Most Popular Books by John Townsend

Button-pushers come in all shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common: Their behavior drives us crazy and makes us dream of ways to escape the mess we''re in. The person who pushes your buttons is likely someone who matters to you – a spouse, a parent, a boss, a fellow church member. Almost always this difficult person is connected to you by blood, love, faith, or money, so you can''t just end the relationship without causing pain and upheaval in your life. Our friends and today''s culture will often advise us to abandon such relationships quickly – to end this unpleasant chapter and get on with our lives. Psychologist and author Dr. John Townsend disagrees, "Your button-pusher is not someone you would easily and casually leave. You are intertwined at many levels. It is worth the trouble to take a look at the ways the relationship you had, and want, can be revived and reborn." In this easy-to-read book he offers Expert insights to help you understand your own button-pusher Wise assistance in determining the nature of the problem Compassionate help in identifying your failed attempts to fix things A hope-filled vision for what can be and how to make it come true Rich resources to help you navigate the necessary changes

Establish wise and loving limits that make a positive difference in your teen, in the rest of your family, and in you. The teen years: relationships, peer pressure, school, dating, character. To help teenagers grow into healthy adults, parents and youth workers need to teach them how to take responsibility for their behavior, their values, and their lives. From bestselling author and counselor Dr. John Townsend, Boundaries with Teens is the expert insight and guidance you need to help your teens take responsibility for their actions, attitudes, and emotions and gain a deeper appreciation and respect both for you and for themselves. With wisdom and empathy, Dr. Townsend applies biblically based principles for the challenging task of guiding your children through the teen years. Using the same principles he used to successfully raise two teens, he shows you how to: Deal with disrespectful attitudes and impossible behavior in your teen Set healthy limits and realistic consequences Be loving and caring while establishing rules Determine specific strategies to deal with problems both big and small Discover how boundaries make parenting teens better today! Plus, check out Boundaries family collection of books dedicated to key areas of life – dating, marriage, raising young kids, and leadership. Workbooks and Spanish editions are also available.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Learn to stop making excuses and focusing on what you can''t control and break free from the blame game that is sabotaging your success. “It’s not my fault!” These words seem like a common, harmless excuse. They can even seem like the truth. But according to psychologists Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend, this phrase is really a dangerous, self-destructive trap that keeps you from the life you want to live. But there is a way to turn the trap into a launching pad—and it''s simpler than you think. Using eight principles, powerful true stories, and years of experience as professional psychologists, this bestselling author duo of Boundaries will teach you how to start getting what you want out of your relationships, your career, and your life. Learn the one skill you need to begin transforming your life Discover eight powerful principles to help you shift your focus Written by psychologists who are leading voices on mental health and leadership Even if you''ve gotten a raw deal from other people, your DNA, or life''s circumstances, there is always something you can do to make things better. With the transformational insights in this book, break free from the blame game that is sabotaging your success and start really living.

This book provides information about various facts about the human body.

Leading from Your Gut will help emerging and experienced leaders alike to hone their intuition and become the leader they were meant to be. As a leader, your decisions are critical. They have a significant effect on you and everyone around you. But the effective leader needs to have more than just logic, facts, and financials to help make the best choices. Leaders also must access their own intuition, that gut feeling inside. In Leading from Your Gut, you''ll learn how leaders excel not just through external competencies and skills but by drawing on their internal world and personal experience. You''ll explore how to harness the power of your values, thoughts, emotions, and relationships to better meet the complex demands of leadership. As you apply Townsend''s principles, you will see great results in your leadership. But more importantly, you''ll experience the kind of personal transformation that will enable you to lead as a whole person. This book is the revised edition of Leadership Beyond Reason.

Your personal guide to learning how to love. When you say or hear the words "I love you" it can change your life forever. Love is one of God''s most important gifts to anyone, yet there are many misunderstandings about how to make love work in our families, friendships, marriages and dating relationships. In Loving People, best-selling author Dr. John Townsend shows you that love can actually be learned, and gives you the steps and tools to become skilled in love. Using his trademark stories and illustrations to flesh out the important principles, Dr. Townsend covers: receiving love connecting love healing love confronting love romantic love surrendering love Through his teaching, readers will discover - and start enjoying - the words, actions, and experiences of authentic love.

Do you have anyone in your life who can''t seem to stick with a project, meet a deadline, or even clean up after themselves? All of us feel we deserve special treatment sometimes. Some people live with this entitled attitude, such as: Professionals who wander from job to job looking for a boss who will see them as amazing as they consider themselves to be--whether they''re productive or not Young adults who refuse to grow up and so go nowhere Spouses or dates who believe, "I''m special, and I deserve more than you''re giving me" Leaders who expect special treatment because of their position, not because of their character If you have a difficult relationship with an entitled person, or if you have discovered entitlement in yourself, understand this: It doesn''t have to stay this way. There is a cure. It''s called the Hard Way and it works. In The Entitlement Cure, Dr. John Townsend explains that the Hard Way is a habit that focuses on doing whatever is needed even if it is difficult, uncomfortable, takes longer, and requires more energy. Dr. Townsend offers daily steps, such as risk-taking, to help you or those you love choose the Hard Way. Ultimately, entitlement fails us. We don''t develop the character abilities and relationships necessary to reach success and become the people God intended us to be. By contrast, Hard Way people have better relationships, reach their goals, have a clear job direction, enjoy rich spiritual growth, and are equipped to face and solve challenges. As Dr. Townsend writes, "Stand against entitlement in every form in which it manifests itself. Resolve your own tendencies toward the disease. Be a loving and firm force for helping those in its trap to find life and hope. And you will make the world a better place." Discover why the Hard Way is the best way in this practical guide to true success.

People Fuel outlines the twenty-two relational nutrients we all need to cultivate good relationships that provide energy, focus, and the support to be all you were meant to be. Just as good nutrition is necessary for a healthy body and physical energy, so the right kinds of relationships are critical to living a successful and confident life. If we don''t take enough iron, we can develop anemia. Too little calcium leads to bone disease. In the same way, we need the twenty-two relational nutrients essential to a healthy, energized, and productive life. In People Fuel, Dr. John Townsend--psychologist, leadership consultant, and coauthor of the New York Times bestselling Boundaries--shows you how truly good relationships give you energy, focus, and the support you need to succeed. Through stories and clear applications, Dr. Townsend shows you how to: Identify the types of people who can be either energy gains or energy drains Receive from relationships the help and support that God intended Create higher-quality connections with your family, friends, and coworkers Boost your productivity and creativity at work Build your essential Life Team As we learn to tap into these vital nutrients from quality relationships, we will experience more energy, positivity, focus, and the exponential growth to become the confident people God created us to be. People Fuel is also available in Spanish, Gente que Sume.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

What does it take to raise great kids? If you''ve read any books on parenting, conflicting opinions have probably left you feeling confused. Get tough! Show acceptance. Lay down the rules. Lighten up, already! There''s got to be a balance--and there is. Joining their expertise with the wisdom of MOPS International (Mothers of Preschoolers), Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend help you provide both the care and acceptance that make grace real to your child, and the firmness and discipline that give direction. Avoiding the twin extremes of permissiveness and over-control, Drs. Cloud and Townsend show how you can help your child cultivate six necessary character traits: attachment, responsibility, reality, competence, morality, and worship/spiritual life. At last, here is an effective middle ground for raising up children who will handle life with maturity and wisdom. Raising Great Kids will help you equip your son or daughter to accept life''s responsibilities, grow from its challenges, and freely and fully explore all that it has to offer.

Respected counselors, popular radio hosts, and bestselling authors Cloud and Townsend now apply the principles described in their bestselling "Boundaries" to matters of love and romance.

Lead small groups through astounding growth with principles from the best-selling books How People Grow and Boundaries.No matter what need brings a group of people together—from marriage enrichment to divorce recovery, from grief recovery to spiritual formation—members are part of a small group because they want to grow. This book by psychologists Henry Cloud and John Townsend provides small-group leaders with valuable guidance and information on how they can help their groups to grow spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. With insights from their best-selling book How People Grow, Cloud and Townsend show how God’s plan for growth is made up of three key elements: grace plus truth plus time. When groups embrace those elements, they find God’s grace and forgiveness and learn how to handle their imperfections without shame as they model God’s love and support to one another.In addition to describing what makes small groups work, Leading Small Groups That Help People Grow explains the roles and responsibilities of both leaders and group members. Employing tenets from the book How People Grow, this book equips leaders to understand the ins and outs of how to promote growth, and using principles from their best-selling book Boundaries, they show how to identify and find solutions for common problems such as boredom, noncompliance, passivity, aggression, narcissism, spiritualization, over-neediness, over-giving, and nonstop talking.

Safe People will help you discover why good people can get tangled in bad relationships, how to avoid repeating your own mistakes, and how to pick safe, healthy people for the friends you make and the company you keep. Too many of us have invested in relationships that have gone wrong. Maybe you''ve been judged, manipulated, or controlled. Or maybe you''ve trusted the wrong people in the past. It''s easy to make the same mistakes of judgment over and over--or, worse, to give up on trying to have great, authentic relationships again. But it doesn''t have to be that way. In Safe People, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend teach you that being with an unsafe person can be damaging to your confidence, your trust in others, and even your health. You''ll learn that you have the power to surround yourself with accepting, honest, and safe people who draw you closer to being the person God intended you to be. Drs. Cloud and Townsend, authors of the New York Times bestseller Boundaries, are here to share the lessons they''ve learned in their years of practicing psychology and studying the patterns and practices that support clear, biblical boundaries. In Safe People, they offer guidance for making safe choices in all of your day-to-day relationships, from family and friends to colleagues and partners. Safe People will give you the tools you need to recognize what makes people relationally safe, form positive relationships, and even become a safe person along the way. Drs. Cloud and Townsend share expert insights that will help you ask important questions: How can I learn to pick better friends? Why do I choose people who let me down? How did I end up with this critical boss? How do I attract irresponsible people? Why did I invest money with that unscrupulous person? What is it about me that draws the wrong types of people to me? Why am I drawn to the wrong types of people? It''s time to revitalize your connections and finally start enjoying the healthy, balanced relationships that you deserve.

A human behavior expert reveals that what leaders know about themselves is more important than their leadership skills and job knowledge. Who we are on the inside can determine leadership success more than what we do or what we know. In Leadership Beyond Reason, Dr. Townsend explores the critical role of the leader’s internal world, the world of passion, emotions, intuition, creativity, values, self-awareness, conscience, and spiritual life. Unveiling links between personal and organizational success or failure and the contents of a leader’s “heart,” the author shows that leaders excel not just through skill and smarts but by connecting with others using competencies, like curiosity, attention, reality assessment, distortion detecting, relationship building, ownership, and living with ambiguity. This is the leadership book only a world-respected psychologist could have written, and it is revolutionary in its insight.

When things go wrong in life and relationships, and with stunning frequency they do, you will connect with this simple yet highly effective inspirational approach to solving problems no matter what the issue: marriage, finances, bad choices, fear, anxiety, emotional hurt, obsessions, addictions, weight issues, and more. From the bestselling author of Boundaries, this quick-read book---Now What Do I Do?---will help you tap into the power of seven key principles that will help you solve everything from crises that explode without warning to chronic issues that have lingered for years. Solving problems isn''t instantaneous, but it still can be miraculous!

Examines some of the world''s greatest mysteries, looking at unexplained behaviors and events related to the mind and body, including tales of incredible survival, psychic messages, strange coincidences, dreams, comas, spontaneous combustion, and other topics.

Hard times make us look for God. Everyone has problems. But if we could solve all our difficulties ourselves, would we ever search for God? Psychologist John Townsend says "It is actually the very unfixability of our problems and our powerlessness to bring right results that keep us asking, ''Where is God?''" With a compelling narrative, Townsend offers new insights into the pursuit for God''s help and presence. Designed to give readers hope and meaning, he divides the discussion into three parts: Why does a loving God allow us to experience difficulties? How is God active in the middle of our hard times? How can I find God? With powerful stories and practical applications, Where Is God? assures readers that even when it feels as though God is absent it is his nature to be in relationship, to connect with, love, and guide us. And when we seek him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, he shows up in ways that transform us forever.

Offers explanations for strange events such as crop circles and ghost sightings.

This title looks at UFO sightings from around the world and asks if aliens really exist. From Roswell, New Mexico, to flying saucers, discover a universe where there are more questions than answers.

What did people write on before paper was invented? What was school like in the 1800s? How have teaching methods changed over the years? Dramatic photos and illustrations, as well as real-life accounts, will give readers a revealing snapshot of education throughout history.

We learn in childhood to hide from pain, and often continue hiding our hurt from God and others in adulthood. Here Townsend presents a scriptural approach to help us identify these unhealthy withdrawal patterns and find healing, freedom and security in connected, grace-filled relationships. Includes discussion guide.

In this six-session small group bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), bestselling author Dr. John Townsend helps you discover a simple path to regain the intimacy and fulfilling closeness that every person needs. Difficult relationships can damage our ability to trust, causing us to shut down. But God designed us to experience freedom and love. To live this way, we all eventually need to take a risk. After six books on Boundaries, bestselling author Dr. John Townsend realized that, though people who experienced tough relationships may put up an emotional all to protect themselves, they often have no idea how to reconnect – either with the person who has damaged their trust, or with new relationships. Sessions include: Understanding the Problem (18:00) Knowing When You’re Ready, Part 1(16:00) Knowing When You’re Ready, Part 2 (15:00) Knowing When the Other Person is Ready (17:00) Moving into Relationship, Part 1 (17:00) Moving into Relationship, Part 2 (18:00) Designed for use with the Beyond Boundaries Video Study 97801310684480 (sold separately).

Learn when to say yes and how to say no in the context of your marriage relationship. In Boundaries in Marriage, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend, counselors and authors of the New York Times bestseller Boundaries, teach us that healthy boundaries are the property lines that define and protect you and your spouse as individuals. Once you have them in place, a good marriage can become better, and a less-than-satisfying one can even be saved. Boundaries in Marriage will give you the tools and encouragement you need to: Set and maintain personal boundaries and respect those of your spouse Understand and practice two key ingredients to a successful marriage: freedom and responsibility Establish values that form a godly structure and architecture for your marriage Protect your marriage from different kinds of "intruders" Work with a spouse who understands and values boundaries--or with one who doesn''t It''s time to deepen your love by providing a better environment for it to flourish, and Drs. Cloud and Townsend are here to help. Discover how boundaries can make life better today!

Looks at the physical characteristics and behavior of various unusual fishes.

Describes crimes in which the criminal made obvious mistakes, as well as cases in which prisoners tried to escape from prison.

The New York Times bestselling book Boundaries has already helped millions understand that being a loving Christian doesn''t mean you always have to say yes. Designed to help you create your own life-giving boundaries, Boundaries Workbook provides practical wisdom for setting boundaries in a highly connected digital age. This companion guide to Boundaries by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend provides practical readings and prompts that will encourage you and teach you how to set healthy, necessary boundaries with your parents, spouse, children, friends, bosses, coworkers, social media, and more in order to help you become the best version of yourself. Following the latest edition of Boundaries chapter-by-chapter, these interactive exercises are designed to help you take a closer look at your own life and ask yourself: Why do I feel guilty about setting clear boundaries? What if the boundaries I set hurt the other person? Why is it difficult for me to hear no from others? What are examples of legitimate boundaries I can set at work and at home? How can I have good boundaries online and with social media? Can I stay connected while still setting boundaries with my phone? Boundaries Workbook gives you the support and the Scripture you need to help others respect your boundaries--whether you want to improve your work-life balance or you''re practicing saying no when someone asks you to volunteer for one more activity. Discover firsthand that having good, biblical boundaries gives you the freedom to live as the loving, generous, fulfilled person God created you to be.

How People Grow reveals why all growth is spiritual growth and how you can grow in ways you never thought possible. Our desire to grow runs deep. Yet the issues in our lives and relationships that we wish would change often stay the same, even with our best efforts at spiritual growth. What does it take to experience increasing strength and depth in our spiritual walk, our marriages and family lives and friendships, our personal development--in everything life is about? And how can we help others move into growth that is profound and lasting? Unpacking the practical and passionate theology that forms the backbone of their counseling, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend shatter popular misconceptions about how God operates to reveal how growth really happens. You''ll discover: What the essential processes are that make people grow. How those processes fit into a biblical understanding of spiritual growth and theology. How spiritual growth and real-life issues are one and the same. What the responsibilities are of pastors, counselors, and others who assist people in growing What your own responsibilities are in your personal growth. Shining focused light on the great doctrines and themes of Christianity, How People Grow helps you understand the Bible in a way that will help you head with confidence down the high road of growth in Christ. Workbook also available.

Based on the incredible success of the book What to Do When You Don''t Know What to Do, Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend offer a line of books that address specific crises and some of the most prevalent problems facing our culture today. These books give readers a starting point to deal with their problems. Beautifully designed in a full-color small format, these books are perfect for giving to a friend in distress.

Describes the history of those people responsible for upholding the law, from the first juries in ancient Greece to modern-day police officers.

In this four-session video-based Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), The Daniel Plan team explores both the spiritual and the health benefits of following a healthy lifestyle by focusing on the fifth and final essential of The Daniel Plan: Friends. Sessions include: The Power to Transform Honesty: The Real Deal Moving through Grief and Loss God''s Purpose for Living Each session will highlight testimony from those who have incorporated The Daniel Plan into their everyday lifestyle, plus tips on getting started and medically based information on maintaining a healthy lifestyle by following The Daniel Plan. Each of the other DVD/Study guides will focus on another essential: Faith, Food, Fitness, and Focus. Designed for use with the Friends Video Study (sold separately).