Category: self improvement

business, self improvement

The Toll Booth

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: John Feloni
Publisher: Kallisti Publishing
Genre: Business / Self-improvement
ISBN: 978-1-7359792-5-0
Pages: 116
Price: $14.00

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A young man timidly approaches the office of Mr. Robert Campbell, the chairman and president of his multinational employer. He has just received the company’s newsletter which asks the employees to commit to the company’s goals. But it also encourages them to dream big dreams. This young man has finally realized that he wants to pursue his own big dreams that don’t have anything to do with the company, and he’s come to Mr. Campbell for advice.

Mr. Campbell immediately senses something different in this young man, and drops everything on his agenda to speak with him. He offers an old notebook that has been filled with 40 days of journal entries, written by an anonymous toll booth operator. The young man reads sections of the entries and he and Mr. Campbell discuss what is written.

I won’t give away the spoiler on who the author of the notebook is, although most readers will probably guess it for themselves. But this notebook shows how this toll booth operator’s thoughts and feeling progress over the 40 days, as he begins to find clarity about his life and its direction. Mr. Campbell takes on the role of mentor as he explains this process to the young man.

Following our dreams when they run counter to what we’ve been raised to believe is the right way to live is downright scary. Fears of failure loom large and we need all the support we can get – both spiritual and the folks around us. The Toll Booth offers wisdom on how to tackle these challenges, believing in our own success. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

business, self improvement

The Covenant Secret

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: John Feloni
Publisher: Kallisti Publishing
Genre: Business
ISBN: 978-0-99-702549-1
Pages: 128
Price: $14.00

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Bill Rand is desperate. His start-up company needs cash quickly and he’s determined to chase after it, no matter what it takes – even if it means alienating his whole team in the process. Finally, his business partner recommends he meet with Tom Crawford for some advice. She knows something needs to change before there’s a mutiny at the company.

Tom runs a successful company, so Bill figures he can learn from him. If nothing else, he thinks he’ll find out how to raise cash quickly. After all, Tom needs cash to run his own company and has to have some good ideas on how to get it. But Tom’s approach is not quite what Bill expects. In fact, Tom seems to value people more than money.

Over the course of a few days, Tom shares his wisdom with Bill. Using the idea of a covenant secret, Tom explains how to create a trusting relationship with customers and employees. And this relationship, when properly cultivated, will lead to a successful business model.

The Covenant Secret is an enjoyable and quick read that imparts some really great advice. Although this short fable is written from a business perspective, the seven principles of this secret would also work in other relationships, including family and friendships. I highly recommend it.

self improvement

Myung Sung: The Korean Art of Living Meditation

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Dr. Jenelle Kim
Publisher: Watkins Publishing
Genre: Self-help
ISBN: 978-1-78678-594-7
Pages: 192
Price: $18.95

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“All things in nature and our surroundings share a connection.”. But how do you become aware of this connection, and how can you cultivate it? Living the Eight Keys of Myung Sung Living Meditation is one way to do this.

These Eight Keys are: 1) Know Your True Self, 2) The True-Right-Correct Method, 3) Stop Being Drunk on Your Own Thoughts, 4) How Will You Be Remembered?, 5) Seek Connectedness & Honor, 6) Change Your Reality For the Better, 7) It Only Takes One Match to Light a Thousand, and 8) Be Like Bamboo. These mindfulness meditations, combined with herbal medicine and movement can change your reality and your life for the better. Each section features a lesson Dr. Kim’s father learned under the tutelage of his Master, followed by an expansion on the lesson and a guide on how to apply it in our own lives.

If you’re looking to explore ways to enjoy better connections with the world around you, Myung Sung: The Korean Art of Living Meditation would be a great place to start.

Reviewer: Alice Berge

self improvement

The Magic of Momentum

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Stephen Guise
Genre: Self-improvement
ISBN: 978-1956980943
Pages: 244
Price: $14.99

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If you’ve ever wanted to start a new habit but became frustrated with your lack of success, you may have been missing the magic element. Willpower and a good plan will get your started, but what happens when you have a couple of bad days and don’t meet your goals? Many people will abandon the new habit and give up. But what if you used momentum along with your plan?

The laws of physics state that an object in motion will continue moving until stopped. But does this actually work for humans? According to Stephen Guise, the answer is a resounding YES. But how can we make it work for us? Building on the ideas described in Mini Habits and Elastic Habits, he shows us how we can use the concept of making small changes to create the momentum we need to sustain our efforts. And once we get our momentum going, we become as unstoppable as a boulder rolling down a hill.

Guise frowns on what he calls perceived momentum – time-based massive change goals – that force us to do a lot for a short period of time, but come to a grinding halt when the challenge is over. And of course negative momentum – those pesky bad habits that we can’t shake – need to be reversed through creating positive momentum to replace them.

The Magic of Momentum is an important addition to the Mini Habits system of habit formation, and shares key information on why momentum is the magic element that drives us to success. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, self improvement

Stilte: The Dutch Art of Quietude

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Mirjam van der Vegt
Publisher: Worthy Books
Genre: Christian / Self improvement
ISBN: 978-1-5460-1578-9
Pages: 224
Price: $21.00

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Do you long for more silence in your life? Do you find that your prayers are short and squeezed in between daily activities? Would you love to go on a retreat but can’t find the time? If so, Stilte is perfect for you.

After a brief explanation of the importance of silence, forty short meditations follow with ideas on how to cultivate it in our own lives. The include pruning, slowing down, and stopping the multitasking that never allows us to focus on only one thing at a time. We learn how to be silent while in motion, in contemplation, and in visiting places that are conducive to silence. Silence can be everywhere, if we only know how to find it.

Our world is filled with noise and busyness, which contributes to our high stress levels. In the silence, we can slow down and seek God’s direction in our lives. Stilte offers wonderful ideas on how to do this. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, self improvement

Pause Power

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Jennifer Law
Illustrator: Brian Martin
Publisher: Boys Town Press
ISBN: 978-1-944882-49-5
Pages: 32
Price: $10.95

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A boy realizes that it’s easy for people to push his buttons when he gets upset. But until a button named Preston begins to speak to him, he has no idea that HE has control of those buttons – not other people.

Now that he knows he can stop those people from getting to him, he has to learn some techniques. He needs to use “pause power” to take deep breaths, count slowly, and notice how he’s feeling. Then he can make the right decision on how to respond. As he practices, he finds he gets angry less often, knows when he needs to visit the cool down spot, and has a lot more friends.

When kids get angry with others, they don’t usually realize they’re giving their power away. Pause Power helps them take that power back, so they can gain control over their emotions. I highly recommend this book for home and classroom.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

self improvement

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Guided Journal

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Stephen R. Covey and Sean Covey
Publisher: FranklinCovey
Genre: Self-improvement
ISBN: 978-1-64250-317-3
Pages: 200
Price: $18.95

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a classic self-help book that may people have used over the years to improve their lives. But putting its ideas into practice can be a challenge. Sean Covey has created this guided journal for those who are looking to get even more out of this process.

This guided journal is designed to work with each of the seven habits over several weeks. Each week readers learn more about the habits, while putting them into practice in their own lives. They’re also encouraged to set weekly goals and action plans. Blank space is included for jotting notes and ideas in the weekly sections.

If you’d like some assistance in using these 7 habits, this guided journal will a big help for you.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, self improvement

Survive the Day

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Ben Young
Publisher: David C Cook
Genre: Children / Self-help
ISBN: 978-0-7814-1464-7
Pages: 208
Price: $22.99

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When it feels as if life is out of control and nothing is going right, it can be difficult to see the light. Those are the times that try our souls, and we struggle to fight our way out. Survive the Day was written in response to author Ben Young’s own life storm, and he shares the insights he learned in the process.

Moving through painful circumstances takes time, and Young guides us, holding our hand the whole way. We face the challenge to move forward, make the choice to do something about our situation, and finally find the courage to change. The author shares his own story throughout, as he offers us his suggestions in handling our problems.

Survive the Day offers compassionate and Godly wisdom for moving through our grief and pain. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

self improvement, writing

Writing for Bliss

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Diana Raab, PhD
Publisher: Loving Healing Press
Genre: Writing / Self-help
ISBN: 978-1-61599-323-9
Pages: 238
Price: $21.95

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Writing a memoir strictly for your own eyes can be an interesting ramble down memory lane. But writing one that you plan to market and sell will involve some very different techniques. Whichever option you’re thinking of pursuing, Writing for Bliss is there to guide you.

The introduction offers the concepts of writing for healing, therapy, and transformation, as you allow yourself the blissful action of putting your thoughts on paper. The following sections lead you through the phases of preparing to write, cultivating self-awareness, speaking your truth, examining your life, finding your form, unleashing with poetry, and sharing your writing. Throughout the book, the author shares some of her experiences in writing her own story, along with several writing prompts to get you started. And once you have something on paper, she helps you decide what sensitive information to include and guides you through the process of organizing it into a format that readers expect to see.

Diana Raab has first-hand experience in writing about her own life and sharing it with the public. In this book, she’s written a wonderful guide for those of us who don’t have the faintest idea of where to start. If you’re thinking of putting the story of your life on paper, Writing for Bliss would be a great resource to use.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, self improvement

How Did You Miss That?

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Bryan Smith
Illustrator: Lisa M. Griffin
Publisher: Boys Town Press
Genre: Self-improvement / Children
ISBN: 978-1-944882-45-7
Pages: 32
Price: $9.99

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Braden has a list of things to do before bed, and he’s sure he accomplished everything in record time. But when his mom checks his work, she shows him all the things he didn’t do. How could he have missed them all? Then his mom shares a four-step process to self-monitoring to be sure he doesn’t make the same mistake again.

At school a few days later, Braden is reminded of this problem when he misses a whole page on a test. His teacher goes over the process with him again, and this time he’s sure he’ll remember. He soon has opportunities to share his learning with his younger brother, and even with his parents!

Self-monitoring is an important skill for kids who want to live successful and productive lives. It helps them identify what they want to accomplish, stay focused, double-check everything, and ask for assistance when they need it. How Did You Miss That? shows kids these steps in action and also provides tips for parents and educators. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger