Resources Books

Little more than a year after he published the opus Agriculture and Modern Technology: a Defense,* Thomas R. DeGregori has returned with another work of similar scope and perhaps even greater depth: The Environment, Our Natural Resources, and Modern Technology.** The book examines in detail many preconceptions and cultural myths about the environment, natural resources and technology, and shows that many are so badly distorted that they contribute to the commission of countless wrongs.

DeGregori's deft handling of these preconceptions and cultural myths invites a comparison to Dawkins' work with memes, or Campbell's syncretistic work with folklore, but as an economist of strikingly pragmatic bent, DeGregori prefers to deal with historical fact.

Those who cherish any illusions about the environment, natural resources or technology will find this a painful book to read. In chapter 1, we learn that "green consumerism" is still consumerism, barely green, and sometimes outright dangerous. In chapter 2, we learn how wildlife conservation efforts in Africa have destroyed cultures, forcing natives from their lands and depriving them of traditional foods. These natives are then denied access to modern technologies, with a view to ensure that they somehow remain "authentic" after such irreversible intrusions, enduring an enforced primitivism at the hands of their conquerors.

The theme repeats itself in chapter 5, where the notion of the American Indian as the "original ecologist" is exposed as the typical aftermath of subjugation. Primitive peoples in their wild, "natural" state (notions of what is "natural" are scathingly debunked as well) are viewed as savages, akin to animals and therefore not landowners, justifying their subjugation and the theft of their land. Once subjugated, nostalgia usurps memory and they are viewed as having lived "sustainably" in a pristine pre-technological utopia and an elaborate parody of their past is concocted to mesh with other mythical views we wish to entertain in the present. If these peoples rebel by refusing to act as expected, they are once again referred to as savages and often treated accordingly.

Much of the book deals with skewed notions of what is "natural," and they are mainly exposed in chapter 6. There, we learn that life "in harmony with the environment" for most of human history has had little in common with its idyllic portrayals, being instead nasty, brutish and short. As it turns out, the only thing able to protect us from the uncaring ravages of nature is, and always has been, technology.

"Here [in this book] the focus is on the consumption practices that reflect the phobias and beliefs that deny and/or reject the technological and scientific transformations that have given us longer, healthier lives," DeGregori states in his introduction. The book achieves this ambition, and a good deal more.
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* Iowa State University Press, Ames, 2001. 268 pp., [money]. Reviewed in AgBiotech Reporter, July 2001.
** Iowa State Press, Ames, 2002. 224 pp., [money]

This is a book that will challenge much conventional wisdom about the impact of modern technology on our environment. No matter how much you think you know about the topic, you will learn something new by reading it.

The author, an economist of the old-fashion institutionalist school (unlike the current institutionalist crowd, he believes in material progress) begins the book with a simple question: If modern science and technology are killing us, why are we so healthy and living so long? In short, his answer is that human beings have evolved into problem-solving (i.e. technological) creatures, and that no one should deny that this is a good thing in light of the available historical record.

The topics discussed in the book go much beyond what its title suggests and range from the living conditions of early Pacific Islanders to the Nazis' love of all things natural - with the exception, of course, of other human beings who didn't fit their idea of the master race. Indeed, the book is as much a study of the cultural divide between technological optimists and pessimists as it is a study of the impact of technology on humans and the environment.

One warning, though. The author is an academic and writes like one. The titles listed in his 45 page bibliography are thus methodically referenced in the main text in a way that will probably distract some readers unfamiliar with this writing style. In the end, though, the book is well worth the effort.

The Environment, Our Natural Resources, and Modern Technology is a holistic expose of the hypocrisy of the major planks of the stereotypical leftist agenda: namely the three mentioned in the title.

Dr. DeGregori contrasts "green consumerism" with another plank of the leftist agenda: income disparity, and shows, through a variety of examples, what the results of such national policies would be: increased prices and scarcity for all. In short, the green movement is for guilt-ridden rich folk, and not for the masses.

Addressing natural resources, DeGregori shows that the best way to preserve them would be to allow free trade and property rights. I particularly enjoyed the applications to developing economies around the world, although I found it painful to learn of the way in which developed economic powers (U.S. and Britain in particular) egotistically deprive indigenous cultures of even the chance to utilize their natural resources to increase their income (thereby increasing education, access to life-saving consumer products, and increasing general standards of living). Cases from India, Africa, and Southeast Asia are used to vividly illustrate the consequences of leftist, socialist moves to keep indigenous cultures in developing countries at a stunted level of economic and cultural development.

DeGregori's examination of modern technology is superb, as well. He exposes the fanatacism of anti-technology individuals-e.g. those who decry "cold pasteurization" as harmful, even though empirical evidence shows that there has not been a single incident of an individual consumer becoming ill as a result. His evaluation of techno-phobes' concerns is invaluable, and reaches beyond contemporary quibbles to address the fundamental philosophy driving their zeal. He addresses some of the most important issues of today, such as debates surrounding genetically modified food vs. organic and those regarding the use of DDT and fertilizers.

DeGregori also addresses the demand for technological improvements by cultures in developing countries, and the benefits to be gained: increased income, increased competitiveness in the global economy, increased life-expectancies, and decreased environmental degredation.

I was surprised to find that such a scholarly book was such an easy read; the information was logically presented, and easily digestible. DeGregori's information is heavily footnoted, but since the footnotes aren't the crux of the book, you can simply read around them. If you are looking for more information, the footnotes may well prove invaluable, as DeGregori cites pro and con sources to many of his arguments.

This book was required for a university course that I am taking from DeGregori. In person, and not just on books, DeGregori is a professor with a firm grasp on the latest economic information from developing and developed economies around the world. Degregori encourages you to look on the positive side of things-all the progress we've made, and potential solutions to some of the problems.

The Environment, Our Natural Resources, And Modern Technology by Thomas R. Degregori (Professor of Economics, University of Houston, Texas), is a 256-page, scholarly volume whose reasoning and language is accessible enough to make it appropriate for any non-specialist general reader concerned about the environmental degradation and human overpopulation problems that are significantly effecting planet Earth. The intent of The Environment, Our Natural Resources, And Modern Technology is not to flatly denounce conservation efforts, but rather to closely scrutinize them (including the myths surrounding them), and to take a cold, hard look at whether such things as "ecotourism" are truly beneficial to the ecologies or the people who live in them. From revealing how some African game wardens are empowered to legally shoot to kill anyone suspected of poaching; to debunking the myth of the "untamed West" which ignored the profound impact Native American cultures and settlements had on the land, The Environment, Our Natural Resources, And Modern Technology is a thoughtful and thought-provoking extended essay that strives to uncover facts beneath layers of propaganda on all sides of thorny environmental and technology issues. No academic library's Environmental Studies collection can be considered comprehensive without the inclusion of Professor Degregori's The Environment, Our Natural Resources And Modern Technology.

This is an excellent book for churches who want to improve their ability to develop a volunteer (servant) program. But, it will take work, commitment and time. Sue Mallory offers many perceptive Bible based concepts - not a quick fix.

The Equipping Church is one of the best books I have ever read on what it means to use our God given gifts as members of the body of Christ. Sue Mallory doesn't sugar coat the time, effort and faith that is involved in building the kind of community many churches long for, but are unsure how to create. Ms. Mallory lays out the path her church followed in the process of moving toward and becoming a faithful place in which they could be God's people. The stories she shares are personal, sometimes heart wrenching, but always authentically filled with grace. Ms. Mallory makes me want to dig in and do the work to which I am called.

Sue Mallory, one of the nation's leading experts on lay ministries has written the definitive text. This book, along with the companion guidebook, show churches how to recruit, train, and support volunteers. She gives the vision for an alive, involved church and tells you how to get there. I could not recommend it more highly.

Sue Mallory, one of the nation's leading experts on lay ministry has written the definitive text on the subject. This book along with the companion guidebook, give a step by step process for empowering and enabling a church's members to engage in meaningful ministry.Topics include how to recruit volunteers, how to discern people's talents and gifts, how to train people to serve in ministry and how to support and nurture those people.Up until now most of this material has been available only in workshops or on tapes. It is great to have the complete plans for a lay ministries program in one book. (Actually, two with the guidebook).

I'm an associate pastor in our church. When I started to disciple a small group of guys who were not very spiritually grounded, I wasn't sure what to use as our "study." None of them enjoyed reading much so too much would turn them off - reading something small and whimpy would defeat the purpose. Every Day with Jesus is absolutely perfect! The sizes of the chapters are manageable for a days' reading and there is fantastic, easy to understand substance in every reading. Thank you Pastor Greg for helping my friends in the faith! I would recommend this to nearly ever Believer because God is using it in my life to speak great spiritual truth!

Greg Laurie's devotions help you to invision Christ as your close friend. The devotion is an excellent tool to share with new believers.

Laurie does an excellent job of applying the scriptures to our every day life. Easy to understand and analogies you can relate to. Good reading material for everyone.

Greg Laurie has written a daily devotional that is both easy to read and relevant to our every day lives. This devotional uses the life of Jesus as the basis of each entry. At the end of the book, readers would have gained greater insight into the life of Jesus while developing a deeper devotion to Him.

Wow..The Executive Rules does RULE on how to land that top job. Anyone thinking about changing employment or needing information on how to find an executive position must read this great book. I give it 5+ stars.

Randy Loren
Author
Climbing The Money Mountain

This is a wonderful read with tremendous amounts of hardcore advice that we should all take to heart. Mr. Greer gives you the unabated version of what most successful recruiters look for in a candidate. I keep a copy of this in my home office and I reference it often. After reading this book I ended up getting my dream job and I think it has also helped me to be a better employee. This is a must read!!!!

First off, this guy knows what he is talking about. This isn't some general job hunting advice book. Greer uses his experience in management recruiting and gives an inside track on how to get a high paying position in the absolute quickest time. The information in this book covers in depth nearly all aspects of the management/sales seekers employment process and provides direct and to-the-point strategies that will get your resume read by the decision makers.

The major thesis is that the job search is a process, and while there are many things you can't control, you can control your process and execute on your strategy to maximize your probability for a positive outcome, and more importantly, minimize wasted effort and costly time. This is a straight forward, to the point, no holds barred examination of the best and most practical process to find and get a job as quickly as possible.

T. Greer has done an excellent job laying out the blueprint for an effective search that includes everything from who should write your resume, to interviewing, to what and what not to say and do when effecting a transition from your current job.

I was employed in three months in a great job. I highly recommend taking the time to get real about your job search.

Jason K.
G.E.Capital

Mr. Greer's breakdown of the "Seven Key Career Questions" should be the foundation for anyone hunting for a job. Whether you are just starting a career, or looking for the next step to take, Mr. Greer's book provides readers with the insider's guide to everything you need to know. Particularly important is his emphasis on the details, such as making sure your resume is readable and professional. Filled with anecdotes, examples, and invaluable information, "The Executive Rules" is a must-have for anyone looking for a job. It would certainly make a great gift for any recent grad.

If you are a technophobe like me, it will definitely help you to do better with Facebook.

This book is just perfect. From the opening few pages you can get a real handle on the phenomenon that is facebook, and quickly you'll know how play in the sandbox with the best of them. It flows along in the typical style of all the "dummies" books as it really helps you get started with ease, but this one has an extra edge: it's fun to read. The authors, whether intentionally, or just naturally, inject a very refreshing sense of humor into their writing that makes the adventure that much more enjoyable.

Everything is covered here; how to use facebook to keep in touch with friends, how to reconnect with old friends on there already, making new friends, joining groups, sharing pictures, playing games, making the most of thousands of available applications, how to use facebook for your business... It goes on and on and on.

Social networking is just the latest wave of the computer revolution, but it's a big one, and if you're planning to ride it, bring your surfboard, ...and your copy of FfD!
~well done.

About halfway through the book and it has over delivered many times already.

Easy to understand, sequential step-by-step actions clearly written, nice touch of humor throughout.

Definitely recommended if you want to know Facebook inside and out.

This dummies book provides a good grounding in the uses of Facebook. As with all technology books, it's *already* a tad dated, even though it's publish-date is this year (2008!). Applications and their popularity ebb and flow - some of the third party applications they've mentioned I have not once encountered (ie - Fluff Friends), and some daily requests I get deluged with are not mentioned at all. I can't turn around, for example, without someone sending me a Lil' Green Patch, guilting me into sending out more green patches. It's like a charity virus. :-)

What the book is really for, though, is a novice through beginner's journey into the social network that is Facebook. The guide begins with how Facebook started, what the term "face book" means (hint - it's a college thing) and things you can and cannot do on this site.

What can't you do? Troll. Lie about who you are. Be under 13. Upload illegal content or porn - sorry!

What you can do - post a profile. Add photos, find friends, join groups, make pages for your business, plan events, mess with all kinds of fun applications, join up to five networks, make a newsfeed, sell things and buy advertising.

It's useful that some mention is made of how many friends to acquire. DO you be-friend everyone who asks? The book suggests quality over quantity - always useful advice in making friends in the meat world as well. :) What exactly Facebooking is, in practice, is laid out: how to find friends, how to "poke" them, and how to manage your ever-growing FB friend lists.

The Adding Photos chapter is pretty comprehensive and moves on into adding videos, writing Wall posts and giving "gifts."

One thing I found interesting and useful was the section on setting up FB with cell phones, something I had not tried prior to the reading. Of course, young people who've grown up with texting won't find anything new here. :)

The book has a great section for business people who have not been weaned on social networking - there is a chart advising when to make profiles, pages or groups, what you can do with events, how to set up ads and find/nurture "fans" of your business. This information should be extremely useful for anyone with a small or home business wanting to explore the amazing potential of free marketing/networking with Facebook, which is, honestly, a pretty intuitive site to dive into.

One thing I would have appreciated would have been some more insights from the authors on how FaceBook has impacted their lives and the lives of people in general. FB is a huge world and I am still learning the etiquette - how long is too long to be polite when answering wall posts and messages - sometimes I don't get to it for weeks/months. Do I always need to return gifts/fairy dust/karma? How do I get people to stop deluging me with said gifts/fairy dust/karma? What about people in the real world who want to know about my life and *aren't"* on Facebook - how do I let them know I don't have time for updating them and that REALLY if they care, they need to follow me there?

These are the kind of things I would really like to know and would improve the book considerably. In a sense, FaceBook for Dummies is mostly a regurgitation of the how-to instructions you can glean yourself from the FB website. A nicely laid-out regurgitation. :)

Richard B. Hays argues that the passage in Galatians (2:16) translated into English as, "... a [human being] is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ ..." can be, and should be, translated differently.

Hays argues that the passage should be translated as it is literally given in the original koine Greek: "... a [human being] is not justified by the works of the law but through [the] faith OF Jesus Christ ..."

Of course, such a translation all but destroys the popular Protestant doctrine of "justification by faith only." The emphasis of most evangelicals is that it is OUR faith that saves us and that no "work" we perform can, in any way, contribute to our salvation.

Reasoning from this conclusion most of Protestantism has jettisoned water baptism as having any role to play in a person's salvation whatsoever. The fellowship through which I came to the Lord as a teenager, however, teaches that a person must be baptized in water to be saved. This has always confused me.

For years I have listened to the wrangling and agreed (secretly) that baptism could be considered a "work" if understood as a human work. On the other hand, if a human being is saved by "faith only" then I have never been able to understand why water baptism has played such a large role in Christian conversion through the centuries. What is the purpose of water baptism if a human being is saved by faith only?

Hays, if he is correct, solves the dilemma. His argument helps me see why water baptism has been the central initiation rite within Christianity from its inception.

If we are going to be consistent in our translation of the verse then the faith Paul is describing is as much "of Christ" as the works Paul is describing are "of the law." The grammatical construction of the two phrases is identical.

Paul uses the identical construction in Romans 3:21-22 to say, "But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through [the] faith OF Jesus Christ unto all them that believe...."

Again, the righteousness Paul is discussing is "of God" (genitive). That righteousness of God has been made available to human beings through the obedient faith OF Jesus Christ (also genitive)! It is the righteousness of God that is transferred into us as "believing ones."

Water baptism, then, makes a whole lot more sense. Three chapters later, in Romans 6:3-4 (as well as in other places in the New Testament) Paul says that at the point of our baptism - a passive act on our part; one in which God is the one doing the work - God transfers us INTO CHRIST!

Human redemption has been secured by the perfect, obedient faith of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. My faith does not produce my salvation; my faith leads me to submit to God's commandment and, at my baptism, God places me into Christ, where the redemptive work He accomplished is passively imputed to me as I am passively transferred into Him! All by the power and work of God!

So, neither is faith a human work nor is baptism a human work - both are my appropriate response to the completed work of God. And, because of the perfect faith of Jesus Christ, God can, and does at my baptism, transfer me into Him where the righteousness of God becomes mine!

Richard B. Hays, you're a genius. Thank you!

This is a highly technical work and you must have some knowledge of New Testament Greek to maximize its benefit. This is a work that all pastors, and laymen who work with the Greek text should interact. Hays makes a very cogent argument for certain passages normally translated "faith in Christ" to be the "faith or faithfullness of Christ" that is to say the "Subjective Gentive instead of the traditional "Objective Genitive." This position is not new and does have growing support by many serious Biblical language scholars. Agree or disagree with the author's conclusion, this is the type of exegetical issues that every Bible exeget should at least be conversant. The text will give you important data and exegetical information for drawing an infomred conclusion. The text is easy to follow. This second addition has a new introduction and two appedixes, one by Dr. James Dunn (Romans in Word Bible Commentary) who argues against Hays' thesis, followed by a response by Hays. These three additions are worth the price of the book. If Hays is correct, nothing of the cardinal doctrines of Christianity change, but how we might approach the teaching of Romans and Galatians will. For example, there would be a greater emphasis on preaching both the active and passive obedience of Christ, the federal headship of Christ and a defense against turning faith into a justifying work like Jacob Arminius tried to do.

Richard Hays argues that Paul is telling or appealing to a story in his argument with the Galatians--the story of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. There are many things of interest and value in this work. I will simply mention the provacative thesis that, many times, when our English Bibles translate "faith in Jesus Christ," Hays argues that Paul is actually referring to "the faith of Jesus Christ." Christ's own trust in God and his faithful obedience to the point of death on the cross is the crux of our salvation from the curse.

I still haven't decided if I'm sure Hays is right. As I have noted, the book is worth several readings. But for those looking for something meaty in New Testament theology, hermeneutics and/or literary theory, I think this should be at the top of your list.

Hays avers his work doesn't supplant other approaches to understanding but that it is "complementary." Still he seems to have broken new ground and threatens, or rather enables, a fresh new understanding of Christ's atoning work and our response to it. While best known for giving us the translation "the faith OF Jesus" Hays himself is more enamored of the implied story behind Galatians (with strong apologetic implications) and Romans, too. He exposes the "myth of Paul the isolated religious genius who shared little or nothing with his Jewish-Christian contemporaries" but employed the given story of Jesus in his mainstream theology. Hays' work will nevertheless be difficult for the public in that it is a thesis simply made into a book. And it would have helped if the German, French, and Latin quotes (sometimes extensive) had been translated in this reprint of a landmark work.

"Fired, Laid Off, Out of a Job" offers an insightful view of employment in today's corporate environment. It concisely defines the employee and employer relationship and offers a detailed plan that any individual can utilize to improve their opportunity for continued job success. Most importantly, it provides a Do-It-Yourself guide for dealing with unemployment and ultimately maximizing your success in your future career search. This book is an excellent resource whether you are an employer, employee, or currently - out of a job.

I have found this book so useful that I have bought and given 5 copies as gifts! It is very practical and written to be of use in a variety of situations.

If you are looking for a job you will find this book full of excellent tips, techniques, and tools for finding a job. Plus, you will get great advice for how to make certain an acceptance offer gives you the best protection from the possibility of future job loss.

If you are well along in your career and are looking for thoughts on how to protect yourself from future job loss, this book is also for you. The chapter on how to bulletproof your career is a gem.

And, if you are an employer, this book also gives advice on how to effectively, and humanely, deal with a job cutting situation (remember, you have to be concerned about the reactions of the people who will not be losing jobs too).

My advice, buy one for yourself and a few more for your friends and relatives who can benefit from it.

An excellent resource to read cover-to-cover OR to scan through as you transition through your personal situation. This book is loaded with practical, legally sound and well-thought-out advice. Leaders and managers would be smart to learn a lot from this book as it provides both employer and employee perspectives. As a transitioning employee I found that copying some of the forms in the book provided a quick access to practical tools which I needed quickly to make important decisions. I just attended orientation at my new work place and I have no doubt that I jsut made a fantastic move! I intend to get copies of this book into the library of my new employer. Thank you Byron and Michael. Excellent work!

As a recently laid off executive I found this book to be full of valuable information to help me cope with the job loss, organize an effective job search plan and be better prepared for the next job. A short review like this cannot do justice to the amount of helpful and practical information contained in the book. I highly recommend the book to any executive who has been laid off or feels at risk.

I bought this book about 3 years ago, and I still use it every chance I get. The stories are easy to present, with lots of teacher helps, perfect for the beginner Sunday School teacher. The kids go crazy for the stuff too, they really enjoy it. I use both this book and it's companion, Volume 2. I found the lessons appropriate for ages from 3 up to about 7, which is good if you are teaching a lot of different ages in the same class. My favorite lesson is Creation, which uses white cheese to make moons, apples to make stars, and oranges to represent the sun. The lessons require a little bit of planning but the results are well worth it. Highly recommended.

I teach "toddler church" for 2 and 3 year olds. I have tried various kinds of lessons--things found on the internet, lessons from other books I've checked out from the library, etc. I finally found this book and it is absolutely fantastic. It is one of the few "preschool" lesson books that is actually age-appropriate. The activities are simple and fun, and the kids love them.

What makes this book really special is every part of each lesson is focused on the lesson topic. For example, for the story of David and Goliath, you have a song (set to the tune of "The Muffin Man"), the story, told with a wonderful fingerplay, a fun craft (making shields out of grocery bags), a game, and much more. Even the snack holds meaning (make "stone" cookies)!

Don't worry about a lot of preparation time for the lessons. They are simple to prepare for, they don't require expensive materials, and the directions are clear. This book is truly inspired....the authors have been given a blessed gift by God, and I'm so glad they shared it with the rest of us.

I purchased this book along with some others for quick and easy ideas for our preschool class during church services. Although this book doesn't have pictures, it does involve the kids during the story. The book contains a craft suggestion, songs and snacks. The craft with each lesson isn't elaborate nor does it require hard to obtain items. Of the four books I purchased for the class, this one is my favorite.

I bought this book about 3 years ago, and I still use it every chance I get. The stories are easy to present, with lots of teacher helps, perfect for the beginner Sunday School teacher. The kids go crazy for the stuff too, they really enjoy it. I use both this book and it's companion, Volume 2. I found the lessons appropriate for ages from 3 up to about 7, which is good if you are teaching a lot of different ages in the same class. Highly recommended.

This is a great book for teachers and Christians to read! I really enjoyed the different perspectives that the two voices shared.

This is an excelent book for all people all ages.Mrs.Whited I am so happy for you,and I hope that you continue to suceed with your writing and teaching.

Parents, students, future educators, and Christians should all grab a copy of this book. I thought it was a very insightful book into a world in which we tend to overlook. Very few people realize the impact that educators have on our children and the challenges that face them.

I was unable to put the book down. This book gives a new perspective on educators and the hard, thankless job they perform day in and day out. Now throw in the fact they are Christian educators with an even higher responsibility! Wow, you just have to read it to understand.

The 2 voices speak loud and clear.

You must own this book. It will open your eyes and change your heart.

I am familiar with the topics within decision making and the role of framing from prior academic work. Never did I have such a fascinating and enjoyable learning experience from a book. The approach of couching lessons and examples within the context of a murder mystery makes learning fun. For me, it was that joyful experience of not wanting to put the book down and I read it in two settings. For everyone, but corporate managers could have a great deal of fun reading this as a team. It would provide the common language and experience to repeat in practice for ongoing decisions of the firm. I would like to see much more with this approach to all forms of knowledge!

Applying decision-making models to this great story was a very creative approach to writing an engaging book. It was great to read as the characters worked through the construction of a model, reviewed the outcomes and then learned from their mistakes and biases. The application of these concepts helped make them fun to learn and easier to use. Some of the exercises are good for independent study, but they were all fun in a group. Framed provides a great deal of material for book clubs from any discipline to read and discuss.

I was intrigued by Dr. Singh's ability to assemble a good-read mystery novel by intricately weaving in decision-making strategies to solve the mystery. This multi-faceted approach to discovery provides a good basis for learning not only from an academic perspective, but also in real life. His logical assignment of terms such as "Anchoring," and "Availability Bias" provide helpful roadmaps to living and making choices. I highly recommend this book to both academic and business professionals.

People make hundreds of decisions every day. Most decisions are either so trivial or so routine that we don't even think about the processes we follow to make them. In fact, we probably don't even realize we are applying any processes to our decision-making. Our dilemmas arise when we must make significant decisions: who to marry, what career to pursue, where to live . . .. Are there any useful models we can apply to decisions like these? Dr. Hari Singh would answer that question with a resounding, "yes!"

If you think a business professor's account of decision-making is likely to be dry as dust, think again. Dr. Singh uses a remarkably creative "frame" to present an abundance of scholarly material. Rather than explaining concepts deductively or formulaically, Dr. Singh enfolds those concepts in the frame of a novel. Moreover, Dr. Singh's uses the classic framing technique of enclosing a story-within-a-story. Thus, the story, the concepts and the models are literally "framed" in multiple layers.

The outer frame of the story is a conversation between two brothers. Chris, who must soon make some critical decisions, has come to his elder brother, Larry, for advice. Larry could dryly explicate Benjamin Franklin's Balance Sheet method, or the Weighing Attributes and Ranking Scores method, or the Scenario Strategies method of decision-making and then tell Chris to select a model from that menu. He doesn't do that. Instead, Larry tells Chris how he first learned, through two life-changing experiences, to apply all of those decision-making models at appropriate times.

The first life-changing experience, which provides the inner frame of the story, is Larry's account of a decision-making course he took in business school. This is the primary context in which academic concepts and models are introduced. Dr. Singh uses the dialogue between the students and their professor to explain and clarify the subject matter. The students' learning experiences, however, are not confined to the classroom. The students, by means of a case study, demonstrate how the ideas discussed in class can be applied to real-world situations. To this point, the concepts, models and case study have been set primarily in a business school context. But Dr. Singh does not stop there.

The second life-changing experience, which provides the fascinating (dare I say "fun?") core of Larry's story, is his application of the knowledge acquired in his business course to solve a murder mystery. Thus, Dr. Singh cleverly transfers concepts derived from a wide range of academic disciplines to an entirely new context and demonstrates that they can be used, literally, to resolve all manner of dilemmas. One could even say that it would be appropriate to view these ideas as life skills rather than mere business or decision-making tools.

Not only does Dr. Singh present his material in a novel (pun intended) context, he uses a variety of mnemonic tools and acronyms to assist the reader's retention of the material. I have not had the privilege of attending any of Dr. Singh's classes but I suspect that he is an outstanding teacher as well as a scholar. He has published numerous journal articles and served as a consultant for a variety of organizations and government agencies. This book is merely the latest addition to his substantial list of accomplishments.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in management, decision-making, group dynamics and the like. In addition to acquiring decision-making skills, readers of this book will gain a keen understanding of human nature and interaction. For that reason, in addition to being fruitfully used as a textbook in collegiate courses across a range of disciplines, this book should be required reading for executives and management professionals in all business (including non-profit organizations) and government agency contexts.