G Books

Excellent book for any new manager as well as managers with experience. I like Mr. Blair's approach to leading people vs managing them. His examples of situations he has experienced really show his understanding of leadership and ability to execute results. This would be an excellent book for companies to give to new managers before they have the opportunity to make unnecessary mistakes with their employees.

There is not a lot of good information on the important considerations for a new manager. Howard Blair has done a good job of describing some of the most important things a new manager should know. I wish that I had been able to read a book like this when I first started as a supervisor many years ago.

"Don't be a Dead Fish" has sixteen of the fundamental rules of great leaders in an easy to understand and logical format. The author says this book is designed for new managers (leaders), but even experienced executives will find some areas where they can improve. "Don't be a Dead Fish" is easy to read, concise, to the point, and contains advice all managers can use. You can't go wrong with this one.

Don't be a Dead Fish is definitely not a dead fish - it's a great read! The author is speaking with over forty years of experience in higher management and he presents several management techniques in a clear, concise and entertaining manner. I think this is a must read for both new and veteran corporate leaders alike.

Who should read this book? Anyone who supervises people, who is going to be supervising someone, or who will be working for someone else (in order to find a boss that will be a joy to work for).

It is a marvelous list of examples to show how to avoid being a "dead fish" manager, and instead, become a real leader. It is applicable to any organization: big business, small business, government offices, non-profits, volunteer organizations and, to some extent, even a family.

If everyone who reads this book takes the suggestions to heart, organizations would be more productive, more efficient, happier places to work, and the leaders would progress up the ladder of success much more rapidly.

The life of Dorothy Day has captivated people both during her lifetime and after her death. We have many of her own writings as well as a number of biographies, so her story still speaks to people and inspires many. Of the many biographies available, few are repetitive. Biographers seem to gain new insights into her life, work and spirituality and it's my guess that this will continue in the upcoming years since her life touches so many people in different ways. This work contains familiar information but it also has a new and fresh approach.

Rosalie Riegle is familiar with Dorothy Day's life from her research for her work VIOCES FROM THE CATHOLIC WORKER. In this work she gives us a biography that contains the story of Dorothy Day but isn't just the standard story. Riegle has collected stories, vignettes, and remembrances from the people who knew and worked with Day. Readers familiar with Dorothy Day's life and her work with the Catholic Worker will recognize many writers of many of the remembrances included: Jim Forrest, Robert Coles, Tom and Monica Cornell, Eileen Egan, Robert Ellsberg, and Fr. Richard McSorely. Some of the writings included are published for the first time in this work. She also includes remembrances from people who died before the book's publication but are an indispensable part of any Dorothy day biography: Peter Maurin, Thomas Merton, Sr. Peter Claver. While the stories associated with the familiar people associated with day are wonderful, there are many stories and vignettes from people not so well known but help compose the intriguing portrait found in this book.

Readers who are familiar with Dorothy Day's life will enjoy this book not because of the new light it sheds on Day's work and accomplishments but on the many stories and anecdotes that have been included that cannot be found elsewhere. We see day with all her gifts and all her quirks told by people who loved her because of who she was, and perhaps at times in spite of who she was. The Dorothy day we meet in this book may be a saint, though she was not always saintly. We see a woman of conviction, a woman of talent, and a woman open to God's direction in her life. While this is an excellent stand alone biography, it is an even better as a companion for the classic biographies of William Miller's DOROTHY DAY: A BIOGRAPHY (now out of print) and Jim Forrest's LOVE IS THE MEASURE.

As I was thinking about writing this review of Rosalie Riegle's book Dorothy Day: Portraits by Those Who Knew Her, I started reading Mary Pipher's newest book, Writing to Change the World. She quotes James Baldwin:

"You write in order to change the world, knowing perfectly well that you probably can't....The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way...people look at reality, then you can change it."

Pipher says, "Good writing enlarges readers' knowledge of the world, or empowers readers to act for the common good, or even inspires other good writing." Just as Dorothy Day wrote her newspaper for these reasons, Rosalie Riegle writes about Day to remember her and her work for the common good, as well as to empower and inspire her readers in the same direction. This is a book of interviews going back to 1988 and Riegle's second book on Day's work, following Voices from the Catholic Worker.

Dorothy Day was the co-founder, with Peter Maurin, of the Catholic Worker in 1933. It is both a newspaper and a community movement. The ideology inspiring it has been described as "Christian Anarchist."

Although I am neither a Christian nor an anarchist, through the years my life has crossed paths with those involved in the Catholic Worker movement. The first one I remember was Michael Harrington, who spent time at the Catholic Worker House in New York in the fifties. He was one of the many people interviewed by Riegle for her book. In the early sixties, he stayed with my husband and me when he came to Bloomington, Indiana to speak for the Young Peoples Socialist League at a public meeting at Indiana University. We stayed up into the night talking about the problems of the world and their possible solutions, and we were fascinated by his stories of his time there. In the sixties, he was a leading socialist and gained national fame with his book The Other America, which is credited with inspiring Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty.

Another interview was with Karl Meyer, who was householder of a Catholic Worker House in Chicago during the time I was there, and known as a peace activist. While they lived in Chicago, Glenn and Anne, a couple who were among my best friends, visited the Catholic Worker house often. After I moved to New Mexico, I met an artist who had spent time living in a rural Catholic Worker community in New York state when she was a single mother with a young child. Then, in 1996, I met and became friends with Rosalie Riegle at the International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women in Adelaide, Australia. At that time she was already working on this book. Her book has makes me understand her better as well as being inspired by Day and her followers.

Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker, radical pacifist, friend of the poor, has been called the conscience of the American Catholic Church. Lately she has also been called a saint. But who was she, really? In this moving and entertaining portrait, drawn from the memories of those who knew her best, Dorothy Day emerges as a woman of courage, humor, and love, who left an unforgettable mark on the lives of all she touched. Included are 134 voices of those who knew Day as a friend, a writer, a mother, a champion of the oppressed, and a spiritual guide. They tell what it was like to march with her on picket lines, to go to jail, to pray the rosary, and to discuss her favorites novels or the news of the day. This collective portrait best captures her many sides as a woman who was both ordinary and unique and includes an insert of rarely seen photos.

This is a great portrait of an inspiring woman, Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement. Riegle interviewed dozens of people and paints a very human picture with their short stories. The book can be read in long sittings or in short snippets. Our world needs more people like Dorothy Day and Riegle shows us why.

Dorothy Day, saint of the unwashed and unwanted, pacifist/anarchist,who actually lived the verses in MATTHEW 25 about the least among us,was an astonishing gift to Catholicism of the 20th century. Her influence is as great as any prelate[read any bishops letter on poverty,nuclear war,justice and you can see her gentle,firm hand there],yet it is/was as the co -founder of the Catholic Worker movement that she is best known for. these essays highlight Dorthy Day in her graciousness and deep prayer,her temper and moemnts of depression,her undying faith in the church,and unfailing criticism of the state. Dorothy day is not for the faint of heart or spirit.She disturbs,by her constancy and beauty. I am in constant awe...Hugely Recommended

Item was received as described by the seller. Also, the item was received in a great timing - took about 1 week to receive the item.

Book arrived in the nick of time. Brand new! Although, I can't blame the C grade that I received on the book, I will say it helped me stay average. Thanks a bunch! Science is so not my thing!

My kids love this Science book. It is very interesting, there are lots of pictures.

I have been using "Earth Science" by Tarbuck and Lutgens both at the high school and college level for 15 years. I think that iotr one of the best available.

This book was a wonderful resource for my Earth Science class. It has many colorful pictures, and great explanations.

Harrison & Davis offer intellectual property (IP) professionals - including IP attorney's seeking to advocate for their client - a better and more effective understanding of how to manage IP as a strategic business asset. Unlike other books on the subject, Edison, and it's sequel, "Einstein in the Boardroom" (2006), offers rare pragmatic advise with evidence-based outcomes from a community of IP-savvy companies on the benefits of becoming proactive in identifying, protecting and leveraging all forms of intellectual capital to address strategic business objectives.

Julie Davis and Suzanne Harrison's book, Edison in the Boardroom, takes readers deep enough into the field of intellectual property management for them to incorporate presented theories into their respective professional disciplines - researcher, attorney, licensing exec, etc. - without the book becoming unwieldy. Excellent balance. This book can become a cornerstone text for any professional involved with intellectual property to direct his or her focus for additional study and to ensure his or her working knowledge of the challenges confronting professionals in other disciplines that together form a corporate intellectual property management program.

Professor Thomas G. Field, Jr., Franklin Pierce Law Center

Few variables are more likely to dictate short- and long-term commercial success than a firm's ability to convert intellectual assets into intellectual property (IP). The smaller the firm, the bigger the need, and the need only grows.
Most companies are careful to avoid IP infringement and are eager to sue direct competitors who do not. Many firms also educate key employees on their roles in perfecting and protecting intangible assets. Fewer give full attention to IP and antecedents that might nevertheless be regarded as assets. For example, those who would not hesitate to monitor and sue infringing competitors may not monitor non-competitors as potential licensees.
To extract the most from intellectual assets, many factors, e.g., legal, technical marketing and sales, must be weighed. Edison in the Boardroom offers important advice to help firms take steps to meet that need. Despite its reference to "assets" in the subtitle, however, most of this book focuses more narrowly - on IP, and on patents specifically.
Davis and Harrison, said to bring "a quarter century of IP consulting accomplishments between them," document that some companies have long engaged in trying to optimize the value of their intellectual assets. The authors also assign companies to a five-level hierarchy based on a range of IP-management strategies. A goldmining metaphor is usefully advanced at one point to describe those levels as: defensive (staking claims), panning (cost control), mining (deeper profit seeking), processing (integration), and sculpting. The heart of the book consists of five chapters that discuss these levels seriatim and offers a host of useful ideas and anecdotes.
The book is generally well-structured. For example, early in each of the five core chapters is a description of what "companies are trying to accomplish" at the corresponding level of IP-management sophistication. At the defensive level, of course, companies have processes for seeking, maintaining and enforcing IP. Yet, in the discussion of second-level companies, said to seek to reduce costs by exercising judgment about what is brought into and kept in their patent portfolios, it becomes clear how much various levels overlap. The first two topics may usefully be segregated for purposes of discussion, but it is hard to imagine any company that can afford, literally, to pursue protection without attempting to balance portfolio goals against concomitant costs. Indeed, one thesis of the second chapter is that no firm can seek the strongest protection for everything of potential patentability, much less seek it in every possible country.
The third chapter diverges considerably. Companies featured there are said to seek, e.g., to extract portfolio value as quickly and cheaply as possible. Several have gone well beyond suing competitors or easily discovered, non-competing infringers. The most aggressive of such firms regard IP departments as profit centers and actively solicit licensees. Their success is sometimes remarkable. As the authors point out, "Worldwide revenues from patent licensing have grown from $15 billion in 1990 to over $100 billion in 2000." Echoing the central theme of another recent book, Davis and Harrison also point out that, "Some experts estimate that companies are sitting on $1 trillion per year in unexploited licensing fees."
Fourth- and fifth-level firms are difficult to distinguish from ones discussed earlier - or from each other. For example, level-four companies are said to seek to integrate "IP awareness and operations throughout all functions of the company." That seems necessary, too, for allegedly less capable compatriots. Further, when level-five firms are described as embedding intellectual assets and their management into the company culture, it is difficult to find divergence.
The last are said to have as additional objectives: (1) staking a claim on the future and (2) encouraging "disruptive technologies." Still, these could easily been collapsed into "Get a Crystal Ball!" Heuristics for meeting them non-serendipitiously are weak.
Consider, for example, the mouse and graphic interface as commercialized on Macintosh computers. Steve Jobs is said to have derived both from the Alto computer developed by Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center. While Jobs became a billionaire, "Xerox completely failed to get into the personal computer business, missing one of the biggest business opportunities in history." To avoid repeating such mistakes, Davis and Harrison suggest that companies should "identify ways the corporation can benefit from [ideas outside their business capacity] before moving on." They, not surprisingly, can offer little guidance.
One IP attorney recently stressed the need for his colleagues better to understand the identification, protection and use of intellectual capital "effectively to address strategic corporate objectives." Those for whom this is novel terrrain will find Edison in the Boardroom helpful.
Also, senior IP counsel better acquainted with the topic may find the book useful. Some will face difficulty in convincing those at the same level or higher in the corporate hierarchy of its importance. To the extent that their advocacy of the critical role to be played by IP counsel is perceived as serving selfish aims, the book should help allay suspicions.
For these and other attorneys, the value of Edison in the Boardroom could easily, and vastly, exceed its modest price.

The basic concept of this book is very intriguing: Briefly examine the life and career of Thomas Edison and then suggest direct correlations between his achievements with real-world situations in which various companies are now deriving substantial value from their intellectual capital. The authors also make skillful use of Edison's own recorded thoughts and feelings. Of special interest to me was what he had to say about the creative process. For example, "Men are just beginning to propose questions and find answers, and we may be sure that no matter what question we ask, so long as it is not against the laws of nature, a solution can be found." This what the author refer to as "The Edison Mindset." Edison apparently had almost no concern about a given experiment's "failure" which he continued to view, rather, as non-success to that stage. Too often, senior-level executives become preoccupied with results and neglect the process by which they can be achieved. Among Edison's greatest (and perhaps least appreciated) achievements was the establishment of the first research laboratory in which he and his associates would collaborate on various projects. Edison was a pioneer in recognizing the importance of assembling the best available talent and providing them with sufficient resources as well as a culture wherein those talents could be fully utilized. Davis and Harrison obviously have this point in mind when observing that "benchmarking best practices without any regard for the underlying culture of the firm can be problematic."

NOTE: For those interested in this subject, I highly recommend Organizing Genius in which Bennis and Biederman examine the collaborative efforts of those involved at the Disney studios which produced so many animation classics; at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) which developed the first personal computer; at Apple Computer which then took it to market; at the so-called "War Room" which helped to elect Bill Clinton President in 1992; those active in the so-called "Skunk Works" where so many of Lockheed's greatest designs were formulated; at Black Mountain College which "wasn't simply a place where creative collaboration took place. It was about creative collaboration"; and at Los Alamos (NM) and the University of Chicago where the Manhattan Project eventually produced a new weapon called "the Gadget."

This is an extremely well-organized and well-written book in which Davis and Harrison use the life and career of Edison for guidance to understanding subjects of major importance today such as breakthrough innovation, collaborative effort, the development and management of intellectual property, and effective organizational transformation. They suggest that companies (indeed all organizations) function in one or more of five levels which comprise "the hierarchy of value" for intellectual property, a model created at Andersen's Intellectual Property Management Practice and then at ICMG:

1. Defensive: "If a corporation owns an intellectual asset (such as a great business concept), it can prevent competitors from using the asset."

2. Cost Control: "Companies focus on how to reduce the costs of filing and maintaining their IP portfolios."

3. Profit Center: "Having learned how to control many of their patent-related costs, companies at this level turn their attention to more proactive strategies that can generate millions of dollars of additional revenues while further continuing to trim costs.'

4. Integrated Level: In this level the IP function ceases to focus on self-centered activities and reaches outwardly beyond its own department to serve a greater purpose within the organization as a whole."

5. Visionary Level: "Few companies have reached this level of looking outside the company and into the future. In this level, the IP function, having already become deeply ingrained in the company, takes on the challenge of identifying future trends in the industry and consumer preferences."

After an excellent Introduction, the authors devote a separate chapter to each of the five Levels and then provide a case study of the Dow Chemical Company, followed by three appendices: Mining a Portfolio for Value, Competitive Assessment, and Integrated Performance Reporting. They suggest all manner of similarities and differences between and among these five Levels, in process suggesting also a wealth of strategies and tactics to consider when attempting to achieve the desired results at any of these Levels.

To a greater extent now than at any prior time in human history, with all due respect to major developments such as the light bulb, telephone, automobile, and personal computer, corporations (indeed entire societies) seek "exciting, new, novel, and discontinuous innovations....For centuries, companies have linked ideas and money by embedding their new ideas (legally protected or not) into products to be sold or bartered. Today, however, an exciting new concept is revolutionizing the way companies extract value from their ideas: an idea no longer needs to be embedded into a product or service to create value. Today ideas are licensed, sold, or bartered in their raw state for great value." And they are getting that value through intellectual property management (IPM). Hence the importance of encouraging and supporting "The Edison Mindset."

Here in a single volume, the authors provide a comprehensive, cohesive, and cost-effective program. It remains for decision-makers in any organization now considering or at work on the design of an IPM to select whatever material in the book is most appropriate to their organization's specific needs. One value-added benefit of this book is that Davis and Harrison can assist with that selection process. A point made earlier, however, deserves repeating: "benchmarking best practices without any regard for the underlying culture of the firm can be problematic."

The authors provide an excellent framework for companies to manage their intellectual property - without using too much consultant speak.

They quote examples at different levels of their framework and look at companies who are suceeding at managing and valuing their IP effectively. This is a skill which can only be more and more wanted in the future.

The most interesting takeaway is that most companies are very bad in this field, and there are very few success stories.

This review is for all three books in Jenny Nimmo's Magician Trilogy (The Snow Spider, Emlyn's Moon, and The Chestnut Soldier).

Jenny Nimmo's writing style is very powerful, and her characters come to life as you read these books. The descriptions of locations (people's houses, the Welsh countryside, the town, the school) are so vivid that you can immediately picture yourself there. These books have a few scary parts, but the endings are very positive and satisfying.

These books are recommended for anyone who enjoys fantasy or Welsh mythology. Similar books include Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising Sequence and Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles.

This is the 2nd book in a trilogy. Jenny Nimmo is a great writer. This book follows very nicely with the first, but the first isn't necessary to get what is going on. My 10 year old enjoys them too. Jenny Nimmo writes to kids and makes the reading easy and fun.

I think this book is a good book for fantasy lovers of all ages. This is the second book in the "magician trilogy" series so if you like it you should read the first or third book. This story is based in the welsh mountains in the present day. Gwen Griffiths lives a good life in the highest house on the top of the mountains in Ty-Bryn. But his cousin Emlyn is having problems. Emlyn's mom suddenly left without cause and he wants to learn why. But there are dark secrets in their past and when Gwen with the help of a family friend tries to help them, it will change their lives forever.

If you like Charlie Bone and Harry Potter this is another you should read. Great for Kids.

My grand daughter just loves this book and all of the trilogy. She is only 7, but can't wait to read more.

I have the listened to the BBC dramatization of Enquiry at least a dozen times and the unabridged version several additional times and it never fails to entertain me. It was the first of the Dick Francis stories I listened to or read and it is brilliant from several points of view. The development of all the characters is done so well, especially Kelly Hughes and his helper Roberta and minor characters such as the sleazy detective and the horse trainers and owners. You meet so many memorable characters as Kelly seeks to clear his name and Dexter Cranfield's as well. Kelly Hughes was the kind of hero several stories could have been done about and I wish there were more. While not all the Francis stories were written quite as well as this story, I listen to this one several times a year. I strongly recommend this book/audio to all fans of Dick Francis and the hourse racing business.

Jockey Kelly Hughes and trainer Dexter Cranfield have their licenses suspended by the Oxford stewards for supposedly throwing a race. Hughes believes that they were framed and he sets out to clear their names and get the licenses restored. Who would want to ruin their careers? As the truth is revealed we hear a story of sexual deviation, blackmail, fixed evidence and attempted murder.

"Yesterday I lost my licence."

That's how the book begins ... and indeed Kelly Hughes, a leading jump jockey , has been indefinitely suspended from racing after being found guilty of deliberately losing a race.

He knows that someone has rigged evidence against him, and rather than sit back and wait for the ban to be lifted , he sets out to find his secret enemy.

Hughes isn't a detective, and just as he doesn't really know how to carry out an investigation, the reader can't guess at how the plot will develop. My favourite highlight is when Hughes is driving home after a dance. At first it seems to be just a 'filler' scene, but it turns into something more dramatic - and the writing here is particularly well-crafted.

The two main characters are Hughes himself , a widower, and Roberta, the snooty daughter of his employer. Near the start of the book Roberta asks him:

" "That picture .. that's your wife isn't it?"
I nodded.
"I remember her". She said. "She was always so sweet to me. She seemed to know what I was feeling. I was really awfully sorry when she was killed"
I looked at her in surprise. The people Rosalind had been sweetest to had invariably been unhappy. She had had a knack of sensing it, and giving succour without being asked. "

Unfortunately Roberta has been brought up by her father to regard jockeys as an inferior social class, and it takes a long time for the two of them to kindle any real friendship, let alone romance.

Francis is particularly good in this book with the minor characters - such as the aristocratic Bobbie, who clearly is very fond of Roberta but can't help hinting that Hughes is a better match for her, or Derek the diffident mechanic who kept most of his brains in his fingertips.

The plot doesn't flag, the tale builds to a satisfactory climax and I only wish Hughes had appeared in another of Francis' books.

This was the first Dick Francis book I have read and I must say that I am impressed! I bought it because I had nothing to read one rainy afternoon and because I am interested in horseracing. I read it in one day. The characters were real and the plot was interesting. If you look at the copy I have you will see all kinds of scribbles in it where I have marked quotes and phrases that I liked. For example, Kelly describes how he feels after his accident as "Not so much as banging the head against a brick wall as being actively attacked by a cliff". Yep, I know that feeling...Francis just said it better than I could have. Just one warning...don't pick up this book unless you can afford to spend the whole afternoon reading it.

The primary reason I continue to seek out and read Dick Francis is that he continually creates heroes that are efficacious and rational. He avoids the common pitfalls of most modern writers, and instead invents characters who pass the ultimate test: "Would I like to meet and know this person?" If you can answer "yes" to that question then there is great potential for enjoyment in the fiction centered around that character. If you answer "no" to that question, why even bother reading further?

Dick Francis' characters almost always recieve an unreserved "YES!" Read "Enquiry," it's not the best from Francis but it's still furlongs beyond the rest.

If you are not a biologist or MD, and want to see where the application of genomics to medicine is going, try Brown's book. In clear language, he and other writers explain the key ideas and promises in this field. Like what can be done with massive genomic databases, by aiding the search for inherited diseases, and isolating these to certain places in the DNA.

One chapter looks at gene therapy. Currently, still mostly speculative. Much remains to be done to make it viable for many people. But this chapter is perhaps the most far reaching, if its potential can be fully realised. Related to this is another chapter about proteomics, which is another buzzword. We see that protein structures are another field, closely related, that also holds big promises for understanding and treatments.

"...this book was exactly what I was looking for: a high-level overview of genomic technologies and their application...Brown's book is highly recommended..." (Pharmaceutical Research, Vol. 20, No. 6, June 2003)

"readable account of the underpinnings of genomics and its medical applications...a clearly written book that makes a complex discipline understandable..." (New England Journal of Medicine, July 24, 2003)

"...a good purchase for...academic or medical libraries as well as large public ones." (E-Streams, Vol. 6, No. 5, May 2003)

"It will be quite useful to anyone from other fields who is interested in a taste of what emerging technologies in genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics can bring to bear on questions of potential importance in biomedical research." --American Journal of Human Genetics

Short and sweet! I really enjoyed this book!

"First the Raven" is a story of spiritual and emotional isolation and the journey to redemption. Set in the spiritual wasteland of Southern California, the narrative drifts seamlessly between interior musings and the public personas of the main characters, a young Israeli ex-paratrooper who has lost his center and an aged Orthodox rabbi who looks after society's cast-offs and speaks in parables.

The relationship that the two men develop with each other and the resulting shifts in their individual relationships with loved ones have meaning for all readers, whether they are children, parents or spouses.

The book is beautifully written in language that seduces the reader into turning page after page. It would be an excellent choice for a reading group ( maybe the publisher could provide a reading group guide????) WATCH FOR THE BIRDS!

The title refers to the Raven that Noah sent out from the ark to find dry land. He never returns, lost forever. Only later will the dove leave and return with the olive Branch.
Amir is like that Raven, searching for solid ground. An immigrant from Israel he is somewhat lost in Los Angeles. He feels that he is losing touch with his wife and teenage daughter.
A chance meeting with Rosenberg, a holocaust survivor opens his heart. Slowly the two forge a relationship, which also helps Amir realize that it is up to him to find solid land. He cannot get lost forever never to return.

Leora Krygier  has the ability to entice this reader into caring about and following the lives of two men (Amir and Rosenberg, a pair of unlikely friends) and their families as though these characters are real people --and maybe they are?  FIRST THE RAVEN is a powerful story -- one that drained me emotionally in a very satisfying way.

Although new to the literary world, Leora Krygier is not a novice when it comes to writing beautiful fiction. Filled with elegant words and compelling style, Krygier tells the novel and exotic story of an Israeli ex-paratropper who is transplated with his wife and daughter in southern California. He is spiritually lost, which is evident in his relationships with his wife and distant teenaged daughter, and eventually pierced by a chance meeting with an Orthodox rabbi who takes an interest in this unique man and peppers his newfound view of the world. The effect that these two men have on each other and how they change their perception of the world is rich and magical. Krygier, who lived in Israel, is able to capture the Israeli personality and lifestyle to a tee, from physical mannerisms to social reactions.
A wonderful story and hopefully one of many yet to come from Leora Krygier.

Authors of fiction rarely choose to tell a story because it is timely and that it especially true of fine literary fiction. Somehow, "First the Raven" appears in print just when interest in its subject matter is high, precisely when its message is needed.

The characters in this lovely first novel by Leora G. Krygier are Israeli transplants on Los Angeles soil. Their experiences in America are so germane to this moment in geopolitics it is difficult to imagine a more perfectly timed release. It is as if this little volume was sent to us so that we might better understand not only the immigrant experience, but also that we might see Israeli divisions that we have never before observed-at least not up close and personal as this story presents them.

The narrative centers on a journey of redemption for Amir that begins when he befriends Rosenberg, an elderly Holocaust survivor who he identifies with the Israeli politics that Amir was only too happy to leave behind. Amir's relationship with a wife he loves is unraveling and his daughter is entangled with the kind of legal and moral morass that every parent fears the most. Amir longs for the freedom he once felt as a parachuter, feels a vague disease with his new home, a longing for his old.

Amir's new friend is also emotionally detached from his wife and his son. The two strangers come together in a small restaurant in a Jewish section of Los Angeles only because it is so popular they must share a table. In spite of Amir's reluctance to associate with the old Orthodox Jew, Amir slowly accommodates Rosenberg's loneliness and in so doing finds someone who has just the right connections and character to help him through the explosions that he must face in the days ahead.

In turn, Amir's virility, common sense and vulnerability combine to offer something the elderly Rabbi is not finding in his other relationships. We see how differences can heal rather than divide, a very real lesson for today's world.

Krygier tells this story with sensitivity and with a command of language not seen in many mainstream novels. Consider this poetry in prose:

"(Amir) remembered his first jump, looking up into the fullness of the canopy, its lined geometry, the softness of its membrane. The flapping fabric was gossamer-thin, like a wing..."

"....she flirted with him...with competence, as if she were following her grandmother's recipes for yeast cake-just a little but not too much."

"Through the peephole...he could still see her, sitting on the step, round, through the fisheye, as if she were floating in an amniotic sac."

"It was an altered sky, cloudless and mute, tinted with faint paper-white strokes."

Part of the power of Krygier's passages may be credited to experience. She was born in Tel-Aviv and grew up in Philadelphia. She now lives in Los Angeles, and descriptions of that city ground the work; there is not a city street or a vista out of place. Her experience as a referee in the juvenile division of the Superior Court of the County of Los Angeles also gives her first-person insight into the system that young offenders must confront when they stray.

First the Raven is the kind of story that gives us something to take away with us once we have turned its last page. It may or may not change a readers' perspective, but it certainly will give her comfort and confidence in the future. It's hard to imagine that we could ask more.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"

I enjoyed the personal, conversational voice of Susan Wooldridge once again. In "Poemcrazy" she inspired me and gave me my most often referred to teaching tool. This time, in "Foolsgold," she let me know who she is. I wholeheartedly feel that this author is capable of affirming and uplifting any doubting creative soul. My only disappointment was not seeing either photographs of her "boxes" or more creative writing exercises included. I would love Susan to produce a "Poemcrazy II."

Foolsgold changed my life in the most amazing way. I was not in a creative rut when I picked up the book, but I decided to check it out anyway, because I was in a general life rut that had been going on for too long. So I read Foolsgold, and everything changed. Susan G. Wooldridge gave me the courage to do things I have always wanted to do, and to ask for things out of life that I have been afraid to ask for, things that I did not think were possible. And guess what? I got what I asked for. Surprise, surprise! I have since given notice at my boring desk job, and I am now actively working with my husband towards opening our own small business. We bounce out of bed in the mornings discussing ideas- we are ecstatic about our future and our grand plans. This book lit many sparks that set my life into wonderful motion, and I smile a lot more than I did a month ago. I loved her honesty, encouragement, ideas, and sense of humor. It was such an delightful and comfortable read, it was as though I was reading a book that a close friend had written. I know that I will be reaching for the book again and again, and I am eternally grateful that I found it.

Written in easy-to-read style. Very interesting. Couldn't put it down. Almost felt like I was there(maybe I was?)
Got me thinking in other, more poetic terms. Recently went on a all-night fishing trip with about 60-70 guys sitting with their stocking caps showing above their seats and my thoughts turned to the bright colors and the order of things, not about guys trying to keep warm. Felt like I was hooked, not the fish!
Greg C

As a child did you engage in "treasure hunting"? I remember going on treasure hunts as part of childhood birthday parties and backyard play for many summers. I also remember the concept of a treasure hunt being used to help acclimate students my first year of nursing school. Sparse clues led the hunter from one location to another in search of some "hidden treasure."

As summer's end approaches, I am ending the summer in much the same way as I began the summer, with a second read-through of the recently released book Foolsgold: Making Something From Nothing and Freeing Your Creative Process by Susan G. Wooldridge. And now I'm recommending it to anyone and everyone who will listen! Several years ago I read Wooldridge's poemcrazy: freeing your life with words and found her style and material to be delightful and useful. So it is not surprising that I rushed to pick up a copy of her newest book.

What is surprising is that I didn't want to put it down, didn't want it to end, and couldn't wait to pick it back up for a second time. It is well written and informative, yes. But that is not the whole story. This book is far from "fool's gold" in the strict definition of the term. Rather, it is a rare gem.

In her own words, Susan G. Wooldridge says "Foolsgold describes a paradox, the value in what may seem to be worthless... Foolsgold reminds us to look beyond appearances, even in ourselves. What seems to loom in us most darkly may finally be what brings the most light."

I've found many helpful and inspiring quotes in the pages of this book, some of which have made their way already to my computer area as daily reminders. Others have been spotlighted in the SCN WiseWords.

Wooldridge's book is meant to urge all of us with creative longings to spend time with the simple and seemingly mundane aspects of our lives--and to be aware of all that "time and place" have to offer us in the way of peace, inspiration, motivation, or joy. She encourages us to go on treasure hunts at every opportunity... treasure hunts to seek out joy, wholeness and grounding.

If, like me, you are searching for a way to bring more simple and meaningful creative play into your world, perhaps Wooldridge can offer some exercises and practices for your consideration. Anyone interested in a good game of "Treasure Hunt"? First one to find "foolsgold" is the winner!

by Lee Ambrose
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

I heard about this book from Teesha Moore's blog, where she raved about it. For the first chapter or two, I was disappointed. Hardly any artistic "how-to" information, and a lot of what seemed to be whining. (The book was written shortly after her father passed away, and her marriage of 30 years ended in divorce. I understood that she was going through a tough time, but..)

About chapter 3 or 4, the book began to grow on me. Still not any "how-tos", just a few brief suggestions here and there. That's fine with me, I'm not reading for instruction, I'm more interested in being entertained. Her writing certainly fills that bill! Excellent stuff!

Hilger gently introduces the uniniated into the not always gentle world of the religious. An excellent first effort, and I look forward to the next Sister Abigail mystery. Ms. Hilger, your reading audience awaits!

Great plot, super characters, and prose that seemed to come from heaven itself in places. My only complaint was the novel's length. I hope subsequent installations of the series have more pages to turn. Bravo to Ms. Hilger for a job well done.

A couple of stories to work on, and such a direct approach to the faith of the nuns in the story. Most mysteries that involve nuns focus much more on the mystery, the story, the plot, the characters, etc. Faith - and true good and evil - usually get short shrift. Not so here.

This book was such a GREAT read. Ms. Hilger's portrait of Sr. Abigail as a fiesty but tender, spiritually adept but humorous and real nun made her come to life--I hated to say goodbye when I ended the book and I hope the word series on the cover means at least a DOZEN more!! I also enjoyed the story within a story. Ms. Hilger took the time to present her readers with not only good entertainment, but something to think about as well. Evil is chosen and He (Jesus) truly is everfaithful.

I loved this book completely and absolutely. From Sister Abigail and the nun with the orthopedic shoes to the story within a story Ms. Hilger used to weave this incredible tale. I couldn't put it down and for ONCE I WASN'T DISAPPOINTED over how a mystery ended. Read it and meet a wonderful friend in Sister Abigail.