Martin Lawrence Books

Blood of the Tribe is a fast paced, smart thriller. The characters were so well developed! I don't think I've ever felt so much anger and disgust toward a villan. The plot was very intiguing and gave great insight into and interesting battle the Indians continue to fight. I would definitely recommend it.

A friend recommended this book and I was delighted....I read it in one sitting! I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys legal mysteries!

I loved this book. It's rare to find a well written book which captivates your interest with its plot, while still maintaining rich, well developed characters. The crux of the story is a legal land dispute dating back to the time of the American Indians and colonial settlers - a dispute now worth billions of dollars! But rather than dazzle you with fast paced courtroom tactics, this book brings characters filled with personal histories and relationships that reel you into their world. The legal battle is fascinating in its own right. But in this case, the author almost uses the legal challenge as a backdrop on which to paint characters with interwoven sub-plots of their own. And to spice things up and really get your emotions involved, he works into the plot a murder - and one of the most evil antagonists that you could imagine. I was really fascinated with this "bad guy", because although he was undeniably evil, he was also so well developed that at times I almost felt sorry for him. He has such a painful history that you can almost understand why he is so "bad". Almost, but not quite. All in all, it's a great read!

Anyone who read UNLAWFUL DEEDS know that Brody can write circles around many of the "household names" weighing down the bookshelves at the superstores. His second novel, BLOOD OF THE TRIBE, proves that his first critically acclaimed novel was no fluke. Brody has the specialised knowledge, talent, and insight to power many mysteries and thrillers to come.

Fans of UNLAWFUL DEEDS will be happy to see many of the characters that made the novel so memorable return in his new work. BLOOD OF THE TRIBE works just fine as a stand-alone, but is greatly enriched by a reading of the first novel. Give it a try!

This book provides an excellent discussion of key economic principles needed to make managing cybersecurity resources more effective. I really liked the nice examples provided throughout the book. The examples reinforce the economic concepts and applications. I foresee this book becoming a prime reference for me.

Managing Cybersecurity Resources (MCR) is an excellent book. I devoured it in one sitting on a weather-extended flight from Washington-Dulles to Boston. MCR teaches security professionals how to think properly about making security resource allocation decisions by properly defining terms, concepts, and models. The only problem I have with MCR is the reason I subtracted one star: its recommended strategy, cost-benefit analysis, relies upon estimated probabilities of loss and cost savings that are unavailable to practically every security manager. Without these figures, constructing cost-benefit equations as recommended by MCR is impossible in practice. Nevertheless, I still strongly recommend reading this unique and powerful book.

My favorite aspect of MCR is its explanation of economics and finance terms to the security audience. I felt like applauding when I read on p 47 "[M]any managers... are merely calling the IRR an ROI or ROSI (return on security investment). Given that the concepts of "return on investment" and "internal rate of return" are well established in the accounting, finance, and economics literature, as well as among nearly all senior financial managers (e.g., CFOs), security managers should be careful how they use these terms. Indeed, misusing these terms can only lead to problems for the security manager." (See p 45 for a comparison of ROI, IRR, and NPV.)

In a similar fashion, MCR explains what a "return" is for security on p 21: "The benefits associated with cybersecurity activities are derived from the cost savings (often called cost avoidance) that result from preventing cybersecurity breaches. These benefits are difficult, and often impossible, to predict with any degree of accuracy. Moreover, since the actual benefits are conceptually the cost savings associated with potential security breaches that did not occur, it is not possible to measure these benefits precisely after the security investments are made."

What of "investment"? Pp 28-30 say: "[O]rganizations tend to treat the bulk of their cybersecurity expenditures as operating costs and charge them to the period in which they are incurred," unlike capital investments, which "represent assets of an organization that should appear on the organization's balance sheet." The authors recommend us to "view all costs related to cybersecurity activities... as capital investments with varying time horizons."

So what is a cost? P 5 says "The cost of information security is essentially a negative network externality associated with the Internet... [It] arises when malevolent individuals and organizations [which the authors properly label "threats" on p 12] join the network, thereby imposing costs on all well-intentioned users. These costs take the form of losses caused by actual security breaches plus the cost of actions... designed to prevent such breaches."

P 30 wisely states "[N]o amount of security can guarantee that breaches will not occur... The goal of the organization should be to implement security procedures up to the point where the benefits minus the costs are at a maximum." The footnote on p 31 continues with "An alternative way to view this discussion is to think of the goal as one of trying to minimize the sum of the costs associated with cybersecurity activities and the costs associated with breaches... the optimal level of cybersecurity for an organization would be the same under the cost minimization goal as it would be if the organization were to maximize the net benefits." I think most managers prefer to think in terms of cost minimization, which is a prevalent throughout IT.

Costs are dissected on pp 56-58: "The direct costs of cybersecurity breaches are those costs that can be clearly linked to specific breaches... the indirect costs of cybersecurity breaches cannot be linked... Explicit costs of cybersecurity breaches are those costs of breaches that can be measured in an unambiguous manner... implicit costs are opportunity costs (i.e., costs associated with lost opportunities), which cannot be measured without ambiguity... the benefits derived from spending funds on cybersecurity activities come largely from the cost savings derived by avoiding the implicit costs of breaches."

Page 63 explains why companies have "Chief Privacy Officers" and the like, even though preserving privacy is the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad and could be a CISO responsibility: "The findings from our study show that, on average, information breaches that compromise confidentiality do have a significant negative impact on the stock market value of corporations experiencing breaches. Indeed, the average decline in the firm's stock market value... was approximately 5 percent."

So far so good, right? The major flaw with MCR arrives in ch 4, on p 68: "The variables affecting potential cost savings include (1) the potential losses associated with information security breaches, (2) the probability that a particular breach will occur, and (3) the productivity associated with specific investments, which translates into a reduction in the probability of potential losses." This is true -- but this is the key problem: devising even rough estimates of 1, 2, and 3 is nearly impossible in practice. The authors' examples (see figure 4-2 for one) assume these factors can be determined (like $10 mil total potential loss without countermeasures, 75% probability of loss with no countermeasures / 50% with $650,000 of countermeasures, and so on). When I saw these contrived examples I wondered "what is the origin of these figures?" The fact of the matter is that they are all guesswork, which means the calculator can say anything the analyst wishes to produce.

In some sense we are back to square one, although much better educated in economics. (Note that Andy Jaquith's book Security Metrics also observes how calculating these figures is nearly impossible in real life.)

Because MCR is so right in all of its other discussions, the book deserves 4 stars. A proper acceptance of the difficulty or impossibility of determining 1, 2, and 3 might have resulted in 5 stars. Perhaps a second edition will address these concerns?

PS: I would be remiss to not quote the authors' exceptional insights into the problems with security auditing. P 132 says "[T]he checklist approach tends to shift attention away from the cost-benefit aspects of such security. That is, the checklist approach usually assumes that conducting a particular procedure is inherently worth doing." P 137 hits the nail on the head: "[F]or some firms, it is quite possible that the costs of cybersecurity auditing will exceed the benefits. If this were to occur, then cybersecurity auditing would in effect decrease the firm's value." Amen.

This book is very timely and extremely useful as a tool for key decision-makers in organizations - Chief Technology Offiers, Information System Managers, and general managers, including CEOs, as well as academics. How do you allocate scarce resources to increasing cybersecurity, in the context of other competing claims ? Professors Gordon and Loeb provide a solid economic framework to do this. They bring their decades of experience researching and teaching about a cost-benefit approach to managerial decisions to the table, in the context of cybersecurity investments.

What I like about the book is its appeal to practitioners and academics alike. There is a nice section on developing a business case for cybersecurity investments. Empirical evidence to support their arguments are provided throughout the book. Complex ideas like real options and cybersecurity investments are nicely explained with simple and insightful examples.

Overall, whether you are a manager making or evaluating the case for cybersecurity investments, or teaching in this area, this book is a must-read.

Managing Cybersecurity Resources: A Cost-Benefit Analysis is excellent! Information security practitioners will appreciate the insightful economic analysis on how to determine the right amount to spend on cybersecurity projects and how to prepare a business case to justify such projects. I especially liked the chapter on risk that included perspectives and analysis not found in any other information security books. The book discusses many topics (for example, economics of cybersecurity and its role in national security) in a manner that novice and expert alike will find appealing. Its clear that the authors, chaired professors from a top business school and pioneers in cybersecurity economics, have a strong understanding of the security environment along with great technical skills. Of more importance, is their intuitive understanding of problems in the cybersecurity trenches. Policy makers, CISOs, CFOs, and managers at all levels, should find enormous value in this book. While at times I wish the authors would not have condensed their discussion, the good news is that they have left some important issues for a follow-up book. I am recommending this book to co-workers and friends.

My grandfather was born in 1888 in the town of St. Martinville, LA and turned the century with the rest of Mr. Capuder's cast of characters. Even with that connection, in reading this book I still learned things about my ancestors that I didn't know. It is amazing how real these folks still are on the pages of Le Petit Paris, as if they'd just closed their storefront or doused their lantern for the night, not the century. I am the author of a book of Cajun poetry, Porch People, that tells the stories of these same people two generations later and it is with great respect and pleasure that I add Mr. Capuder's vast information to my own.

The book takes you back in time. The author makes you think the people are still here with us today. And he makes you feel like you're living in the past. The book is very informative, interesting, beautifully detailed with pictures, and sectioned. It's our own heritage and the way they lived. It has cross references which makes it even more interesting. But most of all it leaves you hunger for more.

This book is a small treasure of riches from the past for rural southwest Louisiana. The turn of two centuries finds us viewing our ancestors as if they still worked this land and shopped these store fronts. I learned things about my own great-grandfather that our family oral history had not documented. Mr. Capuder has done a wonderful job condensing such a vast history into such elemental beginnings.

You ought to buy the book for this story, "Skin Deep", alone. All the stories are great, but this one is a classic!

This book was really excellent. I picked it up because I'm a fan of Schimel's other work, and I found it to be lighthearted, fun, and FUNNY. All the stories kept me entertained, especially Schimel's own "Tom, Dick or Harry." I want to give this as a gift to lots of my friends because I think they'd also enjoy it. If you're looking for amusement and a bit of wry humor, this book is for you!

I laughed (a lot), I sighed (a lot) and after I finished this hilarious book of war stories from the dating game, I just wanted to dive right back into the dating pool. Anybody who thinks that dating stories can't be funny and sexy at the same time should check this book out and see how it's done.

This is a great book for anyone who is a fan, but also a real treat for people living in the metro-Detroit area, as a few of the celebrities asked are local TV and radio stars. She wrote to a lot of people over the years and has a great collection of stars' heroes, from Soupy Sales to Les Paul and of course Davy Jones! It's neat to find out who inspired the celebrities to be who they are today.

Mary Guerra is an authority on fandom as she is a member of a fanclub or two herself. I know this since she belongs to the fanclub I run for Davy Jones, Davy Devotees. Though the concept of fandom is normally perceived as being something the nonfamous possess, Mary spent years contacting various celebrities asking them just who they consider themselves a fan of and what fanclubs they would join if they could! She received personal responses from legends in the field of entertainment like RoseMarie and Phyllis Diller to Les Paul, inventor of the electric guitar, Richard Petty, of racing fame, columnist, Liz Smith and "Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe. Shirley Jones, Peter Noone and Mary's personal favorite, Davy Jones of The Monkees, are just a few of the many other highlighted celebrities. If you've been a fan of anyone at anytime, this book gives you an interesting look at who those we admire actually admire. At times the featured celebrities provide laughs and at other times intriguing revelations. Overall this is a fun read with a lot of heart!

This book is fabulous. My husband and I found it to be a quick, entertaining read. We particularly enjoyed the entry from Mike Clark, our favorite radio DJ. It's interesting to see what people celebrities find heroic, and it conveys more of an inside look into their personality as well.

I am not a big reader, but I found this book thoroughly entertaining. It's one of those books that you can't put down! I highly reccomend this vook and look forward to her next book!

A truly great book--although not a well known one.

This is not your typical love-story. I'm the type of guy who is usually reading books of a technical nature, and for fiction I lean towards stuff like Vonnegut. But I really loved this book. A girl I know lent it to me while I was on a business trip - I cracked it open around 9 in the hotel to read a bit before I went to bed. I couldn't put it down - got very little sleep that night.

If you're a fan of the movie (and you should be) you'll find this book essential. It includes great insights on the production of the film, its restoration, and the man behind the story.

The authors deserve praise not just for their thoroughness and enthusiasm, but for resisting the temptation to title the book "Lawrence and Lawrence on Lawrence."

A great book on a great film! Everyone who loves this film should buy this book.

This is an extreemly well thought out book, with great insight that allows the reader to better undestand what it takes to figure out the workings of a man's mind and to place it into a film. A barage of well layed out photos accent this book nicely. Also a great history of the movie is written: beginning with the life of T.E.L, following the arduois making of the film, the lives of nearly all who had a hand in it, the wide range of response to the film, and the recent restoration. This book is priceless and definitely a must for anyone.

David Spiegelman has done a masterful job with collecting the best medical malaprops over the years.The illustrations are skillfully done to capture the humor of the book.

this is spectactular, heart-warming, and concentrated humor like never before gracing my bookshelf...I bought ten copies for gifts!!!

I haven't been reading it for 25 years yet, but since I've had the book- lots of laughs! (And I've gotten healthier, too)

This is a very funny book, bought as teenager and still enjoy reading for a laugh! Never seen a presidential book quite like this! The outfits for the paper dolls are very funny!

Bill & Al's Excellent Adventure : A Paper Doll Book takes a humorous stab at the top dogs in the White House, the Clintons and the Gores, by casting them as punch-out paper dolls. If you're in the market for a gag gift, particularly for friends living overseas or anyone remotely interested in Federal politics, I would highly recommend this book. The wardrobes are great and you do not have to be highly literate or politically astute to enjoy it immensely. We received this book as a gift from friends in Washington DC and we use it as a coffee table book. Our Australian friends all get a charge out of it, and it reminds us that we probably aren't missing any serious political development with historical significance by living offshore. It's truly an argument for abstaining from voting in US Federal elections all by itself. I would recommend keeping this book 'out of reach' if there are any pre-pubescent male children living in your house, or run the risk of them developing crushes on the 'White House Wives'.

Martin Scorsese has influenced so many directors in Hollywood that it's mind-blowing.and the casts that he has put together speak Volumes.he is as Important as anyone in the History of film.he takes the Streets and turns it into his own vision.he has directed some of the most important films ever.and he still has a classic or two that he hasn't even begun on yet.a great book.

This is a excellent book which covers Martin Scorcese's film's.I found it to be an excellent reference book. If you enjoy Scorcese's films get this book.