Product Description

Monty Roberts's The Man Who Listens to Horses spent more than a year on The New York Times bestseller list, sold more than three million copies worldwide, and was hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as "the kind of life-altering book you never want to finish." In Horse Sense for People, the man who overcame his father's brutality to become the horse gentler to Queen Elizabeth asks us to rethink the way we use power over others and shows how with humans-as with horses-the gentle way is the better way.

By turns practical, philosophical, and provocative, Horse Sense for People demonstrates how trust, respect, and communication-not coercion-are the key to fruitful relationships. Rich in anecdotes about both horses and people, it applies the lifetime of lessons Roberts learned from horses, and developed in his revolutionary "join-up" method, to the way we relate to one another in the workplace and at home.

This is the book, from a celebrated and charismatic author, that professionals, parents, and horse lovers have been asking for.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #936256 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-07
• Released on: 2001-05-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 220 pages

From Publishers Weekly
A wonderful concept is poorly executed in this earnest but unsatisfying effort at self-help by the original "horse whisperer." Depicted movingly in his previoius books, The Man Who Listens to Horses and Shy Boy, Roberts's work as a "horse psychologist" has demonstrated the benefits of a social order based on "trust, loyalty and mutual concern" and guided him to develop an unusual, nonviolent style of "starting" thousands of horses with the "Join-Up technique," encouraging them to accept saddle and rider. He believes that by establishing trust and building partnerships between colleagues, his approach can also succeed in today's team-oriented workplace, citing examples from his consulting with such companies as Paradyne. He also intends to show how it can work with families, especially with autistic children, and with counteracting teenage violence, although the suggested "Blackboard" method for getting cooperation from children seems too studied. Unfortunately, redundant writing and plodding sentences obscure Roberts's simple and sensible principles. It's a shame he didn't give the reins to a collaborator who might have supplied a firmer structure. Still, he's an appealing presence--a man who helped raise 47 foster children, who is passionately opposed to violence and a charming teller of horse stories, which seem more real than some of his stories about humans. Agent, Jane Turnbull (U.K.). (May) Forecast: Given the runaway successes of Roberts's other books, a five-city author tour and 20-city schedule of horse-training shows, many buyers will not be deterred by the book's flaws.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review
Praise for Shy Boy: 'This gripping and enthralling book, which shows the traditional relationship of man and horse in a completely new light, proves extremely hard to put down whether one is a horse-lover or not.' Country Life 'Stunning' Daily Mail

From the Back Cover
"I'm no horseman, but I know miracles when they happen. I've watched this magician of non-violence change wild rearing beasts into gentle horses under their riders, time and again, in minutes. Here he translates from his original cross-species adventures to hand us some powerful lessons about healing and gentling ourselves and our relationships." (Richard Bach, author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull)

Customer Reviews

Great message, but I'd wait 'til it comes out in paperback
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.

For Millennial Man
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.

Join-Up and Social Reform
Less Horse, More People

I'm not that interested in social reform, so I liked this book least of the three written by Mr. Roberts. It's about applying Join-Up principles to people, at all levels of society. Philosophy is interspersed with stories of the author's experiences with remedial horses and people. Key statements are 'Violence is never the answer', 'Violence is always for the violator and never for the victim', and 'No one of us was born with the right to say 'you must or I'll hurt you' to any other creature, animal or human'.

The book is not clear on exactly what it means by violence. (Page 68: -quote- All of this raises the question, "How do you define violence?" It's a very difficult question with no simple answer. -endquote-) 'Coercive Violence', is my best guess. I am unsure if the nonviolence statements were meant to extend to human self-defense.

The author himself describes man as 'fight', horses as 'flight'. Thus, they're very different. It seems logical that horse-human analogies must fall apart eventually, specially if you believe (as I do) that people are moral beings and can choose to do right or wrong in ways that horses cannot. The book also gives brief opinions on a few subjects that really deserve thorough study and discussion before conclusions are drawn; firearm restriction, criminal incarceration, tracking devices for offenders, spanking.

*Content Note: Parents getting this book for pre- or young teens should know that it includes a vivid story of sexual abuse, told in the victim's words.

If you are looking for information on horses and Join-Up, I suggest you buy Mr. Robert's other fascinating books "The Man Who Listens to Horses" and "Shy Boy". Give "Horse Sense for People" a test run at your library before parting with cash.

These are my personal opinions only and you may react to the book quite differently. This review is not intended in ANY way as a detraction of Mr. Monty Robert's fine work with horses or even of the application of some "Horse Sense" (common sense?) to people.