The power of slow: 101 ways to save time in our 24/7 world

The power of slow: 101 ways to save time in our 24/7 world
By Christine Louise Hohlbaum


Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


I already use my time wisely.  Twenty-one years ago (in 1989) I read an essay, “If I Had My Life to Live Over,” attributed to “Anonymous,” in an advice column by Ann Landers.  The piece she cited ended this way: “. . . but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every moment, look at it and really see it and live it — and never give it back until there was nothing left of it.”  I thought the advice was accurate, and I immediately applied it to my own life.


When I discovered that essay, I liked it so much I incorporated it into my final Speech 102 lecture, “Love and Creativity,” each term and, thus, probably shared it with between 15 and 20,000 undergraduate students.  I had numerous requests throughout the years for reprints of the Landers’ column, which I gladly accommodated.


You needn’t wonder why Hohlbaum’s book, “The Power of Slow,” caught my immediate attention.  Although I retired from active teaching some time ago, my undergraduate textbook continues to sell well and requires continual attention; I have written five popular books designed for the general public (1 = “And Then Some”; 2=”Public Speaking Rules”; 3) “You Rules”; 4) “SMOERs”; and 5) “Relationship Rules”); I set up a publishing company; I maintain a website, www.andthensomeworks.com, with five-day-a-week posts on a blog including a weekly 1,000-word essay on a wide variety of topics; I travel extensively; I have an elaborately planted and maintained backyard with a gazebo, barn, and pond; I keep up with current events; and, I make daily visits to see my elderly father-in-law who lives in a residential-care facility in my home town.  The point is: to do this requires considerable planning and time management.  Any new tips are welcome.


In the introduction to her book, Hohlbaum explains that, “Slow does not mean stop; it means to be mindful.  The power of slow can be defined as the unmatchable force unleashed when you embrace your truest purpose in life.  Mindfulness coupled with a positive relationship with time will make you unstoppable.  This book is about harnessing your own power within and allowing it to unfurl.  It offers you 101 ways to check in with your power without checking out of life.  Time will help you do this if you let it” (p. xx).


The benefit of her approach, she writes in her introduction: “Slowing down long enough to actually think and become aware of your surroundings leads you to a deeper understanding of why you do the things you do.  Building on that awareness, you can make choices that are much more powerful than those made in haste” (p. xxiii).


What I found absolutely fascinating about this book is Hohlbaum’s delightful, comfortable, arm-chair approach.  She writes in an easy-to-digest manner which invites readers into her living room as she shares stories, insights, advice, opinions of others, and research.  It is clear from her writing that she has adopted her own approach to time.  


The principles are sound and well-explained, the cartoons are delightful, the quotations used are apt and to the point, and the overall presentation is a treat — with liberal doses of the author’s humor.  I thought the statement, “Let life be your greatest teacher.  If your best friend always shows up late, he is teaching you what to expect.  You may not be able to change your friend’s behavior, but you can change your expectation to match what he is truly capable of” (p. 172), applies to so much of life.  You cannot change other people, but you can reduce your own stress by being flexible, adaptable, and tolerant — sometimes by completely redefining the situation.  Pretend that you are a superior being and you have the authority and the ability to control your own behavior — others don’t.  To be happy you simply have to exert your authority and control!  (Read more of the author’s explanation and limitations of this approach on page 173.


The book is 240 pages long.  There are 41/2-pages of notes and a bibliography.  Hohlbaum is a public relations professional and a freelance writer.  If your world is inundated with things to do, if you feel that chaos is a word that accurately depicts your life, and if you can’t seem to manage everything you must to live a happy, daily life, then this book offers a calming, relaxing experience — plus, a whole lot of important advice.

This book is available at Amazon.com: The power of slow: 101 ways to save time in our 24/7 world

Paul and Me: 53 years of adventures and misadventures with my pal Paul Newman

Paul and Me: 53 years of adventures and misadventures with my pal Paul Newman
By A. E. Hotchner


Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


It is always interesting, I think, to get information on how a person lived out of the spotlight.  What was Paul Newman like as a person, not as a Hollywood actor?  That is precisely what this book by Hotchner does — provide interesting, enjoyable, and humorous anecdotes, episodes, and insights.  You get an inside look at how Newman dealt with the death of his son, the start of his camps, and Paul's own illness, among other things.


This is not a biography.  It is, rather, a well-selected, carefully crafted, and thoughtfully written book about a friendship of 53 years.


Having written seventeen other books, including the bestseller, Papa Hemingway, you can expect a well-written and engaging book here, and that is exactly what you get.  


Deborah Mcpherson of Aubrey, Texas, in her Amazon.com review loved Hotchner’s book, and she, beautifully and cogently derived the essential message that Newman left this world: “For Newman it was all a wonderful lark and he contributed his success to huge amounts of good luck. But reading this book will have you thinking that it was more than good luck, good looks and charisma kissing his long, wonderful celebration of life. Without a doubt his success was largely due do his giving his all and then sharing the wealth he produced. He made a decision early on not to take himself too seriously, yet he most seriously did use his many talents. He shared his good fortune with the world. He found the secret to a good life is the more you give the more your good fortunes multiply.”


Honestly, I loved the book, the pictures, and the glimpses we derived from Hotchner’s wonderful, intimate, and successful relationship with Newman.



This book is availalbe at Amazon.com: Paul and Me: 53 years of adventures and misadventures with my pal Paul Newman

The facebook effect-The inside story of the company that is connecting the world

The facebook effect-The inside story of the company that is connecting the world
By David Kirkpatrick


Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


If you want to know every detail about how Facebook began, how it evolved, and why it is the entity that it is today, then this is the book for you.  Some readers will love the minutia; other readers will want less — in the end it is a terrific story told in an interesting and engaging manner.  (There are 13 pages of notes.  Having lived in Amherst, Massachusetts, for six years, footnote #207 refers to Amherst Regional High School and an article in the Amherst Bulletin from 2009, which the author found online.)


If you are “a budding internet startup entrepreneur” then you must read this book first.  It will give you so much essential information for setting up a website and establishing it as a “presence” in the cyberworld, you will not believe it.


Andre L. Charoo of San Francisco, a reviewer of the book at Amazon.com writes that the book includes “details such as:
        - how Facebook gained so much traffic early on
        - how they scaled the site school by school
        - the major decisions Mark and his team grappled with at every stage
        - the strategy and thought process that went through Zuckerberg's mind
        - how they raised their first dollar of investment
        - what sort of information did they pitch their first professional investors
        - etc...”


The reviews for the book are outstanding.  David Ford "Dave Ford Does Earth,” from New York writes: “I saw David speak at a Digital Breakfast in New York City a few weeks ago and afterwards decided to buy his book. 10 days later I finished the book and have such a better idea of how Facebook came to be, where they are now, and where they are going in the future. His unprecedented access to Facebook insiders give a distinct and different perception of what happened and happens behind the walls at Facebook.


“Unlike many other books about Facebook, Zuckerberg is not painted as the villain. Instead, you get a sense of the tremendous responsibility this 25 year old has not only to his company, but to the world.


“My favorite parts involve the "sometimes lucky" corporate political maneuvering that allowed Zuckerberg to follow his vision, and how Facebook emerged in the middle of the battle between Google and Microsoft. I'd highly recommend this book. Its a page turner and chock full of insider knowledge about Facebook and the insiders of Silicon Valley.”


M. Clarke of Greenwich, Connecticut, sums up my feelings about this book in his short review at Amazon.com: “Kirkpatrick was for years one of Fortune's best writers, and that talent is on full display here. He assesses the often broad and complex situations around facebook deftly, in accessible and subtle ways. But it's when he lets his interview subjects speak in their own words -- from founder to current and past executives to investors -- that the book really shines. It's better than a good book, it's an important book.”


The problem with this book is that each story that Kirkpatrick tells leads to his next story, and each story is thoroughly engaging.  Once you get started in this book, you won’t be able to put it down.  It’s that good.

This book is available at Amazon.com:  The facebook effect: The inside story of the company that is connecting the world

Click: The magic of instant connections

Click: The magic of instant connections
By Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman


Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


The stories the Brafmans tell, the conversational language used, and the effective way they incorporate research findings and studies, make this a compelling read.  The only problem I see is that some readers may find that much of what they write about is common sense.  That doesn’t discredit the information nor does it detract from the quality or worth of the book; most people need to have this kind of substance to reinforce and underscore what they already know and practice.  There is nothing wrong with material that shores up and bolsters us in the ways we think and behave.


Having written a best-selling college textbook on interpersonal communication (my book, Understanding Interpersonal Communication, went through 7 editions), I can tell you that the information the Brafman’s offer is “right on.”  What the Brafmans add to any material on the subject is numerous examples that bring the information to life and add power and zeal to it.


If you’re just looking for an interesting, short (192-pages), and useful book that will occupy you for a couple of hours, this is a good selection.  You’ll lose nothing but a couple of hours, and it may be that you will have your behavior reinforced, your skill sets enhanced, and your overall ability to connect with others strengthened.  Nothing wrong with that!


This book is available at Amazon.com: Click: The magic of instant connections

Well Being: The Five Essential Elements

Well Being: The Five Essential Elements
By Tom Rath and Jim Harter


Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


I like this book for many reasons.  Here are ten.  First, it underscores and encourages all of the activities and behaviors that I support — and have supported in my essays.  This book could easily have been titled: IMPROVING YOUR LIFE AND THEN SOME!!!


Second, it is supported by great evidence.  The Gallup organization studied people in more than 150 countries.  “Rath has been with Gallup for 14 years and currently leads Gallup’s workplace research and leadership consulting around the world” (from the back flyleaf).  Rath has degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania — all Big Ten!!!!  (With tongue squarely in my cheek, there needs to be no other reason, of course, than the fact he is a U of M graduate!!!!)


Harter joined Gallup in 1985 and has a Ph.D. in psychological and cultural studies from the University of Nebraska.  Both are insiders in the Gallup organization and with their background and experience not just in polling but in interpreting of polling results, they are clearly experts who can depended upon for their credibility and expertise.


Third, it is written in a comfortable, easy, conversational style which makes reading it both pleasant and fast.  The book is already small (5 1/2-inches by 8 1/4-inches), and they have chosen to print each line almost double-spaced from each other.  This puts only 24-25 lines on a page in the essential first five chapters.


Fourth, it is practical.  Look, for example, at this excerpt from the chapter on “Physical Wellbeing”: “As you walk through a grocery store, one simple way to sort through what foods are best is to look for fruits and vegetables that have darker tones of red, green, and blue.  Look for reds in apples, tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, red peppers, radishes, chili peppers, and pomegranates.  Healthy greens include broccoli, asparagus, artichokes, spinach, sprouts, lettuce, arugula, collard greens, kale, or Swiss chard.  Blue tones include blueberries, blackberries, cabbage, and grapes” (p. 77).


As you can see from the quoted material above, there aren’t any stunning or surprising findings and outcomes IF you already do all the right things in your life.  The authors simply underscore and encourage you in the same directions.  It’s a little like having a parental voice on your shoulder telling you — in all the right areas — to continue doing what you’re doing because you’re doing a good job!  (If you’re unhealthy and NOT doing the right things: read this book!)


Fifth, I like the authors’ choice to focus on the five main areas (discovered by distilling the results of their worldwide survey): 1) career wellbeing, 2) social wellbeing, 3) financial wellbeing, 4) physical wellbeing, and 5) community wellbeing.  These, and I’m quoting from the front flyleaf here, “five universal, interconnected elements that shape our lives.”  The chapters are arranged in their order of importance for the average person they surveyed.


Sixth, at the end of each of the five opening chapters (covering the universal, interconnected elements listed above), the authors offer “Three Recommendations for Boosting . . . “ that type of wellbeing.  These are simply summaries of what the authors discuss within the chapter, but they serve as excellent summaries and reminders.


Seventh, at the end of the five opening chapters, and after several pages of concluding remarks — which take a total of 112-pages only — the authors offer “Additional Tools and Resources.”  This is where you will find all the charts, graphs, and statistical results (along with discussion), and I have to admit that most people may not want to read all of this information (about 109 pages of information), but it is fascinating and well-presented.  Incidentally, the technical area of the book is written in a smaller font, and the lines are closer together.  (It is clear the authors were aware of which part of the book would get read!)


Eighth, I like the fact that the authors have refrained from including “cute little stories” that capture reader attention and cater to “the least common denominator” in reader knowledge and understanding.  They aren’t necessary in this book.  Instead, the authors talk directly to the reader — or use the third person: “A recent experiment revealed that just 20 minutes of exercise could improve our mood for several hours after we finish working out” (p. 78)” or, “It might seem counterintuitive, but one of the best ways to combat fatigue is by exercising” (p. 79).


Ninth, the paragraphs are short, and the sections are short as well.  You can read through and gain the essential information of this book in just over an hour or so.  The material is so valuable, the advice so important, and the ideas so critical to boosting your wellbeing that it needs to be short and to the point.  It is.


Tenth, the results from reading this book work!  Yes, you may have a better understanding of what makes life worthwhile (from the front flyleaf), but the important result is that if you follow the instructions, absorb the information, and incorporate it into your daily life, there is no question that you will be a better person.  Not only that, but your friends, family members, colleagues, and others with whom you associate will notice the results.


Buy this book!


This book is available at Amazon.com: Well Being: The Five Essential Elements

Ubuntu! An inspiring story about an African tradition of teamwork and collaboration

Ubuntu! An inspiring story about an African tradition of teamwork and collaboration
By Stephen Lundin and Bob Nelson


Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


J Garrison, from Nebraska, writes the following in his four-out-of-five star review of this book at Amazon.com: “This book appeals to many different audiences. It is a quick read with suitable content to be applicable to workplace management, team building, developing learning communities and personal reflection. It is a fictional work which takes the reader through the individual and professional transformation of John Peterson from an authoritarian manager and distant spouse and father to a reflective and caring person who understands the value and necessity of recognizing the humanity in all people. Peterson hits rock bottom in both his work and personal life. He encounters Ubuntu when one of his staff sacrifices personal time to help Peterson out of a professional jam. Thus begins the transformative power of Ubuntu; the power found within a collaborative community striving together by discovering a unity of purpose and humanity. This book is both uplifting and reflective. An added bonus is the insight into the South Africa of today; the power of reconciliation to begin the healing process from the years under apartheid, the poverty that still grips the country; the beauty of the veldt; and the magic that is Africa.”


The overall theme of this book is, “We can be fully human only when we live in harmony with others” (p. 99).


Perhaps it’s me, I’m a little tired of books built on parables that relate to business, and this is another fictional narrative designed to help businesses build teams and cooperative efforts.  It is well-written, and the book flows well.  Unfortunately, I feel the theory on which it is based is common sense, the “how-to-do-it” approach suggested is both predictable and rather mundane, and I felt no attachment to the characters (especially John Peterson) of this fictional story or the story development.  You quickly get a sense of “who cares?” that makes it—even though a quick read (131 pages in a 7.6 x 5.1-inch format)—rather dull and boring.  That is why I reproduced J. Garrison’s review from Amazon.com at the top of my review of the book.


This book is available at Amazon.com: Ubuntu!  An inspiring story about an African tradition of teamwork and collaboration

A life of being, having, and doing enough

A life of being, having, and doing enough
By Wayne Muller


Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


The author writes: “What, then, can we do?  We begin by listening, paying attention, gradually uncovering our own clarity and wisdom.  If we are to learn to trust that inner knowing and rely upon the authority of our deepest heart’s intuition, this is where we must begin.  For the voices of the world are loud, they are legion, and they are growing exponentially.  These outer voices each have their most decidedly necessary prescription for our lives.  Each screams louder than the next, insisting we listen to what they [sic] say, what we should need, want, buy, and do, to have a life of enough” (p. 8).


“Wayne Muller,” it explains on the back flyleaf,”is a Santa Fe-based therapist, public speaker, minister, and bestselling author.  His previous books include Legacy of the Heart; How, Then, Shall We Life?; Sabbath; and Learning to Pray.  He is the founder of Bread for the Journey, a nonprofit organization that supports community organizing and neighborhood philanthropy.”  I mention this simply because you would expect this book to be a religious one.  The author, however, responds: “I have no concern whether one is religious or not, whether one believes in heaven, or hell, or penance for indulging in these sins. . .” (p. 15).


Later in this same early chapter he says, “I have no interest here in any moral argument regarding sin as a religious precept.  I honor and respect any spiritual community that dedicates itself to creating a world where people’s lives matter, where they try to do more good than evil, do no harm, practice loving compassion and service to others.  Indeed,” he adds, “I take this seriously enough that I answered my own personal call to graduate from theological seminary and become an ordained minister” (p. 18).


I love the many truths that you find between these covers.  For example, “Let us be clear: The choices we make each day are rarely bold, weighty things that immediately, absolutely, and irreversibly eradicate the life we know and force us into a completely new, untried, and untested path for the rest of our lives. . . “ (p. 29).


Another simple truth: “If we can know with confidence and trust the source of love, the unshakable veracity of why we live and work and struggle and give, and remember always what we are living for, the choices we face each day regarding how we will choose and act and move will become vastly less complex and more simple” (p. 37).


And this comment, too, reveals the quiet, peaceful, soothing, and reassuring approach Muller takes: “In opening ourselves to the unknown, our choices may not find an authority within logic, reason, and accumulated evidence but rather in more subtle nuances of intuition, feeling, and sense.  So rather than presenting themselves with bold, decided confidence, bolstered by facts and figures, our choices reveal with tender humility, in a soft, open palm.  We may not know if we are choosing ‘correctly,’ but we can begin to trust from where the choice arose” (p. 43).


Now that you have a sense of how Muller writes, let me explain a number of other things about this book.  The book is 239 pages long (8.1 x 5.7-inches in size) with 61 short (average 4-pages each) chapters.  Each focuses on a particular story or example, and often there are additional poems to illustrate or simply expand on an idea.  Occasionally, too, there are short pieces that relate to religion.  For example, “This is, of course, nothing at all revolutionary or new.  For ages people have described feeling guided by the Holy Spirit, following the will of God, or living in respectful obedience to the ways of the Great Spirit; others take refuge in the precepts of right speech, right mindfulness, or right action” (p. 61).  There is nothing pushy here, just references and reminders and notations.


Muller concludes his chapter on “Listening,” saying, “So we begin by listening—a deep listening, with the ear of the heart, practiced among widely diverse spiritual communities.  We listen for, name accurately, feel our way into, make peace with, what is, for us, for love, for life, for today, enough” (p. 149).


This is the kind of book that is best read in solitude — a place where you can meditate, contemplate, ponder, reflect, ruminate, and lose yourself in thought.  It is a gentle, peaceful, soothing book that has the same effect on your mind as it has on your body.  It is an absolutely wonderful collection of thoughts, stories, and ruminations, and I assure you, that if you put this book on your “must read” list, you will not be disappointed.

This book is available at Amazon.com: A life of being, having, and doing enough

I am a neurotic (and so are you)

I am a neurotic (and so are you)
By Lianna Kong


Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


This is not the kind of book I pick up.  This is not the kind of book I read.  This is not the kind of book I review, and I had no intention of reviewing it once I had it home and discovered what it was!  How’s that for an introduction?


It’s a very quick read (less than an hour).  The pictures are interesting and the neuroses are . . . interesting.  They are a collection of anonymous ideas submitted to an online blog that asked for them.


Many of the ideas — even though they may be true — are quite silly: “I always have to burn any meat I eat. I am so worried I will smell that undercooked, moist essence,” or, “Whenever I kiss my girlfriend I have a need to push my glasses up using her nose,” or “I can only eat jelly doughnuts by squeezing all the jelly out.”


I find most of the neuroses unique.  That is, I think they are peculiar to individuals and not the least bit universal in nature.  Also, I don’t find them neuroses (disorders of the psychic or mental functions) about which neurotics “suffer” (according to the dictionary).  They are, instead, quirks, mannerisms, or idiosyncrasies; however, I’m not sure when a quirk, mannerism, or idiosyncrasy becomes a neurosis.  When does it cross the line?  When it becomes a habit or a defining characteristic?


Yes, you will find that most of them do not fit your own modus operandi — the way you normally behave.  And, because of that, it might make you feel more sane or normal, that’s true.


But we all have little quirks.  The way we squeeze the toothpaste tube, the order in which we eat the food on a plate, the way we get dressed in the morning, the route we take to get to work, the order in which we do our exercises and how many of each we do, which e-mail messages we answer and in which order, etc., etc., etc. . . .


This is not a book I would order (there is virtually no substance here), and it makes no sense as a reference book.  If you left it in your bathroom just to read at those critical moments when you need a book to read, you would finish it in two or three seatings.  The quirks are short; however, they offer little, if any, insight into the human condition or into human behavior since they are totally anecdotal in nature and being relegated to idiosyncrasies rather than to anything supported with evidence, there is no generalization that can be developed based on their expression — except one: Lianna Kong found an interesting way in which to put a book together!


This book is available at Amazon.com: I am neurotic (and so are you)

Star: How Warren Beatty Seduced America

Star: How Warren Beatty Seduced America
By Peter Biskind


Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


As I began reading Biskind’s book, I realized this was a period of time I lived through (the 1960's and 1970's) and thoroughly enjoyed.  What is absolutely terrific about Biskind’s approach to Beatty is that he consistently and neatly ties situations to what was going on in Hollywood, the nation, and the world at the time.  Thus, it is easy for readers to orient themselves as Biskind moves the story about Beatty’s life forward.


I was never a fan of Warren Beatty, but just as I follow other Hollywood stars (lightly and with a sense of humor), I followed his career because he was constantly in the news, and not only that, I enjoyed going to the movies.  Also, I think the whole creative art of making movies held some fascination as well, and this is truly a book about how Hollywood movies are made.


I have to confess: I was fascinated with this book.  Why?  First, Biskind is a terrific writer.  The content is well-organized, engaging, and examples and stories are numerous.  Second, I am amazed at Biskind’s information and where he went to get his material.  Yes, it is a big book: 627 pages!  The index is 26 pages in length.  There are 45 pages of notes—552 of them in all!  His sources are outstanding.  Third, Biskind tells a compelling story.  He doesn’t take sides; he simply tells it like it was and you come away with a picture of Beatty as an intelligent, manipulative, shrewd, sexual, innovative, creative, perfectionistic, and complex person.  What a fascinating portrayal.


Do you get a picture of his sexual prowess?  Definitely!  Not all the intimate details, but you definitely get the picture.  Here, Biskind describes the situation: “Beatty used to say that he couldn’t get to sleep at night without having sex.  It was part of his routine, like flossing.  This was who he was.  As the evening progressed, he would disappear with his little black book, looking for a phone.  Simple arithmetic tells us that if he had no more than one partner a night — and often there were several — over a period of, say, three and a half decades, from the mid-1950s, when he arrived in New York, to 1991, when he met Annette Bening, and allowing for the stretches when he was with the same woman, more or less, we can arrive at a figure of 12,775 women, give or take, a figure that does not include daytime quickies, drive-by blowjobs, casual gropings, stolen kisses, and so on” (p. 160). . . . He begins the very next paragraph saying, “There were so many women that it’s hard to characterize his sexual preferences by how he behaved with any particular one.  Different women served different purposes” (p. 160).


You shouldn’t read this book for all the titilating details of his sexual nature, for you will be disappointed.  Whether you are a Beatty fan or not, here is so much more here to absorb, ponder, and enjoy.  It is truly a good read and sheds so much light on the Hollywood film-making process and the professional film-making of Warren Beatty

This book is available at Amazon.com: Star: How Warren Beatty seduced America

The Shark and the Goldfish: Positive ways to thrive during waves of change

The Shark and the Goldfish: Positive ways to thrive during waves of change
By Jon Gordon


Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


Oh no, not another business-related parable!  The author writes “A Confession” on page ix: “I recognize the fact that in real life goldfish cannot survive in the ocean’s saltwater—and that fish really can’t talk, either. [He inserts a smiley emoticon here!] This is an imaginary story meant to convey an important message.  After all,” Gordon writes, “Mickey Mouse, Shrek, Nemo, and Superman are invented characters as well.”  I’m very pleased he pointed this out for like my belief in Santa Clause and the Easter bunny, I had always believed that Mickey Mouse, Shrek, Nemo, and Superman were real!  Darn him!!


There are 78 pages in this little ( 5" x 7") book, and close to 30 of them are devoted to illustrations, thus, this is a book of just about 50 pages.  If you have a couple of hours to spare, this is a “fun” book to read, and you’ll still have time left over for other things.


The four principles for thriving during change include: 1) Embrace the wave of change, 2) ride the wave of change, 3) stay positive during change, and 4) thrive because of change.  At the end of the book, Gorden challenges readers in each category by asking questions that he labels, “Food for Thought,” designed as “Individual/Small Group/Team Discussion Questions.”


Although the book is well-written, the story “cute,” and the principles simple, I’m not certain that Gordon offers enough that is new, challenging, or innovative that can’t be found in more substantive books that are well-researched, evidence-based, and experience-proven.


Don Snyder, "The Idea Guy," from Columbus, Ohio, writes in his review of the book at Amazon.com:  “Phenomenal book!  I'm a little hesitant of the "business fable" books (never really understood the hullabaloo regarding "Who Moved My Cheese") but The Shark and The Goldfish is on my personal list of favorite books of the year. There's nothing outrageously original about the message, but isn't that true of all universal messages? The story was engaging and the important themes weren't lost in the fable. Buy copies of this book for your entire team -- they should sell them in groups (Groupers?) so you can gift them to your entire "school" of Goldfish friends!”


Monty Rainey, from New Braunfels, Texas, ends his review at Amazon.com, with these two paragraphs: “I'm looking forward to introducing this story at my next meeting. There are some great training tools here on positive ways to not only face change (in an ever changing world) but how to come out on top of change and make that change work to your benefit.


“If you're looking for a quick and easy read that will change focus and outlook, this is it. I have several employees who all but refuse to read. This one can easily be digested in about an hour, so it perfect for non-readers to get them on the right track and create a positive change for them.”


I think it is a great book for non-readers.

This book is available at Amazon.com: The Shark and the Goldfish: Positive ways to thrive during waves of change

Thank you for firing me: How to catch the next wave of success after you lose your job

by Kitty Martini and Candice Reed

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

You need to accept this book on two levels: First, it is an entertaining, fun read.  Second, it is crammed full of interesting, sometimes unusual, ideas designed to spark your imagination and creativity.

I found the book truly fascinating, engaging, and, yes, entertaining.  Remember that Kitty Martini “is a prolific writer, entrepreneur, stand-up comedian, and expert on being fired,” according to the back of the book.  How did the book become so entertaining?  She’s a comedian!!!!!  Candice Reed’s compliment to Kitty reads like this: “Without Kitty and her unique attitude and approach to life this book may never have been born.  Her dry wit and crazy stories are greatly appreciated and well suited to a writer such as myself. . .” (p. vi).

I like the layout of this book.  There are 15 ten-to-twelve page chapters that all begin with a slightly humorous quotations.  The sections within chapters are brief, there are numerous bullet-pointed comments, suggestions, and ideas, additional gray boxes are interspersed throughout chapters that carry “Consider This” ideas (stories, examples, illustrations, research findings, and interesting tidbits), there are a plethora of examples, numerous italicized quotations break up the content, and the additional resources are outstanding.  Overall, it reads well.

The reviewers, for the most part, also like the book.  For example, Caroline Yarnall, of Eastsound, Washington, writes, “I have recommended this book to many of my friends who are without jobs now. A very inspiring book of great ideas and references for those who want to work and be their own boss, which is not easy right now in our economy. I, too, have read it, and it almost makes me want to start up my own little business at home. Good job! Thanks....”

Joke Queen, from Los Angeles, writes in her Amazon.com review: “I bought Thank You For Firing Me for a friend who recently got downsized--to cheer her up and giver her some hope. I started reading it, and couldn't put it down. The authors thought of every possible type of worker and life situation, not just the usual info. There were ideas for everyone from office workers to welders to artists and stay at home parents. After reading the book, my friend was able to boost her income getting paid by the minute as a customer service rep for a huge company that outsources to people who work from home. That was just one of tons of resources they listed and ways to survive while you're in a career or job transition. Great book!! I also liked that it was entertaining, as well as informative and resourceful.”

This book is available at Amazon.com: Thank you for firing me!  How to catch the next wave of success after you lose your job

The End of Work as You Know It

By Milo Sindell and Thuy Sindell

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

The eight strategies are share expertise, initiate change, demand autonomy, create meaning, spark creativity, seize recognition, maintain balance, and build legacy.

The book is published by Ten Speed Press which is the publisher of the annually revised book , What Color Is Your Parachute?, which is the “number one job-hunting book of all time.”  Why mention this?  Ten Speed Press has a solid reputation to maintain; thus, it is unlikely (or certainly less likely) they will publish a weak book.

This 119-page book doesn’t offer ground-breaking insights and revelations; however, it is solid material that makes good sense — common sense.  Each chapter begins with a short situation that becomes a success story, then the authors quickly get to the point in each of the 13-14-page chapters, and the authors offer practical suggestions and ideas for how to have a similar success in your (the reader’s) own life.

There are no notes, and the resources are simply additional related resources that can be consulted.

This book is available at Amazon.com: The end of work as you know it: 8 strategies to redefine work on your own terms

The hidden brain: How our unconscious minds elect presidents, control markets, wage wars, and save our lives

By Shankar Vedantam

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

First, you may wonder what made me look twice at this book.  I read a “Science” editorial in the June 7, 2010, Newsweek, by Sharon Begley called, “The hidden brain: What scientists can learn from ‘nothing,” and enjoyed the article and thought Vedantam could shed additional light and substance on the subject.

Second, you may wonder at the outset, what credentials does Vedantam have for writing a book like this?  According to the back flyleaf, he “is a national correspondent and columnist for The Washington Post and a 2009-2010 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.”  

About his educational background, I found this at Wikipedia.com zzzzzzzzzzzzzz; “Vedantam has an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from India, and master's degree in journalism from Stanford University. Prior to his Washington Post employment, he worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Knight-Ridder's Washington Bureau, and New York Newsday.”

Verdantam was born in Bangalore, India, in 1969, and Wiikipedia also states: “Shankar Vedantam's articles touch on a wide range of subjects, most of them with links to current events. In his column in the Washington Post he routinely explores the overt and covert influences that shape people's attitudes to the world around them. His interests also include the role of science and religion in everyday life, and the effects of religious faith on health. In his articles he has explored the interplay between neuroscience and spirituality.”

For this 270-page book, there are nine pages of notes — 249 citations.

Well, Sharon Begley’s Newsweek essay was just the tip of the iceberg.  That is, she is talking about the mind at rest.  Verdantam, actually discusses some of the forces at play when the mind is at rest: “hidden cognitive mechanisms.”  Basically, what he disputes is the fact that “human behavior [is] the product of knowledge and conscious intention.”  

Verdantam’s entire book, replete with numerous stories, explains the “unconscious forces that [act] on people without their awareness or consent” (p. 6).

He writes about the stories he uses: “The selection of stories in this book is mine and mine alone.  To the extent they are wrong, misleading, or simplistic, the responsibilities lies solely with me.  To the extent that they are revealing and insightful—and not merely interesting—the credit mostly belongs to the hundreds of researchers whose work I have cited” (p. 7).

What is the hidden brain?  “The ‘hidden brain’ was shorthand for a range of influences that manipulated us without our awareness.  Some aspects of the hidden brain had to do with the pervasive problem of mental shortcuts or heuristics, others were related to errors in the way memory and attention worked.  Some dealt with social dynamics and relationships.  What was common to them all was that we were unaware of their influence” (p. 7).

Some of the subjects Verdantam uses to portray the effects of the hidden brain include the brain at work and at play, the brain displayed in mental disorders, in the life cycle of bias (the infant’s stare and racist seniors), the role it plays in gender and privilege, disasters and the lure of conformity, as well as in terrorism and extremism, the death penalty, politics and race, and in genocide.

If you accept his premise (which I do), then some of the experiences he discusses become a bit long and tedious, even though the book is well written and interesting.  The content of the book is 255 pages in length, and, for the most part, I feel Verdantam has chosen good examples that are engaging.  

Pistol Pete "Pete,” of Houston, Texas, wrote this four-out-of-five star review at Amazon.com: “I thought this book was brilliant. Every chapter tackles different subjects and studies that try to explain how the subconscious works. I was very happy with the amount of research, especially scientific studies, that were detailed in the book. There are a lot of anecdotal stories as well, which are also necessary to illustrate the points.

“I found the book persuasive and interesting. How does our group affect our thinking? How does race come into politics through our subconscious? What motivates terrorists? There are many great questions that the author raises and his research into the subconscious helps answer many of the questions. I highly recommend this book to all readers interested in psychology.”

I would probably award the book three out of five stars.  Although interesting and well-written and supported, as I noted above, once you accept the author’s premise — as I did before I began reading the book — then it becomes quite long.  I’m not suggesting it is common sense, I am simply saying that it is not a premise that I question nor is it one that I would pursue (or have an interest in reading) in any depth.


This book is available at Amazon.com: The hidden brain: How our unconscious minds elect presidents, control markets, wage wars, and save our lives

Unfinished Business

By Lee Kravitz

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

The plot is a simple one.  Kravitz was fired from a high-profile job.  Instead of trying to find a new job, he took a year off to re-connect with the people who mattered most to him in his life — those he had not spent time with or cared much about as he rose in the ranks and devoted his time to his job.

If you’re looking for a moral, it, too, is a simple one.  We all have unfinished business in our lives.  That unfinished business tends to weigh us down, burden us with guilt, and hold us back.  Clearing up that unfinished business frees us, unburdens us, and as S. Lipson, a reviewer wrote: “. . . release[s us]] of regret and stress.”  That “thankfulness, love, [and] admiration,” this reviewer says, adds “deeper meaning and understanding of . . . friends and family,” and, too, “[enhances one’s] character, personality, and spirituality.”  I thought these were very good insights.

Another reviewer at Amazon.com, Tiela A. Garnett, wrote a very short five-star review:
“A wonderful, entertaining book, written from the heart, about one man's courageous and loving path to tying up the loose ends of his life. An inspiring story and a good read.”

David Casker, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, wrote a review with which I totally agree as well: “Most of us in one way or another try to ‘do the right things’ in our lives. But we often become too busy, too distracted, too willing to procrastinate, too willing to accede to the increasingly intrusive demands of employers. In ‘...unfinished business...’ we have a very personal journal of one man's delightful, moving and healing reaction to being fired from his job [at Parade Magazine].  He turned what could have been no more than a very sour jolt in life into, in a sense, a journey into his past, to see if he could still make up for slights and omissions.

Anyone trying to live a spiritual life will soon discover that the most personal is the most universal. And Mr. Kravitz has struck just the right chord between autobiography and reflection on one's life, spiritual growth and the inextricable connections with have with others whose lives have touched ours and vice versa.

An insightful but also entertaining exploration of how really GOOD it is not to let our basic humanity be co-opted, and when we do, how GREAT it is to work up the courage to make amends. Highly recommended.”

It’s a 209-page book and the ten stories are interesting and engaging.

This book is available at Amazon.com: Unfinished business: One man’s extraordinary year of trying to do the right things

The Mom and Pop Store

By Robert Spector

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Let me begin by telling you what this book is not.  First, it is not a history nor a background study of mom and pop stores.  One reviewer at Amazon.com commented on precisely this aspect: “If you're looking for a book to give you some background, data and understanding of small businesses, how they operate and how they fit in and affect the US economy, unfortunately this is not it.  It will not tell you, as its title suggests, how mom & pops are ‘surviving and thriving.’”

Second, it is not at all concise.  Rather, it rambles a bit.  

Third, it is not the least bit analytical.  He has no interest in writing a rational, logical, or organized approach to the topic.  He has, instead, put together a love story (or love stories) that reveal the passion, creativity, and tenacity small business owners demonstrate — in the Studs Terkel tradition — in order to survive.

One reviewer at Amazon.com, A. Westerman, writes, “Robert Spector has written a homage to the small, family-owned business -- the type rooted in the American psyche and as iconic as a Norman Rockwell illustration. Spector hopes to combat the notion that the family store is, much like The Saturday Evening Post, fading from the contemporary scene.

“The book, part memoir of the author's childhood at the family butchershop, part tribute to others family-owned businesses, Spector seeks to make the case that family shops aren't leaving the retail landscape. He does this with varying degrees of success: the profiles of business owners and their family members are heart-warming and interesting, but he also makes claims that are not supported by evidence. I can't say he's wrong when he talks about the unique characteristics family-owned businesses, such as old-fashioned values of hard work and community. Yet he doesn't have any other evidence but anecdotes to support him.”

This 291-page book includes five pages of notes, two-and-one-half pages of “selected bibliography,” and a 12-page index.  However, the book is a series of stories (including his own at the family’s butcher shop in Perth Amboy, New Jersey) — anecdotal in nature — that tends to meander (a bit) as he pieces together a portrait of mom and pop stores in the U.S. today.  I found it somewhat interesting but tedious.

This book is available at Amazon.com: The mom & pop store: How the unsung heroes of the American economy are surviving and thriving

Have a little faith: A true story

Have a Little Faith: A True Story, by Mitch Albom

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

This is, just as the front flyleaf suggests, “a beautifully written story of a remarkable eight-year journey between two worlds—two men, two faiths, two communities—that will inspire readers everywhere.”  There is no doubt about it: Albom tells a great story.

The book is a very short (249-pages in a 5" by 7" book) read, much like his Tuesdays With Morrie and in a similar style, mode, and approach.  The book is engaging, entertaining, touching, and fully satisfying.

One reviewer at Amazon.com, Stephen T. Hopkins from Oak Park, Illinois, offers the best, short synopsis of the book: “Readers looking for a touching story about real people will enjoy Mitch Albom's latest book, Have a Little Faith. He presents the lives of two men from different backgrounds, different faiths, and different places. Albert Lewis was the rabbi from Album's hometown synagogue, and Henry Covington is an African American minister of a church in Detroit. What they share is hope and faith, and a love of God and people. These are inspiring lives that will lift the spirits of every reader.”

Another reviewer of the book, Indian Prairie Public Library in Darien, Illinois, writes at Amazon.com: “Mitch Albom, who hasn't been to a church since he was young, is moved by the deep faith of two very different men, an elderly and spirited rabbi who wants Mitch to give his eulogy when he dies, and an ex-con turned minister to the poor and homeless. The book is touching and entertaining and just might get us thinking about our faith and the place God has in our life.”

Anna Roberts Books, the author, reviewed the book at Amazon.com in this way:
“‘Have a Little Faith’ is a book I was so intrigued by that I couldn't put it down. It is such a heart breaking story, something you don't come across everyday.

“This book made me laugh and cry. There were times I didn't even realize the number of pages I had read. I was stirred by the sudden slam of a door, truthfully this book made me realize things I could relate to, as the author, Mitch Albom, pointed out so many things in life we know, but don't actually sit down and read.

“I can't believe the amazing journey Mitch Albom went through, it captured my heart and I am sure going to pick up another one of his books. I don't want to give anything away, you have to read the book yourself!!”

This is a book in which you will not be disappointed.

This book is available at Amazon.com: Have a little faith: A true story

I am an emotional creature: The secret life of girls around the world

By Eve Ensler

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

This is the first book by Eve Ensler that I have read, and I am unfamiliar with anything she has produced previously; thus, in my review I have depended on others to judge the book.  I can say this about it: It is a short read and very provocative.  By provocative I simply mean that it makes you think — deeply.  It is full of poems, and some of them link together thoughts and ideas and words.

“The Compulsive Reader” from Big Rapids, MI, writes a terrific review of this book at Amazon.com.  I am quoting the entire review here because I agree with the insights shared — completely:

“I Am an Emotional Creature is, quite simply, a book of diverse monologues, told by young girls all around the world. Whether these girls' stories are familiar or foreign to you, they all are confronting the complex issue of defining oneself in a world full of contradictions, where girls are told they must be polite and pretty and perfect to fit in, yet are encouraged to be strong and independent and to dream big at the same time. Every girl's story is unique and equally jarring, from the simple confrontation of peer pressure in the average high school to tales of girls sold for sex miles and oceans away. This book is filled with girl stories: those forced to undergo unwanted plastic surgery, working in far-away factories making Barbies, pregnant girls, anorexic girls, and girls just talking. Each story is surprising and alive.

I Am an Emotional Creature is a hybrid in the style in which it is told. Though most of the monologues are straightforward prose, poems and scripts are sprinkled throughout these fictional stories, made even more realistic by the many "Girl Facts" interspersed throughout the book. Ensler captures the essence of being a girl and being human without being trite or even touching on clichés, and the result is a bold, incisive, emotional, and achingly real testament to teen girls and their power and verve. This book will not only make you think, but also quite possibly change the way you think about teen girls today.”

The front flyleaf says this about the book: I Am an Emotional Creature is a celebration of the authentic voice inside every girl and an inspiring call to action for girls everywhere to speak up, follow their dreams, and become the women they were always meant to be.”

From the back flyleaf, “About the Author”: Ensler “is an internationally best-selling author and an acclaimed playwright whose works for the stage include The Vagina Monologues, Necessary Targets, and The Good Body . . . Ensler is the founder of V-Day, the global movement to and violence against women and girls.  In the last decade, V-Day has raised more than $70 million for grassroots groups that work to end volence against women and girls around the world.”

Michael Dorenzo of Santa Cruz, California, wrote this on Amazon.com: “I ordered this book after listening to Ms. Engler's talk and performance of the piece, ‘I am an emotional creature" on TED Talks via You Tube. It was sent to me by one of my ‘girls’ on the east coast who works at Cornell University and who sent it to all her girls, both female and male. I quickly sent it to all of mine.

“I have mentored girls through my work at UCSC and in my community and family and it always brings me such joy to be around them...Hearing her perform the poem from which the book gets its name simply rocked my world. I couldn't wait to order the book.

“It addresses in the most direct way the girl in all of us...that most precious of resources that we tend to abandon, repress, abuse and disown in so many ways and in accordance with so many cultural directives. It is a beautiful articulation of the wild, creative, dangerous, indomitable feminine--both an affirmation and a call to action.

I'd like to give the book to all the girls I know.“


This book is available at Amazon.com: I am an emotional creature: The secret life of girls around the world

Old is the New Young: Erickson's Secrets to Healthy Living

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D. 

Old is the New Young: Erickson's Secrets to Healthy Living

By Mark Erickson, Matt Narrett, Jacquelyn Kung, and Lisa Davila

There are a number of things that make this book an excellent choice.  First, it is expertly written.  Being direct and to the point, it talks directly to readers as if the authors are in the same room, and the writing style is comfortable, relaxed, and engaging.

The second thing that makes this book an excellent choice is that sections are short so that it can be read in brief moments when you don’t have the time for a long, involved, and committed read.

The third thing that makes this book an excellent choice is the brief, interesting, and human-interest vignettes that are set apart in sections that are gray in color.  These segments are always relevant to the material and useful.

The fourth thing that makes this book an excellent choice is the practical, specific advice.  Throughout the book there are tips, suggestions, questions, quizzes, activities, and scales for rating yourself.  It offers so many opportunities for readers to engage in self-assessment.

The fifth thing that makes this book an excellent choice is the topics covered.  Topics include your health, keeping your body young, keeping your mind young, engaging socially, financial advice, and your retirement vision.

The sixth thing that makes this book an excellent choice is all the additional resources the authors provide at the back of the book.  Twenty-two pages of this 241-page book are devoted (in two appendices) to resources.  (Their bibliography is ten pages long.)

Overall, I am impressed with what the authors have put together here, and I highly recommend this book.

Get this book now at Amazon.com: Old is the New Young: Erickson's Secrets to Healthy Living

You say more than you think: A 7-day plan for using the new body language to get what you want

Book Review by Richad L. Weaver II, PhD.

You say more than you think: A 7-day plan for using the new body language to get what you want

By Janine Driver with Mariska Van Aalst

I have been reading and writing about nonverbal communication since 1971 (39 years ago!) since the publication of Julius Fast’s popular book, Body Language — which was truly a novelty at the time.  Having written many chapters — and numerous updates — on the subject since the publication of my first college textbook, Speech/Communication (Van Nostrand, 1974), Julius Fast’s book was always considered by academics as a “hack job” by an unqualified writer.

This entire book of 216 pages has only 20 sources (pp. 215-216).  The subject, nonverbal communication, has been studied intensely in the academic world for well over 25 years, and there are thousands of available resources.  Not one of her sources comes out of the speech-communication discipline, and several come from Psychology Today and one from the Calgary Herald.

I found the pictures interesting but not particularly helpful.  For those not familiar with the nonverbal communication literature and not particularly observant of all the nonverbal communication that occurs around them, they may well find information here that is new or insightful.  I found, for the most part, the information to be common sense.

The portions of the book I found most interesting were the stories the authors tell, the insights gained from all the training Janine Driver has engaged in, and the many interpretations of nonverbal cues they offer.  She is the founder and president of the Body Language Institute, and she has — according to the blurb on the inside back flyleaf — “trained thousands of law enforcement officers to decipher fact from fiction using the body language interpretation methods she writes about.”

Another enjoyable feature of this entertaining book (please consider it entertainment only!) is the sassy approach the authors take toward many of the topics discussed.  It makes the writing fun: “If you don’t want to give off a passive-aggressive vibe—bump up that one-handed broadside display a notch and move to the more confident two-handed Superman pose” (p. 122).

To reveal (somewhat) the level of writing in this book, here is a quotation: “Align your belly button to your teen’s, and you’ll be on the path of open, respectful, and powerful communication” (p. 71).

Please don’t think that the advice in the book is wrong or even that because it lacks any evidential base that it is inconsequential, that is not my point.  My point is that so much of the interpretation of nonverbal communication cues and gestures is based on the context or based on the personalities of those involved, that interpretation can be substantially off base.  The 7 myths the authors discuss in Chapter 1, “The New Body Language: What I’ll Tell You That Other Experts Won’t,” are useful; however, the title of the chapter suggests that Driver is truly an expert (she is not), and it reveals the unmitigated, bold, self-assurance that should make every reader question the authors’ authority and credibility.   If you know this as you approach the book, it will help you take what the authors say as one interpretation, or one approach, or one way of looking at nonverbal communication.  As I have said, as an entertaining read, this book is a winner.

This book is available at Amazon.com:  You say more than you think: A 7-day plan for using the new body language to get what you want

Theodor SEUSS Geisel (Lives and Legacies)

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Theodor SEUSS Geisel (Lives and Legacies)

By Donald E. Pease

From the English Department, Dartmouth University, website : “Donald Pease, professor of English, Avalon Foundation Chair of the Humanities, Chair of the Dartmouth Liberal Studies Program and winner of the 1981 Distinguished Teaching Award at Dartmouth, is an authority on nineteenth and twentieth-century American literature and literary theory. In the summer of 1986 he brought the School of Criticism and Theory to Dartmouth.  In 1996 he founded the Dartmouth Institute in American Studies and in 1997 he has also served as Academic Director of the Alumni College program.”

Despite his outstanding credentials, this is not an academic book.  It is a readable, factual, well-documented, thorough, and highly interesting book.

These are the first two paragraphs of his biography, published at the website, “Dr. Suess National Memorial : “Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss, was born in 1904 on Howard Street in Springfield, Massachusetts. Ted's father, Theodor Robert, and grandfather were brewmasters in the city. His mother, Henrietta Seuss Geisel, often soothed her children to sleep by "chanting" rhymes remembered from her youth. Ted credited his mother with both his ability and desire to create the rhymes for which he became so well known.

Although the Geisels enjoyed great financial success for many years, the onset of World War I and Prohibition presented both financial and social challenges for the German immigrants. Nonetheless, the family persevered and again prospered, providing Ted and his sister, Marnie, with happy childhoods.”

The only review of the book posted on Amazon.com when I wrote my review, is this 5-star one by  A. Nazaryan, who nicely sums up all that I have to say about the book: “Highly readable, deeply informative, this is a lively take on the life of our most famous children's author. Much less academic - or heavy - than previous works on Seuss, it covers both his life and work while unraveling aspects of his life readers probably don't know much about: his relationship with his mother (who gave him the name Seuss), his rowdy days at Dartmouth, his work for the New Yorker, his first wife's suicide and, of course, how he came up with some of the most memorable characters in all of literature.”

The book is fantastic, the additional illustrations are a terrific addition, and I highly recommend this book.

This book is available from Amazon.com: Theodor SEUSS Geisel (Lives and Legacies)