The Public Library - Are Public Libraries Still Relevant?

The internet has competition. There is another, long neglected source of information available. Like the World Wide Web, it's mostly free and is an excellent source of entertainment and research, but it's been around much longer than any website.

It had been far too long since I'd set foot in my local library. I'd simply lost the habit. Life, as they say, had got in the way. It's one of those things that you don't do unless you make a special effort. So I made that special effort, and I'm extremely glad that I did.

The slightly stuffy atmosphere that I remembered from my youth was gone, replaced by a helpful, friendly ambience. The dark wood shelves and heavy velvet drapes had been replaced too, by a light welcome airiness. Most delightfully, I felt a return of the sense of wonder that visits to the library had always conjured up in my youth. The endless possibilities held within each book was still there, but now they had been joined by computer terminals and data discs which, just like their paper cousins, were filled with everything that an inquisitive mind might desire. The adventure, the horror, the learning of the ages and so much more were still there to be rediscovered by each generation just as I had done all those years ago. More information than any one person could ever hope to learn was held within this building, a living and growing thing available to anyone prepared to make the smallest of efforts.

I was taken aback by the number of different uses that the building has been given over to. Yes, it was predominantly a lending library, but was also an art gallery and a coffee shop. It was a community centre with the obligatory notice board advertising everything from poetry readings and writing classes to jazz and dance festivals. There was even gentle soothing music being piped in from somewhere, though never loud enough to be obtrusive.

The variety of people in the place was impressive too. Middle-aged couples researching their family history, ladies in colourful robes testing their English on each other, families looking for a film to go with a pizza later and old men simply passing the time until the next bus home; all were here, and yet nobody seemed out of place. Like a multi-faith church the public library welcomed all, no questions asked, but with answers for everyone. In my absence it had become the Public's Library.

So the next time I have research questions, or feel like giving some new music a try, or simply fancy reading some escapist fantasy, perhaps I should turn the laptop off. Maybe it's time to rediscover my local library.

(c) Shaun Finnie 2011

Shaun Finnie is a writer from northern England.
Sample his work at http://shaunfinnie.com/

A Book Review: Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships Through the Unique Perspective of Autism

A Book Review: Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships Decoding Social Mysteries Through the Unique Perspective of Autism

By Dr. Temple Grandin and Sean Barron Edited by Veronica Zysk

Future Horizons, Inc 2005

One of the most difficult areas for individuals on the Autism Spectrum is to navigate social relationships. This is especially true for high-functioning autistic individuals and those with the more specific label of Aspergers. "Age appropriate" expectations are not met and anxiety and other emotions run rampant. Two well-known individuals on the autism spectrum have collaborated in this book addressing this important issue. While they do not come from the neurodevelopmental approach there is much that can be learned from this book. Dr. Temple Grandin and Sean Barron represent two different types of autistic individuals, thus reminding us that everyone is an individual even those who have been diagnosed with the same condition.

Grandin sees in pictures, maintaining an immense database of pictures that she has categorized as if on a well-organized hard drive. Therefore, the book has been arranged in Acts and Scenes as if in a play that she can visualize. On the other hand, as Barron grew up he developed his own a set of unwritten rules that he designed and expected everyone to follow. When people unknowingly broke the rules, he was angry. After telling their stories and introducing themselves to the readers, they give their ten main unwritten rules with personal examples and many sub-rules. Here are their ten main rules:

Rules are not absolute; they are situation-based and people-based.Not everything is equally important in the grand scheme of things.Everyone in the world makes mistakes; it doesn't have to ruin your day.Honesty is different from diplomacy.Being polite is appropriate in any situation.Not everyone who is nice to me is my friend.People act differently in public than they do in private.Know when you are turning people off."Fitting in" is often tied to looking and sounding like you fit in.People are responsible for their own behaviors.

Those who are not on the autistic spectrum are sometimes called "neuro-typicals." These rules are generally learned by neuro-typicals with little or no effort. How? I would say that it is a combination of being inherent, direct teaching as with parents and children and by observation. Those on the spectrum (ASD) think differently enough that they do not learn these rules at what is considered the "age-appropriate" time. It is hard for neuro-typicals to understand why those on the spectrum have not learned these rules. Grandin and Barron have produced a book that helps parents, teachers and friends to better understand and help those on the autism spectrum. Most importantly, Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships provides credible help for those on the spectrum.

Maggie and her husband, Ronnie operate the Center for Neuro Development in Lakewood, Washington. They offer local, on site services as well as some long distance consultation. They work with homeschoolers as well as those who attend school. While many of their clients are challenged with learning they offer products and services for a broad range of individuals. To learn how the neurodevelopmental approach unlocks learning potential in those on the autism spectrum and others visit: http://www.centerforneurodevelopment.com/

Available at: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_10/180-7492675-4591208?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=unwritten+rules+of+social+relationships&sprefix=Unwritten+

Book Summary: Difficult Conversations - How to Discuss What Matters Most - By Douglas Stone

I decided to profile this book because it is packed with relevant information on handling Difficult Conversations. Difficult Conversations happen in all areas of life - think about your relationships and work. This book is very relevant if you are responsible for other people. I recommend highly you read it if you are a leader and/or a manager of any group. What makes these conversations so hard to face is the fear of the consequences - whether we raise the issue or try to avoid it. These conversations are almost never about getting the facts right. They are about conflicting perceptions, interpretations, and values. They are not about what is true; they are about what is important.

Why is this important to me?

Whether you are dealing with an underperforming employee, negotiating with a client or disagreeing with your spouse, we attempt or avoid difficult conversations every day.

The book is relevant in understanding why we avoid these conversations and give us insight into how to handle them correctly. Especially for the organizational leaders listening to this summary, the following is true: The ability to handle difficult conversations well is a prerequisite to organizational change and adaptation. Companies that nurture these communications skills as core competence for leaders will leave their competition in the dust.

Each difficult Conversation is actually three conversations:

1) The "What Happened?" Conversation - Most difficult conversations are about disagreements to what happened, who's right, who said what, who did what and who is to blame. We often fail to question one crucial assumption upon which our whole stance in the conversation is built: I am right, you are wrong. This simple assumption causes endless grief.

2) The Feelings Conversation - Every difficult conversation involves feelings. Are my feelings valid, Should I acknowledge or deny them, put them on the table or check them at the door? What about the other person's feelings. What if they are angry or hurt?

3) The Identity Conversation - This is the internal conversation we have to ourselves about what this situation means to us. Are we competent or incompetent? Are we a good person or bad person? Are we lovable or unlovable?

The three conversations are important but for the sake of time we will dive in deeper on the "What happened?" conversation.

1. Stop arguing about who is right and explore each other's stories - As we do this, it is important to understand why we have different stories in the first place. 1. We have different information 2. We have different interpretations 3. Our conclusions reflect self-interest. If we move from certainty to curiosity then we will garner true understanding and move to a learning conversation which we will cover in the next section.

2. Don't assume they meant it - disentangle intent from impact. Intentions strongly influence our judgments of others: If someone intended to hurt us, we judge them more harshly than if they hurt us by mistake. Ask yourself three questions to clarify: 1. Actions: What did the other person actually say or do? 2. Impact: What was the impact of this on me? 3.) Assumption: Based on the impact, what assumption am I making about what the other person intended? Hold your assumptions as a hypothesis and share the impact on you and inquire about their intentions.

3. Abandon Blame: Map the contribution system - Focusing on blame is a bad idea because it inhibits our ability to learn what's really causing the problem and to do anything meaningful to correct it. Blame is about judging and contribution is about understanding. Understanding is the key to problem solving and resolving difficult conversations to a satisfactory outcome.

There are 6 areas of the learning conversation that are relevant but we will focus on the top three.

1. What's the purpose? When to Raise it and When to let go. Do we bring up the issue or let it go? This is an art form in itself. You need to know when to pick your battles. There is an old saying - It is not worth it to win the battle if you are going to lose the war. Before you raise the issue, work through the three conversations and put yourself in the other person's shoes. Also, is there another way to solve the problem without the conversation? Remember that action speaks louder than words so your actions could solve the problem without the conflict.

2. Begin from the Third story - Think like a mediator that has no emotional ties. Thinking objectively from the outside gives you a true picture of what is going on. If you think from the standpoint of having no stake in the outcome then you can be very objective in your thinking.

3. Learning - Listen from the inside out - This is really the most important aspect of the whole book in my humble opinion. Your ability to actively listen makes it much easier to have great relationships and solve problems. Active listening requires what I call "whole body listening". You need to be present and focused on the other person. This gives you the true ability to understand their point of view fully. Remember understanding does not necessarily mean agreeing with the other person. The learning that will happen through active listening will lead to positive outcomes most of the time.

I hope you have found this short summary useful. The key to any new idea is to work it into your daily routine until it becomes habit. Habits form in as little as 21 days. One thing to work on is active listening. Make this a habit and you will be pleasantly surprised how it will improve your relationships. To do this, simply listen with your whole body. Example: If you are chatting with somebody, then stop typing on the computer or texting or fiddling with something else. Give them your undivided attention. Good luck and let me know how this works out for you.

Joe Mosed invites you to subscribe to http://www.successprogress.com/ to receive free video book summaries. Our vision at Success Progress is to provide relevant & meaningful content to our user community. To view the video summary of this article please visit http://www.youtube.com/successprogress

(c) Copyright - Joe Mosed / Success Progress All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

The Importance of book reviews

The habit of reading is on the decline. Not many people consider picking up a book the ideal way to pass an empty afternoon.

Yet, there are people who are avid readers. They are on the lookout for quality materials, read and constantly check book online reviews. Regardless of how many people is in fact used to read regularly, the importance of the reader feedback cannot be ignored.

They help other readers

The advantage clear more book reviews, is to help readers decide or not to read a book. Not only that, people also decide to buy the book or borrow it from the library according to the opinions of other readers. In writing your own notice, you help readers to find quality content.

Boost readership

By helping readers, you can actually increase the readership for this author. If you write a positive review or any book, more people are likely to read. Companies have written books and use them for promotional purposes. By clients through reading, they have a viable marketing platform.

A negative book review can have the same effect, even if you don't think. Several times, when a book is down by other readers, people read to see the fuss is about is. However, you should not display a negative review just for the sake of doing. Try instead to balance the positive and negative aspects of the work in your opinion.

Analyzing documents

When you read, not always capture you all of the information which the author seeks to share. Write a book review helps you to analyze and understand the best equipment. There may be some points that you have neglected that become clear, once you write on what you have read.

Thus, you are not only help others but improving your own understanding of the book.

These are the three key points to signify the importance of book reviews. But you may not choose any book. Find books that are relevant and that people would be willing to read. A good rule of thumb is to select the types of books you want to read.

Here are a few topics that are frequently read:
General BusinessPersonal and professional developmentMaterial linked to a certain fieldHow-books to improve the meaning of business

Writing reviews of books related to one of these topics will allow many people who want to improve their knowledge.

Books on some topics attract more readers. Write reviews of books for them allows you to help people choose the best books on these subjects.

Mary Klaebel is the owner and senior editor at Pro - Ghostwriter .com. She likes to read, as it enjoys writing and hosts of new book reviews.

The legacy amortized Cervantes

In The Art of The novel Mulan Kundera makes observations that enraged comments regarding the values of literature of echo of Charles Baudelaire in 19th century Europe. A bitter Baudelaire wrote: "France has gone through a period of andsailedcalmlyon." Paris: Centre of stupidity radiating in all directions. Despite the Moliere B?ranger, nobody would never have assumed that the France take the road of progress as a rate. Questions of art: terrae as well. "According to Kundera, forged by science specialization has managed to reduce the man to a mere machine; a thoughtless pawn, manipulated by the masters of the industry who have forgotten the true meaning of life.

For three hundred years, the novel has been the vehicle used to probe "experience of humanity in this modern world complex." The novel has filled the role formerly held by religion and classical literature: its objective is to "discover the different dimensions of the existence" which are inaccessible to the Science (or any other literary form). Therefore, as the science of philosophical and religious systems displaced the medieval world, and major to be (the "" dimension of depth"") were threatened by scientific rationalism, the novel has emerged to check abuse of a "unilateral nature of European science.

Kundera considers Cervantes, the father of the novel. The character of Cervantes, Don Quixote, settled on a chivalrous adventure in the hope of offering the world of evil and win the love of his beautiful dream Lady Dulcinea. His courtly notions of battle and love, however, prove delusions. The reality of the world has changed (or was deformed by the authors that inspired the search for the Quixotes); experience hardly has subsequently imaginative experiences provided after a life of reading of medieval tales of romance. But, despite the world, misperceptions of Don Quixote and his ridiculous failures, it can also be seen as a hero. Quixote takes on an imaginary vision of reality that is romantic, stimulating and invigorating dry facts even when empirical seem to refute this view.

Cervantes dogmatic does not drive if Don Quixote is a fool or a hero; It might be at the time; It could be or. It might be something completely different that anyone has assumed. For human beings human and human experiences, challenge the narrow classifications. The novel, Kundera says, allows the reader to examine how consistent ideas, or conflict, with experience. But the novel not to judge this experience as judges of science or religion - with a single, unswerving, limited interpretation. Instead, the novel opens the world of human and the fresh new human truths disco situations and opportunities.

Kundera considers that the novel is rejected by modern culture. Science has once more the power to exclude humans of "life-world". Kundera laments, the "man has now become a simple thing the forces (or technology, political or historical). "Private" of the will and the ability of deep understanding, complex truths to be humans choose to accept simple stereotypes perpetuated by the media. Later pop-culture science and threaten the human Kingdom or domination of silly (and dogmatic) assessments of the complex world of humans and the legacy of Cervantes is depreciated and "the world of life" is forgotten.

Palace Walk (Cairo Trilogy 1) by Naguib Mahfouz - A Review

"Men have the right to anything they want and women have a duty to obey" is the philosophy upon which this cast of characters operates, and it sets the stage for moral outrage on the part of western readers, and self destruction on the part of some characters as their world is torn asunder with change.

Ahmad Abd al-Jawad, a successful shopkeeper living in the Cairo neighbourhood of Palace Walk, is literally the king of his domain, ruling his family with a fundamentalist fist, while living a profligate life outside of it by engaging in wine, women and song. He is out every evening boozing, partying and womanizing. Yet his wife, Amina, is only allowed to leave the house to visit her sick mother. His two grown-up daughters do not go to school and have to live in the same confined quarters with their mother. His three sons have greater freedom of movement (they get to go to school or to work) but dare not challenge their father on any issue, least of all on his choice of their future wives.

Understandably, this repression leads to combustion. Yasin the eldest son, takes on his father's taste for sexual intrigue but can only get it on with women of the lower classes; the middle son Fahmy joins the revolutionary movement sweeping Egypt at the culmination of WWI when the country wants to be free of being a British protectorate, and Kamal, the youngest, whom I thought could have been an semi-autobiographical clone of the writer, is the free spirit who roams about pouting indiscriminate and naive statements that get his older siblings into trouble with their father. The daughters, the unattractive and caustic Khadija, and the beautiful but vain Aisha, are solely pre-occupied with getting married to someone of their social class who can liberate them from their father's clutches even if to render them prisoners once more within their future husband's family. The interesting fact is that both the men and the women of the al-Jawad household are stable within this role-based life and no one is seen to be doing anything wrong, least of all Ahmad in the eyes of his women-folk.

In this insulated household, how does Amina conceal an accident that causes her injury when visiting a mosque she was forbidden to visit, how does Yasin deal with being caught sleeping with his wife's maid, how does Fahmy disguise 'handing out pamphlets' from his father, and how does Ahmad himself explain to the British military why he is out late at night during a curfew? The answer is to lie. Concealment becomes second nature within this family.

And then life intervenes into Ahmad's perfect world. Ahmad who is willing to support nationalism from a distance as long as it does not interfere with his lifestyle or family, is gradually drawn into the changes that are sweeping across his country and pays a huge price; and so does his family. The book leaves him suffering but enlightened and not yet out for the count (there are two more books in this trilogy) and one is curious to see where Ahmad and his way of life will end up as the country matures and goes through yet another world war and more upheaval in the Middle East. Not very far I would conclude, even after nearly a hundred years, considering that Egypt went through another convulsion to expel a dictatorial regime this year, and has launched a website called Harass Net to combat the sexual harassment of women.

I found the writing sensitively rendered but laboured. The omniscient narrator plumbs deep into the minds, hearts and motives of each of the principle characters, leaving little to the reader's imagination. There is dialogue followed by explanation of the dialogue, then more dialogue and more explanation and I wondered whether the English translation suffers due to the original text being in classical Arabic. And yet some scenes are diabolic (Ahmad expelling his injured wife from his house) and others hilarious (Ahmad seducing the actress Zubayda with a delicate mixture of poetry, innuendo and fawning).

Nevertheless, I continued through this very long book, engaged with this family, dysfunctional though it may appear by western standards, whose members, including our anti-hero Ahmad, have endearing sides to them. Ahmad emerges from the pages as a truly unforgettable literary character, warts and all. After all, how can you fault a benign sociopath who believes that he is doing the right thing?

Perhaps, in consenting to this English translation, Naguib Mahfouz was trying to caution westerners to beware of trying to bridge cultures with political interference, wars, education or trade. Perhaps each culture needs its own route to evolution and should be judged on its own merits.

Shane Joseph is the author of three novels and a collection of short stories. His work After the Flood won the best futuristic/fantasy novel award at the Canadian Christian Writing Awards in 2010. His short fiction has appeared in international literary journals and anthologies. His latest novel The Ulysses Man has just been released. For details see http://www.shanejoseph.com/