Amazon.com
When describing a favorite room in the house, do you find yourself using terms such as "expansive," "formal," and "spacious"--a marble foyer or a formal dining room perhaps? Or do the words "cozy," "intimate," and "warm" come to mind--a cheery little breakfast nook or a window seat complete with plenty of pillows and a breathtaking view? More than likely, you--like thousands of other homeowners--are drawn to the more personal spaces in your home, where comfort, beauty, and efficiency meet. In The Not So Big House, respected architect Sarah Susanka and coauthor Kira Obolensky address our affinity for the "smaller, more personal spaces" and propose "clear, workable guidelines for creating homes that serve both our spiritual needs and our material requirements." The heart of the not-so-big house--which is not "just a small house ... [but] a smaller house," that uses "less space to give greater quality of life," and is designed to not only "accommodate the lifestyles of its occupants" but also to express "our values and our personalities," is discussed in chapter 1, entitled "Bigger Isn't Better." Susanka's urging for homeowners to get creative with their space as well as loads of ideas to encourage that creativity are covered in "Rethinking the House" and "Making Not So Big Work." Discussions of specific needs, such as a home for one and designing for kids, can be found in "Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous," while "Dreams, Details, and Dollars" gets down to the nuts and bolts of the operation, looking at quality versus quantity, budgeting, and what "low end," "middle ground," and "high end" really mean in home design and construction. Lastly, the authors look at the home of the future, which involves simplifying, recycling, reducing waste, and using energy-efficient construction. With more than 200 color photographs, as well as floor plans and Susanka and Obolensky's intelligent and lively dialogue, The Not So Big House is perfect for homeowners ready to rethink their space. --Stefanie Hargreaves
Book Description
Sarah Susanka contends that people are naturally drawn to intimate spaces. Large structures inspired by outdated patterns tend to result in houses that just don't work. In The Not So Big House, she proposes clear guidelines for creating homes that serve spiritual needs as well as material requirements. Topics covered include designing for specific lifestyles, budgeting, building a home from scratch, and using energy-efficient construction. With more than 200 color photographs as well as floor plans, the book is perfect for homeowners ready to rethink their space. “Susanka says to evaluate what makes you feel at home and let your activities define your rooms.” — San Francisco Chronicle
Customer Reviews:
Great concepts, middling design.......2007-09-25
I've found this book to be an invaluable resource and appreciate the philosophy and information contained within it. I also found the numerous photos and illustrations to be helpful to convey Susanka's ideas.
The only problem is that I found the actual design and decor of the homes in the book somehow dated and uninspiring. This is definitely a personal reaction, and I'm sure others would disagree. Despite my issues with the actual look of the homes, I'd recommend this as an essential resource along with John Wheatman's books (whose design does resonate for me).
Inspiration & ideas for rethinking your living space.......2007-09-02
The ideas in this book encourage you to think about how you would like use your home space and how to accomplish this marriage of functionality with comfort and aesthetics. Almost every photo has some new little idea to think about. It gives me hope that I'll finally be able to create a comfortable home that integrates everyone's interests & needs. It's inspirational for those of us who have to adapt living spaces to growing families & to those like me who are now empty nesters (but who still need bed space for visiting family members).
A must Have If You Plan To Build.......2007-06-27
Useful, practical, creative. Anyone can gain something from this book even if you aren't building.
Reviewed by Amy Lignor.......2007-06-21
Have you ever found yourself asking, "Is this all there is to life?" We are running in a world of cell phone and blackberry technology, where life is so fast that we never have time to do what we truly want: sit back and enjoy our lives while we have one. This author, with a background in architecture, has put together a fantastic psychological blueprint, if you will, to make changes that will offer you a more rewarding life. This is not like the usual "schlock" that says close your eyes and all good things will come. No, this author takes the time to reveal that things like form and function are not only useful in building a house, they can be translated into building a better life. In a house, you can tear down interior walls to make more space and bring in more light; in your life, you can tear down your fears and open new possibilities.
This is a lovely read filled with wise advice. The author has successfully interwoven her extensive architectural background into well-compiled thoughts on how each and every one of us can make small changes in our lives that will allow us to treasure the time we have.
My advice? If you wish to begin taking time out to enjoy your life - begin by reading this book.
Insightful book with great ideas.......2007-05-26
I was starting to think I was crazy for wanting to build a small house, but this book perfectly articulates the thoughts I was having so much conveying. It is a wonderful basis for discussion and offers many practical, well thought out ideas for implementation.
Book Description
Uses the insights and research of a new wave of biologists and neurologists to explore how we can transcend our current cultural and societal crises.
• Explains new biological understanding of the human organism having five brains, the fifth of which is located in the heart.
• Explains that transcendence of our current modes of behavior, thinking, and believing require the dynamic interaction of our fourth and fifth brains (intellect and intelligence).
• Explores the idea of Jesus, Buddha, and other historical great beings as models of nature's possibility and our ability to achieve transcendence.
• How is it that we as humans seem stuck in a culture of violence and injustice? How is it that we can recognize the transcendent ideal represented by figures such as Jesus, Buddha, Lao-tzu, and many others who have walked among us and yet cannot seem to reach the same state?
In The Biology of Transcendence Joseph Chilton Pearce examines the current biological understanding of our neural organization to address how we can transcend our current evolutionary capacities and limitations. This latest research identifies our five neural centers--or brains--and establishes that our fourth and most recently developed brain is located in the head while the fifth is located in the heart. It is the dynamic interaction of this head brain (intellect) and heart brain (intelligence), of biology and spirit, that allows transcendence from one evolutionary place to the next--we are, quite literally, made to transcend. Conversely, it is the breakdown of this interaction through the effects of cultural dictates surrounding us from the time we are children that keeps us where we are, mired in the current crises of violence among people and between people and the planet.
But Pearce reminds us that we are not stuck for good. Transcendence is our biological imperative, a state we have been moving toward for millennia.
Customer Reviews:
Joe Pearce shakes up the status quo again!.......2006-06-30
Back in the late, great 70's, I read Joe's "Exploring The Crack In The Cosmic Egg", and had my mind opened in ways I've been grateful for ever since. Now this venerable sage has demonstrated he's still got more game than 99% of his modern peers. His lucid exposition of cutting-edge science, linked coherently to ancient wisdom, provides a uniquely accessible template for Transcendence as THE crucial strategy for our species in this time of unprecedented challenge. As I read this timely work, highlighter in hand, I was struck repeatedly by syncronistic relevancies to my our psychospiritual journey.
I've been deeply impacted by my regular use of "The Journey to Wild Divine", a biofeedback game/training tool available through Amazon.com, and Joe's elaboration of the neurocardiological underpinnings of my overwhelmingly positive responses to this practice have greatly deepened my commitment. I've already given two copies of this astonishing book to friends and family, and am likely to bestow more.
I heartily endorse this book, and urge all seekers after transcendent truth to explore it. Jeffery E. DeCelles, Durango, CO.
" Yee shall know them by their fruits !! ".......2006-04-18
Members of traditional churches will not be swayed by this latest of Dr. Pearce's books and - as is evident from previous reviews - neither will certain MDs. Speaking of the "fruits" in my headline: Where are the fruits of billions of dollars spent on, say, cancer research, or heartdisease or SIDS deaths (10000+ annually)? Certainly, many MDs are known by their fruits and 'intent' and deserve tremendous respect, but the field of medicine in general leaves a lot to be desired.
Anyone who followed Pearce's "intent" over the years, knows he is a man who takes his journey through life seriously and what's more, he is willing to SHARE his insights and his progress. To us the readers, these insights come at an affordable price, can get enhanced with steady homework, something many other fields cannot lay claim to. There, 'sharing' often means fleecing you of your money at devastating costs.
Thanks to authors like Pearce, Liedloff, Halfmoon and the producers of flicks like "What the Bleep do WE Know?", we have an opportunity to grow into the beings many of us are yearning to become, beings in control of their lives rather than the misguided ideas of others. The "Industries" of Church, Medicine and Politics certainly don't want us to have control.
Life is meant to be a liberating event, not a suffering from anxiety, depression and disease. Pearce is doing an incredible job, by making palatable ancient Eastern thought, aligning that with Western thought and modern science, thus lifting the serious seeker onto a higher plane. I completely share his feelings about that liberating person Jesus, who is so sorely misrepresented by church. Thanks Joe!
Excellent, Loved it!.......2006-03-09
Great book with fabulous information about the brain and how it relates to the heart and transcendence.
big disappointment.......2005-10-28
There has been a lot of fascinating research recently about the biology of transcendence. But you won't find it in this book. What you will get is a personal reconciliation of his Christianity. Not that that's bad--but it is not how the book is represented. A fundamental problem with this book is one that bedevils (so to speak) many works by authors who write on subjects outside of their field of expertise. Pearce is a theologian (apparently). He is not a physician, physiologist, biologist, or anthropologist--and this really shows when he writes about those subjects. The theology is OK. The physiology is ho-hum--the same any intro course would give--except that he strays into details that are unfounded or absurd. As for the anthropology--whew! where does he get this stuff? Ancient cities from 20,000 years ago?! Early Americans that were 7 ft tall?!! This the stuff of fantasy and unfortunately really discredits his attempt to study the phenomenon of transcendence.
Blueprint needs transcendence........2005-09-07
I read the book, in its entirety, twice. It is difficult reading. I think that the information is generally worthwhile. The author provides a fair number of personal vendettas and numerous references to his earlier work which i think detract from the book. The writing style could be improved. Most notably, the flow of thinking, reasoning, and development is not smooth. Finally, the author talks about the development of a large brain frontal lobe in certain humans, going to the extent of showing a picture of a child with a prominent forehead. It is ironic that the picture of the author on the book jacket depicts him as having a discernibly small forehead.
Book Description
"Just when you think you've read all about managing diversity and you've concluded that there is nothing new to say, Patricia Arredondo's book offers a fresh, insightful, and helpful blueprint for beginning and moving forward with a diversity initiative. Successful Diversity Management Initiatives not only outlines specific steps for a managing diversity process but also discusses the rationale for procedures, identifies potential roadblocks, and explores how barriers could be managed. Patricia Arredondo gives specific examples based on her research and her experiences within organizations so that the reader obtains an integrative and systematic perspective about the issues involved. Reading this book is essential for all management educators, organizational change teams, and consultants in the field interested in getting up-to-speed about the issues. Also, managers and executives who are engaged in gaining competitive advantage through the talents and abilities of the changing workforce and knowing about the needs of their diverse customers, will gain insight into the very real factors affecting their organizations." --Anna Duran, Ph.D, Principal, Anna Duran & Associates & Adjunct Professor, Graduate School of Business, Columbia University "In this book Dr. Patricia Arredondo really captures the kind of experiences we have had as to what works and what doesn't in shaping a diversity initiative. Her concrete suggestions provide a very useful road map leading to a successful diversity initiative." --William Watkins Jr., Executive Vice President, and Director of Economic Development, Narragansett Electric Thousands of organizations are beginning to address the issue of workforce diversity management. This important new book helps answer questions typically raised by these organizations as they face diversity-related change. Why should we do this? How will we know we are being successful? What kind of change can we expect? Successful Diversity Management Initiatives presents specific phases and steps to help plan, direct, and manage strategic organizational development. Serving as a developmental model for change, this model emphasizes on-going evaluation and clarification during each phase and proposes a prototype for measuring both qualitative and quantitative results. Vignettes based on organizational experiences are used to demonstrate how particular steps in the model occur and how they hold generic value. Intended for practical application, the book is supported by case examples, summaries at the end of each chapter that include a checklist for organizational self-assessment, models, and a glossary. Successful Diversity Management Initiatives is appropriate for professionals who have responsibility for designing and implementing programs as well as graduate students in organizational development, industrial psychology, and human resources.
Customer Reviews:
Build motivation into your organization .......2006-02-28
If you want to increase employee motivation in your company, don't try to fix your workers, fix your organization. Most motivation initiatives treat motivation as a problem of the individual employee and try to inspire them to work harder. The better strategy, says author Dean R. Spitzer, is to do something to change the work conditions that de-motivate employees.
The first step to increasing employee motivation is to identify and eliminate the things that de-motivate employees. Here are some common workplace de-motivators:
· Office politics. Why work hard if politics is what gets you ahead?
· Unclear expectations.
· Unnecessary rules.
· Poorly designed work processes. Employees who have nothing but boring, repetitious tasks will be very de-motivated.
· Unproductive meetings without a clear purpose.
· Lack of follow-up.
· Constant change.
· Internal competition.
· Withholding information.
· Discouraging responses. The desire to innovate can be suppressed by managers who say no to everything.
· Criticism.
· Tolerating poor performance. Why bother to perform well if bad work is tolerated?
· Being taken for granted. Nobody likes being unappreciated.
After you have eliminated de-motivators, here are some other suggestions for building motivation into your organization.
· Involve employees in planning.
· Reengineer processes to motivate workers. Reduce repetitious, boring work. Encourage teamwork.
· Communicate openly and positively.
· Show your commitment to training.
· Evaluate work performance objectively.
· Increase non-monetary awards and recognition for work well done.
Corporate "escapee" - witnessed inept attempts of management.......2005-04-05
Spitzer clearly identifies one of the most fundamental problems in business today - motivation, or should I say a a lack of. Supermotivation is something that virtually any business needs, especially entrepreneurs who are in the enviable position of setting it up right from the start.
As a corporate "escapee" (paroled after serving 14 years in various companies, including several Fortune 500) I've witnessed firsthand the inept attempts of management. For example, new PC's and applications are constantly dumped on employees with little or no training. This is something that Spitzer addresses in Supermotivation.
Also, Spitzer knows that super motivation comes from within. One Regional Vice President of a Fortune 500 company where I worked once tried to motivate the company's associates by calling on us to exert discretionary effort. Unfortunately he obviously didn't read this book. To unlock maximum potential, associates need to be inspired from within.
Supermotivation is comprised of 12 easy to read chapters:
For entrepreneurs, every person needs to be at the peak of his or her game. There's not much time to get up to speed. That's why a book like Supermotivation can help get it right from the start.
Michael Davis, Byvation
---> To swing for the fence, entrepreneurs must avoid the shark-infested red water and sail into the deep blue sea.
This remarkable book goes far beyond temporary hype and fads.......1998-11-27
Dean Spitzer has accomplished something remarkable in this book: He has identified fundamental problems that plague employees and organizations while providing effective and permanent solutions that cannot fail. SUPERMOTIVATION has the real potential to transform any organization.
The best book on motivation ever written!.......1998-01-02
This is the best book on motivation I have ever read. The author does an outstanding job of integrating theory and practice. Particularly fascinating is the distinction between "task" and "context." If you only read one book on motivation, this should be it!
Book Description
The facts of workplace stress are terrifying for businesses: in the average organisation ten percent of employees report very low levels of satisfaction with their jobs and three percent of turnover may be lost. Yet while stress may be endemic to business, it is not inevitable. Breaking through barriers of ignorance to promote happy and productive workforces, Steve Williams and Lesley Cooper provide a framework for building appropriate interventions along with a proactive template for dealing with stress before issues come to a head. Full of examples and workable solutions, this internationally-oriented book offers a wealth of sound advice and an essential stress debrief.
Book Description
Interesting way to learn about human anatomy. This illustrated book is designed for ages 8-12 and covers many of the major systems and structures of the body. The skeletal, muscular, digestive, and respiratory systems as well as the brain & nerves, heart & blood, eyes and ears are all illustrated with kid-friendly pictures and easy-to-understand descriptions and anatomically-correct terms. Games and activities, trivia, and fun facts are also included. The charming illustrations invite curiosity and make learning easy.
Customer Reviews:
Great Resource!.......1999-12-10
This is a guidebook full of practical theory and examples of real-life situations Directors encounter with staff in day care centers. It is my model for implementing change - great or small - and for evaluating myself as an administrator and my staff for their yearly review. Excellent book!
Average customer rating:
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Blueprint for Life (Journey Through the Mind and Body)
Time-Life Books
Manufacturer: Time-Life Books
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Binding: Hardcover
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Natural History
| Nature & Ecology
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General
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Genetics
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ASIN: 0783510047 |
Book Description
Strategy is all very well, but forget the human side of the business and your plans are destined for failure. Yet human resource management (HRM) has traditionally focused on administrative functions such as recruiting, disciplining, and rewarding employees. This book draws on practical experience and extensive research to offer a framework that shows how HRM can link to corporate vision, values, strategies and policies, both in a reactive and proactive way. It includes various case studies of HRM to illustrate how the model may be modified and applied in practice. In addition, the author pays special attention to the management of organisational change, and covers current trends to ensure that HRM adds value throughout the organisation. Rich in examples and practical advice, this book will help transform HRM into a major force in organisational success.
Books:
- The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates (Volume 1)
- The Search For Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God's Eyes
- The Sierra Club Yosemite Postcard Collection
- The Smithsonian Guide to Historic America: The Pacific States (Smithsonian Guide to Historic America)
- The Smithsonian Guides to Natural America: The South-Central States: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi (Smithsonian Guides to Natural America)
- The Tapir's Morning Bath: Solving the Mysteries of the Tropical Rain Forest
- The Very Rich Hours of Jacques Maritain: A Spiritual Life
- The Weather Makers : How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth
- The Wild Gardener in the Wild Landscape: The Art of Naturalistic Landscaping
- Tornado Alert (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)
Books Index
Books Home
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- The Norton Sampler, Sixth Edition
- The Bear Market Survival Guide
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Creating the Not So Big House: Insights and Ideas for the New American Home
Inside the Not So Big House: Discovering the Details that Bring a Home to Life (Susanka)
Not So Big Solutions for Your Home (Susanka)
Outside the Not So Big House: Creating the Landscape of Home
The Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters
