Amanda Dickson

I am thrilled to have listened to this as an audiobook rather than having read it as a book. The author is so full of expressive energy. It is rare for anything to be better than "the book." This is one of those rare cases where hearing the author read it imparts so much more than just reading a book. It was delightful to listen to.

Based on her experience holding 18 different jobs, she shares the lessons she has learned through the good and the bad. Even if you aren't in the job market (and I'm not), this was very engaging.

Contents;
Chapter 1 David, Why Weren't You David? (Be yourself)
Chapter 2 There Is No "Just" (Don't make excuses for your chosen work)
Chapter 3 The Spirit You Bring
Chapter 4 The Volunteer Spirit
Chapter 5 Whatever You Want, Give It Away
Chapter 6 What Goes Around
Chapter 7 Handling Criticism (It tells more about the speaker)
Chapter 8 Get Off The Dead Horse (a delightful chapter)
Chapter 9 Antidote to Criticism
Chapter 10 Faith Moves
Chapter 11 Your Best Is Good Enough
Chapter 12 Just Breathe
Chapter 13 Surprise! Surprise

Calling this a "self-help" book doesn't do it justice. It was totally fun to listen to, and if I learned anything along that way, that is a delightful bonus.



What I learned from this book:
- Be yourself.
- You are where you are because you chose to be there. If you are in a job, it is because you chose to be in that job.
- Each person is responsible for what he does.
- People who are negative drain the energy from an organization, and get fired.
- Give away what you want to receive.
- Criticism tells more about the speaker than it's target. Look for truth in it that you can use, but usually it's not about you.
- If the horse is dead, get off it. How can you tell it's dead? It begins to stink.
- Overachievers (such as the author) need to schedule breaks. Your family needs you, and you need the recovery time.
- Taking slow breaths is a wonderful aid to relaxation, and is quite useful in reducing stress.
… (plus d'informations)

An engrossing story that moves fast and keeps the reader involved and unwilling to put the book down. It's the story of 2 women ~ one murdered in 1984 and the other a woman just beginning a new career with a case that could easily make or break her future.

Madeline is a young woman who has known upheaval and abuse her entire life. Her mother was abusive to her father and when they divorced Maddie spent time between to homes. She was very close to her father and they each supported and encouraged each other over the years while her mother and his wife tore him down every chance she got.

Marrying at a young age and divorced 2 years later, Madeline is found one day by her neighbor who claims that she committed suicide. The gun is found in her hands, she has obviously been cleaned up and the bedding has been changed thereby destroying evidence. The police and the investigators completely botch the case, evidence goes missing and her father spends the next 20 years trying to get the authorities to change her cause of death from suicide to murder. And then Sophie Brownlie enters the picture as a fresh from law school lawyer who is assigned the case to see if it has merit....

A Gentle Thief reminded me of Conspiracy Brief (with Julia Roberts) - the atmosphere is similar with the legal speech, the mystery surrounding the death of Maddie, the fast moving pace as the story builds and then heads toward it's conclusion.

A very long book at over 500 pages you can purchase it on Kindle or purchase the paperback copy. It's a great story and well worth purchasing the $17.99 paperback - you'll definitely want it in your home library. My only thought is that at $18 the book should of been a hardback book not a paperback. It's a great read for a cold snowy day and if you have a fire going it only adds to the atmosphere as you read.… (plus d'informations)