Tundraco's Daily Living Guide to Book Reviews
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Tundraco's Daily Living Guide to Book Reviews |
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The Imposter? How a Juvenile Criminal succeeded in Business and Life By Kip Kreiling Publishers Printing, 2009, 284 pages ISBN 978-0-615-32055-7 |
Reviewed by Israel Drazin - March 1, 2010
Kip Kreiling engaged in sometimes violent criminal activity until age 17. He was alienated from his family and robbed, became severely addicted to countless drugs, was arrested several times and was connected to organized crime. Then he changed, graduated college, secured an MBA, and obtained lucrative employment, a wife and children. In this book, he tells the eight life principle that helped him change and clarifies and dramatizes each by describing events in his life and in the life of others.
The first principle, after recognizing that we have a problem, is that we should realize that we can change completely. Thus, we know at the very outset that the following steps can work.
Second, we need to make our desire to change a compelling imperative, a necessity, an overwhelming need. For example, when the ancient Greeks left their boats and stormed the shores of another nation, their leaders ordered that the boats be burnt so that their soldiers would be compelled to fight and win, for they had no other way to return home. If we decide to lose weight, we must consider this decision so important that failure is not an option.
Third, we must realize that our lives were driven by wrong ideas and develop new ones. "By changing what you believe," Kreilling writes, "you change who you are."
Fourth, ideas must be followed by actions. Once we act as we should, there are two consequences. We develop proper habits so that when future incidents occur that require a response, our bodies react habitually without thinking in a manner that is good for us and for society. Secondly, scientists have demonstrated that proper ideas and behavior change our bodies; positive attitudes have even killed malignant cancers.
Fifth, change our surroundings. A positive environment - like a warm sun – will aid transformation and growth. "During the Middle Ages, Blackfriars Bridge in London, a gloomy black structure, was noted for its record number of suicides. Later, after the bridge was painted bright green, the reported cases of suicide jumpers all but stopped. Over and over again, we see that our environment can, in effect, control us."
Sixth, seek help from others. We were created in such a way that no matter how smart and capable we are, we accomplish far more when we work with other people.
Seventh: "Learn to focus your energy on creating positives, instead of eliminating negatives, and your life will blossom." For example, do not focus on losing weight, but on a positive goal, such as running or walking or wearing a certain garment.
Eighth, be optimistic. It is possible to change and improve if people make their desire to change a compelling part of their lives, develop new ideas and goals, act according to these ideas, move to a positive environment, accept help from others and always focus on what is positive.
Books can be ordered at www.KipKreiling.com.
Dr. Israel Drazin is the author of fifteen books, including a series of five volumes on the Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Bible, which he co-authors with Rabbi Dr. Stanley M. Wagner, and a series of four books on the twelfth century philosopher Moses Maimonides, the latest being Maimonides: Reason Above All, published by Gefen Publishing House, www.gefenpublishing.com. The Orthodox Union (OU) publishes daily samples of the Targum books on www.ouradio.org
