Product Description

Hal Urban, author of the much-loved bestsellers Life's Greatest Lessons and Positive Words, Powerful Results, gives us his third book of inspirational and practical wisdom on leading a more meaningful and more joyful life. With Choices That Change Lives, Hal reminds us that our lives are the result of our choices and the most important choices we make become our character traits, the ones that lead to fulfillment and peace of mind. He illuminates fifteen character traits that help us more fully develop our capacity to live rich and rewarding lives. He assures us that it's never too late to change, to break the chains of self-defeating attitudes and habits, and challenges us to dig a little deeper -- to grow in such qualities as humility, patience, empathy, and courage -- and to renew ourselves daily.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #563325 in Books
• Published on: 2005-12-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
"Do you love inspiring quotations? Enjoy a story that both enlightens and entertains? Want to improve your character? Hope to deepen your prayer life? Hal Urban's Choices That Change Lives delivers all this and more. Keep it at your bedside; it's food for the soul."-- Thomas Lickona, author of Character Matters

Review
"Some readers will cherish Hal Urban's new book for the basic truths it shares, some for the perfectly selected quotations, but all who read it will be enriched by it."-- Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People

"In Choices That Change Lives, Hal Urban expresses the conviction that we can be better, happier, and wiser at any time we choose, and goes on to provide support and inspiration for this important endeavor. Thank you, Hal!"-- Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One-Minute Manager® and The Secret

"Do you love inspiring quotations? Enjoy a story that both enlightens and entertains? Want to improve your character? Hope to deepen your prayer life? Hal Urban's Choices That Change Lives delivers all this and more. Keep it at your bedside; it's food for the soul."-- Thomas Lickona, author of Character Matters

About the Author
Hal Urban was a high school teacher for many years and also taught at the University of San Francisco. He is a well-known leader in the Character Education movement and is in constant demand as a speaker at national conferences and school and community events. He raised three sons as a single father and now lives in Redwood City, California, with his wife, Cathy.

Customer Reviews

An Enjoyable and Helpful Book
CHOICES THAT CHANGE LIVES is a one sit read. It's that well written and compelling. The author, Hal Urban, a leader in the character education movement, writes about fifteen areas in life where people can make either positive or negative choices. The areas are humility, patience, empathy, giving, forgiveness, thinking, possibilities, renewal, courage, excellence, mission, scripture, prayer, wisdom, and joy. For each subject he writes about the positives which he calls virtues and negatives which he refers to as flaws, and shows ways in which each is integral to life.

I purchased the book as a personal selection to read. It looked interesting. I'd heard of the author but never read any of his books so I figured I'd read it. As I read it, I found it had practical information for me, but I also felt a need to share it. I ended up using some of Urban's ideas with eighth graders and sophomores in high school. I listed each of Urban's categories and left a blank space for students to write what they thought the word meant. We started with humility, and when nearly every student wrote a negative definition such as to humiliate or put a person in his or her place, I knew that Urban's ideas would be challenging and may help them to think differently. The discussions on scripture lead not just to the Bible, but other places where young people's belief systems are developed. Excellence as doing your best as opposed to being the best also went in interesting directions. I only wish I had discovered the book earlier and could have started using it earlier.

While I read the book for personal reasons, I discovered its usefulness in a classroom and religious education setting. I know anyone who reads this book will take something away from it, but my guess is that teachers, youth workers, and parents will not only find the book a good read, but also useful in other areas too.

Awesome!
I love this book I highly recommend it. Purchase it for yourself and those young ones in the family. Should be required reading in the school systems.

Hal Urban at his best
Through this book Dr. Urban gives sound and relatable advice and backs it up with a compendium of personal accounts that provide for an interesting read. Dr. Urban is a brilliant man who knows exactly what he is talking about. The use of quotes throughout the book is phenomenal and really enhances the meaning. This book is well worth the read.