The Well-Ordered Home: Organizing Techniques for Inviting Serenity Into Your Life

As a psychologist, researcher and lecturer the author shares

that she has cleaned homes for money while in school and that she faced firsthand the downside of being disorganized after her second child was born. So she's been there done that and knows what works. I appreciate her honesty, or the whole 'been there done that' attitude.

Her 4 key principles for household organization are Start where you are and don't make change a prerequisite for organization. Start where you are and work with the strengths you have. Have what you need. As a culture, we are inundated with stuff. Yet often we don't have what we need to work well. Use Active Storage. Active storage she notes means keeping things you use frequently in accessible areas. And Get Rid of Clutter. Because clutter she notes creates stress and make every job more difficult.

She lays out some helpful and workable suggestions in Part 2 titled Organization Begins in Your Mind where she shows traps to avoid like Perfectionism. Because as she notes perfectionists put things off until they can do them 'perfectly,' but also perfect doesn't exist so things never get done. The All Or Nothing Thinking where one thinks that if they cannot do everything NOW then they wont even start. Or Feeling that domestic work is not worth our time, because its deemed beneath smart people. When in fact a smart person will see the value in being organized and how it brings order and more free time to our lives.

Chapters 13, 14 deal very well with having the simplest yet best cleaning tools for cleaning home and laundry. Chapter 15 and 16 deal with an efficient but rightly stocked kitchen and pantry. To some her advise will seem to common sense, but having watched my share of friends kitchens and television shows dedicated to getting organized I know that common sense is a lost art to many, and being reminded to only have a few knives that one uses for the right task, and dumping the rest is sage advise.

Personally I was surprised and pleased to see Chapter 19 Order to Go where she notes for women 'Women carry around a lot of junk and often end up with a purse the size of a battleship.' Few if ANY books on decluttering or getting organzied ever deal with the #1 (in my opinion) problem for women which is their purse.

Personally I have a small, very small purse that is more like a passport purse since it can carry my money, credit card, cell phone. Its my belief that when we allow ourselves to get trapped in a big purse that we send a message to our family members that they need not plan better, since Mom will probably have what they need. You can keep as the author notes, items like a first aid kit, Power Bars, tablet and pen etc in the car when you need them. No need to carry a mini home with you.

The book is choked full of valuable information, and as someone who owns dozens of books on downsizing, decluttering, simple living, I am picky about recommending books on the subject since the last need someone needs who is wanting to declutter is useless books on the subject.

This book has become a permanent fixture at the breakfast spot on my kitchen table. It could easily be titled "How to Eat an Elephant." Every few days, I open to a different page and find out how to make my life sane. The author has done a great job of helping me approach very difficult household tasks and become good at them. This is after all another skill those of us who are not obsessively compulsive need to learn in order to survive life on the edge! So far her ideas have gone down better and have saved me real time and real money by not having to re-buy what I know I have already bought but can't couldn't find if you had a gun to my head! Her writing style is crisp and light and she approaches the negative emotion of why these tasks are so distasteful. As you read you feel she is right there at your kitchen table to help you through the tough spots. Enjoy!

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As a born-organized person now facing clutter problems due to homeschooling my young son, I'd purchased this book hoping to find new perspectives on battling paper monsters and the inevitable slew of books, toys and crumbs that kids generate. Sadly, there is nothing new in here.

"Handle paper as it comes in" is something you can read at free websites on home-organization. Ditto for "keep a nice box or bin in each room to stash toys in at the end of the day."

But you'll have to read through various chapters to put that together: the author is continually bringing up a topic (e.g., closet organization) then promising "I'll go into that more in Chapter X." Well, guess what: each 'chapter' is only 2 pages long. How much organizational advice do you REALLY think you're going to get in 2 pages?

This book does not recommend any particular system, does not discuss advantages or disadvantages of the varying home-organization products out there, and doesn't even suggest routines or schedules you can adopt for your day.

What it does do is dispense saccharin, simplistic advice -spend 15 minutes per day sorting through clutter and discard what's broken beyond repair; what's outdated; what you don't love, use or need; do a little bit every day; keep supplies where you need them; replenish supplies as they're depleted; and don't set your expectations unrealistically high.

There, I saved you money. I wish I'd saved my own, and also wish that the hour I spent reading this slim, trite book had been spent organizing my kitchen cupboards (yet another thing this book does not tell you how to do).

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I found Kathy Kendall-Tackett's book, The Well-Ordered Home an extremely helpful,easy-read book. I don't have hours of spare time to read lengthy diatribes that I can't remember five minutes after putting the book down. I prefer the two-pages-a-read kind of book, with common sense advice that I can apply the minute I stop reading, even at the midnight hour. This book is that kind of helpful tool. It's so much easier to follow someone who has been there and blazed the trail. Kathy leads me by the hand and gives me practical ways to get the job done in sprints as well as long distance runs. She anticipates my excuses for not tackling a job and addresses them before I whine them forth. As I finished each chapter, I said, "I can do that!" And I did . . . well, except for the garment groomer and lint roller. Think I can get it at Walmart? Thanks, Kathy!!

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I have several home organization and storage books, but this is the only one that I have actually read cover to cover. At first, when I got it, it was smaller than I was imagining and it had no pictures, so I thought I wouldn't like it. I was wrong! It gives ideas that make you maintain an organized house without much effort, once the initial setup of the suggested organizing ideas and techniques is in place. This book confirmed some of the things I was already doing that worked, it gave me new ideas and it helped me refine some that I already had in place. A quick and easy read and definitely suggested.

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The Navy Seal Workout : The Compete Total-Body Fitness Program

I must say this is an awesome book for one who wants to get into shape. The only problem with it is, I bought the machine in the back of the book for doing pull ups and latts but Mark Desile never shipped. It was a 144 dollar purchase, and the author took my money and ran. I have attempted to recieve reimbrushment but the author seems to be out of business. Trust me it is a great book, but never buy anything from it. The author and his company do not practice sound business practices.

I don't agree with some other reviewers that this book gives inadequate information or that people can get hurt easily using the program. I'm a 42-year-old male who had been lifting weights sporadically for years without seeing much improvement. Within a few weeks of starting Mark's program, I noticed increased definition all over, especially in my arms and abs. Unlike weightlifting, I've had little soreness. Also unlike weightlifting, it's impossible to drop a barbell on your foot, since you're only using your own bodyweight for resistance! I think most people would be more likely to hurt themselves using weights or even weight machines.

For anyone who is even remotely in shape already, the only way to really get hurt with this program would be to do too much, too soon. Mark emphasizes repeatedly that beginners need to take it easy, and the beginner routines involve minimal repetitions. I found the progression from beginner to intermediate levels to be clear and logical (you work up to the next level gradually; you don't just jump from one level to the next.) I also found the explanations and photographs of the various routines to be adequate to permit proper form.

Maybe this isn't the ideal book for former couch potatoes, but every book doesn't have to serve every possible audience. I recommend Mark's book highly.

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Navy SEALs are renowned the world over as being among the most-physically fit men alive. In this book, Mark De Lisle, who became a Navy SEAL at age 27, adapts various workout routines and methods from his training to be useful to the 'average' civilian who wishes to work out hard.

There is no substitute for Navy SEAL training, and if you are looking for precise programmes of fitness routines and performance standards of SEALs here, you will be disappointed. For one thing, most people cannot come by the equipment required in SEAL fitness training. However, there are standards and performance measurements that can be attained in a number of ways, and De Lisle provides a good adaptation here that calls for a minimum of special equipment and settings, but still requires a maximum of dedication and drive.

De Lisle provides a brief description of the history of the SEALs as well as his own introduction to the training. De Lisle is an inspiring writing, giving details of his own performance failures and working through these one thing he emphasises over and over is that determination and definite goals are important.

The first section is on stretching, an often overlooked part of training. Pre-workout stretching should take at least 15 minutes following these routines. In all, there are 18 different stretching exercises detailed. Each has description and basic photographs of the movements. There are stretches for all parts of the body, upper, lower, etc., as well as some stretches that could be done by two people. Working out in pairs can help with motivation.

The second section is on upper-body workouts. It is very tough. Five of the ten exercises listed are variations of pull-ups, and four are variations of push-ups. For these, some place for doing pull-ups will be necessary, as well as dips. De Lisle gives charts for beginning, intermediate and advanced pacing. These are all body-weight exercises; there are no weight-machine or free-weight exercises here. This is a book about fitness rather than body-building.

The third section is lower body exercises, primarily meaning abdominals (many exercise manuals classify these with upper body exercises). There are 13 exercises here, that will give a good all-around burn to the midsection. Again, De Lisle gives general tips and hints on exercising and maintaining proper form, so as to minimise the chance of injury.

Sections 4 6 look at running, swimming and combined run/swim programmes. There are few leg-strengthening exercises built into the exercise routines, as that is accomplished through the running and swimming. These include sprints, stair-climbs, and other methods to keep the legs and the aerobic system in good order.

There are two final parts of the book, one on maintenance and one on progress charts. De Lisle gives basic nutritional information (it seems few exercise books are complete without requisite but basic nutritional guidelines; these include here both suggestions for losing weight and for gaining weight). Progress charts are highly recommended, as they are very motivational, and SEALs are big on motivation.

The photography in the book is basic black-and-white, no real glamour shots here. De Lisle and a partner illustrate the exercises; in between are a few 'mood' shots, but these are few and far between. The book is really about working out.

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After having quadruple bypass, open heart surgery, I thought, "What could this program do for me?" How about a new life! I originally purchased Mark De Lisle's first book, "Navy SEAL Workout." The results I experienced were nothing less than phenomenal. As soon as I found out that Mark had completed "Breakthrough To Master Level Fitness," I had to have a copy. Breakthrough blows away anything else I have encountered in the fitness market. I have purchased other Navy SEAL workout books and videos but they were either too incomplete or did not sufficiently layout an effective program. Breakthrough however, contains exercises for upper body, legs, cardio workouts, sprints, long distance running, abs and plateau breakers such as Burn Outs, Intervals, and Circuit Training. And with 12 Weeks To Better Than Ever, which lays out routines on a day by day basis, you can't wander off the path to improvement.

With the 12 Weeks, I simply took the evaluation test and checked off each day. The routines were laid out right before me. It even told me when to do my burn outs, intervals and circuits. With the new book combo, I have been able to take myself up another notch. For a middle-aged business executive with heart disease, I need every edge I can get. I highly recommend this book combo over any other SEAL/fitness exercise book or video. Thank you Mark De Lisle, your program is saving my life and dramatically improving my lifestyle.

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First off, I just want to clarify that all these people who say you won't be a Navy SEAL after reading this book are right. The only way to be a Navy SEAL is to go train with them. That said, this book is excellent for an ordinary person who wants to get in great shape. I am using it to train for rugby and the strength excersises are what I find most helpful. Using body weight has left me less sore than using dumbbells but a lot more tired. This program is primarily for building muscle endurance, though you will get stronger. I recommend it more for a high school/ college athlete as a supplement to whatever your coach has you do. This is NOT a book for someone who wants to try out for any kind of a Special Forces job.

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Deal with It! A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain, and Life as a gURL

I work at a bookstore and I noticed that a lot of young middle school girls were buying this book. So out of curiosity I bought one for myself and took it home. Let me say that it tells you EVERYTHING....Every single question you have about being a teen girl is answered in that book. From your body (and even the yucky parts about it) to your brain (emotional problems) and this isn't a little corny valley girl book. And now that I am 17 I thought I knew it all, I thought it was almost over because when I turned 18 being a teen girl would turn into a legal adult girl. But even my stubborn self learned a great deal. It has a lot of pictures and descriptions and comments from other teen girls. If your a parent I suggest you buy this for your young preteen (even 10 year olds!) we all need to be prepared for this time in our lives and there are some things you just can't talk about with your parents... In a nutshell this is one of the best books I've ever read.

I bought the Gurl book after knowing about the Gurl website for quite some time. Luckily, this book fills it all in. I was impressed by all the information on everything a girl needs to know, all about sex, pregnancy, depression, parents, etc. etc. I think I'm maybe a little too old for the book now (I'm 18) but I'd totally recommend it for 12-16 year-olds. Some parents might not like the content (it discusses oral sex, etc.) but a girl's gonna learn about it some time, so it might as well be in a healthy, factual way. Definitely worth the money.

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Keep in mind that this book is not something to read cover-to-cover like a novel it is much more of a reference book. Basically, it talks about sex, puberty, and changes in the body, as well as drugs, a bit of peer pressure, and certain kinds of mental illnesses. Still, parents need to know what they are buying their girls. My mom bought it for me while I was away at camp and for whatever reason, shipped it to me while I was residing up in the Pocono Mountains. The girls in my bunk went crazy and laughed hysterically over the pictures. Then, they proceeded to pass it around the bunk and read passages out loud. Every once in awhile, a counselor would find the book wide open on her pillow, flipped to a page with some diagram on it.

Yes, THOSE kind of diagrams. Body parts.

This is info every girl ought to know about, however. Nothing really ought to be deemed controversial here. This book basically talks about life, or something like it. What goes on in this book is happening, as I speak, to girls everywhere. If you've got qualms about graphic CARTOON pictures, then do not by this book. And for mothers reading this, I suggest your girl be in the eighth grade. Or if she's 12 and mature...what the hell. They'll find out everything here sooner or later!

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I read this book cover to cover with my wife before giving it to our 11 year old daughter. If I were to change one thing I would put it in a three ring binder so we could remove some parts such as the oral sex section until she was a little older. However my wife and I are very open minded and we actually went through the book section by section with our daughter and asked her to skip those sections until she was a little older. She even closed the sections with a paperclip for us.

Our daughter is very intelligent and very curious. I can tell you right now that I would much rather have her learn these things from this book than from someone on the street!

I recommend this book for anyone with daughters in the age from 11-18. I also recommend "Our Bodies Ourselves" for ALL women AND men to read.

If you really don't want your daughter reading those sections, then hit them with a permanent marker, or do like that other woman did and rip the pages right out, but don't pass over this excellent and informative resource for young women!..

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i wish we would have had a book like this in the late 70's /early 80's when i was in junior/senior high school. this book will help so many kids with questions/problems that they do not yet feel comfortable speaking with their friends and family about. don't worry gurls-you'll love talking about all things with your gurlfriends as you get older! this book is perfect. and take this advise to heart-these chick's know what's up. way to go rebecca!

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