selfimprovement

Self-Improvement 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know (101 (Thomas Nelson))
$9.99
The best leaders know that success is about?more than winning--it's about improving and developing. Self-Improvement 101 shares best-selling author John C. Maxwell's tips, tactics, and inspiration that compel leaders to?reach ever higher levels. Drawing from the wisdom in his books Your Road Map for Success, Talent Is Never Enough, Developing the Leaders Around You, Failing Forward, The 360 Degree Leader, Winning with People, and Leadership Gold, John C. Maxwell provides in Self-Improvement 101 the essentials all leaders need to keep striving for excellence no matter where they are or what they are doing. After all, great leaders who are growth oriented rather than goal oriented never "arrive," they just keep building upon what they are learning.

Twilight Zone Collector's Edition (You Drive, The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross, Black Leather Jackets, From Agnes--With Love)
$49.95
"You Drive" is one of the best examples of video fiction ever created and is based on a haunted car with a moral conscience. Office manager Oliver Pope is driving home in the rain when he accidentally strikes a young boy on a bicycle. Instead of immediately going to the aid of the boy, Pope flees the scene, hoping that there were no witnesses. Fortunately for him, the human witness is generally sightless, picking out a car and driver that bear no resemblance to Pope. In fact, the witness accuses Pope's chief office rival of being the driver, a fact that momentarily brings relief to Pope. Unfortunately for him, the accurate witness is his car, which is unforgiving and uncompromising. The car begins to harass him without mercy, until Pope is a nervous wreck and the last scene is the car stopping to pick him up at the curb and taking him to the police station.
The scenes where the apparently driverless car moves down the street are really spooky, the others less so yet still something to be reckoned with. It was very easy to engage in the necessary suspension of disbelief and really believe that the car was haunted. The fact that it exhibited a moral sense enhanced the level of belief.
Salvadore Ross is a rough man, in manners, tone and bearing. Sal's treatment of his "girlfriend" is so harsh that it seems odd in modern times when they can arrest you for that. He proclaims his love for Leah and when she rejects him, he punches the door to her residence, breaking his hand. This lands him in the hospital next to an older man with a case of severe congestion. As they banter back and forth, Ross offers to trade ailments with the man and is shocked to discover the next morning that it has in fact happened.
Never one to miss an opportunity for self-advancement, Sal then goes to an elderly rich man and offers to trade his youth for a million dollars. When this occurs, Sal then trades some of his money for a few years of life and continues the process until he is young again. He has retained most of the money and while Leah finds him a bit more tolerable, her wheelchair bound father still finds him intolerable. Sal finally offers to trade more of his money to Leah's father for his compassion, a mistake that has results Sal could not possible have anticipated.
It is ironic yet fitting that just as you find Sal morphing into a person that you could like, the ruthless manner of his achieving that goal finally catches up to him. Justice is served for the people he stomped on for as he changed into a decent person one of the people he used commit an indecency that rubs it all out.
"Black Leather Jackets" is another alien invasion episode, only in this case they arrive on noisy motorcycles and look like outlaw bikers. Three young men move in next door to a young and beautiful girl and she sets her eyes on the youngest of the group. Unknown to her, they are but three of a mighty invasion force from outer space that are going to poison the water supply in an attempt to exterminate all humans. The youngest alien proves to be capable of love and mercy and he tries to convince his colleagues that they should not kill all the humans. His entreaties fail and a fellow alien masquerading as a police officer sends him away.
This episode is a combination of two nightmares, the general one of alien invasion and the specific one of all parents of teenage girls, the thought that their daughter will become involved with some low-life from out of town. While the black leather makes the invasion from outer space more interesting, it is not enough to overcome what is a well-worn premise of the horror genre.
Human's continuous and often losing battles with machines is the topic of "From Agnes - With Love", in this case the machine is a wayward computer named Agnes. Wally Cox plays a nerdy programmer (James Elwood) called in to work with Agnes after the previous programmer suffers some form of breakdown. In keeping with the cliche of the nerdy programmer, Elwood has no love life, although he is sweet on Millie, a secretary working in the same building. Little does he know that Agnes is in love with him and does everything she can to sabotage Elwood's relationship with Millie. At the end, Elwood has also suffered a breakdown and is being replaced by a hunk of a programmer, more fuel for Agnes in her desire for men.
Originally aired in 1964 when computers were the size of rooms, the portrayal of the computers in this episode now appears as extremely quaint and absurd. Nevertheless, this is a humorous episode, with some of the humor in hindsight. Elwood's boss is played by Raymond Bailey; an actor much better known for his role as the banker Mr. Drysdale in "The Beverly Hillbillies." That knowledge helps enhance a role that would otherwise have been lackluster. Love lost and the frustration that it generates is the humorous train of this episode that moves a bit sideways through the usual horror of "The Twilight Zone."

Self (1-year)
$47.88
I used to subscribe to Self when I was in high school, over 10 years ago. This past year, I wanted to revamp and improve my fitness and exercise regime, and I remembered this magazine as a good fitness resource when I was a teenager. So I subscribed, and was flabbergasted by the first, and continuing, issues that I received. Was this the same magazine I subscribed to years prior? Did I make a mistake with the name? While indeed there was some advice on fitness and nutrition, I found the majority of the magazine was devoted to giving me tips on how to lose those few extra pounds (I"m quite trim and don't need to, thank you). The magazine also seemed to presume that I had low self-esteem, and therefore took it as their task to boost it for me.

Either the magazine has changed, or I remember it differently. I should not have subscribed and will continue to try to find a magazine that is devoted purely to nutrition and fitness.

The only reason I didn't give this magazine one star is because the few, very few, exercise regimes they highlight have been good and useful. There was one particular stairway routine that I use on a regular basis. I just wish they could have more of this! Editors: please stop thinking that I"m only exercising because I need to lose weight.

Are You OK? - the essential video on transactional analysis for everyone
$24.99
I was very interested in learning all about Transactional Analysis, so was pleased when I found a DVD on the subject, hoping to save myself from adding another book to the reading queue. Unfortunately this DVD didn't save me any time. It's really only a cursory introduction to what the field is about and lacks anything more than a superficial introduction. While I didn't expect a DVD to contain nearly the same amount of information as a book, I did expect much more than I got. The animations are nice and make for an interesting time watching it, but the information contained in the 40 minutes or so are probably no more than the first chapter of any good book on the subject. And, at the $20 price tag, you're better off getting a couple of classic books on the subject. I can't see myself watching this DVD more than once or twice.

If the only thing you care is about with regards to TA is "What is TA about?", then perhaps this DVD would suffice. However, if you actually want to learn about the field in order to really UNDERSTAND and USE the information, then this DVD is woefully inadequate, and certainly overpriced, in my opinion, for the information it offers.