Best Selling Books by David Tuffley

I N T R O D U C T I O N Good manuals are a scarce commodity - expensive to produce, difficult to maintain, the province of experts. Not any more. With this new step-by-step guide you can produce successful manuals at a fraction of the normal cost. Software user Documentation: A How To Guide for Project Staff is a detailed reference guide to the preparation of effective user documentation for computer software applica-tions. It is intended for people who wish to develop software user documentation. The format and arrangement of this manual re-flects the principles outlined within it - it ''practices what it preaches''. No prior knowledge or experience of user documentation writ-ing is assumed. The manual is designed to equip a person with at least average written expression skills with a blueprint of how to prepare a software user manual. Provided the person is prepared to follow the instructions through to completion, the result will be an effective piece of documentation. It can be used by practicing user documenters and technical writers as a checklist of what to include in a piece of documen-tation. The information given in this manual conforms with the interna-tionally recognised IEEE Standard 1063 which relates to the requirements for software user documentation. S O W H A T M A K E S A N E F F E C T I V E M A N U A L ? Organisation - Good manuals are well-structured with comprehensive table of contents and index. Content - The material focuses on user tasks, provides clear instructions and is concise. Appearance - The presentation is attractive with plenty of white space, and are packaged in booklets that are easy to use. Language - The text is easy to read and aimed specifically at the users. What to Avoid - Users dislike manuals that are: inaccurate, contain too much detail, talks down to people, is too formal, is poorly presented and/or organised.

Going with the Flow is a how-to guide for creating harmony in your life by bringing yourself into alignment with the larger laws of Nature that governs the world. It''s a good idea to know about them, because you can no more escape their influence than a swimmer in the ocean can avoid getting wet. And once you know, you can choose to harmonise your life with them, or not, it will still be up to you. Going with the flow is recognizing that a vast river of energy flows through life. Learning to swim with the energy is the key to creating a happier, more harmonious life. The river does not care if you choose to swim against it, becoming exhausted while making no progress. Aligning your efforts with the larger flow endows you with intuitive insight into the deeper nature of the world. These insights would have been obscured by the stresses and strains of the unexamined life that so many of us lead, preoccupied as we are with the world of appearances. This little book may be modest in numbers of words, but it is large on underlying meaning and potential to make your world a better place. It teaches you how to raise your awareness of the patterns of Nature that can be observed in the world around you, and to sense the world with immediacy and impact, to contemplate your impressions without judgement. What is stopping us from living this way? Perhaps the tendency in us all to settle into orthodox ways of thinking that your social group believes is right. Venturing outside of these conventional ways of thinking is to risk being ridiculed by the group. Are you brave enough to think for yourself, and perhaps resist the need to tell everyone your newfound wisdom? Going with the flow is like a woodworker understanding that he must work with the grain not across it. It is to understand that everything in the world is subject to change; often gradual, sometimes sudden. We need to know how to move with the changes and not resist them, not be too attached to anything, since nothing lasts forever. Our willingness to put ourselves into alignment with the flow of Nature puts us into harmony with it, and gives us the momentum of those larger evolutionary forces. We become the kind of person that others might describe as ''a force of nature''.

I N T R O D U C T I O N How to Write Software Quality Management Plans is a plain-english, simplified version of IEEE 730 Standard for Software Quality Assurance Plans. This how to guide specifies the format and contents of a quality plan. It identifies the practices and processes to be applied during a project to ensure that the deliverables conform to the agreed requirements. It also identifies the quality objectives of the project, which are statements about measurable aspects of project and quality management. The quality plan includes the: - scope and objectives of the quality aspects of the project - quality deliverables that the project will produce - process by which those deliverables are produced - organisation and staffing which will perform the quality functions - responsibilities of those involved S C O P E How to Write Software Quality Management Plans applies to the medium to large scale software development projects. O B J E C T I V E S How to Write Software Quality Management Plans provides project and quality managers with a guide for the development of the quality plan. It addresses: - quality related aspects of the project to be considered during the planning stage of the project - the project''s quality objectives, quality deliverables and how they are to be managed - the need for consistent content and format Contribution to IS Quality. As with the Project Plan, the literature of software quality recognises the importance of comprehensive planning for those aspects of a software development project that bear most closely upon its success. Given that up to 70% of IT development projects fail (in terms of either not being completed, or completed but not used by the client due to it unsuitability), due in part to inadequate planning and execution of the project, this how to guide is an valuable aid for project planners to address the important quality-related activities. It is is an easy to use checklist, as defined by IEEE 730, and template to achieve this end. In the same way as a systematic and comprehensive Statement of User Requirements can capture a more complete set of requirements, a project plan as provided by this how to guide allows the project manager to make sure he/she has considered all relevant quality matters in the planning stage, allowing them to avoid, as far as possible, unpleasant surprizes later.

I N T R O D U C T I O NConfiguration management (CM) is the regulation of the way in which a software product evolves during the development and maintenance phases of the product lifecycle. It is the process by which the individual components of a software system are identified so that any changes to the configuration of these components can be systematically traced and therefore controlled throughout the complete span of the development cycle. CM thus forms the basis for product and project measurement.This How To Guide is based in large part on ANSI/IEEE 1042.S C O P EThis How To Guide describes the application of configuration management (CM) principles to the management of software development projects. CM consists of two major aspects; planning and implementation.For those planning software configuration management activities, this standard provides guide-lines into the aspects which must be considered.For those implementing software configuration management disciplines can use the sample Configuration Management Plan attached.This How To Guide outlines the essential concepts of CM, including libraries and tools.O B J E C T I V E STo achieve the above, the objective of a project manager will be the identification and establishment of baselines; the review, approval, and control of changes to the project components; the tracking and reporting of such changes; the reviews of the evolving product; the control of documentation; and the control of the interfaces to the clients and supplier.However it should be noted that this How To Guide specifies the minimum requirements, and therefore the project manager has the option where required, to expand and supplement as necessary for the development of specific project activities.In specific terms, the objective of CM procedures are to provide methods for: - Version identification - Obtaining approval to implement a modification - Ensuring that modifications are correctly integrated through formal change control pro-cedures- Controlling the identification of development status- Ensuring that nonconforming software is identified and segregatedContribution to IS Quality. A structured and comprehensive approach to software design is known to be a major factor contributing to Information Systems Quality. Adequate configuration management is however often not performed, contributing to a higher number of software defects which impact the real and perceived quality of the software, as well as leading to time and expense being spent on rework and higher maintenance costs.How to Write Configuration Management Plans is a plain-English, procedural guide to developing CM Plans that are both systematic and comprehensive. It contains detailed instructions and templates

The task of developing comprehensive Software Design Descriptions (SDDs) is greatly assisted by this book. Written for software development project managers and staff, it is basically a plain-English, simplified version of the IEEE Std 1016 Recommended Practice for Software Design Descriptions. While it infringes no copyright, it still embodies the essential detail of IEEE 1016. It describes the: - Software development context in which an SDD should be created, - Minimum requirements for SDD format and content and, - Qualities of a good SDD. Who is this document for? The SDD is created by the System Architect or designer and is the major deliverable from the detailed design process. What are the Prerequisites? The prerequisite document required for an SDD varies according to the size and complexity of the software product to be developed. For large systems the prerequisite is the System Architecture Specification. In this context the SDD represents a further refinement of the design entities described in the SAS. An SDD may provide descriptions of one or more design entities. For small systems, the SDD prerequisite is a Software Requirements Specification. In this context it is the single source of design solutions to problems stated in the SRS. Who uses the SDD? The SDD is the primary reference for code development. As such, it must contain all the information required by a programmer to write code. Contribution to IS Quality A structured and comprehensive approach to software design is known to be a major factor contributing to Information Systems Quality. Adequate design is however often not performed, contributing to a higher number of software defects which impact the real and perceived quality of the software, as well as leading to time and expense being spent on rework and higher maintenance costs. How to Write Software Design Descriptions is a plain-English, procedural guide to developing high quality SDDs that are both systematic and comprehensive. It contains detailed instructions and templates on the following test documentation.

Have you noticed, life has a way of throwing challenges your way that can knock you down? If you do not have sufficient resilience, it may be very difficult to pick yourself up and keep moving forwards. This book gives you a wide range of strategies that help you become the person who can pick themselves up and keep moving forwards, stronger than you were before. Resilience is a learn-able skill; it can be cultivated even if you are not a naturally resilient person. This concise book outlines how you can develop your own resilience and find greater enjoyment and fulfilment in life, becoming a more self-actualized person. We could all benefit from having strategies to help us deal with the challenging, sometimes catastrophic events that come our way in life. Losing your job or business, relationship break-up, bereavement, illness or disability, and being the victim of crime are all situations where having resilience should come to the fore. How would you react to events of this seriousness? Would it knock the wind out of you such that you would find it difficult to carry on? Or do you have the resilience to get up again and keep moving forwards? Being Resilient shows you how to handle stress in a positive way and helps you be the kind of person who bounces back and carries on, stronger than before. It describes what resilience is and how you can cultivate it so that you can meet those difficult challenges and go on to become a stronger, happier person. Being Resilient is an essential ability in your repertoire of life skills. With it, you can meet the challenges of life, grow as a person and approach your full potential as a human being. Without resilience, you become bogged in the problems that you encounter along the road and find it difficult to get yourself out and continue your journey. Resilience is a form of learned optimism, a process by which you learn to accept that in life, problems will come your way, many of which you have little or no control over. But here is the crucial point, you also realize that you do have control over how you think about and react to those problems. As Shakespeare observed there is nothing either good or bad that thinking makes it so. Your world is not fixed; it is created by you, by your perceptions of what happens around you and how you choose to think about them and react. This is an empowering thought that puts you squarely in the driver''s seat of your life; you are in charge.

Highly creative people are among the highest paid in the world today. Prestigious organisations compete to get the most creative people on-board. It is a skill you can take to the bank. This book can show you how to cultivate a highly creative mind-set, plus the leadership qualities that will ensure you are taken seriously. In today''s globalised economy, we increasingly compete with low-cost workers in the developing world who charge much less for their labour. The labour market has expanded, and the competition has never been greater. The trend will continue well into the foreseeable future. As a knowledge worker, how can you increase your value in the market and future-proof your earning ability? The answer is to be able to generate great ideas that add value to whatever enterprise you work in. Creativity is a valuable skill, regardless of where you work and what you do. Creativity, or indeed genius, can indeed be learned; it is how you think, rather than what you think that matters. Like leadership, You cannot conjure genius on demand. You can only create the right conditions and wait for it to spontaneously occur. Throughout this book, I use the terms ''genius'' and ''highly creative person'' interchangeably. A genius is a highly creative person who has a mind-set that generates creative output. Many people assume genius requires a high IQ, but this is not necessarily the case. It is far more about attitude, and attitude is learnable. You can learn how to think and act like a genius. Is there a human alive who has reached their fullest potential? Possibly, but he or she is so rare as to be perhaps one in a billion. It is the nature of being human to be imperfect. We all have room for improvement. So what does it mean to be a genius? This book gives you a profile of how geniuses think and act, based on the work of researchers across cultures over time. It gives you the essence of being a genius. If you follow the advice and emulate these practices, you will create the right conditions for genius to manifest in your life. How successful you are will be largely dependent on how much time and effort you are prepared to invest in this most noble of endeavours. Genius can be understood as an aspect of the self-actualised person; someone who is in the process of living and expressing their unique human potential at it its fullest. The process of self-actualisation is discussed in detail in this book.

I N T R O D U C T I O N How to Write Software Project Plans is a plain-english, simplified version of IEEE 1058 - Standard for Software Project Management Plans. The project plan documents the planning work necessary to conduct, track and report on the progress of a project. It contains a full description of how the work will be performed. The benefit of using this how to guide is the consistency of presentation, enabling management to assess the plans, for their merits or limitations, more readily. In particular this how to guide specifies the format and content for a project plan by defining the minimal set of elements that shall appear in all project plans (additional sections may be ap-pended as required). The project plan includes the: - scope and objectives of the project - deliverables the project will produce - process which shall be employed to produce those deliverables - time frame and milestones for the production of the deliverables - organisation and staffing which will be established - responsibilities of those involved - work steps to be undertaken - budget S C O P E How to Write Software Project Plans applies to the medium to large scale software development projects. O B J E C T I V E S How to Write Software Project Plans allows the project manager to: consider all relevant aspects of the project, ensuring they will be considered during the project planning stage produce project plans with consistent content and format clarify the objectives, deliverables and manner of execution of the project Contribution to IS Quality. The literature of software quality widely recognises that up to 70% of IT development projects fail (in terms of either not being completed, or completed but not used by the client due to it unsuitability). One of the major contributing factors to this alarming situation is that the project was not planned comprehensively enough. While it is not possible to foresee every misfortunes that might possibly befall a project, there are nonetheless a well-defined set of actions and attributes which if employed in the planning stage can result in all foreseeable matters being addressed. This how to guide is an easy to use checklist, as defined by IEEE 1058, and template to achieve this end. It embodies the principle of failing to plan is planning to fail.. In the same way as a systematic and comprehensive Statement of User Requirements can capture a more complete set of requirements, a project plan as provided by this how to guide allows the project manager to make sure he/she has considered all relevant matters in the planning stage, allowing them to avoid, as far as possible, unpleasant surprizes later.

Volume 1 (of 2) of the Software Development Project How To Guide: Project document templates library is a practical, no-nonsense, cost-effective way to improve the conduct of software development projects. The book is written by an experienced Software Engineer who moved from the world of projects to academia, completing a PhD in software process in 2009. Earlier editions of this book have been successfully used since the 1990''s by software development project managers and staff around the world. It has also been used by Universities in Australia to support their IT degrees. This book is essentially a toolkit that project managers and development organisations generally can use to good effect on projects. It can also serve as the basis for defining their own processes, their own software quality management system. Volume 1 has the following parts: A. SOFTWARE PROJECT PLAN B. SOFTWARE QUALITY PLAN C. CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT PLAN D. REQUIREMENTS LIST E. STATEMENT OF USER REQUIREMENTS F. SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFICATION G. SOFTWARE DESIGN DESCRIPTIONS H. SOFTWARE QUALITY METRICS I. SOFTWARE TEST PLAN J. SOFTWARE REVIEWS & AUDITS K. SOFTWARE USER DOCUMENTATION A Proven Approach. The approach the author suggests when establishing software quality management systems is to first take the time to understand the organisation''s established ways of undertaking projects, then ''graft'' onto these existing processes appropriate material from this book. Not more bureaucracy, please! This approach recognises that any new quality management system that simply places a new layer of bureaucracy onto an already over-burdened staff is doomed to failure because staff will resist it. Both Sound and User-friendly. When that system is based on sound software engineering principles, as outlined by the IEEE software engineering standards, the system becomes both sound and user-friendly. Profitability through Higher Capability. Development organisation''s that have defined their processes and who can demonstrate that they follow these processes will likely rate at level 3 or higher on both the CMMI (TM) and ISO 15504 SPICE. Achieving level 3 or higher can place development organisations more competitively in the tendering process, as well as making the organisation more profitable by reducing the time-to-market and re-work through increased efficiency. This book is supported by a (free) library of forms available for download. Volume 2 (available separately) has the following parts: A. PROJECT INITIATION B. REQUEST TO QUOTE PROCEDURE C. PROJECT ESTIMATING D. DOCUMENT PRODUCTION E. SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION PRODUCTION F. TERMS OF REFERENC G. SOFTWARE PROJECT AGREEMENTS H. PROCUREMENT & HANDLING CLIENT SUPPLIED MATERIALS I. VERSION CONTROL OF DELIVERABLES J. PROJECT DOCUMENT FILING K. PROJECT STATUS REPORTING L. RISK MANAGEMENT M. CHANGE CONTROL N. ISSUES MANAGEMENT O. CONTROL OF DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT P. PROGRESS CONTROL Q. CLIENT FEEDBACK R. PROJECT END REPORT The free Forms library contain the following: FM-01Change request form FM-02Issue notification FM-03Change log FM-04Issue log FM-05Error log FM-06Quality control log FM-07Error notification FM-08Training course assessment FM-09Training gap analysis FM-10Project risk analysis - detailed FM-11Impact analysis FM-12Consultancy feedback FM-13Consultancy log FM-14Role skill matrix FM-15Project risk analysis - summary FM-16Team weekly report FM-17Team member weekly report FM-18Quality control record FM-19Internal Audit Notification FM-20Standards FM-21Pre-Project Initiation Checklist FM-22Lunchtime Seminar Assessment Form FM-23Workshop Evaluation Form FM-24Lunch Time Seminar Schedule FM-25Stage End Customer Stakeholder Feedback Form FM-26Section Customer Feedback Register FM-27Section Customer Complaints Register FM-28Configuration Register

I N T R O D U C T I O N How to Perform Reviews & Audits is a plain-english, simplified version of IEEE Std 1028-1988 - Standard for Software Reviews and Audits. This how to guide encompasses the range of review and audit activities undertaken during a project. Reviews and audits comprise the following five modules: Management review. The formal evaluation of a project level plan or project status relative to that plan by a designated review team. Technical review. The evaluation of specified software modules and documents aimed at ensuring that the software modules and documents comply with the applicable standards while conforming to the specifications. The tech-nical review may provide recommendations after the exami-nation of alternatives. Walkthrough. An evaluation process that can result in recommendations for improvement or identification of alternatives to the current software modules or documents being developed. Audit. Provide objective evidence of compliance of products and processes with standards, guidelines, specifications and procedures. Includes audits of the quality management system. Inspection. Rigorous formal evaluations designed to detect and identify defects in the reviewed material. Normally conducted after the event and initiated by persons outside of the project team. S C O P E How to Perform Reviews & Audits applies to all project documents, software conduct specific reviews or audits - that need is defined by the project and quality plans. Also applies to the audit of the quality management system. O B J E C T I V E S How to Perform Reviews & Audits provides definitions and uniform requirements to enable project staff to perform the necessary reviews and audits of products and processes. Contribution to IS Quality. An essential element in the development of project documentation is the verification and validation that their contents are true and accurate. It is recognised in the literature of software quality that the authors of documents and code inherently do not wish to find errors in their own work. They will often consciously or unconsciously overlook errors and inaccuracies. It is therefore not advisable to leave the review of project documentation to those who produce it. It is important for such checking to conducted in a consistent and systematic manner. If this is done, project documentation will serve the development process in the way in which they are intended. This how to guide is an valuable aid for project and quality managers to address the important process of performing reviews and audits. It is is an easy to use checklist, as defined by IEEE Std 1028, and template to achieve this end.

I N T R O D U C T I O N How to Perform Software Metrics is a plain-english, simplified version of IEEE Std 1061 Standard for a Software Metrics Methodology. This how to guide defines the standard for software quality metrics methodology. It is meant for people involved with the purchase, development, use, assistance, maintenance or review of soft-ware. The standard is especially directed at those measuring or reviewing the quality of software. S C O P E How to Perform Software Metrics supplies a methodology for founding quality requirements and recognising, implementing, analysing and validating process and product software quality metrics. This methodology applies to all software at all stages of any software life-cycle structure. Sections 1 through 4 provide, scope, definitions, and background information which is the basis of this standard; all parts of Section 5 are compulsory. Appendices A through D are incorporated for illustrative and reference reasons only. This how to guide does not assign specific metrics. However, the appendices include models of metrics together with a finalised example of the use of this standard. O B J E C T I V E S The objectives of How to Perform Software Metrics are to provide definitive software metrics reference to the following categories of person: - Purchasing/project managers to identify, state and priori-tise the quality requirements for a system. - System developers to identify definite features that should be assembled into the software in order to meet the quality requirements. - Quality audit/assurance/control company and a system developer to review whether the quality requirements are being met. - System maintainers to aid in change management during product development. - User to help in distinguishing the quality requirements for a system Contribution to IS Quality. Software metrics form an indispensable part of any software process improvement program. Without the means to measure improvements (or otherwise) in software quality, it cannot be determined whether process improvement is being achieved. This how to guide is an valuable aid for project and quality managers to address the important process of keeping software metrics. It is is an easy to use checklist, as defined by IEEE Std 1061, and template to achieve this end.

Do you enjoy a drink or two in the company of others, or does it go beyond that? Where do you draw the line between what is good for you and what might be doing you harm? It is not always easy to know. As a general guide, if you can stop after a couple of drinks, then you don''t have a problem. But if you have difficulty stopping, when one drink is too many and twenty is not enough, then yes, maybe your drinking has moved into the red zone. This book shows you how to stay in the green zone by giving you strategies to limit consumption and advice on how to live life the fullest. Not everyone who drinks heavily is an alcoholic. Alcoholism, like dependence on any drug, has three clear characteristics; preoccupation with acquisition, compulsive use, narrowing of interests, denial, and relapse. If alcohol was all good, or all bad, it would be easy. We could simply declare it so. We all know water is good for you and you should drink plenty of it for good health. Likewise we know that cyanide will kill you stone dead in moments. No ambiguity with these substances. But it is more complicated with alcohol. In small amounts, it is not harmful; it can even be good for you. And because it feels good, it is easy to want more, and then some more. Long before you stop feeling like having more, a line is being crossed between what is doing you good and what is harming you. If we stopped wanting more when we actually cross that line, there would not be a problem. With small amounts of alcohol, you feel relaxed. Problems fade into the background, a bad mood is changed, a good mood is improved. Unfortunately though, like any drug, you develop a tolerance for it. Higher and higher doses are needed to get the same good feeling. Incidentally, the word alcohol comes from the Arabic ''al kohl'' meaning ''the essence'', perhaps a reference to the distillation process by which spirits are obtained.

The wisdom of the ancient Zen masters and sages expressed in modern day language for all to understand. The koan is an enigmatic or paradoxical question used to develop a person''s Intuition. Koans are a valuable tool in your quest for enlightenment, but how do they work and why use them? Koans work by confounding logic and forcing a person out of their normal thinking and into the realm of Intuition. In other words, the inherent meaning is inaccessible to rational understanding, but perhaps accessible to Intuition.This book presents some of the classic koans from traditional Zen, originally written hundreds of years ago in Japanese, and re-interpreted from early English translations into early 21st Century English. The underlying meaning is still there, so they will still work as a koan should, but they are expressed in language more easily understood by people in the 21st Century. Each koan encapsulates a profound truth for reflection. Zen counsels the lessening of the ego, not the strengthening of it as consumer culture would urge. Instead of making a name for ourselves in society, we should listen to the voice of pines and cedars when no wind stirs, in other words become no-thing, entering instead the field of pure being that is behind the phenomenal world.

Strategic non-action is a powerful yet under-rated method of influencing worldly affairs. In cultures where action is favoured over inaction, like in the West, direct action is considered a virtue while inaction is little more than laziness or cowardice. Let us be more subtle and nuanced in our understanding. There is a time for both action and inaction. Non-action gives access to a deeper intuitive awareness than that gained through action, since knowledge that comes through action is obscured by situation-specific reactions. Non-action is an aspect of going with the flow, not resisting the larger forces that govern a world of which you are a small part. It acknowledges that events are governed by the laws of Nature, and it is often best to simply allow those laws to operate and play out in their own time, in their own way. Non-action can help us towards our goals by encouraging patience and taking the long-view. Humanistic Psychology says that it is within our reach to create the life we want for ourselves. As we think and believe, so we create our world. This is indeed true, but only up to a point. We can transform our lives in goal fulfilling ways, but the transformation is relatively slow, its progress measured in months and years.

Surfing has grown from a pastime enjoyed in old Polynesia to a global pursuit with a legion of devoted practitioners. For many, surfing is a state-of-mind, a life-style that has become a consuming passion. For others, it is a highly enjoyable weekend pastime. This concise collection of surfing terms gives the outsider or beginner a window into the culture and language of surfing. Seasoned surfers already know these terms.

Doing a PhD is no easy thing. It rates as one of the most difficult, yet rewarding things a person will ever do. Much has been written on the process of doing a PhD, as a trawl through a book-store will confirm. In addition to these, universities generously provide detailed information on doing a PhD. The world does not need another book that goes over that same ground. What the world does need is information about the psychological factors that make a PhD student successful. They are the same factors that make a good researcher, someone who can make a contribution to knowledge in their chosen field. If you are reading this, you probably have an interest in what it takes to get a PhD. Maybe it is a burning desire, maybe more like a passing fancy. In any case, it is a major life-choice, one which you need to be fully informed about before you make it. If you decide to do a PhD, you should know what the success factors are before you start. Many candidates start out confidently but drop out along the way because they were not clear on this important point. So if you are trying to decide whether to do a PhD, or are wondering if you have what it takes, this book is for you. It is a portrait of the successful PhD student. Do you recognise yourself? There has never been a better time to do a PhD. The number of people in the world who have the desire and the access to higher education is rising exponentially. As more people, particularly in the developing world gain access to the Internet more options are now available to people. Few things contribute more to raising the overall standard of living and quality of life in a community than education. The established university model has endured for a thousand years and is still going strong. Long may it prosper. In the 11th Century there were just four universities in the world; Bologna, Salerno, Modena and Paris. In the 21st Century there are around 10,000 universities around the world and the number is rising. The traditional university is now being supplemented by the rise of the on-line university, offering everything from Associate Degrees up to PhDs across a wide range of subject areas. Thankfully, geographic location is now no barrier to getting an education.

The Tao Te Ching is a how-to guide for creating harmony in your life. It can transform you, heal you, make you into the person you were always meant to be by teaching you about your true nature. It describes a force called the Tao that operates uniformly throughout the universe and is the causal agent of everything that happens. This edition begins with a discussion on knowing the Tao. With this foundation, it goes on to discuss how to use the Tao to become more conscious, to cultivate yourself, to lead others, to influence group dynamics, and when to refrain from action. Central Idea A central idea in the Tao Te Ching is the importance of avoiding extremes and always seeking the middle path on our journey through life. The objective is to operate from the middle ground between the extremes. This avoids causing any counter-reactions to your own actions. The net effect is one of neutrality. Finding the middle path means not needing to suffer the consequences of an act. In terms of the doctrine of Karma, it means avoiding negative reactions, or bad karma. Harmony with the Tao means living so that we do not swing like a pendulum from one extreme to the other. In human terms this pendulum swing equates to drama, that which creates disturbances in our lives and gets in the way of calm inner reflection. The Tao Te Ching encourages us to sense the world around us directly and to contemplate our impressions deeply from a position of neutrality. It advises against relying on the structures and orthodox belief systems that have been created by others. Such ideologies remove us from a direct experience of life and effectively cut us off from our intuition. Finding and following the Middle Path requires you to develop an awareness of the physical forces that shape your world and direct its events. Such forces operate uniformly at all levels, from the macrocosm to the microcosm. They operate in the universe as a whole and in the minds and lives of individuals. An understanding of these natural laws and the forces they direct gives you the power to direct events in the world without resorting to force, by using attitude instead of action. Subtle influence is better than force Influence on others is achieved through guiding rather than ruling. The objective is always to avoid taking action that will elicit counter-reactions. In Nature, an excessive force in a particular direction tends to trigger the growth of an opposing force. Therefore the use of force cannot be the basis for establishing an enduring social condition. Accepting the inevitability of change When you come to know the Tao, you understand that everything in the universe is in a state of flux. The emotional and intellectual structures that you build for your comfort and security will be subject to change by external forces that are largely beyond our control. The challenge is to accept the inevitability of change. We should not waste our energies propping up what one day must surely fall, defending them against criticisms, and convincing others to believe so that they are recognized as permanent truth. Grasping the reality of the impermanence allows us to align ourselves with the forces of Nature that bring about incremental progress in the social and physical world. We learn to embrace change whenever it occurs. Becoming a force of Nature Our alignment with the forces in Nature makes us a part of those forces, gives us the momentum of those larger forces. Our perceptions become more finely tuned because they are now based on evolving reality, not upon orthodox thinking that may be out-of-date. We see the world as it is, not as we believe it should be. Finding and following the Middle Path is how to create peace and tranquility in your life. A person whose life is chaotic, lurching from one disaster to the next, is unable do much more than merely survive.

The essence of longevity is harmony. It is bringing your inner world into harmony with your outer world, the microcosm with the macrocosm. Your inner world is a reflection of your outer world and the two should be as closely aligned as possible. The more conflict there is, the more stress and strain there is, and the shorter life tends to be. At the physical level, longevity is achieved by keeping your body flexible and in good working order. At the mental level it is keeping your mind clear and sharp, thinking creatively. At the spiritual level, it is being at peace with your world. Each of these levels is addressed in detail in this comprehensive how to guide. Secrets of a Long & Happy Life goes well beyond lifestyle advice for long life. It works on the assumption that quantity of life must also be accompanied by the highest possible quality of life. What is the point of living to 100 if you are miserable? Nursing homes and aged care facilities are filled with people who are kept alive through advances in medical science, but whose enjoyment of life is poor or non-existent. Do not let this happen to you. The Romans had a saying; ''mens sana in corpore sano''. It means a healthy mind in a healthy body. Mind and body depend upon each other, and both must be healthy. But having a healthy mind in a healthy body is the starting point. Secrets of a Long & Happy Life gives you detailed advice on how to achieve this, and does so in a culturally neutral way. Regardless of where you live, what cultural and religious traditions you observe, this advice will work for you because it operates at the level of underlying principle, not outward form. From here, it shows you how to become self-actualized (achieving your fullest potential), how to cultivate your intelligence well beyond its current level. Secrets of a Long & Happy Life does not shy away from the reality of death. Living in fear of dying erodes your enjoyment of life, so the book draws from ancient Buddhist wisdom about how to achieve enlightenment and what happens to your consciousness when your body dies. In short, it helps you understand how to have a good death at the end of a long and happy life. This could just be the most useful book you ever read. How this book is organized: Chapter 1: Lifestyle. Chapter 2: Stimulate your brain. Chapter 3: Self-Actualization. Chapter 4: Harmony with Nature. Chapter 5: Being Creative. Chapter 6: Enlightenment. Appendix A: Tips & Advice. Appendix B: Beating Addiction.