Training Books

This book is very well researched and informative, but it is not one of those history books that reads like an exciting novel. It has its dramatic moments--an author would have to be a far worse writer than Bigelow to rob this story of its drama--but it is not an easy read.

One problem with Bigelow's writing style is that he does not organize the narrative in a way that helps the reader digest all the information. For example, there were seven infantry corps in the Union army, and each corps had three or four divisions, each with its own commander. In addition, there were also the brigade commanders, the cavalry and artillery commanders, and the various aides-de-camp. That's quite a list of players on just one side of the drama, and it is difficult to keep them straight under the best of circumstances. Once Bigelow introduces them, though, he expects the reader to remember who they are through the rest of the book, and will often refer to them only by last name.

He has a confusing nomenclature that he employs at times to indicate, parenthetically, the brigade, division and corps of an officer. It is a cipher that has to be decoded, however, as opposed to simply reading "commander of the second brigade, first division of XI Corps." His code shortens the text, but lengthens the reading time, and forces a break in the reader's focus. It is better than nothing, though, and nothing is often what one gets. At one point, I had reached the conclusion that there was a particular officer who had switched sides in the middle of the war. Consulting the index, I discovered that there was a Capt. Best commanding the artillery of the Federal XII Corps, and a Col. Best commanding the Confederate 23rd Ga. Aha!

This confusion of players is exacerbated by the fact that Bigelow does not always use his turn signal when he switches from talking about one side in the conflict to the other. There is no "meanwhile, in the Confederate ranks" to let you know he has dropped one thread of the tale and is picking up another. This can cause whiplash when it is noticed and bafflement when it is not.

In spite of these problems with Bigelow's style, though, I still recommend reading the book for those with more than a casual interest in the Civil War. Bigelow did meticulous research on the conflict, and much of the raw data that he gathered is included in the text, footnotes, and appendices. As another reviewer noted, he goes into great detail on the movements of the different armies. (Unfortunately, my copy did not come with the detailed maps, and that made it harder to follow.) His analysis of the failures in command is also very intelligent. For that, I give the book four stars, but be warned that it is tough sledding unless you are highly motivated and patient.

The trouble with this book is that the most recent publisher does not acknowledge that the author, John Bigelow, lived and wrote his book in the 19th Century.

My copy of this book was accompanied by a dustcase filled with dozens of desk-sized maps covering every phase of the campaign, some focusing on small parts of the action, others broadening out to all of northern Virginia. The author even recommends that you use the maps to follow the text, moving colored pushpins around on the maps as you progress. While I didn't go that far, I must say that this book surpasses any military history that I have read in its integration of map study, broad analysis, and small-unit action.

This is an old book, but is a certain classic. The language and writing style are timeless, so don't let that scare you away. I continue to view THE CAMPAIGN OF CHANCELLORSVILLE as the epitomy of what a campaign or battle study should accomplish. If you can find a copy, get it, and enjoy.

This volume written by John Bigelow is the definitive study of any one battle of the Civil War. It goes in detail of every movement and the time of each. Includes an amazing volume of excellent maps. While reading his text you actually feel that your observing the battle. If there is one book I can recommend to read about an actual battle this is it. You come away with a new enlighten reality of what it really was like.

This was a quick read...not too wordy like most of the other books about pet care out there. I like the fact that a veterinarian wrote it too. Answers all questions from training to behavior and medical problems. A great book for anyone who owns a dog or cat... if you thought you knew everything about owning a pet, this book is sure to prove you wrong!

My boyfriend purchased this book along with the mastiff puppy he got me for christmas....I thought I knew all i needed to know about dogs until I read through this incredible book! It covers everything from basic training to health issues and behavioral problems. Even the most experienced pet owner should have a copy of "Canine and Feline 101". I found it to be a quick ,informative read, -I highly recommend to anyone looking for some insight on choosing and adequately caring for a four legged friend!

Being a first time puppy owner (a beautiful 6 month old pit bull mix), I found this book to contain all the information I need to raise her properly. With regards to raising my puppy, I have discovered in this book proper housbreaking techniques, effective yet gentle obedience training, and preventative health care. As I read ahead, I see that the rest of the book seemingly has a wealth of information guiding me through every step of mine and my dog's life together, honestly explaining which situations call for which vaccines, and how to recognize that my dog might be in pain or sick. I highly recommend this book to dog and cat lovers alike.

As a cat breeder and cat enthusiast, I find this book to be a must have for all cat lovers. Written in easily understood lay terminology, the author takes you through every stage of a cat's life, offering great insights eash step of the way. I will recommend this book to all who adopt my kittens.

Imagine that you're an extremely bright 28-year-old M.B.A. graduate working for one of the world's largest medical supply firms. You're told on a Friday that you'll be running a division in another country on Monday. Most reasonable people would consider that scenario outrageous and unrealistic. But it happened all the time at Baxter International, which placed young, relatively inexperienced employees in positions of extraordinary responsibility with no warning. Twenty-five years ago, many of those individuals became major players in the then-fledgling biotechnology industry. Harvard Business School professor Monica C. Higgins takes an exhaustive look at how and why a disproportionate number of former Baxter executives became so influential in biotech start-ups. Her extensive research reveals that Baxter was the ideal training ground for innovative thinkers and risk-takers. She sees Baxter as a textbook example of how imprinting corporate culture and values upon an individual can have a career-shaping impact. The book, though more scholarly than entertaining, provides insight into career imprinting and its implications. getAbstract recommends it to anyone interested in learning how individuals and industries are molded.

I never write reviews but I feel compelled because I was so impressed with this body of knowledge.

Professor and now author Higgins offers up explanations of why and how one company is able to consistently churn out their industries future leaders. She shows and proves why Baxter has been so successful in growing their executives and shows us what an organization needs to produce winners and leaders.

A great, must read for all industries.

How can one organization transform an entire industry? This fascinating book suggests a new answer -- by spawning a generation of leaders with a distinctive approach to management, who use that approach to start up successful companies in the same industry. Professor Higgins' argument suggests some interesting questions too. For example, why would an organization want to spawn a generation of leaders whose start-ups could potentially challenge and surpass its own success? This book is extremely thought-provoking and will lead you to look with a fresh eye at the industries you are most familiar with. While the argument is grounded in the biotech industry, the implications go far beyond.

"Career Imprints" provides an insightful, interesting, well-researched look into how our earliest organizational experiences produce the tacit knowledge of "what work is" that we carry with us throughout our professional lives. Higgins' fascinating chronicle of the Baxter Boys' overwhelming influence on the development of the biotech industry shows how the right career imprint at the right time creates a strong strand of cultural DNA that flourishes and propagates to generate a new breed of industry leaders. Higgins' discerning discussion of the interplay between organizational culture and personal career trajectories makes this a book worth reading - not only to help us all better understand and map our own careers, but also to help HR professionals think systematically about designing appropriate career imprints to instill in our own workforces. This wonderful book is a ground-breaking addition to the management literature - a must read!!

Simply the best book I've read on Dzogchen, the effortless integration of space and awareness that is our natural unaffected state of being. Very down to earth and unadorned explanations with lots of humor and spontaeity-truly embodying the premise of Dzogchen (and the four Noble Truths) that our problems are rooted in the attempt to fixate and discriminate. Read it. Practice it. May all beings benefit!

As well as the wonderful teachings mentioned in the previous review, two chapters of this book, which is a compilation of talks given in Denmark and Nepal in 1966, are Guided Meditations. The first one is on Refuge and Guru Yoga, and the other is the Vajrasattva Meditation. Both of them are the farthest thing from theory. I am just a beginner but because of the Tsoknyi Rinpoche's down-to-earth simplicity and clarity, I found it very easy to perform the meditations. These are immediate, very beautiful, and extremely powerful experiences, practical teaching direct from a recognized master. And you can perform them over and over! This was the most powerful part of the book for me so far. Also, almost every chapter ends with a few pages of questions and answers from those in the audience. These are very interesting and help to make the teachings even more real. The chapters are arranged in a wonderful sequence, where each one builds on the other. I read one chapter a day, and each day I was able to experience more and more of the teaching, so that the next chapter always seemed to be leading me to the next step. And it was always extremely relevant to the day's events. I consider it the most wonderful of blessings to have been given the chance to encounter this book.

This is a wonderful Dzogchen book written by one of the sons of Tulku Urgyen, the great, recently deceased Dzogchen Master. It is a companion volume to the author's "Fearless Simplicity." But, it's a very different book than that one. This book includes lectures and questions from students (with answers). Thus, it is virtually all about Dzogchen (primarily Trekcho and some Togal) without the inclusion of many preliminary practices and Tibetan-specific mythologies. The author is obviously well acclimated to Western culture-it includes lots of analogies and metaphors using common Western experiences. The chapters may seem a bit redundant to an expert practitioner, but the author has an uncanny way of using descriptive analogies to hone in on the meaning of difficult concepts and ideas. As he himself states on page 119, "Superficial examples cannot completely illustrate the real meaning, they can only hint at it." But his hints are very effective. I've studied Dzogchen for some time and have still been concerned about the use of certain English terms in the translations that don't seem to match the meaning of the speaker. Tsoknyi Rinpoche provides simple, meaningful explanations of many of these that have cleared up much of the confusion in my mind. Some examples are:
1. Concept-now appears to refer specifically to duality, not all concepts in general: on page 85: "Train in the state of naked awareness, free of concepts. `Concept' here means perceiver and perceived, subject and object. That's how it really is."
2. Clarity-now appears to be referring to the perception of Rigpa rather than the nature of Dharmakaya: on page 86: "The moment you recognize Rigpa, there's a sense of being wide open. Awake. Free of subject and object, free of thoughts, free of the future, with no dwelling on the present either. It's like pouring water in a crystal bowl - totally clear. With the cognizance comes some clarity, some brightness. Not the brightness from the electric bulb or daylight but an internal sense of being lucid."
3. Diligence-is more like a little push rather than forcing oneself: on page 87: "If you don't feel that glad about being diligent all the time, then push yourself, say, twenty percent. That much is okay. If it's a hundred percent pushing, you're forcing yourself, and it's like mental torture."
4. Habitual attachment-and its relation to who we think we are: on page 87: "...habit becomes your personality - and then one day it is you! Change that."
5. The Unity of Emptiness and Compassion-I could never understand why they should be unified, I thought the definitions of the two words was incorrect, but it turns out my understanding of the word "unity" was the problem: on page 151: "the indivisibility of emptiness and compassion means they should be a unity."
6. Compassion-relative vs. ultimate: on page 157: "Compassion free from concepts is an expression of self-existing wakefulness...There is a way also to be conceptually compassionate, which is different..."
7. Western vs. Eastern practice-relative difficulties: on page 166: "It may sound a little strange to say this, but when one practices in a place where there is no external support for Dharma practice - a place where people don't necessarily respect and praise the fact that you are a spiritual practitioner - maybe it is more possible to be really a genuine practitioner in such a place. In fact, maybe it is much easier."
8. Vajrayana Deities-are they real or only mental projections? Their relation to the oneness of subject and object: on page 177: "one shouldn't think that deities are totally non-existent and nothing other than one's projection. It is not like that either. The deity definitely exists, although not necessarily in a way that is separate from one's own perception...The blessing of Manjushri may involve giving yourself the answer."
I actually bought two copies of this book from Amazon-because I've already given one away.

I had the good fortune to see Tsoknyi Rinpoche teaching at Lerab Ling in France last year. When I first came across this book, I wondered how such an animated and provocative performance could be brought to the printed page. Thankfully, this compilation of his talks does succeed in conveying the vitality and humour that is his hallmark. He teaches in an experiential way, getting directly to the main point in a manner that is easy to relate to and to understand.

By his use of uncomplicated language and examples from everyday life, you begin to see that there is indeed a way to be free. He shows how a simple shift in our understanding of mind, releases our entanglement in our desires and fears, in our imaginings. Rather than struggling with thoughts and emotions, we begin to understand mind's expression as a creative, ephemeral display.

By becoming familiar with and applying this perspective, both in meditation sessions and during daily life, we un-knot those complex habitual patterns that entrap us, becoming simpler, more carefree. "Simply having the idea that smoking is bad doesn't make us stop smoking, because we have a deeply embedded habit. (...) What is necessary is to interrupt the habitual involvement in the act, again and again."

I found that reading the book really deepened and improved my understanding of what meditation is. He spells out how we can practice freedom from moment to moment, remaining present, uncomplicated and carefree, even amidst the busyness of life.

This carefree condition is not an indifferent dismissal of the hardships of living but an all-embracing openness, a deep and heart felt union with everything. "Carefree doesn't mean careless, that you are sloppy or that you don't care about others. "

The talks cover meditation, distraction, refuge, ngondro, compassion, devotion, the bardos, confusion, enlightenment, emptiness; you name it, it's probably there! He explains these topics with such simple accuracy that the book is eminently readable by beginners as well as seasoned dharma veterans.

My only grumble, (well this is samsara so I had to find some fault!) is that there are occasional misspellings.

I found this to be the most useful and inspiring book I've read in ages. Get it!

This is a resource that recognizes that homeschooling, even Catholic homeschooling is by no means one-size-fits-all. This book has a little bit of everything. There is a chapter for the hyper-organized and one for unschoolers. There's one on burn out and one on the joy of homeschooling. There's info on teaching the gifted as well as the autistic. And yes, there is humor.

I just noticed that the last two reviews were by people who participated in the book. I thought I would write a review as someone who has no connection with the book. In summary, it is excellent.

I have found that in so many homeschooling books, authors tend to repeat themselves needlessly. Authors write in 100 pages, what could easily be found on someone's website written more clearly and concisely. This is not the case with this book. There are almost 500 pages of solid advice on Catholic homeschooling. Every chapter is written on a different subject by a different author, and the breadth and depth of the information is excellent.

A good example of this is the chapter on Art Appreciation: Recognizing Symbolism in Religious Art by Pattie Kelley-Huff. She explains what many religious symbols in artwork mean. For example, an anchor is a symbol for hope and steadfastness. She has entire lists with what the symbol means. The author also gives resources for further study.

Many of the chapters recommend additional material. I, personally, love mathematics, and I would consider that one of my strongest subjects. However, in the chapter on math, the author provides a listing of Math literature by grade level that I never would have known about on my own.

The only negative, I would say, is that because the book is written by various authors, some chapters are weaker than others. The chapter on teaching a foreign language would be an example of this.

I truly believe that this book will provide something for every Catholic homeschooler. In fact, even non-Catholic homeschoolers, or Catholics that want to enrich their child's school education might also find information in this book. Overall, I couldn't be more pleased with it.

I wrote a chapter in this book, as well as did proofreading for it. The most amazing thing about this book is that I found new resources and ideas. I'm a homeschooling veteran, so it takes a lot for me to get excited about a homeschooling item.

When I read many of the essays, I discovered new things for math, new things for science, and new things for literature. I was so excited, I couldn't wait for the book to get out so I could recommend it to all homeschoolers.

Catholic homeschoolers will appreciate the faith-filled pages, but all Christian homeschoolers will find support, guidance, humor and love in the pages of this book. The authors wrote to share their stories, but also to share resources, ideas, help and knowledge. This book is a real gift to the homeschooling community.

There are chapters written by dads and older homeschooling students, too, which I found so encouraging to read. This book goes beyond what most homeschooling books can do because it has over 40 authors. That's a lot of good ideas in one book.

I am a contributing author to this book, so I am not unbiased. However, that said, I have also read the book and found so many essays which were thought provoking treatments on pedagogy, as well as more practical elements such as home management and mother's well-being. There are also essays authored by and directed towards fathers, who are under-represented in this subject matter. This book is as useful to those starting out as well as those who are preparing children for high school and college. This is a necessary book for those interested in or actively involved in Catholic education in the home.

This book is mostly aimed at advanced club players (ELO 1800+ / maybe more regarding USCF) who already have a good grasp of the main endgame techniques & strategies (e.g. read first a primer like James Howell's "Essential Chess Endings: The Tournament Player's Guide"). It can be used both as a training/test tool and for enhancing your endgame knowledge.
It works by giving you first a set of exercises and then explaining what's going on. Hence, this is a real fun & practical way to work on your endgames. The ideas will get stuck to you head..
But let me say once more that imo you need to be already acquainted with basic endgames and also have a good sense of tactics & calculation.

This book, translated from the original German, is a collection of endgame exercises and their solutions. Assembled by a distinguished chess coach, they are intended to serve as the basis for classroom use or for self-study. I will mainly address its use in the latter capacity.

The main exercises are arranged into 15 chapters, according to the material distribution (e.g., king + rook vs. king + pawns). There is a 16th chapter with miscellaneous exercises, and a final chapter with advice for coaches. Within each of the main chapters there are typically 17 or so exercises. The first several will encompass the most fundamental endgame ideas (such as opposition, critical squares, the Lucena position, typical tactics, etc.), then the rest develop the material more deeply. The problems can be extremely tricky - the solution might involve a stunning tactical resource a dozen of moves deep. There are some amazing subtleties, even with very reduced material.

The solutions take the form of written exposition, accompanied by the main line and important variations. The explanations underscore important themes, describe critical features of the position, and anticipate reasonable questions. Excellent!

I think any experienced and serious chess amateur would benefit from working through this book. I believe very strongly in the effectiveness of its active-learning approach. A player is much more likely to gain and retain the knowledge by struggling through the positions him/herself, and having immediate feedback (i.e., the solutions that follow) to correct and reinforce the lesson. My suggestion would be to set up the exercise positions on a tournament board, and then write out all the key variations without moving any of the pieces - and only then checking the answer at the end of the chapter.

For those who might not be ready for this level of work, I suggest Pandolfini's Endgame Course, which is of a similar format, but at a more elementary level (be sure to download the corrections from the internet!). Another approach would be to study the lovely endgame book by James Howell, and then use this book as your "final exam."

The production quality is excellent, as we can always expect from Gambit Publications. I did not find any typos or errors in the analysis. The translation is smooth and idiomatic. The end of the book contains an index of players and composers as well as a bibliography.

Receommended with great enthusiasm.

Chess endings are deceptively difficult: it can take more than a year simply to learn to play the major four- and five-piece endings competently.

The problem with many endgame treatises--including great contemporary books like _Fundamental Chess Endings_ and (to a lesser extent) _Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual_--is that a fair portion of the material covered is frankly too darn hard even for ambitious young players. Rosen has put a lot of thought into organizing the material so that the young player has a reasonable chance of solving (or at least understanding) each exercise. The ideal reader is probably ELO 1000-1600, though most players with ELO above 2000 would also benefit.

I can't recommend this book strongly enough to chess instructors: 16 well-organized lessons in one book!

Chess Endgame Training allows anyone that has preferred to avoid the subject of chess endings to approach it. Rosen's objectives; a manageable amount of training material and a didactic coverage that summarizes endgame proeasy-to-difficult positions; are achieved in Chess Endgame Training. A brief introduction to an endgame theme is followed by relevant examples, including many classical and recent positions with instructional as well as practical value. The format and contents are straight to the point, with no aesthetic dissertations to fog the mind. The positions presented are both relevant and clearly explained. This is a true time-saver that provides substantial examples in an engaging try-it-yourself format.

overall a very helpful set, fine introduction to the toolset, but damn, this guy has THE stiffest voice ever, somebody needs to put down the mouse, untuck his shirttails and go experience life, like for a full year. after an hour of that i was so begging for it to end.

Very comprehensive and loaded with good tips that wouldn't be found in the manual. The only thing I would fault it on is having to have the CD in the computer in order to watch the videos. It would be much more convenient to able to download them to the hard disk and call up a specific chapter when the need arises. But overall certainly worth the investment.

A very comprehensive overview of Cinema 4D and its features. I have watched it again and again to gain nuggets of information that I may have missed, or to help remember certain details. No, it does not cover everything, but it covers a lot and will fuel your mind to want to learn more. He walks you through the tools and also through projects. Modeling a spoon is a great first project. The comb project is also nice. One of my favorite instructions is the one on MoGraph, an add-on module. I sometimes double-check my object hierarchy against his lessons when things are not going quite right. I really like his somewhat laid back attitude, it makes it easier to learn.

For beginning to intermediate level this is the clearest and most helpful tutorial on C4D. It does not cover many advanced topics like the complexities of UV mapping or much on Mocca, but the basics are covered clearly and the lessons are short and informative.

This book is made up of many of the most important works wriiten about organizational behavior. Some are quite practica, while others are more theoretical. If this is the type of information that you are looking for, it is a great collection.

I use this book as a primary source for a graduate level Organization Development Course. It presents a comprehensive foundation of the field using original articles by the "founders" of OD. It is the only OD book I have found that gets all of this between its covers! Highly recommend. Dr. Lloyd Greene, Texas State University.

If you want to know where 95% of today's hot "new management ideas" come from, this is the reader! If you know this stuff you will be able to separate the wheat from the chaff in today's over-crowed management book market.

It,s true that our mode of behaving in the organization depends greatly on our values we have in our life. Also how we think affect our attitude toward our personal role in the organizing process. it,s not easy to become selfless and humble to fit better in the teams set up in the organization. We need some guide to reprogram ourselves in order to smooth our role we play in the organizing process. The book "Classics of organizational behavior" could be a base to clarify those items mentioned above and many other still to be known. Anyone working in an organization should have such great book in his/her collections. Very Truly Yours, Rodulfo Geerman

An excellent book on how to coach others in the work place. The book explains what coaching is (not just a buzz word) and gives you the 8 Skill Coaching Model - a process for coaching discussions. Chapter 5 talks about versatile coaching and dealing with the differences that exists between people. Win-Win Partnerships: Be on the Leading Edge with Synergistic Coachin is a newer publication by the authors. It provides much of the same information and more.

I've have used this book with my entire management team and recommend other books from Dr. Steven Stowell on communication, coaching, and performance improvement. Most notably the book Win-Win Partnerships: Be on the Leading Edge with Synergistic Coachin covers much of the same content, but in a newer format. This however, is a classic that should be in your library if you're interested in Coaching in the workplace. Most of the Coaching books I've purchase are soft and weak in their content. Many of these don't really offer a process on "how to coach" or even explain what coaching is. Other books seem to be a "make you feel good" style of book, but don't offer hard skills to coach others for performance. I guess this is why the term "coaching" seems to be misused and abused which I find frustrating. This book offers tangible content and more. This is why it is so respected in the corporate environment and is often required reading in many educational institutions. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I have used this book and a previous book of the authors to assist me in teaching their 3day course in a large company. The book is practical and presents the coaching process as a story the reader gets involved in as he/she is getting involved in the 8 Step Process in the classroom. A number 1 learning tool. It also serves as excellent independent reading as a how-to book which captures the reader's interest.

Short - easy to read and filled with concrete "how-to" information on a collaborative process for facilitating change in someone's performance. The author's 8-step model is based on 20 years research into the "best practices" of successful business performance managers. Very common sense and practical.

Probably the best, easy-to-read book regarding coaching and mentoring for self-taught, busy managers.

This is a great "how to" book. It has plenty of "laundry lists" that all coaches must keep in mind at all times. It is one of the most comprehensive coaching books that I've seen for a long time. This "on my desk" book is guarranted to have plenty of high-liteing and dog-ears within a short period of time. This is a must for new or seasoned coaches and coaches-of-coaches.

First, let me disclose that I am a client of the author. So perhaps I should be upset with Mr. Brounstein for putting out a book that has the same information I paid him thousands of dollars to teach me. Buy the book.

Remember the first time you dealt with a difficult employee - the knot in your stomach as you called them into your office. Learn about giving constructive feedback instead of criticism, and you may just turn a problem employee into a model employee - it happened to me. The knot may not go away completely, but with this technique it will definitely be more manageable. Buy the book.

Work smarter not harder. Learn about Results-based Performance Management, and get results, not just busy employees. Teach your employees to manage themselves by holding them accountable for results, not just activities that you give them to do. Buy the book.

Learn about coaching techniques such as Tutoring With Questions that will get your employees to start answering their own questions - and getting the right answers. Buy the book.

About a year ago I suddenly found myself in charge of 100 employees that had been thrown together from different cultures as the result of mergers and corporate realignment. Through the techniques I learned from Marty that are revealed in this book, I have been able to build an effective team of managers who in turn have helped me turn the organization around. A year ago, we were missing committed deadlines one after another. Now, we consistently meet and often beat our commitments. I often refer to my copy of the book for a refresher on Marty's techniques and regularly refer my managers to the book when they run into difficult situations. Buy the book.

Just in case I forgot to mention it: Buy the book.

This would be an informational book for people who are coaching or mentoring others. There are lots of helpful tips on how to get others to work for you, not against you. These tips can be helpful when you want people to try their best.