The book's writer,John B.Watson, urged extreme firmness in dealing with children.
VOA: special.2009.03.15
The episode shows that Mr Putin's firmness of touch, and the economic advice he receives, are not quite so splendid as the ecstatic stockbrokers of Moscow believe.
Up to a point, the firmness of South-East Asia's currencies is helpful: it holds inflation down at a time when the subsidy cuts are causing popular unrest.
Mr. Brannaman's techniques stress kindness (how you treat a horse reflects how you treat your family and other people in your life) combined with firmness. (Like Cesar Millan, TV's "Dog Whisperer, " he teaches humans how to be an animal's parent, not its friend.) Ms. Meehl's own techniques include astute showmanship and, in one instance, a shocking illustration that some horses remain immune to humane ministrations.