard to comment on how the program has affected my symptoms. However, I generally feel less tense and am able to fall asleep easily and stay asleep, something that was a challenge for me off and on for quite some time. Negative: As some others have mentioned, although it is a 100-day program, there are only 5 sessions plus the Commentary Intro. Although I do not necessarily mind listening to the same session multiple times, I would have preferred more variety.

I haven't completed this 100 day course yet but I have been enjoying it. I'm more aware of when I tense up which makes it possible for me to calm down sooner and relax the muscles in my stomach.

I was actually pretty optimistic while starting on this program due to all the positive feedback written about it here on Amazon and other places on the web. However, I can not say that I have had any benefit from using it. My IBS is the same as before and my mood is actually even worse than before ... because in these recordings Mike Mahoney always talks about how I am supposed to start feeling better day by day, week by week and how I am gradualy learning to take control over my symptoms. He also talks about being able to live my life the way I want to live it etc ... However, none of that happened to me, and all I ended up with in the end was being very sad and dissapointed. I would happily pay tens of thousands of dollars for a treatment that would actually work, but this ... no further comments. I believe many of those who get anything out of this program benefits from the placebo effects ... which is extremely high among IBS sufferers.

To be honest, I was disappointed with the IBS Audio Program. I had purchased a Pain Management program and found it to be far superior. I know this product received many rave reviews which I based my purchase on but I have to disagree with their opinions.

Reviews

I bought this tape recently and threw it out after watching and attempting the first few routines/dances. Richard Simmons spends more time trying to attract the attention of or look as sexy as the male dancers than he does giving solid exercise instruction (instruction? What instruction???). The music isn't particularly good and the visuals are cluttered with too many people attempting too many individual moves. Anyone trying to exercise to the video had better have a solid understanding of how to exercise safely, since you don't get that from Richard Simmons. The video lacks his usual empathetic encouragement, and the moves aren't explained or user-friendly for the typical home exerciser. Worse, the sexual gyrations in this video are inappropriate and idiotic. I doubt anyone is going to mistake Richard Simmons for a Latin lover, so why have various women rub up against him suggestively? What's the point? How does this help any of us get fit? I'm sorry I wasted my money, but by tossing the video in the trash maybe I saved someone else from doing the same.

It's great. Nothing like he's ever really done before. Makes you feel like your at a Latin dance club.

As a Hispanic, I thought the music could have been better but the video is still worth it. My mom has been a fan of Richard Simmons for yrs (and even met him!). I've been lacking on cardio and the gym at the University here is always packed from noon 'til midnight. I didn't know Richard Simmons had other tapes besides Sweatin' to the Oldies (still great!) and was thrilled to find this! The moves r hard to follow until u get the hang of it but I worked up a real sweat trying. The background dancers r great and they make Richard look like the odd white guy in a Latin club knowing the moves but without the natural Latin flair (which I suppose he is). I think I burned calories just laughing. It's definitely worth the buy!

I have just finished my first attempt with this routine. Sure, the dance steps were a bit hard to get down, so I just did my best to mimic the first time, but what fun. There are real dancers in Latin costume, and because the men were in pants and the women in dresses, I could see their legs well enough to see the dances. It was easier to learn than when I first tried the Richard Simmons Dance Your Pants Off. I had so much fun, that I didn't realize I was sweating until the cool down. The routine went fast too, because of the fun. Don't let the dance steps discourage you, just do your best and you'll be dancing away in no time. These dancing excercise tapes have been better than just a way to excercise. I have become better coordinated, more graceful, and learned dance steps, too.

I own several Richard Simmons tapes, and this is definitely my LEAST favorite. In some other reviews, people mentioned that the camera work was great. I strongly disagree with this. For some other type of video, it would be, but this is an EXERCISE video. You need to be able to see the people's feet/full body when they introduce a new step. However, the editor of this video often cuts to shots of people's muscles, faces, etc. at this critical time. I am usually very good at picking up aerobics moves, but I have trouble with this video because of the showy but poorly thought-out editing. Unlike others, I like the toning section (get Simmons cool weights!) but I agree that it is not enormously effective/strenuous. However, I think it helps to get your muscles ready for more effective toning later down the line. This section and the music are the main things I like about the video. However, if you are looking for an easier and more fun tape, get Disco Blast-Off, which I highly recommend.

Reviews

This DVD is very effective, fun and humorous too (loved the elephant scene). Though I've read and seen this material for a long time, I actually feel like I really "get it" after watching this. Highly recommended even for people who have been "studying" this material for some time. Time to put it in action!

Excellent explanation of the Law of Attraction. What it is and how to produce effective results

This is a great movie. Very motivational and inspirational. If you're in a rut and you need a push to get you out of it, I would advise you watch this. Exactly what the doctor ordered! :-)

Wonder why things rarely work out for you? Everything you try seems to fail? Maybe you have been cursed with 'bad luck' because you never have enough money; relationships never last; businesses go to the wall? This dvd will enlighten you for sure. Every time you watch it you will feel happier about life and more confident about your future. And don't worry - it has nothing to do with religion, either. This is a 'must-see'. I would give it 6 stars if I could.

Excellent. Shows the psychology of how the world works, rather than just the physics or economics

Reviews

I started off with Leslie's walking videos and this was perfect for the next step. It speeds up a little and adds more moves for an even better workout. I do her videos daily. I started out my goal this year at 500 miles but have already raised it to 1,000.

This is a great way to do a walking workout. You can make it harder or easier. Sometimes I would wear my headphones so I could listen to my own music while I watched the video...made it more fun! I'd recommend this video!

I liked this workout DVD. I have some other Leslie Sansone DVDs and purchased this hoping to get more. This one is good because it gives you a lot of options. It gets your heart beating and at the end you feel like you got a good workout. I have a problem knee so am always looking for new workouts that are not too high impact. This was just enough.

I think this is a great dvd. I have lost weight using this dvd. It is great.I like this dvd because my daily exercise is walking outside. When the weather is not great outside I still can exercise. I would tell people who don't exercise to please start with this dvd. It is a great product to get you motivated. If you are like me sometimes I don't like to do exercise by lying on the floor. This dvd is great and also I like the music.

Love, love, love this one! The music is energizing & fun. I like to break this up for the time I have. If I'm short on time, I'll do one mile, otherwise, maybe 2 or more. There's no dread factor with this video. It's fun enough that I'll get up in the morning & throw it in first thing & gently get going with a quick walk.

Reviews

This is a great way to get yourself moving even on those days you don't feel like it! I am trying to get back into shape and decided to take baby steps. I have found Denise Austin to be very motivating and very genuine. I have picked her DVDs that have shorter segments as I find it EASIER for me to commit to doing just 12 minutes of exercise and then I actually do it (whereas if it were 45 minutes, I would certainly find an excuse NOT to do it). It then usually turns into doing another segment (10 to 20 minutes) and I find breaking my exercise into segments makes me achieve longer workouts. I hate 50 minute videos that I feel like, "will this ever end?" Also, I think Denise's style is very good at keeping you moving and not thinking about the clock. She switches it up so much I forget to wonder how much more until the end. If you don't like her personality- why in the world would you buy her DVD? She has been doing this for 20+ years, and she is who she is- and I just love her! She is exactly what I needed to finally get motivated to really get in shape.

I liked this and think it's a good workout but it's a little outdated-- it felt very 90's-ish.

The workout itself is challenging and good but so help me, when I tried to listen to her instructions the first time through so that I would know what to do I started laughing so hard I almost suffocated. Death by workout. Denise is just a bit much for me to handle. I'm going to try to push through because I the workouts seem good and if I can just listen to the instructions a few times I could mute her. But oh man, it was crazy.

I would call myself an intermediate exerciser, but I often do High Intensity Interval Training, and I did ballet from the age of 6-16 so I wouldn't say I lack coordination completely. In spite of all that, I nearly twisted my ankle doing this workout. Don't get me wrong, I liked it for the most part up to that point, but I have somewhat limited space in my living room, and the video jumps from exercise to exercise. I would recommend this video if you are short on time, or you want a decent lighter workout for those like me who will choose to select all the sections at once; the workout certainly made me sweat. The two cardio sections were very good even though I would recommend modifying a few of the more dangerous moves (personally I would rather do something harder but less perilous then those half jumping jack twist things). The lower body section was alright, but not really challenging, and the upper body was hard for me, but all I have is 10 lb weights. I think 5 lbs would probably work better. As for the yoga, it was a great stretch segment for the workout dvd as a whole, but as yoga by itself it would really suck! I think next time I will go with Leslie Sansone or just stick with a youtube playlist full of sparkpeople Coach Nicole 10 minute cardio workouts, but this video was only 10 dollars, so I am not terribly disappointed.

this is a good workout I have been doing it for 9 days now planning to do it for 3 weeks straight so far so good, I would recommend that you buy this.

Reviews

My son loves the TV show Curious George, as well as the books, but this is by far his favorite, on account of his absolute obsession with fire trucks. There are many different pictures of fire trucks, unlike some other books where a fire truck might appear only on a single page--and there are also illustrations of part of the fire house (like the classic pole) and the uniform. Overall, I highly recommend this book for little ones who enjoy fire trucks, whether they currently are a Curious George fan or not.

My 3 year old loves both Curious George and Fire trucks, so this book was sure to be a hit with him. It's not exactly "classic-quality" reading, but still, it was a nice little story. It was neither overly wordy or simplistic--just the right level for him and not too boring for me to handle repeated readings. It has the classic George illustrations, rather than the tv version. Though my son is a fan of the show, he was just as happy with the classic illustrations (which I prefer). Great for bedtime or snuggletime!

I think we'll have to buy some more copies of this story, my son makes us read it at least 4 - 5 times a week to him. He loves firefighters (and George of course) so this is a perfect fit. I've noticed some of the newer stories "inspired" by Margaret and H.A. Rey -- this is one of their originals / classics. Timeless and precious are words that come to mind when thinking about the actual story. So many opportunities to learn / teach within the classic George stories -- I think because some of the pictures, things, stuff in the story are vintage and unfamiliar it encourages the child to inquire more. We're huge fans -- and if you watch the specials, sometimes they have 4 for price of 3 on [...] Of course, you should try to support your local bookstore whenever you can!

This is a cute little story perfect for my 2 1/2 yr old for bedtime...he loves it.

Reviews

Having already been to the library himself, my 2 year old already had a frame of reference for this book and loved it.

Good book. It's one of the older George stories and drawings, not one of the newer George stories and drawings.

My 2-year-old grandson likes this book, but not quite as much as Curious George in the Snow and C. G. and the Dumptruck. I got it for him because his mother takes him to story time at their local library.

Great addition to collection. Great gift for kids, and nice if you add plush toy with it for something extra!

I love all the curious George books. Who Doesn't? author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

Reviews

This tape was great. I have bought two. Having to review this process ,or it hurts the seller makes me not want to do this again

I paid $25 for this in a retail store, and I regret it. I was looking for a CD that would take me through guided breathing exercises, the way some CDs take you through a guided meditation. I have asthma, and I'm pregnant, and I wanted to focus on better breathing. I'm still not sure if this CD has guided breathing exercises or not, maybe it does. Everytime I listen, I fall asleep before I hear him get to any part like that. Everything I've heard sounds like I'm back in a (boring) college lecture. Even if there are breathing exercises you can do along with the CD, I wouldn't be able to skip forward to them since this CD is a one-track deal.

Focusing on your breath is the easiest thing in the world and the hardest thing in the world. Weil offers a good introduction to the notion of breath and then gently leads the listener through his exercises. With practice, I have become a different person. For those of us who face stressful situations everyday, the tools on this little cd are life changing. Better than an hour of therapy....try it!

Haven't opened the package yet. Seller shipped product as agreed upon and it arrived in fine condition.

This could probably have been condensed into 1 CD as it seems to go on a long time with description before getting down to the breathing exercise bit. (Although it is very soothing to listen to with all the new age music in the background!) The breathing exercises are very effective and it is certainly easier to follow along with Andrew Weil as he does the exercises than to try to figure it out from a book description.

Reviews

THE SURVIVORS CLUB BY BEN SHERWOOD is a nonfiction. It gives some insight into how to survive some of life's most challenging events. It is an interesting book if you enjoy this type of reading.It is a book on human behavior. As for this reader is was okay. 3.5 This book was received for review.

Now I'm prepared to survive with the secrets that will save not only my life but those that I love. A must to have on anyone's bookshelf that believes times will need us to act and act decisively!!!!

This book had promise, and has some interesting stories and statistics. But by half way through, every survival story was turning into mystical powers, and God, and Faith. In these stories, it is never questioned why God saved a military pilot, but let the navigator die. Why did God save a particular person in an airline crash or nightclub fire, but he couldn't be bothered to save the rest (let alone prevent the disaster in the first place)? I guess they were evil, or it was "His Plan". Yawn. If you don't mind being preached at, or if your faith is so flimsy that it needs to be bolstered by a mass marketed book, then this is a good read. If you are sick of these stories, don't bother.

After seeing the great reviews here, I was excited to dig into the book. I am about 1/3 way through and I'm finding it difficult to continue. Perhaps my expectation were off course. I was expecting a book to give insight into survival skills in different situations. All I got were stories of people who had a desire to live but it was very skimpy on tactical advise. So far the most I got out of this book is where to sit in a plane to perhaps survive a crash. I hope the rest of the book gets better... if so, I will update my review

Biking in Foothill Ranch, California, Anne Hjelle is attacked by a mountain lion. She survives the attack. JAT Flight 364 explodes in the air over Czechoslovakia. The only survivor is Vesna Vulovic, a flight attendant, who plummets 6 miles to the ground and lives. Brian Udell is forced to eject from his plane going faster than Mach 1 at sea level. The impact breaks both his legs and severely dislocates one shoulder, rendering that arm useless. Despite having only one working limb, Udell manages to inflate a raft, climb aboard, and wait to be rescued. In the Gulf of Mexico, Tim Sears falls off of the cruise ship Celebration wearing nothing more than his boxer shorts, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt. Without any floatation devices and without anyone coming to his rescue (the ship's crew never knew he was missing), Sears literally swims for his life over a course of 17 hours where he is finally rescued by a Maltese ship. What all these people have in common is that they are all survivors of situations that would normally be fatal to the average person. Ben Sherwood, journalist and author, sets out to discover why some people live where others would perish in his book The Survivors Club. Sherwood takes the reader on a tour of the remarkable and the astounding while all along collecting research into the sciences of extreme first aid, faith and prayer, fear, will power, adversity, and luck. He includes countless tales of survival and death defying feats as well as advice from rescue workers and scientists who investigate the various forms of death. The Survivors Club is more than just a study in the art of survival; it is also a reference manual. Sherwood invites the reader to take a quiz that will provide him/her with a "survivor profile." This individual profile identifies the test taker's "survivor type" (fighter, believer, connector, thinker, or realist) and details the top three survivor tools in the test taker's arsenal. The reader is then invited to join an online community of survivors where members can share their stories and "build a private support group of friends and family." Ben Sherwood's The Survivors Club is a must read for those who desire a long life and wish to be prepared for all eventualities in life.

Reviews

Excellent for anyone interesed in motivating people: adults or children. A must read for educators!

As a career law enforcement officer and retired Sheriff I conduct training for law enforcement agencies on a regular basis. Leadership, management and human resources are the areas I consult in most often so the topic of motivation is always in our discussions; espcially when we are dealing with change and sustaining that change. I thought that DRiVE was right down our alley and I will use information found in the book in our future classes. A real problem in government is that many people get their jobs and think they can just die there. They get civil service protection and simply show up, walk around a little and go home at the end of the day. It zaps the life out of coworkers and the organizations. When a real worker gets hired and wants to get production under way, they find it difficult because of the many employees who don't want change and don't want their boat rocked. So how do we motivate these people since in many cases we are stuck with them in some fashion. Pink's ideas have given me tools to share with supervisors, managers and leaders in these organizations to help them become change agents and get things done in the most effective and efficient way. I appreciate his research, thought processes and willingness to share with us. Great Book! Rod Shoap Encore Security Professionals

Excellent book - gave a great understanding beneath why we do certan kinds of things indifferently or with passion. Great read in general. Actually this is a great book for parents :-) it will change the whole way you see your child. I am thinking if the same kind of motivation is apt for canines too as increasingly reward(read treat) based training is in picture nowadays..wonderful book!

"Drive" is an excellent take on what motivates people in modern society compared with times past. Things it covers are: 1. A couple of decades ago rhesus monkeys solved a puzzle without a reward of food, water or sex. They began playing with it and solved it, implying a thrid drive - some intrinsic reward. They even made more errors when an external reward was used - raisens. Then, more recently similar results were found in an experiment (a Soma puzzle) with humans, implying humans also have this third, intrinsic, drive - for novelty, challenge, with scientific proof counter to what business usally does to motivate workers. 2. Like computers, societies have operating systems - a) Motivation 1.0 - in older times just for survival, b) Motivation 2.0 - the industrial revolution led to rewards and punishments, carrots and sticks to motivate workers, c) Motivation 2.1 - some refinements like flex hours and casual dress, d) Motivation 3.0 - purpose driven rather than monetary compensation - think Wikipedia versus Microsoft's Encarta encyclopedia, Firefox, Apache web server, Linix. Strongest motivation - enjoyment. Vermont - first state to implement a new business organization, "low profit limited liability corporation" with purpose maximized rather than profit. 4. Behavioral economics shows people motivated also by irrational motives. US census showed many non-employer businesses. Financial rewards can turn play into work - reducing performance, loss of creativity. - the Sawyer Effect. 5. Extrinsic rewards can work for left-brain algorithmic tasks, but not for right-brain flexible problem-solving, creative solutions - can lead to bad, even unethical behavior and sort-term thinking like what led to the recent Great Recession - too much pay caused epic problems. Goals which lead to mastery are good - rewarding the activity better than rewarding the result. 6. Rewards best if unexpected, not if-then but now-that. 7. Self Determination Theory (SDT) - Type I person - 3 needs of a Type I person: a) autonomy - over 4 T's - task, time, technoque, and team, b) mastery - a flow - 3 laws to get in the flow - mindset, pain, asymptote - getting closer and closer to perfection but never reaching it, c) purpose - words are important like having an oath, when an employee says "we" rather than "they" for the company. 8. Toolkit for a Type I person - a) flow test - one sentence for a person like freed the slaves for Lincoln, b) small question - like was today better than yesterday, c) take a "sagmeiter" - a sabbatical like every 7 years - do something different like travel, d) do annual personal performance reviews, e) get unstuck by going oblique - by pushing out of a mental rut, f) move 5 steps closer to mastery - deliberate practice, g) 3x5 cards with question/answer to give meaning to each day, h) create your own motivational poster. 9. Nine ways to get your organization to be Type I - have 20% free time, encourage peer-peer now-that rewards, conduct an autonomy audit, take 3 steps to giving up control, play "whose purpose is it?", Reich's pronoun test - we or they, design for intrinsic motivation, Goldilocks for groups - not too easy, not too hard tasks, turn offsite into "FedEx day." 10. Type I compensation - get it right then get out of sight. Ensure internal, external fairness - harder job gets paid more, etc. Pay more than average. 11. Tips for parents on how to motivate kids: homework - autonomy, mastery, purpose, have a FedEx day, Do It Yourself (DIY) report cards, don't combine allowances and chores, praise strategy and effort not IQ, let kids see the big picture of things. Overall, this book is very insightful and an easy read - recommended.

The book is about Motivation and it is a bit gimmicky, like Motivation 1.0 to Motivation 2.0, etc. In the digital economy, autonomy, mastery, and purpose are treasured, and motivation is more intrinsically driven. This sounds great on paper. But many people still live in the not entirely digitalized world, and external motivation in terms of Carrots and Stick still work in some under-developed countries.