Who Was James Allen? The Vision of This Unrewarded Genius

It is said, he never gained much fame or fortune, and this unrewarded genius rarely made enough money from his writings - to even cover his expenses...

James Allen's inspirational writings have touched the hearts, and influenced millions of people around the world - yet today, he still remains almost unknown, to the vast majority.

As A Man Thinketh by James Allen, identifies universal laws and applies them to the mechanics of desire and prosperity, and was the 20th century's first self-help classic!

But did you know...

As A Man Thinketh was not the only book James Allen wrote?

That's right, James Allen is also the author of over twenty other self-improvement books, which are lesser known, but just as equally powerful, and just as equally life-changing...

For over a hundred years, his timeless works have motivated and inspired both men and woman to lead more successful, effective, and peaceful lives!

James Allen was a STRONG supporter of ethics in all the areas of our lives. His goal was to reveal universal principles to the masses in order to relieve people of their suffering, empower the individual, and thus uplift humanity.

His works focus on teaching individual responsibility, finding the cause of personal problems within our own selves, and revealing how each of us can harness our inner power, to master our own destinies.

In Allen's own words...

The Vision of James Allen

"I looked around upon the world and saw that it was shadowed by sorrow and scorched by the fierce fires of suffering. And I looked for the cause. I looked around, but I could not find it. I looked in books, but I could not find it. I looked within, and found there both the cause and the self-made nature of that cause. I looked again, and deeper, and found the remedy. I found one Law, the Law of Love; one Life, the life of adjustment to that Law; one Truth, the Truth of a conquered mind and a quiet and obedient heart.

"And I dreamed of writing books which would help men and women, whether rich or poor, learned or unlearned, worldly or unworldly to find within themselves the source of all success, all happiness, accomplishment, all truth. And the dream remained with me, and at last became substantial; and now I send forth these books into the world on a mission of healing and blessedness, knowing that they cannot fail to reach the homes and hearts of those who are waiting and ready to receive them."

Every one of Allen's books are surprisingly straight-forward, practical and easy-to-follow. He never wrote for the sake of just writing, and he never dealt with theories!

As his loving wife - Lily once said...

"Allen wrote when he had a message, and it became a message only when he had lived it in his own life, and knew that it was good. Thus he wrote facts, which he had proven by practice"

And thus Allen teaches us two essential truths: today we are where our thoughts have taken us, and we are the architects - for better or worse - of our futures...

In short, "You Are What You Think" As James Allen states positively "That The Mind Is The Complete Master of Your Life"

From the smallest circumstances which surround you, to your physical health, to your personal level of abundance... every detail of your life is determined solely by the thoughts you first allow to flourish in your mind!

As these explosive secrets have already helped tens of thousands of people, gain the power to demand what they REALLY want from life. Now, it's time to put them to work for YOU!

I would like to give you a FREE copy of James Allen's most timeless classic, As A Man Thinketh...

You can now, discover and also benefit fully, from the teachings - of the forefather of personal development himself.

Aspire by Kevin Hall - Book Review

Aspire by Kevin Hall - A book review by Daniel R. Murphy

Synopsis of Content:

Hall has a fascination with words and their origin which he explores in this fascinating book. He introduces you to many interesting people, perhaps chief among them an old linguistics professor in Europe with whom he has had many engaging conversations about words.

But this is not just a book about words. It is a book about what these words really mean, and perhaps more importantly what we can learn from them as well as how we can apply those lessons to our own pursuit of success.

At the end of each chapter the author provides his own journal entries - thoughts and reflections about the theme of that chapter. He then provides space for you to do the same. This is not just a book to read - it is a book you can use to reflect on the people and the words in your life and how they can affect you.

You can benefit equally from reading this book straight through or going back and studying any one chapter at a time.

This book is more than a stimulating intellectual journey - it provides grist for the kind of thinking we should all do more of to attain genuine self improvement.

Readability/Writing Quality:

This is a very readable book. The prose style is easy to follow. The chapters average 20 pages in length and are broken by sub headings. It is well organized.

Notes on Author:

Kevin Hall is a business consultant, speaker and coach. He was a partner in the Franklin Quest Company, makers of the famous Franklin Day Planner.

Three Great Ideas You Can Use: The book covers eleven important words and digs deeply into their meaning, origin, and importance. Here is but a sampling:

1. Namaste: a greeting common in the East and popularized in the West by Gandhi. It means "I salute the divine within you" and is a reminder to ourselves and others of the unique and supreme dignity, worth and divine aspect of each of us.

2. Integrity: the quality we all seek in others and wish for ourselves. A quality which sets apart genuine leaders and inspires trust. It is earned though a long process and is easily lost.

3. Sapere vedere: a three dimensional concept including hindsight, foresight and insight. It literally means "knowing how through what is seen". It is about knowing how to see. People who practice sapere vedere look forward as well as inward. It has been practiced by great minds such as Da Vinci. It has tremendous value to us all as a guide to thinking - a guide to how to think.

Publication Information:

©2009, 2010 by Kevin Hall. Published by Harper Collins. 238 pages in hardback.

Illinois Hospitals Ready for Catastrophic Emergencies

According to the government, a disaster is defined as "a natural or man-made force the destructive impact of which overwhelms a community's ability to meet healthcare demands." The awareness of the limits of emergency response capabilities to the challenge of disasters has increased dramatically over the last few years due to the attacks against the United States by terrorists and the recent natural disasters. The hospitals around the country know that what were once theoretical threats to our safety are now a troubling reality. Not only have natural disasters increased throughout the United States but the surfacing of foreign state-sponsored terrorism, the proliferation of chemical and biological agents, the availability of materials along with scientific weapons expertise and the increases of indiscriminate attacks all point toward a growing threat of an unconventional disaster. It has become quite obvious due to the terrorists attacks in New York on September 11th and the deliberate anthrax contamination of United States postal facilities that there is a critical need to fortify the efforts of hospital disaster preparedness.

People living in the area of the Peotone Illinois hospital or the Manhattan Illinois hospital would like to be assured that their hospitals are prepared for disasters both man-made and natural. Hospitals across this nation are all taking a look at their disaster preparedness by examining their current disaster plans, improving those plans is needed and conducting disaster drills to challenge them and find more areas for improvement. Government agencies, healthcare professionals and public health advocates have looked at ways to determine the best ways to mitigate the potential impact of a disaster with massive casualties or what is known as a mass casualty incident or MCI. These MCI's may involve natural, biological, chemical, radiation, nuclear, or other agents and all have been given considerable attention.

Each type of incident has its own intimidating tasks and are unique with their own issues. Differences between scenarios hold challenging implications for preparedness training and hospitals across the nation are practicing for many different levels of these disasters. The natural disasters across the nation including the hurricanes and tornadoes have different challenges than if the disaster were to be a biothreat. Some of what was seen in New Orleans has been replayed and studied for improvements in the efforts to handle such a disaster.

For those people living near the Momence Illinois hospital they may not be concerned about the disaster relief of a hurricane for themselves. They may be interested in knowing if a tornado were to touch down if the hospital is ready to handle such a disaster. They may also be concerned about other disasters and although the United States will never be able to say that terrorism won't happen again we can prepare for what may happen and the hospitals of the nation along with the agencies in place to help, are doing what they can to prepare.

Debt Management Options - What Option is Best For Reducing My Debt?

Debt management options have become the air and water at the recent time. The downturn has lead to an abrupt increase in the average debt consumption. Almost every resident is sinking under vast piles of dues. From big guns to the common herd, relatively every person is worried due to the burgeoning debts. Thus, it is not unusual that each one is yearning for some relief from the sky mounting liabilities. The sole option that is available and possible at this point of time is liability management.

These agenda are made in such a way as to cater to the necessities of the customers. Besides helping in reduction of the total amount of dues, it also recommends several other tactics, which will reduce the pressure from your shoulders. There are assortments of debt management options that are accessible in this modern age. However, it will be sagacious if you do not rely on all of them and rather make a proper analysis before picking on any one. Since the number of relief options is elevating each day, it is not unnatural that some organizations may try to trick and extort money out of you. Therefore, the keyword for reducing debt is legitimacy.

Out of the variety of choices, arrear settlement is the best solution, in case you are burdened by a lump some amount of debt. It is indeed the ultimate if you want quick and effective result. There will be no more worries of losing self-respect, nor will there be fear of lenders harassing you. The best part is it is a wonderful alternative to liquidation. It is rational and non-fussy way to resolve your difficulty. It is an immeasurably profitable choice if conceded legally. It is sensible that you loom a relief company, who will carry out the process of reducing debts through mutual negotiation. But, make sure that the relief organization is enlisted under TASC.

Out of the variety of other alternatives, you can also consider credit counseling. It is a wonderful strategy that will help you in managing your financial life properly. Thus, choose the debt management options carefully and live a secured life.

Mathematics and Critical Thinking, Part II

In the previous article I began telling the story of an unusual high school geometry course run at the Ohio State University in 1930s. The course has been designed and taught by Prof. Harold F. Fawcett who later published an account in The Nature of Proof (NCTM, 13th Yearbook, Reprint 1995). To quote from the book,

There has probably never been a time in the history of American education when the development of critical and reflective thought was not recognized as desirable outcome of the secondary school.

In Fawcett's view, geometry was the most suitable course in the secondary school to teach critical and reflective thinking. He provides a respectable selection of quotes to support his view and to explain the source of his dissatisfaction with the traditional courses. Traditionally,

... the major emphasis is placed on a body of theorems to be learned rather than on the method by which these theorems are established.

As the result,

... there is little evidence to show that pupils who have studied demonstrative geometry are less gullible, more logical and more critical in their thinking than those who did not follow such a course.

The worthy outcome for students taking a geometry course is not only proving and learning a set of theorems, but acquiring of mental habits that save them from floundering in the conduct of life. Not only students should learn to prove a number of theorems but also grasp the nature of proof, so that their analytic ability could be transferred to non-geometric situations. And how is this achieved? Fawcett cites the prevalent view point

No transfer will occur unless the material is learned in connection with the field to which the transfer is desired. ... Transfer is not automatic. We reap no more than we sow ...

Fawcett concludes that transfer is secured only by training for transfer, which explains the unconventional opening of his course (see Part I). Next he deals with methods and procedures suitable for such a study. His treatment is so much pertinent to the modern day discussions (minding children's own logic and individual ways, group discussions, open ended approach, discovery and investigation) that Fawcett's experiment and the book deserve to be better known among math educators. The point of the opening discussion was to establish the need in agreed-upon definitions, which seemed foreign to the thinking of the pupils. For example, at the outset all students agreed that "Abraham Lincoln spent very little time in school" and no one raised the point that the truth of this statement depends on how "school" is defined. So, starting with the first meeting, students were led to recognize the importance of definitions and, later, the need in undefined terms. They were taught to recognize the presence of implicit assumptions even in the most elementary activities of life.

Flener interviewed Warren Mathews, a course graduate. Mathews' comments were,

I remember all our work with definitions. When I was a vice president at Hughes, and now in my work with my church, I realize how important definitions are. It is amazing that when we can agree on our definitions most of the conflict ends.

To which Flener remarked

In the field of education we probably argue at cross purposes more because we don't have the same definitions in mind.

How true! And how sad! Except of course math educators have no particular reason to feel singled out in this respect. "In the field of education" should be considered as a generic designation.

But let's try to apply the course basics to the course itself. Is it correct to designate Fawcett's experiment the geometry course? What makes a school year long interaction of a group of students with one or more teachers a geometry course? Can you think of a suitable definition?

How does it jibe with Fawcett's remark [p. 102 of his book]?

While the control of geometric subject matter was not one of the major purposes to be accomplished by the pupils in class A, nevertheless it seemed desirable to compare their achievement in this respect with that of pupils who had followed the usual course in geometry.

I think that the description "Critical Thinking Course with Applications to Geometry" serves well the purpose, the proceedings, and the results of Fawcett's course. The skill transfer occurred in the direction opposite to the declared goal! What Fawcett's experiment demonstrates very convincingly is that development of critical thinking skills helps students master mathematics even when they feel no particular liking for the subject.

At the end of the course, Fawcett interviewed students' parents. In their parents' view, the course helped 16 students improve their ability to think critically, but only 3 out of a little more than 20 students have learned to like mathematics.

And so what?

In an 1997 article Is Mathematics Necessary?, Underwood Dudley argues that the answer to the question in the title of his paper is a sound No. He ends the article with a pun,

Is mathematics necessary? No. But it is sufficient.

This may or may not be so. But, in any event, some things seem to be more sufficient than others. (A discussion on what mathematics may be sufficient for, could have fit right in with Fawcett's geometry course.) We just saw how the critical thinking skills helped study mathematics. Flener too ties the success of the course to the fact that students who took the course were the University School veterans of three years and were used to open ended investigations.

Following is a more complete quote from Dudley's paper:

Can you recall why you fell in love with mathematics? It was not, I think, because of its usefulness in controlling inventories. Was it not because of the delight, the feeling of power and satisfaction it gave; the theorems that inspired awe, or jubilation, or amazement; the wonder and glory of what I think is the human race's supreme intellectual achievement? Mathematics is more important than jobs. It transcends them, it does not need them.

Is mathematics necessary? No. But it is sufficient.

No doubt mathematician Fawcett knew about and could appreciate the glory and the beauty of mathematics. He was an outstanding teacher and could, if he wanted to, do a better job passing on to his students this sense of beauty and amazement shared by all mathematicians. He apparently chose not to. His goal was to teach the students, via interaction with mathematics, critical and reflective thought. But the goals of education are many: acquisition of useful skills, absorption of the local and global cultures, development of the innate potential. Course offerings could and should match a variety of goals. It stands to reason that the manner in which a math course is planned and conducted should aim at a particular objective. There is no single right way to teach and study mathematics.

The definitions are important. To resolve the cross purpose discussions, it's no less important to accept a possibility that an approach may be as right, or as good, as another one - perhaps for a different end.

Want to Catch More and Bigger Fish? Then Do This

It's all the rage in Kiwi-land. It catches fish - BIG fish like nothing else you've ever tried. It is so unique you'll say, "I never would have thought of that". What's all the talk about? A technique that can get you more and BIGGER fish than ever before, that's what. And here it is ...

Flying a kite.

"Excuse me?"

Yep. You read it right. Along the coasts of New Zealand, surrounding small islands and portions of Australia as well, savvy fishermen are using - you got it - none other than kites to hook not only more fish, but much bigger fish. The technique is "childishly" simple in concept. From the beach you attach a multi-hook dropper rig to a three foot or larger wingspan kite. The line comes back down to your rod and reel. Winds carry the kite and your rig out far beyond the distance you'd ever be able to cast. From the shore you can fish anywhere from 500 yards to a half mile or more out. The waters at that distance from shore will be considerably deeper than you would otherwise reach. The baited multi-hook rig will now rest in water more than deep enough for the "big ones" to come into play.

The Results

Results are startlingly simple. From your dry beach outpost, you can haul in full deep-sea species from monster Red Snappers to Tuna to sharks. The larger the kite or the stronger the prevailing winds, the more weight or greater rig load the kite can "pull" offshore. Rigs can range from three to 25 or more hooks. Steerable kites allow you to tack and guide the kite in winds from varying directions.

"When I saw my bright red kite start to do a hoochie-coochie dance up and down a couple of hundred yards or so offshore, I knew I had something big", commented a lady fisherman from England who was on an extended holiday to Auckland, New Zealand.

At first you'll have to experiment a bit to get the right combination of weight and rig size for the kite and winds where you fish. Soon you'll get the hang of it, and be flying high. There are a few commercial firms which manufacture fishing kites that can supply you with everything you'll need pre-packaged. You could also work up your own rig combinations from local suppliers. It's even possible to kite fish from a boat, kayak or pier. Don't limit yourself to the ocean either. A large river or lake may make suitable "kite flying" grounds too. Be sure to check local fishing regulations.

Anyway you tackle it; kite fishing is a unique twist to an age old sport. And me? I've taken my new kite and gone fishing.