I’ve read a number of books about buddhism and various meditation approaches. Every one of them seemed to only offer practices that were too weighty-I felt like I had to concentrate too hard on remembering the parts-or were basic and offered little in the way of understanding the intended outcome of the time spent. In addition, all of these practices were rarely presented under a cohesive program—until I read this book…

I’m a huge fan of this book. The meditation practices are simple and put into context with the philosophy of Buddhism well. In practice, I’ve been combining this with Tricycle Magazine’s “Commit to Sit” program, so I can establish a schedule for myself that works.

Finally, I feel like I have the building blocks of a meditation practice that I’m comfortable working with.

While very interesting, the language is a bit obscure and that’s been making it a bit of a slog. I’d say at this point, I’m going to give up for a while, considering it’s not in my regular library (i.e. I put it into storage for now, as I can only carry so many books with me while I travel).

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been realized that I need to learn how to better manage how I work with various personalities. By the autumn of last year, Eileen bought this book for herself, read it, and bought a copy for me by Christmas.

I;ve enjoyed some of the memes I picked up, like “a lack of curiousity often reflects a lack of confidence as well”. They’re very useful messages and help me think of new ways to engage with others at work. I think the toughest part about reading this book, though, is that it’s more of a pattern guide, and therefore doesn’t read well. That said, I think it’s still worth picking up.

So, I’m not sure if I’d say to anyone, “Oh my god, go out and buy this book now!” because the book itself isn’t that hot. What is hot is the Strengthsfinder assessment and the descriptions of the individual strengths. I’ve found that they’re quite accurate, and it’s given me a whole new way to work and communicate with others effectively. The most exciting part I’ve found so far is sharing my strengths with others, including those that I manage, so they can understand how I work best.

I’m now looking into Strengthsfinder 2.0. (See review here soon.)

Awesome! This book outlines a method for negotiating with people effectively that can be used in just about any situation in which you’re working with others.

The method involves appealing to a negotiator’s five “core concerns”: appreciation, affiliation, autonomy, status, and role. I’ve found these profoundly useful when working with people in situations that can get tense. I think it’s a good foundation for coaching as well, as coaches often need to find ways to negotiate with their coachees to guide their behavior.

I’m a big fan of this book as it recommends a great “Middle Way” for thinking about food. It’s not about counting calories or being anal-retentive; it’s about learning more about yourself and your habits, and I think it’s a great application of Buddhist principles and mindfulness.

Bravo!

I’m looking forward to reading the various techniques used the folks included. I’m also looking forward to discovering new models of my own and others.

While captivating, it’s too academic and research oriented for me to read more than a few pages at a time. I’ve found I’m more of a fan of specific tools that I can practice over theory, so it’s hard to movitate myself to read it. Regardless, I think it’s still good research and adds a lot of context to tools like NLP and what Malcolm Gladwell covers in Blink.

I’m really enjoying From Coach to Awakener so far. Using the Neuro-Logical Levels - environment, behavior, capability, beliefs and values, identity, and purpose - the author explains the variety of coaching activities in each context. Including great examples and specific tools, I’ve found it to be a great read.

Coaching with NLP is a great resource for anyone starting a coaching relationship. As a consultant in the past, I’ve found this book to be an essential guide to describing how trust is built with a client, and how to make suggestions that are balanced with respect to their environment.