Horse Sense for People

Rating:
Summary: Join-Up and Social Reform
Review: A highly intuitive man's life work has been knowingly hijacked by the shallow motivational psychology "bizness." BARF.

Save your money and read "The Man Who Listens To Horses" instead.

"Horse Sense For People:..." is a badly written, painful book to read.

I give this book NO stars.

Rating:
Summary: Rare to find a book's ideas applicable to so many arenas
Review: A man who had the ability to successfully buck the horse training methods of the past 8,000 years because he knew he was onto something really caught my attention. I just loved his assertion that violence is never the answer, and I can't help but wonder how his methods can be translated into a new way of viewing the terrorist problem at hand for new solutions. Maybe our way of dealing with hostile entities in the world can benefit from examining the principles in this book. Anyone care to send it to Pres. Bush and Congress???

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and informative, but schmaltzy.
Review: I enjoy self-help/psychology books, and was intrigued by his idea of using body language to communicate with horses. I haven't read any of his other books, so the information about Equus (the language of horses) was new and completely fascinating.

Roberts' main method of transferring his horse ideas to people is by telling heartwarming 'communication' stories from corporations and by telling heartwarming anecdotes about how he saved yet another troubled teen's life with his kind and steadfast nature.

As much as I can admire someone who starts horses in less than half an hour, and as much as I can agree that it's better not to hurt defenseless animals, extrapolating these theories to "violence is never the answer" makes me roll my eyes.

It would be better if he had stayed with specifics and not tried to lay down a world-guiding philosophy. Because when you get right down to it, if the question is serious enough, (Like, "should the South secede from the Union") violence is the only possible answer.

The stories are interesing enough to make up for it, but I could have done without the self-congratulatory air. Like actresses who write diet books, people who write about what they don't know often embarass themselves.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and informative, but schmaltzy.
Review: I enjoy self-help/psychology books, and was intrigued by his idea of using body language to communicate with horses. I haven't read any of his other books, so the information about Equus (the language of horses) was new and completely fascinating.

Roberts' main method of transferring his horse ideas to people is by telling heartwarming 'communication' stories from corporations and by telling heartwarming anecdotes about how he saved yet another troubled teen's life with his kind and steadfast nature.

As much as I can admire someone who starts horses in less than half an hour, and as much as I can agree that it's better not to hurt defenseless animals, extrapolating these theories to "violence is never the answer" makes me roll my eyes.

It would be better if he had stayed with specifics and not tried to lay down a world-guiding philosophy. Because when you get right down to it, if the question is serious enough, (Like, "should the South secede from the Union") violence is the only possible answer.

The stories are interesing enough to make up for it, but I could have done without the self-congratulatory air. Like actresses who write diet books, people who write about what they don't know often embarass themselves.

Rating:
Summary: Exciting
Review: I haven't read his other books and didn't expect him to be Ernest Hemingway. I know him as a magician with horses, not words. However, I was very impressed with his simple style; he doesn't belabor a point or show-off with big words. Therefore, his message shines through loud and clear; our general thinking about how to raise kids and relate to each other has much to be improved upon and he shows us a way to do it that is miles ahead of anything I've read anywhere including the mental health field. I understand Publisher's Weekley's criticism from a literary point of view but, heh, let's focus on the message; a message that is the answer to our present 'civilized' society's major problems. Any criticism of his book manifests a tenacity to hang on to traditional ways of thinking, thinking that has taken us to war overseas, in our schools, and into our own backyards. Monty is simply telling us to learn from nature, and its telling us that violence disrupts, gentleness and patience restores.

Rating:
Summary: Just the one idea
Review: Monty has an easy writing style. It is not eloquent, but it is gentle and easy to understand. I liked the book because he describes, in full, how the language of Equus works. Then, by comparing horse stories and human stories, both from his experience, he shows how a non-violent, positive relationship builds rapport and effectiveness in dealing with people and animals alike.

The book felt pretty repetitive about half way through. That is why I was glad that I had checked it out at the library instead of spending twenty-some bucks on it at a bookstore. Although I didn't agree with every one of his points, I liked his message and having the opportunity to see issues, such as parenting, from another point of view.

Rating:
Summary: For Millennial Man
Review: Monty Roberts finally crosses from the realm of horses to that of people. It's about time. His non-violent approach to horses and his lessons well learned and described in "The Man Who Listens to Horses" are finally extended to the world of human interactions, from family dynamics to the corporate sky scraper. How will we survive and flourish together? Monty goes to the heart of these issues and brings a philosphy necessary for Millennial Man. We can live by Monty Robert's philosophy or wallow in the muck of the disintegrating status quo. If everyone who reads this book comes away with one new idea then it is a resounding success.

Monty maintains his easy style and voice and uses the anecdotal approach to teaching. It is extremely readable. Some people may not be comfortable with Monty outside of the horse world, but in fact he never leaves it, using analogies whenever appropriate.

I hope that this book is one of many where experts in empathy, understanding and non-violence leaves the niches and comes to the forefront so we can all learn to make the world a better place for all living things.

Rating:
Summary: For Millennial Man
Review: Monty Roberts has crossed the line from horses to the realm of people. It is about time. Monty reaches down to take out everything the horse have taught him and gives a straight-forward and pragmatic description of how people can better interact without physical violence or emotional domination. How easily his ideas move to families and the work place!

This book is long overdue. While other books try their best to unearth their way into an aspect of human behavior, Monty uses his gentle style to sketch the framework for an entirely new way for human to relate with as little friction as possible.

Books like this don't come often and are rarely couched in a way that is easy to understand and intuitive. It is truly a backbone work for Millennial Man.

Rating:
Summary: Horse Sense for People
Review: Monty Roberts is a master in all methods of knowledge (horsemanship, writing, etc.). This book, although not quite to the level of his great The Man Who Listens to Horses, still contains vital information for all those who would like to learn about the many lessons that life has to offer. His books should be read by all, including those who have to knowledge or interest in horses.

Rating:
Summary: A Voice With Heart: Monty Roberts Nobel Peace Candidate
Review: This book will appeal to people who love animals and children. It has a genuinely sincere voice that engages the reader despite the ghostwriter's slightly offputting imprint. I was charmed, moved, and inspired by Monty Roberts' common sense advice. If this book lacks literary eloquence, it is more than made up for in the meaning of the stories it tells.
"Gentle Wisdom" may be redundant, but this book is not.
If you have children, or animals, or you know someone who does, this book deserves to be placed in your library right next to Dr. Spock.